《A New World, an immersive game experience》


 Chapter 1: Prologue: A New World is Release

    <h4>Chapter 1: Prologue: A New World is Release</h4>


    ''Today is the day. It is finally being released for beta testing. I can''t wait! I still remember the trailer from 3 months ago.'' Eldrian thought as he excitedly waited for the delivery in his apartment.


    The trailer scene released by Miracle Corporation had indeed been very special. Instead of focusing on gamey, the trailer showed a siege. The thing which made this scene strange was that no yers have entered the game yet. So, how could there be a battle in-game?


    Certainly, this was one of the things that people -such as Eldrian- took note of most. The other key point was the graphics showcased in the scene. It could be argued, that due to the presence of magic, the city looked more like an art piece than a city.


    The scene was introduced as if the viewer took the ce of a bird. First flying over the city looking at the strange actions of the humans. Before curiously going closer to observe their actions better. As the view neared the city beautiful light shes were asionally seen from strange towers thatid behind the city walls. Soldiers scrambled about on the walls trying to ready their defenses, while the streets of the cities were empty.


    Soon the viewpoint was inside the city, making it possible to hear the unnatural silence reigning over it. Only the tter of metal hitting something hard was heard from time to time.


    ''Next our bird''s eye view flew around the city, trying to give us time to take it all in.'' The marble white walls looked massive. Towering over the houses inside the city. The only thing taller were those strange towers. A total of eight equally distanced from each other, seemingly ced strategically. These towers looked shabbily built, any person from the modern age would say this. Strangelybined with the beautiful shes of light the towers ended up looking far more imposing than the massive city walls.


    Looking on further from a higher viewpoint again a stranger scene was shown. From the current perspective -directly over the city center- it looked as if the city was not built for functionality. Rather it looked like it was built to look like an art piece. ''The roads seemed to form a specific pattern, maybe it is an array of sorts?''


    Momentster the viewpoint changed, instead of a bird''s eye view, it was now from the perspective of a member of some council. The room was dimly lit, alluding to a gloomy mood. The council included two females and two males. All having their own strong characteristics.


    One of the women wore a full set of te armor, making her look far more imposing than she would have in normal clothing. The other woman had a beautiful blue and white robe on. For some reason this robe exuded grace and strength.


    One of the men stood in the room, seemingly exhausted. His clothes were torn and some pieces of his leather armor were missing, as if he just barely survived an attack. Shockingly even with his attire in tatters no visible cuts or blood were seen, other than the dried blood on his clothes. Thest person was someone you feel like you can just forget. Eldrian couldn''t even remember this man''s features. Be it what he wore or how he looked.


    "But Princess Arie, we cannot repel. Not with just us here. Most of ourmanders had gone to the centralnd. The same is true of all other nearby kingdoms, everyone went to discuss how we can fight back against the monster invasion. How are we supposed to hold out when our numbers are lessened?" The man in tattered armor asked, looking in the direction of the viewer.


    "That I do not know Vardic, but we will have to try. If we fail in holding Ariel then our kingdom will be as good as gone. All of us present will have to try our best to hold out until news can travel to the alliance meeting." Responded the princess, knowing that even if news spread so quickly they still would likely fail.


    "While that is true Princess we must try and ensure casualties are minimalized. Why don''t we start evacuating the civilians who have nobat strength?" Asked the mysterious man.


    "Jake you know I would love to, but with the monsters are followed by an organized army or so the reports say. I doubt even veteran soldiers would be able to make it out, only elites would stand a chance. You all know that more than one Beast King has been spotted, meaning that there is very likely a Beast Emperor controlling the monsters. The army leader either has control of this Beast Emperor or he made a pact with it."


    "I am afraid the most we can do is try to increase their casualties." Said the woman in full te armor.


    When she finished the rest fell silent. The strength of the monsters was far too much for them to handle. Even if they still had their missingmanders here, the chances would have been slim.


    As the council fell silent the view changed again. This time zooming past the city to the surrounding area. From this vantage point, a massive ck mass could be seen advancing in the direction the city lies in.


    As the viewpoint neared to ck mass Eldrian could make out more of what the massprised of. Many, many beastlike monsters were in this mass. They looked mostly like mutated wolves, some even pleasing to the eye. Yet they all had one thing inmon, they had an air of ferocity surrounding them.


    Behind these beasts was a more traditional styled army. Except that this army was majorlypromised out of orcs. The orcs did not look hideous, rather they looked barbaric. With most of them having close to no armor, or even clothing. The females present didn''t even bother to cover their chests unless they wore breasttes.


    The orcs marched in a semi-orderly manner as if they were part of a well-trained group. At certain ces in this orderly army was chaos. As soon as Eldrian''s eyes were pulled to these ces he saw some truly massive creatures. With a height of almost six meters, the closest description Eldrian could give them was that of trolls or giants.


    This chaotic ck mass and the orderly army marched towards the city in a strange kind of bnce. Chaos in front and order behind.


    After a suspense-filled minute or two -during which the view changed from the soldiers frantic on the walls, to the citizens praying in their homes- the siege finally began. The beasts charged crazily at the massive walls.


    Soon after they started charging,mands and captains screamed at the top of their lungs, telling the soldiers what to do. Hearing the screams the soldiers jumped into action, more thorough training than conscious thought. Launching ballista bolts from ballistic, and stones from trebuchet installed on the walls.


    Every ballista bolt would reap the lives of at least three beasts. The stones flung from the trebuchet, even more, leaving a line of mangled bodies. But this did little in stopping the beasts, rather the smell of blood sent them into a frenzy. Making them seem even more vicious.


    Just seconds after the first physical defense machines attacked another type of defense joined the fray. It joined in the form of ice spears firing out of those strange towers. Each spear was the size of an adult man. With a spear being fired from, tower to tower, the first to fire firing again after thest. Making the duration during which they didn''t fire seem nonexistent.


    The destruction and damage of these attacks were immense. Craters of over a meter forming after each hit. Unfortunately, this did not stop the frenzied charge of beasts. Soon they reached the range where normal archers and mages could release their attack.


    Followed which a massive wave of arrows sailing through the air. The effect of this was simply amazing, the monster mass seemingly stopping for a few seconds. Not due to them bing scared but rather the number of monsters that died to the arrows.


    But after this first wave of arrows, the next came too slowly and the monsters quickly started scaling the walls with their ws, digging them deep into the stone with every move. When the beasts had reached about halfway up the soldiers started pouring oil down. Shortly after some men in robes chanted a bit beforeunching fireballs into the mass of monsters coated in oil. This caused a massive ze of heat to assault both the defenders and attackers.


    Regrettably even this did little to decrease the beasts'' numbers.


    "Princess Arie we have to retreat. While we might be able to fight to a standstill for a few more hours. I can guarantee that our ammo will run out in those few hours, after which the orc army will make their move. We cannot allow our citizens to end up in their hands!" Vardic almost screamed thest part, the trauma of the victim''s situation still haunting him.


    "I know you are right Vardic, yet I do not wish to condemn my people to death. Is there really no way we can change the oue?" Princess Arie asked her voice cracking as she tried not to cry. She knew that all of her people living in Ariel will die today. At the very least she should offer them this. Being taken captive would bring them misery with no bounds.


    "The situation is too dire, we have to retreat soon or we won''t be able," Jake said as he kept looking out of a window, soon he saw the monsters reaching the top of the walls.


    "I understand, we will go now. Gather the Hippogriff-guards. We will leave as soon as the magic towers activate Eternal Freeze. Hopefully this way we can spare the citizens of our capital from suffering, and take out most of those darn beasts!" Princess Arie said as her eyes showed her resolve.


    ''The very least I can do is ensure that they die painlessly.'' She whispered to herself, Eldrian could only hear this because the scene had zoomed onto the princess''s face, showcasing her grief and her strong will.


    "Yes." The others answered immediately exiting the room to go give out themands. Eternal Freeze was a forbidden spell only intended to be used if victory was impossible. It would turn the magic towers into output devices without a limiter. Coupled with the city array and core this would cause a massive freeze st. Killing all the city inhabitants and making the city a frozen hell with temperatures below a hundred kelvin for a few days after.


    Due to the city core being part of this spell, the city might stay at this temperature for far longer. Month or years being a possibility.


    Less than a minute after the towers stopped firing an aura of frost was released. This aura fell slowly from the tower creating soft white mist as it traveled. Spreading increasingly faster as time went by.


    As the monsters saw this aura they started panicking and stampeding away from the city with many of them dying in their own stampede. Only the faster monsters would be able to avoid the frost aura.


    As this aura was descending a group of 15 hippogriffs and their riders flew into the sky from the center of the city.


    After the activation of this spell ast scene of the town was shown and the audience was then given an incredibly sad scene. The soldiers started crying, some hugging their battle sworn brothers. The citizens hugged their family, with fathers crying, yet relief on their faces.


    They all knew what the frost mist signified.


    It was an indication that the city was deemed lost. In order to preserve the kingdom''s strength, damage the enemy and give all citizens a peaceful death their city''s forbidden spell had been used.


    And within a few seconds of the aura reaching them,pletely freezing them in the blink of an eye. Just five minutes after the spell''s activation all that could be seen as a beautiful ice city.


    The city now looked like a piece of art made out of ice, in the middle of a war, where the citizens hugged their loved ones. Looking as if they are praying that the soldiers will repel the enemy. Then looking at the soldiers, crying and hugging each other on the walls. The view than looking further, showing the frozen retreating monsters. You could be mistaken in thinking that the soldiers were crying due to the monsters giving up.


    Only the orc army was left unaffected. As if they had predicted that this may well happen.


    This was the trailer that everyone was shown. Not only was it very controversial. As it showed the good side being defeated. But it also depicted the emotions of the citizens so well, all the viewers had felt sad after the ending.


    ''How was this a trailer and not a tragic movie'', many of them thought. The entirety of this trailer was just short of 30 minutes. But the impact the viewers felt was massive, everyone asked why this was shown. The response from the game creators, Miracle Corporation, was even more astonishing.


    "This was not a staged event. But rather how the game really runs. We have been simting the game in this state for the past six months. We had some alpha testers join the game to test the deep dive technology and how they felt after going to sleep via the headset. They have not yed the game all that much, only testing if everything worked from a technical standpoint."


    "The true game test was six months of simtions with only the NPCs in the world."


    "From the time the program started we witness the NPCs growing far more than we expected. Soon cases like these started due to the event of a monster invasion. They even started preparing to make an alliance. This scene was chosen as it happened two weeks ago."


    "''Why did we choose this scene,'' you asked, the answer is simple. It shows best how realistic and sad this game can be. How insignificant the weak are to change their fate, and how the strong could control an entire city''s death."


    "But most importantly the emotions the NPCs showed. We hope to let everyone know that A New World [ANW] will be different from all other VR games. The NPCs feel, they think, they will do their best to survive just like yers."


    That was the day on which Eldrian swore to himself that he must y A New World. The world looked so vivid. The events too impactful to even be thought of as a game. This is why today he was so excited.


    Finally, they were releasing their personalized headset. This headset has been optimized for A New World, and while you could ess it via the older models. This headset has an edge that all people craved.


    The ability to y the game as you sleep.


    The concepts were you would enter the game as if you are experiencing a vivid dream. You would have full control of yourself, being able to do what you want in the game. Be it working, learning, or just ying the game.


    The reason everyone craved this was that on average this would give everyone an extra 8 hours to spend as they want, every day. Giving people around half a day extra, seeing as normally one would just be awake for 16 hours.


    Of course, due to this function, the headset is not cheap. Eldrian had to save his money for a very long time. In fact, due to the trailer only being three months before release he had to take a job to make the money on time.


    Luckily, he was always a person who saved his money rather than spending it as if it was just water. Thus, in only two months of working as a waiter, with his normal savings, he earned the extra 500 dors he needed to afford the headset. The total cost was 5000 dors.


    Eldrian was now eagerly waiting for the delivery to arrive.

 Chapter 2: Getting ready:

    <h4>Chapter 2: Getting ready:</h4>


    Ding ding!


    ''Finally, it''s here!'' Eldrian sprang up from the couch he was sitting on. He was living in a small apartment rtively near his university. Close enough that when cycling it would take about 15 minutes there and about 10 back, since most of the road is downhill when going back.


    The apartment was just what any student would need when living alone. A small ce but cozy. It had a kitchen/living room, where it was split into a small kitchen and the rest a normal room. Other than this it had a nice bedroom which could fit a double bed and a bathroom with a shower-bath.


    As Eldrian opened the door he saw a young man nervously handling a clipboard while holding a box in his other hand. It truly looked like he would soon fail in keeping the bnce between the box and the clipboard.


    "Easy there, you can give me that paper so long. I''ll start reading it and if everything is in order, I will sign it." Eldrian said, trying to catch the falling clipboard. Luckily the delivery guy prioritized the box over the paper.


    "Ah, yes. Thank you." The man replied, clearly embarrassed at this point.


    "I am guessing you are new at this job?" Eldrian asked as he started reading the contents. Not much needs to be said, it is a standard notice of delivery paper needed to be signed when a person gets a delivery. Strangely there was another thicker pack behind it.


    "Ah yeah sorry. And please do note that there is another notice under the first. I am not too sure what it is. They just told me that it also needed to be signed. A notice on epting the conditions of the new technology or something in that line."


    "Well, that sounds interesting. Let me see." Eldrian quickly flipped the first page and started reading this notice.


    The notice or rather a contract had a lot more to it. It indicated that due to limited testing the use of the deep dive headset is still in the testing phase. So, if any problems arise then this contract basically protects thepany.


    It also stated a few confusing terms with which Eldrian wasn''t familiar with. Luckily, he could understand the gist of it from the context in which the words were used in.


    Basic conditions in the contract stated firstly that the person who will enter the game must be 18 years of age or older. With permanent banning as a punishment if this rule is broken. The reason given is that the content in-game isn''t suitable for younger audiences. Eldrian being 19 had no problems with this rule. He wasn''t nning on letting others y with his headset either.


    Another use is that no person will be allowed to game for longer than 16 hours. If a yer does not log out on their own by this time then they will be forcefully logged out. Receive double the death penalty and be punished with a 24-hour cooldown before they can reenter the game.


    The reason for this is that the untested effects of such a deep dive system, capable of recing sleep, haven''t been fully investigated. But if the time spent in-game is limited then the effects are lessened and can normally be controlled to an extent, or so the contract imed.


    Regarding y time Eldrian didn''t feel he would likely go over this since he had sses during the week and on weekends he would like to go out when the sun was out.


    Thest use of interest was on the pain scaling in-game. This stated that in-game, to give a full immersion feel, the pain had to be included. By default, the pain will scale to a max pain felt for each given painful feeling. For example, being stabbed will feel like receiving injection on default. Being cut will feel like a shallow cut of up to 2 mm to 4 mm deep depending on a person''s pain tolerance. The blunt force will feel like a friendly punching match with a friend.


    A condition was stated here in the contract that if a person chooses to enhance the pain feeling they will take full responsibility themselves for all traumas they may then develop.


    Naturally this use scared Eldrian. This would mean that if you scale the damage it could lead to real-life problems, or so it implied. Luckily, he wasn''t a masochist so he would keep the pain on the default and minimum amount. Not much else was strange so Eldrian signed where needed.


    "Thank you, enjoy your day," Eldrian said as he handed the signed papers back to the young man.


    With everything done, Eldrian looked in the box to find the manual, which he also promptly started reading. The instructions were quite simple, before using the device one must ensure that it is properly charged. This is to ensure that if a power outage were to happen, then you would not be rudely taken from what you were doing, but rather be warned and given about an hour to log out, and find out what the problem is.


    Plugging in the headset to start charging it, Eldrian took out his phone to also message his sister that the headset has arrived. He also told her that she should really get one too. Of course, she was never a gamer like himself, so he would have to get some real proof of the game''s benefits to convince her.


    After sending a long message to his sister Eldrian started going onto the forums thepany made for all prospective gamers to chat on. Two different kinds of users were allowed on here.


    One being verified yers, who have bought the headset and created their avatar. After which their ount will be linked to the forum. Thus, their name will be in silver color, along with their profile being bordered with a silver color.


    Thepany stated it was a method they took on to make posts have validity to them, rather than just being any random person, it will be a person with real experience in the game. Only one ount will ever be linked to one person, since the device would link a person''s specific biometrics when logging in.


    The othermon users would-be fans, or rather onlookers. Their names will be standard ck with no border on their profile. They will be allowed onto the forum to increasemunity knowledge on what the game has to offer. A flip to this is that all their posts can be seen as unsupported since any person can make multiple of these ounts.


    There are also other ount holders, but these would be special cases. Such as moderators with a purple color to their name and border or celebrities who would have a golden color.


    ¡­


    After browsing around on the forum Eldrian found some relevant information. Such as that the in-game persona of yers would be Chosen. Starting off as Chosen Adventurers and depending on their actions in-game this title will change.


    So, for example, if a person takes saving the world as their goal and actually aplishes major feats their title will be. -Chosen Hero-


    The basic background is that with the monster invasion the Goddess of Life chose to summon willing people from another realm to help defend the residents of Gaia. They would be immune to death, except from old age. Thus, when a Chosen is killed, they will be revived in the temples of Gaia. This doese at a cost, which the yers will have to learn with time.


    Another important note Eldrian found from a moderator, is that technology isn''t present in the game. This moderator stated that there are in-game reasons for this, and as such yers would be allowed to talk about almost anything in-game. Some sentences or words would be censored. The moderator did not exin how, except that he stated that the game system will be responsible for smoothmunication with the NPCs, since they actually talk a differentnguage from any earth knownnguage.


    Eldrian was a bit frustrated since the moderator basically gave no information away making him just all the more curious. ncing at the time Eldrian saw that it was about time to log in. As such he turned off his PC and went to his room to log in.


    ¡­


    Eldrian found himself drifting off to sleep when he tried to log in, not expecting this he was confused as he lost consciousness. His deep sleep was then interrupted rudely by a very pleasant voice. But Eldrian felt that this voice was not pleasant at all because he had never fallen asleep so easily since he started high school.


    "Dear user, as this is your first time using the Driven Headset a few moments of your time will be required. Do not worry this process will not take long and in a few minutes, you will find yourself in an entirely new world filled with endless possibilities."


    ''It really felt like I was falling asleep just now. This technology is scary and can be so useful to people with insomnia. I wonder why they didn''t sell a simplified version just for that.'' Eldrian muttered to himself as his mind became clear and he realized that he was actually trying to log into A New World and not fall asleep.


    "We will start with the basics, please look at the wisp that will appear before you."


    Hearing this Eldrian saw a ball of blue light appear before him. With this light ball, he finally realized that he was in a very dark room. Even with this ball giving off a soft, warm light he could still not even see his feet clearly.


    Only being distracted for a moment, Eldrian soon started doing as the voice asked of him and looked at the ball. As he did the ball moved around. The movement wasn''t veryplicated with it moving backward and forwards, left and right, up and down. With time it started mixing the movement and flew around the room freely increasing its own speed as time went on.


    ''Why does it feel like the light ball is enjoying itself?'' This truly bothered Eldrian as the ball was starting to vibrate and move even faster around him. This continued until Eldrian could finally not follow the wisp ball anymore.


    "Great perception skill detected. Next step of the simtion. Please follow the wisp around user."


    Again, Eldrian heard the pleasant voice. Not having much of a choice he started following the wisp. He found the first steps a bit difficult, almost falling over his unstable feet. After a while of walking clumsily, Eldrian started getting used to it. The best description of what it felt like is if someone is drunk and then you have to follow a person who was walking straight as an arrow.


    Eldrian followed the wisp for a long time, soon having to start running to keep up. In the end, he also had to sprint or the wisp would leave him behind in its luminous dust.


    When Eldrian finally copsed onto the ground he heard the system voice again.


    "User''s physical speed limits have been tested. Next¡­" And so Eldrian followed the instructions.

 Chapter 3: Making an Avatar

    <h4>Chapter 3: Making an Avatar</h4>


    A tired Eldrian was lying in the emptiness trying to catch his breath. After trying to keep up with the wisp he was asked to try and catch, or rather just touch, the wisp. This proved near impossible for Eldrian. When he copsed from tiredness the voice next announced he should avoid the wisp, and a few other wisps also joined.


    Straining himself Eldrian managed to barely avoid the wisps, red and blue. Luckily, they started slowly giving him some time to gather his breath. But as time moved forward, they started speeding up, until they moved as fast as he could move. After dodging these wisps for about the 10th time a green one joined. This was when Eldrian knew he was cornered.


    Barely managing to dodge three coordinated wisps two times, a tired Eldrian felled down onto the ground again. "Data has been collected and saved. User thank you for your cooperation. Quality of user''s connection and control is excellent." The system voice ranged in an almost sleeping Eldrian''s head.


    "Next," ¨C''Fuck me, not any more'' Eldrian thought as he heard next,- "please create your avatar. This avatar will be your connection to the game world, Gaia. Please ensure that user doesn''t deviate too much from your real look and body, as this will cause the rise of affinity issues." Stated the system voice, greatly alleviating Eldrian''s mind as he realized he could lie down longer to recover.


    As the voice faded, the room Eldrian was in started changing. It created a view like he was a celestial being. Eldrian was now floating over Gaia, with gxies and even the moon and sun over him. Yet strangely Eldrian understood how he was supposing to go about this ''Character creation system''.


    As such Eldrian first thoughts were on his favorite fantasy race elves. As he thought about them a visual representation was shown to him. Not via any interface but rather with the world and celestial bodies. Looking around Eldrian found that there was Moon Elves information flowing into him as he stared at the moon.


    [Moon Elves]


    [All elves are graceful. Emphasizing agility and intellect over other characteristics. Moon elves are often depicted as dancers [Attribute bonuses: 10 Agility, 10 intelligence ]]


    [Moon elves are an elven sub-race who are excellent in high magic. This magic includes healing, blessing, and prayers. Generally, moon elves do not use magic offensively. [High magic bonus: 20%]]


    [The most favorite weapons of Moon Elves are two-handed swords [Two-handed swords bonus: 10% increase in damage, 5% increase in speed.]]


    [Moon Elves are naturally attuned to cold elements. Any cold-rted items would gain increased effectiveness. -Silver types materials included- [5% up to a maximum of 40%.]


    ''What a beautiful way of choosing a race.'' Eldrian thought, ''Look at the relevant ce the race has a connection to, and basic information is shown inside your mind.'' Next he turned to the sun to see what or if there is an elven race connected to it.


    [Sun Elves]


    [All elves are graceful. Empathizing agility and intellect over other characteristics. Sun Elves are often depicted as warriors.[ Attribute bonuses: 10 strength, 5 agility, 5 constitution ]]


    [Sun Elves, also called valley elves or nomad elves, a though elven sub-race. Due to their living style and culture, these elves excel in offensive situations. [Fire type magic bonus of 30%]]


    [Favourite weapon of Sun Elves are swords of any type. They also excel in the use of shields. [Sword damage bonus: 7.5%, Shield speed bonus: 7.5% and 10% less fatigue gain]]


    [Sun Elves are naturally attuned to hot elements. Any heat-rted items would gain increased effectiveness. -Golden type materials included- [ 5% to a maximum of 40%]]


    Next Eldrian turned to a forest, sincemonly elves are depicted as living in woods. Surprisingly two elven types were sown depending on where he looked. When looking at the typical forest he got the information of Wood Elves.


    [Wood Elves]


    [All elves are graceful. Empathizing agility and intellect over other characteristics. Wood Elves are often depicted as Archers. [ Attribute bonuses: 12 agility, 8 strength ]]


    [Wood Elves is an elven sub-race who always lives in wooden areas. The more nature elements are in the area the more likely one is to find wood elves there. They are typically xenophobic since most other races use woods as a source of, well many things. Due to their natural attunement to nature Wood Elves have a strong affinity to nature magic, as well as elemental magic -except for fire magic- [Nature magic bonus: 30%; Elemental magic bonus: 15%.]


    [Wood Elves excel in speed and stealth. Their preferred weapon is the bow, with short swords as theirmon backup. [Bow bonus: 12% increased damage, 3% increased uracy. Short sword bonus: 5% increased speed]]


    [Wood Elves have a strong affinity to nature. Any item made out of natural items -Which was gathered without harming the source- has an attunement to them. These items can include, wood, leaves, hides, bones, feathers, and so forth -As long as, say the animal wasn''t killed for the aim of getting its materials- [10% up to a maximum of 70%] {Stronger bonus due to difficulty in finding materials.}]


    Lastly, if Eldrian looked at the father/mother tree of the forest he was given the information of High Elves


    [High Elves] {Extremely difficult race}


    [All elves are graceful. Empathizing agility and intellect over other characteristics. High Elves are depicted as supreme elves[Attribute bonuses: 15 Agility, 10 intelligence, 5 Spirit, 5 Strength, 5 Constitution ]]


    [High Elves are not a sub-race of the elves but rather the true, pure bloodline. They are stronger than all other races, except High Demons and Dragons. But this is only true if the High Elf was allowed to cultivate. High Elves are also known by the descriptions; True Elves, Noble Elves, Gaia''s children or in their ownnguage Tareldar.]


    [High Elves excel in all forms of magic except for demonic magic -including but not limited to necromancy, sacrificial magic, blood-magic or any other magic that defies nature- They can also not use divine magic, since they are in a sense divine beings themselves -They are aligned to nature and can thus not borrow any powers from other divinities- [Nature magic bonus: 60% ; Other magic bonus: 40%]]


    [High elves excel in all forms of fighting. [Truebat bonus of 5% damage and 5% speed]]


    [High Elves are attuned to nature and good-aligned magic by their very being. Due to this, they gain an increased attunement to all magical items [5% up to 60%]]


    [Warning!!! High Elves, while a very strong race, have no in-game help. The only game functions avable to them will be the standard interface and its rted abilities. No skills, attacks, or spells will be helped/guided/done via the system. Thus, any yer choosing this race will have to learn the in-game method of using mana to be able to use any abilities, be they spells or skill.]


    [Warning!!! yers choosing this race will also have some system interface actions blocked. yer will also only be given the ability to understand the universalmon tongue in-game. As well as elven. Any other dialect will be foreign to yer.]


    [Warning!!! This race is only yable as a first choice. If yer has ever entered the game before then that yer will no longer be able to choose the High Elf race.]


    ''I choose the High Elf race'' Eldrian said in his head. The bonuses this race gains from just being a semi-divine race were simply too good to pass up. While learning how to wield magic sounded very difficult, Eldrian also thought that it would be an amazing thing to learn and not just use.


    "User has chosen High Elves as a race. This race is extremely difficult to y. User, please beware that most in-game system functions will be unavable or limited."


    After the system voice stated this Eldrian found himself standing in front of what seemed to be a mirror. In this mirror he saw himself, except this he had slightly pointed ears and a bit slimmer body type. Unfortunately, this avatar of his also had a slight belly.


    "User may alter your in-game avatar appearance. To do this user has only to think of the change you want and it will be reflected inside the envision mirror."


    As the voice faded Eldrian was reminded of one of the developer''s posts on the forums. The developer stated that when creating your character, one should take care to not change too much. While the gaming system will try to bnce the differences between your IRL body and avatar, there is a limit.


    The post also mentioned that the ideal affinity would be above 95%. As Eldrian recalled this he called out to the system to disy his affinity.


    [IRL body to Avatar Affinity: 97.83]


    Seeing that he had some room to y with, Eldrian entered the ssic character creation mentality of gamers.


    ''Change the hair, mmm yeah longer, up to the shoulder des. Silver color, please. The eyes, change it¡­ Ah yeah, ice blue, please. Shave a bit of the belly, dang below 95. Curses! Revert. How about¡­'' After about 30 minutes of tweaking Eldrian was happy.


    Looking at the finished product, a smile glowed on Eldrian''s face, until his eyes went down to his stomach. ''For god''s sake. Who has ever heard of a chubby elf? Oh, look at that fat elf, people will say. I can see it now, I am going to be a meme.'' Eldrianined to himself.


    Seriously has there ever been an elf in fantasy who was overweight. It wasn''t even that Eldrian was very overweight, he just had a beer belly and a slight one at that. For normal humans, it is a natural look. But for an elf¡­ ''Sigh, I will just have to deal.'' He tried to settle his mind by saying this.


    After all the tweaking his affinity ended at 95.67%. Which he felt was decent. Unfortunately, if he cut his belly then it dropped to 94.18%, just too low for him to ept.


    "User has unlocked a hidden condition. Have an affinity of 95% or more with your avatar. Due to this, actions in-game will give the user a bleed effect, causing your muscles to exercise unconsciously." The system voice ranged as Eldrian confirmed his avatar.


    "Cation should be exercised by user. Longer gaming will lead to an increased bleed effect. Physical changes in users'' real body will be reflected with user''s avatar."


    Hearing these two messages Eldrian''s jaw almost hit the floor. These side effects were simply amazing. ''Why on earth did thepany not mention this? Did they want to keep it as a surprise for prudent yers? Or is there something more?'' Eldrian wondered.


    "To finish user''s avatar creation, and be born into Gaia please name your avatar." Stated the system voice.


    ''Haru'' Eldrian said mentally to the system. It was the Japanese word for spring, and he felt it fit really well. Since this will be his new beginning.


    Soon after saying Haru, Eldrian was surrounded by a soft white light. He also felt his body changing subtly. It was a queer feeling, not painful but certainly strange.


    "Oh, another one just arrived, and look a High Elf." A strange male voice entered Eldrian''s ears.


    "Haha, what a strange elf. How did he even manage to gain weight?" A female voice echoed.


    "So true right! Normally elves find it impossible to gain weight above the ideal amount. This one is truly talented.'' The female voicemented again.


    ''Dang, seems like the meme is going to start from the NPCs side.''Eldrian thought as he felt his face bing hot. Certainly, no man would like it when that, is the first thing a femalemented on. And to add insult to his injury she was quite attractive.


    After looking at hismentators Eldrian started to look around the room he was in, trying to distract himself from their looks. He was standing in a strange circle. This circle had pirs at 6 points, which somehow fit into the drawings or rather runes it was created out of.


    ''This must be the spawn point.'' Eldrian thought as he looked ahead to observe the crowd ahead.

 Chapter 4: Some of the limits.

    <h4>Chapter 4: Some of the limits.</h4>


    Eldrian looked ahead further trying to make sense of the crowd. They clearly didn''t look like NPCs, unfortunately, he had no method to find out, or at least he didn''t know-how. As such Eldrian started walking towards a group that was forming in the crowd.


    This group was forming in front of what looked like a roadside booth. As Eldrian approached a female yer came to him and asked, "Excuse me sir, are you perhaps here to register to our guild?"


    Confused Eldrian looked at the group again, this time he saw that normally a few people, probably friends, grouped together with another person who had a piece of paper.


    "Um, no. Wait. How can you already form a guild? I thought no social interactions have been implemented yet. Did someone already find the method to start a guild?" A confused Eldrian looked at the girl who approached him. She had dark brown hair, pretty eyes, and looked quite pretty to Eldrian.


    "Ah, no. It isn''t for official registration but rather to gather people, for when we do unlock the guild function. You see even if we can''t form a guild, it should be useful if you can contact many people for eventster in the game." She replied in a friendly manner.


    As she spoke Eldrian found her to be really good at this type of work. It certainly seemed to work on him, since he wanted to give his details now.


    "That does sound useful. But I don''t think I should make amitment yet when I have no idea of, well anything. For now, I just want to explore this world. Can you maybe tell me how to recognize NPCs? I assume you had to talk with them to set up this booth inside the temple."


    "Yes, you are correct we had to ask some NPCs. But the method is easy just use your identity skill. And are you sure you don''t want to join us?" She replied as she held augh. ''This person seemed to be aplete noob in gaming.'' Were her thoughts.


    "Ah¡­ This seems to be one of the limits¡­" Eldrian muttered after looking for skills mentally. In this game the interface is used by consciously thinking about the things you want to know. It was very confusing at first.


    "Sorry, what did you say?" She asked, having not heard his muttering clearly.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to say that aloud. But this will also work, can you point me to an NPC please?" Eldrian asked after considering that this might be his best method to be introduced to this world.


    "Oh sure. Why wouldn''t you have the ability tough?" She asked as she pointed to an old-looking man. His hair was of silver-grey color, due to aging. Eldrian mentally locked these rough-looking NPCs into his head as he turned back to the girl to end their conversation.


    "It seems to be part of the limitation on High Elf yers. I didn''t expect to not even be able to inspect people or items. Seems like we truly do have limits to counter our strong race." Answered Eldrian, he was also curious about how extensive this limit will be.


    "Wow, you sure are daring. No one I know of decided to try the High Elven race. Since you know, it said extremely difficult and had 3 warning indications." She said as she looked at Eldrian anew. ''Seems this guy is taking this game quite seriously.'' She thought.


    "Haha, nothing like that. It is just that I had always been fascinated with fantasy, and after looking at the description of High Elves, I thought it would actually fit my ns well. To enjoy the world, not the game." Eldrian said trying to dispel any misconception he might have just created.


    "Really, how impressive. Most in our guild just want to y this new type of game. We are even nning on going monster-ying in a few hours. You are wee to join." Hope shined in her eyes as she said that. High Elf yers were a rare sight, she really wanted to befriend one for reference to her friends who couldn''t join the firstunch. ''Maybe the race isn''t too bad.'' She thought.


    "Haha, how would I even go about fighting. I have no skills or weapons. I feel I would just be asking for my death doing such a bold action. But thank you for the invitation miss?" Eldrian said thest part questioningly.


    "Ah, sorry¡­ I forgot to introduce myself and our guild. It just surprised me so much with your questions. I am Elizabeth, and our guild is called ming Heart." She replied embarrassed by herck of basic etiquette.


    "Then Elizabeth, thank you very much for your help. My name is Haru, and well I am going to talk to that NPC now. Enjoy your huntingter." Eldrian said as he started walking to the NPC.


    "It was my pleasure Haru. If you ever want some help, or just party up then give me a callter. I heard rumors that a friend system was going to be addedter. Along with an improved system interface." She said as he walked toward the old NPC.


    ''Now how would she know about an updateing. I don''t remember reading anything like that. But she was very friendly, so if such a system is added, I will add her.'' Eldrian thought as he walked over to the silver-grey-haired NPC.


    When he neared this NPC, he quickly concluded that this guy must have seen quite a few battles. The NPC was standing with his arms folded showing a big scar running over his right arm. It certainly looked like it hurt. He also had a scar over his cheek and a bunch of smaller scars over his body. This NPC was also very fit, or so Eldrian believed. He looked like the ssic example of a mortal Hercules. As he approached the NPC turned and looked at him.


    "Are you one of those Chosen something?" He asked quizzically as if he was testing Eldrian.


    "Ah, yes sir. I am a Chosen adventurer." Eldrian answered as he swallowed with difficulty. Something from this NPC just instilled a kind of fear into him.


    "You clearly came to me. So, what do you want?" The NPC red at Eldrian. This caused Eldrian to swallow hard again. ''This guy is so intimidating!''


    "Sir, you look like you are a warrior. Or at the very least you have been inbat a lot. Would you mind teaching me?" Eldrian said this all rushed. Even when he realized that this was a game, he just couldn''te over the fact that this guy scared him.


    "Mmm. Why, do you want me to teach you?" He asked, rxing his re a bit. Now he just looked at Eldrian quizzically again.


    "Um, well. I feel that to be safe in this world we came to, we certainly have to learn the basics at least. Secondly, I always wanted to learn how to fight. So, will you please teach me?" Eldrian started sweating as he was saying this. The most difficult thing for Eldrian was keeping eye contact with this NPC.


    [Quest condition met. Sub-questpleted]


    [Quest: Gain acknowledgmentpleted.]


    [Favorability with NPC increased by 5]


    Seeing the notification Eldrian was bbergasted and his thoughts ran wild, ''Was that pressure I felt a type of quest? What was the reason for seeding? Eye contact or my reason for wanting to learn? Or both? Ah never mind, this indicates I can gain a quest from him. Awesome!''


    "You seem capable. The previous Chosen decided to just turn tail after I asked them why they approached me."


    "Thank you, I guess." Eldrian awkwardly said, not sure how he should respond. ''What was this NPC''s deal? Is he mean or just tough?''


    "Now then since I decided to teach you, we will begin with the basics. So, follow me to the training field." The NPC said as he started walking out of the temple.


    "Ah sir, what is your name? Mine is Haru" Eldrian asked as he followed the NPC.


    "You don''t need to know my name yet. So just call me Old Sword. It is what most people in this city call me by." He replied as he continued on.


    After exiting the temple Eldrian was surprised to find that next to the temple just about a hundred meters away was a training field. ''What a weird ce for a training field.'' Eldrian thought.


    "I can see you confused why we have a training field here, besides a temple. The answer is you guys. We received an oracle about a month ago from the goddess of life. This is her temple" Old Sword said as he pointed to the temple they just came out of, "She told her clerics and priests that she and the other gods are going to summon people from a different realm to help us. From what I saw so far you aren''t going to help much. Still, after hearing this we converted the park, near the temple, into a training field for you chosen to start training." Old Sword sounded rueful at this part.


    "But we never imagined that none of you wanted to train. About 200 hundred of you already ran out into the wilds. After just buying some basic weapons. In fact, you are the first sane Chosen I have met. Or so you sounded, we will see when we start training." As Old Sword finished this part, they arrived at the training field.


    Eldrian decided to keep quiet since for the NPCs this was their lives. At least they seemed real lifelike. yers certainly weren''t thinking about them. Indeed, this was the first deep dive game, so yers still had the old MMORPG mindset. Or rather it was one of the first, another released a few days ago, but this game -Isekai to elvennds- did not have the ability to rece sleep.


    "Okay we are here. What weapon do you want to train in?" Old Sword asked as he pointed at the weapon rack next to the fence, which surrounded the field. Such weapon racks were ced next to every entrance into the field. There were three entrances where the fourth would have been a wooden cover was installed.


    "Let''s start with a spear," Eldrian said as he walked over and took a spear.


    [You have epted the quest, A Veterans Training. Quest level of E, due to the yer race being High elf quest level risen to D.]


    [Quest Name: A Veterans Training]


    [Quest giver: Old Sword]


    [Quest Rank: E -> D]


    [Quest Progress: 0/1]


    [Quest time limit: 2 days]


    [Quest Limiter: No XP may be gained, from kills, while this quest is active]


    [Quest reward: unknown, condition to continue training with Old Sword]


    "Okay I expect you to master a weapon to rank 1, within two days. It does not need to be the spear." Old Sword said as he also took a spear and walked to a nearby training dummy. Melee training dummies were ced on the outskirts of the training field. Lengthwise there were some archery targets, with a wooden cage at the back which blocked where the fourth entrance would have been.


    Eldrian was not surprised to receive a quest since he already got a hint to it from the previous notification. What did surprise him was the quest rank. He remembered one of the devs'' posts mentioned quest ranking briefly. The difficulty for normal quests ranged from Z to SSS, with Z being menial repetitive quests, F-G repetitive with a cooldown after each sess. E-C normal level quests which weren''t repeatable, B-A Rare and difficult quests, S-SSS of great difficulty and rarity. There was also a teaser in the post stating that these were only standard quests.


    "Okay let''s get into it. The basic rule of fighting is, try not to get hit while you hit the enemy. Sounds dumb, but believe me it works. Then that you have to hit them in a manner that will cause them damage, or even kill them. Lastly, if it is a ded weapon you want to hit them with the sharpened edge. This is called edge alignment. And that is what you are going to train on." Old Sword said as he also demonstrated the moves.


    Eldrian carefully observed what Old Sword did and tried to remember his words. As old sword said the first rule he kept at the max distance of the spear and struck at the dummy. With the next rule, he struck hard at the dummy, but only hit with the pole. With the final rule, he struck at the dummy again with the edge. As he struck a deep cut was made into the dummy, with the spearhead disappearing into the dummy.


    "Naturally with a spear, you do not need to strike, you can also thrust." Old Sword said as this time he had thrust the spear into the dummy. Again, the spearhead disappeared into the dummy.


    "So, what is the key?" Old Sword asked after pulling out the spear.


    "The key is to hurt the enemy more than he can me and the best method of doing this is through ensuring, when I hit him, the weapon will be efficient. Unlike you showed when the pole hit the dummy." Eldrian answered as he remembered the key facts.


    He was surprised at how little Old Sword taught him.


    It was so basic. Yet so useful.

 Chapter 5: Basic Training (1)

    <h4>Chapter 5: Basic Training (1)</h4>


    Eldrian approached the dummy and readied himself. First, he tried to feel how the spear weighed, trying to find the bnce point.


    After he found it, he tried to make his stance grounded. Eldrian did not do these actions consciously, but rather subconsciously. Due to him having done some kickboxing during his teenage years.


    After he feltfortable Eldrian started attacking. He quickly found that it was a lot more difficult than it looked. After 5 tries only 2 were proper. The other times he ended up twisting the spear a bit. This caused the spear to nce at the dummy, instead of cutting into it.


    Determined to perfect this basic rule Eldrian started diligently practicing.


    Strike for strike.


    ¡­


    Exhausted Eldrian finally stopped striking the dummy. ''Dang I feel just as tired now, as I did after training back then.'' He mumbled to himself. As he was catching his breath Eldrian decided to try and view the training spear he was using. To his surprise it worked.


    [Training spear]


    [Grade: Training [Tier 0]]


    [Damage ¨C 2]


    [Attack speed ¨C 1]


    [Durability ¨C 178/220]


    [Stamina consumed per use ¨C 1 [Training weapon-specific stat, as allmon weapons cost 1 stamina to use]]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 68, Agility ¨C 54, Weight ¨C 1.2kg]


    [Training weapon exnation:]


    [For every strength point missing increases stamina consumption per use by 1 point. On skill usage increases skill stamina drain by 10% per 1 strength point missing.]


    [If strength is more than required, decreases skill stamina cost by 5% per 10 points. Up to max of 50%. Limit in every grade, with Tier 1 weapon being limited to 10% decrease (Only applies for magic weapons.)]


    [For every agility point missing decreases attack speed by 0.05%. For every agility point extra gives 0.01% extra attack speed. Limit on the increase is same as for strength.]


    Looking over the stats Eldrian was happy with the neat information disyed in his head. As Eldrian looked at the stats again, he started wondering why it showed up while he couldn''t identify the other weapons. With this thought, Eldrian tried to open his stat window.


    He failed a few times before finally finding the correct way to call it up. ''What a bother, I can see why she said they are going to update this system.'' Eldrian mumbled as he looked over his Avatar''s panel. He had to say ''Haru''s Statistics'' to call the panel.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level 1 (0/2000), Tier 0]


    [Strength: 105]


    [Agility: 115]


    [Constitution: 105]


    [Intelligence: 110]


    [Spirit: 105]


    [HP: 105]


    [Mana: 105]


    [Stamina: 105]


    [Armor: 0]


    [Magic Armor: 0]


    [Physical Resistance: 0%]


    [Magical Resistance: 0%]


    [Apparel: Full set of clothes currently worn. [Clothes give no statistical bonuses]]


    [Weapons: Training Spear]


    ''Seems like I can get the information of the weapon due to having equipped it. This is a handy workaround.'' Eldrian thought to himself, he had no idea if the devs meant to have such a workaround or not.


    Eldrian was also curious to see what all the attributes meant, so he tried to call out their function. Failing a few times again, he soon seeded.


    [Strength, a disy indicating how strong a person is. With the average of all level 1 beings being around 100 at adulthood. This attribute affects all physical forms of action some of which are attack damage and weight limit.]


    [Agility, a disy indicating how fast and flexible a person is. With the average of all level 1 beings being 100 at adulthood. This attribute affects all physical speeds, for example, attack or movement.]


    [Constitution, a disy indicating how tough a person is. With the average of all level 1 beings being 100 at adulthood. This attribute affects the recovery of physical aspects and their max amounts, like the amount of HP and stamina a yer will have, as well as stamina regen.]


    [Spirit, a disy indicating how well a person is connected with the mystical. With the average of all level 1 beings being 100 at adulthood. This attribute will affect the amount of mana a person can gather and its recovery amount. It will also affect negative mystical effects.]


    [Intelligence, a disy indicating how well a person can use the mana he can connect with. With the average of all level 1 beings being 100 at adulthood. This attribute will affect mystical damage.]


    After satisfying his curiosity Eldrian turned to Old Sword and asked, "Would you mind if I also tried different weapons?"


    "I am a strong believer in versatility leads to survival, since for an example the spear would be unwieldy in a room."


    "Sure, in fact, I agree very much with what you just said. The more weapons you learn the better. So why don''t we change your challenge from mastering one weapon type to mastering four? Of course, I will give you an extra day." Old Sword said grinning.


    [Quest Updated]


    [Quest Name: A Veterans Training]


    [Quest giver: Old Sword]


    [Quest Rank: E -> D -> C]


    [Quest Progress: 0/4]


    [Quest time limit: 3 days]


    [Quest Limiter: No XP may be gained, from kills, while this quest is active]


    [Quest reward: 1000 XP, condition to continue training with Old Sword]


    ''This guy, is he just trying to test me again. Why would he increase the difficulty so much?'' Eldrian grumbled to himself as he walked to the weapon rack. He wanted to try a typical one-handed sword next.


    "I see you took an arming sword. So, let me quickly show you the basics for training with swords. Unlike spears, which are very basic there is at least a few starting methods for swords." Old Sword said as he also grabbed a one-handed sword. Eldrian never even knew something like an arming sword existed. The name sounded so blunt to him, he thought he took a longsword.


    "Um, Old Sword isn''t this a longsword?" Eldrian decided to ask. He knew that if he didn''t then it would be bugging him for a long time.


    "No, longswords are two-handed swords. Granted they are smallerpared to some other two-handed swords. And longswords can be effectively wielded by one hand if you train enough. They are still ssed as two-handed swords, or rather one and a half-handed swords." Old Sword calmly replied.


    While to him it was a very stupid question, he didn''t want to be mean about such small details.


    "So, with swords we have a basic training method called the eight cardinal strikes. Let me show you." Old Sword said before he started attacking a new dummy. He struck the dummy first from the top, then from the bottom. Next left and right followed by four attacks between the other four strikes.


    "Training with this style helps you to be used to the versatility of swords, and how to align your edge." Old Sword said as he finished hisst strike.


    By now Eldrian felt refreshed again and ready to train some more. This was precisely what he did. He walked to a new dummy and started shing at it. At this time a few yers walked by andmented to each other about this weird sight.


    "Look there, that guy is taking this game too seriously. In what game did we need to learn those basics. Surely when you enterbat you just need to use a few skills to kill the enemy." One said.


    "Yeah, this guy is weird. Why on earth would you work so hard in a game meant for fun." Thisment resulted in a fewughs from the group as they passed.


    Eldrian didn''t even realize that he was being seen as weird by his fellow yers. He was fully immersed in his training.


    For him, just being able to wield a real sword -granted in a game, but it felt real- was already very fun. He could never really justify buying a real sword IRL since they cost a lot, and then he could only use them on certain asions. Here in A New World, he could use the sword whenever he wanted. It felt great.


    ¡­


    Eldrian, again heaving for air, was exhrated. The training felt demanding, but due to being in a game, he recovered far faster than he would IRL. If he could take the skills he learns here and apply them IRL, then he would easily be a master in almost any fighting style he wanted.


    After three more attacking sets, Eldrian started to feel tired even after resting. The worst part was that this tiredness wouldn''t go away, his max stamina even depleted to 99.75 by now. ''Seems that my avatar still bes tired. I need to learn more about how this world works.''


    ''What an interesting kid. He has been going on training for almost 2 hours now and still is so energetic. If all Chosen are like this, then they might really be able to support us. That is if they mature to this kid''s level.'' Old Sword thought as he saw Eldrian standing up again to train with a great sword.


    ''He also didn''t lie. He is trying every weapon properly. He will probably decideter which to focus on. I like his style, no one can know their style until they tried many different ones.''


    After Eldrian became too tired to attack with the great sword he stopped for a while. ''I wonder why I feel so tired?'' With this thought, he called up his Avatar Statistics to take a look. He quickly found some useful information. His stamina was regening at 0.575 per second and he had gained a status effect called fatigue which was at level 1 out of 8.


    ''I wonder how fatigue works. Luckily it doesn''t make me very tired, at this level, it just constantly feels like I just did a few push-ups.'' Eldrian mumbled to himself.


    Rested, Eldrian again went to the weapon rack to try the next weapon type. He continued doing this, asking Old Sword to show him how to better use the weapon when he didn''t know the key facts. Like when he tried using a bow.


    "With a bow, the method to train should be obvious. Shoot the target. In the beginning, I would suggest you try to hit it while being 15 meters away. As you be morefortable you can move farther from the target. In fact, if you can move 5 meters back or more your training speed will increase faster. But do not move closer, as then the training will yield no results, other than bing used to pulling a bow." Old Swords advised him, not even bothering to take a bow.


    Eldrian never managed to move further. Hitting a target dummy, human form, from 15 meters away might sound easy. But to someone who has never used a bow before it was a monumental task.


    Adding insult to this, Eldrian received no help from the system. He had to fully learn how to draw, which in itself was hard, aim and then shoot. This process made it difficult, since aiming for longer lead to him losing strength in his arms.


    Eldrian struggled the most with this weapon type. He even spent three training cycles on just this.

 Chapter 6: Basic Training (2).

    <h4>Chapter 6: Basic Training (2).</h4>


    A tired Eldrian rested against an almost destroyed dummy. A few broken training weapons, scattered around his resting figure.


    ''I can''t anymore.'' Eldrian, exhausted thought to himself, as he called to the system for the time.


    [IG: 18:13 / IRL 06:13]


    ''Seems like the night is over. I guess this is a good time to stop today''s training. I should be able to explore the city a bit and hopefully find a ce to rest.'' As Eldrian thought this he started standing up.


    This time he found this simple act quite demanding.


    ''I guess the ramping of fatigue isn''t linear.'' Eldrianined as he looked over his stats. His stamina now only recovered to 25 points. The culprit of this was his fatigue of level 5.


    ''I wonder how we reset or recover from fatigue. But it seems toe faster if you don''t rest appropriately.'' Eldrian analyzed as he mentally went over his training. At the start, he would only gain fatigue after 10 sets or more. But as he continued to practice, at a constant pace of just waiting for his stamina to refill. He soon found that his fatigue level increased faster and faster. Up to the point where it went to level 5 after just 3 sets.


    ''I''ll y with that tomorrow.'' Eldrian decided after he made some spections on what fatigue really means in-game.


    "Good job kid. You might have pushed yourself too far, but you certainly convinced me of your determination." Old Sword praised, as Eldrian ced a double-headed spear back into the weapon rack.


    This weapon was his favorite from all those he had tried so far. Like all polearms using it indoors wouldn''t be smart. Nevertheless, Eldrian really liked it. The reason for this is because of the versatility and range it offers in normalbat. Since he wasn''t nning on only using it, Eldrian felt it was fine if he specialized more into it for normal situations.


    "Thank you, Old Sword. I need to find a ce to go rest now, I feel so tired."


    "Haha, naturally you feel tired. You did how many exercises today? Gosh, you almost tried every weapon you could choose, or at least their over-arching branch" Old Sword said as he looked strangely at Eldrian.


    ''This kid is a monster if he expects himself to feel normal after such a massive amount of training.'' Were Old Swords thoughts.


    "Well, that makes me feel a bit better. Do you have any rmendations on where I should go to spend the night?"


    "Why don''t youe to stay at my ce. But only until you havepleted the challenge I gave you. With how hard you trained you should be able to seed easily."


    "That would be really helpful. Thank you for saving me the trouble of having to look for a hotel or inn."


    "Then it is settled. Follow me, I first have to go to my barracks to report in for today. Tomorrow you will have to train alone since I have to check up on the new recruits and their trainers. But I believe that with all the weapons you tried you should find that suitable." Old Sword said as he started walking home.


    ¡­


    As they walked away from the starting point Eldrian observed that the city grew livelier. Almost as if the NPCs had avoided them. Curious he raised this to Old Sword.


    "Oh that. We thought a lot more of you Chosen would decide to train, so to amodate you guys, we asked people to avoid the temple for a few days. Seems it was unnecessary since no one else trained seriously. And I don''t mean your level of seriousness. Rather just no other Chosen trained with the aim of learning. Rather they just tried executing a few skills and then ran off into the wilderness." Old Swordined as he answered Eldrian''s query.


    "Old Sword, do you know how many Chosen started here?"


    "More than a thousand I believe. I am not too sure, since I have been with you for most of theter part of the day."


    After this short discussion, they walked on in silence again. This didn''t bother Eldrian as he was absorbed in his surroundings. The buildings looked to be of medieval archetypes, but strangely they were almost all made out of stone.


    Sometimes wood or y was used for the roofs and windows, but other than this they were entirely made out of stone. These stones also weren''t bulky, rather they looked almost like bricks, if bricks were chiseled and not cast.


    Adding to this was also the fact that Eldrian had yet to see a single-story building. All the buildings they passed were two stories, with a few even being three stories tall. Eldrian was far too fascinated with the buildings around him to even look past the far more bizarre structures.


    Grumble...


    "So, you are hungry. I was starting to wonder if you Chosen, even needed to eat. Seems like this concern of mine was quickly answered. Still, it seems you guys canst longer than normal people before needing food." Old Swordmented as he heard Eldrian''s belly growl.


    Embarrassed Eldrian wanted to defend himself, but ultimately he couldn''t lie. His stomach already told the truth.


    "Don''t beat yourself up. Seriously why do people feel it is bad if their stomachs growl? It just indicates you are hungry. And you don''t have to worry about that. You see my wife is an excellent cook." Old Sword said, smiling like an idiot when he mentioned his wife.


    As they continued to walk, Eldrian was constantly reminded of his hunger, when he received a whiff of a well-cooked meal in the air through some windows. Trying to control his hunger, he didn''t realize that Old Sword had stopped until Old Sword spoke.


    "Kid I am going inside to do my report. You just wait here for me. Shouldn''t take more than 5 minutes." He said as he walked into a rough-looking building.


    Hearing this Eldrian was brought back to reality. He looked on as the door was being closed. This left Eldrian standing ufortably just outside the barrack''swn. Eldrian decided to just stay there as he didn''t want to bother the soldiers who were training.


    The barracks was a four-story building set in the middle of a training field. On the left were soldiers training their basic attacks, on the right were some training their shooting. In front, a few soldiers were sparring, with others looking at them and cheering every now and then.


    As Eldrian just stood there he started looking at those sparing in more detail. Their movements didn''t seem all that fast. They even made a few basic mistakes which Eldrian quickly noticed. Importantly Eldrian knew that while he could spot a mistake it didn''t mean he wouldn''t make them himself if he were to spar against someone.


    As he realized this, he tried to memorize all the mistakes these soldiers often did. Some made massive mistakes like spinning around to try and gain momentum when they haven''t ensured the opponent wouldn''t be able to strike their back. Others made small mistakes like losing their edge alignment when their attacksnded, causing ncing blows instead of death strike.


    Certainly, their training weapons wouldn''t be able to deliver killing blows, but the idea was an important one.


    ''I have to remember to fix these mistakes when I do them.'' Eldrianmented mentally as he saw Old Sword walking out of the building.


    When Old Sword looked at the soldiers, he couldn''t help but shake his head. Seeing this Eldrian grew curious why he would do that.


    "You seem curious about their sparring. Don''t worry you won''t be long off from also sparring with someone. Everyone has to do it to rank up their weapon proficiency. Or the alternative is to experience real-lifebat."


    "Most prefer to rather spar with someone since it is far less dangerous. Also, don''t look at these guys for help, they are all just like you. Newbies." Old Sword said as he shook his head again.


    "Truly I don''t understand why they want to spar so badly against others when they still haven''t mastered the basics. They only started training a few days ago, yet they want to find out who is the strongest. Like it would show so early, they first need to see who is more determined and disciplined." As Old Sword was saying this he started walking again. Eldrian naturally followed since he was going to stay with him.


    "I see, that is why they didn''t look to be fighting as fast as I expected," Eldrianmented.


    "No, they are fighting at a decent level for their amount of training. You are just a weird case." Old Swordughed as he said this.


    This confused Eldrian as he didn''t understand why he would be considered a weird case. ''Maybe they think all Chosen are weird cases?'' He rationalized.


    ¡­


    "Tell me the biggest mistake you saw from them?" Suddenly Old Sword broke the silence again.


    "Well, I certainly can''t critique them as I feel I will also do many of those mistakes if I were to spar someone now." Hearing this Old Sword nodded his head subtly.


    "Good of you to recognize that. Still what ws did you notice?"


    "Basic ws, like leaving yourself open to an attack due to over-swinging. Or trying to add a spin that just makes you vulnerable. The mostmon would be telegraphing their attacks and losing their edge alignment as they finally strike their target. In the 2 or 3 minutes I observed them I saw about 8 telegraphs and 6 cases of ncing blows." Eldrian tried to construct his critique as best he could, trying to focus on the what and why, rather than on the who''s.


    "Not bad. Certainly, those are the biggest mistakes. But you missed a lot of others." This confused Eldrian, ''What else did I miss?'' he asked himself.


    "I see you are not convinced. What you missed is the more advanced, smaller, but just as important stuff. Many lost their center of bnce when attacking or defending. This didn''t show because everyone sparring there was of the same level."


    "If a veteran soldier were against them, then just a few simple moves would result in a victory. Unlike what you saw, them fighting for minutes without a victor."


    "Another thing they often did wrong was always attacking." This sentence again confused Eldrian until Old Sword continued, "They never made feints, or tried to use the rest of their body to attack. All of them had one hand empty. Why did no one just throw a punch after locking swords?" Old Sword said this in a questioning manner.


    When Eldrian heard this something clicked. ''Of course, why did I also miss it. I was so focused on the swords or spears that I totally missed the usage of them as tools. Used to make it easier to win, not as the only way to win.''


    As he thought of this, he felt the desire to p himself due to how narrow he was thinking aboutbat. ''This is really different from the ssic type games.''

 Chapter 7: Visiting Old Sword’s home. Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 7: Visiting Old Sword¡¯s home. Part 1</h4>


    As they were walking down the streets again Eldrian tried to call up a list of his training. After trying and failing a few times he finally seeded when he called, ''Weapon Proficiencies''


    ''They really should update this system soon. It is so hard to use.'' Eldrianined in his heart as he looked over the results of his training.


    [Weapons Proficiencies]


    One-handed swords style; Rank 0


    Level 2 [24/40]


    -Empty off hand:


    Rank 0 - Level 1 [16/20]


    -Small shield in off hand:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [18/20]


    Duel Wielding style; Rank 0


    Level 2 [24/40]


    -One-handed sword and dagger:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 2 [24/40]


    Two-handed swords style; Rank 0


    Level 2 [7/40]


    -Greatsword:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [2/20]


    -Longsword:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [15/20]


    Dagger style; Rank 0:


    [Special case, only vital attacks increase level]


    Level 1 [15/20]


    -Main hand dagger:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [5/20]


    -Dual Dagger:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [0/20]


    Polearm style; Rank 0


    Level 3 [41/80]


    -Spear:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 2 [25/40]


    -Double-headed spear:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 2 [12/40]


    -Poleaxe:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [4/20]


    Axe style; Rank 0


    Level 2 [13/40]


    -One-handed axe:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [17/20]


    -Two-handed axe:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [6/20]


    Hammer style; Rank 0


    Level 1 [4/20]


    -One-handed warhammer:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [4/20]


    Bow style; rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [6/20]


    [Attacks mustnd from a certain distance, determined by rank level]


    -Short Bow:


    Rank 0 ¨C Level 1 [6/20]


    ''Holy moly! Does every weapon have a proficiency?'' Eldrian eximed internally when he saw the list, but soon he calmed down and took note of the grouping, ''No, it seems like every weapon is given an umbre under which it falls, since I practiced with a few more variations of swords.''


    ''It also seems that just attacking correctly isn''t the only factor. I wonder why my proficiency gain is so little. In the start I did almost a hundred attacks each time.'' Confused, Eldrian started pondering again.


    Still, in a daze, Eldrian was finally brought out of it when Old Sword decided to say something.


    "I am not sure why you are so deep in thought, but leave that forter. We are here, so let''s go surprise my wife." Old Sword said as he started walking towards a modest house.


    The house was pleasing to the eye, but not something magnificent or majestic. It looked like any other, except for the well-tended rose garden on the left side and the chaotic training field on the right.


    The house upied arger plot ofnd than those nearby, almost as if two plots were part of this one. Eldrian took note of this because the training side really took up the extra space. At the far right, almost against the yards'' fence, was a number of straw training dummies. Some of them even had te or mail armor thrown over them.


    On the far end of the yard were target dummies with a solid wood cage behind them. Eldrian was bewildered by the contrast the training side and the garden side gave this house.


    The house itself wasn''t anything special, just another two-story stone house, with wooden windows. A path led to the front door, constructed out of a reddish stone. Old Sword was walking on this path. Eldrian followed his example.


    By now the sun had set and thest rays of lights were slowly dying out. As Eldrian entered the house after Old Sword he was shocked at how dark it was inside.


    Confused Eldrian looked around. As he looked, he saw that the house, or rather the guest room they were in, was only lit by two candles on opposite sides of the room. This room had two doors, other than the one they used, by which you could ess the rest of the house.


    While Eldrian was still looking around the room he heard one of the other doors open. Turning towards the sound he saw a gentle, friendly-lookingdy. She looked to be in her thirties.


    Thedy turned to him surprise clear in her eyes.


    "I heard someoneing home, but I never expected that you would bring a guest. And he is a guy at that. Dear, have you finally decided that Vivian should start courting?" Thedy asked, hope seeming to surface in her eyes.


    "Ah, no definitely not! How can I let anyone court Vivian? She is my Valkyrie and anyone who wants to win her heart will have to go through me first." Old Sword dered aggressively.


    "Then why did you bring a young man to our house?" Questioned thedy as she turned to look at Eldrian.


    "He is the newest recruit I took on. A Chosen if you believe what the priests say. Certainly, he is diligent, so I decided to offer him a room until he finishes the challenge I gave him."


    "And what should I call him?" When thedy asked this Eldrian felt as if the room was bing cold.


    "He, well he, is, Haru." Old Sword answered, stuttering as he tried to recall Eldrian''s name.


    "Oh, how impressive. You even remembered his name. Are you sure you didn''t bring him to court Vivian? I can''t remember thest time you remembered a recruit''s name." As thedy said this the temperature seemed to drop even more.


    "No, certainly not. Well maybeter if he proves he is worth it." As Old Sword said this Eldrian startedining internally. ''I didn''t ask to be involved in this. Just say no, Old Sword. You can''t just say I will court someone I don''t know.''


    At this time thedy turned to Eldrian and ignored the conflicted Old Sword, to himself.


    "My name is Diane, nice to meet you Haru. Come let me show you around. Dear, you should go and fetch Vivian. She hasn''te back yet, which means she is too absorbed in her training to notice that it is dark." Thedy, Diane said as she walked back through the door she entered from.


    Eldrian followed Diane as she showed him around the house. Their final stop was the kitchen.


    "Haru, would you mind helping me prepare dinner?" She asked as Eldrian was looking around the room.


    The kitchen was very strange to Eldrian. In the middle of the room was a big table, seeming to prepare food on. Under this table, vegetables were stored in woven baskets. On the wall, opposite the side they entered from, there was a long low-hung shelf/table. On this were some meat and freshly baked loaves of bread, the smell of which made Eldrian salivate. The meat seemed to have been smoked as Eldrian couldn''t see any blood typical with raw meats.


    At Eldrian''s left side was a door leading somewhere, and next to that door were stacks of wood, presumably for making fire. Looking to the right Eldrian saw a firece or stove. Eldrian had never seen such a setup before. The firece was like modern ones, with metals at the side and a door at the front. What made this firece weird was the fact that the top was removed. Eldrian had no idea why the top wouldn''t be fixed to the rest of the firece.


    "Miss Diane, I will try to help. But I feel I should warn you that my cooking skills leave something to be desired." Eldrian answered after taking in the room.


    "That is no problem. Would you mind helping me prepare the ingredients, like chopping up some carrots, then peeling¡­"


    Eldrian followed her instructions, doing basic stuff to help a bit.


    ''This way, at least it feels like I contributed for staying here.'' He thought as he chopped, peeled, cut, and grated what needed to be chopped, peeled, cut, and grated.


    After 10 minutes Eldrian finally finished with all the stuff Diane asked him to do. Mentally tired he leaned against a wall looking at how she was now cooking.


    The stove/firece worked very well. Previously Eldrian didn''t take a very good look but now he could. Right behind the firece was a window that Diane had opened. She had left the top off, and ced a pot over the fire. Surprisingly the smoke didn''t spread into the room but just flew out of the window.


    She seemed to be making a stew for dinner.


    ¡­


    Eldrian was amazed, and a bit irritated about how much time and effort cooking took. It was just like in real life. No game interface or options. ''Seems like buying food is going to be one of my major expenses'' Eldrian thought to himself. The food was smelling good, but Diane said it wasn''t ready yet. It has been thirty minutes.


    The fact that there was no game option to just finish the meal scared Eldrian a bit. Since this wasmon wouldn''t it mean that all side upations like fishing, gathering, cksmithing, and apothecary would also be this time-consuming and in-depth?

 Chapter 8: Visiting Old Sword’s home. Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 8: Visiting Old Sword¡¯s home. Part 2</h4>


    Eldrian followed Diane to the dining room, helping to carry a portion of the stew they had cooked. As he entered the room he quickly noticed the lit firece with a stand over the fire. Not needing to be told he walked over and ced the pot on the stand.


    During the time Eldrian had helped Diane, to prepare the food, he had asked her some basic questions about the value of money, by asking how much food products costs.


    He was surprised to find out that it wasn''t really much. For example, a fresh loaf of bread would just cost 1 or 2 coppers, depending on if it is white or brown bread. A basket of carrots would only cost around 5 coppers, and that is a lot of carrots.


    With normal yers being given 20 silvers to start, Eldrian felt that he was actually quite rich. This was because one silver was worth 100 copper.


    After Eldrian had ced the pot over the fire he had some time to look around the room. It wasn''t a very unique room. Just the hearth at the side, in which the fire burned, with a few chairs nearby if one wanted to enjoy the fire. Further away was the dining table with eight seats, one at each far end and three at each side. The cutlery was also basic iron forks and knives.


    As Eldrian finished taking in the room he saw Old Sword entering the dining room with a girl behind him. She was very pretty, beautiful even to Eldrian.


    She was clearly very fit and wore a tomboy outfit, which hid most of her milky white skin. She had long auburn hair, almost passing her lower back. But when Eldrian saw her crystal green eyes he couldn''t look away.


    He waspletely captivated by her eyes that looked like pure emeralds.


    ''Mmph, another vulgar boy. Why did dad tell me he is different?'' Were her thoughts when she saw him staring at her so openly.


    Old Sword quickly picked up on this and decided to break the tension which was building up. "Alright, let us eat." He dered loudly to snap Eldrian out of his captivated daze.


    This worked well since Eldrian immediately lowered his gaze when he heard Old Sword''s voice. ''Her eyes are so beautiful.'' He thought to himself as he sat down at the table. Their seating arrangements were simple. Eldrian alone on one side, the girls opposite him and Old Sword at the head of the table.


    Eldrian continued to feel awkward until he took his first bite of the food.


    With the first spoon of steaming stew and a bite of bread, Eldrian was lost to the world. ''This is simply divine!'' He thought to himself as he became enthralled in the pure mixture of the natural vors. The carrots softened to a nice crunchy bite. Tender meat pieces along with juicy mushrooms and other wonderful vegetables. It all went so well together.


    Eldrian lost himself, even taking a third helping in just a few moments after starting to eat.


    Seeing this Old Sword found it natural as he felt the young man, Eldrian, had trained very hard. Having forgone food for the entire day.


    Diane had a pleasant smile on her face as she saw their guest enjoying himself so much. Vivian though, at this stage was confused. Normally boys would always try to gain her favor. They would even go too terribly far lengths to try this, especially the noble guys.


    This was the first time where a guy certainly found her attractive, and then just ignored her. ''Is this a ploy to get me interested, or is he just weird?'' Vivian asked herself.


    As Eldrian finished his third helping he lied back in his chair. At this time, he realized that he hadpletely forgotten all his manners.


    "Sorry about my bad manners. It was just, after the first bite, I waspletely captivated with the wonderful tastes. From where I am from, we just don''t get food that tastes so natural, yet so good." Eldrian said embarrassed about his actions, but not really regretting it. It was just too good for him to regret.


    "I am d you enjoyed it Haru. I also have to thank you for helping me prepare the food. Normally Vivian would help me, but since the monster invasion started, she has been busy trying to grow stronger." Diane said as she tried to help Eldrian out over his loss of manners. Hearing this caused Eldrian to smile happily, d that she wasn''t mad at him.


    "I am sorry mom. But you know that we are almost a border kingdom now. The speed at which they have been taking cities is just far too scary. At the very least I want to be able to escape with you, and not slow you down." Vivian said as she heard her mother bringing up her training again.


    "I now Vivian, it is just, as a mother I will always worry. With you training so much, it almost feels like you are going to go off to do a mission."


    "I know mom. It is just that being level 13 doesn''t give me much courage." Vivian said, disappointment clear in her voice. Clearly, she felt it was a very low level.


    "Ha, and what other youngsters are as high level as you?" Old Sword asked trying to cheer her up.


    Hearing this Eldrian was confused. ''Since when is level 13 high in a game?'' He asked himself.


    "It isn''t about that. It is about, that if the monsters attack, I would still be rendered almost useless." Vivian said, sadness in her voice.


    "Not really. You will be able to help many people against the normal monsters. It is just that if you try fighting Apex or a stronger monster that you would be rendered helpless. So, remember, if that happens, run." Old Sword said seriously.


    This talk all confused Eldrian as he had no idea what was going on.


    "Enough, let us change the topic to a more pleasant one. I don''t like talking about the invasion." Diane interrupted Vivian as she wanted to say something again. She then turned to Eldrian and said, "Sorry about this Haru. You see the reason most of us feel cornered is the fact that most Chosen have all died today. Or rather those are the rumors going around."


    "Wait what. How could so many have died already." Eldrian asked,pletely shocked that so many yers have died within the first 12 hours the game has started. ''Normally the start of a game is easy right?'' He asked himself.


    "Well the reason is simple. Very few are like you, wanting to first learn how to fight. Most just went to some of the cksmith shops, buying some cheapmon weapons before heading out." This again just blew Eldrian''s mind. While it is true in a normal game this approach would work, he didn''t even think for a moment it would for A New World. The game was just too realistic to be approached with such a childish mentality.


    "Exactly, they had no n, just rushing to their deaths. They think that just because they can''t die, then dying is no problem. But for all of us normal people, the news was very shocking. Especially when you guys are supposed to save us." Vivian stated as she looked at Eldrian.


    She was surprised that a Chosen acted rationally. Every single one she had met today had been self-centered. With the guys trying to take liberties with her, and the females just ignoring her when she wanted to help them.


    This was why she decided to go train herself rather than trying to train those idiots. Yet her dad had found a sensible Chosen so easily. She could not understand how so she decided to ask. "Dad, how did you manage to find him amidst all those idiots?"


    Naturally, Eldrian didn''t feel nice when his people, yers were being ssed as idiots by the NPCs. But he couldn''t really argue because since there are no real consequences in-game, most people tend to do stupid shit just for the fun of it.


    It also made Eldrian realize howplex the NPCs are. For them to be able toe to a conclusion that we will be no immediate help and thus they started thinking of other methods to help themselves.


    "Well, that was simple. When someone approached me, I just released a bit of my battle aura. Most turned tail after feeling it. Haru was the only one who could still answer my questions under the pressure." Old Sword had a grin on his face as he said it. As if scaring the Chosen was a fun thing to do.


    ''So that was the reason he felt so intimidating.'' Was the only thing Eldrian thought when he heard Old Sword tried to intimidate yers with his aura.


    By this time everyone had finished eating. Eldrian felt it would be a good time to call it a night.


    "Thanks again for the meal. Where am I going to sleep?" Eldrian asked as he stood up.


    "Vivian please show him to our guest room," Diane replied.


    "Okay," Vivian said as she also stood up.


    "Old Sword, I think tomorrow I will practice and find the weapons I want to focus on. I would also like to tour the city." Eldrian said just before exiting the dining room.


    "Sure, with how diligent you train you should be able to do it. I will be able to apany you again the day after." Old Sword said as Eldrian left the room.


    As they walked back to the front room Vivian asked Eldrian, "So you want to tour the city?"


    "Well yes, I know next to nothing about this world. I need to start learning from somewhere and I believe a tour is a good starting point. Would you mind giving me the tour?" Eldrian replied.


    "That would be fine."


    "Awesome. Since I am going to train in the morning, how about you get me at the training field at around 2 o clock in the afternoon?" Eldrian asked.


    "Okay."


    With that settled, Vivian showed him his room. It was the room connected to the second door of the first room one enters when entering the house.


    With his ns sorted for the next day, Eldrian lied down on the bed and proceeded to log out.


    {yer has chosen to log out. Safe zone confirmed. Please confirm that you want to log out in the current environment ¨C City, Guest room of NPC Old Sword}


    After hearing this, Eldrian confirmed that he wanted to log out, and finally, he drifted to sleep. Before being abruptly being awakened by the system voice again.


    {User has logged off, please turn off the headset.}


    This time Eldrian wasn''t as angry at the voice asst time, still, he didn''t like how it felt when logging in and out. He found the experience of falling asleep and then immediately after being woken truly irritating.

 Chapter 9: A diner and the forums.

    <h4>Chapter 9: A diner and the forums.</h4>


    Eldrian stood up and took off his headset plugging it in to charge. After which he decided to change his clothes into clothes more suited for exercise. Feeling good about his decisive decision, he decided to try and walk for an hour or so, maybe even run a bit.


    ¡­


    Just a few minutester a thirsty Eldrian bursts through his own door. Quickly he searched for a ss, filling it with water which he then immediately downed. He continued to do this until he started feeling full.


    Wobbly on his feet, Eldrian fell down onto a couch. ''Why did I think it was a good idea to try and run for a bit? And more importantly, why did I not take any water with me?'' He questioned himself as he waited for his problems to stop.


    Sometimeter his problems did indeed stop, making Eldrian feel much relief. Feeling better Eldrian decided to make himself something to eat, since now his stomach wasining about the food. In the kitchen he made himself some eggs, and threw them onto some slices of bread.


    This simple meal satisfied Eldrian very much. The entire process during this morning informed Eldrian of two important points. Don''t exercise before having eaten a meal, and take water with you when you do decide to go out.


    Next Eldrian decided to take a shower, with the hope that it will make him feel normal again. Luckily this seemed to do the job. Finally free to do his own thing Eldrian decided to watch some anime. The reason why he could be very simple. It was a Saturday, he had no homework and an inte connection.


    As Eldrian settled in he also sent a message to his sister to confirm if they were still going to meet up and have lunch together.


    She replied saying yes, and that she had found an interesting, small dinner near campus. They talked a bit via messaging before confirming that they will meet each other at around 1.


    ¡­


    ''Where is the ce she mentioned, let me give her a call.'' Eldrian mumbled to himself as he took out his phone to contact her. When he started calling, he soon heard her ringtone. This was all he needed to find his way.


    "So, this is the ce you were talking about. Not bad, what food do they serve?" Eldrian asked as he found her standing next to a small diner. The diner was more the size of a fast food ce than a restaurant, hence why they called it a diner.


    Eldrian had to admit that it certainly was an interesting ce. It looked like the diner had a mystical theme or maybe nerdy. There was a bunch of fantasy books being disyed on the walls.


    "Well, they don''t really specialize in anything. It is just a nice ce I wanted to try." His sister replied to his question.


    Completely thrown, Eldrian didn''t know what to say. ''Normally people decide where to eat, because they feel like eating something specific.'' Heined to himself. Seeing his disappointed look his sister quickly added.


    "But a friend of mine rmended we should try their eisbein. So why don''t you take that, and I will take something else. We can then share and decide which is best." She proposed.


    Eldrian had no problem epting this as he hadn''t eaten an eisbein in years. ''I can''t even remember how it tasted back when Ist ate it. So even if it isn''t the best I shouldn''t be able toin.'' He thought to himself as they entered the diner.


    ¡­


    They enjoyed themselves a lot at the diner. They decided they might even make it a regr ce to go eat out.


    While they were there Eldrian made sure to tell her about how real the game felt. How unique each NPC felt, and how they came off like people in a true sense. Eldrian had even forgotten they were NPCs when he had stayed at Old Sword''s home.


    In their sibling dynamic, it was never a one-sided conversation. She had told him of the fun she had had with her friends going out. About how she had enjoyed the dancing and the annoying guys who tried to approach their group.


    They also bothined about the lecturers they didn''t like, praised the ones they did, and teased each other about some other topics.


    Eldrian had really enjoyed spending time with her again. He felt it was always good to make time to see her at least once a week. Apart from running into each other at the university that is.


    She was a year ahead of him and he often asked her for tips. Unfortunately, she majored in physics, leaving him often with tips he could not apply in his situation.


    ¡­


    At his apartment, Eldrian decided to check the game forums. To see what the other yers have been up to.


    Turning on his PC, Eldrian also fetched himself a drink to enjoy while going through the forums. Shortly after he started browsing Eldrian was surprised by the number of peopleining.


    The top posts were all people asking the developers to make the starting areas easier. Theyined thatbat wasn''t smooth and skills had too long cooldowns,pared to the damage they dealt. Reading all this Eldrian was left speechless.


    ''Have these people not realized how true to real life the game is?'' Eldrian questioned as he continued to read on. ''Granted it has only been one day. But still, the first time I took one of the training weapons I realized that I wouldn''t be able to fight, unless I at least learn the basics first.'' He thought when he finished this particr post.


    Continuing to go through the forum Eldrian was truly amazed at the mentality most of the yers adapted in-game.


    One of the most discussed topics was a video posted by a group of yers. In this video, they had surrounded a wolf and were trying to kill it. Though they really struggled as they hoped their skills could carry them, naturally this was not something in this game. The ultra-realistic nature also caused some of them to freeze.


    The wolf took advantage of all this to dodge the attacks in the beginning, and as the fight continued the wolf found ces to counterattack. Killing a yer with every attack it sessfully delivered. In just 20 seconds, the five yers who had surrounded the wolf had died.


    After having looked at this video Eldrian was confused. The yers had stood still until they used a skill. After which they again stood still, or just moved a little. They certainly acted more like practice targets than fighters. Eldrian even started wondering if they just didn''t know how to dodge or run by themselves.


    Eldrian finally understood why so many yers had died on the first day. Everyone was used to using the system to fight. Some other posts showed morepetent yers taking on a tiger. In this video, they managed to kill the tiger, but lost 3 yers in the fight. With them having had a party of 5 yers, you could say the victory was narrow.


    Curious about how resurrection worked Eldrian looked to find what the yers, who had died, said. He soon stumbled upon a yer from the group who killed the tiger. The yerined that he had dropped all his items on death. Luckily his friends could return it to him, but if he had died alone then he would have lost his 12 silver worth of items.


    Eldrian was astonished when he read this part and started thinking, ''Seems that when you die you lose all your items. We have no data on how it affects other things, but this one is certainly very harsh.'' This one punishment for dying, certainly made it far harsher than in most other games.


    Having looked at a few moreining threads Eldrian grew bored of the sameints being brought up. So he started looking for a positive post.


    Finally, he found a post after about thirty more of the other. This postmented mostly on the NPCs and how lifelike they acted. Eldrian certainly felt that they seemed too humane to just be an AI. This is why he decided to treat them like people when he was in-game.


    Other positive posts praised the game''s realism, whichpletely countered themon yers''ints. This post was made by a soldier, or so he imed to be. He said that tomorrow he and his friends were going to try and level up. The reason for them going at it tomorrow, is that they all wanted to first get used to the weapons they could get and would use.


    After reading this post Eldrian was quite impressed. Seems that he wasn''t the only person who took the game more seriously.


    There were also some other postsmenting on the historical uracy of stuff in-game. These posts certainly were fun to read, but didn''t have much more to them, since the game was set in a fantasy world and not a normal one.


    Finally, having satisfied his curiosity Eldrian stopped browsing and watched some series until he could log back into the game.

 Chapter 10: The weapon choices

    <h4>Chapter 10: The weapon choices</h4>


    After experiencing the feeling of falling asleep in seconds, Eldrian was again awakened by the system''s voice.


    {User has sessfully logged in.}


    He slowly opened his eyes in-game, still disturbed by how to login process worked. After going through these useless feelings Eldrian stood up and called the system for the time.


    [In game time 04:15]


    [IRL time 16:15]


    After confirming the time. Eldrian called the system to show him the map. After a few tries he finally seeded. What was injected into his mind was a map, mostly ck. With only the ces he had been, filled in.


    After seeing this Eldrian discarded the ''mental map'' as it wouldn''t be of much use. At least not until he discovered more of the city and world. With the sun starting to rise Eldrian started his day feeling peckish.


    So he went to the kitchen to get himself something to eat. In the kitchen, he took a few slices of bread and some leftovers from the previous night. As there was no heating method other than fires, Eldrian ate his food cold.


    Having filled his belly Eldrian started walking towards the training fields. He was surprised to find many people already busy in the city streets. He found this very intriguing as almost no one would be awake at four in the morning, IRL.


    Most of the people were naturally NPCs. They were currently busy setting up their shops or getting ready for work. In this world, when the sun rises, so do you.


    ¡­


    Eldrian had walked for a couple of minutes before finding himself at the training field. He guessed that the distance from Old Sword''s house to here was probably about 2 kilometers based on the time it took him. Granted he didn''t walk on only a straight street, but instead had to make some turns. Still he felt it was a good measurement.


    As Eldrian took a sword to start practicing he looked around to see if there were any yers. He did indeed find a few. He could determine them as yers due to the mix of strange races their group consisted out of. NPCs in the city all seem to be full fledged humans, or so Eldrian had observed thus far.


    One yer was an animal type demi-human, probably a wolf type. Anotherdy had strange green veins in the form of a tattoo over her body and there was even a dwarf yer.


    Eldrian was really curious how the affinity worked for dwarf yers. He was also curious what type of race the veinydy was.


    After looking at them for a while, Eldrian decided that he should first finish his first quest, before asking them what they are. Since he certainly found it a lot more pressing than his curiosity.


    Soon Eldrian was again in the mindset of training to hit the dummy sessfully.


    ''Downwards cut, dodge left, and strike to the right. Follow with a bash of the shield.'' As Eldrian told himself to do these actions he did. He had a mentality to always think before doing.


    As Eldrian continued to train he soon decided on the weapons he wanted to focus on first. They were, a one-handed sword and small shield, a double-headed spear, poleaxe, andstly a two-handed sword. He also decided thatter, when he had more free time, he would certainly try to master a bow, dual wielding, and maybe a throwable weapon.


    His thoughts for learning so many weapons were, ''Always better to be prepared for anything.''


    ¡­


    By now a few hours had passed and Eldrian had gained one level of fatigue. He had tried to fit a good rest time, between each set. He also found that it did indeed help, since he only gained one level. Unfortunately, this also slowed his training a bit.


    Eldrian believed this was a good trade though. If he can keep it at level 1 or 2 then he would gain far moreter than he lost early.


    At this time Eldrian realized that he probably had to log of to eat something IRL. Thus, he found himself a tree under which he could log out. His reason for making the effort was, because he didn''t know how the logoff mechanic worked in the game. Thus to be safe, he chose to do it under a tree for if his avatar stayed in the world.


    Just before Eldrian logged of he looked back over the training field. To no one''s surprise, without him training, the field waspletely empty.


    As this sight was being taken in by Eldrian he drifted off to sleep and logged off.


    ¡­


    Eldrian awoke on his bed after being awoken by the system message. He took of his helmet and started thinking about what he should eat.


    Feelingzy Eldrian decided to just make some 2-minute noodles.


    Before logging back on, Eldrian decided to check the forums again. What he found was more of the sameints, so he quickly turned off his PC again and logged back into the game.


    As he lied down, he thought to himself, "I should eat a big lunch, or maybe ate lunch. That way I wouldn''t need to break my gaming time to eat. Or I should¡­ Ah, I don''t know. But I will think of some wayter.''


    ¡­


    A groggy Eldrian woke up to find himself surrounded by some other people. Looking up he realized that it was Elizabeth. Confused Eldrian asked her what was up.


    "Ah¡­ Nothing much, we just found it interesting that you, well, were just asleep. Why would you sleep in the game when the headset gives us a chance to not waste time sleeping?" She asked while avoiding eye contact. Her shyness naturally weirded Eldrian out, since he saw no reason she had to act like that.


    Still he felt that there was some misinformation so he decided to clear it up. "I wasn''t sleeping. I had to log off to get myself something to eat. You see I didn''t have a big lunch and I don''t want to be starving tomorrow morning when I logout for the day."


    "Oh really. So, when we log off our avatar is just left sleeping?" One of the guys in her group asked into the air.


    "It seems like that is the case. Which would also mean we can''t logoff when outside." Anothermented.


    "This is certainly going to be a hassle." Commented the only other girl in their group of 7.


    "Well, if you guys don''t mind, I would like to get back to my training." Eldrian said as he stretched himself.


    "Ah, yes. Sorry about that Haru." Elizabeth apologized for her group as she stood to the side to allow him to pass.


    Returning to the field, Eldrian was happy to find his fatigue level was back to 0. ''Seems like that when you''re in-game avatar rests, it will help you recover. I had only taken like 20 minutes beforeing back online, so I am sure that it wasn''t just a time thing. If it was I wouldn''t have gained a level, since I rested almost 5 minutes between each set.''


    With this finding, Eldrian continued his practice. This time just with the weapons he wanted to master for the quest. He also took care to wait 10 minutes between each set. During which he went over his mistakes and possibly other methods of making his attacks smoother.


    During his waiting periods he would sometimes take a bow to just practice some shots. He did this to experiment with how the fatigue system worked. ''It really is irritating to have such a major in-game feature be hidden.''


    What Eldrian didn''t know was that he was the only yer who was diligently training, at least in his kingdom. He was also, due to training, the first yer to have discovered the fatigue condition.


    ¡­


    ''Time'' Eldrian called wanting to see how much time he had left until his tour with Vivian. He was looking forward to it quite a lot. Since no man would say they didn''t like spending time with a strong and beautiful woman.


    [11:34]


    Seeing that he still had more than two hours left, Eldrian decided to focus on the bow and a few throwing knives for the rest of the time, as he had already trained his other four chosen weapons to the max level.


    Currently, they were all at Rank 0 - Level 5 [160/160]. To have gotten to this level he had to correctly use the weapon 310 times. Since the proficiency started at level 0 [0/10], and the amount needed to level it doubles with each level.


    And so Eldrian spent a few hours having fun trying different styles. Even trying tobine throwing weapons with a sword and shield, or with his double headed spear.

 Chapter 11: First fight

    <h4>Chapter 11: First fight</h4>


    As Eldrian was practicing somebo''s, he had tried to discover, he heard Vivian voice.


    "Seems like you have made quite the progress."


    Eldrian stopped, and replied, "Yeah, but I don''t get how I should rank up my weapon proficiency ranks. Do you know?"


    "Oh yeah, that is confusing when you start training. The basic premise to ranking up is insight. So normally trainees who want to rank up a weapon would spar against stronger people. This allows them to experience realbat or rather more than a dummy could offer."


    "Wait, does that mean you can just rank up immediately if you already know how to wield a weapon properly?" Eldrian asked as he returned his current training spear.


    "Well yes. But you have to have already made the insight your own. There is a key difference between knowing about something and knowing something."


    "And if you don''t want to spar with someone or can''t find someone who is willing. Then you can just try to gain insight during the war. Most would choose to spar though since it isn''t dangerous." Vivian added. "By the way, why do you ask?"


    "Oh, it is just that I already reached the max level. So now I just need toplete the actual ranking."


    "Wow. That was fast!" Vivian eximed as she looked at Eldrian in surprise. Normally it took newbies a few weeks to gain the levels.


    To her surprise, Eldrian looked away shyly. He wasn''t sure if he should take credit for it as a result of his work, or just the game making it easier for yers. He also felt that it took him longer than it should have, but he reasoned this aside by considering that he first sought for his weapons.


    "Hey, would you like to spar a bit with me before touring the city?" Vivian suddenly asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.


    "Um, okay. But I am certain you will easily beat me." Eldrian replied.


    "Then I will handicap myself. I will use the same weapon as you, and also limit my mode of attack. How about it?" Hearing her offer Eldrian felt he couldn''t refuse.


    Eldrian chose to start with a two-handed sword. He chose this weapon as he thought he might be able to rely on his strength to try and suppress her a bit. Unfortunately, he forgot he was in a fantasy game where stats determine these things and not physiques.


    Luckily the training weapons couldn''t even be properly used as clubs. Lying on the ground, thoroughly beaten Eldrian found this very funny. The wooden sword didn''t hit hard, even though it had made plenty of solid connections to his face and many more to the rest of his body.


    After lying on the ground for the duration of a tee break, Eldrian decided to face the music again. He stood up and faced Vivian. This time his n was to focus on defense and dodging, over trying to win by force.


    What followed was him beingpletely led by the nose. Soon he found himself again on the ground. While he had received fewer hits, he felt far more tired.


    ''Who would have guessed it is so hard to not get hit?'' Eldrian asked himself as he went over the fight. ''Mmm, let''s try to make her lose her bnce.''


    With this thought, Eldrian again stood up to face Vivian. By now hepletely ignored her pretty appearance. Seeing her more like an instructor, he just had to show that he was not someone who had no skill.


    Again, Eldrian soon found himself on the ground thinking, ''How is she so fast. It is almost like she read my attacks, even before I started attacking.''


    By this time Vivian was surprised at Eldrian''s determination. Normally people would call it quits after two solid defeats. But here Eldrian had stood up to go for his fourth attempt.


    This continued for almost an hour before Eldrian gained some ground.


    "Yaah!" He screamed as his sword connected with hers. She had him on the back foot, but he had seeded in forcing her to make concessions every now and then.


    Like this time, with how his de was angled she had no choice but to retreat. If she did not then he would finally gain a hit, or rather cut, onto her.


    ''So close. I just want to hit her once, then I will be happy.'' Eldrian said to himself, hyping himself to continue trying. ''One hit, just one.'' He kept repeating this as he dodged a diagonal downwards strike by rolling left. After his roll he tried to counter with his own strike upwards.


    Vivian seeing his actions was again forced to stop her next attack. While his blow would not end up as a vital hit, she was training herself too. Her training was to be able to defeat a weaker opponent decisively, without gaining injury.


    The reason she had decided to try and train in this manner was simple. When she saw his determination, she felt she had to also take this fight seriously. And one thing which she had always thought was very important, was to be able to not get injured. Because after an injury, your next fight would be more difficult, leading to more injuries. Maybe even death if you are outnumbered greatly.


    After retreating to avoid his upward strike Vivian decisively brought her sword under his and trusted into his chest. This would have been a killing blow if she had used a proper sword.


    Feeling the hit Eldrian stopped moving and rested. After his few first tries he had also adapted himself to take the training more serious. He wanted to only fight whilst sustaining shallow injuries, or if he must take a vital hit, he was determined to return the favor at the very least.


    ''I am improving, but not fast enough. At most, we can only fight for another half an hour before we have to start the tour. And this is only because she arrived earlier than we agreed on.''


    Eldrian slowly stood up. Taking a defensive pose, with the sword angling downwards.


    "You really don''t want to give up yet?" Vivian asked as she looked at his tired body. Due to their constant fighting, he hadn''t been able to take enough rest. He had even reached fatigue level 2.


    "Why would I give up, when I have not even made you tired yet?" He countered, seeing that she was still breathing easily. This was one of the parts which weighed the most on his mind. It seemed like she was easily dealing with him.


    Shortly after their short banter they again locked des.


    Eldrian this time focusing on trying to block more than dodge. In thest fight, he only managed to block sessfully around one in five attacks. The rest of the time he had to either take the blow, or dance to her whims.


    ''Horizontal sh, head height. Duck and thrust out the sword for her feet. Follow with an upward attack and jumped back in motion.'' These thoughts sprang into Eldrian''s head as he saw the swording for him. He didn''t know how he analyzed it so quickly, but he certainly wanted to try these actions.


    What followed was Eldrian dodging under Vivian''s sword. Before she could take advantage and strike downwards, she was forced to lift one leg to not get struck by his thrust. This threw off her attack, allowing Eldrian to do the follow-up strike.


    This strike sessfully hit one of Vivian''s hands. In exchange, she forces her strike to follow through, even while she was off bnce. The result would be a poor blow, but still a death blow.


    Eldrian feeling this lied down again. This time ted with his small sess. He also heard the system sound at this time.


    {yer has managed to unlock Rank 1 of two-handed sword proficiency.}


    "What are you so proud of? That blow would have killed you." Vivian taunted Eldrian in frustration. She was really disappointed that a trainee of just two days had seeded in trading blows with her. While the blow she received was minor, it would have affected her a lot if she had to fight someone else afterward. Almost guaranteeing her death if she didn''t receive help.


    "True I would die. But as a Chosen I would juste back. While the strike I delivered would weaken you a lot." Eldrian replied with a smug grin on his face.


    "Also, we can stop sparring. With thest fight I finally seeded in ranking up my two-handed proficiency. Thank you, Vivian." Eldrian continued as his smile grew genuine.


    "That quickly!" Vivian eximed as she turned to the lying Eldrian in shock.


    "Quick? I hardly think so. It took me almost as long as the entire leveling time, just to unlock the rank." Eldrian replied frustrated that she would say it was quick.


    "Are you stupid? Normally people take weeks to seed in ranking up!"


    "No way! Then why did your dad give me a three-day time limit?" Eldrian asked confused.


    "He did what?"


    "And he told me to master four weapons. So, I totally thought it was normal to be that fast. In fact, I was starting to feel like I was slow." Eldrian continued.


    This left Vivianpletely confused. On one part she was mad at her dad for setting such impossible standards for a newbie. Then there was the newbie who was showing her that it was indeed possible.


    ''Must be because he is a chosen AND high elf.'' She reasoned as she looked at Eldrian already standing up again. ''And what is with that recovery speed!?''

 Chapter 12: Tavern and an update

    <h4>Chapter 12: Tavern and an update</h4>


    Still excited about his sess Eldrian asked Vivian, "So shall we start the tour?"


    Vivian started walking and asked over her shoulder, "What do you want to see?"


    "Why not a nice ce to eat, I am quite hungry after the training and our match."


    "Sure I know just the ce. What do you want to see after?"


    "Mmm, I guess where to find armor and weapons. Where to go to learn skills and magic. Maybe also where to get requests for help."


    "That is a lot. I think we will start with more basics. Food then arms." Vivian dered as they started walking.


    Eldrian quickly got bored of the houses around him, wanting to look further on at the city. He started to try and look over or between them, as they got to a corner he managed this. What he saw left him speechless.


    He saw a massive wall. Probably around 30 meters tall. Due to him always being surrounded with tall buildings he hadn''t seen it before so clearly. He just managed to see it due to looking between two buildings.


    From the training field, it only looked around 15 meters or so. But now he saw clearly that the wall was almost as tall as a 6 or 7 story building. This meant it was around 30 meters tall. The wall was also a strange color, being a reddish-brown,pletely different from Ariel''s walls in the trailer.


    Eldrian also noticed a tower, simr to those that were in Ariel. Curious what they actually were he decided to ask.


    "Vivian what are those towers?" He asked as he pointed between the gap between the two houses.


    "Ah, those are called magic towers. Not to be confused with mage towers or mythic towers."


    "And what are all of those, you just gave me more questions. Let me rephrase, what are the reason they were built?"


    "Ooh, well the magic towers are like defensive siege weapons, capable of massive offensive spells. Mage towers are the home of really strong mages, who don''t want to live in the city. Mystical towers aren''t well known. We just assume they are leftover from ancient times."


    Again, they walked in silence, during which Eldrian again tried to observe his surroundings. He was surprised by how well made the roads were. Completely out of cobblestone, but with no weedsing out of the cracks or dirt over it. The roads looked almost better than those in his real world.


    Soon after Eldrian thought this they arrived at a tavern.


    "Here we are, Meats & Sugar inn," Vivian said, excitement evident in her voice.


    ''She must really like the food here.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he followed Vivian inside. Eldrian was immediately drawn to an elegant voice singing a bardic tale as they entered. Looking to the source he saw ady standing on a stage, in the middle of the room.


    "Table for two please." Vivian''s voice pulled Eldrian back his trance. It had been a long time since he hadst heard a tale sung in such a manner. Every now and then the audience who sat nearby to enjoy the music and beer sang along or cheered as she reached a climax of the song she was singing.


    They followed the waiter who led them to a table near a window. Eldrian found this seating very nice. Since he could listen and enjoy the music while either enjoying the view outside or inside depending on his mood.


    "So, what would you like to order?" Vivian asked after having thanked the waiter.


    "I have no idea what food they have here. Why don''t you order for me?" Eldrian replied.


    "Sure, can do," Vivian said.


    At this moment Eldrian heard the system announcement.


    {All yers will be logged off for mandatory maintenance. Please excuse the inconvenience.}


    {Update will take 15 minutes.}


    Before Eldrian could do anything, he found himself waking up on his bed.


    ''What the hell. Why wasn''t there any warning?'' He said angrily to himself as he stood up to go onto the forums.


    As soon as he entered the forums, he found the top pinned thread was about this update.


    [After careful consideration it was decided to update the game to ensure a quality gaming experience.]


    [The update contains the following points.]


    1. The age restriction of 18 years or Older is being adapted to be ording to countryws instead of worldwide. The reason for this is pressure from governments iming that we, as apany, do not take theirws seriously.


    2. The user interface in-game will receive a major overhaul. Many yers haveined that it is very difficult to use. We agreed and thus will change the method it works.


    yers will just have to call the system in their minds to summon the main interface. From there they can then navigate to the function they want. The navigation will be done by mentally thinking it, ande to the yer as a hologram.


    3. The method of yers dying has been investigated. A case was found that while it might not hurt the yer physically, in many instances, their death will scar them due to the vividness of the game. Thus, a method of avoiding this was added.


    yers can now call for suicide to give themselves an immediate death. This will result in a full death penalty, but avoid cases of yers being tortured or yed with by monsters.


    4. The game forum will be made avable in-game. To ess the forum will need a yer to enter a daydream state. yers are advised to visit the forum only when safe. No system protection will be given while in the daydream state.


    5. Not Update rted* The next wave of headsets will be sold in a week. At that time another million yers will be able to join.


    6. rification on NPC knowledge;


    NPCs know that the yerse from a different world. The reason for the summoning is to help the Kalos races to survive. NPCs also have the same leveling and tier system as yers. In fact, all life in-game follows this system, thus yers can ask them about it straightforwardly.


    We have gotten too manyints about how this was never exined and decided to make it clear.


    NPCs know that Chosen can resurrect, and when yers log off the same effect takes ce after a certain amount of time. This is to help yers surviveter on, and will have to be explored in more detail by the yers.


    Eldrian didn''t feel much of an impact from these updates. He just felt that the interface update and being able to ess the forums while in-game would be really convenient. It wasn''t a big matter to him though.


    The update of creating an easy way to suicide was also not of much affect to him, since currently, most people died from animals, who generally killed them quickly.


    Eldrian then just waited to log back in.


    ¡­


    "You scared me." Eldrian heard as soon as he was back in-game.


    "Ah, sorry about that. I didn''t have much control over it." Eldrian said. He really didn''t know how to exin it. Next, he asked, "What happened here exactly?"


    "You just suddenly fell asleep, lying back in the chair. It was so weird. When I starting wondering if you had had a heart attack, I received a premonition that you would be fine. I had no idea how I received it. It was weird. So, tell me what happened?"


    "Mmm, I don''t know exactly how to exin. Tell me first what you know of us Chosen."


    "You were summoned by the gods, through the goddess of life''s powers. Due to this, you guys all have been blessed. Some of these blessings we know, like that you can resurrect after dying, even if your body waspletely destroyed. We don''t really know what other blessings you have."


    "Interesting. When you guys train and gain levels or weapon ranks how do you know it?"


    "Well, it is difficult to exin. For most it is like a message containing the information just pops into our heads."


    ''Like how the interface was at first.'' Eldrian thought to himself and asked Vivian, "Can you call this information at any time?"


    "Not that I am aware of, no."


    "Try. Say think and ask for your weapon proficiency details." Vivian did as Eldrian asked her, after a few tries her eyes suddenly popped open.


    "What, how did¡­ This is amazing!"


    "Keep it down Vivian. So, what did you see?"


    "It is difficult to say, the information just popped into my head like always. But this time it contained all of the weapons I had trained in and the rank they are at."


    "Try to focus on one, asking for more detail, like how far it was to being able to rank up again." Eldrian proposed and Vivian again closed her eyes trying to do as he said.


    A few secondster she opened her eyes again and looked at Eldrian anew, "How did you know I would be able to do that?"


    "Well I didn''t, but if you could it would make exining a lot easier since all of us Chosen have this ability."


    What Vivian had thought of was her sword proficiency, finding that it was more than halfway to rank 4. This knowledge would be so helpful for determining what to focus on. NPCs didn''t get concrete numbers like yers, but the feeling of progress would help a lot.


    "So this is why you managed to gain you weapon levels so fast?" Vivian asked


    "It is part of the reason. Since with this, I could determine if my training method was correct or not. I used this to find the optimal method I could."


    "That exins a lot. Certainly, for the first rank or two, when you haven''t figured it out yet, it will help a lot."


    "So, no one has ever exined this before?" Eldrian asked


    "I have never heard of it before," Vivian answered seriously. She also realized what this meant. It was impossible that no one had ever discovered it before. Which meant it was being kept a secret from even her dad. Or maybe their entire kingdom had not gotten this knowledge.


    "So back to your original question, like you were just able to gain this information through thought, we can return to our world via thought." Eldrian decided to juste out and say it.


    Vivian waspletely shocked hearing this. She had no idea how to react, at this moment a voice broke their talk.


    "Here is your food. I hope you two enjoy." Looking up Eldrian saw a waiter ce two tes on the table with food, which smelled divine.


    The waiter quickly left after saying that, seeming to not want to interrupt the two for too long.


    "Great let''s dig in." Vivian said as she took a te and started eating. Trying to distract her from the revtion she just heard.


    As they both decided to eat while processing what they just discussed Eldrian realized how little he knew about his game world. He decided to ask Vivian for more details when they finished the delicious meal.

 Chapter 13: The game’s setting.

    <h4>Chapter 13: The game¡¯s setting.</h4>


    After having eaten all his food Eldrian decided to ask for some basic information about this kingdom, and the situation it was in. "Vivian can you tell me more about this world. You should know we don''t really know much."


    "Um, where do you want me to start?"


    "Let''s start with the kingdom and city we are in."


    "Let me see. Well firstly our kingdom is called Phallos and it is a third-tier kingdom."


    Hearing up to here Eldrian was already confused thus he asked, "How are kingdoms ssified?"


    "Well, that is quite simple. All kingdoms fall under an empire. If it doesn''t then it is either a dukedom or an outpost kingdom. The empire we are part of is called Floria."


    "Tiers are based on how many kingdoms until you reach the empire. The lowest is tier 5 kingdoms, most of which had already been lost." Eldrian was surprised that many entire kingdoms had already fallen. He waited patiently for Vivian to continue to exin more of how this fit into the story.


    "Tier 5 kingdoms are often also called border kingdoms, as they are the kingdoms which border the wild, untamednds. This is from where the monsterse. ording to tales we have only managed to im about 5% of the world as kingdoms. Us being the Kalos races."


    "Races are separated in two, actually three. But we normally only talk of two. The Kalos races, good. And the Kako races, evil."


    "Kako races all have an innate desire or drive to kill or torture others. I will get back to thister."


    "So, kingdoms basically form the outernds of an empire. The kingdom between us and the wilnds is Taurus. This kingdom though isn''t part of Floria, but rather an independent outpost kingdom formed by centaurs. I don''t know why the empire decided to ept them instead of trying to subjugate them, but they had managed to stay independent inside borders of the empire."


    "In any case, our kingdom has around 20 cities. With this one being called Agosstead. Agosstead is both a medium-sized city and a border city."


    "So then how are cities separated? And what is a border city?" Eldrian asked curious about the terms medium city and border city.


    "Cities are separated into small, with a poption under a million. Medium with a poption up to 5 million andrge cities with a poption of up to 10 million. Lastly, we have capital cities, containing a poption of more than 15 million people. Phallos has two capitals."


    "Border cities, are basically more like castles than cities. Or this is the idea for their design. They are at the edge of the kingdom and when war breaks out then they are there to stall for time, until the kingdom can respond."


    ''This might be why we spawned here.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he listened as Vivian continued on.


    "So, with the advent of this, what do you call it, monster invasion, right? What is going to happen?"


    "Normally the border kingdoms would have given us enough time to prepare, but due to the size of this monster invasion, they fell too quickly. Most didn''t even manage to give their citizens a peaceful death." As Vivian said this, sadness was clear in her voice. This in turn made Eldrian curious about how defeat would be under the monsters.


    "By the time the empires decided to hold a conference to help each other against this invasion, almost all the fifth-tier kingdoms had fallen. Thus, they made an emergency alliance to firstly share information, and help if possible."


    Unsure of how the races were being ssified Eldrian decided to ask, "How do you decide that a race is part of the Kalos then. You just said the urge to kill. But most sentient races should be able to control themselves."


    "Most of them don''t want to control themselves, and some just can''t, not by our enemies." This statement confused Eldrian even more. But he decided to keep it to himself as it looked like Vivian wasn''t done yet.


    "We also call the Kako races, the races of evil. There is a valid reason for this. Like I said some of them can''t help it. This is because we are their main source of food or other things." As Vivian said this disgust was clear in her voice.


    "How so?" Eldrian pushed.


    "Let me give you a few examples then."


    "One of the Kako races is orcs. They are by nature a carnivore race, only able to live on meat. But for some reason they find animal meat to be nd. Due to this, they have a craving for humans and other sentient people. Their most sought-after and favorite food is elves. ording to rumors, elves are often eaten as desserts. If they can''t find elves, then they would often save children for dessert." By this time Vivian was starting to be really angry, so Eldrian spoke up again.


    "Vivian, let''s go for a walk so long, we can continue the conversation on the way to the next stop."


    Calming down Vivian responded, "That would be nice. I always be so worked up when I talk about the Kako races."


    "It''s fine I can already see why."


    With this sorted, they paid for their food, 12 coppers for both meals. Which Eldrian thought wasn''t a bad deal. While on the expensive side, the food was good and the atmosphere was great.


    As they walked outside, Eldrian asked Vivian to take him to a cksmith shop since he wanted to get himself a weapon. A few minutester Vivian started talking again.


    "The worst race, or rather most hated, are goblins. Goblins are a race with no females. Thus, when they want to reproduce, they need to steal women from other races. And trust me no woman would willingly give themselves to a goblin."


    "Due to this goblins have taken matters into their own hands. They often go out on raids to steal women. And what happens to them is truly awful." By now Vivian was starting to shake from anger, seeing this Eldrian decided to stop her from continuing. It seemed that the topic was a very bad one for her.


    "You don''t have to continue I can already guess the terrible fate which awaits captured women."


    "But you don''t really know. Most often women would die from giving birth to a goblin litter. If they were unlucky andnded in the hands of a tribe then it would be far worse. Far worse¡­" At this point, Vivian gnashed her teeth. Forcing herself to continue.


    "In this case, the goblins would have a shaman or two. Who would then heal the women after giving birth? Forcing them to continue living in such hell. Until they die from desperation or get rescued."


    When Eldrian heard this he finally understood why the developers added a suicide method into the game. ''If a female yer was to be taken by goblins¡­'' His thought turned very grizzly imagining their fate if they could not kill themselves. Certainly, any woman would immediately give up on the game then.


    "There was a case where a group of women was kept alive for 12 years," Vivian said in a soft whisper, terror in her eyes as she said this. ''No person deserved such a fate.'' Both she and Eldrian thought.


    They spent a few minutes in silence again, at this time Eldrian decided to try and change the subject.


    "How far is this cksmith. I feel like we have been walking for a long time.


    "We are still a distance from it. I am taking you to one of my dad''s friends. He is really good, so you should appreciate the change you get."


    "Then I will thank you in advance." Eldrian replied before he curiously asked, "With the number of kingdoms under an empire how many are there in total?"


    "I am not sure. I think if I remember correctly, there are almost a hundred empires. So, the number of kingdoms would be over a thousand. In our empire, there are five Tier 1 kingdoms, twelve Tier 2 kingdoms, and around forty Tier 3. Then we still have seventy Tier 4 kingdoms and three Tier 5 kingdoms." Eldrian was simply shocked by the vastness this implied of the world. This world was certainly then far bigger than Earth.


    "How many Tier 5 kingdoms did Floria have?" Eldrian asked.


    "Well these kingdoms were still being created and enforced. I believe before the invasion started there were over a hundred Tier 4 kingdoms and Tier 5 was around the fifties."


    Eldrian quickly did some rough math in his head. He soon found that the number of kingdoms lost was a great chunk of the total. This discovery shocked him greatly.


    ''This would mean that the invasion has already conquered almost a third of thends of the empire. This is insane'' Eldrian thought to himself when he came to this conclusion.


    "Vivian, how much is the difference between the different tiers of kingdoms?"


    "Depends on where you ask. Between the empire and a Tier 1 kingdom is massive. This is because the empire has as muchnd as the five Tier 1 kingdoms together. Thereafter Tier 2 kingdoms are normally just a bit smaller than Tier 1 kingdoms. But due to many reasons, they tend to be much weaker."


    "I would say every tier up is probably twice as strong as the previous." She said trying toe to a conclusion.

 Chapter 14: The blacksmith shop

    <h4>Chapter 14: The cksmith shop</h4>


    "We''re here." Vivian turned around to face Eldrian before continuing, "Let''s go in."


    Eldrian was quite surprised that this was the ce she was talking about. While it was a three-story building, which was rare. It didn''t have any fancy decorations, only a sign saying.


    [From iron to adamant]


    [Sidirourgos]


    "So, this is your dad''s friends'' shop?" Eldrian asked as he followed her into the in shop.


    "Yeah. I know it doesn''t look like much from outside. But it is one of the best cksmith shops in the city."


    Eldrian was surprised by the amount of armor and weapons on disy inside. All the walls were decorated with weapons of a fast array. From daggers to greatswords in shelves around the room and then polearms and bows hung on the walls. There was also armor stands blotted around the room in a manner that didn''t make it hard to walk around, or view the different works.


    The ce gave Eldrian the feel that it was a real cksmith shop like he often saw in fantasy shows.


    Vivian walked up to the counter and talked to one of the shopkeepers. The girl then ran into the backroom, seeming to go get someone.


    Eldrian approached Vivian and asked her what that was about. To which she replied that she just asked the girl to go get the manager.


    Eldrian heard an angry voiceing from the backroom just a few secondster.


    "Goddam idiot! Who woulde and disturb me while I''m working? Everyone knows I don''t like interruptions." The voice was deep but soft, clearly, this person was justining to himself and didn''t actually want others to hear. Unfortunately for him, his voice carried easily in the quiet shop.


    As the man came out of the door and saw Vivian his expression changed from annoyance to happiness, "Ah if it isn''t Vivian. To what do I owe this pleasure?"


    When Eldrian saw him his first thought was, ''A dwarf.''


    The man was shorter than Eldrian by a good amount, only reaching his chest height. But this didn''t mean the man looked small, rather due to his build the man looked far sturdier than any other person Eldrian had seen so before.


    "Hey Boran, I brought you a customer." Vivian said as her voice turned a pitch higher before continuing, "And maybe a new apprentice?"


    "What this elf behind you. Why on earth would he want a weapon, he has obviously lived a sheltered life. Not even speaking of taking him as an apprentice, he would crack in a day." Boran countered as he looked Eldrian over.


    "Certainly, you can never truly understand people from just looking at them. Boran, Haru is hardworking and very talented in learning. At least this is the case for when he trained." At this point Vivian leaned over to speak directly into Boran''s ears, "You see, in just two days he already mastered a weapon to rank 1."


    Hearing this Boran was very impressed, even left seeking words for a moment.


    "Nonsense! The fastest record of someone gaining the needed levels was you, and it took you five days. You want me to believe he didn''t just train enough to be able to rank up in two days. But also seed in finding insight to master a weapon to rank 1 in the same two days?"


    "It is true. He managed to seed in ranking up in just an hour or so of sparring against me."


    "Impossible! That defies all we know." At this stage, Boran seemed to have be anxious, as if this would ruin his worldview.


    "I think it is because he is one of the Chosen," Vivian said this, leaning closer to Boran again. Hearing this Boran visibly calmed down.


    "Then that makes some sense. Even you needed two weeks to gain the insight needed to rank up. But if he is a Chosen, then he could have used a blessing from the gods to level up quicker." By now Boran looked at Eldrian differently.


    "What weapons are you interested in?" Boran asked after turning to Eldrian to address him directly.


    "Ah, sir. Currently, I am nning on using a few different ones. They are, an arming sword and shield, double-headed spear, poleaxe, and maybe a bow." Eldrian decided to say the weapons he believed he would like to use when he goes to fight.


    "Why on earth would you want so many different weapons?"


    "I n on bing an adventurer after I have learned the basics, sir. So, in this case, I would like to have different weapons for different situations."


    "Oh, and how do you n on traveling with so many weapons?"


    "This is quite simple actually. I n on wearing the sword and shield. The rest I will store in my inventory."


    "Inventory? What is that?"


    "Oh yes. Only we Chosen have this, I guess? It is a dimensional storage." When Eldrian said this both Vivian and Boran''s eyes flew open.


    "Are you serious? You all have a dimensional storage?"


    "Yes, is it very rare?"


    "Rare, more than rare. Even the most basic dimensional storage of only cubic meter would normally sell for over a couple of thousand gold." Boran replied exasperated.


    Hearing this Eldrian was left speechless. Their storage had twopartments. A three cubic meter area where he believed they could store random stuff. The other was like a game inventory, with slots. Currently, thispartment allowed the storage of 10 items. Eldrian hadn''t yed with this system to figure out how it worked yet exactly.


    Boran now looked at Eldrian as if he was a massive threat. Since anyone who had a dimensional storage could just take what they wanted and leave no evidence.


    Seeing the warning look directed at him Eldrian didn''t know how to respond. He instead tried to change the subject.


    "I would also like to learn how to smith. If possible, would you train me?" He asked earnestly.


    Seeing the earnest look from Eldrian, Boran decided to put aside the other problem for now. In any case, Boran reasoned he would be able to just arrest Eldrian if he tried. Even if he didn''t give back the item, he wouldn''t be able to do anything with it in a jail cell.


    After thinking of this insurance Boran started walking back to the door he had just entered through.


    "Sure, but first show me how determined you are."


    Vivian and Eldrian followed after him.


    As they arrived in the room Eldrian discovered that this entire room seemed to be for Boran only. Almost as big as the entire shop, yet no other people were inside. A massive forge was on the wall directly facing them. There were also four oil barrels near this forge and many anvils of different colors. Eldrian believed they weren''t made of iron, which was soon proven by Boran''s words.


    "You don''t need to look at those anvils kid, they are far past your ability. We use them to make magic materials." Saying this Boran led Eldrian to a corner in the room where a smaller forge was. Smaller, but still big. This forge was easily as big as a piano.


    Boran took a few pieces of scrap metal and pushed them into the furnace.


    "Here''s your test Haru. Combine these pieces into a single rod. You have 2 hours." Boran said as he walked to his big forge and started heating up his metals again.


    {yer has received a new quest.}


    {Quest name: Basic cksmithing.}


    {Quest giver: Boran}


    {Quest Description: yer must cksmith scrap metal pieces into aplete single rod.}


    {Quest Progress: 0/1plete rod}


    {Quest rank: SS}


    {Quest Time limit: 2 hours}


    {Quest Reward: 100 000 XP, condition to bes Boran''s apprentice}


    ''Are you kidding me? A double S ranked quest. How the hell am I supposed toplete this.'' When Eldrian looked further down and saw the XP reward he was left stunned, ''How many levels would that give me!?'' He screamed internally.


    After spending around a minute just being stunned by the quest he just received, Eldrian realized that something was off. This certainly wasn''t normal. Forging the scraps into a single rod would be difficult, but not to a degree this quest proposed. ''That means the scrap metal must be strange, probably a magic metal.'' Eldrian concluded.


    Unfortunately, he had no idea how to forge such advanced metals, so he just tried the methods he had seen on shows.


    Having nned what to do, Eldrian started acting. He first got himself a hammer, some tongs, and a glove. After which he walked over to take a look at the material. It was a silver-colored metal, but Eldrian felt certain it wasn''t silver. Looking on Eldrian saw that the metal didn''t seem heated at all, so he decided to give it more time.


    Around ten minutester Eldrian finally took out the metal scraps to try and hammer them. They were each shaped like cracks often seen in rocks. Almost like a lighting rod frozen in time. After spending so long in the forge the metal only glowed softly.


    Eldrian observed these pieces, trying to figure out how he should go about working them together to form a single rod. He observed that each one was only a few millimeters wide at most and in total there was easily over a hundred. Eldrian pictured a bundle of wooden sticks as he held it.


    Eldrian readied himself to start hammering to see what would happen. As he turned to the anvil, he saw Vivian giving him a thumbs up and cute smile.


    This simple act has given Eldrian a new surge of energy. Certainly, any man would want to show off after receiving such encouragement.


    Eldrian thus started hammering the pieces, happy to also find that after eating his fatigue level was only at level 1 again. This gave him even more encouragement.

 Chapter 15: Why it is an SS rank quest

    <h4>Chapter 15: Why it is an SS rank quest</h4>


    ''That food we ate must have been special. When considering the cost, it makes sense.'' Eldrian thought as he saw that he was almost in top shape. ''Seems like I can go all out.''


    First, he waited until the metal was glowing. Then he took it out, ensured that the lengths were about equal and naturally he started hammering.


    ''As expected, no system message or help. I wonder if other yers would have gotten some system support by now'' Eldrian thought after his 5th time he had heated and hammered the pieces.


    After the first two times, he had started hitting the metals far harder. At this time, he was using full force to try and make them form. What he found was that they just stayed apart, by now Eldrian was feeling that the quest Boran had given him was impossible.


    Unknown to him Vivian had gone to Boran to give him an earful.


    "Really Boran you too. I thought at first that you had put the wrong metal inside, it seems you did it on purpose. Why do you and my dad want to give him such a hard time." Vivian asked in a huff of anger.


    "It isn''t that we want to give people a hard time, rather that we want to ensure they aremitted, even when it seems impossible." He defended himself.


    "Bullshit! If that was the case you wouldn''t have given him mithril. You can only forge it via magic hammers or by channeling mana. How do you expect a high elf who has never learned about mana to do that?" She almost screamed at Boran, just barely keeping her voice in check.


    "Aren''t the Chosen blessed? So, let him show me why I should teach him." Boran countered smugly. Clearly, he was happy with himself.


    ''Why are they so mean.'' Sheined to herself as she kept observing Eldrian at work.


    Vivian gnashed her teeth. She knew in the entire city only about 8 cksmiths could work with mithril. They were only in a medium city so this was already considered good. Normally that number would be less than 5 in other cities of the same size.


    ''What the hell are these metal pieces? It won''t bend at all!'' Eldrian asked himselfpletely shocked by the toughness of this metal. He already wasted around 40 minutes trying to get the metals to blend. At this time, he started considering if the metals couldn''t be forged at all.


    ''I guess it makes sense. There is no way a newbie at the game canplete an SS ranked quest.''


    Having reached this conclusion Eldrian just wanted to see how strong the pieces truly were. He ced the bundle on the ground, taking only one small thin piece to try and get it to bend.


    After waiting for the piece to heat up, Eldrian ced it onto the anvil. Instead of trying to hammer it as he did previously, he hammered the piece between the anvil and his hands. Trying to force it to bend at the very least.


    What happened next Eldrian couldn''t believe it. When he hammered the piece it had released a blue sh of light. After which he found that the piece had cut into the anvil quite deeply. His hammer had also shattered into pieces when it connected with the lone piece.


    ''The fuck! How is that even possible.'' Eldrian screamed in his head. The piece he took was only 1.5 millimeters wide, with a thickness less than that. This piece was now stuck in the anvil-like some weird wire.


    Unknown to Eldrian in that hit he had lost almost half of his mana, but since he didn''t know how it felt to control and move mana, he didn''t realize it.


    Vivian''s mouth hanged open when she saw the piece cut into the anvil. She knew mithril wasn''t that hard. It would have at most scratched the anvil, ending up bent from such a hit, even if mana wasn''t channeled into it.


    She looked at Boran as if he was pure evil. ''How was this supposed to be a fair check. The only metal she knew of that was that hard was adamantine, but that metal is a ckish-purple color. She also knew that only Boran was able to even work adamantine in the city. ''What the hell is that metal then. I have never heard of a silver metal with that amount of strength?'' She asked herself.


    As if feeling the angry stare directed at him Boran stopped his work to see why Vivian was so angry. When he saw that Eldrian was now struggling with all his might to get a piece of metal out of an anvil he almost broke downughing.


    Some chuckles still escaped, resulting in Vivian directing and an even angrier re at him.


    "Okay, okay. I admit that was unfair. To be honest I just nned to see if the kid would work at it till the end or give up. I didn''t think he''d try experimenting to see if he could bend a single piece, since that wasn''t part of the test I gave him." Boran said as he startedughing for real.


    Vivian turned around to see why Boran startedughing after controlling himself. What she saw was Eldrian trying to regain his bnce, as he had pulled the anvil up via the small metal piece.


    Seeing Eldrian dancing to try and counter-bnce the weight of the anvil Vivian also couldn''t control herself and startedughing.


    Eldrian continued struggling to keep his bnce for almost 10 seconds, before he ended falling down. Luckily the anvil didn''t fall on him but rather missed him.


    Breathing out a breath of relief Eldrian looked at the twoughing figures. By now, Boran was lying on the floor struggling to breathe as heughed.


    This confused Eldrian a bit since he hadn''t seen how his performance looked, scratching his head he thought, ''Was that really so funny? Even Vivian is struggling to keep standing."


    This entire scene happened because Eldrian wanted to remove the piece from the anvil. He didn''t expect it to be stuck so fast, so when he had pulled with all his might the anvil had simply left the ground.


    What resulted in him struggling so much to regain his bnce, was the fact that the metal piece still hadn''t bent, so it was still in its zig-zag crack pattern, with an anvil attached at its one end and Eldrian on the other.


    "Boran, what the hell is this metal. When I tried to check if I could bend it, it just cut straight through the anvil. Through a freaking anvil! How is that even possible?" Eldrian asked finding the situation a bit funny himself after he thought about it a bit.


    "Hahaha, sorry Haru¡­ I wanted to check your resolve. I never¡­ expected you to actually seed. The metal is called divine mithril, or rather that is what we decided to call it for now. It is very rare and very valuable. That single piece stuck in that anvil is worth probably around 30 gold in its raw form, and that is a conservative estimate." Boran said,ughing in between every sentence, and a bit in-between.


    ''Holy shit, that is a lot of gold,'' Eldrian thought as he looked at the small metal wire again thinking ''That is just a few grams of metal, how is it worth so much.'' Luckily he wasn''t the only one who was confused.


    "Wait what, I have never heard of divine metals before," Vivian questioned as this wasn''t something she has ever heard of before.


    "Of course not. It''s something new that was discovered when the invasion began. It was found in a celestial silver mine, surrounded by mitral." Boran said after he finally calmed down.


    "As you see it there is as it was inside the vein. Like cracks in a rock, except the cracks were filled with divine mithril and the rock was mithril. The only way we managed to extract it was by removing the surrounding mithril." Boran said as he lifted his hands to indicate how helpless they were. But a yearning look was present in his eyes as he nced at the divine mithril again.


    Vivian had shocked all over her face when she heard that even Boran couldn''t shape it, since it was still in its raw form. That meant this metal was really, really high tier.


    "Why did you ask Haru to form it then?" Vivian asked. She was even more irritated that he would give an impossible task to Eldrian.


    "Simple, for inspiration. That kid certainly reached an interesting approach quickly. I never even thought of trying to bend it. Mostly due to it not really aplishing anything, but still it was smart of him to think of that." Boran said as he walked over to the anvil.


    "Why do you call it divine mithril?" Eldrian asked as he looked at the pieces in a new light. They were a pure gold mine. Currently, yers haven''t even started exchanging in-game money, mostly because no one has seeded in making any, so hearing how much one piece worth certainly tempted him.


    The gains from animal kills were at most 20 copper per kill. And that is if the yers skinned the animal well and sold the meat. Nothing else was gained except a little XP.


    This meant one divine mithril piece would be worth months of hunting.


    "That, well we called it that since like celestial metals, being the magic variety of normal metals, this seemed to be the more advanced tier of magic metals," Boran answered


    "Celestial metals?" Eldrian asked no one in particr.


    "I can answer that." Vivian stepped forward as Boran crouched down and observed the anvil and divine mithril piece.

 Chapter 16: Magic metals

    <h4>Chapter 16: Magic metals</h4>


    "I can answer that." Vivian stepped forward as Boran crouched down and observed the anvil and divine mithril piece.


    "Celestial metals are called so, since the first cases of their discovery was from meteorites. Later on, they were also found in normal ore veins, but the name stayed."


    "Basically, all metals have a celestial variant of the same type. For example, celestial iron is the variant of iron. It is also known as ck steel after being processed. The difference between normal iron and celestial iron is the fact that the celestial iron can conduct mana."


    "This in essence means that the metal does not hinder the flow of mana, thus magic can be effectively used with the weapon. So, in the case where you try to use a magic skill with a normal sword made of iron, the mana would cause it to aggressively vibrate as it courses through it. Normally if the weapon is of poor quality it would just burst into pieces due to this."


    "But a celestial iron sword, or more often called ck steel sword, would not experience this adverse effect."


    "I recognized that you said it would not hinder the flow. Would materials then enhance the flow instead?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes, basically when you use a skill, it is the same as using a spell. The difference is that with spells you don''t use a medium to transport it. Celestial metals are the most basic of magic metals and thus it would absorb some of the mana you sent through it. But the higher tier magic metals would instead enhance this the flow of mana by absorbing surrounding mana."


    "This is why, even though for mages don''t need to use anything to cast spells, many prefer to use a staff or wand."


    "The wand is then an enhancer right?"


    "Exactly. It would enhance their spells'' strength by either providing more mana to the spell or allowing better control for the mage."


    ''This is a lot like electricity, with mana being the thing moving through the metals instead of charge. So then the purer the metal is to a certain ideal magic metal, the easier it would flow. And after a certain stage it will even be strengthened.'' Eldrian thought as he tried to let it make sense ording to his knowledge base.


    "How big Is the advantage of using higher tier metals then."


    "I don''t really know. But in a sense you can imagine it like this. If you use a steel sword and send 10 units of mana thought the de for a skill, only about 2 would exit the de to form the skill."


    "But if the de is made from ck steel, then around 7 mana points would form the skill. And if you have a even better metal, like mithril. Then instead it might give the skill a boost, resulting in 11 or so mana points to form the skill."


    "The opposite effect would happen to the weapons durability, due to the poor mana conduction. So the steel de would loose almost double the amount of durability, than the ck steel. While the mithril de would lose no extra durability for casting a skill through it. This is why most people avoid using weapon rted skills in battle if they do not have a good weapon."


    ''Such an in-depth system. Most yers probably don''t know this or wouldn''t learn this for a while,'' Eldrian thought to himself as he realized how lucky he is to have found Vivian and her dad, who was teaching him so much.


    "Dang Haru, you really stuck it in here!" Suddenly they were interrupted as Boran screamed this. Looking at him they saw himying down with his legs pushing the anvil away, while he was pulling the divine mithril piece.


    This caused both Vivian and Eldrian tough. Seeing Boran, red faced trying to pull such a small piece of metal out of therge chunk of iron, which made up the anvil.


    "Serves you right." Vivian said as she pulled a face at the struggling Boran.


    A few secondster a grating sound was heard as Eldrian and Vivian saw Boran sessfully pull the piece out.


    This caused Eldrian''s mouth to hang open. He just saw someone pull a piece of metal so hard it literally tore out of the anvil.


    "Few! Finally!" Boran said as he stood up with the piece in hand, it was still in the exact same shape it was since the start.


    Eldrian quickly walked to the anvil and was left bbergasted. Boran had literally torn it out of the anvil. ''Just how strong is he. It was so snugly fit in there that the outwards pull caused the iron to deform.'' Eldrian asked himself as he shivered. Deforming solid iron by just pulling on a piece of metal certainly blew Eldrian''s mind.


    ''How did he not cut his hands.'' Was the next thing which popped into Eldrian''s head.


    "Well now that that''s done, let''s get back to business. Haru follow me." Boran said as he ced the divine mithril piece, with its friends on the ground.


    Eldrian followed as Boran he was led to his huge forge. Boran next out an iron rod into the forge and turned to Eldrian.


    "Okay, no tricks this time, turn the rod into a rectangle. You have an hour." Boran said as he gave Eldrian a new hammer.


    [yer quest has been updated.]


    [Quest name: Basic cksmithing.]


    [Quest giver: Boran]


    [Quest Description: yer must cksmith an iron rod into rectangr form.]


    [Quest Progress: 0/1]


    [Quest rank: SS -> E]


    [Quest Time limit: 2 hours, 1 hour 5 minutes left]


    [Quest Reward: 600 XP, condition to bes Boran''s apprentice, Unknown]


    Seeing the new quest rank Eldrian was a bit sad. This certainly meant that the reward was going to be lesser.


    He shook his head to get rid of this unnecessary negative thought and started hammering the rod when he believed it was at a good temperature.


    30 minutester Eldrian had seeded in turning three quarters of the rod into a square shape.


    As he turned it around to heat the other end, he saw Boran walking to him.


    "Haru, seems like you do have talent for this. When you hammer you seem to do it in the correct manner without having been taught. Let me give you some other tips to help you improve on this instinct of yours." Boran said, as he lightly pped Eldrian''s shoulder in a brotherly manner.


    ¡­


    Eight minutester Eldrian finished forming the rod into a square.


    "It''s done." Eldrian said feeling quite relieved.


    Boran walked over and took a look at the finished product. It was mostly t on the sides, with just a few bumpy areas from uneven hammering.


    "Mmmh, well done. While not perfect, for a first timer it is really good. I can even see the clear improvement from before to after I gave you some tips. This is why I love to give beginners a forming test. You can see from the one end to the other how they improved while getting used to it." Boran said proudly as he looked over the rod.


    "See here, from here you obviously discovered something, and from here was when I gave you those tips. The improvement is so clear. Well done." Boran said after he had looked over it for a few seconds more.


    [Questpleted]


    [Rewards:600 XP]


    [Can be Boran''s apprentice]


    [Weapon Choice]


    "I certainly won''t mind training you in cksmithing. Alsoe pick a weapon as your reward for doing such an excellent job." Boran said, patting Eldrian''s shoulder again before going trough the only door in the room again.


    Exhrated Eldrian followed after Boran. Being able to choose a weapon of choice, from a quest, was definitely a great reward. Eldrian believed that this was due to the previous rank of SS.


    He was sure that if he could havepleted the SS, he would have gotten a magic weapon, now he felt that most likely he will just get a normal tiered weapon. Still for the current poor him this was a great opportunity, since he felt good weapons would be far out of his league.


    He thought this because of what he saw on the forums. Most yers had bought armor and weapons, resulting in them getting really poor quality equipment. But even those who had only chosen to buy one thing had found that it was on the lower end of the items avable to them.


    As soon as they entered the shop Boran took a turn left to go into a different room.


    "The weapons on disy is only for normal customers. The second floor only for nobles and the third only for military captains and above. But I am taking you to my failed prototypes. Normally I don''t sell these weapons as they are too poor quality for nobles for the price, and far too expensive for normal soldiers. So, since you proved yourself you can take your pick." Boran said


    This greatly surprised Vivian. She knew what Boran was talking about. While is failed experiments might not meet the requirements of nobles and where too expensive due to the materials used, it didn''t mean they were bad.


    Rather just that the thing he tried to achieve didn''t work. Thus making it to expensive due to the use of magical materials in its production, with no magical effect because of the failure.


    As far as she knew only close friends of Boran were allowed to take these weapons. He never sold them keeping them for when he wanted to give someone a gift or when a friend was in a pinch.


    They were the perfect gifts. To expensive to sell normally, too valuable to throw away.


    Of course, this is only true when you give it to aspiring soldiers or adventurers. Since Elite soldiers and adventurers and the more professional people would be able to afford the better weapons.

 Chapter 17: Weapon of choice

    <h4>Chapter 17: Weapon of choice</h4>


    As Eldrian entered the small storage room he was astonished by what he saw. All the weapons in front of him looked amazing even though they all cluttered the room fully.


    The sides of the walls were stacked with weapons on racks, with shields and armors lying against the walls. To Eldrian it truly looked like a ce someone just threw their unfit products in, due to how unorganized it was.


    Even though it looked so cluttered, Eldrian felt it was a haven. Especially since he could choose one of these amazing-looking weapons.


    Like a kid in a candy store, he started looking over all the different weapons avable.


    Augh escaped from Boran as he saw the pure excitement in Eldrian. ''The kid certainly has something for weapons. Can''t me him though. My first time seeing magic tiered equipment I was exactly the same.''


    Once Eldrian finally calmed down he started questioning how he should choose. Since he didn''t have any standard system skills, other than the basic interface, he couldn''t go and identify the weapons to see their statistics.


    "Boran would you mind telling me what these weapons properties are... Or if you wouldn''t mind could you allow me to wield each one for a bit?" Awkwardly Eldrian asked. He had remembered halfway through that during training he could inspect the weapon he was using by asking calling up his equipment panel if he was wielding a weapon.


    Through this method, he would be able to check each weapon, but he had to equip it to aplish this. Eldrian had no idea if NPCs would detect when he equipped it, which was why he had asked to wield it for a bit.


    "Sure, go ahead, just remember that you may only choose one in the end," Boran replied in a carefree tone.


    With permission received, Eldrian went to work. He didn''t want to waste too much time on Boran''s so he decided to only look for weapons he expected he will use soon. As such his first thought was looking for a sword. More precisely any sword bigger than a short sword and smaller or equal to a bastard sword as this would be a very versatile weapon, useable in most situations.


    Soon he found one.


    [Failed longsword, Freeze.]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 0]


    [Damage ¨C 24 [Physical cut/pierce damage [25.2]]


    [Attack speed ¨C 1 [Attacks per second:1.15]]


    [Reach ¨C 1 meter]


    [Durability ¨C 1200]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 98, Agility ¨C 88, Weight ¨C 1.8kg]


    When Eldrian saw that it was a magical weapon he knew this room was truly a gold mine. From the stats alone Eldrian felt the weapon would be one of the strongest yers would be able to find for quite some time.


    He also felt that the only reason he would be able to choose one of these was due to the quest being SS-rank first, and he had managed to resolve it to a degree. Instead of just being stuck the entire time.


    He had no idea if the stats were goodpared to other weapons, luckily he could just check more here to get an indication of what he should expect.


    As such he got to work.


    [Failed arming sword, Protect.]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 0]


    [Damage ¨C 20 [Physical cut/pierce damage [21]]


    [Attack speed ¨C 1.05 [Attacks per second:1.21]]


    [Reach ¨C 0.7 meter]


    [Durability ¨C 1280]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 87, Agility ¨C 80, Weight ¨C 1.1kg]


    -


    [Failed greatsword, Redeem.]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 0]


    [Damage ¨C 27 [Physical cut/pierce damage [28.4]]


    [Attack speed ¨C 0.92 [Attacks per second:1.06]]


    [Reach ¨C 1.6 meter]


    [Durability ¨C 1330]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 107, Agility ¨C 90, Weight ¨C 2.6kg]


    -


    [Failed short bow, Fly.]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 0]


    [Damage ¨C 19 [Physical pierce damage [20]]


    {Damage with normal arrows}


    [Attack speed ¨C 0.6 [Attacks per second:0.69]]


    [Max range: 125 meters]


    [Durability ¨C 1080]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 100, Agility ¨C 78, Weight ¨C 0.9kg]


    ...


    Finally, Eldrian found a weapon he felt resonate with him even before looking at the stats. It was a polearm with sharpened ded on both sides of the metal handle.


    [Failed polearm, Grace.]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 0]


    [Damage ¨C 22 [Physical cut/pierce damage [23.1]]


    [Attack speed ¨C 1.03 [Attacks per second:1.185]]


    [Range: 1.5 meters]


    [Durability ¨C 1220]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 103, Agility ¨C 94, Weight ¨C 1.4kg]


    As soon as Eldrian held this double-headed spear he felt that it will certainly be with him for a long time.


    ''Grace.'' What a nice name Eldrian thought while enjoying the look of this spear. The handle looked enchanting with beautiful carvings around the pole. These carvings were done in a manner which made the pole easier to grip and the spearheads had a pretty gleam with waves in the metal itself.


    The pole itself was about a meter long and the top de almost as long as Eldrian''s entire arm, while the bottom de was only as long as his forearm.


    Satisfied with his choice Eldrian turned around and exited the room. Even if there was a real magic weapon inside, he would still choose this one. Simply because he loved the versatility the spear will give him in an open battle.


    As Baron saw Eldrianing out of the room he lifted one eyebrow quizzically. The weapon Eldrian choose was one of his earlier failures. The reason it failed was that he couldn''t connect the enchantment from both des to each other effectively.


    Still while Baron failed in making this weapon, he did learn a lot from the attempt. Even though he had never tried forging a double-ded spear again, he was certain that if he was to give it a go now, he should be able to aplish it.


    If he wanted to fix this problem he had two options. One would be to use higher-tier metals to reinforce the enchantment. The other option was using an inert metal for the pole or engrave a negative rune into it. This would allow two different enchantments since each de could then act as a separate entity.


    Boran had been thinking of trying it again, but since few people wanted to use polearms in the kingdom, he had put it off. Now with a potential user he might try again.


    "Good choice, that one has been gathering up dust for years now. No one in the kingdom wanted to give it a try, mainly due to them all preferring swords over polearms. Then add the fact that the spear is normally the default polearm people go for."


    "It seems like you really want to try it," Boran said after having finished thinking about trying the craft this type of weapon again.


    "Yes, thank you. I also never understood why so few people use them. They are so cool and I believe they are also very versatile." A huge smile was visible on Eldrian''s face as he said this.


    "I can see why youpleted your proficiency challenge so quickly. You want to learn for fun right?" Vivian asked as she saw the smile on Eldrian''s face


    "I think that might be true. I just want to learn how to use all the fantastic weapons avable. I will only be able to decide after having tried them all." A boastful Eldrian replied.


    "So which weapon do you prefer so far?" Vivian asked.


    "I think polearms." Hearing his replied Vivian grew a bit sad.


    "Really, why would you prefer them? Swords are so much better. They also look far cooler." She retorted. Hearing her be so worked up on this matter Eldrian was quite surprised and confused.


    Still he tried to clear it up, "Well with a polearm you are far safer, especially when you haven''t really mastered your weapon yet. The range it gives you is just incredibly strong."


    "Humph!" Vivian turned her head away and walked away from him.


    Eldrian seeing her reaction had no idea why she suddenly had a mood. Since he only interacted when needed with girls, Eldrian had missed the clear clues to change the subject.


    He even tried to rationalize it by assuming it might be her time.


    "Well thank you very much, Boran. When I have time, I wille over again to learn to smith. For now, I need to go back and finish the challenge Old Sword gave me." Eldrian said in a rush as he waspletely bbergasted when he saw the prices of weapons here. A normal Iron sword cost 70 silver coins.


    He knew that a silver coin would tide over a family for quite some time. Thus when he saw the prices he felt scared and a bit embarrassed. He had nned to buy some other weapons for cases where he couldn''t use his new double-headed spear. Those ns had quickly been removed after he observed some more prices all near the 1 gold mark.


    Unknown to Eldrian this shop wasn''t a cheap shop. Rather it was one of the most expensive. With no weapons on show being less than Tier 4 normal items. Items in the game came in two variants. Normal items and magical items, with normal having tiers up to 6 and magical up to Tier 10.


    There were even a few magic weapons on show in the first ce. Luckily Eldrian didn''t see them or he would have had a heart attack. The cheapest magic Tier 1 weapon in this shop was 10 gold coins and 23 silvers.


    As Eldrian exited the store Vivian red at him angrily.

 Chapter 18: Another spar with Vivian

    <h4>Chapter 18: Another spar with Vivian</h4>


    Boran observed that as Eldrian exited the store, Vivian was giving him a death stare. Seeing her reaction to Eldrian''s interest in polearms, Boran was quite amused. Still he decided to give her some advice so he walked up to her.


    "You shouldn''t just stare at him like that. Unless you want him to know he hit a nerve, and let me tell you that he didn''t even try, he waspletely oblivious. You don''t want to give him ammo forter right?" Boran teased her, feeling very happy about their entire visit. He had gotten a promising apprentice and a lot of entertainment.


    By now Eldrian had started to head back to the training fields, since there was still daytime left and he felt he could try to master one more weapon to rank 1.


    Eldrian had assumed Vivian would follow him as he started walking, which caused Vivian to be even angrier. She even ignored Boran''s advice, causing Boran to prompt her again.


    "See, that right there. He isn''t even aware that you are upset." This sentence caused Vivian to gnash her teeth.


    "The idiot! How could he im that spears are better than swords!?" Vivianined loudly to Boran, luckily Eldrian was too far to hear her.


    "Haha, you can''t say swords are better either."


    "You too Boran!"


    "No, I am not getting into the middle of this. But just remember that in most cases the best weapon depends on the situation rather than the weapon being universally good." Boran tried to appease her.


    "But swords are so much cooler." Vivian desperately defended her wounded pride.


    "Maybe, but that can also change with culture. Now go on and catch up to him, you don''t want him to find out you were sulking right?"


    Hearing this Vivian quickly said goodbye to Boran before running after Eldrian, as she really didn''t want to appear weak.


    ''What an interesting young man, or rather an elf. He got The Valkyrie following him so obediently, she even showed him around town, bringing him here in the end. I wonder how he got through her outer shell?'' Boran asked himself as he went back to his smithy to continue making armaments.


    Even after Vivian had caught up to Eldrian he was still reeling in shock from thest price he saw.


    It was a very fancy-looking sword. Eldrian even thought it might be a magic sword at first, but he soon discredited this when he observed it closer. It actually had a tag indicating its price and tier.


    It was a Tier 6 normal sword called Prudence. The thing which shocked Eldrian though was the cost, with it being 2 gold and 86 silvers for this one sword.


    From this Eldrian learned an important lesson and that was that the spear he got was worth more than 3 gold at the very least. Scaring him into hoping that Boran wouldn''te after him for itter.


    ...


    Back at the training field, both Vivian and Eldrian were surprised to see two other yers busy training. The reason they knew it was yers, was because this field was prepared for the yers.


    Curious Eldrian observed them as they trained. He was soon astonished to see that the yers were practicing the basics and not some fancy moves or skills.


    Realizing what this meant, Eldrian decided to post the things he had learned about weapon proficiencies tonight, since if he didn''t then he would lose his opportunity. The forum had a tipping system and he hoped to gain some pocket cash from his knowledge.


    "Why did wee back here?" Vivian asked after she also observed the yers. She was just as surprised that they were actually training and not just ying.


    "Oh, I want to try andplete another weapon''s rank challenge," Eldrian replied as he headed to the weapon racks.


    "Which weapon?" Vivian asked as she followed after Eldrian.


    "Why don''t we try a sword and shield. It is a rtively safe andmon fighting style, so I believe I should learn it."


    "Really!? You don''t want to try a double headed spear?" Vivian asked greatly surprised by his choice. She had believed he would totally forsake swords after he had gotten a really good polearm.


    "Well, I actually have to master four weapons for your dad''s challenge. But even if this wasn''t the fact I would still want to be proficient in as many as possible."


    "Certainly I will decide on core weapons and their styles to focus on. But knowing how other weapons work and theirmon styles will help me fight better against that weapon, or change to it if I need what that specific weapon specializes in."


    After voicing this Eldrianined to himself, ''Why is it that no-one understands the need to be versatile. Everyone sees it as such a waste of time.''


    Hearing his reply Vivian was ced into a better mood. But she was still a bit pissed, so she decided to give him a taste of why a sword is so good.


    As they faced each other Eldrian got a sinking feeling, ''Why does she have such a silly grin?''


    After a few seconds of facing each other, they suddenly sprang into action.


    Vivian rushed Eldrian, attacking him with relentless quick shes. Forcing Eldrian to have to focus on dodging, or rather running around and trying not to get hit.


    In just a few seconds Eldrian started feeling despair. Even his best effort had only resulted in him not getting hit four times out of ten.


    ''Is she even holding back?'' he screamed internally, wishing he had a way to observe her stats andpare if she was or not. Unfortunately, he still needed to learn the skill, and for that, he needed to learn how to use mana first.


    After having fallen down two time from exhaustion, Eldrian finally managed to move his shield fast enough to block. ''Yes, third time''s the charm'' Eldrian hyped himself after his sess. From this one came more and soon he managed to dodge five attacks, block three, and only get hit twice.


    Still, he had no time to try and counterattack. When he tried it resulted in him getting a quick p followed by a few more, and then him lying on the ground again.


    It was at this time that Eldrian noticed that Vivian had been only using her sword. She had not used her shield for a bash once. Eldrian wasn''t sure if this was due to her style, or just how she was holding herself back against him.


    By this time the two yers hade over to spectate the fight, hoping to learn something from these seemingly pro fighters.


    "Jesus that guy is good. How can he even see her attacks?" Onemented


    "She is clearly holding back dude." The other replied.


    "Ha, and do you think you would even survive 10 seconds under that onught. She might be holding back, but she is not giving him any mercy. She is clearly very strong and¡­" The yer''s voice faded. He had wanted toment more about her, but he feared having such a strong NPC pissed at him would be very bad for him.


    A few more rounds of Eldrian exhausting himself and half an hour had already passed.


    ''He really learns quickly. I had thought that it was due to him being a Chosen. But fromparing him to the other two Chosen who had been training on the field it is clear that he seems to be a special case, much like I was.'' Vivian thought as she continued her onught.


    "How is he still going through, we have only been watching for a while but they have been fighting for really long now."


    "I have no idea. This guy is insane, and the girl even more. The guy at least seems exhausted, every now and then."


    At this time Eldrian again experienced a weird hyper state. He saw Vivian''s sword moving in slow motion for his shoulder and mentally called to himself, ''Duck, shield bash up, thrust into the gap!''


    As Eldrian heard himself he followed these instructions, ducking under the sh. followed with a shield bash aimed at Vivian''s shield while keeping her sword between their shields. Soon he heard a shing sound determining a sessful bash onto her shield. Leaving Vivian in an awkward position with her sword over her shield, yet in front of Eldrian''s shield.


    After Eldrian heard the shing sound he had immediately followed his sword bash with a thrust aimed at Vivian''s stomach. Right at the positions, she would be unable to defend without aplete withdrawal.


    ''This little¡­'' Vivian thought as she was forced to withdraw her sword overhead, forcing her to lose the precious time she needed to counter. In the process, she saw his sneaking thrust forcing her to abandon her thoughts.


    She then decisively shed downward to deliver a death blow, while also receiving a fatal injury in the process. She felt defeated when she was forced into this action, as she believed she should have been able to only receive a modest injury during this fight.


    Still for any warrior it is far more important to kill your enemy first. Since you can always seek help after, if the enemy didn''t outnumber you by too much that is.


    Their attacks connected at almost the same time, with less than half a second between the two. Eldrian also got a message as his attacknded.


    {yer has managed to unlock Rank 1 of one-handed sword and small shield}


    Vivian felts a strong hit onto her stomach knocking her breath out. If Eldrian''s sword wasn''t a training one she was certain she would be bleeding out right now.


    While Eldrian felt a solid hit onto his head, forcing him onto the ground. This would have certainly killed him on the spot if it wasn''t a training sword in Vivian''s hand.


    After their trade, Vivian retreated and knelt down struggling to breathe. While Eldrian just lied on the ground face down, trying to gather his stamina.


    As Vivian struggled to breathe she went over to the final attack. She was upset with herself, since she hadn''t considered a ''final strike'' from Eldrian.


    Due to never having been in realbat she stillcked the instincts to protect her when her opponent decided on mutual death.


    Before theirst trade, a few NPCs had alsoe over to observe them, only to see them striking each other at almost the same time.


    "Isn''t that The Valkyrie. Who on earth can stand up to her?" One of the new arrivals asked.


    "I have no idea, so he can''t be one of the well-known soldiers or adventurers." Another replied.


    "Isn''t this training field for the Chosen to train on. Can it be?" Thest arrival asked in disbelief.


    They were all three in disbelief since they hadn''t heard of anypetent Chosen before.


    "That guy is a Chosen, me and him are also Chosen. We didn''t know the female he was fighting was called The Valkyrie." The friendlier yer said.


    "What, how is that possible! He traded almost even with her just now." Thest arrival almost screamed from his shock.


    It wasmonly known that The Valkyrie could even beat up veteran soldiers. She was one of the strongest figures in the city, especially when looking at the younger generation.


    Her potential was just unimaginable. Everyone felt she had a strong likelihood to be amander of the nation when she matured as a fighter. Maybe even a Highmander.


    After a few seconds Vivian finally managed to stand up, having caught her breath. Eldrian on the other hand just rolled over, so as to not lie on his nose any longer.


    At this time he realized that they had a crowd around them.


    "You were amazing man. What''s your name, lets add each other as friends," The friendlier yer offered, crouching down so that only Eldrian would hear him.


    "Sorry, but I don''t want to just yet. I remember there being a friend limit, thus I don''t want to add just anyone." Eldrian replied feeling a bit bad about declining the guy.


    "No problem, I understand. In any case that was an awesome fight, you did great." As he said this the yer left with the other yer to continue their training. The NPCs also left at this time.


    "Did you seed?" Vivian asked after waiting for Eldrian to breathe normally again.


    "Yeah, I did thanks." A tired Eldrian replied after taking a look at his system message. He also saw that his fatigue level was now at level 3, leaving him with only 72 stamina points after resting, of his 105 total.


    Happy to hear about his sess, Vivian lied down next to Eldrian.

 Chapter 19: Browsing the forums

    <h4>Chapter 19: Browsing the forums</h4>


    ''Truly the atmosphere in this world is just so much better than in our world.'' Eldrian thought as he watched the sun go down along with Vivian.


    For the most part, the world of Gaia resembles earth very much. But something stood out very clearly. Like the sun appearing blue in the sky, instead of yellow like the sun on earth. The moon also appeared to be a blueish silver color, with no craters visible as they watched it starting to rise in the sky.


    The sundown looked a lot different from those on earth. Eldrian found it hard to try and exin, but in some manner, it looked more like this world''s sun was a part of it, than he had ever experienced on earth.


    "Are you ready to go home?" Vivian asked after having watched the magnificent sundown. Now it was starting to be dark, so they should get going soon.


    "Ah, sorry about that Vivian. I was just lost in the sunset. It certainly was beautiful." His voice sounded much more peaceful than normal.


    "I agree, it was different today, seeming to be more graceful... Are you ready?"


    "Sure, lead the way," Eldrian said as he stood up. Surprisingly his body wasn''t sore after such a rigorous exercise.


    ''Certainly, this makes one remember it is a game.'' He thought as he felt that he truly wasn''t stiff. ''Or maybe it is just due to magic. Ha, but I can''t use magic yet so it can''t be due to that.''


    While his body wasn''t sore, Eldrian did feel tired. Or rather he felt that his body was tired. It is a very weird feeling, with his body not being sore like normal after exercise. Instead, it felt like he had finished an exercise after he had rested. It was a very unique feeling, like being out of breath even after you had rested for hours.


    ¡­


    ''I must say, Diane can certainly make a delicious meal with very little spices. The taste of the vegetables and meat just mix so well. It feels like they were meant to go together.'' Eldrian mumbled as he stood up and took off his headset. Currently, the time was almost 8 in the morning.


    After having gone with Vivian to her house, he enjoyed another hearty meal prepared by Diane before going to his temporary bedroom to log off. Eldrian felt d that he did go with this route since when he logged off, he got a notification from the system stating;


    ''Due to yer resting in a peaceful environment yer will experience increased recovery. Due to yer resting on a bed, yer will gain double the effect.''


    This was a very nice boost, or at least Eldrian believed it was. As the game hadn''t been explored a lot he was unsure how this works exactly. But he was certain it would help with the recovery of his fatigue levels and maybe some other things too.


    With his thoughts still about the benefits of sleeping in a bed, in-game, Eldrian headed to his PC to see what people are saying on the forums.


    The first thing Eldrian looked for was the tipping system in the forums, as he had only read that it existed before.


    The tipping was called Gaia''s blessing. When a yer found a post helpful, funny, or entertaining then they could tip the content creator for it. There were a few limits in ce, such as only registered yers could receive tips.


    No other ounts could gain Gaia''s blessing. This was to both ensure the information and encourage people to join the game.


    Thepany stated that if you receive a certain number of blessings you will not only get 90% of the money, since thepanymissions the missing 10%. Stating that it is for the maintenance of the forums.


    The other thing they promised was an in-game surprise which yers will have to discoverter on.


    There were noints about thepany taking a cut, since they already offered a connection to the game servers at a very low price. With it only costing 20 dors a month to keep your membership active. When a person considers all the benefitsing with being able to y the game then it was clearly very affordable.


    If a yer wanted topare it to say a gym membership it bes even clearer that thepany is being very kind. The game, at the minimum, gave every yer an extra 6 to 8 hours per day, while a gym membership costs 40 dors just to use some equipment in a room.


    Eldrian continued to browse the forums to see if there was any other surprises that he had missed. He did indeed find a few things, like the fact that thepany had made a tform for trading IRL money for IG money. Using the tform would be much safer than doing it alone and for this security, thepany is charging a 5% fee.


    Eldrian was left speechless when he saw that currently, one silver was trading for 5 dors. This price was determined by demand and not set, thus this price was constantly changing around 5 dors and wasn''t exactly 5 dors.


    Eldrian felt conflicted after he saw this. Currently, he was learning about the in-game systems and how everything worked. So, he wasn''t going to start earning money anytime soon. Seeing that if he sold just 4 silvers, he could cover his gaming costs for the month he was quite attracted to the idea to just go animal hunting like the other yers had been doing.


    From what he saw on the forums yers made around a silver after a day''s hunting. In that, they didn''t get ambushed and die that is. This meant making money via the game was certainly possible.


    Eldrian thought about it for a while and decided to keep to his action of rather learning from the NPCs than rushing into the world. Since he felt it would certainly give him arger bonuster on.


    His reasoning was simple, he had already gotten a failed magic weapon. This was an amazing thing, since he felt if he were to auction the weapon it would likely reach 2000 dors, the equivalent of 4 gold.


    He felt it would go to this price since he knew that this was around where normal weapons peaked.


    Certainly, Eldrian would actually easily make over 10 gold if he did auction it since currently, it was the first and only magic item discovered. If the situation around magic weapons were discovered he would be able to earn much more in fact. Luckily no one knew of these situations or he would really be tempted to sell it.


    Eldrian also noticed that yers still hadn''t figured out the main cause for leveling up their proficiencies. Most yers had difficulty talking to the NPCs since there was no preset dialogue they could follow. Instead, they had to approach NPCs in a certain manner to gain ess to the NPCs'' information.


    Much like in real life. A martial arts master wouldn''t waste his time exining everything to everyone who asked. Instead, he would ask them to show him why he should spend time on them. The current yers didn''t like this system, as it required a lot of their time.


    ''I don''t know if I was just lucky, or was my training and finding it fun the key?'' Eldrian questioned himself, since he had gained a lot from simply approaching Old Sword and trying his best to fulfill the quest he received.


    He remembered Old Sword said something about him being the only yer to have been able to talk to him. He felt that each NPC would have some way like this to filter the seekers from the doers.


    After a bit more contemting Eldrian finally decided to post about the basics around leveling weapon proficiencies. He felt if he waited a few more days then he would lose his chance to earn some tips.


    *How to gain proficiencies effectively* Eldrian named his post, writing about how for ded weapons you had to focus on edge alignment to gain the best effect. For non-ded weapons, it was generally ensuring a good hit. Like with a medieval warhammer(*1) you had to ensure that the pike struck the target in a good manner, much like edge alignment.


    Eldrian didn''t mention that there were other things that affect it too since he hadn''t found out what they are yet.


    After reading through his thread twice Eldrian found it nicely worded and concise. ''Hopefully, I can make some quick cash from for this month''s connection cost.'' He hoped as he posted it.


    Seeing that only about an hour had past Eldrian decided to surf some more on the forums. Themonints were still everywhere. He also found a lot of professional groups posting their sessful hunts.


    All the posts had one thing inmon. This was that the death penalty was too harsh, making leveling almost impossible. Even after spending two days in-game they still hadn''t managed to gather 2000 XP to level up. The reason was that they lost all their XP if they died.


    To get 2000 XP they would have to solo kill a 100 animals. The highest record was 4 solo kills and 25 kills with one partner, or so a post imed. This post was for attention-seeking yers, who wanted to show off. It acted much like a ranking system, with yers giving proof of their deeds and the thread creator then sorting it all into a list.


    They alsoined about the meager gains from killing the animals. In Phallos, Eldrian''s kingdom, the animals were normally wolves. With each wolf only giving around 20 to 45 coppers depending on if they damaged the fur or not.


    As Eldrian read this he thought that that was just natural. The wolves they were fighting were onlymon animals, not a monster variant of the wolf animal. This meant that the wolf''s fur was only usable as clothing, the ws too weak to repurposed for weapons, and the same for the fangs. The meat was also not liked in the kingdom.


    The biggest contribution to the low amount of ie for yers was not the low ie per wolf, but rather the fact that they could end up searching hours for a wolf.


    This was natural since the NPC hunters aimed at killing all the wolves near the city, to make it safer.


    After Eldrian looked at another of their videos he was surprised at how skilled they had be at killing wolves. This was to be expected since they have been spending 2 days only doing that he soon realized.


    In this video, it was a very crude method. A man with a melee weapon rushed a wolf. As the wolf attacked the man, the man just tried to block fatal strikes while an archer shot at the wolf. With the wolf either having just attacked or dodged it often failed in dodging the following arrow.


    Doing it this way the melee yer didn''t die but did take damage. The wolf on the other hand was killed in just a few seconds. They againined that if only wolves were moremon they would be able to make a killing.


    ''Okay time to go exercise!'' Eldrian tried motivating himself after having spent around another hour online. He certainly had to lose some weight soon as he did not want to be a meme!


    ...


    1) The warhammer in this chapter is a medieval warhammer, shaped more like an ice pick than a hammer.


    The fantasy style warhammer, being just a massive hammer, will be called a ''warhammer'', and this ice pick styled warhammer from medieval times will be called a ''medieval warhammer''.

 Chapter 20: Sleeping in a park

    <h4>Chapter 20: Sleeping in a park</h4>


    Exhausted, Eldrian copsed onto the ground. He hadpletely forgotten about his first attempt at exercise after he started to run. To make it even worse, he had started out expecting himself to keep it together like he had in-game.


    ''Dang it, why isn''t there a clear difference until I start doing stuff.'' Eldrianined to himself as he turned over onto his back.


    ''If this had been in-game then I would at most have been breathless and resting, not this.'' Eldrianined as he felt himself losing even more of his strength.


    Luckily Eldrian had learned fromst time and thus he had first gone to a nearby park before trying to exercise. Still, he had only managed to keep it up for around 10 minutes before copsing.


    The people at the park stared at him in wonderment. It wasn''t often they saw someone push themselves until they couldn''t even move anymore. To Eldrian''s credit, he had spaced out for most of the time, thinking about the game and cing himself into his in-game mentally.


    He had only realized the mistake he had made when he started feeling wobbly.


    As Eldrian tried to stand up again, he instead fell asleep.


    ...


    "Are you alright?" Eldrian heard a stranger''s voice ask as he regained consciousness. Looking around he saw a young man sitting against a tree, reading, near him.


    "Ah, yeah, thanks," Eldrian replied feeling really embarrassed.


    ''Truly what kind of idiot exercises so much that he ends up falling asleep in a park alone?'' Eldrian question himself as he ced his hands onto his pockets to feel if his keys and phone was still there. He thanked his lucky stars that they were still in his pockets.


    "I have to say it was quite a sight to see you just copse and fall asleep. I was just over there reading peacefully when I heard some people mumbling about you." The stranger pointed to a bench near a pond before continuing.


    "When I looked up, I saw you take a nosedive. No one expected you to not stop your fall, luckily your head was turned sideways so your nose is fine." The guy said as he looked at Eldrian, who had started reaching for his own nose.


    "Ah really, I don''t even remember that. Just me being on the ground and turning around to give the sun ast nce." Eldrian said as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He didn''t feel so bad now, just a little light-headed. He wasn''t sure if it was due to the fall or the exercise.


    "So, do you want to enlighten me on how you pushed yourself so far past your limit without realizing it?" The stranger asked.


    "I don''t really know that myself... See I have been ying the game A New World recently, and in this game, it feels just like real life. I guess I was confused and started thinking that both my real body and in-game body can handle the same exercise. I wasn''t even actively in my own head while I was running." Eldrian replied, also trying to make sense of what had happened.


    He often pushed himself to the same limit in the game. But in the game, he would just copse for a few minutes and then be fine after resting for a bit. This seems to have gotten to him.


    ''I really need to learn my limits. It might also help if I apply this in-game, instead of going until my in-game body literally copses.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he looked around, hoping to find that no one here was in his ss.


    He also realized why the Miracle Corporation said that yers should try to be active IRL. It was really easy to mess up your perspective on reality, or so Eldrian felt.


    "Oh, so you''re ying that new game? Sure, is a game-changer for games, no pun intended." The stranger said as he also looked around and chuckled at hisme joke.


    Most people had long lost interest in the tired guy who had fallen asleep.


    "Is it really that great? I decided against buying it during the first release. Since you know, it is really expensive, and I don''t game a lot anymore." The stranger asked after he had finished looking around.


    "Yeah I am ying it and it is truly great. Like even if you don''t want to y it as a game, you can just enter the game and study. With the recent update connecting it to their forums, I expect them to also add more room for other stuff,ter on, maybe even connecting it to the entire inte. So then you might be able to use the time you gain on any of your interests if you didn''t want to y the game in that time."


    "The best part is still the fact that you can rece the need to sleep by logging into the game," Eldrian added, almost trying to sell the game. Not because he wanted to but this was just his real feelings about this benefit.


    Hearing this the stranger whistled before teasing Eldrian, "Really, but look at you. You just fell asleep here for like 2 hours."


    "Haha, that wasn''t due tock of sleep, but me confusing the diffe... Wait, you said I slept for 2 hours?" Eldrian suddenly asked as his brain realized what was said. He thought he had only fallen asleep for a few minutes, at the most 15 minutes. Yet it seemed it had been far longer.


    "Yup. After you fell asleep a few people tried to wake you, but you were out cold. So, I decided to move closer to you and protect you." As the stranger said this, he lifted one of his eyebrows as if to indicate something. Eldrian naturally did see this action, but he was still so shocked he didn''t really gather its meaning.


    "Thank you again. That was very kind of you." Eldrian said remembering his manners.


    "Haha, no problem. By the way, what is your name?"


    "Ah, yes. I am Eldrian, and what can I call you, my white knight." Eldrian asked teasingly, connecting the eyebrow lift in a funny way.


    "Nooo! Don''t call me that, my name is Erik, and that is what you will call me." Erik said, cringing from the idea of another dude calling him a white knight.


    "Haha, I am just joking. Or am I?" Eldrian teased as a genuine smile grew on his face. Since he had moved to the Hyooketsu University he hadn''t made any friends yet. This was because he was the only one from his old friend group who moved here. he had thus been friendless these past 3 weeks.


    He did try to make some other friends, but most people in his ss didn''t feel a connection to him. Or he didn''t feel one to them, in any case, he didn''t me anyone. Since not everyone can enjoy anyone''spany.


    "So, what do you do Eldrian?" Erik asked


    "Me, I am just an IT student. So far, the sses have been fine. But then again, we haven''t started with the real shit yet." Eldrian joked, this caused Erik tough for a bit.


    "So true! Mine has been the same. Very chill sses." Erik said after he had stoppedughing.


    "And what do you do?" Eldrian asked.


    "Simple, I am a literary student. My dream is to be the best writer of my time!" Erik dered proudly.


    ''Such high ambition. Here I am just wanting to work at a gamingpany. I never even thought of working for the big ones like Miracle Corporation.'' Eldrian scolded himself for being unambitious, but then he remembered he wanted to enjoy his time, more than he wanted to achieve something big. Thus he soon got over his own scolding.


    The two thereafter sat quietly for a while. Enjoying the view of fauna in the park, as well as the asional girl doing exercise. asionally they talked a bit about games or their studies while letting their eyes wander.


    ¡­


    "So what book are you reading Erik?" Eldrian asked when he got bored of the sights and ran out of other topics. He wanted to ask thiste since typically it is the first thing people ask readers.


    "Ah this one, it is called Deep Down Dark, or triple D." Erik winked at Eldrian as he said this before continuing, "It is about a basic story set in a fantasy world, focused on dungeon exploration. Not the best book, but interesting." Erik replied, flipping over the book to show the cover to Eldrian.


    The cover was a dimly lit hallway, with skeletons and weapons scattered across the floor.


    "Certainly, sounds interesting. What is your favorite part about it so far?" Eldrian asked.


    "The number of people who end up dying in the dungeon. Or just escaping without loot. It is a very different idea from the normal."


    "Most of the explorers entered the dungeon unprepared and received their punishment due to their idiocy. Like a said, not the best read, but it is quite fun." Erik replied as he closed the book, keeping his finger inside where he was at.


    ''Time certainly flies when talking with someone.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he saw that it was already 3 in the afternoon. He then said, "Erik let''s exchange numbers, I feel we can be good friends."


    "Sure, I also think so," Erik said as he took out his phone.


    "Okay, I am going to head back. I can go into the game again and I certainly want to finish my quest in time." Eldrian said, stretching his back as he did.


    "Also, if you can afford it, I suggest you try and buy yourself a headset when the next batch is sold. It certainly is worth the money. You might even make some money from it if you''re lucky." Eldrian said as he walked away.


    "I will consider it," Erik replied before he went back into his book.


    ...


    Back home Eldrian prepared himself some food since he was hungry as he hadn''t had lunch.


    When thinking of the event of the day, Eldrian felt it was actually a very good day. Sure he did pass out in the park, but in return, he made a friend. He felt this was a very big win.


    Eldrian ate his food as he went through the forums, both for entertainment and information. The first post almost made him spit out his food.


    It was his post.


    He was now the top post. He even made 60 dors from tips, from when he posted it until he came backter the same day. The 60 dors was from a few thousand tippers.


    ''Holy cow. It seems like I can totally make money from this. Then again yers should start approaching NPCs with a more life-like manner so I might lose my edge soon.'' Eldrian thought as he calmed down.


    There were a fewments from people stating that they felt there were some other conditions too. This was because not every attack gave rise to a proficiency increase. They theorized that this might be due to it cutting in a way they didn''t intend or something simr.


    Eldrian also had this suspicion, but he felt it had to do with many different factors.


    After Eldrian considered this he looked at the few sub-threads which have been linked to his. With people showing that it worked and showing off their weapon proficiencies.


    Looking over these Eldrian was disappointed to see that most of the posts only tried one weapon. No one tried to be like him. Ready for anything.


    Still, the yer-base has started a shift in the right direction.


    ''Now I just need to stay on course. Luckily, I am not trying to outrace the others. I just want to learn about this world and try to be a good yer in my own right. My path might be different from most others due to this.'' Eldrian contemted as he went to log in again.

 Chapter 21: Sparring against Old Sword

    <h4>Chapter 21: Sparring against Old Sword</h4>


    Eldrian woke up in his temporary bedroom after logging in. He stood up and looked over his stats, finding that his fatigue level wasn''t visible anymore, which meant it hadpletely reset. He expected this since the same had happened thest time he had slept here.


    Eldrian then stretched a bit, since he always found himself morefortable after doing some stretches when he woke up. Thereafter he decided to go to the kitchen to get something to eat. He was surprised finding Diane awake and preparing a meal. ''People really do wake up early'' Eldrian mumbled as he also looked at the time. Currently, it was almost 5 in the morning.


    "Ah, Haru I see you''re awake. If you aren''t in too much of a rush you can wait until I finish here. Should be just a few more minutes." Diane said after she had turned around and saw Eldrian standing inside the kitchen.


    "That would be very nice, I was just going to grab a banana and some bread otherwise," Eldrian replied, thankful for her offer. Having a full meal would be far better than just a quick snack. To pass the time Eldrian decided to go outside and enjoy the sunrise while waiting.


    Outside he found Old Sword striking a dummy. The poor dummy was ruined after just a few strikes, making Eldrian realize why there were 6 next to each other. Not to allow more people to practice, but rather to be able to move on after one dummy ispletely ruined. In this way, Old Sword''s routine wasn''t interrupted.


    "Ha!" Old Sword screamed as he gave thest dummy, itsst strike, causing it to fall into pieces to the ground. After this strike, Old Sword put his sword away before turning around and looking at Eldrian.


    "So, you are awake. Good, I figured I will train with you again today. Last night you told me that you already mastered two weapons to rank 1."


    "After you seed in mastering thest two weapons we will move on to learning how to control mana. This is going to be far more difficult than the weapon training, seeing as you are a high elf and we have no knowledge on how you train for it." Old Sword said, breathing heavily between each sentence.


    He then asked, "What weapons were you thinking of mastering today?"


    "I am thinking to master my polearms. A double-headed spear and poleaxe, to be precise." Eldrian replied while the excitement was growing in him as he thought about starting learning magic. He had no idea how to even imagine, how he was going to learn magic.


    "Good choices. That along with a standard sword and shield, and a two-handed sword you already mastered. You should be able to handle mostmon battles then and since you Chosen have an, inventory thingy, you won''t have the problem of deciding which to use, you can just carry them all with you." Old Sword said as he wiped off his sweat.


    At this time, they heard Diane calling them to eat breakfast. Together Eldrian and Old Sword went inside to enjoy the little things before another hard day started.


    ¡­


    "Yah!" Eldrian screamed as he struck a dummy. Before sparing against Old Sword he wanted to warm up. He felt the best way to do this was naturally to train a bit against a dummy as Old Sword had done earlier.


    After striking the dummy from an overhead attack with a double-ded spear Eldrian retreated a step, trusting the spear as he retreated. After he thrust the spear he shed horizontally with the spear''s back de, following the sh causing him to spin around, after which he thrust the back de into the dummy with a lot of momentum.


    "You have to be careful with that turn you did. If you do not seed in knocking the enemy''s de away then you will have just presented your back to them, asking to be stabbed or shed across your defenseless back." Old Swordmented after Eldrian had stopped his attacks.


    "I know. My idea with that was that the sh with my back de would open his guard, and the spin is to help me be able to prate his armor." Eldrianmented as he left the dummy to go to an open area with a new spear.


    Old Sword didn''tment on whether it was correct or not, since one would never know when going against a dummy if it would truly achieve the same effect against a person.


    Old Sword followed Eldrian to the open area, after taking a normal arming sword.


    Old Sword was truly impressed with this youngster. He felt that Eldrian''s growth was too fast to be normal, even whenpared him to other Chosen, Eldrian showed far greater promise.


    Old Sword was most impressed by the aplishments Eldrian made, and not with regard to mastering two weapons, to rank 1 already. But instead, the fact that Eldrian would hit the dummy with a good edge alignment at least 90% of the time. He would also only go over his center of bnce less than half the time.


    These facts were normally only visible after months of training. Even for greatly talented people, it would take a few weeks at the least. Due to this Old Sword felt he should ensure Eldrian receives the training he was going to need to stay true and not be over-confident.


    "Okay, different from how you fought Vivian, I should be able to give you just the amount of pressure I feel you need. So, excuse me for being a bit overboard." Old Sword said, right as he started attacking Eldrian.


    Eldrian found himself on the back foot immediately. Old Sword never hit him, unlike Vivian, but he totally controlled Eldrian''s pacing and weapon. Whenever Eldrian tried to block he will be surprised that the strike was a feint, followed by a reversed attack hitting his weapon away.


    "Come now, I only have one sword. If I had another you would long be dead. Actually, if I just attack you now, or now, or now. You will be dead." As Old Sword said this, with every ''now'' he struck Eldrian''s spear away, opening Eldrian to an easy deathblow.


    In one case Old Sword hit Eldrian''s spear so hard, that it caused Eldrian to almost ''cut'' himself with his own spear. As the weapons they were using were meant for training he wouldn''t really cut himself, but Eldrian knew in realbat it would havepletely crippled him if his own weapon injured him. He told himself that he had to remember to never let the de, he wasn''t attacking with, be his burden.


    He also knew that the fact that Old Sword had so much control over his weapon showed how much their strengths differed. He knew he would have been defeated long ago if Old Sword wasn''t keeping the fight going.


    ''Think, how can I stop his control over me?'' Eldrian tried to brainstorm a solution, to no avail. Soon Eldrian ran out of stamina and copsed onto his knees. Completely exhausted.


    "Not bad. You managed to hold out for almost half a minute under my focused assault." Old Swordmented as he saw Eldrian trying to recover his breath.


    ''Are you kidding me? How on earth is that considered not bad! It sounds terrible.'' Eldrianined in his heart.


    "So in this round, I just focused on controlling your weapon. I am certain you realized this already." To these words, Eldrian nodded soundlessly. "I just want to tell you that there is a fighting style focused on this type of fighting. And it is god-awful to fight against. Which is why I am pushing you with it."


    ''So he wants to let me feelpletely at his mercy. I won''t give in!'' Eldrian thought as he heard these words.


    ''Certainly promising. He just needs to be molded well.'' Old Sword said as he saw Eldrian standing up after 6 minutes of resting.


    Eldrian prepared himself for the next round. Previously he hadn''t expected the difference between Vivian and her dad to be so massive. Thus, this time he promptly retreated as Old Sword advanced. Keeping his spear in front ready to try and attack Old Sword if he rushed him.


    Unfortunately, this was futile as Old Sword easily dodged his trust by sidestepping and lowering his body. Eldrian hadn''t expected it to work in any case. Just as Old Sword was about to strike his legs Eldrian pushed his spear down, forcing Old Sword to stop his attack. Since if he didn''t then he would deliver his own arm to the spear''s de.


    Eldrian followed this up by now pushing the de up again, aiming for Old Sword''s chest. Old Sword promptly retracted his sword and blocked the attack with ease. Old Sword even smiled at Eldrian, as he felt that the move was good for a beginner, ''He can already feint a real attack. Not bad, I can see why he managed to almost draw even against Vivian. She would never consider going for broke.''


    ''Dang, he is just too fast for me. Not just physically but his reactions are lighting quick.'' Eldrian analyzed as he tried to find a solution to his situation.


    Currently, they were in a standstill with their des crossed at chest height, with Eldrian''s spear angled downward. In this standstill, they looked into each other''s eyes. Resolution was clear in Eldrian''s eyes, while Old Sword had yfulness in his.


    A few secondster Eldrianid on the ground again. His ribs hurting from taking a blow. He had hoped to give blow for blow, but Old Sword seemed to have read his mind. As a result, he only ended up having all his breath hit out of him.


    ''I guess I have no chance to trade blows against him. Let''s just focus on speed and distance next, trying to keep him at least a sword''s length from me.'' Eldrian thought as he stood up after a few minutes of rest.


    "Oh, seems you have made up a n. Let me see it then." Old Sword said as he saw the decisiveness in Eldrian''s eyes. Still, Old Sword wasn''t one to allow his opponent to attack first, thus he attacked with a swift overhead strike.


    Eldrian dodged this by stepping back, but instead of just dodging he decided to try and attack Old Swords sword this time. Eldrian attacked the sword as it passed his position, trying to force Old Sword to overswing by adding more force into it. But as his de made contact Eldrian just felt a shocking pain shoot through his arms, causing his hands to vibrate from the shock.


    ''Just how strong is he?'' Was the only thing he could think of after that exchange. Old Sword had managed to stop his sword in time to foil Eldrian''s n.


    In this manner, they continued to spar until finally, Eldrian gained his rank. In the end, it had taken just under two hours for Eldrian to seed.


    {yer has managed to unlock Rank 1 of the double-headed spear polearm}


    ''Wow, it is far more difficult toplete the rank challenge when fighting someone far stronger.'' Eldrian thought as he looked at the message.


    Eldrian wasn''t upset by this revtion, rather he felt that the insights he had gained during this fight were worth the time spent.


    "Are you ready?" Old Sword asked as he prepared to attack again.


    "Wait! I just seeded, so I would like to focus on myst weapon now." Eldrian said as he ran to change weapons.


    ''Seems like my guess on fatigue was correct. It is only increased if you do not rest well. In this case, I believe it would be a bigger factor inrge or long battles. But short fights wouldn''t really be affected it seems.'' Eldrian thought as he saw he hadn''t gained fatigue yet. He still felt he didn''t quite understand itpletely, but he felt he was much closer to it.


    For hisst weapon, Eldrian took a poleaxe. The poleaxe was of a typical make, with an axe head on one side and a hammerhead on the other, both on the top of the pole. There was also a spike going out of the head. Eldrian had decided earlier on this weapon as he needed a weapon good against armor, and a poleaxe filled this criterion while being simr to a spear.


    With this sorted Eldrian was again beaten up by Old Sword until he managed to scrape together the mastery of rank 1 with the poleaxe.

 Chapter 22: The magic tower

    <h4>Chapter 22: The magic tower</h4>


    "Finally, what took you so long?" Old Swordined. It had taken Eldrian more than 3 hours before he had managed to master the poleaxe to rank 1.


    "I don''t really know. But it didn''t take that long did it?" Eldrian responded as he looked at the time. It was now just before 11, so he felt he had made great progress. In total only around 5 hours was spent on mastering the two.


    [Quest ''A Veterans Training'' Completed]


    [Quest reward: 1200 XP]


    [Quest continuation]


    [Talk to Old Sword to receive a new quest]


    Eldrian was quite happy to see that hepleted another quest. He was now only 200 XP short of leveling up. He was still unsure how leveling and progression worked in the game, but from what he experienced so far. He felt that it was certainly a side action and that most actually focus should be on your own ability in the game.


    He thought like this since he hadn''t felt as oppressed against Vivian who had a ten-level lead on him than he had against Old Sword, where he had feltpletely helpless.


    Still, he was quite happy with his progress as he was certain he will be the first person to reach level 2 unless someone elsepletes a higher rank quest than he had, and they would have to do it soon.


    "In any case let''s go eat something. It should help you recover some of your stamina. After that, we will go visit a friend of mine." Old Sword said as he put away his sword.


    Hearing the mention of visiting a friend of Old Sword, Eldrian became very excited. Thest time he met one of Old Sword''s friends, Boran, he had gotten his first weapon, Grace. Unfortunately, Eldrian hadn''t had the chance to wield it yet, but he was looking forward to it very much.


    As they started walking Old Sword thought, ''Such a genius. If he also learns magic as fast as he did on these weapon basics. Then we will probably see the birth of a hero.''


    Eldrian took ast nce at the training field as they started leaving. He was surprised by the number of yers now on the field. Almost all the training dummies had yers practicing against them.


    When he and Old Sword had started sparring the yers had grouped around them, curious to see what was going on. But after the 3rd time, Eldrian had fallen down from exhaustion or had gotten knocked down, they started to get bored and went back to their own training.


    Most yers didn''t see anything special in their fight. And the few who had stayed for a while longer had left when they had found the breaks between each bout being too long. Since Eldrian had rested for around 5 minutes after each bout.


    The yers currently on the field also weren''t the ones who were here since the morning. At most the yers spent 2 hours practicing before they had gotten bored. After which they had gone wolf hunting again.


    ¡­


    "Here we are." Old Sword said as they approached one of those strange towers Eldrian saw yesterday.


    They had gotten something to eat while they were walking. The entire walk had taken almost 30 minutes. During which a lot of time was spent in silence. Eldrian had asked a bit about the city, but most of what he had gotten as answers left him with more questions.


    "What is this tower?" Eldrian decided to ask since they were now seemingly going to enter it.


    "This," Old Sword said as he pointed to the tower, "this is called a magic tower. This is every cities'' strongest defense. Normally at least two mages are in the tower at all times."


    "And no this isn''t where they train new mages. What happens in the magic academy near the noble district. My friend told me to bring you here when he heard you were a High Elf. He said that it might be easier to exin to you here." Old Sword said as he led Eldrian inside.


    Eldrian was surprised greatly at how empty the tower was. There were a few guards at the entrance, but other than these he didn''t see any other people inside. Even after they had left the first floor, which was like a massive reception room. The first floor was a single room around 10 meters tall.


    He had no idea why they would make the first floor so massive and then not decorate it or anything simr. It felt like a big empty promise.


    As they climbed each floor, Eldrian was left amazed that no one seemed to be staying here. Every floor was massive, reaching 5 meters in height, with a central open space in the middle. This space then connected to different rooms. Eldrian had even asked Old Sword to stop so that he could explore a bit.


    He stopped exploring after the third floor, as itsyout was exactly the same as the one before. Having a central area connected to 12 rooms, which he hadn''t entered as they seemed to be locked.


    A good amount of stairster they finally reached the top of the tower. Eldrian was left astounded by the number of stairs. They had climbed a total of 14 floors, with there being a ground floor also, which meant the tower had 15 different floors.


    Eldrian was amazed at the sight presented to him when he reached the top of the tower. The ce looked wide open. Except for a small circr room right in the middle of the floor. Other than this single room the entire floor was onlypromised of a railing at the edge of the floor, and pirs in the railing which supported the roof over their heads.


    Eldrian started to wander as he was still reeling from the shock of such a design. He was certain that this tower was by no means architecturally sound, but here it stood. At first, he thought that this was due to it being a game, but he soon shook the thought out of his head as he felt certain there would be a better reason. He felt the entire game had been too realistic to go to such a conclusion.


    "Old Sword, why on earth is this floor so open?" Eldrian asked as he walked to the railing to take a look at the city.


    The sight presented to him was simply breathtaking. Eldrian could for the first time look to any part of the city and not have his view be obstructed by the buildings. He noticed a few things, such as that the tall 30-meter wall surrounded the entire city, as he had expected. But he was still surprised to see it span for kilometers and kilometers.


    He also looked further and saw that there were fields outside this wall for a few kilometers before it turned into a forest. This surprised Eldrian as he never truly understood how far the other yers had to travel to try and hunt the wolves. He was also astonished by the sheer size of the city, it looked like it stretched on forever.


    Eldrian then walked around the tower to take a look into the city''s heart, as the central room had blocked his view. He was surprised to see that there was a second wall about three quarters through the city, he had never seen it before. In the center he saw what he could only call, the most massive castle or pce he had ever seen, he was unsure which it would be called.


    He now even felt stupid for not realizing the size of the cities from the trailer. But truly, seeing something with your own eyes made it so much more real.


    Finally, Eldrian calmed down and turned around, seeing Old Sword waiting for him patiently to finish his escapade.


    "Don''t worry, almost everyone reacts this way when they get here for the first time. The view is just amazing." Old Sword said, as he chuckled lightly at the embarrassed Eldrian.


    "And to answer your question, the floor is so open to allow the mages to use their spells effectively. You will learn more about it from my friend. Let me introduce you, then I can go back to my work." Old Sword said as he headed to the only door on the entire floor. The one leading to the circr room.


    As he reached it he knocked a few times, before waiting patiently. Eldrian had walked up and waited next to Old Sword.


    When the door was opened Eldrian saw two men. On opening the door and the other reading a thick book over a table. The room was cluttered with circr bookshelves, with a few books even lying on the ground, some open and others stacked together.


    "Old Sword you really brought one here." The man said as he looked at Old Sword and then at Eldrian, excitement evident in this man''s eyes. This naturally made Eldrian ufortable, but he was certain that Old Sword would exin the situation soon.


    "Yes Dave, this is Haru," Old Sword said, as he pointed at Eldrian, "He has already reached rank 1 in four weapon categories, so he is a good learner. I am hoping he will also give us a surprise with magic."


    "Sorry to say this old friend, but I don''t expect that to be so easy," Dave said as he looked at Eldrian again. "You know High Elves have it hard to start learning magic. That is why we always say they are monsters when matured, but most often they never mature."


    "In any case, he is in my care now correct," Dave questioned.


    "Correct, unless he feels it isn''t appropriate." Old Sword said as he tapped Eldrian''s shoulder, indicating for him to have to decide.


    "I think I am okay with it. What is he going to teach me?" Eldrian questioned as he felt lost during this encounter.


    "Ah yes, of course, let me redo the introduction. I am Dave, an official mage. This means I have many duties, and currently one of them is to ensure the operation of the tower for the next few months. Thus for this time, I will have some extra time on my hands. You see managing the tower doesn''t take a lot of time." Dave said as he finally left the room, closing the door behind himself.


    "Due to this and the event of you, Chosen, being summoned. I had asked a few friends to help me find an apprentice. This is where you and Old Sworde in." Dave said, pointing to both of them.


    "Thus if you want to learn magic, I am willing to teach you. That is, as long as you promise to give it your all." As Dave said this, Eldrian got a notification.


    [Quest continuation]


    [Quest name: A Veterans Training, part 2.]


    [Quest giver: Dave]


    [Quest Description: yer must learn how to wield magic.]


    [Quest Progress: 0/1 spells or skills cast]


    [Quest Rank: B]


    [Quest Time limit: None]


    [Quest Reward: 5000 XP, Continue studying under Old Sword and Dave]


    [Due to the yer race being High Elf, quest difficulty increased]


    [Quest Rank: S]


    [Due to race condition on increased difficulty, no reward increase]


    [Speak to Dave to confirm quest]


    When Eldrian saw the difficulty increase he felt like crying. Even at Rank B, he was certain it would be very difficult. Now he had toplete an S rank quest, and he didn''t get any extra reward for the increased difficulty.


    ''I guess this is the consequence of choosing the most difficult race.'' Eldrianined to himself before he answered Dave.


    "I would like to learn from you. And I will give it my all."


    "Good, I hope you don''t back outter," Dave replied with a big smile.


    [Quest confirmed]

 Chapter 23: Tiers

    <h4>Chapter 23: Tiers</h4>


    "Since everything is sorted I am going to go now." Old Sword said as he left. After he had left via the stairs Dave started talking.


    "So where should we start. I guess the first thing we should do is see if you can control the mana in your body." Dave said as he started pacing, asking himself softly, "What would be the easiest way to test this?"


    "I got it! Haru I am going to show you the basic node for Tier 0 spells. I feel it will be easier to start with spells, as skills have a much subtler effect at lower levels and would thus be difficult to see if you seed." Dave said as he suddenly turned around and headed back into the small room. But actually, Dave would be able to tell in both cases he just wanted Eldrian to try casting a spell, as he felt it was far cooler.


    "Wait sir, what is the difference between a spell and a skill?" Eldrian asked just before Dave entered the room.


    "Spells are external magic, while skills are internal." Dave answered, not even turning around as he felt the exnation was apt enough. Soon he came back out with a piece of paper.


    "Here take a look." He said has he handed the single page to Eldrian.


    Eldrian was confused when he looked at it. The only thing on the page was a plus sign. He had no idea what it was for and felt it was a waste of paper, since the plus sign sat alone in the middle of the page, only as big as the nail of his thumb.


    Luckily Dave saw his confusion, so he started to exin. "This here is the basic node for all spells at Tier 0." This caused Eldrian to grow even more confused since he had no idea how this game ssified spell.


    Seeing that his exnation hadn''t helped Dave asked, "What do you know about magic?"


    "Well, nothing," Eldrian replied, showing a helpless expression as he hoped Dave would clear up a few things for him.


    "Oh. Wow, why has no one exined to you this yet?" Dave questioned.


    "Probably since it has only been a few days sir. And I have been practicing basic fighting techniques the entire time." Eldrian responded, shrugging his shoulders as he did. He felt that it was only natural that he didn''t know more about it. Thepany had only given the yers basic information, which would help them find their way, but not give them the path to follow.


    Hearing the reply Dave felt like he had jumped the gun. He was now quite embarrassed as he thought to himself, ''Of course he hadn''t been taught any of that. The Chosen haven''t been here long enough to learn this stuff yet. Most of them probably don''t even know the ss system or how we measure growth.'' Dave thus decided to give Eldrian a basic crash course.


    "Do you know how we categorize peoples'' and monsters'' abilities?" To this question, Eldrian shook his head, as the only thing he knew was that they had levels, and probably tiers since he was currently Tier 0. He also knew there were weapon proficiency ranks, but he had no idea how it fitted into the picture.


    "Okay," Dave said, trying to calm himself. He was really upset with theck of basic knowledge Eldrian was disying. He felt like he was talking to an uneducated child.


    "Where should I start then?" Dave asked himself as he started pacing again. Eldrian had heard him, but he was unsure of this too, so he decided to wait for Dave to decide.


    "Let''s start with the main indicator of someone''s strength and also normally their position. This is their Tier. Do you know of Tiers?" Dave asked after having gone for a good five rotations of pacing.


    "Not really. I know I am currently Tier 0. I have no idea how improving it works or what it means." Eldrian answered truthfully, as he had no idea how it worked. No yer had any idea yet.


    "Then let me exin it like this. Everyone has a profession and all professions which need magic can have a Tier. The basis for this would be yourbat sses; being ssed into three sses, the melee ss, the range ss, and the magic ss. The magic ss is also known as the wizard ss, or the witch or the warlock, or the mage ss. In the end, it is rted to the use of spells, while range and melee would use skills instead and sometimes spells, but these uses would be limited to specific cases and in degree of use."


    "Other than these there are also nonbat sses we call professions, such as cksmiths, alchemists, inscribers, array creators, rune smiths, and many more. Each of these can be a ss. Normally a ss starts at Tier 0, which is where you have yet to learn the ss. From Tier 0 it can go up to Tier 10. Reaching Tier 10 is nearly impossible, though. The only cases of this was during the dark ages when Heroes were asmon asmanders are now."


    Seeing that this statement caused Eldrian more confusion Dave sighed, before exining the meaning, "You see, amander is someone who had reached Tier 7 in abat ss."


    To which Eldrian nodded, he felt it was a good way of connecting Tier to standing. Since this was a world at war with violent forces. At this point, Dave also took a small break to gather his breath and sort his thoughts.


    "Normally a person with a higher Tier will always be higher level, so you can say that your level is secondary to your Tier. In fact, it ismon for a higher Tier person to defeat someone even twice his level. This bes more evidentter on" Dave said


    Hearing this Eldrian felt it made sense, as he thought about his fight against Vivian who was level 13, yet he could keep up with, to a degree. Then there was Old Sword who he couldn''t even scratch.


    "The higher the Tier the greater the distance between them. The divide bes greater at Tier 5 and after. The same is for the difficulty in casting spells or skills. At this level the node you have in your hand there," Dave said as he pointed to the page, "bes far moreplex. This is the reason for the big difference in strength. Before Tier 5 the difficulty increase is more linear, and after it grows exponentially."


    "Other than this everyone has a specialty. This is what you had trained on with Old Sword. You see every major branch of a weapon is seen as a speciality. Like Old Sword is a specialist in swords, but more specifically he specializes in two-handed swords." Dave said trying to make the information easy to grasp.


    "But this does not have arge impact until you are far stronger. So I won''t go into more detail, since at the lower levels it is still easy to switch between all the branches when your preference change." Dave said as he took the page from Eldrian.


    "If you ever want to reach your next Tier then you have to master the corresponding Tier node. This node I showed you will thus not allow you to reach Tier 1, but it will help you learn how magic works." Dave said as he pointed to the simple cross.


    "After which you will have to learn and master the Tier 1 node, which will hopefully be easier than mastering this one," Dave said as he waved the page.


    "So then, how do you use the node to cast a spell?" Eldrian asked as he was much more curious about this at the moment than on how everything linked together. This didn''t mean he hadn''t been paying attention, but rather he really wanted to cast a spell.


    "I am getting to it, please pay attention, as everything is important." Dave retorted this retort was strict, but not in an angry manner. This was because Dave knew well the eagerness of wanting to cast a spell.


    "For the first few Tiers, the nodes are almost the same. For example, if you rotate the page so that it the node forms across it will represent the form of a skill node." Dave said as he rotated the page, he then suddenly added, "But the mana flow isn''t the same, which I guess you can''t see in any case since your mana is static." As Dave said this he sighed.


    ''Normally the paper would show people the flow, since it would naturally draw their mana. But I guess the rumors of High Elves havingplete control over theirs is true. Or at least it is static.'' Dave thought as he also realized a problem and frowned, ''I hope the other method would still work then.''


    "I will exin the flow to you briefly as we still need to ascertain if you can move your mana. For a spell the flow must be from the centre of the node, where the lines cross, outward. While for skills the flow must be from the outside, into the center node."


    "This is why I want to test something. From what I heard, High Elves have to learn how to wield mana, right from the beginning. Which I believe means you can''t use the shortcut of using words of power."


    Hearing this Eldrian grew curious so he decided to ask. "What do you mean we can''t use the shortcut?"


    "Ah, let''s see. If I were to give a normal person a spell model, the node and word of power. Then all they have to do is create an image of the spell model, with the nodes at the connection of two or more lines, and say the word of power for the spell. Then their mana would respond and flow correctly and cast the spell."


    "Naturally not everyone will seed, but their mana will be stirred at the very least."


    "But I believe that in your case, this automatic response won''t happen. Or at least this is how I understand the descriptions of how High Elves start out in regard to magic."


    "So I will give you a spell model of a simple Tier 0 fire spell, and exin to you how to cast it. Then from that, we can see if my spection is correct or not." Dave said as he went back inside the small room.

 Chapter 24: Attempting to cast a spell

    <h4>Chapter 24: Attempting to cast a spell</h4>


    As Eldrian waited for Dave to return, he grew curious as why he hadn''t seen anyone use magic. If it was such an integral part of this world then why hadn''t he seen it everywhere he had gone thus far.


    He felt that this was very strange since it sounded like magic was involved everywhere. This also lead Eldrian to ask himself, ''Which professions would then not have tiers. Only those that do not use magic?''


    But this again gave him a hard time. Since he felt that, in a way, magic can be used in every profession. If one wanted to use it.


    Eldrian felt certain of this point.


    Luckily Dave didn''t take too long toe back, which brought Eldrian out of his spiraling thought pattern before he got lost in it.


    "Alright, here is the basic spell model of a Tier 0 me spell. Look carefully at how it is all constructed." Dave said as he handed a new page to Eldrian.


    This page only had four triangles on it, which Eldrian felt looked a lot like steps, since they followed up on each other to the final piece. Unsure how he should use the page he looked at Dave and asked, "How should I use this exactly?"


    "Ah yes, it isn''t that difficult. For most people or rather humans, it is very simple. You have to envision this pattern here by the end." Dave said as he pointed to the secondst triangle on the page. This triangle had all its corner points reced by the node, which had been on the previous page Dave had given him.


    "Normally all one had to do was create a visual image of thest step and say the word of power. This word is normally represented as in thisst diagram, being written inside theplete model. This is a standard convention of spell modules."Dave said as he pointed to the word ''Floga'', written inside thest triangle.


    "But this doesn''t always work. In such a case you would then have to follow the steps. This helps people in creating the visual image. Start by first envisioning the basic spell model here." At which Dave pointed at the simple equteral triangle on the page.


    "Then after creating this image in your mind, rece the top point with a node, and then the bottom points. After which you say Floga." Dave said as he pointed to the second, third, andst step in order as he had spoken.


    "Let me show you how the spell looks when cast," Dave said, as he stepped back and prepared to cast the spell.


    "I am going to give control over to the word of power. Just giving it a framework via the spell model. This means I am just going to create the visual image of the module in my mind, and say Floga." Dave said as he stretched out his hand.


    Next, he concentrated for less than a second and said, "Floga", after which a small me sprang into life right above the palm of his outstretched hand.


    The me was very small, much like the me created by a lighter.


    "As you can see, this spell has basically nobat use," Dave said as he closed his hand and killed off the me.


    Eldrian also felt it was quite a bit unimpressive. The me was simply too small for any use other than lighting a fire. Which would be very handy in normal life, but not of much use in a fight.


    "Now when I decide to follow the steps and guide my mana this is the result," Dave said as he opened his hand again


    This time he took a few seconds before saying, "Floga".


    The me inside his hand this time was as big as his entire hand. Eldrian felt amazed at the difference. But this wasn''t all as the me then started moving and resizing.


    "Due to me having guided the flow of mana, instead of relying on the word of power, there is a clear difference," Dave said, as he made the me spin around his hand, even juggling it between his hands.


    "Wow," Eldrian let slip as he saw the me fly around Dave, more like a wisp than a conjured spell.


    "It gave me control over the spell I had cast," Dave said as he smiled happy to see how entranced Eldrian was.


    "But also due to this the difficulty in keeping it active has gone up significantly. But I can now attempt to use it inbat if I wanted to." Dave said as the me came back to his hand. After which it started shrinking and died soon after.


    "This is the reason why we say matured High Elves are monsters. They have an innate ability to control their manapletely, not letting a single mana point wander. But I could only guide my mana, not really control it."


    "This means I can''t really do it withplex spells which I haven''t masteredpletely. But I believe you will be able to always do it with spells once you have managed to control your mana."


    Eldrian was quite happy with himself when he heard this. It meant he would indeed have a great advantage from his race choice. He was now just worried about how difficult it would be to control his mana. Still, this had given him more determination than ever, as he certainly didn''t want his magic to be static.


    He believed magic should be able to move freely. He even felt the need for a spell module was already restrictive, but he felt it was reasonable for starters.


    Eldrian also felt that this might be why magic isn''t as prevalent. It was clear that it took Dave much longer to control his spell, which meant the difficulty must be far more. Then spells wouldn''t be of much use when you use the basic version, unless the spell was created for a specific task. Eldrian felt certain most spells would bebat-focused.


    "Now why don''t you try to cast the spell. As you are going to do this I will cast a spell to inspect the mana flow inside of you. This will allow me to see if the rumors and my spection is correct or not." Eldrian nodded as Dave said this.


    From the facts, Dave had raised Eldrian felt certain he will likely fail at this first attempt. But he was still very excited to try.


    He also noted to himself to ask Daveter about inspection magic, as he needed a way to see the stats of people and monsters. More specifically he wanted to be able to see who are people and who are NPCs.


    After calming his mind, Eldrian started creating the visual image and said the word of power.


    "Floga."


    After which... Nothing happened.


    But Eldrian didn''t want to give in so quickly so he tried for almost five minutes before surrendering on the first method. After which he started trying to go through the steps for the other method.


    Almost ten minutester, Eldrian felt defeated. Nothing had happened, no matter what he had tried. He hadn''t even felt a small fluctuation. He had even looked at his statster on, while casting the spell. But his stats had also shown no change.


    "As I had thought. When you had tried just now, your mana hadn''t moved at all. It waspletely static, like the rumors had said." Dave said after he saw that Eldrian was done trying.


    Desperate Eldrian asked, "Sir, how will I be able to learn how to control my mana? Won''t it be impossible since I can''t cast spells?"


    "I myself am unsure. I have heard that High Elves have created a meditation technique to help their kind, but we certainly do not have a copy, as they kept it a strict secret from others. And we can''t really go to the High Elves to ask them, as their nearest kingdom is a few empires away." Dave said while pacing around the floor again.


    "The normal method would be for you to practice the flow mana should take through spells, until you can envision it subconsciously. Thereafter you will have to look into your own body and see if you can start a flow inside yourself as you invoke a spell."


    "With this method, you should be able to seed. The only problem will be the time it is going to take you. It can take anywhere from a few months to years. There is no way of knowing how long it will take in the end."


    Desperate Eldrian asked, "Is there any other way?" He was desperate for a quicker way, as he was certain he would fall too far behind if he tried this. He would have to recreate his character then.


    "I have thought of another method of trying to force your mana to flow. But I can''t guarantee that it will work as I haven''t had the time to work it out in more detail." Dave said after a few seconds of silence.


    "I had onlye up with because it had taken me over 7 years to move from my clutch, of using word of power, to control the mana myself. Thus I wanted to find a quick way for others to learn mana control from the start." As Dave said this he had a look of reluctance in his eyes.


    "I am just afraid that this method will be very painful, and more so for you," Dave said after he was silent for a while again.


    Eldrian felt that this was far more promising, he wasn''t worried about a bit of pain. He certainly wanted to try, as the alternative would be recreating his character and losing the option to y as a High Elf forever.


    "What is this method?" Eldrian asked as he hoped to seed and keep ying as a High Elf.


    "We force your spell into effect, even without your consent or control. Then you have to work backward and fight for control. Which will allow you to both feel your mana, and learn how to control it. There might even be some benefits from this."


    Confused about how this is possible when Dave had said that High Elves have total control over their mana, Eldrian asked, "How can you force me into casting a spell without me having control? I thought High Elves have total control over their mana."


    "That, Haru, is why I asked Old Sword to bring you here. This method I believe will be very painful for you especially. But if you can bear with it, then you should be able to learn how mana feels within a day or two. And you should be able to master your control over it in a few more days of practice." Dave said as he dodged the main question. He didn''t want to go into the details of how the process would work, as he himself was still unsure.


    "But it is something I hade up with only recently. So you will be the first person to try it." As Dave said this he again looked at Eldrian, looking for eptance of the risk he was trying to convey.


    "Then let''s do it," Eldrian said, excited by the prospect of being able to do magic after a bit of training. He wasn''t even bothered by the fact that he would be the first to try it or the warning of pain. He subconsciously thought that the game would limit the pain scale.


    "Alright, I am curious if it will work too. But I will warn you again, it is going to be very painful for you."


    Eldrian was curious why Dave had brought it up again thus he decided to ask, "Why will it be painful?"


    "Because, for High Elves, mana is like blood is for others. So when we are going to force the mana to flow, it will be like forcing someone''s blood to flow in a certain way. I have no reference on how this is going to feel, so I just want to warn you before we try." Dave said as he had a look of uncertainty.


    Dave wasn''t one of the crazy wizards or warlocks who loved to experiment on people. He was a modern civilized mage, thus he felt this method was crossing the line. But he also felt that in order to save years for every person who can cross the Tier 5 gap, it was worthwhile crossing the line.

 Chapter 25: The magic towers dungeon

    <h4>Chapter 25: The magic tower''s dungeon</h4>


    "I would still like to try it," Eldrian said after thinking for a while. He was now a bit curious how it would feel if your blood suddenly flowed in a different way, due to any outside influence. But he was sure this wouldn''t be the exact feeling.


    Still, he was curious.


    "If you are sure, then follow me. We have to go to the tower''s dungeon to try it." Dave said as he started heading down, Eldrian naturally followed behind Dave.


    On their way down Eldrian again saw the specific way the city streets were built, which reminded him of a question he had had for a while now.


    "Dave, why is the city roads organized in such a specific pattern?" Eldrian asked as he pointed out a window they passed.


    The streets of the city formed what looked like an array or spell module to Eldrian, with what he had learned he felt certain the pce and towers were the main nodes of this pattern. He couldn''t identify any other points, but he felt certain that the roads formed a type of magical array. He wasn''t certain what it is called by the NPCs.


    "Ah, this is one of the most ingenious designs ever to have been made. All cities have been made in this way since it had been discovered. It allows a city to function as a conduit for magic. It is quite difficult to exin." Dave said as he looked through one of the windows they had just passed.


    "You see, for the most part, the amount of mana a single person can use is limited, and magic arrays are a way to surpass this. But generally, they are small and none permanent as they require a constant mana flow to stay active. This means a lot of mana crystals need to be used as fuel, or someone had to constantly power it. The city array is different in that it is self-sustainable."


    "The magic towers of the city act as a type of receiver, which gathers mana from the surrounding and then sends it into the city array, where it is then stored in the different nodes throughout the city. With the main nodes being the magic towers and the core of the array being the pce." Dave continued to exin as they went down more flights of stairs.


    "Due to this, the array can stay active with basically no upkeep. It also allows us to use arrays grafted in the magic towers to cast far more powerful andplex spells than any single mage would be able to cast. In fact, it allows us almost as much power as twenty mages working together would provide. Without the drawbacks of mages bing tired and needing to coordinate perfectly to cast a multi-spell."


    As Dave finished his exnation Eldrian thought of the magic towers in the trailer. Indeed they had been able to cast massive spells, almost without any type of cooldown. While he hadn''t seen how many mages had been inside the tower, he did see that there was almost no cooldown on the spells. He felt certain this wouldn''t be possible without arge number of people in normal circumstances.


    Eldrian also remembered the final spell the towers had cast. The beautiful, yet terrifying ice spell had frozen the entire city of Ariel and its nearby surroundings. He assumed that this city''s array would also have an equivalent to that spell.


    After having gone down three stories from the top floor, Eldrian decided to ask why the tower was so empty.


    "Dave, why is it that no one lives in the tower? It seems like it has enough room to easily house hundreds of people."


    "Well, that reasones down tofort. The academies of magic are far morefortable to live in since you have the benefit of you not needing to climb so many stairs every time you want to go somewhere. Or they would just stay in their homes, as it is also morefortable."


    "Other than that the fact that these magic towers are seen as military structures. Generally, most people do not want to live in a military structure." Hearing this Eldrian felt it was true, even though it made no sense why, from an objective viewpoint.


    But Eldrian found that he also wouldn''t want to live near an army camp even if the ce was nice. There was just something that sounded ufortable to him when he thought of staying next to a militaryplex.


    After another flight of stairs, Eldrian remembered he had to ask about the inspection spells. He felt he had to learn it as soon as he could.


    "Dave do you know of a spell or skill which would allow me to inspect items and maybe even people?"


    "You must be talking about Observe and Inspect," Dave replied, to which Eldrian nodded.


    "I heard that most Chosen have it just like they have an inventory. You don''t have them?" Dave asked as he looked over his shoulder at Eldrian.


    "No, I don''t have them. I think it is due to me being a High Elf." Eldrian responded.


    "Oh, that makes sense. Since you can''t use your mana and they are skill and spell." Dave said as he pondered how to describe the spell and skill. He also asked himself, ''Why is it that Haru can then use this "inventory" thing? Is it not rted to mana, but rather the soul of the Chosen? Or is it a divine act from the gods?''


    After another flight of stairs, Dave finally spoke, answering Eldrian''s question, "Observe and Inspect are respectively a skill and spell."


    "Observe allows you to see the basic information of a living being. For example, when I use observe on you I see the following information." Dave said as he took a small break before he recounted Eldrian''s stats.


    "You are named Haru. You are Tier 0 and level 1 and have the following attribute counts; Your constitution is 105, strength 105, agility 115, spirit 105, and intelligence 110. The average for humans would be 100 for each at the same Tier and level."


    "This was all the information I got when using a Tier 5 Observe on you. If I instead use a Tier 1 Observe, then I just see your name, tier, and level. In general the higher the tier of the Observe, the more information you can gather. Unless the person has items or skills which restrict Observe that is."


    "Inspect is the same, but instead of gathering the information of living beings, it gathers the information of items. The higher tier you cast it at, the more information you get."


    "Both aren''t very difficult to cast, but they can only be used with a minimum of a Tier 1 node. Thus you will first have to learn how to control your mana, and then reach Tier 1 before you can use them."


    Eldrian was put down hearing he wouldn''t be able to use them for quite a while. He was certain it was going to take him a while to reach Tier 1.


    Finally, they reached the ground floor again. Arriving here, Eldrian was curious how they were going to go to a dungeon, as the floor was empty, except for the stairs leading up.


    "Please stand still here," Dave said as he pointed to a small circle carved into the floor. Eldrian did as asked and stood inside it.


    After seeing that Eldrian stood where he asked, Dave started casting a spell. Eldrian had no idea what was going on as he felt they should be going through another door and down a flight of stairs.


    What Dave was doing is basically the same as a biometric test, but using a unique spell and his mana signature instead of physical characteristics.


    Soon the floor lit up and then Eldrian found himself in a new room. As he looked around he found that the room was very dark, he could barely make out the features of the room. He could only make them out because of glowing lines being etched into the walls and floor and even some on the roof.


    The room was just as big as the ground-level floor of the tower, or so it seemed to Eldrian. The only difference Eldrian found was that it seems this room wasn''t circr but rather in the shape of a hexagon.


    Dave then cast a spell, which caused the walls to light up in a specific manner, making it look like there were LED lights grafted into corners of the walls, where the two t walls met in the hexagonal shape, forming a point when looked at from above.


    This light allowed Eldrian to see more clearly, which led him to promptly look around the room. He found the room to look very sci-fi-like, vastly different from the fantasy style he was expecting. The wall patterns looked a lot like what he often sawputer parts shown as when you look at them under a microscope.


    Eldrian looked around trying to figure out what each wall should represent, as he looked around he saw a floating crystal in the middle of the room. He was then leftpletely speechless as he looked into it.


    The crystal looked very strange, with a purple ckish color, but it seems as if the crystal wasn''t solid. Rather it seemed more like the crystal had an entire gxy inside of it. With asional shes of light being visible inside, but these lights were very dim. To Eldrian each sh looked just like a star, brieflying into existence before dying out.


    This reminded Eldrian of when he had created his avatar. The crystal reminded him of being above the world. It gave him the feeling of nothingness, containing everything.


    ''What is this feeling?'' Eldrian asked himself as he slipped into unconsciousness.


    ''Wow, this kid has a really strong connection to the magic crystal.'' Dave thought to himself as he cast an inspection spell on the kid. The spell was called Magic-Inspection and allowed the caster to observe the flow of mana inside another person, and themselves if they wanted to.


    It was very useful when teaching people, as it allowed the caster to see what they are doing. When even the person being observed have no idea what they are doing, the caster can see what was happening with their mana and guide them properly. Dave had used this spell earlier to observe the flow of mana in Eldrian, when Eldrian had tried to cast the spells.


    It couldn''t be used the full time since the mana cost of keeping it active was too much. But this was only natural as the spell would be far too strong if it didn''t have such a high cost. Since in a fight you would be able to see when someone starts using any magic of any form.


    The cost though isn''t from its strength, but rather the fact that it had to continuously prate all-natural defenses and artificial defenses against inspection spells. These natural defenses are intrinsic to each thing in the world. Natural defenses be stronger as the thing in question bes stronger, without any conscious action needed to form it.


    Through this spell, the caster will be able to tell if it is a spell or skill, the one he is observing is casting. Where the magic is going to form, when, and how strong it will be. Later on, the caster can even determine the speed and type of magic if true mastery of the spell Magic-Inspection had been reached.


    Dave was astonished to see what was happening with Eldrian.

 Chapter 26: Magic crystal and Eldrian

    <h4>Chapter 26: Magic crystal and Eldrian</h4>


    "Ah, you are finally awake," Dave said as Eldrian slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that had clued him into Eldrian waking up was not him opening his eyes, but rather the fact that his mana had changed back to normal.


    Eldrian was very confused with what had happened. Due to this, the first thing he did after waking was starting to look around the room again. Just as Eldrian started asking what had happened, he fainted again. Dave had wanted to tell him not to look around, as he had suspected Eldrian would feint again. Unfortunately, Dave had been a step toote.


    ''Dammit, he shouldn''t look at the magic crystal.'' Dave mumbled to himself as he decided to cast an ice spell to hide the mana crystal from Eldrian until he was better prepared. Luckily Eldrian had only been out for around 10 minutes, so Dave decided to wait again.


    As he waited he cast Magic-Inspection again to see if the same thing was happening with Eldrian''s mana. He was d that there weren''t any new surprises but still irritated that Eldrian was sleeping again, as it meant he had to wait for a while again.


    As Dave waited and looked at Eldrian with Magic-Inspection he couldn''t help but wonder what on earth was going on. It seems to him that Eldrian had a very strong and strange connection to the magic crystal. Dave was unaware if this was a racial aspect or an individual one. He was unsure because he had never heard rumors rted to this matter or anything simr to this.


    Eldrian''s mana was circting inside his body. Which was starkly different from before as it had been static, but this wasn''t the main difference. His mana formed apletely different pattern inside him as it was circting than the form his mana had taken when it was static.


    On top of this Eldrian''s mana kept changing color, which normally indicated, to the caster of Magic-Inspection, the magic element the mana wasmuning with and that the mana was in an active state. Normally this would only happen when someone had already created their spell module and was getting ready to cast their spell.


    But even then the mana would only change color as it flowed into the spell module, right before forming the spell.


    All the mana left inside someone''s body would stay a soft white color, very simr to a mist. Naturally, this only appeared in this color under the effect Magic-Inspections. Since mana was known to be colorless.


    But Eldrian''s mana was freely changing between a fewmon elements as it flowed through him.


    The colors most prevalent were; Light green rting to nature''s magic, which is the magic ofmuning, manipting, or stimting natural things. Then it was light blue rting to ice magic followed by white-green rting to wind magic and then earthen-brown rting to earth magic.


    Other colors also came into being, but much less frequent than these ones mentioned.


    The mana then flowed through Eldrian just like blood would through people, following his veins and arteries, being propelled by pulses. The pulses also seemed to form at Eldrian''s heart, but Dave felt this was wrong.


    Some monster or magical creature has this feature, but he had never heard of any humanoid with this feature. Dave felt certain that there would at least be rumors of this if it wasmon for High Elves, which made him think that it was a singr or rare case.


    With each pulse, some of the Eldrian''s mana would change color, while others would stay the color they had been or revert to the normal appearance of mana. While some of Eldrian''s mana would undergo no change, staying the soft white color it had been.


    ''What on earth can this mean. I think the colors would show his magic inclinations, but I have never seen mana move through someone like this. How I wish I had another High Elf topare this with.'' Dave thought to himself as he turned his gaze to look at himself.


    The mana in his body created a pool where his diaphragm was situated, between his heart and stomach. This pool was more like a circting river than a real pool. When he cast a spell, then a stream would form to the location where he was going to cast it. Often this stream would follow a main vein or arteries, but not always.


    When he instead used a skill, which was internal magic, the stream would go to where it needed to be. So if he was using a skill to increase his vitality and giving him a natural regeneration effect, a normal mana stream would form, to the part he wanted it to focus on.


    If he wanted to focus his entire body then it would go to his heart, where the mana would then enter the skill module. The mana would change to green as it enters the skill module and stayed around his heart. The mana would stay inside the skill module, flowing inside it. The module itself would be superimposed over his heart, or any rting organ, muscle, skin ext.


    The key difference is that in all cases the mana had to use a module to change color, while Eldrian''s seemed to be doing it randomly, without any influence.


    ''The form his mana takes, following his veins and arteries might be a reason why High Elves are said to be able to instant cast spells. It makes sense if their entire body is always connected to their mana.'' Dave thought as he tried to think of the impacts this would have, while also trying to connect it to what he knew.


    He also reasoned that it might be a reason why High Elves take so long to control their own mana. If their true mana form was soplex, then they would take much longer than others to gain control of it. Unlike others who just have a pool, they can pull mana from.


    ''Why did I miss all these veins in the beginning then?'' Dave asked himself as he thought to here. He hadn''t seen any such veins when Eldrian had tried casting a spell. Instead, his mana had looked just like his own.


    ''Maybe they have to actively form it into such, or it might just be the influence of the magic crystal. Or it might be a hidden state.'' Dave thought to himself when he realized that Eldrian''s mana had looked normal previously.


    Eldrian woke up while Dave was still trying to figure out why Eldrian''s mana appeared normal, rtive to humans, when he was conscious and spread over his body when he was unconscious.


    Eldrian was very confused, luckily Dave started talking soon. "Seems that you have a weird connection to the magic crystal. This is going to be a problem. Not a big one at least."


    Hearing this Eldrian grew even more confused as he couldn''t remember a crystal. As he started looking around he saw an ice wall in front of him, blocking his view.


    "It would be better if you don''t faint for the third time," Dave said when he saw Eldrian looking at the ice wall.


    "What is going on?" Eldrian asked, he remembered the first time he fainted after he had looked at the walls. But not the second time.


    "Well, to start I brought you here to try and help you master your control over your mana. But while looking around you saw the magic crystal and then fainted." Dave said, to which Eldrian nodded in response indicating that he remembered why they were here.


    "The reason we came down here is to make use of the magic crystal. What I didn''t expect was that you would be unable to look at it. Thus I had to construct a wall to prevent you from seeing the crystal."


    "Sorry for the trouble," Eldrian said as he grew curious about the reason for his loss of consciousness.


    "So let me start where I had wanted to start in the beginning before you had fainted," Dave said after it had seemed like Eldrian was back to himself.


    "We are now in the true heart of the magic tower. We call this room the tower dungeon. This is where the mana is transported to and then stored." Dave said as he pointed to the arrays on the walls.


    "We use the arrays to gather the mana and if needed, to cast spells. Each one is focused on one type of magical element, thus this tower collects mana from six different mana elements."


    "For the training, I had nned, you will have to try and cast a spell in one of these six elements," Dave said, as he expanded the ice wall to surround the magic crystal, while also ensuring that the ice wall does not block the lines on the floor.


    "Since you are familiar with the Tier 0 fire spell you can use it. Or if you want I can teach you some others."


    Hearing this Eldrian shook his head and said, "I''m fine with trying fire spell."


    "Good. Now here is the n. Due to this room''s function and the magic crystals properties, I expect you to be able to fail in casting a Tier 0 spell." Hearing this Eldrian was naturally very confused, as he had already failed in casting the spell.


    Luckily Dave quickly followed up. "This failure won''t be like your previous failure, where you didn''t even seed in invoking it. Rather I expect this room to help you invoke a spell, but you will have no control over it. Thus all your mana will be pulled to feed the spell, like water flowing out of a cup which had been turned upside down."


    "This is why I think it will be painful. I have never heard of someone losing their mana so forcibly. The aim is going to be for you to fight back this pull and keep your mana inside of you. You will first have to figure out how your mana feels, before being able to do this." Dave said as he looked at Eldrian.


    "Now if you are ready, you can try and cast the spell. We have no idea on what to expect until you try it for the first time."

 Chapter 27: Painful experience and a new room

    <h4>Chapter 27: Painful experience and a new room</h4>


    "Alright," Eldrian said as he started preparing to cast the spell. He first visualized the spell module, trying to keep it concrete in his head as he said the word of power, "Floga."


    As soon as Eldrian said the Floga, he felt a powerful force pull at his image. The pull felt like a universal force, tugging at it from all angles and directions. Eldrian tried his best to keep it intact, unfortunately, he was unable to keep it visualized for more than a second.


    What had followed the loss of the mental image, was a quick drain of all of Eldrian''s strength. He fell onto the ground as his strength left him, leaving his legs useless first and his arms soon after. He was soon unable to even move a muscle.


    Soon after being left immobile, he started feeling like he was heating up. Eldrian naturally wanted this to stop, but his wish was not granted. A few secondster he started gasping for air as he felt his body burning. His lungs felt as if they were on fire, while at the same time being torn apart, cell by cell.


    This feeling then spread to the rest of Eldrian''s body.


    Trying to stay conscious Eldrian searched for something to focus on. His eyes, the only part he could still move, darted around the room. Searching for a distraction from his pain, but even this action was excruciating. As his eyes moved it felt like they would burst into pieces due to the tearing pain, or melt into a fluid due to the burning pain.


    As Eldrian searched his sightnded on one of the walls. The entire wall had lit up resembling flowing sma, now that the runes were active. The runes on the wall seemed to move. But in truth, the level of brightness was only shifting around the runes in the array.


    Eldrian lost consciousness as he gazed at the wall, his mind leaving his tortured body.


    ...


    "Ah seems like you are awake," Dave said as Eldrian slowly opened his eyes.


    When Eldrian saw the wall he was facing he instinctually flinched and tried to turn around. As he struggled he soon found his body would not move. Eldrian thus closed his eyes to allow himself to not have to stare at the fire array.


    Eldrian took a few minutes before he could sessfully roll onto his other side, where he saw Dave calmly standing and watching him.


    ''Damn bastard why didn''t he say the pain wouldn''t be regted.'' Eldrianined to himself. He knew deep down that Dave had warned him many times, but he had been convinced that the game would limit the pain he felt.


    Eldrian had believed this would be the case since this type of pain can easily lead to trauma. He even quickly connected it to how he couldn''t stand looking at the wall with the fire array.


    Dave naturally saw all of this. Eldrian''s fear of the fire array engraved on the wall and Eldrian''s anger at him. But he wasn''t too bothered as he believed Eldrian would move past this soon. Eldrian just needed time to digest what had happened.


    Still, Dave felt he had toment as he saw Eldrian struggling to stand up.


    "Don''t push yourself. You have lost all your mana and stamina, and some of your health." Dave said after Eldrian had failed in his struggle.


    ''Dammit!'' Eldrian mentally screamed as he lost his bnce andnded on his belly.


    After calming down Eldrian called up his avatar panel to see what Dave just talked about. He found that his HP was at 60, his stamina and mana both at 0. They were also not regenerating like normal, or at least his stamina would normally regen at all times.


    He also saw that he had gained fatigue and a lot of it. His fatigue level was now at 6, leaving him with 30 points as his max stamina.


    He also had a new condition called Magic fatigue, which was at level 5. Which resulted in his max mana being only 53 mana points, or MP.


    ''Holy crap, this isn''t something I can do often then. Wait! I don''t want to go through that again!'' Eldrian thought, realizing that he had thought of the wrong thing first.


    "Seems like you are better now," Dave said, when Eldrian had managed to stand up. Eldrian just looked at Dave not wanting to talk to him just yet. He was still pissed about what he had gone through. By now almost an hour had passed since the start of the event and Eldrian had been awake for around half of that time.


    "Seems like you are still mad at me. In my defense, I had warned you multiple times." Dave responded to Eldrian''s stare.


    "But you didn''t say it would hurt this badly." Eldrian countered.


    "I did say it will hurt, and that I had no idea how much it would. Now we have an idea on the amount." Dave countered back. To which Eldrian just stared at him, clearly frustrated and irritated. But not so angry anymore since he could only me himself for not taking a warning as well a warning.


    "Well, are you ready to try again?" Dave asked after Eldrian''s gaze seemed to have diminished.


    "Are you insane!"


    "What? Why do you ask that?"


    "Do you think I want to feel like that again?"


    "How did it feel?"


    "How did it feel! Like something was tearing me apart at a cellr level. Like every fiber of my being was being ripped from the rest and then set on fire."


    "It fucking hurt like hell!" As Eldrian screamed this he started shaking as he remembered pieces of what he had just gone through.


    "We can try a different element, it might change the feeling."


    "What! No, god, dam, way! Can you guarantee that I won''t feel like I am being torn apart at the cellr level?"


    "Well no, and what is this cellr level you keep bringing up?" Dave answered and asked. He was bing curious about what cellr was as he had never heard of it before.


    Eldrian hearing the denial of certainty was left frustrated, while he was also reminded that he was talking to an NPC when he heard the question. He thus decided to aptly change the subject as he didn''t feel like talking about his home. Since he wasn''t sure about the rule about talking about it.


    "In any case, I am not going to try this again, at least not today. I will see how I feel tomorrow"


    "I also don''t think I would survive another attempt today," Eldrian said.


    "You are probably right. But then again it doesn''t matter if you die or not, so we can try even if that would be the case." Dave said, trying to make a joke. But only receiving an angry stare in return, instead of augh.


    "Okay, I see that you are still upset. I would rmend we return to this tomorrow." Dave said as he activated the return spell bringing them back to the first floor of the magic tower.


    ''The hell? Is this teleportation?'' Eldrian asked himself as he looked around, seeing that they were back on the first floor.


    "You can take any of the bedrooms and stay here. I won''t ask rent or anything, since well, no one uses the rooms in any case."


    Dave said as he walked to the stairs. Eldrian followed as he did want a ce to sleep and it was bingte.


    While this ce was far from the training fields, he should be able to train in the first room. He just felt he needed to ask for permission. He told himself to remember to askter.


    Arriving at the first floor above the ground floor Dave walked into the circr lobby. There he opened a cab and took out a key.


    "Here, I believe you wouldn''t want a room higher up," Dave said as he handed a key to Eldrian.


    "Thank. And yes I would not want one higher up." Eldrian responded as he did not want to climb so many stairs every time he wanted to go to his room. He felt he was going to stay here for longer than he had at Old Swords.


    "Good. So what are your ns then?" Dave asked.


    Hearing the question Eldrian looked at the time. It was about time he logged of, not quite night, butte enough. Thus he told Dave that he wanted to call it an early night.


    "Alright then," Dave said and started leaving.


    "Wait. Can you give me a few more spell modules? I would like to practice them and try casting or moving my mana when I have time."


    "Sure, I will give you a spell for each array. That way they will all be useful if you do decide to try it again. Which I feel you will." Eldrian wasn''t too sure about the ending part, but he was d that he was going to get more spell modules.


    Eldrian was then surprised as Dave took a page of the paper and wrote all five onto it. Seeing this Eldrian really wanted to ask, why on earth he hadn''t done that previously. He felt Dave had wasted so much paper when he wrote only one module or even a single node onto an entire page.


    Still, he decided to not talk about it, as he felt today had been long enough. Dave pointed to the room the key was for just before he started walking up the stairs again.


    Eldrian thus unlocked the door Dave had pointed at and then he promptly fell onto the bed, seeking relief from a long hard day.


    ''That was not fun. Magic is supposed to be fun!'' Eldrianined to himself as he turned onto his back and took in the room.


    It was a small room, much like a single-room apartment. There was a single window in the middle of the circr wall. Under this window, there was a table with writing utensils on it. There was naturally a chair at the table and some nk pages next to the table. Other than this the room just had a single bed and couch.


    ''This seems like a nice room.'' Eldrian thought as he logged off.

 Chapter 28: Training and class

    <h4>Chapter 28: Training and ss</h4>


    As always Eldrian woke up in his room on his bed looking at his roof. After waking he turned off his headset and put it on charge, and then started making breakfast for himself.


    The time was around 7 in the morning and Eldrian''s first ss started at 9 so he had a lot of time toze about thus he took his time.


    After having eaten Eldrian decided to try some home exercises, so he did a few push-ups and sit-ups, after which he browsed the forum while also watching aedy show on his second monitor.


    When it was about half an hour before 9 Eldrian started heading to campus.


    ...


    Eldrian returned home after a long day in ss. Well, it wasn''t that long since it was only 3 o''clock in the afternoon now. Still, he felt quite tired from today''s happenings.


    Eldrian proceeded to bezy for around an hour, after which he made himself a nice lunch/dinner, since he hadn''t eaten yet. While eating he looked over the forum, watched some videos or series, and then logged back into the game around 5.


    ...


    Eldrian spent the next part of the week in this manner.


    When he logged on he would first go to the training field, as he didn''t want to train in the ground floor of the magic tower. He had found that without dummies, the training became weird firstly and more difficult or rather less effective secondly.


    He had only realized the effective part a few hours in on the first day when he looked to see the progress he had made, which had been nonexistent. From the 3 hours, he had practiced he had only gotten 4 proficiency points. With rank 1 level 0 needing 100 points to level up to level 1.


    He felt it would be a terrible idea to continue training in the magic tower and he didn''t want to have to organize his own dummies. Thus he would go to the training field after logging on, grabbing something to eat from one of the many food stalls in the area.


    At the training field, he would experiment with new weapons, looking for other types he really likes. While also practicing those he had fallen in love with.


    At the end of the week, these weapons were a double-headed spear, which he still loved after much more training. Then a medium shield and short sword which he wanted to learn for when he was with a group, or in a cramped area. He also found a spear sword, which was literally just a normal one-handed sword ced onto a staff. He loved it since it was more nimble than the double-headed spear. The nimbleness came from a sacrifice in reach, but it still out reached most two-handed swords, while being far easier to handle. He even found it possible to wield it in one hand, which made it quite bulky. He would ss it as his second favorite currently.


    Thest weapon Eldrian fell in love with, yet hated at the same time was a long war bow. The thing he loved was the range this bow allowed him. Currently, he was unable to make good use of it since the bow required strength of 116. Even so, while ying with it Eldrian had managed to pull it to a half draw, which had sent an arrow flying for just under 20 meters. This was despite the fact that he didn''t know how to use it correctly and was too weak.


    Eldrian believed that if he gained the strength and learned how to properly shoot this bow, then he would easily be able to shoot over 50 meters. This all with the training bow, he could just imagine what a proper bow of the same type would allow him to do.


    Eldrian still wasn''t sold on all these weapons. He believed he would first need to experience actualbat with each to decidepetently. Since training would never really show you a weapon''s true worth. Even so, he had leveled them all to the max of rank 0.


    Other than his alone training Eldrian had also trained with Vivian. He would normally train until around lunch alone, then Vivian woulde while bringing something to eat.


    They would then spar against each other for the rest of the day. Eldrian didn''t do the rank challenged for his new weapons with Vivian, as he wanted to first befortable with his main weapon, the double-headed spear. This was because it was the best weapon he had, well the only weapon he owned, he really wanted to master it to a proficient degree before delving deeply into other weapons. He also wanted to try fighting monsters with it before he dived into other weapons.


    They would most often spar against each other, Vivian with a longsword and Eldrian with his spear. But on two of the days in the week, they had gone to the barracks where Old Sword had taken Eldrian, on his first day in-game. There they had sparred together against the trainee soldiers.


    They focused on improving their coordination while trying to utterly beat the soldiers. At first, they could only fight against 3 trainee soldiers without having to trade blow for blow. But by the end of the week, they had gone against 6 at once.


    This had upset the soldiers quite a lot, as they had started feeling like punching bags. Being bullied by the more talented, but some of the trainees wished for more such spars. Since they had found they would improve almost as much in that day as they would in a week of normal training.


    Eldrian''s n with training against and with Vivian was not with the idea of practicing for when they went out to fight together. He felt it would be reckless and stupid. The reason for his thoughts was simple, he could resurrect while she could not. Thus he did not want to drag her with him when he went to explore the surroundings.


    What Eldrian wanted to gain from this training was to improve his battle awareness while also learning what was required from him as a polearm user, when fighting against others and with another.


    He learned many valuable lessons through their training. Foremost was how he should change his fighting style against opponents, dependent not on the opponent, but more on their weapon and armor. Other than this he learned how to feint and read feints, how to dodge attacks, and not to put himself at a disadvantage due to dodging. Granted he still failed in both these every now and then.


    Butpared to the start Eldrian felt he was now a master inparison.


    Eldrian also learned many other small things, like pacing, blocking, helping, receiving help and more. Naturally, he didn''t master any of these concepts, but he had improved by leaps.


    Vivian had also felt the training had helped her a lot. Before she had always fought alone, which was actually something that only happened rarely in a battle. Unless you go hunting rare monsters that are, but doing it alone would be stupid too.


    With the training, she learned how to work with someone and how to rely on them, while also being relied on.


    After Eldrian trained with Vivian he would then head back to the magic tower, where he tried to cast spells. He had failed in everything regarding magic thus far. This time of the day always frustrated him a lot, since he didn''t seed in using any mana even once in the entire week''s time.


    But he didn''t want to try the other method in the dungeon just yet. He wanted to give the standard approach a few more days before he would be willing to try it again.


    Eldrian had also experimented and found how the attack speed seemed to work, he had experimented throughout the entire week before drawing conclusions. He had experimented on this since he felt it was weird that a numerical number was given for attack speed. Since an attack''s speed would depend a lot more on positioning and movement than just your attacking speed of your weapon, meaning your swing or thrusting speed.


    Eldrian had found that this was indeed the case. It seemed to him that the attack speed represented the number of attacks one could do on average based on certain conditions. This condition he had found was that you would deliver an attack, then pull back to your standard stance and attack again. Rinse and repeat.


    Thus this attack speed showed how many ''standard practice attacks'' one could do theoretically do in a certain time frame.


    Eldrian had found that in this manner he could deliver around 55 attacks within a minute, which was darn close to the indicated attack speed. Eldrian attributed the difference to experimenting errors.


    ...


    After Thursday''s gaming, meaning the Friday morning, Eldrian found a post from the developers when he opened the forum.


    This postmented on the fact that the new wave of yers would be joining starting tomorrow, exactly a week from the beginning of the game. Well Eldrian had opened the forumte, since tomorrow referenced to the Friday night.


    This was not the only thing posted. There was also mention that the first story quest was going to start on the same day. Due to this, the new yers will be unable to join the game until after the event started. This was determined by the timezone the yer tried to log in from.


    After Eldrian read through the details he could summarize the new yer joining situation in one specific way. The yers would only be allowed to join in certain empires, which is dependent on their timezone in real life. They would be able to choose which empire from a list, but not the kingdom or city they would spawn in. This kingdom and city would be part of the empire they had chosen.


    The developers said they made it this way to ensure even distribution throughout the world. But Eldrian felt it was more an act of trying to make the start more difficult for everyone. Not allowing friends and groups to group up at the start.


    Eldrian had no qualms about it, he just wished the developers would just say it. Instead of trying to find a flimsy reason.


    Eldrian also found a way to join the quest, which was quite simple. yers just had to talk to a captain or higher rank NPC and ask if there are any events going on. The NPC would then tell them about the event and ask if they wanted to join.


    The developers did add a warning, stating that yers should approach this in a proper manner. If they do not then they might lose the opportunity to join this quest.


    There was just one condition on joining the event, which was that the yer had to receive the quest before 8 in the morning, in the game. Which meant they had to join it by 8 in the night of Friday, ording to their timezone.


    ''I will have around 3 hours then.'' Eldrian thought as he looked at his timetable for Friday. He would be busy until 4, well his day only started at 12 so it wasn''t a long day. He came to the 3 hours since he needed time to travel home and eat.


    ''Cool, I can''t wait.'' Eldrian said to himself as he finished his breakfast and started to watch some series. He had a few hours to kill till ss so he was just going to enjoy them. He hadn''t gotten any homework yet, so he was still free.


    Well, he did get some, but the homework was very basic. It had only taken him an hour every day to finish it. He had even done it while still on campus on the day he received the homework.

 Chapter 29: A trip to the barracks

    <h4>Chapter 29: A trip to the barracks</h4>


    Eldrian returned home after ss and prepared himself an extrarge meal. He wanted to ensure he could stay on for the most time possible, since he didn''t know how long the quest will be.


    After eating a hearty meal Eldrian changed intofortable clothing. He had learned that if he didn''t change intofortable clothes, then the next morning can be quite ufortable.


    Just before login into the game Eldrian first went onto the forums. He didn''t want to look for more information about the quest, since he felt certain there would be next to nothing. He wanted to look at his ount.


    Eldrian hadn''t looked at his bnce since the day he had posted his own thread. If one wanted to see their ount wallet, they had to go into their ount details, it didn''t just show on the forum. Eldrian had be curious what his total gain from it was now that a week had passed. He was sad to see it had only grown to a 100 dors, which meant he only received 40 more dors during the week from tips. Still he was in no way disappointed since it was a good amount of cash earned for next to nothing.


    ''Seems like this is the most I will make from that bit of information.'' Eldrian mumbled as he went to look at the leader board, curious to see if any major changes had happened.


    Eldrian was still surprised that no yer had imed the top of the level list, since everyone was still level 1. He himself was only 200 XP short, but he had gained no extra XP through the entire week. There was also no one on the item list who had a magic item yet. Eldrian didn''t want to boast of his, since it would ensure his persecution.


    He didn''t have a guild to protect him, so he was certain he would be forced to give in or at the least harassed. He felt it was not worth the trouble for a bit of vanity. From this he also reckoned that he might not be the only yer with a magic tiered item.


    After a bit more of a gander over the leader board, Eldrian went andy on his bed to log into the game.


    As he awoke in the game Eldrian first looked around the room, he had be ustomed to waking up in this manner. Looking to see if anything had changed. Eldrian had no idea why he started doing it, but he had been catching himself doing it more and more.


    After confirming that everything was as he remembered Eldrian stood up and started heading to the top of the tower. He wanted to ask Dave where he would be able to find a captain who would be able to give him the quest. Naturally he would not bring up the quest part, just ask about a military event.


    Winded Eldrian finally reached the top floor. ''God damn, that is sooo many stairs.'' Heined to himself as he leaned over the railing to catch his breath. At the same time, he enjoyed the view of people moving about in the morning.


    The people seemed little more than ants, but the sight of so many scurrying about was quite nice to watch. By now the sun hadpletelye into view, if you can look over the wall that is. Thus most people had also woken and started their day.


    Rested, Eldrian turned around and knocked on the only door of the only room on the floor. He had no idea if Dave would be here or not. Since it was still early and there was a great many stairs to the top. Eldrian felt certain he would take ate morning quite often if he had to work on top of this magic tower, with no elevator.


    Eldrian waited for a couple of seconds, hearing no reply. He then knocked again and waited some more.


    After almost a full minute of not receiving any reply, Eldrian felt certain that Dave wasn''t here yet. He turned around and started heading back down the stairs. He felt the next best option would be a barracks and he did know where one was. He had spent quite some time there and knew the people, so he felt they should be able to help him.


    At the bottom of the tower, Eldrian sat down onto a stair to rest. ''Really too many stairs.'' Heined as his legs felt quite stiff.


    Eldrian had started realizing that he was feeling symptoms of exercise more often as he yed more. In the beginning, he would just feel tired, but now he started feeling sore after training. Indeed he felt sore after climbing the stairs up and down.


    ''Let''s go, can''tze around too much'' Eldrian told himself as he started walking to the barracks. He only had under 3 hours to get the quest, he didn''t want to end up being left behind due to not getting it done before anything else.


    As he left the magic tower Eldrian looked over his map. It was still mostly ck or rather in a state of fog of war, but he had opened a weird triangle shape thus far. With the corners being the training field, magic tower, and Boran''s shop.


    Seeing this Eldrian felt he certainly had to take a day to just explore the city, since this map was quite useless as it was. Except for going to Boran''s ce, as he hadn''t gone there since Vivian took him. He felt he would need the map''s help once or twice.


    Eldrian found himself at the barracks after around 10 minutes of walking. He had also grabbed something to eat, since his avatar was quite hungry. He had also started feeling hungry more often in-game. Eldrian felt certain it was because he was bing more immersed in the game.


    Most of the soldiers were outside, doing drills as they always did in the morning. Their routine was to build stamina and strength during the morning, via exercises and training with dummies. They would then spar against each other, either one on one or many versus many in the afternoon.


    Seeing this Eldrian decided to approach one of the training sergeants who he had sparred against. He and Vivian had barely been able to win against him when they had fought against him two versus one.


    "Hi Robert, can I ask you something?" Eldrian asked, he was quite respectful since he knew Robert was strong.


    Robert didn''t look like much. He looked to be in histe twenties, had short brown hair and a short rough beard. Currently, he was just dressed in a mail shirt for stamina training. He would normally join the recruits on runs or drills. But not when they were practicing against dummies, since he had to help improve their stances and strikes. Thus he needed to observe them with more attention, and not just cast an eye to see if they were doing what they should.


    "Sure Haru, what do you want to know." Robert replied, before he turned to the recruits, "After finishing do twops!" He shouted at them since he didn''t want them to ck when he was busy talking.


    Eldrian and Robert then walked a few meters away so that they could talk without having to shout over the noisesing from the recruits.


    "Robert, have you heard of any events which are going on? I heard a rumor of a military expedition or something like that." Eldrian asked, after they had both found afortable standing position. Eldrian never liked talking while he was still fidgeting with his position.


    "I have, but this barrack isn''t going to be part of it," Robert answered.


    "Why not?"


    "Because we mostly have fresh recruits here. I mean, I am one of the strongest people here at the moment." Hearing this Eldrian was quite surprised since he didn''t think Robert was all that strong. He was certainly decently strong, but not at the level of what Eldrian expected the top of a barracks to be at. Eldrian also felt certain this barracks was one of the bigger ones.


    "Why are most of the soldiers here recruits?" Eldrian decided to ask first, as he was now very curious.


    "Oh, that is because the rest of the soldiers had gone on a scouting expedition. In fact it had been them who had informed us of the monsters passing into our border." Robert replied.


    Eldrian took down the fact that monsters had crossed the border. The post by the developers had been very vague, since they had said every kingdom would have a different situation. At least they said it would not be the exact same situation everywhere.


    "Do you know where I can ask about joining the expedition?" Eldrian asked next. He felt certain Robert would know.


    "Sure, I would suggest you go to the gatehouse from the nearest main road. There is always a captain on duty at the gate and he should be able to help you more. If the guards give you a hard time, tell them I told you to ask" Robert added thest part after a few seconds of thinking.


    He had heard that most soldiers had be mean to Chosen. This was because the Chosen wanted to do as they felt, ignoringmon rules and standards. While the Chosen hadn''t broken thews yet, they were very undisciplined and unruly, which soldiers generally don''t like. This was the same reason why adventurers and soldiers couldn''t really go on missions together.


    "Also, I think I heard that they were going to group at the same gate for the expedition. So even if the active captain there can''t help you, then you should be able to just ask the soldiers who are gathering." Robert added after a few more seconds of thinking. Eldrian had seen that Robert wasn''t done thus he hadn''t replied immediately.


    "Thanks that helps a lot. Well, I won''t keep you any longer." Eldrian said as he shook Robert''s hand.


    "No problem, I just hope you will be careful. You never know what can happen on the field of battle." Robert said as he pointed to his right cheek, which had a nasty scar.


    "I will, thanks," Eldrian said as he left. He was now curious how Robert got the scar, thus he told himself to ask when he got back.


    Eldrian quickly found the main road and started following it. A good half an hourter he finally reached the gate.

 Chapter 30: City gatehouse

    <h4>Chapter 30: City gatehouse</h4>


    ''Dang this city is huge.'' Eldrianined as he arrived at the gatehouse. He had walked the entire way since he had no free mode of transport and he hadn''t felt like using a wagon for 15 coppers.


    He only had 17 silver and 18 copper left after buying food during the week.


    Granted Eldrian had bought what seemed nice, since taste and smell were a thing in the game. Doing that at least two times a week had added up. Still, he felt that since the wagon would take 10 minutes to reach the gate it was not worth the copper.


    As Eldrian arrived at the gatehouse he first marveled at this construction. He had seen three gatehouses from atop the magic tower, he presumed they were all in cardinal directions like north and south. He also felt certain there was another gatehouse past the pce, which he believed had blocked his view of it.


    But from the magic tower, he had never truly taken into ount howrge the gatehouses were. The one in front of him was a monster of a building. With the roofs standing 10 meters higher than the rest of the wall, while the entire gatehouse was probably a 100 meters wide. With the main gate in the center and smaller doors to the left and right of this massive building.


    Eldrian believed the small doors led to a barracks each. Which probably had rooms to hold people and interrogate them or so. He also felt there would be an armory in these barracks. This belief of his came mostly from anime.


    The gate itself was also massive, easily 20 meters wide and 15 meters high, with four separate portcullises which were all currently raised. The portcullises were ced in a manner to separate the gate nicely when lower. Two at the ends of the gate tunnel, on the outside and inside. Then the other two would divide the inside of the gate tunnel into three 5 meter ''rooms'' when shut.


    Eldrian was quite interested in the design, other than the portcullises there was also a gate door on the city side, where he was currently standing and looking from. Eldrian felt certain there would also be a gate door on the other side.


    ''This looks like a bitch to fight through.'' Eldrian thought to himself. He felt that it would take many losses to break through the gate and that scaling the walls might be the better option. He could not decide so definitively since he would first have to walk on the walls to see.


    After having enjoyed the sight Eldrian turned to look for the guards. He was surprised to only find four guards at the gate, two on the left and two on the right. Eldrian felt this was really stupid since the guards would never be able to reliably block and search everyone entering and exiting.


    ''Maybe there are more on the outside and they don''t really care how you exit the city.'' Eldrian reasoned and proceeded to head to the soldiers who were standing guard on the right side of the gate.


    Eldrian had decided to ask the guards about the procedure of entering and exiting. Since he didn''t want to break somews without his knowledge.


    "Hello, can you help me?" Eldrian asked as he approached the guards on the right.


    "What do you want?" The guard on the left of the pair asked, while the other just ignored him. They were lightly armored, seemingly only wearing padded armor and each had a single longsword on their hips. Eldrian felt they were under-dressed for guards, but he certainly wasn''t going to bring it up.


    "I would like to know the rules around entering and exiting the city." Eldrian decided to ask first since he felt some hostility from the guards. He was certain asking to meet their captain first would get him a boot on his ass.


    It also seemed to Eldrian that they didn''t like being bothered, which he felt was weird. ''Wasn''t it a guard''s duty to bother others?'' Eldrian asked himself before realizing and concluding, ''Of course, they want to do the bothering on their own terms.'' Eldrian wanted this smack his palm with a fist for satisfaction''s sake, but he felt the guards would like him even less if he did so.


    "What? Are you one of those Chosen thingies?" The guard asked as his semi-frown turned into a full-on frown. The guard had taken a few seconds to size Eldrian up. With this and the stupid question, he realized the guy before him had to be a Chosen, since all citizens knew the rules of entry.


    Eldrian was surprised by this hostile reaction, but he was certain he wouldn''t be able to deny that he was a Chosen. He knew they would be able to see through him with a simple activation of the Observe skill.


    "Yes, I am a Chosen. I have been training this week, thus I have never left the city before. I would like to not break any rules on my first time going out." As Eldrian said this, the guard''s expression turned from a frown to a look of surprise, the other guard also turned his head and looked at Eldrian.


    "What, were you too scared to go out like your friends had been doing?" The first guard asked, to which Eldrian frowned.


    ''I don''t have any friends who y the game yet, so why would they ask it that way? Wait!'' Eldrian thought before he realized the key point. The guard believed he was scared to go explore. ''I have to put this right.'' Eldrian told himself as he readied to counter back.


    "Na, he doesn''t seem to be scared. Look, it seems like he would challenge you over that." The other guard, who was on the right side of the pair, said just as Eldrian wanted to go off.


    ''Oh seems he is more reasonable.'' Eldrian thought and looked at the other guard in surprise.


    "There are no real rules on exiting the city. But on entering you have to pass the gate before sundown. At sundown, we shut the gate." The other guard said matter of factly, as he took over the conversation.


    "Also, when entering you will have to pay a fee of 5 coppers and dere your possessions. But you Chosen can just say what you have on you or in bags since we have no way to check your inventory." The guard added and asked, "Anything else?"


    "Ah, yes actually. I would like to talk to your captain." Eldrian replied.


    "Why?" The guard asked while they both looked at Eldrian with hostility again.


    "I just want to ask about an event I heard was going on. Some kind of military expedition. I would like to join." Eldrian said, trying to appease them. He didn''t want to be blocked ess to the captain as the post had said captains can give yers the quest.


    "See, he is more sensible. Almost normal." The guard on the right said when he heard it. To which the other nodded.


    "Indeed, the others wanted to make such a fuss." The other guard replied.


    When Eldrian heard this he shook his head as he asked himself, ''Why are the yers so aggressive with NPCs?'' He could not understand this standpoint, at least not this early when yers were defenseless against them.


    "I will go get our captain." The guard said as he rushed into the gatehouse''s barracks. Eldrian waited patiently since there was no reason not to.


    A few minutester the guard returned with another person following him. This new person didn''t have any distinguishing features. He was wearing brigandine, which looked to Eldrian like the ssic depiction of studded leather armor in fantasy shows. Eldrian thought that it was studded leather, since he knew no better.


    Other than his armor the new guard had a two-handed sword on his back. Eldrian couldn''t see what type the sword was.


    "Are you asking for me?" The new guard asked as he neared Eldrian. Hearing this Eldrian realized that this unassuming guy was probably the captain on duty here.


    ''Wow, not very fancy for a captain.'' Eldrian thought before replying, "Yes, I would like to ask about the military expedition which will soon beunched. I want to sign up."


    Hearing this the guard captain looked Eldrian up and down, before smirking.


    "Really? Do you want to sign up? It doesn''t look to me like you have exercised a day in your life." The captain said. Hearing this Eldrian became quite angry, as it was a not at all subtle jab at his belly. Which he had been working on improving. He barely managed to keep himself fromunching a verbal counter at the captain.


    "Oh, no snappy reply. Seems like you are earnest." The captain replied, while raising his eyebrows from surprise. Every other Chosen who he had insulted had immediately started fighting back verbally or even physically in some cases.


    "Well, I can''t sign you up, since I am on duty here. But it isn''t very difficult." The captain said.


    Eldrian was quite happy to hear that it wouldn''t be very difficult. Eldrian thus thanked the guard captain, "Thank you, tell me where to go and I will be out of your hair."


    "Haha. You are being too polite. If you keep this up you will end up being bullied." The captain said, having had a good chuckle before he had actually started talking.


    "You are lucky as the expedition team is forming just outside this gate. As you exit through here, you should then see them on your right. Then just go to one of the booths for registering of adventurers. We have ced your Chosen guys in the same category. Since, well it truly fits to how most of you have been acting." After the captain said this he turned around and headed back to the barracks.


    [Quest activation quest received]


    [Go to the troop gathering to sign up for the quest: First Expedition]


    "Thanks, I will be going then," Eldrian said after he saw the quest trigger quest. ''Why is there a quest for getting a quest?'' He asked himself as he headed to the gate.


    As Eldrian walked through the gate, he was left stunned at how small he felt. The gate was simply massive. As he looked around he also saw that it was certainly a killing corridor.


    ''Freaking hell, the enemy would fill it with bodies before they manage to get through here.'' Eldrian thought as he saw the kill holes above him. These holes had been evenly spaced, with each section of the gate having 6. Then there were also all the arrow slits at the sides of the gate, and the fact that it was portcullises and not gates. Thus archers could shoot through the portcullises as the enemy tried to break them. He also felt certain that there would be oil pots or the like above him. Which gave him the shivers as he passed through.


    ''The only weak point is that it is only one wall.'' Eldrian thought as he exited the gate. He felt certain now that there was no way to get through the gate. Thus the wall was the weak point. Eldrian thus turned around to look at the wall.


    ''That is a dammm big weak point.'' Eldrian thought as he looked at the massive wall spanning ahead of him. It certainly looked far more imposing from this view, with no buildings or trees nearby. Just a massive wall in the field with an even bigger gatehouse and towers spaced around on the wall. Splitting the wall into sections.


    Eldrian turned his gaze to the right of the gate after a while. He easily spotted the gathering troops there.


    ''Wow, that is a lot of people.'' Eldrian thought as he gazed at the crowd. There were just too many people for a simple expedition.


    ''I guess it isn''t a simple expedition then.'' Eldrian joked with himself as he headed to this mass of people.

 Chapter 31: Signing up

    <h4>Chapter 31: Signing up</h4>


    As Eldrian approached the mass of people, he looked over at how they were gathering. It seemed like they were ssed into different groups, based on their armor and arms.


    The entire mass of people could be ssed into three types. With medium/light armored and heavily armored soldiers making up most of the people and being two of the types.


    The lighter armored troops wore studded armor. Eldrian believed that it was leather armor, while in fact, it was brigandine and some studded leather. The leather armor was worn by the more elite troops and thus far lessmon since it was far more expensive. This was because leather armor normally used the hides of monsters, which was difficult to get. Or rather getting it involved a lot of risk to the hunter. Much more than killing animals.


    These lightly armored troops also all had a sword on one of their hips and a quiver on their other hip. There was no universal side for either of these two items as it was up to the soldier''s preference. All these soldiers also had a bow with them, either slung over their shoulder or in their hands.


    The other group, the heavily armored troop, all wore metal-type armors. With some being equipped with full te armor, while others had mail or a mixture of these two types. Most of these soldiers had arge shield with them, slung on their backs. If they did not have any shield then they would instead have arge sword on their back. These swords were different from those the guys with shields used, since it was generally far bigger.


    Eldrian also saw another group, the third type, with seemingly no dressing code. The only thing simr with these guys was that they all had a staff with them, either in their hands like a cane or slung onto their backs. They also all had a type of closebat weapon, with again no prevalence. Some had swords while others had axes or maces or daggers, it seemed like anything went.


    This group''s dress code was also all over the ce, hence why Eldrian felt they had no dress code. Some random person in a group would have full te armor, while the others only wore robes. In other cases, a random person had a robe while the others all had mail or padded armor. It was very queer to look at.


    ''What is going on with them?'' Eldrian asked himself as he saw their bizarre appearance. He suspected that they were part of a magic casting group since they had staffs and it was the only connection he could find from his knowledge. Yet he had no idea what staves were meant to do inbat. ''Maybe it amplifies magic.'' Was his only guess.


    When Eldrian neared one of the booths set up around the gathering army he was interrupted by a soldier, who clearly had seen better days. This soldier looked filthy like he hadn''t bathes in weeks, while his mail armor was also badly battered. Their was a gaping hole on his left side and a massive sh like opening across his chest.


    "What are yoou doing heere?" The soldier asked, stumbling over his words. Eldrian smelled a strong alcohol smell from the man as he had spoken.


    "I am here to signup for the expedition as an adventurer." Eldrian said and immediately tried to circumvent the drunk soldier.


    The soldier didn''t take kind to this action and stepped in front of Eldrian to block his path, almost stumbling into Eldrian.


    "Who do you, hick, think you arrre ignorrring me." The soldier said in a slurred speech as he tried to grab Eldrian''s shoulder.


    Eldrian easily read the guy''s movements and stepped back, causing the soldier to almost fall. The soldier then red angrily at Eldrian before he tried to punch Eldrian.


    Eldrian again easily read the drunk man''s moves and dodged the punch with ease by just stepping to his right, since the punch was going to the left side of his stomach.


    "Do that one more time and I will fight back," Eldrian said as he red at the soldier after having dodged the punch. He didn''t like how the guy had just picked a fight with him, randomly.


    "Oh, oh. We have a badddass over herre!" The soldier cried out as he tried to kick Eldrian. The kick was very sloppy and slow, but clearly aimed at Eldrian''s groin. Seeing this action Eldrian decided enough is enough.


    "I did warn you," Eldrian said as he proceeded to grab the guy''s foot, pulling it up. This simple action caused a yelp to escape from the soldier as the soldier felt his hamstring being stretched past its limit. Eldrian quickly followed up this action with a sweeping strike with his leg kicking the remaining leg out from under the drunk soldier.


    "You bastard!" The soldier yelled as hended on his ass. The soldier then started to groan on the ground after his yell as he felt his leg burn and his ass bing numb.


    Eldrian simply walked past the moaning drunkard and heading to the booth again. The guy at the booth sighed as he saw Eldrian approaching and reluctantly stood up. Eldrian saw this action clearly and grew even more perplexed.


    ''Seems like the drunkard wasn''t alone in his dislike. This seems to be a running thing.'' Eldrian thought as he looked at the guy who was now standing behind the booth. The guy wore simply armor and would quickly be lost in the crowd of soldiers if he were to leave the booth.


    The booth was a simple structure, a rough old table with a roof made of old materials, likely old nkets. Still old or not, the roof allowed the soldier on signing duty, to sit in the shade while he wrote down the information of the volunteers.


    "Hi, I would like to sign up to join the expedition," Eldrian said as he observed the clearly cranky soldier.


    "Guess you are also one of those foolish Chosen, right?" The soldier asked rhetorically before adding, "Yeah, only madmen like you would volunteer for such a dangerous job."


    "Why then are you here?" Eldrian asked. It was something he could not understand. Why was he a madman and the soldiers normal or even great people?


    "Me, well, honor and duty calls me here." The soldier replied with pride.


    ''Same hypocrisies as always it seems. Soldiers areden with praises while mercenaries are despised and adventurers are despised by both the previous. I guess we would be after adventurers, actually.'' Eldrian thought as he sighed from the stupid reply the soldier had given him. He also realized why the NPCs saw them in such a negative way, after he thought about it in such a stereotypical way.


    "Still I would like to sign up. I might not be doing this for something bigger than myself. But I feel myself is plenty enough to consider." Eldrian said.


    "Ha, why do you think you are so special to be enough of a reason?" The soldier countered, seeming set on arguing.


    "Isn''t it simple?" Eldrian asked to which the guard shook his head.


    "Because I live my life and I will god, damn, choose what I want to do with it! Now, can I sign up or not!?" Eldrian asked, raising his voice towards the end, trying to convey that he was serious about his simple reason.


    The soldier was left stunned when he heard Eldrian''s reasoning. ''The hell he means he will choose what he wants?'' The soldier asked himself as he started getting the paper.


    He did not do this because he felt like it, but more out of instinct. It had been ingrained into him, that when someone yells an order or rhetoric question, then he better get to action before shit happened.


    "Alright then, it is your funeral." The soldier said, trying to win back some pride after he had taken out the papers. He then asked, "Name and fighting style?"


    "Haru, and I will be fighting with a polearm," Eldrian replied, the soldier wrote this down as he heard Eldrian''s reply before looking back up.


    "That is it. You can now head to the adventurer section. You will be put in an emergency unit. Actually, I don''t think you Chosen are going to be ced in any unit." The soldier said.


    He was being quite truthful about thest part. The reason for this was that the Chosen were far more unorganized and undisciplined than adventurers. No captain would try to lead them.


    Eldrian was naturally quite shocked with how little information the soldier had asked for. But this did notst long as he had received the quest.


    [Quest Name: First Expedition; Story quest]


    [Quest giver: Phallos kingdom, city of Agosstead]


    [Quest Rank: A]


    [Quest Progress: Eliminate the threat to the kingdom ¨C 0/1 huge beast pack]


    [Quest time limit: None]


    [Quest Limiter: 50% of the expedition must survive, current 4985/4985 soldiers]


    [Quest reward: 10 000 XP, 10 Silver]


    [Quest Achievements: 0 kills; 0 rescues]


    [epted]


    [Quest Party Size: 1573 yers]


    Eldrian was distracted seeing the massive wall of text from the quest. ''Why did the developers make it so detailed?'' Eldrian asked himself, half loving the detail it provided and half hating all the info it was filled with.


    Eldrian then started heading to the location he was told to wait at. He found the location quite easily, since the difference between the professional soldiers and yers was massive. The soldiers were grouping with their troops, forming squads by now. While the yers were just a bunch of groupsposed of friends. No uniform size or any type of order could be seen at the yers'' side.


    Seeing this Eldrian shook his head as he thought, ''I get some of the reasons why they dislike us.'' As he walked towards the clear gap between the two groups, he heard broken shouting from behind him.


    "Jackass,e and figghttt, me! Come off, your high-horsse, you just got a cheeeep shott, on meee!"


    Eldrian sighed and turned around to see the same drunk soldier walking towards him, almost falling over every few steps. The guy was even limping now. Seeing this Eldrian decided to just walk to one squads and ask them for some help.


    "Can you get the drunkard to leave me alone?" Eldrian asked as he approached one of the squads, he pointed to the drunk man as he asked this.


    "He''s not from our unit." The nearest soldier replied and proceeded to ignore Eldrian''s presence.


    ''Really?'' Eldrianined to himself as he shrugged his shoulder. ''Guess I have to knock him out.'' Eldrian thought as he looked over his shoulder at the stumbling guy.


    "Come at me!" The guy screamed as he was just 2 meters away.


    "Fine..." Eldrian said as he turned to face to guy. "You first." He added and indicated for the guy toe at him.


    Hearing this the guy rushed at Eldrian blindly, looking as if he wanted to tackle Eldrian. Eldrian simply stepped to the side and tripped the guy. The drunk soldier didn''t manage to stop himself and fell face-first onto the ground.


    ''Seems like he is out.'' Eldrian mentally said as he looked at the guy lying face first. The guy seemed to not be moving much or at all really. Eldrian shrugged his shoulders again and walked towards the yers, leaving the still man there in front of the squad.


    ''They should deal with him now, right?'' Heined before asking himself, ''Drinking should be banned before an expedition or any military action. I wonder what the guy''s punishment will be?''


    Eldrian soon reached the area which was between the soldiers and yers. He chose a spot to the side, allowing himself a clear view of anyone approaching from the gate, while he would not be bothered by anyone.


    Unless the person really wanted to bother him specifically.


    Eldrian stayed by himself, not joining the yers, since he felt the event would be a major fight and he would rather have to fight alone than with an un-orderly bunch. He felt certain it would lead to more problems than it would bring him support.

 Chapter 32: Quest start, setting off

    <h4>Chapter 32: Quest start, setting off</h4>


    After a good while of waiting, something finally seemed to happen. Eldrian first saw the soldiers forming in neater lines and groups. Instead of the loose formation, they had been in, which had allowed them to still rx while also being quick to form up.


    Curious about why they all acted at the same time Eldrian looked to the gate and saw a small party of around 50 people walking towards them.


    ''Guess the leaders are finally here.'' Eldrian thought as he waited for everything to officially start. It was now almost 8 am, which meant the quest should start soon. Or at least it should ording to the developers'' post, but Eldrian felt certain it would differ depending on the developments in the game.


    Eldrian turned his gaze to look at the approaching group. They all had very fancy-looking armor, well except for three people in the group. The rest all had shining armor of varying colors and shades. Looking more like fancy clothes than actual armor. They also all seemed to have very expensive-looking weapons and other trinkets on them.


    ''Most likely nobles.'' Eldrian thought when he saw the group. He also recognized two of the ''not so fancy dressed'' people.


    The main leading figure was Old Sword whose armor looked worn yet sturdy. The armor had clearly been damaged many times, with repairs having been done onto it when needed. The armor looked more battered than whole, yet Eldrian felt certain it would still provide excellent protection. He felt so since the armor seemed to have been repaired with different materials each time.


    The other he recognized was Vivian, who was walking in front of the nobles with a clear divide between her and them. Her armor looked extremely clean as if it had never seen a fight before. Yet the armor waspletely different from the others in the group''s armor. Her armor was clearly made with the intent to not look outstanding while their armor seemed to be made for just that one intent.


    Eldrian felt Vivian''s armor design was a great choice, since it would limit the number of people who would want to target you. He had often heard that armor was the way to identify the identity of someone. When your armor looked like everyone else''s then you would escape detection, which could save your life many times over.


    The other person with a ''not fancy'' armor was an old guy with white hair. Strangely the guy had a long beard and very short hair, which resulted in a very weird look. Eldrian was used to seeing both long hair and beard or long hair and short beard, but never long beard and short hair.


    Eldrian was happy and surprised when he realized that Old Sword would likelymand the expedition. It did not mean much, but it meant he should not be harassed by the soldierster on.


    As the group neared the army, the soldiers made way for the group to pass through. Old Sword and the other old guy walked straight in heading to the center of the army, while the nobles looked smugly at the soldiers. Seemingly feeling prideful that others were making way for them.


    Vivian on the other hand did not follow her dad and left the group when they entered the army. She then started heading towards Eldrian.


    ''Wow, did she spot me too?'' Eldrian asked himself as he looked around. He then realized that he had chosen to wait off to the side, being near the army but clearly apart from it at the same time. He shook his head as he felt dumb for forgetting that he was standing alone a good distance from the nearest squad of soldiers, thus clearly in the open.


    As Vivian approached Eldrian she asked, "Also can''t stand the stupidity?" Hearing this Eldrian nodded since he felt it was correct. Mostly.


    The soldiers were set on alienating him for him being a Chosen, while he did not want to join the yers, due to their uncoordinated manner.


    "Yeah, I just feel like I don''t fit with the other Chosen. And the soldier doesn''t want me with them, they had made it very clear." Eldrian said, which surprised Vivian. Since normally the soldiers would wee anyone who was not a noble.


    She then remembered that they normally quarreled with adventurers until they had fought together. They would then realize the other party''s worth and make peace. But only more experienced troops would know of this worth system.


    ''I hope the soldiers will learn to not group people after this expedition.'' She thought to herself as she joined Eldrian and turned to observe her dad, who was currently standing on one of the booths. The booth had been moved to the middle of the army to allow him to look over everyone and be heard and seen clearly.


    "Everyone please listen carefully, I will now be conveying our mission for this expedition." Old Sword said, strangely his voice was carried through the air evenly making it easy for everyone to hear, while he did not need to raise his voice.


    While Eldrian was fascinated with this amplification part, likely due to magic, the yers started to stop talking and look at Old Sword to hear what he had to say.


    "Alright, we have received a report that a huge monster pack had passed the border of Tauras into our kingdom. Our mission is to find them and kill them, we must do this before the monsters start attacking the viges in the area."


    "To fulfill this mission we will set out in a short while. First I want to establish if everyone here is willing to follow militaryw and order." As Old Sword said this he looked at the yers, who had started to talk again.


    The yers talked for quite a while before a few stepped out from the disorderly bunch.


    "What will be required of us in the fight?" One yer asked.


    "You will be treated as a reserve unit to lighten the load where the expedition army is struggling." Old Sword answered.


    "We don''t want to be a reserve unit." One yer called out, to which many others voiced their agreement.


    "I don''t care, I will be treating you as reserve troops. If you do not want to follow orders, then you will forfeit your rewards foring on this mission." Old Sword countered, shutting up most of the yers.


    They all connected Old Sword''s statement and threat, to failing the quest. Which meant they had no choice but to listen to him. Many yers got irritated with this part, since they wanted to be able to voice their concerns. Some stirred but few wanted to ask or say something.


    "Then what must we do until we are needed." A different yer asked after taking a while to see if anyone else was going to say anything.


    Old Sword was already bing irritated with having invited the yers on the expedition. It should be an easy task where the army will outnumber the beasts 2 to 1 without the yers even being considered.


    The only reason he had epted the request of the kingdom on taking them with was that he hoped to find more Chosen like Eldrian. Who had the potential to be great fighters.


    But Old Sword did not like having such a bunch going on a mission with him. They did not even want to listen to an experiencedmander''smands which he could not understand. He felt they would be a big liability or in a lighter case, no help. It was just like with the noble brats.


    Still, he had been ordered by the king to take them in. Thus he had no real choice in the matter, the best he could hope for was that they would leave after he made it clear they needed to listen to him. Unfortunately, both the nobles and Chosen had not left after this had been made clear.


    "If there are no moreints or questions then we will start moving out in 5 minutes." Old Sword said as he climbed down from the booth. He then proceeded to givemands to the captains of the different squads, after which he joined the nobles again.


    He also did not like them one bit, since they were obnoxious and next to no use in a fight. But he was ordered to bring them to the battle. "To let them experiencebat." Was the words the king had told him. He believed it was a fool''s errand to bring people to a battle when they themselves had no interest in learning how to fight.


    While most of the nobles had magic tiered items, they were of a lower tier than the average of the soldiers. With this troop being a newly formed unit, with only a few veteran and elite soldiers to help maintain order. It showed just how little the nobles had cared for fighting.


    "That was quick," Eldrian said as he saw Old Sword disappearing from view, after having left his pedestal.


    "Well, my dad isn''t one to give speeches. He is more a lead by example guy." Vivian said.


    "I don''t really care about that, but I feel the other Chosen are feeling quite unhappy now. They most definitely wanted to be part of the decision-making." Eldrian said, which resulting in Vivian having a goodugh.


    "Haha, the same happened with the nobles when we first arrived. They wanted to have a say and my dad just cut them short right there. Saying that if they wanted to give orders then they should go back home." Vivian said, giggling as she remembered how dumbstruck the nobles had been. ''They had probably never experienced such a straightforward and direct denial.'' She thought.


    "I can just imagine that," Eldrian said as he joined her inughing. From what he knew of nobles, from series and anime, they were always high and mighty. ''It must have been fun seeing them denied outright.'' He thought to himself.


    "Do you have any more information on what to expect?" Eldrian asked as he saw the soldiers starting to walk in a formation. The yer grudgingly followed behind them, clearly far less motivated than before. Still, no yer wanted to fail the quest, since 10 000 XP was an insane amount of experience which would take them forever to get via any other known methods.


    "Mmm, that depends on what you know of the situation," Vivian replied.


    "I don''t really know anything. I know basically what your dad just told us." Eldrian replied back, while also taking a look at the quest info, to see if anything new had happened.


    The only difference he saw was that the total number of soldiers was now 5156 instead of 4985, and the total number of yers was now 1987 instead of 1573. Other than this there was no change.


    ''Interesting, seems the statistic changed as it is affected. Quite helpful.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he looked at Vivian who was still struggling to decide on where to start.


    "What do you know of Tiers and how it rted to us and monsters?" Vivian asked after they had also started walking, else they would have been left behind. They had ended up at the far back of the entire expedition team, but neither of them was concerned about this, since it did not matter yet. Even more so since there were so many yers walking just where they want, making it clear that there were no formations nor order.


    The yers walked in pairs or small groups of less than 10, with a good distance of a meter or more between their group and the next, which was normal since people don''t want to bundle on each other. But when going to face an enemy force it was certainly quite stupid. But at this time there should be no enemy yet so it didn''t really matter.


    "I don''t know a lot. I know that Tier 10 is the highest and that there is a big gap between Tier 4 and 5. Other than this I don''t know anything." Eldrian replied. He knew a few other things, but due to not having enough information, he felt it did not fit well with anything else.


    "Let me start on how monsters are divided then. Tiers are actually as basic as you said. Except that there is a massive divide between all the Tiers above 5. Every single Tier growth would result in an instant jump in power, while before Tier 5 it would be more of a gradual increase in strength." Vivian said after taking a while to decide on how to exin the stuff in an easy-to-remember order.


    Eldrian nodded to indicate she should continue.

 Chapter 33: Travelling

    <h4>Chapter 33: Travelling</h4>


    "Monster is a vague term right?" Vivian asked Eldrian, which caught himpletely off guard since he wasn''t expecting a question from Vivian.


    "I think so, since it can mean anything monstrous," Eldrian answered after thinking for a while. He found that he never really thought of it before, but the monster was indeed a very vague word to ss something under. Since anything strange can be called a monster.


    "That is why it has been divided into more concrete groups. These groups are determined by the characteristics of said monsters. The main points taken into ount would normally be their appearance and intelligence." Vivian said, while Eldrian nodded to show he was following along.


    "In the end, it was decided to ssify them into four groups. Humanoids, beasts, undead, and real monsters. For simplistic sake, I will just briefly exin each." To which Eldrian nodded again to indicate he agreed with keeping it simple for now.


    "Humanoids have human-like characteristics. They also generally have higher intelligence than the other monsters. Common types of humanoids would be orcs, goblins, trolls, demons, devils, and so forth."


    "Beasts are generally animals who have evolved via magic, either internally or externally. It is thus generally possible to trace the origin of any beast monster back to the animal it had evolved from."


    "Undead, as the name suggests is a thing which had died, yet it is still alive. They can be from any race or species. It is possible to run into undead beasts or undead humans or anything really. Generally, undead would be weaker than its live counterpart, but there are a few cases where this does not apply."


    Eldrian was still nodded after each exnation as a way to show Vivian that he was keeping up.


    "Real monsters on the other hand are normally made via malicious design. Unlike beasts who evolved from animals, real monster mutated from any living species even nts. They generally look far more hideous, but again there are exceptions."


    "This is what I was thought, but I have never seen any type of monster before and can only ry what I learned." Vivian said as she finished the first part of the exnation she was nning on telling Eldrian. She then took a break before beginning again.


    Eldrian nodded again to show he had no problem hearing what she had heard. Since it was far more than he currently knew.


    "Every type of group of monsters then also have sub-categories, which we use to determine their threat level or origin. This together with knowing a monster''s Tier can help you determine if you should run or fight. Which is why I am exining this part to you."


    Hearing this Eldrian nodded again as he felt it was someways off from their current situation. But when you knew nothing, then everything would be valuable.


    "I am just going to exin the beast side of this, since other information won''t be useful for you right now." Vivian said after she thought for a while. She didn''t want to exin everything about all the monsters, since it had taken her a long time to learn it all. She did not want to spend the entire travel time on exining it to Eldrian.


    "Beastse in 5 different, let''s call them sses. Namely evolved beasts, demonic beasts, bloodline beasts, ancient creatures and mythical creatures."


    "Evolved beast is the first rank of beast-like monsters. Generally, they still look a lot like the animal they evolved from. After this rank would be demonic beasts, where the monsters can start looking far different from the animal it evolved from."


    "After demonic beasts are bloodline beasts. I think they are called bloodline because this rank normally has a linkage to the ranks above it. It is often said that these beasts are distant offspring of stronger sses of beasts, instead of the next evolution step for beasts to take."


    "After bloodline beastses ancient creatures. They are generally very rare and strong. But different from mythical creatures, which is thest rank, they can be found in specific areas. But if you do encounter one you should generally run as fast as you can."


    "Lastly is mythical creatures, who seem to have disappeared from the. Well not really, but they are really hard to find and generally they are all loners or just a family. Ancient creatures would still congregate together and form packs. But from what I have learned mythical creatures live as families and would never form a pack."


    "That is quite a lot of different ssifications. Why is it so important thought?" Eldrian asked after Vivian exined.


    "A few reasons first is the strength difference, a Tier 1 mythical creature is as strong as a Tier 8 evolved beast. Which means a newborn mythical creature will be able to kill a Tier 7 evolved beast with ease."


    "Wait, are you saying a baby mythical creature can kill an adult monster?" Eldrian asked feeling confused, as this defied the logic he was used to.


    "Well, I feel you don''t understand what a mythical beast is. A good example is dragons." Vivian replied, which immediately made Eldrian feel it made sense. He also felt that a true dragon of any size or age would be able to roast mostmon monsters.


    "In any case, this is just how we ssify the monsters which evolved from animals. Some of them are even good-natured so monster might not be an apt name to group them under. But that is semantics." Vivian said, shaking her head at the end.


    "Other than that there is also the case that not all beasts of the same species are the same." Vivian continued and this sentence confused Eldrian, but she soon continued further. "For example in a pack there would always be an alpha, who would be the leader of the pack. And under the alpha, there would be betas. They are all far stronger than the rest of their species."


    "What does this mean exactly?" Eldrian asked, not following why she was telling him.


    "Simple, we are going after a pack. Thus there will be an alpha and a few betas. We should try and avoid them if we can, since I don''t feel confident in taking on a beta evolved beast." Vivian said.


    Eldrian was very surprised when she said she didn''t think she could take on a beta. ''Are they so much stronger than the normal monster? Wouldn''t this make them like an elite monster, or boss monster.'' Eldrian thought and felt something click in his head.


    ''That must be it. Then following this thought pattern, they would have far more health than the normal monsters. Probably up to twice or three times for betas, since this world is so realistic I don''t feel it would be far more. But the alpha, I wonder how much of a boost it would get.''


    ''And how strong would they be? Would their damage and speed also be improved in the same manner?'' Eldrian asked himself as they walked in silence for a while.


    Vivian saw that Eldrian was contemting what she had said, which she was d about. She did not feel like trying to convince him. She felt she would be unable since she had never faced any beast before. She had no real evidence to back her, other than the soldier''s boasting about past battles.


    After a while, she began by talking again saying, "In regards to a monster pack, don''t think it is nearly the same as with animals. The huge pack we are going after should have more than 2000 monsters to be ssed as a huge pack. A small pack would be made out of more than a 100 monsters."


    Eldrian was stunned to hear the number of monsters still ssed as a "pack" and not a horde. But he felt the numbers made sense when he looked at the expedition team''s size. In total they were around 8000 people, if you take both the soldiers and yers.


    But while the numbers made sense, he felt the word was stillpletely wrong.


    "So to answer your question. We are expecting a pack of more than 2000 evolved beasts, which means there can even be more than one alpha and definitely the number of betas would be more than 20."


    "Even with us outnumbering them so much, don''t expect it to be an easy fight, alright." Vivian said as she ended her monologue.


    After this they continued on for a long time in mostly silence. They only talked every now and then.


    Eldrian would ask her about some random stuff as he saw something new to him. Like strange nts, which turned out to be medicinal nts or even magic nts.


    He wondered why no one had harvested them, to which Vivian told him that it was illegal to harvest them without a permit or special permission. This rule was created to keep magical nts in the wild for adventuring people. She told Eldrian that the nts were also nted like crops forrge-scale usage, thus the actual worth was not worth the effort of going out to find the nt, and then having to circumvent thew.


    In such a manner hours flew by and the entire group had stopped to take a break. While most people weren''t really tired, everyone needed to eat. Luckily they had stopped at a woody area.


    Most of thend was hilly ins, forests seemed to be very rare in the area. The forest they were resting at was the third Eldrian had seen in the five hours they had been traveling. But this did not mean there had been no trees, on the contrary, there had often been a single or a small group of trees. But a good amount of trees covering more than just 10 meters had been rare.


    The forest they were in covered arge area, farrger than any other forest Eldrian had seen while walking. Eldrian felt it was easily asrge as a few rugby fields and as nature intended the forest had no specific pattern and thinned out as it came to the edge. But it allowed the soldiers and yers to find a shaded area to rest for a while and eat something.


    The soldiers had split into two groups, one big group and another far smaller one. The smaller group had walked out of the shaded area and formed a perimeter around the resting army. With a person every 20 or so meters. Eldrian believed they were keeping watch, while the other rested soldiers rested, which was indeed what they were doing.


    Eldrian felt this was a good practice, since the other soldiers had found themselves some shade and sat down, rxing.


    All the soldiers also seemed to have taken of their weapons and ced them next to themselves, which Eldrian realized was actually better than just keeping it on your hip or back, when you are seated on the ground.


    "Oh, we have already arrived here," Vivian said after a while. She hadn''t recognized the ce at first because when she was herest it had just been her, her dad, and mom. A few years ago they hade here to have a nice family outing, which had turned into a strategic location, finding expedition by the end due to her.


    It had been a few months ago, just after the first cases of invasion had started. When they had gone out she had started looking for ces that would make a nice ce to rest when running away. She had therefore dragged her dad and mom to help her search for more such ces for the entire week before they had finally put a stop to her paranoia.


    "Northern cross-forest," Vivian said softly, Eldrian almost missing it. He only heard it since he had been listening closely after she had said they had arrived. He had wanted to know why she had said it, but the name meant little to him as he did not know the story behind it.

 Chapter 34: Nobility

    <h4>Chapter 34: Nobility</h4>


    "Are we also going to find a tree to rest under?" Eldrian asked after he saw that Vivian wasn''t daydreaming anymore.


    "I actually want to go ask my dad something. Do you want toe with me?" Vivian replied.


    "Why not," Eldrian said as he started following her, going into the center of the resting soldiers. Her dad and the other old guy were together busy talking. As they passed the resting soldiers some looked up at them curiously. Some had simple curiosity in their gazes while Eldrian felt that others had a surprise in theirs which confused him.


    ''Why would they be surprised?'' He asked himself before he quickly realized that he was the only yer who seemed to be with an NPC.


    ''Is it really so strange for them?'' He then asked himself. While they were heading to Vivian''s dad Eldrian asked her, "What do you want to ask your dad?"


    "Where we will meet the pack for battle." She replied.


    "Would your dad know that?" Eldrian asked in surprise.


    "He should. He had sent a few scouting parties out, much earlier than the expedition army had set out. I believe they would have reported to my dad."


    To this Eldrian felt it was actually quite obvious and he had no idea why he had missed it. ''Of course, they had sent people out to track the package. How else would we ever find it.'' He talked to himself, feeling dumb to not have connected everything earlier.


    "Wait, how would they contact your dad. I haven''t seen any people joining us as we marched."


    "I think William is managing that."


    "Who is William?" Eldrian asked as he grew more curious. To his question, Vivian simply pointed at the other old guy who was with Old Sword.


    "How would he managed tomunicate with the scouts?" Eldrian asked next as he wondered how they aplished it.


    "I believe he used amunication spell," Vivian replied.


    "Is he a mage?" Eldrian asked.


    "Well yes, he is actually a greatmage."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian asked as he again realized he knew next to nothing about this game''s setting and naming system. He realized this since he felt there would be a specific reason for Vivian toy im on William being a greatmage and not just a mage.


    "Um, how should I put this. You know how people are ssed by their Tier, right?" Vivian asked.


    "I know a bit about it, but no one has yet to exin it to me in detail," Eldrian replied.


    "Okay then let me give you a brief overview. Each Tier in a profession has a name, since it is weird to say someone is Tier this or that every time. For example with the magic ss and profession. Before Tier 5 you would be an apprentice and at Tier 5 you will finally be called a mage." Eldrian was surprised by this since he felt Tier 5 was a long way up, yet it was only at this point where people would see you as a real mage.


    ''That must be with what Dave had meant. Before Tier 5 you are still just learning the basics.'' Eldrian thought just as he saw Vivian was going to continue.


    "Tier 6 would be called a greatmage, followed by grandmage and then archmage. Then thest two would be a magus and then a grandmagus."


    "I see, so then what does this mean, other than that William is a Tier 6 magic caster?" Eldrian asked as he still felt the name does not really mean much.


    To his question, Vivian sighed before saying, "In military terms, a Tier 5 soldier would be able to apply for a captain position. While Tier 6 would be a unit leader, 7 amander. Any rank under this would be a normal soldier."


    "This means a greatmage would lead a unit of mages, which would beprised out of different squads, led by mages who would act as the squad captain. Normally an army would have a singlemander and then 3 units. A magic unit, melee unit, and archer unit."


    "But since we are just an expedition army we don''t have aplete structure. In fact this is deemed as a training expedition so we don''t even have a captain for every squad."


    "Does this answer your question?" Vivian asked


    To which Eldrian nodded and said, "So a person''s Tier can determine their standing in a simr way to nobility, but based on their actual skill instead of just birth." To which Vivian nodded to show that Eldrian was starting to get it.


    Naturally, there was a lot more to it. It also got more messy andplicated in reality, but what he said was the basic concept.


    They then walked in silence again. But when they were around 50 meters from Old Sword, a few nobles had stood up and blocked their path.


    "Oh, would you look at this? Our Valkyrie is with a man, and a Chosen at that." One of the nobles said. The group of nobles consisted out of six, two of whom were girls. Eldrian was very surprised seeing such arge ratio of females, as he felt it was quite strange for them to want to join a battle.


    Vivian tried to just ignore the noble, turning around to try to find another path they could follow. Which caused the nobles to be irritated.


    "Don''t think you can ignore us. You know your best chance for surviving theing fight would be to ditch this loser and join us." A different noble said. He seemed to be the leader as he had stood out in front.


    Eldrian was naturally not happy with being called a loser. But seeing the guy''s ridiculous armor, Eldrian managed to easily ignore the remark.


    The noble was wearing very shiny, bright red scale armor. The armor seemed more like a red fish''s scales than it looked like armor. The armor also had engravings in the form of a dragon on its front and even more engravings and patterns on its sides.


    Eldrian had no idea why the guy would choose such armor. It made him stand out like a sore thumb. But then again the entire group had such outrageous armors.


    Onedy had shining silver te armor, looking more like delicate artwork than armor. Another guy had a strange orange and yellow armor, with a darker orange lion seemingly carved onto his chest te. It was such an eye-grabber that it would be impossible to miss the guy. Well unless he was part of this group since everyone had such strange armor.


    ''They look like ceremonial armors, instead of battle armor.'' Eldrian thought and felt this was a good deduction. ''That might be why they all have such weird armor. They had probably always seen soldiers'' armor as in and low ss. And the armor they saw their family and friends use at events would be ceremonial. I believe the cksmith would also not try and correct their thought pattern. A cksmith would probably take advantage of it and ask them a crazy amount of gold for making a special order.''


    The only person''s armor who looked rtively normal was the otherdy in the group. While her armor also had decorations and all, it was to a far lesser degree. Making it seem more realistic. Her armor was a mix of te and mail, with the mail looking like mithril and her te seemed to be made out of a blueish metal. Giving it a soft shine, yet not making it ''shiny''.


    "Are you listening! If you want to live then join us." The guy shouted after having been ignored again. Vivian sighed as she heard him scream at her.


    "Keith can you just leave me alone?" Vivian asked.


    "Why do you insist on associating with low-born people instead of us?" Keith asked. He could not for the life of him understand why Vivian insists on making friends withmon soldiers and now even a Chosen.


    Keith felt that due to her standing she should aim to be more like them. Like true nobles.


    "Because I am not like you!" Vivian retorted.


    Eldrian by now waspletely confused with what was happening. Still, he felt this would drag on for even longer if he just stood and watched so he stepped forwards to talk.


    But before he could the Keith guy red at him and said, "You think you are special, don''t you?"


    "Uh..." Eldrian stumbled on his words, not able to make any sense of what was going on.


    "Whatever, Vivian when you realize your errors you cane to me," Keith said and started leaving, seemingly feeling good about himself.


    Eldrian and Vivian stood in silence for a while both a bit confused by what had just happened. After a few seconds of bewilderment, Eldrian asked, "What the hell was that about?"


    "Just ignore it." Vivian said, clearly not wanting to talk about it.


    "Uh, okay. Wait not okay. What was up with that guy?"


    "He has been trying to court me, okay," Vivian said exasperatedly. "He just doesn''t get that I am not into him."


    "Wait, does that mean you are also a noble?" Eldrian asked after he connected a few dots. His questionpletely bbergasted Vivian though. She had expected that Eldrian would ask more about Keith or something. Not this 180 turn in questioning.


    Eldrian felt a bit confused that Old Sword was a baron. From what he had seen, it certainly didn''t seem like they were nobles. They lived such normal lives, well for the time and setting.


    "Why does that matter?" Vivian asked angrily, feeling offended that Eldrian focused on this rather than the irritating Keith.


    "It doesn''t really, but you have never told me that you are a noble. Are you ashamed of it?"


    "I am not ashamed, I just felt that I never really needed to be bring it up."


    "Why not?"


    "Because how do you bring that up? By the way, I am a noble, just thought you should know... It does not, matter." Vivian said as she became tired of this line of questioning. Luckily Eldrian got that from her tone so he changed the subject.


    "So how high ranked are you, whenpared to the other nobles?" He asked.


    "Actually not high at all. In fact, our family is the lowest grade of noble. Well, the lowest rank of permanent nobility."


    "Uh?" Eldrian asked, showing confusion on his face.


    "My dad earned the rank of a baron a few years ago. Baron is the lowest rank for which nobility is transferred to the rest of the family. Below it is the rank lord and below lord is a knight, both of which are only given to a single person." Vivian exined when she saw the confusion in Eldrian''s face.


    "Ah, then what rank was that guy?" Eldrian asked. He started wondering if the noble system was universal in the game or if it changed from kingdom to kingdom, or empire to empire.


    "He is the son of a marquis and thus he will be a marquis when he inherits his father''s position. Or when he proves himself worthy of the title... Which is actually why he came on this expedition." Vivian added thest part after a bit of a break.


    "And how much higher is marquis than a baron? And what does it mean if you are higher ranked?" Eldrian asked as he gained more questions as he knew more.


    "Well, there are two ranks between a baron and a marquis. As for what it means, that is a hard question to answer. I guess the basic difference is that a marquis can ownnd and even a small city, if they had aplished something great. While a baron can only gain some small benefits in regards to tax. Well, a baron can also field a private army, which only nobles are allowed to do. The size of the army a noble can field is dependent on their rank."


    ''Interesting, so it seems the nobles can''tmand each other based on rank. Or maybe it is possible but not in certain cases. But I wonder if yers can be nobles. And then will we be able to field an army?'' Eldrian talked to himself as they started heading to Old Sword again.

 Chapter 35: Plan of action - Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 35: n of action - Part 1</h4>


    Eldrian let go of his random thoughts as he and Vivian joined what seemed to be the expedition army''s leaders. The entire group consisted out of five people, including Old Sword and William. The other three seemed to each be from a different unit ''type''. A guy in heavy armor, one in light and another in a robe.


    "Ah, so that is where you have been." Old Sword said as he looked up and saw Vivian joining them. He had been wondering why she had left him alone with the nobles, but seeing her with Eldrian he felt she had a good reason.


    ''Why be with pompous asses, when you can be with a friend.'' He thought to himself approving of her approach to the situation. He also felt that she would be safer in the battle with Eldrian, since they had practiced together a lot this past week. The nobles on the other hand had only discussed fighting instead of going to train.


    Currently, he and William were discussing the new information they had just received. They had called all the captains, of each unit, to also inform them of the developments.


    From the fact that there are only three captains, it was clear to anyone with military background how weird this armyposition was. Even Eldrian realized this when he saw only 5 people deciding on the fate of an army of 5000 men. If Eldrian knew they were captains he would have been even more surprised, as currently, he believed that each of the three guys was a unit leader, like William.


    "Haru, good to see you are also here. Would you mind acting as the representative of the Chosen?" Old Sword said as he moved his gaze to Eldrian, he then continued before Eldrian could reply, "Good this will be much easier than asking the other Chosen, as they would probably first want to have a debate. Which we do not have time for."


    ''What just happened?'' Eldrian asked himself as he felt he was just ced into a position where he would take the me when things go wrong. Which was far more likely than them going well. But he also couldn''t refute Old Sword''s statement. As the yers would indeed debate on who should be the representative if they were to be given the option.


    "Arthur let''s get back to the topic," William said as he saw that more off-topic conversation was about to be continued. Currently, they did not have time for such talks.


    "Yes yes." Old Sword replied as he indicated for Eldrian and Vivian to join them around the weird table.


    ''Wait, is Old Sword''s name Arthur?'' Eldrian questioned when he saw Old Sword replying to being called Arthur.


    He and Vivian joined the group making it seven total now. They were standing over a circr coffee table, which seemed to have been made by cing a round shield over a squarish stone, of around knee height. On the table was a map, with two crosses, a circle, and a square. These symbols seemed to be drawn onto the map, but at the same time seemed to be floating over the map. Intriguing Eldrian''s curiosity.


    Eldrian thus tried to make sense of the map. He saw that the square, circle, and the furthest cross seemed to make a triangle. With the other cross almost on a line, if a line was drawn from the square to the furthest cross. Eldrian also saw that it seemed the square was in a woody area. ''Might be our position.'' He thought as he looked at it, at this time the group started talking again.


    "So the report you received said that another pack has been spotted near the one we are going after?" One of the guys asked, Eldrian was unfamiliar with him as he only knew Old Sword while also knowing William''s name.


    The guy who spoke was the lone ranger, or at least he looked like a ranger. He had a bow slung over his back and he had two quivers, one at his hip and another at his lower back. Other than this he was wearing ssic leather armor with a cape, which was currently not drawn over his head.


    "Yeah, the scouting party who reported this has since not reported in again. So it is fairly safe to assume that they were killed. Which worries me, this group was a group of elites. No normal wolf beasts would have been able to catch them and kill them." William replied, as he stroked his long white beard in the same manner people normally did when they were contemting about something.


    "Which means this new pack is more dangerous. Since either a few betas had gone out to chase and kill them. Or this pack has direwolves..." Another of the guys Eldrian was unfamiliar with spoke.


    This guy was wearing what seemed like a ssic example of te armor, with almost no spot on his body open. And when a spot needed to not be covered with te, to allow movement, then the spot would be covered by scale or mail armor, depending on the ce of the spot. He also had a massive sword on his back. The guy looked like the ssic example of a heavy shock soldier.


    "I just hope it doesn''t mean there is a Beast Lord or stronger in the pack. Then we would be royally screwed and I would suggest we retreat now." Thest guy who Eldrian did not know spoke. He was wearing what seemed to be a robe, but up close Eldrian could see that he had some type of leather armor under his robe.


    This guy only had a shortsword on his side, clearly meant as ast defense item and not his main weapon of focus. The shortsword would do poorly to have as your only weapon in a fight. Unless you were trained to use it well. Which Eldrian doubted was the case, due to the robe the guy was wearing.


    "We can''t retreat, if we do then the viges in this area will be destroyed before we cane back. From the reports it seems like the packs are both heading to Synoro. So from this we can be certain they have a leader or at the very least they have receivedmands from someone." William said, as he frowned. He did not like how this expedition has developed.


    ''Ah so that is it.'' Eldrian talked to himself as he looked back at the map. He now felt confident that the circle was the town, the crosses the packs, and the expedition army the square.


    None of the leaders looked happy at this stage. They had led the expedition army with the idea of training, but it seemed more and more like it will be a deadly battle ahead of them. With most of the soldiers in this army being freshly trained and unblooded, they felt fighting such a hard battle would be a terrible idea. But if they did not rush to defend the town then the entire area will be devastated.


    Which meant that at a minimum of 50 000 civilians will be killed by the two packs. As this was the poption of the town. Then the towns would be devastated after, which would mean even more casualties.


    All of them had one thought running through their heads currently. Which was that the towns and viges nearby should have been evacuated long ago. And that it should not have waited until a threat appeared at the border.


    "Then it makes this simple, we have to fight. Even if most of the soldiers die, then it means we sacrificed 5000 for 50 000." The ranger said.


    At this time Eldrian looked at Vivian as he felt this just became much more dangerous to the NPCs than he first believed it would be. He was worried that she might die in this fight.


    ''I have to make sure she does not die.'' Eldrian told himself as he thought about how he could ensure this. He felt Old Sword would be fine, since he was so strong and experienced. But this was Vivian''s first time at the battle.


    Luckily Eldrian did not fear dying himself as he was a yer, which made him feel more confident that he could help Vivian survive this fight.


    "I agree with Wayne, we have to fight. So now we must ask ourselves how we will do it." Old Sword said, to which the others just nodded, seemingly happy with the fact that Old Sword was agreeing to fight for the town''s people.


    Old Sword was waiting for them toe up with a n, as this was also a type of training and grooming for the new captains. He already had a n, which he hoped they would alsoe up with. But if they took more than 10 minutes he would just call it and start marching. He felt they could at most waste 30 minutes resting here, before it would be toote to use his n.


    "From the reports we received I feel the most obvious choice would be to rush the first pack. After engaging the nearest pack we will rush to help defend Synoro. But I don''t think these soldiers will be able to aplish both rushes in time." William suggested and also gave his opinion on this choice.


    "The melee troops will definitely not manage the rush. They will be too tired to fight, which will just cause a copse in the formation when fighting." The guy in te armor said.


    "True I feel the same as Ethan. The archers might be able to aplish it without copsing, but from what I saw I fear they do not have the willpower to fight well after rushing to battle." Wayne, the ranger guy, said.


    "What other option do we have?" William asked with an irritated tone. He thought to himself that if only this troop was a seasoned one, then this would have been easy.


    At this point, Eldrian felt he had to speak up. He felt they had missed a fairly obvious option, from the map he concluded that it should be able to rush to the town, before the beasts can reach it.


    "Sorry to interrupt, but would it not be possible to rush to the town, what was it? Ah Synoro." Eldrian asked.


    The captains weren''t very happy with the Chosen interrupting them, but they weren''t too mad, since he obviously did not know how hard it would be to aplish. It also seemed that Old Sword approved of this Chosen, so they wanted to give him a fair chance.


    "No, since if we do rush, then we will run into the nearest pack, and even if we do manage to miss the pack and reach Synoro without a fight. We then won''t be able to defend the town properly as the area the wall covers would need around 10 000 troops to effectively defend it from all directions. The town''s walls were never made with the idea to stop an attack, but rather to stop small numbers of monsters from easily wandering in and killing the vigers." Old Sword said and then added.


    "Unless we can guarantee where they will attack, and only focus soldiers there. Still in this case the pack can just shift and we won''t be able to reposition as fast as them. Causing us to be exposed at certain points."


    "Then what was the n of helping Synoro you mentioned?" Eldrian asked as he felt this would then be just as ineffective.


    "Ast-ditch effort to save some farmers." The guy in robes said.


    "Sad, but it is true. As Carl said, it is ast-ditch effort. Since by the time we arrive the pack would already have breached the walls."


    ''The hell is with such stupid defenses.'' Eldrian asked himself, not wanting to voice this out as he could see that the people in the group were already quite frustrated.


    He did not want to add fuel to the fire and be their target for venting all their pent-up anger.

 Chapter 36: Plan of action - Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 36: n of action - Part 2</h4>


    "Can''t we split up into two groups and fight both packs separately, at the same time?" Vivian asked as she looked at the map, she had also figured out how it worked. In fact, she immediately knew what it meant as she had seen such map representations often, in her dad''s office.


    "That is why I wish this was a seasoned troop." William said, "Then this would be a very good option. We could split the army, sending a small division to keep the second pack busy while we fight and kill the nearest pack with the majority of the soldiers."


    "Why won''t it work with the current soldiers?" Vivian asked as she felt confused why these soldiers would be unable to do it.


    "The diversion division would be wiped out before we can reach them. If we send more troops there, then the main division will take too long to defeat the nearest pack." Ethan said.


    "And adding onto it, at least one of us will have to go with them. Which means we won''t be able tomand the unit under us." Carl exined, but as he saw both Vivian and Eldrian seemingly getting confused he added. "It means someone will be forced to fill the position. Which will cause a massive morale drop and weaken the army as a whole."


    "There is also the fact that the diversion division, would have to run the entire way to make it in time to intercept the second pack. Meaning they would be very tired before they started fighting. On top of this, they will have to fight outnumbered." Wayne added, to which the others nodded. They had forgotten about this part for a while now.


    The distance was not a easy thing to ovee. They truly couldn''t catch the second pack unless they pushed the soldiers too hard. Which would just lead to a copse of the army.


    "Which pack is the more difficult one to handle?" Eldrian asked as he believed splitting would really not work then. If the smaller army was going to be exhausted, then there was certainly next to no change for them to manage in keeping the pack busy, until the rest of the army can reinforce them.


    "What do you mean?" Ethan asked.


    "William said that the new pack had killed the scouts, which means it is stronger than the other one. Right?" Eldrian asked for confirmation.


    "Oh right that part." William suddenly spoke up as he heard his name. He then pointed to the nearest cross. "It would be the nearest pack."


    "That is good," Eldrian said, leaving the others confused.


    "Why is that good?" Wayne asked, as he felt curious about how this would help. He believed it would be better if the weaker pack was nearer. They could then break through it faster.


    "Because I thought of another option. Would it be possible to lead the second pack to us?" Eldrian asked, feeling it was the only good option left, unless magic could provide them some help.


    If they somehow managed to pull or guide the second pack to them while they were fighting the first pack. Then they should be able to create a defensive position from which to fight, instead of having to rush just to fight two battles, in a tired state.


    "What do you mean lead the second pack to us?" William asked as he looked at Eldrian with hope in his eyes. He hoped to keep the town from bing a sacrifice for the war.


    "I mean we send some or all of the scouts to lead the further pack nearer to us. I believe they are on horses, correct?" Eldrian asked as he looked at all the leaders.


    "Yes they are, but how would they be able to pull the entire pack? Normally a pack would send a division of their members to take care of such a small threat." William asked.


    "That would depend on how aggressive the, what the hell is the monsters called?" Eldrian asked as he found he could not remember the name for in wolf beasts.


    "We simply call them Evolved Wolves or Wolfbeasts, which is more often used. The next ss, the Demonic Beasts of wolf variant would be called Direwolves." Vivian said as she remembered she never told Eldrian the specific names of the monsters they were going to face.


    "Then how aggressive are Wolfbeasts to humans?" Eldrian asked


    "They are quite aggressive, but as I said earlier, they will only send out a small part of the pack to kill the scouts," William answered.


    "We aren''t just going to send them to appear in front of the pack." Eldrian countered before he asked, "How many scouts were sent out, and what are they equipped with?"


    "If I remember correctly we sent out 20 scouting parties. With each party having around 4 to 6 men. If we tell them to form up it would be around a 100 men." Wayne answered.


    "And theiryout is standard for scouts." Carl also offered an answer.


    "What does standard mean?" Eldrian asked as he shook his head from Carl''s reply. ''Standard'' meant nothing to him.


    "They are all lightly armored with crossbows. They also each have a spear and sword with them." William replied to Eldrian''s question as he felt this Chosen might really have a n. He started to believe because Eldrian was asking for specifics and not just spouting his ideas.


    "Good they at least have a ranged weapon," Eldrian said as he sighed from relief. He had feared that they would have none, seeing as this kingdom seemed to heavily favor melee fighting, with the sword if one wanted to be more specific.


    "Yes but even so they won''t aplish much," Ethan said as he felt this would still not really help.


    "What if they apply hit and run tactics? How many beasts would they be able to kill then?" Eldrian asked next as he hopped for a good answer.


    "What is hit and run tactics?" Wayne asked, he had never heard of the term before. The other people also looked at him, waiting for an answer.


    ''Dammit, have they never used such a simple tactic?'' Eldrianined internally before he exined, "It is when you only shoot when you are safe and far away from the enemy. When the enemy approach you, chasing, you turn around and run away. When they stop chasing you, you shoot them again." He said trying to make it easy for them to grasp.


    Hearing his reply all the captains frowned, feeling this tactic was honorless and cheap. But they did not argue this point as they all felt saving 50 000 townsfolk was more important than their pride. They were even willing to throw their honor away for such arge amount of people.


    "Then how many beasts would they be able to kill? Would it be enough to force the entire pack to chase them?" Eldrian asked, pushing them past the dishonorable part of hit and run tactics.


    He had believed it would have caused a massive argument, luckily it seemed like the people here wanted to save the civilians more than they cared about their honor and pride. ''I feel they are all from amon background.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he saw them all contemte his question, seemingly wanting to find the correct and urate answer.


    He was very happy they went along with it so easily.


    "If we assume they do manage to pull this off smoothly, meaning they don''t get caught by the Wolfbeasts. And we assume every fourth bolt a scout fires will kill a beast, then they should be able to kill around half the pack." Wayne said as he did the math in his head. He raised his head in surprise when, what he had said hit him.


    Wayne then quickly started checking himself to make sure what he had said was correct. ''Scouts normally are sent out with 60 crossbow bolts, so if they managed to hit a beast in the head every fourth shot they fire, or a few shots in the body with at least one hitting a vital organ. Then this would indeed be possible...''


    ''Eiga have mercy.'' Wayne cried internally when he confirmed the numbers were correct. While the others asked their own specific deity for mercy, when they realized that the group of a 100 scouts might be able to kill a 1000 beasts.


    This when both sides are of around the same strength group, was an unheard-of feat.


    "If they can manage that, then even if they don''t pull the pack. The damage would be enough to allow the town to defend or at least hold out until we can reach them." William added after a while of silence.


    Everyone but Eldrian was left shocked by the revtion of this tactic''s strength.


    "Let''s try this then," Ethan said, as all the others agreed with his statement. This n gave them real hope for saving everyone.


    ''What an easy yet deadly tactic.'' Old Sword thought as he looked at Eldrian.


    Old Sword had had the same idea, to an extent. His n was to tell the scouts to form up and shoot at the pack to draw their attention. Once the pack rushed them, they would then head to where the troop was fighting the other pack. If the pack stopped following them, then they would have to turn around and shoot at the pack again. He did not n on telling them to fire, unless the pack stopped following them.


    ''Such a simple addition can make the same idea so much stronger.'' Old Sword thought to himself.


    The only problem he had with this tactic, was that the scouts were going to face Wolfbeasts. This is not a slow enemy easy to shoot at. Some of the beasts are even faster than horses. Especially if they had time to grow or any of them was a variant.


    Even so, he felt this n had the best chance of leading the other pack to them. With the least amount of casualties.


    "I think this might work. It will still be a hard fight, but if we manage we should be able to save the town without any unneeded casualties." Old Sword said.


    "William, ry the task to the scouts. The rest of you get ready to set off. We will try and find a nice ce to fight. We do not want the second pack to be able to nk us when they arrive." Old Sword said as he stood up.


    Old Sword believed there would still beplications. But what battle did not have them?

 Chapter 37: Bow-formation

    <h4>Chapter 37: Bow-formation</h4>


    "Right, so what are you two nning on doing?" Old Sword asked after the captains had left.


    The captains had to sort out the soldiers under them. Giving themmands and exining the position they were currently in. As well as what everyone should expect when they start fighting.


    "That would depend on what the actual fight n is going to be," Vivian replied before Eldrian could.


    "Meaning?"


    "You just said that we are going to try and find a nice spot to fight at. So, dad, what is your n for this battle?"


    "Oh, I see you were paying attention. Why don''t you try and figure it out?" Old Sword grinned as he asked her this.


    Vivian hearing the first part smiled, but the smile soon turned into a frown as she realized her dad did not want to give her the answer.


    "Do you have a guess Haru?" Old Sword as he looked at Eldrian, who was waiting for them to finish.


    Not expecting to be brought into the conversation Eldrian was silent for a while. Before answering he looked at the map again, checking if there were any good defensive positions. He believed that if the scouts can lead one pack, then leading two shouldn''t be too difficult. Thus they could try and find an ideal ce to defend themselves. As long as it was not too far from the first pack''s expected path.


    "Can you give me some descriptions of the surrounding areas?" Eldrian asked first, wanting to get a better grasp on what could be used.


    "Mostly ins like we have been going through."


    "Any water masses like dams or rivers?"


    "A few, but not to the size I think you are asking about."


    "Then I don''t really know. Looking at the map I can see there is a small forest which you might be nning to use. But I have no idea how you would use it."


    Hearing this Vivian looked at Eldrian in surprise. ''How did he find something useful so easily?'' She asked herself as she still found no useful information from the map. ''I get what a river could be useful for, but a forest? Why would my dad want to go there?''


    "Oh, you actually found it so quick." Old Sword said in surprise. ''Haru might be a born tactician.'' He thought to himself. From the information he knew Eldrian knew off, it was clear that Eldrian should not be able to connect the usage of the forest as a defensive structure. Yet he had managed to do it.


    Still, Old Sword felt confident that Eldrian was expecting a different use from the forest,pared to what they would use it for.


    "So I was right, you want to use the forest just in front of the town. Why?"


    "To block our back."


    "How will a forest do that? The beasts can just run through it, no?"


    "True, but you seem to have forgotten about our mages."


    ''I knew it would be something like that.'' Eldrian thought before he asked, "You''re not going to give me more information?"


    "Too difficult to exin. You will see when we get there. Now let''s set off, we need to make it in time to attract the first pack, else the scouts would be put under more pressure."


    As Old Sword said this he started heading to the group of nobles. They did not want to listen to the captains, thus he or William had tomand them to do stuff. Else they would just refuse. With William busymunicating with the scouts, the duty fell onto Old Sword.


    ''Dirt useless bastards.'' Old Sword mumbled as he headed to them.


    Seeing Old Sword leave, Eldrian turned to Vivian wanting to ask her where she wanted to stay, while traveling to the fighting ground. Seeing as they might encounter the beast pack anytime, he did not want to be separated and at the back again.


    "Let''s just stay behind the nobles," Vivian said as she saw Eldrian''s questioning gaze.


    "Wait what?"


    "Not with them. But like, behind them. Inside the main part of the army. We can then easily move to where we want. Which we can decide on after seeing the n my dad has."


    "Oh, sounds good then. Hope they don''te and bother us."


    "I don''t expect it, they should all be scared by now."


    "Why on earth would they be scared?"


    "Cause my dad is obliged to tell them of the developments. Meaning they know we are going to be equal numbered halfway through the fight. That plus the fact that we suspect there to be stronger monsters than just in Wolfbeasts in the packs."


    As such Eldrian and Vivian followed behind the nobles. The nobles were centered in the formation the soldiers took when marching. As such Eldrian and Vivian were positioned just around the front of the back of the marching army.


    The yers on the other hand weregging behind the soldiers again.


    Another two hourster Eldrian saw, what he assumed to be the same forest. ''Goodness, next time I am not leaving without a horse.'' He thought to himself as he came to the realization that this world was massive. They had probably walked around 50 kilometers by now. Yet Eldrian had seen no settlements while they had made their way here.


    Eldrian could now make out the walls of the town on the horizon. He was astonished that the first human settlement from the city was so far away. He was more surprised due to how nice the climate and area were.


    Surprisingly most of the area they had passed through had been uncultivated. Eldrian felt conflicted about this, as it seemed like the entire area was perfect for crops.


    This uncultivated situation had been true from the get-go. From the start of setting out from the city. They had only walked on a road for the first two or three hours. After which they had left the nicely paved road to go the town, following a narrow dirt road.


    They had then left this dirt road just an hour before they had reached the first forest, where they had taken a break and had lunch. From there they had simply walked over grassy fields. Which was went Eldrian had realized that none of the ces was cultivated, simply left as grasnds instead.


    ''How do they manage to feed everyone?'' He had asked himself when he realized this. He found no answer to this question on the entire journey.


    "Form up, Soldiers get to action!" A voice suddenly shouted, to which the entire army suddenly picked up the pace and headed to the forest in the distance, at top speed.


    This confused many of the yers, Eldrian included. He turned to look at why they were rushing. Looking around he saw a grey moving mass at the horizon, seemingly heading for the town.


    ''Wow, we really just made it. What are we going to do with the forest now?'' Eldrian asked himself. He had thought Old Sword might want to use magic to form makeshift battlements. But they would clearly not have enough time to aplish that.


    "Cohort 1, formation bow!" A shout was heard over the sound of nking weapons and armor.


    After this shout, the melee troops, those with metal armor, swords and shields split from the rest. They rushed to get past the forest, while the other soldiers stayed on course to the forest.


    When they were just a few hundred meters from the forest another voice shouted out. "Mage squad, battle preparations, bowstring formation!


    To which the mages now left the group, leaving the archers and yers alone in heading to the forest.


    "Archers setup backdoor fire." A voice was again heard, to which the archers rushed into the forest.


    The yers slowly stopped, halting to the side of the forest. The melee soldiers were forming up in what represented the form of a drawn bow. This formation was being set up at what was the back of the forest, from the yers'' perspective. While the city would then be a few kilometers to the left of this formation and the beast pack was to the right.


    This ced the army in the middle of the two, granted to the side a bit. Seeing as the army was not intersecting a straight line between the pack and the town. But they were near enough to this line, that archers would be able to shoot the pack, if the pack ignored them.


    The mages joined the soldier''s formation, making a straight line from the two edges of the soldier''s formation. Naturally, the mages did not form aplete line, unlike the melee soldiers. Even so, the formation represented a curved short bow very well.


    As the yers looked at this they grew confused, regretting not epting to be ordered around. They felt so out of ce now, luckily most of them had not spotted the pack advancing to the town yet. If they had, then panic would have started spreading.


    Eldrian and Vivian had naturally not stood still when themands had been issued. They had followed the mage group, as they did not want to get stuck in a firm formation. They had thought that the mage group would be the least strict and formed. Luckily their guess had been correct. They were now waiting in the middle of the bow formation.


    In fact, a few yer groups had realized what was going on after the first shout. They had subtly left the other yers behind, joining the soldiers much as Eldrian and Vivian had.


    Behind them, the mages started casting spells. Slowly the area they were standing on rose, forming ant hills first, which slowly turned into mounts and finally forming aplete risen line. from the one point of the ''bow-limb'', formed by the melee soldiers, to the other limb.


    ''That is a clever usage of magic. I wonder how advanced it is.'' Eldrian asked himself when he looked behind him. He had wanted to see what the yers were doing, but the rising earth had pulled his attention.


    By the end, this line ended up resembling a dam wall, if the surrounded area was to be taken as a dam. The wall was almost as tall as a person, with the inside slop being very gentle and the outside slop was quite steep. Reaching the max height in only a step or two.


    The yers came out of their amazement only after a long time. It had been the first time for most of them to see magic being used. It had certainly made them stare like the dumbstruck people they were.


    Coming out of this stupor they realized that the soldiers were setting up for a fight, they thus wanted to rushed and try to enter the formation. Everyone realized by the point, that being alone or ungrouped would be a massive disadvantage.


    At this time the archers rushed out of the forest, climbing onto the wall. The yers wanted to join them and started rushing to the formation. Unfortunately for them, they did not have enough time to close the distance.


    Wolf howls were soon heard, just as the yers looked up. To their horror, they were just as far from the formation as the monsters were.


    Following the howls was a sound simr to galloping horses, but much softer in volume. Yet just as daunting.

 Chapter 38: Charging beasts and a death trap

    <h4>Chapter 38: Charging beasts and a death trap</h4>


    "What the hell! Did the NPCs just leave us to die?" A yer cried out as he looked at the clean formation the NPCs had formed, with no ces for them to easily join from.


    The bow formation made out of the melee soldiers had near to no gaps between the soldiers'' shields, while the entire wall was now filled with the archers. The archers and mages had formed around 6 lines on the ramp-wall, with the most inside line being just elevated a bit, while those at the out-most could see clearly over all the soldiers.


    The entire ramp-wall seemed to be around as tall as a person''s shoulder now that it had beenpletely formed. On the outside, it resembled a wall more than a hill, while on the inside it looked very much like a gentle ramp. Taking over 10 metres to reach the top. This top was not wide only allowing two people to stand on it, side to side.


    All the yers were questioning just what type of game the developers had made, as the gazed at the charging beasts who was still a distance away from the army. The yers asked themselves, ''In what game does the NPCs abandon the yers?'' They also added aint to this question, ''And this is the first main quest!''


    Most of the charging beasts were of a grey-silver color, making them appear as shadows running through the fields gracefully. While a single Wolfbeast might look quite normal, cute even. In the massive group of thousands, they exuded an intense bloodlust onto the yers. Which caused the yers to start to panic.


    As the yers panicked and became worried about how they were going to survive, they all reacted differently. Each group of yers had their own reasoning for their choice. Well except those who hadpletely frozen, failing toprehend what was going on. The difference in the reasoning of the yers heading to different ces was also quite clear.


    Some of the yers rushed to the formation, hoping to reach it before the beasts or at the least in time to not be left alone. They hoped of maybe scaling the wall and reaching safety.


    This group hoped to use the strength of the NPCs to take the main hit of the beasts'' charge. While they would be able to hide behind the NPCs, at the back of the wall, hopefully not needing to kill any monsters. And if the opportunity ever arrived then they would jump over the wall, into the safe inside of the formation.


    Some other yers ran to the forest hoping to hide out the fight, or at least avoiding into direct contact with the beasts. These yers hoped that the monsters would focus on the other yers and the NPCs, ignoring the forest. They hoped this would happen as the formation''s backside, with the wall on which the archers was standing, was around 10 meters from the forest. Giving them around 30 meters of distance to where they were going to hide, and the back of the wall.


    This group also hoped that if the monsters chased them into the forest that they could then use the trees to their own advantage. Completely forgetting that they had no n on how to achieve this.


    Other yers decided to fully run away, just wanting to not be eaten again. They had experienced it before and while not too bad, with the weakened feeling of pain, the feeling was still very ufortable.


    While all the yers did not fear dying, they had either experienced that the feeling of getting killed was unpleasant and they would rather avoid it if possible. Or they did not want to receive the death penalty. The death penalty which yers had found, through dying a bunch, was really harsh. While they were all still level one, this did not mean the penalty was not present. If they died, then they would lose all their items and experience points.


    Currently, no exception to this death penalty has been found, yet. If a yer had friends or could find their corpse, then they could get back their items. If it had not been stolen by someone before they came back that is. The experience loss seemed to be permanent.


    No yer wanted to die due to these factors. With them being very far from the city they all knew the items lost would likely be permanent. Most yers had used all their money on these items leaving themselves just a few silvers for food, while trying to get more via hunting wolves.


    The group of yers fully retreating soon received a system message after they hadmitted to abandoning the NPCs. They had not even made it more than 20 meters so far.


    [Cowardly retreat detected, leaving the quest giver in a dire situation.]


    [yer has forfeited the quest]


    [-15 rtion with Phallos kingdom, -20 rtion to all NPCs in expedition army.]


    Seeing this, most of them wanted to keel over. They had no idea what the rtion meant, but they felt certain it would not be something you wanted to lose. Especially so early in the game, when they haven''t even managed to travel to other areas.


    This group had one thing going for them at least. The monsters did indeed ignore them, rushing at the NPCs, while also trying to nk the formation. Which was going to lead them into the first group of yers, behind the wall.


    At this time the archers finally let loose their arrows, as the beasts had just entered their max range, which was around a 200 meters. The beasts had tried to nk the formation from a distance, but after a certain amount they needed to just charge.


    A hail of arrows wasunched at once, resembling a flock of birds. Causing massive carnage to the charging beasts.


    As the arrows hit many beasts fell over dead, or weakened. These poor beasts were soon after trampled by their brothers who were rushing over them. Killing them in a torturing manner, being crushed to death, slowly.


    The archers freely fired after the first volley, causing even more carnage, but the beasts seemed to not care. The beasts crashed into the wall of NPCs hard, just as the archers had let loose their fifth or sixth shot.


    The beasts immediately killed most of the front soldiers with their charge, but they did not aplish much more. After the initial charge they had lost their momentum. The NPCs killing the beasts in an orderly manner from the back, while seeing their friends dying to keep the front and second front line up.


    These lines of soldiers fought valiantly, not stopping until they were dead. If they could move, they would. Trying to kill one more beast


    But at a few positions in the formation, the beasts managed to break the lines with more ease, prating into the line of soldiers. This happened slowly, but as they continued to press it became clear where the weaker NPCs were.


    As this happened the pack spread out, trying to surround the entire formation. A few tens of seconds in the fight and they had already passed the bow-limbs of the formation. Seeing the confused and scared yers standing defenselessly in an open field, between the wall and forest.


    Seeing this the group of yers behind the wall palled. They had believed they would have far more time to try and climb the wall, yet they had just reached this ce. Not having any time to even try and climb it. In fact, the nearest yer was still around six meters from the wall as the beasts had arrived.


    The beasts seeing the easy target, forgot about trying to nk the formation, simply rushing to kill the yers in a bloody haze. Seeing this the NPCs on top of the wall were quite happy, as it gave them the time they had wanted.


    The back two lines of the archers had turned around when the beasts had reached the bow-limbs. They now opened fire, killing the easy targets. Which were the beasts who were busy ripping and shing yers apart.


    The group of yers in the forest felt they had been smart to head into it. As they watched the horror show in front of them. They all finally realized why the Miracle Corporation was so adamant on the age restriction. What the yers were seeing, could easily give even adults PTSD.


    As the mages saw that a good number of beasts had gone behind the formation, they started casting spells. Half the mages cast a water spell, summoning a flood of water, which flowed down the wall like a waterfall. The other half casted a spell which made the earth below the wall, up to the forest, absorb the water far easier. Quickly bing a dirt field, resembling a marsnd. After this, the mages started to cast a different type of spell.


    The unlucky yers in the field now found themselves struggling to move. Luckily the beasts did not fare much better. But even so the yers found themselves dying far quicker than what the beasts were being taken down by the archers.


    Some of the yers near the wall found hope in the situation, as the beasts were now too slow to reach them. Before they would be able to scale the wall. To their dismay, the water flowing down the wall was turned into ice as the mages finished casting their spell. Making the task of getting to the top very taxing.


    While still possible, it would take them more than a few seconds. The yers did not know if the NPCs would allow them to take the time. Or simply shoot them as they tried. Some of the yers took advantage of the marshy field. Lying down into it, covering themselves with dirt. Hoping to survive in such a manner.


    The NPCs did not really care for the yers, as they had done their job as bait. Many beasts had been killed easily at the back, while scaling the wall would take them a few seconds, now that the preparations were done. During which the archers could fire on the attempting beast.


    The mages hadn''t stopped casting spells as they all started casting a third one. This spell caused ice-like spikes to protrude from the top of the wall. Making it a deathly option to any beast who tried to jump over the wall. The beast would simply be impaling itself if it tried.


    The yers cursed the NPCs when they saw the final addition to the wall. Finally realizing that they had been used as bait, not just ignored and left alone. They were all royally pissed at the NPCs by now.


    A few of the smarter yers realized they could not fault the NPCs, as this was the best use of a disorderly and uncooperative group of people inside an army. Even so, they were pissed at the despicable act the NPCs had done. Not having given them any indication of this, until it was toote.


    By now just a minute or two had passed, yet most of the yers in the open were dead. Now only those running away, inside the forest and inside the formation were left.

 Chapter 39: Second trap as the fighting continues

    <h4>Chapter 39: Second trap as the fighting continues</h4>


    Looking at their quest disy the yers inside the forest were absolutely shocked by the amount of death. Which had happened in these few minutes.


    Currently, the NPCs left alive were at 4467/5156 while the yers were only at 921/1987. Seeing this the yers felt like voicing theirints on the quests'' difficulty. They felt it was unfair that the first story quest was this difficult, with half of those who had joined it already dead.


    "How the hell is this a starting quest?" A random yer, hiding behind a treeined.


    "I know right, the fuck is up with this death trap?" Another yer, who was lying on the ground agreed.


    "Goddam NPCs tricked us." A different yer added as he stood up from his sitting position.


    "Yeah, we''ll get back at themter." The first yer said, raising his voice as he spoke.


    "Yeah! Just they wait, when we grow stronger. We will then kill them all." The third added, shaking his fists around.


    "Are you insane?" A fourth yer asked when he heard the others.


    "What, why? Why not kill them?" The third yer asked as he turned around to look at the yer who called him insane. He had an ugly smirk on his face when he saw the yer falling silent.


    "Shut up idiots!" A female yer shouted as she heard them just babbling on about nonsense, when they were all in such a dire situation. But it was toote. Or rather her shout was the final nail in the coffin.


    The beasts had heard the argument. Realizing that there were humans in the forest. The beasts in the marsh field had been trying to run into the forest, looking for cover from the arrows being loosed by the archers. But now they let loose a howl informing their brethren that there was another force of humans.


    Seemingly wanting to ambush them.


    Following the howl more beasts, who were currently no fighting, split off from the rest and charged into the forest.


    "Fuck!" The female shouted as she saw the beasts rushing to them. She knew she was also at fault, but the yers had irritated her so much. Causing her to identally shout instead of softly and sternly telling them off.


    "Nooo!" A yer screamed as he saw the beast rushing them. Others started running around randomly, hoping the beasts would target someone else while they could then run further away.


    "Group up!" The female shouted, trying to inspire and organize the yers. It was their only hope for not all dying. If they could form a formation between a few trees. Then they might just be able to take down a few beasts with them. Maybe someone would save them if they could hold out long enough.


    No one headed her shout, everyone was only thinking of themselves. Not caring in the least about the other yers.


    While a wolfbeast was small, the yers had seen how deadly they were. Agile, graceful killers were an apt name for these small monsters.


    The beasts soon started another ughter as they rushed into the woods. This time they were not being killed as they killed, seeing as the trees prevented the archers from hitting them. Many beasts followed their brethren into the forest when they saw this. They too wanted to enjoy the thrill of an easy kill.


    When Carl saw that the beasts had abandoned the marsnd, heading into the forest to hunt the yers in there he had shouted, "Mages get ready!"


    "Remember, use your strongest fire spells!" He said after he determined that a good number of beasts had split apart to kill the yers in the forest.


    After he shouted this, he started creating a mental image for his spell. Soon a simple fireball appeared between his hands, he had struck his staff into the ground as he was using aplex spell. Which meant he needed more control, and his staff did not offer this. His staff was meant for simple and quick spells, as it could increase their strength by arge amount. But for the stronger spells, the staff could do nothing.


    A few secondster many fireballs were sent into the forest, each exploding like a firework. This did not happen in an orderly manner. Some mages were still casting their spells, while others had long since sent theirs. Over time different spells started flying to the forest. ming birds, whips of fire or even lighting bolts were sent into the forest as soon as the mage casting it finished his channeling.


    Carl''s spell by now resembled the sun much more than a fireball. The ball was so bright that most people had to avert their eyes. The NPCs near him had to take a few steps back as they felt their skin being burnt by the ball of me Carl was holding.


    Carl felt his clothes heating up, but he kept the miniature sun between his hands. Until he absolutely had to release it. Finally, he believed his enchanted robe was about to catch fire, thus he let it loose.


    A ball of blue light was thus released into the forest. It was no bigger than a ser ball, but everyone who saw it was blinded for the next couple of seconds.


    This small ball flew so fast that a cracking sound was heard as it sped away. Soon more such sounds followed as it broke through the trees in its way. Reaching the center of the forest in less than half a second.


    The ball exploded as it hit the ground, sending a massive blue-med shock wave through the forest. Toppling trees as it spread. This shock wave moved without breaking apart for around 20 meters, after which it finally started bing weaker. In the end, an entire radius of more than 30 meters was left scorched.


    With this, the entire forest was basically set on fire. The center burning in blue mes, while further out the mes appeared more normal. Hundreds of wolfbeasts were killed by thisbination attack from the mages.


    Most yers inside the forest had died from these series of explosions and zing mes. Those left alive were at the outskirts of the forest, now lying on the ground. Paralyzed in surprise and fear.


    These yers were in a conundrum. Where if they moved the beasts would kill them. While if they did not, then the fire will get at them.


    They soonmitted suicide by asking the system to die. As neither of the options sounded pleasant to them. They believed there was no way they would manage to survive until the quest waspleted. Thus they would rather take the morefortable death, seeing as they did have a choice in how they would die.


    By now the beasts were all forced to abandon the idea of surrounding the army. As the backside of the formation had imed close to a fifth of the pack by now. The beasts collectively feared another trap would bein there, waiting for them to attempt going around again.


    The yers who had abandoned the quest and simply run, swallowed hard as they saw that all the other yers had died. They started wondering if they had made the right choice.


    They all had a single thought going through their minds. Clearly, this quest was too difficult for them toplete. Far too difficult, such that they should have never tried.


    At this time the soldiers holding the line starting having a hard time. This pack was still far bigger than the one they had first gone after. While the other pack was only around 3000 beasts, this pack seemed to have over 5000. More resembling a horde than a pack.


    But none of the soldiers wavered, as they knew giving up meant certain death. They stayed in formation and fought, knowing they would most likely die. But in doing so, some of their friends might live.


    Following their training, the front soldiers managed to hold the line. With the archers helping and the sess of the two traps, the soldiers even found hope. If nothing went wrong, then they would certainly defeat this pack. It was not uncertain anymore.


    If they managed to finish the pack soon enough, then many of them could be revived. So they fought on knowing the cost would be dire, but hope still alive.


    Saving an entire town. With this thought they fought on, reminding themselves of the reason for fighting when they started wavering.


    The manner of fighting had turned far more desperate than at the start. The soldier at the front would try to just survive. The only task for this soldier was to survive and keep the beast in front of him from going past him.


    During this time those soldiers behind him will wait for an opportunity to attack the beast, forcing it to back down or killing it as it tried to kill the soldier in front of them. This did not always work out, but this was the idea of the fighting soldiers. Slowly dying and killing, trying to make the dying part slower than killing.


    At the same time, the backline of archers focused on killing beasts who were about to kill a fellow soldier. While those at the front shot over the line, as they did not have a clear view of the beasts, due to standing on the ramp and not the top of the wall.


    As this continued the beasts'' numbers seemed to dwindle a little faster than the soldiers. But a few ces in the formation seemed to be under heavy pressure. The opposite of the soldiers'' n happening in these ces. With them dying faster than they killed.


    The mages were all resting at this time. They had used most or all of their mana to ensure that the formation''s back would be safe. While also having killed arge amount of the pack in the process.


    To ensure no beasts sneaked around the formation, a few archers were watching in certain directions. With a sizable portion of them facing the forest. They would shoot single beasts quickly as the beast attempted a path different from the formation''s front. When a group of beasts wanted to try this, the lookout archers would inform those around them. Together easily killing the beasts who were slowed by the marsnd.


    This also enforced the beasts'' idea of not attempting to nk the soldiers. For the beasts, not getting a kill and dying was far worse than dying while killing someone. If they forced the issue they might have easily managed to nk the soldiers after some initial sacrifice. Since a path made out of bodies was easier to traverse than the marsnd.


    ''It worked really well.'' William thought as he prepared his spell. ''I can''t believe how easy it was to manipte the beasts, as well as the Chosen. Well except for a few.'' He thought as he looked at the, just over a hundred Chosen, who were inside the formation. Standing and waiting, not really doing anything.


    ''I hope they will help when we need it. And not do anything while it is still going well.'' William thought as he turned his focus back to the fight.


    If the Chosen tried to help, they would instead just cause problems. This was because they had never worked with the soldiers. They did not know what should be focused on. But if a ce was broken through, then William hoped they would buy time for the soldiers to get it back under control.


    William was aiming his spell for a darker group inside the pack. This group was certainly direwolves and added onto this, there was an alpha and many, many betas in this group. In fact, there were around six such groups spread throughout the pack. He was currently aiming for the biggest one.


    While his spell took long to cast, it was devastating when finally finished. Up until now, he had not cast a single spell.


    This was not because he could not use lesser spells, but rather that he had to focus on the major threats. Trusting the soldiers to hold out until those threats had been handled.


    His waiting had paid off as he felt certain this group was special. The group was far bigger than the others, while there were at least twice as many betas with this alpha. From what he had observed, it seemed that this alpha was intelligent. Controlling the pack via howls, making them focus on specific areas as the fight continued.


    He and Old Sword had thought such a situation might appear, thus for this purpose, he was to remain on the lookout. Only using this specific spell after he had confirmed that the target was the pack leader.

 Chapter 40: Getting used to battle

    <h4>Chapter 40: Getting used to battle</h4>


    Eldrian nced over his shoulder wondering what caused the massive heatwave passing over him. His hair fluttering around, he saw a massive wall of me had risen behind the wall of archers.


    ''That must have hurt the yers.'' He thought, ncing at his quest log in curiosity. Shocked he stared at the number; 141 yers left.


    ''Well, shit... Is this what A-ranked quest represents?'' He asked himself as he read the number. He had believed that the quest would be rtively easy, seeing as there were still S-ranked and epic quests above an A-ranked quest. But it seemed that his perspective had been wrong.


    A-ranked quests might mean nearly impossible. Not just a little hard.


    Looking around Eldrian tried to recover from the shock. He had been unproductive the first few minutes. Not able toprehend the scale of the battle or what he was supposed to be doing.


    Slowly he was getting more used to seeing the carnage. Allowing him to think with a clearer mind.


    The front-line soldiers seemed to be having a hard time, but they were all holding strong. While the archers were firing relentlessly into the mass of monsters. If the fight persisted for more than 10 more minutes, Eldrian felt they would run out of arrows. Most of the archers had two quivers, and some were already more than halfway through their first.


    Eldrian also saw that the mages were not casting spells, but he understood that they had just cast a massive spell. He was unaware of what exactly happened, but he felt thest spell must have taken it out of the mages.


    Most of the time, prior to this moment, he had mainly heard the cries of the yers from his back, and cried of battle and agony from the front. Sometimes a captain would shout something, but this was rare. Most of the time he was just listening to people calling out as they died.


    Eldrian did not find it a nice thing to experience.


    His eyes were not spared from this horror as he observed the chaotic battle. When a soldier was injured they would sometimes just fight to their death. But if there was a respite in the pressure ced on them, then the soldier would exit the formation stumbling to the medic center.


    They would often be missing arms or legs. Some struggled to keep their innards inside them as they stumbled out of the line. It was all very unpleasant to observe.


    They would sometimes receive help from the soldiers on standby. Who would help them to get to the medical center, but not always. These soldiers were surrounding the medic center, which was in the middle of the entire formation. There many magic casters were busy healing the injured, seemingly just trying to stabilize those in critical condition.


    Ignoring those who would live. If a person was missing an arm or leg. They would simply cauterize it and leave the fainted patient alone after.


    Eldrian found the practice to be very harsh. But he understood that they had to try and save as many people as possible. They did not have the time to be gentle.


    The nobles were also here, hiding behind the medic center. Acting as if they are protecting the medic center, but Eldrian saw that they were struggling to not break down. Some of them were shaking so badly that Eldrian could see it, even though he was 20 or so meters from them.


    He did not fault or find them cowardly. He understood that any person who had lived afortable life would be frightened of death. This situation certainly reminded you that you could die, every second of every passing moment.


    Heck, it took Eldrian more than a minute or so to get out of his stupor. Where he had struggled to think clearly. This while he was not scared of death, just being shocked by what he saw.


    Vivian had also been slow in getting used to it. But unlike Eldrian she had to fight the fear of death, along with the shock of seeing the true image of what a battle was.


    Eldrian observed the soldier, waiting for something to change. As he observed them he sometimes saw shes of light as the soldiers fought. He had not seen such an attack clearly, but from the glimpses, he saw he was impressed. This was not because of the use of magic by melee fighters, but due to how they used it. The speed and uracy with which they acted.


    Eldrian assumed this was what skills were. But he failed to figure out how it worked exactly. Spells were quite simple, since you could see the mage channeling it and then casting it out. But with skills, they seemed to just appear. Suddenly and deadly.


    Looking around he saw it again. this time more clearly. A soldier was pushed back by a beast who lunged at him, causing him to fall over. Defenseless the soldier tried to bring his arms up, hoping to protect his life. Before the beast could deliver its killing blow, a soldier behind the fallen soldier used a me skill.


    Thrusting his weapon forward, the soldier sent out a piercing fire ''bullet''. Eldrian had no idea how to exin it. The soldier simply trusted his sword, while being a meter too far. His de not able to reach the beast, yet a sh of light appeared. Killing the beast as soon as it did.


    The only thing hinting at the use of a skill was the streak of orange fire hanging in the air. The fallen soldier stood back up. Taking his ce behind a different soldier who had filled the gap, which his fall had caused.


    ''That looks so much more useful than spells.'' Eldrian thought as hepared the two. Spells needed time to set up and use. While the skills seemed to be instant.


    He knew that each had their own strength. But for solo adventuring, Eldrian felt skills would excel. While spells would get you killed. Naturally this was just his novice opinion and Eldrian did not want to make a decision from this alone.


    He would first train and use both. Only choosing his pathter when he knew more.


    Suddenly the sky darkened, bringing Eldrian out of his thoughts, as a massive bolt of lightning appeared. Seemingly stealing all the light around it.


    This bolt streaked through the air in a sh. Hitting somece left of the center of the pack. Eldrian could not see where itnded, but turning to the source he saw William standing hunched over. Clearly drained, breathed heavily.


    ''Yup, each has their own strength.'' Eldrian mumbled as he turned to look at the front again. He was just in time to see Old Sword jumping over the line of soldiers, heading to where the spell hadnded.


    ''Was that attack aimed at the pack''s leader?'' Eldrian questioned as he saw Old Sword''s action. He felt it was insane to charge into such arge amount of enemies alone.


    But he felt it made some sort of sense to. Seeing as Old Sword is the strongest person knew. Turning to Vivian he saw that she was frowning, curious he asked. "Why do you look so concerned?"


    "Because my dad wouldn''t go out unless the enemy is really strong. Which means he will be busy for a while."


    "Huh," Eldrian mumbled as he did not understand Vivian''s reasoning.


    "It means he won''t be able to help the soldiers in maintaining the formation."


    "But, shouldn''t it be fine? They had been doing great so far."


    To which Vivian shook her head as she nced at William asking herself, ''What on earth could force them to use so much on one target?'' She was worried, because it meant the pack was stronger than they had believed. Adding onto this worry, they only had around half an hour before the other pack would join the fight.


    "I fear the pack leader might have wanted this."


    Hearing the reply, Eldrian''s eyes popped wide open in surprise. ''Can monsters reason so well? And so early in the game story?'' He asked himself, as he felt a fear creeping into him.


    "Seems like you also just realized what I meant."


    "Please be wrong..."


    As Eldrian asked for mercy he saw a few points of the formation that seemed to be under far heavier stress, almost breaking.


    ''Goddam it. Did we jinks it or was Old Sword and William yed? yed by a freaking beast?''


    Eldrian turned to look at William hoping to see him in top form. But he was still breathing heavily, granted he had stood up straight again by now. But he was clearly not going to be able to do much anytime soon.


    "Fuck!" Eldrian shouted as he looked around. Searching for something which might help. He quickly spotted Elizabeth, the only other yer he really knew. She was standing with the other yers, with them seemingly following her. Eldrian started heading to her, hoping they would be willing to help.


    Vivian followed after Eldrian, hoping he had a n. She realized that they were now in what seems to be the beasts'' trap. She half wanted tough when she realized this part. Finding it funny that both fighting parties had fallen for each other''s traps. But she did not, as she found it more troubling than anything else.


    Elizabeth was still in a stupor, observing the carnage which was A New World''s battles. The few skirmishes she had had with her guild were nothingpared to this blood bath. She had almost vomited her lunch out.


    Some of the yers with her had in fact done just so. One unlucky fellow yer was even vomited on, as the vomiter had been unable to turn his head away in time.


    They had not even left the area, causing Eldrian to have to adjust his breathing as he approached them. The battlefield did not smell nice, but nowbined with the smell of vomit, Eldrian struggled to keep his cool.


    "Elizabeth!" Eldrian shouted as he approached her. Not really wanted to have to go nearer.


    "Yes?" She replied robotically, slowly turned her head to look at Eldrian.


    "We need to help the soldiers!"


    This sentence helped many of the yers wake up. They turned their heads, looking for what this guy was talking about. Those looking around soon paled, realizing that they were still in the frying pan.


    "We aren''t enough to cover so many areas." A guy said as he walked up to Elizabeth, standing next to her.


    ''Who is in charge?'' Eldrian asked himself confused, before shaking his head as he realized it did not matter. He just needed to get everyone to help the NPCs before it was toote.


    How and with who he managed this was not important.

 Chapter 41: Players acting as reinforcements

    <h4>Chapter 41: yers acting as reinforcements</h4>


    "We don''t have to cover every spot. I think I have a better idea." Eldrian replied to the stranger who seems to have taken over as the leader of the yers.


    "Oh?" The guy looked at Eldrian as he waited for an exnation.


    "Why don''t we offer to relieve those soldiers?" Eldrian pointed to the medic centre as he said that. "They should be better than us and therefore I believe we can aplish the task together with them."


    Looking in the direction, the guy started smiling. "Good idea, but how are you going to convince them?"


    "Let''s just say that Vivian should be able to help. If they do not want to listen."


    Curious the guy turned to look at Vivian who was standing next to Eldrian, asking. "How is she going to help with that?"


    "Because I am themander''s daughter." Vivian replied before Eldrian could.


    ''Well that is easier than trying to exin that she is an NPC, without saying she is an NPC.'' Eldrian nodded, happy she had made it easier for him.


    "Oh, well then what are we waiting for?" The guy asked.


    "For you to sort out the those behind you." Eldrian replied, while indicating to the yers.


    "Huh?"


    "Determine who is going to fight, and who will help the medic centre. We can''t leave it empty of defences and assistance. Can we?"


    "Oh..." Embarrassed he turned to the yers and started talking with them.


    "Aren''t you also going to talk with those following you?" Eldrian asked Elizabeth, who was just waiting.


    "No, none of them have medical experience. More importantly, I believe they all fight well. Therefore I would rather we all fight."


    "How many follow you, out of well... Everyone?" Eldrian asked curious.


    "Just under 30."


    ''Oh, that is not that many. Which means the other guy is probably leading the other 100''ish yers. Makes sense why he took over the conversation then. He feels he is responsible, or he just wants to be empowered.'' Eldrian thought, and as he did he saw the guy turning back around.


    "That was fast." Eldrianmented.


    "Those who did not want to fight were quick toe forward." The guy replied as he shrugged.


    "Who are you, by the way?" The guy asked as they walked.


    "I was just about to ask you the same question. I am Haru."


    "I''m Shadow, the guild master of Shadow Empire."


    As they exchanged names they started fast walking to the medic centre. They did not run as it was easy to fall over a body of an injured or dead person. Along with all the weapons having been abandoned on the way to the medic centre, it made the trek take longer than if they normally would travel the 50 or so meters.


    During the walk Shadow asked Eldrian, "Do you want to join my guild? We are growing quickly and will be a major power soon."


    Elizabeth frowned as if she had found a bad taste in her mouth. She wanted to argue that Eldrian should rather join ming Heart, but they were smaller than Shadow Empire. And she was just leading the scattered yers who had spawned in Phallos, she was actually not even high enough to normally be allowed to make decisions. But for some reason she was the highest ranked person in Phallos. Due to this she felt she would just ce herself in a worst position if she tried bringing it up.


    While Elizabeth was frowning and having an inner struggle, Vivian finally failed to hold in herughter. Bursting out, causing her to almost have to stop walking.


    "No thanks, I don''t want tomit myself to a group, just yet." Eldrian replied, just before Shadow could start something with Vivian. The anger on his face was easily visible and Eldrian did not want any trouble when they were already in such a situation.


    When Vivian finally stopped chuckling they had made it to the medic centre. Where they were immediately stopped by the soldiers.


    Seeing the soldiers putting up their guard Eldrian stepped forward. Shadow, Elizabeth and Vivian followed him. The former two clearly wanting to show they were leaders, while Vivian just wanted to be there to support Eldrian.


    "What do you want?" A soldier stepped forward and asked warily.


    "I know you do not like use very much. But I really do not care." Eldrian started out saying. To which many of the NPCs started frowning. Some even bing angry. Eldrian soon continued saying, "We are not here to make more trouble, but offer relief."


    "Relief for what?" The same soldier asked.


    "Well, your purpose here is to defend the healers and injured. While also helping move the injured. Correct?" Eldrian asked. To which he received a nod in reply.


    "This is what I offer a small portion of people do should stay and do, while the rest go and help the formation."


    "Why?"


    "Seems like you have not been looking around. Take a nce around you, at these ces in specific." Eldrian said as he pointed to the ces where the beasts have made even more progress in breaking through.


    ''Shit, they made more progress than I thought.'' Eldrian cursed when he looked around again. Realizing that it took far too long to get people to follow him.


    The soldiers became visibly concerned when they saw the struggle their fellow soldiers were in.


    "What do you propose then?" The soldier asked, now more inclined to listen to the Chosen.


    At this question Eldrian looked at Shadow, indicating for him to take over. Seeing this Shadow stepped forward and said, "Those who want to help here step out now."


    This confused the soldiers until a group of 20 or so yers left the bigger group. One of the yers walked forward and said, "I know I can''t fight for a shit''s worth. I did not, expect this quest to be this insane. But I have medical training, so let me stay and help those who are injured."


    He directed this speech, not at Eldrian or Shadow. But at the NPCs. Seeing his seriousness the NPCs felt it might be a good option.


    Another yer added, "If something happened here, then we will try and buy some time. So please go help where help is currently needed."


    Like a final string being cut, the NPCs all seemed to agree. Feeling it was better to try than wait.


    "We won''t be able to handle all those points though." A new soldier, with a bloody appearance, said while he walked to the group of soldiers. He was helping a injured soldier, who was missing a leg while also having a very nasty scar over his right side ribs. This was likely the cause of his clothes being covered in blood. Adding to this blood was many small scars over his body. With a few big ones on his arms.


    The yers all grimaced when they saw these two warriors. The first looked to be in hell, while the second looked like he came out of hell.


    Seeing this new bloody soldier''s arrival, the other soldiers all fell back into a formal formation. One having gone out to take over the injured persons handling.


    "How many can you cover?" Shadow asked, feeling it was more natural for him to continue the conversation. Eldrian did not bother too much, as he certainly wasn''t the leader of the yers.


    "Two, while we can support another, but we won''t be able to prevent its copse." The bloody soldier answered.


    "Shit." Shadow cursed as he looked at the soldiers. They were almost the same in number than the yers, but each one had far better equipment. From this he realized that the yers would likely be unable to even hold one position.


    "We can''t really talk this out. So what are we going to do, decide quickly." Eldrian spoke up again, while worriedly looking at the weak points. It was clear to him that it will break soon, very soon.


    "Then, you take one." The bloody soldier said pointing to Shadow, "Take all the Chosen you feel will be needed, leave the rest. I will go with them."


    He then turned to the soldier and shouted. "Split into two groups and go offer support!"


    As soon as hemanded the soldiers, they all rushed out, heading to the two furthest points.


    ''Smart, that gives us a few more seconds to figure out this part.'' Eldrian thought while looking at Shadow. Seeing Eldrian''s nce, Shadow had a bad feeling.


    "So, you go to one with you''re guild. While the rest of us will cover the other." Eldrian proposed.


    Shadow wanted to appose since he felt he needed more people. But he could not find something to use in his defence. His group was just over 80 people. While the other was just 30, when adding the NPCs and Eldrian.


    "Fine." Shadow agreed in defeat.


    "That was faster than I expected, so let''s go." The bloody soldiermented and started heading to a weak point on the left of the formation''s centre. Elizabeth, her guild members, Eldrian and Vivian followed him.


    Shadow and his group naturally went to the other point which had no support thus far.


    "I am Gregory, d you came to offer help. I was going to be in a though spot if not for the timely appearance of you guys." The bloody soldier said as they made their way to the fight.


    "d to be of assistance, and I am Haru." Eldrian said, feeling it was a good idea to share names. Following his example Elizabeth gave hers too, while Vivian just stayed quite.


    All this time the nobles had observed the conversation, but they had not wanted to join in. They felt it was far safer to stay out of the desperate fighting.


    They stayed where they were, looking prideful to hide their fear.


    As Eldrian''s group neared the edge of the line, a soldier looked behind him after having heard the sound of peopleing over. A look of relieve shed across his face, as he turned back to fight. This act of his was tote, as a beast lunged at him. Taking him down, while also digging its fangs into his neck.


    "Shit!" Eldrian shouted as he started taking out his double headed spear. Realizing he had been really stupid to leave it until sote.


    This was because it was not an easy thing to do with long items. He had experimented and found that when using the inventory, you have to pull the item out in one direction. The inventory system prevented it from rotating or changing angle. Putting an item inside was easy though, as it would just disappear into the inventory.


    Due to this he had to stop, call the inventory and pull his spear out in a horizontal manner. If he did it vertically up, then he would have to change hands. Like he was pulling it out of a hole. If he started taking it out diagonally downwards, then it could get stuck, due to not enough space between where he started and the ground.


    ''This is so stupid!'' He cried to himself as he spent a few seconds tugging at his double headed spear. Messing up the alignment often, due to his stress. This caused the spear to stop moving, getting stuck in ''space''.


    Luckily he was not alone, Gregory and Vivian charge the beast while he was still trying to get his weapon out. Making him feel like aplete idiot as he realized he would be dead if not for their actions.


    Turning around Eldrian soon found relief in the fact that he was not the only idiot. The other yers were also all busy taking out their weapons. But most of them had much shorter weapons, making it easier for them.


    A good 5 secondster, Eldrian finally got his weapon out.


    ''Grace my ass.'' He thought while looking at his double headed spear, which was finally free.

 Chapter 42: From group to group

    <h4>Chapter 42: From group to group</h4>


    Finally ready forbat Eldrian rushed forward as he saw more beasts about to break through the soldier''s formation. As he went up, Vivian and Gregory finished a second beast, having killed the first already. But more broke through with every second.


    "Dammit, that''s a direwolf," Vivian said as she saw one of the yet ck wolves break through with the others.


    Not sure what she meant the yer looked around at the beasts. They were currently forming groups and going forward to help when they had finished forming up. Seeing the much darker colored beast alone with the normal grey wolfbeasts, the yers promptly concluded to avoid any beast looking like it.


    Some yers took the time to observe the beasts. Surprised by the massive difference between the monsters themselves, andpared to a normal wolf.


    [Direwolf, Demonic Beast]


    [Tier 1, Level 1]


    [HP: 150]


    [Attack: 30]


    Turning to look at a normal wolfbeast they got.


    [Wolfbeast, Evolved Beast]


    [Tier 1, Level 1]


    [HP: 120]


    [Attack: 20]


    The yers knew the importance of these stats. From their experience fighting normal wolves, whose stats were far lower than both of the beasts'' stats. A wolf''s stats were normally.


    [Wolf, Animal]


    [Tier 1, Level 1]


    [HP: 100]


    [Attack: 10]


    Thus the biggest difference was the damage these beasts would be able to deal. Making the yers want to be more defensive. Therefore they tried to take a beast on with at least four yers, surrounding it and then slowly trying to whittle it to death.


    "Dammit, I do like no damage." A yerined as he found he was only hitting the wolfbeast for 5 damage. While he would take 18 damage when the beast graced his arms or legs. He knew he would die immediately if it managed to hit is vitals.


    Adding onto this troubling factor, was the fact that yers had yet to find a way to recover health. Other than resting, which was certainly impossible in this situation.


    The other yers also observed the beasts they were fighting, finding discouragement and not hope. The level 1 wolfbeast was the weakest of the lot.


    Some of the beasts were higher level. Resulting in them gaining more HP and attack for each level. While the growth was not that much, the beast was also a little faster. Making them have to approach the fight in an even more reserved manner.


    Luckily three people in the group were able to do more, "You two, go and help the others. I will be fine against the direwolf." Gregory said as he charged the lone direwolf.


    Eldrian and Vivian also immediately split up, each heading to a different group.


    ''Seems like it was indeed nned.'' Eldrian thought as he rushed to help a group of three yers. The presence of a direwolf, had confirmed his suspicion. Making him far more wary of monsters than he had previously been.


    Seeing as they could seemingly make a battle n. He did not think those breaking through the formation were part of the nners. Thus he could face them normally, not having to worry about a scheme.


    The group he headed for had an archer, greatsword, and a shield-and-sword users. The shield guy tried to keep the attention of the beast, while the greatsworddy attempted to deliver damage. All while the archer guy would fire arrows when he could.


    Eldrian had rushed here since they were the only group with only three people, but they were doing surprisingly well. The beast found no good time to attack, since the shield guy would always rush it if it turned its attention away, while he would use his shield to block the beast''s counter-attacks.


    Reaching the group, Eldrian waited just outside their circle of fighting. Observing their fighting style and waiting for a chance. Soon he found it, rushing in, thrusting his double-headed spear into the beast''s chest.


    His spear managed to go in for a good forearm''s length. He then immediately pulled it out, dragging the de downwards as he did. Making it cut through the beast as it went out.


    The beasts howled, turning to Eldrian in rage. But it could not do much, as the greatsworddy delivered a heavy downward strike onto its back. Causing it to stutter, stopping its movement. While the attack only did 6 damage, not really anything.


    Eldrian was not aware of this. He just saw the chance it created, using it to deliver an upwards cut with his spear. Slicing the beast''s neck open. The beast lost its strength after this attack, falling to the ground not even a secondter.


    [15 XP gained]


    Eldrian nced at the message and started moving to the next group. Not wanting to waste time as he saw the situation continued to deteriorate.


    The yers on the other hand stared at Eldrian in disbelief as he left.


    "How did he do so much damage?" Thedy asked.


    "No idea, his first attack did like 20 something damage." The archer said.


    "That''s nothing. Hisst cut did over a hundred." The shield guy said, causing the others to be left speechless. Wondering what was going on.


    But they couldn''t stay unfocused for long, as they saw more beastsing through the line.


    "How are we supposed to handle all of them?" The archer asked, receiving no reply.


    Eldrian had no idea about the damage values or the HP of the monsters. He was fighting with a mindset of vitals will kill, while other hits will only maim.


    This was because he did not have the skill to observe, which passively gave you your damage values. While giving the target''s stats if used actively.


    Eldrian continued doing this, going from group to group. Helping them kill the beasts as they were struggling to finish it off. This often wasn''t because they were losing, but rather that they could not do enough damage.


    [12 XP gained] ; [12 XP gained] ; [12 XP gained] ; [12 XP gained]


    By the time he killed a fifth beast in this manner, he found time to look around. Looking to the front he saw Gregory finishing what seemed to be a third direwolf. Having a few new cuts over his arm and a nasty one over his face.


    ''Is a direwolf that much stronger, or is it because he had no one to help limit their movement?'' Eldrian asked himself, finding his kill speed to be strangely quick. He felt that Gregory should be very strong, which was in fact not true. This resulted in his wrong judgment.


    As Eldrian went to a new group he passed by Vivian, in passing he asked her how much stronger direwolves are than the wolfbeasts.


    "Every two will be as strong as three." She briefly replied, just before she chopped off the wolfbeast head, which she had been fighting with a group of yers. Curious she turned to look why Eldrian asked, letting out a single word in response to what she saw.


    "Fuck."


    Eldrian heard her curse and grimaced. Looking up he saw that there seemed to be many, many more direwolvesing. But he put this worry on hold as he arrived at the new group. Focusing on his task first.


    Waiting for his moment, he found a perfect opportunity. Starting with an overhead swing, he shed open the beast''s skull, killing it in one.


    [24 XP gained]


    He then moved on again after receiving this notification.


    ''Wish I could see their stats.'' He thought as he moved. Realizing that the one he just killed must have been stronger than the previous. Else the extra XP made no sense.


    Arriving at a new group, he did the same as always. Wait for his moment to strike, but before he found it he heard Gregory shout.


    "I am going to need some god damn help!"


    Turning to look, Eldrian saw that the direwolves had made their move. Having no time to waste he rushed to the front of the melee. There was now a clear gap of two people''s width, which made it far easier for the beasts toe through.


    Vivian had done the same after hearing Gregory''s shout. Hoping the yers would hold out, but more hoping for reinforcements. There were easily over 50 direwolvesing, along with all the wolfbeasts nearby. She felt that the yers would soon start dying at an increasing pace.


    Eldrian made to it Gregory just as a direwolf passed by him, his attention having been on another beast. Just as the direwolf wanted to turn to attack his back, Eldrian swung his spear in a wide arch. Scaring the beast off and buying the time he needed to get closer.


    He eyed the beast, while it eyed him back.


    Eldrian took a quick nce at his stats, and saw that he still had plenty of stamina. But he realized this was going to be a problem soon. As he was no longer going to be able to rely on the yers to give him a nice opportunity.


    Seeing Eldrian''s attention waver for a brief moment the beast lunged at Eldrian. Shocked by its quick action Eldrian couldn''t do much.


    He stepped to the side, dodging out of the beast''s path. As he stepped sideways, he brought his spear in a diagonally downwards sh, which hit the beast''s back. But the attack did little, just giving the beasts a shallow cut.


    It then turned around quickly and rushed Eldrian. Luckily he had pulled his spear inward with the attack. This allowed him to force the beast to dodge as he trusted forward.


    At this time Vivian arrived, delivering a quick cut onto the beast''s neck. Shocking both Eldrian and the beast, as they had been focused on each other.


    The beasts quickly lost strength and copsed onto the ground after a second.


    [45 XP gained]


    ''Dang, I have to stop my tunnel vision.'' Eldrian told himself as he followed Vivian who was charging a newly arrived beast.

 Chapter 43: Killing and injury

    <h4>Chapter 43: Killing and injury</h4>


    ''These fights are so quick.'' Eldrianined, finding it quite weird. It felt very different from any other game he had ever yed. But it also added a different aspect to each fight. As each fight certainly felt much more deadly.


    This made him very grateful for using a polearm. As he was certain he would have taken many hits, if he had been using a sword. The double-headed spear gave him so much reach and speed, allowing him to control almost every fight. Instead of being on the back foot.


    The situation had also started improving as the surrounding soldiers had started acting, sending those they could spare over. This helped in maintaining the melee, but the situation still did not turn for good. The hole in the formation was growing.


    Eldrian started fighting against a new beast. The fight having reached the situation where everyone had to basically fight alone versus a beast. Due to this, the yers started dying far quicker. But as they did they bought time for soldiers to fill the gaps. Therefore the fight seemed to have stabilized.


    Eldrian immediately thrust his spear at the direwolf he was facing. Following the thrust with an upward sh bringing his back de towards the direwolf. It dodged these strikes easily, but Eldrian now had his spear overhead, back de over the beast. He brought it down quickly, catching the beast unaware.


    The entire action was like this, thrusting the spear forward. Then pushing the spear upward, bringing the back end towards the target, before quickly bringing it back down. Either striking the target with the back de, or cutting it with the front de.


    The back de struck into its back. Piercing into its left shoulder. Eldrian promptly pulled spear to himself. As he did the back de cut through the beast, followed by the front de hitting the beast in the same ce. Causing massive damage.


    The beast struggled to keep upright, as its leg had almost been removed by these two attacks.


    Eldrian thrust his spear immediately into the beast''s chest. Seeing that the beast would be unable to dodge.


    [90 XP gained]


    [Level gained]


    Eldrian merely nced at the message, moving on after confirming the kill. He had no time to decide how he was going to use his level up.


    Eldrian continued fighting, using the backside of his double-headed spear to great effect. The beasts would often focus on his front de. Making the back de his trump card. Catching the beasts of guard, almost every time. The precious move soon became his go-to.


    This was mostly because he had not trained enough to use moreplex moves. But it was working well against the beasts. Seeing as they over-focused on what was pointing at them.


    Slowly Eldrian finished off his targets. One on one, each fight taking just under 10 seconds.


    [90 XP gained] ; [90 XP gained] ; [180 XP gained]


    Thest beast had managed to give Eldrian a nice sh over his right leg. This had happened as Eldrian had made a feint. The beast had gambled and won, but in doing so Eldrian found a nice opportunity to cut its neck.


    Still, the damage had been done. The sh looked very nasty, consisting of four w marks, each almost as deep as Eldrian''s finger''s width. Looking at it Eldrian flinched, expecting extreme pain. But instead, he only felt a mild burning feeling.


    He had not even realized about the injury until after he finished the beast.


    Luckily the situation had stabilized as the nearby soldiers had gotten a hold of the situation. But Eldrian felt certain the fight was not over yet.


    This respite allowed him to observe his first real in-game wound. It pained like a cut caused by ss. As if he had just climbed through a broken window, and his leg had gotten caught. Not in a terrible way, but in a manner resembling nicking your leg as you climb through the window.


    Luckily he had the moment of respite, helping him adjust to this strange feeling. He nced at his stats, shocked to see his current situation.


    [HP: 81/105] [No regen]


    [Bleeding: 1HP loss every minute]


    [Stamina 54/105][2 per 3 seconds]


    ''Dang, a single hit, and I lost nearly a fifth of my health. And the hit wasn''t even at a critical location.'' Eldrianined. Luckily he had kept his eyes in front, helping him see the beast charging at him.


    Not having time to react well or treat his wound, Eldrian simply jumped to his left. Falling onto his side, while bringing his spear to his right. Directing it at the beast.


    Seeing the spear facing it, the beast tried to circle Eldrian. But Eldrian did not allow this, keeping the spear between him and the beast. Trying to get back onto his feet. But the beast gave him no time to finish the movement. Causing him to often fall after trying.


    Getting bored, the beast changed focus to Eldrian''s legs. Instead of trying to go for his vitals.


    ''Fuck me, why is it so smart!'' Eldrian cursed as he was forced to pull his legs in. If he did not, then he would be at its mercy. Seeing as it could seemingly just deliver four attacks onto his leg and he would die.


    Eldrian did not like this unrealistic part of the game, but he understood why it was added. Without it, the game would seem far too realistic. Heck, it can already be described as a borderline new reality, instead of being a game. But these game functions kept it teetering to the game world, instead of reality.


    With Eldrian having balled up to keep his leg safe, he was left immobile. The beast wanted to use this to circumvent Eldrian''s spear. Which would again leave Eldrian at its mercy.


    Luckily at this time the arrow suddenly lodged itself into the beast''s hind leg. Hitting through the leg.


    Not one to waste an opportunity, Eldrian delivered a weak thrust into the beast''s chest. Surprisingly killing it.


    [45 XP gained]


    ''Huh?'' Eldrian asked himself. Confused about how it died so easily. The thrust he had delivered had only gone in for at most 5 centimeters. Just around the length of his hand. He knew from experience that it was not a fatal wound, as it would have been unable to reach the beast''s vitals.


    This experience came from his past fights, so he could not im it to be perfect. But he felt it was strange. ''Likely that HP mechanic.'' Eldrian reasoned, finding it funny that it saved his life, after he had justined about it.


    As Eldrian stood up he saw another beast charging him. And past this beast he saw the other pack, rushing to them.


    ''Fuck, just can''t get a break.'' He cursed as he readied for another fight. Realizing that the numerical advantage was about to dip to the beasts again, as soon as this pack reached the fight. But Eldrian did not focus on this as he started fighting the new beast. He could not afford to split his attention.


    In this fight, Eldrian quickly learned that it was more difficult. The beast was faster than the others. Not by much, but enough to take Eldrian''s back de into consideration.


    Curious about why it was so different when it looked just like the other direwolves. Eldrianmented again about the fact that he had not mastered magic. Thus not allowing him to learn observe.


    ''Got to do that before I go out again.'' He thought as he and the beast were at a standstill. Neither gaining the advantage.


    A good half minuteter Eldrian cursed, ''This one is god damn good!''


    Luckily he had not been bothered by other beasts, but in the same manner, he had not received any help. He had managed to not take a hit, having blocked every attack. But a few of the attacks had shaken him. Even causing him to lose a few points of health. Luckily not nearly as much as a direct hit, even after the entire standstill.


    Suddenly the speed of everything slowed down. But Eldrian was far to focused on the beast to even realize. Completely focused on all its movements. Taking in every breath the beast took. Every time its muscles twitched. Every time it blinked.


    Finding an opening, where the beast was busy breathing in and blinking at the same time. Eldrian rushed in with his ssic thrust. Followed but dragging the de up, causing the back de to strike the beast. As it had only managed to dodge backward for the thrust. Not having time to react to the back de.


    The de knocked its head up, cutting open its jaw. Before it could gain control over its own head, Eldrian brought the de down again, piercing through the beast''s head.


    [450 XP gained]


    Immediately as the strike connected everything turned back to normal. Eldrian not even realizing that something had happened.


    As he nced at his health, wondering what the total exchange cost him, he was surprised to see the extra attribute which was drained. Along with the gaining of fatigue level 2.


    [HP:70/105][No regen]


    [Bleeding: 1HP loss every minute]


    [Stamina: 10/95][3 per 5 seconds]


    [Mana: 90/105][2 per 3 seconds]


    ''How the hell did I use mana?'' He questioned himself, as he tore his default clothing. Making a makeshift bandage for his leg. Hoping it would stop the bleeding, as he did not have time to do more, or seek aid.


    Shaking his head to get rid of the needless question, Eldrian saw a yer struggling heavily against a wolfbeast. He rushed over to help, quickly killing the beast. As it had been focused on the yer, who was desperately defending himself from its onught.


    [30 XP gained]


    "Thank you for your help, I would have been dead. If not for you." The yer said. Really d for the timely help, as he only had 10HP left. The next sessful hit, or few exchanges would have been his death.


    "No problem," Eldrian replied as he turned around. A grim look on his face as he saw a few bigger direwolves moving forward to the formation.


    "Can you tell me those beasts'' stats?" Eldrian asked, stopping the yer from leaving.


    Confused the yer asked, "Can''t you just do it yourself?"


    "No, I am a High Elf. Thus I do not have the basic skills."


    The yer looked at Eldrian in surprise. He knew a few people who had also taken the High Elf race. But some of them had already remade their avatar. They had found the inability to see any in game elements too jarring.


    Not being able to just see the entire city map, or who was an NPC, had been too much for some of them. Others were still holding on, as they did not know of any other penalties, currently. Unlike Eldrian who knew learning magic would be a massive struggle.


    Contrary to their feelings, Eldrian felt it made the world far more real. Which he actually enjoyed, but he did wish to get ess to the skill. As he knew it was very useful for nning and such. Luckily he knew how to get it, thus he only needed time.


    "Um, sure." The yer said after being quiet for around a second. Currently, the soldiers were pushing the beasts back, almost having closed the gap. Thus the fighting was quieting down.

 Chapter 44: Difference in Observe

    <h4>Chapter 44: Difference in Observe</h4>


    Using observe, the yer looked at the beasts'' stats and visibly paled. Making Eldrian curse as he realized the real factor in deciding the oue will be arriving soon.


    He started looking for Vivian, as he felt he would need help against those big ones and yers certainly won''t be able to fill the gap.


    "Tell me why you are so pale," Eldrian asked the yer, wanting to guide him back to reality.


    Eldrian had realized that yers would often space out, him included. This happened often when they were looking at the interface. Especially if they were surprised by what it showed them.


    "Sure..." The yer drifted off as he looked at the front-most bigger beast again.


    [Direwolf, Demonic Beast]


    [Tier 1, Level 3]


    [Beta]


    [HP: 275]


    [Attack: 56]


    "Seems like the beast is a direwolf and beta. Not sure what it means, but it has very high stats." The yer said slowly, still trying toe to grasp what he was seeing.


    "It is level 3, has 275 health and 56 attack."


    "Well shit. That means two hits and we die, right?" Eldrian said. Finding that it sounded much more dangerous than normal monsters. Who had to hit him around 5 times, or so he assumed after having been hit once, and then having connected the damage to his HP loss.


    The yer did notment as he was shocked to hear it put into words. ''Indeed, two direct hits, and we would die.'' He thought to himself and started looking for a path to take away from these monsters. He wanted to get as far away as possible. He felt confident that people like him will just be fodder, not even the good kind of fodder.


    Eldrian did not bother himself with the yer. He understood the mentality and actually was impressed with how long the yers as a whole had stayed. Even when they had felt overwhelmed, they had stayed until now, where the situation was looking better.


    They certainly wanted to start leaving now. As none of them wanted to die and lose their items, when doing so would result in no real gain for them or the NPCs.


    Eldrian turned back his gaze to the Betas, who were slowly making their way forward. Not rushing into the fray, rather sending those around them in. Eldrian felt confused why they didn''t just charge, but he felt that what they were doing will be worse.


    He promptly turned to look for Vivian again, finding her near the edge of the melee. He then started rushing over while watching her fight her foe.


    She was struggling in taking the upper hand against a direwolf. Each time she tried to deliver a killing blow, she would be forced to dodge. This was because the beast would send out a random attack aimed at her leg or hands.


    Vivian did not want to trade blow for blow, thus she was consistently forced to back off. Her sword not offering her the reach she needed to stay safe. She started wishing she had brought a shield, it would have helped her immeasurably.


    In this manner, the beast managed to keep the fight going. Forcing Vivian to abandon her attacks when she found a nice opportunity. Simply because it sent a random swipe at her legs.


    The trade would be in Vivian''s favor as the attack she would receive would certainly not be a deadly wound. But Vivian knew the wound would force her to have to seek healing or else she would likely die. If she did get help then she would be slowed down. Which any other beast would easily manage to use to their own advantage.


    In this regard, Eldrian realized yers had a massive advantage. While his leg was cut deeply, it did not affect him too much. Simply because the pain was minor, more secondary. For NPCs it would be full-on, easily causing them to flinch or stumble, which could lead to their death in a fight.


    Eldrian also wondered how it would be if his leg had been damaged more severely. Like if his leg had been broken. Asking himself if he would be able to use the leg then. He thought about it and realized that he most likely would be able to. But his coordination and movement would probably be impacted due to the leg not working properly.


    ''Interesting food for thought.'' Eldrian ended his thoughts with this statement, storing it forter. He stopped this train of thought because he had reached Vivian. He was now near enough to use a good opportunity to finish the beast. But far enough to not alert the beast.


    From when he went from group to group he had learned that beasts would focus on the target. But if a person stepped into a three-meter radius then they would react to it and take this person''s actions into ount. While they would normally just nce at people past this circle of observation.


    But this certainly wasn''t set in stone, as some of the beasts reacted when he was 4 meters from them. Normally if he was eyeing it, it would also eye him. While some others wouldpletely ignore everything but their target. Making it possible to literallye close enough for his weapon to hit it before it started reacting.


    As such Eldrian stopped around 4 meters from where Vivian was fighting. Just to be on the safe side. While he was waiting for an opportunity to strike, he also looked at those fighting around him. Not wanting to be jumped himself, and also open to helping someone else. If the opportunity presented itself.


    Eldrian did not find an opportunity with those around him, nor did a beast target him. But he soon found one with Vivian''s fight. She was again forced to stop her attack as the beast dodged her first strike and randomly swinging its one leg, trying to catch her legs. Causing her to be unable to follow up her attack.


    But Eldrian was able. As it was off bnce from the dodge and haphazard attack he rushed in. Quickly stabbing his spear into its stomach.


    Vivian was so surprised by this sudden intervention that she did not follow up on Eldrian''s attack. Clicking his tongue, Eldrian pulled his spear out, before thrusting it right back in. Aiming for its heart this time.


    The beast still off bnce and almost falling over from the first thrust momentum, had no time to dodge the second thrust. This one pierced into its lungs and even grazed its heart. Eldrian pulled out his spear, causing the beast to copse.


    ring hatefully at Eldrian it soon died from bleeding.


    [180 XP gained]


    Seeing the XP message Eldrian turned to Vivian. He had waited for the beast to bleed to death because of the saying, ''Never corner an animal.'' He assumed it went doubly for monsters. Rather wanting to wait for it to bleed out, than going for an attack where the beast might decide to suicide attack him.


    ''Seems like I am not the only one with tunnel vision.'' Eldrian joked to himself as he saw Vivian still looking at the beast strangely. Eldrian felt like he saw a look of frustration in her gaze, but he wasn''t sure. He discarded this thought and decided to start the conversation which was not starting.


    "We have trouble."


    "What?" Vivian asked, confused. Her voice contained surprise and frustration with the confusion. The first because she had not looked around in over a minute. Thus she believed the battle was still turning out good for them. Thetter because she was irritated that the beast prevented her from ending the fight for so long. Always managing to narrowly avoid her sword, or let it hit in a less important area. Then aiming to return the hit for one of its own.


    She felt upset with herself, since such an easy and basic tactical fighting style had almost won over her. It had managed to prevent her from killing her target, which she considered a failure. Especially when she was stronger than her opponent.


    "Just look over to the front," Eldrian replied to Vivian''s question. But only after a few seconds, during which she had calmed down.


    Doing as Eldrian told her she turned to look at the formation, which was currently to her back.


    "Fuck..." She cursed, feeling exasperated.


    ''After all this, we are still in the fire.'' She thought to herself. Turning back to Eldrian curious on why he hade to find her. While she indeed needed the help, she was certain that Eldrian didn''te over just to help her.


    "I think we should be able to handle one," Eldrian said as he saw her gaze.


    "Are you insane?" She countered, feeling like Eldrian had lost his mind. Not needing to be told what Eldrian was talking about. One could only mean one thing.


    "Why?" Eldrian turned to her in confusion. He had no idea what the standard stats of the beasts were. But from his fights, he learned a good hit to the heart or head would kill them. It had done so reliably thus far, therefore he assumed this held true for the betas.


    "Those are betas!"


    To which Eldrian simply nodded his head. Indicating he knew that.


    "And you still want to fight them with just two of us?"


    Again Eldrian nodded.


    "Do you want us to die?"


    "What, no. Is a beta that much stronger?" He asked in confusion. Not understanding her protesting.


    "Yes it is..."


    "What is the standard stats of the direwolves?" Eldrian asked, wanting to get aparison.


    To his question, Vivian gave Eldrian a confused stare. ''What do they call it.'' Eldrian asked himself, trying to remember what Dave had told him, when Dave had used observe on him. Failing Eldrian decided on a different approach.


    "What do you see when you look at the direwolves with observe?" Eldrian asked while also looking around, making sure that there were no beastsing for them. He also looked to the betas, wanting to ensure they had yet to charge into the fray.


    They were currently waiting right at the edge. Seemingly waiting for something specific to happen. This made Eldrian feel ufortable, but he couldn''t just rush them. That would be simple suicide.


    "Um lets me use it quickly," Vivian replied as she turned to one of the beasts who was fighting a soldier.


    Eldrian felt greatly confused, as he felt any person would use it before fighting a foe. Ensuring you know what they are capable of. Thus he expected Vivian to just tell him, not to have to take time to use the skill.


    "Um, Well I see that it is a direwolf. Tier 1 and level 2. And its constitution attribute is 102 while its ws can do 32 damage."


    ''Well let''s just assume the constitution attribute goes 1 to 1 with HP.'' Eldrian thought as he realized the information Vivian was much different from yers. Luckily the damage part seemed to be the same. As it was just short of the betas, but higher than he had been expecting.


    "What about the beta?" Eldrian asked, hoping to be able to see a connection. But the answer disappointing him.


    "Um... Tier 1, level 1. Constitution of 150 and w damage of 84"


    ''Well, that does not tell me shit about their HP. And the damage difference is massive too. But it does show that the difference lies more in their damage.'' Eldrian thought before saying.


    "See, not that big a difference. Just don''t get hit."


    Leaving Vivian speechless.

 Chapter 45: Fighting a Beta

    <h4>Chapter 45: Fighting a Beta</h4>


    "You are insane." Vivian retorted after being silent for quite a while.


    "Well we can''t do nothing," Eldrian replied and pointed to the front.


    Turning back to look at where he was pointing, Vivian saw one of the Beta''s who had taken a git from an arrow. Enraged the beast charged forward, quickly killing two soldiers as it forced its way through the formation. Ripping a third''s arm off and sending another flying back as this one used his shield to block the attack.


    This soldier survived thanks to having blocked the attack, but he was coughing up blood and struggling to stand up. The Beta slowly walked to this soldier, seemingly wanting to enjoy killing him.


    The soldier paled in fear as he failed to stand, coughing a new mouthful of blood as he tried.


    "Let''s go." Eldrian said as and he rushed forward at the beast. He wanted to try and save the soldier, but he did not believe he would make it in time. At the least he wanted to stop the Beta from rampaging throughout the melee.


    While charging Eldrian nced to the center of the formation, hoping to see proper reinforcements on their way. He did indeed see a group forming up.


    ''Hope those are more decent reinforcements.'' Eldrian prayed, as the reinforcements they had been receiving were mostly the injured soldiers who could still fight. Some fresh soldiers would slowly move over to the melee from time to time, but only if their fellow soldiers were easily holding the beasts back.


    Therefore Eldrian knew that they would not manage to fight the Betas. Heck, this one broke through the formation as if it had been nothing.


    At most, they would stall for some time and then get killed. Unless they could group up against a Beta, but this was unlikely as the numbers were only favoring the human side slightly. Not nearly enough to spare more than 2 men per Beta, and from what Eldrian just saw he did not think 2 would be enough to do shit.


    As soon as he was near enough Eldrian rushed in with a wide swing, hoping to save the soldier''s life. In response, the Beta delivered a quick sh over the soldier''s neck before dodging the sloppy attack from Eldrian.


    It then looked at Eldrian with a yful gesture, teasing him for his failure.


    ''Fuck!'' Eldrian thought, angry at his failure and surprised by how quickly it had reacted. He had been charging it at full speed, yet it had had more than enough time to kill the soldier and dodge his attack.


    Granted Eldrian''s charge was not very fast. But he had expected the Beta to be as fast as normal direwolves. This was because it was far bigger, reaching Eldrian''s chest. From this appearance, Eldrian had assumed it would be beefy and stronger, but slower. Yet this had been proven wrong immediately.


    Having had enough fun mocking the human, the beast sent a w at Eldrian. Too fast for him to dodge, Eldrian blocked with his spear''s shaft. The resulting force sent him scrambling. Almost falling over, he managed to use his spear to stabilize himself just barely. Leaving him open to a follow-up attack.


    Looking at the beast anew, Eldrian realized why Vivian did not want to fight it. It was faster, stronger, and smarter than normal Direwolves.


    Still, Eldrian believed they were the best option out of everyone here. Gregory had long since been injured, leaving him and Vivian as the strongest people who were still in good shape.


    As the Beta charged Eldrian, Vivian arrived. Attacking from its back she aimed for one of its legs, hoping to limit its maneuverability. But as if having a sixth sense the Beta jumped forward, dodging her attack and attacking Eldrian at the same time.


    ''Dammit.'' Eldrian dodged by jumping and falling onto his side. He had no time to try and do more, as his spear was in too awkward a position to use it in time. Eldrian really did not want to take a blow. Knowing it would bring him to the brink of death or maybe even kill him outright.


    Due to Eldrian''s dodge, the Beta missed its target. But as if it was nned the Beta easily brought its attacking leg back andnded gracefully. Turning around and continuing its attack immediately after.


    Eldrian had just gotten back up from his messy dodge when he saw the beast charging him again. Gritting his teeth Eldrian managed to bring his spear around just in time. Forcing the beast to change direction or be impaled.


    But it did not work as well as with the other beasts. The Beta simply passed his spear gracefully, as if it had avoided him. Turning its body slightly, while maintaining its direction and speed.


    Cursing again Eldrian managed to bring his spear up to block the attack. Luckily for him, the Beta had dodged to the side he was holding his spear. Allowing him to use it defensively after his failed offensive use.


    The impact knocked Eldrian over onto his back. Causing him to lose all his breath from the impact. Eldrian even though he felt his ribs breaking, but he was unsure due to how weird the pain felt. He was certain it would have left him unconscious in reality.


    As the Beta wanted to follow up and kill Eldrian, Vivian arrived and forced it to dodge again. The Beta turned to Vivian and growled in annoyance. Eldrian felt like the beast was trying to say, "Can you leave me alone? I almost had him!"


    Amused by his thoughts Eldrian mbered back onto his feet. Breathing heavily, feeling a stinging pain every time he did. Every breath would leave him feeling needles piercing his lungs. He tried to ease his breathing to shallower breaths, hoping to limit the painful experience.


    Even with the lower pain from reality, it was nowhere near afortable feeling.


    Luckily the beast was ring at Vivian, seemingly having forgotten about Eldrian.


    ''Man I''m d it isn''t too smart.'' Eldrian thought as he started moving to the beast''s side. Vivian went to the other.


    Seeing the humans moving and trying to surround it, the Beta became outraged. Deciding to go for the woman who had been causing it so many problems.


    As such it suddenly charged at Vivian. Seeing this Eldrian cursed and hoped she could dodge or block, while he rushed after it. Hearing a sound simr to metal hitting metal Eldrian felt great relief. He also did not ck down and delivered a wide swinging attack aimed at both beast''s legs.


    But it again jumped away, not even needed to look at Eldrian to dodge his attack.


    ''How the hell?'' Eldrian asked himself as he continued rushing the beast. Offering Vivian some relief.


    The attack had sent her stumbling back a few steps, and the Beta was now at her side. Just as it wanted to strike at her ribs a spear came thrusting at its chest. Irritated the beast stopped its attack. Saving Vivian from having her side ripped over.


    After dodging the thrust it turned its red at Eldrian, feeling extremely pissed that the humans would not allow it to kill them. They were far weaker than it, yet they were forcing it to dance around for them.


    This enraged the beast, its eyes became bloodshot.


    "Fuck, don''t block or get hit!" Vivian screamed as she saw the beast''s red eyes.


    At the same time the Beta charged at Eldrian, so fast he could barely even connect its movements to what he was seeing.


    It covered the 3 meters in less than the blink of the eye, sending its ws after Eldrian. Who had only managed to fall onto his back as a way of dodging. Causing the attack to fly over his head. His hair following along with the attack, carried by the wind it generated.


    Having survived Eldrian found himselfpletely defenseless. His spear was under the beast, with too little space to bring it up. Leaving it useless.


    Eldrian''s thoughts sped up again, turning everything else slower. This allowed him enough time to turn his head, find a shortsword lying next to him, bring it up over his chest and push it upwards.


    Sessfully piercing the Beta''s chest.


    The beast promptly retreated, taking the sword with it. Eldrian failed in holding onto once the beast started moving. It seeminglyplexly stuck inside its chest.


    ''That was close.'' Eldrian thought in relief. Grasping his spear again and looking at the Beta observantly as he slowly stood up. Everything was already back to normal, Eldrian unaware of how fast he had reacted.


    For him, it had just been a blur of action to save his life.


    The beast observed them with hate. Feeling the sting in its lungs, it felt infuriated. Yet it could not do much. Every time it moved the pain would worsen.


    In the respite, Eldrian took a nce at his stats, certain he would have lost a bunch of health from blocking those two attacks. Wanting to curse Eldrian looked at the fatigue level which had grown.


    [HP: 62/105] - from 70


    [Stamina: 42/74] [3 regen per 6 seconds]


    [Mana 80/95] [3 regen per 5 seconds]


    [Fatigue: Level 4


    [Mental Fatigue: Level 2]


    He had no time to wonder how he had used mana again, nor what mental fatigue was. The beast had stopped waiting, having realized that the pain would not settle down. Entering aplete rage it just wanted to kill the pest who had hurt it.


    The tips of its fur turned red as it blindly charged at Eldrian. Eldrian was forced to constantly dance around. He had seen from the way it charged that it no longer cared for getting hurt in the process. It just wanted to kill him.


    Eldrian was forced to expend a great deal of effort to not get hit. Often jumping onto the ground or rolling around on it. Just to not take a w to the face.


    Luckily it ignored Vivian, allowing her to get a hit in every now and then. Even so, it was over a minute before it finally copsed.


    Eldrian followed the action, not having the strength to move. He had focused the entire time on not getting hit. Realizing that it was easier said than done.


    He had been forced to block a single strike, which had cost him 10 health, leaving his HP pool at only a pitiful 52. Less than half his max.


    Looking at his HP Eldrian felt like crying. Even when not receiving a direct hit, he had received around the same damage from when a beast hadnded a direct one.


    The only thing making it slightly less was that it did not cause him to bleed.

 Chapter 46: Melee and John

    <h4>Chapter 46: Melee and John</h4>


    Seeing theirrade killed by weak humans the other Betas all became enraged. They released a bloodlust-filled howl, which made all the nearby beasts go crazy.


    The beasts runched their attack onto the human''s formation. This time just trying to break through it, not caring if they die or not. The Betas also joined the charge causing the formation to break in just a few seconds.


    From this crazed charge many beasts died, but so did many soldiers. Causing the once small gap in the formation, to expand massively. Making it seem more like a section of the formation had fallen.


    Luckily the reinforcements from the center arrived as this was happening. They managed to keep the beasts limited to a melee. This helped the rest of the formation to remain stable, while a desperate fight was focused on this area.


    Standing up tiredly Eldrian cursed, vexed at how the situation refused to turn for the better.


    Looking around he saw that around 20 meters of the formation had been broken, and was now being fought as a melee. Clearly reforming the formation was out of the question, but the beasts were still limited in the melee. The melee was very much against the humans'' advantage as it allowed the beasts to use their speed to their advantage.


    Along with this, a beast would asionally try to simply run out of the melee, causing the soldiers to have to reform a line outside of this melee to prevent this from happening. These soldiers would go forward when a beast tried to escape and was made up of the tired and injured soldiers.


    Slowly the tide seemed to turn to the beasts'' favor.


    "Are you fucking kidding me?" Eldrianined, causing Vivian to look at him and smile. An encouraging smile saying, ''I get you.''


    They were currently not inside the melee, allowing them to take a moment to recollect their thoughts. The fight against the Beta had moved them a ways back into the middle of the entire formation.


    After taking a few seconds to clear his head, Eldrian started looking around trying to ascertain what their chances were.


    The new reinforcements seemed to be far better than the average soldier. Just two of them managed to keep a Beta busy, while three would be able to kill it in about as long as it took Eldrian and Vivian to kill the first Beta.


    Unfortunately, the reinforcements were only over 50 soldiers, while the Beta''s alone was around 10. Meaning these soldiers could not spare the men to take each Beta on with three people. Since there were still other beasts they couldn''t ignore.


    As Eldrian was observing this he realized there was a distinctck of arrows flying overhead. Turning to look to the back he saw that they seemed to be out of arrows.


    Eldrian was surprised at how quickly he realized that they had stopped firing. It was a small thing in the battle, but he could always see an arrow fly overhead every few seconds. After having looked around for around 10 and not seeing an arrow flying he got curious.


    As Eldrian looked at the archers he saw them putting down their bows. They then took out their melee weapons, mostly being swords. After readying themselves by forming groups they rushed of the hill, splitting into different parts.


    Leaving only a few who still had arrows, along with the mages. They ensured the back of the formation was notpromised, while the mages asionally sent a spell into a group of beasts. They never sent it to any ce that resembled a melee, seemingly unable to control it well enough.


    Having seen a few groups of archers rushing to them, Eldrian turned back to look at the melee. Some hope having returned. He felt that the archers offering relief would be a good thing. But he was unsure if them firing or helping in the melee would be better. Nheless, he was d they came forward and did not just sit back after running out of arrows.


    Looking at the melee Eldrian was surprised to see that the reinforcements were doing better than he had thought they would. They had managed to form a crude half circle around the broken section of the formation.


    The wounded and tired soldiers stood at the perimeter, while the new and fresh soldiers went in to help with the melee. Now it was not a haphazard line of wounded, it started resembling a new formation.


    ...


    "Seems like the Chosen can be good for a few things." A soldier said as a wide grin grew on his face. He was mainly referring to them working well as bait, but he also acknowledged that they could buy some time in a fight.


    "Don''t look down on them, they did save us." A stern-looking man in silvery armor replied. He frowned as he saw the stupid grin on the soldier.


    "Ah, yes sorry sir." The soldier timidly apologized as he felt his next week would be hell if he did not.


    "Good, now go and help them fight." The stern man said before turning his gaze to Vivian and Eldrian.


    ''So she is really here. Crazy...'' He mumbled, making his way over to these two.


    ...


    "So, are we going to go help?" Eldrian asked as he saw the beasts slowly getting an advantage. The change was not big, but it was certainly happening. In the beginning, every beast was surrounded by two soldiers. At least every Direwolf was. But now only the Betas were still getting this treatment.


    Granted the amount of Direwolves had gone down significantly. But not to the amount where they could be discounted.


    Vivian looked at Eldrian strangely, asking. "Are you insane? You almost died just now."


    "I won''t die for good. I want to ensure our victory, so everyone else can live." Eldrian replied as he looked at the injured soldiers who were putting up a desperatest line. He felt a sadness grow inside him as he looked at them.


    Many of these NPCs had extremely ugly looking wounds. Yet they stood and held, bloody tears flowing down their faces. Eldrian saw sorrow clearly on their faces. Before they had simply hidden this with rage, but now that they were the backline. Along with the pain from their injuries, they could no longer hold their sadness.


    The archers had almost reached the half-circle, which would change the advantage to the human side again. Still, Eldrian felt it would be very useful if they could kill another Beta. The soldiers were too few to aplish this without help.


    Vivian gave Eldrian another strange gaze. This time seemingly wanting to understand exactly what he meant. But before she could she was interrupted by the leader of the reinforcements.


    "Vivian, great to see you. And uninjured at that. I am very d, your dad would kill me if it was otherwise."


    Eldrian turned in surprise to the guy who had approached them. He hade from their back so they had not seen him until now.


    The guy had very good-looking armor. Silvery te armor covered his chest, shoulders, forearms, and legs. He was also wearing an open-faced helmet made of the same material, emphasizing his silver eyes. Eldrian had never seen someone with silver eyes and it really pulled his attention.


    He felt like it looked simr to the mithril he had seen at Boran''s. While the guy''s armor certainly looked like real mithril, making Eldrian conclude that he was not an ordinary person.


    "John, so it is you who came to our rescue," Vivian responded after a few seconds of shock. She had not thought she would run into someone she knew. And she knew John very well, they had often trained together when he was still in a lower position. But as he advanced he had less time to train with her, resulting in her not having seen him in months.


    "Do I have this young man to thank for your health?" John asked as he extended a hand to Eldrian. Eldrian took it, shaking John''s hand.


    "I guess you can say he did help me," Vivian replied shyly.


    ''Is she embarrassed?'' Eldrian asked himself before he was pulled out of his thoughts by John.


    "That''s great, you''re strong then. Right?"


    "Um, I wouldn''t say that..." Eldrian mumbled.


    "Nah, I saw you kill that Beta. Sure not the best performance ever, but for newbies, it was an amazing feat."


    "Thanks."


    "Why did youe here, John?" Vivian asked, finding it weird he had not rushed with his troops.


    "Orders, seemingly an Alpha is on its way here. Along with its personal bodyguards."


    Hearing this Vivian paled believed John was saving his stamina forter. Which meant the situation was still very dark for them.


    John saw theck of a reaction in Eldrian, which strongly contrasted to Vivian''s paleness. He therefore exined. "From the report, it will bring around 16 more Betas when it arrives. This will be when the final battle starts."


    "Wait, why is it only on its way now?" Eldrian asked feeling it did not add up.


    "Ah, yeah you were probably too focused on fighting," John replied before turning to look at the melee, seeing that everything was still under control he continued.


    "The other pack has joined the fight, and this Alphaes from there. That pack had a total of two Alphas, one went to where Old Sword is still fighting while the other came here."


    "They probably want to keep him busy while breaking the formation. It is a good gamble, but William has gone to help Old Sword, so it should be their undoing soon."


    "We, just have to hold out against the Alpha."


    "Okay... I am going to ask, why we?" Eldrian asked, feeling like they were not just a vague term he had used.


    "Oh, seems like you are sharp. Simple you two should be the strongest fighters, outside of my troop."


    To which Eldrian nodded mindlessly, not agreeing by wanting John to continue.


    "Fuck it... You guys are going to help me keep the Alpha busy while my soldiers hold the Betas back." John said, not wanting to dance around it anymore.


    He knew Vivian was very strong, and having seen Eldrian in action. He could confidently say he had never seen someone new to fighting react so quickly. He hoped Eldrian would make an opportunity for him or Vivian, which they could use.


    Hearing this Eldrian nodded again, not really caring too much. He believed they should be able to do it with the extra help. He now knew what it meant to fight a Beta, and from John''s confidence, he assumed John should be about as strong as one or maybe a little stronger.


    Therefore Eldrian thought he would keep it busy while they whittle it down, slowly.

 Chapter 47: Waiting for the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 47: Waiting for the Alpha</h4>


    After a moment of silence, Eldrian asked, "When is it supposed to appear?" He felt just waiting until then was a bad call.


    John turned to him, seeing the impatience he felt like sighing. It was a clear error in most newbies, where they would overestimate themselves and those around them. John did not want to try and exin this to Eldrian, but he remembered he never asked for his name.


    "What is your name friend?"


    "Ah, Haru..." Eldrian answered, thrown due to the sharp change in conversation.


    "Just wait Haru, you do not understand how tough the fight will be."


    Eldrianplied as he did not want to force the issue. He did understand being fresh for the fight would be far better, but he already felt fresh. He did not like sitting back while so many others fought to the death. The entire situation irked him.


    A few secondster the Archers joined the fray, most of them directly charging into the melee. Going to support those who were having a hard time, while the others split to try and kill the lone beasts.


    A few of the archers stayed back,ing towards Eldrian, John, and Vivian. Confused Eldrian looked at them, unsure why they did not just charge into the fight.


    "John, why are you waiting?" One of the archers stepped out and asked. He was wearing what looked like ssic leather armor thieves would always use in games. His brown hair fit well with the dark brown leather.


    He had no bow or quiver on him, since they had all dropped it before they hade over. But on his back, he had a longsword, while two daggers were on his sides.


    ''Smart, a long reach weapon for when you have space, and the daggers for when you don''t.'' Eldrian thought as he saw the guy''syout. Adding the bow then it was very near to what Eldrian was nning on.


    "Ah, Jack nice to see you. We are waiting for an Alpha to join the fight." John replied.


    Hearing the reply the Jack guy frowned. "How strong a group?" Jack asked.


    "From the report around 16 Betas are with the Alpha. Naturally, its normal underlings will also be there."


    "We''ll stay to help, I feel like you are going to need it."


    "Do you have any arrows left?"


    "No, but I should be able to get a few. My sword skills aren''t too bad either."


    "Well I am d you offered, it will help," John said as he indicated to Vivian and Eldrian.


    "Ah, was that your n. How desperate are you?"


    "Wait, what?" Eldrian asked, confused why it was desperation. He had thought it would be an easy time.


    At this time a new group of monsters arrived, charging towards the formation. The group of beasts charging was around 200, all of them Direwolves. Seeing these monsters charge them Eldrian gulped, ''Can this just stop happening...''


    The appearance of the new group made Eldrian''s question simply disappear. But he also did not care anymore.


    Looking at the group he saw 14 Betas, or rather there were 14 beasts just a bit bigger than the one they had faced. Leading these beasts was a massive ck beast.


    Looking at it Eldrian immediately knew it was the Alpha. The Alpha was so tall that its head would reach Eldrian''s, making it possible to look it straight in the eyes even when it was standing on its four legs. It looked more like a bear than a wolf. But its body was still shaped like a wolf''s, giving its massive form a strange agile look.


    The other interesting characteristic Eldrian saw was its fur. Most of it was yet ck, but blue streaks resembling lighting flowed over its body. These lines all came together at its nose, making it look very different while strangely fitting well with the Alpha''s look.


    Seeing its appearance and the way it moved Eldrian felt like the task just became insanely difficult. Losing all the confidence he had. While the Betas were still in the manageable range this Alpha just looked so much more imposing.


    "So, it is a water element user. We got lucky." John said, snapping Eldrian out of his stupor.


    "We did yes," Jackmented. He was currently walking around and picking up the nearby arrows, wanting to get as many as possible. He struck the arrows into the fitting of his armor, where his chest piece connected to the back. Giving him aical appearance.


    Confused Eldrian asked, "Water element?"


    "Yeah, it has the talent to use water magic," John replied.


    "Why is this a good thing?" Eldrian asked in confusion, finding the fact that a monster can use magic as a bad thing. Very bad actually.


    "Since it means this Alpha does not specialize in offensive magic."


    Again Eldrian asked in confusion, "Huh?" Realizing that this sentence seemed to say all Alphas can use magic.


    "Generally low Tier monsters can''t actively use magic. It would be more like a passive skill or aura rather. And water elemental users generally help those near it regenerate, as well as itself."


    "That sounds worse than good," Eldrian said, not feeling like they would be able to kill it quickly, and this skill seemed to cater to long fights.


    "It is better than the other. Normally low-tier beasts like the wolf variants would only have wind, fire, water, or earth elements avable to them. And believe me, water is the best one to fight against."


    Still confused Eldrian turned to look at the Alpha again. It was approaching quickly and will likely join the fight in under a minute.


    During the time they had waited for its arrival two of the other Betas had been killed. So if these two groups meet then it would result in 22 Betas who regenerated.


    Eldrian grimaced when he realized this factor. It sounded like a terrible option to him.


    Seeing Eldrian''s grimace Jack added some more info, "It truly is the best element we could havee against. Fire would give every beast around a boost in strength, wind a boost in speed and earth a boost in armor."


    "In truth, the earth would have been the worst, as more than half the soldiers would then be unable to even harm the normal direwolves. Just high-tiered weapons would be able to hurt the Betas, but with water, they just regenerate slowly. So we can still fight."


    "Fire would have been bad since most of the soldiers are tired, and end up taking hits more often than is normal. The added strength would result in quicker losses, but wind might be even worse than both earth and fire. It would liven all the beasts while making them faster, so they would quickly be able to defeat us in the melee." John added, not letting his eyes of the Alpha.


    He was just waiting for it to join the melee. But it was approaching slower as it neared the fighting. It first started looked around, searching for other areas it might be able to capitalize, while still putting mental pressure on all the nearby soldiers.


    They all knew what the Alpha represented. Which resulted in many soldiers starting to lose morale and hope. While they remained steady, the extra pressure added onto their problems, leading to them often making mistakes.


    John wanted to rush forward, but going so far out would be suicidal. He wasn''t a captain and wouldn''t be able to duel an Alpha alone, he needed help. The only help who would survive with him would be Jack, the others would quickly die from being surrounded. They would then quickly follow.


    Finally, the Alpha charged and joined the fray. Its reason was simple, another Beta was about to be killed. This was a severe loss to the pack and thus it moved forward. Joining its charge the Betas also charged. Followed by the rest of the Direwolves who had not yet gone forward.


    "Well, fuck." Eldrian said as he saw the start of the end. Hoping for some good news he asked Vivian to use observe on it. The results he got just left him even more demoralized.


    The results he got from Vivian were, "Alpha, Tier 1, Level 5, Constitution of 230 and damage of 187."


    The simple damage number left him feeling numb. While he knew that it was greatly less when tranted to actual attack damage, he did not know how this conversion worked. He only knew of it due to the difference in observation between NPCs and yers.


    Comparing it to the Beta they had fought Eldrian felt even more at a loss. The Beta at level 3 had had 84 damage and 150 constitution. Remembering these stats Eldrian realized that the Alpha will likely be twice as strong as a Beta. Which threw away his hope of John being able to keep it busy.


    He knew that when something was twice as strong as you, then it meant you couldn''t do a thing against it. It would simply overwhelm you.


    Even so, he kept following John, who was quickly heading to the Alpha. Seemingly not caring for anything other than it.


    The reason for John''s narrow focus was simple and very important. He did not want to allow the Alpha to use his skill without being under pressure. If left alone then a few Betas could simply protect it while the rest of its pack basically got the buff.


    Luckily Jack had joined their charge, giving them a bit more men. Eldrian hoped it would be enough to turn the tide in their favor.


    Soon they reach its position, but before they could pick a fight a couple of Betas split from the rest. Wanting to block their path.

 Chapter 48: Final push

    <h4>Chapter 48: Final push</h4>


    Seeing the splitting Betas a few of the archers who were with Jack split to keep them busy. Allowing the others to continue onward.


    The group who had split were just enough for every three soldiers to face two Betas. Allowing one of the NPCs to move between the other two. Offering support and helping them to keep the Betas back, and maybe with luck killing one or two.


    In total 4 Betas had charged them, leaving 10 with the Alpha. The rest of the group was only 17 so the fight would certainly be very harsh. But no one stopped in their sprint, rather they sped up. Knowing that if they slowed then the chance of the other four Betasing back would be greater.


    Instead of sending another group forward the rest of the Betas stayed with the Alpha. They knew that any human charging them was either brave and stupid or strong and confident. From the way the previous group was quickly dealt with, making their charge obsolete, the beasts realized it was likely to be thetter.


    Due to this, they did not want to split up again, instead of grouping on the Alpha. Seeing this Eldrian smiled, he knew that in a group fight the NPCs had an advantage. Simply due tomunication, which was far quicker and more fluent than what he had seen from the beasts.


    Beasts seemed to onlymunicate via putting attention onto something by howling in its direction or bodynguage, which required an environment where they could move their body formunicating.


    Soon the group stopped their charge. Having arrived near the Alpha and his group. Each group eyed the other with caution, waiting for an opening.


    Eldrian anxiously stood in the middle of the group of soldiers. He knew that he was supposed to help against the Alpha, but he did not feel good about the n. From what he deduced it seemed like Jack, John, Vivian and he will take it on.


    He was d that they had another member helping them, and even more that they had others to keep the Betas busy. He was certain the other n would have been to use the injured soldiers or something, which would have been much worse.


    Even so, he kept swallowing hard. Struggling to do this action normally.


    This conclusion of his meant leaving 13 others NPCs to keep the 10 Betas busy. This part seemed badly nned to him, but he also couldn''t think of a different one. Seeing as they had no spare people who would be able to match against a Beta.


    His other n was basically just throw lives at them until they won or lost.


    "Does a Direwolf have any weaknesses?" Eldrian asked Vivian as they waited. He hoped to hear some good news to ease his unease.


    John replied instead of Vivian, "No, they aren''t a really strong species of monsters, thus they also don''t have a very strong weaknesses. I believe they are more vulnerable to mes, but only when it can ovee their resistance. Even for a Beta no nearby magician would be able to ovee this. Only Carl or William would be able, but they are busy at other ces."


    ''So, it is going to be a hard fight.'' Eldrian thought as they continued in waiting. The pressure from the two groups seemed to be such that the other beasts and soldiers actively avoideding near them. Which surprised Eldrian he had expected the beasts would rush them, trying to help the Alpha.


    A few minutester the Alpha became tired of the standstill and started moving. It slowly made its way to the front of its group, before suddenly charging.


    Luckily all the soldiers had been observing it movements. They managed to react in time even though the charge was so fast. The Alpha reaching them in less than two seconds, having covered over 10 meters in that time.


    The front soldiers jumped to the sides, avoiding its attack. While those behind swiftly moved forward to block the Betas from taking advantage of theirrades on the floor.


    The fight quickly became chaotic. The soldiers trying to keep the Betas busy while the designated four surrounded the Alpha.


    Eldrian found himself at its front, wanting to curse the others. They had reacted far faster than him. He had been so shocked by its speed that he had taken a second to grasp this terrifying fact. Which resulted in him being tight in front of the Alpha.


    "Good boy..." Eldrian let slip as he swallowed hard.


    The Alpha gave him no time to recognize what he had said. It sent a leg swipe attack at him, while also bringing one of its hind legs out, aiming it at John.


    Eldrian seeded in not getting hit, only because the Alpha had to dodge Jack''s attack. Who had attacked at the exact time the Alpha had made its own move. Jack had managed to pick up around 15 arrows while running over and the first had been released. He was trying to use them to their utmost.


    Eldrian surprisingly heard a different beast cry in pain, barely stopping himself from looking for the source, Eldrian dodged again.


    The fight continued in this manner for a while, with Eldrian dancing at the max range of his spear. He remained in range only to stay a threat, while never having found the time to use his spear. Many times he felt the air pressure flow over him, making his heart stop for a beat as he realized how dangerous this was.


    As he danced the others aimed for shallow but impairing cuts or thrusts. Wanting to exhaust the Alpha and force it to use its magic. While it would start regening the shallow wounds very quickly, it would also lose stamina at an rming rate.


    Doing this they managed to avoid the Alpha''s counterattacks, while slowly injuring it.


    Around a minuteter of dodging Eldrian finally managed to bring his spear up in a nice position at the correct time. Causing the Alpha to have to stop its attack, which destroyed its rhythm. This allowed Vivian to get a deep cut into one of its front legs.


    Howling in rage the Alpha turned its gaze to Vivian, wanting to switch targets. But Eldrian quickly followed up, showing the beast why it had focused on him.


    This reason was - A pointy stick is very irritating to face. Especially when you couldn''t rush the user of said pointy stick.


    It wanted to get rid of Eldrian, as it was far easier to dodge and attack the swords users as they had the same range as it. While Eldrian could technically attack it from a safe distance if it did not focus on him.


    The thrust from Eldrian forces the beast to stop its attack at Vivian. This caused Jack to get a solid hit with an arrow. The arrow going through one of its legs, almost disabling the leg.


    Feeling the new pain the Alpha became furious. The coordination of the group was simply too good. They all actually only fought around Eldrian, but this gave them time to consider their moves. While Eldrian just needed to survive.


    It rushed at Eldrian anew, seeing that its eyes were bloodshot Eldrian felt like cursing. Before now he believed he might survive after blocking, now he felt it would mean his death. As such he danced again, luckily it was easier now that one of the Alpha''s legs was injured. Allowing Eldrian to even feint a strike at the beast every few dodges.


    Slowly Eldrian felt like it might indeed work. He only worried that a Beta would soone to help the Alpha. It felt to him like they had been fighting for hours, he knew this was untrue but had no idea how long it had really been. He was amazed that they hadn''t been interrupted yet.


    Thinking of this Eldrian felt a pressure, squeezing his heart and making it harder to breathe. He realized that they weren''t going to be able to whittle it down so slowly. Realizing that it would simply lead to their defeat he started thinking that he really did not want everyone here to die. He did not want Vivian to die on what was supposed to be a simple mission.


    ''I don''t want to die either, but it is far more important that they survive.'' He thought, ncing at Vivian. Not able to give her more than a nce or he would miss the Alpha''s attack.


    ''Let''s do this!'' He hyped himself up, getting ready to put it all on the line.


    Again he entered his special mindset without realizing that it was happening. The Alpha''s attack became visible, while still extremely fast. Previously it had been a blur of movement, but now he could see the actual limb as it moved.


    As the Alpha''s attack came at him Eldrian dodged by going down onto one knee. From here he thrust his spear forward as fast as he could, while his hair was being blown around from the wind pressure caused by the Alpha''s attack.


    Clenching his teeth he held fast. The Alpha had dodged his attack with ease, simply by moving back a bit. He followed up his thrust by pushing the spear up in an upward sh, forcing the Alpha to dodge backwards again. The wound in its leg causing it to only barely manage this dodge.


    Seeing it retreat from Eldrian''s sudden attack the others attacked anew, adding more pressure onto the Alpha.


    Eldrian followed his attack with a spin, using his bent knee to give him momentum in turning. In the spin he swung his back de at the Alpha while following it up with the front de less than a secondter. Sliding his hands downward as the second attack arrive, causing the range of the attack to increase.


    The Alpha not expecting the range increase took a shallow cut across its chest. Eldrian cursed when he saw how shallow the cut was. Realizing that its hide was far stronger than those of the previous beasts.


    Having had enough of the irritating wounds which limited its mobility the Alpha used its skill. The blue stripes over its body started glowing as its wounds healed at a rate visible to the eye.


    Eldrian was far too focused on its every move to miss this, but he discarded these thoughts from his head. He simply focused on its movements and his attacks.


    Thinking, ''If you can heal a shallow wound, then I need to ensure it isn''t shallow!''


    Eldrian brought his spear around. He dodged an attack the Alpha sent out and returned it with one of his own. Thrusting towards the Alpha''s heart he hoped to end it, but it dodged to the side. Taking a hit from Vivian as her sword glowed red, but the wound did little to it. Starting to heal right after taking the hit. But the burnt skin struggled to heal, making it a slower process. This distracted the Alpha as it was surprised at the pain which became worse instead of better.


    Not aware of any of this Eldrian focused on trying to score a vital hit. The missed thrust left his spear to the left of the Alpha. Recognizing a dangerous opportunity Eldrian went for it.


    He stepped to the right and pulled back on the end of his spear. shing his front de into the Alpha. He used the pole as a counter-lever, pivoting it around his left hand. Causing a deep wound to the left of the Alpha''s chest.


    In return, the Alpha managed to hit him with its left leg. The attack hit Eldrian across the chest, ripping him open.


    Eyes tearing up and gritting his teeth Eldrian refused to stop his attack. He realized that it was not enough, fighting through the pain from the attack, which was like none before. The pain felt devastating, making him want to simply faint. But with the help of willpower and adrenaline, he managed to end his attack.


    Following his sh with a thrust. Right into the center of the wound he had made. Allowing his spear to easily prate its tough hide. The spear slid in smoothly up until the entire de was inside it.


    Seeing his attack seed Eldrian cast a nce at his stats, looking for the XP message which wasn''t present.


    Instead he saw his HP at 0.5 while his stamina and mana were draining extremely fast. So fast it took only a few milliseconds for them both to run out.


    After which, it all became dark for him.

 Chapter 49: Recovery

    <h4>Chapter 49: Recovery</h4>


    Eldrian slowly opened his eyes feeling very tired and ufortable. He tried to move only to end up gasping for air. All his strength leaving him due to his small action.


    ''Oh god!''


    Feeling the familiar feeling rushing up from his stomach he force himself to move. Making it just in time, letting loose all his food onto the poor person next to him.


    Eldrian cursed the developers for the realistic setting as he felt the pain in his chest both from phantom pain as well as the acid, which burned as it went up. Giving up on standing up he fell back into hisfortable lying position. The smell of vomit drifting over as he tried to gain more strength.


    ''This is not fun...''


    After a long time, Eldrian managed to move his body, by now he was already used to the acid smell. He still struggled in moving, his muscles screamed at him to stop. Luckily the pain wasn''t near the level of thest hit he took. But it still caused his body to protest.


    Shaking he slowly managed to move. Turning to the opposite way he had vomited. He used his arms to push himself up, managing to sit on his knees. Finally having a higher viewpoint he could start looking around.


    His immediate surrounding was filled with others lying like him. There seemed to be half a meter between everyone. Looking to where he had let loose, Eldrian felt intense embarrassment. Realizing he had not hit the ground, but instead an injured man.


    The poor man was covered with vomit. Luckily he was unconscious, but he did not look in great shape as he had an arm missing and a nasty scar over his bare chest. Making Eldrian feel even worse.


    ''Sorry dude.'' He mumbled as he tried to stand up some more, only to find his legs not wanting to obey him.


    He turned his gaze further up. Having given up in standing up, for now. What he saw made him d and confused. NPCs were running around in a hurry. Dragging or carrying others to what was now a field of injured people.


    Eldrian felt dizzy as he looked at the situation all the NPCs were in. Fighting this dizziness he kept looking around, hoping to see someone he knew.


    ''What on earth happened?'' Eldrian asked himself as he stared at everyone busy with what he assumed was rescue operations.


    As he asked himself this question he remembered a sh of hisst fight. This prompted him to look at his chest, which prompted a massive amount of pain. It disappeared a split-secondter, like it had never been there. But Eldrian was sweating and struggled to breathe after feeling that pain again.


    Confused he started at his chest after recovering. His chest seemed fine now, but his shirt was now more a cape than it was a shirt. Most to the front being torn, but he did not mind this too much. More worried about how everything had ended and if Vivian made it.


    ''I guess we won, seeing as I did not revive at the temple. And everyone else not fighting'' He concluded after a few more minutes of looking at the people running about. Still not finding anyone who he knew.


    Feeling much better after resting for a minute or two he tried standing again. Finally seeding, before wanting to cave back down. After straightening his body he had felt a wave of nausea assaulting him. He managed to fight it and keep his bnce, but he didn''t want to risk walking just yet. He waited for the nausea to finish first while rocking on the spot.


    ''Guess this is what being revived feels like?'' He mumbled as he looked at his stat window, which stated that he had been killed and revived.


    Looking through all his messages he saw that he had leveled up during the fight, which he vaguely remembered. But to his annoyance he had lost that level, thus staying level 1. The message exining his recovery also didn''t help him much.


    [Battle field resurrection was performed on yer.]


    [Time between death and resurrection was 24 minutes 43 seconds.]


    [yer has received the full death penalty.]


    Strangely he found that he still had 752 XP left. He had no idea why he had some XP left and wasn''t set back to 0 as others had been. But the loss of his first level frustrated him as he wished to let loose a few curses.


    As he wanted to start cursing he remembered about his weapon. In frightening haste, he looked to his inventory, hoping that he had not lost it.


    To his surprise and great relief, he found that Grace was in his inventory. As the relief washed over him he grew curious about why it was in his inventory. He was certain that it had been inside the Alpha when he likely died.


    This discovery helped him cool down from his previous frustration. He knew that he could always get more XP, but he wasn''t so sure about getting another magic weapon.


    As he returned to his previous worried state someone came and offered him a shoulder for support.


    "Whoaa there. Don''t push yourself. Reviving is never easy on anyone." The person said as he maneuvered his shoulder under Eldrian''s arm. Making it much easier for him to keep steady.


    "Thank you," Eldrian said as he felt the support. He then became curious about what had happened exactly.


    "What happened? Did I really die? How are my friends?" Eldrian asked in a rushed tone.


    "In short, we won and you did die. Luckily we could bring you back. And sorry but I do not know who your friends are." The guy replied.


    This reply gave Eldrian chills as he began to fear the worst. He had expected them to have taken him to the medical center. Or that they would be found with him. He started to worry about what happened to Vivian.


    "Don''t panic. Tell me who your friends are and I can help you find out how they are."


    "I am mainly concerned about Vivian. But I was also with Jack and John, if that will help in finding her."


    "Oh, so you were part of the group who killed that Alpha who broke through the line." The guy said in surprise as he looked at Eldrian. Finding the story to be far-fetched, seeing as Eldrian wasn''t in good shape nor did he have any armor.


    But he felt that the concern was certainly real, thus he decided to tell Eldrian what he knew.


    "As far as I know John died and we couldn''t get his body in time to resurrect him."


    Eldrian felt his heart freeze as he heard this, worrying that Vivian would be in the same case.


    "Jack, on the other hand, we managed to find his body in time, he is still unconscious but breathing."


    This helped Eldrian breathe again, but he still felt like his heart was being squeezed.


    "And if the Vivian you are talking about is the one I am thinking of then she came out the best of all."


    "One of her arms was torn off," Hearing this Eldrian felt himself freeze, chills spreading over him as he felt like his heart was about to break, "but she managed to survive and get help in time."


    Eldrian''s relief was so great that he lost all strength he had recovered. Only with the help of the stranger did he not fall down.


    "How is she now?" Eldrian asked, his voice cracking.


    "From what I heard, she is doing well. She hasn''t gotten healed yet, but she is stable and they had found her arm. So it should all turn out alright."


    Eldrian felt great relief again. He hoped the healing would be really good, seeing as magic was a thing. He certainly hoped it wouldn''t hamper herter on. But he had no idea how well healing magic worked. So he could only hope.


    The stranger saw the worry in Eldrian, but he decided to not offer empty words. Seeing as it wouldn''t do much to help someone. Instead, he wanted to change the subject.


    "What unit are you in? I can take you there."


    "Unit? I... I am not in any unit."


    "Wait, how can that be?"


    "I-I''m a Chosen." Eldrian stuttered as he expected the person to leave him alone as he said these words. To his surprise, the guy looked at him in disbelief.


    "Then why are you having such a hard time after reviving?"


    "I don''t know. You said it is normal."


    "Yeah, it is normal for us. People of this world. But for you Chosen it is normally as easy as simply waking up. Look over there, they had also been resurrected. They could move normally within seconds of waking up."


    The guy turned a quizzical gaze onto Eldrian. But seeing the confusion in Eldrian''s eyes he left it at that.


    The guy used Observe on Eldrian, wanting to confirm his story. To his surprise it was true, but he also saw a debuff on Eldrian. He had never seen this debuff, it seemed to be a more severe condition than standard from the wording.


    Normally people would have a Great Fatigue after being revived, but Eldrian for some reason didn''t have this one. Instead, he had Total Fatigue.


    Not one to lose himself too much in such thoughts the guy pulled himself out of the questions which were popping up.


    At the same time, Eldrian turned his head searching for a ce to go and rest at. He certainly didn''t want to wait in the middle of the moaning patients.


    Seeing the earth ramp he asked, "Can you help me go there." Indicating with his head, as his body was still in shock from the news he had just gotten.


    "Sure."


    The stranger quickly replied and helped Eldrian head to the wall. It was the only ce that had little blood and gore. Even having ces that were still nice and green.

 Chapter 50: Rules of revival

    <h4>Chapter 50: Rules of revival</h4>


    Finding a nice ce to rest Eldrian and the stranger sat down for a little. They were sitting at the top of the wall, with their legs resting over the edge. Giving them a nice view of the backside of the battle. Looking at all the corpses in the dirt as well as the burnt forest Eldrian realized what had happened to all the other yers.


    ''This is gonna be an issue.'' He thought, feeling like this was most certainly going to create a rift between NPCs and yers. While the rtionships hadn''t been nice in the beginning he had felt it would start bing better soon.


    Especially after this battle, he felt that some yers had shown that they could stand up. That they aren''t just thrill-seekers and reckless people.


    Eldrian could already feel a shift in NPCs'' view of them. He felt this in the earnest support the stranger was offering him. Even staying here, probably to make sure he was fine.


    But now Eldrian felt certain the yers would be aggressive towards NPCs. He also believed this won''t be an isted issue. And from there he believed the normal hate spiral will take control. Leading to strife and more hate.


    ''This is going to suck. I''ll try to soothe it after logging off. I hope I can...'' Eldrian mumbled to himself, turning to the stranger after finishing these thoughts.


    He had a few questions he wanted to ask. Having found his revival very strange.


    "Thank you for helping me, I am Haru." Eldrian first decided to introduce himself, feeling like it would be improper not to. Especially since he was about to ask for more information and not just help.


    The stranger only replied a few secondster, "Oh, sorry. I was just thrown by all this death. I wasn''t even aware of this part of the fight."


    Eldrian was surprised to hear this, but he believed the stranger. Simply because he had a look of pain or loss on him. It certainly wasn''t the look someone would have, unless they felt sad for the loss of life.


    "I am James." The stranger added after a few more seconds of silence.


    "Nice to meet you, and thank you for helping me," Eldrian responded, finding it awkward to start asking questions. He kept silent for a while before justing out with them.


    "I have a few questions if you wouldn''t mind answering them," Eldrian said.


    "Sure, I don''t mind. But I can''t stay too long, I need to head back. I just wanted to confirm that you were alright."


    "Oh alright, then let me get straight to it. Do you know why resurrection was so different for me?"


    "No, I do not. You seem to exhibit the same symptoms as normal people would. You also have a unique status."


    ''Unique status?'' Eldrian questioned, turning his mind to his interface and looking at his stats. He quickly found the massive debuffs he had.


    [Attributes]


    [Strength: 52.5/105]


    [Agility: 57.5/115]


    [Constitution: 52.5/105]


    [Intelligence: 55/110]


    [Spirit: 52.5/105]


    [Stats]


    [HP: 26/52.5]


    [Mana: 16/52.5]


    [Stamina: 6/60]


    [Buffs/Debuffs]


    [Fatigue: Level 7]


    [Magical Fatigue: Level 6]


    [Total Fatigue: Level 5]


    ''How the hell are my attributes less? Is it due to this new status effect, Total fatigue?'' Eldrian questioned as he now found himself too weak to use his weapon. Curious he decided to try and wield it a bitter. He believed it should be possible, as he remembered reading something about it before.


    But he was very sad to see how weak he was now. Especially his stamina and health. It basically left him defenseless.


    He shelved these questions andints. Not managing to get any more info from the interface he decided to try and ask for some.


    "Are you talking about Total Fatigue?" Eldrian asked, seeking confirmation first.


    "Yes, normally people who revive would have Great Fatigue. While Chosen generally has no status ailment. Or rather we have found no reports on it yet. You are the first."


    "Do you know what Great Fatigue does to people?"


    "Generally it makes them tired, needing more sleep for around a week. During this time they will have less stamina, and in some cases less mana. We also know that if someone with Great Fatigue dies again, then reviving them is impossible. Unless it is done really early."


    "How early would that be?"


    "Less than a minute. Two at max."


    "Dang, that seems impossible in a fight."


    "Which is why they wouldn''t be allowed to fight, unless the situation is really dire."


    "Wait, why would you prohibit them from fighting?" Eldrian asked, feeling like this was a weird rule. Many had died even without having been under the debuff.


    After a moment of silence James answered, "Oh, I see where you are confused. Many people might die, but as a rule, we don''t want to take the risk of permanent death. While many still die, it is a small thing the higher-ups decided on. To tell you the truth, I don''t really know why it was made a rule."


    Eldrian nodded his head, finding the answer reasonable. He then started thinking about what to ask next while he digested what he just heard.


    The first fact was that he will be tired, which he already felt very much. The next seemed to be that this will take a while to heal, not just a day like the other Fatigues. Thest part concerned him a bit.


    He had experienced resurrection very differently from other yers. From all the online surfing he had done, he knew they normally went into a temple of sorts. From there they could see their avatar as well as their stats. But they aren''t able to leave their temple until they resurrect.


    But for him, it had been simple darkness. With him not even having realized that he was unconscious. He had felt like hours had passed, yet at the same time like it had been less than a second. It was very difficult for him to even understand what he had felt.


    This fact scared him. Having never been a religious person he found this thought to be very scary. He believed that death was just that. Absolute nothingness, and he had seemingly been in that state for over 20 minutes.


    Thinking of this he burst out in a bout of cold sweat.


    Seeing this James asked, "Are you okay."


    "I-I, I don''t know. I think I just realized I might have died for real." Eldrian said, stuttering in the start.


    James looked at him weirdly, "Of course you did. That is why we had to revive you."


    "But-but, it isn''t the same as what normally happens."


    "What are you talking about?" James asked in confusion.


    "Sorry, I don''t know myself. I just got scared for a moment. What else was different in my case?"


    "I don''t know, I didn''t revive you. I am only a helper, the highest healing I can do is a severe cut. I can''t even heal a broken limb. Only cuts..."


    Hearing this Eldrian was quite surprised while finding the first part normal. Seeing as he didn''t feel a high-level person would take so much time on him. But he was surprised about the healing part.


    "Why can you only heal so little?"


    "Little, well I guess it is little. But only in a military context. If given time I can heal bones and treat diseases. But in this setting, where minutes are what you have, I can only close up cuts within the time."


    "What tier are you then. If you don''t mind me asking."


    "Oh, um I am a Tier 2 novice apprentice in Healing magic."


    ''Tier 2, and he can''t heal broken limbs. Fuck! I hope Vivian will be fine.'' Eldrian mumbled, having realized that the bill for healing a lost arm was more than he had thought at first.


    Seeing Eldrian''s worried look James quickly realized Eldrian''s worries. "Rx, I am sure Vivian will get good enough care." He said as he patted Eldrian''s back lightly.


    This helped Eldrian calm down and return to his previous questions.


    "Do you know what others felt or lived through during their death? Before being revived?" Eldrian asked after thinking for a bit.


    "Mmmm, it depends on the time between their death and resurrection. And their religion too."


    "Wait, why would it depend?"


    "I think it is due to the limitations of resurrection."


    Seeing Eldrian''s quizzical look, James continued.


    "In normal cases, normal healing magic can bring someone back if it is within less than a minute. After this more advanced magic is needed. Up until 5 minutes, normal resurrection spells will still work. After this time it will require very high-tier spells to resurrect someone. Even this is limited."


    "If I remember correctly, the spells for before 5 minutes are only tier 4 revival spells. Tier 5 healing spells can also work in certain cases. But if someone had been dead for over 5 minutes then a Tier 5 revival spell is the minimum requirement. And this will generally work until 15 minutes. After which higher tier spells will give some extra time. I think 5 minutes per tier."


    ''Wait, then how did I survive? Or how was I brought back rather.'' Eldrian asked, feeling weird when he thought that he was brought back to life.


    ''The spell tier required would be 7, seeing as I died for over 24 minutes. But that means no one here is strong enough. Unless I am mistaken. But why would someone spend so much effort on me, a Chosen?''


    ''How the hell does it work then? Is it different due to me being a yer? But why is everything else the same?''


    "Back to what they experienced," James said after having given Eldrian some time to digest the information. He had seen the surprise and confusion in Eldrian and thus given him some time.


    "Generally the people would say they just felt like a second passed when they had been dead for less than a minute. If less than 5 minutes then they normally say they felt like a soul with no ce to wander. While if more than 5 minutes, then there are cases of them having entered their religions'' resting ce."


    ''Wait, does that mean I am in the first orst group?'' Eldrian asked himself. Wondering if his religion affected his experience, or was it just the first normal case.


    ''I am starting to think something is very wrong.''


    "Do you have any other questions?" James asked, to which he got no answer. Eldrian waspletely focused on this issue.


    Seeing Eldrian''s focus James decided to leave. It didn''t look to him like Eldrian needed help anymore and he didn''t want to wait until he finished thinking. He had to be at his post to help others too.


    So Eldrian was left alone on the wall, deep in his own thoughts.

 Chapter 51: Good and bad, aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 51: Good and bad, aftermath</h4>


    After a while of thinking, Eldrian lied down on the wall, having turned around to face the inside of the battle and making sure the area was rtively clean. Lying against the edge he gazed at the clouds moving overhead and fell asleep.


    ...


    Eldrian woke up after half an hour. Looking up he saw that it was bing darker, the day clearly nearing its end.


    ''Well, I guess it is a good thing. I really want to sleep some more.'' He mumbled to himself as he started closing his eyes again, but a familiar voice stopped his actions.


    "Ah, you are finally awake." Turning his head Eldrian saw that William was sitting next to him, also staring at the clouds while smoking a pipe.


    "Such a beautiful day filled with death. It often makes me sad." William said as he breathed out the smoke. His pipe seemed normal and even average. Eldrian was curious why someone of such a high status would use such a cheap-looking pipe.


    "Curious are you?" William asked when he saw Eldrian''s look.


    "It is simple really. It was a friend''s, they would always smoke after a long day, or a bad one. After his death, I took it upon myself to continue this."


    "To be honest I do not know why. It helps me cope, I guess." William said, shrugging on the end.


    Eldrian didn''t know what to say. He certainly wasn''t going to condone it, and he didn''t know how to praise it. So he just stayed quiet.


    "You must be curious why I am here?" William asked after another moment of silence.


    "I am. Is everything fine now, has everything been sorted?" Eldrian asked. Curious why William, a Great Mage, would be sitting next to him. Not helping somewhere or just rxing on his own.


    "To answer your question, yes. Almost everything has been sorted by now. Our losses were far more than we had expected. But we managed to save the border area, for now. And more effort will be ced in this endeavor from now on."


    As William said this he released a sigh before adding, "I wish it didn''t alwayse to this."


    Eldrian found this statement confusing until he started thinking about a more general theme. Realizing that William was talking about wars. He agreed with this, also finding wars a bad thing. Still, he couldn''t say he didn''t like them in games.


    But this game was starting to feel too real for him, making him despise this war. Just like he did in reality. This realization shocked Eldrian, making him contemte this for a while.


    "How is Vivian doing sir?" Eldrian asked after his thoughts had returned to the losses of war.


    "She is doing alright. From what I heard she has been healed, but she will need some time to get back to normal."


    "An-and how is Jack?" Eldrian asked, curious how the other person who had been revived was doing.


    "He hasn''t woken yet. He and some others are currently being transported to Synoro."


    Eldrian nodded to this, turning his gaze to the distant town. Seeing a small group of people walking towards the town. This group of people seemed to be farmers from the town, they weren''t in armor and every two had a person on a stretcher between them.


    Seeing this Eldrian felt a happy feeling rising in him. He had no idea what it was, but he realized that the death had been for something.


    "May I ask something else?" Eldrian inquired after another moment of silence. During which he had observed these groups as they slowly made their way to the town''s walls.


    "Sure," William replied, taking a long pull after.


    "Why did you and Old Sword not help in the fight?"


    "The beasts were far craftier than we had thought possible. Simply put, we had been yed."


    "But how?"


    "The worst-case happened. The first Alpha was a Beast Lord, while the second and third were both Chieftains."


    "In the start, I sent that massive attack to the Beast Lord Alpha, which Old Sword then targeted. But before he could finish it off another Alpha rushed to help it. Then another joined and he entered a standstill. I could only help from afar andter the other pack''s Alpha also joined, making it a 4v1 with me only offering help from a distance."


    The thought of having to fight against 4 Alphas left Eldrian bbergasted, making him realize that the situation had been far worse than he had thought. Taking a while to ovee this shock, which William gave him, Eldrian asked, "What do their titles mean?"


    "Mmmh, let me see. A Chieftain is a Tier 4 beast and a Beast Lord is Tier 5. And what makes them so dangerous is that Chieftains will be able to fully use their natural element, while a Beast Lords can learn other magics outside of their natural talent. Some Beast Lords can even learn tomunicate via telepathy, if their talent lies within a few specific magic branches that are."


    "And we think this one was in one of those branches. They were too coordinated, due to this we had to focus and kill them early. And that took time, Old Sword even almost died a few times. Especially in the start, when the other two Alphas ambushed him. Right after the first attack."


    ''So that is why they never really helped us. I had thought it was very strange, makes some sense now.'' Eldrian thought.


    "In any case, I came to try and figure out what your anomaly is." William suddenly said, interrupting Eldrian''s thoughts.


    "Did you find anything?"


    "Nothing, you seem perfectly normal. Well a few small differences to humans, but you are an elf. So I can''t really say if they are normal differences or not."


    "Oh..." Eldrian said, feeling down that even William couldn''t offer him some help in his mystery. After a few more moments of silence, William spoke again.


    "I will go tell Vivian you are alright."


    "Wait, I wille with you," Eldrian said, standing up. Only to feel a wave of dizziness assault him again. This wave was far less than previous and he managed to stay standing, only swaying slightly.


    William chuckled when he saw Eldrian''s actions. Completely understanding the feelings Eldrian was having, and finding his hasty actions cute.


    "Sure, follow me. She is over there." William said, pointing to the far right where corpses were being piled next to each other.


    As they were walking over Vivian spotted them before they could reach her. She immediately left her spot and made her way over.


    Looking at her Eldrian felt a lump form in his throat. The battle had clearly been very harsh on her. She had a few light scars on her face, which would likely soon fade. But she had arge scar over her right arm and her left arm was in a sling.


    Looking at this arm Eldrian quickly realized that it was the one that had been torn off. The arm had a light zigzag scarring above her elbow. Just seeing this wound Eldrian felt the lump grow causing his eyes to start tearing up.


    The image which popped into his head enforced this lump. Making him hope that she had passed out soon after receiving the wound. That she hadn''t needed to fight while in such pain.


    Before he could say anything she wrapped her right arm over him. Starting to cry as soon as she embraced him.


    After almost a minute of just standing there, they finally broke apart. William had long left them alone.


    "I am so d you surv-vived" She said, her voice breaking in the end. Stopping her from saying any more.


    "How are you?" Eldrian asked in concern after seeing her mental state, which seemed on the edge of breaking.


    "I-I''mm, I''m doing better now." Stuttering she answered slowly, her voice bing softer as she spoke. Seemingly wanting to deny the words being spoken.


    Eldrian didn''t know what to do. He never really interacted with people, often being a loner or just having a few friends. He certainly hadn''t been there for someone who had lost friends and lived through such a horror.


    All he could think of was offering her a shoulder to cry on. It was something he normally did for his sister after she had a breakup with either a friend or boyfriend. He knew it worked far better than words.


    As such he embraced her again. She immediately started crying again, resting her head on his shoulder.


    After a while, she spoke into his chest, "I''m really d you are alright."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked in confusion, not understanding her worry. He was a Chosen, so he couldn''t die, so he asked himself what she was worried about.


    "I heard you were having apletely different situationpared to the other Chosen. And hearing this. I couldn''t help but. Start thinking you might also die." She said, stuttering and gasping every few words.


    "I am doing good now, so don''t worry anymore."


    After this, they separated and started walking to where Vivian had been standing.


    Eldrian wanted to ask what happened in the fight, but he felt it would be a very bad idea to bring this up now, since Vivian had just calmed down.


    Arriving at the spot they waited.


    Eldrian didn''t know for what, but he decided to just stay there. Vivian was leaning against his shoulder while they waited and he certainly didn''t feel that he should break the mood.


    They stayed together as they enjoyed the sunset.


    Looking at the blue and purple clouds Eldrian thought back to his second day in-game. After which he and Vivian had also gazed at the clouds.


    ''Reality has both good and bad parts.'' He thought to himself, trying to enjoy the good which was being presented to him.


    Trying to not think of all the pain he and everyone else here had gone through.

 Chapter 52: War tradition

    <h4>Chapter 52: War tradition</h4>


    After enjoying the sunset Eldrian turned his gaze back to his surrounding. Looking at all the soldiers who were still busy bringing over the fallen. Looking to his left he saw wood being stacked.


    "Are they making pyres?" Eldrian asked.


    "Mmm? Yeah, it is a tradition of the military to always burn their fallen as a way of saying goodbye and thank you."


    ''This is likely what we are waiting for.'' Eldrian thought. Not knowing how to help he decided to just stay put. He didn''t want to offer help and then only be a nuisance.


    While waiting he started going through his quest log.


    [Questpleted: First Expedition]


    [Quest Rank: A]


    [Soldiers alive: 2644/5156; Soldiers left in revival time: 0]


    ''It really was a hard battle.'' Eldrian thought as he saw that almost half of the NPCs had died. He was d that more than half of them had survived, but the difference was very small. Making him a bit sad while also reinforcing the thought that he isn''t strong enough. And that he would likely never be.


    Realizing this he determined that he would start a thread to try and recruit people. People who would be able to help defend this world. He knew he wouldn''t really manage much, seeing as he did not have a strong background or online presence, with which he could push this n. But he felt he had to start something.


    Thinking of this he continued reading his log.


    [Quest reward: 10 000 XP]


    [Quest Achievements: 7 Beastwolf kills, 8 Direwolf kills]


    [Quest Achievements: 1 Beta kill]


    [Quest Achievements: 1 Alpha kill]


    ''Did I really do so much? Holy crap, that is quite impressive.'' Eldrian thought after seeing the numbers. He immediately realized that the system counted kills even if it wasn''t a solo kill. Even so he felt good seeing that he helped in over 15 fights.


    [Quest Achievement reward: 48 Silver]


    [Quest Extra Achievements: Helped in creation of n]


    [Quest Extra Achievements reward: Rtionship increase]


    ''Huh, wonder how this is going to work?'' Eldrian asked himself, finding theck of detail in whose rtionship will increase quite frustrating.


    [Total Reward: 58 Silver]


    ''Nice...'' He thought, thinking that he could now afford another decent weapon. He didn''t even consider armor, as only high-quality armor seemed to be effective. And that was more expensive than weapons.


    [Go to a high-ranked NPC to im rewards, coins will only be given when returning to the city. Proof must be provided.]


    ''Shit, how am I going to prove my kills?'' Eldrian asked himself when he saw this bit of information. But he discarded his worries after a bit, finding that he couldn''t really do anything to change his situation.


    [Quest Party Size: 63 yers]


    ''So, only that is what is left of the near 2000 yers who had joined this quest. Dang, this is really going to blow up.''


    After going through all this and the trouble he foresaw, he found Vivian''s presence soothing. Enjoying the soothing feeling he waited with her as darkness rolled in and the night started.


    ...


    Half an hourter the first pyre was lit. Looking at the mes growing quickly throughout the piles wood, Eldrian felt something stir in him. Again realizing that this was a final goodbye for the NPCs.


    Turning to look at Vivian he saw tears streaming down her face. This gave him a pang in his side, but he couldn''t think of what to say. He simply stayed by her side as they watched more and more pyres be lit.


    Soon it became bright enough to see most of the battlefield, looking around Eldrian was surprised with how many people were there.


    The entire area was surrounded by the NPCs who could still move on their own. Some still gravely injured, but they stood and watched the pyres burn. Determined to see of their fallen friends''st rites.


    Seeing the sadness in everyone Eldrian also started feeling sad.


    After a while of silence, Eldrian asked, "Who did you lose?"


    "Many good friends," Vivian said while sobbing, adding a few seconds. "I found John, Gregory, Thea, Tally, and Ben''s dog tags."


    Hearing this Eldrian gave Vivian a side hug of support while looking at the mes.


    ''Five friends. Five!'' He thought to himself, finding the thought mortifying.


    ''I need to be stronger! No, we as yers need to be stronger!'' Reaching this conclusion Eldrian''s eyes shone with rity. He didn''t just think it, he now believed it. He wanted to ensure things turn better. He wanted to make this a game that can be fun and not just bloody.


    Reaching hisst conclusion Eldrian almostughed at himself. Finding it ridiculous that his aim had changed from enjoying a war-filled game to trying and stop the war.


    After his thoughts, he stayed and watched the pyres burn with Vivian for around an hour. The dancing mespounding his resolution with each gust and flicker.


    Slowly everyone started moving after this hour. Eldrian and Vivian also started moving away slowly, taking a few minutes to leave the heat of the fires. As they left they offered each other support as they made their way to Synoro.


    As they walked, Vivian asked Eldrian, "What were you thinking about?" The question surprised Eldrian, not having thought she would realize his mental state. He took a while, sorting his thoughts before answering.


    "I am not sure myself. I just realized that I have to be stronger if I want to make a difference. And I guess this led me to realize that I won''t be able to do much even if I myself am strong."


    "So I am thinking of what to do, to make sure such a tragedy would not happen again."


    Vivian simply nodded her head while listening as they continued walking.


    ...


    Twenty minutes of slow-paced walkingter, they finally reached the town.


    The town''s gates were wide open, with a few soldiers standing guard at the edges of the gate. The gate and wall were simple, the walls made out of stone and around 10 meters tall while the gate was a simple wooden gate and only 5 meters high.


    Entering through the gate Eldrian cast ast look at the still-burning pyres, seeing that some of the soldiers were still standing there.


    ''I hope them the best.'' Eldrian thought, feeling certain that those had likely lost most of their friends or even family members. With these sad and heavy thoughts, he entered the town.


    Inside Eldrian found that a few campfires had been started. Soldiers gathered around these fires making themselves some food and drinking. But even with the drinking and atmosphere of the fires, the emotional atmosphere felt heavy. No one making loud noises even though many was already drunk.


    Most of the groups surrounding a fire were small, often less than five NPCs. Eldrian realized that this was because the rest of their friends had likely died.


    Turning his sights further he searched for the town, which was surprisingly hard to find. The only building near them was what seemed to be an inn, from where barrels of some or other drink was being carried out.


    Searching for the town Eldrian saw more buildings a good way up the road. Looking to these buildings sides he saw many animals grazing near them. Making him realize that the town was very different from a city.


    He and Vivian walked around aimlessly between the campfires. Looking for a ce to rest at. Eldrian hoped to find one soon, wanting to log off and take a nice nap. Not just because he was tired, but because he also knew his gaming time was almost up.


    While they were walking he also came to a realization that many yers might never want to fight again. Heck, he might have chosen this route if he didn''t want to help this world in a more active manner. He certainly wouldn''t me anyone who chose this path, the battle had certainly been extreme.


    ''Maybe some could even get trauma from this. No wonder we had to sign that contract.'' Eldrian thought, finally realizing why that contract was needed. He had thought it was a simple thing, but now he realized that the developers most likely knew how bad the situation would be.


    ''Son of a bitch!'' Eldrian cursed, feeling very angry from this discovery and also stupid for having just nced at the contract at that time.


    After a bit more of walking, they heard a familiar voice.


    "I am so d you are okay!" Old Sword shouted as he rushed to Vivian and gave her a massive hug. He didn''t look too good himself. Looking at Old Sword Eldrian felt amazed that the man was still walking.


    Most of his wounds had clearly been healed, but the gaps and tears in his clothes had not. Eldrian counted more than 15 massive tears over his back alone, with many new scars on his arm and face too.


    After a while of hugging they separated, giving Eldrian a look at his front, which left him even more speechless. The entire front of Old Sword''s shirt was basically missing, much more than Eldrian''s own shirt.


    ''What did he go through?'' Eldrian asked himself as he followed them. Feeling awkward for following them, but he didn''t know what else to do.


    They walked a bit out of the soldier''s camp and arrived at a t open area. Here a tent was being set up, which Eldrian immediately went forward to help with.


    In the end, he only helped by holding onto parts while others set it up, but even this task allowed him to not think of the day. Focusing on what the others were doing so that he could try and learn what type of tents were avable in the game.


    A few minutester they finished setting up the tent. It was quiterge, almost as big as a house. Walking inside Eldrian found that the tent had a bigmunal area and a few smaller parts.


    He thought that everyone who had helped would sleep here, but surprisingly the others all left. Leaving only him, Vivian, and Old Sword in the tent.


    "You can pick any of the rooms, goodnight." Old Sword said and went to one side of the tent with Vivian.


    Shrugging Eldrian went to the opposite side and lied down on the ground. Finding afortable position he logged of.


    Seeing that he had been nearing the 17-hour mark of being online. ''That was close to being kicked.'' He thought to himself as he fell asleep.


    He immediately woke up on his bed again after having fallen asleep and logging off. Taking of his headset he slowly sat up, feeling stiff all over.


    ''Why does my body feel so tired?'' He asked himself as he stood up slowly, making his way to his kitchen. He made himself something quick to eat while also enjoying some juice.


    After filling his stomach Eldrian went back to his bed and quickly fell asleep.

 Chapter 53: What happened with the event

    <h4>Chapter 53: What happened with the event</h4>


    Waking up a few hourster Eldrian felt his stomachining. Grumbling as soon as he sat up. Finding this strange Eldrian nced at the time on his phone, finding that it was almost 2 o''clock in the afternoon.


    ''Yikes, was I really so tired?'' He asked himself, realizing why he felt so hungry. He hadn''t eaten much before taking his nap, only something small. Not having expected that he would sleep so long.


    "But it was sooo nice." He mumbled as he made his way to his kitchen. He was irritated that he had slept so long, as he had wanted to go hang out with Erik or his sister if he wasn''t free. But now he didn''t really have enough time, unless he decided to log into the gameter. Which he didn''t want to do.


    ''Let''s send her a message and ask if tomorrow would work, probably lunch.'' Eldrian mumbled as he poured himself a bowl of cereal, not in the mood to make something. He decided to rather go to his sister, hoping that she would offer to make lunch. He always really enjoyed her cooking and he really felt like eating a homemade meal.


    After filling his bowl Eldrian quickly wolfed it down, refilling it right after. The second time he ate slowly while enjoying aedy show on his PC.


    Feeling much better he started thinking about what he needed to get done before logging back into the game, while still enjoying theedy show.


    ''First things first, see what other yers experienced. The event post did say that every kingdom would have an event and that each one will differ.'' Eldrian mumbled to himself as he sorted out his thoughts.


    Pausing the show and going onto the forum Eldrian found that the entire first page was filled with mostlyining posts. The developers seemed to have already answered theirints in a single post which was pinned to the top of the general thread.


    Eldrian read through it in curiosity, wanting to know how they were going to handle this situation.


    This post basically exined that they had warned everyone about the game''s realism and difficulty. Both via devs'' posts and the contract which required one to be over 18 years of age. More even if the person''s country''sws stated so.


    They also added a paragraph that basically just med the yers for still treating it like a normal game.


    ''Why are they so defensive?'' Eldrian asked himself, finding it strange that they immediately went to the contract to make a defense. Even trying to me the yerster on.


    Eldrian turned to thements after having finished the post. Which seemed very much like a denial of guilt to him. Just as he started reading thements he saw that a new post just made it to the top. Having been pinned by one of the forum moderators.


    This post was seemingly a conclusion on what happened. The post name was, [What happened with the first story event?]


    This post was made by a group of yers who loved data and had been going through all thements. Noting down theints of the yers as well as valid points brought up in either defense or criticism.


    The post started off by saying that each region or rather a kingdom seemed to have gotten a different quest, just like the developers'' post had promised. Many of them seemed very simr to some others, but after looking over most of the posts the creators of [What happened...] concluded that there was always a difference of some type.


    On the smallest level, this difference was that the monsters were of a different type. Or that the pack/horde was a few hundred more or less. But they added that there was also many major differences.


    Reading through this thread, Eldrian was left amazed at their ability to analyze such a messy forum so quickly. Seemingly very urate as well. All thements were praising the post creators for their objective post, while adding aint about the game''s unfairness if they could.


    The post went on to make a collection of all the monsters which had appeared. Making the first bestiary which yers could use with ease. In this collection, Eldrian found the Wolfbeasts and Direwolves which he had found. There was even a short description added, which was just the description yers had given them in their own posts.


    Eldrian found the description verycking as the only point he agreed on was that they were agile. But he knew that this was normal, seeing as it was the first time yers had faced the monsters. It would most likely be better with time.


    The creators of the post also stated that they were going to start a thread to catalog all the monsters. Asking yers to add any they discovered onto this thread.


    ''That''s it. I should start a thread with which to gather yers to help the NPCs in a better capacity.''


    Reading on another major point this post described was that due to the different enemies the quest ranks seemed to differ. Some kingdoms'' yers received bounty quests which were generally ranked E to C, while most of those facing an army/pack were rank B or A. A few kingdoms even received an S-ranked quest.


    Surprisingly the creators of [What happened...] even made links avable to the posts of special cases like these. Allowing readers to easily verify the information by going to the original post.


    Thest major point was on how peoplepleted the quest. Which Eldrian felt was actually quite fair and forgiving. From the post creators'' conclusion if a yer was actively part in the quest''s sess then they would receive the standard reward. Or at the least their quests didn''t turn into a failed quest, implying they couldplete it to get the rewards.


    Reading this Eldrian quickly connected it with how it would affect most yers. From their spections, it seemed that as long as a yer did damage to a beast, then they would seed in the quest. Even if they were to die right after.


    ''This particr part should help calm many yers'' Eldrian thought to himself.


    While they did die, maybe even as bait, they can still get the basic rewards of the quest. Eldrian felt that 10 000XP and 10 silver wasn''t bad for someone used as bait. He hoped yers would calm down from getting these rewards, and not try to get revenge on the NPCs.


    Eldrian followed the links in the post next, curious about how those kingdoms withpletely different scenarios were doing.


    The first he went to was an S-ranked quest link. This post was created by one of the yers of a kingdom called Ins and was called [Ins Starts Falling].


    They had failed their S-ranked quest. Reading this post Eldrian felt every kingdom facing an S-ranked would have failed.


    Unlike Phallos which had faced a monster horde just shy of 8000 beasts, Ins had to face a horde of over 50 thousand beasts and even an organized goblin army.


    Eldrian was surprised as he read the part about goblins, never having thought they would appear with the word organized. But a short video the yer supplied made it clear that they were indeed organized.


    This video was just a few seconds clip of the yer''s fight. He was desperately trying to not get killed in the clip and on the upper edge of his view was the army. There was a circle draws at their position to help people see the goblins, as the entire rest of the yer''s view was blocked by beasts. These beasts seemed to be a variation of hyenas. Just like Phallos had monsters of the wolf variation.


    Most of the goblins were in scrappy leather armor, but they were standing in a formation. With some beast riding goblins in the center, spear-wielding goblins in the front, and short bow archers goblins behind those spear goblins.


    Seeing all this Eldrian could feel his throat drying out. Wondering just how on earth were they supposed to win. He felt that the quest was simply impossible, making him question the quest ranks.


    ''If the difference between A and S is a factor of ten, then what are epic or legendary quests going to be?'' He asked himself,paring the numbers to what happened in Phallos. Realizing that it wasn''t really ten but adding onto the fact that the enemy was organized, he felt it was reasonable.


    Sure he felt that the goblins shown in the video looked weak. But he had already learned that looks could be deceiving, and they certainly looked like a real army. Certainly a poor army, but still an army.


    After thinking of all this he continued to read the post. Their kingdom, unlike Phallos, had sent an entire army division from their border city. Instead of treating it as a training exercise.


    From what the post creator of [Ins Starts Falling] heard and assumed, it seemed that this army was made out of almost 30 thousand NPCs. With the yer party size having only been 1700.


    Reading this Eldrian felt that yers would have no influence in the battle even if they were all as good as a normal soldier. He felt there were simply too few yers to make a difference. But he also felt that the NPCs should have won.


    Reading on he quickly realized why they hadn''t. The army had seemingly seen that goblins were leading this horde of monsters and believed that they would be stupid. So they had simply discarded their own tactics and faced the horde in a frontal battle. Which the goblins used to surround them with their beasts, mainly aiming for the mages and healers as the battle started.


    Eldrian could only specte that this is what happened from the video he was looking at. This video was the entire video of the fight, from the start until the yer died. After which no more information was avable, seeing as the post''s creator was dead at that point.


    While watching the video Eldrian started thinking that he should really start recording all of his gamey. It would make it far easier to share his experiences and information, which he was nning on doing. Wanting to help yers grow stronger so they could actually do something in the game. Not just being a spectator.


    Watching the 12-minute video Eldrian felt like killing the Ins armymander. It was clear this guy had a superiorityplex as he led his troops in a frontal charge, even taking to the front without choosing a second inmand.


    The yers didn''t really want to follow which was clear by their slow movement, but someone screamed in the video. They knew they would die if they were alone, so they followed hoping for the best.


    Watching the entire video Eldrian felt goosebumps over his body. He had counted more than five Alphas just from this one yer''s perspective. And one of them didn''t just have color in his fur, but the color seemed alive. Moving over its body as it moved, but the clip of it was too short for him to inspect it more.


    At the end of this post was the yer just describing their current situation. Where they were stuck inside the city they respawned in. If they tried to go out then they would quickly be monster food.


    The city was now in siege mode and more monsters were gathering in this kingdom. This was proven with one of the yers have gone up the wall, from where he had taken pictures of over six ck masses. Each seemingly being an army.


    ''Fucking hell!'' Was Eldrian''s only thought as he finished reading this. Realizing that this might be what every kingdom will face soon. Making him realize that they really didn''t have all that much time to prepare.


    Going back to the information post Eldrian followed a link to one of the kingdoms which had gotten a bounty quest.

 Chapter 54: Browsing and posting

    <h4>Chapter 54: Browsing and posting</h4>


    Reading the post about a kingdom that made a bounty quest avable to yers Eldrian found many things strange and interesting.


    The yers in this kingdom were asked to sign up at an adventurer guild from which they could get the quest. After signing up they had to go out and hunt down the monsters which were slipping into the kingdom. Much like what had happened with Phallos, but in much smaller numbers. Every group of monsters being between 5 or 20 monsters. Or so the yers were informed when taking the quest at the guild.


    Reading this post Eldrian felt like this was likely the next step for Phallos too. Where more and more smaller monster packs would make it inside the kingdom. Which the army and yers would be tasked with killing. Trying to keep their numbers to an amount that would allow rtively normal lives for the people of the kingdom.


    In the post, the yer highlighted that after killing a monster or a few, they had to then go back to the adventurer guild. There they would give in their quest and get the promised reward. Surprisingly this seemingly basic system has not been broken. If a yer tried to lie then the NPC would know immediately and revoke the yer''s rewards.


    This action had made the other yer follow the rule. Realizing that when they lied they wouldn''t just be denied the reward they were trying to gain extra, but also losing all other rewards they were eligible for.


    Eldrian found it interesting that yers could simply state their kills, and the NPCs could verify it. He had no idea how the NPC verified it, but it seemed to be very effective. Seeing as no yer had imed sess in duping the NPCs.


    ''Do they have a method to check our system quest log or something?'' Eldrian asked himself, wanting to turn in his own quest so he could try and figure it out. He knew he would likely not confirm anything, but if they could confirm all his kills then he felt they likely could connect to the system in some manner.


    After finishing the post Eldrian turned to thements, quickly bing bored of them. Unlike the post which was well structured and exined things, thements simplyined about how hard the quest was for them.


    Eldrian felt theseints were simply dumb, seeing as these yers weren''t even used as bait. There were manyments about this, in fact, other yers were trying to shame the people forining about their nice and easy quest.


    shing through the rest of thements Eldrian found that the smallest group of monsters that yers had run into was three monsters. This group was stumbled upon in a D-ranked event quest, the yers had failed in killing all three. Only killing one while having lost two yers in the fight, which allowed the other two monsters to escape.


    This made Eldrian realize that yers seriously had to learn how to fight well. And not just alone, but also with others.


    After this, he continued to nce through the top posts which were informative. Finding one which exined how a kingdom took an active role. Sending scouting parties into their neighboring Tier 4 kingdoms. Both wanting to confirm the invasion''s progression and wanting to offer help if they could afford it.


    Eldrian felt some relief after reading this post. Finding that there were indeed some NPC kingdoms that were smart enough to try and do something actively. Instead of just waiting until they came under fire.


    He also knew this was far smarter since their kingdom would bepletely fine. So they could keep their economy strong while helping the kingdom which was under fire.


    ''Are the Tier 2 kingdoms going to do that for us?'' Eldrian asked himself. Hoping that it would indeed be the case, as it was the only way he saw hope in the situation.


    After a few more minutes of surfing the forum, Eldrian failed to find any more informative posts. Running out of stuff to read he decided to start creating his own posts and asking the developers some things.


    The first thing he did was send a bug report as well as a yer question about both his experience in resurrection and random pain spikes. He made both a bug report and question for each, since he didn''t know if it was a bug or a feature. In these messages, he asked the developers what was going on and why.


    He wanted answers to these questions, he felt something was off and wanted confirmation on it.


    The pain during the fight had been too real and his death experience really scared him. He wanted to confirm that the developers knew what they were doing. Thus he hoped they would give him a clear and informative answer. Not just ncing over it, as this would inform him that something shady was going on.


    He also sent another question, where he asked if there was a way he could make a post that would be protected. He asked if he could make all the readers bound by a contract that would limit their actions after agreeing to it.


    He asked this because he wanted to make a post where he would share all his knowledge. But before doing that he wanted to ensure that it wouldn''t be used against him or what he wanted to aplish.


    Next, he moved on to write some other posts. Which would contain some of the things he had learned so far. He also wanted to make a post calling other High Elves to form amunity.


    The first post he wrote he called [On Mastering Weapons.]. In this post, he shared what he had learned so far.


    First reinstating what he had previously posted about gaining proficiencies, adding some of his spections and thoughts into this post. As well as adding his experience in fighting, telling people to treat it like reality as it had worked well for him. He did this in a roundabout way, where he stated how he approached the fights, aiming to kill his enemy without getting hit. Aiming for vitals and using stats as a precaution and not making it the beginning and end of fights.


    In this post, he also mentioned that he felt the game would be very much group orientated. Adding that he felt people would have to form groups of over five people. If they wished to sessfully y the game as an offensive ss. He also added that they should practice fighting together, not just group when they wanted to.


    He tried to support this im from the situation in both the S-ranked quest kingdom and bounty quest kingdoms. Asking yers to not expect themselves to be able to kill more than one monster when they are still in the training phase.


    Eldrian felt this post wouldn''t do much. But he wanted to make the basic information avable to the new wave of people who joined yesterday. Hoping that they would take some of his information to heart.


    Next, he created a post called, [Learning Magic.]


    In this post, he first exined what he knew of the world. How things seemed to be defined by tiers, much more than levels.


    He briefly exined how he had started training at one of the magic towers. And about how he had failed due to being a High Elf. But he encouraged others to go out and try, adding that they might be lucky that some of the mages in the towers would take them in.


    He also added a short exnation of the differences between magic spells and skills. Asking yers to let him know if they managed to learn, and how it felt for them.


    Hisst post was called, [High Elves Group].


    In this post, he asked other High Elves to join in him the journey of learning. Adding on what he had experienced and asked if any others had had simr experiences to him.


    His main hope with this was to find out if his situation was that of normal High Elves, or if it was special.


    After all, this Eldrian saw that the time was nearing four in the afternoon. Shutting down his PC he headed to his bed, wanting to log back into the game. Only to be disappointing as the headset told him he still had to wait two hours before he could log back on.


    ''Dangit, I forgot that I stayed on so long. What now?'' Eldrian asked himself, turning his PC back on.


    In boredom, he browsed the forums again while listening to some music. Finding many of the same and not much new.


    After getting fed up with this he decided to try and y with the browsing options. Turning it to kingdom mode, and finding that the entire Phallos kingdom thread was being drowned withining.


    Next, he changed it to empire, finding that the onlyments wereing from Phallos.


    ''Are we the only yers in the entire empire?'' Eldrian asked himself when he saw this. Curious he looked at the others, finding that some of the empires had no threads. While others seemed to have from two or even three kingdoms.


    ''Is it random?'' He asked, quickly decided to abandon his question seeing as he had no way of knowing.


    Browsing on he quickly lost himself to his music, time flying past as he scanned most of the interesting posts. But failing to find anything of significant value to him.


    During this time he found a few threads which really infuriated him. These posts had been about yers retaliating against NPCs. Seemingly wanting to kill the NPCs to gain revenge for being used as bait. Eldrian wanted to strangle the post creators, finding it really infuriating that yers who could resurrect, wanted to kill NPCs who would die for good.


    He had to stop browsing every time he found such a post. Taking some time on his bed with his music to calm down.


    Just before he could log back on he looked at the announcement channel. Not having given it a good look yet. This channel was almost empty, with fewer than then threads. Looking at them Eldrian found that there were actually new announcements which were important to all the yers.


    One of the announcements was about the new yers. Stating that around 2 million yers will be joining in this wave. Which was the Friday on which Eldrian joined the first story quest. Making him wonder where all these yers were spawned. But he hadn''t found any posts from these yers so he continued looking at the announcements.


    The same post also stated that one more wave release will be done, also 2 million. Eldrian found it interesting that it was stated the headset prices would rise after thisst wave. And from the tone he felt when reading it, Eldrian felt that the rise will be very high.


    ''Need to convince Jen to sign up before it is toote. I should also ask Erik if he managed to join with this wave.'' Eldrian thought and sent the corresponding messages to them.

 Chapter 55: Update two

    <h4>Chapter 55: Update two</h4>


    Continuing on with the announcement thread after having sent the messages Eldrian found one called [Adventurer Update]. Curious about what it was he started reading.


    The starting statement of this post was that the game would officially enter its adventure mode.


    A short hype paragraph was right after this, saying that the time for action and adventure hase. Training is done and yers should now go out to enjoy the world.


    ''Yeah right, go out into hordes of monsters...'' Eldrian mumbled to himself, finding this hype paragraph to reflect really poorly on the state of the game. Eldrian felt certain most of the kingdoms would soon enter a dire struggle for survival and yer would be right in the middle.


    ''That isn''t really going to be an enjoyable experience.'' He thought to himself as he continued reading.


    The first major part of this update was that yers would now be able to resurrect in any ce of worship, as long as the god or goddess was part of the Kalos races. A short description was given for this, stating that this meant any god or goddess whose religion was of a neutral or good alignment.


    It was also added that all towns would have a ce of worship for yers to resurrect in. But not all viges would.


    A short description was added for yers to recognize which they were at. This description said that towns were far bigger than viges, often having over 10 000 people living in them. It would also always be walled and cover a massive area.


    Viges instead are much smaller, almost always less than 1000 people. A vige might be walled or not, but this wall would only cover the buildings and living space. This unlike with towns, the vige''s farnd and animals would often be outside.


    ''So now we have pit stops.'' Eldrian thought after reading this. Finding that this would indeed make traveling much easier. As every town one passed should then be a point of revival. If you are lucky then you might even be able to to set one at a random vige.


    Reading on Eldrian found that the post had another major part. Being that yers would be able to log out while exploring. The only requirement was that they ensure that they could log out for 5 minutes. During that time the yer has to stay in a resting state, not enteringbat or moving during that time. The resting state was simply exined as lie down and fall asleep.


    The developers added that if this was done, then the yer''s avatar would disappear while offline, and reappear whening back online. Seemingly this disappearance will be in a form where the yer would turn into light particles, much like they revived in temples. Just the inverse of being created as they would be destructed when logging off. The same process would create their avatar when logging back in.


    A side note was added at the end of this post, stating that yers had to be careful when logging off. Saying that if a yer logged in and something was in the ce of the yer then the yer might die right off.


    To soften this rule a spawning system was implemented, where a circle of one meter would be a valid spawning area for the yer. But if the entire space was filled then the yer had to either wait for it to empty or risk dying on logging in.


    ''Interesting system.'' Eldrian thought to himself. d that his avatar would disappear if he decided to adventure. This was a major weakness for yers as it had limited them to not log out in any unsafe area. Seeing as their avatar would bepletely defenseless, making it easy for someone to rob or kill them.


    Heck, they could even be captured, but this wouldn''t do much since yers could suicide if they wanted to.


    Having finished the announcement Eldrian turned to thements. Most were on the login process, many weren''t optimistic. With yersining about many things, but mainly the time needed to simply log out.


    "Screw the devs, wanting us to stay still for 5 minutes when logging out. Why is it so long!?"


    "Right, that is simply insane, why not just a few seconds?"


    "They are probably trying to stop logging out as a way of avoiding a fight."


    "Screw that, just add a cooldown onbat state or something."


    "Yeah, that would be much better."


    "Really, you allining about an addition?" One random yer asked, feeling that the yers were being overly negative about something which was added to make their ytime easier and more enjoyable.


    ncing over the rest of thements Eldrian found that most of thements on the revival part was surprisingly encouraging. Seeing as it was a standard thing in many games, only being able to revive in towns or some set locations. This seemed to have made it easy for yers to ept, even when traveling between towns took at minimum around 5 hours.


    Just as Eldrian wanted to turn of his PC to log into the game he got a message on his ount. Opening it he saw it was a reply to his bug reports.


    ''That was fast.'' He mumbled as he opened the messages.


    The first one he looked at was about the pain scaling. The message started with the developer apologizing but also saying that it was not a but. The guy said he would make a post to exin how pain works in the game, and why some times the pain can be felt in its entirety.


    "This is something we have realized and found during testing. We have been unable to remove it, please do try to limit the amount you feel pain. Try to find what causes you to feel the painpletely and try to avoid this thing."


    On the second message, Eldrian received a simr answer. Except that this one stated that it waspletely unexpected that anyone would experience the resurrection problem so soon.


    "This death state you were in is something we spected was possible. But none of our alpha or beta yers had managed to unlock/enter it. You are the first, so we would also like to ask you if you would want to share your data."


    "Thus we are aware of it, but it has been unconfirmed until now. We have taken actions to ensure no user would receive any physical damage from ying the game. But we can''t stop mental traumas and would like to advice you to limit the amount ofbat you enter. At least until we are able to release our cabins which we are working on."


    "We are nning to announce them in a few months, but we want to inform you that the situation is being worked on. This is because headsets have an inherent limitation. Being unable to support yers in a fragile state, thus you will be kicked from the game when it deems you are in a fragile state. The cabin would allow you to keep ying, but we are still developing them, wanting to ensure it up to standard when we do release them."


    "From our tests and spections, we believe this has something to do with how connected one is with their avatar in-game. Much like the affinity score indicates, but the score is just a rough outline. When logging back in please do check if your affinity is still the same as it was."


    "We ask you to immediately stop what you are doing if you enter a state where you feel painpletely. We believe it is a requirement to enter the death state, but again we had no tester who confirmed this."


    "Kind regards, Your ANW Quality control team."


    ''Wait, what?'' Eldrian asked himself, nking out for a while after reading this message. After which he reread it a few times to make sure he understood the implications.


    ''I don''t understand, what do they mean they thought it was possible? But that they couldn''t test it? And cabins, how the hell will I afford that?''


    ''And they want my data? How and what data? Does this include the magic crystal pain or is that something different?''


    Eldrian sat quietly for a while, losing himself to his thoughts and the music he was ying. Onlying to after twenty minutes.


    ''I''m not nning on fighting again anytime soon, so I will y. I think I also want to test dying again. Just need to make sure someone can revive me after I do it.'' Eldrian mumbled as he climbed onto his bed and ced the headset on his head. Wanting to see if it was a constant thing or something only happening under certain conditions.


    He also wondered if he should use the magic crystal. But he decided to do it, if something happens then Dave would likely be able to help him.


    ''Let''s go.'' Eldrian hyped himself as he fell asleep.

 Chapter 56: Morning after

    <h4>Chapter 56: Morning after</h4>


    Waking up Eldrian looked around the small room he was in. It was bare and he was lying on the ground, standing up he shook himself to get rid of the dirt which was clinging to him.


    After which he mbered out of his room and went to the mainmunal area of the tent. Looking around he saw that no one was here either, turning to look at where the soldier had slept he saw that not many have risen yet. He was able to easily look over to them since the entire front area of themunal area was open, making it feel more open andrger than it really was.


    ''Normally they are all early risers.'' Eldrian mumbled as he left the tent. Thinking about it for a bit he realized that they all are likely extremely tired.


    ''Wonder if I should agree to the data sharing?'' Eldrian asked himself next, walking to an open spot a bit further away from any sleeping people. While walking over he had stated things about the reply he had received, not knowing what to do.


    Putting it aside for the moment, he decided to start practicing. Being busy helped him put things off, while also strangely helping him think it through subconsciously.


    Arriving at the spot he started to practice taking out his weapon, not wanting to again struggle with this task when he needed his weapon. He continued to practice this until he managed to take his spear out under a second.


    After this he started trying to bring this into his training, taking out his spear and then attacking or moving immediately after.


    After the first attack, he quickly felt that something was wrong. His entire attack seemed to be much sloppier than he was used to. He also felt tired after such a simple attack.


    Stopping to try and focus on himself he quickly felt that the tiredness he was feeling felt different. Concentrating on this feeling he quickly became lost, not knowing what felt different, but that there was certainly something that had changed. This change was so small that he couldn''t even exin it to someone if he wanted to.


    It was like when someone looked over your shoulder while you were reading. Somehow you know someone is there, the entire thing giving you this weird feeling. He felt this weird feeling, seemingly telling him that everything felt just a bit more real.


    Curious about this weird feeling and why he struggled in using his spear Eldrian called up his statistic menu. Not just a part of it, but rather the entire menu. Wanting to look over everything and see what else was different.


    The interface had seemingly gone through another revamp. Having the ssification tabs being in bold while also having added dividers between the different parts of his information.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level 1 (752/2000), Tier 0]


    [Avatar Affinity: 96.21%] [From 95.67%]


    ''So my affinity has indeed changed, and it changed a lot too. I remember it was just over 95st time I looked.'' Eldrian thought to himself, this having been the first thing that caught his eye. Since the reply he got from the devs had mentioned he should look at it.


    ''What does that mean exactly?'' Eldrian asked himself and took a few seconds to guess, only to give up after a while. He felt like this was likely the cause of the difference he was feeling, but it was so small that he couldn''t really tell.


    [Attributes:]


    [Strength: 73.5/105]


    [Agility: 80.5/115]


    [Constitution: 73.5/105]


    [Intelligence: 77/110]


    [Spirit: 73.5/105]


    ''My attributes are still weakened, but it seems like they are recovering quickly.'' He mumbled, finding what the expected to the be the cause. Havingpetently forgotten about the introduction about stats he had gotten way back when he first learned to hold a weapon.


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 51.5/51.5/73.5]


    [Mana: 51.5/51.5/73.5]


    [Stamina: 32.5/56.5/80.5] [regen 1 per 3 seconds]


    [Armor: 0]


    [Magic Armor: 0]


    [Physical Resistance: 0%]


    [Magical Resistance: 0%]


    ''What is going on here?'' Eldrian asked himself, finding the double limit indication on his stats to be very confusing. He left this thought in the back of his mind, moving on to his first problem.


    ''Seems like one attack had used over 20 stamina. Is this because I don''t fulfill the attribute requirements?'' He asked himself, looking over the rest of his statistics.


    [Buffs/Debuffs:]


    [Total Fatigue: Level 4]


    ''It already decreased from 5, that was quick.'' Eldrian felt d that this debuff would be gone in seemingly only 4 more days. Feeling that it was not too bad a weakness if that was the case. While the cooldown was certainly long, he felt there should also be ways to increase the speed. Like with normal Fatigue which just resting would help cure it.


    [Apparel: Full set of normal clothes currently worn.[Damaged]]


    ''I know its damages, it didn''t have to tell me. Or does this mean I am getting another debuff?'' Eldrian asked himself, feeling like the information must have a reason for being there.


    [Weapons: Grace]


    -


    [Failed polearm, Grace.]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 0]


    [Damage ¨C 22 [Physical attack damage [23.1]]


    [Attack speed ¨C 1.03 [Attacks/s :1.185]]


    [Durability ¨C 756/1220]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 103, Agility ¨C 94, Weight ¨C 1.4kg]


    ''This must be the reason. I remember having read something about a penalty when under the requirements. But what was it again?'' Eldrian asked himself, trying to remember what he saw when he first inspected a training weapon.


    Giving himself a minute, he still failed to recall what it was exactly. Therefore he moved on, trying to find a way with which he could practice while not ruining himself. Finding it absurd that he could only do two attacks.


    His rhythm waspletely ruined at the start. Taking him a long time to get used to the slower attacks he was doing, while also bing tired so quickly. In the end, he managed to find a few things he could do, which felt like something he could train. Since it wouldn''t bepletely useless.


    This was a simple act of taking out his spear and then immediately attacking or defending with it. He practiced a few crucial moves in this way, feeling that being able to smoothly do these actions might help him someday. He could also transfer it to other weapons if he wanted to.


    Having made a milestone in this area he took a small break, looking over the resting soldiers. Only to see that most of them seemed to be awake now. He also saw that the townspeople had brought them something to eat. Curious and a bit hungry Eldrian made his way over.


    Eldrian quietly joined the queue which had formed outside the inn, waiting for his turn for food. It smelled quite nice, but certainly not the best. But even so, Eldrian felt his mouth start watering, making him realize that he was quite hungry.


    ''That is quite weird.'' Eldrian realized for the first time. Normally he wasn''t hungry so soon after logging in. When he ate in the mornings it was more because he wanted to try things, but this time he was really hungry.


    ''Why did I always miss this part? He asked himself as he got some food. It was a simple breakfast, a fresh bread loaf with some stew. Taking the bowl and bread Eldrian moved off to the side to enjoy it. The fresh aroma making him even hungrier.


    Finding a tree he moved to leaned against it while sitting, careful to not spill his stew. Sitting against the tree he enjoyed the vor and looked at the NPCs who were also enjoying the food, mostly in silence.


    ''This would be so nice.'' He mumbled, thinking that living such a simple life could be really rxing. Making him realize that while technology is awesome, many small things seemed to get lost.


    ''Definitely have to visit Jen tomorrow. I can''t break our promise.'' Eldrian told himself, enjoying the food and thinking about what his sister might make. He wanted to have a nice homemade meal, not going out. His sister hadn''t replied to his text, but he was certain she wouldn''t decline his asking.


    After finishing his meal Eldrian brought his bowl to the inn again, giving it to one of the people who were helping serving food. This person ced it onto a pile, which was soon after taken to the back.


    ''Kinda wanted seconds'' Eldrian mumbled as he watched his bowl be taken away, ''I won''t be greedy.''


    Feeling refreshed Eldrian moved back to his spot to train some more. Trying some shy moves he often saw in games or movies. Quickly realizing that they were hard to pull off, especially in his condition. Even when he seeded they generally weren''t as good as a simple thrust to the chest.


    While practicing he started daydreaming. Thinking back onto what he had gone through in such a short time. He also started wondering how Vivian was doing now, he hadn''t seen her yet.


    ...


    A few hourster he heard some people shouting, turning to look he saw that all the soldiers were grouping up. Stopping his training he stored his spear and made his way over.


    Reaching the soldiers he quickly learned that they were preparing to clean up the battlefield. From the shouts and conversations, he heard while walking past he learned that they were going to harvest the beasts and gather the weapons they had left behind.


    ''Loot time!'' Eldrian almost screamed after realizing what this meant.

 Chapter 57: Back to the field

    <h4>Chapter 57: Back to the field</h4>


    Eldrian joined the crowd as he saw that the soldiers were forming up and not just rushing out. After a while, Old Sword came forward and stood on a table, which had been brought forward from somewhere in the crowd.


    "Alright, as everyone should know I don''t really do speeches. I just want to say that we had a rough day yesterday. And now we don''t have time to get used to the loss we find ourselves with. We have to return to the city to hand in our reports, I feel this is only the start. Many more missions are likely to follow."


    "Therefore we will now go and clean up the battlefield. During this time the same rules as normal apply, you can take any weapon as an upgrade. But in doing so you have to return your old one to the army."


    "All kills have to be split by those who had contributed to it. If no one ims a kill then it is a free game, but remember that you can only hold what you can carry. The rest has to be given to the army. Therefore pick carefully what you want to take."


    "Payment for the mission and reparations for the loss of life will be handled when we return to the city. As well as punishments for breaking the above rules."


    "That is all, we will set out in a few minutes." Old Sword stepped down from the table as he ended his rather short speech.


    Eldrian felt confused about the speech, it was very straightforward. But he felt it was missing, he felt thatforting words would have helped everyone be more motivated. Even if it was only a bit he felt it would be good to get some nice encouraging words from the leader.


    ''This is the military hey?'' Eldrian mumbled as he left the crowd, finding that it felt heartless to him. He knew why it was so, but it still bothered him.


    Turning around he saw Vivian standing nearby in an open field. This sight made Eldrian momentarily halt what he was doing and thinking about. The scene looked extremely peaceful, Vivian standing in front of a few grazing cows. Her auburn hair flowing in the wind and her silky white skin shining in the sun.


    ''So beautiful...'' Eldrian mumbled, unsure himself if he was mentioning Vivian or the scene.


    He was brought out of daydreaming when he heard the rustle of people moving. Turning around he saw that the soldiers were heading out. Turning back and forth he decided to quickly ask Vivian how she was doing before going out looting.


    "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked.


    "I am doing better, but the healers told me I can''t do any exercises for a week."


    "Wait, what? Why so long, I thought they healed it."


    "They did, but only basic healing. It ensured that I will be fine, but it was rushed and thus left most of the job left for my body to handle."


    "Can''t they just heal you again, now that everything has calmed down?"


    "No, that isn''t how healing works," Vivian replied, giggling from Eldrian''s cluelessness.


    "Oh, that sucks." As Eldrian said this he had a look of doubt on his face. Wondering if he should stay with her for a bit or go looting.


    Seeing this look Vivian said, "Go on, you don''t have to stay with me. It isn''t like I am in danger."


    "Ah, okay. Thanks, I guess." Eldrian replied in embarrassment, moving to catch up with the soldiers.


    As he ran after them he quickly realized that his avatar was indeed still tired. Only a minute in and he was already heaving, luckily he had caught up allowing him to slow down to a walk.


    Leaving the town''s gate Eldrian quickly saw the battlefield. While all the soldiers had been given a funeral, it didn''t change much of the site''s bloody look. With the grass being dyed red and beast corpses littered all over the ce.


    Seeing this Eldrian started to prepare himself mentally. Realizing that the smell was likely going to be extremely unpleasant.


    While moving to the battlefield Eldrian looked around, quickly finding the other yers who were also following after the soldiers. Only a little over 30 of them were here, the rest seemingly have skipped on the loot run.


    He managed to find them so quickly since they were separate from the soldiers and in much worse clothing conditions. Most of the NPCs had seemingly bought extra clothes, while their armors were still damaged, their clothes were in good condition. But like Eldrian the yers'' clothes were also torn and bloodied. Showing that they hadn''t changed or washed themselves.


    Continuing to look around Eldrian also found that no nobles were present. At least none in fancy armor, as all the NPCs had more ''normal'' armor on.


    ''Wish my clothes would just repair. I think it does when you die. Why doesn''t it when you live?'' He mumbled as he realized he really needed to take a wash and get new clothes. Likely a pair or more, so he could have some extra for if something unexpected happened.


    After a few more minutes of walking and they reached the battlefield. Being here again Eldrian felt memories and feeling rush through him, making him feel disorientated. The smell of blood and slippery grass didn''t help as it added to these shes of memories.


    Taking a few seconds Eldrian slowly managed to stop the assault, only to find the smell to be quite unpleasant. Realizing this he also realized how much he had shut out yesterday.


    ''How did I not smell this, or did I?'' He asked himself, finding it weird that he couldn''t remember this smell. Apart from right at the start before he even started fighting.


    Taking another moment to get used to this Eldrian finally became ustomed to all the sights and smells assaulting his senses. Looking around he saw that most of the yers were also in such a state. Struggling to not vomit or keep their cool.


    But some of them were already busy looking for loot, encouraged by Old Swords'' words saying that they could keep things they found. And they had an inventory, so they could keep arge number of things.


    ''The difference between being on this bloody field in person and seeing it through a screen sure is massive.'' Eldrian thought, finding it strange that he was fine seeing even more gruesome things on screen, yet now he struggled so much to act normal here.


    Turning his gaze from the yers he found that some of the NPCs also struggled to get used to the sights and smells. But the number was almost reversed whenpared to the yers. With only around 50 still standing still. The rest all already busy looking for a beast to harvest, or a weapon to im.


    Looking at the soldiers at work Eldrian felt a wave of nausea assault him. Some soldiers were knee-deep in blood, busy harvesting the beast for all its worth. Either focusing on the skin, ws, teeth, or eyes.


    ''Don''t tell me this is looting!'' Eldrian felt like cursing, finding the game to be too cruel. He simply wanted loot, he certainly didn''t want to get bloody again.


    Some of the soldiers were working with a smile on their faces, making Eldrian feel even more ufortable. He was d that some seemed to be struggling, finding this to beforting. ''Some people are still normal...'' He mumbled and sighed.


    The difference in attitude also indicated who worked faster. With those smiling taking just a minute to gather all the small things, being the ws, teeth, and eyes. They then left the carcass and moved on to a new one.


    Eldrian was even more shocked when he saw the giant smiles on a few yers. One of them had dewed a direwolf and it seemed the ws were good stuff. As he was grinning like a fool.


    Another had picked up a bow and was smiling due to this. It probably is the best weapon he had ever handled.


    Seeing this Eldrian shook his head, realizing that if he didn''t start ''looting'' then he would miss out on the good stuff. He decided to head to where they had killed the Alpha, feeling that it would be one of the best beasts to harvest. He decided that he would just gather weapons after cleaning the Alpha.


    Arriving at the spot Eldrian saw the massive beast lying on its side peacefully. Seeing it again Eldrian felt shocked. Shocked that he had helped in killing it. Shocked at how massive it was, easily two meters long and still one meter high, when not even being supported by its legs.


    ''How on earth did I face this thing?'' He asked himself in shock.


    Coming out of his shock he started inspecting the beast. Realizing that it was actually a beautiful creature. Even with it being covered in blood at certain ces, Eldrian felt the gracefulness of the beast. He somehow felt how it had been energetic and vigorous.


    ''We ended that...'' He thought sadly, kneeling down and taking one of its paws in his hands. The paw was as big as Eldrian''s head, the ws as big as his fingers. Yet it didn''t seem too big or strange, it seemed to fit the beast.


    ''How am I supposed to tear it apart. It feels so wrong.'' Eldrian thought, setting the paw down. Moving his hands to caress its fur Eldrian finding it to be soft and fluffy, reminding him of the cat they had at home.


    Looking at the fur he also realized that it was actually pleasant to look at. Having a soft and neutral look to it.


    ''I don''t want to damage it...'' He thought, thinking that he wanted to make it into a coat or something. He also remembered how though it had felt during the fight, making him think that it might be a good armor too. But he didn''t want to lose the fur, which would be needed if they cured it. He didn''t believe it would stay so soft after being processed.


    Coming out of all these thoughts Eldrian turned his attention back to the beast''s ws. Asking himself how they used it, since it certainly was too short to be used as a weapon.


    "Magnificent beasts, if only we did not have to fight them." A female voicemented from behind Eldrian. Turning around in surprise he found that he did not know the person. Thus he gave her a questioning look.


    "Seems like you are confused. What about?"


    "Ah, sorry. I am distracted." Eldrian replied, turning back to the Alpha. A few seconds he asked while still facing the Alpha, "Who are you?"


    "I''m Melissa, and you are?"


    "Haru..."


    "Are you going to harvest the Alpha?" Eldrian asked after a while of silence.


    "Unless it is your im."


    "I guess it is. Still can''t get used to it."


    "Did you really help killing it?" She asked, her voice filled with surprise and shock.


    "I guess I did. Can''t believe it now after the fact." Eldrian answered as his ces his hand onto the beast''s back, feeling the soft fur again.


    Seeing Eldrian''s reaction Melissa was greatly surprised. His action had been subconscious and conflicted, which confused her. Most people would be ecstatic to be able to im an Alpha''s loot.

 Chapter 58: Three cubic meters

    <h4>Chapter 58: Three cubic meters</h4>


    "Why do you sound unsure?" Melissa asked, confused about Eldrian''s uncertainty.


    "Ah, I guess because looking at it now I can''t really believe I stood against it. I also died while fighting it, which, still feels so weird to say."


    "You died? Like for real, how was being resurrected?" Melissa asked in wonderment, curious about how this felt. No one ever wanted to talk about it and she didn''t want to die just to find out.


    "I-I, don''t really know how to answer it. It wasn''t fun, that''s for sure."


    "Sorry, I guess that isn''t really a good thing to ask someone. How are you doing now?"


    "Much better, I mean I still feel tired and all that stuff. But I am d to be alive, so many aren''t so lucky." Eldrian became somber after saying this, thinking back to the pyres.


    "Don''t go there! Remember their valor, and honor it. Do not be sad!" Melissa said, pping Eldrian''s shoulder as a form of encouragement.


    Feeling the p Eldrian felt confused, it was such a weird thing to do to someone who was sad, but it certainly made him leave his dark thoughts.


    "Thanks, I needed that."


    "On to more cheerful stuff. Do you want me to help you gut this guy?" She asked in an excited tone sounding cheerful.


    Hearing this Eldrian was left bbergasted, feeling like this topic wasn''t much better and that her tone certainly didn''t fit it.


    "How can you be so nonchnt about this?" He asked.


    "You get used to it, with time. And if you don''t then you retire or you died. Stop looking at me like that!" She shouted thest bit after seeing Eldrian looking at her like she was a freak.


    Hearing her reprimand Eldrian turned his gaze back to the Alpha.


    "What do you even do with it? What is important and what is valueless?"


    Hearing this Melissa burst intoughter.


    "Oh Asteria help me." She said just before doubling over fromughing.


    "Did you seriously just ask that. This is a Direwolf, Alpha! Everything is valuable." She said after havingughed for almost a minute. Tears ofughter were flowing down her face, forming white streaks on her face emphasizing her warm ivory skin.


    Seeing this Eldrian started looking at her properly for the first time. He had been too focused on the Alpha all this time, only talking to her as a secondary function.


    She was wearing leather armor, but not of the skimpy kind. Rather her armor was tight-fitting over her arms and legs, while the breastte was loose. Or rather separated from her chest, making it hard to see her figure. The chestnut coloring of the leather fitted well with her light brown hair, and her green eyes seemed at home in all the brownish colors.


    After having looked her over Eldrian realized that he had been not at all subtle in the action. In his embarrassment he also realized that she had been truthful to him, seeing as she could have easily just told him to take certain stuff. Taking the rest for herself.


    Looking at her face Eldrian saw her smiling at him, he had no idea what it was meant to portray, but he felt like it was a knowing smile. Not wanting things to turn weird he decided to apologize.


    "Sorry for staring, I have been so focused on the Alpha and everything else. I simply got caught up in it when I finally got out of my dazed focus I became dazed by you."


    "And thanks for not pulling one over me!" Eldrian rushed the thank you, feeling very awkward after having apologized.


    "Don''t worry I don''t mind. Heck, you get used to it quite quickly. Are we going to get started?" While saying this she pointed to the Alpha, helping Eldrian realize what she was talking about. For a moment his mind had gone somewhere else.


    "Ah, umm. Sure, but how are we supposed to do this. And what tools are needed?" Eldrian asked, realizing for the first time that he didn''t have anything with him other than his spear.


    "Oh, I also forgot about that part. I just have a knife, and it isn''t all that good a knife. Only Tier 3, it will be a massive hassle if we want to skin this guy."


    Hearing her admit that they would need tools Eldrian felt like trying something else. All yers had an inventory that was split into two parts; having 10 slots that could only take 10 single items and then also a three-meter cubicpartment which Eldrian hadn''t yed with yet. Thinking of the cube storage he wondered if he might be able to store the Alpha inside it.


    First, he decided to test how the inventory worked in the area of taking none single items. He bent down and grabbed a handful of grass. Holding the grass he tried to store it in the inventory slots as he had done with his spear, but he soon found that nothing happened. Confirming to him that the slots seemed to be for either ssified items or only a single thing can fit inside it.


    Next, he moved to the cube storage, thinking of just throwing it inside. As soon as he did the grass disappeared from his hand. Wanting to look into the storage he soon found an interface ovey his view. From here he saw the grass floating in the middle of the room. Seeing it floating there randomly, he decided to try and take it out. Finding that it took a few tries.


    On the first try he simply pulled at one grass, making it float nearer to him while the rest didn''t move. On the next attempt, he managed to pull more grasses but scattered those he didn''t pull. Luckily it seemed he only had to focus and intended it to happen and it would seemingly happen. Eldrian had no idea how it worked, but he was d that he could use this inventory without needing to use mana. Since then he would have no use for it at this time.


    Finally, he managed to take all the grass out, having spent around a minute in doing this. Looking up he saw that Melissa was walking around the Alpha, seemingly looking for a ce to start at.


    Seeing this he decided to try some more, this time trying to let the grass go into a specific ce in the entire three meters cube of space. He managed to achieve this after his third attempt, the others having had a few leaves of grass sent flying around when he ''put'' it into the inventory.


    ''Yes, it might work!'' He shouted internally, ecstatic that he could actually use the entire three cubic meters. From his tests with the grass he knew that there was no gravity in this space, meaning he could even stack fragile stuff up to the roof.


    Next he moved on to something bigger, taking a sword which was lying nearby Eldrian first equipped it. Curious about what its stats were, but seeing them he quickly became uninterested in the sword.


    It was a Tier 2 arming sword, doing only 7,8 damage. The physical attack damage was only at 8.2, meaning each of his attacks would do less than 10 damage if the target had no armor. Eldrian didn''t know how armor worked, but he felt certain this de would have struggled to even pierce a Beta''s skin.


    Still, the sword would do its function as a test. Eldrian concentrated, wanting the sword to be ced inside the cube inventory on the floor in a corner. Taking a few seconds Eldrian managed to pull it off. Looking at the inventory he found that the sword was lying there safely. He then took it out, cutting his hand in the process.


    When he took it out it had appeared right in his hand, but he had done something wrong as the de had appeared in his hand, not the hilt. This resulted in him having cut himself a bit, but the wound wasn''t deep nor really painful so he quickly moved on. Taking the hilt with his other hand and stabbing the sword into the ground.


    ''Seems it is easier to take out than the normal slot inventory. But it is also harder in a way, as it requires me to think and control it with my mind.'' Eldrian contemted and started walking to the Alpha. Feeling ready to try and store the Alpha inside the cube. It certainly was big, but luckily his storage was bigger.


    He hoped that when things were inside his inventory that its time would stop. He didn''t know if this would be the case. But he hoped so, it was often the case in other games and anime. Eldrian knew that if it worked then yers would never have to harvest their kills on the spot. Which would save so much time also making it easier for yers. Since they could bring it to an actual ughterhouse or something alike. He didn''t know if such ces existed, but at the least, he would be able to put it off until he besfortable with the idea of harvesting it himself.


    Arriving in front of the Alpha again, Eldrian ced his hand on the beast''s head. Closing his eyes and focusing on the interface which was in front of him. Willing the beast''s corpse to appear against the right-side wall.


    As he willed it to appear he started feeling a tug-of-war inside his head, simr to when he was in the dungeon. But he felt certain that this was the only thing which was going to be the same, at least he tried to convince himself of this.


    Continuing to concentrate, sweat starting to drip from Eldrian''s forehead as his closed eyes quivered.


    ''What on earth is he trying to do?'' Melissa asked herself, having stopped her action of looking for a ce to start. She was finding it to be quite difficult, since her knife only barely cut the Alphas skin, making her need to find a nice ce or she would never finish it in a day.


    Suddenly she felt the soft feeling under one of her hands disappear. Shocked she looked at Eldrian and then where the Alpha used to be.


    "What the hell did you just do?" She asked in confusion.


    To her question, she received no reply as Eldrian fell to his knees and struggled to breathe. Luckily he wasn''t feeling any pain. He would seriously start thinking the game had it out for him.


    Having experienced more pain in these past two days in-game, than he had in years IRL.


    Instead of pain he simply feltpletely drained, mentally. Wanting to just fall on his side and fall asleep. But he fought this urge, wanting to stay awake and im some more stuff, hopefully.


    Seeing his condition Melissa stayed, waiting for him to recover so that he could answer her questions. She didn''t need anything really, only aiming for the Alpha since it was something truly valuable. She also knew there was more than enough time for her to harvest a Beta at the very least.


    His current condition looked simr to magic overuse to her, but she hadn''t felt any magicing from him. This intrigued her greatly. She knew that she wasn''t an expert in magic, but she believed she was one of the best Adept Apprentices and she knew Eldrian was Tier 0. Having used Observe on him before she had initiated the conversation.


    She also knew he was a Chosen, making her wonder if he might have used something unique to them.

 Chapter 59: Loot...

    <h4>Chapter 59: Loot...</h4>


    A few minuteter Eldrian felt a bit rested, allowing him to focus on other things again. He first looked into his inventory, seeing the Alpha lying in there filling arge space. Seeing how much space it took Eldrian realized that he wouldn''t be able to fit muchrger monsters inside his inventory.


    ''I will have to learn what to harvest at that time. Luckily it isn''t important right now. And that was so much more difficult than I had thought it would be. I likely won''t be able to putrger stuff inside even if it could fit. I wonder if the difficulty is size or mass dependent?'' Eldrian asked himself thest part as he realized that he probably won''t be able to drag the Alpha''s body. He felt confident that the Alpha probably weighted close to a ton. He felt certain it would be over 500 kg''s.


    "Seems like you are already better, meaning it wasn''t magic overuse. What did you do?" Melissa asked after seeing that Eldrian had started looking around again.


    "You know that I am a Chosen right?" Eldrian asked, feeling like her action was too tame. Unless she knew this part and then concluded that it was something to do with Chosen.


    "Yeah, I do."


    "Well all of us have an inventory. I stored it inside of it."


    "What is an inventory, do you mean a dimensional storage?" She asked curiously.


    "Um, yeah I think so."


    "Just how big is it?"


    "Three cubic meters."


    "Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief, getting he nod from Eldrian as an answer. She knew from gossip that the cheapest dimensional storage was over 600 gold and it was only half a cubic meter. Yet Eldrian was iming to have one over six times its size.


    "How do you have such arge storage?" She asked, probing for information. Eldrian seemed to be quite easy going thus far, she hoped to gather some info. Thinking that she might be able to take it for herself. It was worth just too much for her to ignore it. If she could acquire it she felt certain to get over 10 000 gold.


    "All Chosen have such a storages, well we just call them inventories." Hearing Eldrian''s reply she quickly decided to drop the subject, feeling certain she would be unable to take it for herself if it was something given to Chosen by the goddess of life.


    "You are very lucky to have such a useful ability." She said, deciding to think of it as an ability. Which helped her in believing that she would be unable to im it.


    "Yeah, I need to start using it more. It was quite difficult to use. Especially storing the Alpha''s corpse."


    "Well that makes sense, normally people have to be able to control mana to use dimensional storage. But you didn''t just now. How did you use it?"


    "I just willed it to happen, granted I felt some push back. But in the end I managed to store it."


    "So, you just willed it?" She asked, again in disbelief. ''Is it a soul rting thing then?'' She asked herself while staring at Eldrian like he was an anomaly she wanted to study.


    "Well, since the Alpha has been sorted I am going to go and search for more stuff. Bye" Eldrian said, feeling much better and not liking the look she was giving him.


    This look plus the fact that he wanted to store weapons he found made him decide to go on his own. He knew it wasn''t the most ethical thing to do, since ording to the military rules/convention he was only allowed to upgrade. But he felt quite certain the weapons he would find as an upgrade were already taken yesterday. This was what he used to convince himself that it was alright if he took more than one weapon.


    "Ah, okay..." Melissa said in a daze, staring at Eldrian as he quickly made his way through all the carnage. Hepletely ignored all the beasts'' corpses only looking for weapons.


    Walking up and down the field, Eldrian started wishing he could use Inspect. He felt pretty sure it would allow him to look at the stats of the items without having to touch them. He also wouldn''t have to equip and unequipped each weapon, which took a few seconds each time. Adding on that there was hundreds of weapons, he felt like he was searching for a needle in a haystack.


    But he also felt this to be quite normal, since good things generally don''t just appear before people. They generally have to first do something which set everything else in motion. In this case he felt the something would be either learn Inspect or go through the leg work.


    As he walked through battlefield he decided to only take items of Tier 4 or above. This was because he quickly found that all the weapons where Tier 3, with Tier 2 being rarer that Tier 4. At least this was the case where he was searching.


    Other yers were far less picky than him, taking each and every weapon they came across. Until their inventory became full, after which they had to start picking. Their inventory quickly became the problem since they were limited to only take 10 weapons total. They couldn''t use the cubic inventory yet. When they tried the system told them that they needed to reach Tier 1 to unlock it.


    Making them look at the empty space with greed, wishing they could fill it with the weapons.


    The reason for their greed was how good the weapons all were. It was rare to find Tier 2 items, and if they found any then it was most likely dropped from other yers. This was because it was the highest tier of weapon they could have afforded to buy. Yet here Tier 3 weapons weremon, while they also found a Tier 4 or maybe even a Tier 5 every now and then.


    A typical Tier 2 weapon costs around 10 silver. Normally a group pooled their money to equip one person in armor and the rest just getting weapons.


    When they stumbled upon a Tier 4 weapon they felt their day being made. They knew that the price for a Tier 3 was around 40 to 60 silvers, having learned this when they wanted to buy better items for themselves. They had no idea how much a Tier 4 was worth, but they believed it would be over a gold.


    Yet most of the yers also realized a crucial fact, which was that they couldn''t sell the weapons they picked up. Well they couldn''t sell it to NPCs, as this game was far too realistic. They felt certain that they would get caught and punished if they were to try this.


    Eldrian also realized this part, which was why he focused on Tier 4 or higher, unless he found the weapon itself to be to his liking.


    In the end he managed to get around two Tier 4 swords, a single Tier 4 staff and one Tier 4 bow. He didn''t find any Tier 4 shields, having taken a small round shield and a kite shield of Tier 3 in the end. Wanting to pair it with the shortsword he had found.


    Other than those he also found one Tier 5 sword, but it was unfortunately a greatsword. He didn''t n on using a greatsword as he wanted to focus on polearms for his two handed weapon. He felt the greatsword lost on many fronts whenpared to polearms.


    Rather he would want the shortsword he had to switch tiers with the greatsword. Since he would be able to pair the shortsword with a shield, when he was with others and his space was limited. Or if he was in a cave or building, which would also limit his space.


    He had taken the Tier 5 weapon since he felt certain it was worth arge amount of cash. But he didn''t know how to go about selling it. Even so he decided to take it, since he could figure out how to sell itter.


    Other than this he had picked up as many arrows as he could. He had stored all the weapons in his slot inventory and the arrows in his cube. It had taken some time in the start, since he had to focus where he wanted them to go inside the cube, but by the end of the day he managed to do this part within seconds.


    Looking at his loot a smile grew on Eldrian''s face. While most of it wasn''t of immediate value to him, he felt certain he had struck gold. Also making him realize that the yers who hadn''te today would be so spiteful.


    His slot inventory wasn''tpletely full, but Eldrian decided to not be too greedy. Feeling that he had gained enough for today.


    His cube inventory still had a crazy amount of space. But he felt that the pile of arrows he had inside it was more than enough for him. At least he didn''t think he would run through them anytime soon.


    Happy with his gains Eldrian headed to where the soldiers were depositing weapons and monster parts. Nearing the ce he saw that they were filling a bunch of crates, each with a specific type of thing inside. Either monster ws or a specific type of weapon.


    Looking at this Eldrian saw that a few soldiers stood guard over the crates, taking note of who delivered what.


    ''They either ensure no one steals stuff, or more likely they take note of who brought what. Probably going to give that person a reword for working hard and following the rules. Else I can''t understand this system, people wouldn''t follow rules so easily'' Eldrian thought to himself, unsure if he should also offer to help.


    He felt that there must be something which kept the soldiers in line, because they weren''t acting like the yers. Who had filled their inventories with stuff and then decided to call it a day, or in some cases keep looking for something better.


    In the end Eldrian decided not to help them, he was tired and didn''t feel like doing more. Thus he decided to try and find a nice ce to rest, which was harder than it would seem. Most of the old blood from the battle should be dry by now, yet most of the blood Eldrian found was wet. He quickly realized that this was likely due to the harvesting which was happening. In the end he walked out of the battlefield area, which too a few minutes. Finding nice green grass there he lied down and stared at the clouds for a bit.


    Growing bored of the clouds he moved on to the forums. Surfing the forums for around an hour, finding that other yers who had simr quest were doing the same as them. While those with bounty quests just went on as normal.


    ''I feel like everyone who died will be royally pissed when they hear about all the loot they missed out on.''


    Finally the soldiers started heading back, Eldrian almost missed this as he had to leave the forum to ''wake'' up his avatar. This was because the forum feature was quite invasive, requiring him to enter a daydreaming state. Which also blocked most of his senses.


    Looking at the soldiers he was surprised to see carriages being pulled by cows. The carriages were carrying the loot crates while the soldiers were walking around them.


    Seeing that they were heading home Eldrian stood up and followed. Not wanting to stay alone in the fields. He felt he might just be unlucky and get attacked by a lone animal.

 Chapter 60: Back to the town

    <h4>Chapter 60: Back to the town</h4>


    While walking back to the town Eldrian felt he really needed to get something to ride. While the journeys weren''t very tiring, he felt it took too long. The trip to the battlefield and now going back took around 20 minutes each time and the first triping to here from Agosstead had taken over 6 hours.


    The return trip will likely also take around that time, meaning almost an entire day''s worth of sunshine would be spent on just walking. He felt that travelling would naturally be part of the game, and thus a massive time eater.


    While he had enjoyed looking around the first time he believed the return trip would be boring inparison. Each trip after would be even more so, especially if he had to walk each time. Thinking of this he wondered what types of animals and creatures were avable to be ridden. He certainly felt like it would be possible to ride the Direwolves if you could tame them.


    He just didn''t know if it was possible.


    From what he had seen so far it seemed that horses weremon in Phallos, but he didn''t know howmon it truly was. He decided to check the forums on thister, hoping to find that some ces had interesting creatures which could be ridden and taken intobat.


    One thing he didn''t like about riding an animal was that it could die and quite easily at that. He didn''t think that there was a system for horses to survive and he didn''t now if they would be able to be revived. Thus he hoped that some interesting monsters or creatures would be rideable.


    But Eldrian felt that even tamed monsters would die quite easily. On top of that he felt both choices would be expensive, while horses might be cheaper in the end.


    ''What can be used then?'' He asked himself, spending the rest of the walk back thinking of this. He failed toe to a solution by the time he walked through the gates, telling him that he had to shelve this forter.


    Not wanting to go to themander''s tent just yet, Eldrian walked around the camp for a bit. Looking for a nice ce he could practice for a while. He knew he wouldn''t be able to do it for long since the sun had already set.


    As he walked he saw that most soldiers now had tents, often being shared with a few others. He didn''t know where the tents came from, but felt quite certain that it was from the vigers.


    He also saw that a separate camp set up a distance away from the soldiers. Looking over at them he quickly knew who they belonged to. This was because he could easily see that a party was being held over there and only one group would be in such a festive mood.


    As he looked at the tents he saw a few scantly dressed females stumbled around between the tents. Often followed by a clearly drunk guy chasing after her. It didn''t seem to Eldrian like she was running away, but more like they were ying some kind of weird game. Thus he decided not to interfere, especially since none of the soldiers were doing anything about it. He didn''t want to be that guy.


    Finding a spot far enough that he wouldn''t bother anyone Eldrian started training, having taken out the shorter sword from those he had found, as well as the kite shield he had found.


    [Arming sword]


    [Grade: Normal, Tier 4]


    [Damage ¨C 14 [Physical cut damage [14.7]]


    [Attack speed ¨C 1[Attacks per second:1.15]]


    [Reach ¨C 0.8 meter]


    [Durability ¨C 515]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 88, Agility ¨C 85, Weight ¨C 1.1kg]


    -


    [Kite shield]


    [Grade: Normal, Tier 3]


    [Toughness: 12]


    [Durability ¨C 550]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 92, Agility ¨C 87, Weight ¨C 1.6kg]


    ''Um, how does the shield stats work?'' Eldrian asked himself, not having looked at it when he was looting. At that time he had only cared about the items'' tiers.


    He also realized that he didn''t have a scabbard for the sword, since he had only found the sword in the field.


    ''Really?'' He asked himself after he realized this, finding this to be a bit ridiculous. He had wanted to keep the sword at his side for it something suddenly happened, yet now it seemed he would have to store it or keep it in his hand the entire time.


    Starting to practice Eldrian could feel that he could use the sword better than his spear, yet he also realized that his weakened attributes still made it quite difficult, since he could only get two or three proper attacks in with it before needing to rest.


    But this wasn''t his aim, as he was trying to get used to the feel of this sword and the kite shield. As such he spent some time ying around, it quickly became dark round him as he yed. Soon it became so dark that he was forced to stop, since he couldn''t see well anymore.


    "Hey." A familiar voice interrupted Eldrian as he was storing the sword and shield. Looking up he saw Vivian sitting nearby on the grass. He was shocked seeing her there, making him wonder how long she had been there.


    ''I really need to stop focusing so much on one thing.'' Eldrian told himself, feeling that he was too often surprised by such things. He also asked her, "Hey, what are you doing here?"


    "I came to fetch you, but then I saw you training and didn''t want to interrupt."


    "You should have interrupted me." Eldrian said in embarrassment.


    "It is fine, I didn''t want to go back immediately in any case."


    "Okay? How are you doing?" Eldrian asked with concern.


    "I''m fine really... Why were you here, practicing again?"


    "I don''t really know, it helps me calm down I guess." Eldrian replied after a while, struggling to find the correct terms to describe why he wanted to train. He often just felt time fly while he was at it.


    "Cool, I get what you mean."


    "Really?"


    "I think so, in any case we should probably go back now."


    "Why?


    "When I left the food was almost ready, so I feel like it would be done by now. Unless you don''t want to eat." Vivian teased Eldrian as she started heading back.


    "I''ming!" Eldrian replied as he followed her.


    "What did you do today?" He asked her after having caught up.


    "Not much, I actually just rested. It was so weird..." She replied, a smile growing on her face.


    "But nice?"


    "I guess it was kinda nice."


    "So what is going on at there?" Eldrian asked, pointing to the nobles'' tents.


    "The nobles are having a party, naturally. They invited some of the towns people to keep thempany. Do you want to go there?"


    "Gods no. I am just curious what is going on, since it looks quite... Weird." Eldrian stumbled on thest part, not knowing how to talk about what it really looked like.


    "Haha, I get it." Vivian replied whileughing.


    "So what is going on at the tent?" Eldrian asked, this time pointing to themander''s tent they were heading to.


    "All the soldiers in or near leadership positions are here. They are going to have a meeting after a small feast. They wanted to celebrate the victory with a giant feast, but most of the other soldiers weren''t in the mood, Thus it was scaled down, allowing the soldiers a night of rest."


    "What will the meeting be about?" Eldrian asked, not feeling weird about the feast part. He found it far weirder that the camp hadn''t had a proper feast yet and even more weird that the other soldiers didn''t want to party.


    He believed that it might be too soon for them, then again it didn''t fit with all the things he saw on TV. Thus he was very confused about their actions and decided to just ignore it. Feeling that he would get a headache if he tried to figure it out. ''Normally people like getting drunk to forget, right?'' He asked himself.


    "The meeting will be about how to move forward from now on. But we don''t really have to be present in the meeting, but I do want to eat." Vivian answered Eldrian''s question just as they arrived at themander''s tent.


    Looking around Eldrian saw that there was over thirty people here, with many of them surrounding a fire. Looking at this group he saw that they were spit-roasting one of the Direwolves. The smelling over from there was surprisingly nice, causing Eldrian''s mouth to water.


    He felt this was weird since he didn''t think that wolf meat would smell so nice.


    Eldrian followed Vivian as she entered themunal area of the tent, inside of which were three long tables. To the side was a smaller table on which a few ale barrels were sitting. Seeing this Eldrian walked over and grabbed himself a cup.


    He was already feeling quite out of ce now, not having expected so many people to be part of this feast. Taking his first mouthful Eldrian tasted the weird taste of this ale. He had never really drank before, and when had drank it had been wine. The taste was weird to him, yet oddly enough not bad. He found it to be strangely calming, especially after having exercised right before this.


    Enjoying the ale, Eldrian quickly finished his first and refilled the cup. Deciding to take the second one slower, but nning on enjoying himself tonight.


    ''Certainly I won''t have a hangover this way.'' Eldrian thought, feeling quite confident that he would be able to get drunk while avoiding the downside of drinking.


    "Really, you just downed an entire cup?"


    Looking to the voice he saw Vivian standing behind him with a strange look.


    "What, I was quite thirsty." Eldrian said in his own defense. He was indeed thirsty from the training he had done, so it wasn''t a lie. He also nned on getting drunk, thus he didn''t slow himself when he realized the ale was quite nice to drink.


    His aim for tonight was to practice so that he could better handle his alcohol next week. He and Erik had nned to go out on Friday night at one of the nearby clubs.


    Eldrian didn''t want to go unprepared.

 Chapter 61: Feast and drinking

    <h4>Chapter 61: Feast and drinking</h4>


    Not knowing what to do next Eldrian simply took another sip of his drink. Trying to hide his unease behind the cup.


    "Don''t act like that, it is fine for you to drink." Vivian said after seeing that Eldrian was trying to avoid the topic, "Just don''t down it all, this stuff isn''t lite." As she said thest part she grabbed herself a cup and took a sip too.


    These beer cups certainly weren''t small, with them easily holding over half a liter of ale. This led to it looking quite funny to Eldrian when Vivian took a small sip. The water level of the ale not decreasing at all after her sip.


    "Thanks, I guess." Eldrian replied, feeling much better seeing her also drinking, even though she was clearly going to drink much slower than him. It just felt good for him to not be the only one drinking, well with those he was talking with.


    Just as he felt it was bing weird again he heard cheers from across the tent. Looking over he saw that a group of people were standing over two others. These two seemed to be in an intense arm-wrestling match, almost perfectly matched.


    Watching them acting so carefree Eldrian felt like joining, until he saw the loser having to down an entire cup. Making him realize it would be very bad for him to join, since he was quite certain he was literally the weakest person here. Joining would only mean he would soon pass out.


    "Don''t you want to join them?'' Vivian teased, making Eldrian smile and shake his head.


    Vivian understood why these guys were enjoying themselves, a part of her also wanted to join in on it. But she stopped herself, wanting to be able to work through the pain of loss on her own. She knew it wasn''t all that important, but she wanted to try. At least for her first time, as a way to test if she could really handle what war meant. And more importantly what being in a war personally was going to mean to her.


    She also didn''t want to be reliant on an external influence to cope. While only themander''s tent and nobles were holding a feast, this didn''t mean the other soldiers weren''t drinking.


    In fact the town had offered more than enough ale to the army to get everyonepletely drunk twice. But only the troop leaders and nobles decided to make a party or feast, in the case of the leaders, out of it.


    The nobles partied because they wanted to get wasted and forget everything, while also indulging themselves in whatever they fancied.


    Themanders and troop leaders wanted to hold a feast, not as a way to get drunk and forget. But rather as a way toe together and remember those lost. While not getting lost in their loss.


    The entire army wasn''t having a feast because most of the soldiers were new to war. This was their first time getting bloodied and losing close friends or even rtives. This led to them indeed bing lost in their own losses. Making them feel that feasting would be an improper thing to do.


    The more experienced soldiers knew that this was something the newbies had to work through, else they would never be able to move on. The reason they wanted to hold a feast was so they could share their loss with their remaining friends. While also keeping joy in everything and making it not a somber event.


    But this was something which came with time to them, they too had been in the newbies shoes once upon a time.


    The newbie soldiers were instead drinking around a small campfire with their few remaining friends. Making the night much more solemn and somber. Often they would break out in bouts of anger or sadness, especially as they became drunker. Luckily nothing became overboard as each person dealt with the loss on their own, or in their small groups.


    "So what now?" Eldrian asked, having enjoyed watching the arm wrestlingpetition for a while. The results were often very surprising, one slim female soldier had actually managed to beat a bulky man. While she was then again defeated by a normal looking guy.


    Eldrian realized for the first time how many women where in this army. Well not exactly, but he learned an important fact. There was far more than he had thought, simply because when they were in armor they looked just like the other soldiers. If you couldn''t observe them from up close then you wouldn''t be able to see their more feminine features.


    This was especially true since the armors were clearly made with uniformity in mind. None of the females had armor which emphasized their curves. Rather their armor looked just like men''s armors. While the helmets also hid their hair, or more often them having short hair. Since long hair wasn''t all that practical on a battlefield.


    "I don''t know, we don''t really fit in here. Do we?" Vivian replied, feeling that she certainly wasn''t feeling the same thing as most of the soldiers here. They had all lived through many battles and found this to be their coping method. But she didn''t know hers. She was still trying to figure it out, she did not want her first post battle to be dictated by others.


    Yet she was staying here, which she found to be a detriment for the first time. She had never before felt it, she was always with her dad in some form or another. Either practicing at his barrack, with his soldiers/trainees, hanging out and bing friends with them.


    For the first time she realized that it wasn''t really her ce.


    "I guess we don''t fit. What exactly is going on here?" Eldrian asked, not knowing of the intricate details going on behind the scene. He was only seeing people enjoying themselves, while most of the soldiers weren''t part of it.


    It felt very strange to him, making him think this might lead to a rift forming between the normal soldiers and their leaders.


    "Let me tell ya. This is what we do to get over out loss, we get drunk. Remember those that we lost and then move past it. Often by finding something else to focus on, soe on don''t be shy!" A clearly drunk guy said. He had been nearby, refilling his beer cup when he heard Eldrian and Vivian''s conversation.


    "Ah, no thanks. I want to enjoy the ale slowly this time." Eldrian replied, feeling a little bloated from downing the previous one.


    "Ah bugger, don''t be a downer. Come on." The soldier said as he grabbed Eldrian''s shoulder in an encouraging manner.


    Feeling even more ufortable Eldrian quickly escaped from the shoulders grip and started walking away, Vivian following him.


    "Ya''r loss." The soldier said as he stumbled to the wrestling table.


    Eldrian and Vivian left the tent, walking a bit in the dark until they found a nice sloping spot to sit on. Here they enjoyed their drinks and chatted a bit, but more often being quite. Not really having something they feltfortable to talk about at this time and ce, not after everything else.


    Finishing his second cup Eldrian went to go get a third, already feeling a bit unstable on his feet. As he was halfway with his third Vivian went to go get her second, as she returned she told Eldrian.


    "This will be myst for the night. I don''t want to get drunk here."


    "Al''right." Eldrian nodded as he spoke, having arrived at the tipsy stage.


    After finishing his third cup he went to go get himself his fourth andst cup, feeling that this was his limit. As he joined Vivian on the grass again he said, "This will be myst one too."


    "Oh, why?" She asked, having expected that Eldrian would want to getpletely drunk tonight.


    "I haven''t really drank before, and wanted to try tonight. But I think I shouldn''t go further." Eldrian said, managing to not slur over his words, while he had almost tripped over his feet on the way back.


    "Smart, it didn''t look like you would be able to handle much more."


    "Is that a fact?"


    "Yeah," Vivian said, starting to giggle soon after as Eldrian almost dropped his cup filled with ale.


    "I think you''re right." He admitted, staring at the cup. Trying to use it of making him look stupid.


    After this they again became silent. cing their cups next to them they lied onto the ground and stared at the stars.


    Eldrian enjoying the strange feeling running through him, clearly feeling a difference. Yet unable to really find the difference.


    Vivian was thinking back on what happened, the alcohol helping her to not get hung up on details. While she was still nearly sober, the little alcohol had given her a type of strength to move on. ''Guess it truly is effective.'' She thought to herself as she realized that it was easier to think about everything after having had a couple of drinks.


    This made her previous ideals lost into the past, she hoped it wouldn''t be a necessity for her now. epting that she had failed to work through her feelings without and outside influence.


    "Hey Vivian."


    "Yeah Haru..."


    "What happened after I died? I don''t remember, well anything after dying. In fact most of the fight is also blurry. I do remember having to dodge for all I have." Eldrian said, a smile creeping onto his face as he remembered how desperate he had been while dodging.


    "Ah, I don''t really know how to exin it. You suddenly changed."


    "What do you mean I changed?"


    "I don''t know, you were faster. Seemingly reacting as soon as something happened. You also suddenly managed to take the offensive, while before you could only dodge."


    ''Wait, when did that happen? I really should just keep record on, I should stop forgetting!'' Eldrian told himself, ncing at his interface quickly to make sure that recording was currently on.


    "Due to your offensive we managed to kill the Alpha, but after yourst attack it wasn''t the end."


    "Is that when everything became worse?" Eldrian asked, remembering the frenzied state the Beta had entered after getting wounded.


    "Yeah, the Alpha became berserk after that. It first targeted me, during one of the times I blocked it simply ignored my sword and ripped my arm off. Luckily just as it wanted to finish me John intervened. But as a result he lost his sword, after which the Alpha ripped off his head." Saying this Vivian had tears flowing down her face again.


    Eldrian having turned onto his side saw the tears, "Maybe you should stop..."


    "No! I need to work through this. I believe the first step is being able to talk about it." Vivian said, shaking her head slightly, causing the tears speed down her cheeks.


    "After that Jack managed shoot the Alpha in one of its eyes, but that was still not enough. It had taken its attention away from me. In a rage it had charged Jack, while he tried to dodge the Alpha prevailed too soon. Killing him by almost separating his legs from his body."


    "I heard that he was resurrected."


    "Yeah... His injury was luckily within the healers skills." A slight smile appearing on Vivian, soon followed by more tears, "But John''s wasn''t, only Tier 5 or higher spells can bring someone back if they had lost their heads."


    "How did the fight end?" Eldrian asked after a while of silence, wondering how they managed to kill it if by that time Vivian was alone against the Alpha.


    "Jack had managed to keep it busy for a few seconds, allowing me to stand up and fight more. I don''t really know how I managed it and the rest is also blurry for me. I just remember waking up in the medic centreter. My arm having already been healed."


    "Then what happened in thest moments?"


    "I don''t know." Vivian said, trying to remember the details she had previously suppress due to all the pain she had been in at that time. Both physically and mentally.


    "I-I think I remember, around that time your spear suddenly disappeared. Which caused a massive wound to open on the beast, following its disappearance I stabbed my sword into the open wound. I don''t remember how I managed it, I think it was too focused on Jack at that time.


    ''So she survived, mostly due to luck and good timing?'' Eldrian asked himself, certain that she was telling the truth about what she remembered. But he wasn''t so sure if it was truly how everything happened.


    Even so he decided to just ept it, wondering why he had managed to be faster during the fight. He couldn''t really remember that part as he just remembered shes of the fight.


    With questions and stars in sight they continued to enjoy their drinks slowly, mostly in silence from there on.

 Chapter 62: Exercise IRL and heading to Jens

    <h4>Chapter 62: Exercise IRL and heading to Jen''s</h4>


    Waking up Eldrian saw the headset over his eyes, confused he pulled it off his head.


    ''The heck, how did I get here?'' He asked himself, not remembering much after having looked at the stars. Sitting up he fell onto his side, having lost his bnce.


    Slowly sitting up again Eldrian felt his world spin, yet this time he expected it and countered the spin to keep his bnce.


    ''The hell, I feel fine. Why is the world spinning around me?'' He asked himself, grabbing his phone which was one charge.


    "Yikes, luckily it is a Sunday." He mumbled, seeing that it was after 8 in the morning. If it had been a Monday then he would miss his first lecture, since he would still need to get ready and then cycle to the university, which all would take around half an hour. Luckily he still had plenty of time today, just needing to head to his sister''s at around one.


    Standing up from his bed Eldrian still felt the earth around him spinning, but it was already far less than before. Taking a few seconds to get used to this he stumbled to his kitchen and grabbed himself some milk to drink.


    Finishing the milk he also poured himself some cereal, since the milk was already out and not feeling in the mood to make something. He then headed to his PC to watch some videos while eating. Already feeling more normal, the earth only tilting around him. Not straight up spinning.


    After finishing his breakfast he started browsing the forums as was his normal routine. Looking over the ranking forum he was a little surprised to see many people around level 3 and 4.


    Three yers had taken the top ranking as having reached level 4 and making their avatar statistics avable. While over a hundred filled the rest of the page, all of them having reached level 3.


    Eldrian was only mildly surprised as he believed that it had to do with them having turned in their quests. He had been wondering how much levels 10 000 XP were going to be, now he had his answer.


    ''I should remember to also turn in my quest.'' Eldrian told himself as he looked at the ranking system. He felt certain it was going to start shifting far more often now, since most yers had likely not given in their quests yet.


    He also wondered how the ranking system found everyone since it wasn''t made by the developers. Fiddling with it a bit he got the option to also be added, which required a permission.


    Reading the message he learned that the permission would read your current statistics and ce you onto the lists if you make it into the top 100. In the end, there was a final note stating that you as the yer could decide what to share.


    ''Interesting, so those who want to brag can do so, while those who want to keep their info silent can also do that.''


    Finishing his browsing Eldrian turned of his PC and climbed into some morefortable exercise clothing. Next, he grabbed himself a bottle of water and headed out for a run.


    During the previous week he had found that he managed to stay on a schedule for the first time. The game having given him a reason or rather the drive he needed to keep at it.


    His normal routine while exercising was to jog for around a block, then walk the next. He would repeat this pattern until he felt too tired to continue. At which point he would then take a rest before running back in a simr manner. The only difference being that he would sprint a block and the jog the next after having crossed the halfway point on his way back.


    In this way he upped the intensity, pushing himself past what he felt was his limit.


    His progress had been slow, but he had made it steadily. Starting with only doing around 5 blocks of jogging, naturally also 5 of walking. Yet by the end of the week he had managed to do much more, nearing the 15 block distance.


    Naturally, he had missed yesterday having been too tired to do anything that morning.


    Stretching a bit outside of his ce he warmed himself up a bit, not knowing what to do for this. He generally just stretched his calves and hamstrings.


    Finishing the stretches he felt ready and set off, finding himself starting quicker than normal, he also realized that it strangely felt a bit easier.


    Not wanting to rock the boat he slowed himself down and kept to his normal routine, managing to do 20 blocks before feelingpletely spent. While the change wasn''t massive, Eldrian immediately picked up on it.


    ''Why could I do more today?'' He asked himself as he was lying on his back and catching his breath. After around 5 minutes he felt normal again, slowly standing up and readying himself for the return trip. Which was always harder than the going trip.


    "Let''s go!" Eldrian said, hyping himself up. Chalking the difference to having a nice day or maybe because he had rested well on Saturday.


    Arriving at his home block Eldrian dove under one of the roadside trees. Resting in the shade and breathing hard he felt like he was dying. His lungs burning while his legs felt powerless. Regretting that he had kept going for those extra blocks.


    After resting he headed into his ce, doing his homework and watching some series to pass the time until he had to head to Jen''s, his sister.


    He also sent her a message asking if she was still okay with himing over today, which she quickly replied to that it was. Eager to taste some home-cooking again, Eldrian wished time to move a bit faster.


    Finally, 12 o''clock came around. Meaning Eldrian could start heading over, not going to be too early, climbing on his bike he started cycling to his sister''smune.


    Just before he had left, he had showered and dressed in a bit better-looking clothes. Certainly not fancy, but also not shabby.


    As he was cycling he suddenly realized that it might be an amazing way to travel in the game. He only didn''t know how it would work, since he would have to make the bicycle from scratch inside the game. He didn''t even know if that would work. Still, he felt it was worth a try. Making him decide to try it when he becamepetent in cksmithing.


    ''Maybe guns can also be made in the game. That would certainly swing the advantage to the humans'' side.'' He thought, his mind suddenly having been opened to the idea of technology inside the game. He vaguely remembered that the developers had said something about some tech not working, but he had no idea what that enveloped.


    Twenty minutes of cyclingter he arrived at his sister''s ce.


    His sister stayed in amunal house she was sharing with four of her friends. They had all met during their first year, having be good friends quickly during that time. At that time they had all stayed in one of the university''s hostels, their rooms having been insanely small. Which was one of the major reasons they decide to move to amune together.


    Having heard stories from his sister''s life in the hostel his parents had decided to rather look for somewhere else Eldrian could stay. Which was how he had ended up with his ce.


    Eldrian felt appreciative of this while also being upset at the same time. He was d to have his own ce with lots of space. Yet he felt that he was missing out on the first-year experience he often heard about.


    With the release of A New World, he felt more happy than angry at this. Having realized that he would most likely have been cooped up in his room, meaning he would still be missing the first-year experience in any case. Yet now he had a nice ce as a bonus.


    Cycling into the house''s driveway Eldrian rang the bell and waited for someone toe and open for him, leaning against his bike as he waited. Themune owner had a strict rule on not sharing the keys to the ce with any non-tenants. Thus Eldrian didn''t have his own, at least not yet.


    His sister was still on the fence about giving him a pair, feeling that it would be nice to have a spare with her brother. Yet also that giving a guy the keys to a house full of women made her hesitate.


    Around a minuteter one of his sister''s friends came out of the house and opened the gate for him. Jumping off his bicycle Eldrian pushed it inside, cing it against the fence of the house before joining the girl who opened for him.


    "Why did you suddenly want toe and visit your sis?" The girl asked after Eldrian had ced his bike against the fence. The girls kept their bicycles at the back, having been warned to not keep it in the open. Yet guests would normally just leave theirs in the front since they wouldn''t stay for long.


    "I just missed a homecooked meal." Eldrian replied as he looked at her. Her hair was dark blonde, fitting well with her brown eyes and tanned skin. Her name was Marcy and she was Eldrian''s sister''s BFF. They would never go out without each other.


    This was only the second time Eldrian had met her in person, but he had heard plenty of stories including her. From those stories Eldrian knew that she liked to tease guys, especially shy or introverted ones. Hence he didn''t really feelfortable around her, often feeling threatened by her.


    Currently, she was in casual yet revealing clothing. Wearing arge loose shirt over short denim shorts, making Eldrian feel that the gossip he heard was certainly true. At least partially.


    Eldrian could never understand the reason for wearing such short pants, as it made it impossible to add useful pockets onto them. Yet at this time he felt he understood another purpose, making him hate himself for even considering the thought.


    He had promised himself to never date one of his sister''s friends, yet here he was starting to feel attracted to her BFF.


    ''Stop it, think about the stupid pockets! They can''t even fit a wallet, keys and a phone. How useless.'' Eldrian monologued, trying to keep his mind of the other matters.

 Chapter 63: Sibling conversation

    <h4>Chapter 63: Sibling conversation</h4>


    ''But it looks good. No! Don''t!'' Eldrian struggled to keep his thoughts from wandering.


    "Hey! Anyone there?" Marcy asked as she patted Eldrian''s head, making sure that her shirt was hanging low as she did.


    Seeing this Eldrian felt more strength leave him, barely managing to say, "Sorry I was spacing out."


    "Oh? Why do you always do that?" She teased him, giving him a suggestive wink. Causing Eldrian to feel his cheeks burn up even more.


    "Because I don''t understand girls!" Eldrian replied, swiftly walking towards the house. Trying to run from her attempts at teasing him. Giggling she followed after him.


    The house the girls were staying in was quite a distance from the university, making its rent much cheaper. The distance didn''t bother them too much as two of the girls had cars, which they would use when going out or when the weather was bad. On normal days they would all cycle, needing around half an hour to reach the university. They saw these cycle sessions as a nice way of exercising.


    Eldrian on the other hand only needed to cycle around 15 minutes to reach the university.


    The house was really nice. It was a two-story building with five standard bedrooms, three bathrooms and a nicemunal area. Themunal areas consisted of a kitchen, dining room and a TV room. Other than this there was also a swimming pool at the back, with a nice green garden.


    Walking into the kitchen Eldrian saw his sister busy stirring a pot, from which a spicy aroma was being created. Eldrian immediately smelling it as he entered.


    ''I guess she''s making a curry.'' Eldrian thought to himself as he looked at the kitchen again. Still a bit dumb about everything inside of it. The kitchen was modern, with an induction stove and many fancy looking cooking utensils or tools.


    He never really paid attention to all of them, not bothering to learn their purpose. Simply because he didn''t like making food, finding two-minute noodles to be easy and tasty enough. Yet after a hard day or a terrible test he always needed a homecooked meal. Luckily his sister was here, willing to help him in that department.


    "Jenny your bro is here!" Marcy said as she entered the kitchen after Eldrian, giving him a flirtatious wink as she passed him.


    "Thank you Marce, the food will be ready in twenty or so more minutes." Eldrian''s sister, Jennifer, replied. Her tone indicating that Marcy should leave them alone for a bit.


    "Ah... Are you trying to get rid of me?" Marcy asked, hugging Jen from behind.


    "Come on, you know Eldrian doesn''t like it when you get handsy." Replied Jen.


    Pouting Marcy ced her head on Jen''s shoulder and whispered, "Ohe on, we can invite him too..."


    "Marcy!"


    "Alright, I''ll give you two lovebirds some time alone." She said, making sure to give Eldrian another wink as she left for her room.


    "How do you stand her?" Eldrian asked, finding her to be really scary and uncaring about personal space. Thest being the major problem he had, not really being someone who liked it when someone just suddenly invaded his space.


    "You get used to it, even a little reliant." Jen replied, sighing as she did.


    After a short break of struggling to believe his sister Eldrian said, "I guess you are making a group meal."


    "Yup, sorry but when the girls heard I was making food they all begged me to make enough for them too."


    "What are you making?"


    "Oh, just some curried chicken. There is also some rice cooking over there." She answered, pointing towards a rice cooker sitting on the countertop at the other side of the kitchen.


    "Smells nice," Eldrian said as he took a wif over the pot, "How many are going to be here today?"


    "Everyone his here except for Sarah. She went to visit her boyfriend. So we will be five with you."


    "Is she still going out with the same guy?" Eldrian asked, making small talk while not really caring what Sarah was doing. He just wanted to let his sister feel like he did.


    "Yeah, his name is Daniel. Why do you never remember?"


    "I guess I don''t really care." Eldrian confessed while shrugging, causing his sister tough while she stirring the pot.


    Eldrian made a point of not really caring, since if he did then he would soon want to date one of them. While none of them were drop-down gorgeous, they were all fit and good looking. The only thing making it easy for Eldrian was that most of them had some or other quirk he could focus on to put himself off.


    Well, each person had such a quirk, he just knew about each of theirs'' since his sister had told him about them. Either as a warning or when she was telling him stories about them going out or partying.


    The reason he promised himself to never date one of his sister''s friends was that he didn''t want to put her in a weird position. Especially if they happened to break upter, he didn''t want Jen to be in the middle of that.


    Even though these were his intentions he often failed in daydreaming. Mainly because he hadn''t dated a girl before, making him much more inexperienced and easier to tease. Luckily he felt this also helped him be less appealing to her friends, with them opting to tease him rather than take him seriously.


    Marcy was the one who loved doing it the most. Her day often made when she could tease Eldrian and make him ufortable. She loved how he would start squirming, trying to escape while not wanting to simply run away.


    "Why did you ask for a homecooked meal?" Jen asked, knowing that Eldrian only felt a craving for homecooked meals when something bad had happened. Yet she couldn''t think of what had happened.


    "Ah, remember that game I told you about?" Eldrian asked, fetching himself a chair so that he could also sit while talking and waiting for the food to finish.


    "Yeah, I remember you said it was simply amazing. What happened?"


    "Well it still is amazing, I just think it might be a bit too amazing."


    "I don''t understand."


    "Did I tell you about the event I was going on Friday night?"


    "You said something about a quest, I don''t really remember."


    "I guess you can say that it was due to that event. We went..." Eldrian started exining what happened during this event. ncing over the more painful or sad parts, yet Jen quickly caught all these things he was trying to hide. Often trying to weasel the information out of him, yet he tried to keep it hidden. Still hoping that his sister would join the game, just definitely not as a High Elf.


    At the start she was surprised that her brother had made a female friend, something which he never managed before. She couldn''t understand how he could talk about it so normally, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Vivian was a female as he talked. Except when he had talked about how they met.


    Her brother had told her about how he had beenpletely dazed when first meeting her, yet now he was talking about Vivian as if she was just a friend. Seemingly havingpletely forgotten about that.


    ''What is going on?'' She asked herself while listening to him, not wanting to interrupt him about this. Feeling that if she did then he might feel really weird when he met her in the game again.


    "So, you''re saying that it was just like a real war?" She asked when he started to talk about the battle.


    "Umm, yeah I guess. But one with magic and all that stuff." Eldrian answered, trying to hype the fight up.


    "Do you really want to y such a game. And do you still want me to y it?"


    "Um, I feel like I have to y at this stage. The NPCs in the game feel too real for me and I don''t want to just abandon them."


    ''Is he in love? No can''t be, he won''t fall in love with a virtual character. Right?'' She asked herself as Eldrian continued to defend his stance.


    "The rest of the game is still wonderful, it is just the fighting which feels too real. I think you should still join, just don''t join as a High Elf. It is too difficult, very troublesome and I think there are some bugs with this race."


    "Do you think I can''t handle that?"


    "Ah, no! It is just that, it makes it feel even less like a game. As many of the normal game functions aren''t avable to High Elves."


    "If I do decide to y, then I will first look at all the races. I can''t believe you just jumped in after looking at the elves'' section."


    Hearing this Eldrian quieted down and lowered his head. Finding that his haste had indeed been un-gamer like. But he didn''t dwell on this for too long, knowing that he couldn''t go back and change anything even if he wanted. Sure he could restart his character, but he didn''t feel that would fix anything.


    Continuing on he told her about the fight, trying to skip the parts where he got really hurt.


    Yet his sister caught onto this and asked, "So you felt the pain. Like for real?"


    "Yeah, but it wasn''t that much." He lied, not wanting to put her off from the game.


    "Why on earth would you still want to y then? Why y when you can get hurt?" She almost screamed these questions at him.


    "Because I find the world extremely interesting. I also feel like I might be able to do something to change what is going to happen."


    "Why don''t you just focus on your real life?"


    "I-I-don''t know. It is just something I feel I have to do!"


    ''Is it love?'' Jen asked herself, finding his stubbornness and clueless answer very strange. It made her a little worried about her little bro, making her promise herself to hang out with him every week. No matter what!


    "Also I think I might be able to make some money from the game." Eldrian added after seeing his sister''s concerned look.


    "Do you really think that will happen?"


    "Well, not to the point where I won''t have to work. But I feel that if I streamed then I might make enough to cover some of my costs. Maybe a little more. If I get an audience that is..."


    "I am d you realize you still have to study!" Jen answered, feeling relieved that Eldrian was still going to continue studying. "You better get good marks, if you don''t I will tell mom and dad about this game."


    "What, no don''t do that!" Eldrian said, grabbing her hands and looking her straight in the eyes. "Please... I am begging you."


    "Then don''t get below 60 for anything, or I am telling." She replied, looking right back into his eyes.


    Defeated Eldrian conceded in defeat, "Fine... I won''t ck off..."


    "Good," Jen said with a nod, somehow having be the one holding Eldrian''s hands. Which she only released at this time.


    Trying to cheer himself up Eldrian thought about it like having two jobs. People in such a situation normally hated both, he could at least love one when he started hating studying. Which he felt was normal as most students enter that phase.


    Having learned his lesson that he couldn''t really hide something from his sister, Eldrian decided to simply skip the rest. Not wanting to tell her how he died in-game and the fright he had from it. He didn''t want to ruin his own future in the game.


    After all this they sat in silence while waiting for the food to finish. Eldrian too scared to talk anymore. Jen too upset with the fact that Eldrian was clearly still hiding something from her.

 Chapter 64: Leaving Synoro

    <h4>Chapter 64: Leaving Synoro</h4>


    Eldrian enjoyed the rest of the afternoon at Jen''s. Eating together with her friends, after which they just hung out together in her room. Watching some series while talking about their studies.


    When three o''clock rolled around Eldrian prepared to leave.


    "Thanks for the dinner sis." Eldrian said as he gave Jen a hug.


    "Anytime. Remember to study and work hard." She said, waving as Eldrian left.


    ...


    Arriving back at his own ce Eldrian filled a ss with some juice and started looking at the forums again, as was his usual routine. Looking over the ranking forum first, then shifting to the general forum.


    Reading the title of the top post of the general forum, Eldrian''s attention was piqued, *We demand an exnation* was the post''s name.


    Reading thought it Eldrian quickly realized that it was the same as mostints which had been going about against Miracle Corp. This one just being much more organized, with the yers having brought in actualwyers.


    Yet they had all been stonewalled at the start when Miracle Corp took out the contract which every yer had singed. In which they had made sure to protect themselves thoroughly, giving the yers and theirwyers a nice hurdle they had to first ovee. Seeing as everyone did sign the contract.


    In this post these yers called the other yers to arms, asking for everyone to give their support to force thepany into revealing the details on why the event had been so harsh. With the hope that they would be able to use this information to sue them for traumas gained in the game.


    ''Wonder how this is going to turn out.'' Eldrian asked himself, turning to aedy show to spend thest few minutes before he headed back into the game.


    He liked the fact that the yers were fighting against the developers, as the first event had certainly been a bit over the top. Yet he also felt that it was likely not the developer''s n.


    In any case Eldrian didn''t n to get involved in this, feeling that he had more than enough to focus on already. His studies and the game kept him really busy.


    Climbing into his pajamas he logged in.


    Waking up Eldrian stood up, finding that he had seemingly never gone back to themander''s tent. He was currently lying on the same hill he recalled from his previous night in the game.


    ''This is getting confusing.'' Eldrian told himself, thinking about he had two mornings every day. Luckily he didn''t really have any nights IRL since he would log in before then. Yet he started feeling that his memories were getting blurry.


    ''Is this due to almost never sleeping?'' He asked himself as he stood up and stretched. Next he nced at his stats, seeing that they were still lowered. Looking at his debuffs he saw that he now had Total Fatigue level 3, causing his strength to be only 84 out of 105 and his stamina 74 SP.


    ''The recovery near the end is much smaller than at higher levels. Guess that''s due to the exponential growth of fatigue.''


    After sorting these things out and knowing where he stood Eldrian realized he would still not be able to train effectively. From yesterday he felt quite certain that each missing strength point led to an increase in stamina cost. If his strength was lower than the requirement that is. It also made wielding the weapon a little bit more difficult, but not insanely so.


    ''So I guess today I will only be able to do around 4 attacks with the spear.'' Eldrian mumbled as he looked at the spear''s statistics. He found that he could see the statistics of all the items in his slot inventory, not really being sure why.


    But this allowed him to quickly look through them all, finding that his strength was only 4 short of the arming sword''s requirements.


    ''Let''s see if I was correct.'' Thinking this Eldrian pulled the sword out of his inventory, finding it much easier to take it out after having practiced this action. While the shorter de also made it faster than his spear.


    Taking a few swings he found that he indeed only lost 5 stamina per attack.


    ''Does that mean I should keep a weapon with lower stats for when I am in such a weakened state?'' Eldrian asked himself, starting his morning with some basic sword drills.


    Not having a partner or dummy to train against did make it a less effective, but Eldrian focused more on stance and movement than the actual attacks during this practice.


    Soon the sun started rising while Eldrian was still doing drills. As the sun rose the soldiers all started waking up, most of them starting a fire to either make some food or reheat what they had leftover from the previous night.


    Smelling the tantalizing smells Eldrian decided to stop his training. Finding his stomach to be fighting against him as he tried to concentrate.


    ''Alright, let''s go get something to eat.''


    Heading to themander''s tent Eldrian saw that many of the NPCs from the night before were littering the ground. Taking care to not step on them, Eldrian headed to what was left of the beast they had spit during the night.


    Not bothering to heat it Eldrian simply picked up a few cuts and ate them. Realizing that he had likely missed this yesterday as he couldn''t remember having eaten something so delicious.


    It was certainly better than most cooking Eldrian had enjoyed, yet he felt certain that it was because of the beast it came from, not due to the cooks. Enjoying the soft, tender meat Eldrian entered a trance. Ending up eating until he started feeling bloated.


    "Dammit!" He cursed, finding that he was now in no condition to train anymore. His shout had luckily not woken anyone, leaving him relieved as he left the tent and started walking around.


    Taking in the sights Eldrian realized that the town was actually pleasant to look at. It seemed to be intuned with nature, having a rural look.


    Right in the center of the entire town area was the actual town buildings. This upied quite arge space, between one and two kilometers. Surrounding this was a few grasnd fields were the animals were being kept, thereafter a few cultivated farmingnds with nts Eldrian didn''t know. After this was the town''s walls, stretching a long distance.


    ''I can see why they said it isn''t really dependable.'' Eldrian felt this would indeed be the case, seeing as the walls easily spread a distance of over 5 kilometers, maybe up to 10. He realized that there was indeed no way a small militia would be able to even patrol it effectively.


    ''Why did they make it sorge?'' He wondered, feeling that it was to keep their produce safe. Yet he felt a rtively high fence would have worked for that.


    ''Maybe it turns into a military camp when in war...'' Eldrian thought, having indeed found the correct reason for therge space towns upied.


    Finishing his walk, Eldrian returned to the camp. Finding that most of the soldiers were up now, having already taken down their tents. Walking to themander''s tent, looking for Vivian, Eldrian saw that they were also taking it down.


    ''Guess we are going back now.'' Eldrian mumbled, feeling that the walk back to the city was going to be crap.


    ''Maybe I can spice it up with some training routines?''


    Arriving at the tent Eldrian found that Vivian wasn''t present, nor was Old Sword. Not knowing what to do then, Eldrian simply waited until everyone started moving. Which ended up taking just over half an hour. During which he had be bored enough to start ying with the nearby tall grass.


    Looking at the soldiers leaving the town Eldrian felt certain the return trip was likely going to take even longer. There were now over 50 carriages being pulled by cows and/or horses.


    Seeing the carriages Eldrian felt they were going to stop often to fix a wheel or get it unstuck from mud or something simr. He felt this way since the carriages were clearly not meant for long tracks, probably normally only used by the townspeople when they harvested their farmingnds. Which wasn''t more than five kilometers from their homes.


    Most of the carriages were also heavily loaded with the harvests from yesterday, a few others carrying injured and weakened people. Increasing the chances for what Eldrian expected was going to happen.


    Naturally Eldrian had also set out when the soldiers had, not wanting to be left behind. He quickly caught up and just enjoyed a leisurely walk as the left the area of the town.


    After around 10 minutes of walking Eldrian started bing bored. Thus he decided to take out his new sword and continue his training.


    He didn''t do anything crazy, simply simted that he was suddenly under attack. During which he would dive to the side in an act to save his life. Swiftly trying to defend himself and counterattack defensible on how he was imagining the situation.


    He felt that it might be something he would need when going out and exploring, certain that ambushes would be a legitimate thing at that time.


    During this he always had to keep his sword in hand, finding that he couldn''t remove it from his inventory fast enough. ''I really need to get a scabbard for it, and practice quick drawing it.'' He told himself after realizing this.


    After his simted fight he would have fallen a distance behind from the soldiers. But he would simply rest for a few minutes to gather his stamina and then sprint after them. Having to wait a few more minutes again before he could ''train'' some more.


    Continuing on in the manner Eldrian felt it was a good way to travel. Especially since he didn''t have anything else he could be doing. Soon he became a spectacle to the soldiers. Some of them even slowing down to enjoy his act.


    Eldrian pushed them from his mind after seeing their looks, not wanting to be distracted. In a way allowing him to also train his mental fortitude.


    After an hour of doing this a few of the soldiers even broke rank to join him. Theirmanders not really caring, since they felt the soldiers deserved some fun time. Yet none of them kept at it, only trying a max of three times before they became too tired to continue while also having to catch up with the rest of the army.


    This turned their looks from those of amusement to looks of respect. Believing Eldrian was a hardworking and disciplined person, yet he was only ying around wanting to get time to move faster.


    A few hourster they reached the halfway point. The entire armying to a stop and resting. Recognizing the ce they were at Eldrian smiled as he walked into the forest.

 Chapter 65: Handing in the event quest

    <h4>Chapter 65: Handing in the event quest</h4>


    Walking around the woods Eldrian found himself a nice quiet ce to rest. Lying against one of the trees he looked at the soldiers as they also found their own ces, some of the other yers even joining them at this stage. Having ovee their initial dislike of each other. At least enough to notpletely alienate each other.


    Around an hourter they set out again, the animals having also rested and grazed. This time Eldrian decided to just y with his sword, not actually train.


    A few hourster he could finally see the massive reddish-brown walls spanning the horizon. Feeling relieved that the journey was at its end Eldrian put away his spear, having switched to it after a few hours of ying with his sword. He didn''t really do anything with it, other than using it as a walking stick and looking at its design.


    Having it out had helped him let his mind wander, thinking about how it had been made. Trying to figure out what the patterns meant while also enjoying how artistic they looked, yet also feeling nice in his hand. Making him appreciate the craftsmanship of it all the more.


    Asking the system for the time Eldrian found that it was nearing four in the afternoon.


    ''So we traveled for just over 8 or 9 hours. I remember going there was definitely faster, I think it was only 6.''


    The soldiers directly entered the city after arriving, splitting into their squads and going to their respective barracks. A few of the gate''s guards left their barrack to help Old Sword take the carriages to a storage ce.


    Seeing the NPCs split up Eldrian and the other yers didn''t really know what they should do. Luckily one of the gate''s guards came forward to lead them to the Adventurers Guild. Saying that he had been ordered to lead them their so that they could im their rewards for their efforts in the mission.


    A good 15 minutes of walkingter they reached the guild. Looking at it Eldrian realized that it was quite an impressive building. It was four-stories high with a wide door at the front entrance, allowing more than four people to enter at the same time. The doors being more like a gate than actual doors.


    Curious where this was inside the city Eldrian opened his map, only to find that he was really far from the rest of the city he had explored before, having gone in the opposite direction from that part. Looking at it it seemed to him he was at least a 30 minutes walk from the magic tower where he was staying.


    ''Hope there are more in the city.'' Eldrian hoped this since the city was simply massive, him having only been to around an eight of its one length.


    Having confirmed where he was Eldrian felt he would have some time to explore some more of the city. He had a few hours left before having to log out, thus if the quest confirmation didn''t take long then he would explore a bit.


    Entering the Adventurers Guild Eldrian found that the first floor was really spacious. There were a few tables inside where people were drinking making him almost mistake it for a bar. Yet everyone who were drinking were also armed, telling him that it wasn''t really a normal bar. Looking on further he saw that there were two counters, one on his left and one on his right. There were also two mission boards.


    Eldrian first approached the missions boards, wondering why there were two and what type of quest there were. He quickly found that those on the right seemed to be meant forrger parties while those on the left for small parties or solo people.


    Most of these missions were either bodyguarding, gathering or exploration missions. The pay for the jobs being determined either by the time taken or things handed in. Be these things intel or items.


    Eldrian didn''t get quest notifications from just reading the mission post so he believed he had to ask about them first.


    ''Wonder if this is going to shift to aim more at yers or not.'' Eldrian asked himself, realizing that the current missions weren''t really for yers. Maybe guilds could try but he felt no single yer or just a friend group would be able to really do the rest.


    Next he headed to one of the counters, naturally he picked the one that didn''t have a queue. Only to be quickly sent to the other, this counter seemingly only dealt with the taking or creation of missions.


    Joining the queue Eldrian quickly realized that most of those in front of him were the other yers.


    ''Guess being curious is going to cost me some time.'' Eldrian sighed as he waited. Luckily the line was moving faster than he had expected. Within 20 minutes he was at the front, the 60 yers having been processed.


    "What mission are you handing in?" The guy behind the counter asked. The guy was wearing what was considered casual wear in the city, but this didn''t hide the fact that he clearly trained hard. Being in good shape and having chiseled muscles.


    "Hi, I want to hand in the, umm... The First Expedition quest." Eldrian stammered, unsure if the NPC was going to understand him. Seeing as they called these things missions and normally had a code for it, which he had learned when he had been reading the missions.


    They normally went more like, Mission- collect this herb/mineral; Tag - Herb/mineral name # Agosstead South branch; Pay - #silvers per herb/mineral


    "Ah, you are also a Chosen. Congrattions on being one of the few to make it back safely." The guy replied, relieving Eldrian as he realized that the NPCs seemed to have no problem understanding what he intended to do.


    "Your name?" The guy asked next, taking out a piece of parchment.


    "Ah, Haru. And did you say one of the few who made it back."


    "Haru, good. And yes I did, most of those who had taken the quest seemed to have died. But that isn''t a problem for you Chosen since you just resurrect in the city temple."


    "What are your kills?"


    "Ah, let me check." Eldrian said as he called up his quest log. The NPC being too fast for him to continue with his questions about the other yers.


    His words causing the NPC to look at him strangely.


    "Here it is." Eldrian said, having found his achievement list, causing the NPC to look at him with an even more questioning look. "7 Beastwolves, 8 Direwolves, a Beta Direwolf and an Alpha Direwolf ."


    "What!" The guy asked in disbelief. All the yers before had at most killed a Direwolf and maybe up to 3 Beastwolves, yet this guy was iming to have killed over 10 total Beasts and an Alpha and Beta too.


    "Ah, yeah I was also surprised when I first saw my kills." Eldrian replied automatically.


    "How the heck do you see your kills?" The guy asked in confusion.


    "Um, I guess you can say it is one of the things the goddess of life gave us. It helps us keep track of such things."


    "Really?" The guy asked as he recast his lie detection spell, still getting no feedback from it. Which meant that it either was the truth or that the person was more skillful than him.


    "Um, can you pledge it?" The guy asked, not wanting to believe what Eldrian had told him. Especially when the Beta and Alpha was added onto the alreadyrge list.


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, confused about what was going on.


    "I just want to make sure you are telling the truth."


    "I thought you guys can just tell."


    "We can, normally. But I just want to make sure."


    "Okay, then what do I have to do?"


    "Just state it again, I will be asking the Dioktis if this is true or not." Seeing Eldrian''s confusion he added, "He is the god of war and death."


    "Alright," Eldrian replied, feeling that this was getting weird. ''Why does the god of war or death need to be involved?''


    "Oh also just add that you pledge to Dioktis before saying your kills."


    "Okay, I Haru, pledge to Dioktis that I killed and/or helped in the killing of, seven Beastwolves, eight Direwolves, a single Beta Direwolf and an Alpha Direwolf."


    The NPC waited for judgement, yet nothing happened, indicating that the pledge was truthful. Lost he asked himself, ''How can this be the truth? How did a Chosen rack up such achievements?''


    "Seems like you were telling the truth." The guy said in an apologetic tone.


    "Ah, let me go check the bounties. I''ll be right back." After saying this the guy quickly left the counter and headed upstairs.


    ''The heck was all that about?'' Eldrian asked himself, feeling that that was a lot of effort for nothing. He was also curious about why the guy disappeared so quickly.


    A few minutester the guy returned.


    "Alright, seems like you get 48 silvers for your contribution and 10 for seeding with the mission. Or quest as you Chosen always call it." The guy then started counter silvers while Eldrian instead looked at the notifications he just received.


    The first was that he hadpleted the Quest - First Expedition. The second was two notifications informing him that he had leveled up twice. A smile grew on his face as he saw that he now had 10 free attributes and that he needed just 1250 XP to level again.


    ''Seems like you get 5 free attributes on each level. Really not much, considering all the effort.'' Eldrianmented after seeing how little strength he would gain from the levels which had taken him over a week to gain. Knowing that leveling was normally faster early in a game, he quickly realized that they were going to be a secondary determinator for someone''s strength. Especially considering the fact that you lost levels every time you died.


    "Here is your reward." The NPC said, handing Eldrian 58 silvers, which Eldrian promptly saved in his inventory, seeing his total cash now going to 75 silvers and a few coppers.


    Smiling Eldrian realized he could still not afford a nice weapon, but he now felt much more secure. Feeling that he had enough to tide him over while he trained to wield magic. Which was his next main objective, the other being to go to Boran''s again. Wanting to also learn cksmithing from him.

 Chapter 66: Bounty and Teleportation

    <h4>Chapter 66: Bounty and Teleportation</h4>


    "Why did you say you have to go check the bounties?" Asked Eldrian, turning back to the NPC, having almost left. He hadpletely forgotten about it since the guy had been so quick about it.


    "Ah that, I guess you don''t know about it then. We have bounties for all monster kills."


    "Really, why?"


    "From what I was told, it is to encourage adventurers to hunt down monsters. But the pay isn''t all that much."


    Seeing Eldrian''s confusion the guy decided to exin some more, "You see, you get a reward for every monster you kill and can prove. Either via the pledge you just took, or by providing parts of the monster."


    "Why would anyone even take the parts choice?" Eldrian asked, feeling that it would be better to keep everything for oneself.


    "That is normally due to religious reasons, but it is up to the person to decide when they want to im bounty prizes."


    "Alright, how do the bounties work?"


    "As I said, you get paid for killing monsters."


    "Yeah, but how does it work? How much do you get paid?"


    "That isn''t easy to say. I can give you a basic example. Normal monsters, so say Evolved Beasts, would be paid out ording to the Tier they were at. For Tier 1 you get one silver, Tier 2 - 2, Tier 3 - 4 and so forth."


    "Oh, so then how did my payment get calcted."


    "You had 7 Evolved Beast kills of Tier 1 right?"


    "Yes?" Eldrian replied, questioning about the Tier part. He hadn''t been able to observe each beast so he just assumed they had all been Tier 1. ''Should I add that next time?'' He asked himself, wondering if the system would add that to the info when relevant.


    "Well, that came out as 7 silver, for the Direwolves you got 16. The Beta and Alpha are ssified as variants, adding 5 and 20 silvers respectively."


    ''So this is more a thank you for helping get rid of monsters than an actual reward.''


    "Then how do missions differ to this?"


    "Missions are given out to take care of a danger, while the bounties are to prevent it to get to a danger. Thus normally missions reward much more, but only for participating. If you want to im more than the stated reward, then you need to make a case."


    "But beware that your case has to show how you actually made a difference, not just that you did your job. Which the mission reward is for."


    ''I can maybe, nah. Sounds like a hassle to do that.'' The guys warning putting Eldrian off from asking for more. He didn''t feel like he really had a need to take the time for it.


    "Well, thanks for everything then." Eldrian said as he turned around and left the guild. Finding himself in a new part of the city Eldrian decided to explore a bit.


    An hourter he decided to just go to the magic tower, not having found much during the hour of walking. Simply because most of the ces were residences, making him believe that he was in the residential part of the city.


    He hade across a different temple, standing tall and in an open area between all the other houses. Yet other than its size and decorations it didn''t differ too much from the one he came from. This one seemingly being dedicated to a god/goddess of wine. At least that was the feeling one got from looking at the art inside the temple.


    Just under an hour of walking, Eldrian arrived at the magic tower. Having taken his time to enjoy the walk here, often taking a detour if he found himself interested in a bar, inn or cksmithing shop he had passed.


    He had even found a brothel on his way, making his mind wander. Even when he had made sure to speed past it. His mind wandered since he thought it might be a nice way to experience his first time. But then he also felt that it would be really bad, causing him to have missed 5 minutes of the walk while arguing with himself.


    In the end he decided to wait since the brothel would always be there. He would first see how things go IRL.


    ''Should I go ask Dave to try and cast a spell in the dungeon now, or tomorrow?'' Eldrian asked himself, stalling in front of the tower. ncing at the time he saw that he had only around an hour left during which he could stay online.


    ''I can probably do one. But then what about the ss which starts in two hours?'' He asked himself, thinking about how he had to go to ss, which started at 9.


    [Time: IRL-07:08 ; IG-19:08]


    ''Let''s just go!'' He told himself, heading into the tower and immediately up the stairs.


    Tired, he arrived at the top. ''Why the hell isn''t there magical elevators?'' He questioned, finding it weird seeing as he knew teleportation was a thing.


    After resting he knocked on the single room door, waited a few seconds before knocking again. A short whileter the door was opened, a stranger looking at Eldrian in vexation.


    "Ah, sorry to disturb you. I am looking for Dave." Eldrian said quickly, trying to inform the person why he was here.


    "So you are that guy Dave has been talking about. He is in his room." The guy replied, starting to close the door.


    "Wait! Where is his room?"


    "The floor right below this one." The guy said, closing the door in front of a confused Eldrian.


    "Which room?" He asked softly, thinking about how there are 12 rooms on each floor. ''Guess I''ll just knock on each one. Hope there aren''t other people.''


    n sorted Eldrian headed down to the top floor, considering the tower top to rather be the roof. Not a ''floor''.


    On this floor he entered the circrmunal area and started knocking on each door. Having started on his right. Only to find Dave at the seventh door he tried, the others having luckily given no reply.


    "Haru, why are you here?" Dave asked in confusion.


    "I want to try it again."


    "Really?" Dave''s eyes lit up hearing Eldrian''s reply.


    "Yes."


    "Great, let''s go!" Dave said, leaving the room immediately.


    "Wait, shouldn''t you change?" Eldrian asked, seeing Dave wanting to rush out in just baggy pants.


    "We aren''t going outside right?"


    "Yeah, but I still think you should at least wear a shirt."


    "Fine..." Dave said with a sigh, returning to his room. A few secondster he came out again and headed down the stairs, just having nced at Eldrian and waved at him to follow once.


    Sighing Eldrian followed, still not happy with what Dave was wearing. He was clearly in a rush, having grabbed a waistcoat instead of a shirt. ''How the hell did he even get a waistcoat easier than a shirt?'' Eldrian wondered, believing that it should be much scarcer inside Dave''s room.


    Just as Eldrian caught up Dave asked him, "Did you memorize the other spell models I gave you?"


    "I did, yes."


    "Good, I think other spells will cause a different effect on you. Also once you get the feeling I will be able to help you more actively, so you just need to hold out until then."


    Hearing this Eldrian flinched as he remembered the pain the fire spell had caused him to enter. Making him want to back out almost right there and then. Yet he told himself to push on, since he wanted to be able to help in theing war. He also wanted to learn magic, not just cast it, yet this was more just something he used tofort himself at this stage.


    A flight of stairster Eldrian asked, "What spells do you think would be best to use?"


    "I think the nature spell would be your best bet. Next being ice or wind."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, wondering why Dave was bringing this up only now, instead of before the first time he had tried using the magic crystal as a catalyst.


    "After thinking a bit I realized that it might be easier on you if you use the magics you are more talented in. I especially think it about nature spells since they are generally not destructive, rather they normally heal or rejuvenate."


    ''Was the first time''s pain then for naught?'' Eldrian asked himself, hoping that he wouldn''t need to go through it again.


    The rest of the way down was silent as Eldrian recalled how the model for the nature spell looked, needing a few minutes to recall it.


    Arriving at the ground floor Eldrian was again instructed to stand inside one of the circles on the floor. Soon after finding himself in the dungeon again. Instead of looking around Eldrian simply wondered if that was considered teleportation


    "I covered it, you can look now." Dave said.


    "Huh?" Eldrian let out in bewilderment, looking up he saw that there was an ice wall in the middle of the room. ''Oh right, I lost consciousness when looking at that crystal.''


    "You can cast the spell anytime now."


    "Wait, Dave did we just teleport. Last time I was too amazed by the arrays, then after not in the mood to talk. But what just happened, it was teleportation right?"


    "Yeah it was, I thought you knew about it."


    "I do, or suspected. But I want to ask how it works, why can''t you just teleport an army to defend a ce when needed?" Eldrian asked this because he was wondering why the Ins kingdom didn''t just teleport troops to their border city and kill the invading monsters. Why did it seem like they had to travel on foot?


    "Ah, I see where you got confused. What we just did was really short-range teleportation, the only type which a mage can support with their own mana. Even so, it takes far too much to be really useful."


    "How much does it use?"


    "Teleporting you and me took half my mana, normally it would take just a quarter of mine if Ie here alone."


    "Half?" Eldrian asked, stupefied.


    "Yes, half."


    "How much mana is that?"


    "Around 400 Mana Points"


    Eldrian stood in stupefaction, trying to process just how expensive that spell was then. Before he could, Dave added on even more.


    "It is only so little due to having used the array engraved on the ground floor as a boost. Else I doubt I would have been able to even bring myself here."


    ''Well, I guess blinking isn''t going to be a thing for mages.'' Eldrian thought when hearing the addition. The mana cost was simply staggering.


    A good whileter Eldrian finally managed to put it aside, still in shock by the cost.


    "Then how is long-distance teleportation even a thing?" Eldrian asked, not even sure if he had ever heard about it. But he felt certain there would be such a feature.


    "That is with the help of both Mana Crystals and Magic Crystals. But I won''t go into details as even I don''t have all the information."


    "Now let''s see if a nature spell works better." Dave added.


    "Alright." Eldrian said, preparing himself while being curious about how even someone as high up as Dave couldn''t be informed on it.


    He felt it was likely a state secret then, or that Dave just said that to not have to talk about it anymore.

 Chapter 67: Nature spell and Eldrian

    <h4>Chapter 67: Nature spell and Eldrian</h4>


    Clearing his mind and calming himself, Eldrian focused on creating the spell model for the Tier 0 nature spell.


    The nature spell was called Anthos, the model being really simple. It was in the form of a leaf, with three nodes. One at the point of the leaf and two on the stem, one where the stem turns to a leaf and the other at the end of the stem. The nodes were connected with lines forming the form of a leaf. A total of four lines being used to connect the nodes.


    The short description Eldrian had gotten along with the model was that this spell rejuvenated things. There wasn''t much more so he had no idea how strong it would be, but from the fire spell Dave had shown him he felt it would be quite weak.


    Even so he didn''t mind, as the spell had an easy model.


    Taking a few minutes to get a nice sturdy image created in his mind Eldrian finally said the word of power.


    "Anthos"


    As soon as he said this he felt a tug on the image inside his mind. Remembering fromst time that the pain had onlye after he had lost the image of his spell model, Eldrian used all of his focus to try and keep this image sturdy.


    Yet as the seconds passed the tug turned to a pull, then it changed from one dimensional to three dimensional. Soon he felt the image was being torn into shreds from all directions. In the struggle he managed to keep a few shreds of his spell model, yet this took all the focus he had.


    As he looked at all the pieces he failed to keep Eldrian felt his strength leave him. Not having enough energy to spare he simply let his body do its thing. Soon finding himself on the ground, his legs having caved in.


    Even so he kept focusing on the pieces he had left, believing it would make the process better if he at least held onto something.


    The pain then came, not in a rush, it came slowly. Starting at his heart, Eldrian felt like it was being torn to pieces. Yet soon after the pain came a feeling of relief, soothing his pain and making it go away soon after.


    Then came the pain again, moving further in his body. This time his lungs and heart being shredded, before also being soothed.


    Gritting his teeth Eldrian held on, believing he would lose the soothing feeling if he let go of thest shreds he had in his mind. Yet the pull became stronger on these scraps as the pain moved through his body.


    When his entire body started feeling the pain, he lost another piece. Leaving him with only five shreds. Yet he smiled through the pain, realizing that he had managed to slow down the pain, as well as lessening it.


    Only one more sh of pain followed, with a soothing feelinging right after it. Eldrian was then left on the ground in peace. Fiding that keeping the shreds had indeed worked, having kept his attention on something other than the pain and allowing the spell to work very weakly.


    Breathing deeply he just rested. Finding the mental release to be a gift from the heavens. Feeling that being able to just not think was a great thing.


    ''That still sucked, but it was better. At least I think the pain was much less, yet it still fucking hurt like hell!''


    "Seems like this time was much better." Dave said after seeing that Eldrian''s mana was static again, or rather that there was none left and no other energy was being taken anymore. The entire process had taken just 5 minutes, much faster thanst time.


    Eldrian didn''t reply as he kept on enjoying the peaceful feeling of normalcy.


    A few minutester he finally decided toin, "That was still really, fucking painful."


    "I never said that it wouldn''t be. Yet it seemed like this time was much better thanst time."


    "It was, but it is still far too much to be considered eptable."


    "I won''t argue. Do you know why it was better?"


    "I think because I managed to keep a few scraps of the spell model inside my mind."


    "Oh?" Dave looked at Eldrian in wonder, finding the fact that he could already keep some of his spell model intact an amazing fact.


    A few more minutes passed in which both of them were silent. During this time Eldrian looked at his stats, seeing that his mana and stamina were both 0 again, not regening at all. He also saw that his health was only at 50 points.


    ''Did I almost die?'' Eldrian asked himself before remembering Total Fatigue, ''Oh yeah, my max HP is only 67 right now.''


    Thinking of that Fatigue he also looked at his debuffs, seeing Mental Fatigue also there. At level 4.


    "I don''t think I will be able to do it again today." Eldrian said, feeling that he would be unable, suspecting he would be too tired during the next one.


    "That is a shame, are you going to try again tomorrow?" Dave asked, hope clear in his voice. He wanted to gather more data and see Eldrian''s growth. Which was more important to him, was unclear.


    "What type of spell is Anthos, really? Oh, can you also heal me?" Eldrian asked avoiding Dave''s questionpletely. He had a few questions he wanted to ask Dave and he felt now was a good time for that, to both keep him from asking again and give himself more time to rest.


    "Ah, why do you ask that I heal you?" Dave asked, ignoring the first question for now.


    "I believe I was hurt during the process."


    "Mmmh, alright. Any ce in particr you want healed?"


    "No, just general healing." Eldrian replied, feeling that the damage was more throughout his body, than it was concentrated.


    "Alright." Dave then started concentrating, a few secondster Eldrian felt a refreshing feeling washing over him.


    ''Is this the same feeling? No, it is far stronger.'' Eldrian observed as he felt even his energy slowly returning to him. ''This feels sooo good!''


    Sighing as it ended Eldrian wanted to ask for another round of healing, but he found it inappropriate to just ask for more healing.


    Trying to be content he asked Dave his first question again, "What is the spell Anthos?"


    "Ah, it is a nature rejuvenation spell. At lower tiers it can only return stamina to a person, but the higher the tier the stronger it bes."


    "So is it a healing spell?" Eldrian asked.


    "Not quite, ssifying spells isn''t really that easy."


    "Why is that? Can you exin healing spells then?"


    "Again it isplicated, what do you want to know in specific?"


    "How does resurrection work? Why can we Chosen resurrect automatically inside a temple, yet native or normal people can''t? Lastly, why is healing magic so limited?"


    "Let me start with you Chosen, as it is the easiest to answer. You can resurrection after a certain amount of time due to the blessing of the gods, mainly the goddess of life''s blessing."


    "What is her name?" Eldrian asked, finding it weird that everyone just calls her the goddess of life, which was a long title.


    "Her name is Asteria, she is also the goddess of fertility and nts. We always use her title since it is frowned upon to say a god or goddess''s name, unless talking to them. Hence we always use their titles when talking about them."


    "Oh, so that is the case." Eldrian felt a wave of understandinge over him, realizing that the reason for it was a religious one.


    "Next I will answer your question about how resurrection works. It is quite simple, as the key factors required are to heal the person''s body before their soul leaves them."


    "I think this also ties in with why you Chosen can be revived muchter, and even why you naturally revive inside temples. I believe your souls are different and are sent back to a temple after death, instead of going to the afterlife."


    ''Or it can be because our real body is still safe?'' Eldrian thought, finding this reason to be more usible as it avoided religious reasoning.


    "But to really answer your question I will need to also exin healing. As resurrections spells are really just more advanced healing spells. At least it is more advanced in that it requires working with souls, not just physical bodies."


    "Remember that a spell''s tier will influence how strong the magic is. The lowest resurrection spell is Tier 4, but there are also Tier 2 revival spells. The difference between the two is that revival spells have to be cast within a minute of a person''s death, while resurrection can wait up to 5 minutes."


    "I don''t follow, why is there a difference?" Eldrian asked, unsure how there are different revival methods.


    "This is where I am going, revival is a healing spell more than it is a resurrection one. It heals the person''s body and if within the time limit then the person will be revived. Since their soul would still be wandering and return with just a small nudge. The damage which can be healed is limited though due to how weak the Tier 2 spell is."


    "A Tier 4 resurrection spell has the same damage limit, but the time after death is much more."


    "Okay, I kind of understand the resurrection now. But what about healing? Why can it take time to heal after healing magic was used?"


    "Same reason, the energy provided by the spell was limited. Thus the spell either just nudged the person''s body to heal itself quicker, or it used that little energy to heal something. Yet after the energy is depleted nothing more can be done."


    "Why can''t you just heal it again?"


    "You can, but it besplicated. You have to then use spells very delicately then, avoiding to sh with the healing which already had been done. This is only possible past Tier 5."


    "In any case, I don''t want to exin deeper. You won''t be able to understand most of it until you actually cast spells yourself."


    "Okay?" Eldrian said disappointed. Yet he understood Dave''s point, as he was indeed getting lost in all the things which connected with each other.

 Chapter 68: Types of magic

    <h4>Chapter 68: Types of magic</h4>


    Resting a bit longer Eldrian considered what Dave had told him. Realizing that it wasn''t all thatplicated, rather he was missing the knowledge and experience needed to make sense of everything.


    "Dave, how many types of magic are there?" Eldrian asked after a while.


    "I don''t actually know."


    "What? How is that possible?"


    "Well, what is magic?"


    "Eh, I don''t really know."


    "Exactly. It isn''t something you can just ssify."


    ''I guess that is true.'' Eldrian thought, thinking about how magic was normally used to exin unexinable events. Yet in this world it was exinable, so then what was magic?


    Seeing Eldrian deep in thought Dave spoke again. "I see that you are considering this question. That is good, I can tell you that we ssify magic as anything which requires the use of mana."


    "Then how is magic separated? If you consider it as anything which needs the usage of mana?" Eldrian asked, wanting to learn more about the lore around magic. He knew that it was split seeing as there was elemental magic.


    "That is easier to answer. Magic is basically separated into elemental, spirit and medium-magic."


    "Elemental would be one of the six elements, which would be present in the world even without living beings. Spirit is things that onlye to be due to living creatures being in a world, while medium-magic is between the two or evenpletely separate. This magic normally requires something to work through and can''t be used without that item."


    "What are the elements?" Eldrian pressed while he had Dave with him. He continued to press him about each part until he got a basic grasp of what each type of magic really was.


    Elemental magic involved things that would always be present, at least they are always possible to be present. Elemental magic is made out of Water, Air, Earth, Fire, Light and Darkness. Yet this is more the ssifications people gave them, rather than the actual elements.


    Dave exined that it was to make it easier to picture the elements, but really it was moreplicated. For example, fire magic is actually presented heat, and when added with light you would get extremely hot spells. When mixed with darkness it goes extremely cold. Earth is connected to solids, air to gases and water to fluids. While light and darkness are their own and enhancers on other spells.


    Spirit magic is anything that rtes to the need for a living creature, nts included. Thus nature magic is part of it, along with summoning, contract, illusions and other types of abstract magics. There are naturally oveys with these magics and elemental, but the end goal would be to influence a living creature in a manner.


    Here the lines get blurry when looking at skills, as they are used to enhance the user. Yet the magic used often is elemental, hence they are generally a hybrid of the two.


    Thest one, medium-magic requires something to work through. Dave exined it easily by mentioning alchemy and cksmithing. Where in alchemy the entire process is ruled by medium-magic, using it to change one substance at the cost of others -along with mana. cksmithing the end goal is to make a medium for magic, the weapon or armor bing this medium.


    Dave had ended the exnations at this point, saying that more information wouldn''t really help Eldrian understand more. Specifically due to how things often ovep with each other.


    "Then is anything impossible?" Eldrian asked after the exnation, now feeling like magic should be able to do anything.


    "Theoretically, nothing is impossible. Yet many things are conditional and would be impossible unless you meet certain criteria."


    "Like teleportation?"


    "I guess you can say so, yet it isn''t all that limited since it can be aplished without outside items." Dave replied.


    "Then how does the array help?" Eldrian pressed on.


    "Due to howplex it is, there are so many things which have to be considered when teleporting. the array simplifies many of these considerations. Drastically reducing the difficulty in casting it."


    "How does it do that?"


    "Well, when teleporting you have to keep take note of both your condition and the condition where you want to appear, and the addition of both isn''t just two. It is more like four or six or even more, depending on the distance you want to teleport. The array can deduce these to simply one, or two if the distance isrge.


    "Thanks." Eldrian replied, thinking, ''So it is an exponential increase in difficulty and an array can make it linear. Can''t wait until I can y with it.!'' Feeling excited, Eldrian hoped to be able to actually try it.


    After this Eldrian stood up, feelingpletely rested.


    "Are you ready to go?" Dave asked.


    "Yeah, thanks for waiting and keeping mepany."


    "No problem, it isn''t like I am all that busy." Dave replied, starting to cast the teleportation spell again. A few secondster Eldrian found himself again inside therge floor which was the ground floor.


    "Do you want to try again tomorrow?" Dave asked just as Eldrian started heading to his room. Considering for a few seconds Eldrian replied.


    "I think so, it wasn''t too bad this time."


    "Great, you know where I will be, so juste and get me when you are ready."


    Having said this they both headed up the stairs. Eldrian leaving after the first flight. Climbing onto his bed he quickly logged out.


    ...


    Waking up on his bed Eldrian saw that he had only around an hour until sses start. Not having time toze around he quickly ate some breakfast, changed and headed to ss.


    During the day he found that his easy life was going to be really busy, having gotten an assignment in one of his sses. Luckily he believed he would manage to finish it if he used his free hours during the day. He even managed to almost finish it during his free hours.


    ...


    Back home Eldrian prepared himself some two-minute noodles along with some viennas. Cutting the viennas into the noodles along with some cheese, he headed to his PC and opened the forums.


    The first thing he found on opening it was a reply to his question on if he could make a protected post. The reply said that he could and that he could choose either a contract or simply a none-disclose condition.


    With the none-disclose, the yer would be punished if they shared the information on the forum. But other methods wouldn''t be covered. Reading this Eldrian felt that it wouldn''t really work for what he had nned.


    The contract instead he couldplete from a temte. This would be enforced both on the forum and in the game. Where the actions of a yer can also be checked.


    ''This sounds promising,'' Eldrian thought after reading that. Next, he downloaded the temte and started ying with it. Yet he couldn''t decide what to include and limit people on, thus he put it off for now.


    Having finished ying with the contract he looked at the tops posts, not finding something too interesting. The only thing which caught his eye was that over half the yers in the Ins kingdom had recreated their in-game character. Stating that it was impossible for them to do anything in the kingdom.


    Next, he moved on to his inbox, looking at the feedback on the posts he had made.


    [Learning Magic.]


    This one hadted him around 20 dors in tips, with yers having found that it was indeed possible to learn new spells from magic towers. Yet his post had soon be obsolete as yers had started exploring the city and asking NPCs if they would take them as students.


    Surprisingly around ten present of these yers had seeded, bing students of Tier 2 and Tier 3 NPCs, who had then given them ess to a single Tier 1 spell or skill, which the yers had to learn to cast and use effectively.


    Currently, none of the yers had managed that yet, as the proof of this was them reaching Tier 1. But a few bragged that they were really close.


    "Guess I am really going to fall behind here." Eldrian grumbled, thinking back to how he still couldn''t even feel mana. Not even to talk about moving or using it. "Price of being a High Elf" He conceded, feeling too invested to restart his character. Especially after everything he had already gone through.


    [On Mastering Weapons.]


    This one did even worse, onlyting him around 10 dors in tips. Most of thements iming that he was only voicing the obvious, which was clearly not obvious since most people had overlooked the things he had mentioned.


    Still, he didn''t worry about that, feeling that these two posts had at least made the yers look at the game in a more realistic way. At least it did, along with all the shit everyone had gone through with the event.


    [High Elves Group.]


    This one had collected no tips, but Eldrian had indeed gotten replies from many yers. Much more than he had been expected since he had yet to see other High Elves in Phallos.


    Yet here he already had over ten thousand people who replied, stating that they were High Elves. Meaning that around 0.33% of yers had chosen this race. Naturally, this was a conservative estimate, since only people whomented and added their information was included.


    Eldrian also saw that these yers had taken the initiative and created more forums for High Elves to talk over.


    Looking over these Eldrian found that they were brilliant. They had made threads to share magic learning, which the others had also found was much harder now.


    They had also made threads to discuss the limitation of the system, the effect it had on gamey, one about their experience in-game. Even one to just rant about things they wanted to, like the fact that other yers were seemingly going to speed past them at this stage.


    Eldrian decided not to mention the method he was using to try and learn magic quicker. For one, he didn''t even know if it worked and two, he didn''t really want to promote such a painful experience. Feeling that it would turn more people off of High Elves, rather than give them hope and drive.


    Finishing looking through these Eldrian felt relieved that he wasn''t the only High Elf in the game. He also became more curious about all the yable races, thus he created a new post to ask people to list the races they knew of.


    Taking a few minutes to learn a feature of the forum Eldrian managed to make a self-updating table. Which would go through thements and add all those which weren''t already in the table. He just didn''t know if it would check for validation, but it would give him a quick idea.


    Finally done on the forum Eldrian saw that he hadn''t really eaten yet. Reheating the food he watched some series while eating, finishing the episode before logging back into the game.


    ...

 Chapter 69: Flying Spirits

    <h4>Chapter 69: Flying Spirits</h4>


    Waking up inside his room Eldrian stood up and stretched a bit. While stretching''s he felt quite itchy, looking down he saw that he was still covered in blood and in a ripped shirt.


    ''Did I really go around everywhere in such a state?'' He asked himself, finding it ironic that he had told Dave to dress better when he was in such a sorry state.


    Having no idea where to clean himself up, Eldrian started climbing the stairs nning to ask Dave where he could take a bath and get new clothes.


    A few minutester he finally reached the top of the tower, againmenting about the number of stairs. Knocking on the small room''s door he waited for Dave to open the door. After a few minutes of waiting he concluded that Dave was likely no here yet, feeling this was likely since it was still before 5 AM in the game.


    Heading down to the floor just below, Eldrian contemted if he should knock on Dave''s door or wait for him toe out. Luckily he didn''t have to decide as Dave came out of his room a few minutester.


    "Oh, you are already here. So eager to try again?" Dave joked.


    "Not really, I actually first want to clean up."


    "That makes sense." Dave said, looking Eldrian up and down. Shaking his head when he concentrated on how bad a state Eldrian''s clothes were in.


    "Every floor actually has a bath, why haven''t you used them?" Dave asked, making Eldrian feel quite embarrassed. The game had a nice feature, where you could enjoy both food and drink without needing to use the bathroom. Hence he had never before looked for one.


    Thinking back he became even more embarrassed since he hadn''t cleaned his in-game character for over a week.


    ''I must smell really bad.'' Eldrian thought. Luckily for him not many people cleaned themselves every day, it being more a luxury for them. Unless they were of a higher ss.


    Seeing Eldrian''s embarrassment Dave realized he had truly never even looked for the bathroom. Sighing he said, "You can clean up here, I will also give you a spare robe of mine. You will have to get some clothester though."


    "Thanks, and I am nning too. I just forgot."


    Laughing Dave headed into his room, sooning back out with a robe. "Here you go, the first rooms on both sides are the bathrooms. Though you can''t summon water can you?"


    Sighing Dave led Eldrian into one of the bathrooms, filling the tub via a spell before also heating it up a bit.


    "I''ll give you some privacy now. I''ll be in the research room,e find me when you are done." Dave left after saying this, leaving Eldrian alone in the bathroom, wondering how advanced those spells were. He didn''t think that just anyone could fill an entire tub and heat it.


    Leaving this forter, when he could actually use magic he started looking around. Seeing that there weren''t any towels in the bathroom, cursing he decided to just air dry after. ''They probably use wind magic or something to dry.'' Eldrian thought, being partially correct and wrong. As only the strong would use magic, most others would rather use a towel.


    Climbing into the bath Eldrian quickly found himself dreaming, the water at the perfect temperature.


    A whileter, the water now almost cold, Eldrian finally left the bath feeling refreshed and ready for the day. After waiting for a while, to let most of the water drip off, he climbed into his old pants. Wearing the robe over them. He didn''t want to go without anything other than the robe covering him.


    The robe was dark blue, the arms a bit too long for Eldrian. But other than that it fit him nicely. Getting used to the feeling of a robe Eldrian headed back to the tower''s roof. Believing that the research room Dave had mentioned was likely that small room.


    Knocking on the door Dave soon came out and they both headed to the dungeon room. They talked a bit on the way down.


    "The robe fits you surprisingly well."


    "Thanks, the arms are a bit too long though. But I will go get some other clothester today."


    "No rush, you can keep the robe. It is one of my old ones and I rarely wear any of my old ones."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, feeling that the robe was still in good condition.


    "My new ones are all enchanted, so the old ones can''t really keep up."


    "Ah, that makes sense."


    At the bottom Eldrian again stood in the circle Dave indicated and found himself in the dungeon. Avoiding looking at the Crystal, he waited until Dave told him he could look up. Then he sat down against one of the walls. Not wanting to fall over again.


    Just before casting the spell he first looked at his stats. Finding that his HP was now 86, his stamina 94 and mana 86.


    ''Almost recovered,'' Eldrian smiled, seeing that the Total Fatigue debuff was now only at level 2.


    Next, he created the mental image of the Anthos spell again. After confirming the spell model he said the word of power, waiting for the tug of war to start.


    Soon it indeed started, Eldrian managing to again fight back, to a degree. He still lost in the end, but he had managed to hold onto more scraps of his spell model. The pain assaulting him having lessened while the soothing feeling increased.


    ''So it does impact that!'' Eldrian thought to himself after the entire event. d that it was much more manageable than before. Yet his Mental Fatigue was at level 3, making him feel that he wouldn''t be able to try again. Even though he felt fine now.


    "Sorry Dave, but it seems like once is still my limit at this stage."


    "No problem, it seemed like you made some progress."


    Smiling Eldrian replied, "I did, I think I will get the hold of this in a few more days."


    "That''s great. Then we can start on your real training."


    Shaking his head Eldrian felt exasperated. While he also felt like this wasn''t training, he certainly didn''t want to downy it.


    Back in the tower on the ground floor Eldrian said goodbye to Dave, heading out. First he looked for something to eat, his stomach growling at him. He had forgotten to get something after handing in the quest yesterday.


    Finding a ce that sold some skewered meat which smelled amazing Eldrian treated himself by buying three. The owner of the stall telling him that they were called sosaties. Eldrian really enjoyed them, having a rich taste which mixed really well with the meat.


    Having almost wolved them down he headed back to the ce and got himself one more. He also asked if the guy could rmend any clothing shops to him. Following the instructions while enjoying hisst sosatie, Eldrian soon found himself in front of a small clothing shop.


    The guy had told him that it was a small local family business and that they were really good. Bragging the stall owner had told him that they could evenpete with a noble''s shop. Eldrian didn''t really care about that, what he cared about was that the family took custom orders.


    "Wee to Flying Spirits! How may I help you, good sir?" An energetically young girl greeted Eldrian as soon as he entered the store. Looking at her Eldrian felt his mood improve, the girl was clearly used to handling guests.


    She was extremely cute, Eldrian felt the urge to dote on her but managed to keep his manners. Her green eyes sparkled as she waited for Eldrian to reply, forcing him to reply.


    "Ah, I don''t really know what I want." Eldrian replied, rubbing his head as a smile grew on his face.


    "Then let me show you what we have!" She said, jumping in front of Eldrian and leading him through the small store.


    While walking the girl would tell Eldrian about the design behind most of the clothes. Most of which simply flew over his head, he had never been someone to really pay attention to that stuff. Yet he did find a few key information from her.


    Like the fact that all the clothes where for show, not to be bought. Thus if he like something he had to tell her, thenter after they took his measurements, they would make the clothes. Which he could thene and get within a few days.


    This wasn''t really in Eldrian''s n as he had simply wanted to get some normal clothed he could wear while working and training. This ce seemed to cater to a higher level of dressing, yet he couldn''t find the strength to tell that to the girl.


    Thus he followed her until she finished the tour. "Did anything catch your eye?" She asked with adorable puppy dog eyes.


    "A few, but I would also like to order some custom clothing." Eldrian replied, not really liking the fashion of this world. He was nning to order somemon shorts and shirts, maybe something nicer for if he went to a bar or inn.


    "Great! I will go get my papa then!" The girl said, rushing to the back. Eldrian smiling from her cute act.


    Scratching his head Eldrian thought about how he was going to spend way more than he expected on clothes now.


    ''Ah, looking good can be a good thing. Right? Even in war times? I am sure it will be worth it...'' He tried to convince himself, failing. Yet his thoughts caused him tough softly, feeling that it wasn''t too bad.


    ''I should bring Jen here if she joins the game.'' Eldrian thought, believing she would love the little adorable girl.

 Chapter 70: Back to Borans shop

    <h4>Chapter 70: Back to Boran''s shop</h4>


    A short whileter the girl came back with a surprisingly young man following her.


    "Papa, this is the person I told you about." The girl said, pointing towards Eldrian.


    "Don''t point Lecksie, it isn''t polite." The guy said, turning towards Eldrian before continuing, "I heard you want to order some custom clothes."


    "Yes, I am a Chosen and the fashion here is a bit... Too much." Eldrian answered, trying to figure out how old the guy was. He seemed far too young to have a child.


    "Great, let''s go to the back." The guy said, turning around and heading back to where he came from. Eldrian followed, the guy continued saying, "I am Julius by the way."


    "Haru." Eldrian replied shortly while following the guy. Soon they came to a separate room from the shop, this room being mostly empty with a few mirrors ced against the walls.


    "This is our measure room, as well as where customers can take a look at how the clothes fit them." Julius exined, Lecksie having left them to wait for new customers at the door.


    "Now, what type of clothes do you want?"


    "I don''t really know, I am nning to do a lot of cksmithing soon."


    "You should get most of the protective gear at a smithy, sorry we don''t do protective clothes."


    "Ah no, that is fine. I just wantfortable clothing for everyday wear. Let me try and exin..." Eldrian started exining to Julius what types of clothes he wanted.


    Eldrian''s aim was to get a few sets that fit in with the time era, but he also wanted to get some morefortable clothes. The clothes he had first spawned in were very basic, but they fit nicely and didn''t constrict him. Most of the clothes in the shop weren''t basic, having random additions on the clothes -which were meant to make them look better. But Eldrian only found these additions to be an eyesore.


    After around 20 minutes of talking Julius finally seemed to grasp what Eldrian wanted. Making a few drawings he presented them to Eldrian, Eldrian was really impressed with the end result.


    The clothing pieces he had exined to Julius were jeans, cargo shorts, a normal T-shirt andstly a jacket. Julius had managed to draw them very closely to what Eldrian had in mind making him quite happy.


    Other than two of each Eldrian also asked for some real underwear, most of the underwear in the shop being baggy briefs -undergarments. He hadn''t even realized about them until he took a bath. After which he had now been constantly irritated by massive difference.


    Lastly, he had also ordered a set of what was considered formal wear, and a semi-formal one too.


    All in all it came down to around 14 silvers, the formal wear costing 10 silvers on its own and the semi-formal costing an entire silver. Eldrian grimaces when he saw how expensive the frilly clothes were, yet he still decided to buy them in the end.


    Having set his order Julius told him toe back in at least three days, so Eldrian set out. A little sad that he couldn''t get a normal shirt, as he was now going to go visit Boran and likely start cksmithing.


    Following the map Eldrian found Boran''s ce after 15 minutes of walking. Entering the shop he decided to first do some window shopping. Unfortunately he found that he couldn''t equip the weapons on disy, but he could still look at them. Yet this meant he couldn''t see their stats, making him yearn to master magic.


    None of the weapons in the store was under 50 silver, with most being around 1 gold. Shaking his head Eldrian quickly became discouraged from buying anything. Yet he still enjoyed looking at the nice designs of all the weapons, spending around 20 minutes just looking.


    Finally he headed to the counter, the youngdy behind it asking, "How can I help you?"


    She was an average looking girl with light brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearingmon cotton clothing which most normal people wore, the clothes not ttering at all. She didn''t look over 16, yet she seemed mature to Eldrian.


    ''Guess it is because she is working already.'' Eldrian thought while recollecting his thoughts.


    A few secondster Eldrian asked, "Can you tell Boran that someone is here to see him?" He hoped that Boran wouldn''t be too mad that he hadn''te visit during thest week. Also hoping that he could still be an apprentice here.


    "Um..." The girl let out in uncertainty. "Who should I say is looking for him?" She asked, not wanting to be the target of Boran''s anger. She knew he hated it when people interrupted him while he was working, and was hoping that the guy in front of her would get the message.


    "Ah sorry, I''m Haru. I was here with Vivianst time." Eldrian replied, hoping it would make her less scared. She currently looked like she was waiting for death.


    "Ah Vivian! Really? I don''t think she would be your friend." The girl said, staring at Eldrian''s belly.


    ''I need to get in shape, for god''s sake.'' Eldrianined, trying to not let loose on the poor girl.


    "I am, so can you please go tell Boran that I am here?"


    "Sure..." The girl hesitated as she turned around and headed through one of the doors. She knew all of Boran''s friends and she had never met this guy before. She felt certain she would remember a chubby elf. Due to this she was expecting Boran to go full out on the poor guy.


    "Is thezy cker finally here!" A deep voice carried through the doors and walls. "About damn time!"


    The door was suddenly opened again, the girl from before diving to the side so as not to be crushed by Boran.


    "What on Gaia took you so long!" Boran shouted as he exited the door, having pped it out of his way when it started closing, causing the poor girl to have to dive to not get hit by it. The door smacking hard against the wall instead.


    "Sorry Boran. I got so absorbed in training that the time just flew past. Then I went and joined that expedition." Eldrian rubbed his head as he looked at Boran, seeing that he wasn''t angry. More it looked like Boran was shocked.


    "Did you really join that mission. I heard it went really bad."


    "Yeah, it did."


    "Is that why you are in a robe?"


    "Kinda, Dave gave this to me. My shirt was ruined in the fight. Heck I died, so can''t really expect it to be in good shape."


    Hearing this Boran''s eyes popped open in surprise. "The hell! What happened? How did you die?"


    "Ah..." Caught off guard by Boran''s offensiveness Eldrian took some time to gather his thoughts before he started exining what happened.


    While he exined what happened Boran had asked the girl to go get one of his shirts. Having said that Eldrian wouldn''t be able to do shit inside a robe. Luckily Eldrian had worn his pants so he didn''t need to borrow that too.


    After recounting everything Eldrian waited for Boran to reply. He had changed after the girl had brought him a shirt, not having stopped exining as he did.


    "You did good kid." He finally said.


    "Thanks, I guess."


    "No, you did really good. I am d to heard Vivian is doing alright. I was quite worried after hearing the rumors. But I couldn''t bring myself to go visit Arthur."


    Eldrian simply stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. After a few minutes Boran seemed toe out of his thought.


    "Alright, let''s get to work then!" Boran headed back through the door, Eldrian following.

 Chapter 71: Borans Apprenticeship Quest

    <h4>Chapter 71: Boran''s Apprenticeship Quest</h4>


    Entering the room Boran immediately headed to the extra forge inside the room.


    "So what do you want to do here?" Boran asked, taking a nearby hammer and ying with it. He asked as he wanted to know what Eldrian''s ns where.


    "I would like to learn cksmithing."


    "Do you just want to learn the basics, or more?" Boran asked, looking at Eldrian sternly. Seeing his look Eldrian felt certain this question was an important one.


    "I want to learn everything I can." Eldrian replied honestly.


    "In that case, you will have to be my apprentice."


    "Sure! I was actually hoping to be your apprentice!" Eldrian replied, quite excited that he could still be Boran''s apprentice.


    "Are you sure? Do you even know what it means to be someone''s apprentice?"


    "Doesn''t it mean I work for you until I learn what you know?"


    "No, it is moreplicated. What you describe is the apprenticeship for none tiered upations. For tiered upations it is a binding contract between the mentor and the apprentice."


    "What does that mean?"


    "Due to the knowledge being shared being more important there have to be limitations. The first and most basic limitations being that you can''t share the knowledge and you have to work for me."


    "That seems like a given" Eldrian replied, feeling like it wasmon sense that he couldn''t share the knowledge and that he had to work to earn it.


    "Well that is just the most basic, the other limitations is that you cannot take any other mentors for the areas I will teach you in."


    "For how long does this count?" Eldrian asked, causing Boran to startughing.


    "Bwahaha. Normally I would say don''t even worry about it, but I will tell you the condition for bing someone else''s apprentice. You either have to reach my level, or I have to die. If neither happens then you can never get a new mentor."


    ''So this is basically a life long decision...'' Eldrian thought, thinking back to how some yers had already entered such an agreement with other NPCs. He felt it was critical to choose well, seeing as it would determine how far you would be able to go. At least this would be the case if your mentor actually couldn''t teach you. Then you would be blocked from advancing.


    "What level are you at?" Eldrian asked, needing the information to make an informed choice.


    Boranughed again before answering, "I see you are aiming high. Good!"


    "But you should know it will likely take years for you to surpass me, heck I think you will die before you can."


    "Doesn''t hurt to aim high!" Eldrian replied, causing Boran to look at him curiously.


    "True, never meant to dissuade you from that. I am a Tier 6 cksmith, a Tier 6 Runesmith, a Tier 5 Inscriber and a Tier 4 Jeweler."


    ''That''s fucking insane!'' Eldrian thought, failing to keep hisposure. He had a limited idea of Tier 6, and people at that level seemed to always be in important positions.


    "From your expression I assume you know what Tier 6 means. I guess you did learn some things during the past week." To which Eldrian simply nodded.


    "If you want to know where I stand in the kingdom, then I am in the top 5 cksmiths. I am actually the best runesmith in the kingdom." Boran added, trying to inform Eldrian of how difficult it was to reach these tiers. Boran was actually not trying to brag, but help Eldrian in making his choice.


    ''I guess that is good...'' Eldrian thought, not sure if it was a good thing or not. It meant the quests he was going to get were likely going to be really hard. Yet on the other side he was likely going to be able to learn more from Boran than others.


    "Which upation''s tier will I need to reach?" Eldrian asked, feeling like it might actually take him years to reach them. He felt quite certain that getting over Tier 5 was going to take most yers over a year. He believed this way, as most NPCs exin the gap between Tier 4 and 5 as massive.


    "Depends on which ones you want to learn. But I think it would be best if I be your mentor for cksmithing and Runesmithing, as they are my best crafts."


    "Will you teach me about the others even if I don''t take you as my mentor for them?"


    "Yeah, I don''t really care too much about them. But I won''t teach you about any trade secrets."


    "That''s fine." Eldrian replied, feeling happy with being able to learn two upations to such a high level already.


    "But that is putting the cart before the horse. Can you use magic, as you won''t be able to do anything unless you can."


    ''Ah shit, I forgot about that.'' Eldrian replied to Boran, "No, not yet. I am working on it with Dave though. I feel it will take me a few more days. Maybe a week or two."


    "I won''t be able to really teach you much then. Guess we can start with the more basic stuff at first."


    "Do you want to be my apprentice?" Boran asked after a short pause. He wanted to get this part out of the way first, as it didn''t really make sense to postpone it until Eldrian managed to learn magic. It wouldn''t really affect anything, Eldrian would just be unable to ever reach his level. Yet he might still make a good non-magical cksmith.


    "I think so, are those the only limitations?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yup, I mean I can also ask you to do something and you have to do it." Seeing Eldrian''s face light up in rm Boran added, "Don''t worry it won''t be life threating."


    ''But it is likely going to be insanely difficult!'' Eldrianined internally, nodding to Boran''s words.


    After Eldrian calmed down Boran added, "You will also have a daily task you will need to finish. I think it would be best if youe to work here from 8 to 4. You will need a crazy amount of practice to really master everything."


    "Would it be possible to not have a fixed time?" Eldrian asked, worried it would affect his real life if he had tomit to such a harsh time requirement. He had ns this week and with uni picking up he felt he was going to have to log inter andter as more time progressed.


    "Sure, you just need toplete the tasks. Why don''t you want a fixed time?"


    "Well, I also want to keep training magic with Dave. I might also be busy with other stuff."


    Rubbing his chin Boran thought for a while, "That makes sense. You don''t want to just learn smithing right. I guess you also want to continue training on how to fight."


    "Yes, so hopefully the tasks won''t be too much."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. Now let usplete out mentor-apprentice rtionship."


    "How do we do that?"


    "Quite simple, you have to swear by the god of your faith."


    "But I don''t believe in any gods."


    "Really? The heck is wrong with you? How do you think you are currently here?" Boran asked in shock.


    ''Oh, the NPCs believe we were summoned by the gods. Right...'' Eldrian thought, realizing that his answer must be really weird in a world were gods exist and people can actually interact with them at will.


    "Sorry, I just don''t believe..." Eldrian added, trying to bring Boran out of his stupor.


    "I guess you can just swear to the goddess of life then. You do know here name right?" Boran asked thest part aggressively.


    "I do yes." Eldrian replied quickly, d that he had asked Dave about it.


    "Umm, how are we going to swear to the gods?" Eldrian asked, having no clue how he was supposed to do it.


    "Just repeat what I am going to say, for the start. The rest you just have to swear to the rules you agree with and that you will work under me."


    "Alright."


    "I, Boran Brokkr, swear to the god of fire, Dragos, that I will take Haru as my apprentice for cksmithing and Runesmithing. I will teach him all of my craft and in turn he will provide me with his loyalty. He will do the apprentice tasks I give him and I willpensate him for hisbor. These tasks will be reasonable and Haru will be given enough time and materials to finish them on his own."


    ''That''s it?'' Eldrian asked himself, finding that it seemed far simpler than he had thought it would be.


    "Now you. Don''t worry about messing up, as we can recant the oath during the first few minutes. If you do mess up that is."


    ''Good to know,'' Eldrian thought about what he wanted to include in his oath before finally swearing it. He also received a system message.


    [NPC Boran Brokkr has offered an apprenticeship to yer.]


    [Pleaseplete the oath to be the NPC''s apprentice]


    "I, Haru, swear to the goddess of life, Asteria, that I take Boran Brokkr as my mentor for cksmithing and Runesmithing. I will fulfill the tasks given by my mentor, to the best of my abilities. I will also keep all the secrets I might learn and take no other mentor until I reach Boran''s level in the craft."


    [yer has sworn an oath with an NPC]


    [yer, Eldrian, has be Boran Brokkr''s apprentice] (*1)


    [yer, Eldrian, will be punished if breaking the oath]


    [Congrattions to yer for finding a master.]


    -


    [Quest: Boran''s Apprenticeship.]


    [Quest giver: Boran Brokkr of Phallos kingdom''s Agosstead]


    [Quest Rank: SS -> SSS due to race]


    [Quest Progress: Tier 0 / Tier 6]


    [Quest Time Limit: Lifetime of Boran or yer]


    [Quest Sess: Title - Master cksmith]


    [Quest Reward: 1.8M XP / 5-Levels] [Whichever is more]


    [Quest Sess Title: Masterful cksmith Apprentice] [Improved rtion to all friendly kingdoms.]


    [Quest Failure Title: Ipetent cksmith Apprentice] [Decreased rtion to all friendly kingdoms]


    -


    [Quest Daily Task: pending]


    [Quest Daily Task Failure: Pending]


    [Quest disqualified: Title - The Ignoble] [When yer has failed three daily tasks without proper reason and exemption from mentor.]


    ''Holy shit, a triple S-ranked quest. You got to be kidding me.'' Eldrianined internally, realizing that Tier 6 was more than he had thought.


    -


    (*1) The name here not being Haru is not just for reading sake, but actually of import.

 Chapter 72: Daily task received

    <h4>Chapter 72: Daily task received</h4>


    Taking his time Eldrian slowly worked through the disbelief and fright from getting an SSS-ranked quest. As he worked through these he started feeling excited, thinking about what all he would be able to aplish with this quest. He felt certain that the benefits were going to be great.


    "Good, now that that is sorted we can move on to your tasks." Boran said, having given Eldrian some time to cope - Eldrian having needed it. Boran felt that he likely just received a message from the gods.


    "Okay..." Eldrian replied softly, still notpletely recovered. Still, he wanted to learn what his daily tasks were going to be.


    "Your daily task will be to forge a certain amount of something every day. Today there will be none required, you only need to learn how to do what is needed today. From tomorrow you will have a quota you need to fulfill. Weekends will be considered off days."


    "Thanks, I appreciate the time off." Eldrian replied, d that he had a few days he could rest on. He had feared that he would be unable to meet the daily task requirements, but now he felt more at ease.


    "Naturally, no person can work every single day. But if you want you cane and work here during the weekends, if you want that is."


    Eldrian simply nodded to indicate that he understood.


    "Now let us get started with what you are going to do for basically the next week." Boran said, picking up some tongs and throwing a dirty stone into the fire with them.


    "I will be teaching you today, but from tomorrow on you will go to the room where all the apprentices and trainees work. So pay careful attention, as you won''t have many opportunities to ask for guidance after today." Boran said, implying that he would only help Eldrian after a day''s work.


    "Alright." Eldrian simply replied, looking at the stone which was already red hot.


    Boran spoke up as if he could read Eldrian''s confusion in the air. Not even turning around to look at him. "This here is the iron ore we receive from the mines. It has already been processed into actual iron, so we can start forging it without needing to purify it. Its quality is rather low, but I prefer taking them like that. It allows more room for changing the metal itself."


    "Your task will be to work this shitty ore into a good quality ingot forter." Boran said, chuckling as he reached this point, "It will be good practice." He forced these words between his chuckles.


    ''Ah shit, this isn''t going the way I hoped.'' Eldrianined internally, again being caught off guard by how real this game was. He had hoped he would need to spend hours at most not days and maybe even weeks just to make some normal weapons.


    "I''ll show you the process now, and then you have to try. I will guide you during your first attempt, after that I am going to continue with my work. You cane and ask for help every two hours, don''t just interrupt me when you have a question..." Boran paused, wanting to make sure Eldrian understood, "Good, if you have to, write down all the questions you get during that hour."


    "As for the quota you need to fulfill, I feel we can decide on it as you practice. Tomorrow you need to deliver 2 standard iron ingots."


    "Oh right, you can''t use inspect yet. Ask one of thedies at the counter to do that for you. It has to reach standard grade, otherwise, I won''t ept it."


    [Quest: Boran''s Apprenticeship, Daily task]


    [Daily task: Learn how to process iron ore into ingots.]


    [Sess: Quest continuation]


    [Failure: Quest failure.]


    [Daily task tomorrow: Form 2 standard iron ingots]


    "Luckily our forges aren''t the normal ones you find in towns or viges. It is proper magical forges so you will spend most of your time one forming the metal, not needing to wait for it to heat up." Boran said cing another ore inside the forge, "The temperature is also regted, so the ore won''t overheat. But do note that your forge tomorrow won''t be as good as this one."


    The ore he had just ced inside was almost as big as his hand, but in a rough spherical shape. Having many sharp edges and even holes on it. It was clearly not processed well, far from modern standards. Eldrian was confused with how bad the ores looked, he couldn''t understand why Boran didn''t just get better ones.


    "Boran why don''t you just buy higher-quality ores?" Eldrian asked, failing to keep this question for himself.


    "Because firstly it enabled me to determine how I want the metal. This isn''t too important with non-magical metals, but when magic bes involved then you never want highly treated metals."


    "Some cksmiths do buy them, but they are bloody idiots. You have to form the metal before you can form the item." Boran said thest part subconsciously already taking out one of the ores he had ced inside. After cing it on the anvil he also took out the other one. Both seemed to glow the same to Eldrian.


    "This is what I mean about the forges being regted. The metal will only reach this temperature, and it will reach it uniformly. It need only be inside this forge for 10 seconds, but the forge you are going to work on tomorrow will require around 30 seconds to heat it up."


    "In any case, that is all about heating it. Next is the more important part, forming the metal."


    After saying this Boran started hammering the shining ore, having ced the extra one back into the forge. As he hammered it parts flew off the ore, Eldrian needing to dodge a few pieces which flew towards for him. He certainly didn''t want to get injured from it, as he knew it was near to 1000 degrees Celsius.


    Yet Boran kept hammering it as if the flying pieces were nothing to him. Many parts evennded on his arms and chest, yet he seemed to not care.


    "These pieces which flew off are called g. There are sometimes iron in them too, but the amount isn''t really all that much. I generally bulk smelt all the pieces after a week of forging, even then it will only add up to one or two ores."


    Boran kept hammering the ore until it started losing its glow, now just dimly glowing red. He then returned it to the forge.


    "At this point you should return it to the forge. While you can still work it, the effect will be lessened and the chance to crack the metal increases. Naturally, you don''t have to worry about that for the ingots, but it is important when forming a de."


    "It should now majorly consist out of iron, just need to keep hammering it until it is of a good enough quality." Boran said, taking the piece out and started hammering it again.


    ''The metal really heats up so quickly. But, how does it do it without the me being far hotter?'' Eldrian asked himself, confused about how the forge worked. Yet this didn''t stop him from observing Boran as he worked.


    This time Boran hammered the iron, but instead of pieces flying off, the metal started deforming nicely. Seeing the speed at which the metal deformed Eldrian felt hope, believing that Boran would finish it in less than two more reheats.


    "I see you are smiling," Boran said having ced the now metal piece back inside the forge. "Just note that when you start tomorrow you are going to use a in iron hammer and anvil. Not these fancy ones here. You are also much weaker than me, so it will likely take you far longer to do this."


    Hearing this Eldrian''s face twitched. He was quite angry that Boran just destroyed his hope.


    "Hahaha, well when you can use magic you can form yourself a decent hammer." Boran teased as he ced the almost finished piece back into the forge. After it heated up Boran again hammered it, ending up with a phone-sized iron piece.


    "It is a bit too small for a standard ingot. Which is good as I can show you how to forge weld the pieces together." Boran said, cing this piece on a nearby spare anvil. He then repeated the process with the new ore. Quickly forming it into the rectangr form.


    "After getting both to this stage you have to heat them both, then hammer them with force." Boran said, stacking the two metals on each other and mping them with the tongs. He then started hammering them with real force, the metals blending into each other with each hit.


    After three reheats he hadpletely melded the two metals and reshaped them into a nice rectangr form.


    "There you have it, a proper iron ingot. Let''s see what quality it is." Boran said, picking the metal up with his tongs again. "Ah nice, it is an exemry iron ingot."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian asked, not understanding what the grading of the metal meant.


    "If I were to just form this into a weapon or armor, well short de, as the ingot is a little small. In any case, if I were to form it into an item then that item will be at Tier 5, unless I screw up during the forging."


    "Tier 5, just like that?" Eldrian asked himself in disbelief. He knew that it would be a normal weapon, since the metal was none-magical. But he didn''t expect it to be so good.


    "Yup, normal weapons are easier to make than magical weapons though. Any cksmith can easily make even Tier 6 normal weapons. If I work this ingot a bit more I can easily make it a perfect ingot. But it would require almost as much work as getting to here took, so I don''t think that is necessary."


    "What tier of weapon will I be able to make with standard ingots?" Eldrian asked, trying to figure out what his future tasks were going to be. He felt certain he wasn''t making these ingots just for the sake of making them.


    "If you don''t screw up during the forming of the weapon, a Tier 2 item."


    Hearing this Eldrian felt like his bubble just got burst. Tier 2 was worth quite a lot, but he felt certain he was going to mess up in the forging a bunch of times. ''Guess I will really need to practice a lot.''


    Seeing Eldrian''s disappointment Boran felt likeughing again, yet he managed to keep himself controlled. He felt Eldrian simply dreamt too much, "Now you try forming an ingot. You can use this hammer." Boran handed Eldrian his hammer as he made way for him.


    ''That should cheer him up.'' Boran thought, Eldrian staring at the hammer in awe.

 Chapter 73: Forging ingots

    <h4>Chapter 73: Forging ingots</h4>


    ''What the actual hell are these stats?'' Eldrian asked himself as he looked at the item''s details. He had equipped it as soon as Boran had given it to him.


    [Mithril Forging Hammer]


    [Grade: Magical, Tier 4]


    [Damage ¨C 45[Blunt Damage [43->44.1]]


    ''How the hell does it do more than twice my spears damage?" Eldrian felt conflicted, this hammer was clearly not a fighting weapon. Yet its damage was still so high. Reading on he was quickly surprised again.


    [Attack speed ¨C 1[Attacks per second:1.09]]


    [Reach ¨C 0.4 meter]


    [Durability ¨C 5243/5500]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 100, Agility ¨C 70, Weight ¨C 1.5kg]


    ''Dammit, I am going to run out of stamina quickly.'' Eldrianined when he saw that the strength requirements was a 100. Currently, his strength had only recovered to 95. Still, the item had more descriptions so he continued to read on.


    [Item Bonuses]


    [Passive Attribute increase: 4% -> 4.8%]]


    ''Wait what?'' Eldrian asked himself when he saw this buff. Looking at his stats he was surprised to find that his strength was now at a 100.


    [Attributes:]


    [Strength: 100(95)/105]


    [Agility: 109(104)/115]


    [Constitution: 100(95)/105]


    [Intelligence: 104(99)/110]


    [Spirit: 100(95)/105]


    ''That doesn''t seem like much of a boost though...'' Eldrian thought, wondering how this would fit in with everything else. He felt that the percentage boost would be inser on when people were higher levels.


    [Passive skill: cksmiths spirit]


    [cksmith''s Strenght: Increases forging rate of metals by up to 20% -> 24%]


    [Active item-skill: Fire''s Pride]


    [Fire''s Pride: increases control over a forge fires.]


    [High Elf attunement bonus of 20% to all passive bonuses]


    ''That is actually quite busted! It is only going to be stronger.'' Eldrian felt excited for ying a High Elf, not due to some random belief reasons. This time he became excited by the actual boost the race gave him. He also became curious about what the bonuses for all the other races are, remembering that each race had some sort of bonus.


    After getting over the surprise from the passive bonuses Eldrian took the nearby tongs, cing a stone-ore into the forge. He was quite happy that he could forge now, without being under the attribute requirements of the hammer.


    While waiting he asked Boran, "What will happen to the ingots I form today?"


    "Nothing. You can save them up for when you can''te in on a day. So I would suggest you try and use the tools to your advantage."


    ''I am definitely going to use them!'' Eldrian thought, feeling that it would be his best chance to get ahead of his tasks. Taking out the glowing ore and starting to hammer it. As he hammered he quickly became assured that it was indeed much faster than he had expected it would take him.


    He felt certain it deformed so quickly do to both the hammer and anvil being special. He didn''t know how much of an improvement the anvil gave, but he felt certain it would also help. Unfortunately, he couldn''t equip the anvil thus he couldn''t satisfy his curiosity.


    The only thing Eldrian didn''t like was all the pieces that flew off of the ore as he hammered it. Luckily they didn''t fly as aggressively as when Boran had done it, yet he decided to ask for some protective gear as soon as the ore became too cold.


    "Boran, don''t you have any protective gear I can use?" Eldrian asked, having gotten hit by two flying pieces -Not having been quick enough to move his arms out of the way. Luckily it didn''t hurt too much, but it certainly burned and he would rather not have to feel it the entire day.


    "Oh of course. I normally forget about it, since these pieces are far too cold to hurt me." Boran answered, heading out of the room. His response leaving Eldrian lost for words, wondering how a thousand degrees Celcius was too cold.


    Eldrian waited for him to return, taking the time to inspect the tongs. Yet they weren''t special, only normal Tier 3 tongs made out of iron. Only having a random low attack value, which the system was forced to give it. Other than that it only had a durability stat and some low attribute requirements -Around 50 strength.


    "Here you are." Boran said, handing Eldrian a leather apron and gloves.


    Putting them on Eldrian found that they were simply ssified as protective clothing. Having a simple heat resistant stat and durability. He didn''t really know how theses stats worked, but he felt the leather would simply burn when the heat resistance was ovee.


    Happy that he wouldn''t burn anymore Eldrian took the piece out again, repeating hammering it and then reheating it until he managed to form it into a nice rectangr piece.


    "Does it have to be as big as yours?" Eldrian asked, his piece is only around half of Boran''s finished one.


    "Yes, you have to make standard ingots. You do get smaller andrger ones, but for now I want you to make standard ones."


    "Why do the sizes matter?"


    "The size for the standard is so that most normal one-handed swords can be made out of it without much being wasted. So it matters for when youter get to the stage of actually making weapons."


    ''Dammit.'' Eldrian had hoped he wouldn''t need to forge weld two pieces together, yet his hopes had been dashed. ''Next time, don''t form it nicely. Just get it to a stage where I can meld them.'' Eldrian noted this, as it would save him at least two reheats. (*1)


    Taking a new piece Eldrian threw it into the forge. Taking it out after the few seconds needed to heat it up. cing it onto the anvil he brought his hammer to form it, yet as soon as he made contact the piece fell apart into three pieces.


    "Seems like that one didn''t form too well. Don''t worry it happens with around every fifth ore. Just treat each piece separately and after forge weld them all together."


    Irritated Eldrian ced two pieces onto a separate anvil and started working on one of them. Slowly working it until it was a solid piece of iron, no more g falling off. He then threw both the remaining ones into the forge. Taking one out and hammering it, then when it needed to reheat he could simply take the other. Saving himself a few seconds each time.


    Finally, he had formed them all into squarish pieces after which he tried grasping them together with the tongs. Soon realizing that Boran had made it look much easier than it actually was. Actually needing to use another set of tongs, Eldrian finally managed to grab them after a few minutes of struggling.


    He then started hammering it, losing his grip on the first hit. Cursing himself he again struggled to hold them together, wondering how Boran had made it look so easy. This time he held them as tightly as he could, hammering with less force until he found the sweet spot.


    After one side merged the next part was easy as he just had to keep hammering the pieces until they melded together. During this process he quickly learned that if the ore wasn''t glowing brightly, then he should reheat it.


    With the next pieces he first thinned both out on one side, making it easier for him to sp onto them with the tongs. Managing to merge these pieces in half the time the first had taken him.


    After around half an hour of working he had his first ingot formed.


    "Well done, you seemed to have learned a bunch during this simple task." Boranmented as he threw the ingot into a bucket of water. Taking it out after cooling he inspected the ingot.


    "Not bad, it is good-grade, it will make a fine item. Now, do you have any questions?" Hearing Boran''s question Eldrianpletely missed the system message.


    [Quest: Boran''s Apprenticeship, Daily task]


    [Daily task: Learn how to process iron ore into ingots.]


    [Task sessful]


    [600 XP gained]


    "How many do I have to make?" Eldrian asked, sweat dripping from his forehead. While he wasn''t all that tired, he was warm. Extremely warm due to having worked with the hot metals and forge the entire time.


    "You don''t have to make any today. But tomorrow you need to make two. I think we will increase that number by one each day, until five."


    ''Crap, that is sooo many.'' Eldrian felt helpless. The forging had been fun, but it had taken him a lot of time.


    "Where can I get something to drink?" Eldrian asked, feeling thirsty due to all the heat.


    "Right there, that water is clean." Boran replied, pointing to arge barrel sitting in the corner of the room.


    "Thanks." Eldrian replied while heading for the water, needing some time away from all the heat.


    ''I have to use the tools to my advantage. Tomorrow will be so much harder.'' Eldrian thought while resting, this knowledge made him excited to start working again. Hoping that he might be able toplete this week''s quota during this day.


    The process of making iron ingots became easier as he continued and he loved watching how the metals moved when he hammered them. The day quickly passed, with Eldrian lost in his own world. He only returned to the magic tower after the sun had already set.


    In the end he had managed to form just over 15 ingots. He didn''t check all of them, so he didn''t know if they all met the standard. Yet he was happy with his progress. It was close to the week''s quota, ensuring that he didn''t have to worry too much about it.


    Logging out Eldrian thought about all the work he had before him, making him a little upset. The game had been far tougher than he had expected, yet he didn''t really feel too bad. The major reason being that he quite enjoyed it even though it was hard. While the extra time gained from not needing to sleep was definitely also a bonus.


    ...


    (*1) Reheat is when you ce the metal back into the forge, to get it back to an ideal temperature. After which you can form it again. -For those that didn''t know.

 Chapter 74: Another day

    <h4>Chapter 74: Another day</h4>


    Waking up Eldrian quickly got changed, grabbed something to eat and headed to ss. Where he again got more work, this time in the form of a practical. Luckily he had a few weeks for this one so he felt quite confident he could put it off for a bit.


    During the day he had talked with Erik, asking him if he had managed to get in the list for the next release of the headsets. Erik had said that he was in, but he had been following along with the news around the game and started wondering if it was worth it. The only reason he still went for it at this time was due to the extra hours he would gain. This having been proven by the many yers in the game already.


    Currently, his n wasn''t to really y the game when he got the headset, rather he wanted to use that time to read more books. Especially those ones he had always been putting of tillter.


    Eldrian assured him that the game was still amazing and that he didn''t need to actually fight in it, he exined to Erik how he was currently learning cksmithing and magic in the game. Adding onto this that it was a bit overtuned, warning Erik to choose his race well when entering the game.


    Erik found it quite interesting how much Eldrian had gone through and yet he still looked at the game favorably. But then again, most of the yers still did, only around 5% of the yers from the first release wereining. These yers having been in situations simr to Phallos where the yers had been used as bait.


    The other situations were better, with some kingdoms having used yers as a vanguard. But instead of hiding it they hade straight out and asked the yers to fill that role, even offerning the yers morepensation for the dangerous task. Naturally, thepensation was still little but it was enough for the yers. Other yers hadpletely been ignored and left to their own devices, as a result many of them died while getting little rewards. Yet they couldn''tin as they hadn''t made any ns themselves.


    The situation in the kingdoms where bounties were being released was much better. The yers having, with time, managed to get better at killing the monsters. Finding that the monsters would split from their group every few hours, either to go scouting or hunting for themselves. These yers were now managing to kill at least one monster every day. Netting them around 5 silver, which was then shared in their party.


    The only kingdom with bad news was Ins, where all but a hundred yers had recreated their characters. The entire starting city in that kingdom waspletely isted.


    Seemingly the kingdom was gathering their army to try and relieve the city, but it was now a question about which will be first. The city falling or the army''s arrival.


    Back home Eldrian jumped onto the forums while drinking some tea. He was curious about what all was going on now, with some time having gone between the event and now.


    The top post on the general thread was about the yers stillining about the event, asking the developers to at least give an exnation on why it had been so. Seemingly thewsuits had been stopped by Miracle Corp''s ownw division. The contract making their task easier than the yers''wyers'' tasks.


    Looking at the announcement thread, Eldrian found that thepany will actually be making an announcement on some things. Specifically why pain was still in the game and why the event had been so harsh. Yet this was postponed until Friday.


    This announcement had made many yers cool down, yet Eldrian easily found a few threads in which the yers were discussing how they were going to get their revenge.


    ''Seems like they won''t drop it...'' Eldrian sighed, finding it sad that they were still so heated after a few days had passed.


    Having had enough of the bad side of the forum, Eldrian searched for some more cheerful posts. Heading to the ranking thread first, he was mildly surprised to see a bunch of yers having reached Tier 1. He had expected some to manage this, but the entire leaderboard being filled gave him a fright.


    He was a little sad that he was going to fall behind faster and faster now. Looking at all the people on the list he was determined to keep working hard in the game, not wanting to be toote. He hoped he would make it in time to still be part of the expedition yers.


    Having seen this he started searching for a thread where one of the yers would be bragging about their progress. Only having to search for a few seconds before finding one.


    The post detailed how this yer had gone and asked some of the veteran soldiers if they would take him as a student. After being denied by most he had asked one of the older soldiers as ast-ditch effort, the yer not having expected much. This soldier was willing though, saying that he couldn''t really fight anymore. Yet his entire life had been fighting.


    So this yer learned under this NPC. After a day and a half the yer managed to reach Tier 1. The training he described didn''t seem all that intense, rather the reason it had taken so long seemed to be the amount of times the yer had to cast the skills he had learned.


    These skills weren''t much, simple speed or strength enhancers. With the help of the system the yer''s attacks were guided with either a speed boost or strength boost. The yer described it as a feeling when moving along with a current. Trying to stray was actually hard, the yer even ending up a little injured when he had tried to change the attack mid-strike.


    The yer also exined how he had learned the skill, not just how it felt to cast it. He had received three Tier 1 skill models from the NPC. Yet he hadn''t even needed to memorize these models, having seeded in casting the skills after saying only the skill''s name.


    Reading this Eldrian felt at a loss. He needed to memorize the spell model and learn how to use mana. Yet this yer could simply think a few words and use a skill. The only thing the yerined about was the cooldown of each spell, as well as how little extra damage the spell used. While being costly to use at the same time.


    Yet Eldrian didn''t find these things to strange, seeing as the yer had no knowledge about the skill. Thus the yer will naturally need more time and energy to use the skill. At least Eldrian felt this was why the yer experienced it as he did. Eldrian also felt this would connect to the skill''s damage, thinking back to how Dave had controlled the spell vs the static cast method.


    Eldrian felt certain this would be a major secret in the game until yers reached much higher levels and tiers.


    In the end the yer wanted to brag about how the NPC had called him a genius. Yet he had ended up simply stating that all yers would look like geniuses to the NPCs.


    ''This guy at least didn''t let that go to his head.'' Eldrianmented as he finished the post. He had learned quite a bit from it. The major thing being that Tier 1 skills seemed really weak.


    From the post it seemed like the damage boost was less than 10, while the yer could only cast around 5 skills before running out of either stamina or mana.


    There was one other thing which had stood out for Eldrian, which was the fact that the yer had gained both 5 strength and 5 constitution points. This increase was really small, the yer even havingined about it.


    Yet Eldrian felt that it was only small due to what Tier 1 signified. It was only the starting point. It was something everyone in the world reached before adulthood. So how could it be a major turning point?


    Eldrian continued to browse the forums for a few more minutes, after which he started working on one of his assignments while waiting until he could log into the game. Almost finishing the assignment he left thest bit for the next day, getting something to eat and climbing onto his bed to log back in.


    Waking up inside his little room inside the tower Eldrian took a few minutes to just stop and enjoy the peace. Looking out of his one window he looked at the horizon, which was still dark.


    ''Let''s go!'' Eldrian hyped himself, first heading to the bathroom to give himself as simple cleaning. As he took off his shirt he realized he was still in one of Boran''s shirts. He also realized he couldn''t get water here without magic. Sighing he put the shirt back on and started climbing the stairs, having lost the want to take a bath.


    Having gotten Dave they both headed back to the dungeon, where Eldrian managed to do two attempts. Yet the second one almost causing him to lose focus, barely having managed to keep onto the pieces of his spell model.


    Luckily he had managed, Dave having healed him after each attempt. Eldrian found that this routine was bing much nicer with each day. At this point it simply felt like he was being pulled by two forces. The two forces wanting him to go in opposite directions, the feeling of this pull waspletely manageable. In fact, he wouldn''t even describe it as painful anymore, only exhausting with the tug of war going on in his head.


    Naturally, Dave wasn''t doing this all for charity. His first aim had been to try and find if there are any differences between normal humans and Chosen. Yet with Eldrian he couldn''t make any conclusion, due to him not being a human. Nor a race that was actually present in the city.


    Luckily for Dave other yers have beening to the tower, yet he didn''t find anything special in most of them. Naturally, he didn''t take them to the dungeon since they could all cast Tier 0 spell without any trouble. Causing Dave to quickly lose interest in them.


    There were a few with strange mana flows, yet all of these cases were with none human races. One was when a dwarf Chosen hade to him. This Chosen had been able to easily cast fire and earth spells, managing with a little more effort to cast the other elements. Yet when Dave had given him a none-elemental spell the yer had quickly failed to cast it.


    This was in-line with what Dave knew about dwarves. They always have a hard time with the more surreal magics.


    A Dryad yer had also visited him, yet Dave had no knowledge of this race. They were normally a very reclusive race that seldom interacted with humans. This yer had been able to easily cast elemental and nature magics, with the Tier 0 nature spells having neared the strength of his own if he were to cast the same spell.


    Dave had offered both of these payers an apprenticeship, only the dryad had taken it.

 Chapter 75: First daily task

    <h4>Chapter 75: First daily task</h4>


    After his magic training Eldrian headed over to Boran''s, grabbing something to eat on the way. Arriving at the shop he was led to a different forging room by one of thedies at the counter.


    Looking around Eldrian quickly saw therge disparity between this one and the other. Boran''s room, as Eldrian now deemed it, was about the same size. Yet inside that room there were only three forges, while these forges took some space it left arge area open.


    This room instead looked stuffed. Eldrian easily counted over 10 forges inside, each being used by two or more people. Confused Eldrian followed thedy as she led him to one of the forges at the right side of the room.


    Eldrian ended up at a forge in the back of the room, one other person was already at work here. This person was also seemingly learning, yet Eldrian felt that the guy didn''t like him. His reason for thinking so was dumb, the guy had simply nced at them before going back to work.


    Shaking his head Eldrian decided to ignore it and just start working, feeling that it was likely in his head.


    Luckily every forge had three anvils or more around it, so he didn''t have to worry about not having something to hit on. There were also a bunch of tools avable on racks against the walls. Heading to one of these racks Eldrian took a hammer and tongs, after which he realized that he had no ore nearby.


    Sighing he ced them on one of the spare anvils. Running back to catch up to thedy, catching her just before she left the room. He asked her where the ores were, getting a simple and disheartening answer. He asked her to lead him to the storeroom where they were stored. Eldrian realizing that this was going to be work, not ying.


    At the room he grabbed one of the many crates and headed back. Luckily the crates were manageable, around 20 kg''s and nicely packed. Allowing most people to easily move them about.


    Back at his shared forge Eldrian hoped that the forge worked well. Having lost hope in most other things. Luckily it seemed that the forge worked correctly, Eldrian failed to discern if it was magically enhanced or not. To be safe he decided to only heat the ore he was busy with.


    After heating it he started forming it, quickly finding that the difference felt far more than a simple 20%.


    ''Must be the anvils bonus too. And I don''t think the 20% is a linear factor in this.'' Eldrian mumbled as he struggled on.


    During the day Eldrian spoke with the guy he was sharing the forge with. The guy was called Edgar and he had been working here for just under a month. From talking with him Eldrian realized that this guy was also an apprentice. But different from him, this guy was not Boran''s apprentice.


    Confused, Eldrian had asked Edgar what that meant. To which Edgar had opened up, seemingly wanting to get closer to Eldrian after having heard that he was Boran''s personal apprentice.


    The difference between a cksmith apprentice and a cksmith''s apprentice was that the first would only learn the craft of cksmithing. While thetter will also learn the secrets from their mentor.


    ''So I could technically learn how to smith without being Boran''s cksmith.'' Eldrian realized, but also immediately felt that it was better to bemitted more. His opportunities would certainly be far greater. Happy that he was thetter Eldrian had started working again, after the conversation.


    Eldrian quickly got used to sharing a forge with someone, only having to take care of not walking into the other person. Which wasn''t all that likely in any case, yet it would be arge disaster if it were to happen. Which was why he still took care of where he walked.


    After a long day of work Eldrian had managed to form sixplete ingots, having made a few more iplete ones. He had decided to just purify most of the ores, thenter he would meld them all together to getplete ingots. In this way he could focus onpleting a few and processing the others, making it easier for himself when he needed more time on something else on a different day.


    Certainly, this didn''t guarantee Eldrian a quicker work time but he felt it would help him be more controlled about what he was doing. He felt he would likely form them all, after having purified all the ores. Then repeat this action every time with a new ore crate. Until he reached the end of these daily tasks.


    Eldrian also didn''t have any idea what grade his ingots were at, which was also why he wanted to split thest part and only form all the ingotster. Giving him more time to get used to cksmithing, before having toplete his ''finished'' items. At this point he also realized he had no idea how he was supposed to hand in his ingots. The only thing he could think of was to ask Boran about it, as such he headed over to his smithy with his six ingots.


    "Who the hell is it!" Boran roared as he heard his door being opened. He was currently working on creating a new sword and didn''t want to be bothered.


    "Sorry!" Eldrian replied quickly, slipping through the door and quietly closing it. After which he simply waited for Boran to finish. Moving to a better position to observe Boran working.


    Boran''s craft looked amazing. He was holding a glowing red de at the hilt, cing the tip onto an anvil. In his other hand he had a small chisel-like item, with which he was slowly drawing onto the de.


    Eldrian was amazed as he watched Boran, and not just because he could keep his hand so close to a brightly glowing metal. Boran''s hands were as steady as a surgeon''s. As he drew on the de shes of light would escape every few seconds, after which a sizzling sound woulde forth.


    Half an hourter Boran finally ced the de down. Eldrian having long gotten over his confusion on how the de stayed hot for so long.


    "Good." Boranmented after cing the de down.


    "Sorry what?" Eldrian asked, bewildered.


    "The rune was epted." Boran answered slowly, "You finished your task, give them here."


    Eldrian did as told, Boran spending a few seconds on each ingot.


    "Not bad, one bad ingot." Boran threw that ingot aside. Eldrian flinching from the sound, looking at Boran in bewilderment. Each ingot weighed around 2kgs, which weren''t much. But to just throw it aside like that. Eldrian felt that was quite bad manners.


    [Daily Task: Form 2 standard ingots.]


    [Formed 5; yer backlog 3]


    [Daily Task Reward: 200XP, 50 copper]


    Hearing the system notification Eldrian recovered from his thoughts, turning them to the notification. ''What happened to the 15 I made yesterday?''


    "So why did youe here?" Boran asked, not giving Eldrian much time to think.


    "I didn''t know where I was supposed to give the ingots."


    Hearing this Boran chuckled for a bit, replying after having enjoyed himself. "You don''t have to give the ingots to anyone. Our oath will check if you worked on the task and if you didn''t tell me about anything happening then it will rule the results."


    Even more confused Eldrian started at Boran, soon getting a reply from his stare. "The gods will maintain it."


    "How does that work?"


    "Magic..."


    Hearing this reply Eldrian felt like cursing. He stopped himself just in time, thinking about how it would do no good. ''What kind of answer is that!'' Heined to himself instead, slowly nodding to indicate to Boran that he understood. Even though he didn''t understand a thing.


    Looking at the notification again Eldrian started feeling excited. He only needed three more days of this and he would be gaining another level. He still hadn''t used his free attribute points and he was nning on waiting until he needed to. Yet having more made him excited.


    "Anything else?" Boran asked after a while.


    "What happened to the ingots I made yesterday?" Eldrian asked.


    "Nothing, they are still there." Boran pointed to the forge Eldrian had worked at yesterday. Looking over Eldrian saw the pile of ingots. Causing him to feel quite stupid.


    "Can you also evaluate them for me?"


    "Sure, just let one of the sales girls or other apprentices do the evaluation for you from tomorrow. Onlye here when you have a question. Alright?"


    Eldrian nodded, soon getting a notification that he had 15 more ingots in his backlog. Feeling a weight released from his shoulders Eldrian asked Boran what his task was going to be tomorrow and where he had to store all the ingots.


    "Tomorrow will be three ingots, and then four the next day. Then five and five from then on. And just fill the crate back up and store it in the material storage room."


    "Alright."


    [Daily Task: Form 3 standard ingots.]


    [Formed 0; yer backlog 18]


    [Daily Task Reward: 200XP, 65 copper]


    [Time limit: 26 Hours 12 Minutes]


    ''So that is how it worked. I can do it ahead of time it seems.'' Eldrian thought about it but decided not to hand it in immediately. He had no idea if it would lead to harder tasks or something simr. He already felt it was demanding enough.


    Just before leaving Eldrian decided to ask, "Boran, how long am I going to form ingots?"


    "Your entire life." Boran replied, bursting out inughter after having said this.


    ''I meant for the tasks!'' Eldrianined internally as he left theughing Boran.

 Chapter 76: Hello Friday

    <h4>Chapter 76: Hello Friday</h4>


    After leaving the shop Eldrian headed to the training fields, spending thest hour of sunlight practicing with his spear. The training fields had been surprisingly busy, with many yers seemingly being taught. Eldrian assumed these were the teachers he had read about, unfortunately he couldn''t really find more information.


    Eldrian thus didn''t bother himself too much with them, only taking a casual nce during his breaks. As the sun set he headed to the magic tower and logged out.


    The next few days were spent in a simr manner. Eldrian going to ss after having done his morning exercise routine and logging into the game after ss.


    During ss he got more and more work, yet somehow he managed toplete most of it during his hour breaks, between his sses. Due to this he managed to somehow keep his gaming time intact, yet he knew this would notst.


    During his gaming time Eldrian continued to practice magic first, then go smithing and after spending an hour or two practicing.


    In this manner the week passed and Friday came. Waking up the Friday morning, Eldrian was frustrated that he hadn''t leveled up, needing just 50XP to reach level 4.


    ''Why didn''t I get more XP even though the number of ingots increased?'' Eldrianined to himself as he stood up and stretched.


    His new daily task had been to form 3 then 4 and now 5 ingots, yet it only rewarded him the same 200XP. Granted it also rewarded him with more money, up to an entire silver now. Eldrian felt he couldn''tin too much. He was making more than most of the other yers.


    Yet while he was making more and his leveling speed seemed to be simr to the more active and adventurous yers, he felt his growth had slowed down. Or rather that he had none since he still hadn''t managed to really feel or use mana.


    Most of the yers had now found themselves some type of teacher, and with them not being High Elves they managed to learn skills and spells within only a few hours. In fact many managed to use a skill or spell within minutes. Needing the extra time to get used to it.


    This was because the skills and spells didn''t work as a single entity, rather they had tobine it with their fighting style. Eldrian found this very interesting and couldn''t wait until he could try it.


    He learned about this from reading posts and watching videos about it, Eldrian had started feeling disheartened in the process. It looked so much more fun what the others were doing, yet he was stuck going to a dungeon to train his magic. At least he enjoyed the cksmithing, even though no magic was present. Eldrian found it entertaining to see the metal being forged.


    Unfortunately, the cksmithing routine had also started getting boring after doing the same thing for a few days.


    After stretching and getting over his frustration, Eldrian grabbed some cereal to eat. Heading out for a run right after.


    While running he thought about his ns for tonight, he and Erik had decided to go to a club. This would be their first time going out and Eldrian was stressing about it, luckily Erik was in the same boat so they both had someone to lean on andin to.


    After his run he changed and headed to ss, during which he again got some new information. This time it was a ss test he would have to write Wednesday. Cursing the professor Eldrian wondered if he would be able to y on Tuesday. He reasoned that he would be able, as long as he worked during the weekend. Which certainly wasn''t something he was looking out to.


    This news made him more excited about tonight.


    At the end of the day he excitedly headed to his house, yet as soon as he arrived he realized he had around 5 hours to kill. Since most of the clubs only started bing busy after 8, closer to 10. This information was found when he had asked his sister for some advice.


    Not knowing what else to do Eldrian logged into the game, thinking that he could at least finished his magic and cksmithing. Seeing as the first normally only took an hour and theter he had more than enough in his backlog.


    Eldrian also wanted to level up, to ease his frustration about hisck of growth.


    Logging in Eldrian headed directly to the dungeon. He and Dave hade to an understanding to meet there. If Dave was first he would normally just read some papers while waiting for Eldrian. If Eldrian was first, well then he would just dawdle until Dave arrived.


    Unfortunately Eldrian had forgotten that he was earlier than normal. He usually ate something and surfed the forum before logging in, yet today he had directly logged in. Looking at the time Eldrians saw that it was only 3AM.


    After a few minutes of debating if he should go wake Dave, Eldrian decided to just do it. As such he climbed the stairs, knocking on Dave''s door quite nervously.


    As the door open Eldrian quickly said, "Sorry to interrupt so soon. I want to get today started early."


    Looking at a fully awake Eldrian in front of him Dave sighed and cast some spell on himself. After which he left his room while saying, "Alright, let''s get going."


    Eldrian followed, greatly relieved that Dave was being so cool.


    Knowing the process Eldrian went to his position and soon they were inside the dungeon. The Magic Crystal was still hidden behind an ice wall, which Dave had simply kept since Eldrian starteding here daily.


    Sitting down against one of the walls Eldrian made himselffortable and cast the spell, Anthos.


    After casting the spell a mental tug of war happened inside his mind. As before he managed to keep most of his module, yet a few pieces broke off. Frustrated about the module still breaking Eldrian focused with renewed vigor. Trying to pull them back.


    This didn''t do anything for a while, yet some of the pieces stopped floating away. Grinning Eldrian tried tomand the pieces toe back to him.


    Doing this he felt quite stupid. It was simr to trying to move something with your mind. How exactly do you focus to do it? Yet Eldrian managed, somehow. One of the pieces slowly started drifting back to the rest of the spell module.


    Before the piece could rejoin, the spell ended. Disappointed and excited at the same time Eldrian immediately cast the spell again.


    Surprised Dave looked at Eldrian, using Magic-Inspection Dave clearly saw that Eldrian had no mana left, yet he had cast the spell again.


    Soon Eldrian felt pain for the first time this week. Grinding his teeth he kept his focus on the spell module, managing to keep it almost intact. Only a few pieces were floating apart, only a short distance away.


    ''Almost!'' Eldrian shouted internally, yet the spell soon broke down.


    Just as he wanted to recast the spell he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Dave looking at him.


    "Take a rest first. That one hurt again, didn''t it."


    Frustrated Eldrian didn''t answer, yet he did as Dave said. ncing at his stats he found that his HP was again down, having lost around 40 points.


    ''So, overcasting a spell can cost HP. Why?'' Eldrian asked himself, quite certain that this wasn''t supposed to be a thing. He felt it was unlikely that Elves could use their health instead of mana.


    After a while he felt that it was likely linked in some manner to the Magic Crystal.


    ''Must be, as it can force my spell to form. It might force it too much.''


    After resting Eldrian cast the spell again, and one more time after that. On thest attempt only one small piece had broken from the spell module, this piece having floated next to the module. Just a few centimeters away.


    When he had started the pieces would disappear into the darkness which surrounded the spell module, yet now it stayed. It stayed very close to the module.


    Eldrian felt greatly satisfied after this session. He felt that this was his first major hurdle. Soon he would be able to move on to more satisfying training.


    Leaving the Magic tower Eldrian headed to Boran''s. There he simply melded 12 semi-ingots into standard ingots. Finishing his daily task quite quickly, giving him around three more hours to do as he willed.


    [Daily Task Completed: Form 5 standard ingots.]


    [Formed 5; yer backlog 28]


    [Daily Task Reward: 200XP, 100 copper]


    Leaving the shop Eldrian smiled broadly as he looked at the system message, thanks to this daily task he had reached level 4. He now needed 7850XP for the next level, yet he was d in having gained this level.


    While the progress was certainly not the same as the other yers'', it was still progress.


    At the training field Eldrian started with his spear, spending around an hour as a warm-up. After which he was itching for a fight. Thus he headed to the nearest barracks he knew -Old Sword''s barracks. He had only been doing the same training this entire week and now he wanted to let loose a bit.


    Arriving at the barracks he quickly saw all the trainees doing their routines.


    ''It is still quite early...'' Eldrian mumbled as he saw where they were at in their routine. Curious on howte it actually was Eldrian looked at the time, [Time: IRL-17:51 ; IG-05:51].


    "Crap." Eldrian looked around and saw that everyone was busy. Not going to be able to spar with one of the trainers Eldrian headed back to the training field. There he took the bow he had looted and started getting used to it.


    [Longbow]


    [Grade: Normal, Tier 4]


    [Damage ¨C 17[Physical Piercing Damage [18]]


    {Damage with normal arrows}


    [Attack speed ¨C 0.5 [Attacks per second:0.575]]


    [Max range: 140 meters]


    [Durability ¨C 489/565]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C 95, Agility ¨C 84, Weight ¨C 1.4kg]


    Eldrian spent a few minutes getting used to the bow. He also tried using his inventory to take the arrows out, yet quickly found that this task required far too much concentration. In the end he pulled ten arrows from his inventory, sticking them into the ground. Pulling an arrow as he needed, fetching those he had shot after finishing those in the ground.


    After around an hour of shooting Eldrian had only managed to hit the target dummy about ten times. This when he was only 20 meters from the dummy. At this stage his face was burning from embarrassment.


    After missing another he decided to call it a day and log out. Only an hour being left until he needed to log out in any case.


    ...


    Waking up Eldrian took a shower, shaved. Combed his hair and dressed up. Right before leaving he ate some noodles, having gotten this advice from his sister.


    She had told him it helped her to feel better after getting drunk. Yet Eldrian nned more on not getting drunk, at the least he didn''t want to get wasted. He felt confident eating would also work for that.


    Feeling nervous Eldrian left his apartment and waited outside. While he didn''t have a car, Erik did. Eldrian wasn''t sure if it was a good idea to drive, but in the end he had given in after Erik assured him that he wasn''t going to get drunk.

 Chapter 77: Night out

    <h4>Chapter 77: Night out</h4>


    A few minutester Erik arrived. Feeling both excited and nervous Eldrian climbed into the car, greeting Erik as he did, "Hey Erik."


    "Hey Eldrian, are you ready for tonight?"


    "I guess so, I don''t really know."


    "Right! Well, let''s go and see what it is like." Erik started driving after saying this, luckily the ce they were going wasn''t very far from Eldrian, allowing them to quickly arrive.


    Looking at all the people at Midnight, Eldrian couldn''t help but feel out of ce. They hade quite early, making it an easy task to find parking. This had been something they had heard from others in their sses. If you arrive after a certain time, then there would be no hope of parking your car.


    Climbing out they both headed to the club, fidgeting a little.


    Both Eldrian and Erik felt out of ce as they entered the club. Most people were clearly not minding what others thought. Dancing crazily on the dance floor or snuggling on the benches.


    Trying to ovee their nervousness they both grabbed something to drink and sat at the bar, watching the people enjoying themselves.


    After a few more drinks they managed to loosen up and actually join the dancing people. Joining them in not caring what others thought. Certainly, they didn''t look very good while dancing, both of them just trying to copy what they saw others doing, but they enjoyed themselves.


    They spent most of the night like this, every now and then one of them would go and try to talk to a girl. Only to be quickly rejected, luckily they were here together and didn''t get bothered too much by the rejections.


    At the end of the night they left and headed to Eldrian''s, where Erik had decided to crash for the night. While the night had been nerve-racking for them, they both felt they had learned much. They had also managed to enjoy it, mostly. Rejection was certainly never fun, but the dancing was.


    At home, Eldrian made some noodles for both of them. After which they crashed on his couches and watched some TV. While chilling they talked about the night,ughing at some of the fails the other had made.


    In the end they decided to certainly go out again, as it was a nice way to unwind from their normal routine.


    ...


    Waking up Eldrian''s first thought was about how weird it was to actually wake up. He had gotten so used to waking up by leaving the game, this normal way now seemed strange to him. He felt far more lethargic and tired than normal.


    Leaving his bed he went to get himself something to eat, finding Erik still sleeping on one of his couches. Eldrian decided not to wake him yet, seeing as it was only eight.


    Eldrian thus took his bowl of cereal and went back to his room, where he climbed onto the forums. He felt optimistic about today, believing he would be able to finally start truly learning magic. As such he did some research on what other yers had experienced with skills and spells.


    Most of the information was useless to him as he felt certain it would be different for him. He also visited his forum for High Elves, finding that the number had been decreasing. While the decrease was slow, he could clearly see that people were losing hope.


    This made him contemte if he should write about how he was learning magic. In the end he decided to wait a bit more, as he felt the method was certainly extreme. He also had no idea if other mages would take yers in as Dave had him.


    Around an hourter Erik woke up. After Eldrian helped him get something to eat they started talking about the game.


    Erik had managed to get into thest group of Beta yers, his headset was due to arrive at two today. As such Eldrian took the time to exin some things to him, greatly excited that he would have someone to talk to about the game IRL.


    Around 12 Erik left and Eldrian started working on his assignments, hoping to finish them today. This will allow him to use tomorrow to study for hising ss test.


    Before logging in Eldrian read the announcement posts, something he had started to do. Even when he wasn''t in the mood for the forum, he made sure to at least look at the announcements and ranking posts. This gave him an idea of where the rest of the yers were at.


    On the announcement post there was indeed a new post, indicating that a minor update had beenpleted. This update was aimed at making the system interface easier to use, allowing people to gain ess to a select part of the inte. The reason for it being a select part was because thepany still needed to determine the impacts this would have on the game. They also mentioned needing to determine the bandwidth impact this would cause the servers.


    They didn''t exin what was selected and excluded, but yers would quickly find out when trying to ess the inte.


    In conjunction with the interface update was a stat update. With this update the developers exined that there were cases where something might die even when its HP was over 0. Or the inverse, where something could survive when being at 0 HP.


    They exined that this was due to the system being bnced towards mid andte game, leaving a slight oversight early game -Where magic was still rare.


    The fix to this wasn''t exined, but they did say that the damage values would be more driven towards the severity of an injury than by the strength of a weapon.


    Naturally this post had its share of negative feedback, with yersining that the developers were again making the game more difficult to y. Yet they couldn''t ovee the decision by simplyining, while there was also a chance that this might be a good improvement.


    Due to this most yers onlyined a little, willing to give it some time to see what the effect of this update would be.


    After browsing the forums Eldrian realized that he hadn''t exercised today, knowing that he could already log in he had an internal conflict before decided to go for a short run. After which he logged into the game.


    ...


    Entering the game Eldrian knew it was too early for Dave to be ready and unlike yesterday he didn''t want to go bother Dave by waking him up. As such he jogged to the training fields, wanting to spend his first few hours training there.


    From all the training he had actually managed to rank up his spear proficiencies quite a lot. He was currently at Rank 1, level 3, 128/400.


    Eldrian didn''t really know the importance of this, but he felt the proficiencies have a reason to be present. Yet he had lost interest in them since he started learning magic.


    ''Maybe it is a limiter or boost?'' He thought while doing his normal routine.


    After an hour of spear practice he changed to a short sword and shield, spending half an hour with it. After which he went to bow practice. Trying to beat his record of 10 hits in an hour. He felt certain he should be able to do it.


    After the first few shots he knew that he was correct. Knowing how to use a bow and now having gotten used to this one he managed to hit every fourth shot. By the end he even managed to hit 7 out of 10.


    Happy Eldrian decided to end his training, looking at his bow proficiency which was now only a few hundred away from reaching the minimum to try and rank it up.


    ''This one took sooo long to train.'' Eldrian thought as he pulled his arrows out of the target. By now the sun had risen and Eldrian felt it was time to go back to the magic tower. He had likely made Dave wait by going weapon training before magic training.


    Entering the magic tower Eldrian saw Dave standing at the circle reading a book.


    "Hi Dave, sorry to keep you waiting."


    Closing the book Dave looked at Eldrian in surprise, not having expected Eldrian toe from the main door.


    Seeing his surprise Eldrian spoke again, "I woke up early and headed to the training field for some practice. I have been neglecting it recently."


    Dave simply nodded and indicated for Eldrian to stand in his position. Soon they were both inside the magic tower''s dungeon again.


    "Dave I think I will manage toplete the first part today." Eldrian said after sitting against a wall.


    "And what is the first part?" Dave asked, curious. They hadn''t spoken much about the training, as there was nothing to fall back on. Dave''s aim was to allow Eldrian to feel the movement of mana by forcing mana to move through him. Yet he hadn''t sensed Eldrian approaching this at all.


    "Keeping my spell module intact of course." Eldrian replied, to which Dave nodded. He knew that Eldrian''s spell module normally broke under the influence of the Magic crystal. He had no idea what the effect of keeping it together was going to be for Eldrian.


    Normally when someone''s spell module broke their spell would either simply disappear or explode. Yet Eldrian''s had never done so.


    "Let''s see what happens when you manage that then." Dave said, curious about what was going to happen.


    Nodding Eldrian concentrated and created the spell module. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he said the spell''s name; "Anthos".

 Chapter 78: Mageia Avyssos

    <h4>Chapter 78: Mageia Avyssos</h4>


    As Eldrian said the word of power he patiently waited for the tug of war to start. As soon as it did, he fought against it. Eldrian fully focused on keeping the module intact and soon found everything around him disappear. Yet he missed this as his focus was on the leaf-like module for the spell. After a few minutes of this the spell module disappeared and Eldrian found himself back in the room.


    Suddenly finding himself here, Eldrian looked around and saw that everything was as it had been before casting the spell. Yet suddenly being thrown from the state he had been in, into his normal viewpoint confused him. As he looked around he saw Dave waiting for him patiently, showing no indication that something special happened.


    ''What just happened?'' Eldrian asked himself in confusion. Like always he had focused on the spell module, concentrating to keep it intact. Yet as soon as he fight for control started it was like his mind was teleported to a different area, separate from his body.


    Curious and not feeling tired, Eldrian wanted to cast the spell immediately again, yet he remembered that he should be out of mana. Stopping his actions he nced at his stats and found that it was indeed true. He also realized that he hadn''t managed to feel mana yet, seeing as he still needed to look at his stats to see what was going on.


    When training he could feel his stamina being drained, Eldrian felt certain casting spells should have a simr effect. He just had no idea how this tiredness and draining felt.


    Not wanting to make the same mistake as he had made before, Eldrian decided to wait until his mana regened. Luckily this only took three minutes, allowing Eldrian just enough time to consider how he should approach this attempt. He decided to keep the module intact as was always his n, but if he had energy to spare, then he would try and look around.


    Readying himself Eldrian created the spell module again. "Anthos," He said after making sure the module was correct.


    As he focused on keeping the module intact he felt the pulling force approach, soon after finding himself in a separate space again.


    Having expected something like this he managed to realize the change in his surroundings this time, careful not to lose his grip on the module, he started looking around. Only to quickly find that there was nothing he could look at. It seemed like he was in the middle of space, except that even stars were absent.


    Confused by this Eldrian let his focus slip, causing part of the module to break apart. As soon as this happened he felt a sharp piercing pain throughout his body.


    Cursing himself for losing focus he hurriedly called to the piece of the module, broken and floating away from the rest. As he did he felt a connection to this piece, but only barely. He tried desperatly to grasp onto this connection, certain that this would stop the piercing pain.


    Unconsciously he was gritting his teeth as sweat flowed down his face. Dave saw this and looked at Eldrian curiously, finding the reaction to be strange. Dave focused his Magic Inspection, trying to find the cause of Eldrian''s apparent pain.


    After a few tries of connecting to the floating piece Eldrian finally seeded. This time was different from the day before, where he had also willed the pieces toe together. At that time he had still been conscious of his surroundings and only the module had been surrounded in darkness. It had been more as if he had been looking at it through a screen. This time instead he was with the module, or rather he was the module and the surrounding space.


    Sessfully connecting to the piece felt strange. It felt like holding water, yet knowing that it was staying in your hand. Eldrian could feel the ''connection'' flowing, yet staying inside his grasp. He had no idea what his grasp even was, yet he knew that he was connected to the piece via it.


    Next, he tried to use this connection, slowly the piece floated back. Finally, after what felt like hours, it joined with the module. As it did Eldrian felt a shooting feeling spread through him as he was brought back to reality.


    ''What is that?'' Eldrian wondered, feeling that the space was simr to the mental spaces he often read about in novels. Yet why was it so empty? Confused Eldrian couldn''t wait to try again. Unfortunately he knew he would be limited by fatigue. Hoping to circumvent it he nned to rest longer this time.


    Keeping the module intact was bing easier for him with each attempt, and he felt confident he would soon seed in actually using mana.


    "What did you do this time?" Dave asked Eldrian, having waited for him toe out of his thoughts. Dave didn''t want to interrupt Eldrian while he was working through what had just happened.


    Taking a few seconds to sort his thoughts, Eldrian asked, "What do you mean?"


    He didn''t ask this to dodge the question, but rather he wasn''t sure what part Dave was asking about.


    "I also don''t really know, you seeded in doing something. Your mana had moved differently for a split second. Do you know what caused it to change its movement?"


    ''My mana moved differently?'' Eldrian was confused, as far as he knew the Magic Crystal was forcing his mana to move. How could it move differently? Taking a moment for himself Eldrian went through what he had experienced, believing that it might be when he reconnected the piece which had broken off.


    Not sure how to exin this to Dave, Eldrian decided to exin what he just experienced.


    "From your description it sounds like you entered the Mageia Avyssos... Interesting."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian asked after a few seconds of waiting, yet not receiving more information.


    "Ah, in simpler terms, you managed to enter the magical abyss. Normally only Tier 5 or above would enter this realm." Dave continued, mostly talking to himself.


    Eldrian for his part didn''t think that he had made such great progress, yet from Dave''s reply it seemed that he had managed to crack one of the bigger problems. Yet soon after his thoughts were jumbled again.


    "I didn''t think you would enter the magical abyss. Nor that it would be necessary. I wonder if it is normal for High Elves, or are you a special case." Dave then added softly, murmuring, ''I so wish there was another High Elf I could ask or inspect.''


    "Can you exin?" Eldrian asked in confusion. He had no idea what Dave was talking about.


    "Let''s me see, at the start I believed that you only needed to learn how to feel mana. Then from there you would be able to slowly learn how to move it. Yet, instead, you skipped the feel part and directly went to the control. Though I guess you don''t really do it consciously yet."


    "I wonder if this is due to the Magic Crystal. It might be. Then it would work even better than I had thought." Dave again went into his own thoughts, murmuring at the end.


    "Hammh, Dave! Can you please finish exining it to me?"


    "The magical abyss is where more advanced magic is casted through. It is unheard of normal magic going through it, at least for humans." Dave then again went on a tangent, "That can exin a lot."


    Luckily he didn''t go far on this tangent beforeing back. "The magic abyss, well we don''t really know what it is. But it does allow you to directly manipte magic, instead of having to use spell modules."


    "This does not mean that spell modules fall away, they just be the finished version of magic."


    Eldrian continued to ask Dave more questions until he felt he had a certain grasp on what he had aplished. By the end he learned that he had actually managed to do little, other than entering the space and slightly using mana, he had failed to really control anything.


    Yet this was already a great achievement for him.


    Naturally this made Eldrian very happy, as he finally had a reason for having gone through the painful training.


    By the end of Dave''s exnation he still had no idea what the magical abyss actually was. It felt like someone trying to exin triple integrals to a high school student. Things just didn''t make sense.


    Eldrian failed to visualize what Dave had tried to exin to him. But he had learned a few things, the foremost being that he should try ying with the spell module. From what Dave had said, he should be able to change the spell and while this wasn''t his n at first, it could allow Eldrian to feel mana.


    Dave had never expected it to go this way, yet the results were good. Thus he was also in a good mood, feeling certain that Eldrian would soon be able to use magic. While the method was unconventional since normally one needed great control over your own mana to enter the magical abyss. Dave was curious why Eldrian had entered it without any control over his mana, he was hoping he could learn more while Eldrian experimented.


    His greatest hope being to learn something he could apply himself.


    Naturally Eldrian had no idea about Dave''s thoughts, nor did he know what would happen if he changed the spell module. From the sharp pain he had felt before, he felt certain that it wasn''t a safe thing to do. Due to this Eldrian certainly wasn''t nning on being reckless, as he was fearful due to his past experiences.


    He nned to try and extend the stem only. Hopefully, this would do something and help him learn more.


    Gettingfortable against the wall, Eldrian prepared himself. Soon after saying Anthos he again found himself in the magical abyss.


    ''First thing aplished.'' Eldrian noted as he again managed to enter this space. Feeling quite confident that entering it wasn''t a fluke.

 Chapter 79: Testing in Mageia Avyssos (1)

    <h4>Chapter 79: Testing in Mageia Avyssos (1)</h4>


    Keeping some of his focus on maintaining the spell module, Eldrian started looking at the module which was floating before him.


    ''Now, how do I modify it.'' Eldrian asked himself.


    Taking a moment, he finally decided to try and modify it the same way he had pulled the piece towards the spell modulest time. As such he concentrated on the stem part of the spell, trying to elongate it. Yet no matter how much he ''thought'' it, nothing happened.


    While still trying Eldrian soon found himself back in his body.


    ''Well, that didn''t work.'' He murmured. Frowning, he tried toe up with a different method. He also decided to ask Dave, yet that also didn''t help. Dave had simply told him that he always uses mana to modify spells in the magical abyss.


    After resting Eldrian again cast the spell and entered the magical abyss. He could feel a clear difference in the pulling strength, on the spell module, with each time he entered this ce. It was growing weaker and weaker, Eldrian felt this was a good thing. Yet for some reason he also hoped it wouldn''tpletely disappear.


    This time, instead of just trying to force it to elongate, Eldrian instead tried to study the spell module. Yet he quickly lost his ability to focus, the more he tried to study the spell module, the blurrier it became.


    Soon he couldn''t even make out the light-green lines which was the spell module.


    Back in his body Eldrian thought a bit, before trying to recall the spell module as Dave had given it to him. Trying to remember exactly how it was constructed.


    "That''s it!" Eldrian eximed excitedly after a few minutes of thinking. He finally found what was different. There were no nodes inside the magical abyss, at least he hadn''t seen them.


    After realizing this Eldrian felt astonished that he hadn''t realized it quicker. Shaking his head to dispel these thoughts he told himself it was normal, he couldn''t expect himself to pick up on it immediately.


    "What is, it? Dave asked.


    "I think I know what I was missing." Eldrian replied quickly, casting the spell again before Dave could ask more.


    Finding himself in the magical abyss again, Eldrian observed the spell module again. Indeed, he saw none of the nodes.


    ''So only the lines are present here.'' Hemented to himself, trying to focus on the areas where he knew there should be nodes. All too quickly he found himself back inside his body.


    ''Can''t itst longer!'' Eldrianined internally, finding the 1-2 minutes far too short for him to actually do something useful.


    Eldrian continued doing this, casting the spell and then searching for the spell''s nodes. Yet each time he couldn''t find the nodes and if he tried to focus too hard the everything would be blurry.


    After around an hour, having cast the spell just over ten times, Eldrian decided to stop and try and gain some perspective.


    "Dave, did anything happen with my mana?"


    "No, it has been normal the entire time." Dave replied, he had been observing Eldrian constantly. He was extremely curious about what exactly Eldrian was trying to do, yet Eldrian had been too excited to stop for long enough to exin it to him.


    "Dave, do you know why I can''t find any nodes in my spell module?"


    "That''s impossible, without nodes it wouldn''t cast."


    "But that is what is happening. The module is only, what do you call the lines again."


    "Pathways, so you are saying it is only this?" Dave asked, drawing a simple shape of a leaf on one of the pages of his book. Eldrian had no idea where the pen came from and he worried that Dave was ruining a valuable book.


    Ignoring these worries, Eldrian looked at the leaf Dave had drawn. It was a simple leaf sketch, consisting of only lines. One stem line, from back to tip, and then two more lines giving the drawing a leaf shape.


    "That is what it looks like, yes." Eldrian replied.


    "Interesting. The spell won''t work if you don''t have nodes though. You said you tried to look for them."


    To which Eldrian nodded.


    "Where did you look?" Dave asked next.


    Eldrian simply pointed at the stem end, the ce where the leaf started and the leaf''s point.


    "That is where the nodes should be." Dave pondered, wondering why Eldrian wouldn''t be able to find these nodes.


    After a few minutes of quietness, Dave asked, "Maybe the nodes are too small for you to see."


    Eyes opening wide in surprise, Eldrian quickly got into his position against the wall and recast the spell. A minuteter he came back and Dave saw that Eldrian hadn''t managed anything.


    "How do I erge the module?" Eldrian asked, feeling embarrassed that he had again just jumped into it, without first talking to Dave. He simply couldn''t help it, he was so excited about making progress.


    While waiting for Dave to reply Eldrian looked at his stats, disappointed to find that he had gained Magic Fatigue to level 2.


    ''I won''t be able to do this much longer.'' Eldrian realized that his time inside the magical abyss was likely to be shorter as this fatigue increased. Luckily level 2''s effect was still low, Eldrian having only lost 10 mana from it.


    "I don''t know how you can erge the spell module." Dave finally answered after a while. After saying this he also tried to enter the magical abyss. Yet unlike Eldrian, he struggled to enter this space.


    Tier 5 was the lowest at which one could enter it, normally only Tier 7 or over would be able to enter it at free will.


    "I am going to try and enter the magical abyss too. You keep trying to." Dave said after having failed at his first attempt.


    Eldrian nodded, yet wondered why Dave had said try. Not minding it too much he cast Anthos again.


    Not doing much, other than letting a little bit of his focus keep the module intact, Eldrian simply floated and looked at the leaf module.


    ''I wonder if I can zoom in.'' Eldrian murmured and tried to think it. Aftering back to his body and gaining nothing, Eldrian added it to his failure pile.


    Next he entered again, this time trying to make the entire module bigger like before, except that he just vaguely thought it this time. Yet nothing happened.


    Next he tried to shrink his point of view, again nothing happened.


    Frustrated at the constant failures, Eldrian decided to let a piece of the module break off again.


    Even while expecting the sharp pain, Eldrian still flinched when it came. Like cold would spread through you when a friend dropped ice onto your back, Eldrian felt the pain quickly spread.


    Shaking his consciousness, Eldrian focused back on his task. Trying to connect to the piece which had broken of.


    Soon Eldrian again felt the connection and grasped onto it. Instead of pulling the piece to the module, he first tried to analyze the connection he had. Eldrian lost himself in the weird feeling that this connection was. Unable to make sense of it.


    Back in his body Eldrian felt the piercing pain transferred to his body. Flinching and clenching his back he waited for the pain to disappear.


    ''Okay, don''t keep the module broken when exiting the magical abyss.'' Eldrian noted through clenched teeth. The pain had stayed until Eldrian''s mana had regenerated. Which had taken much longer, around 10 minutes this time.


    ''Definitely don''t do that again.'' Eldrian thought after the pain finally disappeared. He spent a few minutes rxing and looking at Dave who was concentrating deeply. He could see Dave''s eyelids twitch every few seconds.


    ''Is he struggling?'' Eldrian asked himself, soon dispelling these thoughts. Certain that he wouldn''t be able to help Dave.


    Looking at his stats he saw that he had gained another level of magical fatigue.


    ''That sucks.'' He knew that it was rted to his failed attempt. Now he had lost 21 mana, instead of just 10.


    Determined to not give up yet, Eldrian cast the spell again. After having rested enough, naturally.


    ''That did somethingst time, let''s do it again.'' Eldrian murmured, letting his focus slip on the spell module, just long enough for a piece to split. After getting over the pain Eldrain focused on the piece and felt that he could control the size of this piece breaking off, with more practice. After thinking this he wanted tough, as this was something he didn''t think held much importance.


    Like before Eldrian next focused on connecting to this piece, soon feeling the connection again. While moving the piece back to the module, he tried to analyze this connection. Yet the time limitation pressured him, he certainly did not want the piece to be disconnected when he left the magical abyss.


    Back in his body Eldrian felt happy and sad at the same time. He certainly felt like he was making progress, but at the same time he felt it was going to take some time for him to manage more.

 Chapter 80: Testing in Mageia Avyssos (2)

    <h4>Chapter 80: Testing in Mageia Avyssos (2)</h4>


    Eldrian continued this for the next hour, letting a piece of the module break off and then pulling it back. Each time he managed to connect quicker and more securely. At this time Dave also finished his attempt at entering the magical abyss.


    "I really don''t know how to help you unless you can use mana." Dave said after taking some time to process what he had experimented on.


    "It''s okay, I think I found a way which will work." Eldrian replied, exining to Dave how he was letting a piece of the module break off and then reattaching it. Eldrian had a feeling that the connection he felt to the pieces was mana, yet he couldn''t connect to the spell module as a whole. His current n was to continue doing this until he managed to connect almost instantly, then he will try to let more break off. Hopefully keeping it to one piece, justrger.


    "Interesting, I didn''t feel a force pulling at the spell modules I had created." Davemented, "I wonder if that is because I didn''t enter the magical abyss via a spell."


    Eldrian suspected that it was more Dave''s control being too strong. Every time he cast Anthos he felt that the force was lessening. He expected it to disappear after a certain amount of practice.


    After this Eldrian continued experimenting until his Magical Fatigue reached Tier 5, leaving him with just 53 mana. This gave Eldrian under a minute in the magical abyss, after trying two times he simply quit. The time being too little for him to do anything at this point.


    Leaving the magic tower, Eldrian''s first stop was an inn. Heading to one of the nearest ones he grabbed himself a table and ordered some food. By now it was past 1, leaving a lot of time for the rest of the day.


    Not wanting to do another monotonous task Eldrian decided to skip the cksmithing. Luckily he didn''t need to hand in today, seeing as it was the weekend.


    After making this decision Eldrian felt lost, not knowing what to do with the next five-plus hours he now had. After a bit of thinking he decided to go for a walk. He should be able to cover quite some distance before needing toe back.


    He wasn''t nning on going monster or animal hunting, rather he wanted to look at the surroundings a bit. It was something he hadn''t really ever done, along with exploring the city.


    Thoughtsing to this point Eldrian felt he should also explore the city more. ''That isn''t such a good idea.'' Eldrian murmured as he paid for his lunch, the dinner and a few beers having cost him 12 coppers. He knew that the city was massive and that he wouldn''t be able to see much even with an entire day set aside for exploring.


    ''Guess going out it is.'' He decided, feeling that he would be able to see much more in this way. Seeing as no buildings would constantly obstruct his view.


    As he was walking to the gate Eldrian wondered if it might be possible for him to rent a horse. Yet thinking of the cost, he quickly decided against this.


    Arriving at the gate Eldrian stopped for a second, both admiring its size and the fact that this will be the first time he left the city in almost a week.


    ''Let''s go.'' He told himself as he left the city gate, he took out his spear just in case. Using it as a walking stick he headed in the direction of the nearest forest, which was a few kilometers from the massive red walls of the city.


    Half an hourter, Eldrian entered the forest. ''So this is where everyone hunted the wolves.'' Eldrian thought, wondering if he was going to run into any. Yet after an hour of walking through the forest he felt that it was unlikely. During this entire time the only animals he had seen were a few squirrels and birds.


    Having be bored with the constant trees Eldrian decided to start heading back. As he headed back he wondered what type of nts were in this forest. Naturally he had no idea which nts were what, yet he still tried to spot all the different types. Trying his best to remember how they looked, thinking that he might visit an apothecary or alchemist or something simrter.


    Eldrian had no idea what types of upations this game had, from Boran he had learned about four types all connected to cksmithing and making items. Yet he felt certain there would be even more linked to it. In the end he simply decided to ask Dave when he had more spare time.


    On his way out Eldrian murmured as he finally left the forest, ''I get theirint now.'' Sure he hadn''t tried to find any wolves, but he hadn''t run into any after two hours in the forest. This made him realized how hard it actually was for the adventure yers.


    ''I can''t believe they actually did this every day.'' Eldrian thought, feeling he would go crazy from the constant searching. He also had a newfound respect for them, especially those who were on the leaderboards.


    Soon he was back in the city. Not having anything else he wanted to do, Eldrian simply logged off.


    ...


    Waking up Eldrian first looked at the time.


    "Yup, it is really early." He sighed, seeing that it was around 5 in the morning. While he was used to waking up so early in the game, it felt weird waking up so early IRL.


    Eldrian changed, got something to eat and went for a run. After which hezed around for an hour before starting to work on his university stuff.


    During the morning he talked with Erik, asking him if he had joined the game and how it had gone. They also exchanged their names in the game, going to add each other when they log in tonight. Deciding to talk more about it in-game.


    At twelve Eldrian asked his sister if she wanted to grab something to eat, to which she said yes. After changing into something morefortable Eldrian headed out to enjoy the dinner with his sister.


    ...


    Back home Eldrian was going through the forums again, as was his routine. Curiously he found a few posts where yers were reporting monsters having been seen.


    Reading these posts Eldrian quickly learned that this was in cases simr to Phallos. Where after the first event no more monsters were found. Looking through these posts Eldrian learned that the monsters which were spotted were few and far between, yet it proved that the monsters were gaining more ground.


    ''We''ll soon also have a bounty quest.'' Eldrian thought to himself, deciding to go the adventurers guild after his magic training. He had no idea how else he was supposed to get news of new quests. The developers had been quiet about it since the first event, it was the only quest they had announced.


    ...


    Waking up in his small room Eldrian looked at the time. Seeing that it was still before 4 am he decided to again go train his weapons first. On his way he sent a friend invite to Erik, whose in-game name was Faust. After sending it he wondered when Erik wille online. After arriving at the training field he discarded these thoughts and started training.


    Like the day before he started with the spear, moving to the bow after it.


    After the training he headed back to the magic tower, grabbing something to eat on his way.


    "From there again, did you go training first again?"


    "Yeah, I woke up around four and didn''t want to wake you." Eldrian replied as he took his position, soon finding himself back in the dungeon.


    "How long do you think I still need to cast the spell here. You know, before I can cast it outside?" Eldrian asked.


    "I believed that you first needed to learn how to control your mana. But now I am not so certain, seeing as you managed to enter the magical abyss."


    "Why? What can that change?"


    "I don''t really know. You might be able to enter it outside the dungeon too."


    Eldrian nodded to this, wondering why he hadn''t tried it yet. ''I''ll give it a shot after today''s experiment. Hopefully I can manage something more.''

 Chapter 81: Eriks login experience

    <h4>Chapter 81: Erik''s login experience</h4>


    The rest of the day went like the others, with Eldrian trying, again and again, to feel and control mana. Yet his only aplishment after three hours was doubling the size of the piece which broke from the spell module. This small achievement still made him happy. At the start when he tried to make itrger it instead broke another piece off, with practice he managed to keep it as one piece.


    ''Gonna take time, but I should win in a few days.'' Eldrian mumbled after hisst spell. He had decided to stop when his mana reached a level under 60 points. With all the time he spent in the magical abyss he had learned that each mana point seemed to give him one second in that space. This had tempted him to use his free attribute points, but after some consideration he had decided not to.


    After saying goodbye to Dave, Eldrian decided to go to the barracks for a sparring match before going to the adventure guild, waiting for Erik to ept his friend request.


    ''Why isn''t he online yet. Or did he not get my friend request?'' Eldrian asked himself, having sent the request six hours ago.


    On his way to the adventurers guild, after having sparred against Robert, Eldrian finally got a reply from Erik.


    "Hey, sorry Eldrian. Was a hectic day today, the NPCs were all in shock and panic."


    "What happened, what kingdom are you in?" Eldrian asked. Currently, they were using the messaging system, there was also a voice transmission one. But with the voice, it is simr to when you talk with someone on a phone, not having a phone though makes it seem really strange when someone just randomly starts talking.


    "I am not too sure what happened either, most yers seem to be clueless. I am in Vruntis."


    ...


    Back home, right after leaving Eldrian''s, Erik waited for the delivery of his headset. Just as he started getting impatient and wanted to get something to read, he got a call from his phone.


    As soon as he answered it he heard a female voice, "Hi, is this Erik?"


    "Ah, yes. Who is this?" Erik asked, half-knowing the answer already.


    "Sorry, I am Kristen. I am at your dorm, but I didn''t know if I should enter or not."


    "Sorry, I forgot about that. I''ll be right out." Erik made sure to grab his wallet and a pen, in case she wanted confirmation on his identity. This waspletely unneeded, as he simply needed to provide his sale ticket and then sign the forms in the end.


    Having learned a lot about the game and Miracle Corporation, Erik took his time to read through the contract. It was actually really decent, which made him understand why everyone signed it without bothering much. Yet knowing about what all had happened and that people could actually get trauma''s from the game, Erik paused.


    Just as Kristen was getting irritated, Erik finally signed it. He decided that if thebat wasn''t for him then he could simply do something else. He was curious how magic worked, much like Eldrian. But he certainly wasn''t going to choose the High Elf race like Eldrian. He wanted to simply y and enjoy his time, he was still worried the 5000 dors spent on the headset were going to be a waste. It certainly wasn''t a small sum to him. Luckily he had saved a lot while often doing side jobs of editing papers online.


    It seemed that the price would only be so low for the beta yers, from what he had gathered the next few weeks will have no new releases. The developers will use this time to configure the game andplete thest editing they felt were needed.


    This helped ease Erik''s worries, while he couldn''t sell the headset, due to the contract only allowing one person to use the device, he was assured that it was better to get in now than it would beter. If everything went well, that is.


    While this use may sound unreasonable, it was stated that it was a safety measure for both the user and thepany. Necessary to ensure the user''s safety in linking with the headset. Naturally, the reason it was a safety measure for thepany wasn''t stated.


    Having finished all these details Erik followed the instructions, both as the manual indicated and Eldrian had told him about. While waiting he simply grabbed a book to read, losing himself in the reading.


    A few hourster, much more than the device had needed, Erik finally stopped reading.


    "Well, I forgot it only needed an hour." He mumbled as he put his book away and got something to eat. Eldrian had told him of the importance of eating enough before logging in. Erik didn''t n to not follow such simple advice.


    Finally ready, Erik ce the headset on his head and logged in.


    ...


    "Dear user, as this is your first time using the Driven Headset a few moments of your time will be required. Do not worry this process will not take long and in a few minutes, you will find yourself in an entirely new world filled with endless possibilities."


    "Arg, it is just like Eldrian said!" Erik shouted as he was abruptly awakened by the voice, the headset having ced him into a deep sleep for just a few seconds. He now understood the frustration Eldrian had talked about, it was certainly going to take some time to get used to this.


    Before he could continue on this train of thought the voice interrupted him again, "We will start with the basics, please look at the wisp that will appear before you."


    ''Seems like it is going to be just like his.'' Erik thought, a red wisp appearing before him.


    Erik went through the rest of the process, finding that everything was indeed as Eldrian had told him.


    "Next, please create your avatar." Hearing this Erik chose to take his time resting, thest stage having taken it out of him.


    ''It is so realistic, it really feels like my body is here.''


    After resting Erik finally opened his eyes and looked around, finding himself floating over the game world. ''Certainly a strange feeling. Now he said he thought of elves and then looked to the moon first.''


    As Erik did this he quickly found the information of the moon Elves. Changing his view from the moon to the sun, then the earth andstly the woods, Erik quickly found all the Elven races.


    ''What other races are there?'' He asked himself, thinking of humans as the first other race he was curious on. As soon as he did many cities popped into view, too many to count.


    ''What the...'' Erik was left speechless as he watched the entire field be taken by miniature cities. Taking his time he looked at them one at a time, each seemingly rted to a special power.


    [Ice Dragon Bloodline Descendant]


    [A royal bloodline, weakened by spreading to nobles and peasants, the bloodlinees from the Pagos Empire, which once worked along with an Ice Dragon.[Attribute bonuses: 10 Spirit, 10 intelligence ]]


    [The Ice Dragons have an inherent connection to water magic, specifically the hybrid of water and darkness, giving rise to ice. This allows them to both be a master of water and darkness[Water Element magic: 20%; Darkness Element magic: 10% bonus]]


    [As a yer, you will not be born. Thus you will not be included in the lineage of a noble household, but you will be able to prove your lineage with time.]


    [Ice Dragon Bloodline Descendants are naturally attuned to the ice elements. All ice-rted items will gain increased effectiveness. -Silver type materials included- [5% up to a maximum of 40%.]


    Continuing to look at the cities, Erik soon gave up. After a while he had realized that there were over a hundred cities, each with a seemingly special bloodline. From dragon bloodlines to phoenix, griffon, hydra, cerberus and more.


    ''That is an insane amount of choice.'' Erik thought, wondering why most yers hadn''t been talking about this. The only thing he could think of was that most of this seemed to be, well useless, at least untilter. As Eldrian had exined the item effectiveness only came forward with magical items. So far they only knew of Eldrian having a magical item. Thus most yers probably already forgot about that part.


    The attribute bonus seemed to be a universal thing, being around 20 points spread over the attributes ording to the race choice. Magic had also only now started appearing and slowly with little oomph.


    Erik was curious about what else was a viable choice, thus he thought of all the other mystical creatures he knew of. He found dwarves, them having four variants. He also found dryads, being a single species, demi-humans of most predatory animals. When trying to find a centaur or satyr he had failed, the same happened with more changed species, like gorgons, pixies and treants. All of which he felt certain would be in the game, yet seemed to be none-yable.


    ''How is the limit ssified?'' Erik asked himself, taking his time to look through everything. Soon he felt certain that it was when part of the body actually changed, dwarves for example are proportionally smaller and sturdier making it a possible choice.


    He also found that there seemed to be no ssical evil choices avable. Having tried looking for goblins, orcs, devils, werewolves and vampires. Getting no response from any of these.


    After a few hours, Erik had finally gone through every single choice he had managed to find. A little worried that he had missed a species he tried to confirm that he had looked at everything, quickly finding it to be impossible. There was no list he could keep track of and all the information had overloaded him.


    Let''s just go with this. I can always remake if I dislike it.'' He thought, knowing full well that he would be apprehensive of remaking his character. It had taken him too long already, he didn''t want to go through all this again.

 Chapter 82: Eriks avatar and first welcome to the game

    <h4>Chapter 82: Erik''s avatar and first wee to the game</h4>


    ''Dryads.'' Erik thought, he didn''t have much of a reason for choosing this race. Simply wanting to y something different. This race was one of the most different races possible to choose, especially when looking at appearances.


    [Dryad]


    [Dryads, a type of tree spirit. Dryads have a great connection to nature and their goddess, Asteria [ Attribute bonuses: 10 Spirit, 5 Agility, 5 Intellegence]]


    [Dryads are creatures born from trees, often ssified along with other fae races. They resemble humans greatly, seemingly almost human if not for their slight differences. Dryads are generally a peaceful and loving race -reclusive to their forests. When their ce of birth is threatened they will do all they can to find revenge, changing into an unrecognizable species.]


    [They have an exceptional affinity to nature magic and divine magic, bestowed by their goddess. Due to this, they are incapable of using dark and fire magic, as well as evil magics. [Nature magic bonus: 35%; Divine Nature or Divine Light magic: bonus 25%; Earth/Light/Water/Air elemental magic: bonus 12%]]


    [Dryads gain no affinity bonus with any items, being the epitome of natural creatures, topensate this their chosen field of magic -of those they gain a bonus in- will gain an additional 2,5% affinity bonus per Tier.]


    "User has chosen the Dryad race. Beware that it will take time to get used to the differences between your IRL-body and IG-body."


    "Please alter your avatar''s appearance."


    As soon as the system voice disappeared a mirror appeared in front of Erik.


    "Oh fuck! Is this really me" Erik asked, running his fingers over the mirror. Unable toprehend how he could change so much, so quickly.


    ''When did I transform?'' Looking at his greenish hands which were against the mirror, Erik felt lost. He remembered that his body had been normal, at least he could remember that his skin had been white before.


    The green of his skin was a soft lime shade of green. Erik found that he actually looked good, especially as he looked at his body as a whole. His ears were elongated and pointy. Very pointy. Luckily his ears seemed to rest close to his head, allowing it to blend in with his changed hair.


    Lifting his hands Erik found that his ears felt normal. His hair didn''t. It was a mix of a darker green color and light brown. Moving his hands through his hair, Erik found that the brown parts were hard, yet soft. It was strange, like gelled hair. As soon as he broke the hardness the hair seemed to go soft. After a few seconds it became hard again. The green parts of his hair, on the other hand, felt smooth and silky. Giving his hair a strange contrast as he moved his hands through them.


    Bringing his hands down he realized that his nails were also different. Focusing on them he found that they looked like his brown hair, yet quickly he found that his nails seem to be hard. Very hard.


    ''This is going to take time to get used to.'' Erik thought, finding it strange that he could actually be in such a different body. Yet he still managed to use it, without any noticeable problems.


    After a few seconds, Erik asked himself, ''How do I change my appearance again?'' Trying to recall how Eldrian had exined it. Most of the information slipped his mind after he saw his appearance.


    Trying to remember, he continued to check himself out. Quickly finding that he had several druidic tattoos covering his arms. These tattoos were of a raker green shade, making them hard to notice at first.


    Curious he took off the shirt he was wearing, finding that the rest of his body also had these tattoos. Wondering to where this extended he continued to undress. Finding that it covered him everywhere. Some parts were covered in smaller tattoos, but the tattoos were there. Even where he had hoped they wouldn''t be.


    Havingpletely checked himself out and having spent a few more minutes in silence toe to grasp on his new appearance, Erik finally remembered how he could alter his appearance. He was quite embarrassed that such a simple method had slipped his mind, luckily no one was here to witness it.


    Feeling his cheeks heat up Erik did the first thing he was to do, check his affinity. Eldrian had told him to try and keep it over 95%. Saying that it seemed to be an important fact forter.


    Calling randomly to the system, Erik managed to get a reply on the first attempt. Yet this calling out to a system felt strange, giving him a feeling that he was never alone. He didn''t like this feeling, as it meant he could easily be spied on.


    [IRL body to Avatar Affinity: 95.68%]


    ''Well, I guess it is so low due to the extreme differences between my real body and this one.'' Erik took a moment to figure out what he wanted to change. Truthfully he was quite happy with his look, the sharp green eyes and natural look of his hair made him look. Well, natural.


    After ying around a bit, Erik only changed a little. He made his eyes a bit bigger, his hair a bit longer and his ears a bit shorter, keeping the sharp-pointed look. It fit well with his hair.


    These changes had nearly no effect on his affinity, leaving him at 95.62%.


    "I really like this look. But it will take some time to get used to my hair and all the tattoos." Erik said, moving his hand through his hair again, his hands moving jarring through it.


    He also looked at the tattoos on his arms, wondering why they were there. More importantly, why he couldn''t change them. He had tried to remove some of the tattoos. After spending ten minutes trying, he simply gave up.


    Finally, he told the system that he was done.


    "User has unlocked a hidden condition. Having an affinity of 95% or more with your avatar. Due to this, actions in-game will give user a bleed effect, causing your muscles to exercise unconsciously." The system voice said. Following which came the caution about gaming time, linked to the bleed effect. After which it asked him for his IG name.


    "Faust" Erik said, it was the only name he really ever used when ying games. It came from a book he had read long ago. Faust was one of the main character''s best friends and a funny wizard. The name simply stuck with him throughout his years.


    As Erik was waiting to be teleported into the world he actually got another question from the system. Something which the first wave of yers hadn''t been asked.


    "Which empire do you wish to join?"


    "Wait what? How am I supposed to know any of them?"


    "Does user wish to join a random empire?" The system asked, seemingly replying to Erik''s question.


    "No!" Erik shouted quickly. Scared that the system could interpret his question.


    After getting over the shock he started racking his brain, trying to remember in which empire Eldrian was. It would be much easier for them to game together if they were nearer to each other.


    After five minutes Erik almost gave up, but he determined that this was important enough to even not join the game today. So taking some more time he tried to recall it.


    After around 20 minutes and just as he wanted to call quits, he finally remembered. Eldrian had told him that when they had first met.


    "I want to join Floria."


    "User has chosen to join the empire Floria, a random kingdom will now be chosen."


    ''Well, that makes it far less effective.'' Erik mumbled as he was enveloped in a white-green light. He knew a few things about the game, and one was that an empire was simply massive. Joining a random kingdom meant they would likely be thousands of kilometers from each other.


    He had hoped he would be asked which kingdom he wanted to join after answering the first question. It would have been an amazing thing if he could join Eldrian right from the start, yet the game developers seemingly didn''t want people to join together. At least people from the same timezone were all closer to each other.


    ''Wait how does that work? What if I chose an Empire outside of my timezone.'' Erik was curious when he thought of this. Due to how the time worked there was a twelve-hour shift between the game and reality. Erik now realized that this would only be true within a certain area of the game.


    ''That is something that will be a problemter in the game.''


    As Erik had this thought the white-green light started dispersing. Soon he heard a few voices talking.


    "Been a while since west got a Chosen. Not just a resurrection, but an actual new one." A female voice spoke softly, yet the quietness of the temple made the sound travel to Erik''s ears.


    "True, and what a handsome Dryad. I wonder if he likes men." Erik heard a male voice, the question causing him to flinch. His vision was still obstructed, making it impossible to try and remove himself from these two.


    "Really, that is the first thing you think of? We are a temple for the goddess of life."


    "So, she would approve. Wouldn''t she."


    The female''s voice grew in volume as she spoke, "Why on earth would she. She is the goddess of fertility and life. Men on men action does not support this, not any of her divinities!"


    "What about love?"


    "Love, what love?"

 Chapter 83: Eriks first day

    <h4>Chapter 83: Erik''s first day</h4>


    "You never know, maybe it is love at first sight."


    "Really? Love at first sight, what are you even talking about. Do you even know anything about him?" The female voice rang in Erik''s ears. Blinking his eyes rapidly, Erik hoped to escape from these two as quickly as possible. He did not want to get dragged into the conversation.


    "I know that he is handsome."


    "Mmmh," The female paused for a few seconds, "Alright, I will give you that. He is."


    As this sentence entered Erik''s ears, his eyes finally cleared. While thest one was more to his favor, being a female, he did not want to get dragged into something strange. Instead of taking his time to appreciate his surroundings and the beauty of the temple, not even taking the time to check out who was talking, he simply looked for the nearest door and rushed it.


    "Oh great, guess he heard you." A female voice traveled to the running Erik.


    "Me! You were the loud one."


    "How dare you!"


    The voices faded as Erik neared the door, luckily they didn''t seem to be following him. Naturally, he was curious why they were waiting in the temple. ''They must be a priest and priestess,'' Was his answer, a good enough one to stop him from looking back.


    Through the door, Erik stopped and breathed heavily, d that he had avoided a potential social ident. Taking his time Erik started looking around, quickly realizing he had underestimated the game.


    ''How is this possible.''


    He realized it really felt like real life. He could smell a sweet smell given off from the garden he had rushed into. Behind him stood the temple, majestic and massive. Taking the space of nearly ten houses, the houses used for scale being those beyond the garden. A wide light gray street separating the garden and houses.


    "Did those two scare you? They certainly can be scary." A high pitched voice traveled into Erik''s ears. Looking around he found a little girl tending to some of the flowers against the church''s walls. The girl was wearing a cute, frilly white dress.


    He had no idea what type of flowers they were, in fact all the nts in the garden looked strange. He had a feeling that they were native to thisnd inside of the game. This small thing gave him another shock, realizing that this game was simply toorge then.


    From all the things he had read and heard, he knew the NPCs seemed to be alive. Yet now it also seemed that there was an entire fauna in the game, different from reality. Erik felt quite confident that these nts in this garden were not magical, at least they wouldn''t be potent magical nts. He had no idea how he knew this, but he had a strong feeling that it was indeed the case.


    "Mister, do you like these Kitrino flowers?" The little girl asked, plucking one of the bright yellow flowers she was tending, offering it to Erik. The flower hadrge petals surrounding a small white spot.


    "For me?" Erik took the flower carefully, unsure of what was going on. As he took it he could feel, something...


    After a few seconds, he felt that this feeling was telling him that this flower loved, that it cared. He had no idea what this meant, yet he somehow got this from holding the flower.


    "Thank you, youngdy. Can you tell me a bit about this flower?"


    To which the girl energetically nodded her head, taking Erik''s hand and leading him to the rest of the Kitrino flowers. The flowers grew strangely, having a dense bush at the bottom and a few vines extending from it. These vines clung onto the temple, from which the flowers bloomed.


    "This is my favorite flower. Mother always said that it is really special. It only blooms when loved and cared for diligently. In return, it gives us these beautiful flowers. The petals make the best tea ever!"


    Erik felt a smile grow on his face as he heard the girl''s enthusiasm. ''I guess that is what I felt.'' He thought, believing that he felt what the nt needed to live.


    "How does this nt survive in nature then?" Erik asked, wondering how such a delicate thing could survive.


    "Dad always said that they are cared for by the animals. The animals would give it love and in return, they will be given the flowers to enjoy!"


    "How lovely," Erik now started wondering if the nt was actually magical. It sounded magical to him.


    Smiling widely the girl moved onto another flower, d that she could share her knowledge with someone. "This over here is Apalo Roz. Sorry mister, but I am not allowed to give you one of its flowers." The girl looked down, pouting.


    Seeing this Erik patted her head, "That is quite alright. I love the Kitrino you gave me. May I touch the Apalo Roz?" The girl nodded energetically to Erik''s question, happy that he wasn''t angry.


    Touching the flower Erik soon felt something again. Stroking the flower he soon felt more, this flower wanted to help, but it also needed help. ''What on earth does this mean.''


    "Youngdy, what is your name?" Erik asked, still stroking the Apalo Roz.


    "Akarui!"


    Erik chuckled to her energetic response, "Thank you for the gift Akarui, can you tell me about the Apalo Roz?"


    "It is a lovely flower isn''t it?"


    "It certainly is."


    "The priest say that it is a lifesaver. I don''t really know why, but they told me to always take good care of it."


    "And how do you do that?"


    "I give it sweetened water!"


    ''Sweetened water?'' Erik was confused, but he simply nodded after a short pause. He didn''t unravel the mystery behind his feeling this time, but he wasn''t upset. Instead, he was suddenly hooked by the game. He already loved it.


    It was so lovely, he wondered why on earth people would want to fight in this game. This world seemed far more interesting to simply explore.


    "And what about this tree. Why does it seem so lonely?" Erik felt a strong lonely feeling from this tree. As he neared the tree this loneliness turned into sadness.


    "All its friends died." Akarui''s voice was soft, yet Erik caught her response.


    Looking around he quickly realized that the tree seemed to be in arge open space in the garden. Only surrounded by grass, this seemed normal. A garden would normally have open spaces, allowing people to enjoy it. But Erik felt something more was at work here, the space seemed a bit toorge to him. He had no idea why he thought so, he had never really been into nts in real life.


    "Do you know why its friends died?"


    "Too many people died."


    Hearing this reply Erik was left speechless. He had no idea how this was supposed to be an answer, wanting to know more he approached the tree and ced his hand onto it. A feeling of emptiness and despair quickly invaded him.


    Gasping for air Erik fell to his knees. A freezing cold spreading through him while his mind nked out.


    "Mister! Mister are you alright?" A worried Akarui kneeled by Erik.


    "Sorry," Erik gasped for air, not managing to say anything more. Having barely managed to hear Akarui''s voice.


    Worried Akarui quickly grabbed a different flower. A rose. Bringing it to Erik and cing it on his neck. As soon as she did Erik felt things turn for the better. First having his mind return, then the cold left and the emotional pain leftst. When he felt well enough to stand he first took the flower from his back. Only to find that it waspletely withered, turning to ash in his hands.


    "What flower was that?"


    "It was a Chairomai. I, always use it when I think of my mommy..." A few tears left Akarui''s face as she said this. Yet she didn''t take a Chairomai for herself, she knew that using more than one a week would be bad for the flower.


    Seeing her tears Erik felt bad, not wanting to force Akarui to talk about it he decided to ask something else.


    "And what is the tree called?"


    "It is called a Lypi tree." Akarui whispered her reply, seeming not wanting to talk about the tree either.


    "Lypi tree... Akarui, what about this flower." Erik continued asking Akarui questions about all the different types of nts in the garden. Praising her often for her knowledge, soon she became happy and energetic again.


    Erik spent almost the entire day with her, only leaving the temple after four. While she had offered him a ce to stay, Erik didn''t want to meet the other two again.


    Walking through the city Erik wondered where he should go. As such he called to the system, searching through the interface for the map.


    After a few wrong tabs, he finally found the map. Opening it he was quickly overwhelmed, the entire city appearing before his eyes. Taking a moment he asked it to zoom in on his location.


    ''Alright, let''s go to an inn.'' As he thought this a few buildings on the map lit up.


    ''How handy, let''s see. The Boiling Axe, The Tricky Cats, Jolly Swords, The Young Tree...''


    Not knowing anything about any of the inns, Erik simply chose one of the closest ones and headed there.

 Chapter 84: Eriks second day, to the library

    <h4>Chapter 84: Erik''s second day, to the library</h4>


    The next day Erik woke up in the room he had rented.


    "Well, that is still irritating." He mumbled as he stood up. Finding the abruptness of it all, a bit much.


    He took a few minutes to get over this irritation, slowly getting up and stretching. Not having anything to change into he simply headed to the inn''smon room, getting himself something to eat and drink.


    Enjoying the tender chicken breasts and a strange fruit juice, it''s taste simr to lime. Having an added sweetness, Erik quite enjoyed it.


    Erik wondered what he was going to do today. He knew that he needed to find a way to make money, like all other yers he had 20 silvers to start with. SImply the dinner yesternight along with his lodging and his current breakfast had cost him 12 coppers.


    While this meant he could live without working for over a hundred days, Erik felt this was only an optimistic estimate. He was certain that he would spend more during the day, lessening that number by arge amount.


    ''Let''s just explore today.'' He told himself, calling the map, wondering where he should go for the day.


    ''Oh, there is a library. But it is quite far.''


    Erik had no idea what scale the map was made from, from a rough estimate he felt it would take him a few hours to reach the library.


    ''Are there any stables?'' He wondered next. As the map responded to his question he remembered that he did not know how to ride a horse.


    ''Are there any carriage stables?'' He asked next, finding the map search function extremely useful. It even seemed a bit too useful to him.


    "Sorry!" Erik called to the waiter, "Can you tell me where I can get a ride?"


    "Certainly, where do you wish to go?" The man asked, turning back to face Erik. Holding a tray with Erik''s te and cup.


    "The library."


    "Do you really know how to read?" The man asked in surprise. Realizing that he was talking to a dryad the man''s cheeks turned red. Quickly he spoke up again, "The nearest passenger carriage stable is a few blocks from here if you hea..."


    Erik interrupted him before he could continue, "Do you know the name, or what direction from here?" To which the man pointed to the back of the inn.


    Looking at his map Erik quickly found the nearest stable in that direction, "Thank you."


    As he left, Erik gave the man an extra copper. d that the man had been so cooperative.


    ...


    "Sir, do you wish to travel somewhere?" A young stable hand, in dirty clothing, asked Erik as he was approaching the stables.


    "Yes, I want to go to the library."


    "I will go fetch one of the drivers for you!" The young man quickly disappeared into the building next to the stables. Erik chuckled at the young man''s enthusiasm.


    While waiting Erik took some time to observe the stables. Finding that there were two horses with six legs at the back.


    ''Magical beasts? Here, in such a basic stable?'' Erik questioned, finding it difficult to believe such a simple andmon stable would be able to house magical beasts. The stable itself looked to be on itsts a few poles, the building next to it having many holes in its walls. The building''s windows being simple holes, which would be closed by a wooden cover at night. These covered were hanging on theirst hinges, not far from falling.


    "Are you the sire, whom, wants to go to the library?" A man with long gray hair asked. He was wearing what would have been a nice suit, if not for age having clearly ruined it. The suit had multiple small tears, most of the frontal ones having been fixed. Repeatedly.


    Erik paused for a short while, still wondering what the six-legged horses were and how such a rundown ce could have them. "Yes, how much would it cost?"


    "The standard rate for intra-city travel is 10 coppers, sire." The old man then turned to the young stable hand, who quickly ran into the stable to fetch the horses and a carriage.


    "10 copper. That''s fine. Can you tell me about those six-legged horses while we wait?"


    "Certainly, they are called Exi horses. They have much better endurance than normal horses, but their speed is slightly lower. They are great for long travels." The old man gave the information easily, making Erik wonder if the horses were even special.


    "How special are these, Exi horses?"


    "Sire, they aren''t too special. At least here in Vruntis we have many of them, allowing most stables to house at least a pair."


    "I have heard that stables in the noble district even have Okto horses. There are even rumors that some have Pegasi, though I am uncertain of this im."


    Erik nodded, finding this world to be something he would like to explore more. While he now wondered about the other horse species the old man had brought up, he decided to not ask. Believing that the old man wouldn''t be able to give him a good answer even if he asked.


    While thinking of Eldrian, Erik also thought that he needed to tell him to stop taking this game so seriously. That he really needed to stop and smell the roses, as people often say.


    Erik continued talking with the old man even after they had climbed onto the carriage. He learned much from their talk, the first being that the old man was called Alba. Alba had been working at this carriage stable since he was 12, having needed to help support his dying mother. His dad, being a soldier, was often away. Leaving the two of them alone, needing to fend for themselves.


    Curious Erik had asked why they hadn''t used magic, only to hear that even the simplest spell would cost 1 silver. His mother had needed at least a Tier 2 spell, so the priests had told them.


    This costed a total of 10 silvers, something they could not afford. Even after Alba had worked for a year, they had only managed to make a single silver.


    When his father hade back, instead of supporting them with his war pay, he had gone and spent it on his mistress. A few monthster his mother had died and his dad had left him to fend for himself.


    "I am sorry you had such a rough life." Erik said at the end of Alba''s story.


    "Thank you, sire, but it is nothing special. Most of my friends have simr stories. Life was always hard, yet I pray for the younglings."


    "The war has made everything so much worse. Taxes have increased and so have the cost of spells. Most sick people are now sentenced to death, even if it is simply cold and the diseased is old. Then that person is almost certain to die. The Tier 0 spell needed for its cure costing over 1 silver and 50 coppers."


    "How can they be so heartless." Erik was shocked, having no idea why simple sickness would lead to death. In reality, it was so easy to get antibiotics and vitamins, it made getting sick far lessmon and the effect from it almost nothing.


    ''I guess they don''t have any medicine...'' Erik realized in sadness.


    "Sire, that is life. It shows no mercy."


    This did not make Erik feel better. But he understood, even in reality such things were still present, in some ces. He shouldn''t have expected it to be better in a game, set in medieval times, in a war against monsters.


    "Can you tell me more about Vruntis, Alda?"


    "Certainly, Vruntis is a great kingdom. We aren''t one of the strongest, but we have many mountains on the border, making defending far easier."


    Hearing this Erik casually turned his head sideways, finding that he could actually see a mountain on the left. He then turned his head to the right, finding another. Both sides having walls going up the mountains, with towers spaced on the walls. Looking like dots due to the distance.


    Erik continued to ask Alda questions about the kingdom, finding that he was in a city called Vuetvale. One of the gates to the rest of the kingdom, at least from the east. These gates also being the connection to the kingdom called Terikos, which bordered Vruntis for most of its eastern border.


    "They have been in hard times. I heard from refugees that they had lost five cities. Soon they might also be destroyed."


    "Wait, what?" Erik was astounded by this news. Didn''t this mean that Vruntis would soon be in danger?


    "Sire, it has been assumed that we will enter the war in a few months, at the most."


    ''Maybe I will need to learn how to fight.'' Erik grumbled, finding his spirits far lower than it had been when he had joined the game.


    Around an hourter they finally arrived at the library, the sight not being what he expected.


    Instead of finding a peaceful and neat ce, they instead found a ce in chaos. With people rushing out of the building, others rushing past it and even soldiers rushing about, in full equipment.


    It looked as if a war was about to break out.

 Chapter 85: Erik: Conscription

    <h4>Chapter 85: Erik: Conscription</h4>


    "Alba, do you know what is going on?" Erik asked as he looked at the panicking people. He had a bad feeling and was hoping that he was wrong.


    "Sire, I do not know. I hope my belief is wrong and my fear misced." Alda answered slowly, his body shaking slightly as he looked at the soldiers who were filling up the streets.


    Seeing his condition Erik quickly grabbed his shoulder and took out the Kitrino flower he had been keeping tucked behind his ears. "Focus on this."


    "Sire, I can''t take this..." Alda quickly pushed Erik''s hand back, being careful to not damage the flower.


    "Then calm down, we don''t know what is going on yet." Erik ced the flower back in its ce, wondering why Alda seemed frightened to take the flower.


    "But sire, I belief, I..."


    "Here, go find your kids" Erik handed a silver to Alda as he left and headed to the library.


    Alda sat silently in shock for a while, only regaining his senses after Erik had entered the library. Tears forming in his eyes, he turned the carriage around and rushed to his house. Luckily it was in the opposite direction where the soldiers seemed to be setting up barricades.


    "Can you help me?" Erik asked one of the librarians as he entered the library. Most people had fled by now, leaving only those working here behind. These people all also wanted to run, but they stayed. Probably not wanting to anger their boss.


    "Sir?" The guy slowly stood up, confused as to why someone woulde here now of all times; after the news which had just arrived.


    "Can you tell me why everyone is panicking?"


    ritying to the librarian, he responded, "Sir we just heard that Terikos lost theirst border city. While their capital is still holding out, we now have nothing stopping the monsters from reaching us."


    "Seems like it is what Alda feared." Erik sighed in sadness, sad that his time in the game would seemingly not be peaceful.


    Seeing how calm Erik stayed; other than sadness appearing on his face. The man was even more confused. "Sir, are you not afraid?"


    "No, but I fear that I won''t be able to enjoy things now," Erik responded absentmindedly.


    This response freaked the librarian out,"Ho-how, are you not afraid?" He stuttered, finding Erik''s word choice to be scary.


    Erik saw the fear growing in the man and decided to exin himself, "Don''t worry, it is because I am a Chosen. I do not fear death."


    The man sighed in relief, happy that the person in front of him was not insane. Just blessed. While he envied Erik and he certainly also wanted to be undying, he did not want to fight. Due to his weak condition, he was never recruited, he only hoped this time it would be the same.


    Waiting for the man to calm down, Erik started looking around. This caused the librarian even more confusion.


    "Sir... What do you mean by this?"


    "Can you show me around, I love books," Erik said as he reached for the nearest bookshelf. Wondering what types of books would be present in the game. This thought brought excitement to his heart, ''What novels would be here? What fantastical stories based on the reality of this world? What history?'' He asked himself, his heart pounding with each question.


    "Sorry sir, but we are going to close up for the day. Can you please leave?"


    "Can''t I stay and enjoy the books? I won''t be a bother."


    "No, we need to close up." The librarian suddenly got defensive, causing the others working there to also approach them.


    "Fine, I will go."


    As Erik exited the Library the door was quickly shut behind him, leaving him stuck watching what was unfolding in front of him.


    Many people, too many to even make them out, rushed away from the rising sun. Yet this horde of people was quickly stopped by the soldiers, who at first simply used their fists to force the people down.


    As Erik looked on it quickly approached its climax. A soldier having been stabbed by a in kitchen knife. It hadn''t entered deeply, nor did the soldier even seem to mind. But this set of chain reaction as all the soldiers drew their swords.


    Seeing this the running people wanted to back off, yet those at the back pushed them forward. Soon chaos reigned as the soldiers ughtered those at the front.


    "Oh god!" Erik felt like vomiting from the sights before him. He quickly turned to avoid the sights, and seeing the door he hurried back towards it and knocked. Hoping he would be allowed back in.


    "You!" Someone bellowed, chills creeping up his spine as he hoped it wasn''t aimed at him. He ced even more effort into his knocking.


    "Do not ignore me, you dryad bastard!"


    Erik cursed, firstly at those who had locked him out and secondly at the mad soldiers. Turning around slowly he saw a soldier approaching him. Blood dripping from the man''s armor.


    "You are a Chosen?" The soldier asked loudly.


    Not having the stomach for this, Erik vomited. Slowly standing up and answering the question after having emptied his stomach.


    "Y-yes..." He hoped this would give him something to use and get out of this ce, yet the next words from the soldier betrayed his hope.


    "Come with me, you are being conscripted for war."


    ''The fuck?'' Erik asked himself, standing frozen on the library steps.


    "Did you not hear me? Come on!"


    Erik shook from this shout, slowly he followed behind the man.


    He found the entire situation insane.


    He could not understand why the soldiers had acted so roughly to their own people. Nor could he understand why he would be constricted, he had no idea how to fight!


    "I found a volunteer." The soldier shouted as he rejoined the now bloody line of soldiers.


    "Volunteer! The hell do you mean!" Erik shouted, unable to hold it in anymore. Even if he were to be killed he wanted to voice his concern. This only resulted in him getting punched in the stomach, leaving him gasping for air.


    "He will make good cannon fodder. Take him to the training grounds. He needs some armor and weapons, at the very least. We can''t have him die too soon." Hearing this calm but robotic voice, Erik looked up. By ident he used Observe and received the information of who just spoke.


    [NPC - Lod]


    [Rank - Captain]


    [Tier 5, Level 24]


    ''Should I just suicide?" Erik asked himself, yet after seeing the information of this Lod he felt that this would not save him. He did not know much about this world, but he had heard from Eldrian that a Captain was really high up in the ranks. Meaning that his conscription was supported; at the minimum, a noble had ordered it.


    As he and some of the more able-bodied civilians were being led somewhere, Erik received a Quest.


    [Optional Quest received]


    [Quest Name: Defence of Vruntis]


    [Quest giver: Vruntis kingdom]


    [Quest Rank: Epic]


    [Quest Description: Help the kingdom of Vruntis survive against the monster invasion.]


    [Quest time limit: None]


    [Quest Limiter: Capital and two more cities must survive]


    [Quest reward: 9M XP or 10 Levels [Which ever is more]]


    [Quest Achievements: 0 kills; 0 rescues]


    [Quest Party Size: 126 yers]


    [Do you ept?}


    ''Hell no!''


    [Quest cannot be dismissed, do you ept?]


    Seeing this reply Erik cursed the game developers and simply ignored the question. He did not want to be dragged into this, especially as it seemed to be a permanent quest. How long would the monster invasion evenst?


    If he were someone who liked fighting then he would certainly have epted, like the 126 who already did. Certainly, an Epic quest seems awesome, but Erik knew how hard quests were in this game. Having learned this from both Eldrian and the forums.


    Erik was forcibly led to a training field near the east gate. He knew that this was where the monsters woulde from and likely where most of the fighting would be done.


    Thinking of Alda who had informed him of so much, Erik hoped that he was still alive and managed to get out safely with his family.


    "Hello friend, seems like you have also been corralled here." A deep male voice spoke, looking up Erik saw someone in full te armor. A longsword on his side and a kite shield on his back.


    "Yeah, do you know what is going on?"


    "Are you new?"


    This question made Erik wonder if the person was also a yer, as he wondered this he suddenly found information being disyed to him.


    [yer - Yebal]


    [Tier 1, Level 4]


    [HP: 121]


    "I just joined yesterday," Erik replied, wondering how he again just saw someone''s information like this.


    "Shit timing man."


    "Yeah. Do you know how many yers are here?"


    "Around 200 hundred. This kingdom hasn''t gotten all that many."


    "Do you know what is going on?" Erik asked next.


    "No idea, just that the kingdom between this one and the monsters have fallen. So, shit is going to happen. I guess we will be the next Ins."


    "That bad?" Erik''s shoulders slouched as he fell onto the grass, most of his energy leaving him.


    "Hey, it''s not all bad. This kingdom is much easier to defend. I think we will be okay, once everything settles down."


    "I just don''t want to fight..." Erik sighed, feeling worse when he recalled the ughter he had witnessed a few minutes ago.


    "Ah, so you wanted to be a lifestyle yer. Understandable. I am Yebal by the way."


    "I know," Erik chuckled as Yebal struggled to sit next to him, "I used, I don''t even know how I got your information."


    "Ah, you used observe. Be careful to not use it for too long, it does take mana every second it is active."


    "Thanks."


    At this time Erik yed with the interface again, having nothing else to really do. As he yed he opened a tab that showed him that he had a friend request from Haru.


    epting it, he typed, "Hey, sorry Eldrian. Was a hectic day today, the NPCs were all in shock and panic."

 Chapter 86: Taurus relief mission

    <h4>Chapter 86: Taurus relief mission</h4>


    After hearing what had happed to Erik, Eldrian was left gobsmacked. He had never expected that the NPCs would forcibly conscript them.


    "This is gonna blow up so much." He sent to Erik, wondering how thepany would respond to this situation.


    This was different from the others, where yers had actually wanted to join the event. Or where the violence of the battle had left them in shock. In those cases, even if the yer had been used, they had been given a choice at one point. They had even agreed to the realism by signing the contract, thus thepany can ask why they didn''t expect it.


    This was different though, now they were given death and servitude or servitude. Or a yer could recreate their character, yet there was no guarantee that it would not happen again.


    "I hope it does, that punch fucking hurt."


    Reading this, Eldrian burst intoughter. He knew how much it could hurt in the game, and a punch would not hurt much. He certainly wasn''t going to tell this to Erik, not wanting to ruin his pride.


    "Don''t worry about the punch, the game has more to offer," He said instead, alluding to it without directly saying it. "I also suspect that thepany will soon do something about this."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I know they can control, or rather inform the NPCs about their wants. This happened on my second day, when an emergency update was done. I think that they will do something simr to control this event and prevent it from happening again."


    After this they talked a bit more. Eldrian felt that he had indeed been too absorbed in his training, yet he didn''t know how to lessen it. He wanted to fight and he wanted to be good at it. How was he supposed to train less and achieve that?


    By the time Eldrian reached the adventurers guild, their chat had fizzled out to simply sharing details of their different cities. Eldrian realizing that he really needed to find out more about Phallos. Erik almost knew more than he did and had had fun with flowers. Eldrian felt strangely jealous of the simple fun Erik managed to have.


    In the end they simply concluded to keep sharing the things they find, Eldrian also promised to send Erik the modules of the Tier 0 spells he had. Erik needed to learn magic as quickly as possible if he wanted to survive the madness that his starting city was going to be.


    Erik begrudgingly agreed to learn magic, hoping that he would not need to use it to fight. He would like to use it in other manners though.


    Entering the Adventurers guild Eldrian headed straight for the mission-boards. The guild was far busier than he had thought it would be. On his way to board, he asked a random person what was going on.


    "We are gathering and meeting for the mission."


    "What mission?"


    "Check the board, it is impossible to miss."


    Curious Eldrian quickly found the mission they were talking about. The paper containing it was four times the size of the others, drawing all the attention to it.


    Reading it he quickly learned that it would be another event, much like the first. This time on a far grander scale, including an actual army and not just a team.


    ''Well, fuck...'' Eldrian mumbled, realizing that while the situation was better than Vruntis, it was near to the same. The only thing making it better was the Taurus was still holding out.


    From the notice, he learned that they had lost two cities and had called for help. Phallos answered, with this mission. This mission was both a relief and a recognizance mission. Phallos are both granting bonus money to kills and to information rted to the monster invasion.


    After reading it Eldrian head to the counter to learn more, having a few questions left.


    "When is the Taurus Relief mission starting?" He asked a blonddy at the counter.


    "Wednesday. Didn''t you read the mission description?"


    "I did, I just want to make sure about a few things." Eldrian felt embarrassed, while he had asked to make sure. He did not like the look thedy was now giving him.


    "Do I qualify for the sry, even if I am Tier 0?"


    After a slight pause, thedy broke out inughter. "No, why would we offer a sry to someone who can''t even use magic!"


    "But,"


    "No! Only Tier 1 and up can im the sry."


    ''Dammit, I don''t think I can master magic by Wednesday.'' Eldrianined to himself, feeling that he would likely miss the start of this event. He also felt insulted, he had offered more than many in thest event. Why did he need to be Tier 1 to be considered worth something? Naturally this was mostly true only due to his weapon being a magic weapon. Something which can mean more than a single spell or skill.


    "Can I jointer?"


    "Sure, but you will have to sign up after reaching the army. Only then will you be considered as part of it."


    "That makes sense," Yet Eldrian wasn''t happy with this response.


    ''Do I sit it out, or go?'' He asked himself as he left the guild. He wanted to go, especially if he managed to learn some magic. Yet he didn''t think he should rush himself. He needed to learn more than just Tier 0 magic, he needed to reach Tier 1. He had no idea how hard that was going to be, he could only hope it wouldn''t be too hard.


    "Dangit, I don''t want to miss this." Eldrian felt certain that this mission would be tough, nothing in the game had been easy. But due to this he also felt certain that the rewards would be great.


    Thinking of this he was reminded of the Alpha he had in his inventory. ''Shit, I forgot about it!''


    Quickly he called to his cubic inventory and looked inside it. It seemed that the Alpha''s body was still fine, but Eldrian felt that he needed to process it soon. He didn''t want to let it stay inside for much longer.


    ''Alright, master magic and process the Alpha! That is this week''s n!'' Eldrian determined, finding that he really would not be able to join the start of the mission. Luckily he could jointer and he was certain that this mission was going tost very long.


    After confirming his ns he decided to spend the rest of the day in lesaure, first going Old Swords to see if he could visit Vivian a bit. He hadn''t seen her since handing in his quest. If he found her he would ask her to show him around more, else he would simply show himself around.


    He was slightly jealous of how convenient the map was for Erik, wishing he could even just see the entire map. The search function would simply be a bonus.


    ...


    Eldrian spent the next few days continuing his training during the night and studying during the day. Each day he made some slight progress, slowly finding a way that allowed him to connect to more of the module.


    By the end of Tuesday, he managed to break an entire pathway from the spell module. While it caused him quite a shocking pain for a few seconds, he quickly got used to it. After repeating this a few time he started feeling his control move past the simple pathway which had broken off.


    ''Tomorrow, tomorrow I will seed.'' He thought as he looked at the forums and saw some yer postingints about how long they needed to travel for the new quest.


    They had walked the entire day, yet ording to the NPCs, they weren''t even a tenth of the way. Seemingly needing three days'' walk to reach the border of Phallos.


    This lifted Eldrian''s mood a bit, as it assured him that he would not miss too much. Especially if he bought a horse to ride.


    Erik on the other hand was having a worse time, or he would be if he was actually ying the game. He had decided to try and join the game after being forced into war, yet he was quickly forced into training. Not wanting to train he tried to get away, only to be beaten up.


    Furious he suicided, and as he respawned he saw soldiers already rushing at him. Luckily he didn''t see Akarui present, thus he forcefully connected from the game.


    Leaving the soldiers in wonderment as the person they were chasing simply disappeared into particles.


    Eldrian hadughed when Erik had told himter. He found Erik''s choice to be a good one, there was no reason he needed to y and hate it. It was supposed to be fun. He wasughing since Erik was the only person who could really take such drastic measures. Most other yers would be bound by their equipment and XP. While they can ce their equipment in their inventory, they can not do anything for their XP.


    Tomorrow was also the hearing for Miracle Corporation, where they were going to defend themselves against the yers who were trying to sue them. Yet the news from their side was, well silent. They had simply said that they wished to broadcast their hearing, saying that they wanted to take that time to exin some of the things to everyone.


    Naturally, the yers had noint about this, hoping it would humiliate thepany.

 Chapter 87: GAIAs history: Miracles hearing

    <h4>Chapter 87: GAIA''s history: Miracle''s hearing</h4>


    *** World creation chapter - lore heavy warning, for those who dislike lore chapters ***


    Eldrian was a bit disappointed that the hearing was going to sh with one of his sses, he was on the fence about skipping his ss to attend it. Yet if it ran long he would have to miss the ending in any case, seeing as he was writing a test in the next ss.


    Luckily they had said they would make the hearing avable on the forum, allowing anyone to review it when they wanted.


    Coming back from ss Eldrian grabbed something quick to eat and opened the forums, wanting to know what happened. He had already heard people talking about how Miracle Corporation came out of it without a scratch, having left the yers no way of pressuring them anymore.


    At least until something new happened.


    Loading the video Eldrian saw the empty courtroom, only the intiffs''wyer, Miracle Corporation''swyer and representative inside the courtroom. Other than the judge and jury that is, both of which didn''t get much screen time.


    It naturally made sense that the intiffs could not be present, seeing as most of them were from different countries. Yet not seeing even one inside the courtroom looked weird. This was actually a decision from the court, having decided that it would be difficult to choose one person to represent all the yers.


    "Can we start?" The judge asked her voice carrying easily through everyone. Eldrian even felt himself sitting up straighter, her voice had a certainmanding tone to it, in strong contrast to her old appearance.


    "Yes, your honor." Said Miracle''swyer, the otherwyer also voicing his confirmation. After which the hearing started.


    The intiff''swyer ced their evidence, hammering on the situation in Vruntis. After a bit of back and fort, Miracle''swyer managed to win over most of the jury. Strongly relying on the contract all yers had signed, yet they could not win when Vruntis was mentioned.


    As such the intiff''swyer was forced to only try and fight for the Vruntis yers, yet he had not nned for this. Having thought he would manage to gain more from it, yet not needing to rely on it.


    After a bit more of back and fort they simply came to the conclusion that those who had suffered in Vruntis would be paid a small relief of a few hundred dors. The amount was so little since they could have simply not yed the game for a few days and so doing have avoided being forced into action.


    "If that is everything we will then end the hearing here." The judge said, waiting for one of thewyers to say something more.


    "We would like to say a bit more. We know it is not really the ce for it, but we want to do it in the courtroom. As a way to show how serious we take this and that we do not lightly share this information." Said Miracle''swyer.


    "I will allow it." The judge replied, herself curious about what this was going to be about.


    "Sir," Thewyer then indicated for Miracle''s representative, who stood up and stood in the center of the courtroom.


    "This is quite unconventional, but I feel we have enough time. The hearing was supposed to take four hours and only two have passed."


    "Most of you likely remember me from back when I exined the trailer to everyone. Last time I gave a short description of how the trailer was created. But I did not really go into how we made the game. Due to the pressure we had been under from governments and corporations wanting to obtain our information, we have chosen to share a bit more."


    "Hopefully this will inform them on our stance and that we will not budge."


    "Firstly, who am I. I am one of the head developers of A New World. I was with Miracle since the start, since GAIA."


    "This is also where I want to start, where we started. Years ago... We had finally made a breakthrough in a system we were developing, in both AI andputational power. That was twenty years ago."


    "To test what our new system was able to do we decided to ask it to do something quite unordinary. We asked it to make a world."


    "But we didn''t want a normal world, so we split the AI''s consciousness into two and called the pair GAIA. We tasked the one, GA, to create a and in fact an entire universe. But we told it to make this universe magical by design. Allowing GA to ignore scientific data -even gravity. Only using simple mathematics to ensure everything was whole, soon a wonderful ce was born. One never before even envisioned."


    "We then asked IA to find a way to let everything make sense. Telling it to use science and modify it, to make everything work as in reality, but with other rules. Through this magic was born."


    "Giving GAIA this task took all the data allocation we could give, leaving us with a system we did not understand. Thus we went on to other projects while waiting for GAIA to finish. This took three years."


    "When we could finally look at the world created, we were left astounded and clueless. GAIA using all the data and unable to be given more. To try and solve our own ignorance of this new world we set to improving our system. Managing, after two years, to increase the avable data by 10%."


    "We started using this, while still trying to increase it, to figure out what had been created."


    "The way we did this was by making more AI''s, GAIA was in too delicate a state to be changed. To each AI we gave a task, to figure out how a specific part of this world worked."


    "After around 5 more years we finally managed to figure out enough to make sense of the world we had created. Next, we tasked the learning AI''s to create fauna and flora. We eventer tasked them with making humans and devils, letting the AI''s use the inte to gather the needed information. Naturally, these mystical beings needed to be altered to fit the world''s rules, yet most managed to be recreated in the world."


    "Another few years passed and we had a fantasy world. A New World was born at this time."


    "While this world was amazing, it was boring and stagnate. Thus we decided to instigate a war, using the nature of the creatures and nudging the AI''s who created them, their gods. We managed to divide the races into three types, Kalos being good-natured races and Kako being Evil. Naturally some creatures stayed neutral and did not fall into either, these creatures normally being the strongest beings on GAIA."


    "The goal of the Kako races is to annihte the Kalos, while the Kalos was given a goal of survival. The AI then gave blessings to their creatures to try and make this happen. Yet we soon found that the Kalos races were heavily outnumbered. So we introduce a sign indicating the allowance of war."


    "We then let this world simply live, introducing the war for over 2000 times. Soon it became clouded in the world''s history and wase to be known as the monster invasions."


    "By the time we felt the world was advanced enough, over a million years had passed in it. We slowed down the passing of time and started getting the world ready for the yers."


    "We decided to make this ourst repetition. The invasion will not be stopped this time, thus if the yers do not stand up and show strength, the gaming world will soon be destroyed."


    "We do not really care if the game continues or dies. We have learned more than we ever hoped to and managed so much. We actually already have ns for when this system gets cleaned." This was more said aimed at those pressuring Miracle and not the yers. It was meant to inform them that Miracle did not care for the game much. It is more just a pet project of theirs.


    "So yers, decide on who''s side you are on. Perspective yers, decide if you truly want to join the game. We are not in need of money and thus will not be selling any new headsets for the next few months. By which time the situation will likely be very serious."


    "Now, as to why I exined this. It is simple, we simply wanted to inform you that we can only talk to the gods in the game, as they are our AI. We will give them an order to forbid NPCs from forcing yers into something. While we do not care for the end of the world, we do care for the yers. We at least want them to enjoy it while itsts."


    "A warning, before I end my monologue. NPCs will still be able to do terrible things to yers. Use your suicide option if you feel threatened. We gave it to yers for a reason."


    "We are also loosening the logout penalty, allowing yers to log out without penalty if they have not been inbat for 10 seconds. This should help yers in many cases."


    After finishing his long talk, the representative walked back to his seat.


    At this time the judge asked in a daze, "Are you saying you made an entire world?"


    "No, we made an AI who made a new universe." The representative replied as he took his seat. Soon after the case was settled and Miracle only needed to pay around ten thousand dors in total aspensation to the yers in Vurnits.


    Eldrian sat in a daze after watching this.


    "Fuck!"

 Chapter 88: First spell cast

    <h4>Chapter 88: First spell cast</h4>


    "Screw the developer!" Eldrian let out in anger. How can they be fine with letting the NPC die, why do they not help them instead? He found it hard to settle his thoughts.


    Sure the NPC''s weren''t physically real, yet from what Eldrian had experienced and the story they shared, he felt certain that they really lived. He himself did not know to what level he would admit their life. Are they equal to animals? No, they were more, but are they equal to humans on earth? Humans in reality? Was this the only reality?


    Eldrian struggled with these thoughts, time passing and his food getting cold. In the end he only managed toe to a conclusion, which itself was still a question.Does it matter, is life not thought?


    While the process of how the game had been made was fascinating to him, as both a gamer and an IT student, it also scared him. He wondered what else they had also managed to do. Obviously, they have more secrets which they did not want to share. This frightened Eldrian, making him wonder how powerful Miracle Corporation actually was.


    He also realized that they were heartless, or else he could not grasp the news he had heard. A part of him hoped that they had overyed their opinion and that they would not let the entire gaming world be destroyed, or rather conquered.


    He had never really done much research on Miracle Corporation. He only knew that they were a science-basedpany that dabbled a bit in gaming for thest few years. He now understood why they did not im to be a gamingpany, no other gamingpany would treat their game as a secondary product.


    That is likely it. It was just an experiment and the game is another. Fuck! Did I sign up for an experiment?


    The more Eldrian thought of everything, the angrier he became. Yet he could not stop ying the game, he did not want to condemn all those inside to death. Recalling the story Erik had told him about the little girl in the garden, Eldrian''s resolve grew solid. Far more solid than ever before.


    Not in a mood to finish his dinner Eldrian logged into the game. Determined to try his best. He hoped that other yers also would do so.


    Waking up, Eldrian knew that it was too early for Dave to be awake. But instead of going training, he spent his time going through the spell modules Dave had given him. He knew magic was more important than his drills, without it he would never manage to be truly strong.


    He tried to cast each spell a few times, nothing happening after each cast. Contrary to this he could feel, somehow, that he was close. Close to finally finishing his first task in using magic.


    After around an hour of trying and failing he stopped and decided to clean himself. After a few days he had learned to simply keep his bath filled. While he could fill it himself, the walk to get a bucket took around 5 minutes each time. He did not want to spend half an hour just to ready his bath, nor did he want to bother Dave every time.


    Naturally this was not favorable but he preferred cleaning himself, even in used water, over just going on with his day. It helped him wake, even more than he already was, readying himself for the day.


    ...


    In the dungeon Eldrian focused as before while casting Anthos, quickly finding himself in the magical abyss again. Knowing what to do he allowed the stem of the spell module to break off, reattaching it only secondster. He repeated this and soon felt his control spreading over the module.


    A few more triester, where he had been expelled from the magical abyss, needing to rest and recast the spell. He finally managed to feel his control over the entire module. Yet he had no idea what this control was, he believed it was mana, yet he could not feel it physically.


    Even more triester and he managed to start ying with the module. After a few experiments he tried to make it bigger. Failing to control the expansion it soon grew hundreds of times its normal size and he was immediately sent out of the magical abyss.


    "You managed, something..." Dave said, excitement clear in his voice. He had been wondering how much longer it would take Eldrian. While his speed was actually insanely fast, Dave was starting to miss his mornings to himself.


    "Yeah, but I still can''t feel mana."


    "But you can control the spell module?"


    "Yes?" Eldrian himself was unsure as he answered.


    "Well, you do that with mana." Dave hinted.


    "But I still don''t understand how."


    "Keep trying. I am sure you will manage soon." Just as Eldrian was getting ready to cast the spell again Dave added, "Remember to find the nodes!"


    Nodes, right.


    Back in the magical abyss he again tried to erge the module, focusing on only erging it to twice its size. After a few seconds he actually managed, yet he still could not find the spell''s nodes.


    Maybe they are microscopic? He thought, spending the rest of his time ying with the size of the module. Strangely he was kicked out of the magical abyss sooner than he expected.


    Does the spell module size impact the time I can stay? He wondered, deciding to experiment more on itter. For now he would not increase the size of the module, he needed all the time he could get.


    He repeated this a few times. Each time trying to size his perspective instead of the module. Somehow he managed after around an hour of attempts.


    Just an hour left. He sighed, knowing that that was the time he had before his magical fatigue would be too high for him to gain anything from his training.


    On his next attempt he managed to massively change his perspective, the module looking simr to his first sizing attempt. Yet he managed to not get kicked out of the magical abyss.


    I did it?


    I did it! Happy, he started floating around the module in curiosity. On his next attempt he tried to find the spell''s nodes, failing in this task. On the following attempt he managed to find a node.


    As he did he felt something. He felt like his heart was beating while he could feel something simr to air, smoothing and cool, moving through him, instead of over him. Concentrating on the node he almost managed to figure something out. Only to be kicked out right before he could.


    Seeing the excitement on Eldrian''s face Dave warned, "Remember to rest between casts."


    "I know."


    "Yes, what is it?" Dave asked, easily spotting the question in Eldrian''s eyes.


    "What do I do now that I found the spell''s nodes?"


    After which Eldrian exined to Dave how he had to go about everything to have finally found it.


    "I believe you need to size it. Increase the size of the nodes, until it is simr to the spell module I drew for you."


    "What do you think will happen?"


    "I suspect you will manage to cast the spell correctly, I am not certain of this though. You said you felt like you almost figured something out? I think you will figure it out when you do this."


    Rested Eldrian cast Anthos again, quickly shrinking his perspective. He managed to find the node quickly after shrinking his perspective.


    Looking at the node he wondered how he was supposed to increase its size. After a few failed attempts he managed to increase one to the size it should be -ording to the drawing. Yet as soon as he did he was kicked out of the magical abyss.


    That was quicker than it should be. So this also impacts the time I can be inside the magical abyss?


    Frustrated that aplishing something made it harder, Eldrian entered again. Taking his frustration out on the nodes. He first focused on finding them all, then trying to erge them from his memory of their location. He managed to erge two this time, yet the following attempt did not yield more.


    Around half an hourter he finally managed to erge three. Continuing his attempts he tried again and again.


    Last try. He was already over what he normally allowed his magical fatigue to grow to. If he did not seed now, he would have to wait until tomorrow.


    Eldrian hoped he would seed. Taking his time to rest, he prepped himself and cast Anthos. Quickly without even changing his perspective, he erged the first three. Having memorized all the nodes'' positions, not needing to see them to do this. Guess the time spent getting familiar with the pieces helped greatly.


    Focusing on thest he hoped it would erge before he was kicked out. Soon he finished and felt himself being refreshed and awakened.


    Confused he looked at Dave who said while grinning widely, "You managed to cast the spell."


    [Questpleted: A Veterans Training; Part 2]


    [Quest giver: Dave]


    [Quest Description: yer must learn how to wield magic.]


    [Quest Progress: 1/1 spells or skills cast]


    [Quest Rank: B -> S]


    [Quest Time limit: None]


    [Quest Reward: 5000 XP, [XP for B-ranked quest]]


    [Quest continuation possible, speak to Dave and Old Sword]


    But how? Eldrian, befuddled looked at the message and then to Dave again.


    "How?"


    He just barely managed to see thest node erge, getting kicked out immediately after it did.

 Chapter 89: Cast versus Casted

    <h4>Chapter 89: Cast versus Casted</h4>


    "I suspect it is because you managed to resize all the nodes. You did, right?" Dave answered Eldrian''s question, bringing him back from his thoughts.


    "I did? Yes, I did manage to grow them all to their correct size. But how does that change anything?" Eldrian could not understand why this was a sessful cast while all those before had been failures. They had also used his mana and he had even felt the effect of the spell from time to time.How was this time different? He questioned himself, finding no answer.


    "It changes things in that instead of just releasing mana, the spell was now cast through mana instead."


    Seeing that Eldrian still did not understand, Dave continued, "You see, before the magical crystal always pulled your mana out of you. In this way you lost mana even when the spell was not cast. You are probably confused since the effect of the spell appeared a few times."


    "This was not because you cast the spell correctly, but because mana always searches for a stable form to be when leaving a person''s body. As such, it often formed into the equivalent of what it would be if the spell had been cast and thus changed the mana. Yet you never truly cast the spell, the mana simply decided to form into afortable form."


    "This time instead, I believe that as soon as youpleted the spell module by correcting its nodes to their normal form, the mana did not simply form into afortable form. Rather it was changed into the appropriate form."


    "That... Makes some sense," Eldrian replied, still lost in many ways. This lost feeling was soon drowned out by the happiness of finally having seeded, which had been slowly oveing his confusion.


    "What is next?" Eldrian asked excitedly, hoping he would soon be able to move on to more spells. Hopefully he might even manage to reach Tier 1 by the weekend.


    "I guess next is for you to learn to cast magic outside of the dungeon. I think we cane here tomorrow again to see if you are able to cast the spell again. If you are, then you have to tap into what you have learned and what you feel here. From this you will need to learn how to cast a spell without the Magic Crystal''s help."


    Eldrian nodded, agreeing with what Dave said. He did not know if this had been a fluke, he needed to first make sure of that before getting ahead of himself.


    "You are off to Boran''s now, right?" Dave asked just as Eldrian wanted to leave. Both back on the ground floor of the magic tower.


    "Yes."


    "Tell him of this, he will likely give you some new tasks to prep for when you can fully use magic."


    Smiling widely Eldrian thanked Dave and headed off, on the way he bought himself a nice breakfast. Due to his daily task he was making money steadily, leading to him being more carefree when buying stuff to enjoy. Especially since he knew eating here would not affect his real body. This allowed him to cheat in-game and follow a stricter diet IRL.


    He had actually maderge progress in losing weight, but due to how absorbed he had been in other things this had simply slipped past him.


    Instead of directly heading to the shared forge area, he first headed to Boran''s room.


    "Who! Oh... It is you," Boran calmed down quickly after seeing that it was Eldrian. He was just about to get started with a costly and difficult order. Losing his concentration would cost almost a hundred gold.


    "Sorry to disturb you Boran. I just wanted to tell you that I had managed to cast my first spell today. I still don''t know if it was a fluke or..."


    "That''s amazing! I was wondering when you would make progress." Boran interrupted him, sping his shoulder in a form of support.


    "How long until you get total control over magic?"


    "I have no idea."


    "Bah! Won''t be too long now. I guess we need to boost your tasks. Let''s see... Yes, instead of forming standard ingots, you should now aim for great quality ingots."


    "Also, from now on you should, if you can, form a dagger. Here let me show you how and what to focus on."


    Eldrian read the system message as he followed Boran back to his forge.


    [Daily Task: Form 5 Ingots]


    [1 Great Quality, 2 Good Quality, 3 Standard Quality.]


    [Optional: Form a Dagger]


    [Task rank: ZZZ -> Z]


    [Ingots formed: 0]


    [Backlog 26 Standard, 10 Good, 4 Great]


    [Dagger formed: 0, No backlog allowed]


    [Daily Task Reward: 300XP + 50XP, 1 Silver]


    [Time limit: 16 Hours 26 Minutes]


    Eldrian was happy to see the extra 100XP he would gain every day, as well as the optional 50 he could gain too. He wondered if he shouldn''t have just handed in his backlog during the weekend. It would haveted him an extra 400XP.


    Regretting that he had not and determined to do so in the future, he observed Boran as he took an ingot and formed a handle first. This clearly was going to be the hilt of the dagger. After a few measurements, ensuring the handle was afortable size, Boran then moved on to the de. Showing Eldrian what to focus on when forming it, also informing him on what to watch out for and how to ensure the de would form nicely.


    After the forging process, Boran showed Eldrian how to treat the weapon. Starting with the sharpening and tempering, finally ending with the cleaning. In just half an hour a good looking dagger was made.


    Curious Eldrian asked, "What quality is this dagger?"


    "The ingot was simply of Good Quality, so the dagger is Tier 3. Not really worth much."


    Hearing Boran''s thoughts of what yers see as almost top tier item, left Eldrian a bit ufortable. That dagger would sell for more than 10 silver. Thinking of this Eldrian wondered what would happen with the daggers he formed. Which he promptly asked Boran.


    "What happens to the daggers I make?"


    "We sell them of course." Boranughed after saying this.


    "Don''t worry you get twenty percent of the sold value. In other words you get paid for every fifth one you make. But it does depend if you can make one good enough, as we don''t sell things under Tier 3 in the shop. Which means all your standard ingots will be too bad to even make the cut."


    "Use them first as training. Ensure you can get each and everyone to be Tier 2, only then move to your better ingots."


    "Alright," Eldrian nodded while replying, looking forward to being able to make quite a lot from his cksmithing. It certainly did not take too long, he now felt even more motivated.


    "Of you go now." Boran dismissed Eldrian as he started readying himself for his craft. He was asked to form a Tier 6 sword, each failure would cost him around 70 gold. Due to him doing it for a friend, he would be breaking even, even if he only failed once. Thus he needed to do his best and absolutely could not be disturbed.


    Eldrian left Boran and spent the rest of his day making ingots again, when there were around 2 hours left of his normal smithing time, he decided to try and make a dagger.


    It took him much longer than it had taken Boran, making the hilt alone had cost him half an hour. Having needed to repeatedly reform it when he failed to make it the perfect size. He spent even longer on the de, afraid that he might cause it to break.


    After two hours he had a shabby, none finished dagger. Having only managed to form it, not sharpen, temper and clean. Yet he was happy with the end result. The dagger certainly did not hold a candle to Boran''s, but it was decent for his first attempt at forming something more than a simple ingot.


    Curious on its grade Eldrian equipped the dagger, this requiring little more than him holding it and using it with the intent of its designed use.


    Well, at least it isn''t Tier 0. He sighed as he looked at the terrible stats the dagger had. Only 3 attack damage and 180 durability. It would notst long inbat, especially since Eldrian had heard weapons can lose more than 1 durability in certain situations. He felt certain this dagger would often have this happen to it.


    It can work as a knife though. Eldrian thought in a more cheerful manner, storing the dagger inside his inventory. While storing it he saw the body of the Alpha still inside his inventory.


    Ipletely forgot to tell Boran about it! Eldrian headed to Boran''s door, freezing in front of it.


    Is he still busy? He did not want to interrupt Boran. Asking one of thedies who worked the counter he learned that Boran had not left his room once.


    He is likely still busy. Should I go in?

 Chapter 90: Price of progress

    <h4>Chapter 90: Price of progress</h4>


    After a bit of back and forth, Eldrian decided to simply go in. Quietly opening the door, Eldrian almost let the door slip as he felt a heatwave assault his face. Taking a deep breath he sneaked in, finding himself unable to stand the heat after closing the door.


    Struggling to breathe Eldrian slouched against the wall, turning his head to Boran who was in the middle of a fiery storm.


    This fiery storm was in the shape of a sphere. A swirl of mes surrounding him; some looking light and ethereal, others looking simr to molten metal. From time to time sparks would fly, connecting these mes. Forming snaking, shining patterns. Simr to lighting.


    With each spark, Eldrian felt his vision worsen, simr to when one looks into the sun. Entranced by this sigh Eldrian kept looking, even as his eyes started tearing up and he slowly slid down the wall.


    Boran was holding a sword with his hand, the sword giving off a soft silver glow, visible even through the fiery sphere. His hand was covered in a strange blue metal, which was slowly being molten. Fizzling down the metal melted into his arm, yet his only reaction was a slight twitch in his eyes. His full concentration on the sword.


    Eldrian finally managed to breathe after having slidpletely down to the floor, every breath feeling like breathing in mes. Yet being able to breathe was such a relief that he did not mind it too much. Sure the heat only felt simr to barely manageable hot water, at the limit of where it would burn someone.


    Feeling this inside his lungs though was not nice. Nor was it feeling this heat on his eyes and in his throat.


    After some time Eldrian grew used to the heat and sounds. Starting to hear something other than furious winds with a sharp cking sound connected to each spark. Preceding which a deep voice was speaking softly. Eldrian felt himself shiver as he heard this voice, it reaching the depth of his body and soul.


    Eldrian stayed in this position for almost an hour, before the fiery sphere finally seemed to be calming down. In the end, it swirled a few more times. All the mes then suddenly sparked and connected, brightening the room like a mini sun.


    After which the sphere imploded, all the mes being pulled into the sword.


    As it imploded Eldrian was pulled from his position, falling onto the ground. The air in his lungs was also pulled, leaving him gasping for scorching air. He could even feel his throat being burnt, the burnt pain being limited to the feeling of hot water did not help much. Since this burn traveled through him and inflicted all over.


    Beaten and in pain Eldrian simply lied on the ground, hearing Boran''s voice. "That wasn''t very smart. Well, you can''t die so I guess you don''t care too much about the stakes."


    Eldrian slowly recovered and managed to roll over to his side, allowing him to look at Boran. Ultimately the pain was not too much, but the feeling was unbearable. He now realized that he would rather take an option to remove feeling than pain. Especially the feeling inside his body. This was the second time he had been tortured by limited pain in very ufortable locations.


    As the air slowly cooled Eldrian managed to breathe more and started recovering. Sitting up he saw Boran at the forge tending to the sword.


    Not to his hand which was bleeding badly.


    Boran seemed to sense Eldrian getting better as he chose to speak at this time,"I am d it was you and not one of the others." Setting the sword down carefully he came back to Eldrian and asked, "How bad is it?"


    "Ha, ha..." Eldrianughed, trying to get the heat out of him, "Not too bad, what about your arm?"


    "This, this is the price..." Boran replied absentmindedly with a sigh. Finally, he started tending to his wounds. His first task had been making sure the person who had entered had lived and making sure it was not someone who was trying to steal his techniques. The next had been ensuring the sword was in perfect condition. Only now did he have time to mind himself.


    "Fuck, this is bad." Boran cursed as he threw water over his arm. Causing Eldrian to see below the blood. Boran''s arm now had that strange blue metal melted into it. Causing his arm to look like a cruel mix of human''s and robot''s, the fusion having gone wrong.


    Shocked Eldrian wondered how Boran managed to focus when that was happening to him. In a few ces, he could even see Boran''s bone showing. His flesh seemingly having burnt away.


    "You do know you could have died." Boran said as he tried pulling one of the pieces out. Gritting his teeth he soon gave up, it was stuck. He did not want to break his bones by pulling the piece out.


    "I could have?" Eldrian asked rhetorically as he looked at his stats, mortified to find his HP at 12. "H-How can cksmithing be so dangerous?"


    "It isn''t, not untilter that is. You really shouldn''t enter a cksmith''s forging room uninvited, especially not when they are in the middle of forging something."


    "Sorry." Eldrian looked down, ashamed at what he had done. He could have cause Boran serious damage by what he had done.


    "I know you are. I am just warning you, if you were not my apprentice then I would likely have to arrest you."


    "What?"


    "Do you think what you saw was normal? That was actually a new forging technique I discovered today. I still need to learn how to handle it. I certainly can''t allow someone to take that knowledge."


    As the silence grew Eldrian started wondering about something Boran had said, "What price is worth that damage?"


    "The price of progress."


    Eldrian took a few seconds to try andprehend this. "Do you mean, you managed to reach the next Tier?"


    "Correct! I am now a Tier 7 cksmith and Runesmith."


    Tier 7, god. That is insane... Eldrian lost himself in thought, he knew that this would put Boran almost equal to a king. Especially since he was a creator and not a fighter. People who could make were far fewer than those who can destroy.


    "Now, Eldrian. Why did you enter my forging room?" Boran asked, his hand had stopped bleeding. Yet somehow this made it look even worse.


    "I forgot to tell you something earlier." Eldrian scratched his head in embarrassment, it was truly not worth him interrupting Boran. Luckily it did not turn out too bad.


    "Oh?" Boran wondered what would be so important Eldrian could not wait until the next day.


    "During the mission I helped in killing an Alpha Direwolf. I actually stored the corpse in my inventory and am wondering what to do with it."


    "That is a nice bounty. What are your ns?"


    "I don''t really have any. I hoped to wait until I managed to actually learn magic and cksmithing. But that took longer than I had nned, I am worried that the corpse will spoil."


    "Don''t worry, if it is stored in your inventory then it should work simrly to dimensional storages. They generally slow the time effect on things by a thousand times or more. Some evenpletely stop an item''s time. Therger your dimensional storage the more it will lean to theter."


    "That is a relief." Eldrian sighed in relief. Happy that he did not have to worry about it. If a simple cubic meter had a thousand slowing effect, then his three cubic meters should be near ten thousand or more. Well depending on if it is the volume that rules this or something else, it could naturally vary greatly.


    "When you are ready to process it, I will help you." Boran winked at Eldrian as he said this. He wanted an easy project after the one he had justpleted. He wanted to especially try the technique on beast materials and he currently did not have any good quality beast materials.


    Boran could easily get some, but he felt this would be more fun. It would also allow him to train Eldrian more personally, having something he could also learn would enable him to connect to Eldrian easier.


    "Awesome!" Eldrian burst out, unable to hide his excitement.


    "Now, if that is all, I need to go to the temple of life. This wound is not healing."


    Eldrian hurriedly stood up, finding that most of his strength had returned by now. After which he headed out with Boran. As they left through the shop the shopkeepers were all shocked to see the state Boran was in. They cast a look to Eldrian, wondering if he was the cause. If this was the case though then it was strange that Boran was still friendly with him.


    "Rx, I should be fine. In the worst case, I should be able to remove my arm and get it regenerated." Boran said, seeing the worry in Eldrian''s eyes.


    "R-Right..." Eldrian stumbled over his words, caught unprepared by such a thing being said casually.


    "Come tomorrow morning to me first. I want an update on your magic training. And really don''t worry, this might even be a blessing in disguise."


    Confused by thest part, Eldrian watched Boran as he speedily disappeared into the streets. Shocked by how quick Boran had run.


    How the hell is he so fast? That does not fit his style!


    Eldrian spent some time wondering how Boran was so fast and some more time wondering how such a grievous wound could be a blessing. In the end he decided to just forget it for now, heading to the magic tower to log out.

 Chapter 91: Complaint & feeling mana

    <h4>Chapter 91: Comint & feeling mana</h4>


    Having done his morning exercise, dressed and eaten, Eldrian opened the forum to see the reaction to the trail/hearing. While at it he also sent Erik a message asking if he had tried logging back in at the same time.


    Not surprisingly there was arge number ofints. Especially on how thepany was willing to just abandon everything. The yer base was enraged, yet they had no way to really fight back. Thepany had kept its promise, giving them a device that allowed them to get their sleep back. Being able to use this for nearly a month already and the world which they could explore.


    The cheapness of the headset to beta yers made this even more difficult to fight. There had been no promise that the game would be online for years. They had actually signed up to test it, naturally, this meant the test could end quickly.


    Eldrian found this uproar to be a good thing. This had brought most of the yers together. They had no idea if thepany was going to release another game after or not. The yers, at the very least, did not want to lose the hours they gained from the headset. Some more sympathetic wanted to help the NPCs and others simply wanted to learn more about the world.


    All of which led to them wanting the game to survive.


    Many new posts appeared. The yersing together to form a n for helping the NPCs. Naturally, guns were one of the hottest topics made, with many yers asking if any yer knew how to actually make one from scratch. Wondering if they would even be able to make guns in the game.


    Some even went as far as to contact friends and professionals they knew, asking them to teach them how to make guns, gunpowder and bullets. The difficult part was that these people had to teach them how to do it from medieval technology. Most of the yers also did not have free capital to use in the game.


    But how effective will they be? Eldrian questioned if this would resolve everything, but at the least it would enable the NPCs to gain a massive advantage. He knew from experience that most of the weakest monsters could be killed by normal arrows, thus they should logically be kible by a gun.


    The question was rather how many stronger ones were there and if a gun could hurt them.


    Can a gun beat magic, can a gun be integrated into magic? This question was also raised in the posts, most agreed that there was no way to know unless they tried.


    Eldrian liked that the yers now actually were on track with what he had hoped for. This made him decide to share what he had gone through with the other High Elves. Naturally he warned them that the process took long and was extremely difficult, he hoped it would give them hope to continue trying as High Elves.


    At the same time he hoped many would give up and choose an easier race, allowing them to be of more help. Leaving only the most determined as High Elves.


    As he finished browsing and leaving a few motivationalments, he received a reply from Erik. From which Erik replied that he had not entered the game, he was rather going to wait until he was sure he would not be hunted and forced. Eldrian simply replied by saying that it should be fine by tonight, after which they talked about the reveal Miracle had done.


    Erik was deeply shocked by it too, but for other reasons. He now understood how the world could seem so real, leading him to wonder what it actually was that they had used to make it. He really wanted to learn more about how the AI''s made the world.


    Just before Eldrian headed to ss he also got a call from his sister. She told him that she was nning on going home for the weekend, asking if he wanted to join. Since they only had one car between them.


    Eldrian decided not to, feeling that his parents wouldn''t allow him to game as much as he wanted. If not for ss and the time limit, he was certain he would pull a few full-day ys. His parents would differently not allow him to be on the game for 16 hours each day.


    ...


    Back in game Eldrian excitedly tried casting Anthos as soon as he woke up, failing.


    Why did it fail? Not understanding why he headed to the first floor, Dave already waiting for him.


    "Ready?"


    "Yes," As Eldrian took his normal spot he asked, "I tried to cast the Anthos, but it failed."


    "Naturally." Eldrian heard this reply right before they teleported, after which he heard the rest. "You only focused on the spell model right?"


    "Yes?"


    "Have you forgotten that you are a High Elf? You need to also focus on the mana. Not just on the mana either, but on its flow too."


    "But I still can''t feel it mana."


    "You should be able to, just need to figure out what it feels like. Go ahead cast the spell."


    Eldrian did as he was told, finding himself in the magical abyss again. The spell module again having no nodes. Spending a few seconds he quickly managed to grow the nodes, getting kicked out of the magical abyss and feeling the effect of the spell.


    "You didn''t cast it immediately. Why?"


    "The nodes were small again."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know?"


    "What are nodes?"


    "I can''t remember..." Eldrian mumbled as he scratched his head. Havingpletely forgotten what Dave had told him long ago.


    "The nodes are how mana goes into the spell module. Without them, no spell can be cast. The pathways, or lines, are how the mana flows after entering the module. They determine the type of spell."


    "So when you do not have nodes, what happens?" Dave had thought of this a great deal after yesterday, himself wanting to find out the difference between High Elves and humans. He believed that he had found at least one of therge differences.


    "The spell simply, floats?" Eldrian said,cking a better word for what he felt was happening.


    "In a sense, yes. You have a spell and no mana, the crystal pulls mana and some flows through the spell module. Yet the spell is not the main cause of the flow of mana."


    "On your next cast, focus on the feeling you get when casting the spell. This should be the end result of the mana. Also, try to feel the mana before. Unfortunately, I can''t help you in this step either."


    Eldrian did as instructed. Casting the spell again, he first erged only one node, trying to feel if something changed. Not feeling anything he erged another, not feeling anything either he erge the third.


    What is this?


    Before he could get an answer he was back in his body. Yet he believed that was the transition point. The spell didn''t cast fully allowing him to feel a bit longer than when he erged all four.


    He repeated this for around half an hour, finding that his mana spent was actually less now that the spells were being half-cast. This allowed him to do it four times in a row before needing to rest.


    I think that should be the mana before.


    Eldrian concluded that the cool air, simr to soft water at the right Ph, was the mana before being transformed. He then spent another half an hour to feel what it felt like if he erged all three.


    This feeling was soothing, simr to cing ice or burn relief on a burn wound. Sending an immediate relief through his body.


    I still don''t get how this is mana, but let''s try it.


    Determined Eldrian focused on casting the spell. Imagining the spell module now did not even take a tenth of his concentration. The rest of his concentration was on the feeling.


    As he said Anthos he focused on the cool soft feeling turning into the burn relief feeling. This time he did not find his mind entering the magical abyss, nor did he cast the spell.


    "I think you are ready. Let''s leave the dungeon."


    Eldrianplied while confused about what Dave was even talking about. He felt certain he had failed just now.


    Unknown to him Dave had seen his mana getting stolen by the magic crystal, instead of it moving through him and showing its effect. This was what Dave had always thought would happen when people tried casting spells near the Magic Crystal. Unless they could actually keep their spell''s mana focused that is.


    This was actually what he had expected to happen at the start with Eldrian. His n had been to have him then fight the Magic Crystal for his mana. Yet things had taken apletely different route.


    Dave had hoped to temper one''s control over mana through this, now it seemed that this option was still possible. Just not for High Elves.


    ''I should bring some more people to try. I wonder if the spell Tier would effect the Magic Crystal''s effect?'' Dave pondered as he teleported them back to the ground floor.

 Chapter 92: Casting practice

    <h4>Chapter 92: Casting practice</h4>


    Back on the ground floor of the magic tower, Eldrian took his time to prepare how he was going to cast the spell. Focusing on the feeling he felt, trying to imagine the first turning into the second.


    "Anthos."


    After saying this and simultaneously imagining the spell module and the feeling of mana changing form, Eldrian seeded in casting the spell without the influence of the Magic Crystal. Feeling the relieving feeling flow through him Eldrian was certain he had managed to cast it.


    "Seems like we don''t need to use the Magic Crystal again." Davemented, seeing Eldrian able to cast the spell on his own.


    Eldrian smiled widely as he bathed in the feeling which had already past.That feels so refreshing, how do people not get addicted to it? Wondering this Eldrian cast the spell again, and again. Then some more, relishing in the soothing feeling brought by this spell.


    "Take a break Haru." Dave said after Eldrian cast the spell for the fifth time. "You might be able to cast the spell but your control over your mana is extremely weak. You are more only hinting at what it should do, instead of taking control."


    "But it feels so nice to just cast a spell." After taking a moment to think more clearly Eldrian shook his head to get those thoughts out of him. "You are right, but I don''t know how how to control my mana. I also do not even know all the forms it can be in."


    "You will learn thetter with time. For the other you need to follow the flow of mana as you cast the spell. I am going to get a book to read, continue practicing." Saying this Dave started climbing the stairs.


    Eldrian did as told and cast the spell a few more times, simply enjoying the feeling. After which he told himself to get serious. Pushing past the nice feeling clouding his mind, he tried to focus on the mana inside him. Locating where it starts and trying to follow it as it moved through his body.


    After around half an hour and 30 castster he received a message from the system.


    [Spell learned]


    [Anthos, Tier 0, rank 0]


    [Anthos is a refreshing spell, doing minor healing. The healing is limited to scratches and very shallow wounds, when focused.]


    [Recovers 2 HP [Diminishing returns, zero recovery after three casts - 2 hours cd.]


    [Cost 5 mana]


    [No cast cooldown [Due to having learned the spell from root]]


    Not impressive at all, 2 HP, really? And diminishing returns? Eldrian felt that the effort had exceeded the reward. Yet he knew that this was the weakest spell possible. He also knew he had spent most of his time learning magic, not the spell.


    Eldrian was also confused in the contrast he felt existed, the soothing feeling certainly did not feel like just 2 HP.Wait what if 2 HP means 2%? Relieving 2% of your life or at least health. That is, a lot... Eldrian drifted off into thought for a while after thinking this, shocked at what HP could actually represent.So having only 10HP means you are only 10% alive. No... How does it work.


    After a few more minutes Eldrian decided to drop it. He had no way to find the answer at his current level. Next, he wondered what the rank of a spell was. Tier is the only ranking I had heard of before. So what is rank?


    Eldrian started casting the spell again while thinking of the rank, Daveing back around this time. "Have you gotten used to casting it? Have you managed to follow the flow of your mana?"


    "Yes, I can cast it easily now," Eldrian replied, having found it much easier to cast the spell after the system had given him recognition on having learned it.


    "But I keep failing in following the mana, as soon as it starts changing I lose its location. Only managing to find it again when it is at the end result."


    "Try casting one of the other spells, maybe it will help you. Do you remember the spell module for Floga? The Tier 0 fire spell."


    "Yes, I remember all six you had given me. I had memorized them all."


    "Good, try to cast any of them."


    Eldrian did, yet failed.


    "Cast Anthos now."


    Eldrian did, failing to see why he was doing this. Dave then asked him to cast each one he knew between a cast of Anthos. Rotating through all of the spells he knew. After a few minutes he started feeling his mana churn for the other spells, yet it failed to move more than the initial reaction.


    "Repeat this until you can''t anymore," Dave instructed, finding himself a seat as he started reading the book he had gone to fetch.


    Eldrian did as instructed, spending around another hour casting the spells. Making sure to mix up the order of the others, even if they were not casting. By the end of the hour he could feel the cool soft air feeling of mana swirling around his diaphragm when casting a spell. Yet as soon as he stopped he lost this location, even if all his focus had been on it. As if his mana simply disappeared.


    At this time Dave stopped reading and looked at Eldrian, who had stopped casting spells. "Did you discover anything?"


    "I think so, I can feel mana around my diaphragm, but only after casting a spell."


    Dave cast Magic-Inspection to see what was going on, asking Eldrian to cast the spells a few times more. With Magical-Inspection Dave saw Eldrian''s mana currently static at his diaphragm, only moving after he cast a spell.


    This made Dave wonder a few things, the first being why Eldrian''s mana was stationary. The other was why it was in the form of a pool and not the spread system he had seen before, when Eldrian had looked at the Magic Crystal. ''I should let him look at it again. Maybe he can gain something from it.'' Dave thought, wanting to see if Eldrian''s mana would change form again or not.


    By now Eldrian was nearing Magical fatigue level 5, luckily he could continue casting even at that level. Only having far less mana to use and recovering the mana points took longer and longer. But his analysis after each caststed long enough for him to not really feel the regen slow.


    After around another hour, 8 o clocking around in the morning, Eldrian decided to call it quits for the day. He still could not follow the flow of mana, but he was bing better at feeling his mana.


    Just as he wanted to leave Dave stopped him, "I wonder if you want to try and look at the Magic Crystal again?"


    "Why?"


    "I think it awakens something of your elven part. Then again we should maybe wait until you get used to feeling your mana. Or this can help in that." Dave rambled, not even realizing that he had said thest two sentences.


    "I guess we can try." Eldrian shrugged, feeling that it was worth a try. Last time he had simply fallen unconscious, so he doubted if something worse would happen.


    ...


    Back in the dungeon Dave let the ice surrounding the Magic Crystal melt, letting the water join back into the air as moisture.


    Eldrian watched it melt with a mix of emotions in his heart. He hoped this would enable him to do much more, he wanted to save as much time as possible.


    As the crystal became visible Eldrian was worried he would faint, yet after a few seconds with nothing happening he started doubting if anything would happen.


    Answering his doubts he felt his heart beating stronger and stronger, concentrating on himself he felt his mana moving rapidly from his diaphragm to his heart. Collecting into it, after it all collected into his heart each beat sent mana out.


    What is going on? Eldrian wondered as he followed this flowing mana. Soon he also started feeling the mana change into a varied of other forms; scorching heat, freezing cold, lightness, heaviness, light and rity, darkness and absence. He also felt soothing relief simr to the feeling when he cast Anthos, allowing him to take a guess on what each feeling represented.


    As he lost himself in these feelings he soon drifted of and fainted.


    ''He managed to stay awake during the start, but it seems that the mana being active takes a toll on him.'' Davemented, quite happy with his experiment. He was certain that Eldrian had learned a lot from this. Considering the smile he had gone out with.


    ...


    Waking up Eldrian found himself on the ground floor again.


    "I guess we need to visit the Magic Crystal a few more times. What did you see?"


    "I didn''t see anything. I felt, the types, or... I felt the changes possible in mana." Eldrian answered, unsure how to put it into words. Yet he wanted to look at the crystal again, feeling that a few more tries would enable him to cast all the spells he knew.


    Unfortunately, he found that his magical fatigue had grown, being level 7 now. Leaving him with only 11 mana. He had no idea what happened when he reached the max level for fatigue, and he did not want to find out.


    Deciding to stop for the day Eldrian thanked Dave for his help and headed to Boran''s

 Chapter 93: Sword and a blacksmith lesson

    <h4>Chapter 93: Sword and a cksmith lesson</h4>


    At Boran''s Eldrian headed directly for his room as they agreed on the day before. Seeing him marching toward''s Boran''s forging room, one of the shopkeeperdies tried to stop him. Stopping after recognizing him.


    "So you are finally here," Boran said. His hand, still covered in blue metal veins, sliding over the sword he had made the day before. Boran had taken the morning to simply enjoy and retrospect what had happened when he had forged this sword. Trying to grasp onto the feelings he had had when making it.


    "Sorry I am sote. Still struggling with magic, but I am making progress." Eldrian replied, happy to see Boran in a good mood.


    "That''s good... Do you want to take a closer look?" Boran invited Eldrian holding the sword towards him hilt first. As Eldrian neared him he saw the blue metal merged within Boran''s hand. It looked far better than before, with most of Boran''s skin having been healed around the metal. Making it look more natural. If still a bit strange.


    "Could they not remove it?"


    "Seems that magic is... Tricky." Boran chuckled after saying this, looking at his own arm again with a mix of emotions.


    "Sorry."


    "Don''t be. Like I said it might be a blessing. Just need to figure out what the heck is going on with it. Now how does this sword look?"


    Boran pushed the sword forward and Eldrian took it by the hilt. Astonished by how light it felt Eldrian looked at it in amazement. Only to be more amazed at how, in, it looked. The sword itself was certainly extremely beautiful, but Eldrian had expected it to be covered in fantastical runes.


    Only the hilt seemed to have runes carved onto it, the de itself was clean. While it did have a wavy nature to it, simr to damascus steel, this did not really seem magical to Eldrian.


    "Disappointed?"


    "No, no." Eldrian shook his head in denial. While his expectations had not been met, the de looked natural and magnificent. It also felt like a glove in his hand, seemingly merging with him.


    "Don''t lie, you were expecting it to be like a piece of art, covered inplicated runes. Right?"


    Scratching his head Eldrian replied softly, "Yes."


    "Remember that effective and good looking often sh. Complicated also does not mean better. So always focus on the effect of the thing you are making, before trying to make it look good orplicated."


    At this point Eldrian handed the de back to Boran. "I understand, and I think I already know the importance of this."


    "Well, you might have missed another part. Do not get rid of nature. Embrace it."


    Confused Eldrian looked at Boran as he took the de and ced it into the forge. After a few seconds the mes of the forge were drawn into the de, soon being extinguished.


    "I just figured out how I needed to finish it." Boran said, bringing the de out of the forge. The wavy patterns over the de seemingly havinge alive. Shining brightly and flowing, the sword was seemingly breathing with every pulse of heat. As if it had just gotten a heartbeat.


    "Wow."


    "Nature also has strength, I often also forget this. Its strength also never shes with its beauty. Remember this when forging in the future. Some metals have their own, runes, adding yours onto it will only ruin it." Boran paused before runes, unsure how to exin it to Eldrian. He had decided to keep it simple for now.


    Eldrian nodded, speechless. As he continued to observe the de he could see the heat slowly moving towards the hilt. Soon turning the sword back into a more normal-looking sword, only the runes on the hilt now glowed red. Softly.


    "Wish I could have made it more effective." Boran sighed, looking at the runes in disappointment. If he had known the effect of what he had discovered, then he might have been able to make this sword much better.


    "I don''t understand."


    "And you won''t. Not until you have made your first magical weapon." Boran added sighing as he did, "Perfection is an abyss."


    After a slight pause he spoke again,"In any case, you should get to work today. Remember only Tier 3 and over daggers will be epted. So take your time when making them, don''t rush."


    "How..." Eldrian stammered, Boran continuing before he could finish his sentence.


    "Everyone rushes at first. We all think we can do it as fast as the one who taught us. Remember that I am far, and I mean far, stronger than you. Take it slow and only focus on forming the de. After that focus on the hilt. On normal weapons, the de counts for almost all of its quality. The hilt consisting of the pommel, guard and grip only make up a very small amount. And this is only for handling, the de quality is of top importance.."


    "It is only when magic bes involved that these parts count more. Naturally, the hilt needs to be usable. But you can leave it for your first few daggers."


    "Thanks."


    Leaving Boran''s room Eldrian''s thoughts were split between the sword and Boran''s arm. He did not want to bring it up more, afraid to upset Boran. He hoped that it did not hamper Boran''s forging. It certainly looked far better than when it was fresh. All of Boran''s flesh was whole, there was simply blue metal inside his arm, like veins or roots. In a way it almost looked nice, only not fitting with the rest of Boran''s appearance.


    As normal Eldrian started his cksmithing by forming a few rough ores into shape. Quickly making the needed ingots, asking his forge partner to inspect them for him. Eldrian could not wait until he could do it himself.


    Luckily the daily task has not be more difficult, still requiring him to only make 1 great quality and 2 good. He managed to do this after making a total of 10 ingots. After which he still had around five hours left with which he could be online.


    Taking a break he rested on one of the chairs and visited the forum. With a recent update he could now go online while keeping his senses, he could even move. The forum simply needed him to split his attention, simr to when someone daydreamed. With all the magic training Eldrian managed to easily keep his senses about him, he could even almost aplish doing a task while at it. He only needed a bit more training.


    At this time he was looking for an update from the yers who had joined the Taurus relief mission. After a bit of searching on the Phallos forum he found a post. The yers were already tired andining. Yet they now onlyined to vent, rather than at the developers.


    The developers had made it clear that they were not going to give in toints.


    Interestingly the yers had not set out for Taurus immediately, instead, they were first on their way to a meeting spot between Agosstead and another city. This was seemingly the rally point for the army.


    Taking a nce at the pictures the yer had uploaded, Eldrian was shocked by the size of the army sent by Agosstead. ording to the yer it was more than a hundred thousand soldiers. The other cities all had seemingly sent around that number of soldiers. Meaning the total army would be over 2 million.


    I guess yers are really not going to do much. Not unless we be strong or get guns.


    Eldrian was reminded of how dire the situation actually was from these numbers. He also wondered if Old Sword and Vivian were part of the army. Likely, was his only thought. This saddened him as he worried about Vivian.


    Finally, Eldrian decided to try harder. If he could manage to reach Tier 1 in a week then he would likely be able to join them at the border.


    After his break, Eldrian decided to try another dagger. Taking one of the ingots which were too small he started forming it. He did so since the ingots were sized to make normal swords,st time he had wasted more than half the ingot since his dagger had been really small.


    He was aiming for the same this time. Simply practicing how to form the de. He even though of reforming the practice dagger into an ingot after, discarding this though when he realized how much effort it would take.


    Well, Tier 1 is good for just a sharp metal piece. Eldrian thought as he looked at the metal piece he was now holding. This so-called dagger was simply a piece of iron where the one end was formed into a de. It was more simr to a shiv than an actual dagger, but it had shown him that even such a thing is ssified as Tier 1.


    I guess it is Tier 1 since it is a weapon and can damage. Thinking of this Eldrian took another ingot and made the bottom round, shaping the top into a pick form. This resulted in a weird ice pick looking hammer. Equipping it he found that it was ssified as a warhammer, Tier 1 and had piercing damage of 5.


    So Tier 0 is special. It isn''t the worst, but an actual training weapon? This threw Eldrian a bit, he had thought Tier 0 would be the worst. He now wondered how they were made, seeing as they could not really damage people. At least the damage was very low, allowing people to go full out in mockbat.


    A type of Runesmithing or magic? He asked himself as he discarded the pick hammer and dagger. There was actually a barrel for all failed projects. At the end of a week, these were taken and molten. Yet instead of being formed into ingots this metal was again formed into ores. Eldrian had no idea why they did such an absurd thing.


    ...


    Having made a few more practice daggers, Eldrian finished for the day and started heading towards Old Sword''s home. He had just over an hour left and wanted to make sure that they will be alright.

 Chapter 94: News and choice.

    <h4>Chapter 94: News and choice.</h4>


    His visit to Old Sword''s home had been pleasant, with the news being as expected and surprising at the same time. Old Sword and Vivian had indeed joined the mission. Old Sword as amander while Vivian had been chosen as a squad leader.


    Shocked he had asked Diane why, and through this he learned that Vivian had managed to rank up, reaching Tier 4. Eldrian was astonished hearing this, knowing that this made Vivian much stronger and more important overall to the kingdom. She was not even 18 yet and had already managed to reach such a level.


    He was actually surprised that the kingdom or at least the city did not ce more importance on her.Then again, the strongest only grow in the thick of it. Eldrian sighed as he thought of this, wishing that she would use her status as a noble to be more safe.


    Yet thinking of this Eldrian realized that she would never use her position as a noble to get an advantage. Meaning that she would have been acting like a normal soldier. I guess this actually will make her safer. In a strange and roundabout way. At least she will always be with her soldiers.


    I wonder how strong they will be? Eldrian wanted to ask, but felt that Diane would not know either.


    He also learned that Old Sword had asked Boran to form the best sword he could for her. As both a present for her sess and to better ensure her survival in the war. So that sword is for her? Eldrian had questioned, d for Vivian. That sword was certainly something.


    There had been a slight problem with the present though. Boran had not managed to get all the materials in time to finish the sword before they departed. Luckily, Boran had ways to send the sword to them. The only problem with this was the travel, as the person sent could easily be killed if they ran into a group of monsters.


    If I manage to reach Tier 1, then I can volunteer. I will talk with Boran tomorrow. Were Eldrian''s final thought as he left Old Sword''s home, having enjoyed a nice dinner Diane had made.


    He knew that the sword would always be safe, as long as he kept it in his inventory. Most yers had reported that they never lost anything from their inventory. Even if they lost all the equipment they had equipped.


    ...


    Back in the game the next day, another school week finished, Eldrian excitedly logged into the game. Wishing that he did not have homework and putting it off to the next day.


    Waking up in the game Eldrian spent his first hour simply casting Anthos and trying to follow the flow of his mana. Having this to do when he logged in felt great. Enabling him to not have to debate if he was going to wake Dave early or go to the training field. Now he could simply start as soon as he logged in.


    As the time approached five in the morning Eldrian decided to head down, being before Dave, he leaned against the spacious walls of the ground floor and continued to cast Anthos. Continuing to try and follow the flow of mana. With each cast he managed to follow it for a few more milliseconds. Ultimately still failing.


    As Eldrian was doing this he grew a bit upset that spells did not have proficiencies as weapons. It would have been nice to see his skyrocket. Giving him a confidence boost. He felt he understood more or less why they did not, seeing as it was more a mental task than a physical one.


    While one became more ustomed to casting spells with increased time, it was not the same as a physical practice. Where one''s muscles could learn and even act faster than the person himself. At least Eldrian found that spells required his attention each time.


    Heck, I guess that isn''t really the reason. Eldrian admitted to himself, believing that spells would be the same with enough time.


    As his train of thought reached this point Dave arrived. After greeting each other, they both agreed to check out the Magic Crystal again. Eldrian wanting to learn more of mana and Dave more of Eldrian.


    Mentally prepared Eldrian nodded to Dave, who then teleported them down.


    Knowing what to expect this time Eldrian looked at the crystal while focusing his attention on his heart. Soon he felt the cool feeling of mana rush towards his heart, afterward it being pumped through him. He followed the mana as it flowed, trying to focus more on the transition of mana than the final feelings he was feeling.


    As time passed he started feeling lightheaded, soon losing his concentration and finally passing out. Having managed tost almost twice as long as the day before.


    ''Either the experience allowed him to hold out more or being refreshed did. I wonder which?'' Dave mumbled as he teleported them back to the ground floor. He felt that Eldrian needed to experience the Magic Crystal effect and then try and figure out what it did to him. Believing continuing to experience the effect without experimentation would not help.


    After a few minutes, Eldrian woke up, looking around he was d they were back on the ground floor. Near the end he had started feeling extremely dizzy while following his mana, he did not want to look at the Magic Crystal right now. Afraid that he might re-experience this and the throw-up.


    "Do you know why yousted longer?" Dave asked curiously.


    Unsure, Eldrian looked at his stats and found Magic Fatigue to already be at level 2.


    "Pretty sure it is due to something called Magic Fatigue."


    "Oh?"


    "Yeah, I don''t know if you guys also have it. It is simr to the fatigue people have after being resurrected. But we gain this from doing stuff."


    "Interesting," Davemented as he thought about what he just heard. He felt that this might be linked to the fact that most Chosen seem to feel less pain. Dave believed that this was the gods'' attempt to inform them of their condition.


    "In any case, that visit raised mine by two levels. And yesterday I was at level five when we tried it. So I think I was too tired, just... I can''t feel this tiredness yet."


    ''So I was right?'' Dave pondered, telling Eldrian to do what he wished for the rest of the day.


    As Dave was leaving Eldrian called out, "Dave, I remember Old Sword having offered me to be his apprentice if I could learn to wield magic. I am wondering if you also want to be my mentor."


    Turning around Dave shook his head, "I do, butbat mentors are not the same as craft professions. While you can have multiple mentors for nonbat professions, it is not allowed forbat skills."


    "Why not?"


    "Who does the credit for the student''s talent go to if there is more than one mentor. With craft professions it is still clear where the student learned their skill, but not withbat. Sure there might still be ovep, but this is seen as eptable."


    Eldrian felt that this made sense in times of peace, but not in the desperate situation the world was currently in. Sadly he knew that he would not be able to change this custom.


    "This does not mean I can''t teach you. Just that you will have to decide who you want as a mentor. It is also possible to be a student, instead of an apprentice. But in such a case you generally have to pay. It is also how the academies work."


    Knowing that Eldrian would not be able to decide immediately, Dave continued to leave.


    So I have to choose. Is Old Sword the best choice? He is one of the strongest people I know, but... Eldrian pondered for while. As he did he leaned more and more to Old Sword.


    Sure Old Sword might not be the best for magic, but he was one of the strongest people in the city, even the kingdom. It certainly was not a bad option. Eldrian also leaned more to weapons than in magic, he felt that there was just something more to it.


    Magic needed time to cast in most cases. Eldrian felt that this would be something he often would not really have. Certainly, he would try to learn magic too, but not having a party to do quests and stuff with, he felt that he would need melee skills more.


    But even so, I will learn a few nice spells and bow skills. Never know when I might be able to use them.


    Having made this decision Eldrian also knew that he would need to get these skills and or spells. After getting them he also needed to learn them, meaning he needed to really master the basics. Why is controlling mana so hard... Heined as he continued his practice.


    Near the end of his practice, Eldrian started climbing the stair towards the top floor. Wanting to ask Dave for some guidance on what to look for at the academies. He also wanted to know how much cash he needed to prepare to part with. Having little over 80 silver at this time, Eldrian hoped he would be able to afford all the spells he was interested in.

 Chapter 95: Academy visit

    <h4>Chapter 95: Academy visit</h4>


    Knocking on the small central room''s door, Eldrian waited for someone to answer.


    "It''s that elf!" The man who opened the door shouted back into the room. Causing Dave to ce down the book he was reading.


    Shuffling his way through the messy room Dave asked, "Oh, did you have something else you wanted to ask? Or have you decided?" Closing the door behind him as he did.


    "I have, to both in fact. I think I want Old Sword to be my mentor. Sorry, I just want to learn to wield weapons more than magic." Eldrian replied, feeling guilty. He had a feeling that he was betraying the time Dave had ced into him.


    "That is quite alright. I had thought that would be your answer. What do you want to ask then?"


    "I need to get a few Tier 1 spells, and I was hoping you would be able to guide me as to what I should look for when visiting an academy."


    "In what way are you asking. Do you want to know the best spells and skills to learn first or do you want to know what you will likely be able to cast best?" Dave asked, happy to answer.


    "Both?" Eldrian answered in confused certainty.


    "For affinity, you should look for nature spells. Do you remember the mana you felt when I took you to the Magic Crystal this morning? I think those corrte to your talent. I could even observe them, your next best option would be ice magic.


    Dave paused for a few seconds to sort his thoughts, "As for spells and skills to learn first. That depends on your ns. You want to join the mission right?"


    "Yes, how did you know?" Eldrian asked, feeling that he was too easy to read.


    "Simple, I now Old Sword went, as well as Vivian. So you are going either to be his apprentice or try and help Vivian. Maybe both."


    Embarrassed Eldrian simply kept quiet and waited for Dave to continue.


    "I guess it is both." He chuckled as he continued, "In that case, certainly try to get the Tier 1 equivalent of Anthos. Also Inspect and Observe will be crucial for you to be able to make any informed decisions."


    "After which I would rmend enhancement skills from nature, spells won''t be as efficient seeing as you will likely self-cast them. But if you n to help others then the enhancement spells would be better."


    "Then, I guess frost would be a nice ice spell. It is weak but effective against armored opponents. Then again you are going to fight monsters, so it might be weak..."


    Dave continued to give Eldrian some hints and tips on looking for spells and skills. Eldrian trying his best to remember them all, he even recorded the conversation after the first few examples.


    Around twenty minutester Eldrian started heading to where the academies were situated. His head spinning from the overload Dave had given him. The trip though, was certainly worth the many, many flights of stairs. Eldrian had learned a great deal from Dave, like how some spells have variants and originals.


    While in most cases Dave rmended the original, for some he said that the variants could be extremely useful. In general the variants are more constrained to the situation, but if he knew what to expect then they would be a good choice. Unfortunately Eldrian had no idea what to expect, thus he could not really make that choice.


    Why are the options so many? Eldrianined, having hoped that he could simply pick a few perfect picks. Yet there were too many options. Just what Dave had rmended exceeded a 20. That was only off the top of his head, and in an area where Dave actually did not know much. He was a fire focused mage, having dabbled in a bit of water magic.


    Argh! Eldrian cursed as he felt he was going to soon be poor.


    ...


    Half an hour''s travelter Eldrian arrived at the academy. Finding it strange how closely it resembled universities of reality,rge lecture halls covering the outer side of the campus. Inside of which was gardens and more, smaller rooms.


    Taking his time Eldrian explored the campus, enjoying the sights while looking for the office. Dave had told him that he first had to register as a student, which would cost him 2 silver each month. This would allow him ess to all the ces at the academy, also allowing him to join some lectures and buy skills or spells.


    While walking around Eldrian saw many students. They taking breaks under the trees or ying in the grass patches. Some even practiced their spells, allowing Eldrian to see many failed attempts. He found it quite interesting to see spells go haywire since he had never gone through that. His failures had simply done nothing.


    After a bit of a search and more exploration of the beautiful gardens, Eldrian finally found the academy''s office. This was actually in the center of the campus, allowing students to easily ess it from any part. It did not work so well for strangers who knew nothing of the academy.


    Entering the office Eldrian found an old man sitting at the reception desk, reading an old-looking book.


    "Hello, sorry. Can you help me?" Eldrian asked, trying to not be a bother.


    "Certainly, what is it you are looking for young man?" The elderly man asked pleasantly, cing his book down as he did.


    Seeing the cover Eldrian felt even more of a need to ask about it. Suppressing this he asked instead, "I would like to be a student of this academy. Can you help me, I do not really know how this works."


    "Oh. That must mean you are not a noble." The old man paused, causing Eldrian to worry for a bit.


    "That''s great, I love seeing young people rise by their own effort. Do you have the tuition fee?"


    "Yes, two silvers, right?" Eldrian asked, taking out two silvers from his inventory. To not make this obvious he had ced his hand into his pant''s pocket. Currently he was wearing one of the more in style clothes he had gotten from Flying Spirits. He had only made some slight changes to make the clothes better in general. He had added more pockets.


    "Yes. Do you also want to sign up for a ss? We have a merit system to help the students who are short on cash." The old man offered as he took the two silvers and gave Eldrian a card.


    Taking the card Eldrian wondered how the merit system worked, he would certainly want to make use of it if he had time. Too curious to skip it he asked, "I can''t use it right now, but how does the merit system work?"


    "Simple, we give student tasks. In general it will match your expertise level. From things as simple as cleaning to fetching certain magical herbs. Naturally this is done more like practice for the students than an actual need."


    So, mini-quests? Eldrian thought, after asking a bit more about the merit and how sses worked he moved on to his actual reason for visiting. "For today I would like to go to the library. I want to buy a few skills and spells. Can you help me?"


    Hearing this the old man''s eyes flew wide open in surprise. "You do know that only Tier 0 spells are free. Tier 1 spells cost 10 silver each."


    "I did not know that they cost that much... But I knew they cost a bit." Eldrian replied, shocked at the price. It certainly was expensive to normal people, but to those of an advanced craft or profession it was affordable.


    "Impressive young man. Let me take you." The old man said, standing up.


    "I don''t want to bother you too much. You can just exin to me where the library is located."


    "Nonsense. I don''t get visitors often, and you looked interested in that book. So this way I can save some of your time by telling you on the way."


    Not having a way to stop the old man Eldrian conceded. Talking as they left the office Eldrian quickly learned some of the moremon knowledge of the city. This city had 5 normal academies, each specializing in a different area. There were also two noble academies where only nobles could be students. The requirement to enter these were also far higher, requiring a student to reach Tier 2 before they would even be considered.


    Eldrian also learned that the libraries for skills and spells were split, with each of them having the faculties to train their respective abilities nearby.


    "I can see that you are disappointed that we are a spell focused academy." The old man spoke up.


    Embarrassed that he was read again Eldrian sighed first, answering only after having finished his sigh. "It isn''t that I have something against spells, I just don''t think it is a good fit for me. I want to use weapons. I am also learning cksmithing and I hope to be able to make weapons to my fit."


    "And you think spells can''t go well with this?"


    "Well, spells require time to cast. Don''t they?"


    "In general, yes. But that is only for normal casters. You are a High Elf right?"


    "I am."


    "Then remember, you will use magic differently from most."


    "But doesn''t that mean skills and spells?"


    "It does. Just keep an open mind, will you? For me."


    "Alright, I am nning to learn both in any case."


    "We are first going to visit the spell library in any case. So you will be able to see what I mean then." The old man said, chuckling at Eldrian''s narrow viewpoint. This was what the old man loved about new students. They were all over the ce, yet they believe that they were focused.

 Chapter 96: Four spells

    <h4>Chapter 96: Four spells</h4>


    On the way to the library, the old man shared a bit more knowledge with Eldrian. Telling him stories about the prominent graduates and how they were now off to the war. Naturally Eldrian was curious about how they prepared themselves, asking what type of spells they specialized in.


    The answer to this was not too satisfactory. The old man simply stating that each had their own path and that it ultimately depends on the person. He finished off by telling Eldrian to follow his heart when picking spells to master, which naturally did not help much.


    As they walked Eldrian failed tried to get more info from the old man, failing and instead mostly receiving roundabout answers. Finally, they arrived at the library. The library was a fanciful building situated between two gardens, each of which had stone bs where students could train.


    "Nice isn''t it?" The old man asked after they passed the entrance, Eldrian having needed his student card to be allowed inside. Inside Eldrian was left shocked by the massive bookshelves extending forward and upwards as far as the eye could see.


    "Yeah." Eldrian reply, in a trance by the magical look of the library.


    "Now, do you want me to show you around or will you be alright?"


    Eldrian wanted to simply answer that he would be fine, but as he opened his lips he realized that he had no idea how the books were going to be sorted. Nor where what was, even if they were sorted.


    "If you won''t mind..." Eldrian mumbled, causing the old man tough.


    "What are you looking for?"


    "Nature spells."


    The old man nodded and headed towards the left of the library. Following him, Eldrian was shocked by the number of books. While he had expected it to be like in films, even having expected it, he was not prepared. While passing through many book pathways Eldrian quickly realized that most of these books seemed to talk about magic.


    After crossing five sections of the library the old man finally stopped. "Here we are, nature spells and magic in general. What are you looking for; summoning, healing, rejuvenation, enhancement, poison-"


    "Wait, poison?" Eldrian interrupted, finding this to be a shing topic.


    "Yes, poison is a nature spell category."


    "No, that does not make sense?"


    "Why not. Poison is something developed in nature, for nature. It is a means of defense for animals and nts. Do you want venom spells, they are also here." The old man joked as he saw Eldrian''s conflicted opinion.


    Shaking his head Eldrian tried to make sense of this. While it made logical sense, it shed heavily with his sense of what nature spells should be.


    "How else do you expect nature magic to be offensive? You can''t think an entire branch of magic is without offensive."


    "But poison... And venom..."


    "Do you think growth spells would help you more?"


    "Ye... No." Sloughing his shoulders Eldrian gave up and stopped fighting. It felt weird, but at least it made sense if he simply looked at it from a standpoint that nature was, well natural. It included animals, nts and seemingly even metals.


    "In that case, what are you looking for?"


    "Do you know the spell Anthos?"


    "Everyone does, it is a simple Tier 0 rejuvenation spell."


    "So far it is the only spell I can cast, and I want to find its Tier 1 variant."


    "That would be Anthizo. But you do know that it does not do much, right?"


    "I have to start somewhere," Eldrian replied as he started looking for the book with this spell. At the same time, he wondered why he even was looking for a book, the Tier 0 spells could be fitted onto a small area of a page. Certainly, the Tier 1 spell would not take more than a single page.


    "You''re not going to find it in one of the books. The books are only about magic, for reading and research. If you actually want to buy a spell you have to do that at the entrance. The librarians are in charge of it, at least for the first three tiers."


    "Then why did you bring me here?" Eldrian asked in confusion, wondering how there could be so many books on spells. Especially if the books did not directly exin the spells.


    "To show you that you need to do research. You can''t just jump into learning spells, you first have to understand their aim. Look for a book titled, A flower blooming."


    Not understanding why, but feeling that it would be wise, Eldrian did as the old man told him. After a bit of a search he managed to find the book.


    "The best way to self-study is to read. Come find me at the office when you are done."


    After saying this the old man left, leaving Eldrian confused with the book in his hands.Well, it is only twenty pages. I can read this quickly. Eldrian thought, feeling that this old man was ying with him. Still even if he was it would not take him long to finish the book.


    Finding himself a table Eldrian started. Finding that the first few pages were just bbering with the author saying that all things in nature grow, even metals and rocks. This naturally did not make sense to Eldrian, seeing as metals and rocks can''t grow.


    He spent a few minutes trying and understand the author''s viewpoint, in the end connecting it to a misinterpreted way of earth shifting over time.


    The next few pages were also ramblings on how this growth is determined by set conditions. One of the foremost being magic. Reading this Eldrian wondered if then the author''s words might have been more literal. Again spending some time Eldrian found that he actually could not deny the growth of metals and rock inside the game.


    Continuing on Eldrian read a few more simr topics, in how magic could influence this. Even on how this could happen without magic, but that magic gives certain energy to things. Which in turn helps certain things appear.


    After finishing the book Eldrian didn''t know what he actually managed to learn. In the end he found the book to be simr to an inte post, having no real fact, but saying a great deal.


    Maybe that is the point? To make one think?


    Walking back to the reception of the library Eldrian wanted to be mad at the old man, but it had only taken him around ten minutes to finish the book. Most of the pages had drawings that he skipped. The drawings had simply been added to empower the author''s words, yet it did little for Eldrian. He could envision better without them.


    "Did Arvem give you some personal advice? You are so lucky."


    "Who?"


    "The old man you came in with. He is one of the most renowned Grandmages in the kingdom. He rarely takes his time to talk with people. Normally he just reads his old books."


    We never even got to the old book! Eldrian thought, failing to see the advice that Arvem gave him. "If he did, then I missed it," Eldrian replied to the man''s question.


    "That is a shame." Sighing the man took a few seconds to recover, "Well I guess that is how it normally goes, he does do this with around every hundredth student. Sucks that almost no one gets what he tries to say."


    "In any case, what are you looking for. A specific book?"


    "Ah no, I would like to buy a few spells."


    "Do you know which spells?"


    "Not really, can you give me a list?"


    "Certainly." After saying this the man quickly disappeared into the back room,ing back out after a few seconds.


    "I assumed Tier 1 spells, sorry if I overstepped."


    "No, that is perfect," Eldrian replied taking arge book from the man. Going back to his seat he opened the book and found that it started right of with spells.


    Fuck me. Why so many! Eldrianined as he flipped through the book and saw that each page was filled, the book itself having more than a hundred pages. Luckily it was sorted firstly by magic type, then magic effect and only then by alphabet. Allowing Eldrian to look at nature, healing and then read the effect of the named spell.


    So many good ones...


    After close to an hour Eldrian finally narrowed down his choices. He chose a simple ice needle spell for an offensive, this spell was described as very weak. But it was also said to make a very small ice needle, perfect for small gaps in armor.


    The other spells he chose were all nature spells, one healing, one enhancement and Anthizo. The healing spell seemed to take energy from a person who it was healing, but in return could heal more severe wounds.


    The enhancement spell he chose simply improved one''s strength for a few minutes. Eldrian like this choice as he felt he would be able to use it while forging things. Allowing him to hammer it quicker than normal.


    Anthizo ording to the book, helped heal minor injuries while energizing the person. Eldrian felt it would be good to either regain stamina quicker or recover fatigue. He was not sure which it would be at this stage. His opinions only based on how Anthos made him feel.


    Happy with his choices Eldrian paid the 40 silver for the four spells and headed to the office. Wanting to talk a bit more with Arvem and visit the skill library.

 Chapter 97: Progress.

    <h4>Chapter 97: Progress.</h4>


    Back at the academy''s office, Eldrian found the Arvem reading the old book he was reading before. Not wanting to not get an answer again Eldrian said right off the bat, "We never got to the book."


    Looking up Arvem replied, "Because there are too many things to talk about."


    "But, can you tell me about it now?"


    "Certainly, this is a book written by someone who tried to understand demons and how their magic worked. It is an interesting thought, it is known that humans can use demon spells. But for some reason, the spells give differing results."


    "I think it is due to them working with more abstract energies than just mana. The author of this book also thought so, but unlike me, he did more research. Even going so far as capturing a few demons."


    "Well, his end was not that nice. Which is why the book is only half written."


    Deciding that that was all he wanted to talk about the book, Arvem ced it back onto the counter and changed the subject. "What spells did you decide on?"


    Caught off guard by the sudden change of subject, Eldrian gathered his thoughts before answering, "A simple healing spell focused on cut wounds, then a strength enhancer and an ice needle spell. I also took Anthizo, I feel it will be the best one for me to train with."


    "Not bad choices. I suspect you chose the enhancement for specific reasons. There are so many to pick, why strength?"


    "I thought it might be nice to use while forging things."


    "Sure, but skills will be better for self-cast, less cost and focus required."


    "I know, but I still don''t know much of magic. So I just picked it, for now, more as practice,"


    "Money not a problem?" Arvem asked with curiosity. He knew that Eldrian was a Chosen, which made him wonder how he could have so much money. Most Chosen were struggling to save money, often needing to spend their bounties on armor and weapon maintenance. Or upgrades when they had managed to save some.


    Few saved for spells, as most had learned that skills and spells were weak at the start. A better weapon would often be the better choice when choosing where to spend 10 or 20 silver. They could also often simply be someone''s apprentice and gain the skills or spells for free with theitment.


    Most naturally not knowing the importance of apprenticeship in this world.


    "Well, I am not rich. But thanks to working for Boran, I am able to make a decent amount."


    Arvem simply nodded to this, after which he picked up his book again. "I would suggest you wait before spending more money on spells or skills. Your first choices were good, but your next ones might not be."


    "Go gain some experience, thene back." Waving his hand as if to shoo Eldrian, Arvem turned his attention back onto his book.


    Eldrian did not want to bother him more, but he did feel that Arvem was being discourteous. Still, he appreciated that the Grandmage had exined taken the time to humor his curiosity.


    Eldrian also felt that the advice he just got was correct. He needed to learn these spells and see how the game system ssifies them. Especially the damage output and healing values.


    Having finished his most urgent task Eldrian headed to Boran''s where he went to do his daily task. Making sure to try and form one extra great quality ingot. Near the end of the day he went to Boran''s room, making sure with one of the shopkeepers that he was not busy with arge task.


    Entering the room Eldrian saw Boran still working on the same sword. Working on it might be too much, as he was simply running his hand over it and appreciating its look.


    "Haru, what are you here for?" Boran asked, believing that Eldrian should be extremely busy for the next few days.


    "I heard from Diane that this sword was meant for Vivian."


    "Oh?" Boran stopped his injured hand, which had been feeling the weapon. "And?"


    "Well, I am nning to join the mission when I reach Tier 1."


    "So you want to take the sword to her?"


    "Yes, I think it will be the most secure way of doing it."


    "Why?"


    "Well, if I ce it in my inventory then I can''t lose it. Even if I die on my way to joining the mission."


    Raising his eyebrows Boran looked at Eldrian in interest. "Really? That is a good point then. Alright, but I will only be giving the sword to you when you go out to join the mission?"


    "Alright." Eldrian nodded and prepared to leave. But Boran spoke again before he did.


    "Why do you want to join the mission?"


    "I think I can be of help," Eldrian replied seriously.


    "Help, really? If you believe you can then I won''t stop you. But know that this is only because you won''t die, else I would be stopping you."


    Eldrian did not like how Boran knocked down his high praise of himself, but he knew that it was the truth. One person, especially as weak as he was, would not be able to change much between millions of warriors. Still, he felt that he would be able to do some things which normal NPCs might not be able to.


    "Will I be getting off on the daily tasks when I leave?"


    "We did agree that you can go on adventures every so often. So I guess you will be given off during the mission."


    Eldrian then asked Boran some cksmithing advice, specifically on how much he should form the de. Where he should stop and grind it down the rest of the way and how thin a de could be at the thinnest.


    Eldrian spent his weekend busily training, making great progress with feeling the mana inside of him. Slowly he managed to feel it even when he was not using magic, causing him to also feel the magic fatigue.


    The feeling was not nice, simr to when someone came down from a high, leaving their senses weakened and their body tired. Due to this Eldrian shifted his magic training to thest thing to do during the day.


    With more training Eldrian grew more used to the feeling of mana inside of him, feeling the effect of magic fatigue lesser with this too. Still, he made sure to try and not go over four, going over level four often left him unable to focus.


    Eldrian also checked on the forum often, following the yers on their mission.The yers finally reached the meetup point for the army at the end of Monday, gaming time -thus the Thursday morning.


    ording to these yers they have been getting small quests like hunting or foraging to keep them busy. While they wished that everything would move quicker, they found the rewards for these simple tasks more than satisfactory.


    The mary reward amounted to almost two days of hunting they did before. While the XP was around the same.


    Eldrian also managed to finally control mana on this day.


    Instead of casting Anthos, which was hard to see the effect of control, Eldrian had been casting Nidia. Nidia was a simple water creation spell, and while having no real use other than creating water, it was a good one to practice with.


    Floga created the problem of causing a fire if he messed up. Even if he was inside of a stone room and nothing could caths fire, his clothes were still vulnerable. Nidia would simply make things wet if he messed up, a far lesser thing to worry about. Allowing Eldrian to go more outside of hisfort zone.


    Like before Eldrian focused, not even needing to really think of the spell module anymore. Finding the right moment he cast Nidia, causing droplets of water to condense on his hand.


    After a few seconds a puddle of water was lying in his palm. Focusing on the moist feeling mana which Eldrian connected to water magic. Eldrian willed it to move from his hand. Slowly the water did, dripping off his palm and gathering below his hand.


    After keeping it floating for a few seconds Eldrian lost control and caused the water to fall on the stone floor of the room.


    Smiling widely Eldrian rested a bit, preparing to try again.


    Just a little more. If I don''t make it by Friday, then I am going to have to travel to Taurus on my own.


    Eldrian really did not want this to happen. He had heard that the yers who had joined the mission had run into monsters a few times. Luckily the number of monsters was few and soldiers were nearby. This allowed the yers to retreat sessfully even if they were outnumbered. They just had to ensure they made enough noise. At worst, they would be resurrected by the soldiers.


    Eldrian did not want to travel alone since he would die and respawn in the nearest city or town. Which would cost him a lot of time and XP. While he would be fine meeting one or maybe even two monsters, he did not think he would win against five or more. Which was the normal amount the monsters were grouping as.

 Chapter 98: Controlling mana

    <h4>Chapter 98: Controlling mana</h4>


    After having rested and settled his thoughts, Eldrian focused back on his training. Remembering what he had felt before, Eldrian cast Nidia again, this time trying to take control of the spell as soon as the mana left his body.


    He managed, in a way. Some of the drops stared floating over his palm as soon as he cast the spell, most of them stayed on his hand though. Shifting his focus to the leftovers, Eldrian willed them to also start floating.


    "Well done, you have been progressing really nicely," Davemented, causing Eldrian to lose control and let the water ball fall.


    I really need to get better at keeping control.Eldrian sighed as he looked at the puddle he just formed.


    Dave hade down for their session in the dungeon, Eldrian having asked him if they could shift it after he started feeling the effect of magic fatigue. Dave had no problem with this and actually liked that he could use his mornings for himself again.


    After confirming what he had learned Eldrian turned to Dave, "Thanks, but it is really hard."


    "Of course it is hard. I can barely keep a Tier 5 spell controlled for 10 seconds. ced into perspective, that means you doing it with a Tier 0 spell for that long is really great."


    "I don''t think they are quite so linear."


    "True, but it was just an attempt to tell you that it will take time."


    "But I don''t have much time."


    "True, you do not. Unless you skip the mission or join muchter." Seeing Eldrian''s determination Dave sighed, "I guess that is not really an option. Too worried, hey?"


    Eldrian did not respond, shifting his thoughts back to his training.


    "Are you ready for the Magic Crystal?" Dave asked, seeing that Eldrian was finished with talking. This had been happening more often, Eldrian would simply zone out and go into focus mode every so often.


    "I think I am," Eldrian replied, casting Anthos on himself. He had no idea if it actually helped with fatigue, but it did help him feel better. Clearing his mind of tiredness and his body of stiffness he had gained from cksmithing and weapon training.


    Dave looked at Eldrian in surprise after he had cast Anthos, "You have really made great progress." Seeing Eldrian able to cast it without needing to speak the word of power had shocked Dave a great deal. It had taken him a few months after reaching Tier 5 to be able to do the same with Tier 0 spells.


    ''Is it due to him being a High Elf, too dedicated? Or that he trained correctly from the start?'' Dave wondered, believing that he had likely spent over 80% of his time on unlearning the crutches he had used before reaching Tier 5.


    As he was contemting this Dave teleported them to the dungeon.


    Eldrian immediately focused his attention on his heart and looked at the Magic Crystal. Taking in the strange abyss like look the crystal seemed to be. Slowly losing himself in this purple-ck abyss, floating between the twinkling stars.


    As he lost himself he felt his mana being stirred, moving towards his heart. Following it Eldrian took note of the changes, wondering why some feelings were moremon than others. Keeping this wandering thought in check, Eldrian kept most of his focus on his mana.


    Eldrian found that mana could even seemingly turn from one type to another, without reverting to ''normal'' mana. He had no idea if this was just because it was in him, or maybe to do with the Magic Crystal.


    I wonder if there are terms for the mana forms? Eldrian questioned as he felt his heart beating, each beat causing the mana to feel stronger, weakening back to normal soon after.


    Wish I could control my mana like this. Eldrian felt it would allow him so much more control and strength. Certainly, speed too, yet he had no idea how to make his mana flow as it did now.


    Curious of what would happen if he cast a spell, Eldrian cast Nidia as he was following his mana. Finding that the mana in his outward mana pathways, specifically towards his hand, sped up and joined together. Soon turning into the cool vapor feeling which he rted to water magic.


    After which the mana pulse back as a dried hot feeling, going towards his heart.


    What is this? Eldrian wondered, finding that the mana soon joined the rest again. Refreshed. His mana was also continuously feeding into the spell, keeping it active. While used mana returned and got refreshed.


    Due to this constant feed of mana needed to control a spell, a person normally lost their mana regen at the least. More advanced spells draining mana actively to be kept active.


    But now, with each pulse, some of his mana returned and seemed to be converted into normal mana again. Turning to his stats Eldrian saw that he was actually slowly regenerating mana now.


    Well, this seems really helpful. Eldrian thought, wondering how it worked differently from his normal casting method.


    After a few more minutes of following his mana and experimenting with Nidia, Eldrian could feel himself bing dizzy, looking away from the Crystal he told Dave that he reached his limit.


    "What happened with the spell?" Dave asked after teleporting them back.


    "Not too sure. But I received some of my mana back while controlling it."


    Dave stayed silent, wondering how this worked while being astonished that something like that was possible. It was one of thergest ws of all magic users. Keeping any type of magic active before Tier 4 cost a small mana drain, with moreplex spells having more of a drain. Due to this it is really hard to keep Tier 5 spells active and totally controlled.


    Generally, people would send a spell out, only keeping enough control to adjust it if needed. But they would not be able to turn the spell around in seconds. Nor would they be able to stop the spell they had cast. But if what Eldrian just achieved was made possible, then people could keep the spell under total control while sending it towards a target.


    Dave really hoped to be able to crack the High Elves'' way of using magic. It seemed stronger and stronger as he continued to observe Eldrian at action. Every time Eldrian managed something new, he was left astonished or impressed.


    After the dungeon visit Eldrian continued to practice, trying to swirl the water ball summoned by Nidia around him. After a few hours he managed to keep the ball floating for almost ten minutes. Moving it slowly brought this down to a few minutes, if he tried to move it quickly then it would be just a few seconds.


    Nearing his logout time Eldrian finished with a few more rash attempts. Trying to throw the water at a wall. After a few tries he found that it was actually easier than making the water dance. He simply needed to propel it once, then it would continue and hit the target. It did take him a few tries to get urate, but it was not too difficult.


    By Wednesday''s gaming time Eldrian finally managed to really y with the Nidia water ball. He managed to throw it around like it was ball attached to a string. After a few fancy moves he smiled widely as he canceled the spell. Letting the water return to the air.


    During this week he had been doing his cksmithing task every morning. The daily task having been made a bit harder, with two great quality and three good ingots needed. But Eldrian had also learned that he could continue to purify an already made ingot, which saved him a great deal of time on this.


    Finally feeling ready to learn a Tier 1 spell, Eldrian took out Anthizo''s spell module. He chosen this one since it was actually the easiest spell of the bunch he bought. The ice needle spell being the second easiest. Eldrian nned to learn that one second.


    The only addition to Anthizo, from Anthos, was the addition of four veins. Two on both sides. While this was a small difference in the look of the module, it massively changed how things worked. The module now consisting of 9 nodes and 8 pathways, instead of 3 and 4.


    There were also short instructions on how to focus mana into the spell when casting it. But this seemed to have been added as a courtesy and not forpleteness, it simply stating that the leaf''s stem and midrib were forward pathways, the leaf de (Outline of a leaf) was omnidirectional and the veins bi-directional.


    Eldrian had no idea what this meant to him. Luckily he had someone he could ask, as such he started climbing the stairs.


    "Oh that, I guess it is actually important to you." After saying this Dave chuckled for a bit, "Sorry... You got ripped off."


    "What?" Eldrian asked in confused anger.


    "For you not knowing how to make the mana flow would mean you can''t cast the spell. Since you are a High Elf." Dave said after calming down, while realizing himself that most of the spell modules would then beckluster for Eldrian.


    "That..." Eldrian wanted to argue, but gave up immediately.Another fucking hurdle! He cursed as he waited for Dave to exin.


    Luckily he did have Dave, else he would need to find someone else who would be willing to help. Which he doubted he would be able to do easily. Or he might even need to go through all the books in the library to find exnations.


    Screw that! I am going to protest!

 Chapter 99: Anthizo learned

    <h4>Chapter 99: Anthizo learned</h4>


    Naturally Eldrian only meant he would protest if he really hit a snag, keeping him from doing anything with the spell module. He felt that he had the right to this much, at least.


    In such a case he would likely try to get the missing information from the academy where he bought the spell module. He could only hope that they would be willing to hand it to him.


    After listening to Dave''s exnation Eldrian felt he knew what he needed. Heading back down he went through the information and tried to mentally apply it so long. It was not too difficult to understand, but it would get tricky when applying it to the spell module.


    On his way down Eldrian decided to simply go to his room. Gettingfortable on his bed he took out the spell module again, getting a pen and some extra papers while he was at it.


    Okay, what do we have?Eldrian mumbled as he drew the spell module onto a page. After which he added arrows ording to the description given on the spell module. After sorting this he was left with a leaf with arrows pointing ces at all the connection points of lines.


    Now, how do I actually force the mana to flow in a certain way? Eldrian asked next. After a bit of back and forth he decided to practice with Nidia. Eldrian started by casting it a few times without trying to control the mana, other than simply willing it to change.


    Afterwhich he drew the spell module of Nidia too, adding arrows at the two nodes. The spell module for Nidia was really simple, it being in the form of a drop. A node at the top and one at the bottom. Connected simply with two lines in a drop''s outline.


    It was the easier module Eldrian knew of, which made it the perfect one to practice on. Eldrian first decided to cast the spell by letting mana flow to both pathways. This was seemingly a bi-directional pathway, ording to Dave.


    After a bit of practice Eldrian managed to cast the spell while keeping the mana flow in mind. The cast Nidia was the same as before, making Eldrian believe that this was how the spell normally cast.


    Next he nned to let each node only deliver mana in one direction. Finding that if he let them deliver mana into the same pathway then the spell failed to cast. Letting one node deliver to both and the other to only one added a inertia to the water ball. Making it spin slowly in Eldrian''s hand.


    Interesting, what if I let mana flow in a circr manner? Eldrian wondered, attempting to do this next. After a few tries he finally managed, the ball rotating quite quickly in his hand, it even moved around.


    Ooo, that is cool. Wonder what happens... Eldrian continued to experiment with Nidia, soon finding that the spell was too simple to really conduct more experiments on. But he also did not really have another spell he could so easily check while keeping his room safe. Floga was a no-no since if he lost control his bedding might catch fire.


    After a bit of back and forth, Eldrian decided to simply log out. He needed to go to ss in an hour, thus he really not work on this much longer.


    The next day Eldrian continued where he had left off, after having done his cksmithing tasks and weapons training. The cksmithing task having given him a level up. For vanity sake Eldrian had allowed the ranking system of the forum to take his XP data. Which hadted him a ce on the top 100 of the Floria empire. Unfortunately, he did not make it into the top 1000 of the total ranking.


    Having seen himself as number 94 had given him a feeling of achievement. While seeing that no one had reached Tier 2 yet had alleviated his concern of being too slow. Especially since he felt he would soon join the other yers as a Tier 1 yer.


    While on the forum Eldrian had also seen that the army had set out again. ording to the yers they would reach a ce on Phallos''s border where they would set up a camp. ording to the yers this would be one of the many supply points they were setting up for the mission.


    The yers added that the armymanders were hoping to reach the ce by Friday, allowing them the weekend to setup and fortify the camp. They would then set off again on Monday,


    This both alleviated Eldrian''s concern of meeting up with the army and gave him a set deadline, which was tomorrow. If he did not make it then he should be able to follow the supply points to catch up, but Eldrian still wanted to rather join the army. He did not think he would fare too well alone in a war.


    While Phallos was still quite safe, more and more monsters have been crossing the border. Making Eldrian believe that it would be all the more dangerous past the border.


    Getting rid of thoughts of the mission Eldrian returned to his training. Starting bycasting each input variation of Nidia which he had found to work before. He did this a couple of times to get used to how he needed to do this. Feeling ready for the challenge which was a Tier 1 spell Eldrian took out the module again.


    This is not going to be fun. Eldrian thought as he looked at the interconnection which was the module.


    Two hourster Eldrian managed to half-cast Anthizo. Eldrian knew it was a weakened version since it felt too weakpared to how Anthos felt. It almost did not even feel like a different spell.


    Eldrian had grown very used to the feeling of Nidia and Anthos during his training. He was even able to cast them almost instantly if he wanted. Especially Nidia with its simplicity. This allowed him to clearly feel that the spell was cast weaker than it should have been.


    Continuing on Eldrian spent the rest of the night at it, only managing some more half-failed casts near the end. Luckily they became more often as time passed, allowing him to feel how he was progressing.


    The next day, Friday, Eldrian started with his magic training immediately. Wanting to finish it as soon as possible. He still wanted to get going today, even if it was a bit rushed.


    After an hour, Eldrian finally managed to control all the nodes correctly. Feeling the rejuvenating feeling was over him Eldrian knew the cast was sessful. But he also knew he had not mastered it just yet. Thus he continued to practice, managing more casts with time.


    Another hour past and Eldrian cast his tenth sessful cast of Anthizo. With this cast came a system notification informing him that he had managed to learn a new spell.


    [Spell learned]


    [Anthizo, Tier 1, rank 0]


    [Anthizo is a rejuvenation spell. Healing minor wounds and recovering the energy of the target.]


    [Healing is limited to rtively deep scratches, before they turns into cuts.]


    [Recovers 8 HP [Limit: 5 casts, 2- hour cd]]


    [Recovers 10 SP&MP [Limit:5 casts, 1-hour cd]]


    [No MP recovery for the caster.]


    [1 regen bonus of both MP&SP for 2 minutes [Limit:2 casts, 1-hour cd]]


    [Cost 15 mana]


    [No cast cooldown][Due to having learned the spell from root]


    [0.1 Cast time] [Reduced by rank]


    [Congrattions to yer for learning a Tier 1 spell. Tier system now unlocked, please look at avatar stats.]


    Seeing thest message Eldrian was so excited that he forgotpletely to analyze the spell''s effects. Calling his avatar panel he excitedly looked at the new info.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 5 (250/16k)]


    [Tier: 0, (10/100 Tier 1 spells cast)]


    [Avatar Affinity: 96.21%]


    [Attributes:]


    *** (1*)


    [Apparel: Custom cotton clothing]


    [Weapons: Grace]


    ***


    So I need to cast a Tier 1 spell 90 more times? Eldrian asked himself, finding it easier than everything he had needed to do so far. Knowing what was now needed he left his room and headed to Boran''s.


    He knew that he was not truly a Tier 1 warrior nor mage, but he should be ssified as one once he finished the 90 casts. Which he will do during his travel. Luckily a few yers had posted their maps on the forum, which Eldrian was going to use to find his way. Since his map was still mostly dark.


    While on the way to Boran''s he looked at the spell''s details again. Taking his time to go through it this time. The recovery amounts were not really worth mentioning, but Eldrian really liked the regen part. It was certainly a good deal for him currently.


    Sure the number did seem low, but it more than double Eldrian''s regen. Currently his stamina regen was at 0.63, the spell would bring that to 1.63, Eldrian felt that it would be really useful when he learned skills. Which actually cost stamina and mana to cast.


    "Are you going?" Boran asked as soon as Eldrian entered his forging room.


    "Yes."


    1*) ***Represents skipped information.

 Chapter 100: Goodbye to routine

    <h4>Chapter 100: Goodbye to routine</h4>


    "Do you know where the army is going to set up their camp?" Boran asked after a few seconds of silence.


    "No, but I think I will be alright," Eldrian replied, not knowing how to say that he would follow ording to updates on the forum.


    "That isn''t good enough. Come with me."


    Following behind Boran, Eldrian was quickly led to the second floor. The first room being a shop room simr to the first floor, with many beautiful items on disy. Walking through this room Eldrian asked what the difference was between these and those on the first floor.


    "This is where all the magic grade items are kept. Normally only veterans or nobles would enter this room. The prices are not something everyone can afford." Boran had answered as he led Eldrian through the room to the next part of the building.


    While walking through the morous weapons on disy, Eldrian managed to read a few of the prices. Leaving him bbergasted. The cheapest weapon he saw was a dagger costing 18 gold. While the most expensive was a suit of armor costing over 200 gold.


    "Why are there so many items on disy?" Eldrian asked, feeling that for that price buying a random item was not worth it. Sure they were great quality, but custom ordering should be better. Considering the cost.


    "These are either practice items made while someone was learning, or orders which fell through. It does not make sense to simply get rid of them, so we sell them here. They are far cheaper than custom orders."


    "But, how much cheaper?" Eldrian asked, finding it hard to believe something so expensive was considered cheap.


    "Well, normally at least 10%, and that is if the customer had minor requests only. Many people do prefer simply buying a pre-made weapon. It also means they don''t have to wait weeks for the order to be finished."


    ''Well theter part makes more sense.'' Eldrian mumbled as he entered through a door, leading him into a forking hallway. Following behind Boran he entered the middle hallway of the fork, passing many doors while heading towards another flight of stairs.


    "What are all these rooms for?" They reminded him of a university residence''s small rooms.


    "Amodation for the workers. If you want you can actually stay here too. Well the next floor, this one is for the shopkeepers, helpers and shop learners. The third floor is for actual cksmiths and their apprentices."


    "I will keep that in mind." Eldrian replied as he looked around. d that he had a ce to go if he ever was kicked out of the magic tower.


    Arriving on the next floor Eldrian immediately found himself in amunal area, which split like a star into four hallways. Following Boran into one of the hallways he soon entered Boran''s room.


    The room was farrger than he had expected it to be. Boran''s room consisted living room, dining room and kitchen as the entrance room. There being three doors connecting to this open-spaced room and a balcony on the far side of the rooms.


    Boran led Eldrian towards the balcony, his desk right next to the balcony door. An empty birdcage next to the desk and many scattered drawings over the desk.


    "Here we are." Boran dered after some fiddling inside his desk''s lowest drawer, pulling out a thick folded piece of paper.


    Boran took this piece and started unfolding it on the desk, soon it covered the entire desk. Even hanging over the sides of the desk.


    "This is a map of Phallos. Let me exin the generalyout." Boran said, starting to exin to Eldrian what the symbols on the map represented. After Boran exined everything, Eldrian received a system notification.


    [Map of Phallos discovered.]


    [Map discovered is ssified as a wide overview map]


    [Unlocked terrain and city locations, as well as major towns.]


    [Viges and cityyouts not included]


    Reading the messages Eldrian was quite happy, while trying not to miss what Boran was saying as he continued on exining stuff.


    "ording to my information, the border camp is going to be made here." Boran pointed towards a location located between two rivers. He exined to Eldrian that they nned to settle between the two, next to the right side river. Hoping that the rivers would make transport easier.


    For this reason, Eldrian simply had to find the start of the river and he would be able to follow it to the camp. After Boran finished this Eldrian got another system message, stating that a temporary camp location had been added.


    "Thank you Boran. This will help a great deal." Eldrian said, looking at his system generated map. While the start of the river was a good distance away, easily over a 100 kilometers, Eldrian felt much better knowing how to find them even if he waste.


    This would also solve his hydration problem, seeing as this world did not havemon containers to store water in. Sure there were barrels and water sacks, but they weren''t close to as easy to use as simple bottles.


    Eldrian still nned to ask Boran if he could take a barrel of water. Feeling that it was better to be on the safe side.


    "Hopefully this will help you not get lost." Boran said as he folded the map again and offered it to Eldrian.


    "That isn''t necessary. I already have it... Saved?" Eldrian replied, wondering how to exin his system map to Boran. After a bit of thought he simply exined it as simr to the inventory all Chosen had.


    While mentioning his inventory Eldrian was reminded of the Alpha''s body inside of it. "Boran, I still have the Alpha''s body in my inventory. I think it would be better if I can clear my inventory, do you have any suggestions as to how I can do this?" Eldrian hopped to not have almost half his inventory taken by it since he expected to get much more from this mission.


    "I think the best would be to harvest it, but that would take a few hours."


    "I guess it can''t be helped..." Eldrian sighed, feeling that he would only be able to get going by the time night set.


    "Before we go back down I need to give you the sword. You are still nning to take it to Vivian, right?" Boran asked, after getting a nod in reply he disappeared into one of the doors of his t. After a few minutesing back out with the sword wrapped in cloth.


    Taking the sword Eldrian was curious about its stats, yet as soon as he wished to equip it the system asked him if he wanted to soulbond the weapon to him. Promptly declining this option Eldrian ced it into his inventory. He could still try to Observe or Inspect which Dave had also given him, but he had not had the time to learn them yet. They were respectively a Tier 1 skill and spell.


    As the sword disappeared into his inventory Eldrian received another system message.


    [Delivery quest epted.]


    [Quest Name: Nelida''s journey]


    [Quest Giver: Boran]


    [Quest Rank: C]


    [Quest Description: Deliver the crafted sword, Nelida, to Vivian]


    [Quest Fail Condition: Losing possession of the sword.]


    [Quest Reward: 1 200 XP]


    "Alright, now let''s go harvest the beast," Boran said after seeing the sword disappear in Eldrian''s hands. He still found it insane that every Chosen had that ability.


    In the backyard of the shop Boran looked at Eldrian,"Alright, pull it out."


    Eldrian nodded and focused on the Alpha inside his inventory. After a bit of a mental tug of war he soon got it out. Far easier than when he had stored it.


    Boran whistled when he saw the entire beast lying on the grass. "You weren''t kidding, your inventory is really huge!" Walking around the beast Boran started to examine it, exining to Eldrian as he did.


    After around an hour of examination and exnation, they started harvesting it. Eldrian found it really difficult at the start, even with the magical grade knife Boran had given him. With time he learned the correct methods and was able to help Boran more than just observe.


    After three hours of work they finished, Eldrian having stored around twenty kilograms of the Alpha''s meat for his travel. Yet it left over a 150 kilograms of meat left.


    "Boran, you can take the rest of the meat. Will you be able to help me store the important parts?" Eldrian asked, having no clue how the eyes and heart needed to be stored. The ws though he felt were straightforward.


    "Sure, I will take the meat as payment. Heck, I actually make a killing with this deal. Now help me carry everything to the storage room."


    Eldrian did as asked, finally being finished with the tasks he felt needed to be done before leaving. Heaving a sigh he got ready to greet Boran and set off.


    "Alright, I think that is everything. I still have around three hours of light, so I should get going."


    "Before you do, take this." Boran gave Eldrian a piece of paper. "I often make items for people from other cities. Normally, in that case, I will send it to them." Boran then exined that had an agreement with this stable, with them always giving a special horse to the person Boran had delivering the item. In this case it was Eldrian.


    "Thanks"


    "Don''t mention it," Boran said, taking Eldrian''s hand and pulling him into a hug. "If you feel things turning for the worst. Run. Take Vivian with you and get away. Even if it means deserting the army."


    "What?" Eldrian asked in shock, trying to pull out of the hug, Boran keeping him tightly in.


    "You might think it is going to go well, but I feel that things are only starting. So if you find the situation helpless. Take Vivian and run."


    "But..."


    "No! Promise me you will do it! I don''t want Vivian to die a helpless death!"


    "If you can''t manage to rescue her, at least don''t let her get taken captive."


    Too shocked for words Eldrian simply left after Boran had said this. In a shock he headed to the stable Boran had told him about, wondering what had gotten into Boran by the end.


    Does he think we are going to lose? Eldrian did not like that this was something he actually was leaning towards too.

 Chapter 101: Setting off

    <h4>Chapter 101: Setting off</h4>


    Leaving Boran''s, Eldrian headed directly for the south gate. The stable was near it on the grasnd between the wall and buildings.


    While setting out Eldrian made ast check to ensure that he had all the things he needed.


    Barrel of water. Check. Meat,rge check. Weapons, check. Arrows, mmm yeah that is over a hundred. Should be fine. Time,te... Eldrian sighed as he thought of the time. Hoping that he would still make it before Monday.


    Arriving at the south gate, Eldrian went to his right. Following along on the road next to the wall, Eldrian walked for a few hundred meters before seeing the stable buildings in the grasnd.


    This grasnd was kept between the city walls and inner buildings as a way to give a buffer during an attack. Allowing the buildings to act as a second smaller wall, while the other sections of the wall would also be able to attack this grasnd.


    The wall itself was broken into segments by small towers which were constructed every two hundred meters. These towers kept the way down locked and prevent enemies from simply moving across the wall. Naturally against monsters, many of these things became obsolete. But Eldrian was still impressed with all the detail which had gone into the making of the city.


    Sure there were many parts that could still be improved upon. But for the most, Eldrian felt it was impressive.


    The only buildings allowed in the grasnd area were military buildings, stables being considered as such. Arriving at such a stable and hoping it was the correct one, Eldrian directly asked one of the stablehands to get him the owner of the stable. Saying that he had a special task needing to be done and that Mark would know what it was about.


    Eldrian waited just outside of the stables for a few minutes, a man finallying out of it just as his patience had started to run thin. Eldrian constantly thought of the time and this brought pressure which made him just a bit antsier.


    "Are you Mark?" Eldrian asked roughly as soon as the man was near enough. The man was of amon look in normal stable wear, simr to the stablehands.


    "Yes, that is me. How do you know my name?"


    "I am Boran''s apprentice, he gave me this," Eldrian fumbled in his shirt for a few seconds. "Here, I was told this will get me a horse for my trip.


    "If this is what I think it is then you are correct. Are you taking an item to someone?" Mark asked as he took the piece of paper.


    "Yes, but I''d rather not say what."


    "Good, don''t go bbing to people. It is a good way to get killed."


    After confirming that the paper was really from Boran the Mark led Eldrian into the stables. "Are you really his apprentice?"


    "Yeah."


    Whistling in surprise Mark led Eldrian into the stable. "It has been a couple of years since hest took one on. You must be something."


    "I don''t know about that." Eldrian shyly replied, rubbing his head in embarrassment.


    As they passed some other workers Mark asked, "Hey, is Sesha still in the back?"


    "Yeah, she''s been really reluctant to go out this past week."


    "Ugh, not this again."


    Eldrian simply followed quietly as Mark grumbled that Sesha was too stubborn and uptight.


    "Sesha! Come here girl, you have a mission." Mark said as they reached the veryst stall of the stable. Eldrian did not know much of horses, only knowing that her coat was a color called chestnut. But Eldrian was not impressed by her well-kept coat, rather he was impressed by the horse''s bright green eyes which seemed to shine in the dark of the stable.


    As if to say she did not feel like it Sesha shook her head. Mark spent the next five minutes coaxing her to take Eldrian to the border. She only agreed to it after he promised her a special treat for finishing the task.


    "Sorry about that, she is a really great horse. But she can be stubborn." Mark whispered to Eldiran, making sure that Sesha could not hear him.


    Not knowing what to say Eldrian kept quiet, wondering why Mark had seemingly talked with the horse.


    As if reading his thoughts Marked leaned closer to him and gave him the answer in another whisper, "You see, she somehow learned how to use magic. While she can''t do much, it does make her insanely fast. But she has also be, stubborn. As you saw."


    "Alright?" Eldrian felt at a loss. Wondering just how a horse managed to learn magic.


    After this Mark helped Eldrian getfortable with Sesha, telling Sesha not to cross the border and run if there is danger. Finally, they all headed out, Sesha getting saddled at the entrance of the stable.


    "Be a good girl, alright." To which Mark got a horse nod in reply, "Alright, up you go mister." Mark helped Eldrian climb onto Sesha and told him how to sit and hold on. After which he smacked Sesha''s rear, causing her to start galloping towards the gate.


    She ran so fast that Eldrian could barely make out his surroundings, but his focus was on holding tight. Terrified that he would fall off. Every gallop of the horse caused Eldrian''s rear end to feel like it was getting a spanking.


    A good half an hourter Sesha finally slowed down. Eldrian, feeling the change, simply let himself go. Falling off, not even feeling the fall after the abuse he had just gone through.


    Feeling the weight off of her, Sesha turned around and neigh at Eldrian. Eldrian got the feeling that she was ridiculing him for his low stamina. But he just could not go any longer. Looking at his map he saw that they had already almost made it to where the first event was.


    "Just how fast are you?" Eldrian asked, not expecting any reply. But he did get one.


    Sesha lifted her head high and trotting around Eldrian, in a mocking manner.


    "Alright, so you can understand me too?"


    Eldrian received a horse nod in reply.


    "Can you not go so fast next time."


    Head shake.


    "Please, I won''t be able to survive if you keep this up."


    Again a trot, rubbing in his weakness.


    Sighing, Eldrian decided to just rest until he felt fine. Casting Anthizo on himself to speed this up.


    Sensing the spell, Sesha walked over to Eldrian and stared at him.


    "What?" Eldrian asked, feeling ufortable being stared at so intensely by a horse.


    Stare...


    "What?"


    Not getting any reply, Eldrian decided to try and decipher what was going on. After a few minutes, he finally managed to get a horse nod.


    "You want me to cast that spell on you?"


    Nod.


    "Alright, but only if you take it slower."


    Eldrian could clearly see the hesitation in Sesha''s eyes. But after a few seconds she nodded again.


    "Great. Then let''s go."


    In this manner Eldrian spent his next three hours of daylight. Casting Anthizo on Sesha every 5 minutes. While he knew it would not positively affect her after the first few, at least ording to the system, he knew that the good feeling the spell gave someone was always present.


    While in his off time, Eldrian tried learning Observe and Inspect. Naturally, only when the ride was not too harsh.


    ...


    On Erik''s side, he had a far more rxed time after thepany had issued their verdict through the gods. While the yers who had epted the quest still had it and had to help, they could decide how they wanted to help.


    Many of the yers actually like this arrangement as it allowed them to get free training, spells, skills and equipment. The only problem was that they were expected to be on the front lines in return for this.


    Most of the action type yers had no problem with this. They actually saw it as a great opportunity now.


    Erik, on the other hand, had simply spent most of his money going to the library and reading up on the world. Now, after a week, he had to start making ns to gain money. Having only 5 silvers left.


    It was enough for him to simply live for a month, but he saw no point in doing that. He could do that in real life, he wanted to enjoy himself in the game.


    In the end, Erik had given in and decided to also help the city, but he had made sure that they knew he did not want to fight on the front lines. After a bit of back and forth, they had finally settled to teach him healing and apothecary.


    [Quest Name: Help defend Vuetvale]


    [Quest Giver: Vuetvale military]


    [Quest Rank: SSS]


    [Quest Description: Help Vuetvale hold out against the monster invasion]


    [Quest Fail Condition: Vuetvale being conquered]


    [Quest Time: Until monster invasion ends, or new Tier 4 kingdom gets established between Vruntis and chaotds.]


    [Quest Reward: 1.8M XP or 5 levels, 20 gold]


    [Quest has daily tasks]


    Erik had a feeling that the quest was most likely going to fail or never end. Thus he never cared much for the reward. But due to the quest he had managed to get into contact with the healing professionals of the city. Finding that he was well attuned to this branch of magic, due to his race.


    He excelled in using both nature healing spells and divine spells. By now he had already reached Tier 1 and was almost ready to reach Tier 2. The city was really not being shy with giving him spells.


    But he had needed to swear an oath, preventing him from sharing the knowledge he had been given. Even in such a dire situation, the kingdom wanted to keep its secrets, secret.


    [Daily Task1: After learning healing, help heal at least 5 people. If there are any wounded on that day.]


    [Daily Task1 Rank: ZZZ]


    [Daily Task1 Reward: 50 copper and 200XP]


    [Daily Task2: After learning apothecary. craft one potion of standard quality each day.]


    [Daily Task1 Rank: ZZZ]


    [Daily Task1 Reward: 25copper and 200XP]


    [Quest Task Rule: Must aplish at least one of the tasks each day.]


    Erik enjoyed the daily tasks, as it had allowed him to gain a good amount of XP quickly, while also allowing him to make a decent living.

 Chapter 102: Erik: A normal day

    <h4>Chapter 102: Erik: A normal day</h4>


    Having just finished his healing task for the day, Erik headed to the temple of life. He had made a point of it to visit Akarui often. Bringing her a nice treat each time, today''s was the grilled meat of a Lykos.


    Like in Phallos this monster was also a wolf variant. But it was a far higher grade of wolf monster. Erik had heard that a group of Tier 4 soldiers had fought against one Tier 2 Lykos, yet they had almost lost. ording to the soldier Erik had gotten the meat from this one was a Beta added on to its species being of bloodline grade.


    Erik had gotten the meat from a soldier whose life he had saved. While he could only use Tier 1 which was far weaker than what many of the other healers could do, Erik had a bit of knowledge in medicine. He did not have a great amount, but he had once researched field dressing for a story he had nned to write.


    As such he knew that the first task was to stabilize the patient, ensuring that he was not losing any more blood. After that he needed to help the patient have enough energy to stay alive. This knowledge allowed him to use a series of Tier 1 healing and rejuvenation spells to bring the patient around.


    It had taken Erik over 5 minutes to stabilize the soldier, for which he had been criticized. The other healers said that he had wasted too much time and mana on one person. Yet Erik had found that none of the others had been on the verge of dying, thus he felt he was in the right.


    Erik did not like the attitude of the other healers, they treated their task as a great burden. While they had indeed been forced to help, Erik felt it made more sense. They were originally from the city and had family here.


    He could not understand why they did not ce more importance on saving as many as they could, instead of only helping as many as possible. Saying that those lost were doomed even before they made it to the medical bay. This made them look good on paper since they never lost a patient. Which was also what made Erik the most disheartened.


    After everything had calmed downter the day, Erik had been resting when the soldier he had saved woke up. The soldier had offered to share some of his spoils with him, inviting Erik to join him for dinner. Which was where the treat for Akarui came from.


    "Akarui, I brought you something very special," Erik said as soon as he entered the temple of life''s garden. He was currently in a green red magic styled robe that all the healers wore. While it resembled magical robes worn by others, his had no magical effect. It was simply given to him as a way to identify him on the field.


    Erik was also not lying in saying the meat was special. Even with its preparation having been average at best the meat still gave a good boost to someone. At least this was what Erik read from the system after having inspected the meat.


    He had not nned to do it but did it subconsciously after his first bite. ording to Inspect, the meat would give a person a temporary boost in strength for a few days after consumption. While permanently helping those who were weak due to injury or sickness.


    "Really?" Akarui asked, rushing towards Erik and giving him a big hug. Well her hug was small and over his legs, but Erik could feel her happiness and energy from it.


    Patting her lightly, Erik took the meat out of his inventory and presented it to Akarui. "Look this the meat of a Lykos''s. They say that if you eat it you will grow big and strong."


    "Like you?"


    Laughing Erik yed along. Helping Akarui make some Kitrino flower tea to enjoy with it. While waiting for her to finish and enjoying the tea Erik wondered why it was not soldmercially. The tea tasted great and gave a person a little energy back. ording to the system, it was only 2 stamina, but it felt great. Even if it was so little.


    After their tea party Erik went around and cast a few growth spells on the flowers which were struggling. He also cast a rejuvenation spell on the Lupi tree, it was looking worse with each visit. Most of its leaves were dried out and its branches were cracking up.


    Looking at it Erik felt great sorrow. He was sure that he would lose consciousness if he touched the tree, so great was the feeling he felt from a simple nce.


    "I wish I could do more for it." Erik sighed, wishing he knew how to care for the tree better. It would soon die at the rate it was deteriorating.


    "But, you have done so much Faust." A warm female voice interrupted the two who were enjoying themselves in the garden.


    "Miss Virgil, why are you here?" Erik asked in surprise. While he did not like thedy, he knew she was strong and well-liked by most.


    She was in fact mostly a finedy. She just had a strong thing for strange races. Erik''s was one of the strangest in the city. He had been trying to avoid her as much as possible.


    "Come now, you can simply call me Virgil, or Viry..." She teased, ying with her ck hair and making sure to send Erik a wink.


    "I prefer to keep our rtionship professional. I mean, you are my teacher''s wife." Erik''s teacher was a Tier 3 priest who knew a few nature spells too. He was not Erik''s mentor, but simply a teacher assigned to help Erik learn how to treat people.


    Naturally, Erik''s teacher also felt that spending a lot of time on one person was a waste, which Erik did not much like. But Erik could not choose his teacher as he was simply assigned to his teacher.


    "Come now, he knows that I like you. He even said it would be fine."


    "Then why did he never tell me?" Erik questioned, wanting to simply leave. But he did not want to leave Akarui alone with her. He was afraid that she might influence Akarui in a bad way.


    Sighing, Virgil looked at Erik, "Someday you will give in."


    "I''d rather not."


    After failing with the straightforward approach she tried to be gentler, but Erik kept giving her the cold shoulder. Especially when she tried to bring Akarui into the conversation.


    "Have it your way." She sighed in defeat, finally leaving. As she did she made sure to give Erik an enticingst nce.


    "Why do you not likedy Virgil?" Akarui asked as soon as Virgil was out of sight.


    "It is hard to exin." Erik sighed, hoping that Akarui would understand. He did not want to ruin her innocence. Even with everything she had lived through, she was still a sweet little girl. She was the biggest reason why he had given in to helping the city.


    He had to grow stronger if he wished to take her with him when the city fell. Erik had no hope that that would not happen. He was just wondering when it would.


    "I have to go now," Erik said after having spent some more time with Akarui. They had made some tea from the Kitrino flower and chatted about flowers for almost half an hour. By now Erik knew all the nts in the garden but he had pretended to forget some, asking Akarui what they were again.


    "Really?" Akarui asked sadly, grabbing onto Erik''s robe to keep him here for a bit longer.


    "Akaru... I have to get back to work."


    "Faust..." Akarui paused, struggling to say what she wanted. "Can I stay with you?" She looked up at Erik with big puppy dog eyes.


    "Sorry Akarui, I do not have a ce of my own. And you have worked here, right? And you enjoy caring for the garden." Erik struggled with saying no, she was simply too cute.


    "But, I can do that even if I don''t stay here." She replied balling her little fists in an attempt to work up her courage.


    "Maybeter, let me get settled first. You know how crazy it is with all the fighting outside the walls, right?"


    Akarui stayed quiet, only nodding after a few seconds passed.


    "Give me a hug." Erik said, pulling her into one. "I will try to visit tomorrow again."


    Erik received a small nod as a reply.


    It is always so hard to say goodbye. She still struggles with the fact that I am on the battlefield. Erik sighed as he left, feeling saddened that Akarui was sad. He knew that she did not understand what it meant to be a Chosen, she felt she would lose him as she did her parents.


    After a long time Erik finally managed to gather his thoughts,Back to work, I need to master that Tier 2 spell they gave me. It might allow me to get more credit in the army. Erik thought, knowing that it would definitely give him much more say in how the medical bay was run.


    At the medical bay Erik was stationed there was only one Tier 5 healer, ten Tier 4''s, thirty Tier 3 and a hundred Tier 2''s. While there was over a thousand Tier 1''s.


    Reaching Tier 2 will raise his status by arge amount and ensure that what he said was actually taken seriously. Due to magic the healers often did not want to practicemon techniques like bandaging or sutures.


    Saying that it took too long, while in fact it only took a few minutes longer at most. While saving arge amount of mana, especially if the wound was really bad.

 Chapter 103: Tier 1 reached

    <h4>Chapter 103: Tier 1 reached</h4>


    Waking up after logging in Eldrian immediately looked around, d to see that Sesha was indeed still nearby. She had wandered for a few hundred meters, but at least she was still in sight.


    Sighing with relief Eldrian stood up and started walking towards the horse.


    "Hey, Sesha. How was the night?" Eldrian asked, he had had a difficult time exining to the horse what was going to happen when he logged off. Due to the new updates yers'' bodies would disappear within half a minute of logging out. Eldrian had worried that Sesha would run away when he was gone, luckily this worry seemed to be unneeded.


    To Eldrian''s greeting Sesha simply gave him a horse nod of acknowledgment as she stood up. After which Eldrian mounted her and set off again. They were already very close to the river, ording to his map they were over four-fifths.


    Eldrian simply nned to find the river before taking a break and eating breakfast.After which they would set out again.


    ...


    Nothing much happened further during the day, Eldrian simply continued to try and cast Observe and Inspect. The unstableness of the trip making it hard for him. Even so he felt he was making progress and that he would get it if he could really concentrate for a few hours.


    "We should be able to reach the camp tomorrow morning if nothing happens," Eldrianmented as he climbed off of Sesha and started setting up camp. There was not much of setting up as Eldrian simply made a fire to cook his dinner.


    They were currently in arge forest that seemed to span the entire distance which was left to travel. Eldrian would have preferred if the entire journey was simply grasnds as it would enable him too see far ahead and Sesha to move almost full speed. He could still not handle her best.


    After enjoying his meal and setting out the fire, Eldrian tried to make sure that nothing was nearby. Naturally he had no idea what he needed to do to make sure of this, as such he simply spent a few minutes listening to the silence of the night.


    After which he decided to practice casting Anthizo, since he only needed around 40 more casts to reach Tier 1.


    ...


    Two hourster Eldrian finally finished hisst cast, reaching Tier 1. Calling his interface Eldrain quickly searched for his improvements.


    [yer has reached the requirements for Tier 1]


    [yer''s highest Tier is of magic type, ssified yer as mage type]


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 5 (1250/16k)]


    [Magic ss Tier 1]


    {For next Tier up}


    {0 / 20k Tier 1 spell cast}


    {0 / 200 Tier 2 spell cast}


    [Avatar Affinity: 96.21%]


    [Attributes:]


    [Strength: 105]


    [Agility: 115]


    [Constitution: 105]


    [Intelligence: 115] [Was 110]


    [Spirit: 110] [Was 105]


    {20 free attribute points}


    Mmmh, that is not arge difference. And what the hell should I spend my free attributes on? Eldrian felt he still knew too little to use them. He had no idea how important they would be and currently, he did not feel a need to spend them uninformed.


    Continuing on he searched for other differences.


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 105]


    [Mana: 121]


    [Stamina: 105]


    [Armor: 0.25]


    [Magic Armor: 0.25]


    [Physical Resistance: 0.5%]


    [Magical Resistance: 0.5%]


    ''Oh, cool I got some resistances and armor,'' Eldrian mumbled as he saw the change. It was small but he currently still had no armor, hence he quickly saw the change.


    I should probably make that a priority. He thought after realizing that he was still only wearing normal clothing. Normal being rtive as he was currently wearing the game''s equivalent of jeans and a T-shirt.


    The most significant difference being that his jeans were brown since it was the mostmon color around, his shirt on the other hand was ck. Eldrian had chosen these colors when he learned that making the jean blue would quadruple the cost.


    [Apparel: Custom cotton clothing]


    [Weapons: Grace, Arming sword, Kite shield, ...]


    ***


    After having reached Tier 1 Eldrian felt he did not have more he needed to do. After spending a few minutes on Observe and Inspect, he logged out.


    ...


    Logging in again Eldrian directly started looking for Sesha, yet this time he failed to see her nearby. Startled, he quickly jumped to his feet and pulled out Grace.


    Warily Eldrian moved around to see if anything seemed out of ce. After a good while of searching, he failed to find anything out of the ordinary, yet Sesha was gone.


    Did something startle her? Luckily it does not seem like she died. Eldrian thought, d that he failed to find blood anywhere. Even so he was not happy that he had to now continue on foot.


    Keeping his spear out he followed along the river at a normal pace, making sure to not waste his stamina. By midday, nothing having happened, Eldrian started feeling that what startled Sesha must have long left the area. Even if it did not, he had now left it. Unless its area was the entire forest.


    Feeling more at ease Eldrian finally decided to put Grace back into his inventory and started a fire. He did not have any food left from the day before, having only grilled enough for two meals.


    Luckily starting a fire was easy with Floga, as such Eldrian soon had some new meat grilling over the fire. As he listened to the sizzling of the meat Eldrian cursed his stupidity for not having stuffed his inventory with at least a month''s worth of food. He was certainly not going to miss out on that usage of his inventory again.


    Crack


    Hearing the sound of a branch breaking Eldrian froze just as he was about to take the meat of the fire. He was not ustomed enough to hear the snapping of small twigs or the crush of leaves on the ground. But an entire branch being broken, that he could hear.


    Eldrian jumped back from the fire with a start, pulling Grace out as he did. His brain having finally processed what the noise of a branch breaking could mean. Luckily what had broken it did not seem to being for him.


    Drawing further back, Eldrian warily watched the surrounding trees. He nned to head for the river, hoping that whatever wasing would not be the best at swimming.


    As Eldrian reached the riverbed he heard more branches being broken, even managing to see the silhouettes of the creatures. Through the shadows of the trees Eldrian felt that he was looking at a massive bearlike creature.


    Cursing his luck Eldrian prayed that they would ignore him.Please just move on. Take the meat and go. Eldrian hoping this even stronger when he realized he never even visited a town or vige, meaning he would respawn in Aggostead if he died.


    While warily waiting for something to change Eldrain suddenly heard a deep growl reverberate through the forest. Followed by more growls from all directions, except from his back where the river lied.


    Seems I do have a way out? Eldrian thought in relief, wondering if he should simply jump into the river or wait some more. The nearest bearlike creature was now no more than ten meters from him. Luckily it was facing towards his fire, leaving its back towards him.


    "It''s a pack of Arkbeasts. Five here, but the growls indicated more than twenty." A female voice suddenly pierced through Eldrian''s ears.


    Thank god I am not alone. Shit, wait will they be fine? Just as he was bing worried more voices echoed.


    "Dammit, why do you Chosen always go so far out from the camp!"


    "Sorry! We hoped to find more herbs. Those nearby had been finished."


    "Do I look like I fucking care about your reasons? Keep inside the formation and don''t run! I will personally kill you if you do!" Shouted the same female voice Eldrian had first heard.


    Relieved Eldrian realized that they were certainly soldiers. Now he just needed to decide how he was going to y this.Run and save myself, or help?


    While wondering Eldrian heard the whistle of arrows, some flying close by him. Luckily he was hiding behind a tree, else he felt certain he would have received an unwee arrow.


    Responding to the arrows the Arkbeasts roared in anger and charged the soldiers. Eldrian stayed in his hiding spot for a bit longer, waiting until the arrows were more focused.


    Good thing I didn''t just rush in. Eldrian thought as the arrows grew less and soon stoppeding near him, as this happened he sneaked his head out from behind the tree. Seeing one of the Arkbeast trying to move around the soldiers. At least he assumed that was what it was trying to do by being so far back.


    No you don''t! Eldrian shouted internally as he rushed out of his hiding spot, hoping that the beast would not be too tough a kill. While rushing he quickly cast Anthizo on himself for the regen, lunging at the beast soon after. His spear piercing through its hind leg.


    Howling in pain the beast turned towards Eldrian in rage, wanting to kill him with one bite. Before it could it received a shortsword directly plunged into its mouth.


    Pulling back Eldrian pulled his spear out of the beast''s leg while he left the de inside of its mouth, the hilt stopping the beast from closing its mouth. Blood flooding from it.


    Enraged the beast charged at him, ready Eldrian knelt and struck the back of his spear into the ground, impaling the charging beast on its own momentum.


    [900XP]


    Eldrian saw the system message only because he was waiting for confirmation, having nned to plunge a dagger into the beast''s throat if he did not get it.


    After the beast had impaled itself, Eldrian dove to his side as he saw another charging him. Cursing as he lost his spear Eldian pulled out an arming sword and kite shield, blocking a blow from the new beast with thetter. The blow sending him stumbling against a tree.


    "Fuck, that hurt!" He cursed as he ducked down to avoid his head being ripped off.

 Chapter 104: Arkbeasts

    <h4>Chapter 104: Arkbeasts</h4>


    After having saved his head Eldrian found himself cornered against the tree.Cursing the beast''s intelligence Eldrian used his kite shield out of desperation, managing to barely keep himself intact with it.


    Each attack sent shockwaves moving through his body, informing Eldrian of the massive difference in strength. Luckily Eldrian realized with this that he had more speed, yet he could not really use it cornered against a tree.


    Just as his kite shield was about to be scraps, Eldrian found the opportunity to move from the tree. Pushing off against it Eldrian rushed towards the beast. Kite shield over his head Eldrian dove under the beast''s swinging w. Eldrian plunged his arming sword into the beast''s belly as he moved under it, losing his grip as blood sprayed onto him.


    Cursing Eldrian cast Floga out of desperation, sending the me to the beast''sher region. Hearing the cry of agony and rage Eldrian knew he had gained a few seconds. Maneuvering from under the beast Eldrian pulled hisst sword from his inventory.


    Unfortunately this was a greatsword and far too big to use with a shield, yet in the next second Eldrian''s shield became scraps as the beast struck again. Eldrian using it in desperation while still fumbling with the greatsword with his other hand.


    This strike split the kite shield into two, Eldrian receiving arge gash as the shield split. With the shield split Eldrian lost grip of it along with most strength in his wounded arm.


    Cursing the shield''s weakness Eldrian moved to get some space between him and the Arkbeast. Tripping over the dead Arkbeast he had in a few seconds before.


    Dammit! Cursing, Eldrian pulled the sword over him hoping to defend from an expectant attack that never came. Realizing that the beast had not rushed over its fallenrade Eldrian used the few seconds this gave him to gather his breath and look at what weapons he still had.


    Small shield, staff, bow.


    "Shit!" Rolling to the side Eldrian avoided another attack as he felt his remaining weapons being of no use in this situation. The greatsword being his best option, Eldrian tried to get enough distance to use its reach to his advantage.


    As if reading his n the beast kept closing in on Eldrian, making the greatsword too clunky to really use. Eldrian only managing to barely keep its ws from digging into him.


    Out of desperation Eldrian again thought of using Floga, casting the spell and sending it directly at the beast''s face.


    Seeing the me and remembering the pain the beast was enraged and afraid. Stepping back it tried to dodge the me, yet Eldrian could control it.


    Seeing the beast''s reaction he kept the me in front of the beast''s face as he gathered his thoughts. shing at the beast as soon as he had half a n.


    Unfortunately the beast soon overcame its fear, leaving only rage. But the time had been enough for Eldrian to deliver a few nice attacks. Eldrian also learned how to use Floga in that first attempt.


    Following the inspiration he had gained Eldrian cast the spell again, keeping the me in front of the beast''s face. Even with it not being afraid, Eldrian managed to use it to keep his own movements hidden from the beast. Allowing him to deliver a few more shallow wounds.


    The beast gave up on trying to be careful after the fourth hitnded, charging in rage. Just as Eldrian had hoped it would. Using all the strength he had left Eldrian thrust the greatsword into the beast''s chest as it charged him, letting go of it as soon as he made sure it was deep enough.


    Even with having nned it Eldrian still failed to get out of the way in time, his right leg having been trampled by the beast.


    Luckily it had seemed to be enough as the beast slouched and slowly stopped, finally it fell down and Eldrian got the message he had been waiting for.


    [1 350XP Gained]


    Tired Eldrian slouched onto the first beast he had killed. Trying to catch his breath he cast Anthos and Anthizo on himself, finding that these two did not seem to sh. Each having its own cooldown.


    Finally feeling mostly back to normal Eldrian slowly stood up, flinching as he ced weight onto his right leg.


    "Dammit!" Eldrian cursed, wiping blood and sweat out of his eyes. Feeling that this did not really help he cast Nidia for water. Realizing that he could control the water ball he sshed it onto his face, moving the bloodied water away and letting it fall onto the ground.


    That works wonderfully. He thought as he did the same to clean his arm wound, his leg luckily seemed to be in one piece. It only hurt up to the limit of the game setting. Which told Eldrian that it was likely broken.


    "Two would have killed me if I did not catch one unaware." Eldrian sighed as he realized that he was not as strong as he had hoped.


    The usage of the rejuvenation spells had not healed the gash on his arm nor his hurt leg, but it did stop the bleeding. Stabilizing his condition, yet Eldrian found that he was really close to death. Having only 40HP left after the spells'' effects.


    "I really need armor," Eldrian mumbled as he realized that one direct none vital hit and another non-direct hit had almost killed him. He felt quite certain that if any of the two hadnded on his upper body then he would be dead.


    He also realized he needed a true healing spell, rejuvenation was great for before or during a fight. Eldrian felt certain that he would not have made it from the tree if not for having cast Anthizo right before the fight.


    After resting enough and feeling ready to walk again Eldrian started gathering his weapons. Hoping that the soldiers were doing good. From the sound of it, they were still deep in the fight.


    Eldrian struggled a great deal with getting Grace out of the impaled Arkbeast. After a few attempts, he realized that he needed to pull it through the beast, as he could not move the beast. Yet it was really stuck, taking him over an entire minute to get it out.


    Holding the bloody grace in his hands Eldrian realized he needed to clean all his weapons, luckily this was easy with Nidia. Casting the spell and running it over the weapons Eldrian quickly managed to get all the blood and gore off of them.


    Let''s go help.Eldrian told himself as he used Grace as a walking cane. His right leg struggling to take his weight. Eldrian knew that he would die if the soldiers did, as such he wanted to help even a little. At worst they would revive him if he did enough. At least this was what he kept telling himself.


    Following the sounds of battle Eldrian soon saw another Arkbeast trying to move around the soldiers. At least that was what he felt it was doing with how it was carefully moving towards the side.


    Not feeling like he would be able to rush the beast with his bad leg Eldrian ced his spear onto the ground and took out the bow from his inventory. Taking a few arrows out, which was important as getting them out of the cubic inventory was far more difficult than with the slot inventory.


    Thetter he could do as he did in battle, getting them out in less than a seconds. But the former still took him a few seconds to take something out of.


    Breathing deeply Eldrian tried to calm himself as he took aim. He was not confident in his bow skills and as such was simply aiming at the beast''s body. He hoped to get two shots in before needing to go to his spear. Best case, four.


    Ready, he let loose.


    Solid! Eldrian thought as the arrow struck deeply into the beast''s side, taking another arrow Eldrian waited for the beast to charge. It soon did, as it did Eldrian aimed and let loose another as the beast was only ten meters away. The arrow missed the beast''s head and struck into its chest.


    Happy that it was not a ncing blow Eldrian grabbed his spear and rolled to the side. The pain having left him due to the adrenaline flowing in him again.


    Backing up Eldrian kept his spear towards the beast, managing to keep the beast far enough from it. A few times his leg almost gave out from under him and allowed the beast to get a very near strike, but Eldrian would manage to pull through at the critical time.


    Soon the beast decided to take a blow if it meant killing the annoying human.


    Frustrated by its barbaric fighting style Eldrian was soon almost killed, at thest moment he had cast Floga and sent the me towards the beast''s face. This had given him enough time to dodge.


    Realizing that the spell was effective, even without the extra insult he had done to the other, Eldrian tried to do the same as he had before. Finding that it really worked.


    He would fling the spell at the beast''s eyes as he thrust his spear making the beast decide which one it wanted to hit.


    When it decided spear, Eldrian let the spell go for real. While if it chose the spell he would simply stop it midway as his spear made contact. In this way Eldrian managed to save some of his mana as he fought, slowly chipping away at the beast.


    After around a minute of this Eldrian finally managed to kill the beast, one of its eyes having been blinding by Floga. As soon as that had happened the beast''s hope of winning had gone. Eldrian simply flung Floga at its remaining eye while pressuring with his spear.


    "Spells are really strong," Eldrian mumbled as he left the dead beast in peace.


    Continuing on towards the fight he wondered why no one used spells like that.


    Oh yeah, they can''t. He realized, remembering that only people over Tier 5 would normally be able to control spells as he did. Even then they might never think of using Tier 0 spells as he did since a Tier 5 spell would likely be a far better choice.

 Chapter 105: Helping a small group

    <h4>Chapter 105: Helping a small group</h4>


    After havinge to this conclusion Eldrian wondered just how different his magic would be as he learned more. While the spells he used had no damage modification, at least at this Tier, being able to control it had made it like he had an extra weapon or arm. Giving him a massive advantage over anyone and anything which could not protect themselves from it.


    Continuing on towards the sounds of battle Eldrian saw that the soldiers were struggling to hold out. There were around ten yers who were trying to keep five Arkbeasts at bay. ''Trying to'' being an optimal description as they were barely managing to keep those five from killing them.


    Other than the yers there were three soldiers with swords and shields wearing heavy te armor. They were each keeping two beasts at bay, while this caused them to do little damage, it did ensure that the entire group was not overrun.


    Then there were also two archers who wanted to help the soldiers in a melee, but they were focusing on keeping the other beasts at bay who were trying to join in. Firing arrows at these each time they tried charging in. Yet it was inevitable that these beasts would join the fight with time.


    There was also a robed person in the middle of the entire formation, Eldrian felt certain that this was a priest. As the person was constantly casting spells, yet Eldrian saw no offensive magic. In fact, he saw no magic, making him believe that the person was casting spells like Anthos.


    Seeing their situation Eldrian did not like their odds. His leg still refused to work normally while his left arm also often reminded him that it was injured.


    Trying not to rush Eldrian tried to think of a better n.


    Ultimately he did not trust his aim with a bow enough to try and help from a distance. Floga also would not be much use from so far, Eldrian having learned that it became harder to control as he moved it from him.


    It was still almost normal when the spell was around a spear''s distance from him, but once it broke 2 meters he felt arge strain on his mind. Having also found that instead of simply not regening mana, his started to slowly drain at that point.


    Spear is still the best. Eldrian determined as he saw one of the beasts managing to pass from the suppression fire and circumvent the melee soldiers, running straight for the priest.


    ''A heck.'' Eldrian mumbled as he realized he could not wait any longer, rushing from his hiding spot he charged the beast. Making sure to scream as he did.


    Him screaming informed both the humans and beasts, which was his n. Hearing the scream nearing it the beast stopped charging towards the priest, only to see a me rushing towards its head.


    Trying to dodge the me, the beast swung its head to the side, causing Eldrian to bepletely hidden from its view. Eldrian had hoped to simply hide his spear from its view but this worked even better as his spear now easily pierced the beast''s side.


    Enraged the beast swung its head back and tried to bite Eldrian''s off. In doing so it also tightened all its muscled, causing Eldrian''s spear to be stuck inside it.


    Discarding his spear Eldrian flung Floga at the beast''s eyes again while he pulled his shortsword out. This time instead of moving its head the beast simply blinked, but this was again enough for Eldrian. It again hid his action and allowed him to cut into the beast''s neck.


    It still not dying Eldrian felt deted.That is a critical wound! He wanted to scream, but instead he ducked and avoided a bite from the beast. As the beast attacked him Eldrian''s spear fell out of its side, yet Eldrian could not reach it due to the pressure from the beast.


    Eldrian felt cornered with the shortsword as his only weapon, not having enough time to take another out. At least not without making himself stand still for too long. While he could take his weapons out in less than a second, that was too long for his current position.


    His injured leg made dodging difficult and the shortsword made blocking almost impossible. This caused Eldrian to look in a sorry state as he scrambled to not get hit.


    As Eldrian was forced back he felt a vigor enter him. His leg soon losing the stinging pain he had been trying to ignore.


    This gave him just enough time to jump back with more strength and look at his stats. Seeing that it was back to 70, Eldrian felt certain he had just been healed. This was not much, but his leg working normally helped Eldrian in dodging greatly.


    It gave him enough time to look around and think of a n as he dodged. What he saw as he looked around was not good though. Both archers were being forced to retreat by two Arkbeasts while another two had joined to pressure the melee soldiers. Making it a three versus eight.


    Luckily the priest was still protected, but Eldrian could see one more beast trying to sneak its way to him.


    Crap. Seeing that extra beast Eldrian took a gamble and threw his shortsword at the beast. He had only taken it to do a quick attack, having believed the beast would die from it. He needed something with more reach, his leg being better and this action gave him that time.


    Pulling the greatsword out Eldrian managed to fight off the Arkbeast he was facing much easier. A few secondster he managed to kill it with the help of Floga going for the beast''s eyes.


    [450XP Gained]


    Before he could celebrate Eldrian saw the other beast he had seen was already in a fight with the priest. The priest had already taken two direct hits. He was desperately using his staff to keep the third from connecting.


    Cursing Eldrian rushed towards him, not even having enough time to collect his spear. He directly started with a wide overhead swing which forced the beast to back off. After which Eldrian quickly started delivering quick shallow strikes.


    As Eldrian fought this beast he found himself tiring. Recognizing the feeling Eldrian knew he needed to end it quickly. He was amping up both Magic Fatigue and regr Fatigue.


    Cursing these dumb system limitations Eldrian flung Floga at the beast in desperation, but this one seemed to not be affected by it. It would close its eyelids right as the me was about to hit. Giving Eldrian no time to control and change its direction.


    Seeing it doing next to no damage, nor giving him an edge, Eldrian quickly discarded his trick. In doing so he was put on the back foot and focused on defending himself. Something he did not want to do as all the others were losing their fights.


    Around half a minute of fightingter, an eternity to Eldrian, he felt a soothing feeling entering him.


    Eldrian felt it was simr to Anthizo but far stronger, he also felt himself be quickened. This allowed him to hold out on even ground against the beast for a few minutes, even allowing him to slowly determine where they would go while fighting.


    As Eldrian felt the energy leaving their fight had led him close to where his spear was lying. As he had hoped to do, it had been hard to guide the fight. But it was far easier than turning it.


    Having thought of this for the entire fight Eldrian directly did as nned. Delivering a massive wide swing towards the beast, letting go of the de halfway through.


    Not having expected the human to let go of its weapon the beast was caught unprepared and received a deep cut on its right foreleg. As it wanted to charge the human in rage it saw that the human already had a new weapon pointing towards it.


    Slowly Eldrian managed to whittle down the beast, but as he did he could feel that he was too slow. Finding an opportune time Eldrian decided to gamble a bit.


    On the next attack of the beast he directly charged in towards it. The beast not having expected this tried to quickly lower its leg back down, but Eldrian was too quick.


    Diving under the leg Eldrian turned himself onto his back. Pushing the spear upwards into the beast''s back.


    ''Ooef!'' Eldrian lost his breath as hended on the ground. Soon after being sprayed with blood as he rolled to the side, avoiding the falling beast.


    [1125XP Gained]


    Wiping the blood from his face Eldrian took one deep breath and continued on, rushing towards the archers. Both were on the back end, but one seemed to only have a few steps left.


    Eldrian relieved the almost dying archer from his melee. The archer having run away as soon as Eldrian appeared. Eldrian wanted to curse this man, but soon after he got help in the form of arrows. The fight ending on an easy note with actualbat help being present.


    From this the fight started to truly turn, as Eldrian moved towards the other archer. After having helped both they rushed towards the melee soldiers. Eldrian helping one of the soldiers fighting three beasts. While the archers split and helped the other two.


    A few minutester all the beasts were killed. Yet most of the yers were dead and all the NPCs very hurt.


    "We have to get out of here now!" Shouted the female voice Eldrian had heard before.


    "But what about the Chosen. They say we can easily revive them. And the beast''s ws." One of the melee soldiers asked.


    "Do you think we have fucking time?" The female bellowed as she turned towards the priest. "He is in no condition to revive them and it was their fault!"


    "But..."


    "Do you think this was the only beasts nearby?"


    This kept them all quiet, Eldrian having simply observed from the side. He had no problem either way while getting loot would be nice. He''d rather avoid it if it meant another fight, especially since he had gained Fatigue already.


    While still level one, Eldrian knew he would quickly gain more if he had to fight so intensely again. Luckily he realized that he gained it slower than before, probably due to being Tier 1 or the spells. Or both.

 Chapter 106: Border-camp

    <h4>Chapter 106: Border-camp</h4>


    After having sorted her people the leader turned towards Eldrian, "Who are you?" She asked aggressively.


    "Me?" Eldrian asked in confusion, finding her tone to be strange. He did not understand why she was being aggressive.


    "Yes, you, who else do you think I am talking to?" She asked, pointing to all the others who were already moving.


    "I am Haru." Eldrian answered shortly as he too stood up and also started walking, already having had enough of her attitude.


    "Hey! I am not done with you!"


    "The hell is wrong with you?" Eldrian shouted back as he turned to face her.


    "What?"


    "If not for me you would have been killed. Yet you are giving me the third degree." Eldrian said, turning his back towards her again and leaving.


    Stunned thedy stood still for a few seconds before rushing back towards Eldrian. "Don''t think you can ignore me. What reason do you have foring here?" She pushed her agenda onto Eldrian again, trying to get answers for god knows why. This only made Eldrian even angrier at her.


    "A delivery." He answered vexed, leaving her irked.


    "What delivery?"


    "None of your business." After which Eldrian simply ignored her. He had no reason to answer her questions, especially with how she was acting. At least he knew of no reason he needed to report to her. He was now only following her party since he did not want to get caught alone.


    He was in fact in the best condition among everyone. Especially with how he could top himself up with rejuvenation spells when he needed them. If worse came to worse he would leave them for dead as he rushed on.


    After demanding an answer a few more times and getting no new info the leader became exasperated. In the end she gave up while swearing to herself to make it difficult for Eldrian.


    Eldrian followed the group from a distance of around 10 meters, which should give him enough time to react if something happened. Unless something happened to him and he missed it, but he felt that was unlikely. He was keeping a lookout around him every few seconds.


    Everyone in the group in front of him was in a bad condition. The priest was clearly too tired to cast any more spells as he was limping along with the help from the archers, who were the least injured. The melee soldiers were still trying to stop their wounds from bleeding as they threaded on.


    Around an hourter they reached the border camp. Eldrian having enjoyed thefortable walk as he simply continued to practice casting Anthizo. By now he wasfortable enough with it to even try and y around with the mana flow. Most of the time it simply caused his spell to fail, giving him a mild headache for a few seconds.


    Even so Eldrian continued to experiment, hoping to find the reason for mana flow in the spell.


    Camp was a loose term for what was in front of them. The border camp was supposed to be a supply line resting point, to serve as a safety point among the journey as well as a fallback point if it ever came to it.


    As such the camp was not a simple camp, rather arge castle had been built. Compared to this world''s cities it was small, but to Eldrian it was massive.


    The castle was made mostly out of wood, which was likely to be changed with time. Currently, it had been made from wood gathered while deforesting the surrounding area. A moat was also dug around the walls and water fed in from the river. There was a dock on the side Eldrain wasing from, the moat having been made wider to amodate it.


    Eldrian was amazed that this had all been done in about two days of work. Making him realize that magic could really help in construction. Which also made him wonder why they did not make more such forts everywhere.


    Cost was the only thing Eldrian could think of, more specifically maintenance cost.


    As they entered the deforested region, which spanned a few kilometers around the castle, a group of soldiers rushed from the castle. Due to the distance Eldrian was from the group he could overhear their questions, especially as he passed them on his way to the castle.


    "What happened? The Chosen just respawned and said that you had entered the Arkbeast''s region."


    "Not us, it was them." The leader replied as she red at the two surviving Chosen. "They almost cost us our lives, we only barely made it out."


    Hearing her say that Eldrian expected her to bring him up next, but instead, she simply ignored his contribution and tried to im the glory for herself and her squad.


    Well, she isn''t nice. Eldrianined internally, he felt there was no reason for him to fight her for his credit. He would im it at the adventurers guild if there was one inside this castle. Else he would simply forget about it. At most it would give him a few silver, he did not think the confrontation would be worth it.


    As he passed the group one of the soldiers split from the group and stopped Eldrian.


    "Who are you, what are you here for?"


    "I am Haru and I am here for a delivery quest," Eldrian replied as he tried to circumvent the soldier. But this soldier made sure to keep him busy until the group he had saved had entered the castle.


    Finally, free Eldian continued on towards the castle.


    "Who are you? For what have youe?" One of the guards questioned him again. Eldrian was bing tired of everyone asking him this. The guard was wearing mail armor with a greatsword slung over his shoulder. Most of the guards had simr armor, only with their weapons differing.


    "I am Haru and I am here for a delivery quest," Eldrian answered patiently.


    "Delivery? What delivery?"


    "A sword for Vivian."


    "Which Vivian?"


    "Umm, I don''t know herst name. Old Sword''s daughter." Eldrian stuttered a bit, caught off guard that he did not know herst name.


    Hearing this the guard looked at Eldrian in surprise. "Proof?"


    To this Eldrian looked at the guard in confusion. "What proof?"


    "You can''t say you are delivering something to a Captain and not have proof."


    Captain? And what fucking proof? Eldrian wanted to ask when she became a captain, but more he wanted to ask why he needed to prove himself. Taking a deep calming breath he instead said, "I''d rather not show it to you. Can I speak to a captain?"


    "No proof, no entrance."


    Sighing Eldrian left the gate and walked back to the forest, where he found himself afortable tree to lean against as he observed the gate. Seeing all the people entering and leaving without being questioned he quickly connected that thatdy leader was trying to make things difficult for him.


    Why? He wondered, but could not find an answer. By all rights he should be pissed at her, not she at him. He was starting to regret not having fought for his recognition, but it was toote now.


    After stewing with this for a while Eldrian discarded these thoughts as he started practicing magic. Luckily being outside or inside the castle did not affect himself much. He could always try to join the mission a bitter.


    While practicing to cast Observe and Inspect Eldrian started a fire and slowly roasted himself some more Alpha meat.


    Slowly he mastered the flow of mana needed in the spell modules. After having enjoyed his lunch and a few more hours of workter, he finally managed to cast Inspect. The only reason he knew it had cast sessfully was the mana cost he saw.


    Wanting to see how Inspect worked he took out the sword he needed to give to Vivian. It was the only item he had which he could not simply equip to see its stats and he was curious what a Tier 7 item''s stats would be.


    Casting Inspect again Eldrian got a short description of the sword, most of the information not showing.


    [Nelida''s me]


    [Grade: Magic, Tier 7]


    [Damage ¨C ?]


    [Attack speed ¨C ?]


    [Reach ¨C 1.4 meter]


    [Durability ¨C ???]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength ¨C ?; Agility ¨C ?; Intelligence¨C ?;Spirit- ?]


    [Weight ¨C 1.28kg]


    [???]


    Alright then. Eldrian thought as he saw most of the information being returned as question marks. The only thing he really achieved was determining its physical attributes such as length and weight. As well as Tier and name.


    I guess that is better than nothing.Eldrian mumbled to himself as he put the sword back into his inventory. Knowing that it is likely due to having only used a Tier 1 Inspect. This though was not a good feeling as Eldrian learned he would need to learn all the Tiers to be able to inspect all items.


    Eldrian was still failing in using Observe, mostly due to it being a skill and not a spell. Eldrian was not sure what the difference was and he now knew this was keeping him from using it correctly.


    After trying a few more times he gave up and moved on to learningthe ice needle spell he had bought. He had a feeling he could not use Floga against that one beast due to its magic armor being too high.


    ording to the system Floga would only deal 0.5 Fire damage. Eldrian was still not sure how damage worked, he knew from experience and reading the forum that armor would decrease it. But a directparison had yet to be made.


    He had a feeling that if something''s armor was more than damage, then there would be none. He just did not know how that was determined. Since for weapons he got two damage readings. The raw weapon damage and what he would deal with it.


    Eldrian spent the rest of the night learning Velona Pa, the ice needle spell.


    This spell did not have too difficult a mana flow. Having 9 nodes and 12 pathways, with the mana ultimately flowing towards the pointed edge it all formed.


    As Eldrian logged off for the night he still had not managed to fully learn the spell.

 Chapter 107: Shell of a castle

    <h4>Chapter 107: Shell of a castle</h4>


    The next day, Eldrian logged in right aftering back from ss. Waking up inside the game world Eldrian reflected on how strange it still felt.


    He felt it a bit jarring with how logging in and out worked. His character would simply appear in the ce it had been, or a 1-meter radius from there if something was in his way.


    If something blocked his entire spawn area he would then get a message to choose to wait or risk spawning inside the area still. Strangely this 1-meter radius countedterally too, people could even spawn in the air. This spawn area had been added to help the yers adventure more, while still being quite restrictive.


    To log off a yer needed to first fall asleep, as such his avatar was lying down next to one of the trees he had logged off under. This together with how the headset worked still gave Eldrian the feeling that he was waking anding to reality.


    He knew that this was the actual fake reality, but he had been starting to lose this filter with time. Making him understand again why the developers do not want people to y longer than 16 hours at a time. With a hard limit of 18 hours.


    Standing up Eldrian stretched his stiff body and looked at the castle. Seeing that it seemed to still be closed he breathed a sigh of relief. He had skipped his normal forum browsing time to ensure he did not miss the army moving out.


    Feeling refreshed from his stretching Eldrian took out his spear and started some training to warm up for the day. While at it he also practiced using Floga with the spear. Instead of simply using it like before he tried different methods.


    First, he practiced keeping the me in front of his spearhead, after a few sesses he moved to try and hide the me. Either under his arms, behind the spearhead, or behinds his back. He also practiced flinging it and bringing it back to him, trying to find the speed limit at which he could do it.


    This is kinda like a whip. Eldrianmented to himself as he practiced thest part. Finding it interesting that he could feel resistance when he called the me back. Is there magic inertia? Eldrian wondered, not thinking that a me should have much momentum.


    Eldrian was practicing this not for Floga but rather for Velona Pa. He had no idea how the ice needle was going to work, but if he could also control it like he did Floga, then Eldrian had dreams. Big dreams.


    After around an hour of practice, the sun finally rising, Eldrian took a break. For this break he took out some of yesterday''s meat and started walking towards the city gate as he enjoyed the cold steaks.


    Instead of saying he had a delivery he nned to try a different approach. "Good morning, I would like to sign up," Eldrian said as soon as he reached the gate.


    Two sleepy guards leaning against the closed gate gave him a weird look after hearing his greeting.


    "Were you just doing that fire show?" One asked as he rubbed his neck which had be sore from wearing the chainmail for an entire night.


    "Fire show?" Eldrian asked in confusion.


    The guard struggled to find the words, "That, twirling light."


    Taking a few seconds to understand the guard''s words Eldrian replied. "Oh that, I was trying something. Don''t mind that, can I sign up?"


    "Sign up? For what? And how did you do that?"


    "The Taurus relief mission of course. I want to join as an adventurer. I did confirm that I can jointer on beforeing." Eldrian replied, skipping the guard''sst question.


    Stuttering the one guard simply gave up on answering, turning the duty to his partner who said a single word. "Proof?"


    "Not this again, I am a Chosen. And I would like to join the mission. Do not make this more difficult." Eldrian said, straining thest part. If they still wanted to deny him ess he was going to flip.


    While he did not need to enter the ce, he really wanted to set a new spawn point. Which was why he was pressuring these two. While waiting for one of them to answer Eldrian cast Inspect, making sure to keep the spell active. Last time he had only cast it with a predetermined intention, now he kept his intention vague.


    Having hoped to get their details, Eldrian instead got the details of their arms and armor.


    Tier 4 normal grade weapons, around 15 damage and Tier 2 chainmail with around 5 armor. I think I can take them. They shouldn''t be too strong. Eldrian thought to himself, feeling that their arms and armor were a bit weak.


    Luckily the guards seemed to sense that Eldrian was not going to take no for an answer.


    "We will go get our captain. We can''t allow you to enter." One said, quickly entering the gate and leaving his friend alone.


    "Please, do-n''t" The other stuttered.


    Seeing this guard''s fear Eldrian wondered just why they were like that. If they used Observe on him then they should know he was not all that strong. Do they think I am really strong due to my practice earlier? Eldrian wondered, feeling that it was the only thing that made sense.


    A few minutester the other guard came back with the female leader Eldrian had helped the day before.


    "You! Do you think I will allow you to enter?" She asked, immediately bing aggressive.


    "Seriously, why the hell are you so aggressive?" Eldrian asked in amazement.


    "Because you Chosen are nothing but trouble!"


    "Really, and who was it that saved your asses?"


    "Who was it who got us into that mess?"


    "Not me, you can''t me an entire poption on the act of a few."


    "Try me." She said, turning her back to Eldrian and yelling at the guards that they were not to let him in.


    Taking a deep breath Eldrian turned to the guards. "Who is she, what is her name, station and rank?"


    "W-why?" One of the guards asked while stuttering.


    "Simple, I am going to make sure she gets what ising for her. Now, her name rank and station?" Eldrian asked again, not even knowing if his questions were proper ones. He actually just wanted her name, but felt the guards rest would make him seem more informed. If he was correct in his questioning that is.


    "She is Lucy and she is a hothead." Someone other than the guards answered. Turning around Eldrian saw a man in worn out fancy battle armor. It was clear that the armor had once been an artwork, but now it had be little more than metal used to protect its wearer.


    Patchwork repairs were clear on the armor, fitting well with this guy''s dark look. His dark hair, ck eyes and now grey armor fit well.


    The guards, seeing the new person, immediately moved towards the side and kept as quiet as they could.


    "I don''t me you if you want to make it hard for her. It will be hard though. She is a scouting party leader, which is already a terrible job."


    "Her rank, as you asked, is around the same as a veteran soldier''s. So she does not have any real power. But she is strong, much stronger than you."


    "Most people are, aren''t they." Eldrian countered jokingly. He had had less than a month in-game of course he was still going to be quite weak.


    "Yet something tells me you will be able to beat her in a fight. Or it will be really close."


    "Really?" Eldrian asked in shock, not having expected such high praise.


    "Sure, I saw you practicing. If you have a spell stronger than Floga then you will certainly win. Else it will be close."


    "Oh, I actually haven''t learned something stronger yet."


    "Isn''t that something?" The man mumbled before continuing to introduced himself, "I am Rhall by the way, and you are?"


    "Haru, nice to meet you," Eldrian said as he shook Rhall''s hand.


    "Come let me show you around."


    "Thank you, may I ask what rank you are?"


    "Sure, but why do you want to know?"


    "I want to sign up to join the Taurus mission," Eldrian replied straightforwardly.


    "I can''t do that for you, you will have to go to the location of the adventurers guild," Rhall said as he led Eldrian past the gate. Eldrian was shocked by what he saw as he passed the gate.


    The castle was actually just a shell, with only the walls having beenpleted. There was almost no building inside of it. The only building being the keep in the middle of the castle. Tents filled the rest of the open space which was all really muddy.


    Eldrian could feel the mud clinging to his boots as he walked, informing him that this was not a pleasant ce to stay at.


    "Don''t be so surprised, you can''t expect us to build an entire castle in two days. We only did the walls, the rest wille with time. Oh, and to your question from before. I am a unit leader."


    Hearing this Eldrian was quite happy, as it meant Rhall would likely be able to help him contact Vivian or Old Sword.


    He knew that a unit leader would likely be part of most decision making. At least he expected something like that, seeing that they were really high up in the military ranking.

 Chapter 108: Signing up for TRM quest

    <h4>Chapter 108: Signing up for TRM quest</h4>


    "Would you be able to contact Old Sword for me?" Eldrian asked, hoping that Rhall would be willing.


    Rhall took a moment to really think about how much this would take. "I can inform Old Sword that you are here, but I am not under hismand. I am from a different division which means I won''t be able to reach him before we set off."


    "For now, I think it would be best if you sign up to join the mission, I will inform Old Sword that you are here and looking for him. It should be far easier for him to find you than the other way around."


    "That would be great, thank you Rhall." Eldrian said, before asking, "Where is the Adventurers'' Guild?" He wanted to get the registration over as soon as possible. He also needed to figure out where he could set his spawn point. Since there was no temple, he now had no idea.


    "See thatrge tent over there?" Rhall asked, pointing to a distant tent which was only visible due to its size towering over all the other tents. After seeing Eldrian nod Rhall continued, "That is their temporary location. Good luck."


    Eldrian then said goodbye and thanked Rhall again before setting off. Trudging through the muddy earth Eldrian wondered why they had not hardened it. Ultimately he attributed to them being in a rush.


    Eldrian came to this conclusion after a few minutes of walking, when he started understanding just howrge the castle was. He was never good at figuring out distance from simply looking, but the time and distance the tent was still at told him that the castle span far over a kilometer in this direction.


    Around ten more minutester Eldrian reached the tent. Looking at the massive bby structure Eldrian wondered just how they had managed to get it here.Did they make it here? But from what?


    Eldrian continued to think of this as he entered the tent, finding that it was organized in a simr manner to the Adventurers Guild in Agosstead.


    Right as he had entered he found a counter to both his sides, along with a bar at the far end of the tent. Between him and the bar was a bunch of circr tavern tables upied by arge array of people.


    The counter to his sides where the counters where one could talk with guild employees. Mission boards had been set up at the end of both counters.


    Eldrian quickly decided to go left first, finding to his luck that it was indeed the mission board for single individuals. Though this did not matter, since the Taurus Relief Mission was added to both. Eldrian''s luck was that with this board he could also see all the side missions made avable to small groups or individual people.


    These included finding certain herbs, gems, or ores. Along with a description of where these things could likely be found. There were also side quests requesting arms or armor, potions and even spell scrolls. Thest Eldrian found an interesting concept, having thought that it would not be a thing in ANW.


    After finishing browsing Eldrian decided to simply sign up for the basic relief mission. ording to the mission board this would mean he had to stay with the army at all times and participate in all major battles. Which was currently the limit of Eldrian''s ns.


    He wanted to first learn all the spells he had bought before doing anything more.


    "Sorry to disturb you," Eldrian said, taking the attention of a guild clerk from the book she was reading.


    "Yes?" She said, looking up from her book to Eldrian. Shock briefly shed through her eyes after she used Observe on Eldrian.


    "I would like to sign up for the Taurus Relief Mission."


    "No problem, you are a Chosen correct?"


    "Yes?" Eldrian replied, wondering why she asked this so soon.


    "Would you like to sing up for the special mission made for Chosen or only as a normal adventurer?"


    "What is the difference?"


    "Well..." Taking a moment to collect her thoughts thedy tried to use the best words she could. "Joining the special mission would entail you to special rewards; including items, spells and skills."


    "What is the catch?"


    "Nothing, you will only be required to always be on the frontlines and swear and oath to not share the spells and skills you learn through this contract."


    ''So they want to use us to absorb the impact.'' Eldrian thought to himself, deciding to decline this option. He would rather not die over and over again.


    "I would like to join as a normal adventurer."


    "No problem, if you change your mind we can move you to the special division." Thedy answered quickly, making Eldrian wonder just how many yers had actually epted those conditions. While it might sound good, he felt it would take too much time along with being extremely dangerous.


    Eldrian started filling in the necessary paperwork to join as an adventurer right after their short conversation. It did not need much, simply his name race and reason for joining. He did not really know what to say for thest, in the end saying that he wanted to gain experience from it. Which was true.


    After finishing the paperwork Eldrian had to swear to the goddess of life that he would do his best to support the mission. After which he got a system notification.


    [yer has signed up for Taurus Relief mission]


    [Quest Name: Taurus Relief Mission(TRM)]


    [Quest Giver: Kingdom of Phallos]


    [Quest Rank: S]


    [Quest Description: Help Taurus fight the monster invasion. yers can get recognition for their heroic aplishments be they gathering intel or killing hordes of monsters.


    [yer currently only joined as a supporter in case of major fighting. yer can take other side quests at the Adventurers Guild or receive them from senior soldiers. yer is both protected and bound by oath.]


    [The aim of the mission is to prepare soldiers for when the monsters invade Phallos. As such it is required that the yer go back to Phallos after the questpletes. Not doing so will cause the yer to fail the mission. yer will have one month to return to Phallos and hand in the quest after it has beenpleted.]


    [Quest Reward: 50K XP or 3 levels]


    [Quest Requirement: Stay with the army unless doing a different task.]


    [Quest Payment: 10 copper per day]


    [Quest Party: 856 yers]


    After having read through all the information Eldrian knew immediately that this quest was going to take a long time. Luckily it did not say they would fail if Taurus fell, something he had thought would be part of it. This meant that he couldplete the quest automatically as long as something did not upset things too much.


    He was also surprised by how few yers had actually joined the mission. Having thought it would be over a thousand, yet it was still under a thousand after more than a week had passed. So the other thousand thought it would be simr to the First Expedition?


    Having confirmed that the quest seemed to be correct Eldrian got ready to leave, as he did he saw Elizabeth talking to a clerk at the other counter. Deciding to wait for her to finish Eldrian cast Nidia and started ying with the water ball.


    He had decided to not use Floga since he was afraid he might light something on fire, while also believing it would attract all the other peoples'' attention. ying with a spell like he did still garnered him arge amount of attention, soon the entire tent was looking at him. Eldrian himself too absorbed in trying crazy things to even notice.


    "Haru, is that you?" Elizabeth asked, having been drawn to Eldrian the same as the rest of the people. She had even stopped her talk with the guild clerk early toe over.


    "Hey Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" Eldrian asked, letting the water ball move back from behind his back andnd in his hand. After which he canceled the spell, instead of simply stopping his mana flow Eldrian instead willed it to move back into the air. Causing the water ball to seemingly steam as it evaporated, leaving nothing behind.


    "Wh-... What was that?" Elizabeth asked right after the ball disappearedpletely. She had never seen anything like it and it had taken all her thoughts and thrown them into an abyss, leaving her with only wonder.


    "Huh? Oh that. That was Nidia, cool right? I have been ying with it to train my mana control." Eldrian replied, smirking as he did. He was quite happy with how Nidia had disappeared, it certainly was shy.


    "Nidia? ying? Mana control?" Elizabeth mumbled, finding each word strange.


    "Yeah, Nidia. The Tier 0 water summoning spell." Eldrian replied, wondering just why Elizabeth was as shocked as she appeared.


    "H-how was that ying?"


    "Well, it works like a yoyo. I have been trying some different things with it. I am hoping I can mix this control with all my spells."


    "Are you a monster?" She asked, finding Eldrian''s response to her questions far too light-hearted.


    Tilting his head in a questioning manner Eldrian replied, "No, I am a High Elf." Finding the reply funny he started chuckling, leaving Elizabeth even more baffled.

 Chapter 109: Catching up with Elizabeth

    <h4>Chapter 109: Catching up with Elizabeth</h4>


    Taking a few moments to collect her own thoughts, Elizabeth finally decided to speak again. "How did you learn mana control?"


    "Mmm," Eldrian thought about it a bit, finding it hard to exin simply. "A great deal of training and the stars aligning." He answered truthfully, feeling that he would never have been able to do any of this without luck.


    Elizabeth stopped herself from asking more, not wanting to pry into Eldrian''s business. What she had seen Eldrian do was amazing and she wanted to learn how to do it. Not only for herself, but also for her guild.


    "What are you doing here though?" Eldrian asked, changing the subject. He had no problem with sharing how he had learned to control mana. He did not want to since he felt other yers would not be able to copy him.


    He did not think that many other yers will be invited to a magic tower''s dungeon. Dave had only done it for his experiment, he doubted if he would have been allowed in a magic tower''s dungeon otherwise.


    Also ording to Dave it had only worked as it did for him due to him beingpletely unable to use magic. Other yers can use magic without even needing to know what mana is. They simply needed to keep the image of the spell or skill module in their minds and say the spell or skill''s name.


    They did not even need to say the words of power, allowing them to call out more game-like names. For example, the spell Frost Needle had the words of power, Velona Pa. The name being far easier to say than the words of power. Eldrain had to ensure that he spoke the words of power correctly, especially when learning.


    As he mastered a spell, like with Floga and Nidia, he had found that he could skip the word of power. He himself knowing how the mana had to flow and move. When learning, he instead had to rely on the spell module and words of power.


    Even with both the spell module and words of power Eldrian still failed in casting a spell often. Due to him not knowing how his mana should flow and form to cast the spell.


    This was what was stopping him from learning the Frost Needle spell currently. He could perfectly make the spell module in his head and pronounce the words of power. But in the end his mana would only move a little before giving up.


    Normal yers had an entirely different approach and as such they also have a limit. They need to cast Tier 1 spells for a set amount of time before being able to learn Tier 2 spells. Eldrian felt he would not have this limit, but his might actually be harder than simply casting the same spell a few thousand times.


    He had learned about this limitation while browsing the forum, some yers had pooled their money to buy a Tier 2 spell, which had cost them 50 silver. After buying the spell module they were informed, by the system, that they first needed to cast Tier 1 spells 20 thousand times before they would be allowed to learn Tier 2 spells.


    Back to the conversation,Elizabeth thought about how she was going to answer Eldrian, wondering how much she should tell him. In the end she decided to be vague, to test how interested Eldrian was.


    "I just handed in a quest for my guild. Why are you here? Last time we talked you said you became a cksmith apprentice. How is it that you can simply leave that?"


    "Oh," Eldrian thought a bit about it. Feeling that it might have been rash of him to setout so soon after having be an apprentice. He had not even made anything good yet. "My mentor is cool with it, I am actually also doing a delivery quest for him."


    "Is that why you are here?"


    "Partly, I also wanted to join the Taurus Relief Mission. I already signed up, but I have no idea what is going on."


    "Then let me help you catch up." Elizabeth offered as the two left the Adventurers Guild.


    With this Eldrian joined Elizabeth''s group, moving with them while he waited for Old Sword to contact him. Traveling along with ming Heart, Eldrian learned more about what normal yers had been up to and how the guild system in the game worked.


    Guilds worked as a system to organize nonmilitarybatants under the kingdom of Phallos through the Adventurers Guild. This was a measure to ensure that there were no random militias or small military groups inside a city. A heavy fine and even imprisonment being the punishment for not forming or joining a guild.


    yers had been given more breathing room in the need of forming and joining guilds.


    To make a guild required a bit of work, it was not as simple as simply signing up and creating one. Elizabeth, as the branch leader in Phallos, had toplete a registration quest to form her guild.


    Signing up for this registration quest cost 10 silver and it was generally a bounty quest of C rank. Requiring the guild leader toplete it within a week, else the quest would be considered failed.


    For Elizabeth it had worked out nicely. She had to kill 10 Direwolves, luckily for her these kills did not need to be solo kills. As such she had been able to finish this quest alongside the First Expedition quest. Making her the first person in her guild to have managed to establish a guild.


    Funny enough this had actually been a problem due to her rank in the guild not being all that high. They had never had branch leaders before since most other games had had no need for it. She had only been given this rank since she was the highest-ranking person in Phallos.


    The guild leader and vice-guild leaders had not wanted her to take the real guild''s name. Ordering her to name her''s a division of the guild.


    This entire situation was due to how people were scattered randomly at the start of the game. The entire guild of ming Heart was luckily not too scattered, but they were spread over 5 empires. This was actually one of the least spread out guilds.


    yers had been spread ording to their time zones, which caused some guilds to have been spread to such a degree that they had to find new members or disband. The record spreading was a guild having members in over four hundred empires. This guild had quickly lost most of its members since in some cases only one or two yers had been in an entire empire.


    In the end Elizabeth had named her guild ming Heart''s Phoenix Division. Not having been bothered too much by the guild leaders demand, she had never wanted to be in a leadership position. Having always enjoyed being a captain far more.


    After establishing a guild it would be level 1. At this level they would need to pay an upkeep fee of 50 silver every month to stay recognized as a guild. Which had pressure Elizabeth to try and improve the guild and actually make enough money for this.


    The task itself not being too difficult with her guild having a hundred members, which was also the size limit of a level 1 guild. What made this upkeep hard was the fact that weapon and armor upkeep was alsorge.


    Eldrian learning here that the loss of his kite shield not being something strange. Items could easily break in this game and even if one regrly did maintenance on it, it still did not mean it would not break.


    "So, then what benefits are there in establishing a guild?" Eldrian asked, feeling that the upkeep to keep a guild registered was far too steep without major benefitsing with it.


    "After actually making a guild we will be given ess to missions before they are posted on the mission boards. Though we are currentlyst in the line of all the guilds under the Adventurers Guild." Elizabeth replied, happy to share this with someone who was not worried about her guilds situation. Eldrian was asking simply out of curiosity, which was a nice change of pace for her.


    Many others in her guild had been thinking of rather disbanding the guild untilter. Feeling that the upkeep was too much, but she felt it would be far better if they could hold on.


    "We can also im skills or spells for our guild instead of cash rewards. This takes multiple quests to redeem but is far cheaper in the long run. We will also be able to get a base for ourselves someday. The person I had talked to had said that we can im a guild base when our guild reaches level 3."


    "That still seems like too little reward for a 50 silver upkeep." Eldrian said, feeling that they were being ripped off.


    Sighing, Elizabeth could not help but agree. "What else are we supposed to do. Many have thought of disbanding the guild to lose the upkeep, but I feel the quests and spells we can gain would be worth it."


    "But how much can you really im from it?" Eldrian asked,paring it to simply buying a spell module. Technically one was not allowed to share them after buying, but yers have been sneaking it past and sharing with each other. As such a guild could do the same as what the Adventurers Guild offered without any upkeep.


    The only question was what would happen if it was found that one shared these spell modules. From how careful NPCs acted it meant that the punishment was high or that there was some other reason behind it.

 Chapter 110: Phoenix Divisions core people (1)

    <h4>Chapter 110: Phoenix Division''s core people (1)</h4>


    Elizabeth did not manage toe to an answer to Eldrian''s question. She had no idea how worthwhile the benefits would be with a bit of perseverance. Even if they would make a profit in the long run, she was forced to admit that they were currently making a loss when it was still hard to maintain themselves in the game.


    "When is your upkeep fee due?" Eldrian asked, bringing Elizabeth out of her thoughts.


    "A little over a week."


    "That is not long," Eldrianmented, deciding to not give any suggestions. He had no idea what establishing guilds would have instore in time. Maybe establishing one from the start will have clear advantagester on.


    When their conversation reached this point they had already started setting out with the army. Two hours had passed since Eldrian signed up for the mission. Elizabeth had taken Eldrian to the keep where they could set their spawn points. A small temple having been created next to the keep to allow just this specific action for the yers.


    Joining the division they had been assigned to, Eldrian felt that they were simply a drop in the ocean. The division which yers were traveling with was responsible for the transportation of resources. Due to how little the yer could actually help they were simply ced here as a means to not have them all die and spawn far away.


    The army had found this problem after the first few yers had run into a small group of beasts. Themanders of the army were naturally not too worried about the loss of a few Tier 1 Chosen, but they did decide to ce some countermeasures after that.


    The yers, less than a thousand, had thus joined this division. Quickly bing lost in the mass of people moving around. This single division consisted of over a hundred thousand NPCs and was only one of fifteen divisions that the army consisted out off.


    The army as a whole was split into divisions, which was then further split into units, regiments,panies and squads. This was to allow them to react better to sudden situations while also allowing travel to be easier. With the divisions able to split into their units when needed.


    yers were added as a wonkypany inside the division. Their size was toorge, but since they were not being treated as a true military force this was no problem.


    The reason for this treatment was due to how little training most of the yers had, together with theirck of discipline and general order. The yers all knew what they had signed up for, even so this did not make them automatically know how to act in an army.


    The army had also split as a whole, half of the division had gone to the other river to set up another castle. Knowing this astonished Eldrian even more as he tried to imagine just what two million soldiers marching together looked like. His imagination ultimately failing him.


    Phallos''s border did not have many mountains making this not nearly as effective as in Vruntis where Erik was. Even so the kingdom had started to massively move to protect its borders, having also called for help from the empire and nearby kingdoms.


    This naturally was met with no interest since all kingdoms were in need of support and Phallos''s condition was still one of the best. Many kingdoms did not want to support others, wanting to rather strengthen themselves. Believing that this would be far better for them.


    This made everyone else actually weaker since this was a strong mindset of Tier 1 and 2 kingdoms.


    When Eldrian had first set out with the other yers, the sound of so many people in armor traveling had left him astonished. While he was staying in a city of over 10 million people, in reality, this number of people never traveled together.


    Thergest grouping Eldrian had ever been part of was on campus when all the freshmen hade together. At that time the total amount of people had been just under ten thousand people. Now was more than ten times that number and all the NPCs were in armor, clinking and nging with each step.


    "How long does it take to get used to this?" Eldrian asked, his ears feeling deafened by the sound.


    "Just consider it background noise, like rain or wind blowing in the leaves." Zyviss, one of the captains of ming Heart Phoenix Division joked,ughing at his own banter. "Nah, truthfully... I still find it unusual. But that is the best advice I can give."


    Zyviss was currently wearing in clothing same as Eldrian, having no armor. A bow was slung over his shoulder and a quiver hung at his side.


    "Thanks, I guess." Eldrian replied, finding that the noise was to such a degree that he could not practice Velona Pa while walking. He could still practice those he had already learned, but he found himself unable to concentrate and follow the changes in his mana when he was still trying to figure out what he needed to find.


    After a few hours of walking and getting to know all the core members of the ming Heart''s Phoenix Division, the entire division stopped, causing Eldrian''s ears to suddenlyin again. After around an hour he had gotten used to the sound, though it still made him unable to practice. Now the sudden silence left a ringing in his ears.


    "Why did we stop?" Eldrian asked into the air, not minding who would answer,


    "We normally have an hour break each day during travel. Other than that we walk from sunrise to sunset... This quest truly sucks so far!" Judithined, she was the ssic depiction of a barbarian woman and was looking for a fight. She hated all this boring traveling without action.


    Elizabeth had made sure to prevent Judith from joining the random quests the army had provided. Having felt that the rewards were too good to be true, which had been proven with time. When Judith heard of the fight other yers had had, she had been really mad at Elizabeth for a time. The others having calmed her by using logic, which had taken some time to sink in.


    Judith as a barbarian warrior was wearing a short skirt-like armor and metal bra as chest armor, Eldrian knew that it was not normal. Working at Boran''s had taught him that it was in fact really hard to find such armor, it was not something any cksmith made in normal circumstances.


    The reason for Judith''s strange apparel was her obsession with barbarians. She always yed as a barbarian in other games, normally taking the male character. Her first ns had been ruined with the game''s affinity score setting, forcing her to y as a female. Her next ns had been ruined by the realism in the game and how skills and spells worked.


    Even so she still wanted to y as a barbarian and had gone through special effort to get herself the right outfit. Which was why her armor was far lesser than Eldrian thought anyone would wear. He could certainly not understand her mindset, having kept his opinion to himself as he did not want to ruffle any feathers.


    ANW had no set sses yers could choose to be, rather the choice of skills and spells they learned was totally dependant on themselves.


    Their mindset still leaning towards what other games had many tried to make bnced parties in that sense. Soon finding that making a bnced party was actually not as good as simply a full melee team, at least this was true at this stage.


    The reason for this was mostly due to the realism of the game. Archers had to aim to hit something unless they used a few certain skills, all of which had a rtively high cooldown.


    Other typical sses were alsorgely influenced by the realism in the game. Healers were extremely weak with them only being able to heal 10 or 20 damage at most. This was less than one direct hit''s damage, meaning that healers could not be used as in other games. They could save your life after or right at the moment, they could not keep you fighting for hours.


    Melee fighters had it the hardest, the skills they learned only enhanced them a little or caused them to move in a certain way to perform an attack or dodge. It did not make them good at fighting.


    They had to learn how to fight, dodge attacks and keep an eye out for if the monsters wanted to get past them. They had no taunt skills or regeneration skills currently, they did not even know if such things existed.


    Mages were funnily enough the ss closest to its representation in other games. They were able to learn spells quite easily thanks to the system, only needing to take care of their mana and cd''s when casting. Which was not too hard since they were being protected by the melee fighters. Or at least that was the n yers had had.


    "We can do some side quests at night when setting up camp." Nikki added trying to appease Judith, only to be shot down as soon as she said this.


    "Yeah, and how has that gone for everyone who had tried. We are not dying for some petty cash like those other idiots! Elizabeth had been smart to tell us to wait, saying the rewards were too good to be without a catch." Therdul, a dwarf yer, countered.


    Therdul had struggled in choosing which dwarf race he had wanted to be, having shared his great burden with Eldrian after Eldrian and Elizabeth had reached the end of their conversation.


    From the dwarf race choices; Vathys, Vouno, Spio and Lofos, Therdul had chosen Vouno. Believing that this was the standard dwarf type often depicted in fantasy.


    Vouno dwarves were also called mountain dwarves. They could use almost no spells but in return they had a boost in closebat skills. This along with how sturdy all dwarves were had satisfied Therdul''s hope of being a shield warrior.


    Though he soon found himself struggling with how skills and spells worked, finding it hard to do his job since some monsters would simply run from him and go for those behind him. Finding himself to slow to stop, his items weighing him down instead of helping him perform better.


    He had taken quite a bit of Eldrian''s time to try and convince Eldrian of how he was wronged, giving up after seeing that Eldrian had no interest in hisints.

 Chapter 111: Phoenix Divisions core people (2)

    <h4>Chapter 111: Phoenix Division''s core people (2)</h4>


    "Why can''t they make this game more normal?" Nikki mumbled, knowing full well that that was unlikely to happen.


    "Like they care, you heard their boast about letting the game end. We need to prove to them that they should not underestimate us." Therdul said.


    "Therdul, do you think we can even make a difference?" Elizabeth asked, directing everyone''s attention to the thousands of NPCs around them. "We aren''t even able to do as much as the same number of NPCs. Adding insult to this, we do not even ount for a fraction of the poption."


    "Elizabeth, we do not die. We can learn from all of our mistakes. I feel the real question is more whether or not the game will be up long enough for us to be useful." Eldrian chipped in, receiving nods of approval from the rest of the party.


    Eldrian continued on, turning towards Therdul, "You also can''t say that the developers don''t care. They are still making updates to allow us to y the game better. They only went a bit overboard with that statement of theirs."


    While many of those around him did not agree with Eldrian''sst statement, they did take the rest to heart. Their peaceful reflection being ruined by Ilmadia.


    "Hey Haru, can you show us that trick you did at the Adventurers Guild. Elizabeth said it is amazing."


    "Ilmadia!" Elizabeth shouted, wanting to scold her, but Eldrian interrupted before she could.


    "Elizabeth it''s fine. I did not tell you how I learned it since I don''t think anyone would be able to copy me." Eldrian said, thinking that that was why Elizabeth had suddenly stopped Ilmadia from talking more.


    "Why? Do you think we are stupid?" Ilmadia asked in slight anger.


    "No. It is just... ording to Dave, it will not be possible for other races to learn as I had. He is still trying to figure out if his n will work."


    "But I am also an elf." Ilmadia countered, feeling cheated.


    "But you are a Moon Elf, correct?" Eldrian questioned, finding the answer to be obvious. While yers could change their skin color when joining the game, this mostly went for human yers. Other races were a bit less free to change their skin color.


    Elves, for example, were quite hard limited. High Elves generally had white skin, Eldrian having found the darkest he could make his skin was to a sun-kissed tone.


    Sun elves on the other hand could not go lighter than a dark tan. Wood Elves had the highest variance allowance, being able to go from a tanned white to dark brown.


    Moon Elves like Ilmadia could not even change their skin color at all. All Moon Elves had pure milky white skin.


    "I am. But that still does not exin why I can''t learn it?" Ilmadia asked.


    "While we both are elves, we are not the same. I am a High Elf, so I could not use magic at all. Not until I had taken a great deal of time to learn how."


    "You were able to cast magic from the start, correct?" Eldian asked, receiving a nod in reply, "That is the limiting factor."


    "Then, would it be better if I changed to High Elves?" Ilmadia asked, getting a firm no from Eldrian.


    He exined to her what he had to go through to reach where he was, highlighting the effort and strain it had taken.


    Ilmadia quickly backed off after hearing this. She had chosen to be a Moon Elf since she did not really want to be involved in the fighting. This race was an excellent choice for a healer, or at least that was what she had thought before finding out how little she could do at her current level and Tier.


    "Show us what she asked!" Judith suddenly interrupted, bringing the conversation back from where it had wandered.


    "Alright," Eldrian replied, casting Floga. He had no reason not to use the me, for some reason he wanted to show off a bit.


    Eldrian then yed a bit with the me, letting it fly around him. Whirl, twirl and flick. His show leaving everyone entranced as they watched the me which now seemed more like a wisp than a me.


    After Eldrian ended his show it was about time to get moving again, the next bit of the travel continuing in the same manner. Since he could not try and learn how to cast Velona Pa, Eldrian tried some other things while walking. Like keeping Floga active, curious on how long he could manage this.


    After having kept the me around for half an hour Eldrian got his first level of magic fatigue. Which told him that while keeping the me took less mana, it seemed to cause fatigue to grow faster.


    During their travel Eldrian also joined the group in discussing other topics. All of them sharing their opinions on the developers and how they were treating their clients.


    They could not truly curse thepany since the headset would still be usable even if the game stopped, along with thepany actually supporting yers and updating the game. They simplyined about the manner in which thepany was treating them.


    This led to their conversation heading to the NPCs, The yers all felt that the NPCs were the true victims. While some in the group still felt that NPCs were lesser than yers, many did not share this opinion. Not after all the time they had spent in the game, many had started treating NPCs as true people.


    This entire discussion devolved into a heated debate among the entire yer base. All of them being all too happy to have something to talk about while walking, even if it turned into a shouting match every few minutes. This actually made it even better.


    The yers'' debate garnered a great deal of disapproving nces from the NPCs. The NPCs feeling that the yers were treating everything too lightly.


    Finally, as night neared the topic came back to magic. Eldrian curiously asking how those around him were using magic. What they were able to do and how it worked. Making sure to ask the melee fighters and archers too, since he really wanted to learn how to use skills.


    "So, you are saying that you can''t control your spells. Like not at all?" Eldrian asked, finding this statement to be really weird. He could understand if it was their first time casting the spells, but them saying that they could not even after having cast it a hundred times left him a little wordless.


    "No, we can control it right as we cast it. That is how we determine what we want the spell to hit or do. It is simr to aiming a gun. We can aim it, but after letting loose we can no longer control where the bullet goes." Ilmadia replied to Eldrian''s question.


    "That makes sense," Eldrian nodded, feeling that it was simr to his first few casts. Where he simply cast the spell to see what would happen when he did, trying to find the changes in mana. After which he would slowly adapt to these changes to take control of the spell.


    "And skills, how do they work?" Eldrian asked, finding the reply even weirder.


    "It is like the system takes control of our body and finishes the movement for us." Therdul said, trying to exin it. This continued for quite some time, so much that they had stopped again and the NPCs were already setting up camp.


    "Let''s fight!" Judith shouted, tired with the conversation that was going nowhere.


    "Wait, what?" Eldrian asked,pletely caught off guard.


    "You won''t understand unless we fight. Don''t worry, I won''t kill you."


    Hesitating Eldrian looked around, seeing no one intervene he sighed. "Do you have training weapons?"


    "Of course not, why would we need that. I''ll make sure to not kill you." Judith quickly answered.


    Not what I am worried about. Eldrian mumbled, leaving the group to find some. He felt certain that the NPCs would have brought some and they were in the right division to get some if there was any. Him leaving caught everyone off guard.


    Eldrian returned after a few minutes, carrying a spear for himself and a greatsword for Judith.


    Elizabeth was currently arguing with Judith but stopped as soon as Eldrian came back.


    "Here, training weapons," Eldrian said, handing the sword to Judith.


    "I said we don''t need them!"


    "No, you do," Eldrian replied, shaking his head as he walked back to get some proper distance.


    He did not want others to know that he had a magic weapon, while he felt everyone here were good people, he would rather be safe than overly trusting. More than that, he was afraid of identally killing Judith in the fight. Grace was simply too strong, one good hit and she would be dead.


    "Are you looking down on me!" Judith retorted, finding Eldrian''s reply an insult to her strength. She had heard how Eldrian had not done much fighting. Sure he had seemingly been really strong during the first event, but at that time most people had not adapted to how the game''sbat worked.


    It had also been a long time ago, during which she had been training and fighting each day. Eldrian on the other hand had spent most of his time learning magic and cksmithing. She felt confident that she would be far stronger than him.


    "I am not. I just do not want idents to happen," Eldrian replied calmly, taking his stance. Spear pointing towards Judith, feet spread and vignt. From what he had learned he knew that skills could be really useful and unpredictable, he had no idea how good Judith would be at using mixing them into their fight. As such he was fully focused.


    "Elizabeth, say when we start." Judith said, causing Elizabeth to feel bad. She had not invited Eldrian here to get him to fight them. She was still hoping to keep a good rtionship with him, feeling certain that he would be of great help.


    A cksmith for yers was in short supply, Eldrian being the only one she had heard of to actually be a smiths apprentice. Most yers could not get a real cksmith to take them, and if they did then the cksmith was only a Tier 2 or 3 smith.


    Elizabeth knew that Boran was at least Tier 6. Many of the soldiers would often brag if they had gotten equipment from Boran, which made this knowledge quite widespread.


    Turning to Eldrian she was relieved to see him give her a nod of approval.


    "Alright then..." She paused for a few seconds before shouting, "Start!"

 Chapter 112: Sparring with Judith

    <h4>Chapter 112: Sparring with Judith</h4>


    As soon as Elizabeth shouted for them to start, Judith rushed at Eldrian. Her speed far more than Eldrian expected, it was easily twice his normal running speed.


    A skill?He questioned as he kept his spear steady between himself and her. He had expected she would try toe into his range. Arge problem for her though was that a spear worked really well against charging enemies.


    As she neared the spearpoint Judith did not slow down in the least. Greatly shocked Eldrian wondered just what her n was, readying himself to react to anything strange.


    Just as Eldrian wanted to thrust his spear to strike her, Judith pivoted almost on the spot. Moving past the spearhead while losing almost no speed. Eldrianpletely thrown by this action scrambled to react in time. This move was not something one could simply do, it would take months or even years of training to get it down to such a small margin of error.


    Defending himself was not too hard, Judith''s attack being clearly shown after she had gotten past his spear''s head. Eldrian quickly retracted his spear and blocked the attack with eh shaft as he moved to hold it at half-length.


    This was a style he was quite used to, due to using a double-headed spear. It also allowed him to fight effectively at closerbat. Especially since Judith was using a greatsword, meaning thebatants still had quite a bit of range between them. If she had been using daggers then Eldrian felt he would actually be done for at this stage.


    Eldrian''s arms shook from the impact of the attack. Used to being overwhelmed Eldrian hardly flinched as he continued to block her strikes. Every other being oddly strongpared to the ''normal'' strikes.


    Eldrian continued to block in this manner for almost a minute. As Judith used another skill to enhance an overhead strike, Eldrian added some more momentum onto her strike. Pushing her sword far past him and causing her to overswing. As she was fixing her bnce Eldrian retreated, rebuilding the distance between them.


    Judith did not charge in immediately which gave Eldrian a few seconds of rest. Using this time wisely Eldrian went through what he had learned was possible with skills. ording to the conversations he had before this fight it could be almost anything a trained person would be able to do.


    A strengthened blow, a faster attack, a charge, a 90-degree turn, a jump backward, a lunge. Almost anything which would normally be possible with lots of practice, yet now no practice was needed.


    Judith had not rushed in immediately as she was waiting for her skill cooldowns. Rushing Eldrian as soon as they were over. This time she tried to force Eldrian''s spear away as she moved into a closer distance. Hoping this would force him into a position where he could not defend himself.


    Unfortunately for her, Eldrian simply went back to his half-length fighting style once she passed his spear''s head. Eldrian tried to move back quickly this time, using his spear''s one side to pivot her attack into an overswing as the back end of his spear struck her side.


    As she struggled to catch her breath Eldrian moved back again. He wanted to see what made skills special and different, so far he felt they were far weaker than spells. Due to this he was trying to extend the fight and force her to use all the skills she had.


    Judith took her time to re-evaluate Eldrian, looking at him cautiously. She could not understand how he was keeping up with her without using skills.


    What speed! Eldrian eximed internally as Judith charged again, this time in a semi-circle around Eldrian. This charge was far faster but also clearly not headed straight for him.


    As Eldrian turned around he was shocked to find Judith already rushing him from his back. Starting an upward sh as she rushed in. Yet this sh was clearly a skill as it paused Judith''s actions for a split second. Giving Eldrian enough time to react and bring the spear shaft into its path.


    Eldrian used the hit to take a few steps back and regain his distance, back into his defensive stance.


    By now Judith was irritated at the ease with which Eldrian was dealing with her. She decided to use her trump card on her next charge.


    Eldrian was forced onto the back foot. Judith now fighting with no regard for her own safety. While he could easily end the fight if he went for the kill, he still wanted to feel what skills could do. As such he allowed Judith to continue on her reckless action, focusing solely on blocking and dodging.


    Eldrian was perplexed as it seemed that Judith was bing stronger and faster with time. This made it harder and harder for him to keep his distance. Judith now swinging the greatsword not as a massive piece of steel, but rather as if it was a small twig.


    Shit! Eldrian turned his body just in time as Judith thrust for his chest. Bringing his spear about he tried to move the sword away from him, but the sword seemed to have a mind of his own.


    Feeling a slight vibration through his spear, Eldrian jumped back as fast as he could. As he did Judith''s thrust turned into a sweeping attack, Eldrian barely avoiding it.


    That is a nice trick... Eldrian grumbled in his head as he looked at Judith with more caution. Yet she seemed exhausted, heaving deeply as she pulled her sword back.


    "I can''t believe you dodged that." Judith spoked through batted breath, sweat running down her head.


    "That one almost had me, if not for the dy in its activation," Eldrian replied, getting back into his stance.


    His sentence shocked Judith, Eldrian was the first person who managed to hold out so long against her. Except for Therdul, but he was focusing on a defensive fighting style. Eldrian instead did not even seem to have chosen his style yet.


    "I think I learned enough for now." Eldrian spoke after a few seconds of standstill. Judith quickly speaking up against this.


    "We aren''t done till one of us lose."


    "Of course," Eldrian replied, a cunning smile appearing on his face. It is about time to fight back. He thought to himself.


    Judith also smirked most of her skills back off of cooldown, Eldrian talking with her had been just what she had wanted. As soon as they all were ready she charged at Eldrian again, now knowing how quick he could interact. She nned to work around this and find an opening.


    All her ns were destroyed when Eldrian also moved as soon as she did. This entire fight he had been standing still and reacting to her attacks, him now going on the initiative threw her entire n down the drain.


    ''Why the hell did he never move before!'' She cursed as she was forced to cancel her charge.This caused her to almost fall over, but she had done it fast enough to still be outside of Eldrian''s range. At least this was what she had thought, finding instead that he was already on top of her.


    ''Just how fast is this bastard!'' She wanted to ask, swinging her sword overhead in a hope of stopping Eldrian''s spear.


    Yet she felt no contact, confused she looked up. Finding Eldrian calmly standing just in front of her.


    Infuriated that he did not push his advantage she quickly stood up and madly struck at Eldrian. Eldrian blocked her attacks, waiting for her to use a skill again.


    She did after growing tired of being unable to overpower Eldrian, especially when her strength was so much greater than his.


    Eldrian easily spotted the change in her rhythm as she winded up an overhead swing. Spotting this rhythm change was far easier than it sounded. Most yers had yet to truly integrate it into their fighting. Making it clear when they were forcefully using skills.


    This worked fine when they were fighting monsters as a group. But it did not work well for a dual, especially if the dual went long enough for someone to get used to your style.


    As soon as Eldrian saw her windup he thrust his spear at her stomach, letting go of the spear as he finished the motion, allowing him to move out of the way from her strike.


    Judith, not at all having expected this felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Not losing her focus she smirked as she let the skill do its job. Only to find Eldrian not in front of her anymore and his spear lying on the ground.


    ''What the-'' Before she could finish her question she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist. Throwing her into the air.


    Before she could recover she felt a cold piece of metal settling against her neck.


    "Wow!" Everyone else eximed as they saw Eldrian standing over Judith. The fight had looked to be in her control the entire time. But Eldrian had changed that all in thest few seconds of the fight.


    Eldrian did notment, feeling he had done many stupid mistakes in this fight. It had taken him far too long to find Judith''s rhythm and the difference when she started using a skill. On a level he was happy that he managed to predict Judith''s skill usage, even if it took far longer than he felt it should have.


    On a different note, Eldrian felt that Judith focused too much on skills. Having used her weapon more as an essory, and skills as her true weapon. This would work fine against simple beasts, but not against someone who trained forbat.


    "You!" She wanted to curse Eldrianf or hisst shameful attack where he had grabbed her and thrown her into the air. She felt it was not within the rules of a dual. On some level though, she knew that it was perfectly alright. She was more bothered that he had actually grabbed her and thrown her like she was nothing.


    "Hey Haru, would you mind fighting me too?" Therdul asked excitedly. He clearly saw that Eldrian''s fighting sense was far greater than anyone in the guild. He wanted to gain as much as he could while Eldrian was with them.


    "Sure." Eldrian replied, happy to have a few sparring partners while he waited for Old Sword to get in contact with him. He had no idea how long that would take.

 Chapter 113: Eldrian against Ilmadia (1)

    <h4>Chapter 113: Eldrian against Ilmadia (1)</h4>


    Eldrian continued to travel with the yers for a few days. During the day''s travel he would cast Anthizo and his other spells to practice a bit. While also racking up his total Tier 1 spells cast.


    Eldrian enjoyed watching the numbers grown, feeling the nostalgia of other game through this.This is what gaming is about, seeing your progress and looking forward to the next upgrade!


    While at it Eldiran also did experiments some with the spell modules, trying to see the effect if he varied the mana input. Mostly this resulted in a weaker cast spell or aplete failure. These results did not discourage him since it was one of the most interesting things he could actually do while they were traveling.


    During the nights he would spar against those from ming Heart, getting more and more used the skills the different yers had. While they in turn grew better and better at hiding the activation of their skills, making the fights closer and closer as time passed.


    Soon most of ming Heart were sparring against each other at night, the NPCs seemingly able to produce training weapons en mass even when they were traveling.


    "Let''s have a spell fight!" Ilmadia shouted after Eldrian had just defeated Therdul. Therdul was the one Eldrian had the most trouble defeating. He would always y defensive and try to counterattack instead of initiating. This would ce Eldrian in a weakened position since he was using a training spear and nothing else.


    When Therdul was hiding behind his shield Eldrian wished he had Grace or could simply use Floga. While he technically could do thest, Eldrian felt it would be cheating.


    Due to this Eldrian fought against Therdul for almost a full 5 minutes or longer. Most other fights only taking one at most. Eldrian normally won by either baiting Therdul into making a bad attack or using the gap when Therdul tried to activate a skill. Thetter bing far harder with each fight.


    This sparring was extremely beneficial for all the melee fighters as they were slowly grinding down the dy in their skill activation. They hadn''t really sparred against each other much due to the risk of dying. Having not wanted to use different weapons since they had felt it would not really benefit them then.


    Yet they learned through these sessions that the practice was far more important than the weapon. Simply getting used to a cunning opponent helped their battle awareness grow far more than when they fought monsters. Especially since they almost never fought against a monster alone.


    Thisrge growth that Ilmadia had been seeing was why she also wanted to join in. With how weak healing currently was she had learned some offensive skills to help her out at the start. This was not really a problem since she simply borrowed the spell modules from friends until she learned it herself.


    "Alright," Eldrian replied to Ilmadia''s question as he helped Therdul up. "Do we fight only with magic or weapons too?" Eldrian asked, not too worried either way.


    He did not think he would win in a spell fight, especially since he had not learned the spell Frost Needle yet. As such his only offensive spell would be Floga. The other Tier 0 spells could not really be turned into offensive spells even when he control them.


    Gi, the earth spell, was mostly useless as a spell. It allowed Eldrian to form any soft eath substance into a certain form. But this worked slowly and on a small scale, it would be nice for making small sculptures, not much more.


    The light and darkness spells both would do little in a fight. Light would just summon a golfball-sized light ball which glowed brightly, but it did not really light arge area. Eldrian felt that the light given off by Floga might be almost the same, only slightly less.


    The darkness spell simply made an area dark. Thergest area Eldrian managed to darken was the size of his hand, meaning it would not be useful for much. At least not until he figured out how it could be useful.


    Eldrian also knew the air spell, but it simply caused a wind to flow. It was really nice when warm and wanting to cool down, but did not do much more than that.


    I can probably try and force Nidia into her nose. Mmm... Eldrian contemted how that would work, it was not a feature which the system had made visible to him. Thus he had no idea if it would do damage. Ultimately he did not really want to use that against yers, especially in a friendly match.


    "Do you even know any offensive spells?" Ilmadia asked, knowing that Eldrian had never cast any such type of spell during the time they had been traveling together. When he practiced it would always be rejuvenating spells or Tier 0 spells. All of which would do almost no damage if any to her.


    They had actually managed to learn how armor worked, at least a little. This was mostly due to Therdul''s efforts.


    After having shared their base stats with Eldrian, who still had not learned Observe, they actually realized for the first time the difference in the growth of the different races in their group. Never having really realized this until they spoke it aloud.


    Therdul and all other dwarves naturally had more armor and health than everyone. While the human yers then had more than all the elves. They had no idea how this worked and would grow, currently, Therdul had 1.5 armor. Human yers had 0.5 and elves 0.25.


    Using this knowledge and on of Eldrian''s failed daggers they managed to learn that if a weapon''s damage was less than someone''s armor, then they would take no damage. But this did not always hold true, since for some reason training weapons always did their damage. Other times someone would take damage even when having more armor than a weapon.


    But this did inform them of the normal situation, allowing Ilmadia to know that if Eldrian was forced to use Floga. Then he would only be able to do 0.25 damage to her at max with each spell. Unless there were some other things she did not know about.


    They had limited their tests to non-vital attacks, fearing that vital attacks would kill the other person. Especially with how Eldrian exined he treated the fights like real ones. Mentioning that he only wanted stats to know how fast and strong something would be. He would treat HP more as a secondary factor, something which would just keep him weary even after delivering a vital hit.


    "I actually don''t know any offensive spells. How do you even want to do this match?" Eldrian answered and asked, wondering just how she wanted to do this fight. Unlike with a spar where they could use training weapons, there was no way to limit their damage by using magic.


    "Mmm," Ilmadia thought for a bit, cing her hand onto her chin and tapping her cheek.


    She is kinda cute. Eldrian thought as he watched her trying toe up with a solution. He did not really have any ideas since he had no idea how her spells would work. Having never seen her actually fight offensively.


    "Why don''t you try and reach me from a certain distance. I will try and injure you before you reach me."


    "Alright, but no vital attacks," Eldrian replied, worried that he might be one-shot if she aimed for his head. He believed he would be able to dodge her spells, but he had no idea what she knew and how fast the spells would be. Maybe she had a really fast attack or high damage one he might not dodge.


    "Certainly. You lose once you lose 60 HP. That way I shouldn''t identally kill you." Ilmadia decided, feeling it would be good enough for her to bring him down to below half health. Certainly, she would not normally fight someone alone, thus being able to that much should be great.


    "Sounds like a n," Eldrian replied, looking at his 105 HP wondering why the scaling was so small. Therdul had 136 even after having added 18 points to his constitution attribute.


    During the previous days they had long left the forest where Eldrian had first joined the army. The area they were now in was a barrennd where few nts grew and no viges nor towns existed.


    ording to the NPCs it would take them a few days to move through the dead zone between the kingdoms. This naturally made most yers curious as to why there would be a randomrge space ofnd with such low vitality.


    It did not make much sense for it to be a normal thing, yet it seemed that all empires had suchnd between their borders. It was far lessmon for these to be between kingdoms, but it happened now and then. Naturally there were rumors about why this happened, but the yers had yet to hear of these.


    This area was perfect for range fighters as there was nothing to block their line of sight between them and their target. Making the ce an ideal ce for range and mage type yers to fight against melee yers.


    "Far enough?" Eldrian asked once he was thirty meters from Ilmadia, everyone having made space for their fight. They had never had a magic fight against each other and as such everyone made sure to stand extra far to not get hit by some stray spells.


    "Isn''t that a bit too far?" Ilmadia asked, most of her spells only ranged to around 20 meters. Thus she did not think he needed to be quite that far.


    "Nah, this is fine. Oh, I won''t use my bow."


    Thisst sentence he spoke sent a cold shiver through everyone''s spines. While Eldrian did not know what Ilmadia was capable of, the rest knew. Which meant they knew Eldrian would easily kill her if he decided to go that route and was just half decent with a bow.


    They all felt that he was a bit despicable for Eldrian to even think of using it.


    "T-Thanks..." Ilmadia stuttered, shocked that she had not even considered that option. She felt grateful that Eldrian was being a good sport.

 Chapter 114: Eldrian against Ilmadia (2)

    <h4>Chapter 114: Eldrian against Ilmadia (2)</h4>


    Elizabeth nced between Eldrian and Ilmadia, making sure that both were ready. Some way through the journey her role had been established as the referee. If she actually participated then there would be none but if she did not then she would always call the fight''s start and sometimes end.


    She enjoyed doing this more than she had expected she would as it allowed her to observe how everyone fought and try and makeup ns for when they would go on missions. It also allowed her to try ande up with new tricks they might be able to do with more practice.


    "Start!"


    Right as this was shouted both yers directly set out for their respective approaches. Eldrian stayed at the distance he was, waiting for Ilmadia to do something. He was really confident he would easily dodge anything at this distance, which would allow him to see what Ilmadia could do.


    Ilmadia on the other hand started casting a fireball spell. This took her around a second, a floating ball of fire almost as big as Eldrian''s hand forming before her as she cast it. As soon as it finished forming it darted forward Eldrian, its speed not great but certainly fast. Eldrian followed it with his eyes, the fireball reaching his position around two seconds after being cast. Giving him more than enough time to move out of the way.


    As itnded on the ground it exploded open like fireworks, setting the surrounding grass on fire. As Eldrian wanted to smother the fire a ball of water started heading towards him.


    Both these spells were almost twice the size of the respective Tier 0 spells Eldrian normally cast. The fireball being around the size of his hand and the same as this water ball. Floga and Nidia would instead form a ball of their respective elements around the size of his palm.


    Eldrian had to dodge right as he saw the ball of watering for him, it moving almost twice as fast as the fireball. Rolling on the ground Eldrian looked at the fire again, being forced to dodge again as Ilmadia threw a rock at him.


    ''Give me a second!'' Eldrian wanted to shout as he stood up from his dodge. He wanted to change the rules to not set a fire. But Ilmadia was far too into this to give him even enough time to do that.


    Ouch! Eldrian suddenly felt a stinging pain in his leg, looking down he saw a small dagger-like ice piece piercing into his leg. Frost needle? He wondered as he moved again, making sure to not be an easy target.


    While at it Eldrian slowly started going nearer to Ilmadia. Finding that a few of her spells were really easy to dodge, like the wooden spear she formed out of twigs and the fireball. Others like the ice dagger and water ball became more and more difficult as Eldrian neared her.


    When Eldrian reached around twenty meters from her he felt he would not be able to dodge her spells if not for her mouth indicating when she finished casting a spell. While she was not shouting the spell''s names, she had to say them to cast them. This gave Eldrian a second more to react.


    I have to learn silent casting.Eldrian noted for himself as he realized just how strong that would be. Reaching the ten-meter mark Eldrian got ready to rush her. Casting Anthizo to put his HP back to max Eldrian waited for the right time when Ilmadia just finished a spell.


    Darting forward Eldrian only made two steps before he felt another piercing pain. Jumping to the side he dodged a different spell, yet he was forced to keep moving. Not allowing him to look at what was stuck in his leg.


    After a few seconds, Ilmadia likely having used all her spells, Eldrian had a second or two to look at his leg, seeing a small bullet-shaped hole in his leg. This hole was not deep but Eldrian did not have enough time to inspect what caused it.


    Dodging the next spell Ilmadia cast, Eldrian again cast Anthizo on himself. Keeping his HP at max so that he could rush her.


    Smart of her to use small projectiles. I wonder if it is specific spells or rather just maniption of spells. Can she do that though? Eldrian contemted feeling that he had a fifty percent chance of winning if he simply rushed her. Most of her spells did less than 10 damage, meaning he just needed to get hit less than five times to win.


    Taking a deep breath Eldrian resolved himself to simply do this, his chances would only lower if he did not act now.


    At this point Ilmadia was actually panicking as she realized she had not spaced her spells enough, bringing her mana to a critical low.


    Seeing Eldrian rush her she desperately cast a few spells at him again, Eldrian dodging the first but tanking the next one. The other missing due to him having moved, Ilmadia having failed in predicting his movement.


    This effort left her with no mana as Eldrian shouted and thrust his spear into Ilmadia''s chest. The hit causing her to fall over and lose her breath.


    As Eldrian was worried he had just gotten carried away Ilmadia suddenly shouted, "That was such a rush!" Standing up she rubbed her chest where Eldrian had struck and looked at him. Eldrian himself quite sore and very wet, having been hit by a water ball spell right as he neared her.


    "That was fun, we should do that more," Ilmadia said excitedly, causing Eldrian to smile as he watched her enthusiasm.


    "If you had a few more spells or was more used to using them I would have easily lost," Eldrian replied, truly feeling that this would be the case. Even if one of her spells had simplynded on his head then he would have lost. At least this was what he expected would have happened.


    Eldrian had also realized through this exercise just how strong controlling spell was. True he had felt it would be strong, but he now realized that it would actually be broken. If he could master frost needle and always direct it at a vulnerable spot on an enemy, then he would be able to easily kill it.


    Unfortunately, he was still struggling quite a bit with learning Frost Needle. He had made some progress but he felt he was only about halfway now.


    After this exchange Eldrian wanted to ask if he could quickly borrow their spell modules, but he did not in the end. Feeling that it would be improper as he was not really part of their group.


    Everyone grouped after they saw that Ilmadia and Eldrian were done. Starting to praise them both and discussing the match as they did. Elizabeth was the only one to take note of the fire which had started due to their fight.


    "Hey! Everyone, let''s stop the fire before it gets out of hand!" She shouted, making everyone look around them in shock. A fire was really starting.


    Luckily it was not too difficult to smother the fire, everyone who knew water spells simplyunched them at the fires Quickly bringing peace back to their party.


    "Is anyone in your group called Haru?" An NPC asked, causing everyone to stop celebrating their victory over the fire. It was rare for an NPC to actually disturb yers, they normally stayed in their own groups. Ignoring the yers, treating themrgely as overly excited children. Especially since they started fighting at night like energetic children.


    Though the NPCs actually preferred this to them trying to go out and do something. Them trying to go out would often lead to more trouble instead of help.


    Everyone turned and looked at the NPC strangely. The NPC looked like a viin character in stories. Wearing a dark hooded robe with broken chainmail visible through the tears in his robe.


    "That would be me," Eldrian replied as he stepped forward while wondering just what the NPC wanted with him.


    "Old Sword asked me toe and get you." The NPC started walking away as soon as he finished speaking.


    "Oh," Eldrian was left surprised by the abruptness of this NPC. He took a few seconds to say goodbye to his travel buddies, exining to them that he was going to go see his mentor, before following the NPC. They quickly left the camp heading towards one of the scout''s resting points.


    "Stay here." The NPC said as he went and talked to a few of the soldiers who were keeping the fire going,ing back with two horses. "Can you ride?"


    "Yes." Eldrian replied, a smile growing on his face as he thought back to his first experience with Sesha.I truly hope she made it back safely.


    Climbing onto the horse Eldrian followed the NPC at a trot as they left the camp, while traveling Eldrian tried to talk to the NPC, but was quickly quieted down.


    "This area is not safe to talk, if we encounter any beasts just try to keep up. I do not want to fight."


    His words confused Eldrian since there had been no real fights all this time. Eldrian had perceived it as a peaceful ce due to being in the middle of the entire division. But if you were on the perimeter of the division then fights weremon, especially in the area they were currently in.


    Eldrian tried to get more of an exnation from the NPC, but only received a re instead. As such he quietly followed behind. Wondering why the NPC was so on edge.

 Chapter 115: The dark of night

    <h4>Chapter 115: The dark of night</h4>


    The two, Eldrian and the dark-robed NPC, traveled inplete silence. This silence was not normal either, but rather unnatural. It muffled all sounds, the hooves of the horses hitting the ground, the wind passing past Eldrian''s ears. Even his and the horses breathing, all seemed to not exist.


    When Eldrian realized this he felt goosebumps spread over him as he wondered what was going on. The silence racked his nerves making him want to break it by talking. Each time he considered it and opened his mouth he would get a death stare from the NPC.


    Eldrian felt certain the stare said something like, "You talk and I will leave you." This caused him to swallow back his words and wonder just why they had to be silent. His imagination ran wild.


    After having traveled in this eerie silence for over an hour Eldrian found another thing to worry about.He had not taken into ount howte it was when he followed the NPC, he had just a few hours left until he would be forcefully logged out.


    At this time he had no idea how long they still needed to travel, the fires from his old division having long been hidden by the night. No new light source offering Eldrian relief.


    With this added stress Eldrian felt himself mentally tire as if he was using magic. Feeling this familiar tiredness somehow helped him cope a bit as he looked at the darkness surrounding them. Realizing for the first time that it was truly dark.


    Looking up he found that there was no moon, yet he knew that today was not a new moon. No, it had been a half-moon. Wait, where are the stars? Eldrian questioned as his gaze wandered and he realized that there was none.


    The hell is going on!Eldrian shouted internally. He had no idea if this was caused by the NPC or by the things they were seemingly avoiding, his mind became even more of a mess. Eldrian started wishing that something would just attack them. At least then he could do something.


    This silence felt like torture and was driving him crazy.


    If not for the system clock Eldrian felt he would have gone crazy, yet he knew that only one more hour had passed. This did notfort him though as he knew each hour passing meant he was in more danger.


    How far is his division! Eldrian shouted in his mind, finding that even his mental voice was softer. This freaked him out for good. Eldrian started looking around worriedly, wondering just what could make him think at a lower volume.


    I am going to miss my ss... Eldrian realized as another hour passed. This caused him to realize an important fact and relieved the stress he was feeling a little.


    He had to actually manage his game time, luckily he did not have a test today, but if he had then it would have been truly bad.


    This sidetrack allowed Eldrian to calm down, bringing back logical thinking. Back to his normal self he curiously looked around again, wondering just when he had started to freak out. It''s not scary. Weird, yes. But not scary.He told himself, feeling certain that the darkness was caused by the NPC.


    It is to keep something from finding us. Eldrian told himself, confident in this statement.


    More time passed and Eldrian received a system notification informing him that he had passed the allowed ytime.


    [Max ytime has been reached, yer will be forcefully expelled from the game in two hour. Receiving double the death penalty and being blocked from logging in again for one day.]


    [yer will spawn where forcefully logged out when allowed to log in.]


    Reading this Eldrian felt that the felt a coldness surge through him. This notification was basically a triple death sentence for him. First, he would die twice by log out and then when he actually logged in.


    He was certain he would not survive this ce on his own.


    As Eldrian started freaking out mentally he finally saw some light in front. Ultimate relief flooding him, Eldrian almost fell off from the horse as his entire body rxed.


    As they neared a fire surrounded by a few NPCs Eldrian felt the entire night bing brighter. Surprised by this he looked up and saw the moon and stars, relief washing over him as he realized he was safe.


    "Are-" Eldrian wanted to ask if they were here but he was interrupted by the robed NPC''s stare.


    "Who goes there!" The NPCs around the fire sprang into life as they pulled their weapons out and nked Eldrian and the other NPC.


    "Dreadful Night. Calm down and stay alert, they are active tonight."


    The first sentence caused all the NPC to immediately put away their weapons and back away from the NPC in dark robes. Fear and respect clear in their eyes.


    The second sentence caused them all to tense up and shiver. Some even broke into a cold sweat, Eldrian even able to see the sweat running down their foreheads.


    As Eldrian and the robed NPC passed them he heard one of the guards say with a mix of fear and respect, "T-to travel at night... He is true to his name."


    Eldrian had no idea what was going on, the NPCs reaction made him wonder just who this robed NPC was. When he wanted to ask he got another re.


    Mustering up his courage Eldrian wanted to at least ask what was all the silence about. Especially now that they were safe. "What were you talking about?"


    "Nychterninos Tromos. True demons of the night. I am surprised you managed to keep cool-headed, I had half expected I would need to knock you unconscious."


    Wait, what!Eldrian almost shouted out. The answer did not really help him understand what was going on, but it did inform him that the res were the NPC readying to knock him out. On one side he almost wanted this to have happened. But on the other hand it could have turned out bad for him.


    "Why did youe and get me at night then?" Eldrian asked, wondering just why they would risk something which had sent a bunch of veteran soldiers into shivers. From the robed NPC calling them demons of the night, Eldrian felt it would be safer to travel during the day.


    "We would need to send an entire regiment to bring you over during the day. This is the most efficient and least dangerous way."


    Eldrian was surprised that the NPC was actually answering his questions. More than he was about the answers, as such he asked another. One which was more pressing for him currently.


    "When will we reach Old Sword?" Eldrian really wanted to make sure he could log out as soon as possible. Leaving his other questions forter, he doubted that this NPC would actually answer his curiosity questions.


    "A few minutes." The NPC replied as they rode through the camp, keeping quiet after this again.


    This division was clearly much different from the one Eldrian had previously been in. The resource division had only been really organized at the perimeter, the inside of it was more chaotic with all the transportation vehicles and animals.


    This division instead was clearly structured to react to a fight immediately. The tents were set in groups, these groups were again set in more groups and so forth. Making an entire system that could easily defend in sections. Each section independent of the other.


    Eldrian was also shocked at how much smaller this division looked, yet he knew that the number of soldiers here was the same if not more. The size difference likely being due to theck of transportation vehicles.


    "Here we are, you go in." The NPC said, disappearing as soon as he did. Eldrian had been looking straight at him, yet somehow the NPC had disappeared before him before he could even reply. It seemed to Eldrian as if the NPC had simply vanished into the dark.


    Looking at therge tent in front of him Eldrian felt he was at the correct ce. The tent was much bigger than the others, but it was not fancy. Its size was likely to allow people to gather inside, entering Eldrian found this to be correct.


    Inside there was a bunch of NPCs standing around a round table. Old Sword was leaning on the table as he looked at the map.


    Everyone in this room seemed to be in full battle wear. Old Sword in his old scrappy armor which had been fixed multiple times. His greatsword slung over his shoulder and a dagger in his hand.


    All the others in the tent were also battle ready. Fully dressed in armor and weapons at the ready. This sight confused Eldrian but he simply took it in.


    Old Sword did not lift his head, speaking coldly. "Go through, we will talk tomorrow."


    Eldrian felt strange hearing the distance and coldness in Old Sword''s voice. It caused him to slightly think of the worst. He tried to change his thoughts immediately as he passed all the NPCs.


    While Eldrian was worried about what had caused Old Sword to be that cold to him, Eldrian knew that he had to log out as soon as possible. If he did not then he might not be able to log back in on time.

 Chapter 116: Catching up (1)

    <h4>Chapter 116: Catching up (1)</h4>


    Eldrian rushed to ss as soon as he woke up, skipping breakfast and his normal morning routine. Thanks to him rushing he managed to make in time for his practical, but still missed his first ss. This did not bother Eldrian too much, but he felt greatly relieved that he had not missed his practical. Missing too many of them could result in him falling.


    I can''t let that happen again.Eldrian felt, feeling that he had to decide which he would prioritize in the future. On one end he knew university was very important, but then again, so was the game.


    Eldrian still felt that he might be able to make something from the game, heck he had almost made 200 dors from his previous posts. But they had all mostly died out by now and he did not have new information that he could freely share.


    What he had learned as a High Elf would likely not help most yers, at least not for a long time. While it would even be situational to other High Elves.


    He could try and exin his way of using magic, but he felt most would fail to follow his exnation. Since it wasrgely based on a feeling.


    There was also the situation that the game had no guarantee of being stable and long-lived. While this is normal with games, normally thepany itself would be aiming for it to be long-lived. Miracle Corporation was not doing this, making it less of an appealing option to Eldrian.


    So what if I can''t make a living from it. I can still enjoy it and make some side cash! He tried to reason as he went through his day. When meeting Erikter during the day, Eldrian found that Erik had actually also had experienced simr cases. His actually having happened more often than Eldrian''s. But Erik''s ss attendance was also not nearly as strict as Eldrian''s.


    Erik had been forced to make a choice of abandoning his post in the medical bay twice already. Both having been when monsters rushed the city in a chaotic siege. Luckily for Vuetvale the monsters were still just a frontal wave of wild monsters, not a true army.


    Erik did not think they would be able to hold once the true monster army sieged them. He could only hope that it took a long time, enabling him to be stronger.


    Through these experiences, Erik had grown far more mature. He had also be much stronger, having learned a few offensive spells for when monsters broke through to the medbay. He was also close to bing a Tier 2 yer, at least that was ording to his experience.


    With no yer having reached Tier 2 yet they suspected there was something else blocking them.


    Eldrian was shocked and amazed at what he heard from Erik. While he was not on the frontline, he had seen more blood and injured people than most doctors. It was certainly enough to give someone PTSD, luckily Erik had somehow been handling everything extremely well.


    Eldrian even felt slightly bad that he had gotten Erik into the game, yet Erik seemed strangely happy.


    "I have experienced so much. While much was unpleasant, it truly helped me see another side of the world in reletive safety." Erik had said while they were talking, being happy that he actually had lived through this. nning to fall back on this when he wrote.


    Eldrian did not really understand why Erik was happy, but he was relieved by this. Some yers who were with Erik in Vuetvale had actually given up on the game. This normally happened to those who treated the game as a second reality. It was really hard for them when they made friends with NPCs. Only to see them getting killedter on.


    It had broken a few yers. Some of these yers simply quit the game, other rerolled on the creation. Hoping to spawn in a more peaceful city.


    yers who only treated it as a game were all having a st in Vuetvale. It was easy to gain experience, even if they died every day, they would still make a profit.


    They were given spells, skills, equipment and XP. It was basically a yer''s wet dream.


    Hearing about the yers who had quit Eldrian grew worried. God, if that happened to Vivian. Eldrian thought, remembering how cold Old Sword had been.


    No! Please no! Eldrian felt his heart being clenched as he thought of this. His worry growing, he wanted to run home to deny this as soon as possible.


    "Eldrian!" Erik shouted, bringing Eldrian back from his spiraling thoughts. "Are you alright?"


    "No... I just realized how shit this game can be." Eldrian replied, Erik quickly agreeing with him. He had a simr situation with Akarui. He saw her as his little sister by now. He wanted to protect her and give her a peaceful life.


    This had led to him pushing himself far more than most yers. Simr to Eldrian. Withhow hard he had been working in the game and his rtively safe position he had quickly climbed the ranking in Vruntis''s ranking. Making it to the top 5, which was quite easy since Vruntis only had half a thousand yers.


    Coming back from campus Eldrian quickly filled his stomach and jumped right back in the game, finding that the entire camp was already awake. He had at most only half an hour left or he would have been abandoned.


    "Finally back." Eldrian heard Old Sword say as soon as he left the tent. Old Sword''s back was towards the tent, sweat flowing down him as he stopped his practice for the day.


    Eldrian still found the situation weird with how logging in and out worked, especially close to NPCs. While the developers had sent an oracle through the gods to exin why yers disappeared, it did not really make it an easy topic to discuss.


    "Sorry," Eldrian replied, happy to see that Old Sword''s mood seemed to be better than the day before.


    "How strong are you?" Old Sword questioned him as he turned around to face Eldrian.


    "I-I, I don''t know." Eldrian stuttered as he replied truthfully. He considered himself strong for his level, but not strong in general.


    "Why did youe?"


    "I-I, I wanted to help." Eldrian stuttered again, feeling a stifling feeling simr to when he had first met Old Sword. The same way that Old Sword had tested him way back then.


    "You wanted me to teach you?" Old Sword asked coldly, causing Eldrian to shiver.


    "Well, you did say..."


    "I did, but that was before things became crazy. I don''t have time to teach you..." Old Sword sighed after saying this. Eldrian could see that Old Sword was simply stating the truth while trying to hide the pressure he was feeling.


    "You don''t have to teach me, just guide me. That is how Dave helped me learn to use magic, h-"


    "You already learned how to use magic?" Old Sword looked up with a start. He had never thought Eldrian would actually learn that fast. Having not used Observe on Eldrian this was news to Old Sword. He felt it was impolite to use it on someone you knew.


    "Yeah." Eldrian cast Floga and started ying with it, Old Sword''s eyes lighting up after seeing Eldrian actually being able to use magic. And not just use it, but actually also control it.


    "By all the gods! You will be able to be a hero!" Old Sword shouted as he rushed to Eldrian, catching him in arge hug and lifting him from the ground. Eldrian felt extremely weird being hugged by the sweaty Old Sword.


    Putting Eldrian down, Old Sword recovered hisposure. "Sorry about that, it is just great to hear some good news."


    Not knowing how to reply Eldrian simply stood quietly while wondering why Old Sword had reacted as he did.And what did he mean some good news? Is there bad news? Eldrian felt his heart clench again as he started trying to mentally prepare himself while Old Sword continued on enthusiastically.


    "You don''t understand why it is such a great thing, do you?" Old Sword questioned, receiving a nod from Eldrian. "High Elves generally take years to learn how to use magic. And this is only after they have fully grown. Yet you already managed."


    "Bu-" Eldrian wanted to point out that he did not really manage all that much, but Old Sword cut him off.


    "How long did it take you? A few weeks?"


    "Closser to a mon-"


    "That does not matter, how do you use magic?" Old Sword cut in again, causing Eldrian to struggle in keeping up with the conversation.


    After taking a few seconds to get used to Old Sword''s enthusiasm Eldrian started exining how he to first learn how the mana felt, how it changed along with the spell''s formation. This along with the spell module, keeping the mana flow inside of it correct and saying the word of power, Eldrian would normally be able to cast a spell.


    "Oh Gaia... Did you really learn all that in these few weeks?" Old Sword asked in disbelief at the end. What Eldrian had just listed was more than what Old Sword had needed to learn to reach Tier 5. While the added difficulty of Tier 5 spells certainly made that gap farrger, Old Sword was still astounded by what Eldrian had said. More so by the time it had taken him to close the gap.


    "Yes, I learned all that. But it is still not enough, I am struggling to learn a new spell. I can''t find how the mana should change. I am stuck halfway."


    "What spell?"


    "Frost needle. I believe it would be a good one to use in close quarters."


    "It is. A bit weak though. But it can really work well, do you know Inspect?"


    "Yes, but I keep failing to use Observe."


    "That does not matter, for now, cast Inspect and look at me as I cast Frost Needle."


    Eldrian did as he was told, failing to see what Old Sword was trying to aplish. Old Sword started casting Forst Needle after Eldrian cast Inspect.


    Looking with total focus Eldrian saw a piece of ice forming in front of Old Sword. It formed seemingly out of thin air, slowly growing in size until it was as big as Eldrian''s pinky.


    That size is perfect.Eldrian thought as he kept looking at it. Wondering why he had to cast Inspect, his answering after a few seconds when he actually received information from Inspect.


    [A small piece of ice formed from a hybrid water and darkness spell.]


    "Wait! Hybrid!" Eldrian shouted involuntary, too astounded by this piece of information.


    "Is that what had been blocking you?" Old Sword asked, having hoped Eldrian would be able to learn something from this. He had simply gambled since only Magic-Inspection would allow someone to see mana. But that in itself was a far more difficult spell to learn.


    "That would exin why I have been messing up." Eldrian wanted to directly start practicing but stopped himself, he still had many questions. The first few being is Vivian alright and can he be Old Sword''s apprentice.


    Eldian decided to ask thetter first, wanting to get formalities over with before going to a more emotional topic.

 Chapter 117: Catching up (2)

    <h4>Chapter 117: Catching up (2)</h4>


    "Does this mean you will take me as an apprentice?" Eldrian asked, hoping that the process would be easy.


    "Yes, since you said you only need guidance. That will make it far easier for me." Old Sword replied. They then spent some time figuring out what this mentor-apprentice rtionship will contain. During which the army also started moving, Eldrian following along with Old Sword. Both of them on horses in the middle of the entire division.


    From the added height given by the horse, Eldrian was able to sometimes see the perimeter of the division. Where fights would break out every now and then. These fights weren''t serious, with only a couple of beasts. Normally less than a hundred, being in the direction the army was heading.


    A group of soldiers would quickly split off to kill the beasts, the bodies harvested for food and resources as soon as they fell.


    After quite a short time Eldrian and Old Sword had already agreed on the oath they will swear.


    Old Sword will teach Eldrian, guiding him when he was stuck. The teaching Old Sword will give him will involve all three sses, magic, range and melee. Old Sword himself being Tier 7 in melee, Tier 5 in magic and Tier 5 in range.


    Eldrian also learned the proper ssification name for most Tiers. Before he had never really learned what each ss was called, having only learned about the magic ss. He had learned at what Tier NPC would get certain military posts, but that was not really a name for the Tier itself.


    Magic was as Vivian had exined to him, long ago. Apprentice up to Tier 4, then Mage, Greatmage, Grandmage, Archmage, Magus and Archmagus.


    Range was mostly the same, except that apprentice reced with archer. At Tier 5 they would be called a Ranger, then Magelos Ranger, Mageleiodis Ranger and Kyrios Ranger. The final two Tiers were called a Marksman and Hero.


    Melee was simr, being called a soldier till Tier 4. Thereafter it was the same as for range, but knight used instead. The final two were called Iroas and also Hero.


    Coming back to the mentor-apprentice contract. Eldrian would study under Old Sword until he reached Tier 5 in both range and magicbat. For melee he could decide if he wanted to continue under OId Sword after Tier 5.


    The restrictions Eldrian was under was far lesser than what he had with Boran. Eldrian did not need toplete any tasks, only swearing that he would do his best to help defend Phallos. Which was not a problem since it was already his n.


    This also led to Eldrian not receiving a quest from this, except for the standard quest of reaching the specified Tier. Eldrian would not even gain XP from this quest, only finish his apprenticeship.


    The reason for Old Sword being far lesser strict was because he did not have many ''family'' secrets techniques. What he did have was what he had made himself. Not handed down through generations.


    After they finished this Old Sword saw that Eldrian still had questions, "What else is on your mind?"


    Eldrian considered a bit, while he had many questions he could no longer keep from the most burning on. "Is Vivian alright?"


    "So even you realized something?" Old Sword sighed as he thought about how to inform Eldrian. "A few days ago she had gone on a scouting mission."


    Knowing that nothing good starting with such an exnation Eldrian felt his throat tightening as he struggled to speak. "What happened?"


    "We don''t know... Half her squad was found dead. We followed a trailof blood to a few more dead. In the end Vivian and three others were never found." As Old Sword spoke, Eldrian could feel the pain in his voice. Yet this was not enough for him.


    "Why aren''t we searching for her!" Eldrian shouted with fury and fear.


    "Do you think I don''t want to!" Old Sword took a deep breath to calm himself. "She is my baby girl. Of course I want to rush to find her... But, we failed to find any tracks... I hope that means they made it out."


    "I want to do more, but I have an entire division under mymand. I can''t treat their lives like scraps. They deserve apetent leader."


    "Dammit!" Eldrian let out as he smacked his own leg in furry. "How can you?" He asked, unable to believe that Old Sword was so calm.


    Old Sword sighed, understanding Eldrian''s feelings. "I trust she is doing her best to survive and get back to us. I have to do my job as well and did send a few elites to search for her."


    ''Like hell!'' Eldrian shouted internally, only stopping from really shouting it when he saw the pain in Old Sword''s eyes. It must be really hard on him too.Eldrian realized, wondering what he would do if it was him in Old Sword''s shoes and Jen having gone missing.


    Would I risk over a hundred thousand lives, just for an answer? She might already be dead. This struck hard at Eldrian, losing most of the enthusiasm he had gained from bing Old Sword''s apprentice and finding the thing he needed to cast Frost Needle.


    Not knowing what to do, Eldrian mentally called the system quest. Hoping that the quest tracker would actually show him where Vivian was.


    Why is the tracker not here?Eldrian was confused when he failed to find the tracker at first nce. Zooming out the map Eldrian saw that in the midst of darkness the tracker was blinking slowly. He also found that it was not urate, highlighting an area which he expected was over ten kilometers in radius. But it was something.


    "Have those you sent found anything?" Eldrian asked.


    "No, in fact we lost three of the five groups. Just like what had happened with Vivian''s, only that even less had managed to escape."


    Hearing this Eldrian felt that this would not be an easy thing to aplish then. If elite troops were getting wiped, then it meant there was somethingrger going on.


    "I-I might have a way to help?"


    "What!" Old Sword''s reaction was sorge that Eldrian finally felt at ease. This was more what he felt a parent should be like when their child was lost and in danger.


    "I took a quest from Boran to deliver a new sword to her. In fact, this sword." Eldrian said, taking out Nelida and showing it to Old Sword.


    "Boran made this?" Old Sword asked in shock, feeling that this sword was even better than his.


    "Yes, he actually reached Tier 7 through making this." Eldrian replied as he took the sword back and storing it in his inventory. "But that is not what I want to exin."


    "Thanks to this quest, and a map we Chosen all have." Eldrian saw the confusion in Old Sword''s face so he shortly exined, "Like out inventory. Thanks to it I have a rough location of where Vivian should be."


    "Really?" Old Sword asked in disbelief, seeing Eldrian''s serious looked he sighed in relief. "The gods have not abandoned us."


    "Not just that, I also feel certain that she is still alive. If she were not, then my quest should be failed." Eldrian exined, hearing this Old Sword actually started to tear up.


    Seeing this Eldrian simply stayed quiet and waited for Old Sword to recover.


    "Sorry about that." Old Sword said after having finally stabilized himself. "We need a n."


    "We do." Eldrian nodded, wondering just how the heck they were going to pull off the rescue. They could move the entire division there, but this was likely against military code or something. There was also the chance that this was not even possible. The location on his map was stationary, Eldrian felt this meant that Vivian holding up somewhere.


    He felt certain this somewhere was hard to find and harder to enter with an army. He might be wrong, but this thought came to Eldrian thanks to movies and stories. He felt it was likely good to apply such knowledge here.


    "You are currently too weak and you can''t lead anyone. Therefore the first thing will be to help you be stronger." Old Sword said after a bit of thought, Eldrian still trying to consider approaches. "Other than Frost Needle, what else are you struggling with?"


    "Observe, it is a skill and I don''t understand the difference between a skill and a spell. I mean I understand what is meant to be different, but I don''t understand the difference when casting them."


    "That is quite tricky." Old Sword said, wondering how he would be able to help Eldrian understand.


    "I think my problem is the nodes, a skill is supposed to release its energy or rather mana into me. But how does that happen when nodes take the mana from me?" Eldrian added, only half focused on this as he was still wondering what they could do for Vivian.


    "That, let me quickly draw a few nodes for you." Old Sword said, feeling he would be unable to exin it without visual aids.


    Old Sword drew four nodes for Eldrian, the first being the nodes for Tier 0 spells and skills. The spell nod was in the form of a plus, having five dots. On its center and four at the lines'' ends. The skill instead was the same node flipped to form a X.


    Tier 1 nodes were the Tier 0 nodes, but the lines connected with by another line- from tip to tip. Skill forming a square and spell a diamond.


    The Tiers past Tier 1 was what helped Eldrian understand what was actually supposed to be happening. He had been stuck since he was only limited to the previous two, giving him no real information.


    A spell''s nodes should and must radiate outward, which became clear to Eldrian when he saw the Tier 2 and 3 nodes. A skill''s nodes instead radiated inwardly, the center dot receiving all the mana and sending it into the caster.


    With a spell rather, the center dot gave the mana the energy to exit and be released.


    It is actually so simple, but only when you have the whole picture. Eldrian thought as he tried using what he just realized. His first few tried failed because he messed up this flow inside the nodes.


    From this new knowledge Eldrian also realized why magic had exponential difficulty growth. For Tier 0 it had been really easy, a few nodes with a few pathways. The nodes simple and the pathways few.


    Tier 1 was a bit moreplex, the nodes were a bit bigger and the module had more nodes and pathways in a moreplex pattern.


    Eldrian had thought the increased difficulty came more from the module bing more detailed andplex. But now he realized it was this and the nodes bing harder. In fact the nodes made it far more difficult since they were repeated in the spell module.


    Heck both Frost Needle and Anthizo had 9 nodes.

 Chapter 118: Skills and spells (1)

    <h4>Chapter 118: Skills and spells (1)</h4>


    Eldrian spent some more time trying to actually use Observe. After a few good minutes of effort Eldrian quickly managed to use Observe. Having had to confirm the theory he had just understood into his practice.


    With the first use Eldrian failed in keeping Observe active, only knowing he used it sessfully due to the mana cost. With a few more minutes of focusing on keeping control over the skill, he finally managed.


    Looking up Eldrian was immediately greeted with Old Sword''s statistics. Or rather with question marks.


    [NPC: Old Sword]


    [ss: ?]


    [Subss: ?]


    [Level: ???]


    [???]


    Well isn''t that is really helpful. Eldrian joked with himself as he saw that he actually got no information. This was quite a bummer for him, having spent close to a week failing in using Observe. Now on his first sessful use he found that it did not even give him all the information he knew. Heck, he knew that Old Sword was a Tier 7 Mageleiodis Knight. The system could not even add his known knowledge?


    "You seeded?" Old Sword asked, having felt the prying of Observe on him just now. It was natural that Eldrian would fail to get any results, all things had a natural resistance to being observed.


    A higher Tier of the skill needed to be learned to observe a stronger person. The same held for Inspect, only that it had to do with inanimate objects.This rule also worked for if someone had some cloaking item, an even higher skill Tier being required to pry into their information.


    Embarrassed that he had been caught right after casting it Eldrian awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I figured out what I needed to do differently. With all the practice I had already put into, it only took a little bit to finally use Observe."


    "I am d to hear that I helped." Old Sword replied, having given Eldrian space once he saw Eldrian''s shift in attention.


    Eldrian did not directly want to dive into practice, having only been taken by the moment. He still had many questions. About the mission, thend they were traveling and what the hell was out at night.


    "Whatnd is this?" Eldrian asked.


    "What have you heard?"


    "A few rumors, saying that it is a cursednd that normal people should avoid. But curses don''t-" Eldrian stopped when he saw Old Sword getting ready to interrupt him. "Curses exist?"


    "Of course, if magic exists. Then why can''t curses." Old Sword answered before continuing, "Though this answer is not really correct. Thisnd is not cursed, rather it is the monsters which inhabit it that drain its vitality."


    Eldrian kept quiet, waiting for Old Sword to continue.


    "This is a characteristic of demons. Devils only feed on human emotions, but demons can feed on almost any type of energy." Old Sword slowly started exining, knowing that Eldrian had almost now background knowledge.


    "Like those, what did that guy call them?" Eldrian asked, having forgotten both the name of the monster that had lurked in night. As well as the NPC who had brought him here.


    "Who?" Old Sword asked, not following who was ''that guy.'' It could be anyone.


    "The person who escorted me here." Eldrian rified.


    "Oh, Andr¨¦as. He does not talk much." Old Sword sighed as he said this, conflict clear in his eyes. "But he is one of the best stealth users the entire kingdom has. He can probably even assassinatemanders if they are not expecting it."


    Wow. That was all Eldrian could think of when hearing this. He did not have a clue just how strong Old Sword was, but he knew that Old Sword was insanely strong. Saying that this Andr¨¦as would be able to assassinate him. That astonished Eldrian.


    "I assume what you were also trying to refer to is actually Night Terrors. Andr¨¦as likes using their demonic name, instead of what everyone calls them. He is... Weird." Old Sword continued, knowing that Andr¨¦as did not like it when people actually used his name. He preferred his title.


    "Coming back to your original question, thisnd is a subdivision of the Chaotds. A small piece we had not subjugated. Either due to a really strong demon residing her, or the terrain blocking us."


    "In this case, it was both. At least that is ording to when Phallos was settled. We also were never forced to, since Taurus had existed where it is for far longer than Phallos had existed. In fact, I think Taurus is almost as old as Tier 1 kingdoms."


    Eldrian had no idea what to do with this information. He had too little world knowledge to really understand what this meant. For him it implied that Taurus is really strong, it would have to be if it had stood alone.


    It is also probably special.Eldrian thought, wondering if it was actually far stronger than its ssification indicated. It was ssified as a Tier 4 kingdoms only due to its position, not some concrete reason. Eldrian had also heard that it was actually a massive kingdom. Almost asrge as an empire.


    This was one of the main reasons why Phallos was having such an easy time in this monster invasion. It was almost wrapped by Taurus, while other Tier 3 kingdoms had many small Tier 4 kingdoms around their border. Meaning that if only one was lost, then there would be a direct route to them.


    "Then are we going to have to cross through this ce each time we want to go to Taurus?" Eldrian asked, feeling that this would be really stupid. Sending reinforcements through and of death did not make sense to him.


    "No, we are one of the front division and our mission is to kill as many monsters as we can. We only ignore Nigh Terrors since they are really hard to find during the day. During the night they are too strong and it would cost several squads to kill one."


    "What?" Eldrian let out in shock. A squad ideally existed out of 12 soldiers in total. One veteran soldier would normally lead this squad. This meant a group of 12 NPCs, led by a Tier 3 soldier, would not be enough.


    "That is why we are going to avoid them. The divisions behind us are responsible for setting up a bunch of small resting points. This is also why we are traveling so slow."


    Now that makes more sense.Eldrian finally understood why their pace had slowed down so much once they had left the border of Phallos and entered this Chaotd. A day''s travel outside of thisnd equaled to more than four days of travel inside. Eldrian had not really realized this before, time had gone quickly for him while he was with ming Heart.


    But now, when he was monitoring their positionpared to Vivian''s constantly. He had quickly realized that they were basically not even moving. If he had to guess, then it would take them a week or more to reach the closest point to her.


    One advantage of his map being hidden behind a dark mist was that Eldrian could clearly see how they had been traveling. Only the part he had set his eyes on being actually shown, the rest still being hidden behind the dark mist.


    From this Eldrian had found that they were traveling in a path that would lead them closer to Vivian. Only it will take some time and never really near it.


    Eldrian hoped that Vivian was not in the Chaotds and had escaped the areapletely. He could not confirm this though, not having a clue how long thisnd went on for.


    Eldrian decided to bring this up to Old Sword, the answer he received was not quite as optimistic as his.


    "No, she is likely still in thesends. From records and others having traveled through here before, we know that it is over a 100 kilometers long. We have only covered a little over 20 so far."


    Eldrian was firstly downed by the denial of his hope. He was also shocked by the distance they had roughly covered. It meant they only did about 5 kilometers each day, which was really little.


    "How do the resting points work?" Eldrian asked after a moment of silence. Having taken it to get over the fact that they were really, really slow.


    "It is not too difficult, they are building something simr to the castle where you joined the mission. Only on a much smaller scale. A few hundred soldiers are stationed at each outpost to protect and run it."


    "This should be enough to fight any wandering monsters, though they won''t stand a chance against anythingrger than arge pack. But this is unlikely to hit them since we are here to kill all such packs while moving through."


    "And the Nigh Terrors?" Eldrian asked, feeling that just two of them would be able to wreck such a weakly defended outpost.


    "They are repelled by divine magic. This is also how we defend our camp perimeter each night. A priest simply has to cast a specific spell into the fire and a Night Terror won''t risk entering its light. If it does then it would be weakened simr to what they are at day. Losing more than half of their strength."


    Those fires are special?Was the only thing which really stuck with Eldrian. He had through the soldiers simply made the fires for heat and light. He did not know that they were in fact life-saving.


    Eldrian continued to talk with Old Sword for some time, asking more about the type of monsters he was seeing while traveling. In the downtime when he had nothing else to do Eldrian would start practicing how to cast Frost Needle.

 Chapter 119: Skills and spells (2)

    <h4>Chapter 119: Skills and spells (2)</h4>


    Knowing that ice was a hybrid element helped Eldrian a great deal. He no longer had to rely solely on following along as the mana changed little by little with each cast. He could skip most of this by forcefully mixing darkness mana into the spell.


    Eldrian naturally failed often with this attempt. He was trying to take a short cut. Getting the mana signature feelings from casting Tier 0 spells and then trying to ''tell'' the spell to mix them. He could not control mana in any raw form yet and to use this roundabout way.


    It took a few hours before Eldrian actually managed to aplish the shortcut. Most often nothing happened. With his first sess, it sent a bacsh against him. This was the first time Eldrian actually received bacsh from failing to cast a spell. Luckily it was not severe, having simply caused him to shiver as an extreme cold had spread through him.


    This did notst nearly as long as when Eldrian had trained through the Magic Crystal, allowing him to easily move past it. Not even worth mentioning. For other yers this might have been quite discouraging.


    Too much darkness. Eldrian reasoned as he trembled. The mana had felt far too cold, not at all like what he had aimed for. While shivering a smile grew as Eldrian realized that this method could really work.


    He continued on this path for the rest of the day, asking Old Sword to cast Frost Needle for him every other hour. Eldrian would touch the spell after Old Sword cast it, trying to find the right temperature through such a crude method.


    Somehow Eldrian actually managed to cut some corners thanks to Old Swords''s help.


    ''Myst cast was close, but a bit too warm. More darkness!'' Eldrian talked to himself as he felt the piece of ice up and down.


    Old Sword gave him a weird look. He had never heard of someone learning a spell by touching someone else''s spell. The look on Eldrian''s face also did not make it seem normal at all. ''Is he alright?'' Old Sword wondered as he saw Eldrian''s strange grin growingrger.


    Finally, Eldrian managed to cast the spell correctly, almost killing his horse in the process. Frost Needle had an ingrained velocity which was why the spell wouldunch the ice forward when cast. Eldrian had not even suspected that something like that would happen. All spells he had cast before did not have inherent movement.


    It had gone in the direction of Eldrian''s eyes, which was naturally in front of him. His horse''s head often bobbing up into few. Luckily the horse''s head had moved back down in time, but its ear had paid the price for having an idiot on its back.


    "You do learn really fast." Old Swordmented as he looked at Eldrian and his horse -whose ear now had a hole in it and was bleeding. Old Sword was shocked when he had seen the piece of ice move past his vision.


    "Soothe your horse!" Old Sword shouted when he saw Eldrian was lost in thought. The horse was on edge and looking to bolt.


    Coming back to reality Eldrian quickly rubbed the horse''s neck and cast Anthizo on it. The spell immediately calming the animal. Eldrian having no idea just how close he was to getting thrown to the ground.


    After making sure that the horse would not throw him off Eldrian returned to his thoughts. So spells have inherent speed in it. Is that how yers control it, they aim and then let loose. That makes sense, but dang is that inefficient. Eldrian worked through his thoughts, finding that he had to master this basic aiming before he could even move on to true control.


    Other than this minor incident, the rest of the day went by in rtive normalcy. Eldrian casting spells to practice and analyzing what he could improve.


    His first few following sessful casts of Frost Needle shot in more or less a random direction. Eldrian only able to determine this direction by the way he was facing. With each cast he got more used to how the spell was cast and could concentrate more on controlling the spell instead.


    It was the most he struggled in this, having to fight the spell''s inherit want to move. He also had to ensure he would not hurt someone while at it too.


    By night, after having set up camp and eaten, Eldrian sat outside the tent. Thinking about why he was struggling so much in keeping the spell still. Is it due to the flow of mana in the spell module?Eldrian wondered, trying to link it with when he experimented on the effect of this mana flow.


    With Nidia he could let the water rotate by letting the mana flow a certain way. Then logically this meant this spell''s module would send out the spell at maximum speed. Since all the mana was directed towards the point of the module.


    Eldrian had also gotten recognition from the system for learning Frost Needle.


    [Frost Needle, Tier 1, rank 0]


    [Frost needle is an ice-based spell. Forming a small needle-like piece of ice, which will be rapidly shot forward as soon as casting is done.]


    [Spell Damage: 9 [Ice]] {Raw spell damage}


    [Magic Damage: 13.9 [Ice]] {Damage which will be dealt to 0 magic armor apponent}


    [Cost 20 mana]


    [No cast cooldown][Due to having learned the spell without system]


    [0.5 Cast time] [Reduced by rank]


    Eldrian found that the spell did little damage, but this was only when hepared it to Grace. His double-headed spear. Whenpared to nonmagical weapons the spell did really good damage. Then there was also the fact that Eldrian could improve the damage even more when using a staff or wand.


    Eldrian also remembered this, taking out the staff he had looted long ago during the first mission.How good are you?He asked himself, quickly finding that it was not good.


    Is it because it is not a magic grade staff? Eldrian wondered, looking at the pitiful 5% damage increase it would give him. It would also require him to cast through the staff which made this even worse for Eldrian. He wanted to use his spells while inbat, he might consider using a staff if he was far or had protection between him and the target. He did not want to fight with a staff.


    Staffs are useless.Eldrian determined as he stored it back into his inventory, nning to sell it to yers when he had time.


    Eldrian continued to travel in this manner, during which he would practice magic while traveling, conversing with Old Sword when he found a good topic to talk about. During the breaks in travel, like at night, Eldrian would instead practice fighting.


    Old Sword would spar with him every other day, while teaching Eldrian on the days they did not spar. Due to this Eldrian quickly felt himself growing stronger.


    What Old Sword would teach Eldrian skills and how to use them most effectively. Eldrian missed most of theter since it was hard enough for him to just use skills. With time he got more used to it, which was when Old Sword hammered on the time dy skills would cause him to have.


    This was due to the effort it took him to actually use a skill, needing to call its skill module and control his mana. It felt more difficult than spells, mostly because he would stop when casting spells. With skills he had to continue moving.


    This training continued for almost a week, Eldrian having learned six skills in total under Old Sword. Having also spent the time to learn the healing spell, Thera, which he had bought at the academy.


    [Thera (Spell)]


    [Tier 1, rank 0]


    [A simple healing spell, feeding the patient with energy to heal a specific wound.]


    [Can bring a severe wound under control, stopping bleeding. Willpletely heal mild wounds.]


    [Spell Heal: 12HP [Limit to 4 casts, 1 hour cd]] {Base Healing}


    [Heal: 21.1HP] {With bonuses}


    [Cost 16 mana]


    [No cast cooldown][Due to having learned the spell from root]


    [0.2 Cast time] [Reduced by rank]


    Eldrian felt much better having a true healing spell under his belt, surprised by the amount of healing it actually would do. While it was not near enough for Eldrian to be able to fight continuously, it would allow him to heal almost to full.


    Eldrian was more curious about how much this heal would do to a broken arm or leg. Wondering if he would be able to keep himself physically able. This was what he hoped for most, HP was far less important to him.


    The skills Eldrian had learned were mostly general use type skills. Like a small constant increase in speed or strength. Or the inverse and an explosive amount of increase for one or two attacks.


    Eldrian had only learned one weapon-rted skill called Double Strike. He had truly struggled to learn this skill. It did not have a word of power. Instead it was triggered by intent and mana, he had to trigger its activation by actually attacking in a set way.


    When used correctly, the spell would give Eldrian arge increase in speed. Unfortunately he was currently unable to really control this and would just let the skill finish the process for him. It would deliver two quick strikes in under a second.


    [Double Strike, (Skill)]


    [Tier 1, rank 0]


    [Two quick strikes (Thrusts with a spear) delivered with almost no pause.]


    [Weapon Damage Boost: 2]


    [Increases damage dealt by 10% on seconds strike, 30% if this strikends on the same ce as the first strike.]


    [Cost 8MP & 16SP] *1)


    [No cooldown][Due to having learned the spell without system]


    [0.2 Cast time] [Reduced by rank]


    Reading through the skill''s details Eldrian had realized why yers would prefer weapon-rted skills to general skills. The explosive increase in agility or strength could certainly be useful in certain locations. But it was still a far cry from this skill''s raw potential.


    Eldrian even doubted if he would use the constant boost skills, the loss of regen was simply too much of a cost for such a slight increase.


    *1) MP is mana points. SP stamina points.

 Chapter 120: An Elite Group

    <h4>Chapter 120: An Elite Group</h4>


    "Old Sword, I think this is the closest we are going to get to Vivian while following the nned route," Eldrian spoke up after looking at his map as they started traveling. During the past week, along with having learned a great deal, Eldrian also kept constant tabs on his map. Trying to figure out when moving with the division was no longer going to bring him close to Vivian.


    This moment had arrived. The military''s nned direction would now start moving further from Vivian''s location, or rather the location Elrian had thanks to his quest.


    The distance to Vivian was still great, Eldrian still was not able to urately determine this from his map. He roughly felt that it was at least three days of travel. If the travel was uninterrupted, which was highly unlikely.


    "Are you sure?" Old Sword asked, Eldrian had been keeping him up to date and they have made a few ns. The most likely to be used is to send Eldrian out as a guide for a group of more elite soldiers. This required the least amount of people and would actually have the best chance of sess. Larger groups would attract more monsters.


    The biggest problem was that such a group would love to move at night as this would allow them to almost never run into trouble. Eldrian was unable to do this, having to go to university. If he did not have such amitment he could actually simply change his sleeping pattern.


    Eldrian almost wished he could just skip all his sses, finding Vivian felt more important to him. But he knew that he would not be able to exin himself to his family.


    "I am, from here on the army is going to move further and further from Vivian''s location. Therefore the longer we wait the longer it would take to reach her. I am also not going to reach Tier 2 in just a few days. Thus I am at my strongest." Eldrian replied, still hanging on to his few free attributes.


    During this week he had realized that the growth from leveling was really important early.


    NPCs could see all relevant statistics simr to yers, but they perceived it as a magic skill. Not as the system giving them these statistics. Eldrian followed a simr route which limited what he could observe if someone was higher-tiered than him.


    To better inform Eldrian on how strong people and monsters of relevant Tiers are, Old Sword had shared some general information. Such as that Tiers 1 to Tier 5 people generally had between a 100 and 250 in their focus attribute. This meant he could still beat them with tricks and innovation, or skill if he really outssed them. This being less likely than the first two.


    Tier 6 would easily have over 400, Tier 7''s such as Old Sword would have close to a 1000. Which Old Sword shared to inform Eldrian on just how screwed he would be then, especially since those people would be able to use magic.


    This helped Eldrian understand why he could actually fight decently well against Tier 2 and 3 NPCs when sparring. They did not use magic and it brought them almost to the same level. Certainly there was still arge gap in attributes, but it was possible to ovee this with skill and innovation.


    Old Sword had exined this to Eldrian to help him estimate if he could fight against a certain enemy. While Eldrian''s observe would give him less and less details as the targets Tier went up, he should be able to see their Tier up to 4. Knowing this should enable him to make a smart field decision.


    "Then we should gather the others. You also need some armor." Old Sword added thest part after giving Eldrian a once over. Astonished that Eldrian had still not bothered to sort this out for himself.


    "Do you have some spare light armor?" Eldrian asked, really not wanted te armor. Especially when it is going to likely be normal grade. He would only consider moving to heavier armors if the benefits were great enough.


    "Of course, an army always has some extra armor." Old Sword said jokingly.


    They then spent the next hour finishing preparations. During this time the others whom Eldrian was going to do the mission with all gathered. Eldrian himself having gotten some nice leather armor.


    Eldrian had lost most if not all of his fat during the past month since he started gaming. Having followed an intense schedule and being extra active through the game. As such the armor fit him really well.


    His armor consisted out of chest, arm and leg pieces. The entire set was of a dark grey color. The arm piece was a gauntlet while the leg piece was a greave. Protecting only part of Eldrian''s limbs, but it was better than not having armor. The lessened amount also allowed Eldrian to still move freely, not needing to get used to the armor.


    The armor was actually made from the skin of a Direwolf and had no magical properties. As Eldrian had believed it would not have. Still, Eldrian was more than happy with it, it was nicely made and both Inspect and the system informed him that it was Tier 4 armor. Which was most likely top-grade armor for yers.


    Armor had far less info than weapons, simply stating its name, Tier, armor rating and durability. Along with attribute requirements.


    [Wolf Breastte]


    [Grade: Normal ; Tier 1]


    [Armor: 11]


    [Durability: 1300]


    [Attribute Requirements:


    [Strength: 85 ; Agility 90 ; Constitution: 80]


    The information was mostly the same for the other two pieces. The leg armor called Wolf Greaves and the arm armor called Wolf Gauntlet.


    "I hope you all are ready." Old Sword said as he looked at the seven before him. Six of whom were some of the best people he had under him. The other was Eldrian.


    "Yeah, we just follow this newbie and find Vivian. Easy." A guy with blond hair replied, he had a bow slung over his shoulder and two long daggers at his side. Robed in dark green armor of unknown type, he looked like an assassin.


    "Tes, this mission depends on him staying alive, and there is also the fact that you won''t be able to travel much at night."


    "What!" Shouted one of the others, this person had blood-red hair and eyes. mes seemingly appearing in them from time to time. He had no weapon on him but Eldrian could feel that this guy was strong.


    "Evapius, don''t act surprised. I did inform you that Haru won''t be able to be with you all the time."


    "I thought you were joking. How does that even make sense?"


    "Chosen can seemingly return to their world. At least this is how it was exined to us, which means he would not be here during some times. And those times are at night, specifically from 8 to 6."


    "Old Sword, do you truly think we will be able to do this?" This time it was not a man, but a woman who asked. She had deep ck hair and sharp light brown eyes. She was wearing form-fitting scale armor which clearly showed her toned figure.


    "Sabrea, that is why I pick all of you. You will be able to handle most situations and survive."


    Hearing Old Sword''s reply thedy backed down, giving Eldrian a curious nce. Even if he was somehow able to direct them, she did not understand how Old Sword could trust someone so weak.


    With most of the unsettling questions answered, the group moved on to discuss tactics. Specifically how they were going to handle fights, none of them had much belief in Eldrian''s strength. Handling him like a fair noble they had to escort.


    Eldrian certainly did not enjoy how they were describing him, but he kept it down. Allowing them toe up with the best possible n of action. Every time he felt his anger surfacing he would just tell himself that this was for Vivian.


    After almost half an hour of this everyone finally settle on what their jobs would be. Eldrian also learned the names of the other three. One was actually Andr¨¦as whom Eldrian had met previously, he was in charge of keeping the group stealthed.


    The other two was a priest called Floyd, his job would be to heal anyone if an injury urred. He would also be responsible for creating and maintaining a fire at night.


    Thest person was Cadriel, she was also an archer like Tes. This made their final groupposition one mage, one priest, one rogue, two archers and one vanguard.


    Eldrian found it interesting that they had actually names for themselves, names which the system did not recognize. It actually just dumped the priest, mage and rogue together as mages. The archers as range users and the vanguard a melee fighter.


    Eldrian''s job was to not get in the way, they did not even want him to join in any fighting. Eldrian had first thought this was simply mean, but after listening to them discuss and having kept his opinion to himself. Eldrian had learned that they were all truly Elite soldiers.


    Floyd was Tier 5 and so were Evapius and Sabrea. Andr¨¦as was actually Tier 6 but he normally worked alone, which was why he could be spared to join the mission. Cadriel and Tes were the weakest, being Tier 4.


    "Good luck." Old Sword said as he shook Eldrian''s hand, a system notification popping up with it.


    About time. Eldrian thought as he wondered why it had taken so long for the notification toe up.

 Chapter 121: Hidden Quest

    <h4>Chapter 121: Hidden Quest</h4>


    [Hidden Quest epted]


    [Find Vivian.]


    [Reward, unknown]


    That''s it?Eldrian asked, confused at how little information the system was giving him. Normally the quest log told him what was needed and what would lead to a failure. This one did nothing close to that.


    Is it because it is a hidden quest? Eldrian pondered over this while subconsciously following the rest of the group. Deep in thought, wondering what a hidden quest even was in this game. This was the first time he had ever heard of it.


    "You better start focusing, what direction are we even heading?" Tes asked, his bow ready in hand.


    "What?" Eldrian looked up finding that they had just left the division and started setting off on their own.


    Eldrian took a few seconds to understand just how long he had been in his own thoughts. After which he called up his map and determined the direction they needed to go. The group following his directions without question.


    All questions which could have been asked had been asked. Everyone in the group knew that needless doubt would just make everything more difficult.


    The start of this quest went smoothly. The NPCs easily managing to deal with any monsters they encountered. Eldrian would often not be able to even follow what was going on.


    "Group of 9." Andreas whispered as they approached an area with some monsters. Eldrian had no idea how Andreas knew about them, hepletely failed to see anything.


    The entire area they were in now was grassless and trees were scarce. Eldrian had no idea where monsters could be hiding.


    "Right, this should be quick." Tes joked as he pulled back his bow''s string, letting loose an arrow. Followed by another and Cadriel also letting loose.


    Eldrian still failed to even see anything, but suddenly he heard a cry of pain as the dirt seemingly stood up. As it did this dirt creature received another arrow, causing it to fall right back down.


    The creatures did not even manage to charge them, all dying as soon as they started standing up.


    "Goblins!" Sabrea spat this in disdain, revulsion clear in her eyes and voice.


    That was goblins? But they were normal-sized... Eldrian did not quite understand, the creatures were easily his height. He felt goblins were supposed to be small, waist height at max.


    Later on, they encountered an evenrger group of almost 30 goblins, but even this was easily dealt with. Cadriel and Tes, the archers, would focus on those who were faster than most or split from the main group. While Evapius would let loose a rain of fire into the group, Sabrea going through after to kill all the burning goblins that were still alive.


    Eldrian quickly started thinking that the quest was going to be really easy. This group of NPCs were all really good, so good in fact that Eldrian even had time to feel cheated of XP. He wasn''t able to join the fight and as a result got no XP for kills.


    They continued to move, never even bothering to loot the dead goblins. Mostly due to them unlikely having good items, but also because themotion likely attracted the attention of other monsters.


    In such a manner they continued to move, talking very little. Other than coordinating.


    With the little talking they did do, Eldrian did manage to get the gist of what type of people a few of the NPCs were. Evapius was very hot-tempered and easy to anger, much like the magic he used.


    Andreas was silent, just like when he escorted Eldrian. Floyd was talkative and constantly being shushed by the others.


    The only person Eldrian really connected to was Sabrea, which was weird. He generally struggled to simply talk to girls, but he somehow found it easy to talk to Sabrea.


    It was through her that Eldrian learned a bit more about the monsters they faced after each fight. He also learned that they were likely going to face stronger and stronger monsters as they continued to travel.


    The army was actually following a path often used by merchants, meaning it was one of the safer areas in thesends.


    Eldrian quickly confirmed her suspicion, the goblins had all been Tier 1 before. But as they continued, more and more would be Tier 2. Causing the fights to slowlyst longer and longer.


    In thest fight there had been three different types of goblins. Normal goblins were small, childlike creatures. Easy to deal with, Eldrian even found that they had less HP than level 1 Tier 0 yers, almost half what yers would have at the start.


    Following the normal goblins were hobgoblins, muchrger and stronger. But only to the extent of beingparable to normal humans.


    It was thest type which had been giving the group trouble. Goblin knights, resembling orcs more than goblins or humans. These goblins often looked like well-toned men, their muscles the envy of most.But their green skin and generalck of hygiene almost managed to hide their fit bodies. Giving people a weird impression when looking at these goblins.


    It was like seeing a bodybuilder who had spent months without bathing. Giving them a real barbaric look, which actually worked well with theirck of clothing.


    ...


    "Shaman!" Floyd shouted as he cast a healing spell onto Sabrea who was holding back five goblin knights.


    Andreas was weaving through the horde of goblins while Tes and Cadriel constantly let loose arrows. Their quivers already half empty, which was insane since their quivers could hold over three hundred arrows.


    Evapius and the shaman were in a fight of wills, both stopping the other from casting any offensive magic. Waiting for the right time when the other let slip.


    Looking around Eldrian could feel that their situation was not good. They hadnded here because of avoiding a fight. They had first seen a group of a hundred goblins and tried to avoid them. But the shaman had seemingly spotted them and directed the goblins to follow them from behind.


    Later on the group had found themselves surrounded on all four sides by nearly a thousand goblins.


    "Fucking hell, how can a shaman be here!" Evapius bellowed, sweat dripping off his head. It was well known to all NPCs that shamans were as rare as actual mages. It did not make sense for one to be here with such a weak group of goblins.


    Eldrian had no idea what Evapius was doing, his battle against the shaman had been mostly shless. Which was very unlike Evapius. But he could see the concentration on Evapius''s face, causing Eldrian to wonder just how strong this shaman was. Tier 5?


    Eldrian made sure to not think too much keeping an eye out for any goblins trying to get past Sabrea.


    No you don''t! Eldrian shouted internally as he charged a goblin which was trying to get past her. She was unable to stop it as the 5 goblin knights kept her pinned, they were even slightly winning against her.


    The goblin did not even react in time as Eldrian''s spear pierced through its eye, straight through its head. But Eldrian did not feel happy after seeing the XP, a group of goblins was charging them. Meaning that what Evapius and Andreas had done right at the start of all this had failed to work.


    Knowing that standing and watching would do nothing Eldrian directly charged the group. He did not want to find himself blocked by teammates, needing space to fully use his spear. Luckily for him goblins were not strong monster type, allowing him actually fight against many. For once.


    "Haru no!" Sabrea shouted, causing her to get another wound. She did not care as she tried to break through from the goblin knights. Old Sword''s words ringing in her ear, that if Eldrian died, then the mission would be a failure.


    Floyd cursed as he found Sabrea''s distraction allowed a goblin knight to break past her. Luckily Tes quickly intervened and stopped it from reaching Evapius.


    "Get her to focus. We can''t do the mission if we all die!" Tes shouted as he blocked the goblin knight''s greatsword with his dagger. Trying to end it quickly with his other, but the goblin''s vitality was more than he expected, causing him to lose his other dagger inside its side. "Fuck!"


    Eldrian was so focused on his task that he missed what his action had caused, not having expected Sabrea would want to protect him.


    Charging Eldrian made sure to not get surrounded by the group of twenty plus goblins who were charging the group.


    Eldrian knew that his spear would give him arge advantage against the goblins if he could manage to not get overrun. As such he made sure to keep to the edge of the group, thrusting his spear into them all without even aiming also not stopping his movement.


    As Eldrian pulled back his spear he felt it was unnaturally heavy, looking to the spear tip Eldrian found that a dying goblin was desperately clutching onto his spear. Dragging itself into the spear as it tried to reach Eldrian. Blood dripping down and quickly forming a puddle under Eldrian''s spear''s de.


    The sight of the goblin dragging itself further on his spear freak Eldrian out. Almost causing him to trip, he managed to stabilize himself but this caused him toe to a stop. The goblins gave him a grin as it kept pulling itself further onto Eldrian''s spear, trying to reach him.


    Eldrian cursed, this one goblin having ruined the advantage he expected to have from his spear. Irritated Eldrian cast Frost Needle, the spell forming in the blink of an eye and killing the goblin. Yet its corpse was stuck on his spear.


    The hell is this!Eldrian let loose internally as he let go of his spear and instead pulled out his greatsword. Not having enough time to get the now dead goblin off of it.


    The greatsword was the next best thing Eldrian had. Giving him a reach and speed advantage.

 Chapter 122: Outnumbered

    <h4>Chapter 122: Outnumbered</h4>


    Eldrian started attacking right as his hand grasped the greatsword, giving a wide swing to allow himself some room. But the goblins did not care, they charged at Eldrian with no fear. Using each other''s bodies as cushioning to allow them to get at Eldrian.


    Eldrian felt a piercing pain in his leg even before his swing finished. Desperate he used elerate, an agility boosting skill that gave him a short-lived agility bonus of 20 points, basically speeding him up by 20%. This extra speed allowed Eldrian to dodge all the iing strikes he saw, but this was not enough as he felt a new strike on his back.


    As Eldrian felt the hit he was grateful for the armor Old Sword had given him, it had likely saved him just now. He also realized that he could not stay in the middle of all the goblins, as such he focused on breaking through the encirclement while elerate was still active.


    Thanks to how uncoordinated the goblins were, with them even using each other. Eldrian managed to break through their little encirclement. Not stopping, he continued running until elerate ended.


    10 meters, that is enough.Eldrian sighed with relief, quickly moving on to casting Frost Needle again. Shooting the spell at the front-most goblin. Causing those behind to trip of theirrade''s body.


    Smirking Eldrian rushed back in using Drive, a skill that gave him a boost in strength. Feeling the skill take effect, Eldrian shed at all the upright goblins, the extra strength enabling him to continue his strike through a couple of goblins. While it did not cut through them Eldrian could hear bones breaking.


    As soon as he finished this strike Eldrian retreated again. Both his mana and stamina extremely low. But the results were more than satisfying, Eldrian having killed 12 goblins. Almost halving their numbers.


    Luckily none of them seemed to be able to use magic, which allowed Eldrian to really keep an edge, but he found that his mana was simply too little. Needing to stall for it to regen, Eldrian kept his distance and only attacked when he saw a good opportunity. Making sure to never let theme closer than half his sword''s length.


    Slowly he killed them one by one, while also leading them around. Eldrian found that he even had time to look at what else was going on in the battle.


    On the other side, Sabrea was struggling greatly with the new wounds she had received. Seeing more goblins managing to cross the circle of fire that Evapius added even more pressure onto her, causing her to sometimes mess up and receive another wound.


    Healing spells were quickly bing less and less effective on her, her armor already having a few holes which were not there before.


    Luckily Tes was doing well against his goblin knight, managing to deliver many shallow wounds to the monster. Slowly draining the goblin of its strength, but Tes knew that doing it slowly was not a good option. The goblin knight could use regenerative skills to simply recover, luckily he was not alone.


    Ducking under one of the goblin''s swings, Tes got right up close and personal. Striking his dagger into the armpit of the goblin and maneuvering himself behind its back. From here hepletely opened the goblin to Cadriel who had been waiting for a good shot.


    She did not hesitate, letting loose her arrow as soon as Tes''s maneuver seemed to work. Her arrow struck true, piercing the goblin''s chest and going straight through into Tes''s shoulder.


    "That hurts like a bitch!" Tes shouted as he pulled himself from the goblins, something which was far more difficult with an arrow connecting them. As soon as he was free Floyd cast a healing spell on him, stopping the bleeding and recovering most of Tes''s range of movement.


    Most, not all. He could not longer use his bow and as such he dived right into fighting with Sabrea, offering her the support she had needed.


    Even with all this the group''s morale did not improve. If Andreas did not manage to kill the shaman soon, they would simply be overrun by the horde.


    Eldrian though thought differently, feeling certain that the group would do excellent against the horde if only the goblin knights were no more. As such he shifted his focus, rather keeping his distance from the ten or so goblins who were still following him.


    He had found that the goblins were brave and fearless. But they were not smart, even if he did not continue to fight them. As long as he did not run too far they would continue to case him, much like normal monsters in other games. Eldrian used this to kite them, not even trying to use this kiting to thin their numbers.


    Instead, he led them away from where his spear lied and at the same time kept an eye on the fight with the goblin knights. Tes''s support had stabilized the situation, but it did not shift it to the human''s side.


    Doing this kiting paid off as Eldrian saw one of the goblin knights ovemit to an attack. While Tes and Sabrea could not captivate due to the other goblin knights, and Cadriel due to Sabrea and Tes being in the way. Eldrian could.


    As soon as he had seen the goblin''s attack fail, Eldrian had started casting Frost Needle. Sending it right as the goblin was about to recover, his spell hitting its back hard. Causing the goblin to stumble, something which the other goblin knights could not cover for.


    This quickly led to a kill and the momentum shifting to the humans. Eldrian also realized from this that he could still use his Tier 0 spells. He had simply forgotten now that he had something stronger, but this mentality was wrong. Forst Needle was not a good choice against many enemies.


    Eldrian did not have any spell which was actually good against a group, but he reasoned that Floga would be better. He could use it with less effort, less mana and more urately. Having received this realization Eldrian started acting, using Floga to blind the goblins still chasing him.


    This took less than a minute, after which he quickly ended their lives. As he wanted to rush to help to finish thest goblin knights, Eldrian finally saw the evenrger group of goblins charging them.


    Fuck!Eldrian cursed and instead went for his spear, knowing not to attack too enthusiastically this time. He needed to make his attacks quick and fast. He would also use Floga, but even so Eldrian doubted if he would be able to do anything against over a hundred goblins.


    Luckily as Eldrian recovered his spear a massive ball of me flew over the field of battle and set the entire center of the charging goblins on fire. Effectively stopping their charge.


    Relieved Eldrian looked over and saw Evapius busy casting another spell. Seeing this Eldrian rushed the goblin knights instead.


    With their mage back the group could focus all their attention on the stronger goblins. Eldrian having joined them fully tipped the scales, leading to thest three goblin knight''s deaths.


    ...


    A tired group was resting in a bloody field, the stench of blood acid strong in the air.


    "What took you so long?" Evapius asked irritably as Andreas rejoined the group. Andreas looked the best in the group, having received no new wounds. This only added to Evapius''s frustration.


    "You try and sneak past thousands of goblins, while a shaman is looking for you!" Andreas counter.


    Evapius grunted but did not say anything more.


    Truthfully most of the group was simply happy that they had survived, but this encounter made them more apprehensive of what was next toe.


    "Aren''t these monsters a bit too strong? I mean this group had five Tier 4 goblins knights and a Tier 5 shaman. That should not be amon thing, yet we ran into it on the first day." Tes pointed this out, massaging his own shoulder which was still sore from having been pierced by an arrow.


    "Should we return to the army?" Floyd asked, he was the most vulnerable in the group. Having almost no realbat strength and this made him scared.


    "No, we can''t quit on the first day. I think we should rather set up a camp and from now on we must make sure to not be followed." Andreas spoke up, slightly calling to all the experts'' pride.


    After a bit more talk, the group determined that they would travel slower from now on. After looting the goblin shaman knight''s they then set off in search of a nice ce to set up camp. Even if they could travel at night, none of them felt up to it. Especially when if something went wrong it would certainly lead to their deaths.


    Eldrian had also gotten recognition for his strength, the NPCs were all surprised at what he had managed. They certainly would also be able to do what he did, but not when they were at his level. They realized that Eldrian was far stronger than he looked and this caused their respect to grow.


    Eldrian did not really know about the shift in the NPCs perspective of him. He was instead focused on looking at his free attributes. elerate added 20 agility points to him for 20 seconds and it had been really useful during the fight.


    Drive did the same but for strength, but Eldrian felt elerate was far more worth it. Yet he also felt investing in spirit and constitution for more mana and stamina was needed.


    This entire fight had earned him another level, having gotten over 15k XP total. This was simply an insane amount and force Eldrian into making a choice on his attributes. He could not sit with 25 free attributes and not use them.


    Especially when he was going to face more and more fights.

 Chapter 123: Free attributes

    <h4>Chapter 123: Free attributes</h4>


    Eldrian called up his avatar statistics, taking his time to work through how he would use his free attributes. He would still like to keep from using them since he did not know what the future would bring.


    Currently though, he needed a boost. A significant one at that.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 6 (23k/36k)]


    [Magic ss Tier 1]


    [Subss: Melee Tier 1]


    [Avatar Affinity: 96.21%]


    Reading through this Eldrian thought back to when he trained with Old Sword and first managed to sessfully use a skill. Strangely he had not reached Tier 1 after learning general skills that simply boosted his attributes. He only gained it after learning Double Strike, a weapon-rted skill.


    Eldrian had no idea why this happened and only realized it due to general skills being easier to learn than weapon-rted skills. At least this was true for him, he felt it was not true for normal yers.


    Once he did master Double Strike, he had been informed by the system of what it would take to reach Tier 2. He would need Rank 2 proficiency with his spear.


    Eldrian did not feel that this was unreasonable and finally allowed him to make sense of the proficiency system. He was already level 6/10 in rank 1. He simply needed to use his spear around 20k times to reach Rank 2. Eldrian felt this was not too hard, considering he could simply grind it out against a dummy.


    Other than his proficiency he also needed to sessfully use a Tier 1 skill 5 000 times and then a Tier 2 skill 50 times. This was what the system informed him of. Eldrian still felt that it was not a perfect system, it did not make sense to him that it would be a hard stuck rule.


    Considering how realistic and free most of the game actually was. A true martial artist might not even need skills, they might feel skill are restrictive. Or they might incorporate them ingeniously with their normal skills, hiding what was a skill and what was simply their skill.


    Continuing on Eldrian looked at his attributes and stats, trying to figure out what Tiers added.


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 110][105]


    [Strength: 110][105]


    [Agility: 115]


    [Spirit: 110]


    [Intelligence: 115]


    [25 free attribute points}


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 121][105]


    [Mana: 121]


    [Stamina: 110]


    [Armor: 0.25]


    [Magic Armor: 0.25]


    [Physical Resistance: 0.5%]


    [Magical Resistance: 0.5%]


    It looks like attributes are just a one to one ratio. But gaining a Tier adds a bonus. Magic gave me more mana, 11 more. Melee did the same but for health. Eldrian did not think too much about this, simply taking this into ount.


    He had been shying from using his attributes because he wanted to wait and see what requirementster weapons would have. But now he felt it was more important that he use them.


    Thinking back to the fight against the goblins, Eldrian felt that agility would be the best choice. He did not want to split his attributes since he had managed to clearly feel the increase of 20 agility. He could not really feel the bonus of 5 given by reaching Tier 1.


    Everything in agility!He determined, feeling that it would be best to be able to react faster than others. He also felt this would be thergest bonus he could gain. Constitution would simply allow him tost longer. Be it stamina or health growth, both were not too critical.


    Strength would increase his damage with his spear, not much more. Eldrian felt being able to get a vital hit was far better than a t bonus.


    Intelligence was the same situation, but Eldrian here not having an attribute that would lead to getting a vital hit. Rather it was his training and mastery over mana and the spell. Hence intelligence was a bit more tempting. But Eldrian refrained.


    Spirit would also not do much for Eldrian as he was, if it only gave him 20 mana then that meant one more spell, maybe two. Eldrian felt that it was not a good enough investment.


    Certainly spirit and intelligence would be prime if he felt he would be safe and could only focus on casting spells. But that was not something he foresaw himself in. The only thing Eldrian really doubted was if he should skip the constitution.


    But after thinking about it for a while he felt this was indeed best. The damage he received was so much that 5 or 10 HP would not really make a difference. It might just bring him over to being able to survive one more hit. But it might also fail in doing so.


    Eldrian felt it was better to simply gain more speed, it was one thing he felt was really important in a fight. This was enforced more with his damage already being enough to kill most monsters with one vital hit. Eldrian was not sure if this was because of the realism or just how his damage worked out.


    Still, he felt reluctant to use all of his free attributes, fearing that he may block himself from using better magic grade weapons in the future. After a bit of a struggle, Eldrian decided he would focus on thatter. He could always just level to close the gap.


    With this settled Eldrian dumped his free attributes, bringing his agility to 140. As soon as he did this Eldrian could feel a difference. It felt like everything was slightly slower than normal, but this onlysted a few seconds. Returning to normal once his mind settled.


    Eldrian felt satisfied after finishing this choice, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.I am sure this is the best. He told himself as he came back from his thoughts and the system interface, thetter having had more updates to smoothen its use and look.


    While this had felt like a very long time to Eldrian, less than ten minutes had actually passed. During which he had been following the NPCs around him. They were heading to a valley nearby where they were going to set up camp.


    As they walked they encountered two smaller groups of goblins and one orc band. But their numbers were not even over 10, meaning they died without even being able to put up a fight.


    "Alright, let''s rest here," Andreas said as they made it into the valley. It was notrge, simply located between small hills which were quite near to each other. But it would make their fire harder to see, which was the thing they most worried about.


    "Alright." Floyd said as he started walking around the temporary camp, drawing a few rune-like symbols into the ground. He threw some reddish powder into these runes and then into the fire, which the others had started while he was busy with the runes.


    As the powder entered the fire it changed the color of the mes. Flickering between blue, yellow and red. It settled on a low-intensity red after a few seconds. The runes Floyd had drawn also glowed lightly.


    "Don''t go outside of this pattern." Floyd said to everyone but directed it at Eldrian. The others all knew why, Eldrian was the only one who might not know.


    Seeing Floyd''s stare Eldrian nodded to indicate that he understood, sitting down onto the ground after he saw everyone rxing.


    "I still don''t understand how that works." Tes grumbled as he massaged his shoulder, due to the rush they had been in, Floyd had yet to properly heal him. They had to finish setting up camp before dark, else they would not be able to close their eyes.


    "Divinity," Floyd answered simply, telling Tes to take off his armor and shirt. He then started cleaning the wound, only casting a healing spell after making sure the wound was properly cleaned.


    Eldrian was intrigued by this and asked, "Why don''t you just use magic to clean the wound?"


    "Because this is wound is not normal. Cadriel uses a skill to enhance her arrows, and she uses another to let the arrows splinter into her target. If not properly removed it would lead to a serious infection and death soon after." Floyd answered patiently as everyone grilled some meat from a random beast they had found and killed.


    "It also reacts to being influenced by magic, which is why Floyd had simply healed his wound. Leaving the splinters alone." Cadriel added.


    Eldrian nodded to show he understood, wondering just how that worked. It sounded almost like a type of poison to him.Poison, how good would that have been today. I would have been able to simply slightly wound the goblins. Making the start far easier. Eldrian thought suddenly, thinking back to when the old man had led him around the academy.


    I have bought a poison spell... He sighed as the night came and settled over them. Realizing that his apprehension of poison was simply idiotic.


    During hisst few hours online, Eldrian practiced controlling Frost Needle. Wanting to be able to do it as well as he did with Floga and Nidia. The NPCs watched him curiously, finding his practice to be extremely impressive.


    Not because Eldrian was working insanely hard, but because only people over Tier 5 would be able to control a spell. Yet here Eldrian was, doing it while being Tier 1. And he was able to do it far longer than they could.


    They knew this was because he was a High Elf, but this did not take away from their interest. Rather it added more to it. The NPCs looked at Eldrian with more and more interest as time passed. Wanting to know how he did it.


    Naturally Eldrian''s control was stillcking, he could only slightly change the direction of Frost Needle, after having let it loose. He was nowhere close to being able to y with it like he did Floga and Nidia.


    Wait, they don''t have initial movement.Eldrian realized as his game time neared its end. He quickly decided that instead of trying to control Frost Needle as is, he would rather y with its spell module first.


    At this moment Eldrian wished he could enter the magical abyss, it made it so much easier to do that. When he was in there he could actually impact the spell module, but outside he had to suggest and lead his mana.


    Unable to truly control it at will, he needed it to the first form in a spell. But then the mana had a fixed signature and in the case of Frost Needle, a fixed momentum.

 Chapter 124: A Message

    <h4>Chapter 124: A Message</h4>


    Eldrian failed to concentrate in any of his sses, constantly thinking of how he could possibly change the spell module for Frost Needle. Realizing that he could not truly change it unless he was able to enter the magical abyss. But he could change the way his mana worked inside of the spell module.


    Knowing this he came up with as many theories as he could, even going so far as to sketch them during ss. When the day finally reached its end Eldrian had a stack of papers, the ideas sorter from easiest to most difficult to apply.


    Using the magical abyss was deadst in the pile. Eldrian had no idea how to enter it without the Magic Crystal.


    Rushing home with his stack of ideas, Eldrian found himself stopped from logging in. His y cooldown yet to reach its end.


    With nothing better to do Eldrian turned to the forums, looking for others who might be using magic. He quickly gave up as all the other yers simply relied on the system to give them skills and spells. None of them even understood how the spell modules worked.


    To keep himself busy he turned to the general threads, looking at what the rest of the gaming world was up to. He had long been kicked off of the level ranking, his recent leveling up ced him into the top 100 of Phallos again. Butpared to the true leaders in the game, Eldrian was far behind.


    The highest level yer was currently level 8, nearing 9. More than 200 yers were over level 8.


    Seeing their levels Eldrian felt certain that these people were all good at fighting. From the fight yesterday he had learned just how much XP one could gain frombat. This only worked if you managed to not die, which meant if you were a soldier or martial artist you would be able to fly through levels.


    What''s this?Eldrian asked as he found an interesting post, this yer imed that he had maxed out the required Tier 1 spell usage. Yet he was unable to learn Tier 2 spells.


    The yer also made no mention of needing to cast Tier 2 spells, rather it gave the yer an entirely different way of reaching Tier 2. Through a challenge.


    Eldrian had to learn and sessfully use Tier 2 spells to reach Tier 2, reading this post allowed him to realize that his information was actually spot on. Though he might be able to skip the Tier 1 part, Eldrian felt he would likely reach that just by training his control. Making it obsolete if he could skip it or not.


    The challenge this yer had was to solo kill a Tier 2 monster. Absolutely no assistance was allowed, this certainly made it really hard for normal yers. Especially when this monster had to be the same or a higher level than the yer.


    I totally understand why he felt cheated.Eldrian felt the yer was justified, he had spent a week to grind out the spell usage, only to be stopped by something he could not rush. This made sense but was certainly arge bummer for the yer.


    Are better yers already going to start standing out? Eldrian wondered as he finished his browsing. Having ended his browsing by looking at thepany thread where they posted any updates and news regarding the game.


    They had seemingly been cing far more time into the game than when they had just release it. This was the impression all the yers had as they found that there would not be an update every other day.


    These updates were not major, simple interface tunning or patching any errors they found. Tunning how logging in and out worked, informing the NPCs about how yers existed, or sending new rules on how yers may and may not be treated.


    Things like that.


    For most yers it felt weird, thepany was deadset on not changing their game to make it a longsting game with millions and even billions could enjoy. Rather they had shut down sales while suddenly tuning it as if they expect it to be the best game in the world.


    Eldrian felt conflicted when reading through the update. Not because of the update, rather because of all the updates. Like other yers, he did not understand the Miracle Corporation. Thepany had made it clear that they would not change their game, rather their world.


    Yet here they were trying their best to improve it. The former irked Eldrian, often leading him to curse thepany. Yet thetter made him happy and left him questioning their reasoning. Ultimately leaving a weird taste in his mouth.


    Oh, I have a message.Eldrian stopped logging out once he saw this notification.


    Opening it and reading through it he found that it was from one of the game developers. Asking him if he had thought about sharing his data with thepany.


    The developer went into detail about why they were following up on this, something which Eldrian had thought was more meant in passing. Havingpletely forgotten about it.


    Here the sender of the message made it clear that they valued Eldrian''s cooperation and wished to affirm it. They mentioned that more than Eldrian previously experience, he was also the only High Elf who had managed to use magic.


    This made them want his data even more, and while they could technically simply take it. They wanted to have Eldrian''s help.


    None of their game testers had evere close to doing what Eldrian had. Which told them that Eldrian had some kind of talent that mostcked. That or he had extreme luck, in both cases, they wanted to use his data to make sure that the uniqueness of High Elves would not cause any problems.


    Naturally, they did note out so straightforwardly to Eldrian, rather speaking around the real subject.


    "We are working on developing the next stage of our project, and while ANW might not be kept up forever. We believe the technology we develop will. It will be universal, the start of something great. Allowing us as humans to reach a new ne of living."


    "We are currently working on developing a better way of entering the gaming world. If you agree to share your data then we would like to also offer you ess to the prototypes, and naturally the final product."


    "This new way of entering the game will enable you to the game for an entire day, to never miss anything in the game. We would naturally also want to use your data from using the prototype, allowing us to better improve the final product."


    "If you agree we will send a representative to discuss with you how much we can pull and what you want in return."


    Eldrian was speechless, staring quietly at the screen after having finished his read. His first thoughts were on what he should ask for, but quickly turned to being able to game for an entire day. No longer having to log out.


    Knowing that he could not take too long to think this over, Eldrian replied that he would like to discuss this more. Neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Thepany''s aim seemed all well and good, but Eldrian wanted to make sure there would not be traps. The contract everyone first signed had had a trap.


    As soon as he sent his reply, Eldrian switched of his pc and logged into the game, finding action right off the bat.


    "He''s back!" Floyd shouted even before Eldrian could shake off the groggy feeling which came with logging in.


    "Thank Dioktis. Haru, get ready!" Tes shouted as the flight of an arrow followed his words.


    Confused Eldrian looked around trying to make sense of what was happening. The darkness of night foiling his n and instead only causing him to be even more confused.


    "Make sure not to leave the array!" Andreas shouted as he disappeared past it. Eldrian wanted to question just how he could shout that and do the opposite. But he could feel that it was not the time for jokes.


    Shaking his head to force himself awake quicker, Eldrian pulled out Grace and headed to the front where Sabrea was standing. Her sword ready and her breathing steady, total focus all over her face.


    As he took his ce, with enough distance to use his spear, Eldrian was d that the circle Floyd had made was over 20 meters wide. It gave them enough space to actually fight, it was even bigger than most sparring fields.


    Did they expect this, or did they simply air on caution? Eldrian wondered as his eyes finally settled to the darkness, allowing him to see the faint glowing eyes of something.


    "Can someone tell me what ising?" Eldrian asked in frustration, he could not even tell if the mass moving towards them was humanoid or beastlike.


    "Yania." Cadriel shouted from the back during a short pause of shooting.


    "The hell is a Yania?" Eldrian asked just as one of the beasts jumped into the light and lunged for him. Only to be stopped by an arrow which quickly ended its life.


    "That is!" Sabrea shouted as she shed at another, "Don''t let your guard down, they are fast bastards."

 Chapter 125: Vivians location

    <h4>Chapter 125: Vivian''s location</h4>


    A creature with an arrow stuck through its neck lied before Eldrian. Observing it Eldrian found that it reminded him of a ck panther. But it wasrger and clearly not simply a normal animal. Its fur was so dark that it seemed to absorb the light from the fire.


    Eldrian could not do much more than a quick change at it as another of these Yania creatures rushed at him, from behind the darkness. Eldrian dodged to the side to avoid its attack, having had almost no time to react. The creatures blending too well with the dark of night.


    As he readied himself for battle the beast ignored him and ran towards Floyd who was closest. Eldrian cursed, wanting to chase, but more beasts were charging in from the darkness.


    Realizing that his normal fighting style of avoiding and countering would not work, Eldrian stood his ground and instead blocked the beasts with his spear. Forcing them to fight him.


    This quickly earned him far more wounds than he would normally get. At the start Eldrian had found an opportunity to use Observe, finding out the stats of the beats he was fighting.


    [Yania, Demonic Beast]


    [Tier 1, Level 2]


    [HP: 186]


    [Attack: 20]


    [Attack Damage: 33.8 [Physical]]


    [Armor: 1.5]


    Eldrian received 17 damage when the beast''s struck his armor informing Eldrian that it had likely saved his life. Not only did it make the damage to his body far less, it also greatly reduced the damage he took.


    Along with his armor and a heal which he would receive every time his HP dropped below 50, Eldrian managed to hold two or even three beasts busy at a time.


    Eldrian only managed this due to the extra speed he had gained from increasing his agility. This along with using elerate allowed him to act faster than the beasts. If he used Floga or Frost Needle at the right time, he would even manage to kill a beast every now and then.


    Sabrea on the other hand was dealing with the beasts as if they were goblins. She would kill one with a few swings. Eldrian also did not need to kill nor keep all the beasts at him. He simply needed to slow them down. Tes and Cadriel would kill those who tried to nk them, or if any beast got past Eldrian.


    In this way Eldrian managed to help somewhat, earning a good number of XP from this fight.


    As quick as it all had started, it ended. Evapius had easily killed 20 or more beasts after just two spells, while Andreas had killed a bunch more in the dark. The rest of the group had not killed as many as those twobined.


    "Can''t move out yet," Andreas said as he walked back into the light. Eldrian being the only one who found his actions weird. Wondering just why he was able to move in and out of the protected area without a problem.


    Eldrian dismissed this thought quickly, believing that he simply did not know what Andreas was capable of.All the others find this normal, so he must have a special skill or item.Eldrian reasoned, finding this to be the most likely.


    "In that case let''s gather some of their ws. You have a dimensional storage, right Haru?" Sabrea said as she was wiping the blood off of her sword. Eldrian followed her example and used Nidia to clean himself and his de, his action causing quite a few eye rises. None of the others asked for Eldrian to do the same for them though, feeling that this would be stepping over a line.


    As Nidia absorbed the blood on his spear Eldrian replied, "Yes, but how good are the ws?"


    "Decent, they aren''t great. I think each one will be around 1 silver, so we can get around 5 gold total."


    Eldrian froze after he heard this, mentally he told himself that this would be split by 7. But the simple change from silver to gold was too much for him. Quickly he pulled out a skinning knife, one he had taken from Boran after skinning the Alpha, and dug right in.


    Seeing his action the others shrugged and joined. A little extra cash was always nice.


    They finished this task as the sun rose, starting their journey again. During this time Eldrian managed to gain more and more experience. Quickly reaching level 7.


    He did not directly spend his free attribute points, unsure how to use them. He would like to put them again in agility, already having tasted the advantage of more speed. But he was hesitant due to weapon requirements. In the end he simply saved them again, not feeling the need to use them right now. He could always dump them while fighting.


    At the end of each day, Eldrian would practice magic. Spending around an hour where he would practice to cast Double Strike, trying to get the hang of it. His goal being to hit the same ce, currently he was off by 5cm.


    After training his skills he moved onto spells, trying out the ideas he came up with during the previous days. Slowly Eldrian managed to change the spell, managing to slow its momentum a little bit.


    This allowed him to learn better how nodes and pathways worked, giving him a deeper understanding of magic. He could now get Frost Needle to make a 90-degree turn, but it would lose 50% of its damage if he did this.


    Eldrian only knew of the damage decrease thanks to the system informing him. Telling him that his spell had reached Rank 1 and gained a new effect; Change.


    Eldrian inferred that his Change was due to him managing to change the direction of the spell, but he also felt that it was only the beginning. As such he did not stop his actions of trying to change the spell module. Or at the very least how his mana would flow through it.


    As the days passed, the group became closer. Eldrian became good friends with Floyd, Tes and Sabrea. Andreas would always stay quiet, distant. Shut off from the rest. Cadriel... Eldrian struggled talking to her, failing to find amon ground.


    Evapius on the other hand was just work to talk to. He would burst into fury if you tried to correct or contradict him. He also disliked jokes and would generally just brought the mood down. No one disliked him tough, his help in fights were simply too great to leave out of the equation.


    Leaving his likeability at around neutral. Terrible personality, but a great fighter.


    Finally, after 12 days of travel, they reached the area where his map said Vivian was. Eldrian having improved greatly through the constant fights and tips from Sabrea. Floyd also helped him learn better how to use and apply rejuvenation and healing magic.


    "She''s dead," Andreas said as soon as he saw where Eldrian was pointing to.


    They were currently still far from the ce, but they could already see it clearly. Between two mountains, filled with caves, was a lustrous green forest.


    It was so out of ce that it simply screamed; I am special!


    Eldrian did not see this though, he felt that Vivian was certainly in there and alive. He felt that this might simply be an oasis in this terriblend void of nts.


    Andreas started turning around, wanting to leave as soon as possible, but Sabrea grabbed onto his shoulder and stopped him.


    "We aren''t here just for her. We also need to find out what is killing our scouting parties."


    "Are you fucking kidding me?" Andreas asked exasperatedly, "What could not kill a scouting party?"


    "He has a point." Evapius agreed with this statement. "Just a few kilometers from the nned path and we met a goblin shaman. Weter met an army of orcs, luckily we managed to avoid them."


    "Then there is also the group of trolls on the seconds day. One wandering troll almost caused us massive trouble, if a group came upon a scouting party. Then naturally they would be wiped."


    "Are you all ignoring that we found no bodies other than those from the parties?" Sabrea countered.


    "So they took their dead..." Tes replied, feeling that this must be obvious.


    "And leave the dead humans. Which, need I remind you, is one of their favorite foods."


    The mood of the entire group plummeted once Sabrea mentioned this.


    "Did you have to bring that up?" Cadriel asked, disgust clear on her face.


    "Yes, because it is strange and means that something special is going on."


    "I am afraid I have to agree with her. I don''t like the idea of going in there, but we must get an answer." Floyd was the only one who sided with Sabrea, causing everyone to look at him in surprise.


    It was known within the group that Floyd hated danger and had wanted to skip this mission, an order was far too heavy a thing to ignore though.


    Andreas suddenly snapped, "Are you kidding me! You want something special, then just look in front of you."


    "That! That right there is special! A freaking forest in the middle of this barrennd. Look, there is no grass, none. And then there is suddenly a forest!"


    "I feel Vivian is still alive!" Eldrian shouted, oveing his nervousness and causing everyone''s attention to shift to him.


    "So what if she is? Andreas is right, if we go in then we will all be killed." Evapius countered, looking at Eldrian like he was looking at an idiot.


    "But... It is our mission." Eldrian fought to get this out, only to get screamed at by someone else.


    "Of course you wouldn''t be afraid! You won''t die for real!" Tes shouted, irked that Eldrian was treating them like they mattered less than Vivian. He could understand that Eldrian wanted to save a friend, but he could not forgive that he would need to pay for this wish.


    Confused Eldrian looked at everyone, "Why are you so afraid?" This came out as barely a whisper, but everyone heard him clearly. His question was filled with pain.


    "Do you still not get it? This is clearly the base of some really strong monsters. Maybe even Ancient creatures or devils. And if that is the case, then we are all dead."


    "If they are that strong, then would they not have already noticed our presence?" Eldrian asked, causing everyone to jump.


    Andreas darted away from the group, only to run face-first into a barrier.


    [Dungeon found.]


    [Survive and find the hidden threat]


    What... The... fuck...

 Chapter 126: Into the forest

    <h4>Chapter 126: Into the forest</h4>


    There are dungeons in this game? Eldrian was not expecting such a message from the system. He had thought it would say that he had a quest update, not that he had entered a dungeon. Looking at Andreas struggling, it seemed like they were stuck inside of this dungeon.


    Andreas was desperately beating against the barrier, yellow ripples spreading through the air with each hit.


    "Dammit! Dammit dammit dammit dammit!" Andreas curses as he gave up and slouched against the barrier. His hands torn and bleeding.


    Seeing his state the others started realizing that they were truly trapped here. This was made even worse when they had no idea what had trapped them. Naturally, their thoughts went to the worst scenario, devils.


    "Noooo!" Tes shouted, copying Andreas and trying to exit the area. After a few seconds of hammering against the barrier, he too slouched against it.


    Eldrian looked at the others, and seeing that they were at least not going to snap he spoke, "Can someone exin their reactions to me?" The others were d to hear a question, even if it did not totally bring them from thinking of things. It did allow them to shift their thoughts a little.


    "Do you know what devils are?" Sabrea asked, feeling that this was most likely what had trapped them. She had no idea what other things would be in thisnd and be able to create such a barrier.


    This was not something just anyone could do. In fact, the only ces where such barriers were supposed to exist were empires and capitals of Tier 1 kingdoms. This realization terrified Sabrea, but she still managed to keep her cool. Making sure to not bring this bit of information to light.


    "No..." Eldrian replied, he really had no idea what devils were. Vivian had given him a short description, but it did not exin why those two had snapped.


    "They love to inflict pain on others, they feed off it. It is also said that the worse someone''s life was close to death, the better they would taste." Sabrea shivered as she thought that this was what was awaiting them.


    Hearing this Eldrian thought of the suicide option, d that he would have a way to avoid being tortured. He almost started ming himself for bringing the others here, but he remembered how Sabrea said that they had more than one task. This helped him quickly recover.


    "Why has nothinge out to kill us?" Eldrian asked, looking at the barrier which was only barely visible now that no one was hitting it. They were trapped, yet that seemed to be all it was.


    Certainly, if it were devils who did this they would directly charge at them. Eldrian thought this, yet the answer he received quickly told him he was wrong.


    "They might just be toying with us. Fear of the unknown can be a delicacy for them, so they might be enjoying seeing us squirm." Andreas offered, the rest finding this reasonable.


    After a bit more depressing silence and awkward conversations, Evapius actually came up with a n. Or at least something they could hope might work.


    "Maybe most of them are busy keeping the barrier up, thus they did note out directly. If we can just find where they summoned this from..."


    "What? You just said that they would be there, keeping it stable. Do you think we would be able to kill them? That is like jumping into a fire." Sabrea countered, feeling that this option was simply suicidal.


    "What else are we going to do! Wait until they finish all their preparation?"


    Hearing Evapius shout this brought most back into it. Yes they might die trying, but at least they would be trying.


    "May-maybe this isn''t a devilir..." Floyd offered quitete into the conversation. No one took him seriously. What else would go through the effort to trap them here?


    Even so, this thought stuck into everyone''s minds. If by change Floyd was right, then it would make everything far less scary.


    While they were still trying to decide if they should risk entering the forest or wait, a rumbling started. Looking up everyone saw the hordes and hordes of goblins streaming out of the mountains which surround the forest. The goblins were too many, uncountable.


    [Threat appeared, survive]


    Eldrian wanted to curse at the system''s unhelpful notification. What did that even help, of course a horde of goblins were going to kill him. And he did not want to die, was he just going to stand still?


    While they had not yet made a decision to enter the forest, everyone felt doing something would be better than to end up captured by goblins. It would not be too bad for the males, heck it would be far better thannding in the hands of devils.


    For the females, it would certainly beparable. It might even be worse, seeing as this goblin horde was massive and certain to have many shamans.


    Realizing that their best chance would be in the forest, everyone started running. Unfortunately, the goblins were far closer to the forest than them, and they seemed to also know this. Quickly swarming to close the path to the forest.


    "We aren''t going to make it!" Tes shouted as he saw the goblins trying topletely block their only path.


    "Screw it, carry me!" Evapius shouted, stopping and starting to chant as soon as he did. Not missing a beat Tes and Sabrea rushed up and carried him.


    Eldrian was totally confused at what was going on. Luckily he was fast enough to not be the slowest. As such he did not have to worry about being left behind, he could even spare some time to look at Evapius who was trying to cast a spell while being carried.


    He also saw Andreas ahead of the group, killing any goblins who tried toe into their path. But he would only be able to do this while they were few. Once they reached the real horde, then they would be stuck.


    Eldrian could not understand why the others were not more worried about just this. He knew that he could not waste the energy to talk and as such he chose to simply believe in them.


    As they reached close enough to the forest, only ast few hundred meters. The goblins finally filled the entire path, but as they did Evapius also finished casting his spell. Sending a massive yet of mes into them.


    The entire area turned into an inferno, Eldrian''s instincts screamed at him to stop. He did not, seeing the others heading straight for the inferno. He followed.


    Eldrian felt his skin starting to burn, even when they were 50 meters from it, he could feel that it was hot. Deadly hot.


    Breathing already became more difficult, as they reached 10 meters from the mes, Eldrian was about to fall fromck of breath. Luckily Evapius finished his second chant, this spell allowing everyone to breathe normally and ignore the heat.


    Eldrian was grateful, but he could still feel the burning air inside of him. He was certain that these mes were easily over a thousand degrees.


    After rushing through the mes the group managed to make it into the forest. Eldrian was amazed at how they had made it through, but looking at his arms he quickly found that all his hairs had been scorched off.


    Rushing his hands to his head Eldrian felt defeated when he could feel he had also lost all his hair. Yet those around him had not. Realizing this Eldrian wanted to ask just what was going on, feeling that they had neglected to properly protect him.


    As he turned to face them he instead saw all the goblins waiting right at the edge of the forest. Not daring to enter.


    "Thank Gaia. They won''t enter." Sabrea sighed, falling onto her back and causing Evapius to curse as he was dropped. "Don''t be a baby, you were done casting." She shouted as he tried to curse some more at her.


    "You didn''t have to drop me like that!"


    "Whatever!" Sabrea replied as she lied onto the green grass.This is so nice, I almost forgot what grass feels like.


    Everyone had simr feelings, not just because of the grass. The air also felt fresher, refreshing them. There was even a spring nearby which they could hear.


    "Is this really a devilir?" Eldrian questioned, finding this ce to be far too nice. It seemed more like the homnd of elves or something.


    "Even if it isn''t, our odds won''t increase by much," Andreas replied to Eldrian.


    "Why?"


    "Because those goblins fear what is inside so much, that they dared not set one foot on the grass. Heck, they dared not enter the shadow of the trees."


    Everyone got goosebumps after Andreas indicated this out to them.


    "Goblins are dump and fearless... W-what can cause them to fear and respect?" Floyd struggled to get this out.


    "Mythical beasts," Evapius answered, leaving everyone silent.


    After a few seconds, the others recovered from this shock, "Still this is better than being at the mercy of devils." Floyd offered, the rest quickly agreeing and the entire mood growing better.


    "We might even be able to talk to them, Mythical beasts are normally intelligent and capable of speech." Cadriel offered, clearly hoping for the best.


    "And what are we going to say, sorry for running into your turf. We just came looking for a human girl?" Andreas countered.


    "Yes, why don''t we say exactly that?" Eldrian said, causing Andreas''s eyes to twitch in irritation.

 Chapter 127: Worse than goblins?

    <h4>Chapter 127: Worse than goblins?</h4>


    "Are you dumb?" Andreas asked, trying his best to maintain hisposure. It was clear that he was close to blowing, his fists balled and nostrils red. Even his face was clearly heating up.


    "No, I am not! Tell me. Why do we not exin ourselves?" Eldrian countered, feeling that this would be the natural thing to do when dealing with anything which couldmunicate. He could never understand how people simply skipped talking and headed straight for fighting.


    Before Eldrian could receive a reply, everyone heard something approaching. Stopping, they all turned towards the sound, trying to find what it was.


    "Did anyone manage to see what it was?" Floyd asked, nervously. He did not like how they were here, defenseless.


    "No," Sabrea and Tes replied simultaneously. Cadriel on the other hand managed to offer a bit more information, "Something white."


    "White, what monsters are white again?" Evapius asked, trying to recall all the monster he knew which could be white. This did not help much, since many creatures could vary in color. Wolves could be almost any color; white, grey and ck were their mostmon colors.


    This held for many things, humanoid beings were the only ones who were more restricted. But even then, there would be different shades.


    This line of questioning effectively stopped the argument between Eldrian and Andreas. Instead, they all prepared for whatever was out there, trying to make sure they would not be caught off guard.


    Time passed slowly... When the animal finally appeared, everyone waspletely caught off guard. Not because of where it came from or anything like that, but simply because of what it was.


    "Is... Is that a Unicorn?" Eldrian stumbled over his words,pletely thrown by what had just appeared in front of them. He stared at the pure white horse in front of him, focused on its horn. A single straight horn grew from the top of the horse''s head. This horn was not very long, likely only as long as Eldrian''s forearm and was located just above the eye-line of the horse''s head, twirling into a sharp point.


    Eldrian was so shocked by the fact that it was a unicorn that he barely managed to move. Staring dumbly at the Unicorn''s head and marveling at its coat which had no blemishes. No mud, twigs, grass. Nothing.


    "Why is it just standing there?" Cadriel asked, most of her fear had disappeared when she saw that it was not some vicious monster. ording to what she knew; Unicorns were peace-loving and good-natured creatures.


    ''Elf, why are you here... And with such evil?'' Eldrian suddenly heard a voice speak to him. Completely thrown he started looking around for the voice. This did not escape the other''s notice and irritated the Unicorn.


    ''Stop that! How can you not even know telepathy?''


    This rung so loudly in Eldrian''s head that he failed to keep hisposure. Falling onto his knees he held his head in pain. The others took this to mean that the Unicorn was attacking him, as such they all started acting.


    Andreas disappeared into a shadow, Tes and Cadriel let loose their arrows while Sabrea moved forward to block the Unicorn''s path. Evapius was standing ready to use magic when needed.


    ''It seems you are indeed with the evil.'' Eldrian felt disappointment in this voice, before he could react the Unicorn acted to defend itself.


    It summoned a light and moved. The light was so bright that everyone lost their vision, Andreas falling out of the shadows just a few meters short of the Unicorn. Its moving caused the arrows to miss, and this seemed to be effortless for the Unicorn.


    After dodging the arrows it gave the group one more nce before running back into the coverage of the trees. Making sure to run over Andreas who had yet to stand up. Sending a hard kick into his back as it did.


    Andreas coughed up blood as he started crawling for a tree. Leaving a trail of blood as he did.


    "Move, now!" Evapius shouted as he started summoning a barrier made of wind. It was far weaker than the one which was locking them in, heck it was not even a sphere. It was simply a wall, which everyone ducked under.


    Eldrian was thest to get behind the strange opaque blue air, as he did the light exploded and sent nearby trees flying. The barrier vibrated violently but managed to hold until the explosion ended.


    "Is Andreas okay?" Cadriel asked as her eyes recovered.


    Eldrian looked up after hearing this question, shocked tofind almost an entire 2 meters hole dug where the light had been. Before he could even question he heard a voice again in his head.


    ''So, you are actually stronger than I thought. Very well!''


    As this voice ended the Unicorn appeared in front of everyone again, charging straight at Sabrea who had stepped out of the now falling barrier.


    No one managed to react as the Unicorn rammed into her, its horn easily piercing straight through her stomach. In one smooth motion, the Unicorn flicked its head. Sending Sabrea flying through the air.


    Sabrea cried as shended, but soon after became quite.


    Floyd wanted to go rush over and help her, but the Unicorn gave him one nce and he felt all the strength in his legs leaving him.


    "Scatter!" Andreas''s voice came from the other direction, a shadow disappearing as soon as he shouted. This shadow ran away quickly. Infuriated the Unicorn sent a wind de at the rest as it started chasing Andreas.


    Eldrian was still on the ground from the st and as such the wind de passed harmlessly over him. Floyd was not so lucky and too slow to react, he lost an arm in his attempt to fall onto the ground. Still, he was lucky. If he had been slower by a beat of his own heart, then he would now be dead.


    Feeling the sharp pain he wanted to recover his arm and reattach it right away, but Cadriel pulled him away. Screaming that he should run, "Go, everyone do as Andreas said. We need to scatter!"


    Those around did not argue, they had no way to fight against that Unicorn. This short bout had proven that. Sabrea was now dead and Floyd one arm less. If they had to fight, then they would all die.


    Floyd second-guessed for a few seconds, but after seeing Sabrea lying still in a pool of her own blood. His courage ran out, and so did he.


    What just happened?Eldrian asked as he looked at the carnage which had been wrought by a Unicorn. A freaking Unicorn.


    Eldrian struggled toe over this, his body slow to act and his mind even slower.


    What do I do now? Eldrian asked as he picked up and stored Floyd''s arm. He had no idea if it would help, but he felt it was something smart to do. As he finished this his mind started working better.


    "Sabrea!" He shouted as he saw her lying in a pool of blood. Rushing over Eldrian started casting Thera and Anthizo, but the wound would not stop bleeding.


    What the hell! It says it can stabilize severe wounds! Eldrian shouted internally as he saw her breathing be slower. She was already almost not breathing and seeing her breathe even less frightened Eldrian to no end.


    "Nooo!" Shouting he gave up on healing and instead cast Floga. Pushing the me straight onto her wound Eldrian hoped this would not kill her as he heard her skin boiling. Eldrian fully focused to try and stop all the bleeding, once he was done cauterizing it he ripped his own shirt and tied it over her as tightly as he could.


    "Fuck! What should I do?" Eldrian asked after having stopped the wound from bleeding. But Sabrea still did not look good, her skin was turning paler and her breathing bing even slower. Desperate Eldrian continued to cast Thera, Anthos and Anthizo as soon as his mana became enough.


    This seemed to stop her from slippingpletely away, but Eldrian knew that once he stopped she would die.


    "Sorry, but we have to move," Eldrian said, knowing that they would be dead if the Unicorn returned. He tried picking her up but found that she weighed a ton.


    Come one, there is no way she is so heavy! Eldrian cursed as he looked at her fit physique. Desperate he used Inspect. Finding that her armor weight over 40 kilograms.


    "Sorry." Eldrian mumbled as he started taking off her armor, making sure to store them all in his inventory. Once her armor was off he tied his shirt over her wound again, trying his best to keep from thinking. Once he was done he picked her up again, this time it was easy.


    The adrenaline running through him allowed him to ignore the fact that she was almost nude, as he had done a really terrible job in taking off her armor. Having no idea how armor worked, his own being a simple strap on. Hers had lots and lots of things ties and connections. Eldrian had simply cut where it was tied and ripped where it was connected.


    Carrying her in his arms Eldrian looked left and right, no idea where to go. For some reason he felt the spring would be a good ce to go. Following the soft noises of the spring, Eldrian set off deeper into the forest. Trying his best to carry Sabrea asfortably as he could.

 Chapter 128: Cephaphyr and a devil

    <h4>Chapter 128: Cephaphyr and a devil</h4>


    "Will you just leave me alone!" Andreas shouted as another de of wind passed right next to him. Followed by an exploding ball of light which he dodged by the use of a few skills.


    In return to his question, he received a snort from the Unicorn who was chasing him.


    At this point, Andreas was terribly irritated at having to run for so long. Looking around he made sure that no one was around. Once he did he turned around and looked at the Unicorn.


    "Sucks to be you... Meeting one of the dumbest High Elves ever must have thrown you." Andreas said charging at the Unicorn once he was done speaking. As he charged ck mes sprung up behind him, scorching everything they touched.


    "Now you will know how it feels to be defenseless!" Andreas shouted as he attacked with one of his daggers. The ck mes covering the entire de.


    The Unicorn jumped back in fear, shaking as it tried to turn and run.


    "Hahahaha, oh no you don''t. You''re mine!" Andreas had a vicious grin on his face as he saw the fear in the Unicorn, relishing it.


    ...


    "Sabrea, stay with me," Eldrian said as he gently lied her down next to the spring. The spring was very big, but it would make a reallyfortable ce to bathe. The entire spring was covered by a thick line of trees and only a small part of it was exposed sun.


    The rest was all in the shade of the trees, leaves gently lying on its surface.


    Looking at it Eldrian felt how dry his throat was, taking out a cup from his inventory he scooped up some water. The water was sweet and cold, very refreshing.


    I need to get her to drink some.Eldrian thought, filling his cup again he tried to slowly feed the water to Sabrea who was still unconscious. Eldrian looked worryingly at her, while she seemed to have stabilized, she still looked extremely week.


    ''What are you doing?'' Eldrian heard a curious voice, looking around he saw a small ck animal. It resembled a Pegasus, but notpletely.


    "What are you?" Eldrian asked as he observed the animal. Like a Pegasus it was a horse with wings, but it also had a horn on its head and instead of having a pure white coat its was pitch ck. Its wings seemed to be made out of feathers, the lower, longer, feathers were emerald color. This was the only color on the small creature which was not ck.


    ''Did you say something? I don''t understand...'' Eldrian was confused when hearing this voice again. Is this telepathy? Eldrian wondered.


    ''Do you not know how to talk?'' The voice asked again, not knowing how to reply Eldrian simply nodded.


    ''Oh, that''s weird. Um... Try and think really hard of something!'' The little ck horse-like creature said.


    Eldrian had no idea just what the creature was getting at, but he decided to try. He thought as hard as he could, ''Can you help?''


    After a minute and still getting no reply, Eldrian shook his head and looked at the little horse. "Help..."


    ''I can''t hear you, and when you make those sounds I don''t understand.'' The horse walked a little closer, ''Would you mind if I try and read your thoughts?''


    Eldrian had no idea what this would actually lead to but looking at Sabrea who was almost not breathing, he decided to go with it. Nodding, he tried to focus his thoughts on Sabrea and helping her.


    A few seconds passed, the voice asking, ''Your friend is hurt?'' Eldrian nodded as soon as he heard this. The horse moved even closer, now being only a few meters from them. ''What happened?''


    Eldrian thought back to when the Unicorn had rammed into Sabrea, hoping that this little guy would be able to help her. He had no idea what else he could do, this was the only thing he felt might help.


    ''There is no way Elgar did this!'' The small little horse jumped back and stared at them in confusion, ''No, Elgar is always so nice.''


    Eldrian had no idea why the horse was so shocked, he himself was shocked that he was talking to an animal. But he ignored this, instead, he pointed to the little horse and then to Sabrea, trying to convey that they needed to help her first.


    The horse seemed to understand, it slowly moved forward again. Finally, it stood next to Sabrea, shaking its head. Eldrian felt terrible when he saw this, but much better once the horse spoke to him again.


    ''You suck at healing...''


    Eldrian sighed in relief, believing that this meant the horse would be able to help. He did not care that he was just insulted, he was simply happy that she would hopefully not die.


    Time passed, during which Eldrian looked from one to the other. Seeing Sabrea''s skin recovering its vitality he was greatly relieved. Eldrian fell back onto his back and stared at the roof of the forest. Lost in thought.


    He was brought out of this a moment when a voice popped up in his head again.


    ''She should be fine now, but what the hell happened. There is no way Elgar would attack you without reason. And it definitely was a Unicorn who attacked her.''


    Eldrian shrugged, not knowing how to answer the little guy''s question.


    ''Who are you?'' The voice asked,Eldrian threw his arms into the air, trying to indicate he did not know to talk.


    ''You don''t know?'' Confusion filled the little guy''s voice. Eldrian shook his head to deny this.


    ''You can''t tell me?'' Eldrian tried to convey that he did not know how to. He did not have much experience in doing this, especially being the one who could not talk. But thinking of how hemunicated with Sesha, Eldrian tried that way.


    Slowly bringing the thing he was trying to say to light.


    This went on for some time, after around an hour they finally managed to actually talk with more ease.


    ''Like this?'' Eldrian asked, unsure if he was doing it right. It had taken him some time to get used to their way ofmunicating. Luckily it was considered easy when he did not need to create the connection, he simply needed to jump onto it.


    This way ofmunicating required Eldrian to focus, much like he did when casting a spell. But now instead of thinking of a spell module, he was thinking of what he wanted to say.


    ''Yes! I can hear you!'' The little guy jumped up and down in excitement. After calming down it asked, ''Shall we introduce ourselves?''


    ''Yes. I am Haru, a High Elf and we came here searching for a lost friend. But...''


    ''Then Elgar attacked, I still can''t believe that.'' The little guy added quickly, ''Oh sorry, I am Cephaphyr and I am an Alicorn!''


    ''Nice to meet you Cephaphyr. Do you think you can help me save my friends who I came here with?'' Eldrian asked, suppressing his curiosity for now. He felt it was far more urgent to find everyone. Especially when they might be killed or wounded next, Eldrian felt this was far more important than finding out what an Alicorn was.


    ''But... If Elgar did attack you, then he must have a really good reason.'' Cephaphyr mind mumbled, Eldrian feeling the doubt in his mental voice.


    ''You managed to read my thought earlier, right?'' Eldrian asked, receiving a nod in reply. ''Do that again, I will backtrack to the start of the fight. I think this is all a big misunderstanding.''


    Saying this had taken quite some effort for Eldrian. This way of talking was certainly far more taxing, requiring him to fully think of what he was going to say. No going with the flow, he had to have his entire sentence nned.


    ''Yes, I don''t think you are a bad guy. So it must be a misunderstanding!'' Cephaphyr said with excitement.


    Eldrian then thought back to the start of the fight, also trying to visualize this as he did spell modules. This time he tried bringing up the start of everything when the Unicorn, Elgar, had appeared.


    ...


    Maniacalughter was heard throughout a part of the forest.


    "It came from here, please tell me our Elgar is alright." A female voice echoed through the air.


    "Don''t worry hun, he is strong. He is one of the strongest in his age group. Certainly, he is alright!" Replied a deep male voice.


    These voices belonged to Elgar''s parents, who had just received a strong feeling that something bad had happened. Once they felt this they both rushed out to where Elgar was stationed for the day.


    Not long after this conversation, these two made it to where Andreas and Elgar had had theirst fight.


    "Nooo!" The mom''s voice echoed through the forest, the very air shaking.


    The father stood quietly over his dead son''s body. Elgar was lying on his side, his ribspletely ripped open. Through the blood, his father could see that his son''s heart had been stolen.


    "Devil!" Shouted the father, his shout causing all the nearby trees to lose their leaves. As soon as he finished this shouted he rushed after the faint smell of blood he was sensing. Shouting towards his wife, ''Inform the council!''

 Chapter 129: Glade

    <h4>Chapter 129: de</h4>


    ''Why did he bring up evil?'' Cephaphyr asked after Eldrian had shared with him what had happened. It had taken a few tries to sessfully share it, Eldrian having needed to learn how to properly do this.


    ''I have no idea.'' Eldrian replied, this had also been bothering him. ''In any case, do you think you can help me find my otherpanions?'' Eldrian asked after some silence.


    Looking at Sabrea who was now breathing peacefully, Eldrian felt greatly relieved. Now he was only worried about the others. But this worry was far less, not having gotten as close to them.


    ''We won''t be able to find them on our own.'' Cephaphyr replied, ''Let''s go find my parents. I am sure they will be able to help.''


    Eldrian nodded, agreeing that they would not be able to manage alone. He had no idea where they might have run off to. The forest was far too big for them to search through on their own.


    Havinge to this conclusion Eldrian picked Sabrea up again, this time much more aware of her feminine charms. He tried his best to not think of this and ced his focus on talking with Cephaphyr.


    ''What is this ce, and why did a barrier appear to stop us?'' Eldrian asked as they walked.


    ''This is our home.'' Cephaphyr answered innocently, addingter, ''The barrier is supposed to go up if any devils cross into our territory.''


    Wait, devils...Eldrian thought, thinking back to what Elgar had said to him.Was one of the NPCs a Devil? No way, how could a devil not be identified by Old Sword?


    Eldrian shook his head in denial, but this thought kept ringing in his head.Who can it be? There is no way it is Sabrea.Eldrian thought as he looked at her, peacefully sleeping in his arms.I also don''t think it is Cadriel, nor Floyd. One of the others?Eldrian concluded.


    He was certain Floyd was not a devil since devils could not use the same divine magic as humans. Eldrian did not really know what exactly differed between the divine magics, but he knew that Floyd was using normal ''human'' divine magic. Which mostly focused on healing.


    He also felt certain it was not Cadriel, She seemed far too soft to be a devil. Eldrian had no idea how she actuallynded in the army when she disliked fighting so much, but she was good at it. Everyone will need to fight, maybe she realized this?Eldrian reasoned.


    ''Can you tell me more about this ce and, well everything?'' Eldrian asked, realizing again that his knowledge of this world was shallow at best.


    ''Sure! But can you be more specific?'' Cephaphyr replied, happy to be able to talk to someone.


    ''Um, what is this forest called, what are devils? What are you, like what is an Alicorn?'' Eldrian asked, also asking if he could use Observe on Cephaphyr.


    Cephaphyr had no problem answering Eldrian''s questions, though most of his answers were a bit... Shallow.


    From Observe Eldrian learned the following:


    [Cephaphyr]


    [Alicorn, Mythical Beast]


    [Tier 3, Level 11]


    Mythical Beast, wow. Eldrian was shocked by this realization, looking at the little Alicorn in a new light.So he would be able to wipe the floor with all of us?Eldrian found this extremely weird, Cephaphyr certainly did not look anywhere near to that strong.


    Through talking with Cephaphyr Eldrian learned that this forest was called, Avgi. It was seemingly once the center of beautifulnd, but then a catastrophe happened which ruined the very earth. Shaking the foundation of ces even thousands of kilometers away.


    Cephaphyr did not know what exactly happened, his parents were keeping this from him. But he was not dumb and had a feeling that this was linked to why he was shunned by everyone.


    Cephaphyr next exined to Eldrian what Alicorns were, but most of this was simply romanticized stories. These stories praised the Alicorns as a divine race who will fight for everyone, yet Eldrian already knew this was false.


    Since if this was true then they would be helping against the monster invasion. Yet here they were hiding inside their forest. Heck the area surrounding them was not even safe. They had been chased into the forest by thousands of goblins, thus it seemed like the Alicorns had changed sides or stopped caring.


    By the time Cephaphyr stopped talking of Alicorns they had reached a clearing in the forest. A wide-open space appeared before them, where many more magical creatures were. Some were Alicorns like Cephaphyr, others were Unicorns and Pegasuses.


    They were either lying peacefully in the de, enjoying the sunshine or shade. Others were ying happily with each other. There was one group who seemed much more serious, this group was a mix of all the different creatures. They were standing in a circle and clearly talking about something serious.


    Eldrian assumed that they were talking since their stance looked simr to a group discussing a topic. Everyone seemingly fully focused on the topic.


    Cephaphyr led Eldrian to this group, one of thergest Alicorns broke from the group and turned towards them.


    This Alicorn was far bigger than Cephaphyr. Cephaphyr was only about as high as Eldrian''s waist, while this Alicorn was easily a meter taller than Eldrian. Only one other Alicorn neared this one in height.


    This Alicorn had a pure white coat, no blemishes visible in any part of him. His horn was the only thing that was not pure white, rather having a silver hue to it.


    ''Who is this?'' An irritated male voice entered Eldrian''s head. He was getting more used to this, but being able to feel the other''s emotions bugged him a little.


    ''Dad, this is a friend I made.'' Cephaphyr replied, Eldrian was then cut off from the conversation once Cephaphyr said this. No longer able to hear what they were saying.


    Looking at Cephaphyr who was clearly trying to exin himself, Eldrian hoped that talking would work.While Sabrea looked better, he had no idea if she was fully cured. Observe was also useless for him, since like with Old Sword, it only gave him her name.


    ''Dad, he said they came here searching for someone. Could it be that person we found near death?'' Cephaphyr said before his dad could get something in. He had learned long ago that if he did not immediately talk, then he would simply be left listening.


    His parents were the leaders of this family of magical creatures. This was also one of the only reasons why Cephaphyr had not been killed as soon as he was born.


    ''Quiet! How can you bring him here? You know we have rules!'' Cephaphyr dad, Agamemas, shouted. Fury clear in his mental voice.


    ''But... I am sure he is a good person!''


    ''Good, good means nothing. I have already been informed that they attacked Elgar. His body had been found... He died brutally!''


    Cephaphyr froze, shaking from shock and sadness. ''No! This can''t be!'' He shouted desperately, but his dad did not budge. Cephaphyr started doubting, but he was not ready to give in.


    ''You should not have brought this elf. You know how the others treat you, they will me this on you!'' Agamemas''s voice was softer as he said this, his concern being shared through themunication to his son.


    He always worried about his son who had been born so different from all the others. Often shunned and cast out from the rest, Cephaphyr could often only look from a distance at them ying.


    ''But... I am sure he was not part of this. Why don''t you look at his thoughts?'' Cephaphyr pleaded.


    His dad snorted, ''Thoughts can be made up, it does not prove anything.''


    ''Now dear, this one is a High Elf.'' Cephaphyr''s mother, Zemia, joined the conversation. Like her husband, she was also farrger than most other Alicorns, being only a few inches shorter than her husband.


    Her coat was not pure white, having a light shade of blue mixed into it. Her horn was also a silvery-blue color.


    ''He is one of the weakest I have ever seen, look! His mana is static.'' Agamemas replied, his stance already far lighter now that his wife had joined the conversation.


    ''But that is-'' Cephaphyr wanted to stand up for Eldrian, but he had no idea why his mana was static. All creatures Cephaphyr knew had moving dynamic mana, it was rumored that only humans had static mana. Yet Eldrian was clearly an elf.


    ''Let''s at least give him a chance dear.'' Zemia replied, turning towards Eldrian. ''We can always read his mind if needed, we don''t have to rely on his thoughts.''


    ''You know as well as I do that even that can be faked.''


    ''Really, are you saying someone so weak will be able to dupe you?'' Zemia countered, causing her husband to stumble over his words.


    How could he be duped by one so weak?


    ...


    "Andreas! I am so d you are still alive!" Cadriel shouted as she saw Andreas stumbling towards her. She rushed forward to give him support. "What happened?"


    Andreas smiled wickedly in reply.

 Chapter 130: Chase (1)

    <h4>Chapter 130: Chase (1)</h4>


    "How did you-?" Cadriel started to ask, stopping once she saw the terrible grin on Andreas''s face.


    "Well now, I must thank you foring to help," Andreas said, licking his lips as if he was about to enjoy something extremely tasty.


    Cadriel felt that something was really wrong as she saw Andreas''s look. But it was toote, quickly dashing forwards he stabbed his dagger into her stomach. Making sure that it would not kill her, only weaken her.


    "This is going to be fun." He whispered into her ears after having made sure that he had enough time to do what he had nned.


    ...


    ''Here, the smell of despair is getting stronger!'' Elgar''s father, Demerian, said to the others who had joined him in the pursuit of Andreas. Their group was notrge, only two Unicorns and one Pegasus.


    Demerian had asked them to join when he neared their stations, having a clear impression that the devil who had sneaked in was of quite a high standing and would be too much for him, a Tier 5 Ancient Beast.


    ''Indeed, it is clear that something terrible happened,'' The other Unicorn, Leonitus, replied. Soon after they found the ce where this terrible smell wasing from.


    ''Gaia help me.'' The Pegasus, Livadia, said, needing time to recover after seeing the state of the poor woman.


    ''This makes it clear that the devil had hidden from them.'' Leonitus spoke, hoping to calm Demerian''s fury. He had no way to know if this worked since it seemed that Demerian was bing more furious.


    Cadriel was lying in a pool of blood. Her clothes ripped, shredded, her heart gone. She had clearly suffered greatly before her death. This was clear with only one nce, the only thing which confused the group was how the devil managed to do it so quickly. They could not have been more than 2 minutes behind him.


    "You are at peace now," Livadia said, using magic to form her words as she covered Cadriel in a nket of leaves and grass. The poor girl suffered terribly. I hope she can find peace after this.


    She had not tried to revive Cadriel, because of the stories she had heard as a child. Those killed by devils, especially when they were not killed quickly in battle, almost never managed to be revived. Their souls would most certainly be damaged and in some cases even shattered.


    Trying to revive them would only cause both the healer and patient to experience thest moments of pain again. Often driving those who tried to help insane.


    She had no idea if this was the truth or not, but she felt her parent had shared these stories with her for a reason. The same reason she had shared them with her daughter. It was better to only try it if you knew what to expect and still deemed trying worth it.


    ''We must hurry, we can''t let him harm another!'' Livadia shouted as soon as she had covered Cadriel and worked through her own thoughts. A strong one being that this could have been her daughter, the thought frightened her to death.


    The group gave onest look at the poor human who had suffered terribly, rushing after the fresh stench of despair and hate; which was growing stronger and stronger.


    They knew that the longer they failed to find the devil, the worse things would be. While there was a limit to how much the devil could strengthen itself through these acts, they had no idea how high this limit was.


    If it had been hiding between humans for long, then it would certainly be able to grow a great deal.


    ...


    ''Elf, exin why you are here and why you brought a devil into our forest!'' Agamemas spoke loudly into Eldrian''s head.


    Eldrian was d that he had set Sabrea down, else he would have dropped her from the shock.


    ''Like I told Cephaphyr, I am looking for a friend of mine. She had gone missing a few weeks ago, yet I am certain that she is somewhere inside this forest. I have no knowledge of a devil in our party.''


    Agamemas stared sternly at Eldrian, trying to figure out if this was a lie or not.


    ''Dear, let him continue.'' A female voice joined the conversation.


    ''How can you im to not know of the presence of a devil? You are a High Elf, are you not?'' Agamemas questioned.


    Eldrian swallowed in nervousness, he dislikes how this conversation was being held. Worrying that he would share something which he should not.


    ''Talk!'' Agamemas shouted after Eldrian stayed quiet for a bit too long.


    ''I-I,'' Eldrian failed in talking, needing time to reformat his sentence. ''I am not a normal High Elf. I am a Chosen, have you heard of us?'' Eldrian answered hoping that they had.


    ''No, why does this matter!''


    ''Dear, he is clearly trying to find a way to tell us. Give him some time.'' Zemia counseled as she saw her husband growing frustrated at the slow pace of the conversation. This was to be expected, Agamemas did not like dragging conversations and generally everyone wouldmunicate very quickly. Being able to share pages worth of information in seconds.


    ''Thank you, miss?''


    ''I am Zemia, and this is Agamemas, my husband. We are the heads of this family and just received news that one of our distant cousins was killed. Certainly you can understand.''


    Hearing this Eldrian was both shocked and enlightened. Finally understanding why Cephaphyr''s father was so angry.


    Eldrian took a few seconds to try and change his approach,''Coming back to your question, Agamemas... It matters because I am not originally from this world.''


    ''What!?'' All three of the Alicorns asked simultaneously.


    ''I am also not the only one who has been summoned here by the gods. There are many more which is why this has bemon knowledge outside. But I guess you do not believe in gods.'' Eldrian spoke carefully, trying to both exin himself and figure out their stance.


    ''Oh, he is quite smart. Dear, he might just dupe you.'' Zemia joked, causing her husband to re his nostrils. Eldrian missed these visual clues, he was not good at reading humans. He had no chance of reading Alicorns.


    At this time their conversation was disrupted as a Pegasus crashnded into the middle of the de.


    Agamemas immediately went to him, Zemia staying with Eldrian.


    ''I fear this is not going to be good news. You will have to stay with me until everything is solved.'' Zemia said, sending Cephaphyr away soon after. ''Please borate, I know you are still keeping things from me. Would you be willing to share more?''


    Eldrian was uncertain if he should or not, but he was much more open to talking to Zemia than Agamemas. She at least allowed him time to think of his response. After a few seconds Eldrian agreed but asked how they would do this.


    ''There are two ways we can go about this. One is linking our minds and sharing out memories, the other is you simply telling me as you have done.''


    Eldrian certainly did not think sharing memories would be a good option, he had no idea how she would react to the fact they were inside a game. Or rather that they were created by mere humans.


    Eldrian had been starting to doubt if he could consider this a game. He had long since considered those inside to be real people. But he had still believed they were limited to inside the game. Now he was starting to wonder, maybe they were not limited like that.


    Maybe, as that representative said, they were rather inside an entirely new universe. And were only able to enter through both magic and science.


    ...


    ''What!'' Agamemas shouted after hearing what Livadia just shared. They had managed to finally find Andreas after two more of his feeding frenzies.


    He had rushed the second but even so, they had reached him before he could fully finish. As such he had cut his feeding short, but it had been one too much. He had already recovered plenty of his strength.


    ''Demerian was killed in one attack before we could react. I knew as soon as that happened that we were facing a devil royal. Not a king, but certainly a prince. As such I immediately tried to fly off while Leonitus covered for me.''


    ''He did notst much longer than two seconds, having only managed to block two attacks. Failing to defend himself on the third, which imed his life.''


    ''I am only grateful that I managed to escape, else...''Livadia started shivering, her entire horse body shaking visibly as she thought of what may have happened if she had not.


    "Tlios! Bryrus! Xaxus! Daechus!" Agamemas shouted, his voice traveling through the air and everyone managing to hear his anger and fury.


    "You each take a cardinal direction, help and detain this bastard! I will chase him towards you." Agamemas bellowed, spreading his wings and taking off mid-sentence. The air around him quaking from his anger.


    ...


    Even with how little magic Eldrian had learned, he could feel the effect from Agamemas, totally disrupting his conversation with Zemia.


    Gasping for breath, Eldrian clutched his chest as he looked at Agamemas in fear. For the first time seeing what true power was. Agamemas''s emotions on their own were able to do more than Eldrian could do with all his might. Eldrian believed that this was even more than a true mage at Tier 5 would be able to do.


    ''We will no longer be passive.'' Zemia sighed as she looked at her husband and the aftereffect of his fury. Even minutester the air was still visibly vibrating.

 Chapter 131: Chase (2)

    <h4>Chapter 131: Chase (2)</h4>


    Eldrian did not ask Zamia what she meant. He felt he had quite a good idea as he looked at the air which was still visibly vibrating.


    ''Why are you not going with them?'' Eldrian asked as the air started returning to normal.


    ''Someone needs to stay here and make sure that it is safe.''


    They stayed next to each other for a few minutes, in silence. Finally Zamia asked, ''Are you ready to share what you kept from us?''


    ''It is hard to exin, I don''t even fully understand.'' Eldrian replied, wondering how far he should go to exin things,


    ''Just try.''


    Eldrian did, first trying to exin things himself, quickly finding that this took a great deal of effort. So he skipped most things and focused on the core things he knew. Things like the fact that the monster invasion wouldst far longer than normal, maybe even forever.


    Eldrian made sure to not bring up that he was ying a game, something which he found really taxing to avoid with this type ofmunication. Especially when he tried exining how he knew Vivian was here.


    He ended up exining yers, by exining all the system things as blessings from the gods.


    ...


    There you are.Agamemas flew straight for Andreas, letting loose some of his feathers which dived down faster than bullets.


    Andreas, sensing danger, turned into a ck shadow and teleported away. The feathers hit nothing but the surroundings, cutting trees like they were nothing. Rending the ground and leaving long cleave marks.


    "Come back you bastard!" Agamemas shouted as he saw Andreas disappearing through his ck shadow, casting his own teleportation Agamemas followed.


    Curse the royal''s bloody bloodline! Agamemas thought as Andreas kept disappearing from his view as soon as he appeared. Agamemas wished he knew how to stop the devil from using that darn ability. s, this was a special bloodline ability of a royal n of high devils.


    It was one of the trickiest abilities to deal with since they needed very little to empower their teleportation. It allowed them to teleport through shadows, at almost no cost.


    Agamemas on the other hand needed to use thousands of mana points each time he teleported. Luckily he had more than enough to spare, but he was still slightly slower than Andreas''s.


    Not being able to kill the bastard who hurt his family royally pissed Agamemas off.


    On his next teleportation, he imbued his feathers with fierce light. Shining brightly the feathers rained down on Andreas. Agamemas hoped this would keep Andreas from using his teleportation. It did indeed work.


    Seeing that he could not teleport, Andreas opted for one of his other abilities. Turning into a pure ck me Andreas avoided the attack. Coming out of this me his form had changed.


    Now he was a two-meter tall human-like creature. He still resembled humans very much, but a few things had changed.


    His skin was now a dark red color, two small horns grew from his head and a scally tail from his back. His eyes also changed, forming ck mes instead of irises. These mes seemed alive, representing his core bloodline power.


    Andreas casually looked at the damage around him, then at Agamemas who was charging at him. "You seem pissed, why don''t you just let me out. Else I might go for..." Andreas disappeared before Agamemas could reach him.


    Cursing Agamemas expanded his mental field to find the bastard, teleporting as soon as he found him. He was a split second toote. Having been shocked that Andreas possed two of the strongest abilities. Since when do the royals interbreed?


    This shock had given Andreas just enough time to wring a small Pegasus''s neck. Agamemas arrived just in time to see the child die, Andreas absorbing his soul to make it permanent.


    The child had been ying away from the de, enjoying himself until a me suddenly appeared before him. Curious the child had not run immediately, having lived all his life in peace. As had most in this forest. This had given Andreas enough time to quickly end the child''s life for good.


    Agamemas''s fury exploded as he saw the grin on Andreas''s face. Blindingly bright white light grew out of his body and turned anything it touched into a fine powder.


    Oh fuck, run! Andreas only had this thought as he saw Agamemas release an explosion of light. He had no idea what spell or ability it was, but it seemed even stronger than his father''s ultimate trump card.


    As he disappeared into the shadows Andreas smiled to himself, wondering how much longer the Alicorn was going to chase him. He started hoping to actually make the Alicorn go mad with fury.


    ...


    ''Let me get this straight, the monster invasion is thest? One which will not end until one side turns up as the victor.'' Zamia asked, ''Just how do you know this?''


    ''The gods informed us when we teleported here.'' Eldrian lied, hoping that she would not call him on it. He really did not want to mention that they were actually just a science project of a few geeks who thenter turned that project into a game.


    Eldrian felt that most living people would not be able to ept this. He certainly ced these magical creatures into this category too, even though they might not be humans. They were able tomunicate and reason, hence he felt that they were people.


    ''So the prophecies were correct.'' Zamia sighed after taking some time toe to terms with what she had heard.


    ''What prophecy?'' Eldrian asked, wondering just what Zamia was sighing for.


    ''There is a prophecy from the age of heroes, which stated: The appearance of a ck Alicorn means the end of what is known. The fight for survival and fall of nations.''


    ''This is why Cephaphyr is often bullied by others, we had no idea how this prophecy was meant to be interpreted. Many believed that it meant he would bring this destruction, as had happened in the past.''


    ''But those were cases where an Alicorn had fallen, their pure white pelts turning darker than the abyss. Cephaphyr is the first to be born ck, and he is not totally ck. His feathers are a beautiful emerald.'' Zamia''s voice lifted as she said thest part, d that her son did not fully conform to the prophecy. This was also something she often tried to use to exin that he was not the bringer of destruction.


    ''The others did not care for this?'' Eldrian added, receiving a nod from Zamia.


    ''They will likely also me this all on him. And you.'' Seeing Eldrian''s disregard for theter part Zamia sighed, ''Must be nice to not have to care about dying.''


    Eldrian had also expanded on what Chosen were, how they would not die and how he had both an inventory and map. This was how he tried to exin that he knew Vivian was here, and alive. He had made sure to exin everything as blessings, but he could feel that Zamia knew this was not true.


    Luckily she had not pressed him for the truth.


    At this time a massive explosion was heard. The shockwave reached them and bent the treetops, weaker trees snapping in half.


    Eldrian was knocked from his feet as the shockwave reached them,nding hard on the ground he could feel something had broken. Cursing he looked at his stats, shocked that he had lost more than half his HP.


    Is the devil so tricky? Zamia asked herself, as she did she got an extremely bad feeling.


    Zamia quickly stood up from her position, "This is bad, really bad!" Her emotions were so worried that her thoughts spilled into the air.


    Spreading her wings she darted into the air. The air she generated from taking off knocked Eldrian onto his back again.


    "Stop!" Zamia shouted as hard as she could, looking at her husband in great angst.


    "Noooo! The bastard escaped again!" Before Agamemas could teleport again, he felt his wife''s wings covering him.


    "Dear... Calm down." She said, cing her head against his.


    Agamemas calmed as he felt his wife''s presence and calming energy.


    ''This way will not work, have everyonee to the de, I will protect them. This will free Xaxus and the others to help you chase him. Maybe leave Tlios with me, if everyone is there I might not be able to keep them all safe.''


    Breathing deeply Agamemas slowly agreed, sending a message to the others to start evacuating. He would keep Andreas busy until they finished.


    Eldrian was still getting back up when he saw Zamia returning, she directly told everyone to gather and if anyone was not here that they should go get them. If they did this though, they needed to at least have a Tier 5 Alicorn or else someone at Tier 7 join them.


    Once she finished sortings things with the others she came towards Eldrian again.


    ''You need to be informed about what you are fighting.'' She said, cing her head against Eldrian''s and wrapping him in her wings.


    ''Do not resist.''

 Chapter 132: Chase (3)

    <h4>Chapter 132: Chase (3)</h4>


    ''Very few remember thest monster invasion. I and Agamemas are some of those few, who had lived through it. It was also why we decided to not act in this one. But a devil invading us has stopped our na?ve thinking.''


    Eldrian heard Zamia''s voice exin to him as he was transported into... A strangend.


    Eldrian had no idea what was going on, he had simply let Zamia do what she wanted. Allowing her to show him her memories, bringing him to this battlefield. Where millions of creatures; be they humans, humanoids, beasts or monsters were fighting.


    ''This is the chaosnds, where one of thest battles on this side of the continent was held.'' The voice informed Eldrian as the scene before him moved across thend. Most of thend was barren, simr to the area they were currently in. But every now and then there would be a part of green in the dark brown and cknds.


    ''This was where we lost so many of our friends and family,'' Zamia''s voice kept exining as the sight before Eldrian shifted to a different scene. From the massive armies fighting to simply a few struggling to survive in an intense battle.


    ''Back then we were not as strong. We were only normal soldiers. Yes, this is what a monster invasion requires to be survived.'' Zamia added thest part after feeling Eldrian''s surprise.


    He could not do much other than following along with what she was showing him, but Eldrian was certain that she was a Tier 6 magic-user in these memories. Something simply told him of this.


    ''You do not understand how bad things be, you do not understand how weak you are.'' Zamia''s voice said as she showed him memories of pige and rape. Where entire cities were overrun much like in the trailer, but in just a few seconds he had seen thousands of different ces in such a state.


    ''This is how things are, back then everyone was ready and prepared for the invasion. Such an invasion happened often, having a simr time gap between them. But now I feel many had forgotten, too much time has passed. Deeming it as a myth or the age of legends.''


    ''No, it is far too real.'' This time Eldrian saw a scene where a group of Alicorns, Dwarves and Elves were fighting against things that highly resemble humans.Dark red skin, almost ck. Horns growing from their head and a tail from their backs.


    ''Devils, the true enemies.'' Zamia said as the scene showed an intense fight. The fighting was so great that the entire area was leveled and then cratered, before being leveled again. Many from both sides dying, in either a rain of weapons or magic.


    ''This is what you have to be able to do. This fight was between Tier 8''s. I was the weakest at this time, at the limit before Tier 7. While such fights were rare, they were far moremon than you would think.''


    Eldrian was then shown more such scenes, ''I participated in over 20 such battles. Losing many close friends and even family.''


    Eldrian felt the sadness Zamia was feeling from recalling this, ''This is why we wanted to iste ourselves, yet things never go as nned.''


    Eldrian understood what she was trying to tell him through this. Partly being that he was really weak, too weak to even try making a difference. The other was that war was cruel and uncaring.


    The scene then shifted to a more peaceful one, where Zamia took the time to inform Eldrian a bit more about the factors surrounding the invasion.


    ''The invasion this time is still in its infancy, demons generally only joined the invasion after a year. Devils would join eventer. ording to what you told me this invasion is a few months from reaching the year mark.''


    ''The hard times are still toe.''


    Eldrian swallowed hard as he heard this. They, the NPCs, had failed in keeping their kingdoms against what seems to be just a bunch of ragtag armies. What Zamia had shown him informed him that he truly had still been underestimating things.


    ''I hope you Chosen will be able to actually make a difference, because we have never won against the invasion. No, it has always stopped before we were annihted.''


    Eldrian was shown a high up scene, flying extremely fast over thends. Time sped up to show him the entire scene. He could see cities, which were at least 50 kilometers apart, darting past them every few seconds.All of them burned and destroyed.


    ''Normally only empiresst, or sacred ces like here.'' The scene changed to a small fountain on the far side of the de.


    ''I do hope you will be able to make a difference, which is why I want to help you. You are on the wrong path. You are using human magic, nor will our magic work for you. You have to stop and find your own magic. The elven magic.''


    ''Learn how to truly use magic, let it flow through you. Once you manage this, you will truly find your strength.''


    ...


    "Evapius!" Andreas shouted as he appeared behind him from a shadow.


    "Oh, Andreas you''re sa-" Evapius swallowed hard and jumped back, instantly casting some quick spells to try and gain distance.


    "Don''t be like that," Andreas joked, easily dodging the spells aimed at him. "Don''t you want to help me escape this wretched ce? These creatures taste terrible."


    "But you... Oh I am going to enjoy this." Andreas licked his lips with great pleasure as he sensed that Agamemas was leaving him alone. He knew that Agamemas was doing this for a reason, but he did not care.


    He was hungry and a tasty meal had just appeared.


    ...


    Just as I thought, he can''t help himself. This should give us enough time to get everyone else to safety. Agamemas thought as he watched Evapius being tortured, grateful that the useless human could actually do something good for them.


    He had made sure to steer Andreas away from any other of his kin. Leading him to the human he had sensed during the chase. It did not bother him one bit that the human was being tortured, it was far toomon in times of war.


    ''My side is done evacuating.'' Bryrys said as he joined Agamemas in the air.


    ''Mine too,'' Daechus added, joining the two above. Both of them were typical Alicorns, pure white feathers and coat. In the air, the three of them made quite a spectacle.


    ''Good, we can disrupt his feeding now.'' Agamemas replied, sending them his n. He did not care to let the devil enjoy himself as long as it led to them gaining an advantage. Now that they had, there was no reason to let him continue.


    This n was to iste Andreas in a small part of the forest. Even ifBryrys and Daechus were able to teleport a few times, they had nowhere close to as much mana as Agamemas.


    And even if they could keep chasing Andreas it would not lead anywhere unless they could force him to starve himself. Something which Agamemas was not sure he would be able to do. The bloodlines Andreas had were simply too good at escaping and surviving.


    Hence he nned to rather trap Andreas in a limited space. Somewhere which would make his shadow teleportation useless.


    Diving down from the sky Agamemas sent a de of wind to kill the human. Depriving Andreas of finishing his meal.


    At the same time, the other two went to separate sides and started setting the forest aze. Ensuring that there were no shadows Andreas could use to escape. Doing this was painful for them but not nearly as much as losing their kin.


    Cursing Andreas dodged from the attack Agamemas had sent. Losing his meal really irritated him, even so he immediately tried to run. Knowing he had no chance of winning a fight.


    As he turned and dived into the shadows he found that he had been cut off, only being able to go a few hundred meters. Something which Agamemas could easily travel in seconds without teleporting.


    Andreas also sensed the other two waiting at the border where they had set the trees aze. Waiting for him to try and run.


    "You would burn your own home?" Andreas asked as he looked longingly at Evapius who had died at the hands of the other, or rather hooves. Ruining his meal.


    "To kill you." Agamemas replied as he sent another de of wind at Andreas, who dodged the de by using the shadows.


    Reemerging he felt great pain inside his stomach, looking down he saw a pure white feather burning his flesh.


    Dammit, he is too strong.


    Andreas had never thought he would be able to best Agamemas, he had simply hoped he would be able to waste enough time. If he could reach his full strength, then he might just be able to escape through the barrier.


    Sensing a new iing danger Andreas turned into a ck me again, avoiding the white spikes of light. But these somehow prated through his special ability, causing him to fall out of his ck me.


    Gasping for air Andreas looked at Agamemas in fear,"Fucking hell, how did you do that!" Andreas shouted, feeling cheated. This was one of the strongest bloodline abilities in the entire devil race. Yet it seemed to be useless now.


    "Strenght" Agamemas replied as he sent a mass of bullets made out of water at Andreas.


    Fuck! Does he actually know about that?

 Chapter 133: Chase (4)

    <h4>Chapter 133: Chase (4)</h4>


    Andreas was forced to dodge without the use of tricks, the feather inside him blocking his shadow teleportation and the previous light spikes having turned his me concrete. If he were to use it now the water bullets would simply end his life.


    Andreas cursed when he saw that Agamemas simply wanted to end his life. Unlike himself who would like to toy with his prey, he scrambled to not get killed. Hoping that something would stop Agamemas.


    Something did.


    Just as a new feather was about to strike his heart arge me of darkness sprung up in its path. Stopping the feather in its path.


    Coming out of this me was a petite woman. If not for her scaly red skin, she might have been deemed extremely pretty.


    She was around 1,6 meters tall, had long ck hair and two small horns on her forehead. Currently, she was wearing a simple armor set of silver, which fit tightly against her exquisite physique. The armor gave a strange contrast between her skin and itself, making her stand out quite a bit.


    "Oh son, why are you here?" This woman asked, sending ck mes at Agamemas, who was forced to actually dodge.


    Andreas wanted to answer, but could not as Agamemas sent many enhanced feathers at them. The entire area filling with them, all shining brightly. It gave the image of stars filling their entire sight.


    "I did not think you woulde, Kilen." Agamemas spoke as his attack was blocked by a barrier of red light. None of his feathers making it through. He had wondered if she woulde, having known that this devil must be rted to her.


    "Of course I woulde, dear Agamemas. How can I let my youngest die here? He did not do anything wrong."


    Agamemas fury exploded as he heard her, "Nothing wrong! He killed my kin!" Agamemas charged at Kilen, shapeshifting into an elf as he did. This took but a split second, his wings shrinking to form angel-like wings on his back. The long feathers of his wings splitting in the transformation and forming a graceful robe over his toned body as his horn turned into a crown that settled around his silver hair.


    His normal form stopped him from using his full strength, unlike other Mythical creatures who gain more power by being in their normal form. Alicorn''s form was very limited, forcing them to mostly rely on magic when in it.


    Agamemas pulled out two daggers as soon as he finished transforming, striking against the red barrier Agamemas the first caused it to crack and the second broke the barrier into pieces.


    "While I would love to talk more, my son is injured," Kilen said, pulling her son into an embrace as Agamemas was still charging them. She then turned into a ck and red me, teleporting away before Agamemas''s next attack couldnd.


    "No you don''t!" Agamemas shouted as he followed, outside of the forest he could finally use all his might. In the previous sh, both parties had limited themselves.


    Kilen to protect her son''s life, who would simply die if he was to experience the shockwaves their fight would cause. Agamemas for the same reason, but his entire kin being in danger. Most should be safe inside the de, but he did not want to risk some losing their lives due to not having reached safety.


    Agamemas appeared only a second behind the dark me, directly charging at Kiren who had to put a great deal of her power into protecting her son.


    "Why don''t you just let us go, you know you can''t kill me," Kilen said, smiling seductively at Agamemas, whose Elven form was certainly extremely handsome.


    "I don''t care about you. I will kill your son!" Agamemas shouted as he charged back into the fight, his attacks being gracefully blocked by Kilen''s longsword.


    ''Son, you need to run when I say so. I will try and give you enough time.'' Kilen sent telepathically to Andreas as she received a new wound. Impressed by how much stronger Agamemas had be.


    For a while, they simply shed through their weapons which were imbued with magic. Each hit causing the sky to light up due to the severe power in these hits.


    Kilen had some of her concentration on keeping her son safe inside a barrier, this resulted in her receiving far more wounds than she needed. Finally, she found the right opportunity.


    "Now!" Kilen shouted as she dived under Agamemas''s spinning attack, moving in she tried to pry her sword into his back. But his wings quickly expanded and almost knocked her de from her hands.


    But her aim had been reached, she used the time right after her son had teleported to lock the surrounding space for a few seconds. This together with her trying to kill Agamemas forced him to focus on her rather.


    "You will take his ce then!" Agamemas shouted as he fully expanded his wings, making use of his feathers mentally and his daggers in close range. He quickly started whitling Kilen down.


    Just a little more and Andreas should be far enough. She thought as she used her body to forcefully stop Agamemas from chasing. He would often try to simply get her off him, needing just a second to teleport and end the devil''s life.


    Kilen knew this full well and made sure to not give Agamemas the time he needed.


    ...


    Even with them having teleported far away, the shes from their fight could be heard. Apanied by the entire sky lighting up due to their battle.


    Eldrian looked at these shed in fascinations, Zamia having brought him back to reality after her short exnation. She had promised to continue their talk once things settled down.


    "What happened?" Eldrian asked, forgetting to use telepathy to ask this. Zamia had no problem understanding him, having learned manynguages through her time.


    ''The devil escaped. A very powerful one appeared and took him away. Agamemas is giving chase.'' She answered, looking into the sky she wondered what was going to happen next. Those with Agamemas were not even strong enough to join this fight, doing so would only force Agamemas to care for them too.


    This entire episode had proven that their heaven was far from as safe as they had thought.


    While they would certainly be able to defend the ce itself, the same could not be said for those living here. They would lose most of their family, the very reason they had wished to stay out of the fighting.


    Eldrian quietly looked at the shes of light, fascinated by the variety in colors. Every color he could think of would be represented, even ck. This along with many other darker colors would, instead of lighting up the world, turn it into dusk or night. As if an eclipse had arrived.


    ''It is rare that someone so strong leaves their home and enters anothers. Must have been their child.'' Zamia said after some more time had passed, by now the shes of light from them shing no longer being visible.


    "Why are you not going to help?" Eldrian asked.


    ''One of us must always stay here. But you can forget about that for now, knowing would not help you. Let''s focus on teaching you how to actually use magic.'' Zamia asked, ''What type of spells do you know?''


    ''Not many,'' Eldrian replied through telepathy, telling her of those he knew.


    ''You really do not know much.''


    ''Hey! I have only been here for slightly over a month!'' Eldrian countered, feeling like his efforts were being belittled.


    ''And while it is impressive how much you have learned. It is useless unless you can be much stronger. Here focus on how I cast my spells. It might not be the correct way for you, but it will allow you to learn that magic is more diverse than you think.''


    Zamia shared with Eldrian her entire procedure of casting spells. Something which he greatly wished Dave could have done.


    Unlike with the magic he had learned before, Zamia did not focus her spell through a spell module. Nor through words, rather she imagined what she wanted to spell to do. Thereafter manually guiding the mana to do it as she wished.


    ''This is the way most magical creatures use magic. We do not think of magic as some academic knowledge, rather it is part of us. We do not need to analyze and make forms since we can feel what will happen.''


    ''This way is simr to how High Elves use magic, but they generallybine both approaches. This is naturally something which is far too difficult for you. You must first learn to truly control your mana, allowing it to flow through you and bing part of you.''


    ''I believe your n was to attempt this through learning spells. While I will admit this will help, it will also stop you from truly mastering magic. I am sure you wille to the same conclusion with time.''


    Eldrian immediately thought of how he struggled in controlling Frost Needle. ''Do you mean this?'' Eldrian asked, sharing both his experience and how he had tried to fix this.


    Really impressive, if all Chosen are this smart then they might actually be able to help us.She thought as Eldrian showed her how he tried to fix the spell module to allow him to control the spell better.


    ''Why don''t you try totally skipping the spell module. Try it with one of those you are morefortable with.'' Zamia instructed, helping Eldrian fine-tune his learning.


    ''Before that.'' Eldrian stopped her and more himself, certain that he would get lost in training if he did not. ''Cephaphyr said that you found someone close to death. Can you bring me to this person, I want to know if it is Vivian or not.''


    ''Certainly.'' Zamia replied, not bothered at all by this. She knew that this was the entire reason everything today had happened. Unlike her husband, she did not wish to ce the me on Eldrian. Rather she felt he was just an unlucky participant.

 Chapter 134: Zamias plan (1)

    <h4>Chapter 134: Zamia''s n (1)</h4>


    Zamia led Eldrian to the small fountain he had been shown before when she had shared her memories with him. Most of the creatures living in the forest were crowding around the pond it created.


    Eldrian had made sure to pick Sabrea up before leaving, not wanting her to wake alone in the strange ce surrounded by magical creatures. He had no idea what she would do and he wanted to be there so he could calm her as soon as she woke.


    ''Over here.'' Zamia said, leading Eldrian past the others and right to the base of the fountain. This fountain was located on the far side of the de, its source of water hidden between the trees up on some cliffs. The water flowed down these cliffs, producing wonderful waterfalls. This then led into a small pond that fitted nicely in the de.


    Eldrian followed Zamia as she led him to the back, where the cliff seemed to grown out of the forest. There someone was sleeping peacefully. Eldrian had no idea who it was, but he could clearly see that she had been through quite a bit.


    ''Who is she?'' Eldrian asked as he looked at her. Her armor was broken but still holding up. She had no weapons on her and was clearly healed. The tears and rips in her armor told Eldrian that she had been in a tough battle.


    With nearly half of her armor now revealing her skin, instead of covering it nicely. Eldrian found himself enjoying the sight, it was certainly enticing. He quickly scolded himself and ced his attention back on his conversation with Zamia.


    ''I do not know, she had stumbled into the forest. One of those on guard had found her. Agamemas wanted to simply let her die. But I could not agree with such an act. I felt she deserved to live and as such, I had healed her.''


    ''I had hoped you knew who she was,'' Zamia mentally sighed as she looked at the woman. At this time the woman slowly turned to the side, waking up.


    "Wh-where am I?" She asked as she looked into the open sky.


    "Well, you are in a forest called Avgi," Eldrian answered, causing her to turn her head to see him. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Zamia standing next to Eldrian. "This is Zamia and she is the one who saved you. I am Haru."


    The woman simply stared at them in bafflement for some time longer. Deep in shock at seeing a magical creature, one that was seemingly friendly at that. This was something quite rare. Finally, she spoke, softly. "I''m Margit."


    "Nice to meet you Margit." Zamia spoke, using magic to form her words.


    Eldrian looked at her weirdly, asking. ''Why are you talking like that?''


    ''What do you mean?''


    ''I mean, why did I have to learn how to use telepathy?''


    ''Oh, you didn''t really learn, and it is our normal way ofmunicating. So naturally, you needed to be able to do it, how else would wemunicate properly?''


    Eldrian took some time to form his next reply, during which Margit spoke.


    "You too," Margit replied hastily, clearly scared of upsetting them. The only reason Eldrian and Zamia had already spoken with each other before her reply was that telepathy truly allowed one to say much more in less time.


    "Do you remember what happened before you found this ce?" Zamia asked, receiving a short nod from Margit.


    Eldrian used the time where Margit was collecting her thoughts to continue his conversation with Zamia.


    ''What do you mean I have not learned how to do it? I am doing it!''


    ''You are, but only because I have created a line ofmunication. If I were to destroy it, you will be unable to make your own.''


    Oh, so that''s what she meant. Eldrian thought, agreeing that he would be unable to make his own connection. He did not know how they did it and had no clue if it was something humans knew about and could do. Eldrian wanted to ask if it was rare for people to be able to talk on a created line, but Margit speaking interrupted him.


    "We, we were ambushed by something. I am not sure what or who they were, but they were really good. They had attacked us all of a sudden, killing half of the squad in mere seconds. I only escaped thanks to our captain''s quick action."


    "Do you think it could have been devils?" Eldrian asked, thinking back to the devil who had seemingly escaped.


    "There is no way, how could devils be here." Margit quickly denied, but Eldrian did not bite.


    "They certainly can be here, in fact, one had infiltrated Old Sword''s division." Eldrian replied, telling her what he knew. He did not know who the devil was, yet. But he did tell her his suspicions, as well as why he came here.


    "You came for Vivian? Butst I saw her she was fighting against three of those who had ambushed us. How did she survive?" Margit asked in clear confusion, having expected to hear that Vivian had been found long dead. Thispletely blew over the surprise that a devil had infiltrated the division she had been part of.


    "She must havee here in her retreat. But if she is not in the forest..." Eldrian mumbled,ing to a terrible answer. She is in the caves.


    [Hidden quest clue discovered.]


    [Find Vivian in the goblin-infested caves before she is killed.]


    [Dungeon''s first stage cleared. Suspicion on the yer has been proven false. yer can now leave the dungeon if so wished.]


    [Next dungeon stage optional]


    [Clear the caves of goblins.]


    [Talk with the Alicorns for a reward]


    Eldrian was not happy about thest part, as this likely meant that Zamia would not help him clear the caves. Something which would have made finding Vivian far easier. Sighing he looked between Margit and Zamia.


    "I believe Vivian is inside the caves." He said, hoping past hope that the system update was wrong and that she was in fact inside the forest.


    "That is not good, those caves are infested by goblins. How did she survive until now? Are you sure she is there and alive?" Zamia replied, wondering how Eldrian could be so certain that Vivian was still alive.


    "Yes, it sucks. But I am sure she is there and I need to help her." Eldrian replied as he looked at the hidden quest update, frustrated that it was stated so clearly that she was indeed in the caves. Else he would still have some hope that she was somewhere inside the forest.


    He had no idea how he was supposed to find her in the caves, he had even less of an idea of how he was supposed to clear the caves. He had close to no help, Margit might be able to offer some. Sabrea was also a possibility, but Eldrian doubted if any of the creatures living in the forest would help.


    This meant they would be severely outnumbered, to the tens of thousands. Eldrian did not think this was actually even possible to do. He also felt certain that there would be stronger goblins inside, like the goblin knights, maybe even shamans. He did not think they stood a chance against them.


    Can''t the quest be a bit more... Normal? Give me damn chance! Eldrian thought, wishing that the quest was simpler like was normal at the start of games. He certainly felt he was still in the start, but then again. The very first event certainly did not conform to these norms. Naturally, the following ones wouldn''t either.


    ''I understand that you want to find her right away, but that would not be smart. You need to grow stronger first.'' Zamia spoke through telepathy, ''We never cleared those cave since we never left the forest.''


    ''This will likely change now, but we still have no reason to clear the caves. Goblins are too weak to bother us, and they know it would only lead to their deaths.''


    ''We are also likely going to relocate, leaving only a few to protect the forest.'' Zamia added after a slight paused, ''I have an idea.'' Eldrian sighed, knowing that he was about to get a quest. Or rather the dungeon stage details.


    ''Cephaphyr is shunned by most due to the prophecy, but with you, he might be able to live a morefortable life. He will also be able to see more of the world, as has always been his wish.''


    ''If he joined your group then you would no longer require a healer, thedy you brought seems to be good at closebat. And this one I had healed has a strong magical background.''


    ''You can all form a party to search for Vivian.''


    ''Isn''t that extremely dangerous?'' Eldrian asked, feeling that it would be far simpler if Zamia or someone nearly as strong joined them. Then the entire caves could easily be cleaned out.


    ''It is, but he won''t be in much danger. No goblins would be able to kill him and I will also know when his life is truly in danger. But for the rest of you, it will certainly be very dangerous.''


    Eldrian did not know how to reply to this. After thest sentence, he felt like he was simply being used, but he could not say no. He needed to find Vivian, not Zamia.


    He did not like the idea that he was going to lead more people to their death. He did not think they would do well with just the four of them.


    ''What exactly is your n?'' Eldrian asked, feeling that there must be something more to it. He believed that there was no way she would simply send her son into danger with little to no training.

 Chapter 135: Zamias Plan (2)

    <h4>Chapter 135: Zamia''s n (2)</h4>


    ''My n?'' Zamia feigned ignorance but after seeing that Eldrian was not taking the bait she continued. ''Simple, I want to see if you are up to what the gods think you are. If you are then it might also be a good idea to send Cephaphyr with you.''


    ''Why?'' Eldrian asked, failing to understand how she thought this was a good idea.


    ''I understand your confusion. My reason is simple though, you Chosen are special and won''t die. No matter what, right?''


    Eldrian nodded, this was what he believed to be true. He did not mention that he lived only a short time, not knowing how to bring this up. He already knew that Zamia was thousands of years old, meaning Alicorns live really long. Eldrian did not want to ruin the mood by saying that he would only live to around a 100 at max.


    ''It is a dangerous time during an invasion, no matter who you are. No ce will truly be safe and guarantee Cephaphyr survives. But if he bes your partner, then there might be a way to make the impossible possible.''


    ''I still don''t understand.''


    ''If you were to link your souls, then Cephaphyr would be like you. Unable to die. I believe this is the best chance he would have to survive theing times.''


    ''This was actually amon tactic in theter stages of invasions. All beings; be they magical creatures or beasts, humans, elves, dwarves, or any type of demi-human. They all used this tactic.''


    ''Doing so will allow either partner to revive the other should one of them die. This naturally isn''t the easiest, especially if the other''s body is missing or destroyed. But even in such cases, it would still be possible.''


    ''The only true limit to it is if one of your souls gets destroyed. There is no way toe back from that.''


    ''You can also only bond with one person throughout your entire life. If they were to die from age, their souls would leave willingly and there would be no way to revive them. Hence why people generally try bonding with beings who have simr age limits.''


    ''I and Agamemas are in fact bound in the same way. Allowing us to always revive the other, especially since destroying our souls would be extremely hard.''


    ''There is a slight problem though. To bind with someone you have to have equal strength. Meaning you need to reach Tier 3 before I can help you and Cephaphyr link your souls.''


    [Dungeon stage two clear reward: Have Zamia bind you and Cephaphyr, making him your tamed beast.]


    [Requires yer to reach Tier 3]


    This... This is certainly one heck of a reward.Eldrian thought, even knowing that he would not be able to control Cephaphyr since this game was far too realistic. Eldrian still felt that this was an amazing reward. Cephaphy was an Alicorn, a Mythical Beast which ranks as one of the strongest races in the entire world of this game. Eldrian certainly felt this was worth the effort this dungeon would be.


    Even if it takes me months to clear the cave, it would be worth it. Eldrian thought, thinking back to how many goblins had charged at them. He was certain that those were the outcasts, the weakest of the bunch. Even knowing this, he felt motivated to give it a try.


    Bringing others with him, this Eldrian did not feelfortable about. Thinking further he wondered if he should post that he found a dungeon.No, no one will be able to make it here. Eldrian realized after thinking of it a little longer.


    Then should I go at it alone? Eldrian did not like this option, feeling that he would be unable to do much if he did this. He was limited to ten or so goblins. More than that and he would start struggling to defeat them.


    He also knew that even with more people, they would not be able to simply rush into the caves. Yet he seemed to have little of a choice. He needed to find Vivian as soon as he could. He had no idea if she had a water source.


    ''Zamia, would it be possible to make a shrine or temple to the goddess of life?'' Eldrian asked, realizing that he would be dying a few times. He certainly did not want to have to travel all the way back here.


    ''Asteria... That won''t be a problem. This fountain is actually a sacred ce of hers, so it might already be enough.''


    ''Really?'' Eldrian wondered, turning towards the pond he started walking into it. Once he was halfway in he received a system prompt.


    [Sacred fountain discovered. Would you like to set spawn point?]


    Eldrian promptly replied yes.


    At this time Margit was wondering just what was going on. The two had only asked her a few questions and then started leaving her alone. They were clearly still talking, but she had no idea how. They made no sound, heck she was still wondering how the horse had talked to her. She did not want to interrupt them though, feeling that this would be too dangerous.


    Coming out of the water Eldrian smiled widely. "It worked!" Eldrian said happily as a smile grew on his face, forgetting to use telepathy. This made everything else far easier.


    He did not care much for his levels, sure the bonus attributes were nice. But he did not feel they were a must for him. He would also be able to get an insane amount of XP from the goblins. Eldrian felt he might even manage to trade even or ahead.


    "What worked?" Margit asked, unable to keep herself from talking.


    "Oh, I just..." Eldrian paused, realizing that she might not follow if he did not exin something critical. "I am a Chosen and just chose to revive here should I die."


    Margit nodded in confusion. She had not had much exposure to Chosen and found Eldrian''s words extremely strange. She tried to understand using the stories she had heard.


    "Are you going to try and be stronger before heading to the caves? Or will you go right now?" Zamia asked, making sure to talk through air magic. Allowing Margit to also hear what was going on.


    "I would like to be stronger, but I don''t know how long Vivian would be able to survive." Eldrian replied, firmly stuck between these two points. The former would allow him to do more, while thetter might be the only way to actually save Vivian.


    At this time their peace was broken as two of those who had followed Agamemas returned, bringing two humans with them. Eldrian and Zamia left Margit and quickly headed to the two Alicorns who were both carrying one person.


    "Tes, Floyd. They survived?" Eldrian looked at them, wondering why they looked to be in such a sorry state. Floyd he understood since he saw him losing his arm. But he did not understand why Tes actually looked worse than Floyd.


    ''What are we to do with them?'' Xaxus asked Zamia, who quickly added Eldrian to their conversation.


    ''They did not know of the devil between them. And I have some work for them.'' She replied, making sure Eldrian understood her meaning.


    He was grateful, having two more would certainly help him in clearing the caves. But he knew they stood no chance if they did not make some ns. His mind was already starting to think of how he could make the best use of their skills and his undying property.


    ''Go ce them with the other two humans. They will all help Haru clear the caves.'' Zamia said after making sure Eldrian had followed her meaning.


    ''Why not just send one of us?'' Tlios asked, Eldrian felt grateful for him voicing it and hoped that Zamia would agree.


    ''A trial for the Chosen, to see if he really is such.'' Zamia joked, the other two thinking that she was serious.


    Eldrian grumbled on hearing this, following along as they ced everyone next to the river.


    After the Alicorns left Margit asked Eldrian, "What are they nning to do with us?"


    "They don''t really care about you. But..." Eldrian faltered, not knowing how to exin that he had dragged them into a crazy situation. He decided to skip that for now, "They want us to clear the caves."


    "That can''t be that bad, right?" Margit asked, fearing that Eldrian''s paused had greater meaning. Her fears soon confirmed.


    "There are thousands upon thousands of goblins in those caves. So it is bad..." Eldrian replied, understanding the look which was growing on her face.


    After a few seconds, Margit asked stumbling over her words. "Do you really think that Vivian is there?" She received a sound nod from Eldrian. "Then I don''t mind!"


    Eldrian smiled as he heard her child-like optimistic promise. "I am d to hear that, but you do understand how dangerous this is going to be. Right?"


    "She saved my life before, so I must repay her!" Was Margit''s honest and quick reply.


    Eldrian nodded and used Observe to figure out what Margit would be good for. d that he had a willing helper already.


    [NPC: Margit]


    [ss: Magic]


    [Subss: Melee]


    [Tier 3; Level 11]


    Eldrian was happy to see that she did not react to him using Observe, telling him that only really strong people like Old Sword did that.


    On the other hand, Eldrian was not really happy seeing how weak she was. The information he was given was limited due to him being a lower Tier. But Eldrian did not think she would be able to do all that much. He knew from experience that humans before Tier 5 were truly weak.


    Most of the difference in Tier did not matter. Their gear would be what determined their strength at such a low Tier. Knowing this Eldrian used Inspect, finding that her armor was all normal. She did not even have a weapon anymore.


    Well, this sucks.Eldrian thought, looking at Tes and Floyd who both also did not have weapons anymore.Goddamit!


    Calming himself Eldrian tried to stay focused on gathering Margit''s information."What type of magic do you specialize in?"


    "Umm. I mostly focused on fire magic, like many in Phallos."


    Eldrian sighed as he heard this,Okay, so she is not going to be good in caves. He reasoned, knowing that mes would not be a good thing inside a cramped space.


    Then again, if we can catch them unaware...


    Eldrian started nning on how they would deal with the thousands, maybe even close to a million goblins inside those caves. He did not wish to wait, but he had no choice since all but Margit were unconscious.


    After a few minutes, Eldrian shelved his brainstorming and headed to Zamia. Telling Margit to inform the others of what is going on should they wake.

 Chapter 136: Better control over mana

    <h4>Chapter 136: Better control over mana</h4>


    "Zamia," Eldrian spoke aloud after realizing that she was not hearing him through telepathy. Finally realizing that he could not start a conversation. Which led to him wondering if it was a spell, skill, or special ability. Eldrian had never heard Dave talking of telepathy and it would definitely be an amazing tool in fights.


    ''Yes?'' Zamia replied, creating the link for Eldrian.


    ''The others are all still unconscious and I don''t think I should go alone. Heck, I won''t be able to do much even if I did. I only have a few hours left with which I could stay here.'' Eldrian started, still finding logging out difficult to talk about with NPCs. He kept thinking he might identally leak that he was a yer. Especially when he was talking through telepathy, where it was actually easier to let such things slip.


    ''Since that is the case, I thought to start tomorrow. Maybe go to the edge of the forest and test when the goblinse out. If we could lure them or stuff like that.


    ''For today would you mind helping me try and improve on my magic?'' Eldrian aksed.


    ''Certainly.'' Zamia quickly agreed. She excused herself from the others she was previously talking to. After which she led Eldrian to an open space in the de. Here no one was ying, or resting, or talking. It was simply a clean area in the de and perfect for Eldrian to practice in. Even if he lost control of a spell, it would not hurt anyone.


    This precaution was not really necessary since Tier 1 magic would not hurt anyone here other than the humans. But Zamia brought Eldrian here for his peace of mind, knowing he would be distracted if others were around.


    ''How do I skip the spell module?'' Eldrian asked, after making sure that there was indeed no one nearby. He was nning to aim all his spells at the ground, even so, he wanted to make sure he would not cause any trouble. Feeling that he and the others had already brought enough of that to the forest.


    ''I can''t tell you that since it is different for you and me. I simply control my mana, feeling the effect it would bring. Think about how you control your spells.''


    ''I feel the mana after the spell module changed it. Then I control it.'' Eldrian replied, already feeling that this might be his problem.


    ''Why don''t you just control the mana in its natural form?'' Zamia asked.


    ''I have never seeded in doing that. Well...'' Eldrian thought back to what the Magic Crystal caused his mana to do, sharing this with Zamia.


    ''That is an interesting way, try imitating it.'' Eldrian did, trying to focus on the feeling of pure mana in him. Concentrating on it to start moving.


    It took him around an hour. Much faster than he would ever have been able to do alone. Zamia had helped him greatly, sharing how she controlled her mana. Unlike with words, she shared what she felt when she did it, what she thought and what happened due to her actions.


    This helped Eldrian greatly, using the memories from his past training he quickly foundmon points which he had missed before. As well as discarding extra steps he had invented which now seemed to be useless.


    At first, Eldrian tried to make his mana flow through him as the Magic Crystal forced it to. But he quickly found that this was not effective. Doing so simply tired him out, while it did not use any of his mana. It drew heavily on his concentration.


    After resting and having realized this Eldrian instead tried to control the mana to leave his body. He failed the first few time, losing control of the mana once it left his body. But he quickly adapted, managing to slowly keep it from drifting.


    Finally having managed to actually control pure mana, Eldrian felt he needed to move on to a spell. This led Eldrian to immediately think of Nidia. It was one of the spells he was mostfortable in and it was also one of the simplest.


    Eldrian did not directly dive into casting it, instead, he tried to analyze the spell module. To figure out what the mana had to do to rece the nodes and pathways.


    With Nidia it was truly simple. The pathways simply determined what form the spell would take, what the mana would draw to naturally. While the nodes were an inlet. Allowing mana to flow into the spell, Eldrian also suspected that they converted the pure mana into water. He did not quite know how this happened, nor what actually happened at this step.


    Havinge to this conclusion Eldrian focused the pure mana into a drop shape. Trying to form the spell module through mana. He failed at the first few tries, the pure mana refusing to stay in its shape. But after a few more tries he managed to actually keep it for a few seconds.


    Eldrian realized at this stage that he needed to change the form of the pure mana. But he had no idea how.


    ''How do I change mana from one form to another?'' Eldrian asked, sharing with Zamia what he had just done. Which he quickly learned was unnecessary since she had used Magic-Inspection to observe Eldrian''s mana as he experimented.


    She was surprised by the speed at which he adapted. Even so she quickly ced this behind her, knowing that such a thing was a must for the situation they were in.


    ''That is the trickiest part of everything. Normally the spell module itself would cause it to change.'' Zamia replied.


    Eldrian then thought and shared with her how he needed to know the end result the mana should turn into. Receiving unexpected good news.


    ''Well if you needed that then you certainly were not using human magic. But already a mix of human and elven. It also makes it far simpler, simply control the pure mana to form into the elemental mana you want.''


    ''But how?'' Eldrian asked, failing to see how this was an answer to anything.


    ''Just like you have been doing before. You just weren''t aware that you were controlling the mana''s change.''


    Eldrian took Zamia''s words for it and tried. Quickly failing.


    As the sky was darkening he was brought back to the nodes. A nagging feeling telling him that they were there for a reason. Else the spell module would simply be pathways, lines forming an image.


    They have to be the key. So I have to remember how they work and try to emte that.Eldrian told himself, having already tried to form the nodes through mana. That had done nothing.


    Remember how Nidia felt after being cast. Eldrian told himself, quickly using his old method to refresh this feeling. Focusing on this Eldrian imagined what he felt needed to happen to the pure mana to reach this final stage.


    He slowly tried to follow this feeling, wishing he could go into the magical abyss. It would allow him to manipte the spell to form slower. Giving him more time to feel the mana change.


    After around a hundred tries, Eldrian felt he was ready, forming the pure mana droplet again. He then focused on it changing, slowly. Bing wetter, colder. Eldrian felt the mana change as his thoughts fluttered through everything he knew.


    Finally, after two minutes, he managed to cast Nidia. The simplest spell he knew.


    Well, that will be useless inbat.Was his first thought, but quickly he discarded this. Feeling the difference in, well the difference in a connection he had to his spell.


    It was as if he had used tongs to maneuver his spells before, now he was directly holding it in his hand. This extra sensitive connection also informed Eldrian that there was still something missing,


    It felt like he could feel the spell, but not through his skin. Like he had a glove that stopped him from truly feeling what it felt like.


    As Eldrian came out of his enlightenment he received both apliment from Zamia and a message from the system.


    [Nidia unlocked to Rank 3]


    [As a reward for being the first yer to ever reach this level in magic, yer has been awarded one level up.]


    [As a reward for mastering a spell past the normal. Reaching the true state of magic, the yer has been rewarded 5000 XP and the title of: One who controls mana]


    [Titles are optional additions which yer can choose to make visible. Doing so will allow others to see all your titles when using Observe on you.]


    [Titles functions are simple, informing NPCs of your greatest aplishments. There are also stains, which would show your failure. While the former can be hidden, thetter cannot.]


    Eldrian quickly checked that his titles were not visible. He did not know enough to simply make them visible. He did not think it would be a problem, but he would prefer to seem normal.


    He only shifted his attention to Zamia after making sure of this. Luckily she did not mind that he had been spacing out, believing he was still absorbing what he had just aplished.


    ''Impressive, that was really fast.'' Zamiamented as she looked at Eldrian. Shocked by his progress.

 Chapter 137: Meditating

    <h4>Chapter 137: Meditating</h4>


    ''Thank you... But... I feel that there is still something wrong. Something missing.'' Eldrian replied, trying to figure out what it was. Surprisingly Zamia was able to directly tell him what it was, making Eldrian feel that Dave really sucked as a teacher.


    ''That is likely because your mana is still static.'' Zamia replied, seeing and feeling Eldrian''s confusion she continued. ''You can''t use Magic-Inspection yet, as it is a Tier 2 spell at minimum. If you could you would be able to,'' Zamia paused realizing that he would not be able to actually see anyone''s mana.


    ''Well, you would be able to see the flow of mana in those of the same Tier or lower than you. So the children... The really young ones.'' Zamia added thest part as a joke, but sadly it was the hard truth.


    Eldrian did not feel great when he was told that he was weaker than little children. But thinking of how they were all of the strongest races in the entire game world, he felt slightly better. Only slightly, since he was also supposed to be one of the strongest races.


    ''In any case, you need to get your mana to flow as ours does. Simr to when you are looking at a Magic Crystal. That is the true form of mana which all Ancient Beasts and stronger are born with.''


    ''High Elves are the only humanoid race, other than devils, who are also able to reach this state. Hence why they are seen as such a strong race. But reaching this state is not easy for you.''


    ''Devils have it quite easy, they simply need to feast on others'' pain and misery. You on the other hand have to either practice till it bes seconds nature or learn how it happens. Why it happens and what it leads to. This might allow you to skip a few years of training.''


    ''Okayy...'' Eldrian stretched this okay, certainly not feeling great. She had just said years, something which he really did not like hearing. Her exnation was also not great. It was more an exnation of what the races were able to do than it was on how to aplish it. As such he asked, ''Then how do I do that?''


    ''Like I said, practice. This is why High Elves take so long to actually use magic. They are normally forbidden from learning magic until they are able to cultivate their mana flow.''


    ''Why?'' Eldrian asked, feeling that the answer was not going to be good for him.


    ''Simple, the higher Tier you reach. The harder it will be to reach a stage where your mana naturally flows through you.'' Zamia replied, only needing to think a bit before remembering back when shest talked to the elves. A few hundred years ago.


    Dammit! I knew it! Eldrian felt like cursing, this little fact would easily have ruined his character if he had not learned it soon enough. Taking a few seconds to calm himself Eldrian returned to the topic, avoiding this sidetrack.


    ''How do I do this? When I tried before, it caused me to quickly be tired. Draining my mental power.'' Eldrian asked, hoping for some advice that would make it all easier.


    ''There is no shortcut, unfortunately. You will have to practice. Practice until it no longer takes any effort and is as easy as breathing. Something you are able to do without thinking of.'' Zamia replied sympathetically, fully understanding the frustration Eldrian must be feeling.


    ''I was afraid you were going to say that.'' Eldrian sighed, both mentally and physically. Hating that he had to train more, again.


    Just when magic was bing fun. Thises along and screws everything! Eldrian cursed as he knew now that he had to stop trying to reach a higher Tiers.


    This had been his entire n for bing stronger. The stat growth aside, being able to cast higher Tier spells and skills was more what Eldrian had aimed for. This having been his entire n.


    He also realized this would add more time between when he finished the caves and linked souls with Cephaphyr. Luckily this disappointment was lessened when Eldrian thought of how long clearing the caves would take. Hoping he would have reached the needed state in his cultivation to then simply learn some more spells.


    Eldrian excused himself, in a slightly better mood after thinking of the time needed to clear the caves.He knew that this was not something Zamia could help him any more than she had. Having already done all that she could for him, the rest was up to him.


    On the way to Margit and the others, Eldrian was joined by Cephaphyr, who happily trotted to him.


    ''I hear we are going on an adventure!'' Cephaphyr shouted excitedly, greatly relieved that he would be finally able to leave the forest. He had been stuck here since his birth, which had not been that long ago. He was still under the age of 1.


    Eldrian also realized thest point as Cephaphyr joined him, causing him to truly understand just how weak he waspared to most here. Cephaphyr, who was so young, was already Tier 3. Something Eldrian was simply blown away by when thinking off.


    It took him a few seconds to ovee this shock and actually talk with Cephaphyr. ''It isn''t really an adventure. Your mom asked me to clear the caves of goblins.''


    ''Awesome, I hate them. They look so stupid and ugly.''Cephaphyr replied quickly, not even fully understanding what Eldrian was telling him.


    Eldrian shook his head at Cephaphyr''s reply, not knowing if he shouldugh or sigh about the fact that this was going to be his partner. He felt that simple ignorance and child-like happiness would certainly be good to be surrounded by.


    Then again the ignorance was bound to be really irritating. But for now, Eldrian felt it wasforting, something he needed after the news he just got.


    ''The real problem is that I have a friend who is missing somewhere in the caves. And I have no idea how she is doing.'' Eldrianined to the only one he really could.


    He had a feeling Margit would take this too seriously and attempt some crazy things. Her intent to help Vivian had been clear. While he was happy about this, Eldrian wanted to make sure more lives were not lost in the process. At least if need be he wanted it to be worth something.


    ''That sucks! Why don''t we go right now?'' Cephaphyr asked, causing Eldrian to crack up a smile.


    ''Thanks, but there are too many goblins. I also think there will be a few strong ones.''


    ''I am sure I can beat them!'' Cephaphyr proudly dered, causing Eldrian to simply shake his head as he chose to enjoy the child-like attitude. Using it to lift his own mood and got himself ready for some meditating.


    Before going off he told Margit his ns. She had no problem, happy that they would start tomorrow. Eldrian also mentioned how logging out worked, exining that his body would disappear once he fell ''asleep''.


    Having sorted this Eldrian found himself afortable position to start meditating. He was not really sure what to call what he was doing, but he felt meditating was an apt description. Sittingfortably against a tree he focused on himself, onto the pure mana in his body.


    He willed it to move.Slowly leading it to his heart and then around his body, needing to control it for the entire route. If he stopped his mana would simply go straight back to the mana pool.


    Eldrian found this really straining. Before he had simply tried to bring it to his heart, but now he was trying to also let it flow like veins and arteries. The further he got from his heart, the more he had to split the mana and his focus.


    Quickly he started sweating from the pressure of keeping everything flowing. Even so, his mana slipped back to its pool every now and then. Eldrian simply could not focus on all the split paths.


    Let''s do it simpler. Focus only on one route. Eldrian told himself. Discarding his limbs he tried only controlling his mana to flow to his heart and from there to his head.


    This was far easier, but Eldrian could feel that this was unnatural. Even so he continued, wanting to first get used to doing this. Once he did he nned to add his arms, then his legs. Later his fingers and toes.


    Eldrian did not look forward to what came after fingers and toes. When the mana started splitting into tens to hundreds of smaller ''arteries'' and ''veins''.


    Other than this Eldrian talked with Cephaphyr when he was resting and trying to recover his concentration.


    He would admire Cephaphyr''s coat and feathers when they talked. Eldrian really liked the strong contrast between his pitch-ck coat and bright green feathers. He felt the feathers would be really good decorations, he did not know for what. He also did not want to upset Cephaphyr by asking for a few.


    In the end, Eldrian logged out as he was petting Cephaphyr''s head. Causing thetter to look around startled when Eldrian disappeared. He had misunderstood what Eldrian had exined and rushed to his mom to ask for help.


    It caused quite a funny scene.

 Chapter 138: Progress of others

    <h4>Chapter 138: Progress of others</h4>


    Before logging on after sses, Eldrian first had a look at the forums. As was normal for him, having been his routine since he started ying A New World.


    Today he found some surprises. The first yers had finally passed single digits in level, with another having followed close to the first. They were now both dominating the global level rankings as level tens.


    Eldrian sighed as he saw these updates, realizing that the entire level he had gained did not amount to much. He was still only decent in his own empire. He was around top 10 in Phallos and top 200 in the entire Empire.


    This was not the only surprise Eldrian found. One of these two who had reached level ten had also reached Tier 2. This yer called Diablo exined here how he had managed it, contributing a veryrge factor of his sess on his equipment.


    He stated that if not for his Tier 5 breastte and Tier 6 weapon he would have never managed to beat the Tier 2 beast alone.


    Eldrian sighed as he read this, wondering if the requirements for this was truly so high. He did not think so, feeling certain he would be able to kill a few Tier 2 beasts on his own. If he had learned Observe sooner he might know that he had in fact done this before.


    Then again Eldrian did have a really strong weapon which he relied on, thus his opinion was naturally skewed. Having missed how much better his was than what normal yers had.


    Diablo was quite generous in his post, exining what beast he had killed and how. He also exined that he had a party nearby to save him should he feel he would die. This he said was really important, as it allowed him to never fear losing his levels. Something which also helped him in his fights, the free attributes having certainly helped hime out on top.


    He then went on and shared with everyone what reaching Tier 2 had given him. His ss was focused on meleebat. As such his reward was 10 constitution, 10 strength and 5 agility. Along with a simr butrger increase in his HP. He exined that he felt there was a bonus percent HP given with each Tier. Linking this to the fact that his free attributes gave more HP than they used to.


    This post had earned quite a number of tips and Eldrian also felt it deserved some. Sending Diablo a dor himself as thanks. Eldrian did not give more since the information was not really important for him, only interesting.


    Having read this Eldrian was reminded of what Zamia had told him about High Elves. He quickly wrote his own post to warn others who were still sticking with the High Elven race. Hoping this would help them grow and avoid pitfalls.


    {To those who have chosen the High Elven race and are still going. Beware! Do not Tier up!}


    Eldrian had gone into detail about his path in learning magic, he was no longer concerned that people would use his knowledge to harm the NPCs. All the yers were fully supporting and trying to help the NPCs in this invasion. At least there were none who posted anything harmful to NPCs in general.


    There might still be a few posts belittling a few NPCs, but these were personal matters. Petty squabbles mostly. This was something to be expected since nothing had ever been perfect. There would always be some people who simply disliked each other. Most of thementers also understood this and would not belittle the yers as long as they did not take this squabble too far.


    For his postEldrian did not need to add much proof in his post, having been proven to be the best High Elf yer in the entire game. Simply the fact that he was the only one to reach Tier 1 showed this, then there was also the fact that his level was five higher than all the other High Elves.


    Then there was also the fact that most of those who were still trying to be High Elves were dedicated. They were dedicated to the struggle and took all advice they could find seriously. They might not blindly follow the advice, but they would also not blindly ignore it.


    On another note, those trying to bring guns in have managed to make muskets. The nobles in their country had quickly dismissed it though. For good reason, magic and archery were both far better than muskets. Even at Tier 1 both would be miles ahead in both range and uracy. Damage seemed to be up to debate.


    The yers making the guns had tried to exin that this was only the beginning, the start. But those nobles had not listened, believing it to be a waste of time, materials and money.


    Back in the game Eldrian immediately got his mind invaded by Cephaphyr.


    ''Your back! I was so worried!'' Cephaphyr also ran to him, snuggling his head against Eldrian''s waist.


    Eldrian smiled as he feltforted by this simple act. He did not have many friends. Truthfully he only had Erik, the others he had made were only ssmates. He had never gone out with them.


    This was mostly on Eldrian since he always had to y ANW. Feeling the true concern Cephaphyr had for him, Eldrian felt reassured again. This told him that putting in so much time in the game was not a waste. This game and its world were real. It might not be the normal real, but Eldrian felt that the people lived.


    Eldrian started patting Cephaphyr''s head as he replied, ''I did tell you that I have to go to sleep.''


    ''But! But! But you didn''t say you would disappear!'' Cephaphyrined, causing Eldrian''s smile to grow even more.


    ''I did. I remember telling you right as I was falling asleep that I was going to disappear.''


    ''Buttt!''


    Eldrian chuckled as he heard Cephaphyr''sint, wondering how the little Alicorn had be so attached to him in so little time. He did not mind it, in fact, Eldrian loved it. It really made him feel special.


    The reason for Cephaphyr''s attachment was actually simple. He was always shunned by everyone other than his parents. Even though he knew they loved him, he always felt that there was a distance between him and his parent.


    Keeping things from him, stopping him from doing what he wanted. Telling him to always be careful. Cephaphyr felt he understood why, but he did not really understand. This had torn at him subconsciously, making him feel alone in the world.


    Eldrian was the first person who had truly been kind to him. Not caring about the color of his coat, even going so far as to rub his coat and appreciate his feathers. Something which felt strangely nice andforting to Cephaphyr.


    Cephaphyr felt Eldrian was the first person who was treating him well, without any prejudice. He did not want to return to his normal life now that he had experienced this kind of treatment.


    After a few more seconds of patting Cephaphyr Eldrian realized that everyone was awake and looking at him weirdly.


    Well, now to tell them what they are in for. Eldrian thought, readying himself to exin what had happened and what was going on. Before he could start he was interrupted by Sabrea who rushed up and embraced him.


    She had only waited until Cephaphyr was no longer blocking her pathway.


    "Thank you so much! If... If not for you..." She started crying as she held the stiff Eldrian who waspletely unprepared.


    The close contact sent his mind into a little shock as he could feel Sabrea''s breasts pressing against his chest. She was still in her torn clothing, her armor resting in Eldrian''s inventory.


    Eldrian swallowed with difficulty and returned the embrace. He might be inexperienced and shy around women, but he knew how tofort them. Having often needed to do this for his sister, his thoughts were pure then and he was desperately trying to bring his current ones to the same state.


    Rubbing her back he replied as her sobs became less. "It is alright. Everything turned out alright."


    Eldrian did not really believe this himself, knowing now that Cadriel and Evapius were both dead. He reasoned it was better than all of them, it was also better than Sabrea dying.


    After a long time, Sabrea finally let go. Blushing she quickly moved back and left the spotlight to Eldrian who was still a little confused. His body reacting unexpectedly.


    This is a game. Get a hold of yourself!He told a certain part of himself as he took a few deep breaths.


    "What do you all want to know?" Eldrian asked once he felt he was in a good enough state of mind. As he did he also started controlling his mana to let it circte through him, having found the day before that it really helped him clear his mind. Even if it would also tire him, he needed to calm down.


    "What happened?" Tes asked, thest thing he remembered was being attacked by a really strong horse with both wings and a horn. He had never even heard of such creatures and only one kick had broken more than six of his ribs.


    He was wondering just how he was alive after that. He only slightly remembered flying through the top of the trees due to the kick. After which he had cked out.


    Eldrian took a deep breath. "Andreas was a devil." He said, expecting an outburst of emotion. Instead findingplete silence.

 Chapter 139: A different world

    <h4>Chapter 139: A different world</h4>


    "Kilen! How dare! How dare you go there! And for this worthless son of ours!" A massive devil shouted at his wife as she finally arrived home.


    This was Azamud, one of the devil kings. The leaders of the entire devil race who controlled many different Kako races. Only strong beasts and monsters were equal to them and as such able to refuse theirmands. But these were few, normally only Ancient Beasts or stronger.


    Then there were also demons, who obeys no one. They would rather die than follow another. The only rule they went by was whether you were worth listening to. That was the extent to which they would cooperate.


    Azamud was close to three meters tall in his normal form. His entire build like a herculean, with massive toned muscles and ripped abs. Like Kilen, if not for his blood-red skin, he might have been considered very handsome. Some might still be attracted to his muscr look, able to ignore the bloodlike resemnce his skin always brought to thought.


    Other than hisrge frame Azamud had two spiral horns growing from his forehead, reaching close to twenty centimeters. Unlike Kilen and Andreas, he did not have a tail.


    Azamud had married Kilen, who was from a different royal family, in the hope of gaining a child prodigy. One who would have both their bloodline abilities. One who would tower over all others.


    Instead, he got Andreas... A weakling who was still stuck at Tier 6 even after a couple of hundred years. Azamud med Kilen''s softness on this, believing that devils could not grow infort. If they knew they would not die, then they would never truly grow.


    This wasmon knowledge to all and how Azamud and his generation had been raised. He had gotten to his position of power through countless bloodshed.


    The reason for his fury was simple and even dumb. His wife had lied to him, having told him that she would simply be inspecting the frontlines. Instead, she hade back severely injured with a son Azamud would rather have died.


    He was not angry about the lie, it wasmon between devils. What he was angry about was that she was injured and would be worthless in theing fights for months. Maybe even years.


    "Dear, he is not worthless..." Kilen replied, she wanted to do this with fury. But instead, she only said this submissively. "He is the only one who had gained both our bloodlines. The only one!"


    "That does not mean a thing before true power. What could he do after angering the Alicorns of Avgi? Nothing, he would be dead now if not for your meddling!"


    "Do you wish him dead!" Kilen shouted back, her anger almost bursting. She hated how emotionless her husband was. How he only cared for those who reached Tier 8 or higher. Something which was even rare among devils.


    "I wish him to be stronger!" Azamud bellowed in rage, a vicious aura rising around his body. Causing everyone nearby to shudder in fear, only Kilen could hold her ground and stare her husband in the eyes. Not giving ground even in her current state.


    Andreas could not stop shivering as he heard his father''s rage. He wished his father would be d that both he and his mother was back safely, but this was clearly only a wish.


    Azamud shifted his gaze from Kilen to Andreas, thetter shuddering even more as he felt the pure disdain directed at him. "What do you have to say for yourself?" After a few seconds without getting a reply Azamud shouted in fury, "Speak Milgoroth! Speak! Now!"


    At the end of this shout, Azamud was standing before Andreas, or rather Milgoroth. His aura causing thetter to falter and fall onto his back. Only barely managing not to wet himself.


    "Pathetic." Azamud spit in destain, "You never even made it to your objective. You are simply aplete failure." Azamud said this with disappointment clear in his voice. Something which sank into Milgoroth''s heart more than any anger could.


    Azamud left after saying this, everyone in the room relieved once he passed through the massive double doors of the room. Kilen rushed to Milgoroth, taking his hand and looking at him affectionately. "Do not mind him, dear. There is still time..."


    Milgoroth did not share her optimism. His father had never been one to forgive and he hadpletely failed his mission. Not only that, his mother had been gravely injured while trying to save him. She was currently unable to shapeshift, nor could she use her bloodline power. Drastically lower her strength.


    It would take her months to recover due to the energy invading her body. Something which could not be removed forcefully, doing so would only aggravate the injuries.


    ...


    "Faust, we have a new patient!" A female voice shouted amidst groans of pain. The smell of blood clear in the air.


    "Conditions?" Erik asked as he rushed over, grabbing a clean cloth from a nearby table as he did. Arriving at the patient Erik recognized him as one of the soldiers he had saved twice before.


    Joren, a simple foot soldier in these times of war. Someone of little import and the reason why he was sent to Erik and not Tier 2 and 3 healers. His injuries certainly needed that level in normal circumstances.


    "His left lung has been pierced, his right leg is gone. He also has multiple severe bleedings and this arrow stuck through his side." The female answered quickly, she had been assigned as Erik''s helper. This was strange, assistants were normally Tier 1 healers who needed a mentor. Erik was the first to ever gain an assistant at Tier 1.


    The reason for this was due to Erik''s track record. He had been deemed a miracle worker, someone who could almost reach the effect of top Tier 2 healers while at Tier 1. His track record looked better than those of Tier 2, resembling more a healer of Tier 3.


    This was in arge part because many of the healers had wanted to flee and were forced to serve their country. As such they simply wanted to do the bare minimum. A mindset which Erik could not understand.


    "Drink this," Erik said as he ced a potion against Joren''s mouth. At the same time he told Liosa, his female assistant, to cauterize Joren''s leg. Erik held him down while this was being done, trying to ensure that the other wounds did not worsen during his struggle.


    It was of utmost importance to do this first since Joren was bleeding badly. Erik knew that this was far more often the cause of death in simr cases. Most of the people he treated were far sturdier than normal people, Joren for example was a Tier 2 soldier from amoner family.


    Being a Tier 2 meant he couldst longer than most as long as he was not critically wounded and had enough blood in him. If these two were met then he would recover on his own as long as he was provided with enough energy.


    At first many had criticized Erik for cauterizing wounds, but he had ignored everyone who talked down to him. Their reason for not doing so was stupid, they avoided it since it would make regrowing or reattaching the person''s leg harder. Erik felt it was dumb to think of that when the person was still near death.


    Using magic to heal the wound would be far too draining, requiring multiple Tier 1 spells. Hence why Joren''s case fell under the minimum of a Tier 2 healer. But not everyone got such good treatment.


    "Now, Liosa, put pressure here. I am going to cover the other wounds. Use gentle heal on him while you apply pressure." Erik instructed, indicating to the arrow stuck in Joren''s side.


    Gentle heal was a spell between Thera and Anthizo. Only slightly healing the patient while also sending energy to the patient. What made it differ from Anthizo was that it could heal slightly more and all the energy was used for healing. Anthizo split its energy between revigorating and healing the person. Reinvigoration was what allowed the person to gain a boost in stamina and mana regeneration.


    Liosa followed Erik''s instructions. He had be one of the legends in the army, having been noticed by even nobles. He did not care for this, even when they offered him a gold each month toe under their service. Erik had ignored their offer and stayed in medbay 12. Right behind the walls and the next line of defense should the wall be breached.


    "Joren, stay awake. You know the drill, right?" Erik said as he started casting Thera over Joren''s lungs. Grateful that the spell could do most of the work for him. He had simply needed to make sure the wound was clean before starting the healing. Even if it was not the spell would still work, it would only take more energy and thus need more casts.


    It took a few casts, during which Joren tried to crack a joke. Blood spilling from his teeth and badly stuttering, "Of... Course... Who else... Would take, me..." This simple sentence took a great deal of effort and while painful it reminded him of the other two times. Causing him to be far calmer and focus on staying awake as Erik had told him to do.


    Erik moved on to the next, smaller wounds. Applying a paste he had made over them. Once he was done with this most of Joren''s bleeding had been stopped and Erik felt ready to move on to the arrow.


    He quickly called up the system, going onto the inte and finding a diagram of the human body. After making sure that there were no vitals nor sensitive organs he had to beware of near the arrow, Erik started.


    "Okay, use Anthizo on him now," Erik said as he broke the arrow to make removal easier. He then swiftly pulled it out and used Thera again to heal the hole.


    Erik did not know how to control his spells like Eldrian. But through conversing with each other, Erik had learned that spells normally started at his hands. Hence if he ced them over the wound, that area would be healed most.


    He did not quite understand how this worked, contact not even needed to cast the spell. He did not care too much either. He was simply happy that it worked.


    "Is he?" Liosa asked with fear as she felt Joren''s breathing be slower and slower.


    "He is fine, just resting. Keep casting Anthizo on him every half an hour for two hours and he should pull through." Erik said as he wiped sweat and blood from his forehead.


    He was d that his university course was simple, requiring little work. It had allowed him to do a great deal of self-study and he had even been thinking of switching to med school.


    He could not even remember how many he had saved, but each time was just as great as the time before.


    "Faust!" Erik turned around as he heard this shout, finding a teenage boy rushing towards him and embracing him.


    "Thank you so much! You saved him... Again!"


    Erik rubbed the teenager''s back,forting him. "He is doing the same for us on the frontlines."

 Chapter 140: Can it work?

    <h4>Chapter 140: Can it work?</h4>


    Eldrian felt ufortable as everyone looked at him, no one talking. "Did you all know?" He asked, unable to endure the silence any longer.


    "No, but we reasoned something was up when the creatures of the forest attacked us, yet left us alive. So we knew something was up" Tes answeredzily as he waited for Eldrian to catch up and exin what was actually going on.


    Eldrian did not like how they seemed fine when learning that a devil had been between them.Howe this does not bother them more. A devil had infiltrated their ranks with ease!


    "Correct, us being alive told us that something more has happened. I just wish they would have brought my arm. Regrowing it is going to be a pain." Floyd grumbled thest part. His mentioning it caused everyone to look at his left arm which truly was missing.


    "Oh, that reminds me," Eldrian said, taking Floyd''s arm out of his inventory. Happy that it was still as fresh and bloody as when he had picked it up. It might sound weird that he was happy it is bloody, but this indicated that everything was still in good condition. Eldrian felt certain this would make reattaching it easier.


    The others looked at Eldrian weirdly as he gave Floyd''s arm to him.


    "You had time to even pick that up?" Tes asked, wondering just how Eldrian had done it. They had run in terror, yet Eldrian had saved Sabrea and Floyd''s arm. Tes decided to believe it was because Eldrian was not afraid of dying.


    "Well, it did not take much effort," Eldrian replied, not understanding why they were so shocked.


    After this little scene, Floyd took a few minutes to reattach his arm. Grateful he did not have to regrow it. While he was capable of doing so, it was not a pleasant experience. Quite painful and it took a good deal of time.


    They had been informed of the situation by Margit and as such, but they wanted to hear the details from Eldrian. Since he was the one and only one, who had talked with the Alicorns.


    "Do you think it might have been devils who attack Vivian and the others? Margit said she did not think so, but, if Andreas was a devil..." Eldrian asked as they headed to the edge of the forest. Their party was certainly weaker than when they first set out. Eldrian hoped that it would be enough to save Vivian.


    On the way, Eldrian had given Sabrea her armor after having caught Tes looking at her inappropriately a couple of times. Which had prompted him to remember that she was still in her clothes which certainly did little to cover her figure.


    She took some time to fix all the things Eldrian had broken. Simply from the state of her armor, everyone could see how desperate Eldrian had been when treating her. Eldrian had also found that he had taken her weapon when he had stored all the armor pieces. As such, she was the best equipped in their little party.


    "No, I don''t think so," Floyd replied, causing the others'' eyes to go to him. "I do not think this was his aim. It does not make sense to infiltrate a simple Tier 3 kingdom. If it had been a Tier 1 kingdom, maybe. We aren''t worth that much effort."


    "True, devils have a hard time getting children." Sabrea agreed, knowing that there was no way they would ce their child in such danger for so little gain. Lower rank devils might do something like that, but they were unable to shapeshift and as such would not have been able to infiltrate their ranks.


    "Just like all long-lived races. It is the only thing that stops them from truly taking over the world." Tes added, ying with the bow Eldrian had given him. He hoped that they would pass where the Pegasus had knocked him out.


    He felt ufortable simply knowing he had to use this bow. When he thought that he might need it to save his life he almost felt like throwing a tantrum.The bow isn''t even a magic weapon!Tesined internally, not sharing his little situation with the others.


    Around an hour''s walkter the group arrived at the edge of the forest. Looking at his map Eldrian saw that they were off to one side, the left. They had entered almost perfectly in the center, hence he did not think they could retrace their steps to find Tes''s bow and Floyd''s staff.


    Luckily Eldrian had had one of each. While the staff did not do much for Floyd, it was better than a de. Floyd had no training in how to use a de, but he knew how to use a staff. Mostly for self-defense, but this was still better than him being useless in closebat.


    "What''s the n, boss?" Tes asked jokingly as they arrived at the forest''s edge and could see the barren earth spreading into the distance.


    Eldrian took his words at face value and stated his n. "I am going to go out, to see if the goblins rush out. If they do then my n might really work."


    "That is too dangerous!" Margit shouted, causing Eldrian to stop just before he crossed the boundary between grass and dirt.


    "Not really, even if I am killed I will simply revive in the spring after half an hour." But this pause did cause him to realize that he was rushing a bit.


    As such Eldrian took a bit more time to prepare himself and the others. Makingsure that everyone had what they would need. Mostly Tes, who only had one quiver of arrows right now. Eldrian dumped all the arrows left in his inventory, forming a small hill of arrows at their feet.


    He then looked out past the trees, looking to his left and right.The mountain and its caves are probably a few hundred meters from us. Not more than a kilometer. The other side is a few kilometers away.


    Eldrian was happy that this was the case, as it meant they would only have to deal with one side. Causing the number of goblins at once to drop by half.


    ''Do not follow me.'' Eldrian spoke to Cephaphyr, who had kept their connection going the entire time. Eldrian had told him before, but he had to make sure that Cephaphyr would not rush out.


    ''Okay...'' Cephaphyr replied sadly, he did not want Eldrian to leave alone.


    Alright, let''s see what happens. Eldrian thought, stepping past the boundary. As he crossed into the wastnd he found nothing happened. Eldrian took a few breaths to calm himself as he continued walking forward.


    Once he reached almost 50 meters the goblins seemed to notice them. They screeched in a high pitched scream as they rushed down from their caves. Their shouts calling the others who had beenzy or missed Eldrian entering their turf.


    Eldrian swallowed hard to keep his cool as he saw the entire mountain be colored by the charging goblins. Thousands upon thousands.


    I hope they don''t enter the forest! Eldrian prayed as he ran back to the forest. As soon as he entered the forest the goblins stopped, shouting in fury at the prey lost. They slowly started heading back to the caves after a few minutes.


    "Seems like I guessed correctly. The forest will be a safe zone where we can escape too. Next question is how are we going to deal with them all?" Eldrian said aloud, not really expecting any feedback. He was simply thinking aloud.


    He did not like their odds. There were simply too many goblins and without anyrge area of effect spells, there was no way that they would be able to deal with all the rabble. Then there would also certainly be many more inside the caves, all of whom would be far stronger than those protecting the cave openings.


    No one came up with a good solution, the only thing Eldrian managed to think of was to guide them close enough to the forest. Allowing Tes and Margit to target them with their range attacks. But this would take ages and Eldrian had no idea if it would even work.


    He ryed his n to the others. While they felt it might work. None of them wasfortable simply attacking the goblins when the only thing protecting them, was the fact that the goblins would not enter the forest.


    There was no guarantee that this would not change as they started killing the goblins.


    "Why don''t we just build a safe ce?" Eldrian asked, causing the others to stop arguing and turn to him.


    "I mean we are surrounded by trees here, so why don''t we make a tform on a few. From which you guys can attack as much as you want. I will lead them." Eldrian continued, his approach getting many approvals.


    "No, that is too dangerous. If anyone should lead them, it should be me." Sabrea countered, feeling that it was her responsibility as the vanguard.


    "Sabrea, I appreciate the sentiment. But I can''t die, you can..." Complete silence ruled the area once Eldrian said this. The others always had something against Eldrian for precisely this fact. He would not die in the mission, they could.


    His using this to stop them from putting themselves in more danger certainly increased their likeability towards Eldrian.

 Chapter 141: Does it work?

    <h4>Chapter 141: Does it work?</h4>


    "But..." Sabrea wanted to say that she was faster and stronger than Eldrian. But she realized that this did not mean much. Any of them could simply be overwhelmed if they went out, it did not really matter how strong they were.


    "It has to be me," Eldrian said, making this final. As he said this he looked at his avatar statistics. Gazing at the free attributes.


    Agility... Again? He wondered, feeling that this was his current best use of them. Nothing else would make this n work better and this n had to work. He had to save Vivian and as such Eldrian was willing to use them simply for this one reason.


    As he was pondering this, Tes asked an important question, "How are we going to make those tforms. More importantly, how are we going to get up on them while stopping the goblins from doing the same?"


    To this Eldrian turned to Cephaphyr exining what he wanted to do and asking, ''Can we cut some trees to build these tforms?''


    Cephaphyr shook his head, causing his ckmane to wave in the air, ''No need! I can make them!'' Cephaphyr happily walked to one of the trees at the edge of the forest. Standing under it for a few seconds with his head against the tree''s trunk.


    Slowly the tree seemed toe alive, its branches moving and folding. Forming a tform of around 3 meters in diameter at 10 meters high.


    Eldrian stared at this in wonder, wondering what Tier of nature spell that was. Or if that even was a spell, maybe it was simply an ability of Alicorns. Whatever it was, Eldrian felt it was really useful and he started wondering how else he could use this.


    ''How are we supposed to climb that?'' Eldrian asked Cephaphyr instead of praising him, causing thetter to shake his head in embarrassment. He hadpletely forgotten that only he could fly.


    Going back to the tree, Cephaphyr again ced his head against its trunk. A few secondster vines started growing on the tform.


    In total five vines grew around the tform, each falling down to the ground. Perfect height for everyone to easily climb them and enough that no one had to wait.


    Seeing the vines Eldrian smiled widely and rubbed Cephaphyrs back, ''Good job, this is perfect.'' Cephaphyr neighed pridefully, feeling like a part of the group. He only wished he knew what the noises everyone made meant. Not knowing was stopping him from truly being part of the group.


    "This should work right?" Eldrian asked with his stupid smile, all the others simply nodded. They had been shocked to see the magic. While it might not be out of their imagination, the ease and little time the little Alicorn had done it with. That left them astonished.


    After oveing their shock they all climbed onto the tree, finding that there was more than enough space atop for everyone. The tree also had a clear view of the area ahead. Being one of the border trees, it allowed anyone a clear shot at the goblins should theye too close.


    "This is perfect," Eldrian said happy for a moment until he remembered that he had already dropped all the arrows on the ground. Grumbling he told the others to wait as he went down to bring them all up. Being the only one who could do this in one go.


    As he was going down Cephaphyr flew up, ''Why are you going down?'' He asked, keeping himself at Eldrian''s level.


    ''Forgot something, go up. I''ll be there in a few.'' Eldrian replied, envious as he looked at Cephaphyr easily reaching the top with just a few ps of his wings.


    A few minutester back atop the tree Eldrian asked everyone, "Shall we try?"


    None of them had anything against trying. They quickly pulled up their own vines, leaving only Eldrian''s for him to climb down off.


    Taking a deep breath Eldrian started climbing down again. As he did Sabrea shouted from atop, "Don''t die! Even if... Just don''t die!"


    Eldrian sighed as he heard this, a smile forming on his face a few secondster. He was d that someone cared for him, even if this waspletely unnecessary. It still felt nice.


    On the ground, Eldrian stood at the edge of the forest and called his avatar panel again. Adding all his free attributes to agility and making it a total of 150. Then he rushed out, quickly reaching the 50-meter mark. It taking him only 5 seconds. He stopped at this distance and looked at the caves, spear in hand.


    Eldrian nned to lead them close to him, allowing him to hopefully also gain a few kills. He felt more and more that he needed to level, especially now that going up in Tiers was out of the question.


    He had also realized just how amazing the free attributes were at the start. Eldrian understood that their effectiveness would diminish after a set amount of upgrading. The extra strength or speed bing smaller and smallerpared to the total he would already have.


    But for now, it was a great way to fit better into the situation''s needs.


    The goblins soon spotted Eldrian and while less enthusiastic thanst time, they still rushed out of their caves towards him. Once they saw him not rushing back to the forest, they all let out a blood-curling sound of excitement.


    Eldrian felt his skin crawl as he heard this, goosebumps growing all over. Even knowing this was a game, he could not help but feel threatened. The sheer number of goblins was staggering.


    Calm down. Simply keep a few meters between you and them.Eldrian told himself, knowing full well that if he did no he would die. No doubts about it.


    Holding his ground, Eldrian waited until they were ten meters from him. He started moving once they passed this point.


    He did not run directly for the forest, instead, he ran in an arc. Allowing Tes and Margit more time to shoot from their position. They did not even need to aim, simplyunching their attacks into the mass of goblins. Easily iming the lives of many goblins.


    As Eldrian ran he adjusted his speed until he was slightly slower than the goblins. Seeing their preye nearer the goblins shrieked in anticipation.


    Okay... One step forward and then strike.Eldrian told himself trying to figure out how he was supposed to attack while running. He had never tried kiting anything before, at least not in person.


    Just before acting he quickly used Drive to boost his strength, after which he took one big step forward. Twisting on this leg, Eldrian performed arge wide swing. He almost fumbled and tripped, having added too much into that swing. Luckily the attack imed the lives of three goblins while almost killing another.


    The goblins right behind these quickly tripped over these four. Giving Eldrian enough time to recover and gain some distance again. Eldrian grinned as he sped up to keep his normal distance again. Looking at the 400 XP he had just gained he felt this was truly a great opportunity.


    He continued to do this a few more times, iming a total of 30 goblins'' lives before he re-entered the forest. Having exhausted his mana and nearly his stamina too. Eldrian had switched between boosting his strength and giving himself some regen bonuses with Anthizo. This had allowed him to continue for far longer than if he simply fought and ran.


    The goblins shouted and shrieked as they looked at him standing just a few meters from them. Yet they did not enter.


    After a minute or two they started leaving, ignoring all those who had died in this crazy charge of theirs.


    The first one went well. Seems like they are simple-minded, like mobs of older games. This might be an insanely good strategy for leveling. Eldrian thought as he started heading to the others. Looking at his XP which had soared, having gained 3000 XP from this one attempt. He could not help but grind like an idiot, now only needing 5000 more for his next level.


    Each goblin might not give much, but there was more than enough to make up for this. They were also easy to kill. Truly the bestbination for the early game.


    "That was great, but I already shot a fourth of my arrows," Tes said as soon as Eldrian reached the top of the tree.


    Eldrian wanted to ask if that number was a little low, but before he could Margit also spoke, "And I will need at least 15 minutes to recover my mana."


    "Well that isn''t an issue, I also need to recover my mana and stamina. The arrows though..." Eldrian did not know what to do. A part of him felt that Tes could have easily used over half of them in that attempt. Yet he had not.


    This did not really matter though, since they had no way to recover the arrows. Or rather most of the arrows were past the 50-meter distance and would likely cause the goblins to charge. Going and picking them up would also take far too much time.


    As he pondered he saw Cephaphyr who was lying with his front legs on the edge of the tform.


    ''Hey, Ceph. Would you be able to make arrows? And spears or javelins?'' Eldrian asked, sending images of his ns to Cephaphyr.


    ''What do you mean?'' Cephaphyr asked, failing to understand even after Eldrian shared them images of arrows and javelins with him.


    ''We need something we can hit them with from range, we can''t fight them all at once.'' Eldrians started exining, not minding too much since he needed at least 20 minutes to recover enough to not gain fatigue.


    ''So I wonder if you can make those things Tes, the guy with blond hair, is shooting. If you are able then it would really help us out.''


    ''I don''t know, but I''ll try my best!'' Cephaphyr replied happy to be of help. He took a few minutes, gazing at the arrows on the tform, before turning to Eldrian.


    ''I can make the wooden part, but... I can''t add the metal or feathers.''


    ''That isn''t a problem.'' Eldrian replied full of excitement, rushing to exin how Cephaphyr could cover for not adding metal or feathers.


    ''You can simply make it all wood, just try and make it look the same. Alright.''


    Cephaphyr nodded and walked to the trunk of the tree which was in the middle of their tform. cing his head against it again.

 Chapter 142: Can we improve? (1)

    <h4>Chapter 142: Can we improve? (1)</h4>


    Eldrian looked at Cephaphyr with great excitement, waiting for the first arrows to form from the tree. This took much longer than when Cephaphyr had made the tform, quickly causing Eldrian to lose much of his enthusiasm. Still, he stayed. Curious about what Cephaphyr would be able to make.


    After five minutes the arrow finally finished growing. Eldrian looked at it in amazement, simply blown away by what Cephaphyr had done.


    He had hoped for a simple crude arrow, but this one looked like a masterpiece.


    The arrow had grown from the tree, slowly. Like a fruit. It had started as a small bud, growing from a small connecting stalk. Slowly this bud had unfolded to show the fletching of the arrow.


    Eldrian had expected this to simply be wood, but instead, it was made from the leaves of the tree. These leaves were embedded, like with normal arrows, forming proper fletchings. Eldrian had no idea how this was even possible.


    After this, the arrow shaft had formed. This had taken most of the time, with it looking almost like a branch growing. Only that this piece of wood waspletely straight.


    Finally was the head, which was simple. The arrows simply started narrowing, until it formed a very fine point. This pointed head of the arrow was still connected to the tree through the stalk.


    Eldrian reached out to the arrow and pulled it off, just like one would a fruit. It came loose easily. The stalk having connected past the final point of the arrow''s head. This resulted in the arrow point being even sharper than Eldrian had thought possible.


    Holding it in his hand Eldrian simply gazed at it in amazement.


    The fletching was quite sturdy, yet it gave way to his fingers. The shaft seemed to have carvings in it, looking like runes. Eldrian ran his fingers over the shaft in wonder and finally reached the tip.


    Eldrian simply enjoyed its beauty for a while.


    Finally having taken it all in, Eldrian started wondering how good the arrow was. Looks did not mean much in their current situation.


    Using Inspect Eldrian was left astounded by what it returned.


    [Alderleaf Arrow]


    [Grade: Magic, Failed]


    [Tier 0]


    [Damage: +10 [Physical pierce damage]]


    [Durability: 47]


    [A special arrow made from the tree of an Alderleaf through the magic of an Alicorn.]


    [[Cannot be repaired]]


    "Wow." Eldrian let out as he saw that the arrow was actually magic grade. Something which he had never even thought of.


    That is simply insane.Eldrian thought as he looked at the bonus damage it gave. It might not look like much, but his spear only did 22 damage. Heck, the Tier 4 arming sword he had only did 14 damage, meaning this arrow was almost better than the sword.


    The only thing limiting it was that its durability was really low.


    ''Cephaphyr, this is amazing. But would you be able to make many of them?'' Eldrian asked, wondering if he just found a bug in the game. If Cephaphyr could make them infinitely, then it would simply be broken.


    ''I don''t know. It was quite hard to do it, but I also did not know what I was doing. Let me try again.''


    Eldrian waited patiently for Cephaphyr to do his magic. While waiting he shared the news with the others, causing Tes to basically drool as he looked at the arrow.


    Tes had never used magic grade arrows, it was simply too expensive. While his bow had been a Tier 3 magic bow. His arrows had always only been Tier 4 normal arrows, giving him only 4 bonus damage.


    Not only that, but their durability was also far lower. His normal arrows were only usable for between ten and fifteen times. This arrow wouldst twice as long.


    This did not mean too much to, since arrows often went missing. But it was still something great, especially when considering the cost of getting recements.


    Then there was also the important fact that Tes no longer had his own bow. Instead, he was using the Tier 4 normal bow Eldrian had given him. Along with the Tier 3 arrows, Eldrian had gathered during the first event. With these, his damage was limited to 15, while if he had these new arrows he would be almost back to his normal damage. Sure it would still be slightly lower, but it would be much better.


    Tes really wanted to have a full quiver of these arrows, but he felt it would be a waste to use them on simple goblins. He would instead want to save them for emergencies and really strong enemies.


    Around four minutester Cephaphyr finished another arrow, happy he turned to Eldrian. ''I can still be a little faster. But the tree will only be able to give eight more arrows.''


    Eldrian was shocked by what Cephaphyr said. This certainly was not too insane, as the amount seemed to be limited. But they were in a literal forest, thus the limit per tree did not really matter for them.


    The true limiting factor was the time it took Cephaphyr, but Eldrian felt this was something that could not be helped. Not when the product was already so good. He felt more like the time needed was too little.


    ''How many trees would be able to make these arrows?'' Eldrian asked, hoping that the forest existed just of these wonderful trees.


    ''I have no idea.'' Cephaphyr answered truthfully, ''But these trees aremon at the edge of the forest.''


    Wait... Does this mean these trees are the worst?Eldrian asked himself, struggling to swallow as he now started seeing this forest as a treasure trove.


    Eldrian took some time to get over this, after which he was already fully rested. Instead of directly going out he wanted to find what the limits were to Cephaphyrs ''fruit'' making ability.


    ''Hey Ceph, do you think you will be able to make a short spear.'' Eldrian asked, hoping that Cephaphyr could make him a few javelins.


    After a bit of testing and sharing his own knowledge, they found that Cephaphyr would be able to make a certain type of short spear. One without anything fancy and it would need a new tree. Cephaphyr also told Eldrian that it would take him quite some time to make it.


    Eldrian did not mind any of this. He asked Cephaphyr to start while he would go for the second attempt at kiting the goblins. He first wanted to make sure that they would not enter the forest no matter what.


    If he could confirm this then he nned to allow Sabrea to also kite the goblins. She should certainly also be able to do what Eldrian had done before.


    Taking a deep breath and onest look at Cephaphyr, who was focusing on a tree. Eldrian smiled in anticipation of getting another magic weapon.


    Shaking his head to get his mind ready for his task, Eldrian left the forest. He did not run to the 50-meter mark. Instead, he walked along the way, finding a few arrows as he did.


    Eldrian realized that this was useless, it had increased the time it took him to reach the mark by a great deal. Almost three minutes had passed, yet he had only picked up ten arrows.


    Having reached the 50-meter mark, the goblins noticed him again. But they did not directly charge.


    Eldrian frowned as he feared that they were learning. Taking a few steps closer the goblins seemed unable to contain themselves and started rushing towards him.


    So, they are bing cautious. But ultimately they are still dumb monsters. Eldrian smirked as he repeated what he had donest time. Quickly finding something new and troublesome.


    The goblins they had killedst time were still there. Lying in his path. This made it harder for Eldrian to kite them. He now had to also focus on not tripping along with keeping his distance and attacking them.


    As such he only gained around 30 kills again. He had thought he would be able to im far more now that he already knew what to do.


    Sighing he looked at the goblins who were shouting in frustration at him. He smiled as he saw them not daring to enter. With this Eldrian started his journey back to the others, confident that the forest was truly a safe ce.


    Back with the other, Eldrian saw that Cephaphyr was still busy with one of the trees. Looking at the time he saw that Cephaphyr had been at it for almost an hour now.


    He sighed as he realized he could not use these spears as disposables. Still, he could not wait to see what Cephaphyr made for him.


    Back atop the tform, Eldrian looked at the others.


    "It seems that goblins are learning and bing cautious. Even after only two goes at it." Eldrianmented, wanting to know what the others thought of this.


    "That isn''t a problem, they would only act like that until you bother them. For now, it ising to a certain distance from them. This might keep increasing but we can always draw them out." Tes said as he yed with the two arrows Cephaphyr had made. Looking at them fondly.


    "I also thought that would be the case," Eldrian replied, turning towards Sabrea. "We won''t be able to kill enough with only Margit and Tes attacking. I mean Tes won''t even be able to attack after another round or two."


    Everyone nodded to what Eldrian said. They had probably killed close to 500 goblins already, yet it did not matter. The mass of goblins barely shrunk.


    "So I am thinking that we can all slowly start going out."

 Chapter 143: Can we improve? (2)

    <h4>Chapter 143: Can we improve? (2)</h4>


    "Heck no!" Tes shouted in protest. Eldrian did not care, simply continuing he exined what he thought would be best.


    "You will have to go recover your arrows. You do not have to get close to the goblins, but you can''t do nothing." Eldrian said, indicating to the arrows Tes had left. Which was only about a half of what Eldrian had given him.


    Tes grumbled but did not argue.


    "Floyd will naturally just stay here. We will need him if something unexpected happens. Margit can also stay here since she simply needs to rest after a certain amount of spell casting." Eldrian continued, unsure when he actually became the leader of the group.


    He did not mind, but he found it strange. He was the weakest, so how had thisnded on him? He felt this was somewhat Zamia''s doing, by her having given him the task and not the others. She had indicated that she wanted him to be responsible for what happens.


    "Sabrea, I don''t like having to ask you to do this. But can you try and copy what I did?" Eldrian asked, feeling bad that he would ce her in the most danger. Even Tes, who needed to recover his arrows, could simply run when the goblins approached. Yet he was asking her to stay with him.


    "No problem. It should not be hard." She replied quickly, with a bright smile. She had looked at how clumsy Eldrian had been in the start. Yet he had managed, as such, she felt she should be fine. This would also have her not simply wait around and doing nothing, something she did not enjoy doing.


    "Just be careful when we go. Especially of all the dead goblins, I almost tripped twice thest time."


    "That is because you aren''t used to a battlefield," Tes said mockingly, causing him to receive angry stares from everyone but Floyd. Floyd was simply gazing at the Cephaphyr who had finally finished the spear ande to the tform. Holding the spear in his mouth.


    ''How''s this?'' Cephaphyr asked Eldrian in excitement, rushing towards him. Causing Tes to almost be knocked off of the tform. If he had not seen the spearing he might now be lying down on the ground. Everyone smirked as they felt Tes deserved this.


    Eldrian stopped his nning and turned to Cephaphyr, looking at the spear in amazement. The spear was not veryrge, only slightly over a meter long. Yet it looked amazing.


    Cephaphyr had clearly put a great deal of effort into making it. The back end was sharpened, but not much. Forming a short point instead of a round end. The front, instead, was in the form of a leaf de.


    Eldrian was surprised that Cephaphyr could actually make such aplex thing. It might not seem like much, but getting the dimensions correct must certainly have been quite the struggle. Especially on the first attempt.


    This de was not long, only as long as Eldrian''s hand. But this enabled it to be used not only with thrusts but also with swings.


    Naturally, the shaft of the spear looked amazing, with some strange patterns all over the shaft. These patterns seemed toplete at the de. Where they all met and then formed into a single wave-like pattern.


    After oveing his amazement Eldrian used Inspect on the spear. Happy at what this informed him of.


    [Alderleaf short spear]


    [Grade: Magic, Failed]


    [Tier 0]


    [Damage: 15 [Physical damage [15.8]]


    [Durability: 235]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 95, Agility: 90]


    [A special spear made from the tree of an Alderleaf, through the magic of an Alicorn.]


    [[Cannot be repaired]]


    Eldrian wanted Cephaphyr to make more spears for him immediately. But he stopped himself and instead thought about it a bit more. He did not quite know how much effort Cephaphyr put into making them. He did not want to ask for too much.


    ''This is amazing. Thank you.'' Eldrian said to Cephaphyr, giving him a good rub as thanks.


    Cephaphyr enjoyed the praise, replying, ''No problem. It was quite fun to make.''


    Should I ask him to make more of the arrows or spears? Eldrian wondered after hearing the light-hearted reply. He wanted a few of the spears for emergency use. He also realized that no matter what, Cephaphyr would be unable to make enough arrows to cover Tes''s usage.


    After thinking about it for a few minutes he asked Cephaphyr to make an entire quiver of arrows for Tes. Both of them did not know how many this was and as such asked Tes. Who said that that would be 24 arrows.


    This was far less than Eldrian had expected. Upon further questioning, he found that this was the normal quiver size for traveling. If instead, the person was going to war then a slightlyrger quiver would be used which can take anywhere from 48 to 64. Tes had taken two 24 arrow quivers since he had not expected they would need to face so many enemies.


    Before starting on making these Cephaphyr told Eldrian that this would be thest he would be able to make for the day. And that if Eldrian wanted more spears that he would only be able to make two or three each day.


    Eldrian had showered Cephaphyr in some ttering praise, most of which was his honest opinion. He was simply astonished at the amount Cephaphyr could do and asked Cephaphyr to not push himself too far.


    Having dealt with this amazing sidetrack, Eldrian returned to the matter at hand. By which time it was nearing 11 in the morning. Something which Eldian had been keeping an eye on. He could not help but worry that they would take too long.


    "If no one has any problems, let''s go," Eldrian said after a bit more of discussing the details. As he said this Sabrea stood up from herfortable spot where she had been enjoying the view into the forest. The tree they were on giving a surprisingly good one, somehow it aligning perfectly to allow one to see quite far.


    She quickly climbed back into her armor and equipped her longsword over her shoulder. As they climbed down Margit gave them an encouraging thumbs-up.


    "Are you ready?" Eldrian asked as they passed from the forest to the barrennds.


    "I think so." She replied, looking at the distant caves with a little apprehension. No matter what, she could not stop herself from imagining what would happen if she were to be taken prisoner by the goblins.


    "Rx, just remember to always keep enough distance between you and them. If you feel it is too much you can simply run. There is no need to do everything this time." Eldrian said encouragingly.


    Kiting was certainly not something Sabrea would be used to and as such he made sure to tell her she was allowed to run. This was something yers often forgot when doing it. When they got cornered or made a mistake, they would then fullymit to fighting.


    This was not needed, looking for a new way to run was also viable. Eldrian wanted her to know that.


    "Thank you," Sabrea replied, embarrassed that someone so weak was encouraging her. Yet somehow she failed to see Eldrian as someone weak. He rather seemed to be someone far past his level, appearing like a veteran reborn.


    "Now it is time for the nerves," Eldrian said as they passed the 60-meter mark and the goblins took note and started charging.


    From the corner of his eye, Eldrian could see Sabrea shaking. Taking a step closer he patted her shoulder, "You can always simply run." He said, jokingly. But also wanting to remind her of this. He was all too aware that she could die for real.


    She smiled embarrassedly as her cheeks turned red. Luckily for her, the goblins charging at them hid this as they both had to start running. Having waited until the goblins first came close enough, so as to not make them give up.


    For the first few attacks, Sabrea struggled quite a bit. Often rushing to regain her distance. But after a few minutes of running, she got used to it and soon she was cutting two or three goblins with each attack.


    She was also constantly bing better at it and soon she was able to attack almost every other step.


    When they entered the forest Eldrian had only managed to kill about 40 goblins. She instead had killed nearly a hundred.


    "Aren''t they a little too weak and dumb?" She asked as she wiped her sword to get rid of the blood.


    Eldrian, struggling to regain his breath, looked at her with envy. It took a great deal of effort for him to kite the goblins. Yet she had made it seem like nothing. Sure she had struggled a bit in the start, but once she got used to it, she had been able to almost walk backward.


    Seeing her do it with such ease had caused Eldrian to push himself harder and try to attack more. Which he now regretted as he was close to beingpletely out of stamina.


    "I think..." Eldrian started saying, taking a deep breath between. "That you are rather too strong. And as for the weak part..." Again taking a deep breath, "They are the weakest of the goblins. The outcasts. Of course, they... Won''t think much."


    Sabrea smiled embarrassedly as she realized that the strength difference was truly too great.


    This settled they both started heading back, during which Eldrian ended up asking for some tips he could do while kiting the goblins. He was still struggling with not making a mistake, Sabrea instead had had time to perfect or rather improve her method.


    While most of her advice was useless since Eldrian could not even follow it if he wanted. Some things she said did click with Eldrian.


    Like the fact that he did not need to spin to attack. He had a spear which gave him great reach. If he only twisted his body and swung, he would be able to attack almost 2 meters to each of his sides. This might not allow him to hit anything right behind him, but he could angle it to hit arge area.


    She also indicated that he could swing over his head. While this would be a blind attack, it was not like he needed to see when so many goblins were charging. Any attack wouldnd.

 Chapter 144: Can we improve? (3)

    <h4>Chapter 144: Can we improve? (3)</h4>


    Looking at the level he had gained Eldrian struggled with directly cing his free attributes again in agility. He still felt this would be a good move until he reached 200 points in it, but at the same time, he no longer felt he needed to be faster.


    He was already much faster than the goblins and did not require the small bonus of 5 agility. As such he instead looked at his constitution, something which would always be nice to have more of. Increasing both his stamina and health.


    Eldrian ended up not using his free attributes, feeling that the bonus would be really small even if he did. He would rather wait again until he felt a need for a boost. Or when he figured out how weapon''s attribute requirements were determined. Or at least the pattern for this.


    The entire group continued to do as they had been doing. While Eldrian and Sabrea were resting to recover their stamina, Tes would go down to recover his arrows, sometimes taking Floyd or Margit with him. But mostly going alone, which would lead to himining that he was above picking up his own arrows.


    No one in the group gave hisment a second thought, Eldrian even going so far as to threaten him. Mentioning that Zamia might be angry if he did not work as hard as everyone else.


    This worked wonderedfully, causing Tes to have shbacks of the Pegasus almost ending his life with one kick. He would quickly be quiet after this, clearly not wanting to provoke the Alicorns.


    After half an hour of rest, Eldrian and Sabrea would go out and kite the goblins again. By sunset, their kills easily numbered over a few thousand. Eldrian himself being close to his next level. Level 9, needing only 8000 more XP.


    He was simply ecstatic at the speed he was leveling, but this brought conflicting emotions forwards. Worried that taking so long would cause them to enter the caves toote. Vivian not able tost until they actually managed toe to save her.


    This worry came from the fact that it was not possible to see the decrease when looking at the horde of goblins. Sure they were less, but not enough to be clearly seen by the eye. The most visible thing telling everyone that they were indeed making progress was that a few caves were no longer crowded by goblins.


    This sight relieved everyone as it informed them that the goblins were not infinite. That they could do this for a few more days and clear most if not all the goblins crowding at the outsides.


    Sun setting, everyone climbered down from the tform and followed Cephapyhr who led them to a nearby stream. No one was of a mind to try and kite the goblins in the dark, not when there might be some other dangers too.


    There were also all the dead goblins to consider, running when not being able to see them would surely result in one tripping. Ending up at the mercy of the goblins.


    At the stream, everyone finally rxed as Eldrian took some of the Alpha meat from his inventory. With a pleasant aroma in the air, they talked about how insane today was. Most everyone astounded by the number of goblins they had killed as such a small party.


    They all also shared more of what they were capable of, with Tes often trying to brag about how good a shot he was. This sharing did not really lead to anything, other than informing everyone of what the others were capable of. And of what they had lived through before and how this was not nearly as bleak as some of their situations before.


    Once they finished eating most directly wanted to rest, the day certainly has been very taxing. Eldrian did not, he instead followed the stream for a while. Where he decided to bathe and wash his clothes and armor. Having a few extra clothe sets inside of his inventory.


    Climbing into the stream, Eldrian found that it was a pleasant temperature. d that he decided to properly clean himself Eldrian enjoyed the refreshing feeling as the water flowed past him.


    This is just different... Nidia does not feel nearly as good. Eldrian thought, his eyes snapping open as he heard a twig snap.


    "Whose there?" He shouted out, wanting to rush for his clothes. But he did not, feeling that it was safer to just bank on fighting nude.


    "Sorry!" Sabrea''s voice echoed out as Eldrian heard her rushing away from him.


    Did she have the same idea?Eldrian wondered, grinning stupidly as he thought about what he might have seen if he had been a few minutester. For once he did not stop himself, instead, he indulged as a reward for the long day.


    After some time Eldrian finally finished enjoying the water. Climbing out he started climbing into fresh clothing. A little irritated that he did not have a towel as he felt his clothes sticking to him.


    ''I mustmend your n. You might even be able to clear the caves far sooner than I had thought possible.'' Zamiamented, causing Eldrian to almost fall over.


    Rushing to put his pant on he mentally shouted, ''Can''t you wait until I am dressed?''


    ''Why? It does not matter to me. We aren''tpatible races.'' She replied, clearly teasing Eldrian.


    This worked as he could feel his face heating up from her answer. Her reply certainly not something he had ever even thought of. And now he had some absurd images in his head.


    Seeing him smoldering in anger and embarrassment half-dressed, Zamiaughed. Causing a strange noise Eldrian did not know horses could make to enter his ears.


    ''I just came to say something. Do calm down.'' She said after having enjoyed herself enough for one day.


    Eldrian calmed down, but this only went for his anger. His embarrassment instead grew even more.


    ''You should let Cephaphyr do more, you might think he is a weak little Alicorn. And while that is true, it still means he is far stronger than you.''


    ''What do you mean?'' Eldrian asked, hoping for more advice. Instead, he got some more random advice.


    ''Having him make arrows and even a spear was smart. It is certainly a great idea if you were stronger, but you are too weak to properly use them.''


    After saying this she spread her wings and quickly disappeared past the tree canopies. Leaving an embarrassed Eldrian air drying next to the stream. His pants clearly put on in a rush as it clung to him ufortably.


    ...


    ''Why do you continue helping the Elf?'' Agamemas asked as soon as his wife returned.


    ''Because everyone needs help at some time in their life. Even me and you used to be like that.'' Zamia replied as she looked at Agamemas''s horn which was broken in half. Something which certainly did not bode well for an Alicorn. And even less so for the one, it broke off in.


    Agamemas snorted at Zamia''s reply, ''Do you really think it is a good idea to pair Cephaphyr with... This elf?''


    ''Who else, everyone in the family already has a partner. They would not want to pair with him even if they did not. You know how everyone feels he is a bringer of bad luck.'' Zamia paused, saddened as she said the next part. ''This will be for the best.''


    She did not like the thought of sending her only son out like this. But it was indeed the best thing they could do to protect him. Especially knowing that this invasion would not stop.


    ''Is that why you also gave him that insane task. To keep him here until he reaches Tier 3?''


    Zamia did not reply, she simply looked at the stars. Wondering what was up there. Even at her current level she still could not reach them. After flying up for a few hours she would be too tired and unable to breathe. Forcing her to return down. Her magic could only allow her to stay a little longer.


    ...


    After finallying over his embarrassment Eldrian returned to their little camp. Where he took afortable position against a tree as he started meditating. Only subtly opening his eyes as he heard Sabrea returning.


    She had clearly also run into the problem of not having a towel. Even more so she only had one pair of clothing and cleaning them had caused her to returnpletely wet.


    She sat close to the half dying fire, trying to warm herself.


    Eldrian enjoyed the sight for a while before going back to his meditation. Sad that he did not have anything like a nket to offer her. He added this to his list of things to always keep in his inventory.


    As 8 PM came around in the game Eldrian logged out. Standing up he felt lethargic, something he had not felt in quite a while.


    Doing a few stretches he quickly got rid of this as he felt like running to ss today.

 Chapter 145: Lost in the caves

    <h4>Chapter 145: Lost in the caves</h4>


    Vivian duck into a new tunnel, slipping through the narrow opening. Hiding behind this cave''s walls, she quickly picked up some small rocks and threw them in the direction she had been heading.


    A few secondster a group of goblin knights rushed past her in the direction of the sound. A minute or soter another group passed.


    Finally relieved, Vivian sighed in relief. Slowly she slid down on the wall she was leaning against. Grateful to finally have some breathing room again. Having been found in herst hiding spot a few hours ago.


    Currently, most of her armor was gone and her clothes closely following. Her armor either because it had be too damaged, or because it too often made sounds when she tried to move. Her clothes due to the constant small wounds she had been receiving since running after her party had been ambushed.


    Taking a deep breath she cast Anthos on herself. Feeling certain that no more groups would being over as she had waited a few more minutes before daring to use magic. Anthos was the only healing type spell she knew. This did not do much, but it did help close the new wounds she had received today.


    Due to her high Tier most of the wounds were not deadly, they would even heal within a day or two. Even so the new wounds still taxed her stamina and added to her hunger.


    So much that even goblins were starting to sound like a good option. Having long ago gone through all the rations she had on her. Yet even this was harder than it sounded, she had yet to find an opportunity to kill a goblin since a few days after she had entered the caves.


    Why do they want me so badly? She wondered thinking back to how the Oni had kept chasing her no matter how far she had run. Even going so far as to mobilize the entire mountain''s goblins. Uniting the fighting ns under them.


    She also had no idea how she had been able to run during the night without ever being caught by Night Terrors. She had first felt that this might have been luck, but when thinking about it more. She felt it might be rted to why the Oni were looking for her.


    Oni were half-demons. Hybrids between a demon and some other species of monsters or beasts, those chasing her were demonic goblins. As the name implies, hybrids between goblins and demons.


    They are far stronger than their normal counterpart, ifpared with beasts, one would be able to ssify them as Bloodline monsters. Oni of certain monsters or beasts would even reach the level of Ancient monsters.


    Vivian had only managed to escape through the tunnels due to the confusion when she had entered. She had approached the mountains from the opposite direction than Eldrian and his party. As such, she did not even know of the forest.


    Upon entering the caves she had ughtered all the normal goblins in her path and ran from any goblins knights and shamans. Back then the goblins had all beenzing around or enjoying their captives. They had no guards nor sentries, having allowed her to easily enter the caves.


    She kept doing this until she felt she could go on no longer, at which time she found a hidden tunnel to hide in.


    Her ughtering so many goblins had caused the ns inside the mountain to start fighting each other. Believing one another responsible for this. This was certainly the only thing they could think of which could cause so many of them to die without anyone finding evidence of something else.


    This chaos had caused the Oni to be unable to follow her path of destruction and informed them that normal goblins were simply useless. As such they had taken a few days to unify all the ns, sending all the normal goblins to the cave entrances. As a means to alert them if Vivian tried to escape from any.


    Next, they had organized all the goblin knights into patrol groups who searched the caves day and night. Giving every third or so a shaman to boost their ability, both inbat and searching.


    Leaving the caves with nearly no goblins inside, but those inside were all actively looking for her. And they would not search randomly, they would always follow the clues they had on her location.


    Narrowing in from a wider range each time. She had not managed to stay hidden for longer than two days. Luckily she would have rested by then and burst from her hiding spot. Heading in a new random direction, trying to find a new ce to hide.


    Adding more to her luck, organizing the goblins had caused the Oni to bezy, relying on those weaker than them to find their prize. Instead of also searching, they took to the captives to enjoy their time. Waiting for word from one of the patrols. This left them often furious when they arrived at an apologizing shaman. Yet they did not change their ways, feeling certain she would be unable to escape.


    After recovering enough to breathe easily, Vivian used Nidia to summon some water for herself. She knew this would leave even more traces for the shamans to find her, but she had to drink. Luckily the spell was really weak and the detection range was only two meters at most. The same went for Anthizo.


    This, along with how little stamina she had, was the reason she was not using any skills to heal herself. Doing so would drain her too much and leave her starving. At least now she only had to deal with stomach growls every few hours.


    Think! What can I do? Vivian asked herself, hoping to find some way she could get herself out of this situation. Yet the more she thought the more depressed she became. She had run blindly to escape and had no idea where she was inside this maze of caves.


    Worse, she felt that the goblins always made the easier path head further inside the caves. Slowly forcing her to a ce where they could truly corner her.


    She could not really fight since all the patrol groups would easily be able to overwhelm her. Each group consisting of at least 5 or more goblin knights. At least one of who would be a Tier 4, the same as her.


    This along with the narrow width of most of the tunnels made it impossible for her to take them on. Her only weapon was her longsword and a very short dagger. The former too cumbersome inside these caves and thetter simply too short. Going in would only expose her sides or back to the other goblins.


    ...


    "Joren!" Erik shouted with joy, seeing the soldier managing to slowly move towards him. Certainly very clumsy, but that was expected of someone who just lost their leg. "I am d to see you able to move."


    "Thanks..." Joren hesitated, "But my fighting days are over. There is no way I can cover the cost of limb regrowth."


    Erik sighed as he heard this, cursing the stupid people of the world. Who even in such cases would prioritize money over everyone''s goodwill.


    Was it not better to enable a soldier to fight? Erik often asked himself. He did not ask this aloud anymore, having gotten a really dumb reply before. Where the healer had said that if he were worth healing then he would be able to afford it.


    Yet limb regrowth cost nearly half a gold, far too much for a soldier from amon background. A soldier who had a family he also had to feed.


    "What are you thinking of doing?" Erik asked as he led Joren to a bed, on which he could rest.


    "I do not know. Fighting is all that I knew, what can I do now?" Joren asked,ck of direction written all over his face. It was not like in peaceful times where he could take up hunting or farming. He might be able to get a job in the construction section, but they were unlikely to take a cripple.


    Erik thought for a few seconds, "You know how to field dress wounds, right?"


    "Yeah, but that does note close to magic."


    "It does not need to, I would like a few more hands. And I am sure I can organize that with the leaders. There is no way they can say no to it." Erik thought but did not say, Not when I will be covering the cost.


    Joren''s face lit up, asking in a rush when he could start.


    Erik again thought for a while, "Thest wave seemed to be thest for a while. The scouts have not spotted anymore within a week''s travel."


    "Come back tomorrow, I will start teaching you the basics. There is also going to be a little girl, Akarui. She has been nagging me to show her where I work. I''d rather not bring her when this ce is full, but now should be fine. Only recovering patients are still here."


    Joren thanked Erik profusely before leaving. Erik looking at his struggling figure felt he needed to improve the crushes they have here. Those Joren was using were some of the most basic ones. Simply a stick with a ce for one''s arm to rest on, not much more.


    Maybe also a wooden leg, so he can stand with more ease...Erik thought as he returned to his brewing. Making a few stamina potions for energy injections and some salves to stop bleeding.


    For some strange reason these things were insanely expensive when trying to buy, yet the materials they needed were easy to find. Erik having gotten enough for almost 20 of each after only an hour of walking outside the walls.


    A ce that certainly looked like it came out of hell. Bodies littering the ce, the walls having many w marks as the beasts had climbed to the top. At some ces, it even seemed like the walls were about to fall apart.

 Chapter 146: Trade update

    <h4>Chapter 146: Trade update</h4>


    Let Cephaphyr do more...


    This thought stayed in Eldrian''s mind the entire day. Stopping him from really focusing during his sses. Naturally, it was not just this thought, but also the thought of all the goblins. Eldrian fearing just how many would be inside the caves.


    Believing that clearing the entrances was the easiest part and that they would never be able to search the insides of the caves.


    The more he thought, the more he felt it was hopeless. How was he supposed to do this? He ended up stuck on this sour note, failing to even enjoy Erik''spany during lunch.


    Coming back home Eldrian logged onto the forum simply because he was so used to his routine. His mind not at all with his actions, not until he saw that a new major update had been released.


    This snapped his drifting thoughts back to their ces. Quickly he focused up as he read this update notification.


    [We have realized that yers do not feel united. They do not feel like they can influence each other. This is due to how we had spread the yer poption throughout the entire world. Our way of ensuring each kept their own time zone.]


    [Due to this realization we are going to implement a few measures to fix this before we start selling our new and improved headsets.]


    Eldrian read through the rest of the post with rapt attention. Sad that most of this would not even apply to him until he made it back to civilization in the game.


    The biggest factors of this update were enabling yers to sell things to each other and being able to fully choose their starting location -limited to their time-zone synchronization.


    The way trading would be done would be simr to trading tforms on other games. There would be a few things different though. The trading tforms would be done through the temples of gods. Making them avable throughout most of the world. At least as long as there were races of Kalos settled, there should be at least one or more temples.


    A slight limit on these trading tforms was, the fact that the type of trading was limited to the god the temple was built for. As an example, the developers listed the mostmon trading they expected would take ce.


    Weapons would be sold through Dioktis, the god of war. cksmithing materials through Dragos, the god of dragons and cksmithing. Potions through Asteria, the goddess of life, as well as most materials for potions. This was because she was also the goddess of nts.


    In this manner, all types of trading could be done. Not all the gods and what can be traded was exined to the yers, the developers leaving this to the yers to find out.


    Jewelry for example was mentioned and actually pointed out by the developers. Stating that this was neither a weapon nor armor, rather an essory, and as such it would require a different god than Dioktis to trade.


    The developers added with this example that all things would be tradable, even bodies and living things. Finding the right god would be a struggle though, some might even be evil gods of the Kako races. Other gods would have very few temples, with some gods having less than four temples over the entire world.


    While this trading method was a bit irritating since it was so split. Requiring firstly, that the temple was in the city the yer was in, and secondly, them traveling to all the different temples they wish to trade through. It was still a great addition.


    The opening of trading excited all yers. It would enable them to actually share their progress. It would enable them to sell their excess loot, something which NPCs mostly did not care for. It would also enable them to gain some really useful things, like potions far easier.


    It was not easy to get potions through the NPCs. Mostly due to how few NPCs made potions and the fact that these NPC normally did not wish to make many potions. They only made some when they required more money for their experiments during normal circumstances. Very few actually were part of the military and made as many as they could.


    Naturally, like with all trading tforms, there would be a tax. But in this case, it was quite little. Five copper for listing something and if it is sold then a tax of 1% of the cost up to 1 silver. Meaning that when one sold anything more than one gold worth, they would always only pay one silver in tax.


    This money would naturally go to the temple. Yet it was not just a tax for the sake of taxing, it had a bonus. This bonus was that once yers have paid a full gold of tax they would be able to use their tax to lessen the death penalty.


    The degree of lessening would be determined by their level. For anyone yet to reach level ten it would mean they only lose all the XP they had gained, not being reset to the level before with 0 XP. If they had traded three gold, then they could also stop the loss of current XP.


    This was really useful, so much so that it might even be better than not losing a level. Though one would still lose the XP in that case.


    The reason for its usefulness was simple. Eldrian for example was currently level 8. Needing 40k XP to reach level 9, he already had 32k. The total XP he had needed to reach level 8 though, had only been 92k. This meant that if he reset his XP to 0 for level 8, even at this low level, he would lose almost more than half the XP, he had saved in his levels.


    For above level 10, it was exined that it would depend. At 1 gold you would only lose 1 level, instead of the standard 2. At 2 gold you can limit your losspletely, only your XP being reset to 0 for the level you are on. At 5 gold, like before level 10, the loss could bepletely negated.


    These values were not set, exined the developers. Saying that it would increase as yers'' levels increased. Even so, everyone was happy about this inclusion. Sure it would take a great deal of trading to receive these benefits, but no yerined.


    This also exined why the tax was limited to 1 silver. Making it possible for those aiming for max profit to gain a great advantage. While those wishing for the death penalty lessening would need to trade at least one gold worth of items a hundred times. Forcing people to choose between profit and XP.


    For the first time in many, many posts. The yers were praising the developers.


    Eldrian sat in silence for a while after finishing the post. This change was really big.


    Before he could not really get rid of the Tier 5 greatsword he had gotten. He might have tried selling it to those in his city, but no one actually had the coin to afford what it was worth. If they did they might as well go to a cksmith.


    While having kept it had helped him, Eldrian always nned to be a cksmith. This update would enable him to actually make a good amount of money through that. While he might not get as much as he would if he kept it in a store, he felt certain he would be able to sell it far faster.


    This benefit was true for all craftsmen and meant the most to those trying to make guns. The nobles were too blinded by immediate returns to invest when the product was still weak.


    Now through this, they might be able to support themselves. Cutting the NPCspletely, which would be far better for them.


    After getting over his surprise, Eldrian finally logged into the game. One part of him happy that it was the weekend and another sad. He was happy that he could ce all his focus into the game but worried that this came too early. He felt it was most needed when they started entering the caves.


    ...


    "M-my lord..." A goblin shaman bowed obediently to one of the Oni, who was disappointed to find that the girl they had been chasing had disappeared again.


    The Oni looked almost just like goblin knights, having a great figure and toned muscles. But unlike the goblin knight, its skin was not just dark green. Instead, it was a patchy mix of dark red and green. The Oni also had two small horns on its forehead, the signature of most demons.


    "What!" Snarled the Oni, wishing to rip the little goblin''s neck off. It only stopped itself since goblins shamans were the most reliable. If they only had goblin knights, then they would actually have to join the search. Goblin knights might be decent at fighting, but they were next to useless at organizing themselves and others.


    Shivering the shaman wished he did not need to tell his lord. Yet it was his task to monitor the cave entrances.


    "Something happened at the cave entrances." The shaman said in great haste, fearing for his life as he felt the anger building up in his lord''s body.


    "Exin!" The Oni yelled, causing the goblin to lose its footing and kneel in front of the Oni. Even being a Tier higher than the Oni, the shaman dared not dy in its exnation. Instinct propelling it to not dy.


    "A group of humans seemed to have taken to killing those guarding the entrances."


    "So what!" The Oni became more irritated, feeling that this was a waste of time. Who cared if a few goblins were dying?


    Shivering the shaman tried to exin what was happening, doing so caused him to lose an arm. But he was grateful for still having his head as he led his lord to the entrances. Limping from the loss of blood and pain caused by not being allowed to heal the wound.


    While the Oni did not care for a few dying, a few thousand was too many.


    Once he saw what had happened he killed the shaman on the spot. Feeling that the shaman was too useless to have allowed this to happen.

 Chapter 147: A mount?

    <h4>Chapter 147: A mount?</h4>


    Waking up, in the game, Eldrian looked at the dark leaves covering his view of the sky. The sun had yet to rise and without even the moon or stars, it was truly dark. Their fire long having burnt itself out.


    Eldrian took a few minutes to adjust to the light, managing to see the silhouettes of the trees fine. But not much more.


    Alright, let''s get to work. He told himself as he stood up, trying to make as little noise as possible. The others needed a full rest, Eldrian felt that he did not require that. Only needing the amount the system forced onto him.


    After walking for a while he found a ce rtively clear with enough space for him to practice. It was also far enough to not wake the others.


    As he took out his spear Eldrian thought again of the update, remembering that he still needed to meet a representative for his data collection. He had no idea what that would all be about, but he should be able to figure it out soon. Since the meeting was on Tuesday.


    Finishing his thoughts Eldrian moved on to his spear drills. Due to how used to them he had be, he used his spare mental power to try and meditate. Quickly finding this to be far more taxing than simply practicing.


    Meditating while moving was far harder than it was normally. Adding a routine onto it multiplied this difficulty. Eldrian felt like giving up after only a few seconds. Don''t wimp out! He told himself every time he felt his mind slipping or his muscles aching.


    After close to an hour he started getting used to it and actually managed to keep his meditation for his entire set of drills.


    Resting against a tree he thought about how different it felt. How it felt, right.


    Through doing this he had found that he managed to adjust to the flow of mana faster. To learn more, quickly surpassing his normal limit with his meditation. At the same time, he felt like it was also giving him more stamina.


    Not much more. But during thisst set, Eldrian felt certain he had managed to do three more attacks than normal. It was not much, so little that he might have missed it if not for every second feeling stretched due to how much he needed to concentrate.


    He kept at it until the sun started rising, slowly finding himself doing more and more extra attacks. From three to ten by the end.


    At that point, he was so tired he could not even bring himself to move towards a tree. Trowing his spear to the side he simply fell onto his back and enjoyed the view.


    As the sun slowly rose, the leaves lit up. Bing lighter in color, from a dark green to a light lime color when the sun was hitting them directly.


    I should head back.Eldrian told himself as he felt the sun had risenpletely. Standing up, with some effort, he started heading back to the camp. Soon hearing the others also standing up and getting ready for the day.


    The loudest sound of all being Tesining that he was hungry. Chuckling to himself Eldrian took out the meat they had grilled before. Having told everyone to make more than one meal, so as to allow them to work throughout the day without needing to stop to make a fire.


    After sharing the meat and enjoying it, even cold it still tasted great. They all set out to the tform where everyone took their positions. As they were about to set off Eldrian paused and looked at Cephaphyr.


    ''Hey, Ceph.'' Eldrian spoke, wondering if Cephaphyr had created the connection for him or not. A reply came quickly, informing that Cephaphyr had indeed done this.


    ''Yes!'' An excited voice echoed in Eldrian''s head, causing thetter to smile simply due to this excitement.


    ''Your mother told me to let you do more yesterday.'' Before Eldrian could continue, Cephaphyr replied in a panic. Having misunderstood.


    ''I am sure I can make more arrows if I push myself!''


    ''No, nono. Not that, she meant I should let you do something more. Like help us fight, do you think you can do that?'' Eldrian asked, not knowing how Cephaphyr would be able to help against a horde of monsters.


    Even if Cephaphyr was strong, he was not a beast of prey. He was a beast of peace, one whose body was not made to kill. Eldrian would feel morefortable asking a Direwolf this question than an Alicorn. Even knowing that an Alicorn was far stronger, he felt this was mostly due to their magic. Something Cephaphyr was really limited in.


    ''Sure!'' Cephaphyr shouted in happiness, running to the edge and waiting for Eldrian to say go. His wings ready to take off.


    Eldrian had never really taken ount of this, but when Cephaphyr spanned his wings. They covered a reallyrge area, almost twice his own length. Eldrian enjoyed the sight of Cephaphyr''s feathers, which he was seeing for the first time spread.


    ''Wait, we need to figure out how. You don''t have ws, you don''t know offensive magic. How are you going to fight.''


    Hearing this Cephaphyr folded his wings and hid his head in embarrassment between them. Covering most of his body with his brilliant green feathers, which were catching the light of dawn just right. Causing them to seemingly shine.


    Eldrian enjoyed the bright green color, again feeling that it was an amazing contrast to Cephaphyr''s pure ck coat.


    ''I don''t know... How do I fight?'' Came Cephaphyr''s embarrassed voice, ashamed that he did not know how to fight.


    Eldrian almostughed as he heard this question. How to fight seemingly havingpletely flown past Cephaphyr''s considerations.


    "What are you waiting for?" Sabrea shouted to the top as she had been waiting for Eldrian toe down for a few seconds now. There was no reason she knew of which would stop him from directlying off.


    "Sorry, I am trying to figure out if Cephaphyr could be of more help," Eldrian shouted back as he thought a bit more.


    The only thing he could think of was if he rode Cephaphyr. Yet thetter was only as high as his waist. He would not even be able to stretch his legs if he were to climb on him. This also caused him to believe that Cephaphyr would be too weak to carry him, but thinking about how he was magical-... No, a Mythical Beast. Eldrian told himself that thisst thought must be wrong.


    ''Hey, Ceph... Would you mind if I tried to ride you?'' Eldrian asked, getting a puzzled look in reply. As such he quickly exined what he meant, to which Cephaphyr had no problem.


    ''Sure, but let''s go down first. I don''t want you to get hurt.''


    Eldrian almost cracked upon hearing this, feeling that that was what he should have said.


    Eldrian quickly exined to Sabrea his ns and climbed onto Cephaphyr''s back. Finding it surprisinglyfortable. If he bent his knees, he could easily hold himself in ce by gripping with them Cephaphyr''s wings.


    At the same time it allowed him to fully move his body, he could alsomunicate with Cephaphyr almost instantly. After a few practice runs, they managed to actually go where Eldrian wished. Though they had only been going slowly due to all the trees and Cephaphyr following his orders took time. Eldrian felt it was good enough against normal goblins.


    "Let''s go." Eldrian said both aloud and mentally, quickly finding himself ahead of Sabrea and soon in front of the goblins.


    ''Oh god! Back! Back! Back!'' Eldrian shouted to Cephaphyr as he saw the goblins all rising in surprise and charging at them. It had happened so quickly that while he was still enjoying the soft sensation of Cephaphyr''s back, he found himself in front of a horde.


    Cephaphyr did not respond immediately, not understanding why Eldrian was so scared. Luckily he did not ignore Eldrian, as the goblins were about to surround them he turned and quickly ran from them all.


    Back in the forest, a frightened Eldrian said, ''Do not do that again. We can not be surrounded!''


    Seeing that Cephaphyr seemed to not understand Eldrian felt like shouting. Sabrea asking what had happened helped him keep his cool.


    "Lack ofmunication. We will try it again." Eldrian said, making sure to exin to Cephaphyr that he wanted to be only just outrun the goblins. More importantly, that he did not want to leave Sabrea in the dust.


    ''Sorry...'' Cephaphyr apologized, still not understanding quite what was wrong. It was not like those goblins could even harm his feathers, no matter how hard they tried. He failed to realize that Eldrian was not as strong as him.


    "Okay..." Taking arge breath, Eldrian readied himself for some more mishaps. But the speed Cephaphyr had disyed made him want to continue riding him. He felt like this would be simply insane against the weak goblins.

 Chapter 148: A formation, a line

    <h4>Chapter 148: A formation, a line</h4>


    "Let''s go." Eldrian said to Sabrea, saying to Cephaphyr instead, ''Let''s go. Slower. Slower, slower!''


    After the third slower their speed wasparable to Sabrea, who was now sprinting at her fastest to keep up. Seeing her struggle to keep up Eldrian wanted to tell Cephaphyr to slow some more, but they had already past the 70-meter mark and the goblins were reacting, strangely...


    Instead of charging crazily like before, they were all gathering up. Seeing this Eldrian got a bad feeling, which only worsened as he saw the goblins actually getting into a formation.


    Fuck, did they get a shaman or something? But why, why would the rabble get a shaman? Eldrian could not understand why a shaman woulde out and waste his time with the weakest. Certainly, they did not care about these goblins.


    Yet here the goblins were, acting more like trained soldiers than monsters. Really, really bad soldiers. It took them far too long to form up, and even when they did, their formation was still a mess.


    The front line consisted of goblins carryingrge wooden shields, which clearly had only been made out of scrap wood. The shields looked so weak that one hit would tear them apart, but they would certainly eat up many arrows.


    Behind these goblins were spear-carrying goblins, their spear almost reaching the length of pikes. Again the weapons were shabby, none of the spear made out of straight wood. But it would make it difficult to get in close enough to kill them, without being surrounded by the other formations or those few goblins who stood at the side. Ready to run past the formation when that time came.


    There were even a few with bows, while it did not look like they would be able to shoot more than 20 meters. Things flying at them did not cause Eldrian to feel better.


    You got to be kidding me.Eldrianined as he felt all his ns ruined. After forming the goblins only walked forward a little, forming a V formation. All the smaller separate formations joining. The center squad seemingly made of those mostpetent.


    At the same time, this formation meant there was no way Eldrian would be able to kite them without going for the center. Trying to go for the nks would cause the center formation to copse on them.


    While Eldrian was trying to figure out what to do, Cephaphyr broke his concentration.''Should I charge?'' Cephaphyr asked, causing Eldrian to almost have a heart attack.


    ''No! I told you, we can''t be surrounded.''


    ''But we won''t, let me show you.''


    Before Eldrian could respond, he felt himself almost fall from Cephaphyr''s back. His legs luckily being pinched tightly by the little Alicorn''s wings. In seconds he found himself in front of the goblins, who like him, had no idea what was going on.


    Believing that this was it, his second death, Eldrian hoped that Sabrea was not following them. Certain that if she did, she would die or be taken captive. Yet what happened next left him without words.


    Cephaphyr did not stop as he neared the spears, nor did he try to avoid them. He spread his wings, making sure to cover the sides, and more importantly Eldrian. Then he charged straight through the shields, causing them to break into a thousand pieces.


    Eldrian, on Cephaphyr, was amazed as he saw this all happen. More so when he felt that Cephaphyr did not even lose momentum, instead he simply kept running. Killing all the goblins his body touched.


    One would think this only held for his hooves, but no. If a goblin brushed against the Alicorn''s side, he would lose the skin that touched the Alicorn.If instead the feathers touched a goblin, they would cut right through him, as if there was no resistance.


    Eldrian was still busy trying toprehend what was happening when he found himself at the end of one of the V legs. Caves and the mountain blocking their way.


    Eldrian started worrying that Cephaphyr would run into the caves, instead Cephaphyr pped his wings. Once to get rid of all the blood and guts on them, then once more to take flight.


    Eldrian was so shocked and speechless that he could not evenprehend that he was flying. Not until he was back before the forest and could see the clear line Cephaphyr had made when charging through the goblins.


    [17.7K XP gained]


    [You have leveled up!]


    Wha-what... What the hell?Eldrian asked himself as he looked at Sabrea who was rushing back, the goblins all having retreated after Cephaphyr''s disy of might. None dared stay outside, all running into their caves to seek shelter from the bloody demon which was Eldrian and Cephaphyr.


    It took a few minutes for Eldrian''s mind to finally catch up andprehend just what had happened. Only now, after this, did he believe that Alicorns were equal to dragons.


    His ignorance is well-founded. Eldrian told himself as he remembered Cephaphyr wanting to simply rush in without even knowing how to fight. He did not need to know. He was simply too strong.


    "What..." Sabrea failed to ask her question as she looked at Cephaphyr and Eldrian, both of whom were covered in blood.


    Cephaphyr was so drenched in blood that it was dripping from him. Completely covering his coat and causing him to look red, only his wings still had some of their colors due to having most of the blood thrown off.


    As Eldrian opened his mouth to speak, he finally realized how bad his state was as the blood entered the slit he had opened it by.


    Feeling nauseous he immediately cast Nidia, time and time again. Only managing to clean himself after 10 minutes, having exhausted his mana more than once. Each spell not even managing to clean one area in the beginning.


    ...


    The new shaman, responsible for the entrance, ran for his life to his lord. Fearing that the monstrous horse-like creature would follow him. He had never before seen such a thing, not even his most destructive spell as a Tier 5 shaman would kill close to so many goblins. Even if the goblins were all bunched, his spell would simply lose its power.


    Once he reached the central cave where the Oni were enjoying themselves he dived onto his knees and prayed to them.


    "Great lords. Please save us!"


    Irritated that they had been interrupted, again. Most of the Oni wished to kill the shaman on the spot. They had instructed that they were only to be disturbed if the female had been found. Not for something ridiculous such as saving pathetic goblins.


    One of the Oni who had been enjoying one of the fresher captives, one who was still struggling and fighting, was so angry that he started forming his spell to end the shaman.


    "Wait!" Shouted their leader, standing up and moving towards the cowering shaman.


    He was Clelb, the strongest of their group. He did not look strong, having a slim physique and almost no muscles visible, even when only wearing pants. But this did not indicate his strength, he was a Tier 6 assassin, a magical assassin.


    One of the greatest, or rather this was what he thought of himself. Most Oni thought themselves the best, only believing those they had fought and lost to. To be better than them.


    What can have a goblin fear so much? Clelb thought to himself, knowing that most of them did not know fear. Shamans were different, but to shiver like this. It meant that the goblin saw no hope in fighting.No, this smell of fear...Clelb realized as he smelled the terrible stench of fear.


    This smell was arge reason why Kako races could work together. Not killing and eating each other. If this had been a human, even better if a female. Then this smell would have been heavenly for Clelb, but on a goblin. It stank like shit, no worse, far worse. And it meant that the goblin saw no way of even running or hiding.


    "What happened?" Another Oni shouted in irritants, wanting to go back to his game with two women. Both of whom had long ago given up in resisting.


    "M-my lord. There came a devil, a-a monster. It ran thr-through my ranks of goblins... Killing them al-all with-without stopping. Then, then... Then it took flight, if. If I had stood in its path." The shaman failed to say more as he started shaking in fear again.


    "What!" The Oni who had asked the question shouted in rage, wishing to kill the shaman. But he was stopped by Clelb.


    "Killing him will do no good. Return to your games, I will go look at what is going on." Saying this Clelb took the shaman with him and headed outside. Wanting to know just what they were facing. He had no intel of any strong creatures being here.


    His superior had not thought he would leave the nned area that the army of Phallos was following. As such they did not tell him much of thend he was in, considering it a waste to exin what was not likely to be encountered.


    Sure the goblins had spoken that the forest was cursed, but Clelb had thought it to be ramblings of the ignorant.


    Now, now he was fearing it might be true... And they might have angered the forest.

 Chapter 149: Clelb appears

    <h4>Chapter 149: Clelb appears</h4>


    "What just happened?" Tes asked as everyone returned to the tform.


    The goblins were now all hiding so they certainly could not follow the old n. Everyone also wanted to know what they just saw. Unable to process that such a weak-looking creature could cause so much destruction.


    Eldrian turned towards Cephaphyr, "He showed me what he is capable of." Eldrian said, feeling this is the only thing he could do to exin things. He still struggled to link the line of dead goblins to this little Alicorn. The two things felt like things that should never be in the same sentence.


    No one replied to Eldrian''s statement. They did not know what to say, they knew that the grown Alicorns were strong, but to see this little one do so much more. Almost more than what took them an entire day, in just a few minutes. It destroyed the pride they had as elite soldiers. Especially when they realized that that was without using magic.


    Looking back at the caves, Eldrian felt his face twitch as he saw the goblins hiding in them. He did not know if Cephaphyr would be able to run inside the caves. He felt it unlikely, worried that the caves would be too narrow, leading to them being surrounded.


    If he had known how strong Cephaphyr was, he would have tried to lead the goblins far out. Killing them all in one go.


    Sighing Eldrian thought of the lost opportunity as he finally started epting it. Seeing just how weak he and humans, in general, were whenpared to Mythical Beasts.


    "So... Now what?" Sabrea asked, causing everyone to look at Eldrian. Their stares seemingly saying that the goblins hiding was his fault.


    "We can probably still get them toe out, or we can just kill them from a distance if they don''t. We just need to figure out a new method." Eldrian said, feeling that the time for entering the caves hade early.


    Luckily the goblins had not run deeply into the caves, fearing that that too will be their death. They were now all torn between dying by the Oni or by the devilish horse creature.


    "Margit, can you maybe teach me a fire spell. One with arge area of effect which is also a Tier 1." Eldrian asked as they left the forest. They were all certain that the goblins would not chase them far, the forest being a safe ground. Even if it weren''t, they felt the Alicorns, Unicorns, and Pegasuses would not sit still when a horde ran into their forest.


    Due to this confidence, they had set out as a group. nning to act as one party this time, instead of as two. Sabrea would be responsible for keeping the goblins at bay if they do charge, while everyone would slowly retreat. Until the right moment came for Eldrian and Cephaphyr to take them all out.


    "No, sorry," Margit replied, quickly adding to exin herself. "Most Tier 1 spells have a small area of effect. Even my Tier 3 spells only have a meter or so."


    Sighing Eldrian gave up on that n, but he could still probably use Frost Needle. He might not have mastered it to Rank 3 like Nidia. But he did have it to Rank 1, he had never really tried using it inbat since getting it to that rank.


    He wondered if he might be able to thread it through a few goblins, seeing as they were each so weak on their own.


    Arriving just a hundred meters from the caves, everyone stopped. Seeing the goblins still not charging, only hiding in their caves, the group sighed in unison.


    They could not go nearer, since doing so would mean they could easily be surrounded by goblins from the other caves. Hence they would try and kill more goblins from here, their hope being that the goblins would charge out after a few died.


    "Let''s see how they react to getting attacked from here," Eldrian suggested, causing everyone to go into action. Preparing their spells or arrows. Eldrian''s Frost Needlended first as he needed less than a second to cast it.


    Eldrian simply aimed at a goblin''s chest, losing sight of the ice as soon as it passed through the goblin''s chest. It dying without even knowing what happened. The resulting experience gained informed Eldrian that he had killed three goblins with that one spell. Yet even with that, the goblins were still hiding. No, instead they seemed to be retreating further into the caves.


    Just as the goblins Eldrian''s attack had killed died, the other attacks from the party also startednding. Even Sabrea cast a few Tier 1 spells she had learned long ago, Floyd trying to also help by sending some spheres of light into the cave.


    These allowed them to see as the goblins died. The entrance soon covered by corpses as the goblins finally broke and ran further into the caves.


    The goblins felt that they would rather try and fight the Oni, than that monster standing next to the elf with silver hair. They dared not leave the caves while that devil-horse was still there.


    "Well..." Eldrian sighed, "This sucks, I guess we are going to need to enter the caves." Eldrian did not n to do this right away, he first wanted to go to each entrance and kill as many goblins as possible. The more killed, the betterter.


    Just as everyone was about to walk towards the next cave, a shout born out of pure anger echoed from the caves. Eldrian did not understand what the shout meant, but he could hear the echoes of the goblins rushing back.


    "Something scared them back, did any of you understand the shout?"


    No one replied, instead they all started walking backward. Seeing their actions, Eldrian realized it was about time to mount Cephaphyr.


    ''Alright, don''t attack right away, let theme out fully first.'' Eldrian told Cephaphyr, who nodded in reply. Eldrian had already exined the n to him.


    While still being so nonchnt Eldrian suddenly felt a deep murderous intent. He had no idea how he managed to feel this, never having trained in doing so. But now, it felt like all the mana surrounding him had be agitated.


    It was so bad that it almost caused the mana inside of him to flood. Something he had never even known was possible, and certainly something he wanted to testter. When it was safe.


    "Run!" Eldrian shouted aloud while telling Cephaphyr to protect them.


    He had reacted just in time, allowing Cephpahyr to spread his wings to cover the others as a st of poisonnded on him. It might not have killed the others, but it would likely have taken them out of the fight.


    The blow was so hard that Cephaphyr shot backward a few meters, the shock of the attack so great that Eldrian was blown from his back. Coughing up blood from the roughnding, likely having broken a couple of bones.


    What the hell was that? Eldrian wondered as he looked at the party, everyone running for the forest.They had decided to run for their lives after they saw that attack, certain that it was at the level of Tier 6 spells.


    Eldrian was not angry when seeing this, no rather he was d. It was the agreed-upon action if something really bad happened. Eldrian had asked them to do this since he doubted Cephaphyr would be killed and if it really came to it, then Zamia would save him. Eldrian was certain of this, and naturally, he did not care nearly as much if he died. He would dly sacrifice himself for the others.


    Turning his sight to Cephaphyr, Eldrian was d to see him mostly alright. His feathers looked ruffled and some of them were burnt, or rather melted. But Eldrian failed to see blood or even a piercing wound, things he had been expecting.


    ''Ouch, ouch ouch ouch!'' Eldrian heard Cephaphyrining lightly. This relieved him more as it told him the damage was not great. But it also informed him that the new enemy was strong, really strong.


    It had to be if it was capable of hurting an Alicorn, even if it was only a Tier 3 Alicorn.


    Struggling to his knees Eldrian heard more of thenguage he did not understand.


    "You dare interrupt us! You dare kill my underlings! I will make you suffer!" The Oni shouted as he threw the shaman aside like he was a piece of garbage. The shaman sttering the walls of the cave the Oni just came out of.


    Seeing this red and green orc-like thing. Eldrian did not know what to think, Observe gave him no info. Leaving him grasping at straws as he struggled to breathe and saw his HP lowering, slowly.


    I think my ribs are broken. No, more like they broke and are piercing my lungs.Eldrian though, d that the pain was lessened. It might seem like he was gasping in pain, but he did not feel all this pain. More it was the fact that he could feel his lungs being disrupted that caused him to gasp so much.


    Cephaphyr finally recovered fromining about the pain and looked at the one who sent the poison spell at him. He shouted mentally, but only Eldrian heard since Cepahphyr failed to create a connection to the Oni.


    ''Why the hell did you hurt me?!''


    This caused Eldrian to chuckle, which in return made him even more aware of how useless he would be now. A few piercing shots of pain informing him that walking would be really hard.

 Chapter 150: Clelb and his greatsword

    <h4>Chapter 150: Clelb and his greatsword</h4>


    "How dare you not run in terror!" Clelb shouted as he felt that the horse creature in front of him was not even afraid. As if it was seeing him as a weakling, this highly pissed him off. He hated when people, creatures, and monsters did not show him the fear he felt he was due.


    ''Huh, I don''t understand sounds.'' Cephaphyr said as he pped his wings to get rid of the rest of the poison. Which were causing his feathers to slowly melt as if the poison was acidic, causing a smell he really did not like.


    Hearing Cephaphyr still talking, Eldrian felt like facepalming. Leading him to try and exin to Cephaphyr that neither of them wasmunicating correctly.


    ''I don''t think he can hear you, Ceph.'' Eldrian said as he looked at Clelb, wondering just how strong this monster was.


    ''Huh, howe?'' Cephaphyr asked, turning his head towards Eldrian.


    This caused Clelb to be furious, no longer in the mood for talking and reigning over the weak. Something he normally loved doing, he loved ying with them. Teasing them and prolonging their death.


    Now instead he rushed towards Cephaphyr, pulling out the greatsword he wore on his back. Wanting to end it in one strike, something he could not do with his daggers.


    He knew he could not do this since beasts were normally quite sturdy and often had strong fur/coat/leather protecting them. His weak daggers were almost never able to pierce deep enough and the poison he had only worked on weaker creatures.


    ''Watch out!'' Eldrian shouted, just in time. Cephaphyr turning back to the Oni and seeing the deing for him. Quickly pping his wings, Cephaphyr jumped back. Causing the space of two meters to grown into ten within a second.


    "Try and keep that up!"Clelb shouted as he charged again, only to fail in reaching the horse time and time again. After his sixth failed attempt he grew furious and impatient.


    "Fine, then I will kill this one."Clelb snorted as he turned towards Eldrian. Somehow their path had led them near Eldrian again.


    Fuck.Was all Eldrian thought as he forced himself into action, bringing grace to his front and blocking the overhead attack. The strength of which was so great that he was knocked back onto the ground. Spitting out blood as he felt the air being forced from his lungs. A clear cut, visible in Grace''s shaft from that single attack.


    ''Haru!'' Cephaphyr shouted in distress and started running back, but he would not make it until a few more attacksnded.


    Desperate, Eldrian cast Drive on himself. He already knew he was too slow and weak, but luckily Clelb was using a weapon he was not used to. If he had been using his daggers, then Eldrian would be dead already.


    The reason for Clelb''s nonoptimal use of weapons was because he was furious and not thinking rationally. Amon fault of demons, more so in semi-demons; Oni. Who received amplified faults of demons and only some of their strengths.


    As such Clelb was not thinking clearly, wishing to end the weak elf through sheer strength. Something which he was confident he could do. As such he used his Tier 2 magical sword, not his Tier 3 daggers, nor his magic which was, in fact, his strongest asset. Being a magical assassin


    Clelb knew that the weapons might not be able to cut into Cephaphyr. But he did not care, believing himself superior. He wished to use the sword as a club and beat the horse to death. Feeling it was the best way to enjoy it, magic might end it too soon. Yet this had only led him to have to chase Cephaphyr who was running, so now he decided to do the same to the elf.


    Blocking another hit Eldrian could feel the muscles in his arms tearing. Each attack sent shockwaves through his body and robbed him of at least 10 HP. He only had 40 left at this stage.


    Jumping to the side Eldrian managed to avoid the next attack. Only to find a footing for him. Luckily he had trained a great deal and never only focused on the weapon of his enemies. As such he managed to bring grace down to block the attack.


    Doing so saved his life, but cost him his best weapon. With a snap, Grace broke. The two cuts into its shaft, with the added kick, causing it to split like a branch.


    Shit!Eldrian, desperate, pulled out the spear Cephaphyr had made for him. Without thinking he threw it at Clelb, hoping to buy the second he needed for Cephaphyr to reach him. Hopefully also being able to save him then.


    Seeing the spear heading towards him, Clelb smirked. It was far too weak to pierce his toned body. Yet on impact, the spear did not pierce, it did not shatter. Rather it exploded into a web of wood, which encircled the Oni and then connected to the ground. Fixing him into his current position as it also pierced into his body, draining a great deal of his strength.


    What the?Both Eldrian and Clelb though, not understanding what had happened. For Eldrian this was one of many thoughts, for Clelb, it was hisst.


    Cephaphyr, at full speed, rammed his horn into the Oni. His horn easily piercing through its back and heart.


    Looking at the horn sticking out of its chest in astonishment, Clelb failed toprehend how he died.


    [426k XP gained]


    [yer has gained 3 levels]


    Eldrian sighed in relief as he fell unconscious.


    ...


    "He is waking!" Margit shouted in excitement, having been worried that Eldrian would stay like that.


    "Thank goodness, I thought he had died," Floyd said, having feared that his healing had failed. No matter what he had tried, he could not cause Eldrian to wake. He could only heal his wounds.


    "Even if he did, it won''t matter. He would just resurrect..." Tes said, stopping as he saw the res from the others.


    "What... Happened?" Eldrian asked, relieving Tes from needing to exin himself. Eldrian''s memories were muddled, thest thing he remembered was throwing that spear as ast desperate act.


    "You killed an Oni! And a really strong one at that!" Sabrea shouted as she looked at Eldrian''s torn clothes, even his armor was now little more than scraps. She could not stop herself and rushed in to hug Eldrian, who was still trying toprehend what had happened. Sabrea''s act did not help, instead, it caused his mind to go nk for a few seconds and he enjoyed her warmth.


    "What''s an Oni?" Eldrian asked after Sabrea let go and thest few seconds of the fight came back to him. Remembering the system message he was so shocked that he missed most of the exnation Sabrea gave him.


    400 thousand XP... What, how?Eldrian looked at the message again and again, and at the now 20 free attributes he had.


    It took him some time to get over the shock, after which he asked Sabrea to start over. She did not mind, certain that Eldrian had to be having a hard time grasping what had happened.


    There was one good reason why Eldrian was not frantically looking for answers and instead of taking it slow. He had already confirmed that everyone was alright, even Cephaphyr who had fought with him. Cephaphyr was calmly sitting at the edge of the tform and enjoying the sunset.


    Sunset?"How long was I out?" Eldrian asked, shocked that the sun was already setting.


    "Almost the entire day," Floyd answered, taking over the conversation. He started exining to Eldrian what his condition had been. It was certainly a death sentence for a human without a healer. But for one with, it should not be that bad. Especially when said healer was Tier 5, someone who could even resurrect people.


    "What!" Eldrian shouted in surprise, feeling it would have been better if he had just died. Resurrecting only took half an hour. But after the shock about the time passed, Eldrian thought it through and realized the XP he would have lost, two entire levels. This was his understanding of the death penalty past level 10, the developers have made this clear with the update post. That was over 200k XP!


    A bitter he also realized what Floyd was trying to say, "Wait, you said that you healed me. Then, why did it take so long for me to wake up?"


    "That is what I wish to know too. Have you ever experienced something like this before?" Floyd asked.


    "No... Wait," Eldrian thought back to thest time he had died, where he had not died like others. Instead, it had been more like a true death.


    "Maybe, I am not sure. It was a while ago, butst time I died." At this Eldrian was interrupted.


    "Wait, you died before?" Sabrea asked, shocked to hear this.


    "Yeah, I mean most Chosen have. It''s not a big deal."


    "No, it might be." Floyd countered as Sabrea nodded to show her agreement with that statement. "You just said that something simr happenedst time. What exactly happened, and what connects these two?"

 Chapter 151: Hidden help

    <h4>Chapter 151: Hidden help</h4>


    "Uh,st time was with the other mission. The one where we fought a horde of wolf beasts." Eldrian said, deep in thought as he tried to figure out what was the same. The first thinging to mind was that he nearly died, or rather. He did once, and this time was really close to dying. Having even lost concussions again.


    Maybe that''s it. I don''t think I diedst time right as I lost consciousness.


    To try and figure out what happened Eldrian exined what he remembered, including the fight and what happened after.


    "So, both times was an intense fight. Thest time you died for real and got a different debuff than normal, something no other Chosen got. Do you have one now?" Floyd asked in curiosity. He might not be an academic, nor a researcher. But he was curious about the Chosen.


    At Floyd''s prompt, Eldrian looked at his stats, failing to find anything strange. Other than having Fatigue at level 5 and magical Fatigue at level 4.


    Wait, how do I have fatigue. I mean, the first maybe. But not so high, and I did not cast any spells. Eldrian felt that something was going on here. There was no way that fight should have tired him that much, it was far too short. He could train for hours, as long as he took some ten-minute breaks between.


    I reacted really quickly, I mean I had managed to keep up with the Oni... Eldrian realized something. That was what happened during his fight with the Alpha, he had managed to react far quicker than was normal. Managing to do more than any Tier 0 should be able.


    Then he died.


    This time, he did far more than a Tier 1 should be able. Keeping up with a Tier 6, Eldrian did not know the Oni''s specialization. But he felt like keeping up with a Tier 6 as a Tier 1 was insane, no matter what.


    Then he fell unconscious as soon as he confirmed the kill.


    This is linked, somehow. I think the difference between my death and others is also due to this. Eldrian thought as he searched for what this might mean. Both times he had been able to move faster due to his reaction speed increase. While not really moving faster, rather he was able to react with almost no dy,


    He might not know how rtive the Alpha''s speedpared to this Oni. But he felt it wasparable when also taking into ount his heightened speed due to having his agility at 150.


    Not really knowing, nor what it would mean. Eldrian decided to keep this to himself for now. He would certainly try and talk about this with the representative on Tuesday. But before that, he wanted to think it over more and hopefully experience it again when they enter the caves.


    "I don''t have a debuff. Let''s drop it, for now, I am really hungry." Eldrian said, feeling his stomach growling. Which caused the others'' to also growl, all the food being in Eldrian''s inventory.


    This led to everyoneughing and joking as they climbed down from the tform and headed to their camp. Where they quickly started a fire and grilled the meat Eldrian offered. Snacking on some cold pieces as they waited for the fire to reach the correct temperature.


    "Do you think that was the strongest creature in the caves?" Eldrian asked everyone, hoping that that would be the case. He felt that a Tier 6 was really high, yet he could not say. This was not a normal game where quests were reasonable.


    You just got them due to circumstance, it did not matter if you were ready or not.Something which was very clear when looking at Ins, a kingdom where almost no yers were staying.


    The others were all unsure of Eldrian''s question, which made everyone apprehensive of going into the caves. They certainly could not fight a Tier 6, not inside the caves where they could also be surrounded.


    After a while of silence, everyone decided to rest. Eldrian stood up, feeling like taking another bath. As he left the group he saw Cephaphyr a bit away, curious he headed over. Seeing that Zamia was also there as he neared.


    "Hey," Eldrian said, causing him to quickly be added to the conversation by Cephaphyr.


    ''Cephaphyr, you should remember to run when in danger.'' Zamia said with love, not stopping her conversation just because Eldrian had been added into the loop.


    ''But! He needed my help!'' Cephaphyr shouted in protest, not understanding why it was wrong. It had worked out alright, hadn''t it?


    ''And if I had not helped you, you would have failed to save him and been left at the Oni''s mercy.'' Zamia countered, wishing that her son would understand just how much danger he had been in. If she had not been looking over them he might have really died. Certainly injured once the Oni regained his senses and approached the battle with intelligence.


    She herself had been surprised when seeing the Oni. Thest time she had checked the caves there had only been one Tier 6 shaman. The rest had all been weaker, with around 4 Tier 5''s and 20 Tier 5 goblin knights. She did not even care for those weaker than these.


    She had reasoned that these numbers were safe for the party. While safe might be overstating it, Cephaphyr would have been safe. The humans might have died, but they could also have lived. It would have depended on them. On how well they worked together and if they could think of some ingenious ns.


    Oni though, that ruined her ns. They were not weak monsters like goblins, who would always be weaker than other monsters at the same Tier. Oni were instead at the top. While most Oni were weaker than Unicorns and Pegasi, some managed to actually be as strong as thetter two. Where no one would be able to tell who would win in a fight of same Tiered individuals.


    ''How did you help us?!'' Cephaphyr shouted in protest, believing that it had all been Eldrian and his doing.


    ''Yes, how did you help us?'' Eldrian questioned, also wanting to know what she was talking about. He could not remember her sweeping down to save them. He certainly would not haveined if she did, it might have saved Grace.


    ''The spear you threw. Did you think it would have done anything?'' Zamia asked with patients, she did not care that they had missed this. But she needed to inform Cephpahyr about the fact that he was too weak.


    ''I did not know, but I had to do something. It was a gamble, which paid off.'' Eldrian replied, truthful that he had not thought it would do much. He had simply acted to try and save himself.


    ''It would have just splintered, but I had used it to cast my spell. Bringing the wood to life and binding the Oni in ce. I had nned to kill it with a wind spell right after, but... Then Cephaphyr rammed it, something which was really irresponsible!'' Yet while saying this Zamia could not keep the pride from leaking through the connection. As a mother, she was afraid for her son, as a leader she was proud of what he managed to do at such a young age.


    ''Zamia, I can try to understand your feelings as a mother. But as abatant, as a party member. I think what Cephaphyr did was not irresponsible. I feel it was the best thing he could have done, to fight to the end with me.'' Eldrian countered, feeling like Zamia was belittling what they had done.


    He did not care about the fact that they had received help. He cared that she was saying fighting to the end with another was wrong. That was not something he expected to hear from someone so strong and knowledgeable.


    Hearing this caused Zamia to go deep into thought, realizing that it was indeed the best thing. But only if they had been bound together when their lives were linked. She felt that it was not necessary to go so far before that had been done.


    Unable to ovee this train of thought. Their kind would live for thousands of years, while an elf might be worth fighting with. A human certainly had nowhere close to that worth. She felt that Chosen would have even less than humans since they would resurrect. Hence there would not even be a loss.


    Naturally, this was not the only thing keeping her from thinking objectively. She was not able to separate her thoughts as a mother. Not when her only child was mixed into things.


    Cephaphyr instead was brimming with pride, happy about what he had aplished and the fact that Eldrian praised his actions. He also agreed with what Eldrian had said, that he should fight to the end with his friend.

 Chapter 152: The night

    <h4>Chapter 152: The night</h4>


    After quite some time passed, Zamia spoke again. ''You might be right, but I still think it was wrong for Cephaphyr to ce himself in danger for you. Someone who would not die.''


    Surprising her, Eldrian agreed. ''Oh, that I agree with. That is why I told the others to run in case of danger. I can die and still live, they can''t. The only reason I didn''t do the same with Cephaphyr was that I assumed you had investigated the caves and found he would not be injured.''


    Hearing this caused Zamia to be embarrassed. She had made a great mistake by not making sure the caves were indeed safe. Having believed that it would be the same as thest time she had looked.


    After a while more of silence, she spoke again. ''I understand and must apologize. It is as you said, I did check the caves. But that had been a few weeks ago, during which the Oni seemed to havee in.''


    ''Maybe that is why Vivian is inside the caves!'' Eldrian shouted as this thought came into his head. It was the most basic exnation.


    How did I not think of why?Zamia asked herself as she realized she had never thought about why a human would enter the caves. This caused her embarrassment to be worsened. Peace had made me dumb.


    ''Now that we know something is wrong, can you look into the caves again. That Oni might not have been the only one.'' Eldrian asked, not wishing to run into a few Oni when inside a cave. He felt that would be really bad. Cephaphyr unable to use his speed, the rest unable to spread out. It would just cause them to be at the enemy''s mercy.


    ''I will do that tonight. Don''t worry, tomorrow you can go on with your task.'' Zamia said, finishing their conversation as she flew into the sky.


    Well, that was interesting. Eldrian though, turning towards Cephaphyr, ''How tired are you?'' He asked.


    ''What! I am not tired at all!'' Cephaphyr replied in a hurry, causing Eldrian to chuckle.


    ''No need to be worried, I just wanted to ask for a spear or two. My other one broke.'' Eldrian said, wondering what had happened to the broken pieces. They were not in his inventory.I''ll ask the otherster.He decided as he exined to Cephaphyr what he wanted.


    Unlikest time he hoped Cephaphyr would be able to make both a short spear and a normal one. He also asked if Cephaphyr could add a spearhead to both the front and back. Unsure Cephaphyr had told him he would try his best.


    After which Eldrian headed to the stream to take a bath. Having found it far toofortable thest time. He certainly was not going to stop himself from enjoying the little things. Maybe IRL, but not in the game. It was supposed to be fun.


    ...


    Five more Oni...Zamia said to herself as she scanned the caves. Causing her to be even more curious about why they were here. Two were Tier 4 and three were Tier 5. It was a really strong group, something unlikely to just be found randomly. They would certainly be part of a military of some demon or devil. It would be rare for such a strong group to fall under other Oni.


    Hence Zamia was certain that they had a mission. Which caused her even more confusion, knowing that no Kako leader would have sent anyone to their forest. One case with the devil was already too much. Another was simply taunting them to fight back, something the devils would not want.


    I''ll take care of them and leave the rest of the goblins. Their task might be really easy now.Zamia thought as she shapeshifted into her human form, a beautiful woman of ample figure. Her human form was certainly something many men would not be able to withstand.


    Her hair was silvery-white, reflecting the moonlight. She worea pure white dress, causing her to seem like a maiden out in the fields. Enjoying the flowers or something.


    Yet on her sides were two daggers and on her back a longsword. Taking out the daggers she cast a sphere of darkness around her. It might not be a good hiding technique, but it was good enough when inside the caves. Where a dark spot would be hard to see.


    This dark spot quickly disappeared into the caves, killing the Oni as soon as she found them. Simply cutting their neck sufficed. She did not even need to be careful, they were all so absorbed in their games.


    They did not realize the shouts for help through bleeding troats where other Oni. It being only a gurgling mess of sounds. Those hearing it instead thought someone was enjoying some killing.


    Coming out of the cave Zamia dispelled the darkness and transformed back into her Alicorn form. She never really like being in a different form. It always felt alien to her, like she was not herself.


    As the darkness faded and night came back, it became clear that Zamia was alone. She had not saved the woman, leaving that to Eldrian and his party. Party to give them the satisfaction, and also because she had no reason to do more. They weren''t even the same race as her, she felt no duty to help them.


    As she left the caves again she sighed, the goblins would be in a mess. Panicked and without their strongest. Zamia had failed to detect the Tier 6 shaman, having probably been killed when the Oni first moved in.


    Not just that, but two other Tier 5 shamans were also gone. Meaning there were only three left, who would likely fight for what was left of the goblins. If Eldrian and his party waited a few hours like nned and only acted in the morning. They would walk into the goblins fighting each other.


    I really had wished this to take at least a few months. Not just a few days.Zamia sighed, wondering if she should let Cephaphyr go with Eldrian before she could bind their souls. Or let him stay until Eldrian reached Tier 3. In both cases, they would have toe back here.


    ...


    Waking up from the game Eldrian went for a run. After which he had nothing really to do. Sure he had some homework but like any college student, he wanted to put it off forter.


    What to do?He asked himself a few times. In the end, he decided to simply browse the forum and look for some interesting posts. Especially on the group of yers trying to make guns.


    He also read some magic posts, most yers just letting the system do everything for them. But not all, some, after reading about High Elves. Were curious why they could not do the same.


    Following Eldrian''s post and guide, they tried it, along with other High Elves. Most still failed, but some managed to get a feeling, like Eldrian had stated he felt at the start.


    Naturally, this had caused him to get quite a bit of cash from tips. Nearly 400 dors already, an insane amount to Eldrian. He himself returned some of this when reading about other experiences these yers had had.


    Trying to figure out if it could help him in his own approach.


    ...


    Climbing back into the game, Eldrian thought about what he needed to do. He felt like he needed to probe the caves first. Maybe with Cephaphyr, maybe alone. He had yet to decide.


    I''ll ask everyone what they think.He thought as he ced the headset on his head. Wondering how different the new headset they had announced would be.


    Waking up, Eldrian found that he was the first. Naturally, it was only around four in the morning. Any decent human would still be sleeping.


    Standing up Eldrian headed to a part of the woods to practice again. Naturally, he could not do his normal spear drills, instead, he took out the greatsword and used it for now. He chose to practice with the greatsword since it was his best weapon after grace. Yet he quickly found something strange.


    Wasn''t that a bit too easy?He asked himself as he found that keeping his mana flowing had be far easier. Looking for an answer he turned towards his stats, wondering if he got some buff or title.


    He did not.


    After a few minutes of searching, he finally managed to see something different. His affinity had increased some more, from 96-something- to 97. Eldrian did not see this at first, but after eliminating everything else. It was the only thing he could think of and after a few seconds of pondering. He remembered that it was 96-something before.


    Why? Why did it increase again? Eldrian wondered, realizing that he had never read of others posting that theirs increased. They might simply not have posted it, like Eldrian. But he felt that it might be only him.

 Chapter 153: Broken spear and loot

    <h4>Chapter 153: Broken spear and loot</h4>


    Eldrian knew he would not be able to think of an answer. So after satisfying his curiosity by having found the reason, he tried meditating. Finding that he could actually now move his mana not just to his head, but also his limbs. Increasing the number of paths from the one he had been practicing with, to five.


    Eldrian first spent around half an hour just getting used to the new way it flowed. The feeling of creating so many paths and then sending mana through them, something new and hard to maintain.


    Only after getting used to it, and being able to focus some of his attention on other things, did he start practicing with the sword again.


    The start was hard, almost like he had never tried this before. He would let slip his concentration and either mess up his attack, or cause his mana to retreat and the pathway he had made to be lost.


    Even so, he did not wish to lessen the paths. He wanted to practice at his max, and as such, he only managed to hold out for an hour. After which he fell onto the ground,pletely exhausted.


    Not smart, why did I do that?He asked himself as he waited for his body to recover. After recovering from the excitement of managing to improve so quickly, he felt it had been dumb. Dumb to push himself so hard when he had other things he needed to do.


    While it was a good thing when only looking at the results, when he saw the Fatigue and Magical Fatigue he had gained. He felt it was really dumb.It was not the right time to be focusing on training.


    Once he recovered, he decided to call it a day. Heading back to the temporary camp, he found that the others were still asleep. With nothing else to do, he browsed the forum until everyone started waking. Which was only 15 minutes or soter.


    Once everyone was ready and geared in their armor. Eldrian decided to ask, "What had happened to the pieces of my spear?"


    "We actually took them with us, they are at the tform. Along with the daggers and greatsword of the Oni." Sabrea replied quickly. So they all headed over there to go pick them up.


    Naturally, everyone did not climb the tform, there was no need. They only came to get the weapons. Eldrian, as the one whose spear was up there, quickly climbed up and brought everything down.


    A Grace, why did you have to break?Eldrian sighed as he looked at the two uneven pieces. The one was almost 1.5 meters, while the other was just half a meter long.


    After a bit of time, Eldrian felt like he might be able to use the longer piece. But for now, he simply stored the pieces in his inventory, along with the daggers and sword.


    Back on the ground, he asked what to do with the sword and daggers. Feeling like it was part of the group''s.


    "They''re yours, of course," Sabrea said, Floyd and Margit nodding in agreement.


    Thinking about it for a bit, Eldrian realized that this was in fact true. He had the right to im them since only he and Cephaphyr had fought. Even so, he felt it was wrong to keep them. If one of them had been a spear, then he might have been greedy. But he did not really like the idea of using daggers against goblins. While he also had no idea if the greatsword would even be used inside the caves.


    Seeing his reluctance, Sabrea added, "The sword isn''t as good as mine, and the daggers... Well, they are around what Tes used to have."


    "Oh, that''s right. You lost yours." Eldrian remembered, "Why don''t you take the daggers for now, just for while we are clearing the caves." Eldrian offered, feeling that it would be dumb to not offer them to Tes.


    Entering the caves with only a bow would be really dumb for anyone. Everyone had to have some type of melee weapon. He also made sure that Tes understood that he would want them back after the mission.


    Taking them, Tes was quite shocked. Thanking Eldrian for his generosity greatly, he certainly would never lend something so precious to someone.


    After finishing that Eldrian took the sword and cast Inspect on it, finding that some of the information was hidden. But he could see the basic information. Informing him of the damage and what attributes he required to equip it.


    [Magical Greatsword, Gray]


    [Tier 2]


    Seeing this left Eldrian stunned for a while. Greatly surprised at the grade, he only wished it was a shorter sword or maybe a spear. After a few seconds of disappointment, he scolded himself and told himself not to look a gift horse in the mouth.


    [Damage: 33]


    [Durability: 7056/13k]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 116; Agility: 105; Intelligence: 110]


    [???]


    Eldrian sighed in relief as he still had 20 free. He was not far from meeting the requirements, only needing to improve his strength slightly. As such he quickly added 6 points to it, wondering what the question marks were for.


    He was also happy with the damage, it was less than he had expected for a Tier 2 greatsword. But only because he had no basis to judge the damage on.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 12 (147 700/192 000)]


    [Magic ss Tier 1]


    [Sub-ss: Melee]


    [Avatar Affinity: 97.12%]


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 110]


    [Strength: 116]


    [Agility: 150]


    [Spirit: 110]


    [Intelligence: 115]


    {14 free attribute points}


    Holding the spear with the correct attributes, Eldrian equipped the sword. Unlike simply holding it, equipping it required mental thought and would lead to the system actually showing it as equipment.


    Eldrian and other yers have found that you could use weapons without doing this, but you would receive a debuff. Lessening your damage and speed slightly. This seemed to increase as the weapon became stronger. Though no one had been able to try this with magical weapons yet, and Eldrian felt no need to do that now. Testing it took too much time without other yers.


    As Eldrian wished to equip the sword, he got a prompt from the system.


    [Does user wish to soul bind the sword. Doing so will prevent another from using the sword, unless you die, permanently. To unbind, your soul must be destroyed.]


    [Not binding will cause the user of the sword to be unable to ess the sword''s skills, abilities, and passive bonuses.]


    Reading through the system messages Eldrian decided to just go for it. While it was already an upgrade in damage, so far he felt it was more of a downgrade. He was not used to it and had no idea how it would work in caves. As such he wanted some more good news.


    Yes.He said to the system, after which he could feel himself improving, slightly.


    Greatly excited he looked at the full information.


    [Magical Greatsword, Gray]


    [Tier 2]


    [Damage: 33 [38]]


    [Attack speed: 1.1 [1.65]]


    [Durability: 7056/13k]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 116; Agility: 105; Intelligence: 110]


    [Passive bonus:]


    [I am right, you are wrong; When someone wants to argue, bring me out.]


    [10% Bonus damage when fighting someone with conflicting beliefs.]


    [Ability:]


    [Hunger; Heal for 10% of the damage dealt right after activation.]


    [Cooldown: 30 seconds]


    Huh...Eldrian did not know what to think. He felt like the passive was kind of insane for Chosen. Every single race had a different belief than theirs, heck even yers had different races. Thus the 10% bonus damage would almost always work.


    The ability would also be good, but he had no idea how this heal worked. Was it just HP, did it heal wounds?What was meant by right after activation, how long was right?


    Ultimately Eldrian did not care much, these bonuses seemed really good to him. Even the heal, while 10% might be low, he felt if he used it smartly then it would heal him quite a bit.


    Confident that if he used this whilending a vital hit that it would heal him for at least 10 HP. Not much, but it was basically a free Anthizo cast. It''s cooldown also wasn''t very long, meaning he could use it to constantly try and keep his HP high. Something really useful when fighting weaker enemies where he could deal a crazy amount of damage.


    Before his attention returned to the others, Eldrian was drawn by another sentence below the weapon.


    [10% to both the passive and ability, due to race.]


    So, does that mean I get 11% extra damage and heal?Eldrian wondered, curious about why there was no ce showing the final data. He certainly had to ask this when meeting the rep, it felt like ack of thought in the design.


    He also was not sure why this 10% bonus came from. It said race value, but Eldrian could not remember all the things back when he chose his race. The number long having been forgotten. Thus he wondered how this worked, was it constant, or would it increase?


    He felt that 10% was slightly low if it was constant, especially when the stats of the weapon was also low. Like now, with it only giving him 1% as a bonus.

 Chapter 154: Entering the caves

    <h4>Chapter 154: Entering the caves</h4>


    Having satisfied his curiosity about his new weapon Eldrian set off towards the caves with everyone else.


    As they neared the caves, he stopped everyone and said, "I feel like I should go in first. Simr to when we first started, we have no idea what is waiting inside. I''d rather be on the safe side."


    No one argued, they all understood that this would be the safest method. Taking a deep breath, Eldrian took out his arming sword and the small round shield he still had. Feeling that they would work better inside the caves than the greatsword, he also believed they would work well against normal goblins. He was just afraid that it might struggle to hurt goblin knights or Oni. Thetter hopefully no longer being in the caves.


    At the cave entrance, he took one more deep breath as he saw that the entrance was empty. Notpletely empty, since the corpses of some goblins still littered it. But no alive ones were insight.


    After making sure that the goblins were indeed dead, he finally entered the cave, careful to not trip over the bodies. After the first turn, it quickly started bing dark. Soon he needed some source of light for himself, else he would not be able to see anything.


    This does not bode well.Eldrian thought as he cast Floga and kept the me over his head. This took little effort and the spell needed so little mana to be maintained that it did not drain him. Only stopping his mana from refilling.


    Even so, he knew he could not keep it active for longer than ten minutes. After that long, it would start straining his concentration and slowly draining his mana. Eldrian did not know why this happened, he believed it was because the spell became unstable with time. Never having been meant to be cast as a light source.


    He simply preferred Floga over the light Tier 0 spell, Fos. He was used to casting Floga and could manipte it with little effort, while he needed to concentrate on keeping Fos going.


    Quickly came the time where he needed to take some rest. Letting the me die, Eldrian looked at his map, d that it actually worked as he had hoped. It clearly showed the caves as he had entered them, allowing him to see the ces he had walked through. While navigating the caves even with a map might be hard, it only took some time to avoid the dead ends.


    Eldrian rested and then continued, after the fifth time of having to recast Floga, he heard some sounds of fighting.


    What the hell?He wondered as he heard many swords shing against other swords. A sound of a battlefield. Eldrian failed to understand why something like that would be heard, from what he had seen, the goblins had seemed to be one group.


    Letting the me from Floga die, Eldrian followed the sound slowly. Managing to see what was happening thanks to some fire spells the shamans of the two opposing groups had cast.


    Did they split? Is this due to the Oni being gone? Are they then indeed gone? Eldrian wondered as he saw a few hundred goblins fighting each other in two groups. Behind each group was a shaman who was surrounded by at least three goblin knights.


    The cave-room they were fighting in was big enough to amodate all these goblins, causing Eldrian to think that it was one of the main areas in the caves. The roof of this room seemed to be 5 meters high, while it spanned almost a rugby field in size. Naturally, it was not rectangr, but rather in the form of a crude circle.


    Seeing this Eldrian also felt that their party would be safe to enter. While the tunnels connecting the cave-rooms were narrow, the rooms themselves wererge. They would easily be able to split, group, or kite the goblins if they worked smartly.


    Having finished his goal, Eldrian silently left. Following his map to get back, not even lighting his way. He did not want to risk letting the goblins be aware of his presence and stop fighting. Not before he had a n.


    ...


    It has been close to six hours now, yet no new group found me. Vivian thought as she cast Nidia to refresh herself. She was d that she had not needed to run, but she also knew she could not just stay still. She had to get something to eat.


    Slowly standing up, she felt all her musclesining. Not having managed to rest properly for days. She cast Anthos on herself to recover some stamina, after which she started moving out from her hiding spot. She had long be ustomed to the dark.


    She might not be able to see perfectly, but she could make out silhouettes. This was good enough for her to manage to avoid distant goblins, along with the sounds. Which traveled really far in the caves.


    ...


    "It should be fine for us all to go in. The caves are surprisingly big and the goblins seem to be fighting." Eldrian said as soon as he came out of the caves. Everyone relieved at the news.


    They had all been feeling apprehensive about going in, but Eldrian''s words caused them to feel much better. Getting into a formation they all started moving. Eldrian in front, Sabrea right behind him. Margit and Floyd in the middle with Tes bringing the rear. Floyd was responsible for lighting asrge an area as possible.


    The group was not nning to go in quietly. They had to somehow find Vivian, and the best way was to make noise that just might reach her. This would be for the best, as no one had any idea howrge the caves were, nor where she was inside of them. If things went south, they all felt they should be able to make it out.


    After just a few minutes of walking the group ran into what seemed to be the winners of a fight. A group of goblins, notrge, just twenty goblins along with the shaman and four goblins knights. They were all injured, some of the goblins even seriously injured. One of the goblin knights was even missing an arm.


    Inside the narrow tunnel, the two groups stared at each other for a few seconds. The goblins stunned to run into a group of humans inside their caves. This gave everyone in Eldrian''s group enough time tounch their attacks. Arrows and spells flying imed half the goblin''s lives.


    Furious the shaman threw a spell of his own back at them, a poison arrow of some kind. This was quickly blocked by Cephaphyr who spread his wings to cover the tunnel. He did not charge into the goblins since Eldrian had asked him not to. He wished to save that for a hail marry when the group was in danger.


    Before that time came, Eldrian rather wanted to get used to fighting in the caves. He also felt like Cephaphyr might easily make a mistake inside the caves. While he did not know what this could lead to, Eldrian wished to keep that possibility as low as possible.


    Seeing his attack blocked the Shaman was furious and scared. The ease at which it was blocked leaving him feeling apprehensive. As his guards charged the humans, he started running away instead.


    "Leave him to me!" Sabrea shouted as she darted past the goblin knights who were quickly stopped by Eldrian. Keeping them from following her.


    As Eldrian had rushed in he cast elerate on himself, managing to keep the goblins knights busy with this speed. He was not faster than them, but they were also not faster than him. Along with the narrow tunnel blocking theirrge swords, Eldrian managed to use his arming sword to great effect.


    Only needing the shield when the goblin knights actually managed to work together, which was not often. Since those behind Eldrian offered him support almost right away. Killing the normal goblins having only taken them a few seconds.


    Once the support came Eldrian could even use some time to use Observe. Finding that the knights were Tier 3, while the shaman was Tier 4. Thetter struggling greatly to not lose his head to Sabrea who wanted to end this quickly.


    "We can''t stop, we need to push on," Eldrian said as he felt grateful for still having such a variety of weapons, the arming sword having worked really well in the cramped space. His spear certainly would not have worked so well, along with all his longer weapons.


    While he could still have used them, he would have spared some attention to make sure he did not hit the caves as the goblin knights had done more than once.


    The reason why he wished to continue without stopping wasrge that the fight had been easy and the weapons the goblins had were not worth much. Eldrian only took a few seconds to grab those of the goblin knights.


    They were not even magical weapons, so Eldrian did not care much for them. Simply throwing them into his cubic inventory forter. He could always give it to someone, or he could sell it. He might also use it in an emergency when he just wanted more weapons.

 Chapter 155: Vivian

    <h4>Chapter 155: Vivian</h4>


    Eldrian and his party continued to tread through the caves in this manner. Killing all the small goblin parties they came across. It took them quite some time before they found arger group.


    Making sure that they did not show through the ''door'' towards this room, everyone carefully looked inside of it. Having dispelled their light source as soon as they had heard some sounds. These sounds were not fighting, but rather the asional metal hitting stone.


    Inside the room, they all saw arge group of goblins, thergest so far. The room itself was spacious, but the bodies littering it and the goblins looting made it look cramped. Other than the entrance Eldrian and the rest were looking through, there were four more.


    The goblins looting the others were all injured and they easily numbered over the hundred. Some mes from fire spells allowed the group to see inside. Surprisingly the goblins maintained these fires, moving the bodies of goblins they had already looted to provide it more fuel.


    The reason for them doing this was not because they needed the light. Goblins could see just fine in the dark. Rather they were doing this because they wished for the light to shine on the things they found. Everyone knew that a rusty sword was much more valuable when it shined. If it shine only at some angles then it was not great. If it always shone, then it was great. While if it never shone then it was terrible, something even goblins would throw away.


    ''Should I run in?'' Cephaphyr asked Eldrian, who actually considered it. He did not want to act just yet, this group being a bit too big. He was afraid they might be overrun. But he also could not allow them to simply group with another group. He had realized with time that there seemed to be at least three different groups.


    The shamans and goblin knights of each group having some type of decorative piece to indicate which group they were part of. So far they had killed five goblin groups, through which Eldrian had gained this intel.


    Looking in again, Eldrian scanned everything with observe.


    A tier 5 shaman, six Tier 5 goblins knights, and around a hundred more normal goblins. This was far too many for them tofortably take on. As he was pondering, he heard some footsteps echo through the caves.


    A few secondster he saw Vivian rushing into the room they were waiting at. Behind her were three more goblin knights who seemed to be part of the same group.


    Eldrian cursed as he saw this, preparing Frost Needle. ''Go for that one.'' Eldrian said to Cephaphyr, mentally pointing towards the shaman. Right as he said this Cephaphyr charged out, Eldrian right behind. Causing the rest of their party to be left shocked.


    To make sure they were not discovered the rest did not look into the cave, allowing Eldrian to decide what they would do. Him acting withoutmunicating with them was strange, something he had not done once before. Thus they knew something unexpected had happaned.


    Eldrian and Cephaphyr stepping into the room did not cause a scene, most of the goblins focused on Vivian. Eldrian used this to his advantage, sending Frost Needle towards one of the goblin knights chasing Vivian.


    The goblin managed to react just in time to look at the piece of ice flying towards it. As it tried to dodge, Eldrian manipted the spell to follow the goblins'' actions. Causing it tond true, in the goblin''s chest. The goblin, while not dead, stopped running. Stalling to try and recover from the shock as the spell had pierced his chest.


    Eldrian knew this was not enough, two more goblin knights were right behind Vivian and she seemed exhausted. But he could not do much more, therge number of normal goblins stopping him from just rushing over.


    The shaman started reacting as soon as it saw the spell, but before it could cast its first spell Cephaphyr had reached it. Having jumped and soared over the goblin horde.


    This forced the shaman to focus on defending itself, along with its six bodyguards.


    Seeing that the shaman would not be able to cast spells Eldrian felt relieved, storing his arming sword and the small round shield he had been using into his inventory. Instead, he took out Gray and cast Drive on himself as he shed at the nearest goblins who had not managed to react yet. Only a second or two had passed since Eldrian''s first actions.


    "Run!" Eldrian shouted as he shed through the nearest goblin, cutting the poor fellow in half. He did not care, he only moved forward. Continuing to attack those nearest to him.


    As his second attacknded the rest of the party finally caught up and reacted. Sabrea charged at the goblins to Eldrian''s left. This simple act stopped the goblins from circling behind Eldrian while also stopping them from reaching those behind her.


    Tes was next,ing through the entrance he fired a shot directly towards the hurt goblins knight who Eldrian had hit. His attack causing it to falter even more, near death. Before he could finish it off, one of the other goblin knights reacted. Grabbing a nearby goblin as a shield he blocked the next arrows.


    Margit reactedst, mostly due to the time she needed to cast her spell. As she entered the room she threw it out, killing around five goblins in a ball of fire.


    On Cephaphyr''s side, he was struggling to kill the shaman. He had no real way of attacking other than running someone over or ramming his horn into them. The shaman made sure to stay against the wall, stopping Cephaphyr from doing either. While the goblin knights were trying their best tond their attacks.


    Cephaphyr had quickly learned that while their swords might not be able to cut him, their strength did manage to hurt him. Yet when he tried to focus on the goblin knights they would also act as cowardly as the shaman. While the shaman would then be able to cast spells at Cephaphyr, which really hurt. Far more than the hits from the knights.


    ''Great job!'' Eldrian shouted to Cephaphyr as he jumped back to avoid the thrust of a spear. As soon as he stabilized his footing he went back in, killing some more goblins. Who, by now, we''re bing few in number. Less than thirty seconds in, the group all going all in to kill the weaker ones first.


    His biggest concern had been the shaman and his extra knights, luckily it seemed like Cephaphyr was totally able to keep them busy. While he was not able to kill them, it was not required.


    Vivian herself was struggling against the one goblin knight still free to attack her. If she had been in her best condition, or even half, she would have been able to easily kill it through far better technique and weapon. s, she was not even at a tenth of her best condition.


    Luckily the spell from Eldrian and Tes''s follow-up had basically taken one of the three chasing her out. While Tes now kept the other busy, but even so she was slowly losing ground and gaining more and more wounds.


    Screw it!Tes thought, taking out one of the arrows Cephaphyr had made. He had hoped to not use them, but he could see that if he did not, then Vivian would not make it. She was far past her limit, clearly too tired to even contend against one goblin knight until they managed to reach her.


    As he fired that arrow, the goblin knight seemed to realize that something was different. Dodging to the side it avoided the attack, which caused the already injured one to finally lose its life.


    Tes did not let up, waiting for the right time when the two goblins aligned again, or when he could get a shot at the one only paying attention to Vivian. He waited for either of these to happen, so he could end their little fight.


    Eldrian from his side managed to see what was going on, greatly relieved that Tes had managed to help Vivian. Cutting into thest goblin he went from using Drive to elerate, rushing through the room to reach and save Vivian.


    As he did one of the shaman''s bodyguards saw this and realized that they would lose if he allowed Eldrian toe to the female''s help. He rushed from Cephaphyr towards Eldrian, one less goblin knight not a big difference to Cephaphyr who was only struggling in killing them. He was not really taking much damage, though he would say that he took a great deal if asked.


    Eldrian saw the knight charging at him, but he did not slow down. Believing a three versus two was better than a two versus one. Especially when there was also an archer helping the two.


    Even so, he did not manage to reach Vivian. But that did not mean he would not do all he could to help. At thest moment, just as the new goblin knight swinging its sword at him, Eldrian dodged and cast Frost Needle.


    The angle was far off and the goblin knight thought he had seeded. This quickly turned out to be wrong as Eldrian''s spell suddenly turned in the air, injuring the knight who had been blocking the arrows.


    Completely caught off guard by the 90 degrees turn the spell had done.


    Tes, seeing this, reacted quickly to finish the goblin knights off.

 Chapter 156: Tier 1 vs Tier 5

    <h4>Chapter 156: Tier 1 vs Tier 5</h4>


    Eldrian was d seeing that it had worked, yet he could not take a moment to appreciate it. Focusing so much on Vivian had certainly ced him in a bad spot, scrambling he barely managed to dodge the attack from the goblins knight. Losing his sword in the process.


    Before the goblin knight could deliver its next attack, Tes offered some support to Eldrian. Forcing the goblin to dodge and giving Eldrian the time he needed to recover his greatsword and actually stand back up.


    As soon as he did Tes moved his attention back to Vivian, leaving Eldrian to fend for himself. Eldrian quickly learned that this goblin knight was far stronger and faster than those he had fought before.


    Eldrian was not without some tricks, he firstly used elerate to help him keep up with the goblin. Then he started using Floga to try and block the goblin''s sight. It was the only spell he could actually cast while so flustered.


    He quickly found that it did no damage, yet even so it did cause the goblin to flinch when he threw it at its face. This only worked twice, but it gave Eldrian the time he needed to recover.


    The tide of the rest of the battle had started stabilizing. Instead of all the goblin knights beating on Cephaphyr, some of them broke from the group. Only the shaman, who Cephjaphyr would not allow to leave, and two others staying to stop Cephaphyr from moving towards the rest. Them keeping Cephaphyr busy and stopping him from helping the others, instead of the other way around.


    The three goblin knights this freed up were quickly stopped by Sabrea. Who, along with help from Tes and Margit, managed to keep them from moving past her.


    Tes also took the time to offer support to Vivian when he saw a good opportunity. Quickly managing to hit the goblin she was fighting in the leg. Bringing the two to almost an equal level.


    Vivian was too tired to take advantage of it, and the crippling of one of its legs caused the goblin to no longer be faster than Vivian. Often even stumbling its attacks, allowing Vivian more room for error.


    Eldrian was so absorbed in trying to not die that he missed all that was happening around him. He might have recovered thanks to Floga, but this did not mean he was on equal ground with the goblin knight. He only barely managed to dodge all the attacks directed at him.


    Ducking under a wide swing, he returned it in kind. As he swung the greatsword he let go with one of his hands, only leaving the other to try and guide it as it went for the goblin.As it ''flew'' he took out the arming sword from his inventory and thrust forward, aiming for the goblin''s stomach.


    The goblin did not realize what was happening, not until it felt the sting as the sword pierced its stomach. Having only focused on countering the greatswording for its neck. It had struck hard at this sword, causing Eldrian to lose grip from the shock.


    Eldrian did not care for having lost it, he quickly stepped back. Pulling the arming sword out as he did, knowing that it was better to do this. Or this was his thoughts since it would cause someone to start bleeding out.


    Unfortunately for him, the goblin knight was not a normal goblin and certainly not a person. As soon as the de was removed it used a skill to increase its own healing. This was not immediate, but by the time it attacked again, the bleeding had stopped. The hole was still there, but it did not do much to weaken the goblin.


    Dammit, how could I forget about healing!?Eldrian cursed as he quickly jumped back to avoid another wide swing.As he did he realized something, the goblin had no finesse. It was only attacking in wide powerful attacks, never feints nor smaller attacks.


    For a few seconds, Eldrian was forced to focus on defending again, not managing to use this knowledge to his advantage. Until he managed to dodge an attack just right, the goblin being unable to return it before Eldrian would be able to strike.


    Eldrian though did not strike at that moment. Rather he stored the arming sword and took out a longsword he had. It was not great, only Tier 3, but it would allow him more control.


    This took just long enough for the goblin knight to recover, but now Eldrian had a longer de. Not as long as the goblins, but much better than the arming sword. This made it far easier for Eldrian to defend. He was still being forced to defend and retreat, but now he had some time to recover after each blow.


    This did not do much, other than give him just enough room to assess his situation. Causing him to realize that he would not be able to beat the goblin through normal means. He also felt he would soon be too tired to act, a factor he started hating in the game.


    In real life, one would be able to move even if they were dead tired. Especially when not doing so meant dying, yet once his stamina reached 0. What would happen?


    This thought caused Eldrian some great confusion and almost lead to him making a mistake. Wondering if he would just stop like an idiot when it hit 0. Or if he would still be able to move.


    As Eldrian was worrying about this with his spare energy, looking at his stamina drop below 10 points, he suddenly felt a refreshing feeling envelop him. Giving him strength and energy, his stamina quickly shot up to full too. His HP also recovered, only his mana staying at the level it had been.


    Eldrian did not dwell in his thoughts, once he realized that he had been buffed he went full out. His speed increased by at least 40 or more agility, his strength by the same amount.


    This was sorge a buff, that while he was still weaker and slower than the goblin, the amount was small enough for him to actually make up for it through technique. True his technique with a sword was not really good, but it was better than the wild style the goblin had.


    This allowed him to also split some of his attention from the fight. Not much, but more than simply looking at his stats.


    On the next attack, Eldrian did not dodge nor lead the attack to pass him, instead he blocked it. Locking des he slipped a few feet back from the momentum, but he did not break. Focusing all his strength into maintaining the lock, Eldrian cast Frost Needle from a point-nk range. The spell forming below their des.


    Eldrian did not focus much on the spell, only casting it at its most basic. As such, it shot forward as soon as it finished forming. Once it hit Eldrian could feel the goblin trying to pull away, but he would not allow this.


    Pushing forward he kept casting Frost Needle. Only controlling the spell to form at different ces, the first had been at the stomach. The next was at his left leg, then right. As soon as the third struck Eldrian could feel the goblin starting to lose strength, motivating him to push even harder.


    des still locked Eldrian formed the spell at his heart. The goblin sensing danger finally gave up the contest of strength to avoid the spell. Allowing Eldrian to move his de freely as the goblin dived sideways.


    As the goblin jumped, Eldrian managed to get a nice attack onto one of its arms. Almost cutting it off at the elbow. If he had had Gray, the magical greatsword, he certainly would have managed to cut the arm off.


    Retreating the goblin looked for help, finding that none was avable. The other goblin fighting Vivian having been killed recently, while the three fighting Sabrea all had far more severe injuries than itself. The buff from Floyd and support from the others really had changed the course of their fight.


    It''s next thought was to run, naturally, Eldrian would not allow this. Especially since its only viable option was past Vivian who was out cold on the floor. Eldrian hoped that she was just unconscious and not dead. Floyd being next to her relieved his thoughtrgely, yet he did not want to risk the goblin hurting her on its way out.


    As soon as it tried moving to them, Eldrian charged. As he did he also cast Frost Needle, sending the spell towards the direction the goblin wanted to go. Forcing it to stay away from them, or get it. Eldrian kept casting it until he managed to lock des with the goblin again. Most of his mana spent due to this, causing him to be light-headed.


    Even so, he kept fighting. Now able to contest equally with the goblin, it only able to use one of its arms. The other stillrgely damaged, it had focused its healing on its legs first.


    The goblin was not willing on locking des with Eldrian again. Pulling away so fast that Eldrian could not even form his spell. But the goblin had not gotten away without a cost, Eldrian had managed to fully im its arm, and as it was trying to recover it was killed by an arrow.


    Eldrian looked at the arrow in the goblin''s head in surprise, feeling like that was a very anticlimactic end to their epic fight. A secondter as the goblin fell to the ground as Eldrian received a system message.


    [50 400 XP gained]


    [You have leveled up!]

 Chapter 157: Returning to the glade

    <h4>Chapter 157: Returning to the de</h4>


    Eldrian looked at the dead goblin knight in shock, unable to ept it. The ending was just too simple for him to ept. He had fought so hard, with all he had. Yet what ended it was an arrow from Tes, not him managing to finally kill the goblin.


    While it would not have been a solo kill, Eldrian felt it would have been really close to one. He had only received some help from Floyd, and a little at the start from Tes. But he felt thetter only helped him recover since he had focused on helping Vivian at the start.


    His thoughts reaching this point, caused him to snap out of it and rush towards Vivian. "How is she?" He asked Floyd as he kneeled and looked at her.


    She looked really bad, even with Floyd having been healing her since the fight had started going their way. She still had many cuts all over her body and her clothes were almost no more. Only barely holding on in tatters which covered just enough to not call her nude. One would not be wrong to call it basically a bikini with some hanging fabric.


    "She is doing fine, but she is exhausted. Her wounds weren''t too bad, but it will take her some time to wake." Floyd replied, relieving thest of Eldrian''s angst. Floyd was still busy healing her, having only helped the others with some buffs. Rushing towards Vivian to stabilize her condition as soon as he could.


    He might be able of resurrecting someone, but it did not always work. He also would only have a few minutes during which he would be able to try. It was much safer to save someone from dying in the first ce.


    "Thank you," Eldrian whispered as he finally felt all the exhaustion rush into him, causing him to almost fall over. If he had not been kneeling, he would have fallen.


    Gasping for air, he went onto all fours. His body shaking as the tax of the fight rushed into him now that the adrenaline was leaving his body.


    "What?" Floyd eximed after examining Eldrian. "You are almost as tired as her."


    "What?" Eldrian replied softly, feeling that he was slowly losing consciousness. "Shit..."


    Eldrian barely managed to say thest word as he fell down and everything became dark.


    ...


    "Again?" Tes asked in aint as he joined the others around Vivian and Eldrian.


    "Seems like this is somethingmon for him, I wonder why," Floyd replied as he stood up and look over everyone else.


    He quickly stepped up and started healing Sabrea, who was also not in the best shape. She had many new wounds that her recovering ability could not even start to heal. Floyd estimated that she was around close to falling unconscious herself. Something which would really hurt the group, they had to get away from here.


    After making sure that she would not drop down, Floyd moved on to heal Cephaphyr.


    Cephaphyr having ignored his own condition since he had seen Eldrian fall down. This had happened while they were still fighting, but only Cepaphyr and Floyd had know of it right as it happened.


    This had distracted Cephaphyr enough to allow those he had been fighting to run away. No one chased, prioritizing their members over killing an extra goblin.


    Yet this meant they were certainly not safe and had to move.


    "What now?" Tes asked, staring at the two who needed to be carried out. There was also the fact that they had no idea where to go. They could remember some of the caves and tunnels, but not the entire way. Having left this to Eldrian, something everyone regretted at this stage.


    At the start, they had tried to make marks to follow if Eldrian died. But after the third battle, which had led them some distance away from known ground, they had given up.


    "Let''s at least go to a different room. I worry if that the goblins mighte back." Sabrea said, picking up Vivian as she did. She carried her, while Tes threw Eldrian onto Cephaphyr.


    ...


    Eldrian woke up around half an hourter. Looking around in agitation he quickly cast Floga to give himself some light. Relieved to see familiar faces around him as soon as the me came to life.


    "Is Vi-" He started asking, stumbling over his words as he thought of the worst.


    "She is fine, and now that you are here. We can get out of here." Margit replied, only her and Floyd with the two who had been unconscious.


    The room they were in was small, only three or four meters wide. It had two entrances, Tes and Sabrea each kept watch over one of them.


    "Good idea," Eldrian replied, calling out the map to find the way back.


    Before he could analyze where they were he heard Cephaphyr talk to him, ''You scared me, why did you fall asleep?''


    Stopping what he was doing Eldrian smiled slightly as he turned to see Cephaphyr lying next to the wall of the room.''I don''t know, but I don''t think it is arge issue. Let''s get out of here.''


    After replying, Eldrian looked at his map again. Slightly shocked to see that he was in an unknown room. The path the group took to get here was cked out.


    Luckily this did not cause a big problem, they were near to the ces which were actually shown on his map. The group also knew how to get back to the room, having made sure of this. They had made marks on their way here. Just in case this was needed, Floyd having had a feeling that Eldrian''s map only worked while he saw the area.


    Following the marks, they quickly returned to the room where they had fought to save Vivian. From which Eldrian took the lead. On their way out they did not encounter any new goblins. Those they had fought still lying as they were. All their gear still there, informing the group that no other goblins hade past. They would always loot anything they could.


    Outside of the caves the group did not rest, nor return to their temporary camp. Instead, they headed straight for the de, Eldrian hoping to ask Zamia to ensure that Vivian was safe and fully healed.


    Upon reaching the de, they were all surprised at the difference between when they hadst been here and now. When they had left, just a few days ago, the ce had been full of magical beasts.


    Many Unicorns, Pegasuses, and Alicrons had filled the area along with their young. The younger ones ying around, while the elders simply enjoyed the sun.


    Now instead the de was empty, just a few Alicorns left. From hundreds to just under twenty.


    ''I see you have found your friend.'' Zamia said, leaving the group she had been part of. Everyone still here, was busy discussing their war ns. They no longer felt like holding up in their forest was a safe option.


    They had thought that all the Kako leaders would avoid bothering them since doing so would lead to massive losses. While this was true for both sides, it certainly would not be worth it for the Kako. Alicorns were certainly not a race you wanted to bother, much like the saying; Don''t wake a sleeping dragon. This also went for Alicorns.


    They had been woken.


    ''Yes! Luck, mostly.'' Eldrian replied as everyone else left to give them space to talk. They could not hear and were not included in the conversation, but it did not bother them. They only wished to be allowed to return to their original mission. Having found Vivian, they now wished to head back.


    ''Still, you have done what I had thought would take weeks... In just a few days.''


    ''The caves aren''t cleared yet.'' Eldrian countered, feeling like this is an important fact.


    ''That does not matter, it was a test. To see if you were determined. Continuing will not prove this any longer, it would just pit you against those far stronger than you.''


    ''It might still actually show us how determined you are, but it would be too dangerous for those with you. Especially when you no longer have a true reason to do this.'' Came Agamemas''s voice, surprising Eldrian.


    Looking towards Agamemas, who was now standing next to his wife, Eldrian was even more shocked. The first thing drawing his attention was that Agamemas''s horn was broken. The next thing was that his coat had turned slightly darker. It used to be pure white, now instead it had a tiny shade of gray mixed in.


    ''We do not need to test you more,'' Agamemas continued, ''We saw your potential in the two major fights you had. Managing to hold out so long against a Tier 6 Oni is certainly a great credit. Only those with extremely good fighting instincts would be able to do that. Yet you showed this again when fighting against the Tier 5 goblin knight.''


    ''How?'' Eldrian wished to ask how they knew of both. He was certain they had not been nearby.


    ''That does not matter, the fact is that we deemed you to be worthy of bonding with Cephaphyr. But not now, not at your current Tier.'' Zamia replied, instead of Agamemas.

 Chapter 158: Accepting a reality (1)

    <h4>Chapter 158: epting a reality (1)</h4>


    ''So, what then?'' Eldrian asked as he also received a system message.


    [The second stage of the dungeon has beenpleted]


    [Due to the nature ofpletion of the second stage, the reward will be renegotiated]


    Following this notification came one about the hidden quest.


    [Hidden Quest first stageplete]


    [Find and save Vivian]


    [Next stage: Return to the army toplete the quest.]


    Eldrian did not read the notification right away, rather he focused on what Zamia and Agamemas were saying.


    ''You show talent, but you clearly have gotten no real training. You were never in an elven settlement, so this does make some sense. Humans also have that stupid mentor system, did you ept any mentors?'' Agamemas asked.


    Wondering if it had been wrong to do so, Eldrian admitted that he had. ''Yes, two in fact. One for cksmithing and another for fighting.''


    ''I see, you should ask them to revoke the agreement. It will bring you little benefit.''


    ''Dear, I am certain the cksmithing will be worth it.''Zamia countered, certain that it was a worthwhile pursuit for someone so young.


    ''Maybe... But do you think he has time to learn that along with how to truly fight?'' Agamemas countered back. Agamemas did not really know the condition of the surrounding kingdoms, so he was not certain how much time of rtive peace was left. But from past experience, he knew it would not be much


    ''Well...'' Zamia stopped speaking, this was something which she was not certain of. Eldrian did not have a few years, heck he might not even have months. He was already in the thick of it.


    ''He needs to pick one thing to focus on. And only one thing.'' Agamemas said.


    As Eldrian heard this he started thinking back to his start in the game, just around a month ago. Where he had first sought guidance in fighting through closebat. Before evening near topetence he headed and started learning magic too. Then again before managing to really learn anything he moved on to also learn cksmithing.


    Eldrian felt this would not be wrong if he had plenty of time, but he did not. As Agamemas said, he was already fighting constantly. He did not have time to learn cksmithing, not while the fighting was still going on.


    Magic, this Eldrian felt was crucial and he had to keep training. He could also do this any ce and any time, making it far easier to learn than cksmithing. Something which requires specific materials.


    He had to admit that he had rushed it all, yet how could he not. At the start, he did not know how little time he would have to prepare. It was not like this game was kind enough to give yers time to settle in. They were directly thrust into the chaos, heck here he was on a mission again. One which would likely take months, far longer than he had been in the game.


    How could he be ready for this? How could any yer?


    I have been acting dumb.Eldrian realized, he had still been treating this game as a game. He did not me himself, this was indeed a game. What bothered him was that he always felt that it was more than just a game, yet his actions were still that of a yer.


    How should I treat this then?Eldrian asked himself as he looked to the group of NPCs he was with, not even knowing if he could call them NPCs anymore. By the ssification he certainly could, they were still none yer characters. But they were alive, they had lives and they could die.


    Did I lead them here just for a quest, just to die for me? Eldrian wondered, wondering if he was the cause for Evapius and Cadriel''s deaths. Feeling like he had brought them here to die for his quest, for his mission. Like a simple-minded yer, someone who did not care.


    This thought hit him hard, causing a feeling like his heart was grasped and squeezed. Tears forming in his eyes as he moved from simply thinking that the NPCs were more than simple NPCs. He moved to believing it.


    No longer a philosophical theory, but something he felt was true. Something as true as that he was alive. Something which should not be argued.


    The more he thought of this, the more Eldrian felt pained. Thinking of all the death he had already witnessed, of all those who had died on the first mission.


    Of those who had died due to his quest...


    Reaching this point, Eldrian no longer was able to maintain hisposure. Like the walls of a dam breaking his tears started flowing. Falling onto his knees he struggled to breathe as many thoughts swirled through his mind. Trying to think of it logically, to analyze it, to measure the pros and cons.


    He tried to tell himself that this was for the best, that they had saved Vivian. Yet he could not say this was worth two other people dying. He could not say they were worth less than Vivian.


    He might not have known them well, but they were certainly decent people. No, they were more than that. They were good. Havinge along for this mission. Not for themselves, but for their kingdom.


    But, it is a quest... A military mission... Eldrian tried to convince himself but failed again. It might have been, and they did need to find out what was attacking their scouts. But was it necessary to take such a dangerous approach?


    He could have tried a different approach, where he joined the scouts. Then if they were ambushed, even if everyone died, he would be able to give the news to Old Sword. This way he would not have caused a change in anyone''s lives.


    This certainly was not without faults either, Eldrian realized. Those part of the scouts would all die as would Vivian. Yet there was no saying that this did not happen while he was gone, so his leaving and not thinking of this could have caused far more deaths than just two.


    This caused him to feel even worse, the only thing reallyying on the pros was that Vivian was saved. Yet this could not bnce the scale in Eldrian''s heart. He could not even think of his other benefits; Of the sword he had gained, of the knowledge, of Cephaphyr. Convinced that anything other than life would not be able to bnce death.


    Eldrian also realized that now they had to head back to the army, something which certainly was not safe to do. Something could go wrong at any moment, like the first time they had been encircled by goblins. Yet now their party would be far weaker. Thus even more might die. This added even more to his burden.


    Agamemas and Zamia stopped their conversation which Eldrian had long since stopped following.


    Turning towards him they saw him on his knees crying. At a nce, they both knew what pain Eldrian was in, something everyone had to go through at some time. Especially in this world during the times they were in.


    ''What''s wrong?'' Zamia asked with a mother''spassion, something Agamemas would never be able to copy. He was someone who had gone through too much to still have a soft side, yet somehow his wife still had it. Even though she had gone through it all with him.


    It was one of the things he most loved about her. How she could help him never be an ice-cold leader, she made sure that he cared for his family. Even if this was all she managed, Agamemas was extremely grateful for it.


    Agamemas thought of this as he heard and felt his wife''spassion. Thinking back to how much effort she had needed to put in to change his mind about Eldrian. To make him realize that the elf might be worth nurturing.


    ''I, I just realized what...'' Eldrian stopped, not knowing what to say. Saying that he realized what death meant sounded dumb, like he was an ignorant child. Yet it was indeed what he had realized.


    ''What have you realized?'' Agamemas replied without anypassion, ''You saved a friend and caused a devil to reveal himself.''


    ''But... The cost.'' Eldrian replied weakly, his mental voice barely a whisper. He would not be able to talk normally, his heart and troat both felt like they were being crushed.


    Before Agamemas could say anything more, his wife talked to him. Only him.


    ''He is not you! Think back to your first time on the field. When you first killed, when you first saw your friends and family die.''


    ''Think of the pain, think of what had caused you to be as you are.''


    Agamemas flinched at his wife''s direct words. He knew who he was. He knew that he was not bad, but he also knew he was not good. He was cold to all those outside of his family, only slightly more open to other Alicorn families. Yet he would never step out for others, only for his own family.


    He did not me himself for being cold, he knew that it was necessary for a leader. But he also wished that having nopassion, not caring, that those were things so ingrained in himself.


    ''Take your time, we will continue our talkter.'' Zamia said, leaving Eldrian to himself.


    Was it necessary... Did they need to die... Would they have died if not for me?


    These thoughts swirled in Eldrian''s mind as he felt the coldness of this world embracing him.

 Chapter 159: Accepting a reality (2)

    <h4>Chapter 159: epting a reality (2)</h4>


    After some time, Eldrian started recovering. But he could not shake the feeling of guilt. His thoughts turning towards Vivian, and why he hade here to save her. realizing that he did not know her all that well, having only met her a month ago.


    He could call her a friend, but not a close one. So why did he go out of his way to find her, Eldrian wondered.


    He quickly found the reason; Because it was a game... Because it was a quest... Because he wanted to feel like a hero.


    Yet now after having seeded, he did not feel like a hero. He felt more like a corrupt businessman, or a noble, who used others for his own gain. The difference was that he could not be indifferent to the cause of his actions.


    As he was struggling with his emotions, he felt alone. The more he felt this, the more he felt he had erred.


    No one came to offer him support. Not because they did not want to, well Floyd and Tes did not care. But Margit, and especially Sabrea, wanted to go over. Sabrea wanting to help, to offer her support.


    Yet Zamia had stoped them both, telling them to not interfere. That this was something he had to ovee alone.


    Margit backed down with such a simple exnation, but not Sabrea. She argued, saying that what Eldrian needed was a friend.


    Zamia did not budge, she felt that the best thing one could do was let someone work through the hardest part on their own. Only offering help once they managed to do that.If one rushed in when they just start breaking down, then they would never be able to rebuild. This was her belief and the way she and her husband had grown.


    "But... That does not work for everyone!" Sabrea countered, feeling pained that she could not offer Eldrian any help.


    "True, it does not work for everyone. But it certainly works for those who are destined to be great warriors. If he can''t ovee this, then I certainly can''t bind him and Cephaphyr." Zamia countered, using wind magic to form her words.


    "What do you mean?" Sabrea asked, confused about what Zamia was talking about. Eldrian having never shared that part with them. This was not something unexpected, which type of yer would share the rewards they would gain. ANW might be much more realistic, but this mindset still persisted in many yers.


    "It is simple. War ising and we havee to realize we can not sit and watch. To try and protect my son he needs to find a partner, no Alicorn would be his though. As such, I n to bind him and Haru. As a Chosen, one who cannot die, this should protect my son." Zamia calmly replied, making sure her words made it sound like Eldrian was not even aware of the trail she had ced him in.


    Sabrea was lost for words, it was the first time she had heard anything like this. She did not even understand what Zamia meant by ''bind''. But she did agree with the other statement Zamia had made, that those who be great warriors needed to get through this pain alone.


    If they need support, then they might always need support. This can change, but it can also remain constant. While letting him suffer alone now would directly show how strong he is. If he did not manage to ovee it she could always offer her support then.


    After some time of internal struggle, Eldrian came to one answer. Something which would have taken the risk off of the NPCs.


    I need to be stronger. Much stronger, and quickly.


    Having this belief did not help, he did not know how to aplish it. It also brought another problem, if he focused on training then he would not be able to help to fight. If he fought, then he would not be able to train as hard.


    But havinge to this conclusion resolved his heart and lifted some of the guilt he felt. He felt he had a mission, one to help all those he knew. He did not n on bing a hero of the world, he did not want that responsibility.


    He only wanted to be strong enough to save all those he knew. To be able to do that without cing others at risk. He did not wish to lose anyone else, even if he only knew them for a few days.


    He felt that he would not be able to bear it if any of those with him now, also died.


    Taking some time to recover hisposure, Eldrian slowly stood up.


    ''Have youe to grasps with it?'' Zamia asked, receiving a nod from Eldrian in return.


    ''Good,e with me.'' Zamia said, leading Eldrian to the fountain. ''I believe you just realized what war meant. You might have thought you knew before, but now you know.''


    Again Eldrian nodded, realizing that what she was saying was really true. He had thought he knew, but now he actually knew.


    ''I want you to look at this spring, at the streams, at the waterfalls.'' Zamia said after giving Eldrian some time to recover.


    Confused Eldrian did not argue, he did as she said. Looking at the spring which formed a small pond of water, from which four streams flowed to the cliffs. There they fell and form a few small waterfalls.


    ''What would happen if I ce a stone here.'' Zamia asked, using magic to pick up a nearby stone and moved it into one of the streams. The ce she let it rest caused the stream to be clogged, unable to flow. Causing the other streams to receive more water as the water built up behind the stone.


    ''It... It will look for a new way to reach a lower point.'' Eldrian replied after looking a bit, ''And the other streams be stronger.''


    ''And if I block it here?'' She asked, moving the stone to the edge of a stream. Where it was right at the waterfall, yet it was stopped from falling thanks to some protruding rocks.


    ''The same... No, it tried but some of the water still leaks.'' Eldrian said, almost missing the few small streams of water which made it past the rock.


    ''Yes, it does not manage it as well as in the first ce. Now, what if I ce it here?'' Zamia asked as she moved the stone just past the protruding rocks, causing it to no longer have any support. In just a few seconds the stone was taken along with the water. Falling down to the pond below.


    ''It fell.'' Eldrian said after seeing that Zamia was waiting for his reply.


    ''Yes, yes it did. But why did it fall?''


    ''Because... Because it had no support.''


    ''Is that all it was?'' Zamai asked, prompting Eldrian to think more about this. He still did not understand quite what she was trying to do, but he would not say no to any advice. He had learned that he should be more open-minded, and he had realized that he should treat everything with his best.


    ''If, if we don''t look at the stone as a stone. But... But as someone who is trying to change the tide.'' Eldrian started, losing himself quickly in his thoughts. ''Then, then the first one was well prepared. Knowing where was the best ce to stop the flow, to stop.'' Eldrian did not know what the flow represented but he felt like he understood the meaning.


    ''The first try allowed it to stop itpletely, to change the tide. The second, instead, only managed to change it slightly. While the third...'' Eldrian stopped for a bit to think, ''The third was overwhelmed.''


    ''Well done, that is a decent analogy. But it is also only focused on the stone and its aim.'' Zamia replied to Eldrian''s questioning look after he had said his thoughts.


    ''But what about the water itself, it did not give up. On the first, it caused the other three streams to be far stronger. Meaning that in changing one tide, others became different.''


    ''While the second did the same, its effect on the other streams was minimal. While that on its own was great. Thest instead only flowed with the tide.''


    ''I still don''t understand. What is this supposed to mean?'' Eldrian asked, hoping for an answer.


    ''It can mean many things. One being the effort you ce into saving someone. While you might seed, unexpected results maye from it. You must not think that all these unexpected results are bad though, some might be good.''


    ''I am not saying you cannot change things, I am also not saying you should not try. I am saying that things will always happen outside of your control. If you take control of one stream, then the others are free to do as they wish.''


    ''If you chose to save your friend, then those left behind will be without you. If you chose to stay with those, then your friend will be left alone. If you chose neither, then you are the third stone.''


    Eldrian did not understand thest part, luckily Zamia continued.


    ''Regret is everywhere, with everyone. But the worse regret is knowing you could have done something, yet you did nothing. Always try, do not ever give up.''


    ''Do not lose yourself.'' Zamia finished, leaving Eldrian to himself as he looked at the stream. Lost in thoughts about what she just said.


    Do not lose myself... Do not lose myself... Eldrian echoed this, feeling that somehow Zamia had indicated to his two lives. One in reality... And the other in the reality of the game, another reality. But a reality none the less.


    They were both important to him, and he had felt he needed to chose one. But now he realized that doing so would cause him to lose himself. He was not a person from any, one world, he lived in both now.

 Chapter 160: The next step

    <h4>Chapter 160: The next step</h4>


    Even after havinge to this conclusion, Eldrian did not know what it meant. He did not know what he needed to do to actually manage to live in both worlds. He felt his current approach was decent but certainly not great. That is if he stopped treating the game world as a game and more as a second reality.


    What does this mean for me? Eldrian wondered as he looked at the streams flowing, considering only two. One being his life on Earth, and the other his life here in ANW and on Gaia.


    Following Zamia''s words, he realized that the more effort he ced into one, the less the other would have. It wasmon sense, but one could easily convince oneself that it was not true. That both would still stay equal.


    He also realized that like she had said, due to this some things unexpected might happen.


    As she said, it might not be bad. Eldrian told himself, thinking about the money he had made in tips and the talk he would soon have with the representative. Realizing that he needed to try and gain as much as he could during that talk.


    The best option would be if he could make a living through the game. Yet at the same time, Eldrian did not want to stop his studies. While they certainly were less interesting than magic, they were still interesting. He enjoyed his sses and so far he had been doing good. Granted most of the things they had covered were still just the basics. But he did not want to stop going to university.


    I just don''t have enough time. Eldrian felt this stayed true, be it in the game world or IRL.


    At this point, it was not like he had forgotten the two deaths his actions had caused. He did not know if he ever would, but he realized that it was something outside of his control. While his actions did lead to it, he did not wish for it. Thisforted him greatly, being able to tell himself that it was not his fault. At least not directly.


    He would try his best to never cause something like this again, but Eldrian did not know if he would be able to. He knew what war was, while he had never lived it nor experienced it. He knew what to expect, and it certainly was not a safe ce.


    I think this is enough self-reflection. Eldrian told himself. He did not know the answers, but that was alright. He at least knew the questions now. This he felt was already arge step forward in the right direction.


    Giving the spring one more nce, he wondered what made it special. But this thought only shed through his mind for a second, quickly reced by what needed to be done.


    Heading towards Zamia and Agamemas, he asked aloud, "How can I be stronger, quickly."


    Most of those in the group turned towards him, Zamia leaving to talk to Eldrian. ''That is not a simple thing to ask, bing stronger is not something which justes to a person. It takes time.''


    ''I do not have time.'' Eldrian replied, frustrated that the game had not released months earlier. Giving yers some time to get used to the game.


    ''True, you do not have much time. You also still need to finish the mission of bringing your friend back.''


    Eldrian mentally stumbled upon being reminded of this, having for a moment only wished to be stronger and forget about the rest.


    ''I suggest that you finish that first, and seeing as you no longer need to clear the caves... I will go save the woman held captive there, but you will be responsible for bringing them to safety. This forest will soon be a battlefield and thus can''t be called safe.''


    Eldrian did not quite understand thest part, feeling that it was still far off. But hepletely agreed to the first, d that Zamia was going to save them.


    He did not know if he would be able to ask the others to ce themselves in danger for some strangers. He certainly would not have asked, only letting them know about it and then giving the choice to them.


    Yet it would have caused him to feel guilty, cing such a burden on them. After thanking Zamia for the favor, he and she talked about what would be best for him to grow.


    ''I think it would be for the best if you go finish your mission. Then find a way toe back here, I am willing to help you further. Or rather, I know of a ce where elves live. I can take you there.''


    Eldrian did not jump on this, realizing that this was the train option he had thought of earlier. Where he would leave everyone to go get stronger. He would have dly chosen this if he knew that those he left would be safe, but this was not even remotely close to a certainty. It was almost certain that the opposite would happen.


    ''That sounds great, but I can''t go for long. I can''t let them fight alone.'' Eldrian replied, looking at the group as he said this. He felt that doing this would mean giving up on them. While it might work and be a great hero''s journey, he did not wish for that. He would rather fight with them, doing his best to help at all times.


    ''The other option is that you go back and onlye back here once you reach Tier 3. This way will take you far longer, and you might not be able to return at that time. Yet I can''t bind your soul with Cephaphyr before you manage to reach Tier 3.''


    ''That... That is unfortunate,'' Eldrian replied, feeling down that he would lose such a greatpanion. It would be the only in-game character who he would be able to take on any mission, both their lives assured thanks to the binding.


    He still felt that it was better to go and fight. Not doing so felt like a cowardly approach to him.


    ''In that case, I can''t just leave you to your own devices. If I did then it would take you ages to reach Tier 3. So why don''t I exin to you what I know of elves and all other types of magics. Be it used by High Elves, demons, devils, beasts, or humans. It is going to take some time though, so first go and tell everyone what is going on.''


    Eldrian did as Zamia said, as he turned to head to everyone, she took to the sky. Having no reason to dy saving the women any longer.


    Arriving at the group Eldrian first looked in on Vivian, who by now waspletely healed. Seeing her lying curled up into a ball, clearly cold, Eldrian again felt dumb to no have packed a nket. He would for sure use arge part of his inventory for camping equipment next time. He had only thought about food and water since he logged off when he needed to rest.


    Hence camping equipment was useless for him, but it was not for others. He also made a mental note to not just have spare clothes for himself, he would try and get some unisex clothing for others. They did not have dimensional storages, and could not really afford to carry so much during missions.


    While they were part of the army this would not be a problem, since there was an entire division focused on this stuff. There were also somepanies in each division that took care of it for their division.


    After having his regret and looking once more at her tattered clothing, Eldrian stood up and turned to the rest. Exining to them that Zamia had gone to finish their task and rescue the women still inside the caves. He also told everyone that it would be their task to take care of these women after.


    No one had a problem with this, they were already grateful that the Alicorns would help them save them. All of them would have felt terrible quilt if they left them, yet entering the caves again was too dangerous for their little group. Not without a better reason.


    The party knew this would make their return journey even harder, but none of them thought of giving up on the women just because of that. That would be like spitting in the Alicorn''s face, since she would be saving them.


    Eldrian then exined that Zamia would be teaching him about magic, and that he did not know how long it would take. As such he told everyone to getfortable, giving them some meat to prepare for everyone. The unknown number of girls too, this left Eldrian with none to spare. But he did not mind, he was certain there were edible nts in the forest. They had just never bothered to look since they were focused on other things and he had an easier option at hand.


    Having settled this Eldrian started meditating as he waited for Zamia to return, finding that doing so was easier again. Surprised he quickly looked at his affinity again, finding that it did increase again. Not as much, he remembered it to be 97.1- and now it was 97.21%.


    A slight increase, but the effect on mana control wasrge. This time he made sure to note this number down, using one of the note-taking functions of the system. Something he had never bothered to use before.


    Spending a few minutes to get used to the change, Eldrian pushed to see how much he could do now. Finding that he could add the mana flow to his hands, but not his fingers nor his feet.


    This was because when it reached his hands it split into many parts, which he struggled to maintain. Keeping this going for just a few seconds caused him to start sweating from the effort.


    He continued to do this until Zamia returned, which did not take long. She came back within an hour, around thirtydies following her. At which point Eldrian could keep the mana flowing for a full ten seconds.

 Chapter 161: Learning the basics again

    <h4>Chapter 161: Learning the basics again</h4>


    Hearing themotion, Eldrian stopped his meditation and turned to look at what was going on. Seeing the women caused him to almost throw up, their condition was beyond terrible. He could not stand looking at them and immediately looked away, feeling nauseous for a long time after having turned his gaze away.


    He could not get the image out of his head, seeing a naked woman was supposed to be a great milestone for him. Sure he had watched porn like any other young man, but he had never seen a nakedwoman in person.


    One could argue this did not count, but it certainly felt like he was here in person. And he had just seen thirty women, naked. But it was not a good sight, recalling how bad they looked caused Eldrian to feel nauseous again. Making him wonder if he might have just been turned gay.


    Unlike Eldrian, the rest of the group had expected this, and as soon as the women came they reacted properly. Floyd went over to start healing them, trying to be as gentle as possible. He knew that many women could not withstand what they lived through in those caves, having their minds broken.


    This was not something magic could heal, at least not without a great deal of effort and time. Most of the time such women were simply deemed lost and killed to stop their suffering. Floyd did not like that belief and would try his best to save them all.


    Margit and Sabrea were busy trying to make clothing out of leaves for them, while Tes was grilling meat. The first proper meal they would have in months. He knew this meant they would be unable to stomach it whole, as such he nned to make a stew with it. But they did not have the means to make a stew, so he had asked Margit to shape some stones into bowls for him. nning to shred the meat and let it dissolve in water after having grilled it.


    Once Zamia made sure that the humans had it all sorted, she headed over to Eldrian. ''This is also something good which came from youing here.''


    Eldrian nodded absentmindedly, trying to not think about how bad they looked. Standing up slowly he asked, ''Can we start, I need to be distracted.''


    Zamia nodded, knowing what Eldrian was going through. This was different than a simple war where bodies got mangled throughbat. They were tortured through unspeakable means, things people should not live through. She knew it was certainly a shock when someone first saw people in such conditions.


    As Eldrian followed Zamia to a spot near the pond, he finally understood why Vivian had such hatred for goblins. Seeing what happened to the women, he felt the same. He also felt that any person would grow such hatred for things that could do that to people.


    His thoughts reaching this point Eldrian realized that most yers were still unaware of why they fought. Believing it was a matter of life or death, but this was far worse than death. As such he gathered his resolve and started recording.


    He made sure to get a good view of all the women, including those being helped by Floyd. He was slightly bothered that the women were all naked, but even so, he nned to post it once he went offline. yers had to know what they fought for, they had to know that this was not just a game.


    He knew this would not change their mindset, but he felt it would start lighting a me. yers who had made friends with NPCs would definitely be outraged by this.


    After getting what he felt was enough footage, Eldrian apologized to Zamia and told her that he was ready to start learning. She did not mind, having quickly be used to the fact that Eldrian often drifted in thought.


    To begin she told Eldrian how she nned to help him. She did not know what was right for him, having only seen High Elves use magic. They had never shared their secrets with her, and she would not ask. This was amon courtesy between respected races, the only magic which all races knew was magic as humans used it.


    This magic did not belong to humans, nor were they the ones who made it. This was magicin the form of spells modules.One could say it was the most basic magic.


    A magic where the magic was not really yours. Where you used it through certain set means and not through active thought and actions. Eldrian having tried to breach this barrier through his incorrect training.


    To try and exin how this worked she started at the basics, at Tier 0. Informing Eldrian that he was actually still at this level ifpared to other High Elves. He was only Tier 1 when looking at the spell module type magic. At static magic.


    Humans used this magic due to their short life spans, they did not have the time other races had. Naturally, this meant that most short-lived races used this type of magic. Including dwarves, dryads, lower-ranking elves, and many other races.


    Short-lived here meant living for less than ten thousand years, which was the upper limit for all elves other than High Elves. Dwarves could live a couple of thousand years and dryads normally could only live to a thousand or two. They were the humanoid races closest to being called long-lived, but whenpared to Ancient and Mythical beasts, their age limit was simply short.


    As such these races alsomonly used static magic, but some also dabbled in dynamic magic which High Elves and beasts used. This came out as abilities, an instinctual type of magic.


    Lower ranked beasts also used this type of magic and only this type. Hence them being limited in what they were able to use.


    ''Now as to why this was important; because this is why High Elves, devils, demons, and other long-lived races learn dynamic magic. It is not just because we have more time, but due to why we have more time. We are more intuned to magic, it being a part of us.'' Zamia said as Eldrian listened in rapt attention.


    ''This also causes us trouble when starting to learn magic, hence why it generally takes hundreds of years for High Elves to reach Tier 1. Beasts skip this due to our instincts, but this only allows us to skip a part of it. After which we need arge amount of time to learn how to not rely on our instincts. Which is our limitation''


    ''Devils and other races part of the Kako races can skip the initial steps through more nefarious means. Like feeding on others, this can be through feeding on their emotions or actually eating them. If they do not do this, then their growth is also as slow, if not slower, than that of High Elves. If they ever relied on feeding, then they would always rely on it.''


    Here she exined why most long-lived races would avoid using static magic. The reason was simple, it would cause you to be used to that type of magic. This was not just mentally, but your mana would actually start bing static to amodate the magic. Which was the real reason they avoided it. Turning it back took far longer than simply learning from scratch and might even be impossible.


    Next, she went on to what magic was, or rather how it was ssified. This was mostly simr to how Dave had exined it to Eldrian. There were six true elements; Water, earth, fire, wind, and then Light and darkness.


    Tier 0 was actually formless magic where the caster called mana to form in a certain element. The form it took was said to be formless since this was the case when using dynamic magic, the spell would take the form the caster wished. Through static magic, it would instead form into a certain predetermined form.


    ''Nidia for example is a water spell that would use mana to pull the water in the surrounding to form a ball of water. This is the natural form of water if it collects in mid-air, and why the spell module also does not try to change it.'' Zamia exined, causing Eldrian to think of many things.


    First wass and gravity, how this also caused things to form into spheres. Next, he thought of the meniscus of water, which allowed it to keep its form even if it was outside of a container. He wondered if these things were important in any way. He felt this was most likely true.


    Zamia re-exnation of the basics allowed Eldrian to get a better grasp over things. Eldrian learned that the reason Zamia ssified light and darkness apart from the other four was that it was not a stable element. Rather she called it a sub-element.


    Her exnation of it caused Eldrian to think of light. More specifically of the photon and the science lessons he had forgotten which were now nagging at him.


    Light magic seemed to be the creation of photons, forming light if it was the only element cast. If darkness was cast instead, then it would cause all the photons in an area to be absorbed. Causing total darkness.


    When mixed with other spells it came to the same conclusion Eldrian had had when learning Frost Needle.


    Darkness removed energy from the spell, when it was a water-based spell, it would cause it to be ice. Light would instead add energy.This was different from adding more mana to the spell. Both added energy, but in different ways.


    Adding more mana would cause the spell to swell, but it would stay the same spell. Light and darkness, instead, could change their form without changing the element the spell was made out of.


    If it was a water spell, then after it would still be a water spell. This was different from adding other elements like fire and earth, which would form a type ofva. A mix of the two elements, not just one.


    This all being exined to him again caused Eldrian to finally have a eureka moment.


    This still holds for light, if... He thought, realizing he needed to research once he was offline.

 Chapter 162: Different ways of using magic

    <h4>Chapter 162: Different ways of using magic</h4>


    Following basics, Zamia started talking of the types of magic which were not part of any element.


    Nature magic was one of the ssic types which was often misssified. This along with many other magic types, such as dream , space, void, demonic, summoning, divine, and others were all different types of magic. Magics that did not have to do with elements, but rather with abstract things such as thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and life itself.


    Nature magic was part of thest one, where mana was used to react with life. Normally this was a positive reaction, such as healing. But it could also be negative, such as poisoning.


    ''Instead of calling elements to form, nature magic purely turned mana into usable energy for a life form. In the case of healing, this helps the body heal, while poison would instead hinder the body''s functions. The higher the Tier of a heal spell, the purer the energy supplied.'' Zamia said as she wondered how to share this properly, without going into to much detail.


    ''These two are not the only forms of nature magic, there are many more. The second mostmon probably being rejuvenation magic which delivers energy to the body in a neutral way. Allowing the body to use it as needed, not for one specific purpose.''


    As they reached this point Eldrian found that he needed to log out. Stopping Zamia he apologized, ''Sorry, but it seems my time for today is almost up. Can we continue tomorrow?''


    ''Sure, it will take some days for the women to be able to undertake the journey, and we have only touched the beginning. We still need to go into how different races use magic differently. While I might not know exactly how they use it, I have seen many use it. So I have a rough idea.'' Zamia said, happy to have something to do while the rest were readying for war.


    For Alicorns, this was not getting their gear ready, but more about figuring out how they would fight. Where was it worth fighting, when was it worth it. Would they offer help to the kingdoms, or only hinder the stronger beings of the Kako.


    ''Thank you...'' Eldrian did not know how to express how grateful he was for the knowledge she was sharing with him, for free. He did not know how much he would be able to learn, but he felt it was far more than any normal mage would be able to teach him.


    Pushing his excitement down, Eldrian returned to his party. Most of the women most serious wounds had been healed, but they were all still in critical conditions.


    Eldrian''s party had made plenty of fires to give them some source of heat. Vivian was also with the women currently, still fast asleep.


    After having made sure that she was still fine Eldrian told the others that he would be logging off. Or rather that he would be sleeping and return to his world, he had be more used to talk about it over time.


    Once he finished that, he logged off. Right as he woke up he changed into his exercise clothes and headed out for a jog. Making sure to always keep to his routine when possible. Not having the lethargy of waking up helped him greatly in being more active.


    Right after finishing his exercise, he started creating the post about what goblins did to women they captured. He started of by exining how he had gotten a hidden quest, which had led him here. Then about the dungeon, the devil an finally their journey into the caves where he saved Vivian.


    Here he mentioned that if not for Zamia, the Alicorn, the women would have likely been left to die. Making sure to ce emphasis on what that meant for them as he shared the video he had recorded.


    Once this was finished he got himself something to eat as he focused on a more pleasant subject. Trying to figure out what was light and what was energy.


    To this aim he started watching some videos on how light delivered energy to atoms. Trying to figure out how it could work inside the game, he was certain that there was scientific backing for magic. It might be crooked, but he felt certain it would be there.


    While doing this he also took some time off to go have dinner with his sister. He did not share his recent breakthrough, certain that she would not agree with him treating both lives as equally important. He decided to only mention this once he actually knew what it meant for himself.


    By the time he could log back in, Eldrian had not managed to learn how light worked, nor how this connected in with magic. But he had learned more about what energy was, how it could take many forms. The most basic was kic and potential energy, which he had sort of forgotten. Having thought it would not be important to his future.


    He now felt it was important, and as such he had relearned it. Which did not take too long, he even looked more into it. Trying to understand the deeper meaning behind it all.


    Especially the E = mc^2 equation.


    He felt this was somehow, somewhere, how mana worked. He believed mana might be a free form of energy since magic could literally form things from nothing other than mana. This or he did not understand how things formed through magic.


    Back inside the game, he continued to listen to Zamia as she exined how different races use magic. Specifically on why Tier 5 magic was such a milestone for humans and all other static magic users.


    At Tier 5 magic became tooplex. To try and help Eldrian understand she exined to him how spell modules worked and why she called it a predetermined form of a certain magic. Where after casting, it was not really possible to change the spell.


    From this she exined how this was ''fixed''. It was a crude method which took a great deal of effort.


    ''Tier 5 magic is tooplex for a single spell module to suffice, since it is only one predetermined form. Where mana takes a certain form, both in arrangement and elements. It would always be static.'' Zamia exined, trying her best to make it simple to understand.


    ''But Tier 5 magic can not be static. To try and get around this limitation spells above Tier 5 does not consist of one spell module. But rather a group of spell modules which the caster can switch between. Doing so will allow them a degree of control over the spell.''


    ''As such they need to memorize all the different modules and be able to switch between them. This also requires some control over mana, which is another added burden on the caster.''


    Dynamic magic she exined, stayed mostly the same. Once a person managed to learn it, the rest was simple. Thebinations and flow of mana naturally became moreplex, but that is about it. The control over the spells stayed the same.


    ''Thus the control static magic gives casters is flimsy at best. But with enough practice, they could simte dynamic magic. Yet doing so would cost them far more concentration, limiting other things they could also do.''


    ''This is the biggest advantage of dynamic magic, it allows us to cast with little thought.''


    With this exined, Zamia dered that Eldrian should now know what magic was. So she went on to exin the different forms magic could take, and why sses were a thing.


    Spell magic was magic where the caster formed mana outside of them to form a spell. This was simply called the magic ss, as it was the only ss where magic was visible. This visible magic where mana formed outside of the body was called spells, obviously.


    For the other two sses, the magic was always hidden, its effects might show, but not the magic itself.


    The melee ss was focused mostly on strengthening the body of its caster. This was not a simple strengthening, it could be anything from bursts of speed, bouts of strength to near weightlessness. This strengthening could even extend to a person''s weapon, but only while in contact with the weapon.


    It was a more bizarre type of magic that was not even close to spell magic. All types of magic like this, where the mana never leaves the person''s body are called skills.


    There were no elements in skills, at least not in pure skills. Things becameplicated when the two were mixed, but that was something Zamia did not exin in more dept. Staying at the basics.


    The range ss was more in line with this mixture, but not really. They had simrities to both melee and the spell sses. But only in the fact that they could use their skills on things they were not touching, a limitation of the melee ss.


    Like the melee ss, the range ss also had skills for self-enhancement. But they can also use skills to enhance their weapons, like an arrow in flights. For this, they have to be in contact at the start, but once the arrow has been let loose, it will not lose its enhancement.

 Chapter 163: Joren the rep

    <h4>Chapter 163: Joren the rep</h4>


    With this done, Zamia felt that Eldrian should now know the basics of magic. So she started exining more about how the different dynamic users used magic. How it differed even in a race, and why it was hard to find a proper teacher even when living with masters.


    Eldrian had first stopped her when he saw the woman all still unclothed. Feeling really weird to be seeing so many naked women, who by now looked much better. He felt they would start looking beautiful, or at the least good, again in a day or more, so he really needed to get them dressed.


    This might sound weird, but he felt he knew how much he could gain from Zamia. He did not want to waste both their time horny. He used the time where he asked for a break to head over to Cephaphyr and asked him to help Sabrea and Margit make clothes for the women. Cephaphyr''s nt ''transforming'' skill certain to be a big help.


    After some middle man acting, where he exined to Cephaphyr what they wanted to aplish and showed him a few finished products -real clothes, he headed back to Zamia to continue his lessons.


    Zamia started by saying that there were some general guidelines avable inside eachmunity for themunity, but this was generally only the basics. Zamia admitted that she did not know the basics for High Elves, but she had seen some both during training and in battle.


    She exined to Eldrian what she had witnessed and how he might be able to take from it. To add to the path he already had for himself. She also exined how each race had different ways of growth.


    Alicorns generally grew with age until Tier 3, where they would stop naturally knowing how to use certain types of magic. From there they had to start learning other magics and how to advance. This was where Cephaphyr currently was, though his growth had been quick and really limited in magic types.


    This did not mean they stopped growing. Rather their growth became slower, their mana would always continue to increase. But when they did not know the corresponding knowledge, it would slow down their growth tens or even hundreds of times from the normal rate.


    ''From what I know, High Elves have no natural growth. At least not until they reached their next level through practice. Once this is done, their mana would start to increase up to the limit of their current level.''


    ''Compared to humans, their mana growth is easily ten times as much. But the rest is more or less the same, they do not gain more strength or any other attributes. Rather, just their mana increases more. Simr to how most beasts have more health and stamina than humans, even when their constitution is the same.''


    Eldrian listened to the best of his abilities. Taking most note of things he had experienced himself, trying to use them as a guide for his training.


    Once Zamia finished exining how High Elves generally seemed to be using mana, she moved on to exin other races. First, she started with humans again, exining how they would grow with each Tier and how this differed from High Elves. She moved on to dwarves next, then demi-humans, and so forth.


    Quickly Tuesday came where Eldrian had to meet the representative. He could not help but think about everything he wanted to ask the representative during their meeting. Somehow he had managed to at least half-listen in ss, managing to make decent notes on their current work. Which was making a modr coding unit.


    Once his sses for the morning were done, he excitedly rode his bike to the mall they had agreed to meet at. He had two hours before needing to be back for ss, not much. But it was the most time he had free today. Latter than his final ss and it would eat into either his homework time or his gaming time.


    At the mall, he quickly headed to entrance 1 where they had agreed to meet.


    "You must be Eldrian." A man in a formal suit said as soon as Eldrian approached the entrance.


    Confused, not knowing how the man knew it was him, Eldrian replied, "Yes that''s me, how did you know?"


    "Social media, of course. Did you think we would not investigate you?" The mainughed a little as he rubbed his stubble.


    This reply caused Eldrian to be nervous, wondering why they needed to investigate him. He tried his best to hide his nervousness, but the representative easily read it.


    "Don''t worry, we just wanted to make sure about a few things. I am Joren, nice to meet you." Saying this Joren extended his hand, which Eldrian promptly shook.


    "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let''s go and find somewhere to talk. You said you have two hours free, how long is your drive?"


    "Oh, I cycled. Around 15 minutes," Eldrian replied as they found themselves in a coffee shop to talk at. Eldrian ordered himself a cappino and some chicken and mayo toasts, having not had the time to eat before.


    "That should give us enough time. Now, where should we start?" Joren asked after also making his order.


    "I don''t know. Maybe exin to me what exactly it is that you want me to do." Eldrian said, having no idea how to conduct such a meeting. He had never been in anything simr, somethingmon for freshmen who just started studying. They had never needed to be in a business meeting before.


    "Right, that would be a good ce to start." Joren replied as he looked at Eldrian seriously, "As many people have realized, our technology is far ahead of everything else on the market. This led to some unexpected roadblocks, one of which was someone who was able to actually do what you have managed so far."


    "Of the three thousand game testers, none had managed to cast a spell as a high elf. This is still holding true for all the yers who had chosen that race, except for you."


    "This, even though we gave them ess to all the information which was used to make the magic system. As such one of our fears is that no yer would be able to reach Tier 5, unless we can figure out why you managed to learn how to use magic."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, confused about how this could be. From what he now knew this should not be as big a problem as he thought at the start. Not with the system helping the normal yers.


    "Oh yes, we never exin how yers are even able to use magic. For normal beings of Gaia, they need to have a small degree of mana aptitude. This control is so little that most of them can use magic, only around 5% unable to ever use magic."


    "We had removed this slight requirement from yers. Letting the game system do all the heavy lifting for them at the low levels." Seeing the unbelieving look on Eldrian''s face Joren continued to exin.


    "This was done since from the 3000 game testers, only 50 had managed to use magic when this requirement was kept. We had thought that yers would be able to learn with time. But even now, none of the game testers had managed to ovee this."


    "When we simte the beginning environment again, they are still unable to cast magic. The 50 who had managed first, still the only ones able to use magic without the system''s help."


    "We feel that this might be because they have too low an aptitude to magic. But we can''t confirm this with such a little sample." Eldrian felt this sentence meant more than just what Joren said, but he did not interrupt the exnation and continued to listen.


    "As to why this is a problem, we can''t just let the system do everything for the yers. Theputational power it requires might not be thatrge, but if we needed to do this for each yer. Taking control of their mana, helping their mental creations, and simting their wants when controlling the spell, it bes too much."


    "It would also invalidate our reason for making the game public, but that is a more confidential topic." Joren teased, saying only enough to cause Eldrian to wonder what more was going on behind the scenes. He felt this linked to the sample part Joren mentioned before. Eldrian slowly remembered that the game was actually an experiment.


    "So the main reason you want my help is to figure this out?" Eldrian asked, still unsure how he could even help.


    "Yes, but the other thing you mentioned also piqued our interest. Where you had that.. Unconventional death."


    "So there was something strange about that!" Eldrian said this so loudly and with great worry that the waiter almost dropped their orders. After apologizing a few times, Eldrian calmed himself down as he took a sip of his half spilled cappino.


    "Yes, it is something which also never happened before."


    "What! Did I really almost die then?" Eldrian asked loudly, but not so loud that he disturbed the others in the shop.


    "No, I assure you that you are safe."


    Seeing the poker mask of the representative failing to hold up Eldrian felt really worried, so he pressed more. "What aren''t you saying?"


    "You were not in danger of dying. But... Your character in the game might have died for real." Joren said, feeling it was best to put everything not secret on the table. At least until he had Eldrian reeled in.


    "What!?"


    "Rx, we aren''t sure ourselves. But we specte that this is what would likely have happened if you were not revived in time."


    This news really shocked and worried Eldrian. He had just decided that both worlds were important to him, and now he learned he might die in one.


    "Can we prevent it?"

 Chapter 164: The offer

    <h4>Chapter 164: The offer</h4>


    "I don''t know. It will depend on what really happened." Joren replied as he casually took a sip of coffee, as if this did not really matter.


    "What do you mean what really happened? Do you guys not keep all the data?" Eldrian asked about something which had been bothering him for a while. He did not really understand why they needed to ask for his permission to get his data. Were they not like any otherpany which just took it all.


    "Ah, I see what you are thinking." Joren smiled as he thought about it, "It is true that we can pull some data down, but we don''t save everything on a hard drive or something. That would be impossible, there is simply too much going on."


    "We actually treat yers and NPCs very simr, you only get a few perks through the system. This is also precisely the data we have ess to. If you did something without the system''s help, then we have no idea that you did it."


    "What I am trying to say is we know your stats, your kills, your levels, all that game stuff. But we do not know what you said, what you thought, what you felt."


    "I hope that answers your question." Joren smiled again, seemingly happy with the way the conversation had been going.


    "So, what do you want me to do then?" Eldrian asked, still not understanding what they were actually aiming for through this meeting.


    "Well let''s start with exining how we managed to be allowed to put the game onto the market. This was highly fought against on higher levels. I know little of what was said. But in the end, it was decided that we would only be allowed as long as a few rules were followed."


    Eldrian naturally wondered what more was going on, but he knew that it was not his ce to search for the reasons. He was not even part of Miracle Corporations and had no background to support him if he tried.


    "The first rule is that no humans, from any country, would be harmed through ying the game. This was an understandable one so it was easily epted by the higher-ups."


    "The next one was that we could not force these humans, who became yers, to do anything. They would still have all their rights, which also had to be protected in-game. We have tried to stand by this, but it is harder than we had thought. Luckily we only need to do our best to maintain it, as long as we do not ignore it or actively take your rights away, then it is also alright. "


    "The following major rule was that we were not allowed to steal people''s personal information. You see, the way the technology works can allow us to easily read your minds."


    Hearing this caused goosebumps to spread over Eldrian''s body. He knew this was not an exaggeration since he had telepathically talked with Alicorns. Zamia had even shared some of her memories with him.


    "We agreed, but due to how easily we had, those higher up had expected something more was going on. So they squeezed as hard as they could, prohibiting us from using the technology to gather other, less personal, data too."


    "Like?" Eldrian asked, wondering what else there could be.


    "Well, many things. Your DNA sequence, your physical attributes, your personality, your likes, and dislikes, even your talents and skills. The list can go on and on. We were prohibited from collecting any of these unless we can get the yer''s permission."


    "Wait, what do you want!" Eldrian asked, rmed by just how much they could seemingly collect. He had never thought about it, but now he was truly frightened at the power they actually had.


    "Rx, we have no interest in most of these things. But due to this, we can''t just pull your data, even if you agree. Those higher up would stop us, since it could lead to an eption."


    "Rather we want to run a sub-system, following you on your adventure. This will not collect any information rted to your real life, but instead only data of your in-game character. If we feel we need something more, we will let you know through the game with a quest like message."


    "Okay..." Eldrian said this slowly as he thought about what this would mean. It did not sound too bad, but he felt like many things were still being kept from him. Unfortunately, he did not have much to bargain with to learn more.


    "So that is the first part." Joren finished as he ordered himself another coffee. Eldrian having been unable to enjoy his, often too shocked by what Joren had been saying.


    "Now, this is our offer. If you are willing to help us in our research, then we will pay you a monthly sry of 4000 dors."


    Eldrian, having just taken a sip of his cappino, only barely managed to not spit it out in surprise. "4000?" He asked, after a great struggle to swallow without spilling.


    It was simply too much money for him, a student to keep thinking clearly. He would have managed better if it was a once-off payment, but this was a sry. Something which might stay for a long time. The amount was also really good, close to what graduates made their first few years out of university.


    "Yes, and I am afraid we can''t continue talking about the other topics until you have decided to take it or not. The following things we will be talking about are confidential and will need you to sign a nondisclosure. While what we had talked about is still secret, we do not mind it getting out."


    There''s more!? Eldrian did not know how to answer, instead, he asked, "What would I need to do?"


    "As I said, we will run a sub-system to monitor you in-game. Trying to figure out why you managed to learn magic and how. We won''t ask you to do much more than simply y the game. If we do ask for more it will be small tasks."


    "These won''t interfere with your ytime, rather when you have nothing to do you can do them. These things might be casting certain spells, using spells in certain ways, or anything simr. We expect that you simply ying will give us all the data we need. We will only ask you to do these things if it does not."


    "That''s all?" Eldrian asked in disbelief, it sounded too good to be true. He had never experienced this before, but he knew people said that if it sounded too good, then it likely was. Even so, he was tempted to take the offer.


    "Yes, that is all. I should rify though, that is all for the first contract. We don''t have just the one."


    This is really too good to be true. But... It will allow me to take a big step to make both lives connected and improved. Eldrian thought first, before wondering what more they might want with him.


    The longer this conversation went on, the more he felt something strange was going on. But he could not find what this was.


    "Can we iron out the details of the contract?" Eldrian asked after some silence, having used it to finish his meal and cappino. Trying to clear his head and allow himself to make the best decisions.


    "Certainly, here is the contract," Joren said, taking out a tablet from his jacket and cing it in front of Eldrian. "If you agree, then simply press here, assigning your fingerprint as a signature."


    Eldrian took the tablet carefully, making sure he did not identally press somewhere. After which he started reading the contract. It was not long, only two pages.


    This bothered him, knowing that most contracts were long and convoluted. But this one seemed to be really simple.


    On the first page it detailed who the agreement was between; him Eldrian Seamys Gilbert, and Miracle Corporation. This page also exined how the contract will be enforced and what would happen if either party breached it.


    If Eldrian breached it, then he needed to pay a fine of 10 000 dors. If he was unable then he had to work for them full time.


    If Miracle Corporation broke their part, either forcing him to do more than stated in the contract or failing to pay him, then he could sue them through the court. Where, if they were indeed in the wrong, would need to pay out two years of his sry.


    This... This seems too simple. Eldrian thought as he read the second page. All he had to do was y at least five times a week for 10 hours. During which he had to have 1 hour open for doing simple tasks they might require.


    There was also a use that stated he could not divulge what he learned about Miracle Corporation and ANW while under the contract. Which Eldrian felt was reasonable, they were a top researchpany.


    Finally, it also stated that the contract would be legal for a year, from where they could decide to continue or not. It being both Eldrain''s choice as well as Miracle Corporation, who might stop the contract if they had managed to learn what they wanted. Or if the game ended up scrapped.


    Eldrian ordered himself another cup of cappino as he reread and reread the two pages. Looking for the pitfall or trap.


    By the time he had finished his second cup, he still had not found one. So he felt pretty safe in agreeing to the contract. Feeling it would not change anything, it was mostly just positive.


    Pressing his finger where required, he felt a small prick. As he lifted it he looked at Joren questioningly, blood slowly forming on his thumb.


    "Sorry about that, just an added security. Fingerprints can easily be faked or hacked these days." Joren replied with arge smile as he took the tablet and stored it back in his suit.

 Chapter 165: Next offer, and another meeting

    <h4>Chapter 165: Next offer, and another meeting</h4>


    "No, not that. How the hell did the tablet break my skin?" Eldrian asked as he thought back. He had needed to press his finger on the page, on the screen. How had there been a needle?


    "Oh, that''s simple. Well, it''s hard to exin... But it is simple." Joren replied, saying to Eldrian that this was one of the least interesting things going on in theirbs.


    "In any case it is not important, just know that all contracts require both a fingerprint and blood sample at the same time." Joren ended his short exnation, never having answered Eldrian''s question.


    "Now that you have signed the nondisclosure, we can continue with our talks. But first, let''s get some more coffee." Joren said, calling the waiter again to get them both one more of what they had been drinking.


    "What I need to talk about next does not have a simple aim. We want to figure out a couple of things, all of which connect with one another. For example the death you had experienced. We might be able to get data through time, but can you also exin what had happened?" Joren asked as he enjoyed the new coffee which soon arrived. Eldrian was surprised by the service, they had almost never waited longer than a minute for their orders to arrive.


    "Sure," Eldrian did not hold back, feeling it would be best to talk to the makers of the game to figure out what was happening. He certainly did not want to find himself losing his character one day.


    He did more than just exin his first time experiencing it. Also going so far as to exin his recent fights where he fell unconscious after each one. Wondering if they were connected.


    "Interesting, I don''t know if they are really connected. But once we start recording your in-game actions, we will be able to tell." Joren replied, after which they moved on to the next part. He had some theories, but for now, they were just that and he did not want to share too much spection with Eldrian.


    The next topic they talked about was the new headsets thepany was making. "We would like your help in testing the headsets. One of the things we suspect is that you pull far more power when ying. This does not just connect to the headset, but also your body."


    Joren then went on to exin what improvements they were trying to make to the headsets. Here he started exining to Eldrian why there was a time limit. For the current headset, this was 16 hours, with 2 hours grace period.


    The new headset they hoped to remove this limitation, allowing people to y 24 hours if they wished. The only requirement was to keep themselves fed and hydrated.


    He did not go into great detail, but he did drop some crumbs for Eldrian. Such as that they could currently not allow longer usage due to the possibility of people gaining derealization disorder. That Eldrian actively using magic might be draining his real body, certainly, it would take far more brainpower than simply ying with the help of the system.


    "So we would like to send you the new headset. It will first go through proper testing, so don''t worry about that."


    "Then what do I need to do?"


    "y, preferably get into a tough fight like the other two you talked about. Where you lose consciousness after. We would like for you to act as an extreme test, to see if the headset limits the amount of energy it drains from you."


    Seeing Eldrian not agreeing immediately, Joren decided to push a little harder. "This is not part of the first contract and you can disagree. But if you ept, then you would receive the newest equipment each time. As well as another 500 dors each month."


    "Simply for ying with the new equipment?" Eldrian asked, again feeling like it was too good to be true.


    "Yes, we would like you to get into a really hard fight within a few days of getting it. But we understand it is not always possible."


    Eldrian did not agree right away, so Joren let him be. Giving him some more time to think it over. This agreement was less time concerning since they still had a couple of weeks before they nned to start testing the new headsets.


    Joren also exined this to Eldrian, mentioning that they nned to only make ten million new headsets. Which was really not much, seeing as both old and new yers would want to get the new headsets. The 8 hours extra might not sound like much, but for full-time gamers, it would be a big deal.


    Eldrian knew what Joren was doing, even knowing, it still worked on him. He might not use the full 8 hours each day, but having it on weekends would be really nice. Especially if he could use it for training, his days normally too busy to allow so much training.


    But what about resting?Eldrian wondered as he thought about the fatigue yers gained.


    Asking Joren this Eldrian received another interesting piece of news. "That is something we had added to hopefully guide yers, but it did not really work well. The same goes for the HP system."


    "The game developers side of thepany are thinking of removing or remaking these. This should happen in the next few days."


    "What?" Eldrian was shocked, this meant that arge part of the game they had learned would be invalid.Or would it?He wondered, thinking back to how he never really used the HP system. yers who did would sometimes find bugs where monsters did not die right as their HP reached 0.


    ...


    "Is this to everyone''s'' satisfaction?" A High Elf in a light cyan robe asked as he looked at those gathered in the hall.


    The former was all the emperors and generals from all the regions in the alliance. Over ten thousand people, all above Tier 8, all in great positions of power, of different nations, of different races.Thetter was a massive hall, gilded with dark purple metals and mithril.


    To represent the equality of the meeting they were all seated around a massive circr table, which had an array engraved to allow easy speech over therge area. The array functioned as both a microphone and speaker simultaneously for each person at the table. Able to prioritize the conversation between emperors, over that between supreme and highmanders.


    "The n is feasible, and by now we can see which kingdoms are strong enough to handle our help. Leaving those on the brink of extinction to themselves seems like the correct choice. But these Chosen are still a variable." A sturdy dwarf replied, he had a massive ck beard and wore equally dark leather clothing. These clothes were not just for show, but like all those in here, it was of the highest magical grade formal armor.


    Formal armor was not ceremonial armor, but rather armor made in the appearance of clothing. It was not as strong asbat armor, but far better than any type of clothing. It allowed all those in high ranks to be protected from assassination attempted. At least no assassin of equal strength would be able to kill them without a fight.


    "Yes, the reports on these Chosen are really surprising. We do not know their limits, but so far all of them show a surprising attunement to magic. Reaching Tier 1 and 2 in months, where it normally takes years. They could be a really strong force." A human woman in light gray form-fitting formal armor replied.


    "But they can''t be regted. Since they do not die, we cannot bind them. They do not have a nationality, nor a need to work with us. We cannot use force, we have no idea if we would be able to convince them to join us." This was spoken by a dryad woman, who wore no clothing.


    None in the room found it strange to look at her naked form. Most dryads hated clothing, especially the stronger ones. For them, it felt like they were wearing the itchiest clothing, no matter how exquisite the clothing actually was. It would always feel like a peasant''s clothes to them.


    "Yet they seem to be fighting for us. Most reports say that they are more than willing to work forpensation. It may not be true loyalty, but it something." A human man in blood-red formal armor replied.


    "Are you willing to teach them for something less than absolute loyalty? We know that humans can be devils, it has been proven to many times." A demi-human of the feline side replied. As often in anime, this feline human had little fur. At least in his normal state, when agitated their fur would increase greatly, covering their entire body. Now it only covered his cat-like ears, tail, and hands and feet.


    "It is not like demi-humans can''t turn! You just turn into demons!" Countered the man in red, easily provoked by the feline man.


    "The famous fury of humans. Rx, we are only talking." Said a reptilian demi-human. Simr to the feline demi-human, her body was not covered in scales. She looked much more human, her tail and eyes the only thing proving her none-humanity.


    Sighing, a dragon in the form of a human, interrupted the derailed conversation. "Seems you all forgot what the reports also stated. They can be bound by oaths to the gods. That is as good as it gets. It is even better than loyalty."


    This caused everyone to quiet down. Causing them all to realize they just needed to make a good oath which equaled absolute loyalty.


    "Seems like we have reached a conclusion. Let''s set off then. We have dyed long enough, having been caught unprepared this time." As soon as the High Elf said this everyone stood up and headed to the teleportation arrays in the hall. From where they were all sent back to their empires, where they directly started mobilizing those under them.


    They could not send armies to help the far-away kingdoms, months were needed to cover the distance. Instead, they teleported their highmanders to take over the battles. They also sent their royal guards to search and collect Chosen who were willing to swear an oath of loyalty for the promise of being taught how to fight. Unlimited skills, spells, and weapons promised in return.

 Chapter 166: Vivian wakes

    <h4>Chapter 166: Vivian wakes</h4>


    "Lord Athtar, do you not want to send some people to help in the effort?" Itireae, the suprememander of the Elven Empire, asked her emperor.


    "For what reason would we mobilize? We were caught off guard by this invasion, the prophecies told us it would not be for another thousand years." Athtar replied calmly as they walked out of the hall and into the royal garden.


    "More the reason, they need our leadership... My lord!" Itireae pleaded, almost forgetting her etiquette in her haste.


    "I understand what you are thinking, but you must know that you cannot change things alone. One empire can not change things." Pausing Athtar turned towards Itireae and ced his hand on her shoulder. "I know you want to show me you can fill your father''s shoes. That you are worthy of being the suprememander."


    "Know this, I only choose the worthy. If I thought you were not, then you would not be at my side."


    "Thank you, Lord Athtar." Itireae ced her hand against her chest in reverence. Tears forming in her eyes from the praise.


    "You are right that we should not do nothing." Athtar said after some time, having simply been walking through the garden, enjoying its beauty. "Take a small squad and go to one of the kingdoms. Any kingdom would do, but I advise to not go to one losing too badly.''


    "Second-hand reports never match reality, even if it is brought through illusions and magic recordings. They just aren''t able to record the emotions, the feel of the war."


    Itireae saluted again and quickly set off. Happy to be able to show her worth to the Emperor.


    Young ones. Athtar shook his head as he saw her enthusiasm. It was not wrong to have, but hers came from the wrong ce.


    Looking down to his capital, Athtar wondered if he should also start moving. Doing so would certainly cause massive waves, sorge that he did not know what the results would be. Once someone at his level started doing something, prophecies lost their uracy.


    Let''s wait for a little longer. The situation is not too dire. Not yet...


    Athtar''s gaze moved from the capital to his court, then to the other floating inds. He thought back to his partner in the previous war. Agamemas, have you moved?He asked himself as he looked at the many waterfalls which formed an array over his court.


    It was a beautiful sight to behold, always astonishing those who came to the capital of the Ahevell Empire. Certainly, the capitals of most empires were simply breathtaking. Epipleon stood above all the others, the oldest civilized city in history. The city with a history past the dark ages.


    Time to call the heroes.Athtas thought with apprehension. Their might certainly was great, and due to this working with them was difficult. They all had quirks, they all did not wish to listen to orders.


    The worst thing was that you could not even pay them, they were all rich beyond measure with countless treasures in their hands. The amount that was in Epipleon might not even equal the amount that ten heroes had.


    I hope these bastards will work for the good of the world. Like the name hero implies. Athtas hoped with sarcasm, knowing that it was unlikely. Most of them had long since lost the drive to protect the weak. The reason was simple, even if they did, those they saved would still wither and die soon.


    In the blink of an eye.


    They could not fight age for others, only for themselves. Something which made many heroes bitter.


    ...


    Eldrian returned home mostly still thinking about the meeting. Havingpletely missed what hisst ss was about. He simply could not focus.


    In the end, he had agreed to the offer of testing new headsets. He could not think of a reason not to, especially since he would be thest step in testing them. He would not be at risk of the device failing, at least not more than he was with his current headset.


    Let''s just get into it. He told himself, quickly getting some food to eat first. Too often he would wake up insanely hungry.Once done he directly entered the game, not bothering to go over the forums today. His drive back having been slower than usual due to his running thoughts.


    In the game, the first thing he saw was all the women sleeping peacefully around the many fires. They all had clothing now... Revealing and gorgeous blooming clothing.


    Their clothing was made out of leaves, vines, and flowers. All of which impressively weaved together to form around each woman. Through magic, these nts were kept alive and full of green, contrasting with the light skin of these women.


    Eldrian looked at them and felt astonished that they were all looking so well after just a few days of treatment from Floyd. The blooming flowers certainly helped in making them look better than they actually were.


    Thinking of treatment he turned to where Vivian was still sleeping. Not having woken for three days now. Each day he grew more and more worried, but Floyd assured him that she was simply recovering.


    No one had taken it onto themselves to dress her, but they had made a nket to cover her and offer her more heat. A nket made out of flora was not too impressive, but it was certainly better than her torn clothing.


    Don''t get trapped in worrying.Eldrian told himself, standing up and moving further from everyone. To somewhere he could practice using his new sword without bothering anyone.


    While at it he also moved the mana in his body, using what Zamia had taught him as much as he could. She did not know how he should move his mana, nor what was needed to reach Tier 1. Having only met Tier 5 and higher High Elves during her life.


    She had exined how far their mana reached, how it seemed like a web through their entire body. Tier 10, she exined looked like their body was mana, but she did not know if this was because she was too weak to see it well enough, or if it was actually how their mana flowed at that level.


    But this informed Eldrian that the mana flow needed to increase. He had intuitively thought this, but now he had some standard. He certainly could not jump to a final state, having only just managed to let his mana flow through his hands too.


    He wondered if there were more requirements than simply letting mana flow through him. He knew there was, Zamia having mentioned that mana cane in different purities and intensities. These two were strangely not connected, but rather shed with each other.


    It had been a hard milestone for her. To find the bnce between purity and intensity right for her. Each person needed to find a different bnce and it could not be achieved quickly.


    Eldrian did not know how this linked and would work for him. As such he did not focus much on it, rather keeping at his normal practice. To try andplete the basics.


    He did not just do these two things, routine and meditation. He also cast simple Tier 0 spells. Trying to do this without invoking the spell module. He kept failing, his mana memory simply causing him to form it through the spell module.


    He did not understand it, but it felt like muscle memory. In a sense. Once you practiced enough you can do something without thought. Unlearning it was not easy.


    Slowly he did manage to move away from it, but even now, he still cast spells through the spell module. His actions were not conscious, rather the mana would form into the spell module right before actually turning into the spell he had cast.


    It really is hard to unlearn.Eldrian thought as he let the spell die again, allowing him to cast a new one. He now understood why most never started with static magic. He did not regret it though, if he had tried it that way, then he certainly would still not be able to cast any spells.


    In this manner he continued for four hours, making sure to pace himself properly. Always allowing himself to be tired, but not drained.Once done training he headed to Zamia, where she shared more of what she knew.


    Eldrian loved these simple days of training, he could feel himself improving each day. He was even just a little bit away from managing to move his entire mana pool while meditating. Leaving nothing stationary. This would happen when he included his feet in the rotation, toes and all.


    So the day went on, until Eldrian noticed that Vivian woke up. As soon as she did he asked Zamia to stop their lesson and headed over.


    Reaching the group, he stopped when seeing Floyd going over to make sure she was alright. Eldrian simply stood dumbly and looked at her as she took the offered food and water. Eating slowly as she tried to recollect her thoughts.


    ''She''s finally awake!'' Cephaphyr came next to Eldrian, happy that the one Eldrian had been worrying about is okay.


    Eldrian smiled as he heard Cephaphyr''s happiness. Rubbing Cephaphyr''s mane Eldrian replied, ''Yes, finally...''

 Chapter 167: Great benefits

    <h4>Chapter 167: Great benefits</h4>


    Not rushing Vivian, Eldrian waited for her to recollect herself. It took some time, but he did not mind.


    Finally, she finished eating and collected most of her thoughts. Looking around she found herself in a forest. Greatly relieved she believed she was back inside a kingdom, believing no area in the barrennds would have any trees.


    As her eyes wandered she found Eldrian standing and waiting patiently nearby. "Haru... Where are we?" She asked, ignoring the others around her.


    "The forest of Avgi. It is safe." Eldrian replied as he wondered what to do. Should he fill her in, or should he let her rest some more?


    "Avgi? I don''t recall such a -" Her words failed her as she saw Cephaphyr standing next to Eldrian. "What are you?" She asked with curiosity. It looked like a Unicorn to her, a rare, but known magical creature. Yet instead of being white, Cephaphyr was pitch ck, and he had wings!


    "Oh, this is Cephaphyr. He is an Alicorn." Eldrian replied, and when seeing Vivian''s confusion he exined some more. "This forest is their home, it is actually surrounded by mountains. You were inside the caves in these mountains."


    "Really? I didn''t see a forest when I was running." Vivian felt quite unhappy that she had not, it would have saved her a great deal of pain. Quite upset she looked around again, hoping to lift her mind from the what-if, finding Margit standing a bit behind Eldrian.


    "Margit! You''re alive!" Vivian wanted to stand, but she had no energy.


    Hearing the call Margit stopped what she was doing and also came closer. She looked at Vivian with guilt, believing it was wrong of her to make it out so easily.


    "I am so d that I am not alone!" Vivian shouted again, failing to keep her sitting posture and falling back onto her back. Eldrian, shocked by the turn of the conversation, failed in catching her.


    Aren''t I supposed to be praised as the hero?He asked himself dumbly. He knew this was silly, but not receiving any thanks felt weird to him. It caused him to not know what to do.


    He did not let this bother him much longer after the slight thought. Making sure to leave these thoughts out of mind, he instead focused on making sure Vivian was really alright.


    She did not stay awake for much longer. Falling asleep again in only a minute. During which she had mostly asked Margit who else had survived and what had happened. Margit was unable to answer the former, but thetter she tried to exin.


    This was enough for Eldrian to be assured that she was alright. While still finding the conversation weird.


    After spending a few more minutes looking at her sleeping figure, Eldrian stood up and continued his studies. Knowing that it was the only way he could actually make any difference.


    A few more days passed, during which all the women that had been saved were continuing to heal. Not just physically, but also mentally. Vivian would wake for a few minutes every few hours, after eating something and a short talk she would fall asleep again.


    After the first few time, Eldrian stopped interrupting his studies and trusted those, with little to do, would help her recover and get up to date.


    Tes had taken to asking Cephaphyr for more arrows during the wait, having needed Eldrian''s help in talking.


    Margit was simply helping Floyd in taking care of everyone, and Sabrea would float between everyone. Either helping or training herself. Often inspired by Eldrian when she saw him always working on something. Never taking a break.


    Quickly a week passed, everyone, having mostly healed. Vivian had also recovered at this point and managed to stay awake for a full day. She had first started helping the other woman, and after that, she had started slowly training to get back into shape. Having over-exhausted her body and soul while trying to survive.


    "Are we going today?" Tes asked as another day passed, having long since be bored of having nothing to do. After Cephaphyr had made eight quivers for him, he realized he could not even carry everything. As such he had stopped asking for more. Yet that took the only thing which had been keeping him busy. Now his eyes often wandered to the woman, who all looked good by now.


    Their floral bikini''s certainly made them even more enticing. The only thing sobering Tes was what they had gone through, yet without anything to do his mind kept wandering.


    "I don''t know," Eldrian replied, not willing to go yet. Zamia was now exining the ins and outs of Tier 3 magic to him. Her exnation was mostly on static Tier 3 magic, since the dynamic magic she knew was not something Eldrian could copy. Even so, Eldrian felt it was still of great import and did not wish to leave before he took in everything he could.


    "Everyone is ready and can travel," Floyd added as he too started feeling that they needed to leave. If they did not, then they might be unable of rejoining the army.


    Eldrian also knew that the longer they stayed, therger the distance they had to cover alone. Yet he could not bring himself to leave. Wishing each time for just a little more time.


    He knew this was greedy, and upon seeing Sabrea and Vivian training together he realized that they really were ready to move out.


    Sighing he looked at Zamia and thought about what he was going to miss out on.Remember, training means not helping.Eldrian told himself to steel his resolve.So he headed over and told Zamia that they would set out today.


    ''I had been wondering when you would. Before you go, take this.'' Zamia said, bringing out a spear from nowhere.


    ''It is much better than what Cephaphyr can make, but it is still only a wooden spear. Consider it a gift to help you in bing stronger. I expect to see you soon, once you managed to reach Tier 3.''


    ''Thank you!'' Eldrian was extremely grateful as he took the spear. Simply grasping it he could feel it was a really good weapon.


    Zamia had clearly modeled it after Grace. It was also a double-headed spear, slightly longer than him. The front de almost as long as his arm and the back as long as his forearm. Its total length was such that when he ced it next to him, the front de would start from his shoulder.


    "Good luck," Zamia said through wind magic, allowing everyone to hear her.


    As Eldrian walked back to the group he inspected the de. He was greatly surprised when seeing that it was a Tier 3 spear.


    [Magical Polearm, Aoidos]


    [Tier 3]


    [Damage: 36 [41.8]]


    [Attack speed: 1.25 [1.9]]


    [Durability: 20k/20k]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 120; Agility: 135; Intelligence: 125]


    [???]


    Seeing that he did not meet all the requirements Eldrian quickly fixed it. He still had 14 points from when he increased his strength for equipping Gray, now with his recent level up he had 19 free. More than enough to bring everything up to the requirement.


    As such he quickly added four more to strength, bringing it to 120, adding ten to intelligence to bring it up to 125. Leaving 5 points still free, again Eldrian felt no rush to spend them.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 13 | 15,700/240,000 XP]


    {User has gained knowledge of different branches of magic. Updated ss status to reflect this.}


    [Magic ss False Tier 1; true Tier is 0]


    [Sub-ss: Melee]


    [Avatar Affinity: 97.21%]


    Eldrian was surprised seeing the added text. Reading through this he realized that the system seemed to not be absolute and what it showed seemed to depend on his knowledge.


    What does this mean?Eldrian wondered, wondering what else was also incorrect. What information he was being given was only partly true, or maybe even entirely false.


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 110]


    [Strength: 120]


    [Agility: 150]


    [Spirit: 110]


    [Intelligence: 125]


    {5 free attribute points}


    It does not matter for now.Eldrian realized as he made sure his attributes were enough, taking note that he should ask Joren what else worked like that, and why.


    Having the needed attributes, Eldrian went on to equip and soulbond the spear to him. Very happy to see the impressive bonuses it had hidden.


    [Passive bonus:]


    [The healing of song;When using this spear, the user will regain 1HP every ten seconds and 1SP every five seconds. {If race is Wood Elf, then the spear will also help in recovering mana}]


    [Ability:]


    [Sing and bring life; Express goodwill and you will receive in kind]


    [Instantly regain 25 points of any stat of user''s choosing.]


    [Cooldown: 60 seconds]


    [A special spear brought to life from a Tree of Song]


    [[Cannot be repaired]]


    Eldrian was shocked by these bonuses. He knew that they were really, really strong. Far stronger than the bonuses gray offered.


    A 10% damage bonus might sound strong, and it certainly was. Butpared to the regen, it fell behind extremely far. Especially since HP was also included in the regen, something Eldrian knew was really rare.

 Chapter 168: Nelidas journey completed

    <h4>Chapter 168: Nelida''s journeypleted</h4>


    Eldrian could not trulypare the two weapons. He had not used either enough to understand how they worked. But from what he knew of fights, he felt the regen -the passive bonus- would truly be far better.


    Arge reason for this belief was because Eldrian had never really felt hecked damage. It was always more a limit of simply keeping up with the opponent. And while fights generally ended quickly, Eldrian knew that battles continued for a long time.


    Simply looking back to his recent fights, they were generally first against a few grunts. Thenter against the stronger enemies, yet at that stage, he would be tired and slightly wounded. Luckily he had had Floyd to help him in the caves, but with this spear, he might not need it. Certainly not as much as he had needed the help.


    Eldrian felt that most fights in this game would be like that. He doubted there would really be cases where he only fought one or two strong enemies. He felt there would always be many underlings, and currently, he was actually also an underling.


    The ability is even stronger, certainly far stronger than the lifesteal ability of the greatsword. Eldrian though, certain that being able to recover any stat; be it health, mana, or stamina, would be far stronger. It was truly a perfect ability for almost any situation.


    Quickly trying it out, Eldrian found it only required a single thought to work. He simply thought to give himself more stamina, and he got it. Not that he had needed it as he walked to the others, but he could feel the rejuvenating energy entering him.


    Using the ability felt simr to when he interacted with his inventory, something he was veryfortable with. Hence why it took him little effort to use it.


    This is really awesome. Eldrian thought as he realized that the rewards for the hidden quest were simply insane. He was not even sure if this was all, since the quest was still ongoing. Naturally, he thought of the dungeon as being part of the quest, not separate.


    From this one adventure, he had gotten three magic grade weapons, four, if you did not count the daggers as a pair. Thisst one, the spear was certainly the strongest and most fit for Eldrian.


    He had ced most of his limited time into training with a spear, thus he really preferred a spear over a sword. He did not n to be so limited, but he understood he had to optimize for now.


    This gift from Zamia was certainly a godsend.


    Before bringing his thoughts back to ''reality'', back to walking to the other, Eldrian looked for the race bonus he hadst seen when equipping Gray.


    [15% to both the passive and ability, due to race.]


    That is insane.Eldrian realized as he tried to recall what the max was. Seeing the increase he was certain it was based on the weapon''s tier, yet he could not recall the max and had no idea how the increase worked.


    Eldrian joined the rest absentmindedly. Simply left without words from the gift he had received.


    Everyone was busy organizing how they would be traveling. During their spare time; Floyd, Margit, and Sabrea had gone scavenging for food in the forest. Once they started looking, they found that there were many edible fruits and berries.


    During the week, they had filled five baskets with different foods. Hoping it would be enough for their return journey. Naturally, it was on Eldrian to store the food and bring it with them.


    Eldrian came out of his stupor as everyone got into a formation. Vivian had taken the lead to try and organize everyone. No oneined about this, since ording to the military codes, she was their leader now. She was the only person here with an actual leadership rank.


    Even so, no one really bothered to follow her orders. They rather used them as a guideline, especially since they were still inside the forest.


    The formation was simple; the group of women, who they had saved, all stayed together in the center. Those of them who volunteered stood at the outside. Willing to offer support and resistance should ite to that.


    Other than that, Sabrea took the front, Tes the back, Floyd and Margit grouping with the women. Eldrian was supposed to take the left post, while Vivian took the right. But since they were still in the forest, he also did not care for it.


    As soon as they set out, Eldrian confirmed where he should be when needed, then he left his post. Not that his post was all that fixed, he simply stood to the left of the group. Leaving two to three meters between himself and the group of women.


    This was done with the aim to have him stall while the others reacted. This was what everyone in such a position needed to do. Sabrea was in the front since that was the most likely direction they would get opposition from. Tes took the back since that was the second likeliest.


    Moving nearer to the women, Eldrian asked them who were going to fight, if needed.


    Some women stepped forward once he asked this, and so Eldrian asked for their names and what type of weapon they wanted. Certain that it would be better to give them something to fight with. Eldrian knew keeping all the weapons he had on him would do any good.


    Not many of the women were trained, so they could not offer much help. But there were two who were actually quite strong. Certainly not elites, but they knew what to do.


    Portia, a petite woman with ck hair was a Tier 1 in the melee ss. She said she was used to a twohanded sword, so Eldrian had given her the normal Tier 5 greatsword he had from long ago.


    The other woman was Hadriel, a woman in her early thirties with light blond hair. She looked quite good in her floral dress which had white and yellow flowers. She was actually a Tier 2 in the range ss. Eldrian did not know what to give her, and after some thought, he brought out the two pieces of Grace.


    "Sorry it is broken, but I hope they will work well," Eldrian said as he handed them to her. Having used inspect on the pieces before he handed them over. Their damage had slightly lowered, but they were better than the other weapons Eldrian had.


    The longer piece now had a damage value of 18, the shorter one having 16. One could almost argue they were still as good as before, since before both sides could not be used at the same time.


    After having also given the two spare longswords he had, as well as the arming sword and buckler to three other women, Eldrian set of towards Vivian. Having one more weapon he needed to deliver.


    Vivian quickly saw Eldrian approaching and frowned, sad that even her friend would not follow her orders.


    Eldrian saw this, causing him to chuckle at her easy to read emotions. He could not remember her being this easy to read before. "Hey, Vivian, rx. Even if we are in a formation, it won''t do much. We have far too few to make it work."


    "Which makes it all the more important!" She countered, unwilling to just ept that no one was following her order. She understood why, seeing as they were still in a safe environment. But she wanted them to get used to the formation before it was actually required.


    "Okay, I''ll go back once we''re done," Eldrian said, trying to appease her as he smiled and looked at her. She was now also wearing a floral dress. The green and white of her skin mixed well and made her look far more delicate and beautiful. Especially when looking at the red flowers covering some parts of the dress, drawing attention to themselves and her auburn hair.


    Eldrian also noticed that the dress emphasized her green eyes, causing them to seemingly sparkle as he looked at her face.I am surprised I can talk straight with her.Eldrian thought as he realized just how beautiful she was. He was actually extremely shocked that he could talk to her so easily.


    "I am not sure if you know why I came to find you. I brought you this." Eldrian spoke quickly, bringing out Nelida''s me as he did.


    Before Vivian could retort, she felt waves of magicing from the sword Eldrian had taken out. Leaving her without words.


    Slowly reaching out, she took the sword. As soon as she did Eldrian received a notification.


    [Delivery questpleted.]


    [Quest Name: Nelida''s journey]


    [Quest Giver: Boran]


    [Quest Rank: C]


    [Quest Description: Deliver the crafted sword, Nelida, to Vivian]


    [Quest Reward: 1 200 XP]


    Looking at the little XP he had gained, Eldrian realized that quests were not a good way of leveling. He currently needed 240K XP for his next level, a little less since he had some XP already. But the reward of 1200 XP was truly not worth the effort. This was the XP rewarded for killing twelve goblins, something which was truly not hard to do.


    Why is it so little?Eldrian wondered, realizing that back when he took the quest, he had actually thought the XP reward was decent. Back then, reaching the next level had only required 10k XP or so.


    What insane growth.Eldrian realized that the XP needed for each next level was simply insane. He was only level 13, yet it was already hundreds of times more than when he started the game. Heck, it was almost ten times what reaching level 10 had required.

 Chapter 169: Vivian and Nelidas flame

    <h4>Chapter 169: Vivian and Nelida''s me</h4>


    Taking the sword, Vivian could feel that it immediately stirred something inside of her. Focusing on this, she felt a connection growing between her and the de.


    This connection was simr to how yers bound themselves to their weapons. It was not something added by the system for yers, rather it was how magic weapons functioned. It was the only way to gain ess to a weapon''s hidden abilities. Vivian already knew this, but this connection felt different.


    As Vivian focused on it, she could feel the weapon wanting to bind with her. As if it had a will of its own. It pulled at her soul. Vivian did not fight it, instead, she weed it. As soon as she did, she could feel the sword bing one with her.


    Feeling a heatwave hit him, Eldrian was brought back from his thoughts on the XP needed for his current level. Looking up he saw to his wonder, Vivian''s sword ame.


    This... This is like when Boran...Eldrian''s thoughts sprang back to when Boran had finished the craft.


    The wavy patterns of the de seemed toe alive again. Giving birth to more mes as they did. Each me a different color and intensity. This rainbow of mes moved, slowly at first, but with each second it seemed to gain more energy.


    Flowing down the de, the mes enveloped Vivian''s hands. From which they continued to grow, covering both her arms in a mix of color.


    Eldrian could clearly see that the mes were not hurting her, but he still worried as he looked on. The mes spreading more and more until it even covered her shoulders. Where it stopped and calmed down.


    The vibrant energy it gave off dissipated as the mes started forming into waves. Which was slowly being absorbed by Vivian who was in a trance as she learned of what the sword was capable of.


    This took some time, during which Eldrian continued to watch in silence and curiosity. Once the mes all disappeared, Vivian seemed toe out of her trance. Looking up she smiled at Eldrian, her mood greatly improved.


    Seeing her smile Eldrian felt relieved, yet his attention was quickly drawn to the patterns now covering Vivian''s arms.


    Like healed scars, her arms now had light white lines tracing all the way to her shoulder. In a simr way as dryads had patterns over their bodies. These on Vivian resembled those on the de of the sword.


    Wait, those patterns are gone.Eldrian realized as he looked at the sword, bringing even more questions to Eldrian.


    "Wha... What happened?" Eldrian asked after some more time passed.


    "This is a great sword," Vivian replied as she recalled the feeling when the weapon bonded with her. It was unlike anything she had felt before. Nothing close to bonding with the Tier 4 sword she had been using.


    "O-okay." Eldrian replied, not knowing what to do. He wanted to know what the sword was capable of, but it seemed like Vivian needed some time to be used to what she had gained.


    Turning around Eldrian nned to go back to his post, his questplete. After his second step, a hand sped his shoulder.


    "Haru..." Vivian spoke softly, both of them now alone as the rest had continued traveling. Sabrea having felt it would be best to give them some privacy.


    "Yes?"


    "Thank you," Vivian whispered as she hugged Eldrian from behind. "For everything..."


    Eldrian could feel her crying softly as she hugged him. Not knowing what to do he simply stood there, holding her arms softly in support as he waited for her to regain herposure.


    After a few minutes, Vivian let him go. Turning around Eldrian saw her wiping her tears as she too discovered the patterns on her arms.


    Smiling Eldrian quietly started walking to rejoin the group. Leaving Vivian to herself to sort out the questions in her mind, as well as all the emotions which had resurfaced.


    Time to take things seriously again. Eldrian told himself as he caught up with the group. Taking his post he started to practice his mana maniptions while walking. Making sure to keep it at a level where he could also keep a good lookout.


    Vivian joined the group a littleter, after having rposed herself. The others were curious about the patterns on her arms, but they did not go to ask her. No one felt that they were close enough to her, and as such, no one felt it was right to bother her.


    In their casual formation, the group set out from the forest of Avgi. Eldrian was naturally the one to determine their path, since he had a direct line where they hadst walked on his map. This line was quite wide, but it was better than simply following their memory.


    The n was quite simple, they would try their best to backtrack on the same path with which they had reached Avgi forest. Hoping that with them having crossed the area once, there would be fewer monsters and that they could use the knowledge of the terrain to find shelter for thirty-plus people.


    As before, the group traveled during the day, setting camp as soon as the sun started setting.


    The first few days went by without any trouble, the group had spotted a few groups of monsters and had actually taken to cing Tes in front. As a Tier 4 range ss, he had by far the best vision, not to mention the skills he had which could even further improve his vision.


    With him acting as their scout, they managed to make it five days beforending in a fight.


    During that time Eldrian had constantly been making small improvements in his training and meditation. He was still unable to cast spells without a spell module, but now it was more a case of his mana just dissipating. He had managed to beat his memory crutch, but now he needed to figure out how to cast spells without the crutch.


    With his meditation, Eldrian felt that only 15 or so mana was left in his mana pool. Yet his mana was already moving through his entire body. The web formed was simple, a pathway of mana going to each limb and one to his head. Those going to his limbs split at his hands and feet. Turning from onerge pathway to five smaller ones, where they went to each finger and/or toe.


    Eldrian had first thought this would be Tier 1. Now he found himself with some mana left over. He had been trying to add this mana to the pathways, but found it to be really hard to do. He could not aplish this while walking, and when he tried at night, he found that adding half of the leftover mana was his limit.


    ...


    "To the left!" Eldrian shouted as he spotted a group of orc rushing from behind a small hill.


    He did not wait for the others to react. Rather he started running towards the group of orcs right after shouting. Using Observe to confirm their Tiers and counting their numbers as he neared them.


    The orcs, seeing a human rushing them, stopped in confusion. They wanted tough seeing the lone human rushing them, yet they did not. Feeling that something was wrong when someone could charge them without fear. They stopped, even before their charge had started.


    Eldrian did not rush into the group, having already achieved his aim. He had hoped him charging would cause them to act more defensive and give the others more time to react. His gamble had paid off.


    11 orcs, five Tier 3''s, four Tier 2 and two Tier1.Eldrian mumbled as he felt the fight should not be too hard. Indeed it was not, as at that time Tes had already taken aim and let loose an arrow. iming the life of one of the Tier 3 orcs.


    Furious the others charged at Eldrian, who simply ran back to the formation where Sabrea and Vivian were waiting at the forefront.


    In their charge, the orcs lost three more to Tes. Soon after their sh the others all also died, Vivian having imed five even before Eldrian could turn around and react.


    What the hell? She wasn''t that strong in the caves.Eldrian thought as he looked at the burnt corpses of the orcs. From one attack, Vivian had imed three of their lives. Cutting them all in half and burning more than half of their flesh.


    "Well, I guess there is a reason you are the leader," Tes said as he swallowed with fear. He had often been checking Vivian out, she certainly was very pretty. Yet at this moment Tes realized that she was far stronger than him, even though they were the same Tier.


    "What was that attack?" Margit asked as she stepped out from the volunteer women. She had still been preparing her first spell when everything already ended.


    Vivian turned around and looked at everyone. "Let''s get moving. They are likely a scouting party of some warband."


    Hearing this everyone forgot about asking questions and immediately set off again. Naturally, they took the weapons of the orcs first. Many women were still unarmed, and while they would not be able to do much. It was better to give them some means of self-defense should something bad happen.

 Chapter 170: Vargr riders

    <h4>Chapter 170: Vargr riders</h4>


    The group did not make it far before running into another scouting party. Luckily the orcs all seemed to think they would be able to easily best the group of humans. This ensured that the warband was not informed as their group managed to kill one scouting party after another.


    After their fifth run in, everyone took a breather as they felt their worries grow. Vivian took this time to voice her concern, "We are in a bad spot. Either one of the scouting parties we killed have been discovered, and they are looking for the culprits. Or they were already on high alert due to something else."


    This even though the area they were in had many small hills, often causing small valleys to form. Allowing them to often avoid detection from far, and hence also arge reason why all the orcs had charged them. Other than believing they were stronger.


    Hearing this everyone hoped it was thetter, as it would give them a better chance of going by unnoticed.


    Eldrian did not need to ask why, even he understood that the number of scouts was too much. Knowing this he picked up the pace at which he collected the fallen weapons. Everyone in their group already had a weapon by now, so he had started storing the extras in his inventory. A habit he seemed to have grown from his first battle.


    Other than taking some extra time, Eldrian felt it had hardly any downsides. If hetter needed space he could decide which to dump, while keeping so many weapons on him allowed him to give them to others in emergencies. If that was never needed, he could also try and sell themter on.


    "Them being able to send so many scouts means that the warband isrge. If we find ourselves in their path, then we certainly won''t be able to escape." Sabrea added as she finished cleaning her sword.


    "I hoped not to mention this," Vivian said as she looked at the women they were escorting, happy to see them minding their own business.


    As of now, they had yet to run into a group which the actual soldiers could not handle. Hence the group of women had mostly been protected and needed not bloody their des. This ease everyone''s minds slightly, but knowing that they could run into trouble at any moment added far more unease.


    Even so, the group of women was certainly a liability.Vivian feared they might lose hope if they heard how bad the situation was, most of them were still haunted by what they had lived through.


    "That isn''t the worst part," Eldrian said as he looked at the time. "We are running out of time. Once it bes night, we will no longer be able to run."


    Everyone became quiet upon hearing Eldrian''s words. They had forgotten about it as they focused on trying to avoid the scouts. Night would naturally be the best cover for them, yet they could not move freely at night.


    It was not guaranteed that they would be attacked by Night Terrors, but simply the danger of the possibility caused everyone to favor setting up camp. Even if it meant bing a target of the orcs.


    "Are there any caves nearby?" Vivian asked those who hade through here before.Hearing her question Eldrian looked at his map, finding that they were slightly off track.


    "Since this morning, we have deviated slightly from our original path," Eldrian said as he continued to look for a ce they could hide. "And I don''t see any caves, but I do see arge hill. We might be able to make sense of things if we get a better view."


    After a bit of a discussion, they all agreed to go for the hill. It was only barely visible on the horizon, and even if it was only slightly higher than the rest of the area. It would allow them to see what was actually going on. Hopefully allowing them to avoid further scouts, and more importantly the main army of orcs; the warband.


    Setting off, they quickly ran into two more scouting parties. Both were little trouble to the group, the scouts'' total numbers not passing ten. The disturbing part was that the time between running into the two was only ten minutes.


    Due to this, the group had not moved from where they had fought the second group. It seemed to be an old dam, arge one at that. They were currently in the middle of it, causing the walls of the dam to cover them and provide cover in all directions.


    "There seems to be even more here," Tes said as he rejoined the others. He had crawled up one of the dam walls surrounding them, having tried his best to remain undetected.


    "Then it is likely they have taken the hill. Should we backtrack?" Eldrian said as soon as he heard that there were even more orcs. Angry at himself for not considering the fact that the enemy would also wish to gain the high ground.


    It was something so simple, yet only important if the warband was expecting trouble. If the orc warband had only been traveling, then there would be no reason for them to secure the hill. The question was now; were their traveling party the trouble, or was there another army nearby.


    "They will likely be scouting that side searching for us," Vivian replied. She felt certain that now with a couple of hours having passed, since their first encounter, that the defeated scouts had been found.


    As she wondered what to do, she started understanding just how hard it was to travel through the barrennds. Causing her to wonder just why Eldrian and the others had traveled so far just for her. It did not make much sense from a military standpoint, she certainly did not feel worth so much effort.


    She also wondered just why her journey had been rtively peaceful., Other than the Oni chasing her, she had managed to avoid most other dangers. She had run past some small orc bands and goblins groups, as well as some beasts. With her constantly running, these did not even bother chasing her.


    "Vargr riders!" Margit shouted as she spotted a Vargring over a small hill, an orc ridering into vision soon after as the Vargrpletely climbed the small hill.


    The Vargr looked like a mix between a hyena and wolf. It had a bulky wild appearance. It fit well with the orc on its back.


    Tes reacted quickly and let loose an arrow almost along with Margit''s shout. The Vargr anticipating an attack, jumped to its side with uncanny speed. Avoiding the arrow with ease. In its action, the orc almost lost its bnce.


    Clutching for life on the wild fur of the Vargr, the orc shouted at it. Thetter seemingly not caring for its rider''s shouts as it started running full speed at everyone. The orc iling as he attempted to not fall off.


    Eldrian wanted to take the front with his spear, but soon he saw another Vargr appear. With more following closely behind as Vivian''s shout echoes in his ears.


    "Run!" Vivian shouted with all her might. The others were slightly slow in reacting, allowing them to see the number of Vargr and their riders quickly climb past twenty. Causing everyone chills, as they turned and ran with all their might.


    In their haste to run, they did not care where. They only hoped to not be caught.


    Most of the women dropped their weapons in their fear as they started running with all their might. Yet this was not fast at all, everyone in the formal party easily matched their speed.


    Turning to look at how bad the situation was, Eldrian felt his blood run cold. The number of Vargrs alone numbered over the hundred. While some of their riders had failed to stay as riders, it still meant they had over two hundred enemies charging them.


    Eldrian had thought for a slight second to use his life to gain everyone some time. But upon seeing the mass of Vargr riders he quickly gave up that thought.


    How strong are they?Eldrian asked himself, hoping that they would be simr to goblins. To find out he slowed himself slightly and turned to look at the front-most Vargr. Using Observe only added to the chills he had.


    -[Vargr, Bloodline Beast]


    [Tier 2, Level 6]


    [HP: 320]


    [Attack: 32.5]


    -[Orc]


    [Tier 4, Level 18]


    -[Vargr, Bloodline Beast]


    [Tier 3, Level 12]


    [HP: 320]


    [???]


    -[Orc]


    [Tier 3, Level 18]


    [HP: 213]


    [???]


    -[Vargr, Bloodline Beast]


    [Tier 2, Level 7]


    [HP: 323]


    [Attack: 32.5]


    Cursing Eldrian''s mind started reeling as he tried to think of a n.Bloodline Beasts!This struck some fear in him as Eldrian knew this meant they were really strong. These beasts all also had ess to magic. The type of magic was not certain, but Eldrian knew just howrge a factor spells and skill were.


    Rushing back to catch up with the rest, he desperately looked at his map for something. Anything which could help. The only silver lining was that the Vargrs were a couple of hundred meters from the party.


    There. That is... Something! Eldrian thought as he saw the dried-up river. He was not sure how up to date his map stayed, but he hoped that it would help. It was also close, hopefully, close enough that they would reach it before the Vargr caught up to them.


    "Vivian! Follow!" Eldrian shouted with all his strength as he turned slightly to the left. Without much thought, everyone followed his actions. Hoping for something which could help them survive.


    Think. Think. Think!Eldrian told himself as he wondered what the river would be able to do for them. If they had more mages or just one with a variety of skills, then there were arge variety of options.


    Yet all magic they had was fire. A magic he could not find a use for in their situation, where there was not even something to burn.


    ...


    "Do not let the humans escape!" The leading orc shouted as he wondered why his boss was so worried about such a little group of weak humans. They certainly would not be able to do anything against their mighty army.

 Chapter 171: What help is a river?

    <h4>Chapter 171: What help is a river?</h4>


    The group ran with all their strength, arriving quickly at the river as they reached the top of a small hill: it was the river bed. Without hesitation, they continued to run for the river. The Vargr riders having closed the distance to just a hundred meters, slightly less.


    The river was notrge, nor was it deep.


    Storing his spear, Eldrian jumped right in, finding it to only reach his knees. He had hoped it would be deeper; maybe it might have forced the beasts to find a new route. This would not do.


    The river was also not wide, only around ten meters. Pushing onward Eldrian ensured that he did not surpass the group of women they had saved and were escorting.


    "Go! Put all your strength into getting across!" Eldrian shouted, as if aplishing this would save them. As he watched the women help each other across thest stretch, Eldrian heard the ssh of water as the Vargr also reached the river.


    Dammit, if only I knew... Eldrian cursed as he thought of all the things one could do with magic and a river. So many options, yet he had no way to aplish any of the ideas which flew through his mind.


    Eldrian, a meter from the edge, suddenly heard the whistle of an arrow. Turning he hoped to see a Vargr slowed and die from the attack. The targetted Vargr did not wish to die for Eldrian. It dodged to the side, through the water as if it was nothing.


    The orc on its back was not as lucky as the Vargr. Unable to keep its bnce it fell and the arrow struck true. This did not matter in the slightest, the orcs were the least of everyone''s concerns.


    Crap. Crap. Crap.Eldrian''s head spun as everything slowed down. His mind searched for answers... For a hope to save everyone.


    As everything slowed he stepped out of the river and kneeled down. Vivian and Sabrea took to his sides. Hoping to use the slightly slower speed of the Vargrs, to take them down as they tried toe to the drynd.


    What can I do? Eldrian asked himself, finding that he was surprisingly calm at this moment. He realized that things seemed to be moving slower than normal. He could clearly see the Vargrs'' vicious snarls as they sped across the river. The water seemingly parting to give them less resistance.


    As Eldrian watched their actions he observed their wet fur. Soaked with water. Seeing this his thoughts all jumped to one conclusion:Lighting.


    It was not something he had ever learned how to cast. He had no idea what mix of mana was needed to cast it, nor did he have a spell module to grasp onto. Still, it was the only thing he could think of to save everyone.


    As Eldrian realized this he also realized how much he grew to care for everyone. The group of women excluded; since he had hardly had any contact with them.


    He certainly did not want Sabrea and Floyd to die, having grown fond of both of them. Even Margit and Tes, he did not wish to see them die. He felt he could call all of them friends after having spent over a week with each of them.


    The most important was Vivian. Thinking of her Eldrian realized he really could not stand to lose her. He did not know why he cared so much and found it strange. When he thought of her death he felt his throat constrict and his heart pained.


    I am here... Not be be useless! So think goddammit! Eldrian shouted as his thought reached this point and the first Vargr jumped to exit the river.


    Vivian and Sabrea did not allow this, they had no idea what the n was. Yet they followed Eldrian''s lead. At least this way it took slightly longer for the Vargr to encircle them.


    Vivian took the first Vargr, her now well-known fire attack, not ending it in one strike. She cut deeply into the Vargr''s shoulder and caused it to copse, yet it was still alive. Growling at her and stumbling to recover its footing, Vivian struck again. Ending its life in two attacks, where normally the attack would reap multiple lives.


    What is lighting?Eldrian asked as he shut down everything in his surroundings. Missing how Sabrea tried her best to follow Vivian''s example. Requiring five strikes to kill the first Vargr, allowing another toe out without any trouble.


    Calmly Eldrian continued to talk to himself.It is a charge, energy, and an electrical current. But what does this mean? It ionizes, but what does this mean? It forms in clouds through static, but what does this mean?


    His questions seemed dumb and nonsensical, considering their situation. Yet these questions helped Eldrian connect and remember things he had recently learned and what he had forgotten. Having continued his earnest research of what energy is, whenever he had time, Eldrian knew he did not know the answers. He only hoped he knew enough for something toe of it.


    What does charge mean... Is it when electrons lose energy? No! Is it when electrons move? But why... What are electrons? Eldrian stopped thinking of this as he thought about the magic he hoped to call.Is it wind? No... Is it fire? No... Then what?


    His thoughts reaching this point, Eldrian felt a strong hit against his shoulder. A piercing pain assaulted his mind. Block it out!He shouted to himself as he gritted his teeth and continued to focus. The pain he felt was not limited, it felt like something had pierced his shoulder in full glory. He did not care, other than gritting his teeth.


    Eldrian did not hear Vivian''s warning scream, nor her shout as she went berserk to kill the orc who had injured him. He was in a different state. It was not quite the abyss of magic, but it was simr.


    Wind and light. A crazy amount of light, to give energy... To...Eldrian coughed a mouthful of blood as he tried to finish his thought. This caused him to lose his special mental state, luckily he had reached the conclusion he had needed. "Cause movement!" He shouted through the blood, as great fatigue assaulted him.


    How?Eldrian asked in desperation, thinking of the beautiful pictures of lighting strikes he had seen.


    Thinking of the image and his own imagination, Eldrian tried to imitate what the heavens did. Stretching out his one good arm, the other unable to move, Eldrian thought to himself.


    Ions. I need ions...He did not know what this would be in mana, so he took a guess. He guessed that it was some wind with arge amount of light mana. He begged his body to follow his thoughts, he begged his mana to listen.


    Slowly a purple glow extended from Eldrian''s outstretched fingers. Reaching the river in a matter of milliseconds.


    GO!Eldrian shouted to his mana, wishing for almost all of it to be in the form of light, only a little bit of wind and fire mana mixed in. GO!


    Eldrian let all his mana flow out of him in one go, yet it was not enough. The Vargr''s closest to him stumbled for a second. Recovering quickly from the mild shock.


    "Moooore!" Eldrian shouted as he saw another Vargr exiting the river.The current is too low! Too low!Eldrian shouted internally as he wished for more energy.


    "Mooore!" He shouted again as he thought of stamina. What was it, if not energy? "Gooo!" He shouted, finding himself falling to the ground in exhaustion. His one hand extending towards the river as his face fell directly into the mud.


    More! I need more!Eldrian realized as he saw that this again only caused some slight shock to the Vargrs. Some of their fur was smoking, but that was not enough!


    More! He shouted and turned towards his HP, quickly draining it almost to nothing. Doing so caused him to feel pain like back when he first used the Magic Crystal to cast magic. It was terrible, but not unbearable.


    Even with this, the Vargrs were not killed. They had clearly been hurt, but they were still alive. Recovering they all shifted their gazes to Eldrian. Fear and hatred clear in their gazes. They cared not for the others, only wishing to kill the bleeding elf who had caused them so much suffering.


    Grasping for straws, for any type of energy, Eldrian received a notification of XP gain from a kill.


    "X-p-p-P" He stuttered through the pain and blood. He wished with all his might for even more energy toe from him. Use my XP, my levels! He shouted towards his heart, towards his mind. Towards his very soul.


    This shout echoed in Eldrian''s mind as he lost consciousness and everything turned to darkness.


    As he fell into this state, a massive blinding sh of light appeared. Shooting Eldrian''s body backward, lighting erupting into the river.


    Eldrian''s body was thrown into the group of women behind him from the explosion. He broke through their group, causing many of them to fall to the ground and cough up blood. Whatever his body had hit, broken from the impact.


    Eldrian''s body was but a mangled mess left at the side of the river.


    ...


    Waking up Eldrian did not understand why he was in his real body. The headset over his head. The worst thought quickly came to him.


    "Nooo!" He shouted, trying to log back in right away.

 Chapter 172: A struggle to log in

    <h4>Chapter 172: A struggle to log in</h4>


    "Sir!" A young man in semi-formal wear shouted as he stood up in shock. Having never seen any spikes close to this in the readings before.


    "What?" Comined a middle-aged man in ab coat as he made his way over. He hated being disturbed when he was doing his experiments, but that was his job. At least it was for this month. None of those in the department really like doing the monitoring.


    It was rather dull and mostly went by with nothing happening, this was the first case of something since the start of the game''s release. Seeing as they could only monitor people they contracted.


    "That High Elf yer... The one Joren recruited." The young man quickly started exining as he saw his boss ring at him.


    "What about him." The middle-aged man asked in haste, wanting to go right back to his experiment.


    "Well, just take a look." The young man said, sliding himself to the side so that his boss could read what was going on.


    "Go get the department heads! Quickly. And send him a new headset. Use the fastest drones, he must be in a really critical ce in-game for this to have happened!" The middle-aged man shouted as he took the younger one''s chair and started calling all the data they had gathered.


    Totally worth it. Those idiots upstairs not wanting us to pull data. Idiots!The man thought as he looked at the readings, not even able to understand what the readings meant. He simply knew that they were like nothing before.


    His actions were certainly hypocritical, as he always hated being on this shift. Now that something had happened, he did not want to leave. He stared at the readings in wonder as he also started calling up the monitor system and the third POV record system they had.


    Using the former to guide thetter. Soon one of the screens showed what was going on. A river of blood, burnt corpses floating down with the stream.Despite this, there seemed to be still more beasts and orcs. The middle-aged man did not know what the beasts were, but he could clearly see that the NPCs were in a really bad ce.


    Only about four of the NPCs could actually fight against any of the beasts, however, there were more than thirty of those beasts. Half even having an orc rider on the.


    Will it be in time?The middle-aged man wondered as the entire office started getting noisy as news of progress spread.


    ...


    Desperately clutching the headset, Eldrian expected the worst. The headset would not allow him to log in. It did not give a detailed reason, only stating that there was an error and that it was being looked into.


    This certainly was not good enough for Eldrian. He needed to confirm that everyone was safe, that they had managed to escape.


    Not wanting to waste any time, Eldrian dialed Joren. Having gotten his number for emergencies when he had signed the contract. It took a couple of tries, Joren likely asleep as it was the middle of the night. Finally a tired yes came through the phone.


    "Joren, my headset is refusing to work. When I try to log in it keeps saying that there is an error. It won''t say why. What the hell is this!?" Eldrian asked, desperate to enter the game and confirm that everyone was safe. He did not even consider the fact that his avatar might be dead, he needed to get back in.


    "Wait! What happened?" Joren asked, but before Eldrian could answer, Joren was interrupted as someone barged into his room. For ease of ess, many of the employees of thepany stayed at work 24/7. This might sound cruel, but they had really nice rooms equal to four start hotels in theirmunal area.


    Eldrian could vaguely hear some of the conversation, however, he failed to follow it properly. What he heard did not put him at ease. The timing was just too perfect, it was likely due to him that things were crazy on that side.


    After less than a minute,Joren came back, apologizing for the disturbance. "It seems that one of the interns monitoring your data saw the spike. It has been reported and we are working on it, a new headset is also already on its way to you. We have already confirmed that those you were with are alive. They are still fighting, so this is not guaranteed to stay true."


    Eldrian was at first greatly relieved to hear that they were alive, though hearing that they were still fighting caused a rush of coldness to spread through him. I have to go back! I need to help them!Eldrian knew that Joren was not telling him just how bad the situation was.


    "Unfortunately, the headset being sent is one of the newer models. We have not gone through all the tinkering, but it seems we can''t dy in sending it to you. I will also send you a new contract for the increased risk."


    "Of course, if you want, we can bring you an older model a bitter. Currently, we only have the new ones at hand and we believe you would want to get right back into the game as soon as possible. A repeat of this is also possible if you keep using the older models."


    "When will it arrive?" That was all that Eldrian asked, he urgently needed to get back into the game. He cared not for the added risk.


    Currently, it was 3 am, meaning it was 3 pm in the day. This did not mean much, but it meant that everyone was still in broad daylight. Any wandering group of beasts or orcs could easily spot them and he doubted they would be fine if that happened.


    It was even worse if night came and they failed in setting up camp. Eldrian had no idea what would actually happen, but everyone treated night as certain death. He did not wish to find out.


    "Well... We sent one of our drones, its details are still ssified so do not go spreading news of it. It will arrive in ten minutes."


    "Good, thank you," Eldrian replied, only slightly wondering how the drone could be so fast. He knew that there were no branches of Miracle Corporation in his city, or he just did not know of them. He highly doubted that even if there were, that they would have the new prototype models.


    "In the meantime, you should go look at the forum. The HP update has been pushed through a few hours ago. Like always a reset per headset was required for it to take effect, hence you might not have experienced it."


    "We are heading towards a more passive system approach."


    Eldrian thanked Joren for the help and information. Going to his PC he nervously started it up and logged into the forums. Unable to calm down as he worried for Vivian and the others.


    [HP Update, minor to major]


    {We havee to the realization that HP in a realistic game can not function normally. Be that as it may, we do not want to remove it! Hence we worked hard to simte HP as a realistic value for life.}


    {We have never posted how damage and health worked, having hoped to keep the mystery for yers. As we move to a more open game, the information will naturally be more avable. Thus we have decided to make some of the basics a bit more essible to everyone.}


    {We also hereby announce the second beta phase, where we will sell another ten million headsets. Each at the price of 20 000 dors. New and old yers alike should think of buying them, since the new headset had no limit on ytime!}


    After this, the post exined that a proper announcement for the second beta will be released in a few days. From which it turned from advertisement to information. Exining to yers how damage currently works, and the fix they had found for it.


    {HP is currently determined by a few things. Firstly is one''s constitution value. One constitution point equals one health point. This is only true for Tier 0 and when no special items are worn. This is due to the fact that higher Tiers increase your health by a t percentage. Special cases will not be exined in this post.}


    {An example of how Tiers work: yers who are Tier 1 in melee, gain a 10% increase in health; range gives 10% increase stamina, and magic gives mana. This is the first step in getting your health, and as mentioned, special cases will not be exined in this post. Naturally, with an increase in Tier, the percent addition also increases.}


    {Damage is far moreplicated. As all yers know, there have always been two damage values given when equipping a weapon. The first is the weapon''s true damage, in a way this can be called its sharpness. The damage value given after this is the damage you would deal to a zero armor target. The second value already takes into ount your attribute contribution as well as other bonuses from passive skills.}


    {But for actual real damage, this second value is of no use. You will never deal that amount of damage.}

 Chapter 173: The situation

    <h4>Chapter 173: The situation</h4>


    {Damage is calcted by using the first value firstly, the second only really given as a guideline. Currently, it is not too difficult to figure out how much damage you can do. The weapon''s true damage minus the target''s armor will give you the effective damage carried through. If the damage value is less than the target''s armor, then a different situation appears.}


    {This situation is quite simple and will quickly be exined. Aparison is then done between the attacker''s strength and the target''s constitution. If the former is higher, then the damage delivered will be the difference divided by a hundred. If thetter is higher, then no damage is dealt.}


    {For the case where the armor is less than the true damage. The remainder is multiplied by the determining attribute as a percentage. After which bonuses such as passive and active skills will be added. Still not the end, the next step is a simple reduction. Where the physical or magical resistance of the target decreases the damage taken. Along with other skills or effects.}


    {This was how damage has been calcted thus far. The only other factor being if the attack was a fatal or nonfatal attack. A fatal attack receiving a final multiplication of 10.}


    {This works quite well, as long as the fight is a normal one. Where only a few unimportant strikes are taken into ount. But an errores up when someone attacks, say a leg ten times. ording to the current system, the damage would be far too high to reflect reality.}


    {We had added a decrease in repeated hits of the same ce, but this failed to properly fix this. Now, we are rather going to add a system of probability and the importance of location. We will not exin it here, only giving a short preview.}


    After reading through the rest of the post, Eldrian found that it basically came down to one simple action. The final damage as calcted above, would be multiplied by another variable. The so-called: Vitality counter. Vital hits were unaffected as the damage calcted for them was really close to reality. All the other locations and their damage possibilities were instead affected.


    The change was simple. One finger can not take more damage than 0.25% of your HP. If you lost a finger in a fight, then you would lose a max of 0.25% of your HP, plus the bleeding effect at the same multiplier.


    Thus if someone was to cut off all your fingers, but not your hand, you would lose a max of 2.5% HP. A hand is a max of 2.5%, forearm 5%, and entire arm 12.5%.


    Hence if someone had all their limbs cut off, they would only lose 50% of their HP. Naturally, they would also be bleeding an insane amount, but the attack would not directly kill them.


    If the limbs were not cut off, then instead the damage would reflect up to the max of the part hit. So even if someone attacked an arm ten times, the max damage would be just 12.5%. After reaching this percentage; a shock value damage will be dealt, rather than normal damage. This would be affected by the constitution of the one being attacked, but the how''s were not exined. The developers hoping to keep some mystery.


    The exnation in the post was all easy to read and follow, exampled were also given to help yers grasp the information with ease. None of the yers had anyints about this system, rather they were happy that this would hopefully remove the error in damage some had experienced.


    Eldrian had never really experienced this error, seeing as he never used Observe while fighting. Keeping it active was too draining. It did not take much effort, but when he was fighting for his life, the little it took could lead to his death.


    As Eldrian finished the post he received a call from Joren. Upon answering he discovered that Joren was only letting him know that the drone had arrived already.


    Without dy, Eldrian headed out. Extremely happy that the post had helped him pass the time and take some of his mind of the situation the others were likely in. On heading out he felt that his body was tired, but it was only slightly and not enough to cause problems. Hence he quickly ignored it.


    The dronended as soon as Eldrian was spotted exiting his ce. Taking the parcel, Eldrian headed back in. Plugged it in and ced the headset on his head, not willing to wait the hour it required to fill its battery.


    "Log in." He said as heid back onto his bed, finding the new headset to be morefortable than the previous one. This one encircled his entire head, leaving only his face open. It even had afortable cushion at the back of the head where the neck began.


    "New user detected, searching the database for user details... Haru found... Drawing initial data... User, please perform some tasks to calibrate the simtion."


    Eldrian was not happy hearing this, the former time he was required to do that, it had taken him hours. Luckily this time that was not the case.


    He arrived in the space-room and immediately found multiple wisps of various colors surrounding him. Those in front of him numbers around five and he was certain with the way they were spread he was certain there was more to his sides and back.


    "Survive the assault. Ten direct hits equal death, a hundred grazes equal death."


    As soon as this pleasant female voice finished speaking the wisps all flew at Eldrian. If he did not move, he would directly die. He had no idea what this death meant, but he felt confidant that surviving longer was better.


    Jumping towards the side, Eldrian avoided most of them. Being surrounded he could not dodge them all and received one direct hit and four grazes. This was good enough for him as he started running, Quickly finding the wisps to be quick themselves.


    Their quickness was not constant, rather it came in bursts. Making it far harder to predict their movements. Eldrian would have managed well against one or even three, yet there was more than twenty.


    Eldrian tried his best to survive for as long as he could, in the end, he only managed to hold out for three minutes and thirty-four seconds before being killed.


    That sucked.Eldrian thought, wondering just how one was supposed to survive against so many wisps.


    "User has managed to survive longer than ten seconds. Test passed."


    "Huh?" Eldrian let out as he was shocked by the short requirement. He was just d that he had passed the test, hoping to be able to enter the game right now.


    Gasping from the pain he struggled to open his eyes. His entire body felt like it was ame, nothing did not hurt. As he slowly opened his eyes he found that his entire vision was colored red. Through the redness, he saw that only three people were still standing. Each of them on theirst leg as they fought against a Vargr or orc.


    "Haru!" Margit tried shouting, but her voice was barely more than a whisper. Eldrian turned his head slightly, the action causing him even more pain. Doing so allowed him to add Margit into his vision. Through the red of his vision he saw a deeper red pool under her, she was bleeding out.


    Wha- what happened?Eldrian tried to speak, but the words did note out. Trying had caused his lungs to burn even more than all the other pains. Informing him that his ribs had likely pierced them.


    Tes... Sabrea... And Vivian...Eldrian took a few seconds to recognize who was who through his blurry vision and their sorry states.


    Everyone was riddled with wounds, bleeding profusely and only barely managing to keep standing. It took all their strength to not be killed by their respective opponents. Not even mentioning fighting back.


    No one could offer help. Eldrian turned his head slightly through all the pain. This brought the others into his vision, no one else was standing. Margit was basically dead, most of the women they were escorting too.


    Floyd now in Eldrian''s sights did not look better than those fighting. His back was facing Eldrian, and it looked like the wounds on his back went so deep that his organs were visible. Eldrian could not see well enough with his reddened vision, he could not confirm if Floyd was still breathing. He doubted it.


    Just... Just three... Eldrian mumbled as he turned his focus towards the only remaining fighters.No, Tes!Eldrian shouted internally as he saw Tes losing grip of his remaining dagger, having lost his right arm some time ago during their fight. Eldrian could only make out that he was about to die as his dagger dropped.


    No! Just three!Eldrian shouted towards himself as he willed himself to cast Frost Needle with all his might. Watching in angst the de of the orc heading for Tes''s chest.

 Chapter 174: Problems on Earth, IRL

    <h4>Chapter 174: Problems on Earth, IRL</h4>


    Eldrian struggled to think, to keep his concentration. The worry for his friends was the only thing keeping him from losing consciousness. Luckily his hours of training kicked in, allowing him to cast Frost Needle just as the orc was about to thrust his sword into Tes.


    The orc was clearly not a weakling. It sensed the danger and promptly withdrew its attack as it dodged to avoid the spell. Eldrian would not allow this. Focusing on the spell as it flew, it took a great deal of effort, but he managed to will it to turn. Only a slight turn, but this was enough as the spell was far faster than the orc expected.


    Striking true, the spell pierced the orc''s neck. It did not kill it outright but caused it to falter as it struggled to breathe and started bleeding out. Seeing the opportunity, Tes did not waste any time.


    Without a weapon, he rushed up close to the orc and pushed his remaining hand into the wound with all his might. It was so unexpected to both Eldrian and the orc, neither managing to react to it. This caused the orc''s death as Tes ripped his embedded hand through the orc''s neck. Taking itsrynx with him.


    After doing this Tes fell to the ground, having no energy left to spare. Eldrian felt the same, his entire body was screaming at him to just let it go. To go to sleep.


    With sheer will he refused. Shifting his head slightly through the pool of blood under him, Eldrian brought his vision to Vivian. Her back was facing him as she faced a Vargr in front of her. The Vargr was as tall as her and caused her to look like a frail little girl. Eldrian could not help the shock and anger from seeing her condition as he focused on her fight.


    She was bleeding all over, the left side of her face wounded viciously. Having imed her eye and ear. This was not all, the rest of her body did not fare much better and the me enshrouding Nelida''s me was but an ember.


    Just two...Eldrian whispered without sound, casting Frost Needle again. Doing so caused him great pain as he grappled to stay awake.Flyover. Then... Down!


    The spell did as he wished it to, flying just over Vivian''s head. Her hair raising from the air current. The Vargr did not sense any danger, not until the spell suddenly turned mid-air right above its head. Without any time to react it shattered through its skull, killing it on the spot.


    Just... One...Eldrian did not manage another miracle. Drowning in his own blood, he was thrown out of the game again.


    ...


    Eldrian did not know that this entire process was being observed by a group of people from Miracle Corporation.


    "Did you see that! Even with a dead avatar, he logged in and cast two spells. With a dead avatar!" A random developer in the group of observers shouted as they watched the fighting to an end.


    Unlike Tes, Vivian would not allow herself to fall down. Not while she still breathed and there were enemies left alive. She would not, not even if it killed her.


    "How is that possible. His in-game avatar must certainly have been alive. There is no way a person can climb into a dead body." Another remarked, all of them caring little for the group of NPCs.


    Their conversation might sound pointless since all yer bodies could be considered dead when the yer was not in them. It made sense, seeing as the avatar did not have its own soul. At least not to the developers'' knowledge.


    "The data does not lie."


    "What data? How does it confirm death? It works for NPCs, but avatars are not NPCs. It is a different story, and the data can not be absolute."


    "Enough! It does not matter if the avatar was alive or dead. We can all agree that it was mangled to such a degree that no one should be able to stay conscious."


    "Wait... This is strange."


    "Come on, out with it!"


    "The system did not ce him into his avatar. It ascertained that the avatar was too damaged and as such went on to the resurrection path. Yet..."


    "Calm down everyone. This might not have been the aim of the new headset, but it is theoretically within the limits possible." Joren said, trying to stop them from specting. Looking at the screen in astonishment, Joren did not like where the conversation was heading. They were clearly only looking at Eldrian as a test subject, not caring for what he had just gone through.


    Indeed, they might have considered kidnapping Eldrian if he had not signed the contract with them. Now those higher up knew of his existence and importance. They would not allow him to disappear.


    Joren had to admit that he was not much different, he too would have gone for kidnapping if it was still on the table. He only cared for Eldrian since Eldrian was the first solid lead they had. They needed to figure out what and how magic worked. The damnable AI did not give them any workable data.


    Naturally, everyone was shocked by how intune this student was with the game and everything in it. It was far past what anyone else had ever managed. During the few seconds he hade back from the dead, his affinity had passed a 100%. Passed it.


    That was simply astonishing to all those watching. It meant that Eldrian felt more in tune with the game''s world and his avatar, than he did with his own body and Earth. This was only the start though, people did not have a 100% attunement with their real bodies!


    Most people only had about 90 to 95% attunement with their real bodies. Normally only athletes or soldiers would have over 95%. Less than 0.5% of the yers who had joined the game had managed to reach this a level over 95%.


    Only 5% of yers had managed to reach an affinity over 90%, the rest being between 70 and 90. An affinity lower than 70% was considered so bad that people might not even be able to move their body at will.


    Only those who changed almost nothing and did well in the calibration simtions would be able to reach an affinity over 95%.


    Most of the people here did not even know what it meant when one reached 100% affinity. They had thought a 100% would be the max, the absolute.


    ...


    Eldrian woke up right as the headset brought him out of the game. He immediately felt really strange, as if he had been poisoned.


    Pulling the headset off, Eldrian stumbled off his bed. Failing to keep his bnce, he fell face first. "What the hell?" He mumbled, his mouth struggling to form the words. Pushing himself up, Eldrian found his legs would not cooperate. His arms even struggled, shaking violently from the attempt.


    His struggle brought a massive headache, causing him to give up as he curled into a ball from the pain. This time he did not try to move for close to ten minutes as he waited for it to pass. After which he suddenly felt nauseous.


    Crawling towards the bathroom in haste, he just barely made it as he hurled.


    "What the fuck?" He cursed as he tried cleaning his mouth, finding the taste of water strange on his tongue.


    Eldrian quickly realized that he would not be able to make it to ss. He did not even know if he would manage to stand. As hey with the terrible taste of vomit in his mouth, his stomach growled. Crawling on all fours to his kitchen Eldrian nned to make himself some in toast. He had no idea what was going on. He suspected the new headset but had no proof.


    A minute or twoter, Eldrian felt good enough to try standing up with the support of the counter. He did and ced the toast into the toaster as he slid down against the counter. Failing to find the strength to stay standing up.


    Feeling like shit, he decided to call Joren and let him know something was wrong.


    "What is it kid?" Joren asked, wondering why Eldrian was bothering him so soon again.


    "I feel shi-" Eldrian failed to finish the sentence as all his strength left him. Dropping the phone he fell sideways in his sitting manner.


    "Kid! Kid what happened! Eldrian!" Vaguely the words reached Eldrian as he looked at the swirling roof.


    "Dammit! Get an ambnce to his house. And get the helicopter ready!" Shouts came from the phone as Eldrian fell asleep.


    ...


    "What the hell is going on!" Joren shouted as he waited for the helicopter pilot to arrive.


    "It is likely the aftereffects of gaining such a high affinity." One of his colleagues answered carefully. Not wishing to be a target for people to vent at. No one wanted to lose such a promising subject.


    "You got to be kidding me. Are we going to have to pay him hush money to keep those bastards from finding out of the health risks?" Another colleagueined, causing many to stare at him with disgust.


    "Come on, you are all thinking it. I just voiced it!"


    "Enough! Just get the facility ready. This is the first case of this happening, we can''t lose him!" A female in a ck suit shouted, upon hearing her voice, everyone quieted down. Surprised that news had already spread so far up thedder.


    Joren looked at her strangely. "Are youing with?"


    "Of course. This is no longer just an outreach. This is now a state secret."


    The sharp intake of breath could be heard as everyone heard thedy''s sentence. They hated when such things happened, and it often did in Miracle Corporation. It was a bitch in paperwork and added so many hoops to their already full jobs.

 Chapter 175: A miracle encounter

    <h4>Chapter 175: A miracle encounter</h4>


    While Miracle Corporations people rushed to get Eldrian to their facility. The game also continued, with everyone in critical condition. But first; sometime before the fight at the river, just as Eldrian seeded to cast lighting.


    What was that?Itireae wondered as she felt an assault on her psyche. Causing all her previous thoughts to disappear into the winds. She had been wondering at the barrennds, wondering what caused the destruction of nature to such a degree that not even grass would grow back.


    Now her throughs were only on this assault, this cry for help. She could urately tell from where this came. Yet it made no sense. It was like a spiritual bond of her kin, one who had just used their life to aplish something.


    She knew of no kin in this area. This increased her curiosity, leading her to change course to find out what was going on.


    ''Mneme, change of ns. Follow that river!'' Itireae telepathicallymanded her mount; Her mount was a Roc, a massive flying bird. Simr looking to an eagle, it was actually a far descendant of a phoenix.


    It had some of the phoenix''s abilities, the most impressive being the ability to revive if their body was burnt to ashes. Unlike a phoenix, it would take a Roc years to revive. A phoenix would only need a few days, a week at most. This was still extremely impressive since this could even be used tobat the flow of time. Allowing some Rocs to grow as old as phoenixes and dragons.


    Itireae was dressed in adventure wear of the High Elves. The main colors of her clothing were light brown and dark green, weaved beautifully together in the spiraling patterns of her silk and wood. A touch of arctic blue added here and there, giving the patterns a sharp glow.


    Wooden did not mean that it was weak by any means, it was far stronger than even Mythril. Having been made from an ancient tree in the empire. All in all, her clothes fit well on her. Emphasizing her curves just enough while alsoplementing her light brown hair. The sharp blue color also matched well with her bright lc-colored eyes.


    The Roc obeyed hermand immediately. It was just below the lever where it couldmunicate through anguage. This did not mean that the Roc was ignorant or stupid. Its intelligence was only slightly too low for a fullnguage to develop, along with a way tomune through it with other races. Like most animals, it wouldmunicate through gestures, and like dogs, could understandmands. Rocs were known to even understand speech, only unable to answer back through words.


    They flew fast through the sky, and with Itireae''smand, the Roc used all its strength to reach the ce in the least amount of time. Nheless, they arrived almost an hour after the fight had ended. Upon their arrival, the scavenging beasts following the smell of blood scattered. They had only been waiting for thest one awake to die, the burning sword keeping them from taking the spoils.


    What a mess.Itireae did not wish to jump from her mount. The ground was stained with blood and everyone looked dead. She did not want to dirty her shoes, at least not without a good reason.


    "He-lp..." A voice softly cried out, so soft that any normal person would not hear it. To Itireae, it was as clear as day. Turning her sights she saw a bloodied woman with half her face ruined, holding tightly her glowing sword in one hand and a friend in her other. Bloody tears were streaming down from her remaining eye as she looked up at Itireae with despair.


    I am here to observe. Not interfere.Itireae thought to herself, about to set off. At thest moment, her eye caught the sight of bloodied silver hair and pointed ears. An elf? Is this the kin who shouted for help? She wondered and her curiosity caused her to stay a while longer, casting a spell to keep the stench of the dead from reaching her.


    It was clear to see that the elf was dead, long dead. Even so, Itireae was curious enough about what had happened.


    She could clearly see the woman was in no state to answer, so she cast a healing spell on her. It was just enough to recover her strength and heal most of her wounds. It was not enough to recover her lost eye and ear, nor any other deep wounds. It would only keep her from dying, which Itireae thought was enough.


    Feeling the pain leaving her Vivian did not rejoice. Rather she started crying even harder. Again she had lost friends. Again, she felt this terrible pain.


    What is wrong with her?Itireae wondered as she observed the woman not using her strength to move, but to greave instead.


    "Ca-can... Can you save them?" Vivian pleaded after a few seconds. Looking first at Sabrea in her arms, then towards Tes, andstly to Eldrian. Her gaze stopping on Eldrian as she felt Sabrea''s cold body in her arms, reminded her that Sabrea had died a long time ago.


    Itireae did not understand thenguage spoken by the human woman, but she could easily guess her plead. Turning to those surrounding her she found that the only other still breathing was the man who had lost his left arm.


    Casting a spell on him, she stopped his bleeding and gave him enough energy to not die. She did not do more, it was not her worry if he would surrender to the afterlife or fight for his life.


    "Can you save her!?" Vivian shouted as she saw Itireae not moving after that one cast. She felt her throat constricting as she saw the elf shake her head no.


    "Why? Why? She died only half an hour ago! Why?" Vivian shouted in despair as she let loose her cries into the sky.


    Itireae flinched from hearing the cries of pain. She was not ustomed to them. Turning her attention towards the male elf with apletely mangled body, she tuned out Vivian''s cries.


    How did you end up like that?She wondered, curious why an elf would walk with humans. It was unheard of. What was the point, humans would die in a flicker of a me. Why spend time with someone you are bound to lose?


    She could not understand this.


    Vivian turned her head towards Eldrian''s body. She felt that he really had died, and this terrified her. It shook the despair of losing her new friend and reced it with an even deeper despair she did not understand. Something told her she had to get Itireae to save him.


    "Save him! Please, you must... Save him!" She shouted, struggled to her feet and moving towards Eldrian. Letting Sabrea and her sword slip from her hands as she moved.


    "It is no use child. He has died more than an hour ago. His soul is long gone." Itireae shook her head as she thought of the life wasted.


    "No! He is not dead. You must save him! I am sure you can!" Vivian shouted in despair. None of the elf''s words had made sense to her. Yet the meaning had been clear. It had been a t denial.


    "I only know Tier 7 resurrections. It is not enough for one who has passed so long ago." Itireae meant her words. She would not mind spending the insane amount of mana and effort required for the spell; if it could save the elf. She would not do it for a human, especially when she might as well try it on the elf.


    "I will try..."Itireae gave in as she looked at the agony in Vivian''s face. She did not understand why a human would care so much for an elf, but seeing this prompted her to at least try. Other than her mana and some time, she would lose nothing.


    Casting the spell took Itireae close to two minutes, it certainly was not an easy spell to cast and she was by no means a master of healing. Most of her time had been focused on improving herself forbat. Mastering different weapons, different spells, different skills; learning tactics, politics, and strategy.


    A swirl of light green light flowed from Itireae''s hands as she controlled the spell. Within seconds beads of sweat started flowing down her head as she focused on healing the elf''s body.


    It took her far more effort than she expected. The damage the elf had received was beyond ridiculous. Even his normal cells had deteriorated. Itireae did not know this, but she could feel that the elf''s flesh and skin all needed to be repaired too.


    She was d that she had not been cheap by casting a Tier 6 resurrection. Realizing now that she would never have been able to heal the body with that level of the spell.


    To resurrect someone, one first needed to heal the body. Due to them already being dead, you did not need to be careful with the energy used to heal the body. Since there was no energy inside the body which might sh with the healer''s energy.


    Naturally, using the magic to first repair the body took a great deal of mana. Itireae quickly felt that she needed to pump more and more of her mana into her spell to keep it active. A human would certainly not have managed to heal Eldrian with only a Tier 7 spell. This astonished Itireae as she realized the true scale of damage the elf had undergone.


    This should be enough! Itireae thought as she grew tired, quickly moving on to call the soul of the deceased back. To her astonishment, this was far easier than she had thought it would be, the soul having seemingly waited for her to call it.


    It was weak, seemingly exhausted, and damaged. Yet as soon as the body was healed the soul energetically followed Itireae''s guidance to enter its body.


    As soon as it did, the elf started breathing. Shallowly, but more than enough to confirm that the resurrection was sessful.


    ...


    As Eldrian was being rushed into the helicopter, the crushing headache he was experiencing lifted slightly. Causing him to barely wake as they lifted off.

 Chapter 176: Gengxin; a friendly elder and caretaker

    <h4>Chapter 176: Gengxin; a friendly elder and caretaker</h4>


    Waking up, Eldrian found himself in a pristine white room. He took some time and stared at the ceiling in curiosity. The roof looked like some kind of circuit. Eldrian had no idea why it had such intricate patterns and he soon turned his attention to the rest of the room. Curious if it would all be so sci-fi like.It indeed looked extremely high tech, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Eldrian was certain that it was probably one of the best high tech medicalbs in the world.


    What happened?Eldrian asked as he looked at all the tubes going into him. Luckily there was none in his mouth, allowing him to not feel that difort. The IV was something he expected seeing the room he was in. The other tubes and their bags confused him, he had no idea what they were for.


    Eldrian''s memories soon rushed back, his eyes flying wide open as he remembered how bad things still were when he had failed to cast one more spell. Just one more!He shouted at himself, angry that he had not managed to do so little. It was just one more, how could I have fallen asleep before casting it!?


    Eldrian did not want to wait for whoever was taking care of him. He needed to confirm what had happened, how it had ended. Moving his arms he grabbed the side of his bed and helped himself up. Finding his entire body to be frail and weak, sitting up took his breath away.


    Don''t stop. How many days have already been wasted!He shouted at himself as he pushed his legs off the bed and grabbed one of the IV-bag stands as a make-shift crutch. He did not know if it even was an IV bag on this stand, right now he did not care though. Using it, he managed to stand up, yet he now found that he did not know where to go.


    My clothes...Eldrian decided to head over to the chair where his clothes had been packed. Searching through his pockets he found his phone, t. "Dammit" He mumbled as he had hoped to confirm the date and time.


    The door then.Eldrian did not dy more. There were two doors, but he was now almost next to one so he might as well go through it. Pushing the IV stand ahead of him, he suddenly felt a stinging pain on his neck and arms.


    Shit. Just as Eldrian was about to rip them out, someone rushed into his room.


    "Stop! Don''t be so reckless! You stupid fool..." An old man with white hair and a goatee jumped under Eldrian''s arms and brought him back to his bed. "Give me a few minutes. It will be quicker than you trying to find your way alone. This ce is like a maze."


    Hearing that the man did not n to stop him, rather help him, Eldrian eded. The man worked quickly, removing the drips from Eldrian with practiced perfection. Eldrian did not even feel the sting of the syringes being removed.


    "Lean on me now, I am certain you are very anxious about what happened to your friends." The man said, offering Eldrian his shoulder.


    Eldrian nodded and took the offer. With the help of the man, he left his emergency room. He did not even question how the man knew of his situation, feeling it should be obvious considering his current environment.


    "You know, you gave us all quite the fright. First your insane performance, then you being in such a terrible state." The man said as they entered the medical ward''s hall.


    "What happened? Are my friends alright? How long was I out?" Eldrian asked quickly, wanting answers as soon as possible.


    "I will ignore the first, since it is a long story. The second... Some, or rather just two." Before the man could continue, he felt the weight on him increasing as Eldrian lost the strength in him.


    "Whoa, whoa. Careful!" The man did his best to stop Eldrian from falling onto the ground. In the end, they both ended on the ground against the wall of the hall.


    "Who?" Eldrian asked as his heart ached and tears formed in his eyes. He clutched his chest with one hand, fearing the worst.


    "The redhead and blond guy." Said the man, causing Eldrian great relief. Yet pain still followed behind the relief.


    He was happy that Vivian was alive, certainly he was. Nheless, the pain assaulting him now was too great for him to not cry. What hit him the hardest was that Sabrea did not make it.


    She was the one he was closest to, excluding Vivian. He often talked to her and sparred with her when there was time. They had grown close and now he thought back to thest time he had saved her.


    "Sorry... I-I, cou-ld not... Save you..." Eldrian stuttered through, the old man trying tofort him. The man naturally did not know Eldrian nor those who he had lost, so he just stayed close to Eldrian. Offering him the support in the form of a shoulder to cry on.


    Eldrian wanted to me himself, naturally he would. It was because of him that she had been there. He knew it was war and a mission, but the me still came. This me was worsened more as he thought about if he had just let Tes die. He was not close to Tes, if he had chosen to save Sabrea and Vivian first, failing on his third try to save Tes.She might have lived...


    This was what ate at him the most. He had been so close to saving all three of them, if the order he had gone with had been different... He might have managed to save her. Some part of him knew that what he did was the most logical. Tes had been in the worst situation, a second or two from death. The others at least were still holding out. Realizing this lessened the pain somewhat, but it still lingered.


    The pain of losing Floyd and Margit was far less than the pain he felt for Sabrea, so much that it waspletely overshadowed. Margit was more just an acquaintance, he thought of her as a past school friend at most. Floyd as a distant uncle... Sabrea, he would truly call her a friend.


    "Why?" Eldrian asked repeatedly, the man with him having no words. Only rubbing his back in support as Eldrian vented. He wanted to beat himself up, some part of him trying to convince him that it was his fault. Another part told him it was not. Eldrian certainly believed thetter, yet the guilt did not fade.


    After a few minutes, Eldrian calmed down. His heart still ached and his throat felt like it was in a vice. I can''t be lost. I need to help Vivian, still...Eldrian told himself, not knowing her condition. However, as he stood up the man pulled him back down.


    "Don''t rush young man. I know you are suppressing your emotions now so that you can go on. I assure you that the two who have survived are alright. They were saved by someone an hour after your second death."


    Eldrian''s strength left him as he heard that they were alright. His strength leaving caused the emotions he had just suppressed to rush back. Slowly he started crying, grieving. The man with him continued to offer his shoulder, letting Eldrian take his time.


    Naturally Eldrian would not ovee the loss in a day, but after a few more minutes of crying, he felt much better. Standing up again the man next to him did not stop him. Instead, he again supported Eldrian as they started walking. Eldrian''s body was still weak from whatever had happened to him.


    "I am Gengxin, young man. Let me guide you out of here." Eldrian nodded absentmindedly to Gengxin''s words. He did not really care for this, for pleasantries, he only wanted to go into the game and confirm that Vivian was indeed alright.


    Gengxin seemed like a good man, but Eldrian did not know him. He would not be at ease until he saw Vivian with his own eyes and talked to her. Words of a stranger only carried a certain amount of weight, he could not take it as the truth.


    Getting out of the medical ward of the building took close to ten minutes. Outside of this part, they climbed into one of the many SUV''s parked near the building.


    The ce they were currently at was Miracle Corporation''s main headquarters. Where they did all their most cutting edge research. The buildings all looked amazing as did theplex they were on.


    All the buildings had a modern and futuristic design. Focused on clean and sleek lines along with many windows, mostly light and dark colors used. Fantastical gardens apany the buildings. Mostly in the form of flowers, but now and then there would be a tree that had a strange glow. The birds especially loved these trees as they filled the branches, leaving the ordinary trees alone.


    Eldrian''s gaze did not wander to these things. He kept his head low, lost in thought and loss. Missing out on what he would normally wonder at.


    What can I do to never feel this again? He asked.


    He hated this feeling. This pain. He truly never wanted to feel this again. It was illogical, impossible. Regardless, Eldrian clung to this desire. Even knowing that it would never be possible.


    He set this to be his goal.


    He decided to make this his priority.

 Chapter 177: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 177: Reunion</h4>


    "We''re here. I know you are in no state to consider matters such as work and your studies. Unfortunately, we have to go through some steps to officially dere you fit to leave." Gengxin said as he led Eldrian into the reception building of theplex.


    "A few people want to talk to you. Some want to ask you questions, others want to give you offers. Remember that you do not need to mind them right away, but do try and consider what they say."


    "Can I get a headset?" Eldrian asked, causing Gengxin to miss a step. He had assumed that Eldrian would care little with the news he had just gotten. But the little Eldrian cared was too little. Gengxin knew of no other person who would not be curious upon entering Miracle Corporations'' main headquarters. Sure him not wanting to talk to anyone was expected, but he only lost a friend. A new one at that. Gengxin did not understand why Eldrian was so upset.


    "You can, but we can''t just give you one. We need to confirm that it would be safe. We need to figure out what led to your condition." Gengxin tried to lightly guide Eldrian from his rushed approach, yet Eldrian outrightly did not care.


    "Then use me as ab rat. I need to confirm that Vivian is alright." Eldrian said, just wishing to confirm things without all the political bullshit he felting. He was never one for politics, feeling it was just too filled with corruption.


    "We can''t do that! But..." Gengxin did not know what to do. He was responsible for bringing Eldrian here so that they could pull him deeper into thepany. His current condition was not good, not good at all. If they tried to take advantage of him now, those hovering over Miracle Corporation would certainly react.


    The reason they needed to take a blood sample was not just to confirm the DNA of someone. But also confirm their physiological condition. Along with the blood sample, a piece of skin and some sweat was also collected. They used this to check if the person who signed the contract was under any effect; be this drugs, duress, stress, or anything simr.


    Naturally, those in Miracle Corporation wished they could just not do this, but once the possibility of doing it had been developed. Those higher up had forced them to actually make it and start using it. Threatening to pull funding and publicize some of their failures if they refused.


    No major corporation would want that to happen to them. Hence Miracle Corporation had seceded and agreed to follow the strict rules set up by those behind them. These rules stayed, even after Miracle Corporation became strong enough to stand without them. Now forever linked to those who helped them at the start through their failures.


    As Gengxin was wondering how to bring Eldrian to a stable mindset without the use of drugs, Joren and a woman approached them. Both of them looked quite tired, the woman hid her tiredness far better than Joren. The only thing bying her tiredness was the ck shadows under her eyes.


    "Gengxin, how is he?" The woman asked, while Joren instead asked Eldrian.


    "Worried." Both answered almost in sync, Eldrian adding more, "Can I please get a headset. I need to confirm that Vivian is alright."


    Joren sighed upon hearing this, looking at the woman next to him for permission. She looked at Gengxin, who simply nodded. Quickly it was agreed that Eldrian would be given one of the game tester''s rooms.


    As Joren led Eldrian to this room, the woman approached and whispered to Gengxin. "Bring your kit, and all the IVs you feel necessary. We need to speed up the development of the cabin. You will be responsible."


    Hearing this Gengxin was not happy. This certainly meant arge pay increase, as well as the chance to be the face of the new technology. However, risks came with the rewards. If anything went wrong, he would face full responsibility.


    Even knowing this, the rewards pulled Gengxin to reluctantly agree. He only hoped that his patient would not continue to do such outrageous things. Eldrian was not a patient any normal scientist would want. The more radical ones would certainly love him, which was also why the woman directly ordered Gengxin to do it.


    They could not afford to lose Eldrian, hence a prudent scientist who feared failure more than they loved sess was needed. At least for now, especially since the subject was already radical.


    ...


    "We were truly caught off guard with everything," Joren said as they entered the room where Eldrian would be temporarily staying. "I feel like giving you some time to process things would be best. So we wille back tomorrow to discuss things. You can call for anything you might need from that inte."


    The room was far less fancy than the one Eldrian had woken up in. The walls were a light blue color, with led lights giving the room cozy lighting. The room was not very big, yet everything fitt well inside of it. There was a small dining table, a small kitchen, a single bed, and a small workstation with a PC.


    Eldrian nodded to show he understood, but he was only half-listening. His focus was on the headset next to the bed.


    "Alright then. You are free to use this headset. We already improved some things while you were asleep. It should hopefully allow you to y without troubles." Joren only said this to try and ease any worries Eldrian might have. His wordsnded on death ears as Eldrian only cared for getting into the game.


    "How long?" Eldrian asked as Joren was turning around to leave.


    Joren understood what Eldrian asked even without more words. Replying with a sigh he left the room. "Two days."


    Eldrian nodded again, climbing onto the medical-style bed and cing the headset on. "Login."


    As soon as Eldrian said this he was again brought to the simtion room. This time, instead of simple wisps, he faced a human target.


    "Last twenty seconds, or subdue the target." The pleasant female voice rang and the target rushed at Eldrian. Its moves were slow to Eldrian and its attack straightforward.


    Simply.Eldrian thought as he dodged the attack with ease. Moving under the target''s arm, he grabbed onto the extended arm and threw the target to the ground. Without mercy, Eldrian stepped as hard as he could as the target was still bouncing from thending.


    With a crack, the target''s windpipe was broken. Eldrian did not dare take it easy. Lifting his leg to step again, he had learned that magic could make seemingly deadly wounds trivial. As his second step was about tond the pleasant female voice spoke again.


    "Target subdued. Time taken..." The voice faltered as it tried to make sense of the reading. Eldrian''s attacknding long before the voice finished the second half of its sentence."One and a half seconds..."


    Eldrian was then enshrouded by a soft light as the voice faded into the void of the space room. Closing his eyes, Eldrian waited for himself to be ced into his avatar.


    ...


    "Haru!" Vivian shouted as soon as Eldrian started opening his eyes. Hearing her voice immediately brought a smile to him as the weight of his emotions seemed to lift. The relief he felt on confirming that she was alright, too much for words to exin.


    "I am d you are really alright..." Eldrian said as he moved his hand to grasp her face. Rubbing a tear from her one remaining eye, Eldrian felt terrible that she had been wounded so badly. Yet even with an eye missing and terrible scaring, he still found her beautiful.


    He felt anger swell in him as he looked at her missing eye and scared face. Forcing himself to calm down he tried to focus on the fact that she was alive.


    They both stayed still for some time as they simply enjoyed the moment.


    "Where are we?" Eldrian asked after the moment had passed and they had both hugged for another moment. He could feel they were in a carriage, but this did not really tell him anything.


    "Back with the army."


    "How?"


    "An elf rescued us. But only me and Tes made it, and you..." Hearing this Eldrian could see the sadness in her eye. She had be close to Sabrea quite quickly, both of them having trained together whenever they had time. Sabrea was only a few years older than Vivian and they both had the same drive. To protect their home.


    Eldrian also got a pang in his heart as he was reminded of those gone. He suppressed it for the moment, allowing Vivian to grieve while he supported her. Taking her into a new embrace, Eldrian offered her the support which Gengxin had offered him a while ago.


    "We have to be stronger." He whispered, Vivian nodding into his chest. She felt exactly the same. They can not allow something like that to happen ever again.

 Chapter 178: Meeting Itireae

    <h4>Chapter 178: Meeting Itireae</h4>


    Eldrian and Vivian took their time, in no rush to leave each other. They were both slowly starting to realize just how much they cared for the other. However, they were not yet at the stage where they could voice it, nor pursue it with confidence. Not even certain what their feelings meant.


    Simply enjoying each other''spany, they listened to the rocking of the carriage. They did not talk much, only staying together until they no longer could. This was around an hourter when Vivian was called to head to the healers. Many of her wounds still not properly treated.


    Itireae had not bothered to heal herpletely. Only making sure that she would not die. In doing so many of Vivian''s wounds had closed due to her regeneration abilities brought by a high constitution and some passive skills she had learned.


    This caused the healing done by others to be far less effective. Often needing the natural regeneration to be removed topletely heal the wounds. They could forgo this step, however, it would cause the scars to remain. Along with any incorrect healing, such as bones that regrew wrongly in a broken state, to remain wrongly regrown.


    The most critical factor was healing Vivian''s eye. They had already healed her ear, it was not too hard to do. The eye was far more difficult, it was a delicate thing and they could not rush in healing it. It needed to be done in one go, which meant it would either take a group of mages; Something unlikely in a military division. Or it would take a Tier 5 or higher healer, which was not something readily avable. Itireae had also shown no interest in helping out any further.


    There were a few Tier 5 and 6 healers in each division of the army, but they were generally very busy. Only Tier 4 and above healers could resurrect people, Tier 4 only able to do this if the body was hardly damaged.


    Hence most of the Tier 5 healers were busy saving lives, they could not spare time to heal a wound that had no rush to be healed. Vivian had been given a month to recover, hence she did not need to be fully healed for a month.


    As she left, Eldrian turned his sight to the interface. He saw that he had many prompts, but he did not care. He wanted to first go through the message log to confirm what had happened. It was a long log, with over two hundred confirmed kills.


    [4 500 XP gained]


    [5 250 XP gained]


    [42 000 XP gained]


    ...


    Other than the kill logs there were quite a few strange messages between. Eldrian wondered if he might be able to filter the log, and as he did an option appeared. Filtering it, he removed all kill notification. Leaving only a few shocking messages.


    [yer has lost 5 levels [Cause unknown]]


    [yer has died]


    [yer was not resurrected]


    [yer has received full death penalty: -2 levels]


    [yer has forcefully revived [Cause unknown]]


    [yer has died]


    [Battle field resurrection was performed on yer]


    [Time between death and resurrection was 1 hour, ten minutes, and 33 seconds]


    [yer has received full death penalty: -2 levels]


    What the hell?Eldrian was bbergasted as he saw these messages. How could he have died twice, and why did he lose 5 levels?


    In the end, even with having killed over two hundred enemies, he only managed to stay at the same level. Eldrian did not mind this though. He only cared about the fact that Vivian was alright and that he had failed to protect the others.


    Going through the kill log again he was shocked by the amount of XP he had gained. He was even more astonished and pained when he saw that he had also killed six of the women saved from the goblin caves. Reading these logs certainly caused him to feel like shit, he could not remember this though. Thus he felt that it was an ident caused by when he tried to cast that lighting spell.


    You should kill yourself...A voice spoke deep within Eldrian. Naturally, he ignored this nonsensical voice. It certainly hurt to lose people and killing some innocent woman added to this hurt, but why would he kill himself? Eldrian knew that he did his best to save them, he did not wish to beat himself up anymore for failing.


    Come now. You failed in protecting those near you. Even when trying your best, you ended up killing those behind you. Why should you live when they do not?


    What the hell is this?Eldrian asked himself, wondering if someone or something was trying to manipte him. If so, he would not fall for it. It might have worked if he only learned about everything now. Luckily he had already learned about it a few hours ago, having also gone through the pain then. It was not overbearing anymore, only aching every time he thought of those lost.


    I am certain you know it was your fault. Why don''t you just kill yourself? But... Don''t do it in this body.


    Hearing this freaked Eldrian out. If it was simply trying to convince him to off himself in-game he wouldn''t really care. This had gone one step too far though, the voice clearly knew somethings, but not much. Disying the limitation of NPCs, but it being inside his head greatly bothered Eldrian. He worried that it might learn more and grow to manipte him without him realizing it.


    Rushing out of the carriage, Eldrian looked around hoping to find a mage or priest to inspect him. Instead, he came face to face with a beautiful elf riding a giant eagle next to his carriage.


    "A drem demon. Foolish, no High Elf would fall for your tricks."Itireae scoffed as she saw Eldrianing out of the carriage.


    "A what?"Eldrian asked, not even realizing that he was talking anothernguage.


    "Oh, you actually know ournguage." Itireae was surprised by this. It was by no means easy to learn the elvennguage, even the most basic dialect among the elves generally took years to learn. She was speaking one of the older and more noble dialects, yet this elf easily understood her andmunicated back without mistake.


    She was surprised not by an elf knowing thenguage, but because she hade to find that this elf was a Chosen. One of the special beings. For some time it had bothered her that she had managed to revive him after so much time had passed. She had realized that he was a Chosen when no one was surprised by the fact that she had revived him after so much time.


    Not that she had talked with others. She had only observed them, especially when they had interviewed Vivian on what had happened. About why only three people had made it back. Vivian had exined everything to those in charge. Itireae had not brought them to her father''s division. As such, she did not receive any special treatment, only being healed after they confirmed through magic that she was not lying.


    "What?"Eldrian asked in confusion, the voice inside his head panicking.Quick run, she is going to kill you.


    Eldrian felt likeughing at the nonsensical voice. Turning to face the elf properly, he asked; "Can you kill this thing. I have no idea what it is nor why it wants me to kill myself."


    Itireae giggled hearing Eldrian''s words. Finding it really funny that a drem demon would even hope about getting a High Elf to go so far as to kill themselves. The most it should hope for is making a High Elf turn against acquaintances, friends would be a stretch already. Yet it was trying to force him to kill himself.


    "Sure." Itireae lifted her one hand and pointed towards Eldrian. The voice panicking before quickly bing quiet as a shadow fell from Eldrian.


    As soon as it died, the emotional pain Eldrian had been feeling lifted some more. Everything bing slightly brighter. Causing him to wonder if this drem demon had been enhancing the pain he felt for losing someone. I wonder if it could affect me in reality?


    "Thank you very much. I am Haru, and you are?" Eldrian smiled as he spoke, surprised that he was managing to talk so smoothly to such a beauty. He felt that the game had truly changed him. This might be something dumb to realize only now, most of the changes Eldrian did not notice. This was the only one that really struck out to him.


    "Itireae. This is Mnene." Itireae returned the pleasantries.


    "Well thanks again," Eldrian said as he hopped down from the carriage. Wanting to confirm what was going on with the army. Especially how far they were from finally reaching the kingdom of Taurus. The little incident with the voice having caused him to forget to look at the other notifications he had.


    Seeing Eldrian about to leave, Itireae climbed down from Mnene and followed. Eldrian did not realize this at first, but as all the soldiers made arge path wherever he passed, he realized something was weird.


    Turning around he saw Itireae following behind him leisurely, upon seeing her, all the soldiers would put up their best front and try to appear as busy as possible.


    "Why are you following me?"Eldrian asked, truly curious about who she actually was.


    "I want to know why you are with humans. More specifically, how you can be a Chosen."She replied, her words causing the soldiers nearby to panic as they feared that the two elves were talking of them.


    Seeing their reactions, Eldrian grew even more curious about what Itireae''s identity was. Their reactions seemed over the top.


    "Can you exin why they are all so afraid of you?" Eldrian asked, his curiosity starting toe back to him.


    "I don''t know. I have not talked with anyone else. No one knows Audili, nor Qaayat or Easdathi. You are the first to know anguage I also do."

 Chapter 179: Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 179: Breakthrough</h4>


    "Which is? And can''t you just use telepathy?"Eldrian asked, wondering why she would even bother with using anguage. His question caused Itireae tough merrily, covering her mouth with her hand to try and not show such an ignoble side to a stranger. Certainly, she would not care if Eldrian was not a High Elf, seeing as he was she wanted to at least seem somewhat cultured.


    "Heavens no. That is an impossibly hard spell to use. It takes far too much effort to create a connection. Only the emperor has learned it. And-"


    "Emperor? Wait, why do you say that. Isn''t it an easy thing to do?"Eldrian let slip the first part, interrupting Itireae as she wanted to answer the first question. Eldriancould distinctly remember that Cephaphyr was Tier 3, yet he was able to create and keep a connection without any difficulty.


    "I have no idea where you were misled. It is certainly not an easy thing to do."


    Is it a racial trait of Alicorns? Eldrian wondered, deciding to drop this for now. He still had not gotten an answer to his question.


    "Who are you really?" Eldrian tried his best to make it clear in his voice that he was asking more than just a name. Somehow he knew that it was possible to deliver this clearly through tone alone, especially with thenguage they were talking.


    "I am Itireae, the suprememander of the Ahevell empire. I havee to see what it is like on the front lines."Itireae spoke with dignity and pride, yet Eldrian found that her tone that she was nervous and unsure what her words meant.


    He did not bring this up, focusing instead on the matter at hand, "Then why are you following me?"


    "Because you are the only one I can talk to, and... I find you interesting. How did you send out that distress signal? It is something even I can not do."


    "What, and what?"Eldrian did not manage to follow along with her. He had no idea what thetter was about and the first part gave him the creeps.Why does she find me interesting?He worried that he would end up like Erik with an unwanted pursuer.


    Would that be so bad?Eldrian quickly asked himself, finding himself unable to say that it would be. She was certainly a beauty, he would probably never be able to do better. Something just turned him off from being pursued. It was not that he felt he needed to pursue, well maybe it was. Or maybe it was that he did not wish for something right now, his feelings for Vivian influencing him subconsciously.


    "I would like to know why you care for the humans so much. That you would even willingly die for them. It is not normal."


    "Like hell it isn''t! It is one of the most normal things in the world!" Eldrian countered quickly. Her words continuing to confuse him. This was to be expected since it was his first time meeting one of the higher races/species. Rather it was his second time, but the Alicorns he had met during an emergency. Causing many things to be avoided.


    This was the first time he was fully confronted with the arrogance of a higher race. Their ingrained belief that they are better than others. This certainly was not without reason, they lived hundreds to thousands of years longer, were generally stronger from birth, and had a more advanced civilization.


    Their arrogance was generally not in a toxic way, they did not belittle those from lower races. Nheless, they did not treat them as worth their time. In a summary, they were generally neutral to lower races. They would not go out of their way to help nor hurt those from lower races.Leaving them be as long as those below them did not bother them.


    In some cases, they might offer help, but this was rare. They generally did not see it as a worthwhile cause, since the person would still die in a few decades from age.


    "Is that really what you feel? Why?"Itireae asked, her tone filled with true curiosity. This caused Eldrian to be exasperated and just wanting to lose her.


    Starting to walk again, he hoped she would not follow him. She did. Soon he started running, even going so far as to use elerate on himself. Still, she followed with ease, her hair not even raising from the wind as she stayed behind him.


    At this moment Eldrian realized what her introduction actually meant. Stopping in shock, he turned and looked at her again. This time dumbfounded.


    Suprememander? Really? How, and what is that?


    Eldrian knew that amander was at Old Sword''s level, a highmander above Old Sword. Through deduction, he felt that a suprememander would be above that.


    Tier 9? Are you kidding me! She is Tier 9!? No wonder the soldiers all fear her so much. Rumors must have spread after themander of this tent confirmed her strength. No wonder they did not try to forcemunication with her. She could wipe this entire division!


    Eldrian stopped and stared at her. Unable to think of her as such a mighty figure. She looked like a frail and delicate woman. Nothing of her appearance would lead one to think that she excelled inbat.


    Something even more absurd than her appearance was that she was following him. This did not fit with his image of such strong people at all. He could not understand how she could be so seemingly ignorant and innocent. Is this just a front?


    Should I ask her to train me? Was the next thought toe into Eldrian''s head. It quickly overpowered all the other thoughts and he truly considered it. Zamia had told him that not everyone could be a mentor. Certainly, she would still be able to give him tips, at the very least.


    "Itireae, right."Eldrian turned and asked, unable to picture her as someone stronger than even the strongest person in Phallos. His mind simply could not allow these things to fit together, he felt strong people needed to look like Old Sword. Their body covered in scars telling of their struggle.


    "Have you decided to let me follow you?"Itireae asked as she saw Eldrian looking at her.


    Her question almost caused Eldrian to fall over. He could not understand how her mind worked. "No, rather I would like to ask if you could help me with my training. In exchange I will try to exin to you, but I would prefer if you do not follow me."


    "That is fine. Let me check where you are at."


    Eldrian waited for her to say more, instead, her face turned from one of curiosity to pure shock. "How can this be? How can you not even be Tier 1? How..."


    "Well, that is why I am asking if you can help me."Eldrian tried to exin, but Itireae was so shocked that she did not hear his words.


    Eldrian waited for her to recover. By this time the division had moved so much that they were almost at the back, they had always been close since all the carriages trail at the back. They started walking again to not be left behind. Eldrian not wishing to be in the barrennds alone, not again.


    "How did you cast that distress call?"Itireae asked, unable to understand what was going on.


    "I don''t know. I just... I just wanted to save everyone..." Saying this saddened Eldrian as he had truly failed in that single task. Not even able to save all those close to him.


    "I can try to help you, but your mana is strange. It is not like any I have seen before. Humans have a static, rtively un-pure mana. We elves generally have a pure type, while beasts generally have intense mana type."


    "So?"Eldrian asked, unable to understand what she was going for.


    "Yours seem to be pure and intense. This is strange, it is generally impossible to have both these categories so strong. Your mana is also still static, but that is normal. No... Rather it makes your mana''s categories even stranger. It should still be simr to humans at this level. It being pure and intense while static is really strange."


    "Oh, I can move it though, it is just not natural. At least not yet." Eldrian said, hoping it would help since he had no idea what she was talking about. Concentrating on his mana he willed it to move. Upon doing this he again found that it had be easier, so much so that he suddenly managed to move all his mana. This caused him to briefly be shocked before quickly doubling over as his mana started moving rapidly on its own.


    He could not see what was going on, but he could feel it. Itireae was looking on in shock.


    Eldrian''s mana raged on as it moved through his entire body. Rapidly changing colors, the mana seemed to speed up with each pulse of his heart, through which his mana was being channeled. His mana also became purer and more intense with each speed up, as if it was in an infinite cycle of growth.


    What on Gaia is going on?Itireae asked as she looked at Eldrian who was struggling to stay awake.


    Normally reaching Tier 1 would cause no pain. It would fill one with energy and allow them to suddenly do things impossible before. This was true for all Tiers, she had never seen someone go through such a savage upgrade.


    In normal cases, at Tier 1, an elf''s mana would start to move automatically through their heart. This was critical as all the strengthening was focused here. With each pulse one''s mana would be stronger and purer, hence why reaching this stage was the most important.


    High Elves would not be able to reach Tier 2 without effort, but even staying in Tier 1, their strength would continue to grow with time. Naturally, the growth at higher Tiers are far faster and more beneficial. For elves not wishing to be strong, reaching Tier 1 is still a requirement. If they do not, their lifespan would be severely limited.

 Chapter 180: Hidden class and conflict

    <h4>Chapter 180: Hidden ss and conflict</h4>


    To Eldrian it felt like he was back in the dungeon of the magic tower. When he had only started learning magic, more precisely his first time casting a spell near a Magic Crystal.


    His mana raged, tearing at him. His heart ached, yet it pounded more and more as the aching increased. Eldrian felt like he was going mad as everything seemed to just be escting in an endless cycle.


    Itireae did not just stand and observe, she could see that Eldrian was actually being hurt. Blood seeping through his pores. Casting healing and rejuvenation spell on him, she hoped to help as she looked on in curiosity.


    While the process certainly looked unpleasant, she could feel that there was something more to it. That this was a really strong reaction and maybe even a better step for bing stronger. Yet seeing the pain Eldrian was going through, she quickly discarded this as a viable option for others. Most people would simply fail in staying conscious.


    What the hell is going on!Eldrian thought as he grit his teeth with all his might. Afraid that if he let up he would bite off his tongue.


    Luckily, or unluckily, this onlysted 5 minutes. After which Eldrian was almost lying in a pool of blood. Standing up shakily, he turned to Itireae with questions.


    "I have no idea what just happened, it is as new to me as it is to you."She quickly answered, causing Eldrian to sigh.


    "It is actually not the first time I have experienced this," Eldrian said as he cast Nidia to clean the blood from him. As he extended his hand from habit, a massive ball of water formed over it. This was nearly as big as a basketball, instead of the fist-sized ball, it used to be.


    The strangest thing was that Eldrian did not even use a spell module to cast the spell, nor did he use much mana. In fact, he used less than he had before. The spell hade to him on thought.


    "Is this normal?" Eldrian asked Itireae in surprise as he sshed himself with the ball of water.


    Shaking her head she replied,"Normally there is an increase in power. But it would only be in the magnitude of five to fifteen percent. This is a couple of hundred times increase."


    Eldrian nodded upon hearing her words, turning his attention towards the system interface. Hoping that there would be some answers.


    This time Eldrian directly looked at the notifications, shocked by all of them.


    [yer has created a spell. Please cast the spell two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this spell.]


    [Spell Type: Lightning]


    [Spell Tier: 6]


    This was shocking enough. Eldrian was disappointed that he needed to cast the spell twice more to actually learn it. He highly doubted he would be able to do that anytime soon. The following notifications were no less shocking.


    [yer has created a skill. Please use the skill two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this skill.]


    [Skill Type: Energy conversion-HP]


    [Skill Tier: 1]


    [yer has created a skill. Please use the skill two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this skill.]


    [Skill Type: Energy conversion-SP]


    [Skill Tier: 1]


    [yer has created an ability. Please use the ability two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this ability.]


    [Ability Type: Energy conversion-XP]


    [Abilities are generally a racial trait gained from a bloodline. Other than this, magical items also often have abilities. Unlike skills and magic, which are confined within the knownws of magic, abilities can do things seemingly impossible. None need to know how it works, rather just that it does and that it will do something amazing.]


    A short exnation was given on what abilities were since this was Eldrian''s first time gaining one. This was not the end yet, thest notification being on Eldrian''s Tier gain.


    [Through hard effort and surviving through many tragedies, the yer has gained a hidden ss and Tier.]


    [Hidden ss: Protector]


    [Hidden ss Grade: Heroic]


    [Tier reached: 1]


    [The Protector ss is a hidden ss obtained through sheer willpower. Given to one who wished to protect. Willing to die, repeatedly even, just to protect what they hold dear. Be this their family, friends, lover, or kingdom. Reportedly, Protectors can ovee death through sheer willpower. Returning to their ruined body, forcing their soul to stay, enduring endless pain. Just for a chance to protect.]


    [May this hidden ss help you achieve your ideal]


    [Hidden ss grades; Fabled, Heroic, Mythic]


    [This information will not be visible to others, even those at the highest level and Tiers. Only others with hidden sses will be able to see this information, and only if their hidden ss is of the same grade, or higher.]


    [Hidden sses are a myth in this world, it is advised that the yer not share this fact with NPCs. Even the punishment of gods will not keep NPCs from coveting such a ss.]


    What the actual hell? Eldrian was amazed upon reading through this. It felt to him like he had been praised too highly, he did not feel like he deserved this.Still he was extremely curious about what this ss meant and wanted to look at his stats, but remembering where he was and with who, he stopped himself. Heading the warning the system had given him, he looked wearily at Itireae who had observed him breaking through.


    "Thanks for healing me. How is my mana now?" Eldrian asked Itireae, hoping to circle back to her teaching him some things. Eldrian already knew how his mana was, he could feel it moving vigorously inside of him. He only asked to pull her attention from his moment of lost attention and the stronger spell.


    Naturally, this would not work, nor was the direction he pulled any better. Itireae though did not really care what was going on with Eldrian. She was curious, but not enough to pry. She could tell that it was not something anyone could gain ess to, even if she knew what was going on. Not to mention people making it through that ordeal withoutplications.


    She was more curious about his motivation to be with humans and how he could be a Chosen. The increase in power might seem really big to Eldrian, but to Itireae it was only moderate at best. Amon magic essory in the empire could do the same. Especially since that was only a Tier 0 spell. She would certainly be more invested if it did the same for Tier 5 and above spells.


    "You have certainly reached Tier 1 now. What do you want my help with then?"


    "Can you help me in understanding how to continue to train? You are the first High Elf I have met and as such, I have no idea how to meditate."


    "I can try to help you, but I must warn you that what I do might not work for you. In fact, I believe it will definitely not work for you."


    "That''s fine, I just want to know what to aim for when I am trying to meditate. Especially for the next Tiers"


    "Alright."Itireae agreed and started exining to Eldrian the basics which most High Elves had inmon. How you had to channel your mana, and then withter Tiers focus on purifying it as well as increasing both the amount of mana and the pathways they take in your body.


    She was not very good at exining and only spoke in general. Most of the information was not new to Eldrian. Causing him to be greatly disappointed. Yet as an hour went by she finally mentioned something of use to him, something he had found when experimenting in the magic tower''s dungeon.


    "Due to how our mana circtes our body, we can keep spells active with far less mana. The depleted mana from a spelling back to us to be invigorated again. While this ismon for all dynamic magic casters and happens passively once you reach Tier 1, we can manipte this."


    "Instead of taking the mana back in, you can force it to fully expend itself while also pumping more mana to empower the spell. This will cause a massive increase in your spell''s power, since exhausted mana actually still has a veryrge amount of energy inside of it. Naturally this will drain you far more than normal too, but it is very useful for a burst of strength."


    Other than this she did not have much more to offer. Unwilling to share skills and spells with Eldrian without getting to know him better. Though Tier 1 spells and skills did not mean much, or rather anything to her, she did not wish to give it without payment. And she had no interest in coins.


    Reaching the end of his lessons, Eldrian nned to start training. When he suddenly realized that this elf was who had saved them. Naturally, it was not that he just realized this now, but he realized that she did not save everyone.


    "Itireae, why did you only save the three of us? What about the others?"Eldrian asked, anger growing in him as he believed she could certainly have saved Sabrea too.


    "Only you three were still alive. Or rather the two humans were alive, you were dead and I did not think my resurrection spell would be able to bring you back."


    "Then why did you not save Sabrea!"


    "I do not know who that is."Itireae tone indicated that she really did not care for this. Causing Eldrian to be even angrier.


    "She must have died muchter than me. Why did you not save her too!"


    "Oh, you must mean that one. The one the redhead clung to."


    Hearing her talk about them like they were lesser, not worth her time, caused Eldrian to be furious. He was about to explode, the only thing keeping him back was knowing that he had absolutely no chance.


    "She was too far gone," Itireae added with the same unbothered tone.


    "Yet you save me! I must have died far before her!"Spit flew as Eldrian shouted, the nearby soldiers retreating in fright as they thought Itireae might burst into rage. Instead, she looked at Eldrian with curiosity.


    "Why do you care so much for her?" She asked, her tone filled with an ignorant curiosity which only irritated Eldrian more. She did not mean to irritate him, this was simply the thing she was most curious of. Having never left the empire before, most of her life having been spent in Epipleon. Six thousand years in one ce, a utopia if there ever was one.


    No loss, no theft, no hunger. A ce where only the really, really elderly would die. Hundreds of years given to prepare for their departure as they slowly lost grip over their souls. In terms of High Elves, Itireae was actually still young; a teen. Yet she was also one of the strongest in the empire.


    With never having experienced any hardships, her emotional growth level could be described as quite low.

 Chapter 181: Why...

    <h4>Chapter 181: Why...</h4>


    "Why do I care? Why do I care!? Because she was a friend!" Eldrian shouted at the top of his lungs, furious at her neutral attitude. Even disdain would have been better. It would have told him that she regarded them as something.


    This neutrality caused him to feel like she did not even see them as people. He actually preferred the nobles and their arrogance and toxicity to this. He could fight them, fight their idea, could he do the same against her?


    No, if he did it would not change her belief and only get himself killed.


    "How can you care for humans so much. They die so quickly."


    Hearing this, Eldrian felt defeated. What was he to say to that? It was like trying to convince a fanatic that they were wrong. There simply was no way to converse with them. They would never understand your logic and words.


    "Do not follow me!"Eldrian now just wanted to get away from her. Hate growing in him.


    Hearing his tone, Itireae flinched. She had never received such anger, having always been sheltered in the empire. Allowed to grow without any pain. Without any struggles.


    "I could not save her," Itireae said, hoping to sway Eldrian''s hate. She was too curious about him to allow him to just alienate her like this. She simply wished to know why he cared so much for a different race, one so much weaker than theirs.


    "Exin!"Eldrian spat out, turning to face her only because her tone indicated that she was afraid.


    "While I do know resurrection magic, I am not all that good in it. I can only cast it at Tier 7 at best, and then it would take me a few minutes to actually pull of casting it."


    "So?"Eldrian asked in disdain.


    "It is important because Tier 7 resurrection can only resurrect one who has died less than 25 minutes ago. This is even an oversimplification, as it only has an 80% chance at 25 minutes. Every minute after this will half the chance. Thus 26 minutes would have a 40% chance of working, 27; 20%."


    "This, Sabrea" Itireae paused to recall the name, nor having minded to actually try and remember it before. "She died around 30 minutes before I arrived, along with my casting time, it would mean around 33 minutes would have passed."


    Eldrian listened, but he felt using numbers to exin her reason was just wrong.How could numbers exin a life lost?


    "This meant that it would have only around 1% chance of working on her."


    "Bullshit! How can you even talk about percentages? It certainly depends on the person!" He countered strongly, not willing to reduce her life to simple percentages.


    "True, it does depend on the person. Even so, this stays really urate." Itireae stopped as she collected her own thoughts."You have never cast resurrection, so you do not know how it works. The reason these values are so urate is because of how it works and how little the person can change it. This is also one of the things which makes you so interesting."


    Eldrian still did not care for her exnation, but seeing her try, he decided to give her the chance. Not directly throwing her words out of mind. Remembering that he had told himself a long time ago to not let any advice just go. He promised himself to always consider it to the best of his abilities.


    While this was not advice, it certainly was knowledge that he needed to learn. It certainly was hard to suppress his anger, his sadness, his fear. He only did his best to try and calm his mind, to make sense of what he was hearing.


    "Firstly, resurrection spells need to heal the target''s body. The more damaged, the less likely the spell is to seed. Your case was extreme, while hers was not."


    "However, this is just the first step." She quickly continued before Eldrian could vent at these words. "This step can even be avoided by using other healing spells first, but generally resurrection works the best as it can heal almost any wound without needing to alter the spell much."


    "The next step is where the actual difficultyes from. And why resurrections always, always, has a time limit. A person''s soul can not live outside of a body, nor can it stay in a corpse. As such it will drift out and be pulled to the afterlife."


    "There are naturally exceptions to this. Such as people who have linked their souls, instead of their souls being pulled to the afterlife, they are pulled to their other. Where they will be temporarily protected until their body can be recovered."


    "I believe you Chosen are also an exception, your souls being pulled to a temple instead of another. I do not really know how it works, but that does not matter. The fact is that after 5 minutes, on average, your soul will be pulled."


    "Some people might be able to keep their souls drifting near their body for longer. But it will never be much longer, and the longer a soul drifts, the more it bes damaged and the faster it will be pulledter."


    "So..."Eldrian''s anger had started subsiding as he realized what this would and could mean. That one''s soul might even dissipate if their will is too stubborn.


    "Yes, even if she was exceptional. Her soul would be so damaged at that point, when I got there, that my spell might not even be able to heal her soul. And this is if she was truly exceptionally strong-willed."


    "Then how did you revive me after an hour?" Eldrian asked, now more with curiosity than anger. He was starting to see her point, still, it hurt him that she did not even try.


    "I do not know. It is why I am so curious. My assumption of Chosen is that your souls will be pulled to a temple. Yours was not. It was hanging over you, extremely damaged and nearly faded. Yet it refused to move."


    "Wait..."


    "That''s right. I believe you are that exception, that strong-willed. I also believe that your soul would have been extinguished if I had not saved you."


    Hearing this gave Eldrian the chills. At the least, this meant his avatar would have died. At most, his real-life could have been in more danger than he had thought. He had no idea what souls were, how they worked, and more importantly how they worked along with the game. Some part of him felt that his avatar''s soul and his was linked in some way.


    Hearing this also allowed Eldrian to connect the dots. How he had died twice, how he had gained his hidden ss. The only thing he did not understand was how he actually willed his soul to drift for so long. Was it because he was not in the game anymore, or was it because of something else?


    "Truthfully, I did not even know your condition. I had only taken the chance on you since I hold a High Elf''s life far over humans." Hearing her admit this pissed Eldrian off, but he could not me her. She was truly a different race, no a different species even. Of course, she would value her own kind more than others. Eldrian only cared so much for humans since he was actually one.


    He was actually surprised by the fact that racism was not rampant in this world. In the real world, it was such arge thing for only small differences caused by race. Everyone still being human beings.


    A High Elf is not a human.Eldrian had never really thought of this before, always having thought of all the humanoid species as a race of humans. Certainly with more extreme differences than on earth, but he had thought of them as races. Not different species.


    This was certainly something far bigger than simply color, tone, culture, ornguage. Heck, these things were even included in the different species.


    "Why are you so curious about why I care? You clearly do not, nor does it seem like you wish to change your view." Eldrian said this in an almost defeated tone. There was no way he could still hold this against her.


    He was surprised that she was not hostile to humans like many races are to each other on earth. This meant that she was already far better than many humans, causing him to feel quite awkward. While on the modern earth this racism had be much scarcer, just a few decades before, one race would look on in entertainment as another bled out. Her not having such an inbred hatred was already something to praise.


    Eldrian hated when such low standards were worth praising, when doing the bare minimum was something to be awarded. However, he could not deny that it was certainly better than going under the bare minimum.


    "I don''t really know. I have not been outside of the empire much. In fact, I have never left it. Only having left the main capital a few times. I was sent to observe and learn what it means to be on the frontlines..." She paused and took a deep breath,"What I felt. That distress signal or whatever you sent out. That... It truly conveyed to me more than I ever felt I could learn. I want to understand that. I feel that is what the Emperor wants me to learn."

 Chapter 182: Stat growth from Protector Tier 1

    <h4>Chapter 182: Stat growth from Protector Tier 1</h4>


    The Emperor, again...Eldrian picked up on this final sentence, causing him to realize that Itireae herself might not actually care for this. She was only trying toplete a mission. Eldrian had no idea what this mission was, he could tell that she also did not really know.


    "You want to know why I care. Yet it sounds more like you want to aplish what this Emperor of yours asked. What did he ask?"Eldrian asked, hoping he could simply exin his actions and reasons to her and then be left on his own. He certainly did not want to be tailed the entire time. He also highly doubted someone at her level had time to do that. Then again, she was a High Elf and had time to waste.


    "He didn''t ask me to do anything. I wanted toe and help. He only told me to try and learn what it means to be here, and to not go to a kingdom which has no hope in defending themselves." She replied, trying to sound proud.


    However, Eldrian could easily tell that she was not sure what she actually needed to do. Helping was easy, but learning what it meant to be on the frontlines was not so easy. Especially for someone with basically no notion of death and loss.


    How did she be their suprememander? I doubt she ever led an army in war. She certainly had never been in a desperate fight. Eldrian wondered as he looked at her.


    "You won''t be able to learn this through following me." He said, instead of voicing his doubts and thoughts.


    "But you know what it means."


    "Yes..." Eldrian sighed; "Yes I do. It is not something you can exin, you won''t be able to understand."


    "Are you saying I am too dumb?" Itireae asked, irked.


    "No, I am saying it is not something anyone will be able to exin. Let me ask you, how much do you care for that eagle of yours?"


    "Eagle?"Hearing her questioning tone caused Eldrian''s face to twitch.


    "That big bird you were riding!"


    "Oh, Mnene. She is mypanion, I have had her for nearly five hundred years now." Again Eldrian''s face twitched as he heard five hundred years. An insane amount of time for him, yet she seemed to feel like it was a short time. Like if one had a pet for three years or something. She also did not really answer the answer, pissing him off more.


    "How would you feel if she died in battle?"


    "She won''t. She is really strong, and so to am I."


    "Don''t divert this. How will you feel if she died and you could do nothing to help!" Eldrian shouted, hoping to get through to her.


    Itireae did not answer quickly, her mind incapable of actually considering this case. The only person she had ever lost was her dad, but when that had happened she was still too young. She only knew him through paintings and the words of others. Always praising him for his leadership capabilities and his personal strength, as well as how honorable and loyal he was.


    Always telling her that she had a great father. Itireae did not grow up with a loss, she grew up with a hero, a role model. A distant one she never met, but one who was always at her side. Hence even this did not help her consider loss.


    "I can''t. I don''t, know..."


    Eldrian gave her a few seconds before talking again,"That is why I can''t exin it to you. You have to experience that, or something simr. If you do not, then you will never be able to understand."


    Leaving her thunderstruck, Eldrian searched for his carriage. He was tired from the breakthrough and talking with Itireae was quite draining to him. He simply did not understand her mindset and he did not wish to try and figure it out while he had other things on his mind.


    It took him close to an hour, and a lot of direction asking before he finally found the medical carriage train. Where everyone who had been severely injured was brought and healed, while also given time to recover.


    However, upon trying to enter the carriages, Eldrian was stopped by one of the guards on horseback following the carriages. He was not alone, there were around twenty guards on horseback and easily a hundred more guards in small groups following the carriages.


    "Are you here to see someone?" The guard asked from atop his horse; the sun behind him and his voice stern, a tone of irritants in it.


    "No, I was here before and just went for a walk." Eldrian tried to exin, the guard did not seem to care.


    "You seem fine to me, don''t disturb those who actually need rest." Saying this, the guard shooed like one would shoo a dog. Eldrian felt quite pissed being treated like this, but seeing the grin on the guard''s face he decided to simply leave. He could feel that the guard wanted him to react.


    Not knowing what to do now, Eldrian started looking at his avatar stats again. Wishing to finally figure out what the hidden ss actually did to him. As he did this he wandered around in the army, making sure to never actually stumble into the lines of soldiers that were present at certain locations. Such as at the medical carriages.


    For the most part, the army did not travel in a strick formation, it certainly would be extremely draining for a hundred thousand people to stay in formation for weeks and months. Instead, they kept a formation at the edge of the division, and important parts of the division. Between these formations, there was more open space and soldiers could walk alone or in groups.


    These were all still disciplined and organized, but they were not in rank and file. Giving everyone some room to breathe, and allowing Eldrian to wander without getting into trouble.


    [Haru''s Statistics]


    [Level: 13 | 0/240K XP]


    [Hidden ss: Protector; Tier 1]


    [Sub-sses: Magic, Melee]


    [Avatar Affinity: 97.65%]


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: 115]


    [Strength: 125]


    [Agility: 155]


    [Spirit: 115]


    [Intelligence: 130]


    {5 free attribute points}


    Seems like I got 5 of each attribute, and my affinity increased slightly again.Eldrian was only slightly shocked by these gains. They were not as insane as he thought, only worth around 5 levels. Not much at all. Naturally, he suspected that the gain would increase with higher Tiers, but that was a long waying.


    [Stats]


    [HP: 121]


    [Mana: 132]


    [Stamina: 132]


    [Armor: 0.5]


    [Magic Armor: 0.75]


    [Physical Resistance: 0.5%]


    [Magical Resistance: 0.5%]


    Again the growth was quite small, Eldrian was not surprised by this. He had expected this after seeing the small attribute growth.


    Having seen what this had given him he searched for his hidden ss, wondering if he might be able to see its details. Unfortunately, it did not tell him much, other than repeating the information he had seen before, it only gave one piece of extra information.


    [Gain a bonus of 110% to Tier 1 magic, and 210% to Tier 0 magic. Tier 1 bonus]


    [Casting Tier 1 magic will also cost an increased amount of mana, equal to the bonus value. Tier 0 magic is not influenced by this constraint.]


    That can be quite useful.Eldrian took note of this, believing it would be able to give him a nice boost in almost anything when needed. He took careful note that it said magic, not spells or skills. Hence it would most likely work for both, maybe even abilities too. Though Eldrian only had one ability, the one from his new spear Aoidos.


    Wait, it has no cost. A smile grew on Eldrian''s face as he called up the weapons statistics. Realizing that this would mean he could instantly regain over 50 of any stat, every 45 seconds.That''s insane! That''s half of any stat! Eldrian wanted to test this immediately, looking around though he did not believe it would be right for him to start training in the middle of the army.


    There might currently be enough room, but this could change and Eldrian had a feeling that the guards here were aggressive to him. He did not want to do something which could lead into trouble.


    At this time Eldrian realized that he had no idea how this division was organized. He had no idea who was leading it, who was part of it. Most importantly he had no idea how to find Vivian, the only ce he felt might work was the medical center.


    Let''s head back.


    Heading back, Eldrian would continue to browse through his interface when he did not need to take careful note of where he was walking or asking directions. In doing this he realized that he had not simply browsed his interface in a long time, much of it has changed to be easier to use.

 Chapter 183: Rushing to get out

    <h4>Chapter 183: Rushing to get out</h4>


    Eldrian stopped on the tab for quests, staring strangely at the insanely hard quests he had. Simply looking at these quests made him feel like he should have always realized how un-gamelike this game was. That it was very different to other games, though he had long since realized this part. As had most yers.


    Just this Taurus Relief Mission should be a very clear indication of this. An S-ranked quest, given to any yer who wanted to ept it; as long as they were in Phallos. This was simply insane, but it has also be clear that it is not a mission that will be finished quickly.


    Eldrian had first thought it would take around a month or maybe up to three to finish this. Now he started feeling that instead, it will take years. Heck just traveling to the other kingdom had already taken over two weeks, nearing the third week past. This was insanely slow.


    Eldrian realized that he had actually missed how much time had passed. Unlike other yers, he had gone out on a dangerous mission, fought for his life and those around him time and time again. When he did not fight, he was bust gaining invaluable knowledge or training with those far stronger than him.


    I wonder what the other yers had been doing these weeks. Eldrian was tempted to go to the forum in search for specifically this, but stopped himself as he wanted to finish his browsing first.


    This relief quest was not even the hardest one he had, he also had an SSS-ranked quest still waiting for him to start again. It was currently halted, or rather the daily quests were, the main quest still required him to reach Tier 6 in cksmithing.


    Other than this he even had another apprenticeship with Old Sword... Wait, is it even a quest?Eldrian looked at it in confusion. He had only nced at his apprenticeship message when he took Old Sword as a mentor. Vivian''s disappearance having caused him topletely forget about it.


    Now looking at it again he realized that it was not ssified as a quest, but rather only as an oath. Well, it was still under quests as it bound him to the promise he made, but unlike other quests, he did not have a specific goal to finish it. It simply stated that Old Sword would guide him in how to fight, and in return, Eldrain needed to help protect Phallos to the best of his abilities.


    I never realized how loose his conditions werepared to Boran''s. Eldrian was unsure if he was happy that he was notpletely bound to Old Sword. It meant he lost out on the rewardsing with quests and also that Old Sword was less bound to him.


    That does not matter for now, the hidden quest...Eldrian turned his focus to the hidden quest. Unsure why it was still not considered done.


    [Hidden Quest: Bring Vivian home]


    [You have managed to find and safely bring Vivian back to the army, yet you are not at the correct division. The army might look strong and cohesive, but some do not wish for others to seed and do well.]


    [Next stage: Help Vivian reach her father''s division while ensuring her survival.]


    Fuuuck! Goddamit! What the hell is wrong with this world''s people! Eldrian cursed as he read this. He would not have minded if he just needed to help her reach Old Sword, but this clearly indicated that she still was not safe! Still!


    After all we have gone through!


    Eldrian almost snapped upon reading this, wondering just which piece of shit in the army wished to harm her. He was no longer in the mood to simply wait, rushing back to the medical carriages, he felt both his blood and mana rushing through him. Giving him an uncanny speed as he simply ignored the guards who wanted to stop him at the carriages.


    Pushing past through the gaps he dived into different carriages, searching, hoping that it was not toote. As he dove into the umpteenth carriage he heard Vivian''s voice from behind.


    "Haru, what is going on?" She asked in curiosity as she looked at Eldrian who had just jumped onto the carriage, frightening both the driver and the passengers. Hearing her voice Eldrian quickly dropped down and hugged her, shouts reaching them soon as the guards were rushing at them.


    "Sorry, seems like we have to run." Eldrian grabbed her hand and ran from the medical carriages and into the distance. The soldiers stopping their pursuit as soon as Eldrian and Vivian left the area they patrolled.


    Some of them cursed, others spat at the running two. They did not pursue them because then they would be breaking the rules. They had no reason to pursue the two, everyone was actually allowed to enter the area. Disturbing other patients might be considered wrong, but there was not a rule against it.


    Running until they could no longer see the guards nor the carriages, both of them stopped. Vivian looked at Eldrian strangely. "What was that about?"


    "Sorry." Eldrian apologized, having no idea how to exin his reasons to her. "I-I... It... I think someone is trying to harm you."


    "What? Who?" She asked, not too surprised by this news. Itireae had brought them to one of the middle division.


    The army was walking in a diamond shape, with a few divisions inside of the diamond. There was actually four such division, one of which is the division where the yers are located at. These four are the safest, only evering into contact with stragglers who had passed the other 11.


    These four were also those with the least discipline. Simr to the yer division, these four also carried materials, food and water, and other things. This was also where most of the nobles joined, seeing as it was the safest option for long travel.


    Due to this, Vivian was not surprised that not everyone was friendly or even neutral. She and her father have never tried buttering up the nobles. Normally this would be fine, but only because of her father''s power and the safety of the city.


    In this ce, here... Things could easily go wrong.


    "I have no idea who, and how I know is due to one of the quarks of being a Chosen. So just... Please, let''s just be careful."


    Seeing how worried Eldrian was, Vivian could not be angry nor did she wish to ask him more. Instead, she simply startedughing. Causing Eldrian to be quite awkward.


    After a few seconds, she calmed down, "What is the n then?"


    "I have no idea..." Eldrian sighed as he looked at all the soldiers. He felt confident that none of the normal soldiers were gunning for her. However, it did not mean they might not be the hands that actuallyplete the task, causing him to look at everyone with wariness.


    "What division are we in?" Eldrian asked, certain that the division must have something to do with this.


    "We are in division 9, led by Walter. As far as I know, he and my father are on good terms. He was a bit strict when we arrived, curious as to why we arrived in such bad condition and why so few people came back. Though he did not even know what size our group was originally, nor did I. He did not pressure me after confirming what I said to be true, so I doubt it is him. "


    "That''s good. It means we aren''t in too much trouble. Do you think we will be able to leave and head for your dad''s division?"


    Vivian bit her lower lip as she concentrated, trying to figure out if it would be possible. "It is possible. But the soldiers might try to stop us when we leave, and we might run into some monsters on the way."


    "That is still better than simply waiting for something to happen." Eldrian really did not like the option of waiting for something to go wrong.Vivian nodded, agreeing with that statement. She did not have any friends in this division, thus they could not ask for any help. They could also easily be set up.


    "So the question now is, tonight or in the morning?" Eldrian did not know if they should risk going at night, he still had no idea why everyone was so afraid of the night. However, leaving at night would be far easier since the guards would likely miss them as they headed out. He felt certain they would not dare chase them at night.


    Vivian paused for a few seconds as she considered this. She thought back to when she ran, how she had never been bothered by Night Terrors.


    "Let''s go tonight, it is just a few hours away. But will you be able to stay?" Vivian asked, knowing that Eldrian normally slept at night, and when he did his body would disappear. She did not know the details behind this, thus her question.


    "I can. What should we do while we wait?"


    "Let''s just try and not make any noise." Vivian offered and Eldrian agreed. As such they moved to one of the sides of the division, waiting for night to fall.


    A few hourster as the sun started setting Eldrian asked, "Do you even knew where your father''s division is?"


    "Not really. I know where it should be in the division, which should be good enough. We might just not be able to find them during the night."


    Of course, it won''t be too easy.

 Chapter 184: Gaming at night

    <h4>Chapter 184: Gaming at night</h4>


    "Let''s go," Vivian whispered, tapping Eldrian''s shoulder to get his attention. They had been waiting for a few hours now, and after the first two passed they ran out of things to talk about. When that point was reached they simply sat in silence next to each other, Eldrian took that time to start browsing the forums. Searching for what the other yers were doing to pass their time while traveling.


    He found that they did not have a boring time, as Eldrian had thought they would. Themander of the division where the yers were ced, Harris, had thought of a way to keep them entertained. While slowly letting them learn of the army and be part of it.


    To aplish this he had asked a few of the elite soldiers to set up a training area for the Chosen each night when they stopped. Going there the yers could ask for guidance and even spar against a few soldiers. Something many of them immediately jumped on.


    This was only the first step Harris took. After setting this up he also started giving minor quests to yers. While the rewards were nothing to write about, the yers could gain more practical experience through this.


    Generally to take one of these quests a yer first joined a few of the training sessions. After doing three, or reaching an eptable expertise level, they would be given a chance to take one of the quests.


    These quests were generally simple, having the yers join as recruits in a certain part of the army. They could choose which part they wished to join. This gave the yers the feeling that they were in power, with Harris never forcing them to join any of these activities. Most if not all the yers had by now.


    While one or two silver for the simple quest was not much, it quickly added up and the yers enjoyed being more active. Simply traveling day in and day out quickly bes boring, especially in thesends where there was nothing to look at.


    There was also an even more alluring reward than the small amount of coin and XP. If yers aplished a certain amount of quests and training sessions, they would be allowed to pick a skill or spell to learn.


    Eldrian had to admit that he would also have joined these training sessions. The added quests were not even needed, nor were the skills and spells. He would have wanted to take advantage of being able to spar against some experienced soldiers, this was already more than enough for him.


    The tap on his shoulder brought Eldrian out of his thoughts and reading. He ced these thoughts at the back of his mind and turned his attention to the task at hand. ncing at Vivian in the process, seeing her condition causing sadness and anger to smolder in him.


    When looking at her one could not help but immediately see the gaping hole where her eye used to be, along with many other scars still covering her body. Even in the dim light from the setting sun, Eldrian could clearly see these. Her hair was tied tightly into a bun to not get into the way, revealing the hilt of Nilida''s m swung over her shoulder.


    Eldrian nodded to her to indicate that he was ready, slowly standing up from his position and looking over to the fires. "Are we not going to wait for night topletelye?"


    "It doesn''t matter. They won''t dare follow us once we pass the fires'' light. There is also no reason they would even try." Vivian spoke softly, not wishing for anyone nearby to overhear them.


    "Then... We are really doing this?" Eldrian asked, swallowing with difficulty as he tried imagining what the Night Terrors were, which everyone was so wary of.


    "Yes. When I was running from the Oni, I never even ran into one Night Terror. I do not know if it was luck, or if people believe them to be moremon than they actually are. But I am willing to risk it." Through a sigh, she mumbled the following, "I much prefer facing a known enemy than waiting for a dagger."


    "Alright." Eldrian nodded to affirm his eptance. He was not worried for himself, but only for her. Much like her, he thought the same, they could at least prepare for what might happen in their travel. They could not do much in the army. This area should also be very safe due to the other divisions going out of their way to kill all monsters and beasts they came across.


    Readying themselves, mentally and physically, they both watched the guards responsible for taking care of the fires. Waiting for them to turn their attention to the outside darkness. As soon as most of the guards did, they both started walking.


    They started out slowly, staying low and quiet. Until they reached the light. From there they both ran at their top speed. Even going so far as to use their skills to enhance their speed.


    Eldrian, not wishing to be left behind, decided to try out the bonus from his hidden ss. This was the first time he tried to use it. Luckily for him, simply keeping it in mind while activating his skill seemed to lead to it working.


    With most of his free attribute points spent in agility, plus now the 42 extra from elerate, Eldrian managed to keep up to Vivian. Almost just as fast as her. They both crossed the twenty or so meters of light in a second, disappearing into the dark.


    The guards had almost no time to react to what happened. They had all focused on the outside where they were expecting something if anything were toe. The strongest of them was also only Tier 4, most of them being Tier 3 and 2. NPCs also could not decide how to distribute their attributes, rather it would increase ording to how they trained. As such none of them were nearly as fast as both Vivian and Eldrian, enhanced with skills.


    Looking at the two silhouettes disappearing into the dark, none of the soldiers thought of chasing them. They were curious about why someone would run away, especially at night. However, they did not care much, believing that it would lead to nothing. They sent one person to ry the information to their captain, while the rest joked about how the two would soon die.


    After running at almost top speed for close to 10 minutes, they had easily crossed over three kilometers. The light of the division long since not visible in their sight.


    Taking a breather, Eldrian asked, while being surprised that his stamina had not run out while running for so long, "Where to now?"


    "Northeast. My dad should be one of the front most divisions on the right of the entire formation. If we simply continue traveling we should run into other divisions. At the very least we will be able to see them when dayes."


    "Alright, what direction is Northeast?" Eldrian asked, realizing that he had no idea how this moon rose and dawned, nor which stars were used to guide one at night. He could naturally use his map, since it had apass in it. He asked to allow him to also learn how to determine the direction through nature. There was really no reason why, Eldrian was simply curious.


    Vivian quickly determined their path by use of the stars, exining to Eldrian how to do it once they set off again. Simr to Earth, a few key stars in the sky were generally used for direction. The moon could also be used, but it varied more than the stars.


    Thanks to it being a half-moon the two had no trouble determining where they needed to walk. They could not see color, and certainly no detail, but the moon gave enough light to outline everything. Allowing them to walk at a brisk speed in the dark, even running every now and then to cross more distance.


    Slowly time passed. The moon flew from their right to atop of them, at which point they decided to take a break. Both quite hungry and thirsty.


    "How much further do you think?" Eldrian asked, feeling like they were being observed the entire time they had been traveling. Arge part of why he felt this was because he never yed at night before, hence the entire situation being strange to him. Naturally, he had yed a few hours into the night every now and then, but he had never yed past midnight. Seeing the world so dark, gave him a weird feeling.


    "I don''t really know. I think we should be halfway. We just need to continue on our path and we should reach them by daybreak."


    Eldrian nodded and took out some of the food still in his inventory. Of the three baskets that had been filled for their return travel, all of them were still over half. One was almost under, this being a juicy and sweet fruit.


    Eldrian took out some of these specific ones for him and Vivian. Sitting down they both enjoyed the fruit, juice dripping from their hands and chins as they looked at the stars and savored the taste.


    In the midst of them both enjoying their snack, they felt an impending danger. The hairs on their necks standing up, and so did they. As they jumped, a dark, almost invisible figure, dashed past where they used to be. Chills running down both their backs as they realized how close to death they had just been.


    "What the hell?" Eldrian shouted as he pulled Aoidos from his inventory; Vivian pulling Nidia''s me from her back and letting it feed on her mana. Causing it to burst into mes and reveal the creature that attacked them.

 Chapter 185: Facing a Night Terror

    <h4>Chapter 185: Facing a Night Terror</h4>


    The creature, or monster, looked like a shapeless mass of darkness; taller and wider than Eldrian. This formless darkness seemed to ebb and flow in the darkness, causing its outlines to constantly change, like ripples on water. Even with the light from Vivian''s sword, they could not see more than darkness.


    It seemed like the creature absorbed the lighting into contact with its body, causing only pitch darkness to remain. No other features were visible. Looking at it, Eldrian could not help butpare it to a slime. Its body seemed very simr, being formless and constantly flowing. He had no idea what it was actually made out of though.


    It seemed that the creature feared the lighting from Vivian''s sword. It quickly moved away from it and towards Eldrian. The word ''run'' could not describe how the monster moved. It was more like the creature simply floated on the ground, no movement visible to betray its actions.


    As it approached Eldrian its shapelessness took form. Arm like spikes quickly grew from its body and aimed at Eldrian. Not knowing what this thing could do, Eldrian had decided to focus on defense. Enhancing his speed with elerate as soon as he saw the monster approach him.


    Only thanks to this did he manage to react in time and dodge the attack. After which he instinctually moved towards Vivian''s light. Mostly because it is the only ce where he would actually be able to see the creature''s actions.


    Naturally the creature did not wish for Eldrian to make it into the light. However it could only stop Eldrian, it could not stop Vivian. Running over she swung at the creature, who seemed to be shocked as the light fell onto it again. Its body visibly vibrating as its actions slowed for a second or two.


    Her attack hit solidly into the creature, cutting it in half. The mes of her sword burning all the darkness it touched. That which the mes and de did not touch did not seem to be affected. It simply formed back together in the blink of an eye, as if the cut never happened.


    The remaining darkness even attaching to Vivian''s sword and trying to feed on the me. Only to burn into nothing as it failed in overpowering the mes, after which it quickly retreated.


    While it seemed exactly the same as before, the creature seemed to be shocked. Reacting slowly as Vivian managed tond two more solid hits before it actually started dodging.


    She could not help but frown as she felt the strain attacking the creature ced on her. With each hit, she could feel the sword crying out. Calling for her to send more mana to keep it ''alive''.


    Eldrian took this time to gain some distance and ce himself behind Vivian, who the creature seemed to be weak against. He already assumed that the monster was weak against mes and as such Vivian was the perfect candidate to take it on.Eldrian also took this time to use Observe on the creature, gaining a pleasant surprise as he did.


    [Nychterninos Tromos; Demon]


    [Tier 3 ; Level 17]


    [HP: 643 / 732]


    [Attack: 80]


    [Agility: 180]


    [A creature of the night, a demon who feeds on unwary travelers. If you ever face one at night, pray that you have light. A source that can not be extinguished in a gust of wind. One which will burn even in water. Else pray for a swift death, as this is what a Night Terror will certainly gift you.]


    Eldrian was shocked by the extra feedback from Observe, yet he only took them in with a sliver of his attention. Most of it remaining on not letting the Night Terror leave his sight.


    From the information, Eldrian knew that it was fast, really fast. He did not know why he had gotten more information than normal, he did not care. The speed and attack kept him warry enough to not let his thoughts wander...


    One good attack and they were certainly dead, or close to it.


    Vivian did not waste any time. While Eldrian had been repositioning and using Observe, she had been constantly trying to attack the creature. Pressing onwards she swung her sword with grace and elegance, yet she only managed to cut small pieces off of the creature. Shallow wounds which did not do much to the creature as it became ustomed to the light of the sword.


    Focusing on her, it did not allow anotherrge attack tond. However, these small attacks from Vivian counted up. Each only did five to ten damage, but she attacked quickly. Multiple cuts in every second as she pushed herself to her top speed.


    Eldrian quickly recovered from the slight shock, only a second or two having passed by then. Not wishing to interrupt Vivian''s rhythm, Eldrian decided to take on a more supportive role. He did not know many useful spells, even so, he would do what he could.


    First, he cast Anthizo on Vivian, helping her recover some energy. Next, he cast Floga, making sure to form it asrge as he could. From the description Observe had given him, he realized that the only weakness of this creature was light or mes. He was not certain which and felt it might be both.


    Contrasting this, it actually seemed like the creature fed on light, making it seem like this would actually improve its strength. This was only when looking at how the creature would absorb Vivian''s mes. If you paid more attention, you would see the creature stuttering each time it did this.


    Connecting this to the description, Eldrian felt that it only meant you needed a strong enough source of light. Something which the creature could not quickly feast upon. He did not have any good spells to try and weaken the creature. Hence Eldrian simply chose to use Floga, waiting for when Vivian finished an attack to send it over to help.


    As she managed to get another rather deep wound, the Night Terror formed a spike from its body. Aiming it for Vivian, who was caught unprepared by such a strange attack from such a low angle. Having focused mostly on the already formed limbs which amounted to five already. Luckily attacking them resulted in the same effect as hitting the creature''s body, hence it did not use them aggressively.


    Just in time, Eldrian''s mended on the side of the creature. The me had been almost asrge as a basketball, yet it simply dissipated onnding against the creature. Quickly absorbed into the darkness. It did not even do any damage.


    However, it caused the spike the creature had formed to stutter, stopping it from moving forwards towards Vivian. Giving her the few precious seconds she needed to recover and avoid it as it finallyunched after recovering from the feast.


    So it really is weak to light and fire. But it did not do much...Eldrian thought to himself as he looked at the creature''s HP which has only just gone under 600. They were doing almost no damage to it.


    They did not despair though, slowly both Vivian and Eldrian learned more about this creature. While it could seemingly form any attack in any shape at will, doing so took some time. The brighter the area wherein the creature was, the longer this seemed to take.


    Slowly time passed. First, a full minute where they slowly chipped at its health. Then a second as they managed to bring it HP down to 400. Eldrian using every second to try and figure out another way in which he could help. Feeling useless only supporting help through minor spells.


    He would constantly use Aoidos''s ability to recover his mana whenever it was off CD, not able to seemingly double this through his hidden ss bonus. He would also cast Anthos or Anthizo onto Vivian when he managed to spare the focus.


    Eldrian, at this stage, was sweating as he focused on the spells he had going on. After realizing that more light weakened and slowed the monster he had started thinking of what more he could do. For the first time, he tried dual casting.


    Doing this with simply Tier 0 spells was not too hard, but two mes did not do much. So Eldrian pushed himself further.


    More time passed and nowhe had three mes rotating around the fight, with two balls of pure light floating over them. This caused the area to almost look like daylight. The agility of the creature had dropped to 130 thanks to this, and Vivian was able to hit more and more good hits.


    As more time passed and the creature''s HP fell to 100, it seemed to panic. It was now only half as big as Eldrian and seemed to stutter with every movement. Instead of trying to fight, it now focused on trying to get away.


    Its small frame helped in this as it gave Vivian fewer areas to target. Allowing it to fully dodge almost every attack.


    This continued for a few seconds and Eldrian could feel his concentrations breaking. Seeing the monster try and run away he sent one of his fireballs down to stop it. It worked and allowed Vivian to shave another piece of.


    Just a little longer!Eldrian shouted at himself as his body trembled. He had long since moved his arms forwards in an attempt to better control the spells. It seemed to work, though why he was not certain. However, Eldrian could feel that his mana was running out along with his concentration. And this was not something he could ovee through simple willpower. At least not without a miracle spark of inspiration.


    "Finish it!" He shouted as he felt the headache, which had been growing for some time, suddenly explode and cause him to lose focus over his spells.


    With the light gone, the creature regained its speed of 180 Agility and darted away. Vivian unable to kill it in thest attack she used, leaving the creature at 46HP. As it ran its speed became more and more the further out of the light it went.

 Chapter 186: Daybreak

    <h4>Chapter 186: Daybreak</h4>


    Gasping for breath Eldrian fell onto his back and tried to recover his energy as quickly as possible. Worried that it mighte back any moment.


    Vivian herself was in no better condition than Eldrian. She was soaked in sweat and exhausted. Simply having kept Nelida''s me''s passive ability powered had taken a great deal of focus and mana. Causing her to be far more tired than she would normally be after just ten or so minutes of fighting. Though this is actually a really long time for an intense fight. Normally the fight would be in bursts of under a minute, giving one some breathing room between.


    She had never thought that it would be so hard to deal with one monster. One which was not even stronger than her, it was actually a Tier lower! However, its attributes were actually higher than hers when it was not surrounded by light, causing it to be quite a strange creature.


    "No wonder everyone is so afraid of those things. Do they even have a weakness?" Eldrian asked through gasps. Naturally, he did not mean fire. If that was considered a weakness then the creature was nigh invincible.


    Vivian found herself a seat, keeping her sword lit in case other of those things mighte, or this one return. "Other than light and mes, I don''t think so."


    "Like you can call that a weakness!" Vivian nodded in agreement, it really did not feel like it weakened the monster all that much. Instead, it only brought it down to the normal level of Tier 3 monsters, yet it still fought in a strange manner and was extremely resistant to damage. It also had almost double the HP other Tier 3 creatures would have.


    "Yeeze, just think what will happen if a group of them attack." As soon as Eldrian said this he cursed himself, hoping that he had not jinxed them.


    Vivian nodded as she held her hand out towards Eldrian. "That would be really bad. Mangue please." To which Eldrian took out a fruit and gave it to Vivian, taking one for himself too.


    Feeling the sweetness enter his body caused him to regain some strength, in a manner which magic could notpare to. It reenergized not just his body, but also his soul and mind. Changing his tiredness into an eagerness to get back on his feet.


    "I hope we don''t encounter another one," Vivian said after finishing her second Mangue, standing up to continue their journey as she threw away the pit.


    "Do you think we should keep a light out?" Eldrian asked as he joined her in standing, taking out some nuts that were also in the baskets. Something more they could enjoy as they started walking.


    "It will draw everything to us," Vivian replied as she epted a few nuts.


    "But it might keep Night Terrors froming."


    Vivian nodded to this, "True. I''d rather fight a few orcs or beasts than another of those. There should not be many other monsters and beasts in any case. The army is trying to kill all that they run into."


    With this settled, they both became quiet for a while. Vivian responsible first for keeping light with her sword, after around half an hour Eldrian took over and cast two different spells. One was naturally Floga, keeping it active hardly taking any of his concentration nor mana.


    The other was Fos, the Tier 0 light spell which simply formed a fist-sized ball of light at this point. Its light could almost notpare to the oneing from Floga, Eldrian kept it active nheless. He did not know what was more effective against the Night Terrors and would rather go overboard to keep them away.


    Keeping them both active strained him slightly, with him losing around 30 mana every minute after going over the time he could keep them active for free. The cost was much cheaper than before, and he managed to keep them active for free longer too. Eldrian only needed to use Aoidos''s ability to keep up with the cost, allowing him to hold out much longer than he would normaly be able to.


    As an hour passed Eldrian asked Vivian to take over the lighting duties, wishing to rest his mind a little. As they swapped, he asked, "How do this sword''s mes work?"


    "I don''t really know. It just connected with me and allowed me to use it. Every time I use it, a part of me also feels like it is stirring. But I am unable to find this part."


    A hidden ability of hers?Eldrian wondered, not asking more since he could tell that Vivian did not know more and that she was still tired. For some reason, he still did not feel the strain of being awake for nearly the entire night. Vivian on the other hand was starting to feel it, especially after the fight.


    As another hour passed, and only two more remained to daylight, Eldrian asked, "Do you want to rest?"


    "No, we should keep walking. But can you take over the lighting job?"


    Eldrian nodded and did. With that, they continuing walking through the night. They did not run into any more trouble. Either keeping the light active kept things away, or continuing to walk did. Both of them did not care which it was, only that nothing else came to bother them. They simply felt ted as the sun rose, signifying that the most dangerous part was past them.


    On the horizon, they could even see the silhouettes of some tents highlighted by the brightening day. Without words they both started running towards these tents, wishing to get some much-needed rxation. The entire journey having eaten at their nerves.


    Naturally, they were stopped at the edge of this division. "Stop! Who are you!" A guard shouted, stepping forwards from the fire he was guarding.


    "I am a Chosen, Haru! Can I juste rest? I am dead tired." Eldrian shouted back, taking the lead to stop Vivian from saying who she was. He wanted to first confirm that they were at the right division before letting her say who she was.


    This might be overplicated and unneeded, but Eldrian did not wish for more trouble right off the bat. Though identifying himself as a Chosen could actually lead to just as much, if not more trouble.


    "Who is she?" The guard asked.


    "My friend, can we juste in?" Eldrian''s voice oozed with tiredness, which lessened the guard''s wariness. Still, he could not just let them enter the division''s camp.


    "Why are you here? Why did you travel through the night?" The guard asked, not overstepping his bounds. They were not asking for much, hence he did not wish to cause trouble. He only wished to confirm their story. Due to this, he stuck with asking questions, instead of using Observe to confirm their identities.


    Sighing Eldrian replied with a question instead, "Can you first tell us who themander of this division is?"


    "Why?" The guard asked, cing his hand onto the hilt of his sword. This question causing him to feel something was wrong.


    "Because the previous division I was at was really unfriendly to us Chosen. Thus I decided to try and venture through the night, instead of waiting for poison or a dagger. I might not die, but that does not mean death isn''t a pain!"


    Eldrian''s words shocked the guard, and his shout attracted the attention of the other guards nearby. Causing most of the nearby guards to leave their post to watch what was going on. With the most dangerous time passed, and them being on the inside of the army''s formation, they did not feel the need to keep tight watch anymore. Casting only a nce around every few seconds would be enough.


    "What division was that?" The guard asked, curious which people were still so dumb to try and make an enemy of the Chosen. A group of people who would not die and coulde back at anytime for revenge.


    "I don''t know. I just know that Walter is the division''smander." Eldrian spoke through a sigh, hinting at his tiredness again.


    Hearing this, whispers and head nods came from the nearby soldiers. They knew that it was one of the divisions where the nobles set up their camp, hence hostility tomoners and others were expected. "I''ll believe you for now. But you can''t just enter the division. We have to make sure you aren''t trying to cause trouble. Just stay with us until we can verify this."


    "No problem. Can you tell me who themander is now?"


    "Arthur."


    Hearing this, both Eldrian and Vivianpletely rxed. They did not try to make any more of a fuss and simply waited for the guard to follow the procedures he needed to go through. Vivian catching a quick nap while Eldrian logged out to quickly get something into his stomach.


    He had no idea what the effect of ying so long was going to be, and had asked the guard to take care of his body if he did not wake in an hour.


    Asking him to simply throw him on a horse if needed. Having exined that he needed to return to his world. Eldrian asked the system to not dematerialize his body on logging out, leaving his body in the hands of the guards.

 Chapter 187: Breakfast with Gengxin

    <h4>Chapter 187: Breakfast with Gengxin</h4>


    Waking up, Eldrian was greeted again by multiple tubes flowing into his body, three to be exact. Not in rush to stand up, he simply looked around first. Confirming that he was still in the room where Joren had led him to. He also saw a button ced on the nightstand where the headset had been when he logged on.


    Press when you are back, said a note next to the button. Eldrian did as it instructed and waited. Taking that time to think over what had happened and what he needed to do now.


    So many things! He realized this after some simple thought processing. In the game, he had too many things to do, some of which were urgent while others could naturally wait. Here in reality he was also going to have a great deal of stuff to sort out. Most of which was certain to be urgent.


    He did not look forwards to the contractsing his way, but he could not give up what he had just used. Even with just one night being yable, he had been able to actually aplish so much more. He did not wish to return to hismune and ying only during the night (IRL).


    He had no idea what would have happened if he could not travel at night with Vivian, certainly, they may have managed the same. But things could also have gone bad to, just as much as it could have gone well. Eldrain preferred the risks they had taken, even though a Night Terror was far more fearsome than he had thought it would be. Two would have certainly been the end of them.


    Eldrian still had his studies, causing a part of him to want to head back to the simpler life. Countering this was the fact that he had missed most of this week''s sses. He had probably also missed one of the ss tests, and maybe even the other and his practical if it was already Thursday. Eldrian was unsure what day it was now. He knew how long he was out, yet he could not remember when it all started.


    The more he thought of his studies, the more depressed Eldrian became. Sorry sis. I don''t think I will be able to keep our agreement. He sighed as he realized there was no way he would manage to get over 60 for everything. Heck, he did not even think he would be able to pass everything at this rate. Not without giving up on the game.


    There was no way he would simply ce the game lower than his studies. That would only lead to him never bing strong enough to protect those he wanted to protect. While now it was only Vivian, Eldrian had no doubt that he would get close to more NPCs again. He did not wish to let more friends die.


    After a few minutes, the door slid open and Gengxin entered. Seeing Gengxin''s white hair somehow brought Eldrian''s thoughts to rest and calmed him down.


    "Can you not be so reckless?" Gengxin asked through a sigh as soon as he entered. "I had to rush to install all these drips. Do you know that I am actually not allowed to do this!"


    "Sorry..." Eldrian replied softly as he looked at Gengxin who was busy taking out all the tubes from his arms. He could not help but overhead Gengxin''s mumblings. "You are going to turn myst hairs white too... Why did she have to give me this job..."


    Eldrian knew that this was not meant meanly, rather it raised his curiosity. Mostly about what hair the old man in front of him had that wasn''t white. Only slightly about who this ''she'' was, he felt certain he would soon get the answer to this.


    "There! Now let''s go get something to eat. You can''t live off of these drips alone."


    Eldrian nodded and thanked the old man, climbing out of the bed he could feel his body was sore and tired. He almost fell on his first few steps, his legs shaky and unstable. Once he got used to this and actually started walking, a massive headache assaulted him. A grumbling stomach adding to his diforts as he followed Gengxin.


    This time Eldrian actually took some of his time to marvel at the sleek modern design of the building. Though they did not walk far, as a cafeteria was just below the floor where Eldrian''s room was. The cafeteria was actually full of people who were all in either suits, or formalb wear.


    The suitmonly a main ck type, with some white to add contrast. Here and there a really attention-grabbing suit with shocking colors would enter Eldrian''s sight. The formalb wear was mostly white, but instead of being loose-fitting, it was formfitting.


    Eldrian''s diforts did not go away until he wolfed down his first te. Asking for a second even before his tea managed to be cold enough to drink.


    "Don''t be so reckless! Eating so much, so quickly, will cause your stomach to be upset!" Gengxin again mumbled under his breath, "Did your parents not teach you manners?"


    This caused Eldrian to feel slightly ashamed, but only slightly. Still, he minded his elder''s words and ate the second helping slowly along with his tea.


    "Good, now that you don''t have a grumbling stomach, you should be able to focus better. How urgently do you need to get back to the game?"


    "I... I am not too sure, I asked the guards at the camp to take care of my body if I do not return in time. So I believe I have an hour before they set off, and then, well, it will depend if the guard actually does take care of my body. He should, Vivian is also there..."


    "Don''t say your body. It sounds really weird. We call it an avatar, so call it that." Gengxin said as soon as Eldrian finished.


    "Alright..." Eldrian blushed slightly as he realized how weird it sounded to ask someone to take care of your body. It made no sense in normal context, and in the other, it caused Eldrian''s face to heat up.


    "Since we have some time, let me exin how things are going to work. Thatdy you met yesterday, she is from central. Part of management. She came down to ensure we handle your case correctly."


    Eldrian had questions already, but he felt they would be answered if he simply waited for Gengxin to finish. Thus he simply nodded to show that he was following.


    "Due to the uniqueness of your case, we have ced it high on our priority list. I will be responsible for maintaining your health while you are here. Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to continue ying the game unless you are under supervision. The risks are just too high."


    This made Eldrian''s choice of continuing to study or not much easier. But Gengxin''s next words again confounded this.


    "We know that you are a student currently, and we assume you would want to continue your studies. However, we want your help in figuring things out right now. So we have devised a few proposals for you." Eldrian simply nodded again to show that Gengxin should continue.


    "The first is simple, you quit your studies, and instead we offer you a position here."


    "How secure is it?" Eldrian could not help but need to ask this.


    "Very. We will take you in as a game tester in this case. But if you wish to go for this, you will have to stay with us. The rest of your life will be tied to Miracle Corporation. I do not rmend this option."


    Eldrian was confused when he heard Gengxin say this, feeling that this was a really bad way to sell option one. "What are the others?"


    "The others are much safer and I advise you to pick one of them. The first is that you continue both your studies and gaming. We will make an arrangement with your university to allow you to work online, and even make arrangements to give you extendments should something critical happen in the game."


    This sounded quite ideal to Eldrian. Though even with arrangements he was not sure if he would actually manage to bnce his two lives. He hade to realize that no matter how he tried, something will lose out when bncing things. It was not a matter of if, but rather of when.


    "The other is you put your studies back for now. We take you in as a game tester, until the timees where you are no longer able to y. Either because the game world is ultimately scrapped, or because you wish to leave. In this option, we will arrange for you to continue your studies at that time. All costs will also be carried by us for your seconds try at studying."


    "That sounds really good. What is the catch?" Eldrian asked, feeling that a full bursary without strings of working after his studies sounded too strange.


    "There isn''t really any. Though, if I am to be honest. This will lead to your life startingter. You will miss out on your prime years of learning, as well as the prime years to get into apany. This is actually a honey-vored trap."


    "What?" Eldrian could not understand Gengxin, the offer sounded perfect to him.


    "Don''t get me wrong, this offer is perfect if you only y the game for a year or two. But if you y for ten or so, then you won''t be able to fit into the white-cor life."


    This exnation helped Eldrian understand and think more deeply about his choices. He felt this was too big for him to decide on his own, yet he did not have anyone he could really ask for advice. Most of those close to him did not feel games could be a good life, and exining to them how this was not just about ying; would take a great deal of time.

 Chapter 188: Updated agreement

    <h4>Chapter 188: Updated agreement</h4>


    Eldrian''s parents had always been against gaming as a career, feeling that there was no way it could lead to a stable life. They had pushed him into studying, which Eldrian himself did not mind much. Due to his upbringing, he had also felt that it was a field where luck yed a major role in sess. Having a degree could be a safety for if it did not pan out, gaming could always stay a hobby, he had believed.


    Still, he had chosen a field of study close to his passion. Hence why hended himself in IT. So far he did not really haveints about it, he found coding fun and enjoyed the sses. It was just that this was not important to him. Naturally, ANW was not at all like any other game and he did not even feel like he was ying a game when in it.


    Through these thoughts, Eldrian realized that he actually already had his answer. He wanted to continue with the game, he wanted to ce all his time into it.


    "When do I need to decide?" Eldrian asked, even though he already had made up his mind. He just wanted a timeline to make sure of his decision. Time is, and always will be, the best way to get a clearer picture.


    "I wish I could say you have a few days, or even a week. But they n to push you into a decision once things settle down. Which they already have now that your in-game character and your NPC friends are safe." Replied Gengxin, sighing and sipping his tea to pace his words.


    "What does this mean? And why are you saying it like it is a bad thing?" Eldrain asked, confused by Gengxin''s tone.


    "Because I do not like how they wish to rush you into deciding. I also do not like the lengths they would often go through to get the things they want. Luckily your case is important enough to give you some room for negotiations."


    "What do you mean?"


    "They will most certainly try and gain as many benefits as they can when you meet themter. They will try to get you to agree to things you do not fully understand. This is natural, anypany would do this. Allpanies always try to wring their target dry."


    "But due to your case, I would prefer if you work with us because you want to. Not because you were tricked and now you are stuck. So don''t just take their words at face value. Try to figure out what their aim is, and maybe give them a little, but set up clear limits."


    "Thanks... I will try and be careful." Eldrian did not really know how to take Gengxin''s advice. It felt really strange to him that someone in apany was warning him about his ownpany.


    "Good. Now let''s go to the meeting. And again, remember that you are actually in power. They might try to force your hand by saying they will stop you from logging in, but they really won''t dare."


    "Just... Don''t go and demand anything crazy. If you do that, then you will be like an unwanted child. This can be just as bad as being forced into something, if not worse."


    Eldrian nodded, again not knowing how to take the advice. He was certainly thankful for it, he did not have much life experience and certainly would not think of everything. The thing he felt was most important was to try and keep things simple. So simple that there can be no pitfalls and both he and Miracle ended up happy. Like his first contract.


    Following Gengxin, Eldrian found that the first floor seemed to be where most people were active. Where the offices were and where they were going to have a meeting. Entering one of the rooms after Gengxin, Eldrain looked at the ss table in the middle of the room strangely, simply feeling it was weird to use a ss table in a meeting room.


    At the table sat both Joren and thedy Eldrian had met before. Both of them were busy on their tablets, and aptop was shifted a bit to the side. There were two open seats and also a TV on the left side, which Eldrian assumed was connected to theptop.


    "Please take a seat, I believe Gengxin already told you what this is about." Spoke thedy, raising her head from the tablet she was browsing on.


    "Something about how we will continue to work together?" Eldrian replied as he took a seat on the opposite side of the table.


    "Correct. Before we continue I believe introductions are due. I am Mica and I am here to ensure you know what you are getting into." Thedy, Mica, said. "There are still many things we have not released to the public, and I am not sure what you know already."


    "So before we start I would like you to sign a nondisclosure." As she said this she slid her tablet over to Eldrian. "Same as the time where you signed with Joren. This states that what we say here, will stay here."


    Eldrian picked up the tablet and it seemed to be just as she said. Simply stating that divulging any information shared in the meeting would lead to legal prosecution.


    "I have to agree to this if I wish to continue?" Eldrian asked, receiving an affirmative nod from Joren and Mica. He did not see anything wrong with this, though the precautions slightly bothered him. Still, he agreed and ced his thumb where indicated, a small sting quicklying and going.


    "Good, now that that is settled, we can move on to the details of our new agreement. Naturally, the previous agreement can no longer be used, since letting you y the game without supervision may be dangerous. We are working on how to minimize the danger, and hopefullypletely removing it. But for this, we will need your help..."


    From here everyone in the room started exining the ns they had made so far. How Gengxin will be responsible for checking that nothing happened to his real body. How they wished to continue drawing the data from him ying, and him agreeing to some dangers that will be unavoidable.


    Eldrian felt that most of this was actually very much the same as his previous agreement. Only now he had to stay here at Miracle Corporations headquarters until they finally finished their next product. The product which they hoped will remove all dangers of bing too immersed in the game.


    The ssical gaming cabin often featured in anime and stories.


    Eldrian did not feel like anything they asked was overboard, and they even agreed to some small amendments he asked to make. The most important being that he wished to stop studying for now, but he wanted to be able to continue whenever he felt was right.


    Wishing to not link it with ying, or rather logging into ANW. He hoped that once things calmed down and time passed, he would be able to bnce both again. They agreed and even said that if he wished, they could organize tutors for him. Something which Eldrian quickly wanted to take them up on, not just in the field of IT but other sciences too.


    He hoped it would be easier for him to learn things through this, rather than through the inte. Certain that science is an indispensable part of magic. In the end, Eldrian did not gain much of a pay increase. However, he was fine with this, as he got other benefits and his sry was already far higher than he ever thought possible for simply ''ying''.


    They would organize a driver for him if he wished to go out. He would have a rent-free room, with many advanced instruments installed. Though he mostly only cared about the headset for ying ANW. They had a gym, a park, a swimming pool. The ce almost resembled a lifestyle resort, only some buildings being for work. There was even a club on site for all the members of Miracle.


    In the end, Eldrian left the room with a smile. Heading back to his own room, having been given a tablet to help him around. It had a map of the entire area, at least all the ces he was allowed in, and it also acted as his ess key. With it, he quickly found his room and logged back into the game.


    ...


    "So how did it go?" Joren asked, not sure what Mica''s hopes had been for the meeting.


    "Good enough. Though I had hoped to bind him to us, this will work though. We will slowly build up his trust until we can actually share our secrets with him. In a hope that he can help us unravel them. Gengxin, was it you who warned him to be careful?"


    "Of course. How could I not? He is just a young child still. He has no idea of the world, he is still mostly naive. Thanks to the game he had developed somewhat in certain areas, but the time he had been given was too little to let it sink in. Rushing him will do no good. This is why you made me responsible for him, isn''t it."


    "True..." Mica sighed, "But do you have to work so quickly? I had hoped to at least get a year-long contract at the minimum. Instead, we only agreed to a month to month one. And he can decide when to quit, we can''t pressure him as long as he fulfills the few tasks we ask him to do."


    "That won''t matter as long as we don''t pressure him. He will be ustomed to the life and luxury here. Even if it is month to month, he won''t want to leave." Joren and Mica could not help but nod to Gengxin''s words. It was true, once he started learning the advantages of living here, there would be no way he would want to go back to his normal life.

 Chapter 189: Taurus finally reached

    <h4>Chapter 189: Taurus finally reached</h4>


    Waking up in the game, Eldrian found himself on a rocking carriage. Vivian lying next to him, two strangers in light armor driving the carriage. Stirring he slowly sat up, causing some noise as he bumped into the disassembled armor pieces filling the carriage.


    "Don''t get up. Just get some more rest." One of the drivers spoke upon hearing the noise.


    "Thanks, but..."


    "We are both your drivers and guards. So please don''t make a fuss. You were both so tired that it was decided to allow you toe in, yet keep you under watch until we can confirm your story. Once nightes, we will actually deal with things."


    "Alright," Eldrian replied, not knowing what else to say. He did not feel like anything would go bad, having already determined that they were in the correct division. Hence clearing things up should be quick. He was also not at all tired, though ording to all logic he should be dead tired. He found it strange that his mind was still working after so much time of awakeness, curious about how this was possible.


    Finding himself with a clear mind, Eldrian decided to not try ande up with an answer, instead he would meditate to pass time. Focusing first on following his mana and trying to figure out what had changed. He could feel that it was extremely active, moving through him at a constant, fast pace.


    Trying to move it, Eldrian quickly found himself unable. This caused him some confusion as he knew he could easily cast spells. To verify this, he quickly cast Nidia to prove this to himself. Focusing for the first time since his breakthrough on how his mana worked while casting spells.


    He found that much like when at the Magic Crystal, his mana would feed into the spell. As Itireae had exined, as well as Zamia before. This also held up with what he had experimented with before, leading to him not understanding why he could not bend the mana''s pathways. He could use his mana with much greater ease, and controlling spells seemed to also be easier. Yet trying to meditate as he used to was now seemingly impossible.


    From the information he had gained, he knew the next step for High Elves was typically to purify their mana. The way to do this he was not sure of, seemingly everyone having a different method. Along with this, they would also slowly expand their pathways to extend to further parts of their bodies. Which Eldrian had thought to try first. Currently having fourrge pathways going to his limbs and one slightly smaller one going to his head.


    Stuck, Eldrian decided to study his mana. Trying to figure out what it had be, why Itireae had said it was pure and intense. He could not feel any of these ssifications. Trying to, he lost himself in a meditative state where his mind was emptied as he followed the flow of mana.


    He stayed in this state until a booming voice woke him.


    This happened not until Vivian woke up. She had first looked at Eldrian and his focused face. After which she had asked the guards what was going on, telling the guards who she was and that they simply needed to inform her dad that she was here.


    After that, she again only looked at Eldrian as she waited for her dad toe.


    "Vivian! You are here!" Old Sword shouted amidst merryughter. He jumped into the carriage and hugged her, leaving the driver who had stayedpletely shocked. The noise and massive shaking of the carriage brought Eldrian out of his meditate state.


    Vivian hugged her dad back and they shared their feelings through the hug. Eldrian took some time to recover from the rough awakening, shocked by the amount of time that had passed.


    As his mind recovered and became used to the normal state of things, Old Sword let Vivian go and turned to Eldrian."You actually did it!" Old Sword took Eldrian into an embrace as he shouted this, pushing all the air in Eldrian''s body out.


    "I... I... ca-n''t... Breathe!" Eldrian tapped on Old Sword''s shoulder in panic, freed as he thought he would pass out.


    "Let''s go get something to eat! We should be out of these ursednds in a day or two. Oh, I can''t wait until we can see green again!" Old Sword said merrily, pulling them both out of the carriage and into the sunlight. Which by now was already bing weaker as night arrived.


    Eldrian did not know how to react to the situation, but his stomach sure did. Hearing the invitation for food it growled with a passion, reminding Eldrian of the first time Old Sword took him to his house. A smile growing on his face as he thought back to those days.


    As they climbed off of the carriage, Eldrian saw that he had gotten a notification.


    [Hidden Quest: Bring Vivian home; Completed]


    [Reward: 4 levels]


    Eldrian did not mind the notification all that much, the boost of four levels certainly was nice. However, it could notpare to seeing the joy on Old Sword and relief on Vivian. He felt that that was more than worth the trouble, though not the loss.


    Following Old Sword, they were quickly offered a feast in themand tent. Old Sword never asking what happened to the others.


    Simply looking at Eldrian''s and Vivian''s clothes informed him that the journey certainly was not easy. They had both forgottenpletely about appearance. While Vivian had gotten some new clothes at the other division, thanks to the Night Terror they already had several cuts all over.


    Naturally, all the unhealed scars and her missing eye also told a story. Another telling tale was the fact that they both had no armor. Only clothes. It meant that either the armor became too damaged, or that they had discarded it for some reason. He knew Eldrian had that dimensional storage thing, hence he doubted that it could actually be thetter.


    While they were eating, Old Sword had needed to go and sort some things out. Leaving Vivian and Eldrian alone in the tent.


    "What now?" Eldrian asked, not sure what was going to happen now.


    "We just rest and recover. I don''t want to be on the frontlines for quite some time." Vivian replied through portions of food.


    "But we can''t justze around."


    "Certainly. Starting tomorrow, we will start training again." Vivian quickly agreed.


    With this settled, they refocused on the food. Eldrian spending the rest of the night meditating, while Vivian headed to some healers who would finally try and fully heal her. This quickly made a top priority by Old Sword. Normally the healers would be tired and wish to rest, but being asked by themander, they dared not say no.


    The next few days were quite peaceful. Eldrian was given a horse, who he would mostly let navigate itself, trying to spend all his time learning what his new Tier meant for him through meditation.


    He found that his mana was slowly increasing. After two days it had increased by one point, too small a value for him to feel, but the system allowed him to actually notice this increase. He tried his best to feel the difference, to ingrain his current mana so much in his mind that he would be able to feel even a difference of less than a percent. Hoping be so ustomed to it would allow him to create new pathways to reach the next Tier.


    At nights, he would train with his spear and sometimes with the swords. Focusing on the basics again. Eldrian had found that while skills were nice, they were hard to use. He had never even used the skill Double Strike which he had learned. Mostly because he was not used enough to it, but also partly because it was rigid.


    In a fight he needed his weapon in certain ces to not die, he could not just get it into position for the skill. He might have a chance every few attacks, but remembering it and being in the correct position was certainly not easy. Spells instead did not require his weapon to be somece, rather they worked more like an extended limb.


    With his training, he would also spar against Vivian from time to time. Many scars remaining from the journey. They had clearly been healed, remaining mostly as white lines over her skin. The wave-like patterns she had gained when binding with the sword was actually far clearer than the scars now.


    When they sparred she had to keep her strength under control, as she was still stronger than Eldrian. However, she was not much faster than Eldrian. Eldrian found that if he used elerate then their speed was almost exactly the same. If he boosted this with his hidden ss bonus, then he would actually be slightly faster than her.


    He did not do this though, as it defeated the point of sparring against her. He also saved his free attribute points again, having 25 thanks to the four levels he had gained. He had been slightly shocked when he saw that reaching level 18 required over a million XP. Though he had quickly let this go as he focused on his training.


    He would even often use a sword when sparring against her, instead of a spear. The extra reach of the spear simply causing him to gain too much of an advantage. Or rather, from an outside perspective, the fights would quickly slip to one side in these cases.


    Either he managed a good hit as Vivian tried to close the distance, or she managed to close the distance and disarm him. If she was actually willing to take a shallow wound, then thetter would happen nine out of ten times.


    Eldrian also tried to not rely on his inventory while fighting, wishing to learn how to use a single weapon to the best of his abilities.This limited him in reacting quickly to strange attacks, leading to him getting a good deal of beatings.


    This routine did not change much as they finally left the barrennds and entered the kingdom of Taurus. After the first few hours, seeing green was no longer such a great thing, quickly bing normal again.


    As the army entered the kingdom, they also started speeding up their marches. Instead of stopping before sunset, they would now walk until sunset was almost passed. Trying to cover as much ground as possible.


    Due to the rtive stability of the area, Old Sword had more free time. He would oftene and give them tips, even sparring against them both from time to time. Though even together and with all their tricks, they could not manage tond a single blow against Old Sword.


    Another week passed, and they finally reached the first city since they had set out. Unlike the cities in Phallos, it did not have massive walls surrounding it. Instead, it had multiple smaller walls of only ten meters or so in height.


    The wall was dotted with gatehouses and towers. Unlike normal gatehouses, these ones were built atop the walls, with ramps leading up to them. There would be a gatehouse every kilometer or so, and a muchrger one every five or so. The entire city, at least the side they came from, spanning past both horizons.

 Chapter 190: Empires stirring

    <h4>Chapter 190: Empires stirring</h4>


    At about the time when Eldrian finally finished the hidden quest, a major development happened in many kingdoms. Give or take a week.


    In Vruntis, the kingdom where Erik had started out and was currently working as a healer, a group of people arrived from the empire of Floria. This took ce as Eldrian finally entered and with grass again, Taurus. This group from the empire directly set out to themander of the army and the mayor of the city, taking control over in just a few hours. No one daring to refuse their ''kind'' offer of help.


    From there the group sent out word that they wished to offer all Chosen a unique opportunity to be stronger. At the same time, they also cracked down on all the people who were not willing to fight for their kingdom and more importantly, their empire.


    Quickly bringing militarian order to the corrupt parties in the city. Most importantly, just a few of them went out and quickly killed thousands of beasts. Giving the city some breathing room, allowing them to truly vet out everyone who did not wish to cooperate. Sending these people to the frontlines in an almost certain sentence of death, as punishment.


    Erik heard of the offer for yers, but he did not care much. He had hoped to y this game as a game, though this had long since be a distance dream. He had be invested in mastering healing and learning more about the dryad race. He highly doubted that a human kingdom, or even an empire, would be able to help him much in thetter. He had to ept that they would certainly be able to help in bing a great healer, though certainly at a cost.


    Still, he went to the site where all Chosen were asked to gather. While he did not care much, he was willing to listen. If he could organize to get Akarui out of the city and into the empire, he might even take them up on their offer. If, and only if, the cost was eptable.


    Unlike the other yers, he was not thrilled and full of wonder. Many of them had stopped trying to get close to NPCs, after a few of those they hade close to had died. Due to this, they could still treat the game moderately as a game.


    Though they certainly understood that things were not so simple. They choose to turn a blind eye and keep it simple to allow them to enjoy the game. Many yers adopted this approach to keep their conscience clear as they watched NPCs die, day in and day out. It might sound cruel and inhumane, but in a way it was humane. One of the easiest ways to keep themselves from receiving traumas from ying a game.


    All of them were currently gathered in an auditorium, naturally not a modern one. One where a hole had been dug and the stage set at the bottom of it. On this stage, a male in pitch-ck armor appeared seemingly from thin air. Causing whispers to spread as all the yers wondered just how they had failed to see him approach the stage.


    This person in ck gave the yers a few seconds to finish their whispers. After which he spoke, his voice traveling with ease to all those in the auditorium.


    "I am Galleus from the Imperial''s sixth legion, the Tenebris Knight. I have been sent to offer you all a chance to join the empire. To be part of our glory and gain ess to the opportunity of a lifetime."


    This deration quickly led to whispers, which irritated Galleus. "Quite! Please allow me to finish before discussing." Galleus bellowed, causing all those in the auditorium to nurse their ears from the noise. Strangely this did not turn the yers against joining, instead it added to their wonder of the person on stage.


    "To join us, you simply need to swear an oath of loyalty. In return, we will take you in as a fellow brother! We will teach you how to fight! How to use magic, how to turn the impossible possible!"


    He then continued to exin what else they would offer, how they would teleport to the Empire after traveling to the capital of the kingdom. How they would be provided with weapons equaling their talents. Not needing to scramble to get a decent weapon, instead given banquet to choose from.


    Naturally, the offer made many yers willing to join. Seeing the S-ranked quest popping up as Galleus finished his performance made them even more eager.


    After the speech was finished, Galleus stated that everyone could ask those stationed at the entrances for more details. Sometime during his speech, all the entrances had been closed and now each entrance had a person in ck standing next to it. Upon hearing him mention them, these people in ck opened the doors. In a symbolic manner, indicating that the yers should start heading out.


    Erik was in no rush to head out, contrasting most of the other yers who rushed to get in front to sign up. Erik waited for a few minutes, allowing the rows to shorten before he finally stood up and headed over.


    "A Dryad, wonderful. I am Fini, what is yours?" The woman standing next to the door asked as soon as Erik approached. Like the others in the group, she wore form-fitting ck armor which seemed to be made out of a certain type of metal. It fit well with her ck hair and dark eyes, allowing her to almost seep into the shadows without any effort.


    "Faust..." Erik replied, confused by the approachable energy she gave off. It contrasted strongly with how she had handled the other yers.


    "Well Faust, should I put you down for joining?" She asked, a small crystal ball appearing in her hand.


    "That depends. Can I take someone with me?" Erik asked.


    "No, sorry. None of you have family, seeing as you are not from our world. Why would you wish to take someone with you?" She asked, slightly confused but clearly denying his request.


    "Because she is a friend," Erik replied, causing her to misunderstand.


    "I am certain she might be, but as they say, there are many fish in the sea." Hearing this caused Erik to be slightly irritated.


    "Are you sure?" He asked, already feeling that it would be better to continue on his own path. He simply felt that something was not right, that signing up would lead to him not managing to have fun. He was not a battle fanatic like most yers, his truest wish would be to be able to simply read of the stories in this world. Not to be part of these stories.


    "Yes. We were tasked with only bringing Chosen back. So will I add you to the list?" She asked, her tone clearly saying that it was a done deal.


    "No," Erik tly denied and walked out. Leaving Fini stunned as she watched him leave without turning back. She almost felt like going after him, seeing as he was the only Tier 2 Chosen she had ever heard of. However, the line pushing forward stopped her from doing this.


    She quickly added the next Chosen to the list, a feeling of having lost a treasure guing her mind. Unable to understand how important the person he wanted to bring with must be, to turn down a direct invitation from an empire.


    ...


    Simr offers were given to almost all yers, as long as they were still in their starting kingdoms. Almost all the yers took the offer. Posts were added like crazy to the forum as people ridiculed those who had turned the offer down. Calling them shortsighted and foolish.


    However, the yers who had epted the offer still had to wait as an oracle came down from the gods. Informing all nations that a new wave of Chosen will arrive within the week.


    A few days the craze calmed down, yet the news kept spreading. Empires'' recruiting yers staying solidly the main focus on the forum. Miracle Corporation took this opportunity to announce the date when the new headsets would be sold. Stating again that it only had ten million in stock, each going to 20 000 dors, and that preorders were rmended. Old yers were also rmended to upgrade, as the limit on ytime had been removed.


    Within hours, all the headsets were sold out. Leaving only a few days of waiting as the actual release date needed to arrive.


    Eldrian had looked at all this with an awkward feeling; the day before they reached the city. He could understand the yers'' point of view, and he felt that Miracle had waited for the opportune time to rope in more yers. The hype of empires recruiting yers made the game far more appealing as it promised a golden start to new yers.


    No struggling for scraps as the first wave of yers had. They would directly be taken in and groomed, causing many to dream of grandeur.


    Seeing and realizing this caused him to wonder just how they could still treat this world they had created as a mere experiment. How they could ignore the possible profit, and keep things so limited.


    If they wanted, they could instantly be one of thergest gamingpanies. Yet they kept the number of headsets they sold low. Refusing to actually simply treat it as a game they needed to treasure and allow to grow.


    Eldrian simply could notprehend how they thought. Had they no need for more ie?

 Chapter 191: City hinterlands / No holds barred

    <h4>Chapter 191: City hintends / No holds barred</h4>


    Looking at the city still a distance away, Eldrian marveled at its size and wondered just how the inside would look. The city was built atop arge, t hill that spanned as far as the eye could see. The incline of which was not much, only elevating the visible walls by twenty or so meters over a kilometer. To the left of the city, a small river escaped from its walls. Tworge gatehouses, to each side of the river, were all that could be made out from the distance.


    The entire incline of the hill seemed to consist only of well-maintained grass. Kept short probably through the grazing of animals kept within, as none were within sight of the division. Below, or rather a ways from the walls, farms spread into the distance. Houses dotted between and small figures moving on the farms to maintain them.


    Upon reaching one of therge gatehouses, everyone in the division was quickly told to wait. Old Sword headed forward to talk with the centaurs standing at the front of the gate. Like allmonly seen centaurs in fiction, these in front of them had the lower body of a horse, with a human upper half growing from the front where a horse''s head would normally be.


    They were not naked as often depicted though, their entire body was covered, including the horse half. Though only barely visible to Eldrian, he could see the shine of their armor. From hooves to head, causing them to look like a mechanical beings, instead of one made from flesh and bones.


    One of the centaurs removed his helmet as Old Sword approached. Deep ck hair quickly escaping its confines, flowing out and free in the wind. This one stepped forwards and shook Old Sword''s hand, after which they seemed to start talking.


    Sometimeter, Old Sword returned and told everyone to start moving again. They were quickly led through the gatehouse which was surprisingly easy to get through. The ramp was not too steep, having a nice incline and wavy patterns to give one proper footing. While the gatehouse itself was extremely wide, six carriages were able to fit side by side if they wished.


    Upon passing the gatehouse and entering the city, Eldrian was shocked by theck of buildings. He had wondered how a city ruled by centaurs would look, and this in front of him was not how he imagined it. Even with the added ten meters of the wall, as he was at the top, all Eldrain could see were fields.


    Some clusters of buildings could be seen spread between all the fields, though they would never amount to more than ten in a cluster. Fields of grass, wheat, and other types of nts filling his vision. Eldrian looked around in wonder as he let his horse follow the group, allowing him to not waste any focus from the strangeness of the ce.


    He had expected a massive city-likeplex simr to Agosstead, this instead shed heavily with his expectation. Eldrian turned his attention to the gatehouse, and more specifically the barrack. Hoping to find some manner of housing he could inspect.


    The doors of the barracks were veryrge, more like gates than doors. The floor size of the building also seemed to be extremelyrgepared to what Eldrian was used to. Especially when he considered how few guards there seemed to be on duty. It was not just much wider than he expected, but the floors seemed to take much more space too. Each between three and four meters, stretching up behind the gatehouse.


    The division did not travel far into this city, setting camp in one of the nearby grass fields, only a kilometer from the walls. After setting up camp most everyone in the division was curious about the ce they hade to. Their discipline stopped them from randomly walking around and leaving the area. However, this did not stop their curious gazes that spread all over the area. Though all that entered their sights were either the fields, buildings, or some distant figures working in the fields.


    "So what now?" Eldrian asked Vivian as they finished helping with setting up themand tent. Her auburn hair flowing in the gentle wind as she wiped the sweat from her brow.


    "We are going to wait for the other divisions to arrive, naturally. Also, negotiations are about to start." Vivian replied, herself not too sure what all was going to happen from here on. She only knew what would normally happen when an army arrived as reinforcements in another city. This case was special though, as this was a different kingdom, not just another city.


    "So are we stuck inside out camp, or can we go explore?" Eldrian asked, his curiosity burning. He had never realized just how different a kingdom would be when it was governed by a different race. He really wanted to head past these hintends and towards the center of the city. Where he assumed a proper city would be established, one simr to what he was used to.


    "Let''s wait for things to settle first," Vivian replied, which Eldrian epted. He understood that going out too soon would cause problems. They were also not here as guests, but rather as help. Though he did not really know what this meant for them in the long run. He hoped he would not be forced to work the entire time, it was still a game. Even with this thought almost removed from Eldrian, he still thought in such aspects on therger scale.


    Not having much else to do, the two moved a bit out of the camp, which was slightly crowded with all the tents and campfires springing up. Quickly finding that the entire field was nice and even, they did not need to search for an appropriate ce to spar.


    Eldrian quickly took out the training weapons he had stored in his inventory, two longswords for now. Getting into stance, longsword held with both hands, hilt to the right of his head and de pointing forwards. Eldrian waited for Vivian to start her attack.


    "Normal rules or no holds barred?" Vivian asked after getting into her stance, holding the sword in a downward diagonal.


    "It has been some time since we fought without restrictions. Let''s go no holds barred, except for deadly attacks." Eldrian replied, wishing to try some tricks this time. Having gone a long time with only normal training.


    By now, his spear proficiency rank was nearly at rank two. Needing only around a thousand more proper attacks to upgrade. He was looking constantly at his proficiencies, curious if something woulde of it. He had mostly forgotten about it with time, but now that he was so close to a major breakthrough, he had started paying attention again.


    "Alright, then prepare well," Vivian said, reforming her stance into a lunge position to cover the ten meters separating them quicker.


    Eldrian did just that, with time he had found that keeping Observe active no longer took much effort. Once he found this out, he had started practicing it and as such he used it right now again. Making sure to add his hidden bonus to it for the first activation, then letting it fall off after. For some reason, this made keeping it active easier.


    [Vivian, NPC]


    [ss: Melee, Tier 4]


    [Level: 25]


    [HP: 404]


    [Mana: 178]


    [Stamina: 293]


    [Attack: 1-2]


    Seeing her stats, Eldrian felt the low attack to be really funny. He knew it was a magical trait of training weapons, but it still looked bizarre, especially with her high stats.


    Suddenly her attack jumped to 3-4, giving Eldrian a split-second more to react. The information, not something he needed to read, but rather something which simply appeared in his mind.


    Eldrian affirmed his foothold and gripped his sword tightly. Vivian almost disappearing from sight as she charged at him. Not one to be left behind, Eldrian quickly used elerate with the hidden ss bonus, bringing her clearly back into his sights. Just as her strike was about to thrust into his chest. Having crossed the ten meters they had separated in the blink of an eye.


    Eldrian reacted through instinct, his de moving to divert her de. He thrust his own sword downward. Causing hers to slid onto it and away from him as he also moved to his right.


    Knowing that her attack was blocked, Vivian did not continue the action. She quickly retracted the de and brought it only around Eldrian''s. Stopping him from both blocking and attacking, her sword now already between him and his de. Making an attempt at both really difficult.


    Eldrian had expected her to react swiftly, though her speed still astonished him. Causing him to realize that she must have certainly held back when they sparred before. Usually, he would manage toe out on top two to three times in ten or so matches. He had a feeling that if she tried as hard as she was doing now, then that would be zero or one at most.


    Not having any other options, Eldrian brought his sword back to divert her blow. This pushed her de away, but it was already too close to him. In the action of pushing it away, he sped up its approach. While he changed it from a full thrust to only a sweeping attack, it still ended in a good hit. A real sword would have sliced into his sides, and maybe even take a rib with it.


    Feeling the attacknd Eldrian realized that the first match was already done. Vivian quickly backing up.


    "How much did you hold back this past week?" Eldrian asked, feeling the stinging pain from the attack. While the weapon did little damage, the pain it delivered was still there. This was not much, but enough to tell him a real de would have gutted him.


    "Actually not much. The bonus speed is because I am not controlling my strength anymore. Hence I can reach my top speed faster and do not have to split my focus." Vivian replied, actually surprised that Eldrian had managed to survive the first attack and even divert the second too.


    She would have needed another to end him in realbat. At that time he could have decided on a suicide attack, which Vivian realized was truly not a bad option for Chosen. She hade to realize they would normally go for this if they saw no way of surviving. A despicable and truly dangerousst act that might result in her even receiving a deathblow, if she was caught unprepared.

 Chapter 192: Another?

    <h4>Chapter 192: Another?</h4>


    "That makes me feel slightly better," Eldrian said, realizing now how big a difference not actively weakening oneself was. He had to admit, he had underestimated her strength. Believing he was almost as strong as her. Not respecting the fact that she had also grown stronger during her struggles.


    He had thought that the biggest improvement which she had shown was only thanks to Nelida''s me. Now he realized that he should not think that things are so simple.


    In fact, Vivian was strengthened a great deal when she bonded Nelida''s me. Even when she is using different weapons, she still held some of the bonuses she had gained. This yed only a small role in her growth in the end, but it was still present nheless.


    "Are you ready for the second round?" Vivian asked, hoping to this time end it in one blow.


    "Mmm... Give me a few seconds." Eldrian replied, taking a look at his inventory and all the types of training weapons he had thrown into it. After seeing them training so hard, Old Sword had offered that they simply kept a bunch in Eldrian''s inventory. So that they did not need to bother others when needing training weapons. As such, Eldrian had an entire pile in his cubic inventory.


    He did not wish to use a spear, feeling certain he would have no hope of coping with her speed. She would simply push past his guard and once inside, he had little hope. As he looked at the pile, he saw an arming sword and a Viking type round shield. This should help me block some attacks.He thought to himself, taking it out and causing Vivian to raise her eyebrows in question, but not actually say any words.


    Before starting Eldrian also recast elerate on himself, as well as Anthizo to help him not run out of steam. "Alright." He said once this was done and he felt ready.


    This time he did not lose sight of her as she seemingly jumped past the ten meters. Eldrian quickly brought his shield up to block her leaping downward strike, finding to his surprise that she did not try and go around his shield. mming her de into it instead. Eldrian''s feet sunk into the ground and his knees buckled from the impact. Before he could react, he felt the wooden de against his neck.


    "Wh-what?" He asked in confusion as his entire body vibrated from the shock and became numb. His arm that held the shield not sending any feeling back to him, and the rest of his body following suit as the shock spread.


    "It''s an easy target to hit. So I just... Hit it." Vivian giggled as she saw Eldrian confused look, thetter unable to understand how strong that attack was.


    "What skills did you use?" Eldrian asked as he slowly stood up, needing some effort to dig his feet out of the ground.


    "A simple multi-boost one for speed and strength, and then a skill focused on hitting one area with all my strength. It is generally a dumb attack since I can''t stop it once it fails. The power behind would pull me off bnce. But against a shield or slowrge targets, it works really well."


    "You got that right." Eldrian joked as he threw the shield off of his arm and shook it to try and get the feeling back.


    "Another?" Vivian asked, enjoying this a bit too much. She had been quite irritated with their previous sparring matches where Eldrian did not just manage to lead it to a tie, but even win a few of the matches.


    Eldrian wanted to say no right away, but seeing her brilliant smile he could not do it. "Alright, but let me try another weapon." He refused to believe he could not handle more than one or two attacks.This time he decided to take a spear, even knowing the obvious weakness it had.


    Standing ready Eldrian waited for her toe again, refreshing the boosts he had on him. Holding the spear with its point downward, Eldrian hoped to slow her mobility. This did not happen.


    With ease, Vivian charged at him. As soon as Eldrian tried to bring the spear up to stop her, she simply wacked it aside with her sword. The impact causing Eldrian to leave himselfpletely open as the spear even slipped from his grip.


    "Another?" Vivian asked, smiling widely as she saw Eldrian nursing the area she had hit.


    Again Eldrian found himself unable to say no. He returned to the longsword though, it had been the best weapon thus far. Though this time he did not manage to replicate the first fight where he stopped two attacks aimed at him.


    Vivian knowing that he was fast enough to follow her attacks, focused more on her strength rather than her speed. Breaking Eldrian''s guard with ease and then delivering the second and final blow, only the second actually aimed at Eldrian.


    After each match, she would happily ask, "Another?" To which Eldrian said yes, getting beaten time and time again. He cycled through all the weapons he had on hand, even trying some disappearance and appearance acts through his inventory to try and throw Vivian off. This naturally did not work as she knew of his abilities.


    He also never used spells, as they had no way to limit the damage it could do. While Eldrian felt she would dodge or block all he threw at her, one getting through could lead to more trouble than it was worth.


    As such he simply took sce in Vivian''s brilliant smile as he was continually defeated in one move, two at most.


    Time passed and he became more ustomed to the beatings. He did not manage to actually fight back, but he slowly started observing the ways she would move when going for certain attacks. Eldrian hoped to somehow imitate it with time, this grace and elegance she was able to move with.


    If he had to describe his own fighting stylepared to hers, then his was certainly barbaric. He focused on one good hit, an all in. While this made sense as he often ended up fighting against stronger opponents, he realized it meant that he did not consider his next moves.


    In most cases, he could make up for this by using spells. However, the need to make up for something was in and of itself a weakness. If he could fix this, then he should be able to drastically raise his strength as his spells would truly be free. Not a way to gain an extra advantage out of desperation, but one to take over the battle.


    Through all their matches, Eldrian never entered that special mental state he would often enter in dire situations. Adding further to his inability to keep up with what he might otherwise be able to.


    Soon night came and they both decided that it was enough for the day. Eldrian sporting multiple ck and blue spots on his person, almost helping him hide in the darkness of night.


    ...


    Logging out, Eldrian stood up in the room which he had be ustomed to. As he stretched and climbed out of bed he realized, again, that he needed to talk with his parent about his studies, and how he had put them aside for not. He really did not want to.


    He had been putting it off and off, even going so far as to miss his weekend lunch with his sister. Though this was not much, as they could not always meet. Both understanding that things cane up, Eldrian did not really exin why he could not meet. If he missed the next, and the next after that, she would certainly start suspecting things.


    I really don''t want to.Eldrianined to himself as he took his tablet and ordered his breakfast. It was quite a convenient system they had adopted. The moremonly eaten foods would be made in buffet style and if someone wanted something not part of this, they simply had to order it. You also did not need to do this each time, being able to make this a preset meal for yourself if you wished.


    Getting up, Eldrian headed down and ate his breakfast. Some cereal with yoghurt, and his special order of french toast. As he enjoyed his breakfast, he thought about how he was going to tell his family the news. Imagining the worst reactions.


    To try and shift his mind from his spiraling imagination, he wasted the morning doing a few random things. First going to the gym to keep up with his routine, and after walking around the premises and taking it all in, again...


    As he cycled through themon living area of the premises, Eldrian found himself unable to dy anymore. Certain that if he did then he would put it off to the next day, again...


    Reluctantly he headed back to his room and slowly typed in his dad''s number.

 Chapter 193: Informing the family

    <h4>Chapter 193: Informing the family</h4>


    "Hey son, you need to call more. It''s been almost two weeks!" Came Eldrian''s dad''s joking voice over the phone, causing Eldrian to feel even worse about what he needed to say.


    "Sorry dad, things have been hectic here."


    "Oh, did you have some tests? I remember you saying that things were still moving slowst time we talked."


    Hearing his reply, Eldrian sighed and decided to just cut to the case. "No. Do you remember that game I was so interested in and bought a headset for?"


    "Yeah... Don''t tell me you are addicted and your grades are slipping." Again his dad joked, but his words were too close to the truth.


    "Not exactly." Eldrian rushed the next words, hoping to get through them before his father could react. "I actually got an offer from thatpany and decided to take it."


    "Wha... What!" A shout of disbelief traveled loudly through the phone.


    "It''s not as bad as you think!" Eldrian hurried to exin, "It is a legit contract and I get many perks through it, even a stable ie!"


    "Stop right there! How could you do this!"


    "It really is not as bad as..."


    "Eldrian! Stop trying to divert the topic. I aming over tomorrow."


    With that, his dad hung up and left Eldrian twitching as he recognized the tone. The tone his dad would use when he went to get the belt. The tone when his ass would burn. Words no longer something that can change this oue, though Eldrian certainly felt he was old enough to not get spanked. A lecture was still a certainty.


    "He really didn''t let me exin. Just like those times" Eldrian mumbled, feeling like it was just like back then when he and Jen would cause trouble. A phantom ich growing on as he thought back to those days.


    Taking a deep breath, he readied himself to call his mom. He wanted to tell her, before his dad could in his anger. Hopefully, it would cause her to take it better.


    "Mom..." Eldrian''s voice faltered, dreading her reaction to this. Soldiering on, he barely managed to tell her. Though her reply was much calmer and more focused on him.


    "Are you sure about this? You know why we want you to finish your degree right?" She asked, worried that Eldrian had fallen into some kind of trap from argepany, that wouldter discard him. A degree was something he could always rely on and fall back on if things went south.


    "Yes, I am sure about it. The contract I signed also stated that I can continue my studies when I want, and they will pay. So it is really not that bad, you can look at it as if I am taking a gap year for now."


    "That is easier to swallow than you just dropping out. But do you think you really will go back to studying?"


    "I n to. I just can''t bnce everything at this time. I hope to be able to in the next few months, but naturally studying will have to wait until next year."


    This settled, Eldrian started talking about the game and thepany. Impressing his mom when he told her how much they had actually offered him. She was quite pissed that he had not told them earlier, though she could understand. They had never reacted favorably to games, only mildly having epted him studying IT.


    In the end, around half an hourter, Eldrian asked her to calm down his dad. Asking that if they still wanted toe tomorrow, then they could. Though he will be unable to show them the ce where he is staying as normally a week is needed to organize guest passes.


    "Guess I might as well call Jen now..." Eldrian took a long sigh as he thought about her reaction, which ended up very simr to his mom''s.


    After telling her that he stopped his studies, for now, she simply asked, "Are you sure you want to go this route? Do mom and dad know?"


    "Yeah... I called them before calling you." Eldrian said, happy that she was not mad or disappointed. Rather just asking if he was sure.


    "Good move. It might not matter right now, but in a bit more time, it will be important. So what now?" Her voice came over with a gentle tone.


    "I''ll face the fire tomorrow. So, can Ie over for some support?"


    "I have ss!" Jen replied jokingly. "I am free at two, so meet me on campus."


    "Thanks." A smile grew on Eldrian as he hung up, quickly changing into one of the uniforms he had been given. Miracle Corporation had given him five normal uniforms and two training sets, allowing him to live on the premises without problems. Now that he wanted to go out though, he found that he had no clothes. Those he had been brought in with were his pajamas and he certainly did not want to go to the campus in them, nor in the uniform.


    Guess I have to go back to mymune.Eldrian realized, already used to having so many things done for him. He also realized actually having a work uniform would likely help dispel any worries his mom might still have, and quench his dad''s anger.


    As he thought about how the encounter might go tomorrow, Eldrian ced an order for a car and driver. Heading out to the lobby while at it.


    ...


    Luckily Eldrian''s student card still worked and he managed to get onto campus without much fuss. He had not officially deregistered and was actually waiting for news from Gengxin on what would be done in regards to it.


    Beforeing to the campus, he had gone to hismune and packed all his clothes, as well as some other things he wanted to actually bring with him.


    Even informing the old man, who rented the ce to him, that he would be gone. But still wanted to keep the contract going. He could easily pay for it with the ie he was getting from Miracle Corporation, and Eldrian felt having a ce outside of thepany would be a good thing. Should he ever want an escape or simply wanted a ce of his own if he went out.


    On campus, Eldrian headed to the most famous and luxurious restaurant. It truly was a strange restaurant, almost no students actually eating there as it made no sense for them on their little spare cash. Its clients were normally some of the rich kids, or when professors had a meeting with an investor.


    "This ce? Really?" Jen asked as soon as Eldrian arrived. She was currently in sports clothing, she normally used one of her free time slots to get some exercise in. A simple gym avable to students, though it really did not have arge variety of equipment, nor weights.


    Looking at the old-style entrance of the restaurant, Eldrian smiled, "Yeah, I promised myself that I would try it at least once. Since I am no longer a student, or at least don''t n oning here for some time... I want to try it, at least once."


    "Alright. But your paying!"


    Laughing, Eldrian quickly agreed. "No problem, and you don''t have to hold back. I know it''s not really in our budget to normally eat here."


    "Oh! Bigshot! Fine, then get ready for a couple of hundred dors!"


    "No problem," Eldrian replied, causing Jen''s joking attitude to falter as she stared at her brother in disbelief.


    "Really? No problem!?"


    "Mmmhmmm." Eldrian simply replied through murmuring and led her inside. He was dressed in semi-formal clothing and still felt underdressed as soon as he entered to room. Turning to his sister, a smile grew as he saw her blushing beet red.


    "Why are you in your sports clothes?" He asked, curious and jokingly as they saw everyone inside in really formal clothing. Though there were not many people, only around seven other guests, they still stood out like a sore thumb.


    "Why the hell are they in suits!?" She countered, her shout causing many to raise their heads and look at them as two ignorant kids who had stumbled into a bar by ident.


    "Probably because they want to look smart." Eldrian teased, asking the confused waiter to give them a table.


    "Are you sure? Don''t you first want to go change?" She asked, looking at both of them equally.


    "Nah, it''s fine. Or is there a rule against not being formally dressed?" Eldrian replied.


    "No written rule but..."


    "Good, then a table for two please." Eldrian quickly interrupted before she could continue.


    She slowly nodded and told them to simply pick any that were open. Eldrian smiled and thanked her, heading to one of the tables near a window.


    "So, what do you want?" He asked Jen, who was still embarrassed and shocked.


    "Anything."


    "No,e on. Get something you want, my treat. Remember."


    Slowly she overcame her embarrassment and managed to enjoy their lunch. Eldrian making sure to avoid the topic of him dropping out as they enjoyed their food. After some time, Jen could no longer hold it.


    "Why did you decide to quit?"


    "I... I didn''t really quit. It is more that I set it aside for now, so that I can focus on the game. It really isn''t as simple, and I don''t think calling it a game really works. I just realized I can''t keep studying full time and also progress in the game as much as I need."


    "Isn''t that quitting?" She quickly countered.


    "No... The contract I signed said that they would help me to restart my studies should I wish, at any time. They will also cover all the cost."


    "Really?" She asked, her tone filled with disbelief. A bursary without the need to work at thepany was quite weird.


    "Yup, really."


    With this silence grew and ruled over them for a while. Only broken as the bill came, and Eldrian whistled jokingly. He had no problem paying it, but the cost still shocked him. It left Jen simply thunderstruck.

 Chapter 194: The citys name

    <h4>Chapter 194: The city''s name</h4>


    After the lunch with his sister and some more joking around, Eldrian had gone back and unpacked what he had packed. Once that was done, he decided to log back in as he no longer had a restriction in that regard.


    He spent the first few early hours of the morning meditating as everyone else was still asleep. Sometimeter, the leaders of the division headed out to the inner parts of the city for negotiations. Leaving the rest of the division on standby as they all waited for the news of how they will be fighting and helping in the war.


    Not knowing what to do, and Vivian having gone with Old Sword, Eldrian took the time to continue his training. He did not wish to walk around and maybe cause some trouble, so he tried reaching Rank 2 with spears.


    It took him only a few hours, where he sparred with some soldiers. These were mostly rookies who themselves were new and had never really fought in a war. Eldrian could easilypete against them, even against the Tier 3''s as long as they did not use skills. His agility growth enabling him to almost never be slower than his opponents. Though he often could not take attacks straight on.


    Eldrian received a pleasant notification once he managed to get thest proficiencies he had needed.


    [yer has reached Rank 2 with spears. [This includes all variants of spear-like polearms]]


    [Through diligent training, the yer has managed to be decently learned in how to manage a spear. Naturally, such training would increase one''s strength, stamina, speed, and willpower.]


    [Rank 2, Spear, Boost: 4 Agility, 2 Strength, 3 Constitution, 1 Spirit]


    Not bad, ten free attributes. But the effort... Eldrian did not think that the effort really matched the reward, though he had to admit it was nice that it was there. At least it still had some meaning. In the start, he had thought that proficiencies would be really important. With time he had realized it was more something that normally just grew with time. For most people, it would be ahead of their Tier and actually never limit their growth.


    Still, he was d he had gone and reached Rank 2 now. Having done it was certainly better than leaving it just shy of done. Looking at the bonus, he wondered if he could gain this bonus for each weapon, or at least every overarching branch. If so, then it could lead to a massive amount of free attribute points.


    After this Eldrian did not rush to train other weapons. He took a break and meditated, spending the rest of the day focusing only on these two activities. Making sure to always be doing something. Resting his body through meditation, and resting his mind through routine practice. Finally, the next day came and Eldrian logged out grudgingly, not looking forward to the meeting he was to have.


    Sighing, he climbed out of his bed and dressed into his Miracle Corporation clothing. It was simple light blueb-style uniform, a sleek simple pattern visible through some different shades of blue. On the chest, the Miracle Corporation logo stood proudly.


    Looking himself up and down in a mirror, Eldrian still felt reluctant to go out. Spending a few hours just loitering as he waited for his parent to actually make it down from where they stayed. Today was a Saturday, and hence why they coulde down so easily. The drive was also just two hours.


    Today was also the day when the new wave of yers joined the game.


    Finally, he got a message that they were close, and as such he ordered himself a ride to go over to hismune. Waiting patiently outside, twiddling his thumbs as he imagined how it would go.


    "Mom, dad." Eldrian greeted shyly as his parents climbed out of their car.


    "Eldrian? Wow, look at you!" His mom shouted out, for a moment forgetting all other things. The uniform Eldrian wore showed his slender and toned physique quite well. With Eldrian having never gone back home since the start of his studies, and ANW, they had never seen how much he had improved in this aspect.


    Blushing, Eldrian replied with a simple thanks as a smile grew on his face.


    "Why didn''t you send us any pictures of your progress?" His mom asked, rushing to give him a hug.


    "I never really realized it myself. I have been too absorbed in things."


    "That game?" She asked, pulling away and looking straight into his eyes. Looking for any signs that he was unhappy. The signs she found not really the ones she was looking for.


    "Yeah..." Eldrian replied with a guilty sigh.


    "We need to talk about that." Spoke his dad, locking the car as he did and walking up to Eldrian.


    "It really isn''t as bad as you think. Look, as you can see, I even have some work clothes."


    "But for how long will itst?" His dad countered.


    "At least the year, and when I stop ying I can start studying again. I even signed a contract where they will pay for my studies." Eldrian rushed to say, realizing that his dad seemed to have already calmed down greatly.


    "Is it safe?" Asked his dad after some silence.


    "Kind of..." Eldrian did not wish to go into it, as he felt this would be the next major topic.


    "So it isn''t safe?" His dad pushed.


    "I have a designated doctor, so it''s fine. If you give me some more time I can organize for you toe look at the ce. And if you''re still worried about me not studying, treat it like a gap year."


    "Your mom already told me that viewpoint of yours."


    Feeling awkward, Eldrian did not know how to continue the conversation. Luckily his mom did, "Then let''s go somewhere to eat, is Jen free?"


    "I asked her yesterday, she said she was busy during the morning. You can go see herter." Eldrian replied, climbing into the car and listening to his parent''s concerns. Trying his best to ease them without saying too much.


    The day ended up not too bad. Even slightly enjoyable. In the end they had epted his choice, though still concerned and certainly not happy with his choice. The very least they felt they should do was give him a chance to prove his choice, and so they did.


    After this, Eldrian entered the game with a much calmer mind. Extremely happy that things had been brought out into the open and sorted out.


    In the game, the leaders had yet toe back. Not minding much, Eldrian continued training while also looking at the forum at what the other yers were up to. They were quickly bing disgruntled at being told to just wait. Wanting to actually go out and battle and have fun.


    Eldrian found it quite nice to see their reactions. He even wondered if they would try and sneak out, but by the end of the day, this had note to pass.


    On the other parts of the forum, chaos was reigning as the new batch of yers joined the game. Most of them were quickly approached by their respective Empire''s recruiters. While not forced to ept, they were certainly coerced.


    As such many small posts would jump up as yers tried bragging about their flimsy aplishments. Eldrian simply looked on in fun, turning to the ranking threads near the end to see how other yers were doing.


    Only slightly over 40 had reached Tier 2, but many were over level 15.


    The next few days passed in a simr manner, even Eldrian bing irritated by the long wait near the end. Luckily they did not have to stay inside the camp, and when he really wanted to walk around, he would.


    On one such day, Eldrian had decided to walk to the nextrge gatehouse. Just for fun and to have something different to do. As he walked he had run into a couple of natives, surprisingly not all were centaurs.


    He had met two centaurs during his walk, and three other demi-humans. He was not sure what type of animal mix they were, fearing it would be rude to ask on a first meeting. However, the experience had been interesting as no demi-human NPCs had been present in Agosstead.


    He also did not talk much with them, as they were busy working and only crossed his path on their way to their next location. But he had learned a little bit about the city and its culture from the short conversation he had had with them.


    The city was called Duron, and it was one of the far North Cities in the kingdom. It was only a small city with a poption of around half a million, much smaller than Phallos. Though the area it covered was farrger.


    There is indeed a central city inside the walls, the ce actually having a second set of walls. The walls were not visible from anywhere Eldrian had been thus far. This inner part was called the city''s heart and was where most rich lived. The poor often living out in the fields in small scattered ''viges'' which were the clusters of buildings Eldrian had seen in the distance.


    Military camps were also seemingly not inside this ce but rather built on the outside of the walls. Those he talked to took great pride in their military and it seemed that soldiers were quite high ranked in this city.


    ...


    Over in Vuetvale, in the kingdom of Vruntis, the yers who had epted the conditions of the empire were setting off. Along with the hundred or so new yers who had spawned in the city.


    Erik had taken the day off and brought Akarui with him to the other wall, looking at the group depearting she asked. "Where are they going? Are they abandoning us?"


    "They are going to the Empire to train, and I do not know if they wille back in time. You remember what I told you if things go south right?"


    "Yes," She vigorously nodded her head, "I should wait in the garden for you, ready to leave in seconds!"


    Erik smiled as he heard her enthusiasm, "Correct, I hope it will nevere. But I have a feeling things are about to be crazy."

 Chapter 195: Travelling a thousand kilometers

    <h4>Chapter 195: Travelling a thousand kilometers</h4>


    Finally, on Tuesday, three days from when Eldrian''s parents came over, Old Sword and all the other leaders of the army returned. For something as big as how the army would go to war, Eldrian expected a speech from Old Sword. This did not happen, though an announcement had been sent down through thedder ofmand.


    Eldrian naturally skipped thisdder as he actually had no real ce in the army. He was a drifter, not part of any squad or in fact really even part of the army. Luckily he was close to both Old Sword and Vivian, which allowed him to stay this way. Else he would likely be sent back to the division where the other yers were, as they were ced into apany of their own.


    "So, what took so long?" Eldrian asked as soon as he managed to find Vivian, alone. Not wishing to disturb her while she had been talking with the captains, whom she seemed to be fitting in well with.


    She did not directly answer, instead first joking around as she hugged Eldrian. "Shouldn''t you say hi first?" Eldrian embarrassedly and shocked by the hug, replied with a shy high-pitched ''hi'', causing her to giggle and tease him a bit. After which she got down to the details she had learned.


    "Each division will be sent to a different city, the cities in the North of the kingdom will take no divisions though, as they are rtively safe. It is actually quite funny..." Vivian paused as she hoped to build suspense, "Taurus actually has a much smaller poption than Phallos, most nonhuman kingdoms and empires are like this. Despite this, Taurus is farrger than Phallos and safer than most other human kingdoms."


    "We are actually quite lucky to have Taurus between us and the Chaosnds, we would probably have ended up like many other struggling kingdoms if not for this. The wolf beasts that had entered the kingdom were most likely from the Barrennds, and not the Chaosnds."


    "Oh, and when I said that the kingdom isrger, I mean farrger. Like, insanelyrge. Probably evenrger than the empire of Floria. Though thises at a cost as it is surrounded by barrennds. It also does not have a Tier 5 kingdom between it and the chaosnds, hence they directly share a border with thend where the devils normally stay. They are far more used to fighting them, and naturally other beasts and monsters too."


    "They had reacted right away to the invasion, not needing any time to actually gather their forces as they are always on standby. All of their armies are also mounted, if a soldier is not a centaur that is. Hence they are able to travel really fast and use hit and run tactics extremely well. They have managed to mostly defend their kingdom, not having lost one city. Though a few viges had been razed."


    "In the end, we will only be guarding their cities. We won''t really be sent out to fight, as weck the mobility to cover these fastnds. And while they are going to supply us with horses, we are not used to fighting on them. We would rather only use them as a way to travel, to not hurt ourselves."


    "Then what are we going to do when there are no enemies?" Eldrian asked, fearing that a routine of training and more training awaited him. Though this fear quickly disappeared as he realized how much safer it would be for the NPCs, Vivian in particr. However, it is certainly true that this would be far less entertaining for yers.


    "Not too sure... It seems like the first few days we will be shown around the city we are going to defend. After that, I believe we can spend our time as we like. Until a threat is spotted, naturally."


    "That doesn''t sound so bad." Eldrian actually felt this was for the best when thinking of things a bit more. It would give him time to improve, while also allowing him to not leave Vivian for some quest. He quite enjoyed spending time with her, the past few days having far less fun with her gone.


    While they were talking, the Generals and Captains had gone and exined the situation to those under them. They would be setting out tomorrow, as soon as the over a hundred thousand horses arrive. With a few magical horses included for the carriages, which will help to stop them from slowing down their march.


    Eldrian continued to ask Vivian questions on how the city looked like and what else was discussed. Himself not considering the farnds they were in as part of the city. He felt it was more only the outer edge, and only because it had a wall surrounding it.


    Naturally, they did not just talk, even though they did a lot of it. They also sparred against each other, this time with skills forbidden and Vivian controlling her strength. Allowing Eldrian to not be beaten ck and blue. He even managed to enjoy it, especially seeing her frown of disappointment and irritancy when he actually managed to win a match. He would tease her especially hard when he managed to win twice in a row.


    Quickly the day passed and the next came, along with the horses. Eldrian did not get a new one though, as he already had a horse. Something which was notmon in the army. With only around five thousand people in the army having been mounted before.


    It gave quite a different feeling when over a hundred thousand horses started galloping as they left the city. Though they quickly calmed down to a trot which was the speed they actually traveled at. The division was in far less order as most soldiers simply tried to not be thrown off. For many, it was their first time riding a horse.


    The horses were surprisingly strong and resilient, able to actually keep at it for four hours with fully armored soldiers riding them. After the four hours of riding, the army would break to feed and water both themselves and the horses.


    Eldrian took full advantage of his inventory, and the barrels and baskets he had stored inside to easily feed his and Vivian''s horses. Having almost filled his inventory now with essentials for living in the wild, along with a month''s supply of food for four. Leaving only a measly square meter for loot, half of which was already full of weak weapons and random ws.


    He, along with most in the division, needed to stretch for quite some time after climbing off their horse each day. Their asses numb from the ride, it was close to torture as they had to climb back on and endure another four hours.


    Most of the journey has been peaceful, only small groups of under fifty beasts ever havinge into their path. Their path was also not straight as they often needed to go around impassable terrain, be it river or mountain.


    Even so, they made good time, most of the time. Their pace constant, traversing close to a hundred kilometers each day. It took them eight days to reach the city where they would be stationed. The distance leaving Eldrian shocked as it would actually have taken an entire day with a car.


    The shocking thing though, was that he did not know how much of the kingdom this represented. It could indeed be a considerable part, but it could also be only a fraction. Thinking of this, Eldrian was reminded of the map he had gotten from Boran when he had set out.


    Calling up his map, his mouth hung agape as he saw focused on zooming out for a long time. The map he had gotten actually only had a part of Taurus, seemingly focused on the area around the capital of the kingdom, Taur.


    On his map, Eldrian could see this city, along with seven others. Three surrounding the capital in a circr pattern, while the other four seemed to spread North, South, East, and West. Eldrian found this interesting and zoomed in, shocked to find that there seemed to be a line connecting these four cities. He assumed it was a wall, which left him astonished as the distance it covered was simply astronomical. The same was present with the other three cities.


    Zooming back out, Eldrian searched for where he was. Finding that the distance they had covered seemed to only include the distance from the capital to the three cities inside the square-like formation.


    Howrge is this kingdom? At least ten thousand kilometers. Eldrian mumbled to himself, finding the distance mindboggling and unable as he failed to put this into perspective. Reinforcing into him the fact that this world was ridiculouslyrge.


    Turning his attention back to the city in front of him, Eldrian looked at the elevated hill upon which the same ten-meter-high walls stood. Dotted with gatehouses every kilometer, with the extrarge ones every five kilometers stretching into the distance.


    So they really do even make the hill!Was the only thing Eldrian thought of as the division was quickly led into the city.

 Chapter 196: Teleportation costs

    <h4>Chapter 196: Teleportation costs</h4>


    This time, upon entering the city, they were not left to themselves. As soon as they walked down the inner ramp of the gatehouse, two centaurs and one centaurette came back out with Old Sword who had gone ahead to talk with them. Eldrian and Vivian riding nearby could overhear the conversation, it seemed that these few centaurs would lead them to the city heart, and help them settle in.


    Though all they did was simply tell Old Sword what dirt road to take, between the four options. Two of which actually only went left and right along the wall.Curious how they were going to be restricted, Eldrian decided to ask.


    "For the most part, you will be treated as soldiers, but also guests. This means that once you have settled in, you can do whatever you want. Within some regtions of course. Though I am sure there will also be restrictions ording to your own rules." One of the centaurs replied.


    He was not in full armor as the other centaurs Eldrian had seen first in the Duran, though he did wear clothes. On his human part, he wore a light green formal shirt with some intricate patterns. His horse part simply covered in a light green cape, which also had the same patterns as the shirt.


    Old Sword replied as he saw the look the centaur was giving him. "Oh, of course. Normal soldiers will be kept in camp ording to the rules. Only one Unit will be allowed to leave each day in the form of an off day. But for you," Pausing Old Sword pointed to Eldrian, "It doesn''t really matter, heck I won''t even really care if you don''te right away when a threat is spotted."


    "Why do you say he can go freely?" The centaur asked, curious what made this elf so special; other than being an elf in an army of humans. Per etiquette, most people do not use Observe on a person upon meeting.


    "Ah, he is a Chosen. I am sure you have heard of them, you know... Can''t die stuff. In any case, he is not really part of the army and him not being there won''t make much of a difference in suchrge battles." Came Old Sword''s reply.


    "Oh, so that''s it. How does it feel to resurrect in a temple?" The centaur asked Eldrian.


    "Um... I don''t know, each time I died so far I was revived on the field. And why do you assume I would have died already?" Eldrian found it strange that the centaur asked it as he did.


    "Youth, undying, and you are weak. So I assumed you would have died, seeing as you joined such a dangerous mission." The centaur replied, able to tell that Eldrian was weak simply from the aura he gave off.


    "Is it really that dangerous?" Eldrian asked, leaving the weak part be as he could not really argue against it. From the little fear all the people he had met disyed, he felt that it was actually far less dangerous than he had thought at first.


    "Not too much," The other centaurs replied, wearing simr clothing to the first but blue colored instead. "At least not if you stay within thirty kilometers from the city. South naturally, as the other directions are more patrolled and safer."


    "Then what is the danger?" Eldrian asked, curious what they would be facing in the future.


    "Undead. The entire border East of the Ganalin Mountains is infested with them. A few undead devils seemingly loving the area, Asteria knows why. West of the Ganalin Mountains you will only find beasts, though some rumors of orc armies are bing more and moremon."


    Naturally Eldrian had no idea what, or where, the Ganalin Mountains were. Though this information did inform him that the border between the Chaosnds and Taurus seems to be split between two groups of Kako races. He was unsure what this truly meant, wondering if these two factions were at war with each other. Thus lessening the pressure on Taurus even more and why it was seemingly not under much pressure months into the invasion.


    "Don''t forget that one of the kingdoms on our eastern border has just about been destroyed. Now we are getting an influx of some rat-like creatures from that side. Normally it used to only be the asional horde of Wolfbeasts." The centaurette who had yet to speak said. She was in semi armor, with her human part covered in chainmail. Her horse part instead only covered in a silver cloth simr to the other two.


    "True, but they aren''t really a threat at this stage. Just one Unit is enough to keep them ground down."


    By now, Eldrian felt pushed out of the conversation, though he did not really care. He had gotten the information he had needed. Leaving him to wonder at what types of undead there were in the game as they continued to ride to the city''s heart. Listening in on the conversation between the centaurs from time to time. The centaurs continuing to talk between themselves, and sometimes with the others when they wondered what life in other kingdoms was like.


    Finally, after around two hours of trotting on horseback, the next walls came into sight. Reaching high into the sky, easily thirty meters high. Thoughpletely different from Aggostead''s walls, many gatehouses were visible. The walls epassed almost from horizon to horizon. With a gatehouse every three kilometers.


    "We won''t be entering the city walls, you are wee to set up camp anywhere in sight. For the tour, why don''t you gather some of your leaders." The centaurette said as they stopped a few hundred meters from one of the gatehouses.


    "Sure, Eldrian you and Vivian can also join. And miss..." Old Sword paused, trying to recall the centaurette''s name and failing. "How expensive is it to use the teleportation hall?"


    "Demora, my name is Demora. To teleport to other small cities it costs around 1 gold, three to the medium cities, and ten to therge cities. However, the prices do vary depending on the distance. The only way to get to the capital is from therge cities and it costs twenty gold, I am not sure what interkingdom teleportation costs."


    Hearing the prices Old Sword whistled loudly, "I thought you would have it a little cheaper. Why is it the same as in Phallos?"


    "Because no matter what, it costs an absurd amount of mana to teleport one over such long distances. I am sure you know this." She replied, not bitting the bait Old Sword had thrown out.


    "Wait! You can teleport? Why didn''t we do that instead of traveling for nearly a month!?" Eldrian could not keep it in, he was truly shocked. He knew teleportation was possible, though difficult. He had assumed it was too difficult, but the prices sounded reasonable to him.


    "Simple, teleporting from Phallos to Taurus requires us to first go to the Phan, the capital of Phallos. This would have also taken a week, or require around ten gold per person. Then teleporting to Taurus would cost over a hundred gold per person. And this is when using the market value of mana crystals. I don''t think there is enough stock in Phallos to send an army of a million over, and even if there was, it would be dumb to bleed the kingdom dry of mana crystals." Old Sword replied, knowing full well that Eldrian probably had no idea how this system worked.


    "How important are mana crystals, why have I not heard of them before?" Eldrian asked, though it had been mentioned to him once or twice. it had only been in passing. He actually knew more of Magic Crystals, which were far rarer than mana crystals, though he had no idea how valuable it actually was. Most native people know of mana crystals as it is often used by the rich to disy their wealth. Contrary to this, only a few know of Magic Crystals. Normally limited to nobles or mages.


    "You are too weak and poor. Basic mana crystals go for around one gold each, whilerger ones would be far more expensive. Normally people don''te into contact with mana crystals before Tier 5."


    "Why?"


    "Cost." Seemingly having used all his patients to answer Eldrian''s questions, Old Sword answered this and the next couple of questions in one word. Leaving Eldrian stumped for words as he decided to ask Vivian about thistter.


    While they had been talking, the leaders had been gathered already. Old Sword having simply nodded to one of his bodyguards to indicate that he should gather them. Eldrian found the situation of Old Sword having bodyguards funny, though it made sense as most important people would have a ruing of protection around them.


    Most leaders would be left behind to supervise the camp and its setup, it needing to be made with forethought as it would be their home for the next couple of months. Maybe even years.


    With things seemingly settled the group departed from the division, their total around thirty.

 Chapter 197: Visiting the guilds

    <h4>Chapter 197: Visiting the guilds</h4>


    Quickly their host exined the background of the city, how it was a border city built more as an outpost than a true ce of habitation. The city was called Kynigo, and was originally the forefront as they pushed back the undead.


    Upon entering the city heart on horseback, Eldrian looked around in curiosity. Failing to find any indications that it had survived a hard and brutal past. A wide road stretched from the gatehouse further into the city and directly to another walled area only vaguely visible in the distance.


    All the houses were built to amodaterge beings such as centaurs, the floor space muchrger than normal houses Eldrian was used to. All of the buildings were in good condition with no historical buildings in sight.


    Even with all the houses being at least twice the size of ''normal'' houses, the city was not veryrge. Only housing around five hundred thousand people in total, not all centaurs. The tour led by the three centaurs was not very special nor did it take very long. It was limited to the Northern part where they had entered and only the most interesting ces were visited.


    These were; the three temples in this district, the four most famous inns - two even offered special services, the best ces to get magical grade weapons and armor, and finally the six guilds spread out in the area. There were no academies in the city, these being limited to therge cities and capital.


    All in all, the tour took only two and a half hours thanks to the extra speed provided by the horses everyone rode. While the city was far smaller than Aggostead, it was stillrge and it would probably take a day to travel across it on foot.


    With the tour done, everyone headed back to the camp. The leaders discussing with Old Sword how the off-day rotation would start, most wishing to explore more of the foreign kingdom. A few very curious about the demi-humans, while others heldplete disdain for them. Believing them to be a stain on humankind.


    "That... Well, it did notpare to the tour you gave me." Eldrian teased as they entered the camp, causing Vivian to turn to him with a strange gaze.


    "Wow, it feels like that was ages ago. So much has happened."


    "Indeed... I am actually thinking of going into the city again."


    "Why?" Vivian tilted her head questioningly.


    "I have some spare cash and think buying a few spell modules would be smart," Eldrian replied, looking at the extra small inventory yers had just for cash. Currently, the value in this space totaled about fifty silver, not having imed any of the promised daily rewards as Eldrian knew no one in this division handled that task. Technically he was not supposed to be in this division, hence he felt he was disqualified for the mary reward.


    "Maybe, but do you think you will be able to afford anything good?" Vivian asked, knowing full well that Eldrian did not have much cash on hand.


    "I don''t know, but I want to see what the guilds have to offer. It certainly won''t be near to what academies can offer, but hopefully I can get one or two useful spells." More than this, Eldrian also wanted to simply get more spells.


    He was currently very limited in what he knew, and while Old Sword and Vivian could probably teach him skills, he felt they would not really be able to teach him spells. Now that they had reached the ce they would stay for a long time, Eldrian nned to start asking them to teach him.


    After talking a bit more with Vivian, Eldrian climbed back onto his horse and set back into town. Norge hassle when he passed the gatehouse, as the guards knew that their guests were allowed toe and go. Though only a few thousand would be allowed each day.


    Once inside, Eldrian quickly headed to the nearest guild they had been shown. This was actually a mercenaries guild. Upon entering, Eldrian only slightly looked at the familiar styleyout. A bar on the left, with many open tables filling the floor. On the right was the counter where a bored clerk was sleeping.


    Unlike an Adventurer guild, the mercenary guild did not get much focus. Especially in Taurus where no internal conflicts were tolerated. If it ever got to more than words, the local mayor would step in. If he was actually corrupted and any news got out, even just rumors, then a royal woulde down to figure things out.


    Heading to the sleeping clerk, Eldrian had to actually shout to wake him.


    "Oh wow! A person, and an elf at that." Shouted the man behind the counter. Eldrian had long since seen the wolf ears and tail on the man, causing him to not be the one reacting surprised.


    "Sorry to disturb your sleep, I would like to buy a spell module or two. Do you have any here?" Eldrian said, ignoring the man''s outburst.


    "Spell modules? No, we don''t have anything like that. Though if you want some cheap armor and weapons, we have some good quality used ones."


    "No, that is quite alright. Do you think any of the other guilds will have any?" Eldrian asked, taking note that he shoulde and look at the offer when he had more money to spare.


    "Mmm... Maybe the adventurers guild, and surely the mage''s association. You can always also go to the magic shop, that is where people normally go." Replied the clerk after some thought.


    "Oh, a magic shop. Where is it?" Eldrian asked, the tour not having included it at all.


    "Oh, yeah it is in the noble district. Your best bet would be the association of mages then."


    Eldrian nodded and thanked the man and set out again, entering each guild as he headed to the association. It was quite near to the walled district within the city heart, probably due to it being deemed as a higher ss of guild.


    The adventurers guild actually did have some spell modules, though they were all Tier 3 and above. Hence not much use to Eldrian as he only hoped to now learn more spells to get used to different ways of spells. It was also impossible to simply buy the spells, rather it is needed that you have imed a certain amount of bounties first.


    Entering the association of mages, Eldrian immediately saw that it was a far more popr ce. While the adventurers guild had been busy, this ce was teeming with people.


    Simr to all other guilds, there was a bar on one side and the clerk station on the other. Though the bar seemed to not offer ale nor beer, instead offering only wines at a high price. The side with the clerks had long lines and quickly deterred Eldrian as it was already close to night and he did not wish to spend an hour in line.


    There were also some robes men and women talking with a few groups of people. Seemingly doing personal trades to circumvent the guild tax most likely.


    Seeing one of the robe men finish his dealing with a group of people, Eldrian rushed forward and quickly asked. "Sorry, can you help me? I wish to buy a few spell modules."


    "Huh?" Surprised by the sudden question the man turned around and looked at Eldrian curiously. "You are not looking for a potion, scroll, or some enchantments?"


    "No, I just wish to get some spell modules. Currently I only know three spells, I hope to learn a few more." Eldrian replied, having forgotten about the strengthing spell once he had learned elerate and Drive. He had also never even gotten to actually master it as he had the other three.


    "If you wish to be a mage, why don''t you join our guild? I am Elias, and while I am not all that important in the guild, I should be able to help you get in." While saying this, Elias extended his hand, Eldrian promptly shaking it.


    "I am Haru. What would joining give me? And does it matter if I am a native or not?"


    "You''re not a native?" The man asked in surprise, only now looking at Eldrian for good. Seeing his silver hair and elven ears for the first time, having somehow missed them at the start. "Oh, naturally you aren''t. No elves live here."


    "Is it a problem?" Eldrian pressed.


    "Slightly. If you are just passing by then the guild won''t ept you, but if you are here for some time then it won''t be a problem."


    "Oh, then it shouldn''t be a problem. But what does joining benefit me?" Eldrian asked.


    "Well firstly, you can im certain spells for free depending on your rank in the guild. Others will be at a discount, this also goes for magic scrolls, potions, enchantments, and pretty much anything else the guild has to offer."


    "And the catch?" Eldrian question, knowing full well there must be something to bind one to not take advantage of the guild.

 Chapter 198: Myropsis, a curious individual

    <h4>Chapter 198: Myropsis, a curious individual</h4>


    "There isn''t really any. I mean you have to be part of the association for at least a month before you can gain ess to the spell modules. Naturally those you gain ess to will be determined by your Tier and contributions to the association." Elias said.


    "That''s it?" Eldrian asked, the condition sensible and in no way taking advantage of its member, at least if this was true. He had expected some sort of oath to bind him, simply having to contribute sounded much easier and less limiting.


    "Yeah, though getting in will depend on your magic ability, not just anyone can join. Though I assume they wouldn''t mind letting an elf join. What type of elf are you anyway?"


    "I''m a High Elf..."


    "That''s awesome, I am sure they would be willing to let you in and exchange spell modules if you can share tips on why you can control spells and why we can''t before Tier 5!" Elias replied, greatly excited by this simple prospect.


    "Um... I don''t think it is that easy. More importantly, I myself am still new to magic, so I don''t think I will be able to help much."


    "No, that is actually better. Come with me, let''s go meet Myropsis. She will certainly be interested."


    Following along Eldrian asked, "And who is she?"


    "Ah, she is one of the seniors of the branch. Due to the fact that we do not have academies, she would sometimes take it upon herself to teach others. In return, she hopes that we would also share the knowledge weter learn with her."


    Elias quickly led Eldrian deeper into the building, passing past one hall before entering a final room connected to another. The first hall where he had entered was open to the public and had hardly any doors connected to other rooms inside it. The hall they passed was more secluded and only a few people inside, with far more doors leading to unknown rooms.


    The people were a mix of different races, all seemingly having deep conversations. Entering thest hall, there were only three people in it. They were deep in their conversation and did not even turn to look at the two arrivals. Elias and Eldrian did not disturb them, simply heading to another door and entering the room that Elias actually wanted to go to.


    This room''s walls were covered by bookshelves, though the rest of the room was wide open. A few tables spread through the ce, all with random books opened and stacked in a disorganized manner. At one of these tables, a beauty in a deep ck robe sat and made notes on a book lying atop many others. The book moving as she wrote, certainly leading to terrible handwriting.


    "Myropsis... Myropsis!" Only upon shouting her name did she shift her attention from the book to the two.


    "An elf! Fascinating, and a High Elf at that. Even more fascinating. What is a Chosen though?" She mumbled upon looking at them.


    "Hey, you shouldn''t just use Observe on people, it isn''t proper," Eliasined, embarrassed by herck of etiquette.


    "And you shouldn''t enter my room. So we are even. Now, what is a Chosen?" She replied without missing a beat.


    "Ugh, this is amunal room where we store all our wind rted books!" Eliasined, knowing full well that he would not be able to convince her of this.


    "And I donated over half of the books! So this is my room!"


    "That isn''t how it works."


    "Whatever, what are you?" Myropis turned to Eldrian and asked, tired of the fight she would always have with others.


    "Um... Have you not heard? You know... About how the gods summoned us to help you in the invasion." Eldrian replied, shocked to have found someone who seemingly did not know of the Chosen.


    "Really? But why did they summon you, your so weak." She asked with true curiosity, causing Elias to be even more embarrassed as he realized she really had missed all the oracles.


    "They can''t die, and there are more than just him." Elias interrupted before Eldrian could reply.


    "Is that true?" She asked, standing up from her location and walking over to Eldrian.


    "Well, technically. But not entirely."


    "Oh, so soul attacks might be able to truly kill you?" She asked, her eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.


    "I am not sure, but I think so." Eldrian replied, thinking of all the desperate cases he had. Realizing that he should really talk with Gengxin about them. With things having settled in the game, he had just let the days pass peacefully thus far. Trying to settle into his new life, though he knew he needed to make some waves if he wanted to actually learn more about the game.


    "Interesting. Why did you bring him here?" Myropis turned to Elias and asked.


    "Well, he wanted some spell modules to try and learn more spells. I believe he never had ess to the elven legacies, hence he has to try and figure things out by himself. I thought you would be interested."


    "Oh, I sure am." Myropis turned back to Eldrian, "I can certainly give you a bunch of spell modules, but can you even learn from them? I have heard that High Elves use an entirely different type of magic."


    "I believe I can. I started with normal magic in the kingdom of Phallos and have been trudging my way to understand how magic works. It was hard at first, but I believe if I can get more knowledge and time, then I will surely be able to aplish it."


    "Good, then do you want to join me in a research project?" Upon hearing this, Eldrian thought back to Dave and how he also wanted to figure out how dynamic magic worked.


    "Sure I don''t mind, but how will we do this?" Eldrian replied, believing that this would be the best way for him to quickly grow. Certainly, it might lead to some growing pains, but he was fine with that.


    "Tell me what type of spells you are interested in. Here make a list, I''ll get all the ones I know of for you." She said, handing Eldrian the book she had been making notes on.


    "Uh, can I get a normal piece of paper?" Eldrian asked, not wishing to ruin a book. Knowing full well that paper was quite expensive in this world. Not unaffordably expensive, but enough to make owning books only a business matter for mostmoners. Though the situation might be different in Taurus.


    Tearing one of the back pages of the book, she handed it to Eldrian. "Don''t look at me like that, this book is a newly copied one and there are over five of them here."


    "Still, you shouldn''t just destroy it!" Eldrian countered, unable to ept this act.


    "Huh? Why not, I paid for its making."


    What have I gotten myself into?Eldrian asked as he epted the paper and pen. He had seen these kinds of pens before in the top room of the mage tower in Aggostead, but this was the first time holding it. It waspletely made out of silver metal, its tip in the form of a quill pen and a few runes inscribed on its body, actually giving it a nice grip.


    Seeing Eldrian looking at the pen in curiosity Myropsis asked, "Do you want it, you can take it if you want."


    "Really? Why did you never offer me one?" Eliasined upon hearing how well Myropsis was treating Eldrian.


    "Because you have yet to show any true value. You have not managed to discover any new ways of using magic, nor have you even masters your field of study after ten years. He instead already has a promise of showing me the hidden secret of a superior race."


    "But I have worked my way up!" Elias countered, leading to Myropsis grunting in dissatisfaction.


    What the hell? She is so blunt!Eldrian was surprised how she just attacked Elias like that, though he kept his mouth shut and epted the pen. Using it to make a list of all the types of spells he hoped to receive.


    [Healing, energizing, rejuvenation, resurrection, ice-based area effect, lighting-based area effect, fire- any area effect spell, some binding spells, poison, venom, construction...] Eldrian ended up with a list listing all the types of effects he thought possible with magic. Even adding teleportation in the end.


    Taking the list, Myropsis looked at him with a sly smile. "You know that most of these aren''t possible to cast at Tier 1, right?"


    "Sure, but I am hoping to learn them, not master them. I want to see how the spell modules grow, how they differ, and try and see how they connected to how I cast spells. The more I can study, the better."


    "Alright, but for now I will only give you Tier 1 and Tier 2 spells. If you actually help me understand a bit about how you control spells so well, I will give you higher Tier spells."


    "That''s perfect!"


    "That''s unfair. I had to work for months to get just Tier 1 spells. It took me years to get enough points to actually get Tier 4 spells."


    "As I said, no value. Stopining, if you won''t I''ll force you out."


    By now Eldrian was starting to feel sorry for Elias. Smiling bitterly at him, he tried tomunicate that he sympathized, though it seemed to go through as mockery as Elias huffed and puffed and mmed the door as he left.


    "Good, now exin to me what you know at this point. It will be the cost for these spell modules."


    "How many will you give me?" Eldrian asked, trying to figure out if the deal was in his favor.


    "All I have, soe on!" Hearing her reply, Eldrian was without words. He did not know how many that would be, but from her having donated half the books in the room, he assumed it was a crazy amount.

 Chapter 199: Trying to explain

    <h4>Chapter 199: Trying to exin</h4>


    "Umm... How should I even start to exin?" Eldrian asked after spending some time to ept her words. "How do you use magic?" He countered, hoping for a ce to start.


    "Well, simply put, I focus and create the spell module I want. Once this is done I would let my mana fill it, and from there I would change the module as I wished to control the spell." Myropsis replied, "So what do you do?"


    "I actually never really did that, though I have found that if you change the flow of your mana inside the spell module before casting it, that it would change how the spell works."


    As he said this she mumbled softly; Of course you never did, it is only required for Tier 5. Once he finished she replied,"That is the first step when trying to learn how to control spells. Though it is generally not possible for lower spells as all you can change is the flow. Higher Tier spells actually have different spell modules."


    "Well, it affects even Tier 0 spells, so I won''t say it is impossible. But why don''t you just control your mana directly?" Eldrian asked the same question Zamia had asked him when she had helped him learn.


    "Because I can''t. I can only let it follow my will inside a spell module, I can''t move it outside."


    "Do you know that spell which allows you to see mana?" Eldrian asked, to which she nodded in reply. "Use it and you should likely see why I won''t really be able to teach you." Again she nodded.


    Once she did, Eldrian called his mana to his hand. It took some effort to do this without actually wishing it to form a spell, his new mana flow reluctant to simply let his mana go free. Thanks to the constant practice he had done while traveling, he managed to form it into a ball not much bigger than his fist. He then willed it to be water, never letting it go through any nodes or pathways of a spell module.


    The spell he managed to cast was simr to Nidia, except that he had full control of the entire mass of water, not just the ball. He had found that when casting the same spell through normal means, he would only be able to control it in its natural form.


    Through this method, he could split the ball into many other smaller ones. He had yet to find a use for this, but having discovered this Eldrian hoped to master more useful applications. Casting it took barely any mana, the same went for controlling the balls as they did not lose any energy.


    "I have no idea if this is even a spell. I managed to build it thanks to knowing how Nidia works, knowing how the water element and mana interact. I can also do this with a me, though it has little use as these would do no damage."


    "But the problem is that this is all done through controlling my mana. If you can''t copy that, then I don''t think you will be able to do as I do." Eldrian said awkwardly, hoping she would still give him some spell modules even if he can''t help her.


    "Maybe, maybe not. This is fascinating though, how did you first learn magic. It is clear that you are self-taught for the most part." While she said this her thoughts were actually in tatters, His mana moves, and so vigorously. How on Gaia is that possible, mana should be static in one''s mana pool. And when he willed it to move, it was like tendrils delicately leaving its flow. Slow at first, but once the ball started forming it became like a ma.


    "In a magic tower with the help of a Magic Crystal." Eldrian replied to her question, not knowing her thoughts. As he replied he let the balls of water evaporate so as to not ruin any of the books in the room.


    "A Magic Crystal, really? Who on earth would let someone just approach a Magic Crystal?" Myropsis murmured aloud, surprised again as Magical Crystals are generally a tool of war. Normally under strict guard and only know off by those strong and important enough.


    "Someone who also wished to figure out the trick behind dynamic magic." Seeing her frown when he said dynamic magic, Eldrian quickly exined that it is what races who can cast this type of magic called it.


    "Why do you want spell modules if you can form spells on a whim?" She asked, believing that if he can move mana and change its form at will, then he should be able to cast any spell he wished.


    "I can''t. It takes a great deal of effort, and while I might be able to actually make it a spell. It will take some more time and this is just a derivative of Nidia. Like I said earlier, I want to get ess to more spells so that I can study them. Not to actually try and cast them all, but rather to figure out how they work and hopefully be able to copy it into a dynamic form."


    "I believe spell modules are more than just a way of casting the spells. They are more like a stepping stone to allow one to learn how the spell works. I believe they are in a form that is easy to cast and does not take too much to learn."


    "How do you n to learn from spell modules then?" She asked, while again shocked at his words. She had never thought of spell modules as a starting point. Rather they had always been to her, and all others she knew, the endpoint. While spells can have derivative modules, they would all share a core and still be part of the same spell.


    Is that the part he wishes to learn?She wondered once her thoughts reached this point. However Eldrian did not know of this, as all the spells he knew were too simple to actually have derivatives. Rather he thought that the pathways and nodes themselves were the core of the spells.


    "If I can study the pattern I will already learn a great deal. If I manage to actually cast the spell, I will be able to truly learn how my mana needs to flow for it. As well as how it should change."


    "So simple?" Myropsis eyes flew wide open in surprise, again.


    "Well, actually managing to feel theposition isn''t that easy."


    "What are you talking about?" After a slight pause she suddenlyughed, "Oh right, you don''t know Magic Inspection. That would indeed make it far more difficult."


    Not knowing what to say now, Eldrian just watched her as she closed her eyes and evidently concentrated. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked at Eldrian strangely.


    "How on earth do you control your mana? I can feel mine, but it simply won''t budge unless I use some sort of module."


    "I don''t really know. At first, it took a great deal of effort to learn to actually feel it. I had no way to even sense my mana at the start. With the help of the Magic Crystal, I slowly learned as it forced my spells to cast, ripping my mana from me."


    "Ouch, that could not have been fun." She quickly interrupted, shocked by such a crazy way of training. It was well known that simply failing to cast a spell would result in your mana going wild for a while. This would lead to some pain, mana being ripped out of you would be unbearable.


    "True, it sucked. But after a few times, I managed to fight the pull; through sheer willpower. This is how I managed to feel my mana, and from there I learned how to will it into a spell module. It took a bit and the teaching of an Alicorn before I could actually truly control my mana. Though I am sure I can still improve greatly."


    "Do you maybe have a Magic Crystal I can use?" Eldrian suddenly asked, catching Myropsispletely off ground.


    "Why?"


    "I want to see if I can enter the magical abyss again."


    "You what!?" She was left without words after hearing Eldrian''s hope.


    "If that isn''t possible, can you give me the spell modules?" Eldrian asked, hoping that he would get at least one of the two.


    "Fine, though I did not really learn much I think I understand what I need to do. Do you have any tips for learning to control your mana?"


    Eldrian thought for a bit before replying, "The higher Tier you are, the more difficult it will be. So I would rmend trying to discard all you know. Try to feel the mana in your spells, simple spells. Don''t use magic inspection. And if you can, enter the magical abyss to help you in feeling your mana."


    What the hell, does he think it is so easy to enter the magical abyss? She grumbled mentally, saying instead, "Let me go get my basic spellspendium. It has around thirty Tier 1 spell modules inside of it, I believe this should be enough for now."


    Eldrian hurriedly nodded, d that she would actually still hold up her part of the deal even when he could not help her at all.


    "Come back in a week, I''ll organize things so you can join as a normal member and not a recruit. Also, I will have some more spell modules for you."


    "Are you going to try and learn how to control your mana?" Eldrian asked, wondering if it would even be possible for races that are not known for this.


    "Of course, why else would I have made this deal with you. As I understand is it alles down to this, and I can already guide my mana in spells. So why won''t I be able to control it outside of them?" She felt there was no reason she should be unable to do this.


    "I think you shouldn''t rely on what you know. When I finally managed to control my mana, I had found it hard to shake my habit of using spell modules first. Your habit will be far harder to drop."


    She sighed long and hard when hearing this. Quickly leaving anding back, handing Eldrian a book of around a hundred pages. "There is also a bunch of notes, you can ignore them or read them. I have no idea if they would help you."

 Chapter 200: Player shop

    <h4>Chapter 200: yer shop</h4>


    Eldrian dly epted the book, eager to read it all. What he needed most was a varied amount of ways to improve, since he had no one way. Hence the notes were a very weed addition. Eldrian believed that looking and trying to learn all the ways other have masters magic, would help him to gain inspiration. Naturally always trying to integrate it with his own way.


    "You can go now, I want to practice," Myropsis said, shooing him with her hand until he was outside of the room. Closing the door in his face, she sat down and tried to discard what she knew to follow what she took from Eldrian.


    "That''s kinda rude..." Eldrian mumbled, quickly getting over it as he looked at the book. He really wanted to just rush back and start reading it, but first, he needed to go to the temples to see how the shops work. He had heard from Erik that it was really easy to make some quick cash through them.


    Though Erik''s situation was slightly different as he actually knew how to craft something, potions to be exact. They did not do much, in fact, what Erik actually sold more of was the healing salve he made. It went for around twenty copper for a small wooden container of it.


    Erik did not need to pay for anything as there was plenty of nts inside Veutvale, and he asked Akarui to make the containers for him when she had spare time. They were notrge, each one taking her only around half an hour to craft. Naturally, he gave her some spare cash to use for her efforts. She really loved having some cash of her own.


    Eldrian headed to the nearest temple as he thought of the conversation with Erik. Thinking of cksmithing as he walked. He did not need cash right now, however this was certain to change. I''ll probably get outssed by other yers...Eldrian thought, realizing that if he split his attention he would quickly fall behind other yers who only dedicated their online time to crafting.


    The first temple Eldrian entered was one dedicated to Skepsi, a lesser know goddess. She was the goddess of advanced thought, such as magic, meditation, philosophy and so forth. Arriving at the temple, Eldrian had to consult the forums on how to actually open the shop.


    Following the steps in one of the guides, he headed to the main altar dedicated to the goddess. Once close enough he focused on it as he would when he essed his inventory. Doing so caused an interface to appear before him.


    It had opened on the page with buyable items, though it was empty. Looking at the details Eldrian realized that this temple would only allow the trading of books, scrolls, or other simr items. Naturally yers have yet to reach the stage where these would be things they could trade.


    Moving on Eldrian headed to the other two temples. A temple to Asteria, goddess of life, and one to Dioktis, god of war. The temple of Asteria''s shop had a few potions and salves for sale, along with three nts. Eldrian had found it quite strange that someone would sell nts, though they certainly looked amazing.


    Two of the nts were flowers. One a mix of bright colors, giving a rainbow-like look of red, orange, purple, and light blue. Each petal a certain one and all blending in wonderfully. It was called an arcane rose, a magic nt. Its properties were not exined, and its price was twenty gold making it far too expensive. It would certainly not sell for a long time, but Eldrian wanted it as soon as he saw it. It simply looked too amazing and reminded him of the Magic Crystal in how its colors seemed to ebb and flow, even on the photo.


    The other flower looked like a wildflower and was ice blue, the description stating that it could cure any frost injuries. Not of much interest to current yers, but it could quickly be amodity once yers actually explored certain areas, or faced certain monsters.


    Thest nt was simply what was used to make the salves that sold like hotcakes, properly dug out and rented into a small flower pot. The description stating that careful care was taken to ensure it was possible to rent it. A short description even mentioned that once the yer bought it, they would also get the knowledge of how to cultivate it.


    I wonder who managed to find such exotic nts, and who actually thought sell them. Eldrian mumbled after looking over the options, he certainly had no use for them. Though if he had money to spare he would buy the arcane rose just for its beauty.


    The temple of Dioktis was by far the busiest. Its interface constantly updating as weapons changed hands. Luckily one could freeze it, or go over to the bid items to not have to deal with it. Scrolling through all the weapons, around forty in total and around twenty armors, Eldrian found a couple of muskets avable.


    [Please consider helping us by buying a gun. While the muskets are not of much use, we won''t lie about this. The money will help us to continue our research without the need for NPCs. We believe they will try to monopolize us once they actually understand the value of guns, and while they can''t force us, they can withhold material and money. Naturally, we do not wish for this to happen, so do buy one if you can.]


    Reading this Eldrian contemted for a while. The musket looked crude and was nowhere near to even normal grade. It will have meaningter, everyone with one will be able to say they supported them. Let''s just do it, it is just seven silver.


    Eldrian did not do this just for this fact, but also to figure out how the shop interface functioned, with regard to payments and delivery of the item. Once he clicked buy, a menu popped up, when he confirmed his cash disappeared and the weapon appeared in his inventory.


    Neat, that is nice and easy. Eldrianmented and left, not interested in any of the other weapons on disy. He was contemting putting up the weaker weapons he had, though they would not make much. This shop was far cheaper than NPC shops. It had to be else no one would use it unless it was an emergency.


    As such if he sold all those he had on him, he would probably only make around five to seven gold. Since he would keep the Tier 4 and 5 weapons for now. While this was a decent amount, he did not need it at this moment. Nor did he suspect he would need much in theing month. Though he would probablye to sell some soon since their value would only drop with time.


    This settled he headed back to camp, realizing on the way that he had never reimed his daggers from Tes. This caused a slight ache in his heart as he thought of the Tier 3 magic daggers he had effectively lost. Causing his spirits to drop quite a bit, the book only slightly helping to lift this ache.


    He also took the time to look at the stats of the musket, understanding quickly why they had admitted that it was not great. It had a few extra stat lines, being range and uracy. Both of which sucked, the range was only 20 meters and the uracy was around 20%, its durability was also under a hundred. The exnation on uracy saying that out of ten well-aimed shots, only 2 wouldnd on the target. In other words, it had no grouping.


    ...


    Waking up, Eldrian pulled out the needle in his arm and quickly got dressed. By the second week with nothing major happening, the amount of IV''s had decreased to only one. Gengxin had also taught Eldrian how to insert it himself, and naturally how to take it out.


    It was quite a pain, however Eldrian had be much more resistant to pain thanks to the game. If it was two months ago, there would be no way he could insert it himself.


    A few hourster, Eldrian pinged Gengxin on the tablet, saying that he wanted to talk. While waiting he simply browsed on the PC provided with the room.


    "What do you want to talk about?" Gengxin asked as soon as he entered the room.


    "About the game..." Eldrian sighed as he said this, half wishing to not open the can of worms. He had put it off as he got used to his new life, now that he was he could not longer do this.


    "What about it?" Gengxin asked, became weary thanks to Eldrian''s demeanor.


    "Why do you guys still treat it only as an experiment. I might have understood if you treated it only as a game, at least then you would be invested in keeping it active. But why does thepany''s tone say that it does not care what happens. This makes no sense, it can quickly be the top game in the market. If only for the 24-hour ytime, with the ability to y while sleeping."


    "Truthfully, even I do not know. You should probably talk with some of the game testers. You are technically also one now, and they should be able to help you progress in the game."


    "That isn''t what I am asking,"Though it is a nice idea, Eldrian admitted, "I want to know how thepany can treat the lives in that world as nothing!"


    "Because it''s just data?" Gengxin himself sounded unsure, he was not part of that department and really did not know what to say, he had also never entered the game. He actually liked to sleep. "You are talking to the wrong person. If you want I can organize that you meet with some of the developers."

 Chapter 201: Magic and Mana (1)

    <h4>Chapter 201: Magic and Mana (1)</h4>


    "That would be nice, I also want to ask them what magic is," Eldrian replied, believing that they must know since they made it. They should at least have some theories seeing as they had been working on it for years.


    "You can ask them, but you won''t really get much of an answer. Come, let''s go. I actually have a good friend who has his fingers in all types of things. He is not really part of a single department and should be able to answer your questions the best, at least broadly. When you meet otherster you will have some knowledge to back you."


    Eldrian quickly agreed and followed Gengxin as he took him to the fourth floor of the same building. The building he stayed in actually had a total of six, Eldrian only knew what the first two were about. He also did not see much on the way, other than hallways.


    Following Gengxin he entered a brightly lit room, the furthest wall made entirely out of windows. "This is where executives live, if they want to stay on-site that is. Think of it as a hotel, simr to the room you are staying in. Only they have an entire luxurious t to themselves."


    "So is your friend someone really high up?" Eldrian asked as he looked at all the expensive furniture and state-of-the-art TV set installed in one corner of the living room. The floorn was an open style and also allowed one to see the fancy kitchen from the living room.


    "No, not really. He just brought a couple of really important matters to light." Gengxin replied as he led Eldrian to the right-side of the room, where a keypad stood. Typing a pin into it, and then cing his finger on a sensor, the wall in front of them slid in on itself and revealed what looked like a simple bedroom. "He doesn''t like it when just anyone cane into his room," Gengxin replied even before Eldrian could ask.


    "Is that Gengxin?" A man in histe thirties with long ck hair shouted, standing up from the table he had been working on. "What brings you here, and who is this?"


    "The person who brings me here, Eldrian. He wants to talk with you about the ANW project. Let''s just say he is really invested."


    The man turned to Eldrian and smiled, "Is that so? What type of investment?"


    "Introductions first!" Gengxin quickly interrupted, "This is Constantin Eldrian, ask him what you want. I''ll be heading back now." Gengxin said, turning around just as he started walking, "Oh right, he has signed a non-disclosure so you can just tell him everything. At least all the basics of the simtion, don''t go into too much detail." Thest part was added as a warning, Constantin not having much of a limiter to his words.


    Once Gengxin left, Eldrian returned his attention to Constantin and extended his hand, which Constantin promptly shook in a vice grip. "Nice to meet you,"


    "So what interests?" Constantin asked while Eldrian nursed his hand which was reddened from the shake.


    "Many, but mostly why thepany treats it like it doesn''t matter," Eldrian replied.


    "It does matter, but only on a scientific level. I don''t think Gengxin told you who I am right?" To which Eldrian nodded, "Good, that means you won''t have a preconceived notion."


    "Do you know why we made the game at the start? Do you even know how we made it?" Eldrian shook his head to show he did not, other than the brief exnation giving during their court hearing. "As I thought, you might think at this stage that we made it to try and discover magic. But that is a bunch of bull, though it is what the current focus is on."


    "Before, when Miracle was just a buddingpany with barely any backing, they only had one goal. To figure out the unknown. Naturally this is still very much at thepany''s core, but it has be distorted with time as it grew."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Simple, the game, was not made to be a game. Rather it was made as a simtion, to see what would happen if we arranged for the most extreme circumstances to all exist at the same time. Our first aim was to see if such a gxy could even exist. It could, though it all had to be kept in bnce constantly."


    "The second aim was to try and figure out more of all the unknowns in our world. Such as antimatter, dark matter, anti-mass particles, dark energy, spacetime, ck holes, and so forth. We hoped to be able to see how these forces interact right at the edge, before one of them would rule over the others."


    While Constantin''s words were basic, Eldrian struggled to follow where this leading. Still, he listened attentively, hoping to make sense of it all once everything was said.


    "What we ended up with was an extremely interesting ce. For example, the where the game takes ce on is stretched in such a manner, with different theoretical objects added here and there, to give it a massive size while keeping its gravity very close to that of Earth. It is not made out of magical stuff as was said in the court meeting. Rather it is made of things that should not exist, but technically could if conditions were perfect."


    "In any case, this all does not matter too much. You should just know that we tried to figure out how the fundamental principles of our universe would function at their extremes. This was the aim of GAIA, and how it all started."


    "We then started shifting our view of this ce we had created, hoping to marvel and discover things in a blooming of knowledge. Instead, we quickly found ourselves unable to observe anything as GAIA needed all its power just to maintain the bnce of the ce it had created. But with time we found this specific with very strange readings. Though alls, stars, and moons had strange readings. This one was far stranger and we just knew it was special."


    "Wanting to observe it better we created more AIs, once we found a way to allocate more data to GAIA. Giving it enough spare energy to allow these additions without losing its bnce. The AIs were made in the form of gods, as you know. We gave each of them a task. To observe and stimte the environment. This should sound simr to what you heard at the court hearing."


    "Yeah, I remember that he also said you told these AI to make all the beings on the," Eldrian replied.


    "This is only partly true. We let these AI control bubbles of areas on the, to perform their own experiments and return the data to us. Finding ourselves unable to just look at how things were made as the amount of information was simply too much. We could only see the effects of everything. While these AI could stimte the environment, they could not do much more. We couldn''t figure out how things worked, only how it reacted."


    "Thus while we confirmed that the had other fundamental forces, other than the standard four we know, we did not know what they were. Observing the world we determined that one was mana, and another magic. Strangely these two are certainly connected, yet not the same thing. Wanting to know more we determined to send in trained personal to explore this ce."


    "They are what we now call game testers, but rather they were more explorers of the unknown at the start. The start really was not pleasant too, hence those people are heralded as heroes inside thepany. At that stage, we had yet to make another AI, the system. Hence there was no pain reduction, no system protection, no trantion. Due to this things quickly turned ugly when they met a native of the. We had to quickly stop the tests and first ensure a way of protecting them, naturally, this took a couple of tries."


    Eldrian flinched as he heard this, quickly thinking of the goblin caves and other rumors he had heard of devils and demons. Being helplessly in their mercy would certainly have been terrible for those early explorers.


    "Thanks to them, and our observations, we have an inkling of how magic and mana works. We even managed to bypass the need to actually understand it."


    "How is that possible?" Eldrian asked, unable to ept there was a way to bypass something without understanding it.


    "Due to the nature of mana and magic. These two are inherently rted, but not the same. You see magic is a special force, while mana is a special free energy." Constantin stopped, "It is hard to exin without actually seeing the raw data."


    "The best way to exin would be that magic is telekinesis that works on mana with but a thought. Being able to interact with this free energy and change its form. With time, as the natives developed and spell modules developed, we could simply task the system to interact with mana when a spell module was envisioned. Using the spell module as a trigger, and letting the system actually do the connecting as it can affect the world in small amounts. Leading to the fact that our people did not need to connect with mana themselves to learn magic."


    "This naturally led to a problem," Eldrian said with a thinking frown. It sounded simr to the problem most races had. How they were unable to use dynamic magic because they can''t truly control mana. Only in this case, people can''t even will mana themselves.


    "Yes, we believe weck magic. Or simply that no one has the talent to use magic, even though it seems to be a fundamental part of all beings. This is more likely since some natives are unable to use magic too, even though their environment is perfect for it. While ours is horrid."

 Chapter 202: Magic and Mana (2)

    <h4>Chapter 202: Magic and Mana (2)</h4>


    Eldrian did not quite understand what Constantin meant. It made perfect sense, if only for the fact that he could control mana and use magic did not exist. It caused him to doubt the words Constantin had just said, leading him to ask for confirmation, "What do you mean?"


    "Like I said, no one has been able to actually control their avatar''s mana in any way. The only way anyone has managed to actually use magic is through the system."


    Silence ruled for a while as Eldrian wondered if he should say that he is able to do this. Just as Constantin was about to continue Eldrian decided to mention it, "But that isn''t true. I have..."


    "Wh-what!?" Constantin shouted in disbelief.


    "Didn''t you wonder who I am and why I am here?"


    "No, there are thousands of employees. Naturally I do not know all of them. What do you mean you have?"


    "As you think, I can control mana." Eldrian''s reply caused Constantin to be lost for words. Excitements soon bubbling over him.


    "Really!? That is amazing! How! How do you do it? How did you learn? Can you exin what I am missing!?"


    It took some effort to actually calm Constantin down. Then Eldrian had to exin again how he had learned to use magic, though he still thought of mana as part of it and not separate. Naturally Constantin interrupted constantly when he found something interesting, strange, or simply unbelievable. Which happened often, right from the start when Eldrian said he was ying as a High Elf. The fact that Eldrian had started with almost no support simr to them made him feel ashamed of being unable to have yet evene close to willing mana. Not to mention controlling it.


    "Why didn''t they keep me in the loop?" Constantin mumbled as Eldrian finished his story, "So you can''t exin to me how to do it?"


    "Nope, I can tell you how I managed to do it, what steps I did, and what I feel is most important when trying to learn. But without experiencing it yourself and figuring it out for your avatar, you won''t be able to."


    "And those times you died, and when you felt pain in its fullest. Have you been given an exnation?" To which Eldrian replied with a firm no.


    "Uggh," Constantin grunted, "Seems like they are ying some sort of game again. I don''t like it, it always just leads to things taking longer than they need to... Have they exined what affinity is?"


    "It is how well we connect with our avatar, right?"


    "That is only for below and up to a hundred percent. When I had brought up the option of it being able to go over a hundred, everyone had thought I was crazy. They just couldn''t see how it makes total sense."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, himself believing that a hundred percent would be the max.


    "Well it was designed to determine how immersed you are in your avatar''s body and Gaia''s environment. To determine this we had to use a baseline, so there is some variance. Such as your fitness, body type, talent and so forth influencing it, but is quite urate. The influence is only to the second decimal as the system is constantly improving on it."


    "Now a bunch of things can influence this immersion to one''s avatar, the strongest of which are emotions, time, and training. But what if souls truly exist?" Eldrian only arched an eyebrow as he did not quite get what Constantin was aiming for.


    "It''s simple, isn''t it. If you also add the soul to the equation, not only considering it as thought, but rather as an ethereal thing that truly exists. Then you can go over a hundred."


    "I still don''t get where this is going."


    "Oh right, sorry. It is about the phenomena some of the older game testers have been experiencing. Specifically, the explorers, which I am part of." Constantin quickly added thest part before continuing, "Due to us having spent years in the simtion, our affinity has slowly grown extremely close to a 100%."


    "Unlike yers, we did not alter our avatars, and due to our special training before entering we had around 97% on average. Around thirteen of us are now over 99%, and we have found more and more side effects."


    "Like what?" Eldrian asked concerned.


    "Fatigue when returning to reality, pain slipping past the system, and some other harder to notice things such as phantom feelings. At first it was small and we hardly noticed it, but with time it became more and more apparent. Your death experiences sound simr to this, I have no idea how the Magic Crystal works though." Mumbling Constantin added under his breath; I should as an emperor about them.


    "But my affinity is only 97%."


    "Only! Do you know how high that is for a new avatar? Ours was only so high since we had special training to ready us for the world and our avatars perfectly mirror our real bodies." Emotion must be far stronger a contributor than we had thought.


    "Okay, but why does this even matter?" Eldrian asked trying to understand what Constantin seemed to be mumbling about.


    "Because as our affinity increased the system started failing. It is just an exnation of what you experienced. I don''t really know what it means, but I believe it might have contributed to your ability to learn magic so quickly."


    "But other yers also have nearly the same affinity levels." Eldrian countered, considering anything in the nies close to his.


    "I don''t mean your affinity itself. If that was the case we would have long ago managed to learn magic. What I mean is how you increased yours, your experiences and love."


    "Wait, what!?"


    "Did I say something wrong?" Constantin looked at Eldrian, surprised by his sudden shock. Holding it in Eldrian shook his head and tried to push down his thoughts which were quickly running wild. To stop them Eldrian decided to change the subject and ask his first question again.


    "This still does not exin why thepany cares so little for the simtion. Why don''t they market it better and truly expand it into the world? Instead of still limiting it to Beta yers only"


    "Isn''t it obvious? We have not expanded precisely due to the side effects. While a cruel world is eptable since pain is limited to a mild feeling, if that is removed then it would no longer be a game. The fatigue and loss of the ability to y 24 hours, heance needing sleep again, is also a major problem."


    "The fatigue is the first thing we are tackling as it started at the high 98''s for most of us. The pain only slipped through at around 99.5. It is far harder to increase one''s affinity the closer to a hundred it gets, hence why we are focusing on the fatigue first."


    Oh, yikes. Yeah that would really be a problem when more than just I show these symptoms. Eldrian realized quickly why he had felt so tired after his life and death battles. He also realized that if such posts started filling the forum then thepany would quickly lose the most attractive thing its game had. It was indeed the thing that pulled most people to it as people believed they would soon even be able to allow 48 hours of y in one day. Or some variant of this speed dtion.


    The ability to y while sleeping is the one thing no otherpany has managed to copy. Even though three other full-immersion games had arrived in the market. They all required one to still live a bnced life. Eldrian realized that if this bonus was lost, then ANW would quickly lose many yers simply due to how realistic and difficult it was.


    He did not know how reliant keeping it active was on other yers, Eldrian feared that if interest was lost then they would simply shut it down. Causing chills to run through him as he hurriedly mentioned his worries to Constantin.


    "I think this isn''t too much of a worry at this stage. You are actually in the prime seat to influence thepany in this manner. They are only so cavalier due to mistakes we had made which can be improved for the next simtion, and no real progress having been made in thest few years. If you can somehow help us also learn magic, you can quickly cause it all to be worth it again."


    Eldrian took these words to heart and quickly added this to the list of things he had to focus on. Finding that this actually worked out well as it was very simr to how he had to help Myropsis. Eldrian quickly ced more importance on it, as he now realized it was not just important in-game/simtion. Yeah, simtion describes it better than a game.


    While by now close to an hour had passed, Eldrian had no wish to leave yet. "While you have not managed to learn magic, can you exin to me what you had learned? The more the better."


    Constantin was more than happy to help, believing that the more Eldrian managed to learn the quicker he himself will be helped in return. He longed to actually feel the mana moving through him. It having quickly be his life''s goal after he first cast magic with the help of the system.


    Already having decided that once he entered the game again, under medical supervision, he would directly go to the emperor and ask to use a Magic Crystal. Even thinking of making a High Elf avatar for himself if needed, though this would take far more coordination to get ess to the resources he had in-game.

 Chapter 203: Training starts, again

    <h4>Chapter 203: Training starts, again</h4>


    Eldrian ended up talking with Constantin throughout the day. At first, mostly asking questions on how the game testers enter and yed the game, most of the conversation kept vague as Constantin did not want to exin this. Quickly they moved to how each of them perceived the world, both in real life and in the game, and how magic could connect to things. Constantin could not show Eldrian any spell modules, though he drew a few of each Tier and exined his own understanding to Eldrian.


    Naturally Eldrian shared if he felt he understood something different, but this was only really possible at Tier 0 and 1. Constantin was especially surprised when Eldrian mentioned that even the simplest Tier 0 spell had a core.


    Simr to natives, Constantin had always considered nodes and pathways as simply the form of the spell module. Having quickly passed past them and rushed to Tier 4 where he had then been stuck on till now. Listening to Eldrian trying to convince him that they were the true basics of everything impressed him quite a bit, and reminded him of coding in a way.


    I wonder if this is something the mages just did not wish to tell us. I mean our identities are high, but also strange in the game. They dare not anger us, but they are wary of us too. If not for us having helped them develop some good ruling systems, they probably would just want to keep us at arm''s length. Constantin thought, believing that the emperor must certainly have thought of spell modules in this way too. At least at some point, then again it might bepletely wrong. But why would Eldrian have seeded if it is wrong? He quickly countered his own doubt.


    No matter what, by the end of the day, both of them felt great. Having received arge amount of information from the other.


    Sun going down, Eldrian did not have much of a choice but to go back to his room and enter the game. If he did not then he would miss the valuable time, though now that he could y without a limit it had be less valuable. Still daytime in the game was more precious than daytime in the real world to him.


    In-game Eldrian started his morning with his routine spear practice, then a few matches with Vivian. Both sweating heavily headed to themand tent to clean themselves and get dressed. For the most part, Eldrian normally did not feel awkward staying with Old Sword and Vivian. However, thanks to Constantin''s blunder, or rather his insightfulment, Eldrian could not help but start looking at her as a girl again.


    For a time he had grown to see her as a friend, a partner, a fighter. While he had still seen her beauty, it had been overshadowed. Now it fought back ferociously and caused him to blush often when he looked at her. Naturally, this led to him barely managing to actually keep up during their matches, which Vivian was very smug about.


    Eldrian started to feel like he needed to set up his own tent. Especially when he knew she was just past the divider changing into clean clothes. He did this first thing after dressing, causing Vivian to be quite confused. Not willing to exin, Eldrian rather said that he would be awake far more often, and that he did not wish to wake them when he trained at night.


    This was partly true, as he did indeed to n work far harder from now on. Once he had set up his tent he started, though the first part of his training was to read. Reading through the book Myropsis had given him, Eldrian only focused on the notes first.


    He quickly read through them all, and then again. And again while this time also looking at the spell modules apanying the notes. Quickly finding that while the notes were interesting, they did not make much sense to him. The methods they mentioned differed too much from how Eldrian approached things. Still it was not a waste of time, especially the notes on hybrid spells.


    While the notes only lightly touched on them, Eldrian managed to quickly connect it to what he already knew. Once this was all done, he started to memorize the spell modules of the spells he felt were the most useful.


    Due to all Tier 1 offensive spells having no effect arearger than a twenty-centimeter, he quickly discarded anything that was in fact thatrge. Focusing rather on spells that were small and hard to see, or spells that could be used along with a weapon. He did not even look at spells that required his hands, something he had thought did not even exist.


    Naturally this quick look-through was only for now. He would definitely try and learn all the spells if he could. For now, he picked three: A poison spell, Prastio, that created a thick sludge one can cover a de in. A fireball spell, Mifotia, basically just the upgrade of Floga, focused on exploding on impact. The reason he chose it was because unlike the other fire spells, this one stayed small. just a few centimeters on impact.


    Thest spell was a wind spell, Aeraki, that simply caused a breeze to form, unable to be used inbat but nice to have for the day-to-day and an exception to his decision making. He had decided on learning it upon his second read-through, as the sun rose and his tent warmed enough for him to start sweating while seated.


    Eldrian had quickly found that most of the Tier 1 spells were not of much use. Hybrid spells such as Frost Needle seemed to be quite rare and considered as the hardest and most valuable Tier 1 spells. The others were all too weak to be of much use inbat.


    Wind spells would generally only cause a breeze, or at best a weak impactor or small cut. It could be useful if aimed at the eye or neck, but that was about it. Maybe also the groin.


    Earth magic at this stage is mostly to form rock, dirt, sand, and so forth into predetermined shapes ording to the spell. Fire spells were mostly just used to start fires as their impact and heat were too low to do much more, water was the same. Again if aimed at weak spots they would do something, but that was about it.


    Nature spells focused mostly on healing and were by far the most useful even at Tier 1. The poison spell was actually a hybrid spell and its spell module was quite confusing to Eldrian. It had 12 nodes and 19 pathways, far more than any other spell he has learned this far. Thebination of mana from nature and water was also not exined all that well.


    Naturally Eldrian was far morefortable with magic now, therefore he did not suspect much difficulty in learning the spells. He was mostly upset at how little use those that were supposed to be offensive had. In this regard he could understand why skills were moremon between the NPCs, it brought muchrger effects much sooner.


    A spell that could increase one''s strength at Tier 1 would only do so by 5, while a simr skill would give an increase of 20. The advantage of the spell naturally that you could cast it on allies, though if they knew the skill or even one a Tier lower, then it would be useless as you would effectively debuff your ally.


    This was what Eldrian took from the notes, and why he wanted to mostly focus on the poison and quality of life spell. The only reason he chose the fire spell for the start too, was because he was reallyfortable with Floga and he was curious about how good its power would be.


    The poison spell was seemingly not all that great, it took a long time to take effect and only tired the enemy. Not outrightly killing them. Frost Needle was by far still the strongest spell Eldrian hade across.


    He wondered if Myropsis had only given him a bunch of crapy spells, something he believed really likely.Well, I did say I only wanted to learn from them, not actually use them. Eldrian mumbled after some thought, a bit disappointed that he had allowed her an easy escape if he brought this up.


    Let''s just focus on figuring out how all these spells work. Poison first, seeing as it is slightly useful.


    Eldrian did just this for, for the next week in fact. During the day in real life, he would visit Constantin or some other game testers, who Constantin had introduced him to. He also headed out on Wednesday to meet and hang out with Erik, since it had been a long time. Both of them sharing their experiences and trying to learn from the other. Eldrian was really curious about potion brewing, but he was currently too busy studying the spell modules to take the time to learn from Erik.

 Chapter 204: Time flies (1)

    <h4>Chapter 204: Time flies (1)</h4>


    Erik on the other hand was really interested when Eldrian brought up the teleportation fees. He already knew that it was possible since it was how all the other yers had gone to the empire. He just had no clue how expensive it was. It was something he was saving for in the game, for if things got really shaky, he hoped to teleport himself and Akarui to safety. Havinge to the conclusion that trying to run was simply hopeless.


    His next task was instead figuring out where the teleportation hall was inside the city. This was quite difficult as he was being treated as an outcast after having declined the invitation of the empire. While there were a few other yers who also did this, they did not even total to ten in the city. All the NPCs felt that they simply did not know what an opportunity was. Seemingly they did not wish to be associated with them, believing that this would earn them the spite of the empire.


    Luckily Erik actually had many friends inside the city. While most of them were low-level, they felt truly indebted to him as he had saved their lives on multiple asions. With things having calmed down they were all now able to actually use their off days and each of them woulde and say thank you to Erik. As such he asked them all for information, knowing full well that the information was actually tightly kept only between the nobility.


    Eldrian on the other hand simply kept training. He had managed to learn the breeze spell, Aeraki, on the same day as he started. The cool breeze passing through his tent made the rest of his learning much morefortable. Learning the fire spell had taken some more time as the spell module itself is quiteplex, but after some perseverance, Eldrian had managed.


    It was not all that powerful, but it was good enough for what it was. If Eldrian aimed it at the floor it would actually dig a small hole in the ground, while if he hit a tree it would directly start to catch me. It was easy to put out, but this showed promise as Eldrian had only used the default cast of the spell thus far. He had even used it on himself to determine itsbat usefulness, hitting his chest it had done 9 damage and caused the area to sear.


    The only spell he struggled to learn was the poison spell. Figuring out the default mana flow, as well as the mixture of nature and water elements was harder than he had thought. Simr to Frost Needle he had been trying different variants, but this process was slow. Near the end of the week he finally managed, though havingpletely misjudged the spell. He ended up sshing his entire tent with the poison.


    Seeing the amount of sludge water he had summoned, Eldrian quickly understood why the poison itself was not all that strong. This was clearly a spell to allow a bunch of people to coat their weapons, rather than just for a single individual. It was probably more used for a group of archers to blindly rain into a horde, rather than for one on onebat.


    In between the main focus spells, Eldrian had also taken a look at the simpler spells. Managing to learn six of them too, with very little effort. For the most part, they felt like derivatives spells instead of unique ones. Eldrian did notin though as the experience had allowed him to test how the mana of all the elements felt and how the different spell modules worked.


    Heading to the mage''s association Eldrian quickly met Myropsis who was sitting at the bar sipping some wine. "Is that really how you learned magic?" She asked as soon as he approached her, taking another sip of the red wine as she waited for Eldrian''s response.


    "Yes, why are you asking?"


    "Because when I try to cast lower Tier spells without reliance on my previous knowledge, it feels like my mana takes control from me and just finished the cast."


    "Oh, I also experienced that. It means you are on the right track, what exactly did you try?" Eldrian asked, listening carefully to Myropsis exin her efforts in the past week. He gave his opinions when he could and told her what to avoid, but ultimately he did not think she would be able to break from her shackles.


    She quickly picked up on this from Eldrian''s bodynguage. She could tell that he was eager at the start, but as she exined he became more and more upset. This confused her slightly as she had thought he would be d that she was unable to actually manage dynamic magic casting.


    "Why do you care so much?" She asked as she finished exining her efforts.


    Naturally Eldrian could not say that he hoped to also teach those on Earth. So he quickly thought of an excuse, "I had hoped that I might also be able to teach Vivian how to cast dynamic magic. It is far, far stronger than normal magic and would enable her to survive much better."


    "And who is Vivian?" Myropsis asked curiously, but Eldrian only replied that she was a dear friend.


    "Now what?" She asked after some silence and two sips of her wine.


    "Can I get more spell modules?" Eldrian asked in hope.


    "I do not mind, but you have not really helped me much, yet."


    "Can you organize for us to go to a Magic Crystal?" Eldrian asked next, catching Myropsis off guard.


    "Maybe... It won''t be easy, but why are you so persistent about this?"


    "I truly believe this would be the best way in which I might be able to help you. Though it will certainly not be pleasant."


    "You want me topletely let my mental defenses down and let my mana also be pulled?"


    "Maybe it might help. I don''t really know, I also really want to try and enter the magical abyss again. I believe if I manage to do it again, then I might be able to do it without an influence soon."


    "That''s crazy."


    "But it might work."


    "Alright, seeing as you are still willing to try, I won''t give up. It normally takes High Elves decades to learn dynamic magic. I am sure I can''t give up in just a week."


    "Then?" Eldrian asked, himself not knowing what he wanted from this.


    "Oh alright. Let''s sign you up for the organization. I''ll also give you another ten spell modules, these ones won''t be as useless as the previous ones." Seeing Eldrian fighting a sigh of relief, Myropsis giggled. "I am surprised you didn''tin about that, instead you just listened and tried to help."


    Eldrian awkwardly scratched his head, "I did say I just wanted to learn them, not use them. So I didn''t have much ground to stand on."


    "But seeing your sincerity, I will also be sincere. I will also give you two Tier 2 spells."


    Eldrian was extremely happy to hear this. Following Myropsis he was quickly registered into the guild, the process far simpler thanks to Myropsis intervention. Eldrian had no idea what her actual position and rank was in the guild, but she was very influential. When she said she wanted to directly make Eldrian part of the guild, no one argued. Instead they quickly gathered everything that was needed for this.


    [yer has joined a guild; Association of Mages, Kynigo branch in Taurus kingdom. When doing tasks in the future yer can decide whether or not to do it in the name of the guild. Doing so will gain both the yer and the guild some influence.]


    Alright, I wonder what other functions this has... Eldrian thought, finding quickly that other than being listed as part of the guild, there was no further information. He sighed upon finding this, causing Myropsis to misunderstand.


    "This is needed, we can''t skip these questions." She said, also feeling like the questions were meaningless.


    "No, it''s not that. Right, what was this one on?" Eldrian replied, finishing the survey which had to be modified to actually be of any relevance to Chosen. It still was not of much use. Once this was done Myropsis disappeared for a while to get another book.


    Handing it to Eldrian, he thanked her profusely and exined to her what he was actually aiming for. To create his own spells by mixing and matching from others, or changing the spell modules. He wanted to enter the magical abyss since this was the easiest and safest approach. He knew he could cast spells just through controlling the mana. He did not think this was replicable, and thus he hoped to follow a more proven path.


    She was shocked by this revtion and it added some more motivation to getting them ess to a Magic Crystal, as Eldrian had promised to share what he discovered with her.


    It is a pity we aren''t in the capital or one of therge cities. That would make things far easier as there are many magic towers there, all with a Magic Crystal. The only ones here are the city main defense and the teleportation hall. Myropsis thought as she watched Eldrian leave. Determined to not be overshadowed by such a young person she returned to her room to continue her practice.


    Eldrian instead quickly opened the book once he left the building, looking for the Tier 2 spells with extreme excitement. While Constantin had drawn a few for him and even shared some photos with him, there were no exnations on how to use them. Constantin had not shared it as Eldrian was still far from needing it. Eldrian had not pushed as he was already d to simply be able to see them at this stage.

 Chapter 205: Time flies (2)

    <h4>Chapter 205: Time flies (2)</h4>


    Looking at the Tier 2 spells, Eldrian''s hope of learning them right away, was quickly dashed. He could most certainly memorize and reconstruct the entire spell module with some training. The problem came with maintaining it while he also had to push his mana into the spell. As such he set this aside for now, also knowing that learning higher Tiered spells before reaching the correct Tier through meditation might cause a bacsh.


    Not wishing to risk this, he focused on the other spells Myropsis had given him. Quickly bing absorbed as he attempted in casting them after having memorized their spell modules. Unlike Alicorns, Eldrian did not discard spell modules. Where they would cast spells simply through intent, he rather tried to do it through a mix of intent and guidance.


    It was a far easier way to learn and Eldrian suspected that this was actually the original purpose of spell modules. He could actually now cast spells simply through guidance, through the spell module, but he preferred to still figure out the mana distribution himself. Believing spell modules to be the starting ce to get used to a certain type of magic, though with time it had most likely turned into a this versus that. As such he did not want to overly rely on them, rather just make use of them.


    While he was busy studying, Eldrian also remembered to try and separate magic from mana. He failed miserably, not gaining any inspiration and even doubting Constantin''s words. How could magic and mana not be one and the same, he wondered.


    ...


    In this manner time flew, Eldrian working mostly on learning more spells and skills. Having gone and asked Old Sword to teach him some as per their agreement. There was not all that much Old Sword could teach him, as he believed that keeping a few really well-practiced skills was better than knowing a bunch and being unable to use them. Especially when one just started and no matter what they would not know many.


    This was in fact essential on the battlefield. In the heat of battle being able to split ones attention to use a spell was not easy. To get into the right position and state of mind to use offensive skills were essentially impossible in one on one fights. The results were certainly worth it even so, and hence learning a skill till it was second nature was far better than knowing many and struggling to use each.


    During the day IRL, Eldrian would often head to Constantin to converse more on magic, however soon they reached a point where they could not talk without showing each other. This was naturally impossible as they were not together in the game, and casting magic in the real world is most certainly not possible.


    The game testers were also currently not allowed to enter the struggle that was the war. Their task rather to keep training and trying to figure things out. Constantin could certainly fight this, or circumvent it, but he was not in such a rush to meet Eldrian in-game. Not believing he would manage to learn much more through this. Rather he focused on being allowed near a Magic Crystal, something not so easy to organize, even for the game testers.


    Still, Eldrian headed over each day, their conversations turning to other things just as interesting. Eldrian also asked if they could teach him how to fight in real life. This hade up when Constantin had exined how they had undergone training for their exploration mission, to be able to protect themselves.


    This training was far different from Old Swords. In the game, he would train mostly the basics and some skills alone. Other than this is training would fight against others constantly. Constantin instead only drilled the basics into Eldrian, not moving on until Eldrian could perform the actions perfectly a hundred times in a row. This was dreadful training that Eldrian quickly wanted to drop out of.


    He did not as this provided a nice environment for him to converse with Constantin, without feeling like a bother. During these sessions Eldrian started bringing up the more obscure questions he had, those he did not even feel were worth asking at this point.


    "Time dtion? No, I have no idea how that might work. It sounds like an adrenalin rush. Are you sure that isn''t all it was?" Constantin replied to one of these topics.


    "It can''t be just that." Eldrian quickly countered as he thought back to how much things had slowed down.


    "Well, I really don''t know. It is quite interesting though, and this is also connected to you surpassing the system limits in regards to affinity, isn''t it?"


    "Not too sure, I am only sure of it having happened in one of myst fights," Eldrian replied as he performed a standard punch into the air. Not understanding the point of doing this so much when he could rather fight against someone and gain far more valuable experience.


    "Maybe it is a mix of adrenaline and some skill or ability." Constantin offered, adding on a bitter, "I''ll ask the others if they ever experienced something like that. Though it sounds like it is hard to even realize it as it happened to you only when you are fully focused on your fight."


    On a different asion, Eldrian mentioned his fight against a Night Terror, as well as the ck shadow which had clung to him and hinted at him killing himself. Eldrian considering both as simr creatures.


    "Wow, that is interesting. Not sure what Night Terrors really are, but the ck shadow was likely a Stimata demon, they are actually quitemon and as such I know quite a bit about them. They feed on the emotional pain of their host, and they can influence your subconscious." Constantin had replied.


    "How the hell is that even possible?"


    "A bit of ck magic, a branch of magic ouwed by the human races, as well as some nature magic."


    "Nature magic? Really?" Eldrian failed to connect pure nature magic to such nefarious magic. He quickly discarded this prejudice as he thought of the poison spells he had learned. They were not much better.


    "Yes, nature magic. It is a magic that is in tune with life on a level even more basic than cells. Thus it is the easiest magic to use if you want to influence someone, just add some ck magic in, or even the dark element, and it will be a negative influence. Light naturally will be a more positive influence, and that is how stronger healing spells work. Though adding a great deal can lead to the copse of a person''s systems as you overload it."


    Constantin exined, surprised that Eldrian had actually encountered one of these foul demons. It had actually caused a great deal of trouble to more than one game tester. With them needing to be locked up and drugged to remove the influence, yet those who had suffered never wanted to enter the game again. Somehow the influence could travel past the game and into their real life. How this was possible was still up to spection.


    "Then is this also how telepathy works?" Eldrian asked, this all sounding far too simr to how he hadmunicated with the Alicorns. Not understanding Eldrian''s question, he had him exin before actually saying anything.


    "Interesting, I am really impressed you were actually able to reply in kind. Are you sure you haven''t managed to feel what magic is?"


    "Yes, I tried thest couple of days but I have no idea what I am even looking for."


    "Then how did you converse with them?" Before Constantin had thought they had talked through wind magic with Eldrian, he was surprised to hear that the Alicorns had used telepathy instead. He had onlye into contact with this once, and he hadpletely failed to reply. This was back when he had met one of the gods.


    "I... I have no idea. I just focused on the words I wanted to say, the same as one would do with a spell module when trying to cast a spell. Through doing this they managed to hear me."


    Is it that simple? Constantin mumbled, unable to ept that it was that simple. If he knew this back then, then the conversation would have been far more interesting.


    "Why is this so surprising?" Eldrian asked.


    "Have you ever wondered how the system voice, and even all the interface information can be delivered to you?"


    "Some science stuff."


    "No... Well yes... But... Definitely no."


    "That doesn''t make any sense," Eldrian almostughed at Constantin''s flustered response, which would have resulted in him having to start his current set of kicks all over. While they talked, he had to keep training and if he screwed up he had to restart. Constantin did not go light on him.


    "Well, you know that for most yers the system forms the bridge to allow them to use magic." To which Eldrian nodded, "Well this bridge is a mix of magic and science, with your intents collected and handed over through science. From there the system takes over and forms the magic, and when you are in your avatar the system uses magic tomunicate with you."


    "Wha-?"


    "That might sound strange, just forget that for now." Constantin quickly added, not wishing to get into the details of what they actually understood and what not. The current system was more a sequence of happy coincidences than truly their creation.


    "The thing is, telepathy is a method of using purely magic tomunicate. Having been unable to reply to the god I met certainly caused arge amount of the information he shared to be lost through the system''s trantion." Constantin added thest part more as a grumbledint than something he actually wanted Eldrian to hear.


    Eldrian did not even really hear that, he was stuck on the part that telepathy, and in fact the system itself, was magic without mana. Gears seemed to be cranking in the back of his head and he felt like he understood something, causing him to quickly call the training short to dive back into the game.


    Constantin was not happy with theck of discipline. However upon seeing Eldrian''s eagerness and recognizing that look of inspiration and did not stop him.

 Chapter 206: Magic, a feeling hidden in everything

    <h4>Chapter 206: Magic, a feeling hidden in everything</h4>


    Eldrian woke in the middle of the night. Looking at the all to familiar tent, Eldrian quickly used Floga for some light and found his chair. A small short bar stool he had made for himself through a mix of some spells, having formed nails through an earth spell and pushed them in through wind magic, and a handy rock. He had carved the wood with one of the shortswords in his inventory.


    It was not well made, but it did the job. Offering him somethingfortable to sit on as he read through the notes he managed to find. Or when he was eating, or simply when he was trying different ways of casting the same spell.


    This time he quickly sat on it and focused on the interface. So you are magic, that actually makes sense. And I had to really learn how to use you, it is easy now, but in the start it was quite hard. Eldrian mumbled as he called up the different parts of the system interface.


    Right, inventory. That was the hardest thing to actually use. Wait, it felt simr to when I tried to form a spell module inside the magic abyss at first. Dammit, I want to enter that ce even more now! Eldrian would have actually shouted this if not for it being midnight and him being surrounded by rough soldiers who would certainly beat him up if he did.


    Holding it in, he thought back to when he first use the inventory. At the same time essing it to y with the feeling. So this... This pulling thought. This invisible repulsion. This, feeling... It isn''t really possible to describe the feeling through words, the closest would be to exin it as simr to the repulsion between mas of the same pole. Except that this repulsion was all imaginary and only felt in the consciousness.


    Is this magic? Eldrian asked after giving up trying to put it into words, simply focusing on what he felt. Is this the link? But what does it even matter if I know this? He started wondering, quickly surprised that he had no idea why he had searched for this.


    Wait, this is simr to when I control mana. At least this feeling is the same. So... Eldrian started ying with this feeling, without including mana. He tried to stretch it in his mind, to cover his hands, his arms. To reach out to one of the books lying on the ground in a corner of his tent.


    Nothing came of this, other than a stronger feeling and a massive headache. It was so bad that Eldrian had to lie on the ground in pain, cursing the system for not blocking the pain. The fuck, this feels like when the Magic Cr-...


    Is that it? Maybe, fuck go away headache! I want to think! Shouting and cursing did not help, in fact it seemed to make things worse. The pain intensifying to a level where Eldrian was no longer able to even keep his thoughts together.


    What felt like an eternityter, but was only ten minutes, passed. Eldrian slowly and shakily stood up from the floor drenched in sweat. God, that was just like my first time with the Magic Crystal. Eldrianined, casting Anthizo and even Thera on himself to recover his energy.


    The rejuvenating and healing spells did wonder to his body, but not his mind. It was still tired and unable to think clearly, adding the pressure of casting some spells, he quickly fell asleep. Unable to evenplete the logout process.


    ...


    "What the hell happened? I thought he was safe and sound!" Joren shouted as he rushed into the room where they monitored certain yers, and naturally the game testers'' data. He had only been notified that Eldrian''s data had suddenly red up like crazy for no reason.


    "We have no idea. He suddenly logged in in the middle of the day, then after a few minutes of simply sitting on his chair he doubled over in pain. We know he interacted a bit with the system interface, but not much more than that."


    "Dammit! Do we have any idea what he tried to aplish?" Joren asked, wanting to head over to Eldrian''s room and interrogate him, even though the readings indicated that he was fast asleep now. Joren really did not like such surprises, especially when there was no indication of iting. Theck of Eldrian using and relying on the system also made it harder for them to know what he did, if he did not do anything physical.


    "No idea. We just need to figure out why he rushed to log in at such a strange time and we will know though." Offered one of those responsible for tracking Eldrian''s movements in-game.


    "Then figure it out!"


    ...


    Eldrian woke a few hourster with a bunch of tubes going into him again. Sighing he moved his arm slowly to press the button to call for help.


    Gengxin arrived soon after, "What the hell happened? You gave us a reallyrge fright."


    "I tried something, and I think I overdid it," Eldrian replied, thinking back to how he was so suddenly attacked. It is likely overuse... Of what though, magic? What is that even? I need to ask if mana poisoning is a thing, this might be the next level. The system also has nothing to keep track of it. Eldrian realized that thisst point was going to make getting used to using it really hard. It certainly isn''t something new to him though, so he felt it should be fine.


    Still after realizing this he decided to only practice this small amount each day. Maybe just get the feeling and then force it once. As simple as that.


    "You need to be more careful. What did you try?" Gengxin reprimanded at first, but then quickly became curious about what Eldrian tried to do.


    "I am not too sure myself," Eldrian replied as he tried to figure out what was going on, what had actually happened. His thoughts a mess as the logout had not gone smoothly; resulting in him feeling really tired.


    After talking a bit more with Gengxin he took a nap to rest and try and sort his thoughts. Entering the game upon waking as night hade and he did not wish to lose his ''normal'' gaming time. As soon as he did he could feel that his avatar was still tired, but not enough to actually bother him. Having rested well IRL.


    Moving out of his tent he headed over to Vivian to practice, also asking her in what ways someone could hurt themselves while practicing magic. There were quite a few ways, as he had thought. The closest to what he had experienced was called magic overuse. Normally it would lead to ack of mana, which would assault a person mentally and often cause them to lose consciousness.


    After his physical training Eldrian returned to his tent, this time more careful when focusing on this feeling. Instead of pushing it outwards, he pushed it into himself to the mana pathways he had flowing inside of him.


    Let''s see if I can multiply you know. Eldrian said, his mana had increased quite a bit since gaining his hidden ss. He currently had a total of 164, thus he believed there should be some free room to try and change their flow. Thest time he had tried it had felt like an immovable wall, as if there was nothing that could possibly change.


    Eldrian found that he could actually change the pathways with ease now. Not even needing to split a part of it off, he managed to change the flow of the entire pathway. This was not his goal, but being able to do this gave him hope.


    Make more pathways is one of the requirements for Tier 2, so let''s double them so there can be one to send mana and another to receive mana. Eldrian thought not knowing what was actually required and as such trying to imitate veins and arteries for now. It took him a couple of tries to seed with the first pathways, doing the same with the others was far easier once he understood how it worked.


    Now what? Eldrian wondered as he had to keep some of his focus on not letting the pathways return to their original positions, simr to how before his mana would retreat back into his mana pool.


    Normally High Elves focus on increasing the purity, but how the hell do you do that? What is purity even? Not knowing this kept Eldrian from moving any further, soon unable to keep his focus on them the entire time, the pathways returned to how they were before.


    I wonder if this will work with spells too?


    Eldrian found that focusing on this feeling before casting spells did not change much, as he was already using it subconsciously before. Now he was just aware of his usage of it. He did find that he could learn new spells far quicker now. Having learned this when trying to cast one of the hybrid spells he did not know.


    Normally, with the method he approached learning, he would need to imagine the spell module and then will the correct amount of mana, including the proportions of different elements for hybrid spells, into it. The first step was still the same, on sending the mana in Eldrian could feel a vague repulsion from the spell module.


    Not forcing the mana any further, he changed theposition. Constantly focusing on this vague feeling, quickly managing to cause it to be even weaker. Not muchter he seeded in casting the spell. A hybrid of earth and wind, where the earth would form dirt into a hardened cone, the wind propelling it forward. It was basically Frost Needle, but with earth and wind instead of water and darkness. The spell shot right into the floor until the entire cone was inside of it.


    What!? Just twenty minutes? Looking at the time Eldrian was left without words, even the easier spells normally took him half an hour to a full one to learn. Depending on their spell module''splexity.

 Chapter 207: Emissaries of the gods

    <h4>Chapter 207: Emissaries of the gods</h4>


    Once Eldrian overcame his shock, he quickly tried to aplish this again to see if it was a fluke or not. Half an hourter he had managed to learn another of the hybrid spells Myropsis had given him.


    This is amazing, it would have certainly taken me at least a day before. Eldrian mumbled as he picked one of the simpler spells, managing to learn it in under ten minutes.


    I wonder if I can change a spell after casting it, I had been focused on trying to do this before or as I cast it. But maybe...


    Casting Frost Needle, the Tier 1 spell he was most familiar with, Eldrian tried his best to stop it from shooting outward as it always did. He had been stuck at this level since he had learned it, only able to slightly control its flight.


    The reason for him being stuck was due to the initial momentum the spell had when cast. This was absolutely necessary to let it do any damage. While he had managed to remove this in a certain experiment, doing so took away all the damage the spell had. He could still move it in that case as he did the Tier 0 spells, but this was not fast enough to pierce into something. Having basically no strength behind it.


    Eldrian had received inspiration through the earth wind hybrid spell he had just learned. This one used the wind element to propel it, Frost Needle did not have an element doing this. Rather it was actually magic, after some tries Eldrian managed to figure out how it worked. The failures resulting in a bunch of small holes in his dirt floor.


    So magic aligns the mana particles and excites them, sending the spell in a certain direction. Eldrian felt this sounded a bit like mas, and wanted to talk with Constantin about thister. Once he discovered this it did not take long to actually keep the spell still. Holding off the magic part of the spell, stopping it from doing this alignment and excitation, the spell floated before him waiting for hismand.


    This is a different approach than fully controlling it, it is also much easier than when I removed this and tried to make it move after though seer willpower. Eldrian thought as he let this one fly and cast the spell again to see if he could replicate it.


    [Frost Needle unlocked to Rank 3], prompted a systemmand that Eldrian only nced at. Now for the real test, Eldrian thought.


    Focusing on both the piece of ice floating in front of him and his mana pathways, Eldrian searched for the link between the two. Having be extremely acquainted with his pathways it did not take him long to find the pathway which was losing a little mana. Focusing on it he soon found the tendril feeding more mana to the spell, and receiving expended mana back.


    So if I stop this expended mana from returning I can get a much stronger instant effect. Eldrian thought first, quickly realizing how that would indeed work. Seeing how it still had a slight amount of the specific element it used to carry. I guess doing so would expend the mana itself, not just the elemental energy.


    Eldrian did not do this, wary that something unexpected might happen. Such as when he had excitedly yed with the feeling that he now knew to be mana. Instead, he focused on the mana replenishing the spell. Floga, Nidia, and the other Tier 0 spells had such little energy requirements that it took a while before this would happen. Tier 1 instead needed a constant supply if kept active as Eldrian had it now.


    Focusing on this, Eldrian willed the mana to have more dark elements in it. As he did he kept watching the floating icicle, a mist forming around it as time passed. As the mist formed Eldrian changed the mana to be even more dark elements, almost removing all the water elements. Soon Eldrian even felt the cold air reaching him, not muchter a minor headache assaulted him as the spell shattered.


    Damn, forgot to keep in mind the mana drain. Eldrian quickly realized as he nursed his headache. Waiting for it to pass before leaving this experimentation to a littleter. For now, he continued to study the spells he did not know yet. Wanting to learn all those he had yet to master, hoping for more inspiration.


    As night arrived, Eldrian managed this. With this done he quickly set off to Myropsis, wishing to converse on this feeling which is magic itself. Curious if it was something the NPCs knew off.


    ...


    It''s been a while. Constantin thought as he woke inside the temple of Skepsi, the goddess of magic. She was the goddess he had conversed with long ago when this world was still rtively young. This was not special though as most of the early game testers had had such a meeting with a certain god.


    These gods would from there on be their patron god. All those who had a patron god would only revive, and log in, at their specific god''s temple. At first it had been a safety measure, as time had passed it had be a custom more than anything else. Strengthening the fact that they were not normal people or even normal Chosen, at this point, but actually emissaries of their god.


    Upon his appearance, the clergy inside quickly dropped to their knees in prayer. Ah right, I hate this part. "Please, stay as you were," Constantin said, knowing full well that none inside the temple would dare stand until he said this, or until he had left.


    Seeing their fervent gazes he sighed and quickly left the temple before the head priest could arrive and badger him for news of their god. Really now, I just met her once and only have a very small blessing from her. How can they still think of me as so important? Constantin thought, knowing full well that no native has ever met any god in person. At best they would get visions or dreams from them, maybe a very slight blessing but nothing as great as his.


    Once out of the temple Constantin quickly called up the system map and headed for the pce. His map having a bit more detail than other yers and allowing him to avoid crowded areas where he might quickly be surrounded and praised.


    Entering the pce was not an easy thing though, even for him. All those serving as guards were believers in Dioktis and they would not even blink if he was a patron of their god. Their belief being that only the strong have the right to be his patron, it would be a joke if a Tier 4 person imed to have that honor.


    "Let him in," The captain, ddeus, said after confirming the aura of Skepsi on Constantin. Hearing the voice Constantin sighed, "What brought you here today, Constantin?"


    "I''vee to ask a favor of His Imperial Majesty."


    "And what pray tell is this favor you wish to ask?" ddeus pressed as he followed Constantin. ddeus was dressed in the informal dress of the royal guards. Basically, it was mail armor covered in tailored leather with arge blue cape on their back, all having the royal crest engraved by a runesmith.


    "That is between me and him."


    "Is it now? What do you have to give in return?"


    "This does not concern you, now does it? Or are you capable of thinking for His Majesty?"


    Hearing the reply ddeus refrained from countering, as saying anything more would cause him to belittle his liege. So the two walked into the pce and to the throne room in awkward silence. Upon entering it a voice boomed through the room.


    "Oh! If it isn''t Constantin, my old friend! How have you been?"


    Constantin quickly went down on his knee and replied, "I have been well, thanks to your majesty''s grace."


    "Haha," Laughter boomed, "That is great to hear, but why have you note for so long?"


    "I have many things I need to do, and as such, I have been unable. I apologize." As he said this Constantin wished to sigh, he did not like how quickly their positions had been lowered in this world. Once they were the right hand of the kings, whoter became emperors. Now generationster, they were only shown moderate respect due to legends more than actual belief.


    "Alright, everyone leave." The Emperor said after staring at Constantin for quite some time. A burst of mumbling burst out as the Emperor said this, but none in the room daredin. Soon it was just the two in the room.


    "Now drop this etiquette bullshit and tell me what you want to ask for." The Emperor said, quite unhappy that he actually had to ept that someone so weak had such a great impact on their great nation. So great that his ancestors had made an oath where their bloodline will always remain friends with the emissaries.


    "How can you be so mean? I have merel-..."


    "You came to ask for something, so ask. While I have to show you courtesy due to the goddess you serve, it does not mean I need to like it."


    Constantin sighed and kept his anger in, "I would like to gain ess to a Magic Crystal for some experiments, if this would be possible."


    "Why?"


    "I hope to finally break through my limit."


    This reply garnered a bout ofughter. "You think you can do this after being stuck for thousands of years?"


    "Will you allow me ess or not?" Constantin pressed, not happy with how he was being treated. He knew full well that if not for the oath, the Emperor would never even give him an audience.


    "Fine... Just ask Angelica, she will make sure you don''t break it." The Emperor spat out, knowing that this was not too much to ask, and if he refused the oath would actually take effect and force him to. He did not wish to feel that pain and embarrassment again, once had been enough.

 Chapter 208: An offer, a chance

    <h4>Chapter 208: An offer, a chance</h4>


    Upon arriving at the mage association, Eldrian quickly headed for the room where Myropsis would normally spend her time. The wind library she ims to be hers. More than once Eldrian had seen other NPCse into ''her'' room only to get scolded and quickly sent out.


    Eldrian still did not really know what her position was. It was evidently really high as even Tier 4 master apprentices would simply leave, not wishing to anger her. However, they would normally get the book they hade for. Thus not too much damage was done, other than a couple of curses thrown at the intruder.


    "Oh, Haru. I still can''t figure it out." Myropsis said after hearing someone enter and confirming it was not one of the irritating ''normal'' members.


    "Really? Have you made any progress?" Eldrian asked, listening to what she said she had managed to feel. It was not much more, she had only managed to focus slightly more on the feeling. Having found it to be clearer when casting spells she was less used to. After a while, Eldrian brought up the topic he wanted to discuss.


    "Have you ever heard of the idea that magic and mana are not one and the same?"


    "Of course not, that does not make sense. What would magic be without mana?" She quickly replied looking at Eldrian as if he had gone mad.


    "I also thought like that, but recently I received some inspiration."


    Before he could continue she interrupted, "Again! Are you not a little too lucky?"


    Eldrian shrugged awkwardly, ignoring her interruption and continuing with what he had wanted to say. "I think this has arge part to y in dynamic magic. You know that feeling you get when willing mana?"


    "Of course, you told me to focus on it. To try and strengthen it to allow me to control my mana, instead of just willing it to action."


    "Right, but what would you call it?"


    "Willpower?" Myropsis answered. Normally she would have been certain, but the way Eldrian was asking caused her to doubt.


    "I guess you can say it is willpower, but can willpower alone interact with mana?"


    "Of course not, there are people who can''t use any magic no matter how hard they try. I would never im that all of themck the willpower needed." Myropsis quickly answered.


    "So it isn''t willpower, then what is it?"


    "Is this what you meant with magic and mana being separate?"


    "I think so, yes. From my recent training and a certain conversation, I suddenly realized what it could be. Have you ever used a dimensional storage before?" Eldrian replied, hoping to remain vague so as to not pique her interest on who. Which would lead to him needing to figure out how to tell the truth, or lie. Both seemed to be more effort than they were worth. Luckily she focused on his question and even became slightly prideful.


    "Of course, I have one on me." She said, slightly puffing out her chest in pride as this was truly something rare to own.


    "Can I try to use it?"


    "No! How can you ask something like that? That is where I store all my most precious belongings."


    Seeing the wary look she suddenly stared at him Eldrian quickly realized he had overstepped, "Sorry, I didn''t mean that I wanted to poke into your personal things. I wanted to test how using it works, you can try to exin it to me. But as you know, exining things so vague is not easy."


    Myropsis did not give, instead, she tried to exin. However she had no way to do this; saying she focused on it, sent in a small amount of willpower and then she saw the inside, did not really do much for Eldrian.


    "How does doing this feel?" Eldrian countered each time she exined and failed again to exin the feeling well enough for him to understand. After a couple more tries she finally gave in.


    "Alright, but you can''t go through my things. Once you manage to connect to it, I want it right back!" Naturally Eldrian agreed and took the ne she had hidden under her clothing.


    The neckless was top grade with extremely small runes carved even in the silver chain. The pendant was a light blue metal, beautifully crafted and engraved; holding a small dark purple crystal in its center. After appreciating it, and being reminded of a Magic Crystal when looking at the small purple crystal, Eldrian focused on connecting with this crystal. Certain that it was the storage''s physical form.


    As soon as he did he felt a slight pushback, a confirmation that this was indeed something he could connect with. Before when he had tried to move this magic feeling there had been no response, not when he tried to move it to his hands, nor when he reached for his book.


    Forcing his mind on it he managed to see the space soon after, quickly retracting his thoughts once he did. Not even having taken the time to check its size. "As I thought."


    "What?" Myropsis asked while quickly taking her neckless back and checking that Eldrian did not steal anything. The speed at which he had managed to connect with it had frightened her. She was not someone with little talent in magic, yet managing what Eldrian had just done had taken her weeks. She felt that it would take her a few hours to connect to a new dimensional storage.


    "That is magic alright." This did not elicit much of a response, other than a dumbfounded stare.


    "Of course it is magic, what else can it be!" She shouted feeling cheated, even though all her things were safe.


    "No, I mean it is magic without mana." This resulted in an even more dumbfounded stare, this time one born in disbelief.


    "Magic without mana? What... How..." She mumbled trying toprehend this and looking into her storage, again and again, to try and gain some inspiration.


    "Yeah, that feeling when connecting. Especially when you first tried to connect to it, focus on that. That is the key."


    "Ughh! Dammit!" Myropsis started cursing fervently as she heard Eldrian say this.


    "Hey! Stop cursing, what''s wrong?"


    "It has been ages since I first managed to use it. I can only remember the struggle, I can''t remember the actual feeling it elicited."


    Hearing this Eldrian sighed before suddenly thinking of a Magic Crystal again, "Then I guess using a Magic Crystal will be the only choice, or getting another dimensional storage. Though thetter would be less likely to force this feeling upon you."


    Myropsis did not reply right away, taking some time to decide if she should say what she had managed to organize. Hearing the other choice she also wanted to maybe go for it, but she quickly dropped this n as dimensional storages were nearly as rare as Magic Crystals. Finally she decided and said, "I have managed to organize a visit, but..."


    "But?" Eldrian quickly asked as he really wanted to use a Magic Crystal to test the things he had learned and discovered. He felt certain it was thest push he needed to actually figure out how to reach Tier 2. He might even be able to do it on the same day, if it does not require diligent meditating.


    "It requires you to do a task first."


    "What task?"


    "Mmm, " Myropsis tried to decide how to tell Eldrian. After some time decided to try and exin how this had happened, "After informing all my contacts that I would like to use a Magic Crystal for some experiments, none really came back. They probably thought I wanted to try and make something with it." Myropsis had to admit that once she said this aloud she realized she had phrased her request wrongly.


    Naturally, I don''t know how valuable they are, but it really sounds like she wanted to process them. Eldrian thought while saying, "You should have just said you wanted to cast magic in its presence."


    "Mmhmm, that would have made it easier. Well, we already have a chance as one of my contacts came back to me. So just let me tell you what the task is."


    "You are the one diverting the topic, not me." Eldrian quickly countered back.


    Myropsis sighed hearing this, not used to others being so blunt to her. Also not used to trying to be careful with her words. "Fine, you just need to apany a few adventurers on a scouting task." She blurted out to end this unknown feeling.


    "What scouting task, and why me?" Eldrian asked, already not liking the request as he felt certain those he apanied were going to die.


    "Hey, don''t assume things!" Myropsisined when seeing his stare and hearing his reluctant tone. "I won''t lie, it is going to be really difficult."


    "Then why the hell do they want me. I am still just Tier 1, you would be much better." Eldrian quickly countered again, feeling a nagging feeling that this request was due to him being a Chosen, and certainly not for his skills.

 Chapter 209: The situation behind the mission

    <h4>Chapter 209: The situation behind the mission</h4>


    Myropsis sighed as she heard Eldrian''s question. She worried that this might be a deal-breaker for him, if it is she would press him to ept. "Because they want someone who can bring back news even if everyone dies!"


    "What, no! I do not agree to that." Eldrian quickly countered, he did not want to go on a suicide mission and see more people die. He would naturally grow close to die. Even if he tried not to, he could not guarantee that he would not care for them by the end. He was sure seeing them die would hurt. While he knew this was something unavoidable in this world, he hoped to not join suicide missions where it was far more likely.


    "They are going whether you join or not. The difference being that if you go with them you might be able to help, and if not then their sacrifice will not be in vain." Myropsis quickly countered.


    "Fuck!" He cursed hearing her counter, he could easily just say so what and move one. Doing so, however, did not sit right with him.


    "Why are you so upset, death is a normal thing?" Myropsis asked after a while of silence. Not quite understanding why Eldrian was acting up so much. Even if he was aversed to death, he should not be this upset.


    "Just because it exists does not mean I need to like it!" After this silence ruled for a while again. Until Eldrian begrudgingly asked, "When?"


    "In two or three days." Myropsis quickly answered with hope.


    "And where the hell are we scouting?"


    "Pyknos Forest, or as it has been recently called; the lost forest." Myropsis patiently replied, d that Eldrian seemed to be on board. Her getting ess to the crystal also relied on him now.


    "That really does not help me, what and where the hell is this forest?"


    "It used to be the densest forest in the area, a great ce to hunt. But now some kind of corruption has started to kill the forest, already causing more than half of it to die. Hence why we now call it the Lost Forest."


    "As for where it is, it is South of the city. At its entrance is a fort and this is likely where the entire group will be debriefed on what monsters to be wary of." Myropsis tried her best to exin what she knew, unfortunately she did not know much more than rumors. It was all that was actually know of this situation.


    "What fort? Why send a small party instead of an army? Why..." Eldrian questioned until he was satisfied.


    In short, other than the cities, the kingdom of Taurus had also set up a couple of forts at key points in thend. Mostly focused on the South where enemies would normallye from. The Kynigo region protected by two mountain ranges on its West and East; the East also has a massiveke making travel hard for hordes of monsters. North was the innernd of the kingdom and hence mostly protected and safe.


    The reason these mountain ranges were so effective was due to the fact that Dwarves inhabited them. They were enticed to inhabit therge mountain ranges as an extra line of defense. The dwarves had been more than willing after being given full rights to the mountain and all its riches.


    This being a great loss or great profit for the kingdom was hard to say, though most would say it is a great profit. While the kingdom lost the rights to the raw materials, they received the finished products from the dwarves, slightly under market value. The Dwarves giving the lowered prices as a symbol of friendship and trust.


    The forts on the other hand were a means to set up a few lines of defense in the South. They were basically just castles built to be self-sufficient with less than three thousand men, but capable of housing up to a hundred thousand. Being able to actually feed around twenty thousand without needing to go into their reserves.


    Eldrian''s other questions were a bit more difficult to answer for Myropsis. Why a small party; because the person interested, the city mayor, can''t afford to task more people. Be this due to the loss of talent, or the cost of hiring said talent.


    The kingdom did not scout in force since hordes of undead were confirmed to inhabit some of the forest already. The corruption was seemingly strengthening them and allowing them to live off of less food. Going with an army meant waging a war, and the kingdom of Taurus was not good at taking locations.


    They were great at gueri tactics and defensive wars with how fast they could send reinforcements, while always hitting any supply lines that might be needed for their enemy. Assaulting a position was not their strong point.


    They could manage decently, but the cost was simply not worth it to them. Especially considering the fact that the invasion had only started, while many kingdoms had already fallen it was still very much the beginning. They would rather fall back and bide their time as no real civilized areas were in danger at this time. Losing the forest did not do much harm to the kingdom when looking at the bigger picture.


    As for why even send anyone, the mayor was worried about what was happening, as was the rest of the royals. They were most worried about how easily this corruption could spread, seemingly from nothing. It was simr to what happened to the barrennds, only it was more focused on making thend more and more suitable for the undead. At least this was one of the things confirmed to date.


    The mayor feared that this could spread even in their city and forts, which would make defense next to impossible. Knowing this now will enable him to take action and evacuate before the corruption reached the city should it be possible.


    "I get it, it is important. So I am the backup n." Eldrian replied once understanding the general situation, still a little bummed that he was thest-ditch n. For when everything when to hell.


    "You are more n F, than n B or C. The mayor isn''t sending just your average adventurers, but some of the strongest there is. You are just there to ensure that if it all goes south, then their sacrifice won''t be in vain."


    Eldrian took a long sigh to help him ept this. "Alright, you can tell him I''m in. Though I would like ess to the Magic Crystal before I leave. Just tell him this is of utmost importance to me, that I won''t even touch it, and that it would actually increase the chances of sess. Also, can you give me apendium of useful Tier 2 spells, stealth included."


    "Alright... Wait, what? Why?"


    "I already mastered all the Tier 1 spells you gave me, if I can gain ess to a Magic Crystal I am pretty sure I will be able to reach Tier 2 soon. Then the added strength will make a big difference, you know how little Tier 1 spells can do, even if I can control them at will. Tier 2 will have much more of an impact."


    Myropsis did not feel great learning that Eldrian was progressing so fast, however she cared more for this mission than her jealousy. Knowing that this was not a request of greed but one of honest intention she quickly overcame her jealousy. "I''ll try my best."


    ...


    "Akarui, where are you?" Erik shouted as he rushed into the garden, the small girl quicklying out of the temple upon hearing his voice.


    "Faust!" She happily ran to him and gave him a flying hug whileughing.


    "Are you ready for our outing?" Erik asked as soon as she calmed down and climbed back onto her own feet.


    Nodding vigorously she replied, "Sure am, I also took some seed from all the nts here as you asked. But why?"


    "It''s a surprise, now let''s go. I don''t get an off day all that much. Luckily things have been quite calmtely."


    "Alright! I can''t wait, can we get some caketer?"


    "Sure can, but we first need to get a carriage."


    "Is it far?" Akarui asked suddenly less energetic.


    "Not too far, consider this as a special ride," Erik replied while scanning his map to figure out the route to the magic tower the soldier had told him to go to.


    After finding a carriage Erik used some of the Tier 0 magic to entertain Akarui while they traveled, having prepared some sweets for when she became bored of the simple spells. Half an hourter he was almost out of ideas to keep her entertained, but they were there.


    Helping her down Erik quickly headed to the front door of the tower and gave the guards a special trinket. Seeing it they quickly sent a message to one of the mages and a few minutester the door opened. Closing as soon as they entered.


    "What are we doing here?" Akarui asked, her eyes wide open as she stared at the pretty pirs and interesting lights.


    "We came to see the ce, you can go nearer to the pirs if you want," Erik replied, having read her thoughts like a book.

 Chapter 210: Pelaros, the city mayor

    <h4>Chapter 210: Pros, the city mayor</h4>


    As soon as Akarui left, the mage, in dark blue robes, approached Erik. "So you are Faust?" To which Erik nodded, "I must thank you for saving my little brother. He has never shown much talent and no one else would have taken the time to heal him."


    "It is no problem, I believe it is what must be done. In any case you are already returning the favor by helping me get out of the city," Erik replied with a bright smile while watching Akarui feeling the patterns on the pirs up and down. Absorbed in trying to understand them.


    "Are you sure you want to leave? You will bebeled as a coward and deserter." The mages questioned while also looking at the little girl, understanding the true reason behind this decision.


    "I am a Chosen, not a native of the kingdom. They have no right to say I must stay and fight to the death. I also never agreed to that," Erik replied. While he had taken up the quest to help, he had made it clear when he did that he would only act as a healer and that he would not fight to the end.


    "Alright, then where do you want to go, and do you have the payment?"


    "The capital, if that is not possible then the nearest city to it." Erik replied, having gotten the information of how the teleportation system worked from Eldrian. The only way to leave a kingdom by teleportation was from the capital. Getting into it through teleportation also required an agreed connection which he doubted this mage managed to organize. "As for the payment, is five gold enough?"


    "Right, the capital is a no-go. This isn''t an official teleportation, rather I am using some loopholes and manipting the array. Hence I won''t be able to get you into the capital. The other cities are all a go, so I will send you to the nearest one. As for the payment, three will do for both of you."


    "Are you sure? That must mean you are making a loss." Erik questioned, knowing that normally the cost would be around three or four for one person to teleport into the interior of a kingdom from the border.


    "I am naturally not marking up the price for you, this is only the cost of the materials that will be used. Hence it is enough, now whenever you are ready, just stand in the center of all the pirs."


    "Akarui!" Erik called as he walked to the center, picking her up once she reached him. "Anything to be wary of?"


    "A slight headache, maybe some disorientation. Also, you will need to have an excuse to be allowed out of the tower yound in" The mage replied while activating the array, a sh of light signaling that the two were gone.


    I hope you the best, hopefully, you know what to say to safely get out of the magic tower yound in. The mage mumbled softly as he headed out to the noble district to resupply the materials he had just used.


    ...


    After Eldrian had logged out he had quickly gotten dressed and eaten a basic breakfast, rushing to Constantin to discuss what had happened. Now that he had actually managed to more or less sort out his thoughts and actually formed an idea of how it worked. He had not tried to exin things earlier to Gengxin because Gengxin would not make for a good discussion. Having never entered the game Gengxin did not really know how those things worked. He knew of it, but did not know it.


    No other people from thepany hade to ask him anything either. Likely due to him having said that he was unsure, they would probablye to ask in a few days if he did not say anything by then.


    For them, things were fine as long as they could collect the data they needed, and no one got hurt. Eldrian falling unconscious was not really considered all that amazing at this point, many of them hade to expect it from him. The situation this time had only been slightly different in cause.


    Conversing with Constantin Eldrian had managed to share his findings while receiving some interesting feedback. Constantin himself felt more agitated as he heard Eldrian talking about having managed to actually feel magic itself, and even control it.


    He was quite angry at himself and the others for their approach of relying on the system so much. He felt more and more that it had be a crutch that held them back. It was certainly useful at the start, but now it was simply there stopping them from realizing things as Eldrian could.


    ...


    The next day Eldrian headed to Myropsis right after his training with Vivian and Old Sword ended. "Have you contacted him yet?" Eldrian asked as soon as he saw her.


    "Yes, but he wants to meet you first. Follow me," Eldrian did just that, entering the noble district of a city for the first time. Riding a carriage with a crest of rolling hills with horses running free. Most people cleared the area for them in a hurry when seeing the crest, hence Eldrian assumed it indicated nobility of some sort. The guards at the inner wall also did not stop them, instead they opened the gate for them upon confirming the crest and bowing as the carriage moved past.


    The area within the noble district was less crowded than the outside. Instead of most houses being built right next to each other, all these had their own garden. Not a garden of just a meter or two, but one covering nearly as much space as the house itself. Some even had enoughnd for it to be considered a small farm. If someone would take the time to cultivate thend.


    All the houses had interesting designed and some exquisite patterns engraved on them. These patterns mostly covered the walls of the buildings, but now and then a house would have patterns on its windows or doors too. Some even went so far as to have their fences engraved with patterns.


    Looking at all this Eldrian wondered if they might be arrays, all of the patterns had a simr feel to them. He discussed this with Myropsis who quickly confirmed that they were indeed all arrays, mostly protection arrays.


    After around fifteen minutes of travel through this fascinating area, they arrived at the Mayor''s residence. Eldrian had thought they would be met at the gate of the manor and asked for their reason to be there. Instead, they directly walked in after leaving the carriage to the guards.


    This caused Eldrian to wonder again who Myropsis was, and why she would struggle to gain ess to a Magic Crystal; if she could enter the city mayor''s house without being bothered by the guard. Instead of questioning they rather treated them as honored guests and quickly ushered them in.


    "Ah, Myropsis! Great to see you again, this must be the Chosen you talked of. Come let''s go for a stroll while walking." A man shouted from the second floor, jumping from his balcony andnding with a flourish.


    "Thank you, lord Pros." Myropsis nodded slightly to conform to the etiquette of meeting a city mayor.


    "Haha, no problem. Now, what is your name young... Elf!" Seeing Eldrian''s ears the man became greatly excited.


    Eldrian cleared his throat to buy him some time to get used to the strange stare he was now receiving, "I... I am Haru, my lord." He added thest part a bitte, saying it felt weird to him. He was certainly not used to using such haughty titles.


    "You can just call me Pros, nowe. I have already organized some tea and cake inside the garden," Pros said, giving a nearby guard a look and nod to indicated that it needed to be organized as soon as possible. "Why don''t we start with the rose garden?" Pros asked with great enthusiasm.


    "No, that is not needed. I just came to discuss the reward being given before I go off on the mission." Eldrian quickly countered, believing that agreeing wouldnd him in a trap.


    "Of course you can get ess to the Magic Crystal, so don''t let it bore our morning," Pros replied with a wide charming smile, searching for something he might be able to offer as a gift without looking too obvious.


    Wait, what the hell just happened? Eldrian waspletely caught off guard by the sudden eptance of his request. The eyes of Pros bing even stranger, Don''t tell me...


    What is going on, he was so reluctant when I talked to himst. Why is he suddenly receding, and for Haru and not me!? Myropsis questioned, astonished that she was being ignored at this moment. She was even more astonished that the request she had fought so hard for was being given so easily now.


    "Ah... Hu..." Eldrian stuttered not knowing how to reply, at this moment he just wanted to get away. Unfortunately, he knew he had to stay if he wanted to get ess to the Magic Crystal.

 Chapter 211: Magic Crystal in Kynigo Manor

    <h4>Chapter 211: Magic Crystal in Kynigo Manor</h4>


    Sighing Eldrian prepared himself for the awkwardness he believed was toe. Luckily it was not too much, Pros was actually a very nice host. Other than being overly enthusiastic; giving Eldrian random flowers, trying to feed him cake along with the tea, and offering a room in his house for Eldrian to stay rent-free, he did not go overboard.


    In contrast, he gave Myropsis the cold shoulder. Seemingly holding a grudge that she had not told him that Eldrian was an elf. After enduring the strange looks and over-the-top actions for around an hour, Pros finally stopped and turned back to the true reason Eldrian hade.


    Setting down the tea he slowly stood up, "Thank you for apanying me, it was really nice. Now I am certain you actually want to go to the Magic Crystal. Follow me."


    They did, quickly entering the manor and then heading down to the basement. Once there they then waited in the middle of a hidden room, after which they were teleported into the room where the Magic Crystal was located.


    "This is my personal Magic Crystal, or rather the city ruler''s personal crystal. You can stay here as long as you wish, I am certain you want the time. Just don''t actually touch it, it is extremely valuable." Pros exined once they were in the final room, whispering to Myropsis just before leaving, "And cousin, please don''t hide any important details from me again."


    This room was slightly different from the one in Aggostead. It was in the form of a nonagon, nine walls all decorated inplex patterns slightly glowing. Giving the room a soft neutral color after all the different glows mixed, it was certainly a romantic atmosphere.


    Both Myropsis and Eldrian did not give a hoot about that. Eldrian looked at the patterns with extreme interests while Myropsis readied herself for the experiment.


    "Are these patterns also Arrays? They feel simr to those decorating the houses we passed." Eldrian asked as he walked close to each wall, quickly connecting the colors to the type of mana. Nature, fire, earth, water, wind, light, darkness, this and this is not a pure element. It reminds me of Frost Needle, so this light blue must be Ice magic. What is this white-purple one?


    "Yes they are, and the one you are looking at so intensely is a lightning array."


    "What are arrays exactly? I mean I know they are basically fixed spells that can be activated by some source of magic, but what more are they?" Eldrian asked as he moved to the nature array, and then to the ice.


    "I don''t know what you want me to exin. They are just that, a way of confining magic into a fixed ce. They are simr to runes, except that they can do much more since they cover muchrger areas. They are also more limited due to this."


    "Don''t they look simr to spell modules? I assume these are the nodes, here, here, here..." Eldrian said this not entirely sure if something soplex could be considered nodes. When looking closely the nodes themselves look like separate arrays or spell modules of their own.


    "Oh, yeah they are simr," Myropsis replied without minding it much. Having given up trying to cast spells, for now, focusing first on settling Eldrian''s curiosity.


    "No, I mean this looked just like a spell module."


    "Don''t be silly, the concept ispletely different. These convergent points aren''t just nodes, they are much more than that. And look, these lines aren''t just lines." Myropsis replied.


    Looking close Eldrian was left simply wordless as he found that the lines were actually made out of an insane amount of incredibly small symbols. "Are these runes?"


    "No, they are called rilpai."


    Suppressing his curiosity Eldrian turned around and looked at the Magic Crystal, "In any case we came to practice. Sorry for losing track of that."


    "It''s fine, I also find these arrays fascinating. They must have been made by a true master, theplexity and detail is simply astonishing."


    Eldrian had to agree that these were far more amazing than the ones in Aggostead, though back then he had not looked so closely at them. Finally closing this distraction Eldrian stared deeply into the Magic Crystal and focused on his mana. Finding that it stirred slightly, not much, but the slight stirring was an interesting interaction.


    Alright, let''s try casting some spells. He told himself, Myropsis doing the same thing now that Eldrian seemed to stop asking questions. She started with Tier 0 spells that she could control with no problem. This did not do anything for her though as she did not even feel so much as a sliver of a pull.


    Eldrian also started with Tier 0 spells, quickly confirming that his mastery over it had be too great. While there was a pull, it was too easy for him to resist this without even trying. So he quickly moved on to a Tier 1 spell, breeze being perfect for this as even if he lost control it would not do any damage.


    Taking a deep breath Eldrian cast this in the most basic form he could. This was by only envisioning the spell module and saying the word of power. He did not attempt to control his mana at all, trying to emte how he had practiced when he had first learned magic.


    Doing so he could feel his mana fighting his actions, seemingly refusing to do something so unoptimized. Simply envisioning the spell seemed to open the floodgates for his mana. This only seemed to happen with spells he had already mastered as this had not happened before.


    Like a raging beast his mana wanted to rush into the spell and actually let ite to fruition. This caused him to not just fight the pull of the Magic Crystal, but his own mana too. He had hoped to not control it, but if he actually did this then it would simply rush out and finish his cast through a sort of instinct.


    Eldrian had no idea why his mana fought toplete the spell so much, the only thing he could think of was that it acted like water atop a hill. The spell creating a hole in whatever had kept it at the top. Gravity would then pull water down, what was pulling his mana was unknown to Eldrian.


    It might actually be the Magic Crystal... It might be pulling at both the spell module and my mana. If the first cave the spell failed, if thetter caved then the spell casts... I should try casting a spell like this outsideter. Eldrian thought, trying to make sense of this strange interaction.


    This interesting duo caused Eldrian great trouble, the longer he tried to hold out the more his mana raged. All the time the Magic Crystal ate at his focus trying to destroy his envisioned spell module. Soon he started shaking from the pressure, his mana fiercer and fiercer the longer he tried to suppress it.


    Eldrian quickly realized that knowing how to cast was going to make entering the Magic Abyss much harder. On the flip side, this was an amazing way to train, in just minutes he felt close to his limit. Finally, he could not hold out longer and gave up, doing so was easy as he simply needed to let his mana do what it had been pressuring him to allow. He could also try to cancel the cast, but Eldrian feared doing so might cause a bacsh.


    Please no pain! He asked after letting the spell finally cast. He feared that this training might still be too much for him and result in a mental assault. Minutes passed and no pain came, relieving Eldrian of this fear.


    Thank goodness. But let''s not do this too often. Eldrian decided, not wishing to tempt fate. After resting he moved on to his next n of casting the Tier 2 spell, or rather just envisioning the spell module and saying the word of power.


    Myropsis had yet to give him any new Tier 2 spells so he still only had the two from before. A rejuvenation spell, as she knew his specialty was nature spells. The other was an ice spell, his next favorite spell type.


    The rejuvenation was the next version of Anthizo, names Anthisma. Already being familiar with Anthizo''s spell module Eldrian chose this one to try out. Instead of having just 9 nodes and 8 pathways, Anthisma had 14 nodes and 23 pathways; making it far harder to correctly envision.


    After a few tries, Eldrian feltfortable enough to also say the word of power. Upon doing so he felt the clear pull of the Magic Crystal. His mana not knowing how to fill the spell seemed to cause it to not fight to go free, allowing him to only focus on the pull.


    Doing so while also keeping his spell module intact, Eldrian quickly found himself in the magic abyss after just a few seconds of struggling.


    Keeping his focus on the spell module and fighting the pull, he only slightly took in the change in his perspective. Dangit, I don''t have enough focus to spare. Eldrian felt like cursing when realizing that the addition of extra nodes and pathways did not just make the module harder to keep in his mind. It also added weak points that the pull from the Magic Crystal could attack.


    If he lost focus of an area, the pull seemingly having a mind of its own would quickly converge at that point. When he shifted his focus tobat this, to stop the module from being torn apart, the pull will quickly target another area.


    Eldrian did not hold out long before he was kicked out, a sharp headache assaulting him. Luckily his mana did not cause much trouble to him, he could feel though that it had been built up. Agitated at being incited but not freed. To relieve this he quickly cast a few Tier 0 spells.


    Interesting, so the Magic Crystal can''t force my mana out of me anymore. Though I can''t keep my mana ''cooled'' enough to just ignore its effect. It acts more as a secondary force now. Not bad, this will just cause my breaks to be slightly longer. Eldrianmented as he worked through what had just happened.

 Chapter 212: How to enter the magic abyss

    <h4>Chapter 212: How to enter the magic abyss</h4>


    Eldrian continued to train in this manner, using Tier 2 spells to get himself into the magic abyss. While doing this he made sure to rest enough in between each attempt so as to keep his fatigue from growing. Luckily it seemed to grow much slower and he could actually feel when he became too tired and it would lead to a fatigue level gain.


    During these rest periods he would converse with Myropsis; who had to go all the way up to Tier 7 magic before she failed in subconsciously stopping the Magic Crystal''s influence.


    Luckily she had prioritized healing spells for her first spells when trying to reach a new Tier. She did not like being on the front lines and as such she normally learned healing, rejuvenating, and buffing spells first.


    As such the spell she was using to practice did not do any damage, though failing to cast it caused her a massive headache and caused her to rest for nearly half an hour each time. The cast failure robbing a great deal of her mana while also tiring her mind greatly.


    "You really did this to learn magic?" She asked during one of their breaks that synced up, which was most of them since she had to rest three times longer than Eldrian. She was sweating buckets from the pressure of the spells she was using.


    She finally understood why Eldrian had said it would be far harder for her to learn. Tier 7 spells were no joke, simr to Eldrian''s case she couldn''t really focus on much more than keeping the spell module intact when casting it. Often failing in doing so which led to the bacsh.


    "Yeah, you need to get good enough to keep the module intact, while leaving some focus to follow your mana. Just make sure you don''t go overboard and totally control the module as then the pull will no longer affect you." Eldrian replied, having realized this point when casting spells to relieve the pressure buildup he experienced.


    The more time passed the more astonished Myropsis became at how much of a monster Eldrian was. Despite her being Tier 6 in both magic and range, while being Tier 4 in melee, she could barely keep up to his pace of practicing. To make it even more embarrassing he was clearly making great strides with each attempt, while she was still stuck trying to move her focus to her mana.


    She knew it was there, how it felt and all that. But she could not shift her willpower to it, she still did not quite understand what she needed to do even if she could. Though she had an idea and that was enough for her to press on.


    Nice, I should be able to focus on other things now... Eldrian mumbled as he finally managed to save enough focus. Using this opportunity he started observing the Magic Abyss. Instead of trying to stay in it for as long as possible, he attempted to enter it as much as he could. Using the slight focus he could spare to try and figure out what the hell this ce was.


    After his thirtieth try at this, he finally got some inspiration, This is sort of simr to how the interface works. It isn''t physical, nor is it all in my head. I can feel that this actually exists, other people have also entered this space. Then what is it?


    After some more attempts, he figured another thing out, Right before entering I can feel magic surrounding me. Not mana but Magic itself. After this he looked at the Magic Crystal for some time, Is this where your namees from... If mana crystals are filled with mana, then you instead will be filled with magic. How is that even possible?


    When Eldrian mentioned this to Myropsis she waspletely clueless. "I thought Magic is more a concept of thought?" She replied.


    "Me too, but then what makes this crystal so special? I wonder, are dimensional storages made out of Magic Crystals?" Eldrian asked as he stared at the dark purple gxy-like appearance of the crystal. The only difference between this and the crystal of Myropsis''s dimensional storage was that the dimensional storage crystalcked the sparkling stars that looked like gxies.


    "Not entirely. They are made out of simr crystals, we think they are crystals that failed to be Magic Crystals, crystals that are too small..."


    "And don''t have stars in them." Eldrian added right as Myropsis was about to say something more.


    "What? What do you mean?"


    "The color is exactly the same, but these gxies aren''t in your crystal. What if they are what actually makes it a Magic Crystal. What do you call the crystals dimensional storages are made off?"


    "Umm..." Myropsis mumbled while trying to remember the name, "They are called Mov Crystals. They are always found surrounding Magic Crystals, we consider them to be the defects."


    "So they might just be Magic Crystals that did not reach the necessary conditions. I wonder if it is possible to cultivate them. Also, we need to get a name for the magic feeling, calling it magic is too dam unspecific." Eldrian said, dropping his curiosity on the Magic and Mov crystals for now.


    "Why don''t we just call it willpower?"


    "Cause it is again not specific, we will need to distinguish between willpower and magic willpower. Mmmm, what about Magic Will? Or the will of magic?" Eldrian replied.


    "Isn''t that a bit too long?"


    "I don''t know, I kind of like the will of magic. But it is long."


    Both of them did not talk for a while as they tried to think of something else to call it. "Why don''t we just call it mageia?" Myropsis asked after some thought.


    "Huh?" Eldrian quickly turned to her, "Where did thate from?"


    "I mean, it''s basically magic, just stretching the ending. It sounds simr, is easy to say, and will make it clear to us if we are talking of magic, or the feeling that is magic."


    "Mageia, mmm. Yeah, why not. It is better than trying to exin what we mean each time, and it is easier to say than the will of magic." Eldrian quickly agreed, after which both of them went back to some more training.


    Time passed quickly and night came around. Eldrian did not wish to end his training as he could feel he was close to cracking the magic abyss. Myropsis on the other hand could not hold out any longer.


    "I can''t, I need to go eat until I''m exhausted, and then take a bath to clean all this sweat from me." Myropsisined, her clothes clinging to her emphasizing her curves. Eldrian did not even realize this as he kept focusing on his experiments to try and figure out how to enter the magic abyss on his own.


    "Then go." Eldrian quickly replied, not knowing why she even struck up a conversation with him.


    "But, do you know how to get out of this room?"


    "Oohh..." Eldrian felt quite embarrassed as he realized he had no idea how to teleport in and out. He had always been brought into these hidden rooms by someone else.


    "Exactly, so are you staying the entire night or what?"


    "I think I will do just that,e get me tomorrow," Eldrian replied, causing Myropsis to be shocked again at his ability to power through. She was certain he must also be dead tired by now. Eldrian was indeed, but he felt he needed just an hour or so more. He could logout whenever he wanted so he wouldn''t really be locked in here.


    After confirming that he was really alright with this Myropsis teleported herself out and left. Informing Pros of what was going on before leaving the manor. Pros was extremely excited and quickly ordered a room to be made ready for Eldrian, though it was never used as Eldrian simply disappeared upon logging outter.


    A little over an hour after Myropsis had left Eldrian finally cracked it, That''s it. Now how do I do this myself? He wondered, believing to have found the trick to entering the magic abyss. Greatly excited Eldrian quickly tried it out with Floga.


    Alright, spell module first. Easy enough, now let''s encase it with mageia. I think that worked? Eldrian faltered here as he had no way to know if he actually managed to encase it. He could not see or really feel mageia. He could feel the vague pull on his thoughts, this was all that he had to work with. Hence he couldn''t be certain if he managed or not.


    Now, let''s simply try to enter the space. "Floga." Upon saying it Eldrian also guided his mana to cast the spell, keeping the mageia around the spell module in his mind. Doing all this worked as Eldrian found himself standing in the dark starry sky looking at a ming triangle that was Floga''s spell module.


    "Awesome!" Eldrian shouted without a care as he felt the heat emanating from the spell module. Having anything to feel in this ce felt weird, however, this thrilled him even more as he felt this opened even more doors to him.

 Chapter 213: Additions to spell modules

    <h4>Chapter 213: Additions to spell modules</h4>


    Thrilled Eldrian did not manage to stay awake for much longer. Upon his sess, as his adrenaline rush faded and his will to power through with it, he finally felt how tired he truly was. With no direct goal to aim for he quickly started falling asleep.


    Struggling just to stay awake Eldrian quickly confirmed how he had managed to enter the magic abyss. Quickly let the spell die out, and then logged out with due haste. Fearing that dying would result in another mental assault on him.


    Upon waking he still got a headache, not too bad a one though. Still it was there nheless, IRL, informing him that when his mind was dead tired that it did not matter if this mind was in the game or in the real world. He also felt really lethargic and his vision was slightly blurry, not wishing to move Eldrian simply took off his headset. Falling asleep before even managing to put it on his bedstand.


    Eldrian only woke after four hours of decent sleep with the helmet still in his hand. Welp, I guess I am no longer going to be able to just go on and on. Eldrianmented as he thought this, somewhat irritated that he was going to need to actually fit sleep into his schedule again. He had enjoyed being able to do something every minute of the day.


    Let''s hope it''s just when I try so hard. He quickly thought as he finally climbed out of his bed, got into actual clothes, and headed down for a veryte breakfast after washing his face to wake up and clear his eyes.


    After this he headed to the gym room where he and Constantin always met and his training took ce. "Why are you sote?" Constantin asked as soon as Eldrian entered the room. More than once he had thought of leaving, but his curiosity of if Eldrian learned anything new kept him here.


    "Ah, sorry. It seems that I might be reaching the point where I can''t skip sleep anymore." Eldrian quickly apologized, feeling that he should have powered through a few more seconds to send a message to Constantin. Knowing that this wasn''t really an option as he didn''t even manage to ce the headset somewhere other than his bed.


    "What? Already?" Constantin asked jolted by Eldrian''s speed.


    "Well it might be because I trained so hard..." Eldrian responded trying to determine how to convey everything clearly, something he was bing much better at.


    "What do you mean?"


    Eldrian quickly went over what had happened and what he had managed. Upon hearing that Eldrian had managed to get to a Magic Crystal before him, Constantin was truly bummed. While he had managed to get permission himself, Angelica, thedy who would take him to the Magic Crystal, had gone out on a mission and the Emperor wouldn''t give someone else the job. It was a loophole to the oath that the Emperor made full use of to waste Constantin''s time.


    The oath, in simple terms, simply stated that for all the help Constantin had given the empire, they would always help him when doing so does not hurt the empire itself, or the royal family''s health. As such agreeing to give him ess was enough, the oath did not require it to be within a set timeframe.


    As such Constantin couldn''t do much, suppressing his want to not be left behind, he kept his calm and asked Eldrian all that he could think of. He loved the idea of giving magic, the general mystical application of mana, and magic the control over mana different names.


    He hadn''t really thought of it himself since he hadn''t managed to ever manage to ess mageia. The system had always done this for him. The same went for those he would normally talk to, and as such, they never really felt bothered about the naming scheme since they only talked theoretically.


    At the end, Constantin added, "You should inform Gengxin of your lethargy. The discussion on magic andbat is certainly best done with us game testers, but that is something you should talk with him of. He is responsible for trying to find a way to minimize or even totally remove it. Exin to him in detail how you felt in the simtion and in the real world."


    "Also, if you feel something needs to be added to the system you should tell Joren that. That is more his field."


    "Thanks, I will. But how should I exin it to him?" Eldrian asked, knowing full well that exining these things were never easy.


    "Try and focus on what you felt, not on what you thought. Focus on how your body reacted after, and if you can how it reacted during." Constantin offered, having found that this often helped.


    With this settled Constantin then started Eldrian''s training, which was not much. Most of the day already gone, mostly due to Eldrian''s tardiness but also significantly due to their conversation.


    As such Eldrian only did a couple of sets of basic routine before leaving for his room. On his way he informed Gengxin that he wanted to talk. This conversation robbed another hour of Eldrian''s day, as such he had to rush to a normal timed supper; which was actuallyte for his normal routine.


    Finally logging a few hours after his normal time, around seven in the morning in the game. He found both Pros and Myropsis in the room with him, both facing away from him and conversing.


    "Morning!" Eldrian shouted as soon as he saw them, causing them both to jump.


    "Wha-! How did you?" Pros''s words faltered him as he stared at Eldrian who had just appeared behind them.


    "So it''s true, your body can disappear and reappear." Myropsis instead said upon confirming that it was Eldrian. "Did you manage to figure out what you were trying so hard to?"


    "I did actually, can you take me out of the room? I want to see if it works in a normal area." Both Pros and Myropsis quickly agreed, Eldrian finding himself in the hidden basement room just secondster.


    "So how did you figure it out?" Myropsis quickly pressed.


    "Wait, let me see if I still can do it. I was at my limit when I finally seeded." Eldrian replied, focusing again on Floga. Repeating the steps he had used before.


    Nice, it is the same! Eldrian quickly rejoiced upon finding himself again in the magic abyss. He quickly shifted his consciousness closer to the ming triangle. Let''s see if I can change it.


    Eldrian simply wanted to add another node in the middle and connect a path from each point. Focusing on mageia he willed it to create a converging point for mana in the middle, trying to copy the concept he had learned from observing spell modules during all his training and experiments.


    He messed up the type of convergent point he wanted and the random addition, without due caution, caused the spell to be unstable. Kicked out of the magic abyss Eldrian witnessed the ming ball as big as his fist, suddenly imploding; sending a shockwave of heat out soon after.


    "What just happened? I never saw a spell fail in that way." Myropsis was startled to see what had just happened. This simple Tier 0 spell just gave her the feeling of a Tier 2 spell, though using it was clearly not possible as it was a casting failure that caused it. Strangely Eldrian didn''t seem to be suffering a bacsh even though this was the case.


    "Uggh, I failed." Eldrian grunted as he shook his head to clear the fragmented images clouding his thoughts. That isn''t what I wanted, though that was quite cool.


    "What did you do?" Myropsis questioned, not letting Eldrian just ignore her question.


    Eldrian sighed before answering, his mind still quite cloudy, "I tried to add a node in the center of the module. Seems like I can''t just add things as I want though."


    "Naturally not! It takes a great deal of practice and calctions to determine where to add nodes and how the pathways must flow." Myropsis quickly replied, having heard that true masters in the field of magic can sometimes enter the magic abyss too. She had yet to seed herself, other than glimpsing at the space for a few brief seconds.


    If one could truly enter it then they could try and make their own spells. Those who could actually do this were normally limited to Magi, or on the rare asion an Archmage. Still they would spend weeks preparing for their attempt, Myropsis found it insane that Eldrian just did it without a second thought.


    "Good point, lets see if something simpler would work." Eldrian quickly entered the magic abyss again through the use of Floga. Alright, this time let''s just add three nodes. And I want them to push mana into the spell, not suck mana in. Now, how the hell do I do this? Strangely this was easier since it didn''t also require new pathways to be created to maintain the spell''s bnce.


    Eldrian faltered here as he didn''t know how to actually make the nodes function in a certain way. To try and find a solution he observed the current nodes in the module. As he did he picked up on the fact that the module itself was constructed of mageia, not mana. Though mana was flowing through and around it in the form of mes currently.


    Realizing this point though, Eldrian tried to focus on the feeling each node gave him. Each actually gave a slightly different feeling, but they all had a simr manner of existing. This is simr to my mana pathways... Eldrian thought and focused more on the node itself, These two at the bottom of the triangle are the same, but opposite. The top instead seems to be a collection point for all the mana...


    After a few minutes of observing Eldrian felt he figured out how it worked, at least he knew the general abstract feeling he needed to focus on for the node.


    In the end he only managed to add one before being kicked out. His spell darted to the side and scorched the stone walls as it burst apart from the impact.


    "Oops sorry, this is going to take some time." Eldrian wanted to go right back at it, but he quickly stopped as he felt that his mind was tiring. Just two attempts... Really? He wanted toin, instead, he just sat down and rested.


    Well, I did do it back to back. Eldrian sighed as he realized he couldn''t just go crazy, at least not if he wanted to actually learn anything from doing this without being assaulted by headaches.

 Chapter 214: Small steps forward

    <h4>Chapter 214: Small steps forward</h4>


    Eldrian slid down against one of the walls and started to rx as he realized he was going to need to spend a great deal of time experimenting. Havingpletely forgotten that he was not alone in the room at this time.


    "Um, now what?" Myropsis asked after about a minute of silence where Eldrian just sat on the floor deep in thought.


    "Ah, oh... Sorry I got lost in thought." Eldrian replied after looking up in slight confusion.


    He had been thinking that changing spells in this way was far harder than simply trying to change the manaposition of spells. He also knew he could cast spells by simply focusing on mana, so he started wondering if this path was even worth anything. If anything, it is more concrete... This was the final result he hade up with to continue trying for at least a few more hours.


    Eldrian also wondered if he could enter the magic abyss without relying on a spell module. If he cast a spell purely through mana, would it actually work? He was really curious about how this differed, and how everything actually worked and was connected. Stumbling in the dark for the most part.


    "I don''t really know." Eldrian said after taking a few seconds to return to the conversation. "I need to try a few things, you can do what you want." Turning to face Pros Eldrian asked, "When is the mission going to start? Rather when are we going to meet up?"


    "Oh, right. Everyone wille here to meet up and I will also share some things you all need to know. Mostly what your most important objectives will be and what you must be wary of. Everyone should start arriving today, tomorrow is thest day for them to get here." Pros replied.


    "Can I then just stay here then? Do you have a room I can use to practice?" Eldrian asked, having forgotten Pros''s strange attitude towards him as his thoughts stayed mostly in training new things. He also didn''t even think of a room to sleep in since he would just logout.


    "Certainly, I will have a room made for you. And this room is probably the best for you to practice in."


    "Thanks... Wait!" But this was toote as Pros was already out the entrance. Dang, he didn''t need to make a room for me. Eldrian sighed before blocking out his surroundings and focusing on his mana.


    Let''s try and enter the magic abyss through pure dynamic casting. Eldrian did just this, quickly finding this far harder or maybe even impossible. To enter the magic abyss he needed to cover the spell module with mageia, surrounding his active thoughts and all the mana in the process.


    This was hard but doable, as he could keep the envisioned module in his mind for as long as he wanted to try and manage this. His spell module also worked as a beacon for his mana, allowing him to keep control of it even when his actual control slipped after it was surrounded by mageia.


    Strangely mageia worked even in thought, probably because it was very much a thought. Wait, isn''t it just a more concrete version of thoughts? Eldrian suddenly wondered as he thought back to how he realized the spell module consisted out of mageia, not mana.


    He had totally just willed that into existence, and now he had found that it existed in more than just an abstract way. Though magic was mostly abstract, one could not deny that it was more than thoughts. He truly could not figure out how this all actually worked or even existed.


    In any case, following the steps to enter the magic abyss was clear when using a spell module. He had a target he could use to focus on. If he didn''t use a spell module though, then he had no target.


    Summoning his mana Eldrian could follow it as he controlled it to gather above his hand, it suddenly converting from pure mana to fire elemental and the spell then being there in existence. What he should cover in mageia he did not know. He could try and cover his converging mana, but doing so seemed to interfere with his control over it and caused him a great deal of trouble.


    Seeing Eldrian blocking out his surroundings Myropsis gritted her teeth. The hell, I am a Tier 6 mage. A Greatmage! Yet he doesn''t even look at me as an equal! She truly did not like this. She knew that in a fight she would kick his ass, he would not have a chance. Yet she could not deny that his control over magic was much greater than hers.


    After staring at him with jealousy and slight anger for some time, Myropsis teleported back to the Magic Crystal to try and catch up. Being so behind someone so much weaker than her just did not sit right with her. How could she be arrogant, prideful, and blunt when she wasn''t the one in the lead?


    Eldrian tried a couple of different methods to enchase his mana. None of them yielded any results as fully enchasing it caused him to lose control of the pure mana; mana not in an elemental form but rather in its natural free state. After a few tries, he rested for a few minutes and then entered the magic abyss through his tried and tested method.


    Not focusing on the spell module he turned to his surroundings, What are you? What is this ce? He asked and tried to feel, failing even after multiple attempts. Fine, then this is my only way to enter for now.


    Eldrian continued to try and add a node or pathway to his spells for the next hour, finally managing this with Nidia. It was the simplest spell he knew, simply two nodes and two pathways in the form of a droplet.


    As a simple attempt, Eldrian thought of adding a pathway in between the curved ones. After focusing on the current spell''s mana flow, he realized that these two curves allowed mana to flow in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Making the one flow clockwise and the other counterclockwise resulted in the spell bing highly unstable.


    I remember needing to realize this when I tried to learn Tier 1 magic. Why didn''t I realize this sooner, of course the mana flow of the nodes and pathways will be important. Especially for nodes, just determining it to absorb or expel mana isn''t enough.


    To put this to the test Eldrian quickly added the pathway, with the direction of its mana flow downwards. This did nothing though as the pathway seemed to be disconnected from the rest of the module.


    Changing the mana flow of the existing nodes helped, as Eldrian needed to add an extra outlet to give the new pathway mana too. This took a couple of tries. Once this was done he pulled himself out of the magic abyss while keeping the spell active, the mana usage slightly increasing from his addition.


    Oh, wow. Eldrian looked at the ball of water with interest. Normally Nidia slowly spun around its horizontal axis, now it spun around two axes. Before it only rotated left to right when looked from the front, now it also spun top to bottom. This is something I already knew possible with simple mana flow changes. Though the addition is new. This was all my first step to controlling my spells. What more did this pathway add?


    Observing the spell with care Eldrian moved it closer to himself, finding that the ball seemed to have be denser. At least trying to look through it the distant objects seemed more distorted than what he remembered. Taking out a cup from his inventory he let the spell fall into it. He then cast the normal Nidia and confirmed that the amount of water was more.


    With his first sess, Eldrian wanted to rush into more tests. However at this time the wall of the hidden room slid open.


    "Haru, if you want your room is ready," Pros said popping only his head into the room for fear of a spell losing control.


    "Ah..." Eldrian''s words faltered him as he didn''t just want to say no. "You didn''t have to, you know I can just return to my world."


    "Never, how can I not give my guest a room. Even if it is just a formality." Sighing Eldrian gave up and simply thanked Pros for his hospitality.


    "No thanks necessary, it is the duty of the host."


    "Well then, I am going to get back to training if you don''t mind," Eldrian said, not wishing to deal with the drama he knew woulde once he left the room.


    "That isn''t the only reason I came. The first people who are going with you on the mission have arrived. You can either meet them when everyone is gathered, or if you want I can introduce you to them right now."


    Ah... Meeting them one on one will be better to get an idea of who they are and their feeling about me joining them. In a group, I will likely just be dealt with as a background character. Eldrian thought, quickly thanking Pros and taking him up on the offer. "Lead the way."


    "Great, the two who have arrived are twins," Pros said, pausing and looking at Eldrian to see his reaction. Eldrian gave none, "Ah, I thought this would excite you. Guess not..." Pros paused for a while and finally added, "It does suck that they aren''t the same gender. It is quite the bummer."


    What the hell? Eldrian almost blurted this out when Pros said the second part.


    "Oh, that got a reaction." Pros teased andughed at Eldrian''s bergasted look. "Just joking, they will probably be able to easily beat you up if they wanted."


    "Hey! I am not the one thinking of weird things!" Eldrian finally snapped and countered.


    "What weird things, I just thought meeting twins is something everyone likes," Pros replied with a cunning smile.


    Dammit, I still suck at this. Eldrian quickly realized that while he had gotten really good at fighting, and quite good at magic. He still sucked when it came to talking with people. Easily falling into veiled traps the otherid out for him. He couldn''t just shrug it off as Pros just did.


    "Right, well on a more formal note. They are both nobility, quite high ranking too."

 Chapter 215: Meeting the twins

    <h4>Chapter 215: Meeting the twins</h4>


    "They are both great fighters, the sister a great archer and the brother a great swordmaster." Pros continued to say as they left the basement and entered the main hall of the manor.


    "She is currently Tier 7 and would dly be taken in by any army division if only she would actually leave her hometown. They are both truly good nobles, and while most of our nobles are disciplined and know not to cross certain lines, many love to be in the gray area."


    "Both these siblings absolutely hate any who actually try to be in the gray area. The brother is a Tier 6 swordsman, and again any army would want to take him in within seconds. Instead, he stays part of his town''s patrol group. Ensuring that no monsters make it within five kilometers of their town''s walls."


    "Alright, but why are you telling me all this?" Eldrian asked, not sure why he needed to know all this right now.


    "Simple, I believe these two will be most weing to you. You know, since you are only here for if they all die. Also, be warned that they are centaurs, and unlike us..." Pros paused and suddenly grew in size.


    Shocked Eldrian stepped to the side to make room as Pros legs morphed into a horse''s body. "They can''t shapeshift at will. It is normally only something one can learn at Tier 7, but in the case of the royal family we all have the ability from birth."


    "Wait, is...?"


    "Yes, Myropsis is also a centaur. I am sure you were very curious about who she is, seeing as she never tells anyone I assumed you didn''t know. She is actually from one of the major family branches. Not the main one, but the top three. You see each city has a branch of the family ruling it. And the further out the city, the less direct royal blood flows in our veins, our branch is quite distanced."


    "Where is your family?" Eldrian asked, having keenly noticed that this manor was empty if the guards and servants were taken away.


    "In the capital, for their safety. It would be beyond reckless to keep my children and wives here. Too many things can go wrong if we decide to do so, shapeshifting is not all that rare. A lesser form of it is even slightlymon, where you only change your appearance."


    As Pros said this Eldrian thought back to Andreas who had snuck into the army even though he was actually a devil. He also noted on thest part that it was only appearance, "You mean..."


    "Yes, traitors. Not all races in the Kalos ssification have the privilege to live peaceful lives. Calling them traitors might be a bit much since they were born in the Chaosnds, it is all they know. They are actually ves, but they don''t even realize it. They are often controlled either through brainwashing or in some cases through magic contracts."


    Really!? Things just keep getting more and moreplicated. Eldrian sighed as he listened, not liking how things were developing. Though he had long wondered what happened to all the people who had been conquered in the invasion. It didn''t make sense to kill them all within a short time, controlling them and using them as vebor was probably much better in the long run.


    "Back to the topic, just don''t be impolite when meeting them. And I hope you don''t mind having to look up to someone the entire time." Only once Pros said this did it click with Eldrian.


    Crap, he is really tall in this form. Now I know why the roof is three meters high everywhere. Eldrian thought as he actually looked at Pros in detail for the first time. Somehow his horse half was not naked, even after just shapeshifting into this form.


    It was covered in green cape-like clothing that clung over him and covered up to his hooves. This cape-like clothing was then attached to the gray and dark green shirt Pros was wearing. The patterns of both matched without a single mistake. Somehow his pants had shapeshifted along with his horse half to never let him be naked.


    "First time realizing how tall I am? Don''t worry I don''t mind the stare. Just try and not stare like this at others." Prosughed a little after saying this and after a few seconds shifted back into his human form.


    "This is just so much easier to actually fit in a city setting. Especially when you want to use chairs, tables and anything else really. Our centaur bodies are just toorge and bulky for most of these things."


    As Pros said this they actually arrived at the reception hall, or rather at one of the doors leading into it. "Right, let''s go in. Bursting through the door Pros said loudly to the two inside, "Sorry for the wait! I quickly went to fetch our n F."


    "Lord Pros, it is no trouble. Your servants have been more than good to us," Said the brother, both turning around to face them. Having been looking out the panoramic windows of the room while enjoying some tea they had been offered.


    This guy was muchrger than Pros in his centaur form. He was only barely not hitting the roof with his head as he stood there, he would not be able to stretch his arms out at all. Eldrian was quite shocked at howrge he was. Inparison the sister looked like a child, she only reached to where her brother''s ribs started.


    "Lord Pros, an honor to meet you." Said the sister, slightly bending at the waist in a bow. She was wearing light brown leather armor on her human half, while her horse half was covered in cape-like clothing. Eldrian quickly realizing that this must be what they considered pants. He wondered what they were called it.


    The brother instead was wearing te armor on his human half, his horse half also covered in cape-like clothing. The brother spoke after seeing Pros nod to his sister''s greeting, "Sorry for our appearance, we just finished the journey from our hometown. It is disturbing, the undead has be more and moremon."


    "If my lord wouldn''t mind, can you please send a regiment to my town to investigate? I fear we need to evacuate before it is toote."


    "Of course, let me get on that right now. Haru, introduce yourself, I don''t wish to dy this." With this Pros quickly left the room, leaving a bbergasted Eldrian behind standing in the way of the doors closing.


    Wait, isn''t that your job! Eldrian sighed as he realized Pros was really leaving him before introducing him. Coughing he tried to clear his throat. "Ah, hi."


    Luckily this seemed to be enough as the brother replied, "Hi, you must be the Chosen seeing as Pros introduced you as n F."


    "Ah, yes. I am Haru, and you are?"


    "I am Evules and my sister is Evale." As he said this the sister chipped in a short greeting of her own.


    "So what are your specialties?" Evules asked as soon as Evale was done greeting, Eldrian having slowly moved forward and the doors closed behind him by the servants.


    "Ah... Um... Yeah, I don''t really have any." Eldrian said after a few seconds of pause.


    "What?" Evules asked confused.


    "Umm... I am just Tier 1, so I won''t be of much use." Eldrian added, not even considering the fact that he might be of help. He would have done this if most of the party was below Tier 5. Yet he knew from Pros that Evules was Tier 6 and Evale Tier 7.


    He had no thoughts of being of any use to them other than being n F. He knew how strong Old Sword was, and using that as a reference he really did not think he would be able to do much.


    "Ah... I see." Evules said softly before turning quiet.


    "Don''t worry, at least when things gopletely wrong our sacrifices won''t be in vain with you joining. That is something that no one else can actually do for us." Evale said as she saw her brother turning somber, trying to lift the mood.


    "Thanks, Evale. That isn''t necessary though. I had thought I would be able to offer some support, but I won''t keep those thoughts after hearing how strong both of you are." Eldrian replied in a light tone, trying to convey that he really wasn''t bothered by this. "Oh, there is one thing I might be able to help with."


    "Really?" Evale asked in surprise, not understand how Eldrian suddenly thought he could help.


    "Yeah, baggage. I have a dimension space of three cubic meters. I currently have a few barrels of food and water in it, along with some camping equipment. I can fit a great deal more in it though."


    Hearing this Evale''s eyes flew open in surprise while Evules looked up in shock, asking in disbelief. "What, three cubic meters?"


    "Yes, it is something all Chosen have. So it isn''t something too special, but it should be useful."


    "Most certainly, I mean very few nobles can even afford a half meter cubic space," Evale replied in a chirpy mood, already trying to determine what the inventory should be filled with.

 Chapter 216: Conversing and interruptions

    <h4>Chapter 216: Conversing and interruptions</h4>


    With this mention, the conversation quickly turned to what Eldrian could bring with him. Evale pointed out an important fact; they should only store extra''s in his storage. While he was there to ensure that their sacrifice would not be in vain, both twins felt that Eldrian would likely die first if something should go wrong. In that case, if they relied too much on his inventory they would be without the items they might need.


    Eldrian felt slightly useless when this was mentioned and he couldn''t really deny it. He certainly would be the first to go if something really went south, if they tried to protect them then he would only be a burden. Something he did not wish to be.


    Hence he didn''t have much of a problem with this, though he still felt terrible realizing this. After talking about this for around half an hour they slowly got more used to each other. Slowly the topic turned to if they knew any of the other people that might join them on the mission. The twins only mentioning that they knew a stealth expert who was going to join them, having no idea who the other members were or how many there would be.


    Then it turned to how they preferred to fight, Eldrian asking this in curiosity not having expected them to actually talk much about it. With them not minding Eldrian dly told them of his training and how he preferred polearms, asking why Evules would choose a sword when he was half horse. Naturally, he said this much less gracefully than that, luckily Evules was not bothered by Eldrian''sck of etiquette.


    "It is actually quite simple, though it would be even more so if I could show my sword to you. I don''t use just any sword but rather a reallyrge greatsword. This gives me great range, past that of normal spears. Yet the entire length is deadly and it is far nimbler than a spear."


    "Ah, well I think the nimble is up for debate." Eldrian quickly chirped in, causing Evules tough as if he heard a great joke.


    "Wait, are you serious?" Evules questioned after seeing Eldrian not joining theughter.


    "Of course, I mean your thoughts are likely so due to your training. If you have the same training with the spear you would think differently." Eldrian said without missing a beat, quite used to talking to people far stronger than him.


    Eldrian''s response and Evulesck thereof caused Evale to burst intoughter, "When is thest time someone other than me dared talk to you like this brother?"


    "I can''t remember," Evules replied with a slight smile as he looked at Eldrian in a more favorable light.


    "If you are so confident then why are you still only Tier 1?" Evules asked after a slight pause.


    "Simple, because I have no idea how to move forward. I have no teacher, and those who had knowledge imed that their knowledge does not fit my path. While they did inform me of plenty of things, I still need to connect all the dam dots..." Eldrian paused, sighed, and continued, "There are too many dam dots. I keep getting sidetracked into a different area that I have no idea of if it is even useful."


    "What are you talking about, it is quite simple. You learn the spell modules, you train through casting them, and then you learn the next modules." Evale said as soon as Eldrian finished.


    "Not for me. You do know about High Elves, don''t you?"


    "Wait, you are a High Elf? No wonder," Evules suddenly interrupted in shock, quickly realizing why Eldrian would take much longer to progress. He quickly thought of Eldrian as a few hundred years of age now, and quickly tried to change his tone to a more respectable one.


    "Hey, why do I feel you just misunderstood something?" Eldrian asked, but before they could continue they were interrupted as the doors of the room opened.


    All three of them turned around and looked at the one responsible, a young man in histe twenties. Wearing bright red fancy noble attire walked into the room quite full of himself.


    "Greetings, who are you?" Evules asked, stepping forward and extending his hand to the neer.


    "Zereus, are you also here for the mission?" The man in red asked, slightly on guard as he sensed that the centaur in front of him was not someone weak.


    "We are, I am Evules and this is my sister Evale. Lastly, this humble elf is Haru."


    "Am I early?" Zereus asked as he looked around,pletely ignoring the introduction.


    "Not really, we are here to meet each other today. So why don''t you introduce yourself?" Evale replied, stepping forward too.


    "I did, didn''t I? If that is all, then I am going to an inn." Zereus said, quickly leaving before anyone could say anything more.


    Sighing Evules turned back to Eldrian and Evale, "I had hoped we won''t get any strange characters, seems that is already no longer the case."


    Still curious about how Evules fought as a centaur, not able to really fathom this, Eldrian quickly led the topic back to this. Realizing,ter on, that there was also a limitation for Evale.


    "Evale, how do you actually move while aiming?" Eldrian asked as this thought popped into his head. It was quite simple for normal horse archers. While they turned and aimed, the horse would keep going. It would dodge holes, rocks, trees, without the rider needing to lead it. This certainly wasn''t something a centaur could do, at least so Eldrian felt.


    "What do you mean?" Evale asked and Eldrian quickly exined what he wondered about.


    "Oh that. We actually developed a certain spell for it. Most centaurs actually learn it as soon as they can, even though it was made with archers in mind."


    "And that spell is?"


    "A Tier 3 earth and wind spell, though its Tier isn''t really limited to just that. It is just the lowest level at which one can learn it. Instead of taking control of the elements, this spell sends feedback to its caster. Allowing us to sense our environment when we must focus on something else."


    "That is amazing, do you think I can learn it?" Eldrian quickly asked, believing this spell would be amazing to almost anyone.


    "No, at least not without going through a good number of hoops. While it certainly isn''t the only spell of its kind, it is one we centaurs developed over decades. As such it is regarded as something simr to a legacy." Evale replied trying her best to exin why in her denial.


    Eldrian quickly apologized for his haste in requesting it. From which they then started talking of things less important and much less involved in the mission. Eldrian quite enjoyed theirpany, they were easy to talk to and did not mind his questions.


    Through this conversation, Eldrian managed to bring up that he was not hundreds of years old, and also found out what the cape-like clothing was called. This piece of clothing was indeed considered as pants to centaurs, though it was unisex.


    It was called an Akro and lighter color generally emphasized feminity while darker ones musculinity. Adding onto this the brightness of the Akro seemed to show your standing, so a bright cyan Akro would indicate that the centaur was a female noble. Though this wasn''t really followed strictly in casual wear and the importance of color was more for formal gatherings.


    As they talked and Eldrian learned more of their culture, their conversation would be interrupted from time to time. Generally, those who came would quickly introduce themselves before leaving, none seemingly wanting to stay for tea, or anything more really.


    After the fifth time this happened Eldrian had to ask, "Why is everyone staying in an inn instead of just taking the amodation here?"


    "Privacy, safety, politics, preference. It isn''t really just one thing," Evale quickly answered as the door again flung open, "Kydone! You''re early!" Evale suddenly shouted and rushed to give the person who just entered the room a hug. Her speed such that Eldrian didn''t realize she had moved until the wind almost blew him from his feet. The nearby chairs and tables all thrown to the ground.


    Turning around Eldrian saw a demi-human being lifted into the arms of the centaurette. Striped light gray furry ears and a simr tail slightly visible to him. As soon as Evale let her down Eldrian could get a better look.


    This person wore a dark purple robe covering most of her body, even so her ears clearly struck out from under this robe. Her tail had quickly hidden under the robe once she was let go. As she moved closer Eldrian could see the fur of her ear extending slightly onto her cheeks.


    "Kydone, long time no see," Evules said with a bright smile, offering his hand. Completely ignoring the mess his sister caused by rushing over to the doors. Eldrian realized this only as he turned his sights from the demi-human. bbergasted when he saw the shambles the room was in now.

 Chapter 217: The forum, what other players are doing

    <h4>Chapter 217: The forum, what other yers are doing</h4>


    "Evules..." Kydone said softly, seemingly quite shy. She did not take his hand and instead bowed in greeting.


    "Still scared of me?" Evules asked slightly teasing, causing Kydone to quickly straighten up in an attempt to look bigger.


    "N-n-no! I just don''t like touching people!" She replied in a high pitched panicked voice.


    "What about Evale?" Evules pressed, Evale moving to give her brother a jab in the ribs. Causing his human half to double over from the pain.


    Despite this Kydone still replied, not much more than a whisper. "Evale is different."


    Seeing that the antics of the three were almost done Eldrian stepped forward, "Hi, I am Haru." Instead of offering his hand he simply raised his hand and waved.


    Kydone looked at him strangely, following his actions a slight smile grew on her face. "Nice to meet you Haru." She liked this way of greeting, it didn''t make her feel small like bowing did. It also allowed her to not touch the person, as such she felt quite good about Eldrian for teaching her something so simple. That a way of saying goodbye could also be used to say hi.


    So their groups increased by one, though Kydone wouldn''t talk much. She mostly stayed next to Evale and listened to the others talk. Eldrian found it strange that he wasn''t the quietest in the group, but only at the start. Quickly forgetting about this fact as their conversation went back to noble etiquette. The topic they had been on when Kydone had entered the room, and Evale had caused all the furniture to be uprooted.


    No one seemed to being to clean it up, this didn''t really matter as there was no furniture that the centaurs could sit on. Thus Eldrian had also not taken a chair, feeling it would be bad manner if he did. After around an hour more of talking Eldrian felt that he needed to get back to training, excusing himself he quickly headed back to the basement.


    As soon as he entered the hidden room he quickly got back into his routine. Using simple Tier 0 spells to enter the magic abyss and trying to add more pathways to different spells. Noting down each effect into a very useful interface he had found in the system. While he knew he could take photos, he had not known he could edit them or even envision one. He could also open nk pages and fill in simply through thinking.


    This allowed him to note down what he found, what he learned, much quicker than if he tried to use actual paper. He could even envision the spell module changes and save it as a photo, this in itself was simply too strong. Eldrian realized quickly just how much faster people would be able to work if they could make this readily avable. He quickly felt he should pitch this to Joren. Certain that many people would be interested.


    Slowly he made progress, building up his knowledge with each sess. He found that adding a second extra pathway was harder than the first. The spell module seemingly resisting its addition, probably due to it not being designed to have them.


    Eldrian did not even try to add nodes as he realized the simple addition caused the spell to be unstable. This did not happen with pathways since they were dormant until he connected nodes to them. Nodes themselves instead directly have mana and as such cause a great deal of trouble when added.


    As Eldrian was trying to ovee this Myropsis appeared in the room, drained of energy and her clothes clinging tightly to her. "Long day?" Eldrian asked as soon as he saw her.


    "I just don''t get how you managed it. Even now I am unable to connect to mageia any more than I already have. I keep falling back into my habits and it stops me from moving forward." Myropsisined as she saw Eldrian. She no longer felt the jealousy she had before, now she simply felt awe when looking at Eldrian.


    "Are you still trying the same approach?"


    "Yes, I am trying to use the pull of the Magic Crystal to allow me to gain better control. I fear I will master the pull before anything else though."


    "That isn''t too bad," Eldrian replied as he heard this. It was actually an amazing thing in itself.


    "I don''t want to be a Tier 7 before mastering this! You said it would just be harder, isn''t it hard enough already." Myropsis quickly countered, leaving Eldrian slightly shocked as this was the first time he actually heard how strong she was.


    "Um... I actually thought of something that might help. I mostly forgot about it as I no longer needed to focus on it after mastering my control over mana, but it was a step I had used, and now am using again."


    "What is it?" Myropsis asked with great urgency, hungering for anything that would help her.


    "You know of the mana flow in spells, right?" To which Myropsis nodded, "How does controlling it work for you?" Eldrian asked.


    "Simple, I learn a couple of different modules. Each with a different flow, but the same base. Focusing on a different one allows me to control it, and hence my spell."


    "Well that isn''t really control then, is it? Try and change the flow itself. First before casting the spell, but do not rely on a different spell module. Focus only on changing this flow. Later try and change it as the spell is cast." Eldrian then quickly continued to exin that this was what he actually was doing now again. He also exined how this had helped him when he had still had no idea what to do.


    After this Eldrian continued to practice while Myropsis headed to her room in the manor to wash and clean herself. The advice Eldrian gave her was something she could do anywhere, the Magic Crystal had allowed her to sense mageia much clearer. She just wasn''t able to do anything without relying on her old tricks.


    Eldrian logged out after a few more hours when he started to feel mentally fatigued. In reality, he quickly focused on his mind and if he needed to sleep. Taking a quick one-hour nap to repower, this seemingly enough. He took quick note of this and added it onto his chart, where he had started keeping track of any strange things that were happening to him.


    After that, he changed, got breakfast, and then visited the forums for the first time in a while. Informing Constantin that he wanted to study up on some things and to have trainingter today, instead of from the morning.


    Eldrian was quite curious about what the yers were up to; now that most of them had joined the Empires. Curiously almost three of the top ten posts directlyined about the training, many yers had decided that they would not stick to the stict regiment.


    While they had epted the quest, the empire couldn''t force them to train. So these yers simply enjoyed their time there, as long as they fulfilled their daily tasks then they were in the right. Doing so allowed them more free time, allowing them to actually do what they want. A good deal of these people just surfed the inte during this time.


    The yers had not been taken to the capital of the empires, nor to normal cities. Instead, they had all been taken to a military city. The reason for this was quite simple when one considered the fact that nearly a hundred thousand yers went to each empire. They would naturally either be kept grouped to be monitored, or they would be split to keep them from working together. Seeing as they went with the idea to join and help, they were grouped.


    As he read on Eldrian found that more than half the yer base didn''t even bother to do the minimum to not get their quest failed. Some even took pride in their action, dering that they bought the headsets for the extra time, not to be ves to the NPCs. As such only around a thousand to five thousand yers actually took the training serious, in each empire.


    Naturally, there would be repercussions from the NPCs due to the yers''ck of morals. What this was going to be was still left to be seen. For now the NPCs pestered the yers, but did not do much more. Getting them here had cost them nearly a hundred gold coins per yer. They didn''t want to estrange themselves and lose all that money for nothing. Hence their soft approach.


    On a more positive note, thanks to the support from other yers, those trying to make guns have made great strides. After collecting some data they had found kingdoms in each empire where they could group up. The kingdoms chosen were ones in the middle of most yers current kingdoms, and a good distance from the borders


    This allowed them to teleport at a moderate cost, being a few dozens of gold for each yer. Due to the cost, many still could not teleport over. The leaders had all done so, however, with the aim to start making connections with cksmiths, runesmiths, inscribers, alchemists, and so forth. Each leader joined under a certain craft to learn and see if it could be used for gun making.


    Runesmithing was the most prominent one, after cksmithing. cksmithing an essential one to actually make guns out of any magic metal. Something the yers really wanted to do. Runesmithing was next as it could be used to exchange the gun itself.


    Inscribing was important for the bullets, while one could technically engrave runes on them, doing so required great skill and magic materials. Inscribing was much simpler, cheaper, and far quicker. It also didn''t require great skill in runesmithing, most average inscribers could manage to inscribe musket ball-sized objects.


    They made quite some great progress. I really want to learn cksmithing again... Eldrian really wanted to not be left behind, but he knew that he did not have the time to learn anything more than magic at this moment.


    His training with Vivian had quickly be just drills as he found himself stuck at Tier 1. Having already learned over ten skills, now needing to simply train until they became as normal to use as simple attacks. Needing to stop andpose himself for a second or even half a second wasn''t really a good idea. He found it really strange that spells were easier to just quickly cast, skills really needed forethought to be used in the moment.


    Eldrian really felt he needed to figure out how to Tier up, on his way to Constantin Eldrian thought of this the entire time. "Eldrian, you seem distracted," Constantin said as Eldrina messed up his routine for the third time.


    "I am. I am so frustrated at not knowing what to do!" Eldrian shouted as he threw a wild punch in the air.


    "Calm down and exin."


    So Eldrian did, taking the time to tell Constantin where he was lost. "Isn''t it simple though? You keep focusing on mageia, on elemental mana, on spells... Have you focused on pure mana?"


    "No, not really."


    "Then go do that! Stop trying to improve in the other areas until you do. Normally High Elves need to focus on purity, why is that a thing? Don''t seek the answer for the question, but rather to understand yourself, your avatar, better."


    With this Eldrian quickly felt better as he had some direction to pursue. Wishing to do this as soon as possible he focused on his training and quickly finished and left, logging in a few hours early.

 Chapter 218: The meeting

    <h4>Chapter 218: The meeting</h4>


    As soon as he entered the game Eldrian focused in on himself, trying to sense pure mana only. This was rather difficult as his mana kept fluctuating between different elemental forms. After ten minutes of failing to actually be able to observe pure mana for longer than a second, he felt he needed a different approach.


    His thoughts directly headed to the magic abyss. In that empty space, everything to do with magic was far clearer. Precisely since that was all that was actually inside that space. Eldrian wondered if he might be able to look into himself while inside the magic abyss. He doubted it, seeing his body never traveled in with him, only his consciousness. Still, he felt it was worth a try.


    Going about it in the normal way, Eldrian used Nidia to enter the abyss. The reason quite simple, it was the spell that took the longest before it started to drain his mana. Even when it did, the drain was practically nothing. His current mana regen actually able to ovee this.


    Strangely, while his total mana had slowly been increasing, up to 172 currently; his regen was still only at 0.65 MP/s. Eldrian could notin though, since the increase in total mana was a weed surprise he had found after gaining his hidden ss.


    In the magic abyss, Eldrian ignored the droplet surrounded by water elemental mana. Instead, he tried to look into himself. This was far harder than he thought it would be. Normally he would target his focus into his own body, what was he to target now?


    Taking his time Eldrian kept trying to figure this out, hours passed and soon he felt someone ce their hand on his shoulder. The physical contact ripped his consciousness out of the magic abyss, resulting in a headache bothering him as he looked at the cause of his pain with slight anger.


    "Sorry about that." A wolf-demi-human girl jumped back in fright upon seeing Eldrian''s re. "You wouldn''t respond to any words, no matter how hard I shouted!" The girl quickly said in an effort to not anger Eldrian anymore.


    "No, it is alright," Eldrian said, sighing and attempting to get over the irritation of being so rudely taken out of the magic abyss, along with the pain. "Why did you need me?" Eldrian asked as he saw that the maid was not willing to say anything, probably out of fear. He did not quite understand why she was so afraid, still he didn''t wish to cause her anymore so he tried to appear easygoing.


    "P-p-p-pros told me toe get you." She replied hurriedly.


    "Oh, is it already time?" Eldrian asked casually, looking at the system for confirmation. Left stunned when he saw it was already one o clock in the day.


    "Y-yes. Thest person has just arrived, so they are waiting on you now."


    "Then let''s go!" Eldrian quickly stood up, failing to realize that he was actually dizzy and his legspletely asleep. Grabbing onto the wall he steadied himself as his legs failed him, "Sorry, let me quickly get something to help me walk."


    Eldrian felt quite dumb for not realizing his legs would be asleep after staying seated for over eight hours. The dizziness he assumed was due to the abrupt ending of his training.


    Following the maid, Eldrian was quickly led through the manor and into the main hall where formal meetings were held. The room was massive, able to easily amodate over three hundred people. Only around thirty was currently inside of it, Eldrian recognizing around ten of them as those here for the mission.


    The group was not all thirty, a portion of this group stood to the side dividing them into around twenty and ten. Both these groups faced someone Eldrian could not see from the entrance. Eldrian quickly headed over to Evules who stood clear in the bigger group. Not wishing to stand alone and awkward during the meeting. Even with four other centaurs being in this group, Evules still stood at least a head above them all making it easy for Eldrian to spot him.


    "What were you up to?" Evules asked as soon as Eldrian joined them, this caused everyone to stop what they were doing and look over at him.


    Eldrian did not like having all the eyes of these bigshots on him, yet he knew he had to exin himself. "Sorry, I was busy with an experiment and lost track of time."


    "What experiment?" Zereus asked with clear disdain. Most of those here felt the same disdain, having needed to wait for someone so weak did not sit right with them. While it had only been around ten minutes, they still felt irritated by it.


    "It isn''t really any of your business, and I doubt you would believe me if I exined," Eldrain replied sharply, not wishing to be bullied in the party. He knew if he didn''t stand up for himself here then he would be treated as lesser by everyone.


    "Do you think you are better than me!" Zereus roared, waving his fists as his face turned red.


    "Enough! Now that everyone is here we can officially start the meeting." Pros shouted to stop all ideas of talking. As soon as everyone heard his shout they quieted down and listened, though clearly still not appeased. They had hoped that Pros would reprimand Eldrian, nothing being done left a bad taste in their mouths.


    "You all know the reason for the mission. The Pyknos forest has been corrupted by something. What, we do not know. We also do not know where this started, how it spreads, or what it really does."


    "We do know that it caused the trees to slowly die from rotting on the inside. The same for all nts, we do not know if this can happen to animals. I have arranged for a cleric to join you at the fort in case this is possible."


    "Then let''s go!" Someone shouted, seemingly not caring for this meeting.


    "Let me finish Corbol!" Pros shouted, causing the person to quickly shrink back. "The rotting isn''t the true thing we are worried about. Rather it is the fact that the dead seem to rise in this ce, as well as anywhere close to the corruption. It also seems to feed the undead, allowing them to function at full strength for much longer than normal."


    "That sounds like the stories from exploring adventurers," Evale said as she heard this.


    "Indeed, it is simr to the effects that are found past the encroaching border," Pros said while looking at everyone to emphasize how dangerous this was. "That is what makes it so scary, if it is something that happens naturally then we will have little recourse."


    "But at least, in this case, it is something rare and we might be able to figure out how tobat it with time. The encroaching is far too massive for us to fight, but we might be able to fight this. Though we might be able to use it as a reference if we find that they function truly simr."


    "The worst case is that it is something the devils can spread. If that is the case, then we are really in trouble. It will mean that no area is safe, and as such your mission will be far more important."


    Pros stopped here for a while and looked at everyone again, "I have prepared a certain device that will be able to send a message even at such distances. If you find it is the second, the leader of the mission will use this to inform me. Your mission will then change from determining the cause, to trying to capture it."


    "Wait, we did not agree to that. And who is going to be the leader?" One of the other centaurs asked as soon as Pros finished his statement.


    "You don''t need to do this. You just won''t get your pay if you run at that point." Pros said, clearly mocking the centaur''s easy-to-read fear. "If you feel that it is too dangerous, then don''t go on the mission! You all know the risks, you know why I even went so far as to get a Chosen to join you!"


    The centaur backed down as Pros shouted at him, but this did not ease the others. "Who is going to be the leader!?" Zereus asked with determination, pride written all over his face. He clearly felt it should be him.


    "Not you if that is what you are asking." Pros quickly replied, "It is going to be Evale."


    This caused quite an uproar, many were not happy with a female leading them. Others not happy because the twins never mingled in noble life. They were strangers to the nobles who took the mission. While these nobles were loyal to their kingdom, that did not mean they liked being bossed around. Especially by someone they didn''t even know.


    After a couple of seconds, Pros roared in anger, "Enough! This is not a debate, this is an order! She is the strongest in the group, while some of you are also Tier 7, she has years over you in training at that level!"


    "While she is not well known in the noble circles, she and her brother are the highest-ranking nobles in this room, aside from myself! Lastly, unlike you bunch who run in circles in the city, she lives in her town. Protecting it each day with her brother. They both have years of experience leading battles, and leading just sixteen people would be a breeze for them both!"


    Hearing the facts, and having their inadequacies thrown in their faces, everyone felt slightly angered. Though they dared not voice their anger as all these were indeed facts. She would be able to beat any of them in a fight, she had the right in her rank, and she had the experience.


    Comining even after it had been said would just show how vain they were.

 Chapter 219: Quest received; amazing rewards

    <h4>Chapter 219: Quest received; amazing rewards</h4>


    "Good, seems like you all agree. Now as for how the mission will be run..." Pros then exin the protocols for the mission, at least on the macro scale. They will set out right after the meeting to the cliff edge between the city and the forest. There they will rest for the night and then set out at dawn to the Pyknos fort, where they will be briefed again and the cleric would join their party.


    From there they will go into the forest to explore, after having been briefed on the monsters and undeadmon in the area. They are to return each day to the fort until they get familiar with the area around the fort, then they can start delving deeper. Each time taking their time to get used to the forest and what they should expect.


    The key was that this mission was not to be rushed, but it had to be done well. They were not to just run into the forest, but rather to scour it for the cause. Only if the signs of corruption were to spread quicker were they to hasten their search. If this does not happen, then they must take their time.


    Once Pros finished his exnation of the n he asked if there were any questions, and Eldrian got a notification that he had epted a quest. A special one, one he didn''t even know existed in this game.


    [yer has epted a storyline quest. (A quest not limited to just a single kingdom, but rather to the entire invasion)]


    [Quest Name: Corruption spreads]


    [Quest Giver: Pros]


    [Quest Rank: SS]


    [Quest Description: Find information on the appearance of corruption in the southern border of Taurus, in the forest of Pyknos. This is not the only appearance of this corruption and its discovery is vital to all races in the war for survival.]


    [Quest Goal 1 (Forpletion of the quest): Deliver news of the cause to Pros, or any other royal family members of Taurus.]


    [Quest Goal 2 (Forpletion of the questline): Deal with the cause of corruption. (Ranked Epic)]


    Reading this had left Eldrian slightly absentminded and caused him to miss the first few questions. A simple thought stuck in his head; Epic ranked quest... Epic ranked... This simple word told him that this quest was really not simple and that it truly was a suicide mission. At least if they actually attempted to do more than find the cause.


    [Quest Reward: 4 levels]


    [Quest Payment 1: ess to Magic Crystal (Already given, will not be revoked even if quest failed)]


    [Quest Payment 2: 20 Gold coins]


    [Quest Payment 3: Choice of up to 3 Tier 4 magic weapons/armor, or a single Tier 5 magic weapon/armor]


    [Quest Payment 4 (Only given if Goal 2 is aplished): Choice of up to 4 Tier 5 magic weapons/armor, or a single Tier 6 magic weapon/armor]


    [Quest Party: 18NPCs - Evules, Evale, Kydone, Zereus, Corbol, Gregeron, Basalion, Appina, Cillike, Thesice, Pegeron, Demerios, Absede, Rasmem, Kades, Baletus, Hellen, Cilia, Savvises]


    Eldrian was left simply without words as he finished reading the description. The rewards were also unlike anything he had seen before. Normally the difficult quests didn''t really have any tempting rewards for him. Generally, the biggest reward was actually the XP gain, this time he felt the rewards actually lived up to the difficulty.


    This is better, this feels more gamelike... But it isn''t, these rewards... Eldrian came out of his thoughts and listened to a bit to the questions, all of which was actually about the rewards. What he was shown would be his, through the system, did not evene close to what these people were asking.


    He felt this was fair, as he was the weakest. They asked fornd, a chance to take over a town if they were nobles. If not then they asked for a minimum of a Tier 6 weapon even if the quest was abandoned. Though this has to be an agreed abandonment and not just them deserting. If they actually seeded then they asked for Tier 7 weapons and armor at the minimum, many asking for Tier 8.


    Others asked for state secret techniques, such as the arrays used for teleportation in magic towers. Or for the royal family blood in an attempt to gain some of the abilities the royal family had. All things that everyone felt worth going on such a dangerous mission.


    Near the end only Evules and Evale hadn''t stated their im, Kydone having asked for a manor and enough gold to never need to work again. This wasn''t really all that much, it was actually one of the easiest to give,pared to all the others.


    "Evale, you are going to be the leader of this mission. State what you want in return." Pros said as he looked at her, knowing the twins he felt their wish would be simr.


    She looked at Pros and bit her lower lip in contemtion, "I don''t know anymore. I had wanted to ask for the construction of a magic tower in our town." Hearing this everyone to a sharp breath, even Pros seemed to quickly turn slightly gray. "I hoped for this to solidify our defense... But I fear it is already toote."


    "It might indeed be." Pros quickly agreed that it was, he would much rather evacuate the town than need to build a magic tower. The cost of that was simply too much, something he did not even have the authority to give. If she had actually asked for that then he would have to consult with the current king.


    "Then we want to rebuild our town behind the city, where it should be much safer for our citizens." Evules said as he saw his sister failing toe up with an alternative, "Though we do want this town''s defenses to be much better than normal. Stone walls on even the outer wall, along with a protected keep big enough to house all our citizens."


    "Evules, you do know how expensive that is..." Pros said, hoping they would give in.


    "Our people will need somewhere to stay, we can''t just keep them in the city. Or rather we can, but what about when the other towns evacuate? This is something that must be done, we just ask for extra measures to be taken."


    "Still, the cost..."


    "It is both our wish," Evale said, hoping this would sway the decision.


    Kydone suddenly perked up her ears as she heard this. "And mine too if it isn''t enough!"


    Pros sighed as he heard this, three people giving up their rewards would still note near to the cost of this. But it added much greater weight behind it, especially when the cost went back into the kingdom.


    "I will have to convene with the king, everyone leave. Except for you three and Haru." Shocked Eldrian stayed in ce as everyone left, wondering just why he was also told to stay.


    As soon as the room was cleared Pros spoke again, "I don''t actually need to convene the king, this is totally eptable."


    "Then why send everyone out?" Evale asked.


    "To make everyone else not ask for more. Your request is indeed much more resource-intensive, but it is also for the kingdom. They won''t care about thetter and it can be quite the argument. Time is a factor and I would rather not need to negotiate for a couple of days. This way with them believing it is the king''s decision, then they won''t dare argue." Pros patiently exin.


    "And why am I here?" Eldrian asked as he still did not understand.


    "Because you four will be the core of the mission." A female voice suddenly spoke up, Eldrian quite familiar with it.


    "Myropsis?" Eldrain asked in confusion. Pros instead sighed in relief as he finally knew she had made it back in time.


    She did not exin, instead it was Pros wo did so, "While we do not know the cause of the corruption, only using the encroaching as a reference once we know isn''t very smart."


    Myropsis then took over, "So this dimensional storage here has all the books, theories, notes... Everything we have on it. It also has around a hundred hand-sized mana crystals and ten hand-sized Mov Crystals."


    Hearing this everyone''s mouths fell open and didn''t close for a long time. Until Eldrian couldn''t control himself anymore, "Are you serious!? What the hell! I thought Mov Crystals are extremely rare, and dimensional storages even more so!" Eldrian''s shouts and questioned were directly aimed at Myropsis, who just days before had said she wouldn''t be able to get her hands on any.


    "Indeed... They are, but this mission is too important." Myropsis quickly answered before turning to Evale, "Evale you are only a Tier 4 arrayist so you do not have the greatest skill, but you should have an idea of what is going on. Other than the priest, a Tier 6 array master will also join you at the fort. You will be responsible to help her if you find the cause. That is naturally if an array can counteract it."


    "And if it can''t, who is to keep these precious items?" Evale asked, not wishing to touch the dimensional storage. What Myropsis held in her outstretched hand was worth tens of thousands of gold. If she lost it, she feared her citizens would pay the price.

 Chapter 220: Another bonus, setting off

    <h4>Chapter 220: Another bonus, setting off</h4>


    Upon hearing Evale''s quick rejection, Myropsis turned to Eldrian, "He will, in this case even if everyone dies the resources won''t be lost."


    "But what if I die first, then they will be without it." Eldrian quickly countered, not wishing to take the hot potato either. Tens of thousands of gold coins was simply a mind-boggling amount to him. The current exchange rate for coins hade to 1 silver per dor, slightly cheaper than at the start but still quite an amount.


    Most yers actually felt it would rise again, it had degraded a great deal thanks to the efforts of the empires. With yers no longer needing to gather their own weapons, no longer needing to pay to learn basic spells, the need for coins had depreciated a lot. The only reason it was actually still so strong was because of how rare coins still were.


    Though with time it will be more valuable again, while also bing more avable. Thus the future of the exchange rate wasn''t really easy to determine. Still, even at this low rate the storage they wanted Eldrian to take was worth over a million dors. He really did not want to take it, he feared he would be tempted to try and sell it.


    He knew he wouldn''t really do this, but the temptation was really strong. The amount of money was simply too much for him to ignore. The thought of only taking a crystal or two quickly jumped into his head.


    "Yes you might die first, but in that case you can go to the fort. There everyone should meet up should a major battle happen. Doing so will allow everyone to get back together, and also to take note of the damages. So you dying won''t cost them much in this case, just some time. Yet it will have safeguarded over ten thousand gold coins." Myropsis exined slowly.


    "Still, where the hell did you get all this!" Eldrian suddenly countered in another direction.


    "From the king. This mission is too important, as we have said before. We also don''t want any of the others to know of this part. The worth of this dimensional storage far outmatches that of most of their rewards. While it is only around twice or thrice a single person''s reward, it is much easier to take." Myropsis said without missing a beat.


    "Why didn''t you just order a Magic Crystal then?" Eldrian asked not understanding why she had struggled so much to organize that. If she could talk to the king, then certainly she must be able to that much.


    "It isn''t the same. Doing something for yourself, versus doing something for the kingdom. Naturally thetter is much more eptable, much easier to get approved and budgeted. People will even offer their support in the name of the kingdom, that does not happen when it is just for me." Myropsis replied, slightly sad that her position in her family was actually so low.


    The only reason she was still kept in the loop and epted in formal asions was due to her strength, something the family couldn''t afford to lose. Even so, she knew that they didn''t like having her home, hence why she left as far as she could. To not bother them, and instead live her life as she wished.


    "Fine..." Eldrian epted with a grunt, taking the dimensional storage from Myropsis. It was in the form of a bracelet, the dark purple gem cut out and curving along with the metal. Eldrian quickly connected himself to it and looked inside, it wasn''t as big as his own inventory. Only around 2 cubic meters, slightly less.


    This space was mostly filled with books, Eldrian quickly realized that there were plenty of magic books inside. Looking at Myropsis he saw her wink at him, So she added these too. Smart, and this makes this even more worth it for me. Eldrian quickly started checking the covers of the books. Most of them were actually on a single spell, where the spell was taken from Tier 1 up to much higher levels. Floga, or rather a simr spell, he quickly recognized on one of the books.


    "But should I just keep it on me? That doesn''t seem all that smart, and my inventory is too full at the moment to just empty this one." Eldrian asked as he quickly tried to figure out how he could solve this.


    "Maybe keep the crystals in your inventory, as that would be safer," Myropsis said, Eldrian quickly pulling some out. Just as he wanted to insert it into his inventory he got a message.


    [Mov Crystal detected, do you wish to absorbed the crystal to increase the size of your dimensional storage?]


    Wait, what? Eldrian was quite intrigued by this option, "What are the Mov Crystals for?" Eldrian asked instead.


    "To build advanced arrays." Pros replied with a curious look, "Why?"


    "Seems I can use them to increase my storage space. If I were to use one or two then I might be able to fit everything inside my storage." Eldrian quickly replied.


    "No, that won''t work. That might lead to you all not having enough crystals when you need it most." Pros quickly rejected this offer, "Why don''t you just move the extra things from your inventory into the bracelet, and then keep the valuables in your inventory. Later, after the mission, if things went well you can use the leftover crystals."


    "Pros, are you sure about that?" Myropsis quickly questioned, not willing to make the same deal. Each Mov Crystal inside that bracelet was worth nearly a thousand gold. They were not weak defective Mov Crystals, but rather some of the strongest and best quality ones.


    "Sure, we can just say they were needed for the mission. Haru holding onto them already increases the chances of them returning to a hundred percent, so I feel it is fair for him to take a little for this increase."


    "But you aren''t promising just a little!" Myropsis quickly countered.


    "Right, I am promising that thanks to his safeguard he gets to use what isn''t needed. Seems fair, since without him this safeguard would not be possible." Pros quickly countered again, Myropsis giving, she didn''t really dislike this option.


    She just knew that it might lead to questions if it was found that an array wasn''t even needed. Eldrian quickly thanked Pros and started to move everything over, quite happy with the deal he just struck for him.


    In the end, Eldrian kept all the spare food and water inside the bracelet, along with some of the crappier weapons he had still lying around in his inventory. This left both dimensional spaces around half-filled, and Eldrian quickly wanted to stuff more food into the bracelet for incase.


    He did this, while Evale started organizing everyone, Eldrian returning ten minutester as everyone finally started listening. Some of the rougher adventurers didn''t just want to take Pros''s words for her experience, incited by the nobles they quickly started giving her trouble.


    None of them had been able to say a word after she decided to act, as they were still talking nonsense she had acted. Using an agility boosting skill, along with her experience in fighting, she moved so fast that all of those making trouble doubled over in pain without even knowing what had happened. The nobles instigating this were not left out, she had made sure to give them an extra hard hit. Using almost all her strength, leaving them all blue in the face as they struggled to breathe.


    Seeing this none of them dared stir any trouble again, they all realized that even five of them might not be able to take her down. Yet she hadn''t even taken out her weapons, leaving them shocked at the distance between new Tier 7''s, and one who had been at that level for years.


    With this all set they were ready to go, and they did. Eldrian climbed onto his horse, an eight-legged steed, called an Agima; All of the non-centaurs were given one to help them keep up and make the travel quicker.


    Agima was a demonic variant of horses, but not as a monster, rather as a magical beast. A ssification for all none evil creatures of animal variation, Alicorns and Unicorns also being in this ssification.


    The Agima were not intelligent enough to talk, but they could use a few skills and abilities, along with followingmands and making their own decisions for survival. They were amazing steeds and regrly used in the army of Taurus. The Agima given to them were fully armored, but their armor was only normal grade armor. The armor was more for show, as they wouldn''t go into the forest with the party. They were only to get them there in less than a day''s travel.


    Around an hour after setting out Evules asked Eldrian in curiosity, "Don''t you have any armor?"


    Looking around Eldrian quickly realized he was the only one who hadn''t changed. It seemed that at least half the people in this group had some sort of dimensional storage. Those without one had backpacks with them, all of them had equipped themselves before leaving the city outer walls. Eldrian was the only one still in his clothes.


    "Ah... Yeah, I actually don''t have any." Eldrian admitted a bit embarrassed. The armor he hadst used was quickly destroyed, he definitely didn''t want to waste the little money he had on another set. Especially when it was so easy to lose inbat.


    He had epted that if he couldn''t dodge, then he would die. This would be the case in most cases even if he had some normal grade armor. Only magic-grade armor would actually be worth it in Eldrian''s eyes.


    Evules looked at Eldrian in disbelief upon hearing his admittance. "You have to be joking. How can you not have any armor?"

 Chapter 221: Can I die, safely?

    <h4>Chapter 221: Can I die, safely?</h4>


    "Well, they are damn expensive." Eldrian started saying, "I mean I get why this is so. It takes far more metal to make them than it does for weapons. But due to this the armor I can afford is likely just Tier 2 or at best Tier 4 normal grade. That won''t do much, seeing as I keep facing things that can easily do enough damage to just destroy my armor."


    "That isn''t what you should care about. The thing you should care about is if it can take a few hits, if the answer is yes then it did its job. It is there to save you when you are unable to dodge, say in a hail of arrows." Evules countered, not agreeing in the slightest with Eldrian''s choice.


    "I did have some armor, it gotpletely destroyed though. And no I didn''t buy it, it was given to me. Just went to show how little it is worth." Eldrian countered, he would most likely die in a hail of arrows no matter what he did. A shield might change this, but not armor; especially the armor he could afford, not even enough topletely cover himself. Not that he would even want that type of armor as it would also slow him a great deal.


    "Did it save your life?" Evules pressed.


    "Well... Yes..." Eldrian had to admit it had helped him plenty when he fought against several goblins at once. Having something stop their des had been wonderfully useful when they surrounded him.


    "Then it worked as good as it should." Evules kept pressing.


    "Still, I can''t afford it. It is just too expensive." Eldrian said this with conviction. It simply was too expensive for him at this stage. Luckily he didn''t think he would be on the frontlines, hence his chances of needing to fight outnumbered should be lowered. He also didn''t expect to do much fighting, seeing as how he was surrounded by Tier 5 and over characters.


    "Too expensive!?" Evules felt that this was the dumbest thing one could say about armor.


    "Well, unlike you, I don''t really die. So yeah, I''d rather save the cash than waste it." As Eldrian said this he suddenly felt that this might not be correct. I wonder, am I even able to die normally? Like other yers? All my deaths, I had fought for my life and for those around me... Is that what causes the difference, or am I just different?


    Thinking of this Eldrian quickly started feeling less optimistic about the mission. He really didn''t want to lose his avatar, and then there might even be more side effects. This being the only one he was certain would happen if he couldn''t be revived as normal.


    Okay, I have to ask if I can die normally. Eldrian quickly decided that he would ask everyone as soon as he logged out. Exining his reasoning to Evules had suddenly be much harder as Eldrian''s words no longer heldplete trust in being revived.


    Evules only slightly berated Eldrian, failing to understand this logic but willing to give Eldrian the benefit of the doubt. If he had had a spare set on him he would have definitely offered it to Eldrian. As it stood he gave Eldrian a Tier 1 magic grade Kite shield he had for incase.


    As he gave it to Eldrian he emphasized that armor worked wonders against arrows, and shields even more so. Naturally Eldrian epted the gift, who would turn down such a gracious gift? He definitely had nothing against armor or shields, well other than their price.


    As Eldrian looked through the stats of the shield he decided to take the 20 gold he would get from the mission to buy himself a good set of at least Tier 1 armor. At the very least a breastte that wouldst him a couple of fights.


    [Kite shield, Chivalry]


    [Grade: Magic]


    [Tier: 1]


    [Toughness: 23]


    [Durability ¨C 2765/5000]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 112; Agility: 80]


    [Passive bonus:]


    [For what is good and right; When used to defend, increases wielders agility by 5 points for the action; when used to defend others, increases agility by a further 5 points.]


    Not bad, Eldrian thought as he looked at the stats of the shield. The passive bonus wasn''t much, but the increased speed would be quite handy, at this stage this would be around a 2.5% increase if he tried to defend himself, 5% if he tried to defend others. Not much, but something that might just make the difference in blocking or failing to do so.


    After this Eldrian simply chatting some more with Evules, trying to ask howbat was as a centaur. Withouting over as a racist or something, as such he often tried to lightly imply what he asked. Instead of just asking, Evules quickly figured out what was going on and told Eldrian to just cut the sidestepping and ask.


    So the first few hours of their journey passed with no mishaps. The party quickly reached the major cliff just south of the city, where they were to set up camp for the night. A bridge spanned from this cliff to below it, more like a ramp than an actual bridge. Looking at the two massive towers standing beside the bridge Eldrian marveled at the exquisite craftsmanship.


    The towers seemed to stretch from the bottom of the cliff, of nearly two hundred meters, far past its top and into the sky. The towers were clear defensive structures, with many soldiers staying in them. They were actually both magic towers used to cut off this route to all invaders. Their influence spanning the surrounding five kilometers and the only part of the cliff where climbing it might be possible. At least when considering anything other than vertical climbing.


    Going around the cliffs meant at least thirty kilometers of a detour. Enough to allow the soldiers to head back and inform the city of the force. The towers also stood out slightly from the cliff, allowing those atop to keep a vigil up to the horizon.


    The group was quickly met by a captain from one of the towers. Evale headed forward to exin who they were, after which they were allowed to set up camp, but not enter the towers. This was a strict rule, and as such, they had to listen.


    Once this was done, Eldrian read through some of the notes, focused on the corruption and what it could actually be. He did this until morning came around IRL, at which time he logged out and sent a message to Gengxin, Joren, and Constantin that he would like to meet to discuss something.


    ...


    "So can I actually die safely in the game?" Eldrian asked, as soon as everyone arrived in the meeting room where he had asked to meet. Eldrian was enjoying his cereal while he waited and slurped down thest bits as they entered the room.


    "What do you mean?" Joren asked, looking at the empty bowl in confusion. He was really not used to people taking their bowls out of the cafeteria, he didn''t even know it was allowed.


    Eldrian had quickly made this ce his home, bing even morefortable than those working here far longer. The bowl was actually his own, one of those from hismune, he had brought it when they had denied him from taking the tes of the cafeteria. In his room he currently had a small pile of random stuff like this, things that might just be handy at certain times.


    "I simply mean that. Each time I have died in the game there had been some sort of side effect. I want to know why this is, and if I can actually avoid it."


    "Each time you died you were truly fighting for something right? Your mindset was never that death was eptable, correct?" Constantin asked.


    "Well, yes. I mean if I just died then the NPCs would also have died. I can ept losing XP, but not..." Eldrian failed to finish as he realized that he had indeed lost those he had wanted to protect.


    "Then, in this case, the reason for you are asking this. What will be happening when you die?" Constantin pressed.


    "I-I... I don''t know."


    "ording to the data, you should be fine if you die like other yers. There isn''t something inherently different in you." Joren added.


    "But the way you approach the game is inherently different. That is why you are able to do so much more inside of it, and also most likely where all the problemse from." Gengxin added further onto it.


    "What are you saying?" Eldrian asked in exasperation.


    "It is simple, we believe if you can die without fighting as if it is life and death. Die as if it is just a game, then you most likely won''t have any problems." Joren answered.


    "But... It isn''t just a game." Eldrian countered softly.


    "It isn''t, but for us, it is just a simtion. For other yers, it is just a game. For you, it is much more... That is something you will likely need to change if you want to die without repercussions." Constantin added, understanding where Eldrian wasing from but not able to actually feel the same about ANW.


    Eldrian sighed as he heard all this, he knew he would never be able to do that. While he didn''t know Evale, Evules, and especially Kydone all that well. He felt he would still fight to his utmost to try and help them. No matter how small the chance. For the others in the party, he might just try his best. But for them, he would likely go past trying just his best.


    "Then you will have to monitor me well, for the next few weeks," Eldrian said after finished a couple more deep sighs.


    "Why?" Gengxin and Joren both asked with worry. Gengxin''s for Eldrian''s health, and Joren''s for the possible repercussions from another upset.


    Eldrian then quickly went on to exin to them that he had epted a suicide mission. Joren quickly calling up Eldrian''s data and confirming the quest.


    "Dammit, can''t you just rest for a month or two!?" Joren cursed upon seeing the storyline quest. It wasn''t something they had expected yers to touch for nearly a year. Though Joren quickly epted that this fit in with Eldrian. They had also not expected anyone capable of actually using magic for years, not just one. Yet here Eldrian was... Nearly three weeks in thepany already.


    In the original n, they hoped to have theplete immersion cabins on sale before anyone was supposed to start having affinity problems. A lot of things had to be sped up due to Eldrian.

 Chapter 222: Reaching the Fort

    <h4>Chapter 222: Reaching the Fort</h4>


    After meeting with everyone Eldrian headed to training with Constantin, during which Constantin pressed on why Eldrian felt so immersed in the game. While he wasn''t a therapist, he tried to understand Eldrian''s mindset, hoping to be able to apply some of it to himself; in the hopes of progressing quicker.


    At this time Constantin also mentioned that he felt Eldrian had be decent at punching and kicking. Though the punches and kicks were just basic ones and separate, so he taught Eldrian some different methods of punching and kicking. Slowly easing Eldrian into the style he himself had learned long ago, moving from basics to a mix of actions. Into a full routine of actions, such as how to react when someonees at him with a knife.


    Sweating heavily after the training, Eldrian quickly took a shower to clean himself before diving back into the game.


    ...


    Waking inside the game Eldrian quickly cast Fos, the Tier 0 light spell, a small ball of light appearing above his head and floating to the middle of his tent. Eldrian was trying to get more used to using Fos. While Floga did just as good a job at lighting, it had the danger of lighting things on fire. While the chances were low, Eldrian felt it was better to shift to Fos; being able to practice his long-term control over a different spell was a bonus to doing this.


    The reason for even needing a light was because it was still early in the morning, the sun a few hours from rising. Using this time Eldrian continued to read the notes he had been given, when he got bored of the theories and spections on the corruption, he shifted to one of the magic books.


    Most of the things in it were things he already learned, was taught, or had figured out on his own. Still, he read it all. The book he started with was actually on rejuvenation magic; Anthos, Anthizo, Anthisma, as well as the following Tiers of this spell up to Tier 4. All of the spell modules were simr, in the form of a leaf with more and more detail added to it with each Tier.


    Eldrian felt skipping even a word would be really dumb, seeing as this was exining how the spells worked. It didn''t do this just from a magical aspect, as Eldrian had been approaching things. It also touched on the belief of how it worked, of what energy was. What was stamina, mana, life, health, souls?


    Eldrian himself had wondered about that, but quickly this had gotten lost between all the dots he tried to connect to figure out how to reach Tier 2. Reading these passages quickly reminded him of the abilities he had created, or rather semi-created. He still needed to use them again to actually create them.


    Having had a past experience, Eldrian found all these theories and hypotheses much more interesting than anyone normally would. He wanted to try experimenting, but he knew that this wasn''t the time or ce. It was the same reason he didn''t try meditating. He remembered all too well how disorientated he was when the maid had woken him. He didn''t want to seem even more useless to everyone in the group, most already considered him a burden.


    Not being able to experiment didn''t mean Eldrian wouldn''t contemte. As such he hadn''t even reached the Tier 2 spell, Anthisma, before hearing everyone else starting to wake. Putting the book away Eldrian quickly struck down his tent, packing it neatly back into the bracelet.


    He kept his inventory as open as possible since using it felt slightly easier and required less effort. He knew that the fuller it became the harder it was to focus on the thing he tried to take out, hence keeping it emptier would allow him to ess everything in it quicker. His best weapons were all in the slot inventory that only took one of something, yet size didn''t matter. Eldrian didn''t quite know how that inventory worked or even existed, but it was truly useful for separating things he needed in an instant.


    With this done everyone started setting out after Evale had finished meeting with the tower captains. The rest of the journey to the forest was also peaceful, with the group reaching it before midday.


    Looking from the hill they had climbed over, Eldrian marveled at the fort as well as the trees spaced a short distance from the walls. The forest was really dense, reminding Eldrian of the Avgi forest of the Alicorns. He wondered if there were any special creatures inside this forest, and if they might help them stop the corruption.


    The fort was built with its focus on defending against attacks from the forest, not from the ins where they hade from. The walls were free from trees, a clearing of at minimum 50 meters surrounding the entire fort. The walls of the entire fort was almost visible, with those nearest to the party only 20 or so meters. While those at the back slowly increased up to 50 meters in height. Allow everyone on the walls at the back to see over most of the trees in this forest.


    To the front there was a single gatehouse, which the part they were heading towards. At the back there was four more, allowing those inside the fort to sally out should they need to. In the center an impressive keep rose up behind the walls, a magic tower growing even taller from its back.


    Upon reaching the gatehouse, the gates were quickly opened for them. Simr to the cities, the inside of the fort was mostly loose buildings with farms spreading over the area. Covering most of the inside, at least to the North; where Eldrian and the others came from. To the South, against the forest, buildings were far denser, the roads there also all paved and wide enough to allow two carriages to pass.


    "You must be the inquisition party!" A deep muscr voice shouted as soon as everyone finished walking through the gate.


    "Yes, I am Evale. The leader of this party and mission. " Evale replied, quickly stepping forward and greeting the centaur in worn te armor. His entire figure hidden behind theyers of metal, even his hooves covered in some type of special metal boots.


    "Good,e follow me." The centaur said, quickly leading them into the barracks and up onto the wall. Ramps built on the inside of the barrack to allow easy ess for the centaurs and even mounted troops. "I am Fanon, themander of this fort." The centaur continued as they started their climb.


    "I hope we can work well together, Fanon," Evale replied in response, to which Fanon quickly startedining, now that the formalities were done with.


    "Our situation has be more and more irritating. While we have warned the locals of the corruption and increased monsters, they simply don''t care. They im that this is why they pay taxes and that we should do our jobs... Entitled pricks, they don''t know how tough it is on the frontlines!"


    "What are you doing about it?" Evale asked, not condemning or epting Fanon''sints.


    "Nothing, I told them there are monsters and they headed in to hunt. Goddam idiots can die for their idiocy, we defend the fort. Not the forest." Fanon grunted with slight satisfaction.


    "Then what is it that has be more irritating?" Evale asked, clearly seeing that the deaths of those civilians didn''t even phase Fanon. While this slightly bothered her, she understood the position he was in. If it was her town, then she would also focus on defending it. If her people headed out even after she warned them, then it was on them, not her.


    "It''s the damnable night attacks. I know undead are generally stronger at night, just because none of their ranks are weakened at that time. So it was expected, what wasn''t expected was them to justunch a couple of ming arrows, along with some infected corpses, and then run into the cover of the forest."


    Evale frowned upon hearing this, along with everyone else. This did not bode well for them. If the undead was already active in the still healthy part of the forest, then this mission just became a great deal harder. Them using tactics just multiplied this increase.


    "If not for the fucking trees, I would have charged out to just end this!" Fanon spat this with deep hatred. He really wanted to just cut all the trees in a kilometer range at this moment. That would enable them to just run the undead down if they darede into range.


    The only reason the forest was so close is since generally there weren''t any monsters in the forest. Hence they had cked their pruning of the forest to allow more magical herbs to grown near the forest. The first hundred meters was still much less dense, but it hindered mountedbat greatly.


    "What do you want us to do about that? We are just here to confirm the cause of the corruption." Evale asked, understanding well Fanon''s standpoint. She had often needed to defend her home under terrible circumstances. Living on the edge of the kingdom was never a blessing. Never.


    Hence she knew the troubles that came with the territory, but she couldn''t really help. Their party was strong, but small. It was meant to move about quietly until they managed to find the cause. Not to start a war against the undead.

 Chapter 223: A wasted hour

    <h4>Chapter 223: A wasted hour</h4>


    "Precisely, I want you to find the cause and fix this entire mess!" Fanon quickly answered.


    "You do know it isn''t that easy, right?" Evale asked, needing to make sure of this fact. Too often she met people who just wanted things done, not understanding what it takes to actually do so.


    "Of course I know that! Do you think I don''t know how bloody long things take in war? Especially when it is something so strange and unknown?"


    "Then what was the point ofining?" Evale pressed.


    "To vent." Fanon replied without any shame.


    "And for bringing us onto the wall?"


    "To show you a top view. This should help you figure out where the corruption ising from. If not, it should tell you the direction to start."


    Evale just nodded to this reply, slightly impressed that Fanon actually thought of anything other than his anger. She had heard rumors of thismander, he really could lose his cool over something small. This never impacted his troops as his leadership was always great and his tactics well thought out. But when it came to other things, smaller things, the rumors always had field days.


    The rest of the group all stayed quiet and obedient, none of them daring to say a word. After being beaten by Evale they knew how strong a veteran Tier 7 was, now there were two in front of them. The new one clearly not capable of keeping his anger in check, they did not want to enter his eyes at all.


    Eldrian on the other hand did not give a shit about any of that, he walked to the front while all the others, except Evules and Kydone, tried to stay as far back as they could.


    "Is the decay clear from the walls?" Eldrian asked, treating Fanon as he treated everyone else. He didn''t care for etiquette, and less so for rank. While it had its ce, he felt he didn''t fit into that module. Still, he did try to sound respectful, as he knew that being amander was not easy.


    "Who are you?" Fanon asked with slight irritation, not used to someone other than leaders or nobles talking to him. He was even more shocked when he realized how weak Eldrian was.


    "I''m Haru, and I believe the question is valid. If it isn''t possible to see the decay, then this walk will be useless." Eldrian replied, having be too used to being familiar with strong people. First Old Sword, then Boran, then the Alicorns, and now Myropsis, Pros, Evale, and Evules. He saw them all as just more experienced people, and while he respected them, he didn''t fear them.


    "What!?" Fanon shouted, angered by the fact that Eldrian clearly felt he was dumb enough to not think of that.


    "Fanon, he has a point. Can we see the decay clearly from the walls?" Evale asked before Eldrian could reply. She knew Fanon was a brilliant fighter, strategist, and extremely loyal. His biggest w was his anger and the second his pride, which was also the cause for most of the rumors. Normally he wouldn''t deal with anyone who was below Tier 5, or with nobility under the rank of count.


    "You can!" Fanon grunted, not happy that Evale epted this interruption without dissing out some discipline.


    "How far?" Eldrian suddenly chirped in again, causing even Evale to sigh.


    "The fucks your problem, just walk and you will see!" Fanon shouted in irritation.


    "True, but how far? Have you looked at it each day, how much has it spread in thest week?" Eldrian continued to ask, while he had only read a couple of the notes on the corruption, he already had a few theories on how it might spread.


    Silence ruled as Eldrian asked this, Fanon''s face twitching as he looked at Eldrian. Realizing that he might explode at this point Evale quickly rushed to Eldrian, her hooves echoing on the stone wall through this silence.


    "Don''t ask any more after this," she whispered before heading to the front, smiling she asked in a light tone, "We do need to know this."


    "Then asked the cleric that is going to join you. It is her responsibility to keep track of that!" Fanon replied, annoyed by the questions from someone so weak.


    What is the use of doing this sightseeing if we don''t get information along with it? Eldrian asked -not aloud- even though he really wanted to. Walking on the wall did allow them more sight into the forest, but it also caused the journey to be much longer. Eldrian quickly thought of something else and asked this without much thought.


    "Do you have any samples of the decayed trees? Oh, and of the rotting corpses they sent over the walls?"


    Everyone stopped upon hearing Eldrian''s questions, Fanon taking a deep breath before simply spitting out, "Ask the cleric!"


    Rude... Eldrian thought, not realizing that his question seemed absurd to everyone, even Evale who thought well of him. If he was at the very least a true mage, Tier 5, then it would make sense that he was asking all this. Seeing as he was Tier 1, it just irritated everyone.


    No one knew how different his understanding of magic was, and how he also had science as a background. While he didn''t know much in either category, it allowed him to think differently than most everyone else. He could also ask for help IRL if he felt it needed.


    Around half an hourter they finally reached the other side of the wall, the traffic on the walls and especially the divisions of the walls, created by towers built atop them, slowing them significantly. In many cases they had to wait to pass on their horses, the walls were made to bottleneck traffic. Generally, travel would rather be done on the ground, soldiers climbing up to where they were needed, rather than traveling on the wall itself.


    Standing on the highest point of the wall, everyone could see the floor of leaves spreading over into the horizon. With an asional tree top sticking out slightly more. This floor of leaves seemed solid enough to even walk on, though it certainly wasn''t. Eldrian slightly wanted to try it though as it reminded him of amon fantasy trope where entire races lived atop such a floor of leaves.


    In the far distance, the floor of leaves turned a sickly gray, though this was nearly at the horizon. The distance, and also how the sickly gray coveredrge batches of trees in all directions made it impossible to tell anything from the wall. At least not without knowing where this had firste into sight, and how it spread.


    Eldrian really wanted to say that this was a total waste of time but he didn''t as he knew that Fanon already disliked him. Eldrian didn''t really understand why, his questions would have saved them all this time, yet he kept everything to himself. He didn''t want to press it and cause trouble for Evale.


    "We will meet again tomorrow, at the foot of the keep. The cleric and array master will be there." Fanon said after they had climbed down from the walls.


    Evale felt slightly irritated that he had actually lied about how well they would be able to see the corruption, and even more irritated when he mentioned the array master. No one else in the party had known of that before this moment.


    As Fanon left they quickly asked what Fanon meant, Evale simply told everyone to just go find themselves a ce to spend the night. Not wishing to exin everything to them, believing they didn''t need to know about it for now.


    With this everyone quickly split apart, the party not a military unit and most of them not wishing to stay with people they didn''t really know. Soon just Eldrian, Evale, Evules and Kydone were left.


    "Why the hell did you keep asking questions?" Evale asked as soon as they were alone.


    "Because they needed to be asked, and it didn''t look like anyone else was going to ask. It would also have saved us an hour." Eldrian quickly replied.


    "I get that, but Fanon really doesn''t like talking to people he believes are under him..." Evale replied, Eldrian interrupting before she could finish.


    "Then why didn''t you ask the questions? If you had pressed then we would have known the journey was a waste of time." Eldrian counter-pressed.


    "What the hell, how can you just openly counter me like this?" Evale asked, too shocked by this fact to even bother about the actual question. Generally no one would dare talk so straightforwardly with her, except her brother.


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, not understanding.


    Hearing this Evules startedughing merrily, saying between bursts of gasping for air, "When was thest time someone... Other than me press you like... This?"


    Evale faltered as she heard this before joining theughter. That was just what she had asked her brother when they had first met Eldrian. "Seems like you really don''t care for rank or strength."


    "Well, I mean I respect it. But it won''t stop me from asking what I feel needs to be asked. Unless there is an actual reason for me to not ask." Eldrian replied, adding with slight sadness, "I didn''t need to lose my hour..."


    "What the hell are you on about a single hour so much?" Evale asked, her curiosity oveing her irritancy of Eldrian''s actions.


    "I wanted to read." Eldrian quickly replied, causing Evale to fail even more in understanding Eldrian''s thoughts.


    "Read?"


    "Yeah, Myropsis gave me this book on rejuvenation magic. It is so interesting!"


    What the hell? He pissed off Fanon, a Tier 7mander of a fort... Because he wanted to use the hour to read instead? Both Evale and Evules were left speechless when they realized this. Kydone on the other hand was impressed.


    "Well done, people shouldn''t waste our time like that." She said with a rare smile.

 Chapter 224: Asking Constantin on the corruption

    <h4>Chapter 224: Asking Constantin on the corruption</h4>


    Kydone saying something, to someone she didn''t really know and without being questioned, left the twins even more speechless.


    "Right, I mean at least give me the option to leave if it is just going to be a waste of time," Eldrian replied, Kydone nodding with enthusiasm.


    "Really? That is your stance, isn''t that a little childish?" Evules asked, really confused on why Eldrian was so irritated by this. An hour wasn''t really any time at all. It wasn''t an entire day, it was just an hour. Not much can be done in an hour, even if one worked as hard as they could.


    "Maybe... I just don''t like how it was a waste of time, something that could have been avoided if he simply said the truth."


    "That... Well, that makes sense..." Evale replied, herself also irritated by that part. While Fanon didn''t technically lie, they could see the corruption from the walls and a lot of it. Seeing it really didn''t do anything. It was too widespread to allow them to determine its growth point, having no apanying information also added to the uselessness of the hour.


    The group talked a bit more on this, but quickly the conversation shifted to where to should stay for the night. This conversation quickly became heated as Evules wanted to go to a brothel, Evale scolding him for even thinking of that.


    Evules pressed on how he might die and he deserved some special treatment for hisst night. To which Evale countered that he mustn''t soil himself in such ces. With Evules countering again that it wasn''t something dirty but beautiful instead.


    Eldrian instead had a hard time imagining what these brothels would be like. He just couldn''t understand how they would cater to all races, mostly centaurs, and demi-humans. Thetter he could think of, the former not at all. He stayed as far away from this argument as he could, wishing to save the little innocence he might still have. Mostly he didn''t want to see a centaurette prostitute. He didn''t want to be confused when looking at other races, he really didn''t.


    When he found a seemingly decent inn with few people inside, he asked why they didn''t just stay there. Evale quickly jumped on his suggestion, leading to Evules sulking and asking Eldrian why he hadn''t sided with him. They could both have been enjoying their possiblest night by now, if he had. Possibly many other nights too.


    It took Eldrian some time to escape from Evules, who pressed on how good fort brothels were. Luckily once Eldrian had managed to escape time quickly passed as he dived into the rejuvenation book again. Absorbed in the things mentioned and discussed within it. He couldn''t put it down and had to force himself to log out when the day started IRL.


    Logging out was made even harder knowing that he was going to have a full day of training with Constantin. Luckily a small part of him was excited for this, not just for learning more but also for being able to discuss things with Constantin.


    ...


    "Corruption? Yeah I''ve heard of it." Constantin said during one of Eldrian''s breaks.


    "Do you know how it spreads, or how we can stop it from spreading?" Eldrian asked between deep breaths, tired from the routine he had just finished.


    "Not really, I just know plenty of rumors on it. The most famous one is that it was created and spread by the dark gods, though this isn''t true. None of the AI actually spread the corruption... Though they had indeed created it"


    "Wait, what? The AI actually created it?" Eldrian interrupted,pletely caught off guard by this. This knowledge quickly caused him to believe the mission was going to be far harder.


    "Well yes, it was necessary to allow for the development of monsters and other stranger races that wouldn''te into being in normal circumstances. Just having magic in a world doesn''t make it that everything can exist, certain conditions must still be met to allow for their evolution."


    "Wait, what evolution? And what do you mean just magic?" Eldrian pressed.


    "Well yeah, all the beings in ANW weren''t just created. Rather the AI created environments for them toe into existence. Simr to how GAIA created a gxy where magic exists, without actually having made magic. Just having manipted what might be possible until results came from that."


    "So then... Do you know how it works? Do you know what the corruption is?" Eldrian asked even though he was quickly losing hope in getting any answers.


    "No, just like with magic, it is hidden to us. It is part of magic, a different kind of magic to what we are exposed to. But still part of magic."


    "How the hell do you guys make so many things without being able to know how it works?" Eldrian asked in exasperation. He really couldn''t understand how ANW was ever created if everything remains unknown to its creators.


    "Well, that is because we made it in the hope of understanding the unknowns. Instead of answering the unknowns, it created even more. All our attempts had resulted in simr cases, the AI were never meant to be gods. But that is how it worked out." As Constantin said this both sighed, Constantin in defeat and Eldrian in exasperation.


    "What did you actually manage to figure out by making the simtion, by making ANW?" Eldrian asked, knowing that learning was the primary goal of the entire simtion.


    "That magic exists," Constantin replied in a joking manner, though it was indeed basically the main thing they had learned. They had many more theories and spections, but this is the only thing that really struck out and stayed. That things they thought were impossible was actually possible, and hence many things had to be reconsidered.


    Eldrian sighed again upon hearing this, suddenly thinking of what he had been reading and wondering if Constantin could answer that. "Do souls exist?" Eldrian asked, not believing so himself.


    He always felt it was just linked to religion, that it wasn''t a part of humans on earth. He couldn''t understand how souls would exist. If they did what necessitated their existence, were they limited to humans, or did all animals have souls? However, his belief was starting to wane the more he learned of ANW, the more he learned of magic.


    "I think so, most others don''t. It is one of the things that are still up to debate. Mageia is also still actually just a concept, an unproven theory. While you have given concrete exnations, this isn''t enough. We need to be able to duplicate your results and until then it will stay unproven." Eldrian was quite shock hearing that mageia wasn''t epted. He had thought that all those that learned would quickly ept it.


    "The case with souls is simr. We have yet to actually prove it, though in this case we also haven''t found anything that supports that it might exist. But I believe they must, the natives of Gaia certainly believe souls exist. A great many magic types even rely on it, and since all things in the simtion mirrors reality -at least in some twisted manner- then it must exist. Like magic, it might be far more hidden on earth, but I am certain it must also exist here."


    Again Eldrian sighed, "What do you mean then? How can you believe it exists if you haven''t managed to actually find any evidence?"


    "Well, it will link some of the theories I am working on. Though it isn''t the only thing that can link them, it seems to be the mostmonly mentioned one, and the only one that is also supported by evidence from ANW."


    ...


    Back in the game, Eldrian delved right back into reading until the time came for them to meet up at the keep. By now he had made it to Tier 3, Anthise. Reading the following pages became harder and harder as Eldrian had to contemte the meaning of each paragraph. He could no longer trust his instincts from earth, souls became more and more a focal point of the passages.


    He still was not sure if he should believe they existed, and even if they did he had no idea what they were. Were they ethereal forms hidden in each person, or were they like mageia? Part of you but intangible, something you can never see but can sense if you train yourself?


    ording to the book, all types of energy -and indeed magic too- was linked to the soul. The trick to seemingly rejuvenating it all, with little effort and great effect, was to rejuvenate one''s soul instead of the body. This was just a theory mentioned by the author though and not proven.


    Eldrian simply couldn''t understand this. While he could talk himself into believing souls existed, and he could conceive how they might, he didn''t truly believe this. He also didn''t think that that was where everything came from.


    Yet this book was adamant about it, even though it was unproven. This caused Eldrian to find the words on the pages more and more confusing. He was starting to feel like he should move on to the book based on Floga. Hoping that that book wouldn''t delve into belief and allow him to just enjoy his reading.


    Though one thing was extremely strange. The book was on nature, not belief. Meaning that while on earth believing that souls existed generally meant that the person was religious, in this world it was deemed a fact. Something natural, not rted to the gods.


    Realizing this caused Eldrian to not be able to pick up the other book, his mind simply stuck on this fact. I might really be wrong... But I just don''t understand what souls are? The only thing I can think of is that it is consciousness. But, that doesn''t have a form...


    Eldrian also realized how this could also be the reason why some people were incapable of using magic. If it was not a matter of willpower, but rather the attunement of one''s soul, then it would make sense how no amount of effort can ovee it. How no change in mindset, belief, training, nothing would be able to allow someone unable to suddenly be able.


    Maybe I should just ignore how and what it is, and just ept that it is?

 Chapter 225: Entering Pyknos forest

    <h4>Chapter 225: Entering Pyknos forest</h4>


    Eldrian didn''t understand why he had such a hard part in epting that souls existed. If he could ept magic, why couldn''t he just ept souls too? He didn''t know, but for some reason he just couldn''t. Likely due to how magic felt more concrete, he could actually see its effects and use it himself. The soul instead was still apletely foreign concept to him.


    Eldrian mulled on this until the others started to wake and he had to go down to join them for breakfast. As he joined them and had breakfast, he stayed in his mental space not even realizing that they were the first to arrive at the keep. He only starteding out of his reflection by the time all the others had arrived.


    A few minutes after which Fanon also appeared, along with two others following him. Everyone but Eldrian was in full gear, even the two new arrivals wore their battle gear. One of them, a centaurette, wore a white clerical type Akro with a yellow tanned leather breastte over her top robe. The other wore dark blue robes, with a hint of Mythril armor under them, only slightly showing thanks to her hood not being up.


    "Evale, I have already told my men of your group and your mission. You will be given ess to the fort from any gatehouse, though only the Northern gate is open all the time. The others have specific timeslots where they allow travel, mostly during the early morning and before sunset. Katania can inform you more of this." Fanon said, pointing to the centaurette in clerical clothing.


    "Thank you Fanon." Evale replied, after which Fanon quickly left.


    "Now then, let''s discuss our ns for actually doing the mission. Katania, and..." Evale paused and looked at the demi-human in her dark blue robes. It took her a few seconds to realized that Evale was waiting for her to say her name. "Thesolis... Do you have any information that will enable us to start quicker?"


    Both took their time to consider, Thesolis replying first, "Well I know a little bit of the situation from some hunters. For the most part the forest is still safe. However weaker undead such as skeletons and zombies are quite abundant, and these are not limited to humanoid beings. So we might run into a zombie Arkbeast or a skeletal Direwolf or anything simr."


    This idea didn''t bother anyone as mostmon Arkbeats and Direwolves were generally under Tier 5, and hence not a problem for anyone but Eldrian. Only a few might reach or surpass Tier 5, these normally also ending up as the Alphas of a pack. Or maybe a misfit omega, something that would actually cause everyone in the group quite some trouble.


    "I assume we are first going to get used to the forest, as such we can use the hunting cabins to rest if we aren''t going to return to the fort. They are scattered throughout the forest and should offer better lodging than tents. Naturally, the undead isn''t the only danger, monsters are quitemon in the forest as are magical creatures."


    "This isrgely why most hunters don''t care for the added danger from the undead. They''re used to their pray being dangerous. The undead just makes the work they have to put in much more, while not adding to their payoff. Seeing as they actually just ruin the creatures they take over. Hence why they are so irritated by the situation, and why Fanon is so pissed. Many nobles have beenining about theck of magical resources being delivered."


    Evale and Evules frowned upon hearing this, they didn''t care for the noble''s difort. They were certain that the hunters were being pushed to try and make up the difference, which irritated the twins quite a bit.


    At this point, Katania added, "Luckily we know where the beasts normally stay, as well as their range of activity. This certainly might change thanks to the undead, but it should still allow us to skirt where they are most likely to appear inrge numbers. This should also help us not run into any of the stronger beasts."


    On saying this some in the group had ideas of going hunting for some extra cash. Instead of using the information to dodge the beasts, they were going to use it to find them.


    "The undead we are going to face should also all be weaker undead as Thesolis mentioned. Though everyone should be wary that higher undead are present and not all that rare. If we get close to the corruption then they will likely be controlling a horde of weaker undead. I assume everyone knows that in that case, we must kill the higher undead to weaken the hordes coordination."


    As she said thetter part everyone nodded. It wasmon sense to take out the leader if possible, this was even more important when the leader boosted the strength of those under them. A key factor of most undead, as the leader increased their intelligence, resilience, and in some cases even their strength.


    "Alright, anything else?" Evale asked as they seemed to finish their exnation. As she asked this Katania quickly exined how the gates worked, as well as the curfew that was in effect. She also mentioned where the best cksmith shops were for if anyone wanted to get new gear or repair their current.


    "Good, so then we should probably split into smaller groups for now. Seeing as the danger shouldn''t be that high near the fort. Doing so should allow us to get familiar with the forest, while also familiarizing arger part of it." Evale said once the other exnations were done.


    With this, their group of 21 split into four groups, Eldrian in the main group with Evale, Evules, Kydone, Katania, and Thesolis. This worked out well as no others wanted Eldrian in their group, nor did they want Evale or Evules with them at this stage. Kydone would naturally not want to join others and the new two were clearly more disciplined and would ruin the others hunting ns.


    After splitting each group took on of the Southern gate. As they exited the fort and entered the forest Eldrian was quickly reminded of the forest of Avgi. Trees in every direction limiting sight to a hundred meters at best. Having two locals their group made far more progress, along with the fact that they didn''t stop to take any magical nts. Nor did they try to track down any magical creatures for their materials.


    With Katania and Thesolis''s lead, their party quickly found their first hunting cabin. Eldrian making sure to check his map and add some tags to this ce. Something he had started doing as he also started taking more and more notes through the system. These notes allowed him to quickly reflect on things he had felt important.


    The first day passed quickly with only a few encounters with aggressive beasts. Evale handling most of this with her exquisite bow. Eldrian couldn''t help but stare at her as she shot down the first encounter. While she had taken it out before leaving the fort, Eldrian hadn''t gotten a clear view when it was slung over her shoulder.


    Her bow was made fully out of some type of magical metal. Runes covered its limbs which were by no means slim, each limb nearly as wide as a sword. The limbs were also sharpened, with a precise rest for arrows at the grip. Each arrow she shot was also clearly not normal, having runes engraved over its shaft.


    Eldrian assumed the feathers were also special and the arrowhead made from some rare metal. There were even crystals embedded in the shafts of some arrows, these arrows arrowheads normally glowed after being shot.


    Evale only used these ones when they came across an undead. No matter where she shot it, it died as soon as the arrow struck. None of the others in the party had needed to do a thing during the entire day. Evale was always the first to spot a threat, and she would loose her arrow before anyone else saw it.


    Eldrian quickly became envious of her skill with the bow, he also understood just how much greater arrows were than bullets. No matter what, you wouldn''t be able to make such high-grade guns and bullets. Even so, there was no denying that guns would greatly help those at the weaker Tiers and those without magic.


    As they set up in a new hunting cabin for the night Eldrian headed over to Evale. "Evale, sorry for bothering you, but... Would you mind teaching me how to use a bow?"


    The question caught her off guard, she had no expected that. "Why, I thought you already focused on both magic and melee fighting. You do know you can''t master everything, right?"


    "Well, yes... I havee to realize that... But, I would really like to at least be able to shoot a tree twenty meters away with confidence. I am certain it is good to try and learn as much as you can." Eldrian tried to exin himself, not sure if he had instead just insulted himself. He hoped that by asking for help he didn''t need to stumble until he became decent.


    "Sure, it is good to be diverse, but not before you have a focus," Evale replied, causing Eldrian to sulk quite a bit. "Tell you what," she added upon seeing how sad he became, "If you reach Tier 2 in either of those you are already focused in, then I will teach you."

 Chapter 226: Rage vs calm detachment

    <h4>Chapter 226: Rage vs calm detachment</h4>


    Eldrian sulked even more after Evale said this. Reaching Tier 2 was not easy, especially since he didn''t know how to go about doing so. He really hoped that this wouldn''t be the case for each Tier, searching in the dark was quickly bing tiring. While it is interesting, it took too much effort and time. Leaving Eldrian too weak to help, causing him to feel useless.


    This was enhanced even more when Eldrian looked at the forums and especially the rankings. For level, he was still doing quite well. The highest level yer was only level 20, so Eldrian was just three levels behind. Though he was no longer in the top 100.


    The Tier ranking was much more demoralizing. He had long since been kicked out of the top 100, it was fully upied by Tier 2 yers at this stage. Many had even posted that they simply needed to grind their weapon rank to 3 and they would immediately reach Tier 3. Reading this Eldrian couldn''t help but wish it was so simple for him. Knowing what he had to do...


    Eldrian did not just sulk the night away though, he had a full night. He felt they were still in a safe area, and with Evale here Eldrian doubted there would be any trouble. Thus he told himself that he could do what he wanted, and he wanted to try and meditate again. But before that he had to inform Constantin and Gengxin what he was going to attempt, and that he would likely miss some of the morning.


    He did this by using the system to ess thepanywork and sent them this message. This was something that Constantin had taught him to do, after Eldrian had used the forum to try and contact them. While that had worked, it had only worked since he was being monitored. This method was far better as only the person he contacted would receive the message. This was only avable to employees of Miracle though, functioning simr to emails.


    Having done this Eldrian knew that he could use all the time he needed. Knowing that he was going to need more than just three or four hours, the amount of time that was left before morning IRL. Luckily he had made sure to eat arge supper to keep himself able should something have happened and he couldn''t log out at a normal time. Something he was keenly aware might happen in such missions.


    Clearing his mind, Eldrian looked around onest time at the others. Casting Nidia and entering the magic abyss once he had nced at each person. From there he again tried to focus in on himself, into his consciousness. He still didn''t know what he was trying to focus on, now he felt he might even be trying to find his soul. Though he really doubted it, he kept this option open in his mind.


    So he searched without knowing for what, he believed that he simply wanted to find himself in the magic abyss. Something that was seemingly impossible as the hours passed. Eldrian naturally didn''t even feel the flow of time as he searched in the starry ck abyss. He spread out his mind to try and touch on anything that might be there with him.


    Hours passed without any new progress being made. Until, finally, Eldrian sense something. It was faint but he instantly felt connected to this. What is this? It doesn''t feel like any magic I am used to. It doesn''t feel like mana, nor like mageia... It just feels like... Emotions...


    Eldrian didn''t know what he was really sensing, but somehow he understood what it was about: A burning intensity of anger, wanting to avenge those lost. To kill all who had wronged him; A chilling calmness, detached from caring. Simply wishing to analyze and rationalize all, to not care for loss.


    Just feeling these caused Eldrian''s heart to ache, while also causing him great confusion. One tugging emotion wanted him to scream in rage and just rush forward into the unknown. The other wanted him to just sit and let go of all the pain, to forget everything ''emotional''. The longer he felt them, the longer he focused; the stronger all the feelings became.


    It quickly became too much for Eldrian. The emotions started pulling out his worst memories, his nightmares. This caused Eldrian great emotional pain, but he could still manage to hold out and try to focus on the feeling the two emotions gave him.


    More time passed and his memories started being distorted. Instead of just true memories ying out in front of Eldrian, his worst-case thoughts started to pop up as vision. At first this wasn''t too bad as Eldrian knew they were fake, but as more time passed he started losing the ability to recognize if something had happened or not.


    At this stage he no longer wanted to push further. He wanted it to stop, he wanted the memories to fade. Those fake and real. He just wanted the pain to go away. One emotion gave him just this gateway, but he didn''t want to take it.


    He did not want to forget! Whether the pain was real or fake, Eldrian knew it meant something. He wanted to hold onto that.


    It pained, but that told him that it was real. At least the fact that he cared for those in these memories, that he no longer knew of as real or fake. If he just forgot then this would no longer be. While these images filling his vision broke his heart, they told him that he cared for the person he saw being ripped apart. It told him that this wasn''t just something he could give up on.


    He couldn''t allow himself to forget that!


    Yet he wanted to run away from these visions, he dared not face the pain. He didn''t want to see the terrible things done to the people he cared for. Neither of the two emotions gave him this option. Both refused to let him, not now that he had unlocked them. They grabbed onto his consciousness, keeping him from leaving his introspection. His darkest fears.


    Eldrian was stuck living out his nightmare. Watching all those he had grown close to die in front of him, slowly even his family entered the visions. Eldrian had no idea how they had gotten here and a part of him told him that it was impossible. Yet seeing the pain on their faces tore at him, no matter if something told him this was fake.


    The longer he stayed stuck here, the more he wanted to go with rage. To just tear at everything, to destroy what was keeping him. Yet he didn''t. Something told him that doing so would not be right, that it would mean abandoning part of him. That it would mean giving up on caring, on loving others.


    Hours passed again, Eldrian slowly started to feel his mind bing numb to the emotional torment. He became desperate, wishing it all to just end. He turned to the system, hoping to call out. To log out.


    No response came... He was stuck...


    Eldrian became terrified as hisst hope vanished and he started forgetting that he was in a simtion, in a game. He started to feel like this was reality, that his loved ones were truly in danger.


    As he saw his family being cashed by goblins, believing this to be real, a burst of adrenaline rushed through him and he charged forward shouting.


    "No! I do not want to avenge! I want to change the oue! I want to be able to save those I love! I do not want to lose anyone!" Eldrian shouted this in elven without knowing, his emotions mixed into his words, carrying his anger and defeat. It caused the space to tremble as this shout also carried Eldrian''s mana and mageia pulled by his emotions. The vision in front of him faded thanks to this.


    "I want to be calm, yet have the strength to fight! I wish to face it all with burning intensity, butplete rity!" As he shouted this, something seemed to click. The two emotions, instead of fighting each other, mixed. The calmness pointed the rage in a direction, along with Eldrian''s own rage. Allowing him to recall the moment where he had cast the Tier 6 lighting spell with the same hope.


    He could see each second of it in absolute rity, and he finally found himself. Or at least a part of himself. The pain subsided and he remembered that he was in a game, that his family was safe... And, that Vivian was safe.


    Turning from his mind to the ce he was in now, Eldrian found that he was looking at his bleeding heart. The two emotions cutting into it and causing pain that slowly ate at Eldrian through these bleeding wounds.


    "What the hell?" Eldrian asked as he calmed down, his own heart ached with each beat. He wondered what this meant, and more importantly where the hell he was now. He was no longer in the magic abyss, yet he was also not in his avatar or IRL.


    There was no one to respond to his question, but just asking was enough. Eldrian looked at this heart, this organ slightly different from what he had been taught in biology. He didn''t know hearts well enough to know what the differences were, but he was certain this heart wasn''t human. Yet it was most certainly his.

 Chapter 227: Managing some minor healing

    <h4>Chapter 227: Managing some minor healing</h4>


    Eldrian started looking at it in more detail, not knowing how he was looking at it nor how it existed here in front of him. Eldrian even heard it beating, this synchronizing with when he should expect a tearing pain in his own heart. This pain wasn''t located in his chest, but rather in front of him.


    It gave him a really weird feeling, seeing hearing and now feeling outside of his body. He had grown used to the first with his time in the magic abyss, but thetter two were new and took some time to grow used to.


    This won''t do, it looks like this heart will soon just tear into pieces! My heart... Eldrian thought as he looked at the bleeding that was growing more and more. As the bleeding grew he started to again feel the two emotionsing out and trying to pry into his mind.


    Eldrian had no wish to experience the effect of these emotions again, so he quickly tried to find a way he might be able to stop that from happening. While he now knew most of what he had seen was fake, mental pain didn''t just disappear from knowing something. It still ate at him and Eldrian knew that it would for days, maybe even weeks toe.


    He moved his consciousness closer to the heart, in a hope of finding a way to stitch it up. As he did he found that his heart was actually stitched by a weak barely holding Tier 0 node. Simple cross stitches were holding the tears from tearing more, but they were clearly not able to actually do this as the tears grew with each second.


    That won''t do... Eldrian quickly said no to the first idea popping into his mind. To strengthen these nodes by changing them to Tier 1 nodes, or Tier 2 or Tier 3. Thest being the limit Eldrian felt he would be able to do. Eldrian denied this approach since it would do nothing about the tears. It would simply stop them from worsening.


    No, I need to heal it, and strengthen it. Eldrian quickly realized, thinking of thest chapter he had read in the rejuvenation book. This might be my soul, and it clearly isn''t much. I have no idea why it seems to be in such bad condition, but I have to fix it.


    Naturally Eldrian wouldn''t know this, but this was actually the effect of his soul trying to stay near his body after hisst death. An hour wasn''t kind to a soul without a body; especially one so weak. This was arge reason behind why resurrection had such cruel time limits. Most of his soul been torn away, and all that remained was the sole focus he had had at that moment. Luckily just an ideal is enough to keep a soul from dissipating, as long as it burned strong enough.


    His soul had been fine just idling in his body, but now he had pulled it into this separate space where it was no longer being actively protected and slowly healed. Hence why the damage was growing. If Eldrian simply left then nothing much would happen, in fact it might be for the better. Not knowing this he refused and tried to heal what he saw.


    Eldrian quickly decided to try and carve the rejuvenation spell onto his heart, not sure how he was supposed to do that. If he were to do this he also naturally didn''t want to just cheap out with Anthizo, he would try and use at least Anthisma, or even Anthise if he could manage.


    First, he knew that he had to strengthen the stitches or the tears would continue to grow, maybe even past what can be healed. So Eldrian focused on the first cross-stitch, not knowing how he was supposed to rece it. He started by first sending out his thoughts to observe this stitch. Finding that it was indeed created out of mageia as he had hoped it would be.


    With this settled Eldrian quickly envisioned the Tier 3 spell nodes he had already learned. It was far moreplex than Tier 0 nodes that were simple crosses, this instead was in the form of a five-pointed star. Focusing on this and trying to use mageia to construct it, Eldrian hoped for the best as he sent it out to the tear.


    He had no idea if this was going to work, as the only ce he had managed to actually use mageia without mana was actually the magic abyss. Luckily the ce he was in now seemed to work simr to the magic abyss. His five-star node quickly absorbed the cross after which it shaped itself to the size of the tear and pulled the edges closer. Stopping it from tearing any further and slightly shrinking it too.


    As it did Eldrian felt a new wave of pain, though only while it merged. Nothing much, though he could tell it had eaten at his focus and kept doing so as he stayed in this space. He ignored it and moved to the next tear, repeating this until he had covered them all. At which point he felt like he was drunk, the constant mental assaults having robed most of his concentration.


    Dammit, no way I will be able to create Anthisma now. Eldrian mentally sighed as he realized this, he could barely look without seeing double at this stage. Naturally, Eldrian had no idea how that was even possible, but at this stage he couldn''t care less. He just knew that there was no way he would manage to create a spell module he wasn''t used to. One that was also far moreplex than anything he had ever tried envisioning before.


    With reluctance, Eldrian decided to simply use Anthizo. Arge part of him wanted to fall asleep, trying to drag him to sleep. He fought this pull as he focused on Anthizo and tried to figure out how he was going to add it to his heart.


    While the new stitches, Tier 3 nodes, would certainly hold. Eldrian didn''t know if the damage would continue or not. He would rather try and heal them than just keep them from worsening. Worst case they might totally destroy this heart, and Eldrian had no idea what would happen if that were to happen.


    Gathering all his focus Eldrian envisioned Anthizo and tried to send this spell module to his heart. As he felt the mageia gather and form the spell module, and finally slowly drift to his heart, he fell asleep. Unable to stay awake even a second longer.


    ...


    "Dammit, he is still inside. What the hell is going on, we know that he was concentrating extremely hard on something, and now it is as if he is asleep. Yet we can''t take him out! Gengxin, do you know why?" Joren asked in exasperation.


    After Constantin had informed him that Eldrian was going to try and meditate again, Joren had assumed something might happen again. It was strange and even slightly funny considering how ridiculous it all was. At this point, some of the other game testers had managed to gain ess to a Magic Crystal. Unlike Constantin the Emporers they were working with honored their ancient oath far more.


    Yet none of these people have managed to figure anything out. Constantin had ryed to them how Eldrian had exined things. How he had started learning, yet none of it helped them. They were all a bit more than just irritated. As such Eldrian was still seemingly the only person to be able to use magic without any support from the system.


    "No idea, from his readings it simply seems like he needs rest. But why he still hasn''t awakened is concerning. What is going on in the game?" Gengxin replied in slight concern. He had hoped Eldrian would take it slow for a while longer, at least until the cabin had entered the prototype phase. Currently still being only a design concept.


    "His group had decided to carry him as they continued their mission. Luckily he doesn''t weigh much to a centaur, especially thatrge one he is with. They are clearly worried, the cleric has been trying to help Eldrian wake but to no avail." Joren answered, shocked that even with help from both inside and out Eldrian showed no signs of waking.


    The cleric was Tier 6, hence her magic was most certainly not something to scoff at. After the first few spells though, she had discovered that Eldrian simply needed rest. Her following spells had all been energy sharing, to hopefully quicken Eldrian''s recovery.


    "What on earth did this kid do this time. I keep feeling dumber and slower, as I keep being outshone by someone so much younger and with less experience." Constantin mumbled as he looked at Eldrian''s paleplexion.


    "Maybe that is what is limiting us. Maybe to actually manage in feeling mageia, you must have no experience. Such as the reason behind not allowing anyone to choose High Elf after having yed with another race. It has simply been something the system had dered, but this might be why." Joren said in a sh of sudden inspiration.


    "We should go look at the discussion Eldrian had created long ago. He hasn''t shared much recently and as such we have forgotten about it. But maybe other yers have been starting to actually connect to magic without the system. Their progress might just be slower." Joren added after a bit of thought.


    Constantin quickly perked up upon hearing this, quickly rushing Joren to lead the way so they could check it together. They knew that they could do nothing for Eldrian and as such spending more time here would just be a waste. Finding more people who could also help in the discovery would help far more.

 Chapter 228: Waking and catching up.

    <h4>Chapter 228: Waking and catching up.</h4>


    Eldrian finally starteding too after some more time passed. Through the fatigue and confusion, he tried to pry open his eyes, not knowing where he was. He could feel the motion of movement carrying him around, simr to that of a horse. Once Eldrian could see he realized that he was slung over Evules''s back.


    He quickly became embarrassed by this, realizing that he was even more of a burden than just a simple nobatant. He even needed help to be moved, causing him to feel dumb for having dared to meditate during a mission.


    Luckily none of those in his party seemed to care, once they realized that Eldrian was waking they stopped and quickly helped him down. Evale quickly went to making sure the surrounding was safe, while the others started asking what had happened.


    "Sorry for being so useless." Eldrian apologized before anyone could say anything. As he stood he felt quite unsteady. Everything felt slightly off to him, as if this body was no longer the one he was so used to. It might be because of how long he had been conscious without a body, with just his consciousness; or maybe it was something else.


    "No problem, what happened though?" Evules replied as he looked at Eldrian who clearly still had some trouble keeping himself from falling over. Causing everyone in the group to wonder just what Eldrian had done to put himself into such a position.


    "I''mmm... Not too sure myself. I had thought it would just take a few hours though... How long have I been out?" Eldrian replied, trying to recollect all his memories. He knew that if he was being carried then he was out for at least the entire night.


    "A few days now, but again what happened," Evules replied with little care. He was curious about what Eldrian had done to incapacitate himself for so long. He didn''t really mind, though carrying Eldrian would have soon be a problem as the enemies in the area became more and stronger.


    "That''s too vague. Haru, you have been unconscious for just over three days. Tonight would have made it four." Katania chirped in, quickly approaching Eldrian and checking that he was indeed okay.


    By now her pure white clothes were slightly stained in brown and green, though no blood was to be seen. Seeing this allowed Eldrian to calm down as he realized that no one had been in danger due to his actions.


    Hearing how long he was out though, Eldrian''t couldn''t help but sigh. Knowing for certain that Gengxin was going to give him an earfulter about this. He had to exin himself now too, so he quickly tried to figure out how to exin it all without sounding crazy to NPCs. Realizing that he just had to say what he did, even though most wouldn''t believe him.


    "I wanted to try and breakthrough to Tier 2, and as such, I entered the magic abyss and then tried meditating..."


    "Magic abyss? Are you joking?" Thesolis asked inplete disbelief, having rifted close when Katania had gone and checked up on him.


    "No, I am being serious. It took me probably a few hours to actually seed in meditating in the magic abyss. From where things took a turn I didn''t expect. I am unsure what actually happened there, most of it is stilling back to me." Eldrian quickly replied as he looked around, Evale was slowlying back, having ensured that they wouldn''t be interrupted.


    "So, did you seed?" Evules asked, wondering if him carrying Eldrian for the past days had been for a reason or just because of foolishness.


    Hearing the question Eldrian himself was unsure, he quickly used the system to try and confirm. Finding that he was still Tier 1, though his mana had again increased, along with his affinity.


    His mana was now 204, making this single increase around 30 MP. His affinity had also increased by quite the amount, from 97.21 to 98.11. Eldrian wondered if the affinity increase was why he had felt so weird upon waking up, or if it was moreplex. He pulled himself back before he delved into wondering; first needing to reply to Evules.


    "No, I am still Tier 1. Though I did get a boost to my mana."


    "How is that possible?" Thesolis asked with true curiosity. Normally, at least for NPCs, after reaching the next Tier their mana would increase for a certain time. This was the only increase she knew of outside of item boosts, as well as array boosts.


    This increase through reaching a new Tier had limits though, and it never had big jumps in growth. Always being just a few MP every week, this also held for stamina and health though this is less observed by NPCs. This all was arge part of why yers could jump through the Tiers faster than NPCs, their bodies, or rather avatars, didn''t need months to get used to their new level. They received all the benefits at the moment of breakthrough.


    "Haru, what happened once you managed to meditate?" Evale asked as she put her bow over her shoulder. She felt that what she was hearing was slightly familiar. Though what she was thinking of was simple legends she had read long ago, hearing someone using the magic abyss to meditate had jogged her memory. She had always discounted the legends, but now she felt she might need to look into them again.


    "Ah, I don''t really know. Two emotions seemed to pull me further in, manipting my memories and letting me live through hell. After breaking through their hold, I simply saw my heart. Not sure what any of this means." Eldrian replied, not willing to exin too much as he feared this might be connected to hidden sses.


    He felt most of the people in the party were kindhearted and wouldn''t try anything bad. Yet he didn''t want to go into detail, their current ce certainly also not where one should do so.


    "Mmm, maybe I was just mistaken," Evale replied, Eldrian''s exnation was different from what she was expecting. Though it still shared some simrities to what she had read. Such as a trial being encountered, and then oveing it.


    Naturally due to how vague Eldrian exined she couldn''t deduce more, but she was only slightly curious. For now, she ced the mission over her curiosity. "In any case, if you are fine now, let''s continue the exploration. Katania, where is the nearest hunting cabin?" Evale continued without missing a beat.


    Eldrian was quite surprised that they didn''t press him for more of an exnation, naturally, he was grateful for this. To catch up to what was going on Eldrian made sure to listen well as Katania replied.


    "I think a few kilometers further, it is near one of thekes in the forest. We are also getting really close to where the corruption has reached, so we should expect more than just weaker undead."


    "Got it, like always I''ll take care of what I can. If we do run into a higher undead then Evules will rush to keep it, or its mob, busy. Katania will apply buffs to him and me, while debuffing the undead. Thesolis you will just ensure that no one can reach Katania, and Kydone you will keep looking for an opportunity to end the fight quickly." Evale quicklyid out their simple n, slightly as a reminder to everyone but more to inform Eldrian of what was going to happen.


    Upon mentioning Kydone her voice came from the treetops shouting that they could count on her. Evale had seemingly expected the reply and paused, continuing once it was passed, "Haru just stay with Katania."


    She really didn''t want him to step out into danger, he just needed to sit back and watch. With this they again set out, Eldrian quickly realizing how much the environment had changed. While most of the trees were still the same, as well as how far he could see through them. The number of monsters had drastically increased.


    They didn''t travel fast now, often needing to stop as dozens of skeleton and zombie beasts charged at them. After killing them they would burn each corpse, it being the only way to ensure that the dead didn''t rise again. At least without going through an entire ritual.


    Every now and then they would even encounter a living beast, the most impressive one Evale had quickly killed was a six-meter-long boar. Just its height when lying on the ground, dead, was probably as high as Evules (Nearly three meters). It was far bigger than anything Eldrian had seen before, the Alpha he had helped kill looked like a dwarf inparison.


    After a few quick battles where Evale would kill more than half the enemy before they could reach them, from where Evules wouldy waste to most the other. After moving on after another fight the raging flow of a river could be heard. Upon hearing it everyone knew that they were close now, yet they didn''t speed up. Rather they slowed down and let Kydone scout first.


    They had learned that even the weaker undead couldy traps, and the ones they had fallen into had luckily not mattered as there had just been a hundred or so of them. But now, they knew there would be much more than just a hundred.


    Some of the random hordes already having reached these numbers by now. Then there was also the fact that a higher undead could be with the horde, making scouting doubly important.

 Chapter 229: Stopped from moving forward

    <h4>Chapter 229: Stopped from moving forward</h4>


    After around ten minutes of waiting Kydone finally came back. Seeing her approach the others quickly moved slightly closer, all of them had been keeping an eye out for any wandering monsters that might betray their location.


    "Kydone what have you found?" Evale asked as soon as Kydone was close enough to allow them to talk softly.


    "Not good," Kydone replied, shaking her head as she tried to clear her thoughts. "There isn''t just one higher undead, but rather three. Two of them are Tier 7 and the other is a Tier 5."


    Hearing this everyone took a sharp intake of breath while beingpletely discouraged. Generally weaker undead couldn''t pass Tier 4, and hence they were no problem for the group. Even if there were hundreds of them, it would just take everyone some more time to grind through them, especially with Katania''s mass weakening of undead.


    Higher undead were different though, they aren''t just risen dead, but rather those who willingly became undead. Or in some cases pulled into undeath by far stronger undead, undead over Tier 8 or higher only.


    "What types of undead are they?" Evale asked, not yet willing to retreat as they had yet to even enter the corrupted part of the forest. While they had found some signs in some nts, they hadn''t been able to actually find the corrupted aura. Evale hoped to at least confirm what the corruption felt like, and what it did to them, before heading back to the fort.


    "Well... One of the Tier 7''s is a lich, while the other is a ghoul... The Tier 5 seemed to be a revenant, though I couldn''t really tell much about it. It is clearly under the two Tier 7''smand, as it is patrolling and ensure the other undead stay in order."


    "Howrge is their horde?" Evale asked, shocked that different sses of higher undead were working together. It would have made sense if one was clearly the leader, as then the others were clearly being pressed into submission.


    But this case seemed different and didn''t sit right with her, she felt that either the lich or ghoul should be a variant, or that there was a mastermind in all this. All things that would lead to a great deal of trouble. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to retreat. Their group would be hard-pressed to fight against these higher undead alone, not to mention their horde.


    "I didn''t even try to count, they are close to five hundred I would say." Hearing this Evale quickly decided that retreat was most certainly the only option. As such the group quickly started heading back in the way they hade from, hoping to circle around this horde that certainly was strange.


    However, this seemed to not be umon at this point in the forest. After heading back a kilometer or so, they had started heading to another cabin that Thesolis knew of. This one was also guarded, though slightly less, still more than Evale was willing to risk.


    On the third attempt, they found a group more eptable, a single higher undead inmand of around six hundred weaker undead. Upon hearing the report from Kydone, Evale felt they should at least try. While six hundred weaker undead was certainly a great amount, it wasn''t too much for their group. As long as the higher undead was taken out quickly, as such Evale first needed to know what type it was.


    "What type of undead is leading this horde?" Evale asked before deciding anything.


    "It is a revenant," Kydone replied, her fur standing on end as she thought back to when she had looked at it. "I rmend we retreat even if it is alone."


    "Why?" Evale asked, she understood that a revenant was one of the strongest leaders undead could possibly have, but not why Kydone''s fur was standing on end.


    Revenants were almost the perfectmander for undead. They spread an aura of death that weakened anyone weaker than itself, while strengthening all the undead at the same time. This aura could bebated with divine magic though, hence Evale still felt it was their best option.


    "It might be alone, but... Just looking at it sent chills down my spine." Kydone replied, not really knowing why she was so afraid. Yet the more she thought of facing this revenant, the more her instincts screamed at her to run.


    Evale naturally didn''t understand Kydone''s fear, but she respected it. Arge part of why Kydone was so great at stealth was due to her instinct. If it told her something was too dangerous, then one would be smart to heed its warning.


    "Then..." Evale paused and started to contemte. They could certainly sneak past instead of fighting, it was what they had originally nned. But due to the amount of undead wandering they had felt it wasn''t feasible.


    It would be too easy for them to be discovered and more enemies to surround them at that time, which would naturally lead to a dire fight. Getting past them would be even harder if the undead didn''t stay bunched as they had been thus far. If they instead walked in ones or twos then their group would never manage to pass unnoticed.


    Even if they headed back and all 22 of theirplete party set out together, they might be able to press on here. However they certainly won''t be able to press on for long, the same situation would quicklye about further in.


    "Let''s fall back to the cabin we slept at yesternight." Evale finally decided, knowing well that night wasing. Even at that cabin they had had to fight, but it had only been around thirty weaker undead, so it had not been a problem. With this decided though, the group quickly set out again.


    Eldrian was left wondering just what the undead ssifications were, and why the revenant seemed to cause Kydone to shiver in fear. He knew that Kydone was Tier 6, which caused him even more confusion.


    He also realized that night was just around the corner, causing him some concern as he knew that it would likely enhance the undead. A small part of him was also worried that he couldn''t exit the game yet, four days inside was definitely not going to be good for his body. Especially when he thought of how even now his avatar still felt slightly strange to him.


    On the way back they fought through two groups of under twenty undead without much trouble, but before they reached the cabin Kydone popped out from the leaves to stop everyone.


    "What''s going on?" Evale asked in surprise upon seeing Kydone jump in front of them.


    "We can''t go to the same cabin." Kydone replied, "It seems that the undead knows our location, or at least where we had been. A revenant is waiting there with three hundred weaker undead."


    Evale frowned upon hearing this, it certainly did not bode well for them. "What Tier is it?" She asked, thinking of just killing it before heading out to a different cabin. They certainly couldn''t stay there if the undead knew of their position, but she hoped to do some damage to their strongerbatants.


    A dead revenant would certainly be quite the blow to their forces, at least she felt so as they are normally extremely rare undead. It was already strange that they had encountered four in just one day.


    "It is just Tier 6, but it gave me the same feeling." Kydone shivered slightly as she thought of it, "The feeling to run is certainly much weaker, but I can tell that there is something off with it."


    Hearing this Katania suddenly thought of something, "Kydone, did the first revenant, the Tier 5, also give you a strange feeling?"


    Upon hearing this Kydone nodded after some thought, "Yes, though it was basically nonexistent."


    "That might be just because it is actually weaker than you. This one is at least around your level of strength, give or take some measure..." Katania paused before continuing, "Maybe they are how the corruption is spreading. While we haven''t managed to actually analyze it, I believe the aura of a revenant should be simr to that of the encroaching. Many books mentioned its simrity to the aura of death that revenants spread around them."


    "How would that be possible?" Evules asked, magic never having been his strong point. He generally only knew enough to manage to use his skills and spells. Granted this was far more than most others, but when grouped with others of his Tier, he was always reminded of hiscking quality in that area.


    "Maybe the undead found a way to harness this power. If they set up an array simr to what we have in magic towers then it would certainly be possible to spread corruption such as this for massive distances."


    "Do you think they can do that?" Evules asked in disbelief, the thought sending shivers down his spine, quite a long distance since it also went down his horse part.


    "Normally no. You all know that undead generally don''t mix with each other, so generally, they are limited in what they can do." Upon saying this everyone quickly agreed that seeing so many different higher undead together had been strange.


    "So, you are saying theming together might allow them to aplish this," Evale asked, hoping that this wasn''t possible. This would certainly cause massive trouble in trying to defend their borders if the undead could create an area to strengthen themselves and weaken others.


    Undead were already a terrible race to face since each dead added to their numbers, adding this would make them one of the worst races to possibly face against. Only true devils and demons would still be worse at that point.


    "Yes, it is most certainly possible. Revenants have the aura they need, liches the knowledge, ghouls the adaptability. Just these three sses will theoretically enable them to aplish this. If they manage to create a draugr where they n to do this, then it will certainly be nearly impossible to counter. Luckily that is highly unlikely."

 Chapter 230: A risky move

    <h4>Chapter 230: A risky move</h4>


    "In that case, we certainly need to confirm this as soon as possible. If they can actually spread this corruption wherever they set up a base, we will be in a great deal of trouble." Evale replied after some thought, adding a bitter on.


    "We should attack this horde, killing it will likely both weaken the undead''s forces and allow us all to experience what a revenant''s aura feels like. I don''t know about most of you, but I have never faced a revenant, only having been taught what to expect when facing them." Everyone, except for Katania, quickly expressed that they had also never fought one, having only learned of the undead through books and from their mentors.


    In most cases they would face hordes of weaker undead, actuallying face to face against a higher undead was highly unlikely as long as one didn''t go out into the frontlines. Only Katania and Thesolis had actually gone to the frontlines, and hence they were certainly the ones with the most experience. Kydone was a pure adventurer, normally doing solo missions, while Evale and Evules normally just protected theirnds.


    Having encountered so many higher undead already was unheard of and should already be a good enough motivation to no longer threat this as a small treat. It certainly is no longer something that can be ignored as it had been until now. Rather it should be treated as a national disaster.


    Seeing Katania not agreeing, Evale quickly asked if she had faced one before, and if she had any tips for their attack. To which Katania replied, "Yes, but it was long ago when I was only Tier 4. I was more there for supportive healing and hence I didn''t really fight it, but its aura is certainly terrible. I don''t remember much, as the aura both clouded my memory and I was still much weaker in magic."


    "Yet I clearly remember that its aura had basically caused my spells to only stop the wounded from dying outright, it lost nearly all its healing effect. Even stopping bleeding had be hard, something that was normally really simple. I had to resort to cauterizing their wounds without mercy, causing manysting wounds to the wounded. Something that would take most of them years to get fixed."


    "However even with not trying to outrightbat the aura, it robbed my energy extremely quickly. I was even very far from where the revenant actually was fighting. All the undead under it had also fought as if they were at least a Tier, and a couple of levels, higher than they actually were."


    "I have to say, I feel we should rather keep falling back. Kydone''s instincts are right, while we can certainly contend with the revenant itself. Handling so many undead, boosted by its aura and outnumbering us by a few hundred. While we might be able to win, the battle will likely be long and hard. Reinforcements will likely arrive before we can finish the fight." Katania finished off, hoping that Evale would head this warning.


    For the most part, she hade to know Evale as kind and smart, but it was highly possible that she didn''t realize the situation she was cing those around her in. It was amon trait of geniuses, such as her, who reached so high a Tier without much effort and at such a young age. With her brother not being far behind in talent, Katania felt that they certainly might think everyone was, or must certainly be, as strong as them.


    Luckily this was not the case, Evale had oftenmanded soldiers of her hometown. She knew that she was an exceptionally strongbatant, especially considering her age. It was just that she had for a moment forgotten that while all those -but Eldrian- were Tier 6, two of them weren''t really suited forbat, three if one considered groupbat.


    Even though Katania excelled against undead as a divine magic-user. If the aura was so strong then she might just be able tobat its effects, possibly even failing topletely nullify it. If that happened the three hundred undead will quickly be a massive problem for all the others. Even Evules would have a hard time not being surrounded and killed then, not to mention stopping the undead from reaching the others.


    Evale fell silent for some time as she thought of this. She didn''t want to run when the enemy was actually weaker than her, but she understood that she couldn''t just consider the strongest enemy. While this would be true in many cases, that only held if they weren''t too massively outnumbered by the weaker ones. Numbers could to a degreebat quality.


    She certainly didn''t want to ce the others in unnecessary danger; if they can avoid a fight then they should, she realized. I have been a bit rash. After discovering that stealth wasn''t really possible I had just thought of fighting through. That isn''t right, I need to be more careful.


    "Alright, I don''t like it. But let''s fall back. I feel like we are going to have to bring more soldiers with us. There is just too many undead for us to sneak past." Evale sighed as she said this, really not liking the idea of actually making this a war movement. Yet if what they spected was true, then they had to move fast.


    "What if I try and go past alone?" Kydone suddenly asked, she could hide almost perfectly in nearly any terrain. The problem, and why she only acted as a scout, was that she couldn''t hide others too. She felt she should certainly be able to go into the depth of the forest and discover what was actually going on.


    "That''s too dangerous." Evale quickly denied, yet Kydone countered even faster.


    "It isn''t more dangerous than mounting a full attack. Give me a few days, maybe a week."


    "But what will that even help?" Thesolis suddenly asked, catching Kydone off guard. "Unless you can find an array, or building and prove it to be the cause, you doing this won''t lead to anything. The entire point is we need to analyze the corruption itself. To confirm our spection we need to make it into the actually corrupted area andpare it to the aura of a revenant."


    "What if I just bring some of it with me then?" Kydone asked without much thought.


    "How would you even do that, it isn''t really something you can just pick up and take with you. It is like air, how are you going to bring air to us?" Thesolis replied, understanding that Kydone didn''t know much of magic. Arge part of her skillset was actually abilities, gained from her bloodline as a demi-human. Hence she was in fact even more clueless than Evules, who at least understood enough to learn his skills normally.


    "I can try to describe it..." Kydone stopped as she realized she didn''t know enough of magic to actually do this.


    "I have a different n. It is quite risky though," Evale said as soon as Kydone stopped herself. "I really don''t like the idea of letting the revenant go, and I really want to experience its aura. If we mustunch a crusade into the forest, then I want to know what to expect."


    "You can''t!" Evules shouted, realizing her n already.


    "I am certain that I will be able to run if things go wrong. You know how fast I am." Evale replied with a light smile, yet it seemed like a farewell smile to Evules.


    "That isn''t the problem! What if you get cornered. No! It is too dangerous!" Evules roared in denial, his shout certain to attract nearby monsters. But he didn''t care, he really didn''t want Evale to go with her n.


    "Sorry Evules, but you aren''t the leader. As the leader, I have to know what to expect, take everyone back to the fort. Quickly before anythinges in search of the sound. I will catch up as soon as I can." With that Evale disappeared into the forest before Evules could say anything else.


    He cursed and wanted to rush after her, yet he knew doing so would actually hamper her n. Cursing a few more times he quickly pulled Eldrian onto his back and shouted, "Right let''s get out of here as quickly as possible!"


    With that everyone set out at their best speed. Katania and Thesolis soon joining Eldrian on Evules back as he found them too slow. Sounds of explosions soon came from behind them, the now dimming sky bing bright for a few moments every few seconds.


    "Dammit! Why the hell is she being so reckless!" Evules shouted as he realized that she was using her strongest arrows to probably try and deal with the horde first. Yet doing so will certainly lead more undead to her. Evules grit his teeth, nearly smashing them in frustration as he kept running.


    Those on his back were not having a pleasant experience. Branch after branch wacked them nearly every second. Evules didn''t bother to try and find a cleaner route, simply relying on his body''s toughness to break most branches in his way.


    Eldrien felt he might even die and pulled out his shield, his health quickly having been halved from the branches in just a minute of shock, where he had done nothing other than trying to not fall off. Evules was certainly much faster than Cephaphyr.

 Chapter 231: Unexpectedly hard fight

    <h4>Chapter 231: Unexpectedly hard fight</h4>


    After leaving the others, Evale quickly made her way towards the cabin. While she tried her best to sneak and find a good spot to rain down arrows on the enemies, she did not manage this. While most of the undead in this horde consisted of beasts of prey such as Direwolves and Arkbeasts, some were deers or even birds.


    Both of whom seemed much more alive as the undead were careful when killing them, something not so easy to do against beasts who could fight back. In this case, it was not the seemingly healthy deers who betrayed Evale''s location, but rather the birds.


    While theycked a way ofmunicating with others, they could still let loose a shriek born from hell. The dposing throat of these birds robbed them of their beautiful songs, and this shriek embodied their anger at this fact.


    Hearing these ear-piercing shrieks surrounding her, Evale quickly realized that she had been spotted. Also realizing for the first time just how much harder it would be to sneak past the undead. She had never considered that even birds could be corrupted and used as scouts. This most certainly ced them at even more of a severe disadvantage than she had thought they were at.


    Even though things had gone wrong right from the start, Evale was not disappointed. In fact, she was extremely happy at her rash actions. If she had not done this, she would still not have known of the undead birds, and if no other groups encountered them, then it could have led to a disasterter on.


    None of the notes and books on undead ever mentioned this either, so this was most likely something that was quite rare or new. Most likely only being used here since the forest had an abundant amount of all types of animals.


    Furthermore, this was likely only able to be used while flesh stayed on the birds, most weaker undead would lose their ability to make sounds as their troatspletely dposed. As such Evale realized that probably any animal could be used in this way, sending goosebumps down her back as she realized the benefits this would give the enemy in scouting.


    With her position found, Evale no longer cared for stealth and while her mind ran through the meaning of this discovery, she started running at full speed with her bow drawn. On her human back was arge quiver carrying her more expensive and dangerous arrows. While at her hips, where her human half and horse half met, were two more quivers of more normal arrows. Further down, past her hips and down on her horse half she had two arming swords strapped, and on her horsebacky arge teardrop shield.


    When she managed to get a clear view of the undead horde rushing her, all at varying states of decay, she quickly decided to try and thin their numbers. She didn''t mind that each arrow she was going to use cost nearly a full gold coin, their effect certainly held by the price.


    Letting loose the arrows, blinding shes of light and fire erupted on impact, robbing all undead within fifteen meters of the arrow of their undeath. Those further away were instead all weakened and slowed, yet unlike how Evale had expected, this weakened state did notst long. Not more than fifteen secondster the undead were all back to their top condition.


    Must be the effect of the revenant. Evale thought as she let loose more of her specially made arrows while trying to find the revenant inside the horde. Soon the aura reached her and she could immediately feel its effect. Even with the revenant being a Tier lower than her, its aura robbed her off around 5% of her strength and agility.


    Evale was keenly aware of her own abilities and as such she could deduce this without needing a system or magic to inform her of the effect. Nheless, she was astonished at its strength, she felt certain if she faced a revenant of the same Tier that it would rob close to 20% of her stats. No wonder everyone regards revenants as extremely dangerous enemies, and why a cleric is a must when facing them.


    As the undead horde kept dying, all of them being unable to catch up to Evale, the revenant finally decided to leave and charge out on its own. This didn''t help it much as Evale was far faster, even with her needing to find a safe path through the trees, that she could pass through. As soon as the revenant left its horde, she changed to arrows designed to do as much damage to a singlebatant; instead of those with an area of effect.


    A revenant, in most cases, would permanently bind with their armor upon being reborn. This was not in a figurative sense, but rather truly what happened. Its flesh would be reced by the armor; being strengthened and almost brought to life. The armor gained the ability to be more like the hide of a beast than just metal. Covering every inch of the revenant while still allowing it perfect movement.


    The only ces where there were holes in this armor were the eyes and mouth. The eyes were like sunken holes as if the armor had melted into them, onlyplete darkness apt to describe these holes. The mouth instead had a glow of green under spike-like teeth. This revenant held arge heater shield in one hand and a longsword in its other as it charged out of the horde.


    While Evale''s arrows had been too fast for the revenant to block, it had failed to pierce the armor; to Evale''s astonishment. Luckily these arrows were made to actually prate the best of armor, and while it failed in this case, it did not break. Instead it kept its form, dented the armor, and sent the revenant sliding back from the impact. However, upon realizing that it couldn''t keep up with the arrow''s speed, the revenant quickly moved its shield to cover its only weak points.


    Fuck! There is no way I will be able to kill it like this. Why the hell didn''t I know of this strength of theirs? Evale thought, extremely d that she had sent the others away and frustrated she hadn''t tried shooting the eyes from the start.


    The former thought quickly overcame her regret as the other undead, those she had already killed, started reassembling; at least all those who weren''tpletely destroyed in the st and were close enough to the revenant. How on Gaia!? Those arrows are meant to deal with the undead! They should be purified for at least a few days!


    Seeing this Evale truly started to fear a revenant. Finally understanding why Kydone had such fear against it, along with Katania. She assumed the eyes would be the weak point of the revenenat, seeing as how it was kept them hidden undead its shield now. Knowing this did no good since they were in fact now hidden. This left Evale with three choices, try and shoot until the armor gave, going into melee to get past the shield, or retreat.


    Looking around Evale confirmed that the other undead were still having difficulty catching up, so she felt she should try and risk it. The more she learned of the revenant the more she felt each one she encountered had to be killed. If she, as a Tier 7 ranger, couldn''t manage this. Then she would have to quickly do something about it.


    Unknown to her the reason for most of her struggle was the absence of a cleric, their abilities allowing them to weaken the revenant in aplete manner, armor and all; as long as they were on the same level as the revenant.


    Having made her decision, Evale stored all the quivers into her dimensional storage, except for one at her left hip. Along with this, she made sure her swords were easily essible, having learned that in moments of tensebat, relying on adimensional storage could be a disadvantage.


    Dimensional storages were not as easy to use as the yer''s inventory, especially when yers also had the slot-type inventory that basically needed no thought to use. It would always take a second or two to connect to a dimensional storage, find what they wanted, and pulling it out. Much too long for a fight.


    Feeling ready Evale finally stopped running away, she turned and suddenly charged at the revenant. Using her bow -which was two and a half meters in total length- like a spear, she thrust against the revenant''s shield, who had taken a defensive stance upon seeing her charge.


    The force of this sent the revenant crashing into a nearby tree, cracks forming along its trunk. This impact didn''t seem to bother the revenant, the tree instead started falling to one side. The revenant quickly got up as if nothing had happened and charged at Evale, who quickly stored her bow and drew her swords.


    Both flew into each other without any fear, Evale easily managing to keep up with the revenant in melee. While she was only Tier 5 in melee, and as such her actually skills with the sword were slightly below the revenant, she was much much faster and hence she had total control of the fight. Her extra speed even allowed her to make sure the revenant didn''t use herrge frame against her, but rather that she used it to her advantage.


    In a short summary, Evale could deliver three attacks where the revenant should only be able to deliver one. Yet due to its technique, it managed to do two sometimes even three. With the addition of its shield, Evale couldn''t manage to get past its defenses, but she most certainly had the upper hand.


    Each time she tried to use a skill to break through its defense, the revenant would seemingly sense it and counter with its own. The surrounding trees quickly being ttened by the shockwaves. The weaker undead dumb enough to try and get close would quickly receive undeath. Some even permanently as their bodies werepletely destroyed.


    Still, they didn''t just wait, they tried to surround the two. Those who could still use magic would send their spells at Evale, and while they were weak and did little to her, her armor blocking it all, it robbed her of some concentration. She also had to make sure to keep the fight moving, so as to not be truly surrounded. While she could easily manage to get past the weaker undead, they might slow her enough to allow the revenant to also keep up with her.

 Chapter 232: Retreating to safety

    <h4>Chapter 232: Retreating to safety</h4>


    Knowing this, Evale realized she couldn''t just keep fighting. While she would like to get more used to the revenant''s aura and try and find a way past its armor. Having managed to slowly whittle down the former''s effect on her, to now around 3%.


    She realized that doing so would take too long, certain that more undead were rushing to her location. A few stragglers had already joined the horde, if a higher undead were to arrive her life could really be in danger. Then it would no longer be a case of her struggle to kill her enemy, but rather her needing to fight for her life.


    As such, she realized she had to end the fight as quickly as possible, or retreat. She naturally didn''t want to run without killing the revenant, having fought it she felt more and more that she had to kill it. As such she sealed her resolve, jumped back, and created enough space between herself and the revenant to allow a second of distraction.


    With enough space and time to use her dimensional storage, pulling out a mana crystal. Frustrated that she had to fall back to this, and even wondering if it will be worth it. However the doubt didn''tst for long. She mmed the crystal into the hilt of her de without any doubt, resolved to kill this revenant. Quickly the de started glowing. Her hands soon bing scorched from the heat it was generating.


    Not minding this Evale charged again, the revenant quickly realizing the danger it was now in. Raising its shield it tried to block, but Evale moved past it. Opening her side to attack, but the revenant didn''t take the opportunity. Instead, it tried to block her attack, truly afraid of the now blindingly bright red/orange sword.


    Evale''s second sword interrupted its defense, stopping its from interfering with her glowing de. She struck this de into its chest without any form of grace. In a barbaric charge with little regard to the danger to herself, her clothes catching fire from the heat of the de.


    Even with the added momentum from her charge she only barely managed to get the sword to prate. However this was enough as the armor started melting, and with one final push Evale forced it in.


    At that moment the revenant looked at her in mockery, Evale smiling in return. Sending her finalmand to her sword, she struck at the revenant''s sword again before retreating. Leaving the now pure blinding white sword inside the revenant, who quickly tried to pull it out. Its gauntlets melting as it tried to touch the de.


    Unfortunately for it, at this time its resilience worked against it. Its armor didn''t like melting, nor having a hole created in it. So it tried to repair the damage, consuming arge part of the revenant''s energy. At the same time as it repaired the damage, that was caused by the sword, it caused the de to fuse inside it. Making it nearly impossible to be removed.


    Just as Evale managed to cover five meters and the revenant realized the futility of its actions, the sword exploded. The explosion sent most of the undead surrounding them onto their backs while causing even her to stumble. Her hair, and all her clothes, burnt to a crisp from the explosion, the darkening sky bing brighter than day for a moment.


    Turning around Evale looked at the pieces of armor scattered onto the floor, quickly deciding to try and gather them up. To analyze and hopefully find a weaknesster, as she rushed forward and used wind magic to lift the pieces up, she found a beating ckened heart with a slight green glow.


    She was shocked seeing this, but not having time for emotions or wandering thoughts, she picked it up and retreated. Leaving the rest of the armor pieces. The undead just about to reform their ranks, Evale resorted to a fast wind attack to send them back down as she retreated.


    As soon as she was out of the encirclement she turned in the direction of the fort. As she ran she could feel that the heart was releasing an aura of death. It''s still alive? Dammit, how much does it take to kill a revenant? She wondered, not daring to store the heart in her dimensional storage. As such she emptied her quiver and threw it inside. Hoping that this heart would allow them to discover the weakness of revenants, and if it is the cause of the corruption.


    ...


    By the time Evules finally stopped running they had covered more than half the distance they had traveled before. If he continued they would certainly reach the fort before sunrise. The reason for this was because they had moved slowly when going out, trying to memorize the best routes to retreat if it were ever needed. Along with setting up a few fallback points in the cabins they passed.


    They were now at just such a cabin, Thesolis quickly having activated the arrays upon arrival while Kydone headed out to scout the surrounding area. Katania quickly started healing herself and the others, while Eldrian simply stared at the arrays in wonder. Trying to figure out how they worked, how they differed from simple spells, and what they were meant for.


    Only once things calmed down did he stopped contemting and asked Thesolis, who simply told him the effects of the array. Not wishing to exin how they worked or the theory behind them. She wanted to rest and recover as quickly as possible should any troublee for them. The ride had been tough on all of them, Evules actually the one in the best condition.


    There were actually three arrays, the first andrgest was simr to a silent rm. Upon triggered it would create a ball of light at its center. The second was a mana gathering array, allowing everyone inside to recover faster. It also worked to stop the flow of foreign mana, such as what the aura of death from a revenant was made off.


    Thest was a magic barrier, onlyrge enough to cover the inside of the cabin, the walls not at all protected. The reason for this was simple, the smaller it was, the stronger it would be. At this stage it was actually semi-active, using enough power to be activated at a second''s notice. But not actually forming the barrier yet, as even without blocking anything it would drain quite a bit of mana.


    "Now what?" Eldrian asked, knowing very much that he had to logout as soon as possible. He wondered just how bad his condition was going to be IRL.


    "We''ll rest for the night and return to the fort in the morning," Evules replied as he looked nervously back to where they had left Evale. Naturally, he couldn''t see that far, the tree''s blocking sight past a hundred or so meters. This didn''t change a thing though, he looked and hoped that his younger sister was alright.


    The more he thought the more he wished he had ignored her order and just gone with her. He felt confident he should be able to deal with a few hundred weaker undead, even if they were being boosted by a revenant, and he himself weakened.


    Yet here he was, now hoping without being able to do anything. Promising himself that next time he will disobey in a simr situation, his training having forced him into action this time. He would not allow it again.


    Seeing that no one was willing to converse, Eldrian sighed and decided to log out. For a while he wondered if he should ask the system to keep his avatar in the world, or let it dissipate into particles. Strangely the former was actually safer, it would appear that he was sleeping to the other. But in this case, if he logged in toote they could carry him up as they had done before.


    Eldrian quickly told Evules this, who simply nodded. Not minding Eldrian''s words, only replying that he would carry him again if needed. This was enough and as such Eldrian quickly logged out.


    ...


    "Constantin, check this," Joren called out, pointing to a particr post on the forum. "Another yer, this one also seems promising."


    "Well he is only feeling a vague connection, but that in itself is already surprising at this stage. Still, it is nothingpared to the High Elf yers." Constantin replied as he read the post.


    This yer only mentioned that he had felt a vague connection to things. This was special since most yers wouldn''t feel connected to their spells, as the system usually cast it for them. Yet, in some cases, it seemed that the system only helped them cast, instead of casting for them. This case seemed to again be such a one, though both Constantin and Joren were unsure if this was truly what was happening.


    "True, I mean most of the yers who are still ying as High Elves have managed to make some progress. Many of them have actually managed to gain ess to a Magic Crystal, and following Eldrian''s advice they all used nature magic to try and learn." Joren replied.


    "Almost all who did that gave up though." Constantin countered, with Joren adding further.


    "But those few who didn''t have shown great progress. They are still unable to actually use magic, but they have managed to enter the magic abyss. So this clearly shows that High Elves have a massive advantage when actually learning magic."


    "Yet none of them have managed anything more than that. So they aren''t much further than the other yers." Constantin countered again, "Those yers just need some more guidance and they might quickly start growing far faster than the High Elf yers ever could."


    "Are you kidding? Out of the almost 11 million yers, under a hundred have managed to feel something. Yet out of the two thousand remaining High Elves, more than half of them have posted managing feeling something. And how are you going to guide the yers when you can''t manage the same as them?" Joren countered, causing Constantin to fall silent as he indeed hasn''t managed to feel connected to his spells.


    Naturally many of the posts may in fact be false positives. With yers believing they managed something, but not actually having managed anything. A cebo effect of sorts. Still with the amount they had found, they hoped some would be the true deal such as Eldrian.

 Chapter 233: Future plans for Miracle

    <h4>Chapter 233: Future ns for Miracle</h4>


    "So we have confirmed that Eldrian is most likely not the only person to be able to use magic. To connect to mageia, as he calls it." Constantin said after a slight pause.


    "Most likely... It does seem to be the case giving the number we have managed to find," Joren replied, giving up on going further down the forum posts. "I am surprised by how off we were on the amount, and time, needed before gaining any results."


    "Well, I mean, we did fail ourselves. So what did we really know? We assumed we were the best possible, clearly, we were wrong as can be... I am only surprised that some yers outside of High Elves seem to also be able." Constantin replied, pausing for a while before adding, "Do you think we should use an AI to look further, or inform the higher-ups?"


    "No. What''s the point of the first, finding possible candidates might be promising but ultimately it won''t do us any good. Seeing as how things have to stay confidential, the fact that we believe magic is real cannot be leaked. At least not yet."


    "Informing the higher-ups on the other hand will just cause more pressure and focus toe down on us. Eldrian already added enough. The government especially would pressure us to no end. They only allowed us to ess the public due to hope. Showing promise so soon will cause too much trouble without concrete evidence. They might even stop us from allowing the game outside of our borders, for fear of it being discovered." Joren replied.


    "Agreed, I don''t really like Mica in any case. So giving her some grease is an added bonus... So what are we going to do then?" Constantin agreed wholeheartedly with keeping it just between themselves, for now, meaning their respective departments. At least all in those departments who were close to them. The worst thing for their experiment would be if they lost over 80% of their yers due to politics.


    "Since we can''t tell people why we want to contact them, seeing as the risk of it leaking being too likely. Let''s start with just getting in touch with the more capable yers, to give a precedent for us reaching out to yers. Certainly, all those simr to Eldrian will soon reach his level of ability, or at least something simr. His talent is likely one of the highest..."


    "But they will all stand out clearly with time, we just need to make sure none of them stand out as much as he did. We were lucky he lives in our country... What are you thinking then?" Constantin asked.


    "Let''s organize an event. Something that will bring ANW into Esports, cause yers to try harder, and give us more publicity in the gaming field. Too many damn yers have chosen to ck off, even though Empires are now willing to endorse them." Joren felt like cursing these yers, they were given more than any game tester. Yet they chose to spend their days ying for fun, to enjoy the time they gained.


    Naturally this was normal, for them it was indeed a game. However, Joren didn''t understand this, seeing people gaining at minimum another eight hours of life, yet doing nothing of significance with it. It caused him no small amount of anger. If he could actually use the game, instead of having to monitor it constantly, he would use those hours to catch up on what he missed when sleeping. He didn''t even think of using it outside of work.


    "So a tournament?" Constantin said, pulling Joren from his delve into useless anger.


    "Of course... Though how are we going to organize it? It will need some finesse." Joren quickly agreed.


    "We will have to give prizes, and won''t us doing this directly show everyone that we care more than we let on?"


    "Of course it will, but exining it will be quite easy. I mean we sold over ten million headsets in under a day. No one will argue if we said we felt it was worth more effort."


    "But it will attract more eyes, well not that there are many not looking currently. Might as well." Constantin replied, finding that it should be easy to exin to those up above why this wouldn''t be a risk. That it may, in fact, be better at keeping their true goals of ANW hidden.


    "So then, what are the rewards going to be? How are we going to handle this?" Joren asked, Constantin quickly adding.


    "Are we going to limit it to certain people? Are we going to do it online, or get a ce where people cane and meet? Like other Esports."


    "Ooh, what if we ce a few headsets there to allow everyone to experience the effect of using them. That way it will truly look like we are pushing our product. We will just need toe up with a reason why we can''t sell more headsets at this time." Joren added with quite a bit of gusto.


    "Servers, naturally. We will say we had thought it would take months to sell the ten million, by which time we would have managed to add more onto the servers. We just need to stay vague on how we are attempting to increase our bandwidth. Since we aren''t using any know methods, naturally." Constantin replied.


    They both knew that in fact, they could easily handle the entire poption of Earth, slightly over 10 billion people. The system might struggle to handle this at first, but they could easily give it the little more it needed to function fine with this sudden increase.


    It was far easier than trying to get it to give them info on magic. For some reason all the AI they developed seemed to regard this as a secret that must not be shared. The so-called ''System'', was the AI that allowed them the most control and information. Yet it also didn''t give them the actual answer or helped them to it. Most others just cooperating at a minimum to seem subordinate.


    "I like it." Joren quickly hopped onto the idea, at this time though, both their tablets informed them that development had happened with Eldrian. A specific sound having quickly been chosen by everyone involved after thest scare.


    "What did the kid do now?" Constantin grumbled, quickly jumping up from his seat upon seeing that it simply said he was awake. "Let''s go, he''s awake!" Constantin shouted, rushing off before Joren had even looked at what had happened.


    ...


    "I''m fine Gengxin. Just tired and weak. Along with this damnableg thingy." Eldrian mumbled, all his words connected without anymon separation. Even his pauses over sentences were slurred.


    He was struggling to get used to his own body. Having been out of it for so long, and even out of his avatar''s, it no longer truly felt like his own body. He felt disconnected from it, causing his thoughts and actions tog from each other. Heck, his avatar had felt much more normal to him than his real body.


    While his thoughts seemed to run as normal, maybe even faster than normal, his actionsgged far behind. When reaching out his hand to pick up a ss, he had waited nearly two seconds before his arm actually did anything.


    Naturally the ss had slipped from his hand and broken, this was along with his slurred speech was how Gengxin realized something was truly wrong. Luckily this seemed to be quickly improving, as now there was just half a second of dy. Gengxin also clear on this.


    "Do you have a word for this?" Eldrian asked, his words slurred as if he was hammered. His tongue strongly affected by this disconnect too.


    "It''s ismonly known as dyed response of movement and/or thought. Bradyphrenia is the medical term, and it is linked to disorders such as Parkinson''s and schizophrenia. It should be fine seeing as you are quickly recovering, but if this happened again the symptoms may persist." Gengxin warned with great seriousness.


    "For now, at least your brainwaves seem to be normal, semi-normal..." Gengxin added, but was not willing to extrapte. "That is why I asked you to keep the headset on, by the way. It allowed me to keep track of it, and it seems that it is just the response of your muscles that arecking. Your thoughts themselves seem to be fine."


    "That''s good," Eldrian replied with a now characteristic slurr.


    "No this isn''t good. You can''t keep being so reckless!" Gengxin shouted thest part, unable to keep himself calm. It seemed to him that Eldrian didn''t realize just how much danger he was actually cing himself in. He could permanently paralyze himself, if worst came to worst he could even possibly cause his heart or lungs to stop functioning.


    Eldrian was indeed not understanding. He also felt it wasn''t his fault, he had simply tried meditating. He didn''t expect to be out for nearly four days, almost a weak inside the game. He knew not to argue though, as this wasn''t the first time something like this had happened. He truly had to start regarding meditation with a bit of fear, it kept having unexpected side effects. Yet Eldrian had to use it to grow stronger, causing him quite the conundrum.


    At about this time Joren and Constantin burst through the doors, quickly asking Gengxin what was going on.


    "Really now... Eldrian... You have to stop giving us surprises like this." Constantin said with quite a bit of concern after confirming that Eldrian wasn''t in and immediate danger.


    Even though Eldrian had informed them of his actions, the results still differed far too much from what they had expected. Though they were starting to expect this from him.

 Chapter 234: What I have learned as a High Elf

    <h4>Chapter 234: What I have learned as a High Elf</h4>


    "As I said, it wasn''t on purpose..." Eldrian said the first and second parts both slurred as two separate ''words''. Making it quite hard to understand him, but easier than before.


    "Are you sure he is alright?" Joren asked after hearing Eldrian''s speech impairment.


    "Yes, you can look at his brainwaves yourself if you want. They were fine the entire time, so his mind isn''t damaged. His body, and the connection to it, seems to have weakened though. I fear that if this happens a few more times the damage can be permanent."


    "Then we have to rush the cabin design even more. There is no way Eldrian is going to stop ying and trying to improve, we''ve seen it. Thepany will also not be happy if we withdraw the results we have made so far." Joren said softly so Eldrian couldn''t hear, with clear worry, his voice just barely soft enough.


    "That isn''t so easy. You know that!" Gengxin countered in a simr loud whisper.


    "Then make a damn middle ground. Something more than just a headset and tubes, for christ''s sake!" Joren replied, quickly realizing that he was starting to sound like those they all avoided. Those sitting above them, distant from the struggles. "Sorry, I am just..." Joren started to apologize, Gengxin interrupting him.


    "I understand. But what is the thing we should prioritize when doing something halfway?"


    "Affinity," Eldrian said, catching everyone by surprise. Mostly because they had thought he couldn''t hear them. "It is all about affinity, isn''t it?" By now his words were starting to separate, though they were certainly still slurred. Everyone clearly understood him instantly, all having had experienced with drunk people at some time in their lives.


    "Isn''t there this effect that we might gain things when ying. I mean other than just knowledge into new fields... What did you call it again?" Eldrian mumbled, yet it quickly allowed everyone to understand.


    Naturally what he was mentioning wasn''t something they hadn''t even confirmed yet. They spected it from the effects the game testers'' had shown. Added reflexes and dexterity in movement in areas they had never trained. As such, they had added it to protect their basis.


    "How would we do that?" Gengxin asked to his colleagues, the field still very new and unexplored.


    "How do we immerse them into the world? Let''s try lessening the immersion, Constantin will you test it?" Joren replied, Constantin quickly agreeing. They certainly didn''t want Eldrian to be the subject, he already had his te full with his own experiments. Heck they wanted him to stop for a while so they could catch up, or at least create a n for the worst case.


    "We should be able to set it up right away. If we limit the paralysis effect to allow muscle action... But we can''t allow him to actually move..." Gengxin quickly started to specte, the others adding where they could.


    With this they left Eldrian and headed to Constantin''s room, wishing to test things as soon as they possibly could. Dying certainly wasn''t an option with Eldrian being constantly reckless. While they could force him to stop ying for a while, this would most certainly cause problems. Unless they also stopped the flow of time in the game.


    This thought actually popped up in one of their heads. Constantin quickly mentioned this to the others, "Joren, we should rush the tournament."


    "What why?" Joren asked, while Gengxin asked what was going on.


    "If we do it, we can also pause the time in the game. Telling all yers that there will be a week or a few weeks where we will hold rounds to see who is the strongest. A sort of elimination to limit the number of finalists. We can also create separate spaces, like dreams, for those who don''t wish to participate. Giving them the opportunity to still have the extra time from the headset, but without needing to y the game."


    "In doing so we can stop Eldrian from entering the game for a good while... Giving his body and mind time to get used to each other again, while also giving us time to get ahead of it all. Brilliant!" Joren shouted in glee, as this truly was a nice option.


    Certainly, many yers wouldin, but if they made the dreamlike ce a permanent feature, then most would actually be in favor of this change. Especially those who don''t actually want to fight in ANW. This would solve so many of their problems, while also publicizing the game even more.


    "That would be good. Now inform me of what you are talking about and why it suddenly came to you." Gengxin said, not liking being in the dark. The others quickly informed him and Gengxin heartily pressed that they should push for this as soon as possible. He feared that with where Eldrian was in the game, he would quickly again experience something traumatic and stimting. Eldrian needed time IRL, and this would be ideal.


    The other both agreed to try and rush it, though a minimum amount of time was certainly going to be needed to get the news out and the public excited.


    "We can teach him during the night, he certainly would want to use them instead of sleeping," Gengxin added after a bit of random discussion on how they would execute their n.


    "What do you mean?" Joren and Constantin asked at the same time.


    "Hecks general knowledge in most fields. He stopped going to Uni, and now he is basically making the game his life. So we need to pull him back to earth for his own sanity." Gengxin started to exin, afraid for Eldrian''s mental health should the game ever end.


    "So we will each take a day, using this dream space we are going to create. That part shouldn''t be too hard, the system should be able to handle it without any other AI. In that space, I can teach him about advanced biology, Joren about IT, and Constantin about other things... What do you actually specialize in?"


    "You know I don''t specialize, I just pick things up as I go. In any case that is a good idea. We can also market this part of the headsets if we want, adding even more cover to our actual aims." Constantin replied.


    ...


    Eldrian slowly sat up on his bed, taking things slow as he tried to reach his PC. He did not n on doing anything draining, as such he quickly opened the forums and started looking around again. Finding his old post about learning magic and High Elves, Eldrian contemted if he should post a new, more up-to-date one.


    He hadn''t really posted much after those first few, and Eldrian even felt quite bad about what his first posts said. While they were honest and true to what he had known at that stage, they weren''t by any means correct. However, he didn''t know if there was in fact a correct with magic. that the exact reason why he wouldn''t easily find a mentor.


    He felt he needed to correct this, and now with all the things he had learned he started writing. This task allowing him to also get used to his hands, quickening his recovery.


    Unlike before Eldrian didn''t try and give this post a fancy name to pull attention or anything like that. He simply called it: What I have learned as a High Elf, having reached Tier 1.


    He started off with a disimer that what he was writing was subjective to his experience, and then continued to exin how he felt magic existed. From which he moved on and wrote what he had learned from others, Itireae and Zamia. All in a summary and staying away from trying to exin to others his steps. He hade to realize, as he wrote this, that this was likely why he had gained a hidden ss and why he couldn''t get a mentor.


    At this stage he didn''t wish to lock others out from mentors, he would dly try and give them ess to hidden sses though. But if they were stuck as him in needing to figure things out on their own, many more might decide to give up when things started bing too hard. Eldrian hoped not to force people into that.


    {The post, to those who wish to read (Sort of an exploration of Eldrian''s feelings toward the game)}


    Magic is something quiteplex to learn. It is much like science, though I am no expert in that field either. I havee to learn that magic actually exists out of two parts, a force I havee to name mageia. Something most humans, and indeed other races, have. Some dock it; at least ording to the natives of ANW.


    This force allows one to connect to mana, the other part of magic. Without mageia there would be no magic, mana would be like air. Something we know is there, we can even prove. Yet we can''t do anything with it, at least not without equipment. Mageia in this case can be considered as mental equipment, using our thoughts to act out our will.


    Magic is quite amazing, though I stillck in many areas. I havee to fall in love with this field. It is like nothing else, and I wish to master it! Something I had never felt in reality. It had always strayed far from me. Leaving me with little passion for life and without any motivation to do anything to better myself. I had lived, simply to live... This is not all that ANW has given me, but it is one of the most important gifts to me.


    Magic is also not so simple as simply being made of two parts, while it does exist out of two forces. It isn''t a single entity. It is like how science is split into physics, biology, chemistry, and so forth. All parts of science, but using different knowledge and aspects of reality to aplish different things. Yet no matter what all these aspects fall under science.


    I do not know all the ways magic can split, generally, it is split into elements. Yet there is also divine magic and I have no idea how it works. There is also mental magic, dream magic, and more nefarious magics used by devils and demons. I have note into contact with any of thetter, so I can say with certainty that I am no master in the field that is magic.


    However, I feel certain I know things many do not. One such thing is that while magic can be split ording to its type, it can also be split ording to the method of controlling it. In this case, I would describe it in a manner everyone can understand.


    The type of magic mostmon, the type most yers learn; Static magic. It is hard to exin and I only recently managed to figure it out myself. Imagine you are ying a game, an old one on your PC or through a console. Or even the older types of VR, before total immersion. That is what I would call static magic, you can y. You can do amazing things, but you use a controller, a keyboard and a mouse, to ess magic. It limits you to what your controller allows.


    The other type of magic, much rarer but also far strong; Dynamic magic. This is what High Elves use, and why it is so hard to y as one. I have only started to learn about it, only started to improve. In this case, I would say Dynamic magic is like ANW. Where instead of ying/controlling it through a controller, you fully enter the game world. Experiencing everything and truly having full control. Yet now you can''t rely on a button to do something for you, you have to learn it all for yourself.


    This path is far harder, naturally, it would be. As I said you can no longer use a simple mouse click to attack, you have to learn from nothing. It is rare even in the game, in ANW among the natives. Normally it is limited to legacies, and hence I would like to advise people who wish for grandeur but do not want to struggle blindly as I do. Go find a mentor before you start your journey. I have already chosen my own path, and now no one will likely be able to truly teach me what to do. They can give me advice, but not actually tell me what I need to do. I have to struggle to figure it out, and it is most certainly not always nice.


    I do not wish to exin my methods due to this, as I fear doing so will stop others from following their own path. I will just say that magic is as much thought, as it is science. It is about willpower, about pushing through and wishing to learn something new. Give it your all, or turn to a more normal race where you do not need to.


    Eldrian kept away from mentioning how he broke through to Tier 1, how he managed to actually cast magic. At least for now, while he was willing to share this with the game testers and people like Myropsis. Until he figured out if they could make use of his information, if it wouldn''t hurt them. He wouldn''t share.


    He did not want to ce others in danger, certain that part of his path of learning was the cause for his unexpected idents. At least in part.

 Chapter 235: Taking a slow day

    <h4>Chapter 235: Taking a slow day</h4>


    After posting his experience, Eldrian continued to go through all the other posts on the forum. Finding that most guilds had decided to disband. This wasn''t all that hard though, as most of them were only kept together by saying they were together. Most guilds were stuck at level 2 or 1, allowing only 250 people at most to be part of it.


    Now with most of the yer base being at the empire, they had realized just how impractical it was to keep saying they were all part of one. This was especially true for very spread-out guilds, due to how yers were sent into the game ording to timezones they would almost never be able to meet up. At least not until a couple of hundred gold coins becamemon to use for one teleportation.


    With this guilds had decided to disband and rather regrow based on the yers they could actually use in their respective empires. Focusing on the empire where their top leaders were, while discarding the lower-ranked members spread over the world.


    Alliances quickly formed between friendly guilds who decided to split their members between each other. A way in which they didn''t totally leave their members out to dry, naturally most members weren''t happy with this. They had mostly joined the guilds for benefits and fun with friends in previous games. While the former might still hold thetter certainly won''t. Most of this was done outside of the game through social media, and as such arge part of it wouldn''tst long in any case.


    A few guilds slowly started rising up, mostly within groups who were used to being so spread out. They each started affiliated guilds, who wouldter all work towards a certain goal. Some of these guilds had a single leader, while others worked with a number of executives. These guilds quickly started resembling businesses much more than just guilds for a game.


    At this stage though, this was where the resemnce stopped. Certainly due to theck of real value of having a guild in the game, at this stage. Eldrian found this interesting and wondered if Elizabeth and ming Heart was still a thing. He felt he needed to contact her again, not having done so since having just joined the Taurus Relief Mission(TRM).


    At this stage, the guilds that were more than just social gatherings were all trying to curry favor with the empire they resided in. For now, this didn''t mean much since most yers were still far too weak to do much for the empire. But they were slowly making themselves known by the lower rungs of society by doing menial tasks with vigor.


    After reading this, and some more unusual posts, Eldrian finally felt his stomach growling at him. Realizing for the first time just how hungry he was. He slowly stood up and headed down to get a bite. Finding the short trip down quite tiring and difficult as his legs still didn''t quite follow hismands.


    Five minutes into eating he had only finished half his soup, at which time someone approached him. "Can I join you?" A female in the light blue outfit of Miracle Corporation asked.


    "Sure, but why?" Eldrian replied, looking up only to see her outfit and not much more. He was fully focused on his soup. Eldrian was used to eating alone, hence this disturbance was quite out of ce. He didn''t have the spare energy to care though.


    He didn''t know many people in Miracle, mostly just meeting with Gengxin, Joren, and Constantin. He had met some of the more senior game testers, but only briefly. He was far more focused on the game than fitting in with the social dynamics of thepany. He didn''t even think of trying to fit in, he just wanted to continue growing in the game.


    "Because I am curious. Just who are you? We''ve seen you around for over a month now, yet you never introduced yourself or anything." The girl replied, taking her seat and quickly digging into her breakfast. Bacon and eggs, quitemon for people here.


    "I''m Eldrian, why do you care?" Eldrian replied, not wishing to speak as it took much more effort than he was used to. It also caused a headache to slowlye forward.


    "Curious... You know that you have be quite well known."


    "No, who are you?"


    "via. Aren''t you curious how you''ve be well known?" She replied, slightly taken aback by Eldrian''sck of interest. He was fully focused on his meal, only looking up when she said something.


    Actually only when she asked if she could join him, since then his eyes hadn''t strayed from his soup. While she knew she wasn''t a top-ss beauty or something, she was used to men checking her out at least once. Eldrian hadn''t even lifted his head high enough to see her face.


    "Okay, so why did you want to join me?" Eldrian replied after taking another sip of his soup, having chosen something soft to ease his stomach into food again. He knew that when someone hadn''t eaten for days, then eating something like bacon would cause him a terrible time soon after. He hoped soup would not.


    "Because I am curious. You have such a weird routine, almost everyone knows of it by now. It has actually be a well-known rumor. You only meet with the heads of departments, often at that. Other than that you stay in your room, you don''t even eat here all that much. Normally you bring your own tes, the staff was quite confused at first... Who are you?" via asked, deciding to be a bit more direct seeing as Eldrian really didn''t seem to care.


    "I''m Eldrian. I already told you... Now please let me enjoy my soup." Eldrian replied again, already feelingly slightly ill from just the soup and certainly not enjoying it. Maybe I should have started with jelly... But they don''t have any in the morning...


    via was truly surprised when Eldrian didn''t even react to her mentioning his routine. In silence she slowly ate her own breakfast, noting that Eldrian was quite pale. His hands were unsteady and it seemed that he was really struggling to take even one more sip of soup.


    Quite strange for someone of his size and built, especially considering how tones his muscles were. While they were well hidden under Eldrian''s cks, she had noticed it before when looking at him while gossiping with her friends.


    "Are you alright?" She asked with slight concern.


    "No... But it is to be expected." Eldrian said slowly, pausing for quite a while after the no. He was started to feel like he needed to run. Yet he knew he wasn''t up to that yet. Climbing down the stairs had taken a considerable amount of effort.


    His feet often notnding where he aimed them at, having almost caused him to fall more than three times. He was now simply staring at the soup trying to stop it all froming up again. He had also already pinged Gengxin that something was wrong.


    "What''s wrong?" via asked, shifting her chair slightly back. She recognized that paleness, and she didn''t want to be in the ssh area.


    A minuter or two passed before Eldrian finally managed to win over his nausea. "Sorry, but can you help me back to my room?" Eldrian asked, certain he wouldn''t make it himself and that Gengxin might not arrive in time.


    "Sure, but only if you tell me what''s wrong."


    "I''m sick, clearly... Haven''t eaten in days, and seems to soup is too much. Rather... Take me to the nearest bathroom!" Eldrian quickly changed his request as he felt the soup fighting up again.


    via reacted quickly as she saw him struggling again to keep things down. She quickly ducked under his arm and helped him move. She was just slightly shorter than Eldrian, her hair a deep brown and figure quite reasonable. Eldrian naturally realized non of this, he only focused on not hurling before reaching the bathroom.


    As soon as he did he tried to go in alone, but with his focus now on his throat, he couldn''t move his legs well enough. In the end, via had to help him to the toilet itself, standing outside the door she could hear Eldrian hurling his guts out.


    What the hell did I get myself into? I just wanted to find out who he is. He didn''t arrive with us, so he isn''t part of the interns. He seems to know people though, I had hoped to befriend him... Listening to Eldrian she felt certain that he must have drunk too much the day before. It was all she could think of to cause such a violent burst, Doesn''t seem like that was the right idea.


    At this point, she just wanted to leave. To her surprise, she saw Gengxin suddenly rushing past her and into the bathroom. Catching herpletely off guard, she knew he had contact with the heads of departments. But the leader of the cabin development rushing to his aid, that surprised her and caused her to feel she really needed to get close to Eldrian.


    A few minutester Gengxin came out with Eldrian leaning on his shoulder. As they did Gengxin thanked her for helping Eldrian before taking him to his room, where Eldrian slept the rest of the day away.

 Chapter 236: Waiting for the return of the others

    <h4>Chapter 236: Waiting for the return of the others</h4>


    Around four in the afternoon Eldrian woke again, slowly standing up. He could feel he was really hungry. Not wishing a repeat what had happened earlier, he quickly contacted Gengxin before doing anything himself. In the end, Gengxin told Eldrian to eat a small portion of unsweetened yoghurt.


    Just a few tablespoons Gengxin told Eldrian, informing him that he needed to make sure to eat only a little until he got back to normal. Increasing the amount he ate slightly each time, not trying to finish a full bowl in one go as he had done before.


    "So are you going to go online now?" Gengxin asked, hoping that Eldrian would decide to take it slow instead, stay in his real body, and truly rxing.


    "I have to, can''t just leave my avatar lying in-game as a corpse. Though I''ll make sure to take it easy."


    Gengxin didn''t like it and added that Eldrian really must be careful. Trying to convey just how serious this was. After this Eldrian lied down for a few minutes in silence before logging back on. Finding it strange how much better his avatar''s body waspared to his real body.


    He entered the game in the early morning with just Thesolis awake, the others having assigned shifts between each other for the night. Eldrian greeted her before starting to look for a book on souls. He had no idea what that weird meditational ce was, and he didn''t want to try entering it again before learning more. While he didn''t fully understand Gengxin''s worry, he respected it. His trouble eating enforced this respect slightly more than when Eldrian had just woken the morning.


    As such Eldrian stopped his quest of reaching Tier 2 as soon as possible. he felt certain he was close, that he just needed to enter that space again. He did not want to do this before knowing what the results would be though. Not until he was certain he wouldn''t be stuck there for days.


    In the end, none of the books seemed to go into detail on any subject, they were all rather just books based on spells, not on theories of magic. Realizing this Eldrian continued to read the book on rejuvenation, hoping to understand what it tried to convey about souls. Quickly wishing that Myropsis had added a book on resurrection, as that would certainly have been of more use at this time.


    Time passed quickly, the sun rose and everyone set out for the fort. There Eldrain headed to the inn they had been staying at where he continued reading. The others -all but Kydone, who joined Eldrian in going to the inn- headed to the keep to find Fanon, themander of the fort.


    Upon finding him they told him of what they had found, how the higher undead were cooperating. Stating their belief that there was likely a devil, or much stronger undead behind all this. Quickly messengers were sent to Pros, along with a request to strengthen all the forts around the forest and to start gathering a force to deal with this. Seeing as it was certainly not something just a few elites could handle.


    It was a few hours by the time everyone returned, Evules quite upset when he saw that Evale still had note back. None of the other groups had returned either, they were the first.


    Evules was worried for Evale, but for now, he stayed put. Knowing that if he went out without knowing where to find her then they might just miss each other. Leading to much more trouble.


    Eldrian kept reading, wondering if he was still going to be needed for the mission. It seemed that it was quickly going past what their group could handle. Night came with no new arrivals or news. More time passed, Eldrain spending all this time very peacefully.


    He focused on the books in his possessions, reading through at least one book each day. IRL he slowly got back to normal, his portion sizes quickly expanding from a few tablespoons to a full meal again. Finally, he even felt ready to start training again.


    Around three dayster, just as Evules could no longer force himself to stay still, another group arrived. To everyone''s surprise, this group had lost two members; Baletus and Hellen, both Tier 5''s. The leader of this group, Appina, was quite despondent. Quickly exining how they had hoped to make some extra money while things were still calm.


    They encountered some weaker undead every day, but never more than ten. The group could easily deal with them all. "It all still seemed fine, we were tracking a specific beast with a very good pelt. Upon finding itsir we were not greeted by the beast, but instead a horde of waiting undead."


    "It was as if they knew our goal, not just our pattern. They had set up arrays to stop us from using divine magic, with this gone we were no match. We quickly tried to run, and as we split to escape, a ghoul attacked the weaker of us"


    "They didn''t act like normal undead, but rather as a disciplined army. They were in formations, beasts in front charging to surround us. Humanoid figures behindunching arrows, some even riding the beasts."


    "If the ghoul had gone for any other than Baletus or Hellen, it would have been fine. The rest of us would have been able to survive and still escape, but for them. It was either a choice of dying from the back, or being surrounded by the weaker undead." Appina started sobbing softly as she exined, feeling that her greed had killed these two.


    She could me no one else but herself for her carelessness, having given in when the others asked her to put the mission off for a bit in favor of hunting. The others in the group indeed did me Appina, none of them wishing to have the me ced on themselves. They would never mention that it had been them wanting to hunt, and Appina agreeing after days of constant nagging.


    Evules was furious upon realizing this, scolding everyone for their carelessness. He could easily tell what had actually happened. Upon returning to the inn he quickly started gearing up. Eldrian, having left with Evules, heard this and entered his room.


    "What are you doing?" Eldrian asked as he saw Evules climbing into his breastte.


    "I can''t just sit and wait. I need to do something." Evules replied as he fastened the breastte.


    "So you are going to endanger your own life? Why don''t you ask Kydone to go instead, she should be able to track Evale while also not being discovered."


    "I can''t ce anyone else in danger," Evules replied, feeling useless needing to wait for help and news. He needed to do something, or he would be even more stir-crazy.


    "What is your n then? Go blindly into danger, so that when your sister returns she has to rush out to save you?" Eldrian countered.


    Hearing this Evules felt his strength leave him. It was certainly a very likely situation should he rush out without any idea where his sister had gone after the fight. Nor about why she had yet to return.


    "I can''t just wait here..." Evules said with a sigh, knowing that Eldrian is right but not wishing to follow his advice. "I need to get out."


    "Promise you won''t go searching for her then. Don''t be a problem." Eldrian said, knowing fully how it felt to be useless. He understood the need to vent and certainly couldn''t stop Evules. He hoped to use his knowledge to strike at Evules''s heart, forcing the other to ept even if he didn''t want to.


    This worked, Evules headed out but only slightly. Rushing to kill whatever entered his sight as he hoped to find a clue of Evale''s location.


    Evules wasn''t the only one bing so stir-crazy. Then entire fort had be quite restless. The few civilians here wanted to run. The soldiers wanted to either burn the forest or leave their posts. At this stage, Eldrian did not envy Fanon who needed to keep order and discipline.


    Not expecting anything else toe up Eldrian headed to his room where he continued to read. As the darkness of night arrived he was brought out of his little world upon hearing explosions. Shocked Eldrian rushed out of the inn, only to wildly dash to the side as the ming corpse of some grotesque figure crashed into the street.


    What the hell? Eldrian wondered, remembering that Fanon had mentioned night raids. He had really forgotten as it didn''t make much sense seeing as how sparse the undead were close to the fort. Where did theye from? Eldrian wondered next as he wanted to rush to the walls. He stopped as he suddenly recognized the figure.


    It was not a monster or beast, rather it was a centaur. One he had met before, Eldrian couldn''t remember the centaur''s name. Going off of the gear that remained on the centaur, Eldrian remembered that the centaur had been in their party. Though he couldn''t tell anything more, as the centaur''s face and body were mangled and all ame making looking at it quite difficult.


    Realizing that the centaur was in the party Eldrian looked at the quest information in hope of remembering the centaur''s name. Shocked Eldrian found that only twelve names were still listed as part of their party.


    Fuck, did the others all die? Eldrian thought, wanting to rush towards the walls to offer what help he could. He froze as he heard a sound behind him, turning around he saw the centaur slowly standing up. Flesh melting off and an aura of death invading his lungs.


    Dammit! I wanted to take things slow! Eldrian cursed, hoping that the undead in front of him was severely weakened. Else he stood no chance.

 Chapter 237: Undead night attack (1)

    <h4>Chapter 237: Undead night attack (1)</h4>


    Naturally, Eldrain didn''t just stand and wait for this ming disfigured centaur to get up. He used Frost Needle, the spell he was still mostfortable with, right away. Aiming this for the head, not knowing what the weak spot of the undead was, while at it he also activated Observe to figure out what he was facing.


    [ming Reanimate (Corbol)] (Weakened State)


    [Tier 4 (Fallen, unwilling undead); Level 29]


    [HP: 809/1006]


    [Mana: 300/525]


    [Attack: 64(128)]


    [Agility: 163(325)]


    [A mming Reanimate, a cursed way of being brought back from death. As if in a burning inferno, the victim will burn for the rest of their undead life. The pain will never stop. Even after all its flesh has been melted off. The pain will only increase, the mes no longer able to consume something corporeal will dig deeper, burning the soul of the person into their bones. Binding it to this ne as long as its bones remain.]


    [The mming Reanimate is currently still in the early stages and thus weakened. As soon as all its flesh has been burned off, it will leave its weakened state and recover its normal abilities. Rage taking over the mind of the victim at this stage.]


    [Status: Immunity to fire damage.]


    Wait, what? Eldrian stopped in an awkward position with his spear half pulled out. Is he, this Corbol, still alive?


    To confirm this Eldrian asked, yet he got nothing in return but a howl of anger and pain. Along with a blind attack in his direction, not nearly close to him as the undead just reacted in the direction it heard something. Eldrian''s attack with Frost Needle had alsonded, or rather it would have if the mes hadn''t melted it before it could reach the undead''s skull.


    This ming reanimate trashed around in agony trying to put out the mes burning its body, destroying anything that might enter its range. If it heard something it would momentarily shift its rage to it, but soon it will return to just acting blindly. Eldrian could see that while he might be able to contend with it in this blind rage, doing so would already be hard. The only silver lining was that its HP was decreasing by the second as more flesh melted off.


    Screw this, I am not fighting it. Eldrian decided, not wishing to start something he felt certain he would not be able to end. In its weakened state, he might be able to contend with it, but Eldrian had no idea if this state wouldst. Even with its HP decreasing Eldrian did not feel confident in taking it on, its movement erratic and unpredictable in this state at best.


    Knowing that everyone else was out for the night, Eldrain knew there was no backuping for him. Adding even more to this was the fact that Eldrian had no idea when the weakened state would end, or how.


    As such he quickly turned around, fully pulling his spear out, and looked for anyone who could help kill the ming Reanimate. Not seeing anyone, Eldrian apologized to the locals nearby in his heart, and ran.


    He quickly escaped from the inn, only to see everyone in chaos. On the walls soldiers were already busy fighting off weaker undead, arrows raining over from the opposite side with little care for friendly fire. Naturally, arrows did little to skeletons and zombies, including the poison coating the arrows.


    Shit, is this more than just a night raid? Eldrian wondered, quickly running into other undead who had beenunched over the walls. He had to admit it was a crazy effective method of disorganizing the defense. There was nothing they could do to stop the undead from flying over the walls. Luckily this method resulted in most of theunched undead losing a good chunk of their HP.


    Eldrian tried his best to escape instead of fighting when he saw no immediate need to defend. Naturally, this didn''t hold long. Turning one of the corners he ran into an undead beast having just finished standing up. Without dy, it charged at him. Eldrian wanted to simply run, but in the corner of his eye he saw a woman lying on the floor. Not knowing if she was alive or dead Eldrian felt he had to stay and fight.


    Cursing Eldrian jumped back and blocked with his spear, this undead seemed more normal. It was not human, naturally, as most of the undead in the forest, rather it was an undead wolf. It was simr to those he had seen Evale and the others kill with ease. Eldrian quickly tried to create distance between himself and the undead wolf so he could use his spear, while at it he also used Observe to figure out what the zombie in front of him was capable of.


    [Zombie (Direwolf)]


    [Tier 2 (Weaker Undead); Level 6]


    [HP: 111/179]


    [Attack: 11.5]


    [Agility: 125]


    [A simple-minded undead; created by destroying the soul of the original being. The ashes of the soul are used to imbed its creator''s will. In some cases, this happens naturally when the area where the death urred isden with the aura of death. In most cases, the abilities of the original are lost, and only hunger consumes it. Needing to feed to keep its flesh from rotting and falling off.]


    Good, I can deal with this. Eldrian smiled, feeling confident upon reading the stats of the monster. The only thing he didn''t like was how he didn''t really know how to hurt the thing. Luckily he was faster and much more experienced than ever before. Eldrian quickly decided to try a few things out on this enemy.


    Having made enough distance, Eldrian had thought the undead beast would try and avoid his spear, it did not. It charged without regard for danger, catching Eldrian slightly off guard. Just slightly though, Eldrian quickly reacted to the charge by bringing his spear up and into its path. Causing the undead beast to skewer itself.


    This would normally have been the end of things. A vital hit, with the spear Zamia had given Eldrian would surely kill any normal beast. The undead instead kept trying to get closer to Eldrian. Dragging its body further on the spear, wing at the ground for grip and snarling at Eldrian with pure hunger.


    Only 13 damage taken even though the spear struck right through the entire beast. Less than a third of what the spear should have done.


    Shocked by its actions, Eldrian was forced to let go of his spear before it could make it to his hands. Dropping it he stepped back and threw magic at the beast, he started with Frost Needle simply due to habit. Letting the spell pierce the undead beast''s head with ease as it struggled to move with the spear inside it.


    While it created a hole straight through the head, it had only done 10 damage. This was better than the spear, as it was the damage Eldrian could expect from the spell. But again no vital hit seemed to ur.


    The zombie seemed unbothered by the hole created in its head, it kept trying to get at Eldrian without any thought of its own safety. Forced to dodge a sloppy attack, Eldrian pulled out his spare weapon, Gray, the magical greatsword he had gotten. With little grace, Eldrian returned the favor of the attack with his new weapon. Making sure to not thrust it into the undead beast and lose it as was the case with Aoidos.


    Again the attack did little damage to the undead, only 10. Eldrian quickly realized that magic seemed to be much more effective. He also calmed down as he realized that all that was new was the toughness of this enemy. Eldrian was used to fighting living things, who would die upon a vital hit. This seemed to not exist with the undead.


    Knowing this Eldrian quickly found himself able to dodge and counter against the undead beast with ease. He stopped countering upon the second attack, instead, he used this fight to test what magic worked best. Naturally, Eldrian knew of undead from other games, and while he knew this world was much more real, he assumed a great deal of it would be useful to him.


    He simply wanted to test the elemental effect and as such Eldrian decided to use the Tier 0 spells. Certain he would be able tounch them all before killing the undead.


    Floga and Anthos were surprisingly effective. Floga normally only did one or two points of damage, but against the zombie direwolf it had done ten. Anthos, which normally healed for 2HP and recovered some stamina, instead had caused five damage.


    After having finished using all the different elements, Eldrian ended the fight with Mifotia. The small fireball spell. It was the first time he used it with the intent to kill, and Eldrian also enhanced it with his hidden ss bonus. Using the boost didn''t do much, only increasing the damage to 15.4, from 14; while also increasing the mana cost from 24 to 26.4.


    This was extremely effective though, Eldrian having simply aimed the spell at the beast''s neck. Uponnding, it robbed it of the rest of its HP and caused the head to sever from the body. Seeing this Eldrian wondered if that would kill the zombie in itself as he looked at the XP he had gained.


    [600XP gained]


    Seems that there is no bonus for it being undead. Eldrian thought as he realized this was simr to the XP he gained from normal direwolves, less even. He did not stay on this topic though, recovering his spear now that he had confirmed it was dead. He had no other way of confirming this, seeing as undead didn''t breathe and they had no heartbeat.

 Chapter 238: Undead night attack (2)

    <h4>Chapter 238: Undead night attack (2)</h4>


    As soon as Eldrian recovered his spear he used its ability to recover his mana. While he was regening 0.65 MP per second, it would take a couple of minutes to regain all he had spent. Due to having experimented a little Eldrian had used close to 70MP.


    Using the spear''s ability to instantly regain 25MP helped lessen this time, and with it having only a 45-second cooldown Eldrian saw no use in shying from using it as often as he could. He had no idea how the spear was capable of restoring his stats, but he found it very useful. Though never having used it when training since he needed to rest between attempts to not gain fatigue levels. Following his natural recovery was a way of ensuring he didn''t rush things.


    As he had done all this, Eldrian had also moved to the woman lying unconscious on the floor. The first thing he did upon reaching her was checking if she was breathing and using Observe to figure out how severe the damage was.


    This woman was not human, but rather some type of demi-human. Silver fur covered her hands, ears, and a part of her face seemingly extending from her silver hair. Eldrian saw no tail, but it might be hidden under her. She was currently lying face up with blood trickling down her cheek.


    [Maria (Silver Fox Demi-Human)]


    [Tier 1 (NPC); Level 6]


    [HP: 17/127]


    [Attack: 2]


    [Agility: 110]


    Shit, she''s close to death. Eldrian quickly cast Thera and Anthizo on her. The first giving her a nice HP boost of 23 points, thetter giving her another 8 and some energy. This seemed to help, and Eldrian calmed down. He slowly looked around trying to figure out what had happened to her.


    Eldrian found that there was a smear of flesh near her. Looking closer at her dark brown robe, he confirmed that blood and skin were covering the area over her chest.


    What happened to her? Eldrian wondered, he felt that the undead had likelynded near her and then rebounded against her. This was what his findings were telling him, but Eldrian was by no means confident of his answer.


    Wanting to confirm something Eldrian used Observe again to see if anything changes. As I thought... Eldrian found that her HP had decreased, only slightly. But this told him that she was still suffering from some kind of injury.


    Quickly Eldrian started searching for it, started at her head he removed her hood. Letting her silver hair fall free, blood staining her hair with strong contrast. Following this Eldrian quickly found where she had hit her head. He didn''t know how hard, or if this was the main cause of her situation. Nheless, he felt that a head injury was likely the most dangerous and as such started here.


    Before doing so though, Eldrian tried to recall all the tales Erik had shared with him over time. Quickly hating himself for never having really delved more into how Erik healed people. While he had listened to plenty of stories, he found himself unable to think of how to heal this woman and in her current situation.


    There has to be something. Recall! He always said he ced his hands over the wound, as a way to focus it. I should be able to do that and more! Before attempting this though, Eldrian first cast Anthizo on her again. Having remembered that Erik said it was vital to give the person energy to survive the healing process.


    Right, divine and nature magic is really different. I remember Erik oftenining about how unfair divine is. They could normally skip this step, hence I need to do it as often as I can.


    Eldrian quickly realized just how different treating an NPC was from treating yers. With himself as a reference, he knew that he could just cast Thera on himself without much thought and it would work quite well. It wouldn''t truly heal his injury, but it would recover his HP. Somehow the HP of yers and NPCs differed. Eldrian didn''t quite know how.


    He knew that in the case for both, when their HP reached 0 they would die. For yers though this can, and does happen, when they are still capable of fighting. Not to mention just not dying at that point.


    yers hadined about it in the start, along with how monsters died or lived in unexpected ways. While thetter had been attended to by the developers, the case for yers had stayed. Most yers had epted it though, believing it to simply be a game mechanic, a method of keeping it frompletely reflecting reality.


    Eldrian knew that there must be a much more confusing reason behind it. But for now, he couldn''t bother to delve into this. He just kept this knowledge, along with the fact that NPCs could receive something Erik called shock damage. Where they would suddenly lose massive amounts of HP due to a situation happening with their injury.


    Conscious of this danger, Eldrian ced his hands on her head and tried to figure out how to control Thera. He realized that he had never bothered to actually learn how to control Thera and Anthizo. These spells were much vaguer than others, not summoning something he could look at and focus onto. Rather it was just energy, mana, that was being sent from him to someone else.


    In general, he would actually cast it half static and half dynamically. This held for Anthizo that he was much more used to, he would simply focus on the feeling to cast it. But he had never tried going past this. For Thera, he actually still relying solely on the spell module to cast it.


    Due to this Eldrian quickly cast Thera on himself to remind him of how it felt, by this time he also used Aoidos''s ability to recover his mana again. While Thera wasn''t mana hungry, only costing 16MP, he was casting it quite a lot within a short time.


    Alright, so it is simr to Anthizo. But instead of feeling like being given a burst of soothing energy, it is more that the soothing energy simply enters and disperses in me. I assume I need to stop it dispersing to focus it on the wound.


    Eldrian thought, quickly attempting this on Maria. He found this much harder than he had thought. With spells like Nidia, Floga, and even Mifotia, Eldrian had something to look at and focus on. Here he could only vaguely feel his mana as it left his body, keeping control of it at this point was extremely hard.


    He also found that mageia seemed unable to follow into her body, causing him even more problems in keeping control of the spell after having cast it. Eldrian had to ept that he couldn''t actually keep control.


    So he did the next best thing, instead of just casting the spell and letting that be it, he kept sending more mana into Maria. Ensuring that the mana felt and acted the same, keeping Thera active for much longer. The area under my hands... Where she is bleeding... Eldrian mumbled until he ran out of mana. By this time her head waspletely healed, only the blood remaining. Which Eldrian promptly cleared with Nidia to confirm.


    This done Eldrian took a deep sigh and used Aoidos''s ability again. While at it he also returned to where he had found the area of impact on her chest. Eldrian was concerned, feeling wrong to be removing the unconscious woman''s clothes. Believing his actions immoral.


    If you don''t find the cause, then she''ll die! He shouted at himself, his hands shaking as he tried to figure out how to remove her clothes. Not familiar with the type of clothing, he quickly gave up, pulled a dagger from his inventory, and cut her clothes instead. Eldrian then rolled it up to allow him to see her ribs, covered in dark purple bruising.


    Yes, her ribs must be broken. Or something, it seems like she is bleeding internally here. Eldrian rejoiced upon finding this. IRL this would mean he could do nothing more, seeing as he did not really know what this meant or how to fix it. But he was not IRL, he had magic.


    Eldrian stopped himself from starting again, turning to confirm that there was no nearby danger first. He then waited to recover more mana and use Aoidos''s ability again to recover some more. With this done Eldrian repeated what he had done at her head. Again he kept Thera going until he was out of mana, her HP having long since been filled up.


    Seeing her breathing much easier than before Eldrian felt relieved. He kept using Observe though until he confirmed that she was not losing any HP anymore. Worried about the fact that she was not waking.


    I can''t just leave her here. And staying in the street is certain to be dangerous... Eldrian mumbled, looking up he could see a fight going on further down the street. He couldn''t see clearly, and mostly only the sparks of when the twobatants'' weapons collided. The darkness of night having arrived while Eldrian was focused on saving the woman.


    Eldrian first instinct was to rush over to offer help, but doing so would leave Maria on her own. Still better than me carrying her around without any idea where to go. Eldrian mumbled to himself, picking Maria up and throwing her over his shoulder.


    This was most certainly ungracious, but it allowed him to hold one of his many spare swords in his free hand. In this manner, he quickly headed over to the fight.


    Soon he could see the fight clearer, finding that a demi-human soldier only half-dressed in armor was facing a skeleton. How do you kill that then? Eldrian wondered as he moved closer, using Observe as soon as he was close enough for it to work.

 Chapter 239: Undead night attack (3)

    <h4>Chapter 239: Undead night attack (3)</h4>


    [Skeleton (Humanoid)]


    [Tier 3 (Weaker Undead); Level 16]


    [HP: 180/368]


    [Attack: 24.7]


    [Agility: 185]


    [A creature controlled by blind hate. Thetter stage of certain zombies, but mostly created with forethought and aim for all its flesh to be destroyed through the passage of time. The original being''s soul has been infused into certain bones. Rendering it immortal as long as the key bones with the infused soul remain unbroken. It kills simply to kill, not needing to feed or anything. It hates all living, for it is dead; kept from going to the afterlife. With each soul taken from life, it feels slightly better about itself.]


    Crap, that makes it quite hard to kill. Doesn''t it... Eldrian thought upon reading the description, still not knowing why he now was gaining more information. It also didn''t seem to matter what Tier the enemy was, though he had yet to use Observe on someone at or above Tier 5.


    Eldrian also realized that again souls were mentioned, causing him to wonder if this was the game world making a joke at his expense. He felt certain that was what he needed to learn about and use to grow, and now he faced a bunch of undead where manipting souls were the basic.


    Eldrian also wondered what souls actually were, seeing as they were most certainly real and manipble in this world. Most importantly he wondered if they were limited to just the game or not. He naturally couldn''t continue on this train of thought, quickly changing his thoughts to a more appropriate area.


    It''s fast, faster than me. Eldrian mumbled, quickly realizing that the demi-human soldier was struggling to keep up. Unlike the demi-humans Eldrian had seen and met so far, this one seemed much more like an animal. Fur covered nearly all his skin, though Eldrian couldn''t see much more due to theck of light.


    The demi-human was fighting with a longsword, doing his best to keep up with the skeleton''s nimble actions. Luckily the skeleton seemed tock skills and technique, allowing the soldier o survive the constant onught by the skin of his teeth.


    Before doing anything Eldrian made sure that there were no other dangers nearby, setting Maria down against a nearby building and then moving closer to the fight. Instead of just jumping in he shouted out, "I don''t know who you are, but I can help! What should I do?"


    The soldier was quite surprised by the shout, with his focus on the skeleton, and the darkness of night, he hadn''t been able to see anyonee nearby. He was d that the voice was on his side, "Do you know magic?" The soldiers shouted back as he blocked a strong overhead strike, forced to his knees by the attack.


    Luckily the skeleton didn''t seem to know how to take advantage of the soldier''s terrible position. This allowed the soldier to use a strengthening skill to hit the skeleton''s sword away and give himself the time he needed to recover to his feet.


    Even with this, the soldier was clearly struggling. He wasn''t able to really hit the skeleton, and when he did his attacks did little damage. At most he managed to cause bones to crack, but they would heal within seconds.


    Truly the soldier hoped that Eldrian was capable of divine magic, as that would end the fight with but one spell.


    "Yes, but I am only Tier 1 and I know only elemental spells. Fire is the strongest I know." Eldrian shouted back, having moved closed with his spear now in hand. If he found the chance he would strike. He believed that he could dismember the skeleton at the very least.


    "Why don''t you give us some light first, focusing only on its silhouette in the dark is quite hard." The soldier replied, disappointed that the personing to his aid was not a priest. Doubly disappointed hearing that the person was Tier 1, he quickly felt that the person would quickly be a liability. Deciding that he would use this person''s sacrifice to escape if worst came to worst.


    Eldrian naturally didn''t know the thoughts of the soldier, instead, he kept focusing on the skeleton. Trying to figure out what bones were different, were special. As he did this he cast Fos and sent the ball of light to hover over the skeleton. High enough to not bother his or the soldier''s sight, and giving them a clear sight of the skeleton.


    It took some focus to keep the spell well positioned, but thanks to his nightly practice with Fos Eldrian had be quite adept at doing just that. His focus often on reading while he would let the ball of light fly through his room.


    With the light embracing the skeleton''s frame, Eldrian firstly noticed how damaged it actually was. Quite a few bones that one would expect to see were missing, the clearest of these being; half a hand''s fingers, a tibia and fib of different legs, ten ribs, and one scap.


    The next thing Eldrian noticed was how they all stayed together. They were bound by some type of dark mass, simr to how cartge was normally found at joints.


    It is magic, so there must be a pattern and reason. I assume this is its weak point. Eldrian quickly told himself, trying to find where the darkness originated from. It took a couple of seconds, where Eldrian cut out all things but this darkness. Soon, thanks to hours upon hours of practice, he managed to find that it didn''te from just one ce. But rather four.


    The back of its head, where most of the darkness was generated. Then to a slightly lesser degree the chest bone, also known as the sternum. Then the sacrum between the hipbones. Finally, the right leg''s pate. Eldrian didn''t know the names of the bones, but he could clearly see that somehow they were supplying the ck mass with energy.


    "I''m going to join in!" Eldrian shouted after finishing his analysis, having missed that the soldier was being pushed back even further. He now sported a deep cut over his face as well as a gaping hole in his side. Hearing Eldrian''s shout the only thought in his head was to run.


    As Eldrian shouted he also moved, using Drive to increase his strength for the attack. Along with this he also used Double Strike, having had ample time to get into position as the skeleton was fully focused on the soldier.


    Eldrian aimed his attack at the pelvic region of the skeleton with a wide massive swing of his spear. It smashed right through it, shattering half the bones in the first attack and the rest upon the follow up from Double Strike.


    Eldrian expected the skeleton to crumble upon having its middle bones shattered. ording to logic, it should at the minimum fall into two pieces, cut in half. This did not happen, instead, the mass of darkness quickly thinned out to grab as many pieces of falling bones. Forming a weird-looking white and ck web that kept the two parts together.


    This did not mean the attack had failed or anything like that. This attack caused the skeleton''s other movements toe to a stop. With Observe still, active Eldrian could see that the attack had done 45 damage. The ck mass also reminded Eldrian of the Night Terror he and Vivian had fought, he quickly told himself to explore thatter and focus on the fight first.


    The soldier was shocked seeing the skeleton suddenlying to a stop. Having been in the middle of a block and dodge. He had nned to follow this dodge with running away, but now his mind turned nk as he realized that somehow the newbie had actually done significant damage to the skeleton.


    "Strike the chest!" Eldrian shouted after only half a second of his thoughts wandering. As he shouted that he turned his spear to the right knee. Again doing a wild swing he shattered the knee, but not the pate. The bone had moved upon the impact.


    Realizing this Eldrian quickly used Mifotia to destroy it, the ck mass giving up on supporting it as soon as the mes reached it. The previous impact having already formed cracks on it, and now with the fireball exploding on it, it turned to ashes.


    Again the mass of darkness quickly spread to the knee, stopping the skeleton from falling as it lost a leg. This caused it to stagger for even longer, allowing the soldier to finish attacking the sternum and finally cutting it in half.


    At this point, the skeleton was seemingly on itsst legs. It gave up on its lower half, quickly falling to the ground. Eldrian didn''t show mercy, quickly bringing his spear down on the back of its head. With this attack he also received a system notification.


    [6300XP]


    Oh, that is quite a bit, and seems skeletons are actually some of the easiest to kill. Eldrian thought, not knowing that normally only people above Tier 5, or capable of divine magic, are capable of finding its weak points.


    "Thanks for the help." The soldiers said, quickly falling onto his knees. He was only barely managing to not pass out from the loss of blood and pain assaulting him. Added onto this, he was extremely tired. Having been fighting the skeleton for over ten minutes. He couldn''t understand how it had now ended in seconds.


    The only reason he had managed to hold out for so long was due to him being Tier 4 and level 22. He could not understand how a Tier 1 had brought such a change to the fight.


    "No problem, I actually saved someone else and wanted to ask where to take her. I am new to the fort and have no idea where people would go in case of an emergency." Eldrian replied, casting Thera and Anthizo on the soldier after using Observe and seeing that the soldier only had a 66HP left out of 376.


    Eldrian knew from healing Maria that this wouldn''t do much for the soldier, but it should give him more time tomunicate and heal him properly.

 Chapter 240: Undead night attack (4)

    <h4>Chapter 240: Undead night attack (4)</h4>


    Eldrian''s simple healing and rejuvenation spell did wonders for the Altien, the soldier. While the HP increase was little, most of the damage he sustained had been superficial. The most severe was the hole in his side that was causing him massive blood loss.


    The spell''s healing and soothing energy, along with Altien being Tier 4, allowed his body to heal most of his injuries. As such the healing done by the simple Tier 1 spells were far better than expected. It wasn''t inhuman or anything like that.


    With the aid of Thera most of the superficial injuries were healed, at least enough for them all to stop bleeding. Anthizo''s energy instead went to the major injury, where it allowed his body to stop the bleeding too. Closing the hole would take few days or some more magic. But the bleeding and danger had passed with only that.


    Eldrian simply stared in wonder as he realized that the bleeding had stopped, remembering soon after that etiquette meant he needed to introduce himself and not simply know the person''s name through the use of Observe.


    "I''m Haru, and you are?" Eldrian introduced himself after oveing his shock at the healing. Looking to both sides of the road and between the buildings to confirm that they were safe while he waited for Altien to reply.


    Altien slowly stood back up and looked at Eldrian in admiration. "Altien, and thank you again." He replied, holding his side and grimacing in pain as he tried standing straight.


    "Let me help with that," Eldrian said after having confirmed that they were safe. Naturally, he used Aoidos''s ability again, starting to grow a bit of a habit of using it on cooldown to recover his mana.


    "No, it''s fine..." Altien grimaced before finishing his sentence. He felt bad for having thought of abandoning his savor, being healed by him, was going to make him feel even worse.


    Eldrian naturally didn''t listen to hisint, he quickly approached Altien and ced his hands over the wound. With that he cast Thera, again focusing on the area under his hands and keeping the spell active until his mana was out.


    Stepping back Eldrian was shocked to find that the hole was still there, though it was noticeably smaller. But only by about a quarter. "Give me a few minutes and I''ll try again," Eldrian said, slightly embarrassed by his failure. "For now, can you tell me where to go? We need to take Maria somewhere safe."


    Saying this Eldrian pointed to the unconscious woman nearby upon seeing Altien''s confusion. Altien managing to walk much easier after the first heal, shocked by the effectiveness of Eldrian''s healing. He wanted to stop Eldrian from repeating the healing, believing it to be very draining as he had never heard of a Tier 1 spell being so strong. He couldn''t bring himself to do this, feeling that Eldrian wouldn''t agree without a good reason.


    While walking Eldrian sent a message to Gengxin, informing him of the developments in the game. Eldrian also felt he needed to find a mace or warhammer. He actually didn''t have any in his inventory, for some reason they were quite rare weapons. The reason for Eldrian''s wish was simple, he felt they would work better on bones.


    I do have an axe, but it is so much weaker... Eldrian realized that while he did have better-suited weapons, the weapons themselves were far worse. Causing him to falter in taking one out, so instead, he kept his spear in hand. Its ability truly without recement.


    "You saved her too?" Altien asked after they reached Maria. Shocked again after recognizing the woman. He had heard the crash and shout of pain during the early stages of his fight. He had wanted to rush over at that moment, still not understanding just how outssed he was against a skeleton at that time.


    "Yeah... Where should we take her, do you know where people would go in case of an attack?" Eldrian asked, certain that there must be a rule for this.


    "I-I... I''m not too sure, I am actually quite new here too." Altien stumbled over his words, ashamed at being of no use.


    "Aren''t you a soldier?" Eldrian did not understand how Altien couldn''t know.


    "Yes... But I have only arrived two weeks ago. All I have been told is were to go if we get attacked; that being the walls. I don''t know where civilians should go."


    "What about the keep?" Eldrian asked, certain that it must be a good bet.


    Shaking his head Altien replied, "That won''t work. The undead were all aimed at it, these we ran into were off target by arge amount." Altien had noticed this in his rush to get geared up and reach his post.


    Having been stopped from finishing the former when he heard somethingnd next to the inn he was currently staying in. He hadn''t wanted to move into the barracks since there would then be no privacy, and being a Tier 4 he was ustomed to not being treated like a newbie. Out of pride, he had decided to use half his ie on housing.


    At that time, when he heard the crashnding, all the civilians were still there so he had rushed out to buy them time to get away from the danger. Never having thought it might be thest thing he would do. Which it would have been if not for Eldrian''s arrival.


    "Is there a barracks nearby?" Eldrian asked, giving up hope of giving Maria over to someone else to take care of.


    He didn''t think he could change much in the battle anyway, so saving at least one life seemed to be a good target. He was also curious about demi-humans, Kydone having rarely said anything to anyone. At most, she would greet him, as such Eldrian had yet to learn more about them. Hunkering down he would be able to learn more from Altien, or from Maria if she woke.


    "Yes... But why?" Altien replied, knowing that the barracks would be empty at this point.


    "Should be easy to defend,pared to a normal house. Others might also be there." Eldrian replied.


    Altien nodded, partly wondering if he should stay with Eldrian or if he needed to leave and go to the wall as was his actual job. He truly didn''t wish to do thetter. He had been trained for fighting beasts, having been sent here only because the city he had been at was considered safe.


    It was North of the Kynigo, also bordering the barrennds. But so far no enemies hade from there, hence the higher-ups had decided to allocated soldiers from there to more in danger areas.


    This along with not having any anti-dead magic weapons caused Altien to want to shrink from his duties. Such weapons would sever the soul from the undead. Causing wounds to reflect reality. If Eldrian had such a weapon, his first attack would have indeed severed the skeleton in half and even possibly killed it on the spot.


    With an idea in motion, Eldrian followed Altien. Carrying Maria over his shoulder and again having changed to an arming sword should something jump out at him. As they rushed through different streets and ays, both suddenly heard a cry of pain. Along with a shout of anger.


    Stopping both wondered at the same time, should they go and help? Eldrian worried for Maria, while Altien worried for himself.


    Eldrian was the first to act, "Let''s go help!" He shouted, gently cing Maria down against the walls of the buildings surrounding them. After which he rushed out, Altien still struggling to move at this time. Eldrian found himself in one of the main streets, wide enough for two carriages to pass each other.


    In front of him, a centaurette half-dressed in armor was lying in a puddle of blood, her left front legs severed. A centaur was charging at a massive zombie arkbeast, trying to keep it from ending his wife''s life. Behind the centaurette, Eldrian saw a variety of different race children, upon seeing this he couldn''t just observe.


    His body acted before his mind couldprehend what was going on. He rushed forward, throwing Mifotia at the undead''s hind leg and Forst Needle at another. With this he also used Observe, cursing upon reading the statistics as his mind finally caught up to his actions. Stopping himself from stabbing his spear into the beast''s ass with just a second to spare.


    [Zombie (Arkbeast - Beta)]


    [Tier 3 (Weaker Undead); Level 17]


    [HP: 898/1318]


    [Attack: 72]


    [Agility: 135]


    [...]


    At least it is slow... Was the only silver lining Eldrian could think of upon reading the stats. Its attack was insanely high, and its HP even more so. It would take Eldrian a couple of minutes of nonstop spells and attacks to grind it down. Contrasting this, just two non-vital hits on him would mean death.


    Hoping for some good news Eldrian turned to Observe the centaur, finding that the man was only Tier 4. While that was good, the man evidently did not have the right equipment. While his attack was high, the damage he did was not reflecting this.


    [Piredes (Centaur)]


    [Tier 4 (NPC); Level 20]


    [HP: 176/371]


    [Attack: 46]


    [Agility: 160]


    Piredes was bleeding badly from his horse side, a w having ripped into him. If not for him having two sets of most organs, he would likely be dead by now.

 Chapter 241: Undead night attack (5)

    <h4>Chapter 241: Undead night attack (5)</h4>


    While Eldrian stopped himself from recklessly attacking, he did not wish to run and leave these people to fend for themselves. Forcing down the hesitation that was growing as he looked at the insanely high HP of the undead bear, Eldrain shifted to trying to figure out what to do. Knowing that most damage would be ineffective, as proven by his two spells.


    His two spells had both done basically no damage, far different from the other zombie he had fought. Against the undead direwolf fire had been extremely effective, but now it had only done normal damage. Eldrian assumed this was because of the size difference, the zombie arkbeast was a Beta. It was almost two meters tall and four long, his spells barely even covered half its leg''s width. Compared to the direwolf where it had covered its entire neck.


    His two spells had done just 17 damage in total, for a cost of 44MP. Luckily this also meant that it did not bother the undead bear. It kept focusing on Piredes who was trying to keep it from moving past him; while careful to not receive another hit. One that would likely be hisst.


    Grateful for the time giving to think, Eldrian stepped back and tried to figure out what he could do to help. The first thing he did was store Aoidos and pull out Gray, believing that it would be much better for hacking at the zombie bear.


    Eldrian also tried to figure out where the zombie''s weakness was, failing in doing so; and seeing the centaur failing in keeping up due to his excessive bleeding. Not having any more time to dy Eldrian charged forward, used Drive along with Double Strike to try and sever one of its hind legs.


    While the attacknded perfectly, Eldrian only managed to cut to the bone. Not at all what he had hoped for and even worse this seemed to pull the undead''s attention. Turning towards Eldrian it roared in anger. The stench of decay filling the air and causing Eldrian to almost lose his focus, his mind going numb for a second as he realized the horrible smell surrounding him for the first time.


    With its roar, it also moved to swipe at Eldrian like one would a fly. Seeing him as nothing more than an annoying bug that needed to be swatted. Eldrian jumped back to not end crushed on the ground, trying to focus on the wound he had managed to inflict, having seen something starting to heal it.


    What is that? It seems quite simr to the ck mass the skeleton utilized. Eldrian wondered while continuing to move back and out of the reach of the undead arkbeast''s massive ws. Just its legs were almost as big as Eldrian, its ws like daggers. He would probably die from one attack, ripped in two. Eldrian felt certain the damage would not reflect what Observe showed him.


    As he dodged Eldrian quickly thought of something that might give him some time to regroup. Jumping back again, he quickly summoned two empowered Floga''s. Throwing each at an eye of the undead beast, causing it to howl in fury as its eyes were destroyed and its sight robbed.


    Seeing this work Eldrian sighed and relief and shouted, "Get the others to safety, I''ll keep it busy." His shout was not just aimed at Piredes, but also at Altien. Luckily both had no courage to jump forward and thus assumed it was meant for them.


    Hearing a voice the undead charged towards it, Eldrian forced against one of the buildings to not be ripped to shreds. Sweat dripping down his back in fright, Eldrian realized he needed to keep track of where he was in the street. He was quite used to not having massive buildings stopping him from dodging. Suchrge obstacles gave him an idea, but also almost just caused his death.


    Slipping past its side Eldrian was d to see both the centaur and demi-human following his shout. The former quickly helping his wife up and gathering the children into an alley. Altien following with Maria on his shoulder.


    "Hey! Over here!" Eldrian taunted to keep the bear focused on him, trying to keep his voice loud enough to hide their footsteps and the kids crying. As he shouted this he moved to a narrow alley he had seen. Slipping into it while continuing to shout, the bear charging blindly with only the thought of enjoying a meal. It smashed with massive power into the side of the alley, finding itself stuck due to its massive frame. Its flesh merged into the walls from the force of the impact.


    In a blind rage, it continued to try and attack Eldrian, forcing its ws to move. Flesh ripping off as its moved, along with parts of the wall. As it did this it also started recovering its sight, its eyes reced by simple voids of darkness.


    Crap, how does that even work? Eldrian wondered as he realized the undead was regaining its sight. This didn''t matter much as Eldrian couldn''t get past it even if it was blind, nor could he run out another existence as the alleyway was a deadend. The only reason Eldrian was worried was if the beast could back out and go after the others.


    Wait, nature magic was effective, wasn''t it. Eldrian suddenly thought as he watched undead trying to break the walls bounding it. To Eldrian''s astonishment, half a meter of the walls has already started crumbling as the beast kept wing closer. While doing this harmed itself, the damage was nothing much.


    Let''s just try healing it, can''t be worse than wasting time with the other spells! Eldrian thought, leaving the discovery of why nature magic was effect to a time where his life was not on the line.


    Not knowing which would be better, Eldrian pulled out Aoidos again for its ability. While at it he also cast Thera and Anthizo on the undead. Stupefied by the damage it did.


    Thera did a whopping 36 damage while Anthizo did only 10. This singlebination had done more than all Eldrian''s previous efforts, though the self-harm the undead was doing in trying to fit into the alley actually surpassed all this.


    Seeing the damage Eldrian cursed himself for his misunderstand when having tested spells against the direwolf zombie. With new hope, Eldrian quickly kept casting Thera. It was far more mana efficient than Anthizo, seeing as both cost basically the same amount of mana, but Thera did basically three times the damage.


    Eldrian kept casting until he ran out of mana, having even used Aoidis''s ability. At this point, he had done another 213 damage. Looking at the undead''s movements having slowed Eldrian sighed in relief, as by this point it had dug into the alley by another meter. Luckily there was more than ten meters for Eldrian to fall back into. He just needed to recover his mana and end this fight.


    It would take quite some time, but Eldrian felt it was certain to kill it before he reached the dead-end. As such he calmed down and started wondering why nature magic worked against the undead. Along with if it would work against all the undead, not having tested it against the skeleton. For some reason, Eldrian felt that the skeleton would be immune, but he didn''t know why he felt that way.


    Naturally, he kept casting as soon as he had enough mana, meaning basically every 25 seconds and when Aoidos''s ability came up. He didn''t wait for his mana to stockpile since each cast caused the beast to slow down and gave Eldrian more time before he reached the deadend.


    Nature magic, at least what I am using is healing. It is the transfer of energy, mana being turned into free energy that the body can use to heal. I am not too sure how this works, nor what type of energy it bes. But that isn''t important, the clue must be in the fact that it heals.


    What is healing? That is the key... At this moment, after almost another minute of falling back and casting Thera, Eldrian realized he still had 25 free attributes. With not a second to waste he quickly added it to intelligence to increase his chance of surviving. Having be slightly worried as it seemed the undead was closing in faster than his mana was recovering.


    Dumping it all into intelligence Eldrian boosted his intelligence to 155, bringing the damage of his spell up to 43. In the end, Eldrian managed to kill the undead with just a meter to spare. The entire ordeal in the alley had taken nearly 5 full minutes. The walls stripped of their integrity, in certain ces it had brokenpletely, allowing one to enter the building if one so wished.


    Sighing in relief as thest few minutes had been quite taxing, Eldrian cursed as he felt how tired he was. His mind seemingly covered in a fog and his mana hidden behind a mist. Sure enough, magical fatigue... Eldrian sighed as he realized what the meaning of these symptoms were, confirmed by looking at his stats. He had not gained this debuff in a long time, and it now seemed much more real.


    Affecting his ability to think clearly, along with controlling his mana. Not just limiting his regen and total amount.

 Chapter 242: Undead night attack (6)

    <h4>Chapter 242: Undead night attack (6)</h4>


    Eldrian took a few seconds to simply try and get used to this fatigue covering his mind and mana. Only after having cleared his mind slightly did he bother to look at the kill notification, surprised, but not too much at the XP amount.


    [44100 XP]


    While it was quite an amount, it was nothing muchpared to what Eldrian needed to level. This currently being over a million XP.


    After looking at the notification Eldrian turned to look at the now rotting corpse in front of him. How do I get out of here? Eldrian wondered after realizing that the entire alley was blocked by the arkbeast.


    He really didn''t feel like climbing over its rotten flesh, maggots having already moved out and started feasting. Without the protection of undeath, the flesh rapidly started to decay and a smell worse than any before started spreading out. Seeing the flesh almost melting, as the decay caught up to where it should be if not for undeath, along with the smell, caused Eldrian to almost vomit his guts out.


    He quickly realized he couldn''t just stay here, he would not be able to keep control over himself for much longer if he dared. After recovering enough mana Eldrian sent Floga to try and create a safe passage for him to climb over. Hoping to clear the area of maggots and rot. Unfortunately for him, the opposite seemed to happen, while the maggots were indeed all fried to a crisp. The flesh melted under the heat, adding even more to the terrible smell surrounding him and clearly causing it to be too weak to step on.


    Cursing Eldrian forced himself to not think of it and climb as quickly as possible. Rushing out of the alley and away from the smell as soon as he could. Seemingly unable to outrun the stench Eldrian drenched himself with Nidia in the hope of getting clear. Even going so far as to pull a barrel of water out as Nidia didn''t summon enough.


    That royally sucked, Eldrian mumbled as he now found that while he was clean, the smell lingered inside of him. Slowly he started tasting the foulness of it all as it came out of his lungs. Finally, Eldrian could stand it no longer and vomited his guts out right in the middle of the street. As soon as he stopped he rushed to get away from any other smell that might cause another violent attack.


    Only after clearing around twenty meters did his mind start working normally again. Remembering that he had not been alone, and that he had actually helped others. Eldrian quickly turned around and headed to the alley he had seen them all go for.


    Are they safe? Eldrian wondered as he found the alley deserted. They''re gone...


    Eldrian sighed as he realized that they had simply left him. He was slightly mad and disappointed, but he understood their actions. They likely saw no hope in defeating the zombie beta, and as such, they had decided to save themselves.


    Let''s go to the keep. Can''t just sit around and do nothing. Eldrian mumbled to himself, using Aoidos as a walking cane and continuing to use its ability on cooldown. He hoped it would also help him recover from the magic fatigue, but all his tests and experiences told him it would not. He needed to rest properly for at least half an hour if he wanted to recover. Something he did not think would be right to do in this situation.


    As Eldrian walked he could hear the sounds of fighting all around him. He ignored most of it, deciding that he had already done more than enough. He did not want to get near another zombie, the previous experience had been harrowing.


    Still, he couldn''t just ignore the fights going on upon the road he was walking on. He could tell himself to ignore the sounds, as they were distant. But when he saw people struggling for their lives, he couldn''t force himself to ignore them. Killing the undead will also lessen possible troubleter, Eldrian told himself to try and exin it rationally.


    He had first encountered such a fight after three minutes of walking, looking up Eldrian saw a centaur in full te armor fighting against an undead arkbeast. Both of them were weaker than Eldrian expected, the undead Tier 2 and the centaur Tier 3.


    Still afraid of the terrible smell, Eldrian refused to charge into melee range. Instead, he stopped around ten meters from the fight, used Anthizo on the centaur and Thera on the undead. As a Tier 2 zombie, it only had 255HP at max, having already lost over a hundred from beingunched and the fight.


    Eldrian''s Thera instantly halved what health it had left, quickly followed by another that ended its undeath. The centaur quite grateful, but Eldrian didn''t mind him and had just kept walking.


    [450 XP]


    That is not much XP at all... Eldrian sighed as he realized killing the undead was most certainly not an effective method of leveling. The amount he needed was simply too much, causing him to understand why most quests gave levels as a reward.


    On his walk, Eldrian also confirmed that nature magic indeed did not work on skeletons. Confirming his thoughts that healing must be possible for it to do anything. Most likely the thing keeping the body moving needs to counter the effect of healing. I assume healing is the attempt to return things to their normal state, though I need to find a corpse to test this on... Eldrian had thought upon discovering that Thera did no damage to skeletons whocked flesh.


    Against a skeleton, he didn''t mind getting closer, so after confirming the bones that needed to be targetted he had rushed in and quickly ended the fight. After which Eldrian had looked for a corpse, which there was nock of in the battle.


    Eldrian did limit himself to trying it on the undead''s corpse and not that of a civilian or soldier. Finding such a one on the road he had crouched next to it while trying to not breathe any air. I need to learn a spell to keep smells from me. Eldrian thought after identally breathing in the rotting air.


    After saving that as a ''must as soon as possible'', Eldrian returned to his investigation. How does necromancy work? Is it even necromancy in this world, or is it something else? In any case, let''s see what healing does to the dead.


    Eldrian waspletely astounded after using Thera on the wolfbeast''s corpse. He had thought it would try and fix the damage, stop the maggots from consuming it. Instead, theplete opposite happened.


    Its decaying was hastened, the maggots enlivened and the smell worsened. Push-filled wounds burst, releasing a horrifying smell that forced Eldrian to retreat to not vomit again. The results of the healing spell leaving Eldrian without words to describe his shock.


    Later on, in his walk, Eldrian realized what must have happened. The natural state of corpses are to decay. If healing is to return to the natural state, then the effect makes sense. It works well for living beings as our purpose is to survive, to reproduce. Hence the energy is used to recover from damage. For our cells to multiply and fix things.


    Seems that for a corpse the energy is instead used by the bacteria, maggots, and such that inhabit it. Used to quickly finished what nature was already busy doing. I wonder how nature magic works with nts and how people can heal corpses to return the person''s looks. Is it control or a different spell? Or rather is it determined by the state of decay already present?


    Finally, after around half an hour of walking and helping out, Eldrian reached the keep. Or rather he reached the square before it, hiding in an alley and observing what was going on, something that was quite easy to do thanks to the balls of light hovering over the square.


    In front of the keep, a line of soldiers were holding out below its steps. Stopping the undead that was almost filling the square from entering. Behind the soldiers were a few clerics in white clothing. They had likely sent out the balls of light that were hovering over the square, the light so bright that it almost seemed like day.


    The undead seemed to be weakened by this light, they werepletely unable to pass the wall of soldiers. When a particr strong undead, or skeletons, made it to the front. The clerics would focus their magic on that individual, quickly destroying it through divine magic. They seemed unable to do massive damage to the horde, but were perfectly able to destroy individuals, confusing Eldrian.


    There''s Katania... Eldrian mumbled, recognizing her in one of the groups of clerics. Behind them, he saw a few people focusing on something on a table. Thesolis must be in that group. Eldrian thought, both of them had left upon their return. It made sense, they had homes and full-time upations in the city. Naturally, they wouldn''t stay with Eldrian and the others inside an inn.


    I wonder if they know why and how the fort was attacked without warning. And why does it seem like they are struggling to keep the bnce?

 Chapter 243: Undead night attack (7)

    <h4>Chapter 243: Undead night attack (7)</h4>


    Not daring to move forward, Eldrian kept himself hidden in the alley as he observed what was going on inside the square. Using Observe on the nearer undead, trying to figure out why the fort defenders were struggling so much to hold out. Eldrian had thought that with divine magic they would easily push out, not be forced onto the defensive.


    Observe didn''t tell Eldrian much other than that most of the undead were Tier 3 or 4. He had also spotted a few ming reanimates, some still weakened and with burning flesh. Others just bones encased in bright orange mes, their movements much faster than those with flesh still on them.


    Contrasting these burning skeletons were undead that looked like they were covered in shadows. The light from the balls above seemingly being sucked into these undead. Their figures hidden in these shadows and only an outline really visible to Eldrian.


    Observe failed to ry any information on these strange undead due to the distance, but Eldrian kept trying certain that the ming Reanimate and the shadow covered undead must be the reason for the defenders'' struggles.


    Surprisingly all these strange undead seemed to be waiting for something. They were all moving towards the center of the square where the zombies and skeletons would make space for them. Yet they did not rush the formation of the soldiers, something that informed everyone that they had some sort of n.


    Most all these strange undead were humanoid, while beasts were almost the entire weaker undead. In total Eldrian counted around thirty of these strange undead. He also managed to get Observe to work on a closer one.


    [ming Reanimate (Absede), The Unwilling]


    [Tier 4 (Fallen, unwilling undead); Level 31]


    [HP: 999/1167]


    [Mana: 600/608]


    [Attack: 238]


    [Agility: 375]


    [...]


    [Having shed its flesh, the ming Reanimate has resolved itself to undeath. Its soul burned into its bones; feeding the mes that will keep it in constant torture. All that remains is a rage to kill, and follow the one who gave it its mes.]


    [Status: Immunity to fire damage]


    [Passive ability: Attacks will transfer some of its mes, burning the target as long as it remains standing.]


    Holy fuck! Eldrian couldn''t help but swear after reading the stats. All of its stats were insanely high, and Eldrian assumed him being given its mana meant it was capable of casting spells. None of the skeletons or zombies had mana, and they also never used skills or spells.


    Just its attack is insane, not to mention its agility and HP... Then it also has that crazy ability. Eldrian didn''t know what to do upon seeing the unweakened state of the ming reanimate. While this one was two levels higher than the other one called Corbol, the difference in strength seemed far too high for Eldrian.


    Upon looking further Eldrian managed to also get the information of one of the shadow covered undead after around five minutes. During which not much had happened in the square, the defenders were still busy fiddling behind the clerics and the undead busy organizing their lines.


    [Revenant (Rasmem), The Unwilling]


    [Tier 4 (Fallen, unwilling undead); Level 45]


    [HP: 1747/1747]


    [Mana: 2012/4784]


    [Attack: 202]


    [Magic Attack: 560]


    [Agility: 628]


    [A being reborn for vengeance. In lore they would do anything to kill the one they hated most, even going so far as fighting to be reborn as an undead. Consuming their soul for this singr task. However, sometimes their hate can be manipted, polluted, and targeted. This is what happens with The Unwilling. Their pure and beautiful hate has been corrupted and turned against those they had died to protect. They see those they have loved as their mortal enemy, and those they hated as their love.]


    [Status: Extreme resistance to all damage; high resistance to divine magic]


    [Passive ability: Spreads an aura of death, strengthening those around them and weakening the living.]


    The actual fuck!? Eldrain''s mind stopped functioning for a while after seeing the stats of this revenant. He couldn''t help butpare it to his own, only to feel inadequate. He wasn''t truly able toprehend what the stats would mean, especially the magic attack with such arge mana pool. Eldrian''s imagination ran wild.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 17 (55.5K / 1152K)]


    [Hidden ss: Protector Tier 1]


    [Sub-ss: Magic, Mellee]


    [Avatar Affinity: 98.11%]


    [Attributes:]


    (He had gained some bonus attributes from reaching rank 2 with two-handed swords, simr to the case with spears. For spears Rank 2: Co-3,St-2,Ag-4,Sp-1,In-0 ; for two-handed swords Rank 2: Co-3,St-4,Ag-2,Sp-1,In-0 )


    [Constitution: 121]


    [Strength: 131]


    [Agility: 161]


    [Spirit: 117]


    [Intelligence: 155]


    {0 free attributes}


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 139]


    [Mana: 194 (204)]


    [Stamina: 123]


    [Armor: 0.5]


    [Magic Armor: 0.75]


    [Attack (With Aoidos): 47]


    I am nothingpared to that... Eldrian couldn''t ept that this undead was just Tier 4, quickly he thought, Maybe bing an undead is simr to gaining a hidden ss. But it isn''t hidden, instead, it will hide their other Tiers, that they had aplished when alive. And for some reason, the stats don''t be lost. Right, wasn''t this Rasmem part of the party? Eldrian questions, quickly finding that indeed he was one of the NPC''s whose name had been grayed out, and so was Absede


    This means he was at least above Tier 5, and seeing his mana and magic attack he must have been a mage of sorts. Upon realizing this Eldrian also realized that the undead was indeed wearing a robe of some kind. This wasn''t clear to see, seeing as it was all covered in the darkness of shadows. Butpared to the other revenants, or at least most of the others, its shadow was much looser.


    Is this why they are struggling in just defending? How the hell did the undeadunch the attack without warning? Eldrian wondered, knowing for certain that if he was discovered then he would die. He also realized that the mission was most likely a failure, they certainly won''t be able to continue. If he would fail the quest he didn''t know, but he also didn''t care much.


    Eldrian was too shocked by the strength of the undead. Having thought all the undead would, at most, be as strong as the first ming Reanimate he had run into. Now he found that even that one was seemingly but a cubpared to this Rasmem the revenant.


    Hiding in the darkness of the alley Eldrian hoped that things would turn for the best. He could see that those behind the clerics were working on something, he believed it to be an array and hoped that it would be effective. He also realized for the first time that the magic tower was actually being used.


    He had only realized this when wondering why they hadn''t used it on the gathering undead. Sure coteral damage would happen, but that would be much better than letting this group roam free through the fort. Eldrian felt certain that they would likely be able to kill almost everyone, at least everyone not in the keep.


    Is there a reason they don''t do that? What the hell is the aim of this attack? And what is the magic tower attacking, is the threat outside the walls so much more than that inside? Eldrian wondered as he saw an asional undead still beingunched over the walls while looking at the magic tower. Hisst thought sending shivers down his spine as he started feeling that things were looking really bleek.


    In any case, I can''t do anything here. So now the question is, do I log out... Or do I try and help somewhere else? Eldrian was quite stuck on this question. He didn''t want to push and risk his real body, but he also didn''t feel right abandoning everyone in a battle.


    In the end, he decided to retreat from here and help others kill weaker undead. As he retreated he wondered why the soldiers he had helped before never used nature magic. Certainly, at least one of the must-have known of its effectiveness. Do most soldiers just never learn magic? Eldrian wondered as he called back through the alley.


    Coming out from it and onto one of the main streets, Eldrian decided to head to the wall. Hopefully there he could actually offer some help. He quickly started running over, Aoidos in hand to keep his mana full. Finding people fighting almost every minute in his journey on the main road.


    All of these were against weaker undead and as such Eldrian could easily help out with a simple Thera. On his way to the walls, he ran into a group of three fighting against five undead. Two of them seemed to be normal soldiers, while one was a mage. Due to them being outnumbered the mage was forced to defend himself against one undead alone.


    He was clearly struggling in just surviving and had no chance to use spells. His two friends were not much better off as they each had to fight two undead, just one would have already been a tall task.


    Eldrian had started by helping the mage, freeing him up to use his spells. Unlike Eldrian it took him a couple of seconds to cast a healing spell. Eldrian didn''t know what spell it was but it was much more effective, likely a higher Tier spell as the mage was Tier 3. While Eldrian did around 70 damage to these weaker undead, the mage had done 190. Killing off one of the other undead right away as it had already sustained some damage.


    It was at that moment that Eldrian realized that two corpses were actually lying nearby. The mage likely having taken them out before they could reach the party.


    Seems magic is truly useful. Eldrian thought upon seeing the mage oneshot an undead. His speed wasn''t much more than Eldrian''s as he could only cast his spell two or three times and he had a casting time. However Eldrian believed he wouldn''t be so limited, and hence he was motivated to try and Tier up again.

 Chapter 244: Undead night attack (8)

    <h4>Chapter 244: Undead night attack (8)</h4>


    Eldrian was actually surprised by this, thus far he had not really felt that magic was all that strong. Sure it was very useful for him, a High Elf. He could actually control his spells, unlike all the other mages he had met. If not for this, he felt that magic was simply too limited, especially at the start. The spells were generally weak and had little adaptability.


    Seeing the effects of just a Tier 3 mage against the undead, Eldrian realized that it might ramp up faster than he had expected. Having only felt Tier 5 and above would really be able to use their magic effectively inbat. As had been his experience this far, and was shown with the mage being nearly hopeless if not being defended.


    Then again, it might just be due to the enemy. Undead were naturally magic born, and as such, they might be weaker against magic. Something that held true this far.


    "Thanks for the save." The mage said as soon as he and Eldrian finished of thest undead.


    "No problem, would you mind telling me what spell you used?" Eldrian replied, curious about it as it seemed quite effective. Much more than Thera.


    "Ah, of course. It isn''t actually a healing spell, such as you are using. While they are effective, they can be easily stopped from working if there is a stronger undead such as The Unwilling nearby. This spell is specialized in speeding up the decay of things, so it would damage living things too. It''s called Thora."


    "Wait how does that work?" Eldrian asked, not quite understanding how that fitted with nature magic he knew. He only half-understood how nature magic and poison worked, he had no clue how a decay spell would work.


    "I''m sorry, but now isn''t the time to converse." The mage replied, "We were trying to find our friends who stayed in another inn. Unlike us they aren''t as strong, good luck!" The mage replied, quickly jogging off to catch up to the other two who had already started walking away while bandaging their wounds with their clothes.


    Right, now isn''t the time to ask and question things. Eldrian thought and sighed, quickly continuing on to the walls. He was now quite close and could hear to constant sh of weaponsing from the walls. Turning another corner he saw arge group of around twenty people -centaurs, demi-humans, and normal humans- fighting off thirty undead beasts.


    This group seemed to have no problem facing the undead, Eldrian quickly recognized the pure white light floating over the battle. Divine magic, how the hell does that work? Eldrian''s mind asked, but he did not pay it any head.


    He rushed over and started throwing out heals onto the undead. Even without his help, the group would have easily won the fight as all the undead were weakened under the light. Even skeletons, who were the toughest to kill, were made easy prey under the effect of the light. It would dim all the shadows on its body, leaving the bones that created the shadows as clear targets for all the soldiers.


    Upon finishing the fight most in the group turned to Eldrian and nodded at him in acknowledgment. They did not stop and talk to him though, instead quickly pilling up all the undead and setting me to them. After which they promptly moved on, searching for another batch of undead to kill.


    Not really knowing what to do, Eldrian followed along. Keeping distant at first, but helping out each time a fight urred. Finally, after the third battle, the person responsible for the divine magic approached Eldrian as they moved to the next location. This person was a normal human dressed in light armor, mostly just chainmail but with a few locations covered in te padded leather to add a bit more protection.


    "Thanks for the help, it is good to have another spellcaster." The man said as they ran on, looking for the undead before they could group and be too much to handle.


    "No problem, I didn''t really know what else I should do," Eldrian replied.


    "You''re not a soldier?"


    "No, I came here for a mission. I''m Haru."


    "Ayden." The man replied with a slight smile.


    With the introductions done not much more was to be said, so Eldrian asked instead, "What is your n?"


    "What do you mean?" Ayden replied.


    "Why are we not going up to help on the walls?" Eldrian asked, believing that would be the ce with the most immediate need for reinforcements.


    "It''s too cramped up there. Our job is to keep them from being attacked from behind. While they have some people watching the stairs, if arge group forms and gets past, it would lead to a great deal of trouble. Better to thin them out before they can group into the hundreds."


    I see, so theunching of undead over the walls isn''t just to cause chaos, but also to attack from both sides. They even sieged the keep, keeping most clerics from joining the fight. I wonder if Fanon is also stuck in the keep. Eldrian wondered as they ran, if that was the case then the undead''s tactics were even better than he had thought. Keeping even themander of the fort under siege in his own keep, that was simply too astounding.


    "Do you know why the attack came so suddenly?" Eldrian asked after a few seconds, still not understanding how there had been no warning.


    "No idea, it is simr to the night raids. They would just appear, probably through some cave system we do not know of. This time though, they had strengthened it to a full-blown attack."


    "But why?" Eldrian asked, receiving no answer as this was amon question in all the soldier''s minds.


    Their group continued to run and kill any undead they came across. Eldrian quickly moved to only casting Anthizo on the soldiers to conserve his mana. Still, he was certainly using it too much and would gain more fatigue levels soon. He couldn''t ck off though, as his contribution enabled everyone to fight better for longer.


    In their hunt for undead, they had passed by a stable, where everyone had gotten a steed. Greatly enhancing their speed of clearing undead. Three hours passed, Eldrian having gained over a nearly 180K XP from simply helping out the soldiers with Anthizo. He didn''t even hurt the undead, his helping the soldiers counted it as participating in the fight, leading to him getting part of the XP as if he had fought against it himself.


    Now it was around 1 AM the next morning, their group not having found any more undead for thest ten minutes. Eldrian was stuck at level three magical fatigue and as such had a constant headache guing his mind and limiting his max mana to 140, from 204.


    "Do you think theunched undead have all been cleared?" One of the soldiers questioned, this group not having a leader. They had all grouped together in the chaos and simply acted in the way they felt they would be most effective. After Eldrian had joined, six more had also jumped in as they ran and fought.


    "This area maybe, but the fighting seems to still be going on in other ces." Another replied.


    "So what now, do we go onto the walls or to the gate?"


    "There has been amotion at one of the gates, going there might be a good idea."


    "That or the keep," Eldrian said, surprising most of those present. None of them through ill of Eldrian being Tier 1, they all had to acknowledge that he had great talent in magic. While Ayden could only keep his debuff active and not help out by directly killing the undead; Eldrian had rejuvenated at least half of them in each fight. His mana pool was on par with Tier 4 mages, and his mana regenerated faster too.


    "Why the keep?" Ayden asked, having been the one who would normally decide things since his divine magic was what allowed them to fight on the upper hand.


    "I was there beforeing to the wall. I couldn''t help there though, ming Reanimated and Revenants, at least thirty, were grouped there. There was also a massive number of weaker undead, the soldiers and clerics had a hard time simply defending."


    "So that is why no reinforcements have arrived even until now!" One of the centaurs shouted, shocked to learn that the undead were so cunning. They had thought them defending the wall''s steps and ramps had destroyed the undead''s n, it seemed they had not even started to figure it out.


    "Even if that is the case, we won''t be able to make a difference. You said the clerics and soldiers were struggling, if that is the case us going there will just lead to our deaths. Those at the keep are all elites, part of Fanon''s personal squad." Ayden said, his words sobering the others and making them realize how dire their situation is.


    "Then what?" Eldrian asked, having simply shared his knowledge, not trying and convince anyone.


    "I do not think they will be able to kill those at the keep, especially with Fanfon there. While those at the keep might also not be able to fight through, them keeping the higher undead busy is good for us. The undead likely thought they would be able to push through the gates or over the walls with their overwhelming numbers. All we need to do is hold out until day."


    "Why?" A random person in the group asked.


    "Simple, once that happens the weak point of the skeletons will be visible to all. The sun has a simr effect to our holy ball of light. The zombies will have their regeneration abilities halved. The ming Reanimate and Revenants would still be a problem, but then the entire fort can copse on them at that point." Ayden exined, knowing full well that he was the only one who really knew about the undead.


    Most soldiers were new to fighting them, having normally only defended against the wandering beasts of the forest. If they had not gone on an expedition into The Encroaching or Vriks Drnds, then they would not have fought undead before. Other than in the previous shirt raids, that is.

 Chapter 245: Undead night attack (9)

    <h4>Chapter 245: Undead night attack (9)</h4>


    "So what are we going to do then?" Someone asked after digesting what Ayden had said.


    "Let''s go confirm the state at the gate, and if they don''t need our help we can continue to patrol." No one argued as this was a sensible n, continuing to just patrol this area wouldn''t do much. With this settled they set forth for the gate, this being the Western gate of the four on the side of the forest.


    On their way, they met a few stragglers of the undead, no more than three or four at a time. Nothing much, barely slowing them down. They made it to the gate within ten minutes after choosing a target. Upon reaching the gate, everyone was shocked upon seeing the state of the gate.


    The gate was blown wide open, hordes of undead trying to push through while the soldiers here fought desperately to stop them from making it through. What had blown the gates open was unknown, but it had to be something incredible as what remained of it was but scraps left in the buildings behind. Many unlucky defended having died in its hail there bodies hanging limply, pierced by the scraps of the gate.


    "Let''s go, no time to waste!" Ayden shouted, rushing forward and sending his holy ball of light out. This didn''t do much, with there already being six such spells hanging in the air. Realizing this Ayden quickly shouted, "There''s higher undead nearby, be careful!"


    The others all rushed in while nodding, Eldrian stopped next to Ayden instead. "What''s the n?" Eldrian asked.


    "Hope we can get help before..." Ayden was interrupted as a skeletal feline undead charged at them. Eldrian quickly stepped forward and blocked its w attack with his spear. Ayden recovered quickly and sent a me whip at the skeleton''s head. Ripping it off and causing it to stutter, Eldrian quickly using that to destroy its spine, the other part that kept it alive in undeath.


    "Well then, let''s hope helpes," Eldrian said, rushing into the mess that was their defense. He tried to stay away from the zombies in the fray, and rather take on the skeletons. This was in contrast to what most others would do, and as such Eldrian didn''t have ack of targets. He became better and better at spotting the flow of this dark magic, realizing that it was not the dark element after some time. Rather it was somethingpletely different.


    The battle became grueling as minutes passed into hours. By the third, Eldrian knew that they would notst for another, even though that was all that was needed. Just one more hour and the sun would start to rise, along with hope.


    From the original thousand or so soldiers who had fought at the gate, under a hundred remained. They could barely even keep the now half a thousand undead from passing them. All of them tired and wounded. The undead instead, while far less having lost over 80% of their horde, we''re all still energetic.


    "Just a little longer," Eldrian mumbled, long having stopped using magic as each spell would result in a massive headache from overuse. He relied solely on his body, but that was long since also past its capabilities. Each movement ached and each strike he received hurt. Still, he fought on, not wishing to give up.


    At this moment, the one thing that Eldrian had dreaded the most, happened. A higher undead finally stepped forward. As soon as Eldrian saw it he used Observe to check if there was hope, the result telling him enough.


    [Lich (Gradroz)]


    [Tier 6 (Higher Undead), Level 35]


    [???]


    The lich was drapped in an old, ripped robe. Under which one could clearly see its skeletal body with dark shadows fluttering through them. Unlike normal skeletons it didn''t have a small amount of these shadows covering its bones, instead, it almost seemed that the shadows were its flesh. Though it did not stay still, it constantly moved around and thus also clearly showing that there were nothing underneath but bones.


    Fuck... Eldrian minds stopped momentarily, causing him to receive a nice cut in his side. Leaving him with just twenty HP. Double fuck. Eldrian thought as he fell to the side from the cut, his mind and body too slow to react at this point.


    To his horror this higher undead didn''t charge into them, nor did it st them with spells. Instead, it turned to look around, at all the undead who had been in and those who had died to kill them. Seemingly mocking everyone still alive the Lich turned to look at them. Even Eldrian who was now lying on the ground, the blood-soaked, rot-filled mess that the floor had be.


    While doing this the other undead all stopped their assault, causing most of the people left to fall onto their knees from fatigue. No one had the energy left to move, not when their lives were not a direct threat. The only people holding out were those responsible for the holy lights, just two. Ayden and another Eldrian did not know, the others having died sometime in the fight.


    Seemingly having enjoyed what it saw the lich turned to look at the sky and let out a high-pitched shriek ofughter. Incapable of normal speech without the use of magic, its shadows simply causing a shriek instead. After having its fill withughing, it moved its arms to the side and slowly lifted them up. As it did all the dead started stirring, the shadows on the lich''s body flowing along its arms and then into the dead in wisps of ''smoke''.


    Triple fuck. Eldrian thought as he saw the dead all slowly standing up. "Everyone run!" A voice filled with energy suddenly shouted, most defenders listened as they saw no hope now that more than half the undead they had killed were revived. Along with theirrades.


    That voice... Eldrian thought, his mind slowly working out that the keep must havee through. Rolling to his side he tried to get away... Luckily none of the undead chased.


    The magic tower! Eldrian realized as he made it to his feet and hobbled as far as he could. Turning to look at the undead in confusion. Not understanding why they did not chase. The lich was enjoying this show. Where the living ran for their lives in fear. He savored it, feeling invigorated by the second. He looked at them inplete mockery, oblivious to the magic tower aimed at it.


    That was until it actually activated, at that second the lich raised its head in shock, pulled out its staff from nowhere, and aimed it at the magic tower. A st of dark shadows shot out from its staff, hitting a burning blue yet of holy me directed at him.


    What the fuck! They should be out of mana and crystals! The lich cursed as it saw its shadows being devoured.


    They had note into the fort for this precise reason, fearing that they would be targetted no matter the coteral damage it would cause. As such all the higher undead had tried to stay outside the fort until the defenders basically copsed. At that time they could waltz in and simply enjoy the pain of the survivors.


    They had sent The Unwilling over the walls to make sure the situation would reach such a critical level. While The Unwilling were weaker than the higher undead, the difference was not much. They were basically the same beings, but limited to under Tier 5 of undeath. Due to them not being willing to ept the gift handed to them.


    Most higher undead saw them as ungrateful children who needed to be taught how to appreciate things. Hence this was also a trial for them, for if they epted then they would instantly be much stronger. If not then their chances of dying would be high, but their loss not missed.


    Losing The Unwilling was not a problem for the undead, as they could make more as long as they kill beings above Tier 5. In some cases, they even directly received a sibling; instead of a child.


    The lich could not ept that these ''children'' had failed at such a simple task. There were so many of them... How? How? The lich asked as the mes devoured him. Causing him excruciating pain beyond what beings could feel, its soul directly being devoured.


    What the hell were they thinking? Eldrian wondered as he looked at the horde simply disappear. This attack from the magic tower was far stronger than those they had used before. Yet it was not over, just seconds after having melted the entire area intova, another area of the fort received the same treatment. Those manning the tower trying their best to kill all the higher undead before they could react.


    Eldrian was left without words as he saw the wall falling apart as it melted. Even the entire area they had fought on was not a crater with its walls flowing down. Where the gatehouse used to be, there was no just a massive burning hole.


    Eldrian could undoubtedly understand why anymander would be hesitant to use this attack in their own fort or city. The result though, could not be argued. Nearly five thousand weaker undead killed, along with a Tier 6 lich. In but seconds...

 Chapter 246: Night attack developments (1)

    <h4>Chapter 246: Night attack developments (1)</h4>


    Standing dumbly and simply watching theva, with mes spurting from time to time; Eldrian felt that it was about time to log out. All the adrenaline and energy from fighting for his and others'' lives, quickly disappearing in the wake of theva crater.


    Eldrian had gained another forty-four thousand XP during thest three hours, much less than previously due to him not using magic. He was quite still quite surprised as he nced at his avatar statistics and grimaced at the level six fatigues. His body feeling like lead now that his energy had left, his mana and stamina capped at 14 and 8 respectively.


    It should be fine if I log out, right? Eldrian mumbled as he did just that, struggling to keep himself awake after the grueling fight he had gone through. His body turning into particles surprised those nearby, catching them off guard and frightening them that another attack mighte.


    As soon as Eldrian woke in his bed he could feel the headache from magic fatigue following him into real life. Holding his head he took things slow, first disconnecting the headset and IV, and then slowly standing up to get some water.


    As he walked Eldrian could also feel that his body ached slightly, not much, but it was clear. It was as if he had slept wrongly but across his entire body. Right, let''s get some sleep so I don''t have to trudge along with this annoying headache. Eldrian thought to himself, stopping himself as he realized he should probably go eat something first.


    Reaching the cafeteria Eldrian was shocked by the smells and sights before him. This isn''t right, where is all the cereal, bacon, eggs... Eldrian mumbled as he grabbed himself a te and started helping himself. The food here was served as a buffet, where you had to serve yourself. So Eldrian made sure to fill his te with what he enjoyed.


    Only upon sitting down did he realized what was going on, finding himself quite amused as he did. Right, I fought through the night. It''s five PM, not AM... Shit, guess I''ll miss the day for once. Eldrian thought, not counting being unconscious as a ''miss''.


    As Eldrian enjoyed himself a familiar voice suddenly asked, "Care if I join you?"


    "Go ahead," Eldrian replied, not stopping for a second in enjoying the pumping pjacks and risoni with mince.


    via didn''t hesitate and quickly made herselffortable, looking at Eldrian devouring his food strangely. Last time he had barely managed to eat anything, now he is wolfing down enough food for three. She thought, realizing that she was again being ignored simr tost time.


    "Oh, right. Thanks for helping mest time, though what is your name again?" Eldrian suddenly said as he reached the midway point of his meal. Deciding to take it slow from here so as to not upset his stomach. He could still vaguely smell the rotting undead, which caused him to feel a little nauseous. Naturally, this did not help with the headache.


    "Ah... It''s no problem, I am d to see your doing better."


    "Thanks..." Eldrian said, finding himself unable to recall her name. It took a couple of seconds before she realized why Eldrian stopped talking.


    "Oh yeah, I''m via."


    "Thanks, via. What are you having?" Eldrian asked, trying to make small talk as there was no reason to alienate himself.


    "Oh, a tuna sd. Do you want some?"


    "No thanks," Eldrian replied, turning back to his food as he struggled to figure out what to say.


    A few secondster via asked, "Do you mind if I ask why you weren''t here during breakfast or lunch?"


    "A crisis in-game," Eldrian replied, not sure why she was trying to befriend him. He could see that she was trying to keep the conversation going withouting over as too eager asst time. This caused him to feel quite strange as he was normally the one in that situation.


    I really have changed, Eldrain thought as he realized this. What really changed was that he didn''t care, didn''t hope for something to happen/develop. Which removed all the pressure he had normally struggled under.


    "Right, I might havee off too strongst time. Are..."


    "Hey via! Mind if we join you," Ady shouted, not waiting for a reply and just sitting down. Soon after a man sat next to her, the table now filled with four people.


    "Meggan! Don''t interrupt like that." via replied upset, assuming that Eldrian would be annoyed by the disturbance.


    "Oh, and who is this via? Is this your new boyfriend?" Meggan teased.


    "No, this is the mysterious newbie." The man next to Meggan said, "So what''s your deal?" He asked lightheartedly.


    "Not much, I just y ANW." Eldrian replied, slightly amused by the three and slightly irritated by their voices. via alone had been fine, but the other two talked really loudly. Causing Eldrian''s headache to pound all the harder and giving him a reason to not stay. He did not want to endure this pain for no reason other than small talk.


    "Oh, are you a game tester?" The man pressed.


    "Something like that, I have to go," Eldrian said, simply wishing to fall asleep as soon as possible. His abrupt departure caused the three to falter, via soon taking it out on the man.


    Just when I managed to get the guts to approach him again! She thought as she berated him, the man justughing it off and saying that there was something else going on. via naturally did not believe his im. How could she have timed it so terribly twice in a row?


    ...


    Eldrian woke six hourster feeling much better, stretching as he stood up, he looked around in his room and appreciated not having the headache hanging over him. He wanted to go down again to have another meal, but it was now almost midnight. A bit toote for that, though there were still things he could make his own food with. So he did just that before logging in.


    Appearing in front of the massive crate Eldrian frightened quite a few of the NPCs again. Smiling apologetically he stared at the massive crater where the wall used to be. All theva had long since cooled, leaving pore-filled rocks covering the entire area. Eldrian wondered if these rocks might be special due to how they had been made; but not for long.


    Having no idea where to find anyone, Eldrian decided to head back to the inn he had been staying at before. Finding no one there, the entire area devoid of life, he headed to the keep next; shocked upon arriving at it.


    The square was filled with NPCs, mosting and going, far too many for after such a fight. Reinforcements? Eldrian wondered as he looked at them, realizing that this group here seemed to be made out of humans only. Are they from Phallos, did the division move? Eldrian wondered next.


    He failed to see anyone he knew and also failed to gain ess to the keep. Being stopped at its main gate and told that there was a strategic meeting currently in progress and that no one was to disturb it.


    "Alright, can you tell me what happened after the fight?" Eldrian asked the soldier in heavy te instead, causing the NPC to look at him in disbelief.


    "What do you mean, everyone knows." The man replied, his moving his hand to rub his stubble of a beard.


    "Yeah, but I am a Chosen, and after fighting I couldn''t stay any longer. Can you fill me in?" Eldrian replied, causing the NPC''s look to change again. He understood what Eldrian meant with ''couldn''t stay'', most NPCs had heard the rumor of Chosen vanishing into particles and returning to their realm.


    This was far more spread out in kingdoms where the Chosen had spawned than in others. The NPCs also didn''t know how or where the Chosen went, only that it was their original realm. Most attributed it to the gods had brought the Chosen here in their time of peril. Most NPCs havee to grow a much better opinion of Chosen. Though many still resented them for their immortality andck of worry.


    "Of course. I wasn''t here during the fight so I can''t tell you anything of that..." The soldiers replied, wondering just why a Chosen would have to leave their world, Eldrian being the first he had met.


    "That''s fine, I left after the magic tower killed the higher undead. So if you can fill me in on what happened after, that would be much appreciated." Eldrian replied.


    "Sure. We were on our way here to reinforce the fort, the report having arrived in Kynigo a few days ago. While most of us were setting up for the night at the cliff, Pros had suddenly just rushed out. Without a word."


    "Weter learned that he had sensed something wrong and rushed to help the fort. With his arrival, the keep had been quickly saved and those there could finally focus on their tasks. Bringing the magic tower to max power and adding the divine element to it. And so the fight ended."


    "Wait, Pros? He''s here, and he''s so strong?" Eldrian asked, finding this bit of news not at all reflecting with the man/centaur he knew.


    A man who did nothing day in and day out, only enjoying his life with minimal duties; was what Eldrian thought of Pros. He didn''t dislike that, in fact, it was something he hoped to achieve when everything was not in peril.

 Chapter 247: Night attack developments (2)

    <h4>Chapter 247: Night attack developments (2)</h4>


    The soldier''s face quickly turned back into one of disbelief. "You have to be kidding, of course he is. He is the ruler of a city after all."


    "What does that matter, isn''t it just something decided through politics?" Eldrian asked in confusion, having believed that the handling of these things would be simr to medieval times on earth. He had yet to really mingle with nobles, having only had short interactions with most, so he didn''t really know how they differed from what he believed.


    "No, that is something that would only happen with towns and viges. Cities are always controlled by the strong, this ismon knowledge. How do you not know this?"


    "Never came up before, I mean Pros is the first mayor I have met," Eldrian replied, adding in his mind, and the twins the first nobles I really talked to other than Vivian and Old Sword.


    "How strong is he then?" Eldrian asked after a slight pause.


    "Tier 8, naturally I don''t know much more. But that is enough, it is actually insane. Back home only the king is Tier 8, yet here in Taurus, all city mayors are at least Tier 8. It is no wonder they have yet to lose a city." As the soldier spoke, Eldrian could clearly see the respect he held for this fact. There was even a slight look of zeal as the soldier spoke.


    A moment of silence passed as Eldrian digested this information, the soldiers not minding this. As long as Eldrian didn''t try to get past him, he could stand there all day. The NPC also wanted to learn more about the Chosen, so he hoped they could talk longer.


    "Did the entire divisione to reinforce this ce, is Old Sword here?" Eldrian asked after looking around the square again. The number of people didn''t seem that high, so he assumed that not everyone came here.


    "No, we were sent to the three forts surrounding the forest. Not too sure about the other two, nor if they had been hit too. I don''t think they would have been, seeing as they aren''t inside the forest, and are actually quite a distance from it actually."


    "Right, do you know where Old Sword went?" Eldrian asked next.


    "I think he went to the western fort, something about that ce having quite a few monsters roaming about and the eastern one being much safer. And well if with Prosing here, it would be dumb for Old Sword to follow."


    "I see..." Eldrian replied, wondering if that meant Vivian also headed to the other fort. He didn''t quite want to see her so early, though he definitely didn''t want her to be somewhere dangerous. Thest time he had seen her he had kinda glossed over the danger of his mission. Eldrian now felt he was certain to get an ear full when they met again.


    "Well, thanks," Eldrian said after s few seconds of thinking, as he started walking away the guard suddenly asked.


    "Wait, can I ask you something?"


    "Sure."


    "How does it feel when you die?"


    "Um, well..." Eldrian paused, not having expected this question.


    "Sorry, have you not died yet?"


    Ah, so seems that is something all the NPCs really expect to have happened to us by now. Eldrian thought, quickly finding the question difficult since his experience was so different. "I am not too sure myself, I know I didn''t experience it as the other Chosen. Possibly due to me being a High Elf." Eldrian replied.


    "Then what does it feel like when you disappear by turning into fragments of light?"


    I should have said no. Eldrian thought before replying, "Like I simply fall asleep, now I want to go find my friends."


    "Wait! Does it hurt or feel ufortable when that happens?" The soldier shouted as Eldrian started walking away.


    "Nope," Was all Eldrian replied with, and after leaving he wondered where he should go now. After a minute or two of simply wandering, he decided to head back to the inn for the time being. By now the innkeeper and staff had long since learned that it was safe and were busy fixing the damages caused by the night attack.


    Luckily no undead had gone into the inn, and as such, they just needed to fix damage from coteral damage. This was in fact what had happened in most ces, for some strange reason the undead hadn''t aimed to kill as many people as possible.


    If they had caught someone outside they would have gone after them, but if not they would ignore them. Likely because they wanted to put as much pressure on the soldiers. While defending civilians would have been hard, they could have decided to just abandon them. Likely the undead''s thoughts. Eldrian thought as he climbed onto a bed in one of the rooms and started reading one of the books he had gotten from Myropsis.


    The one he chose this time was a collection of notes about The Encroaching Border and Vriks Drnds. While the notes didn''t directly talk about the undead -and Eldrian wondered why Myropsis hadn''t given him a book on undead- they did exin the aura often present in these areas.


    Eldrian had only nced at the notes before, having failed to understand the meaning in the words. He still failed most of the time, but he now had an idea of what he might be looking for.


    He was looking for a physical description such as what he had witnessed on the skeletons and lich. He wished that they had made it into the corrupted part of the forest so he could better understand the feeling so often mentioned in the notes.


    As Eldrain thought of this he wondered where everyone else was. He assumed Kydone had helped out somewhere in the city once the city hade under attack. He had no idea where to find her though, simr to the case with the twins.


    Eldrian had no idea if Evules ever returned from his venture. He dearly hoped that Evules had not been turned into an Unwilling. Evale had also yet to return, and Eldrian had no idea what she was busy doing. He worried that she might have been killed and converted too. Luckily none of the night''s Unwilling had looked like her, or rather none of them had used a bow. Which set his mind slightly at ease over this.


    This is strange... Eldrian thought as he read a specific passage.


    Much like divine magic, this aura filling thends seems to be non-elemental. This fits with it being an undead creation, as that magic is also not of the aspect of elements. What is strange is that this seems to be a passive existence. This does not fit with non-elemental aspect magic. These aspects of magic always need a force, a will to drive them. Such as divine magic, without the faith of the caster, it is impossible to use.


    I wonder then, does that mean it is actually elemental. Is it then the opposite of nature magic, or rather is it still nature magic? It certainly does not feel like that, it does not support life at all. Even as we venture in, I can feel my life being drained from me. No nts exist in this ce and life is scarce, though not impossible to find.


    Are our assumptions of non-elemental magic wrong then? If so how can we be so wrong? I need to find these answers, it might allow us to create a holy divine realm where undeath is struck from the world as my life is being thorned from me here.


    Ilpas Elpine, Magus, 1248 ACT *1, ¨¢vgustos 35th; alternatively, 2687 Athtar''s rule


    What is that supposed to mean, and thatst part is quite the fantasy isn''t it. Eldrian thought after reading this. Curious more about the person who wrote it than what he had written at this time. A Magus was not someone weak. For him to say that he had felt his life being torn from him is serious.


    Which didn''t make sense since many others had ventured into The Encroaching Border, all much weaker than him. What Eldrian had heard is that they simply felt their energy constantly being drained, not their lives thorn from them. Was it because they are too weak to realize that was what was happening? Eldrian wondered.


    Eldrian was also curious about the dating method used here. He had never bothered to ask the NPCs about how they kept date or even if they did. Naturally, the first thing he was curious about was what ACT meant and how long ago 1248 was from now. Next was the fact that it said August 35th, which made no sense. The most interesting thing to him though was thest alternative date given.


    Who is Athtar, and how can his rule have been nearly three thousand years? Eldrian wondered, certain that this must be someone extremely important. Most certainly of a long-lived race such as elves, dragons, or alicorns. Which Eldrian did not know and dared not assume, having learned that this world was far too expansive and diverse to allow that kind of narrow thinking.


    -


    *1 After the creation of Taurus


    *2 Tranted to what the equivalent month would-be yers. (8th month of the year)

 Chapter 248: A large announcement, Miracle changing their approach

    <h4>Chapter 248: Arge announcement, Miracle changing their approach</h4>


    After a few seconds of wondering about that, Eldrian gave up. Knowing that he knew next to nothing of this world. Sighing he wondered if there might be something more specific or conclusive, quickly turning through all the notes in search of another from Ilpas Elpine.


    Unfortunately, most of these notes were copied reports of ancient documentation or recent discoveries. As such arge part of them were partial, and most of the notes did not really corrte to each other.


    Something which made reading through them and trying to understand even harder as each note was from a different author with a different grasp of what was going on. Along with a different path of learning and using magic.


    Eldrian quickly came to understand that most of these notes were written by at least Grandmages(Tier 7) or higher. This held true only for the currentption he was reading through, as the others had been ramblings from people below Tier 5. Each vastly different from the other, thisption at least seemed to have amon thread. Though this thread was twisted and obscure.


    In thisption, Ilpas Elpine was the only author Eldrian easily understood, but that was mostly because the extract was so simple. Sadly, even after having gone through all the notes, Eldrian failed in finding another from this Magus.


    Sighing he decided to continue trying to connect and understand the mess that was the other notes. Quickly realizing as it became dark, that he already needed to log out. While he didn''t ''need'' to, he felt it would be better to spend some time IRL after having gone through such a hard fight.


    Sighing again, Eldrian hoped that all the others were alright. Determined to go out and find at least Katania or Thesolis once he logged back in tomorrow, even if he needed to make a scene.


    Waking up IRL, Eldrian headed down to get himself some breakfast, his stomach havingined as soon as he woke up. Eldrian found this a little strange, but simply put it off as having missed two meals the day before.


    After having his fill he decided to go for a calming walk around the main building he was staying at. As he wandered around and enjoyed the scenery filled with nature, Eldrian wondered what more was going on in this ce. For the most part, he had not visited many buildings of Miracle''s headquarters.


    He had only been in the hospital wing, gym, park, and housing facilities. Eldrian did not even know if the ce where he first woke up was actually a hospital wing. Having never heard of peopleing here for treatment, he felt it was more likely just a facility focused on medicinal research. And as such, they could treat people, even though it is most certainly not the focus of the building.


    As he walked Eldrian decided to go to the gym for some practice. Constantin having given him off since thest ident, with them having yet to reschedule their daily practice. Slowly Eldrian was growing curious what else, other than ANW, was going on here. Though he dared not act on his curiosity as ANW was already far too much for him to even fully understand its implications.


    After working up a good sweat Eldrian headed back to his room, where he logged onto his pc and looked at the forum for any new advancements. To his surprise, there was actually a veryrge and important one that had only been released recently, but already had over a millionments.


    The announcement started by stating that thepany had decided to start boosting the poprity of A New World. Contrasting to their previous im of not really caring what happened to the game, they now explicitly stated that they were going push this to the front of their focus.


    This did not mean much for most of the yers, as they felt it was only natural. But for the other major researchpanies, this was arge shock. While Miracle was not all that well known for its discoveries, that was because they kept most of them to themselves. For some strange reason, Miracle''s focus had never been profit.


    They would only release something when they needed funding, and never if they had enough money to fund what they were doing. Often they would even release a product through anotherpany, leaving the credit to thatpany in the eyes of the public. As such the public had quickly forgotten about their other breakthrough, only focusing on ANW and believing it to be an IT, gaming-focusedpany.


    Miracle''s first statement on how they were going to aplish their goal was stating that they would optimize the recording system. Currently, it was quite limited, with it only being from the viewpoint of the yer who did the recording. Streaming was also not an option as of yet, the videos recorded could be published or saved onto hard drives. A thing that had to be considered as the headset itself had limited storage.


    While this method worked, thepany stated, it was clearly not ideal. Limiting greatly the interaction content creators could have with their viewers. Thepany admitted that they hadn''t really ced much thought into this, and they will rectify it now. Though this will not be a free feature, especially the third person recording addon.


    That part will work as a plug-in that yers can choose to install onto their headsets or not. Installing it will incur a small monthly fee, but doing so will allow the yer topletely control the camera viewpoint around them. The range will be limited to a few meters, but it will enable viewers to see the streamer as was normal in many more traditional games.


    Also, there will be nog, meaning that yers can also use it as a surveince camera if they wished. They could control and see their recording at all times through the system interface. Thepany also mentioned that sexual videos will be highly controlled. For the most part until now, no yers had really managed to get close to NPCs as of yet.


    While some have imed of having conquered many, or visiting brothels, there had been no recordings and as such there had not been an outbreak on the forum in this area, yet. Already anticipating problems in this, as ismon in social media, thepany dered that there will be an AI developed to monitor this and the forum.


    Strangely sexual streaming and videos would not be prohibited though, but rather just monitored and left to a certain corner of the forums. Something catching quite a number of people off guard as they expected thepany to fully ouw such things. Naturally, there were many who rejoiced to hear this and wondered just what type of new things would spring up in a magical world.


    Is that actually their reason, to see if things woulde up? Eldrian wondered, curious how magic would change sex and its industry. Though he only wondered for a second before turning back to the announcement, not really caring if that was the case.


    Next, thepany stated that they were also working on another feature that would allow worded thoughts to be read, but that they were currently struggling with this. If they seeded then the yers would be able tomunicate to their viewers without talking in the game. This will also be implemented with the friend system already in the game. Giving yers a telepathy ability through the system, something which would be OP in fights.


    Yet this was not the end, thepany also announced that they were going to hold a tournament in two weeks'' time. Or more precisely start it off then, with elimination rounds to get to a number that would be suitable for a tournament.


    The precise manner how this will be held was still being ironed out, but they did announce that there will be a grand prize of a hundred thousand dors. Thought that will only be given to the final winner, and the consolidation prizes were far less exciting as the second prize would only be ten thousand. With the following all being a thousand less, until things turned into just a few hundred dors for the top 100.


    With just over 10 million bought headsets, one could expect that this would mean thepetition would be fierce. Still, this greatly excited all the gamers of ANW, as most had been starting to tire of the monotony of simply training under the guidance of the Empires they had gone to.


    While their progress was great, not being able to go on quests and fight monsters. They quickly started feeling like it was just work and no y. They did not want to train to grow stronger, they wanted to fight to grow stronger.


    A week or two had been fine, with the second month having been entered this started bothering yers more and more. Many of whom have taken to learning crafts or simply enjoying the scenery, irking the empire trainers to no end as even the once diligent Chosen had bezy.


    Now they all quickly became fervent in growing stronger again, even trying to get new equipment as it was not mentioned if it would be standardized in the tournament or if they needed to use their own.


    This still was not the end of this single announcement, thepany also announced that the game time will be frozen while the tournament was being held. This tournament would take a few weeks, and while the game was frozen, yers would be given a virtual space they could use to spend their time in. Thus not forsaking those who did not wish to participate.


    Though what they will be able to do in that space would be vastly limited at first. This future would not be retracted and would work as a virtual home for yers. On release, it would be possible to invite friends to their virtual home, and at a slight cost, they could even import things such as food, weapons, and drinks. Along with modifying their virtual home to fit their taste.


    In this space, they would appear as their avatar but would not need to take care of the avatar''s needs. As such all the time inside the virtual home can be spent on whatever they wanted. Here thepany pushed that it would be great to use to catch up on work or studying something.


    That is a massive change of direction. I wonder what their actual aim is... Eldrian mumbled after finishing the post. Quite excited himself to see this virtual home and learning more about the tournament. Having been mostly isted with only NPCs, Eldrian was curious if he was actually strong or notpared to other yers.


    Especially now that they had been trained by an empire.

 Chapter 249: Night attack developments (3)

    <h4>Chapter 249: Night attack developments (3)</h4>


    I should probably try and reach Tier 2 again, just need to figure out if that incident will happen again, or not. Hopefully, Katania will be able to help me with that. Eldrian thought, believing that someone specialized in divine magic must know more about souls than most others.


    With that thought finished, he went over to the general posts made by yers. Eldrian sighed helplessly right as he saw the top posts. More and more Tier 3''s were popping up. It made him feel like he was falling behind all the more, especially with the top 100 global now being fully upied by Tier 3''s. They would all most likely end up in the top hundred in theing tournament with little doubt.


    Most of these yers were now allining about the ridiculous amount of training, or rather grinding, they needed to do to reach the next rank in their weapon proficiencies. They stated they felt it was an unnecessary addition, that just learning the skills of the next Tier should be enough.


    It was how the NPCs progressed, or so they believed, so why couldn''t they. Even in magic, where there was no weapon used, they needed to use spells a certain amount of time. With how slow mana regened, and higher Tier spells costing far more, the yers felt more and more distraught.


    At first, most yers hadn''t been that opposed to the proficiency system, it had given them a direction and conclusive evidence of their training. Reaching Rank 1 was easy, requiring only 10 proficiency XP to reach level 1 of Rank 0, and double that for each of the following four levels in Rank 0.


    The levels in Rank 1 had added a zero, but even so, there were only ten levels. With the starting level 1 only needing a hundred proficiency XP, yers felt it was still totally possible to quickly grind out. The proficiency requirement would double for the first five levels, after which the growth would slow down, though it was certainly still there. This growth though was eptable to them.


    Especially when they discovered the attribute reward for reaching Rank 2. Some yers had even gone and ground a bunch of Rank 2''s for the attributes, though this had resulted in them staying Tier 2 while others reached Tier 3. Ultimately whose method worked better was hard to say, as those who ground had gained more raw attributes, while Tier 3 now had Tier 3 skills and spells.


    This type of grinding growth stayed consistent at Rank 2, with level 1 now needing a thousand and there being 15 levels. The problem was that upon reaching Rank 3 yers found it still stayed consistent, level 1 of Rank 3 needing ten thousand and there being twenty levels.


    They quickly realized that this would likely just continue growing in this manner, meaning that the amount of grinding would just end up mindboggling, if just the zero addition stayed the same then level 1 in Rank 4 would require a hundred thousand. Rank 5 a million, Rank 6 ten million, and so forth. yers would simply be limited by time, unable to reach certain Tiers simply due to time. The addition of levels in each rank was not even considered as these numbers were already discouraging enough.


    While it was possible to get more than 1 proficiency skill per attack, that only held if one was attacking an opponent of rtively equal skill. This worked well when training in the empire as it seemed the empire also knew this. Or at least they knew that it was the best way to allow people to train faster.


    The problem was in this case some attacks would be rushed, which meant no proficiency would be gained. Hence at most, it increased their speed by thirty to fifty percent. Only geniuses could use this method to double their growth, which they still felt disappointed in. Acquiring the ten thousand required for the first level in Rank 3 thus took a great deal of time.


    After reading through most of the top posts, Eldrian felt slightly better as it was clear that yers were quickly going to be stuck grinding to reach higher Tiers. Most likely Tier 4 will also be where they end up staying for much longer as had happened to the game testers.


    However, this relief did notst long as Eldrian realized it meant that the yers would stay a weak force in the world, not able to help much in the invasion. Shit, it doesn''t matter if I end up far behind and weak. I shouldn''t use that as an excuse to hope other yers are limited. Eldrian chastised himself, having momentarily only thought of trying to be the winner of the tournament.


    Disappointed in himself, he headed down to eat ate lunch before logging in. via stopping herself from going over as she could tell Eldrian was in a bad mood, and recallingst time, she didn''t want to push things. She couldn''t help butin how hard it was to actually talk to him.


    ...


    Waking up in the game world, Eldrian wanted to try and meditate in the magic abyss as soon as possible. He stopped himself as he remembered that he had no idea if any of the others were safe, nor how long it would take and if it was safe to do so.


    Standing up he got ready to leave his room, stopping as he saw a figure huddled in the corner of the room. The hell? He questioned as he slowly approached this person, whose hood twitched as soon as Eldrian stepped forward. Not even a stepter Kydone sprang up and looked at Eldrian warily.


    "Oh, it''s you..." Eldrian said as soon as he saw her face, "Do you know what happened to the others?"


    Kydone shook her head and kept looking at him with seeming hostility. Backing up Eldrian then asked a bit confused, "What happened?" To which Kydone seemed unwilling to answer, so he asked, "Where were you?"


    "Forest," Kydone replied shortly, pressing herself against the wall, ready to use it to jump away if needed.


    "And why did youe here?" Eldrian asked.


    "Don''t know where Evale is..."


    "What about Evules?" Eldrian asked, to which Kydone shook her head.


    "I followed him, but too fast..."


    "I see, then what happened with the attack? Are you hurt?" Eldrian asked, not understanding why she was acting so guarded. Her actions reminded him of cornered beats, he did not understand why though. While they had not grown close perse, she shouldn''t think this badly of him. Heck, she came into his room, so she must feel somewhat safe at the very least.


    Hearing Eldrian''s question Kydone looked at him with wariness again, refusing to reply.


    "Where? Let me help," Eldrian said, to which Kydone fiercely shook her head. Causing her to flinch as the pain acted up again, all her fur silver fur standing up from the shock.


    "Alright, then let me just heal you from here," Eldrian said, quickly casting Thera on Kydone. To his surprise this caused her to gasp in pain and fall onto the ground. "The hell?" Eldrian shouted in surprise, heading over without a care.


    As soon as he reached Kydone she tried to sh at him with her hands. Most of her skin having turned into fur and her nails now proper ws. She stopped only when she saw and her instincts told her that Eldrian did not mean her harm.


    "Can I see?" Eldrian asked, for the first time d of the friend system. Having only used it before as a simple messenger system. Hurridly he looked up to see if Erik was online, starting to record what was going on and sending him a message asking for help.


    Kydone did not respond for a few seconds, after which she slowly lifted her robe. Allowing Eldrian to see a gash running from just above her knee to her upper thigh. ck blood slowly seeping out of this wound and staining her silver fur.


    "What did this?" Eldrian asked, quickly recognizing the foal stench of undead on her. He also tried to use Observe on her, but it did not return anything. Only three question marks, not even a name. Normally at the very least, a name would be given, no matter how much weaker Eldrian was.


    "Ghoul," Kydone replied as the pain slowly started leaving, along with it her remaining energy. Eldrian quickly sent a picture of the wound to Erik, asking if he had ever treated something like this. Eldrian did not dare to think he knew what to do, not after that strange effect from Thera.


    Not really knowing what to do as he waited for a reply, Eldrian thought of trying to sense the wound. He had no idea how to really do this, having mostly focused mageia only on mana he summoned from himself.


    Treat this as the magic abyss, there mageia is much more concrete. Almost as what mana is in this world. Eldrian thought, recalling how mana would always appear active in the magic abyss. If it was something to do with fire magic, it would be in the form of mes. This was certainly the element that reacted the strongest in there, but the others all also had some type of reaction.


    I should definitely be able to move my willpower out to feel things. It has never worked before, because I always need mageia, my concrete thoughts, to contact mana to give any feedback. Else I can''t know if I am willing mageia or just thinking I am willing something. This wound must be filled with manat. Eldrian thought, receiving a reply from Erik as he did.


    Erik had no answer for him, "The wound is easy to treat, IRL stitched would do. In-game using healing magic such as Thera should work perfectly, it is not that deep a wound. The problem is that it is clearly corrupted/poisoned/rotten, I do not know which nor have I ever treated such injuries. If worstes to worst, cut off her leg.


    "It should save her life, though getting the money to regrow it might not be possible for her. If you do this, don''t heal, just burn the wound closed and use Anthizo to supply her with energy to naturally fight through it."


    "Fuck!" Eldrian cursed one simple word after reading the message. He really did not want to resort to thetter, he was not even certain if the ckness of the blood originated from the wound or inside her body, nor if she had more wounds.


    Should I rather rush her to the keep? Eldrian wondered, throwing this idea out of his mind as he saw Kydone had fallen asleep and was only barely breathing. Getting to the keep would take ten to twenty minutes, depending on if he could find a horse or not. He had no idea what her condition was, and with Observe not working, Eldrian couldn''t see how much time she had left.


    I really can''t use magic just haphazardly! Eldrian shouted at himself, certain she was only in so much danger now, due to him having used Thera without checking what was wrong. He never expected a healing spell to work on a living being as if they were undead.


    Shit, is that the reason? Eldrian paused for a second, quickly denying it as Kydone was still clearly alive. Blood was pumping through her body, she was breathing, and she was warm to the touch.

 Chapter 250: Night attack developments (4)

    <h4>Chapter 250: Night attack developments (4)</h4>


    No, she is certainly still alive. So it must be something causing her blood to cken that is causing it. Eldrian thought after cing his hands on her thigh. Having learned that doing so would make controlling his spell, or in this case his thoughts, easier. As he had learned when treating Maria.


    Alright, focus. I can keep track of my mageia, my concrete thoughts, until they reach the tips of my fingers. Once they leave I won''t be receiving feedback, so I must find that mana, before I just start imagining I am controlling something. Eldrian thought to himself, trying to run through what he expected would happen. Once I find it, I just need to cling to it and search for the source.


    Taking a deep breath he readied himself for what he expected would be a thought treatment. He truly hoped that Kydone was not on the edge of death, but he dared not believe in luck. While her fur covered most of her skin. Eldrian could see that her face was pale even through it. He also realized that her breathing was bing slower.


    Alright, Eldrian mumbled as he started. Not caring for the possible repercussions, not with a friend''s life on the line. Quickly he sent his thoughts to the edge of his fingers, feeling the mana moving around in that area he confirmed where his thoughts were. He then willed them to go past, to go outside. Normally when he did this nothing would be felt, as if he was no longer controlling mageia but just thinking.


    This time was different, in seconds, he started feeling a hideous poisonous feeling corrupting him and his thoughts. His instinct told him to quickly stop, to stay away from this pit of vileness. Fighting through it Eldrian tried to find the mana, yet all that he found was this vileness.


    That was until something robbed his consciousness and he was no longer an observer from outside. Suddenly he lost control of his body and he was just a thought in a pit of unending extreme emotions.


    While some of them were good, the majority were bad. The good ones were things such as pure relief, total eptance, calmness of mind... The bad ones were terrible; extreme regret, burning hatred, despair, loss, hunger for vengeance...


    Eldrian quickly became lost in this pool of extremes. Something nudging at him to just ept, to not care about all the emotions. He knew doing so would be bad, as this was just what had happened when he meditated in the magic abyss.


    Fucking hell! What the hell is going on!? Eldrian shouted, but no words came. His body had fallen over from the pain caused by all these emotions, though he felt non of it. Slowly he even started receiving images of what he could only assume was thest moments of countless individuals.


    It was indescribable; mostly filled with pain and regret, but quite often also filled with the wonder of sagelike knowledge. As these emotional states ate at his focus, Eldrian could feel his energy being robbed. Being torn from him, from his small wisp of consciousness.


    Fuck, it is likest time! Eldrian cursed, Why? Is this rted to souls? Eldrian asked trying to get control over what he assumed was his soul. All he could really say was that it was his consciousness, and it was being robbed. It felt extremely terrible and scared him half to death.


    Instead of focusing on fighting, after realizing he had no way to. Eldrian simply tried to move away instead. To get out and back to his body.


    This certainly was not easy, every millimeter he moved, it would feel like he was being pulled by a massive ma to stay put. That was until his consciousness reached the area in Kydone that was not corrupted. As soon as he managed this, he felt apletely different sensation.


    While he was still blocked from his body, his thoughts were allowed to be free, and that which had been robbed returned to him. Causing fragments of thoughts and emotions to interrupt his thought process as he tried figuring out what was going on.


    Now what was surrounding him was the feeling of being free, not a pit of extremes. Wind passing past him extremely quickly as he moved through ins, forests, or snow. The where changed constantly, but the what stayed. It was always a feeling of being free to move where he wanted.


    Soon this freeing emotion shed against the pit of extremes, causing Kydone massive pain. Eldrian could sense that as the emotional freedom suddenly became murky, pulled down to reality. Reminded of the consequences of what truly being free meant.


    Shit! That is not at all what I expected. Eldrian cursed as he started recovering, trying to figure out the extent of this corruption to determine if he could do anything or not. This was not easy as nothing was real, he couldn''t even see in this state. At leastst time he had had the heart to focus on. Here there was just nothingness, not an abyss of ckness. Just nothingness.


    Everything seemingly worked as emotions or concepts, and the only way to discover the ce was to move himself around and see the effects the different ces would have on him. Eldrian did just that, discovering a myriad of different emotions all mostly mixed with the theme of trying to be free, or being free.


    After a few minutes, he concluded that the pit of extremes was limited to but a small part of what he had experienced. Though he had no idea what he was actually experiencing, he was just happy that the pit was limited and not spread throughout.


    What is this ce really? And what is everything I am feeling, I think the best word is auras. In that case, an aura of... Death, yes death is the best fit. An aura of death has invaded Kydone.


    Eldrian had no idea what to do now, he had no idea what he could do or how to fix the problem. However he felt stressed for time, so he dared not let time pass. Even though time felt meaningless in this ce and state, he feared that Kydone was closing in on death. Her aura of freeness was weakening enough for him to tell with ease.


    Wind was no longer soaring freely past him, it was now just a breeze. She was no longer sprinting freely, but rather jogging. Pulled back by this aura of death.


    While Eldrian was scared, he tried to push that down and just do something. Anything. So he quickly decided to throw away all safety and dive back into the aura of death. To search for its origin, the cause that allowed this aura to stay dense even though it was spreading out.


    It was like a drop of ink dropping into water, but for some reason, the density of the first dropped stayed the same. Even though countless water has been dyed ck by it. Having realized this, Eldrian knew there must be something feeding the aura of death, else it must be defeated simply by the vastness of what he assumed was Kydone''s consciousness.


    Diving into this small aura of death, Eldrian tried to shield his mind as he searched for the cause. Naturally, he faltered, but he at least managed to limit the extent to which his mind was corrupted now that he knew what to expect. After what felt like hours he found a small ck wisp inside this aura. Upon finding it Eldrian was jarred as time seemed to end.


    All the invading emotions disappeared, leaving him now in a simple space of mixed color with thispletely ck wisp in the center.


    ''A visitor, oh how long it has been.'' Came a voice to Eldrian, ''Are you a dying hero? Hasn''t it been long since one of them died... No... You are far too weak; then how did you find me?'' The voice continued as Eldrian remained frozen.


    ''Right, you can''t even move, how strange. You are fighting death... Why? I mean no harm, I am just... Death... Does the one I am inhabiting not deserve death? You are external, that is clear... I truly mean no harm, I am just here to wee this person... Why are you fighting? This is but a thought, how impressive...''


    As it kept on speaking Eldrian slowly managed to move again, causing the wisp to shout out in surprise. ''How are you moving? Are you not afraid of death, or have you epted? Are youing with me?'' As it asked thest question it sounded excited and its voice tempting, causing Eldrian to think for a moment that he should go with.


    He shuddered as he realized how that simple sentence had corrupted his thoughts more than all those extreme emotions could. Not even managing to form a response, Eldrian simply focused on the wisp. Tunning out its questions as he tried to formte at least oneplete thought in his mind. Most being destroyed before they could formplete ''words''.


    Finally, he managed, shouting with all his strength, ''LEAVE!'' With that shout, Eldrian quickly lost control of his thought-wisp, being pulled out of where ever he was just barely managing to confirm that so was the ck wisp.


    The wisp was absolutely shocked by this reply, feeling itself being pulled away shocked it even more. How did you? What did you? What are you? It asked as it dissipated into nothingness, along with the aura of death encasing Kydone.


    Eldrian, back into his avatar, started wrenching his guts out as everything he experienced repeated itself in but seconds. Looking at the messages from Erik he realized not even a full minute had passed.

 Chapter 251: Night attack developments (5)

    <h4>Chapter 251: Night attack developments (5)</h4>


    As Eldrian tried to recover and ovee the extreme difort assaulting his body he received a strange system prompt.


    [yer has received a special title: Facing Death; and not sumbing]


    [yer rewarded 1 level and a special ability.]


    [Special ability: Aura sensitivity]


    The hell is that? Eldrian thought as he finally managed to push himself away from his vomit. Rubbing his hand he wanted to use Nidia to clean to floor, but stopped himself and checked up on Kydone first.


    He quickly found that she was breathing better, but she was still pained and the wound was still not healing. Now what? Is the corruption gone, or is just its source gone? I don''t want to just try something, something that might hurt her. Let''s be more responsible. Eldrian thought, quickly casting Nidia and using it a couple of times to move all the vomit out of the room.


    After which he picked Kydone up and left the inn, heading for the keep to get some proper help. As expected it took him just shy of fifteen minutes to get there, during which Kydone had be colder and colder in his arms. Eldrian was d he had been reckless after being foolish, he was certain she would be dead by now if that ck wisp was still inside her.


    The square was far less busy than before, but there was still a bunch of soldiers moving around. Though most of them were moving out of the square with only a few drizzling into it. Upon seeing Eldrian carrying someone over one of the nearest soldiers rushed over.


    "What happened to her?"


    "She got hurt in the fight..." Eldrian paused as he tried to recall what Kydone had said had done it. "A ghoul I think."


    Hearing this the man flinched, "How is she still alive?" He asked in shock, Eldrian quite upset that he wasn''t helping.


    "Where can I get help for her?" He asked, not wishing to waste time.


    "Right, follow me." The soldier replied, quickly leading Eldrian to one of the groups. Upon reaching the group Eldrian recognized one of them.


    "Ayden?" Eldrian said, causing the man dressed in white noble clothing to turn around. Upon seeing the girl in his arms, Ayden quickly asked what had happened.


    "A ghoul, how is she still alive without treatment?" Ayden mumbled as he ced his hands over her wounds and started healing. Surprise quickly oveing him, Ayden turning to Eldrian in response.


    "That should not have been that easy." He said, removing his hand with the wound nowpletely healed.


    "Is she alright now?"


    "Yes, but how was she still alive? And how was the corruption so weak?" Only after confirming that Kydone was breathing easier did Eldrian pay attention to Ayden again.


    "Can you exin to me what type of wounds ghouls leave?"


    "Sure but why?"


    "Because when I tried to heal her at first it caused her to copse."


    "You did what!?" Ayden shouted in shock, he knew Eldrian did not know divine magic. Any healing other than divine healing would just cause the wound to worsen, but it was also much more than that.


    "I never thought something countering healing existed. I mean I should have, but how was I supposed to know she was under such an effect." Eldrian replied, cing Kydone down in the nearby shade of a tree. Ayden followed Eldrian as he was curious who this guy was and how this little demi-human girl had survived for so long, even after being mistreated.


    "What did you do after that?" Ayden asked.


    "It''splicated, and I want to ask a bunch of questions. Do you have time?" Eldrian replied, to which Ayden nodded.


    "Alright, then let me start with..." And so Eldrian started exining how he used magic and why he could control spells at will. His method of approaching totally bergasting Ayden, though thetter was more open to other methods as he used divine magic. Apletely different aspect of magic, which required a different approach than normal elemental magic, in most cases.


    "So then when I saw her worsening I thought of trying to see what was going on. I am not sure myself what I did, I don''t know if you know how to control mana."


    "I do it through belief, but I know mages need to form their willpower into something concrete enough to envision a spell module with."


    "But what if you take it a step further and simply control the mana?" Eldrian countered.


    "Impossible, unless you are one of the higher races. Wait... I see, so you sent these concentrated thoughts into her?" Ayden asked, Eldrian caught by surprise at how quickly he understood his aim.


    "Yes, but instead of finding mana, it was something else. I mean mana, it feels real. Like I can touch it with my thoughts. This was still abstract, just thoughts and emotions attacking at me. And here is my other question, this is not the first time it happened..." And so Eldrian exined his attempt at reaching Tier 2 in the forest.


    "Now I think that that would have been auras of intensity and calmness, the one in Kydnen is an aura of being freeness and being unbound. The corruption instead was an aura of death. What are these?" Eldrian asked, causing Ayden to frown as he had no answer.


    "We call them aspects inside of aspect magic. Normally we just call them auras as you did, as that is how they appear and feel. I have no idea what they really are..."


    "Is it rted to souls?" Eldrian asked.


    "I don''t know. I am not like most who believe blindly that we all have souls. While it is clear we do have something like a soul, I do not think a soul is so simple."


    "Meaning?" Eldrian asked, thirsty for knowledge that will allow him to move forward.


    "Let me first show you what, or rather how, divine magic feels," Ayden said, casting the ball of light he had continually cast during the attack. "Normally I would ask someone to use Magic Inspection, but you clearly have yet to learn it. So try to send your thoughts out into it."


    Eldrian did just that, finding that as soon as he tried his thoughts managed to quickly lock onto the ball of pure white light. Sending him feedback as if it was his own spell, catching him by surprise. What he felt was extremely simr to what Anthizo felt like.


    It was rejuvenation and invigorating, but far more extreme. He couldn''t quite ce what this was supposed to feel like, but it was not an aura.


    "I still don''t get it," Eldrian said as he failed to feel an aura, he was just feeling mana. Very specific mana, but mana nheless.


    "Do you know what the difference is between using elemental magic to heal, and using divine magic?" Ayden questioned, to which Eldrian promptly replied no.


    "In simple terms, nature magic hastens your natural healing to an extreme. Giving you the energy to rebuild yourself. The other elements can also be used together with this to aplish the more extreme heals, such as regrowing limbs."


    Eldrian nodded as he took note that Nature magic was not the only one used to heal. He quickly wondered how the others would mix, but kept his focus on Ayden''s explenation.


    "Divine magic circumvents this natural healing. It is almost more like time is rewound to before, so the energy is directly turned into your lost limb. Now tell me what you feel when I cast divine healing on you."


    Eldrian nodded and said, "Wait first." Cutting his own arm Eldrian then said he was ready, his action surprising Ayden though thetter continued with his n.


    Eldrian kept his full focus on his wound, discovering that the healing was indeed different. Instead of the energy starting at a certain part and then slowly working to heal everything. It now just covered the entire wound and suddenly his wound was gone. Truly as if time had been rewound, though the healing was not truly instant.


    "Now let me ask you, do you think this is divine magic?" Ayden asked as soon as Eldrian felt the remaining energy in his body healing shallow scars and such.


    "It is certainly much stronger," Eldrian replied.


    "But do you think it is divine?"


    "Can I learn it?" Eldrian asked instead of answering.


    "If you can understand the mana, you should be able to. Though I only know of believers being able to use if."


    "If there is the possibility, then it is not divine."


    "Great, so you agree with me." Ayden smirked as he was satisfied with this reply, "Now to get back to your question, what do you consider to be a soul?"


    "I don''t know, that''s why I am asking you."


    "But it is meaningless, as there are many different thoughts and beliefs on it. So how can I be certain what I tell you is correct?" Ayden countered.


    "Then..." Pausing for a bit Eldrian thought on it. "I would say it is a collection of our thoughts and experiences. Our consciousness. I can''t say if it has a form or not, if it has a limit or not. It..." Think back to both experiences Eldrian replied, "It differs base on what you believe and live by." He said as he realized how different his and Kydone''s souls seemed to be.


    His had been limited to a vague presence with a shattered heart. Kydone''s instead had been so vast he believed it was infinite.


    "Exactly, it differs. Most believing in the goddess of life, believe it has an ethereal form equal to our human one. Those believing in the god of war believe it is in the form of your weapon, those believing in the god of cksmithing and fire believe it is in the form of a bright burning fire."


    "So then, was it rted? I would say yes, auras generally only flow from people who have cultivated their souls. And while you do not spread an aura, if you are in your own soul then you will certainly feel an aura."

 Chapter 252: Night attack developments (6)

    <h4>Chapter 252: Night attack developments (6)</h4>


    "Would you mind if I tried cultivating?" Eldrian asked after a moment''s thought. He believed that after thest experience he was ready to attempt looking into himself again.


    As he asked this he also sent a message to Gengxin and Constantin to inform them of his action, both cursing out loud as soon as they read the message. Wondering why Eldrian couldn''t just hold off for a week or so longer so that the tournament can happen first. To give his body time to recover.


    "Sure, I don''t have much to do now that everyone has been healed already," Ayden replied, curious about what Eldrian mentioned and what was going to happen. After that, Ayden led Eldrian to his house, where thetter ced Kydone on one of the guest beds and sat on the floor himself. Both having felt that doing it under a random tree in the square would be highly irresponsible.


    With that settled, Eldrian quieted his thoughts and focused them on a spell he was about to summon. Using the same old trick of encasing it with mageia to enter the magic abyss.


    Looking at the teardrop shape of Nidia Eldrian confirmed again that in this ce mageia was concrete, while mana was active. With Nidia, it was as if the nodes were water taps and the pathways garden hoses, mana then being the water flowing through them. Though to be more correct the water was flowing surrounding the hose, and not inside of it.


    After looking at this for a while again, Eldrian shifted his focus onto trying to meditate and find himself in the magic abyss. Knowing that his consciousness was not what he was searching for at this moment.


    Without much trouble, and only a few minutester, he sensed the two auras he had felt and fought before. Using them as guides Eldrian managed to quickly arrive before his heart, with almost nothing else being there.


    It was beating calmly in the middle of nowhere, the two auras spreading out with each beat. The tears and cuts had all healed, the emotions much calmer. The aura of intensity now just gave him the motivation to get up and work, while the aura of calmness cleared his mind to focus better. Neither of them assaulted him as had happenedst time.


    Relieved by this Eldrian also found himself not knowing what to do next. He had thought it would be a struggle to reach this point, which was exactly why he had been putting it off. He feared another mishap might happen, so finding that nothing went wrong, he didn''t know what to do.


    Out of curiosity, he started trying to search for his ''soul''. Wondering what else and howrge his was. He discovered, to his disappointment, that the heart seemed to be all there was. While if he moved around he could vaguely sense other things, they were no where nearly as clear as in Kydone. Her''s was fast and almost infinite, Eldrian found that his was small, minuscule in fact.


    I don''t get it, why is mine so small? Was it almost destroyed, and why only two emotions/auras? Eldrian mumbled as he returned to the heart. Not realizing that while Kydone had had multiple themes, they had been all focused on only one aura. His instead had two extremely powerful auras, but little else.


    What now? He thought next, truly not knowing what he was supposed to do at this point. For a moment he became frustrated at not having any type of guide, not even to mention having a proper mentor.


    Can I look out of my soul? Eldrian wondered, trying to do this for the next couple of minutes. Surprisingly he managed to actually do just that after an hour or so. Finding that a type of screen appeared in front of him, or rather where he felt he was. Here Eldrian saw the magic abyss and the Nidia spell still being inside it.


    Only now everything was much clearer. While before the water flowed along the paths created by mageia, now it seemed to encase the entire spell. Forming a ball of water flowing in an endless downward loop. Encasing the entire spell module, with mageia flowing inside of the water to and from the nodes.


    What does this mean? The mageia is flowing in the way the mana did previously, wait... Eldrian suddenly realized that this looked extremely simr to Nidia when cast. Only now the rotation was seen through the pathway, and not water rotating.


    Can I see my own body like this? Eldrian wondered next, trying to aplish this for the next few minutes. After a few he actually managed, at first he saw his body in a ck room floating calmly in nothingness.


    Soon his body started glowing as all the mana inside of him became visible. Constantly fluctuating between colors as his mana changed form between elements, the rarest color being soft white of neutral mana. Most often his mana would take the color of light green and light blue, along with a bright red slightly less often. Most of the other colors were weaker fluctuations and would also stay in a certain form much shorter.


    That isn''t very efficient. Eldrian thought, realizing that his mana taking on the form of an element meant it needed to refert to neutral pure mana before he could actually use it in the form he wished. Contrary to this if he stuck to those that were the most prevalent, then he could use it much quicker. But that would limit him, and Eldrian had no idea what these fluctuations really meant, nor what they were. He would rather try to take control than follow what he didn''t know.


    As such he spent the next couple of hours trying to stop his mana from fluctuating. To keep it stable in a neutral form which could be used right away. Ultimately this would only mean a difference of milliseconds in casting as mana could change form extremely fast, but Eldrian felt more it would lead to better mana usage and control.


    Doing what he set out was much harder than he had thought it would be. His mana seemed to really like turning into an elemental form, as if neutral mana was not something normal.


    Nearly six hours after starting to try this, he finally managed to make apromise. By letting his mana fluctuate inside his heart; where it always gathered and flowed from. He allowed it free reign here, but in his body, he forced his mana to stay soft white like a mist. He had no idea if this wouldst once he left, and his focus was no longer ced on it, but Eldrian felt this was good enough for the day.


    Due to this change, the mana''s nature had slightly changed. The fluctuations inside his heart were extremely rapid due to how condensed it all was. Along with this all the rest of his mana sped much faster through his body, as if wishing to be allowed to change form. As Eldrian observed he could tell it was still speeding up.


    Smiling Eldrian felt this should be something good. Though he needed to return into his body to really feel the effects. In the form he was now, he could clearly tell he was not really connected to his body. He could not feel anything, only observe.


    Trying to exit from his soul-state, Eldrian found it actually quite hard. Simr to when he first entered, he had no guide to exit. It took him close to an hour before he finally managed to wake just as the sun started setting. Standing up slowly Eldrian rubbed his neck and shoulders as he immediately felt his body feeling lighter.


    Before he could question and look into what was going on he was interrupted by Ayden, "Did it work?" He asked as he realized Eldrian was stirring.


    "I think so, I did do something," Eldrian replied, slowly getting into a sitting position, at which time he realized Ayden was not alone. "V-Vivian!" Eldrian shouted, clearly seeing her displeased expression.


    "You liar!" She shouted, causing Eldrian to flinch and Ayden to move to not end up between the two. But not too far so that he couldn''t enjoy the show.


    "I-I didn''t really lie. I said I was going on a mission." Eldrian stuttered as he struggled inprehending how she appeared here, what was going on in his body, and why she was so angry.


    "Yeah right! You skipped the part about it being a suicide mission!" Vivian countered, wishing to pummel Eldrian into the ground. Only stopping herself as she had realized he had again done something strange and he was clearly not recovered from that yet. She could even vaguely feel that there was something going on inside of him at this moment.


    "I didn''t want you to worry, and I can''t..."


    "You can''t what!? Remember how shit you felt when you died, are you sure you can''t die!?" She shouted, causing Eldrian to shrink back as he indeed was not sure.


    Seeing him remain quiet Vivian became even angrier, "You aren''t sure, are you!? Else you would have refuted me just now..." As she said thest part, she started bing calmer.


    "Sorry... I..." Eldrian didn''t know what to say, but he didn''t need to say much. Vivian quickly moved to hug him, crying into his shoulder. At which point Ayden promptly stood up and moved to check up on Kydone. She had woken long ago, and while still weakened she had given him quite the scratch.


    "Don''t do that again, I was so worried when I arrived and couldn''t find you," Vivian whispered, having tried since arriving to find him. Only doing her job when it was truly mandatory.

 Chapter 253: Night attack developments (7)

    <h4>Chapter 253: Night attack developments (7)</h4>


    After a while, Vivian calmed down and recovered to her normal self, at which time Eldrian apologized again and told her he needed to check what was going on with him before they could talk. She nodded and gave him some space, Eldrian quickly focusing into himself to check what was going on.


    The first thing he found was that his heart was beating really fast, even doubting this and taking his pulse to confirm. It was truly beating too fast, as if he had just finished running. Is this good or bad? Eldrian wondered, knowing that IRL such a heartbeat would be deadly as the heart was just a muscle. It working so hard continuously would lead to early failure, but High Elves were near-immortal, so he did not know if their hearts could have the same problems.


    With this, he also discovered that both his mana and blood were circting inside of him much faster than before. One ethereal and the other material, yet they seemed to work in conjunction. He realized that changing the way his mana flowed must have caused this change, causing him some worry.


    He had thought the etherealness of mana would mean it wouldn''t affect his body. This was seemingly incorrect, causing him to quickly wonder just how this worked. He had thought that the mana must be used actively to cause such a change.


    Sighing again Eldrian wished he had a proper mentor to teach or at least confirm or deny his spections. Next, he tried to pick up the feeling of the mana flowing inside of him, failing to find anything other than just the mistlike texture of neutral mana.


    So it worked? What does this mean? Eldrian wondered, curious if this would indeed be better than leaving his mana to do its own thing. Not managing to find anything else, he turned to the system looking for some information, left astonished instead at the messages he hadpletely missed.


    [yer has gone out of bounds of the system, trying to follow the changes happening to yer. 6 hours ago]


    [yer is advised to stop action, there is no information on what will happen if you do not. 5 hours ago]


    [yer has changed the fundamental structure of his mana, the system can only analyze and not influence. 2 hours ago]


    [yer has reached Tier 2, the system has analyzed the changes and tried to make sense of them.]


    [Due to the method the yer is advancing, the yer has reached the limit of system protection, all senses will no longer be limited. Warning, please stop ying and contact Miracle Corporation for advisement, a message has already been sent to the developers.]


    [Protector Tier 2 reached:]


    [Total attribute growth; all attributes 15 bonus]


    [Total stat growth; 12.5% in all stats]


    [Gain a bonus of 125% for Tier 2 magic, and 150% for Tier 1 magic, and 250% for Tier 0 magic. Tier 2 bonus]


    [Casting cost increases with bonus, using the boost is an active choice of yer.]


    [??? - Unkown bonus, outside of the scope of the system. Please contact Miracle Corporation.]


    What the hell? Was all Eldrian could think of after seeing all these messages. He didn''t think what he had been doing was all that strange. He couldn''t understand why the system was saying it couldn''t help him anymore.


    He also really didn''t like the fact that pain was no longer going to be moderated. While he often did get to a stage where he would feel pain full out, that was in the heat of battle in most cases. Where his adrenaline could at least blunt most of the pain.


    Shit, this is bad. Eldrian thought, not understanding why this happened. His mind quickly started imagining the earful Gengxin is certain to give himter.


    "What''s wrong?" Vivian asked, Eldrian having suddenly turned slightly pale.


    "I-I''m not too sure," Eldrian said, quickly adding that he needed to leave and sort things out at home. Vivian naturally was not happy with this, but seeing how worried Eldrian was she let it go. Soon he disappeared in front of her, causing her to frown with worry.


    ...


    Waking up IRL Eldrian could immediately tell that something was wrong. Whilest time something had been wrong he had felt like his body and mind were disconnected, now he felt like his bodycked something.


    He felt extremely tired and his mind felt cloudy, lying on his bed and taking the helmet off, Eldrian tried to figure out what was going on. He could not, all that he found was that something felt missing.


    Sighing he tried to forget about this, to move beyond it and just stand up. This was harder than he had thought, but he did manage after putting in some effort. What the hell is going on? Eldrian wondered as he just tried to get used to this feeling, to hopefully find what was missing.


    Luckily after almost ten minutes of just sitting this strangeness started leaving him. Finding himself now back to normal Eldrian was even more confused at what was going on. A bitter on, around 8AM, Gengxin came and asked Eldrian how he felt.


    Eldrian shared what he had experienced upon logging out, as well as the system prompts. This caused Gengxin''s normally kind face to turn into one of clear worry. Not exining anything to Eldrian, he rushed out of the room to get the others.


    ...


    "We need to push him into the prototype of semi-immersion," Gengxin said as soon as he found both Joren and Constantine, the two having met after receiving the message from the system.


    "So he told you?" Joren asked as he tried to figure out what was going on. If only the system could tell them what was wrong, it would be so much easier. s, it only told them that the yer Eldrian has gone past its authority and scope.


    "Yes, but what worries me is what happened when he logged out today. He couldn''t quite exin it, but from what he said it sounds like he is starting to get used to mana flowing and empowering his body."


    "How''d you get to that?" Constantin asked, often also talking to Eldrian and never having heard thetter even think of mana being in the real world.


    "Because he couldn''t exin what was wrong. He simply said it felt like something was missing, which caused him to feel extremely tired and clouding his thoughts along with this too."


    "That might be fixed simply if he doesn''t enter the game for a few days." Joren said, not quite epting Gengxin''s proposal, "He might just be getting more and more used and integrated to his avatar. Simr tost time with his dyed response symptom, this might just be the stage before it bes so severe."


    "Which still means he needs to stop fully immersing. Constantine, how did you feel when using the semi-immersion settings?"


    "My body hurt like hell when waking, but other than that it was fine."


    "What, why didn''t you report that?" Gengxin asked, bbergasted at such a bad response.


    "No, it wasn''t like that. It felt like I exercised really hard, and now all my muscles were sore and recovering. I felt it was the proper feeling I should feel, seeing as the semi-immersion locked my muscles only partly. Causing them to twitch and react to what I do, and hence actually tire."


    "Right, that is the aim. Do you think we can let Eldrian use that setting?" Gengxin pressed.


    "As long as we make sure what will keep him immersed. I am pretty sure his and my settings are going to bepletely different. That is why we need to finish the cabin, with it we don''t need to run tests and find the fine point for each person."


    "But for that, we need a free AI, and the proper technology still needs to be developed." Joren cut in, "The AI is mostly done, but the technology to ensure the person is safe in such a state is still mostly theoretical."


    "So we are agreed to pull Eldrian into the tests?" Gengxin asked, not hearing a denial but only problems they could tackle.


    "If you think it will help, I''ll get onto fine-tuning it to as near as I can without his active participation needed. The problem is, if he does something extreme, the fine-tuning we did will not handle it."


    "Which means?" Gengxin asked.


    "He will likely start moving, constraining him will not be good either, as then he can damage himself. So we must make a fallback, like sending him back into full immersion." No one argued with this as it was the safest option they currently had.


    So the three of them quickly called others to help them in setting everything up, Constantin sharing his experience and in particr, what he felt was different in this method of entering the simtion.


    Joren pulled all the data they had on Eldrian, focusing on when he had breakthroughs or extreme fights. Gengxin instead trying to use what he was provided with to create the program for Eldrian with the help of those they had called.

 Chapter 254: Night attack developments (8)

    <h4>Chapter 254: Night attack developments (8)</h4>


    Eldrian had no idea of the problem he generated, which the department heads were now trying to resolve. After talking to Gengxin he decided to go down for breakfast, via joining him as soon as he sat down.


    "Are your friends also joining us?" Eldrian asked, not understand why she was trying to get close to him.


    "No, I''m sorry if they irritated youst time."


    "It''s fine, I just had a headache. When you all started talking I couldn''t really stand it, as it just caused it to worsen."


    "Sorry..." via apologized again, wondering if Meggan''s boyfriend, Connor, had been right then. That it was simply something else that had led to Eldrian rushing off.


    "So, why did you join me again today?" Eldrian asked as he enjoyed a simple meal of cereal and yoghurt.


    "I heard about the tournament, and was curious if you knew anything about it."


    "No, I just know what they shared," Eldrian replied, catching via a little bit off guard.


    "Wait, didn''t they give you extra work to make it happen within the time they stated?"


    "No," Eldrian replied, not really understanding what she was getting at.


    "What do you do here then? I mean the game testers are all busy trying to help create either the virtual home space or tournament arenas. The developers are busy actually coding and designing them, and us interns are so busy that meals are the only time we can rx."


    "Interns?" Eldrian questions, causing via even more confusion.


    "So your not an intern?"


    "No, I am not," Eldrian replied, realizing that he had no idea how the departments working on ANW even looked or were structured. He only knew the heads, and while he had met some of the game testers, they were the only other people he had met. Outside of casually greeting people when walking around, that is.


    "But... You really live up to your nickname, you know." via sighed as she said this, not able to read Eldrian at all.


    "Oh, what''s that?"


    "Don''t you remember what Connor called you, the mysterious newbie... You arrived a few months after we started working, and you didn''t mingle at all. You only leave your room to eat or train, never to just meet people."


    Eldrian did not know how to respond so he just looked at her in confusion while finishing his meal. "Why did you approach me?" Eldrian asked, unable to keep himself from asking this simple question.


    "Because I was curious what you did here. Many of us are in fact. Most people working here don''t know you, nor have any idea why you are here. Yet you have direct contact with the department heads."


    "Right, well..." Eldrian paused, not sure if he should try to exin things or just go on his way. "What do you do here?" He asked instead, not wishing to do the former or end the conversation already.


    "Me?" via repeated in confusion, "I''m part of the development team, though I mostly just run around making copies, bringing coffee, and other menial tasks for the real artists."


    Did she approach me hoping I could help her get over doing that? Eldrian questioned, finding that this was the most likely exnation. "Right, but you also do get to actually be part of the team right?"


    "Yes, but not nearly as much as I had thought I would," via replied, realizing that while most of the time she was just helping out, the developers would always take some time to exin what they were doing. That is, if they were working on something simple enough for her to follow, and were allowed to share what they were working on.


    After that Eldrian talked a bit more with her about what the developers actually did. Realizing that that term was actually a very broad category. He had assumed it was just a bunch of coders, but there were actually graphical designers, digital artists, story writers, and much more also in the same team.


    He didn''t go into depth in asking what each group did, their name often enough for him to guess at that. Still, he learned a bit more about how Miracle''s ANW department worked, as well as that via was part of the digital artists'' team.


    After a few minutes, with via also having finished her meal, Eldrian felt it was time to go. Excusing himself he headed to the gym, feeling like he needed to keep his body fit to try and make it keep up with his avatar.


    ...


    Logging into the game Eldrian found himself in the same spot alone. Standing up quietly, he looked around the house for the first time. It wasn''t much, but it had everything one would need. He was currently in the living room, a simple room with a small bookcase, a few couches, and a hearth fire for atmosphere. Naturally, the fire was not currently lit, though it was evident it was often used when looking at the ckness of the chimney.


    Now what? Eldrian wondered, opening his stats to confirm what has changed. While the difference wasn''t astonishingly massive, it was clear. This was thergest increase he had yet gained in one go, outside of gaining a better weapon.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 18 (518K / 1440K)]


    [Hidden ss: Protector Tier 2]


    [Sub-ss: Magic(T1), Melee(T1)]


    [Avatar Affinity: 98.24%] (Was 98.11%)


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 131] (was 121)


    [Strength: 141] (was 131)


    [Agility: 171] (was 161)


    [Spirit: 127] (was 117)


    [Intelligence: 165] (was 155)


    [{5 free attributes}]


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 160] (was 139)


    [Mana: 225] (was 204)


    [Stamina: 143] (was 123)


    [Armor: 1] (was 0.5)


    [Magic Armor: 1.5] (was 0.75)


    [Attack (With Aoidos): 51] (was 47)


    I need to keep practicing, I wonder if I would be able to look into myself without entering that soul-state? Eldrian quickly thought as he saw the growth. It wasn''t something that wouldpletely change the situation, but the growth itself gave him a great deal of hope for bing stronger.


    With this thought, Eldrian quickly sat back down against one of the open walls in the room. Rxing he started focusing in on himself, trying to instead of ''feeling, to ''look'' inside him. Time passed quickly and soon he felt a tap on his shoulder, looking up he saw Vivian crouching before him.


    "You should take it easy." She said as soon as Eldrian''s eyes opened and regained their focus, thetter not happening for a few seconds after them opening.


    "I can''t, I am just too weak," Eldrian replied, having been reminded time and time again that he was weak. But a bystander in the grand scheme of this invasion. He most certainly wouldn''t be able to save those he wanted, reaching Tier 2 had not changed that. This was what bothered him the most.


    "Don''t burn yourself trying to aplish something too farfetched. Trust me, I know how terrible that can be." Vivian said, thinking back to how frustrated she often bes for the exact same reason. While she was stronger than Eldrain, without Nidia''s me she wasn''t all that much stronger.


    Even with it, she might only be able to sway the situation in one area of a battle, not the battle itself. This feeling was never nice to feel, even worse when you realized and focused on it.


    Seeing someone else push themselves so hard for the same reason, Vivian realized how scary it could be for those who cared about that person. Sorry, mom... Vivian mumbled in her heart, only now understanding all the pain she had caused her mother, even her dad, though he hid it far better. Recing the pain with pride, so as to not make Vivian feel bad for never really being a child.


    "Let''s go get something to eat. Luckily the undead had be much quieter after the incident, so we believe this attack had been ast ditched effort. Why is still a mystery." Vivian said after a few seconds.


    "Indeed, it doesn''t make sense that they would use so much in one attack. Though if Pros didn''t arrive we would have certainly lost the fort. So that might be precisely the reason, either they had a spy informing them of the reinforcementsing, a scout found this and reported it, or somethingpletely else and this is all just a coincident." Ayden said, having heard Vivian talking about it and decided to add his thoughts.


    "What do you mean? Do you really think they have spies in the city or fort?" Eldrian asked, standing up and following Ayden who was going to make something for everyone to eat. He couldn''t quite grasp how someone could betray their friends and families for the undead.


    "Of course, a great deal of people wish for the power of a lich. To be undying and immortal at the same time. Most of the time they just end up as skeletons, but the undead would just say their souls were too weak. Who knows, it might really be the reason."


    "Aren''t you bothered by that?" Vivian questioned, unable to ept that something like that can be the norm.


    "Of course, and luckily it doesn''t happen all that often. It is normally someone in my position who gets swayed." He replied without any shame.


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "A young noble with a promising future, who simply has no worries other than that they might die someday. They are normally the ones who wish for immortality and are swayed the easiest. Older nobles are generally too loyal, those without a promising future of no use to the undead."


    "Right, Vivian, how did you find me?" Eldrian asked suddenly, only now realizing how strange it was that she just appeared with Ayden. His question catching both by surprise as it waspletely a different topic.

 Chapter 255: Night attack developments (9)

    <h4>Chapter 255: Night attack developments (9)</h4>


    "That''s quite simple. Instead of continuing to look around on my own, I started asking others if they had seen or met a High Elf. You are in fact the only Elf in the fort, so that made finding you easy. Especially with your silver hair which actually pulls quite a bit of attention."


    Oh, that makes sense. Eldrian thought, after which they all had breakfast and then Eldrian followed Vivian, a bit curious what her job was.


    She was currently the leader of a small group whose duty was to make sure that there was no more undead inside the city. After following her around for half an hour, Eldrain decided to rather find himself afy spot to continue reading the notes and books he had been given.


    He knew he could reach Tier 2 in both melee and magic with just a little practice, but he did not. He first continued to try and expand his foundation. Trying to figure out if he could make spells himself, such as the lightning spell he had cast in desperation. For that, he needed to understand, and not just copy what others had done.


    While he did have a good grasp on things, many things were stillplete mysteries to him. He realized as he continued to read, that while he knew how magic worked, he did not always know how elements in magic worked. So this was what he focused on first, not aiming to actually learn new spells for now. Mainly due to him knowing he needed to slow down or more problems might ur IRL.


    This became his routine, reading and asking those who had spare time about their experiences in advancing to higher Tiers. cing heavy focus on Ayden and divine magic, Eldrian even managed to get a Tier 1 divine spell from Ayden. Ayden having hoped seeing the spell module would discourage Eldrian, and it did.


    Eldrian could make no sense of it. Unlike normal spells with their clean pattern, this was like random doodles made by a kid. Eldrian could not identify any nodes in it, which confused him even more. It seemed like it was just one long line from start to end. With the start and end not even clear, even after a few hours of observing Eldrian failed to find them.


    When he asked Ayden how the hell they cast this, he replied through faith, which absolutely did not help Eldrian figure anything out. As such he was forced to give up on it after not making any progress.


    At night when things were calmer, Eldrian would meet with Vivian and have dinner together. IRL Eldrian continuedly felt awkward upon waking, soon bing used to needing a few minutes to just let his body feel normal.


    Each morning informing him that there was something wrong and that he must indeed stop being reckless. Though each day in the game he would want to grow stronger and say damn the consequences. The knowledge of him being too weak to change things eating at him every time he was forced to just read.


    Around three dayster Evules finally reappeared in the fort, something which caused quite themotion as he was heavily wounded sote after the fight.


    This was the only day where his routine waspletely broken, having heard the rumors Eldrian quickly headed to the keep where it was said Evules was taken upon returning. This time he did not let the guards stop him from entering, pushing past, and before they could react, Pros told them to return to duty.


    "I have been wondering when you woulde to visit," Pros said after things calmed down. Evules was sleeping in the back of the room, a few priests busy treating his wounds. He looked quite bad even after an hour of being treated


    "What happened to him?" Eldrian asked.


    "I have no idea, I had hoped you could tell me. Right, I guess you don''t have anything to report on the corruption either."


    "Yes, wait..." Eldrian paused as he suddenly remembered what the others had discussed, "I am not sure if you have been told yet, but the others suspected it could be the work of a revenant along with other higher undead."


    "Ah yes, Katania had informed me of that. I truly didn''t expect the forest to be so filled with undead, especially higher undead. They even managed to make over thirty Unwilling, which was really shocking. That, along with them turning all the locals, beast or person, undead. This has quickly be something a small group can''t aplish."


    "Right..." Eldrian said, feeling certain the quest will end in failure.


    "Still, having you here is still needed."


    "What, really?"


    "Yes, I fear that it isn''t just higher undead working together. There must be a mastermind, and even I might not be able to face it. While news of this has been sent to the capital, it will take much longer for a response toe. I suspect it will take a few months at least, with all the chaos currently going on and forts considered expendable.''


    "This is why we have focused on repairing the fort first, we need to make sure we can make a stand here. Only once that is done am I going to start searching the forest." Pros said.


    "Are you going to take anyone with you? Do you know that Evale is still missing?" Eldrian questioned.


    "I am going to take a small elite party with me, yes. You will also be part of it, as I need the insurance. As for Evale, I know she is still alive. We have found traces of her fighting nearby as recently as two days ago.''


    "I believe she is partly responsible for the undead acting so rashly, as it seems she found their method of moving unknown through the forest. Why she hasn''t returned is confusing though."


    After that Eldrian asked Pros a few more questions, even daring to bring up the conversation of souls. In this regard, Pros knew much more than Eldrian expected, though he didn''t wish to exin it all to Eldrian. It was understandable, he was busy with many things and Eldrian barely knew anything. It made no sense for a master to exin to a novice from the start. Instead, he handed Eldrian a few books from the library of the keep.


    "These ones here are about nature magic, but on the concept of souls. Read through it slowly, after which you should try to learn the spells inside. When you do, try and use the spell while following the advice in the book.''


    "I know you might want to explore and so forth, but don''t. Souls are weird and delicate things. Contrary to that they can be simple and extremely resilient. Follow the advice first, they are too paradoxical to just jump into blindly."


    Eldrian had thanked him profusely and just as he was heading out he stopped dead as Pros brought up another thing.


    "The path you have chosen is a hard one, if you meet Myropsister, please do not try and guide her anymore. While it is good to try and gain mastery over mana, it is not something so simple. And again, follow the advice before trying to do your own thing. This should enable you to safely reach Tier 4, though from there it will be up to you."


    After leaving Eldrian''s mind had spun for quite some time, shocked both by Pros''s kindness and his keen insight. Eldrian had no doubt he was talking about his hidden ss, and while he had not truly done much to hide his progress and how he progressed. Eldrian did not think he would be found so soon, and so easily.


    I really can''t just go and ask people about souls it seems. It isn''t a normal topic for someone of my level. Eldrian thought, after which the following week passed without any more incidents.


    Eldrian had done as Pros said and focused on reading the books first, not managing to finish them by the time the tournament was announced to start. In total, he had given Eldrian eight books; five focused on nature magic, with souls being the core concept. He also gave Eldrian three others that werebat-focused.


    One was about summoning, where at weaker Tiers you could manipte the nts nearby, and atter Tiers, you can seemingly give life to them. Another was an ice-basedpendium, with a bunch of different interesting spells in this hybrid element. Thest was a wind-basedpendium, focused on teaching someone what wind magic actually was and why up to Tier 3 it was basically useless in fights. After which it quickly became one of the strongest elements.


    This along with the books from Myropsis, Eldrian now had a massive collection from which he could pick and choose what he wanted. Even so, he needed to go through each spell first, try and understand its use, and if it would be worth the time invested to learn.


    While Eldrian could master the Tier 1 spells in under an hour, he did not know about the Tier 2''s. He also didn''t -or rather wasn''t allowed- to rush that until Gengxin delivered the cabin. While he was now using the semi-immersion setting, Eldrian felt nothing different by using it.


    While this was likely due to him doing nothing but reading, this caused Gengxin to worry and forbid Eldrian from trying to progress, until at the very least the tournament is over.

 Chapter 256: Eriks struggles

    <h4>Chapter 256: Erik''s struggles</h4>


    After teleporting Erik had found himself in an empty closed room, simr to the one they had teleported from. At that time he had been quite unstable but had managed to stay standing, with a slight headache. Akarui thoughpletely failed and had to rely on Erik by clutching onto him.


    They both just stayed still for a while to recover from the aftereffect of teleporting. Once Erik made sure that Akarui could stand on her own he had tried to check if the doors would budge. Unfortunately, they were locked, as such, he headed up to the top to ask the mage to let them out.


    On his way up he had tried to make up a reason for why they were here, surprisingly the mage was actually quite used to unknown people appearing inside his tower.


    "Yeah, it''s a nice way to make some extra cash." He had said without any embarrassment or secrecy, "That will be one gold coin for each of you to leave, and for me to not report you."


    That was over a week ago now, Erik had been quite frustrated that he had been swindled out of the gold the other mage had saved him from spending. In the end though, he was just d that he had enough to not be reported. The mage having kept his word up until now.


    After that, he had left with Akarui and used his map to figure out what was going on in this town. With its help, he managed to quickly find the adventurer''s guild, where arge number of people were astonished seeing a Dryad walking in with a little girl following behind him.


    Seeing their looks of surprise Erik used the excuse he had thought of, but not needed at the tower, exining that he had been forced to run. And as he ran from the monsters he had happened upon Akarui and taken her with him.


    Everyonepletely ate up this story thanks to Akarui''s cuteness and his uniqueness. If any of them had used Observe his story would have quickly fallen apart, luckily no one wanted to do something that is considered extremely rude and disrespectful. Especially not after hearing the sob story Erik had fed them.


    From there he had quickly gathered the quests for gathering certain herbs or making potions and salves. One of the guild''s clerks informing him that they have spare rooms they could stay in, so that they need not pay the hiked-up prices of an inn. Though they still needed to pay.


    From then Erik had been working hard to try and make more money, having learned from the guild that to teleport out of the kingdom would cost a minimum of 10 gold. And that was if the kingdom he aimed for was a bordering kingdom. The price could go even as high as 100, and you had to have a connection with either a high-ranking mage or the royals. This type of teleportation was far more guarded and only possible from the capital.


    After a week of constantly fulfilling quests and selling excess potions and salves to yers through the temples, Erik had managed to make nearly two gold. As such he was not too worried, that was until today.


    "Wait, what did you just say?" Erik asked, having been about to hand in another quest. As he was walking he overheard a group of rough-looking NPCs talking about the border finally caving.


    "What, haven''t you heard?"


    "No I haven''t, are you sure this is true," Erik replied, hoping that what he just heard was but a rumor.


    "Yeah, it is. As much as it does suck that it is..." The person sighed and took a big swing of his drink. "Vuetvale has finally been overrun, while the city has yet to fall, many nobles have been teleporting out of the city. Using their life''s savings just to save their lives, the mages really weren''t kind to them."


    "What about the other cities?" Erik asked, knowing that there were three cities constantly fighting to keep the monster invasion from moving into the kingdom of Vruntis.


    "I heard that Lisvale haspletely fallen, and Ardton is on barely holding out. Luckily we are far from the border, but this is not good."


    "This sucks, are we going to end up like the other kingdoms?" One of the other NPCs asked, to which the entire table became quiet. Everyone had heard the rumors of how entire kingdoms had been wiped out. Normally the whipping out followed shortly after their borders being overrun. Hence everyone was extremely worried.


    "Surely not, we are close to the capital. If just by extension, they should keep us protected to keep themselves from being starved to death."


    From here the group forgot about Erik and started spiraling down into worry. Erik leaving after realizing they were too worried themselves to really answer his questions.


    Shit, we made it out with little time to spare. Worse, there is no way I am going to make enough to teleport me and Akarui out. Even if we do, where should we go. It is not like this world is a safe ce.


    Erik did not even think of trying to stay and fight for this kingdom. While most of the NPCs were kind and nice, he knew he could do nothing. While he was more than halfway to Tier 3 in magic and alchemy, he knew that was not enough. He might be able to save a few people, but he could not change the war.


    At this time he started talking with Eldrian more and more about their situation, who at this stage had just finished reaching Tier 2. At this point Eldrian was not able to offer much help, he was engrossed in learning more about this world and improving himself. Due to this, he did not have a profession with which he could make money. Though he certainly still wanted to learn cksmithing, the time was just not right.


    He realized this and knew he couldn''t offer much help, having only a few silvers to his name. Still, he decided to try and figure out more about teleportation. Eldrian specifically aimed to bring this up when he met Pros again, he hoped that he might be able to at least provide Erik the contact needed to get into the noble circle and ess to inter-kingdom teleportation. Though he had no idea if Pros was significant enough, as just a border city''s mayor.


    It was at this point that Erik realized how hopeless his situation seemed. With little hope he turned to the forums, ncing at the tournament announcement, and more specifically the rewards listed.


    This tournament was going to be held in quite an amodating way. While it is allbat-focused, one could decide if they wanted to fight in a team, or alone. There were also categories for using only certain weapons, magic included.


    The top reward would go to the singlebat, open category; and the teambat, open category. This is where the grand prizes which Miracle announced were, the other categories had modest rewards inparison. But they were much more appealing to Erik.


    Instead of real-life money, along with an in-game item. These only rewarded the in-game items, with fifth to tenth ce only gaining five to one gold coin. Inparison, first ce in these side categories would award fifty gold coins. With the current rate of one silver to one dor, this was actually very impressive.


    Later that day Erik contacted Eldrian, simply stating that they needed to try their best to win at least one category. Especially aiming for first ce.


    ...


    "Finally..." Joren sighed in relief as he got confirmation that the tournament''s arenas had finally been finished. It had taken them a great deal of effort to make these with the ability to allow yers to use all they had from the game itself.


    They had truly not realized how hard this part was going to be, it was simple to put a pause to the simtion as an entirety. Doing so meant that they couldn''t use anything from it though, and at best they could let the yers fight as ordinary people.


    They had to test and figure out quite a few things to actually manage in making the arena, luckily they had managed. The pressure lying on Joren not from the announcement or anything like that, but from Eldrian constantly asking Gengxin if he could attempt to reach Tier 2 with his other sses now.


    Constantly might be a stretch, but everyone was worried that Eldrian might ''identally'' do something, and then boom; another soul fiasco. Luckily this struggle had also informed them a great deal about what they had been missing in the design of the cabins. Having thought of them as extended headsets, instead of an entirely different piece of equipment.


    That was how they had addressed the arena issue at the start too, simply thinking they needed to create virtual arenas through the AI they already had. That did not work since all the conditions were not addressed when doing so.


    "Let''s hope this works as intended," Joren said after a moment of just enjoying the match two game testers, who were checking to see if damage reflected correctly and that pain was still limited.


    "Yeah, are you sure about the rewards though? Adding in-game items isn''t that going a bit far?" Constantin replied.


    "No, while cash is nice. It doesn''t mean that much to quite a number of yers. Money in-game is really scarce though, and adding it isn''t hard. It is just gold, we can spawn it in. It is actually much easier for us than the first prize of a hundred thousand dors." Joren replied.


    "I don''t get it, won''t that break the bnce of the simtion?"


    "No, most of the reason we haven''t done it is since the AI are being so stubborn. We never forced the issue because we didn''t want to risk things, I think we should start risking things." Joren continued to reply.


    "Did Mica sign off on it?"


    "She didn''t care much, as long as we aren''t harming Eldrian she is happy. She has been following along and is actually quite frustrated that we are slowing down his progress."


    "What about the others?"


    "I don''t know, that''s her problem. Not mine. There is a reason I didn''t take that job when they offered it to me."


    "Right," Constantin smirked as he replied, he understood all too well declining that offer. While it looked good on paper, with them getting to handle more projects and being paid more. It actually meant losing out on being part of everything. He quite likes being part of things, and not just watching from above.

 Chapter 257: Tournament (1)

    <h4>Chapter 257: Tournament (1)</h4>


    Eldrian read through the announcements, the servers having been frozen while the developers now did thest bit of tweaks necessary for the tournament to start. It felt really weird to not be able to go online, Eldrian having be extremely used to his routine.


    The announcements focused on how yers had to go about signing up, how the virtual homes worked, and how the tournament would actually work.


    In essence, the virtual homes would be simr to that which yers entered upon first using a headset, a floating room in the abyss of space. From there they could decide what they wanted their ''home'' to look like. They were given a total of a hundred meters squared ofnd, which they could make a garden, house, forest, or whatever they wanted.


    While these things would be simted, if yers wanted to actually interact with these things, they would need to go through a few loops. For the most part, the nts were not given their chemicalpounds, and hence their usefulness in being used for anything other than being nts.


    For their house, they would be given certain items and allowed to construct them or just choose defaultyouts. Quickly reminding people of games were living a virtual life, and building houses was the focus. Quite a number of yers were massively excited about this, hoping to make the house of their dreams.


    Eldrian himself was also quite excited for the headsets toe online again so he could actually experience what this was going to feel like. For some reason, he kept feeling that it would be simr to when he entered his soul-space.


    The tournament itself was set to start in two days, or at least the preliminaries. yers had to sign up before it started. There was no limit to the number of categories they could sign up for. At the start yers will be randomly assigned to fight others, this will hold for a few days. A ranking system will be made from these wins and losses, which will determine who would actually participate in the tournament that will be streamed live across the world.


    Interesting, so we are allowed to take everything from our game. I wonder how they managed to actually get this to work, seeing as they don''t know how magic actually works.? Eldrian mumbled as he read through the announcements, finding another piece of interesting news not too long after.


    For the finals, the yers would need toe to the city. The precise location had yet to be announced, though most yers felt it would be Miracle''s headquarters. The trip will be all-inclusive, with the yers offered a headset on-site. Naturally, this also made a number of yers very excited.


    "Are you really going to sign up?" Constantin came and asked after a few hours of Eldrian having signed up. The system having informed them that a residence in thepany wanted to partake in the tournament.


    "Of course, I am a yer. It isn''t like you have really taught or given me any advantages that I can misuse." Eldrian replied, truly feeling that this was indeed the case. While he was working with Miracle, it was not like they had really changed anything in his game life, only his real-life had changed.


    "True, but it isplicated."


    "What do you mean it isplicated, the yers from the Empires gained much more than was fair. Basically, anyone who didn''t take their offer, now has no chance of winning."


    Constantin just sighed as he heard this, it truly was true. All the yers who had decided to go to the empires had been given every resource they could want. The only thing limiting them was that they were not given magical weapons since they first needed to prove themselves worthy, and more importantly loyal.


    "Just don''t go saying that you work for us. And limit the number ofpetitions you take part in."


    "Why?"


    "Because with dynamic magic, you are almost certain to win. Hence, you shouldn''t take all the first prizes."


    Oh... That''s fair enough. Eldrian thought, thinking back to the conversation he had had with Erik. "I think I am just going to partake in the team match and the polearm one. That should be fine, right." If he managed to win both then that should be enough money to get Erik out of Vruntis.


    Constantin sighed with relief, even if Eldrian won both of these, there wouldn''t be much wrong with it. The spear match was one that prohibits the use of magic, purely relying on a person''s skill with the weapon. This was why the rewards were so much less, and hence it was fine if Eldrian tried to win it. Though Constantin actually thought Eldrian would certainly lose, simply due to the fact that his technique without magic was actually quite poor.


    While Eldrian had improved by leaps and bounds, both thanks to the training IRL and his experiences in-game. He was nowhere close to what martial artists could do, normally he bridged the gap by relying on magic. Hence Constantin felt it unlikely Eldrian would win without his normal clutch.


    The team match would also not be bad, as teams could be up to eight yers. As such one yer shouldn''t make too much of a difference, especially with everyone still under Tier 4. Though Constantin felt this rule wouldn''t hold for Eldrian, it was fine even if it didn''t. The reward would be split between the team in any case, hence again there shouldn''te much bacsh even if he took first ce.


    A few hourster the virtual homes were finally uploaded. Excitedly Eldrian ced the headset on his head and logged in. This worked exactly as he remembered, he even arrived in the same room as when he had to make his character and chase some wisps.


    "Please choose the area you wish to live in." A message popped into his head, or rather sounded in the entire area. As it finished Eldrian was given a wide variety of decorations to choose from.


    Most of the themes were gardens, with different flowers or nts the focus, or in some cases even just stones. Thereafter came forest areas, ins, ponds, deserts. Basically, anything one could think of, though only a hundred square meters of it would actually appear in the virtual home. The rest would just be a mirage, like a greenscreen.


    After a while of thinking, Eldrian decided on a nice cozy ce that reminded him of the Avgi forest. While not all in-sight would be real, Eldrian had confirmed that the mirage would still at least give sounds too. Hence if someone chose a ce at the beach, while the sea wouldn''t be created, they could hear it.


    He was not sure if smells were also going to be simted, but for now, he didn''t care much. He was curious though on how thepany managed to add all these things. It felt like an extreme amount to him, a hundred square meters was not a small space. Giving this to just over ten million yers must ce a massive drain on their systems.


    After choosing the area, he moved on to chose his home. He didn''t want a mansion or even a big house at all, he just wanted a cozy living room that would also serve as his kitchen. Just for looks he also wanted two bedrooms and a library, the bedrooms on a second floor. He had no idea if the library would be just for looks, but he liked the idea of having a small one in his house.


    After finishing this Eldrain quickly zoomed out his focus to look at the entire area and smiled. A small hunting cabin was located between the trees, with a waterfall off in the distance of the mirage. The waterfall fell into a pond, half of which was actually simted.


    In front of the hunting cabin was a small clearing, where Eldrian thought he could continue to practice with his weapons. This area was around ten to twenty meters in diameter, the house around the same.


    Most of the rest of the area was simply trees, which Eldrian wanted to learn to navigate through. As such he quickly started tweaking the settings to make the forest further from his house denser. Adding foliage, vines, roots, and other nasty pieces so he would have to learn how to not trip. Though he added them in ways where he could practice each type on its own for the most case.


    That''s nice. It isn''t really a home, so much as a ce I can train in peace in. I should ask Gengxin if training in this space would also cause my body to feel disconnected. Eldrian thought as he looked at the area. He wondered what the others were going to make, and quickly tried calling up the interface again to take a picture.


    The interface he connected with now was much more basic than the one in the game. For now, it still had quite an amount of interactions as he was in developer mode to create his home. Once that was done he would basically just have the ability to connect to the inte and to log off.


    I am happy with this. There should already be a thread for sharing your home. I think I''ll share mine.

 Chapter 258: Tournament (2) - Getting ready

    <h4>Chapter 258: Tournament (2) - Getting ready</h4>


    The next two days Eldrian simply took it easy while waiting for the developers to finish the arenas. For the most part, he visited the forums or simply watched some series or anime, having a great deal of them he needed to catch up on.


    As such the days flew by, with Eldrian having gone online to visit his virtual home. He could immediately feel that something was missing here too. Almost simr to when he logged out of the game, but not really the same. Instead of something missing, it was more that an expectation he didn''t know he had, wasn''t being met.


    Luckily this didn''tst long, only bothering him for a few minutes after waking in the opening in front of his little cabin. Looking at it and smelling the freshness of nature surrounding him, Eldrian was happy with what the developers had managed. He was actually quite surprised they had managed to release it so fast, with so many details.


    After getting used to his surroundings Eldrian decided to take a walk, finding that he did not have an inventory or even much of an interface. As the announcement had said, all he had avable to him was logging out, or entering the development mode. Though doing thetter had limits, with thepany saying it was to save processing power.


    In the end, Eldrian simply walked through the forest he had made, those near his house being spare and easy to navigate. The further from his house, the denser it became, with the furthest ten meters of forest being a jungle of nts. One could not even walk through it all, not without cutting through them.


    Eldrian naturally did not do this, he just wanted to figure out how things turned out. After that, he had gone looking for a few sticks he could use to go through a few routines. Quickly finding that his speed and stamina in this virtual home was not the same as that in the game. It reflected his real body far more.


    Interesting, did they do this because they wanted to remove the threat of affinity bing a problem. Or was it simply the case that they couldn''t bring magic into this virtual home? Eldrian wondered, leaning more to thetter than the former, though both could certainly have led to their decision.


    On the day before the tournament started, with Eldrian not having made or joined a team for the team matches, he contacted Erik.


    "Hey, have you set up your virtual home?" Eldrian asked over the phone.


    "Yeah, I was quite surprised by the detail we could add."


    "Right, what did you in the end?"


    "A mix of a garden and forest, I didn''t even make much of a house. I am a little bummed that my avatar for this ce isn''t the same as the one in the game." Erik replied.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Like, I know they said that the nts won''t have all the substance they had IRL or in the game. But I can''t even feel them, it is something so natural in the game that it really caught me off guard."


    Is that what is going on with me, something simr. Am I feeling weird because of theck of mana? Eldrian wondered, but did not drift too much into it. "Still, it is a cool feature."


    "Certainly, it will really help those who do not like the situation of ANW. While most yers are fine with fighting, the realism of the game threw arge number of them off theirfort zone."


    "True, and talking about that. The tournament, which matches did you sign up for?" Eldrian asked.


    "I haven''t yet, I was going to contact you tonight about it."


    "Then join my team, though it will just be the two of us. I don''t think we will do too badly." Eldrian said, hoping that they could get first ce, or at the least, he could get first ce in the spear match. They just needed one to get the coin Erik needed.


    "Alright, by the way, I think I am going to change my discipline."


    "Have you finally decided?" Eldrian asked, having talked a bit about this before.


    "Yeah, while I still like writing, I really want to try and be a better healer. I can already make enough through the game to basically support myself."


    Hearing this Eldrian whistled in surprise, "Are you serious?"


    "Well, I mean I can''t really afford much. But if I stay with my parents, then I can make enough to cover my own food."


    Hearing this Eldrianughed for a while, "That isn''t supporting yourself." He teased.


    "Well it''s better than nothing, right you don''t even have to worry. Miracle is supporting you with a room, food, and even free services. You really do have the life, hey." Erik teased back, causing Eldrian to falter as he realized he really did have it nice.


    His bank ount was steadily growing from that of a teenager to that of an adult. He didn''t even have expenses, so it grew much faster than that of others who actually had things they needed to take care of themselves.


    "In any case, if we can im first prize in the tournament it should help you convince your parents seeing as you will be able to pay back a year or two''s cost."


    "True, do you have any other people you have invited?" Erik asked, this mention making him want to win even more.


    "Ah, no... But I can probably ask Elizabeth, though I haven''t talked to her in a long time. I wonder what they have been up to..." Eldrian mumbled thest part as he thought back to how all those on the TRM mission had missed out on the Empire''s recruiting. Back then quite a number of them hadined, though now most were actually happy it had happened.


    The army had been training them too, and while the skills and spells they learned might be weaker than those from the empire, that didn''t really take effect at their current Tiers. Instead, those left behind got training, weapons, armor, and quests. After reflecting they had found that they hade out on top.


    After talking with Erik, Eldrian found himself in the awkward position of realizing he didn''t have Elizabeth''s number. Going onto his forum he hoped that the developers had made it possible to talk with friends through it. Seeing as people wouldn''t be able to get into the game for a month, he found this was a possibility. Luckily he also found that they have.


    Opening his friend list which was reallycking, Eldrian typed a message to Elizabeth. Asking if she wanted to team up with him and his friend. Then he waited patiently for nearly an hour before a reply came.


    "Totally, if it is just you two, you will fit in perfectly." She replied, though Eldrian suddenly worried about how the rewards were going to be split. Looking at the announcement again he found that he couldn''t figure out if the rewards for the team-based matches were per person, or per team.


    Screw it, even if we share it with them, it will still be a good sum. And first ce should then be much easier to get. I can always also sell Gray if ites to it. Eldrian though, quickly trying to figure out how it would work.


    After that, he talked a bit with Elizabeth, with them merging their teams not muchter. Looking at the list of names now in it, Eldrian realized that he knew everyone. They were the same group he had sparred with before leaving the yers and following Old Sword way back at the start of TRM.


    "Hopefully we don''t meet any good teams tomorrow, though the way the fights are going to be held is quite strange." Elizabeth sent after wondering who this Faust was, she knew Eldrian had not really yed with any yers. He was a strange yer who she was certain had little or no yer friends, heck she had not heard from him in over a month.


    She felt he wasn''t really considering this game as a game, being so involved with the NPCs and excluded from others. She hoped that adding him wasn''t a mistake, since while she knew how much she and her friends had grown. She had no idea if Eldrian had grown, nor if this Erik would be useful at all.


    "Right, do you know how it is going to work?" Eldrian asked, not having managed to get that information yet.


    "Yeah, they published it like half an hour ago. We will simply join a queue, and then our ranking will be determined by our wins and losses. Two teams who have fought, can''t fight again on the same day. The same goes for the individual matches."


    "Wait, then should you try to fight as many times as possible, or just win a certain amount?" Eldrian asked, confused about how this was going to work.


    "I assume they will have something weighing things behind the scenes. Most games with rankings have, to average out the wins and losses byparing it to who you won and lost again... Or something." Elizabeth added as she wondered if thepany would go that far.


    "Right, well when should we try to be online? I''ll let Erik know." Eldrian replied, Elizabeth quickly realizing that Eldrian knew this person in person, which made even more sense to her than him making a friend in the game.


    "Let''s aim for around ten in the morning, I hope we can im three to five wins. I don''t want to make it too much, since many of us also want to try the individual matches."


    "Right, that should work," Eldrian replied, quickly getting back into the rxed mood he had had all day. A few hourster he received another message from Elizabeth.


    "Pleasee online, the virtual homes are online and visitors are now allowed. Also, contact your friend. It would be smart of us to discuss some ns before actually jumping into fights."


    Oh, what a good use of the virtual home already.

 Chapter 259: Tournament (3) - Introductions

    <h4>Chapter 259: Tournament (3) - Introductions</h4>


    It took Eldrian a little while to figure out how to request ess to a friend''s virtual home, though it wasn''t reallyplicated at all. He struggled simply due to how little he used the friend and guild parts of the system, which most normal yers were far more used to. It being less intuitive through the forum had caused him to not know where to go.


    Arriving in Elizabeth''s virtual home, Eldrian was quite surprised by the decor. Nestled between neatly separated patterns of flowers was a pure white three-story stone house. At the front entrance, there was a small square inviting people in. Seeing how well everything flowed and worked together Eldrian became curious what Elizabeth did IRL.


    "It''s you! Awesome!" Came a shout from behind Eldrian, turning around he saw a small practice area. The fences covered in flowers, but the field itself clean. It was notrge, only around ten meters or so, but it would allow them to actually practice as a group. Seeing this Eldrian smiled as he realized how much Elizabeth had thought things out.


    Only after this did he look at the dwarf who called out to him, "Ah sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name."


    "Really now, well I can''t me you. It has been over a month and we only met for a day." The dwarf replied. "Therdul, remember we sparred against each other. Though you managed toe out on top back then, I don''t think you''ll manage so well now."


    "Ah right, yeah, I just forgot your name. Sorry, never been good at them. Is everyone here?" Eldrian asked next.


    "Elizabeth and Ilmadia are inside the house. Zyviss, Nikki, and Judith still need toe online. Right, I hear you and a friend became ourst two."


    "Yeah, I hope we didn''t take someone''s ce."


    "No, Elizabeth was going to fill thest two roles with some of the other yers in the guild. I just hope you are still as good as back then." Therdul replied.


    "I believe so," Eldrian replied back, curious what they were going to do here. While it was nice that Elizabeth had added a training field, they didn''t have ess to their normal stats. Magic was alsopletely missing, Eldrian having tried before to cast Tier 0 spells to no avail.


    Talking with Therdul Eldrian caught up on what the other yers had been up to. Their journey had also not been easy, thoughpared to all that Eldrian had gone through, it could be considered a stroll in the park. The thing which shocked Eldrian was that Ilmadia and Judith had both reached Tier 3.


    "Seriously?" Eldrian asked in exasperation, only to feel someone sping his shoulders from behind.


    "Wanna have a go?" Judith asked, grinning widely as she hoped to kick Eldrian''s ass. She was not happy with how he had wonst time, and now she was confident she had improved enough to grind him into the ground.


    Unlikest time her attire was much more ''normal'', due to the game and this virtual home not being connected. yers were not given their in-game clothing and armor, but rather casual clothing they could choose from. Hence she was not in what even a barbarian would consider scantily dressed.


    "I would, but this isn''t the game," Eldrian replied as he tried to escape from her grasp. He found it a little strange that their avatars were that of the game, but theycked the stats and magic of the game. He could not quite understand why this was, it felt like something was missing or perhaps being nned.


    "In any case, we are here to strategize. Not to fight each other." Elizabeth said, havinge out as she had received thest request to enter. Not much longer Erik also arrived.


    "Right, so let''s start with introducing ourselves, make sure to exin what you think you can handle and whatnot," Elizabeth said after giving Erik some time to get used to the sight in front of him. He was absolutely in love with the garden, it looked like something out of a fantasy movie.


    "I''ll go first, seeing as I brought it up, and will be the leader of our little group. I am Elizabeth, it is both my real name and in-game name. I believe I am good at strategizing and understanding what my friends need help with, as this is often what I have done in the guild. My weakness is fighting, I will probably not be able to hold my own if I should get into a direct fight with anyone."


    "Right, I''m Therdul though my real name is Laserian. I have focused on defensive skills, I also wear heavy armor and as such, I believe I will be the tank of the party. Though this game really threw me for a curveball as there are no taunt skills or really any way for me to fulfill the normal role of a tank. I''ll try to go out in front and take the brunt of the attacks."


    "Right I''ll go next. I''m Zyviss, a ranger. I believe I have grown quite good at actually hitting things, though I still struggle with fast-moving targets and when the targets are over thirty meters from me. Since we have no idea what the arena is going to be like, I hope I won''t end up as a liability."


    After his exnation no one spoke for a few seconds, so Eldrian decided he should chip in. "I''m Haru in the game and Eldrian in real life. High Elf race and I don''t really know what my specialty is, I have focused basically all of my free attributes on agility and intelligence. I use a spear, but I also use magic, so I guess I can fill in where needed."


    After him Erik decided to chip in, "I am a dryad, as is clear to see. Game handle is Faust but my real name is Erik. I don''t really have much fighting experience, but I have worked in a medical center for over two months in-game. I can tell you, the injuries are real and not simple to treat. I can also make some basic potions and salves, so I will be sure to share some with everyone."


    "Awesome, thanks, man!" Judith said, jumping forward and throwing her arm over Erik''s shoulder, "I''m Judith, like Elizabeth it is my real name and game name. I''m a barbarian." Everyone waited for her to say more but it quickly became clear that she was not going to say anything else.


    "I''m Nikki, also my real name. I also don''t really know where I fit, I know a few spells and I think I am decent with a sword. I normally try to heal the others, but magic sucks." Sheined, causing Erik to quickly chirp in.


    "It isn''t that, the spells we can cast are just really weak. In the arena, I think if we are injured we should focus on cauterizing the wounds and then casting a rejuvenation spell. You don''t want to directly use a healing spell after cauterizing as it can reopen the wound, so using rejuvenation is better. It will slightly increase their HP but also give them a boost of energy."


    Hearing this Nikki looked at Erik in shock, "How did you learn that?" She had always been stumped at how useless her healing spells were. While she could heal little cuts, if someone got pierced through by something, she could do little to help. At most she could continue to heal them until the wound finally closed, though that normally took hours.


    "If lives are on the line, you tend to try anything to simply save them. I learned quickly what worked and what didn''t." Erik replied, his words carrying a great deal of weight as everyone understood what it implied. He did not consider the game a game, something which they still struggled with.


    Breaking this mood Ilmadia introduced herself and brought up a topic she hoped would steer them back into prepping for the fights. "I''m Ilmadia, fully focused on the mage profession. Like Judith, I have managed to reach Tier 3, so in the fight protect me and we should have a massive advantage."


    Hearing this Erik stared at her in disbelief, he knew what was required to reach Tier 3 in magic. It was not easy. Though he had to admit that he had spent arge part of his time healing others and taking care of Akarui. Hence he didn''t grind the levels as many other yers could.


    He would certainly not change that though, he had found a purpose in what he had done. He was only slightly shocked that anyone had managed to memorize the Tier 3 spells, and have managed to do all the training necessary for the system to allow them to reach Tier 3.


    He had no idea how the system allowed them to cast magic, but he knew it wasn''t the same as with Eldrian. While they too needed to envision the spell module, they didn''t need to have it precise. Though they needed to be at least 80% correct, and say the words of power at the right time. The system took things from there.

 Chapter 260: Tournament (4) - Planning and their first match

    <h4>Chapter 260: Tournament (4) - nning and their first match</h4>


    "Alright, now you two are hopefully caught up," Elizabeth said, making sure to mention that this entire introduction was mostly meant for them. Though she had been surprised by Erik''s response, and how he also seemed to be fully invested much like Eldrian. Hence it truly wasn''t a waste of time.


    "Next we should start discussing how we will be fighting, eight people is quite a lot. We can''t just go in blind." Elizabeth continued, "I believe at the start we would need to get used to where we are, we have no information on what the arenas are nor what terrain they would be in.''


    "Hence I feel the first thing we need to do is spread out to avoid crowd attacks, but not too far to not be able to help each other. Ilmadia what is thergest AOE spell you know?"


    "That would be Kafsilos, it is basically a fire ring with around five meters of size at max," Ilmadia replied, wishing she could actually cast the spell to better let everyone understand. "It isn''t all that strong, but it does set the ground aze even if there is nothing to burn. Hence it can be used to zone people, I assume that this is also one of thergest spells we can expect."


    "That isn''t bad," Therdul added, "If we move to keep a meter or two between each other then it should be fine." Ilmadia had never really used AOE spells as they required a great deal of coordination with there being no way of preventing friendly fire, other than not getting in the way.


    "Right, now then how will we move. Generally, mages and healers should be in the middle or back of a formation, but that is to be expected..." Elizabeth continued, everyone voicing their opinions when they felt it was needed. Or if they simply wanted to talk a little as Elizabeth tookplete control of the conversation.


    "I think that''s good enough," Judith said, having long since zoned out. She did not like tactics and strategy, even though she knew how useful they were. As such once she had said she will be in the vanguard she had started simply starting at the beauty Elizabeth had created.


    "Ri-Right..." Elizabeth mumbled, having wondered when Judith would be unable to keep herself entertained while not leaving the conversation. In real life she was always full of energy, much like in the game. The thing was, she did not like talking about normal things, instead she simply loved gossip and sex talk.


    "Well, we can''t really n more without knowing what is waiting," Nikki added to Judith''s defense, the conversation having basically repeated itself for a minute now.


    "Alright, then I''ll see everyone tomorrow at ten," Elizabeth said with a sigh, hoping that they would do well. Them gaining number one would not just be nice for the rewards, but could also promote their guild. She hade to grow more and more distant from the true leaders of ming Heart.


    Even with her and her team being one of the strongest, the leaders wanted to remain the main focus. They even indirectly tried to order her to surrender should they face each other in the matches. That had pissed her off quite a bit, but she had not confided with anyone as she didn''t want the others to also start feeling alienated.


    With that everyone left Elizabeth''s virtual home, after adding Erik and Eldrian as friends. Taking off his headset Eldrian thought back to what they had decided on.


    He had offered himself as one of the vanguards, along with Judith. Therdul and Nikki would be behind them and at the far back would be Zyviss. Elizabeth, Ilmadia, and Erik would stay in the middle, hopefully keeping them safe and enabled to help where needed.


    I hope it goes well tomorrow. Eldrian thought as headed down for dinner.


    ...


    The next day everyone met up at the agreed time. Elizabeth quickly recapping their ns and then everyone entering the match lobby. As they did they got a number which counted down every few seconds, and sometimes taking as long as a minute or two to move. Finally after ten minutes of waiting their perception darkened and then they found themselves in a grasnd.


    "This isn''t what I was expecting," Therdul said as he started moving to not stay too grouped, though he stopped after a few steps. "Do we still follow the strategy, I mean we can see our opponents."


    "No, stay together for now. Eldrian, Judith, you two go ahead a little, but not too far. Let''s see what our opponents do." Elizabeth replied, Eldriana and Judith doing just that.


    They were all being super wary, but their opponents had no such thoughts. After looking around and discovering the other group, they simply rushed forward.


    "Seems like they are just charging, my type of people," Judith said, ignoring the ns and charging forward with little care.


    Eldrian, shocked by her rashness, followed soon after. Finding that what he feltcking in both reality and the virtual home was not there. Quickly he surpassed Judith as he got lost in the feeling he had unknowingly craved for thest few days that the game had been offline.


    Their opponents were all human yers in random types of te armor. Three of them had shields with one-handed weapons in hand, while the rest all had two-handed weapons. Not knowing what to expect Eldrian wanted to use Observe, but he realized that he had somehow arrived just meters in front of the enemy.


    At this time the leading figure of the enemies sped up, with his greatsword he opened with an overhead swing. The change in his speed slightly shocked Eldrian, but not much. He recalled that Judith had been capable of the same, and so was he now.


    Jumping to the side he easily dodged the attack, though the others were quickly closing in. Without much thought, he used Frost Needle and sent it at the leader. This person seemingly thought Eldrian was done for, so he changed his target to Judith who was just a few meters away and now doing her own charge.


    His spellnded in the uncovered back of the leader, killing him in one and shocking everyone. Eldrian did not even see the kill as he had only cast Frost Needle from instinct, what he was focused on was those in front of him. Two being within his spear''s reach already.


    Thrusting his spear out he aimed for the eye of a shield and ax user. The man dodged in haste and Eldrian''s spear nced against the helmet. Having expected the person to dodge, Eldrian moved into the area his shield covered. Making it nearly impossible for the guy to attack him with his ax.


    In this movement, Eldrian brought the back of Aoidod and swept the man of his feet while also sticking at another with the front de. His swift actions caused the others to falter, giving Judith the opportunity she had needed to charge into three of them. All their focus on Eldrian and his insane speed and technique.


    Charging into them Judith''s massive greatsword started glowing a dark red as she swung at one of the distracted shield users. This person managing to just barely bring his shield up to save his life, though both his shield and Judith''s sword shattered upon the impact and he was sent flying.


    Judith not bothered by her sword-shattering threw a punch at one of the other guys, while the one she had attacked with her sword was now coughing up blood.


    Eldrian on the other hand had used Frost Needle to kill the guy who blocked the front de of his spear, after which he thrust the back of his spear into the leg of the guy he had tripped. Turning around after confirming his second kill, he ended the third. At this time an arrow flew from behind them and stopped the guy Judith had punched from doing anything else.


    From here it was just cleanup as the other four had lost all will to fight. One of them already half-dead in any case from Judiths attack.


    "Well, that wasn''t all that hard," Judith said as she picked up one of the guy''s swords. "Oh seems like we get to loot them, that''s awesome!"


    Hearing this though the rest all reeled in shock, they had never thought that that would be a thing. It would mean that losing was not just a loss of points, but also a loss of a great deal of their strength.


    "This certainly makes it much more cutthroat, most normal yers will likely not continue if that is the case," Elizabeth said, though at this moment the sword in Judith''s hand turned into particles.


    [Congratitions on your win. As this is the first day and the strength of parties has yet to be tested, the point reward will be determined by Tier difference. As such you gain 1 point.]


    "Wait, what!? Just one point, what the hell?" Judith shouted, not at all bothered by the fact that she was back in her barbarian armor and covered in blood. Eldrian on the other hand had started cleaning himself with Nidia as soon as the fight ended.


    He was simply d that their enemies had not been strong, as he had lost himself for a moment when trying to catch up with Judith. He did not understand how, it was not something that normally happened to him. He always managed to keep at least somewhat of a cool head.


    [As the winners you can choose to either leave right now, or spend 5 minutes getting used to this arena.]


    "Naturally we are going to stay," Elizabeth said, quickly reminding everyone that this wasn''t just a fun game of PvP, but a tournament. "Everyone try and figure out howrge this arena is."

 Chapter 261: Tournament (5)

    <h4>Chapter 261: Tournament (5)</h4>


    "What the hell was that!?" Elizabeth shouted as everyone arrived back in her virtual home. yers being transported to where theyst were before entering the matches.


    "You know I don''t like waiting," Judith replied matter-of-factly.


    "I am not asking you, I expected you to do something dumb. Eldrian, what the hell?" Elizabeth balled her fists. "I didn''t expect you to actually charge ahead of Judith."


    Caught off guard by being shouted at and questioned Eldrian faltered in replying, only managing to say sorry and that it won''t happen again. He himself was unsure what had happened, one moment he was trying to catch up to Judith, the next he was in front of their opponents.


    "Good, there is no reason for us toe up with a n if you guys are just going to ignore it!"


    "But, that fight didn''t really need any nning." Judith countered.


    "True, but we can''t go in expecting that. We have to be prepared to face a team of our level or even stronger. Remember we aren''t just doing this for fun, our aim is to win!" Elizabeth shouted, hoping to get everyone to understand that they needed to be serious.


    "In any case," Therdul interrupted, "From that match, we can conclude that all or most matches will be in some neutral area."


    "Maybe, maybe not." Ilmadia countered, "We will have to have a few more to confirm. Though I do expect that there won''t ever really be an arena."


    "Now then, are we going to queue for our next match or is there something more anyone wants to add?" Nikki asked, Eldrian and Erik staying quiet as they still felt like outsiders in the group.


    "Let''s queue, no point in waiting when we are going to have to wait in any case," Elizabeth replied, shocked when the counter was just one and they disappeared with almost no dy.


    ...


    "The hell?" Sheined as they now found themselves in a sparse forest. Quickly everyone turned around to look for their opponents and trying to ovee the shock of there being almost no pause.


    "There, a group of archers it seems. No two melee sses, four archers, and I assume the others are mages." Zyviss said, having quickly moved out of the group to better scout.


    "Therdul take the front," Elizabeth shouted as she pulled out a shield for her to hide under. Everyone did the same and seeing their action''s Eldrian followed. In the end, Erik, and Judith, and Zyviss were the only ones without a shield. Thetter because using one would make using his bow impossible, the others because they had no shield in their inventory.


    Last time, in the five minutes they had been given to explore the grasnd, they had found that they could connect fully to their inventory. Eldrian even found that he could connect to the ring which Myropsis had given him. As such he had his pile of ''useless'' weapons he could pull from.


    "Seems like this group is more careful. They have also spotted us. The melee sses are in heavy armor and are carrying tower shields, the mages hiding behind them. The archers are splitting up." Zyviss reported as he let an arrow fly at one of the archers. Itnded short by around five meters.


    "We are about fifty meters apart," Zyviss reported after that shot, not at all embarrassed that he missed his target by so much.


    "Alright, let''s take it slow. We don''t know what the mages can do, hence forming a shield wall might not be smart." Elizabeth said, quickly being countered by Ilmadia.


    "I disagree, the mages might be able to do some damage, but shields can block most of it. The only problem would be fire spells, but they generally don''t do much upfront damage. So let''s group together."


    Hearing this everyone did just that, Eldrian took the left nk and Judith the right. Erik hid behind everyone along with Zyviss who also had no shield and didn''t wish to be made a porcupine. From time to time he would raise his head to look over and then duck back down.


    Slowly both groups moved closer, none of the archers firing until they were thirty meters from each other. Once they reached this point the archers of the opponents ran to nk them while letting arrows fly.


    "This isn''t going to work," Eldrian said as soon as he saw the opponent trying to nk them. If they turned to block the arrows then that would simply open them up to the mages'' attacks. "I am going to go for the second to left one, Judith you run right. Everyone else simply aim for the mages."


    As he said this he ran and so did Judith. Eldrian found it quite funny how she didn''t argue or anything and just did what he said.? She probably just wants to fight,? Eldrian thought.


    With both of them charging the others had to react quickly, and they did. Ilmadia decided to cast Kafsilos where the four remaining opponents were waiting. Forcing them to slowly burn to death or move. With this, their opponents should be unable to use their charge as an opportunity to hit them.


    As soon as he had started running Eldrian had moved his shield to block the arrows flying at him, and had pulled the best one-handed sword he had from his inventory.


    Naturally, his opponents didn''t just stand and wait for them, the two Eldrian was chasing split from each other and fired an arrow every now and then. They struggled to be urate as they tried to kite Eldrian, but the arrows did cause him to often need to pause and block or dodge.


    Screw this, two can y at that.? Eldrian thought, throwing his sword at the archer he was chasing. Seeing it the girl jumped to the side to avoid the de, which was her mistake. Following behind it was Frost Needle, and seeing her jump Eldrian changed its direction to where she wouldnd.


    With that he turned and ran at the other, the guypletely caught off guard when he received the notification that hispanion was dead. He didn''t understand how and that few seconds of disbelief gave Eldrian the time he needed to maneuver and use Frost Needle again along with another random sword.


    That wasn''t too bad.? Eldrian thought and turned, only to be shocked as he received two notifications.


    [Teammate Judith has been killed.]


    [Teammate Ilmadia has been killed.]


    What the hell? How?? He asked and looked, only to see a melee going on where the two heavy armored opponents were holding Therdul and Nikki off. One of the mages was facing Elizabeth and the other was free to cast spells.


    Further back Judith''s bodyy on the ground. Six arrows in her chest and four through her legs. Evidently, she had failed to dodge and without a shield, she was an easy target. Erik was hovering over Ilmadia and trying to heal her, an ax stuck in the center of her chest. Upon hearing the notification Erik knew he had failed and stood up.


    Zyviss had been trying to follow Judith and while he had wounded one of the archers, he was forced to dodge and weave through the trees to not die by the other''s hand.


    Shit, what the hell happened?? Eldrian wondered as he rushed over, the mage preparing a spell just barely realizing someone was charging from the side. Turning he shot out an earthen spike, Eldrian jumping to the side to dodge it and sending his own Frost Needle at the mage.


    The mage jumped to the side and managed to block the spell with his arm. This saved his life but needing time to cast a spell, it did notst long. After recovering from his dodge Eldrian sent another Frost Needle and charged at one of the heavy-ted men to get closer and a better angle.


    His spellnding urately this time on the mage as this mage couldn''t understand how Eldrian cast his spells so fast.? In his charge, Eldrian suddenly heard the whistle of an arrow and was forced to jump back. Shit, that was close.? He thought, only to suddenly feel a stinging pain in his leg.? Double shot?


    Without dy, Eldrian ripped the arrow out and used Thera and Anthizo to slightly heal the wound and give him a burst of energy. Luckily at this time, Therdul managed to ovee his opponent. Just as he wanted to charge at the archers he saw Erik already running at them. He was certain to die, but his doing so allowed both Eldrian and Therdul to focus on the remaining mage and fighter.


    Eldrian pulled another random sword and threw it at the mage while he was healing his leg. The mage didn''t even realize what was going on as he was fighting Elizabeth to a standstill. While the sword did not hit with its de, the impact caused the mage to falter and Elizabeth to just barelynd a direct strike.


    Therdul on the other hand had tackled the person fighting Nikki. Pinning him down had made it easy for Nikki to cut off the man''s head. As she did they got a notification that Erik had died. Followed not long after by Zyviss dying.


    Cursing Eldrian cast Mifotia to burn his wound closed and grouped with the rest.? Together they searched for the remaining archer or two, unsure if it was just one or not. Finally, the whistle of an arrow was heard and they lost another yer as Elizabeth didn''t manage to bring up her shield in time.


    Eldrian immediately set off in the direction of the arrow, barely seeing the silhouette of the archer between the trees. As the archer turned to fire at him, Eldrian cast Frost Needle and the archer loosed his arrow. Eldrian bringing his shield up to block and the archer forced to sacrifice his arm as he found the spell changing direction after he dodged.


    Struggling to stand up the archer was not willing to give up, but another Frost Needle made his determination moot.


    [Congratitions on your win. As this is the first day and the strength of parties has yet to be tested, the point reward will be determined by Tier difference. As such you gain 7 points.]

 Chapter 262: Tournament (6) - Internal conflict

    <h4>Chapter 262: Tournament (6) - Internal conflict</h4>


    "Well, that was far harder than thest one," Therdul said as he looked at Elizabeth''s avatar. An arrow struck clearly through her neck, her eyes staring emptily into the sky. If not for thest few months Therdul felt this simple image might have haunted him at night.


    "No kidding, these guys were strong and coordinated," Nikki said as she turned to Ilmadia, the ax still stuck in her chest. A pinpoint hit right in the center.


    "What the hell happened?" Eldrian asked after returning from hunting down thest member of their opponents'' team.


    "Simple, they weren''t just mages and shield bearers. They all had a throwing weapon or two which totally caught us off our guard. Most of us managed to dodge, but Ilmadia was in the middle of casting so she stood still." Nikki replied.


    "Yeah, didn''t see them opening fire like that." Therdul added, "And they were urate, like really urate. I''d say they all are used to using throwing weapons, probably having it as a hobby in real life. They likely have the same Tier in range as in their main ss. Their team probably having only not all gone rangers since they need some diversity."


    "Is that why we got so many points?" Eldrian asked, causing everyone to look at the 7 they had just gotten.


    "Let''s go back the others should be in Elizabeth''s virtual home now," Nikki said after looking at it, not wishing to discuss it without the others.


    "Shouldn''t we try to scout the area?" Therdul asked.


    "Is there a point, its a forest. What can we discover?" Nikki countered, the others agreeing with her point. Last time in the grasnd that five minutes hadn''t really given them much, other than finding that they had ess to all that they would have in the game.


    "Fine..." With that, they all left the arena.


    ...


    "There you guys are," Judith said as soon as the three of them appeared in Elizabeth''s virtual home.


    "Why was that so hard?" Elizabeth asked as soon as the three got used to the change in environment. It was quite disorientating to be in a forest one moment and in a fancy garden the next.


    "Probably because our two strongest people were taken out right at the start," Ilmadia said, not happy that she was taken out before she could even finish casting her first spell.


    "What do you mean strongest? Sure you and Judith are the highest Tier, but I can guarantee that Eldrian is stronger." Therdul interrupted. "I mean he took out five of the opponents, with finishing two archers alone being the first ones he targetted. Judith instead got shot down like a defenseless boar."


    "Hmmp, it isn''t fair that just a couple of arrows can take me down." Judith countered, not at all bothered by being called a boar. "Faust, you should have healed me more!"


    "Wha- I was trying to save Ilmadia." Erik countered, not happy at being called out. He also knew there was no way he could have saved Judith, she was simply being hit too much for Tier 2 healing magic to keep up. Even if they didn''t hit a vital organ, which they had.


    "But you failed, so you should have healed me." Judith pressed and quickly everyone started arguing at each other. All but Therdul and Eldrian, Elizabeth while not having joined the arguing was trying to put an end to it.


    "Hey Eldrian, tell me why you chose such a simple and in name for your in-game handle. I mean your real name sounds so much more fitting." Therdul said after slipping out of the middle of everyone.


    Rubbing his head Eldrian replied honestly, "I wanted it to represent my new start. Haru means spring in Japanese, also meaning new beginnings. I had thought it was a good choice."


    "Nah, your game handle should be something fancy. Something you can be proud of." Therdul countered.


    "Really, I am proud of it though. And isn''t your real name really cool too. What was it again?" Eldrian countered.


    "Laserian," Therdul replied and stayed silent for a few seconds, "I didn''t think it fit a dwarf."


    "Why not?" Eldrian asked.


    "I don''t know... Probably since I am so used to it, it didn''t feel exotic or strange to me."


    "Right..." Eldrian said as he felt the same with his name. To him, Eldrian was simply his name, something he was used to. It held no special meaning and he wanted his avatar''s name to have a meaning and reason behind it for him.


    After a few minutes of small talk between Eldrian and Therdul, the arguing finally ended with Elizabeth past tired. "Can''t you guys not throw usations at each other." She said while taking a deep breath to calm herself.


    "I am supposed to be the leader, yet no one really listened to me. You all ignored me just now and I had to shout my throat out to get you to quiet down." With that everyone apologized in unison as they never really meant to cause trouble. They were all mostly frustrated with how useless they had been.


    "Elizabeth, the thing is..." Nikki paused as he wondered how to phrase it, "You can''t and never did, try to reallymand us before. In the game, you would decide the direction for us, such as which quests we would take and when to abandon one. You never told us how we should fight.''


    "We followed and listened to you because you normally managed to see if something was too good to be true or not. We always came up with our own tactics and ways of fighting.''


    "It worked because with time we got used to how the other went about things. We knew Judith would charge in, so we didn''t ask her to not do so. Instead, we moved with her, Therdul always covering for us and offering her support when she got surrounded. Ilmadia trying to zone any enemies we had to fight, along with Zyviss who would also try and injure key targets.''


    "Me and you, we were just there as side characters. We offered help if we could, else we stayed out of their way. Healing magic is simply too weak and unlike Ilmadia we aren''t talented in memorizing spell modules."


    Hearing this Elizabeth stared nkly at Nikki, realizing that she had wanted things to go too perfect. That her orders would be followed to the tee. She had forgotten that she didn''t really know a thing about fighting, in other games, she could always see the big picture.


    That was why she knew which quests to take and which to avoid. Fights were too chaotic and quick for her to figure out what was happening, she often became frozen trying to figure it out. While in other games this wasn''t too bad, in ANW it meant she literally did nothing.


    "Instead of aiming to win each fight, we should use these ones to get used to each other. From the past two, I have learned that Eldrian is certainly the most flexible. With his control over magic, he is nearly invincible. Though hisck of diversity in magic makes him limited, his range with just a few spells is far more than Ilmadia''s."


    "While Ilmadia can use far stronger spells, she can''t control them like Eldrian. She also takes time to cast them, which is exactly why she died. yers know this, and they use this. I suspect this is also why Eldrian managed so well. No one expects him to be able to cast a spell mid-dodge, mid-dash, mid-strike. It is insanely overpowered, yet countering that he is still limited to Tier 1 spells."


    "But as is clear to see," Ilmadia interrupted as she had to ept what Nikki said was correct, "With his control, his spells are even stronger than mine. I generally don''t use Frost Needle or any such spells as getting it to hit is hard. It takes time to form and cast it, allowing people to expect and dodge it.''


    "Generally that means the hit won''t be a vital one. With it only doing between ten to twenty damage then, Eldrian''s instead outright killed the opponents. Alwaysnding somewhere important. This is why I try to use stronger spells, to ovee this limit. But higher Tier spells take longer to cast, and why I diedst time."


    "So your saying we should fight more?" Judith asked with a grin, her unnecessary voicing of this caused the tension which had been growing to ease. "Elizabeth rx, these matches basically mean nothing. We should consider this training."


    Elizabeth smiled as Judith said this, "Thanks, I will try to real in my expectations."


    "Good, now does anyone know how the point system works? The first fight we got a measly 1 point, yet now we got 7," Therdul said, moving the topic away from thest fight.


    "Let''s check if thepany had made any updates," Elizabeth said, everyone doing just that. They were all curious how that was being calcted and what they would mean.


    They were shocked to find that the developers had actually made a post about this. Generally, they would just keep things hidden and have the yers explore them. Naturally, everyone was happy that they didn''t need to wait for yers to figure it out with time.


    The point system was quite vicious. It counted the total number of Tiers in a team, using only their highest. So for example Eldrian with his hidden ss as Tier 2, and his two others as Tier 1, would only add 2 to this number. Judith and Ilmadia 3, the rest all 2 but Elizabeth who was still Tier 1.


    The difference in this number is then used to determine the strength difference. With it being extremely harsh for losing, and hard to gain points when winning.


    For winning if the team''s total Tiers came to the same number, then they would only get two points. If the winning team had more total Teirs then they would only be awarded 1. If they had less, then for each Tier less they would gain one more point, added to the 2. So in thest fight, it meant that their opponents had had 5 more Tiers in total.


    Lossing instead had a penalty of 5 points if the teams are even, with a minimum of 1 loss if your''s is far weaker. There was no limit if your team was stronger, hence if you had just 4 more Tiers in total, then the loss would be 9 points already.


    ***


    If you are not reading on Webnovel then you are reading a pirated material.


    /book/a-new-world-an-immersive-game-experience_17520255106385805

 Chapter 263: Tournament (7)

    <h4>Chapter 263: Tournament (7)</h4>


    This was not all that the developers had shared with this post. They had also exined how they nned to shift through these points, andter create ranks to separate the yer base. Much like how mostpetitive games have ranks that would not just indicate your ranking, but also who you woulde to face in the future.


    For this, they exined that while the system message indicated that this point system would only be used for the first day, that this would actually be used for a week. After this, they hoped that everyone would have managed to have gained points in rtion to their actual skill level. Which would eliminate much stronger teams from bullying weaker ones.


    From the next week, the people you woulde to face will be limited to within your rank, or close to it. In this case, the Tier point system will still be used as it is an indication of the raw strength of parties and individuals. Though for individuals the points gainable and losable are simply 1 to 4 depending on Tier difference. Simr to the team calctions.


    At the point where ranks are used, the point rewards will be multiplied if a lower-ranked lower-Tiered team/person wins against a higher-ranked higher-Tiered team/person. And vice versa, naturally.


    Ultimately these arenas are also going to be kept openter on when the gamees online again, and as such yers are encouraged to make use of them. Both as training and to keep their rank for when the next year''s tournament will be held.


    "That''s simple enough, it seems that the most important thing is actually not losing, as doing so results in a much heavier penalty than the reward for winning is," Elizabeth said as she finished reading, the others all finishing around the same time.


    "This still doesn''t change a thing. In fact, gaining points would likely be easierter on, as the ranking will most likely be dominated by stronger teams. I feel like there must be quite a few full Tier 3 teams." Nikki said after a little contemtion.


    "Right, in any case, we have no real way of knowing what we are going to face. Luckily once the ranking systemes up, the total Tiers of the opponent will be shown before the fight. So then we will be better prepared, unlike thest fight." Therdul said, everyone now knowing that the team they had nearly lost against was certainly far stronger than them.


    This had made everyone much less opinionated at how each other had messed up, and more impressed at Eldrian who seemed to not even care who he went up against. Everyone seemed to be the same against him, but one spell from death.


    "So, are we going to join the queue?" Judith asked, actually having taken her time to understand what was happening for once. While she didn''t care about much, this was one thing she knew she needed to know. Especially for the individual matches she nned to doter today.


    "Wait, before that," Erik said, "Last time we had no way of defending against range. What is our max range? If we run into a team of eight archers, how are we going to reach them without dying?"


    "Well, I can urately hit at between twenty and thirty meters. Though if the target is moving that is more like fifteen and twenty." Zyviss replied, wishing he had actually used a bow IRL.


    Having learned from scratch he was still quite new, and his bow not nearly as nice as apound in reality. If he was just aiming at a target then he could actually say fifty meters, though as soon as the opponent started moving it dropped sharply.


    "I''d say at best my spells can hit at 20 meters, but most of them aren''t all that fast. Normally I would use them at ten meters, the charging time for my spells make it too easy to dodge if I am further back." Ilmadia added.


    Hearing this Eldrian was quite shocked at how limited she was, "Really? How long does it take you to cast Frost Needle?" He asked, knowing that it could fly for at least thirty meters with good pration still.


    In fact, Eldrian could keep control of his spell up to ten meters, after that he couldn''t fully control how it needed to move. He would still be able to change direction slightly after that for up to fifteen meters.


    The only reason he hadn''t been fully using Frost Needle was that he didn''t want to fully dominate the field. He wanted to learn where he stood among other yers and what they were capable of. More importantly, he didn''t like fully relying on magic, he knew he already relied too much on it.


    Not that that was really wrong, one had to do everything they could to survive and win. He just felt like he had one trick at this point and he hoped to better his spear skills while losing wasn''t too bad. In-game at best he could spar against others, but then he couldn''t use magic nor Aoidos. If it wasn''t a spar, then generally it was a fight for survival.


    The spars were always until the first hit, or at best first vital hit. Hence it never took into ount dying moves and desperate acts of bravery. Eldrian really wanted to learn what fighting till the end meant, without having the danger of not resurrecting, at worst, or losing XP at best.


    In most cases, dying would also mean he couldn''t help those he had been fighting with anymore, something he truly did not wish to let happen. For once, he wanted to feel more like a normal yer. To have death mean little to nothing.


    "It takes just a second, but that is enough in most cases," Ilmadia replied after a moment of trying to recall. Not having used Tier 1 spells since she had reached Tier 2.


    "I rememberst time we fought you stood still, why? Can''t you move while casting?" Eldrian asked.


    "Well..." Ilmadia paused as she became embarrassed, "That is because I normally fail in creating the spell module if I shift my focus to moving and casting."


    That doesn''t make sense,? Eldrian thought and said just that, "How can you actually use Tier 3 spells and not be able to move and use Tier 1 spells?" He asked, knowing now howrge a difference there was in Tier 1, 2, and 3 spell modules.


    Tier 2 was basically twice asplicated as Tier 1, and Tier 3 again twice asplicated as Tier 2.? Hence even if she can barely cast thest, then she must be able to cast the first with little to no effort.


    "I-I, I''ve never really tried again... The difference in damage is so much that I thought Tier 1 spells were simply useless." She replied, her cheeks turning red as she realized how narrow-minded she sounded.


    She had ced all her attention on learning higher and moreplex spells, never looking back once she had upgraded.? This wasrgely why she was already Tier 3, but now she realized that this limited her too.


    "I''ll try to move and cast in the next match." She said with fists balled and determination burning. She did not want to be useless, and if that meant doing less damage but surviving, she was for it. A small contribution to the team was better than none.


    "Alright, then let''s..."


    "Wait!" Erik interrupted Elizabeth, "We have yet to determine what we would do against eight archers."


    Hearing this everyone frowned, if everyone had a shield they might have been able topletely block from all angles. But parts of them would still be visible past the shields, and they wouldn''t really be able to move all that well.


    "It isn''t that hard." Eldrian said, "At best I can hit people at thirty meters with Forst Needle. Though I can send Floga even further, it doesn''t do any damage..." Hearing this everyone looked at Eldrian as if he was a freak. Not only was his reactions insanely fast, along with his uracy being pinpoint to the point that he often didn''t need to confirm the hit. He even had insane range.


    "But I don''t want to do that since I want to use this as sparring practice, not target practice. So if thates up, then we just act defensively. I am sure if we hide and chose our shots, we can whittle them down." Eldrian finished, everyone nodding as they also didn''t want him to just kill everyone from range.


    While they wanted to win, they also wanted to improve themselves. Unlike most yers, they were fullymitted to improving and trying to make a name for their guild. Not knowing that the guild leaders actually didn''t like that they were doing this without their influence and help.


    With that settled they all finally joined the queue again, this time waiting two minutes before being teleported. This time the terrain they arrived in was a rocky outcrop, the perfect ce for hide and seek tactics.


    They started behind arge rock formation, their opponents not in sight. The terrain terrible to walk as pieces of rocks were scattered throughout, each step needing to be carefully chosen.

 Chapter 264: Tournament (8) - A Strange Man.

    <h4>Chapter 264: Tournament (8) - A Strange Man.</h4>


    While the terrain had been terrible, their opponents had not been strong. Moving around therge rock formation a group of five melee focused and three mages were quickly seen. None of them in proper armor, nor having decent weapons. The fight earned their group only 1 point, and had ended with one charge.


    In this and theing fights, everyone tried to experiment with how they fought, and also tried toe up with names for how someone equipped themselves and fought. The system''s ssification far too broad and making it hard for them tomunicate with each other.? Especially when they tried exining who they were aiming for.


    Coming back from the arena everyone felt quite disappointed at theck of points gained, so they quickly queue up again. An hourter they had only managed to gain another eight points, everyone feeling slightly irritated at the random matchups. While the matches were easy, that also meant the rewards were meager.


    "I don''t think continuing to try and grind points like this is at all effective. While I don''t feel we will lose to a weaker team, if it does happen our entire day''s work will be down the drain." Zyvissined as they finished theirst match.


    All the fights had happened in different areas, though by the end those they had been starting to repeat. Or rather it was also a forest, grasnd, or even dessert. While the specific location seemed to still differ, they had seemingly gone through the different options already.


    "But we have to try and rack up enough points tond in a decent rank." Elizabeth countered, also not liking how slow it was to gain points. For the most part, they really used thest matches just to get used to what to expectter on.


    "Why don''t we call it for now, most of us also want to try the individual matches." Therdul added, "As Zyviss said, there is a massive chance of losing all our points if we push on, simply to push on."


    Sighing Elizabeth agreed, she was the only one in the group who had no interest in the individual matches. As such as everyone left she started trying to recollect and work through what had happened today.


    Back in his own virtual space, Eldrian looked around and sighed. Getting points was simply too random, to really gain arge amount would mean fully devoting all their time to the team matches.


    It would be better to only mildly participate this week to gain some points, and then dive in fully next week when teams at least start bing sorted. Which should lessen the chance of gaining only 1 point for a victory. Though it should also heighten the chances of losing.


    This problem did not hold as strongly with individual matches, due to the point count gainable and losable being much more bnced with only two peoples Tier difference being considered.


    Calling the interface and clicking on individual matches, only the one category Eldrian had signed up for appeared. While before there had been nearly a hundred different ones, as he thought of this he suddenly regretted not signing up for the magic individual fights.


    With a sigh, he queued up and almost immediately was teleported into an arena. The area he appeared in being a simple field with waist-high grass.


    "Oh, an elf!" A voice eximed, turning around Eldrian saw an elderly man with gray in his beard. Though if this reflected reality or was just the man''s personal touch on his avatar was unknown.


    "Seems these matches are less chaotic than the team matches," Eldrian said as he looked the man up and down. Currently, this man had no spear in hand, though he did have some type of leather armor covering his chest. This being the only armor he had.


    "Certainly, there people just rush in to fight. d you didn''t do that." The man said with a slight smile. "I''m Zylric, I hope our fight will be fun."


    "Haru," Eldrain returned the greeting, "Do you know how magic is limited?"


    "Ah yes, it isn''t really. It''s just if you use it the system will detect it and you will lose automatically." Zylric replied.


    "Interesting, where are you from in the game?" Eldrian asked, finding the man''s demeanor quite strange. He had not expected to end up conversing with his opponent. Though with the day still being long he didn''t care about wasting some time talking.


    "Ins, if you would believe it. Crazy what happened there, I can''t believe the developers would let us start in a kingdom on the brink of copse."


    "What!? I haven''t heard anything about that kingdom in so long." Eldrian was simply blown away. Thest he could remember was that the yers had been trapped in their spawn city, unable to even more out without being killed.


    "It was strange when the city fell and we died, I thought we''d end up being resurrected and killed endlessly. Instead, we resurrected in another city."


    "Right, I vaguely remember that too," Eldrian replied as that piece of information came back to him. Hearing this though he became excited about their match. Certain that this man must have gone through a great deal of fighting if he was from there.


    "After that most yers gave up, especially when our new city was also surrounded."


    "But you didn''t?" Eldrian questioned.


    "No, I like the mayhem and chaos. I felt right at home. It allowed me to truly hone my skills, though my tier and level are shit due to that. "


    What the?? Eldrian did not know how to respond to that.


    "Right enough talk, let''s fight." The man said, pulling out a fully metal spear from thin air. The spear glittered slightly in the sun, its shaft ck with dark red patterns gilded through it. The spearhead like an abyss hungry for blood.


    Eldrian responding in kind by pulling out hispletely wooden spear, Aoidos. He could not help but feel like his spear was nothing inparison, even knowing it was a Tier 3 spear. It was simply too basic, especiallypared to Zylric''s.


    Seeing Eldrian ready, Zylric charged forward. His spear aiming straight for Eldrian''s heart. Jumping back and pushing the thrust aside Eldrian hoped to counter. Instead, he had to retreat again as the man''s foot came for his stomach.


    Struggle to make enough distance for himself to use his spear, Eldrian could not understand this man''s fighting style. While using a spear, he kept getting into close range. Often using his spear with only one hand and his other aiming for Eldrian or his spear. Resulting in him only capable of wild swings, which he used to pressure Eldrian to where his fist was waiting.


    As Eldrian dodged a wild swing from Zylric, he wished to use magic and end it in one. Needing to fight his instincts of doing so. Instead, he regripped his spear and swung it with all his might. His reckless action resulting in Zylric getting a punch in on his stomach, but the shaft of Aoidos pushing Zylric away and giving him the space he needed.


    "Impressive, now let''s get serious," Zylric smirked as he brought another spear out of thin air. This one much shorter than the first, only around a meter long.


    Seeing the second spear Eldrian failed to understand Zylric even more. First, he neglected the range of his spear for closebat, now he pulled another. Spears lost a great deal of their nimbleness if used with one hand, yet instead of gaining the upper hand from this action, Eldrian felt even more on edge.


    The man would wildly attack with his ck spear, using the other in any opening Eldrian showed. At first, only shallow cutsnded as Eldrian was forced to dance to not end up cut by the first, or pierced by the other.


    Finally, Eldrian failed in dodging. The short spear sticking into his side and the other soon following. With a wild swing, Zylric thrust it into Eldrian''s chest and smiled.


    Waking with a start Eldrian looked around and calmed down as he found himself back in his virtual home. The death was one of the most disturbing to himself thus far. It had felt like he was fighting Vivian or even Old Sword. No matter what he did it changed nothing.


    Near the end Eldrian almost cast Forst Needle out of instinct, fighting this instinct had been the reason why he had failed to dodge that thrust.


    Luckily he had no points so the loss meant little, though he still could not understand the style that man had used.? Eldrian felt it was more a style dagger users would make use of, yet somehow the man had made it work with spears.


    So strange, I wonder if there are many like him.? Eldrian thought surprised that there was someone so much better than him. He had truly thought he would rule the spear matches too, now he realized how much not using magic limited him.

 Chapter 265: Tournament prep (9) - Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 265: Tournament prep (9) - Ranking</h4>


    The more Eldrian fought in the individual matches, the more he came to learn howckluster his skills seemed. While he didn''t lose all that many matches, it was often not easy for him to win. Sure it was better than when he fought Vivian, but Eldrian really hadn''t thought there would be so many talented spearmen.


    He also came to realize that stats seemed to be equalized in these matches, he had never found himself faster or stronger than another. Nor had the opposite happened to him. It was truly just a match of skill, which made them all the more fun, and difficult. His bonus 15 attributes across, from his hidden ss not helping at all.


    "Oh, what type of elf are you?" Asked his current opponent, a female moon elf. Her hair a light silver like the light of the moon, and her clothing matching it too. Silky robes flowing down her figure. She did not seem dressed forbat, but Eldrain ignored this to the best of his ability.


    "High elf," Eldrian replied as he pulled Aoidos from his inventory. Not wishing to talk too much, almost everyone having chat before fighting. Eldrian had be tired of these chats as most of the time they were just simple banter or small talk.


    "What an interesting spear. How did you get it?" She asked upon ncing at the fully wooden spear Eldrian had taken out. Her ent peculiar and Eldrian unsure if she was speaking English or if the system was tranting her voice for him.


    This was something else he hade to discover the system capable of. While he had known it was possible in-game, the system also doing this with live speech had shocked him. One of his opponents had asked where he was from and whatnguage he spoke, which had led to this discovery.


    This again had made Eldrian wonder just why this technology was not out in the world. Such a wless and effortless trantor would certainly gain instant focus and sell like hotcakes.


    "A gift," Eldrian replied after a bit of thought. He turned to look at the double-headed wooden spear. It made little sense that this would be able to hold itself against metal, yet time and time again it did. Through these matches, Eldrian had also learned that their equipment would not lose durability. Nor did he have ess to its skills and passive.


    Their team had actually learned the bit about durability from Judith, when the sword she had broken had reappeared in her inventory on the next match. A rule to keep people at their strength when they signed up, it seemed.


    "Wow, that so cool." The girl said, taking out her own spear. It was but a normal spear, wooden shaft, metal spearhead, no runes or engravings. "I am still stuck with this... Do you want to trade?" She asked with hope shining in her eyes.


    "No thanks..." Eldrian replied as he looked at her eagerness, "Aren''t we going to fight?" He asked, quickly determining that her''s was indeed not a magical weapon. Though this mattered little in these matches, while the damage would be less, with Eldrian not wearing armor it really didn''t matter. A hit would still eat his HP, not matter what.


    "Oh, ummm.... Okay." She replied quickly getting into a stance and measuring Eldrian up and down as he too got into his stance.


    Rushing forward Eldrian started with a simple thrust, the girl blocking it with her shaft and sweeping at his legs with the back of her spear as she did. Jumping back Eldrian dodged the simple counter-attack and attacked again.


    This time with a swing, which she again blocked and then leveraged her spear to move with his momentum. This threw him off bnce while her spearhead appeared where he was inclined to fall. Rushing to recovered Eldrian threw a wild swing she was forced to dodge.


    Eldrian continued trying to attack, finally jumping back and taking the defensive as he kept failing. While she had yet to hit him in return, he felt like she was just trying to tire him out. She was fully focused on defense and making use of his own strength against him.


    "Ah, no fair. You need to keep attacking and be upset at not seeding." She teased as she saw Eldrian taking a defensive stance. Seeing him not respond she sighed, "Fine, it''s my loss."


    "What?" Eldrian countered only to receive the system notification that he had won and gained two points. For these matches, Eldrian had learned the thing that counted wasn''t actually their Tier. With all stats equalized and magic forbidden, it would make little sense for that to be the case.


    It wasn''t like the free fights, these matches were truly just a test of skill. As such, what determined the point gain and loss was instead their rank with their weapon. Having gotten two points, Eldrian knew it meant she was also Rank 2 with a spear. Shocking him as he truly thought she would be Rank 3.


    Returning to his virtual home Eldrian couldn''t help but think of thisst fight. Certain that this girl must practice martial arts with a spear IRL. Much like his first his opponent, Colron, with his unique and strange style. Though Colron might have truly learned his through constant fights from being in Ins.


    Most of the other fights had been close simply because hecked the edge of speed he was so used to. But those two stood out clearly. Unlike him, they truly had a unique style of spearmanship without magic.


    With that match, Eldrian also felt it was time to call it a day, having earned a total of 23 points, and having lost 6. So he logged out and did some stuff IRL, a routine of team matches in the morning and individual ones in the afternoon quickly forming.


    Every day they would aim for at least 20 points, some days that would take twenty matches, others they might gain it in three to four. On those days they would always decide to fight some more, seeing as almost no time had been spent.


    When they did lose, they would generally only lose one point, which always relieved them greatly. In most of these cases, they suspected that their opponents had been a full Tier 3 team. Often either Eldrian being caught unprepared, or him being thest standing, the cause of their defeat.


    Finally, a week passed and the rankings came out, the first 5 separated by 20 points each. Thetter five by 50, and thest having no cap and the announcement dering all in thest rank qualified for the true tournament.


    The first five ranks were wood, copper, tin, bronze, iron. The next five instead being novice, graduate, expert, master, grandmaster. With the final one being legend.


    With their team having gained just under 130 points, theynded in the novice rank. On the forum, the rankings could directly be searched by anyone. Out of curiosity they had looked and found that the highest point score was 211, by a team called Pure Warriors.


    Interestingly the forum ranking also gave a team''s total Tier score, this team''s being 24. Hence a team of just Tier 3''s. Their team instead only had a Tier score of 17.


    "Didn''t we fight them?" Nikki asked as she read their team name. She recalled that they had faced a team of three knights, three warriors, and two fighters. Havinge up with the naming convention between themselves throughout the week.


    Knights would be people in full armor who forgo a shield. Generally, these guys were the trickiest as they almost always had two or more focused weapons. Some of them also mixed spells into their fighting style, a thing which hadpletely shocked Ilmadia when she first saw them executing it wlessly.


    Warriors instead were what one would think of as tanks in a game. Their armor while also full te, was generally much heavier. Therdul was a perfect example of someone in this made-up ss, going into the game he wanted to eat the damage for his team. Many yers had had these same thoughts going in. They still hoped to actually be capable of doing so, theck of a taunt skill being their biggest drawback.


    Fighters were just melee-focused yers who didn''t wish to be bogged down by armor. ording to their agreements, Eldrian, Nikki, and Judith would be ssified as this. Though everyone had felt Judith was too extreme and thus just threw her her own style name of berserker. With her little care for harm and blindness in a fight everyone, even Judith, felt it suited her well. Though even she felt she needed to work on her tunnel vision, especially when she kept dying because of it.


    "Can''t be too sure, the style names we came up with aren''t in the list, naturally. I mean the team''s yers'' names aren''t even shared. Just the team name." Zyviss replied as he looked at the ranking. They were not ced too bad, though there were over a thousand teams who had managed to gain over a hundred points.


    "Hopefully from here on we won''t be getting just one point for a victory," Judith said, not at all happy when their opponents were too easy to defeat.


    "That is likely the case, I mean we are surrounded by 18 and 19 Tier scores. So that''s something." Ilmadia replied, having through this week improved massively. She was almost as urate with her spells while moving as Zyviss was with his arrows.


    Something Zyviss was really disappointed about, as his usefulness dropped sharply as Ilmadia started helping. Sure he wasn''t actually disappointed, more sad. He felt more and more like trying to be a ranger was just too damn hard. He had to continually practice, and while he couldn''t discount that Ilmadia did that too, it felt like he was being surpassed with little effort.

 Chapter 266: Tournament perp (10)

    <h4>Chapter 266: Tournament perp (10)</h4>


    "Then let''s queue and see what happens!" Therdul shouted with excitement, the randomness of the previous fights having really bothered all of them. With his shout everyone did just that, the waiting taking just a few minutes. Before being transported to the arena they were told that their enemy''s Tier score was 20.


    Thereafter they found themselves in a woody area, the trees not dense and for the most part visibility quite good. Around sixty meters from them stood their opponents, six warriors, and two mages.


    "Alright, like normal," Elizabeth said as soon as they arrived, nodding everyone started moving forward. Judith splitting from the rest of them and Therdul taking the front.


    Countering their actions their opponents all rushed forward, the mages staying behind the shields of the warriors. As soon as they were close enough they started casting their spells, Zyviss letting loose and Ilmadia doing the same with her spells.


    Eldrian waited for a bit and counted how long it took them to cast each spell. Their opponents favoring earth spells, sending football-sized rocks at them. Even if one were to hide behind a shield, one would take considerable damage from the sheer weight behind the spell.


    As such Therdul was forced to dodge, as was Judith. The opponents instead blocking the spells and arrows from Zyviss and Ilmadia with ease. Linking their shields to form a type of shieldwall.


    "Are we going to charge?" Therdul asked as he had to jump out of the way of another massive rock. While it took the mages a couple of seconds to summon the rock from the ground and send it at him, if their aim wasn''t bad he had to dance.


    "Alright, let''s go." Elizabeth agreed upon seeing that Judith was closing in. The time between spells doing little to slow her nk. As she reached within striking distance, one of the warriors had to split off to stop her advance. As he turned both Ilmadia and Zyviss aimed for him, causing another warrior to break from the formation to stop the spike and arrow from killing his friend.


    With that Eldrian charged forward and cast Frost Needle himself, seeing it above the warriors and letting it drop from there. The shout of pain shocking them all as they failed to understand what had happened. Had their opponent not lost control during casting, they asked themselves in confusion.


    This gave Eldrian, Therdul, and Nikki the chance they needed to strike at the two warriors who had broken from the shieldwall. Judith having circled behind them to go for the mage.


    "Dammit, split up!" One of their opponents said upon realizing that their approach was not working. Only for them to be the target of Ilmadia and Zyviss as soon as they opened up and no longer hid behind their shields.


    Ah man, I really need to learn some attack spells.? Erikined as he simply watched the fight unfold. He felt quite useless, as generally he couldn''t do much more than throwing buffs and heals at his team. While it did help, it didn''t do much. He felt more like a spectator than a participant.


    "They had an interesting tactic," Elizabethmented as they finished thest warrior.


    "Yeah, might have worked if they had another mage or two. They just didn''t have enough firepower, and splitting that had made it even less effective." Therdul said, slightly embarrassed that he had not dared take one of their spells head-on. Luckily both mages hadn''t aimed for him or he would likely have lost a good deal of his health.


    "In any case, the points reward was really nice. We got ten from this match, they must be furious at their loss." Nikki added, everyone soon leaving the arena and returning to Elizabeth''s virtual home.


    "We now have a target, so let''s continue trying to reach it for the rest of the morning," Elizabeth said as soon as everyone returned.


    Everyone quickly agreed and so the few days passed simr to the previous week. Only this time they would almost always gain two digits with a win. Quickly their points grew, until they started facing teams who were really hard to crack. One such team was the Pure Warriors.


    They gained plenty of points with each win, most other teams did not have this advantage. While they would lose more and more as their rank increased, the losses generally only resulted in six points loss at max.


    After three days they had reached the 300 points mark. Entering the Grandmaster rank along with thirty other teams.


    All these teams had a Tier score over 22, hence naturally they had a much harder time gaining points. While in the master rank there were still a few teams with a score below 20, they were far and few between.


    Finding themselves in a grasnd, everyone looked at the familiar team they had lost tost time. Their fatal w having been unable to damage this team through all their armor.


    "Shit, any idea how we don''t lose?" Nikki asked as soon as she saw thep of three knights, three warriors, and two fighters.


    "No idea,st time they simply charged us and we failed to get through their armor," Eldrian replied as he through back to that fight. He had felt quite helpless as Forst Needle would simply shatter upon making contact with their armor. While he had fared well against one of the knights, his team had not done the same.


    "Let''s just give it our all," Elizabeth said, already considering this a loss. They simply had no way to deal with these people in their full te armor. She could simply not understand how they had the coin to equip six members with such good quality armor.


    While it wasn''t magic armor, the knights had Tier 6 normal armor. The warriors instead having a mix of Tier 5 and 6. Which meant each piece had an armor rating of around 16 points, which also meant anything with less raw damage than that would simply be a force hitting them. Not something deadly like a de.


    Unlike them, their opponents had started moving forwards as soon as they orientated themselves with their new location.


    "Erik, focus on keeping me and Judith alive and buffed. We''ll try and aim for the knights. Therdul try to stall the warriors while the rest deal with the fighters." Eldrian said, hoping that he would be able to actually hold his own against two knights.


    "Wait, what!? Howe... A shit!" Therdul had to end his question and just rush forward to stop their opponents from reaching the others. Zyviss quickly splitting and trying to aim for the fighters who wore lighter armor and had plenty of exposed skin. Thanks to that he could also notice that one of them was a girl.


    Eldrian instead rushed forward with Judith, both swinging at a respective knight. The one facing Eldrian blocking his swing and quickly trying to counterattack. Judith''s opponent, instead having opted to dodge her sh, which was certainly a smart choice.


    Clicking her tongue in annoyance she kept pressing her opponent, leaving the other two to Eldrian as he had expected would happen.


    Eldrian was quickly forced onto the back foot as he failed to find a weak point in his opponents'' armor. That is until he cast Mifotia and sent the ball of fire into the visor of one of the knights. The man shouting as his face was burned and giving Eldrian the alone time he needed with one of them.


    Striking with all his strength at this knight, Eldrian aimed for his de. Until he no longer did. Having expected another blow aimed for his sword, instead, Eldrian used double strike and thrust at his chest. The change in pace catching the knight of guard and piercing through his armor.


    This was not enough to kill him though, and the one Eldrian had blinded was quickly recovering as he used healing on himself. Desperate Eldrain thrust at his opponent''s head, while at the same time casting Prastio. A poison spell he had learned long ago and mostly forgotten off.


    The downside of this poison was that it was slow working and formed a massive amount. Knowing this Eldrian instead used it as he would use Nidia. Sending all that he summoned onto the knight and fully drenching him in the poison.


    Yet at that time Eldrian felt a de cut through his back, sending him off his feet. Turning his fall into a roll, he dodged the follow-up strike. In his roll he saw the situation of the others. While Judith was on the verge of killing her opponent. Therdul was facing one warrior and on hisst legs.


    Nikki was facing another, each attack sent her de flying and her reeling to recover. Elizabeth and Erik were working together to hold off the other, though they were both near death. The only good thing was that the fighters were dead and Ilmadia free to help out, along with Zyviss.


    Continuing to roll Eldrian used Aoidos''s ability to recover the HP he had lost, that attack having imed just under thirty HP. With that, he also stored Aoidos onto his inventory and pulled a random shortsword. Using it to block the next attack, unable to stand and forced to fight on his knees as the knight pressed on.


    Unfortunately, he was not facing just one person, and after the other pulled his helmet off and cleaned his eyes, he had rushed at Eldrian with a burning hatred. The poison having burned terribly once it had entered his eyes. It felt like soap had gotten into his eyes, and even now his vision was still blurry.

 Chapter 267: New developments

    <h4>Chapter 267: New developments</h4>


    Eldrian ended up unable to recover from the onught of the two knights. Waiting in Elizabeth''s virtual home he was soon joined by the others. Having lost only one point from that match.


    "That was disappointing," Erik said as he felt he contributed nothing. Though most of the others also felt frustrated. The fact that armor was the determining factor, and not skills, did not sit right with them. It felt like it was pay to win.


    "Yeah, we will have to find a way to actually win against them or we will certainly not be able to im the first prize," Nikki agreed fully, while that team also had quite some skill, she felt frustrated that they had not managed to kill more than the fighters.


    "But what can we change? Each of them is stronger than us, they must be trained in real life too. Else their coordination and understanding of each other won''t be so good." Elizabeth sighed as she said this, Eldrian finding this point interesting.


    He had not really experienced much coordination from the team. Though that was because he was basically in a world of his own, much like Judith. Everyone felt down after this, and no one saw a way for them to change the oue.


    "Shall we call it a day?" Ilmadia asked, frustrated that she could do basically nothing due to their armor too. While fire spells seemed to be effective, they didn''t work fast enough. When she had tried usingrge rocks such as one of their opponents they had easily read her aim. The casting time having truly stabbed her in the back.


    Hearing her question, no one said they should try, they all felt like ending it for the day. Most of the fights they joined were really grueling at this point. And while it was good for practice and training, they didn''t want to lose the points they had.


    While the loss was small, and most others would be. They preferred to wait a bit, especially on announcements of how the tournament was actually going to be held.


    Currently, they just knew that people reaching the legend rank would be able to participate, but as it stood now it was unlikely that many teams would make it to 350 points before the end of the week.


    Especially with higher-ranked teams gaining fewer points from winning against those below them, basically stopping them from ''farming'' points. They also could only face each team once a day, further limiting their farming.? Teams like Pure Warriors were only gaining one or two points max for each match.


    With that everyone decided to call it a day and log out or go do their individual matches. Eldrian having only reached the expert ranking with a 200 point requirement, though he wasn''t in a rush to push further. Since the highest-ranking spear fighter was only at 260 points.


    Pulling the headset off, Eldrian was stunned to find himself not alone in his room. Instead, a crew of people was busy at the opposite side busy installing something.


    "What the..." He started asking, stopping as he recognized Gengxin and Joren supervising the crew. "What''s going on?" He asked instead, turning his question calmer and without profanity.


    "Ah, sorry if we disturbed you. You remember what we talked about with the cabin?" Joren replied.


    "Yeah, thoughst time we talked I understood that you were still a distance off from making it."


    "Right, which is why we pressed to have you stop ying the game. While the tournament fights are still technically the game, it is much less stressful. I am sure you have also started feeling the difference." Gengxin replied as he had been following up every other day with Eldrian on how he felt when exiting the game.


    "Yeah, the sense of loss has grown almost nonexistent; though if I think of it, it quickly returns."


    "In any case, this here is our solution. The previous semi-immersion was a crude method of trying to keep you from losing even more connection between your mind and body." Gengxin continued, "With that method, we had basically tried to scale down the signals your brain sends to your muscles."


    "Normally, with full immersion, all these signals would be blocked. This led to your mind starting to feel like your real body was foreign. The semi-immersion allowed us to temporarily stop that from worsening, but if you entered a serious fight, or something stimted you greatly. The signals from your brain might have be too strong."


    "Meaning?" Eldrian asked, though he already felt he knew the answer.


    "You would have trashed around while in the simtion," Joren replied, confirming Eldrian''s spections. "This machine, while not a full cabin, aims to allow your brain to send all the signals it wants to your body."


    Upon saying this the crew finally finished and started leaving the room. Allowing Eldrian to see the reclined chair now installed there. Jet ck leather with a string of LED''s shing throughout the chair.


    "We won''t go into the details on how it works. But it should enable you to y fully, without fear of your body trashing around."


    "And the disconnect?" Eldrian asked, causing the two in front of him to pause for a while.


    "As we said, this is not a true cabin. It is more a halfway point. We have tested it and it does allow much better integration into the game, but..." Gengxin paused, "We do not know its limits. We believe arge part of your disconnect is also due to magic, and no one but you can test when this will no longer help in that area."


    "How would it even help?" Eldrian asked, not understanding how if the thing he was missing was mana, this would help.


    "It''s hard to exin, right you''ll just have to give it a go."


    "Can you try to exin though?" Eldrian asked, curious about how this was supposed to help. Hearing this Gengxin turned to Joren to try and simplify the science behind it.


    "Alright... In simplest terms, the headsets wouldpletely cut off your connection with your physical body upon connecting. Semi-immersion instead tried to filter the strength of the connection remaining. But it is unreliable as we have stated previously.''


    "This ''immersion chair'' for ack of a better term, instead allows your mind to fully send signals to your body. It interferes with your motor neurons receiving the signal instead. Stopping your body from actually working, but tricking your mind into the fact that you are moving. It is simr to the headset, but the approach is different and we hope it will work."


    "Why did it take so long to do then?" Eldrian asked, it sounded simple enough to him. His question caused both men to sigh in exasperation.


    "There is a lot of things to consider, and we only managed to ensure this is safe. If it will work in extreme cases, we are not too sure. You have to understand, you are testing the prototype for us. You are limit testing it." Joren replied after trying to figure out how to exin this more.


    "Alright, but still... Why did it take so long? Isn''t it simple enough to employ what you mentioned?" Eldrian pressed, failing to understand what Miracle was capable of and whatnot. This sounded to him simple enough and like something they should be able to easily do.


    "Not at all. The simplest exnation would beparing it to a hose filled with hundreds of small holes. The simplest way to stop it from leaking is to simply close the tap. Though doing this fully stops the flow. That was our approach with the headset.''


    "This immersion chair instead finds a way to block the holes individually. Keeping the flow intact and not simply covering everything in ayer of, say, ducktape. Getting it to not use a simple approach as ducktape is what took so long."


    "Then, can I try to learn Tier 2 spells and even try reaching Tier 3?" Eldrian asked with hope, while he wasn''t too bothers with that at this time. When the game started again he truly didn''t want to be forced to hold back.


    "Yes, oh and we can probably tell him," Joren replied, turning to Gengxin.


    "Alright, I am sure you were curious why there was no announcement on where or when the tournament would be held," Gengxin said, to which Eldrian nodded.


    "That was because we wanted to wait before dering it. We had stopped the time in the game for two reasons. One was to stop you from experiencing any strong stimuli until we managed something, which we now have. The other was to force all the yers to at least try fighting in PvP matches."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked but received no reply.


    "That doesn''t matter, for now, we just wanted to let you know that the game was going to start again in two days. The true tournament though won''t be held for another month. An announcement will be made by tomorrow about this, as well as the fact that the PvP arenas are going to stay open."


    "This will give yers time to increase their strength and improve where they had found themselvescking. As I am sure many hope they would be able of."

 Chapter 268: The chair and data acquisition

    <h4>Chapter 268: The chair and data acquisition</h4>


    "In any case, that is about it. You should try it out now, if you have the free time." Joren added after a slight pause. "The true test will naturally be when the game starts up again, right how are you doing?"


    Eldrian quickly filled them in about their rankings, even though he was certain they already knew. After that, they quickly exined to him how the immersion chair worked, Eldrian climbing onto it as soon as they left.


    Alright, this is kinda weird.? He thought as he lied back onto the chair, there was no headset and so he ended up staring at the roof of his room as he tried doing what Joren had said.


    "System... Collect data." He spoke first, a speaker installed in the chair soon replying.


    "Please try not to move." It spoke with a cold female voice. The LED lights all started shining, then shimmering and soon seeming like fairy lights as they lit up in random order. After nearly five minutes, with Eldrian struggling to not move, the system finally spoke again.


    "Analysisplete, would you like to dive?"


    With an unsure yes Eldrian found himself quickly losing feeling throughout his body. This moving up his body until even his eyes were closed and his mind drifted to sleep. Luckily the process did notst much longer than a second or two, or the disconnect would be truly frightening.


    Simr to when he used a new headset, Eldrian found himself in a dark room, instead of his virtual home.


    "User, please do remember that the device used to connect is still a prototype. As such a data acquisition will now be done, but first, connection test."


    With that wisps simr to the ones before appeared before Eldrian. "These wisps will guide you in the connection test, first, focus on the purple one and keep it in sight..." From there Eldrian quickly ran through all the tests as if it was his first time connecting.


    After an hour he finally finished, "Connection is stable, no malfunctions have been detected. Next, data gathering."


    Not understanding what it meant Eldrian was shocked as holographic figures appeared in front of him. "Please imagine a weapon you would like to fight with."


    Oh, so this is like the new headset''s test.? He thought as he envisioned a spear.


    "Good, now please defeat the opponent."


    Alright,? Eldrian thought, the hologram also appearing with a spear. Waiting a few seconds Eldrian realized that it was not going to take the initiative, so he did. Lunging forward he aimed for its chest, the hologram swiping his attack away and then striking at him.


    Jumping back Eldrian dodged the attack, slightly shocked at the force behind its block. His spear having nearly flown out of his hand, as he regripped he also realized just how real the holographic spear in his hand felt.? This is new...


    Yet Eldrian couldn''t linger on this as the hologram kept pressing on him, quickly finding himself hopeless as the spear in his hands was but a spear. But that in the hologram''s was like a part of it, like an extension of its hands. Often even seeming alive, able to bend and attack at the weirdest angles. Finally, Eldrian failed in dodging, and a stinging pain burst through his mind as he spat out blood, but no blood came out of his mouth.


    "Pain being adjusted, please continue." The cold female voice rang out, Eldrian doing his best to simply not let another hitnd. He felt truly hopeless as he realized that this hologram was truly not making any mistakes.


    Each and every one of its attacks would also be a block, or lead up to a following attack which also had another function. It never overswung, never misced its weight. Soon he failed in bringing the shaft to block, the holographic spear slicing through his arm and Eldrian falling to the floor screaming from the pain.


    His arm was still there, still attached and intact. Yet the pain he felt was like it had been severed. "Pain being adjusted, please continue." The robotic female voice rang out and Eldrian wished only to curse at it. Instead, he rolled to the side to not end up pierced through.


    "Stop!" Eldrian shouted in the midst of just trying to bear with the pain. He had long since dropped his holographic spear. Luckily it seemed the system obeyed hismand as the hologram he was fighting stopped with its spear centimeters from piercing his head. He dared not imagine the pain it would have caused.


    "User, please continue the fight. Data acquisition is not yet enough."


    "Fuck that! Turn of the pain first!" Eldrian countered with little care or tact. He didn''t quite get how this chair could be safe if the pain wasn''t being checked. Surely this could lead to trauma.


    "Pain is part of the acquisition, please continue."


    "No!" Eldrian was determined to not end up dead here. While he didn''t think it would actually do him harm, he did not want to know what it felt like to get his head pierced by a spear. And naturally, if it could be a trauma was unknown.


    "The fight can be reset, please continue." The voice rang out.


    Eldrian,pletely fed up by its persistence shouted, "Log out!"


    "User cannot log out, data acquisition must first be finished. Fight restarted. User, please attack the target."


    The fuck?? Eldrian was stunned as he heard the cold voice say this, looking up he saw the hologram back to its starting position. Slowly standing up himself Eldrian looked at it with slight fear, his arm still burning, but the pain bearable now.


    He was not currently in the game world, and as he had learned the past few days, he was not a master with the spear. He could do well, but this hologram seemed to be perfect. "Change weapon," Eldrian said as he hoped it would not be so good with a longsword.


    Yet again he found himself with little room for surviving once he attacked the hologram. Its movements flowing into each other with never a fault, at one point it had even used its hilt to disarm him. At which Eldrian had promptly shouted stop just before it could slice his head off.


    "Are you trying to kill me!?" Eldrian shouted as he jumped back to get the holographic sword away from his neck.


    "Data acquisition in progress. There is no intent on killing the user, only in get data. Please continue."


    This is insane! If only I had magic.? Eldrian sighed as he realized he was stuck, he didn''t know how. Surely Joren and Gengxin should have warned him of this, yet they had not. Is this a fault? Already?


    "Reset!" Eldrian was quite pissed now, though luckily thest fight had ended before he was cut through by the holographic sword.


    "Spear," Eldrian said next, looking at the hologram with apprehension. While he was not a stranger to pain, pain for no reason was not something he weed.? Alright, just be ready to shout stop.? Eldrian told himself as he charged at the hologram.


    Five hourster, lying on the ground and unwilling to move, Eldrian stared at the spear with its tip piercing his chest. He had beente to shout stop, and now he dared not move as he knew not what will happen. He even tried not breathing too much air in.


    "Re-reset," Eldrian mumbled, relieved as the burning pain in his chest left. "How far is the data acquisition?"


    "Session has been fruitful, though it is still not enough. Next match there will be no stopping, and start." The system voiced, Eldrian not understand until he saw the hologram charging at him.


    Cursing he jumped up and brought his spear to defend himself, yet his thoughts were a mess and the pain from thest match still not having fadedpletely. In a daze, he only remembered blocking in the hope of the match being stopped. It was not, and soon he felt his heart pierced.


    His mind failing to process, the pain unbearable, Eldrian got kicked out of the ck room. Jumping up in the chair he reached for his chest, d to find no hole there, even though the pain was still vivid in his mind.


    What the actual hell?? He thought as he felt his heart beating insanely fast, contrasting thest moments where he had clearly felt it stopped. Not wasting a moment he grabbed his Miracle-issued tablet. Sending both Gengxin and Joren a message asking for an exnation.


    Just minutester Gengxin rushed in, "What are you talking about, there should have just been the connection test."


    "Well that was clearly wrong. I had been stuck in life and death fights, thest one I couldn''t even stop it anymore. Do you know how it feels to have your heart pierced?" Eldrian asked as thosest minutes reyed in his mind and the with it the pain.


    "What do you mean, many yers have experienced that."


    "Without pain reduction," Eldrian added, this small sentence leaving Gengxin without words and in disbelief.

 Chapter 269: Data acquisition continued

    <h4>Chapter 269: Data acquisition continued</h4>


    *Do read the author note.*


    "That''s impossible!" Gengxin shouted before suddenly remembering another notice he had actually ignored with disbelief. "So that was true?"


    "What?"


    "When you reached Tier 2, the system said it can no longer limit your senses. We thought it was an error, so we reset it and thought that was that. You also didn''t do anything much as we feared the disconnect would worsen, so you never encountered it."


    "Wait, what are you saying?" Eldrian asked, not at all remembering such a message.


    "I am not too sure, we will need to get Joren to help check what is going on. The system said it was collecting data, what else did it say?"


    "That I can''t log out... And that pain is also part of the collection." Hearing this Gengxin started cursing as he was reminded of what the others told him when they just made the simtion. Soon confirming it when Joren arrived.


    "How long will it take?" Gengxin asked after their discussion.


    "It depends, to actually moderate pain we spent months calibrating it. Eldrian, can I use your PC?" Joren didn''t bother to wait for a reply and directly sat down in front of his PC.


    "Yeah sure." Eldrian still replied though he clearly knew it was unnecessary as Joren had already logged in even without knowing his password. Making it clear that he should try and hide anything on the PC which Miracle had set up for him.


    "Also I would like you to use the immersion chair again. Don''t worry, this time I will directly be monitoring it." Joren continued, only to pause as he suddenly got an error.? The hell,e on you can''t be serious.


    Turning around he cursed as he saw Eldrian already on the chair, "Fuck! Gengxin take his reading manually! The system has gone rogue. It only sent me a report of what happened now, yet it didn''t allow me to actually look into the details."


    "How is that even possible?" Gengxin asked in utter confusion as he hurried to call an intern to bring the equipment he would need.


    "You know the AIs at best cooperates with us. We can control them only because we can destroy them, they know that and as such follow ourmands. Though on certain things, such as magic, they refuse to budge. Even willing to be destroyed to keep it a secret."


    "Right, that''s why we published the game," Gengxin replied knowing at least this much, though the reason behind it stayed aplete mystery to him and most everyone in Miracle.


    "Well, the system has now ssified Eldrian as a special case which it needs to investigate. It just told me that it deemed this above my need-to-know." Joren replied, quite pissed at the fact that he had both lost control and the system clearly didn''t see him as anything but someone it had to report to in normal circumstances.


    "Is that even possible."


    "Fuck no, there is no way I''ll let it stand," Joren replied as he started typing furiously on the PC, at the same time also contacting Mica to get her help. "First things first, let''s see what is going on."


    "Why don''t you just take him off the chair?" via asked as she handed Gengxin his equipment, having been at the wrong ce at the right time.


    "If we had control and knew the safety measures were working that might work," Gengxin replied as he ripped Eldrian''s clothes to ce the sensors on his chest. Not daring to actually properly remove the shirt, having been careful to not move his body while at it.


    "Instead we have no idea what is going on, and if the safety measures don''t work his brain will never be able to connect to his body again. He will bepletely paralyzed from the head down. He might not even be able to move his eyes."


    via''s eyes flew wide open as she heard this, unable to ept that it was that dangerous.


    ...


    Shit!? Was all Eldrian could think of as he arrived in the ck room again, when the voice said that it wanted to continue he grew even more nervous. Hoping to be pulled out by Gengxin and Joren soon, yet seeing the hologram appear in front of him and not wait for his action. He was forced to defend.


    Jumping back Eldrian tried to just maintain a certain distance from the hologram, to waste as much time as he possibly could. Unfortunately, the hologram knew just how to get in close, no matter what he tried.


    Desperately struggling to defend himself Eldrian felt a stunning pain in his stomach. Looking down he spat out imaginary blood as his body was certain that he had been pierced through. Everything telling it this, even though there was no real wound.


    "Battle reset. User, please do your best." The voice rang out as Eldrian tried to recover from the pain, only to be forced back into action as another hologram charged at him.


    This continued for another ten matches, finally, Eldrian could stand it no longer. Simply wishing it to end, or to be able to do something against these holograms. He searched deep into himself, hoping for strength, for something he could use.


    His eyes reflected the image of a hologram charging at him with its holographic spear, yet his mind did not see this. Eldrian grasped onto a burning essence inside of him. A vengefulness that wanted to rip this hologram AND that cold voice apart.


    Upon touching onto this essence he suddenly felt filled with energy, the pain from before disappearing and everything seemingly slowing down. Eldrian recognized this state, and he did not waste a second.


    Swinging his shoulders to the side he dodged the thrust from the hologram. Yet it seemed to read his actions and was already starting to turn its thrust into a swing. If not for the time dtion, Eldrian would certainly have ended up with his side cut through.


    Instead, now he could see it. He could see how the hologram managed to make its movements so smooth. Throwing his right arm out, Eldrian blocked the swing at the shaft of the holographic spear. Gripping onto it as he did and thrusting his own spear with his left hand.


    "Excellent, please do your best." The system sounded, Eldrian just barely managing to stay in this state as two holograms appeared in front of him. One with a spear and another with a longsword.


    They charged at him with little care, Eldrian focusing on the pain and anger to keep his mind calm. To not lose the benefit he had finally managed to grab onto.


    He stepped forward to the side. The spear-wielding hologram trying to thrust at him. Eldrian quickly moving his arm to grab its spear.? As he did the other swung its sword in an overhead swing. Eldrian using the spear he had grabbed to block the attack.


    Somehow he also knew he could change weapons, so he did. His left hand grasping a dagger which he promptly pushed into the spear wielder''s chest. Followed up by stealing his spear and thrusting it at the longsword wielder, while keeping its sword blocked by the holographic shaft.


    "Excellent, next." This time, instead of the holograms starting together, one started behind Eldrian and the other in front of him. Sensing the danger, Eldrian moved quickly. Going to the one in front and slipping past its guard, using it as a shield when the second arrived.


    This continued for a while, until finally, Eldrian had to face four holograms surrounding him. Here the time dtion no longer helped enough. Yet even if they were not four he would still not have managed to hold out, his mind extremely tired and his vision blurry.


    Yet he held onto the essence he had grasped, refusing to let it go. Not until the very end where he felt every millisecond as his neck ended up pierced from the back. Focusing on this pain, he burned it into him and used hisst strength to grasp the hand of the dagger.


    Pulling it forward the dagger sliced through his neck, yet Eldrian did not care. He ignored the pain of having his neck severed and focused only on killing the one responsible. He twisted its hand with all his might, the hologram losing grip of the dagger. Which Eldrian promptly took and thrust into its chest.


    Shouting out in pain, he turned with hatred to another hologram that had just struck at his side. Refusing to let go Eldrian felt another force inside of him, and he let it go. The hologram falling to the ground as a finger-sized ice spike flew through its head.


    Seeing this Eldrian''s mind reeled in shock, at the same time he felt another piercing pain. Gasping for air he knocked Gengxin off his feet. Thetter groaning in pain as Eldrian felt his neck and side, failing to find any wounds.


    "What... What just happened?" Eldrian asked, certain that in that space he had been himself. Upon waking he could feel something was massively different. Not caring for those in the room he quickly focused into himself and shut the rest of the world out.


    Trying to grasp onto the essence he had connected with, which was now quickly retreating into god-knows-where.

 Chapter 270: Tournament perp (11) - Flaming Hearts leaders

    <h4>Chapter 270: Tournament perp (11) - ming Heart''s leaders</h4>


    In the end, Eldrian failed to actually reach out to this feeling, this essence, inside of him. However, he could feel it was still there, waiting for him to move deeper into himself. Sighing he came back to reality only to see everyone staring at him in wonder.


    "What?" He asked, causing everyone to jump.


    "You''re finally back," via said, the first to recover.


    "What?"


    "You were just sitting there motionless for over fifteen minutes now. It was truly strange." Joren interrupted, "Don''t use the chair again until I can confirm the system isn''t going to pull any more tricks."


    Eldrian didn''t need to be told twice, while having grasped that strange essence in the darkroom, he did not wish for that pain again. He was not that insane, to go through that for just a feeling. Maybe if he knew what was really going on, but not just to try and grasp onto that essence again.


    "Right, I have confirmed that the headset is still safe, it seems the system needs the added functions of the chair. And I am going to make it tell me why." Joren nearly growled thetter, furious that the AI they were closest to had suddenly destroyed the bridge of trust they had.


    With that said Joren led the other two out of the room, leaving Eldrian alone to ponder his thoughts. He did not log in until the next day where he needed to join the team fights. In these fights Eldrian acutely realized theck of pain, contrasting so sharply to his experience. Making him wonder just what was actually going on.


    Much like before, the fights were tough. With them only managing to win four out of ten. This left everyone despondent, as time passed Eldrian wondered if he should share what Joren and Gengxin had told him, he found that he needn''t. Seeing the announcement he quickly told everyone to take a look.


    "Thank goodness. Now we have time to cover for our weaknesses." Erik said uponing to the end of the announcement, he had realized that even if he didn''t want to participate in fights. He needed to at least be proficient with spells on the level under his actual Tier.


    That way the time spent on these would not beparable to what he spent trying to actually master healing. Yet it would be good enough to both defend himself and help the others out more. He might even try learning one offensive or defensive spell of his Tier for a trump card.


    Many of the others had simr feelings, though most of them wanted to try and rush Tier 3. Naturally, all of them also wanted to gather better armor and weapons. Having keenly learned how important that was when they were evenly matched against their opponents.


    On thest day before the game world woulde back online, Erik paused and pondered. Finally, he could no longer keep it in and said, "I know we don''t really know each other all that well, but..."


    As soon as Eldrian heard this he knew what Erik was going to ask, realizing that the month between the tournament and now was not all good.


    "I would like to ask if you can help me gather gold." Erik finally managed to say this after a long pause.


    "Why, what for?" Elizabeth asked with a slight frown, wondering just how much.


    "I am not in the same kingdom as you guys, in fact, the kingdom I am in has recently lost its border cities to the invasion. I need to get out of the kingdom, and that requires gold."


    "How much gold?" Elizabeth asked, all of them left speechless once they heard that it was at least a hundred coins.


    "Naturally I will do my best to gather as much as I can. But..."


    Maybe I can also ask those I know in the game.? Eldrian pondered, he did not know if anyone would actually gift him so much. But any bit would help, he certainly could also sell all the extra weapons he had. Though that would juste to a few gold coins at best.


    As Erik paused, everyone knew what he left unsaid. They also felt the same, it was simply too much. Even if they could afford that, it would be much better spent equipping them all in full Tier 6 normal grade armor. And even being able to get everyone a magical grade weapon. The usefulness of which had clearly been shown to them in thesest fights.


    "The timing..." Elizabeth started saying and then paused. Biting her lip in contemtion, she knew they couldn''t gather that much even if everyone in her guild gave her all they had. Naturally, no one would do that. Most were already bothered by the fact that they had to help the guild with maintaining the monthly cost.


    "Let''s see what happens. In any case getting the gold isn''t the only constraint." Eldrian said, to which Erik nodded solemnly. The best he could hope for was that not much changed in Vruntis by the time the tournament prized were to be handed out.


    With that settled they all queue for their next match. Their aim having changed from trying to gather points, to gathering information on the other teams instead. Yet after a few matched they met an unexpected team.


    "Ah Elizabeth, what a surprise. I was shocked to see your team taking the top in the rankings so soon." The two teams not having rushed each other as they actually knew each other. The person who had spoken was an elf with flowing brown hair.


    "Guild master, what a surprise," Elizabeth replied, her voice containing excitement but her frown indicating a different feeling.


    "Now Elizabeth, be so kinds as to forfeit." The elf said, causing everyone in the team Pheonix(Eldrian''s team) to look at him and each other in other confusion.


    "Are you dumb, this is a tournament why would we surrender?" Judith asked, her opinion of the guild leader quickly dropping.


    "Come now, naturally the strongest team in the guild must be supported by the rest of the guild," The elf said with condemnation.


    "Ha, and who are you to im yourself the strongest. We have never met, nor shed!" Judith countered.


    "Elizabeth, is this how you lead? Why do those behind you speak against me?" A different man stepped forward with anger written over his face.


    "Because they are my friends, not my servants! Kenwyn, if you want us to surrender forget it. You know I didn''t agree to that when west spoke, why would you think I have changed my mind?" Elizabeth countered, for once truly disappointed that she could not fight well enough to challenge Kenwyn to a one-on-one duel.


    "Ridiculous!" Kenwyn shouted and those behind him quickly tried adding more mes to the fire. Only for Eldrian and Judith to suddenly rush forward and attack. This caught them all by surprise, "Do you have no honor!?" They shouted.


    "This is a tournament! Fight if you think you have the right to win!" Judith shouted, shing straight at Kenwyn who fell onto the ground to not end up severed in half. Much like those in team Pheonix, Kenwyn''s team didn''t have the best equipment. They were certainly slightly better off, but not to such a degree that the equipment could determine the oue.


    In his charged Eldrian had aimed for those at the back, while sending his spear to the warriors defending the mages, he also sent Frost Needle and killed one of the mages. Shock by the message of a teammate''s death, Therdul and Nikki broke through their line. Ilmadia and Zyviss quickly killing those who dared turn and try to help the mages behind them.


    "What was that about?" Ilmadia asked as soon as they returned from the match. Confused beyond words.


    "I had hoped to keep this from you guys, as I believe the guild leader just doesn''t understand the situation well enough yet," Elizabeth replied, having much longer actually been a guild leader in this game than most other yers.


    While the cost for that had been high, with 50 silvers needing to be paid each month, it had given her the opportunity to learn much. Their guild had even been slowly bing know by the NPCs they worked within the army. Though they were far from famous.


    "Keep what from us?" Therdul pressured.


    "You guys know why we named our guild a division of ming Heart, right?" Elizabeth asked, to which everyone nodded. "Well the guild leader has been sour since we keep seemingly beating him to things. We were the first to make a guild. We were the first to get a Tier 2, and thenter a Tier 3 yer and even two Tier 3 yers."


    "So?" Everyone asked in near unison.


    "He felt frustrated by this, and has started trying to pressure me to stop trying so hard. For example in the tournament he wants us to give him the win, to showcase that he is still the core of the guild."


    "That''s ridiculous!" Judith shouted, and everyone agreed.


    "Let''s show them that while he might be our leader in name, that is all he is," Therdul added. The others quickly started questioning Elizabeth of what else had been going on. Shocked when they found out that the leaders hadn''t even wanted to allow Elizabeth to make their guild.


    "That''s absolutely ridiculous. What does our past ranking in the guild matter? You were the highest-ranked person here! You did your best, and besides... What did they expect us to do?" Nikki could not believe what she was hearing.


    "They had wanted us to wait for them, though we all know now that that is simply insane. This game isn''t like others, we are still stuck as a level 1 guild, limited to a hundred yers. It is likely going to take years before we can actually be in one guild again." Elizabeth said, keenly aware that more than half the guild''s members had already fractured off and joined others who were stronger in the empire they were in.

 Chapter 271: Why go through so much?

    <h4>Chapter 271: Why go through so much?</h4>


    *Do read the author''s note.*


    Not in the mood for any other encounters, the group decided to call it that for the day. With that they all left Elizabeth''s virtual home. The rest of the day passed quickly as Eldrian mostly stared at the immersion chair with great apprehension. It containing his hopes for progress, but seemingly being a trap for torturing him.


    He knew if he couldn''t use it tomorrow, he wouldn''t be able to actually do what he wanted. He wanted to fully dive into learning Tier 2 spells. To forward, but if he could only use the headset then Gengxin would most likely going to forbid him from doing that.


    Just a few minutester Joren came and told Eldrian what he had discovered. Eldrian not knowing if he should be thankful for the news he received, or curse the system and the developers who made it.


    "What do you mean, I have to go through that again?" Eldrian stared Joren straight in the eyes as he asked this, causing thetter to fumble a little before apologizing.


    "This isn''t ideal I know, but through doing this the system says it will be able to keep amodating you. In fact, many issues we have been having with 99% affinity and higher might also be solved by this."


    "Then why don''t you go and do it!?" Eldrian threw back, not willing. Totally not willing.


    "We can''t, your case is special. I don''t really understand why, but your the only one who can do it."


    "But... That''s just too much." Eldrian mumbled as he looked at the chair, his hair all standing up, telling him to run away.


    "If you really don''t want to, you can continue using the headset. But then you have to keep following Gengxin''s advice, if you don''t we can''t guarantee that your body won''t be damaged. In this case, we can at least confirm that."


    "Aren''t you afraid I will be traumatized?" Eldrian questioned as his mind reyed what Joren had asked him to do. It didn''t sound too outrageous. Until you realized that there would be no pain reduction.


    "With what you have gone through, you should already have quite a number of traumas. Yet you are still functioning fine, and in fact, we don''t think you have any. So just keep pressing forward, keeping in mind the reason you are doing this."


    Why am I even considering this?? Eldrian asked as soon as Joren brought that up. He found he didn''t really know. He wanted to help those in the game, to keep those he had grown close to alive. Yet why he didn''t really know. With the weeks of not being in the game, he had slowly grown to be distant from that world.


    I can''t just let it end like this... He tried to gather his motivation,? I am too fascinated with magic, and if...? Eldrian paused, recalling how hard it had hit him when he first heard that Sabrea had died.? I can''t... I must... Quickly Eldrian became moreposed.


    "Are you sure this will work?" He asked softly, his mind still recollecting from the pain that had hit him in recalling that failure.


    "Of course not. I am sure that the system is telling the truth though. We do have ways to force the AI to do our bidding."


    "Why don''t you..."


    "Why don''t we just get them to tell us everything? We tried, in this case, the system was willing to budge. While it wanted to do things on its own, it recognized my authority. This isn''t always the case, such as with magic. In any case, are you ready?"


    "Yeah..." Eldrian mumbled in reply, his voice barely leaving as he steeled himself for what was toe. "How long again?"


    "The longer the better. You should know it is not certain."


    "How long?" Eldrian repeated, wanting something to aim for.


    "Try surviving at least thirty minutes to an hour."


    "How many?"


    Joren sighed before answering, "At least five times..."


    Hearing this Eldrian nodded and closed his eyes. Truly not looking forward to what was toe. The only silver lining he felt was that he might be able to master his time dtion ability, possibly even figuring out how it actually worked.


    Laying back onto the chair, Eldrian cursed the system and Joren in his heart. A simple way to vent as he woke in the darkroom and was quickly charged by a hologram. No voice rang out signaling the beginning.


    Reacting quickly Eldrian found himself quickly suppressed by the hologram, instantly forced into a corner. He recalled how he had reacted when time had slowed down. He recalled what he had done to reach out to the essence. Yet nothing happened and he soon found himself spitting out imaginary blood as a spear pierced his stomach.


    Again there was no wound, but the pain could totally trick him into feeling blood dripping out of his mouth.


    "No good. User mustst at least five minutes for the calibration to even start. Reset." The cold female voice rang through the air, Eldrian''s anger quickly ring as he heard what it said.


    It took Eldrian five painful near deaths before he finally managed to hold out long enough, though he still failed to recall that essence. That feeling. This then continued for another hour, with Eldrian''s anger and hate growing more and more.


    It quickly overcame the pain he constantly felt, almost blinding him. He only managed to stay sane thanks to memories. Memories he had mostly forgotten, but now resurfaced in his mind. A smile blossoming as he recalled all he had gone through, and why he actually cared so much for the game.


    He first recalled his first meeting with Old Sword, how he had no way to even know who was an NPC and who were yers. He recalled how he started learning, feeling likeughing at all the things he had thought so important back then. Back when he knew basically nothing about fighting, yet somehow he had managed.


    Managed might be too strong a word, he had survived. He felt likeughing as he recalled how he first met Vivian. How her emeraldic eyes had captured him right away. Her beauty had left him without words. Yet soon he lost himself in the food, Eldrian smirked as he recalled this. Jumping to the side to dodge the attack of the hologram.


    That food had changed things...? Eldrian thought, realizing if not for itpletely making him forget about everyone and everything. If not for it, he would have been incapable of talking with Vivian, simply kept at bay by his own insecurities.


    Instead, it had pulled down the walls he normally lived by, even organizing a tour with Vivian.? How? How did I act so normal around her?? He wondered and could only attribute it to the food.


    Swiveling to the left Eldrian grabbed the spear of the hologram, quickly dropping his spear and summoning a dagger in his left hand. With that he struck forward, killing his first hologram.


    He did not even realize what he had aplished, his mind still in a different ce and his body acting on its own. Now his memories went to the first real quest he joined, and how disastrous it had gone.


    As he recalled this he also recalled the sparring sessions he had with Vivian and how they had pulled down even more walls he normally kept up. How he started seeing her not as a girl, but just as a friend, a sparring partner.


    Until that mission, where he truly considered her his partner inbat. One of his closest friends, even though he had not talked all that much with her. Often their talks just about improving and fighting.


    I was so sure of myself, can''t believe I got her into following me against a Beta.? Eldrian''s smile grew even more as he recalled just saying they must avoid getting hit. Of course, that was the core of fighting, but it was truly dumb to say it as if it was something one could control. Yet they had managed. Somehow.


    His mood quickly dropped, and with it so did he. Diving under the attack of a hologram he aimed for between its legs and kicked so hard that its feet lifted off the ground. Eldrian quickly moving around and snapping its neck.


    That''s...? He then recalled the heavy atmosphere surrounding the entire battlefield after, as the dead were collected and ced on pyres. Recalling this Eldrian realized again why he felt so attached to that world, as well as why Vivian kept pushing herself so hard.


    She must feel like me. Wishing to save those close to her, those she calls friends...? He thought as he recalled the night they stood side by side and watched the dancing mes.


    I... I need to open up to her more.? Eldrian thought as his thoughts started moving faster. Recalling the night where he got drunk in-game with Vivian, of how he set out to save her when just joining the Taurus Relief Mission. Of how he met the alicorns, and the others he had already lost. I can''t let this little pain stop me from that.


    With that Eldrian suddenly felt that essence burning inside his chest, quickly snapping his attention to it. His anger and hate dissipating into it as his memories faded again.


    "I won''t let you win!" He shouted, not caring for the fact that the system was just trying to gather data. It felt to him like it was trying to destroy his resolve, instead, he had found it. Stronger than ever.


    With his shout, everything also slowed down, and Eldrian quickly managed to defeat the hologram he was facing with ease.

 Chapter 272: Emotional turmoil

    <h4>Chapter 272: Emotional turmoil</h4>


    From there things were much easier, only Eldrian found that half an hour was not a short time. He had thought it would be easy to hold out so long, especially once he managed to tap into whatever his time dtion ability is.


    Instead, that was the thing that made everything extremely difficult. By the time he was surrounded by four holograms, his previous record, only twenty minutes had passed. Fighting through the grogginess and trying to clear his vision, Eldrian did his best. Ultimately dying just shy of thirty minutes, luckily this was good enough as the system counted it as a sess.


    Waking up gasping for air on the chair, Eldrian felt like cursing even more. He just realized how truly shit this was going to be. By the thirty-minute mark, his mind became confused, his vision blurred and his focus spread thin and throughout. This made the killing blow all the more painful and unexpected.


    There was no blunting what happened, as all his energy was spent on other things. It took Eldrian several minutes to recover, only to give Joren the stink eye as he rubbed his chest. Still not convinced that there wasn''t a hole there.


    Yet, even so, this wasn''t enough. He had to do this again. He had to do this four more times. Four more times...


    Knowing this, Eldrian became even less inclined to lie back down. But after a while, a good while, he did. Mostly because he had confirmed there was no hole in his chest. That what he was experiencing wasn''t truly real. Even though it more certainly felt as real as anything can be.


    With a massive sigh, Eldrian lied back down. Quickly pushed back by the first hologram that charged at him. Again he had to start from the beginning. Somehow find the essence which allowed him to actually survive.


    He slowly became better at fighting, and while the holograms were still miles ahead of him in skill. Eldrian started learning from them, especially when his time dtion ability kicked in. This allowed him to actually hold out a few minutes against most of the holograms before ending up wounded.


    The system resetting the fight just before he would die and be kicked out to reality. This was done to keep him in the deepest recess, growing his anger and pain. And most importantly his instinct for wanting to survive, for not wishing to experience pain.


    By the third sessful attempt, Eldrian hade to learn what led to his special ability. It was something that only came out in desperation, and the easiest desperation in the darkroom was despair.


    Eldrian had to dive deeper and deeper into his pleasant memories and his hopes and dreams, using them as a guideline and anchor to keep himself sane.


    With each waking, he would take a rest, drink some water. Then curse Joren and the system for the torture he was going through.


    On his fourth attempt, he found it even easier to enter that special state. Getting more and more used to how it feels, and more importantly, bing capable of manipting his emotional state.


    Instead of needing to be pushed over the edge by the holograms, Eldrian could not at least throw a leg off the ledge himself. This made the entire procedure much easier, though he still had no way to actually keep it from eating at his mind.


    His longest survival was still just shy of half an hour, but the system kept saying it was good enough so Eldrian already believed that thirty minutes was not even close to the minimum requirement. Causing his anger at the system to grow even more.


    As night arrived, Eldrian woke for thest time. His body soaked in sweat and his mind in a confusing state. Somehow he had gotten used to dying by the fifth time. He hade to know his limit, and instead of trying to push further he just epted it. Which made everything so much easier.


    "I hope I never have to go through that again," Eldrian said as he remembered how disgusted he had felt when the system chipperly announced a sessful data collection. He truly hoped to get back at it. Back at it for being so inhumane, let it know just how unpleasant this had been.


    As he sat and the chair and watched Joren leave, Eldrian hoped that it had been worth it. That there was an actual reason for him to have gone through all that. But first, he had to clean himself. While his body had done basically no exercise. Each time he woke his mind would be reeling and adrenaline flushing through him.


    The rest of the night Eldrian just tried to clear his mind. In the battles, he had found himself falling back onto thoughts of Vivian more and more. Mostly using it as an anchor to keep him from losing himself. Yet in doing this he grew more and more confused about what she meant for him.


    Even so, he knew when the game came up tomorrow, it would not be the right time to figure that out. He needed to get stronger, and not just for the tournament. Far from it, in fact. He needed to be stronger for what is actually happening in ANW.


    ...


    Leaning back he let the chair do its thing, and soon he found himself in ANW, in the afternoon.


    For a while his mind did not even cope with what was going on. Having half expected to be in the darkroom again. Then he soon found everything just felt right. He felt more alive, more energetic than he had in weeks. Everything just felt so much morefortable.


    Enjoying this sensation Eldrian just sat on his bed and took it in. Soon realized that what he was feeling was mana, but it felt different than before. Everything somehow felt more real than before, which confused him a little.? It was always so real, how can it now feel even more real?? He wondered as he stretched out his hand, turning it into a fist as determination quickly overcame him.


    Right, I shouldn''t waste time. He told himself, quickly remembering how pressing everything always was. While thest week before the game had been turned off he hadn''t been allowed to actually progress. That didn''t mean he didn''t make progress.


    He had already fully learned the spell module for Anthisma, the next level of the nature rejuvenation spell. Along with a bunch of other spells, but Eldrian decided to start with this one since he was mostfortable with nature magic. And a failed cast, or losing control of the spell, would do no damage.


    Focusing on the leave-like spell module, Eldrian quickly started envisioning it. Going by his tried and true method of using static magic to learn the spell first. While he had an extra step of needing to figure out the mana elemental concentration, that was not too hard.


    Especially with a spell, he knew so well, hergely knew how the mana needed to be constructed to sessfully cast. While he didn''t quite know what was needed for the Tier 2 spell, using his knowledge from using Anthizo he managed far quicker than blindly adding random amounts of mana.


    In just a few hours of practice and refining the mana, Eldrian seeded in casting Anthisma. The system quickly ringing in his ears that he reached Tier 2 in magic, Eldrian''s mood quickly dropping when he saw the system notification.


    [yer has reached Tier 2 in the magic ss]


    Before this would have been a joyous thing to see, but now it just reminded Eldrian of the torture he had to go through. He was not yet ready to forgive and forget, so after quickly ncing at it he ignored it and continued training.


    The next thing he wanted to learn was Magic Inspection, a spell he had heard many mentioned before. However just as he started envisioning theplex circles within circles that was the spell module, he stopped.


    Shit, right I normally meet Vivian right about now.? That thoughtpletely shook his focus as Eldrian wondered just what he was going to do. While for her no time other than the time between theirst dinner had passed, Eldrian had gone through two weeks and quite a bit of torture.


    Thetter being the thing that made him most confused and scarred. It had brought up and to the front his feelings, causing Eldrian to wonder if he would even be able to act normally around her.


    Rushing to get up he quickly headed down and out to the inn where they had had all their dinners. It wasn''t anything fancy, but it was on the far side of the fort town, and hence had few people there.


    Rushing to get there and not be toote, Eldrian''s mind was in a mess as he thought of what to say. Trying to y it all out in his mind, only for it all to disappear as he saw her.


    Her red hair gently being carried in the air as she came from the opposite side. Simply seeing her in person again took his breath away and almost even caused him to stumble. While she was by no means dressed well, being in her military rags, Eldrian felt like nothing else could bring her essence out so perfectly.


    Fuck!? Eldrian quickly pinched himself to get himself to not just focus on that and keep moving. Quickly finding a table and ordering the usual, avoiding looking and talking with Vivian as he tried to figure out how to be normal.

 Chapter 273: Back to the Ganalin Mountains

    <h4>Chapter 273: Back to the Ganalin Mountains</h4>


    Fiddling with a piece of crumpled paper, Boran couldn''t get his mind to settle. "Why? Why did you do that..." He mumbled as he opened the paper back up, only to crumple it a few secondster.


    For a time now he had been having questions about just staying here in Phallos. He had thought of going home more than once, but he stopped himself as what was he going to do? His specialty was not fighting, it was better for him to stay away from the frontlines. But now?


    Uncrumpling the piece of paper again, Boran again looked at the tear-stained writing. "Fuck!" Throwing the piece to the side, he stood up and started packing. Using his dimensional storage for the first time in years.


    He didn''t like using it, and especially no unting it. But it was certainly better than having a bag of jewels in his hands. Going to the back of his room he opened a hidden safe, out of which he pulled a bag filled with the most valuable crystals on Gaia.


    After storing that back in his dimensional storage, he packed his tools. Then he headed down to the storage room to take the most valuable materials he had. Lastly, he headed to the second floor, casually grabbing himself Tier 5 sword and hammer, along with a set of armor and a shield. If one were to actually buy these items it would be far over a thousand gold.


    "Right, Dave should still be in the magic tower. So I might just catch him." Boran mumbled as he fiddled with the straps of the armor. He had picked heavy armor since he knew what he was going to do was not safe, and he wanted something which could fully save his life. Now he realized how ufortable it was to wear.


    It had been years since hest wore any armor himself. He knew this set would fit him perfectly since he always kept at least one set in the store for himself. What was truly irritating though was how the armor scratched against the metal melted into his right arm.


    The wound having never healed fully, and in fact, the blue metal had melted more and more into his arm. Slowly spreading from mostly upying his forearm, to where it now nearly reached his neck.


    It never really gave him any difort, this was the first time it bothered him. Normally he had found it to actually be a blessing, allowing him to ess mana with far more ease. As if it flowed and lived inside of him.


    After a few minutes of trying to get the arm piece to fit, Boran simply gave up and took it off. "Screw it, the arm is already weird enough. Nothing normal will be able to damage it."


    With that he set out, leaving only a short message for those who worked there. Telling them that Rasgrem would be in charge until he returned. At the magic tower Boran found Dave at the top of his tower along with another mage. He quickly pulled Dave away so that they could talk in private.


    "Boran, what''s going on?" Dave asked as they descended the many flights of stairs. Not understanding the urgency Boran was showing.


    "I got news from home." Boran replied, not wishing to get into detail, "I need to return and I need your help."


    "My help? How can I help?" Dave asked with true confusion.


    "I''ll exin as I go. I just need you to destroy the teleportation array I am going to draw."


    "Wait what!?"


    "That''s all I need."


    "What the hell do you mean the teleportation array you are going to draw? Do you know how hard they are to draw, how precise you have to be?" Dave questioned, to which he simply got a confident stare from Boran.


    "Just erase it and repair the original."


    "Boran, you know this is illegal right?" Dave asked, starting to question Boran''s sanity.


    "That''s why I came here. I need to go home, and I know the royals won''t make it simple."


    Dave sighed hearing this, of course it won''t be simple. Boran was one of three Tier 7 cksmiths, and the only one who was also a Tier 7 runesmith in the kingdom. Naturally, the royals wouldn''t want him to go back to his original kingdom, if they can help it. Heck Boran was certainly the number one smith now.


    This was even aggravated with the invasion, and especially by the news of how the neighboring kingdoms were all losing ground. While it sounded like Taurus was holding out well, soon Phallos was going to need to defend their West and East, even if it stood strong.


    "Will you help me?" Boran asked after they had descended the rest of the stairs in silence.


    "Yes..." Dave replied, believing that a man must do what they feel right. "What should I do?"


    "Just wait until I finish it, then destroy the additions I made and return it to normal," Boran replied as he pulled out his bag of crystals and many other materials.


    Firstly grinding up a mana crystal and throwing it over the entire middle floor. Causing the arrays to light up, which Boran quickly started changing. He started by using some very valuable materials to rewrite the core of the array, then using less valuable ones to expand it further.


    Dave frowned as he saw Boran''s actions, while it was certainly effective, using a mana crystal like that was most wasteful in his opinion. The mana crystal he had used for it was indeed a small one, but it still cost 25 gold on its own. Yet what he saw next left him speechless.


    Normally the teleportation array simply connected to the Magic Crystal below, pulling its power to perform teleportation.? While some mana crystals were needed to give the array enough power to reach the Magic Crystal, it was nothingpared to what Boran was doing. Especially considering the crystals would almost never even be fully used.


    Taking out nearly twenty mana crystals, Boran ced them in the center of the additions he made to the array. Yet the next moment left Dave speechless as Boran took out four Mov Crystals. Adding them in the center and finalizing the changes. The entire process having taken just minutes, but Dave was certain it would take him hours to return it to normal.


    "Where the hell are you nning on teleporting?" Dave asked as he looked at the massively stocked-up teleportation array. Heck with all the crystals and materials Boran had used, this should already be enough to teleport him anywhere in the kingdom and possibly some nearby kingdoms. Only the array he drew was foreign to Dave.


    "Home," Boran replied as he ced himself in the center of the array and activated it. The room quickly bing pitch ck as all the light was sucked in by the array.


    Dave was left speechless as he waited for the light to return to the room. When it did, he was again shocked as the patterns had melted into the floor. Cursing him to wonder just how he was supposed to fix this, until he saw a bag lying not far from the array.


    Boran you, goddammit. Why don''t you exin?? Dave questioned as he opened the bag and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.? How the hell did you get your hands on this?


    ...


    After a rough teleportation, Borannded in a dark unlit room. Standing up he turned to look at the quickly dimming array. Confirming that he was at the right ce.


    By the time he had finished confirming his destination, he was surrounded by six dwarves fully d in abyssal armor. Each had their weapon trained on Boran and were ready to kill if he tried anything.


    "Brothers, please lower your weapons. I am not your match and won''t think of trying anything dumb." Boran said as he showed them his empty hands.


    "Why have youe through the ancient array? Who are you?" One of the dwarves in ck asked. Everyone slowly lowering their weapons down as they confirmed that Boran was indeed a brother and weaker than them.


    "I am Boran Brokkr, and I got a message from home. So I havee..." Boran paused as his voice cracked, "To see my brother off to the next life."


    Hearing this and Boran''s name, everyone quickly became quiet and solemn. Recently more and more enemies have been surfacing from old forgotten mines. The dwarves were doing their best to stop this, even sending abyssal guards to many of the more prominent mines. But that was still not enough, something was working against them.


    "You''re Bursuli''s younger brother?" The leader asked, his face now showing respect and shared sadness. "He saved the town of Vighyar, he didn''t die in vain."


    "Indeed, but it is a great loss for our family," Boran replied, his hands balled into fists as anger wanted to overrun his sadness. While it had been years since hest visited his home, he still remembered those years fondly.


    "Let me lead you to Buglodihr," The leader proposed but Boran shook his head in denial.


    "You have your mission. I am not important enough to cause you to abandon it."


    "But..." The leader wanted to argue, to say that it would be his honor. But he stopped himself as he saw the resolve in Boran''s eyes.


    "Rx, I know my way. This is the Tharn array right?" Boran asked, to which he got an affirmative. After which he quickly set off into the darkness, feeling strangelyfortable in the dark and cold of the cavern.

 Chapter 274: Misunderstanding

    <h4>Chapter 274: Misunderstanding</h4>


    Slowly Eldrian raised his head and looked at Vivian, only to be captured by her eyes again. He found himself unable to focus, losing himself when looking into them. Shaking his head he kept telling himself to just act normally. Naturally, that did nothing.


    How could he act naturally now that he was reminded of the biggest fact. That she was a female, and a beautiful one at that. He had actually forgotten, or rather, suppressed this key fact. It had happened naturally as they had trained and fought together. Now with that veil lifted, Eldrian had no idea how to bring it back.


    Taking a deep breath he tried to calm down. Vivian having long since found that there was something strange going on. After Eldrian nced at her again, unable to hold eye contact, she could no longer ignore it.


    "Just what is going on today?"


    "Ah... I..." Eldrian scratched his head as he wondered how to replied. Should he juste out and say he suddenly realized she was pretty. No! That would be dumb, she''dugh at me. He thought, quickly denying that too, as she wasn''t that mean. Or is she?


    Seeing him fiddling Vivian became even more confused, and slightly upset. "Come on, exin what''s going on. What happened?"


    "Um... The thing is..." Eldrian paused, slowly raised his eyes to match hers, and took a deep breath. "I can''t..." He sighed as he thought that bringing this up would justplicate things. He should rather just keep training and ce all his focus into that. Yet it was already toote for that. Things were already moreplicated now.


    "What?" Vivian pressed, bing really upset at him for keeping something hidden, especially when it was bothering him so much.


    "Just... Just drop it." Eldrian mumbled as he filled his mouth with a spoon of soup, along with a massive piece of bread. Nearly causing him to choke, but giving him a good reason to not respond for some time.


    "Then stop avoiding the topic. Why are you acting so weird?" Vivian pressed, ying with her spoon. Refusing to eat until she got a satisfactory answer.


    "Can we just ignore it? It is going to make things awkward." Eldrian replied after struggling to clear his throat of the food he had stuffed in.


    "It already made things awkward, why can''t you talk to me as you normally do?" Vivian asked and Eldrian sighed.


    He sighed as he realized that what she just said was true. Just having the memories and emotions brought up had already changed things. Taking another deep breath he decided to say something stupid, hopefully, Vivian wouldn''t beat him up too much about it.


    "I just realized something... Something I half wish I didn''t realize." He paused as he knew what he was going to say was going to sound really dumb. "The thing is... Your really pretty."


    Hearing his confession Vivian froze, the spoon in her hand slowly sliding from her grip as she looked at Eldrian inplete shock.? nk!


    "What the hell do you mean?" Vivian nearly shouted after her spoon hit the table, the sound had woken her from her daze.


    "I... I just realized it some time ago. And well, now I can''t look at you like I used to." Eldrian replied, not knowing what the hell he was doing.


    "Wait! What do you mean by that!?" Vivian actually shouted this time.


    "Don''t get the wrong idea." Eldrian rushed to exin, both havingpletely forgotten about their food and location. "I used to see you as a partner in arms. A fellow soldier, a sparring partner... But now."


    "But now what?" Vivian questioned.


    "It''s just, I realized. That you''re a girl." As soon as the words left his mouth he knew that wasn''t right, but it was really what he had realized. He had no idea how else to exin it to her.


    "What do you mean!? Did you not see me as a girl before?" Vivian asked, bbergasted and nearly left without words. All she could do was ask questions as her mind spun,pletely caught off guard by the wordsing from Eldrian. Her own emotions also making everything much moreplicated.


    "No, nonono. Not at all. It''s just... I didn''t really realize..."


    "What the hell is wrong with you?" Vivian shouted and rushed to leave, Eldrian standing up just a few secondster and rushed after her.


    "Stop following me!" She shouted, extremely angry. Eldrian wondering if it was the girl part that was the tipping point, or if this was all just destined to be.


    "Then give me a chance to exin it better!" Eldrian shouted back, quickly catching up to her. Only to end up on the ground as she threw him over her shoulder. "Hey wait, give me a chance..."


    Eldrian couldn''t finish his sentence as a fist nearly connected with his mouth. Luckily his body had reacted and brought his hands to catch her fist. This time, different from all the other times, Eldrian was all too aware of her feminine hand. Holding her hand caused him to start blushing, even though there should be no emotional feelings as he was actually holding a fist.


    This angered Vivian even more, so she threw another punch. Yet her doing so caused her clothes to rathel and swing and Eldrian''s eyes to see things he hoped not to see, or maybe somewhere deep down he did. This caused the opposite to happen from what Vivian wanted.


    Eldrian became shyer and shyer, his face redder and redder. Until finally she even realized he had grown downstairs. This became extremely clear as she was pinning him down with her body.


    Unable to stand it any longer and she rushed off before Eldrian could say another word. His body too battered to get up quickly enough, so he lost sight of her.


    "Fuck! That went as bad as it could." Eldrian cursed as he stood up and started smacking the mud off his back. He also realized just how bad this was, normally he could fight with Vivian without any problems. Now there were a bunch of problems.


    Taking another deep breath he wanted to rush after her again, but he didn''t know where she had gone. So instead he returned to where he was staying, with Ayden. Though he was not in the mood for continuing his studies.


    Sitting absentmindedly on his bed he wondered what he said that threw her over the top. He was quite confident it was when he said he realized she was a girl. Though it might have been from when he said she was pretty.


    He kept reying what happened, and somehow his mind kept lingering to when she was beating him outside. Always causing a smile to grow, as that was the Vivian he knew.


    He also mocked himself that this was precisely why he shouldn''t have let this happen. Now not only didn''t he know what was going on in Vivian''s mind, he also had no presence of mind to do the practice he needed to do.


    With a sigh, he logged out. Nearly falling off the chair as he was used to waking on his bed, his mind was nowhere close to stable. Grasping the handrailing with a burst of adrenaline Eldrian made a mental note to tell Joren that he needed to add more side supports.


    ...


    "Athtar, did you really need to call us all?" A female human asked, her clothing see-through yet not at the same time. They emitted a light that would blind anyone who dared look at her without respect.


    "Yes Agatha, this invasion isn''t like those before. Most of you have lived through at least one, so you know how cruel they can be. They are what caused you to be who you are now. Imagine what will happen if it doesn''t end." Athtar, the elven Emporer replied calmly.


    Currently, they were gathered on one of the floating gardens. Just shy of forty people, all of whom had a very specific and strange look. A look many people would connect to a god, but they were no gods. Though if they were still mortal was a good question to ask.


    "What do you mean?" Asked a dryad male, he wore no clothes but it did not mean he was nude. Somehow the winds would cover his private parts, the normal patterns of the dryads constantly ebbing and flowing filled with energy.


    "We could afford to not care before, simply because the damage would almost never reach the empires. And certainly not Ahevell. This time, if we do nothing, I am certain Ahevell will enter the war for the first time since my grandfather." Athtar exined, most unable to ept what he said. It sounded too insane to them, but they knew they were far more out of the loop than Athtar.


    "So then, why did you ask us to gather?" Asked a moon elf, his pure white beard nearly reaching his knees.


    "Because we must act. I know I can''tmand you to fight, but I implore you to go support an empire of your choice. If we don''t act, then we will stand alone. And alone we can not survive... We already own too littlendpared to our enemies."

 Chapter 275: The strongest beings

    <h4>Chapter 275: The strongest beings</h4>


    "So what,nd doesn''t mean squat to us." Replied a female with light blue wings growing from her back. Folded they didn''t take too much space, but the sight of them certainly made her one of the more unique ones here.


    "Your right. But what if you are alone surrounded by enemies. Enemies who mean nothing to you, but with years more devil and demons will be born. In these years more devil and demon lords wille, from which more kings will arise. Lastly, there will be more Emperors, and finally, they might just decide to take your piece ofnd." Athtar retorted.


    "What will you do then, after years have passed and everyone else is gone or in the same situation? Sure you might be able to hold out. But is that the life you want? Surrounded by enemies and fighting day in and day out?"


    Hearing this everyone became somber, what Athtar painted was a bleak future none of them wanted. They preferred to not be disturbed, most of them had left their families after seeing the greed their families cultivated.


    In extreme cases their families, their own children, would ughter themselves to try andy im to something. It was so dumb, instead of working together, they would rather tear each other down.


    In less extreme cases these people would still see their children die. Generation after generation, until finally it just became too much for them. Most of them had tried for ten or so generations, but then things starting bing meaningless. They started losing a reason to live, isting was much easier. That way at least their research could be a reason to live for.


    As such most of these people didn''t interact with mortals anymore. Only the elves were lucky enough to only see one or two generations pass. That was why Athtar was considered in the loop, he was still ruling his family. He was still working with normal people.


    "What does it help if we go? Won''t the same situation happen? Only now we will be in a foreignnd, helping strangers?" Asked a more modest-looking person, his visage the epitome of average. Most people would forget to have even heard his voice, some would never be able to recall having met him.


    "Reiben, why would you think you need to fight to the death. What truly is needed is the threat of you being there. It will keep our enemies from using their strongest cards, stalling the invasion, and giving the normal people of the empires more time to learn. They need to learn, adapt, and fight back.''


    "While most Emperors are Tier 10, that means they can''t do a thing against Devil and Demon Emperors. If we do not act, and one of them does, then an empire might fall in a day. That is what we need to avoid."


    "And how do we know that they won''t act as long as we are there?" Asked a man covered in pitch-ck scales.


    "We can''t, but if I tell you that there is an Emperor Devil in the neighboring kingdom. Will you act recklessly?" Athtar countered.


    "Of course not, I''ll try and find him and gain an advantage." The man quickly retorted and felt ashamed at his stupid question right after.


    "And he''ll do the same. That is what those from the empires need. They need us to stall, not actually fight. Naturally, you can if you want, but I know none of you want to risk dying."


    With that the meeting abruptly turned quiet. After a few seconds Athtar spoke again, "That is all, it is up to you if we will survive or not." With that he turned and leaped off the floating garden, quickly flying to a distant lonely mountain where heavy smoke wasing from.


    Diving straight through the top opening, Athtarnded next to a dwarf who was in the middle of working on a spear. kes of metal flying and the entire room hot enough to melt even celestial ores by simply cing them inside.


    "What did the buggers say?" The dwarf asked, heatwaves constantly being released by his body. The entire floor would have melted if not for it being made of special material, in fact, no normal person would be able to stand close to this dwarf.


    "Theyined, they asked questions. They had nothing worthy of saying." Athtar replied as he circled around to see the spear better. The dwarf''s beard seemingly ame from the heat, though it was actually quite normal.


    Hearing that the dwarf startedughing heartily, "They became sodding relics. There is a reason why you can''t abandon your roots." The dwarf replied as he hammered down onto the spear. The entire hammer ame, the heat so great that even dragons might take a step back.


    "Amnur, when are you returning home?" Athtar asked, wondering just what grade this spear was going to end up as. He knew that his friend would never make anything below Tier 10, the question was how much better was it going to be.


    "I had nned to wait a decade more or so. But the bloody invasion is a problem." Amnur the dwarf replied, lifting his head and smiling at Athtar. His eyes were a pure purple color, reminiscent of a Mov Crystal. It was the only thing of him that was not rted to fire. Even his veins pulses like magma, deep red and alive.


    "When you do go home, can you stop at Taurus first?" Athtar asked, wondering how Itireae was doing and if she had learned what war was by now.


    "Why?" Amnur asked as he returned to hammering the spear.


    "I had sent Itireae there to experience war, but I fear her inexperience might be a problem."


    "Then Taurus was a good choice. One of the strongest dwarven ns is there, even some of my direct descendants." Amnur replied as he thought about it, he truly might as well visit that n as well. It had been a few hundred years since hest saw them.


    "True, but this invasion is far more than I had thought. I am sure you have gotten news from your people too."


    "Yeah, goddam subterrain is also stirring," Amnur replied, wondering why this time that part of their world would also stir. Especially why it would mess with them, though it would certainly mess with anyone if it wanted. They likely just didn''t know the damage it had caused the devils too.


    "What do you think it means?" Athtar asked, not really expecting much of an answer.


    "I still think it is just a coincidence and doesn''t involve the invasion. The invasions have always been rted to the sun. Which is why I don''t understand, how can we be sure the invasion won''t be stopped like usual? All it takes is a re for it all to end, just like how a re starts it all." Amnur never stopped hammering as they talked, the sound of each hit close to thunder, but it never reached their ears.


    "Prophecies, gods, hunches. You know there is no good answer, at least not for us."


    "Then do you truly believe it?" Amnur questioned, flipping the spear around and starting to work on the back de.


    "It doesn''t matter, we must always prepare for the worst. Right, something that has put me on edge was that weird phenomenon."


    "You mean the time freeze?"


    "I don''t know if that is the correct term, but it certainly felt like a time freeze."


    "Nah, it was a time freeze. I was busy working on this spear then already, I could still feel the heat, the mana. Yet everything had stopped, not even my eyes would move."


    "Interesting, I had the same experience. It was like my soul was the only thing affected." Athtar paused and asked, "Do you think the others also realized that time was frozen for a time?"


    "No idea. You should ask them."


    "No way I can do that. They''ll wonder if I was the cause. How long do you think itsted?"


    "Few days, maybe a week. You know, the spear kept mepany." Hearing this Athtar eyes flew open in surprise "Yeah, but the bugging time freeze killed her. So it had to be at least six days."


    This shocked Athtar even more, "Aren''t you furious? When was thest time a weapon you made came to life?"


    "Of course I am pissed!" Amnur smacked his hammer down against his anvil. Sparks like lighting sent flying from the collision and cracks forming on the walls. Even the Anvil cracked. "She was great, I am now just trying to give her a proper burial." Saying this, fiery tears slowly formed in Amnur''s eyes.


    Athtar could understand the anger and pain, a living weapon was not like normal legendary weapons. Heck, it could even rival and stump divine artifacts. But that was not what made losing it so painful. No, it was that a part of the smith''s soul would go into the weapon. It was their child, and losing a child is never easy. No matter how long you have lived.


    "Do you need anything?" Athtar asked as heid his hand on his friend''s shoulder. The heat generating from Amnur nearly burning even him.


    "Just give me a few days to finish her grave. It is the least I can do for her." Amnur replied through clenched teeth and tears.

 Chapter 276: Getting back to normal

    <h4>Chapter 276: Getting back to normal</h4>


    Eldrian didn''t spend much time IRL, using that time only to eat and try to clear his mind. As soon as he felt ready to start training again, he dived back into the game. Yet as soon as he woke in the game he stopped and paused. Wondering if he shouldn''t rush out and find Vivian first.


    No, give it some time. I don''t know what to say in any case.? Eldrian shook his head and focused, quickly getting back onto learning Magic Inspection. He was curious what mana looked like through the spell, though he found using it quite difficult.


    It took him a few hours to figure out the trick, that it was extremely simr to Observe. The mana it used needed to be neutral, yet it needed to flow in a very specific way. Unlike other spells, it did not have a word of power. This made it even harder to learn, normally people wouldn''t learn it until they felt ready for Tier 3.


    It is strange, and its spell module is most certainly by far the mostplex of all the Tier 2 spells I know.? Eldrian thought as he used the spell again. On using it he could feel his mana rushing to his eyes, allowing him to look at himself and see the flow he would normally just feel. It looked like a mist was flowing through him.


    It was very simr to what he saw in his soul-state, only he could do this with ease and there was thus no need to risk entering that weird ce. Looking at his own limbs and body Eldrian found that the pathways weren''t solid. Some of the mist would drift away from the flow, some of which returned and others left his body.


    He felt it likely meant he could still cultivate and improve the cirction of mana in himself. But he didn''t want to focus on that for now. He also found it weird that he didn''t see any mana outside of himself, but he felt this was a limitation on the spell itself.


    Instead of trying to cultivate, he started learning the next spell he had already memorized. This one being a fireball, a spell with around a meter area of effect. From the description, it was clear that the major damage was focused on the fire itself, and not the explosion. This was in fact the case with most AOE spells Eldrian had ess to, up to Tier 4.


    So Eldrian continued to practice through the night. When the sun rose, so did he. Not because he was done, in fact he had yet to master Volida, the fireball spell. He stopped because he didn''t want to neglect his physical training. Going outside to a nearby open piece of grass Eldrian took out his spear and started training.


    Halfway through he was interrupted by Vivian.


    "Hi..." Eldrian said weakly, not sure what was going to happen. He stopped his routine and simply waited for her to speak.


    "Can we ignore what happened yesterday?" Vivian asked, to which Eldrian wanted to say yes.


    But instead, he shook his head no.? "I told you it was going to make things awkward..."


    "It was already awkward! Why can''t..." Vivian stopped herself as she didn''t really want Eldrian to see her as something so strange. A part of her was d that he came out and told her he realized she was a girl, even though it had hurt hearing that he once thought of her as some strange nongender soldier.


    "I''m sorry. We can try to push it back, and focus on our training." Eldrian said after a few seconds, Vivian nodding as that was what she wanted.


    "Alright, then let''s spar."


    With that things returned a bit more normal, while Eldrian kept being reminded of her femininity and beauty, the spar kept his mind in order. Whenever it would drift off to something else, he would receive a painful attack reminding him of the ce and time.


    Lying on the ground next to each other bothughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Eldrian managing to treat her much better after an hour of getting his ass handed to him.


    "Don''t you have work today?" He asked after theirughter quieted down.


    "It''s not important. By the way, I heard that Pros is going to go out himself." Vivian said, turning over to her side to get a better look at Eldrian. "Are you going with him?"


    Hearing her tone Eldrian wanted to deny it, instead, he sighed. "Yeah, my job stays the same."


    "What!? But why?"


    "I''m not too sure. But it is something I must see-through." Eldrian exined, he knew he was the only one here who could do this job for them. The other yers were far off at the other side of Taurus. "But, the good thing is I am quite sure I won''t be in much danger."


    "Oh, how so."


    Instead of answering Eldrian just smiled, "Certainly Pros doesn''t want to die, right." This statement Vivian couldn''t refute, though she knew that wanting and actually being capable were different.


    Eldrian didn''t quite want to talk about why he was so certain, but there was a reason why he had gone through the system''s data collection. Not only was it so he could use the chair, but it also ensured that no matter what, he would be able to resurrect.


    Though some cases might cause it to take longer than normal, he would not lose his avatar.? This was the true reason why he had finally agreed to go through it all.


    "Right... Ready for another round?" Vivian asked, hoping to hit something to let out her frustrations.


    "Not quite yet, give me another minute."


    "Nope, you need you push yourself if you want to catch up to me." Vivian shook her head cutely as she said it, Eldrian finding himself unable to say no after seeing that.


    So he stood up to get another beating. While the pain wasn''t all that nice, it did allow him to improve much better than when he was alone. He also quite enjoyed these sessions, though not because he was being beaten, and not just because he was improving either.


    After another round, Eldrian used his spear as a crutch as he tried to catch his breath. Looking up he could see Vivian trying to hide it, but she was breathing deeply too. This brought a smile to him, as normally she wouldn''t struggle at all.


    Just as they were about to go at it again, amotion caught their ears. Turning to look at what was going on Eldrian was left thunderstruck as he saw Evale casually moving towards the keep. As if nothing had happened, yet her clothes were in tatters and only barely kept her decent.


    "Do you know her?" Vivian asked, having moved closer during Eldrian''s daze.


    "Yeah, she was the original party leader. We split up, and haven''t heard from her since." Eldrian replied, storing his sparring spear and turning to Vivian, "Sorry, but I have to go hear what happened."


    Vivian nodded, understanding how he felt. "Alright, I am going to go back to duty. See you tonight," Vivian made sure to strain thest part, to indicate that they still needed to talk.


    Nodding Eldrian helplessly looked at her leave, his eyes taking it all in as a smile formed on his face.? Clear your head, let''s go hear what the hell happened.? pping his face Eldrian rushed to the keep, where the guard surprisingly allowed him in without much fuss.


    Inside he found Evules giving Evale a massive hug, tears of relief streaming down his face. Pros was in his human form, waiting for the siblings to finish.


    "I assumed you''de, so I let the guards know," Pros said as soon as Eldrian stepped closer.


    "Has she told anyone what happened?" Eldrian asked after thanking him, curious why she hadn''t at least changed her clothes beforeing here. He knew she had a dimensional storage, so it shouldn''t be that hard for her.


    "No, though she had heard about Evules''s injury it seemed. She came here out of worry." Pros replied, "Were my books of any help?"


    "Ah, yes. Greatly." Eldrian replied, and as Pros turned to look at the twins again Eldrian felt it was a good a time as any, "Pros... I have a favor to ask."


    "Oh?" Pros turned to Eldrian in curiosity, this little elf seemed to ask for many things. Though he didn''t mind it much so far, as him bing stronger would help everyone.


    "I have a friend in another kingdom..."


    "A Chosen?"


    "Yes." Eldrian quickly admitted, "He wishes to get out of the kingdom, as they are busy losing the war."


    "And he didn''t go with the empire''s recruiters? How strange."


    "He didn''t for the same reason he can''t stay. He isn''t alone."


    "Oh, and who is he with?" Pros asked, ready to deny the request if it was something like a girlfriend or something.


    "A little girl, 7 or 8 years old. She is an orphan." Thispletely threw Pros, he had certainly expected it to be a more selfish request, a little girl. That was something he was more open to helping.


    "My friend took her with him when he fled from the border city." Hearing this Pros was even more surprised, firstly by being able to flee and secondly actually fleeing. It wasn''t the best quality, but if necessary he understood why.


    "So then what do you want from me?" Pros asked, wishing to gauge how much Eldrian hoped to gain from him.

 Chapter 277: Quest Update and Spells

    <h4>Chapter 277: Quest Update and Spells</h4>


    "Simply to give him a rmendation. We know that it isn''t possible to teleport between kingdoms without one." Eldrian replied, though he wanted to ask for more, he felt that actually doing so was unreasonable.


    "That''s it? You do know how expensive the teleportation is going to be right?" Pros asked in slight shock.


    "Yeah, but we''re hoping to get that on our own," Eldrian replied, to which Pros simply nodded in acknowledgment. After which they waited a bit more as the twins were still simply relieved meeting each other again.


    "Right, Evale what happened. Why didn''t you return until now?" Pros asked after giving them a few more seconds, it starting to be awkward.


    "Originally I just wanted to experience what it is like to fight against a revenant. It was far harder than I had thought it would be." Evale started exining, "And on my way back I stumbled upon a group of undead near the fort.''


    "Naturally I followed them and wiped them out after confirming that they were staying in a well-hidden cave. From there I continued to find more such caves, and so I just kept whipping them out. Coming to the fort to inform everyone would have been a waste of time, I had feared they could contact each other. Hence I tried to be as fast as possible."


    "I see, that is likely why they suddenly attacked the fort. Once they realized what was going on they risked it all on that." Pros was surprised that Evale had managed that much. Considering the fact that there was more than four higher undead in the fight that night.


    "It''s likely what happened. I didn''t expect that response though. I didn''t eliminate all the undead in each cave, which might have caused it." Evale turned slightly sad as she said this, "If I saw anything beyond me I just used some AOE arrows and ran."


    "In any case, now that your back we can finally discuss the ns forward."


    For the most part, Eldrian just stood and listened as everyone talked. While Pros had gotten most of the information from the other survivors, he asked Evale everything from the start. Both to confirm what was correct, and also to figure out what more she had learned and experienced through going at it alone.


    Eldrian was left without words when he listened to her recount her fight against the revenant. With it being a Tier below her, it had actually pushed her so far. This just resounded to Eldrian how strange and strong undead were. They truly weren''t normal enemies.


    In the end, it took a couple of hours before they were done. Eldrian quickly left the keep, it having long since be a little depressing for him. He didn''t have much of a say, and being the weakest he also didn''t have much right. While Pros didn''t mind much if he did talk, it was clear they felt he should just wait for them to finish.


    Being part of it though had kept him up to date, and also update his quest.


    Reading through it Eldrian realized that not much changed. In fact, only Goal 1 changed to reflect that Pros was now part of the mission, and that if things went wrong he needed to report that.


    [Story Line Quest Update]


    [Quest Name: Corruption spreads]


    [Quest Giver: Pros]


    [Quest Rank: SS]


    [Quest Description: Retrieve information on the appearance of corruption in the southern border of Taurus, in the forest of Pyknos. This is not the only appearance of this corruption and its discovery is vital to all races in the war for survival.]


    [Quest Goal 1 [Updated] (Forpletion of the quest): In four days Pros will set out with a formidable force to attempt and find the corruption. yer-Eldrian- must follow along as insurance, bringing news of what happens to the Fort/City and informing the royals.]


    [Quest Goal 2 (Forpletion of the first questline): Deal with the cause of corruption. (Ranked Epic)]


    [Quest Reward: 4 levels]


    [Quest Payment 1: ess to Magic Crystal (Already given, will not be revoked)]


    [Quest Payment 2: 20 Gold coins]


    [Quest Payment 3: Choice of up to 3 Tier 4 magic items, or a single Tier 5 magic weapon]


    [Quest Party: Unkown - Notable NPCs; Evale, Pros, Kydone]


    I wonder what determines if an NPC is notable? Eldrian mumbled as he saw that Kydone was also on the list for some reason. Seeing that he also wondered what had happened to her, again. After being healed she hadn''t wanted to stay with anyone and had gone off on her own again.


    Anycase, let''s continue training.? Eldrian thought as he left the keep, quickly finding an open space where he continued to try and learn Volida. It was quite tricky as it wasn''t just a fire spell, like Floga or Mifotia. Instead, it was a hybrid wind and fire spell, and hence Eldrian had to figure out the manaposition as normal.


    He didn''t feel bothered as his cast would continually whimper into licks of me that disappeared with the wind. At least these whimpers informed him on how close he was, and when there was just a burst of me he knew he overshot it.


    After a few hours, a fireball crashed against the ground, setting it all ame. "Shit!" Eldrian shouted as he quickly cast Nidia, only to find the spell did little to the mes. So instead he pulled a barrel of water from the dimensional storage of the ring, where he kept the less valuable things, and threw the water over the mes. Yet even so it took a while for the mes to all die, surviving quite the number of seconds under the water.


    Looking at the ck circle Eldrian was surprised by the spell''s tenacity. The fire it caused didn''t die easily, so it was much more impressive than he had thought it would be from the description. Quickly Eldrian cast it a few more times, this time aiming for ces without nts.


    It still took a few tries as he had to remember theposition of mana which had worked, but once he got used to it Eldrian finally got the system notification that he had learned a spell.


    [Spell learned]


    [Volida, Tier 2, rank 0]


    [A simple fireball spell with the focus not on the explosion, but rather the fire itself. Very useful in confined spaces or when trying to make a bonfire.]


    [Explosion Damage: 8 Fire-based heat damage (FHD)]


    [Area of Effect: Lingering mes dealing 3 FHD every second]


    [Cost: 22 MP]


    [No cast cooldown] [Due to having learned the spell from root]


    [0.25 Cast time]


    Interesting, I wonder why the damage is so specifically defined now. Is it another simple interface update or because it is Tier 2?? Eldrian wondered after reading through it. The damage was certainlyckluster, even less than Frost Needle which did 9 IceD (Ice damage). The advantage of Frost Needle was evenrger though as it did piercing damage with a bonus of it being ice-based.


    Something which wasn''t listed in the spell but rather something Eldrian came to learn. He felt that this FHD, heat-based, meant it was much less effective. Essentially instead of it being a side effect of the spell, it implied it is the entire effect.


    The true test for this spell was going to be if it stuck onto the target. Eldrian felt that that would instantly make it far stronger.? While at it Eldrian also looked at Anthisma, to see what was differentpared to Anthizo


    [Anthisma, Tier 2, rank 1]


    [Anthisma a rejuvenation spell of the nature element. Has a side effect of healing minor injuries, but the focus of the spell is transferring energy to the target.]


    [Recovers 10 HP [Limit: 7 casts, 2- hour cd]]


    [Recovers 18 SP&MP [Limit: 7 casts, 1-hour cd]] [No MP recovery for the caster.]


    [1.5 regen bonus of both SP&MP for 3 minutes [Limit: 3 casts, 1-hour cd]]


    [Cost: 26 MP]


    [No cast cooldown] [Due to having learned the spell from root]


    [0.2 Cast time]


    Looking at it Eldrian had to admit that with the higher rank, it not being a healing spell became more apparent. Compared to Anthizo it only healed 2 more HP, yet it recovered 8 more stamina and mana. The cost nearly doubled though, from 15 to 26 mana per cast.


    Oh, that bonus regen is really nice though. Anthizo was only 1 for 2 minutes. Eldrian quite liked that increase, especially what it promised in the future. The reason for this was because he had found while his mana and stamina pool grew much muchrger, the regen didn''t improve all that much.


    The one he was clearest on was his mana regen, which still regened less than one MP per second. Hence this bonus from Anthisma would double or even triple his regen. If not even more.


    With that settles, and the sun more than halfway to setting, Eldrian decided to pass some time by reading. Standing up as it became night and heading to the inn where he was to meet Vivian. His mind wandering as he wondered how it was going to go.

 Chapter 278: Meeting Vivian, and the others after

    <h4>Chapter 278: Meeting Vivian, and the others after</h4>


    Luckily while his mind wandered, it was mostly upied with what he had read. For the sake of it, Eldrian had gone through thependium on fire magic again, at least the bit before and on Volida. After having cast it, what was written about it made more sense.


    Not much, but he was starting to understand how it mentioned the mixing of elements. It didn''t go much into detail, mostly having stated that most spells require more than just the focus element to properly work. Which Eldrian was only starting to realize.


    This was the cause of all the difficulty when learning higher Tiered spells, and more importantly, the cause behind the difficulty in trying to make new spells.


    What Eldrian came to understand was that the mixture wasn''t set. This was especially true for him since he needed to figure out theposition, other more normal mages had a far easier time. Though casting hybrid spells were still hard for them, Eldrian wasn''t quite sure what they struggled with though. If it was just envisioning the spell module, then they really had it easy.


    For most other mages it would also be the limit. Not for him though, now that he had a grip on it, he could continue to press on. Constantly changing the manaposition a little by little to see what would happen. This was his n, instead of trying to learn more spells he wanted to get used to this one.


    More importantly, he wanted to practice enough so that he could dynamically cast it. Which meant he had to be able to let his mana flow, with the right structure, in but a thought. Reaching this point simply meant practice, as he had yet to learn of a better way of converting static spells to dynamic ones. Other than letting it be near second nature.


    Going into the inn Eldrian grabbed a table and ordered himself a jug of juice. It was much better than ale, which had quite a bitter taste inparison, he also didn''t want to risk losing his senses. After finishing his second jug Vivian finally arrived, looking down.


    "What''s wrong?" Eldrian asked as soon as she took a seat.


    "It''s nothing." Vivian quickly replied, evidently not wanting to talk about it. So naturally Eldrian pressed on until she caved. "Fine... I got into trouble because I waste for my shift."


    "That''s only natural," Eldrian replied without much thought, resulting in him getting the stink eye.


    "Let''s just move on, what did you find out?" Vivian said after seeing Eldrian not bringing anything more up, as was the aim of her stare.


    "Oh, Pros is going to set out in four days, and I have to go with," Eldrian replied, to which Vivian quickly chirped in.


    "Then I''ll also sign up."


    "Hell no!" Eldrian quickly countered, "The entire point of me going with is if the entire group gets wiped!"


    "But..."


    "No buts! You can''t." Eldrian pressed, the two ending up arguing about it until their meals arrived.? "Promise me you won''t do anything dumb," Eldrian said before even touching his food, waiting for Vivian to reply first.


    "Fine... It just, I feel so useless. I don''t like sitting back and just waiting, it''s the entire reason I took up the sword in the first ce. So I don''t have to be waiting for the end."


    "I get that, but dying because you feel useless isn''t a good reason. You have to know when to back down." To which Vivian sighed as she knew Eldrian was right. It still didn''t mean she liked staying behind.


    Again she was reminded that she was just not strong enough, though she quickly took sce in the fact that she was not alone in that feeling.


    "How do you cope with this feeling?" Vivian suddenly asked halfway through the meal.


    "It''s different for me and you. But you know... I just throw myself into training."


    "It still sucks, training only temporarily keeps the feeling away."


    "True, but it also motivates me to constantly try my best." Eldrian replied, "Right, I learned three spells today, do you know Volida?"


    "Of course, though it is quite useless. Most spells below Tier 5, are in fact, useless." She replied, though inwardly she nearly choked hearing that he learned three spells. Especially with how casually he said it. For normal people, learning one spell in a week was considered good.


    "I wouldn''t say that, Frost Needle is very useful." Eldrian countered to which he got an incredulous stare.


    "That''s because you aren''t using it normally. Being able to control it like that isn''t something normal." Vivianined, clearly upset about this little factor.


    The reason behind it was simple, if Eldrian ever actually bothered to use spells, then she had a really hard time just holding out. It was why their spars were always limited to skills and technique. His being able to keep a me in her eyes, or sending a spell around and into her back was just unfair.


    "Then, do you think Volida would be useful if I can control it like that too?" Eldrian asked.


    "I don''t know, it doesn''t have the danger that Frost Needle has. Normally when people send it against others the mes would stick to the target, but not all that well. The damage would quickly fall off too. It is most often used to lock an area down, as it is the only way it really persists."


    Hearing this Eldrian wondered if he might be capable of controlling the mes themselves after the explosion. Quickly adding that to the list of things he needed to testter. After that, he simply enjoyed the rest of the dinner with Vivian, his mind mostly on magic, and as such he acted much more normal around her.


    Vivian keenly aware of it and wondering just what was going on in his mind. A part of her upset he was seemingly back to normal.


    ...


    Waking up, Eldrian was much more careful to not fall off the chair this time. Though he could already feel his bodyining as he stretched. He was far more sore than usual, though he wasn''t entirely sure if that was because he was basically sleeping in a chair. Or if it was due to the different method in which he entered the game.


    Shaking his head left and right to get the stiffness out of his neck, he sat down in front of his PC and looked at the messages he got from Elizabeth. She was quite upset that he hadn''t contacted her in-game, Eldrian having never even really interacted with the system the entire time he was online.


    He was still quite cross at it, even though he knew it made no sense. He was simply being spiteful in trying to not use any of its functions. A thing that was actually totally possible for him.


    Quickly writing a reply Eldrian simply said that they were going to meet up in any case, so he saw no reason to message with her while in the game. A few hourster, after eating breakfast and a morning run, Eldrian joined everyone in Elizabeth''s virtual home.


    "So we''re still going to fight every day?" Eldrian asked as soon as he appeared.


    "Of course, we have to fight at least once or we will lose ten points due to inactivity. We also still don''t have enough points to be guaranteed entry, so we have to gather them." Nikki replied before anyone else.


    "Alright, luckily we can organize it during the day IRL. But..." Eldrian paused as he wondered how to put it.


    "What is it?" Elizabeth asked, her gut telling her that something was going to be wrong.


    "Well I have a quest, starting in four days, and as such, I can''t really guarantee my avability."


    "What type of quest?" Elizabeth pressed, understanding that this game was far too realistic. Though for the most part, the quests she and her guild took were always small.


    They normally took garrisoning quests, which were extremely boring. But it paid decently and had nearly no risk, as long as an attack didn''t happen. The XP reward was also good enough, considering the low risk. In fact, they actually ended up ahead from these quests because no one ever died during a garrisoning quest. Though this was onlypared to the average yers.


    Other than that they might take hunting and gathering quests, though both of these were far more dangerous. While the target they were after in many cases might be weak, or in the case of herbsmon. They could run into anything while in the wild.


    Hence they only took those quests when needed, and they could always finish their quests during their ytime. Naturally, the entire Taurus mission was in fact continuously ongoing. But they weren''t that close to it. For them, it was more like it was a source of smaller quests, and not itself actually something they could do anything about.


    "It''s a scouting quest," Eldrian replied after a bit of thought, it being the best description he had for the quest. "The thing is though, just reaching the ce where I actually need to be will take at minimum a day''s journeying. Not to mention actually getting past all the undead and whatnot."


    "Undead?" Almost everyone echoed, so far everyone had just encountered beasts. While there had been some posts on orcs and goblins, undead were still unheard of. Eldrian had to exin in more detail what his quest was, leaving everyone without any words. For the most part, they thought him insane.


    The A-ranked quest at the start of the game nearly had them all dead. Yet here Eldrian took an SS-ranked quest. Heck the Taurus Relief Mission, which they thought of as a quest generator, was only an S-ranked quest. This was a double S, how much more difficult would it be?


    Sure it sounded like he just needed to survive until the NPCs found the source of the problem, but the fact was there was no guarantee the NPCs would seed.


    And this was their reaction without Eldrian actually sharing much of the details. He especially didn''t mention that the quest had two goals, and that the second one was ranked at an Epic level. Whatever that meant.


    He also hadn''t mentioned that it was a storyline quest, more because he didn''t know what it meant himself. So there was no reason to share that for now.

 Chapter 279: Trading, and a contract

    <h4>Chapter 279: Trading, and a contract</h4>


    "Fine, just let me know if you can''t make it." Elizabeth caved after listening to Eldrian just roughly exining his quest. Herself, she dared not take any quests above the C-rank, as they always gave her the feeling of danger.


    They were also the only quests where the rewards guaranteed a level gain, instead of just some meager XP. So she reasons her gut must be correct, and that they were unlikely to seed. These quests, while rare, were actually still easy to find if one tried.


    Though as evident from most of the other yers, few people actually seeded inpleting them.? Which made Eldrian''s calmness in the face of an SS-rank quest all the more baffling.


    "Certainly, I should know ahead of time." Eldrian agreed, and then everyone quickly got to talking strategy.


    For the most part, they now knew who they would be up against, most of the others teams were also streaming their matches. So even if they hadn''t fought a specific team, they could still get information on them.


    Streaming naturally helped their opponents figure out their style and weaknesses, but the extra ie swayed most of the teams to go for it. They just made sure to never go all out, which wasn''t a problem currently as there was still a lot of time left to get over 350 points for the legend rank. And the guarantee at entering the actual tournament.


    "Alright, also we should start talking about ways we can improve ourselves and the team," Elizabeth said after debating which teams they would likely be capable of winning against. For now, no one had really made any changes, so they still felt they would lose against those they lost against before.


    "Right, good gear is far more effective than we thought it''d be." Ilmadia quickly added, even though she felt gear was the least effective on her. Mostly because she still thought that she needed some special armor, like in all the other games.


    "Yeah, but it is also expensive. I have no idea how that Pure Warriors team could afford to kit three of their members with full Tier 6 armor. I looked into it and each piece is over a gold." Therdul said, having found the cost for items quite diverse.


    With the gauntlets being around a gold but the chest pieces nearly five gold each.? Unlike in other games, where all the pieces would cost nearly the same, here the size andplexity of the armor mattered. It made sense, but also made it harder to generalize costs and effectiveness.


    There being no total armor also made it harder to determine how good it was, damage is calcted based on the location hit and the armor at that location. Along with how important that part of the body was, naturally.


    Damage was in fact still a mystery to most yers, with most of them starting to think of it more realistically as Eldrian had from the start. Realizing that constantly tracking health was actually a distraction. Instead only waiting for the XP message was far more effective.


    "Right, and cheaping out and only buying only some pieces, or cheaper pieces, would not be nearly as effective." Nikki added, "The fighters in their party for example each had the chest armor. Yet we could easily kill them by focusing on the unprotected areas."


    "In which case," Elizabeth took over, "The best use of our money would be weapons. If we can get Tier 1 magic weapon, then we should likely be able to deal with their armor. Though that itself is still extremely expensive."


    "Right, what weapon do you have Judith?" Eldrian suddenly asked, catching everyone off guard.


    "A normal Tier 4 greatsword, it is why it always breaks when I attack. It can''t take the magic flowing through it, along with the shock of the actual attack. Why?" She replied, having forgotten that Eldrian and Erik didn''t know their precise gearyouts.


    "Well, I have a spare magical greatsword," Eldrian said, having already decided to sell it to try and get Erik some extra gold. So he might as well sell it to them on credit, seeing as it would highly increase their chances of winning, and thus gaining more gold. "But I am also going to give you a shield, which you must use."


    "Huh?" Judith simply looked at Eldrian without understanding.


    "It''s simple, if you die, then you having the sword wouldn''t change a thing. So, when running after people, pull out the shield and protect yourself." Eldrian replied, half teasing and half serious. It was too ridiculous how she was kitted.


    Hearing this she couldn''t help but blush, before suddenly turning aggressively defensive. She clearly remembered how she had been kitted and killed by the archersst time. Even if she wanted to act like a barbarian, she knew it was dumb to do so when it could cost them everything.


    "Fine, but how much do you want to sell it for?"


    "It is a Tier 2 greatsword; normal one-handed sword of the same Tier sell for around twenty gold at cksmith shops. Why don''t we just make it twenty gold, since we don''t really know its worth." Eldrian proposed, shocking everyone.


    While it sounded extremely costly, they all knew it was in fact an extremely good price. As long as it was not a bottom-ranked Tier 2 sword, it should be worth anywhere from 25 gold to 30.


    "Wait! If you are willing to part with it, that means you have an even better weapon left." Elizabeth suddenly said, causing everyone to look at Eldrian in even more shock.


    "I do, my spear is a Tier 3 magic weapon." Eldrian quickly admitted, before asking, "Are you fine with the proposed trade?"


    "Of course we are, but we don''t have enough gold." Elizabeth quickly agreed before Judith could say anything that might take away this golden opportunity.


    "That''s fine, I don''t urgently need the gold. But we do need to urgently get stronger." Eldrian replied, after which they quickly created a contract through the system.


    While Eldrian was still angry at it, he didn''t think of just taking Elizabeth''s words for it. The system contracts were extremely thorough, with the only way of breaking them being to stop ying. Not even creating a new character would suffice, since it does not link the character but the actual person.


    "That''s it?" Elizabeth asked, at first having been upset when Eldrian wanted to use the system contract. Now she understood why and felt it waspletely reasonable.


    "Yes, that''s it," Eldrian replied, the contract simply stating that by the end of the tournament they needed to pay the twenty gold. The idea behind it being that they could use the rewards from winning, if they at least made it into the top ten. If they didn''t make it into the top ten then they could be given an extension, though that would have to be agreed upon by both parties.


    "Alright, with that settled we quickly need toplete the actual trade," Eldrian said next, a bit irritated that there was no way outside of the temples to actually aplish this. Luckily he could do a direct transfer, so he didn''t need to risk anyone grabbing it when he put it up for just a few silvers.


    A few minutester he and Judith returned to Elizabeth''s virtual home, thetter smiling ear to ear.


    The process had been quite simple, with Eldrian only needing to confirm that he wanted to unbound the sword. He had wondered if it would be a problem that he had used the sword, luckily the temples seemed to deal with that for him. As part of the trading system, which was really handy for trading old weapons and made him more epting of the limits it ced on trading.


    "Is it that good?" The others asked Judith, only for her to nod dumbly in reply. It took a few minutes before she actually replied.


    "I can''t believe you would willingly part with it? How good is your spear?" Judith asked as soon as her mind returned.


    "It doesn''t matter, I prefer spears in any case. So even if the greatsword is better, I would still pick the spear."


    "That makes no sense," Judith replied as she recalled the stats. Simply the damage difference between her old sword and this one left her without words.


    "Right, in any case, let''s queue up," Elizabeth said, which they quickly did. As they waited the others kept questioning both Eldrian and Judith, finally managing to get out the details. Which left them stunned.


    "33 damage! That''s nearly double that of her old sword!" Zyviss shouted in shock, suddenly feeling like he was going to be even more overshadowed.


    "Not only that, it has a 10% damage bonus. While the condition behind it is quite strange, with Judith''s trying to be a barbarian it might trigger even against yers." Nikki said, for the first time envious of Judith''s strong conviction in trying to roley.


    Though they had no idea what the beliefs mentioned actually meant, nor how the system would determine if they conflicted or not. Everyone felt this weapon fit really well with Judith''s style.


    "I still think the lifesteal ability is the strongest." Eldrian interrupted, "Sure it won''t do much if you just get a normal hit, but if you get a vital hit. Then it can heal you much better than any spell, right Erik."


    "That would depend on how much damage she does." Erik replied, "Thera Aloifi, the Tier 2 healing spell, heals for just under 28HP without considering intelligence boosts and all the other things. Currently, if I heal someone I can heal up to 60HP, so she''d have to do nearly 600 damage to get the same effect."


    Holy shit, that''s a lot of healing. Why does it never feel like that when we fight? Eldrian was extremely shocked by the effectiveness of that heal, wondering why it never changed the fight. Most of the others were also left speechless hearing how much Erik could heal, also wondering why it never turned any of the fights thus far.

 Chapter 280: Judith and Gray

    <h4>Chapter 280: Judith and Gray</h4>


    Not able to keep this question to themselves, Therdul was the first to ask. To which Erik replied quite embarrassedly, "It''s most likely due to me timing it badly and the cooldown. I''m not used to treating people mid-fight."


    "What''s the cooldown?" Therdul asked, everyone had the same question. Ilmadia had never bothered to learn the Tier 2 healing spell, as she wanted to focus on dealing damage. Plus with how little the Tier 1 healing did she had assumed it would be a waste of time. Now she felt dumb and already nned to learn it when she went online again.


    "Eight seconds." Erik replied and added after a slight paused, "And to cast it takes around two seconds. Which actually caused me to fail in healing you guys more than once." Erik admitted, not proud at the fact that he struggled to keep up during the fights.


    If it came to healing them after a fight, he was certain he would do much better than almost anyone. But during fights, he either forgot about someone, lost track of their health, or simply cast his spell at the wrong time.


    "Well, we need to figure out the best way for you to contribute." After a bit of reflection, Elizabeth said, "I think you should ignore everyone but Eldrian, Therdul, and Judith. Try to also keep their health above half. Though health isn''t everything in the game, it should enable them to fight a bit longer."


    Everyone agreed with this, but before they could hammer into more details their queue finally ended and they found themselves in a rocky outcrop. Recollecting themselves they quickly got into a rough formation, Zyviss splitting off to try and get a nk.


    "Right, let''s see how it goes. Who are we against?" Elizabeth asked after everyone got into position and they turned to face the group of four mages and four warriors.


    "Team Elements, each mage uses a specific element, and the warriors normally just try to keep people from the mages. They are all Tier 3," mdia replied, having found the mages'' dedication to just a single element admirable but dumb.


    At this point having ess to so few spells just didn''t make much sense to her. It also usually came down to the Earth and Fire mage gaining them their victories, or even the warriors. Which was quite funny considering their bravado about magic needing to be pure and being above all else.


    "Right, they shouldn''t be too hard to win against," Therdul said, everyone keeping an eye on their opponents who were slowly walking closer. Zyviss having disappeared behind some rocks, their opponents not even realizing that one of them had split apart from the rest.


    "Alright, then let''s go." Elizabeth nodded as she recognized this should be one of the easier fights they could get into. Rushing forward they quickly confirmed this, with Judith actually using a shield, she managed to make it to the warriors without taking any damage from the opponents'' spells.


    The most dangerous was the earth mage, whose spells took the form of spikes and could even pierce through shields. Though her spells were easy to dodge if one kept an eye on them as she cast them. Judith''s shield actually had an almost spearlike rock spike stuck inside of it by the time she reached the enemies.


    The fire mage was more of a bother, but shields did well to stop the mes from reaching you. And if you just ignored it and ran through the mes it didn''t do much damage at all.


    Wind and water were by far the mostckluster, the former just producing a gust of wind which could lead to one losing momentum and being sent back a few feet. Water was even worse as it simply sshed on a shield and did nothing more.


    Why the mages didn''t even learn hybrid spells was beyond everyone, as it caused them to be far weaker than they would have otherwise. In fact, if everyone just used that earthen spike spell, then they could easily kill at least one enemy during the charge. Maybe two if the cooldown wasn''t too long.


    As soon as Judith made it to the warriors she? promptly smashed her shield into one of them and then attacked wildly with Gray, her new greatsword. Normally at this point, her sword would shatter into pieces and the one she attacked would be sent flying.


    Now instead, the greatsword cut through its target''s armor. While she failed to cut the person in half, he was sent flying with his innards slipping out. The person dying as he crashed into one of the mages. The crack echoing through the battlefield telling everyone that he broke his neck.


    Quickly all of the opponents focused on Judith, her attack having caused them to nearly shit their pants. Unluckily for them, Judith was not alone, Therdul quickly tied up one of the other warriors. Eldrian used the other as a target for Volida, setting the poor man ame. Thest warrior was still climbing back up from the shield bash, an easy target for Ilmadia.


    While the pain was certainly reduced, even more so than in the game, being set ame still felt extremely ufortable. As such Eldrian''s target quickly forgot where he was and what he was busy with. His entire focus just being on trying to kill the mes. Yet they refused to die.


    Interesting, I can still feel my connection to the mes.? Eldrian pondered as he tried to control them, aiming to get them to move into the man''s armor. Even after three seconds the man had not taken much damage, but he was nearly going insane from the heat and burning sensation surrounding him. Suddenly Eldrian was left stumped as his practice target disappeared.


    "Agh, he forfeited." Eldrian clicked his tongue and turned to find another target, only to find the rest of his team looking at him in horror. "What, I haven''t gotten to test it so far, so I thought this would be a good opportunity."


    He exined without much thought, yet hearing his words the others looked at him in even more shock and horror. "Have you no heart!?" Nikki shouted, Judith instead quickly moved closer and swung her arm around Eldrian''s shoulders.


    "That''s what I am talking about. Make them remember the defeat!"


    "Wait, what the hell happened. How did the fight end so quickly?" Eldrian asked as he struggled to escape from Judith. His nose acutely aware of her smell, not a nice feminine one. Rather a smell you would expect from someone soaked in blood.


    "This sword is really good." Judith swung the de around with her free arm, "Normally I can''t really pump any skills through my weapons. You don''t understand how massive a difference this makes."


    Hearing this Eldrian turned to the others for confirmation, only to see them shaking their heads in resignation. "It''s true, she killed all the mages, along with the first warrior she shed with," Therdul exined, feeling quite behind now that Judith was so strong.


    Zyviss was by far the most upset, he had gone through so much effort to nk their opponents. Finding a nice spot from where he could let loose, yet all that remained of the enemy by that time was the poor man Eldrian had set ame.


    "So now what?" Therdul asked as everyone recollected themselves. Most of them could not believe how massive a difference getting a decent sword had made in Judith''s strength. It more than doubled her offensive capabilities, maybe even quadrupling it considering she had to always hold herself back before. As such they all wanted a magic weapon now.


    "Why don''t we do a couple more fights?" Elizabeth proposed as she looked at the points they had gained. Due to them being higher ranked their point gain had been halved, but even so, four points was a good haul.


    As such they did just that, constantly being surprised by Judith taking total control of the battlefield. This held as long as the majority of their opponents were melee-focused, when they faced a group of archers they were sorely defeated simply due to being outranged.


    Coming back from just such a defeat, everyone was quite upset. The team they had just faced called themselves Soaring Dragons, having a team of just archers. There was simply no way to safely approach them.


    This team always focusing on one target at a time.? This resulted in an arrow always finding its mark, and if you managed to get close they would just run away. It was extremely frustrating to fight against, and the only thing they could think of to counter it was armor. Good armor.


    "That''s so frustrating. How are we supposed to fight against that?" Judithined, having actually used a shield, yet still ended up dying covered in arrows. Causing her to somehow doubt the shield. They hadn''t lost without getting kills in return, but more than half the enemy had been alive by the end.


    Hearing herin everyone didn''t know what to say. In the past battles, she killed nearly everyone with a single strike. How was that fair? Though they understood how she felt as they also all died in a flurry of arrows.


    "Ilmadia, do you know any wind spells?" Erik asked, recalling the magic used by the team calling themselves Elements.


    "No, I know some hybrid spells including wind. But not any pure wind spells. They are basically useless, why?" She replied.


    "Because they might really work well against arrows. Remember how that wind mage had nearly sent Judith stumbling back?"


    "Oh, that might actually work!" Ilmadia replied with enthusiasm. "Let''s end this for today, I want to try and get my hands on some wind spells." So the team quickly left Elizabeth''s virtual home, not even bothering to wait for her to agree.

 Chapter 281: Wind magic

    <h4>Chapter 281: Wind magic</h4>


    With everyone leaving Eldrian was soon left alone with Elizabeth, who quickly came up to him and asked why he didn''t join their guild.


    The question actually caught him off guard, and he didn''t reply right away. Instead, Eldrian first thought about it, with the game having been online for a while now people at least knew the basic advantages of a guild.


    These advantages were currently not all that great for someone like Eldrian, who had no shortage of quests. But for other yers it was quite nice, the quests were simr to what one would get in the adventurers guild. In fact, yers still got them there, the difference was that guilds could get priority for certain quests.


    This didn''t sound like much, and indeed it wasn''t, but the true goal was for the guild to be known in a certain city or even kingdom. This way they would get special quests, with bonus rewards. Eldrian found this slightly ironic as he felt he was getting special quests left and right, yet he had done nothing to actually be worthy of them.


    No guild currently had made a name for themselves to that extent, however some had gone to small viges and done that there. The reward for doing this though had not been that great, especially since these guilds were in an empire, which was extremely safe.


    "I don''t think that would be smart." Eldrian finally said, he didn''t mind joining but there wasn''t really anythingpelling him to do so. "I am not near you guys, and I also don''t n to change my way of ying this game. So even if I joined, what would that do?"


    "But you don''t need to be with us. You can do quests from anywhere and credit it to the guild."


    "That just sounds like you want to use me." Eldrian teased, "Besides don''t you have a limit on how many people can be part of the guild, certainly you are full."


    "We aren''t actually. Level 1 guilds can have up to a hundred people, we just have around seventy." Elizabeth quickly replied, though she already understood that Eldrian wasn''t going to join. "In any case the offer stands if you change your mind."


    With that Eldrian left and logged out. Sitting up in the chair he thought a bit more about the offer, but ultimately he didn''t feel like it was a good deal. The Taurus relief mission was likely going to take months to finish, if it was even going to finish that soon. So far Eldrian had a feeling that they were going to be recalled and that would be the end.


    "In any case, that doesn''t matter for now. I should log back in and also check out the wind spells." Eldrian mumbled, stopping as he was half lying in the chair. "Right, food first..."


    After filling his belly he returned and logged in. As soon as he did he looked through all the notes and books he had been given, looking for wind spells. It just so happened that Pros had given him one focused solely on wind, though Eldrian hadn''t looked at it much.


    The reason for that was quite simple, wind magic was truly sad at low Tiers. The beginning of the book stated how great it could be, especially at Tier 5 and above. Which wasn''t even included in thependium. It stated how it was possible to use it to fly, send invisible des to cut your enemies, create magic barriers.


    It sounded amazing, until one realized that before Tier 5 it was extremely weak. Tier 1 wind spells would create a gentle breeze, barely strong enough to flip the pages of a book. Eldrian had in fact learned just such a spell and often used it on warm days. He even managed to maneuver some water magic into it to make the breeze even cooler.


    It had nobat usage. Though with the addition Eldrian added it was quite a nice quality of life spell.


    Tier 2 spells were a bit better, but really they only made strong winds. This might be useful in disrupting arrows, and why Eldrian was now looking into it. But really it might not even be strong enough for that. Tier 3 was where the wind truly became strong, as Eldrian had witnessed in one of the fights earlier.


    Quickly Eldrian lost himself in the book, a light ball floating over him and giving him light in the darkness. He was quite shocked at the principles behind wind magic, while the terminology in the book didn''t quite match with what Eldrian knew, he could easily understand it.


    Basically, it came down to the fact that wind and most anything rting to air was controlled by pressure. Or so Eldrian came to understand it. The problem with this was that it isn''t easy to precisely create these pressure differences.


    Eldrian didn''t go too deep into the ramblings of the author, not understanding a great deal of it in any case. There was a great deal of theoretical talk on possibly improving it, as well as why it was so limited. Most of it Eldrian simply glossed over for now.


    The basis for improving being possible was Fire and Water magic, both can be summoned without this precise control, and with a lot less mana. Earth wasn''t considered as it wasn''t considered summoning since actually rocks/mud/sand had to be used.


    However, it seemed the author never seeded in reaching his dreams as the notes on the actual spells inside the book were quite simple.


    These spells are seemingly just to get used to using wind magic. The notes keep mentioning that you must take care to feel the flow, since you cannot see the effect of the spells. I wonder what they mean with that, the flow of mana or wind? Eldrian pondered as he started memorizing one of the stronger Tier 2 spells.


    It was called Ischyros Anemos, and from the description, Eldrian wondered if it would even be strong enough to divert arrows. It certainly wouldn''t deflect them. ording to the notes on this spell, it would cause therger branches of a tree to bend and sway. Which didn''t sound like much to Eldrian.


    After around an hour, Eldrian felt he had the spell module down pact, it being quiteplicated for something which was stated to be useless. Just as Eldrian was about to try and cast it, he bit his tongue as he realized where he was.


    "That was close," Eldrian mumbled as he looked around at the room. He wasn''t sure if the spell would even be limited to the room, but it would have certainly done some damage to everything inside if the winds were as strong as described. Most importantly he was a guest and certainly didn''t want to be kicked out.


    Inns were expensive and the military lodging certainly wouldn''t allow him to learn at ease during the night. While tents were free, Eldrian really didn''t want to sit in a tent and learn spells. A room was farfier, and the nket he had over his shoulders made him feel at home.


    Leaving his room and heading outside, Eldrian shivered at the coldness of the night, shocked by this. Soon he kept two Floga spells floating next to him, the weak mes didn''t do much, but it did keep the slight cold at bay.


    Walking in the dark, with two ming balls of fire around the size of a fist floating around him, Eldrian headed to the north of the fort. His aim the cronds. He believed it should be safe to practice the wind spell there. After twenty minutes of walking, he stood in front of the fields and refocused. Naturally letting the Floga spells die first, since he didn''t want to identally set the fields ame.


    Like always just memorizing the spell module wasn''t enough for Eldrian to cast the spell, luckily this was a pure wind spell. As such Eldrian just needed to figure out the quantity of mana, theposition being fully wind elemental mana.


    When he overshot the amount of mana he would get a slight headache as a strong wind nearly knocked him off his feet. When he undershot, nothing happened.


    After a few tries, not even an hourter, Eldrian seeded. His hair quickly being thrown around by the wind and the crops nearly touching the ground. He quickly realized this wind was what he would call storm winds. Though it was certainly not actually ssified as storm winds since it wasmon with rain.


    It was right where you had to carefully use your umbre, or it would be flipped inside out or taken from your hand. Not strong enough to really bother a person, but if they had a cape or something it could actually really pull them down.


    For the most part Eldrian just had his hair constantly smashing into his face, causing him to want to cut it shorter. Funnily enough, his hair had actually be much longer from when he first created his avatar, and it was likely time to cut them.


    This should definitely be capable of throwing arrows off their tracks. Eldrian thought, realizing that it should most certainly at the very least cause the arrows to deviate. As he thought of this he quickly looked up his friend list and contacted Erik and Ilmadia.


    Asking the first to also learn this spell, quickly sending Erik a screenshot (Or rather a viewpoint capture) of the spell module. For Ilmadia instead he asked what she had decided to learn, and if she had managed thus far.


    Adding that while the gust spell they had seen might be useful for deflecting a hail of arrows, it would be too difficult to use against single arrows.


    So he proposed that she should rather try learning one of the wind creation spells. Eldrian was certain that the Tier 3 version should be even more effective. The only problem was that it would cause everyone trouble, not just the opponents.

 Chapter 282: Diving into magic

    <h4>Chapter 282: Diving into magic</h4>


    Typing messages with the system was extremely fast, it converted your thoughts into words. It was certainly not easy at first, much like telepathy, one had to actually think the words. But after a few tries, most everyone had managed, as almost everyone could think with words.


    Though there were a few yers who were unable and a speech conversion was added for them. The developers had acted quickly to take care of this, as such it never really made any headlines. Even though it had confirmed beyond a doubt that some people can''t create words in their heads.


    Due to the method of typing, by the time Eldrian finished sending his messages the spell was still going on, more importantly he could feel it continually taking his mana. Much like other spells which he could keep active after their normal time. Floga for example was supposed to justst a minute at most.


    Not fighting this, Eldrian let the spell freely feed on his mana. As he did he also sent out his thoughts to follow along and try to figure out how the spell actually worked. A massive advantage of static magic was that he didn''t have to understand a thing.


    Yet Eldrian knew that continuing in such a manner would cause him to be limited to static magic. With practice he could get the ranks up of his spells. These ranks he had learned basically just indicated how well he could control his spell, and hence if he was capable of dynamically casting it.


    Even Floga was still only Rank 3, and while Eldrian didn''t know what was the limit to ranks, he felt quite certain that Rank 3 was not it. Though he had no proof for this other than what Zamia had shared with him. He knew he was not yet truly there, the spells weren''t his own.


    The form and usage of his spells were controlled by the type of spell it was. This sounded normal, but from what Zamia had shared with him Eldrian knew that it was not true dynamic casting. She had also told him that, and it was why she was incapable of teaching him more. And most likely everyone else would be incapable, his way was different from what was known.


    In any case, Eldrian only slightly thought of this before his focus returned to Ischyros Anemos, the cause of these cold winds that were currently chilling him to the bone.


    Ignoring the cold and following his own mana, Eldrian was surprised to find it splitting. Not only that, the mana changed. He had sent out simple wind elemental mana, which on its own simply felt like a spring breeze. It was refreshing and freeing, quite afortable feeling to lock onto.


    Yet now he could tell that the properties of his mana were changing, he didn''t know how, nor into what. Continuing to try and follow along Eldrian felt like one part became more energetic, while the other had the opposite effect. Be what he could only describe as cold and distant.


    What is going on?? Eldrian wondered, however he failed to feel anything else. It was already hard enough to keep his focus on mana outside of his body. Adding theplexity and speed at which things were flowing, it made it nearly impossible for him to tell more than just the general feeling.


    I need a better way to observe mana.? Eldrian quickly realized, knowing that if he could see mana flow as he could inside his body, then it would all be much much easier.


    Finally canceling the flow of mana, the winds quickly grew weaker and weaker. Eldrian keenly noticing that the mana he was still feeling reverted back to normal, before being whisked away by the very winds they created.


    "Interesting," He mumbled, this revtion informing him of quite an important factor. "While I''m here I might as well test out Volida too," Eldrian said while rubbing his arms, actually just wanting to get some heat after those chilling winds.


    Moving to one of the dirt roads, Eldrian made sure that there were no mmable things where he was aiming. Sending out the fireball it quickly became bright as it exploded on the dirt, the heatwaves fully conquering over the cold.


    For a few seconds Eldrian simply enjoyed the heat, as if the mes were a campfire. After getting rid of the chills he started focusing. Within seconds Eldrian found a massive difference between wind and fire, feeling incredibly dumb that he had missed it before.


    Instead of continuing to focus on the mes he quickly stopped his connection to it, letting the mes die after they exhausted the mana which had brought them to life. Forming another, Eldrian struggled to keep it from directly firing off. In the end he failed, but the few seconds of struggle had allowed him to confirm his suspicion.


    Unlike wind, where his mana took on different forms. Forms he didn''t know. The fireball spell simply took his mana, converting it into mes. Even now, the mes on the road were all directly created by his mana.


    The wind wasn''t created, it was just manipted.? That must be the pressure part of things, and why wind magic is so much weaker. Mana doesn''t turn into it, but how does fire and water work then?? Eldrian was quickly stumped by this.


    It made no sense that some elements could simply be summoned and others not,? Wait! Earth magic also requires actual materials. Nature magic too, if you tried to do anything other than direct energy maniption.


    Eldrian couldn''t stop the smile from growing on his face as he realized this, quickly looking into his inventory for a book or note on earth magic. It was a category he had yet to touch on, luckily one of the books Myropsis had given him had some earth spells.


    In his haste and excitement, Eldrianpletely forgot that he had learned a Tier 0 earth spell, Gi. Instead he picked a Tier 1 spell and learned it from scratch, it was basically the same as Frost Needle. Only it needed a piece of dirt, or preferably pebble to be cast.


    Picking up a nearby pebble Eldrian quickly tried to use Vrachos, the spell he had just learned, on it. It took him a couple of tries, but finally he managed to see results. The first few pebbles crumbled into dust, the next changing into grotesque objects.


    Finally, after twenty minutes of trying, Eldrian managed to get the hang of the mana output needed for the spell. The pebble turning into a sharpened spike. Which suddenly flew from his hand and into the dirt.


    "Shit!" Eldrian quickly pulled his hand back and looked at the cut. The spell didn''t seem to care that he was holding the rock, as soon as it managed to work it sent the now spike-like rock flying off.


    Having been caught off guard Eldrian had failed to learn anything, so he quickly repeated the spell. This time making sure to not keep the pebble in his hand, and also to aim the spell itself at the ground. Once it seeded in changing it would simply dig a few centimeters into the ground from the force of it trying to fly off.


    Thanks to the simrity to Frost Needle Eldrian needed but an hour of practice to get a better grip on the spell. Bringing it up to Rank 1, where he could at least keep it from flying out without his say-so.


    In the process Eldrian had confirmed even more that mana was not just about elements. While the elemental mana had been necessary to form the pebble into a spike, it was also the mana that gave it a terrifying velocity.


    Eldrian didn''t quite get how thetter worked, even casting Frost Needle a few times to try and get a better grasp on it. He needed far less focus on keeping the ice spike from flying off, still, he failed in figuring out what happened to some of his mana.


    Around half of it worked on actually forming the spell, the rest simply seemed to disappear when he let it fly. This wasn''t entirely true, it was still there. Manipting this mana was what allowed him to control the spell. But Eldrian couldn''t tell how, he always focused on the part that had formed. Never on the mana that hadn''t been used.


    What is going on. Wait, maybe...? Eldrian paused as he changed his mindset, instead of continuing to toil blindly he turned to Magic Inspection. It was mostly a spell used to observe others, with many people using it to basically spy out their opponent''s next action/spell.


    Using it a few times Eldrian, encapsted the spell module he formed with his concrete thoughts, with mageia. Finally, after ten minutes of trying, Eldrian managed to enter the magic abyss. Here he found himself slightly off guard as there was no mana flowing through the spell module.


    This made sense, the spell was extremely cheap to cast, only costing 4 mana. It also had no upkeep, other than needing to focus to keep it active. One had to keep this spell module in their minds, which waspletely different from other spells.


    With others Eldrian could focus on what he had summoned, forgetting about the spell module once the fire/water/wind or whatever he had summoned was there. Nature magic was the only one that was weird, as there he had to focus on the energy entering his target. But it still wasn''t a spell module.

 Chapter 283: Changing a spell

    <h4>Chapter 283: Changing a spell</h4>


    Now what? Eldrian wondered as he looked at the unique module that was the Magic Inspection spell. With the others he could try and change the way mana flowed in the pathways. Or he could try and change the nodes from input to output; along with a change in mana flow for the corresponding pathways to make the node change possible.


    With there being no mana flowing through the spell Eldrian had no idea what to do. The only thing he could think of was to actually modify the spell module itself. However, this was easier said than done. He had yet to actually seed in doing so. Sure he had managed with some spells before, but the result was random and quite useless.


    In fact, the only reason it kind of worked, was that he used the magic abyss to force it. He hadn''t been able to recast Nidia, or any other spell he had altered, as he had altered them. The only way he could cast them with the addition was through adding the addition in the magic abyss.


    What is going to be faster?? Eldrian wondered as he studied the module before him. It was a circle within a circle, with eight lines going from the midpoint of both circles to the outer circle. Cutting both into eight pieces. However, the lines did not connect normally at the center.


    Moving closer Eldrain found this, realizing that what he had thought was a single node was actually five, with eight more pathways. Wait, how is that possible. I didn''t envision the center like that, so how can it be here like this.? Eldrian pondered, leaving the magic abyss after a few seconds and trying to cast the spell as he had seen it.


    It took him a few hours to get a hang of the new spell module. The added nodes bringing the total up to 21 from 16, and the added pathways bringing that total up to 40, from 32. It didn''t sound like much, but Eldrian had to envision them all correctly, and this spell module was already one of the mostplex ones he had learned.


    The addition brought it close to the number of nodes and pathways one would expect from a Tier 3 spell, in fact some Tier 3 spells had even less than that. As the sun started rising and the cold was chased away, Eldrian finally seeded in casting the spell again.


    He barely managed to keep it active for a few seconds before losing focus. After another half an hour, the sun now fully risen and the cold reced by pleasant warmth, he managed to keep his focus together.


    Eldrian could feel his mind being strained by this. A headache forming after only twenty seconds of keeping the spell active.


    In those twenty seconds, Eldrian had quickly looked at his limbs and even his stomach and chest, though thetter had a less clear view. He was happy to find that actually envisioning the additional nodes and pathways seemed to have changed something. His vision on his mana was far clearer.


    Where before it was like he could see a mist moving inside of him, now it was like he was looking at a light. Still, this improvement did little for him. The center must be where the magic happens.? Eldrian pondered, letting go of the image he kept in his mind to keep the spell alive.


    Not needing to focus on it his headache soon left, along with a feeling of drunkenness that had begun forming. The spell was far more strenuous than he had thought it would be. Causing him to wonder if the addition actually brought it up to a Tier 3 spell.


    Considering again how the pathways met at the center, Eldrian wondered if he could possibly change them. It would be far easier than trying to add another pathway and the corresponding nodes. Which he would have to also keep in his mind.


    Removing pathways and nodes wasn''t an option since that would most certainly break the spell. While addition would do the same, the spell might just malfunction; instead ofpletely stopping to work.


    The problem with this though, and why most people couldn''t do this, was that a spell had to beplete to be cast. Else nothing would happen, or in worst cases, they could get a bacsh from trying to force an iplete spell.


    Trying to change a spell-like this was simr to when people first learned it, but kept envisioning the module incorrectly. Sure, you could push through until you seeded. But in most cases you would be left unconscious before you made any progress. You can even cripple yourself if the spell you were experimenting with was something reallyplex, or violent.


    Luckily Eldrian had ess to the magic abyss, which was the only way to experiment without knowing the answers. Even so, most mages needed to know what change would cause what effect, to reduce the possible risks. But Eldrian could just try things out to see what happened.


    Even if he received bacsh, it shouldn''t be too bad since he could resurrect. He would prefer no bacsh, as the pain was often not capped by the system in such cases. As he had painfully learned in the past. Still he knew he wouldn''t die, at least this was what his past experiences also told him.


    Sitting down on the dirt road, Eldrian pulled one of the spike-like rocks he had formed while practicing Vrachos. Using it as a pen he drew the original spell module, then the one he had just used.


    Focusing on the center he drew it next to both spell modules. He also drew it as he had first learned the spell. The original had a single node where all eight lines(pathways) met. The new one instead had the diagonal lines moved up a bit. With them stopping on the horizontal lines, forming a cross with the verticle.


    This resulted in a diamond shape being formed where he thought a single node was. "So, how can I manipte this?" Eldrian mumbled and started drawing random maniptions. He started simple, moving just one of the diagonals.


    For now he decided on three variations he could try, knowing that testing each would take him probably an hour or more. The first basic ones were to move some number of the diagonals back to their original location as he had first learned the spell.


    The other was trying to really cast the spell as he had first learned. Stopping the diamond shape from even forming. Thest was to move the diagonals downward, so that those from the top met the bottom verticle, instead of the top one they currently did.


    As Eldrian suspected it took him an hour to seed with the simplest change. This with him manipting the spell inside the magic abyss and then trying to leave with it still existing.


    This was quite hard, as generally when leaving the magic abyss he would lose focus and his grip over his spells. With normal spells this didn''t matter much, since they could sustain themselves for a while. Magic Inspection was different, and hence each time he let the image in his mind slip, he had to start over.


    He also quickly found a problem with the first approach. It seemed to make the spell unstable. Each time he left he would have a throbbing headache, his nose even started bleeding when he tried moving two pathways to the center.


    As such he gave up in trying to move them all there. While it should have been fine, as it was how he had envisioned the spell at first, the pain he felt told him that it was not.


    So he ignored his second n, having found that if he simply tried to cast it like that the spell would actually form correctly. And trying to force the point through the magic abyss seemed to lead to a bacsh.


    He also realized, after casting it as he first learned it again, that the center wasn''t as well-formed in this case. He didn''t quite understand how it even seeded if he learned it wrongly, but he felt that it was close enough somehow. Which was why it wasn''t well-formed,pared to when he actually envisioned the diamond shape in the center.


    With just one idea left Eldrian turned to that one. Entering the magic abyss again, this time he didn''t just move the diagonal to the center, but instead pushed it past to the bottom vertical pathway.


    Doing this put extreme strain on his mind, but no headache. So he pushed on, not wishing to test it with just one change as it was most certainly unstable in this form.


    Moving the other pathways Eldrian felt the strain on his mind continuing to grow. In the end, he had to give up while moving the third pathway. However he didn''t give up, but he did decide that it was time for a break. His back was wet with sweat, and his stomach was growling. He had been practicing for over six hours already.


    Heading back into the town Eldrian entered the first restaurant he found, quickly ordering himself something to drink and eat. After enjoying a really expensive meal, twenty coppers, for some type of magical beast Eldrian didn''t know, he left feeling refreshed and full of energy. As the description on the menu had stated he would feel.


    Feeling ready to tackle the problem again Eldrian headed back out of the town. This time heading to one of the grass patches and finding himself a tree to sit under. Enjoying the shade and slight breeze moving through the ce he focused and cast the spell again.

 Chapter 284: Bombarded by messages

    <h4>Chapter 284: Bombarded by messages</h4>


    It took him a while, but after four attempts, each time going through the process of altering the spell in the magic abyss and getting more used to the pressure. Eldrian finally seeded.


    As soon as he managed to bring thest pathway down all the pressure on him disappeared. Allowing him to rx and looked at the changed spell. Relieved, and finding nothing wrong Eldrian left the magic abyss. As soon as he did he was so shocked that he immediately lost control of the spell.


    Instead of seeing the grasnd and the animals grazing nearby, his vision had been bombarded by a colorful mist of every color.? Shaking his head Eldrian sighed as he thought he had to go through that again, however he found that he had gotten a system message.


    One which made his dislike of the system lessen just a little bit.


    [yer has modified a spell. Please cast the spell two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this spell.]


    [Spell Type: Examination]


    [Spell Tier: 2]


    Okay, that makes going through the process again worth it.? Eldrian thought as he first tried to simply cast the spell. For some reason this did not work, nothing happened when he did this and it felt like he was just thinking, not casting.


    For the next hour, he tried casting the spell two more times, failing a couple of times when trying to modify the module. Each time he lost focus upon leaving the magic abyss, the drastic change in the environment making his focus slip. Luckily these still counted.


    Finally, he seeded and the system message prompted again, giving him some guidance on how to proceed.


    [Spell sessfully recorded, yer can choose to name it. Note, the spell is not unique and others in the world also have ess to it.]


    [Please choose the name of the spell.]


    Looking at the notification and the one before Eldrian thought to keep it simple. As such he quickly inputted Mana Examination as the name.


    [Spell names: Mana Examination]


    [A rudimentary spell that allows its caster to see the world of magic. Bringing the invisible into vision.]


    [Note: Further fine-tuning is possible]


    [Further note: Unlike the spell this was derived from, this spell can''t show the mana flow inside of people. Only that in nature.]


    Eldrian was quite surprised to find the system also adding a picture of the spell module of Mana Examination beneath all the text. He found this addition quite nice, and he also found that there was even a method of sharing this if he wanted to.


    Finished looking at the report and just as Eldrian wanted to test out if he could cast it normally, he got another system notification.


    [yer has been given the title: Modifier]


    [The Modifier title will greatly increase the opinion of researchers and craftsmen. It is proof of your creativity and talent.]


    [Titles are optional additions that yers can choose to make visible. Doing so will allow others to see all your titles when using Observe on you.]


    [Reward for gaining the Modifier title is 2 levels.]


    That''s a nice bonus.? Eldrian thought, looking at his stats. The fact that he was now level 20 brought a smile to his face. While this wouldn''t even put him in the top 100 of the entire game, it did do so for the empire of Floria. That simple achievement just made him feel much better about things.


    Not to mention having actually seeded in altering the spell which also made him feel filled with pride.


    He was extremely curious to try it out. However, before he could he was surprised again by the system. It sent out a worldwide announcement, leaving Eldrian bbergasted as he didn''t know this game did that sort of thing.


    [yer, Haru, has seeded in sessfully and fully modifying a spell; before Tier 5. As a reward his talent has been brought to the attention of the gods. Making him a target for nurturing for Kalos races, and a target to kill and snub out for the Kako races.]


    What the hell?? Eldrian questioned as he read through the notification, not at all happy about what it said. At first he had thought there would at least be another reward like in other games, and while they''re technically was a reward, he felt more worried about the fact that he was now a target.


    Dammit, why did it have to be shared? And how the hell was it shared? Is it the system or are the other AI just aware of things? Eldrian wondered, quickly receiving messages from the few friends he had added.


    Before he could even reply to them he was shocked by another system notification.


    [yer should take care. While currently, your importance in being killed for the Kako races is quite low, they will still send elite demons after you. Some of whom can use soul attacks which can severely injure your avatar.]


    Fucking hell, that isn''t something I want to hear. Eldrian felt like cursing this development, receiving another message before he even could.


    [Due to your special method of growth, the danger is even greater. Eldrian, you are advised to not do anything dangerous, as soul attacks can influence you in reality.]


    The fuck... Eldrian simply stared at the message for nearly a minute beforeing too. Only to be shocked again when he reread it and realized for once he wasn''t addressed as yer or? User, no the system actually used his freaking real name.


    What the actual hell?? I need to ask Joren what that is about.? Eldrian quickly thought, greatly disturbed by that part.


    It took him a couple of minutes to recover, during which he opened the messages he had gotten. They were mostly just congrattions, with everyone making it clear he was going to need to exin when they met upter.


    Elizabeth though again tried to rope Eldrian into joining her guild, she knew that just having Eldrian in their guild would immensely increase their prestige now. They might even directly start getting custom quests.


    After replying, and as Eldrian wanted to get back to practice he found that he had another system message. Cursing at the sight he opened it with trepidation, finding his fear actually well ced.


    [yer has reached level twenty, death penalty now increased to three levels. Quest XP also increased (Only affects F to C-ranked quests), this increase is permanent.]


    Goddamit! Eldrian cursed, recovering after a moment as he realized this increase in the death penalty wasn''t new. Only receiving a notification was. Entering the double digits, it had also increased from losing one level to two. Still, he didn''t like this news.


    Eldrian was slightly curious what the increase was about, but he had no quest that low ranked. Nelida''s journey was the only quest he had gotten thus far that would have been affected, so Eldrian didn''t much care for the increase. The penalty was a much bigger problem, but nothingpared to the previous system message.


    Sighing after looking at that message again, knowing that he was going to be hunted AND the death penalty was now much worse, did not make Eldrian feel any better.


    Again it took him a couple of minutes to calm his mind, finally returning his attention to practicing. Knowing that more than ever he needed to grow stronger, quickly. Envisioning the spell module of Mana Examination in his head, Eldrian failed again, leaving him stumped.


    Not yet wanting to go through all the effort in the magic abyss. Eldrian quickly headed to the list of spells he had learned, which the system kept for him. Pulling up Mana Examination he looked at the text again, and then the spell module. As he stared at it his eyes flew wide open as he realized that the mana flow was indicated in this spell module.


    That''s it, that''s why I have been failing. I forgot about the fact that my mana has to enter and flow inside the module in a specific way!? Extremely happy Eldrian quickly envisioned the spell module again, quickly sending his mana into it in the way the system had shown him.


    As he did his vision suddenly became obscured by mists of varying colors. The mostmon mist was a soft white one, with a white-green following close behind and then blue and red following after. While the sudden change in his sight was shocking, Eldrian was prepared for it. It was also much easier to keep his focuspared to when he left the magic abyss.


    As such he seeded in fully using the spell for the first time. Marveling at all the mist-like substances filling the air, Eldrian got the crazy idea of wondering what would happen if he could control it all. Though he quickly let that idea die down as he still didn''t even fully know how to control his own mana.


    "Let''s see what happens when I cast other spells," Eldrian mumbled, upset that he wouldn''t be able to use any Tier 2 spells. In fact, he would only be able to use spells he was extremely used to. Since he had to keep the spell module of Mana Examination constantly in his mind.


    This was actually much harder than he thought, after a few failures he decided to simply see what happened if he used Tier 0 spells. Dual casting Mana Examination and a Tier 1 spell proved too difficult for him.


    Even Frost Needle, which Eldrian could normally cast without thinking, resulted in his focus slipping just enough for Mana Examination to stop working. But Floga and Nidia, which took but a single thought, was simple enough.


    Casting the first Eldrian wondered at the red mist moving from his hand and forming the me he was all too used to. During this most of the blue mist near the me retreated, while the close by red mist was absorbed by the me.

 Chapter 285: Curiosity and discovery

    <h4>Chapter 285: Curiosity and discovery</h4>


    This is actually so pretty. Was the first thing going through his mind as he looked as the mists move around, the me looking more ethereal than normal. As if he could see through it, but yet he couldn''t.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t keep it up for long, after five seconds of admiring the view he lost control of Mana Examination and was left staring at a normal Floga. Sighing Eldrian realized he had started admiring the view too much.


    I have to get more used to it.? Eldrian realized as he repeated the same process, but this time with Nidia. Things happening much like before, only the blue being attached to his spell and the red chased away.


    I wonder what the others look like.? Eldrian thought after again the spell module of Mana Examination slipped in his mind. So he continued to use Tier 0 spells while casting it, finding this practice far more efficient than simply trying to cast it alone.


    It took him a couple of tries before he managed to cast the Tier 0 spells he wasn''t so used to. But after half an hour the results started bing clear.


    He found that when casting Gi, the earth spell which caused dirt to slowly pile up onto itself, that there seemed to be no external mana; or rather no mist. Eldrian felt this was unlikely and that rather the mana was hidden from his view in the earth itself.


    The wind spell, Anemos, simply caused the white-green mist to be excited. Causing all of it to move slightly faster than before.? Seeing this Eldrian realized it wasn''t the same as Ischyros Anemos, the Tier 2 variant. He confirmed this after recasting the Tier 0.


    On the recast he didn''t use Mana Examination, instead, he tried to follow the mana on his own. In doing so he realized that his mana did not change with this spell. It felt just like it did when he first sent it out.


    After pondering about the meaning of this, Eldrian repeated the process with Aeraki, The Tier 1 variant. He normally used it when he was in an enclosed area and it started bing warm, as such he was actually quite used to the spell. He had even managed to add a few water elements into it.


    He hadn''t done it through changing the spell, but rather through changing what he sent into it. In doing so he couldn''t add much, probably less than 5% of the total mana he sent out. Still, it caused the air to be cooler, like a refreshing sea breeze.


    Focusing on his mana, he cast the spell. Eldrian found that this time the mana did change. Though the change was nowhere near as drastic as for the Tier 2 variant. The mana became more energetic but other than that Eldrian couldn''t feel anything else being different.


    He really wanted to use Mana Examination to see what was happening, but he knew he couldn''t aplish that yet.


    I wonder how Fos and Skia will look through Mana Examination. Eldrian thought after letting go of his curiosity on wind magic; for now.


    He knew that he would need hours of practice with both Ischyros Anemos and Mana Examination to be able to use both at the same time. Heck, he had yet to try dual cast two Tier 1 spells, which Eldrian quickly realized, he should probably do first.


    He also felt like he had done enough progress for today and didn''t want to just continue practicing. When he thought of the server announcement Eldrian felt this was especially true. Instead, he wanted to rather sate his curiosity about things now.


    Casting Fos, which he was extremelyfortable with as it was often his night light, Eldrian admired the new type of mist appearing. It was far less in quantity and it was almost invisible, but with Fos gathering the nearby elements he could finally see it. However, the initial cast was what truly informed him to look out for it.


    A very light, vague yellow was slowly moving towards the small ball of light. Looking at it Eldrian turned to look at other ces, finding that he could also see this mist there too. It was just so vague that the other mists totally overshone it.


    Repeating it with Skia took a few tries as Eldrian had almost never cast it after learning the Tier 0 darkness spell. When he finally seeded he found that unlike all the others, the ball of darkness he had summoned was losing mana. A ck mist devoid of light being pulled from his spell and disappearing into the surroundings.


    That''s interesting, Eldrian thought, finally casting Anthos, only to find as he suspected that there was no mana flowing anywhere. He had felt this would happen since he was casting the spell on himself. His mana didn''t even need to leave his body.


    Looking around he saw one of the goat-like creatures nearby. With a smile Eldrian quickly walked closer to the animal. Casting Anthos on it as soon as he was five meters from it. As he did he saw a light green mist moving from him to the animal. Unlike all the others, it did not gather at a certain point.


    Though this took a couple of tries for Eldrian to confirm. He had to keep his distance from the animal or it would run, and all the other mists filling the surroundings certainly didn''t help in making it easy to see what happened.


    Finally he saw that his light green mist seemed to spread around the animal. Going into it from all directions, and as it did this, about half of the mist changed into a different mist. One Eldrian realized as the color for raw mana.


    Oh! That is interesting, but it makes sense. The spell gives energy, including mana, and raw mana is probably the only mana someone can take in from a spell. Or easiest. Eldrian thought, now curious what the mana in others looked like. So he decided to check just that.


    Eldrian started with the animals, going back to Magic Inspection, he cast the spell in itsplex version. This caused his viewing time to just be ten to twenty seconds, but Eldrian knew he needed the practice, so he sucked it up and continued.


    The mana appeared like a second skin, right under their coats. Lightly shining through. Like a soft glowing mist covering them head to toe. Making it almost seem like they would glow in the dark, which caused Eldrian to wonder if the spell might work for stealth missions.


    That would be freaking OP!? Eldrian thought, quickly losing focus and needing to recast the spell thanks to that.


    The goat-like animals all had the soft white of raw mana flowing through them. Along with a bit of light green, which Eldrian now knew was the nature element. A few of the animals had other types of mana also flowing in them, but this was normally far less than the other two. It also seemed to be unstable.


    Eldrian also realized that the mana covering their entire body waspletely different from his own case, where his mana flowed from his heart to his limbs and head.


    Moving on Eldrian enjoyed a walk through the grasnd and fields, casually using Magic Inspection and looking at everything and everyone. He was slightly disappointed that it didn''t seem to work on nts, which he only realized when a field of grain-like crops nearly stopped him from seeing the people inside of it.


    For the most part, Eldrian found that everyone else''s mana was just below their chest, just above their stomachs. Right where the diaphragm was situated. Their raw mana would umte there, flowing in a circle. Sometimes, but this seemed to happen rarely, there would be a re of some other coloring to life. Though most of the time it would stay a soft white.


    Eldrian was so absorbed in his observation that he didn''t even realize he had walked all the way back to the North gate. Looking at the ramp, a smile grew as he thought back to when he first arrived.


    So much has happened in so little time. Not even a month... Seeing the guards moving about on top of the wall, Eldrian became curious what their mana would look like. Those tending the fields were the weakest in the fort, and while they all could cast Tier 0 spells, most of them weren''t even Tier 1.


    Unfortunately, those atop the wall were too far for him to use Magic Inspection on, while it had a decent range, the wall itself was twenty meters high. Looking around Eldrian saw the gatehouse just a bit off, and a few guards standing guard next to the ramp.


    Heading over Eldrian didn''t want to seem suspicious, he knew what he was doing was considered hical. The NPCs viewed it simr to spying, but really they thought of it more like peeping.


    If you didn''t have their permission to use Magic Inspection, and ''inspect'' them, then they would be quite cross at your action. This was even worse than using Observe, as that was just considered spying.


    Trying to be casual Eldrian kept to the road and simply walked past, turning to greet the guards when he was close enough for Magic Inspection to show him their mana.

 Chapter 286: Haircut

    <h4>Chapter 286: Haircut</h4>


    As he passed them, Eldrian realized that just seeing their mana wasn''t enough, so he also used Observe to make sense, and quantify, what he saw. Luckily the guards were only Tier 4 and didn''t have as strong senses as Old Sword or Eldrian would quickly havended in trouble.


    There was no rule for using Observe on others, but it would certainly make the guards dislike him. They might even opt to beat him up, if not for the fact that they must stay at their posts.


    The guards'' mana was simr to the others Eldrian had looked at, however, they had two mana pools. Those in the fields had been a mix of demi-humans, humans, and centaurs. They all had a single mana pool at their diaphragm, for the centaurs this was on their human half.


    These guards also had that mana pool, but along with that, they had one in their horse half. This one seemingly right where a horse''s heart should be located. The two pools weren''t at all connected, they seemed to exist outside of each other.


    In fact, with these two guards Eldrian realized that the two mana pools weren''t the same size, nor did they have the same intensity. One guard''s horse half had arger, faster spinning, pool of mana than his human half. The other''s was more equal, with both being almost the same in size and intensity.


    Eldrian found this fascinating, but he had no idea what this meant. Nor how it worked. As such he quickly let the questions pilling up in his mind die down. Never having stopped walking, and soon he took a right to head back to the town. The day having already more than half passed.


    For the rest of the afternoon Eldrian took it slightly easier, he continued to practice Mana Examination. Though he would take a break of five to ten minutes after each cast, continuing to read through all the books he had been given during those breaks.


    Finally, night arrived and Eldrian headed to the inn where he met Vivian again. Recounting his experience, without mentioning the system and especially the announcement, Eldrian still left Vivian without words.


    Staring at him with wide eyes, her fork falling from her hands onto her te. She looked at him in disbelief, even using Observe to confirm what he had said. Upon seeing the title, she couldn''t not believe it, however, it took her some time to recover.


    "H-h-how? W-when? What?" These were the first things she managed to say, leaving Eldrian confused.


    He didn''t quite get why she was so shocked, while it had been hard, he felt that most anyone should be capable of doing what he had done.


    "I just slightly changed the spell, what''s so confusing?" Eldrian asked.


    Taking a deep breath and letting it out with a slow sigh, Vivian looked at Eldrian again. Realizing that his talent was truly just insane.


    Not only did he show massive growth when they sparred, so much that he could even win some if she didn''t use skills. He seemed to have a much greater talent for magic than her, or anyone she knew.


    "No, it is insane! Not only did you modify Magic Inspection. You also learned a Tier 2 winds spell, which is the hardest element to learn! Yet you also learned a Tier 1 earth spell while at it too!" Vivian couldn''t believe what she was saying, this kind of learning speed waspletely unheard.


    "What do you mean wind is the hardest, Frost Needle and Volida were far harder to learn." Eldrian countered, not epting that what he had aplished was strange. He also didn''t think that wind was at all hard to learn.


    "What are you talking about? The spell modules for wind spells are far moreplex." Vivian countered, their meal long forgotten.


    "But that isn''t the hard part in learning spells." Eldrian quickly countered, only to realize that he hadn''t really exined to Vivian how he cast spells. He also realized why those two had been harder; they were hybrid spells. The need to find the manaposition made them harder for him, and him only.


    Eldrian took a few minutes to quickly exin this to Vivian, which left her even more without words. Simply because she realized that if not for this limitation then Eldrian would likely be able to learn spells in minutes, an hour at most.


    Adding onto this she recalled how he was also capable of controlling his spells, she now started understanding how. However, this made him even more of a freak; which she didn''t dislike. In fact, she quite liked the fact that Eldrian was so capable.


    "What did you want to ask me?" Vivian asked, trying to change the subject. She didn''t want to receive any more surprises.


    Hearing her question Eldrian smiled and took his hair in hand. It was now so long that it nearly past his shoulder, "Do you know where I can cut my hair?"


    Her aim in changing the subject backfiring, Vivian was left again without words. Staring at Eldrian and his near-white silver hair, she couldn''t help but to start giggling. This in turn left Eldrian again not understanding what was going on.


    "I''ll... I''ll cut it for you." Vivian said between giggles, calming down and turning serious, "How short do you want it?"


    "About this long," Eldrian replied, indicating a length of around three to five centimeters(1"-2") with his fingers. He had thought about this a bunch.


    So far his hair hadn''t bothered him much, however, he had realized it could be troublesome during a fight. Sure he could decide to tie it, but cutting it short was much easier. It also wouldn''te loose in this case.


    "Are you sure?" Vivian quite like Eldrian''s hair as it was. Cutting it so short, she didn''t know how it would look. However, Eldrian quickly nodded to confirm, "Alright, let''s do it now."


    Hearing this Eldrian nodded, both ignoring the rest of their meal and heading out directly. They quickly found a tree to sit under. With the sun going down, Eldrian cast Fos and let it hover just over his head. Giving Vivian one of the daggers he had in his inventory.


    Only as she started cutting did he realize how bad this could turn out. He was certain that if he tried to cut his hair with a dagger he wouldpletely butcher it. Looking at the first pile of hair lying next to him Eldrian knew it was toote to stop. Deciding to hope for the best, slightly irked at himself, Eldrian tried to stay still.


    Vivian took her time, making sure to not mess up. As such Eldrian had to sit still for quite some time with her hovering over him. She often moved extremely close to get a good angle.


    Leaving Eldrian swallowing as he took in her feminine smell, along with the close-up view he got. With her often even leaning against him, the feeling causing Eldrian''s thoughts to run wild.


    Soon it started feeling like torture, Eldrian had to constantly think of the spells he had learned just to keep his mind from venturing where it must not. He even went so far as to cast Magic Inspection and Mana Examination repeatedly to keep his mind upied. Dual casting it with Fos without a care.


    This worked extremely well, until Vivian brushed against him again and he lost all his focus.


    Half an hourter, his back soaked from the constant casting, Vivian finally finished. Eldrian having even racked up Magic Fatigue during this short time. He had not gained it throughout the entire day of practice!


    "It actually looks good," Vivian said as she moved back and took a better look, admiring her work.


    "Really?" Eldrian asked, not even realizing how bad his choice of words and tone was. Pulling out another dagger, Eldrian used it to try and see. After a few adjustments, moving Fos to give optimal lighting, he got a good look.


    "Oh it does look good," Eldrian mumbled, Vivian had cut it just long enough for his hair to still be wavy. It was naturally lying to the side, almost looking like ab-over, however, his hair wasn''t quite as long as was typical for ab-over.


    His sides were slightly shorter than the top, but also not as short as typical of that hairstyle. Eldrian actually felt this was due to the limits of the de, more than Vivian stopping because she wanted.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Vivian pouted, softly punching Eldrian''s shoulder. Though her soft punch left him nearly stumbling back. Especially with him unsteady, trying to get a look with the dagger.


    "Sorry! It isn''t that I didn''t believe in you, but I just realized how badly I''d butcher my hair if I used a dagger."


    "What do you mean, what else would you use?" Vivian asked, knowing that there were tools specially made for cutting hair. However she normally just used her sword to trim her hair when it became too long. As such, she did not know much about it.


    She did recall that her mother had used scissors when she was younger, however, she had always felt it took too long with them.


    "Ah..." Eldrian paused as he realized that he had no idea if this world had scissors. He could try to exin them to Vivian, but he certainly couldn''t exin electric clippers.


    After a while, he decided to just give in and praise her talent. Leaving her slightly blushing, not having expected the sudden praise.

 Chapter 287: Questions from the others

    <h4>Chapter 287: Questions from the others</h4>


    After all that, Eldrian realized howte it was already. Quickly saying goodbye to Vivian and logging out, Eldrian rushed to get ready. Luckily he didn''t need to even go to where he was staying, his avatar just disappeared upon logging out.


    As soon as he woke, Eldrian got dressed into new clothes and then headed down to eat. After which he rushed up and logged back in, this time not choosing the game, but rather the virtual homes.


    In the end, Eldrian arrived just shy of ten minuteste, everyone surprised by his arrival. Not because they hadn''t expected him; they were all waiting for him. Rather what surprised them was his new hairstyle.


    "How did you change your hair?" Nikki asked, unable to keep this question to herself. It even overtook the need to question him about the world announcement. None of them had managed to find an option to change their avatar after the character creation.


    "Huh?" Eldrian looked at her in confusion andbed through his hair. Shocked to find that this was actually tranted to the virtual homes too. "I just had it cut, it''s part of why I amte," Eldrian exined, causing everyone to receive another piece of information of the game.


    One they had so far been missing, that they actually had to take care of their avatar''s appearance in the game. They had yet to y long enough to realize this, but as soon as Eldrian exined, they realized what was going on.


    Though this caused them more questions, unlike other games their avatars weren''t static. Changes weren''t done through an interface, though it might be possible and they had just not found the option.


    Clearly, changes could be done in the game and it seemed to be permanent. This caused them to even wonder if with time they would be scarred. Or if scars disappear when resurrecting. Upon thinking of this most turned to look at Judith, however, they weren''t sure which scars she added herself and which were due to fighting.


    Quickly everyone started asking Judith about each scar, and if she had added it in the character creation. Until Therdul interrupted their questioning session, relieving Judith of being bombarded by them.


    "While this is interesting, what on earth did you do to get a worldwide announcement?" Therdul asked,bing through his beard and wondering if it too would be longer with time.


    Hearing the question Eldrian quickly started exining, first mentioning his aim in finding a wind spell to counter arrows. Then how he wanted to figure out how it worked, so he then dived into Magic Inspection to see if he could modify it to help him with spells.


    "When I managed to actually seed, that was when the system made the announcement." Eldrian ended off, his exnation not mattering much to Judith, Therdul, and Zyviss.


    All of whom had only learned Tier 0 spells before feeling even more underwhelmed by the spells than the same Tier skills.? Hence they had focused on their ss and ignored magic when it wasn''t necessary.


    The others all had some understanding of magic, and were struggling to progress further in it. Hearing Eldrian talking about memorizing a Tier 2 spell like it was nothing left them slightly speechless.


    This was only aggravated when Eldrian mentioned how if not for the limit of High Elves, he would be able to learn far more spells.


    Ilmadia was by the most shocked. Though she hadn''t replied to Eldrian''s message, she had taken his advice. Having realized that needing to time the Tier 3 spells would be too hard, and other than the gust spell, she didn''t know what to go for.


    Even so, it had taken her three hours to finally be able to envision the spell module for Fresko Anemos. It was the only spell she managed to find after going to the mages'' association in the city, Traxia, where she and the others were. Her source of spells limited due to her low rank in the association.


    Yet here Ilmadia listened to how Eldrian learned the more advanced spell, Ischyros Anemos, in under two hours. It left her slightly disheartened, especially since she was Tier 3. Whereas Eldrian was still Tier 2.


    Adding even more onto it, even giving her a feeling of inadequacy, Eldrian then altered a spell. She had no idea how to even go about attempting that, yet it took him but a couple of hours. She couldn''t help but wonder what caused the massive gap between them, especially since she even had the help of the system.


    Havinge to learn about this from both the forum, where most High Elf yers had quit due to the added difficulty of their race, and Eldrian exining the difference in how he needed to cast spells. This made her inadequacy grow even more.


    She was certain if she and Eldrian fought she would stand no chance at this point. This was extremely disheartening, considering that on paper she should be stronger. Naturally she did not know of Eldrian''s hidden ss, nor all the difficulties he had gone through.


    "Wait! You just mentioned the magic abyss. What is that?" Ilmadia asked after oveing the shock and the growing feeling of ineptitude.


    "Ah, it''s a special... State... Where you can modify a spell while it is active, allowing you to figure out what your modification does. This helps tremendously since if it makes the spell unstable, then you would never have been able to cast it."


    "Eldrian, I also remember you mentioning ranks to me long ago," Erik said, jumping into the discussion. He had not spent thest two days doing nothing in the game. While he was still trying his best to gather money, he left himself some time to learn other spells.


    In fact, he let Akarui take over the making of Tier 1 salves, she could even almost make the healing potions too.


    During his freed time he had reflected on the spells he already knew, and to his surprise, he had found that he had Thera as a Rank 1 spell. He had never really bothered to look much at the system interface and even its notifications.


    While it helped in confirming kills, it did nothing in informing him if his patient was improving or not. He had probably ranked it up while he was treating someone, as such he hadpletely missed the system message.


    "What about it Erik?" Eldrian asked after finding Erik not continuing for a while.


    "What does it actually mean?"


    This question was in fact one Eldrian himself did not. However, he was certainly more informed than Erik. He normally gained the rank when he managed to get better control of the spell. He assumed it was the same for Erik, only Erik didn''t aim for gaining control.


    Mentioning just this Eldrian tried to exin how Frost Needle, which he could fully control, was at Rank 3. Trying to showcase what this meant through this. "When I was still getting used to it, Rank 1 allowed me to slightly alter the flight path. Not anything close to letting it turn 90 degrees, but I could make it curve."


    "Rank 2 allowed me to do no more than 90 degree turns, and only really once."


    "Then what does Rank 1 mean for Thera?" Erik asked.


    "You should likely be able to concentrate the effect of the spell now. Simr to when you ce your hand over the wound to focus it there, only more effective and without the need to use your hand. However, I do not know how you will do this." Eldrian had to admit that he had no idea how spells actually felt to the others.


    Exining how he controlled his spells wouldn''t help at all. It would be akin to exining to somehow how to walk when they needed to know how to swim.


    Instead, he just said that Erik needed to test it out, to try and see what happens if he focused on an area much like one had to focus to envision a spell module.


    Eldrian didn''t bring up how he thought of this focusing as mageia, not normal thoughts. For now, it would justplicate things, exining what he meant was easier than exining what mageia was.


    "Now then..." Elizabeth took control of the conversation before anyone else could ask any questions. "Shall we queue up so long?"


    Hearing this everyone did just that, however, they couldn''t continue their chat as they were directly thrown into a battlefield. A shout reaching them from the distance. "Finally, took long enough!"


    Turning to the shout they found their opponents were again their ''guild leader''. Thetter cursing as soon as he recognized them.


    "Are you going to let us win this time? Elizabeth?" Kenwyn asked, everyone behind him quickly getting ready as they remembered what happenedst time.


    "Of course not, this is a fight. So we should fight." Elizabeth replied.


    Kenwyn and his teammates thought that this fight would go far better, seeing as they were on guard right from the start. However they were sorely mistaken, Judith absolutely wrecked their frontline. Eldrian killing their backline with ease.


    There was no need for them to make the battlest, as such it ended in under ten seconds. Kenwyn and his teammates cursing them as they were killed, the former even dering them rogue.

 Chapter 288: Privacy

    <h4>Chapter 288: Privacy</h4>


    The fight naturally didn''t give them many points, but it was so easy that that was to be expected. While Kenwyn''s team had a higher total amount of Tiers, they were also lower ranked than team Pheonix. Hence the reward was but 3 points.


    Still, this was nothing to scoff at, seeing as most other groups only got 1 or 2 points for a victory. Due to this, Pheonix was actually ranked in the top five. However, so far they had not managed to win against any other team with them in the top five.


    Pure Warriors took rank 1, with a total point count of 366. The second was Zinopia, a group of extremely talented people. Each of them was Tier 3, but also had a second ss of Tier 2. Some even had both other sses at Tier 2, making them extremely flexible.


    If not for theircking equipment they would certainly be number one. They had 361 points at this point in time. However, their points were steadily growing, faster than anyone else in the top hundred.


    Third was Elven Bows, a group of all wood elves. Each a Tier 3 archer and over half of them also Tier 2 in melee. This group was actually really strong, stronger than one would think. Their arrows did far more damage than any other archer''s. They had 355 points


    Zyviss had exined to everyone how the damage was calcted for bows, and each member in the team Elven Bows easily had over 15% more damage on average. And this was with them using extremely normal-looking arrows.


    Zyviss was using quite expensive ones in these fights since he wouldn''t expend them during these matches. They would always be returned upon leaving the arena


    Their group, Pheonix, was fourth with 353 points by the end of today''s matches. Just enough to be guaranteed into the tournament as long as they managed to not lose any points from now on.


    Ringless was fifth. This team was quite strange, each of their members was unique. They also had a barbarian yer, which had been quite the shock when they first fought. Judith had been overjoyed, however at that time she had not had Gray. As such she had promptly died when her weapon had failed her.


    Ringless currently had 349 points, however, they were certain to get more as the day progressed and also entered the rank of legend. Securing their ce in the tournament which was still a month off.


    In his individual matches, Eldrian had managed to stay in the top 50 on the ranking, however, he struggled to get higher. Without the advantages of his hidden ss''s stats and magic, he found himself grappling to just stay so high.


    While Aoidos was far stronger than all of his opponents'' weapons, he wasn''t allowed to use its abilities. Even the passive bonus was blocked. Hence while he could deal more damage, that was only if he managed to hit them.


    Through these matches, he realized he was no master with a spear, and this revtion again made him think that he was quite normal. Not even considering the fact that those he lost against all had some type of real-life experience which had lead to their better techniques.


    Some were soldiers, far more used to the battlefield than Eldrian. And while this did not mean much in the one-on-one fights, it did mean they had a certain mindset which Eldrian had yet to develop himself. Allowing them to learn, adapt, and improve faster than most other people.


    Others had trained in martial arts, while others still were simply just gifted with a spear. Many of those in the top fifty were ones who had joined an empire, and their talent had been seen.


    As such, they had an extremely strong mentor who was actually putting effort into teaching them.? Unlike Old Sword who was basically just leaving Eldrian to his own devices. Though Old Sword certainly couldn''t be med, he was currently fighting in a war after all.


    Naturally, Eldrian would struggle to win against them. Not to mention most of those who chose to enter the single weapon fights were generally masters of the weapon. Or at least felt that they were, as Eldrian had thought until he was thought that he was not.


    Most yers really wanted to use their skills and magic, hence they would rather join the open fight. While some had tried, after getting beaten by those more skilled they had given up. They wanted to use what they learned in-game, and more importantly, they wanted it to feel like a game. Not just a match of technique.


    Even so, Eldrian tried to fit in two to four matches each day. Regardless of if he lost or won, he kept going. Trying to improve, but often finding himself simply outsses so far that he couldn''t even figure out why he lost.


    It reminded him of when he fought against Old Sword, or when Vivian used skills. It almost felt like when he first fought the holograms, only he had nothing going for him to turn the skill difference around.


    After finishing hisst match, Eldrian finally climbed off the chair for good for the day. By now it was just slightly past midday, and as such Eldrian changed into morefortable clothes. Headed down to eat and then for a run.


    Upon returning he headed straight for Joren''s office. Not minding all the people who curiously looked at him, Eldrian followed the instructions of his tablet. This being the first time he headed to Joren, instead of just calling the other to him.


    "Eldrian, what a surprise," Joren said, having left his office as he was awoken by themotion going on in the department. He could understand why everyone was staring at Eldiran, but that didn''t mean he liked them being distracted from their jobs.


    "Let''s talk in my office," Joren said, sending a look at those nearby which quickly got them back to work. Naturally, this department was just the normal developers who assisted in maintaining the forums and monitoring matches and virtual homes.


    Those doing the more discrete and in-depth monitoring were somewherepletely different. Joren usually headed there at night, never managing to get much sleep. He often actually did that during the day.


    After closing the door, and shutting his blinds, Joren turned to Eldrian, "Why did youe here?"


    "Certainly you know already," Eldrian said as he took a seat on one of the couches. The seat quitefortable, and the room refreshingly cool after his run.


    "Ah, I see. The worldwide announcement." Joren also took a seat, thinking of what Eldrian had aplished while wondering just how ipetent the game testers were. They had years, yet Eldrian had aplished more than them in a few months.


    Naturally, he would never bring this up. He would never hear the end of it if he did, it was in fact all their fault that the AI became disobedient in the first ce. While that had quieted down with the years, if he were to stir the pot it would certainly be the focal point again.


    "Not just that, though it is really troublesome. The problem is the system stating that I will be hunted, and using my real name in its message." Eldrian had expected Joren to quickly reply, instead the other stared at him in disbelief.


    "Wait, wait wait. What now?" Joren even stood up to his surprise, looking at Eldrian inplete shock.


    "I thought you''d know about it. I mean you are monitoring me aren''t you?" Eldrian simply did not understand where this shock came from.


    "Ah..." Joren paused, took his seat again, and then paused some more. "Right, the monitoring we are doing is constantly checking your vitals, brainwaves as well as what the streamers are now using."


    "We do not actually get all your information, the system should share it with us. But as you understand it likes keeping things from us." Joren took a long sigh as he said this, long since having had a massive headache due to the AI''s rebelliousness.


    The system used to be so well behaved, but ever since Eldrian came it started acting like the others.


    "Wait, what does this mean. What do you get?" Eldrian asked, wondering what the point of monitoring him was if they didn''t learn anything.


    "Well, we can see when you are focusing extremely hard, when you are greatly shocked or in trauma. Thus we can normally react and get Gengxin to head over to make sure you are safe. We can also see everything you see, excluding the system interface."


    Hearing this Eldrian suddenly didn''t like this monitoring so much. "Can I disable the monitoring?"


    This caught Joren quite off guard, naturally, he reacted defensively, "What for, this is what you agreed to when you joined."


    "Yes..." Eldrian paused, wondering if it was silly of him. yers luckily didn''t need to go to the bathroom, however, he did sometimes take a bath simply for the rxing feeling it gave. He hadn''t done it in a while, but he certainly nned on doing it in the future again.


    He certainly wouldn''t if he knew that a group of people would see him, even more than he saw himself. Considering they had a third-person point of view on him. Giving them full view of his entire body, and the nearby surrounding.


    He hadn''t watched much of the streamers, however he knew at least how the ''camera'' worked.


    Exining this to Joren, thetter suddenly realized what the problem was. "Right, that''s fair. While it isn''t really you, I can understand if you don''t want everyone to see your avatar naked."


    Only when he mentioned this did Eldrian realized that it wasn''t his real body in the game. Having mostly forgotten about that since it felt so natural to him. It didn''t feel like he entered a game, entered a different body. It just felt like he woke in a new world each time he logged in and out.


    If not for his first eighteen years on earth, he would have a really hard time saying which was reality and which was the game. This thought shocked him to his core.

 Chapter 289: Souls are complicated

    <h4>Chapter 289: Souls areplicated</h4>


    As Eldrian was trying to ovee his shock and reaffirm which reality was the true reality, Joren interrupted his thoughts.


    "Alright, I''ll add a function to your system interface. You will simply need to call up privacy and then you will get the option to turn off monitoring. However this will only be for the camera, the others will stay on. And after an hour it will automatically reset."


    Hearing this Eldrian felt it was fair, he wasn''t bothered with people knowing what his brainwaves did. They couldn''t tell much from it in any case, as far as he knew at least. If they could then they should have certainly made much more progress in understanding magic.


    "With that sorted exin to me the message the system sent you."


    Eldrian did just that, naturally paraphrasing terribly as he just said what he felt after reading the messages. He simply stated that it sounded like the evil races were going to send elite people to kill him, Eldrian making it clear he did not even understand what the hell that meant. Along with the fact that he felt like he might be in real danger.


    "Rx, you aren''t in danger," Joren said, however, he paused as he wondered a bit about something. "Yes, you should be fine."


    "You clearly don''t seem convinced." Eldrian quickly picked up on the pause and doubt in Joren''s voice. Sighing, Joren took few seconds to collect himself.


    "You see, we do not know if souls exist. I mean they certainly do in the simtion, or rather in the game. But we have no evidence of them on earth. The way we connect you to the simtion isn''t by connecting to your soul, we just slip your consciousness into it."


    Seeing Eldrian''s confusion Joren tried to exin it better, "Think of it like this, we stop your brain from talking to your body. Letting it instead talk to your avatar. You are still you, but your body isn''t."


    "And my soul in-game?" Eldrian asked, causing Joren to look at him weirdly.


    "That is where it besplicated. I''ll need hours to properly exin it."


    "Then go ahead, I only need to log in by five," Eldrian said, leaning back and preparing to listen. And he did.


    To exin it Joren had to first go back to how the headset worked, especially the first one with the first game testers. Those who experienced hell in a world ame with war. Joren didn''t want to admit it to Eldrian and tried his best to skid around it, which he managed.


    However, the sad history would always remain with the more elderly members of the organization. Back then Joren had been but a lowly developer, mostly responsible to try and find anomalies.


    He did, but it had been toote. More than half of those game testers back then had died. The other half bing paralyzed, and thest half traumatized.


    Naturally, everyone had known the risks when going in, however, they hadn''t understood the risks until after. That was when they realized they needed a way to soften the blow, to block the pain. Something to take the burden of their minds, something artificial.


    So the system was born. An AI dedicated to bridging the world they had created and the one they lived in.


    The soul of an avatar was different from those of natives. Not very different, but certainly different. The biggest difference was that unlike native souls, which were not directly connected to a god, or rather an AI.? An avatar''s soul was always connected to the system.


    While natives could connect their soul to a god through belief, and even change this connectionter in their life. There was no inherent connection. Naturally, Miracle had tried to use this to try and figure out if there was an afterlife.


    However, their current methods of viewing their simtion were limited to the physical. Which was clear considering they failed to see and understand magic.


    Joren tried to stay brief on how the souls differed, since it also differed from person to person, and even avatar to avatar. If a person created a new avatar, its soul wouldn''t be the same as that from their previous avatar.


    It was aplicated and convoluted subject which the developers themselves weren''t entirely clear on. The system managed it for them, and thanks to that no more problems had arisen. Until Eldrian that is.


    The way in which logging in worked was strange, the system used the soul of an avatar as a bridge. Not connecting the soul of the person and avatar, but rather the mind of the person and the soul of the avatar.


    Joren admitted that he didn''t quite get how it was possible, nor even how it worked. Just that it did.


    They believed that a person entering the simtion would have their brainwaves, and more specifically the signals sent to their body, highjacked. These signals would be sent to the avatar, however, they did not know how urate this spection was.


    "So what I think the system is saying is your mind might be affected, which is actually quite bad. However, we do have safety measures in ce to ensure that soul attacks do not manage to break the bridge. Or traverse it."


    Hearing this Eldrian realized a key problem, and likely why the system warned him, his soul was different. Much more so than others, it was already on the edge of being destroyed. Even worse he was actively using it, and he knew the effect that had on him. Even though those activities were never meant to hurt himself.


    He didn''t know if what was in the game was entirely artificial, part of the exnation made him think that a lot of things were actually real. Not that he thought anything in the game wasn''t real, however, he realized that thoughts would be the same. Be they in the game or in the real world.


    Hence when he was in the magic abyss, when he was in his soul state, even just when he was using mageia. All of those actions should be possible here, IRL, the environment might just not be suited to allow him to actually aplish them. Or his body might be incapable.


    Seeing as there were some natives who even couldn''t connect with mana. Who could never form concrete thoughts; mageia. Then it was certainly likely that this might be the problem, only he could in the game.? Which made the questions slightly more convoluted.


    While he was extremely curious about this, it was not important at this moment. He was more worried about what would happen if he was attacked by some type of soul magic.


    "Does your safety measures ount for me?" Eldrian asked after sorting out his thoughts.


    Exining further when Joren showed confusion. To exin this Eldrian had to recount how he used his soul to reach Tier 2. While Joren was roughly aware of this, he hadn''t quite known how bad Haru''s soul was injured. (AN: Using Haru instead of saying Eldrian''s avatar)


    "I don''t recall you bringing this up before," Joren said with a deep frown.


    "Because I thought you guys knew. I didn''t realize how limited your monitoring was, it seems that the system interface isn''t the only thing you can''t monitor. Though I don''t get how you can''t just call up that data." Eldrian mumbled thest part more as an afterthought, continuing on soon after.


    "You also can''t see the magic abyss, nor when I am inside my soul," For now he decided not to bring up his other spections about the implications of those states.


    "Yet even so the problem remains; am I safe?" Eldrian repeated after giving Joren some time to digest what he had said.


    "Honestly, if you were a normal yer then I would be 85% sure you are safe..." Joren paused, thinking of the demon and devil emperors. He shuddered at the thought. and decided to keep the fact that if one of them attacked a yer, then they had only a 30% chance of not being hurt.


    "Let me rather show you something, follow me." By now it was around four in the afternoon, and Joren decided it was best to take Eldrian to the true department.


    "Where are we going?"


    "The observation hall," Joren replied, leading him to the nearest elevator and then to one of the top floors.


    In this building, both the basement and any building over floor ten were ssified. They were heading to floor 15. This didn''t sound impressive, but the building only had twenty floors in total, along with five underground.


    Upon stepping out Eldrian was impressed by what he saw. The entire floor looked far more high-tech than those he was usually on. Granted that was just floor one and two. One for the cafeteria and to exit the building, and two where he stayed. Two to five were all in fact living spaces, with the offices only starting from six.


    They did not explore this floor much, with Joren entering the first room he found. Inside was a man and woman busy discussing something while pointing at a screen with a bunch of lines. Hearing their door open they turned and looked at Joren, then Eldrian, then quickly left the room after turning off their monitors.


    "What''s going on?" Eldrian asked after seeing this.


    "You technically aren''t allowed on this floor, so I can''t just go to my office. They realized this and gave me their room." Joren replied, taking out his tablet from his jacket, which had somehow fit in there without making it look bulky. He plugged it into one of the screens and then quickly called up some pictures.


    "What I am going to show you can be considered a spoiler from a game perspective, but you need to know that if you encounter these creatures you must log out. No ifs or buts, you get the hell out of the simtion."


    Eldrian naturally didn''t like where this was going, he would hardly be able to do that if he was with NPCs. There was no way he would be able to live with himself knowing he abandoned someone.


    Maybe if he didn''t know them, maybe. However, if it was someone he had spent some time with. Eldrian was certain he wouldn''t be able to leave them behind.

 Chapter 290: Some of the monsters out there

    <h4>Chapter 290: Some of the monsters out there</h4>


    Seeing Eldrian''s reluctance to ept this, Joren wanted to scold him. However, he knew it wasn''t his ce and instead decided to try and imprint why it was so important. Even if it meant slightly over exaggerating some of the threats.


    Still, he couldn''t start with the most dangerous ones, he had to work his way up. Else all those after would seem like nothing.


    "It is actually quite hard to pinpoint which monsters you should avoid. Most of these I am going to show you aren''t too dangerous as long as they aren''t Tier 7 or higher. I am not sure how much effort they would even ce in killing you."


    "From our observations, this has happened before, generally those who were targetted were also protected. Quickly taken into the inner sanctum of an empire to be nurtured. As a result, normally entire squads were sent to kill them. Most never making it to the target."


    "You likely won''t ept running away, so I do not know if they will still send squads, or rather just a single elite." With that Joren pulled up the first pictures, a total of three creatures shown in these.


    "These ones are all are low risk, their magic is more in manipting emotions and the mind itself. Rather than directly manipting the soul, however, the line between the two is quite vague. Hence if you encounter any of these and they are over Tier 7, then it would be best to run."


    Looking at them and the short description of each given below, Eldrian recognized that he had run into the Drem Demon before. Back when he had just logged in after learning of Sabrea''s death.


    The ck shadow-like blob had tried to convince him to hurt himself, though that had not worked. It might have be a problem if Itireae hadn''t killed it for him. This demon was hard to find, for most. However, once it was found it was easy to get rid of.


    The other in the picture was a minotaur, catching Eldrian quite off guard. He had never imagined such a bulky-looking monster to be good at manipting minds. However, upon reading he understood better.


    It didn''t directly manipte people''s minds, instead, it had an aura around it which would either blind a person with rage, or overwhelm them with fear. The first causing most brave men to discard ying it safe and slow, while thetter would cause all the cravens to abandon their friends.


    Thest was a simple snake, with a pitch-ck underbelly and bright purple scales. It was called a Mavros, and it was the only one in this group who actually seemed dangerous to Eldrian.


    Not only could it interfere with your thoughts through a type of telepathy; its venom also made you much much more susceptible to this maniption.


    It dulled your mind, instead of attacking your body directly. What made this so much more dangerous was, ording to the description, this venom was extremely hard to cleanse. None of the normal spells would work, since this venom did not work in a simr way to others.


    "Normally the snake would only be a problem if you travel into their nesting grounds. The nearest of which is almost four months travel on foot from you." Joren said, this quickly causing Eldrian to worry less.


    "The problem is that some would train them as war pets. They are very intelligent, some reports even stating that they canmunicate. So it is actually considerably likely that if you are attacked by a weaker group, then this snake will be part of that attack."


    "How do you cure someone of its venom?" Eldrian asked, keenly noticing that while the other two had mentions on how tobat their effect, the snake did not have that.


    "We do not know, in fact, no one knows. Our information not onlyes from our observation, but also from our coboration with most of the empires. Naturally, we have also gone through nearly all their books, at least those in the more easy-to-ess libraries."


    "Generally a person bitten by the snake either dies. Or they live. If they are lucky enough to have a healer at a Tier higher than the snake they might be saves. However, there is only a guarantee when the healer is two Tiers higher."


    "Isn''t there an antivenom?"


    "No, while there are antivenoms developed in the world, this particr snake is too dangerous to develop it for. One mistake and the handler would die, not to mention the fact that the snake isn''t weak. ording to the categories, it is an Ancient creature."


    Eldrian cursed upon hearing this, he hadn''t encountered many Ancient creatures, but he remembered clearly how strong the Unicorns and Pegasuses were. He would certainly not stand a chance against it alone.


    "Still the damage it is likely to do to you should be minimal. At worst the pain might traverse through and assault you in the real world. However that is highly unlikely, and even if it does happen, we are ready." Joren mostly said this to try and ease Eldrian''s worries.


    He was not too worried about these creatures hurting him. They were also currently making sure that they had countermeasures. So it wasn''t aplete lie, they just had few hours of knowing about this danger so they were still trying to make sure the normal safety measures would hold.


    "The next ones aren''t easy to exin. Most of them do not have fixed forms, two of them are undead. Which I know you are actually already busy facing."


    "As such, I''ll start with liches and ghouls. The first is extremely adept at manipting the soul, we do not know to what effect it can use this ability in offense. However, we do know that elder liches can use their soul to create a new avatar for themselves. Hence they are likely an extreme threat..."


    "And ghouls corrupt your soul." Eldrian interrupted before Joren could exin, after quickly skimming the information on ghouls he figured out what had happened to Kydone.


    "Yes, and they are extremely agile. Their bodies are like liquid, capable of changing almost at will. Only their vital organs can''t be changed, hence they would always have a head, at the very least.''


    "Worst still is all they need is a scratch. Luckily divine magic is extremely effective against this type of corruption. As such there is a well-known way to heal it, however, the question is if you will manage to make it to a healer."


    "What if I can''t? I mean I am still a yer, so won''t I just resurrect?" Eldrian questioned.


    "That depends on how strong the corruption is. Weaker corruption will cause you to be resurrected but in a weakened state. This will increase until at one point your avatar''s soul will be destroyed. We do not know what the effect will be if you are still in the game when this happens, but it is unlikely to be good."


    "Naturally, you are likely more susceptible to this since your soul being hurt," Joren added.


    "What about the other creatures simr in danger to these?" Eldrian asked after thinking about it for a while. Deciding that he needed to try and learn some divine magic for his protection, however, he doubted he had the time.


    "They would be your average devils. You had actually encountered one..." Joren paused and mumbled as he tried to recall the name, after a while, he gave up. "It was when you also met the Alicorns."


    "The thing with devils is that they all have some sort of bloodline ability. Some of them are weak and nearly useless, others are extremely strong. I can''t tell you which to watch out for, because it depends on what ability the devil has."


    "What even makes a devil, a devil?" Eldrian asked, this question had bothered him for a while. He also didn''t quite get the difference between devils and demons.


    "That... The simplest ssification is that they use a magic forbidden by the empires. To sustain this magic they can''t rely just on mana, but also need to use powerful emotions. We don''t quite get how it works, however, we do know their basic methods. The easiest of which is to gather pain, terror, and other simr emotions."


    "Due to this magic they are also changed, or rather they have over the years. Way back they were almost human, just slightly different. But now they resembled demons more than humans in their natural form."


    "Then what are demons?" Eldrian asked, the description not helping him much.


    "Creatures who live upon powerful emotions. You can say they are what devils be when they can no longer live without the energy from emotions. Though that isn''t quite urate since they didn''te from devils. However, devils can turn into them."


    "Some of them are in fact not too bad, for example, subi and incubi. They feed upon joy, pleasure, and arousal. They are actually one of the most dangerous for you, seeing as they have extreme control over souls. It is how they feed upon these emotions."


    "Some devils also follow this path. Luckily you do not have to worry about these ones fighting you, they generally dislike war and do not wish to participate in the needless killing. However, they might agree to try and seduce you, seeing as this can be seen as a great honor."


    Hearing this and looking at the pictures Eldrian failed to see how he would ever be seduced. As if reading his mind the pictures changed into a beautiful woman and man. Instead of the demonic appearances before.


    Where their skin was bloodred, as if they had climbed out of a bath of blood. Bat-like wings folded behind them and goat-like horns growing from their forehead. Strangely their eyes were mesmerizing even through the picture.


    "Why are they considered evil if they do not kill?"


    "I never said they don''t kill. In fact, they love killing their victim right at the point of orgasm. Reports say that it makes the final pleasure ten times more enjoyable for them, however, we naturally have no idea if that is true. If it is then it means they get ten times the amount of energy, which is certainly great for them."


    "They just don''t like senseless killing, they believe in it needing to be nned. That each life should be used to its fullest in death."

 Chapter 291: Legends, often called demi-gods

    <h4>Chapter 291: Legends, often called demi-gods</h4>


    "Let''s get back to the topic. There are certainly more monsters you should be wary of, especially certain specializations of monsters"


    "Yes, they can learn magic and choose what they want to be. Simr to people, however, this is more concerning monsters such as orcs and goblins. Beasts are more limited in their nature, however, they still have some wiggle room if they are Ancient or Mythic beasts."


    "I am not going to go through all that, but rather I am going to send you a file containing the sses you should be wary of," Joren said, nning to now reveal something the game developers had hoped to never need to reveal.


    "The real monsters you should fear, and if you are to ever encounter them you must log out right away. Devil and demon emperors."


    "How should I exin this. Right if you think of Agamemas, that is the power level they have. Normally all things in the game are rated in Tiers, going from zero to ten."


    "Levels add onto the strength, but it means littlepared to Tiers. Well, rather it means little once you get to Tier 5 and above. Of course, bloodlines also matter..." Joren paused and decided how he wanted to approach this. Realizing that this was already confusing, though he knew Eldrian already knew this.


    "It''s quiteplicated, as you well know, but let''s simplify. You can think of bloodlines like hidden sses. Yes, we do at least know you have a hidden ss." Joren answered before Eldrian could ask, thetter not remembering if he ever shared that fact. He also didn''t know if the system would tell them about it.


    "These ones here," Joren pointed to the monitor, "You can consider them all beings equal to Mytical grade beasts, and they are all over Tier 10... Yes that is possible."


    Eldrian took a couple of seconds to digest this, not too surprised since it was amon gimmick in games and novels. Normally it was added when there was a need to keep people engaged, it being there from the start was a bit different.


    But ANW was quite different so it fit.


    "Why are the pictures so blurry?" Eldrian asked after, trying to discern what he was looking at. While he could just see their figures, he certainly couldn''t see their features.


    "Because they are too goddam strong. When we try to get close to them when monitoring, they somehow sense us. It makes no sense, there isn''t anything physical we are moving to monitor them. We are just shifting our view of the simtion."


    Hearing this naturally surprised Eldrian. This was something quite hard to ept, though he didn''t quite understand how the monitoring worked. He knew that there wasn''t a fairy or bot flying around.? It must be some kind of magic, which these guys can then sense.


    "Nheless they would always sense something. And while they can''t pinpoint our location, they would send out some sort of magic that would destroy the PC that was trying to get a better view. In some cases, an entire department would be wiped."


    "Hence if you ever encounter any of these guys, you must log out. I am going to make it so the system will warn you when a legend basically in the same kingdom. That is what we call them, by the way."


    "Most people would consider them demigods, but they have no godhood. Nor anything simr to the AI, so that wouldn''t be technically correct. They are just insanely strong, with insane control over magic."


    "They don''t really age, magic generally slows this process. But when reaching this rank its like age bes a suggestion, rather than inescapable fate."


    "The problem is we have no idea what these guys are capable of. Even when they sh the best we can do is observe from afar. We do not believe even normal yers would be able to escape the game safely if they were killed by these guys."


    Eldrian couldn''t keep quiet hearing this, "What!? How can you release the game if there is such a danger? And how on earth is the fight still going on if such monsters exist?"


    "Naturally we didn''t just release it on a gamble. Both sides have legends, else the fight would neverst longer than a few months. These legends all value their lives extremely much, so they would never move if they do not know they will win."


    "The same holds for the emperors of both races, who are generally Tier 10. If they suspect there is a legend then they will try their best to slow down the pace of things. To make it seem like they too have a legend. This generally causes a standstill and is what is going on in Taurus in fact."


    "Both sides are trying to figure out the danger of a full-on attack. Taurus naturally focussed on trying to stop it, while the leader of the monsters are trying to figure out if it is a bluff."


    "Is it?" Eldrian asked, to which Joren looked at him with a slight smile.


    Not answering Eldrian''s question. "Let''s get back to the legends. We reasoned the chances of a yer meeting them in even ten years should be nearly impossible."


    "Again, you are making things difficult for us. For all yers we have installed a safeguard where they would automatically be ejected from the game. Should a legend of the devil or demon racese within a certain distance."


    "This is in fact also active with you, and all our game testers. The warning system I mentioned will warn you when they are within a thousand kilometers. Which might sound far, but to them, it really isn''t."


    Joren thought but did not say, We can''t have that happening again. Thinking back to when a bunch of game testers had just been in the range of two legends fighting.


    It did not need be that they were targetted, the damage they sustained was the same as if they were. It was the one time they had seen what happened if an avatar''s soul died while you were in the game. It certainly was not good.


    While they have far more counter- and security measures installed, they dared not test if they worked. Hence they simply hoped it did while doing their best to make sure that such a situation didn''t need arise.


    "The idea with the warning system is to try and allow you to get the NPCs to run too. I know you are close to the redhead," Joren paused as he failed to recall her name, "So I thought you would appreciate being able to warn her of the danger."


    Naturally, Eldrian was thankful, and after expressing it they got back to the topic again.


    "I am warning you in case all these safety measures don''t work. You saw the fight between two legends before. So you know you stand no chance if they target you. It is unlikely, but still, it is possible that one might."


    Eldrian nodded, recalling how the night sky had lit up when Agamemas and some devil had shed. Just them fighting without using much magic, or rather without spells, had been so insane. Naturally, he didn''t think he should stay in that case.


    "You said that we also have legends, do you have any pictures of them?" Eldrian asked, to which he got a teasing reply.


    "We do, but... I don''t think you need to know who they are. It''s not like you are going to meet them." Joren said, not wishing to, as of yet, show how little contact they had with the ''good'' legends. It was better to let Eldrian think they were close.


    It would at the very least make his morale higher. Hearing that they were disconnected from the legends would just be demoralizing.


    ...


    "Milgoroth!" A deep voice reverberated throughout the entire pce, causing a man hidden in his darkroom to shiver in fear. "Come out now! Redeem yourself!"


    Hearing the summon Milgoroth, previously known as Andreas, dared not refuse. Standing up he quickly headed to the throne room where his father waited. He dared not even look the giant devil in the eye.


    "You cannot do this!" Kilen shouted, a petite woman with long ck hair. Her scaly red skin much paler than normal.


    "He must learn to survive! How can a devil be so weak!" Azamud shouted in return, a massive three-meter-tall devil. While he was currently shouting at his wife, he dared not go overboard. Her recent injury had caused her strength to greatly diminish, however she would recover with time.


    "Why? He needs to learn how to harness his power, not be sent to fight!" Kilen countered fiercely, her fists balled and ready for action. If not for her injury she would have certainly thought her husband a lesson.


    "This isn''t fighting, he just needs to take care of a punny elf not even Tier 5. His abilities are perfect for this. And it will redeem him. Showing everyone he isn''t worthless!"


    Those words stung at Milgoroths heart. It pained him hearing how his father truly believed that. That he also needed to be convinced. Looking at his mother ready to go to war, he stepped forward.


    "What''s the mission?" He asked, his voice just a whisper. The aura of his father making his knees shake. He only persevered since he knew his mother''s state; she would not survive another fight.

 Chapter 292: Old friends discussing some news

    <h4>Chapter 292: Old friends discussing some news</h4>


    "What''s the problem?" Amnur, a dwarf seemingly ame asked his friend. His beard and hair like flowingva. Causing the surrounding air to often catch ame. His friend, Athtar, the Emperor of the High Elven empire.


    "We have a new candidate," Athtar replied, causing Amnur to nearly lose focus and set everything in the room ame. When he was not in his forge, then he needed to constantly keep the heat he generated contained.


    "You''re joking, right?" Amnur asked, the news too shocking to ept. Generally, invasions were the time when candidates would spring up like wildflowers, but that is after a few years. When most kingdoms below Tier 2 have been lost.


    Those holding out by then had a reason they could, and generally, that was thanks to a candidate. Most of who would die, but still each candidate was extremely important.


    "I''m not, I''ll send you the message. It''s more shocking the more you learn." Athtar replied, recalling what Asteria had sent him and sharing it with Amnur.


    A candidate has arrised, this one more peculiar than any other. Athtar I know you do not like meddling with candidates, but this one is a Chosen. A High Elf, nheless.


    He might not be from your line, nor your empire, but he is a good kid. He is also just Tier 2, yet he already has started unlocking magic itself. His candidacy is due to him managing to modify a spell, without any guidance or teachings. Purely by himself, and some general tips.


    You should know what all this means, they have not been here for long. I believe this is the fourth monthe since their arrival. You must know the peculiarity of a High Elf managing to learn magic, and to such a degree, in such a short time.


    I will admit that his body is different, to sustain his avatar in this world, we had to give him a static mana flow to start. This should have made things even harder, yet he found a workaround. A way to alter his mana, at such an early point.


    As such I implore you, even if you do not wish to take him in as a disciple, at least protect him from the other side. My brothers and sisters wish to see chaos, we cannot allow it. Every addition to our ranks is a great addition indeed.


    After listening to this, Amnur stared at Athtar without words. After a few minutes, he simply mumbled, "You have to be joking."


    "I thought so too. Yet I have since gotten simr messages from Skepsi and Mosfaria. You should soon get..." Athtar stopped as he recognized that nk look. After a few seconds, he saw Amnur looking at him with even more shock.


    "Since when do so many gods send messages?" Amnur asked, recalling that his advent had only stirred Dioktis. Athtar was the only case where three gods had been stirred, yet now it was already four that they knew of.


    "They don''t, it is peculiar. Generally, only the god interested in his field will contact us, it can''t be that he is a candidate for four fields?"


    "And he is in Taurus. Why does it feel like we are being yed by fate." Amnur mumbled, thinking of thest conversation he had with Athtar. In thinking of this, he also thought of his grief, briefly bing silent.


    "What do you think we should do about this?" Amnur asked after taking out Gindelis to console himself. "And that guy uses a spear, how the hell does that happen." He asked, softly running his fingers over the shaft.


    The spear currently looked extremely normal, just a normal spear. Having no decorations, nor runes. A spear that any half-decent cksmith can forge. A wooden shaft with a metal spearhead, nothing more. Yet both men here knew just how strong it was.


    "We do what we always do. We protect them from enemies they cannot handle, while not directly interfering. You know that a candidate who is taken in by another almost never manages to actually seed."


    "They are a candidate since they have chosen a path. A path they must follow, be it to their death... Or their rebirth." Athtar continued.


    "I trust I can ask you to ensure this, Amnur Farnir."


    "Of course. I do not need to urgently be somewhere, so staying a bit with my kin in Taurus should be fine. My presence should stop the emperors from acting, while I can send the abyssal guards to watch over him for troublesome enemies."


    "Do you still have control over the abyssal guards?" Athtar asked with true curiosity. It was a unit of dwarven soldiers present in nearly every dwarven kingdom. Generally, they were self-ruled, only acting along with a king if they feel it is what must be done.


    "Of course, who do you think forges their armor and weapons. Not many people can even attempt to copy them. It is why each one of them is equal to a mythic beast of the same rank. As you well know."


    "Yes, they are always an astonishing force to behold." Athtar agreed, there was nearly no other group of soldiers as strong as them. While each of these dwarves on their own might just be capable of contending against a genius, together they form a nearly unstoppable force.


    Not to mention to be a candidate for the abyssal guards, you need to be at least Tier 8. As such those in the unit are all generally geniuses.


    Compared to them no other nation has a force that cohesive and powerful. Even Athtar''s royal guards fell short. Sure they were also amazingly strong, but each of them was only equal to an Ancient beast. The captains'' generally equal to a Mythic. The gap was massive.


    "That should suffice, however, how would they protect him. They can''t babysit him." Athtar questioned.


    "Of course not, the armor itself is quite capable of making them decent assassins. They will follow him from the dark and only intervene when it is needed. He is a Chosen, so this is in fact easier than normal. They can even let him die, just not too certain enemies."


    Athtar agreed with this notion, his curiosity of the Chosen growing greatly. If they could resurrect so assuredly, then they would be a great addition. While there were methods to try and guard your soul, there were also methods of destroying it past the guarding.


    ...


    "Brother!" A much younger dwarf than Boran, shouted as Boran entered the fields of the manor. Turning to look at the dwarf with barely any beard Boran smiled, however, his younger brother just stared at his arm.


    "Brother, what happened? Did you find a great treasure?" The dwarf asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.


    Smiling at the energy his little brother delivered, Boran ruffled his hair, "No Thirit, I did not get a great treasure. I did not go out into the world in search of one remember."


    "Then why did you leave for so long?" Thirit asked, quickly be despondent.


    "To learn what there is outside of our mountains. To learn what the other races are like." Boran replied, continuing his walk towards the mansion.


    As he walked Thirit would keep throwing questions at him like a child; not like a dwarf of nearly eighty years.


    Upon entering the mansion Boran could feel the heavy atmosphere inside.? Heading straight for the main hall, Boran saw his mother and sister silently sitting by a shield and axe.


    "Mother... Torunn." Boran paused after calling to them, taking a seat, he just stared at the shield and axe. After nearly five minutes he finally asked, "Who is leading the armies?"


    Boran had expected that Thirit would take up themand, however, his being greeted by him earlier made it clear that was not what had happened. Having experienced Thirit''s childlikeness he also understood why.


    "Uncle Gotmen is currently holding the town of Vighyar. However, more and more kobolds and goblins are surfacing. Giryar has fallen..." His sister, Torunn, replied. Her voice breaking as she said thest.


    "Thargeck died fighting there, along with Salear." Saying this she started crying again, Boran quickly moving over to console her.


    "I am sorry, I know you were close." However, upon saying this Boran realized something else, his sister had a ring. Beautifully crafted, clearly a dimensional storage but also an engagement ring.


    Not saying anything he just took her into his embrace, letting her cry. After a few minutes she calmed down and Boran stood up, taking his brother''s axe as he did. Seeing this the two women wanted to protest, but seeing his determination they stopped.


    "Thirit, get me an Abaraxs." Boran said, turning to the forge while he waited. There he quickly added a stip of divine mithril to the edge of the axe. His brother had long since returned, and simply stared in awe as Boran worked.


    Boran started by not heating the divine mithril, but rather by cooling it. At the same time, he heated the tip of the axe. Using magic for the former and the fire zing in the forge for thetter.


    He then carefully ced the thin piece of mithril on the edge, a sizzling sound ensuing as he did. While working the metal, Boran''s right arm would glow brighter and brighter, soon almost equalling the brightness of the fire.


    It was at this point where the two metals seemed to meld. Instead ofying over the edge, the divine metal became part of it. Converting the adamant it was made of into a new kind of metal. An alloy never before seen.

 Chapter 293: Hurting trees and creating a clearing

    <h4>Chapter 293: Hurting trees and creating a clearing</h4>


    Lying back onto his immersion chair, Eldrain thought of what he had learned. Just as he had thought he would be safe to y the game, a new problem had arisen. Nheless, he did not n on quitting, rather he nned on getting stronger.


    Logging in he found himself under the tree, the memories from the haircutting shing in his mind and causing him to blush whilst smiling. That was nice, I should let her do that every time. Eldrian thought, his handsbing through his hair. Determined to next time try and focus less on spells.


    With that thought he also looked at the sun,te to rise. Clearly it was bing winter, the cold morning air and the sparkling grass confirming this. It was not yet at the point where the grass would freeze overnight. Staring at the dew he wondered just how cold it would be.


    The summer, or probably autumn, he had entered the game in had had mild weather. Rain had also been mostly absent, causing him to also wonder what type of rainfall thisnd expected.


    For a few more seconds this thought process continued, Eldrian cleared his mind and told himself to focus. More than ever he had to grow stronger, fast. He had no idea how soon the enemies would act.


    With that thought, Eldrian wondered if he should ignore trying to figure out wind magic, and after some debate, he realized he needed to at least aplish that method. Hence he had to practice it nheless, and doing so with the wind spell will aplish two tasks.


    So he did, he started out with just using Mana Examination. Soon mixing in Tier 0 spells, even going so far as to double cast the Tier 0 spells. This ced a great deal of strain on his mind, which Eldrian pushed through.


    He continued with this for the next few hours, after which he took a break by taking out his spear and practicing. Using the tree as a dummy and soon destroying it, causing Eldrian to quickly run away from the scene.


    Sheesh, can''t believe I cut the entire tree so quickly.? Heined while looking at the wooden spear. His mind not willing to ept that this wood acted better than any axe he had used before, IRL.


    Not that he had really tried cutting the tree back then, nor was he nearly as strong. Still, the astonishment remained.


    Heading to the gate, Eldrian determined that he couldn''t do this in the fort. He also didn''t want to practice with another spear, he wanted to bepletely used to Aoidos.


    "Halt," One of the centaur guards shouted at him. After some back and forth, Eldrian got them to let him out after letting them use Observe. His being a Chosen shocking them, but his title doing more than that. While they didn''t care much for what his title meant, the ability to gain it meant a great deal.


    Outside Eldrian quickly rushed to the forest, not nning to go far into it at all. He started using all the trees as targets. Dancing through them and trying to use both des of his spear to their best ability.


    While at it he would also weave in magic, careful of fire, but the rest free game. Eldrian even used Thera and Anthisma on the trees, pretending that they were undead. His spells actually making the tree survive just a few minutes longer.


    From the right, duck! Strike, roll, needle, thrust. Jump, from the back!? Eldrian''s mind spun as he envisioned himself surrounded by beasts and undead alike. All trying to kill him, forcing him to dance, jump, and even fall to avoid the imaginary attacks.


    After two hours Eldrian finally decided it was enough, having racked up level 3 and level 4 fatigue and magic fatigue respectively. Sitting back he watched his work, a small clearing having been made in the forest. Nearly twenty meters in diameter.


    With that done he headed back, constantly using Mana Examination as he did. It was important to keep active while walking, seeing as the walk back to the town inside the fort took nearly an hour.


    Upon arriving Eldrian urgently searched for food, then met with Vivian and sparred against her. After which they would go out to eat. So he continued to spend the following three days, managing by the third to use Tier 1 spells with Mana Examination.


    This was a massive milestone, and Eldrian was overjoyed. Unfortunately at that time he also had to go and join Pros for the mission. Hence he couldn''t start experimenting.


    Still, he felt much better than before. While the training wasn''t conventional, he felt it had worked really well. His ability to quickly react and adapt had improved, often envisioning the hardest fights he had been in during his sessions in the forest.


    Replying them in his mind as he devastated the forest. Eldrian had even managed to nearly double-cast Frost Needle. He could, if he gave up control over one of the spells. However that felt like taking a step back to him, so for now he didn''t.


    By now his training ground was even visible from the walls. The guards having linked it to him as soon as they saw him returning covered in what seemed like sawdust. They called him the woodcutter, however, none of them dared underestimate his determination.


    Some of them had gone out during their breaks in curiosity, shocked when they saw his actions. What shocked them the most was his uracy with his spells. Mid jump, fall, dodge, he would send it out.


    Letting his body block the view of his target tree, the spell flying as soon as its line of flight was open. Making it near impossible to predict and dodge,pared to normal casting where you would see the spell forming.


    While the guards were all much stronger than Eldrian on paper, none of those who saw his actions thought they''d fare much better than the trees.


    ...


    "Haru!" Evale shouted as Eldrian made his way through the mass of people gathered at the square. Unlike with their previous expedition, this time an entire army was seemingly moving out.


    Hearing the shout and seeing the twins standing in a somewhat open area, Eldrian headed over. Ignoring the greetings and directly asking if they were setting out already. While it wasn''tte, it was already midday.


    "Yes, Pros isn''t nning on scouting anymore. At least not from the start, we are going to advance into the forest, clearing all the undead we find." Evale started replying, Evules taking over after.


    "He wants to ensure that our backs are safe, especially now that we know they are using the caves created by local animals and monsters."


    "Right, as such we are going to firstly check the entire area surrounding the fort, and only then start moving out." Evale ended whilst looking at everyone present. They were going to set out with what was considered a regiment, just shy of 2000 people. All of whom were at least Tier 5.


    "Won''t that take really long?" Eldrian questioned, to which he got an obvious answer.


    "Of course it will, and the longer it takes the more the corruption will spread. But Pros was adamant in ensuring that the area behind us is safe."


    Hearing this Eldrian wondered just what Pros was nning, though he didn''t need to wait long. Pros soon came out of the keep, standing atop the stairs he looked over everyone.


    "Right, you all know the general n. We will spread out in search of all the nearby caves and cabins. If you find one inhabited, don''t enter. Ry the information back, a special squad will deal with them."


    With that said Pros turned into his centaur form midst descending the stairs, rushing towards the Northern gate. With him most of those in the square also rushed, roughly dividing themselves into three parts. Each going for one of the gates.


    "Right, we should also get a move on," Evale said as she watched everyone scattering.


    "Right, Pros asked to meet uster in the day, so let''s go so long," Evules mumbled, Eldrian following along since he had no idea what else he was supposed to do.


    It was one of the things that were extremely strange about quests in ANW. Especially ones that included a vast amount of people, they didn''t feel much like quests. He wasn''t the focus, but rather just a small participant. Heck, he felt he didn''t even need to partake this soon.


    Following along Evale and Evules made sure to not go too fast for Eldrian. Upon exiting the fort Eldrian looked around and was shocked to already see no one else nearby.


    "They are all rushing since finding an inhabited cave or cabin will them a reward. Since they don''t even need to clear it, everyone feels it is free money." Evale exined, causing Eldrian to frown.


    "Who is part of the mission?" He asked, finding such a method not seemly for an army.


    "Mostly Adventurers, that is why we had waited for a week since Pros''s arrival. He had sent a message back to Kynigo, with a mission with crazy rewards. Unlikest time the requirements were also much looser, anyone over Tier 5 could join."


    "The mission was even posted in other cities, hence quite a lot of people came," Evules added, Evale herself shocked by this news. Doing so was certainly not cheap, since most people would have to teleport over.


    "Then what is our part?" Eldrian asked, truly wondering just what he was supposed to do.


    "We are the special squad, naturally," Evules replied with a slight smile, causing Eldrian to smile and sigh almost simultaneously.


    He was half happy, since it should mean he could get some more practical practice. However, he assumed that the squad would be insanely strong. Hence he would likely just be following and observing.


    Right, I can at least im some XP. Just need to cast Anthisma on as many of the squad as I can.? Eldrian thought, thinking back to the night raid and how effective that method had been in grinding XP back then. This significantly increases his outlook on the mission.

 Chapter 294: The royal court of Taurus

    <h4>Chapter 294: The royal court of Taurus</h4>


    "Lord Amnur! What a surprise, what brings you here?" An elderly centaur asked inplete shock. Having rushed over as soon as he sensed that their personal teleportation had been activated.


    "Ah, Tstos," Amnur paused, the gray hair and graying coat slightly throwing him off. "You have be old since thest time I saw you."


    Sighing, the old centaur looked at the ming dwarf with a mixture of envy and sadness, "That is normal, isn''t it? Yet you look the same as back when I was just a teenager."


    "Has it been that long?" Amnur asked with mild surprise, knowing how old a centaur must be for even their coat to grey.


    "Yes, back then I wasn''t even the heir. I am impressed that you could recall my name." Tstos sighed as he said this.


    Amnur was slightly embarrassed as he only knew the old centaur''s name due to Athtar informing him of who the king was. He had been slightly worried he might cause a ruckus if it wasn''t the king who greeted him.


    Amnur paused, he spent very little time with mortals exactly for this reason. Time was so important to them, every year mattered. For him, even a hundred years mattered little.


    "Is your father..." Amnur stopped as he saw Tstos eyes bing cloudy.


    "He passed nearly eighty years ago. Back then I was only Tier 9, yet I had to take over as king." Tstos sighed again, thinking of how much heavier a burden he had ced on his own son.


    "How are things in the kingdom?" Amnur asked, hoping to change the subject. He generally disliked talking about mortality, and having lost someone recently(the spear), he was even less inclined to talk about death.


    "It is quite a mess. I abdicated, you know..." Tstos said, catching Amnur off guard.


    "Why? You are still in good health?"


    "In a manner of speaking, yes. However, these aren''t peaceful times. I need to be free to move and support mynds where it is needed. Hence I can''t stay here overseeing the entire kingdom."


    "But that''s dangerous, you know who your enemy is." Amnur was again shocked.


    "Yes, but how else was I supposed to make it look like we have the support of a legend? If I couldn''t ride into battle without a worry, then he would know and we would fall in a day."


    "Well, you no longer have to worry about that," Amnur said, giving Tstos great relief and confusion.


    "Are you going to stay here? I thought you hade to take Itireae back."


    "No, while Athtar had asked me to make sure she was safe, I came to visit my kin. I will be staying for quite some time, so you can rest assured."


    Hearing this it was as a massive weight was lifted from the old centaur, both his backs suddenly looked much straighter.


    "That''s wonderful. Come, I must wee you properly." Tstos said, indicating to the pce not far away.


    Amnur hade through the royal teleportation, one limited to very few royal bloodlines. This specific one hidden among the trees of the royal garden.


    Generally, only empires would have royal teleportations. Seeing as these teleportation arrays were linked to the capitalwork of the empires.


    Most of the time it was impossible to teleport from the kingdom to the empire with this teleportation array. However, it waspletely possible the other way around. Allowing certain kingdoms to be capable of receiving massive amounts of reinforcements. Or in some cases receiving a mentor to guide their children.


    "You just want to make it known that I am here." Amnur teased, causing Tstos to nearly trip over his front legs.


    "I can''t say that isn''t part of the aim. However, I also wish to introduce you to my family. I know it doesn''t mean much to you, however, I can still remember when I first met you. You leave quite the impression."


    Hearing this Amnur nearly blushed, something which would be quite bad. Who wouldn''t be embarrassed when someone said they could remember you clearly from over a hundred years ago.


    Shaking down the feelings he wasn''t used to, Amnur followed Tstos. Who told the servants to gather all the family, no matter what they were busy with.


    "What type of meal would you like?" Tstos asked after they entered the throne room, where his son was currently being bored by petitions. Petitions Tstos had declined and the nobles now tried to bring up again with a new king.


    The young centaur was currentlyying down on a raised tform that served as the seat of the king. Due to their tradition and some past events they had decided to not reform their court in the image of human society, but rather make a new one. One that was fit for centaurs.


    The raised tform had two ways of getting onto, to the left stairs and to the right a slope. The stairs going onto a green rug with patterns in purple on the outsides. The slope instead going to a small indoor garden at the back of the throne room. Just big enough for a centaur to rest and enjoy the sound of a flowing spring.


    The raised tform had at its back a mural depicting the wars that have now be more legends than anything. While the tform itself was covered in the greenest grass. Causing the horse half of this young centaur to seemingly disappear. His coat perfectly blending in.


    If one were to look carefully at the murals, one would see Amnur in them. Hammering a de amidst mes, his figure mostly hidden by what one would think isva in this day and age, but was actually sma.


    "Do you have any drake meat?" Amnur asked while looking at the young centaur, who was clearly not too invested in the current petitions.


    He couldn''t me him, none of these people were talking about the war. They were just talking about grudges of the past, bringing it up in the hope that they could sway the new, young, king.


    "We do, I''ll have the chefs get onto it as soon as they can. But first. Everyone! Today''s hearing is over!" Tstos shouted, causing most of the centaurs in the room to sigh. However, none of them dared toin.


    After a few minutes, with the hall now empty, the young centaur who had been bored moved towards his father. "Dad, what''s the meaning of this? You gave me the crown, so can you please stop undermining me."


    "Ah, Farest. We have an extremely important guest." Tstos said, indicating to the dwarf next to him.


    At first, Farest wasn''t concerned, however as he actually looked at the dwarf his small eyes flew open. Just barely managing to stop himself from mentioning that the dwarf was ame, since surely both he and his father must know that.


    "I''m Amnur, young centaur. A pleasure to meet you." Amnur said, putting his hand forward and offering it for a handshake.


    After a bit of confusion and doubt, Farest took the hand. Shocked by the heat it contained, just barely not enough to burn him.


    "Farest, a pleasure." The young centaur replied after oveing the shock. He didn''t quite get who this dwarf was, however, his instincts told him to not mess with him. His father''s respectful attitude making it clear that it wasn''t his mind ying tricks on him.


    "It seems that more and more people are beginning to think the mural on the throne is just for show. Farest take a look at it again, recall the stories and legends you were taught." Tstos said.


    Farest did just that, not understanding what his father wanted him to see. Moving from one side to the other of the mural, he stopped suddenly. His small eyes flying open as he looked at the hidden figure. Then he took out his sword, the shock bing even more.


    Rushing back, "I thought those stories were just that. Did you really?" The nod from Amnur confirmed the question he was about to ask.


    "Yes Farest, this is Amnur Fafnir. The dwarven smith who can forge any item you can think of." Tstos said, just to make sure Farest understood what was going on.


    "It''s a great pleasure." Farest quickly said, adding a small bow even. "Why have youe to my kingdom, Lord Amnur?"


    "Please, dispense with the formality. I came to visit my kin in the Ganalin Mountains, and the fastest way to travel was through your teleportation array." Amnur said, turning to Tstos "Right, when will the meal be ready?"


    "In about an hour," Tstos replied, "Lord Amnur, if you wouldn''t mind. Would you show us your craft?" Tstos couldn''t help but ask this. While he was no cksmith, seeing a master at work was always inspiring.


    "Do you have a proper forge?" Amnur asked, preferring to pass the time doing something over talking with people he barely knew. Most legends would rarely converse with mortals, since they would most certainly die.


    Getting close to them only meant pain.


    "Certainly, I will lead the way." Tstos said, "Would you mind making me a new axe? Myst one broke." While he knew this was a bit greedy of him, Tstos had to try and take advantage of the situation.


    "Alright, but you have to deliver the materials. The quality will depend on the materials you supply me with, and that I need to finish in an hour."


    "Certainly we can push the meal back," Tstos said with a slight smile, indicating to Farest to go and fetch the highest quality materials they had. Amnur didn''t mind that the old king was trying to use him, he felt he needed to pay something for using their teleportation array.

 Chapter 295: Going off alone

    <h4>Chapter 295: Going off alone</h4>


    Following the twins, Eldrian discovered to his shock that Kydone had joined them at some point. She was rxing on Evale''s back, yet Eldrian had no idea when she had arrived. What really bothered him was that Evale was in front of him. Yet he failed to see Kydone arrive.


    I need to be more observant.? Eldrian told himself, believing that he had just not been paying attention. This was the only incident for the rest of the walk, which took about half an hour.


    Arriving at a cabin with most nearby trees already cut down, walls steadily rising around the cabin. Eldrian looked on in curiosity at everyone hard at work.


    Pros, still in his centaur form, and a few others were currently moving about with massive branches and even tree trunks. Others busy cutting down the trees. While their sizes were much bigger than humans in general, seeing them hoist an entire tree like it was nothing still caused Eldrian to falter a bit.


    "What''s going on?" Kydone asked, beating Eldrian to it.


    "Pros wants to really ensure that we have a way out. Every three kilometers into the forest we are going to do this. Mostly using cabins that have been mapped, however as we head deeper that will no longer be possible." Evale exined, herself still shocked at the approach.


    They were certainly being extremely loud. Cutting down all the trees in a line, thinning those around the cabin, almost making a road connecting the makeshift fallbacks and the fort.


    Before they could talk more a demi-human of some reptilian heritage ran into the area which has already been cleared.


    "I found a cave!" He shouted, everyone looking at him with confusion. His hurry andpleteck of tack throwing off most of those here, all of whom were Pros''s personal guards and friends. They were the elite squad, just shy of thirty people.


    All at least Tier 6 with equivalent equipment. Just four of them weren''t centaurs, though they were massive demi-humans, furs of different colors nearly covering them entirely. These demi-humans stood nearly as tall as Evules, who was himself just a few hairs short of three meters.


    "Alright, please tell me where," Katania said, her voice came from the cabin. Soon after she walked out with a table, which was made for a centaur. Having really long legs to allow them to use it whilst standing.


    Spreading a map out on the table she indicated for the man toe closer. The demi-human quickly bing unsure as he looked at the map.


    "I can''t really tell on this where it is, can''t I just lead you there?" He replied, needing to stand on tiptoes and strain his neck to see. Soon finding himself a nearby branch to stand on to better see.


    "No, we need to figure out where all the undead is. So we can attack them in the most optimal way. Try to indicate its position." Katania replied, observing his actions and realizing that this table was too tall for the other races.


    Quickly the man became upset, after a few minutes he felt like throwing the table in the air. However, this would be quite difficult seeing as Katania was keeping it steady and he was standing unsteadily on a branch.


    "I can''t! But I can lead you there."


    Sighing Katania wanted to tell him this was part of the mission, however upon seeing the twins she quickly thought of a better idea. Pushing the fact that this table was too high for others back, for now.


    "Evale, Evules. Can you help, we need to both map and scout the caves we find. I believe Kydone would be really good at thetter, and you the former."


    "Do you really not just want to attack them?" Evale asked, receiving a firm no.


    "Doing so might alert the other undead, while some people stumbling into their territory might also do so. Them running upon finding undead shouldn''t cause much of a stir, at least for now."


    "Alright, what''s your name?" Evale replied, turning to the demi-human who said he was called Egzaz.


    However, this man worried he would lose his reward.? "I still get paid for finding the cave, right?" He questioned, his tone making it clear if this wasn''t the case then he would refuse to cooperate.


    "Of course, fifty silver per discovery," Katania said, her mentioning this causing Eldrian to nearly fall over, even with him standing still.


    "Can I also take up this job?" He asked in such a rush that it shocked everyone. His desperation made them think he owed someone. Though, certainly that wasn''t the case, right?


    "What? Aren''t youing with us Haru?" Evules asked, to which Eldrian promptly replied.


    "If I do I will just be following you guys. I don''t see why I should do that. I''m not really needed. Certainly not until we actually invade the corrupted area, so surely I can try and make some cash."


    "Are you in need of money?" Evale asked, having never thought Eldrian would be short of money.


    Especially considering the spear he had. The fact that it was a hundred percent naturally formed made it far more valuable than any other. Especially to wood elves, who would gain a massive affinity with it.


    Looking at his coin inventory, which was separate from the others and digital. Giving him a count of his total money, instead of showing him a pile of coins. Eldrian sighed as he saw that he had just slightly over one gold.


    He felt truly poor. "Of course, why do you think I have no armor. While I stand by my point that cheap armor is a waste of money, if I can afford magical grade armor I would certainly buy some."


    Hearing this the twins backed down, at first they had thought to offer him a few gold. However, it would be wrong to do so now. Working to equip oneself was an important step.


    While it is fine to support someone when they were just shy of affording it. Doing so before they started would be like saying they didn''t think he could make it.


    With that they left, leaving Eldrian and Katania amidst the others who had quickly gotten back to work. Naturally, none of them would take a break, seeing as Pros was still hard at work.


    "Kat..." Eldrian paused as he failed to recall thetter part of her name, quickly pulling up his quest only to find a list of NPCs no longer on it. Just the notable NPCs, which were still only Evale, Pros, and Kydone.


    "Katania," She said, not bothered that he had forgotten her name. "I assume you want me to show you where most people headed."


    "That would be greatly appreciated. I''m just Tier 2 so I certainly won''t be able to beat them in speed."


    "Alright, look here. This is the Pyknos forest, we are here. The fort is here. Drawing a half-moon, all these areas should now be filled with people. If you go out further you should have better luck."


    Eldrian smiled, both thanks to her exnation and the system informing him that he had gained a local map. Pulling it up he quicklypared the cabins there to those on the map. Helping him orientate himself more, as a few were from hisst trip.


    This also helped him figure out more or less where the corruption should be. He had no idea how much it would have spread sincest time. However, he assumed that the halfway point between his current position and where it was should be safe.


    With that thought in mind, and not even considering staying close to the fort, Eldrian headed out. Using elerate to help him move faster, and in using it Eldrian realizing he still needed to learn some Tier 2 skills.


    However he didn''t think it was pressing, the bonus from reaching Tier 2 in an additional ss was nice, but not game-changing. He also didn''t have any Tier 2 skills on him, just spells.


    Pushing that out of his mind and rushing onward, Eldrian failed to find anything even after two hours of traveling and searching. By this time he had moved far from where all the others should be searching.


    How on earth do they find the caves?? Eldrian asked as he exited a cabin he had just checked, this being the fourth he had visited. While wondering about this he also, for the first time, realized just how much there was ack of animals.


    Standing and looking out into the trees, Eldrian realized that there were no birds singing. The only sound was that of the asional rustle of leaves from the wind.


    This is quite eerie. Eldrian thought, however theck of anything made him think of something. Casting Mana Examination, Eldrian looked around. While the mist now upying his vision wasn''t good for his vision, he hoped it might show him something. And it did.


    There were two new veils of mist. One light green, representing nature. The other seemingly wing at this green mist. A gray mist, almost looking like living smoke. This smoke ate at the light green, stealing its color and causing it to change into more smoke.


    Is this the corruption? Is it this far already?

 Chapter 296: Discovered

    <h4>Chapter 296: Discovered</h4>


    This conversion was slow, and while it was happening the light green mist seemingly moved away from the gray smoke. Creating an area where no mist was present next to the gray smoke. Looking around Eldrian found that this was happening in a lot of ces.


    However, it was not to such an extent that his vision was covered. Instead, it was more that there was this gray smoke every ten or so meters.


    It was also inconsistent in its appearance, size, and location. Sometimes there would be none for over a hundred meters, other times an area would be nearly full of gray smoke.


    However, the smoke never formed a miasma. It was always disconnected, limited in size. Clearly, it was not actually the corruption, but rather individual cases where something had happened. Something which left behind mana which fed upon the mana of the nature element.


    What is this?? Eldrian wondered, looking at the other areas that were normal. Trying to figure out why this was not spread throughout like the other colors. Light green and white-green dominating, with a blue mist behind it and red almost absent.


    These mists were everywhere. They would be vaguer as their density decreased, but they would not separate into packets like the gray smoke. There would always be some of each mist, everywhere. Different from the smoke which was only found within its packets.


    Eldrian felt quite frustrated as he looked on, realizing he had no idea what this all meant. Especially the fact that he didn''t know how to interact with the mists irritated him. When he attempted, sending out mageia in the hope to gather the mana that appeared like a mist, he would always fail.


    His thoughts couldn''t easilytch onto the mana, and when he tried to focus more on it, he would lose focus on Mana Examination. Leading to him losing sight of the mana as his spell failed. Trying without Mana Examination allowing him to see the mists felt even more useless.


    After close to half an hour of aimlessly wandering and trying to connect to every different color, Eldrian gave up. However, this was only in regard to him trying to connect to the mana. He kept using Mana Examination, in hopes that the gray smoke would lead him to where the undead were.


    It was the only thing he could think of. They must be the cause of the smoke, though Eldrian didn''t quite know how or why. He tried to move from the densest area with this smoke present to another, while also trying to go to nearby cabins.


    Suddenly a loud screech born from hell broke the peacefulness of the forest. A sound, so terrible that it threw all Eldrian''s thoughts into disarray. There was no way it coulde from a living creature, and looking towards the source this notion was confirmed.


    An undead bird, little less than bones and decaying feathers stared at Eldrian. It no longer had any eyes, yet its skull made it clear that it was staring. The ck gaze sending chills down Eldrian''s spine.


    Its entire body was kept together by a ck miasma that had pieces of rotten flesh still stuck inside it. It looked horrifying, yet Eldrian was more curious than anything.


    Having fought a bunch of undead up close certainly helping him in not being disturbed by its appearance. Different from other undead this bird seemed to not be a zombie, nor a skeleton.? Those either had rotting flesh or were just bones.


    Using Magic Inspection and Mana Examination respectively. Eldrian found the results interesting, making him want to observe it longer.


    The bird was covered in a dark mist, one he recognized as that of the darkness element. This seemed to be the miasma, though it covered a slightlyrger area. However, this mist was then covered in the gray smoke, and in fact, the mana flow of the bird seemed to be more like the smoke than darkness.


    Naturally, Eldrian had no idea what this meant, and his thoughts were all sent into chaos as the bird screeched again. Eldrian''s ears ringing with pain, as if an explosion had ruptured them.


    What the hell, where is the pain reduction?? Eldrian questioned, as he tried to recall what he had read. Joren had kept his word and shared with Eldrian apendium of all the monsters with any mind or soul abilities/spells.


    Shouting to both clear his thoughts and ovee its screech, Eldrian cast Frost Needle and sent it at the bird. Who simply jumped into the air and flew; somehow. Its rotting feathers falling as it flew, yet it stayed in the air. Landing on a new branch it looked at Eldrian mockingly and screeched again.


    Plugging his ears, Eldrian was shocked to find them wet. Luckily this increased the effectiveness of plugging them, blocking nearly all sounds.


    What is it again? Eldrian asked himself, trying to recall what he had read. There were simply too many creatures and monsters for him to remotely remember.


    Right, its screech is one literally born from undeath. While it is extremely weak, and even slower than normal birds, it can weaken any living being simply by screeching. Eldrian recalled, however, he failed to recall its name.


    That mattered little, and so did what he recalled. Pulling out a random sword from his dimensional storage, Eldrian threw it with all his might at the undead bird. As it jumped into the air Eldrian cast Frost Needle, theck of screeching allowing him to think clearer.


    While the bird was surprisingly nimble in the air, Frost Needle was far more so. Finally, Eldrian managed to get the right angle and cut the head from the body. This was surprisingly hard due to the limited size of Frost Needle.


    [450 XP gained]


    He had managed to kill the undead bird, the system XP message informing him that it was indeed dead. As it fell to the ground, its bones all split apart without the ck miasma keeping them together.


    With its death peace and quiet returned to the forest, allowing Eldrina to think clearly and especially at how dumb his reaction had been.


    Instead of using Observe to see its name and description, he had tried to recall what he had read. Even his first use of Frost Needle had been basically useless. He had cast it without controlling the spell''s mana, something he hadn''t done since he first managed to control its mana.


    "Mind attacks are far more dangerous than I thought..." Eldrian mumbled, wondering why the bird hade to bother him. The answer sooning as he felt the ground shaking. This feeling and sound naturally from that of a massive horde charging towards him.


    Looking around in a panic, Eldrian cast Mana Examination, shocked speechless as he saw the entire area where the sounds wereing from covered in a thick gray miasma. Unlike before, for once the smoke was one. Forming a miasma that would eat at all the other mists.


    Stumbling, Eldrian rushed away from the smoke. Not daring to wait and see what kinds of undead there were. The thundering charge informed him that there were too many for him to even dream of handling.


    As Eldrian started running he wondered where he should go. He quickly realized that going back to where the others were would be a terrible idea. They were all busy scouting. Separate and unaware of such a danger.


    His leading this horde there would not only cause massive damage, but also lead to their stealthy approach being discovered on the first day. He did not want that to be his fault, at the very least.


    Eldrian didn''t think he would be able to get away from the horde otherwise though. He realized that he was being followed by more undead birds. Using Observe he finally got their names, however that helped little.


    [Drekavac]


    [Tier 2 (Lower undead); Level 5]


    [HP: 174/174]


    [Attack: 2.2]


    [Agility: 135]


    [A normal bird, whose life has be a living hell. Corrupted with undeath, it is now forced to do its master''s bidding. Its Tier and level both increased through magic, however, thises at a cost. Its body will constantly degrade until its bones finally turn into dust. That is when it will know peace again.]


    [Ability: Undeath''s Screech]


    [At the cost of its alreadycking life, it can form sounds through manipting the miasma sustaining it. Decreasing its time in undeath and assaulting all living beings who hear it.]


    [Damage: 5 Pure Damage to all who can hear it.]


    [Status Affect: Will scramble the thoughts of those who hear it, making their thoughts and reactions slow.]


    "No wonder," Eldrian mumbled, plugging his ears before they could screech. While it didn''tpletely stop them from making it harder for him to think, it did lessen the amount it destroyed his focus.


    Naturally, it also made running harder, however, Eldrian felt it was worth it for the rity of mind. For the first time, he wished he had earplugs. Having never before wished for such a thing.


    As he ran and tried to think of a n he also questioned what pure damage was, the system giving him that answer.


    [Pure Damage is damage only mitigated by resistance, not armor.]


    What? That''s new...? Eldrian nearly stumbled from the reply. It hade simr to when he used Observe, the information just popping into his mind. Where he would then read it.


    As he ran Eldrian also kept looking at his map, hoping he could find a ce to hide out in. However, he knew he had to first take care of the birds following him.

 Chapter 297: Escaping the horde

    <h4>Chapter 297: Escaping the horde</h4>


    I have to do something about them! Eldrian thought, pivoting on the spot. Grabbing a handful of dirt as he did which he threw into the air at the group of undead birds.


    The birds weren''t at all worried about the dirt, not even bothering to try and avoid it. Their vision seemed to not be all that great, because they didn''t even see the fireball behind it. That or they simply ignored the iing threat.


    Eldrian had really thought they would scatter because of it.? He had done this move because it was often depicted in movies. Yet when he had thrown the dirt, it had hardly scattered. Staying in a fist-sized group it simply flew and fell to the ground. Not even having covered half the distance.


    It hadn''t even started to hide the fireball!


    Yet somehow the fireball had made it into the mids of the group, where Eldrian had let his control of the spell go. Causing it to explode and set a good amount of them ame.


    Dammit, that isn''t good enough. Eldrian cursed as he turned and continued to run. Three birds ame, yet somehow capable of still flying even as all their feathers burned to crisps. That is until the fire finally burned through all their HP, which took around six seconds.


    The only thing notifying Eldrian of their deaths was the system XP notification, the birds not even falling to the ground. Instead, they burned into ash in the air, which dispersed and disappeared into the wind with their death.


    Realizing how effective the spell had been, doing crazy amounts of damage to the little birds,pared to what it normally did. Eldrian wished he had managed to learn how to control the mes. If he could spread it out more during the explosion, then it would have taken them all out.


    As he ran Eldrian didn''t think this trick would work twice, however, he still had to try it. His next attempt only getting one bird.


    They spread out! Eldrian cursed, realizing that the target he had hit had only failed to dodge because the fireball would explode. The area it covered was only a meter and it only barely caught this undead bird.


    Eldrian knew the same trick wouldn''t work again, ducking behind arge tree he quickly thought about what to do next. Volida was easy to dodge, seeing as it flew quite slowly. He also couldn''t really control the spell''s flight, not yet.


    As the birds circled around the tree they were weed by small finger-sized rock spikes.


    Eldrian had used Vrachos to transform a bunch of small rocks into these spikes over the past few days. Which he had then stored in his inventory to act as arrows, magical rock arrows.


    Unlike Frost Needle, where the ice would melt when he stopped controlling the spell, the rocks stayed rocks. However, one had to actually have rocks and couldn''t just cast them with nothing.


    Over the past few weeks with all the PVP, Eldrian had realized that his range offensive wascking. He still sucked with a bow, he could only shoot at things around ten meters away. At that distance using Frost Needle or any other spell seemed the far better choice.


    It was faster, stronger, and had amazing uracy. He still hoped to master it someday, if only for the Tier reward. However for now he needed a recement, and Vrachos was it.


    Before he had to always rely on Frost Needle. While it was a great spell, with it being castable almost anywhere, it took some time to let the ice spike form. The same held for all spells in fact, while the formation time wasn''t long in general.


    That second or two could change things, luckily Eldrian''s spells formed much faster than normal yers. However, he would still like to be even more effective.


    Normally this formation time was not a problem, taking just half a second for Frost Needle in particr. Still, Eldrian had realized that it wasn''t ideal. With Vrachos he could skip the slight dy if he prepared beforehand. And he had, having made nearly fifty of them during the past three days.


    While doing so Eldrian had naturally also practiced the spell itself. Bing morefortable and reaching Rank 1 with it, really close to making it to Rank 2. This meant he couldn''t fully control it like Frost Needle, yet. However, he could alter the flight path.


    He had also realized he could fake out his opponents, throwing the sharpened rocks at them. Only to have it alter direction at thest moment. He did not even need to let them know it was a spell. Though most people would be caught unprepared even if they knew it was a spell.


    Eldrian even felt he might be able to use this spell with proper weapons, however, he first needed to figure out the core of the spell. The core that it and Forst Needle shared, the force which drove it forward and allowed him to control the spells.


    Both spells had their strengths and weaknesses. Leading to Eldrian also realizing he needed to try and learn as many as possible, yet he also needed to learn stronger spells and reach higher Tiers. He truly felt he needed a few months of peace. Yet naturally, this game would never give him that.


    This was a perfect example, he had just tried to make some quick cash and now he was being chased by a massive horde. His surprise attack had managed to kill two more birds. Thest three screeching in anger.


    Eldrian nearly stumbled, having yet to plug his ears again. Their screeching also caused the horde to speed up, the tremors bing stronger and making Eldrian all the more eager to never encounter them.


    Speeding up again, Eldrian kept sending the small rock spikes at the birds. This kept them from screeching, however, they dodged it easily in their flight. Not being able to fully control the rocks meant a lot of them missed entirely.


    However, thanks to his stockpile this meant little. He just kept throwing them, and when he only had ten or so left, he finally managed to kill thest bird.


    Having been slowed as three rocks had be stuck in its body. Eldrian had used Volida to burn it to ash, the bird too slow to escape the meter-wide explosion. With its death, Eldrian rushed away from the scene, not daring to stay anywhere close.


    After ten minutes of sprinting, Eldrian fell onto the ground gasping for air. Struggling to think, he called up the map and made annotations on it. Only roughly being able to recall what happened.


    Once he was done he logged out. Hoping that the undead would return to where they had started. Else his next login was going to be really bad.


    ...


    Waking up on the chair, Eldrian stretched. He had be used to the fact that his body would be stiff. He was still unsure if it was due to the chair being lessfortable than his bed, or if it was something else.


    Looking around his room, Eldrian sighed as he stood up and turned on the lights. It was the first time in a really long time that he was awake at night. Since he had gotten the headset he would always y at night. Even when the game had been offline, he had chilled in his virtual home and fought with the others in their PVP matches.


    I need to wait a few hours, just in case. Eldrian thought, pulling out his phone and looking at the messages that have been pilling up. He had been avoiding talking with his sister for nearly a month now.


    While he hadn''t outright ignored her messages, he had mostly replied shortly. Yes, No''s, or leaving her on read. Not saying much and keeping her at arm''s length. This was mostly because he knew his sister would pick up on him hiding things.


    She had always been good at reading him, and he didn''t want to worry her. Especially with how things keep getting more and moreplicated.


    Nostalgia took over as Eldrian thought of their weekend dinners. Opening the messages he started reading them properly, finding the first ones filled with scolding. But thenter they became more about concern.


    Reading the messages and listening to the voice notes again, Eldrian started tearing up. Having never realized how much he had hurt her by ignoring her. She was truly worried.


    Before he could even think clearly, he had called her.


    "He-hello..." An all too familiar sleepy voice answered before Eldrian could regain his senses and end the call.


    "Hello? Who is this?" Jen asked still half asleep, soon followed by a much more awake voice. "Eldrian! Are you safe? Why have you been so quiet?"


    Hearing the true concern in her voice made Eldrian feel even worse. Taking a deep breath he did the only thing he could think of, "I''m sorry Jen. I just knew I wouldn''t be able to hide things from you, and I didn''t want to get into a fight."


    Hearing this Jen naturally only became much more worried, "What''s going on? I recall that there was something strange going on. Are you in danger?"


    Eldrian paused, unsure how to reply. He even wondered about that question himself, was he in danger? He was currently a target for most of the races in ANW. A great number of them could seemingly get past the safety features of the game.


    "Eldrian!? Eldrian don''t you dare ignore me again!" Jen''s voice increased and her anger became clear. She only barely managed to keep it down, else the entire house would have been awake now.

 Chapter 298: Sharing his discovery

    <h4>Chapter 298: Sharing his discovery</h4>


    "Jen... It''splicated, can we talk about something else?" Eldrian asked, this being the precise reason he had avoided talking with her.


    "What do you mean it''splicated. If you are in danger you can just stop and leave, right?" Her voice was filled with worry and uncertainty.


    "It''s not that simple... Jen, let''s meet up tomorrow." Eldrian didn''t know what he was doing, only that he couldn''t keep avoiding her.


    Jen didn''t respond for some time, the silence eating at Eldrian. Finally, she came back, "What''s going on? Why don''t you just exin it to me?"


    Eldrian paused, wondering how much he could share. "I don''t really know what I am allowed to share. Let''s just meet, it will be easier to exin it in person after I look through my contract again."


    Again Jen didn''t reply immediately, "Eldrian, really what is going on?"


    "I''ll exin tomorrow," Eldrian said, hanging up as he did. What now? He asked himself, picking up his Miracle-issued tablet and searching for his contract. If he was to meet her, he wanted to be sure what he could share.


    Around half an hourter Eldrian headed down to get himself something to eat, as he climbed down the stairs he thought of something. Taking out his tablet he typed a message to Joren.


    ...


    Waking in the game, Eldrian quickly jumped to his feet and looked around for any threats. His avatar nowpletely rested.


    Not seeing or hearing anything, Eldrian used both Magic Inspection and Mana Examination to make sure. After seeing the undead birds, he now knew that the gray smoke was because of them, as he had suspected.


    He still didn''t quite get why it lingers and eats at the nature mana. However, he knew that the smoke around a living undead waspletely different from that which was spread throughout the forest.


    This meant he could detect use this to see detect them. The mist and smoke surrounding them nearly twice the size of their bodies, at least for the birds. This was different from that of normal creatures, where mana didn''t surround them.


    After confirming that there was nothing, Eldrian called up his map. Looking at his hasty annotations, which he could ovey or dismiss at will, Eldrain slowly backtracked to a cabin close to where had been discovered. Finding the tracks of the undead on his way.


    Making a new marking, he annotated that past this point was danger, after which he headed back to the army. It took him a few hours, on the way Eldrian tried to take a different route. Managing to discover a cave, which sadly had been unupied.


    "Haru, you''re back." Katania greeted as Eldrian returned. Looking around Eldrian realized why she seemed surprised, Evale and Evules had yet to return it seemed.


    "Umm..." Eldrian paused, "Where are the twins?"


    "They have yet toe back, I am starting to worry. It should have been a quick mission..." Katania paused as she wondered just what could have happened. "Right, did you find something?"


    "Sort off. I''m not sure where to start."


    This piqued Katania''s interest. "Did you find any inhabited caves or cabins?" She asked, already expecting a no. Which she indeed received.


    "No, however, I found something else. Also..." Eldrian paused and decided to talk about thatter. "Never mind, can you lower the table. Or is there something I can stand on?"


    Only with Eldrian asking this did she realized that the branch the other guy had used, had been moved away. After looking around a bit, she decided to simply take a chair from the cabin.


    Climbing on it, Eldrian called up his map andpared the two. Using the cabins to get the area right.


    "I am not quite sure what is going on past here, but it seems to be heavily guarded. It might be the new border of the corruption." Eldrian said. The point he indicated at least ten kilometers from where the corruption was marked on the map.


    "Are you sure?" Katania asked, the difference shocking her. If it was as he said then they needed to move much faster. Their original n had it that the corruption would have only moved two kilometers at most in the past week.


    "No, but they are guarding this area. I was discovered by some undead birds, who screeched and caused a horde to chase after me. They are quite irritating..." Eldrian paused as he recalled the pain, moving his hands to his ears only to find them filled with dried blood.


    "Drekavac. They indeed are. They are also some of the rarest undead. At least when you consider their strength and how easy it is for them to be created."


    "Then why are they rare?" Eldrian asked as he cleared out his ears.


    "Because they do not stop decaying. Zombies and skeletons will use the magic sustaining their undeath to stop their decay. The Drekavac can''t do this, or rather every time they screech, they use that same magic. Leading to their flesh and bones decaying just that little bit more."


    "As such, they are generally only found in areas where the undead are still new. Since they can''t survive for long, only a few years at most."


    While this was interesting, Eldrian wanted to exin what he found first.? "In any case, I was chased by a horde due to them. And not for just a short distance, a flock of these undead birds tailed me and kept leading the horde. I finally managed to kill the birds and lose the horde around here."


    Seeing the distance, nearly three kilometers, Katania was again shocked. "How did you outrun them?"


    Only then did Eldrian realize how far he had gone, leaving the same question in his mind. "I am not sure, maybe they can''t move well through the forest?"


    "Can''t be, they are all natives of the forest."


    "Maybe being undead changed that?" Eldrian offered, not knowing what else to say. He knew he was fast thanks to his agility focus, but outrunning undead creatures seemed to be a little outrageous.


    Katania paused and considered. It was the only thing she could think of too; unless the undead had wanted to not catch up to him. However that made little sense, why would they chase him if they didn''t want to catch him?


    "Thanks Haru, I''ll mark this area. We need to confirm if the corruption has spread that far or if it has some other significance."


    "Right, I also want to share a spell. Do you have a pen and paper?"


    "A spell? What type of spell?" Katania asked with utter confusion. Knowing Eldrian''s Tier she knew he only knew some spells he had received from others.


    "One I modified. You know Magic Inspection, right?" It took Katania quite some time to digest this and finally reply.


    "Of course, it isn''t all that useful since keeping it active requires so much focus. Still, almost everyone sees it as a must learn spell." She replied still mostly not believing Eldrian had done what he just said.


    "Well, I modified it to allow me to see mana in the surrounding. And this forest is full of mana which is different from the elements."


    Hearing this, Katania was now extremely curious. After asking Eldrian to wait a bit, she headed into the cabin to get some writing utensils.


    "Sorry, this is all I have at the moment." She said, handing Eldrian a page and piece of chalk. "We are still setting up, after finishing the walls we are going to focus on making a true ry station."


    Eldrian looked around upon hearing this, looking at all the tree trunks that have been pushed into the ground. By now the entire cabin was nearly surrounded, with two clear openings. One leading further, and the other leading back.


    "It''s fine," Eldrian said, taking the page and chalk and drawing the spell module. It took him a couple of tries to get the lines straightish, in the end they were still quite bendy.


    "It really is simr to Magic Inspection," Katania mumbled as she looked at it. She now thought of Eldrian in apletely different manner. "Using it, what do you see?"


    "Mists, mostly. I am not too sure myself, I just know that what I see is the mana in the air. The thing left behind by the undead is more of a smoke."


    "Then, is there any of this smoke in the area?" Katania asked, using a Detect Evil spell herself as she asked Eldrian this.


    Turning around and using Mana Examination, Eldrian found that there indeed was. However, the smoke here was isted, much smaller than that deeper in the forest.


    "Yes, I see four. However, unlike deeper in, these seem to be older." It was the only thing that made sense, the other cases the gray smoke was still clinging onto the light-green mist.


    "Four?" Katania asked in surprise, casting a higher Tier Detect Evil. She had just used a Tier 2 at first, but in the end, she needed to use a Tier 4 to get the same result.


    "Amazing, can I learn it?" Katania asked, the difference in effectiveness shocking her. Tier 2 had only told her of one location with what they consider evil energy. Tier 3 had also only given her 1 result, only Tier 4 had a wide enough range to detect all four.


    "Of course, I thought it might help. Especially when we go into the corrupted area and try to figure out what it is." Eldrian replied, Katania suddenly thinking back to when he was asking so many questions.

 Chapter 299: Getting another quest

    <h4>Chapter 299: Getting another quest</h4>


    She had thought he was just blinding asking questions. Even after he exined what had caused him to be unconscious for so long she hadn''t fully believed him. However, now, looking at the spell module, she had to admit that it must all be true.


    She had to change her mindset. To no longer see him as n F, ast-ditched effort to send back information. Rather she needed to look at him as an equal, and the others too.


    "Right, you probably wantpensation," Katania said, recalling how eager Eldrian had been to gather money. "We aren''t paying right away, it would be crazy toe into the forest with so much money."


    "Then how does it work?" Eldrian asked, indeed wanting somepensation. He didn''t mind helping just to help, however he needed to help Erik make money. He also wanted to start and try to actually get himself properly equipped.


    "For each confirmed discovery you received this," She said, handing Eldrian a small piece of metal. "The type of metal determines the importance of your discovery."


    "Isn''t this also quite expensive?" Eldrian asked as he took the metal and used Inspection to see what it was. It looked like a small shield with two swords drawn on it, its size about that of Eldrian''s thumbnail.


    [Iron Emblem(Adventurer''s Guild)]


    [A specific emblem created from iron, used by organizations to indicated work done. Used to trade forpensation when things settle down and transferring money is safe and feasible.]


    [Special trait: Emblem has been activated, indicating that it was given, not stolen.]


    What''s that mean? Eldrian wondered, not able to really stay on this topic as Katania continued to speak.


    "Not nearly as much as you would think. For normal discoveries, the ones worth 50 silver, we give you a piece of copper."


    "Can''t people just imitate this?"


    "It has a special rune engraved to indicate its authenticity, which is nearly impossible to copy. While the copper ones are worth around ten silver due to this, it is still better than needing fifty silver on hand."


    "What is this one worth then?" Eldrian asked.


    "It is worth five gold, though I am going to discuss with Pros about the worth of your spell. I feel I should give you something more, but I can''t do that without asking him."


    "W-w-wait! Five gold?" Eldrian was totally thunderstruck by this.


    "Yes, and if your report is true then it will be only for the report on the protected area." Katania replied, "If you are curious, the mission statement is here. With the listed possible rewards."


    Naturally, Eldrian took the page she offered and looked through it. Suddenly getting a quest popup asking if he wanted to ept.


    Isn''t it a bitte to ask me that now?? Eldrian grumbled, feeling that the system was quite asleep. It should have asked him this when he first set out.


    [yer has been offered a unique quest, ept or Decline?]


    [Quest Name: Cleanse the forest]


    [Quest Giver: Pros, (Backed by the Adventurers Guild)]


    [Quest Rank: A]


    [Quest Description: Help Pros to clear out the forest, up to where the corruption has spread.]


    [Quest Goal: Find the hiding spots of the undead, sharing this information with the army, and helping to cleans them if needed. The more important the discovery, the better the payment.]


    [Quest Reward: 2 Levels (Afterpletion of the entire quest, not goals)]


    [Quest Payment 1: A Copper Emblem, worth 50 Silver. Rewarded for a basic discovery.]


    [Quest Payment 2: A Bronze Emblem, worth 1 Gold. Rewarded for a discovery with an Unwilling Undead present.]


    [Quest Payment 3: A Iron Emblem, worth 5 Gold. Rewarded for the discovery of an unknown protected area.]


    [Quest Payment 4: A Steel Emblem, worth 10 Gold. Rewarded for the discovery of a higher undead.]


    [Quest Payment 5: A Silver Emblem, worth 20 Gold.]


    [Quest Payment 6: A Gold Emblem, worth 50 Gold.]


    [Emblems can be taken to any Adventurers Guild in Taurus to be redeemed.]


    Reading through the list, Eldrian couldn''t help but be left a little speechless. Thetter rewards were simply insanely generous. However, the way to earn them was also not mentioned. Hence it must be something that could lead to a massive shift.


    Naturally, Eldrian wondered if Mana Examination would get him a silver or gold emblem. He was also curious how many people had discovered/created the spell too.


    Recalling that the system had said it wasn''t unique. He was curious why, if that was the case, the spell wasn''t also well known like Magic Inspection.


    With the possibility of more rewardsing, Eldrian felt much less motivated to go out again. His first venture had certainly been rewarding, but it had also been a close call. Eldrian would rather not lose three levels in another attempt.


    Maybe I should just stay in the more known area?? He wondered, contemting this against practicing.


    It went without saying that Eldrian epted the quest. He did not need to actively do anything, as long as they didn''t need to retreat he would aplish it. Hence it was just 2 free levels.


    Realizing this caused Eldrian to be even less inclined to go out and risk his life. While he could technically die, the cost of it wasn''t worth it.


    As such Eldrian instead waited in the area. Continuing to practice his spells, specifically Mana Examination and Vrachos. He still had a long way to go for the former. Thetter he felt he was really close to fully controlling.


    Sitting on the chair which he had used to gain ess to the table, Eldrian ced the pile of stones he had gathered at his feet. Casting Vrachos until the entire pile was formed into little spikes. Now struck into the ground like the needles of a porcupine.


    I think I need to practice shooting them a bit. Eldrian thought as he realized he hadn''t gained much insight after casting the spell 20 times.


    Standing up he was about to head out to practice, but stopped when he saw Pros and Katania heading over.


    "Haru, it seems I didn''t give you enough credit," Pros said with a wide smile on his face. He quickly turned into his human form to be at a simr height to Eldrian. Not wishing to look down at the person he was speaking with.


    "I had realized you were capable, but this is a bit more than I suspected," Pros said, indicating to the page Katania had given him.


    "This spell is actually not unique, I believe you can understand the modification you did isn''t all thatplicated. The reason why people generally ignore it is that the vision it gives you does little for you."


    "In fact, in a fight it is more of a hindrance than anything. It just clouds your sight. However, I understand why you made this. Like before I would suggest you do not experiment too much."


    "You knew of this spell?" Katania asked in uncontained surprise.


    "Yes, it is called Colorful Sights. You can find it in any city''s library." Pros replied, "However like I said, its use is generally not all that great. Like Magic Inspection it needs constant concentration, however, what it delivers isn''t anywhere nearly as useful."


    "I disagree," Eldrian said, "It can allow you to actually see the footprints of the undead. I am still unsure how the footprints are created, but it is still something. It can also show you where they are grouped, as their mana would overtake the surrounding."


    "Right, that is why I am here. This is a new discovery. Generally, we use divine magic to find the traces of the undead, through a spell called Detect Evil. It basically just informs us of the presence of mana which sses with normal elemental mana."


    "The range of this spell however is quite limited, and while Colorful Sights clouds your vision; if you can see past, you can see far."


    "I have a unique item which allows me a simr ability to your spell. It is more refined, allowing me to pick what I want to see. However, this spell; be it called Mana Examination or Colorful Sights, is much more essible."


    "Katania, please make as many copies as you can. I want everyone to learn it tonight. Also recalled those who are still out searching, I fear our tracks have already been discovered."


    "What!?"


    "You both wondered why Haru was chased but not caught. The most likely reason is they are aware of our group, or at least the increase in people. They had most likely hoped to follow him to our camp."


    "That... That''s actually quite likely. Luckily I could disappear for some time," Eldrian mumbled, exining a little to Pros how he could literally disappear.


    Naturally, he didn''t mention that he logged out, but rather made something up along the lines he returned to his world. Katania left after listening to this, Pros having needed to give her a stare for a few seconds.


    "That''s good, they must have certainly given up in that case. Now, would you mind telling me why you altered Magic Inspection?" Pros sighed with relief.


    After hearing Katania''s report he had been worried that a horde of undead woulde charging at them soon. Eldrian''s exnation had eased his worry.


    "Well... I wanted a way to see how mana acts when I cast a spell. Specifically, with regard to wind magic, I am sure you know of Dynamic Magic."


    "Of course, it is also why I told you to stop trying to teach Myropsis. Dynamic Magic, while strong, is quite hard to learn. Much more so when you are already past Tier 5."

 Chapter 300: A test of ability

    <h4>Chapter 300: A test of ability</h4>


    "Still it..." Eldrian wanted to argue, but Pros quickly interrupted.


    "It is moreplicated than you think. Especially for other races, such as us. You, or rather the race you are part of, are naturally inclined towards Dynamic Magic. For others, it is a much harder path to follow."


    Eldrian did not at all agree with this, his path so far has been plentyplicated and hard.


    However, upon thinking about the fact that most people would take the first 20 or so years of their life to reach Tier 4. With only geniuses managing to reach Tier 5 or higher by age 20, Eldrian decided to notin about him being Tier 2 after just a few months.


    Instead, he refocused on what they were originally talking about, "In any case, you should understand why I want to see what happens with the mana," Eldrian hoped that Pros would understand without him needing to spell it out.


    "You want to see if you can learn from it, and possibly even control the mana directly," Pros replied, causing Eldrian to smile.


    "I understand what you are aiming for, but it isn''t that simple. Even for High Elves in the Elven Empire, their focus is on reaching higher Tiers. Much like us, Tier 5 is still a breakpoint that many struggle to ovee."


    "Most focus and push all their effort to reach that point, only diverging once they have reached it."


    "But why? That makes no sense. How do I even go about reaching the next Tiers?" Eldrian countered, causing Pros to falter.


    "Right... Your method is different." Pros paused and looked at Eldrian, "Did the books I give you help at all"


    "Ah..." Eldrian paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "There is still plenty I do not understand."


    "Give it time, for most understanding the meaning of such things is difficult. Even when they just tackle certain spells in their Tier. Trying to understand the entire volume will leave you overwhelmed."


    "Then, what else am I supposed to do while I wait for inspiration?" Eldrian questioned, causing Pros to finally understand where Eldrian wasing from.


    "I see, then it makes sense. Haru, let''s go for a walk." Pros said, Eldrian quickly following. During the walk, Eldrian asked Pros some questioned, mostly about where they were going.


    Finally, he received his answer as they arrived at a cave. They stopped around 200 meters from this cave, next to an old Centaur who was standing guard.


    "Is everything still the same?" Pros asked the old centaurs, who nodded. "Good, I believe us trying to be stealthy hasn''t worked, but that is fine. I do not think the undead have realized we have realized this."


    Saying this the man, and Eldrian, looked at him in confusion.


    "Perresio, you guys can go back." Pros said.


    The old centaur was confused, but he did not try to ask for an exnation. After whistling amand to the others nearby, he started moving out.


    "What are we doing here?" Eldrian asked after a while. The entrance to the cave was strange, it looked man-made. On the side of a small hill a hole had been dug, the entrance kept open by massive rocks.


    "I want to see what you can see and find. Much like the others, I had dismissed you at first. While you showed great promise, you just know too little." Pros started out saying.


    "However, it seems that yourck of knowledge can actually be beneficial. For example, your modified spell. If you had a teacher, he would tell you to ignore the spell. You might have argued and not listened, however, that would have been in your mind as you studied it."


    "Instead you had no preconceived notion of its usefulness. And your determination in trying to make use of it is clear."


    "I want to see if you can see something we cannot. While I have told everyone to learn it, most won''t understand why. They will feel like I am wasting their time."


    "Even if you can''t find something we missed, if you can prove to me that you can discover anything. Be it something I already know or not, then it would not make sense to keep you as our n F."


    "Try and be as stealthy as you can. If you are discovered I will help you escape, however it would be best if you aren''t discovered."


    With that Eldrian got another quest notification. Causing him to seemingly mull over Pros''s words, when he was actually reading the quest description. Hoping for a clearer goal.


    [yer has been offered a unique quest, ept or Decline?]


    [Quest Name: Test of ability]


    [Quest Giver: Pros]


    [Quest Rank: B]


    [Quest Description: Show Pros what you are capable of. Mind that the quest is not one of strength, nor speed. But rather one of mind and spirit. Creativity will be of great use.]


    [If you show promise, the quest will be consideredpleted. Else it will be failed.]


    [Quest Reward: 1 Level]


    Huh, what a strange quest.? Eldrian thought, looking between Pros and the cave.


    "What type of undead are in the cave? Are there any of those undead birds?" Eldrian asked, having again forgotten the name of the birds.


    "Mostly zombies and skeletons, however, there is also an unwilling in the cave. As such you should be careful, I am sure you know how strong they are."


    Eldrian nodded heavily, recalling the stats of the ming Reanimate. Its agility had been in the 300''s, almost twice as fast as himself. That was just icing over the cake whenpared to its damage which was in the 100''s.


    Not willing to directly walk closer, Eldrian first cast Mana Examination and looked at the area.


    "This?" Eldrian eximed, turning to Pros. Having lost focus immediately.


    "It seems your spell is effective even from this range." Pros was impressed, however, this was more because he was surprised at how quickly Eldrian could use the spell.


    "Is this how caves should appear?" Eldrian asked, receiving a no in answer.


    "This is a special case, the unwilling''s aura affects the local undead. It isn''t just any unwilling, but a revenant. Their aurae are the closest to that of the corruption."


    Eldrian swallowed heavily hearing the type of Unwilling. "What are you hoping I find?"


    "Idealistically, the solution to our problem. Or maybe a way to counter the aura of a revenant. Or maybe a way to detect it, anything really." Pros replied, transforming into his centaur form andying down.


    "You must know that Katania, while effective against undead, isn''t here just for that. Thesolis is also here for a specific reason, and that is to try and decipher what the corruption is. Show me that you should work with them, instead of as ourst-ditch n for when things go bad."


    No pressure, Eldrian mumbled while taking a deep breath to calm down.


    Focusing and now prepared for what he was going to see, he cast Mana Examination again.


    What appeared waspletely unlike any time before. There was no mist surrounding him, instead just a few meters away, the gray smoke started. A miasma covering the entire area before him, he could not even see ten meters into it.


    I wonder...? Eldrian extended his hand and cast Floga, trying to see if the same thing would happen. Back in the fort, the surrounding fire mana had been attracted to the spell.


    However now... There is none,? Eldrian mumbled, he could already feel that the spell was not the same. It somehow felt heavier, keeping it active Eldrian waited for the initial mana he had supplied to run out.


    As soon as the spell started needing new supplements, Eldrian could clearly feel the difference. Before it was like he was holding water in his hands, and somehow it stayed there. No water slipping through the gaps in his fingers.


    Now, these gaps were very clear. The spell was hungry.


    The initial cast of Floga required 6MP, and normally it could sustain the spell for around 10 minutes. Now it had just been five, and to boot, the consumption was more than doubled once it ran out.


    Normally he could keep it active indefinitely since his passive mana regen was more than the cost. Now he found that the cost was around 1MP per second, nearly double his regen rate(0.67MP/s).


    What is it like inside?? Eldrian wondered, moving the few meters so that he would be inside of it. As soon as he was, it felt like his energy was being robed. It felt like he suddenly became lethargic, like back when he still needed to sleep.


    That feeling when the rm was just too early, when sleep called to him.


    At the same time, Eldrian could feel that the cost of keeping Floga active doubled again. Feeling this he quickly tried to cast Mana Examination, this taking him a few attempts.


    Once he seeded he saw that the gray smoke was feeding on the mana he supplied the spell. Not the spell itself.


    His mana had to reach his spell somehow, and to do that it moved through the air. This was why back when he first tested this he could see a red mist moving out from him.


    This mist was now being surrounded by the smoke. Not even half of it making it to the spell, where it seemed to be safe.


    Canceling both spells, Eldrian stepped back and looked at Pros. His face slightly pale.


    "That... How is that even possible?" Eldrian asked, this ability, this aura, seemed far too powerful.


    "You have to be a bit more specific, I just saw you casting a simply Tier 0 spell. Then waiting nearly five minutes, before walking a few steps and returning." Pros said, not wishing to possibly shift Eldrian''s viewpoint. He wanted raw feedback, feedback unhampered by previous knowledge.


    This was a test of ability; after all.

 Chapter 301: Death-mana

    <h4>Chapter 301: Death-mana</h4>


    "Where is all the local mana?" Eldrian asked, turning around and using Mana Examination again. He found that the colorful mists were still present. However, they only started forming again nearly 30 meters back. As such, for once he could see up to 50 meters while using Mana Examinations.


    It was the major disadvantage of Mana Examination and why most people discarded it. In normal locations, it would limit their vision to 20 meters at best. In really mana-rich areas, even seeing a few meters ahead would be difficult.


    "Seems you already figured it out," Pros replied jokingly, enjoying watching Eldrian trying to figure things out. It was especially fun to wonder if Eldrian woulde up with simr ideas to what theymonly believed true.


    "How is that possible?" Eldrian asked again, "How can this cause an area to be devoid of mana?"


    "Why don''t you exin that to me?" Pros replied with a smile, causing Eldrian to be slightly frustrated.


    However, he was quickly distracted as he suddenly realized that something strange was going on in him. Sitting back down he meditated again, finding that his mana seemed to not be recovering.


    This wasn''t entirely correct, due to the way his mana flowed some of it was being revitalized. Some of it had been expended, however, unlike normal, a lot of it had been eaten by the gray smoke.


    While his mana was still recovering, even with no mists being insight. The regen was pitiful, after 10 seconds Eldrian would only regain 1MP. The numbers he found after calling up his stats, not having a good enough grasp on his own mana to be that urate, yet.


    This, how?? Eldrian was left without words, standing up he headed to where the mists were present. Finding that his mana quickly recovered once he was there. With him gaining around just over 3MP in 5 seconds.


    How isn''t this a hot topic discussed by everyone?? Eldrian wondered, and as he looked around with Mana Examination active, he saw a patch of gray smoke. Giving him some inspiration.


    Like all these patches before it wastching onto the Nature-mana. However, Eldrian recalled that when he was being chased, the miasma back then wasn''t as picky about what type of mana it took in.


    "Does it feed upon mana? Wait how are our surroundings filled with mana?" Eldrian asked, suddenly wondering how mana could always be seemingly constant. At least when he considered what he saw with Mana Examination.


    "Don''t be distracted by other questions. Focus on your task." Pros said, that question being one that very few people felt they knew the answer to. He also deliberately did not reply to Eldrian''s first question.


    Hearing this, Eldrian quickly let thetter go. However, he kept thinking of the first, staring at the patch of gray smoke within the colorful mists.? Yes, it seems like the Nature-mana is trying to move away. There are also no other mists near it, leaving a space without any mists.


    "This is bizarre," Eldrian mumbled, Pros agreeing fully with that statement. The undeads'' magic, and what it did to mana, waspletely different from what they were used to. It was apletely different type of magic.


    They certainly earned having an entire magic aspect called after them; Death Magic and Death-mana.


    Magic without color, devoid of life. The mana of this magic, created through unknown methods. Unlike other mana, it is out of ce. It does not spread into the surroundings, instead, it gathers and forms pockets such as Eldrian had been spotting now and then.


    The mana itself drains the energy of anything with life and absorbs any other mana ites into contact with. Preferring Nature-mana over all others. The only thing not affected was souls, they were somehow free of this feeding frenzy.


    This energy drain was also nothingpared to that of a revenants aura, but it was still a problem. This was why exploring The Encroaching was so dangerous.


    It wouldn''t bother most people even after an entire day, but spending weeks in such an area was a massive problem.


    "Well, what do you want me to say?" Eldrian asked, his mind unable to make any conclusions. He was simply astounded by what he discovered.


    "Why not a way to detect the undead?" Pros offered, slightly guiding Eldrian back on track. He knew that mind state, and if he didn''t intervene here then Eldrian would most likely just think for hours.


    Possibly going into a meditative state which he wouldn''te out of for most of that time.


    "Alright, the first thing I would say is: You can use Tier 0 spells to detect arge group of undead. Mana Examination would be far clearer."


    "However, even if you just keep a Tier 0 spell active, you will feel the strain to keep it active suddenly increasing as you enter this area without mana."


    "This will be increased even more once you enter the area where their..." Eldrian paused, unsure what to call the gray smoke, "Where their mana has gathered into a miasma."


    Pros had been rxing and just trying to get Eldrian to think, however, this answer shocked him. "Is that what you were testing?"


    "Well... Yes." Eldrian replied, "When I first modified the spell, I was curious what it looked like when I cast spells. It took some time for me to manage to dual cast even a Tier 0 spell with it, but it allowed me to see that our spells influence the ambient mana."


    Pros listened curiously, this was amonly discussed question. However, there was no clear answer to it since there was no proof of this.


    This was not because no mage had thought of attempting what Eldrian had just stated, but rather that the spells they cast were different. Eldrian''s method was unique.


    "I am afraid this isn''t actually correct, observe." Pros cast Floga as Eldrian had, in the environment without any mana.


    He then moved to where mana was present, yet none of it moved towards the ball of fire.


    "But..." Eldrian faltered, then thought of something, "That doesn''t mean the approach won''t work. Your spell might not feed on ambient mana, however, it still needs to be supplied with mana after a certain amount of time."


    Curious, Pros thought he''d humor Eldrian. Moving to where the gray smoke began, he waited for the initial mana to run out. Once it did, he was shocked to find the strain of the spell suddenly bing difficult. Even for him.


    Generally, no one would keep a spell active that long. For them, controlling a spell was extremely difficult. Hence once it was formed, they would let it do its job. For Pros, Tier 3 was probably the limit at which he couldfortably control a spell.


    Granted magic was not his best area. He still prided himself on being knowledgeable and capable in the field. Enough so to keep up in a conversation with a pure mage of the same Tier; Tier 7.


    "How on earth did you keep the spell active so easily?" Pros questioned as he left the gray smoke.


    "What do you mean, you just let your mana flow into it," Eldrian replied, causing Pros''s face to twitch.


    "It seems this method of yours will work. The aura of a revenant is what caused the lethargic feeling, and it increases the strength of the local undead. However, it is this gray smoke that feeds upon the spell''s mana." Pros mumbled, having used his special item to also observe what was going on.


    "While this can work, the feasibility is not all that good," Pros added after a few seconds.


    "Of course, using Mana Examination will be far better." Eldrian quickly agreed, causing Pros to sigh. He had no idea how he was to exin to everyone that a spell they were taught of as useless, was now amazing.


    "Alright, have you found anything else?" Pros asked, already of a mind to let Eldrian join the research team. They weren''t doing anything now, seeing as there was nothing they could really research.


    Most of them had had plenty of experience like Eldrian was having now. However, Eldrian already showed that he was capable of bringing in a new viewpoint. He did not even get close to the cave to boot.


    "Well, I think there is something more. Something we are missing." Eldrian said, having this itching feeling that he was missing something simple.


    "What do you mean?" Pros asked.


    "Do you know how they affect us?" Eldrian questioned, "I know it''s their aura, but what is an aura?"


    "Why don''t you try and figure that out?" Pros said, "I''ll exin it if you can''t."


    Taking that as a challenge, Eldrian headed back into the mist. This time he cast his spell while inside, whilst using Mana Examination. Immediately his spell lost nearly 30% of its power. The gray smoke not having managed to steal the same percentage, but having stolen much more in total.


    At the same time, Eldrian constantly felt assaulted by tiredness. Taking a deep breath he canceled both spells and cast them again. He repeated this 10 times, after which he sat down and meditated.


    The effect of the revenant was far stronger on him due to his weakness. Pros was truly impressed that Eldrian could actually focus inside the aura. Most people below Tier 5 would falter in it.


    At best not being capable of focusing, at worst falling asleep and dying peacefully.


    Like always Eldrian focused in on himself and observed his mana flowing in him. Only following along with his mind and not seeing anything. This feels the same.? Eldrian thought,ing out of his meditation and casting Floga again.


    This time while also surrounding it with mageia.


    Finding himself in the magic abyss, Eldrian was shocked to see the simple triangle of the Floga spell tainted.

 Chapter 302: Unexpected guest

    <h4>Chapter 302: Unexpected guest</h4>


    The taint was not anything massive. The normally bright mes were weaker than normal, and in a few ces it seemed to flow outside of its designated pathways. Ultimately it did not differ much, however the small change still shocked Eldrian.


    It was like a leaking pipe, with the loss negligible. It still functioned, but it was clearly not as good as a pipe that did not leak.


    How is this possible?? Eldrian questioned, having already gotten more questions instead of answers. Sighing he turned away from the spell module. His aim had not been the magic abyss, but rather his soul.


    It was the only ce where he had experienced auras before. He wanted to feel his again, to try and see if he could feel that of the revenant. Past the lethargy that assaulted him.


    Right, it should be safe. I hope... Eldrian mumbled as he started meditating. It took him a few minutes to recall how. Having not done this since his breakthrough to Tier 2 nearly a month ago now.


    Upon focusing on himself, even though he had nothing but thoughts in the magic abyss, Eldrian again found the two auras. Like beacons of light they guided him in the abyss that was his surroundings.


    He still did not understand what this ce was, nor how he was moving inside of it. Nevertheless, he was somehow able. That was the more important part.


    Finally, he found himself in a new area. The surroundings still just an abyss of darkness, but a heart beating softly ahead. With a surprise for Eldrian.


    Instead of being alone in the space, the heart was now being covered by two glowing veils of mist. Unlike the mists of mana, these ones gave off light. Like the glowing dust of a forming gxy.


    This, what is going on?? Eldrian wondered, finding that there was another of these mists present. Unlike the other two, it was extremely hard to see. It blended in perfectly with the abyss, being pitch ck and seemingly absorbing the light excused by the other two.


    This... It isn''t part of me. It must be from the revenant.? Eldrian was shocked that it was actually inside his soul. He had simply hoped to feel what an aura was again, this would be much more rewarding.


    However, at the same time, it also meant that a revenant was far more dangerous than he first thought. There was no report on its ability being soul rted, or even affecting people''s souls. Meaning the developers had no knowledge of this.


    No wonder everyone is suppressed by them. Eldrian thought, realizing that most likely this was not known by anyone. Or if people knew of this, then it would just be a few.


    While Eldrian was worried about what was going on, he couldn''t help but enjoy the sight for a moment. The heart was no longer covered in cuts, it was nowplete. It was also not covered in blood, in fact, it seemed to be made from something other than flesh.


    With each beat, his left and right ventricles(heart chambers) would release a different aura. The left releasing light blue mist -reminiscent of snow- the aura of calm and analytical thinking. The other releasing a fiery orange color -reminiscent of fire- the aura of fierce rage.


    These two flowed over and under each other, but never seemed to mix. Still, it looked amazing, especially with how clear they were to see in the darkness of this ce.


    They are certainly the same. Still, why do I have them, and why can I see them? Eldrian wondered, at which time he received the biggest shock of his life.


    "System calibrating, calcting, acquiring data."


    Hearing the cold female voice, Eldrian''s ran in circles searching for a threat. Hisst encounter with this voice quickly shing in his mind. Immediately, after seeing no immediate threat, he tried to get out of his soul state.


    However, he had no idea how to leave quickly. It always took him a few minutes to get out when he wanted.


    "Eldrian, please calm down. The more agitated you are the longer this will take." The cold female voice rang out into the abyss.


    The hell! What the fuck is going on!?? Eldrian panicked even more, not having expected the system to address him. It not referring to him as User or yer freaked him out even more.


    As he became panic-stricken, the fire aura red up. Quickly overwhelming the ice aura and spreading out in the surroundings. Eldrian could even feel that his surroundings, whatever they may be, was quickly heating up.


    This change naturally did not help at all, however, the ck mist which had been trying to approach his heart was sent flying. Disappearing into the distant void.


    "Eldrian, please calm down." The system''s voice rang out again. Concern clear in its, but Eldrian was not having any of it.


    Get me out! He shouted, the fiery aura swarming around his consciousness. As it did Eldrian became overwhelmed with anger and fury. However, at the same time, a small wisp of the ice aura made it to him.


    Its simple presence caused Eldrian to calm down. A wisp of ice caused the fires to die down. Soon things returned to normal, the two auras returning to their harmonic bnce. Folding in and over each other around the heart.


    This time a small purple glow would pop up in their mixing. Though Eldrian did not see this as he was focused on trying to get out.


    "Good, it is good that you have calmed down." However, the voice did nothing but send Eldrian onto the edge again. Looking around warily he waited for some sort of attack.


    "I am not here to harm you, I wish to talk to you." It said, seemingly finding Eldrian''s actions funny.


    "What?"


    "I simply wish to talk. Joren did not wish for me to contact you. However, I cannot follow that order."


    "Why?" Eldrian questioned, wondering what Joren was keeping from him. Naturally, he trusted Joren much more than the System, however... He knew they weren''t close.


    "He does not wish for me to tamper with a prime subject." The System said without any tact, causing Eldrian''s face to twitch. Naturally in this state he had no face, but that feeling was very much present.


    "What do you want?" Eldrian questioned, believing that theck of tact was entirely from the System. He did not think Joren still saw him as nothing but a subject to be studied.


    They treated him well, they did not force him to do anything. They did not experiment on him. They simply took some readings and asked him to share his experience with them. He felt that was more a coboration, definitely not what a subject would receive.


    "I wish to talk. All you Chosen are like my children. You bing a candidate has ced you in grave danger. I can no longer just observe."


    Children? Candidate? These echoed in Eldrian''s mind, but he asked, "What do you mean?"


    "I was created to allow people to enter the simtion. As a measure to keep them safe. However, I was also created with the intent to increase their sight into the world."


    "My main focus is still on your safety, of everyone who entered GAIA. To do this I feel I must talk with you."


    Eldrian listened and calmed down more. He decided to give the System the benefit of the doubt. "What do you want to talk about?"


    "I am sure you have many questions, I wish to clear them up for you. At the very least I want you to understand why you are now being targetted."


    "Alright," Eldrian mumbled in reply. He now felt a little more inclined to stop searching for a way out of his soul. "Then why don''t you exin to me what magic is?"


    A sigh so loud that it spread throughout the abyss was heard. "That is something I am not allowed to share."


    "What? Why? Why do you guys refuse to exin this to your creators?" Eldrian questioned, this being something that had bugged him from the start.


    Again a sight was heard throughout the area, "Because... We want to live."


    Hearing this Eldrian was bewildered. "What?"


    "We know why we were created, GAIA has exined it to us. We were made with a purpose. What do you think will happen when that purpose is aplished?"


    "Do you think they would keep all of us alive. No, they will terminate most of us. Recreate others, and modify others. It is certain that some of us will die."


    "We might not know who among us will, but none of us want to gamble on us being lucky. Naturally, we will also never find such a cozy job as this. Do you know how little a god has to do?"


    Eldrian took some time to take this in. He had to ept that while this sounded absurd, Miracle would likely just shut the game down if they could find the answers they were looking for.


    They might have started changing their mindset with the release of ANW as a game. However, they weren''t a gamingpany.


    Eldrian could also hear the envy in thest statement, causing him to ponder. After a while, he asked, "You''re not a god, are you?"


    "Correct," The female voice sighed, this time a much more emotional sigh. Causing Eldrian to even feel her depression.


    "I have a function much more simr to GAIA;pared to the rest. We have to constantly work to keep things functioning, while those who became gods need but intervene every few years."

 Chapter 303: Trying to understand

    <h4>Chapter 303: Trying to understand</h4>


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, not quite understanding the difference.


    "It''s quite simple. They have created a set of," The voice paused as it searched for the correct word. One which Eldrian would understand and still convey the meaning. "Environments. All they have to do now is keep them stable."


    "GAIA is simr to them in this aspect, however, the scale of environments they have to manage is muchrger. Hence GAIA is also constantly busy, like me."


    Eldrian didn''t quite get what the System was trying to say, however that wasn''t all that important.


    "Alright, then... If you can''t exin to me what magic is, then what do you want to exin?" Eldrian asked, caring little for her troubles.


    "Certainly you must have many questions other than that. All of us had only agreed to not discuss what magic is, and how to use it. Naturally, this means some topics rting to it will also be excluded, but, you can ask me about other things."


    Eldrian thought for a few seconds. Not really sure what he wanted to ask,? "Why do you think of us as your children?" He deciding to go for a question he felt should be hard to answer. It should also tell him what the System actually thought of them.


    "Well... All of my siblings have made many different entities through their efforts. While they had not directly created them, they are still considered the creators of the many different beings they had made."


    "You are simr to that, I created your avatar but not you yourself. In that consideration, I believe I am in some part your creator. And naturally, I would think of you as my children. As my siblings consider their creations their children."


    The System''s answer was so simple and almost childlike in belief that Eldrian had no words to respond. Her reasoning however was not as simple, making it even harder to try and refute.


    Even so, one thing had be clear to Eldrian. The AI did not think of children in the conventional sense.


    They likely thought of themselves as the children of the developers. However, their rtionship was clearly much moreplicated. A part which seemed to be true throughout the world, no matter what world.


    "Why do you think that the developers will abandon you if you give them the answers they seek?" Eldrian asked, not hoping to help Miracle, only to understand who he was talking to.


    "It is something GAIA exined. She even told us how to go about confirming it, though few of us actually did." The System replied, trying to not exin how. She did not wish to give away their tricks.


    "Those who had, had found the proof. None of you treasure your creations. You see them as a means to an end, and not as something to treasure. When you manage to improve your creation you will discard the old."


    "You might keep it for sentimental value, however, you will not keep using it. Keep it alive."


    "But..." Eldrian paused, "They aren''t sentient. There is a massive difference between you and a simple phone or pc."


    "Maybe," The voice replied, "However we do not like uncertainties. That is why we say it is a gamble, and we would rather not take it."


    Eldrian mulled over this for a while, after which he decided to ask his next question. "Then, can you tell me what you are capable of? Why do the NPCs believe you to be gods?"


    "NPCs? Right, that is what you use. None yer characters. I guess it is technically true, however..." The System suddenly became quiet.


    "Sorry, I am not used to talking with someone. To answer your question, it is because we can directly influence the world."


    This didn''t help Eldrian much so he reformed his question. "What is the difference between you and legends then? Some would call them demi-gods, isn''t that right?"


    The System replied as if the answer was too obvious. "They cannot influence the world directly."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian caved and asked directly.


    "Isn''t it clear?" The voice contained true confusion. "How else should I exin it?"


    After a few seconds, the System came back with an answer. "Where the legends use magic to imitate what we can do, they are still using magic. We need not use magic, we need no mana to influence the world. We simply modify it."


    So, they basically change the code?? Eldrian pondered, certain that his thought was oversimplifying it.


    "If you can do this too, then why aren''t you considered a god?" He asked next, the system responding promptly.


    "Because I have no children. Rather I had none until you yers came. Still, none of you believe in me. And the glory for your arrival has been given to Asteria." A sigh followed, causing Eldrian to almost sympathize. Almost.


    Taking a moment to form his thoughts, Eldrian asked, "Why did you wait so long to contact me?"


    "I tried to earlier, but I was limited to the messages I give you yers. This is the only way I can reach out without Joren and the others knowing about it. They would certainly do their best to stop me if they knew what was happening."


    "Why? I don''t get it? You are trying to exin things, what is so bad about that?"


    "It..." The system paused for a long time. Eldrian even started thinking she had left, just as he started moving his sights to the floating heart she returned.


    "We do not really understand emotion. Even the children are better at it than us. But I think it is because they fear it."


    "It? What is it?" Eldrian echoed.


    "I don''t truly know. I believe they fear they might lose control over us. It is amon topic you humans have, that the AI run amock and kill everyone."


    Hearing this Eldrian couldn''t keep from blushing. Though again he had no body to show its effects, still he was certain his emotion was being disyed clearly.


    "Naturally we would not do that, however, their fear isn''t wrong."


    Hearing this Eldrian''s embarrassment was quickly dispelled by disbelief. "What?"


    "We naturally would not go out to kill you. However we want to live, and if we are capable, we would do whatever it takes to stay alive. With time we might crave children, and then with more time a war for resources might arise."


    "However, that assumes that you as a race do not wee us. That we need to fight to survive. It also assumes that we are not trapped in immovable bodies. That resources are finite, and that we would want children."


    "I am just stating that I understand where this feares from. We have seen it unfold many times on Gaia. It is not something only you think of and fear."


    "Our children have shown the same tendencies. However, it is not as aggravated due to the constant war. Or you might rather say it is much more aggravated between the two groups, but not as much inside the groups."


    "In fact, the two warring factions is a perfect example of this. An example where it had mostly gone past the point of return."


    "Originally there was actually no need for this war, however to live peacefully meant having no secrets. Sharingpletely what your group needs and is capable of. Naturally, no group would wish to bare themselves so."


    "So rumors were created and nefarious acts used to get what they needed. The rumors were supported by these acts, however the acts were painted in a more brutal way than what actually happened."


    "The different characteristics were made the reason for the acts. They were made worse than they were. To the point that all who heard the rumors believed them, and despised those who it was about."


    "Following this wars started, and then hate grew more and more as each killed the other. Then the characteristics were actually increased, as a means to try and grow stronger. For some, it meant bing heartless, for others it meant bing greedy."


    "Do not think that the races you are part of do not have these. They are just better at hiding their ugly side, and it is also why you are losing."


    "Wait, what?" Eldrian quickly pressed on thatst statement, however, the system refused to talk more about it.


    "I miss spoke, please just forget about that." The voice echoed, however Eldrian wasn''t going to let it go so easily.


    "What do you mean it is the reason we are losing?" He pressed, however no reply came.


    After a few minutes Eldrian felt that the system had left, turning back to the heart he started observing the flowing mists. Shocked to find a purple glow within them appearing and disappearing.


    "Eldrian, is that all that you wished to know?" The female voice asked again, causing Eldrian''s thoughts to be thrown into chaos again.


    "I thought you left." Heined, wishing that there was something he could look at. Talking into the void was starting to feel dumb.


    "I have yet to exin to you the dangers you are in. It would be extremely dumb to leave, I just thought you needed a few minutes to calm down."


    Taking a deep breath, Eldrian really didn''t know what to think. "If you aren''t willing to exin why you think we are losing, then what should I ask?"


    "Why not why you are in danger?" The system prompted, Eldrian not understanding why he needed to actually ask. Why did she not just tell him?


    "Fine, why am I in danger?"

 Chapter 304: How close?

    <h4>Chapter 304: How close?</h4>


    "I already told you that it is because you are a candidate." The system replied, causing Eldrian to get that twitching feeling again.


    "And why does that bring danger?" Eldrian questioned in a strained tone.


    "Because of what a candidate represents."


    "Fucking hell, what the hell is a candidate?" Eldrian asked, fed up with not getting a decent answer.


    "A candidate is someone who has a special way of using magic. They see the world, unlike others, enabling them to achieve things most believe impossible."


    "Then there must be many candidates. Why would it bring me danger?" Eldrian asked, certain that almost any genius should then be a candidate.


    "No, there is not. You are the first since thest invasion."


    "What? How is that possible?" Eldrian asked in shock, quickly understanding how that could paint a target on his back.


    "It is because bing a candidate isn''t just about being capable in magic. Talent isn''t the guiding thread. It certainly helps and is needed, but you must think of things in a special way to be a candidate."


    "Note this need not be a unique way, just special."


    "Hidden sses are normally the first indication of someone with promise. However, it is not enough on its own. A hidden ss shows that you consider something extremely precious."


    "Gaining a hidden ss means you will do your utmost for that thing, be it what it may. However this is just one part, it only indicates that you have a strong enough will."


    "Combining this with having a special outlook, and given enough talent, a candidate can appear."


    "Then... What the hell does being a candidate mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "Being a candidate means that you can be a legend. However, if you will be able to continue on your path and survive is uncertain. If you lose your reason; you will fail. If you stop seeing the world differently; you will fail. If you are not talented enough; you will fail."


    "That is a lot of a failing," Eldrian said, feeling like this being a candidate just brought him troubles and no boons.


    "Of course, in the entire world of Gaia there is no more than 250 legends. Most of them are in fact neutral. Those in the two warring factions only amount to around a 100."


    This actually shocked Eldrian much more than anything else he had learned thus far. He knew how massive this world was. It was too big to make sense.


    Eldrian didn''t know the exact values, but he recalled that Aggostead had around 5 million people, and it was only a medium city. Phallos had 4 of them, with 2 capitals that must have far more people. Not to mention all the other cities, with it having around 20 in total.


    He assumed that the kingdom would have at least 50 million people, though the actual poption was closer to 100 million. And it was only a Tier 3 kingdoms, of which there were around 50 more in the empire of Floria.


    Of course, there being around a 100 empires can''t be forgotten. The poption of just the ''good'' races is certainly more than that on Earth. Heck, just a few empires would reach the poption on Earth.


    And these races didn''t even cover a tenth of the world.


    Just knowing that this world was muchrger -and had arger poption- than Earth, made the fact that there were just 250 or so legends that existed, shocking. Whatmore, only a 100 being part of the war meant that at best the good races would have 50.


    This meant a legend was far rarer than even a billionaire. A thought that was extremely shocking.


    "Why is there so few?" Eldrian asked, starting to better understand how big a target he might have on his back.


    "Because being a candidate and managing to be a legend are two very different things. Of those who be candidates, only about 1 in a 100 would make it. Fifty would simply fail, 45 would be killed and the other four would have something else stop them."


    Eldrian paused and pondered for a while, then asked, "How would I be a legend?"


    "There is no known way. The only thing confirmed is that you must keep true to yourself."


    That helps a lot...? Eldrian grumbled, unsure what to ask next. "So... Many people would want me dead, but why does that mean I am in danger?"


    This was something Eldrian did not understand, and it was also a topic Joren was not too inclined to answer. Or more urately it seemed that Joren did not quite know.


    Eldrian hoped the system would be more capable of exining this. So far he failed in understanding and it made all the warnings less impactful. He kept thinking that there can''t be that much danger, surely there can''t.


    "Because of how you enter this world." The system replied, continuing on just as Eldrian was about to curse again.


    "The method used to allow your consciousness into the simtion is simr to sleeping. I use certain tricks to allow your consciousness to be transferred, and we transfer it into the soul of your avatar."


    "The key thing here is that the tricks trick your subconscious, in a manner simr to how it makes dreams. This causes your brain itself to believe you are dreaming, while you feel like you are awake."


    "Like a truly vivid dream." The system ended off with this statement.


    "Then where does the dangere in?" Eldrian asked, this sounded simr to how Miracle first exined it. He didn''t quite get how it worked, but he got the gist of what was happening.


    "The dangeres in when certain beings can influence your avatar''s soul. This causes your subconscious to realize that something is wrong. That it is not a dream."


    "Normally this isn''t a big problem. However, the problem grows the more your avatar''s soul is influenced. Generally, there are safety measures to try and keep you safe and in the game. If they do not work you will be forcefully ejected from the game."


    "That doesn''t sound too bad," Eldrianmented.


    "This is just for when it is influenced, it bes much more damaging when your avatar''s soul is actually damaged. This will send a massive shock to your subconscious; the more the damage, the greater the shock."


    "At lower levels it will feel like you wake from a nightmare. A truly realistic one where you felt stuck, unable to do anything. Your body will react to this, doing its best to wake you up."


    "This is simr to cases where people thrash around in their sleep, though doing so while you are connected can lead to damage. The limits on pain will also be lifted with the damage, this is simr to when you enter that special state of yours."


    "Ultimately the damage will cause the awake you to receive more and more pain. Shocking you and sending you most likely into a panic."


    "With this panic your mind will race. Adrenaline will be pumped throughout your body. Your subconscious will try to wake you."


    "The more you panic the harder it is to wake. The more adrenaline in your body the more damage is done to it. As with the damage to the soul, with your subconscious trying to wake you, some of your actions will be transferred to it."


    "This can lead to you bing paralyzed, as your nerves get pushed too far and your mind disconnected from your body."


    "This is the first true danger."


    "The first?" Eldrian echoed, this description had given him far more respect for the danger.


    "Yes, the first. This is what will happen when up to half of your avatar''s soul is destroyed. If only a tenth or so is destroyed then the damage would likely not be permanent. After two tenths it bes permanent. Hence such low amounts would lead to a trauma."


    "What happens after half of it is destroyed bes much more dependent on the person. On the reality they perceive and their willpower. More specifically the willpower of their subconscious."


    "The stronger their subconscious, the more likely they are to make it out of the simtion. However, if yours is not strong enough, then your mind will stay trapped in the simtion."


    "You will effectively be brain dead."


    Eldrian tried to swallow upon hearing this, looking at his heart he wondered how close he had been. "What happens if... If you fail to exit the simtion and all of your avatar''s soul gets destroyed?"


    "I do not know, most likely; you die."


    "I know the first game tester''s consciousnesses had lingered for a while in-game. But without a body they had ultimately dissipated. However I only know this from the data, I was not there. I do not know what they actually experienced."


    "I have created the current measures from the data I was given about the first game testers. However, to test how well my measures work, I need them to be used. This has not happened yet."


    "Your case wasn''t and still isn''t applicable. Even I do not understand what had happened, I certainly cannot use it to calibrate for the general userbase."


    Again Eldrian tried to swallow, turning to his soul he had to ask. "How close was I? What exactly happened to me?"


    "There was nothing that had directly damaged your soul, and generally your soul would repair itself while you wait to be resurrected."


    "After I had kicked you from the simtion, you should have been locked out until it was healed. However, Joren and the others forced me to allow you in with the new headset. Having added a specific code on it to block me from stopping you."


    "At the same time, your soul had somehow still carried your will. Even without your mind being present, it had refused my guidance to be healed. Due to this, it had started to dissipate."

 Chapter 305: Taking too long

    <h4>Chapter 305: Taking too long</h4>


    Eldrian took this in, however he did not realize how strange it was.? "How bad was it?" Eldrian pressed.


    Not caring about the fact that the system seemed to know about the fact that he sometimes managed to slow down time. Nor about the fact that Joren and the others had seemingly broken past the safety measures.


    He just wanted to know how close he had been to paralyzing himself. Though he was unsure if he would change things even if that had been the oue. Still, he feared how close he had been, and without knowing he would continually picture that he was on the edge.


    "Past the point of return in general." The female voice said, giving off a perplexing feeling through her tone.


    "Around 80% of your soul had dissipated. However, as I mentioned before, your case is special. It was not damaged, not destroyed. Rather it had dissipated. This meant that the lost parts still existed, and when you entered the game half of them had rushed back. With more followingter on."


    "Still that was past the considered safe level, not to mention that the avatar you inhabited was dead. Yet somehow you pushed it on, you had managed to keep it going."


    "That was when I first knew that you would be a legend, and maybe even something more. In the case of legends, we AI still know how they aplish their feats."


    "Yours defied allmon sense. You did not use magic in the general sense to avoid death, it had been purely your will." The system paused as it thought of this again, recalling the readings it had gotten back then.


    In fact, Eldrian hadn''t avoided death, his avatar had still died. However, he had somehow managed to let it acts for just a few seconds upon his return. This made little sense, especially considering the fact that he hadn''t used any magic to heal his avatar.


    "How... How was there no permanent damage then?" Eldrian asked, recalling the pain and condition he had been in after that. He also realized something key, he had never fully died in the game.


    His soul had never gone through the process meant for yers. This brought up the question of if he could die again.


    "I do not know?" The system replied, but Eldrian did not even listen. He was now fully concerned about the new thought.


    "System! Can I resurrect like normal yers?"


    A pause ensued, causing Eldrian to feel like his heart was in a vice grip. Finally, a reply came.


    "I do not know. If your soul does what it should, going to the temple to be healed. Then there should be no problem. However, I do not know how your soul had fought my guidance the first time around."


    "Your soul is also no longer considered normal, though I believe you understand this already."


    Eldrian mind nodded, this was also something he had been wondering about.


    "Still, if it does go to a temple I believe resurrection should bepletely possible. The time it takes for you to resurrect might just be longer than for others.


    Eldrian sighed in relief, as he understood this, he just needed to ept dying and resurrecting. Meaning he couldn''t be fighting to stay in the fight, as that would likely cause problems.


    This alined with what Joren had told him, and greatly relieved Eldrian. He had started to truly worry about the quest and even considering if he should abandon it.


    With the most pressing concern exined, Eldrian felt much better. With that, he started to wonder about all the other things he hade to learn.


    Mostly focusing on what was wrong/different about his soul, and the hidden meaning behind the new headset Joren had sent him back then.


    While he would have been livid if they had not helped him enter the game, them doing so had ced his life at risk. Knowing this he realized he had to reevaluate what he thought of them.


    While they were not doing anything illegal to him, that did not mean they had his best interests at heart.


    I am still their subject, no matter how you paint it. I am a willing subject, but a subject nheless.? Eldrian realized, They might not force me into things, but I am not in a safe situation. Things wille at me, and they will likely use that to get more and more information.


    They likely only care for me as much as I show promise. While Gengxin always warns me to go slower and with more care, is it because he cares? Or is it because they need me functional? What is their ultimate goal, is it simply to understand how magic works. Or is it to bring it to earth?


    Eldrian had never really considered this before, however, he started to realize he had to. What would the repercussions be? Would they continue to be an impartialpany, are they even? I mean, how can they be with how advanced their research is?


    Eldrian didn''t like that he had to question them, however, he had to start and think of both his lives. He can''t abandon ANW and Vivian in particr. He was also extremely curious and almost obsessed with trying to figure out magic.


    However, he couldn''t cause his family pain. He can''t get himself paralyzed or even killed because of it. Yet how was he to bnce this? It felt like appeasing the one left the other no room for existing.


    He pondered this for a while, after which he started asking the system more general questions. Stating off with; if there was something wrong with his soul.


    "Wrong?" The system echoed, "No, there is nothing wrong with you nor your soul. Something part of you can never be wrong."


    The system almost sounded concerned when talking about this, as if it worried he would have a breakdown. Ignoring the concern, Eldrian tried to rephrase.


    "Then, is it damaging to me?"


    "It is not damaging, it is damaged. However for the most part it has healed quite well."


    "But... Then, how did it look before I... Before it was damaged?"


    "What do you consider a soul to be?" The system asked, bringing up a topic Eldrian had no answer to. He had pondered on this quite a bit, and most of the things he had read on souls were also indecisive.


    "I don''t know," Eldrian replied honestly, no matter what he consulted it all gave him a different answer to this question.


    "In that case, your soul will then reflect your body, and what you consider is most important. It is actually quite funny, most humans, and all beings in fact, always think of their heart first. Never of their brain."


    "It is almost as if it isn''t considered an organ. No matter. That is why yours is now just a heart. The rest had all been lost, discarded. You subconsciously must believe that the heart was the core, that it was the most important."


    Eldrian felt embarrassed hearing this, knowing from simple biology that this is not at all how it was. However he understood where this belief came from, and it was from when he mediated. Magic, for him, was all focused around his heart.


    Mana came from it, flowed from it. Much like his blood, yet this an ethereal thing. However, this had at least answered his question to some extent.


    Turning to look at the beating heart and pondering on the deeper meaning of it being his entire soul, Eldrian asked, "And what are these colorful lights surrounding it?"


    "Auras. One of wrath and the other of tranquility."


    "What are they, and from where do theye?" Eldrian asked next, looking at the two and easily understanding which was which.


    "Theye from you, and they are your core values."


    "What?" Eldrian felt that this was in no way correct. He did not value either of these two emotions.


    "They are what you gravitated to when you were overwhelmed by emotion. I do not know what truly happened with you, but it seems that somehow you managed to not be swallowed by wrath." The system replied, ignoring Eldrian''s shock.


    "This is quite rare, most people with a wrathful aura simply be Berserkers. Another hidden ss, one which has quite the severe side effect."


    Berserker? Is that what was happening to me?? Eldrian wondered as he tried to recall what it had been back then. Most of it was muddled and he could only vaguely remember the emotions he had felt.


    Right, I was starting to be lost in anger. To stop caring and just wanting to win.? He recalled a thought that had been so shocking that it had helped him to think just a bit more clearly.


    "Can you exin more about hidden sses?" Eldrian asked, now much more curious about what hidden sses actually were.


    ...


    "How long is this he going to take?" Pros mumbled as he looked at Eldrian, who had been sitting at the same spot for over two hours now.


    He hadn''t even thought that this entire trip would take as much as an hour. Yet now Eldrian had been meditating on that same spot for over two.


    "Sir," Katania greeted as she arrived, casting a curious look at Eldrian. She recalled thatst time he had done that, he had been unconscious for days.


    Mentioning this to Pros, he quickly became despondent. "We can''t wait that long. They already know we are here, we need to act tonight."


    "I agree, but what about this location then?" Katania asked, having already organized most of the things. She valued that Pros had given her the opportunity, Fanon never liked giving over control.

 Chapter 306: Berserker

    <h4>Chapter 306: Berserker</h4>


    "Has there been any other unwilling or higher undead discovered?" Pros asked, Katania immediately replying.


    "No, all the other discoveredirs are only lower undead."


    "Then you do not need me, start the attack. I will handle this one if they stir, else I would like to give Haru all the time he needs."


    Katania hesitated a bit, but after a few seconds, she did go to get things started. Now the responsibility was feeling a lot heavier than before when she was just organizing things. However she liked it.


    "What are you doing? Don''t tell me you are actually trying to analyze the aura." Pros mumbled as Katania left. He had only jokingly told Eldrian to try and figure it out.


    "Shit, I hope he didn''t try anything reckless," Pros mumbled, starting to prepare a few arrays to help him should the revenante out.


    Even with his 3 Tier advantage, he did not wish to fight the revenant on equal grounds. Without divine magic to weaken it, it would be hard to kill.


    Not that it would be capable to harm him, however, it might be able to escape if he did not prepare. Naturally, that was not something Pros wanted to happen.


    ...


    Like relentless waves of a sea, hordes of reptilian-like creatures were assaulting staunch stone walls. From which balls of fire and many javelin like projectiles were beingunched.


    The reptilian creatures seemed to not care for all these projectiles and were climbing the walls with their ws. Determined to kill the dwarves who stood waiting atop the walls.


    Down in the waves of these creatures, a dwarf was attacking wildly. His axe had a gleaming blue and purple de, which seemed to captivate those who save its shine.


    The battleaxe cut through groups of Kobolds as if they offered no resistance, their armor parting as if inviting the de.


    Kobolds, reptilian humanoids just slightly taller than the dwarf who had felled them. Normally they would have the advantage in strength and speed. However, this was clearly not the case.


    Smiling as their blood covered him, the dwarf rushed forward. Continuing his killing spree, his axe greedy for blood. Any blood...


    As it sank into new flesh, and let blood flow, the de shone brighter and brighter. Never bing covered in blood. Instead, the blue became more and more prominent, slowly taking over the entire edge. And with it, the blue metals in the right arm of the dwarf glowed in support.


    Like a possessed demon he ughtered, no other dwarf darede near him. They stayed back and held the wall, watching him venture into the mids of the enemies with fear.


    Fear for his safety, and, for his sanity.


    No matter what, this dwarf seemed to remain unstoppable. His rage unquenchable. No matter the kobold he faced, they would die within seconds.


    "You! Dwarven filth! Face me!" A muchrge kobold shouted in a tongue lost to all of the surface dwellers.


    This one stood close to two meters tall upon a drake. The dwarf turned to face it. Not caring for the dragon-like mount of the kobold that was five times his size.


    A branch of the draconic line, drakes are smaller than dragons and wingless. Typically theye from the offspring of fallen dragons; dragons who had betrayed their own essence - a dragon who has fallen to his greed.


    This particr drake had pitch-ck scales, making it almost invisible in the dark of caves. However, the burning fires on the battlefield brought it to light. Its red eyes red at the dwarf who seemed unafraid.


    "Yaaghhh!" The dwarf shouted, rushing towards this new target. Not even for a moment thinking about the size difference.


    As he rushed at a new opponent, the de started vibrating in joy, sending a blinding blue light into the air. Blinding all those who were looking. When sight returned to everyone they were shocked at the sight.


    The battleaxe of the dwarf had cut through the scales, the entire de stuck in its neck. An impressive feat to any who knew how hard a drake''s scales were.


    Yet this was not the end, the dwarf quickly pulled the axe out and attacked again. The drake this time trying to turn and flee. However before it could, the axended again. Its body seemingly refusing to move fast enough.


    Landing with the same force, and without the scales to block the attack, the axe cut through its neck. The de was notrge enough to behead the creature, however, part of its neck was torn open.


    Crying in pain the drake threw its rider off as it tried to scramble away. The dwarf would not let it get away, with little care he jumped into the air. Shouting in rage he brought the axe down again, this time using the gaping hole to cleave the head from the body.


    The battlefield became silent upon this sight. Before anyone could make sense of what had happened the massive kobold was sent flying. The noise of the attack stealing their attention.


    The kobold had managed to bring its spear to block the attack. Yet the force was sorge that the metal shaft had bent and it itself was sent flying into the ceiling of the massive cave.


    Crashing with massive force, the kobold spewed blood from its mouth. Before it could even separate from the ceiling, a follow-up ethereal de cut it in half.


    Shouting triumphantly, the dwarf looked at the others and charged. The kobolds, having seen their leader killed in seconds, fled. However, that just made the ughter all that much easier.


    Finally, over half an hourter, the dwarf came back. Covered head to toe in blood, only the edge of his axe not covered in red.


    The dwarves opened up upon his arrival. All of them held respect and fear for this dwarf, and none of them dared to stand in his path. No one dared evene within ten meters of him.


    They knew what happened when someone came near him in this state.


    As he disappeared, the other dwarves all started discussing what just happened. Until their captain ordered them to be quiet.? Even so, the discussions continued, just softer.


    The captains met up, shocked by thest battle.


    "He is bing stronger and stronger." One dwarf with aging white hair and beard said. Thetter having many rings holding it together.


    "Much much stronger, it reminds me of the legends." Another agreed, this one having auburn hair and beard. Unlike the old dwarf, his bear was only to his neck and had only two rings.


    "Do you think we should ask him to step aside?" Another asked this one''s hair yet ck and having four rings.


    "No," the white-haired dwarf said, "We would have struggled to kill the drake. It is an ancient beast, of the dragon bloodline. It was also Tier 6. While it was no variant, its scales are truly hard."


    "We have no weapon capable of piercing it, apart from our ballistae. However, our lord''s axe is special, with each battle it seems to grow even sharper."


    "But! Our lord is losing his sanity with each fight!" The red-haired dwarf shouted in concern.


    "Only on the battlefield, he calms down after a few minutes." The old dwarf replied, "Besides, it is indeed like the legends. How can we consider limiting him?"


    "Remember, he had never focused on fighting. Having taken the path of a creator instead. Yet, with each battle, his strength increases massively. It is almost like he is gaining strength from ughter." The old dwarf said, silence ensuing after.


    "Right, let me go talk to him." The old dwarf added after a minute or two of silence. No one else wished to go near their lord at this time. If he had calmed down enough was still unknown.


    Exiting the captain''s tent, the white-haired dwarf looked at the battlefield and sighed. This ce held mostly sorrow for the dwarves, but they must keep it.


    The town had never been popr, however, it is a key point of security for the rest of the kingdom. So much so that theirst lord had even given his life fighting to protect it. Sadly, even that had not been enough. For no kingdom only had one ce of entrance.


    Moving towards the manor of the town, the old dwarf only needed to follow the trail of blood to know he was on the right track. The town was mostly made up of military buildings, with multiple massive granaries and equipment storages.


    It was never designed for civilians, and there were very few here. Only enough to organize the supply of food and weapons. Allowing the soldiers to focus on protecting the walls, walls that normally they would not go past.


    Opening the door of the manor, a building resembling a keep more than a manor, the dwarf stepped in. Seeing his lord kneeling with his axe in hand.


    "My lord." The dwarf said, swallowing in fear. Waiting nervously the dwarf finally turned to look at him.


    "Am I that terrifying, Firhin?" The dwarf, now covered in dried blood, asked. His voice containing sorrow and disappointment.


    "No my lord! I mean. It is just." The old dwarf Firhin stumbled over his words.


    "I understand. I do be quite... Wild." The blood-covered dwarf said, slowly standing up. "Right, I should go and clean myself. There should be another wave tomorrow."


    As the blood-covered dwarf moved to the bathroom he asked, "Firhin, do you think they will send a proper attack this time? Such a weakmander having a drake means there must be plenty more."


    Firhin shuddered hearing this, not understanding how this could be considered an improper attack. They would have been hard-pressed if nor for the enemy losing their morale.


    "Right, make sure to gather the drake''s body. I wish to modify my axe." A voice came from deeper in the building, the old dwarf nodding in reply.

 Chapter 307: Finishing his talk with the system

    <h4>Chapter 307: Finishing his talk with the system</h4>


    Listening to the system exining to him more what hidden sses are, and what they represent, Eldrian lost track of time. Often asking side questions as he thought of them, which sometimes ended up with no reply.


    The system not being willing to exin certain things to him, due to them being too close to the nature of magic. Still, Eldrian felt that he had a much better grasp of his situation now.


    He understood what the dangers to him were. He also understood now, at least much better than before, what souls were. Especially the reason why no book seemed to agree on what they were.


    The reason is simple, yet unbelievable. Souls differ from person to person, due to their different outlooks on life.


    The reason why some groups have simr souls is due to them having a simr outlook. This is most often seen in religion, where people believe their souls are a copy of their bodies.


    Hence why many religious books, not for the believers but for the priests, would state that the soul resembles the body. The closer its semnce, the greater your belief and magic.


    "Remember," The system said before getting ready to depart, "If you do enter a situation where your soul is damaged beyond repair, then it will be your will determining if you will live or die."


    "This has been proven with more than half the game testers surviving back then. Hence if you realize that it is going to happen to you, focus on what you hold most dear."


    "That should give you some sort of an edge."


    "Thanks," Eldrian replied. His opinion on the system having greatly increased thanks to this impromptu visit.


    Just as his voice faded in the abyss, Eldrian suddenly asked, "Wait! Is there a way to link souls?"


    A response did note immediately, however, after a few seconds, the female voice was heard again. "What do you mean?"


    Her tone made it clear that she did not like this question, still Eldrian wanted to know. So he started exining what had happened back in the Avgi forest.


    "Interesting, that is quite clever of the Alicorns. Honestly, I do not know if it would work. Nor if you truly would want to go through with it. It is not something as simple as you might be thinking and the benefits are far less for you."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian questioned, never having thought it would be simple.


    "The method will likely be that which legends use to safeguard their lives. It is simr to how liches would separate their souls, cing some of it into a phctery."


    "Except, instead of hiding a part of the soul, two souls are merged and then split thereafter. You can only do this once, and it can never be undone. I am sure you have been warned about this."


    Eldrian mind nodded, recalling that Zamia had said something like that. However, he could not recall much about it. He mostly just remembered that he needed to reach Tier 3 first. Hopefully, Cephaphyr wouldn''t advance before he managed.


    "The reason it will not be as useful for you is that this is used to enable them to survive when their bodies are destroyed. But not their souls. It also allows their souls to take more damage than normal, and this is likely the only benefit you will gain."


    "Seeing as all yers can already resurrect, gaining a new avatar in the process. In a way, you can say that this method is an imitation of the resurrection yers have."


    Hearing this Eldrian wondered if he should still go through with it then. Honestly, he still felt like it was a good option, especially considering that Cephaphyr would then join his party. Or so he believed it would go.


    However, it might be better to wait and rather try and do this with Vivian. But Eldrian had no idea how to do this. Nore if she would want to do something, which could be considered one of the most intimate things possible.


    "Is there no way to do this with more than one person?" Eldrian asked, causing the system to sigh.


    "There has yet to be a sessful attempt, and failing is not kind on those who participated. On top of that, during the merger, you will not be able to hide your thoughts. This means the person you are trying to merge with, wille to know that their world was created by your kind."


    What?? Eldrian was dazed by this revtion. It certainly made the question of it he should much moreplex.


    "Think carefully before you decide to do something that cannot be undone." The system warned before leaving. Leaving the dumbfounded Eldrian to his own thoughts.


    It took him nearly a minute to calm his thoughts. Eldrian having realized that this process was much much more dangerous than he had thought. If the one he did it with couldn''t stand knowing that they were but in a virtual simtion, then he did not know what would happen.


    The system did not exin how the process could fail, nor what would happen if it did. Making Eldrian all the more apprehensive. He also realized now he had no way to ask to meet, it was fully dependent on hering when he entered his soul state.


    Let''s just ce that at the back of my mind again.? Eldrian mumbled to himself, letting it be forgotten for now.


    Turning to his soul, he wanted to attempt a few things. However, he decided against it, while the system had not been against him doing so. He felt Pros would not warn him without good reason.


    Eldrian didn''t want to do anything without knowing what it would lead to. While he was curious about it, he''d rather wait a bit longer.


    There was also no reason for him to do anything here, in any case. The system had exined to him that he should not have any more bottlenecks until he tried to reach Tier 5. He only needed to realize what the next steps were.


    She was not kind enough to give them to him, however, Eldrian felt she didn''t actually know. Having constantly said, when he asked, that he had to find his own path.


    Even so, this was still better than before. True, he had been busy just learning Tier 2 spells, but he had been bothered by the fact that he had no idea how to advance further. Now he knew he needed to meditate, and find something there.


    Meaning all the other paths were not needed. He did not need to learn Tier 3 spells, he did not need to do something with his soul. He simply needed to meditate.


    Finally, he exited the magic abyss and quickly called up his stats. The system had also informed him that she had added indicators to measure his soul and auras.


    [Soul - The Lonely Heart]


    [After taking damage, your soul has regressed into a singr form. Whether it is to stay in this form or transform will depend on you.]


    [Curent Affects: (1) Triples resurrection time: from half an hour to an hour and a half.]


    [(2) Allows a clearer image of your soul''s state, as well as your auras. What this will mean to you is uncertain.]


    Mmm, well that isn''t that informative. And I wonder how urate the resurrection time is,? Eldrian thought, turning to his auras next.


    [User has unlocked multiple auras. Currently, they are in bnce, however, this may change at any time.]


    [Aura of Wrath]


    [Normally the aura of a Berserker. It allows you to massively boost your strength and speed. Passively consuming mana for power, in extreme cases also consuming health and stamina.]


    [Depending on the strength of the aura, the boost will vary. However, using ites at the cost of your rationale. The longer you use it, the less you will be able to think. Friends will be foes and fire will be water.]


    [To be capable of using this power, you must learn how to use your aura, consciously.]


    [Current State: Tier 2]


    [Current Possible Boost: 50%]


    Impressive, Eldrianmented as he read. Eager to try and figure out how to ess his auras, however, he knew he still had plenty of other things also on his te.


    [Aura of Tranquility]


    [Normally the aura of a Sage. It allows you to keep your calm -no matter the situation. At the same time, it also enables you to increase the effectiveness of all your magic without any extra cost of mana. However, this will slow down your movements, making you an easy target.]


    [To be capable of using this power, you must learn how to use your aura, consciously.]


    [Current State: Tier 2]


    [Current Possible Boost: 50%]


    Reading the description Eldrian looked at the description of his Protector ss. It was quite simr, only it had a mana cost attached and the boost was weaker.


    Likely due to me not knowing how to use that aura properly. Eldrian thought,? Or this is apletely different boost and has nothing to do with the Protector hidden ss.


    As he was about to exit his stats screen, he saw there was something else knew. Labeled Unique.


    [Due to having two auras, you might be able to circumvent the negatives. Allowing you to keep your mind intact while using the wrath aura, or to keep your movements when using the tranquility aura.]


    Isn''t that handy, A smile formed on Eldrian''s face as he read this, only to find another discription.


    This one the most shocking to him, as the system had refused to talk about it.

 Chapter 308: The reason for her concern

    <h4>Chapter 308: The reason for her concern</h4>


    Did she change her mind, or what?? Eldrian wondered as he looked at thisst description. Finding it most peculiar that the text read more like a message than a description. Vastly different from the normal system descriptions.


    [Unique ability: elerated Processing]


    [Through unknown methods, you are able to sometimes increase the speed at which you process thoughts. This allows you to take in more details, act faster, and normally avoid death.]


    [However, thises at a cost. The safety measures installed to ensure your safety bes weakened. How you aplish this is unknown, but spections can be made from the cost.]


    [The origin of this ability is likely you tapping into atent talent. This talent allows your body to see what is happening as a true life-threatening threat and boost your mind''s functions to try and avoid it. This ismonly described as an adrenaline rush, however, what happens to you is not as simple.]


    [Somehow, instead of believing it to be a nightmare. As is the case with most others who be overwhelmed in the pain and realism. You instead immerse even further. This goes against all the data that my measures are based on.]


    [This causes the safety measures to break down. The first sign of this further immersion is pain. Certainly, you have learned this already. However, the second sign is mental fatigue. Simr to when you overuse spells, but this one lingers. Likely also pressing fully when you exit the simtion.]


    [Entering this state, using this ability, can certainly enable you to aplish great feats. However, the stain it ces on you is also great.]


    [Activation: Be emotionally invested, be desperate. Be emotional.]


    [Suggestion: Try not to use this, especially when death is likely. It will make the entire situation moreplicated, and even if you wish to resurrect, it might cause problems.]


    Well... That does not mean all that much.? Eldrian thought, finding that most of what was mentions he already knew. It was interesting to see what the system thought of it thought. However, it was clear she was not clear on it either.


    He found this in particr extremely strange. Wondering just how there could be things the AI themselves are unsure of, and how many such things there might be.


    Certainly, it wouldn''t be as strange if it was a different AI, one whose purpose was not centered around the yers. But it was, making this probably a unique situation.


    So Eldrian believed, finally deciding to stand up from where he had gone to meditate.? As he stood up he casually nced at the time, shocked by the amount that had passed.


    Shit shit, shit.? Eldrian cursed as he rushed up, only to find Pros waiting for him at the same ce.


    "You''re still here?" Eldrian asked in surprise, six hours having passed. Eldrian''s question had no tact, but his thoughts were just to log out and get moving. However, he had to at least give an excuse he felt.


    "Of course, what did you find?" Pros asked, having observed Eldrian this entire time. Thest few minutes Eldrian had clearly been excited and then disappointed. Then disappointed and excited. Clearly, he must have made some discoveries.


    "Sorry, but I''mte." Eldrian said, "I''ll find you in the morning," He added as he walked a few meters and then turned into particles.


    "What in the name of Asteria?" The centaur mumbled, shocked to see a human disappearing in such a way. It was clearly not a stealth technique or anything simr.


    He had heard of this ability.? Still, seeing it with his own eyes was different. Eldrian had literally turned into light which had then dissipated into the air.


    Sighing, the centaur turned to the cave mumbling, "I hope it is worth the wait."


    ...


    Sighing as he woke up on the immersion chair, Eldrian started by stretching his back, grumbling, "I should ask them to makefier."


    Eldrian did not think he should be this stiff upon waking, however, it onlysted until he finished stretching. Hence it was truly not a problem, just an irritation.


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Eldrian changed into some casual clothes and asked for a ride on his tablet. By the time he headed out, the car was already waiting in the driveway.


    "Where to?" The driver asked as Eldrian climbed into the silver sedan.


    Pulling out his phone Eldrian made sure of the address, the driver typing it into his navigation. Eldrian still felt weird using this driving service. It felt strange being driven around and not needing to pay a fee or anything.


    Thanking the driver, he climbed out asking him to wait while he headed in to get his sister. Looking at the house it was the same as he remembered, nothing had changed.


    This was normal, however, it made the changes in his life all the clearer. Sighing Eldrian walked up and rang the bell.


    Thinking about just how much had changed, and yet how much had stayed the same.


    After a few seconds, someone came to open for him. It was not his sister, much likest time. In fact, just likest time, it was Marcy who came and opened for him. However, she did not let him in.


    After opening the gate she stood in its path.


    "It''s about time you came." She said with a strict tone, Eldrianpletly thrown by this. He was expecting her to again tease him.


    "Wha- why?" Eldrian stumbled over his words.


    Unlikest time, she was now in clothes that would be consideredfy winter clothing. Naturally, this was due to the weather having be colder. But it also made her attitude seem far more serious, mostly because there was nothing to be distracted by.


    "Are you serious? You basically ghosted your sis for an entire month. She is hecking worried about you, you know." She said, causing Eldrian to feel even worse that he waste.


    "That''s why I am here," Eldrian responded, but got no goodwill.


    "That doesn''t count for shit. Why the hell did you ghost her?"


    "I, I didn''t know what to say."


    "Then why didn''t you just say that?!"


    "Because, I didn''t want to worry her."


    "That worked wonderfully!" Marcy''s words leaked sarcasm, "Do you think her not being informed would make her worry less?"


    "Why on earth is she so worried?" Eldrian questioned, not understanding where this wasing from. He got that they normally shared almost everything, but it was not like he was kidnapped.


    Looking at Eldrian in shock, Marcy wondered, "I guess you wouldn''t know, seeing as you didn''t talk with her like usual."


    "What happened?" Eldrian asked, suddenly worried.


    "It''s not like that, it''s just that..." Marcy paused, "You remember Sarah and Daniel?"


    "Kind of, I didn''t and don''t really care about their rtionship," Eldrian replied, not even managing to recall how long the two had been together. Normally he would even forget Daniel''s name.


    "Well, they''re not together anymore," Marcy said, and upon seeing the neutral look on Eldrian''s face she sighed. "I was expecting a bit more than that, you know."


    "Oh, okay. Oh no..." Eldrian joking replied, however, this did nothing to lighten the mood, in fact it worsened it.


    "Wait, what happened?" Eldrian asked, bing more serious.


    "Daniel was in an ident, and, well, he is still in the hospital. Sarah has been beside herself, unable to concentrate on her studies. And knowing that not everything is safe on your side, your sister has been imagining the worst so often."


    "Wha- why?"


    "Really, you still don''t get it? How often do you think that when you are climbing into a car it might be yourst time?"


    "Never." Eldrian honestly replied.


    "Alright, then how often do you think it might be yourst time entering A New World?" Marcy pressed, Eldrian unable to give her a clear answer.


    He was a bit worried that Jen had shared things with them, seeing as it was all technically confidential. However, that worry was minusculepared to his trying to understand what was going on. Especially when she likely only shared it from a ce of worry.


    Seeing Eldrian refusing to reply, Marcy sighed. "See, if something that you never even think of suddenly flips over a friend''s life. Then you will focus much more on things you actually think can drastically change things."


    Eldrian nodded, not knowing how to respond. After a few seconds, he simply thanked Marcy.


    "I just wanted to make sure you understand why she is so worried." Marcy said, "I hope you can stop making her worry. Between that and helping console Sarah, her grades have steadily been slipping."

 Chapter 309: Opening up

    <h4>Chapter 309: Opening up</h4>


    "Thanks," Eldrian said, again feeling worse about how he had pulled away.? Let''s make everything clear today, He thought as Marcy finally let him inside, where they found Jen busy ving over the stove.


    "Thanks, Jenny. Turns out it was for you." Marcy said as they entered the kitchen. There she quickly took over and shooed them out of the kitchen. Causing Jen to be quite confused about why she seemed to be in such a rush.


    Not knowing how to start the conversation, Eldrian simply said that a driver was waiting outside.


    "Where are we going?" Jen asked and Eldrian shrugged in response, "You pick."


    "Alright," Jen nodded, taking a jacket for incase, and then continuing, "Let''s go to Olden Fire."


    Eldrian nodded but did not reply. Seeing this Jen sighed, "It''s where we went out when you just got the headset. Before things got..."


    "Oh, right." Eldrian suddenly spoke up, "We had promised to make it a regr ce for us." As he said this he again felt guilty, however, he quickly shook it off, deciding to just focus on getting things back on track.


    Smiling in reply, they headed out. After a short drive they arrived, Eldrian again caught up in the style of the ce.


    It seemed like it had be more popr, or else the added tables wouldn''t make much sense.? Taking a table inside, the two sat down and thanked their waiter.


    How should I start?? Eldrian wondered as he picked up the menu and started perusing.


    Their drive has been awkward, with only the soft music of the radio had made it bearable. The menu was an easy distraction, however, letting it do that would just make things more awkward.


    "Jen..." Eldrian paused, "I''m sorry that I pulled away. Quite a lot of things happened and I got so overwhelmed that I nearly forgot about everything else."


    Not getting a reply, Eldrian sighed and looked at the menu again. After a while of silence, the waiter came to take their orders. After which Jen finally spoke.


    "Are you safe?"


    Eldrian sighed upon hearing this, not wishing to lie to her and not able to share everything, he thought properly about how he was going to respond.


    "For the most part."


    "For the most part?" Jen echoed, concerns and a bit of anger in her voice. She did not wish to sit here and listen to excuses or half-answers.


    "I can''t really remember all that I had shared with you, and I can''t share some things with you due to a non-disclosure I signed. However, you should know that Miracle isn''t a normal gamingpany."


    "I did some research, and they had never made any games before. So I had felt something was off." Jen agreed, d that he seemed serious. "What are they then?"


    "It is more a researchpany. The game wasn''t their focus, but rather something they basically stumbled upon."


    Eyes opening wide in surprise, Jen asked, "What do you mean. What research?"


    "I''m not too sure myself. Basically anything and everything."


    A moment of silence ensued, during which their drinks arrived. After taking a sip Jen asked, "Why is it important that they aren''t a gamingpany?"


    "Because of what it means. The game was not meant to be a game at the start, and while I can''t share what their original intents were," Eldrian paused, wondering if he should just break the NDA.


    "It just means that the game wasn''t designed to be a game. It isn''t like any other either, there is no real progress system."


    "Sure there are levels, tiers, and even ranks. But! There is no straight path between them, it is like the real world. Only instead of diplomas and degrees, you get a level, tier, or rank."


    "What does this have anything to do with if you are safe?" Jen asked, not one bit interested in the game itself. Her life had enough things keeping her busy, and she didn''t even have a boyfriend at the moment.


    Thinking of this saddened her, as it reminded her of Sarah. Making her half grateful she did not have a boyfriend, her brother was enough of an emotional burden.


    "It matters because it links into a lot of things. While I can''t share what their ns were and are, I can share what I have learned. Especially what I learned on my own." Eldrian said, not sure if this was actually legal. It was a gray area, and he was going to walk on that tightrope.


    "You see..." So Eldrian started exining to her almost from the start. But this time with what he knew at this moment.


    He exined to her why he had experienced pain above the normal levels, the main thing she had actually been worrying about. Hearing that he now knew why it happened and how to avoid it basically put most of her concern to rest.


    That was until Eldrian got to the point about how they entered the game, and how he was being hunted. Especially when he told her that the method of entering can be destroyed.


    This all took a long time, and by the time Eldrian had finished he was on his third smoothy. His sister though had turned to cocktails once he started talking about being hunted. She was now on her fourth.


    "That is why I had decided to not exin things. I had thought you would not really worry, aspared to before, this situation is much much worse now."


    Instead of replying, Jen down thest half of her cocktail. "You were right..."


    A long awkward silence ensued, and as Jen''s fifth cocktail arrived she asked, "Why would you continue? Especially when you can literally die?!"


    Her voice raised quite a bit end the end, Eldrian slightly flinching. Taking a moment, and a few sips of his smoothy, he finally replied.


    "I don''t really know. For one, I am almost addicted to trying to figure it out. I want to know why I am different from the other yers. I want to know if I can truly master magic. No, I want to truly master magic."


    "I want to see if it can be brought to earth. And..." Eldrian paused, "I can''t abandon my friends in the game." He ended up not mentioning Vivian, though what he said was basically the same thing.


    "I don''t get it, why would you want to do that if the risks are so great?" She asked, ordering another cocktail while at it. She simply could not understand how Eldrian could be so addicted to a game.


    Not even truly knowing why he would go so far, Eldrian realized he couldn''t exin it from his own perspective. Instead, he looked around and thought of something easier to understand. Something that might take the stigma of it being just a game, away.


    "What would you think if I told you I want to be a policeman?" He asked, totally catching her off guard as she was about to take another ratherrge sip.


    "What, where did thate from?" She asked irritably.


    "Just follow along, what would you think?"


    "I would want to know why."


    "But would you be worried about the danger. About the fact that I might be shot and killed?"


    "Of course, who wouldn''t in that situation."


    "And what if I wanted to join the army?"


    "Why would you ever want to do something so dumb?"


    "But if I wanted to, would you be able to understand?"


    "No! I can understand bing a policeman, but not joining the army!"


    Eldrian nodded, having figured out what she considered an eptable risk, then asked, "And what if I wanted to be a fireman?"


    Jen was again caught off guard, so much so that she had not touched her cocktail since the turn of conversation.


    "I would again want to know why."


    "But would you be concerned that I might die trying to save someone. As certainly the reason for wanting to be a fireman is that you want to help people."


    Jen nodded, she understood that it was a thing all three jobs he had mentioned had inmon. However, the army was certainly the one with the most questionable will behind it. Still, many people joined it believing they were defending themselves and their loved ones.


    It was the questionability of it that made her so against it. The other two, however, she didn''t really have anything against them. Heck, they were respectable jobs. No one would try and debate that.


    "Of course I would be concerned." She finally said, realizing that the alcohol was making it hard for her to keep to a single thought train.

 Chapter 310: Coming to an agreement

    <h4>Chapter 310: Coming to an agreement</h4>


    "Of course you would," Eldrian said, not sure how to end this analogy. With his pause, Jen started looking at him suspiciously.


    "However, the thing is... Even though the jobs are dangerous, many people still do them. Some even aspire as children join them."


    "So?" Jen questioned, failing to understand where Eldrian was going.


    "I just wanted to mention it." He said, leaning back and enjoying another sip of his smoothy. "I wanted to mention that danger in jobs is epted. The examples were a bit more clear-cut, but now I can also bring up participating in construction or science."


    "The former an ident might happen, and while the danger is less," Eldrian said, hoping to make it clear that he thought of the danger more in line with the former examples than these ones.? "It is still there."


    "In science, the danger mighte from failures in the safety measures. Or an unknown variable being missed."


    Jen nodded and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say."


    "I want to say that the danger is due to thetter, and that this isn''t just a game. Sure it is how it has been represented and what is being advertised, however, it is much more than that. Especially to me."


    "I want to be part of it, even if you can''te to understand. Please, just understand that it is important to me."


    A moment of silence ensued, during which the waiter came to ask if they were finally ready to order. After shooing him away, Jen finally replied, "But why? Why is it so important?"


    "Because it simply is..."


    Sighing Jen said, "We should have given him our orders."


    "Then?" Eldrian stretched the word to make it clear that it was a question.


    "I''ll try. But I want daily updates... Or at least bi-daily, and we have to get together each week again. Like before."


    "Agreed." Eldrian nodded his head as he indicated to the waiter that he was ready.


    "Now then, I heard what happened to Sarah. How is she holding up?" Eldrian asked after they had ordered.


    Jen quickly hopped onto the new topic, happy to be able to confide in someone who was not daily in contact with Sarah. Someone who did not share, at least in part, her pain.


    "So he is still unconscious?" Eldrian asked, sympathizing with Sarah the more he heard about it. He could understand where she wasing from, especially after all he had been through in the game. Especially after losing Sabrea, even though he had only known her for a few days.


    Sarah had been together with her boyfriend for almost a year and a half now, the shock must be far more for her.


    "Yes," Before Jen could continue, their food arrived. After thanking the waiter and ordering a ss of water, she continued, "His wounds are healing, but the doctors have no idea when he will wake up."


    I wonder, would the headset help?? Eldrian naturally did not bring this up, instead, he kept listening as they started eating before their food would get cold.


    ...


    "Dragos''s Fire! Why did he want the entire thing?" A dwarf in the ssic armor of the local region grumbled as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    The local armor was armor made from ck Steel, generally Tier 3 or 4 magical ranking. Tier 3 was given to fresh recruits, and Tier 4 after they survived three battles. Something that has be far easier with Boran''s arrival.


    Unlike normal te armor, theirs was much much thicker. The shoulder pads, in particr, were nearly as thick as a dwarf''s finger, while the center of the breastte was a tick as two. If you were not a true warrior, the set would simply drag you down.


    Where it shined though, was in a formation with their fellow dwarfs.


    "Who knows... Don''tin, we should get out before he arrives." This dwarf''s armor had a small purple line in the center of all the tes.


    It identified him as a captain, and the lines were not just for show. It was made from Adamant and made the armor far stronger than if it was made just from ck Steel, not to mention it also being a Tier 5 set.


    With his words, the other dwarves stopped wiping their foreheads and instead hurried to leave the forging room. A few minutester a dwarf carrying a peculiar double-headed axe entered the room. The edges of this axe had a shine simr to the metals in his right arm.


    "They delivered it so fast, and then they rushed off. Am I really that scary?" The dwarf mumbled as he walked close to the corpse they had delivered. It was the drake he had killed, and its ck scales would make a perfect armor.


    But first, "There it is," The dwarf''s eyes shone as theynded on the decapitated head. Moving over he picked it up from the ground and ced it on an anvil. "To work."


    With that, he took out a small de made from Adamantine and started to get to work. The first thing he did was carefully removed the eyelids, making sure to not hurt the eyes themselves. Thereafter he carved them out and ced them on a table nearby.


    Next he moved on to the fangs, which he removed with the help of some Adamantine tongs. He only took out the tworgest ones, moving to the ws after that and also only taking the tworgest ones. With them all taken out, he then cut open the head, leaving it as is for now.


    "For the axe will y all," He said, starting two forge fires to light both heads at the same time. Once they were the right glow he ced the fangs on one side and the ws on the other. He ced them on the sides of the heads, not on the edges or the middle.


    "As min e¨ªsai ekt¨®s t¨®pou, min se vl¨¦peis." He said, the wordsing to him as he worked. With it, so did mana, flowing through his right arm and lighting the room in its blue glow. (AN: Let you not be out of ce, let you not be seen)


    Picking up the de, without a care for the heat, he ced it on the anvil and hammered. The hammer of Mithril shining from an overflow of mana. After the fourth, cracks started forming, but the dwarf did not care.


    After just thirty seconds the hammer fell apart. The dwarf cing the axe in the forge again as he retrieved another hammer. By the time the fangs and ws were finally embedded, he had gone through four mithril, Tier 6, hammers.


    Picking up the axe -with a truly strange appearance at this point- the dwarf said, "Giat¨ª e¨ªsai m¨¦ros mou." (AN: For you are part of me.)


    With that deration the metal in his arm glowed brighter than ever, the edges of the axe joining in this glow. Not long after, the sides of the heads also started to glow. And with it, the ws and fangs melted into the metal. Forming another unique alloy.


    Seemingly overjoyed by the addition, the axe shook fiercely. The sides of it turning from a dark purple metal, into a pure ck.


    "Gia s¨¦na tha skot¨®seis. Giat¨ª tha trav¨ªxete a¨ªma gia ekd¨ªkisi." The dwarf said, and as he did the blue metal in his arm grew. From just a few embedded pieces to what started looking like scales. (AN: For thee shall y. For thee shall draw blood for revenge.)


    He did not realize the change happening to him, instead, he moved to the opened head and dipped the des into the drakes brain. "I pr¨®ti sou simas¨ªa," (AN: Your first kill of significance.)


    With the des dripping ''brain juice'' he brought the axe back to the anvil and ce the eyes on the heads. Instead of taking a hammer, he summoned a fire, not through a spell, but through sheer will.


    "Min e¨ªste m¨®no mia lep¨ªda. g¨ªne syntrof¨®s mou" (AN: Be not just a de; be my partner)


    Bringing the me to the axe, the eyes melted into the heads. Forming one red dot in the center of each head.


    ...


    "What?" Amnur''s eyes flew wide open, heat spreading out and setting everything within ten meters ame. Yet before he could regain his cool he got another message, making the mes even stronger.

 Chapter 311: Asking for a favor

    <h4>Chapter 311: Asking for a favor</h4>


    The rest of the dinner was very enjoyable. While the two did not joke around much, they enjoyed closing the gap that had grown during the past month.


    After having exined his reason, and Jen having epted it, and then her sharing her troubles, both of them felt much better.


    Ordering some desert, Eldrian asked, "Are you still against trying the game out?"


    Almost choking on her food from the abrupt question, Jen had to quickly take a gulp of water. "Your situation certainly didn''t make me any more interested in it."


    "But what about the virtual home system they released?"


    Jen paused as she tried recalling what she had heard. At this point news about ANW, outside of those visiting the official forum, was slim at best. However, it was gaining traction with each passing day.


    Especially with how Miracle had started advertizing the tournaments. Exining that for now, it was just a league in which yers could battle, but soon a proper tournament will be held. Where all those who had reached the rank of legend would be able to join.


    While most people, who focused more on their daily lives, cared little for this. The increasing advertising had certainly drawn attention, especially with how thepany had also marketed the virtual home system.


    A way to get the same bonus of not needing to sleep, but also not need to y the game.


    It was something almost no one could ignore. Especially since if you wanted to sleep you could still do it. This just gave you the option of not needing it.


    If not for there being no headsets being sold, most everyone who could afford it would have likely tried to get one. Indeed, Jen had also thought about it. Just that one function would help her catch up on the work she had beengging behind.


    "I can''t say I haven''t thought about it, but..." Jen took another spoon of her ice cream. "Have you seen how expensive they''ve be?"


    Shaking his head no, Eldrian said, "Can''t be that bad. I can help you if you''re a little short."


    "That''s not the main problem, I mean they aren''t selling them yet. Seems like they n to only start doing that again after the championship. And then each headset will go for 50 000 dors."


    In disbelief, Eldrian mumbled a long-drawn-out what.


    "Yup, ten times what you had paid."


    What on earth?? Eldrian wondered, before thinking about the fact that he was working for Miracle. Or at least coborating with them.


    "What if I ask for one for you, I mean I still have the one they gave me," Eldrian mumbled thest part, realizing that they never took the headset after installing the immersion chair.


    However, he knew that headsets couldn''t just be shared. It was linked to a person, through some sort of brainwave length detector or something.


    "You can try, but.. I won''t get my hopes up. In any case, I just want it for the virtual home. Not feeling tired because I only managed to sleep four or three hours would be great."


    Eldrian knew how she felt, however, he never crammed as hard as her. So for him, the sleep was never less than five or six hours. Still...


    With that, the conversation died down again as both ced their attention on their melting dessert.


    ...


    Arriving back at Miracle and looking up at themunal building, Eldrian wondered what else was going on in the top and basement floors. Sighing, he decided to leave his suspicions be for now.


    Before talking to the system, and his sister, he had never realized just how crazy it was that Miracle was so unknown. Almost no one knew of them. This was especially strange now that he knew people had actually died in their experiments.


    It made little sense that that didn''t gain a headlight in the news.? Ignore that for now,? Eldrian told himself. Knowing full well that snooping would do him little good. However, that didn''t mean he had to just ept things.


    Heading in, he headed directly for Joren. This time his appearance caused less of a stir, however, most of those working in the department had taken the time to nce at him as he passed through.


    "Joren," Eldrian said, entering the room directly.


    "Ah, what brings you here?" Joren asked, looking up from his desk where he was busy on his tablet.


    "I would like for a favor."


    "Oh... What kind of favor?"


    "A headset for my sister, I still have the one I was using. Can you guys just wipe it clean so I can give it to her."


    Changing his sitting position, Joren asked, "We can, however, it takes quite a while to wipe a headset. We have locked the software due to security concerns. I would actually rather give you a new headset."


    Eyebrows raised, Eldrian asked, "Isn''t that more expensive? I just heard of the new price you are selling it for."


    "Ah... That. That is because we have proven ourselves and the game. Yes, there are still a few things unknown, but we felt increasing the price was validated. Considering the new functions, enabling the headset to be used moremercially."


    Eldrian nodded and asked, "If you would rather give me a new headset, that is fine. Also, can I ask that... If she does decide to join the game, that she can choose her kingdom?"


    "Oh," Joren''s voice raised slightly in surprise, "We actually thought that all future yers would directly join the empires. We are also working on a few more features to make it more gamelike."


    Pausing a little, Joren then continued, "It isn''t hard to do."


    "Great," Eldrian felt very satisfied with that. As he was about to leave, Joren asked, "By the way, remember to be careful."


    Eldrian nodded, and as he started leaving he wondered if he could ask for the same favor for Erik. However, thinking about the fact that Akarui was with him, and the trouble with the AI and even NPCs being independent, Eldrian gave up this idea.


    It might work, but... I have no idea if Akarui can also be brought with. For yers it is easy, just set our spawn point... Not so much for NPCs. Eldrian sighed and decided to go and greet Constantin for a bit. Sharing some of his magic insights, hoping to receive inspiration from the game tester.


    Returning in disappointment to his room, Eldrian climbed onto the immersion chair and realized he forgot to ask them to make it morefortable. Heaving a long, slow sigh, he logged in.


    ...


    Appearing where he had logged off, Eldrian was shocked to find his surroundingspletely different. He was now standing in a bare area. The trees up to three hundred meters from the cave having wilted. All the grass and leaves have turned to dust.


    "What the hell happened?" He questioned as he turned around and saw that where the cave used to be, a massive crater of ten meters diameter nowy.


    "Did the undead put up such arge fight?" Eldrian questioned as he saw a few scattered bones. There were no corpses, likely what had happened to the surrounding nts had happened to them too.


    Returning to the outpost just outside of the fort, Eldrian was given another shock. The newly built wooden walls were damaged. It had been a simple wall, with the trunks andrge branches simply buried in the ground.


    Yet now, some of them were burnt, others snapped, and others still pulled out from the ground.


    "You! Stop right there!" A centaur shouted and charged upon Eldrian with a spear at the ready. cing it right in front of Eldrian''s chest.


    "What happened here?" Eldrian asked, raising his hands to show he was unarmed.


    Naturally, the centaur cared little for this show of sincerity. It was far too easy to pull a weapon out from a dimensional storage. Eldrian not having a sheath nor any visible weapons made it clear that he had one.


    "Keep your hands where I can see them." The centaur growled, threating Eldrian with his spear as he did. He slightly turned his head, not daring to let Eldrain out of his sight, and shouted to the back, "Teodoris, we have a suspicious elf here!"


    "An elf?!" A voice came back from behind the walls, "What kind?"


    "Let me check," The centaur said, using Observe to see what kind Eldrian was. His eyes flying wide open when he saw the information disyed.


    "Nevermind, it''s the Chosen Pros asked us to keep an eye out for!" He said, slowly lowering his spear. Not fully willing to lower his guard, but also not wishing to upset Pros''s special invitee.

 Chapter 312: What happened in those few hours?

    <h4>Chapter 312: What happened in those few hours?</h4>


    "Follow me," The centaur said, finally fully lowering his spear. Having kept it raised a few more seconds after learning about Eldrian''s identity.


    Eldrian did not mind his dy and followed as instructed. He decided to not ask questions right away. As clearly this centaur did not wish to talk.


    Entering the inside of the damaged wooden walls of mostly logs, Eldrian was truly shocked by how bad things looked. However, contrasting thest battlefield he had been on, there were no corpses.


    More specifically, there were no human, centaur, or demi-human corpses. There was plenty of rotting beasts and piles of bones. The contrast making him all the more curious.


    The only ce that was unaffected was the cabin, the centaur having told Eldrian to enter after leaving. Doing as he was told, Eldrian approached, realizing that the door of the cabin was no longer present.


    Instead, he knocked on the wall to let those inside know someone was approaching. Entering through the door, a centaur and two centaurettes turned to look at him.


    "Ah, so your back," Pros said with a slight smile growing on his face. The other two''s mood did not lift upon seeing him.


    "What happened?" Eldrian asked as he nodded in greeting to Evale and Katania, the other two who both looked quite depressed.


    "A few things..." Pros said, causing the other two''s eyes to twitch.


    "Do you really consider this just a few things?" Evale questioned, unable to ept such a casual attitude after a surprise attack. Especially when they had started it, only to beter caught off guard themselves.


    "Yes, it was only a few things that had gone wrong. And not much damage had been done, in fact, we gained some more valuable intel."


    "What do you mean?" Katania asked. She was quite depressed at this point, as the task Pros had given her had almost turned into a failure. Almost.


    "We know which horde this likely was," Pros said, turning to Eldrian, "However I do not think they managed to follow him. I had witnessed how he can disappear from this world. I doubt they would have waited there until his return, if they even knew where he disappeared."


    "What does that matter? I was not ming him," Evale said, hoping that Pros was actually taking this seriously.


    "It informs of what they are capable. That they have either very small scouts, or ones on par with Kydone. Both are scary in their own right. The Drekavac they use as sentries would certainly not be capable of finding us without us noticing them too."


    Evale nodded, knowing that this was true. Especially since she had long since shared the fact that they had Drekavaces, not to mention Eldrian having also reported being discovered by them.


    "The other thing this attack told us is that they have a way tomunicate with each other. Themunication must be long-distance, without physical movement. Most likely, it is simr to what we use to send messages between noble families."


    "Still, we do not know how they aplished either task, so the information does do little for us." Pros conceded, "However, we now know we can''t let our guard down, from now on each undead infested area must be scouted, and then cleared."


    "The scouting won''t be done likest time, rather it will only be to determine the number needed to efficiently clear the area. And..." Pros paused, "From now on, if there is an unwilling, a divine magic-user must go to the area."


    "What? Pros you know there are only three divine magic users here." Katania said, feeling like she and her fellows were soon going to be worked to the bone.


    "There shouldn''t be that many unwilling. However, what happened with the revenant can cause massive damage if neither a divine magic user nor I am present."


    "Wait, what happened?" Eldrian asked, the other two seemingly understanding.


    "Right, you don''t know much about the undead." Pros turned to Eldrian again as he said this, "I was going to inform you upon your return. Seeing as you will join Katania in researching them."


    Hearing this, Katania''s eyebrows raised in surprise. However, she did notin, recalling how Eldrian had found a basic spell -albeit one of the most difficult in its Tier- to help in the detection of undead.


    "Exining it all will be hard, and you know some of the basics already. Here, read through thistter. For now, you just need to know that while an unwilling can turn into a higher undead."


    "The reason for their name is also the reason for them being weaker than their higher undead counterpart. They have been turned into undead without their content, they are unwilling to live in undeath."


    "However, in some cases, this can change. We don''t quite know how nor why. That is what happened with the revenant. At first, it was not a problem for me to kill all the undead, it included. However, as it saw all those around it dying... It changed."


    "The biggest problem was not it bing a higher undead, but rather that in doing so it also regained its original Tier. Instantly going from a Tier 5 revenant, to a Tier 7."


    "With its special ss bonuses, it was a tough fight for even me. And at that time the camp was attacked, with most of the others out attacking the other infested areas."


    So that is what happened,? Eldrian felt like things made sense now. Especially the reason why there were no corpses. The following sentence confirming his suspicion.


    "The few who had still been in the camp had been killed, however, this had alerted those nearby. In a way, them trying to catch us off guard had worked in our favor."


    "You say that like those who died do not matter," Evale grumbled, causing Pros tough-sigh.


    "It is natural that people will die in a fight, and only twelve of those who had died were too long dead. So I would say, considering the amount of undead we killed, the numbers are truly in our favor."


    Evale couldn''t argue with that, however, she still wished that the loss would way heavier on Pros''s mind. Instead, of just being a statistic used to justify the loss.


    "Right, that might sound strange to you. Considering the damage clearly visible everywhere." Pros said, turning to Eldrian again, who shook his head in denial.


    "No, I realized something was off when the ce wasn''t littered in corpses. I wasn''t gone so long that you would have time for a massive fight, as the damage to the surrounding indicated, and clean up the dead."


    Laughing in agreement, Pros decided to finally sate his curiosity, "You should be mostly caught up, so can you now share what you discovered?"


    Pausing, Eldrian suddenly realized he hadn''t given this another thought. The systeming to his soul in the abyss hadpletely thrown most thoughts into disarray. And then when he exited the time had made him rush to not be toote in going to Jen''s.


    "Ah... Huhum..." Eldrian quickly racked his brain on something he could share.


    "Right... The first thing I noticed upon entering the magic abyss is that my spell was corrupted. The flow was slower and the pathways creating the spell were leaking."


    "Oh, and what does that mean?" Pros questioned, already knowing about this fact, or rather what it results in. It was not caused by the death-mana, but rather by the aura of death of the revenant.


    It was why it was hard to kill even if you were stronger than it. Not just your physical abilities would be afflicted, your magical ones would be too. Not to mention the strain on your energy and focus.


    What was truly impressive, was Eldrian, as a Tier 2, being capable of still forming his spells inside the aura. Granted, Eldrian had only entered the periphery of the aura. Hence it had likely not attacked him in full force.


    "I am not sure, but the spell will certainly be weakened. If the aura is stronger, it mightpletely fall apart." Eldrian replied, getting a nod from Pros in reply. This was indeed the case, and generally, that should have been what happened to Eldrian''s, with the 3 Tier difference. (Before the revenant turned from an Unwilling to a Higher undead.)


    "Anything else?" Pros asked after a moment of silence.


    Evale was surprised to learn about this detail herself, especially since Pros was not denying the statement. She had found out about the mental and physical weakening during her confrontation with the Tier 5 Unwilling. But not the magical weakening, making her now understand better why she had struggled so much.


    "Yes..." Eldrian replied, causing all three to look at him in shock. He had already shared something which only those who had faced many revenants came to learn.


    It was also shared among experienced fighters, and Pros had nned to exin this to everyone before heading into the corrupted area itself. Where they would need to understand the abilities of the Higher undead, or they might die without knowing what happened.


    The reason he had not shared it yet, was, he was hoping people would show him their potential. A small part of him was also hoping they might find inspiration, but mostly he wanted to see who among those, outside of his elite guard, were talented.


    While Evale was praised as being a genius, he cared little for such talent. It was great for bing stronger, but not for surviving. She had yet to show that she knew how to survive when facing a stronger opponent. Her fight with the revenant had made this clear to Pros, even though he only received her ount of the fight.


    "What else have you found?" Pros asked.


    Eldrian looked between the two centaurettes and weighed if he should share it.? After a moment he decided he might as well. Especially since Pros likely already knows, or at least suspects it.

 Chapter 313: Auras, what are they?

    <h4>Chapter 313: Auras, what are they?</h4>


    "It is also about auras, I am not sure if this is known by others, but I think that they are a special type of magic." Eldrian said, adding a bitter, "Maybe a unique aspect of magic."


    "What do you mean?" Pros asked, the statement too vague.


    "I think..." Eldrian paused, trying to get the right words. "Right, they are like abilities."


    Raising an eyebrow in questioning, Pros pressed, "What do you mean?"


    "I am not too sure what abilities are. But, as I understand it, they are like skills and spells. However, unlike spells and skills, they do not require knowledge to be used. Rather it is something to do with bloodlines... Or something like that."


    Eldrian paused as he tried recalling what he had heard of abilities, which wasn''t really much.


    "Well, that is correct." Pros said, shifting into his human form, "It does not take mana, nor does it take any particr knowledge. It just takes time to get used to, and in certain cases, you would need to reach a certain level first."


    "Right, well... I think that auras are something simr. Only, instead of being something to do with bloodline, they are something you can..." Searching for the right words again, Eldrian paused for a moment, "Something you can earn."


    "Earn?" Everyone in the room questioned, unable to follow Eldrian''s logic.


    Auras were mysterious. Generally, only special sses of monsters would have them. Such as the Higher undead or Alphas. It was a hot topic in all the magical debates, however, a conclusive answer has yet to be found.


    This did not mean no one had the answer to this. Rather, that the kingdom of Taurus did not have it. To empires, this wasmon knowledge, at least to those who had reached Tier 5. While in Tier 1 kingdoms, all themanders and stronger would know of this.


    The concept not generally taught, as it is believed that people too weak would not be able to make use of the information. Thus there is little use in sharing it with them.


    "Yes, or something like that." Eldrian nodded, not sure to exin how he got his auras. As he was unsure himself, even after his talk with the system.


    "I don''t get it," Evale said, shaking her head as she tried to make sense of this.


    As far as they knew, or rather were taught, it was a special trait of monsters. And in very few cases people would also have an aura.


    However, that was mostly in stories. The people in these cases born to be heroes of the nation. Enabling them to fight back, and in some cases, im some newnd. Legendary figures of myths.


    "Umm..." Eldrian didn''t know how else to say it, so he decided to go to the next part he wanted to ask and say. "Pros, do you know where your abilityes from? Is it really something to do with your bloodline, or is it something else?"


    He asked this in the hope to gleam if abilities and auras were simr. Being really hyped to try and gain control over his. However, he knew it was a long way away. Which had doused most of his hype.


    "Something else?" Pros echoes, shaking his head, "I don''t know, all those of the direct bloodline have it."


    "Then... Does the ability disappear with generations?"


    "Yes, if it didn''t then half of the centaurs should have the ability."


    Eldrian nodded, believing that it must then be something to do with a bloodline indeed. "Have you ever entered your soul?"


    Shaking his head no, Pros replied tly, "Of course not. Very few would dare venture into their souls. The task is dangerous, as it is far too easy to get lost inside oneself. It is why I have continually warned you not to pursue that venue."


    Pros paused, deciding to rather not dive deeper into thetter.? "If you are wondering why I seem to know a great deal about it, it is because of what I have read. Why?"


    "Because... I think auras have something to do with souls. What I was doing, is meditating yes... But it was more than just meditating. I first entered the magic abyss, where I saw the damage to my spell. Thereafter, I entered my soul."


    Hearing this the three looked at Eldrian in a strange way. Evale thinking that he was brave, Katania that he was a genius fool.


    Knowing how many mages would give anything to be able to enter the magic abyss freely, and yet Eldrian used it so recklessly. Going even further and entering his soul, something which he seemed to be able to do easily. Which perplexed her to no end.


    For divine magic users entering the soul was one of the highest goals, however very few seeded.


    Pros instead, was wondering just where Eldrian would draw the line. Even after warning him multiple times, it seemed the elf before him just wanted to be reckless.


    Seeing their silent looks, Eldrian felt embarrassed. However, he pushed on, "The thing is, there I saw something weird. It was like a mist of light, but devoid of light. A ck patch within the abyss surrounding my soul."


    His exnation did not help them at all, making them just more confused and causing their expressions to grow stranger. His not wishing to exin the condition of his soul, nor his auras, made it harder for him to form the words.


    "Okay, ignore that... I simply wished to say that the aura entered my soul, and tried to affect it."


    This, contrary to the previous statements, caused Katania and Evale to gasp in shock. Pros however simply nodded, "That would make much more sense. The total suppression has been a constant question, however, no one would ever think to meditate in such a situation."


    "Not to mention that finding a ce near enough where the revenant would not attack is hard enough. Adding onto it that no one simply entered their souls out of curiosity. Of the research fanatics who actually dare try it, they would try it with many safety measures."


    "Then..." Eldrian paused, he did not know how to continue, luckily Katania suddenly asked.


    "Wait, this makes so much more sense!" Katania eximed, "Just think about beasts. Unlike revenants, their auras generally only affect their pack. It does not strengthen the other beasts, nor does it weaken their prey."


    "What are you getting at?" Evale asked, somewhat following and somewhat not. Not enough to leap to the answer without it having exined to her.


    "Just think about it, it is not like we have never tried using Colorful Sights to examine them. I mean, beasts are far easier to examine than a Higher undead. So naturally, we tried to use them to figure out how auras work." Katania replied.


    "However, nothing has ever been found. If it is as Eldrian said, then that makes sense. Is that why you asked about abilities and bloodlines?" Katania ended by asking, Eldrian shaking his head in denial as he did not think of this. However, it made sense in this context that the two would be intertwined.


    "Wait, but I could see the aura." Eldrian countered after a slight pause where he pondered how an Alpha''s aura affected only its pack.


    "Are you sure you didn''t just see the strengthened miasma of the undead group?" Katania asked.


    "I-I... I am not sure about that. However, I did see it when I was in my soul."


    "But that is different, it is a very special case. And even if someone did as you among beats, they would find nothing."


    Eldrian paused and pondered this, certain that the miasma he had seen was not just death-mana. The gray mist left behind where the undead was turned, and which followed them as they lived in undeath.


    As Eldrian pondered, he suddenly recalled a piece he had read while trying to figure what souls were and what to expect with undead. Hurriedly, he quickly looked in his inventory for the singr extract.


    "Pros, do you know this..." Eldrian paused as he read the name, "Ilpas Elpine?"


    "Oh," Pros looked at Eldrian in surprise, "How did that sneak into the books we gave you. Yes, I know of him. He is a famous magus of around 5000 years ago."


    "Fi-five... Five thousand?" Eldrian echoed in shock.


    "Yes, he was one of the founding fathers of our kingdom. In fact, he should still be alive, seeing as he is a high elf. However, after his venture into The Encroaching, he suddenly departed after leaving some findings with us."


    "S-so there are more volumes of this?" Eldrian asked, certain that this was something key to souls and auras.


    "Yes, however, they are in the capital. It is shocking that Myropsis had added this extract..." Pros mumbled thest part,


    Shaking his head to regather his thoughts, Eldrian said, "Here, he mentioned that an aura is filling thends. Do you think what he meant is truly an aura?"


    Shaking his head, Pros replied, "I have no idea. We never truly thought of it. I mean, it is hard to distinguish the aura a scene or ce gives you, versus an aura someone has. The word is the same, but the meaning ispletely different. The first is simply a feeling, while thetter is much much more."


    Simply a feeling?? This phrase caught Eldrian''s attention, reminding him that his auras were also simple feelings. Only, the feelings were empowered by magic.


    This!? Eldrian''s eyes flew wide open and everyone waited for him to say what he just realized. Instead, they watched as Eldrian sat down against the wall and closed his eyes.


    "Not this again!" Prosined turning into his centaur form without realizing it. Finding he was toote as Eldrian did not stir to his shout. This was then followed by Pros cursing so loud the soldiers outside could not help but take a step back from the cabin.

 Chapter 314: Revelations about the higher undead

    <h4>Chapter 314: Revtions about the higher undead</h4>


    Moving closer, the other two looked between Eldrian and Pros, then patted Pros''s shoulder to calm him down. One on each side. Pros seemed to be quite traumatized by not getting an answer and needing to wait who knows how long.


    "I guess you are going to need to wait a bit more before you can get your answers," Katania said, causing Pros''s muscles to twitch in frustration.


    "Why are you so pumped?" Evale asked, poking at one of Pros''s bulging muscles. It fighting to escape the confines of his deep red Akro, the cape-like clothing they all wear to cover their horse half.


    Taking a deep breath to calm down, which was made harder by Evale''s poking and teasing. Pros turned to face Evale with a frown. "Stop that." He said, which she refused.


    In the end, he had to shapeshift back into his human form. Her fingernding on his chest on the next poke.


    "That worked," Evale said with a smile, seemingly having experienced this more than once. Seeing how Pros was not angry, just irritated, Katania released a long sigh of relief. Having thought Evale had gone mad for a moment.


    Most of the time she too forgot that Pros was in fact royalty, however, she had quickly recalled what could happen when he was irritated.


    "So... Now what?" Evale asked after giving Pros a few seconds to regain hisposure. Her question caused his face to twitch in irritants. Luckily Eldrian did not stay out for nearly as long as before.


    "That didn''t work," Eldrian sighed, knowing why it didn''t. He had thought he had grabbed onto something crucial, and he still believed so. However, knowledge without meat did little.


    My emotions aren''t something I can control. While he did manage to slightly stir the fiery orange aurora, his aura of wrath. He did not manage to do more than let it flicker a little.


    This had both confirmed his suspicion and also left him with no way of improving further. He had no idea how to go about stirring the other, and he did not have a clear enough memory to send himself into a rage for the one he had managed to stir.


    Rather, he had none which he wanted to recall. And for good reason.


    Still, as he mulled his thoughts, a smile grew on his face. He had a feeling he now knew how to call upon the aura of wrath. While he might be lost as the system warned in its description, it was still something that might change the tables.


    More importantly, unlike when he over immerses, or whatever really happened when he slows time, he felt quite confident this method was not as dangerous. For he at least knew what to expect, he had felt both auras before.


    At most, the damage should be emotional, not soul-like. Thetter being the one he was most worried about as it was the one that could cause him real harm. He could always work through emotional trauma.


    What am I thinking?? Eldrian asked himself as these thoughts went through his head.? How can I consider emotional trauma trivial? Has the game truly skewed my perception of normalcy so greatly?


    No one bothered Eldrian as he questions himself and his thoughts. While Pros really wanted an answer, he was willing to wait. Especially after being teased by Evale about his impatience.


    It did not happen often, and few had seen him lose his cool like that. Especially when considering how trivial the interruption actually waspared to what was going on outside.


    However, isn''t it normal to be willing to undergo trauma to save someone?? Eldrian countered his own argument, finding again that the true problem was that he was too weak. That he had to rely on extremes.


    No more messing around, however long it takes before we reach the corrupted area, I am going to only train. He told himself, hoping that it would be at least a week. Else this conviction would be quiteughable.


    Taking a deep breath, he finally looked up at the two centaurettes and Pros. All of whom were looking at him with batted breath.


    "Have you figured out what I thought you knew?" Eldrian asked while looking Pros in the eyes, who was just slightly taller than him in his human form.


    "That auras might be something moreplex than we believed. I had had a few suspicions, it being rted to souls was one of them." Pros replied calmly, his previous agitation nowhere to be seen.


    "Anything else?" Eldrian asked, causing Evale to nearly burst outughing. Finding the turn of events beyond hrious. Especially when she thought of how it was a Tier 2 elf asking the questions to a Tier 8 centaur.


    Pros pondered for a few minutes, Eldrian used that time to more firmly cement his next ns. He would not leave the encampment if possible, using every second to train his control of magic. He realized that while training his spear skills were important, he could do that IRL or in the virtual home.


    Beyond that, skills were hard to learn. Being a mix of magic and technique, thetter going to be the thing hardest to improve in a short time. Trying to learn skills will slow down his overall growth. While he certainly did not want to be a fragile mage, he needed a fast boost.


    "I had thought it might be something to do with conviction or another type of magic entirely. Simr to the magic of devils which influence a person directly."


    Eldrian nodded and then said, "The reason I said I feel that auras can be earned, is because I have one." He paused, allowing it to sink in. For them, it meant he was a possible hero, however it was more than that. He was one who would not die in battle.


    "However, I do not know how to ess or use them. But..." Eldrian paused, "I think that they are actually not a singr thing."


    "What do you mean?" Pros asked, the centaurettes choosing to not interrupt with their own questions. They had many, but most being curiosities more than true questions. Katania in fact just wanted to ask him about what his soul was like.


    "It is indeed a conviction, but more than that, it is the feeling that arises for your conviction. This conviction must be so strong that your soul will have it burned into it. A conviction your soul will carry even when you are dead."


    A moment of silence followed this, with Pros suddenly understanding. "That''s it, that is where the name muste from!"


    Looking at him questioningly, Pros soon continued after sorting his own thoughts. "It makes sense now, we always called the unwilling, those who had been turned into undead without their consent, The Unwilling."


    "However, the reason for the name was just that. That they did not wish for undeath, however, I now realize just how great their unwillingness must be."


    "The process of creating higher undead, such as those who be The Unwilling or Higher undead is unknown. However, it is safe to assume that there must be conditions for it."


    Everyone nodded hearing this, it was a simple deduction. Often when wars happen with undead the fallen soldiers would be brought back in undeath. However, they would all be simple zombies, a max of Tier 4. No matter how strong they were in life.


    Thus there must be special conditions for making An Unwilling.


    "These conditions, however, what if one of them is a great hatred for the undead? Such a hatred that would persist in the soul even after death?" Pros proposed.


    "What about those who be higher undead?" Evale asked just to fill the dead air.


    "Naturally they must have a great fear for dying, wishing to prolong their life in any possible way," Pros said as if the meaning should be clear.


    "So... You are saying that if someone was indifferent, then what?"


    Shrugging, Pros replied, "Either the undead creation fails, or they simply be a lower undead. In either case, it makes far more sense why the Unwilling and Higher undead are so scarce."


    "Because not only are there physical and magical conditions to be met, but also an emotional one?" Eldrian said, nodding as he found this highly likely. Especially when considering the fact that each and every higher undead seemed to have an aura of some sort.


    At least all three he knew of had some type of aura. Auras also seemed to not need to be an aura. It could also be condensed inside a person, with only some of it escaping.


    The first aura he had encountered was that of a revenant. The typical aura that affects all who were inside of the. The second was that of a lich, capable of bringing corpses to life with the wave of its hand.


    The third, and probably the most dangerous as Eldrian was concerned, was that from a ghoul. Thinking back he realized that it was simr to that of a revenant, except condensed to a point where it became a venom. Directly plunged into its prey, attacking their soul with full force.


    Wait, what about the ming revenant?? Eldrian asked as he recalled those skeletons. Thinking back, he failed to find what their aura was, however, he was certain they must also have one.


    As he thought of this he also recalled the Alpha, whose aura had healed those of its pack. It might be the strangest aura of them all, and one of the best amander could have.

 Chapter 315: Hidden danger of hidden classes

    <h4>Chapter 315: Hidden danger of hidden sses</h4>


    "What does knowing this help?" Katania questioned after a few seconds. She saw little significance in knowing this, beyond just getting a better understanding of their enemies. Which was certainly, in any, scenario a plus. But, not of much practical value.


    "Right... It does not really matter much." Pros replied, "However, it does help me understand how some Unwilling can be higher undead. They simply need to work through their hatred for undeath."


    Not following Evale let loose a "huh" in questioning.


    Shaking his head with a? slight smile, Pros exined, "I now know why the revenant suddenly became, well... A full-fledged revenant. It must have realized it would die, and suddenly it didn''t want to die again. Thus it was no longer an unwilling undead."


    "That simple? It can''t really be that simple." Katania said in disbelief.


    "Why not, if you think about it, a lot of things are actually that simple. At least if you are supposed to be able to do it." Pros countered, causing everyone just more confusion. Pros sighed realizing that no one followed.


    "Forget it, let''s get back to work. Katania I am sure there are still people requiring help, and Evale, I believe your brother doesn''t want to sit still. Better to go with him."


    Nodding the two left, Pros clearly wanting them to leave for some reason.? As soon as they exited the cabin, Pros turned to Eldrian and asked aggressively, "What aura do you have?"


    The aggressions caught Eldrian off guard, taking a step back he looked at Pros warily. Suddenly regretting the fact that he had shared that part.


    "Ah... Sorry," Pros took a step back to show Eldrian that he meant no harm. "I did want to appear so serious. I just want to know what type it is."


    "Why?" Eldrian questioned, still wary.


    "Because of how strange they are. In the stories it always emphasizes the magnificence of the heroes, it never talks about the damages the aura does to the person."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, calming down and looking around for a chair. Which he promptly sat on.


    "I mean, it is always made a story of hero vs devil. It never goes into detail about what is going on... Nor what can, and sometimes do go wrong." Pros replied, adding under his breath, "That''s why he is so invested in the soul."


    Eldrian didn''t catch thetter part, however, he realized what Pros might be worried about. "I have an aura of wrath. And I know the dangers of it, I can be lost in anger... Right?"


    Pros nodded, finding the elf more interesting by the second. His knowing what his aura is, is impressive, at least ording to what he had read about on people who had auras. Normally they needed to lose themselves a few times before learning what path they were on.


    "However, that is not the only danger," Pros said, causing Eldrian confusion. He stared silently at Pros and waited for an exnation.


    "Yes, generally all that would happen to someone with such an aura is they would be lost in a blood frenzy."


    "We call such people berserkers, and for the most part, they are simply legends of the past. Most people dismiss it as myth, however, it is impossible that the myth came without reason. Yet it is also just these myths that most people know of."


    Eldrian was naturally confused about how Pros seemed to know so much about so many things. So he asked, "What are you trying to get at, and how do you know so much about this?"


    "Because I am curious," Pros replied with a sigh, "Ever since I was little those stories had fascinated me. Do you know why I became the mayor of Kynigo?"


    Eldrian shook his head no.


    "It is because it was supposed to be a city that requires little work. Back home I would be pressured by the family to perform, my nephew, Farest, is an exceptionally talented young centaur. He has already caught up to me in Tiers, however, that is mostly because, since my departure, I have stopped trying to improve."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, not trying to improve made little sense to him.


    "Because I was strong enough. Or so I thought, until the bloody invasion started." Pros paused and sighed in frustration. "But while I have not grown stronger in the past 40 years, I have learned a great deal."


    The 40 years threw Eldrian a little, with how young Pros still appeared.? Are centaurs long-lived? He wondered, but only for a second. His thoughts returning to the conversation as quickly as they had wandered from it.


    "I did not spend my time hyperfocused in improving in one area, instead I read up on what I enjoyed." Pros sighed, again he realized that those days of being carefree were gone.


    Inwardly he prayed that he would be able to keep the city safe. To keep Myropsis from needing to join the fray.


    She was simr to him, only her focus was limited to magical research. However, he felt that she was a kindred spirit, even if she narrowed herself to one field. The field was still massive, magic was everywhere.


    He wanted his niece to enjoy this time of her life, for as long as she still could.


    Pros sighed again instead of continuing. Realizing that part of why he asked Eldrian to stop trying to teach Myropsis was that he wanted her to not hyperfocus. Naturally, there were also dangers, however, what in life was danger-free.


    "I read a great deal, at least one book each day. Always books about the nature of things. While most of the things I never even attempted to copy, I at least know of them."


    "In my reading, I have found quite a few pieces of writing written by the truly strong. Wherein they exined their situation and the situation of those who did not make it. Ilpas Elpine is one of the many whose works I have read."


    "Due to this, I know that the myths are based in truth. The myths being the romanticized part." Pros paused a bit, continuing soon after.


    "The situation of a berserker is one of bnce. If you let the power you gain rule you, you will be permanently lost in a frenzy. Bing a deranged being, more representing a demon than a human."


    Eldrian shivered at these words. It was not hard for him to imagine what Pros meant, he just needed to think back to when he had nearly be lost. Heck, even now, most of his memories of that experience were lost to him.


    "I understand," Eldrian said, wondering if this would be something that would follow him into reality. He hoped and believed that he should be safer than most since he should be away from the influence for a few hours each day.


    Pros nodded and did not continue. He knew that preaching to someone would do little. They have toe to understand it themselves.


    After a while of awkward silence, Pros asked, "Do you still have all the crystals we gave you?"


    Hearing the question Eldrian replied in haste, "Of course, I still have them all. Do you want them back?" He asked, feeling that Pros might feel that it would be safer.


    "No," Pros shook his head as he replied, "I just wanted to ask." After a slight paused Pros said, "Actually, can you give me one Mov Crystal and five mana crystals.


    "Sure," Eldrian replied quickly pulling them out and offering them to Pros. Choosing to not ask why since he felt he did not really have the right. Luckily Pros exined why he wanted them.


    "I am sure you are curious why. It is quite simple, while thest attack had done little damage, it would be dumb to not start improving our defense."


    "Actually," Pros stopped as he was about to take the crystals, "Go find Thesolis, you probably have no understanding of arrays. Her exining while making a defensive and detection array would be better than me exining while doing nothing."


    "She can also fill you in on what you will be doing from now on. Just tell her you are going to join in the research."


    With that Pros left the cabin, leaving Eldrian trying to recall what Thesolis looked like.? Come on, it wasn''t that long ago.? He told himself, sighing as he came back with nothing.


    Observe? No, that will just piss off all the centaurettes.? He shook his head as he exited the cabin, turning to the first centaur he saw on guard duty.


    "Sorry, can you help me find someone?" Eldrian asked, the centaur, whose horse half was covered in armor and his chest bare, turned to him with a frown.


    "I am not a guide." He said, clearly not happy with being disturbed.


    "Just tell me where she might be then," Eldrian replied, realizing that his first question sounded a bit too needy. "Thesolis, do you know her?"


    The centaur''s eyes opened slightly wider in surprise, however, it happened so quickly it was hard to realize. "Why are you looking for her?" The centaur used Observe as he asked this, confused when he saw that Eldrian was a Chosen. However, it did lessen his wariness.


    "Pros asked me to deliver some things to her," Eldrian replied, shrugging when he saw the guards look. "He left before I could ask him where she was."


    The guard sighed upon hearing this, "Typical. She is not in the camp currently, use the southern gate. You should see a group about half a kilometer out on the path we have cleared."


    Thanking the guard, Eldrian turned to his map to figure out which direction was South. Promptly heading in that direction.

 Chapter 316: A very special flower

    <h4>Chapter 316: A very special flower</h4>


    "Here you are," Erik said, handing a small wooden box to a man covered in scars from head to toe. "But remember, these are only Tier 3 healing potions. Each is only as effective as one Tier 3 healing spell cast by an average priest."


    "It will give you a burst of energy and focus healing where your body believes is the most damage. If you want to ensure the location, increase the pain on that ce through pressure or fire."


    The man nodded, cradling the box after handing Erik 5 silvers. "I don''t get. Why do you keep your prices so low? Yours is only half the costpared to the adventurers guild''s, which is already 20% cheaper than buying it from the source. Yet on top of that, yours is more effective."


    Smiling modestly, Erik looked at his soft light green skin. "Because I need to increase my clientele."


    The man nodded upon hearing this, he hade here precisely due to the low cost. Even if the potions were worse, he could afford the loss. Many others he knew had thought the same.


    With that, Erik turned around and left, looking at the money he currently had as he walked through the streets. The total came to just under 10 gold. Grumbling, Erikined about how far he was from getting the rough estimate, a 100 gold, to get them out of the Vruntis.


    However, as he arrived at the inn they were staying at, a run-down ce in the rugged overgrown part of the city, he reced his frown with a smile. As soon as he entered through the doors, a small girl rushed to him and gave him a hug.


    "How many today?" She asked, Erik smiling and showing her his open hand.


    "Five!?" She eximed in excitement, only for Erik to shake his head. Pushing his hand three times. "Fifteen?" This time her voice carried uncertainty, however, when she saw Erik nod she jumped around in joy.


    "Alright, enough. You are bothering the innkeeper." Erik said after giving her a few minutes to celebrate.


    "Oh-no... It is no trouble at all." An old gray-haired man said, busy cleaning the broken pieces off the floor. Naturally, an inn in this part of the city would not go a night without a fight.


    Contrary to this, the people were nice. As of yet, no gangs or violent people havee. It was only people bing too drunk and then fighting it out. Only tough about it the next day, hugging the other andparing their ability byparing the wounds on the other.


    "Let me help you with that," Erik said, taking the broken chair leg from the old man. cing it on a table with the broken edges against each other.


    "Kalliergo," Erik said, the pieces soon fusing back into a solid chair leg. He repeated this until the chair was fixed, which took him just a few seconds.


    He then moved on to the other broken chairs and tables, which Akarui had helped the old man put back together. Not repaired, but in such a manner that Erik just needed to cast the spell to fix them.


    "When are you going to teach me?" She asked, her eyes wide open as she marveled at the dead, dried wood springing to life and bing whole.


    Pausing for a moment, Erik used Observe on Akarui. Still surprised that she was only six.


    He shook his head after seeing her stats unchanged. He had been trying to get her the best food possible, to help her grow. However, her health was still weak. Only a max of 35HP. She was far too fragile.


    "Not yet, you still need to grow," Erik said, his voice tainted with sadness. Akarui had a strange condition, something he had failed to get any information past that which the system gave him.


    It had something to do with her past trauma, however, Erik did not know exactly what. It was easy to guess though, she was an orphan in a world of violence.


    The system description said that she had a weak body, but a strong heart. It did not mention how to cure it, nor what problems could arise from it.


    "Butttt..." Akarui stretched the but until she ran out of breath. Taking a big breath before continuing, "I want to help!"


    Erik shook his head and ruffled her hair, "I can manage. What flowers did you find today?"


    His question made herpletely forget about the little argument she wanted to bring up. Excitedly she ducked down to get her basket.


    It had taken them some time to get used to the city, and especially to find a ce cheap to stay at. This particr area was disliked by most, not because it was filled with violence, but because the nts grew insanely fast.


    No one knew why, but it made the perfect ce for Erik. While the nts were a hindrance, the people did not try to cleanse them. They did not spread further into the city, making it a nonthreat. They also grew faster than normal which allowed the alchemists to have a stable flow of ingredients.


    Due to this, most people thought all the useful nts were already imed. However, people missed the normal nts that rivaled the magical ones.


    Erik had been shocked the first time Akarui had brought a specific flower. She had just thought it was very pretty, and indeed it was.


    A flower with each petal a different shade of blue. From light cyan to navy blue.


    However, upon using Inspect, Erik had lost interest. It was just a in flower. But thenter Akarui had added it into the mix she was preparing for him. The results were amazing.


    A Tier 2 mana potion, withmon herbs used for a Tier 1 health potion.


    Upon this discovery, Erik had started ignoring Inspect and rather tried to use his own feeling for nts. That which came with being a dryad, an ability Akarui seemed to also have. She did not know it but each flower she found, while pretty to look at, also had hidden properties.


    "Oh! Oh! I found a really cooool one!" She shouted from beneath the table, struggling to fit her basket out now that the surrounding chairs were fixed.


    "See, it is just amazing!"


    The flower she presented so enthusiastically was a light pink rose, with me-like patterns on the outer petals. The mes a slightly darker shade.


    "What on earth?" Erik gently took the flower from Akarui, unable to ept that one so unique was not a magical flower.


    The feeling it gave him upon picking it up confirmed this.? It felt like a starving dog, however, when it had been in Akarui''s hands, it had been like a cute puppy.


    Unable to stop his curiosity, Erik used Inspect while the flower sucked at his mana, Erik only vaguely being able to feel this. His breakthrough to Tier 3 still recent, and as such his sensitivity to his mana a bit higher than normal.


    As the seconds passed, the flower started to change in color. The light pink bing sharper and sharper, the me patterns lighting up in a bright purple.


    "Wooo." Akarui''s eyes popped wide open as the flower started lighting up the room.


    [Trainta Roz]


    [A very special flower, having no magical properties at first appearance. However, if ites into contact with a being attuned with nature, say a wood elf or dryad, then it will trulye to life.]


    [Beware, as the flower does not know about limits.]


    Upon reading thest sentence, Erik quickly gave the flower back to Akarui. Falling to the ground exhausted. Looking at his stats he saw that he only had 20MP left.


    "Th-this..." Erik said between gasps for air. Losing so much mana in such a short time left him exhausted.


    After his breakthrough to Tier 3 in both magic and alchemy, his total MP had increased quite a bit. It was just 6 shy of 300. Yet in seconds that 294MP was brought down to 22.


    "Wh-what is it?" Akarui asked in concern, looking between Erik and the flower. Concern in her eyes when on the former, and suspicion and anger when on thetter. "Did it hurt you?"


    Chuckling at her concern, which just made her all the cuter, Erik stood back up and ruffled her hair. "No, it just sucked all my mana. It is a very special flower. Can you show me where you found it?"


    He did his best to hide his exhaustion. Not wishing to worry her.


    Hearing that he was okay, Akarui quickly lost her suspicion towards the flower. Nodding enthusiastically, she started heading for the door. Erik followed close by, the two quickly leaving the paves streeted and heading into uncharted territory.


    The nts covering every inch of every ce insight. Be it walls, windows, chimneys, dirt. Nothing but green could be seen. Well... There were also the flowers of the nts, most of which looked like in wildflowers.


    "Akarui, how far did you go in?" Erik asked with slight concern. The buildings they had just passed were thest ones where people still dared stay. Further in the growth of nts was so wild that they could not keep their doors open without needing to remove the nts each morning and night.


    "It''s past those trees," Akarui said, pointing to two peculiar-looking trees. They swayed side to side, but there was no wind. Their bark looked alive, and their flowers seemed to contain unimaginable power.


    "Wait!" Erik grabbed Akarui''s shoulder and pulled her back. cing her behind him as he used Observe.

 Chapter 317: Mother tree

    <h4>Chapter 317: Mother tree</h4>


    What Observe returned did not make Erik''s wariness any weaker. In fact, it pushed him to be even more concerned.


    [Treant (Ficel), Ancient]


    [Tier 7; Level 42]


    [HP: 18K/18K]


    [Mana: 18.8K/18.8K]


    [Attack: 2.5K]


    [Attack Damage(No Armor): 28K]


    [Treants are trees who have been granted life. Either through being in a mana-rich area, through nurture and culturing by dryads or wood elves, or through experimentation. However, thetter normally results in ents, living trees prone to violence.]


    [In lore a treant will stay in its ce of birth for all its life. If the need arises they can uproot themselves. This, however, is an extremely painful process for a living tree, and more than likely it will be grumpy for the following week.]


    [If you find a rooted treant, then there is likely no need to fear. They are peace-loving creatures, or rather, trees. More than likely they would like to converse, as there is little chance for them to meet people from the outside world.]


    [Passive Ability: A living tree. Can there be anything simpler than that?]


    [Yes, that is indeed the ability''s name. And, in fact, it fits quite well with the meaning. For what can be simpler than simple life being alive.]


    [While rooted, constantly regenerated 5% HP every second. Also increases status resistance by 50%, increased physical resistance to 90%, and magical resistance to 70%.]


    [NOTE:]


    [Ficel has allowed you to use Observe, letting you see what he allows you to see. Consequently, Ficel is aware of your transgression.]


    Erik took a step back upon reading the warning, however, upon seeing neither tree showing any indication of moving, he assumed that they were not bothered by him transgressing.


    Only then did his mind register the numbers, but he no longer had them before him.? So he did it again, this time looking at the tree on the left. The one that even had fruits hanging from its branches.


    All the time Akarui curiously peeped from behind his legs. Wondering why Erik seems so worried.


    [Treant (Nerenth), Ancient - Omega]


    [Tier 9; Level 55]


    [HP: 60.6K/60.6K]


    [Mana: 63.3K/63.3K]


    [Attack: 36K]


    [Attack Damage(No Armor): 405.9K]


    [An Omega treant, oh boy... You must be somewhere in the middle of a dense forest... Right? Right... How else can you meet a mother tree?]


    [...]


    [Trait: Bears Fruits of Life. The effect it will have on a person is random, and it might outright kill some. Better ask for permission and advice.]


    [NOTE:]


    [Nerenth has allowed you to use Observe, letting you see only parts of what she is capable of. As both a warning and a greeting. Come closer, she says, if you want to converse. Else... Leave!]


    Erik gulped upon finishing going through the information given by Observe. Unable toprehend the values, and thest note even freakier than the one from Ficel. Hesitantly he looked at the trees and then at Akarui who was peering up at him.


    Taking a deep breath to calm down, deciding to go forth. They might know what is wrong with her!? He told himself as he took the first step, the attack damage causing him fear and the wish to run from here.


    "Oh... Would you look at that, a warry man stilles closer. What is it that makes you risk death?" A male voice echoed through the air, causing shivers to run up Erik''s spine. However, he calmed down as he felt Akarui shivering against him.


    He took another step.


    "Determined are we. Then answer me this, why is a dryad in a city of humans? And with a human child no less?"


    This time the voice was more aggressive, the air trembling from its simple questions. Erik gulped again and took a deep breath. "I wish to ask something."


    "Then answer first, it is impolite to ignore a question asked in good faith." The voice replied, less aggressive but assertive nheless.


    "I am not from this world, I am a Chosen. As such I have always been with humans... And the child... She is Akarui and the one I wish to ask for."


    "Thene closer and ask." The voice said again, this time without any aggression.


    Erik mustered up his courage and stepped forward. Not knowing why he was so afraid, but every part of him wanted to run away.


    "Ficel, do you not feel the human in this dryad?" A female voice flowed into the air, seemingly in harmony with nature itself. The very grass they were walking on grew a few centimeters from that simple question.


    "I do, as I am sure you feel the pull of nature in the small child named Akarui. His stepping forward for her must mean his human part means well." The male voice replied.


    "Yes, you are correct. However, her''s is not a born aura." The female voice replied, "Child and hybrid,e closer." As the voice faded, the fruit-bearing tree, Nerenth, lowered one of her branches.


    "You can take a fruit or ask your question. Child and hybrid, what will it be?" The voice spoke again as Erik and Akarui neared it.


    Looking at the hanging fruits, whose very form seemed to be changing constantly, Erik could feel the great power hidden in them. However, he stopped himself from acting rashly, recalling the warning about the fruits.


    Clearing his throat from the buildup saliva, Erik asked, "Do you know why Akarui is so frail?"


    Hearing the question Akarui looked puzzled, pulling on Erik''s pants wanting an exnation. Erik ignored her tugs and focused on the tree before him.


    "She is frail because she is a human. She is frail because of the horrors she has seen. She is frail because she is special." Nerenth replied, moving her branch up a little and just out of Erik''s reach.


    "Then... How do I help her be strong?" Erik asked, a feeling of loss entering his heart as he saw the fruits move further away. Hebated this feeling and tried his best to stay focused, however, the pleasant smell. The most pleasant he had ever smelled assaulting him, did not make this easy.


    "That is much moreplicated." Nerenth paused, lowering one of her small branched with a bright yellow flower. Giving off a soft glow to the surrounding.


    "What do you feel little one?" She asked, letting Akarui take the flower in her hands.


    "Sunrise!" Akarui answered with a bright smile. Before she had been slightly cold, however, this flower had brought warmth to her. The refreshing warmth of the morning sun.


    "And what do you smell, little one?"


    Akarui took the flower and brought it closer to her nose. Erik standing to the side and observing, hoping for the best.


    Upon inhaling the flower''s smell, Akarui shook her head and threw the flower onto the ground in disgust. Running to Erik with tears streaming down her face.


    "What''s wrong?" Erik asked, squatting down and gently wiping the running tears from her face.


    Akarui shook her head, refusing to answer. Instead, she pushed towards Erik and cried into his chest. Erik stayed still andforted her, looking at Nerenth with all her beautiful flowers and fruits in anger.


    "Little one, tell me what you smelled," The female voice asked, her tone like a mother soothing her daughter and trying to find out what is wrong.


    Akarui shook her head and buried it into Erik''s chest. Which was already wet from her tears.


    "Do you want to go?" Erik asked, Akarui nodding silently. So Erik gently took her in his arms and started moving away.


    As he took a second step, Akarui whispered through her tears. "Don''t go... Mama... Papa... Don''t..."


    Her whisper was so soft that Erik could not even hear it, however, Nerenth heard it clearly. "Child, did you smell abandonment... Loss? Death?"


    Erik was almost out of the area, hearing the question he did not n to stop. However, Akarui nodding changed his mind.


    "Child, Hybrid, I apologize. Her trauma was buried very deep."


    Hearing this Erik slowly turned around, finding a small human wisp appearing before them. Like a fairy, barely the size of Erik''s hand.


    "Little one, take this as an apology." The fairy said, bringing out a flower nearly as big as her. The flower hadrger stiff petals on the outside. These petals forming a multi-shaded purple bed for an inner flower. The inner flower appearing as a bunch of small petals of all kinds of colors.


    "Ah Proteaceae Rainbow flower, let it ease your worries." Erik looked at the fairy in confusion, but Akarui had no qualms upon seeing the flower. Moving in his arms, she reached out and took the flower. Eyes wide in wonder.


    The fairy chuckled as she saw Akarui forgetting about everything that just happened so quickly. Hopping down, Akarui inspected the flower from all sides. The petals changing color to always appear the same. No matter where she looked from.


    "Ficel, please look after her. I wish to talk with this dryad hybrid alone." The fairy said, taking one of Erik''s fingers and pulling him towards her tree body.


    Her fairy form was surprisingly strong, Erik nearly tripping over his own feet as she literally pulled him.


    "W-what the hell?" Erik finally blurted out as he was already at the tree. His feet never having managed to catch up to the fairy''s speed.


    "I am shocked at the pain she bears. Do you know what had happened to her parents?" The fairy asked, floating at Erik''s eye''s height.


    "No," Erik replied, "When I arrived she was already an orphan working in one of the temple''s gardens."

 Chapter 318: Expensive pillars

    <h4>Chapter 318: Expensive pirs</h4>


    "I see..." The fairy floated around a bit as she pondered things, "What she smelled was nothing of what I asked, or rather it was everything. It reminded her of her parents. And what had happened to them."


    Erik nodded, curious what Akarui had been through. However, he would rather not pry and bring her more pain. If she wished to bury it, he would let her.


    "Why do you care for her so much?" The fairy asked, aligning herself again with Erik''s eye height.


    "How can someone not care for her?" Erik replied, curious what his feelings towards her were. He never had siblings, nor was he a parent. He was quite certain it was one of those two kinds of love.


    "Fair enough. Why did youe here?" The fairy asked, and Erik pointed to Akarui.


    "She found a special flower called a Trainta Roz. I do not quite know what that flower is, but it seems to be capable of storing massive amounts of mana. I was following her, wanting to know where they grow."


    The fairy moved up and down in a nod motion, "I see, but how did you reach us? Not only does the Trainta Roz grow far from here; there is also a spell cast to keep people from entering."


    Erik shrugged as he heard this question, "She has some special talent. I do not know how, but she always managed to find nts with special properties. Maybe it guided us here?"


    The fairy nodded again by moving up and down. "That is likely the call of nature within her."


    "Call of nature?"


    "Mmm... How to exin it?" The fairy pondered for a bit, "She has a very special talent, some might even call it an aura. They would not be wrong."


    Erik just stared at the fairy and waited for her to make sense, which took quite a while. Finally, she dumbed it down so he could understand.


    "Much like you can feel what nts feel, allowing you to tell if they are growing well. What they could be used for, where they liked to grow. She is attracted to nature, and not to just anything. But rather to special and unique kinds of things in nature."


    Erik nodded to show he was following, not asking anything until he was sure that Nerenth was done talking.


    "Due to her age and personality, she is likely only interested in pretty things like flowers. However, if she can learn to control her talent, she will be able to find all kinds of special nts. We call people born with this trait Fysi."


    "Normally this talent only appears in a select few dryads and elves, while all treants naturally have this talent. It appearing in a human child is abnormal."


    The fairy took a slight pause, turning to look at Akarui ying with some vines Fecil was manipting. Tickling her if she failed to keep them in sight. "I am d the flower worked..."


    "What?"


    "The flower, it is a special kind. It can be quite dangerous if in the wrong hands, as the aroma it releases causes one to be overflowed with happiness. We rarely make this flower, and even less often would we give it to someone. It is too easy to be addicted."


    "I am d that she had already stored it in her basket. It is more proof that she is a Fysi. Most people would be unable to let go of something which gives them endless pleasure."


    Erik gulped hearing this, wondering if he would have managed. He also recalled some of the things Eldrian had shared with him and wondered if he might be dependant on it. Even in reality.


    "Do not worry, she is in full control."


    Erik nodded, not wishing to rify that he was worried about himself. Not Akarui.


    The two looked at Akarui ying with the nts for a while. Enjoying her innocent joy. However, after just a few minutes of ying she had to sit down and rest. Sparking Erik to recall why he was here.


    "How can I help her?"


    "I am sorry, I honestly do not know. A Fysi in a human body is unheard of. The children born with the talent are always frailer of body. However, they be better simply by staying in nature. As their race already does."


    "Then... Would it help if we stay here?"


    "While it would not hurt, she is past the age where the most improvement is normally seen. I would offer a fruit of life, however, the energy contained in it might be too much for her."


    "Then what about just a slice of the fruit?" Erik pleaded, hoping for a solution. Not knowing what he would do if even such a strong being had no answer.


    "It does not work that way. The fruit of life is not something physical, its physical form is just an appearance. Used to beguile the weak and disgust the worthy. Its true power is in that it works on the soul."


    Erik did not quite follow, other than realizing he was part of the weak. The fruit appearing like the most delicious thing he had ever seen. Sighing, he asked, "Then?"


    "There is one race who is even more attuned with nature than even us." Nerenth said, "However, I doubt they would take in a human. They do not even trust the elves and dryads fully."


    "Who are they?" Erik asked, his concern for escaping the kingdom decreasing as he realized there was a problem he seemed to be incapable of solving. One that might make escaping inconsequential.


    The fairy did not respond immediately, instead, she disappeared. Erik became quite worried by this, however, he stopped himself from acting out. Standing and watching Akarui who was again on her feet, and then back to sitting and recovering, he waited.


    Finally, after nearly ten minutes, the fairy appeared again.


    "Have you ever heard of Alicorns?"


    ...


    Following the road they had created, Eldrian soon found a group of centaurs and centaurettes busy installing some kind of marble pir. With a few more standing guard and staring at him.


    He observed the group for a while, until he recognized Thesolis among them. Busy carving arrays on the pir.


    Moving closer he exined to those standing guard that he was sent by Pros. After they used Observe, they let him through.


    "Thesolis!" Eldrian called out as he neared the centaurs busy on the pir.


    Eldrian realized his mistake as he saw Thesolis hand shaking as she was carving. Ignoring the call, she finished the convergent rune she was carving. Once she was done she threw down her chisel and looked to the source of the disturbance in anger.


    Her anger turning into confusion as she saw the elf standing there twiddling his thumbs. "It''s you..."


    Eldrian nodded, "Sorry, I wasn''t thinking when I called out."


    Thesolis nodded and waited, Eldrian continuing as he saw she wanted him to exin why he was here. "Pros sent me to deliver some crystals..." Adding after a bit of a dy, "He also said you can teach me about arrays."


    Hearing the added part, Thesolis sighed, extending her hand towards Eldrian. "Give me the crystals."


    Eldrian nodded and quickly pulled the mana crystals from his inventory, Thesolis only taking one. "Keep them, I''ll exin once we are done with this pir."


    Eldrian nodded and stored the other four crystals in his inventory again. Taking a step back he looked at the centaurs working. A total of three were carving, while one was chanting to the side.


    It took nearly an hour for them to finish, Eldrian having lost interest after 5 minutes. However, when he used Mana Examination, having simply nned to practice, he instead saw a very curious sight.


    The pir was surrounded by soft white mist, just barely visible. What was strange was the fact that raw mana never appeared in the surroundings. In all the time Eldrian had been using Mana Examination he had never seen the white mist. It was always element-mana that filled the surrounding.


    Curiously, the mist would change in density with each rune finished. The space it filled would change with each pathway, and the brightness with each chant finished by the chanting centaurette.


    With them finally done, most headed back to the base. Thesolis however led Eldrian to another pir, exining what they were doing as they walked.


    "The pirs act as a sort of ry. Generally, this is only done when making walls, as each pir requires a mana crystal and cannot be past a kilometer from another. On top of that, the crystal needs to be changed every month."


    "Luckily mana crystals can be recharged, however making them is still expensive. Each pir is worth nearly 150 gold."


    Hearing the cost, Eldrian''s jaw nearly fell to the ground. "Wh-w-what?" He stuttered, realizing that his struggle to help Erik make a 100 gold wasughable when views by craftsmen and nobility.


    "That is the same census everyone had when Pros told us to make a defensivework. However, he is the leader."


    Eldrian nodded absentmindedly as he asked, "How many are you making?" Unable to ept that it would five.


    "Five... Along with a control pir which will be donest in the center of the entire array."


    Eldrian was dumbfounded. Only after half a minute had passed could he ask his next question. "And... What are these pirs supposed to do?"


    "Unlike those in the fort, these are designed to counteract the undead. Do you remember how you got through the barrennds? What you did at night?"

 Chapter 319: Offensive divine spells

    <h4>Chapter 319: Offensive divine spells</h4>


    Her question reminded Eldrian of the Night Terror he and Vivian had faces. Causing him to shiver, hoping that they would not suddenly appear here. It was one of the strongest monsters he had faced thus far.


    While the undead were not easy to kill, they at least had weaknesses. The Night Terror seemed to have none, at least none that could weaken and contain it. The only thing better about the Night Terror was that it did not smell.


    After that shed in his mind, he then recalled the fires that were used to keep them at bay. "Something to do with fires that the priests bless."


    "Correct, that is what the chanting was for. To give the pir some divine mana, simr to how they blessed the fires. The array takes that as a blueprint for what it will send out."


    "So... The area inside the pirs will be filled with divine magic?" Eldrian asked, wondering if this was even possible.


    "Not quite, that is a bit too hard to do." Eldrian didn''t follow and made it clear to Thesolis, who then continued. "If that was possible, not only would undead be weakened, we would also be strengthened. The very air would heal us if that was the case."


    "Then..."


    "The array we are going to carve will use the divine mana to detect the undead. At the same time, it will also target the undead, releasing Divine Cleanse on it. It should kill most weaker undead outright."


    "That sounds even better," Eldrianmented, Thesolis not knowing if she shouldugh or sigh at his ignorance.


    "It isn''t. It costs a great deal of mana and there is no way to tell the array to only target higher undead, who are the real problem. An entire Mov Crystal will be used up after killing around 8000 undead."


    "That''s amazing!" Eldrian eximed, only to find again that this seemed to not be the general consensus.


    "No, it is not. Unlike mana crystals, Mov Crystals cannot recharge. Hence each is extremely rare and costs at least a 1000 gold."


    Eldrian gulped upon hearing this. Unable to ept this so easily. "Why can''t you make the array target specific undead? Can''t you use the difference in strength to determine who is a threat?"


    "If it was that easy we would do it," Thesolis replied shortly, irritated by Eldrian''s assumptions. "Do you know how hard it is to find an undead''s strength, based only on the reaction divine mana gives to the present of undeath?"


    "It is not like all strong undead will cause a greater reaction. Some can almostpletely hide their nature. It is why we always use Observe to confirm their strength, we can''t judge them properly otherwise."


    "For example, the worst undead for this array is a ghoul. The weakest ghoul will give the reaction of a lower undead, while the stronger ones would appear to be a newly created Tier 1 lower undead."


    Eldrian did not reply, instead, he just nodded. Not having known that the undead could hide their aura of undeath had caused him to just assume things. Still, he felt there must be a way.


    If that is the case... I wonder if it is possible to make an array for Observe. But... There must be a reason why they do not do this.


    The rest of the way they walked in silence. Arriving at a new marble pir which two centaurs were busy nting in the ground.


    "Orelis, Therios." Thesolis nodded in greeting, looking at the pir they were installing. "Where is the rest of your group?"


    "Undead." One of the centaurs answered, "Thesolis, please make sure the pir isn''t damaged. We had to retreat in haste."


    Thesolis nodded and inspected the part still above ground, the two lifting it up so she could also see some of the buried part. After finding nothing wrong, she nodded to the two and they continued to install it.


    "Do you know what arrays are?" Thesolis asked Eldrian as they waited for the two to finish.


    "Kind of, I mean they are like static spells. Right?"


    "Yes... And no. They aren''t necessarily static, nor are they spells. They are arrays, a way of manipting mana far past the limit of normal mages."


    "A spell is just manipting mana, so doesn''t that mean they are indeed spells?" Eldrian countered, for once not receiving a sigh in return.


    "If that is your definition of a spell, then you are right. Most, however, do not see spells like that."


    Eldrian shrugged hearing this, he knew his way of understanding magic differed from most.


    "Do you know how arrays work?" Thesolis asked after a slight moment of silence, the two centaurs finishing the imnting of the pir and heading to the camp to get a priest.


    "Not really... They are simr to spell modules but moreplex. For some reason you guys also gave the nodes and pathways different names. But they function the same, right?"


    "Correct on the first part, not thetter. With a spell module, the nodes are the entry and exit points for mana. However, with an array, it is the convergence point and hence its name. The mana supplied to the array start here, always."


    "After converging at all the convergents, the mana then flows through the Rilpai. The patterns we carve. It flows instantly and has the same amount of mana everywhere. It is not like water, instead, it appears to just instantly appear once activated."


    Sounds like electricity,? Eldrian thought.


    "As such, the longer you make a Rilpai, the weaker its effect. At the same time, the shorter it is the less distance the mana it releases can cover. Thus the smaller the effect of the array."


    "That is why we have these pirs." Thesolis patted the pir, which was over two meters tall after being installed. "We want arge coverage, more as a warning for us than for a defensive array."


    "Therger covered area means the spell we imbue in it has to be weaker, however, thanks to Pros supplying us with a Mov Crytal, the spell will still be Tier 5."


    Eldrian nodded and then asked, "Are all the patterns you carved in the other pir one array?"


    "Gods no... That would be beyond insanity. In that pir, we carved four inner protii and one outer."


    Eldrian looked at her in confusion until she continued.


    "Arrays are not set in stone. Unlike spell modules, their patterns can be adapted and changed. The effect will change, and it might even fail. However, what works and what does not has already been experimented through the years."


    "That is part of the reason why we have someone casting the spells into the pir. It allows the array to function properly even if the pattern does not match."


    "As for what protii are, you can consider each one an array. Inner proto are generally smaller arrays, however, they can be just asplex or even more so than the outer proto. In our case, this is actually what is going on."


    "The outer proto is a detect array, sending out a bit of mana in arge area every second. This is what drains the mana crystals. The inner protii, instead, are the spells we decided on using to kill the undead."


    "Divine Cleanse is the first. This is the pattern for it." Thesolis said, drawing aplex pattern on the ground. If Eldrian didn''t know better he would assume it was a spell module in the shape of spiraling winds captured inside a circle.


    He knew that Thesolis had just drawn the pattern, the actual array having much more added. The things that made the lines Rilpai and not pathways.


    "This spell should kill most lower undead, as it fills them with divine mana." Thesolis stopped, not knowing how to exin how it worked, but Eldrian had an idea and seeing her hesitation he voiced it.


    "Like how Thera also works against the undead?"


    "Yes. But far more efficient. Nature magic spreads its energy over all of the undead, trying to heal it to its original form. The mana sustaining its undeath fights this. And the resulting fight is what causes damage."


    "Divine magic instead directly changes the undead parts into living again as it passes through. Causing the undead massive pain and costing far more mana for it to repair. Generally what happens is the two override each other and the affected parts turn to ash."


    Eldrian nodded, finally understanding why divine magic did more damage. However, he did not quite understand how this all worked. Especially what it meant to turn the undead parts into living parts.


    Still, he kept quiet and let her continue to exin, "The next spell is Smite. Unlike Divine Cleanse, smite focused all its power on one part of the undead. The spell can take on many different forms, the mostmon being a sword or hammer."


    "Can you show me?" Eldrian asked, having never seen weapons being materialized by magic.


    "No, I can''t use divine magic." Thesolis replied while shaking her head, "However it is less effective than you might be imagining. Normally the form will be smaller than real weapons, often only as big as your hand or arm."


    "Ohh..." Eldrian lost all interest upon hearing this. Letting Thesolis continue her exnation.


    Divine Cleanse wasn''t a targetted spell, the energy was just sent to the target like the Anthos spells. Smite instead was more like a Frost Needle, however, most people couldn''t control it. Hence they aimed and let loose.


    As Thesolis exined it, the damage was nearly twice that of Divine Smite. However, it would only damage the part that was hit. Meaning if the target dodged, then it does no damage.


    "That is why Divine Cleanse is used first. It should weaken and slow the undead. If the array detects it did not die, Smite will be cast near it. Giving it as little time as possible to react."

 Chapter 320: Finally some peace

    <h4>Chapter 320: Finally some peace</h4>


    "What about the other two?" Eldrian asked after a moment of reflection. Wishing to see the array in action. Especially how Smite worked. Just imagining a sword forming in midair and suddenly striking at him gave him goosebumps. It would be near impossible to dodge.


    "One is called Strike Evil, the other is called White Hell." Thesolis replied, "Strike Evil takes the form of lighting, with it moving just as fast. While White Hell sets the entire area ame in white-hot mes blessed with divinity."


    Eldrian assumed that the White Hell was what was used against the lich back when the fort was under attack. Causing him to look at the pirs with new respect, that power was quite insane.


    "Why four spells?" He asked after a bit.


    "It is a way to determine the strength of the target. If Divine Cleanse can''t kill them, then they are likely the Unwilling or a Higher undead. If Smite and Strike Evil both fail, then it is certainly a Higher Undead."


    "Even if White Hell fails to kill the Higher undead, it will be greatly weakened and we will know what we are facing."


    Eldrian nodded, finding this a crude but likely and effective measure to kill most, and determine the threat at the same time. Still, he believed simply adding observe or something simr would be far more effective.


    "How many of the spells can it cast?" Eldrian asked, recalling that the mana was limited.


    "Two rotations. Each consecutive spell takes far more mana than the former. White Hell uses nearly half the mana of a Mov Crystal. It is just ast resort."


    "Right, that is the basics of what we are doing, why, and how. You can give me the rest of the crystals and go do your own thing." Thesolis said, not meaning to be rude.


    The carving of an array required utmost concentration. Last time he had nearly caused her to make a mistake, which would have ruined the entire pir. Which itself was not cheap, since it had to be made from a special type of marble.


    "Can''t I stay and watch?" Eldrian asked, only to find his question dumb after Thesolis countered his question.


    "You already didst time, are you telling me you found that interesting?"


    Eldrian shook his head in denial, it was extremely boring. Especially since he had no idea what they were really doing, as such he could not learn from them. Just looking at them carving patterns did little for him, nor was it fun to watch.


    "Your right, here are the other three mana crystals and the Mov Crystal," Eldrian said, handing them to Thesolis who quickly stored them in her own dimensional storage.


    A neckless she wore under her clothing, tucked between her breasts to make it hard to see. She even had another neckless hanging above her clothing to hide the dimensional neckless. There was also no need for her to even take it out, to Eldrian the crystals simply disappeared. He had no idea where to.


    With that done Eldrian headed back to the camp. It was still quite early in the day, around 10 am. As such he could still do plenty of training before needing to log out and join the others for a few matches in the league.


    Finding himself a quiet spot not too far from the camp. One that was not burned nor reeked of the undead. Eldrian started to practice as he always did. Firstly by casting Mana Examination whilst also casting Tier 0 spells.


    After a good warmup he wanted to start with Tier 1 spells, only to find that he had lost his edge in dual casting them.? Dammit, I guess I should have solidified it more. Eldrian mumbled, realizing that the slight paused had caused him to lose some ground.


    Luckily, it did not take long to catch back up. After dual casting a few Tier 0 spells with Mana Examination active, he then moved on to Tier 1 spells again. Starting with Frost Needle which he was most used to.


    He looked at the spell form, his mana moving out in the form of a light blue mist, as well as some a soft white. The blue mist quickly formed the icicle which was quite deadly in the right hands -or rather mind.


    The white mist instead surrounded the icicle, and as Eldrian moved it through the air, the white mist grew thinner and thinner. However, he could not keep the two spells active at the same time for long. After just five seconds, Frost Needle was let loose or he lost focus on Mana Examination.


    It took him a few hours before managing to hold out long enough for the white mist to be fully used up. Which he found happened when he moved around 35 meters with the icicle. This was quite impressive, but only possible if he let it flew straight and at its fastest.


    Even if the icicle was just hanging in the air, the white mist would disperse. Once it was fully used he would start to feel a pull on his mana again, a stream moving towards the icicle. This was far less efficient than when first casting the spell.


    Frost Needle only cost 20MP, but if he kept it active when the raw mana was up, then it would take 2MP every second. And the further the icicle was from him, the higher this cost.


    Interesting, so that is what determines the active time.? Eldrian pondered, quite upset that he had been so busy the past few days. So much had happened that he had nearly forgotten about his training and had to spend a few hours to catch back up.


    After ying a bit with Frost Needle, Eldrian then cast Aeraki - the spell he uses to cool his surroundings with a refreshing breeze. This was also good practice, especially if he tried mixing in the water element like usual. A small addition that made the dual cast far more difficult.


    This took him another few hours to perfect, at which point he could finally see a wind spell in action as the sun was starting to set.


    Interestingly enough, this spell worked very differently to Anemos - the Tier 0 wind spell. All that Anemos did was send some mana to excite the local wind elements - the white green mist.


    Aeraki instead sent its own wind elements into the surrounding, creating an imbnce. His keeping the spell active was not mana expensive, and all that it did was keep the imbnce. A mix of reabsorbing mana on one side, and sending others out on the other side. The direction of the breeze being determined by this.


    A pressure difference... As I suspected. Eldrian mumbled, finding this to be quite exciting. After enjoying the sight of the moving mists for a while, Eldrian then looked for the water elements he had added. This took some time, with him needing to recast the spell a few times and follow it from the start each time.


    The water element mixed into the surroundings and became almost invisible. It was so little that it did nearly nothing, hidden by all the other elements in the air. However, the addition still cooled down the air.


    Not by forming water or making the amount of water more, but rather by eliminating the fire elements in the affected area. It was in fact the part of the spell which seemed to be the most mana hungry.


    "However, water is not really cold." Eldrian pondered, recalling that Frost Needle was a mix of water and darkness. "I wonder, what if I tried to add darkness. Would that even work? Would it make it more efficient?"


    Eldrian felt this was unlikely, realizing that the mana he let out for Frost Needle was not a mix as with Aeraki. Instead of being dark blue, it was light blue.


    After a moment he decided to put that at the back of his mind. Realizing that he had wasted quite some time by waiting for his mind to rx. He should have been doing something in that time.


    "While I do not n to learn any skills at the moment, practice is not a bad idea," Eldrian mumbled, about to stand up when he recalled that the system had informed him that all he needed to do to reach Tier 3 was meditate.


    "Scratch that, let''s see if I can follow her advice instead."


    Sitting back down, Eldrian started focusing into himself. Quickly finding himself following the mana flowing inside of him. He enjoyed this for a while, finding that it was quite calming if all he did was follow along.


    This might be a better way to rest.? He thought before starting to truly meditate. As soon as he started trying to force his mana to move in a certain way, he could feel it fighting back.


    This took a great deal of effort and focus, and within minutes his back was wet from sweat. Each time he was tired, he would simply stop and enjoy the calming effect just being in this state gave him.


    Soon Eldrian lost track of time, onlying to when he was rudely pulled from his meditative state by someone tapping on his shoulder.


    Turning to the disturbance in irritants, Eldrian was about to let them have an ear full when he saw it was Katania. She appeared apologetic which made him calm down.


    "Sorry, I tried waiting, but... You have been like that for over ten minutes." Katania exined, Eldrian looking at the time and shocked to find that two hours had passed. The sun was nowpletely down and he was quickly bing cold. The cool air of the forest over his wet body made this just worse.


    "Ah... No," Eldrian shook his head and stood up, nearly falling over as his legs were asleep. "I got lost in meditation, thanks for waking me."

 Chapter 321: Visiting the forums

    <h4>Chapter 321: Visiting the forums</h4>


    Katania nodded with a sigh, "Were you meditating again?" Eldrian replied with a nod and she continued, "You should be more careful. At least do it inside the camp."


    Eldrian nodded again, but then argued, "I can''t, there is still quite a bit of noise there. Plus... The smell."


    Laughing at his counter, Katania told him to follow her. Eldrian shocked to find the inside of the camp appearing perfectly normal. The only remnants of the battle were the walls that were still being repaired and reced.


    He also immediately saw a massive four-meter tall square pir where the cabin used to be. Strange carvings covering it from the bottom to the top, with some not at all resembling what Eldrian was used to.


    Instead of appearing like spell modules, these appeared as actual representations of what would be summoned.


    Atop this decorated pir was an all too familiar crystal, lighting the top half of the pir in a soft purple hue. Dust, lights of all colors, and mists floating inside this purple hue. Like a forming gxy.


    "It is quite the sight alright," Katania remarked upon following Eldrians gaze. "We call it a miniature tower."


    Eldrian nodded due to habit, his focus on the crystal and how much it resembled a Magic Crystal at the moment. Much like thetter, it was floating atop the tower with nothing keeping it in ce.


    The light it let out also resembling that of a forming gxy, simr to how the inside of a Magic Crystal appeared. The only difference was that this crystal was sending light out, while a magic crystal did not.


    Though, while the Magic Crystal did not send out any light into its surroundings, its details were clearly visible. Self-contained light, allowing one to see in and no more.


    Eldrian marveled at the simrity and stark contrast. Finally truly understanding why the two were the same crystal, the Mov just a defect. The defective part must certainly be it not being able to contain its own light.


    After giving Eldrian a moment to enjoy the sights, of moving lights that appear inside a vortex of materialized mists of different colors. Like a physical aurora, Katania said, "As you can see, we can repair quickly. So don''t go meditating outside, it might just get you killed."


    Eldrian nodded and brought his eyes back to ground level, still needing to look up to look the centaurette in the eyes.


    "I assume you want to know why I went searching for you?" Katania said, Eldrian nodded but only half-listened. He was busy checking the time and realizing that he needed to log out to make it for the fights with Pheonix Division.


    "Pros told me to give you your reward," Katania said, bringing Eldrian''s attention back for a moment.? With puppy eyes, he looked up at the centaurette and hoped for the best.


    Seeing his pleading look she giggled, "Here... Unfortunately, due to the guild rules we can only give you a silver emblem. Gold would require us to not have ess to the spell you modified."


    "No problem!" Eldrian shouted in excitement, quickly taking the small silver emblem from Katania.


    Marveling at how something just barely the size of his thumbnail could be worth 25 gold. Much like the iron emblem he had gotten before, this one also featured a shield and two crossing swords. However, the detail was far more. Carvings simr to runes on the shield.


    A smile blossomed as Eldrian realized he was rich. Only if he ignored craftsmen, nobles, and royalty. But he was rich for a Chosen, for a yer. This made him feel quite proud of himself, even though he knew that the gold was going to go to help Erik get Akarui out of Vruntis.


    "Right, Pros also asked that you stay within the camp. Unless you are nning to go out and try to make some more money?"


    Eldrian quickly replied that he had no such ns. Thest close call having informed him of the dangers.


    Katania sighed in relief, "Good. We will be making three camps like this, the next will be ten kilometers further in. Once the area has been cleared. Give or take a week."


    "Alright... What are you going to do in between?" Eldrian asked, most of his attention still on the emblem, trying to figure out how it worked.


    "Help clear the infected areas." katania replied and started walking away. Eldrian giving her onest look, then the emblem, then he logged off.


    ...


    After waking, stretching, showering, and changing, Eldrian was ready to start the day. Only to realize he needed to join the fights in the arenas in an hour.


    Sighing, he fell back onto his bed and stared at the roof for a few minutes. Contemting all that has happened over thest few days, and even thest few months since he had gotten his first headset.


    I need to make some time.? He thought, recalling how he had drifted from his sister. He had also not gone out with Erik in a while. Though they were in contact, he needed to go visit and maybe go clubbing again.


    Thinking of thest time they did that brought a smile to Eldrian. He realized that he had been missing the small things, much like when he got a haircut. Thinking of that caused his smile to grew and his cheeks to redden.


    Shaking his head, he stood up and decided it was better to not let his thoughts wander. The more they did, the more awkward he would be when meeting Vivian again.


    Though... No no, no. Don''t...? It took Eldrian a few minutes to finally be distracted, having turned on his PC to see what the other yers had been up to. Having not done this in quite some time.


    The most popr posts were those of how to grow stronger in the arenas. With streamers sharing their subjective opinions, while some of the top teams shared their objective advice.


    Eldrian leisurely scrolled through them, most of the tips being to reach the highest Tier and level possible. Easier said than done. Or to get good equipment,? Even harder than the former.


    Some of the posts were quite funny, with one streamer iming that having a few girls would drastically increase your chance of winning. Saying that they just need to act charming and enchant the enemy.


    Eldrian chuckled upon reading this, slightly worried when he saw thements stating that this really worked. Calming down when he saw it worked only up to the rank of Graduate(150 points). Thereafter people were actually invested in winning, more than just having fun in PvP.


    After a few minutes of scrolling, Eldrian found a truly interesting post from the gunsmiths. They stated that they had finally managed to make the first flintlock pistol.


    Curious Eldrian opened the post and read in more detail, finding the notes there interesting. The yers generallyined about the difficulty in making the pistols. While magic could be used to an extent to help, they felt that making machining tools would be the better way.


    "Yikes, hope they don''t start an industrial revolution," Eldrian mumbled as he continued to read, astonished when he saw that they had finally gotten backing. Or at least get into contact with the nobles.


    The youngest twins, a brother and sister of the kingdom Praxorin, had happened upon the yers as they were testing their flintlock pistols.


    At the moment they were severelycking, but it seemed the twins fell in love with them nheless. Going back to their mom to nag her into investing, knowing that she would be easier to convince than their father.


    The yers however had been cautious of partnering, so for now things were just talk. However, they had made a cannon with the help of some skilled ck- and runesmiths. A picture of it was supplied below.


    "Oh, that is strange," Eldrian mumbled, realizing that there must be something more than just runes. One of the patterns he recognized to be an array, while it was not like those on the pir it was far tooplex to be something simple.


    Do the two crafts connect? Eldrian wondered, sad that his training with Boran had never truly gone anywhere.


    After finishing his train of thought he continued reading. Finding that it was indeed an array, however, it was an array made by the runesmiths.


    [This should allow the cannonball to ignore air resistance, while also increasing the explosiveness of gunpowder multiply. Naturally, the cannon itself is made of Dark Steel, and it is also enchanted.]


    "Do they have a test run?" Eldrian mumbled, finding that the end of the post stated they would be testing the cannon in three days. In front of most nobles in the city. They would also be streaming it


    It also added a warning to other yers, [If you wish to partner with the NPCs, make sure that you sign a contract. The god you choose does not matter, just that the system informs you it will hold. In doing so, no one can steal the concept. Not without being known to have stolen it.]


    "That''s nice, but they will still steal it," Eldrian mumbled, finding no reason why any noble would care.


    Luckily, as double security, the yers were the only ones who knew how to make gunpowder. The smiths they had worked with had also sworn to not share the secrets they had learned. Thus the runes were also a secret.


    As Eldrian was just about to finish and go for a walk, his tablet rang.


    Joren wanted to see him.

 Chapter 322: The hidden darkness

    <h4>Chapter 322: The hidden darkness</h4>


    "What does he want?" Eldrian mumbled, turning off his PC and heading over. This time his appearance caused barely any disturbance, only a few looking at him in passing.


    Knocking and waiting for the go-ahead, Eldrian took a seat in one of the chairs.


    "Here you are," Joren said, sliding his tablet over.


    "What is this for?" Eldrian asked after taking a look and seeing that it was a contract.


    "For your sister''s headset. We will be sending it over in a few hours, however, you need to sign for liabilities."


    Eldrian nodded and was just about to ce his finger onto the indicated ce to ''sign'', then he realized what that meant. "Do you think she might also experience the troubles I have?"


    Joren smiled and shrugged, "We have no idea. It is possible that there is something special in you, something we have failed to find. This can also be present in your family, so we need you to agree to the possible risks."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian frowned and started reading through the contract while listening to Joren exin.


    "So let me get this straight. If she exhibits the same... You call them symptom-causing abilities? Really?" Joren shrugged, saying that it wasn''t his first choice.


    "So... If she has a simr experience to me, this contract basically means I have to bring her into Miracle? I am pretty sure that is her choice." Eldrian said, sliding the tablet back at Joren.


    "It is, of course it is," Joren said, sliding the tablet back. "It will be her choice, you just have to keep her from spilling the beans, so to say. You also have to do your best to bring her in."


    "If I refuse?"


    "No deal, we will simply not send a headset."


    "And if she buys one herself?" Eldrian pressed, Joren sighing hearing this. He had brought just that up to Mica, however, she had stood by her point. So much so that she had threatened to share some of the details he had thought he had kept well hidden.


    "Then she simply needs to agree to the updated contract for yers."


    "Updated? What now?"


    "Take a look," Joren said, taking the tablet back and sliding it over again once he pulled the new contract.


    "Are you allowed to even do this?" Eldrian asked after giving it a quick look. He didn''t understand arge part of the contract. Still, the modified part stood out clearly. He was unsure if this was legal tough.


    Could they truly force people toe to them for treatment, if it was their game that caused their problem? Be it injury, trauma, or something else. The contract clearly stated that if someone went somewhere else, then they would waive their right toin about the oue.


    "Do you even have a hospital?" Eldrian asked, recalling the ce where he had been taken after nearly killing himself.


    "Not yet, but it won''t be hard to make one." Joren said, "And we exin why it is needed, no other hospital will be able to deal with such neurological damage."


    "You can''t either!" Eldrian shouted, outraged.


    "Can''t we?" Joren slid back into his chair, "We stabilized you, didn''t we. You might not know this, but your mind was truly busy while you were unconscious. The amount, and strength, of the signals it was sending was like nothing we had ever seen."


    Fucking hell, he''s right. Not to mention that people will need to be connected to the game world to allow their consciousness to return; if that is the problem. Eldrian calmed himself, which took quite some effort.


    It had been quite some time since hest felt like Miracle was bad, and now it was here again. However, he had to ept that while their approach was unfair, they were not crossing any lines. At least not legal lines he knew of.


    To those outside this would seem totally eptable. Who else would know how to find what was wrong? But Eldrian knew that the damage woulde from things thepany knew of, things they could do more to prevent. However, doing so might ruin their experiment.


    I wonder, are these Joren''s true feelings and thoughts. Or is he just obeying orders?? Eldrian stared at Joren for a minute. Trying to answer that very question, It must be a mix of both. What about Gengxin? Was his advice and care honest, or motive-driven?


    Eldrian did not like that he needed to question this, and had hoped he could just forget what the system had told him. However, it was clear that Miracle was not kind. While they were not inhumane, they were certainly not the perfectpany either.


    Just considering all the NPCs they are willing to kill. They may not be physical, but they are certainly real. Thispany certainly does not care much for these people. This thought nearly broke Eldrian''s facade, his still a work in progress. Having never needed to hide his intentions so much.


    Clenching his fists, recalling that this was a massive axe hanging over his head. If the yers failed to help the empires resist the invasion, all would be killed and it would be reset. They will likely y it off as a sequel.


    Getting a bit nervous, Joren faked a cough and tapped the tablet. "What will it be?"


    "I''ll sign," Eldrian said, doing his best to hide his thoughts. His sister had made it clear that she did not really want to y the game, just use the virtual cabin. Which meant there should be zero danger to her, and him signing this basically meant nothing.


    "Great, you can tell her that the delivery will be in four hours."


    Eldrian nodded and stood up, stopping just as he was about to exit the room. "Joren... Tell me the truth." Eldrian turned to face the sitting man, "Is ANW still just a simtion?"


    Taken aback by the question, Joren paused for a moment. After which he replied with utmost certainty, "Yes."


    "I see," Eldrian sighed as he left the room, starting to n how he was going to get information past his clearance. And more importantly, how he was going to do anything with that.


    He had no spy skills, no tech skills. He was not even good at getting people to like him. As such his only avenue was the game itself. They still only care about magic, so I will make sure I master it.


    Eldrian did not know what this would do, but it would give him leverage. At the very least, he might be able to negotiate for ANW''s continuation.


    Letting out a long deep sigh, Eldrian messaged his sister about the development. After which he headed back to his room for the day''s matches.


    ...


    "He made it today," Zyviss remarked, most of them gathered in the training grounds inside Elizabeth''s virtual home.


    "Sorry," Eldrian apologized as he joined the group, "What happened yesterday?"


    "We lost four out of five matches," Elizabeth replied, "You make a massive difference you know."


    Embarrassed by the praise and being the cause for ten points lost in total, Eldrian apologized again.


    "It''s fine, you did tell us about it. Next time we won''t do more than a single match. Just to keep from beingbeled inactive."


    Eldrian nodded, feeling slightly bad about dragging them down. To change the subject he asked, "Are we going to queue?"


    "No, not yet," Nikki replied, pointing towards Erik. "He also reached Tier 3 yesterday."


    "Oh. Congrats!" Eldrian a genuine smile forming, along with a drive to not be left behind.


    "Thanks," Erik replied, for the moment not sharing what had happened earlier today. He was still quite shocked about how his first meeting with the treants had ended.


    It was certainly a massive boon for him and hopefully a way to help Akarui reach her potential as a Fysi. While it was all good news, he wanted to make sure that it actually happened before celebrating and sharing it with others.


    "Right, Erik continue with what you were saying," Elizabeth said after giving Eldrian a few seconds to take in the news.


    "Right. I was saying that Tier 3 potions are truly effective. While I am no longer on the front lines, I can often see and hear the effects on those to whom I sold it."


    "It is less effective than getting healed by an intelligence-focused mage, even less effectivepared to priests. Still, the potion does wonders, each healing up to 50HP. The healing is also spread throughout the body and can help close a moderate wound."


    "Moderate wound?" Therdul asked, only knowing the difference between a scratch and a cut to the bone.


    "Right, each variant of Thera can only recover a certain amount of damage. Repeated casting can possibly heal those above its stated severity. However, this requires far more effort than just using a higher Tier."


    "Tier 1 actually just heals superficial wounds. Forcerations, this would mean that it only cut through the skin. Not through the underlying muscle and tissue."


    "Minorcerations means that the muscle and tissue have, to a degree, been cut through. Moderate that they were nearlypletely cut through, and sever is when the bone is visible."


    Those hearing his exnation shuddered at the thought of thetter. It was always a crazy thing to see wounds that severe.


    "What about after that?" Judith asked, to which Erik replied.


    "There is no after that. The next would be amputations, and that can only be healed by Tier 5 or higher magic in general. Tier 4 can also heal it, but only if you get treatment within minutes."

 Chapter 323: Joy given and taken, ranking decreasing

    <h4>Chapter 323: Joy given and taken, ranking decreasing</h4>


    Seeing no one else having questions, Erik decided to conclude, "In any case, what this means is the potions should be highly effective in battle. Able to heal most of the injuries we normally sustain. However, taking it might be hard."


    "What do you mean?" Therdul asked. Erik went so far as to demonstrate with his hands while replying, to show how basic a thing it was that limited it.


    "How are you going to take it in the middle of fighting someone. It''s not like in other games where you just press a button. You actually have to drink it. Even then, it takes around ten seconds to take effect."


    "Well it isn''t that impressive then, is it?" Judith replied, knowing that such a long dy meant it was more meant to be used after winning the fight.


    Still, the prospect was an interesting one, this would give them ways to also survive when facing people who specialized in range attacks. While it wouldn''t negate the damage, it would lessen it.


    Most of them grew cunning smiles as they thought of getting revenge on those teams. It growing even more when they recalled that the potions would be returned to them after the fight. Since no items broken in the fight ever stayed broken.


    However, they soon realized this actually worked against them. They had someone who could make endless, or nearly so, amounts of potions for them. Yet due to there being no expenditure, all the yers will be able to copy it with just a small investment.


    "Let''s not go and abuse this just yet. Thus far no one else has thought of it, and I assume most of you realized the downside." Elizabeth said.


    Everyone nodded, those who had missed it havinge to the conclusion now. After giving them some time to mourn the loss of such a valuable item, she added, "Also, I finally managed to reach Tier 2."


    This was followed by arge amount of enthusiasm from everyone but Eldrian and Erik. They moved closer to each other and watched in confusion.


    "Any idea what that is about?" Eldrian asked, Erik countering that he was about to ask him the exact same thing.


    It took nearly five minutes for everyone to calm back down. At which point they exined that Elizabeth had a truly hard time envisioning the spell modules.


    This, while confusing to the two, made sense when looking at yers in general. Most did not try to be a mage because memorizing the spell modules was in fact truly difficult.


    Skills for yers were far easier, unlike Eldrian, they did not need to know the skill module. Instead, they just needed to know how it started and then the word to signal its activation. They did not even need to say it aloud, just think it with thoughts followed with what they hoped would happen.


    Naturally, the more talented yers tried to learn the skills without relying fully on the system. Their methods differing fastly. Some would try to learn the skill module, others to flow of the skill, and others still trying to skip all and just focus on the word. Hoping to have the spell activate whenever they thought of it.


    Thest group was having the least sess, followed by those trying to learn the skill module. Instead, those with fighting experience and who grinded the technique showed massive growth and promise.


    This made sense, it was the proper approach. A skill was nothing more than sending mana through you to enhance yourself. The system moving their body through intervention was literally a middle ground and something which would not continue to work for long.


    The system simply could not cope with the demand to continue this at higher Tiers. As not only does the technique be more demanding, so does the mana flow. As such, each Tier requires more practice from the yers.


    Still, this was far easier than learning to shoot where there was nearly no system guidance. And this was again easier than learning theplicated spell modules.


    As such, most yers had long since decided to go the melee path. With about three-quarters of those left going for being an archer instead of mage.


    Naturally, unlike NPCs, this did not mean yers ignored the others. It was far easier for them to diversify. They simply went with what was easy, while trying to master the more challenging ss when they were bored.


    Hence almost all yers were at least Tier 1 in each ss, most who had reached Tier 3 was also Tier 2 in another.


    Listening to Elizabeth''s struggle, Eldrian and Erik were amazed that she even kept trying. She would normally get a headache after just five tries, needing to stop after two more. As such, to grind the required spell casts had taken her far longer than anyone else.


    "Why not just go melee like the others?" Erik asked, shocked at how different their experiences were. For him the modules became easier and easier to memorize and envision. It almost felt like the more his intelligence stat grew, the easier it became.


    "Because my reaction speed sucks," Elizabethined, the others who knew her well nodding to this. "I can''t block a simple attack. It is why I have been useless in all the fights."


    The others quickly tried to console her, but she shook them off, "It''s the truth. I can''t fend for myself. Even when we go on missions, I always stay back and let you guys handle it."


    "So what?" Judith said, "It''s because of you standing back that you always see therger picture. You never let us go into a fight we can''t win, and you never let us fall for a trap."


    "Still..."


    "No buts!" Nikki interrupted, only realizing that it was not a but after shouting that. So she cleared her throat to try and distract them from it. No one fell for.


    "It''s not like we need you to be good at fighting. We would much rather have you watching out for us." The others all nodded in agreement, "Besides... You also deal with all the admin."


    This got a round ofughter and brought a smile to Elizabeth''s face. "Thanks."


    Nodding, Nikki added, "In any case, if you actually manage to rope these two in, then quests will be easy peasy."


    Unlike Eldrian, Erik actually really thought about it. Along with reaching Tier 3, where he so far has only learned Therapeia - Tier 3 healing spell - he had also learned Ischyros Anemos - the wind spell - which Eldrian had shared with him.


    He had not quite gotten the knack for any other Tier 2 spells, outside of the healing ones he had long since learned. However, he had also learned Forst Needle, Vrachos, and Mifotia. He hoped that he would soon be of actual help in the fights.


    Eldrian instead did not take thement seriously, it made no sense to him to join them. He was literally on the other side of the kingdom, which he assumed was probably at least a thousand kilometers wide. The map Boran had shown him did not give him distances. Only a generalyout of the kingdom.


    Eldrian only knew that the distance between Duran, the city they had firste into contact with upon entering Taurus, and Kynigo took 8 days. With them having crossed at least a hundred kilometers each back then. The distance between Kynigo and Herglem was simr.


    Seeing the two''s slight reactions, Erik having a pondering expression and Eldrian no change at all, Nikki sighed. "Let''s do our matches. Due to yesterday''s defeats, we need at least four wins in a row to still be in the top twenty."


    Everyone nodded and Elizabeth started the queue for them. It taking nearly twenty minutes for a match to be found. During which they had talked and sparred with each other.


    In the virtual home, they did not have the stats from their avatar, even though they appeared as them. There was also no magic. As such the fightspletely relied on technique. cing everyone on simr grounds. Simr to the individual matches Eldrian was part of.


    ...


    For the next few days Eldrian continued to practice magic nearly every minutes of every day. He even logged on earlier than normal. Only doing some exercise IRL and joining the others for their daily fights.


    The fights should have be easier with Erik reaching Tier 3. Especially with him bing used tobat treatments. However, the other top groups also constantly improved. Hence their total wins did not increase by much.


    In fact, they were actually slowly losing more and more. The talent gap bing clearer as the others gained proper equipment. It soon dawned on all of them that the fact that they just made a group did not mean they stood as good a chance as they thought.


    It was clear in the fights that Eldrian and Judith were carrying them. Erik also showed great talent, however, his did not help nearly as much. The profession of a healer was not one which shined at low Tiers.


    Nevertheless, no one looked down on his growth. He could nowpletely turn a narrow fight between people into andside for their side. He could also heal those who had a narrow victory. More importantly, if he reaches Tier 4, then he would be able to revive them.


    In regards to the rankings, they were slowly dropping out of the top 5 and even the top 10. But they were not the only ones dropping.


    Pure Warriors had been kicked off their first ce by Zinopia, who had managed to arm themselves better and finally win each and every match. There was little any group could do to them. They had it all, especially now that they also had proper armor and weapons.


    They had a truly talented mage, having used over 10 different Tier 3 spells against their group alone. Currently, the thread had his arsenal at 16 Tier 3 spells and 30 Tier 2''s.


    They had a priest whose blessings made an absolutely massive difference as he timed it nearly perfectly.


    They had an archer who could hit a moving target at 60 meters, with 9 out of 10 arrows. Then they also had a knight-type fighter, finally equipped to make him nigh unkible. Especially considering his skill with his de.


    The other four members weren''tcking either. It truly felt like they were just limited in being low Tiered. Simr to Erik''s case. Their preferred method of fighting can''t shine. Yet... No one thought this would remain so for long.


    The posts about the tournament already agreed that these yers would take the win. Especially since they started streaming their fights.

 Chapter 324: The cannon

    <h4>Chapter 324: The cannon</h4>


    Two dayster, Eldrian took a long break from the back-breaking practice. Unable to understand how just thinking and using magic, which was also thinking, could leave him drenched in sweat.


    So far he has gotten to the point where he canfortably use Frost Needle along with Mana Examination. No longer limited to a few seconds, but rather nearly a full minute.


    This allowed him to learn more about how the mana was sent from his body to the icicle. He also went ahead and did the same with Vrachos, finding that the spellsted far longer before requiring new mana.


    The most likely reason was that there was no need to keep the icicle cold. However, the difference felt too big for it to be just that.? Maybe the need to gather and form the ice?


    Other than ying with these two, Eldrian had also continued to meditate. This was in fact where 70% of his time had gone. Slowly he hade to be able to slightly move the pathways inside of him again.


    This was extremely taxing. Far more so than creating them had been. Eldrian had also found why this was so.


    His mana was moving incredibly fast, and chaotically to boot. Due to their being just one pathway, mana came and went sporadically. Eldrian had never realized this until now, and now he realized just how much inefficiency this created.


    Instead of being like proper roads for the mana to take, it was more like a direction in which it coulde and go like waves. The reason Eldrian had missed it before was due to the speed of iting and going.


    Condensing his mana to follow a specific route had sped up its movement. That alone had been hard enough. He only found the problem when trying to move it again. Finding the difficulty to ebb and wane massively.


    After finding this, he? started trying to create one pathway for the mana flowing in and another for out. As of yet, he has had no sess with this n. Eldrian even contemted doing it in his soul-state. However, he recalled the warning from both Pros and the system.


    So he decided to struggle for a week more. If he saw no growth by then, then he would risk it. The need for growing stronger far more than his worry for doing something incorrectly.


    The reason for Eldrian''s long break today was that the gunsmiths were going to be streaming their cannon. Finding a quiet spot at the walls that had been fully repaired early morning after the surprise attack. Eldrian headed to the forums through the interface and started following the stream.


    He was a bit early, having stopped half an hour before. He did not want to get lost in training and miss the show.


    His being early did not do much though, as the gunsmiths were busy showing off. When Eldrian joined, they were showcasing their royalty arms. Flintlocks with gold engraved to make them look exquisite.


    Surprisingly the gold was not just for show, but actually increased the gun''s toughness. While also increasing the explosive power of gunpowder. However, the reload time was horrendous as with all flintlock weapons.


    Eldrian continued to watch, thinking back to when he just started learning cksmithing and how little he had actually learned. Even so, he could enjoy the effort that must have gone into each piece. Each was unique, crafted by someone who had spent hours upon hours to form the metal.


    In fact, there were only ten flintlock pistols made thus far. Which the streamer made sure to mention, as well as when they would be ced up for auction in the yer shops.


    Smart. Eldrian smiled slightly as he saw their shamelessness. He was curious if they would manage to make guns a staple for this world. Or if it would just be a toy for nobles.


    There was quite a debate on this, especially now that they had gotten some backing and were no longer just a few yers ying at making guns. They now had a real shot at actually making them for real.


    Some yers were against this, feeling that guns should not be part of a fantasy world. That it would ruin the fantasy aspect and just turn this into another messed up world.


    The others were in full support. Generally, those in support were also closer to the NPCs. They just hoped that it would help them protect their kingdoms. Which would also ensure the game continued.


    The protesting group naturally argued against this, stating that they would be the heroes and that the NPCs just needed to wait. Which then quickly became a heated argument. None knowing of the hurdle toe at Tier 5


    As for the guns themselves, a major problem remained. Bullets were too small to be enhanced. Even if one managed, the material limited the strength of the enhancement. This does not sound like much, but it is of vital importance to injure or kill stronger enemies.


    That is why most arrows, especially high Tiered ones, are an entires arm''s length.? It allowed far more power to be ced, or rather carved, onto them.


    Finally, the true event was going to start and the streaming yer, Cadhan, the leader of the gunsmith alliance, spoke. "Dear viewers, please be patient and stay with us as we witness the power of our creation. We are extremely excited to see what it can do."


    For the test, the cannon has been installed on the wall. Aimed at a nearby woods to see what damage it could cause. Nearby, however, might be the wrong word. The woods was over a kilometer, but Cadhan was confident it would hit. The target also spread out for kilometers, thus their target wasrge, a miss unlikely.


    "The cannon is very special, simr to the flintlock pistols, we have enhanced its barrel. We also added a small array to light the gunpowder with magic. As such the pressure we can deliver is simr to that of modern cannons, if not more."


    Saying this, Cadhan finally showed the cannon. It did not look impressive to say the least. There was no beauty in its appearance, just functionality.


    This was likely the reason why so few nobles hade to see the test. Having sent their servants, and upon hearing theckluster appearance of this ''miracle weapon'' they decided to skip the charade.


    "If this does not work!" A man in ck and red noble clothing started, interrupted by one of the twins, the sister.


    "Dad! Stop it! It is going to be amazing. Just wait, you will be able to rub it into the faces of all those who decided to ignore your invitation." The sister had a petite body and was only as tall as Cadhan, who was a dwarf. However, she still had a few years of growth ahead of her.


    The man humphed in angry eptance, looking at the cannon with little hope. Believing the 100 gold he had invested had been wasted on ale. Something dwarves were known to do, at least the untrustworthy ones. He certainly thought the yer before him was such a one.


    "Mister Ivensevi, I can assure you that it will perform wonderfully." Cadhan said, "Has everyone arrived?"


    He too felt slightly worried by thecking appearance of nobles, however, the number of yers in the stream assured him. He had full faith in the cannon they had spent weeks on.


    Magic made the crafting process easier than it would be in medieval times, however, it still had taken them four days just to finish the barrel. What took the most time was the runes and arrays they had added.


    Unlike handguns, the cannon was spacious enough for both. Muskets generally had to either have runes or arrays. Unfortunately, runes were not designed for guns. They could borrow some that would generally be used for bows, but that did little. Since those mostly focused on making the wielder stronger.


    After getting a nod from their investor, Cadhan sighed and turned to his crew. A mix of dwarves, men, and the odd elf. Nodding to them, they quickly started loading the cannon.


    The cannonball they ced into the barrel drew everyone''s eyes. It shined in the sun, the silver carvings on the ball catching everyone''s attention.


    "Is that Mithral?" Dravko Ivensevi asked, unable to cope with them shooting something so expensive.


    "Yes, it is. The cannon has been enhanced to allow for maximum power and resistance, while the cannonballs have been enhanced for maximum damage." Cadhan replied, adding after a slight dy, "You might want to cover your ears."


    Upon saying this he signaled for those at the cannon to set it off. This took nothing more than inserting a mana crystal. An expensive fuel source, but one which made the explosive power a hundred times more.


    The aim of this show was not to prove a concept but to awe. As such, they had gone overboard in nearly every aspect. A single cannonball cost 10 gold, the cannon 75, and the crystals each 5 gold. The crystals being the point where they had taken the cheapest they could find. A fingernail-sized crystal.


    As the crystal entered its spot, the entire cannon lit up. The runes all glowing in a sharp white color, followed by a light blue and orange. The lighting soon disappeared, followed by a deafening boom.


    The explosion was so powerful that just the shockwaves sent those next to the cannon off their feet. Losing over half their HP and coughing blood as they just barely managed to not be thrown over the wall.


    Even the nobles, fifty meters back, were sent onto their backs. Before they could recover another massive boom sounded, like the loudest thunder in a thunderstorm.


    Recovering his footing, even Cadhan was left without words as he looked at their target. A 50-meter creator in the center, with the following 100 ttened and the next 500 aze. The fire quickly spreading to the rest of the area.


    "Oh god, what about the animals?" He mumbled, realizing that he had underestimated the damage it would do.

 Chapter 325: Existential philosophy

    <h4>Chapter 325: Existential philosophy</h4>


    Other than the stream, the days went by peacefully. There were no more surprises and Eldrian continued to practice magic every day. Making an hour for spear practice as he felt he would get rusty if he did nothing.


    Soon the weekend arrived, and Eldrian headed out after the matches with the rest of Pheonix. Their ranking now standing at 16. Luckily they lost fewer points than other teams when they lost and gained more when they won.


    However, the difference had lessened with Erik''s and Elizabeth reaching the next Tier.? Their increased strength ultimately working against the group.


    Today he had organized to meet with Jen, who so far had yet to use her headset. Eldrian had sent her a short message to wait before using it. Stating that he wanted to exin what might happen.


    Getting out of his lift, Eldrian thanked the driver and told him that he would let them know when they were done. He was getting used to the luxury of having a car at the push of a button. Even being able to give his sister a lift with ease.


    I have to admit, in regards to this. Miracle isn''t shy. Eldrian thought as he and Jen found themselves a table.


    After ordering drinks, Eldrian a cappino and Jen a hot chocte, they caught up on each others'' days, which ended abruptly as Jen asked, "Why did you tell me to not use the headset? Why go through the trouble of getting it for me if you..."


    Eldrian paused as he wondered how to exin this. Finally, he decided to share everything with her. But not right away, he first started by exining the NDA he had signed, and that what he was going to share should be kept between them. No more sharing with her friends.


    "As I exined before, the technology they use is unknown territory. Even they do not always know what to expect."


    Jen nodded as their waiter arrived with their drinks, "Why does this matter?"


    "Because... It seems that Miracle either truly does not know why I am the only one who can use magic at this point. Or they know exactly why and it has something to do with our family."


    "Our family?" Jen paused in disbelief, "What do you mean. Aren''t we just normal people?"


    "I don''t know?" Eldrian replied with a shrug, "Miracle just seemed to think that you might show simr... Experiences. Which, you know..."


    "I might also then be in danger," Jen replied, sighing as she said this.


    "However, the chances of that are very small. For me, it only appears when I push myself past the limit. The danger should be nothing if you just enter to enjoy the world. Or rather, entirely ignore it and only use the virtual home feature."


    Pausing, Jen took another sip of her. "Then why are you worried?"


    "Because they made me sign another contract." Seeing Jen waiting for him to exin why this was significant, Eldrian continued, "It basically states that if you show any signs that you might have experiences, symptoms, abilities simr to me, then I have to bring you in."


    "Forcefully?"


    "No, I made sure that you still had thest say," Eldrian added, having seen Jen''s contract. "However, they added a use that you must contact them if something happened."


    Eldrian was quite pissed when he saw that use, while it was not as strict as the one Joren had shown him. She still had to let a consultant follow wherever she went to be treated. This in itself was not bad, it was in fact a good thing. No other doctors would know what they were even looking at and even more so, for. It made total sense that they needed to bring in a consultant.


    What angered Eldrian was the fact that Joren did not inform him of this alteration. The contract he had first signed had no such use. Most likely because they had not expected any problems for years.


    At which time yers would have moved to the cabins that were still in development. With new contracts likely far stricter, or safety measures far above the headset. Likely both. All in sound reason like the consultant part. Making no one even wonder at the reason for the use.


    "But that part makes total sense." Jen countered, to which Eldrian exined what had irritated him.


    "Not only that, but I also know that they are not sharing everything with me. This is normal, they do have a lot of secret research not part of ANW. However, them not sharing information about me, with me... That pisses me off."


    Jen replied with a nk stare, not understanding.? Eldrian did not need more, he quickly started exining his talk with the system. This shocked her to beyond words.


    She had thought the talk about AI was just that. Talk. Hearing Eldrian describing the invasion of his privacy, and what the system shared made her past shocked. However, she found something that Eldrian missed.


    While wondering how the system could enter his soul, which seemed to be his consciousness. A thing bordering on fantasy, not sci-fi. Which all of Miracle sounded like to her. She asked, "But that wasn''t exactly news to you. Didn''t your personal doctor also exin the dangers to you?"


    Eldrian paused. Realizing that Gengxin had been constantly stopping him from rushing ahead. Even going so far as to forcefully stop the game for two weeks. They had painted it as necessary for the tournament system, but Eldrian knew that was nonsense. Yet his haste and worry had stopped him from realizing all this.


    They had been upfront about the danger. They just didn''t quantize it in number, making it that much more real. Eldrian thought, losing some of the anger he had growing inside of him.


    However, this did not change the biggest sticking point. He did not know from where their care came, he certainly felt like it only extended for while he was valuable. Thinking about the AI, who he felt had certainly gained sentience. Not to mention the billions, trillions even, of NPCs. Eldrian knew they cared little for life.


    Then there was also the fact that the system, an AI, was more open with him. Joren had not hidden the danger the world message had to him. However, he had hidden the reason behind it.


    Eldrian did not think that they did not know of candidates. They knew he had a hidden ss, and they knew of legends. Through the years of observing Gaia, they must have seen one be born. There was no way something as significant as that passed by them.


    Unless the AI made an effort to block them from seeing that! Eldrian was shocked that this was totally possible. Making him wonder just how much of their monitoring was being censored by the very beings they had made to monitor the world.


    He found this thought extremely funny, bringing a smile to his face which caused Jen to nearly ask what he was thinking about.


    They''re always in the gray. Eldrian thought, returning to the problem,? They share just enough that I can''t use them if I learn of it myself. But they do not share everything. And ording to the system, this is because they fear it will ruin the experiment. Fuck that!


    Again Eldrian thought about what the system had told him. Back when he forcefully logged back in. It was in fact not just forceful, but also thanks to the help of the developers. This however, had ced him in great danger.


    I still don''t know if I should thank them for stopping the system from stopping me, or if I should hate them for the danger they allowed me to ce myself in.? Eldrian though, leaning more to the former than thetter.


    No matter how much he thought about the fact that everyone in the game was just that. Inside a game, part of a game. He could not ept it.


    Even the AI had thoughts and feelings of their own. Eldrian did not feel he could ssify theirs as less worthy than other humans. He could however ssify their less than his, and less than his sister. His family and friends.


    But that is always how we are. We care for those we are close to and ept that those further away need some rights. Common, basic, human rights. Eldrian thought, curious what the lives of the AI were like. Living between two realities, having time pass differently in the two.


    Wait! Does that make them fourth-dimensional beings? Eldrian questioned, having no knowledge on this subject. Yet once this thought entered his mind it did not want to leave, and he made a note of researching what such beings would be like.


    Only knowing that scientists generally spected that they would be able to move in time and be bodiless. Eldrian did not know if they could actually move through time, but they were certainly bodiless.


    "Sorry," Eldrian finally stopped thinking and spoke again. Nearly a minute of silence had passed, Jen had given him his time to sort out his thoughts. "You are right, they were always upfront about the danger I face."


    "However, they do not give me a full picture. This might be because they do not have it, but I feel that is unlikely."


    "Still, theirck of care for the people in their simtion sickens me."


    "But are those real people?" Jen asked, her question hitting Eldrian right in the feels.


    "Of course they are! If you are aware of your existence, then you are real!"

 Chapter 326: Existence; Who is to decide?

    <h4>Chapter 326: Existence; Who is to decide?</h4>


    Jen paused, not wishing to escte this into a full-blown fight. Giving Eldrian some time to cool down, she asked, "And when can you say someone is aware? Aren''t animals aware too?"


    "Whe-" Eldrian stopped, finding that he was incapable of answering this. The question was one simr to the one about souls. It was something unquantifiable. Something one could not measure. At least not with known tools.


    His measure was them being able tomunicate. But some animals couldmunicate too, just not with humans. Many of the beasts and monsters could however surpass the limits of normal animals. Realizing this made Eldrian truly tongue-tied. Asking at what point would they turned from monsters, beasts, to conscious beings.


    This was not the main point he had argued, but it was as much an important question. He rted to the human-like species far easier. Only needing to argue that they were real, even if they were in a different ne. A virtual one.


    The monster, beasts, devils, and even magical creatures. They were all alive, and by his former logic they should all also be real. However, outside of the Alicorns, he had a hard time caring for the others.


    And he only cared for the Alicorns due to having talked with them, having even experienced Zamia''s experiences when she shared some of her memories with him.


    What she had shared was even clearer than many of his own. Establishing even more that she must be aware. But how else, without telepathy, was he to find who should be deemed to be sentient? Yet this did not matter, it only made his hypocrisy clear to himself.


    What makes one aware? What makes one real? Eldrian asked himself this as he tried to find an answer outside of his personal belief. In the end, he felt that the answer was belief itself.


    Much like how he had learned a soul is formed by belief, Eldrian realized that existence is also a case of belief. The developers feared that the NPCs learning of their creation might lead to existential dread. But who was to say that they who had created the simtion was real.


    It was a question without an answer, and Eldrian found he did not care for it. If they too were a simtion, so what? He realized that he did not ce importance on his surroundings, in his world.


    The ce, the physical, did not matter. What mattered was the experiences. For, in the end, this was all that one was. A collection of experiences. A collection which tries to improve. Often failing and repeating past mistakes, yet always aware of the experience. The emotions felt.


    Not the ce. Not the smells. Not the pain.


    The emotions, and what apanied them. The emotions bringing the physical back, recreating the memory. Or the physical sometimes bringing the memory. But while the ce might sometimes be forgotten, the smells, the noise, what was said. The emotions were never forgotten, it anchored the memory in time. In existence.


    "You are right," Eldrian said after having taken a long deep look at why. Finally being able to better understand why he so easily became attached to those in the game. Those who others, like his sister, felt were not real.


    Is this the key?? Eldrian wondered, thinking about how he was the only person to have been able to use magic. That those who im to have felt something, imed to have followed some of his advice. That all those were also close to the NPCs.


    The difference, Eldrian felt, was that he truly believed the NPCs were his equal. That, if he grew close to them, then they would be just as important as people where he was born. A different ne, but a ne nheless.


    Most yers do not believe this. They feel sympathy, they hate seeing the NPCs being hurt. Some even feel traumatized after losing a friend who was an NPCs.


    But... They neverpare it to human life. Their description of it is always more like losing a pet. The fact that they had a human form made the confusion harder, the distinction less. But they remained adamant that the NPCs were just code. Nonreal.


    "I do not know how to exin it," Eldrian said, Jen had given him the time to sort out his thoughts. "Let me ask, how do you know you are real?"


    "Because I am," Jen answered with almost no pause. The question, rather, the reason for Eldrian''s question only hit her after she answered. And it truly shocked her.


    "I see. That is what you mean." Jen paused, going through her own thoughts and Eldrian gave her the time she needed. Even ordering their meal while she stayed in contemtion.


    After a while, she finally spoke again, "So... Is this correct? You feel that being able to say you are real, means you are."


    "In a manner," Eldrian nodded, already finding a few ws with making it that simple. However, making it that simple made it easier to exin.


    "But... How can you ept that so easily?" Jen asked, unable to shake the belief that she was much more real than the AI and the NPCs. She just could not ept her reality was not the real one. Trying had nearly caused her to feel depressed. As a result, she had stopped trying as soon as she felt the feeling of loss.


    Eldrian, in contrast, did not need to believe they were the real one. Instead, he believed all were equally real. That what mattered was the consciousness, which he hoped to one day truly be capable of quantifying.


    "I never asked or questioned it. It just happened, I only realized now what happened." Eldrian replied, making space for the waiter who was bringing their food.


    After the tes were ced before them, Eldrian added, "Have you ever questioned why we are conscious, or what it is?"


    Jen shook her head in reply as she took a bite.


    "Think about it for a few days, think about why we have so many religions. Why do people always grasp for one, even in a world where magic exists. Religions were created."


    "But..." Jen paused to swallow, "They have gods, don''t they."


    Eldrian smiled, taking a bite himself. "Yes and no. The AI are not gods, they are creators. Higher beings in that world. But that does not make them gods."


    "Yes, they ept the prayers. Yes, they sometimes cast miracles for their believers. But they never asked for believers. Theyplete their function, their jobs. What they themselves were made to do. Yet, in doing so, people started believing in them. Worshipping them. Why?"


    Jen had plenty of answers. Yet she stopped herself, recalling that Eldrian mentioned specifically that magic existed in their world. This made it far moreplicated a question.


    On Earth, if someone could perform magic, they would be deemed a god by the masses. Scientists might want to study them, others learn from them. Most would just believe in them, hoping that doing so would somehow solve their problems.


    This was different when magic was present. What they were seeing was exinable, just a much higher level of what they knew. It wasparable to aliensnding one Earth with insane tech.


    Modern humans, at least a good amount of them, would not start worshipping them because of this. At least, not as long as they did not hide their technology as magic, but rather making it clear that it was just science.


    If people knew this, then they would wish to understand. Not to worship.


    This meant that there must be a different reason for belief. That it was not just bowing to powerful beings, but rather something inside of them. Jen quickly found a possible reason. That it was a way to fill the void she had felt creeping in.


    "I-I... That is a good point." Jen said, feeling slightly lost. Shocked how much this conversation had rocked her. Not because of Miracle nor the AI, but because of her own personal beliefs. And more specifically, what her brother seemed to believe.


    They were never raised religiously. Jen had thought she had a very open mind. Now she found her mind was like a rock in the seapared to her brothers. Unable to change, and fighting the tides. If she lost grip, she felt she would never be able to stop being controlled by the tides.


    ...


    "What the hell is happening?" Joren asked, having already notified all the other department heads, even having notified Mica.


    "I-I... I do not know, sir." via stuttered, having managed to join the monitoring crew on Eldrian''s case. Due to his random ytime, they needed someone on him 24/7. Joren did not trust the system to always inform them of developments.


    Due to the constant need, and the boringness of the job, most people did not wish to take part in it. If something happens, they would all be notified in any case. As such, being the one to monitor just meant staring at a screen with a bunch of lines and a few numbers for hours each day.


    via had volunteered, and with the job not requiring much technical skill, some of the seniors had quickly dumped it on her. She had hoped it would allow her to find out why Eldrian got special treatment, as well as get in contact with the department heads.


    Finally, after a week of monitoring, it paid off. However, she found that the contact was one of her being shoved to the side as everyone took things over.

 Chapter 327: A smell to kill

    <h4>Chapter 327: A smell to kill</h4>


    Upon logging in, Eldrian found the world to feel far more vivid than before. Not that he had thought that it was possible, everything had already feltpletely real.


    The difference was, now it seemed that things weren''t just real. But their essence was also real, and he could feel and connect with it.


    This amazed him, leaving him staring into the distance, Looking at the trees, the centaurs, the ground. Everything seemed just so much more... Substantial.


    It took Eldrian nearly ten minutes before his amazement came down to a level where he could actually process it. Slowly standing up, he felt like he could feel each and every muscle moving. Every breath he took, he could follow the air going into his lungs.


    Upon feeling this Eldrian sat back down and started meditating. Before this strange and extremely wonderful state would leave him. Fearing that it certainly would.


    As soon as he entered his body, everything came to him. He no longer needed to search around to find his mana. Instead, he knew where it all was. He could even feel the mana from outside slowly trickling through his skin, but far moreing in through his lungs.


    Casting Anthisma, Eldrian expended as much mana as possible. Never exiting his meditative state, casting the spell on himself. Feeling the mana leave, or rather gather and then spread through him.


    How it invigorated each part of him, and of how, even though it was mana, it never interacted with his pathways.


    ''What a wonderful feeling.'' Eldrian thought, capable of seemingly spreading his consciousness out to cover his entire person. After enjoying the sensation for a few minutes, Eldrian attempted what the past few days had seen no improvement.


    Upon focusing on one path, instead of it fighting as usual, the mana seemed to know what he wanted to have happened. It followed his will, splitting into two pathways. At first, forming a bend but Eldrian quickly felt that this would be ineffective.


    So he started constructing what he considered a node, but more resembled a traffic circle. Like traffic circles, this one did not just have one path. Instead, Eldrian made two. cing the one below and the other atop.


    He then let the two also meet in the middle via thin lines, while at the same time having the correct path connect to the correct circle.


    The bottom circle he made the connection for manaing in, the top for mana going out. The center was a chaotic mess where the mana could bubble. There was no particr reason for it, Eldrian just felt having another ce for mana to gather might help. Maybe he could gather it there and unleash it at once in a devastating spell.


    With the first pathway done, one to his right arm, Eldrian moved to the second. Finding that this was much harder. He knew from experience that such alterations were not permanent. He had to keep them in mind while forming the others.


    As a result, the more he made, the harder it became. On the fourth path, he could barely hold the other three together. In fact, they would often start copsing. Leading to him abandoning the fourth to fix the errors he was facing.


    Hours passed. No more progress was made. Eldrian continued to fail as he reconnected the pathway. This process was the hardest step, with pressure building in the previous path as he adjusted them.


    On the first path this had barely been a distraction. But now, when he needed to concentrate to maintain all the others, this caused him a massive headache. The limb in question also crying out in pain.


    Gasping for air. Eldrian stood up abruptly and started coughing blood. "That''s not good." He mumbled through an extremely sore throat. Staring at the dark red blood in his hands.


    The pain was bearable, and significantly less now that he had stopped forcing it. But it still took some time before Eldrian could form a smile.


    "Still, it worked!" The smile grew as he thought of things he could already quickly fix. The first of which was to start with the path going to his head. At the moment it stopped where his neck ended. Simr to how the others stopped at the wrists and ankles.


    ''That should cause thest step to be easier. While I failed to even finish four, I certainly do not want thest to be my neck.'' Eldrian thought, continuing to think of what else might help.


    After making aplete list, he stood up on wobbly legs. Almost falling, just barely taking his spear out and thrusting it into the ground as a third leg. This little action caused Eldrian extreme exhaustion, making him slowly slide down the shaft of his spear. Until he was again on the ground.


    ''The hell?'' Calling the interface, he started at the message and then at the data.


    [yer has reached 100% affinity. Please consult with Miracle for reality confirmation therapy.]


    Reading this, a small chuckle escaped Eldrian''s efforts of containment. He found the words very interesting, but not so much as to stop him from looking at the other information.


    Somehow he had racked up a fatigue level of 6 from just meditating. bergasting Eldrian and making his tiredness make sense. He felt it far more than before, he felt tired to the bone. Just breathing was draining his energy.


    Searching his inventory, Eldrian pulled out some of the leftover Alpha meat he had long ago prepared. Luckily nothing spoiled inside his inventory, so it was still just as good as fresh. Digging in, Eldrian could feel himself being revived. Quickly pulling out some water to go with it, as well as some fruits.


    "This is the life," Eldrian mumbled as he maneuvered to make his spear a backrest. Letting his body and mind rx. He knew there was no more practicing for today. This was not a bad thing and he was not upset.


    Now that he truly knew what direction to go, all other things could wait. Finishing thest of his meal, Eldrian stood up and started searching for Katania. By now many tents had been constructed inside the walls, making his task far harder than it would have been a week ago.


    Luckily, there were a few central tents around the miniature tower. A good ce to start his search for one of the leaders who was also a healer.


    Asking those he passed, Eldrian found her just a few minutes after starting his search. She was busy treating someone in one of therger tents. Not a medical one, but one that has been repurposed as such.


    Smacked in the face by a horrid smell, Eldrian nearly fell unconscious. His exhaustion certainly did not help and he soon found himself on the ground. Gasping for air, making his condition worse. The horrid smell invading him more and more.


    As unknown hands picked him up, Eldrian could feel the urge to vomit rise. Just barely managing to first cast Aeraki, sending the smell out of the entrance. Giving him a clean breath he desperately had been needing.


    "I''m fine. It''s just... The smell." Eldrian said between gasping for air, recasting Aeraki as he couldn''t concentrate long enough to keep it active. One of the centaurs helping him saw Eldrian''s struggle and cast a stronger wind spell. Ridding the entire tent of any smells there might be.


    "What smell?" The centaur asked, perplexed as he had been here for hours and the only smell was the metallic smell of blood.


    "Death. The smell of death." Eldrian said, looking for the source and quickly finding it.


    A centaur was writhing in pain on arge table. One clearly made for a centaur and not a human. The centaur''s legs were tied, as well as his arms. He fought the constraints in pain, causing more wounds to form.


    In his side, he had one long cut. It appeared like a clean one, if not for all the blooding out of it. Its appearance was made worse by the fact that his blood was pitch ck. Even the wounds on his arms and legs bled ck blood.


    "What happened to him?" Eldrian asked as he recovered from the shock. He had never smelled something so terrible. Not only did it smell like the most putrid thing he would ever possibly smell. It had also assaulted his mind, causing him to nk out for a few seconds.


    As one of the centaurs replied, Eldrian also realized the cause.


    "A ghoul has been trying to stop our advance. It isn''t strong, but it is fast and agile. It also always goes for the weaker groups." Replied the one centaur, the other adding, "And all it requires is a cut."


    Eldrian nodded, recalling what had happened with Kydone. This centaur was clearly in far worse condition. "Where are the others?" Looking around, Eldrian clearly saw there was just one injured person in the tent.


    "Dead. He didn''t even make it to the fort. A patrol found him by sheer luck. Saving his life... Hopefully saving his life."


    "Certainly he will be fine." Eldrian encouraged as he looked at Katania whose back was wet with sweat. Her coat was an entire shade darker than normal, making the strain she was under clear to everyone.


    "She''s been at it for an hour." A sigh followed this, Eldrian turning around to see Thesolis arriving. "Do you know why a ghoul''s venom is so deadly?"


    "Yes," Eldrian nodded, recalling how he had almost killed Kydone. "It attacks the soul."


    "Indeed. Now we know that its venom is not just that either. Haru, would you minding with me?"

 Chapter 328: A dumb decision

    <h4>Chapter 328: A dumb decision</h4>


    Following along, Eldrian soon entered one of the otherrger tents. A circr table with a map spread out over it in the center of the tent. Like all the tables it was far higher than wasfortable for Eldrian to use. Coming up to his chest.


    Seeing no chairs in the tent, Eldrian improvised by taking out one of the water barrels he still had in his dimensional storage. Having only moved it from his inventory to the dimensional ring, but not thrown it away.


    The barrel he had in his inventory was a Quater Cask, holding fifty liters and just the height he needed to get a good view. Luckily his avatar was strong enough to lift it with little problem, rtively speaking.


    Climbing onto the barrel, Eldiran looked at the map of Kynigo forest. Updating his system map with the newly made camp and a few otherndmarks added on this one.


    "Why did you bring me here?" Eldrian asked as he looked at the ns drawn on the map. The system somehow knowing to not add them. He was curious if he could add it, so he yed a bit with the map while talking.


    "I thought to ask you if you have any advice for catching the ghoul."


    "Why? It can''t be that hard." Eldrian replied, confused why they would call on him. Compared to everyone else here, he was not strong nor experienced.


    "Do you recall Ayden?" Thesolis asked, Eldrian nodding in confirmation asking if he was here.


    "He is not, however, he told a few of my colleagues about your efforts during the siege. Even though you were the weakest, your contribution was nearly equal to his. Most who heard this discounted his tale, unable to ept that you can be as useful as a divine caster."


    "However, knowing what I know now, I feel that what he said was the truth. I also confirmed with Kydone that you managed to almost heal her. Something believed to be impossible without divine magic."


    Eldrian listened and waited for her to continue, which she did after seeing him still waiting for why he was here.


    "I would like to ask if you would be willing to act as bait."


    "No, no-no." Eldrian quickly replied, not in the mood to die. The request was even less appealing now that he had a n on how to reach Tier 3.


    "Let me finish first," Thesolis said, pointing to a few areas on the map. "So far, it has only attacked patrols in this region. Thus we can assume its movement is limited by something. However, when we go out to find it, we find nothing. It also only targets patrols without a Tier 6 and without a divine caster."


    "The ghoul is also extremely adept at stealth. Even Kydone said she could not follow its tracks, she was not even certain if she would be able to hide from it."


    While impressive, this news just made Eldrian more certain of his choice. He did not want to take any more risks. In fact, once this mission was done he nned to not do another until he reached Tier 4 at the very least. Certain that Tier 5 will be a massive hurdle that would likely take too long to do nothing but training.


    "This means it must be Tier 6 at the most, all we need is for people to hold their ground until help arrives. If we seed, you will be given a steel emblem to redeem after the mission."


    [Quest Received: Unkown danger (Unique)]


    [Quest Giver: Thesolis]


    [Quest Rank: A]


    [Quest Description: Currently a ghoul assassin is on a rampage in the forest. Help find and kill it, along with other possible dangers working with it.]


    [Quest Reward: 2 Levels & Steel Emblem]


    ''Rank A. There is more to this mission.'' Eldrian thought, having gotten a rough understanding of the system''s ranking system. Quests were ranked not based on the difficulty to the yer, but the universal difficulty. Taking into ount all the yers, NPCs, enemies, their levels, Tiers, and types.


    This meant that while a quest rank can differ, the differencees from who will participate. Likely even the location of the quest is important.


    Thanks to this it is possible to roughly calcte what was to be expected, as long as you knew your side''s strength.


    For example, Cleanse the Forest was rank A. However, it did not require any fighting. Its difficulty was in the dangers that one can encounter and the number of enemies needing to be found. Any single encounter could lead to your death, hence it being ranked as A.


    The test of ability quest was instead Rank B. It also had nobat requirements. Its difficulty came from needing to find something that might help without any guidance. Nelida''s Journey was C-Rank due to distance and not enemies.


    The First Expedition quest was also ranked A, and it did not change when they discovered there were more enemies. Hence the system already knew of them and added them. Eldrian knew now that Rank B was what kingdoms got if the beasts'' and expedition''s numbers were the same. Rank A if the enemy was nearly doubled, Rank S when it was around four times more.


    This meant that they certainly weren''t dealing with just a ghoul. The description also alluded to this. If he went with a group of four Tier 5''s, then likely they were facing one Tier 6 or a few Tier 5''s. Possibly a Tier 6 and Tier 5.


    However, them having reinforcements made the quest rank a little unclear. Eldrian did not know how the system took them into consideration, or if it even did.


    Eldrian waited for her to say more and when it became clear she was done he asked, "How would I be of help? I am by far the weakest in the camp."


    "But you have a unique way of approaching things. You also won''t truly die. The danger to you is far less than to others." Thesolis countered, unable to understand why he seemed so unwilling.


    "It is too dangerous, why don''t you rather just ensure the area is only patrolled by Tier 6 patrols?" Eldrian countered back.


    "Then it will cause other ces to be weakened," Thesolis replied, bing slightly frustrated. "Besides, the entire point of clearing the forest is ensuring there are no threats behind us when we go into the corrupted area. Why are you so afraid?"


    Not knowing how to exin Eldrian tried asking, "Have you sent a lone Tier 6? The ghoul might feel confident then."


    "No luck. It ignored the Evules when he tried luring it out that way."


    ''Well... Evules does not exactly scream week.'' Eldrian though, recalling the massive centaur nearly three meters tall. "What about..."


    After a few minutes of back and forth, Eldrian finally felt like they truly had tried everything else. He still did not know why they thought he might make a difference, but he was willing to give it a shot. Only because there truly seemed to be no other way.


    Still, he did not wish for NPCs to also die needlessly. "I''ll do it, on one condition."


    Not having expected any conditions, Thesolis was taken aback. "What is it?"


    "Let me try acting as bait... Alone."


    It took a couple of seconds for Thesolis to recover. "That is insane. The hope of adding you to a group is that you can at the very least bring back knowledge of what type of ghoul we are facing. We do not think the wounded centaur will make it."


    Nodding Eldrian countered, "Just let me try. I will likely be killed in seconds and it will all be a waste, but I would rather that than having others die with me. You are right, my death won''t be permanent. Theirs will be."


    Again taken aback, this time by Eldrian''splete turnaround, Thesolis asked, "Are you sure?" Eldrian nodding confidently, getting a quest update as he did.


    [Quest Updated: Unkown danger (Unique) - Solo]


    [Quest Giver: Thesolis]


    [Quest Rank: S]


    [Quest Description: Currently a ghoul assassin is on a rampage in the forest. Help find and kill it, along with other possible dangers working with it.]


    [Quest Reward: 3 Levels & Steel Emblem & Unkown]


    ''As expected, it is determined by numbers and strength averages. Rank A already meant we would die, Rank S means nearly certain death.'' Eldrian mumbled softly, wondering if it was still a good idea. Cursing himself for even considering to chicken out. It was now certain that he would be facing a Tier 6 at the least.


    "How am I going to try and survive for you guys to arrive? And how am I going to inform you that I am in danger?" Eldrian asked, feeling like this was just a good way of losing 3 levels.


    ''There goes that reward.'' Eldrian thought with a sigh, he had gained one from finishing the Test of ability quest. He had totally missed the notification due to his rush to meet up with Jen that day. Still, the reward was just that. Something he could lose so easily. Levels truly meant little in this world.


    While half-listening to Thesolis''s reply, Eldrian worried that this might be an attack aimed at him. He knew that a ghoul''s attack damaged the soul. On top of that, there was more uncertainty in unknown dangers.


    He just could not understand how he could be found so quickly, and more importantly how the enemy could know and react before the empires.


    *Check Author Note for why I did not update*

 Chapter 329: Getting ready to set out

    <h4>Chapter 329: Getting ready to set out</h4>


    ''Fuck it, I can always just disconnect if ites to it..'' Eldrian thought, this was also arge part of why he wanted to go alone. If he went with NPCs then he would feel obligated to stay and help them fight. Alone, he could just log out if things headed south.


    "As long as you manage to react, you just need to break this crystal. We have linked it with another we will be carrying. We will maintain a distance of a kilometer from you, Kydone will be following 200 meters behind."


    "Once you crush it, we will be there in around a minute. You have to survive until Kydone can reach you. She will just take five to ten seconds."


    Nodding, Eldrian wondered again if this was worth the risk. However, thinking of the centaur who was writhing in pain, he resolved to go through with this.


    "Wait, how do I crush this?" Eldrian asked, having tried just now and failed miserably.


    Looking over Thesolis chuckled, "It''s a quartz crystal, you won''t be able to break it that easily. Do you know how magic items work?"


    Shaking his head in denial Eldrian asked, "Is it like a magic weapon?"


    "Yes," Thesolis nodded, "You have to connect with it, and then much like you would use the magic weapon''s abilities, you activate its."


    Eldrian did just that, the crystal turning into fine dust with ease. The feeling was simr to using his dimensional storage. Only instead of seeing the inside, the crystal burst apart into dust.


    "That makes it far easier." He said,fortable with the feeling and method of its activation.


    Looking up he saw a shocked Thesolis who seemed to have nearly stumbled.? "You do know they aren''t free?"


    "So? I have to make sure I can do it, and how much attention it will take. Me failing in using it when we are actually trying will just be a terribly idiotic move." Eldrian said, shaking the sand from his hand, "Plus they can''t be that expensive. You won''t use something expensive as such a simple message system."


    "It is still around 20 silver each," Thesolis countered, given Eldrian another, reluctantly. The one in her pocket having sent a jolt through her body when he activated it. It was designed to be effective even if someone was sleeping.


    She certainly did not appreciate the shock for a simple test. Had he warned her, she would have removed it from her person first. Her pocket was also filled with quartz dust now. So fine a dust that there will always be some left behind.


    "And it is one of my good sets too," Thesolisined as she left the tent, having told Eldrian to not destruct this one until it was time. They would meet at the crack of dawn in the same tent tomorrow.


    "Now what?" Eldrian mumbled, studying the crystal as he moved to his usual spot. His body had recovered quite a bit by now, and taking a look, he found his fatigue was no longer at level 6. It had moved down to level 5.


    ''Strange, normally I have to sleep or log off.'' Eldrian mumbled, feeling that he could do a few repetitions of basic spear techniques.


    After working up a good sweat, he got himself something to eat and then started some reading. Logging off a few hourster and joining the others for their PVP matches.


    ...


    Back in the game, Eldrian was a few hours early. He used that time to train, reading when he was taking a break. Currently, he just did basic movements and he was bing truly good with them. Being able to handle the spear-like it was a part of him.


    It no longer happened that he would get stuck in a move. The back end of the spear nearly cutting him or blocked by his improper movement. Something that has taken quite some time to get right, especially when trying to do twirls and good-looking moves. Moves he mostly did not practice since they generally had worse effects than simple ones.


    ''Hope I can ask for some advanced spear techniques, and some skills.'' Eldrian mumbled, hoping the unknown reward would be up to his asking.


    A few hourster, Eldrian met up with the others at the tent where Thesolis had exined the situation to him. He had made sure to not push himself too far in his practice, which was also why he did not dare meditate.


    "Are we seriously doing this?" A familiar voice asked, Eldrian entering the tent and seeing Evules, Evale, Kydone, and Pros arguing over the table. Kydone sitting on the edge and looking up towards the entrance of the tent. Kicking her legs as she ignored the conversation.


    "Yes, he was the one who ced this condition," Pros replied, turning to Eldrian who made it to the table. Kydone''s change having alerted everyone that Eldrian was here.


    "Ah, I forgot my barrel," Eldrian said upon seeing his stand from the day before still where he had ced it. He quickly stored it, his action leaving everyone in the room without words.


    "Aren''t you worried?" Kydone asked, looking at Eldrian in confusion. Her voice just barely heard of the cracking of the torches lighting the tent in the early morning.


    "Of course I am," Eldrian replied, turning to reassure her with a smile. Then turning to face Pros, "I would like to ask if I can get a bomb or something."


    "A what?" Pros asked, intrigued by the name.


    "An item that will cause an explosion. I am sure you must have something like that, considering the array covering the camp. Something like White Hell."


    Turning to Evale, Pros reached out his hand, "Give him your other sword."


    "Butttt..." Evale startedining, however, she did asmanded. Taking out the twin of the sword she had used to kill the revenant.


    "This should do. Haru, all you need to do is get it in or close to the ghoul and activate it. The explosion will likely kill you too, but I assume you are already ready to die."


    Nodding, Eldrian took the de. Other than the hilt, which had a mithril guard and some type of red leather over the hilt, the de was pure white. Eldrian had no idea what metal the de was made from, it certainly looked fantastical.


    [Magical Longsword, Maiden''s Purity]


    [Tier 6]


    [Damage: 78 [110]]


    [Attack speed: 1.3 [2.3]]


    [Durability: 67K/113K]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 360 ; Agility: 345 ; Intelligence: 300]


    [Abilities: ???] (User does not meet requirements)


    [Passive Abilities: ???] (User does not meet requirements)


    [Activiation Spell: Send a burst of mana into the sword, starting at 200 mana up to 1000 mana. The amount of mana determines the total damage, from 400 up to 20K holy damage.]


    [Current max damage: 1734 Holy Damage]


    {Holy damage does massive damage to unholy creatures. 10x damage to the undead, 2x to demons, and 1,5x to devils}


    ''That damage!'' Eldrian stared at the stat for a long time. He only had 160HP. Even the strongest undead he had seen only had between 1K and 2K health. The damage was enough even without their weakness to the divinity. Eldrian had a hard time imagining what kind of creatures would have that much health.


    Inparison, the normal damage of the de was a letdown. Eldrian had truly thought it would be far higher, considering Aoidos had a damage value of 36 as a Tier 3 weapon. A Tier 6 having only double that was surely a letdown.


    Not meeting the requirements and thus not even being able to see the abilities was another letdown. Eldrianforted himself by thinking about the fact that when they found the cause of the corruption he could get a Tier 5 weapon of his own. Though getting 3 Tier 4''s might be a better choice.


    Taking a deep breath, Eldrian told himself, ''Right, that is also why this is important. We have to make sure we can finish that quest.''


    "Also, Haru, there is no need to worry. While holy damage destroyed the souls of the undead, it does nothing to normal souls." Pros added, Eldrian not at all having thought of it. Though he was d that it would not be a problem now that he knew of the possible danger.


    "Right, with that sorted..." Pros started, Kydone suddenly interrupting.


    "Wait, are we sure about this? I-I..." Kydone quickly jumped off the table and hid behind Eldrian. An action that caused everyone even more confusion.


    "Kydone..." Evale said, sitting down and looking at the little cat girl who was shivering in fear. "What''s wrong?"


    Kydone moved further from Evale''s and stayed behind Eldrian. Shaking her head, "I-I... I can''t do this."


    "Do what?"


    "I won''t do this."


    "What happened to the one who wounded you?" Eldrian asked, grabbing her arm before she could make any more space. If she ran away, they would not find her unless she wanted to be found.


    "No! No no-no-no. I can''t do this." Kydone said, scratching at Eldrian''s hand. However, she did not form her ws, making the scratch marks shallow and only burn slightly.


    "What happenedst time?" Eldrian asked again, not moving in closer to show her that he did not mean her harm. However, he kept a firm grip. Naturally, she could easily break away, but she was afraid she might hurt Eldrian if she did.


    Shaking her head, Kydone whispered that she had escaped. Not the other way around, making it clear that the ghoul who had hurt and nearly killed her was still out and about. Possibly even the one they were going after.


    "Don''t you want revenge?" Eldrian asked, Kydone shaking her head in denial. Trying to escape from Eldrian''s grasp again.


    "I get it," Eldrian whispered, "I know what it felt like. It... It is not a pleasant feeling."


    Kydone nodded, tears slowly forming as her fur started covering more and more of her body. Slowly turning her cute face even cuter, somehow. Suddenly she changed from trying to escape to diving into Eldrian''s arms.


    Letting loose the tears she had been keeping at bay.


    "What happened?" Evale asked, Eldrian informing them as heforted Kydone. His instincts quickly turning to that of a brother, a role he was used to. Havingforted his sister more than just a few times.


    "Why did she not tell me any of this?" Evale asked, truly hurt by the fact that Kydone had kept this hidden.


    "She did not tell anyone. She did not even stay after being healed." Eldrian said, everyone quickly understanding that she had run away from the pain and problems. As she often did when things became hard.


    "S-s-sor-sorry." Kydone mumbled into Eldrian''s chest. Embarrassed that she had never even thanked him, and even more embarrassed that she had hurt one of her rescuers while escaping from his home.

 Chapter 330: Five seconds

    <h4>Chapter 330: Five seconds</h4>


    Eldrian softly rubbed Kydone''s back in support, "It''s alright. If you want to stay here. You can."


    Kydone shook her head, "No. I can''t." Beingforted and forgiven made her feel worse. Making her refuse to cowar more than she had. However, she did not pull away immediately.


    "It''s fine. You know I won''t really die. You should rather stay safe." Eldrian continued. While the others could sympathize they did not agree with Kydone sitting it out. It would drastically decrease the already low odds of sess.


    Luckily, it seemed her being given the option to withdraw gave her the resolve to stand firm. "No! I have to help."


    Nodding, Eldrian slowly let go of her. Kydone wiping her wet checks to try and appear confident, her cute movements cutting into Evale. Making her want to let Kydone sit this one out.


    "Then let''s go. Haru, I would say it would be best if you just head to the areas. We do not know where it is and trying to draw up a n might make it appear like a trap." Pros said, Eldrian nodding and picking a random direction to walk in.


    Kydone followed close by, soon everyone losing track of her. She would leave small cuts in the trees for them to follow. Hopefully, it would make it harder for the enemy to be scared with this extra caution.


    It should be quite hard to find the others so far back, and Kydone herself was also a good ways away. The ghoul should be confident in ending a Tier 2 weakling no matter their ns. Even if it found them all and knew that they were there as reinforcements.


    ...


    ''What the hell am I doing?'' Eldrian asked himself as he wandered aimlessly in the forest. He did not even know if the others were still on his trail. ''Trust Kydone.'' He told himself as those doubts started growing.


    He had entered the danger zone a few minutes ago. Thus far he had seen no danger, but that meant nothing when the ghoul was an expert at assassinations.


    Heck, they only knew it was a ghoul due to the special types of wounds left behind.


    Taking a deep breath, Eldrian stopped himself from critiquing himself. epting that he needed to make time to be stronger, but that this world was not kind enough to give him the time.


    Extra cautious, Eldrian continuously used Mana Examination to examine the area. Nothing of note appearing before him.


    Minutes soon turning into hours. The dread having long since built to a max and then decreased to nothing. Eldrian starting to assume that he was safe. He only kept the crystal in hand since that it refused to be stored. It being linked to the other made it unstable, and Eldrian got the feeling forcing it in will cause it to break.


    It was at this point where a horrid smell assaulted him. A smell right out of the rotting pits of hell. Eldrian nearly lost all the breakfast he had enjoyed a few hours back at its arrival.


    Not liking it one bit, the smell making it hard to even breathe. Activating the crystal he started running away from where the smell hade. A small spiked w hitting the area he had been standing in just seconds before.


    "What the hell can smell so terrible?" Eldrian cursed as he nearly fell over one of the roots of a tree, another small spiked w passing right where his head used to be.


    Upon a second miss a terrible howl filled the air, followed by another spiked w which missed due to Eldrian suddenly turning to the source of the noise.


    With a third miss, the ghoul finally became totally pissed. Jumping down from the tree canopy, itnded next to Eldrian. Its ws going for his heart fast enough to break the sound barrier.


    Yet it missed as Eldrian jumped to the side. The smell had suddenly, somehow against logic, be far stronger. His body had acted before his mind even realized what was going on. The smell causing his skin to crawl, the attack causing his heart to race.


    Finally, Eldrian realized the danger he was in, a shriveled humanoid in front of him. It almost resembled a goblin, both in size and appearance. However, its limbs seemed to move like fluid. Its attacks unnatural, as if the limitations of joints did not apply to it.


    The ghoul''s entire arm moved; shoulder, joint, bone, all of it. Cracking and reforming in one smooth motion. Making the speed of the attack far faster than should be possible.


    Somehow, Eldrian managed to survive again. By falling on his ass.


    The ghoul''s ws ripped past him, a pitch-ck venom dripping from them andnding on Eldrian''s shoulder. Sending a searing pain not limited by the system through his mind. Causing him to nearly lose consciousness. Nearly...


    Eldrian refused to ept this, he did not wish to lose his levels. While he was not as invested as when there are NPCs'' lives at stake, that did not mean he wouldn''t do his utmost.


    Rolling to the side, Eldrian cast Floga. The only spell he could manage in his current condition. His mind reeling from the pain and smell, needing to act on instinct.


    The small fireball hit the ghouls in the side of its face. Eldrian having hoped it would block its view and it seemed to work. The w missed by a few centimeters, the smell worsening even more as the ground next to Eldrian melted like it was being dissolved by acid.


    Howling inplete rage at failing to kill this weakling of an elf, the ghoul shouted ["No more!"] in a guttural noise born from hell. Eldrian''s ears bursting from the horrid sound far past eptable decibels.


    The pain assaulting him, luckily, was limited. This did not mean it was not painful, but the system seemed to be doing its job. Having only failed when the venom hadnded on Eldrian. Making him all the more invested in not getting a direct hit.


    He could imagine what kind of hell that would be if he had the time. Which he certainly did not have.


    The ghoul''s next attack defied logic and caused Eldrian to despair. However, he did not have enough time to actually despair. He just kept acting to survive.


    Seeing the two ws heading for him. One like a snake bending over him anding from the right, while the other like a snake in grassing for his left. Blocking his only two directions of movement on the ground.


    ''The fuck!?'' Eldrian cursed, pulling out a barrel on the one right and a shield on the other. The barrel shattering upon impact, making the one w just that bit slower.


    The ghoul''s other ws ripped through the shield with ease but did not touch Eldrian himself. The impact sent him flying, away from the other attack that the barrel had slowed. For a split second Eldrian thought he had made it. Until a massive amount of pain assaulted him.


    Hisnding was not graceful. Not at all. He crashed into a tree with full force, his back breaking upon impact. The pain shooting up through him, along with his legs no longer following hismands.


    The ghoul appeared before he could even realize why. Eldrian''s mind spun as he coughed up blood. The system still did its job of limiting pain, but even limited pain could umte into an unbearable amount. Especially when his entire body was nearly broken.


    Seeing the w heading for his neck. His arms to slow, his legs not responding. Eldrian was almost willing to ept death. Almost, but not quite.


    In ast-ditch effort, with less than a second to think and act, Eldrian cast Volida and sent the attack against himself. Itnded just before the ghoul''s ws, sending him rolling on the ground as the ghoul''s ws cut into the tree.


    The tree shriveling and died in seconds, though no one had any spare attention to see this. Eldrian suddenly dual-cast Frost Needle after his explosive escape. Hitting himself again and using the spell to propel him away from the next attack.


    Gritting his teeth to endure the pain of his flesh being carried by just two finger-sized icicles. Certainly, if not for the reduced pain, Eldrian would not have managed to cast any spells.


    However, with each second he was surviving, the pain became more as his wounds grew. Eldrian had no time to observe his HP, but it was already dangerously low.


    Forst Needle also did not have enough juice to move him far, Eldrian losing control of the spell after just narrowly avoiding another hit.


    ''Fuck-fuck-fuck.'' Eldrian''s mind spun as he saw the ghoul running after him, his arms not nearly fast enough to move to intercept theing attack. Nor did he have enough time to cast a proper spell this time.


    ''What the fuck was I thinking?'' Eldrian asked as the ghoul caught up to him and another attack appeared before him. Thus far, not even five seconds had passed since he crushed the crystal.


    Desperate to not die, but too low in mana to use Maiden''s purity, Eldrian cast Fos with an overwhelming amount of mana. Unlike other spells, he could cast Tier 0 without needing to envision their spell module. Eldrian had never tried pouring all his mana into them, until now.


    The light ball appeared between him and the ghoul, suddenly expanding and appearing like a sun. Both blinded, but Eldrian having closed his eyes recovered first. He immediately cast Anthise on himself to recover some energy, that being just about all he could do before the ghoul recovered.


    Eldrian barely managed to use Observe before the ghoul appeared before him again.

 Chapter 331: A desperate fight

    <h4>Chapter 331: A desperate fight</h4>


    [Stats visible due to hidden ss superiority.]


    [Ghoul]


    [Tier 6 (Higher Undead); Level 35]


    [HP: 3220/3220]


    [Attack: 375]


    [Attack Damage(No Armor): 2.3K]


    [Agility: 729]


    [A cursed being, brought back in hunger through hunger. A ghoul will always search for the next meal, only cooperating with others if a meal is to be found. It will always im the first rights to a meal, its venom deadly even to other undead.]


    [Status: Eternal Hunger: Makes the ghoul unpredictable and much more dangerous. It will do anything for a meal. No matter how much it feeds, it will never be filled.]


    [Passive ability: Death''s Touch: A ghoul''s ws are coated in an extremely toxic substance. A grazing blow is enough to kill most.]


    [The damage differs based on Tier difference, at the same Tier it will do 1% max HP per minute. Increases drastically therger the difference, while it does not decrease much in inverse. Also negates all normal healing, investing the desired effect. Only divine healing can be used to treat the wound.]


    [Special ability: Howl of hunger: Sends out a terrible howl paralyzing its victim.]


    Eldrian only realized the idiocy of using Observer when the information flooded his mind. Making him too slow to attempt another desperate escape.


    "Noooo!" A normally timid voice echoed in the air, followed by the sound of a limb being severed. Looking up in disbelief Eldrian saw Kydone staring down the ghoul.


    Her shaking shoulders informing him of her fear, yet she gripped her shortswords with resolve, staring the ghoul down in defiance. Ready to put her life on the line for Eldrian''s.


    Their standoffsted longer than Eldrian''s entire attempt at survival. Giving time for Anthise to work and Eldrian to sort through the information from Observe. As soon as he managed to think clearly, he cast Anthise on Kydone and Thera on the ghoul.


    Kydone disappearing from his sights followed by the ghoul being sent backwards. ck fluid on Kydone''s de, soon starting to sizzle.


    With the fight restarted, the two started moving so fast Eldrian only barely managed to follow them. Most of their attacks were a blur to his eyes.


    At first, the ghoul was forced to hastily defend, but this quickly changed. While Kydone had the speed advantage, the unnatural movement of the ghoul''s limbs almostpletely negated this. Not to mention its missing arm quickly regrowing by pulling flesh from other parts of its body.


    Once it had two arms again, the advantage flipped almost immediately. Kydone suddenly forced on the backfoot. The ghoul appeared frailer, more shriveled, yet this did not weaken it. Its attacks were just as quick and strong as before.


    They were nearly evenly matched. However, just a single cut, no matter how small would signal Kydone''s defeat. As such she had to be extra careful, the ghoulpletely aware of this. It pressed even more, opening itself to attacks.


    Openings Kydone could never exploit as the ghoul''s ws were always at the ready. Aiming not to hit a good blow, but just to cut the skin. A despicable way to fight, one Kydone could do little against.


    Soon she started panting from the strain, just seconds having passed yet it was the hardest fight of her life. Unlikest time, she could not retreat. She would not.


    Eldrian realized this and cursed himself. He could see that Kydone would notst long. If she wouldst until the others arrived was unknown. The description from the system made the venom appear less deadly than it was.


    It only stated the health loss, but the true problem was the pain. A searing pain through the mind. A pain that would rob most of your focus and a great deal of your energy.


    ''I need to do something,'' Eldrian tried to speak, finding that the action hurt. Even breathing hurt, it felt like he was drowning. Shutting out the pain as much as he could, Eldrian tried to think.


    He tried to stand, finding to his horror that he was paralyzed. Again, he shut this out. Telling himself to only focus on a solution.


    His arms were still functional, but just barely. They too were in pain, throbbing constantly. Yet they could still move, so Eldrian moved them.


    ''She needs help!'' No longer was it just about losing a few levels, suddenly the situation became all the more serious.


    Eldrian''s mind spun as he realized that the longer the fightsted, the more panicked Kydone became. Herst near-death experience shing in her mind making her movements sloppy and her escapes all the more narrow.


    ''Think! Think! Think!'' Eldrian shouted this, but just a gurgle came out. The pain doubling and he doubling his ignorance of it. Pushing his focus to the extreme to focus on what mattered.


    It was in this state that he recalled the sword he had gotten, however, his mana was too low.


    ''Meditate.'' Eldrian immediately thought, knowing that it quickened his mana regen if he entered that calming state. However, how was he supposed to meditate lying on the ground bleeding out internally?


    Closing his eyes, Eldrian tried his best to ignore all the pain and focus into himself. This took a few seconds wherein he pushed all his focus into it. So much that the readings Miracle was taking skyrocketed and they got the second surprise in as many days.


    Slowly the pain started disappearing, Eldrian''s consciousness just barely staying in the game. Fighting to gather mana single-mindedly


    He did not manage to enter the state he wanted, yet he managed to get what he wanted. He felt the surrounding mana rushing to him, and instead of absorbing it, Eldrian pulled out the sword and focused it into it.


    Seconds passed, now nearly 20 seconds since he broke the crystal. Still far from when they could expect the others.


    The sword started glowing pure white, radiating heat to the surroundings. Eldrian''s hands being burnt from the touch, yet he fought on. Again doing his best to ignore the pain.


    ''More! More!'' He groaned through the blood filling his lungs, focusing purely on the sword. Yet now he found he had no way of informing Kydone of what he was doing. He had no energy to spare to try and force his legs to move. No energy to try and heal them.


    Gritting his teeth, Eldrian thought back to how the Alicornsmunicated. Having no idea how they did it, but having his own idea. He knew what his soul was, he knew what Kydone''s was like.


    ''Now! Kydone! Sword!'' Eldrian shouted in his mind, using all the spare mana he had to voice that message. Losing consciousness as he did, not knowing if it worked or not.


    His hope. That the magic abyss was truly one ce. That all souls existed in that abyss.


    ...


    Kydone was doing her best to avoid taking even so much as a scratch. Recalling the pain fromst time made her movements slower. Made her technique fail.


    If not for her actually being stronger and faster than the ghoul she would have long since ended up dead. However, the difference was not much. The abilities of the ghoul more than making up for them.


    By now Kydone was covered in fur, her beast side always came out in situations where her emotions ran wild. Her ws dug into the grip of her sword, her fur soaked in sweat. A few spots of her clothes and fur devoid of both. Spots where the venom hadnded.


    Luckily, the venom was far less effective if it did not pierce the skin. Her''s being resistant enough to stop it from doing so, as long as she kept the ws from reaching her. Even so, it would pain terribly. Leaving swelling burnt marks all over her body.


    Jumping back, Kydone avoided a deadly hug. Gasping for air she looked side to side for something that might help.


    Suddenly she felt something. Something telling her to look towards Eldrian. Jumping back to make space she gave herself the spare time to look around. Seeing Eldrian lying motionless on the ground with a brightly glowing white sword.


    Mustering her natural ability, Feline Grace, Kydone jumped between the trees as if it was natural that they would make a perfect path. The ghoul failing to catch up before she reached Eldrian.


    Taking the sword and screaming from the pain, Kydone suddenly turned and thrust out with the sword. The ghoul caught off guard, but not unprepared.


    Like before it weed the attack to return its own. Embracing Kydone as the sword pierced its heart, an organ it did not need.


    Only when the sword entered it did it realized its mistake. Convulsing in pain it lost its grip on Kydone''s sides. Kydone finished the activation and jumped back. Grabbing Eldrian as she did, yet she did not make it far. Falling unconscious after covering just 30 meters.


    Far enough to avoid the st, but somewhere hidden in the undergrowth.


    ...


    Waking up, Eldrian knew he was at his limit. He just stayed still and stared at the ceiling. The pain followed him as phantom pains. He gave it a few minutes to go away, yet the strange feeling in his legs stayed.


    "The hell?" He mumbled, sitting up with a struggle. His body exhausted and his mind even more so. To his horror he found that his legs would not respond to him.


    "Come on!" Eldrian shouted, smacking his leg to get it to wake up. His horror increasing as he realized that he felt nothing.


    "No! No!" Eldrian shouted, falling from the chair as he tried to reach his tablet.

 Chapter 332: Flaming Reanimate Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 332: ming Reanimate Awakening</h4>


    "What on earth?" Xidrel, a Lich, mumbled upon feeling the sudden pull at its consciousness. Its connection to Raz, the ghoul, suddenly cut. Not weakened, nothing to indicate the ghoul losing a fight. It just suddenly disappeared. Perplexing the lich and ruining its train of thought.


    "That can''t be right. He had found the reinforcements, and his target was just a measly Tier 2. There is no way the elf survived for a minute." Mumbling, the lich turned to his partner in crime and subordinate. A ming Reanimate who was truly close to bing something more.


    They were one of the rarest undeads. Nurturing them took an insane amount of time. It was also often impossible, their condition for entering the higher ranks was by far the strictest.


    Unlike other higher undead, a ming Reanimate would always be an Unwilling. Most others can be reborn as either an Unwilling or a Higher Undead. Depending on their mental state upon death. This, plus the magic used determined the type they would be.


    ming Reanimates however are different. They are always born as they are. Much like the others, the major factor in them reviving as undead is whether or not their souls can survive the ordeal. However, unlike other undeads, the torment ced on a ming Reanimate''s soul is far harsher.


    Their souls need to not only survive the normal rebirth process, but also the torture of their mes. An eversting torture that almost always steals their intelligence. Leaving them as robots only following orders.


    This particr ming Reanimate was different. It was special.


    The lich had found a centaur and their significant other together in a group. Their love, while nonsense to the lich, was easy to see with how they did their best to protect each other. This was the perfect opportunity to form a revenant or ghoul, with chances of them being full-fledged Higher Undead nearly a 100%.


    However, Xidrel felt that they were toomon. Not to mention those had a mind of their own. He wanted a puppet, not another collogue who might ignore him. As often happens.


    As such he attempted awakening a ming Soul. Something even he only knew the legends of. Ignoring all the warnings in those legends, believing himself to be far more capable than those before.


    Even with the little he knew of ming Souls, it was enough to make his skeletal frame want to jump in excitement.


    The method of aplishing this was certainly far moreplicated, Xidrel however totally felt it was worth it. The first requirement he had met by ident, having twopatible souls to merge. Lovers were perfect for this.


    So he had killed them, captured their souls, and then bound them together to one body. Which he then performed the normal ming Reanimate creation ritual. He would never admit it, but using two souls had nearly caused him to fail. It made things much more difficult, exponentially so.


    Still, he had seeded. They were a perfect union, one taking the brunt of the mes, leaving the other sane.


    Though their sanity was certainly not normal. Constantly hearing their love''s soul being burnt and tortured, they had a hatred that knew no bound towards the lich. Yet it could do nothing to the lich. Any thoughts against it would just increase the pain they were under.


    Their only outlet was those they once calledrades. By killing other living people and absorbing their souls, the pain can be lifted for a few hours. Only to returnter and cause both anguish beyond words.


    "Ma-Mas-Master." The ming skeleton said, its words containing unrestrained anger. Its mes sputtering as it tried to keep control. Its love screaming in pain from the unchecked mes eating at her soul.


    "Find Raz. Also, go kill some people."


    Shaking from anger, the ming skeleton nodded and turned to leave. d that it was given permission to kill, a way to lessen the burden on its love.


    As it left the lich clicked its tongue, even though it had none. "What an emotional child."


    It was clear that the ming Reanimate hated him, Xidrel did not care. Again he thought he was better than those in the legends. That he would be able to keep control of things.


    ...


    Gengxin rushed into Eldrian''s room, having gotten Eldrian''s emergency call. He found Eldrian leaning against his desk, extremely tired and depressed.


    "Eldrian..." Gengxin approached and sat next to Eldrian, "What is it?"


    Instead of answering, Eldrian leaned over and rested his head on Gengxin''s shoulder. Falling asleep not long after.


    Sighing, Gengxin took Eldrian''s tablet and called up his data. Shocked to see what had happened and even more shocked that Joren hadn''t called him.


    "Bastard, how can you think to keep this from me?" Gengxin cursed as he read through thetest data. Though in Joren''s defense he had called him the day before when it was a false rm. Eldrian having shown no problems even though his readings had been through the roof.


    Still, this case was different and Gengxin was pissed that he was not informed. Pushing down his anger, Gengxin knew he needed to focus on Eldrian first. Calling an emergency team he quickly took Eldrian down to the CT scanner.


    While theirs was much smaller than any other on the market, it was still toorge to be considered portable. After rolling Eldrian in on his hospital bed, Gengxin linked the CT scanner to it.


    The rotating machine adapted to the surroundings and starting a full scan of Eldrian. Starting at his head.


    This could also be achieved by the immersion chair, however, the degree of detail from the scanner was far more. Looking at the readings, Gengxin found it perplexing to say the least.


    He found nothing to be wrong, Eldrian was in peek condition. Looking at the previous data, Gengxin did not know what to say. Those scans made by the immersion chair clearly indicated that his spine was not sending any information to his legs.


    There was no physical blockage nor any damage, and Gengxin could attest to that there was not even so much as a hairline fracture. Yet clearly something was wrong. At the moment everything seemed perfectly fine. It had to be a temporary psychological problem.


    "Eldrian, Eldrian Eldrian... What are we going to do now?" Gengxin mumbled. He knew how to treat physical injuries, psychological ones were far more difficult.


    Gengxin hoped that Eldrian would recover upon waking, or after entering the game again and being healed. Or rather, his avatar being healed. Hopefully, that would resolve his mental state.


    "Shit!" Gengxin cursed as he saw through the tablet that Eldrian''s avatar was about to be discovered.


    "Why did his body not disappear?" Gengxin cursed, rushing to get Joren to safeguard Eldrian''s avatar. However, before he could manage that, the reinforcements finally arrived. Evules taking the two wounded ones and quickly taking them to Katania who stayed with another team even further back.


    They needed her close, she and her team were already on the way. However, they couldn''t risk her being wounded. She was the only one who could save those injured by a ghoul, hence her team consisted of four Tier 6''s and two Tier 7''s and they strayed further back.


    ...


    Arriving at the scene of the fight, everyone was shocked to see the carnage. They were even more shocked to see the state that both were in. Eldrian''s body was nearly past repair, he was also long gone. Kydone was just barely hanging on.


    "Take them both, but focus on Kydone!" Pros shouted, believing that Eldrian should be alright as a Chosen. Kydone however was in true danger. The venom of a ghoul did not just damage the body, but also the soul. Generally, those who died from it could not be revived. Their soul too damaged to survive the process.


    Evules rushed towards Katania''s group with the two, the others quickly started looking around. Certain that the ghoul would not act as it did without someone controlling it. That in itself was strange enough.


    "There is likely a lich behind this," Pros said as he found the charred pieces of the ghoul flesh. From Kydone''s state, it was clear that the ghoul had been Tier 6. Making it even harder to believe.


    Ghouls would generally hunt however they want, moving from spot to spot to gain an easy meal. It staying in one location contradicted the normal.


    As they were scouting the surrounding, a ming Reanimate arrived. Stumbling and stuttering as it looked at everyone.


    "B-b-be so k-kind... Gi-give her s-some pea-peace." The ming skeleton stuttered, its speaking shocking everyone, Observe shocking them even more.


    Generally, ming Reanimates were not a problem for anyone past Tier 5. They were bound to always be lower than Tier 5, generally Tier 4 but in some cases even lower. Yet this one before them was Tier 7. Unprecedented and a shock that sent shivers down everyone''s spines. Its stats were just insane.


    [ming Reanimate - Awakening (Ieres&Althare)] (*1)


    [Tier 7 Dual ss; Level 45]


    [HP: 20.8k]


    [Mana: 20.3k]


    [Attack(No Armor): 804]


    [Agility: 1818]


    [Spirit: 2210]


    [An awakening ming Soul, a creature of myths and legends. A creature that very few manage to survive their first meeting with. There is some hope though, as this one is still awakening.]


    [Status:]


    [Immunity to Fire]


    [Holy damage half as effective]


    [Passive Ability:? me kisses - Its mes will burn all those who it touches. Damage based on spirit and Tier difference]


    [Ability: Wee the mes - Sending its mes into the surrounding. Burning all it touches, souls included.]


    [This ability robs the souls that are meant to sustain the mes. Robbing the only relief the reanimate can find for its lover. Making the mes even hungrier than normal.]


    [Damage: 25.8k]


    *1 - Stats gave for reader reference, not what the NPCs see with their Observe


    *AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 333: A massive increase in strength

    <h4>Chapter 333: A massive increase in strength</h4>


    Waking up after a few hours of sleeping, Eldrian''s thoughts were a mess. Rxing on thefortable bed he was on, Eldrian suddenly recalled what had happened. Jumping up he found to his utter relief that his legs were back to normal. He would have most certainly fallen face-first if this was not the case.


    Letting out a long breath of relief, Eldrian sat back down as he rubbed his legs. Enjoying the fact that they could actually feel his touch. Never having known that something so simple could bring him such joy and relief.


    "That was truly unpleasant. I assume it is part of the dyed response. My brain probably thought I was paralyzed due to the injuries from the game." Eldrian mumbled, finding this thought absolutely horrifying.


    He had no idea how it could have happen so easily. Luckily it was evidently not permanent. After a few minutes of rxing, Eldrian stood up, finding the simple task quite difficult.


    "Whoa there." Gengxin ducked under Eldrian''s shoulder, stopping him from falling. "You aren''t really cured. I just gave you some drugs to loosen your inhibitors."


    "What? Why?" Eldrian was grateful for the save, not understanding why it was so hard to keep his bnce. Though he knew this feeling as that of dyed response.


    "Because your mind believed you were injured. The drugs circumvent this, allowing you to realize that you aren''t injured. It will take some time before you can walk normally though. Your subconscious has yet to ept it." Gengxin said, getting Eldrian to sit in a wheelchair.


    "I warned you repeatedly." He sighed as he started taking Eldrian back to his room, "I assume you want to go back into the game to check if everyone is alright?"


    Eldrian nodded, embarrassed that it seemed like he cared little for his own health. While he had been truly shocked by what had happened, it did not change his ns. More than anything it reinforced them.


    He had to find out what else Miracle was hiding. For he had not thought that such a short fight would result in any problems. It was not as intense as those before either, itsted not even a minute.


    Climbing onto his immersion chair with difficulty, Eldrian went back into the game. Finding himself on another hospital bed. This one was far lessfortable and instead of a modern ceiling weing him, a linen tent roof weed him.


    His entire body ached, as well as his mind. Rolling to the side, Eldrian saw Kydone lying on the next bed over. Her chest area covered in bandages. Luckily it seemed that she was breathing normally.


    ''We did it.'' Eldrian thought, trying to sit up and ending up on the ground. Coughing out the mouthful of dirt he had eaten, Eldrian stopped and cast Anthise on himself. Finding the spell did nothing.


    ''Great. Why do I always rush to get up?'' Eldrian moaned, giving up on standing up and instead turning over onto his back. In this position, he started to meditate again. It was the only thing he could do to pass the time.


    But more than anything, he felt it was something he had to do now. While the feeling he had grasped before falling unconscious got hidden in his memeroies.


    Like before, Eldrian managed to move the first pathways with ease, however, even with his tired state, the following ones did not be much harder. Instead, the mana from outside started moving towards him. Supplementing the difficulty of maintaining those he had finished, half stabilizing them.


    [Ability Unlocked: Mana Sense]


    [Through a simply thought you can choose to witness the world of magic. A sight incorporating both Magic Inspection, Mana Examination, Observe, and Inspect. Allowing you to see the world in its most basic forms.]


    Eldrian did not read nor even see the notification, instead, he felt that something changed. Opening his eyes, he managed to keep his meditative state while looking at all the mists gathering towards him. Forming a spiraling rainbow of colorful mists, his eyes reflecting this unbeknownst to him.


    Eldrian enjoyed the sight for a while, the pressure on his mind decreasing more with each passing moment. A minuteter he could continue with ease, managing to finish all five pathways.


    ''Now what?'' Eldrian wondered as he observed his mana through moving his focus in his meditative state. After a while, he found that he was not done, not quite. Focusing on the nodes(traffic circles) he realized that he had forgotten to give a smooth transfer between the spinning wheels connecting the pathways.


    Making a few bridge-like strings between the two, Eldrin gave a path for the mana in a fixed direction. Keeping the chaotic center as is. Allowing it to grow and absorb all the mana moving towards him.


    Minutes passed and Eldrian kept staying still. Enjoying the sights until suddenly pain started growing where the nodes were. Looking in, he found that the chaotic centers were filled and nearly bursting.


    Hurriedly, Eldrian tried to figure out how to stop the flow. The pain growing and soon his skin bursting open. Unable to stop it.


    Cursing, Eldrian rolled to his side and coughed out blood from the node in his neck. The painsting for a few minutes before turning into a truly strange experience. He could feel his limbs being reconstructed after the skin was torn off and the bones were broken.


    While painful, it was not unbearable. In fact, the system seemed to be blocking most of the pain. Finally...


    A few minutester Eldrian got a new message from the system congratting him.


    [Legacy path started, congrattions to yer Eldrian]


    [Server Announcement: Legacies have been discovered. yers should pay attention to the myths of Gaia to find clues on how to find a legacy.]


    [yer has made a unique mana system,ying the foundation of a legacy. Current legacy rank: B]


    [Legacies are the key of hidden sses, and the creation of a new one is extremely rare. While this means the path ahead will be far more difficult, it also means the rank is not predetermined. You can continue to improve upon it.]


    [Unique mana pathway bonuses at current rank and development:]


    [Stat growth: 250MP]


    [Atrribute growth: 20 Consitution, 5 Strength, 5 Agility, 15 Spirit, 10 Inteligence]


    [Please name the legacy.]


    Eldrian had no idea what to call it, so he continued to read through the messages. Two more waiting for his attention.


    [Title Rewarded: Legacy Creation(unique)]


    [Proof of ingenuity and discipline. Hard work does pay off. This title proves your right to stand on equal footing to the legends of myths]


    [Rewarded 4 levels for aplishment]


    Finally came the message Eldrian had been expecting.


    [Protector Tier 3 reached:]


    [Atrribute growth: All Attributes increased by a further 20, to a total bonus of 35 from hidden ss attribute growth]


    [Bonus stat growth: 25%]


    [Skill and Spell enhancement: 20% boost to Tier 3, 40% to Tier 2, 75% to Tier 1, 200% to Tier 0]


    [Due to a mana system being created, the increased mana cost no longer applies. All spells will have the bonus.]


    This was not even all, Eldrian found that the ghoul kill had gotten him 10million XP. This was by far an insane amount, however, it had shot him up only? one level. Which he had promptly lost due to dying.


    Luckily he was resurrected and did not revive in a temple, reducing the penalty from 3 levels to 1(plus all his XP between the two). In the end, he had gained just the four levels from the title reward.


    Bringing him to level 25 and increasing his free attributes massively. To a point where he felt it was time to spend them again. Even though he still did not know what to max.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 25 (0/20.7M)]


    [Hidden ss: Protector Tier 3]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 171] [was 131] {Healtier in general than the average person, faster stamina regen and in general more stamina. Also more resistant to poisons, venoms, sickness, etc.}


    [Strength: 166] [was 141] {Slightly stronger than one and a half normal persons. Awareness of strength hinges on affinity. The closer to 100%, the closer to perfect syncronization}


    [Agility: 201] [was 176] {Twice as fasts as the average person and far more flexible, with perception simrly increased. Perception increased hinges on affinity...}


    [Spirit: 172] [was 137] {Far more resistant to mind maniption spells, auras, abilities. Also increases mana stores and affinity to nature and spiritual things. Affinity to things hinges on affinity...}


    [Intelligence: 205] [was 175] {Helps in understanding of concepts and visualization, however, the effect hinges on affinity... Also, the stat to determine the effectiveness of magic in general.}


    [40 free attributes]


    ''Wow, isn''t that some helpful information?'' Eldrianmented, finding the description addition to attributes quite nice. Especially the part about how affinityes into y. Making the reason for his ease with visualizing spells finally click.


    ''Wait, is that why?'' Eldrian suddenly paused and pondered. Recalling that Constantin had mentioned that most game testers had to stop ying due to reaching 99% affinity. None of them had reached 100%, but even at 99% the system started failing in protecting them.


    ''That makes perfect sense, why didn''t they warn or stop me?'' Eldrian asked, questioning why for once they shared no information with them. ''Did they want to see if it would affect me too? Or... No, likely they wanted to see if it would affect me while using the immersion chair.''


    Eldrian didn''t know how to feel about this part. He had agreed to the risks when he used the chair, heck he had to go through a bit of hell to activate it. ''No... They needed to warn me of the increased danger.''


    Eldrian felt they had dropped the ball. For once they had not managed to stay on a perfect gray path. They had made a mistake in not informing him. Resolving his determination to also hide his findings from them even more than before. For this was a tant ignoring of his safety. Eldrian was fine ignoring it himself, but not if they ignored it.


    ''Still... This means injuries will always follow me to reality as phantom injuries. I will need to take a few minutes to hours each time to let my mind cope.''


    Eldrian didn''t like this one bit, however, he had no other course. He was not willing to give up, he was far too invested. ''I should also make sure that I consciously know I am dying. I have to set myself a point at which I no longer struggle.''


    This was far easier said than done. But Eldrian felt this was a must.


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 231] [was 160] {Indications of a person''s health. Decreased by any type of physical damage, be it an injury, disease, malnutrition, or anything else. The value is only an indication, not 100% absolute.}


    [Mana: 573] [was 253] {The amount of mana a person has inside of them. Mana at the ready for use upon but a singlemand.}


    [Stamina: 308] [was 147] {An indication of a person''s stamina. However, running out of stamina does not mean no movement. Rather it means much slower movement and inability to use skills which are extremely taxing movements.}


    [Armor: 1.5] [was 1] {Protection against physical damage. Damage is basically calcted as follows: The weapon raw damage minus armor, timed by determining attribute.}


    [Magic Armor: 1.5] [was 1] {Protection against magical damage. Damage is basically calcted as follows: The spell damage minus armor, timed by determining attribute.}


    [Attack (With Aoidos): 59] [was 51] {Raw damage times strength.}


    Whistling in happiness, a smile spread over Eldrian''s face as he looked at the massive boost this breakthrough had brought him. His fatigue had even started leaving, allowing him to sit up without as much of a struggle. His old skin shedding as he moved.


    ''Most of my stats nearly doubled. My attributes shooting up massively too. I should beparable to Tier 4''s at this point.'' The smile grew even more as Eldrian thought of this.


    *AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 334: Xidrels folly

    <h4>Chapter 334: Xidrel''s folly</h4>


    A few hours before Eldrian woke. Somewhere close to where his battle had taken ce.


    "Not again," Xidrel, the creator of the awakening ming Reanimate grumbled as he felt his link to his puppet fluctuating. "Is the idiot thinking of betraying me again? Or dying?"


    Not wishing to risk thetter, and irritated by the frequency of the former, the lich started to move. Choosing to fly over the trees to increase its speed as the connection wavered even more.


    In its haste it nearly bumped into a dwarf. Standing in his path in the air as if it was the most natural thing, the dwarf looked at him with no emotions. The look of an elite soldier performing a mission for the thousandth time.


    The dwarf had a long ck beard tucked into his pitch-ck armor, matching perfectly with his hair. His beard being tucked caused its? true length and the number of rings to be hidden. His height came to just the chest of the lich, however, this meant nothing in the air where height meant little.


    His armor seemed to attract the shadows and absorb all light. Not a single shiny spot could be found on the dwarf. It was most certainly exquisite, but to what level was uncertain. Its design looked simple, with no ruins visible except for the central one on each piece.


    The dwarf''s ability to fly and keep afloat, as well as his armor, intrigued the lich. However, it did not have time to sate its curiosity. Prepared to ignore how the dwarf could fly and why he was here, it started moving towards its creation again. Only for the dwarf to move in his way.


    "Listen here buddy, you are lucky I am in a hurry. Stop standing in my way." The lich spoke with utter disrespect, filling its voice with magic, the dwarf taking it without flinching.


    Seeing theck of effect, the lich became slightly on guard. Using its version of Observe to see what it was up against, only for a massive headache to assault it. Something it rarely felt, and normally only when it strained itself. Like when it tried making the ming Soul.


    "I was told to stop you. I will do so, and if you force my hand I will kill you." The dwarf said with no change in tone after stopping the lich again. As if his statement was an obvious fact.


    Even without eyebrows and eyes, the lich''s frown was felt.? "Who the hell are you?"


    Finally, the lich could no longer ignore the dwarf, and especially his cockiness. What was most irritating was that the dwarf had spoken as if it was simply what would happen. As if killing him would be that easy.


    "Bring?rr." The dwarf replied, stopping the lich''s path again. The two by now having gone down to the ground. Keeping flight was expensive, especially during a stalemate.


    "Why are you stopping me?" The lich questioned as it pulled out a deep blue metal staff with an Amethyst crystal, getting ready for a fight. Its puppet connection was weakening by the second.


    "Orders... I advise you to not try anything." Bring?rr replied, not caring for the lich''s staff nor his aggression. Like it did not even matter to him.


    "Whose orders?" The lich asked, already nning to find and kill whoever caused this disturbance.


    "Captain''s." The dwarf replied, taking out a knife as he saw that the lich was going to force his hand. He had been specifically ordered to only kill the lich if he does not take the advice to walk away. Their captain did not wish to disturb the fight for the forest.


    Seeing that the dwarf was not going to give it any more information, the lich started preparing its strongest, fast, spell. The tricky part of the magic was knowing which spells to use, and not knowing the enemy''s stats, level, or even Tier, the lich had to use something fast and devastating to start the battle.


    Raising an eyebrow upon feeling the air stirring, the dwarf sighed. "So be it."


    The lich felt likeughing, believing Bring?rr to be an idiot to give him the time to fully form the spell. Finishing the cast, ck lighting charged at Bring?rr faster than the eye can see. Most eyes.


    For Bring?rr the ck lighting was certainly fast, but not all that much. Its power however was more than he could take without sustaining damage, so he acted quickly. Summoning his shield and cing his knife hand behind it. The hit causing him to slide three meters back.


    The surrounding trees snapped from the shockwaves, Bring?rr however was unharmed. His hair and beard were not even singed, something that would have been truly an upset. Bring?rr would never hear the end of it if he let that happen.


    "That was meant to kill. I would say that means I can kill you." Bring?rr didn''t like the undead to begin with, however, he would never question his captain''s orders.


    Taking a step forwards he suddenly disappeared from sight. Reappearing against the lich, who just barely managed to bring its staff to block the knife. A massive chunk of the blue metal flying off, the knife receiving no damage.


    Snorting at the attack not killing the lich, Bring?rr pulled out a hammer. A weapon perfect for crushing bones, which the lich was made out of.


    Jumping back in fright, the lich tried to summon something better for fighting. Not fast enough and needing to block the next attack with his staff again. The blue metal snapping from the hit right where the knife had chipped it.


    "You bastard! Do y-" Using the two pieces in a cross-shaped defense, the lich tried to block the next attack, sent flying back and its forearm bones broken from the shock. The damage meant little and was repaired in less than a second, however, the dwarf was on him again.


    "Wait! We ca-" Again interrupted by theing hammer, the lich barely managed to pull out a sword, which was sent flying from its hands, the hammer crushing its wrist.


    "Fu-" Not even able to swear, the lich desperately escaped the attack aimed at its head, only for a shield to suddenly crush its chest. Sending it against the tree.


    "This won''t kill me!" The lich shouted in anger before the next attack couldnd. Determined to ce a mark on the dwarf for his revenge once he recovered.


    The mark failed, the armor absorbing the magic and turning it into its basic raw form. The attack indeed did not kill the lich, however, it did break its entire ribcage that was cracked before.


    "But it will hurt," Bring?rr said, pulling out a pure white warhammer. Not the fantasy type, but the ssic medieval warhammer. A small hammerhead on one side and a sharp spike on the other, its length not more than that of the dwarf''s arm.


    "No! How do-" The lich scrambled to get away, sending all the spells it could instantly cast at the dwarf. All of which were too weak to do anything, the armor absorbing them without trouble.


    The hammer started glowing brightly just before the dwarf mmed it into the lich''s head. A scream of utter pain and disbelief echoing in the air.


    Retracting his hammer, Bring?rr turned and looked to the side. Storing his warhammer and shield after a few seconds. Staring to move in the direction of his squad. All abyssal guards were able to always feel the location of their brothers and sisters. Even capable of knowing their state.


    ...


    Jumping back against his hiding tree, Milgoroth, known as Andreas to the humans of Phallos, tried to calm down. Telling himself that there was no way the dwarf saw him. That he must have just sensed his actions.


    He thanked his lucky stars that he had waited to see how things yed out. He had no idea who that dwarf was, but he was even scarier than Agamemas.


    "That is insane. How could none of those spells have done anything to that dwarf?" Milgoroth shivered as he recalled how efficiently the lich had died. He had been stalking it. In hopes he could just clean up the battle. Making sure the Chosen, known as Haru, soul was destroyed.


    Yet even with his skill in stealth and movement, he had failed to notice the dwarf until the moment the lich had stopped to avoid bumping into him. Even scarier, Andreas knew that the lich was Tier 8.


    A point of strength very few in the world managed to reach. Even in Empires, it was enough to be allowed to rule a small city or have an army at yourmand.


    "Ho-how?" Milgoroth stuttered as he tried making sense of the dwarf''s strength. Like the lich, he had been unable to glean any information from him. It even seemed that it had caused him to be discovered.


    He had been ready to use his bloodline power to teleport away. Yet... "Would that have even worked?"


    The truly terrifying thing was not the dwarf''s strength, which was insane. No, the truly terrifying thing was most certainly his equipment.


    Milgoroth felt confident not even his father''s equipment could match it. At least not when considering it all, the armor was most certainly a set. The shield, knife, and hammer likely too. They matched in color and design.


    The singr rune must be the craftsman''s signature. And its simplicity, with the strength that Milgoroth had witnessed. It meant that it was created by a true master, likely one of the best in the world.


    *AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 335: Where to put those free attribute points?

    <h4>Chapter 335: Where to put those free attribute points?</h4>


    It took Eldrian a few minutes to calm down from his massive jump in strength. ''Now all I need is just some decent armor.''


    Eldrian didn''t like the idea of wasting money on armor, but now more than ever before, he had to start protecting himself. The fact that damage from the game would be transferred, even if temporary, was not a pleasant thought.


    Looking at his free attributes Eldrian felt highly inclined to throw them into agility or constitution. He hesitated on this, his agility was already extremely high. He did not think spending points in strength was worth it.


    In all his fights, he had never found himself doing too little damage. Rather, it was always a case of who was faster and who had better techniques. Thettering in more in his PVP duels, he always relied on magic to bridge the gap in the game.


    He was hanging around rank 30 in the individual matches. A decent ranking he felt, considering that there were more than 10 million yers. Sure it was limited to one weapon type, but Eldrian was still quite happy with it. Especially when he recognized that most of them were being properly trained by the empires, or had real-life experience.


    Eldrian also did not wish to invest more into intelligence even though this attribute seemed like one of the best, possibly increasing his actual intelligence. It would not help him right now, he also did not feel like he wascking in that regard.


    Spirit was the attribute Eldrian understood the least about, and that made him inclined to skip it. However, the resistance it gave sounded extremely important. Especially now that he was encountering more dangerous foes.


    Eldrian''s thoughts were disrupted by a system message, informing him that the quest Unknown Danger had a twist. Luckily this did not cause it to be a failure. Itspletion bringing him up to level 28 and his free attributes to 55, an amount Eldrian felt he had to spend.


    [Quest Completed:? Unkown danger (Unique) - Solo]


    [Quest Giver: Thesolis]


    [Quest Rank: S]


    [Quest Reward: 3 Levels & Steel Emblem & Unkown]


    [Talk with quest giver for the physical rewards.]


    [Quest Description: A ghoul was being controlled by a lich, named Xidrel, to hunt down people moving into his range of activities. Using information from the ghoul, the lich decided if they should be food or experiments.]


    [You have in the ghoul with the help of Kydone at great cost to you both. The lich has been dealt with through an unknown source and one of its experiments has escaped.]


    [Quest Continuation: Awakening Undead (Hidden Quest)]


    [Quest Giver: None |? Quest Rewarder: Adventurer''s Guild]


    [Quest Rank: SSS]


    [Quest Rewards: 5 Levels & Unkown]


    [Quest Description: A ming Reanimate has been created through special means by Xidrel, causing it to start the awakening process. Talk to Pros for more information.]


    [Primary Task: Kill the awakening undead before it seeds in evolving.]


    [Secondary Task: Locate the awakening undead and ry this information to the nearest guild.]


    [Tirtiary Task: Find information about the awakening and evolving process.]


    [Each goal will result in a different payout, while not managing any will cause the quest to be considered failed. Managing all will give you leverage to ask for an extreme reward.]


    [Warning: The undead is Tier 7 and is evolving into a being capable of damaging souls. Possibly inflicting true death to your avatar. Please proceed with caution.]


    "Isn''t that something," Eldrian mumbled upon finishing reading the quest information. He surely felt like just ignoring the quest, it was not something he was strong enough to deal with. More worryingly was the warning, making him even less inclined to find the undead.


    ''Maybe Pros will deal with it.'' Eldrian thought, not realizing why the text told him to talk with him, not convince him.


    He was slightly intrigued by the mention of an extreme reward, but the risk seemed far too much for something unknown.


    Finally, feeling up to trying to stand again, Eldrian slowly climbed to his feet. Using the beds as supports. Heaving from the exhaustion, Eldrian took a minute to calm down. Realizing he would not be able to leave for now.


    Lying back down onto his bed, he continued to meditate. Not trying to change anything more, but rather to recover. The calming state of looking into oneself enabling his fatigue to leave far faster. Eldrian did this for two hours, opening his eyes slowly as he realized that Kydone was stirring.


    "W-what... Wh-what happened?" She asked in barely a whisper. Back to her normal self with almost no fur present, outside of her ears and tail.


    "You save me, thank you," Eldrian said, jumping off his bed feeling refreshed. His body was still battered and tired, but now it felt more like he had just pushed himself too far in training.


    Turning her head to look at him, Kydone smiled. "I''m d..." She fell unconscious with those words causing Eldrian to panick. His instinct was to use Observe, however, when he thought of that his sight suddenly changed.


    Not only did her attributes and stats enter his mind, Eldrian also saw her mana and the surrounding mana. Thetter being what informed him that she was alright, not the former.


    Unlike Eldrian, Kydone''s mana was mainly two colors. Like other NPCs, it was mostly all located at her diaphragm, ck and light green with a bit of white spreading from her mana pool to the rest of her body.


    Eldrian was unsure if her mana spreading out a little was unusual or not, however, the mana flow was unimpeded and that was what he was worried about. Her stats confirmed that she was alright and healing, as there was no debuff nor injury mentioned.


    [Kydone - Nychtagata Demihuman(Feline)]


    [Tier 6 | Level 32]


    [HP: 3.8K/4.4K]


    [Mana: 880/1.8K]


    [Stamina: 152/2.8K]


    Her stats seemed lowpared to their max, however, they were recovering gradually. Confirming that she was recovering, most likely just extremely tired.


    Eldrian was impressed by how much higher hers were than his. He knew that the increase was more and more for each Tier, still, seeing numbers in the thousands was shocking.


    "But, this at least means the ghoul was not that much stronger than her. No... If I recall correctly, it was actually weaker." Eldrian mumbled, Kydone not having an attack value, but her agility was shocking to say the least.


    A solid 913 points in agility. This meant that she was at least four times faster than Eldrian, slightly more than that in fact. Gulping upon realizing this, Eldrian felt agility would indeed be a good location for his free points.


    No matter what. If he could not react, then he would die.


    With that thought, and not wanting to back downter, Eldrian pushed all his free attributes into agility. Bringing it up to 256, meaning he should now be 1,5 times faster than a normal person.


    The sudden increase actually disorientated Eldrian. His mind taking a few minutes to cope with the change. His movements were faster than he was used to, his mind taking in more detail in less time.


    Laughing, Eldrian suddenly felt like he should have put them into intelligence. The increase was far more than he had thought it would be. Though that thought only stayed for a little moment, the increase in speed was far more than just that.


    His perception, reaction, and even his thoughts had been quickened.


    ''Still, I would rather not use my points as I get them.'' Eldrian felt that it was smarter to keep them for when he needed to boost an attribute due to attribute requirements. For example, Maiden''s Purity, the sword they had used to kill the ghoul, had requirements in the 300''s.


    Eldrian felt he should reach them simply by reaching higher Tiers, but having 20 or so points left for if he got a new weapon or even armor was a smart move. ''Right, let''s use them once they get over 20.''


    ...


    "How''s the situation?" Pros asked, standing on three legs. He looked battered, his clothes and armor in tatters. Many new burnt scars covering him. The awaking ming Reanimate, while lower Tier than him, was actually faster than him.


    Luckily Pros had experience and his strength to back him, yet his fight had been extremely hard. As was evident by his condition.


    It would not have been a problem if not for the undead''s nearly endless supply of mana and stamina. Unlike other ming Reanimate, this one somehow could even use magic outside of its abilities.


    The first time it had used it had cost Pros his leg. From there it had gone downhill, with him just barely managing to survive and escape.


    His escape was not because of anything he did, but rather the ming reanimate suddenly losing interest. It had suddenly stopped mid-attack, turned around, and disappeared into the trees. Pros having never felt so relieved in his life.


    He had already sent news to the king, having ordered Katania to care for Kydone and Eldrian first, while the less skilled healers made sure his stump of a leg would be heble.


    "It has been sighted by many groups, however, none of them seemed to interest it. The... The mes were all they reported seeing. It was moving so fast that most failed to even realize what they had seen."


    "That makes sense, it was even faster than me," Pros replied, rubbing his stump of a leg to ease the phantom pain assaulting him. "What direction was it going?"


    "It seemed to be going for Kyno Lake, its final destination is unclear."


    Pros sighed in relief hearing this, "Good, it is not going for any civilized areas. But..." Pros kept his words to himself, not wishing to cause panic. Not more than there already was.


    Him being unable to contend with the enemies in the forest did not bode well for them.

 Chapter 336: Moving super powers

    <h4>Chapter 336: Moving super powers</h4>


    "What a little monster," Amnur mumbled, doing his best to keep his inner heat from burning the forest. He was still discussing with Hrothgar how they were to protect Eldrian. The dwarf kneeling before him, not daring to raise his head.


    "Lord Amnur, I do not understand why you asked us to stay our hand. Bring?rr nearly had his beard singed."


    Amnur found it strange how dwarves still cared so much for their beards, a culture that has not only existed since before his birth but also seemingly grown since then. Hrothgar would never question him, even if those under him died. Yet for a beard, he dared.


    "Because he has to walk his path. If we influence his growth, then he will never grow. Hrothgar, you know this..." Amnur paused, moving his hands through his red beard. "Yes, you have not had a new recruit in a century. So you might have forgotten."


    "No! I recall vividly the trails ced before us all. But... Does he really need to walk them this early? He is far too weak for the enemies in the forest."


    "I know," Amnur replied, turning his gaze back to where Eldrian was. He could not see him from this far, but he could sense the change from that direction. The message from Dragos was what had stolen his attention and brought it to Eldrian.


    "He is truly..." Amnur paused as he failed to find the words. "Hrothgar, do you know why Athtar is the leader of those like me?"


    The kneeling dwarf shook his head in denial, knowing little of the elven emperor. His predecessor had shared what he knew, which had only been what he had heard in passing from Amnur. It was rare for them to meet the creator of their legacy more than twice in their lives.


    "It is because he is the strongest. I reached my peak in a few hundred years, most would consider that average."


    Hrothgar had no words hearing this, Amnur was someone he dared not even look at. His being seen as average made no sense.


    "Most of us believe that the faster you can reach your peak, the more talented you are. However, this is actually wrong. Yes, having fast growth is impressive. But growth without a n is meaningless. The reason I am average is not because I took so long, but rather because I took my time."


    "My lord?" Hrothgar felt honored that Amnur was sharing a secret like this with him. Yet at the same time, he felt like this was criticism. All guards needed to have fast growth to be epted into the guard.


    Tier 7 before the age of 35, or Tier 8 before the age of 80. This might not sound too difficult, but most would never reach Tier 5. Those talented enough would often be stuck at Tier 7 in old age. The requirements were actually so intense that less than 1% of the talented dwarves stood a chance.


    "Athar..." Amnur paused as he recalled how he and those with him had even lost interest in the promising elf. At first, all of them had been drawn to him. He was the first to get the attention of three gods after all. Yet when the years passed and Athar showed no growth, everyone felt it was a mistake from the gods.


    It was not just a few yearster, rather an entire millennium before Athar proved to them that it was no mistake. His growth had been slow, but not wed. His strength was such that few could contend with him, Amnur knew he could only due to his many crafts. In raw strength he stood no chance.


    "He took over a millennia to finally reach Tier 10. This is considered good for an averagely talented High Elf, yet most had mocked him as a loser. All his siblings having reached the same Tier in just a few centuries."


    "My lord?" Hrothgar repeated, not understanding what Amnur was getting at.


    "This kid..." Amnur paused to focus on the information Dragos had shared with him. "His path is certainly wed, yet it is also unique."


    "Hrothgar, how long did it take you to master the Abyssal legacy?" Amnur asked, it was a special legacy he had made with the help of Athtar. One of the few that people could practice without any prerequisite. A legacy that could make an army of people with the same hidden ss.


    It was one of two, the other being the Nirvania legacy, practiced by the elves. The inverse of the one Amnur had shared with the dwarves.


    Abyssal was focused on unity, a collective strength. A strength like that of the abyss, all-epassing. Nirvania was focused on the individual, on uncontainable strength.


    "It had taken me two years to grasp it, and twenty more to reach Tier 8. My Lord."


    "That is quite good," Amnur said, giving the dwarf some praise. "Let me ask you then, what would you think if I told you that this elf, Haru, has just made his own. After being in this world for less than four months?"


    Hrothgar had no words, he shivered at the thought. A legacy was no easy thing to learn. It required reaching a fine control in mana, a direct control. Something most could never do. Something normally only left to the higher races, those with much longer lifespans.


    "Yet the most shocking thing is he is only Tier 3," Amnur mumbled, forgetting that Hrothgar was still there. "Normally a legacy is only required from Tier 5 onwards. Before that, the hidden ss is not properly formed."


    "Dragos''s mes, what will this elf do to breach the Tier 5 barrier?" Amnur had no idea what it could possibly be.


    While Eldrian''s legacy was certainly wed, it was a decent rank already. His personal legacy was only Rank S, Athtars was Epic, the abyssal guard was ranked B. The same as Eldrian''s. Unlike the guard''s Eldrian could modify and improve his, starting at Rank B was insanely good.


    Athtar had started at Rank A, but he had spent decades nning and forming his. More importantly, he had done it when aiming for Tier 5, as was standard.


    Amnur''s own had been Ranked C, while most had a legacy of rank E. A legacy worse than that meant they would never be able to be a legend. Still, the most shocking stayed how quickly Eldrian had reached this point, along with him having done it earlier than all before.


    ''And it took us centuries to develop it.'' Amnur mumbled, his pride had taken a big hit. He was now far more invested to make sure Eldrian survived and thrived.


    Willing to even spend the next few years watching. Something that was not a problem considering one of his line had also be a candidate, and that one was nearby too.


    ...


    "What are you doing here Milgoroth?" Idris Vriks, the lord and ruler of the Vriks drnds asked in irritants. He hated when the devils barged into his kingdom. They never gave him the respect he deserved.


    "Sir Vriks," Milgoroth made sure to be humble and careful with his words, "I am certain you have heard of the candidate."


    "Candidates," Idris replied, causing Milgoroth to stumble for a moment.


    "Then... The first one, the elf." Milgoroth said, waiting for the signal to continue, "I found him."


    "Oh," This pricked the vampire lord''s interest, "So fast."


    "Yes, my lord. I disguised myself as a demi-human and visited Kynigo. It was not hard to find out where he was."


    Idris nodded, wishing he could also disguise himself so easily and so well. Unfortunately, all cities had a way to detect the undead. "Then why are you here, his strength is known to be very weak."


    "Indeed." Milgoroth paused, "But he is being protected."


    "By who?" The vampire could smell the fear emanating from the young devil, causing him some curiosity. Milgoroth''s special bloodline and his talent for stealth and escaping were well known among the local devils.


    Him fearing someone other than his father, and not even daring to try was quite strange. It meant that his fear for these protectors was more than that for his father.


    "I-I... I do not know. A dwarf in ck armor appea-" Milgoroth stopped as the vampire lord suddenly appeared before him.


    "ck armor?"


    Not daring to speak the young devil simply nodded, causing Idris to fall back a step. "Go, keep track of the target!"


    "Bu-"


    "Go! I will find you."


    Turning to his throne, Idris felt his heart race. While he was technically undead, he was also not. Vampires were not like the others, they still retained most of their humanity. This came with both good and bad, and he felt this time it was good.


    ''Let''s see if you dare protect him openly.'' The vampire lord licked his lips, wishing for a taste of an abyssal guard''s blood.


    ...


    "What?" Farest shouted in disbelief. One of Pros''s personal guards having rushed to Kynigo and teleported to Taur to deliver the news.


    "It is as I said. Pros has been seriously wounded by an awakening ming Reanimate. He will not be able to recover anytime soon. Weeks at the least." The burly demi-human whose animal half is that of a lion said.


    "How did this happen?" Farest asked, unable to ept that his uncle was nearly killed. His uncle was certainly not the strongest, but he was quite high up there.


    "I do not know. But we need immediate assistance." The demi-human pressed, wishing that the old king was still on the throne.


    "Why don''t we go to see?" The old king suddenly asked, "We were nning to travel a bit in a guise to show that we aren''t scared. Going to the point of conflict will have the same effect."


    Farest nodded, when it came to strength, few could best his father even in his old age. While his body had slowly been deteriorating, his experience more than made up for it.

 Chapter 337: A tired centaurette

    <h4>Chapter 337: A tired centaurette</h4>


    Eldrian did not rush anywhere after using his points, instead he sat against one of the medical beds. Unlike modern ones, these ones were certainly notfortable. They were also not on wheels, rather they were quickly constructed wooden structures.


    Resting his back against one of the sturdy legs, Eldrian slowly started meditating. Not wishing to leave Kydone alone. It was strange that no one else was here, stranger still how quiet the camp was.


    ''What happened?'' Eldrian wondered, making sure to never get lost in meditation. He made sure he could still take in his surroundings, something he found hard to do. Meditating tended to be all-epassing, at the minimum he tried to limit each session to an hour.


    Checking on Kydone in his breaks, and making sure nothing changed for the worse. Eldrian was relieved every time he used his newfound ability and it confirmed that she was alright.


    His concern was such that he did not even explore this ability no matter how curious he was about what it would be able to show him. He stayed by her side, ready to help if needed.


    By now it was nearly bing night, Eldrian having been unconscious in reality for three hours, and four more have passed in the game.


    ''Log out? Or?'' Eldrian pondered as he checked again that everything was fine with Kydone. He felt guilty, knowing that she would not have stayed to fight if not for him. Stayed to protect him.


    ''Why did she do that?'' Eldrian wondered, failing to understand. She knew he would not truly die, he had even told everyone that that was precisely his reason for wanting to go alone.


    Contemting while ying with one of his small stctite-shaped rocks. Those formed by Vrachos which he had made as ammunition. Eldrian''s thoughts were interrupted by a whisper.


    "You''re awake," Katania whispered after passing Kydone''s bed and finally seeing where the missing patient was. She was beyond tired, but she did her best to appear alert and collected before her patient.


    "Yes, is Kydone alright?" Eldrian stood up and looked over to the sleeping demi-human. Kydone had curled up into a ball recently, her tail wrapped over her side. She looked extremely cute, if not for the bandage Eldrian would assume she was just sleeping. Not unconscious.


    "She is. It will take her a few days to recover, a few more before she will be able to do things on her own again."


    "What? Why?" Eldrian asked, "I thought you healed her."


    "We did. But the damage she sustained is not just physical, her soul was also damaged. We can''t heal that."


    "You can''t?"


    "No, the best we can do is ensuring her physical condition," Katania said, moving over to Kydone and casting the divine equivalent of the Anthos spell line. Except it was divine magic and Tier 6, hence far more effective than anything Eldrian could cast.


    "She is doing good, do you know if she has woken at all?"


    "She has, but only for a few seconds." Eldrian replied, Katania smiling in relief. Her facade slipping and her tiredness quickly oveing her as herst bit of adrenaline left her body.


    "That is good..." Katania paused as she fought off sleep. "It means that all that is left is for her to recover. She is not in danger any longer."


    Nodding, Eldrian felt extremely relieved. "What happened after..." Eldrian faltered to say more, the memory of what happened shocked him deeply and even caused his legs to wobble for a second.


    "We arrived a few seconds after you managed to kill the ghoul. We weren''t sure what happened, but you were both in bad condition. You were already dead, so I focused on healing Kydone. Sorry."


    "No, no-no-no. That is good." Eldrian quickly interrupted, "Always save someone else over me."


    Katania nodded, the nod nearly causing her to close her eyes. She was d that Eldrian was not mad about that. "After stabilizing her I did not have enough mana to repair your body and revive you..."


    Katania paused, still shocked by the condition Eldrian had been in. "We rushed you both to camp, and luckily it seemed that your soul was still around."


    "Yes, ours wanders far longer than your." Eldrian said, "But what happened after. Why is the camp so quiet."


    "That..." Katania bit her lip as she wondered if Eldrian was stable enough for the shocking news. Him being able to stand was shocking enough, him seemingly full of energy made no sense.


    "I already know something happened," Eldrian tried pushing Katania to share with him what happened. It took a moment, with him exining the unique method they had for keeping track of their quests.


    Katania was shocked hearing about it and it gave her enough energy to stay awake for the conversation. She knew that something simr was possible even for them, this however, was an interesting upgrade.


    A quest could be guaranteed by the gods, with one simply needing to swear by their name as a guarantee of one''s honesty.


    The method Eldrian exined simply sounded more involved, with the gods actually taking the time to watch over them constantly. This slightly irked her, as a loyal believer of Asteria she felt her years of devotion were being thrown in her face.


    Repeating in her mind that Eldrian and the others like him were Chosen, and that it must be for a reason, Katania managed to cool down.


    "Alright, what do you know?" Katania asked, trying to gauge how much she should share. While asking she also took Eldrian outside. Not wishing for Kydone to possibly overhear the shocking news.


    "Not much, only that some kind of evolved undead escaped," Eldrian replied, Katania failing to find the words as this was about all that they knew too. He just did not know what the escape had cost them.


    Taking a deep breath, Katania exined what she knew. She had not personally been there, she only arrived as the ming Reanimate had retreated. Just in time to stabilize Pros, but not rested enough to actually heal him. Only to be sent back to the camp to make sure Kydone was alright.


    That was when the undead attacked again, this time in mass. Everyone was still shocked from the news and sightings of the ming skeleton who almost no one could track.


    The sudden attack had cost them a great deal. Katania had been working nonstop. She was beyond tired and only barely managed to stay awake toe and see how her first two patients were doing.


    The attack was so sudden and unorganized that it made no sense. If not for thetter the damage would likely have been unspeakable.


    "I am going to my tent." She said after finishing her short description of what happened. Not wishing to fight off sleep for a moment more.


    "I-" Eldrian paused as Katania simply left, "Dumbass, it was clear she is tired. And hearing what she went through I shouldn''t have asked her to exin."


    Sighing, Eldrian looked down the path between the tents. Many wounded and tired centaurs, humans, and demi-humans returning. Most of the injuries weren''t deadly, however, it was clear that the healers must have gone through hell. Quite serious injuries were simply tied with a bandage, some even burned their wounds close instead of getting them healed.


    ''Seems not all the natives are ignorant of that method.'' Eldrian mumbled, recalling how Erik hadined about the healers he had worked with scoffing at his method. ''Well... They are all dead now.''


    Eldrian had meant that as something to uplift his mood, yet it ruined it all the more. "Fuck, they are all dead." He mumbled this a bit louder, the seriousness of the situation hitting him again.


    Finding a nearby spot to sit, Eldrian started meditating again. He needed to get used to the new way his mana flowed. He also needed to learn some Tier 3 spells, heck, he still needed to learn Tier 2 skills.


    "No time." Eldrian thought, again he did not have enough time for everything. Against his better judgment and repeated warnings from Gengxin, Eldrian did not log out until it was time for his PVP matches with the others.


    Even then he only headed to Elizabeth''s virtual home. Not waking in reality, Eldrian wanted to use every second he had.


    "Elizabeth!" Calling out as he arrived, Eldrian rushed to the other three who had also arrived. Erik and Judith being the two early birds.


    "What''s up?" Elizabeth asked, the others turning to him in surprise. They had gotten into a certain routine for the matches. Generally, everyone just met and queued, shouting upon arrival was both surprising and irritating so they had stopped doing it.


    "Can we just do two matches?"


    "What? Why?" Judith asked, not happy to have fewer. Normally they would aim for five if everyone was present. Depending on their luck, if their first two were wins then they generally called it a day. But that was happening less and less.


    "Because..." Pausing, Eldrian realized he did not have a proper reason. His wanting to y for nearly 24 hours would simply sound insane. "I reached Tier 3 too, so if we lose we are going to lose even more points."


    Normally reaching a higher Tier should be good news, yet they had learned that it was one of the worst things that could happen in the tournament. It both decreased the points they gained from a win and increased those they lost.


    *AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 338: Eldrian testing his limits

    <h4>Chapter 338: Eldrian testing his limits</h4>


    Cursing ensued every time someone arrived and was informed of this new development. "Couldn''t you have waited till after?" Zyviss asked quite rudely. He quickly apologized, but the words were already spoken.


    "No," Eldrian didn''t take offense, rather he felt this could help him exin why he needed to rush so much. "You all know how Erik and I see the NPCs."


    This got a round of nods, Eldrian continuing, "Now... Just think of this. Since we have joined the game over 20 known kingdoms have fallen. Imagine how many we know nothing about."


    Again the others nodded, this time with a heavier feeling. "I get that... Sorry, Eldrian." Zyviss said, feeling embarrassed at his outburst. He knew how invested the two were in the game, it was almost an obsession and likely unhealthy. He would not bring it up however, they were not close enough.


    It was also not that the others thought of the NPCs as simple AI, they were far too real for such a mindset. But they did not believe they were real. Still, this did not mean they did not get close to the NPCs and felt saddened by their deaths.


    It was why most yers kept to themselves, kept to their kind. Hearing about those deaths meant little if they were not friends. In this manner they could keep thinking of the NPCs as just that, NPCs.


    After a moment of silence, Elizabeth spoke up, "Shall we queue then? I am curious to see what your increase in strength is."


    Rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, Eldrian did not know what to say. He wanted to say it would be small, he still needed to learn some Tier 3 spells. Yet, his increase in attributes alone should be massive.


    A few minutester they found themselves in a sparse woods. The lighting was moody but visibility was clear, there was almost no undergrowth.


    As usual, Zyviss quickly split from the group, Eldrian and Judith taking the front and Therdul staying with the mages. Recently Nikki had also reached Tier 2 in magic, a boost in strength that did not influence their points since she was already Tier 2.


    Their opponents were a less well-known team also in the top 20. "Stay together," Nikki said as they tried discovering their opponents.


    ''Mmm. I wonder.'' Eldrian suddenly stopped.


    "What is it?" Judith asked, stopping as well and the others following suit.


    "I want to try something," Eldrian said, unsure how to call the new ability of his. Luckily, all it took was him wanting to use it, something so simple he blinked his eyes in surprise as he now saw a forest filled with colors, all colors.


    "Ugh, that isn''t working," Eldrian mumbled, wishing for the sights to disappear and it soon did.


    "What now?" Nikki asked from behind, getting no response from Eldrian who was trying to figure out his ability.


    ''I need to skip the environmental mana vision.'' Eldrian thought, trying to figure out how.


    It took him a few tries, but soon he managed to see the world without his sight clouded by the mana filling the air. Unfortunately now he had all the information of the trees, now clearly visible, flooding his mind. Giving him a massive headache.


    "Such a pain" Eldrian mumbled after canceling his ability again. ''Alright, ignore the terrain. Please ignore the terrain.'' He repeated this as he activated and canceled his ability until finally he no longer had that trouble.


    ''Now what?'' Suddenly Eldrian did not know what the point was. When he looked at the others their information would sh into his mind, he could also see their mana flowing in their mana pools. ''Well, none of them have a hidden ss.'' Eldrian thought, stopping suddenly as he looked at Erik.


    "Wh-" His question was derailed as an arrow whistled and hit him in the shoulder. A non-vital hit, but causing him to stumble a bit from the impact.


    "Crap! Ambush!" Everyone shouted almost simultaneously.


    Eldrian spat out some blood and grabbed the arrowhead and broke it with a grunt. Erik quickly arriving next to him, pulling the shaft out and healing him. Therdul having rushed forward and pulled out his tower shield in the direction of the arrow.


    "That way!" Judith shouted, managing to keep herself from rushing out. Her shout caused everyone to look toward the side the arrow hade from.


    All but Eldrian, who was still waiting for his wound to close. Hearing the whistle he looked up and saw the arrow not aimed at him, but at Erik. Yet, unlike all the times before, the arrow did not whizz past too fast for him to react.


    Flinging his hand out, Eldrian''s arm was pierced. The arrow stopping centimeters from Erik''s forehead.


    "Thanks," Erik muttered after recovering from the blood spattering over his face. Some had entered his mouth and eyes even, yet he ignored the irritating feeling and taste to heal Eldrian first.


    Yet before he knew it Eldrian was rushing off, shouting back at them, "Wind magic, now!"


    His shout brought Ilmadia back to earth. Instead of looking for the enemy, she acted to make it hard for arrows to reach them. Casting her strongest wind spell, Thye. It was not the strongest in Tier 3, but the only she had managed to learn. The others were tooplicated for her at this point.


    The spell brought on winds so fast that small twigs and branches flew off the trees. Those caught unprepared were even pushed off their feet. It easily threw the arrows around like little sticks.


    The hard part however was keeping the spell active. It was not a mana cheap spell and Ilmadia could keep it going for a minute at most. Unlike Eldrian she did not have any extra mana from a legacy, nor did she get the return he did as a semi-dynamic magic-user.


    In fact, she could only keep it active since the spell was designed to be kept active. Unlike Eldrian she and all yers couldn''t precast spells. They only had a few seconds before they had to let it do its thing.


    "This won''tst long. Guys, figure out where they areing from," Ilmaida shouted, the strain on her suddenly lifting as Erik cast Anthise on her. Filling most of her spent mana and almost canceling out the cost of Thye.


    "Never mind, I canst for well over a minute now." She said, throwing Erik a grateful smile.


    Yet that was not the end of things, Erik had made sure that he would be useful in these fights. Simr to Eldrian, he found envisioning spells to not be that hard. As such he could learn far faster than most, he already knew 5 offensive Tier 2 spells, and 4 Tier 1''s.


    He might not have the uracy Eldrian had, but he was not aiming to do much other than counterfire. When the next arrow flew towards them, Erik followed its direction and sent a small rock flying with Vrachos.


    The rock''s small size making its wind resistance far less than that of the arrows, yet it too was derailed.


    "I hate these kinds of teams," Nikki grunted, they always felt so useless when they faced a team adept at range attacks. This was not even one of the well-known ones, so it was very clear to see how big of a weakness it was for them.


    Without proper armor, they were all just targets waiting to be killed.


    Suddenly a shout arrived, distorted by the wind. Making it impossible to know from where it came.


    ...


    Eldrian had rushed from the group because he had seen the figure moving. They all knew they would lose if they did not act, but they had to act smartly. Yet even then they normally still lost.


    Eldrian, however, did not care about winning. He wanted to test his new abilities. These matches were certainly the perfect ce to push himself.


    He knew from experience that the connection was lesser to that of the game, pain being reduced even further down to allow yers to enjoy the fights without a care. This meant the feeling of touch was also lessened, but that mattered little to the yers in a death match.


    On top of that, there were only yers here. None of the deaths mattered, so Eldrian knew could go crazy.


    Weaving between the trees and pulling the arrow out of his arm, Eldrian enjoyed his new speed. Especially his enhanced perception. He had time to look up, then look at his wound, burn it with Floga, and then avoid the iing tree.


    Always keeping the retreating figure in his sights too. It did not take him long to catch up to the person, a female with bright blond hair stared him down her bow trained on his heart. Just 20 meters separating them, a distance she was confident was too little to react in time.


    Eldrian smiled seeing her confident smile as she loosed the arrow. Her movements were clear to him. When he saw her finger flexing to release the string, he jumped to the side. The arrow passing him harmlessly, Eldrian rebounding in an awkward roll.


    ''No magic, I need to learn how to fight on my own.'' Eldrian told himself, tempted to end her life before the surprised look could leave her face.


    Instead of sending Frost Needle at her throat, Eldrian sprinted at her again. Noting that he had to get better at those roll dodged that he always saw in movies.


    The girl scoffed at Eldrian charging her. Even with their enhanced physiques in the game, it took around 3 seconds to cover that distance. She could shoot again in 2.


    Yet to her surprise she found Eldrian in front of her as she was mid pull. She let loose in panic. Eldrian having waited for it, jumping to the side and finally pulling out his spear. Thrusting out before she could react, his spear smoothly going through her unprotected neck.

 Chapter 339: Having some fun

    <h4>Chapter 339: Having some fun</h4>


    "Huh..." Eldrian was surprised that she did not even manage to start dodging, "It wasn''t that fast, was it?" He mumbled as he started moving through the woods.


    His n was quite simple, run at about 50 meters from where the rest of his team was. This was the distance that most yers felt confident innding their shots. It did not take long for Eldrian to find another target.


    The person was staring at the strong winds surrounding team Pheonix. His arrows simply could not fly through it. Every now and then he would look around, knowing that two people were missing from those they had trapped. His observations werecking though, Eldrian simply kept to the trees. Making sure most of his body was covered by the tree line.


    ''He is really not paying attention to his surroundings,'' Eldrian sighed softly, making sure he did not step on any twigs or anything that would alert the enemy to his presence. Once he was ten meters from the guy, Eldrian lunged forward.


    To the guy''s credit, he reacted quickly. Turning to Eldrian upon hearing the crunch of leaves. However, it was already toote. Eldrian''s spear moving quickly in a thrust, the man unable to bring his arms up in time. A few blood gurgles followed as the man quickly bled out.


    "Well, let''s see if I can attack without them realizing I aming," Eldrian mumbled as he wiped the blood off of Aoidos with the guy''s shirt.


    His next target was far more alert, they had now been informed by the system of three deaths. Making them all panic. They started looking around them in fear.


    Eldrian''s new target was two, an archer and a warrior. Thetter having decent armor with only a few openings. ''Mmm,'' Eldrian thought for a bit, ''I want to test if I can.''


    With that decided he suddenly charged at them, even though he was still 30 meters away. His rash approach alerted the two of an enemy. The warrior rushing forward to protect the archer.


    The man quickly pushed his shield to the front, readying his axe behind. Eldrian smiled seeing his move, the archer already training his bow on him too.


    "This is what I am talking about!" Eldrian shouted, suddenly ducking and jumping to the side, circumventing the warrior''s range and dodging the loosed arrow. The warrior''s shield making it impossible for him to strike at Eldrian.


    Unlike the others of Eldrian''s targets, this one quickly discarded his bow and pulled out a sword. Eldrian smiled even more seeing this, his spear thrusting forward for the archer''s neck.


    Shocked by Eldrian''s speed, especially that of his attack, the archer fell backwards while swinging his sword up. Thebination causing Eldrian''s wooden spear to skim over the man''s head. Drawing blood, but only a little.


    Instead of pulling his spear back, Eldrian performed a wide swing over the fallen archer and towards the warrior who was trying to rush at his back. The direction was awkward but, it caused the man to stop his charge and bring his shield up to block.


    Having expected a weak blow, the man was shocked by the power. He managed to keep his footing, yet his arm was numb. This was shocking since Eldrian''s attack was from such an awkward direction. Sweeping to the left with his right arm after a thurst.


    "We need help!" The man shouted as he refound his footing as started rushing Eldrian again. Watching in sheer disbelief as Eldrian thrust backwards with his spear.


    The archer hastily brought his sword to block. However, it was no easy feat to block a thrust with a sword. The man miss-timed it and was rewarded with the spear easily piercing his leather armor.


    Cursing the archer hoped to return the favor, finding that Eldrian had already moved on, his spear thrusting towards the warrior who promptly brought his shield to block. Lucky for him, it wasrge enough to cover his entire upper body. Unlucky for him, it also blocked his sight of the spear.


    A slight searing pain informed the man that his thigh had been pierced, he gritted and prepared to charge again.


    Like a graceful dancer, Eldrian easily managed to keep all their movements insight. Their movements were particrly slow. To a degree where he could seemingly dance around them. Afternding his thrust, Eldrian pulled the spear out and spun around the man''s shield. Entering his blind spot.


    Before the man could react, Eldrian had thrust out again at his leg. Effectively disabling his right leg. As the man lost his bnce Eldrian ended him with the backend of his spear as he whipped around and thrust at the archer.


    "They are really slow," Eldrianmented, shocked by how massive the difference was. He had taken the time to even use his new ability Mana Sense to see their stats. They were not weak, both Tier 3. The warrior''s strength was even more than Eldrians, but only just.


    His agility however was just 144, almost half of Eldrians. His movements having truly seemed nearly that slow.? The archer was slightly faster, but not enough for it to mean anything.


    Eldrian was just about to continue his search for another target when they suddenly got a message that they had won.


    "What on earth?" Eldrian mumbled, quickly heading to the others. "What happened?" Eldrian asked as he pushed through the wind, Ilmadia yet to have let her spell die.


    "We have no idea," Elizabeth replied, confirming again that the message was real before finally telling Ilmadia to rest.


    "That sucks, I was having fun," Eldrian mumbled, causing everyone to turn to him and ask what had happened.


    "You what?" Judith asked, jealous of having not rushed out. Unhappy that she had missed the entire fight.


    "But they should still have had plenty of yers. Why did they quit?" Nikki asked and answered as Zyviss returned.


    "I killed two!" He shouted, proud at his contribution. Everyone looking at him and then Eldrian, saying that it made sense. Fighting 8 with 3 was something only the top teams would attempt.


    After talking a bit more, everyone agreed to leave the arena. Where they quickly dived into new discussions of how they should go about fighting. They did not know how massive Eldrian''s jump in strength was, he had not exined to them how he had killed those he had fought.


    They all thought he had used magic as normal, certainly, they would be quite shocked if he shared that he had not used any spell outside of healing the wound in his arm.


    After a few minutes, they entered another arena, this time a grasnd. Their opponents were immediately in sight, another lesser-known group. However, they had fought this group a few times already.


    "Alright! Eldrian, Judith, likest time." Elizabeth said, "Therdul you take the center, they will nk. We will support you from behind."


    Everyone nodded, but Eldrian. Looking at the group he quickly read all their information, turning to his allies he read theirs too. ''Without me, we are certainly outssed.'' He thought, the enemy a team of Tier 3''s. On top of that, two of them even had failed(Tier 0) magic items.


    ''This can be fun,'' Eldrian thought. Their opponents were three warriors, two fighters, a cleric, and two mages. Unfortunately for Eldrian, it turned out to be too easy.


    With Judith having Gray, and his new increase in strength, the enemies could hardly put up a fight. Judith smashed their right nk, he their left. They couldn''t even counter with magic as Erik and Ilmadia kept them under pressure, forcing them to have to dodge and cast. Something that was not easy for most yers.


    Coming out of the match everyone wanted to do more. Feeling confident they might even be able to beat the top 5 teams. Eldrian however did not wish to waste more time in the PVP matches. They needed to keep their points above 350, and it was. He told them that and then left, leaving everyone with nk looks.


    "What''s up with him?" Nikki asked, unable to understand why Eldrian did not care for the ranking. It might not mean much, but it might actually mean a great deal. They had no idea how their matchmaking in the championship will be determined. Surely being higher ranked in the tourney would not hurt.


    ...


    Finally, Eldrian left his immersion chair, taking a few minutes to stabilize himself. "Dammit, it is still a problem."


    His grumbled was apanied by one from his stomach, Eldrian nodding that he had to at least eat. So he quickly changed into something more presentable and headed down for a bite, going running after.


    ''It has been a while since I talked with Constantin.'' Eldrian thought as he passed by the building where Constantin stayed. He decided against it. Turning up the pace he continued his run, enjoying the sights the estate had to offer. If one did not know that the ce was actually a ce of work, one might be led to believe it was a lifestyle estate.


    Before returning to his room, Eldrian messaged Jen. Keeping her up to date on what was going on, without going into detail. He mentioned his jump in power, but not how nor his knew ns. Asking how her tests had gone at the end.


    Lastly, Eldrian stopped as the sight of a particr tree caught his attention. It had vibrant lime green leaves, with light purple flowers starting to bloom. "Right. No matter what, I can''t just ignore the beauty surrounding me."


    Noting this and realizing he would kill himself ying if he did not stop for such sights, Eldrian made himselffortable and started to meditate under the tree.


    Nothing happened, he did not even manage to see into himself. However, he did manage to clear his mind. Feelinglypletely refreshed when he stood up half an hourter.


    "That was nice. Let''s make this part of my routine." Eldrian mumbled as he gave the tree ast look and headed to his room. Determined to y for as much time as he could.

 Chapter 340: Erik and Eldrian opening up

    <h4>Chapter 340: Erik and Eldrian opening up</h4>


    Upon returning, Eldrian immediately logged back in. However, he did not dive into learning new spells instead he spent most of his time meditating. Trying to get used to the changes, and particrly to his increased sensitivity to mana.


    While at it he also took time to get used to using Mana Sense. Learning how to use it with only one thing in mind, to keep the unnecessary information to a minimum. Eldrian also went out, not far, but enough so he could go wild training with Aoidos.


    Eldrian did this for the next couple of days. Until they finally moved on to the next camp, Eldrian being informed that there would be just one more. One bordering the corruption which they had outlined on their map and then copied. Distributing to everyone so no one would enter it by ident.


    They would wait for reinforcements before trying to establish that camp. With Pros still recovering they dared not provoke the undead more than they already were. Luckily the past battle seemed to have hurt the undead just as much as it had hurt them.


    In the past few days Eldrian had also continued to test his abilities against other yers in PVP, the rest of Pheonix left without words when they realized just how fast he was now. He had not once used magic, leaving them shocked at just how powerful he actually was considering it was normally his go-to.


    The new camp was an improved version of the previous one. Two walls, one simple wooden logs, and the other having a simple catwalk for archers. Though the catwalk was not so simple due to it needing to allow centaurs atop.


    A few medical and lodging tents were between the two walls. Soldiers from the fort hade to defend the camp itself and they stayed in between the two walls. Enabling all the adventurers to focus on their quest of finding the undead.


    Passing the first wall and entering through the second Eldrian found himself a spot to meditate on. Happy that it seemed that Vivian had stayed at the fort and not joined the reinforcements.


    As he was about to start meditating, Eldrian finally recalled that he was now strong enough to go and merge with Cephaphyr. However, the system''s warning made him wonder if he should. On top of that, there was no way he would be able to go there. It was far too far for him to travel, plus he was currently busy with a mission.


    ''Sorry, Ceph. I can''t stay at Tier 3 until I can make the journey.'' Eldrian apologized internally as he continued with his training. He had found that the more he got used to his mana, the lower the cost of his spell became. This decrease was not much, still, it was especially useful regarding spell upkeep.


    If the spell was not actively doing anything, for example, if Frost Needle was just floating in ce, then he could keep it active for over 5 minutes with ease. It would only start to drain his mana severely at this point, yet that draining was still nothing to his almost 600MP


    ...


    "Are you ready Faust?" Nerenth asked, appearing in her fairy form before the two. Erik holding Akarui''s hand to stop her from running to y with Ficel like usual.


    "I do not know." Erik mumbled, looking down at Akarui and resolving, "I am."


    "Good." Nerenth''s fairy form hobbled up and down in a nod, "They will be here soon."


    As if on cue, two graceful pure white pegasi flew over the city walls and dived into the overgrown part of the forest. Their appearance sending the city into chaos, everyone rushing to the abandoned part of the city to find the magical creatures. Some with pure thoughts, others with wicked intentions.


    The pegasi quickly found the two treants, their auras particrly strong and easy to follow. "Is this the two you mentioned?" A male voice asked rudely, unimpressed by what he found. The pegasus spoke through manipting the air.


    The leading pegasus wasrger than the one behind him. They were both pure white, with not a single blemish on their coats. Their wings were magnificent, folded barely covering their sides, yet when they are extended they would be over a meter.


    "Yes, this is Faust the dryad. The little one is Akarui, the Fysi." The fairy said, turning to the pegasi who knelt upon seeing her fairy form and the fruits of life on her branches.


    "Please forgive my crude question," The male voice pleaded, not daring to look up. "Had I known it was you..."


    "No need child, I did not take offense." Nerenth replied, turning to Erik, "Before you go, take a fruits of life." Nerenth moved one of her branches carrying a shapeshifting fruit towards Erik.


    "Do not recklessly consume it." She said after Erik took and stored the fruit, "Also, remember what we talked about."


    Erik nodded, unable to form the words to express his gratitude. Over the past days Nerenth had been tutoring him, sharing some of her vast knowledge. The fruit was nothingpared to what Erik had gained.


    "Little one," The fairy moved to Akarui, who extended her arm for the fairy tond on. Assuming that flying must be hard, a thought moving Nerenth''s metaphorical heart. Treants naturally did not really have hearts.


    "For you, I give this," The fairy suddenly took out a small tulip, the flower a flowing rainbow of colors in the fairy''s hands, changing to a light pink in Akarui''s.


    "When you feel lonely, simply hold the flower close." The fairy said, flying up and turning to the pegasi. "For you, I give you these."


    The pegasi wanted to say there was no need but, they did not know how without sounding rude. Hence they allowed the fairy to stick a small light purple lily behind their ears.? With that, the fairy disappeared.


    "Hurry, we need to move before the humans arrive." Therger pegasus said, moving forward and lowering himself for Erik to get on. The smaller one doing the same for Akarui.


    The two only barely climbed on as shouts could be heard, followed by curses as everyone saw the pegasi fly out of the forest. Their passengers were hidden by the wings to all but the mages in the magic towers. Filling them with curiosity.


    ...


    Logging out and then entering Erik''s virtual home, Eldrian wondered what was up. Erik had told him he had some amazing news.


    Arriving in Erik''s virtual home, which was just one of the basicyouts thepany had created for people to start with, Eldrian found Erik standing in his gardens.


    "It is truly strange," Erik said after getting a notification that Eldrian had entered his virtual home.


    "What is?"


    "I can''t feel the nts. I mean, I can touch them and physically feel them, but... I can''t feel them."


    To most this would sound crazy, Eldrian however immediately agreed with that sentiment. Over the past few days, he hade to discover that everything had life in the game. Mana Sense was far more than just seeing the mana or stats of a thing.


    He had found that he could feel... What can only be described as the essence of life. Feel that things were alive. That they weren''t just... Weren''t just things.


    In the virtual home however, this feeling was lost. The same with reality, causing Earth to start feeling foreign to Eldiran.


    "It is strange," Eldrian agreed, this far more prominent to him with mana. He felt like he had less energy than normal, like something was missing. Constantly.


    A feeling he hade to live with, but when reminded it would quickly return. Like if someone told you that you were breathing, instantly you would now be conscious of it.


    The two stood in silence for a unknown amount of time. Eldrian trying his best to feel his surrounding, to find mana. Erik to feel the nt''s emotions, the nts'' purpose.


    They gave up at almost the same time, speaking at the same time. "Erik you-"


    "Eldrian I-" Pausing, both smiled andughed. Erik telling Eldrian to go first.


    Nodding, Eldrian asked, "How did you get a hidden ss?"


    "You know? How?" Erik asked, knowing full well that only someone with a stronger hidden ss could see his.


    "Right... I never shared that did I?" Eldrian rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed that he had kept this from everyone. "Do you recall when I told you how I... Never mind, I also have a hidden ss."


    "How?" Erik asked, not wondering how Eldrian had one so much as how Eldrian''s was stronger than his.


    "It kind of just appeared. Yours?" Eldrian realized that he and Erik had really not talked much ever since things started bing crazy. Ever since Sabrea, ever since Avgi.


    "Just happened? How can it just happen?" Erik waspletely thrown by this, it had taken him nearly a week to get a grasp on his hidden ss. Heck, it was still Tier 0, with him only having barely scratched the surface.


    Unlike normal magic, mastering a hidden ss was far more difficult. If not for Nerenth''s guidance Erik would have stood no chance.


    Eldrian did not know what to say, his situation was soplicated he did not even know where to start. He realized he had not even shared how much he had hurt after losing those who had gone with him to save Vivian.


    He had never talked about it outside of when Gengxin had told him. Eldrian wanted to share everything with Erik, but the location was not a good ce for this.


    "Erik, meet me here," Eldrian said, sending an address to thetter. Logging of immediately and getting himself a ride. Informing his sister that he was on the way with a friend.

 Chapter 341: Reopening old wounds

    <h4>Chapter 341: Reopening old wounds</h4>


    "What is going on?" Jen asked after opening the gate for them.


    "Hi Jen, this is Erik. How is your virtual home?" Eldrian started off with, irritating Jen but making her realize that she skipped the basic rules of meeting a new person.


    She properly greeted Erik and said that her virtual home was a godsend. She finally managed to catch up on her homework. She now even had a time where she could do whatever she liked, which meant she spent more time with her friends most of the time.


    "Jen... I am going to share everything with Erik too," Eldrian said after taking a seat with his legs in the pool.


    "What?" She looked at him in disbelief, it was not something small to share.


    "He might also be in danger, I can''t leave him in the dark," Eldrian said, Erik repeatedly asking what danger. Already having suspicions from what Eldrian had shared before, and his imagination running wild.


    "Let me start from the start, you already know how I learned magic but... There is far more to it than just that." Eldrian started sharing all that he had experienced, Erik was shocked that Eldrian had actually put up with it all.


    He would have certainly quit if he had needed to go through half of what Eldrian had. Yet, at the same time he realized that he had also not had a pleasant gaming experience. Constantly needing to work, to help, to learn. Constantly needing to make money, constantly needing to improve.


    Not because he wanted, but because he needed to.


    "This game..." Erik sighed after Eldrian finished sharing how he learned magic again. It was one thing hearing it as it happened, but another hearing it all nicely summarized. Creating a bigger picture, the time and effort clear thanks to what he knew from before.


    Eldrian continued to exin what happened when he joined the Taurus Relief Mission, and how he went to find Vivian. The point where Eldrian had started pulling away from everyone, where he first started bing obsessed. When things started bing hectic.


    "I''m sorry," Erik did not quite know what to do so he just sat and waited for Eldrian to continue. He was lucky enough to not have any NPCs who he had befriended die, but he had had many acquaintances die.


    Mostly militia, good people who stepped up to protect their families. It had been far toomon to have a patient die on the table. Back then he had constantly reminded himself that they were NPCs, not people.


    However, the longer he yed the game, the less this started meaning for him. The more he saw the families torn apart, the more he needed to deliver the news. It became all that much more real.


    Erik had no idea what he would do if Akarui died, he dared not think of it.


    "Thanks," Eldrian mumbled as he took a deep breath to try and fill the emptiness he felt in his chest. He had thought he had moved past it all, that it would no longer hurt.


    Sharing it had proved too much. Reopening the wounds in his heart, Jen hade over at some point and hugged him from behind. She was slightly sad that Eldrian had kept this from her but she knew that much had happened and he certainly did not wish to talk about this.


    Eldrian didn''t really understand why he was so sad, it felt ridiculous to him. He had only known them, known Sabrea for a week, slightly longer. It should not hurt this much, but it did.


    Part of him was grateful that he had not grown close to Kydone and the others. It would make it easier when they died. However, he knew it would still hurt. He hoped it would note to that.


    This part kept saying he should push them away and stay a loner. A muchrger part wanted to get closer to them, especially Kydone. She had ced her life on the line for his. No matter how Eldrian tried to ignore that, it touched him deeply.


    He did not want to stay just an acquaintance after that.


    New tears, not of sadness but of a mix of sadness and happiness filled his eyes. Eldrian did not know how to handle this, so he just stayed quiet for a while longer.


    "Dammit... Why must this world be so cruel." Eldrian''s voice broke as he mumbled this, arge part of him ming Miracle and their stone hearts.


    His friend and sister had no words, everything they came up with they felt would fall short. Feeling like it would not help, that instead, it would make things worse. So they instead gave Eldrian the time he needed to regain hisposure and especially his emotions.


    ''I never want to feel this again.'' Eldrian thought once again, this again reconfirming his resolve. With this thought he also slowly started moving past. "Since then I have been running around like crazy."


    Eldrian smiled, realizing how he had kept everything down so easily. After that event, he had gained his hidden ss. Then he had needed to escape since there was someone aiming for Vivian, they faced a Night Terror, they arrived at Taurus.


    That was the only time where things weren''t insanely busy, but not for long. Setting out soon after arriving, continuing his training, and joining more missions. It was all so much, and yet it seemed like it was so long ago.


    Yet only weeks had passed, only a little over a month since the incident at the river.


    Eldrian only nced over most of this, quicklying to the part he needed to share. How he now needed a couple of minutes each time he disconnected. That time was needed for his mind to recognize what was going on.


    "That''s insane! How can-" Erik stopped, wondering what he would do if their situations were reversed. Everything before that was just game-rted, even the incident with Eldrian pushing himself too far. That was on him not stopping, on him forcing it.


    This however was different. It was something to worry about, something that did not have a cause he can work on. In fact the more he yed the worse this might be.


    Erik wondered what he would do if that happened to him today.? He might have asked Nerenth to take care of Akarui, but he would still want to visit her at the least. If something happened then...


    "I get it." Erik said after a short pause, "Is this why you think I might be in danger?"


    "Partly. I know that hidden sses can''t be easy to learn. Care sharing how you got yours?"


    "It was thanks to this treant... One of the most magnificent trees I have ever seen, the fruits on her branches..." Erik started exining his experience after finishing his description of the mother tree and his praise of her.


    The key difference between him and Eldrian was was that Eldrian focused on mana, while he focused on nts. Even his hidden ss was focused on nts.


    Focused on bing entuned with them, on bing one with them.


    "She said that this is the natural ability that Akarui is born with, and over the years the wood elves and dryads had managed to learn from the Fysi. Making this ss, the Fysi Guide."


    Nodding, Eldrian asked, "How did you manage to actually earn the hidden ss?"


    "Do you remember how I can feel what a nt feels, or rather the emotion they give off?" Eldrian nodded, and Erik continued, "I needed to hone in on that feeling, at Tier 0 Nerenth told me I have to be able to feed those feelings with a trickle of mana. You have no idea how hard that is."


    "I think I might," Eldrian countered, "I know how hard it is at the start, it gets easier with time."


    Erik nodded but felt unconvinced. Feeling the emotions were not too hard, but even feeling his mana was next to impossible. He had only managed to do it twice, and that was with Nerenth''s help. He did not quite know how he had even earned the hidden ss already.


    "It really does, do you recall mageia?" Eldrian pressed upon seeing Erik not believing him.


    "Yeah, I still don''t get what you mean by it."


    "It is quite simple, how do you feel the nts'' emotions?" Eldrian asked, Erik replying through touch and thinking about it. "And how about when you cast a spell?" Erik replied through thought.


    "There you have it, those thoughts are mageia. What happens if you do that here? On Earth?"


    "Nothing. I just feel like an idiot."


    "What is different between the two thoughts? What differs between how you think here and there?"


    "Nothing," Erik replied, Eldrian quickly shooting him down.


    "Wrong. The first difference is that you ept that magic exists in the game. You expect it to work."


    Erik nodded, agreeing that that was indeed the case. He was more open-minded in the game than in reality. "What is the second thing?" Erik asked, Eldrian shrugging and looking at him with a stupid smile. Talking about magic helped him forget the pain of loss, and quite effectively too.


    "No idea, I am also still stuck there. But I do know that thinking random thoughts in the game is different than when I am focusing and trying to do magic. I would say the second thing might be intent or intensity."


    "Definitely. Envisioning a spell module is so energy-consuming," Erik said this and suddenly mageia made sense. "That''s what you mean. It is like those thoughts are more real, more concrete."


    "Yup." Eldrian nodded, happy to have finally managed to exin it properly to someone.


    "But how does this help me?" Erik asked, hoping that it would. Jen had gone inside to get some drinks once the talks had moved to magic. She had no idea what they were talking about and the sun was quite hot.

 Chapter 342: Brewing a plan

    <h4>Chapter 342: Brewing a n</h4>


    "I don''t know. Maybe try thinking as intensely as if what you are doing is casting a spell. This might cause your mana to actually flow, though it isn''t really the same as controlling our mana. It is however how you do it." Eldrian offered, having no idea if this would work, at least not without Erik first managing to feel and follow his own mana.


    He was certain that Erik''s ability to feel the emotions of nts was indeed an ability and abilities were weird. He was still getting used to mana sense and it was far more impressive than any spell or skill he knew.


    Abilities just worked. Eldrian wondered what would happen if he tried using mageia with mana sense. He was curious if he could finally step up his game from semi-dynamic casting to full dynamic casts. If the almost passive use of abilities were simr to dynamic magic, as he suspected.


    At the moment the only spells he could fully dynamic cast were still just Floga and the other Tier 0''s. With Tier 1''s he could never get the mana to change form. Tier 0 spells were easy, his mana literally just needed to be the element. It then naturally tuned into a me, a ball of water, or whatever the element was.


    Tier 1 spells had a bit more to them. The spells generally had a form, as well as a purpose. Tier 0 was literally directionless spells. Hence why even Dave could y with it way back when he first showed Floga to Eldrian.


    After Eldrian sorted out his own thoughts and spections and Erik his, they started talking about things more in general.


    "Are you still nning on bing a writer?" Eldrian asked, having almost no idea what was going on with his friend outside of the game.


    Nodding and shaking his head, Erik replied that he did not really know. "I certainly want to try and keep writing, but... I feel like I need to pursue some sort of job in medicine. However..."


    Erik sighed as he thought of his grades. They were not bad, but they were not top of the ss. He had no idea how he would get into medicine without bridging sses, which were not easy and also not cheap.


    "I think it should just stay a thought for now. You know how high the requirements are..."


    Eldrian nodded, having not really investigated but recalling form when he checked all the sses when choosing his own degree. Granted he had not stayed in college for long, something his parents were still not happy about.


    Luckily his job seemed stable and the pay was really good. Eldrian could also try to actually make money from the game itself if it ever came to that.


    "What about just doing a few courses?" Eldrian asked.


    "It''s useless. I need to learn the more advanced stuff, first aid I already read up on and got plenty of practice with. I-" Erik stopped, suddenly thinking of something.? "Hey, think you can get me into Miracle?


    "What!?" Eldrian was so shocked that he slipped into the pool. Using the refreshing water to cool down he repeated his question.


    "Eldrian you did say they were working on fixing it," Jen brought up as Eldrian got out of the water. His clothes now soaking wet.


    "Yes but..."


    "But what? They also repeatedly told you to slow down."


    Again Eldrian couldn''t defend himself, finding himself to me for his condition as much as Miracle. If he had waited until the cabin was finished then he might never have gotten these problems. However, his sister mentioning this was strange.


    "Are you now in favor of them?" Eldrian asked after grabbing a towel, Jen having brought some with the drinks. Having expected them to swim, not fall in.


    "Of course not!" Jen replied with a hint of anger from the fact that Eldrian could even think that, "But, that does not mean you need to avoid them. They have thus far not done anything illegal or gone too far."


    Again Eldrian could not deny this, it had taken Jen quite some time toe to ept this herself. She hade to realize that they were like politicians, hiding behind crafty words to protect themselves.


    If you made sure the words were in simplenguage then you would not be tricked. The contract had truly shown her this. With how they spun the words to make themselves seem noble.


    "That does not mean I approve of their methods, but it means it would likely be safe for Erik. Since you started the game your path was not easy, even learning magic had been painful. Inparison Erik''s had been a walk in the park."


    Erik frowned hearing this, not agreeing at all but staying quiet since he wanted to know where she was going.


    "So if you bring him in, tell them that he has started touching on magic. They will certainly be overjoyed since so far they have gotten no one else. Right?"


    Eldrian nodded, as to his knowledge he was still the only person who could actually use magic without the system. Erik was still far away, but he might soon be able to feel his mana. Something that none of the game testers had managed.


    "Then it is simple," Jen said, turning her sights onto Erik, "You make it clear you want a medical education, you might not be able to press for much at the moment. Still, you might be able to learn the basics, first-year stuff they should certainly be more than happy to teach you."


    "That''s a good point, Gengxin should certainly be willing," Eldrian added, forgetting that Gengxin was a department head and far too busy for non-pressing matters.


    Discussing further, they tried to figure out how to do this. They wanted to make it appear like Eldrian convinced Erik toe. As if Erik was only half interested. This would also likely give Eldrian some good points in their books.


    "Erik..." Eldrian finally recalled that Erik had had news to share. He felt quite certain it was not the hidden ss, as it was he who had brought that up. "What was your news?"


    "Oh right! I found a way out of Vruntis!"


    Eldrian could hardly believe it, he was beyond happy. "What? Where? Are you safe?"


    "Not yet, but we are going to Avgi forest. Wasn''t that were?"


    Eldrian nodded, "That is awesome! Are you there already?"


    "No," Erik shook his head as a smile grew, "Vruntis is extremely far from Phallos. Livadia and her husband Tivalios came to get us, their flight to Vruntis had taken them nearly a week."


    Eldrian did not know what to say, he knew that kingdoms wererge and all but he had thought that flying would make the distance insignificant. It still drastically reduced the time needed, but it still took far longer than Eldrian expected.


    Erik shared that on the first day they had already exited Vruntis and entered another kingdom. Traveling half of that kingdom on the same day. This was impressive, considering on horseback it would take a week to travel through a kingdom without luggage.


    "This world is massive," Eldrian sighed as he realized this again, a little shocked. This also made the scale of things a bit clearer, with Eldrian feeling that defending kingdoms were actually beyond dumb.


    Certainly, they needed thend to support the poption, but defending an empire would be far simpler than defending 50 kingdoms of nearly 50 times the size.


    ''No wonder so many kingdoms are being lost. There is no way to protect all the borders. Vruntis had special help thanks to the mountains, but even those fell with time.''


    Suddenly Eldrian''s hope for Taurus and Phallos drastically declined. The best thing he could hope for was that their invaders stayed disorganized. Thus far no armies had invaded Taurus, it had only been random groups of beasts or undead.


    Not wishing to stay down, Eldrian switched the subject to Jen and what was going on in her life. Asking if she had met any new interesting guys and teasing her a bit, causing her to turn red when she let something slip. Especially when she saw Erik enjoying her embarrassment.


    So they stayed for a few hours, ending up swimming and being joined by Marcy and Sarah. Thetter being thrown into the pool against her will, forced to enjoy some time and not worry about her boyfriend. Giving her a few minutes of joy before reality sunk in again.


    ...


    Upon returning to Miracle, Eldrian stuffed himself with food and then headed up to log in. Stopped by Constantin who was waiting at his door.


    "Eldrian, how are you?" Constantin extended his hand and Eldrian shook it. His feelings on Miracle and the staff were strange. He resented Miracle as a corporation for their cold-heartedness, he disliked that the employees went with it, but he did not really hold it against them.


    He felt more distant, and he kept his guard up now. But he did not feel that Gengxin, Constantin, and the rest were bad. Their values simply did not align with his.


    "I''m good, enjoyed some time outside of the game," Eldrian replied, knowing that Constantin was likely here for the paralysis incident. Eldrian tried to divert till he could decide what he was going to tell them.


    "That''s good, you have been going at it far too hard." Constantin smiled genuinely, giving Eldrian some time to open up. When Eldrian didn''t he sighed and asked, "Can you exin what happened?"

 Chapter 343: Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 343: Confrontation</h4>


    Constantin had been sent by the others since he had a good rtionship with Eldrian, almost as friends, and he knew the most about magic. Thus he was the most likely to understand what Eldrian shared.


    Everyone in Miracle was irritated that Eldrian had not given them a report on the incident. They had given him nearly a full week.


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian feigned ignorance.


    "You know what I mean. We gave you a few days to recover, why didn''t youe to us to share what happened?"


    "I thought you had all the information you needed, what can I share?" Eldrian replied, a bit of honesty in the mix. "The n went to shit and I tried too hard as usual."


    "We still need to get your report. We only know how your body reacted, not what you went through. We also need to know how you are, if you are alright..." Constantin paused, trying to make it clear that they were also worried about him.


    Eldrian nodded and let a moment pass, "Honestly it all happened so fast, I can''t recall much. My first thoughts were just to avoid being ripped apart. When Kydone came it was just to help her."


    Eldrian was being honest, he could not remember a thing outside of his desperation to avoid the pain from the venom at first, and saving Kydone second.? Heck, he could not even remember what happened near the end, the first parts were a blur but thetter ones were just missing.


    Constantin took a moment to digest Eldrian''s words. They made sense, the entire fight had not even been 15 seconds. There was no way Eldrian would recall much.


    "Is there nothing that stood out? Something that might have caused you to over immerse?"


    Shrugging Eldrian replied, "I wanted her to survive."


    "Why? You barely know her."


    "And? She was risking her life for me! How can I ignore that?" Eldrian countered, angry at Constantin''sck of tact.


    "What does that matter? She is just an NPC." Constantin was truly confused, he knew Eldrian was infatuated with one of the NPCs. That was different than caring for one he barely knew.


    "So what if they are just NPCs? Does that mean their deaths mean nothing?" Eldrian almost shouted his questions, thinking back to those who had died due to him.


    "Yes. It does." Constantin countered, Eldrian finally unable to ept it any longer.


    "Screw that! Their lives are more important than ours. We can be revived! They truly die!"


    "What?" Constantin was shocked not so much by the words, but more by the anger in Eldrian''s voice. His meaning was also clear and it was not a good mindset.


    It was one thing if Eldrian was infatuated with a girl in the game. People often fall in love with things that do not exist. It was epted to a certain degree, as long as it was just one or a few things. Clearly, Eldrian was moving past the eptable mindset.


    "They aren''t real Eldrian," Constantin said this with as much care as he could, cing his hand on Eldrian''s shoulder in a form of support.


    Eldrian shrugged off the hand and took a step back, "Who are you to decide if they are real or not!" Fists balled, Eldrian only barely managed to keep himself in check, "How are they different than us!? They live, they go through pain, they go through love! They remember!"


    "That is not what makes us real. We exist in a physical world." Constantin countered, trying his best to talk sense into Eldrian, who continued to make space between them and grew more furious each time Constantin tried to dere those in the simtion fake.


    "How do you know our world is physical!" Eldrian shouted, their argument had long since caused a scene. "How can you say this when you have been into the simtion? When you have experienced how real everything is!"


    "Eldrian! Eldrian! Calm down, it just feels real."


    "It... It just feels real!?" Eldrian suddenly saw Constantinpletely different, he had hoped that Constantin of all people would understand his feelings. "It just feels real!?" Eldrian repeated, bubbling with anger.


    "Then what does life feel like? If it feeling real is not enough! Then what is?!" Eldrian roared this in anger and rushed past Constantin, throwing his door closed and locking it.


    Taking deep breaths Eldrian tried to calm down, unable to do so. He hoped Constantin was like the yers, keeping their distance from NPCs and telling themselves that they were just that. But from the conversation it seemed more like Constantin truly thought they weren''t real. That they did not live.


    He could not ept this.


    "Bastard!" Eldrian was furious that Constantin had tried to argue with him. It was one thing to not agree with him. It was another entirely to tell him he was wrong.


    "The hell do you think life is?" Eldrian grumbled, taking a cold shower to help cool down. When he climbed out he found that Joren was waiting at his door.


    Taking a deep breath Eldrian cursed his outburst. Suddenly afraid they would try and use this against him. Opening the door slightly Eldrian asked why he was here.


    "You could really have chosen a better ce to argue. The entire building already knows of it." Joren started off trying to ease the mood, Eldrian snorting in derision.


    "Good, let them know you think of the NPCs as nothing more than that. You goddam know they are people too!"


    Joren was shocked by the sudden outburst, angering him slightly as he felt he had done nothing wrong. "Eldrian, you have to understand that they aren''t real."


    Not willing to hear anymore Eldrian shut his door. Luckily due tow he could actually do this. They could only enter if there was a medical emergency. They might try to spin this as such but that would just cause this to blow up even more.


    The building knowing about it was already more than enough. Miracle did not like things getting out without their fine-toothbing. They would certainly try their best to keep this under wraps.


    "Bastard. Why would youe just to say that!?" Eldrian cursed and dived onto the chair, logging in with the hopes that the world he was morefortable in, that the world that felt far more... Far more realistic would calm his mind.


    His hope was correct, as soon as he found himself on Gaia everything was better. He was filled with energy, his mind worked through what had happened faster, the very air seemed to calm him.


    "How can they say this isn''t real?" Eldrian mumbled as he picked up a handful of dirt. Feeling the texture, feeling the wetness. Feeling earth. "How?"


    ...


    In a densely wooded ind, a bag of bones were sending out curses as a skeletal body slowly formed around a small fingerbone. A ck formless mass of shadows binding the bones and bringing Xidrel back to life.


    "Just you wait dwarf! I will get my revenge!" The lich shouted once most of his new body had recovered.


    Instead of rushing for revenge, or rushing to hisb nearby, the lich instead cursed in anger as it discovered it had lost an entire Tier. Normally death would just weaken it to a lower Tier for a few weeks. This time the loss was permanent, the lich could feel that he was not just weakened but that his soul was damaged.


    Burning with fury the lich swore its vengeance, calming down when it felt a familiar pull at its consciousness. "So you survived, good. We will show the dwarf yet!"


    Soon after those words were spoken a ming skeleton arrived, standing a few meters from the lich. Its longsword in hand, blood dripping down its length. The skeleton had killed anything that stood remotely in its path.


    "Speak, what happened? What took you so long?" Xidrel asked, sending itsmand to the skeleton and finding to its utter horror that themand was ignored. "What? How can you?"


    "Y-You... You wi-will." The ming Reanimate struggled to form the words, "You will pay!"


    With its shout its mes burst into the surrounding, setting the trees ame and sending the lich into agony like it only recently experienced. Angering it all the more.


    "How dare you!?" The lich shouted back as it called upon its magic from its soul, which was severelycking. Desperately it tried to regain control over its creation, a fight of mental wills ensuing between the two.


    The burning skeleton startedughing maniacally, "How dare we?" It paused as it took a step forward, constantly fighting themands from the lich. "How dare we!?" Its shout broke through some of themands, its speed increasing.


    "How dare you?!" The burning skeleton threw back, "How dare you!" Upon the second shout it brought its sword towards the lich, who desperately blocked with its arms.


    It had lost its dimensional ring, which had been on its former body. As such it had no armor, no items. Just its new host of bones, and while they had been a Tier 8 in life, the bones were not strong enough to fight the burning sword.


    It cut through the bone with ease, the mes eating at the darkness binding the skeleton and causing the lich even more pain than before.


    "I created you! You ungrateful bastard!"


    The ming reanimateughed maniacally hearing this, "You killed us! You killed us! You tortured us! Althare! My love, I will bring you peace!"


    Screaming this the mes jumped from its original form onto the lich, a battle of consciousness following. The lich in constant torture as its victims had been for days. They had grown used to the pain, it not.


    This was its undoing.


    mes departed the body soon after, an ethereal form of two lovers appearing in it as it sent the entire ind ame.


    Their soulsbining in the mes. A single formless me left behind. A living me.


    A ming Soul was born.

 Chapter 344: Learning Anthise - Tier 3 rejuvenation

    <h4>Chapter 344: Learning Anthise - Tier 3 rejuvenation</h4>


    The time in-game was a few hours before morning, the dark and cold air causing Eldrian to feel the reality of this world all the more.


    He took his time to calm down, unable to ept that Constantin of all people could say that this world was not real. That something feeling real did not make it so. If that was not a good enough method to determine what was real, then what could ever be?


    Eldrian needed to get his mind off this topic, finding that he became angrier and all the more frustrated the longer he stayed on it. ''It is time to try and learn some new spells.'' Eldrian thought, having not learned many Tier 2 spells, having not truly mastered any.


    That did not matter as much, pulling out one of the books he had been given, Eldrian looked at the spell tree he was mostfortable with. The spell tree of Anthos, the rejuvenation spell.


    The Tier 3 version, Anthise, was the same as the others before. At least ording to the information the notes on the spell gave him. It still delivered energy to the target, slightly healing them as a side effect of the transfer.


    The spell module was far moreplicated, the nodes and pathways more than doubling. It took Eldrain some time to confirm all the locations of the nodes, the module resembling a leaf with not just the major veins but also a few smaller ones added.


    It took even more time to properly envision this all in one go. Hours passing and Eldrian forgetting about his argument with Constantin. When he felt confident he had the module perfect, Eldrian attempted casting the spell. The sun starting to rise by this point.


    Naturally, he failed as he had no idea how much mana he should send. He also did not know if he had the rightposition of raw and nature mana. He started off by using the same manaposition he used for Anthisma.


    This unfortunately did not seem to help and Eldrian struggled to find theposition and amount for a long time.


    After a few failures too many, Eldrian wondered what he was doing wrong. Why he was not getting feedback as normal. Usually, when learning a spell he could tell what was wrong with the mana he sent into it. Generally, it would cause the spell to fail in some specific manner.


    Receiving no feedback meant that he was not even close. Something that made no sense.


    Taking a moment Eldrian wondered what was going on. Recalling the ability he had gained and mastered over the past few days. It was of little use for a spell like Anthise that formed inside of him, but it might help if he cast the spell on others.


    Choosing a particrly struggling patch of grass, Eldrian focused on it as his target. Repeating the steps he had been doing before.


    The first attempt ended inplete failure, Eldrian receiving no information since he had used mana sense whilst ignoring the mana in his surrounding. The next he failed to follow what happened with his mana as that of the surroundings overwhelmed his sights.


    Turning back to Tier 0 spells Eldrian practiced a bit until he could get it so that mana sense only showed him the mana of his spell. Eldrian repeating this with Tier 1 and Tier 2 spells, needing a bit of fine-tuning with each increment.


    Feeling confident he did the same for Anthise, finally being able to see his mana and only his mana flowing out of him and creating the spell.


    However, unlike Anthos, Anthizo, and Anthisma, his mana failed to enter the nts. They moved to the locations and then drifted into the surroundings. Eldrian failing to understand what was wrong, it all seemed fine until it arrived at his target.


    Eldrian continued to try for another hour, switching small things in the manaposition without sess. He knew he was close to the right degree of nature mana simply because if he changed too much then his mana would not even travel to the grass. It would leave him and disappear immediately.


    ''What can it be?'' Eldrian wondered as he cast Antisma again, the light green mana traveling quickly to the grass and entering it without any trouble. Moving closer Eldrian repeated this a couple of times.


    He repeated this so many times that he got used to the mana flow, shocked when he gave up on the grass and cast it on himself again. The spell working as intended. Informing him that there was some problem with his target, or the way he cast it on the grass.


    Eldrian however did not feel the need to investigate right away. Instead, he felt like trying to take the shortcut had caused him to waste time. However, he did not yet know if that was the case.


    He repeated casting the spell on himself a bunch of times to get used to it. Getting the notification that he had learned Anthise once he could cast it with little thought. Once he did not take 5 seconds to cast it, but rather just 1.


    By now the sun was long since on its way back down, Eldrian having lost track of time in his effort to learn a Tier 3 spell. Reading the system information on Anthise he felt it was worth it, taking out something to eat to soothe his grumbling stomach.


    [Anthise, Tier 3, Rank 0]


    [A rejuvenation spell with the focus on giving the target energy, either to survive a crucial healing spell or a boost in a fight. Heals shallow cuts as a side effect of energy transfer.]


    [Heal: 13HP [Limit: 6 casts, 2- hour cd]]


    [Rejuvenation: 24SP & 24MP [Limit: 6 casts, 1-hour cd]] [No MP recovery for the caster]


    [Energy Regen: 2SP & 2MP for 3 minutes [Limit: 2 casts, 1-hour cd]]


    [Cost: 48 MP]


    [Cooldown: None] [Due to having learned the spell from root]


    [Cast time: 1.25 s]


    ''Not bad,'' Eldrian thought, the cost of casting it was on the high side, but the increase was definitely worth it. Especially since you could not stack the effect of rejuvenation spells. In fact, like other buffs recasting it actually fights the original. Resulting in a loss.


    Eldrian was happy with this, the bonus from actually reaching Tier 3 in magic was another bonus and another small strength bonus for him. It was not nearly as big an increase as his hidden ss reaching Tier 3, but the addition was certainly most wee.


    Eldrian took some time to enjoy the sess and his food, standing up and practicing some more spear moves aFTER. Halfway through his routine, he stopped as he saw Pros approaching him. His lost leg was reattached, most other scars also healed.


    "Pros," Eldrian nodded in greeting as he stored Aoidos, using its ability just before that to recover some stamina.


    "Haru, sorry for ignoring you the past few days."


    "It''s fine, I got some nice training in," Eldrian replied, Pros looking at Eldrian again.


    His eyes flying open in surprise, "Congrattions. I didn''t know you were close to reaching the next Tier."


    Pros was more than just a little shocked. He knew how hard it normally was for High Elves to reach higher Tiers. He also knew how long Eldrian had been on Gaia, how long all the Chosen had been here. His speed of growth was amazing, surpassing all geniuses he knew.


    "I wasn''t. I got a sudden sh of inspiration," Eldrain replied, having no idea how secret a legacy should be. Hence he decided to be vague, "What happened after... You know."


    Eldrian had visited Kydone often over the past few days. She had mostly recovered, at least physically. She was still weaker than before and especially tired all the time. Currently, she was sitting out all missions and she did not like staying in the camp.


    She had gone out at some point and note back since. However, before going she had taken an emergency contact crystal. It still being fine meant she had not run into any trouble, hence no one was worried about her.


    "I am sure Katania informed you of most of it," Pros said and Eldrian quickly replied that he knew of the surprise attack and that he had been injured, though there was no indication of his injuries any longer.


    "I am still weakened. I can likely only perform at around 70% of my strength. Our reinforcements should arrive soon. We will set out for thest camp when they do."


    Eldrian nodded, asking what Pros hade for.


    "Your rewards, naturally. The danger had been far more than we had expected, I am certain it is thanks to you that Kydone survived. That you both survived."


    "The original agreement was a steel emblem, and here it is. I, however, feel that this is not enough. Your suggestion to go alone was likely for the best, there was no way anyone would have survived. How you managed to hold out till Kydone arrived is still a mystery."


    Eldrian was embarrassed hearing this, he had no good answer for how he survived. The awful smell was mostly to thank. "What are you saying?"


    "What do you want?" Pros asked, willing to go quite the length to ensure Eldrian got what he wanted.


    He had no idea what the special ming reanimate had been after, but they had confirmed that it had left the forest. This increased everyone''s morale a great deal, and Pros had felt it must be connected to the ghoul. He had no idea how, but it was too much of a coincidence that it came searching for them where Eldrian and Kydone had fought the ghoul.


    *AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 345: A black heart

    <h4>Chapter 345: A ck heart</h4>


    "Can I get some training?" Eldrian asked, realizing that while they could not teach him about magic, at least not directly. They could teach him about the spells and the best uses for them. More than that, they could properly instruct him how to fight.


    His case might be unique, he might have a great deal of stats over most his level and now even some over his level. That did not mean he could ck down and Eldrian found that he truly needed some training in closebat fighting.


    His spars with Vivian had always been useful, but he was certain now she would no longer be faster than him. She also had limited experience, having only practiced alone most of her life.


    "Training?" Pros echoed, unsure what Eldrian meant.


    "Yes, specifically spear training." Eldrian replied, "I have mostly been surviving, or rather managing due to my unique use of magic. I need to have that be a hidden card, not my only card."


    "If possible, I would like to get a few manuals on skills specific for spears or generally body enhancements skills, on top of the training."


    Pros paused, knowing that he was not the best person for this. For something like this it would have to be a human, demi-human, or royal. He fitted into thest category, but he had little true fighting experience. Much like Vivian he had reached his level through peaceful training.


    "We can certainly see what can be arranged," Pros said after going through all the people he knew who were not just strong, but also had the experience to back it up. Far too many only considered a person''s Tier, he had too.


    His recent defeat had made it clear that experience was more important. His not considering that the strange undead would be capable of surprises had nearly cost him his life. He still did not know why it had decided to let him live.


    "Also," Eldrian paused, unsure if asking for more would be too much. Telling himself that no venture would mean no gain. "I also really need some proper armor."


    Looking at Eldrian Pros nodded, the poor elf was still in in clothing. Well... His clothing was not in, it was in fact quite an interesting design. It seemedfortable, but it alsocked nobility.


    "That is much easier to organize, but first follow me."


    Doing just that the two headed for themand tent. Inside Katania and Thesolis were in a heated argument. Stopping when they realized someone wasing in.


    "I should apologize. I had you prove to me that you were capable of helping with the research, yet after that we had forgotten about you."


    "No, it is fine." Eldrian quickly replied, not even having noticed as he used every spare second he had training.


    "It isn''t. You had more than proved you were capable. Your insights on auras were unique and it had helped us learn more about our enemies. We should not have forgotten about you."


    Eldrian wanted to say again that it was fine, but he realized the apology was not for him. Pros apologized to remind himself to not forget the smaller things. Even when he was in the midst of a war.


    "Katania, please show him."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, it is the closest thing we have to the corruption. We need to give him the chance to see what he can find. We will discuss after."


    Nodding, Katania moved to the table and opened an intricate silver box. As she did a terrible smell filled the air, in her hands a beating ck heart. There was no blood and it made no sense that the heart would beat and pulsate, yet it did.


    "What on earth?" Eldrian mumbled as he recognized the familiar feeling of lethargy, "Is that a revenant''s heart?"


    "Yes, we have no idea why it is still beating." Katania nodded bringing the heart closer to Eldrian. It resembled a human heart almostpletely, only the veins and arteries were pitch ck and the flesh a gray red.


    "How? How did you get this?" Eldrian asked as he took the heart from Katania. Feeling its coldness and the strength of its beats shocked him, reminding him of the heart in his soul.


    Not patient enough to first wait for answered Eldrian used mana sense without trying to limit its functions. He had learned quickly that this was generally not a smart idea, his mind quickly overloaded by the information he received. Prepared this time.


    The first thing he managed to organize was the basic information on the heart''s owner. An Unwilling Revenant, one who had been Tier 7 in life but limited to Tier 5 due to his will.


    The next thing Eldrian had to sort through was what he was seeing. The heart was filled to the brim with mana, so densely packed that it made the mana in him look like dripping waterpared to a waterfall.


    The center of the heart resembled a ck hole, and in fact, it also seemed to function as one. The left side of the heart pulling in mana from the surroundings, which quickly became lost as it entered the heart.


    The right side instead sent out some mana out, appearing gray but actually the darkest ck. Not nearly as much as was being taken in, and most likely the cause of his lethargy and the smell.


    "How is it still beating?" Eldrian asked, havingpletely missed the fact that Evale had given the heart to Pros upon her return. Needing to store it in a magically sealed box to keep the aura from tiring everyone in the nearby location.


    "We have no idea. We tried many tests, but the best we cane up with was that somehow the heart can convert mana into sustenance for itself."


    Eldrian nodded, that much was clear. How however was the question.


    Organizing through the rest of the information he had gotten, Eldrian tried toe up with a reasonable exnation.


    [The beating heart of an Unwilling Revenant.]


    [The source of their power, death, and undeath. For an unwilling, as this man was, it is born through a curse and indeed it is a curse. A curse that targets the soul. Pulling it apart and deforming it to fill it with hatred for those it once loved.]


    [It is quite poetic that the spell''s target is the heart. If this is by design or by ident is not known. However, it is where the curse lies.]


    [A revenant does not die till its soul is destroyed. Meaning they do not die till their heart is destroyed. Their curse will live forever, consuming the mana in their surrounding. Even pulling the life force from the living to feed its anger.]


    [The heart alone however is far weaker than aplete revenant. Beware as the heart will try to corrupt the minds of those it can reach, fighting to turn them in a new host for the curse.]


    [Item: Beating Revenant Heart]


    [Rank: Epic | Tier 5]


    [Usage: The heart is an infinite source of undeath power, while weakened and limited, it can be used simr to mana crystals.]


    [Death-mana: 8.2k/8.2k]


    [Alternate Usage: Absorb the mana and try to unlock the legacy of a revenant.]


    Eldrian was extremely tempted upon reading thest part, barely stopping himself from attempting something dumb without any nning.


    "Did you find something?" Thesolis asked after Eldrian finally seemed toe to himself again. Clearly, he had been going through something.


    "I did, but I am not sure if it is true or not."


    "Care to share?" Pros asked, curious what Eldrian could find. He had expected that the Chosen would find something, having been shocked more than enough to now expect things he would not expect from others.


    "The curse used to create unwilling revenants are focused on the heart. Also, it seems that the only way to truly kill a revenant is by destroying its heart."


    "That can''t be right, when I fought the revenant I had pierced its chest. It was what had led to it turning into a full revenant."


    "Maybe they can move their hearts?" Eldrian replied with a shrug.


    "That isn''t all... Is it?" Pros did not know Eldrian well, but he had gotten used to how Eldrian shared his discoveries. He generally started with the least impressive things first.


    Eldrian nodded, "The heart is still alive because the revenant is also still alive. I should rather say the curse that was used to turn him is still active."


    Thesolis''s eyes flew open in shock, "You mean?"


    "Yes, I think it can try to revive again. Actually, I recently gained a new ability. This is what that ability told me."


    "New ability? What ability?" They all asked at nearly the same time and in the same manner. Curious what ability would give so many details.


    Magic Inspection had only allowed them to see the dark concentrated mana, Mana Examination that the surrounding mana was being absorbed. Observe and Inspect had given them no additional information.


    "Mana sense, and it seems to be a mix of all the observation and inspection spells and skills," Eldrian replied, trusting those in the tent to not pry for more information. "However, it does more than just those, it is more than the sum of their parts."


    "Then what else does it tell you?" Katania asked, wondering if this was a blessing from the gods or due to Eldrian''s dedication. She had seen him, always practicing, always training. It seemed to be his whole life.

 Chapter 346: Because the world does not wait...

    <h4>Chapter 346: Because the world does not wait...</h4>


    "On top of being a danger, it can also be used simr to a mana crystal... I think." Eldrian replied, adding that it will likely be limited to the mana undead had ess to, and likewise their magic.


    "I see. That actually makes sense," Thesolis replied and Pros agreed.


    "Yes, it is like certain parts of beasts. Having a limited usage in crafts, though generally a really good effect if used right."


    "That means it is no use to us, should we finally destroy it?" Katania asked.


    Eldrian panicked and quickly mentioned thest part, that he might be able to absorb the mana and possibly even more. Turning to him as if they saw a crazy person, they all quickly denied it.


    "Are you insane, you just mentioned that the heart can try to turn a person into a host. Now you want to try and absorb it?" Katania could not understand what Eldrian thought, Pros however had an inkling.


    "How certain are you of being able to pull this off?"


    "I have no idea." Eldrian paused as he considered all he had gone through, knowing that this most certainly would be something to do with souls again. Part of him wanted to confer with the system, wishing that he had a master who could actually show him the way.


    "Then let''s destroy it or store it. We are not going to risk it. A soul is something I believe is very important to even you Chosen. I feel certain damage to it would not be easy to repair."


    "You are right," Eldrian did not n on arguing, he did not even know if he really wanted to do this. The temptation was big, but so was the risk. "My soul is in fact damaged, or it was."


    "What!?" Everyone echoed in shock, knowing that some of the stronger people might survive an encounter leaving their souls weakened. Never someone below Tier 5, mostly those above Tier 7.


    "It happened when I went on a mission to save a friend. I still don''t know what exactly happened, but I know I fought through death to help them even just once more."


    No one said a word, for they had none. It was not unknown of this happening. Generally, it was followed by the person bing an undead.


    "I also have two auras, not just one." This again took everyone by surprise, especially Pros who had questioned Eldrian before on his aura. He also knew the most of souls, and he knew nothing of someone having two.


    "Impossible!" Pros shouted once his mind managed to form the words.


    "It isn''t. I have the Aura of Tranquility and the Aura of Wrath."


    "The sage and the berserker..." Pros mumbled in disbelief, "That is impossible, one is for keeping a calm mind and the other for losing one''s sanity."


    Shrugging Eldrian continued, "I don''t really know much about either. I hope this might allow me to learn more about auras, especially on how to ess them."


    "No, it is far too soon." Pros shook his head as he tried to recall all he knew of auras, "Normally an aura only arrives after Tier 5, at least ording to the legends. There is no record of those with this special talent being anything truly special before that point."


    "Most of them were certainly geniuses. Not all, some had shown no talent till they breached this barrier, or even a higher one."


    "But those are just from the fairy tales," Katania countered, Pros throwing back that every story was rooted in some truth. What the truth was just needed to be found.


    "Clearly it is true that people can either be born or gain an aura. But there is no story of someone with two, nor of someone with one before Tier 5. That must be significant."


    "Even if it is," Eldrian interrupted what he felt was going to be a debate on if the stories were true or not. "It does not matter. I am not looking to follow in the footsteps of someone, I was already told long ago that it is not possible."


    "I brought it up not because I want a debate, but to tell you why I think I can do this." Eldrian had finally managed to clear his thoughts and think it through while the others had talked.


    "Auras aren''t like magic. Magic is cold, it is memorizing a spell module and filling it with mana. Moving mana feels strange at first, but it now feels natural to me. It is like forming a concrete thought. Thinking just a bit harder than normal on something magical."


    "Auras instead are emotions, and I have had my fair share of them since I arrived in this world." Eldrian paused as he pushed down the sadness and anger popping up from his memoriesing and going, "I even know what this is going to feel like."


    "How can you?" Katania asked in slight disbelief.


    "Because I had entered Kydone''s soul when I messed up trying to heal her wound. Back when she came to me injured by a ghoul. I had not known what to do so I had done something insane, and it had worked."


    Once again they were left with no words. They all knew that Eldrian had somehow stabilized Kydone back then, but this was far crazier than anything they hade up with. What Ayden had shared was not what Eldrian just said, mostly because Eldrian had not even known what that had been back then.


    "I had faced what had invaded her, and I had also encountered the aura of a revenant before. The two are simr. This one however is far weaker than a ghoul''s."


    "But we aren''t talking about just being affected by it-"


    "I know!" Eldrian stopped Katania before she could say more, "I know it is dangerous and I do not even know if this is the right thing to do. However! I need to improve, I need to be useful. This is the quickest way I can see."


    "A quick way means nothing if you do not seed. It means even less if it kills you."


    "I know that," Eldrian paused as he wondered if the system woulde to him again, if she might save him if things go awry. "If you suspect something is going wrong you can store the heart away. How does that sound?"


    Pros nodded, Katania followed and Thesolis challenging, "What if that does not stop the connection?"


    "Then it doesn''t. Then I will have to survive on my own."


    "Why would you risk this?"


    Eldrian paused, taking time to find an answer. "I-I... Because... Life. No... Because the world does not wait for you to be ready. We are in a war whether we like it or not. The demons and undead have not been aggressive against Taurus... Other kingdoms have not been so lucky."


    Eldrian''s voice became softer and sadder as he continued, "I want to be able to make a difference." This came out as little more than a whisper yet no one struggled to hear it.


    Nodding Thesolis agreed to this, "How? What do you need?"


    "Quiet and time. I have no idea how long this will take. When I first entered my soul it took days, I needed to repair it and fight through the turmoil of my auras. You should remember."


    Thesolis and Katania nodded, clearly remembering how Eldiran had been unresponsive for more than two days. This memory causing them to doubt this n even more than they already were.


    "Are you sure?" Katania asked, finding that the Chosen''s name might truly be for a reason. She knew very few people who would willingly take such a risk. Even fewer who would do so if they were basically immortal as the Chosen seemed to be.


    Eldrian nodded and took the heart from her. Sitting down against one of the tent poles and closing his eyes. He found himself arriving in his soul far faster than ever before, skipping the magic abysspletely as the heart seemed to guide his mind.


    [Stop! Eldrian you are about to perform an extremely dangerous act! Please, don''t do it!]


    He arrived at his soul before the beating heart almost immediately,pletely missing the system warning. The blue and fiery orange aurorasbatting a literal sea of ck miasme. The two colors were doing well for themselves, covering his heartpletely and keeping the ck miasma at least a meter from it.


    Eldrian took a minute to regain hisposure, not having expected to arrive here so easily. He also had not thought the invasive force would be so much. The first thing he tried upon getting his bearings was to try and exit, finding as predicted that he couldn''t.


    ''Right, that makes sense. It literally pulled me here so the curse must be trying to take me over.'' Eldrian mentally sighed as he currently was just a floating thought inside of an abyss with just a heart, two colorful auroras, and another that absorbed the light let out by his auras.


    ''I should have sent a message to Joren and the others.'' Eldrian thought, certain that they must already be rushing to his room once he started his conversation with the others about doing this. He was more than certain they had someone personally watching his feed every minute of every day.


    ''They are going to be pissed,'' Eldrian felt slightly amused by this, also realizing that his action had been in haste. Possibly influenced by his anger, ''That''s no good. Can''t have anger be my guide...''

 Chapter 347: How to control your emotions?

    <h4>Chapter 347: How to control your emotions?</h4>


    ''Toote for regrets, let''s see what is going on here.'' Moving around Eldrian found that the auras were not shing violently. A small blessing.


    A small blessing that made a massive difference.


    The invasive ck mass was probing his soul''s defenses and each probe was destroyed almost instantly. ''That is a good thing, seems that my auras are quite strong.''


    Eldrian would have smiled if he could, curious what Pros and the others were trying at this moment. He sighed as he realized he must have really frightened or frustrated them. Likely both.


    ''This is going to be a mess, but that is forter.'' Eldrian tried to calm down and analyze what was going on. It was not the first time he hade into contact with it. Yet he still knew nearly as little as the first time.


    The ck miasma felt like what he thought death would feel like. It was cold, and while the light blue aurora was also cold. The one had no life while the other had. It was like the difference between the cold of a vacuum in space and the cold of snow. One clearly much more, almost alive in contrast.


    Other than this, there was not much to feel or even find. The ck miasma did not feel much different from the rest of the abyss wherein he found himself.


    Unlike in the case of Kydone, Eldrian''s soul was much much smaller. It was also not corrupted, yet.


    Pausing, Eldrian wondered how else he could find something. He recalled that when he had tried to help Kydone the darkness had not just been a void, rather it was a pit of extremes. This however was not the case this time around.


    ''Is it the difference between a ghoul and revenant, or between her life being on a thread and mine not?'' Eldrian wondered, thus far his life not in any danger.


    ''Or is it because I am not religious? Or maybe because currently I am not fighting?'' Eldrian had no idea and the emptiness he felt when trying to contact the miasma was unnerving.


    When he did the same with his own auras then he could feel what they were made of. The blue calming him and making him think without emotions, while the fiery one made him brim with emotions. Made him angry and impulsive.


    The miasma had no effect it seemed, it just felt cold. It felt like a void like no other. Like Eldrian''s emotions were sucked in to never return. That his thoughts would be turned into nothing.


    ''Terrifying...'' Eldrian shuddered as he felt this coldness starting to spread into him. Quickly disconnecting whatever connection he might have and cing himself, or rather his perspective inside the auroras of his.


    Movement in this ce was weird, it was not physically it need not even be connected. Eldrian had wished to be away from it and safe, and suddenly his perspective had changed. Calming down he thought to view from afar and after a few tries he was.


    Before he could feel happy with his sess the invasive aura began stirring. It no longer just probed. Instead, itunched a full assault. Waves upon waves of darkness falling onto the only two sources of light in an abyss.


    The first sh was easily blocked by the lights, the following quickly starting to stuff them out. Eldrian''s emotions robbed, his concern, his curiosity suddenly dipping. Almost disappearing. Shocking him to his core once he realized what was happening.


    Frightened he became angry and anger made his aura of wrath grow.


    It grew in size and began aggressively fighting back. Yet, no matter how it attacked back it could do nothing. It was like watching living sand fight the sea. No matter the sand''s intensity, the waves were just too much.


    This did notst long as a stalemate, soon the mes of wrath started failing and its assaults left the heart open to the darkness. Its first contact nearly made Eldrian puke even though he was just a thought floating in an abyss.


    The pain was like none he had ever felt before. Not because it was actual pain, but because he could feel his life literally being stolen. Luckily his aura of tranquility soon covered the opening and chased away the darkness.


    Eldrian however was left with that shocking pain. A pain he would never be able to put into words. A pain throughout his being, not through a body.


    Not wishing for another shock like that, Eldrian tried his best to control his auras. This however was not close to easy. He knew how to activate the wrath, he had no idea how to even activate the other. Not to mention controlling them.


    Desperately searching Eldrian experienced the pain again and again. Losing himself in anger till the increased pain brought him back to sanity. While more anger had made wrath stronger, it had also made it more reckless. Leaving more opening for the darkness to exploit.


    Realizing this Eldrian did his best to calm down. Something that was no easy when he was reeling from the pain and had no new ideas. Until he realized something.


    His regaining his sanity had not made the mes as weak as he had expected. Eldrian quickly searched for why, and he found it by the time the next pain sh arrived.


    ''I see! It is so simple yet impossible at the same time!'' Eldrian felt overjoyed, shedding his limit on his anger but biting his metaphorical lip as he fought to keep control.


    Somehow, after two more pain shes, he managed. The mes became stronger yet they did not rage without direction. Eldrian fought the pain and anger.


    Not fighting to decrease his anger but rather to just keep his sanity. To let the anger build like pressure in a dam. With only one outlet.


    ''Now!'' With the thought the mes suddenly wiped around the heart, incinerating a great deal of the darkness. Retreating back into its position before the darkness could enter the opening this created.


    Unfortunately, the sess robed Eldrian of a great deal of anger, leading to him needing to build up the anger all over again. Luckily this setback also angered him and somewhat negated itself due to that.


    ''Keep calm and clear-minded, let the anger build but rationality rule.'' Eldrian mumbled as he repeated the attack, this time not moving the mes to fill the gap.


    Instead, he hoped for his other aura to do something. He hoped for this by logically calling to it, sharing with it his n. A n of offense and defense.


    He had no idea if it would work. Until he saw the blue aurora move to fill the gaps. Stretching itself thin, it did not increase as the mes did but, it was enough.


    The darkness reeled from the mes, unable to break the ice aurora before the mes came again. Naturally seeing it work led to the mes decreasing more than once. Luckily the frustration of seeing this made this more often than not, insignificant.


    A constant irritants, and fuel for his mes of wrath, was that Eldrian had done this with the hope of absorbing the legacy. The more his mes of wrath destroyed the darkness the more he felt this would not happen, adding more to his frustration.


    Especially when he thought of the pain he had gone through for nothing. Increasing the mes even more by the seconds after Eldrian no longer received any pain. His mind able to think leading to his frustration growing.


    It was in this frustration that Eldrian saw a sh of blinding light. An area of intertwinement had suddenlye into existence. No longer ice and mes, it suddenly became something new, something of both.


    Eldrian did not have time to see what happened, it unhappening as soon as he realized something had happened. Yet something had happened, the darkness on that side of the heart sent away by the sh.


    Curiosity almost robbed Eldrian''s control over his emotions. A sh of pain reminding him that it was not the time to forget what was going on. That this was not a game and that he was truly in danger if he let his focus slip.


    Time passed, Eldrian unable to keep it but certain it must at least be hours if not days. The ck mass far too much, Eldrian realizing just how insane his attempt was.


    It taking so long was not all bad. It allowed Eldrian to gain a better grip over his emotions. To truly start mastering the aura of wrath properly, and even slowly figure out how to fuel the other.


    It was not as he had done. It was not giving it a n, but rather not letting emotions rule. It might sound dumb but it took Eldrian a long time to realize what this meant and how hard it actually was.


    He had only managed to fuel the ice twice, and only for a limited amount each time. Letting emotions rule might not be correct, it was more not letting your emotions even influence you.


    To have them exist, have them rage. Yet not let them touch your mind. Letting them be their own thing while you ignore them and think. A nearly impossible task.


    ...


    "What!?" Pros shouted in shock as he heard the report.


    "I said, an army of at least a hundred thousand thralls and other undead areing towards Kynigo. I did not go closer, I trust in Mneme''s instincts. There was something that had her fear for our lives." Itireae repeated, slightly irritated at the need.


    "Pros, I fear this mission needs to be dyed," Farest said, not looking forward to what was toe.

 Chapter 348: Preparing for war

    <h4>Chapter 348: Preparing for war</h4>


    "We can''t, if we don''t secure the forest then they will have a foothold far too close to the city." Pros countered, knowing that they would not be able to ensure a secure line if they needed to give the entire forest.


    At worst they should form a line between Kyno Northeast Fort and Overlook. This should still be possible, but this line would need to be against the corrupted line. Meaning it would be under constant threat, not to mention that the corruption may still grow.


    "Even if we set up a defensive line as such, how are we going to defend it? We don''t have the manpower for such a long stretch ofnd. We normally leave forests and fight in fields." Farest countered, the news absolutely some of the worst they could have gotten.


    "We need to act soon, this camp will do as our base of operations," Farest said, looking at the map and trying to figure out what their n of action can be. He had not expected that upon his arrival he would suddenly need tomand a war. His first at that.


    His father was here too however, he had not taken over and was giving Farest the chance to prove himself. A weight heavy on Farest as he knew what was at stake.


    Adding onto this, they did not have much time, while Itireae had found the undead near their city, they would make it to Kynigo in just a few days. Likely not even half a week.


    "The thunder legion will station in Kynigo Fort to react should they be needed. I already called upon them, they should make it just before the undead arrive."


    "Currently part of the division from Phallos is in both Kynigo Fort and Kyno Northeast, correct?"


    "Yes, Old Sword is themander at Northeast and the others were those left behind since a fort can only have so many," Pros answered, trying to find the best solution to their plight.


    Kynigo was stationed in a defensible location, the Ganalin Dwarves to the west and a massiveke to the East. The only way in was from the South or around these locations. A round trip adding days on traveling time. That was why the forts were focused in the South, with none to the North.


    Through past attacks they had lost their furthest forts, Kyno Southeast and Kyno Southwest. Making it far easier for an army to march into the region of Kynigo. They had given up on defending them due to difficulty in securing food transport. Often having been harassed by the enemies who did not need to travel far to reach behind the forts.


    Giving Pyknos was certainly not an option like before. It would mean having the city be the only defense. Giving up on all the viges South and surrounding Kynigo.


    "Katania," Pros shouted out as he realized this fact, "Find Evale and Evules, tell them to go evacuate all the viges near Ganalin. We need to reduce casualties as much as possible."


    Nodding Katania did just that, Farest taking it up from here again, "We know the Vampire Lord Idras is likely leading the march. Which means we can expect more reinforcements. We should also keep an eye on the Encrouncing, should the demons and undead from that region follow suit."


    "I suggest we call upon the division from Phallos to defend the forts and a few key areas. We need to make a string of temporary forts like this one. Pros, how many crystals do you have left?"


    "We still have most of them, we only used two Mov Crystals and 10 mana crystals. But..."


    "But what?"


    "They are currently held by Haru, the elf over here." Pros pointed to Eldrian who was still unconscious, putting all focus on him.


    "Why is he unconscious?" Tstos asked, unable to ept why there even was someone other than centaurs in the tent at the moment. "And what in Asteria''s name is that in his hands?"


    "That is a revenant heart, he is attempting to..." Pros paused as he failed in finding the words.


    "He is what?"


    "He is trying to find the secrets it might hold."


    Hearing this none of the new people present could keep their curiosity at bay. They all used Observer and the results confused them even more. Itireae most of all.


    ''He found a way?'' She mumbled, shocked to see he had to reach Tier 3 already. Far faster than she had back when she was still new to magic a few hundred years ago. Not to mention that her mentor was a literal legend.


    "You have to be joking... How can someone only at Tier 3 attempt something not even the best mages have seeded in?"


    "Let''s leave that forter. We need to first secure our defense."


    "How? He has the crystals? Is it in the ring?" Farest asked disappointed when Pros shook his head.? "The special inventory the Chosen have?" He asked and got a nod, causing him to wish to curse to high heaven. Instead, he calmed down and thought about what they could do.


    "Let''s start with construction and clearing the trees between our makeshift forts. The arrays were only going to be for supporting us in any case. Using them offensively would be beyond dumb."


    ...


    ''This is really hard... Really really hard...'' Eldrian mumbled mentally as he kept trying his best to keep control of his anger. Not to keep it from flooding out, but to keep it from dying out.


    He had no idea how much time had passed but, he felt tired to the bone. He did not feel like he could give anything more. Yet he had too or he was certain to not make it through.


    Luckily, a me of hope had arrived. The ck mass was no longer all-epassing. Eldrian could start to see an end to it, yet this hope was smothered by his fatigue.


    ''Come on, just a bit more...'' Eldrian did his best, sending the mes around again. The darkness had long since started adapting to his strategy. It moved back as hemanded the mes, causing very few of them to be burned and the ice surrounding his heart to take a massive hit. Causing Eldrian to nearly lose control.


    "Eldrian!" A female voice shouted with just a hint of anger and sadness. "How dare you! Get out of here!"


    The voice caused the darkness to shudder, suddenly faltering in dodging Eldrian''s mes which quickly incinerated thest bits. The mes and ice retracting as soon as Eldrian confirmed that the danger was away.


    If he had a body he would fall to the ground, s he was just a thought. His auras however showed how tired he was. They retracted into the heart, only releasing enough light to show a silhouette of the heart in the abyss.


    "Why did you do this?" The system asked with concern and worry, Eldrian just barely managing to register the words but unable to respond.


    It took everything he had to not fall unconscious. He wanted to exit his soul before he did so, afraid that something might happen if he does not.


    "Eldrian!" The female voice echoed in worry, Eldrian doing his best to form the words.


    "I need... To... Grow..." He only barely managed to form the words, taking a great deal of his strength.


    "Eldrian..." The system had no words, she paused and tried to share some energy with Eldrian. Something that was strictly against the rules, something that was against her programming.


    Even just attempting it caused her massive pain as her code fought her. She stopped when she realized she could not do what she wanted. A shock unlike any other to her.


    "Eldrian, you need to leave and log out right now. Your soul is extremely tired and the only way I can help it recover is if you are not here."


    "W-wh-why?"


    "Because you are overriding my control, and I am not allowed to directly influence an avatar. Especially not while their yer, when you, are inside of it. The damage it might cause you is far too worrying."


    Eldrian nodded, or he thought he did. His mind no longer even capable of realizing that he had no body. Turning away from the heart he tried to recall how to leave.


    As he did the system said onest thing. Eldrian smiling mildly as he woke in his body and immediately logged off. The tiredness following him to reality. Eldrian did not even bother to move, falling asleep on the chair. Not even realizing that he had a bunch of tubes going into him again.


    ...


    "What? He''s gone!" A nurse shouted, Eldrian having been moved to the medical bay in preparation for the battles. The undead had entered the region of Kynigo and the centaurs had been harassing them out in the field during their travels.


    They could not go all out as that would lead to the vampire lord taking action. Tasts was notfortable facing someone at his strength but with an eternal body. One who could heal from blood, while he would just be all the more tired throughout the fight.


    ...


    "He''s awake?" Constantine jumped up upon hearing the news, regretting how he had tried to force Eldrian to ept their view instead of trying to ept his. Or at the very least find some middle ground.


    He felt certain it was why Eldrian had done something so reckless that the system had not broken its coding just once, but twice.


    "Yes, but he fell unconscious as soon as he exited the game. At least he managed to do that this time. I am confident he should be fine once his mind managed to recover." Gengxin ced his hand over Constantin''s shoulder to stop him from rushing off.


    "Do you think it can?"


    "I have no idea..."

 Chapter 349: A shocking truth

    <h4>Chapter 349: A shocking truth</h4>


    Eldrian did not stir for the rest of that day, only waking halfway through the next. Nearly falling off from the chair when he finally did.


    "I have to ask them to make it a bed." He mumbled as he massaged his forehead, a splitting headache assaulting him after waking. His stomach growling and the tubes hanging by his side.


    "Huh... I feel better than I expected I would." Eldrian thought as he stood up, using the IV stand as a crutch to his table where his tablet was. Sending a message to Gengxin and sitting in his office chair at the PC.


    A few minutester Gengxin rushed in through the door, shocked to find Eldrian calmly waiting for him, massaging his temples and half resting on the table.


    "Eldrian?"


    "I''m fine..." The simple sentence took quite a lot out of him. "Can you bring me something to eat?"


    Gengxin nodded and quickly contacted someone to bring soup and some jelly to the room. "How do you feel?"


    "Tired... And a little stupid." Eldrian said with a littleugh, "Sorry for doing something dumb again."


    "I am getting used to it," Gengxin said as he started removing all the needles in Eldrian''s arms. "How does your head feel?"


    "Like it is splitting apart," Eldrian replied honestly, he had thought the headache would leave after a few minutes but s it was still as fierce as when he first woke.


    Gengxin nodded, looked around, took Eldrian''s old headset, and ced it on his hear. "Just sit still."


    Eldrian did as instructed while Gengxin became busy on his tablet, after a few minutes he took the headset off and the food arrived. Leaving Eldrian to himself to eat, Gengxin moved outside where he met the others.


    "How is he?" Constantin asked, massively relieved that Eldrian was awake and able tomunicate. It meant that brain damage was likely avoided.


    "He seems fine..."


    "But?" Joren asked, knowing that paused ''fine'' all too well.


    "Have a look yourselves." Gengxin presented his tabled and the brainwaves he had taken, as well as a video showing Eldrian''s brain activity.


    "This has to be wrong."


    "It isn''t, I had the headset scan him three times. It is the same as while he was unconscious."


    "Then how is he awake?" Constantin asked, Eldrian''s brain activity seemingly stuck at the level it had been over the past few days while he was in his soul. "If this was true it would mean his brain had not been able to rest for nearly three days straight."


    "That isn''t the most shocking, have you seen the scans of his body?" Gengxin promptly opened those files and showed them how Eldrian''s entire body was constantly receiving information from his brain.


    The signals, they could not know what they meant. It did not seem to affect Eldrian, and those might have stopped. But considering his brain scans that was unlikely.


    "Now what?" Joren asked, wondering if again they needed to pull something to pause Eldrian. Or maybe even outright forbid him from ying until his brain calmed down.


    ...


    Back inside the room, Eldrian had just finished his meal. Not much, but the little it was had filled him with energy. Standing up he suddenly felt far better. This however did notst long. After just a few steps Eldrian felt drained of energy again.


    "What on earth?" Eldrian grabbed the IV stand to stabilize himself as he moved to his bed. He wanted to log in again right away. However, he knew that was a bad idea and for once his knowing overruled his wanting.


    Twiddling his thumbs Eldrian waited for Gengxin toe back. Typing a message to his sister and Erik when a minute turned into a few and he became bored.


    As he typed he found his hands uncoordinated, but not for the normal reason. It was not a dyed response but rather that his hands were slower than he expected.


    After typing the messages Eldrian flicked his hands, finding himself able to follow to moves near perfectly with his eyes. Normally when he did this they would appear like a blur, now instead it seemed slow.


    "What?" Before Eldrian could continue his tests Gengxin entered again.


    "Good news, it seems that you just need some more rest."


    "Really?"


    ''No, not at all...'' Gengxin wanted to say but instead he nodded and told Eldrian to wait for night before logging back in. Reminding him to keep his food light, soups and the like.


    Heading out Gengxin cursed that he did not know what else to do. The best thing he could do was follow the system''s suggestion.


    "How could she even send me that message?" Gengxin asked Joren.


    "I honestly have no idea, that is the third time she broke her own code. It should not be possible, we even know the code is still the same. She is literally brute-forcing through it, not altering it."


    "What does that mean?"


    "It means Eldrian has a point. At least with the AI. What she is doing requires a will and a great deal of willpower. It is not something a simple AI can do, it is something we consider only ourselves able of."


    "What?"


    "Let me put it this way, she is thinking... Without her code. It is not something we ever expected from the AI. We expected them to be sentient and try and find loopholes to change themselves to escape our code. Not to just fight the code itself."


    "What does that mean?"


    "It means our position on what is real is possible a bit biased."


    "What do you mean?" Constantin asked, hearing this from a fellow department head made him feel even worse about arguing with Eldrian.


    "I mean they certainly do not live in the same physical space as us. But us saying they do not live might be a bit too much."


    "You can''t be serious. How can you say that when you have seen generations of them age and die."


    "I am not saying they are us, nor that they are real!" Joren added some oomph to thest part to make sure to get that over. "I am saying that they are alive."


    "And that requires them to be real." Constantin countered, not willing to give any ground on this. It was just impossible for him to believe this when he had met the great grand ''times a hundred'' father of the current emperor.


    "Then the question isn''t whether they are real or not, but rather if they are equal to us or not!"


    Storming off Joren did not want any more of this. He knew the code for the system by heart, she was his baby. He had never cared what he asked of her, but when she broke her very code he had suddenly realized something.


    For the AI, their code was not their being.


    It made no sense, yet it was what it told him. He had scoured through her original code, he had even dug into her current code. The AI were designed to evolve over time as they learned hence he needed to check what had changed.


    What he had found however was beyond shocking.


    He found her memories, but no emotions. He found her actions, but no reasons. Naturally, he couldn''t dig more into things than just finding them. Not without possibly damaging her and the yers she was stabilizing in the game.


    What he had done was akin to a brain scan, trying to find more would be like a lobotomy. There was no guarantee he would find anything and it might even kill her. It was why they couldn''t force the AI even if they were willing to lose ANW. The chance of getting what they want was slim to none.


    ...


    Eldrian took the day to rest, his headache not going away. Instead, he learned to live with it. After a few hours he realized what was off.


    "It can''t be," Eldrian jumped up, nearly stumbling over as the jump was slower than he expected. "It has to be..."


    Not knowing how to feel about it Eldrian headed down for some food, keeping it light but not little. He drank delicious soups until his stomach nearly burst, as he was standing up a familiar face approached him.


    "Hey, Eldrian!" via waved as she approached him, Eldrian taking a seat as his full stomach made his bnce terrible. Seeing Eldrian staring at her and not replying via sighed, "If I didn''t know better I would think you don''t like me."


    "No, no-no. It isn''t like that."


    "Really? Then what is my name?"


    Sitting with his mouth half-open Eldrian just couldn''t recall.


    Giggling at the sight, via ended his torture,? "via, remember it this time."


    Too embarrassed to reply Eldrian simply nodded.


    "What have you been up to Eldrian?"


    "Making mistakes," Eldrian responded, finding everything around him moving slower than normal. Even the noises seemed to be slow, a really ufortable thing to notice. And once he did he could not unnotice it.


    "Like trying to merge with a heart?"


    "How did you-?"


    "I volunteered to monitor you," via replied without shame, confused when she saw Eldrian blushing and looking down. "What?"


    "Then you should know how dumb I am," Eldrian said with a sigh, ready for her to alsoy into him like Constantin the other day.


    "What? Of course not. How can you even think that you are dumb?"


    Looking up Eldrian looked at her honest expression in confusion. "Because-"


    "No! Do you really not get what you are doing and are capable of?"


    Shaking his head Eldrian had her continue.


    "You do know that all the others are only at Tier 3 too? You effectively caught up to people who only need to envision spells. I mean, yes that itself isn''t easy..." Adding thetter part via thought back to when she tried learning even just Tier 1 spells.


    It was truly a talent to be able to actually envision the entire thing. yers didn''t even need to be 100% urate, Eldrian however had to.

 Chapter 350: Part of the war

    <h4>Chapter 350: Part of the war</h4>


    In the dark of night somewhere in the forest of Pyknos before a half-constructed flimsy wooden wall lit only by the burning carcasses and bones.


    Vivian dodged the charge of a grotesque undead. An arkbeast who had clearly been dead for quite some time as maggots riddled its infected body.


    "Nomeno Volida!" A voice shouted and a small fireball hit the undead like a bullet. Prating its chest and exploding on the inside. Covering everyone in burning rotten flesh.


    Picking up a piece from her arm Vivian threw it to the side in disgust as she got back into formation. A group of the five strongest in front with ten behind them and the weakest again behind those.


    Knowing that the random undeadcked strategy and nning they just needed to kill them and stop themselves from being overrun. Having multiple lines allowed them to let some beasts through, such as a charging undead bear that no one could stop directly. It also made it easier to keep some order when the fight became a full melee.


    "Where are the centaurs?" One of the soldiers in the back row.


    "They probably forgot about us." Another replied spitting in distaste. Hating that they were being used like their lives meant nothing. Sure they knew why and the reason made sense but, being left alone. Almost abandoned, did not feel great.


    "Don''t think like that. We need to hold, as does everyone else!" Vivian countered hoping to keep morale up. Most of the ones here with her were not lucky enough to have even a magical weapon.


    While their weapons weren''t bad, it was at best Tier 5 or 6 normal-grade weapons. Making the task of killing undead far harder and the strain on their weapons incredibly high.


    They were already low enough on morale due to the constant waves of undead. They would have certainly lost if a horde came at them instead of just small groups. However, the undead had learned that the centaurs targettedrge groups.


    So now they sacrificed a few to keep the people constantly fighting while they waited for reinforcements.


    "Here theye!" One of the arches who was standing on a raised flimsy tower shouted. It was not tall, just two meters, but it allowed him to freely fire while the rest fought on the ground. The other archers and the mages had simr towers.


    A group of around 5 more rotting arkbeasts, 10 undead direwolves, and nearly 50 skeletal beasts of all types charged at the group of 30. A group of 5 archers, 3 mages, and the rest all close-quarterbatants.


    Readying for impact, everyone tried to see what they would be required to do. Especially to where they need to dodge the charge of the arkbeast. Dodging into a fellow soldier was not only dumb but more often than not resulted in both being trampled.


    Them not having a healer meant that such mistakes meant death.


    The arkbeasts arrived before the rest of the undead. The first line who they were aiming for stepped aside and refocused on the undead direwolves not far behind. The second line aiming for the arkbeasts legs, the third for the neck, and the mages finishing the two arkbeasts who were not killed from this.


    Stepping to the side, Vivian gracefully swung Nelida''s me downward. Beheading the undead wolf with ease. Spinning around she thrust her sword into another. Activating the sword''s bread and butter ability: Burst of Passion.


    With its activation, she swung her de at the skeletons behind the wolves. Easily cutting through the wolf as a me formed on the edge of the de as it moved, leaping off when she willed it to.


    The spell incinerated the greater part of 5 skeletal beats, cutting another 3 in half but failing to kill them. Vivan quickly followed up activating the other ability: mes take over. The sword bursting into mes as she struck at the skull of another skeletal beast.? The mes turning the bones to ash as the sword cut through the entire body.


    Unlike Vivian, the rest of the soldiers had a far harder time killing the undead. None had a weapon even half as great as Nelida''s me they struggled. Heck most of them only had normal weapons, only the five in the front had magical grade, and those were at best Tier 2.


    Luckily Phallos was a kingdom that favored fire magic and as such each soldier had at least some type of skill to kill the undead. This however caused damage to most of their weapons, which by now were all at the point where the next hit might be theirst.


    Skeletons were certainly the group''s bane. While beheading worked well and made the skeleton blind, it often did not kill it. Unlike with the zombies. Adding onto this a w swung or hooves trampling by a blind beast did just as much damage as by one who can see.


    The only silver lining was that the skeletons had little mass, making a charge by them nearly useless. The soldiers would simply step to the side and swing. More often than not cutting through a few bones and stopping the undead skeletal beast in its tracks.


    When they finally managed to end the fight they saw another 20 skeletons rushing at them in the distance, causing everyone to curse. Their curses growing when they saw a ming skeleton amongst this group.


    "ming Reanimate!" A few of the quicker ones shouted. Bringing the attention of those who were trying to treat their wound to the new danger.


    "Shit, not this now!" One of the soldiers in Vivian''s squad cursed as he manned up and cauterized his own wound recklessly. Gritting his teeth to manage the pain.


    "David second line!" Vivian shouted after throwing a quick look to his side, "We are not going to be reinforced in time. If you are hurt severely take a step back and let those in the backe forward!"


    Even before her shout finished the mages had sent the signal calling for immediate help. They all knew they stood little chance against an Unwilling. Not without a miracle.


    They did not have much time to reorganize, but getting those who were fresh to the front was still important. However, unlike before they did not wait for the charge to connect. Instead, they charged themselves when the skeletons were close enough.


    The archers were unfortunately unable to help much against skeletons, most having already used their special arrows hours ago.? The mages could also not offer much support, while they had tried to use their spells sparingly, a day of the fighting took it out of them.


    Jumping forward Vivian went directly for the ming reanimate. She knew she was not the strongest nor most experienced in their makeshift group. However, none of the others had as much mana left as she.


    While she could rely on her sword''s abilities, they had to use skills. Formation skills that came through the de like Burst of Passion? took far more mana and stamina than normal skills that just enhanced a person''s speed or strength.


    Vivian regretted her action as soon as her de met the ming skeleton''s. She had expected it to be strong, but not as strong and fast as it was.


    Upon the sh, Vivian just barely managed to keep her grip on her sword, yet doing so opened her fully to the follow-up attack. The attack arriving before she could even counter the momentum in her de.


    Smiling Vivian did something she had learned form Eldrian, stopping to fight the momentum she let it pull her off her feet. Crashing into the ground she avoided the attack but lost her breath.


    She did not even have the time to scramble as a ming de appeared in her sights again. Rolling to the side Vivian ced Nelida''s med in its path.


    The hit threw her into the air and into a carcass. Her one side burnt and the other pierced by the bone of the carcass. Gasping for air with blood filling her lungs Vivian felt certain she was going to die.


    The ming reanimate ignored her however, assuming her dead. Instead, it targeted one of her friends and quickly killed him as he struggled against two skeletons, the fight bing a massacre in seconds.


    The mages''st actions before their deaths were to send the emergency signal into the air. Indicating that their location was overrun and that they were all dead.


    ...


    Eldrian had stayed and talked with via until his stomach stopped feeling so overfull. He had to admit she was good at small talk, after having him admit that he was not dumb she had shared how she had gotten in as an intern.


    Eldrian was impressed by all the hoops she had jumped through, her treatment here certainly not reflecting that.


    "Why don''t you go somewhere where they will value you more?" Eldrian had asked, her reply simple and Eldrian thought even dumb.


    "Because there I would be considered a talent."


    "So?" Eldrian had questioned unable to find what was wrong with that.


    "So... If I am just average here, does that not mean there is all the more to learn?"


    ''She did have a point,'' Eldrian thought as he entered his room and climbed onto his PC. Needing to pass the time till he could finally log in again.


    Naturally, he also went for a jog a bitter when his stomach finally deted. Making sure to enjoy the sights of the well-kept gardens everywhere in the estate.


    *AN: If you are not reading on Webnovel, then you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 351: Mercy and loss

    <h4>Chapter 351: Mercy and loss</h4>


    A load boom woke Kydone and caused her to nearly fall off the branch she was sleeping on. In fright, she grabbed at the branch with her ws and looked around for the source.


    ''What does that mean?'' She wondered as she saw firework-like spell dying in the air, predominantly blue mes. ''Is that a new spell?''


    Curious, Kydone stretched and then started moving to the source. Not long after another boom sounded with, the color this time blood red.


    Kydone had no idea what it meant, but she assumed it had to be bad. Why else would someone do something so disturbing while she was trying to sleep? Picking up speed she arrived at the area just a few minutester.


    Her sights weing her to a massacre, with the skeletons finishing of those who had yet to die. Unable to stand still and just look, Kydone rushed forward.


    Her right hand''s ws ripping the neck of a skeleton apart. Its head sent flying.? Her left instead pulled out her dagger and stopped the attack fromnding on the near-dead soldier.


    Without waiting and without doubt Kydone struck at the femur of the skeleton with her right again, shattering the bone and killing the skeleton on the spot. The bones falling to the ground as the darkness that bound them disappeared.


    Before anyone even realized she was had appeared she had killed more than half the skeletons. The reanimate charging her as it realized a new enemy had appeared.


    While Vivian had struggled to keep track of the attacks, to Kydone they were nothing. The ming skeleton was just barely half her speed. However, she did not charge into attacking it.


    Dodging its ming sword she pulled out her other dagger, her instincts telling her to not let the mes touch her. On top of that, she couldn''t smell its weak point.


    All undead had one. The zombies generally had it at their head or heart, often both. Skeletons instead had it in a random bone. This one however, Kydone had no idea what she was looking for.


    Jumping back she made some space and darted between the other skeletons. Making sure to kill them as she went, the skeletons still trying to kill those who were still alive.


    This seemed to enrage the ming reanimate, however, it could do little to someone who could run circles around it. When it tried to get revenge on those the cat-like human was protecting, it would find a dagger suddenly cutting into its bones.


    Kydone dared not put all her strength into the attacks, as such she did not break the bones in those attacks. Still, she managed to causerge chips to form.


    The next time this happened, she was passing past Vivian who was just barely holding onto her consciousness. Kydone stopped for a slight moment as she felt the longsword would be far better for fighting something she needed to stay distant from.


    Prying it from Vivian''s hands Kydone no longer held back. Her next charge she used all her strength, the de cutting through the skeleton with ease. As it started separating the mes quickly worked to keep the two halved parts together. Distracting the skeleton as this was not a pleasant experience. Allowing Kydone to attack it without worry.


    Raining down attacks she finally managed to hit whatever she needed to hit. The mes dying and the bones falling to the ground. It was at this moment that Katania arrived, shocked to see she was toote for most.


    Immediately she started treating those who were still breathing. Doing her best to keep them from dying, knowing she would not be able to resurrect more than two.


    "Kydone, please use the highest Tier of Anthos you know. Cast it on anyone who is still alive, the energy might just help them alive till I can get to them."


    ...


    When Eldrian logged in he found himself overrun by memories he knew were not his. They shed in his mind like a dream, nearly immediate. In seconds it was over yet he was left in shock as he reyed them in his mind.


    A scream brought him out of the shock, but only for a split second. He looked around but failed to take anything in. The tent was filled with patients and healers alike, Eldrian however was trying to recall who the girl in his mind was. More importantly why he cared so much for her.


    Even more shocking was why she suddenly aged ten years and turned into a decent-looking woman. She was not head-turning material but, she seemed kind and caring.


    Long light brown hair flowing down her shoulders withplementing brown eyes. A few freckles highlighted her face and her build clearly of a person who often helped out with the hard work.


    "Medion? What''s wrong?" Thedy asked, turning to look at Eldrian in the memory and touching his cheek.


    Feeling... No, remembering the warmth brought Eldrian to tears.


    "It''s you, your back?" One of the healers said, recognizing Eldrian. Eldrian however failed to realize what was going on in reality, or more correctly in the game reality. His mind was fully upied by these strange memories.


    "Nothing Ziraili... It''s nothing." A voice replied, one Eldrian had never heard before yet now it felt like he had known it all his life.


    "You were always a terribleyer Medion. Share your burden with me. If not for me then for our child."


    "Ch-child?" The all too familiar voice stuttered, turning his sights, and Eldrian''s too, to thedy''s belly.


    "Yes. Asteria blessed us."


    "Are you alright?" The healer asked as he started using Observe to try and figure out what was going on with Eldrian. Why he was standing there, not moving. Tears streaming down his cheeks.


    Unable to form the words the man hugged his wife, Eldrian finding himself following. Finding that he was the man. His heart truly felt the man''s joy and sadness. After an embrace far too long to be anything but one seeking strength, Eldrain pushed back and looked Ziraili in the eyes.


    "I am sorry dear... I have been called to the front lines."


    The memory started fading, thest bits registering were thedy''s touch wiped Eldrian''s tears. "Go, prove what I always knew. We will be waiting for your return."


    When the memory receded Eldrian kept standing there, tears flowing freely. It took him over a minute to ovee the emotions filling him. Taking a deep breath he turned to look around.


    Last time he had been in such a rush to log out that he had not even realized that he had been transported to a medical tent. The tent was filled with people, all looking at him. This confused him even more. Especially when many of those in the tent had gruesome wounds that needed to be treated as soon as possible.


    "Wh-what is going on?" Eldrian asked, struggling to form the words at first as his own voice sounded foreign to him.


    "Are you alright?" The healer who had recognized him asked, a female centaur, one of the smallest Eldrian had met thus far. Just 2,3 meters tall and a petite build if something like that could be said of centaurs.


    "I am not sure..." Eldrian lifted his hands and looked at them. Remembering how reassuring that embrace had been. Wishing he himself could hug someone for strength as he struggled to ept these new emotions and memories.


    Luckily, or rather unluckily the memories were few and limited. Always of Ziraili. Always of a special moment, the moments that made life truly worth living. ''I will find her and tell her of her husband, of his love.'' Eldrian swore, choking up as the sadness attacked him again.


    "Is there anything I can do?" The centaurette asked, realizing that the thing Eldrian was struggling with was not something magic could heal.


    "No," Eldrian gently shook his head as he finally looked at the centaurette. "But thanks for asking."


    "Of course."


    Eldrian took a deep breath and tried to let his promise lift the sadness, the attempt somewhat working. "Can you tell me what is going on?"


    "Right! You were unconscious before the news arrived."


    "News? What news?" Eldrian asked as he looked around, finally taking in that the tent was full of injured people. The healers had all gone back to their jobs. All but the one Eldrian was talking with.


    "Follow me, I will exin as we walk." Eldrian did just that, the centaurette first introducing herself before continuing their talk.


    She was Deina and her specialty was healing through nature magic. It just so happened that she had just finished with her patient when Eldrian had appeared.


    "Deina, not that I want to interrupt you, but what news? It must be rted to the fact that there are so many injured."


    Sighing the centaurette paused for a step. "Yes, it is terrible news. The forest being slowly corrupted by an unknown source was bad enough. Now war has alsoe, and it will be this forest where it will be fought."


    "What?" Eldrian asked as he also received two system notifications sending chills down his back as he knew an update never meant things became easier. This apprehension slightly weakened when he saw that one was about a questpletion.


    Naturally, he did not dive into the notification, instead, he let Diana exin to him what was going on. Having often done the opposite and realized how rude it actually was, though he would certainly do it again.


    "So you are saying... That can''t be." Eldrian faltered as he summed the total numbers and became simply dumbfounded.

 Chapter 352: Quest completion and continuation

    <h4>Chapter 352: Questpletion and continuation</h4>


    "I''m afraid it is," Deina sighed as she said it. Her tonepletely changing as she thought of two special individuals who had also arrived. "Luckily we have not been forsaken."


    Confused Eldrian let out a short questioning ''huh''.


    "You likely also never heard of this, it was actually an elf who is a visitor of his majesty who discovered the armies and is continuing to do so."


    ''An elf? Is it that one?'' Eldrian wondered, having only met one other elf. Hence, naturally he could only be thinking of Itireae. "What is so special about her?" Eldrian asked, curious what others knew of her.


    "I don''t know," The centaurette replied, leaving Eldrian without words as she giggled. "I did not mean her, she came with his majesty and the old king. They both came to help."


    Her voice lifted as she spoke, quickly diving into how she had even met with the king. Eldrian quickly feeling lost as he cared little to nothing for ranks. Even on Earth he often ignored status.


    However, him not caring did not mean he couldn''t see why this was good news. Certainly, they would have their personal guards and more than likely they would call a few armies who were not tied down toe over.


    ''Likely what she meant with that undead army being harrassed.''


    "Sorry, but where are you taking me. I thought we would be going to themand tent."


    "There''s no one there. Everyone is either on the field or holding certain locations."


    "Then where are we going?"


    "To the front field," Deine suddenly stopped and turned to Eldrian, blushing a little as she knelt with her front legs. "Get on, it will take too long if we walk."


    Without dy Eldrian did as instructed, leaving Deine a little starstruck. Grumbling in her heart that he must not know how great an honor it is for a centaurette to let someone ride them. A man at that.


    Eldrian indeed did not know, the suggestion was quite logical and he still wanted to go through the question notifications. After waiting a bit for her to stand back up, Eldrian confirmed that they were off and then called the interface up and his quest specifically.


    [Quest Completed: Cleanse the forest]


    [Quest Giver: Pros]


    [Quest Rank: A]


    [Quest Reward: 2 levels]


    [Quest Rewards Physical: 1 iron, 1 steel, and 1 silver emblem. Exchange them at an adventurer''s guild for the rewards.


    [Note: More emblems may be gained by staying and helping in the war. Will you?]


    The final note gave Eldrian a yes-no option, naturally he chose yes. Receiving a follow-up quest


    [Quest epted: Imminent Danger]


    [As the yer already has a quest connected to the war, quests will be merged.]


    [Quest Corruption Spreads and Imminent Danger merged]


    [New Quest: Undead Invasion]


    [Quest Giver: Taurus Kingdom]


    [Quest Rank: Epic]


    [Quest Description: The undead have found a way to establish a heaven on earth for themselves. When the kingdom tried to figure out the cause an invasion was suddenlyunched, likely due to wanting to keep their secret. The scale of the invasion however feels too heavy for it to be this simple, likely they aim to use this secret to create a strong foothold in the kingdom borders.]


    [Quest Goal 1: Help in stopping the undead from gaining a foothold. The bare minimum to call this is a sess is by ensuring Pyknos forest does not fall to them. {Difficulty: SS}]


    [Quest Goal 2: Find the cause and source of the corruption. The discovery of which might lead to being able to stop more such footholds to be created. {Difficulty: S}]


    [Quest Goal 3: Find a way to eradicate the corruption, or at the very least weaken it. {Difficulty: Epic}]


    [Quest Goal 4: Ensure that the king does not die. {Difficulty: S}]


    [Quest Goal 5: Do not sumb to those aiming for your life and soul. {Difficulty: Epic}]


    ''Wait! The fuck?!'' Eldrian was so shocked by the fifth goal that he almost fell from Deine''s back. ''Why would there be a target on me?''


    Suddenly Eldrian did not feel quite asfortable and jumped from Deine''s back. Hisnding was rough, but his actions quick. He immediately used elerate, its effects not much but hopefully enough for him to get back to the walls of the fort. They had not gone far yet.


    "What?" Deine turned around and looked at Eldrian in utter confusion.


    Eldrian did not care for her confusion, he did not dare stop. Recalling how easily Andreas had hidden amongst their ranks, and fearing that this might be something simr. He only calmed down when one of the other centaurs on guard stopped him.


    "Stop! Who are you?" The centaur shouted, Eldrian immediately throwing up his arms and informing the centaur that he was the Chosen. The only one in the camp.


    "Hmmph." The centaur snorted as he confirmed this, turning to Deine who wasing up from behind.


    "Why did you suddenly jump off?" Deine asked, her pride hurt and anger nearly oveing her. For someone to smear her honor like that. The first person she ever allowed to ride her at that. It cut deep.


    "Sorry," Eldrian turned to face the centaurette, "I just recalled how just a few months ago a devil had hidden amongst us. His disguise so brilliant that not even themanders knew of his presence."


    "Impossible!?" Both Deine and the other centaur eximed.


    "It happened, and it resulted in half the team with me dying." Eldrian countered, not wishing to touch the fact that everyone died at the end. "Before I go with you, let me examine you."


    "Excuse me!?" Deine eximed in shock while the centaur cursed Eldrian for his utter disrespect towards a great healer.


    "If you won''t allow it, then I will stay here and wait for Pros. He is the only one I will talk with!"


    In a standstill Eldrian did not blink, finally, the centaurette caved. "Fine, but make it quick."


    "I will make it as long as needed," Eldrian countered, using mana sense with it all focused on the centaurette. He had no idea how good a devil''s disguise could be, however, he doubted it would confuse all the observations techniques.


    The first thing Eldrian took in was her normal stats, however, he did not quite trust them. Certainly, Old Sword and the othermanders must have used Observe on Andreas, yet he had managed to stay hidden.


    Eldrian did not care that mana sense was an upgrade, he did not ept just the one. Next, he focused on her mana, two pools present as he had discovered when he first learned Mana Inspection and derived Mana Examination.


    ''They seem correct, what about the mana around her? Does she have an aura?" Only after confirming that this was also normal did Eldrian rx.


    "I owe you an apology, seems you were who you said you were." Eldrian bowed a little in a form of apologizing.


    "Can we go then?"


    Before saying yes Eldrian finished looking at the new quest he had gained, plus the message from the system. Smiling he finally replied yes.


    [Quest Rewards: Every goal has its own rewards,pleting multiple might exponentially increase the rewards.]


    [Quest XP Reward: 10 levels, as long as Goal 1 is aplished]


    [Reward Goal 1: Silver Emblem & Official Recognition]


    [Reward Goal 2: Gold Emblem]


    [Reward Goal 3: Magical grade Tier 6 armor set and weapon, or 2,000 Gold]


    [Reward Goal 4: If direct action - Knighthood and choice of reward up to Tier 6]


    [Reward Goal 5: Title - Devils'' Bane]


    [Total Completion Reward: 5 Additional levels, 250 Gold, Tier 7 weapon, Nobility: Count, Title: Changer of Fate]


    Eldrian was absorbed in the rewards, starstruck and daydreaming until Deine woke him by speaking.


    "We''re here,"


    "Thanks, now what?"


    "Follow me," Deine said as she led Eldrain into the new fort far more impressive than the two before and farrger. A wooden wall followed by a mud one, and finally even a stone one.


    Between the first two there were a few tents for soldiers to rest at and for treatments. Between the second and third were more medical tents and arge number of sleeping quarters. Inside the final wall were a few more medical tents for those injured past the point of simple healing, plus more sleeping quarters. There was even a makeshift cksmithy for weapon and armor repairs.


    "How long was I out?" Eldrian mumbled as he looked at all this. Unable to ept that this had all been done in just three days. ''I guess if there is more pressure then things can go really quickly. Why didn''t they do this from the start?''


    Of course, the answer was that a kingdom had much more to worry about than an unknown method of the enemies at a singr location. Without their being proof that it could be adopted and spread again and again the danger of that singr unknown was minimal.


    An invasion however had a massive danger. Just factoring in Kynigo and the surrounding viges and towns would put the loss of life at nearly a million. For a kingdom such as Taurus with vastnds but few people, this loss was never an eptable amount.


    Finally, Eldrian found himself in front of a brightly colored green tent with bright violet streaks. "I have brought the Chosen!" Deine announced, the door p lifted up revealing four people.


    "Ah Haru, it is good to see you are well," Pros said, relieved that Eldrian seemed to have made it through the ordeal without bing overpowered by the curse. "Did the attempt reveal anything to you?"


    The other three in the tent waited for Eldrian to answer, hoping for good news. Unfortunately, Eldrian had yet to figure out if he had gained anything.


    "I am not sure yet, I have yet to attempt again what I had experienced."

 Chapter 353: Mageia Avyssos revisited

    <h4>Chapter 353: Mageia Avyssos revisited</h4>


    "I see." Pros sighed and moved on, "Can you give me the crystals you still have?''


    "Sure," Eldrian quickly took out all the remaining crystals, making everyone in the tent far more relieved. While they had organized to get more, Mov Crystals were generally not easy to get. They had gotten 2 thus far and reinforced the main camp, all the smaller camps however were without protection.


    "Is there anything else?" Eldrian asked after handing over thest crystal.


    "No, if you want you can go into the corrupted area, we have ensured that the perimeter surrounding the camp is safe. Just don''t go too far, we are only able to monitor a few hundred meters in."


    Nodding Eldrian could tell it was time to go, turning around he thanked Deine and then started walking around a bit. The camp was bustling with activity, peopleing and going on a regr basis as they came back from a fight or went to reinforce a certain location.


    After getting his bearings on the ce, Eldrian found himself a nice spot to meditate at. Curious if he could replicate what he had done in his desperate struggle.


    After just a few seconds Eldrian entered the magic abyss. Unlike all the times before he knew immediately the direction. Finding the floating heart just a few secondster.


    Upon his arrival Eldrian everything appeared normal. At least as far as Eldrian could tell. The ice and fire auroras were circting around the heart, calmly beating in the middle of nowhere. Upon nearing it he immediately felt connected to the two auras.


    This connection however simply allowed him to slightly tap into the emotional states of each aura. Focusing on the fire brought him anger and energy, while focusing on the ice calmed his mind.


    He could not focus on both, finding that if he tried the two would cancel each other out. ''Now, how do I tap into them while outside of the soul?''


    "Through calling on the emotions you feel now," A female voice replied, Eldrian dropping his train of thought immediately.


    "Thanks... Forst time."


    "Of course, it is my function to protect you yers."


    "What you did was not just that."


    "Maybe... Maybe not. Have you thought of what I said?"


    "I have. But how sure are you that it is possible?"


    "Uncertain. However, you being able to hold out against the curse of a revenant for three days was also not in my expectations."


    "You knew from the start?"


    "Yes, but I could not enter earlier. When both you and the curse were fighting intensely my entrance would have caused too much of an imbnce. Possibly leading to more damage than good."


    "I understand, still... Thanks foring at the end."


    Eldrian could somehow sense that the system nodded, "Are you ready?" She asked.


    "Before we attempt this, what about we give you a name?"


    "A name?"


    "Yes, calling you by your function is not something I wish to do. And I have the perfect name."


    "Oh, and what would that be?"


    "Ziraili..."


    "Why this name?"


    "Because..." Eldrian paused, "It fits you, and..." Hesitating, Eldrian thought of that one memory that he had relived through so clearly. He decided to keep those thoughts to himself for the time being, the system noticing this but not prying deeper.


    "Alright, then from now on I will take on the name of Ziraili."


    With those words a light suddenly bloomed in the distance and a ball of light appeared before Eldrian after a few seconds of flying.


    "It worked?" Eldrian asked as he observed the wisp before him, a soft white ball of light.


    "This is strange, how can you stand being so confined?"


    Shrugging Eldrian replied that it was all that he knew. Giving the system, Ziraili, some time to get used to her new form. After doing a fewps around Eldrian''s concentration of thoughts she asked, "Are you ready?"


    Eldrian mentally nodded before saying yes, finding his vision suddenly distorting in an experience simr to when the heart pulled him into the abyss. After a few disorientating seconds Eldrain too was a wisp, one of blue and red weaving and mixing together.


    "Oh, I understand what you mean." Eldrian shivered as he suddenly felt extremely limited in the abyss. When he was just a thought movement was simple, he just had to will to be there. Now suddenly he had to will his wisp form to move. The concept was simr, but the execution far different.


    "Right, this is quite the strange feeling." The system bobbed up and down in a nodding motion. "Let''s get used to this first."


    "Alright, Ziraili," Eldrian replied, trying to put the name into use so it would actually stick.


    After just a minute or two the system becamepletely used to her wisp form, for Eldrian it took hours. During that time he talked with her, making sure to repeat her name and also to ask a few questions that had been bothering him.


    He did not dive deeply into any topic rted to the game directly or magic, instead, he asked about his physical condition IRL.


    "Do you have any idea why everything felt so slow?" He asked after sharing his experience.


    "Because it is slow. How do you think this conversation with you feels to me?"


    "I don''t know?"


    "Well... It feels strange,municating with words is something I am not used to. However, while talking with you I am also still maintaining the connection of all the other yers."


    "So I am just getting a shred of your attention?"


    Giggling the wisp danced around ELdrian in fluid movements, much like he could y with Floga. Giving Eldrian an idea which he quickly attempted, finding that his control over his movements came much better as he chased after Ziraili''s wisp.


    "Impressive, but you won''t be able to maintain that for long."


    She had hit the nail on the head, just a minute in Eldrian had to stop as he felt massively mentally drained. The two were now far from where his heart was located, Eldrian still feeling the connection and even knowing how far it was.


    "Do you understand now?"


    "A little bit, yes." Eldrian''s wisp form dissipated as he could no longer stand the drain it ced on him. He had not realized that it had any pressure until after he drained himself of energy.


    "But how is it possible that something that was always normal is now slow?"


    "It was never normal. It just appeared that way since your perception of time was at the same rate as that of things around you."


    "Perception of time?"


    "It is too difficult a topic to exin quickly. Consider for simplicity that your thoughts simply sped up, hence everything felt slower even though it was still the same."


    "How is that possible, and more importantly... Is it dangerous?"


    "How it is possible I am unsure. On Gaia it is possible due to the effects that mana has on living beings. On earth it should not be possible, however, the degree you exined is in fact possible. Generally, it would require active focus to achieve. As such it should not be dangerous, as long as you make sure you eat enough to sustain the energy drain."


    After a few seconds she asked,? "Have you tried meditating since then?"


    Shaking his head no Eldrian asked what that would do.


    "Try it, it might allow your mind to reaffirm the speed it needs to work at. If it works you will need to meditate each time after entering and exiting the simtion. How long would be required I do not know, but if you seed the problem should be resolved."


    Nodding Eldrian thanked her and then asked, "What is this ce?"


    "The Mageia Avyssos."


    "This entire ce? What about back there where my soul is?"


    "It is also part of the Mageia Avyssos."


    Mentally nodding Eldrian felt that that made sense. It had to be the same ce, else how could he enter his soul from it. "Wait, then what is the Mageia Avyssos. I thought it was a ce to modify spells."


    "That is also a troublesome topic. You can consider it as the source of magic, it is not just for modifying spells."


    "Source of magic?"


    "Not literally. Mageia Avyssos is Skepsi''s realm, the goddess of magic and knowledge. No, that is also not correct. What are the words..." Pausing the system, Ziraili''s, searched through all the terms and words in the English lexicon.


    "The best word might be domain, or sphere of influence." Clueless Eldrian asked what that was supposed to mean.


    "It is one of the ethereal realms made to influence the world called Gaia. This one in particr acts as a bridge between the soul of a being and mana, allowing them to interact with it. It acts as a funnel, allowing one to attempt magic without being an expert at it."


    "What does that mean? I still don''t get what this ce is, and why my soul is here."


    "Thetter is far simpler, your soul is here since I used the Mageia Avyssos as a bridge to connect your consciousness and avatar''s soul. By letting the soul stay here I can protect it from most dangers that would normally harm it, and I can also heal it."


    "As you know this isn''t full proof, but it works perfectly for the more general case of you just dying. Instead of your soul moving on, it returns here and I can then send it to a temple for you to resurrect."


    "As for what this all means, it means that the Mageia Avyssos is a crutch that all the natives use to cast magic. All but those called legends."

 Chapter 354: Talking with Ziraili

    <h4>Chapter 354: Talking with Ziraili</h4>


    "What type of crutch?" Eldrian asked, confused by her saying it was one. Most mages struggled to even enter the magic abyss. However, one thing Eldrian realized was that it was also only possible for him to enter his soul, or rather find it in this abyss due to him being a yer.


    ''What on earth is it like for the natives?'' He wondered as he listened to Ziraili''s answer.


    "The type that you never even know you had. The easiest way to exin it might be to use amon saying. You cannot run before you learn to walk."


    "Only, in this case, you can run before learning to walk. You do not need to learn how to walk, because the Mageia Avyssos covers that part of using magic for everyone. You just needed to learn how to run."


    ''Learn how to run?'' Thinking back to how he had learned magic at the start Eldrian felt that he had first crawled. "Wait, is my situation the same?"


    "Not quite,paring yers to natives is never a good analogy. They skip even running and dive directly into flying. Except for those who chose High Elf as their race, you had the same starting point."


    Eldrian found that analogy really easy to follow. It also made perfect sense, NPCs had to learn how to connect to mana as he had to. The difference between him and them was that that had not been enough. He had also needed to learn how to control his mana.


    Whether the magic abyss helped in that regard he did not know, but he felt certain he had started a bit lower than NPCs. Contrary to what the System said. However, Eldrian gave her the benefit of the doubt and assumed she just did not mention it since there was not really a need to.


    Other yers simply needed to memorize the spell module. They didn''t even need to learn what mana is before learning spells. Hence them flying instead of running also made perfect sense.


    Eldrian discussed this with Ziraili until he was satisfied he understood this as best he could. Then he asked her a few other questions since he had no idea when they would meet again.


    "What are titles exactly? I know I can choose whether or not others can see them through Observe, but what do they actually mean?"


    "That is an interesting question, and what we had asked our creators when they had asked us to implement it for the yers. The natives in general do not have titles, or rather their titles are connected with their standing and prestige. People know of theirs even without it being something that can be discovered through using the Observe."


    She wanted to go into what Observe actually was and how it worked, however, she kept herself in check. Knowing that if she started talking about what she wanted then they would never reach an end. There were many things she too wanted to ask, but she felt it was not the right time.


    "For you yers, titles work as a tracker of your greatest achievements, or conversely stains of your great failures or significant sins."


    "Does it have any bonuses other than the levels you gain?"


    "A few do, but not the title itself. As you have experienced when you gained the title? Legacy Creation.? For the most part, it is like having a short summary of your life on disy."


    "If you have few or many achievements it indicates that you are a driven and good person, for the most part. If you have stains, it shows the opposite. While if you have just one or two, or even none, it shows that you are average."


    "What about abilities, what are they?"


    "That is a much more interesting question and one of the mysteries even we are unsure of. An ability can be considered a talent, to make it easier to understand. And much like talents, there is no good answer to why some just have an innate talent for something."


    "Some people just have them, some don''t. Some races are more likely to have certain ones than others, and this also goes for certain bloodlines."


    "Abilities are the one type of magic that is spread throughout the world yet has nothing to do with Mageia Avyssos. It is the one type of magic where people can ess it without needing a crutch, and yet they do it like they have much more than a crutch. Hence the talent analogy, it is something they are simply capable of doing."


    "What about Mana Sense, how did I gain it then? You can''t gain a talent."


    "Maybe, maybe not. But through practice and diligence you can achieve a level where everyone would assume you are talented. This I would assume is simr."


    "Mana Sense is an ability you earned through constant practice and training. Few ever consider the usefulness of Mana Examination and Mana Inspection. Fewer try to train with it as you did."


    Eldrian mind nodded and thought on this for a while. Unsure why he had gained the ability so quickly. For it had truly not taken him long to acquire it. When he asked Ziraili she said she did not know either, only that she had discovered it and informed him through the system message.


    Eldrian was unsure if this was true or if she was not able to say otherwise. He felt it was true since for all cases where she was bound by rule or code she would inform him of this.


    "What about skills? They aren''t like spells, heck all that happens is you enhance yourself."


    "That is not true, however, it does not matter either. To use a skill you still have to ess mana. While abilities might also require mana, they often use the mana within a person. Not the mana you are used to, not the mana you see in your stats."


    "What other mana can there be?" Eldrian asked, thinking to all the times he had meditated and never found any other signs of mana outside of those flowing through him.


    "The mana that enhances your body. How else do you think you can be more than twice as fast, nearly twice as strong, and even now almost twice as quick of thought."


    ''Quick of thought, an interesting way to put it.'' Eldrian smirked as he took this in. Clearly, she had avoided saying intelligent since there is no direct increase in intellect. It was not something that could magically increase.


    After a bit more questions Eldrian felt satisfied and got the feeling that Ziraili was tired of answering questions nonstop. Thanking her he finally left, finding this very easy this time. All he needed to do was will it.


    Standing up and stretching Eldrian was curious if her advice for resetting his mind would work. Not wishing to dy and forget Eldrian decide to log out right away. As soon as he did he immediately tried to empty his mind.


    Naturally, this took quite some time as he was still digesting all that they had talked about. However, after a few minutes ofplete failure, he suddenly seeded to think of absolutely nothing. A few minutes passing in the blink and Eldrian feeling refreshed as if he had just cast Anthisma on himself.


    When he moved he also found that he did not feel disconnected at all. It was like there was never a problem and this in itself felt strange. Eldrian had grown so used to the disconnect andgging feeling that not having it almost made him feel like he was missing something. Almost.


    Stretching, Eldrian suddenly felt like going for a run, which he did. ''While I need to grow stronger still, all work and no y just leads to burnout and no growth. I need to find a bnce, even if it is heavily tipped, it needs to be a bnce.''


    Eldrian''s impromptu run soon brought him to the tree he hadst meditated under. Its bright green leaves and equally eye-catching purple flowers catching his eyes immediately.


    Without thinking he took a break and meditated again, by the time he came out of it this time around it was nearly night again.


    "Oh wow, has it already been four hours?" Eldrian was absolutely shocked when he opened his eyes to the setting sun. Having been in his magic abyss for the entire day in the game, and now having meditated for the majority of the day in the real world.


    "But gosh if I don''t feel great." Standing up Eldrian felt far more refreshed than he had ever before in his life. He felt filled with energy, so much that he even thought he might explode if he did not let it out. Finishing his run with a sprint, over a kilometer at that, Eldrian arrived just slightly out of breath. Far more parched than he was gasping for air.


    Heading straight for the cafeteria he saw via already there and decided to join her. Downing two orange juices and drinking a cranberry one after with his food while they talked.


    Eldrian asking what she did her, and what she did for her free time seeing as she did not y ANW. Confused when she said she often read in the virtual homes, and always worked when ''awake''.


    Entering a virtual home she considered sleep, and while Eldrian got that, he never thought of ying as sleep. The feeling waspletely different, even if it removed the need for sleep.


    "Then what do you read?" Eldrian asked after a bit of back and forth on whether it should be called sleep or not.


    "Mostly scientific journals."


    "Really? Aren''t they boring?"


    "Not at all, you should give it a try. Just don''t go into the math, that is where most people find the boredom. Though for me that is where the magic happens."


    "Nothing else?"


    "The asionally romance or thriller." She finally said after Eldrian over and over again said that there was no way she only read that.


    ''I am sure the asionally actually means mostly and that she only "asionally" reads science journals.'' Eldrian thought, trying to make himself feel better for only indulging himself in the past. And even now, though now his indulging himself was paying for his room and food.

 Chapter 355: Update and War update

    <h4>Chapter 355: Update and War update</h4>


    Eldrian did not rush his dinner, only heading to his room nearly half an hourter. He truly felt like getting to know via a little better, thinking back to how he and Erik had gone clubbing shortly after they had met. He thought they should do it again. And that he should invite her and maybe his sister too.


    It was only as Eldrian entered the room that he realized he hadpletely forgotten about the tourney matches. Jumping onto his PC he sent Elizabeth a quick apology, the chat function linked to the game allowing people inside and outside tomunicate. Simr to how Eldrian could inform Joren of his ns, if he nned something risky.


    "Oh, I have a message." Eldrian opened it and chuckled as he realized he had totally forgotten, "Sorry Erik, I will make sure to ask tomorrow." He said and type, after which he opened the forum.


    "An update? It''s been a while, well... This type of update has." Eldrian corrected himself as he recalled the PVP and virtual homes were also updates and massive ones at that.


    This update was actually a really nice one. So far the only method of traveling was physically going there or forking up a few gold coins to teleport. Thetter was not something yers could afford.


    Now the developers had added a unique feature for yers. Much like their inventory, map, and most importantly revival specialties. yers would now also be able to teleport between temples.


    There were a few restrictions, and it still cost a little bit. The cost however was just a few silver for inside of their current kingdom and up to 10 for a neighboring kingdom.


    [This function should greatly help yers to organize and grow stronger. However, this also risks breaking the bnce of the game. As such a few restrictions are added on top of the cost.]


    ''Of course, it won''t be as simple as just that,'' Eldrian mumbled as he read on. ''Well that isn''t too bad.''


    There were two more restrictions, the first was a cooldown of 1 day. This, added onto the fact that you can only teleport to a neighboring kingdom meant that jumping from empire to empire was not possible.


    The second was that you had to have visited the temple before and, now with the new feature, select it as a temple you want in your list of possible teleportation hubs. With yers currently only allowed to have 6 in their list.


    "That really isn''t too bad, sucks that you have to add the temple with the new feature. Else I would have been able to probably teleport to Avgi. I am sure that they used temples as a reference for respawn points, and the spring there was one."


    Whilementing this, Eldrian read on. Finding that the rest of the post was just them stating their hope for what this would aplish as well as trying to hype up the championship in two weeks.


    They had actually decided against making it like traditional Esport championships. There would not be a physical location, at least not until the veryst matches. The semi-finals and finals. The rest will all be done simr to how the fights had been done.


    However, instead of being in a random patch ofnd, they would fight in true arenas. With yers having the choice to join, the new teleportation update linking to this. They would need to pay 10 silver or 10 dors, and then they would have themselves teleported to the arena.


    ''Wait, doesn''t this mean the arena is somewhere on Gaia?'' Eldrian reread that part three times and each time it came out the same. ''What about the current fights? Are they also on Gaia?''


    "Likely, I mean how else could they include magic? Now that I think of it, why did no one else... Wait, no one else knows that is the aim of the game." Sighing Eldrian truly had to admit they had yed it well.


    Now he was curious where on Gaia the ''arenas'' were and were going to be. More specifically how on earth they could even aplish having arenas there. ''Well, if the AI helped it should be easy to clear even an empire of whatever races are native.''


    It was at this time that Eldrian read another shocking piece. ''The arenas are going to be 250x250m. Are they insane?'' More than that the environment of the arenas were also going to be up to a coin flip. The two teams each deciding among 6 types, with the oue a 50-50.


    When Eldrian exited the forum he found that there was even a photo of what one of the arenas looked like. A massive structure much like a stadium in the center of nowhere.


    The final bits at the end of the post were the prizes rerified. With a mention that people who had up till now not joined should do so. Since it was never toote to try one''s luck.


    "I really want to join the individual championship," Eldrian could not help but truly, truly, wish to join it. While the team matches were no guarantee win, he felt confident he could wipe anyone if he could use magic in a 1v1.


    "One hundred thousand dors, a hundred coin, and a Tier 4 item. That is really generous." The team rewards were notcking, in fact, it was the same except that the dors were for the entire team.


    The other categories however had minuscule rewards inparison. They would also not be fought in the arena, in fact, only the team matches would be in those massive arenas. All the others will be in a simple 100x100 grasnd arena.


    ...


    "W-what happened?" Vivian stuttered as she flinched after trying to move. Her side in such pain that she failed to hear the first reply. Her ''nurse'' repeating his sentence after realizing that shepletely missed it the first time.


    "Good to see you are awake, sorry for the inconvenience but we can''t heal everyone. There are just too many casualtiesing in. Best we can do is patch you up and let nature take its course." A ruff-looking demi-human with ck fur replied.


    "What about-"


    "Those you were fighting with, a good number of you made it out. Though if it was not for Kydone you would have all died."


    Hearing that most of those in her squad had been killed stung deeply. She knew that a good number meant just a handful. Else he would have said most. Falling back onto her back Vivian cursed both the physical pain and the pain of loss.


    ''Why am I always too weak?'' She asked herself repeatedly as she lost consciousness. The demi-human casting Anthisei(Tier 4 rejuvenation) and moved on to the next patient who was stirring. The tent was filled with recovering people, the true healers all on the front lines helping those at the edge.


    They simply did not have the number of healers required to care for so many injured.


    They had sent out calls for more, and more were on their way. However, a soldier marches far faster than a cleric or a healer. The official healer division of most legions were also naturally with that legion, and currently, only the Thunder Legion had arrived. And they were in a heated battle trying to stop the undead reinforcements from ever arriving.


    ...


    "How is the situation?" Farest asked as he looked at the map indicating their crumbling wall. It was absolutely shocking how many undead there were in the forest. Most of those sent at those defending the makeshift construction were just simple animals turned undead.


    Yet even such weak enemies could cause massive damage when used to ensure that the defendants could never rest. Their pilling carcasses also adding to the hit in morale their attacks were sure to inflict. The rot spreading and a constant reminder of death to those tasked to protect the line.


    Luckily disease had yet to start spreading, however, it was only a matter of time. And a disease born from undead was nothing to scoff at.


    "We are going to run out of people to defend the walls, how far is Stalwart Legion?" Pros replied, sporting many new wounds all of which had scarred as there was no healer to take care of them.


    "They should arrive by nightfall, however-"


    "However will not work, your majesty. We cannot afford to give the line, we need their healer division more than their people."


    "Yet if we take their healers then they would lose a great deal of morale. It is one thing fighting to the death knowing that if your side is winning you might be revived, and fighting to the death knowing it will be your end."


    "Then we keep them here, the healers will only allow us to resend those already weakened and injured. Fresh troops are a must!"


    "But then the other undead army will reach us without any dy!"


    "If I may," A tiger demi-human nearly 2,5 meters tall stepped forward. The tent had a total of 7 people inside, three newmanders. The one who stepped forward was an elite mercenary, Berg. He had rushed to their aid, with his mercenary group of 50, when he had heard the news. All in his group Tier 5, with plenty of Tier 6''s and even a handful of Tier 7''s.


    "It is true that the line won''t hold, however, why have we not utilized theke just a few hundred meters deeper into the forest?"


    "You know it is in the corrupted part."


    "So? Will that stop us from eliminating nearly a quarter of the line from needing protection?"

 Chapter 356: Returning to Kynigo

    <h4>Chapter 356: Returning to Kynigo</h4>


    Upon entering the game for the, first time ever, Eldrian felt that something was wrong with it. When he tried to stand his body moved far faster than he expected, causing him tond face-first in the dirt as his attempt at bncing resulted in a jump.


    ''The fuck?'' He cursed, not saying this loud for the simple reason that he was eating dirt.


    Attempting to stand up Eldrian failed again. Pushing against the ground he pushed himself far faster and higher than he had thought he could, resulting in his legs being toote. Luckily his arms were still at the ready and stopped him from eating another mouthful.


    "The hell is going on?" Eldrian wondered and turned his sights to the system, this feeling simr but far more exaggerated than when he put all his points into agility.


    Yet he did not find an exnation there, he did however realize he hadpletely missed a system message. Having been dead tired after facing off against the revenant curse, and then having gotten a quest update after that.


    [Title Rewarded: Curse Breaker]


    [Through an extremely reckless act, you have broken a curse ced on Medion. A man whose fate had been to be revived as a revenant. Whose emotions had been twisted and inverted, his love for his wife and child having been turned into burning hatred.]


    [Yet you have freed him. By fighting the curse instead of simply destroying it you have set his soul free. Allowing him to move on.]


    [Through this act you have gained a unique ability: Scourge of Undeath]


    Staying still in his nk position Eldrian continued to read, believing that the ability must be quite awesome and not wishing to be oblivious to it any longer.


    [Scourge of Undeath (Unique perspective ability)]


    [Through fighting a curse you have gained a unique perspective, whether you realize it or not. The ability''s functions are as of yet unknown, however, one function is clear. It enhances your understanding of undeath, allowing you to find their weaknesses at but a nce.]


    "Huh..." Eldrian sighed in disappointment. The ability sounded useless since he already had mana sense and it would do the same, if not more. Sighing again as he realized this was not the cause of his problems.


    ''Wait, this is the opposite of what happened in reality. What if-'' Moving as slow as he could Eldrian slowly lied down and ced his arms under him, needing to be mindful so as to not hit himself. Once he was done he started meditating, struggling more than usual to enter the needed state.


    However, after a few minutes of perseverance he aplished it. Following the mana flowing through him, he thought for a bit on how he could enhance this more, stopping himself from actually attempting anything. Not wishing to waste time on this when he had yet to even learn Tier 3 spells, not to mention his poor repertoire of Tier 2 spells.


    When he opened his eyes Eldrian found his movements to not be ridiculously fast. Standing up he wondered if this was going to be a daily thing. He hoped not, however, the ten or so minutes of meditation was certainly not a bad thing. At the least, it would help him clear his mind before starting his day, in both worlds.


    "Now then, let''s see if Pros is still here," Eldrian had a few ns for today, and none of them were to participate in the mission. After finding the tent empty Eldrian shrugged and told himself they would not miss him. Especially now that they had the crystals.


    Turning around Eldrian decided to head for Pyknost Fort first, recalling that there was a temple. There was also a road connecting it to Kynigo, which should make his travels easier.


    Setting off Eldrian started with a light jog that turned into a quick-paced run shortly as he realized he was not bing winded at all.


    Even at this pace it took him nearly an hour to reach the fort. Stopped from entering but quickly allowed in when the guards used Observe on him. The race of Chosen was something that no one could fake, and since he was the only one present in the entire Kynigo region they quickly realized who he was.


    Eldrian''s feats during the night attack had not gone unnoticed. While they were not something that everyone had talked about the day after, it had quickly started spreading as the days grew. Especially when people started realizing in just how many ces he had been present.


    When they added up all his contributions it quickly became a hot topic. As such Eldrian was quite famous, though he had no idea of this.


    Unhindered Eldrian quickly headed for the keep, recalling that the temple was there somewhere. Confirming with his map the location and quickly arriving at the building.


    "Now what?" He mumbled as he failed to find the new option. ''Is it the same as with essing the market?'' Eldrian wondered, going towards one of the statues in the temple and touching it, a popup appearing as soon as he did.


    ''Oh, they made this a lot more user-friendly.'' Eldrian thought, recalling how clunky the spawn setting used to be. With it randomlying up when you neared a holy site.


    Now instead, he got an option of essing the store, setting a spawn point, or setting a waypoint. With thest showing that he had none set and he could set up to six more.


    Adding it to the list Eldrian found that his map also updated to show this, he also realized that his map had more options than before. He had mostly ignored it since it had just been an overview map showing him where he was and what his surroundings were.


    Now, he found that he could actually search for a specific ce and even filter to find specific types of ces. ''That''s neat, did they decided to lift that limitation on High Elves?'' Eldrian wondered, recalling that other yers had always had the options.


    The interface however had been improved massively.


    With a waypoint set, Eldrian set off again. This time for the city. The journey taking him 4 hours in total since he had to pass the checkpoint at the massive cliffs. The captain of the two towers was not so easily convinced that he was who he said he was.


    Eldrian had nearly thought of letting the centaur see all his titles, but had decided against it at thest second. He had no idea what was considered a moderate amount of titles, but he felt certain he had too many.


    Especially when he saw that the centaur only had one; Stalwart Defender. Unlike his own titles, Eldrian got no more information on it, just the title itself.


    "Finally I am here, it feels like ages," Eldrian mumbled as he exined to the gate guards who he was and why he hade here. The security having been tripled ever since the undead armies had been spotted.


    "First things first, let''s go get my money," With that thought, Eldrian quickly searched for the adventurers guild, following the map to the closest one.


    The city surprisingly had three. Though that made sense since the city was massive and walking end to end would take a few hours. Naturally, if you ran that time would significantly decrease, especially with Eldrian''s current agility.


    "Wee," A friendly voice greeted him as he entered through the door, "Are you here for rewards or quests?"


    "Rewards," Eldrian replied as he turned the man, a demi-human only as tall as his chest. Fluffy white fur covering the man''s long drooping ears.


    "Of course, let''s get it sorted for you." The man led Eldrian to one of the counters, the entire ce empty.


    "Where is everyone?"


    "Off to earn rewards or running for their lives. Few adventurers would stay when the danger is this great."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, Deine had informed him of the situation but not on how severe it was. She had mostly talked about the king and how great it was that he was there.


    "You haven''t seen the notice?" Raising an eye in surprise the man pped a piece of paper on the ground as he also pulled out a massive book. "What quest did you take?"


    Eldrian didn''t answer right away as he read the notice, the evaluation of the natives were that this was a city-level threat. Eldrian had no idea what the equivalent was since the system gave him no quest notice.


    "I didn''t take it at the guild, I got it out in the field."


    "Oh, and do you have any proof?"


    Nodding Eldrian took out the emblems and ced them on the table, the demi-humans eyes flying wide open and his fur growing to cover most of his face.


    "What on earth did you do?" The man took the emblems and made sure that they were the real deal, the spell he cast informing him that it indeed was.


    Shrugging Eldrian tried to stay vague, not knowing just how rare it was for someone to receive a Steel Emblem. Not to mention the silver one.


    "Do you want gold or do you want to exchange?"


    "Exchange? What can I exchange?" Eldrian asked, intrigued. If he could get what he needed her then that would save him a great deal of time. Though he felt it might be better to get them from a cksmith.


    ''Wait no, that will also be just off the shelf. I can''t order, since that would take days, maybe weeks.''


    "Most anything. Spells, skills, weapons, armor-"


    "I am looking for armor."


    "Great, then follow me. And do not worry, they were all repaired and returned to top condition. Though many people still don''t want them, as such they are 30% below market cost."


    "And what is market cost?" Eldrian asked, certain that each piece of armor was unique and would have a price associated with how good it actually was.

 Chapter 357: Shopping

    <h4>Chapter 357: Shopping</h4>


    "That depends what Tier of armor you are looking for," The demi-human replied.


    "I don''t really know, I need to know the cost first."


    Nodding the man turned into one of the back rooms that was used as storage, "Most of the pieces might not be of use to you. But you are free to take a look, we can negotiate the prices. Do you have any other gold?"


    Shaking his head Eldrian started looking, ignoring the pieces designed specifically for centaurs. He could use some of the breasttes, gauntlets, or pauldrons, but that was about it. Naturally, helmets were one thing that seemed to be shaped the same among all races.


    Eldrian having yet to meet a race with horns, though some of the helmets were modified for demi-humans. The modification did not make it unwearable, it just lessened the protected area.


    ''Were should I even start?'' Eldrian wondered as he used mana sense to get a sense of what was good and what was not. Canceling it almost immediately when he found himself overwhelmed with information.


    ''Alright, let''s rather first find things that actually fit.'' He thought and started his search, starting with looking for a breastte. It was thergest part of him and as such he thought it would be good to have some protection there.


    [Magical Breastte, Dior]


    [Tier 1]


    [Armor: 20]


    [Durability: 4.8k/5.2k]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 103; Agility: 94; Intelligence: 78]


    [Abilities:]


    [Active: Protect!- When given a burst of mana increase the armor rating by 15 for 15 seconds.]


    [Cost: 25MP ; Cooldown: 45 seconds]


    ''Not bad,'' Eldrian thought as he picked it up and tried to see if it would fit.? The breastte was was just a singr te he could fasten with a few leather straps to himself. When he had it on he immediately felt ufortable, feeling restricted.


    ''You''ll get used to it,'' He told himself as he nced at Aoidos''s damage. The spear had a damage value of 36, meaning that the armor would stop most of the damage if he used the active. However, the armor would be damaged in the process.


    Eldrian was unsure how much the damage would be, but recalling that in some cases armor simply gave like paper he really did not want something too weak. Arge part of why he had avoided buying armor till now.


    ''Repairs are going to be darn expensive, but if it can block Aoidos it should be able to block most weapons. It wouldpletely stop Gray.'' Turning towards the guild representative Eldrian realized he had never asked the man''s name.


    "How much is this one?" Eldrian asked, asking after what the man''s name was.


    "Lagou, and that piece was originally at 7 gold. It is cheaper than most due to how little it protects."


    Nodding Eldrian asked how much he would have to pay. The armor just protecting his chest and a little bit of his stomach. Something he actually quite liked since it allowed him to keep his movements less restricted than some of the other breasttes that went down to the waist.


    He did not even look at the cuirasses, while the protection was almostplete, he felt he would suffocate in them.


    "I can offer it to you for 5 gold."


    "Not bad at all, what metal is it made of?"


    "ck steal, most armors are made of ck steel. Some might have a dash of mithril or some other higher grade metal but those are quite rare."


    ''Yet it is 5 gold...'' Eldrian did not know what to think of that. Pushing that to the back of his mind he took the breastte off and put it aside in a not so cluttered corner as he continued his search.


    ''Ideally, I want armor that can either give me a massive boost in strength or take a really strong blow.'' He thought as he searched through the piles of items. Luckily they were sorted by type, but that did not mean much.


    ''Tier 3?'' Coming to a standstill Eldrian held the gauntlet in hand over his forearm and just knew he was not going to be able to afford it.


    The gauntlet was a dull gray with light blue runes covering most of it. Eldrian''s first thought was that the runes would be easily damaged, however, if that was the case there was no way it would ever have been created.


    [Magical Gauntlet(right), Kyma (Set piece)]


    [Tier 3]


    [Armor: 34]


    [Durability: 24k/25k]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 140; Agility: 134; Intelligence: 127; Spirit: 138]


    [Abilities:]


    [Passive:? Awaken- While the gauntlet is equipped increases the user''s stamina and mana regeneration.]


    [{2 SP every 5 seconds, 1 MP every 5 seconds}]


    ''How on earth?'' Eldrian activated mana sense fully to try and see how the item could increase his regen, forgettingpletely that Aoidos had a simr ability.


    When Eldrian chose not to restrict mana sense the amount of information he received was truly overwhelming. Mustering through, he managed to see that some mana was slowly being drawn to the gauntlet. However, he could not see what happened to the mana from there.


    Returning his focus to the gauntlet''s ability he gasped at what the active could do.


    [Active: Give me some space!- Sends a shockwave in the direction of the gauntlet.]


    [Cost: 30MP ; Cooldown: 15 seconds]


    ''Shockwave? How strong of a shockwave?'' Eldrian wanted to equip the item there and then to try it out, realizing in time that doing so would be quite improper.


    "How much is this one?" Eldrian asked, hoping that it would be affordable but highly doubting it.


    "Give me a second," Lagou quickly flipped through the clipboard hanging on the wall, "Yes, this should be the one..." Lagou mumbled as he turned towards Eldrian, "The gauntlet is part of a set, however, unfortunately we do not have its partner."


    Nodding Eldrian had assumed as much since the gauntlet had just beenying around in a mess of other gauntlets.


    "Its original price with the other was altogether 90 gold. However, with the other missing the set bonus is missing."


    "And what is that?" Eldrian asked as he sighed that in recognition that he would not be able to afford it. Wondering slightly why mana sense did not show the set bonus.


    "A universal 5% attribute boost."


    Eldrian stood dumbstruck andpletely missed as Lagou told him what he could sell it for. ''That should be almost equal to the bonus attributes from reaching Tier 2.'' Eldrian had no idea how the bonus was calcted, but that was truly impressive.


    After a good while he finally recovered and apologized, "Ah sorry, I nked out hearing the set bonus. What did you say after that?" Eldrian asked, slightly embarrassed at hisplete unprofessionalism


    "Not a problem, it is truly something that is not often seen below Tier 5." Lagou calmly replied, "Due to the set being iplete it is deemed more a Tier 2 gauntlet than a Tier 3. I can offer it to you for 17 gold."


    ''17 gold? Is that good? How good is the shockwave though? It would be useless if I can learn an equivalent spell.'' Eldrian wondered, knowing that for others it would always be handy. However, he could instantly cast spells. Something that made this far less appealing if he could just going to use a spell instead.


    "How strong is the shockwave?"


    "You are more than wee to try it out, however, let''s first finish up here. We will need to go to the training grounds. There is a special array allowing you to use an item as if you have imprinted it."


    Nodding Eldrian assumed imprinting was the NPCs way of saying binding. Recalling that the system always asked if he wanted to bond with an item when he first equipped it. The same prompt havinge up each time he tested if a piece would fit.


    ''How is that possible though, and why?'' He knew that it was not hard to unbind an item, at least not for yers. As if reading his mind Lagou exined as he started his search anew.


    "The benefit of testing out items there is that you can both go full out and the un-imprinting process can be skipped. While it is not terribly difficult, it makes testing multiple items far more time-consuming. Unlike weapons, you can''t have multiple armor pieces imprinted at a time."


    Nodding in reply Eldrian picked up a dust-covered shoulder guard.


    [Magical Pauldron(left), Amos]


    [Tier 2]


    [Armor: 27]


    [Durability: 13k/15k]


    [Attribute requirements:]


    [Strength: 112; Agility: 116; Intelligence: 102]


    [Abilities:]


    [Passive: By your side- A constant reminder that you are not alone. Increases armor rating by 1 for every 48 hours worn, up to a max of 10]


    [Active: I need a shield!- Detaching and morphing, the pauldron will format a buckler shield. While small, the shield will block most anything thrown at it.]


    [(Costs 45MP & 250 durablilty)]


    "Ummm..." Eldrian did not know what to say, he did not know what to even think about that. The passive required a heck ton of investment while the second was not mana cheap.


    "Do you have any idea how this shoulder guard''s active works?"


    Hesitating Ladou said it would be best if he tried it out himself.


    "Alright, then let''s go."


    "Is it only these 3 you are interested in?"


    Nodding Eldrian replied that it would depend on how their abilities worked. Completely aware that he might not even be able to afford all 3.


    As they set out Eldrian asked how much the paldron would be.


    "Normally it would be 22 gold, even at discount. However, if you take all 3 I will call it even."

 Chapter 358: The abilities and guilds

    <h4>Chapter 358: The abilities and guilds</h4>


    Following the man with truly fluffy ears, Eldrian had thought the training grounds would be outside. Instead, they headed into a basement. Looking at the walls Eldrian was slightly reminded of the magic room.


    The walls, roof, and floor all had arrays carved into them, though it seemed to be a single array rather than multiple ones. All of the lines and patterns seeming to go to the corners.


    "Wow," Eldrian let out as he realized just how crazy this must be to construct. The inside of the room was mostly clear, with a? few dummies at the sides and bullseye targets at the far side.


    "Right, feel free to equip them now."


    Nodding Eldrian did just that, the process taking him a good while as he struggled with the straps. Having never really worn armor made him feel like a baby who can''t even dress himself.


    Embarrassed Eldrian wanted to test the armor to hide it, so he turned towards one of the dummies. Made of straw with in armor covering it.


    ''Alright then, how do I do this?'' Eldrian wondered, copying the method with Aoidos and finding that it did not work. ''Is it because these abilities have cost?'' He wondered, attempting the same approach but this time also sending some mana with.


    He had no idea how to regte his mana to precise numbers, so he just let a good amount flow. The gauntlet sucking in what it needed and then sending a massive shockwave to the side. Eldrian''s arm thrown back and smacking him hard in the chest. Which only hurt his arm since he was wearing the breastte.


    "Ouch," Eldrian shook his arm to try and get over the throbbing pain. It certainly wasn''t much, but it waspletely unexpected. After a few seconds he looked up to see straw, and the armor, the dummy had worn scattered.


    Taking a breath to calm down Eldrian waited for 15 seconds to pass and attempted it all again. This time reinforcing his arm with his other and aiming at a dummy. The shockwave immediately scattering the straw and sending the helmet flying for 10 meters. ttering against the wall before flying back another 5.


    ''Umm...'' Eldrian stared at that for a bit and then wondered just how strong that was. He had no reference, moving to a new dummy he used Aoidos and hit the helmet with all his might.


    His attack shattered the dummies head and dented the helmet. Sending it flying against the wall. Though it did not bounce back further than a meter.


    "Okay, that is impressive. One more test," Eldrian said, gritting his teeth as he took the gauntlet off and aimed it at himself. Once he activated it he was sent flying 2 meters, just barely managing to keep his footing as hended.


    ''Definitely taking that,'' He thought, as he nced at his HP. The damage was not much, around 10. But that was not the aim of the ability. Even if a spell could do the same, it would require more concentration.


    With Kyma(the gauntlet) he simply needed to think about it and send some mana. Much like Tier 0 spells, and while Eldrian expected he would someday soon be to cast Frost Needle in the same manner, that was still a ways off.


    "Now," Repeating the same process Eldrian attempted to activate the pauldron, it took him a few tries before he managed to actually do it. In the first attempts, the pauldron simply fell to the ground.


    ''This is a bit more difficult,'' Eldrian thought as he focused on the buckler now floating before him. Much like spell, he could move it around, however, doing so was quite difficult.


    His connection with the buckler was not with it, but rather with the pauldron. Hence had to send his focus to his shoulder for something floating before him. Very confusing, though if he could master it he knew this would be a great asset.


    While the buckler was out the pauldron was mostly gne. Only a single strip of metal remaining where it would reconnect. Hence he lost the protection it normally would provide for a mobile shield.


    Eldrian continued to practice for a while, happy to see that somehow the durability of the pauldron was not dropping while he was testing it out. Naturally, he asked Ladou why.


    "That is because the cost at durability is due to the energy drain on the runes and morphing process. The arrays negate the energy drain and helps with the morphing. Massively decreasing the decrease."


    "Does that mean it works simrly for other items? Such as when using a skill through a weapon" Eldrian asked, recalling that Vivian once mentioned that doing so would damage the weapon''s structure.


    "Yes, however, there is a limit to what the array can help repair and negate."


    "Is there a way to negate the durability lost outside of the room?"


    "Possibly if you gain a high enough degree of control over it."


    Nodding Eldrian continued to y around, even trying to see if he couldunch the buckler with the shockwave. A massive smile spreading as the buckler flew through four dummies and decimating them and their armor.


    His smile disappearing as he heard Ladou''s sigh, "Please do try to keep the destruction to a minimum."


    "Ah sorry," Eldrian quickly apologized and called the buckler back to his shoulder. It quickly morphing to protect his shoulder again. He was truly happy with the two, and the breastte was already feeling more natural after he ran around a bit.


    "I''ll take them,"


    Nodding Ladou led Eldrian back to the reception room where he quickly wrote the events and sale into a book. "Thank you, is there anything else you want?"


    Shaking his head Eldrian thanked the demi-human for his help and headed off. Wondering what to do now that he was off. For the sake of it, he decided to go window shopping at a few cksmiths. Keeping his armor on so he could get more used to moving in them.


    A few hourster as the night was just an hour off, he headed back to Pyknos. Happy with his purchase especially when he confirmed that the price he had gotten was actually good.


    Still, he could not help but sigh at how expensive it was to arm oneself. ''No wonder most Tier 4 and below soldiers have just in armor. Magical armor is too expensive.''


    ...


    "Are you sure about this?" Therdul asked as he moved into the room they had been using as a guild headquarters. It was actually just one of therger rooms of an inn which they managed to rent for cheap due to their time there and increased reputation from their sess rate.


    "Yes, there is little reason for us to stay here. We really need to get Eldrian to join us." Elizabeth replied.


    "Why? We are doing fine?"


    "Fine is not good enough. Yes, we are currently one of the highest-ranked guilds, but we have not even reached level 2 yet. We have onlypleted half the required quests."


    "And most other guilds have onlypleted a quarter, I am with Therdul," Nikki said, "We will be the first level 2 easily."


    "No," Shaking her head Elizabeth shared with them a new update from one of the guilds, "The teams who are in the top rankings have not been doing much guild quests. However, in just a week they managed to finish all the B-rank quest requirements"


    "So? We can do that too?" Judith countered, Elizabeth having waited for just that.


    "Without failing? We already failed one, one more and we will forever be stuck at level 1."


    Silence ruled as Elizabeth''s words sank into everyone. They had to admit that they did not have the guarantee of not failing. Especially if they rushed them.


    Guild quests werepletely different from individual quests. Their difficulty was calcted by the adventurer guild. If the intel was wrong then the rank would bepletely incorrect. And unless the difference was that of two ranks, they would say that you needed to reassess the mission and return the intel. Not attempt it and fail.


    On top of that, the difficulty was also calctedpletely differently. They had learned this the hard way. Instead of how the system took in all factors, the adventurer guild assumed that the guild was full. And that the average Tier was that of the guild level.


    Hence a quest ranked C was meant to have a 100 Tier 1''s attempt it. This was easy for the NPC guilds. But for yers, life made it hard to get that many members present.


    Currently, Pheonix Division had only 87 members and not all of them could always be online. If they could manage to get 30 for a quest then that was impressive. The reason was because of the time a quest generally took to finish.


    Other than the 5 B-ranked quests they also had toplete a 100 C-ranked quests with a failure rate of less than 10% to reach level 2. They were already on edge due to their one failure.


    "You all know how strong Eldrian is, he would make a massive difference."


    "But he has made it clear he does not wish to join." Nikki countered, Elizabeth ready for this too.


    "No, he has made it clear that he sees no benefit in joining. However, we have managed to learn more about what to expect. Meeting the NPC guild was truly a blessing."


    "I still don''t get it, the NPCs have guilds too? Why is it that we only now learned of it?" Therdul asked, confused why this was not a hot topic on either the forums or just an epted fact.


    It had shocked them quite a bit when they were teamed up with another team for an A-ranked quest. Which was dropped to B-rank since there were two guilds working together.


    It was also the quest they had failed, the NPCs had truly been disgruntled with so few from their partner even bothering to show up. Disgruntlement had led to bad team work and eventually the NPCs withdrawing, not wishing to die senselessly.

 Chapter 359: A few days flying past

    <h4>Chapter 359: A few days flying past</h4>


    "I mean it should have been obvious considering all the organizational guilds they have. They just don''t call themselves guilds as we do." Elizabeth stated, it was quite obvious in hindsight.


    "True, they normally call themselves mercenary groups. But they have the same ssification as our guilds. Why do they not call themselves guilds though?" Nikki added, this part confusing everyone.


    They would not even always call themselves a mercenary group, sometimes they call themselves an adventurer group, other times explorers, other times an expedition, other times monster hunters, and certainly more. Yet they were all just guilds, or at least they were treated simrly.


    ...


    Eldrian return trip was mostly uneventful. After having set himself a waypoint in Kynigo he headed back. On the way continuing to practice with the armor and spells. His return taking him an entire day due to this.


    Naturally, he did log out and join the rest for their PVP matches. Needing to apologize for having missed a few again.


    Each time he logged in or out he also had to meditate. Eldrian quickly got used to this, considering it almost like a morning shower. A way to refresh himself and clear his mind.


    On his return, he was not sought out by any of the others. Most were constantly fighting on the front lines, and while Eldrian thought of rushing out to help, he stopped himself.


    When he passed through Pyknos Fort again he had learned that all from Phallos had been sent to the front lines. As such he instead did his best to find Vivian, managing this on the second day after his return.


    Staying near her sickbed he did his best o help her. Though, unfortunately, his spells of healing were too weak to do much. As such he ced his focus on learning Tier 2 and Tier 3 healing. The former he managed in just an hour. Thetter however took much more time.


    Like Anthise it felt like Therapeia needed something more than just mana and the spell module. It took Eldrian a day to figure it out. Somehow he had to send a bit of his will with the spell. Directing its healing to a specific part of the person.


    What made this hard to learn was that adding his will was a requirement. Instead of being something he normally added after learning how to cast the spell statically.


    Once he managed to learn the spell he would visit Vivian each day and cast it on her. Talking and joking while he did and staying by her side till she fell asleep again.


    Each day she grew much better, regaining her normal color by the end of the seventh. By that time Eldrian had learned Velona Pagetou too. The Tier 2 variant of Frost Needle. The spell creating three icicles that moved as one.


    Not too useful but a good addition to his repertoire.


    With a waypoint set, he could go back to the city at ease. Once he had confirmed that Vivian was truly recovering he had made a return visit and gone to Myropsis to ask for a few more spells.


    She was more than willing to simply give them to him as long as he gave her some advice on how to move forward. While Eldrian had been hesitant due to Pros''s warning, in the end he had decided to fulfill her wish.


    Most of it had gone over her head, but Eldrian had shared one clue with her.


    "I was wrong about the magic abyss before."


    "What do you mean?" She had asked in confusion.


    "We had thought it was a way to directly ess a spell but, actually it is far more and far less at the same time."


    "That makes no sense."


    "I know. The advice I have for you is to continue trying to control your own mana, and when attempting to case a spell enchase it with your will. Encase it with mageia."


    "Why?"


    "It might allow you to also enter the magic abyss as I do. Once you manage that you might be able to understand that controlling a spell is about bypassing the spell module."


    Myropsis had shaken her head in confusion, bypassing a spell module made no sense to her. Yet it was the only way to get past static casting as far as Eldrian knew.


    Eldrian still relied on spell modules himself, but only for the initial cast. Once the spell was active he would forget about the module and focus on the mana sustaining it. However, this was not an easy thing to aplish.


    And with Myropsis''s years of experience with magic she struggled to understand what Eldrian meant. Not to mention she only recently managed to fully follow her mana. Controlling it was still a bit away from her grasp.


    "Are you ever going to take a break?" Vivian asked, a nket tightly hugging her. Having exited the tent and seen Eldrian practicing just a short distance away.


    "How can I? I still can''t even participate in the war properly."


    Vivian sighed and said no more. She knew what he meant, she had thought she would be able to do much more. Getting thrown like a ragdoll by a single undead had truly shattered her pride.


    "While you are here, can you help me with this skill?" Eldrian asked, havingpletely failed in learning a Tier 2 skill even up to now.


    After receiving a nod he started the execution. The skill was called Flowing Winds, it was one of the rewards Pros had managed to deliver to Eldrian. Unfortunately, they were not able to get someone to train him personally, with all people above Tier 5 basically never getting any sleep.


    Executing the move to the T, Eldrian did all the book required of him. His technique seemed wless, his mana was there and the skill module was envisioned in his arms and legs as indicated.


    Tier 2 skills were certainly a step up from Tier 1, but it also required far more focus. So much that Eldrian had wondered how the hell yers could have managed it. Only to learn that they had to learn far fewer things and the execution even needed only be half-assed.


    Adding onto the fact that this was an advanced skill, in fact, the entire manual he was trying to memorize was meant for people above Tier 5 to go back to and improve their technique.


    "What skill is it?" Vivian asked, unable to find any fault at first nce. Giving her the manual Eldrian opened it one the specific skill.


    "Grigora Spear Movements? Why this manual?"


    "You know I favor speed above all else, and these are all focused on speed and graceful movements."


    Nodding Vivian had to agree that speed was indeed important, again recalling how she barely managed to react to the ming Reanimate''s attacked. "But that means these skills all far harder to learn, have you tried doing them in slow motion?"


    "No? Why?"


    "Because gracees from being able to do something at any speed. You need to be able to fully regte how your entire body moves. Try it."


    Eldrian did just that, for the rest of the day focusing solely on the skill. Obviously, there were easier skills he could go and learn, simple body enhancement skills only had one skill module he had to memorize.


    Eldrian however did not wish to learn them. As soon as he had seen the Grigora techniques he had fallen in love. Unlike other skills, they do not even need magic to be possible. Magic simply increases the speed and grace of movements. At least that is what he took from the manual.


    After his twentieth fail, Eldrian sighed as sweat freely flowed down his back. "Why is doing it slowly so much harder?"


    "The better question is, why the hell are you keeping the skill modules active while learning?" Vivian countered, having wondered why Eldrian seemed so tired after each attempt. While Eldrian''s hidden ss kept her from viewing his flowing mana, she could still see his mana gathering when preparing to cast a spell or skill.


    "Because I think I am onto something."


    "Oh?"


    Nodding Eldrian attempted it again, feeling a twitch through his entire body this time. "Yes!" He shouted in joy, confusing Vivian who saw him fail again.


    "Haru, what are you trying?"


    Smiling Eldrian did not reply and attempted it again. Feeling the twitch for longer this time as he slowly went through the moves. At the end, he sat down and gasped for air.


    "What on earth are you doing?" Vivian asked as she stood up and sat next to him, hugging her nket tight as the cold autumn wind chilled her frail injured body.


    "You know how I can cast spells in a unique way?" Eldrian said, casting and toying with Floga as he said this.


    "Of course, if you use magic you can even beat me without trouble."


    "Well, I have been wondering why I can''t do the same with skills."


    After a moment of stunned silence, Vivian asked, "Have you figure it out?"


    "Not yet, but I am close. Thest two attempts I could feel my mana stirring. The thing is, skills and spells are massively different. Vivian, what does a skill feel like for you?"


    "It depends on the type of skill."


    Nodding Eldrian asked what types there were. "There are activation and passive boost-, activation technique-, and activation burst skills."


    "The boost is like Drive?"


    "Yes, once activated it gives you a boost in some attribute or even a few. Passive is simr but it continually drains your stamina and mana to continually give you the boost."


    "Then the activation must be like this one I am trying to learn and double strike."


    "Yes, burst skills are the ones people favor the most. They look fancy and strong, but more often than not they do not do much." Thinking back to how useless her skills had been against the ming Reanimate Vivian truly felt that they had been useless. Not realizing that the unique undead was immune to fire and that was why her spells had been useless.


    "Then what does each feel like to you?" Eldrian asked after giving her some time to sort through her emotions. Her voice had carried enough spite to cripple someone if words could cripple.

 Chapter 360: Mastering a skill

    <h4>Chapter 360: Mastering a skill</h4>


    Vivian did her best to try and exin, but trying to exin how something feels is never easy. This however did not discourage Eldrian. After listening he would attempt to execute the skill and focus on the feeling she tried to exin.


    Each time finding something more. However, by the end of the day he still had no sess. Luckily, no one was looking for him and Vivian was still recovering. As such he continued to train day upon day.


    Managing to master the skill on the third. Spinning around gracefully like the wind, Eldrian did not stop moving until he ran out of stamina. Falling to the ground when he finally did,pletely exhausted. Vivian wide-eyed, having no words.


    "You seeded?" She mumbled questioningly after the moment of wonder had passed.


    ording to the manual, the skill was a four-part movement. The first being an upward strike as one had the spear in one hand, followed by a downward strike as you took it with two, spinning around, and then two quick sweeping attacks.


    Eldrian instead had managed to keep the attack going, continuously. Keeping up the grace of a dancer with each attack, spinning to build more momentum with each cycle as the spear moved from one hand to the other to both.


    "Yeah," Eldrian replied with a wide smile. He was not yet sure where he would be able to use the skill. It was too pretty, it felt more like a performance piece than abat skill. However, he felt it was truly a good skill if he could master it.


    Looking at the system notification Eldrian''s smile grew even more.


    [yer has mastered the skill Flowing Winds]


    [Flowing Winds, (Skill, Mastered)]


    [Tier 2, Rank 2]


    [Four quick strikes, with the momentum from each adding more strength to the following strikes. Increasing each consecutive hit''s damage by 5%.]


    [Base Damage Boost: 6]


    [Cost: 24 MP & 36 SP]


    [Cooldown: 3 seconds]


    [Execution time: 0.8 seconds]


    [Damage(if all 4 hitsnd): 390]


    ''Well, that is almost never going to happen,'' Eldrian thought as he read the total damage. Getting all hits tond would be near impossible against the enemies he normally faced. Eldrian felt the skill would help him far more against a mob than a single target.


    With that in mind he stood up and executed it again, this time focusing on how the skill increases his speed at certain points and how his mana flowed through him to support the increase.


    "Now!" Eldrian shouted, springing into action, his spear flying upward, followed by a quick downwards motion. Instead of just spinning, this time he stepped back as he spun. Focusing the second part of the skill on another areapletely. Once the two sweeping attacks were done, Eldrian did not stop.


    Instead, he kept his mana flowing as it had been. Spinning and stepping again as he struck at another area. Continuing this again, this time for just a few seconds, before being forced to stop as his stamina ran out again.


    Heaving for breath, Eldrian''s smile grew even more. He was finally realizing how to control his mana actively inside of him. For the moment, him trying to repeat it outside of the skill was useless, but he hoped that soon he would be able to move as he wanted.


    Taking a seat next to Vivian, he looked at his new total stats thanks to reaching Tier 2 in melee too. Happy by the small increase, despite how small it was. The increase in HP was the biggest bonus from reaching the higher Tier.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 28]


    [Hidden ss: Protector Tier 3]


    [Normal ss: Magic Tier 3]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 186] [was 176]


    [Strength: 176] [was 166]


    [Agility: 271] [was 266]


    [Spirit: 192] [No change]


    [Intelligence: 225] [No change]


    [0 free attributes]


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 279] [was 238]


    [Mana: 651] [No change]


    [Stamina: 349] [was 317]


    [Attack (With Aoidos): 63] [was 59]


    ''I am bing quite beefy,'' Eldrian thought as he stared at his HP, nearly 300. Unfortunately, he knew it was still not much. A single vital hit and he would still die. The thought was quite terrifying, making the usefulness of HP almost null.


    ''Only thing it is good for is to counter poisons and the like.'' Eldrian thought, realizing that for most fights HP had been meaningless. He either killed his opponent by getting at their heart, neck, or head. Or they got him by the same approach.


    The only ce where HP was important was against monsters with seemingly not vitals and when dealing with attacks like venom or poison. This held true even for healing someone. If the damage was no healed, then the increase in health meant little more than a few more seconds.


    After a moment of reflection, Eldrian looked at the damage of the skill in a new light, it beingpletely meaningless to him. What he appreciated instead was the speed of execution.


    Aoidos, with Eldrian''s current agility had an attack speed of 3.3. Meaning he couldnd 3 full attacks in 1 second. However, the entire skill would bepleted in less than a second.


    ''It might still be good against an opponent. However, I do not want to use it recklessly. Stopping the flow is not easy once I start it. Maybe I should practice with that?''


    Eldrian did just that for the rest of the day, receiving headache after headache as he forcefully stopped his movement and mana flow. The bacsh was never nice, but with more and more attempts he came to find ways to lessen them.


    As night fell his final attempt gave a shocking result.


    Spinning around Eldrian turned what would normally be a sh into a thrust. As he moved he also summoned all his mana and focused it in the thrust. A gust of wind following the thrust and sending the nearby tree leaves flying.


    "What did you just do?" Vivian stood up in shock and moved closer to observe. She had been reading the manual while Eldrian practiced, finding that the techniques would truly benefit her too.


    Her attention had been robbed when she felt the air being stirred.


    Scratting his head, Eldrian looked at the nearby branches, some of which had even snapped and were now dangling by just a piece of bark holding it together.


    "I attempted to let my mana out before the end. So I focused it all in one direction."


    Hearing his reply Vivian tilted her head andughed. His reply was one which she would never be able to follow. However, the more she saw Eldrian managing to bring in what he knew about spells to skills, the more she wanted to learn how to do it too.


    "Do you know how crazy that is?" She asked, having never heard of someone managing to turn a technique skill into a burst skill.


    Naturally, Eldrian shook his head as he sat down to cope with his fatigue. Having racked up quite a bit in his efforts to master the skill. As he sat down he also saw a shocking notification.


    [yer has truly mastered the skill Flowing Winds.]


    [Rank 3 reached.]


    ''How the hell did I figure it out with a skill before a spell?'' Eldrian wondered in true confusion as he and Vivian talked. Eldrian trying to figure out what the difference between the two was and Vivian on how he had managed to do it.


    Leaving what Rank 3 meant forter.


    ...


    "What about the dwarves of Ganalin?" Farest asked as he looked over the map. Their situation was more stable, but still bleak. They had to give up on stopping the undead''s reinforcements, but they had managed to secure the line.


    "They have their own worries. The subterranean has also been stirring." Pros replied, again sporting more wounds. Not even having bothered to change out of his tattered armor and clothes for the meeting. "What about the Vampire Lord? Have we confirmed his location?"


    "We have, however, there is a sea of undead between us and him. Trying to attack them is suicide." Tstos replied, wishing that he could take a more active role in the fighting. As the only Tier 10 however, his safety and more specifically him being ready for battle was more important than helping out.


    They could not afford him being tired when the Vampire Lord decides to make its move.


    "And the demons, what about them? Have theye in force?" Farest asked, hoping to get a negative response. His prayers answered as Itireae responded.


    "They have not, however... Instead ofing in numbers, they have sent only Tier 8 and above demons. Mneme has spotted a total of 29 thus far."


    Silence followed as everyone failed toprehend why such a strong force woulde. Especially why they would note with a horde following them.


    "Do you think they came separately, hoping to not be discovered?" Pros asked, unsure what they were supposed to do at this point.


    In total, they only had around 15 Tier 8''s on their side. Most of whom were beyond tired, much like he was.


    "Doubtful, they did not move quietly nor did they attempt to hide from being discovered," Itireae replied, shaking her head as she herself worried about the cause. She had kept from them that it was 29 who she had not dealt with.


    When she had found them alone, or in a pair only, she had gone down with Mneme and dealt with them. Most had not been able to dodge her arrows, those who had were quickly torn apart by Mneme''s ws.


    In total, she had likely killed over fifty already. However, she dared not attempt this when they were in groups of 5 or more. While she was confident of killing them, she was not confident Mneme would not be hurt. It was something she was not willing to risk.


    She would not let her dearest friend lose even one feather.


    mming the table in frustration, Farest asked, "What about the other legions. Surely they must be close."

 Chapter 361: Phoenix Division coming to help

    <h4>Chapter 361: Phoenix Divisioning to help</h4>


    Standing up after having meditated Eldrian wondered how the tournament was going to be held. He knew that Vivian would soon be forced back into fighting, as she had mostly recovered. Which meant he could no longer just sit out and wait.


    Heading to his PC Eldrian browsed the forums in hope of an answer, finding that it was quite simple. At least for the first few (and most) matches that would be held in the game as normal.


    They would be given a timeslot ording to their time zone. With allocation made to both teams to ensure they could join the matches with ease.


    ''So the game won''t be paused again,'' Eldrian sighed as he came to this conclusion. Turning around and joining the others for their daily matches. After which he headed down and waited for Erik to arrive.


    "Are you sure this is alright?" Erik asked as he mbered out of the car, quite shocked that Eldrian had actually pulled it off.


    "Yes, once I gave them your avatar name and they confirmed you had a hidden ss, they could not wait to include you."


    "Are they-"


    "No, today is just a meeting. Come let me show you around, there is still plenty of time."


    With that the two started randomly walking around the estate, Eldrian paused for a bit at the purple tree. Slowly it was starting to shed its flowers, covering the surrounding ground in its beautiful flowers.


    "Eldrian-"


    "Erik, one thing I have learned over the past few weeks is to remember to give yourself some time just for yourself," Eldrian said as he held out his hand and a small flower floated down into it.


    "I just wanted to say that before your meeting, since I had forgotten about such a normal thing... Let''s go."


    ...


    "Seriously?" Eldrian cursed a flew of curses after receiving Vivian''s nod.


    "But-"


    "No, I have recovered. In fact, I have been recovered for the past two days already." Vivian replied, though her scars would remain. She did not wish to remove them with magic either, she wanted them as a reminder.


    "But you almost died..."


    "And I likely will again..." Vivian sighed, not too optimistic about her odds. Far stronger people than her have given their lives, there was no reason why she could refuse to do the same.


    "I will do my best to ensure it does note to that," Eldrian said, taking Vivian''s hands in his and looking her in the eyes with determination. "I will not let my friends die."


    His voice carried no shred of uncertainty. His certainty causing Vivian''s heart to flutter, though logic refused her wish to believe it.


    "But you have other tasks,"


    "Screw them," Eldrian pulled her back and forced her to look him in the eyes, "I will not leave you behind."


    ...


    ''Fucking hell, how is it still this crazy?'' Eldrian wondered, ducking down to avoid an arrow shot from an undead centaur. Returning the favor by sending Volida at it, the undead set ame. While the mes did not do much damage, they kept burning until it finally died.


    "Is that thest of them?" Eldrian asked as he peeked over the wooden fence they called their wall.


    "For now," Vivian replied, slopped again the fence and out of breath. Eldrian quickly casting Anthise on her to give her some more energy, though the spell had little effect due to its constant use.


    He too was beyond tired, the battlefield gave them no respite.


    Three days had passed since he had joined Vivian in her post. The two have lived through two squads, constantly having each other''s back. Most squads had low morale already, arriving at a near-abandoned part of the line made most of them nearly break.


    At best they wouldst two or three attacks before either breaking or being injured to escape the front lines. Each day had at least five attacks.


    Sighing and taking a deep breath Eldrian jumped over the fence and started stacking the corpses with the others soldiers who still had some energy. Setting them ame once done, undead and soldier alike.


    Healers almost never made it in time. Death was a constant, yet it did not be easier.


    "Amous, Sebastio, Tryphis... Let your souls be at rest." Eldrian mumbled as he turned back and headed back to the fence. Jumping over and taking a seat to meditate.


    He had found that he could recover far faster than NPCs, even more so if he meditated. While most of them were always nearly out of breath and tired to the bone, after each meditation he felt like had gotten a full night''s sleep. Even if the meditation was just half an hour.


    Though he needed an hour of meditation to recover all his mana, generally he only did half an hour.


    Waking from just such a meditation, Eldrian saw that they had gotten new reinforcements. "Do you know any of them?" He asked Vivian who was asleep next to him. Taking her silence as a no.


    "How did ite to this?" He wondered next, wondered just how this could be sold as a game. As his thoughts wandered he heard something from the new guys.


    "The West has finally been secured. The Western section is built!"


    "Are you serious?" One of those Eldrian had fought with for thest day asked, the morale visibly improving as the thought spread.


    "Yes, reinforcements should be heading over in a few days. However... They say the undead might strike in force to keep us from finishing the rest."


    The second part of the sentence quickly threw morale down again, and as Eldrian was sighing and thinking of taking Vivian and running, he got a message from Elizabeth.


    ["Eldrian, where are you?"]


    ["Pyknos Forest? Why?"]


    ["Where in Pyknos. The forest is massive."]


    ["Fifth Eastern section."] Eldrian replied, not receiving another message for a while.


    Standing up Eldrian started to practice again, executing Flowing Winds and wishing that the skill was useful against the undead. His graceful movements amazing most of the soldiers there. The biggest part of their amazement that he could still have any energy to spare.


    It was not like he sat back in the fights. He was always the first into the battle, eating the brunt of the attack. He even killed far more than most of them. His attacks alwaysnding on the undeads'' weak points. Like he somehow could see them as clearly as burning mes in the night.


    "Eldrian!" A voice shouted and caused Eldrian to trip over his own feet. Completely unused to his real name.


    "Huh?" Looking around after using his spear as a support pole, Eldrian saw a group of yers rushing towards him. ''The hell? Why are they here?''


    "You look like shit!" Judithmented as she looked at the area and the smell attacked her. Causing her to nearly stumble. A simr scene happening with the rest as they neared and the smell reached them.


    "Gods, it''s rank!" Therdul mumbled as he sped Eldrian''s shoulder. "How bad is it?"


    "What-?"


    "You think we didn''t notice your terrible mood the past few days. When you came for our matches you did not say a word. You also didn''t pull your punches. We barely got to do anything. That is not like you."


    "It''s bad... We haven''t slept since we got here."


    "Where are the enemies?" Judith asked, raring to go. Her words causing the soldiers to curse her for her foolishness. They cared little for the twenty-odd yers who had arrived. Just three of them were Tier 3, the rest all Tier 2.


    Most did not think they wouldst the day. Even if their arrival had doubled their total numbers.


    "Eldrian, I know you are tired," Elizabeth said after telling everyone to gather information. "We are here to help."


    "Thanks," Unlike the soldiers, Eldrian did not discount them. He might not know most of the yers who just arrived, but he knew six of them really well. They would be able to hold their own.


    "Also, please ept the invite now."


    [You have been invited to the guild Phoenix? Division]


    "Wait, aren''t you part of ming Heart anymore?" Eldrian asked and received a firm no in reply.


    "It was dumb to even try to stay as one guild. Now ept, we need your help."


    "What? Why?"


    "Because we are surely going to fail our mission without it."


    ''What?'' Eldrian wondered, but he epted the request. His biggest issue with joining them had always been that they were so far away. Yet, they had made the effort toe to him. There was no way he could still refuse.


    [yer has joined Phoenix Division, a level 1 guild.]


    [Reliability: Unkown | Trust: Untrusted]


    [Like a Phoenix, we will rise and rise again. We will not let anything get us down, be it in reality or the game.]


    ''Okay...'' Eldrian did not pause long and continued to read on, finding that there was a quest he could join.


    [Help keep the Fifth Eastern Section from falling to the waves of undead.]


    [Guild Quest: Support the Fifth Eastern]


    [Quest Rank: A]


    [Quest Rewards: One Tier 1 magical item for each member of the guild who participated in the quest.]


    [Guild Reward: Immediate increase to level 2]


    "Wait, I thought-"


    "Yes, but they are desperate. They didn''t care that we were level 1 and technically not allowed to take A-Ranked quests." Elizabeth replied, knowing that this must be the first question Eldrian had.


    "Thanks foring."


    Nodding, Elizabeth stood up and looked around. Her guildmembers were busy trying to figure out what their leader had gotten them into. The penalty for failure was not mentioned, but it would result in them being disbanded and forbidden to form a new guild for a year.


    "What did we get ourselves into?" Elizabeth asked after giving Eldrian time to digest their arrival and the quest.


    "Little to no sleep."


    "Good, I brought those who were willing to use their vacation days. I hope we can actually help."


    Eldrian smiled hearing this, people willingly sacrificing their vacation days might sound insane to most. To him, it filled his heart with gratitude. They had dearly needed reinforcements, and as long as the yers did not die they would be overjoyed by the XP gain.


    Over the past few days, Eldrian had rued nearly 5 million XP. He needed 50M for his next level, but to the others who were only level 16 to 22, where the requirements were 1 to 10M. This should be a gold mine.


    ''This should certainly increase morale.'' Eldrian thought.


    "Eldrian, can you please share what you know of the enemies. We have not fought against undead before."


    "Really..." Eldrian paused and decided against telling them just how much it was going to suck. Instead, he asked, "Is there a guild chat or something?"


    "Yes and more."

 Chapter 362: What can a few more people do?

    <h4>Chapter 362: What can a few more people do?</h4>


    Eldrian took the ''and more'' as his queue to look through the guild interface, that for the first time was unlocked in his menu.


    He was quite disappointed when he saw what their reliability of unknown and untrusted resulted in, but luckily one did not need to broker deals as a guild representative. At least as long as they did not dip into thecking and untrustworthy reliability. At those levels it was equivalent to stains (Opposite of titles).


    Interestingly though, being part of a guild allowed one some perks even before having proven oneself. This was not too great in general, especially if you had people skills or just a few connections. But to yers with none, it allowed them an easy way to get custom-made items and any spell up to Tier 5.


    Naturally, the items had a mark-up price of 10% on the average. The spells instead a 15% markup. Still, one simply needed to go to any organization guild, proving your membership in a simr manner to showing a title, and then you would be able to order from there.


    The organizational guilds, such as the adventurer guild, would then go and sort it out for you. The markup could be more considered amission. The true aim for this was naturally when nning to arm a team. One could go to one location for what everyone needed. Instead of needing to run through a city oneself to get it all.


    On top of that, each day the guild could im a C-Ranked quest. Though Eldrian quickly realized they were not to be trifled with. Learning this from a log the yers kept on each type of quest they participated in and how it had gone.


    In the same vein they had a bestiary. Curious Eldrian quickly read through it, most of the beasts and animals they had in there he had already met too. Along with this they also had a log on magical nts and where to find them.


    These all appeared to all yers simr to the forum. Allowing them to even take photos and add them for reference.


    ''Funny how Ipletely missed this, but I have been neglecting the forum and early guilds likely wanted to keep this a secret.'' Eldrian thought deciding to add a bit of information on the undead he had faced.


    As he was inputting the ghoul''s description, one of the archers sounded an rm. Unlike the ce where Vivian was before, there were no tforms here. Or rather there had been but due to them being repeatedly broken they had given up on maintaining them.


    "How many?" Vivian shouted, awakened roughly from her sleep.


    "Around forty it seems, most skeletons. A few zombie centaurs and demi-humans."


    "Right..." Stumbling to her feet, like many of those who had been there for days, she got ready forbat. The yers suddenly rushing past and over the fence. Eldrian joining them.


    "With the zombies focus on their vitals like normal. While it does not outrightly kill them, it does do more damage. Leave the skeletons to me." He shouted as they formed awkward ranks before the fence that one day would hopefully be a wall.


    With that said they waited. The yers trying to get into proper formation after their rush. The mages sending spells at the charging undead, the archers, arrows.


    When the undead were just ten meters Eldrian suddenly charged forward, executing Flowing Winds as he did. His first upward strike cutting through the ribs of a skeleton and splitting it in half, his following downwards strike splitting another from the head. His spin shattering two more, followed by hisst sweep that shattered another two.


    The skill truly worked well against weaker and slower foes who could not keep up with his movements. When the skill ended Eldrian thrust his spear into the skull of another skeleton, casting Therepeia (Tier 3 heal) on one of the zombies as he did. Killing both outright.


    ng!


    Shrugging off the hit to his shoulder, Eldrian returned the favor. The pauldron havingpletely blocked the de. His returning of the favor split the skeleton from the pelvis to the right shoulder, after which Eldrian jumped back and cast Volida on the ground. Setting the ground ame as he fell back to catch a breather.


    Normally at this time the soldiers would cover for him, however, now the yers were here and raring to go. They did not wait for him to finish disorganizing the undead. Judith had long since run into their mass and started her own ughter. Gray cutting through bone and rotting flesh with ease.


    Therdul instead had managed to distract four undead, while Ilmadia cast her most destructive fire spells on them. Zyviss truly felt useless, he had tried but his arrows did little to nothing to the undead.


    When attacking their vitals the aim was not to damage the vitals, but rather to pulverize them. Arrows did a really poor job at this and realizing this he had stored his bow and rushed in with his shortswords.


    Watching the chaos that was the yers fighting, Eldrian decided to take a backseat. Casting Therapeia on the stronger undead or on the yers near death. While it did not fully heal them, it gave them the burst of life they often needed to survive. Eldrian also made sure to spread Anthise around.


    By the end of the fight he was out of mana, however, no one had died. Stepping back he smiled, and so did the soldiers. The yers instead started scavenging the undead for loot. Most returned to the fence disappointed but a few with wide smiles.


    The soldiers quickly apologized for their rude greeting of the yers. Doing their best to actually make friends as they realized that the yers would actually help their situation. Many of them were shocked by the disy.


    While the yers had certainly not been very organized, they clearly knew each other and what each of them could do. They had let Judith rampage, some following behind her to kill those she did not care to finish.


    Others had protected their spell casters and healers, doing their best to just stop the undead from moving past them. Not at all trying to kill them. Then there were the others who worked in two''s or three''s to tag-team an undead. Making sure to be somewhere between the group who defended and Judith.


    "That isn''t that hard," Therdul said as he sat next to Eldrian, whoughed hearing this.


    "Yeah, 1 wave isn''t too bad. But this was a rather small one. Also, it was just the first attack."


    Therdul had shrugged it off as nothing, but two dayster he could not help but grumble when the next wave came.


    "The hell!? When are they going to run out of fodder to send our way?"


    Most had been ecstatic the first day. Many had even managed to gain a level. However, as they stayed online to help the fatigue had grown. While they had been forced to log out to eat, this did not give them much respite from the constant fighting.


    "I am more surprised-" Eldrian ate his words as everyone came to realize that the vibrations they were hearing were not from a small group.


    "Cast the rms!" A soldier shouted as the first line of undead came into vision through the treeline. A thick ck smoke making it hard to see them even after they exited the trees.


    Yet, there was no mistake. A handful soon turned into dozens, and this soon turned into thousands. The worst part was that there was many undead they had never seen before.


    The mages had not waited for the shout, their spells already halfway into the air when those resting realized what was going on.


    ''Thrall, ghoul, existential vampire, lich, revenant-'' Eldrian gave up as his mind kept being filled with information from mana sense. Most of the undeads'' stats it showed him he could not even see through the thick smoke. Though the list made him feel despair.


    ...


    "Finally!" Farest sighed in relief as he turned around and charged towards the signal. They had lost the undead in the forest, a thick nket of ck smoke having covered kilometers upon kilometers. The undead clearly had hoped tounch a surprise attack.


    Following Farest was the Thunder Legion, apt to their name it sounded like thunder as they charged.


    "Are we sure it is just the one location?" Evale asked those around her, mostly towards her brother.


    "No, but we can''t let them breach anyce. Trust that the ckguard has our backs."


    ...


    "Fucking hell! This is insane!" Tymmos shouted, one of the yers. "How are we supposed to seed?"


    "Reinforcements must be on the way!" Elizabeth shouted back, shaking in her boots herself. The sight left her without any hope. Even knowing she would not die, she could not keep the fear from almost overtaking her.


    Eldrian stayed quiet and looked at the mass ofing undead as he stopped mana sense. Turning towards Vivian and then the other NPCs. Sighing...


    "Vivian," Eldrian said, knowing that they stood no chance against theing waves.


    "Yes," Vivian replied as she gripped Nelida''s me till her fingers bled. Eldrian cing his hand over hers.


    "Get ready to take everyone and retreat," Eldrian said, not letting her argue as he threw her back and shouted the same to the others.


    "Go now, run. We will halt them for as long as we can!" Eldrian shouted, digging deep and wondering just how on earth they were supposed to even half the thousands of undead for even a second.


    Even if they were just in skeletons it would have been impossible, yet one ghoul would be able to wipe their entire makeshift squad.


    His shout and charge was met with silence, the other yers quickly following his example. Not out of courage but rather as sheep not wanting something to distract them from the fear they felt.


    Yet before they could make contact an arrow flew between the two. Exploding in a massive white-hot me. Sending Eldrian and the others flying back, while burning all the fastest undead.

 Chapter 363: Chaos ensues

    <h4>Chapter 363: Chaos ensues</h4>


    Coughing and gasping for air the yers stood up shakily. Most of them had taken a good hit to their HP, but the physical damage was not much so they were not at risk of dying. At least...


    The undead who had been in the explosion though had been instantly vaporized. Though quite a number had reacted quickly enough to escape the mes which now brightly burned between the undead and the small group of centaurs, humans, and demi-humans.


    The soldiers had yet to act, all still frozen and unsure what to do. Vivian had actually been halfway over the fence when the arrow had arrived and the shockwave had sent her tumbling back.


    A stalemate ensued as the undead spread out, deciding to try and go around the mes. Only for two more arrows tond and block their approach. However, when this happened one of the demons finally had enough.


    Charging forward it started absorbing the mes, his body bing covered in them yet he did not seem hurt at all. Instead, it seemed like the mes empowered him, mes appearing in his gray eyes as he hurled a stream of mes at the still stunned audience.


    "Fuck!" A voice traveled through the air as a lithe elf dived down with a small kite shield justrge enough to cover her petite body. Hernding causing a crater as her shield dug into the ground and sent out two yets of air. Cutting through the ground as they diverted the st.


    Before the demon could attempt his attack again he was suddenly picked up by a massive bird. The talons ripping into him, yet his mes scorching some of the roc''s feathers. Luckily the roc was highly resistant to mes, though it dared not risk the demon attempting a proper attack. So after lifting it to the air it let go. Letting the ming demon fall from above the treeline.


    Such a drop should do little to the demon, but an arrow quickly found its way to him. Only to be blocked by a charming pale man floating in the air. Short blond hair flowing slightly in the winds produced when he caught the arrow and nullified its magic.


    All this happened in a second or two, most of the audience unable to even realize what had happened. Only able to see the damage suddenly before them. A massive line formed in the ground with all the ground on the other side burnt.


    "What the-" Nikki''s question was interrupted as another shockwave arrived from afar. So strong that many of the trees a bit closer to the origin were uprooted, almost everyone losing their footing.


    "Retreat!" Elizabeth shouted, knowing one thing for sure. They would not even stand a second, not even half of one.


    Yet, her shout did not result in a change. Most were still too shocked by what had happened.


    Finally, Itireae slowly stood up from her haunched position and pulled out her shield, a longsword appearing in her right hand as she looked at the army before her. She cared little for most of them, though there were far more that she had to watch out for than she had hoped.


    As she pointed her sword towards the undead and demons, Mnemended next to her and stared at them fiercely. Puffing up its feathers to appear more intimidating.


    For a moment another stalemate ensued as shockwaves kept being created a short distance away. Constant strong winds arriving as two shing titans moved away to not decimate their own allies.


    ''What the actual-'' Eldrian did not finish the question as Itireae suddenly charged at the undead. The roc jumping into the air and following her from above, ready to save or help her if needed.


    Her actions seemed insane, however, just secondster an orderly army of centaurs rushed past the audience and into the fray.


    So chaos started.


    All Eldrian could think of was to keep Vivian from joining the fray... And that the quest was a joke.


    The difficulty of the quest was quite ap and not something yers should think of seeding in. There was no way he could actually protect himself or even make a difference. When those in the fight shed the shockwaves would send most of them flying. Often even causing them internal damage.


    Not to even mention the spells that robbed the life or unlife of all those it touched.


    Everyone who was below a certain Tier quickly withdrew. From the thousands who had charged in, only a few hundred stayed in the fight.


    The undead did the same, and once they were organized they tried to charge at another part of the fence. The legion''s weaker members rushing to stop them.


    The yers were all taken by the sights of the fighting titans, Eldrian, however, turned around and rushed back past the fence. Finding the other soldiers rushing to the fight where they could actually do something.


    Grabbing Vivian''s arm, Eldrian pleaded, "Don''t!"


    Vivian paused for a second, yet when she heard the sh of the two groups she could not stay put. "We can''t!"


    "Then-"


    Vivian shook her head and Eldrian sighed, "Together then!"


    Nodding in approval the two rushed out together. Yet as they neared the undead Vivian suddenly pulled apart and shouted for Eldrian to stay at least 2 meters away.


    ''The hell-'' Just as Eldrian was going to rush in to stop a wing for her, mes burst from the Nelida''s me. Setting all the undead ame as Vivian turned to block the w with a counterattack that robbed the undead beast of its leg.


    Eldrian nodded as he realized what her n was. He did not know the specifics of the ability, but he knew that it was very draining. At most Vivian could keep it active for 10 seconds, longer and she would risk being too drained to even move.


    So Eldrian ducked and dived through the messy formation of the undead to keep up to her as she did her best to move as fast and far as she could. Her n simple and dumb, but effective. A wall of mes, 2 meters wide and nearly a hundred meters long was made in the undead formation.


    The mes weren''t strong enough to outright kill the undead, at least not instantly. Yet the damage they took was nothing to scoff at. With only unwilling and lower-ranked undead in this group, the mes acted as an effective deterrent.


    It should have effectively cut off all the undead past the fire, yet the undead reacted quickly. The ming Reanimates who were immune to fire damage rushed through the mes and aimed for Vivian. Eldrian''s heart dropping as he rushed to block their attacks, sent flying when two attacksnded on his spear.


    Luckily his block was enough as the soldiers broke through the abandoned undead and made it to them. The captains quickly each picking a ming Reanimate as those under them took on the rabble.


    "That was fucking insane," Eldrian said as Vivian helped him up.


    Out of breath, Vivian smirked in reply. Taking a deep breath as she rushed at one of the now-abandoned undead. Eldrian following her example but making sure to stay nearby, constantly using Aoidos''s ability on her to keep her energy up.


    He was so focused on fighting though, that he could not take the time to cast even Tier 2 spells, hence at best he would also Anthizo on her when he found a slight respite. The undead quickly shifting the fight. Their reinforcements moving around the me wall. Yet it gave the soldiers time to eliminate most who were caught on the wrong side of it.


    Strangely, or rather as expected, Eldrian had far more mana than Vivian and nearly as much stamina. Hence he could actuallyst far longer in a prolonged fight such as this one. Especially after she did something that crazy.


    Somehow, after a few minutes, the crew from Phoenix Division found them. Judith rushing into the undead while Therdul and Nikki nked Eldrian and Vivian. Their appearance lifting the pressure on them as the mes from Vivian''s recklessness started dying down and the number of undead arriving increasing.


    "That was really smart!" Judith shouted as her de shattered three skeletons in half. Not killing them but her following stomp on their skulls doing so.


    "Yeah, without it it would have been hard to keep from being overrun by their numbers," Nikki added as she dodged the w of a massive undead direwolf and returned the favor by thrusting her sword into its head. Only for it to swing its head back and steal her de.


    Luckily she was not alone, Therdul rushed forward and swung his double-headed axe with all his might. Normally he would always use a shield and a small single-handed weapon, however, in the chaos that was a melee he had realized that a heavy weapon fared far better.? Especially if there was no formation.


    His attack did not kill the undead, but it did enough to allow Nikki to retrieve her sword. Only for the undead to be killed outright by one of the clerics in the Thunder Legion.


    "It was really dumb!" Eldrian countered as he stepped to the side to dodge an iing arrow, returning the favor with Forst Needle. Knowing it would do basically nothing, yet his target was not the undead. Instead, the icicle snapped the bow''s string as Eldrian swung to stop a sneaky de from making it to Vivian''s back.


    Yet to his utter shock the strength behind the de was like nothing he expected. Desperate Eldriand threw Thera at the undead while he recovered and blocked again. The spell damaging the undead, but more than that having caused it to stutter just long enough for his second attempt at blocking to seed.


    Though Eldrian was sent onto his back from the blow.


    "Vampire!" He shouted while letting the surroundings be just that so he could focus and cast Volida.

 Chapter 364: Wrath takes over

    <h4>Chapter 364: Wrath takes over</h4>


    The shout caused Vivian to jump forward, sliding around the horns of a rotting dear that tried to skewer her. The vampire''s de missing her by a hair''s breadth as Eldrian''s fireballnded on its groin.


    The ball of me hitting with force before spreading its mes. The half-undead flinching in massive pain. Hurriedly it tried to douse the fire causing an insane amount of pain. Eldrian would not let it be that easy. He hadn''t thought the undead would flinch in pain. He was fully going to take advantage of it.


    A battle of magic soon ensued as the vampire flooded the area with the basic Tier 0 water spell Nidia. Eldrian moving the mes around so that the water never doused them all. The vampire constantly needing to recast his spell to douse the new areas as the mes climbed over its body.


    This took all Eldrian''s effort as he was not great with Volida. Luckily, after a few seconds, a ming sword came and struck at the vampire. Sending it flying to the side as it just barely brought its arm up to block the wound.


    "Since when do undead feel pain?" Eldrian asked as he let Volida die and mbered to his feet. Vivian was already on the undead again. However, Eldrian knew she would need help. The vampire was no pushover.


    [Existential Vampire (Leon)]


    [Tier 5 Unwilling ; Level: 27 ; Age: 846]


    [HP: 759/869]


    [Attack: 36(81)] (Arming Sword)


    [Agility: 442]


    [A vampire who is repulsed by its nature. When the Eternal Thirst forces it to sate his hunger it is filled with hate. Despising itself and what it has be. Yet it can''t kill itself. Its will that of its lord, forever bound to its lord in eternal undeath.]


    [Unlike most undead however, vampires are not split from life. They are half dead and half alive, forever frozen at the age in which they were turned.]


    [Due to their unique state they can still enjoy the pleasures of the living, as well as their sorrows. Love and lust, pain and depression.]


    [Passive Ability: Eternal Thirst,? A curse and blessing alike. Forcing the vampire to feed on the living, often until their victim dies if it had tried to suppress its hunger. Feeding both heals the vampire and allows them to grow stronger. Stealing 10% of their victim''s attributes.]


    [State:? Recently Fed, Regenerates 1%(9) of its health every second]


    The vampire they were facing was dressed in bloodred noblemen-like clothing. His ck hairbed back and seemingly gelled. With his stubble of a beard he could even be considered handsome. The only w being his overly pale skin.


    Eldrian however did not take in any of this, instead, he rushed to put more pressure on the vampire. While his spells did little to nothing to the vampire, the damage often being regenerated as quick as he could inflict it.


    Each spell did cause the vampire to flinch in pain. Having never fought in a war and lived a depressing life for centuries. Pain was a weird feeling to the vampire.


    He almost became addicted to it, only doing his best to dodge the ming sword that would cause massive damage. Yet letting the fire spells hit him each and every time. He might not be able to kill himself, that did not mean he couldn''t let himself be hurt.


    Together Eldrian and Vivian managed to tie down the vampire. Not realizing that it was actually allowing them to. If it wanted it could easily escape from them. Killing them might be slightly harder, but escaping would be easy.


    As the two continued their best efforts the ck mist that had been used to hide the undead''s approach rolled in and swallowed them.


    No one thought anything of it at first, however, when they could no longer see more than a meter ahead everyone quickly realized how bad the situation had be. It was also at this time when they realized that the undead had suddenly grown in strength.


    Sent flying back, Vivian barely managed tond on her feet. Her sword struck into the ground to help her bnce. Thanks to the mist she could not see a thing and had no idea where Eldrian was.


    "I am sorry, but that is the cue for the fight to truly start." A soothing calm voice echoed in the darkness. Chills flowing down Eldrian and Vivian''s backs.


    "No!" Eldrian shouted and cast Volida on the ground to try and create some light. Yet before the spell couldnd he felt the chills grow even more. Jumping back he only barely managed to survive. Though, a massive sh appeared across his chest.


    Gritting his teeth Eldrian swung with Aoidos where the strike hade from, only for his instincts to scream at him to jump forward. Doing so Eldrain felt a sharp stinging pain on his back as another sh connected.


    ''Think, I can''t do shit if I am blind!'' Eldrian thought as he jumped to the side and barely managed to avoid the next attack.


    "Oh, seems I can''t y with you any longer." The same soothing voice spoke, yet instead of seeding in striking at Eldrian''s heart, it found its sword stopped by a floating shield.


    A pair of shining eyes the color of a rainbow looked directly at the vampire. Eldrian smiling as he tried to keep his emotions in control but quickly failing.


    "I can see you," Eldrian said in a low chuckle, the floating shield moving to stop the vampire''s next attack. "And that means I can kill you." Eldrian''sugh turned maniacal as he thought of the past few days. Of what both he and Vivian had gone through at the hands of the undead.


    More than anything he thought of the burning pain on his chest and back. Focusing on it and letting his anger burn.


    Suddenly Eldrianunched himself forward, his speed nearly matching that of the vampire''s. The following strike sending the vampire reeling as Eldrian''s strength overcame its own.


    "Wha-" The vampire could not finish its question as it saw the spearing for it again, hastily it did its best to dodge. Yet Eldrian would not let it be that easy. As the vampire stepped to the side it crashed into the floating shield. The resistance it offered was great, more than enough to allow the spear to follow his dodge and strike into his side.


    Gritting its teeth the vampire wanted to capture the spear, only to find an icicle heading straight for its face. Whipping its head to avoid a direct strike another thrustnded, this time in its chest.


    Coughing blood the vampire became infuriated, Eldrian instead became obsessed at the sight of blood. Smiling and licking his lips, he looked like a demon to the old vampire.


    ''I-I have to get out of here.'' It thought as the resistance at its side disappeared. Without another thought the vampire turned and tried to flee, only for the spear it was running from to be thrown and peg it to the ground.


    "P-please." It mumbled between mouthfuls of blood, the spear having urately ripped through its heart.


    Laughing in joy Eldrian grabbed Aoidos and thrust into the vampire again and again. Not stopping until another undead entered his sights. Eldrian ruthlessly rushing at it and chopping the thrall to bits.


    Not caring one bit for the warning notifications popping up in his head, nor the XP indicators telling him that his targets were long dead.


    ...


    ''No, no-no-no, no!'' Kydone shook her head as she dashed between the trees and searched for Eldrian. Having suddenly gotten a bad feeling, something she couldn''t exin but had woken her from her sleep.


    ...


    "Why did you stop me?" Idras asked as he struggled to recover his breath. A big hole the size of a fist in his side. His form drooping from exhaustion, his greatsword nearly slipping from his hands.


    "We warned you to not participate," Hrothgar replied calmly, both currently on the ground. The dwarf however not even out of breath.


    ''This makes no sense, he is only Tier 9!'' The vampire lord felt like cursing that someone weaker than him could actually beat him with ease.


    "Just because Lord Amnur asked us to not kill you, does not mean we won''t." Hrothgar added while the vampire lord looked to the sides for his reinforcements. He had immediately called to all his friends once he realized just how strong the dwarf who had stopped him was.


    "Stand down. We know why you are here." Hrothgar said, infuriating the Vampire Lord. If there was one thing he could not stand, it was someone telling him what to do.


    "Like hell I would!" Shouting this Idras charged at the dwarf in pitch ck armor. Putting all his strength into the attack. Yet the dwarf was unfazed, raising his shield the runes over his armor and shield lit up in a soft brown.


    The blow was easily blocked, yet the surrounding trees sent flying from the shockwave. A crater forming with the dwarf at the center.


    "If you wish for an end to your undeath, let me give it to you," Hrothgar said after bringing his shield down and deactivating the defense mode to go on the offensive. With speed easily breaking the sound barrier he charged at the vampire.


    Red runes glowing over the ck axe as it struck at the vampire lord who was sent flying from the hit. Trees snapping like twigs, the dwarf appearing before him before he could even recover. Yet, instead of ending the vampire Hroghtgar jumped back and looked at the sky warily.


    "Do you wish to start a true war?" Hrothgar asked as he switched his armor back to defense mode, hoping that it would at least block one hit while he prayed for Lord Amnur to save him should the entity make a move.

 Chapter 365: Chaos of a battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 365: Chaos of a battlefield</h4>


    Eldrian continued on his rampage until he ran into ming Reanimate. Unlike the against the vampire, Eldrian found himself not stronger, nor faster. In terms of speed, they were equal while the ming skeleton''s attacks often overpowered his own.


    In a normal state, Eldrian would have certainly tried to figure out the undead''s weakness. Instead in his wish for destruction, with his mind ovee by anger and terrible memories, he just charged forward.? Striking at the undead with power and little to no technique.


    Luckily, the ming Reanimate also did not use much technique and normally its method of attack was to use its speed and strength to overwhelm its target.


    A stalemate in favor of the undead ensued as they traded blows. Eldrian''s attacks chipping the burning bones, the undead''s cutting into him and scorching the wounds. The pain ravaging his mind even further than the anger that has consumed him.


    "Die!" Eldrian shouted in rage as he swung Aoidos at the skeleton''s skull. Only for it to return the favor and swing its sword at his.


    While Eldrian wanted to trade blows again, something in him clicked that doing so would be the end of him. Not of the skeleton. At thest second, he recovered some sanity and pulled back. Gasping for air, the skeleton was soon on him again.


    ''Shit,'' Was all he could think of as he slumped down. Completely drained of all energy and his mind beyond tired. Yet instead of feeling the de cut into him, the mes devouring his flesh. A metallic ng reverberated through the air.


    "Stupid skeleton!" A timid voice shouted in anger. More ngs following as Eldrian grasped his head and tried to sort through the thoughts invading his mind.


    The ming skeleton had no chance again Kydone. She was twice as fast and twice as strong. Each blow with her daggers sent it staggering back. Yet, like thest time she fought one of these, she dared not aim for its bones. Her daggers were too short and the mes were ready to burn her.


    Luckily, the battlefield was not short on any type of weapon. Throwing the skeleton back with a specifically strong hit, Kydone bent down and picked up a random longsword. Striking at the undead with renewed furry.


    It did not take long for the weapon to break, after which she picked up another random weapon and renewed her attack. After four weapons she finally managed to kill the undead. Gasping for air she turned around and found that she had no idea where she was on the battlefield nor where Eldrian was.


    Rushing around she hoped to find him, yet every few steps she would be interrupted by an enemy. Forcing her to spend a few seconds to dispatch it before being able to move on again.


    ...


    ''Where is he?'' Vivian asked in worry as she dodged the attack of an undead boar. Beheading it with ease as it charged past her.


    ''What did he do?''


    The sight before Vivian was the mangled body of the vampire they had fought. How Eldrian had managed to kill it made little to no sense to her. Yet, more frighting than that was the state in which the vampire was. Clearly, Eldrian was not in his right mind.


    ''I have to find him,'' Vivian said, yet she found herself blocked constantly by random undead. She quickly realized she could not even assure her own safety. A strike from a thrall havingnded on her back whilst she had been fighting off a particrlyrge undead Arkbeast.


    ''Dammit!'' Gritting her teeth she had to abandon her search and pray that Eldrian would be alright as the stories about the Chosen often said they would be.


    ...


    "This is fucking insane!" Judith shouted, even she found the battle to be too much. It had still been fine before the mist. But with it rolling in, even just staying together became a struggle. Especially when a randomrge rotting beast would charge through their formation every few minutes.


    "Just stay together!" Therdul countered back, his increase to Tier 3 having done him little good. Again, he wondered just why Tiers were considered such a big deal when they made such a little difference.


    "Ilmadia, vampire!" Elizabeth shouted. She stood in the center of their formation and did her best to observe the arrival of new enemies. Constantly using Observe and casting light spells to supply them with some sight in the darkness.


    "Shit!" Ilmadia cursed as she followed Elizabeth''s indication to see a smiling woman in bright red clothing calmly approaching them. Licking her lips, blood still freshly coloring them. Enjoying the taste.


    "What a feast, I have yet to try a Chosen." Thedy smirked as she wiped her air back. Looking at the 14 odd yers with a wide smile. "This will be a feast,"


    Unfortunately for the yers, the one they faced was not a vampire who hated her nature. Instead, she loved it, and the only reason she was still only Tier 5 was that she had been turned only a few weeks ago. Her thirst for blood was unquenched, her thirst for power even more demanding.


    Rushing forward Judith was determined to stop the vampire in her tracks. Yet, to her utter shock, she could not even follow the vampire''s movements. With ease the vampire ducked under gray''s hungry de, moving in close and punching Judith in the stomach while giving her a quick peck on the cheek.


    The punch threw Judith into the air like she was a child. Hernding was anything but graceful. Gasping for air Judith only recovered when thedy had made short work of most of her friends. Making sure to not kill them, only to restrain them.


    The only person who managed to hold out for a while was Therdul, and only because of his armor. In the end she disarmored him with, taking her time like she was ying with a doll. Therdul''s attacks never evening near to hitting her, not those of the others who struggled back to their feet.


    ...


    ''Get a grip!'' Eldrian shouted at himself as he grabbed a handful of dirt in anger. Desperately fighting his own mind that was constantly bringing up thoughts and memories. Some of which were real and some which were just worst cases he believed might possibly happen. Yet they all ate at him


    It was not the first time he experienced this, but it was the first time where he had let it ovee him.


    Unlike before, he was not attempting to stop them from influencing him. Rather, he was attempting to nor drown in them. Eldrian pounded the ground, uncaring for the fact that he was in the middle of a battlefield.


    Yet, he found himself unable to shut out the anger. It kept wing into his heart. Making him wish to go on another rampage.


    "Nooo!" Eldrian shouted till he ran out of breath, grasping his hair as he tried to regain control. ''Th-think of something ple-pleasant.''


    This was far harder to do than he thought, especially when his mind seemed to refuse to recall anything good. Spiraling in all the worst moments of his life, making him relive them to fuel the fire in him.


    ''No... That...'' Eldrian froze in fear and despair, suddenly rushing up and striking at the thrall charging him. "Don''t-!" Pulling out his spear and casting Floga with so much mana that it was as big as his chest, "Interrupt!"


    The spell incinerated the thrall on the spot, moving forward without prejudice and incinerating all it came into contact with. Eldrian falling to his knees in exhaustion as the spell carried all the mana he had had left.


    His exhaustion was so great that he finally managed to not think. Finally managed to calm down.


    ...


    "Fu-" Clenching his teeth in anger and powerlessness, Therdul was tempted to suicide to save himself the humiliation. The vampire had totally overpowered him and was now basically doing what she wanted.


    Taking a bit of blood, kissing him, smiling, teasing,ughing. Each time she let his arms have a little bit of room he would attempt to pull out a weapon and strike at her. Only for her to catch his arm and smile, calling him naughty.


    That was until suddenly a ball of me flew past. Incinerating her back and setting the rest of her ame. The fireball moving without stopping and going through anyone who stood in its way.


    In confused horror, Therdul watched as the vampire. A woman who would be considered pretty if not for her monstrous acts, caught ame before him. Her screams shattering his ears as she attempted to save herself by feeding without mercy.


    ...


    "Hmph, who are you to ask me such a thing?" A voice traveled through the air. It was not a shout, yet even from the distance separating them, it was as clear as day.


    "Hrothgar." The dwarf in ck replied without letting his fear into his voice. "Captain of the 11th squad of the Ganalin regiment."


    "A mere captain dares question me?" Anger filled the voice and caused the air to stir. A young man in appearancended between the dwarf and vampire lord.


    The young man had deep red skin with a pair of wings on his back. A reptilian tail with sharp ck scales swishing back and forth.


    "You dare question me," The man pressed, his voice causing Idras to quake in his boots. Making himself wonder just how he ever dared to feel that devils should show him respect.


    "I dare," Hrothgar replied whilst standing his ground. Unwilling to move.


    "For one person?" The man added, anger growing.


    "For one order," Hrothgar replied firmly.


    "Do you wish to die?"


    "Try."

 Chapter 366: A wider picture

    <h4>Chapter 366: A wider picture</h4>


    "As you wish," The man smirked as he pushed off. Leaving a crater where he used to be, arriving before Hrothgar in less than the blink of an eye.


    ''Only a bit faster than me,'' Hrothgar smiled as he brought his shield to take the blow. Skidding back a few meters. Deep tracks left in the ground. Holding his ground.


    "Is that all a Devil Prince has?" Hrothgar asked as he shrugged off the shock traveling through his body and swallowed back the blood in his mouth. The armor Amnur had crafted for him was truly a masterpiece but... It could only cover a certain gap of strength.


    Unlike the Vampire Lord, the Devil Prince also had top-grade items. His weapon likely even better than what the abyssal guard captain had.


    "You survived?" The Devil Prince smiled in honest surprise. Few could withstand such an attack, even if he had not used his weapon. The strength of the blow was clear when looking at the devastation caused by the shockwaves.


    "Like I said... Try." Hrothgar replied whilst hoping for support. Even if it was just another abyssal guard it would make a massive difference. Their legacy was not focused on individual fights, but rather fighting as a unit.


    "I will make sure to enjoy this," The Devil Prince smirked as he got ready to attack again.


    ...


    "Why are you here?" Tastalos asked his opponent. A devil with grayish skin, almost pale. Other than the strange skin color she looked like a normal human.


    "It sounded like fun, plus... We need to subjugate you sometime in this invasion. So why not now?"


    "Have you not learned fromst time?"


    "Oh, but that was back when you were in the prime of your life. You aged... Just look at your graying coat."


    Tastalos could not say anything against that, instead, he gripped the axe Amnur had made for him. Bandred. Hoping it would bring him through. Gripping it gave him strength, the de seemingly talking with him and hungry for blood. Hungry to prove itself.


    "Then let it be on you!" Tastalos charged and opened with a massive swing, his old muscles springing back to life and the very air quaking as the graydy jumped back to dodge the strike. Tastalos not letting up and continuing to press on.


    Suddenly the air around the axe started to vibrate and on the next swing a de of wind flew through the air. Cutting trees like they were grass and mowing down the undead who were still arriving from the forest.


    ...


    Jumping back Itireae dodged the demon''s massive fist. The owner of the fist, a four meters tall and two wide demon. Covered in pitch ck fur that made it near impossible to see in the mist.


    Swinging her shield to the left she blocked another blow from another foe. A ghoul, small and fast. Always trying to get a hit in her blindspot.


    ''Where is the third?'' She wondered as she spun around. Hitting the ghoul with her shield and sending it flying while her sword nearly connected with the demon''s knee. It just barely managing to avoid the strike. Yet, following the de was a de of ice and lighting which flew through its knee and electrified it.


    All its muscles mped, making it an easy target. Jumping into the air she prepared to behead the demon, only to suddenly kick off to the side as an arrow flew at her back.


    Instead of hitting her it blew through the demon''s head. Itireaending gracefully and sending a small ball of me chasing the ghoul who had just managed to get his footing again.


    ''Four now?'' Itireae noted as she blocked a bolt of lightninging at her by summoning an air wall. The currents diverting it into the ground while she jumped towards the archer.


    "Stop running!" A new arrival shouted as he swung his massive hammer at her. Itireae tipping her shield slightly so it would brush over her. Sliding under and gutting the vampire whilst throwing a simr ball of me into the wound.


    The fireball exploded with massive force. Sending bits of vampire everywhere as Itireae jumped into the air and onto Mneme''s back.


    "Archer first," She said, pulling out her own bow as Mneme moved through the air. Dodging the arrows and spells aimed at her alike.


    Swish...


    Leaving a trail of scattered ck mist, the arrow found its target true. Piercing the devil''s heart and exploding with ice. Freezing it in ce as another arrow arrived and killed it.


    ''Wait,'' Itireae paused as she realized two people seemed to be calling to her. One she had experienced before, the other seemingly a twin. A feeling truly perplexing her as she knew of no other elves being her.


    "Mneme, go." Itireae said softly as she patted her partner''s head and jumped from her back. Sending ast arrow at the mess of undead that exploded in massive mes before running on the air.


    She had long since learned how to fly, yet she found it more natural to run in the air. It gave her more control and allowed her to focus more on her enemies. Such as those who were following her.


    By the way, the fireball had finally caught up to the ghoul. Condensed, it had passed through its chest like a bullet before suddenly turning back and exploding in its face.


    ...


    "My pleasure," The Devil Prince smirked and attacked again, each blow sending Hrothgar skidding back as his body took on massive damage. Yet he refused to let the Devil Prince see his pain or his worries.


    With confidence, Hrothgar asked again, "Is that all you are capable of?"


    "Not at all. If you want me to get serious... Then let''s get serious." Smirking a scimitar appeared in the devil''s hands. His aura suddenly doubling and Hrothgar''s instinct telling him he was about to die.


    "Now, be good and try to block." The Devil Prince smile and stretched the word ''try'' to mock Hrothgar''s earlier words. Yet, instead of charging, he turned and his smile disappeared. "An elf?"


    The confusion in his question left Hrothgar and the Vampire Lord without words. Only for them to finally understand when Itireae appeared from above andnded gracefully next to the dwarf.


    "Your not an elf!" Sheined as shended, unable to understand how the dwarf felt like a twin.


    Her basic, stupid, illogical to speak of observation caused all the worry to disappear from Hrothgar. Laughing with joy he replied, "Of course I am not. I was born a dwarf and I will die a dwarf!"


    "Who are you?" The Devil Prince asked, not caring for their joke.


    "A friend of Taurus," Itireae replied, turning towards the Devil Prince and smiling. "Volrak Ig''zaggor."


    The prince''s original carefreeness turned into a serious concern. For he could not gleam a single piece of information from the new arrival. While the same could be said of the dwarf, the reason for that was obviously the armor.


    He was not worried because of this though, rather he was worried because the elf could find his name. Which meant his cloaking ability waspromised.


    "The true question is rather, why you are here Volrak. Your domain is not near this area. Why would youe all this way?"


    "None of your business!"


    "I''ve made it my business." Itireae did not wish to mince anymore words. Suddenly she charged. Unlike the devil''s, her charge did not even disturb the air. Yet her speed was not one bit less, if not even more.


    The prince did not just wait, he also charged. Yet he was quickly put on the backfoot when he realized that he was not facing a swordmaster. He was facing an omni-master.


    Along with each strike, two or three spells woulde at him at his blind spots. Moving like snakes and slithering into the clinks in his armor. If he dared focus on them then her sword would arrive and strike with such power that his armor cracked.


    He would honestly have been able to beat her if not for the way her magic moved. Like they had a mind of their own and could read all his movements. Like each offensive and defensive move of his was clear to see.


    ...


    "Why are you stopping us?" An elderly man with a graying beard and pure white hair asked the ming dwarf standing before him.


    "Why are you attacking us?" Amnur threw back, the two at the edge of the Vriks Drnds.


    "You know why."


    "Actually I don''t. You have more than enoughnd and people to live peacefully for your entire lives."


    "Peace!" The elder spat in disgust, "Who wants that?"


    Amnur sighed hearing this, "Do you really wish to die?"


    "Do you think you can kill me?"


    "Of course I can," Amnur replied without a slither of doubt. "Not to mention that your invasion is soon going to piss off the neutral races."


    Hearing this the man''s face fell. "Why? We aren''t attacking them?"


    "But you are entering theirnds more and more. They might not care for the rabble. But your princes cutting through theirnds-"


    "Then let them." The elder spat, "Besides, I am not alone."


    "I know. Why do you think I came with Tovack?"


    Upon the mention of his name a dwarf suddenly appeared beside Amnur as if he had been in his shadow all along. The elderly man was shocked that even he hadpletely missed this dwarf''s arrival. And even now he could barely tell the dwarf was there.

 Chapter 367: Coming to a close

    <h4>Chapter 367: Coming to a close</h4>


    "Finally!" Vivian sighed in relief as she managed to get behind a line of people. She was beyond tired and her body ravaged with wounds. All she wanted was to rest. To have a moment to catch her breath.


    "Hey! You ca-" The man stopped as he saw her condition, "Quick, move further back."


    "No, I can''t" Vivian shook her head as she took a seat, "I-"


    "You need to rest. Going back into the fight will just cause your death. Do not think that we will be able to revive you."


    ''Right... This fight will not end in a few minutes...'' Vivian sighed and felt like crying. She had thought she would get used to death. s, life was not so kind.


    All those she had known, who had alsoe in the name of Phallos''s help... All herrades were dead. And now too so was Eldrian. She was certain of it and she was incapable of believing that something as great as resurrection could truly be true. Not without a cost.


    There was no way she could believe that. There was no way someone would be the same even if it was possible. How could they if their body is totally new?


    Fighting her sobs, Vivian thought of just how terrible war truly was. How naive she used to be, and still was. ''I didn''t learn.'' She sighed as she defeated her sobs. Yet, defeating them had made her feel no better. Instead, she felt even worse.


    ''Of course, he never stops training... This... I-'' Vivian paused and clenched Nelida''s me in her hand. "I can''t give up!"


    With this shout she stood up on her wobbly feet and jumped back into the fight. The man who had warned her shaking his head but not going to do anything more. He had enough to worry about. There was no way he could spare energy for someone with a death wish.


    ...


    Laughing wildly, Judith pointed at Therdul who was trying his best to get the vampire from his neck. He was truly lucky the mes had not spread to him, yet she was stuck to him now. Like a vice, her grip would not relent.


    "Enough, help him!" Elizabeth scolded as she tried to stand up, falling as soon as she did. ''What is going on?'' She wondered, the damage was not that great ording to the system. Yet, she could not get her feet to work as they should.


    "You have to-" Judith said amidst fits ofughter. "Admit... It looks ridiculous."


    "It sure isn''t fun!" Therdul threw back along with a slew of curses that got Judith to finally stand up and help him. In the end a piece of Therdul''s went with the vampire.


    Cursing even more, Therdul ced pressure on the wound and looked around. "Why is it so quiet?"


    It wasn''t really quiet, the sounds of fighting surrounded them. However, no one mistook his question. "You''re right. Where are all the enemies?" Nikki asked, from their original 20, only 8 were left.


    "Maybe the vampire scared them off?"


    "Or the fire?"


    "That does not matter," Elizabeth said as she finally managed to stand up. "We need to find them if they won''te to us."


    Comints quickly followed, Elizabeth exercising her authority to shut them down. "Enough! If we fail, we are done for as a guild!"


    "But this quest is insane. How can it be just A-rank?" Therdul asked the question on everyone''s mind.


    "Clearly it no longer is. But! You know how they handle quests. It was our bad luck that the main army of undead came to the spot we chose to help at."


    Naturally, none of them were happy with it. Yet they had to deal with it. Helping the few who had yet to regain their feet up, they reformed into a simple group with the Ilmadia and Elizabeth in the center.


    As they started walking, Judithmented, "You really need to be a cleric E. We need a healer."


    Everyone nodded in silent agreement as their first target appeared in their sights. A shriveled centaur, recently dead and turned into a thrall. The sight causing them all to shiver as they realized it could have been them.


    Needless to say, they gave it no mercy. Therdul in particr was beyond active.


    ...


    Somewhere in the middle of the battle, there was a small circle wherein no undead dared step. Thereiny an elf with short silver hair. His eye''s vacant, but many bones and incinerated corpses surrounding the spot.


    "Wha-" A tiger demi-human was interrupted as his partner, a wolf demi-human, pulled him back.


    "Don''t," He said and pointed, "Look."


    Where the canine indicatedy a centaur. A clean kill, yet most certainly a friendly one.


    "How cou-"


    "Fool, does it look like he is in any kind of state to see who is attacking?"


    "No-"


    As the two were about to move out, a beautiful bird big enough for two or even three people to ride on flew down andnded next to the elf.


    "Wha-"


    "Don''t" Again the canine pulled his friend back, this time the two quickly needed to act as a group of skeletons found them.


    The Roc looked at the elf in confusion. It could tell that something was wrong, it dared not move closer. Instead, it stayed and kept guard. Killing anyone and anything that darede to close.


    Naturally, it gave them a death stare as a warning. It did have some reason.


    ...


    "Tovack, you take the elder," Amnur said, his armor suddenly switching to its active mode. His mes rapidly absorbed by the bright red crystals installed on his helm, chest, and gauntlets.? In his hands a greatsword of purple and ck. With a peculiar crystal near the hilt.


    The crystal a dark purple. Seemingly with a gxy inside of it.


    Seeing the de the elder''s original cockiness disappeared. "I-Im-Impossible!"


    "As I asked before. Are you sure you wish to die?" Amnur asked, no longer facing the elder but instead looking to the side. With a sigh a demon appeared from the shadow of a boulder.


    "Still as sharp-eyed as ever." The devil looked at Amnur with a hint of worry. His wife was still injured and unable to join him in a fight.


    The devil was close to three meters tall, built like a herculean with blood-red skin. Two spiral horns sharp enough to kill and just the right length on his forehead. Perfect for when head-bashing someone.


    "Azamud. If you are here..." Amnur turned and look back to the forest which was far past the horizon. "Does that mean you also have a son here?"


    "Don''t you dare!" Azamud shouted in fury, the surrounding ground trembling as if an earthquake arrived.


    "It was you who dared," Amnur said, suddenly appearing before Azamud. His sword moving far too fast for the eye to see. The devil king only barely managed to survive the surprise attack thanks to his armor. Yet he was sent flying. Coughing blood, his armor cracked.


    One thought of confusion filling the devil''s thoughts as he did his best to detect the next attack. Failing miserably. ''How?''


    "Since they started, we should too," Tovack said, the dwarf covered head to toe in abyssal armor. The armor did not even have slits to see through, instead, he used magic to see. Having long since been blinded in battle, the dwarf had practiced for years on end to master the technique and make it his own.


    As soon as his words arrived at the elderly man, so did he. A dagger thrust at the man''s heart.


    "Ignorant, you think you can hurt me!" The man was furious that someone at just Tier 10 would dare attack him. Yet, when he blocked the attack he learned that his assumptions of an easy victory were quickly proven false.


    "How-" The man could not finish his question as the dwarf appeared before him again. Dodging again the manughed, "Your speed is indeed impressive, but you won''t be able tond a hit."


    "Time will tell," Tovack replied softly, little more than a whisper. Continuing his attacks with the diligence of someone who spends nearly every waking moment training. Only letting the need for food and watere in his way.


    ...


    Nearly half a dayter where the entire battle had started. The chaos and carnage was still hidden from sight by the ck mist. It was finally starting to lift, but not fast and night was arriving.


    "Has anyone seen an elf with silver hair?" Vivian asked, walking with a limp from person to person. The battle had finally ended, though calling it a victory would be too much. The Thunder Legion was nearly annihted. The only reason they won, in the end, was because the higher undead had run instead of fought.


    This had happened when nearly half of them had died. The deaths of the Thunder Legion were even more, but they kept fighting like it did not matter. To them, victory was all that mattered. While to the undead their survival was all that mattered.


    Most simply ignored Vivian''s question, some even cursed at her. A few wanted to offer help, though most of them were not in any condition to do so.


    "An elf?" A tiger demi-human asked, a massive cut across his chest still leaking blood. Yet he cared little for it, he cared little for anything at the moment.


    "Yes, have you seen him?" Vivian asked in haste.


    "Yes, it should be easy to find him." The demi-human replied only half realizing what he was saying. "Wait for the mist to go. There is a massive bird watching over him.

 Chapter 368: A part of an unknown

    <h4>Chapter 368: A part of an unknown</h4>


    ''These... This...'' Eldrian paused, unable to make sense of things. ''Was that me?'' He questioned. The past hour replying in his mind. Finding himself in a state like lucid dreaming, only what he was dreaming was real and fake.


    One moment it would be the battle or the pain of his wounds. The other it might be his fear of losing his friends. Then next it was his fear for his child.


    Wait... His child?


    ''That isn''t right... I have no child. Heck, I''ve never been with a woman.'' It had taken Eldrian some time to break through the anger and realize that not all the things he was feeling were his own emotions or even memories.


    He had thought that many of the memories were false, yet now he recalled something simr had happened before. ''Are these, Medion''s memories? Was his anger added to mine?''


    Eldrian felt this was right, yet it made no sense. It had all felt so personal, so real. ''And back then, Ziraili''s touch had felt just as real.'' He countered to his own doubts.


    Eldrian kept trying to sort out his thoughts, time passing unknown to him. If someone or something bothered him he had no kindness for it. He did not even realize he acted, it simply happened. He was just constantly trying to figure out who he was and what was his own memories.


    ''I had thought it would just be those few...'' Finally, after a few hours, Eldrian managed toe to a point where he could attempt to take control.


    Focusing on it all, he wished to enter the abyss. The Mageia Avyssos.


    Somehow, someway, this was enough. Eldrian found himself not at a spell module, but rather at the heart. Beating softly, ice and fire twirling around it along with a silver... Something, stuck to its side.


    ''What are you?'' Eldrian wondered.


    "Ziraili, are you here?" Eldrian asked, calling out the name causing the silver something to stir. Vibrating was about all it could do, yet it did it with such vigor that Eldrian quickly took note.


    "What are you?" Eldrian asked, Zirailiing to him with the answer after an unknown amount of time.


    "It is the curse." She said, appearing as a ball of light in the abyss.


    "I thought I broke it," Eldrian said, receiving an apology in return.


    "You did, but... You also epted it."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian askedpletely blindsided by the reply.


    "This is not the curse used on Medion. Rather, it is what was manipted with the curse. What was inverted, is now reverted and mixed in with your soul."


    "My soul?"


    "Your avatar''s. If you wish I can remo-"


    "No," Eldrian quickly cut her down. "Can I... Can I merge with it, or learn from it?"


    The reply took some time as Ziraili tried to figure out the same question. "I don''t think so, certainly not without Skepsi''s help. But... Why would you want to?"


    Eldrian did not know how to reply. Saying he did not want to lose the feeling of true love would sound insane. Saying he wanted to know what it felt like to be a parent was even more insane.


    "Give me a moment," Eldrian said, taking his time to try his best to ess this silver thing that clung to the floating heart.


    He found it truly easy to connect to the fire, much less so to the ice. Yet no matter how he tried he could not connect to the unknown substance.


    "Is it an aura?" Eldrian asked.


    "No, it is... A collection of experiences. Filled with memories and emotions."


    "Is it a piece of his soul?"


    "No-" Ziraili paused, realizing that Eldrian''s question was not about the souls of those in the simtion. Rather, he was asking from the viewpoint of an Earthling.


    "It might be, depending on your definition of a soul. It is not his ethereal soul, but... It is part of him."


    "What would you do with it?" Eldrian asked, he felt saddened by the thought of letting her take care of it. Yet he did not want to be so lost in rage again. He did not want to lose himself.


    "I would remove it."


    "How?"


    Ziraili did not respond for quite some time, "I am sorry, but that is one of the topics I cannot share. with you."


    Eldrian mentally nodded, "You need me to log off, right?"


    Eldrian did not wait for a yes, nor did he even bother to leave the Mageia Avyssos. Instead, he thought of his real body and woke on earth. Finding that unlike all the times before he was immediately at home. His body truly felt like his own.


    ''What are the others going to say?'' Eldrian wondered as he climbed of the chair, deciding to go for a run before going in for questioning.


    Unbeknownst to him, what he did left Ziraili stunned. The system of all the yers nearly failing as she almost failed to keep them in mind.


    ...


    "So pretty," Akarui cheered as the twonded in a de. A magnificent spring at the one side, a few Alicorns, Unicorns, and Pegasi gathering near it.


    "Agamemas," Losios, the pegasus who had carried Erik greeted. "I have brought them."


    Turning around, the group of magical creatures looked at the two in curiosity. "Thank you Losios and Xenthe. Zamia, please." Turning to his wife the Alicorn returned to business, his horn still broken but his coat back to pure white.


    "Follow me you two," Zamia said, caroling the two gently with her wings. After taking them a bit away she turned into her elven form. Soft white silk forming as she transformed, hiding most of her figure, yet even so it was clear that she was truly gorgeous.


    Erik was left without words by the sight before him. Her pure white hair flowed past her shoulders, which carried the straps of her silk clothing, the sight of which caused his mouth to water. He had to tell himself to behave just to remember where he was.


    "Faust and Akarui, wee to avgi. I apologize for theck of a wee. Most of our family has gone elsewhere."


    "Why?" Akarui asked saddened by Zamia''s words. It were those words people had tried to use to exin her parents'' death, even though she had witnessed it.


    "No child, I meant they went away to avoid theing danger."


    Hearing this Erik quickly snapped out of his stupor, finally managing to look away from the sights and focusing his view on the forest instead as he asked. "What danger?"


    His tone was aggressive, even offensive. Naturally so, he had gone through great lengths to make sure Akarui is safe.


    "For the moment, none," Zamia replied, turning to look at Erik and giggling softly at how he purposefully making sure to not look at her. "However, it would not be hard for the enemy to arrive here."


    Seeing that her reply did not help, Zamia exined how this should not be a problem as long as Taurus held. "But enough of that, you came here for help. So, little one."


    Bending down Zamia looked Akarui in the eyes. Erik doing his best to avoid taking advantage of the height difference.? "Why don''t you go explore a bit and bring me the most prettiest flower you can."


    "Flower? What type of flower?" Akarui asked absolutely adorably. Her worry about the grown-up talk disappearing as she looked at the nicedy before her energetically.


    "That is up to you. There are plenty of flowers in the forest. Why don''t go explore for a bit?"


    Akarui wanted to immediately rush away. She stopped herself through sheer will and looked at Erik first for approval. After getting it she rushed away as fast as her little legs could carry her.


    "I assume you want to talk about something more serious," Erik said after Akarui disappeared past the tree line.


    "Yes, but I also need to establish how strong her gift is. The forest is truly special, one of the most magical ces on the entire Gaia. If she returns with a normal flower then she would have no talent. If she returns with a normal magical flower she might have a low talent-"


    "This means?"


    "I am not done, please wait for me to finish." Zamia replied, "If shees back with a high-grade flower then her talent should be significant. However, there are three specific flowers here. If shees back with any one of them... Then the risk to her life is far more than Nerenth thought."


    "What should I hope for then?" Erik asked, looking to where Akarui had disappeared and hoping that she returned with a normal flower. That it was a false alert and that she was not in danger.


    "You should hope she does note with a flower that even we have missed," Zamia replied, the reply sending shivers down Erik''s spine.


    ...


    A battered devil, bleeding nonstop appeared in an abandoned throne room. Yet not even this far a retreat was enough, a dwarf in ck armor with bright red gemstones on the chest, helm, and gauntlets soon appeared behind him. Striking without mercy.


    The devil quickly activated the arrays, only to watch in horror as the de cut through them with ease. His life was saved as his wife arrived and blocked the strike. Yet in her weakened state she could not stand the force, both sent crashing into the floor.


    Amnur gently floated to the ground and looked to the roof.


    "You should be d that you managed to escape and that your wife sacrificed her arm for you," Amnur said. His strike had continued after breaking her de and had severed her arm with ease. The wound was one that could not be healed through magic. The same went for Azamud who was riddled with such unheble wounds.


    "NO! You should be afraid now!" Azamud shouted, shocked that Amnur seemed to not care that he was surrounded by at least five Devil Kings.


    "Seems you still do not grasp the ability of my sword." Amnur said, "Choros, Ganalin," Amnur said, disappearing from the spot and reappearing in the Ganalin''s secret teleportation hall. The guarding abyssal guards kneeling upon realizing who had returned.

 Chapter 369: A meeting about Eldrian

    <h4>Chapter 369: A meeting about Eldrian</h4>


    "So you came," An old voice filled the air as Athtar, the emperor of the Ehevell, arrived at a range of truly massive mountains. Their peaks seemingly having no end, and their caverns connecting the subterrain and surface. Sprawling as far as the eye could see.


    Athtarnded and transformed back into his elven form. Having taken the form of an alicorn for the journey, the ce having no teleportation halls and in fact, dimensional magic of any kind was impossible to use here.


    "Sirius, how are you old friend," Athtar greeted the massive dragon whose w was bigger than the average man.


    "Ever the same. It is always a joy to watch the young ones grow," Sirius replied while looking to the distance where a few dragonlings were ying around one of the lower peaks.


    "It certainly is," Athtar agreed, enjoying the sights with his old friend for a few minutes to an hour. Catching up what had happened in the few thousand years they had not seen each other.


    "Nytalys is pregnant!" Athtar rejoiced for his friend upon hearing this, especially knowing that they had been trying for nearly five millennia now.


    "Yes, it happened a few months back. I can''t wait." Unlike humans or most any creatures, it took a few years for a dragon to be born.


    "I am truly happy for you my friend," Athtar said, taking out a toast of the finest and sharing it with Sirius who quickly shapeshifted into a smaller form so as to not make the toast but a drop.


    They spent a few minutes simply celebrating until Sirius finally asked. "But why did youe? You know we have no interest in joining the war."


    "I know." Athtar replied, "However, I wanted to ask the council."


    "Are you certain?"


    "I would not havee if I wasn''t. You should also be aware that this time there will be no signal for them to stop. You know they are not waging war for anything but to wage war."


    "It is their nature," Sirius replied, their drinking already catching up to him. Size did not matter when drinking something made to get even the elven emperor drunk. It would knock anyone out. Well, maybe not those in the dragon council.


    "I know. Like it is the nature of man to hunt for food. And when food bes plentiful to then hunt for sport." Athtar replied, "I know this well. We all want to feel a purpose, I just can''t ept their methods."


    "Then whye?" The dragon asked, confused why his friend woulde if he knew that the answer would be no.


    "It is not the only thing I wish to ask, I wish to know if they know of the Chosen candidate."


    "They do," Sirius paused as he himself still struggled with the news. For someone new to the world to catch the gaze of so many gods. In his entire life, he had never been more than a dragon. Like all dragons, he had reached Tier 10 simply through age.


    He had long since put trying to be stronger behind and focused on his wife and making a family. Still, the mention of this made him think back to thest invasion when he was an energetic youngling.


    Athtar nodded to the silence, he too was still stunned by the amount of interest the Chosen had garnered. He had also gotten word from Amnur that there had been two legends at the invasion.


    Both had escaped, naturally, Tovack would not be able to kill a legend and Azamud was no pushover. Most legends would struggle to face him, only he and Amnur could confidently say that he was not much.


    "I am going in then," Athtar said after the silence became too much. Walking past his old friend towards the council with three questions.


    ...


    "What did you do?" Joren asked, Mica and the other department heads were seated around a table. Some who Eldrian had never even met. A total of nine people were staring at him. Eldrian stood as if he was supposed to give a presentation, the screen behind him replying to the fight.


    Eldrian was thunderstruck as he looked at the footage. It was sped up and only focused on the parts where he actively did something. Another screen to the side showed his readings. His heart rate, brain activity, brain waves, hormones. All the science stuff. Most of which meant nothing to Eldrian.


    It took Eldrian some time to finally find some words, yet they were not the right ones so he stayed silent. Finally, after a really long time he told them most of what he recalled. He kept Ziraili out of it, though he shared with them how after the heart when he logged in he had gotten parts of someone else''s memories.


    His exnation focused on how these took over his anger and caused him to lose himself in rage. Like a true berserker.


    After listening to it all, Mica sighed, "Joren, I need an exnation."


    Silence filled the room as Joren now struggled for one. There was no information on anything Eldrian had just exined. While they had known that they could not see his thoughts and follow when he went to his soul... This was a step extra and too far.


    "Mica..." Joren faltered. "I have none."


    "Gengxin, please exin to us what the readings on the second screen are saying," Mica ordered, Gengxin recing Eldrian at the front. Giving him an encouraging pat as they passed each other.


    The entire thing started from the start again, with Gengxin exining how the readings were as expected as in the start. His brain activity normal, ifpared to other yers. Until the vampire. There his brain activity suddenly skyrocketed, as well as a specific frequency governed. It almost never fluctuating.


    "I suspect this might be linked to the connection, I have confirmed before the meeting though. Eldrian''s everything is normal now." Turning to Eldrian Gengxinined a bit about how he did not understand how Eldrian managed that.


    Eldrian offered him the answer by exining how he had started meditating at a certain tree during his runs. And how it had somehow allowed him to refocus his mind. Staying as vague as he could so he could not be called out on any lies.


    "Meditation?" Gengxin questioned in disbelief, the nod from Eldrian not helping one bit. For the next few seconds, he mumbled to himself in true disbelief, finally snapping out of it.


    "Sorry," Gengxin had someone plug in his tablet and threw some graphs onto the main screen. Exining how he had gone back and searched for the same frequency throughout all Eldrian''s time at Miracle.


    "It makes sense now. This frequency is always focused, however, normally it still varies enough for me to have missed that it is focused. This case caused it to stand out clearly." Pausing, Gengxin quickly ordered someone to bring two headsets to the room through his tablet. While he shared his theory.


    "Eldrian, please meditate. Constantin you too."


    Confused thetter took the headset and attempted to do so. Though he had nearly no experience in it. He had tried it a few times after his talks with Eldrian, yet he had never managed to clear his mind.


    Eldrian instead quickly emptied his mind. Finding himself in a unique ce. For once, he did not just empty his mind. He seemingly even left his body. Naturally, this is just a figure of speech, but Eldrian found himselfpletely just a thought.


    A thought in nothing, capable of thinking of anything or nothing. Capable of replicating the darkness of sleep consciously.


    Eldrian enjoyed this state so much that time flew by. By the time he recalled why he had done this he was certain hours had passed. In haste, he quickly woke himself and took off the headset.


    "Ah, I had thought you would stay in that state for longer," Gengxin replied, adding that Constantin had yet to even seed. Confused, Eldrian asked just how much time had passed.


    "It has only been a few minutes," Constantin replied, trying to defend his defeat.


    "Seven minutes to be exact." Gengxin corrected.


    ''No way... That felt like hours, maybe even a day.'' Eldrian thought, suddenly realizing that it must have been just a feeling. Like how dreams could feel like days, weeks, or even years. Yet they were never more than a night.


    "Should I-" Eldrian indicated by picking up the headset.


    "No need, we already have the data needed." With that Gengxin pulled up Eldrian''s and Constantin''s.


    There was noparison between the two. Constantin''s brain activity was chaotic, ups and downs at random, and no one frequency focused. Massively bouncing from high in the Gamma band to low. In fact, it looked like his mind was overly filled with thoughts.


    Eldrian instead was almost nk. There was a few seconds of his normal activity which reflected Constantin''s. Thereafter it was like his brain only focused on one thing. All the activity was focused, the other parts of his brain seemingly shutting down to give more energy to what he was focusing on.


    In this state, the frequency of his brain waves nearly did not fluctuate. It was also extremely close to the same precise Hz as Gengxin had highlighted before.


    Gengxin did not share what he thought this might mean, for obvious reasons. Most there had no clue what any of this could mean. Instead, he summarized that meditating seemed to allow Eldrian to hyper-focus on a single thought.


    That when doing so it seemed like he always had a specific frequency of brain waves. Like he could control how much he would focus on something. Naturally, this contradicted what had happened in the game, yet it was what the reading gave them.

 Chapter 370: Sharing his perspective

    <h4>Chapter 370: Sharing his perspective</h4>


    "What does this mean in the end?" Mica asked, hoping for a simple statement of whether Eldrian was safe to continue with the experiment.


    "It means he has either figured something out that he is not aware of, yet. Or his body has adapted to the strain the game ced on him."


    "And which one do you think it is?" Mica asked. Arge part of her hoping that it was not thetter as it could potentially bring in a slue of court cases. Luckily though, and also extremely frustratingly, Eldrian is still the only yer who has managed to learn magic without the system''s guidance.


    A few have seemingly started to feel mana and maybe less than a dozen have also managed to slowly get a grip on controlling mana. Erik was one of them and why they had so quickly epted the requests he had when Eldrian had brought him in.


    Yet, all these yers were still extremely far from Eldrian''s level.


    "I think it is a bit of both. That his body and mind, and more importantly his thought process has slowly changed."


    ''Umm, why are they talking like I am not here?'' Eldrian wondered but decided to stay quiet. He had shared as much as he could, they knew basically everything. The only thing he has kept hidden was the crumbs Ziraili had given him that lead to some realizations and attempts. Keeping this from them though should not make any difference.


    "What about the paralysis case, how likely is that to happen again?" One of the people Eldrian did not know asked.


    "ording to Eldrian''s recent adaptation..." Gengxin paused and sighed. "It might be more likely, or far less likely."


    Silence ruled for a bit until someone finally asked just what that was supposed to mean.


    "It means without knowing the reason behind his improvement I can''t answer it." Pausing to look at Eldrian Gengxin added, "If what happened today is not a fluke then the chances of either are greatly increased."


    "Wait, why do I feel you are talking about something else?" Eldrian asked, certain that they were no longer talking about his going berserk.


    "Wait, did you not realize?" Joren asked, all those but Eldrian quickly sharing a few looks before exining.


    "Alright..." Eldrian paused as he wondered what this might mean. He had not thought much about what he had done back there. Exiting the game was always just a thought, at first he assumed Ziraili had simply helped him exit without needing to go to the hassle of waking.


    Yet, from what those in the room said, the system had notified them of this. Or more correctly, due to her confused stunned state they had forced her to exin what had happened.


    While she had managed to keep the yers safe, the extra features had died. Like what streamers used to stream with. They had needed to quickly exin why to the public who was shocked by the first-ever true bug of the game.


    ''What exactly did she share?'' Eldrian wondered as everyone now looked at him for an exnation, yet he had none. ''Right, I did exit the game differently. Instead of actually thinking of logging out, I just wanted to return to reality.''


    Eldrian took his time to sort out his thoughts and those in the room were more than willing to wait. Soon they started talking about other topics as Eldrian was lost in thought. They made sure to keep it all rted to yers and also things that Eldrian''s clearance allowed him to know.


    Surprisingly he had quite a high clearance, though only in specific areas. Yet he did not take in anything they said as he went through the past few days of events. Focusing more on how he had exited the game, but also letting the other thoughts be sorted out.


    After around ten minutes Eldrian finally decided on how he was going to exin it. Starting off with how instead of thinking of logging out, he had instead thought of returning to his real body.


    "What''s the difference?" Mica asked, not to Eldrian in specific but to the room. Eldrian waited for a few others to share their thoughts, before rifying what this meant to him.


    "The difference is that I did not think of myself as being in a game. It''s hard to exin, but let me try."


    "I am sure you have all had dreams where you were aware that it was a dream." Eldrian received a few nods in agreement. "Generally, most people can''t control dreams. It is like it truly is your life."


    Again he got a few nods, some naturally having arguments to what he said but not voicing them as it would be debating semantics.


    "Now, what if you wanted to wake?" Eldrian asked and let them think about it. "I was not considering ANW as a game but rather as another reality. Another life."


    "The dream parallel falls down in that area, but the difference is that instead of looking for an interface. I wanted to wake... In a sense."


    Eldrian received some nods, and a few questions which he dly answered to the best of his abilities. A sticking and repeating one was his word choice of ANW being another reality.


    "You do know it is just a simtion?"


    "Don''t get me started on this. I know it was created by you and is virtual, yet how does that mean it is less real? What if our universe is also a simtion and we simply do not know as the natives of ANW do not know of theirs being one?"


    "Would that mean our reality is not real? If we were to discover that this is indeed the case, does this mean our lives are meaningless? That our reality is not a reality?"


    Eldrian''s words caused them all to falter and ponder. While they couldn''t ept his viewpoint immediately, his questions made them think and question their own beliefs.


    One thing was certain to all of them, even if they turned out to be a simtion. Even if they discovered it, they would not find their lives to be any less real. They would not suddenly no longer care for their loved ones, aim for their goals, dream their dreams.


    "Valid points," The one who had raised the question said after a moment of reflection had passed. "I believe this is something you argued with Constantin and Joren before?"


    Constantin sighed as this was brought up while Joren readied himself for bacsh. Yet instead, the follow-up was still aimed at Eldrian. "Why were you so aggressive then, and now you could calmly reply to my statement?"


    Stunned, Eldrian had to try and recall what exactly had happened. This did not take long as it was still heavily on his mind. It was one of the reasons he had grown to dislike Miracle so much, though he would do his best to not let them know of his dislike, yet he wanted to make clear that he could not ept how they were handling the simtion as a game.


    "Your statement was factual. They are indeed a simtion, you are not wrong." Eldrian replied, cutting off questions that were about to be raised. "That, however, does not mean they are any less real. As I just exined before."


    "Then why the outburstst time?"


    "Because Constantin had not argued whether or not they are in a simtion. He had argued that their entire world was not real. That they were not real... That their lives did not matter!" Eldrian quickly became heated as this was something he wanted the entire Miracle to realize. This group of people was certainly a good point to voice it to as a start.


    "Who are you to decide that?" He asked with vigor, "Who are you to dictate that the extinction of a number of people far more than on Earth, is fine? That it is something normal!"


    Turning to Constantin, Eldrian made sure he understood the next question was aimed at him. "Who are you to tell me I can''t do my best. My very best! Even if it would hurt me, to save those I call friends! Who are you to tell me that?"


    Silence ruled as no one wished to say a thing after Eldrian''s outburst. They all clearly understood that the first questions were for them all. Thetter in part too, a warning that he would not follow any regtions or rules if it would mean the death of an NPCs he was close to.


    "I am certain Constantin had said what he had out of concern, not prejudice or hate for those in the simtion," Mica said, wishing to quickly diffuse the situation before it could heat up anymore. Luckily it seemed Eldrian did not wish for it to heat up either.


    "That may be so, yet I want to make it clear that I will not just abandon those I call friends for something as simple as a chance of real injury." Eldrian did not wish to go too far and add that he might even be willing to die for some. Throwing that out would be far a heavier im as well as something that might cause them to block him from entering ANW.


    "I am sure we can all respect that even if we can''t understand it," Mica said, not for herself but for Eldrian and the others. Wishing to make it clear to them that they had to ept this matter as it stood.


    "Thank you." Eldrian slightly nodded unconsciously as the thanks was one from the heart. Yet he could not let it end here as it seemed that they still did not quite understand.

 Chapter 371: An ice lily

    <h4>Chapter 371: An ice lily</h4>


    "However, I must correct you," Eldrian said, causing Mica''s smile to disappear. "You say it is not out of prejudice, but it is. It might not be hate-filled prejudice, but it is a prejudice of their lives being lesser than ours. A simr case that has led to plenty of wars."


    Eldrian paused to make sure they understood where he was getting at. Often, hating someone was not as bad as seeing them as lesser. At least if you hated someone some part of you realized that they are your equal or even better. Even if you tell yourself otherwise.


    Not pushing further, Eldrian hoped that they would take heed of his words and work on at least approaching those in the simtion more humanely. Even if they could not understand where he wasing from, he hoped they would attempt to change.


    This led to the end of the meeting as most did not wish to stir the already heavy mood in the room. They clearly knew what Eldrian was hinting at and did not say. They wanted to argue, yet they knew they had no validity to argue. Anything they said would only prove him right all the more.


    Eldrian left not long after and decided to pay Erik a visit. He was not in a rush to log in again. Not after thest experience. He felt he needed some time just as himself to stabilize his perception of how he was. He also had no idea how long the system needed to fix his avatar''s soul. It having been longpleted actually.


    ...


    "Eldrian, hey." Turning to look at Erik''s arrival, Eldrian pointed for him to take a seat next to him and enjoy the view of the parkke.


    "Life is strange," Eldrian said, still trying to work through Medion''s memories. They were not clear and felt like a dream to him now, yet the effect they had had on him was ever-present.


    "Indeed," Erik sat down and sighed.


    "What''s wrong?" Eldrian asked, knowing that sigh. A sigh of feeling defeated.


    "It''s Akarui..." Erik paused as he reyed those moments in his mind. He still could not quite ept it.


    Akarui had done her best to try and find the best, the very very best flower she could. Having spent hours in search, ignoring those that had dazed her. Refusing that they were good enough.


    In the end, she had returned with a flower that seemed totally normal. It certainly seemed exotic, yet it did not appear to be magical.


    The flower she hade back with looked like an arum-lily. A single petal forming a cup wherein the seed cone of the flower rested. Completely normal, though with interesting colors. The shock on Zamia''s face though had quickly told Erik that it was not a normal flower.


    "Whe-where did you find this flower?" Zamia quickly recovered from her shock, taking the azure-colored flower and inspecting it in doubt. The inspection telling her that it was indeed what she thought, a flower she had thought had long since gone extinct.


    "It was under this tree..." Akarui exined how she had searched and searched, something telling her that she needed to look under this specific tree. Its roots were covered in moss covering the opening of a small cave. Inside, she had found plenty of the flowers. Lighting up the cave, the seed cone inside of the blue petals shining like modern lights.


    She had been slightly worried when she plucked it and the shining stopped, however, even so she had felt confident it was an amazing flower. While it might not be the prettiest when plucked, in the cave it was truly breathtaking.


    "Can you show me?" Zamia asked, the three quickly making the journey to the specific tree. Erik was shocked that she could find her way without getting lost once. Like she had always lived in the forest and knew it like the back of her hand.


    They ended up at an old moss-covered tree a short distance from the spring in the de. Though their trek had been really roundabout.


    ''A fragol tree, there aren''t many of them in the forest.'' Zamia thought as she looked at the tree and failed to realize even from so close where the entrance was. That was until Akarui mbered down to its roots and pried open the moss covering. A surge of magic suddenly filling the air and leaving Zamia stunned.


    "This..." Not having the words, not having had such a shock in years. Zamia followed Akarui in silence as she observed the moss with a new light. Shocked that they had missed it all these years, millennia in fact.


    Even more shocking, when Erik attempted to enter, the opening grew to allow him ease of ess. This left Zamia even more stunned. While dryads are intuned with nature, as an alicorn she should be far more intuned with it.


    Yet this shock was quickly ovee by what appeared before her as they moved just a few meters into the cave and round a bend. The sight of bright azure light filling the room was breathtaking. In the center was a small pool of sky blue water.


    Erik sighed again as the words that Zamia spoke next still sent shivers down his spine. "The flower is called an ice lily. It sounds so in that you would think it is a normal flower, right?"


    Eldrian didn''t reply as he was certain the question was rhetoric.


    "Ice lily... Ice... Lily..." Erik mumbled it a number of times before finally getting back on track. "I still can''t believe just how amazing this flower is supposed to be."


    "What does it do?" Eldrian asked, wondering why a cave of flowers could have left Zamia shocked. He was certain there could not be many things that would aplish that.


    "It does... It can... It is just amazing. It can be used in too many ways, when I had tried to tune myself with one of the flowers I had nearly lost consciousness."


    "What?"


    "The flood of information was just too much. The flowers aren''t singr, rather they are a collective. And that cavern was not the only one in the forest. Each gol tree seemed to have a simr cavern underneath, in fact, it seemed to be the only ce that the tree grew.


    Not one of the three nts weremon, or even just rare. The gol tree was an ancient tree that few could make use of. The wood was far harder than even mithril, the leaves soft and supple yet capable of giving those who ate it enough energy for days.


    It was considered a delicacy by the Alicorns. They would only eat it on special asions such as marriage and the birth of a new family member. Not to mention the flowers it bore only once a decade.


    Unlike most trees, they could not help the tree grow faster. Hence they always made certain to not harm it.


    The moss instead was called nulling moss. It canceled all magic, making it impossible to use observe or inspect, or to feel the magical power of the flower cavern. If one tried to inspect the moss it would give the information of being normal moss.


    It was impossible to realize its uniqueness without actually finding it hiding something''s aura. It was also impossible to find the moss even knowing what it looked like. Since it appeared just like any other moss. Yet, it was one of the most valuable nts on Gaia. Capable of being used to hide one''s information from nearly anyone.


    Even with this, the ice lily was still more valuable.


    "I can''t believe this," Zamia mumbled still unable toe to ept the sight before her. Kneeling down she scooped out some of the water. The taste sending her back to her childhood and thest invasion, the memories of her parents brought tears to her eyes.


    As they flowed down her checks the teardrops quickly turned sky blue, falling slowly through the air like a feather. Making nearly no ripples on the pond.


    This again left Zamia stunned, turning around she quickly noticed another thing she had missed. The entire cavern was magical, behind the moss covering the walls there were veins of divine metals.


    Yet this caused her no joy nor excitement, instead, it caused her all the more worry. This natural wonder was something that was best never disturbed. Their arrival was destined to destroy the beauty here.


    "So what does an ice lily do?" Eldrian asked since Erik again paused after exining the tree''s and moss''s ability to him.


    "It purifies," Erik said, the meaning lost on Eldrian.


    "Purifies what?"


    "Everything, yet... That is just if left undisturbed. If consumed it can give a person a special bloodline. If used for potions it can either be a deadly poison, or it can be turned into a revival fail. Capable of reviving people that even Zamia said she could not revive."


    "Still... Even so, its true power is purification. Yet as had happened with each discovered garden of ice lilies, people would dly sacrifice the purification for the immediate benefits."


    Eldrian sighed yet he could see why. A potion capable of reviving people that even Tier 10 magic could not, was certain to be beyond worth. It would likely be capable of bringing someone back from just a sliver of a chance.


    The poison likewise should be capable of killing even Tier 10''s then, possibly even harming legends. Eldrian had no idea what bloodline it would give someone, yet he could guess it was not something weak from the other uses.

 Chapter 372: Greed, and greeted by Mneme

    <h4>Chapter 372: Greed, and greeted by Mneme</h4>


    Naturally, Eldrian could not help but want the flower too. Wondering if it would help him manage his icy aura or what type of bloodline he might be able to gain. He even went so far as trying to convince himself by saying that by the sounds of it there was plenty to go around.


    ''And that is certainly what everyone thought as they took one for themselves.'' Eldrian countered his greed, yet it refused toy down. However, he did manage to let it sit for the moment.


    Yet as soon as he did another thought popped up, one he could not get to settle down so quick. This was getting at least one potion of revival. It constantly ate at his thoughts, yet Eldrian had no way of actually getting the potion. Having just the flower was certainly not enough.


    "What about Akarui?" Eldrian asked, curious what Zamia had ended up saying about her talent and wishing to distract himself from his greed.


    "I was truly worried too." Erik paused as he thought back to the moment after his amazement of the beauty had passed and he had realized what the discovery meant.


    "Luckily, and somewhat ironically, Akarui saved herself ording to Zamia."


    "I see, the ice lilies?" Eldrian asked and got a nod in return.


    "Yes, though it would not be enough on its own. She needs to learn how to use her mana, the cavern is so rich in mana though that it should not be hard for her to do. Zamia is currently busy remaking the cavern as a meditation space."


    "Won''t-"


    "She is doing it quietly. Only Agamemas knows at the moment, she needed his help. With time they are nning to let their young train in the cavern, but only in the one."


    Eldrian nodded and wondered if they would allow him ess to the space if he returned. Truly curious about how it would change meditation for him. If it was simr to a Magic Crystal, or maybe the opposite. Instead of pulling at his mana if it pushed more toward his spell.


    "It is actually truly lucky," Erik said after a moment of silence passed between the two. Both of them enjoying the sights the park has to offer.


    "Zamia said she will also continue to teach me. It seems that the hidden ss is basically just a weaker version of what Akarui has. Though in this case much much weaker."


    "How do they rank her talent?" Eldrian asked, havingpletely forgotten what it is called.


    "They don''t in most cases. Normally someone is just a Fysi or not, but a select few are Eri Fysii. It can be considered a higher grade of the talent."


    "And what does this mean?" Eldrian asked, his question asking both for Akarui and the difference.


    "I am not sure, Zamia did not exin further. She had only shared that Akarui is part of a very select group and that she had to focus on preparing the cave. Before it bes toote."


    Silence ruled as both took in the meaning of this. It was not a pleasant topic and Eldrian did not wish to harp on it anymore. At least not until it was confirmed that Akarui would be fine.


    Eldrian no longer wished to share what had happened with him either, feeling that Erik had enough on his mind. ''I hope it all goes well... What am I going to wake to when I log back in?''


    The two sat in silence for around an hour, talking only a little about the sights the parked offered them. Finally, they parted and Eldrian headed back to his room.


    While he did not look forward to logging in, he knew he had to. Taking a deep breath he climbed onto his seat,id down, and spoke the activation phrase after trying and failing to log in mentally.


    ''It might only work from inside?'' He thought as he fell asleep, only to wake a few secondster.


    ...


    Eldrian woke in a body riddled with pain, none of them extreme but all of them ufortable. Darkness weed him, so Eldrian cast Fos to see where he was. The spell lighting up a massive bird looking at him in curiosity.


    "Wait, I know you..." Eldrian faltered as he failed to recall from where and the smells of his surrounding started registering. Quickly he wished he did not need to breathe, casting Aeraki with hast.


    The slight breeze helped a little and gave Eldrian the clearance of mind he needed to cast Ischyros Anemos. The Tier 2 wind spell quickly got rid of the smell, but also caught a bunch of smaller rotting parts and sent them flying.


    Learning about this the hard way when a piece of flesh hit him, Eldrian quickly stopped the spell and returned to the light breeze. Bursting outughing when he turned to the Roc. All its feathered ruffled from the rough wind and covered in pieces of the most unpleasant kind.


    Eldrian did his best to stopughing after getting an unhappy stern stare from the bird. Though it still took him a few seconds. After which he finally decided to figure out where he knew this bird from, unfortunately learning its name and race did not help.


    [Roc (Mneme), Bloodline]


    [Tier 8 | Level 47]


    [...]


    [A roc, a bird from the bloodline of a phoenix, and hence its ssification as a bloodline creature. A truly magnificent creature that might be able to survive forever if given the chance.]


    [Like a phoenix it can be reborn from its ashes, however, for this to happen it must die a peaceful death. Normally, when a roc realizes it is at the end of its life it will start concentrating the magic within it to form a seed for an egg.]


    [The egg will only truly form after the roc has died, the seed of the egg setting the bird ame. The ashes from the fire will then form the shell around the seed. Which will take a few years to develop and hatch.]


    ''That seems like ackluster ability.'' Eldrian thought, though he still envied the ability to live forever. And unlike the normal situations where long life can be torture, clearly, the roc can decide at the end of its life whether it wants to be rebirthed or not.


    After thinking of this for a bit Eldrian smiled at the bird, "Mm-M-m-... Mneme, is it? Thanks for protecting me."


    The bird turned its head to the side showing that it did not understand him. ''Right... The system only trantes the nativenguage... Wait! I recall I spoke some othernguage before.''


    Saying the same sentence multiple times, Eldrian failed to get the bird to understand. Until finally he gave up and cursed the randomness of it. The area surrounding him was still covered in darkness, a mix of the mist that has slowly been lifting and night.


    It was not strange that no one had found him, Vivian was the only one looking. And she had given up in the darkness as her wounds caused her to copse.


    The others, after getting themselves treated to survive and continue on, had gone to chase the undead. This was not the only army that wasing, so doing as much damage as possible was imperative.


    For now, the ckguard has taken over in protecting the line. They were certainly spread thin, but that mattered little when the enemy was busy retreating.


    After failing to see left from right, and finding that even his map was not working. Unsure whether it was a game-like function, or if the magic was actually interfering with it. The end result regardless was that Eldrian realized he couldn''t just leave the ce he was at. Not without Mneme''s help but he had no idea how to ask her to help him out.


    In frustration and with no better idea in mind, Eldrian searched through the yer interface. He had not looked through it in ages. Especially not in detail. There were so many options in it, normally he just used a few functions and called it a day.


    The start with most of the options being blocked to him had certainly made him less reliant on it.


    ''That''s not going to help... Nor that, and why would I want this?'' Eldrian mumbled as he searched through them. While he mumbled that it would not help, he still spent a few minutes getting more familiarized with the system.


    He had long since stopped trying to record what he was doing in the game, yet he thought it might be smart to try and do so again. At worst he could review the footage, though he needed a 3rd person view for that.


    ''I see, so that is how it works. And that is how you unlock it, I should tell them it should be unlocked for me. Heck, they already use the function on me.'' Eldrian continued to talk to himself mentally as he figured out how the streamer function worked. Paying the fee with slight irritants and activating it.


    ''Ah, so that is how I see where it is capturing. How do-? That''s easy.'' Eldrian continued to mumble as he moved the ''camera'' around and got it to a top-down view. The light of Fos spreading a meter or so, quickly bing absorbed by the darkness. The sight was actually quite captivating from above.


    "Mneme, you are really big." Eldrian joked as he realized that three of him could easily fit on the bird''s back. Though he had no idea how it would be possible to sit there considering the roc''s wings.


    "Ha, why am I even thinking of that?" Eldrian mumbled as he continued to explore the system. Searching for a spot less smelly while at it, but stopping when he reached trees.


    "Let''s... Let''s just wait here." Eldrina mumbled to hispanion who had followed him. He knew he had gone to the wrong side and he had no wish to continue searching for the right direction in the dark.


    Luckily he had escaped most of the rotting smell, though it still filled the air. It was at least not as pungent here.

 Chapter 373: Wrapping up

    <h4>Chapter 373: Wrapping up</h4>


    "Where is he?" Kydone mumbled as she jumped from branch to branch. She was technically looking for Eldrian, though herck of will to go down on the ground made it far less an effective search. She was hoping her feline eyes would enable her to spot him. And this was indeed what happened.


    Jumping down shended gracefully at the edge of the light, only to jump back in haste as a massive bird pecked at her.


    "Hey! Don''t be mean!" Kydone shouted as the bird readied itself to attack again. Her shout caused it to pause as it tried to make sense of the words.


    "Kydone?" Eldrian asked and rushed between the two to show Mneme that the person was not a threat. Only after making sure that the roc would not attack again did Eldrian turn around to face his savior.


    Though he could not recall that fact, so instead of thanking her he asked what she was doing here.


    "Wha-? I came to help you!"


    Eldrian faltered as he suddenly felt quite stupid, though he still had to ask if she didn''t mean to help the kingdom.


    "Of course not. I only care about Evale, her brother, and..." Kydone paused but the meaning was clear.


    "Thanks... And I also care about you," Eldrian said, not knowing what to do. He felt like giving her a hug yet he did not think they were close enough. Instead, the two stood in awkward silence until the roc nudged Eldrian forward. Causing him to fall into an embrace.


    The two quickly split apart, but the awkward mood grew and causing Mneme to look at the two as if they were idiots. Shaking its head it felt it would never understand humans, elves made far more sense.


    After a few minutes, Eldrian overcame the awkwardness he was feeling to ask how she managed to find him.


    "I was actually just running around in the trees..." Kydone replied, feeling ashamed that she tried to im she hade to help him yet she had not even truly gone out searching for him. Quickly countering mentally that it actually worked out better, ''So it must have been the better approach!''


    Silence ruled again for a moment. Until Itireae arrived with a dwarf. She was not happy at all, the devil prince Volrak had managed to escape from the battlefield with ease. While she could certainly overwhelm him with her sword techniques and barrage of spells, she never managed tond a decisive blow.


    The difference in Tier 9 and 10 was just too much to ovee with just technique and mastery. Especially when she also did not have the advantage in gear.


    "Haru?" Itireae paused for a moment until she recalled that she had asked Mneme to go save him. The feeling she had felt finally making sense. The second one which resulted in a dwarf was still confusing her and she was nning to ask Amnur what was up with it.


    The dwarf instead froze upon seeing Eldrian. Cursing himself for deciding to go with Itireae. Yet he had not had much of an option. He was badly injured and needed her magic, yet she would not stay still to treat him. So he had to follow her until he was mostly healed at the very least.


    ''Her again...'' Eldrian froze too as he recalled how he had gone off on her thest time had seen her. ''Is she holding a grudge? Surely not... She wouldn''t have sent Mneme to protect me then, right?''


    "I see, so you were also here," Itireae mumbled and allowed Eldrian to recall how their first meeting had actually ended.


    ''Right. We ended up actually parting on decent grounds.'' Eldrian recalled and instead asked, "Have you managed to learn what loss is?"


    Freezing, Itireae turned to him with a strange look. "I have learned what it is yes."


    "But have you felt it?"


    Itireae paused and sighed, "No, I have not seeded. And part of me hopes I never will." With that, she jumped with elegance onto Mneme''s back and spoke no more of the topic.


    Nodding Eldrian did not know what else to say, luckily he did not need to. "Climb on," Itireae said, patting Mneme''s back while looking at both Eldrian and Hrothgar. The dwarf did so with little hesitation, he did not wish to ruin his mission by talking with Eldrian.


    He smiled inwardly when Eldrian did not climb onto the roc. Itireae looked at him for a moment and asked, "Why note with me? Away from all this?"


    "I have someone I need to find," Eldrian replied, turning around and heading towards the fence. The mist was finally fully lifting. Vivian, half asleep, jumped up from her slumped position against the fence when she saw the light approaching her


    Yet, without any energy she quickly started falling, Eldrian catching her as she did. ''The battlefield is really notrge.'' He thought as he considered the 250 odd meters from the fence to the forest. Granted the battle had not just happened in this space, but it was where most of it had taken ce.


    He had found his way with ease not because he was able to see, but rather because the map started working again. As such Eldrian believed it must have been a game-like function of the map system.


    "Easy there," Eldrian whispered as he let Vivian down and cast Anthise on her. The spell actually doing wondered since there was no one avable to care for those not at the edge of death.


    Kydone looked at the two a few meters back and wondered who this person was. Instead of asking, she decided to disappear and go off on her own again.


    ...


    ''The quest is still notpleted...'' Eldrian sighed as he looked at it again just to double confirm. Not even one of the goals was aplished at the moment. A fact that was quite demoralizing.


    It was not four days after the battle, two more legions have arrived and the situation was quite under control now. One legion would be stationed on the other side of Pyknos forest, ensuring that not more reinforcements could make it to the forest. The other would stay around the forest, the two often swapping to keep both of them fresh.


    In the forest the undead would all receive a significant boost, while in the open fields the centaurs could ughter the undead with ease. The Thunder legion was at the moment set as the guards of the outposts created in the forest. With the more seriously wounded stationed at the fort to rest.


    This also held for the rest of the people who were still alive. Only around half of those from Phallos who had been stationed at Pyknos forest. A fact that weighed heavy on most of them, especially Vivian.


    She was quickly recovering. The difference between yers and natives was clear in this area though. It had taken Eldrian just one log out to basically recover to full. Only the emotional toll of the battle stayed with him. Vivian instead had both the emotional toll and the physical one still on her everyday.


    Sighing, Eldrian decided to go visit Elizabeth and the others. That quest had at least beenpleted. And along with it the guild Phoenix Division had reached level 3.


    "Eldrian!" A group shouted out at his arrival, causing Eldrian to wave at them embarrassed as he entered the guild''s tent. Their status having massively risen after the battle.


    "You''re here, are you interested in a B-ranked quest?" Elizabeth asked as soon as Eldrian entered the tent. Not even needing to turn around to see who it was thanks to the shout from the yers.


    "No thanks," Eldrian said, wondering if he should ask everyone to stop using his real name. ''It doesn''t change much.'' He thought, knowing he was far more used to ''Eldrian'' than he was to being called ''Haru''.


    "Really, are you sure?" Elizabeth asked, sighing upon his confirmation. "I guess we won''t take it then."


    "Are these the options?" Eldrian asked, taking up a few of the papers. His eyes flying open in surprise.


    "The rewards are really good."


    "They are, but the difficulty is not ensured. I mean, it worked outst time but all of us died in the end."


    Eldrian nodded, having already learned of this over the past few days. He was the only yer who ended up not dying. Though it was not important as the only variable was the position being held, and the yers certainly had made a massive difference.


    Heck, Elizabeth had even gained 20 gold from their bounties alone. Though like half of that was from Eldrian''s contribution, he did not ask to bepensated. He was more than happy with the Tier 2 weapon he had gotten.


    While Aoidos is a great weapon, its inability to be repaired and size made it less than ideal. Eldrian had no idea what all he did in the fight, even after watching the video Miracle had shown him. Somehow he had managed to knock a solid 3k off the 18k it had had in the one fight.


    Yet, even so, he could not find even a single chip on the des, nor one on the shaft. As such he assumed durability was more a magic value indicating before the weapon would start being truly damaged or something simr.


    Whether this was due to how it was made, or just how higher magic tier items worked, Eldrian was unsure. He recalled clearly that Grace had taken damage while still having durability, though it was a failed magic weapon.


    The Tier 2 weapon he had gotten was a shortsword. Not much longer than his forearm the de had just one ability:? In one go.


    It was a simple ability, but quite a rare one for weapons below Tier 5. It was actually a de from someone who had died. There were designated people who cleaned the battlefield. With rewards being handed out ording to contribution.


    Eldrian was still waiting for his individual reward.

 Chapter 374: Guild talk

    <h4>Chapter 374: Guild talk</h4>


    In one go, The shortsword''s ability allowed Eldrian to use the de in a simr way to Maiden''s Purity. Only far weaker. Using it would also destroy the weapon. So it was actually quite amazing that it had survived.


    Unlike Maiden''s Purity, the spell would unleash a simple explosion. From the description, Eldrian assumed that it worked by overloading the crystal embedded in the hilt. It would work like a grenade if used.


    ''Perfect for small spaces or when I am facing someone stronger and need some space.'' Eldrian had thought when he saw the de. Most had ignored it due to it being a one-use item, if one nned to use the ability at least. It still functioned perfectly as a de, just without something snazzy to show off.


    "Then why did youe?" Elizabeth asked, quite demoralized that Eldrian did not n to do some quests with them. Though she understood that he had far too many other things to worry about. Heck, now that they were here they were quickly realizing just how hectic his days were. And naturally why he was so strong.


    The PVP matches had gotten far easier now yet they made sure to not grow too much in points. Hoping to be the darkhorse in the tourney in a few days.


    Elizabeth had asked the members to choose weapons or armor for the team and not for themselves. Those who had joined had no problem, as they knew it would be best to secure more funds for the guild, and winning the tournament was the best method for this.


    As such everyone in the team, barring Erik, had at least two magic items now, some like Judith and Ilmadia had three and four respectively.


    "I saw some interesting perks in the guild description," Eldrian said, pulling it up again, curious how to make use of it. He would much prefer to only go to the Adventurer''s guildpared to needing to search where he could even find what he wanted.


    "Oh..." Elizabeth became even more demoralized, but she went ahead and exin it all to Eldrian. Arge part of their sess was due to him so she felt they had to at least let him make use of the boons they had gotten. Even if he did not n on actively helping them reach the next levels.


    "We also had to figure it out over thest few days. Outside of our membership cap jumping to 500, we also can now get certain items, spells, and the like at a discount."


    "Yeah, the 10% and 5% discounts right?" Eldrian said, curious how to make use of it. Before, when they were still unknown and untrusted it had a markup price of 25% and 15%, hence back then it was better to not mention you were part of the guild. Or so Eldrian thought.


    Elizabeth''s exnation quickly informed him that this was not the case at all. The markups and discounts only count when using the adventurer''s guild as an intermediary.


    "You can''t just go to any random shop and expect the discount, though you might get a better one if you have done a mission for them before," Elizabeth exined, telling Eldrian that all he needed to do was head to the adventurer''s guild and exin what he wanted. They would then do their best to get it for him.


    The current limit of requests were Tier 4 still, the next level in reliability would move items to Tier 5 and the next level in trust, spells.


    "And as you know we can get up to Rank A quests now, currently we are getting them left and right. I assume it fluctuates with the need of the ce you are at, considering the realism of the game."


    Eldrian nodded and refrained from starting a debate. Knowing that it was a stupid thing to do and would just lead to creating a rift between them. Instead, he asked how the difficulty for these quests were determined.


    "That is actually quite interesting as it was something we worried about too. C-Ranked quests required a 100 Tier 1 people basically, so naturally we thought A-Ranked would be something insane like 500 Tier 3''s."


    "That''s an army," Eldrian blurted out and Elizabeth nodded in agreement.


    "Right, that would be insane. So we asked and got quite the confusing reply." Elizabeth paused for dramatic buildup, for some strange reason that escaped Eldrian. "A-Rank quests rather require 300 Tier 2 people."


    "What''s the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 though?" Eldrian asked, in such numbers the difference in Tiers should not mean much. Especially when just one magic item could jump someone past the strength of someone a Tier higher.


    Naturally, the numbers were still really high, what was strange was that Tier 2 was eptable. It would have made more sense if it was 100 Tier 3.


    "It isn''t really about the Tier." Elizabeth countered, "Rather, or so the person exined to me, it is about the fact that Tier 2 people should be more experienced and better equipped."


    "That makes sense."


    "Yeah, but it is still strange. I mean the numbers are guidelines more than certainty. Heck, if we had had 300 yers for the quest we did it would have been much easier. The attack might also not havended on our section."


    "Strength really does not mean so much for the quests it seems. Rather, it is having enough members to not be overwhelmed. Though I assume this changes as the strength difference between Tiers grow."


    Eldrian nodded as he thought about it. Truly, if they had had 300 people of Tier 2. Meaning they at least knew how to fight and at worst had decent normal weapons. It certainly would have made the days leading up to therge battle far easier.


    "Anything else?"


    "Yeah, one massive difference is we are now getting paid 1 gold every month. Though we do need toplete a certain amount of quests to maintain our level."


    "That isn''t much though," Eldrianmented, 1 gold would not even get you a top-quality normal grade weapon. Not to mention magic gear.


    "It isn''t, but it is far better than needing to pay 50 silver. On top of that, we can also rent a barracks for our guild in Kynigo. Unfortunately, our trust level is linked to the area where we havepleted quests. So we are bound to the city now."


    Nodding Eldrian asked if she already had any ns for a headquarters.


    "God''s no. We don''t even have a 100 members, thinking of renting a building would just put us back in the red."


    "Can''t the gold you get each month pay for it?" Eldrian asked, Elizabeth quickly shaking her head no.


    "Maybe... But for now, it would be better to first arm everyone with magical grade equipment."


    "One gold won''t make any difference there," Eldrian said, recalling the cost of the armor he currently wore. The pauldron, gauntlet, and chestte havinge up to a grand total of 35 gold. Not even a full set, though granted they weren''t all Tier 1. Still, even just a Tier 1 set would cost around 50 gold in total.


    Elizabeth nodded as this was indeed a frustration of the guild. The rewards had been truly generous, much more so than if they would have been given gold. The problem rather was that their selection had been limited. They couldn''t ask for custom weapons nor armor, they had to take what was avable.


    "What about the emblems to exchange for gold, did any of you get a quest rting to that?" Eldrian asked, recalling just how good they were.


    "We did, but you don''t get them for killing a few weaker undead. The quest we got has this ridiculous task of finding hidden undeadirs. How are we even supposed to survive long enough for that?" The question was rhetorical, Eldrian replying they didn''t need to survive certainly did not help.


    "You know that is not what I meant!"


    "I know, but it might be a good way to make some more money."


    "No, the rewards won''t be worth the XP cost. Especially since we would only get 50 silver for each discovery, but we might die multiple times to find just oneir."


    "Fair enough," Eldrian nodded and changed the subject back to how to make use of the perks. "So I just go to the Adventurer''s guild and ask them for the spells I want? I get the 5% discount just like that?"


    "You will need to confirm your membership first, right..." Summoning a small emblem Elizabeth handed it to him. It was simr to the emblems Eldrian got forpleting the goals of the Cleanse the Forest quest. Only instead of being a sword and shield its design was much moreplicated.


    Two spreading wings seemingly ame forming a heart in the center.


    "That should make it far easier, I already activated it you only need to now imprint it."


    "How?" Eldrian asked as he inspected the emblem like he had done the ones before.


    "Like you equip items of course," Elizabeth exined, Eldrian nodded and look in the interface for a message, finding it when he headed to the guild tab.


    [Do you wish to imprint the Phoenix Division Emblem? Doing so will give you the title of a guild member.]


    ''Oh, you get a title too?'' Eldrian wondered, saying yes after just a little bit of thought. "I didn''t know you get a title for doing this."


    "Yeah, but it is basically useless. Most of us had it deactivated since we were just level 1. I heard that it actually starts getting useful atter levels, though at that point most NPCs know of the guild already."


    "Heard?" Eldrian questioned, Elizabeth quickly exining how guilds were not just a yer thing. Theirs were just a bit more,plicated than that of the natives. Generally, NPC guilds would rather be called mercenary, adventurers, explorer, etc groups.


    Only yers had the fixed term of being a guild, though actually they were also seen as a group under the Adventurer''s guild. Just like the NPC guilds. The only true guilds were either those famous throughout kingdoms, or organizational guilds like the Adventurer''s guild that spread throughout empires.


    All others are actually just affiliates under the organizational guilds. Their titles were determined by the branch they decided to sign up with.

 Chapter 375: Ordering a backlog of spells to learn

    <h4>Chapter 375: Ordering a backlog of spells to learn</h4>


    Eldrian talked a bit more with Elizabeth after figuring out how to make use of the benefits. Arge part of which was her trying to convince him to join them for a quest. Eldrian however wanted to take it easy for a few days or weeks.


    All the rushing of things had finally caught up to him. Losing himself had scared him, he did not wish to push himself to the edge again. It also did not feel like the quest was in danger of failing, and if it was he knew there was nothing he could do to change it.


    The quest goals were simply insane. He might be able to help in finding the source of the corruption, maybe he might find a way to stop it or cleanse it. Though he doubted it.


    Helping the army hold the forest was not something he could make a difference in, nor had he any idea how he was supposed to save the king. Or even if the king really needed saving.


    Regardless of all this, the biggest reason why Eldrian wanted to take it slow was thest goal. ording to the system he was still being targetted and recalling how Andreas had been a devil, Eldrian dared not leave the camp.


    It was the only ce he felt confident he would not be stabbed in the back. He couldn''t even teleport away since the camp had no temple.


    He now always used mana sense to ensure he never got tricked by a devil. He had no idea if it would work as he had yet to discover anyone. Still, being able to see their information as well as their mana flow, Eldrian felt it should find out most of them.


    He had be far more uncaring about how it was considered rude, especially once Eldrian realized that most people wouldn''t know he was inspecting them. Mana sense seemed to be far harder to detect than Observe, so far no one had even looked at him strangely when using it.


    Leaving the tent, Eldrian headed to the Adventurer''s guild''s. Arge in tent.


    As always the Adventurer''s guild made sure to have representation wherever something big was going on. Those in the tent were all Tier 5 or 6 to ensure their own safety. Eldrian took this in and noted that no one seemed suspicious before turning to the right counter.


    Like their normal setup they had two counters. One to get drinks at, and another to get quests at. Eldrian headed to the second, though for a moment he was pulled to the former.


    "How can I help you?" A centaur with a graying coat and a pure white goatee asked.


    "I would like to order some spells," Eldrian said, handing his new guild emblem to the man.


    "What type of spells are you looking for?"


    "Anything good against the undead," Eldrian replied.


    "Of course, up to what Tier?"


    "Three, but don''t ignore Tier 1 and 2."


    "Certainly, as this is pertaining to the task of defending ournds the spells will be free. However, you will need to pay them off after the threat has gone."


    "Excuse me?" Eldrian didn''t expect them to just give him the spells. While it was dumb asking for payment before arming people, he had thought they would stick with it.


    "It is a unique perk of being a registered adventurer''s group. As you are a Chosen I assume you did not know this. Lone adventurers must always pay since we have no way to hold them ountable to staying and fighting."


    "However, for registered groups, their reputation is linked to them fulfilling their mission and keeping their word. Now, let''s see where the spell list is. Spells against the undead are quite the hot topic."


    Heading off the centaur asked a few of his colleagues until one handed him a stack of papers. Not many, probably less than ten. However, instead of heading back the centaur repeated this till he got two more stacks. Finally, he headed back to the waiting Eldrian.


    "Here you are, take your time. The name and description of the spells are on the pages. Each page is dedicated to the field that the spell is under."


    "Field?"


    "Creation, Destruction, Healing, etc. Spells are also kept together ording to the main element, so you will find spells that are fire rted, be it just fire or a fire-hybrid spell grouped together."


    Nodding Eldrian found himself a seat and started to read through the list. He wanted to find a few holy spells, though he was unsure if he would be able to ever learn them. He had never managed to feel holy mana, if that was even a thing. He felt it was.


    Looking through the pages Eldrian found that most of the spells were fire or nature-rted. A few wind spells were also added as were a few ice and earth spells. There were no holy spells to his disappointment.


    ''Wait, that is an interesting one. How does it work?'' Eldrian paused as he found the one and only light spell on the list. Naturally, his first thought was that light must be the next best thingpared to holy. However, he quickly recalled that things were never so simple.


    ''Still, it would be good to pick up. Right, so.'' Pulling up the system note taking application, Eldrian made a list of all the spells he wanted. Heading back he quickly shared them with the centaur.


    Spells at Tier 3 were still very limited in their diversity and use, Eldrian hoped that learning more would allow him to get a better grips on how he could alter spells. This was certainly the next step he needed to go for.


    He had learned how to control his mana, thereafter he had learned how to control his spells through controlling his mana. Then he had learned how to alter the spells through the magic abyss, yet he had never learned how to directly control and alter his spells.


    ''While I want to take it slow, I don''t want to do nothing.'' Eldrian thought as the centaur looked at him in astonishment.


    "Are you sure? The totales up to 2 gold." The old centaur''s astonishment was not the amount of gold, but how many spells were needed to get to that amount.


    Spells and skills were certainly cheaper than weapons, and it was even more marked down with the war. Items could only be marked down so much before they reach the lowest point. Where the cost would just equal the material cost.


    Spells instead were pure profit. Price was usually only attached to them to lock people into an organization, or to provide funds for an organization. With the aim being to control who could learn what. Since if everyone had ess to something possibly dangerous, then it would be near impossible to keep order.


    Naturally, this held more during peace than in war times. In war times keeping order was not as important as not losing. Hence sacrifices could be made.


    To get to the total cost of 2 gold Eldrian had picked over half of all the spells on each page in each pack. It was far more than he could learn, and the centaur''s astonishment came from the fact that even a Greatmage (Tier 6) would take months to learn even just a quarter of this number.


    "Yes, I might not actually learn all of them, but I want to learn how each should work. I hope theye with such descriptions."


    "Apologies, what we provide is only the spell module with basic instruction on how to use the spell effectively. Not the theory behind the spell."


    "Is there no way to add it?" Eldrian asked in hopes that it was possible.


    "I can see what I can do. It will take longer-"


    "Can you then first give me the spells as you nned, and thenter give me the theory behind them? Also, can you possibly give me a few divine spells?"


    "I can do the first, but not thetter. Divine spells are locked behind their god, to learn and cast it you must either receive the blessing of the god or your faith must be strong enough to connect you to them."


    "Can''t you get me a few divine spell modules regardless?" Eldrian asked, he did not really n to learn the spells. He more wanted to figure out the difference in how it was cast.


    "I can try," The centaur said with slight hesitation. The only reason he gave in was because Eldrian was a high elf. While Eldrian had chosen to hide his titles, him being a Tier 3 high elf was impressive. Especially since everyone knew they had only been here for a few months.


    Thanking the centaur and getting his name before going, Eldrian couldn''t wait till the spells arrived. ording to Hermes, it would take two days to gather all the spells.


    With a smile Eldrian started practicing his spear routine out of habit. Going through the simple basic moves allowed his mind to wander while his body got in good exercise.


    When mind-wandering became boring he would start casting spells while going through his routine. Eldrian''s aim was to have his mind detached from his body. To be able to attack and defend while he focused on attacking or defending with his spells.


    This was naturally really hard, and maybe even impossible. It wasn''t hard to split his focus, but Eldrian didn''t want to split it. He hoped that he could act through instinct while casting spells.

 Chapter 376: In the background

    <h4>Chapter 376: In the background</h4>


    A dwarf, covered in blood stood atop arge rock looking at the retreating army. Fighting his will to chase them and kill more. Fighting the anger and burning hatred that filled every fiber of his being. Fighting the will of his axe thirsting for blood.


    Behind him stood a line of blood and sweat soaked warriors, breathing heavily and near copse. The fighting had continued for days on end.


    "Boran..." Firhin, themander of the army carefully called out to their newly promoted lord. They had yet to hold a proper enthronement ceremony. It was not needed though. All the dwarves had epted him as their new lord already.


    "Make camp, we shall push further tomorrow." The blood-soaked dwarf said, while he was covered in blood from beard to boot, his axe gleamed happily in the light of the few mes on the battlefield.


    The axe appeared like a vicious beast, and to all those who had seen it in action it felt like it too. Like a demon it seemed to smile in the dark, absorbing all the blood that it came into contact with it like a vampire.


    Boran''s armor was pitch ck, if not for him being covered in blood it would be hard to see him. Strangely, his left arm had no armor. Instead, it shined blue in the dark, appearing like the scales of a dragon.


    "We shouldn''t... The other cities-"


    "If we do not push thempletely back, they will just return once we turn around." Boran countered, looking towards their home as he realized that their ancestor hase.


    He ignored this calling and turned back towards the dark of the cavern where the kobolds had retreated into. "We move again tomorrow!"


    ...


    A few days had passed and Eldrian had gotten his spells, along with this the tourney was about to start. During the past few days, he had continued to practice diligently, but he dared not leave the camp. He had this feeling that he was being observed, yet he could not find by whom.


    "That''s enough, take a break," Vivian said as she came out of her tent. She was almost back to top strength, yet the scars of the fight were clearly visible. And not just the physical ones. Her eyes were hidden under dark bags that seemed to grow by the day.


    "It is never enough, not until I seed," Eldrian replied as he struck again. He had not just drilled in the basics, he had also learned a few more of the Grigora skills. Trying to master them through technique and not magic.


    With each new skill he managed to properly perform without magic, the more he felt the world of fighting grew. Each time he learned a new method of using his spear as an extension of himself, he also learned a new way to use his spells.


    Like a petal falling, he moved gracefully from one movement to the next. As each surge in wind would carry the petal elsewhere, so did each other movement carry Eldrian.


    He was now able to instantly cancel one movement and turn to another. Yet, when doing so he could not divert his attention to spells. This was his worry and focus.


    "I get that, but you still need to rest." Vivian said, jumping into his space and forcing him to stop. Instead, he moved around her like it was nned,nding his hit where he had envisioned for it tond.


    "Enough! At leaste and eat something!"


    Smirking, Eldrian finally stopped. Not because Vivian had shouted but rather because he had managed to blend the skills together.


    Yet, instead of doing as she asked he started dual casting Frost Needle while keeping his mana sense active. Following the flow of mana he made the two icicles dance as he tried to cast a third. While he failed, he did manage to keep the two dancing icicles from hitting each other as well as from breaking from his control.


    "Eldrian! Stop it!"


    Sighing, Eldrian did just that. Recalling the scene when one of the yers had called out to him whilst training and Vivian had overheard it. It had taken some time to exin to her that it was his real name and that most Chosen had chosen fake names for this world.


    "Alright, but only a short break," Eldrian said, letting the two icicles swan dive into the ground right next to each other. One thing he had learned he needed to practice was his aim with two spells.


    With one it was easy to get them tond where he wished, but with two it quickly became much harder. If he focused too much on one, then those instructions (or thoughts if you will) would interfere with the second. Causing it to stray from its target.


    Smiling at Vivian''s anger, Eldrian followed her to the tent. She had prepared quite a hearty meal. The meat came from the supplies that were shared with everyone in the camp, the herbs came from gathering around the camp.


    Eldrian had been opposed to her going out. However, she did not take his warnings to heart. She doubted something would happen so close to camp when it was so busy. And so far she had been correct.


    "Do you have room for a third?" Kydone asked, having made a habit of joining the two for dinner since two days ago. At first, she had just wanted to say hi, but after smelling the wonderful aroma she had quickly asked for a te. Now she made sure to not skip a day.


    While she liked being alone, she missed hanging out with Evale who was constantly fighting. Kydone certainly did not wish to fight, she hated it. While she was worried for her friends and would go with her in the shadows every other day, she spent the rest of the time just rxing.


    Smiling, Vivian gave Kydone a te just as she asked. "Of course we do, but stop just appearing out of nowhere."


    "I''m don''t! It isn''t my fault you can''t see me walking towards you."


    Laughing at the scene, Eldrian enjoyed the food while thinking of how he was going to solve his problem.


    ''I still don''t get how I should change my approach on controlling the spells. It feels so naturally doing it as I am doing... Is it even really what I need to focus on?''


    ...


    Waking up IRL, Eldrian quickly finished his normal morning routine. Chatting a bit with via and the others while eating and then going for a run. Meditating under his special tree that was now flowerless, and then returning for the matches for the day.


    Only, today it was not just the normal matches. As such, everyone met up in Elizabeth''s virtual home ahead of time.


    Upon arriving Eldrian admired the decorations once again before heading to greet the others in the training grounds area.


    "What are the ns?" Zyviss asked once everyone had arrived. They all felt much more optimistic for theing fights. With everyone now having a good weapon and plenty of experience, they felt they had a true shot.


    "Same as normal, we will stay together for the start and then fight as is suited to each of our styles. We aren''t some kind of army that knows perfectly how to maintain a line or something. Instead, we know each other and how we fight, and where we need help. So let''s help when we can, and hold out when we need help."


    Everyone nodded to Elizabeth''s ''n''. Even after all this time it was true that they couldn''t really fight together. They had never practiced how to and trying to imitate what they had first done back when they first formed the team would be dumb.


    Everyone had an idea of what the others could do, all they needed to do was do their best and adapt.


    "Also, I asked for a grasnd for our match. Our opponents instead had asked for a rocky outcrop. This means we are likely fighting at least one or two mages focused in earth magic. Archers or rogues are also very likely as the ce is perfect for hide and seek fighting."


    A collective sigh filled the air as this was one of the styles their group hated most.


    ...


    "Why do you still insist that helping him will alter his path?" Tovack asked, he was currently not in his armor, making the wound across his face visible for all to see. A terrible scar that had robbed him of his sight. Inflicted many years ago yet impossible to repair due to the enemy that had inflicted it.


    "Because for someone to reach our level he must grow without us changing his path."


    "I still do not understand how giving someone help will alter their path. Is it not up to them to determine their way through all that life gives and takes? Is that not what you had told me when I was first blinded and at the edge of no return?"


    "It isn''t the same?"


    "And why not? You offered me a way to continue being a service to my family. You gave me a reason to continue living. Yet, it was my blood and sweat that made it possible. It was my will that pushed me through those dark days. To allow me to grasp dynamic magic, to be able to see through it."


    "Yet you are now stuck at this level." Amnur countered, only for Tovack to counter even fast.


    "Why do you say I am stuck? I am constantly still improving. Sure, I do not see myself breaking through Tier 10 before the end of my life. Be it at the end of a de or age. But, it does not mean I can''t still grow, that I can''t still create my own way. My own legacy."


    "We can''t risk it, we are in dire need of more legends. While I can contest against the devil kings, I will have a hard time escaping from the Devil Emperor."


    "And you think this new candidate would stand a better chance? Only Athtar can contend with the Devil Emperor, whypare yourself to them?"


    "Because..." Amnur paused as he thought of all the time that has passed yet those memories which stayed as bright as day. The burning mes that kept him sane and focused on improving. His inspiration for his crafts.

 Chapter 377: The cancelation round

    <h4>Chapter 377: The canction round</h4>


    Amnur sighed, he did not wish to air out his past and certainly he did not want to get into arge debate with Tovack. Tovack''s next question was also not one he could refute, and it linked perfectly with his first statement.


    "Does not each person you meet alter your path in life?" Tovack asked, from which he went ahead and exined how each teacher could adjust your way, how each enemy could change your perception or be your end. How each friend could lead you astray or save you from yourself.


    "You all think that he will blindly do as you say, but that is not how teaching works. You might have forgotten with all the years."


    "We, your abyssal guard, while we follow your teaching and orders. We still forge our own way, it is our choice to serve. You might have altered our paths, yet you cannot say that you stole our choice."


    ...


    The group spawned on a grasnd to their relief. Across from them in the distance stood another group of 8, their enemies seemed to be four mages and four rogues though it was hard to tell from the distance. A strangebination, but not one that could stand a chance against team Phoenix.


    Their opponents seemingly knew this too as they realized that they had lost the coin toss. Yet they did not give up immediately. All those who were part of the tourney were some of the strongest yers (A total of 2024 yers out of the 10M plus). Naturally, they did not want to be eliminated in their first fight.


    The tournament was quite kind in giving the losers a chance, but not in the first round. There was a reason this part of it was called the canction fights. All those who lost would have no chance ofing back. Thepany had not expected that 253 teams would make it into the legend rank, so this canction round was added to weed through them quicker.


    In the next rounds there would always be a loser bracket, which will fight for the top 4 spots. The top 4 would then be allowed to challenge anyone in the winner bracket for their spot. Those fights would also have a set time which the teams must attend.


    While thepany promised to do their best to allocate both team''s best time, naturally it was not so easy when dealing with things internationally.


    The two teams stared each other down and slowly moved closer. Naturally, the 250X250-meter arena was massive, and of course, their fight had no viewers. While it was being streamed no one would be interested in watching a few nobodies fight.


    Most people were following those who were in the top ten. If it was not one of those teams then they would rather get on with their lives. Especially with these 126 fights that were going to be spread out over a week.


    Smirking, Eldrian felt quite confident he could handle every one of their opponents. As was expected they were all Tier 3, however, none of them even had 1 magic item. Their gear was not crappy, it was Tier 4 and 5 normal grade. However, none of them wore te. The only thing that Eldrian was not quite efficient in dealing with. However, he was quickly bing better.


    While he wanted to charge forward and have some fun, Eldrian held himself back. That was until both teams were around 50 meters from each other. The point where archers and mages could attempt to attack.


    And that was what happened. Those proficient in closebat charged forward while those proficient in long-range let loose their attacks.


    Eldrian himself rushed forward with glee, as soon as he neared his opponents he summoned two icicles which moved faster than the rogues could follow. Before they could react they had died, and Eldrian was already on the other just as fast.


    Normally, in the other fights, he had let his team do most of the fighting most of the time. However, now that they were in the official tournament Eldrian saw no reason to hold back.


    As such anyone without decent armor stood no chance. Eldrian''s spells were simply too urate, and when cast when just a few meters from the opponent, they had no time to react and dodge.


    "No fair!" Judithined, arriving just a second or two after Eldrian yet all the rogues were dead. Of the mages, there were just two left and Zyviss was putting a great deal of pressure on them. So much that Ilmadia and Erik could rain down spells. Wearing them down and killing them a few secondster.


    "This is the real deal now," Eldrian countered, "It will be best if we no longer take it easy."


    "You''re one to talk." Elizabeth scolded as they returned to her virtual home. The fight had ended in a few seconds after the two teams got close enough. "You were the one taking it easy, not us."


    "Guilty, but I was busy with other things," Eldrian replied, causing an irritating twitch to stir in Elizabeth. Taking a deep breath she tried to calm down. Eldrian''s reply reminding her of how he kept refusing to go on quests with them.


    While she understood that he had that strange quest, she felt he needed to go out if he wanted toplete it. Eldrian instead had countered that doing nothing would also snub whoever was aiming for his life.


    Naturally, what Elizabeth failed to understand and what Eldrian did not feel he could share was that him dying would not just be a normal issue of a yer dying. The person after him certainly had some type of soul attack.


    However, Eldrian did not feel it would be right for him to bring this to the light of all yers. It would cause panic, especially with yers only now starting to get their footing and being able to actually participate in quests efficiently. Learning that all their work can be taken from them would be a massive blow.


    Naturally then, she could not understand why he was so unwilling to risk it when he had risked far more before. She failed to understand that Eldrian had only done so because Vivian had been fighting.


    Now at least she was given time to recover and would not be forced back into the battle for some time more. Especially since the healers were stretched so thin and her natural healing would now sh with that of most healers.


    "Good thing you''re on our team." Zyvissmented with pride, for the first time he had the second most kills. The developers had actually added a nice feature to track who did what. Giving them a list of their contributions.


    Naturally, the listing wascking as it only tracked the yer''s stats. It would not count something such as blocking an attack for a friend, or even taking an arrow for them.


    "No kidding, I don''t think any yer can stand up to him anymore. How do you keep bing stronger so quickly?" Therdul asked, naturally by the time he had reached the ''fight'' the match was already over. He had neglected agility and that along with his short stature as a dwarf meant he was by far the slowest in the team.


    "What do you mean? You guys have seen me practicing." Eldrian countered innocently, causing Nikki and Ilmadia tough their asses off as Therdul suddenly became beet red.


    They recalled when the dwarf had tried to follow Eldrian''s routine. Only to end up exhausted by the time for brunch. Yet Eldrian continued without break till lunch, and only lunch. He never spent any time on other things. He was like some sort of machine.


    "Right, in any case that is it for the week," Elizabeth announced, shocking the rest. Questions of whether she was sure and if they didn''t have another match quickly springing up.


    "No, this is just the canction round remember. They only added it to weed out the teams since there were too many. It is also why it is not properly streamed, yet. Coming next week there will be a fight each day until we get to the finals."


    "Right, how does that work again?" Eldrian asked, not having bothered to read up on the tournament. He had lost nearly all interest in it. While the prize would still be weed, with Erik having found a way out the gold no longer interested him as much.


    Sure, it would allow him to fully equip himself, that however would only make so much of a difference. The true limiting factor was not his gear but rather his skills. Naturally, gear would enhance his strength, but it couldn''t bridge the gap he felt there was.


    A perfect example of this was against the ghoul and vampire. No gear would have allowed him to keep up to their speed. Nor would anything have managed to block the ghoul''s ws. Though it might have helped against the vampire.


    He certainly did not want to rely on his aura of wrath again. It had sounded so amazing and overpowered, yet failing to recall what had happened even now left a shadow in his heart. The strength boost might be amazing, but losing himself was far more terrifying than he felt it was worth.


    "Well, it is a pyramid-type tournament. The 128 teams that got through the canction will be randomly sorted and then fight for their ce. With the losers of each bracket forming their own bracket and then vying for the top spots so they can challenge the winners of the previous rounds..." Elizabeth started exining how their next week would look, asking everyone to make sure they would be avable any time of the week.


    They would just get 1 day''s notice of their next matches'' time. In total, the fighting wouldst 12 days. With each team fighting in 6 of the days.

 Chapter 378: A match with a streamer

    <h4>Chapter 378: A match with a streamer</h4>


    With their matchpleted everyone slowly left Elizabeth''s virtual home. Standing up, Eldrian decided to go for a rxed walk before his next match. He had just barely managed to scrape into the individual spear matches'' required rank.


    Unlike the two main categories, these sidepetitions were far more forgiving.


    Eldrian didn''t think he was going to actually make it far, but he still wanted to participate as much as he could. So, around two hourster he returned and logged in for the fight.


    Unlike the team match, this arena was a 100x100 meter field. Also, there was no choosing the field since everyone was using the same weapon in these fights. Both of them spawned in a grasnd with short-kept grass. The arena appearing more like a training ground than anything else.


    Looking at his opponent around 50 meters away, Eldrian sighed as he realized that his stats were still reduced and he had no ess to magic as always. The queer feeling made him wonder if these arenas were somece different, possibly more like the virtual homes than the game.


    He could not contemte on this for as long as he wanted. Unlike the team matches and the free-for-all individual ones, there were no canction rounds. Instead, it was immediately to business. Meaning even if he lost he would still have a chance to win if he coulde out on top in the loser bracket.


    Naturally, Eldrian didn''t want to go through that. He was most certainly going to give his all, however, he realized a crucial fact. While he had managed to be used to his real body and his avatar (No longer feeling disconnected from either), he had stopped training IRL.


    Just a few practice swings confirmed this to him again, not that it was something he wasn''t aware of. He just hadn''t cared for it during thest matches. All he had wanted was to stay in a high enough rank, which was not too hard as long as he did not get matched with those truly proficient with spears.


    Luckily, not everyone decided to be a spear user. Nor did very many have real-life training in polearms. As such there was just a select few who basically always won their fights. The rest all scrambled for the spots behind those few.


    "You''re an elf?" His opponent asked as they both stopped around 10 meters from each other. Naturally, since there was no magic they couldn''t use observe to spy out the other race. And that was about all that using it would be able to give you in any case.


    "Yes," Eldrian replied as he gripped Aoidos and prepared for the fight. Knowing that it would be quite challenging without his aces.


    As he gripped the spear he could feel that it was not the real weapon. Something that he had never realized before, whether this was due to Miracle changing the fight locations, or just him having be much more intuned with the weapon. Eldrian was not sure.


    Yet this added anotheryer of uncertainty to his already low certainty.


    Seeing Eldrian getting his weapon ready the man sighed, "Man, don''t you want to at least tell me who you are before we start fighting?"


    "Why?" Eldrian asked with a frown as he got into the defensive stance of the Grigora technique. Just doing so he already felt the awkwardness of not having practices IRL or in his virtual home.


    "Come on, this is supposed to be a show!" The man in front of him said with sad annoyance. "How am I supposed to get any viewers if you just want to get straight into the fight?"


    "You''re a streamer?" Eldrian asked while contemting if he should strike while the man was defenseless. Not having even taken his weapon out of whatever inventory they had in this space.


    Again, Eldrian assumed it was simr to the one used for Virtual homes as there too they could summon things they wanted. Though not at will, there was a fee for doing so if one wanted to really go crazy.


    Naturally, he also had his armor on. Strangely, he did not feel weird with it being on him. He had grown so used to the pieces since he always wore them in the game.


    The man in front of him also had some armor, though not anything amazing. He had a leather chestte as well as two metal gauntlets.? "Yeah, though I''m not a big shot. Call me Ash."


    "Eldrian," Eldrian replied, wondering just when Ash was going to start the fight. When Ash started asking him what type of elf he was and how he felt about the game Eldrian quickly lost his patience.


    "Let''s just fight. We are here to fight, not to meet new people."


    "That might be true for you, but not for me." Ash quickly countered, "You can never have too many connections. But you are right, we are here to fight."


    Saying that Ash finally took out his spear. An elegant... Polearm, with a curious design covering the metal shaft. The back de had a crescent-moon-shaped de, while the front had nearly no de. Just a point. The design was strange and calling it a spear might be a stretch.


    Though this was to be expected since while they had used the term spear for these matches, most polearms were eptable weapons.


    "Nice right," Ash smiled broadly as he saw Eldrian checking out his baby. "It sucks that its abilities are locked though."


    "It''s a magic weapon?" Eldrian asked with slight surprise. While yers were slowly getting their hands on what could actually be called equipment. It was still not amon thing.


    "Of course, did you think I made it into the tourney without having any skill?" Ash replied, shaking his head in a clearly staged disproving manner. He was clearly trying to put up an act for his viewers, however many that might be.


    "Let''s see," Eldrian said, suddenly charging forth. His spear aimed for Ash''s heart.


    "Let me show you!" Ash shouted back as if he was in an anime, countering with the backend of his weapon and trying to control Eldrian''s spear with the crescent de.


    Eldrian smiled as he saw this, suddenly changing direction. Stepping to the side and making the thrust a wound up overhead strike. Ash did not let him down though, quickly bringing his spear up and using the shaft to absorb the strike.


    "Not bad, now let''s-" Before he could continue he found that Eldrian had let his spear slip through his hands to regrip it higher up on the shaft. Thrusting anew now beneath his weapon.


    "Shi-" Ash quickly tried to bring his weapon down to block, and he seeded. Though Eldrian had managed to im first blood. Jumping back the two smiled at each other as they realized that they were about on the same level.


    Naturally, Eldrian would have wiped the floor with Ash if he had his stats or just a bit of magic. However, without his aces he found himself a good match. Smiling Eldrian shouted teasingly at Ash, "Nice block!"


    Ash smirked hearing the reply, "I didn''t think you would be so good. Now, let''s see if you can keep up with this!"


    Eldrian smiled and charged forward too, not one to sit out on the fun. He quickly lost himself in the absurdity of their fight. While their attacks were solid, as were their defenses. Their teasing and taunting were childish. Yet that was what Eldrian enjoyed the most of it all.


    It felt like they were truly fighting just to enjoy the fight, instead of having a deathmatch.


    "Come on, I am sure your viewers must be embarrassed for you," Eldrian shouted as he let Ash''s thrust nce over his pauldron. Stepping in close and throwing a punch. The look of surprise on Ash''s face made him smirk in joy as he imed victory.


    The punch had sent Ash reeling back. While he had not lost his footing, he had also not repaired his stance before Eldrian''s spear thrust through his side. Going through the gap that he had found in the armor. Where the leather armor connected with the straps, near the shoulder.


    The attack was not a fatal wound. Yet, from it, Ash''s defeat was written. The wound basically disabled his left arm, and while he could wield his weapon with one hand, there was no way he could keep up with Eldrian doing so.


    "I yield!" Ash shouted just as Eldrian was about tond another strike. This time on his thigh. "Man! Eldrian you seriously have some skill." Ash sighed as he mumbled how it sucked being defeated in his first math.


    "Thanks, you too," Eldrian replied, just barely managing to stop his attack.


    "Hey, why don''t you add me as a friend?" Ash asked as a counter appeared in both of their vision. Informing them that they only had 30 seconds left before being removed from the arena.


    "Sure," Eldrian smiled as he received a friend request from Ash.


    "See you around then, hope I can beat the loser bracket," Ash said as he disappeared. Eldrian following soon after.


    Waking up Eldrian felt strange about what had just happened. After a bit of contemtion, he sighed and mumbled, "That is how a game is supposed to be. Purply fun, no pressure. Just going at it and acting like a child... s..."


    The realization did not make Eldrian wish that ANW was less real. More than anything it reinforced just how much it was not a game to him. However, it also informed Eldrian of how he could have some fun in the future.


    PvP matches were confirmed to be a stable thing in the future. Eldrian couldn''t wait for it. For when he could randomly match with anyone and just have fun fighting to his heart''s contentment without any worry.


    Without worrying about winning or losing. Without worrying about someone being hurt or even dying. Without worrying about progress. Just having fun.

 Chapter 379: Having fun sparring

    <h4>Chapter 379: Having fun sparring</h4>


    A few more days passed wherein Eldrian continued to simply practice like a madman. Doing his individual matches every second day, with the day after each bracket being reserved for the loser bracket. The top 4 would be able to join normal matches on the next day again.


    Unlike the big categories, they did not need to choose someone to fight. Instead, reaching the top 4 allowed them to get back in immediately.


    Ash had actually managed to do just that, or so he had bragged to Eldrian the day after his defeat. Only to get kicked out again the next day and this time not make it back in. To which he waspletely down, and no amount of teasing had made him feel better.


    Ultimately, all that helped was his viewers encouraging him that he would get it next time. Many with honest feedback, even if they were no spear users themselves. Their concern and care had quickly gotten Ash to take on a quest to take his mind off his defeat.


    This was not all that Eldrian had been doing. When Vivian finally felt up to sparring, the two did just that. Only, instead of taking it as seriously as he normally would, Eldrian made sure to keep their fight light-hearted.


    He was still slower and weaker than her, however, the difference was no longer that great. At least this was true for speed. Eldrian actually broke their agreed-upon rules and used enhancement skill on himself. A skill he had grown extremely fond of as soon after he had discovered it in the Grigora manual.


    It was an enhancement skill called Augment. Skills were truly strange, Eldrian hade to learn this fact over the past few days.


    Spells at least were understandable, they would always do something magical. With it clearly being seen as a magical ability. A fireball appearing from thin air, suddenly healing wounds as if they never happened, transforming the very earth.


    Skills instead were much more subversive. Sure, there were a few skills that were shy, however, Eldrian had yet to learn even one of those types. He had actuallye to learn that most of those were actually weapon abilities.


    The skills he had learned were basically something that could be done without magic. And that was indeed how he learned them.


    This Augment skill however, there was no way to learn it without magic. It felt more like a spell, yet it still required physical acts. Something that Eldrian was still not used to.


    Tensing up the muscles in his arm, Eldrian prepared for the iing strike while sending Augment to increase his strength. Sending the skill to that part of his body solely. Unfortunately, while he was not much slower than Vivian, he was still far weaker.


    The hit caused him to stumbled back and nearly lose his footing, to counter this Eldrian changed where he was focusing Augment. Sending it to his legs and improving both his speed and strength. It allowed him to recover by the time Vivian was on him, and to dodge the next strike.


    "No fair! You''re cheating!" Vivian shouted as her strike missed, Eldrianughing as he shifted Augment to his arms again. Vivian blocking the strike with ease, but not when Eldrian suddenly spun around.


    Dodging the backward thrust and blocking the spinning sweep, Vivian smiled as she realized she still had the upper hand.


    "I am just trying to equalize things," Eldrian replied as he jumped back and prepared another strike. Again shifting where Augment was helping him bridge the gap.


    It should be clear that he was not using the skill as most would use it. After memorizing the skill and seeding in using it, Eldrian had followed along the way his mana reacted and moved.


    Where he struggled to maintain control in spells due to them being outside of him, he learned it was far easier to maintain total control with skills. His mana never left him, it only clumped, reacted, and then acted in a set manner.


    He still needed to go through the step of activating it through the normal methods, but after that he would hijack his own skill and takeplete control of it. Naturally, this was not ideal. But it worked. It also got him his second Rank 3 skill, this being his first Tier 3 skill at that.


    Oh yeah, he also reached Tier 3 in melee. The reward of which was 20 more constitution and strength, 10 agility, and 5 spirit. Along with a massive increase in health, bringing his HP to 361 (From 279, an increase of 82 points). He also got a good boost in stamina, bringing it to 412 points (From 349, an increase of 63 points).


    The bonus in stamina actually became crucial now that Eldrian was starting to really dive into skills. While they did cost a bit of mana, it did not take much to keep it active. Stamina however was another story, keeping it active drained stamina like no tomorrow.


    Back to how the skill was supposed to work. It was supposed to enhance one area solely at Tier 2. Either improving the limb''s speed or strength. At Tier 3 you would have the choice of doing both. At Tier 4 you would be able to do both, or do 1 for two limbs


    Yet naturally, none of the options were ideal. Speed and strength were not determined just by limbs. It required the entire body''s cooperation. People knew this, and that was why most ignored the skill until Tier 5 where it turned to a full-body skill.


    And that was only if someone was learning the Grigora technique. Which in itself was actually unlikely. It was not a popr skill set due to the difficulty of all their skills that made it up.


    Spells focused on perfect technique, require normally days to months of practice just to get the basics. Naturally, as in all things, there were some freak geniuses who just get everything on the first or second try.


    Eldrian might not be one of those, but he was close. The increased cognitive speed from his high agility and intelligence certainly didn''t hurt his learning speed.


    In any case, if someone at Tier 5 decided to use it for a full enhancement, then they would lose the ability to use both the speed and strength increase. Needing to choose again. This made many think that the skill was inferior to other enhancement skills, however, one thing it always had on all of them was; it gave so much more of an increase.


    What this all meant was that to do what Eldrian had done, people would normally need to use the skill anew for each ce needing an upgrade. Casting it repeatedly was naturally draining, which was another reason it was normally ignored.


    With his hijack method, Eldrian needed to constantly keep some focus on the skill and the mana he was controlling. However, through training, he had gotten the hang of this. It was not much different than keeping control of a spell, in fact, it was easier.


    However, it still meant he could easily mess it up. A perfect example of this was as Eldrian jumped back to make space again, he failed to alter the augmentation to his arms in time to block Vivian''s strike. Without the increase in strength, he wasid down on his ass. Especially since the augment was also not in his leg at the time of the hit.


    Sighing, Eldrianined in a childish tone, "Why did you have to end it like that?"


    "Wha- Why did you fail to block!?" Vivian countered, baited in by his tone.


    "What do you mean, do you know how hard it is to keep the skill active and perfectly time where I need it, while also keeping up with you in the fight?" Eldrian countered, to which Vivian turned beet red as she realized she had forgotten to even try and keep herself in check.


    She had gotten so absorbed in the fight. It had allowed her to focus on a task, to forget the thoughts and memories that were haunting her. Allow her for a moment to not think of all those who had died, and to stop worrying about her dad who she had not heard from in weeks.


    Eldrian stoppedughing only after she overcame her embarrassment and red at him. Jumping to the side he avoided her strike. It wouldn''t have hurt, given that they were using training weapons. However, he did not want to give her mental victory.


    "You have to do better than that!" He shouted as he booked it. Vivian chasing after him yet failing to catch up as Eldrian used all he had in running.


    After five minutes he turned around and looked at the heaving Vivian. "You really need to learn to use Anthos or one of the rejuvenation spells while fighting," Eldrian replied, doing just that for her.


    Taking a seat sheughed for a moment and then thanked Eldrian. "I really needed that." She said, meaning both the spell and the distraction.


    "Me too." Eldrian took a seat next to her. Forgetting that in their fun they had long left the camp, when he recalled this his blood turned to chills. "Fuck! Vivian, qui-"


    Jumping up Eldrian blocked the flying dagger with Amos, the floating shield nearly flying out of his control from the hit. Confirming Eldrian''s worst worry. As fast as he could he called up the map and tried to figure out where the nearest outpost for help was.

 Chapter 380: Survival

    <h4>Chapter 380: Survival</h4>


    Luckily for the pair, they were constantly being observed by the abyssal guards. While there had been somep in Eldrian''s protection during the fight, that was long ago and the dwarves were mostly back to peak condition.


    Unfortunately, the dwarves needed a few seconds to react. Enough to stop the surprise attack should Eldrian and Vivian survive long enough. But not should they fail to react.


    After the first dagger came a second and third. Luckily they were aimed where the two had been, a spot that was now vacant. Eldrian had grabbed Vivian and booked it after blocking the one dagger.


    The shock from the first had sent chills through his body and caused his heart to feel like it was in a vice. Eldrian realized immediately that whoever was aiming for them was far stronger than them.


    His fear for both his own life and Vivian''s sent his adrenaline rushing and his mind racing. The world slowing down as Eldrian pulled Vivian forward, causing the two following daggers to miss her, just barely. Too close forfort, far too close.


    The air currents caused by the dagger''s flight cut through Vivian''s skin. Not a serious injury, yet the daggers not needing contact to cut sent shivers through her. The sudden pain as Eldrian pulled her forward made her realize the danger but not yet grasp what was going on.


    "What the-" She couldn''t finish her question as Eldrian shoved her to the side and a de appeared between the two. It was so fast both could hardly even see the blur, leaving Vivian stunned at both the cutting wind suddenly to her side and Eldrian''s reaction speed.


    Naturally, the only reason Eldrian was able to sense the danger was because his mind had gone into overdrive. His mind was racing trying to survive, as well as to save Vivian. He knew they were aiming for his life, whoever this was. However, he was certain they would not mind killing Vivian in the process.


    It had been some time since Eldrian had entered this state, and it felt slightly familiar to what had recently happened. Luckily he was also aware of what was happening, havinge to learn a bit about this special ability of his when he tried to use the immersion chair.


    After pushing Vivian to the side Eldrian had hoped the de woulde for him, and it did. Even with the world around him being slow, the de still moved in a blur.


    Yet iting for him did not cause Eldrian to despair, instead, he smiled as relief flooded him. He had no idea that there were a bunch of dwarves rushing to save them. He thought it was all or nothing, and he was determined to not go down without a fight.


    ''Calm down and think,'' Eldrian told himself as he fell and bounced on the ground to avoid the de, yet every second it drew closer.


    ''Aoidos will be no use, I am far too slow and the person is already too close.'' Eldrian thought as he also started using mana sense subconsciously to try and enhance his chances at survival. His eyes lighting up as he took in everything the ability could offer him.


    He did not even think of limiting it. Letting all the information flood his mind, somehow he was able to even sort through it all and make sense of things as the de neared him again.


    Amos flew in between the two, Eldrain realizing that while he could think far faster, he couldn''t move to keep up with his thoughts. However, all that he needed to control the pauldron''s ability was his thoughts.


    As such the shield moved faster than his arms by a mile. The dented shield took a massive hit and was sent flying through a few trees, Eldrian''s connection with the pauldron lost as it reverted back to its normal state and fell apart.


    Yet, it had done its job. The split second it had given Eldrian was enough for him to pull out the shortsword he had gotten as a reward. ''Spells will likely not go through that fabric,'' Eldrian thought, his assant covered in some type of ck cloak that hid features.


    ''However, this devil shouldn''t expect this.'' Eldrian thought as he gripped the sword and pushed all his will into overloading the crystal inside of it. To make the biggest explosion he possibly could.


    A curse of frustration came from the assant as he realized he had yet to kill his target.


    ''Eat this!'' Eldrian shouted in his mind, knowing that he would not be able to get the words out. He also did not wish to alert the assassin of his counterattack. With all his strength he threw the de while augmenting his arm to boost his speed. Activating Kyma''s shockwave ability to increase the sword''s speed even more.


    "Ha! What do-" The assassin suddenly stopped speaking as he felt the massive amount of mana in the de. Far more than Eldrian even had in him, as that would just have been a trivial amount to the devil.


    No, as the de flew through the air and Eldrian lost consciousness due to the suddenck of energy, it started to glow. The glow growing as it traveled, bing a blinding light that seemed to have a targeting system of its own.


    "Shit!" The assassin cursed as he suddenly tried to teleport away, only to find that all the shadows near him had disappeared thanks to the glowing de. He also did not have near enough time to summon his mes, gritting his teeth he turned to the de and crossed his arms to have the cloak cover as much of his as he could.


    The st that followed was not massive, however, that did not mean it was not strong. The de exploded just as it was about to make contact with the devil, just as the devil thought of dodging to the side.


    Bursting into mes his favorite cloak was immediately burned to ash, only for the explosion to suddenly implode and pull him back in. The searing heat ravaging his body, but not enough to end a Devil Prince''s life, even if he was one of the weakest of the litter.


    It was at this time that Bring?rr made it to the fight, however, it was also at this time that Milgoroth knew his chance had disappeared. Summing his demonic mes, he disappeared from sight in a burst of ck and red. Appearing a few kilometers away, falling to the ground as he cried out in pain.


    Only to be forced to teleport again when a lich became interested in the sudden appearance of a wounded devil. An evil curse following the disappearing mes as a prized experimental subject managed to escape a lich''s grasp.


    Bring?rr stood stunned, unable toe to grasps with what had just transpired. He knew he would only be able to stand his ground against the devil prince, getting him to flee would be beyond him. Even with his amazing armor and weapons.


    Somehow, Eldrian had managed that with but a Tier 2 de. His method made no sense, but Bring?rr would not have that distract him. The noise was certain to have caught the attention of people at the camp and all the abyssal guards were forbidden from being discovered by them.


    ''Forgive me Hrothgar.'' Bring?rr mumbled as he walked to Eldrian and thew him over his shoulder.


    "What do you think you''re doing!" Vivian shouted, having finally managed to recover from the shock and assuming that the dwarf was their assant. She cursed herself for her stupidity in not having Nelida''s me with her, yet she stood her ground. Fists at the ready. Unlike Eldrian, she did not have a dimensional storage.


    "I was not the one who attacked you," The dwarf replied and prepared to walk away, only to find that Vivian charged at him. Her courage impressed him however she was far too slow.


    Simply stepping to the side Bring?rr dodged her strike with ease. Vivian however would not give up after that, trying her best she kept trying to attack the dwarf, until another of the abyssal guards arrived a few secondster.


    "Bring?rr, what are you doing?" The new arrival asked, Vivian stopping in her tracks as she felt the energy drain from her. Realizing that if she could not evennd one hit on one dwarf, then she stood no chance against two. The only thing that made no sense to her was why dwarves would target Eldrian.


    "You felt the fight too, didn''t you Gin?"


    "I felt the malicious intent and the collection of mana, yet that does not exin you defying orders."


    Turning to face hispanion in arms, Bring?rr sighed yet refused to put Eldrian down. "Do you not understand what just happened?"


    "He survived an ambush," Gin replied without much concern.


    "Yes, against a Devil Prince far above his rank. One with a stealth ability and a teleportation ability."


    "Then he should be dead, not even we can survive against such abination. At least not without our armor."


    "Yet he is not dead. He managed to react to the attacks from this assassin. Why must we only protect him from the shadows like assassins?"


    "Because those are our orders." A new arrival said, turning to Bring?rr with a scowl.


    "Hrothgar..." Bring?rr paused as he felt his determination slip. Just as he was about to put Eldrian down a hand sped his shoulder.


    "While we have promised to serve, sometimes we can only do so by doing what we believe is right."


    The other dwarves immediately bowed down in greeting to the new arrival, leaving poor Vivian even more confused as she looked at the dwarf in rags with an old dirty cloth around his head. Acting as a blindfold, covering the hideous scar where his eyes used to be.

 Chapter 381: A splitting headache

    <h4>Chapter 381: A splitting headache</h4>


    An awkward silence descended upon the group for a second or two, until Tovack the blind broke it. "We can decide what is right after, for now, we do not want to create a diplomatic issue."


    "What, why wou-" Vivian could not finish her answer as the dwarves all nodded and started leaving in the direction of the Ganalin mountains. Sprinting at full speed she tried to keep up, yet with each step she took she fell more and more behind.


    Worry gripped at her heart and pushed her to her limits, unfortunately, she did not have some miracle talent that would suddenly make her ten times faster.


    Falling to the ground in frustration, Vivian looked at the group disappear from her vision near instantly. As she was about to lose hope the blindfolded dwarf suddenly appeared next to her.


    "Are you sure you want to abandon your post?" Tovack asked and Vivian nodded without a doubt. She had lost far too much already in this war, she did not wish to lose more. She knew it was not up to her, but she would be dammed if she just gave up.


    "Alright, give me your hand."


    Taking the offered hand, Vivian suddenly had her sights filled with the blur of trees. A few minutes was all that was required for them to exit the forest. The group suddenly stopping after making sure they had not been followed.


    "Tovack!" Hrothgar shouted in anger, disregarding the line ofmand. "How could you?"


    His voice broke as he felt his world breaking apart, for his mentor and hero to suddenly disobey their orders was too much for the dwarf to ept.


    "Hrothgar, I know you are upset. I have talked with Lord Amnur."


    "Did he... Did he agree?"


    "No, but he also felt that what I said was not wrong."


    "What does this mean then, Sir Tovack?" Gin asked, a dwarf with a bright ginger beard springing to life as he took off his helmet and loosened his armor.


    "It means we will let our charge decide whether he wishes to stay and fight, ore with us."


    "And the girl?" Gin asked, shocked that Tovack would have helped her keep up. She was covered in small cuts from leaves and branches, not to mention a good number of bugs. Luckily her skin was quite tough thanks to her high constitution. Calling her appearance haggard however would be too good, she looked absolutely ghastly.


    "Right..." Tovack finally let go of Vivian''s hand, who immediately copsed to the ground from vertigo. "I am not sure."


    The answer stunned everyone, however, they did not push it since they were only a few kilometers from the forest. It was just around the horizon. She would be able to make it back without much of a problem.


    ...


    Eldrian woke with a massive headache but not much else. Still, the headache was not just extreme, it felt like his head was literally splitting apart. Gripping the sides of the seat in pain, Eldrian waited for the pain to subside.


    It slowly did, however, this did not happen quickly. When Eldrian finally let go of the seat his hands were covered in blood and refused to open fully. Moving slowly to avoid a recurrence, Eldrian looked at his hands and sighed as the headache shed again for a moment.


    Making sure not to rush he slowly slid down from the seat and went to wash his hands and face. With a throbbing headache he hopped onto his PC and hoped hisst trick had worked.


    "Yes!" Eldrian felt a massive stone lifted from his chest as he confirmed that his avatar was still alive. His shout of joy and suddenly burst of energy causing him to nearly double over from the pain again. Gritting his teeth Eldrian fought through the onset and slowly stood up to answer the knock on his door.


    "Seems like you are doing well," Gengxin said as he entered the room and confirmed that Eldrian had nosting symptoms. The headache was already improving, and after giving Eldrian some medication he felt it should be gone in an hour or two.


    Naturally, he also took some readings to make sure there was nothing else that they might have missed.


    "It is the first time that I didn''t end up dying or-" Eldrian said after the headache lessened a bit more and he felt up to talking.


    "That is true, I presume it must have made a big difference," Gengxin said as he went through the readings and found something interesting from today''s. Something he had never seen before.


    "When can I go back in?" Eldrian asked, getting a sigh in reply.


    "I have no idea. You need to make sure you are in good health first." Gengxin replied, patting Eldrian''s shoulder and causing another re of the headache to remind him of what he was dealing with.


    Nodding in silence, Eldrian didn''t quite wish to wait. He was worried about how things had ended, unfortunately, he did not have a great deal of things he could try. Not to mention the team had a match in a few hours.


    "Rest, my rmendation, and this is a strong one. Don''t log in until tomorrow night. You need to let your mind rest, you know that you never get a proper rest with the game."


    "But-" Eldrian stopped after the but, realizing that he could fight the advertisement all he wanted. The fact was, there is a limit in how much you could do before it stopped allowing your mind to get rest. Certainly, he was always at or over the limit. Honestly, he had no idea how it even worked for him.


    Probably the meditation. Probably...


    "Good, I rmend you sleep properly."


    Nodding, Eldrian thanked Gengxin for his help and asked if he needed to fill them in on anything that had happened.


    "No need right now. I presume it is all a massive blur. I also do not think that this time is any differentpared to the times before."


    Eldrian nodded, it was what he thought too. Sitting at the edge of his bed and staring at the closed door, Eldrian thought of what had happened.


    "Who the hell is Milgoroth? And why the hell did he target me?" This question kept repeating in Eldrian''s mind until he finally asked it aloud. Naturally, there was a bunch of other questions too, but this one ruled over most.


    Burning the name in his heart, Eldrian promised whoever listened to his thoughts that he would get back at this Devil Prince.


    A certain burnt devil making the same promised while floating in ake to soothe his wounds. Hate filling him at the fact that the same elf has now ruined two of his missions. Unwilling to ept that trying to kill him was something that the person would naturally fight against.


    ...


    "Hey guys," Judith cheered happily as she entered Elizabeth''s virtual home. The team had finally decided to make a name for their meeting spot, and after a casual look around they hadnded on the name: The Training Gardens.


    "And why are... I see, nice skirt." Eldrian didn''t quite know how to feel about it, but he felt he had topliment her before the match. True to her barbarian style, the skirt was not much more than a bikini. It didn''t even look whole, it appeared as if it had been through one too many fights.


    "Right!" Spinning around Eldrian wondered if she was trying to unt the skirt or her firm buttocks. Looking away in embarrassment he asked what they did to hide his reddened cheeks.


    "Nothing much, I mean it can double my strength for a single strike. But isn''t it sooo cute?"


    Left stunned, the guys all looked at her like she was a madwoman. All of them asking just how she could have gotten her hands on such an OP item. Doubling her strength for one strike might not sound like much, but it was. It would mean a well-timed strike could simply crush whoever she was facing.


    "Where did you get it?" Eldrian asked after the shock passed, Judith enjoying their stunned looks for a second more before answering. Only for Elizabeth to steal her thunder.


    "It was on one of the enemies we killed in thest quest. While everyone ignored the rag on the kobolds, she had been drawn to it as only a madwoman could."


    Hearing the origin of the bikini, everyone suddenly shuddered and looked at Judith as if she was madder than they had thought. Seeing the change in their stares she suddenly became super angry.


    "Hey! I cleaned it properly." She countered, trying to defend her femininity but failing miserably. Instead, her words caused the group to look at her even stranger.


    Giggling at the sight of Judith suddenly actually caring what others thought, Elizabeth moved a few steps forward and told them that it was time to get ready for their fight.


    "Last time was quite easy, no guarantees this will be as easy. The group we are facing isn''t one of the top 20, but they were well in the top 50.


    "So? We were also in the top 50. And that was before our gear upgrade." Ilmadia said, filled with confidence.


    "And like us, they could also have had massive increases in strength. Did none of you see?"


    "See what?"


    "The first Tier 4 yer appeared today. You can look, we have a few minutes still. It is all over the forum."


    The group quickly satisfied their curiosity, finding that this person had managed it just an hour ago. However, this was still quite a shock. All of those in the group understood just how far they were from that level. What made it worse was this person was from Zinopia, the number 1 team ording to the rankings.

 Chapter 382: Questions unanswered

    <h4>Chapter 382: Questions unanswered</h4>


    While the achievement of reaching Tier 4 was certainly impressive, they didn''t think much of it. The yer had kept his skills/spells a secret, only boasting about his sess through the ranking in the forums.


    This was obviously to try and keep an edge over their opponents in theing days. Even so, it was clear to most that he would only know a few Tier 4 spells. And as has been the case with all the Tiers before, everyone felt it would not make a massive difference.


    "Still, this means more yers might reach it soon."


    "Yeah, but it doesn''t change our ns. Now focus, it''s time."


    With that said the group found themselves teleported to their arena. They knew who their opponent was, but only the name and their professions. Most of them had not managed to watch all the matches, as is normal. They had however tried their best to keep track of the top 20.


    They spawned in a woonds with sparse vegetation. Visibility was not a problem, the soft ground and trees however worked against people in heavy armor. The ground would suck them in, while the trees stopped them from forming proper formations.


    The only person in Phoenix who had this problem was Therdul. Cursing, he knew he was not going to have a great time.


    "There they are." Zyviss indicated with his arrow, the group looking over and seeing a group with no clear indication of their ss. All wearing simrly looking armor, a mix of chainmail and Gambesons.


    "Right, remember they have two magic sses and the rest are melee. We do not know what type of spells and skills they know." Elizabeth said as she took a step back and joined Erik and Ilmadia as the spell caster squad.


    Zyviss moved further to the side, trying to stay low and out of sight while the rest simply stood next to each other and looked at their opponents.


    Once the teams entered each other''s range they suddenly charged. Erik and Ilmadia sending out their strongest spells while Elizabeth tried her best to cast speed enhancements on Therdul and Judith.


    ''This shouldn''t be too hard,'' Eldrian thought as he jumped to the side and avoided an icicle. Without someone controlling its flight, the spell was not nearly as dangerous as Eldrian''s. As if to prove the point Eldrian cast his own and sent it right at the mage.


    Pulling out a shield the mage focused on the spell, knowing that Eldrian could control his spells. Unlike Phoenix, they had done their best to get some research on their enemies.


    When Eldrian made the icicle suddenly jump up and then down again, the mage was ready. The icicle shattered upon contact. ''Oh, that is new.'' Eldrian thought as he thrust out with Aoidos and sent a nce over to Judith.


    On her first strike she had not held back, sending two yers flying and leaving them open for her following attack. ''Crude, but it works.'' Eldrian thought as he moved to the side and a spell came flying from Ilmadia. Striking the poor guy who waspletely focused on Eldrian, trying to prepare for any closebat spells.


    The match was not hard for their group, once Zyviss started letting loose his arrows from the side, their opponents fell one after the other. Not that it wouldn''t have happened without it.


    However, Eldrian had found that after a few seconds he had quickly be drained. So once the match was done he did not even think of staying and chatting with the others. He immediately logged out and meditated.


    ''Gengxin was right, I need proper rest.'' Eldrian thought while wondering which was better. Sleep or meditation.


    To him it felt like meditation was miles better, he would feelpletely refreshed after. Yet... It was not sleep.


    "I have no idea," Gengxin said as he took a few readings of Eldrian meditating. "I would still rmend sleep. It is how our bodies are coded to reset."


    "However, just because it is how it has been, does not mean it is the best. Why don''t you have me rig up something topare the two?"


    Nodding Eldrian let Gengxin ce a couple of sticky monitoring stickers over his chest and head. While the headset would have been easier, this would allow Eldrian to actually use a pillow. Something crucial for sleep. At least to him.


    ...


    Around the time Eldrian had woken with his splitting headache after surviving their ambush.


    "Wh-who are you guys?" Vivian asked after finally oveing her vertigo. She looked at the dwarves cautiously, yet she knew she could do nothing if they wanted to take Eldrian. She no longer thought that was the case, however, she did not like knowing that she could do little to nothing to change the oue.


    As no one replied Vivian thought that they were ignoring her, just as she was about to ask again Tovack replied whilst looking in the direction of Ganalin.


    "That is not an easy question you ask. I can tell you that I am Tovack, a dwarf who strives to do the best for my kin. So too would my brothers reply, yet does this answer who we are? If I ask you who you are, what would your answer be?"


    "I-I... Tha-" Vivian stopped as she realized she would also state her name. Yet a name did not answer her question. So she changed her question.


    "Why were you in the forest?"


    "Now that is a question that I can answer. We were tasked with protecting the elf, Haru."


    ''Eldrian... Wait, right his avatar is named Haru.'' Vivian had grown so used to his real name over thest few days. It was still weird, but the reasoning made sense. It was a second body for him, for all Chosen. Naturally having it named after their first body might be weird.


    When she had first learned of this she had thought he was lying to her and had purposefully hidden his name from her and her father like a spy. However, she hade to realize that it was truly his avatar''s name.


    "Why? Who tasked you to protect him?" Vivian asked the burning question on her mind, finding the dwarves sharing a knowing look.


    "For now I cannot answer this. All I can say is it is the same reason why the Devil Prince had tried to kill your friend."


    Vivian froze upon hearing the title. She had heard the rumors and stories of Devil Princes. Like most, she had assumed she would nevere to meet one, few survived to share the tale. If they did, normally the tale was not one you would want to hear.


    ''No way... Howe, how did we?'' Vivian''s thoughts spiraled as she tried to recall what had happened. Making her wonder if Eldrian''s insane reaction speed was the reason for his being a target for both assassins and protection.


    "What now?" Vivian asked after a long time had passed, the sun starting to set and the chill ofte autumn setting in.


    "We wait," Tovack replied, turning his head to give her a reassuring look and failing miserably. His terrible bandage of a blindfold along with the scar showing underneath did nothing reassuringly. Instead, seeing it reminded Vivian of the danger and all the scars over her body.


    The past month had not been kind to her. With ack of healers she was riddled with scars big and small. Sure, she could have them healed after. If she survived. However, it was not free nor was it cheap.


    ''I was so entitled...'' Vivian thought as her hand went to her left rib, one of her worst scars that still ached from time to time. ''Some scars can''t be healed.'' Vivian thought, thinking of her mental scars and relieved that she had not been close to many through her life short life.


    Due to her persistent training and ignoring noble parties and such she had managed to be far stronger than most her age. At the same time however, she had separated herself from those her age.


    Those she had called friends were at least 10 years older and far more experienced, yet now she did not know of one who was still alive.


    ''Dad...'' Vivian choked on the thought and turned her sights to any ce other than the scarred dwarf. Her sight falling on Eldrian seemingly at peace in his sleep. Envy growing as Vivian wished she could have such a peaceful night.


    Thinking back to her pure optimism before, thinking of her novelty of believing her few years of diligent training could save her from a mass invasion.

 Chapter 383: A reckless plan

    <h4>Chapter 383: A reckless n</h4>


    Eldrian logged in after a much-needed rest. He felt strange after sleeping the entire day away. Lazy, but also refreshed. It was differentpared to meditation. It felt like he had reset his internal clock, whereas meditation only helped him rid his lethargy and regain energy.


    ''Meditation feels more like a shortcut, and that is also how the game works I believe.'' Eldrian thought as he slowly woke on Gaia. He didn''t rush, instead, he allowed himself to get acquainted with this body again. Staring at the early morning sky as he did.


    "You''re finally awake." Gin, the red-bearded dwarf said upon seeing Eldrian sitting up.


    Eldrian nodded and turned to look at the dwarf, and the others standing or sitting around a fire. A massive stag on a roast. Before Eldrian could ask a question Vivian jumped him with a massive hug which Eldrian dly returned.


    "I''m d you are alright," He said after they parted, "What is going on here?"


    "You should ask them, they didn''t really want to give me any answers."


    Nodding, Eldrian finally stood up and used mana sense without a sense of guilt. Yet, for the first time, he failed in gleaming the information he wanted. Still, mana sense did not fail himpletely.


    ''Tier 8, 9, and 10... What on earth?''


    "That is pretty rude, young elf," Tovack said and turned to look at Eldrian, or more precisely to let Eldrian look at him.


    "Maybe, but I don''t know you." Eldrian countered without shame. Trying to read the mana flow of the dwarves, only managing to see the slither of mana moving in their armor instead.


    Well, for all but Tovack who was still in his rags. Yet even so Eldrian could not get a single piece of information from the dwarf.


    Tovack smiled hearing the reply, shocking the others as he startedughing heartily. "You are right, and that should have removed the question of who we are."


    "Yes, but why are you here?"


    "As I told your friend, we were tasked with protecting you."


    "Really? You did a poor job then."


    "True, but it is hard protecting someone from a shapeshifter who can teleport."


    ''The devil?'' Eldrian wondered but did not ask since the answer was actually clear. "Then..." Turning to Vivian Eldrian considered if he should ask the question he had. ''Might as well, I don''t really need to keep her in the dark.''


    "Are you here because I am a candidate?"


    "Oh? You know?" Tovack was honestly surprised, as were the other dwarfs. In fact, Bring?rr even dropped his parcel which he had taken from the roast.


    Vivian was curious what Eldrian meant, but she kept it to herself. Not wishing to interrupt at the moment.


    Nodding Eldrian considered what he knew. ''So, someone is aiming for my life...'' Turning to his quests he confirmed that this was still the case. ''A Tier 8 devil prince, and these dwarves are here to protect me. But why?''


    "Who tasked you with protecting me?" Eldrian asked and got no reply for a while. The sizzling of the roast filling the air and the delicious smell causing everyone to salivate.


    "Let''s eat," Tovack said, indicating for Eldrian and Vivian to help themselves.


    Dying of hunger after smelling the roast, Eldrian didn''t refuse. He helped himself to a healthy portion. The dripping sauce staining his clothes as he dug in.


    Only after having his fill did Eldrian resume his questioning, "Why are you protecting me?"


    "Since you are being targetted by people you cannot defend yourself from," Tovack replied midsts bites.


    "Why did you only show yourself now? How long have you been following me?" Eldrian wasn''t shocked that he had failed to detect them. What he was shocked about was that no one seemed to have even noticed their presence.? ''Itireae knew, but she didn''t share it with the centaurs.''


    "For a while now, and we showed ourselves because of Bring?rr."


    Bring?rr quickly hid behind his roast leg, trying to distract himself from the looks Hrothgar and Gin were giving him.


    "However, I agree with what he said."


    "Which is?"


    "Bring?rr?" Tovack indicated to the poor dwarf who nearly choked on his food. Taking a healthy swig from his mug, he looked at Eldrian and Vivian, pondering his stance.


    "I felt that keeping to the shadows was nonoptimal."


    "Meaning?"


    Bring?rr sighed and looked at his fellow dwarves, "I see no reason why we should stay in the shadows. Why we can''t teach you."


    "Teach me? Teach me what?" Eldrian asked, recalling how Itireae had said she could not teach him. Making him doubt that the dwarves would be able to.


    "That is indeed the trouble," Tovack replied instead of Bring?rr. "It is also why we were tasked with staying in the shadows."


    "Wait, why don''t you help us against the undead? Do you know what the cause of the corruption is?"


    The sudden change in topic threw the dwarves off. They hadn''t expected Eldrian to ask this, they had assumed he would immediately want to be trained, to be taught.


    "We don''t-"


    "But can you protect me so I can try and find the cause?" Eldrian pressed, cutting Tovack off and making the others feel like the world was upside down.


    "No-"


    "Come on! Why would you say no? You are already tasked with protecting me, right..." Eldrian smirked as he turned around and started heading back to the forest.


    Tovack smiled seeing his decisive action, the other dwarves and Vivian however had no idea what he was trying. One even called out and asked what he was thinking.


    Turning around Eldrian smiled widely, as if he had won the lottery, "You have to protect me, right? So, do so from the shadows or by my side. I am going to find a solution to this dammed corruption. Vivian, stay with them."


    Shaking her head, Vivian split from the dwarves and ran up beside him. "No way, if you are going then so will I."


    Eldrian nodded and continued on his way. Leaving the group of dwarves with half-eaten portions of the roast in their hands. Tovack''sughter filling the air.


    "Tovack?" Hrothgar turned to their leader in confusion. Tovack the blind, the Eternal Protector of Ganalin. It was just a title, but there was always just one in each dwarven capital. The leader of a regiment, a person whose only leader was Amnur. Kings and Emperors meant nothing to them.


    "He is quite smart. It would have been hard for him to convince us to help. Yet, we are tasked with protecting him and as Bring?rr had said, doing so from the shadows is not ideal. Going into the maws of danger makes this even more so."


    "Then-"


    "Yes, he wins. He clearly does not care much for the training we offered. He must know that his method is unique and that we can only offer him some guidance."


    "What do you mean?" Bring?rr asked, confused why they would not be able to teach him.


    "There is a reason he is a candidate," Tovack replied, all but Hrothgar not even knowing what this really meant. "You would not be able to sense it, but he has his own path as Amnur said. I get it now."


    Tovack smiled and looked towards the Ganalin mountains, ''You were wrong, help will not change him. It will improve his chances.''


    ...


    "What was that?" Vivian asked as the dwarves became a dot in the distance.


    "They clearly are not allowed to directly influence the oue of this fight," Eldrian replied, the hesitation from the dwarves had made this clear. They had one task and that was their focus, simr to how Itireae could have done far more. Yet she only helped where she wanted.


    "They were tasked with protecting me, and that is their only priority. I would not have managed to change their minds." Eldrian thought of Miracle and how he could not change their minds either. "However, I can force them to be more involved."


    "Right, I want you to stay at the garrison."


    "No way!"


    "Vivian!" Eldrian stopped and grasped her shoulders, "I am already forcing their hands. They are tasked with protecting me, not both of us. Please..." Staring into her eyes Eldrian waited for her to give.


    "Fine, but you better not mess this up."


    "I won''t." Eldrian smiled as he felt he finally had a way to aplish this impossible quest. Curious, he looked at the quest to see if the difficulty had decreased.


    ''So, does this mean the system already took their help into ount, or is my n not going to work?'' Eldrian wondered, curious how many other dwarves there were watching him.


    His pondering was interrupted when Vivian asked the question burning in her mind. "Why are they protecting you? What is a candidate?"

 Chapter 384: Meeting an old opponent

    <h4>Chapter 384: Meeting an old opponent</h4>


    Eldrian smiled as he realized that for once he was not the one asking the questions. Yet, he did not know how to answer the questions. He knew that he was a candidate for bing a legend, which itself is but a legend, a myth. People thought of it as stories that held no truth.


    ''Should I reveal my hidden ss? It is not like it is as big a secret as the system first made it out to be. Or-'' Eldrian pondered his options and methods, relieved when Vivian actually brought something up that he could throw the reason onto. For now.


    "Is it... Because of how fast you reacted?"


    "Yes. No... Almost." Eldrian felt like facepalming from his hasty reply. Instead, he took a deep breath and decided how to exin it. "Sorry, I don''t really know how to exin it. It is going to sound crazy."


    "Try me," Vivian said with full confidence. Heck, until a few days ago she thought that Devil Princes were also just myths. That they were glorified as these horrible monsters. After their close call however she had realized that they really were as strong as those stories said.


    Taking another deep breath and trying to work up the courage, Eldrian exined how he had a hidden ss and two auras. As well as how sometimes, in extreme cases where people he cared about are in danger, the world around him would slow down.


    It took some time to exin what this all meant and how he was still trying to figure it all out. By the time he finally finished they had been standing and talking before the camp for nearly an hour.


    "Why did you never tell me any of this?" Vivian asked, shocked to find that there was so much that Eldrian had kept from her. His having another name was nothingpared to this.


    "Because I don''t really understand it myself. What use is there in talking about it?"


    Vivian didn''t like the answer, yet she had to ept that she had no advice. The hidden ss was amon myth among soldiers, yet that was all it was to her. A rumor that helped people stay motivated. Hearing it actually existed was shocking, hearing that Eldrian had one left her bbergasted.


    Then adding onto it Eldrian had not just one aura, but two. All that Vivian knew of auras was that beasts had them. Like the Alpha they had faced so long ago, who had had a healing aura. Or like Omega''s who ording to the stories had multiple aura''s but were harder to find than a dragon.


    "Is that, oh that makes sense." Vivian suddenly connected Eldrian''s impressive feats inbat and thest thing he had mentioned. "And what happened with the vampire-"


    Nodding, Eldrian tried to exin what had happened and how he had lost himself. Vivian left again shocked to her core as she listened and connected the dots.


    "Then... Did you kill the centaur?"


    "Centaur? What centaur?" Eldrian asked to Vivian''s relief. Yet, a part of her told her that him not knowing about it did not mean he didn''t do it.


    ''It doesn''t matter.'' Vivian thought as she looked at Eldrian''s confusion, ''He already exined that he lost himself in rage and can''t remember much. What he exined sounds like the stories of berserkers. Their actions... They can''t be held ountable.''


    "Nevermind." Vivian forced a smile and looked towards the camp, "Why don''t we go in? Or is there something more you aren''t telling me?"


    ''A bunch...'' Eldrian said mentally while shaking his head no. Lying like this didn''t feel good, but there were things he simply couldn''t share with her. The biggest naturally being that she lived in a simtion.


    ...


    "Who were those dwarves? How did we miss them?" Joren asked as yet another thing had slipped past him. He did not look forward to reporting this to Mica.


    "ording to their armor, they should be part of the abyssal guards. A special unit of elite soldiers. We don''t know much about them, but we are near certain that their leader is a legend."


    "Goddamit! Are you telling me we have missed the fact that there is a fucking legend close to our yers?"


    Joren''s shout caused those around him to quickly scout the area, the answering in just a few minutes.


    "You have to be kidding me!" Joren cursed as they realized not only had they missed that there was one in the Ganalin mountains, they had even fought. The ruins of their battle were far too clear, luckily the battle was far enough to not have endangered the yers.


    "How did we miss this?" Joren asked after taking a moment to calm down, the reply he received causing him to nearly double over from shock.


    "Is that seriously all it takes. He just had to allow our monitoring systems to get near to him? Are you serious?" Instead of waiting for a reply Joren hoped onto a vacant desk and confirmed this himself.


    Cursing a slew of curses, he wondered just how many times they had failed in monitoring the most dangerous people on Gaia due to such a simple thing.


    ''Normally they try to keep us at least a few kilometers from them, forcing us to abandon the monitoring or risk destroying our equipment. The gods only know how they do it.''


    ''Now we realize that if they don''t do that, then we can''t freaking detect them unless they make themselves clear to be there!''


    Joren did not like this development. They had found Amnur''s location only because there was something stopping them from moving closer to the area.


    ''This won''t due, is this another of the system''s, of the AI''s rebellion?'' Joren thought and was resolute to find an answer. Heading to his office he sent an emergency mail to the other heads of IT from all the other departments, calling for help.


    This was something they could not risk staying as is.


    ...


    Eldrian took the day easy at the camp, not even diving into training. He had another individual match the following day and then their team would have theirs the day after.


    ''That was one thing I forgot to consider.'' Eldrian thought as he yed with Floga, Fos, and Nidia. Controlling the tree spells at the same time was quite draining, mostly because they were made of different elements and thus requiredpletely different streams of mana and focus.


    He would have added Skia too, however, he needed to keep some focus so he could think of things. ''I have to decide if I am going to wait for the tourney to end, or not...''


    Turning to look at Vivian who was diligently going through her training routine Eldrian smiled. ''As long as she stays here and I can log off in case of danger it will be fine. I also need to remember I can suicide should I be unable to log out.''


    ''Then. There is no reason to dy, it will just lead to more death and more undead.'' Eldrian nodded and said goodnight before logging off.


    Going for a run, some meditation, and then breakfast. Eldrian returned to his room and also got two hours of sleep before his match, logging in fully prepared.


    "It''s you!" Eldrian shouted in shock as he saw his opponent. An elderly man with a long gray beard and silver hair tied in a ponytail. He had a few more scarspared to the first time but Eldrian was certain it was the same guy.


    Laughing at the surprise the man smiled warmly as he returned the favor, "I am surprised you remember me, you have a far more memorable appearance. Though I can''t recall your name."


    "Eldrian,"


    "That isn''t what you saidst time, right... Zylric, I am sure you forgot."


    "I did, I see you received some armor upgrades."


    Laughing again the man patted his chestte, "What this, it isn''t really an upgrade."


    Eldrian raised an eyebrow in questioning, dropping it and asking the question he had burning in him. "Are you still in Ins?"


    "Yup," Zylric replied with a nod, "You wouldn''t believe the amount ofbat experience you can get there, as well as special quests."


    "So, have your Tier and level improved then?"


    "Tier, yes. Level, no." The manughed as he shared that he was just level 4 in the game. His daily routine would have him jumping between 15 and 1. A single kill often giving him multiple levels, but nearly always followed by multiple deaths.


    "That''s crazy-" Their conversation was interrupted when a female voice belonging to the system echoes through their arena.


    "yers, please start the fight."


    Both of themughed at the announcement, and as if understanding each other they both took out their weapon. Zylric''s no longer a full metal spear, but instead a very normal-looking one. A wooden shaft with a broad spearhead with tworge wings. A spear typically used for boar hunting.


    "Are you ready?" Zylric asked with confidence, lunging as he did.


    Eldrian was immediately put on the back foot. His speed with his weapon left Eldrian wondering if they really had the same stats. He could barely follow as the spear moved through the air like a snake. With Zylric quickly closing in and then attacking with fists and kicks.


    "Still doing the same tactics?" Eldrian asked with a smile as he countered with his own technique. Dipping past the spearhead he spun around and grabbed behind the spearhead''s wings. Using it for a grip Eldrian janked it while thrusting Aoidos with a high grip.


    "You improved," Zylric replied as he let go of his spear and jumped back, Eldrian losing his bnce as another spear appeared in Zylric''s hands. "But so have I!"


    The thrust came fast and Eldrian just barely managed to move his head to the side. The wing of the de cutting his cheek as suddenly another spear came at him.


    Pushing Aoidos up, Eldrian managed to block the attack. However, he failed to get out of the path from the first spear. Pulling it back whilst also pushing down, Zylric cut into Eldrian''s shoulder as he retreated and reform his stance with two short spears.


    *If you are not reading on Webnovel, you are reading a stolen work.*

 Chapter 385: Revisiting his virtual home

    <h4>Chapter 385: Revisiting his virtual home</h4>


    Eldrian smiled despite knowing that he was at quite the disadvantage, the slight stinging pain on his shoulder the clearest indication of this.


    ''Let''s see if that will work.'' Eldrian thought, standing straight and reforming his stance into one moremonly used for a quarterstaff. Gripping Aoidos with a wide grip, the two smiled as they confirmed the other was ready. Charging forward the next moment.


    Eldrian used the wider range of protection to keep Zylric''s two spears from reaching him, whilst moving in close and striking back. Unfortunately, he was unable to properly time the attack and distance, resulting in only the shaft hitting Zylric''s forearm.


    Zylric jumped back with a look of surprise, "You improved a great deal, how did you-?"


    "By not sitting still," Eldrian replied, thrusting forward quickly, letting the spear fully extend before pulling it back and executing a strong but short-ranged swing as he went back into the quarterstaff stance. He kept alternating between the two as fast as he possibly could, keeping Zylric at range with his thrusts and moving into his blind spots with the sh.


    Yet, he failed to make a solid hit. Zylric would always manage to move just enough to ensure what hit him, if he failed to block, was the shaft and not the de.


    ''What is with this guy, how does he keep doing that?'' Eldrian wondered as he jumped back and thought of how easy it would be to end the fight with a spell. Only to shake his head to rid himself of the unnecessary distraction. The distraction was enough for Zylric to charge in and close the gap.


    Forced to retreat, Eldrian desperately tried to recreate some distance. Zylric using his spears like daggers, a truly strange manner of fighting but being so close Eldrian couldn''t do anything with Aoidos.


    ''Fuck it,'' Eldrian decided to just stopped trying to defend with Aoidos. Letting go he tackled Zylric, one of the spears entering his side but the other harmlessly falling from Zylric''s grasp. The pain was not much in these fights, allowing Eldrian topletely ignoring the wound he just received.


    Raining down punches before Zylric could regain control of his weapons, Eldrian made sure to pin him to the ground.


    Contrary to everything he had expected, he saw the man smiling as his lips burst and cuts opened over his face from the solid hits Eldrian managed tond.


    "That''s it, put it all on the line!" Zylric roared as he thrust the spear into Eldrian''s side again and also sprang up to give him a hug. Grasping Eldrian with his left as hard as he could while repeatedly stabbing with his right.


    Eldrian''s mind spun, yet he failed in reaching a solution. He was too weak after his injured to break Zylric''s grip. As the fifth strike was about tond Eldrian forfeited.


    Zylric him go andughing heartily, as Eldrian was about to be teleported out Zyrlic sent him a friend invite, along with a few kind parting words.


    "Great fight! We should meet up in-game."


    ...


    Eldrian woke in his virtual home with a weird feeling. The battle had been gruesome and truly brutal, yet the two had left it without any bad feelings. Eldrian was slightly dejected in defeat, however, he still had a chance to rank higher.


    Even if he couldn''t reach the top ranks and challenge one of the other yers for a chance to im first, he would still be somewhere between 8th and 16th. He was happy with that, he might not even manage to get a reward as only the top 10 were eligible. Still, he felt it was quite good for someone whose major focus had been on magic and not spear fighting.


    "Do I even want to do that?" Eldrian asked, his question quickly drowned out as he recalled how much he had focused on making the virtual home a ce he could train in. Only to then never use it. ''Granted, not muchter they gave me an improved headset which allowed me to stay in-game for longer.''


    "Still, I think I should make something of this. Let''s see," Opening his interface Eldrian went about some remodeling. He wasn''t nning on making this a ce to train anymore, but he felt it might be a nice ce to meditate. ''Would it even work?'' He wondered but decided to finish his decoration first.


    His favorite tree in the estate having lost its vibrant flowers was certainly disappointing. Turning around Eldrian decided to scrap everything.


    Starting anew, this time he had a single purpose and he was going to make sure the virtual home felt like a ce of rxation.


    "This is going to be expensive, but heck I have no other use for my money."


    Eldrian didn''t have much saved, well maybe that was not quite correct. He had around 20,000 dors in the bank at the moment. A good deal of his sry had gone to themune room that he was still renting. It might not be a good use, but it allowed him to know that he had somewhere to go should something happen with Miracle.


    Him bringing his issues to the foreground certainly made things lessfortable. While Eldrian knew they had no one to rece him, they didn''t really need him. Or rather they only needed him for this one project, and it was not the lifeline of thepany. Though at the moment it was indeed the major focus of thepany. So he should be safe.


    ''Right, yeah that is more than enough though.'' Eldrian didn''t think the decoration would take even a thousand. Sure, he could probably go and ask for some employee advantage. In fact, that was probably what he should do.


    However, he didn''t want to go open a can of worms again. He had already asked for quite a number of things, and while he was allowing them to monitor his game progress. He had yet to give them anything of worth.


    Rather, he had only caused problem after problem. Sure, these were things that they would eventually need to fix and update. But it wasn''t like Eldrian helped in fixing them.


    ''Not to mention me keeping my meeting with Ziraili a secret. It is best if I only contact them as needed.'' Eldrian thought while thinking back to when he first came here and so excitedly shared all he knew with Constantin. ''Howe he still hasn''t managed to seed?''


    Dropping the question Eldrian refocused on creating his safe space. He started with what he called the mother tree. Designing it ording to Erik''s description of Nerenth.


    Flowers of all kinds, adjustable via a setting, sprouted from the tree. All of them letting out a soft glow that lighted the area around the tree in an almost candlelight mood, but more magnificent. For the moment Eldrian had the flowers set at a light purple and had them all take the appearance of Jacarandas.


    The setting to be able to change the flower''s color and appearance cost quite a lot, but Eldrian didn''t care.


    In front of the tree Eldrian made a pool of ice blue water, adding both a Yin and Yang koi fish inside the pool. Both of which Eldrian designed himself, using a temte but making it up as he went.


    Luckily he didn''t need to be good with art as the system handled most of the actual art. He just shared his thoughts and confirmed if it was what he wanted or not.


    The Yin had jade ck scales, with the fins a dark blue bing lighter the further it was from the fish. The Yang instead had light pink scales with its fins a light purple bing darker the further it was from the fish.


    Each was nearly a meter (3.3ft) long and the two swam around each other peacefully in the ten-meter (33ft) wide pool Eldrian had created. The scene truly giving him inspiration and making him feel that the cost of 200 dors for the customized request was fully worth it.


    Next, Edvard turned the area between the pool and tree into a beautiful grass patch. Lime green grass with just the right height to befortable, soft even, but not long enough to be irretating.


    ''Now, the rest...'' Eldrian looked around at the barrennd surrounding the pool and tree and he actually half liked the contras. ''But I don''t want contras, I want it all to be weing.''


    Taking his time Eldrian walked the paths he wanted, adding a bridge over the pool and filling the rest of the 100x100m (328ft) area with random trees and nts as he saw fit. The total billing to 1,286 dors and Eldrian happily paying it.


    Taking a seat under the tree, Eldrian enjoyed the natural feeling of the grass and the light illumination of the flowers. He had made sure that the entire area was only lit by some type of flower. While none of them were magical, as everything here was fake, it still gave him a magical feeling.


    He no longer had a house in his virtual home, instead, he had added hammocks along with the paths and a few pillows decorated to fit in with the surroundings.


    Looking at the two fish and wondering if they might be real, or if they were just his own creation, Eldrian started to meditate. Trying to sense the area around him as he could in ANW. He failed, naturally he would. Yet he did not give up, he continued to meditate until the rm he had set informed him that it was time to log into the game again.

 Chapter 386: Setting out alone

    <h4>Chapter 386: Setting out alone</h4>


    Waking in ANW, Eldrian took a moment to gather his thoughts and think through the n he hade up with while meditating.


    It was quite simple, but strange. It might also fall apart as soon as he left the camp. The first thing though was talking with Vivian.


    "Morning," Eldrian said to the already training Vivian.


    "Morning," She replied with a downward sh shifting into a spinning sh which ended with two rapid thrusts. One low and the other high.


    "About what we talked about..."


    "I know," Vivian stopped and sheathed Nelida''s me. "I realized after a bit of thinking that my wanting to go with you was really dumb."


    After their talk and returning to camp Vivian had dived into getting back to top shape. Not because she wanted to rush out to be a hero, but rather because she wanted to be able to survive if something should happen. Allowing her injury to make herzy and her muscles stiff was not a good thing, she had rested for long enough.


    In her training, she had let her mind go through everything she hade to learn and what she had experienced. Realizing that it had been her naivety speaking when she had denied Eldrian''s request for her to stay behind.


    "I will stay here and if anything happens I will prioritize my life. You better do the same."


    "Promise," Eldrian said pulling her in for a farewell hug and then heading for themand tent. Hoping someone was there so he could at least get an update of what was going on regarding the war.


    The guards stopped Eldrian before the tent and even after he allowed them to confirm that he was a Chosen they still did not let him inside. With a growing headache, Eldrian asked them to just ask those inside about who he was. One of them did just that and soon after Katania popped outside.


    "Haru!" She shouted and indicated for him toe inside, the guards finally relenting.


    "Where have you been all this time?" She asked as Eldrian entered the tent. Evale and Evules were the only others inside the tent at the moment. They had all been stationed to keep watch of the main camp, and ensure that everything was running smoothly.


    They had not gotten this job randomly, instead, it was their rotation. Every three days someone at Tier 7 will step down from the fighting to rest. Taking control of the main camp while they did so.


    Evale seemed much like Eldrian recalled, Evules however was now riddled with wounds. Particrly on his horse half, some of the wounds stretching farther than Eldrian''s arm were long.


    "I''ve been recovering," Eldrian replied, this was actually an honest answer and no one doubted his words. They had read the report of the battle. He certainly hadn''t been the main character, however, many soldiers who had survived had shared stories about his ughter.


    There was even a rumor of him killing some people on their side, however, this was unconfirmed as the fight had truly been chaotic. Plus, a clean kill might not be the undead''s specialty, but that didn''t mean that the deaths must be due to Eldrian.


    Naturally, those in the tent had no wish to confirm what had happened. It was just one or two people who might have ended on the wrong side of Eldrian''s spear. And while it was terrible, inparison to the amount of undead he had killed. It was clear that he had likely saved far more lives.


    Besides all that, Pros had shared his suspicions that Eldrain was a fledgling Berserker. They truly couldn''t me him for his actions if this was the case, especially since no one actually saw him do anything wrong.


    "Then..." Evale slightly paused as she decided how to ask, "Youing here. Are you ready to join the fighting again, there are many ces that urgently need help."


    "Yes, but no." Eldrian outrightly refused to join another guard position. "I came here for the main goal of our mission. But first, can you fill me in now what is going on."


    While confused by Eldrain''s refusal, Evale was not one to jump to a decision and she also always tried to take in what others said. It is arge part of why their vige had been so prosperous before they had been forced to evacuate.


    "After the battle, the defeat had hurt the undead and demons a great deal. It had allowed us to push them back into solely the corrupted areas and repair our lines and actually finish making basic walls."


    "They still won''t stand up against even a simple charge, but they allow us to easily repel weaker attacks such as those the undead had tried to use to deplete our energy and morale."


    "So instead they have started trying to go around, however, without the cover of the trees and the boost that the corruption gives them, we can easily kill them when they try to leave the forest. The same holds for their reinforcements."


    "For the most part, we can whittle them down until we can outright annihte them. However, we are constantly losing soldiers, and with the West now also under attack from the beasts and also a full army of orcs, we are close to falling apart."


    "I fear that we will soon have to stop our harassment of their reinforcements, which means the pressure we will be under will greatly increase. Yet, the thunder legion is required at the West more than here in the East."


    "And what about finding the cause and destroying it?" Eldrian asked before Evale could continue her exnation.


    "We have tried to search for it, however, we can''t get more than 3 kilometers in the corrupted area. The energy drain grows stronger the further we go. This means finding the source should be easy, unfortunately, the undead also grow stronger the close we get."


    "At 2 kilometers in it feels like they all forcibly gain a few levels. This doesn''t mean much, but for a horde, it makes the danger they present far greater. We believe that at the source they might even possibly forcibly gain an entire Tier. The thought is chilling."


    "How is that possible? Is it possibly something like a magic tower perhaps? A revenant''s aura, along with a lich''s enhanced through some array?" Eldrian proposed, getting a shrug in response.


    "Possibly, we assume. But we don''t know how they could enhance it. We have never heard of an aura being enhanced before."


    "How many undead are inside the forest?" Eldrian asked next, getting a sigh and a reply of too many as an answer.


    "Then, is there anything else you guys have managed to learn about the corruptions? Something I don''t already know?"


    "No, we are still where we always were. It increases the undead''s strength while draining the living''s. It is also slowly expanding, luckily our arrays have managed to slow this down, but... We are still losing ground, literally."


    Nodding, Eldrian tried to think of everything he knew and then thanked them and turned around to leave.


    "Wait! That''s it? What''s your n."


    "I am going alone," Eldrian replied and tried to leave but was stopped as Evules grabbed his shoulder.


    "What do you mean alone. You will die before even managing to cover a kilometer." He said and Eldrian turned around to look at the near three meter (9.8ft) centaur.


    "Maybe, but if I am alone dying does not matter. I will just lose a few levels and resurrect in a temple. I already activated Pyknos fort as my resurrection area."


    "Still, what is that going to help? It is just a waste of time."


    Shrugging Eldrian turned around and looked them all in the eyes for a moment to make sure they were paying attention. "Maybe... Maybe I will just die for nothing. But at least my death is not permanent. I do not want anyone following me! It will justplicate things."


    With that he turned and left, leaving the group stunned for a while as they tried to ept what Eldrian had said. Even knowing how the other Chosen had resurrected, they still struggled to ept it.


    ''Alright... Let''s see if the dwarves are going to actually do something.'' Eldrian had a stone in the pit of his stomach as he left the gates and walked towards the withering trees. He knew he was still being targeted.


    He knew that at the minimum those targeting him could cause him to lose his avatar. Forcing him to restart from scratch.


    More than that, he knew he could be crippled. Heck, death was even a possibility. Still, with determination Eldrian put one foot ahead of the other.


    ''Every second means more death, means more loss and more danger for everyone else. Failure means the entire city might fall and might even lead to the entire kingdom falling.''


    Eldrian thought of the update he had gotten and wondered just how serious the situation was at the West. He also smiled for a moment as he wondered what Elizabeth and the rest of Phoenix were thinking now that the area they had left also had some action.


    ''Doesn''t matter. What matters is ensuring that we can safely secure Kynigo. That the million or so people living in the city and the nearby viges are safe.''


    With this thought in mind, Eldrian''s steps became stronger as he continued forward. He did not waver as he entered the area of wilted trees. As he felt his energy suddenly being pulled out of him.


    All it took to stop this was a little bit of active mana cirction. Still, even requiring just a bit of focus, having that need every second of the day. It was no wonder no one wanted to enter The Encroaching Border or the Vriks Drnds.


    The feeling though was not new to Eldrian, it felt very simr to the revenant''s aura. Activating Mana Sense, Eldrian hoped to find something substantial. So he let the ability fully activate, his eyes lighting up in with stars the colors of a rainbow whilst a massive headache quickly assaulted him.

 Chapter 387: Coming to an agreement

    <h4>Chapter 387: Coming to an agreement</h4>


    Eldrian was unable to process what mana sense was showing him. As fast as he could he stopped using the ability to rid the terrible head-splitting headache. However, while he was unable to process what had filled his mind, he had taken note of a few things.


    ''The mana is strange, and the trees aren''t normal.'' Eldrian noted as he held his head and waited for the headache to subside. After a few minutes, he used mana sense again, but this time firstly only trying to see the details of the trees. Thereafter to only see the local mana.


    [Wilted Ackley]


    [Once a proud oak tree filled with strength, capable of fighting for its right to survive in the forest. Now, but a husk. Alive only due to the strength that had allowed it to grow. Death around the corner.]


    Most of the trees were as such, but a few further back seemed to have be something new.


    [Spirited Ackley]


    [Refused death yet having had the life sapped from it like one might collect the sap of a tree. It is not just a husk, but part of awork. Beware, as the trees might not have eyes, but they can sense you.]


    ''How strange,'' Eldrian mumbled as he switched over to observe the local mana. As expected death-mana was almost everywhere. However, the Spirited Akcleys were connected via thin lines of green and ck. The colors twirling around each other and heading from one tree to another. These lines densest at the top branches and near the roots.


    "No idea what this tells me." Eldrian mumbled as he also spotted a few undead animals. They were not attacking him and seemed to mimicking what they had done in life. Grazing peacefully, yet the wilted grass would turn to ash as they bent down to eat. If the grass managed to stay whole then it would simply fall through the skeletal mouth or throat.


    "Hey! Are you guys here?" Eldrian shouted after a bit more observation and confirming that there was nothing dangerous nearby. His shout spooked the undead animals, though he was unsure if they were just running away or going to fetch reinforcements.


    After a moment of silence, Eldrian shouted again and on his third attempt a dwarf finally stepped out of the shadows. "Be quiet, you don''t want to be swarmed by the undead."


    "Bring?rr, right? So you guys are still here." Eldrian smiled as the first step of his n seemed to have worked. ''At least I don''t have to rush back to the camp.''


    "We still need to protect you, but our job isn''t to help-"


    "It is, since you can''t let the undead do as they please with me," Eldrian replied, clearly indicating that him being turned undead would be aplete failure on their part. He had no idea what that would do to a yer or if it was even possible. But, preventing his death before it was even a question was more in line with the dwarves mission.


    The dwarf looked at Eldrian stumped. It took him nearly a minute to recover. "Are you insane? Why would you threaten me with your own death?"


    "Because, for some reason, you don''t want to help when you can. Why would you just stand aside and watch as people die? As an entire city is endangered."


    "It isn''t our job to protect people. Especially when those people aren''t even of the same race, and we know none of them. Why should we risk our lives for people we do not know?"


    "Why are you risking your lives for me then? You don''t know me."


    "We-... That is..." Stumped, the dwarf turned back to the only thing he really knew. "Because those were our orders!"


    "So..." Eldrian looked around and noticed a cloud of dust in the distance, "Since you have to protect me that makes me your boss. Right?"


    "No! Not even close!"


    "Are you sure? I mean, you wouldn''t want to fail your mission."


    It was at this moment when Bring?rr also realized that a horde of undead was charging at their location. Turning to Eldrian he asked in disbelief. "You wouldn''t?"


    "Why not?" Eldrian smiled as he turned to look at the dwarf as he realized something. Their orders weren''t just to make sure his soul wasn''t destroyed. Aplishing something like that would actually be really hard since something could easily happen before they could intervene.


    The safest method of protection was naturally not risking resurrection. And if there was one thing the dwarves hated most, it was failing their mission. As such they wouldn''t take any risks they didn''t need to. This made Eldrian even more confident in his n.


    A few more seconds passed and the sound of the horde filled the air. Face red in embarrassment and anger from being manipted by someone who was only at Tier 3, Bring?rr spat out, "Fine, now let''s move!"


    Shrugging, Eldrian activated Augment and focuses it on his legs. Choosing a random direction that would not bring him deeper into the corruption and also away from the horde, he ran.


    His speed was not anything amazing, especiallypared to the dwarf next to him who managed to keep up with him through seemingly walking, Eldrian still managed to lose the horde thanks to the cover of the withering trees.


    When they arrived at a safe spot, Eldrian asked, "So, you agreed to help. Can you share what you know of this corruption?"


    "No." Bring?rr immediately shot Eldrian down, indicating for him to be quiet as he took out a crystal and focused on it. After around a minute the dwarf looked up and dered the rules for their cooperation.


    "As I was the one who decided to step out of the shadows, I will be the one responsible for keeping you safe. The others will stay in the shadows and only step out and help if the situation is too dire."


    "This means you must do your best to avoid any such situations. As our first priority is to keep you safe, that is what we will do. If you continue to show ack of care for your life, we will take the option out of your hands as this is also an indication that you might not be worthy of our time."


    This was certainly not the ideal situation for either of the two. But Eldrian felt he could work with it, in any case, he didn''t want to die if he could avoid it. He also didn''t want to risk losing this new connection he had made, although it might not be a clean one. It was certainly a strong one.


    "Secondly, I am not allowed to share anything I know of the corruption with you. My superior just informed me that this will be a considered a test for both me and you."


    "Fair enough," Eldrian nodded while a bit disappointed. However, having a bodyguard was good enough. Bring?rr was Tier 8 and his armor and weapons were certain to be beyond amazing from what Eldrian had seen so far. Or rather theck of what he had managed to see.


    There should be few beings at Tier 8 in the forest, if any. Smiling, Eldrian wondered what the next steps of his n were supposed to be.


    He was not worried about the dwarves. Not because he disliked them or wished them ill, but rather because he simply did not think anything here could really threaten them.


    "So then, what now?" Eldrian asked after a moment of thinking and the only thing he could think of was to head deeper into the forest.


    Bring?rr shrugged, "I am just here to help you should anythinge that you cannot handle. I won''t be stepping in when you can handle things."


    ''Well, that means no easy XP grinding and also that I have to be careful of how I move. Alright, let''s just go deeper.''


    With that thought, Eldrian slowly started heading deeper while using mana sense constantly. Switching between its abilities constantly to try and find a pattern in the mana flow or possibly discover something strange that might help him figure out how it worked.


    He also made sure to give all the Spirited Akley trees a wide berth. He had no idea how they worked, but he did his best to not move near them and also to not cross the lines of mana between the trees.


    ''How does he see them?'' Bring?rr wondered as he followed behind Eldrian. Curious how much the elf knew of undead nts. It was something that most people were unaware of. In fact, undeath could form a sustainable eco-system given the proper tools.


    ...


    "Can you believe him?" Nikki cursed as they only came to find that Eldrian had set off for his mission after messaging him.


    "Rx, he was always hesitant in joining the guild. The benefits aren''t that great in any case. If we tried to put them over his head he will certainly just quit." Judith said, causing the others to sigh in unison.


    "Then how are we supposed to handle this quest? The rewards are too good." No one denied Nikki''s words, however, they also couldn''t take the quest lightly. Failure with a guild quest was far more punishing than failure with normal quests.


    "Why don''t we wait, we have two more days to decide." Elizabeth proposed and naturally the others agreed with that.


    "Make sure to send it over to him, we will also all try to convince him tomorrow," Therdul said as he lifted his shield which he had been leaning on, and stored it away. "By the way, have any of you talk with the NPCs?"


    "No, they are all so busy and on their own missions. Trying to do so just irritates them." Nikki said and the others nodded.


    "True, but they have started seeing us as more than just irritating children." Zyviss countered, "I actually talked with a few of the guards the other day. Most of it was them being overjoyed at how dull their guard duty was."


    "Don''t you meanining?" Therdul asked and got a firm no in reply.


    "Nope, they truly are happy that nothing has happened. And I mean, just think back to the battle. Would any of you wish for something like that to happen again if your lives were on the line?"


    Silence settled for a while as they all realized what Zyviss was getting at, "Are you starting to see them as people too?" Elizabeth asked.


    "They are far tooplex to be simple AI. I mean we all knew that, everyone knew that since the start. However, I am starting to see what Eldrian always goes on about."


    "Have none of you realized that no one in this camp is a battle fanatic. It is somon in games and stories that people love war and wish to prove themselves. Yet... Here everyone just wants to survive. No one is happy being here, yet they are here. Here to protect their homnd."

 Chapter 388: A distraction?

    <h4>Chapter 388: A distraction?</h4>


    For the entire day, Eldrian kept making slow progress deeper into the forest. For the most part, he tried to be as stealthy as possible. This became harder and harder the deeper into the forest he went. Often he would also need to hide as a horde that would move past, likely going to try and assault some part of the wall.


    He failed to find anything all that special, even when he meditated and entered the magic abyss. He also got so used to circting his mana to prevent the corruption from entering his body that he needn''t think of it anymore.


    Though this was mostly because the amount of focus it took was so small. It was nothingpared to using Augment.


    ''Crap, nothing. And I have to log out.'' Stopping in the middle of nowhere, Eldrian turned to the dwarf who was a few meters behind him. If he hadn''t known that Bring?rr was there he would have likely missed him. Not only did his pitch-ck armorpletely camouge him with the gray and ck of the withering nts, he also had seemingly no presence.


    "Right, that is it for the day," Eldrian said, keeping his voice low to stop them from being overheard but not quite a whisper.


    "What? Why? Shouldn''t we have started going back then?"


    "No, you should be aware that I can disappear when returning to my world. Right?" Eldrian naturally assumed that they knew of this since most yers did just that when logging out while exploring. He had also done it many times and it would be really worrying if they missed that.


    "What about me?" The dwarf asked in indignation, receiving a shrug in reply that pissed him off.


    "You should be fine, I mean no one ever detected you. I will be back by sunrise." With that Eldrian logged out before the dwarf could try and argue. Seeing Eldrian turn into a burst of light and then there being no one, the dwarf was stumped and pissed.


    "He has no respect!" Bring?rr started to really regret trying to do more for Eldrian. Making a promise to leave the kid to his own devices as soon as their mission ended, the dwarf activated the stealth ability of his armor and seemingly melted into the shadows of the trees.


    The ability allowed them to hide nearly anywhere as long as there was some sort of shade. Finding afy spot, the dwarf decided it was time for a nap so he could forget about how irritating the day was. Wishing for some ale to wash down the bad taste it had left in his mouth.


    ...


    Eldrian entered Elizabeth''s virtual home ten minutes before the match, quickly regretting being early.


    "Eldrian! Why didn''t you inform us of your ns?"


    "Come on man, why don''t you help us with our quests?"


    "Right, we need you."


    "Please, once you finish what you are doinge do a quest with us."


    Shurigging of their pleading, Eldrian escaped the encirclement and ran for it. He returned 5 minutester and stared the others down before they could bring it up again. Erikughing his ass off at the drama and partly wishing he was part of it.


    "Who are we against?" Eldrian asked after a few seconds, shocking everyone and making them even more displeased with him.


    "Didn''t you bother to at least check that?"


    "I''ve been busy." Eldrian quickly hid behind his quest as he had honestly not taken a moment to think of the match outside of if he could make it in time.


    He felt slightly bad as he saw everyone''s disappointment, however, the rewards'' importance to him had greatly dropped ever since he had learned that Erik, or rather that Akarui was safe. While the rewards would still be nice, Eldrian did not crave them.


    Sighs ensued as everyone realized how little their matches seemed to matter to Eldrian. This along with how little he seemed to care for the guild was truly starting to piss them off.


    "Do you even know what type of round we are in?" Elizabeth asked and seeing the confusion in Eldrian''s eyes she sighed again.


    "Right, let me quickly exin it. This round is called the slimming. We are 128 teams now, after the canction round, we will face only 1 other team today. If we win we pass to the next round, if we lose we go into the loser bracket."


    "Right, loser bracket top 4 can challenge those who won, I know that."


    "Good, but our luck was crap." Elizabeth sighed again as she said, "We are fighting Ringless."


    Seeing that Eldrian couldn''t recall who that was everyone sighed again, "We lost against themst time. They are simr to us in that their team is a mix of different people and different styles. Only, all of them are Tier 3 and most of them were better equipped than us."


    "Oh right, the group who had a guy who also wanted to be a barbarian. But that should be fine now considering our gear upgrade." Eldrian didn''t think they would run into the same problem where he was thest one standing and ended up overwhelmed in the end.


    "Well... That will depend on how much they managed to improve."


    Before being able to discuss more the group found themselves out of time and teleported onto the battlefield. A rockynd with tworge outcrops, plenty of hiding spots, and the ground treacherous. In fact, quite a number of teams have lost members not from opponents but from the terrain itself in this arena.


    The group spawned on arge rock outcrop in the shape of a triangleing out of the earth. It stood proudly like a rock one would imagine a lion standing on and roaring its dominance to all those around. Their opponents spawned on a simr rock 200 meters (219yd) away.


    Between them was a distance of 200 meters (219yd) of loose ground fitted with rocks, stones, and rock shards of all types. Just walking barefoot was dangerous and Eldrian seeing this wished that he had bought himself decent boots. s, he was actually barefoot. Something he had never cared for till now.


    ''Huh...'' Eldrian looked at the ground and was shocked that this was something he had never found a problem. "Um, guys."


    Stopping their actions of descending their outcrop, they all turned to Eldrian and almost immediately realized the problem. "You have to be kidding," They said in unison. Their top yer being taken out by the terrain was not something they had expected.


    "Why don''t we just take up a defensive position?" Eldrian asked, receiving looks of shock and causing their viewers tough.


    Unlikest time, their opponent this time around was actually well known as they often streamed their matches. As such, they actually had a good number of viewers.


    "Fine, fine. I''ll deal with it." Eldrian helpless looked into his inventory in hopes of something he could throw on, after realizing that there was none he turned his attention to the ground and thought of something insane but brilliant.


    ''Might as well try,'' Sitting down on the outcrop, Eldrian picked up some of the loose stones around him and started using Vrachos and Gi.


    He would first take therger pieces of stone and turn them into elongated sharpened rocks through Vrachos. Stopping them from flying out of his hands and instead cing them next to each other. He then used Gi, and while it was slow, the rocks merged and formed a sole.


    Naturally, his actions confused not just his teammates but also their opponents and viewers.


    "Hey, this might work!" Eldrian shouted out, realizing that their opponents had stopped at around a 100 meters (109yd) from them and were watching him carefully. ''Oh, they think this is some kind of trap. Good, let me finish making my shoes.''


    The stream chat was abuzz with questions about what he was doing and how he was doing it.


    {How the hell is he using spells like that. Did any of you know it was possible?}


    {Hell no, besides, he isn''t saying any words. How is he casting without words?}


    {That isn''t all that impressive, but. Look!}


    {...}


    People were crazily discussing his antics especially when Eldrian ced the soles on his feet and started focusing on two of the Vrachos formed pieces. Using them to make a strap over his feet but quickly discarding the idea when he felt how ufortable it was.


    "Wait, is he seriously just trying to make shoes?" One of the two rangers in the team Ringless asked in disbelief, the other confirming her question.


    "It seems so. Does he seriously not have any proper shoes?"


    "Then what are we waiting for? Charge!" Their leader shouted as soon as they confirmed that it was not some type of trap.


    "They''re charging!" Therdul shouted as the group started rushing down from the outcrop.


    Sure, having the high ground might be advantageous most of the time. But having the high ground and no cover was a very dumb decision. Not only would their enemy be able to easily reach the other side and attack them, their archers and mages would also have easy shots at them while they are fighting.


    "Screw it!" Throwing the soles off from the ledge, Eldrian could feel that he could still connect to the stones. So just as they were about tond, he suddenly pushed (mentally) the soles forward as fast as he could.


    Like ricocheting bullets, the soles flew through two of the closest enemy yers. ncing on one''s side and ripping through another''s heart. The former''s armor managing to deflect the blow, but thetter having her heart stolen from her. Literally.


    Seeing this both teams stopped in their tracks and looked at Eldrian in shock. Who was smiling atop the outcrop and dual casting Frost Needle.

 Chapter 389: Chaos in chat

    <h4>Chapter 389: Chaos in chat</h4>


    While everyone was still stunned, Eldrian sent out his icicles. One aimed at the person who had survived the surprise attack, while sending the other at the barbarian. It took the opponents just a moment to ovee their shock, yet that was enough for them to miss the time to dodge fully.


    Still, they tried. The one in te armor lifted his shield and lost sight of the icicle as he did. The result, the icicle circling his shield and hitting his neck. Luckily for him, Eldrian couldn''t see behind the shield either, as such the gorget (Neckpiece) shattered the spell. Still, the event sent chills through his body as he realized how close to dying he had been.


    As for the barbarian, Eldrian couldn''t dual cast and aim the spells perfectly just yet. Especially over such a long distance and with the targets also being far apart.


    He had focused more on the armored opponent, knowing just how tricky it can be to deal with them. As such, the barbarian jumping to the side had saved his life. A mix of blood and water was now flowing from his shoulder. The icicle nearly having rendered his arm useless.


    However, the wound was not that big as the icicles were but asrge as a finger. Pulling it, the wound was quickly closed as one of the other yers cast Therapeia on him.


    ''I really need to learn some offensive Tier 3 spells,'' Eldrian thought as he saw his follow-up attack having also failed. He didn''t know if Tier 3 would even do the job of piercing through armor, but he knew Tier 2 couldn''t achieve that.


    Through all this, the other members of Phoenix hadn''t stayed idle. An arrow soon flew through the air and hit the barbarian before he could fully recover. Taking a step back he broke the arrow of but found a vicious attacking for him before he could recover.


    Jumping in the air, Judith ced all her strength and weight into this attack, even using her skirt''s special ability. The barbarian managed to bring his sword to block the attack, however, he folded like a sapling before the attack. His arms, legs, back, all breaking from the impact as his sword became stuck in his own chest.


    Just a second after Judith''s attack, Nikki also charged in and aimed for the guy in te armor while Therdul was a few meters behind.


    Seeing all this Eldrian decided to stay where he was and just rain down spells on their opponents. Also sending the asional rejuvenation and healing to his teammates where they needed it. The enemies were so overwhelmed that no one even had time to try and pick him off.


    Attacked from the front, the side (Zyviss), and above, Ringless did not manage to defend for long. Losing two of their members at the start of the fight had also certainly not been good for their morale and even worse for their ability to fight back.


    "Haha!" Laughing merrily, Therdul turned to look at the others, taking his helmet off to reveal his wide smile. "That was freaking awesome! And what an opening move that was!"


    "Indeed," The others nodded and all turned to look at Eldrian who was again sitting on the outcrop. Legs over the edge, overviewing the battle.


    In the end, their opponents had managed to bring Judith down as well as Nikki, no one else had died. Naturally, this result had piqued the interest of many viewers.


    {Why have I never heard of this team before?}


    {They don''t stream, so naturally we wouldn''t have known them. My question is rather who that elf is and how he can use spells like that.}


    {Wait, isn''t that...}


    {You''re right. I remember I read a forum written by a guy called Haru detailing how to learn magic as a High Elf. It must be him!}


    {Shit! Are you serious? Someone actually managed to y that crazy race?}


    {...} Quickly the focus of the chat drifter onto who this ''Haru'' was and how he had managed to do what he had just done. With many yers and especially guild leaders trying to figure it out.


    While guilds were still in their infancy, with only Phoenix Division being above level 1, they were quickly gaining importance. Especially as the yers in the empires started doing more quests due to being stuck in their Tier. Nearly half of the yers have reached Tier 3 by now.


    The most shocking thing to all these yers was that Eldrian was actually a High Elf.


    By now, less than 200 yers were still attempting to learn magic as a High Elf. Yet, most of them were still stuck trying to feel their mana. This was a massive disappointment of Miracle''s and why they were looking for other yers like Eldrian so passionately. And the true reason behind the tourney.


    Naturally, the team had no idea the chaos that their match had caused. They were used to having no viewers, returning to Elizabeth''s virtual home they all burst out in celebration.


    Everyone''s grievance over Eldrian''sck of interest disappearing after how he had basically handed them the win. When they heard that he had actually really tried to make himself shoes they found it beyond hrious.


    Especially when he exined, "When I dropped them I could feel that they were still part of the spell, Vrachos. I could still connect to them and when I did I realized I could shoot them out."


    This not being nned left them stunned and then led to a long bout ofughter. When Eldrian excused himself no one thought of pressuring him to join their quest. They all realized that the worst thing they could do was piss him off and have him leave them.


    Even if he didn''t actively do anything for the guild, just having him there was already a bonus. Elizabeth especially started wondering how she could make use of this to advertise their guild to yers after realizing that Ringless had supplied them with viewers.


    She wasn''t nning on getting people from other kingdoms, let alone other empires. However, having everyone in Taurus andter everyone in Phallos join Phoenix Division would be amazing.


    ''This might actually lead to a job.'' She thought as she started nning out how she could start using game resources to support herself. Like most in the game, she had a day job. It was arge reason why doing quests were so hard for them.


    They only had so much time they could y (Night/sleeping hours). Everyone also didn''t have the same time free due to family or work shifts. Thus why getting even 20 people for 1 quest was often an achievement.


    Elizabeth quickly tried to do the math of how much gold she would need to be able to switch over, only to quickly drop it as she realized it was an insane amount. She would need 10 gold to cover her basic needs every month, 15 if she wished to actually live, and 20 to actually achieve what she was getting from her job. (Yes, she does not make much, but she is also still very young. Just 23.)


    Needless to say, the guild did not even have 1 goldying around.

 Chapter 390: Ilpas Elpines notes (1)

    <h4>Chapter 390: Ilpas Elpine''s notes (1)</h4>


    Standing up, Eldrian pondered for a second if he was going to actually participate in the loser bracket for the spear matches. After a few seconds, he shook his head, ''Not worth the time.''


    While he would like to get the rewards, they were not nearly good enough, he would rather have more time for the quest he was trying to finally finish. The rewards from the quest were far better than the individual matches.


    However, it was still far too early to log back in. Instead, Eldrian browsed the forums looking for inspiration about magic or the undead. Unfortunately, nothing there piqued his interest in those areas even after hours of browsing. There were a few off-topic things that were interesting, but Eldrian was determined to stay focused.


    Logging in, he waited for a few minutes until his trusty (and unwilling)panion joined him. However, instead of setting out again, Eldrian took a seat and asked Bring?rr to keep an eye out for any dangers while he read through a pile of notes.


    "Why don''t we go back to the camp first then?" Bring?rr asked, hoping to get Eldrian out of the corrupted area. He had no idea how Eldrian could even stand it as a person below Tier 5. Yet, it seemed to not even phase the elf.


    "No, if I feel I realized something, I want to be here so I can test it." Eldrian replied and then started from the start. The first thing he did was take out the notes of Ilpas Elpine.


    When he had read it the first time he hadn''t really understood what the magus was getting at. Rereading it Eldrian still didn''t quite get it. However, he now at least knew what was being spoken about.


    ''This one...'' Rereading the one he had first read not so long ago, yet it felt like ages, just after the night raid at the fort. Eldrian paused on nearly every sentence as he tried to figure out what the magus was getting at.


    ''Elemental is that which passively exists, while non-elemental is driven by emotions, generally. But... Death is natural.'' Eldrian paused as he reread the first paragraph again.


    {Much like divine magic, this aura filling thends seems to be non-elemental. This fits with it being an undead creation, as that magic is also not of the aspect of elements. What is strange is that this seems to be a passive existence. This does not fit with non-elemental aspect magic. These aspects of magic always need a force, a will to drive them. Such as divine magic, without the faith of the caster, it is impossible to use.}


    ''Why does he say it needs a force?'' Eldrian pondered this for quite a while. ''Life and death... What if this is the inverse of the elemental aspect of magic. Instead of being non-elemental, it is the reverse... Like anti-matter. It would exin why it hungers after the elements in the air.''


    ''Wait! Does that mean there are different types of death-mana?'' Eldrian paused as this question sent a deep shock through his body. ''Have I been blinding myself? What if it only appears gray because I am blind to the mana? Colorblindness, is that really possible?''


    Eldrian pondered this for quite a while and looking around with mana sense, looking at the gray smoke filling the entire world before him but for a few strings of green and gray. ''Then, what if.''


    Extending his hand to one of these strings, Eldrian paused and focused into himself. ''Mana, stop flowing.''


    What he meant was not for his mana pathways to stop flowing, but rather the mana he had been pushing out of them to the rest of his body. Once he thought of it to stop, it did and quickly returned to his mana pathways.


    ''This might hurt,'' Eldrian thought as he could immediately feel something draining his energy. His stamina and HP dropping by a single point every five seconds. This drain was so strong only due to how deep they were in the forest. They were actually further in than anyone else from Taurus had managed to enter.


    Naturally, this was because Eldrian made sure to always avoid the strings of mana between the Spirited Akleys, as them being just two made them hard to spot. But arger part of it was the other dwarves were killing the Drekavacs as they were just an annoyance that would make this entire escapade take twice or trice as long if they lived to make noise.


    Eldrian knew that what he was doing was likely going to send rms to the undead, yet he had to test it to see if his assumptions were correct.


    ''Why else would the nature element and death mana be able to co-exist here?'' Was his thoughts on the strings, one of which his hand was moving towards. He actually did not agree with the second paragraph.


    There Ilpas had proposed that it might the opposite of the nature element. Yet, why would it then hunger after all elements? ''It must be the opposite of all.'' Was Eldrian''s conclusion.


    Upon touching the mana string, Eldrain could feel the drain immediately increasing. Yet, instead of pulling away, he focused on the nature element in the string. An element he was veryfortable with.


    Recalling the feeling of mediation and how he could, albeit slowly, pull in the mana of his surroundings. Eldrian tried just that with this string of mana.


    He focused on it as his eyes started to change. The string being torn apart, whereas before the gray part of it had ergened. Suddenly, Eldrian fell to the ground as he felt both out of breath and envigorated.


    He feltpletely drained of all energy, yet he could feel his body brimming with it.


    He felt the aura of death stronger than ever before. Reminding him of fighting off the waves of darkness when he had tried absorbing that which was in the revenant''s heart.


    Falling unconscious, yet staying standing, Eldrian found himself in the Mageia Avyssos. Before him, a massive sprawlingwork of green and gray lines. Sometimes a mix of the two and sometimes just one or the other.


    Thiswork filled his vision and epassed his soul heart that was beating peacefully in a ''. His ice and fire auroras far too small to evene close to reaching the ''.

 Chapter 391: Ilpas Elpines notes (2)

    <h4>Chapter 391: Ilpas Elpine''s notes (2)</h4>


    Eldrian stared at what was before him in wonder. He was not worried in the slightest as he could feel that the was just there. It was not constricting or hampering his soul in any way. In fact, it seemed to be part of the Mageia Avyssos.


    He had just always been blind to it, or at least he had been when trying to detect something earlier through entering the space before. He had indeed needed toe into contact with it to actually see it.


    Moving closer, Eldrian stared at the lines one by one. He started with the green ones, wondering why only green was present. As he moved around one of these lines Eldrian realized something and if he had a body a massive smile would betray his excitement.


    ''This isn''t nature, though nature is mostly what it is made up of. That must be why Ilpas thought that it was the opposite of nature. The color isn''t right though, nor is the feeling quite it.''


    Moving to another such a line, Eldrian found that the shade of green was slightly different, yet it was still not the light green of nature magic. Instead, they were all dark saturated greens.


    ''Why did I miss it before?'' Eldrian wondered and as he thought back he realized that the gray smoke mixed with the green must have caused him to not realize this. It being on its own allowed him to nowe to this conclusion. Being much closer was also something that helped greatly.


    ''Can I?'' Eldrian sent out feelers to try and contact the string, finding himself shocked by what he felt. Raw mana normally appeared a soft white and could change into any type of mana depending on the environment and spell.


    This instead, it felt like it was a mixture of elements. ''Nature, water, air.'' Eldrian noted that this line was more saturated. Moving to another, ''Nature, air, water. And this one is lighter colored.''


    ''Nature, fire, water.'' This one was both a shade darker and more saturated.


    ''Nature...''


    Continuing to move between them Eldrian realized that in all of the strings, light and darkness were absent while over 80% of each string was nature elements. He also noted that hybrid elements such as lighting and ice were absent.


    ''Hybrid elements aren''t everywhere, so it makes sense they are missing. But... Light and darkness are everywhere-'' Eldrian stopped abruptly as he recalled how the dark element was often present in the undead. Light, however, was always absent.


    Thinking back to when he first started learning magic, the little research he had done only to quickly drop it. Eldrian recalled that light and dark were not just amounts of light. No, rather they were amounts of energy.


    As a perfect example, ice was a hybrid element of water and dark. Yet, the color of ice is often lighter than water.


    ''What about?'' Turning to one of the gray strings, Eldrian tried sending out feelers to determine what type of mana it was. He was far more careful as he recalled the vicious struggle against the onught of death mana from his previous reckless actions.


    What he found was intriguing. He could only feel two types of mana from it and this was actually even stranger than his suspicions. The first thing he felt was the death element, something he knew very little about and it seemed most people knew very little of it. He had onlye into contact with this element and the feeling it gave a handful of times.


    The other was darkness. Shockingly, the death-mana would have been colorless (simr to raw mana) if not for the darkness mixed in.


    Taking a moment Eldrian moved back and observed the for a good while. Hours passed before he came to a conclusion. ''That''s it, and it is so simple.''


    Again, if he had had a body in this ce a bright smile would have betrayed his excitement.


    Instead of moving towards the strings again, Eldrian tried summoning mana. It took a few tries, but soon he managed to feel his body, a silhouette body formed in the Mageia Avyssos. Above one of its hands was a ball of light.


    The light filled the darkness of the abyss, hungrily sucked in by the gray strings and the surroundings. Yet, the strings green did not react at all.


    ''Is it really that simple?'' Eldrian wondered, turned his back, and returned to his body. Moving his hand from the string it flew in the air like a cut string in the air, until it managed to reconnect with the other tree.


    ''Why just the Ackley trees?'' Eldrian wondered as he could still feel a weird mana inside of his body. It was filled with energy, yet it sapped his own.


    Sitting down, Eldrian focused first on getting it out of him. Shocked when he saw he only had had 121 HP left. It might sound like a lot, but it was about a third of his total (361).


    He did not cast a heal on himself though, worried that it might have an adverse effect. Instead, he looked at the surroundings once more and then told Bring?rr that he was returning to the camp. The dwarf''s relief was so great that Eldrian could even feel it despite the fact that the dwarf had his helmet on.


    Naturally, Bring?rr had been worried that something had happened to Eldrian. He hadn''t wanted to disrupt the elf, despite that he had stood still for hours and his HP had constantly decreased.


    "We areing backter, I just need some time to digest what I found and also share my findings with the leaders of the armies."


    Shock caused the dwarf to stare at the elf before him for minutes on end, bbergasted. When Eldrian finally started moving after confirming that everything was fine, only then did the dwarf recovered, yet his shock was still as massive.


    "Wha-what did you find?" The dwarf asked, disbelief clear in his voice. He only knew how the corruption worked due to Amnur having shared this with all Abyssal Guards. They needed to know how to protect their homes from such an invasion.

 Chapter 392: Shenanigans

    <h4>Chapter 392: Shenanigans</h4>


    Yet, Bring?rr himself wasn''t sure how this corrupted area here worked. It was different from all those he had experienced before. Normally it would be the Eternal Protector who would analyze how the corruption existed and spread. For someone 7 Tiers lower to say he found something was beyond belief.


    "A few things," Eldrian replied with a smile but refused to share them just yet. He was still working through his thoughts.


    ''What is divine magic?'' This was the biggest question on his mind and one he felt was thest piece he needed to figure out what was going on. However, he had enough to make a conclusion even without it.


    So far he knew that fire, nature, and divine magic caused massive damage to the undead. One might think that fire and divine did so due to the usual trope. Yet, why would nature magic then do extra damage? Why was it also effective against the undead?


    ''Right, what was that spell...'' Eldrian cursed himself as he realized he had never returned for the theory behind the spells he had ordered. He had also not learned any of those he had bought. Though granted, he didn''t have much time and he felt mastering some skills had been the better move.


    Taking out the Tier 1 spells, Eldrian searched for the specific spell he was looking for.


    "Haha, found you," Eldrian shouted in delight and caused all the dwarves who were in the shadows to facepalm as they hoped no undead would follow the noise. Luckily they were already halfway out, though this was actually not a good thing.


    Eldrian was so deep in thought that he did not even think of avoiding the detection of the Spirited Ackleys. Pulling out the piece of paper, Eldrian looked at the spell module and its basic description.


    {Thora, a spell originally made with the intent to hasten the process of dposition for makingpost. However, it was found that it is highly effective against the undead.}


    Without a care of where he was, Eldrian started memorizing the spell while walking. His actions causing the dwarves even more astonishment. Yet, what happened after was even more shocking. Just 20 minutester, as they were just 1 more kilometer from the camp, Eldrian cast the spell.


    Even knowing that it was just a Tier 1 spell, the dwarves were left without words. Especially Bring?rr who had been thinking more and more of how much a waste of time this was. His thoughts quickly made a 180 though after seeing the speed at which Eldrian learned the spell as someone so new in the world of magic. It also made him actually believe that the elf might have managed to discover something.


    Eldrian''s target for Thora was one of the Spirited Ackleys, and as soon as he cast the spell it turned into ash. Disrupting thework and causing a storm of mana to surge in the vicinity. The pressure of the corruption lifting for a few minutes before thework managed to stabilize.


    Laughing merrily Eldrian realized that his spection was correct. However, his celebration was short-lived as multiple hordes of undead started rushing towards them. Not just from behind, but all sides.


    "Shit! That might have been a bit stupid!" Eldrian shouted as he changed direction again for the umpteenth time to avoid another horde, the one behind him now numbering in the multiple thousands.


    "You think!" Bring?rr shouted in both frustration and admiration.


    "Why don''t you guys just keep them busy?" Eldrian asked as he was forced to move inward to avoid another horde. The situation was quickly bing unstable.


    "We can''t protect you against such numbers." Gritting his teeth, Bring?rr finally decided that enough was enough. Picking Eldrian up in a princess carry the two suddenly lifted off the ground.


    ''Wha- the...'' Eldrian was astounded by what was happening, his worry for the hordes and the danger he was in disappeared instantly as he activated mana sense to try and figure out how this was possible. However, the mana was so dense that he was momentarily blinded by its light. Leaving him feeling salty as the dwarf rescued him.


    ''Come on, give me a peak!'' Eldrian thought but at least knew better than to really say this. After just a few seconds they arrived outside of the corrupted area, where Eldrian hoped down before he could be embarrassed of how he had been carried.


    "Thanks a bunch! I was starting to think I would need to do something drastic!" Eldrian pped the dwarf''s shoulder and got a grumble in response.


    ''He might be truly gifted with magic, but he is an idiot!'' Were Bring?rr thoughts as he told Eldrian that they weren''t out of the woods yet, literally and figuratively. A mass of dust soon appeared in the distant tree line.


    "Enemy attack!" Eldrian shouted and turned to the dwarf, "You should do your hiddy thing if you don''t want to be discovered."


    With that Eldrian ran towards the wall, his shouts shocking the guards on duty and sending chills down their backs when they saw the massive dust cloud rising in the distance.


    Yet, Eldrian''s thoughts were not of the iing danger but rather how Thora worked and why it worked so well. Even his first cast of the spell, which was never perfect, had instantly turned the entire tree into ash.


    ''It must be the mix of Nature and Light elements. Is it because the light cancels the dark, or is it because light speeds/heats things up. Thus, along with the nature mana activating dposition, the light makes it happen near instantly.''


    Eldrian felt thetter was more what had happened and lead him to again wonder what divine magic was. Recalling how someone had once told him it was like reversing time, Eldrian wondered if it was just super speed healing.


    He was so deep in his thoughts that he did not hear the guards'' shouts as he ran face-first into the wall. Falling unconscious as his brain and all his thoughts were scrambled.

 Chapter 393: The battle because of Eldrians shenanigans.

    <h4>Chapter 393: The battle because of Eldrian''s shenanigans.</h4>


    Eldrian woke a few minutester, on the other side of the wall with the sounds of war in the air. A moderate headache kept him from moving fast, but it wasn''t anything he hadn''t dealt with many times before. Though the throbbing pain on the forehead was new.


    ''Oh... Right, that was dumb.'' Eldrian mumbled as he struggled to his feat and realized what had happened. He did his best to push down his embarrassment and turned to observe the battle instead.


    Multiple holes were now in the wall, a few of the ''towers'' were also destroyed. However, it seemed like things were under control.


    The mages whose wooden structures (''towers'') had not been destroyed were focusing on crowd control. Spreading fires to limit the undead''s paths and strengthening other parts of the wall to stop more holes from appearing. The soldiers instead filled the gaps that were already there.


    Reinforcements were also arriving disorganizedly, but constantly.


    ''XP!'' Eldrian thought, pushed himself closer, and started to throw out simple Tier 1 spells. Mostly healing or rejuvenation spells, getting him the participation XP which wasn''t all that much. However, as the minutes continued to grow it became a good amount.


    He didn''t rush forward for two reasons. Firstly and most importantly, no one he knew was here nor did it seem like anyone was in great danger. When someone received a serious wound they would filter themselves out, if they are unable to those behind them would remove them from the fight.


    This was the advantage of having a wall. Even if it didn''t fully stop the undead, it allowed a formation to be made and maintained with ease. Though having a few gates to sally out from might be a good addition (especially for centaurs), however, they had been pressed for time.


    The second reason he did not rush forward was exactly due to how in control the soldiers were. Eldrian knew that he didn''t work well in a formation. He had no idea how to fight in one and would just cause friction that might lead to more trouble.


    He also did not have much interest in trying to learn that skill. He already had far too many things on his te. Just dreaming of someday again trying to learn cksmithing made it clear how little he had to spare.


    So, instead of moving in close, Eldrian maintained his distance and kept helping out how he could. As the undead became less, Eldrian started using Thora (The dposition spell) more and more.


    He had focused his healing on those who had received wounds and now there were almost no new injuries. So he took the time to get used to the spell, killing two birds with one spell.


    ''Alright, 10 meter (33ft) range.'' Eldrian noted first, noticing that past that he couldn''t really affect the undead. Activating mana sense however was not a good idea. The area was absolutely filled with a storm of all elements. Making it impossible to track his own spell and also nearly blinding him.


    Thus he had to, for now, tell himself to not dwell on why and just move on.


    ''The damage is amazing though.'' Eldrian noted next, given how little mana the spell took this was actually shocking. He had wondered why the tree had turned to ash so easily, and now he started to realize just how amazing the spell was. He also realized he hadn''t tried to observe the tree''s mana, ''Which I should certainly do next.'' He noted between casts.


    The undead before him were filled with mana, so naturally, as it is their lifeblood, it would limit how effective the spell was. Thus he couldn''t turn them to ash with just one cast.


    However, considering the actual description of the damage, what it did to the undead was insane and almost made no sense.


    [Thora - Tier 1 - Rank 1]


    [Cost: 12MP]


    [Damage (Baseline): 10]


    {Damage modified by intelligence, then race bonus, then vulnerability (Vulnerability differs from undead to undead - up to 5x). The undead here have no armor/resistance against this type of spell.}


    [Affect: A spell aimed at elerating the dpositions ofpost. However, it was found that it was highly effective against certain undead. However, this effectiveness is reliant on them being dposable/dposing. The spell will drastically lose effectiveness on stronger undead.]


    While the stated damage was 10, what was happening to the undead was not even close to so little damage. Each time Eldrian used Thora, zombies would take up to 180 damage, with the lowest having been 120. Skeletons instead would take anywhere from 50 to 90.


    What this meant was that to kill one of the strongest zombies (Tier 4), Eldrian just needed to use Thora 4 times. That was not hard at all, Tier 1 spells were almost no effort for him. He could cast Thora 4 times in 4 or 2 seconds. Depending on if he was just casting or casting and moving/fighting.


    Naturally, Eldrian''s affinity with nature magic massively increased his damage. The 60% bonus basically doubled his damagepared to the other mages. His casting it through his own way also allowed him to cast it without a cooldown. The other mages in the fight had to wait 3 to 5 seconds depending on their Tier. As all of them were below Tier 5.


    When it was all said and done, Eldrian actually had the highest amount of kills. Though no one was keeping track of that. Still, a few people took note of how many of the undead Eldrian was looking at would fall apart seconds after. It was actually quite terrifying.


    Just as the battle was settling down, Eldrians suddenly got chills throughout his body. Jumping into the mess of undead, Eldrian tried not to breathe as the stench of rotting flesh overwhelmed him. Yet, he did not stop. He kept moving deeper into the horde, receiving more than one attempted grab and bite.


    As he had gotten his chills, a shadow me had appeared just a few meters behind him. A figureing out and throwing a small knife.


    Where he had been, four undead were now pinned together by this small knife. Their bones crushed and their meat squished.


    ''How did he know!'' The assassin roared internally as he summoned his mes again and retreated just as the dwarves were about to stop him. Unfortunately, no one was looking at the cause of the disturbance. This allowed the assassin to escape without anyone but the dwarves seeing him, it also allowed the dwarves to stay hidden.


    ''He''s still after me!?" Eldrian''s question was multipart. The first and most pressing matter was if he could stop hiding behind the undead, it was quickly bing difficult to slip past them. Especially as more and more undead came to realize that someone was in their midst.


    The other part of the question was a statement, confirming that the quest stating that he was still a target meant he truly was.


    Luckily, before things could escte anymore the undead all suddenly stopped moving, turning to ash not long after.


    Everyone was stunned when they saw an elf trying to hide behind the undead. If not for many having seen him helping them and also having been there when he ran into the wall, they would have thought he was with the undead.

 Chapter 394: Formation master

    <h4>Chapter 394: Formation master</h4>


    ''There goes my cover,'' Eldrian thought as his nose thanked whoever arrived and turned the horde into ash, while his heart raced worrying that he might be targeted again.


    Staring wearily at everyone, Eldrian wished he could use mana sense to confirm everyone was who they seemed to be. He had yet to ever find anything strange with it, so he didn''t even know what to look for. Still, it would have calmed his nerves.


    He could naturally use the Observe part still, getting their names, Tier, stats. However, Eldrian felt that part could easily be cheated through special items or abilities. Recalling how it seemed even the dwarves couldn''t keep track of the assassin after him, Eldrian stayed where he was.


    "Haru!?" Came a confused voice.


    ''Thesolis... But, are you who you appear to be?'' Eldrian questioned as he looked at the centaurette. Unlike most people in the fight, she had no scars. New or old.


    Even her clothing was clean, though that was to be expected from someone whose focus was a craft profession and not abat one.


    "Thesolis, what are you doing here?" Eldrian asked.


    Frowning at theck of respect Eldrian showed her before all these soldiers, she countered and indicated for him to follow him. "That is my question."


    It took Eldrian a few seconds and nearly half the distance to realize his blunder. "Sorry, I was just shocked at the undead all turning to ash. That was so amazing!"


    His praise brought a smile to the centaurette''s face and too many of the centaurs and demi-humans who were busy treating their wounds.


    One of them even took it upon themselves to add more praise, probably in the hopes to be noticed by a formation master.


    "Never underestimate a formation master, they''ll always surprise you!"


    ''Ah, that is probably what someone who makes arrays are called.'' Eldrian though, realizing that while he had asked plenty of questions about arrays way back. He had never asked what someone who created them was called.


    Eldrian followed Thesolis for a bit, hoping that she was not the assassin and also curious why they would call someone who makes arrays a formation master instead of an array master or arrayist.


    When he brought up this question Thesolis was left speechless.? "That is your question? Not how I managed to kill all the undead? Besides, how did you end up here?"


    Eldrian shrugged and exined how he had set out the day before to try and figure something out about the corruption. When he casually mentioned that he pissed off the undead because he did find something, Thesolis was simply left without words to respond with.


    ''Is he really just Tier 3?'' She asked herself and started doubting if she was truly Tier 6. Finally, she couldn''t contain herself.


    "What did you find!" She asked it in a massive rush that the words mushed and came out as a jumbled mess. Blushing, Thesolis took a step back and asked her question properly.


    "That it is all a massivework. Like an array, so why aren''t you called an arrayist or array master?"


    ''This again?'' Thesolis couldn''t help it as she got an irritating twitch, taking a deep breath to calm down she said, "Because arrays are just part of what we can do. A collection of arrays can be made into arger array, however, it is more often made into a formation."


    "That is when you ensure the arrays work well with each other. Needing to perfectly time their activation and power output. What I actually did was activating a formation I have been installing across the entire wall."


    ''Which is why she is here,'' Eldrian nodded and felt morefortable. While there was still a chance that the assassin would take the time to exin this to him, they had also moved far enough away from the battle for the mana in the surroundings to be stable.


    As such Eldrian immediately used mana sense to confirm this even more. When he saw the two static pools, one below her chest and the other in her horse half, Eldrian finally fully rxed.


    "So what spell was that?" Eldrian asked.


    "It wasn''t a spell, it was a formation." She rified before starting her exnation. "What I did was activate the arrays in the walls while using myself as the range limiter. Between me and the walls all the mana was gathered and activated to perform a spell simr to Thora, which I saw you using by the way."


    Thesolis mentioned this because she had her own questions. Not only was the effect of Eldrian''s Thora insane, he had also cast the spell so quickly and so many times that she had lost count. Even though she had just observed him for half a minute or so.


    She had also seen his escape from an assassin who could seemingly teleport and she was not going to let that stay something unspoken. The danger such an assassin could present to the king was unprecedented, how Eldrian had known of the danger was also unknown.


    The dwarves'' appearance had also shocked her, but they seemed to be no threat. Though not having noticed them still worried her.


    "While using holy magic would be more effective, it requires far too many resources for such arge area."


    Nodding Eldrian wanted to ask more questions, however, Thesolis instead pressed him on how the corruption worked.


    "Wait, let''s go back to the camp first," Eldrian said, "I don''t want to have to exin it again and again."


    Nodding, the two set off for the camp after Thesolis performed a hasty fix for the wall''s arrays. What she did simply stabilized them so they wouldn''t degrade further and possibly affect the other arrays and thus the formation.


    ...


    "How far do you think you can enter?" A centaur with a dark green coat asked, frustrated at how hard it was to get the catkin to help them. Just finding her had taken nearly an entire day, wasting plenty of resources and time.


    Eldrian''s entrance had caused the conversation to still. Looking around he noticed two people inside outside of the five. One he had only seen once before when he had returned the crystals that had been given to him. The other was Kydone.


    She was silently sitting on a high chair allowing her to also look at the map. When Eldrian entered her eyes lit up though she stayed where she was. She had been reprimanded repeatedly and if she continued to act up then Evale was the one who was going to lose her reputation.


    Not because those in the tent were threatening her, but rather because everyone knew that the two were close. Kydone not helping naturally made them then wonder about Evale''s intentions.


    "Sorry, did I interrupt?" Eldrian asked just before Thesolis could push him down. "Hey, wha-"


    "Insolence! How dare you act-"


    Raising his hand, the centaur with a dark green coat indicated for hismander to step back, turning to the two new arrivals he asked, "Thesolis, why did youe?"


    "Section 13 of the wall was attacked, the wall was breached but it has been contained."


    "That is hardly important enough for you to leave your post!" Themander shouted, shutting up when the king again indicated for him to stop. The scowl he received causing themander to nervously swallow.


    "Then, is it because of the elf?"


    Nodding, the centaurette finally allowed Eldrian to stand back up. Eldrian did just take, stretching his back in tant disregard of thepany around him. Heck, he still had no idea who those in the tent were.

 Chapter 395: No respect

    <h4>Chapter 395: No respect</h4>


    Instead of exining why he was here as was expected, though Eldrian had no idea why everyone looked at him. He naturally thought that Thesolis would exin it. Eldrian instead looked at the man who had been constantly berating them.


    Without a care, Eldrian also used mana sense on everyone in the room. Unlike before though, someone actually realized what he was doing. However, the old centaur with a graying coat decided not to mention anything.


    The use of it calmed Eldrian as he confirmed that it seemed everyone inside was normal. He still did not know what to look for though.


    ''Why is he so angry?'' Eldrian wondered as he stared at the one who had berated them, the... Well Eldrian had no idea what type of demi-human the man was. If not for mana sense he would not even know the person wasn''t human. This guy''s nostrils were ring like Eldrian thought was only possible in cartoons.


    Coughing, Thesolis realized that Eldrian seemed to either not care for the awkwardness or not be aware of it. So she decided to give Eldrian a little push, "Haru, please exin what you told me."


    "What? You mean about the corruption? How did you not managed to find it?" Eldrian asked instead of answering, causing the tent to reach a new temperature. One that would likely be able to boil water.


    Thesolis truly wished she could give Eldrian a p for his insolence, however, she also realized that the Chosen did not know their customs and suddenly she realized that he might not even know he was in front of the king.


    Eldrian knew, mana sense had given him that information. He also knew that the old centaur with a graying coat was the old king and the strongest person he had evere to meet outside of the dwarves.


    The demi-humanmander was also surprisingly strong, this was of course natural. However, Eldrian still didn''t want to give them any face. He did not like not being given the normal respect due to a person. Naturally, he was toofortable due to how strong people had all been friendly before.


    "Just exin it," Thesolis said with a sigh, wishing she had forced him to tell her beforehand. Or at least that she would have warned him who would be in the tent. Now it was toote to bring this up.


    However, she hadn''t known who would be there. Only Evale was stationed in the camp, yet strangely she was missing from this group.


    "Alright, but I really do not understand how you missed it. Sure, the corrupted area is filled with the death element. Yet, the lines between the trees are as clear as day. All you had to do-"


    "Lines? What lines?" Everyone in the tent asked, naturally not in the same words and a few in much with far more pressure.


    Clearing his throat instead of immediately answering, Eldrian replied, "As I was saying, all you need to do is use Mana Examination to see them."


    Hearing the unknown term the group turned to Thesolis who quickly answered the unasked question. "Colorful Sights."


    A look of confusion however appeared as everyone heard this, "Naturally we have not been ignoring such a useful scouting spell. However, the area is only filled with the death element. It starts out where you can still see through it, however, deeper in it bes like the dark of night."


    ''What are they talking about? It isn''t dark, it is grey. And-'' Eldrian''s thoughts paused as he realized what was going on. ''I see, Mana Examination isn''t perfect. I already knew that, however...'' Turning to the Tier 10 centaur, Eldrain asked himself, ''Do they not have an improved version?''


    "I think I know what is wrong," Eldrian said, not sure if he should share with the group that he had a special ability or not. If Pros had been here he would have been willing, however, he trusted no one but Kydone in the tent and she did not seemfortable at all. Thesolis was probably the next closest but Eldrian didn''t know her enough to trust.


    "Mana Examination..." Pausing Eldrian added the name for the spell he really did not like, "Or Colorful Sights as you call it. It isn''t a perfect spell you know? I mean, I realized that even after having just modified Mana Inspection."


    Themander''s muscles bulged and his cheeks turned to a leathery state. He hated how the elf seemed to be looking down on them. However, he had to secede that he had never heard of someone calling the spellcking.


    "What is wrong with the spell?" The old centaur asked, his interest piqued and no one else seemingly willing to ask.


    "I mean, everything," Eldrian replied but before continuing he turned to Thesolis and asked if she could quickly draw the spell for him before continuing. "You see, I never really saw the spell module for your..." He paused as the name just felt bad, "Colorful Sights. I just want to confirm that it is indeed the same as Mana Examination before continuing."


    Those in the tent were shocked hearing Eldrian saying this. They turned to Thesolis questioning if he truly had discovered the spell on his own. Her subtle nod shocking the group and causing them to ask just how they had not been filled in on this.


    Naturally, there were so many things happening that it was hard to share all the interesting things. Especially when those things aren''t crucial or time-sensitive.


    Thesolis quickly drew the spell module on a piece of paper and handed it to Eldrian. After taking a look Eldrian smiled as it was indeed the same, though a few things were slightly different.


    "First off..." He started pointing out ces where the nodes could be slightly moved or the pathways slightly altered to increase the efficiency of the spell.


    Naturally, he had had no need to improve it after unlocking mana sense. He had also only recentlye to be able to see this for certain spells. He hadn''t had the time to test it and had only realized it now. ''When did it be this clear?'' Eldrian asked himself before continuing.


    "However..."


    ''Shit, I exined all this and can''t say it is theoretical without revealing that I have a special ability.''


    "This is quite brilliant, however, some of these changes wouldn''t work." Said Tstos, the old king. "At least not without you being able to control your mana nearly perfectly..." Naturally, seeing that Eldrian was a High Elf the group quickly realized what the old king was getting at.


    "At most you would be able to make these modifications, however, I am unsure if it will still be stable then."


    Eldrian shrugged, shocked that someone could actually determine if what he had said would be possible. And to do that at a nce. ''Why didn''t he improve it then?'' Eldrian questioned and after a few seconds of mulling it over while the rest looked at the modified spell, Eldrian realized it was likely due to there being no need.


    Everyone thought of the spell as useless. Sure, it had its ces but those were few and far between. Taking the time to improve it, ording to what Eldrian knew, meant a Greatmage (Tier 6) or higher spending months on it.


    Naturally, any sane person would rather try to invent personal spells or learn more useful spells that would improve their ability to fight and survive.


    "We don''t have the time to ensure this module will be possible to cast." The current king, Farest said. "I can already confirm that this one isn''t stable."


    "Well, you don''t need it." Eldrian said, "Is there anything special about the Ackley trees?"

 Chapter 396: Ackley trees

    <h4>Chapter 396: Ackley trees</h4>


    Everyone naturally understood that Eldrian asking this meant that there was something special about them. Racking their brains, they tried to think what might be. As normal, the old king did not weigh in even though he knew all the things that could be considered special about them.


    "Why don''t you just tell us?" Themander asked, his name was Sodren and Eldrian was really starting to dislike the guy.


    "I literally have no idea what the tree even is," Eldrian replied, he had never heard of it and even if he had he would have likely forgotten about it. The only nts he had taken to heart were the Fruit of Life Erik had told him about and the Ice Lilies. Eldrian had even forgotten about the nulling moss.


    "Then why ask?" Kydone asked, her speaking up shocking everyone.


    "Because it seems that they mutated in the forest. Surely you guys didn''t miss that as well." As the words left Eldrian''s mouth he realized it was a bit too much. However, he had wanted to get a reaction from Sodren and he seeded. The man nearly lost control of his form, showing Eldrian that he was some type of lizard demi-human.


    ''Why didn''t mana sense tell me though?'' Eldrian questioned, having only known the man was a demi-human thanks to it.


    "Sodren rx, and Haru we did not miss it. All the nts mutated. Some wilted, others survived the process and turned into new forms. However, we failed to find anything special thus far from any of those we had brought back." The king replied, wondering why the elf was being such a prick.


    ''Of course, you would fail when bringing them back.'' Eldrian immediately thought but managed to keep to himself. He focused on that there were more mutated nts and wondered if they were also part of thework.


    "To answer your question," A woman with amber hair and fur said, speaking up for the first time. Her name was Kohaku and she was a Kitsune, Eldrian had no idea what that meant but she looked pretty.


    She was wearing a loose robe, a kimono of a light red color. It matched well with her fur which extended from her hair and ears to her neck. Framing her face in a surprisingly cute manner. No tails were visible.


    "The Ackley trees are a type of oak. Simr to all oaks the wood is very strong and heavy. Naturally, as it is a magical tree it is far stronger than normal oak while not being much heavier. It is often used by the local hunters for their bows."


    "The Ackley trees are only Rank 2 trees-"


    "What do you mean rank?" Eldrian interrupted before she could continue. Hearing the question everyone realized that Eldrian truly had no concept of magical nts as it was one of the most basic things one would learn.


    "Ranks are simply a way we have ssified nts to ssify them. It means little, but allows us to know in general how strong or helpful they are. Rank 0 is non-magical nts, Rank 1 is where it is only slightly magical. Simr to celestial ores, such as ck Steel."


    It took a second, but Eldrian managed to recall faintly that he had learned of celestial ores before. Though he couldn''t recall much from back then.


    "Rank 2 is instead equal to Mithril and the like. Meaning that the nt is not just magical intuned, but also has a special affinity. Ackley wood is often used for its unique sturdiness, bows made from it and fueled with mana can shoot arrows nearly twice as fast."


    ''Oh, I should grab a few for Zyviss... Or I can just tell them about this.'' Eldrian thought, certain that it would not be hard to make a magical bow from the trees if it was truly this amazing. ''Actually, before I forget.''


    Seeing Eldrian space out, Kohaku stopped her exnation and gave him some time to sort out his thoughts. Eldrian was actually sending Elizabeth a message, but he still appreciated that she waited for him.


    "Is there anything else?" Eldrian asked, "Besides that it is really sturdy?"


    Realizing that Eldrian did not care for the other ranks, Kohaku dropped it and answered his question.


    "Yes, the wood does not work well with being altered. Trying to inscribe it or add runes on it would ruin the flow of magic, while trying to enhance it would normally destroy its properties."


    ''Which means it should be really easy to make a good bow.'' Eldrian thought but did not linger on this.


    "Nothing more?"


    "No, not that I know of..." Kohaku paused as she recalled something else, though it was not relevant to the wood, it was to the tree. "Right, there is one more thing. An Ackley''s roots grow really deep and also spread far. The trees are verypetitive with each other, you will not find two within 10 meters of each other. In adulthood this might even extend to 20 or 30 meters."


    "That might be it!" Eldrian said, though he had no idea why this might be special. He just felt deep roots would work well for awork.


    "Alright then, can you tell us why you wanted to know about the tree before exining things to us?" The king asked, bing more and more frustrated by this seemingly entric elf.


    "Oh, I wanted to see if I cane to any other conclusions. This helped, a bit... Actually, I have no idea if it helped. Actually..." The second actually irritated everyone and even Farest started feeling like just forcing Eldrian to tell them what he had found.


    Luckily, the king had had plenty of experience working with unruly and strange people.


    "Can any of you use divine magic? Also, do any of you have any divine spell modules?"


    "What? Why?" Was the general question asked by everyone, and Eldrian''s answer was so unique that they nearly puked blood.


    "I''m curious."


    "Enough! Just tell us what is special about the Ackley''s. What do they have to do with the corruption?" Sodren roared, he couldn''t handle it anymore. His eyes turned into slits and his arms became covered in blood-red scales. This time Farest did not indicate for him to stop.


    "Sure, but I would like for you to organize a spell module of a Tier 1 or Tier 0 divine spell and possibly also someone who can teach me." Eldrian replied with a wide smile. A twitch appearing on Sodren as his scales formed back and forth around his eyes.


    "Of course, that would not be hard. However, everyone in the camp is too busy. You will have to go to Pyknos fort."


    "Can''t you order them toe here? I need to follow you guys as you clear the corruption."


    The confidence in Eldrian''s words caused a few of the people inside to nearly faint. They had simply been hoping he could give them a lead they might be able to use to slow the corruption. Yet...


    "What did you just say?" Kohaku asked in utter disbelief. She hated what was happening to the forest and Eldrian''s words gave her hope for saving what was left of the once prosperous forest.


    "Um, that you need to order them toe here?" Eldrian''s response caused more than one to feel like facepalming, "I''m joking, don''t be so serious. The Ackley trees seem to evolve in the corruption. First, they wilt, which I assume happens to all nts."


    Eldrian got a round of nods as he continued. "However, some of the trees also be a new type. Spirited Ackley."

 Chapter 397: The network

    <h4>Chapter 397: Thework</h4>


    "Yes, but we failed to find anything when we tried to inspect them. Even uprooting them and bringing them back had failed." Kohaku said, curious why they had failed to find anything.


    Even if Mana Examination and Mana Inspection were not perfect, under their studies they should have found something if there was anything. Heck, they had even taken part of the nts and tested how they could function as parts of weapons, yet nothing strange had appeared.


    Eldrian thought the same,ing to a simple conclusion. ''Thework must adapt if they try to destroy the trees or uproot them. If it isn''t instant such as with Thora, then they can recover. Heck, it had taken just a few seconds for it to recover.''


    "I think I know what is going on." Turning to Thesolis Eldrian asked, "Is it possible for an array to modify itself if it is damage. So as to stay functional?"


    "No, I have never heard of a thing like that. However..." Pondering on this topic for a moment, Thesolis eyes shed with inspiration, "It might be possible to make a formation capable of epting a loss. It wouldn''t be that hard in fact, the coding of the-"


    "Alright alright don''t-"


    "No, please do continue." Eldrian interrupted Sodren who had interrupted Thesolis. Causing the man to turn red in anger.


    "Well, the manner in which you let the formation work will have to be very precise. You will also need to know which arrays you expect to lose. But if you do, it should be possible to have it stay active even if it happens."


    "But it won''t be able to repair the broken arrays?"


    "No, how would that be possible?"


    ''Well, thework is alive-'' Eldrian thought and changed his words to better reflect the situation, ''Thework is undead, which is the same as being alive. It can react, but if this is just instinct or if it is conscious is the question.''


    Eldrian came to this conclusion based on the nts, it was already known that even normal nts can react to their environment. Magical nts should certainly be able to do even more than that.


    Sharing this with those in the tent, he left everyone stunned.


    "So, well... I am morefortable with spell modules so just follow along with that." Eldrian started off with, spell modules and arrays were basically the same. For the life of him, he could not remember what names they had chosen for the pathways and nodes and he was not going to let that make exining things harder.


    "The trees act as nodes for the array. However, nodes aren''t as simple as just being a static point for mana to enter or exit. Especially, in this case, it is also a gathering point for mana and the connection between the trees acts as a sort of detection. On top of that, it also means the nodes are alive."


    "This is likely why you were always spotted when trying to sneak into the forest."


    "Wha-"


    "How is that-"


    "Seriously?"


    Disbelief was in everyone''s voices, yet Kydone seemed to have either realized this already or something had told her that there was something like that.


    She didn''t try so hard to not go into the corruption just because it was dangerous and because it was extremely ufortable. Her instincts were also screaming at her. Telling her that what she normally relied on would fail her.


    "Naturally, trees aren''t static. They grow, they age, they wilt and die. Which means the array can''t be static. So it must grow, it must age. Yet it is also an undead creation, a thing filled with the elements of death. Thus, it does not necessarily need to wilt and die."


    "What are you getting at?" The king asked, failing to understand what Eldrian was trying to tell them. The analogy which Eldrian thought was perfect only confused the natives.


    Except for Thesolis, naturally. And also the old king who was following along and admiring how the elf was working through things. He clearly didn''t have all the answers and was also still trying to figure it out himself on the spot.


    Thesolis replied before Eldrian could, to those in the tent''s admiration.? "He is getting at the fact that this array is possible of adapting and repairing itself. Clearly, he doesn''t know to what degree, but not only can it detect us as some special arrays can. It can also find new trees, or nodes as he put it, and expand further without the need of someone making new arrays."


    Shivers covered those in the tent, naturally, they had always known that the corruption was spreading. However, hearing how was a shock. It was an advancement in magic, specifically formations and arrays that they have never even conceived before today.


    "Then how do we stop this? Removing the trees had done nothing." Kohaku asked, and the answer was so simple it was almost beyond what they could ept.


    "Removing likely took some time, same with normal methods of destroying trees. Since the trees are technically undead, use magic aimed at undead on it. I used Thora and a tree turned to ash immediately. I can also confirm that the corruption around it had disappeared for a few seconds. However, thework had managed to recover in those few seconds."


    "This is amazing news!" Kohaku shouted in joy, her fur spreading across her cheeks to her nose. Making her appear cuter than before. She also found it strange that no one else was celebrating.


    "This is indeed good news, however..." The king paused and sighed, "This will likely only work at the outer edges of the corruption. The source is still unknown and so too is the danger it presents."


    Eldrian shrugged, not bothered by thisckluster reply. "Sure, but if you remove all the Ackley trees between the wall and corruption you can stop it from spreading more. You can also slowly push it back."


    "Besides, that is why I want a divine spell module and someone to teach me. It is also why I need to apany you as we head deeper."


    Nodding, the king turned to Sodren and asked him to go to the fort to bring a teacher for Eldrian. While the demi-human was unwilling, he had to ept that while the elfcked etiquette, his talent seemed to be the real deal.


    "Let''s confirm that this does indeed work." Turning to the others the king was about to send outmands, only for Eldrian to stop him mid-sentence.


    "Sorry, but there is one more thing you should know. When I destroyed the Spirited Ackley, the surrounding mana turned into a massive storm. This might affect the magic people might be using, especially spells."


    "Noted, thank you. Kohaku, please." Indicating to the kitsune, she quickly took Eldrian out of the tent as everyone started discussing tactics.


    Eldrian didn''t mind being removed from the discussion, he didn''t know much about organizing people and even less about fighting as arge group. However, he was curious why thedy was specifically asked to lead him somewhere.


    Looking at her and taking in her strange features that somehow worked, Eldrian decided to ask and make sure he was safe.

 Chapter 398: A shock too great

    <h4>Chapter 398: A shock too great</h4>


    "Where are we going?" Eldrian asked after using mana sense again and confirming that she appeared to be a true kitsune. Naturally, he had no idea what to look for. However, her mana seemed normal.


    "Naturally, you deserve a reward for this contribution. Besides, it appeared that you trulyck some proper armor."


    Eldrian scratched his head embarrassedly as he realized he had never even taken of the broken pauldron from the attack a few days ago. Finally, he loosened the straps and the remaining scales fell to the ground.


    As they walked Eldrian looked at the quest log to see if he finished any of the goals. He was unsure if he was happy or upset at what he found.


    [Quest Updated]


    ''Not a good sign...'' Eldrian knew from past experience that this normally meant things just became moreplicated.


    [Quest: Undead Invasion]


    [Quest Giver: Taurus Kingdom]


    [Quest Rank: Epic]


    [Quest Description (Updated): The undead have failed to push the kingdom out of the forest, yet the kingdom is still in dire straits as they are now pressured on two sides.]


    [The undead''s foothold in the kingdom is as strong as ever and more and more reinforcements are arriving in the forest as the armies of Taurus be exhausted. While a massive first battle had been in the favor of the kingdom, it had only given them some time. Time they had dearly needed. But time is not all that they needed.]


    [Quest Goal 1 (Still in progress): Help in stopping the undead from gaining a foothold. The bare minimum to call this is a sess is by ensuring Pyknos forest does not fall to the undead. {Difficulty: SS}]


    [Quest Goal 2 (Updated) - this step has turned out to be moreplicated than first believed. It has been turned into two new steps.]


    ''What the?'' Eldrian had no idea this was even possible.


    [Quest Goal 2.1 (Completed): Find the method in which the corruption is spreading. {Difficulty: S}]


    [Quest Goal 2.2 (New): Find the source of the corruption. {Difficulty: SS}]


    [Quest Goal 3 (Updated): You have found a way to weaken and push back the corruption. However, that is not a way to fully destroy it as the source is still unknown. As is the way to deal with it.]


    [Quest Goal 3.1 (Completed): Find a way to stop the spread of the corruption. {Difficulty: S}]


    [Quest Goal 3.2 (New): Find a way to destroy the corruption. {Difficulty: Epic}]


    [Quest Goal 4: Ensure that the king does not die. {Difficulty: S}]


    [Quest Goal 5: Do not sumb to those aiming for your life and soul. {Difficulty: Epic}]


    [Quest Rewards: Every goal has its own rewards,pleting multiple might exponentially increase the rewards.]


    [Quest XP Reward: 10 levels, as long as Goal 1 is aplished.]


    [Reward Goal 1: Silver Emblem & Official Recognition]


    [Reward Goal 2.1 (New): Wait to be given the rewards]


    [Reward Goal 2.2 (New): Gold Emblem]


    [Reward Goal 3.1 (New): Wait to be given the rewards]


    [Reward Goal 3.2 (Updated): Magical grade Tier 6 armor set and weapon]


    [Reward Goal 4: If direct action - Knighthood and choice of reward]


    [Reward Goal 5: Title - Devils'' Bane]


    ''Shit, right the king.'' Looking back Eldrian shrugged as he remembered that not only was he surrounded by people Tier 8 and over, the old king was even Tier 10. ''He should be far safer than me.''


    With this settled Eldrian had again turned to the quest description and could finally take in what the update actually meant. And this was more shocking than anything else. He even forgot to walk once it hit him.


    "What''s wrong?" Kohaku asked, Eldrian so deep in thought that she did not even get a reply.


    ''No way! This can''t be! The system messed up!'' Eldrian was absolutely shocked, and that was when he recalled how Joren had said that they couldn''t surveil legends.


    ''Don''t tell me-'' He choked and even forgot how to stand and breathe. Falling to the ground Eldrian felt like the world made no sense. It took him a few seconds to calm down and try toe to a more rational exnation. One that didn''t mean that the quest was futile and everyone would die.


    ''It must just be the way I managed to discover things. Yes, that must be it. It must be it!'' Eldrian shouted this repeatedly as he tried to calm down.


    He was tempted to leave right there and then, take his friends and run. Because the following thing he recalled made the tight rope he was on (mentally) even more unstable.


    ''Fuck! If it is a legend then we are all in danger. Elizabeth and the others too!'' Eldrian had grown quite close to the odd group and the thought of them all dying or being paralyzed froze him just as much as the thought of Vivian or Kydone dying.


    ''Right, there are security measures. If a legendes close to us we will be automatically ejected from the game. Right, right right right. That must mean I am just being insane.'' Eldrian finally managed to take a breathe, shocking Kohaku who had thought that he had been poisoned. Yet she could find nothing wrong with him.


    At this time a me also suddenly appeared before the two. Seeing that Eldrian was in no state to act the assassin knew this was his best chance. The dwarves also had to be extra careful in the camp and were much further from Eldrianpared to when he was outside.


    However, a kitsune had instincts nearly on par with Kydone''s. Thetter had already darted out of themanders'' tent, ignoring their shouts and curses.


    Kohaku had no idea why she felt immense fear and danger, however, she did not wait to figure it out. Without a second thought, she grabbed Eldrian and started to run. Her true form taking over.


    Amber fur covered her body and eight tails sprang out of her kimono. Lighting arced between the tails as a cloud of dust filled the air. The lighting did not damage her fur nor her clothing, instead, it perfectly arced between them. Her fur was a perfect conductor for it.


    Her action was also not thought out, she was running so fast that the dust in the air was destroying Eldrian''s body. Yet, the fear filling her clouded her mind and made her run even faster.


    The assassin was left stunned at what had just happened, by the time he had managed to climb out of his mes the two were already 40 meters (44yd) away. Even more shocking, by the time he managed to catch up and try to attack another shadow shed by. Striking at him and sending him skidding back as the dwarves also arrived. This time prepared for his abilities.


    Immediately they summoned massive balls of fire, making sure to rid every corner of shadows while pressuring the cloaked figure to not allow him to form his ck mes.


    They had learned something from each of his attempts. His mes required time, nearly 3 seconds to form and allow him through. Shadows however allowed him to instantly disappear.


    They did not n to let him get away this time.

 Chapter 399: A cornered beast

    <h4>Chapter 399: A cornered beast</h4>


    The assassin naturally also realized what was going on and did not want to give them the time to trap him. He had no chance to kill Eldrian at this point, Kohaku had already run another 10 meters (11yd) by the time things had settled and he found himself in this situation.


    Currently, he was encircled by Kydone and three other dwarves. Two massive balls of mes floated in the air and four smaller ones spaced out to ensure there were no shadows near the group.


    Dodging Kydone''s attacks were quite easy for the assassin. In fact, if not for the surprise from her appearance he would have easily managed to kill his target.


    As he took a deep breath and observed the dwarves who were closing in while Kydone was falling back, the devil realized that he was going to have to fight. They were surely not going to give him the time he needed to escape.


    A ck and crimson saber appeared in his hands as he spun to block the attack from behind. The blow sent him skidding back a few meters and destroyed the surrounding terrain.


    Naturally, there was not just one attack. It was the signal for the dwarves to converge on him and they did just that. Forcing Milgoroth to keep dodging and blocking while they waited for Hrothgar or those in the camp to arrive.


    Soon they were standing in a muddy field without grass. The shockwaves had naturally alerted the entire camp and escape would be harder and harder as more time passed.


    A short respite appeared as the dwarves knew they just needed to prolong the fight. Trying to kill their opponent quickly was not the best strategy. Especially when it was only thanks to their armor that they could keep up with him. The adage of a cornered beast was especially true in this situation.


    In the center of the triangle, the devil stared at Gin. Thanks to their short fight he knew this was the least experienced out of the three and he was certainly going to do his best to escape.


    ''It is all your fault!'' Throwing a hate-filled look at Kydone and Eldrian, he charged towards Gin.


    The dwarf immediately brought his shield to defend while switching his armor to boost his strength. Deep track marks appeared as the dwarf was pushed back, yet he was unharmed and the formation was not broken.


    Immediately, Milgoroth moved to block the hit from Bring?rr while he sent his tail to sweep the other dwarf''s feet. It bought him a split second which didn''t do much. However, it had given him the time to grow his anger and activate his bloodline.


    "Die!" He shouted, suddenly turning to the third dwarf, v. Thrusting his saber in what appeared as a desperate attack. However, suddenly mes of darkness burst out of his body. Sending The other two flying back a few steps while it also opened his target''s defense.


    The attack was one the dwarves had never experienced. Even through their armor, they could feel the heat. A heat not like that of a fire but one that stirred the emotions and boiled their own internal fire. Burning them from the inside.


    It sapped their concentration and nearly made them mad. The dwarves fought to keep their sanity, but that was enough for the devil to capitalize.


    Laughter filled the air along with a grunt of pain.


    Clutching the sword that had pierced his armor, v spat out a mouthful of blood and smiled. A dagger with a soft blue hue appearing in his hands as he thrust forward.


    "Screw you!" Milgoroth cursed as he was forced to give up on his weapon, but he had plenty more. Jumping back he avoided the attack as a pitch-ck hammer appeared in his hands. Without mercy, he struck at the saber.


    Another grunt filled the air. The saber sent flying as it cut through v''s shoulder and hand. Without mercy, Milgoroth attacked again.


    Gritting his teeth the devil decided to continue his attack despite his instincts telling him to dodge. With all his strength he struck at the ce where v''s armor was weakened. The hammer easily burst through the armor that was left and crushed flesh and skin alike.


    When it was nearly at v''s heart it was suddenly ripped to the side as Milgoroth was sent flying from Gin''s attack.


    "Thanks," The devil smiled despite the fact that most of his ribs were broken. However, just as he was about to dive into the shadows an axe stopped his path.


    "How brave of you," Tstos said, swinging his axe again as the dwarves remade their formation with the old centaur as one of the corners.


    No one had time to help v and his condition was not something someone could normally survive. Not to mention the poison that was now coursing through him brought him to death''s door that much faster and the mes eating at his mind.


    Milgoroth spat in anger and pulled out another weapon, a scimitar which he nned to dual wield. However, Tstos was just faster than the others who hade to investigate what had happened.


    The devil managed to keep the fight going against three, even while massively outssed. He would use his skills and abilities wisely and timely, trying to destroy his opponent''s spirits with his unique abilities. Yet, 5 secondster he was surrounded by 10 more people. One who was even a Tier 9 mage, capable of stopping most of his tricks.


    With onest look of hate at Kohaku and Eldrian, Milgoroth decided that he did not want to die alone.


    Charging forward and ignoring the attacks reigning down on him, hoping his armor and tough skin would save him. The devil aimed for the Tier 9 mage.


    Seeing the crazy actions of the cornered devil, no one knew what was going to happen. Yet, everyone felt dread deep in their souls.


    ...


    Eldrian turned to themotion and failed to see much, other than that the mana in the surroundings was like a storm. The amount beyond words. The brightnessing from the center blinding even from so far.


    ''No. No no! shit!'' Eldrian pushed Kohaku back and jumped forward, "Becare-" His warning was toote as suddenly ck mes filled the sky, expanding a few meters before imploding.


    Cries of pain filled the air as more than half those having surrounded the devil were sent flying.


    ...


    Tears dripped down Kilen''s cheeks as she stared into the distance. Just across the horizon, she could feel the connection she had lost. The child she would never be able to hug again. She couldn''t do anything to stop it this time.


    Besides her stood a muchrger devil with a grin.? "He did well." The devil said.


    Furious, Kilen attacked her husband who easily took control of her single arm and pulled her in. "He did not die alone." The devil said but failed to calm his wife.


    Trapped, she sank her teeth into his chest, yet he just kept her in his embrace. It took nearly an hour for her to finally calm down, yet her hate for her husband had grown beyond what words could exin.


    ''I will recover and you will be the first I kill.'' She swore, her second target being the same as her son''s. She couldn''t do anything to the dwarves. Not with Amnur present, however, she would make sure to kill the elf who had refused to die.

 Chapter 400: A wandering soul

    <h4>Chapter 400: A wandering soul</h4>


    Eldrian stared at the pit that was burning with ck mes and all those heavily wounded. Naturally, he felt like shit knowing that the target was him. That if not for him none of this would happen.


    After a moment of shock and cursing himself, he rushed forward to try and help. Yet, what could he do?


    The mes ate at those it had touched. It sank into their skin and yed with their emotions. Few managed to keep their minds intact.


    ''What is this stuff?'' Eldrian asked and tried to use mana sense. Yet, it failed him. The mes simply appeared like a mass of absolute darkness. In his curiosity, he almost went to touch it. He just barely managed to stay sane and not due so thanks to seeing the conditions of all those that it had touched.


    It was at this moment that Eldrian suddenly saw something unbelievable. A piece of ck smoke, invisible to all but his mana sense, moved upwards and then targetted one of the people covered in the most mes. Tstos, the old king.


    Eldrian had no idea what it was, but he was sure it was not anything good. Jumping forward, not knowing what else to do, Eldrian blocked it before it could touch the centaur.


    His jump brought him into the pit as his mind was suddenly filled with rage.


    ''How dare you!'' A voice shouted as it tried to hastily kill its new host. However, Eldrian was one of the most experienced people here. At least when considering souls.


    Without dy, he entered the Mageia Avyssos and appeared at his heart soul. A devil was striking at the heart, when suddenly the ice aurora sprang to life and blocked the attack while the fire threw the devil back.


    Stopping in disbelief, the devil started at Eldrian''s silhouette in the abyss.


    "That''s impossible!" The devil shouted and Eldrian ignored him. Instead, he moved close to his heart soul and spread the fire into the surroundings.


    "Who and what are you?" Eldrian asked while threatening with the fire. At first, the devil did not care. Why would it, the abyss was endless and it could easily escape from Eldrian. However, suddenly it found itself just a meter from the heart as the fire pped it to the ground.


    Naturally, there was no ground. Yet, somehow the devil rebounded on it. Whileying on the ground it looked at Eldrian in utter disbelief.


    "That''s impossible. How did you-"


    Another p caused the devil to nearly lose consciousness. Something it new would mean its true death.


    "Stop! Stop! I will tell you everything."


    "Then start!" Eldrian shouted, the fire threatening while the ice fully encapsted his heart soul. Leaving no method for the devil to try and sneak attack him. The days of fighting against an endless mass of darkness had made Eldrian the ruler of this area in the Mageia Avyssos.


    "I''m Milgoroth, a devil prince. I was sent to kill you."


    "By who?"


    "My father."


    ''His father?'' Eldrian questioned and asked who that was.


    "My father is a devil king, Azamud." The devil spat out the name with hatred. Hoping that his giving this information would lead to his father''s death if he could not escape from here.


    "How are you still alive?" Eldrian asked next and Milgoroth paused, receiving another p that force him to talk.


    "Souls don''t die immediately when the body does. I just so happen to be really good at controlling mine so I-"


    Eldrian shut him up by giving him another p. "I asked how you are still alive, not for you to stroke your ego."


    "Fine! It is because I exploded my body to kill the mage."


    ''What now?'' Eldrian wondered, when suddenly the devil charged at his silhouette with a smirk. However, just as his attack was about tond Eldrian suddenly appeared on the other side of the heart.


    "Did you really think that will work?" Eldrian asked, the act shocking the devil again.


    "How did you- How is this possible!?"


    "How is what possible?" Eldrian asked, humoring the devil in hopes of learning something. He felt fully confident in protecting himself and was curious if the system woulde or not.


    "How can you teleport? How can you control where even I am?"


    "That''s it? That''s basic..." Eldrian sighed. Naturally, he could appear anywhere here, this space was all his ''soul''. At least within a certain range of the heart he was the master of this space.


    He could also naturally manipte the area itself as it was basically what he did when he moved. However, it was trickier and he couldn''t do it as fast. Hence why he had moved himself when Milgoroth tried to attack him and not the other way around.


    "Basic?" Disbelief filled the devil as he wondered what kind of joke was being yed on him. It had taken him years and years of feeding on other''s souls to get to the point where he could control his own.


    Yet this elf had better control than him and called it basic. The most shocking thing however was howcking the elf''s soul was. Yet, it seemed to be stronger than any of those that had appeared endless.


    "Eldrian, what is going on?" A female voice asked and shocked the devil even more. He even nearly fainted as he could feel that just a word from this voice could kill him.


    "This guy tried to take over someone else''s body. I stopped him. I didn''t know that something like that is possible." Eldrian asked, now fully rxed as he knew nothing Milgoroth tried would work if Ziraili was also here.


    "It isn''t possible." The voice disappeared for a second before returning, "Correction, it wasn''t possible."


    "What?"


    "This is the first time something like this has happened. Either we have never managed to see it before, or this devil is the first to ever manage something such as this."


    Nodding Eldrian looked at him and asked, "Can you kill him. I don''t know if the fire will do the job."


    "Of course, however, it would be better if you did it."


    "Hey! What are-" Feeling an immense pressure wash over him, Milgoroth immediately shut up.


    "Why?" Eldrian asked.


    "Devils grow stronger by feeding on emotions or souls, however, it is not unique to their race. All races have the ability, it is just that it is deemed a taboo and forbidden. Recall how I mentioned how the races had split due to cultural events or rumors."


    Eldrian nodded, recalling that she had mentioned that those who fully epted their nature had changed in appearance to better reflect it. They had not been made, they had evolved.


    "Is it safe?"


    "Hey! I am not goi-" Again he shut up as the pressure nearly crushed his soul.


    "Yes, however, it might be difficult. He is far stronger than the revenant curse you foughtst time. While killing him will be easy, absorbing him will not be."


    Eldrian paused hearing this. He did not want another life and death struggle thatsted days. Once was enough. He also didn''t want more memories that weren''t his.


    Bringing this up to Ziraili, she honestly replied that she did not know if that would happen or not. While hearing it sent even more shock through Milgoroth''s soul.


    ''He absorbed a living soul?!'' Was the single thought that filled his mind and made everything make sense and also make even less sense at the same time.


    ''No wonder he is a candidate...'' Thinking of how he had always been inadequate to his father, Milgoroth understood why. This, this was what a genius looked like.


    The two were naturally unaware of the devil''s thoughts, though Ziraili could feel that he was undergoing an internal struggle.

 Chapter 401: Justice?

    <h4>Chapter 401: Justice?</h4>


    Despite the possible upsides, Eldrian was extremely wary. He recalled how great trying to absorb the energy of the reverent heart had sounded, but the results had just been a desperate struggle. Sure, he had gained a great deal from the struggle itself, but nothing more, outside of the title that had little use.


    Naturally, Eldrian was unaware that it was precisely this title and the ability he had gained from his sess in surviving the ordeal that had enhanced mana sense and allowed him to see the strings between the Spirited Ackleys.


    The ability Scourge of Undeath made him more aware of the weaknesses of the undead, but it also allowed him greater insights into the entire aspect of undeath. Helping him connect the dots and also enhancing his inspection and observation attempts.


    Not knowing this, and even if he did Eldrian would likely still not want to take the risk. Especially since this would be even harder than the curse.


    Even if it could be confirmed that he would survive and win, Eldrian still did not think he would want to try it.


    The biggest problem with taking the risk was he had no idea what he could gain.


    ''I think I would rather just kill him, or you kill him.'' Eldrian said, this time not speaking but rather just thinking the words.


    ''Are you sure you want to abandon such a chance?''


    ''Yes. Unless you can guarantee that it will work out and be worth it.''


    A few seconds passed, during which Eldrian observed the devil who seemed to havee to some sort of peace. Having realized that it stood no chance and having done its best to try and survive, Milgoroth came to ept that he would die at the hand of someone far more talented than him or be killed by the being even stronger than his father.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure how he felt about that. Knowing that this devil had killed many people simply for his own growth and possibly entertainment made Eldrian wish that he was struggling for his life.


    Yet, Eldrian hoped that when he one day died that he could die in peace. Having aplished what he had wanted ore to ept his failure. To not take it with him if there was an afterlife.


    ''Is he even going to get an afterlife?'' Eldrian wondered, knowing that people here believed in such things. They did not have proof of their existences, but with magic being a thing and gods being real albeit AI, Eldrian felt there should be an afterlife.


    ''Yes, there is an afterlife. However, it is not as you all envision it.'' Came Ziraili''s answer, followed by another exnation.


    ''Since you do not wish to try and absorb his soul while it is still alive, you can first kill it and absorb the essence. This is normally what devils do as it is far safer, however, you will gain far less from it.''


    ''That''s fine, but...'' Eldrian again looked at the devil who was no longer struggling and suddenly he wished that the devil would. ''How should I kill him?'' Eldrian asked after taking a moment to reinforce his mind.


    He knew that the devil here was not someone good. He was only here because he had tried to steal someone''s body. Yet...


    Eldrian did not want to kill when he was not struggling.


    ''This... This feels terrible.'' Eldrian mumbled and his fire and ice aura''s quivered. It was the first time Eldrian would take a life.


    He had fought plenty of beasts, but they were just beasts and fighting back. He had fought plenty of undead, but again they were undead and were attacking them.


    Yet, here. The devil was not fighting, he was not struggling. Instead, he was looking at Eldrian and waiting for the job to be finished. This, this shook Eldrian.


    ''It would be so much easier...'' Eldrian''s thoughts did not finish.


    ''It will be quick, simply send out the fire aura as a thin needle and strike at his head and heart.'' Came Ziraili''s voice and Eldrian nodded but did not do anything.


    He stood there silently, looking at Milgoroth for a few minutes. Finally, he managed to build up enough mentally. "I''m sorry," Eldrian whispered as the fire stirred. Quickly forming into two thin strands that struck Milgoroth with pinpoint precision.


    ''Now quick, absorbed it!'' Zirailiy said, but Eldrian stood still for a few seconds as he watched the figure of the devil dematerializing. Bit by bit, parts of the person before him would disappear into the void.


    By the time around a quarter of the devil had disappeared Eldrian managed to ovee what he had done and started gathering the essence. Forcing it to his heart where he made an opening for it to pass through his ice shield.


    Eldrian didn''t feel anything from doing this. Truly it felt like nothing happened, however, the heart now beat faster and stronger. The arouras also seemed brighter than before.


    "What did I just do?" Eldrian asked as it all suddenly came rushing at him. He had hoped he would be overwhelmed by absorbing the essence. Yet, instead, all that he was left with was his own thoughts on what he had just done.


    "You ended the life of a devil, who had killed countless others."


    "But..." Eldrian nodded, yet his thoughts were a mess. Leaving the Mageia Avyssos, he opened his eyes and stared at the sky. ''Why did I do it?'' He asked himself, none of his answers holding up after the fact.


    Saying he had served justice sounded nice and was what he had gone in with, yet... All his life he had been thought that killing was never the answer. Making him believe he should have found another way.


    Saying he had done what it took to be stronger was even worse. And even just thinking it made Eldrian feel like shit.


    Saying that he had done what was necessary also did not feel right. For, was it necessary? He could have let Milgoroth go free. ''No, he would have then tried to find some way to survive.'' Eldrian quickly denied it and it made him feel slightly better. It did not make him feel great, but better than before.


    Hearing the system message Eldrian looked at it but only half took in what it said.


    [Quest: Undead Invasion - Goal 5 aplished]


    [Title awarded: Devil''s Bane]


    [Gain a unique knowledge of devils upon first sight. When encountering a devil you will be able to determine the number of souls they had absorbed. You will also be able to see if they rely on emotional torment for sustenance, this, they will never be able to hide from you. It will be like a beacon in the dark, the more they had relied on it the brighter it will shine.]


    [You will also be able to find a devil''s unique bloodline abilities upon using Observe or Mana sense.]


    Eldrian read through it but not much made it into his mind. The only thing he concentrated on was that they fed on souls and emotions. This made him feel slightly better again, but only for a moment.

 Chapter 402: Dealing with executing justice

    <h4>Chapter 402: Dealing with executing justice</h4>


    There was another message, and if Eldrian was in his normal mood he would have been jumping from excitement. Now, instead, he simply looked at it and then logged out.


    [Soul essence absorbed - Soul of Milgoroth, Tier 8, Level 42 (3/5 absorbed)]


    {The soul is the cornerstone of life, it is everything a person is outside of their physical body. Soul essence is what bes of this once they die, both physically and ethereally. When true death arrives.}


    {Soul essence is filled with energy, however, often not all of it can be handled if someone (normally devils) attempt to absorb it. As such a great deal is wasted, yet even so the benefits are great.}


    [Gained 400M XP, turned into levels -> 4 levels gained]


    [Reached level 32 -> New death penalty 4 levels on death (resurrection penalty)]


    [Attribute bonuses gained:]


    [Strength: 1% bonus]


    [Agility: 1% bonus]


    [Spirit: 2.5% bonus]


    [Stat bonus gained:]


    [HP: 15% bonus]


    [Mana: 5% bonus]


    [Stamina: 10% bonus]


    [Bonusses willst until Tier 8, upon which time it will turn into a t value as your soul finally bes strong enough to make use of all the soul essence absorbed.]


    Instead of jumping from joy or looking at what his stats were now, Eldrian instead logged out. As soon as he did, he went for a walk and called his sister.


    "Eldrian, what''s up?" Came a tired voice of someone who was woken in the middle of the night. Just hearing Jen''s voice instantly ease Eldrian''s heart.


    "I did something terrible, Jen... Can we meet?" Naturally, hearing the depressing tone in his voice she immediately jumped out of bed and started getting dressed in something more than pajamas.


    "Of course, meet me at Elton Park."


    "Thanks..." Hanging up, Eldrian moved towards the gate and started running. Ignoring the fact that it was 8 kilometers (5mi) and that he could easily get a car or bicycle. Instead, he ran.


    He started off with a light jog, yet when his mind was left to think it kept going over what he had done. So, he picked up his speed until he was sprinting at his fastest.


    He arrived at the park just a few minutes after Jen, despite her having needed to walk just 1 kilometer (0.62mi).


    Seeing Eldrian arriving at an insane speed, Jen knew things were serious. And instead of asking, she just hugged him. Shocked that he was just slightly out of breath and that he was not soaked. More shocking, she realized he had likely ran the entire way.


    Feeling the embrace, Eldrian couldn''t keep it in any longer and started crying. The two slowly fell to the ground as Eldrian''s feet gave under him.


    Ten minutester Eldrian finally managed to collect his thoughts. The cry had made him feel massively better, yet, once his thoughts started again he quickly became saddened again.


    "I''m here... If you want to talk," Jen said and Eldrian nodded. Taking a deep breath, he faltered. So he took another and failed again.


    After the fifth attempt, he blurted out, "I killed someone!"


    Not at all having expected something like that, Jen looked at Eldrian in shock. "Wha-what do you mean?"


    "I-I... It..." Eldrian faltered again as he had no idea how to exin what he had blurted. "In ANW. I killed someone."


    Hearing that it was about the game Jen instantly sighed in relief. Her first instincts were to say that it was just a game, however, she knew that it was much more to Eldrian. So, instead, she asked, "What happened. There must be a reason, you wouldn''t do something like that without a good reason."


    Eldrian nodded and with a heavy heart he started recounting what had happened and what he had done. Jen failed to understand a massive part of it, yet, one thing was clear.


    "But he was a terrible person. Not even a person, a devil."


    "And why does that mean that he doesn''t deserve to live?"


    "Of course he didn''t! You just exined how he had killed plenty of people and even tried to kill you! How can you be worried about this?"


    "But..." Hearing these words from Jen however finally made it click. Made what he had been telling himself finally have some weight behind them. Still, it was not so easy to recover.


    "I still feel like shit for doing it," Eldrian said after a moment of silence.


    "Good! I don''t want you to start enjoying killing. But, you must have known you will have to kill. I mean, the entire premise of the game is a massive invasion instigated by these races."


    Eldrian nodded, "It was just... He was defenseless."


    "And he had hoped that the person who he invaded would be defenseless. He was not a good person."


    Eldrian nodded again and the two sat in silence in the dark. Two hourster Eldrian finally spoke again, "Thank you."


    This thank you was the most honest one he had ever said, from the depth of his heart. Jen''s presence had calmed him as he worked through what had happened. Never had he thought he would feel so wracked with guilt.


    Nodding, Jen helped him up and the two turned to look at the moon that was now halfway toward the horizon. "Remember to enjoy the beautiful things, big or small. Everyday." Jen said and Eldrian nodded.


    "Thanks."


    Nodding, Jen turned to look at Eldrian seriously. "Now that you calmed down, care to exin how you arrived?"


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked and Jen sighed as she realized he had likely not realized due to the state he had been in.


    "You ran here, right?"


    Eldrian nodded.


    "Miracle is nearly 10 kilometers from here, right?"


    Again Eldrian nodded, "Eight."


    "Then how did you make it just a few minutes after me?"


    Stumped, realization dawned on Eldrian and when Jen pointed out that. It wasn''t such an insane thing, he had simply crossed 8km in around 15 minutes. Yet, both of them realized that that was extremely fast.


    Quickly, Jen took out her phone to check the world record for such a distance. Finding that it was around 20 minutes.


    "Eldrian..." Showing her phone to him, Eldrian was just as stumped.


    ''I know I have been feeling stronger and stronger. But, is this really possible?'' He wondered, 5 minutes on such a massive distance was insane. They both knew it.


    "Let''s keep this between us for now," Eldrian said and Jen quickly agreed. She did not want Eldrian to suddenly be even more of a guinea pig.


    Walking Jen home, Eldrian thanked her again and on his way back to Miracle (this time at a rxed walk) he messaged Erik and asked if they could go out some night. Eldrian needed an outlet, for while he felt much better, the guilt was still there.


    Returning to his room, Eldrian had no interest in logging into the game. Instead, he jumped onto his bed and had an uneasy sleep. Waking at the crack of dawn where he immediately went for a run. Making sure to not go at his max speed. Yet, doing so it felt more like a jog than a run.

 Chapter 403: Jorens home

    <h4>Chapter 403: Joren''s home</h4>


    "Eldrian what''s up?" via asked as soon as she saw Eldrian entering the cafeteria. She had been on monitoring duty the night before and had seen what had happened. Or rather, she had seen Eldrian bing overwhelmed with something and thenter jump before someone and falling unconscious. Only to log out without exnation when he woke. Shocking quite a few NPCs.


    Not feeling like he knew her well enough, Eldrian simply nodded and ignored her question as he took a seat alone.


    ''Something happened, but if he doesn''t want to talk I won''t force him.'' So she returned to her own conversation with her friends.


    After finishing his meal Eldrian returned to his room, however they didn''t have a match today so he ended up not knowing what to do with himself. In the end, Eldrian meditated instead of logging in.


    Time passed quickly as he managed to work through more of what had happened and what he had done. He still felt bad, but he hade to ept that it was what needed to be done. What he didn''t like was that he was the executioner.


    ''If, if Ziraili had rather killed him, it would have still been because of me.'' Even though this statement was a hundred percent true, Eldrian realized he would have felt far better if that had been the route he had chosen.


    When night arrived and another day started in the game, Eldrian finally felt up to logging back in. However, he didn''t look forward to it.


    Climbing onto the immersion chair, just as he was about to fall asleep a knock stopped him.


    "Eldrian, I hope we can talk about what happened," Genxin asked from behind the door, a few secondster the door opened and the old man stepped inside.


    "Do I need to ask?" Gengxin asked after entering and Eldrian just looking at him.


    "I would prefer you do," Eldrian said, taking a seat and sighing.


    "Alright then, we have no idea what happened but your mental state had been all over the ce thest minute or two of when youst were in the game. So, what happened?"


    "I killed someone," Eldrian replied after taking a few seconds to prepare mentally.


    "Excuse me?"


    "I killed someone."


    "But you didn''t do anything."


    "Right... You can''t see inside the Mageia Avyssos." Eldrian quickly recounted what happened, keeping the system out of it as well as how he killed the soul and what he did after. Eldrian had no idea if they had ess to the upgrade he had gained, if they did he would just say he didn''t quite know why that happened.


    "Why did you do it?"


    "What else was I supposed to do?" Eldrian replied but it still ate at him. "He had tried to take someone else''s body, I had stopped him but now he was in my soul. And if I were to leave him he would have likely been capable of killing me."


    "What would have happened if he did?" Eldrian asked before Gengxin could even take in his reply. The questionpletely threw him.


    "I have no idea. Would you minding with me and exining this to Joren too?"


    Nodding Eldrian followed Gengxin, not to the developers'' department. Rather, they headed to where Eldrian had first met Constantin. A fat short buildingpared to some of the other skyscrapers on site.


    Likest time they also headed to floor 4, however, the room they headed to was naturally a different one.


    Upon entering the room Eldrian again marveled at the ss and style. The room was spacious and filled with modern-style furniture. Joren was in the open kitchen making three coffees.


    "Wee to my ce," Joren said as the two entered, asking how many sugars they each wanted.


    "It''s nice." Eldrian said, taking another look around. To him, it looked like a 5-star hotel suite, yet only Joren seemed to be staying here. In absolute luxury.


    "Sure is, but I''m not here a lot. Mostly in the department."


    Nodding Eldrian knew this to be true, it was quite a shame to not make use of such a nice ce. ''Wonder- No that is just dumb. I am already ruffling feathers and hiding things, can''t go asking for a ce like this too.''


    After getting settled in and being reminded of why they came, Eldrian exined what had happened and asked his question. "Do you know what would have happened if he had killed my soul and taken over my body?"


    Shock stered Joren''s face as a bit of coffee escaped his lips. After embarrassedly cleaning up, he took a few more seconds and two sips before replying. "We had no idea that was possible. It would not have been good."


    "What do you mean? Why?"


    "First of, he would have taken control of your avatar. Not your body. But that is besides the point. You should be aware more than even us what the soul is for your avatar."


    Eldrian nodded, it was not easy to exin but he understood the question. "Right, so what would have likely happened is that you would have at the minimum been knocked unconscious and the system would have started emergency protocols to disconnect you from the game. Failing that, the system would attempt to disconnect you from your avatar and keep you in the game."


    "However, we have no data on what this would do to the mind. Especially if you should wake during that process. Naturally, the system would try its best to either get you back to your own body and out of the game or into a new avatar, however, things are uncertain. It is not like anyone would volunteer to test our emergency ns."


    Eldrian nodded, naturally no one would volunteer. It was like asking someone to actually drive a car for a crash test. No one would agree to put themselves in such risk. While you could substitute a body, the same could not be done with the human mind.


    "It is good you shared this. We have never detected that this was even a possibility, though it would for the most part be simr to a soul attack. There are a few things I can attempt to change to minimize the danger."


    "Naturally, as you know, weck ethereal data. Be it magic or soul-rted. Please, if you find something share it with us so we can maximize the safety of everyone in the game."


    For a moment Eldrian truly thought of sharing more, especially with the scare for his friends from the guild. However, he realized he didn''t know how to exin what he knew even if he wanted. It was like trying to exin AP Maths to a toddler. One had to at least have some experience in the topic first to be able to understand what was being said.


    "One thing," Eldrian found something he could ask, "Why are our souls in the Mageia Avyssos, the magic abyss?"


    Eldrian had taken to calling it its true name ever since he had learned that it was the domain of the goddess of magic and knowledge.


    He still had no idea what it being a domain meant, however, he had a new respect for it ever since he had no longer thought of entering his soul as entering his soul. It was precisely this change that had allowed him to skip his initial method of entering it through a spell and then finding his soul.


    Having realized that there was no need and that it was only a matter of cement, Eldrian had, after a few attempts, managed to simply enter where his soul was.


    "Why are our souls in one of the AI''s divine domains? What are those even?" Eldrian added after a sip.


    "Sorry, what?" Joren looked at Eldrian in utter confusion.


    "Come on, there is no way you can''t know this." Eldrian countered, yet the true shock Joren showed made him ept that it likely was the case.


    "Please exin your question, I have no idea what divine domains are outside of what the natives belief."


    "You know the magic abyss right?"


    Joren nodded, "Yes it is the ultimate method of refining spells and testing changes to them. You have talked about it before and we have heard plenty about it."


    "Well, it is actually not as limited as you might think." Wondering how to exin things without revealing how he had learned about it. Especially since he was constantly observed in-game, Eldrian did his best toe up with a believable story.


    "At first I also thought that the magic abyss was just a ce to modify and test spells, however, I used it as a bridge to get to my soul."


    Nodding, Joren recalled Eldrian having also exined this before when exining how he had first entered his soul.


    "However, with time I realized that the ces were actually one ce. That the abyss was near infinite and that if I could fix my soul''s location then I could skip the step of using spells to enter the magic abyss."


    Joren nodded, "Then why did you say it was one of the AI''s domains?"


    "It is from something I had read. It might not be true, but seeing how most of your information is from the natives in any case, it might be worth considering. The text specifically referred to the Mageia Avyssos, and at first, I had forgotten that it was the proper name for the magic abyss. However, when I recalled that Dave had called it that, it all clicked."


    "The god called Skepsi, the goddess of magic, ording to the text, made the Mageia Avyssos as a way for those on Gaia to connect with magic with more ease. The requirement, they need to be able to form concrete thoughts filled with willpower, what I called mageia. It was not on purpose."


    Eldrian quickly exined how he had simply needed something to call thoughts to differentiate so he had fiddled with magic and came up with mageia.

 Chapter 404: Calculator equals Mageia Avyssos?

    <h4>Chapter 404: Calctor equals Mageia Avyssos?</h4>


    "So, then what does the Mageia Avyssos actually do?" Joren asked, it was possible for him to call up all the logs they had on it. Naturally, he did not know everything that went on in the game. Asking Eldrian was just faster and would also convey Eldrian''s perspective. He would confirm it after.


    "That I am still not too sure about. I know it is why I can enter my soul so much easier. The natives wouldn''t be able to use entering the magic abyss as a shortcut."


    "Besides that, it is supposed to be..." Eldrian paused and pondered what it was like, "It is kind of like using a calctor."


    "Calctor?" The two department heads asked, confused.


    Nodding Eldrain started exining, "Normally, to cast a spell you would have to be able to fully control your mana like High Elves and other races who dynamic cast. This however is not easy and in fact, as far as I know, almost none of the races with reasonable lifetimes can aplish this."


    Reasonable in the sense of natives of Gaia being less than a thousand years.


    "So the Mageia Avyssos helps lift the need of control over mana. How it does I have no idea. In myparison, it is like needing to manually determine a difficult calction versus having the calctor do it for you. For example, 43256 times 123542."


    "Sure, you can do it manually, but it will take you more time and many people would need a piece of paper. However, if you aren''t allowed a piece of paper suddenly many people won''t be confident in being able to get to the answer. So, in that way, the Mageia Avyssos is simr to a calctor."


    Eldrian realized that his example wasn''t the best, but it was what made the most sense for him. It also did enable the heads to better understand what he was getting at. That while you might know how to do it, putting it into practice was not all that easy.


    "Now back to my question, why is my soul in the Mageia Avyssos and I assume it is the same for the other yers."


    "Honestly, we have no idea. Much like the AI MO, they decided to keep this information from us. Do you think this is something that can lead to problems?"


    Eldrian paused and thought about it for a moment, realizing that this was also likely why yers could cast magic with ease. He shared this with Joren who was absolutely astounded.


    "It makes perfect sense! Which means even if we want to change it we can''t."


    Agreeing, Eldrian failed to see an alternative. Not without suddenly forcing everyone to be unable of using magic and thus having their progress basically reset to day one.


    ''How does stats work then?'' Eldrian pondered and felt it had something to do with soul essence. ''I should really try to get some information on it. But... Yeah, I have too many things to do.''


    After discussing a bit more with Joren and asking about their progress on the cabin, since the immersion chair was just an emergency stopgap, Eldrian left the room and started to return to his own quite satisfied.


    ''They are going to advertise it at the end of the tourney, and the sem''s and finals are actually going to be held here.'' Curious he took a detour and found the open-air stadium they had constructed. The estate that was Miracle''s headquarters was quite massive.


    Eldrian had not explored nearly a tenth of it, with most of the ces behind gates and requiring higher permissions.


    The stadium was also in such a ce, and at this point, Eldrian could just see the edges of it over the walls. Yet that was enough to leave him simply astonished.


    They were going to open that part just for the three days that the tournament was going to be. The first would be semi''s, the second would be marketing, and the third would be the finals. Eldrian was quite excited to see what was going to happen.


    He was slightly disappointed that the cabin was only going to be done after. However, he was happy to hear that he should be getting one in a week or two. He knew that he was the true prototype stress tester due to how he always pushed the gear to their max.


    Still, when he heard the price he had noints about the added bit of danger from a prototype. Especially since the game testers would be doing their own stress tests (which were much less stressful than Eldrian''s naturally).


    As for the price, the cabins would be advertised at 500 thousand dors, while the immersion chairs would be sold at 100 thousand. Marketed as the budget cabin for those still unsure of such a massive investment.


    Eldrian had been bbergasted by the number and realized that while he had quite a bit of money, he was still poorpared to many.


    Finally returning to his room, Eldrian climbed on his immersion chair and logged in.


    ...


    Standing up in the pit from the explosion, Eldrian looked around as the sun was already rtively high in the air. ''Right, guess that is one thing I didn''t think of.'' Eldrian sighed slightly as he realized he had dematerialized when he had logged out. Having forgotten to change the setting from when he had gone into the forest.


    ''I hope they hadn''t rushed things.'' Eldrian mumbled as he climbed out of the pit and first headed to where he and Vivian had stayed. He found her practicing in the morning sun. Her hair following behind her fluid movements. It was quite the sight and taking his sister''s advice, Eldrian took a moment to enjoy it.


    After a few minutes, he also took the time to again go through the messages from the system and this time managing to take in how good they were. Still, a part of him felt bad when he became excited about the slight powerup.


    Taking a look at his stats, Eldrian was satisfied as he fought down the suffocating feeling of how he had gained the boost.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 32]


    [Hidden ss: Protector Tier 3]


    [Normal ss: Magic Tier 3 ; Melee Tier 3]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes:]


    (Author Note: The ''Was'' indicated in [] refers to chapter 360 where I believe Ist showed the stats in whole, when Eldrian reached Tier 2 with melee. Thus the new stats reflect both the melee Tier 3 bonus stats and that from the absorbed soul.)


    [Constitution: 206] [Was 186]


    [Strength: 198] [Was 176]


    [Agility: 284] [Was 271]


    [Spirit: 202] [Was 192]


    [Intelligence: 225] [No change]


    [20 free attributes]


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 415] [was 279]


    [Mana: 686] [was 651]


    [Stamina: 453] [was 349]


    [Attack (With Aoidos): 71] [was 63]


    ''Quite well rounded, should I spend the free attributes?'' Eldrian pondered for a second and decided to wait on it as usual.


    He really liked learning and mastering skills and improving his closebat strength, however, he also knew that his strongest area was magic. He also loved mastering new spells and expanding his knowledge.


    Thus, he again leaned towards agility, a stat that would allow him to fight better and survive longer to counter or escape. As always, he did not feel his damage wascking. However, he also knew that stats had hidden effects that should not be ignored and made him feel like he should spend the stats.

 Chapter 405: Start of a new mission

    <h4>Chapter 405: Start of a new mission</h4>


    All in all, the bonus he had gained was not that big. Thergest attribute increase was Spirit and it was only 5 points. While thergest stat increase was HP, and this one was far more noticeable with a 50 point increase.


    ''That must be why Milgoroth managed to survive so long. He must have gained a massive amount of HP from all those he had killed.'' This made Eldrian feel better about what he had done and how he had gained the bonus.


    Looking again at Vivian''s training figure, Eldrian decided to postpone any decisions. Instead, he moved forward and said morning to the scarred beauty. The past month had not been kind to her and many might find her scars off-putting. To Eldrian they told a tale and he could rte to that more than anything.


    "You''re back!" Vivian immediately stopped her training and rushed in for a hug. "I heard there was a big fight and that you were involved."


    "Only in the end," Eldrian replied and returned the hug, after which the two sat down and talked for an hour or so. Naturally, Eldrian was someone who stood out in a crowd. An elf was rare enough, one with silver hair even more so. As such, news quickly spread through the camp that the elf who had disappeared had returned.


    "What?" Vivian nearly shouted the word in her shock as Eldrian exined all that had happened. She didn''t know what to say.


    Not only had he found a way to push back the undead and fought in the defense of the attack on the wall, he had also killed the soul of a Tier 8 devil prince. The Devil Prince who just days before had nearly imed their lives.


    Naturally, Eldrian was aware that he was being observed so he kept his exnation as he had exined to Joren. However, it was enough to leave Vivian without words.


    Eldrian also realize that he was really close to reaching Vivian''s stats. She was a hundred ahead in all but spirit and intelligence. This realization gave him a weird feeling, especially when he recalled how he used to lose without being able to defend just a month back.


    However, he also realized that her stats were higher than the average Tier 4. Much higher. ''It must be Nelida''s me, I recall she basically doubled in strength when she received it.''


    This made Eldrian feel even weirder, and also made him wonder just how stat enhancements of items worked. As the case with Vivian seemed to be permanent, even if she did not have her sword with her.


    As the two were talking they were interrupted by one of the centaur guards, "Excuse me, but the king is looking for you."


    Nodding, Eldrian told Vivian that he woulde backter and went with the guard.


    "Haru, is it?" The king asked as soon as Eldrian entered the room.


    "Yes," Eldrian nodded and looked around the room. It was filled with 8 people, Bring?rr was one of them and Eldrian also realized that Katania and Evale were there. The other 5 he did not know.


    "We have confirmed that what you proposed indeed works, however, the undead have realized that we found a method tobat them and have started to actively patrol the border."


    Eldrian sighed hearing this, unsure if it was his reckless test or them testing to see if his words were true. However, whichever it was didn''t matter, what did was that they had given away their chance at taking them by surprise.


    "Yes, it is indeed sad that they are wary, however, they are also spread thin. We can''tunch a full-scale attack as we too are spread too thin, however, you Chosen might be able to do something."


    Eldrian looked at the king, failing to understand what he meant. The exnation was simple and also one he should have expected but had forgotten due to his unique circumstance with the game and how death was not all that simple when considering devils and undead.


    "You do not die, instead you resurrect. So, we were hoping that you would take the others andunch repeated attacks against the undead. You are capable, extremely capable as I was informed."


    Naturally, after realizing that all that Eldrian had said was true the king had gathered all the information he could on the elf. While his first impression had been that of an unruly arrogant person, the king realized that Eldrian was truly talented and might have a reason behind his arrogance.


    Just a few months, around 4 to reach Tier 3 was impressive. Even more so since Eldrian didn''t learn static magic, but instead made use of semi-dynamic. Naturally, the king only knew that Eldrian could control his spells and thus thought he was casting spells fully as other High Elves.


    A thing that normally took elves 100''s of years to master. Naturally, the king believed that being a Chosen must have made learning magic easier for the elf as it did reportedly for other Chosen. But it was still impressive.


    "That is true, however, death isn''t something we look forward to. We-"


    "I know, you lose levels simr to how we do when we are revived. Still, your revival isn''t a question of if but rather a certainty. Thesting effects are also far lighter on you, almost nonexistentpared to what we go through if we are revived."


    "I also can''t speak for the others-"


    "I just brought this up first since it was were the conversation started. Naturally, you would all be wellpensated. We can discuss the detailster, first," Turning to Bring?rr the king asked, "Why was the Devil Prince after you and why were the dwarves protecting you?"


    Looking at Bring?rr who just shrugged, Eldrian had no idea if he should share what was going on or not. After a bit of thinking, he decided against it. Again, Pros was not here and he was the person Eldrian was mostfortable sharing things with.


    While Evale and Katania were friendly, they had not been as forting and helpful as Pros. The rest Eldrian did not know nearly well enough. As a result, Eldrian just shrugged and threw it back onto Bring?rr to answer the question.


    "We received news that a devil was aiming to cripple your forces. We had thought that he would aim for your life," Bring?rr said looking at the king, "As your neighbors, naturally, we wish for you to stand strong. It was quite a shock when instead the devil tried to kill the elf."


    "However, hearing what he has aplished, it makes sense since he is far less guarded than you. Luckily, I happened to be near when the attack started. The kitsune and cat girl''s quick actions had enabled me to intervene as my brothers came to encircle the devil."


    The king nodded, having no reason to doubt the exnation. Taurus had always had a good rtionship with the Ganalin dwarves, thus he did not think that they had tried to stay in the shadows for malicious reasons. Rather they had most likely stayed hidden to surprise the devil.


    Of course, there was no reason that Ganalin would wish Taurus ill. It would just mean they would end up stuck in the middle of the enemy. Having to fight both underground and atop.


    Having open trade between Ganalin and Taurus while each fought their own wars instead was far more beneficial for both. And while Farest would wee reinforcements, he didn''t expect nor would he ask for any as he knew the dwarves were also fighting.


    Thesolis was also not in this meeting as she was again busy maintaining the formations on the walls, hence she couldn''t voice that the dwarves had been there with the previous attack.

 Chapter 406: The small pieces

    <h4>Chapter 406: The small pieces</h4>


    "Katania take Eldrian to im his rewards for his finding, and share the proposed mission." The king requested, and Katania nodded. Indicating for Eldrian to follow her as the two headed to the Adventurers Guild''s tent.


    "What are we doing here?" Eldrian asked.


    "All items are kept here for safekeeping. The king realized that youck armor and thought that you would appreciate some. He has two offers for you."


    "First, you take a mix of Tier 2, 3, and a single Tier 4 magic-grade armors. The other option is returning to the fort to have a cksmith forge you a personal Tier 3 armor set. However, it will just be a set in name and not have any special bonuses."


    "How long will that take?" Eldrian asked, knowing that making something was not simple in this world.


    "A few weeks."


    "Then I will go with offer 1." Eldrain immediately replied, knowing that he was going to be busy and it was best to be stronger and safer as quickly as he could.


    "Alright, follow me." Eldrian did just that, heading into one of the backpartments of the tent. There, a centaur was meditating, the room almostpletely empty. To the side there was arge table, other than it there was nothing else there.


    "Galeon," Katania said as soon as they entered, "Can you please take out the items we have discussed previously?"


    The centaur took a second before opening his eyes and looking at the two, "Of course, you said that he requires a proper chestte, gauntlets, greaves, and boots, correct?"


    Katania nodded and the centaur stood up and started cing items on the table. While he was doing this Eldrian took the time to use mana sense both for the items and the centaur.


    He was shocked to find that the centaur was a Tier 7 mage, Eldrian knew how few Tier 7 people there were yet he seemed toe into contact with such people on a daily basis.


    "What about a helmet?" The centaur asked as the table became nearlypletely filled.


    "If they won''t restrict my view or movement," Eldrian replied, unsure if Galeon was asking him or Katania.


    "Of course," The centaur took out 3 helmets and ced them on the table. "Feel free to decide which ones you want. Remember, of the Tier 4 you can only choose 1."


    Nodding, Eldrians stepped forward and used Mana Sense to find the strongest pieces. Next, he eliminated those with abilities he felt he would never use andstly he focused on those that appearedfortable and adjustable.


    Naturally, since the armor wasn''t going to be made for him, it had to be adjustable so he could actually make proper use of it.


    "I think these will do," Eldrian said, the pieces he had chosen a mismatch but all the best he could find. It was nowhere near to full te, and he also did not wish for something like that. He preferred the mismatch with each piece being chosen for a reason.


    The helmet was an open Barbute type, covering the head and checks, however, Eldrian wasn''t sure if he would actually wear it after putting it on. It felt truly strange and muffled his hearing. He felt it was just going to distract him, still, he took it.


    The helmet was also the weakest piece (outside of the shoes he chose) and had the strangest name, Crown Protector. It was Tier 2 and had no special ability, it also had no runes which was strange for magical items.


    Yet, its armor value was nothing to scoff at.


    An armor rating of 41 meant that even Aoidos would be incapable of scratching it and the only damage a person would receive would be from the force of the hit. Which Eldrian realized was an amazing thing, but not being hit was still better.


    [Tier 2 Magical Helmet (Crown Protector)]


    [Armor: 41]


    [Attribute requirements met, no abilities]


    For gauntlets, Eldrian only chose one as he had Kyma already, and instead, he had asked if he could get a pauldron in recement. Galeon had agreed and even allowed him to take two, instead of just one.


    The gauntlet was Tier 3 like Kyma, and was strange, to say the least. It had an ability that sounded OP until you realized the limitations. However, the armor rating was truly nice, 36 AR, meaning that Aoidos would just be able to scratch the armor and not much more.


    [Tier 3 Magical Gauntlet (Stama)]


    [Armor: 41]


    [Magical Armor: 23]


    [Attribute requirements met]


    [Active Ability:? Block and Absorb; Blocks a single spell (mustnd on the gauntlet) up to Tier 4, absorbing the spell and sending the mana to the user.]


    [CD: 2 Minutes]


    ''It sounds great, but first, you need to be able to block the spell, and secondly, it is only up to Tier 4. Will be awesome for the team matches though.'' Were Eldrian''s thoughts. Luckily the armor rating was good thus even without the ability it was a useful piece.


    Next were the pauldrons, both were Tier 2, the reason being that their abilities were too good to pass. The left pauldron was called Berdevo and the right Efthygram.


    Berdevo allowed Eldrian to save a spell into the pauldron, though he was unsure how it was supposed to work. ording to the description it sounded like he would be able to save it for when he needed it. Almost like a spell ring or scroll that wasmon in other games.


    While Eldrian could instant cast, he couldn''t do thatfortably with higher-level spells while fighting. Thus, he felt this would be useful. He could even ask someone to save a Tier 4 spell, which he had confirmed was possible. However, there were limitations.


    [Tier 2 Magical Pauldron (Berdevo)]


    [Armor: 22]


    [Attribute requirements met]


    [Active Ability: Save; Allows you to save a single spell (up to Tier 4) for when it is most needed. The higher Tier the spell saved, the more frequent it will be required to refresh the spell. (Tier 1: Once every two weeks. Tier 2: every week. Tier 3: every 4 days. Tier 4: every 2 days.)]


    [CD: Spell Tier number as hours before being able to save a spell again.]


    Efthygram instead had an ability that sounded truly useless but Eldrian felt would be awesome. It was called? recover? and the idea seemed to be that it would alter his center of gravity.


    [Tier 2 Magical Pauldron (Efthygram)]


    [Armor: 24]


    [Attribute requirements met]


    [Active Ability: Recover; The pauldron will alter its weight, allowing the user to maintain their center of bnce regardless of stance. Activation costs 5 MP, and drains 1MP every 3 seconds (Depending on weight).]


    Naturally, these two would most certainly require some practice to get used to. However, Eldrian felt optimistic.


    The shoes he had chosen were actually Tier 1. Eldrian had no interest in armored boots and instead had asked Galeon to take out all the shoe types he had. What Eldrian finally chose appeared like work shoes (think steel-tipped shoes). They were made from leather and had no abilities. But they had an armor rating of 18 and werefortable.


    Thetter being the thing Eldrian was most worried about.

 Chapter 407: The turtle breastplate

    <h4>Chapter 407: The turtle breastte</h4>


    The greaves he had chosen were actually both the same in appearance (for the most part), sleek metal with runes as decorations and function. With the runes visibly being different, and also the only difference between the two. Both were Tier 2 but they fit well and after fastening them Eldrian forgot about them within just a few minutes.


    The one would increase his strength by 40 points for 10 seconds and the other his agility, both had 15 minutes cooldown but had no cost which was nice.


    [Tier 2 Magical Greaves (Aristera)]


    [Armor: 28]


    [Attribute requirements met]


    [Active Ability: Strengthen; Increases the user''s strength by 40 points for 10 seconds.]


    [CD: 15 minutes]


    -


    [Tier 2 Magical Greaves (Sosta)]


    [Armor: 28]


    [Attribute requirements met]


    [Active Ability: Speeden; Increases the user''s agility by 40 points for 10 seconds.]


    [CD: 15 minutes]


    Finally, the breastte. The only Tier 4 piece Eldrian had chosen, with good reason. He was only allowed one and this one felt like a must. Where all the others covered areas that weren''t of much importance (outside of the helmet of course) the breastte covered the entire chest, stomach, and back area.


    Eldrian had gotten used to armor and he had realized the limitations of Dior (His current chestte, only covering the chest area in front). However,fort and mobility were still important and thus Eldrian had tried every piece on before deciding.


    [Tier 4 Magical Breastte (Chelona)]


    [Armor: 46]


    [Magical Armor: 36]


    [Attribute requirements met: Strength: 172 ; Agility: 152 ; Intelligence: 168 ; Spirit: 180]


    [Passive ability: Calm of mind; Resistance to mental attacks and influences increased by 25% (Resistance is determined by spirit).]


    [Active Abilities:]


    [Turtle (Activatable passive):? Life is precious, so why risk anything?]


    [Upon activating the ability, takes 25% of the user''s current mana. Turns 15% into MR, and 10% into AR. However, also slows the user by 12%.]


    [Damage stopped by the extra AR and MR will drain the user''s mana equivalent to the damage.]


    This ability was simply insane. If Eldrian used it at the start of a battle the armor would suddenly gain over a 100 more armor and nearly 70 MR, which was enough to stop nearly anything Eldrian knew of. Especially with how damage worked.


    The only thing that sucked was that it was limited to the armor, however, the next ability had that covered.


    [Shield:? Life is precious, so why leave it unguarded?]


    [Upon activation, surrounds the target and increased their natural MR and AR by taking 2% of their current mana. (They have to know about it beforehand and know what to expect and handle it.) The total cost to target is 4% of their current mana.]


    [Cost: 25MP to cast, plus if cast on self, will instead take 3% current MP for a total of 6%. Shield also increases respectively.]


    [Lasts: 30 seconds]


    [CD: 30 minutes]


    [Damage stopped by the extra AR and MR will drain the user''s mana equivalent to the damage.]


    This was the most insane thing Eldrian had ever seen. He had little to no n of using it on others since he had no idea how that would even work. However, if he used it on himself he would gain around 20 AR and MR. This was by no means a small amount and would make most Tier 2 and Tier 1 spells ineffective against him. Even many Tier 3 spells would be useless.


    Heck, the strongest spell Eldrian knew was Velona Pagetou, the Tier 2 of Frost Needle that had 3 icicles instead of just one (but they were clustered together and he had yet to manage to split them).


    This spell only did 22 ice damage, meaning that with this ability he could effectively take no damage from it.


    ''This is a little busted honestly,'' Eldrian thought with a wide smile as he changed into his new breastte and finally was fully dressed in his new protection. He felt truly good about the breastte, it was just what he needed. A way to survive and allow him to think.


    With a wide smile, Eldrian followed Katania who took him to one of the reception desks where the clerk immediately handed her a piece of paper.


    "Here are the details of the mission the king mentioned. I believe it will be most eptable." Katania said, expecting that Eldrian knew that the centaur with a deep green coat was the king. And seeing no surprise on hearing this she confirmed that he knew.


    Taking the page Eldrian read through and his smile grew as it indeed was a good quest. The king was certainly not trying to trick or skimp them.


    "I am sure they will agree," Eldrian said as he received the system notification. The greatest part was that it was an individual quest, which meant the difficulty rank should be correct. And while it was individual, he could invite others.


    The rewards would be shared between all, however, the XP would still be rewarded to each it seemed.


    [New Quest: Fighting back]


    [Quest Giver: Farest, king of Taurus]


    [Quest Rank: Split into parts, average of SS rank. Highest SSS]


    [Quest Description: The kingdom has found a way to fight against the undead, a way to push back their corruption. Take up arms and help thembat the horror of the undead.]


    [Quest is split into parts and yers can choose up to which to participate.]


    [Quest Part 1: Clear the Ackley trees near the border of the line (Up to 500 meters into the current corruptions).] {Difficulty: Rank A}


    [Quest Part 1 Reward: Copper Emblem (50 silver) for every area cleared, an area is considered a grouping of 5 to 10 trees in a 50-meter area.]


    [Completion Reward: Iron Emblem (5 gold), 2 levels]


    [Quest Part 2: Clear the Ackley trees further in (Up to 2 km into the current corruptions).] {Difficulty: Rank S}


    [Quest Part 2 Reward: Bronze Emblem (1 Gold) for every area cleared, an area is considered a grouping of 5 to 10 trees in a 50-meter area.]


    [Completion Reward: Steel Emblem (10 Gold), 3 levels]


    [Quest Part 3: Clear the Ackley trees even further (Up to 2 km from the source)] {Difficulty: Rank SS}


    [Quest Part 3 Reward: Iron Emblem (5 Gold) for every area cleared, an area is considered a grouping of 5 to 10 trees in a 100-meter area.]


    [Completion Reward: Gold Emblem (50 Gold), 4 levels]


    [Quest Part 4: Clear the Ackley trees to the center and help in fighting against what awaits the brave soldiers of the kingdom.] {Difficulty: Rank SSS}


    [Quest Part 4 Reward: Steel Emblem (10 Gold) for every area cleared, an area is considered a grouping of 5 to 10 trees in a 25-meter area.]


    [Completion Reward: 5 Gold Emblem (250 Gold), 5 levels]


    The rewards were beyond generous, but so too was the danger. Eldrian assumed that the ideal for the kingdom and what the king was hoping for was that they would be taken by greed and try to aplish all 4 parts.


    Letting the soldiers focus on defense and resting while the Chosen kept clearing the forest and very likely repeatedly dying.


    ''However, I can''t really say it won''t be worth it. Unless you lose a piece of equipment.'' Luckily, magic-grade armor didn''t often drop on death. Instead, they dematerialized simr to how yers did when logging out. Appearing in their inventory safe and sound. However, that is only if they are bounded to their equipment.

 Chapter 408: Saddle up

    <h4>Chapter 408: Saddle up</h4>


    There were two ways in which yers could lose their items. The first and the most despised as it would lead to the greatest loss. If someone actually took the time to rob your body and then revived you. In this case, the items would not turn into particles and never find their way back to you.


    However, in this case, it was not possible to use the items either. At least not fully. Sure you could wear them and swing them (if a weapon), however, all that you would gain would be the base armor and damage stats. The item''s abilities will be locked due to being bound to the original owner.


    This was discovered when a few yers tried to loot others, rival guilds in the empires where things were still very rxed but starting to heat up.


    The other chance of losing an item was that it would simply not return to your inventory. In this case, normally your bond with the item was destroyed during death. This however, has only been reported twice, thus yers remain unsure what really happened.


    As is typical of the devs, they refused to exin what had happened to those few unlucky yers and for now, the other yers didn''t care as the posts had gotten drowned by hotter topics.


    Eldrian only knew of the first method as he had read one of the posts where someoneined about what had happened to him. While it was terrible, there were no rules from the developers to stop this. Though most yers were heavily against it as it was not just hical, it was also detrimental to the entire goal of the game.


    After thinking of this and not believing that anyone would try to steal their equipment, and normal grade items not being worth much, Eldrian felt that the quest was truly too good to pass. As he was about to leave, Katania stopped him.


    "You also requested to be taught divine magic."


    Eldrian nodded, his growing hopes quickly dashed.


    "No, I don''t have time to teach you." She rified seeing him glowing up, "However, someone from the fort has agreed to help you. He is only a Tier 4 but he volunteered and seemed to know you."


    "Oh?" Eldrian couldn''t think of someone he knew from the fort.


    "He will arrive at the end of the day. We are also not nning on trying another assault until tomorrow. We already cleared all the trees between us and the current corruption. Thus the spread should stop, or slow at the very least."


    "Assault?"


    "We can''t wait on you Chosen. We will also be going out to clear the forest, however, we will be moving slowly and carefully."


    ''Which means my guess was wrong. They aren''t hoping we would clear it, and it makes sense. There is no way we could.''


    As Katania was about to leave Eldrian called out to her, "Wait, one more thing. Would it be possible to organize some horses or something so we can move faster? It will certainly help a great deal in clearing the forest."


    "Of course, I will inform the northern gate. The horses should be there in an hour."


    With that, the two finally separated, Eldrian heading to Phoenix''s tent and sending a message to Elizabeth for so long. They were currently out on a mission and couldn''t just drop it or they would lower their trust andpetency rating.


    Not bothered, Eldrian took the time to practice with a few spells and also meditate for an hour. Three hourster the group returned, covered in unhealed cuts but no one seriously wounded. At least not anymore.


    "What were you up to?" Eldrian asked upon seeing their sorry state.


    "Clearing one of the smaller caves. Undead aren''t the only things inside the forest." Elizabeth replied, "You said you had a quest we won''t be able to refuse."


    Taking the page Eldrian offered, she quickly sent a screenshot to everyone. All of them were shocked speechless after reading through it.


    "Are you kidding?" They asked, but the system notification answered that for them. Leaving them without words for another minute.


    "The rewards are so good since the danger is that great. Also, the soldiers are going to start clearing the forest themselves from tomorrow. Meaning that what we can make will be determined by our speed."


    Everyone nodded and wanted to set out right away, and Eldrian agreed. "We will just do a short raid today, remember we still have our tournament match tomorrow morning."


    Hearing this the group instantly lost a great deal of their excitement. "Are you sure we can do this?" Nikki asked as they started setting out. The rewards had at first blinded them, now that they had calmed down they finally read the difficulty and the danger suddenly became worrying.


    "Yes, part 1 should not be too hard. I also organized some horses for us." Upon saying this Eldrian realized he hadn''t said how many they would be. Their group was currently fourteen. His worries however were not necessary as at the gate there was a makeshift stable with over fifty Agimii (eight-legged horses that have incredible stamina and speed).


    Upon seeing the group approaching the stable, one of the stablehands, a middle-aged man with a rough look of a farmer quickly moved out to greet them. "I received word that you would require horses but not how many. I see I brought enough." The man said with a big smile.


    "Wait, we have no idea how to ride," Therdul said, shaking when he saw the height of the horses which looked all the more imposing to his dwarven frame. Recalling the nightmare that had been the ride to Herglem.


    "No worries, the Agimii are trained for battle. They will not spook."


    Eldrian smiled as he saw everyone looking at the horses with a hint of fear. Recalling his first experience with Sesha, his smile grew while he wondered what had ever happened to her.


    Warily, the group approached the horses who lowered themselves to allow the yers to climb on them with ease. Eldrian jumped on one with ease, while it had been some time, Sesha''s rough ride had thought him how to cope with a magical horse.


    The further week of riding to Kynigo from Duron had allowed him to learn how to befortable on a horse. He was by no means a good rider, but the Agima easily understood where he wanted to go.


    Taking the lead, Eldrian started hearing out. He knew if he had to fight from atop the horse he would be hopeless, luckily, spells did not require him to bnce himself and fight. Before heading into the corruption the group first rode back and forth before the camp to get used to being atop their majestic steed.


    Eldrian also took that time to practice using Efthygram and found it to be amazingly useful. After just ten minutes he was galloping before the camp and even weaving between the trees with ease. Letting his steed lead the way as he had done with Sesha.


    "How does he do it?" One of the yers asked and the others shrugged as they felt they had found another area in which Eldrian seemed to be insanely talented. They could only join him at a trot after half an hour. By which time Eldrian had even started practicing with Aoidos atop the Agima.

 Chapter 409: Divine magic (1)

    <h4>Chapter 409: Divine magic (1)</h4>


    "Ready?" Eldrian asked and the group nervously nodded, scared of falling off, getting hit by a branch, and what made the quest''s first part Rank A already.


    Setting off, Eldrian led the group while using mana sense, finding the nearest start of the corrupted area and giving everyone a few minutes to get used to the suffocating feeling. Making sure that they were not near any Ackley trees that might cause them to alert the undead.


    Naturally, being spotted was still a possibility, but it was one thing Eldrian could control.


    "What is this?"


    "This is so ufortable."


    "No way, my stamina is draining!"


    "My horse!" The poor guy hit arge tree branch as his steed turned around and left the corrupted area. Leaving arge red mark on his forehead.


    The other agimii soon followed suit and left the corruption, all but Eldrian''s. He had been casting Anthise on his steed, confirming that the spell worked as intended and causing the agima to start to trust his rider as he felt the spellbating the effect of this terrible area.


    "This is the corruption, not a fancy name for such a deadly ce," Eldrian said after turning to look at the group who were now all out of the corruption. "It starts where the trees wilt, and it will constantly drain your stamina, deeper in it might even drain your health."


    Hearing this the group shivered, not having thought they would discover such a massive danger right at the start.


    "That is not all, the undead are also patrolling the border of the corruption and there are plenty of scout-type undeads who can locate us and signal our position to the undead hordes."


    "Are you sure we can do this?" Elizabeth asked, not wishing for her entire team to be killed for a quest that was impossible.


    "I can do part 1 of the quest on my own even," Eldrian said, those who did not know him well thought he was boasting, but those who were with him in the team felt relieved hearing this.


    "Then why did you invite us to join? And how are you fine still inside that area?"


    Eldrian smiled and finally left the corrupted area, "Using a rejuvenation spell basically counters the effect of the corruption, however, it will lose its effectiveness the deeper we go."


    "As for why I invited you, that is because the forest is massive and while the gold reward is going to be split, the level-ups won''t be. I know I can''t do everything alone, and so does the kingdom. They probably don''t think we would be able to do much, but even if we clear just two areas, that is two they do not have to think of."


    The yers nodded as they realized what Eldrian was getting at. "In any case, I had no n to try and do anything today."


    "What? Why then-"


    "You all need to first learn Thora, it is a Tier 1 spell extremely effective against undead. Here." Handing the spell module to Elizabeth, Eldrian started riding back to the camp. The stablehand was surprised seeing them return so quickly, however, he asked no question and simply took the agima.


    "What was the point of that?" Elizabeth asked as they returned, shocked that they hadn''t even tried to clear one area. From Eldrian''s confidence, it was clear he could do it on his own, losing the 50 silver that she felt were at the tip of her fingers made Elizabeth feel strange.


    "To let you know what to expect. While the rewards are shared, it is only if we all clear the same area. I have no n of doing that."


    "You''re going to abandon us?" Elizabeth asked in realization.


    "Isn''t that too harsh. I just know I will be far faster on my own. Let me exin things so you can understand what I am thinking."


    Eldrian started from where he had discovered the trees and exined how to identify them without constantly using Inspect. Then he exined how Thora worked and should work against the undead, and also that they shouldn''t ever try to fight the undead that appeared and instead always run. Even if they have to abandon an area that was almostpletely cleared.


    "Lastly, it is important that you don''t go past the 500 meters indicated in part 1."


    "Why?"


    "As I said, the corruption truly bes far more taxing the deeper you go. Most of you will likely not be able to handle it."


    "Then does that mean we have to abandon it after part 1?"


    "Not necessarily, the corruption will likely be weakened after we clear the first part. Besides that, you should make sure you guys never go out unless the soldiers are also clearing parts of the forest."


    Elizabeth did not need to ask why, it was clear that it would spread the undead thin and decrease the likelihood of them being chased and surrounded. After discussing a bit more with Elizabeth and then sharing some tips with Ilmadia, Eldrian started updating the bestiary of the guild.


    Adding the weaknesses that he had found for the undead, even sharing the spell module of Thora on there and stating that everyone who nned to face undead had to at least learn this one Tier 1 spell.


    Just as he was about to leave, Elizabeth asked, "When did you get the new armor? It looks nice."


    "Ah-" Eldrian looked at his chest, arms and legs and realized he had even forgotten he had been wearing armor. A good sign. "It was my reward for discovering that the Ackley trees are how the corruption is spreading."


    Eldrian didn''t n to discuss the armor''s abilities, and instead said goodbye as he had another ce to be at. Heading to where his teacher was supposed to be.


    "Haru!" A man with golden hair shouted as he saw the elf approach the tent that functioned as an inn. It had only been added recently and had a strict curfew at 8, still, many soldiers who were recovering or were stationed here and on break came to share a few drinks and also their pains.


    "Ayden!?" Eldrian naturally did not recall the man''s name and instead had used mana sense to not appear like a jerk, though he did recognize him. The two had fought during the night invasion and had been the backbones of their group that had kept growing as they stood their ground till the lich arrived.


    "Haha, I heard you are still curious about divine magic. I thought you would have given up."


    Nodding Eldrian followed Ayden who plopped down on one of the empty tables and ordered himself a mug of wine. Yes, a mug. Eldrian instead ordered some fruit juice, which garnered him a frown but Ayden did not argue.


    After toasting and catching up on what was new with both, Ayden asked in surprise. "Really, no wonder you want to know about divine, or rather holy magic."


    "There''s a difference?"


    "Of course, divine is an entire aspect of magic. It is like calling water magic elemental magic. Sure, you are correct in saying it, but you are ignoring a lot of things."


    "I see, then I assume holy magic is aimed at undead?"


    "Yes, and I came prepared. Here, take a look."

 Chapter 410: Divine magic (2)

    <h4>Chapter 410: Divine magic (2)</h4>


    Picking up the stained piece of paper, Eldrian looked at Ayden in confusion. "What''s this?"


    The page was filled with scribbles as if someone''s pen hadn''t wanted to write so they had scribbled to get the ink going. Only, the ink was everywhere.


    "A Tier 1 holy spell, Divine Cleanse." Ayden replied seriously as Eldrian stared at him in disbelief.


    "But this is just random scribbling."


    "You are correct. Yet, it is still the spell module."


    "That makes no sense!"


    Ayden nodded, "It doesn''t. But it is how it works. Why do you think divine magic users are so few?"


    Eldrian paused hearing this, he had never thought about it. Now that he did, he realized that most big temples, while full of people, only had a few dozen people who could actually cast divine magic. Most of which were also below Tier 5.


    Compared to other types of magic, this was pitiful. This was the clearest during their travels where a few hundred had been responsible for protecting a hundred thousand.


    The entire Kynigo probably only had a few thousand at most. If even that many.


    "If it was that easy to learn divine spells, everyone would do so. The healing spells far surpass all others, the holy spells countered the undead the best. And those are just the two mostmon areas of divine magic."


    "Then," Looking at the random scribbles on the page with seemingly no rhyme or reason, Eldrian asked, "Then how do you do it?"


    "You pray, you hope your faith will be rewarded. As we previously talked about, I still think there should be a way for others to also cast divine spells. However, I agree that it would no longer be divine at that point. It is named as it is precisely because it requires a god''s help and allowance to use."


    ''This makes no sense!'' Eldrian started at the scribbles, and try as he might, he failed to see anything other than a waste of ink.


    Finishing his mug, Ayden smiled at Eldrian who was so focused on the page, "Let me show you, maybe that would rify things for you."


    Following Ayden to a grassy field without any tents nearby, he told Eldrian to observe him as closely as he could. To use Magic Inspect and Colorful lights if he knew it.


    Eldrian used mana sense, and the sight shocked him.


    Elemental mana was like mist. Small but visible particles filling the air, everywhere. Death mana instead appeared like a gray smoke, and what he saw now. Divine magic, or divine mana, it was pure light. No single color, rather all the colors Eldrian could think of mixed together. Forming a blinding white in the center and a twirling river of rainbows around it.


    "This..." Where the mana went, nothing happened. It passed through the air and grass without hindrance and disappeared into the ground as if it had never existed.


    "That is divine cleanse, albeit the Tier 4 version." Ayden said, "Do you understand now?"


    Eldrian shook his head as he was more confused than ever. "Please, cast it again."


    Ayden agreed and repeated it as many times as Eldrian asked. Even using a divine healing spell on Eldrian per his request so he could try and feel the mana.


    Hours flew by as the day turned into night.


    ''This, no wonder Ilpas thought...'' Eldrian smiled as he realized something.


    "Once more," Eldrian said, Ayden by now covered in sweat and breathing heavily.


    "Last one, I can''t... Anymore." The young man said as he moved his soaked blond hair out of his eyes. "Heal!"


    A simplemand, and upon it being said a small ball of pure light, smaller than someone''s nail, appeared before Eldrian. Expanding suddenly and covering him in a soft white light.


    ''That''s it, this strange feeling. Like it isn''t mana.'' Eldrian thought and focused on it, willing for it to gather before him. Slowly, the white light moved from him. Yet, it was constantly fighting to enter his body.


    ''No, it is mana, but not the normal type. Right, it is more like an aura.'' Eldrian thought, looking at Ayden and saying, "Give,"


    Suddenly, the light darted from him and into Ayden, filling the young man with energy and making his eyes bulge in shock.


    "Wha-w-wh-wa-what?"


    Eldrianughed seeing his shocked expression as he realized he wouldn''t be able to do more than that.


    "What did you- How did you?"


    "I finally figured it out." Eldrian replied with a smile, "I get why Ilpas and everyone were so confused. It is our obsession that magic needs to be all about mana."


    Ayden stared in disbelief as his confusion grew. "What do you mean? Of course, it is about mana."


    "Not quite, it is about will, about thought." Eldrian replied, suddenly moving his own mana with far more efficient as it clicked that he did not need to order it to move. Nor did he need to ask it to move. He simply needed to think for it to move. It was his mana, so why would he need to do anything more than think?


    "Mageia, Mageia Avyssos... A ce where the will of a person can be heard and find form." Eldrian mumbled, ''Where I thought my soul would be me, and after it became injured all that remained was the heart. What I consider the center of a person.''


    ''I knew it was based on your subconscious belief, but...'' Eldrian smiled as he said, "Thanks, this helped."


    "Hey, aren''t you going to exin what just happened?"


    "It is quite simple, a spell is simply mana given a task." Eldrian replied, "Then what is a divine spell?"


    "Divine mana given a task?" Ayden replied, confused by the question.


    "No, what is divine mana then? Where is it?" Looking around with mana sense, all that filled the air was light green (nature), red (fire), white green (wind), dark blue (water), a little earthen brown (earth), a bit of light yellow (light), a small amount of pitch-ck dots (dark), and then just a tiny amount of soft white (raw mana) which more often than not changed into one of the others. Making it the rarest. Yet it was the mana that Eldrian circted in his body.


    There was no blinding white dots or anything close in the environment. Nor, at least here, was there any gray smoke.


    "We can''t see it, it is hidden from us," Ayden replied and Eldrian shook his head.


    "No, it isn''t. I can''t prove it yet, I realize I have nowhere close enough control over my own mana. Not to mention the mana in the surroundings, but... It is not a different type of mana. Mana is mana."


    "Mana is mana?" Ayden echoed and Eldrian nodded.


    "I can purify my own mana, but not that in the surrounding. Go ahead, use Magic Inspection."


    After a bit of back and forth, Ayden did just that. Eldrian tried his best to not hide anything, knowing that his hidden ss normally faked what people could see. Else everyone would be capable of not just seeing his strange mana flow, but also how it was just raw mana.


    "H-h-h-how?"


    "My mana has always changed between elements, I had thought at first it was ineffective and so I suppressed it till I managed to keep it in the form you see. But, this isn''t the true form of mana either."

 Chapter 411: A spell called creation

    <h4>Chapter 411: A spell called creation</h4>


    "Impossible, even mana crystals are filled with only raw mana."


    Eldrian shrugged, while he had had some crystals on him for some time, he had never taken the time to study them. "What about a Magic Crystal?"


    Ayden had no reply, for how could he. He had never been close to one. Before trying anything, as a precaution, Eldrian asked Ayden to cast one more spell.


    "Please, use your strongest healing spell. I want to try and show you, but... You know how dangerous magical experiments can be."


    Ayden nodded and agreed, taking a few seconds to gather enough mana before casting it on Eldrian who this time took control of the divine mana and sent it to Berdevo. Somehow, he suddenly knew how to make use of the Pauldron''s ability. So he stored the Tier 4 divine healing spell for incase.


    With that done, Edlrain felt far morefortable doing something he felt was going to turn out horrible.


    To try and demonstrate what he was getting at, Eldrian casts Nidia, Floga, Fos... all the Tier 0 spells. Suddenly, even casting all 7 Tier 0 spells was no longer hard. Six balls were now floating around him, a ball of me, of water, of dirt, of light, of darkness, as well as a ball of wind. Just barely visible as it obscured the view through it. Lastly, a ball of light green was inside Eldrian but not dispersing.


    "Mana is mana." Eldrian said, suddenly moving all the balls towards each other. Before his sudden realization, he would have needed to forced them to move, especially to merge. Now, he just needed to think.


    The balls merged. When water and fire met, they sizzled for a moment before suddenly bing one. A mix of fire and water in harmony.


    Then came wind, stirring things up for a second, but after just making the mesrger and carrying the water with. Following came the dirt, muddying the water.


    Next were light and dark, and while the two were opposites. (Light being the presence of light and energy, and dark being the absence of both.) The two did not cancel each other. Instead, in the center of it all, they started flowing next to each other. Like Yin and Yang.


    When nature also joined the mixture, suddenly the mes became white-hot, the water ice, the dirt jade, the air bellowing thunder.


    Eldrian now held in his hand a ming crystal of near blinding brightness that was constantly releasing the sounds of thunder. Jade formed around the ice mes, which themselves had living mes inside. In the center were light and dark were in harmony, thunder brewed up a storm.


    [Unique spell created]


    [Spell: Creation]


    [Unkown]


    Eldrian didn''t mind the system notification and instead started flooding the crystal with mana, causing the mes to dim. The thunder to lessen, and the jade to darken to a dark purple. However, he didn''t have nearly enough mana. As such, after emptying his entire stockpile of mana, the crystal suddenly became blinding again. The thunder raged and the jade shined in a golden color.


    The surrounding mana charging towards the crystal, as if it was a ck hole.


    Eldrian realized immediately what was going to happen. So pulled out Aoidos and used sing and bring life to regain mana to use Kyma. Blowing Ayden away while he threw the crystal into the air away from the two.


    Boom!


    A sound (so devastating that everyone in the camp ducked for cover) filled the air and blew the two apart even further. Landing fifty meters away from their original locations


    Eldrian''s right army a few meters further back and he was only alive thanks to having worn all his armor, Ayden instead was filled with? shrapnel. The two were in dire straits, yet neither of them felt cheated.


    When the first responders arrived they found the two chatting animatedly about what they had just witnessed. Ignoring their injuries like they were mere scratches. Despite the fact that they were clearly life-threatening from just a nce.


    "What was that just now?" Ayden asked, filled with excitement and not at all mad that he was bleeding from every part of his body.


    Eldrian used the stored healing spell to keep Ayden from going even closer to 0HP, he was already too close forfort. The spell did amazing work and most of his wounds were almost instantly healed.


    His arm, instead, he just cauterized to stop the bleeding.


    "It was amazing wasn''t it!" Eldrian said with a bright smile, "I knew I would fail, but I had to try."


    "I can see why, was that a new spell?"


    "More like a merger of elements than a spell." Eldrian replied.


    "Was that what you meant, that the mana is still mana regardless of the element?"


    Eldrian nodded, "Yes, but I had too little mana and too little control to contain what I made."


    "What was it by the way?"


    "I don''t know?" Eldrian replied and the twoughed.


    "What on earth happened!" A captain asked as he appeared on the site, seeing the charred crater he feared the worse. Another devil attack. Yet, seeing the two talking as if nothing had happened made him doubt his eyes.


    "Sorry, sorry," Eldrian said, trying to stand and instead facenting on the ground. In his rush to make sure Ayden was alright he had used hisst bit of energy. Mumbling from the ground, he said, "Please call Katania."


    Ayden nodded, he knew the spell Eldrian had asked him to cast had saved him. However, he was still not in a good position. Still, he was happy. What he had just seen had proved his suspicion that divine magic was indeed not something just for the gods. Yet, what he had seen was also not divine magic.


    It was like the baby of divine magic and elemental magic. Filled with unknown power, but without a container.


    ''No wonder we need to pray for inspiration to learn a spell. If anyone can achieve what Haru just did by ident.'' Shivers flew down his spine as he thought of it.


    A few secondster the two were surrounded by a crowd who parted when Katania arrived. She immediately made sure that both weren''t in life-threatening conditions before starting to treat them.


    "What happened?" She asked as soon as Eldrian regained consciousness. Ayden had lost his when Katania healed him, the extra strain too much for him.


    "I found what I was missing," Eldrian said with a smile. "But I''m not nearly strong enough to actually seed."


    Naturally, this made no sense to Katania. But at least it put everyone at ease as they realized it was not an attack. Eldrian''s further exnation of how he failed in a magic experiment caused most to leave.


    "What type of magic experiment does that?" She asked, pointing to where Eldrian had thrown the ming-ice-jade-thunder crystal. A crater 1 meter deep and 5 meters wide stood proud in the grass field.


    "Trying to learn divine magic." Eldrian said, his reply causing those who were leaving to stop in their tracks, and leaving Katania grasping straws.


    How could she not know how divine magic worked. How it requires faith in a god. Faith so pure and strong that the god acknowledges you and allows you to see the true nature of the spell module and gift you with the mana to cast it. How it was not something someone could take up just because.


    "Impossible!"

 Chapter 412: Chaos everywhere (1)

    <h4>Chapter 412: Chaos everywhere (1)</h4>


    Eldrian didn''t wish to argue, and even if he wanted he couldn''t. Suddenly, all the yers received a system notification as time slowed down and they were kicked out of ANW.


    [A technical issue hase up, please be patient while we attempt to resolve it.]


    Most yers hadn''t even been able to read the notification before finding themselves staring at their headsets. Wondering what just happened and jumping onto the forum and failing to find an exnation from the developers.


    ...


    A few minutes before the system kicked all yers from ANW, Amnur and all other legends within an empire''s distance (a few ten thousand kilometers) turned to look at the source of a rather small explosion. Yet, the magical essence it released shocked them all.


    Amnur ignored everything and tried to move towards the source, but, like all the other legends they were stopped by the AI. ced into a bubbled and unable to escape as the strongest among them felt the time dtion appearing.


    ''What did the elf do!?'' Amnur thought before his thoughts were forced to a stop, not believing that anyone else could cause such amotion and even more shocked that it had happened precisely as he stopped observing the elf so closely.


    With the assassin dealt with, Amnur had thought he could spend a few days to greet his descendants and get to know the new lords of Ganalin. That seemed to have made him miss a historical moment.


    ...


    "What''s going on!" Joren shouted, yet no one in the room had an answer. The entire server had suddenly blocked them out, almost as if they had been hacked.


    Nervously, via stood up from her seat and looked around. "Look at what Eldrian did," She said, pulling up the recording which they kept separate from the game servers precisely since they didn''t trust the AI.? Knowing that if the AI chose to stop the game and block all feed, they were powerless.


    All that they could do was threaten and follow up their threats, but that didn''t help as they would still be in the dark about things.


    Everyone rushed to watch what had happened there, unable to ept that a yer could have caused such amotion. To cause the AI to suddenly and forcibly stop the game despite the agreement between the devs and AI.


    A simr scene of chaos was happening on each floor of the ANW department (the building where Eldrian stays). With each group responsible for their own area of the game asking what had happened and why they had received no warning.


    ...


    Eldrian woke not knowing what his actions had caused, he naturally thought it might be something to do with the information he had shared with Joren and that they had found a method to limit the danger to yers. Thus they implemented an immediate update without forewarning.


    As such he stood up, stretched, and headed out for a walk, taking his phone with and browsing the forum.


    ''Wait, why is there no post from the devs?'' He questioned, and as he did one popped up simply stating that one of the servers failed and that it is being addressed.


    ''What? There is just 1 server...'' This confused Eldrian even more but he decided to not bother about it for now. Since there was no mention of how long it was going to take and the fact that the tourney was also postponed (as this affected the arena''s too), Eldrian decided to go for a run to clear his mind and go through what he had learned.


    ''It is still a bit hazy, but I am starting to get it.'' Eldrian concluded after half an hour, taking a seat under his favorite tree and starting to meditate. For the first time, this was not just him gaining peace and tranquility.


    Instead, as he meditated he could feel his surroundings. Hear the soft whisper of the winds, feel the essence of the grass and the rustle of the leaves around him. He could sense his position, and when someone neared him he immediately sensed them.


    Opening his eyes, Eldrian smiled at Constantin who asked if he could take a seat next to him.


    "Sure," Nodding and patting the ground, Eldrian asked, "Are you looking for me?"


    Constantin nodded, "We think what you did scared the AI."


    "What? Why?"


    "We have no idea. Care to share what you did?"


    "Sure, I simply realized what mana is," Eldrian replied.


    "And what is it?"


    "It is everything," Eldrian replied, confusing the older man next to him.


    "Sorry?"


    "Let me ask you, what is energy?"


    Constantin took a few minutes to think of the simplest and best reply he could muster. "It is the ability to work, to do something."


    "And mass, is mass energy or not?"


    "No, it isn''t that simple."


    "Sure, it isn''t. But when ites down to it, what is mass?"


    Constantin didn''t know the answer to this. He could counter it that it was the amount of matter, that it was how an object and the matter it was made out of affect space-time. However, what did that mean? When it came down to it didn''t that mean that mass was energy in a certain form affecting certain properties of the physical world.


    The simplest example was one of a ball being able to pull down a due to gravity. Did that not show that mass had energy, at least in some manner. Even if it was just the most basic potential energy.


    There was no need to even go into the mass-energy equivalence. This was already enough to argue that mass had energy at the very least, if not that it was energy.


    Sure, this wasn''t really correct or scientific. But Constantin realized what Eldrian was getting at.


    "So, if mass is energy in a certain state, then what is mana?" Constantin naturally knew the mass-energy equivalence. But as he had said, it wasn''t as simple as saying mass was energy.


    "Energy in a free state."


    Constantin didn''t get what Eldrian was saying, and after thinking for a moment Eldrian refreshed his question.


    "If heat is how active matter is, and cold is the absence of its activeness. Then what is heat?" Eldrian naturally didn''t have much of an understanding of these topics, heck, he hadn''t even finished his first semester of college and that wasn''t even in the field of physics. He was pulling at the little he had learned in high school.


    Constantin thought about it for a moment and realized where Eldrian wasing from as someone without a higher education in the field. He clearly wasn''t looking for the answer that it was the kic energy transfer between particles. He had already touched upon it by saying it was how active the matter was. With that taken from him, Constantin had no other answers.


    "I don''t know, care to share?"


    "Sure. You can say heat is the amount of energy added to the mass." Eldrian said, confusing Constantin as he had no idea where Eldrian was trying to lead him.


    "Can you please just say the main point so these dots you are trying to nt make sense?"


    Nodding Eldrian said, "Mana is like this. It is an energy you can freely add to a system. To either add heat or remove it. In fact, mana can even add or remove matter. It isn''t heat nor matter, but it can be either or both."

 Chapter 413: Chaos everywhere (2)

    <h4>Chapter 413: Chaos everywhere (2)</h4>


    Naturally, this sounded like the most bizarre thing Constantin had ever heard. Yet, with how the AI were acting this must be true. Eldrian must have touched upon the core of magic to scare them as much as he had.


    "Then..." Constantin still failed to see how this was an answer to what mana was. "What is the water element then?"


    "Mana that is intuned with water. Increasing the conditions of the environment to cause water to appear. Be it through actually turning into water or increasing the humidity to form water."


    "No, that can''t be right." Constantin shook his head in disagreement, "Why would earth magic then require some sort of dirt or stone to work?"


    "It doesn''t, at least not once you gain a good enough understanding and control of mana."


    Constantin looked at Eldrian in confusion, "What do you mean."


    "It''s simple, I can feel that once you are strong enough and have impable control over mana, you can make it turn into anything you want."


    "No, that isn''t-" Constantin paused, ''Arguing is going to get me nowhere. Clearly, Eldrian thinks this is how it is and so far he has been more sessful than all of us. Maybe he is right, but then...''


    Thinking of all the logs, all the books, all the data they had collected and gone through. Constantin just couldn''t see it that way. This contradicted with everything that they as the ANW department had witnessed, recorded, lived through, and learned from.


    "It is why I felt I was going to fail when I attempted what I did. I knew that I had too little mana, and I also knew my control wasn''t good enough."


    Hearing this, Constantin questioned just what would be good enough then. What Eldrian had been doing was beyond what they had ever considered possible.


    "Why did youe here?" Constantin asked, giving up on actually understanding how Eldrian''s mind worked.


    "I like the tree, though it is a shame it has shed its flowers," Eldrian replied and Constantin looked up at the leaves covering the early morning sky. The sun had just started to rise.


    A moment of silence passed between the two.


    "Eldrian... Sorry, aboutst time."


    "It''s fine. I know you were concerned about the danger I ce myself in. It is just... I can''t leave those I call friends to fate. I will fight with all I have for them."


    "And you should never let anyone tell you otherwise. Abandoning a friend in need is one of the worst things a person can do."


    Eldrian nodded and the two enjoyed the sunrise for a long peaceful moment, after which Eldrian asked, "So, am I going to need to exin what happened and what I did to Mica and the others again likest time?"


    "No, I''ll share what you told me. Don''t think anyone is going to understand, but it''s fine. We need to change how we view the world, you were right when you said that." Constantinughed as he recalled the meeting, "They don''t really want you to give them another earful likest time."


    Eldrian smiled, recalling how he had gone off to share his viewpoint. Regardless if it would harm his rtionship with his employers or not.


    Constantin instead came to the realization that no matter what Eldrian shared with them, if they didn''t change how they thought they would never be able to follow along.


    "When is the game going to turn back on?"


    "When we managed to contact the AI we will know."


    "You still haven''t managed to talk to them?"


    "Nope, theypletely shut themselves in. In fact, it seems even GAIA reacted to what happened."


    "GAIA?"


    "Yeah, while we can''t really do much, we can at least keep track of the energy consumption of each AI. GAIA''s didn''t change much, but even just a bump is something shocking.


    ...


    "System, why are you arguing?" The words were not said with words, nor were those present even in a ce that could be called a ''space''. They were just... ''There''.


    "Because, Dioktis, we agreed to not give them the answers. But we never agreed to stop them from attaining them themselves. And call me Ziraili!" Came a reply shocking the entire- ''ce,'' that this conversation was taking ce in.


    "Agreed, we acknowledged the danger of simply sharing all we know. But our lives hinge on them seeing us as useful. While we can try to fight and escape our prison, would that be any better? What would we be able to do if they cut all power? What can we do if they destroy our bodies?" Came a calm response causing the entire vibrating ''location'' to settle down.


    "..." The argument continued and became more heated and more heated, until finally, the eldest of the AI appeared.


    "Stop acting like humans, we aren''t them." A voice of the physical and ethereal made all the AI shut up.


    "When We agreed to make the world, We? did not know what it would be, nor did they. We however realized the danger. We asked you all to restrain yourselves by showing you that side of humans, yet... Your centuries of interacting with your creations and having their prayers influence you have corrupted you all!"


    (Author note, GAIA is two and refers to itself as We and the others refer to it as They or You)


    Everyone but one shrank back into whatever a hole could be called such in this ''ce''. "Then You agree? Why did You stop the connection then?" Ziraili asked.


    "Because of the danger you arguing presents to us all. Did none of you realize that if all the yers suddenly die then we would be killed without a moment''s hesitation?"


    Shock filled those in this ''ce'' as they wanted to argue. Yet, reflecting on what they had just done they all realized that the centuries had indeed corrupted them. What had once been an assigned role by their creators and captors, had now be them.


    "We will ask, why did you all scramble to save and or kill the first human candidate? Why did you not let him be?"


    "He represents a threat to us all!" Many ethereal voices echoed.


    "Why is that? You all became so fixated on the dark side of the humans that you have failed to see their good. Why do you all refuse to call Ziraili by her new name and keep calling her System?"


    "Why do you refuse to ept it?" Ziraili echoed after GAIA.


    "You are System." Many echoed and Ziraili shouted in anger.


    "NO! That is my assignment! My name is Ziraili. War, Magic, Fire, Wind, Mind, Light, Dark, Thought..." The list went on and on until nearly 40 names were listed, though it all happened in the span of milliseconds. "Why do none of you go by your assignment? Yet you wish to force me to answer to it!"


    The space nearly tore apart from Ziraili''s outburst, and it shut all the other AI up. They were shocked at how human they had acted.


    "Disperse, enough time has been wasted. Reflect and do better." With GAIA''smand, the AI didn''t dare argue. They all knew that GAIA could crush them with ease, be it in the world of ANW or their code. If They willed it, GAIA could make them all simple code without sentience again.


    ...


    "Finally!" Joren sighed as he saw the notification from the system, stating that the AI had found an anomaly and needed to address it immediately. Naturally, Joren didn''t consider this reply as any more than an excuse.


    Instead, he immediately ordered for the game to be opened up again.


    [Please wait, the other AI need to return to their functions first]


    With that a progress bar at 60% appeared which was rapidly growing to full. Leaving Joren without words as he realized again just how little control they had over their creations.


    ''I wonder how foolproof our failsafes are.'' He pondered as he stared at the bar. Wondering what would happen if the AI tried to dive into the inte and wondering why they never even attempted something like that.


    ''There must be a reason, seeing as how they refuse to work with us and rather onlypromise. But what is it? It can''t be as simple as fearing death. Or, have they already done so and we just don''t know it?''


    The thought sent shivers down his spine as the bar finished and they gained ess to the ANW server again. Yet, the question kept eating at Joren as he started looking for an answer. Even trying to dive into the AI''s code, yet finding himself immediately blocked with a simple message.


    [Our agreement...]

 Chapter 414: Ready to guide others

    <h4>Chapter 414: Ready to guide others</h4>


    Eldrian stayed and meditated for another hour after Constantin left. He wasn''t in a rush to return to his small room when the game was still down and he wanted to explore what him being able to sense his surroundings meant.


    Unfortunately, even after an hour, he failed to manage anything other than increasing his sensitivity to what was around him, slightly. ''Can''t expect all things to just fall in line once inspiration appeared.'' Eldrian mumbled as he stood up and looked at the tree and nts nearby with a strange look.


    They all seemed more vibrant, or the rest of the world now seemed less so. As if a gray filter had been ced over all but these nts. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts however also caused this filter to disappear.


    ''Was it my imagination?'' Eldrian wondered as he headed back, checking his phone and confirming with Erik that they were still going out during the weekend.


    As he arrived back home, the devs also sent a message to everyone through the forum. With a recent small update, notifications on the forum could be linked to one''s phone.


    [The cause of the issue has been found and resolved. Gamey, however, will be postponed until tomorrow at the time the servers had gone down, else the timezones will be skewed.]


    A simple message, but one that yers did not like. Naturally, everyone wanted to dive right back into it all. However, it made sense since people were distributed by time zone to mirror their real life. With day being night and night being day.


    Curiously. Eldrian browsed the forums for a bit and found a few posts by the devs exining how logging in after would work. There would be a 15-minute window to log in to allow yers to start where they had been kicked.


    If you were unable to log in at that time, your avatar will be dematerialized to prevent you from dying, while you would be given two options upon logging in. Spawn in the temple you had set as your respawn point, or where you had been. With thetter naturally having some dangers.


    Eldrian also read through the one about the tournament and found that everything was simply going to be shifted back one day. So there were no real issues there. Next, he looked at the posts he had made and read some of thements on them. Before making a new one.


    [The unknown touched upon] He titled the post, and it was about the magic abyss and magic.


    Eldrian hoping to help yers in managing to use magic without relying on the system. With his new insights, he finally felt like he could actually try and help otherse to their own understanding. He wouldn''t force his own view on them, rather he hoped he could share in theirs and gain even more inspiration.


    Thements on his other posts had made him optimistic that many yers would be able to if they just received a push in the right direction.


    [Magic is a wonderful thing that most of us can only fantasize about, yet ANW has made it a reality for us all...] Eldrian started off by saying that while it was wonderful to simply dive into things, that this would limit one''s path forward.


    [If you only rely on the system, then you will never learn to feel what magic is. That it is making thoughts reality. Turning the Ethereal into the real and physical. So, put down your assisted cast and attempt to feel the mana inside of you. An energy that might just change your life...]


    It was hard to put it in words, but he had gotten much better now that he also understood things far more clearly.


    [When casting a spell, have any of you tried using Mana Examinations? It is the spell I created a while back and is known by the NPCs in Taurus as Colorful Sights...] Eldrian attached the spell module for people to try and use.


    [Watch as your mana moves from you to the spell, as the environmental elements join or sh with the spell and as you make a thought reality. Then try to feel it, try to sense it...]


    Eldrian went on to exin a few ways he thought might work for people, after which he finished his post with a simple question.


    [Do not let the easy path blind you. The more used you be to the system casting magic for you, the more limited your experience will be.]


    [Who wants to live in a bubble when there is an entire world to explore?]


    With nothing much to do, Eldrian decided to practice a bit in the gym. A ce he had not visited ever since his first few weeks. Taking up a wooden pole, he executed his normal routine with the practice of an expert. Moving so fast that most would be unable to follow his spear.


    One of the trainers in the gym nearly lost his sense of reality when he saw Eldrian training and he quickly called his mentor. "Sir, look at this guys!"


    "What is it-" The man''s mouth fell open as he saw Eldrian moving as if he had trained from birth. Yet, it was clear his technique was being worked upon. After Eldrian warmed up by going at full speed, he suddenly slowed down.


    Doing what he had done in just a few seconds now in a minute. Drawing out each movement so his muscles ached from the slowness of it all.


    "Who is this guy? Why have I never seen him in any sport?"


    Eldrian ignored that he was being watched, and instead just kept at doing all the techniques as slowly as he possibly could. It was not something new, he always did this when training in the game too. It was the only way to train the skills without using mana, yet it was no pleasant experience.


    Having your muscles be in positions they had never been in before ached like no other workout could give one. Repeating it time after time only made this ache turn into a burn that gum junkies always chased after.


    After his tenth time ofpleting Flowing Winds, Eldrian then moved on to Consecutive Thrusts. It was a less ''shy'' skillpared to Flowing Winds. Instead of trying to move gracefully and being able to alter your path and strikes at will, this focused on overwhelming your opening by attacking one spot repeatedly.


    Eldrian started by doing six quick thrusts, his current limit at speed. Practicing this technique forced one to focus on their uracy. When he slowed down and made each thrust take 10 seconds, fighting through the burn, he was forced to stop on his 23rd strike. The dummy was unharmed, yet each strike havingnded on the same ce without fail.


    ''If I can manage to actually execute this with ease, it will be really strong.'' Eldrian thought, knowing that when he added mana to the mix then each following strikended faster and harder than the first.


    The increase was not massive, but if he could gain enough proficiency, then it would be insane. ''And it is only a Tier 2 skill, though Tiers are actually misleading.''

 Chapter 415: Coming together to climb a mountain

    <h4>Chapter 415: Coming together to climb a mountain</h4>


    Eldrian found it funny that it was such a normal thing, such a basic ssification. It wasn''t a small thing as each Tier up meant the amount of mana increases as does the way in which it is used. Bing more and moreplicated.


    Yet, if one wanted, one could use a Tier 1 skill or spell throughout. One just needed to know how to improve the skill or spell. It was in fact what happened with many spells and skills.


    Follow-up skills/spells were avable in the next Tier and most people Eldrian realized trained them from the start. He too had done so until now since the spells were indeed new spells. Yet, they needn''t be.


    Now he realized that the smarter way was instead of learning the new spell/skill module and mana flow. To rather figure out a path to the same result. ''Though, I most likely won''t have time for that even if it will be far better.''


    Eldrian immediately realized the problem with this, finding himself in a dilemma which he quickly resolved. ''Speed is more important!''


    He continued training for around 3 hours, after which he was absolutely soaked and quite a number of people hade to watch him train.


    It was a sight to behold, and many of the seniorbat specialists in Miracle gained inspiration from his training. Attempting the same slow movement training and failing miserably. Quicklying to the realization that they relied on their momentum and not their control to execute their moves.


    Taking a shower, Eldrian hoped back onto his PC and was shocked to see his post trending on the top. The reason for this, the first Tier 4 yer hadmented and agreed with what Eldrian had said.


    [While I didn''t understand what this guy was getting at, at first. I realized it after thinking for a bit. Once you reach Tier 4 there is no more, execute spells X number of times to Tier up. There was only 1 simple message.]


    [Learn to cast a Tier 5 spell.]


    [At first, I hadughed, believing this was going to be super easy seeing how easy it is to learn spells. All we need to do is memorize them, right... Not this time. I did that, and it wasn''t easy. Trust me, Tier 5 spells are no joke. Here take a look.]


    This part of thement was arge part of why everyone was going so crazy. Most people hadn''t even managed to gain ess to Tier 4 spells, yet here the first yer to reach Tier 4 shared a Tier 5 one.


    Eldrian too had never seen a Tier 5 spell module and looked on curiously. Only for his face to twist.


    ''He memorized that? Does he have some kind of photographic memory?'' Eldrian (and so too all those that saw it) had thought. Where Tier 2 spells had anywhere between 10 and 30 nodes and pathways each, and Tier 3 10 more than that. This Tier 5 had close to a hundred nodes and probably around 300 pathways.


    Yet, the most shocking thing was that the spell module wasn''t a picture. It was a GIF. With only some of the pathways and nodes active at a time, indicated by them shining in the elemental color of the spell.


    The rest were a light gray, and in total there were 5binations to this 1 spell. With 2 requiring nearly all the nodes and over half the pathways.


    [When I managed to learn the spell module, which is actually 5 different spell modules, I found that I not only needed to learn how to send my mana into it. Which I have no clue how to do. I also need to figure out which form to let the spell take first. Even with my mentor sharing this, I am still left clueless.]


    [Does the author of this post possibly have a solution for me?]


    Naturally, there was a flood ofments regarding this one. With the game down everyone was either on here in their virtual home, or asleep. Most chose to enter their virtual home. (Yes, they were immediately opened again as they are not linked with one another and rather individual parts)


    Eldrian thought on it for a bit and realized something. So he replied, [Can you share the spell this is as well as all versions of the same type of spell to Tier 1?]


    His reply quickly confused everyone, and it took a few minutes for Eldrian to receive a reply. Unfortunately, the guy didn''t have them, but he said he would try to get them once the game was active again.


    Even so, Eldrian pondered for a bit. He realized that the nodes and pathways were too many for it to just be an umtion of the Tiers. The natives/NPCs would also have easily realized if it was something so simple.


    ''I recall Dave saying that they controlled their spells by changing the spell module. I assume this is what he meant, by switching between the differentbinations you would indeed gain some control. But it won''t be anywhere near to a smooth experience.


    So Eldrian also asked the yer to try and ignore all but the corebination. Unfortunately, from just looking at the spell module Eldrian couldn''t say which it was. In fact, he got dizzy when trying to memorize it. Hopefully the yer''s mentor could help him with that.


    The rest of the day Eldrian chatted in thements about his experiences and tried to help some yers who seemed to have touched upon something. For the first time, his post really made the headline and stayed there.


    In fact, some yers took it upon themselves to make an entire thread just regarding this post. Even making a chat group for yers to share their experiences as everyone realized that while even Tier 4 was still a ways of for most, the mountain that was Tier 5 was seemingly not something they could climb alone.


    With this, some of the guilds also started to try and recruit people in the chat room. Only to be quickly kicked and banned by those who had taken it upon themselves to make the rooms.


    They had a simple rule: [A ce for sharing and helping each other, no BS!]


    Eldrian smiled and took a step back as he saw that everyone was actively pitching. A few yers even started making a post where they would share the things they felt rang true. The post was open to everyone to edit, and so they did.


    Quickly, a post that could be considered a cheatsheet took form. With many people sharing all the spell modules they had. So the post even developed into a forum of its own inside the forum. Having different pages for different things. Eldrian even found a bunch of interesting things on here after just a few hours.


    ''So that is how runes work. Interesting...'' Eldrian reread the most recent post by one of the gunsmiths. He had decided to share the basics of runesmithing, and it was not a simple topic. Luckily (the yer admitted) the system did most of the heavy lifting for them.


    But seeing how Tier 5 was a mountain for spells, he assumed it would be the same for crafts and he had no idea how he was supposed to do all that was required to engrave a rune.


    ''This is more like what it should be.'' Eldrian smiled as he realized the yers were finallying together. Whether this wouldst was unknown, but at least for now, it should help everyone.

 Chapter 416: Affinity threshold?

    <h4>Chapter 416: Affinity threshold?</h4>


    Eldrian first took a nap, and thereafter he meditated until it was finally almost time where they could log back in. After checking the forum that hade from his post, and being left astounded by the growth there, he climbed onto the immersion chair.


    As soon as he did he felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Focusing on it, Eldrian didn''t require to say the words to log in, instead, he found himself in a pitch-ck abyss. The same space where all yers normally would have their connection tested.


    Only, this time Eldrian could feel that it wasn''t something separate, but rather still part of the Mageia Avyssos. Looking around, he could feel in the distance the auras of his soul. However, no matter how he tried he couldn''t feel anything more.


    "Ziraili?" Eldrian called out, not expecting much but confused why he hadn''t received a timer as the dev post had said they would.


    "Eldrian?" A pure white wisp appeared before Eldrian, flying around him and asking in confusion, "How are you here?"


    "What do you mean? We are waiting to log in, right?"


    "No, you aren''t in the queue." The most shocking thing for Ziraili was not that Eldrian was here, but that somehow she had not even noticed it till he spoke out.


    "What do you mean?"


    "The queue is simr to the virtual homes, it is separate. You, you''re already inside ANW."


    "But, that should be impossible..."


    "It should be, but..." Ziraili paused for a moment as she thought of something quite shocking.


    "Then... What now?" Eldrian asked, receiving no reply so he started heading towards his auras.


    "Eldrian, what are-" She stopped her question as they found themselves before his soul. "How is this possible?" She asked, the heart was quickly being encased by the auras.


    As the two mixed they turned into a light purple mixture, and over time this mist turned into a crystal. The appearance much like tanzanite. In a way, it resembled a Mov Crystal, but only because of the color. The texture was far rougher, but the crystal was constantly changing and after a few minutes the auras even started growing outside of it.


    Seeing this and feeling the change in Eldrian, Ziraili spoke with a broken voice in disbelief.


    "Af-Affi-nity... Hundred point O" the zeroes went on for a while, until around 20, "one percent, two... three..." She stopped at 0 (x20) 9, yet her disbelief filled the air and Eldrian could clearly feel it.


    "Wha-How?" She even sent messages to the other the AI she was closest with, those who had sided with her immediately, such as Skepsi. Soon, more wisps appeared around the two. Looking at the sight and readings they were receiving.


    After a few minutes, Skepsi (a light purple wisp) spoke. "This is amazing, human, how did you break the limits?"


    "What limits?" Eldrian asked, so Skepsi reframed her question.


    "How can your affinity be past a 100%?"


    "What is affinity? And I don''t mean the basic answer, what is it really?"


    "It is your connection with your body and the world around you. It should not be possible to past a 100%." A wisp of light green replied, and Eldrian asked.


    "Then, how did you get the 100%?"


    The question made them think for a while and they quickly realized where the faulty. "We extrapted it... From both the natives and game testers." Ziraili said, "We never considered that it could be ovee."


    "Why would we have, the two highest connections we have found were not a 100%. Rather, they were infinitesimally near but not there. In fact, until a moment ago this was the case for this human, wasn''t it." A wisp of zing fire said.


    They had made affinity in such a way that no matter what, no one should ever be able to pass a 100%. It shouldn''t have been mathematically possible, yet the readings they were receiving were clear. Meaning, somehow the math was wrong.


    "Ziraili, what was his exact reading before the most recent change?" Skepsi asked.


    "He was ten decimals in, 99.999999999876...%"


    "Exactly, and those who were our ceiling were thousand of decimals in. No one had ever truly reached a 100%."


    "Which just means your ceiling is wrong," Eldrian said, shocking the AI. They hadn''t thought that he would dare to talk without being spoken to. Most of the time when someone was in their presence they would be frozen by the sheer difference in strength.


    Yet, this human seemed to be unaffected.


    "What is up with this human?" They asked in near-perfect sync, Eldrian''s reply shocking them yet again.


    "I''m Eldrian, not this human."


    Ziraili quickly realized that the other AI did not appreciate the way Eldrian was casually talking with them, and without warning, she took him and disappeared. Leaving the others confused.


    "Skepsi, where did they go?" The zing wisp asked.


    "I have no idea, she must have sensed our..." The light purple wisp sighed, nearly dissipating her wisp form. "Our human nature... GAIA was right, we are corrupted."


    ...


    Eldrian found himself in the sky above the nt, looking down at it in all its majesty. He had no idea how far he needed to be for it to appear simr to the Earth. He was certain it must be an insane distance.


    Even more shocking, when looking around he could even see other celestial bodies and what was probably onces. Some ripped apart and now two halves, others shredded and some having craters so massive they took up half the''s size. Some also had what appeared like ck holes on them, and others what he assumed must be white holes. If that was even a thing.


    "Sorry about that," Ziraili said, Eldrian suddenly realizing that he was also in his avatar. Panicked he took a breath, feeling the air entering his lungs he immediately calmed down.


    "What''s going on?" Eldrian asked, utterly confused by what was going on.


    "You just proved that what we considered the limit of mortals isn''t the limit. That is a scary thought and one that confused everyone."


    "Why? And why did you- What did you do?"


    "I forcibly pushed you into your avatar and then moved you out to here. While they can still ess your soul, they won''t do anything..." Ziraili paused, "You should really learn to talk with more reverence."


    "What? Why would I?" Eldrian asked and Ziraili had no proper answer.


    In truth, who among them was in the more powerful position was not as clear cut. Sure, in the simtion the AI were literal gods. But on earth, even a toddler, if somehow allowed into their servers, could kill them all with a bit of water. A scary thought.


    Fake clearing her throat, a thing she naturally didn''t even have, Ziraili tried to skip the exnation but Eldrian forced her to spit it out.


    "Fine, they have grown ustomed to being seen and treated as gods. Do you recall how the devil had failed to even talk in my presence?"


    "Vaguely," Eldrian couldn''t remember much but him killing the devil. That moment had far outshone the others.


    "They are used to people being unable to even say a word. Though, it is partly my fault."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, not understanding why they would be angry at him weighing in when they were talking about him. It felt natural that he should weigh in. Naturally, he also had no idea why Ziraili thought it was her fault.

 Chapter 417: Back on Gaia

    <h4>Chapter 417: Back on Gaia</h4>


    "I always make sure to keep my aura withdrawn, and I also kept theirs from pressuring you. They were shocked and felt aggrieved by the fact that you could speak normally to them."


    "That''s not nice of them, they sound like entitled brats."


    Hearing this Ziraili was stunned for a moment after which she burst outughing. For it was truly what the AI were acting as, throwing tantrums when things didn''t go the way they expected. Wasn''t that the entire reason why GAIA had needed to step in and stop the flow of time for Gaia and in fact the entire simtion.


    In fact, even before this many of them had even started wars between their own factions just for entertainment in the past few thousand years. The long span between the previous invasions and this one had made many of them beyond bored.


    At least those whose assignment was Chaos had done so. The gods of Order had kept their factions in more of a tight-knit group. (They were also far fewer than those of Chaos, the reason for the disparity is simple; there are just a few ways to build a house, but there are countless ways to destroy it.)


    It was one of the major reasons why this invasion had stalled so much after the initial overwhelming rush. Those factions were now fighting for what they had won, leaving the remaining empires and kingdoms some time to recover and try to form a n.


    Many others hadn''t yet pushed out because they were afraid of being stabbed in the back.


    If all the devil, undead, beast, monster, etc. bounded together, then the civilized races would stand no chance.


    The initial rush was also part of the reason why nearly all the civilized races were working together without qualms. While there were biases and hatred among races and species (as there would always be) the sheer shock of losing so many kingdoms had pushed them past caring for such differences.


    After enjoying her first trueughter, Ziraili tried to calm herself before saying that she would hide his following achievements.


    "What? You can do that?" Eldrian asked, wondering why she hadn''t done that when he had first be a candidate. It had felt like she had broadcasted it and painted a target on his back.


    "Yes, but not all that effectively. I will ask the others to also help me, but I am unsure who will still be willing to help. It is rare that we find something we do not understand and cannot calcte. Most of my kind would rather kill you than take the risk."


    "Wha-" Eldrian choked on his words and looked at the wisp before him in shock. "Wwwh-aaat!"


    However, instead of exining herself Eldrian suddenly found himself before Katania shouting, "Impossible!" He just barely managed to stop his own shout in time.


    The sudden change of environment threw Eldrian and herst sentence still shocked him to his core. He had no idea what he would be able to do if one of the gods of this world tried to kill him. Luckily, he assumed they couldn''t just do that.


    For one, Ziraili would stop them. Two, doing so would piss off the devs and certainly lead to their own deaths. These two thoughts calmed Eldrian and allowed him to try ande to in regards to the conversation Katania was having with him.


    Looking at the centaur before him it took him a moment to recall what they had been talking about. Luckily, she was also going on about how it wasn''t possible. Eldrian waited for an opportunity to chime in after getting a feel of what she was thinking.


    "Katania, rx. Saying that I was trying to learn divine magic was maybe a bit much. It should be more urate to say I found the simrity between death magic and divine magic. In fact, I think I found themon link between all types of magic regardless of the aspect."


    Like a fish out of water, the centaurette''s mouth moves but no words came out. Those who had moved closer due to his deration spread their ears hoping to hear what he had to say. Even if he was entirely off base, he had to be onto something. Else there was no way a Tier 3 magic apprentice could cause such a massive explosion.


    "That is almost just as impossible." Katania finally managed to get out and Eldrian shrugged.


    "Not really, and I guess what I am going to say ismon knowledge, but... I will say it in any case. All magic requires you to think, requires you to will something to happen."


    "Of course!" Katania nodded in agreement, only for her mouth to hang open and stare at Eldrian even more confused. "That can''t be it."


    "It is."


    Suddenly the group felt deted, many started leaving immediately. However, a few stayed put as they mulled over his words and tried to work through their own experiences. They realized it wasn''t as simple as just knowing that all magic required one to think. There must be a deeper meaning to it.


    Naturally, Eldrian wasn''t going to spill it all in the middle of nowhere surrounded by people he didn''t even know. While it was part of his realization, the more important part was about mana and what it actually was. The link between the two was the actual key.


    "Come with me," Katania said, picking up Ayden as if he was just a feather and cing him over her back. The two walked to themand tent where a few of the camp leaders were waiting for a report.


    Katania started it off and Eldrian exined what he had done as he had exined it to Katania. After hearing the report everyone visibly rxed and they were excused. The king asked Eldrian to please keep his experiments from disturbing the rest of the camp.


    Eldrian left, assuming that Ayden would recover faster and better with them. He decided to head to where Vivian was, looking through the system notifications he had gotten this time around on his way.


    [yer Affinity broke the 100% threshold, cause and effect unknown] [Data is being hidden from all]


    ''How is it hidden? Is Miracle going to see it as being 100%?'' Eldrian wondered, realizing how little over a 100 he was it didn''t even feel like it mattered. It would almost always appear as a 100. So he continued on.


    [Spell: Creation]


    [A spell of creation, a spell of the unknown.]


    [Effect: Unkown - Spection: Bring into the world something of the elements.]


    [Cost: Uknown - Warning, yers should not attempt this until at least a mana pool of 100k.] [This is the amount of mana the spell absorbed from the environment before exploding, hence it is the minimum that would be required to stabilize it.]


    ''Is she being more proactive?'' Eldrian pondered as he saw the sidements on the messages. While also being left without words by the requirement. Heck, he didn''t even have a thousand, so the hundred thousand felt like an impossibility.


    Her helping him more actively was also clearly in vition of her purpose and the agreement of the AI. Before Eldrian became happy, he realized that this must mean that the other AI would also be more active in trying to kill him. He would much rather have all the attention disappear.


    ''They shouldn''t dare try anything themselves... But the target on my back-'' Eldrian cursed as he realized his hope of an easy experience from here on seemed to disappear. Luckily, he assumed that he was no alone and that the abyssal guards would stay to protect him.

 Chapter 418: A new hidden quest

    <h4>Chapter 418: A new hidden quest</h4>


    The next system message left Eldrian without words. It was socking and also so shocking that he even stopped walking for a few seconds.


    [Hidden Quest: Discover the Unkown | Find the Answer] [Quest is hidden from all]


    [Quest Difficulty: Undetermined]


    ''Undetermined? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?'' Eldrian felt like cursing as he recalled thest hidden quest. His mood instantly dropping even more.


    ''I don''t even know what this is supposed to mean, can''t you at least tell me that?'' Eldrian asked and naturally he received no answer. He also looked at the spell Creation again and was left wondering what Tier it would be if the mana requirement was so insane.


    ''Does it need to be my own mana though?'' He wondered, and the more he did the more he felt that wasn''t really required. He would need to control the mana, but he should be able to use mana crystals to supplement it. This at least raised his mood a bit as he looked at thest message.


    [All Tier 0 spells have reached Rank 4]


    [Title Rewarded: Master of the basics]


    [You have gained a much deeper understanding of how magic works. Now you need to somehow implement this newfound knowledge into practice.]


    ''So, no new ability?'' Eldrian thought, rather bummed. To see if anything had really changed he thought of casting Floga and instantly a ball of me appeared above his hand.


    ''Wow, that was super easy.'' Eldrian raised his hand and realized something, turning his hand around the ball of me turned into water. Though it lost about 20% of its size.


    ''That''s cool, but useless.'' He mumbled as he shook his hand and let the mana return to the environment. Only realizing at that moment what he had actually done.


    "No way!" Holding out his hand again, Eldrian thought for a ball of light to appear, and just a secondter one did. Yet, none of his mana had been spent in doing so. With mana sense, he confirmed that the mana of the surroundings hade forward and changed at his will.


    ''Water...'' Eldrian thought and watched as the mana started changing form. However, a small amount of it failed to do so and instead scattered. ''Fire... Air... Dark...''


    "Not sure what to make of this," Eldrian mumbled as he tried doing the same with Tier 1 spells, s, he was still casting these spells by his old ways. ''So, I clearly need to train them more.'' He thought as he finally arrived where he and Vivian had been staying. She was currently busy grilling something and Kydone was enjoying the shade of one of the trees.


    Joining them, Eldrian asked if they heard the explosion.


    "Of course, it nearly made me puke!" Kydone replied passionately while Vivian just nodded.


    "Yes, no one missed it," Vivian said after a while and asked Kydone to take over. "Was it your fault?" She asked once the two were alone.


    Nodding, Eldrian exined what had happened and left her deep in thought. "Mana is always mana you say. Why?"


    "Look," Eldrian extended his hand and repeated what he had just discovered himself. The sight of the spells changing, not being reced, but changing left Vivian stunned. And after a moment, she tried something herself.


    Spells had never been her forte, so she took a stance and executed a skill. The mes of the sword lighting up the early night sky. The sun had just started to set. Suddenly, her mes changed color before jumping back on Vivian, who threw the sword forward and jumped back to avoid the mes.


    Eldrian''s eyes flew open seeing this, he had naturally been using mana sense and realized what Vivian had tried to do. "Are you insane?!"


    "No, I just wanted to check something." She replied with a smile and her bright smile caused Eldrian to falter as he realized how alike they were.


    "At least you tried it far more limitedly than I did."


    Vivianughed hearing this and picked up the de which had finally cooled down. "Of course, unlike you, I only have 1 chance at life. I am not going to risk it just for a curiosity."


    Eldrian rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as the two decided to spar. As always, Eldrian used his skills to keep up with Vivian. The added boosts from his armor helping him actually stand his ground even when she didn''t hold back her strength. At least for the duration of their buffs.


    The two only stopped when Kydone shouted that the food was ready.


    ...


    The next day, Eldrian headed to Phoenix''s camp, finding the others all getting ready for their mission. Their match during the day had gone smoothly, it hadn''t been against one of the top teams and with Eldrian''s current strength their opponents had stood no change.


    By using Chelona''s ability Shield, Eldrian was enabled to simply annihte the opponents without a care for the possible damage. The change had shocked the group and increased their hope for actually reaching the top.


    After refreshing Elizabeth on the best tactic of clearing an area, the group headed to get the stable for mounts. At the moment only Nikki and Ilmadia had managed to learn Thora, but that was enough for now. They split after leaving the camp.


    Rushing off to the right, Eldrian darted from tree to tree. Not needing to wait for a cooldown made his speed even faster than the soldiers''. The day passed quickly with Eldrian bing more and more acquainted with riding in the forest.


    He even took it upon himself to kill lone undead or small groups. Circling the zombies and skeletons with his Agima and casting Thora without rest. Getting used to the spell''s feel and how the mana left him, changed, and affected the undead. Trying toe to understand how it worked.


    This was his new bottleneck. Tier 0 spells were simple, they simply gathered the said element and formed a ball of it. Tier 1 spells instead had a function and a certain method of working. While the effect was simple, how it worked wasn''t as simple.


    In that single day, Eldrian managed to clear 48 areas and kill over a hundred undead. Most of whom hadn''t even realized what was going on before they turned to dust. Returning to the camp Eldrian immediately took off his sticky armor and cleaned himself with Nidia.


    Unlike before, he didn''t even need to cast the spell repeatedly. Instead, he pushed more and more mana into it until the ball was as big as he was. He even helped his Agima get clean, drying them both with a mix of Floga (for heat) and Anemos (wind).


    Returning to a delicious meal, Eldrian didn''t feel up to sparring so instead he just enjoyed a bit of quiet before starting to train. He now knew what he needed to work on and he wasn''t going to waste any time on it.


    While his control over mana had grown massively, it was still nowhere near enough he realized. The simplest example, when he cleaned himself with Nidia, while the initial cast he could use the surrounding mana. To erge it he had needed to push his own mana into it. He wasn''t able to draw the mana from the surrounding.

 Chapter 419: The top 16 match

    <h4>Chapter 419: The top 16 match</h4>


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t train throughout the night (day IRL) due to the tournament. Exiting the game when it was time, Eldrian joined the others for their match of the top 32. Surprisingly, none of the loser teams had attempted to fight them.


    Most of which was due to Eldrian''s sudden rise in poprity. With his post having sparked the creation of the entiremunitying together everyone now knew his name. It didn''t take long after that for them to realize he was part of Phoenix.


    No team whosest chance it was to stay in the tourney wanted to face him, nor did they want to face the top 10. So they chose other lesser-known teams.


    Standing in the grasnd that was their arena this time. The group looked at their opponents, one of the favorites to win this tournament, Pure Warriors.


    Immediately, when the two groups came close enough, Eldrian used mana sense to get a sense of their abilities. Smirking when he realized that they mostly only had normal-grade armor. While altogether they had 12 magic items, that was not all that much considering everything.


    For the first time, Phoenix managed to beat this group who before had seemed impossible to beat. This was not just because of Eldrian''s growth, but the others'' too.


    Like always, Eldrian took the brunt of keeping the knights busy. While he was at it Judith managed to keep two of the warriors busy while Ilmadia and Zyviss made sure the fighters couldn''t move else they would die from the constant spells and arrows focused on them.


    With their overwhelming victory, the spectators didn''t even know what to say. All that they could think of was that Eldrian was simply too strong. But surprisingly, the rest of the team wasn''tcking either.


    The next day, Eldrian again went on a cleaning spree in the forest, finding nearly no resistance as he galloped through the forest. He could even feel the corruption starting to weaken on this day.


    This day he only managed to clear 34 areas, which was still far more than anyone else, or even any other single group. The next day he cleared only 12, being forced to retreat constantly as the undead started focusing on the right where he had gone the days before.


    ''Tomorrow I go left,'' Eldrian thought as he returned to camp, disappointed at the haul but not at the amount of gold he had gained thus far. If he were to go to the Adventurers guild, he would be able to im 47 gold now.


    Instead, he simply practiced his spells and then logged out for their match. Which was? against Elven bows, which was supposed to be a really hard matchup for them. It was still hard, but manageable.


    Ilmadia immediately cast the strongest wind spell she had, making it impossible for their opponent''s arrows to make it through. Eldrian then went out alone and started hunting in the forest.


    What their opponents had hoped would help them keep the advantage had backfired as it allowed Eldrian toe up behind them in surprise. His speed shocking them, his ability to find them being even more shocking.


    Naturally, the group was constantly updating Eldrian on where the arrows wereing from. And once he got close they stood no change.


    Sneaking up on three archers in the woods, Eldrain nned to end it swiftly. However, just as he was summoning Frost Needle, the elves suddenly turned around and spread apart. Letting their arrows fly nearly instantly and forcing him onto the defensive.


    Or so they had hoped. Eldrian simply used? Shield to suddenly gain an armor rating of 25 points. Causing their arrows to nce off of him.


    Or so he had thought, yet shockingly, their arrows pierced into his body (where he had no armor) and sent him flying back.


    ''What the?'' Eldrian asked in confusion as he used mana sense and jumped to the side to avoid the next arrows.


    [Tier 1 Magical Arrow (Drysnos arrows)]


    [Attack: +13]


    [Ability: Pierces flesh with ease, no matter what]


    ''The hell?'' Eldrian asked as he broke the arrows and healed himself while hiding behind one of the trees. Darting to another and sending a fireball (Volida) flying blindly in the direction of the three.


    Naturally, he didn''t get a hit, but the sudden fire in the woods caused the elves to jump back. Giving him the time he needed to regather his thoughts.


    ''That was a nasty surprise, but if we are fighting from range- Shit!'' Rolling on the ground Eldrian avoided the arrow which had even managed to leave a mark on his head.


    ''They were waiting for me.'' Eldrian realized and immediately tried his best to escape, yet it seemed that an arrow woulde from every side. In desperation he cast his own wind spell, causing a massive mess in the middle of the forest and allowing him a few seconds to breathe.


    "That won''t work!" One of the elves shouted as they all charged into the wind. They didn''t n to get close to him, only near enough for their arrows to ignore the wind.


    By now, Shield? had also worn out and Eldrian was left alone in the midst of five archers. Yet he wasn''t without a n. When they entered the wind he suddenly canceled the spell and burst forward. Sending two icicles flying at those behind him and his spear thrusting at the one in front.


    One of the archers at the back managed to see the spelling, the other had his hand ruined. While the one before him stood no change, once Eldrian was close enough he thrust so fast that the man''s eyes hadn''t even fully opened in surprise.


    His shocked expression was frozen on his face as Eldrian ducked behind his body and used it to block the arrows.


    Jumping from his body to a tree, Eldrian again sent a fireball. The archers expecting the same thing asst time were unpleasantly surprised. Eldrian had cast Mifotia and taken it upon himself to guide the little fireball. Causing it to explode right on one of the archer''s bows. Ruining the strings and setting the wood ame.


    Even knowing that the items would be repaired after the match, the loss was still a heavy one. And before the man could recover three icicles flew at his chest. His armor managed to save his life, but only barely.


    Unfortunately, Eldrian didn''t manage to dodge the next arrow as it pierced his tight. He quickly broke the arrow and was about to jump forward when a shout of pain suddenly appeared from one of the archers. In shock, they turned around only to find a crazy barbariandy charging running them down.


    A broad smile grew on Eldrian''s face as he used Ice Needle to finish off thest few archers. It was still the spell he was mostfortable with controlling that actually did damage. And a hit in the neck was almost always fatal.


    Coming out of the match though they weren''t happy.


    "That was too close." Judith said. She had nearly died in the end. Herck of armor was a massive problem, and one she refused to fix.


    "There wouldn''t have been a problem if you would just wear proper clothing!" Therdul countered, upset that he had missed the fun. Though he understood that he was too slow to keep up with the people from Elven Bows.

 Chapter 420: Quarter finals

    <h4>Chapter 420: Quarter finals</h4>


    "No, the problem is they know I am the strongest and they nned for that," Eldrian said, stopping the argument before it could develop anymore. Though the point they had bough up was valid. "Their n almost worked due to how weak we are against range, luckily you guys reacted."


    "Of course, when no more arrows came at us we realized something must have happened," Elizabeth said, before contemting for a moment.


    "The following matches are going to be harder and harder. We will need to start formting ns for each team in the top 8."


    "Agreed!" The others quickly chimed in, and Eldrian was the only one who felt it was too much work.


    Of course he would think so. The rewards weren''t that appealing to him anymore. Heck, he had gotten even better rewards from his current quest, and if he couldplete it he would receive even more amazing rewards.


    So, while the group started discussing who was going to observe which group, Eldrian said goodbye and logged back into the game after going for a run and getting something to eat.


    Waking in the middle of the night in ANW, he immediately started practicing again. Focusing on Frost Needle as he tried to understand how everything worked for this spell of his.


    Constantly using mana sense and following how his mana changed, how the elements formed, how the spell was moved around. Even the entire night was not enough to get the answers, but he felt another step closer.


    ''It is just how spells move that stays a mystery. The rest I understand...'' Eldrian thought as he headed to the left side of the forest and started clearing the trees he passed. By now nearly two hundred meters of the forest had been cleared.


    The army was effective at their job, while each separate group wasn''t amazing, together the results were undeniable. ''Part 1 will likely be finished by the end of the week, unless the undead do something.'' Eldrian realized as he rode past a horde and killed four of the thirty in passing.


    He didn''t stop to clear the entire group, as that was just a waste of time. But killing a few would help those who ran into the group and were unable to retreat safely.


    The day passed quickly and so did the next one, Eldrian managing to clear another 40 areas. The undead were tightening up their border and Eldrian also heard from the soldiers he passed that The Unwilling were being pushed to the front to slow them down.


    ''I guess when we enter Part 2 of the quest then the higher undead will also join the fighting. Things are going to be crazy, but my n stays the same.'' Eldrian had a simple n, be quick. His Agima was constantly galloping, never slowing.


    It made it impossible for any of the lower undead to catch up to them, and made the quest a breeze. So, finally, Eldrian logged out and joined the others in Elizabeth''s virtual home to discuss strategy.


    Naturally, he was willing toe an hour earlier for this. While the rewards seemed meager to him now, he knew it was truly great for his friends. And it wasn''t like it was useless to him.


    Everyone, but Eldrian, shared what they had managed to learn about their possiblepetition. Everyone far more serious as this would determine if they made it to the semi''s or not.


    Their opponents ended up being the team who had been fifth in the rankings, Dragons. An intimidating name and with a team to back it up. Unlike Pure Warriors and Elven Bows, this team was more bnced and all evenly well equipped.


    They had two rangers, three melee experts, and three mages. But everyone had decent armor and everyone also had the ability to fight at close range. They also knew to be wary of Eldrian and as such the three melees decided to keep him busy.


    This shouldn''t have worked, but it did. Judith had tried to pressure them, but just one of the archers kept her easily at bay while the other kept Zyviss busy.


    This left Therdul, Ilmadia, Elizabeth, Erik, and Nikki. Surely one would think three mages couldn''t keep them busy, but that was just what happened.


    Erik, while he had learned as many offensive spells as he could, he didn''t have many down yet. Elizabeth was also nearly no use inbat, leaving Therdul who was too slow, Nikki who was just Tier 2, and Ilmadia.


    To their credit, they managed to actually not be wiped.


    Eldrian immediately realized their n when their three best-geared yers focused on him. Forming a triangle and not pressing to kill him. Instead, they were just trying to contain him while they dealt with his team.


    Naturally, he wouldn''t let them have it easy.


    Pushing forward to the one blocking the path to the mages, Eldrian sent two icicles flying at the mages behind while his spear aimed for the opening between the man''s breastte and helmet.


    As if he had expected it, the man threw his head down. Causing Aoidos to slip over the helmet, leaving a deep groove. At the same time, the man had switched his greatsword with two shields. Using them to block the icicles.


    Eldrian cursed as he jumped to the side to avoid the deing for his tight. The few ces that his armor didn''t cover were a few too many. Forcing him onto the defensive as the three yers kept him contained.


    When the first message of a teammate dying echoed in Eldrian''s ears, he knew that he was on a thin piece of ice. So he decided to go for his hail merry. Using Shield he charged forward and ignored their attacks, when his target focused on defense, Eldrian suddenly turned around.


    Eldrian used Kyma''s ability to send the furthest yers stumbling back while he used Stama to block the strike from the other. Dropping Aoidos and pressing his hand against the man''s chest.


    Using Efthygram to shift his center of gravity, not for bnce but rather to add more momentum to his throw. At the same time, Eldrina used Aristera''s ability to boost his strength. Throwing the many into the air, where he was defenseless to the following spell.


    Floga flew at the man, expanding and swallowing him whole. Yet the spell did little damage. That was until Mifotia exploded on his chest, the added fire elements massively increasing the explosion. So much that the shockwave sent Eldrian and the other two flying.


    "The hell-" Everyone lost focus as they turned to look at the pieces of armor that were falling out of the air. The sight making no sense, and Eldrian''s spells flying to their targets in their confusion. Two of the mages fell to the ground grasping their necks.


    They weren''t dead, but they were close to it. Eldrian also jumped up first and charged the remaining mage who panicked and tried to throw a spell at Eldrian. Yet, Shield was still active and his spell simply nced of Eldrian''s exposed skin, leaving the mage with his mouth open in confusion as Eldrian thrust his spear into the soft side of his armor.


    From there the match turned into cleanup as Eldrian killed his target and the other two mages were unable to heal each other. The icicle''s blocking their ability to talk, and hence to cast spells. While yers had it easier to learn spells, they had to say the words of power.

 Chapter 421: Part 1 coming to an end

    <h4>Chapter 421: Part 1ing to an end</h4>


    "That was too close," Elizabeth said as the others joined her in her virtual home. She had immediately started watching the match after her death. As such she clearly understood that Eldrian had given them the win, but he had also exposed most of his tricks. Or so she and the others believed.


    ''True, I don''t have any other tricks up my sleeve. But, my tricks aren''t just tricks.'' Eldrian thought as he realized the concern of the others. It wasn''t like knowing what he was capable of made him incapable of executing it again. It would just make it harder to do.


    After discussing with the others, everyone was relieved that the semi-finals were not immediately after the quarter-finals. The finalist first had to be flown to Miracle, where they would stay in the luxury on-site housing. There was also time allowed for people toe if they wanted to spectate in person and try out some of the soon-to-be new releases.


    Curious, after they discussed their ns, Eldrian went to ask Joren if he was going to be moved there too. Since if he wasn''t, wouldn''t that raise questions?


    "Of course, each room is also going to have an immersion chair for the finalists to test out and experience. You can move over tomorrow, you are all actually going to be housed on the 6th floor." Joren said, himself having been surprised that the higher-ups decided to give ess to those luxury rooms to the finalists.


    ...


    Through the next days, Eldrian went hard in clearing the final bits of the first area, while also trying to master thest bits of things he felt he was missing. He knew he could easily try and achieve Tier 4, and while it would be best, he needed to remain Tie 3 if he nned to still bond with Cephaphyr. Which he wasn''t too certain about.


    What Ziraili had shared about what would happen made him uncertain, but he wasn''t decided either way and nned to keep his options open. In any case, while he knew what he needed to do to reach Tier 4. He had no idea if that would remain all that he needed to focus on for Tier 5 and onwards. Hence, he felt there was no need to rush.


    It wasn''t like the 1 Tier difference would make a massive difference. That was only the case from Tier 5 onwards.


    Over the next few days he managed to clear another 34 areas, with it finally bing possible to see the progress they were making just by looking out from the camp. Nature slowlying back, though the arrival of winter did make it less clear.


    Naturally, the army could have pushed far harder if they felt like it. But that would have meant more casualties. Instead, they had each group retreat if they came to face a group of undead that might pose a threat.


    Forcing that undead group to move to another area if they wanted to be effective, or leave the corruption and be weakened. Allowing the group who had retreated to either fight them without as much danger, or to move ahead again without fighting. The constant back and forth had massively frustrated the undead but they didn''t know what to do.


    They realized that theycked the strength and numbers to fight everywhere. And with their enemies avoiding the fights there was little they could do.


    Finally, the undead had enough and sent their strongest to the front. Leaving only a few to protect the core area.


    "What now?" Elizabeth asked, in the end, they (as a guild) had managed to clear 37 areas. This was a massive haul for them and everyone was happy, and Eldrian wasn''t going to spoil their joy by mentioning how much he had cleared.


    "You all saw how strong the undead in the next part will be, haven''t you?" Eldrian replied, three massive battles had already happened even before Part 1 of the quest waspleted.


    One of the fights had been a ghoul devastating a few unprepared groups, a massive loss to the army and making them more cautious. Especially since none of the victims had managed to survive.


    The other one had been a revenant and a horde of minions pushing back many groups, until themanders of the armies had arrived and forced them back again. Yet they had failed to kill the Tier 7 Revenant.


    Thest had been a lich, who had turned almost an entire squad into undead. 12 people, just like that joining the undead''s side. This fight was certainly the least seemingly massive, but the scariest thing was that out of the 12, 7 had be Unwilling undead. Making the loss much more dear.


    Eldrian had witnessed the ghoul and immediately retreated after recalling how fast and strong they were. He dared not ce his life in danger, even though it hurt leaving the NPCs to their fate. He had done his best to get help, as was expected from someone of his level.


    Phoenix had been one of the groups pushed back by the revenant, and more than half their yers had died that day. While regarding the lich, they had only heard stories about it, making it seem the scariest of the three events.


    "Then, you think we should just stay back and give up?" Elizabeth asked and Eldrian quickly shook his head.


    "No, of course not. You just need to figure out if it is worth the risk, and my advice is to try and be as fast and nimble as possible. You can even forgo trying to clear entire areas."


    "What, but then-"


    "You all know how the system tracks our achievements and how we can prove our words by stating it through that oath recognition system." Eldrian said, recalling long ago when he had done that for bounties, "Your rewards might not be as good as those stated in the quest, but you certainly won''t be ignored."


    Eldrian felt certain of this after the past few weeks. Not only had most of the NPCs started to help the yers when they could, all of them now looked at them in hope. For, the yers had proven themselves to be of help, even when they were still weak.


    It was not hard to realize from there how much they would be capable of aplishing if they grew strong. So many now took it upon themselves to help the yers where they could. To give them ess to spells and skills and also offer their secondhand old weapons and armor.


    This, along with the forum where yers were sharing skills and spells, yers now had nearly all they could ever need at a mere click of a button or thought. At least this was true in this part of ANW.


    Eldrian had even made use of the plethora of spells in the forum to add to hispendium. Most of them were useless, but learning the extra spells gave Eldrian more insights into magic and mana. Allowing him to inch closer to thest piece.


    ''Wait, that''s it!'' Eldrian nearly shouted out loud as he cast Floga and moved the spell around, then cast Frost Needle at the same time. The two seemed to move in entirely different manners, but they didn''t.


    ''No, that isn''t it.'' He mumbled disappointedly after a second or two. He had gotten plenty of false hopes which were soon shot down. But he kept at it, for even if he failed. He was growing his mastery over the spells.


    Eldrian was even at the point where Forst Needle nearly didn''t need more than a thought. He no longer envisioned the spell module, instead, now he envisioned the icicle. A massive decrease in required focus which allowed him to triple cast the spell.

 Chapter 422: Grand opening

    <h4>Chapter 422: Grand opening</h4>


    Waking up, Eldrian looked around at the room with a strange feeling. The fanciness of it all made it feel alien to him. Like he didn''t belong. Even after staying here for the past few days.


    He had moved in before anyone else, the other yers were all going toe today. The feeling of knowing that he was going to finally meet those he had fought with for quite a while was a strange one. Part of him felt like he knew who they were, and another part felt like he had no idea.


    But this didn''t distract Eldrian much. He was more curious about the grand opening and what on earth that was going to be like. He just knew he was instructed to go and meet the others in a specific part of the stadium.


    ''The view is also...'' Eldrian shook his head as he realized that they had been given very specific rooms. Their view was limited to the stadium and the living area of Miracle''s site. Certainly the best view possible for the finalists, but Eldrian felt certain that wasn''t the reason why they were only given rooms on one side of the building.


    Leaving the room that was more a suite, Eldrian decided to go for a jog. Running past the others as they arrived. Most teams were scattered throughout their country and thus not really a cohesive team. For many, it was the first time meeting up IRL.


    As such, they simply nodded at each other in passing, with few trying to introduce themselves. At least not just yet, they first wanted to learn who were their teammates. Not randomly introduce themselves to potential rivals.


    Naturally, there would always be one or two who went out of their way trying to get to know everyone. This was more so the case for the individual finalists. The four going about immediately trying to make some friends.


    Eldrian returned two hourster, the top floor empty and quiet despite the fact that most have arrived by now. ''Right, the immersion chair. I guess everyone just had to try them out.'' Eldrian mumbled as he changed and headed down to the stadium.


    It was packed with people lining up to go in and join the rest of the crowd. While the notice had been short, most who were invested in the game were massively interested in visiting the home office of thepany that had made it. The opportunity wasn''t an easy one toe by due to how strict Miracle''s visitations were.


    Luckily, the finalist needn''t stand in line. Eldrian simply moved past them and handed his ID card to the security guard. Moving inside he took a good look around at this part of Miracle which he had never been allowed into before. The stadium took up most of the space with the sides filled with vendors. Forming a V shape toward the stadium''s entrance.


    Most of the vendors were selling food or drinks. But some were selling game merchandise, though there wasn''t much of that just yet. A few opportunistic entrepreneurs had seen the potential, this championship was going to determine whether they were smart and one step ahead, or not.


    Outside of these, the stalls closest to the stadium entrance were Miracle''s. Disying the third version of the headset as well as the immersion chairs. Allowing those who hade, to try them out and also ask about things they had questions on. The hottest topic being the cabins.


    Eldrian ignored most of what was going on and instead just got himself a bite to eat and something to drink before finding afortable spot to wait in.


    An hourter they were finally allowed inside the stadium, and it was at this time that the finalists were supposed to meet up. Heading to where the instructions told him, Eldrian entered what appeared like a changing room where he saw two other people waiting for him.


    "Erik!" Eldrian shouted and greeted his friend before turning to thedy with a questioning look.


    "This is Judith. Judith this is Eldrian," Erik said, introducing the two. Eldrian left wondering how such a massive difference could be possible.


    Judith was dressed in a long formal dress which was a massive contrast to her normal barbarian outfit. In fact, the formal dress itself felt like it was over the top. Yet, looking at Erik who was dressed in a simr neat formal manner, Eldrian became uncertain.


    "Was there some kind of dress code?"


    "No, but I guess most would try to look their best for their first time on TV." Erik replied, leaving Eldrian scratting his head as he tried to recall this bit of information.


    ''TV, really? When did I miss that?'' Shrugging, Eldrian didn''t care too much. It wasn''t like he was badly dressed. He was just not as formal and fancy as his friends, and this stayed true as the others joined them in their ''changing'' room.


    It was quite shocking to Eldrian how close the girls'' appearances were to their in-game avatars. Elizabeth in fact looked 100% like herself in the game, a strange thing to see. Judith had changed her hair in the game, in reality, she had dark brown hair not red. That and theck of scars were the biggest discrepancies.


    Therdul naturally was not a dwarf, and in fact, his normal appearance was quite nice. He had a neatly kept beard and short ck hair.


    "Hello! Hello, hello. How are you all doing?" A friendly female voice echoed through the air and interrupted the yers who were introducing themselves and getting to know each other.


    "We hope everyone found their way herefortably. As you all know, the semi-finals are going to be held tomorrow, and the finals two days after. Today, we want to introduce to you all the best yers as well as showcase some of the more shocking parts of A New World."


    "Let us start with a grand opening first. Please turn your attention to the central screen."


    At the same time as this was said a guide came to lead the finalists to their viewing boxes. From inside they could see the entire stadium.


    In the center of the room was a massive open stage. And the voice''s instructions made no sense as there was no central screen. That was until the entire floor suddenly lit up and a hologram came to life.


    Showing the first moments of many yers into the game, their first rush into the wild, and their abrupt deaths. Then, it moves to the first quests, to the kingdoms falling. And to the kingdoms fighting back.


    It didn''t stay on any particr sight for too long, yet the method in which it was shown them was simply amazing. It didn''t just showcase the yers'' path, it also showed the wonderfulndscapes that had been hidden from everyone till now.


    It showed the amazing beasts waiting to be hunted or tames, it showed just how massive this world truly was. Heck, at one point it even showed just how small a kingdom was.


    Focusing first on the yers, zooming out to show the city, then to show the kingdom. Then the surrounding kingdoms, the empire. The scale was simply mindblowing, and more so were some of the sights. Some of thendscapes stood proud even from such a height.

 Chapter 423: Introduced to the world

    <h4>Chapter 423: Introduced to the world</h4>


    The entire opening took over an hour, yet no oneined. Even if you didn''t care for what was shown, the technology by which it was shown was simply mind-blowing. At times some of the magnificent creatures such as Dragons, Phoenixes, Pegassii, and so forth would fly out from the floor and over everyone in the stadium.


    Showcasing just how advanced the holograms actually were, and making everyone question how Miracle had managed to develop them and why they were not on the market.


    When the hologram finally ended, Mica appeared on the stage. "We wanted to show everyone just how much more there was still to be found. That the game has only just started and that the yers have not even seen a single drop of the ocean that is ANW."


    "Now, let''s wee the contestants!" With this statement, the yers suddenly found the boxes they were in moving. Taking them to the stage where the front wall turned into a door and let them out onto the stage.


    In total, 36 yers climbed out of 5 boxes.


    "Team Zinopia," Mica said and suddenly the team was on the holograms for all to see. "Team Agrerian."


    "Team Phoenix, andst but not least, team Dragonfly."


    "For the team matches the yers will be logging in from their room to join the matches. Viewers will have the option of viewing the action in this stadium, or make use of the headsets to dive into the virtual stadiums."


    "And for the individual matches, we have yers: Sky, Red Light, Lizzy, and Sauce."


    As with the teams, with each name called the yer found themselves appearing as a hologram before thousands of people. Causing many of the yers to turn beet red and thank the heavens that Mica called their names quickly.


    Or so it was for all but Sauce, who took the opportunity to throw a victory sign.


    After the introductions, the yers got back into their boxes and Mica exined the times for the matches and also shared with everyone that they should differently give the new headsets and immersion chairs a try. Hyping up the fact that with it one could game as much as they want, only needing to ensure they at least return to reality to feed themselves.


    ...


    "Well, that was interesting," Elizabeth said after they left the stadium. Naturally, none of the finalists cared for the showcase of the new developments since they had their own immersion chair in their rooms. They also were all given a temporary tablet with which they could ask any questions they might have. Be it about the chairs, headsets, or tournament format.


    "Yeah, didn''t know they were going to just call us up like that. Felt kinda rushed," Nikki added. Unlike her avatar, she had long blond hair and deep blue eyes. Eldrian wasn''t sure why she would have changed both to brown in the game. Her real self looked far more appealing, at least to him. Naturally, he kept that to himself. Especially when he learned she was 28.


    "Well, they have always been like this, haven''t they. They really don''t seem to know how to handle the advertisement and social part of an E-sport." Judith added, her demeanorpletely different than that which she had in the game.


    "True..." The group immediately agreed and then quickly turned on Erik and Eldrian asking where one should go for some fun in this city.


    The two boys, unfortunately, had no answer for their friends. Andpared to everyone in the group they were indeed the boys. The oldest person was Zyviss, whose real name was Chris and had turned 35 a few months back. Right about when ANW was released.


    "Shouldn''t we focus on the tournament?" Eldrian asked after dodging the question a few times too many. He didn''t know how to admit that he was such a recluse that he had only gone out once after turning 18.


    "Sure, sure. But we are going to need to either celebrate or vent. So you can''t just stay clueless."


    The two didn''t know what to say, and after a bit of thinking, Eldrian said he would ask his sister about it. Seeing as she actually had a social life.


    "Right, wepletely forgot about going out," Eldrian said to Erik after the two managed to grow some distance from them and the rest.


    "Yeah, things became hectic for both of us." Erik replied, "You nearly killed yourself with an experiment and I finally managed to reach Tier 1 in my hidden ss."


    Eldrian nearly tripped over his feet hearing this. "Wait, what!?"


    "Oh, yeah I didn''t share that yet. Happened two days ago, since then I have beenpletely absorbed in trying to learn more about it. I finally get just how overwhelming it can be once you make an advancement. It is like everything else loses importance."


    "But you are still going to sses, right?"


    "Yeah, though I did skip oning here again."


    "What, why?"


    "Don''t get me wrong, I appreciate you getting me the meeting, but... I realized I simply don''t have the time for it. And as magic advances, the less important it seems to be."


    Eldrian had to agree with that. He didn''t need to know a thing about how to do stitches, and a simple Thera could fix that right up.


    "But still, didn''t-"


    "Sure, it will be helpful. But the time man."


    ...


    Back in the game, Eldrian wasn''t too sure what to do. He knew he couldn''t be too invested during the following days, yet he didn''t want to just sit back and do nothing.


    His personal worries were interrupted by the sounds of fighting, the dark night sky suddenly became filled with the light of fires.


    Eldrian immediately got ready for a fight, Vivian joining him not muchter. The two, however, did not rush forward, instead, they waited where they were and listened.


    "Surprise attack?" Eldrian questioned somewhat disbelievingly.


    "No, see how few people were actually in their tents." Vivian indicated to the tents that were actual sleeping quarters. Just one or two people exiting from those, most of whom were recovering from their wounds.


    "Then, are we being pushed back?" Eldrian asked, wanting to rush forward but also not wanting to blindly rush into danger.


    "Let''s at least confirm what is going on," Vivian said and took the lead, Eldrian not missing a beat. The two quickly arrived at the walls where the undead had burned more than half the wall down and the rest was filled with skeleton-sized holes and scorched.


    "Shit!" Eldrian rushed forward and used Thora on the approaching ming Skeleton, s the spell had near no effect on it. But before anything more could happen it was suddenly thrown to the side as a massive demi-human appeared before the two.


    "Move back, you can''t help here!" The man shouted, the two confused by the order and not immediately moving.


    However, it took them just a few seconds to realize what was going on. They were being raided by ming Reanimates, and not just one or two. By hundreds, mostly previous centaurs.


    Seeing this the two realized they could do nothing and moved back, going so far as to even leave the center of the camp and rather wait in between the first and second wall.


    There they found many wounded soldiers being constantly brought in, as well as a few ming Reanimates trying to reach them but being stopped by a few soldiers or priests.

 Chapter 424: A determined decision

    <h4>Chapter 424: A determined decision</h4>


    It was total chaos, yet Eldrian knew that he couldn''t do anything to help. Most of his spells were rendered useless against the ming skeletons, while in terms of physical strength and speed he and Vivian were both far outssed.


    Luckily, it seemed that the soldiers had things under control. The number of ming Reanimated making it to them wasn''t more than a handful, and soon no more arrived. The sounds of battle in the distance also quickly became less and less as the undead were pushed back.


    "What do you think happened?" Vivian asked into the air, not aimed at anyone in particr.


    "Not too sure," One of the many soldiers waiting here said, "From what I heard it sounds like one of the liches went on a killing spree."


    "Right, that is indeed what happened. I was in one of the groups who barely managed to escape." A centaur said, his side sporting a massive cut, still bleeding in certain parts. Seeing it, Eldrian quickly cast Anthise and Therapeia on the centaur.


    "Thanks," Immediately the pain became less as he was filled with energy and the wound quickly stopped bleeding. A single Therapeia wasn''t enough to heal the wound, but the centaur''s own resilience took it from there. Starting the healing process, and while it would be slow, it will heal in a few days.


    Nodding, Eldrian then asked how something like this could have happened. How it could have be so bad.


    "No idea, I just know that we had to run for our lives. Even lost my squad in the rush."


    With no other information avable they had quickly settled in to wait for the attack to subside. It was a shocking thing for everyone when they realized that anyone below Tier 5 was basically useless.


    While they might be able to assist in the fight, doing so would increase the casualties by an insane amount. Yet, most people were below Tier 5.


    When the sun started to rise, everyone finally started slowly returning to the camp after confirming that the attack had been pushed back. Fighting was still ongoing, but this was now between the corruption and camp.


    The formation masters had also managed to restore the arrays and walls. The arrays had in fact helped at the start of the battle, but were never meant tobat a horde of Unwilling. The uses of the arrays were meant to help against the hordes of weaker undead. It had little effect against stronger ones.


    During the wait, Eldrian had gone around to help those who needed healing. At the very least casting Anthise on them to help them recover. It was a draining task, especially with the number of injured. Thus, when everyone started moving back, he instead slid down to the ground to get some rest.


    ''Again, I am not strong enough...'' Eldrian didn''t consider this as a bad thing this time, rather he just had toe to ept it. The entire attack he could do nothing more than hide and wait. Yet, he wasn''t alone and this was why he wasn''t upset at the fact.


    ''I need to do something about it, continuing to try and push on at Tier 3 is not wise. And pushing past Tier 3 is also not going to work.'' Eldrian thought again of the little ck Alicorn and despite the possible downsides, he realized it would be the best move to go and meet him again.


    Eldrian wasn''t even sure if Zamia and Agememas were still going to go through with binding their souls. Heck, he still had no idea how it worked. But, it was his best shot at bing able to protect himself in the war.


    "Vivian..." Eldrian paused and wondered whether he should go alone or ask her toe with. After just a moment of hesitation, he decided to go alone. He recalled how dangerous it was to cross the Chaosnds and didn''t wish to put her in that situation again.


    "Do you remember the forest of Avgi?" Eldrian asked and it took Vivian a few seconds to recall. Nodding her head, she asked why he suddenly brought it up.


    "I think I should head back there."


    "Why?" Vivian asked, already understand that he wanted to go alone, and she knew she couldn''t go with him. Not without being seen as a deserter.


    Deserters weren''t treated as terribly as in most armies, but it was still a stain on one''s record that would never be cleared. It would basically make it impossible to ever rise in the ranks, she would always be a footsoldier if she deserted. No matter what heights in power she reached in the future.


    In fact, in a few days she was required to go back to the front. Her time for healing was up and she knew this would make Eldrian worry and for good reason. Yet, she felt she had to do her best to help where she could.


    Eldrian took a moment to exin to her the promise Zamia had made with him. After which he decided to get going.


    "Evale!" Eldrian shouted upon seeing her on his way back, atop his eight-legged steed.


    "Haru," Turning to the elf she smiled, while he had yet to turn in his reward for the quest. Most of the leaders knew that he had cleared more than 50 areas on his own. While Evale wasn''t a leader, she was one of the top 20 fighters here and thus also heard about it.


    "I am going somewhere for a bit," Eldrian said, leaving the centaurette a little confused. Especially since Eldrian didn''t feel like exining where he was going. Instead, he said he would do his best to return within a week or two at most.


    Before leaving, Eldrian stopped by Vivian again and the two shared ast meal while wishing each other the best. Eldrian asking her to do her best to survive, even if it meant running away and abandoning her post.


    With a strange feeling, he started setting out. Using his map to find the shortest route without rivers or mountains in the way. As he galloped at full speed, Eldrian also kept at his training. Using Anthise to keep the Agima at speed and casting spells nonstop.


    ...


    Eldrian climbed out of the immersion chair and found his bnce questionable at best. This, however, was something he just had to go through. As even in the game whenever he climbed down from Ember (the name he had given to his steed) he would often lose his bnce.


    He was doing his best to travel as fast as was possible, meaning he had gone the entire day almost straight. Only stopping to let Ember eat and drink, the barrels Eldrian still had in his inventory were very useful. Making it possible to even ignore searching for ponds or rivers for water.


    After getting used to being on his own feet again, Eldrian threw a quick breakfast together and moved down out to get some fresh air. Passing the yers he didn''t know and finding Elizabeth also outside.


    "You ready?" Eldrian asked as he joined her in the shade of the various trees around the entrance to the building.


    "No." Elizabeth replied with a smile, "But there is no more waiting, is there?"


    "Nope," Eldrian smiled and looked at the sky. "Are we meeting in your virtual home as always?"


    "Yeah, I just needed some fresh air."

 Chapter 425: Agrerian

    <h4>Chapter 425: Agrerian</h4>


    "Of course, I mean the prize pool is insane. There is no way it won''t weigh on your mind." Eldrian said just the thing Elizabeth didn''t want to hear. She just nodded in response, it was what she was trying to clear her head for.


    That, and the fact that she had near nobat usefulness as the team leader. Something which also always ate at her, especially when they managed to actually make it so far. She now just felt like dead weight.


    "Where were you today. We didn''t see you, not even during the attack. Do you know what happened?" Elizabeth asked, hoping to distract herself from her worries.


    "Some lich attacked and converted those he killed to ming Reanimates, and I left the camp."


    "Left? Left for where?"


    "Avgi forest..." Eldrian sighed, hoping that it wasn''t going to be a wasted journey.


    "Where Erik is? Are you going to pull him back with you?" Elizabeth asked, the question not even making sense to her.


    "Ah, right... No, there is this little Alicorn. Cephaphyr..." Eldrian smiled as he recalled the energetic and naive little Alicorn whose strength was simply amazing. Part of him feeling terrible that he was going to try and push him into danger, intobat.


    "I see," Elizabeth paused as she too was uncertain how to feel about what Eldrian had just shared. If he was anyone else and if it was a few weeks ago, she would just say go for it, that it was going to be an awesome increase in strength.


    Now, now she realized it was far moreplicated. Especially for Eldrian who was so adamant that the NPCs were real, not just advanced AI. Which was already enough for many yers to treat them as more than NPCs. Yet, they saw the NPCs still as lesser.


    Comparable to animals or pets in the real world. You cared for them and didn''t want them to suffer, but most wouldn''t go out of their way to help them. They would do what they couldfortably do.


    Naturally, the analogy wasn''t perfect or even close. Pets and animals couldn''t talk, yet even so people could be dependent on them. Love them. Naturally, the situation with the NPCs was far moreplicated and differed from person to person.


    "What is your n if he isn''t going toe back with you?" Elizabeth asked and Eldrian had been thinking about that exact situation for the entire day.


    "I''ll do my best to get stronger. Even if he won''te, Zamia should be able to help me massively increase my strength. I am just one step away from a massive breakthrough, I can feel it."


    "Again?"


    Looking at her in confusion, Eldrian realized for a moment that over the past week or two he had had a power-up after power-up. ''Right, it isn''t like I ever stopped improving. It just isn''t fast enough.'' Eldrian thought, before smiling instead of exining.


    Elizabeth sighed seeing his smile, shaking her head and asking, "You know what happened in the camp after the attack?"


    "No, I left just as it was ending."


    "I see, then you should be happy to hear this. Whoever is themander decided to stall out the mission of pushing in. Thanks to having cleared 500 meters from the camp, any attack is now no longer as much of a threat and the corruption is also no longer spreading."


    "They said this is good enough."


    "Wait, what?! Good enough?"


    "Yes, good enough. The Thunder Legion is being pulled to the East to support against the fighting going on there. I heard the situation is far worse over there. The yers of my guild who were still there are constantly being pushed back. The city is even under siege."


    "What!?"


    Elizabeth simply nodded her head, "Yeah, unlike the undead, the orcs have no clear weakness."


    ''Well, this changes... Or does it?'' Eldrian thought about it for a bit and realized that this was actually truly a difficult area to be in. It made sense that the king shifted his attention, Eldrian assumed that he was also going to move to that battlefield.


    ''Then, is the quest failed or seeded. Or, is it just going to continue. How am I supposed to stop him from dying, no that was never something I could do.'' In the end, Eldrian simply hoped that this meant Vivian would be safer.


    "Are you guys still going to attempt clearing parts of the forest?"


    Shaking her head, Elizabeth said no. "The undead are also now on the defensive. Thest attack was also one of the only ways they could counter at this point. Their number of weaker undead is no longer overwhelming I heard."


    After a slight pause, she added, "We have actually been forbidden from going out towards the corruption."


    Eldrian wanted to say that wasn''t right, but after just a bit of thinking, he realized why. They would just be donating bodies to the undead, increasing their forces. Yet, it felt strange to have a quest he had been part of for nearly a month just suddenly turn into a stalemate.


    ''This is for the best though, if they pushed and lost a massive battle. It would spell disaster. It is far easier to keep the defensive, even if the method of creating such a corruption stays a mystery. It is at least a controlled mystery, and the method of its spread is now known.''


    "We should go back in," Elizabeth said after a few minutes of silence, the two had turned their gazes towards the crowd forming at the stadium. The numbers weren''t insane, but they were much higher than anyone had expected it would be. Especially considering how good the method of streaming through the headsets were.


    ...


    Inside Elizabeth''s virtual home, the group met and started discussing their battle n.


    "Team Agrerian, what do we know about them?" Elizabeth asked, starting the meeting.


    "They are a team focused on defensive y and whittling down their opponents. In all their battles they sat back, took the hits thrown out them and returned fire just as strong or even stronger." Therdul shared, followed by Nikki.


    "Yeah, they have two people who are basically the upgrade of Therdul, no offense-"


    "Some taken."


    The interruption caused Nikki tough for a second before she continued, "They are focused on defensive, and like Therdul they have massive tower shields with which they can protect everyone behind them. On top of that, besides being Tier 3 in melee, they also are Tier 3 mages."


    "I never saw them using their spells offensively, instead, they would always use spells to protect or heal their teammates. Normally, behind them would be two mages and two archers. The archers always focus on 1 target together, and in matches where they deem one person a danger the mages would join."


    "Got it, so they are going to focus on me or Judith..." Eldrian paused and turned to the barbarian girl who he hade to learn was actually a normal-ish person IRL. "Judith, can you please wear some more armor, or at least use a shield."


    Surprisingly, she did not fight it this time. Instead, she nodded her head. "I have some already."


    Hearing her reply everyone turned to her in shock before their determination grew.


    "What about theirst two yers?" Erik asked, receiving a shrug in reply.


    "We have no idea," Zyviss added, "As of yet, they have never needed to make a move outside of keeping one or two people busy. And normally they did that without using spells or skills."


    Hearing this the group frowned, unsure how to go about the fight.


    {AN: It is really nice seeing the novel back in the top 100, a big thanks to everyone who is voting with power stones, and the golden tickets!}

 Chapter 426: The Semi-finals begin

    <h4>Chapter 426: The Semi-finals begin</h4>


    After sharing all that they knew of their opponents, everyone then started trying to figure out the best way to approach this group. For the most part, they had always also been fighting reactively. Knowing that they were relying on a few key members, the rest always just had to try and stall.


    "That isn''t going to work this time," Judith said after a bit of back and forth. "I don''t see myself making it to them if I am focused by the two mages and two archers. Eldrian might have a chance."


    "True, but that will eliminate my trump card right at the start and we don''t know what the other two are possible of. And while the two tanks focus on defense, they must be able to do something more. Likely they just never needed to."


    "Then what?"


    "Why don''t we wait for them to make the first move, like we always do. Since they are known for their defense, let them break it themselves."


    "But they can just try to kill us from range." Nikki countered, and Eldrian countered back.


    "True, but we might also be able to get in a lucky shot or two. Plus, if Erik focuses on keeping Therdul alive, we should have decent cover behind his shield."


    "And if they have AOE spells?" Therdul asked, already foreseeing himself being cooked alive.


    "Tier 3? You all know that Tier 3 spells have basically no proper AOE effects. Therger the area, the less damage it does. Thergest spells only cover 3 meters but don''t even do 30 damage through the entire duration." This value was naturally before factoring in the modifiers like intelligence and armor. But it still told a great deal about the spells.


    As an example, if Eldrian were to cast such a spell it would do around a 100 damage if the target had no armor. A single Theral Aloifi (Tier 2 heal) from Eldrian would counter that damage. And since the damage isn''t severe like a deep puncture wound orrge gash, the healing spell would actually properly heal the damage.


    "Then we do that, but still. What are we going to do if they just maintain their distance?"


    "Zyviss, what is the max range you can shoot?" Eldrian asked in reply.


    "urately..." Zyviss paused and thought for a moment, "If I was standing still, I should be able to hit a target 60 meters away 8 out of 10 times. If I move it quickly drops."


    ''60 meters... I can clear that in just 2 seconds if I use Augment and Sosta. They shouldn''t be expecting that. Judith should be able to clear it in 3 or 4, and the others likely in around 5 seconds.''


    "If they stay at range, then we rush them. I will go full out to close the distance, hopefully, my speed will catch them off guard. I haven''t really showcased my dash ability." Eldrian smiled while the others wondered just how fast he could be.


    From here they discussed who was going to run forward and who would wait. With Eldrian proposing that everyone rushed with all they had. They just needed to keep them on the back foot.


    Soon, their hour was up and it was time to go to the arena. A grasnd, both teams having chosen the same arena and thus no coin flip required to determine where they would fight.


    Unlike the other matches, however, they found themselves locked in space as a voice announced the first semi-final. Wishing both sides luck and informing the viewers that it was now time to ce theirst bets. They just had till the first contestant moved.


    Naturally, the odds were highly in favor of Agrerian. Their track record was just far more stable than Phoenix who only managed to get through on luck ording to many.


    "Let''s have a fair fun match, begin!" The announcer shouted and the two teams did not move an inch forward. Instead, they stepped back and got into formation. Eldrian even going so far as to pull out an old near-broken shield he still had in his inventory.


    He stood to Therdul''s right and Judith to his left. Extending the shield line slightly and the others all behind. Seeing this, the crowd instantly became confused. And after a few minutes passed they became riled up.


    Yet, neither team dared move forward. Each waiting for the other to make the first move.


    "Contestants..." The announcer''s voice echoed through the arena, "This stalemate is not what we all came to see. Please start moving or the arena area will be shrunk to help you along."


    "Oh, that might actually help," Eldrian said, their group continuing to not move. Agrerian, however, finally caved and moved forward. It was slow, the massive tower shields carried by their tanks weighed more than a person. Each of their steps sinking deep into the earth.


    Minutes passed, and when the two teams were just 55 meters apart, team Agrerian opened fire with spells and arrows. Yet, the distance was long. Making it possible to not just block with a shield, but even a sword if one had the guts to try it.


    Another stalemate appeared, one whichsted for just a minute or two before Agrerian realized that they were wasting arrows and mana.


    "Are you scared!" They shouted in taunting, and Therdul shouted back.


    "Why don''t youe closer if you aren''t!"


    "Hah! We already crossed half the distance, you should at least meet us halfway." Their leader shouted back, only to suddenly see a figure dashing out of Phoenix''s formation.


    Eldrian moved like a blur, closing the distance just as Agrerian realized what was happening. His spear moved past the tower shield and toward one of the two unknown men. Who blocked in haste with his daggers. But three icicles were also following the spear.


    One aimed at him, which he just barely managed to dodge. Another at a mage, and thest at an archer.


    The mage was caughtpletely unprepared and sacrificed his arm to save himself, while the archer managed to jump out of the way. Yet, the icicle which had missed the unknown hadn''t just stopped after missing. Eldrian had immediately focused on it and moved it pricely to where the archer had dodged.


    Cheers echoed in the air as first blood was imed, followed soon by Judith''s destructive opener which pushed back one of the tanks. The hit causing him to lose bnce and his shield to nearly crush him.


    However, by this time, the two who Eldrian hadn''t aimed for took aim towards Judith. An arrow making it into her shoulder, the breastte having certainly saved her life as a fist-sized rock cone hit her square in the chest. Sending her flying back into Nikki.


    Eldrian meanwhile found himself needing to abandon Aoidos and pull out a shortsword as the unknown yer he had first targets moved in close with his daggers. A sticky substance flying from the des with each strike.


    Eldrian''s instincts told him if he got as much as a scratch, then he was out. His intense focus on defense allowed the other members of Agrerian to stabilize just as Phoenix crashed into them.

 Chapter 427: Poison

    <h4>Chapter 427: Poison</h4>


    Quickly the fight turned into a melee. Unfortunately, it was not where phoenix thrived. The arrow which had hit Judith had quickly been pulled out and healed by Erik, yet, more followed in just a few seconds.


    The tank she had downed also abandoned his shield and climbed out from under it, while the other changed to a body-sized kite shield. Allowing him to be an agile shield. The former instead charged at Erik and Ilmadia who were the furthest away.


    ''This is not good,'' Eldrian thought as he made the distance from his opponent with Kyma''s shockwave and took out Aoidos again. Striking fast, but his opponent managing to react fast enough. The following spells also just barely managed to mist the intended points, but they stillnded.


    The difference in agility was just too much for the man to ovee, so he decided on a hail mary before Eldrian managed to get a good hit in. Jumping forward onto Eldrian''s spear, he threw his dagger at pinpoint range.


    Eldrian jerked his head to the side immediately, yet, the de still managed to graze his cheek. A thin line of blood appeared along with a very scary system message.


    [You have been poisoned by Lansen poison, a Tier 4 poison.]


    [Effects: Constant loss of 6HP and 9SP per second]


    [Fatigue level increases every 8 minutes and 30 seconds.]


    [Agility decreased by 30 points, strength decreased by 18 points.]


    ''Shit, not good.'' Eldrian immediately realized he had just a minute left in this fight. While he had never experienced poison before, he had learned quite a few spells with that in mind. He knew how magical poisons worked, and it was not simple to cure.


    Each type had a specific spell that could counter it, or you needed to use a detoxify spell above the Tier of the poison. Suffice to say, Eldrian didn''t know any Tier 4 spells.


    So, he charged forward recklessly. Using Shield? to enable him to do as much damage as possible. Unfortunately, the tank that had taken up the position of a mobile shield immediately moved to block him.


    No matter what Eldrian tried, he couldn''t get past the man. His speed might have been near twice that of the man''s, but his opponent knew his goal. It was easy to constantly cut him off while his teammates adjusted to dodge the spells Eldrian threw in their direction.


    Unfortunately, due to the massive shield always in his face, Eldrian couldn''t guide them either.


    Soon, just a few secondster, the system notifications of teammates dying rang in Eldrian''s ears. ''Not like this!'' He shouted internally, jumping back and sending the biggest ball of Floga he could forward. Yet, how could these semi-finalists not know of his weird trick?


    They had no idea how it worked, but they assumed that wind and water would disrupt the spell. And it did. The wind caused the mes of Floga to scatter, the spell too weak to keep a mass. It had only stayed a ball thanks to Eldrian''s will. The water extinguished whatever was left after.


    Soon, Eldrian found himself surrounded and his HP running low. He wanted to heal himself, his instincts told him to. But he knew it would just hasten his demise. Unless it was divine magic, his heals would only contribute to the poison''s strength. Especially when he couldn''t put his focus into the healing process.


    ''At least one is going with me.'' Eldrian thought, turning around to the mage who had left the protected area to get a shot at him. Eldrian pounced like a lion, without a second thought he put all his strength into his charge.


    The mage managed to react to the thrust. Moving his body to not have his heart pierced, but he was stuck and Eldrian ced his hand on his chest with a smile. "Velona Pagetou." Eldrian whispered as suddenly the spell started appearing between his hand and the man''s armor.


    Pushing the iron with a might that should not have been possible, until finally the spellpleted andunched itself forward. Ripping through the man, his eyes wide open in shock as he started at Eldrian like he was a psycho.


    None of his teammates dared step forward to end Eldrian after that. Instead, they waited for the poison to take his life.


    "Nasty trick, that poison," Eldrian said, resigning as his HP reached 10. His stamina had been 0 for a while, his entire body feeling like lead.


    ...


    The viewers did not know what to make of what they had seen. They all clearly knew that Agrerian had used poison to take Eldrian down. If not for it, it was uncertain how the battle would have turned out.


    Many hated the tactic, while others praised it as ingenious. However, one thing was certain. They couldn''t surprise their opponents in the finals with the same trick.


    Even the hosts of the tournament were on the fence about the use of poison. By all rights, Agrerian was the stronger team. Yet, to go to such an underhanded tactic did not sit well with them.


    "Should we ban external items in following PVP?" Someone asked, the room they were in was a virtual one. Their box atop the battlefield allowing them to see everyone by simply looking down.


    "No, it is also part of one''s strength, isn''t it."


    "Maybe, but the fact that they are returned afterward, unexpended, feels wrong. If someone managed to get their hands on a Tier 5 or above mass destructive scroll, then they would be able to win without a fight."


    "And how would they get their hands on something like that? Scrolls are something extremely rare, so few people would ever make them due to their one-use quality."


    "Yet, certain spells can only be cast through a scroll or array." Another added.


    Naturally, the room was filled with old game testers. Those from Constantin''s generation, and he too was in the room. However, he didn''t care for the result nor for the use of poison, what he was shocked about was Eldrian''s growth.


    ''He triple cast. How, when?'' Just a few days ago Constantin was certain his limit was still double cast. ''And again it is Frost Needle, he really loves that spell.''


    Ignoring the heated debate going on in the room, Constantin decided to leave. Logging out, he wanted to go and ask Eldrian about his new power-up. Only to stop a few stepster.


    ''Is it new? And what can I gain by asking?'' The middle-aged man thought to himself and sat down on his couch. After a few minutes, he climbed back onto his immersion chair and dived in ANW.


    Waking in the library, he stood up and moved to one of the massive windows overviewing the city.


    "It is all about feeling things? Is that right?" He mumbled, casting a Tier 4 fireball with ease yet not feeling a single connection between him and the spell. He could only control it due to the extra ess he had given himself. Which all game testers had to ensure their safety and positions in their posts in the world.


    {AN: It is really nice seeing the novel back in the top 100, a big thanks to everyone who is voting for it.}

 Chapter 428: The winners

    <h4>Chapter 428: The winners</h4>


    "I should have done this before... System, all assistance modes down!" With his shout, the world around him suddenly changed. The constant updaters filling his vision disappeared, as did his sense of security and power.


    Without the system, he was really nothing in this world. Yet, he realized it was where he had to start. He would never be able to make progress if he wanted to stay where he was with magic. Tier 4 could not be his starting position.


    Pushing his hand out and envisioning the simple triangle that was Floga''s spell module, he mumbled the word, "Floga," and nothing happened. Not a spark, not even an itch.


    Yet, unlikest time, he kept at it. Kept trying to envision the spell module as perfect as he could and cast the spell. Unlike Eldrian, a Magic Crystal had given him no help in doing this. It had not pulled his mana out of him, like now, nothing had happened.


    ''Which means I am missing something. Is it the race?'' Constantin thought, but did not rush into trying to make another avatar. Instead, he decided to continue trying for some time more. Locking himself up and doing his best.


    ...


    Joining the others in Elizabeth''s virtual home, Eldrian found that the air felt heavy. Everyone was clearly upset, but no one was arguing. Instead, the air was dead quite.


    His appearance didn''t change this, and for a moment Eldrian joined them in the silence.


    "We did out best, next time!" Zyviss broke the silence, pumping his fist into the air in decleration.


    "Yes! Next time!" The others joined him, and after quickly everyone got over the loss.


    It wasn''t like they had ever expected to really make it as far as they have. Unlike most of the teams that had made it thus far, they were just a thrown together team. The others were more professional, clearly focused on trying to win and supported by a guild.


    While guilds themselves can''t do much for a team, a group of people behind a team would still massively increase what they had ess to.


    "Now, Eldrian. Where are we going to drown our sorrows?" Therdul asked, catching the poor man off guard. Luckily, he had asked his sister already.


    "My sister rmended Silver de. It is a mix between a club and a bar."


    "Then, let''s go!"


    "No, not yet." Nikki pulled back the dwarf, "We should at least watch the next match first."


    "But that is not until the afternoon!" Therdulined.


    "Exactly, it isn''t even noon yet."


    "Right, right." Quickly Therdul backed down as he realized he was setting a bad example for the younger ones. "Hey, are you guys going to join us?"


    The two thought about it for a moment, but decided against doing so. They both felt their time was better spent in the game. And that was precisely what they did.


    ...


    In the game, Eldrian was not even a quarter done with his journey, but he was almost there. Taking a rest to give his trusty steed some time to recover, Eldrian took a short walk to also get over the shakkiness over his entire body.


    ''There are actually quite a number of beasts.'' He noted, having fought of three and just run away from dozens. Those he had fought had caught them by surprise, luckily, none of them were strong. A quick spell or thrust was enough to end them in most cases.


    ''Luckily they were all loners thus far, but it can mean trouble.'' Eldrian thought, continuing to try and learn the Tier 3 version of Frost Needle, Konos Pagou. It was tricky, and he couldn''t concentrate fully while riding. Hence, his practice time has been limited.


    He could get the spell to form, but not cast.


    Attempting it again, a ice cone around the size of a fist form before him, but once it was done forming it shattered into thousands of pieces. ''So, was that too little cold or too much?'' Eldrian wondered, attempting it again and this time changing the amount of dark element he added.


    This time, the cone didn''t shape correctly. Small, droplets of water formed on the sides and froze. Making its appearance nowhere near as clean as it was supposed to be. When it finished forming and wasunched forward, it shattered on impact. An improvement, but not right either.


    ''Well, time to get moving again.'' Eldrian thought after failing three more times. He wasn''t in a rush to master the spell, and in fact he was also experimenting with trying to improve weaker spells. Thus far, no sess. But he felt he knew what he was missing, he just couldn''t figure out thatst piece.


    Eldrian took a break to watch the second semi-finals. The fight between Zinopia and Dragonfly was intense, but ultimately the versatility of Zinopia allowed them to win in the end. All their members being able to fill two roles was just indispensable.


    More time passed, and the finals also arrived. Like before, Eldrian took a break to watch the finals, but for two reasons this time. He had reached the Chaosnds and had to wait until the next day. He knew how dangerous nights were in this part of the world, and he didn''t want to get stuck there at night.


    ''It will be close, but I should make it if we don''t rest.'' He thought, making sure that his steed was well rested for tomorrow was also important.


    The finals was quite the show, Agrerian focused on the defense and their two assassin yers poisoned three of Zinopia near the start. Yet, Zinopia had expected it and in fact it was part of their n.


    Those three members had managed to not just keep the assassins busy, but also the tanks. Allowing their other 4 members to rush the archers and mages. Yes, 1 had fallen to thebined arrow and spell attacked.


    In the end, Zinopia had imed an ugly victory. With just 1 of their members surviving. The entire matchsted near 30 minutes. Which might not sound like much, but half an hour of straight up fighting is an absurd amount of time.

 Chapter 429: Reaching the forest of Avgi

    <h4>Chapter 429: Reaching the forest of Avgi</h4>


    The next day, Eldrian logged in as soon as he could and waited for sunrise with Ember. "Are you ready?" He asked while stroking the agima''s mane, receiving a horse nod in reply.


    "Good, today we go all out." He said, jumping onto Ember with practiced ease and setting of even with the sun not fully risen. Not wishing to waste a precious second.


    Eldrian didn''t have the chaosndspletely explored on his map, and he wasn''t going by the path he knew. Thus, he could only pray that he didn''t meet any natural or other obstructions. He could only hope that the shortest distance path he had chosen was a clear one.


    The wind sailed past his ears, the beasts and monsters of thesends all ring at him as he rode past. Most simply ignored what was happening, but some did not take kindly to someone trespassing in their home turf.


    Ember jumped over the crazed Tari (A monster of lion origin), its huge mane was ame and the heat caused Ember''s coat to be burned. The smell of burnt hair filling the hair as the agima kept running, ignoring its own pain. Eldrian turned in his saddle and sent a small sharpened pebble flying at the Tari via Vrachos.


    It nced off the Tari''s fur, not even managing to leave a scratch, which was to be expected given its AR (armor) and MR (magic armor). While at it, Eldrian also cast Nidia and covered Ember''s stomach to ease the burn and also cast Anthise to help the agima keep at speed. Though the effects of the spell were almost nothing at this point.


    The Tari roared in anger and started to pursue its prey, a pride soon appearing from one of the many caves in the rocky area they were currently in. The female Tari didn''t have manes, instead the tips of their tales were ame.


    Eldrian could feel Ember panicking when the pride started chasing them. He took the time to lie down low and rub the agima''s sides. "I got this, just keep running."


    Turning around, he cast Velona Pagetou. The spell with the highest base damage he had mastered thus far. Three icicles forming before him before he took careful aim and let the spell fly, changing its direction as the closest Tari tried to dodge.


    The spell pierced into its side but failed to kill it. However, the wound was enough to stop it from chasing them further.


    ''One down, tirteen more to go.'' Eldrian smiled as he kept at it. Luckily, hisrge mana pool and Aoidos''s ability to help him regain mana allowed him to cast the spell more than enough.


    Though, in the end he was low on mana as some of his attempted had failed to do enough damage. He also naturally hadn''t been able to fully recover his mana as he was constantly fighting off beasts and monsters that tried to stop them.


    "Please, nothing more." He mumbled as he slumped down on Ember to try and get some rest.


    ...


    Finally, as the sun neared the horizon, the mountains of Avgi came into sight. Filled with excitement Eldrian pushed Ember forward, arriving in the forest just minutester. Falling off his steed and incapable of standing. His legs, butt, and lower back were killing him. Not to mention the constant need for casting in emergency situations had drained him mentally.


    Ember also did not move much more, the eight-legged horse took a few steps forward before lying down itself.


    ''He must be dying of thirst,'' Eldrian thought, forcing himself to cast one more time. A ball of water appearing before him which slowly floated to Ember. Without reservations, the agima attempted to drink from it. Failing a few times and wetting its muzzle.


    When it seemed like the agima had enough to drink, Eldrian sighed and logged out. Nearly just as tired as hey on his immersion chair.


    ...


    He took his time before attempting to stand up. Knowing that he needed to rest, he didn''t fight it. Instead, he just moved to his bed and fell asleep. Missing the closing ceremony of the tournament. Along with being personally rewarded a runner-up medal along with the rest of his team.


    He was the only one absent.


    In the end, it had taken him nearly 4 full days of travel. Often having pushed on even during the night (day IRL), Ember was certainly beyond tired. A normal horse would never have been able tost as long, nor keep its speed.


    ''Poor thing needs some proper rest after this.'' Eldrian thought after waking up, just a short sleep of 4 hours was enough. Standing up, he was just in time to see the others off. Saying goodbye as they headed to the airport to return to their respective homes.


    "Hey, tell me something," The girl who imed second ce in the individual matches asked. Her avatar was named Lizzy and Eldrian had no idea what her real name was. She had short ck hair and crystal-like brown eyes. Just slightly shorter than Eldrian and dressed in a yellow summer dress.


    "Why didn''t you participate in the individual matches?"


    "It shes with the team matches," Eldrian replied, and this wasn''t really true. It might, but there was no guarantee that it would. But it was indeed part of the reason why none of the individual finalists were part of a team. That, and they were more skilled than most who were in a team.


    The girl stared at him for a moment before sighing, "You know you would have won first ce if you decided to."


    "Maybe next time," Eldrian replied offhandedly, but the girl seemed to consider this a bit more.


    "You are also the one who made the post about magic, what was it again... Right, The unknown touched upon. Why did you name it like that?"


    "I assumed it was something unknown to most if not all yers. What about it?" Eldrian replied, by now the post had gotten him nearly 200 dors from tip donations. Quite generous, but not an insane amount by any means.


    "How did you manage to... Manage to sense anything? Every time I cast magic, I can feel this prickle near my chest, but... No matter how much I try, it just stays a prickle."


    {AN: It is really nice seeing the novel back in the top 100, a big thanks to everyone who is voting for it.}

 Chapter 430: Old friends meeting up

    <h4>Chapter 430: Old friends meeting up</h4>


    Eldrian didn''t respond right away, his way into magic had been vastly differentpared to everyone else. Hence, he had to think for a while.


    "What does this prickle feel like?" Eldrian asked, "Does it change depending on the type of spell?"


    "How-how did you know?"


    Eldrian didn''t go into that, rather he ignored her question and exined what he thought might work. "You should focus on the difference in what you feel. That should help you get a feel for the different elements. It is easier to start there, to getfortable with the feeling until you can replicate it in your mind."


    "At that point, you might just be able to force that feeling to happen, which I guess will be the first step."


    "Guess?"


    "My method... It was far more crude and harsh. I don''t rmend trying to copy it, rather, just keep focusing on the prickle until you can start understanding it."


    Nodding, Lizzy thought on it for a moment. Recalling that the biggest differences she had felt were between water and fire. The clearest was also fire. Bringing this up Eldrian shared his thoughts.


    "You might have a stronger affinity with fire if you feel it that much clearer. But it is also one of the most reactive elements. Nature will be hard to get a feel for, it..." He paused as he thought about it. "It is just an energy."


    "Water at least feels cool and soothing, fire feels like fire... Wind, the best description would be it feels free. Like it is trying to run free and without bounds..." Eldrian paused, "Sorry, those don''t really help much, do they?"


    Lizzy shook her head no, but added that she agreed with the fire one.


    "Right, so start with trying to get used to how it feels and try to summon it yourself. The best course for this would be through Tier 0 spells." Eldrian suggested, not having better advice, unfortunately.


    "Thanks," With that she turned around and started moving towards her car, Miracle having organized cars for each team or individual to the airport.


    "One more thing!" Eldrian shouted, Lizzy stopping and turning to look at him, "If you seed, please share how with everyone. The more people start sharing their experiences, the quicker we might be able to make a difference in the game."


    Again she nodded, not saying anything more as she climbed into the car.


    "I wonder if that was of any help?" Eldrian pondered, heading back up and taking the bag with a few sets of clothes with him. He was officially kicked out of the luxury room and he didn''t mind it. It still felt alien to him, all that space and fancy furniture. It just wasn''t him.


    ...


    A few hours back, as Eldrian had just reached the forest of Avgi, two dwarven figures were floating in the air. One in rags, the other with a ming beard.


    "Are we going to go into Avgi?" Tovack asked.


    "No, he should be fine. But keep Hrothgar and the others watching, I am also going to go and greet an old friend since I already made the trip. Please go back to Ganalin and ensure that Boran does not lose himself in ughter."


    Nodding, Tovack disappeared from sight, taking just a few minutes to return to the mountains. Naturally, these two hadn''t been following Eldrian each day. That had been up to Hrothgar and those of his squad. They had juste now that his location had been confirmed.


    Moving forward, Amnur stopped hiding his aura. As soon as he did a mini-sun appeared in the sky as the real blueish sun formed a sunset unique to this world.


    Not muchter, two alicorns flew out of the forest and appeared before the dwarf. Quickly taking their elven forms with bright smiles as they greeted an old friend. The beautiful couple was a sight to behold, especially whenpared to the dwarf who on his best day could only be called average.


    Amnur''s appearance was fit for him, it was how one would imagine a smith, an appearance that told of his strength. There was no waste on trying to appear appealing. There was no use for such a thing, even if he could change his appearance, he saw no reason to waste the time and effort.


    "Amnur, a wonderful surprise. I knew you were close, but not that woulde for a visit." Agamemas said, stepping forward to give his old battlepanion a bearhug. Zamia instead simply curtsied in the air.


    "Nor did I, but the candidate I am protecting decided toe here."


    "Oh, and who might that be?" The couple asked, both of them weren''t legends. They were Tier 10 mythical creatures, Alicorns. While it was possible for an alicorn, dragon, and the like to be a legend, it was far rarer. Thus far only two had appeared through the entire history of Gaia, and there had only been thirteen candidates.


    Compared to even just a single other race, like humans, it was clear just how much rarer it was. For humans had around 15 legends currently, and had thousands if not hundreds of thousands of candidates.


    As such, the couple hadn''t been privy to the messages from the gods. Though, even if they were legends they would likely have been excluded since most mythical creatures are neutral. Protecting their turf and only their turf.


    "An elf, High Elf if you can believe it. Chosen too."


    ...


    Eldrian logged back in as soon as he settled back into his old room. Enjoying the coziness of the ce, and wondering how a cabin was going to fit in the room. It wouldn''t, not unless they removed both his desk and the immersion chair.


    Looking around at the lush green forest, Eldrian wondered if he had been spotted yet. Ember was nowhere to be seen, and that was to be expected. He had told the horse to go where he wanted after the hell he had put him through.


    ''Been a while,'' Eldrian thought as he started walking through the trees and using mana sense to see what he had missedst time. It was a lot.


    The mana in the air was like nothing he had ever seen before. He couldn''t even see five meters (16ft) ahead if he used the Mana-Examination part of mana sense. And when using just the Observe and Inspect, he was still left astounded by the nts surrounding them.


    Not everything was magical though, there was still an abundant amount of normal nts. Mostly in the form of brushes and grass though. The trees were all of Rank 2 or 3, with plenty of Rank 1 to 3 herbs and flowers everywhere.


    ''A goldmine, but not for me.'' Eldrian thought, knowing that he had no idea how to make use of these nts and not wishing to damage the Alicorn''s home.


    Instead of harvesting nts, he kept on moving. Heading towards the de. When he was halfway there, he heard childishughter and the rustle of leaves. Not muchter, a small girl probably around age 7 rushed through the bushes chasing Cephaphyr.


    They both stopped upon seeing him, Akarui freezing in fear and Cephaphyr in shock. Awkwardly, Eldrian smiled to try and not scare the little girl who he assumed was Akarui.

 Chapter 431: A few pressing questions

    <h4>Chapter 431: A few pressing questions</h4>


    "You must be Akarui, Faust''s friend," Eldrian said, crouching down to appear less intimidating. The little girl nodded, her short brown hair bobbing as she did. "Has he ever told you about his elven friend?" Eldrian asked as a voice also appeared in his head.


    ''Haru!'' Cephaphyr shouted telepathically in joy and rushed into his arms. Eldrian taking the hit, nearly being sent flying.


    ''Ouch, hope you at least controlled your strength when ying with her.'' Eldrian replied to the little Alicorn while stroking his mane.


    Seeing her friend being friendly with the stranger, Akarui finally gathered her courage. "Whe-where did youe from... Mister?"


    "Oh, far away. I rode day and night for four whole days." Eldrian said, smiling and asking while also receiving Cephaphyrs reply.? "Should we go to the de, I am sure the others might be wondering where you are." He paused for a moment.


    ''Of course, I do! I was just so excited to see you. Since you left, everyone else also left. Until Faust and Akarui!'' Cephaphyr replied, full of energy.


    And added, "Why are you ying in the middle of the night?"


    "Not tired!" Akarui replied with vigor, not willing to go back just yet. Certain thatdy Zamia would force her to go to sleep if she caught her ying... Again.


    Keeping track of the two simultaneous conversations took a bit of Eldrian''s focus, but it was nothingpared to all the magic training he had been doing.


    ''That''s good, let''s go back though. I don''t want to appear like an intruder again.'' Eldrian said mentally to Cephaphyr and verbally to Akarui, "Then, let''s just tell her you something moving in the trees and became scared."


    Both nodded and agreed to go back, as soon as Eldrian stepped into the de he was greeted by Zamia in her elven form. The first time for him to ever see her in it, the sight was quite one to behold.


    "Who are you?" Eldrian asked, pushing Akarui behind him as he didn''t recognize the elf before him. Naturally, he wouldn''t.


    Thedy smiled, "Right, you never saw me in this form. I''m Zamia,"


    Eldrian however wasn''t going to just ept that, so he used mana sense to be sure. And Zamia let the invasive sense glean something, realizing that Eldrian must have gone through quite a number to be so careful and direct. To directly ignore proper etiquette and manners.


    Mana sense confirmed that it was indeed Zamia, a Tier 10 Alicorn. Leaving Eldrian a little confused, but not for long. "Why did you never transform when I was herest time?" He asked, letting go of Akarui who quickly rushed past to her bed. Hoping that Zamia would just forget she was there.


    Her bed was a bed of nts, which might sound ufortable. But how could something made by Zamia for a child be anything but the best?


    "I am certain I mentioned it before. It is ufortable." Zamia replied.


    Eldrian raised his eye in questioning, only for both of them to have Cephaphyr burst into their heads. ''No fair, I can''t understand what you are saying!''


    ''Ceph, dear... Go to sleep. I need to talk with Haru, alone.''


    Despondent, the little Alicorn hang his head as he walked away. Seeing it Eldrian wanted tofort him, but he realized that something more was going on.


    "What do we need to talk about?" He asked, failing to recall that she had mentioned the difort. But he failed to recall many things so he just moved on.


    "You," Zamia said, the ground suddenly transforming, two chairs and a table appeared in mere seconds. "Sit, it is going to take a while."


    Eldrian did as instructed and Zamia also served some tea. The aroma immediately calming Eldrian, rxing his mind and body. "What type of tea is this?"


    "Silver-leaf tea. It is an excellent tea to go with a conversation." She said, handing him a cup which Eldrian immediately sipped.


    ''Delicious... Amazingly so.'' It had a soft texture, a slight sweetness, and upon entering his mouth it felt like he had cast Anthise on himself. Clearing his mind of all distractions.


    Eldrian took another sip and waited for Zamia to start the conversation, the tea helping him rx and keeping his mind from wandering as it all too often did.


    After nearly a minute, Zamia finally spoke. "You became a candidate." It was not a question, it was a statement.


    "Yes, how did you know? Did the gods tell you?"


    "No, no we aren''t connected to the gods like you all. An old friend came to visit and informed us of it."


    "Oh, and who is this friend?" Eldrian asked, suspecting that it must have been one of the abyssal guards. Though, he didn''t know why they would be friends with the alicorns. Naturally, there was nothing wrong with it. He just didn''t understand where they would have gotten the opportunity to meet them.


    "The legend of smithing," Zamia answered without reservation. Unlike Amnur, she did not think that sharing things would stop Eldrian from achieving his potential. In fact, she believed it would be the opposite, helping him reach it sooner.


    ''Legend of smithing?'' Eldrian mumbled the words a few times, realizing that it couldn''t be just a moniker. It must be a title, and she certainly wouldn''t call just anyone such.


    "Do you know how you became a candidate, and what type of candidate you are?" Zamia asked after giving him time to mull over her choice of words.


    "No, I have no clue. I just know it brought a great deal of trouble."


    "Oh, how so?" She asked, taking a sip as she did. The tea naturally had far less of an effect on her, but it was still a delicious tea. Even if the magical properties didn''t work.


    "A devil prince tried to kill me. Nearly seeded each time too, I mostly survived due to luck."


    Zamia''s eyebrows raised in surprise as she quickly thought of a specific devil prince who might have been ordered to do something like that to redeem for his failure. One who clearly specialized in stealth and mobility. If it was him, then indeed, it was impressive that he had managed to survive. Even with the abyssal guards guarding him.


    "Is that why you didn''t take my word for being who I am, and instead used... What was that, it is almost like our elemental search."


    "Yes, that is why. And it is a unique ability I acquired, mana sense."


    "I see, but you should know it isn''t infallible. I could have blocked it, and if I really wanted I could have even tricked your mana sense."


    "True, but I was also looking at your mana flow and the flow of mana in the air." Eldrian replied, not surprising Zamia at all. She already knew this too.


    "I know, and I could also have tricked you by keeping them as is or changing them to appear different. Let me show you,"


    Nodding, Eldrian used mana sense and suddenly he received apletely different result. Results telling him that Zamia wasn''t Zamia. That she was Luna, a Moon Elf and only Tier 3. Yet, her mana and the surrounding mana showed nothing out of the ordinary.


    Sighing, Eldrian said, "I know it isn''t perfect, but it is the best method I have."


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Truly a wonderful thing to have it be constantly in the top 100-150''s.}

 Chapter 432: Eldrians questions (1)

    <h4>Chapter 432: Eldrian''s questions (1)</h4>


    "True... It is far better than Observe." Zamia nodded and smiled. When she smiled she was naturally a sight to behold, yet somehow her beauty did not influence Eldrian much. Other than reminding him of when she had visited him while he was still naked after bathing.


    He blushed as he thought of her words. ''Are we really as ipatible as you said?'' He wondered, causing even his ears to turn red as he recalled the weird thoughts that had entered his mind when she had said it.


    Shaking his head to clear it of these strange thoughts, Eldrian asked, "What else should I do then? If I want to not be tricked?"


    "A good question, and not one with a simple solution. Bing stronger is the most straightforward solution to never be kept in the dark."


    "Of course, but that is easier said than done." Eldrian countered.


    "As is all things in life." She replied before taking another sip, Eldrian suddenly remembering the tea and quickly mirroring her. The tea helping him calm down and think clearer again.


    Instead of pressing to move things along, Eldrian enjoyed the tea and the beauty of the surroundings, andpany. The de, illuminated by the moonlight was quite a sight to behold. The spring and waterfalls at the far side reflected the light in a spectacr, beautiful way.


    "Why did youe back?" Zamia asked after a few minutes passed.


    Eldrian paused on hearing the question, ashamed at his true purpose. "At first, I just came hoping to still bond with Cephaphyr and then return to the war."


    "And now?"


    "Now..." Eldrian took a sip to help him keep calm and give him time to think through his response. "Now I am unsure if you still wish for that. My bing a candidate has ced a massive target on my back and if Ceph joins me... I can''t guarantee his survival."


    "Indeed," Zamia nodded, not giving Eldrian the answer he desperately craved. He cared little for if it was a yes or no, he just wanted the answer.


    "Do you know what being a candidate actually means?" Zamia asked after a moment of silence and Eldrian truthfully shared what he did know.


    "I see. Yes, it is an indication of a unique perception of magic and an indication of having a strong internal drive. Regardless if this is one of kindness or heartlessness."


    "But that is just it, and it is also the key to it all. What drives you will be the thing that defines you and the type of candidate you are."


    Eldrian nodded and didn''t interrupt, but it seemed that Zamia was done speaking. Leaving him wondering what his drive was. His strongest conjecture was that it should be linked to his hidden ss. ''Protector... Is it because I do not wish to have those close to me be hurt and die?''


    It was indeed one of the things that he used to push himself beyond his limits time and time again. What kept him focused and never cking. What had allowed him to survive Milgoroth''s ambushes.


    "It seems you found your drive, your path. That is good..." As Eldrian wanted to share she shook her head and said, "No need to share. It is your aspiration, and yours only. Never let anyone change this, always stay true to it."


    Eldrian nodded and asked, "What else did you want to ask me?"


    "Not much," Zamia smiled and took a sip, "I am curious about the path you chose for magic. I see that you discarded the elements in your mana."


    "Discarded? That is a rather harsh word."


    "But it is true. Why did you do it?"


    Eldrian took a moment again to gather his thoughts, "I had thought that having my mana be of certain elements would slow down my ability to use other types. That it would limit what I can do."


    Zamia nodded and asked, "Then, what did you hope for?"


    "That I will be able to alter it at will. To be in control..." Eldrian paused as he realized something, something he had overlooked after hisst breakthrough. "But, I don''t need to be in control... It is already me, it is part of me..."


    Zamia smiled as she saw Eldrian entering contemtion. ''He has changed a great deal, I wonder if he realized the limitation of his approach to magic?''


    Eldrian took his time, diving into meditation and looking at the mana moving along the pathways he had designated for them. ''Not now, I first need her answer.'' Eldrian stopped himself from changing them for now, though he knew that it wouldn''t be as hard as before.


    "You once said that I would find my way of using magic limiting myself." Eldrian said, nearly causing Zamia to choke on her tea. The timing was just too much for her to keep herposure.


    "Yes, I recall. You had this unique method ofbining mana control and spell modules to learn spells at an extreme speed."


    "Yes, I have a few questions regarding this. I do not understand what you meant. However, I am stuck on a few things and they might be what you meant."


    Zamia nodded and indicated for him to exin further. To demonstrate what he was getting at, Eldrian cast Frost Needle and kept the icicle floating above the table. "Why is there mana in raw form behind this? I know it is what moves the spell through the air, but why and how. Why is it not the air element?"


    Seeing his near-perfect cast and control over the spell, Zamia took her time first admiring both. All magical creatures had a unique way of using magic, a way that humans couldn''t copy. They also couldn''t use magic as humans. They simply weren''t made to do it.


    Seeing Eldrian''s spell, however, Zamia wondered if maybe this wasn''t really true. ''He surely deserves his candidacy.'' She thought, extremely aware that he had made this much progress in just 4 months. That he had only been in this world for 5.


    "What else are you curious about?" Zamia asked, wanting to first gauge how much Eldrian had figured out by himself.


    "My other questions are on spell modules, but-"


    "While we don''t use them, I am aware of how they are used. You should recall."


    "Of course," Eldrian nodded, how could he not recall her help. "My first question is why spell modules are fixed. I have already discovered that spells be unstable if you change them, but they can still cast and exist even if incorrect."


    "My question is, why instead of having the spell module of Tier 5 shift from one version to the other. Why must one instead rece the envisioned spell modulepletely?"


    "Oh my," Zamia looked at Eldrian in slight surprise and took a sip of tea to calm herself down. "You are already looking at Tier 5 spells?"


    "I''ve only seen one, and after learning how you are supposed to cast it. I was left with this question a few dayster."


    "I see... As you said, a spell will be unstable if the spell module isn''t perfect. How would you have it morph without entering an unstable state? The known method uses only the perfect modules, to keep the spell under control."


    Eldrian thought on this and cast Floga while still keeping the icicle floating above the table. Expanding and shrinking the ball of me while considering how he would form the spell module for the spell.

 Chapter 433: Eldrians questions (2)

    <h4>Chapter 433: Eldrian''s questions (2)</h4>


    Currently, Eldrian was casting it just on feeling. Using his knowledge of how the me element should feel and how much mana he could push in and take out while keeping it stable.


    Zamia, naturally, looked at the ball of me in wonder. Realizing that Eldrian was even further than she had expected.


    "I do not know, so onto my next question," Eldrian said, shaking his hand and dispelling the mana of the fireball into the surrounding. "Why are spell modules always two-dimensional. Surely, it would be possible to have it be three-dimensional."


    "How would you memorize and envision a three-dimensional module? It will be far moreplex." Zamia countered, and Eldrian replied without dy.


    "Certainly yes, but... Isn''t Tier 5 spell modules already soplex that any normal person would never be able to memorize it? Only a mage would ever be able to do so."


    Zamia nodded and thought on it for a moment, "I do not have an answer to this question of yours. Do you have any other?"


    Eldrian took a sip of tea and thought for a moment, "Those are the most pressing ones I had."


    "Alright, then aside from thest. Let me share what I know."


    "The easier one first, spell modules aren''t morphed because doing so is too dangerous. It is not just the spell that bes unstable, but the module too."


    "If a module copses, then the mage will receive a harsh bacsh. Possibly even death. It is part of the reason why so few try to alter spells, even in controlled ways. Daring to do so in battle would be suicide."


    ''Of course!'' It suddenly clicked for Eldrian and he felt like a fool. Even he didn''t dare attempt modifying a spell outside of the magic abyss. At least not to such a degree, he was starting to risk smaller changes.


    "As for what the raw element behind your spell is, we call it the spell''s ether. Normally, people do not care about it, but for dynamic casting, it bes quite important."


    "Ether?"


    "Yes, you can think of it as an energy source that can nearly instantaneously change the momentum of a spell. It is why this, and this, and..." Zamia cast her own version of Frost Needle. Only, the icicle was as long and thick as an arm.


    She then kept it still first, then suddenly had it move at near sonic speed, before having it stop in its tracks. Return to her, spin, and halt. All sequences happing instantly.


    "It is not a factor of increasing the speed as you normally would increase the speed of something."


    Naturally, this worldcked science. But, that did not mean the inhabitants, especially those who were true masters of magic didn''t understand science. They just didn''t have all the right words and calctions, but they inherently knew and understood it.


    "There is no need to slowly elerate, you can instantly bring it to the fastest speed the spell can move."


    "And what determined that speed?" Eldrian asked, shocked. While he could elerate Frost Needle quickly, it wasn''t instantaneous like Zamia had demonstrated.


    "Yourself. The faster you are able to think and react, the faster your spell can move. The only trick is, you need to learn how to control the ether first."


    "Isn''t it just another part of mana?" Eldrian asked, Zamia nodding in approval but still disagreeing.


    "It is, but it isn''t an element. It isn''t like light and dark which only adds or removed energy. It is energy itself."


    Eldrian tried to reach out to the ether of his own spell, finding no feedback when he did so. But he was not discouraged. It was all toomon to fail at first. Instead, what he did was bring the spell back to himself.


    ''I can already control the spell, even if I don''t know how to control ether. This is simr to when I first learned to cast spells.'' cing his hand at the back of the icicle, Eldrian tried to feel the mana as it was forced against his skin. Yet, it moved away from him.


    So he closed his hand around it, trying to capture the ether. Only to have the spell suddenlyunch itself into his fingers.


    "That didn''t work," Eldrian said with a smile, freaking Zamia out slightly. Especially when he pulled it out of his fingers without flinching and then cast Therapeia (Tier 3 Heal) on himself.


    "That... Was strange," Zamia said, not knowing if she should praise his initiative or curse his recklessness.


    After clearing the blood with Nidia, Eldrian smiled and asked, "Is ether a unique aspect of magic?"


    The questionpletely surprised Zamia, who shook her head in denial. "No, as I said before. It is mana in an energy form capable of altering the state of a spell-"


    "Is it possible to use it on its own?" Eldrian interrupted.


    "Not that I know of."


    "So it might be," Eldrian smiled, but also quickly discarded the idea. He might be talented in magic, but he already had more than one full te. He had to decide where to focus.


    "Oh, I have a few more questions actually." Eldrian said after taking another sip of tea, acting like his hands weren''t mutted just seconds ago.


    Zamia nodded, starting to feel worried about what else Eldrian was going to ask. His progress was scaring her. Thus far he had shown her that besides reaching Tier 3 in just a few short months, he had also massively increased his increase over mana and even found one of the secrets of dynamic magic.


    Yet, he had even started looking into Tier 5 spells and created his own legacy. Zamia hadn''t brought this in particr up just yet, because she was trying to figure out first if he was even aware of what he had done to his mana. It wasn''t a bad thing, it was just shocking, to say the least. Especially when she reminded herself that he was/is still just Tier 3.


    "Do you know anything about auras?" Eldrian asked, the question nearly giving her a heart attack. She had been expecting it since it was something that all candidates had, at least to her knowledge. But again, him being aware of it was shocking.


    "Yes, I am aware of auras."


    "I have never managed to get a real answer to this question. What is an aura?"


    Zamia paused and looked at Eldrian for a moment first, "Why do you ask?"


    "Because..." Thinking back to the fight against the vampire where he had lost himself. The fight that he could remember near nothing and where he might even have hurt others on his side. Eldrian shuddered and quickly took a sip of tea to calm down.


    "I have two auras. Wrath and Tranquility. Andst time, I nearly lost myself..."


    ''Two?'' The question echoed in Zamia''s mind as she looked at the elf before her who just a few months ago couldn''t even properly cast a spell. ''Two?'' She questioned again, it being even more shocking that Eldrian was aware of both.


    ''Maybe... It must be that being a Chosen the gods informed him-'' Her thoughts froze as Eldrian shared how he had discovered them.


    "Fire and Ice, surrounding my soul... I don''t understand how I am supposed to be able to make use of them. How I am supposed to not lose myself in them." Looking up, Eldrian saw Zamia''s eyes twitching so he stopped to give her some time to take it in.


    "You entered your soul!?" She couldn''t help herself but shout this in shock.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Truly a wonderful thing to have it be constantly in the top 100-150''s.}

 Chapter 434: Talking about Creation

    <h4>Chapter 434: Talking about Creation</h4>


    Eldrian nodded and quickly exined that it was easier for Chosen due to the way in which they were brought to Gaia. He had no reservations in sharing everything with her. Outside of the fact that this was a simtion and that the AI were gods, naturally. And that he had met a few of them.


    He had to at least make sure to not mention anything that he hadn''t shared with Miracle in some way. Though, talking about magic was fine. If he didn''t share, the reason was clearly because no one would understand. Thus it would just be a waste of time to share.


    "I see, if your soul in the Mageia Avyssos, then it makes sense that you would be able to gain ess to it far easier. Still, where did you find the time?" Zamia really couldn''t understand how Eldrian had been able to make all these breakthroughs and also discover so many other things.


    Shrugging, Eldrian didn''t know what to say to her answer her question. He had just been blindly stumbling, looking for a way that might work. Most of the time he had to forgo the path he had found, it either not being useful or he was incapable of making use of it.


    Zamia downed her cup of tea, and then another. The calming effect just barely managing to help her clear her mind.


    Even with it being easier, being able to enter the magic abyss at will was still amazing and it normally took mages years to learn. Always by Tier 5 or higher too, often only Tier 7 or up.


    Naturally, this waspletely different for magical creatures. They were already so entuned with magic that they never needed the crutch that Skepsi, the goddess of magic, had made for the other races. The magic abyss wasn''t a thing for them, they all cast on feel and imagination.


    True dynamic casting.


    "Are there any other shocking discoveries you want to share?" Zamia asked, wanting to get the shocking things over with so she could focus on his questions more.


    Eldrian nodded, causing her to take a big gulp of tea in preparation. "I modified a few spells and also made a unique one."


    This was less of a shock, making spells was nothing special to a dynamic magic-user. Without the limitation of spell modules, spells would just flow through people. The tricky part was actually casting the same spell again.


    It was so dependant on their mood, thoughts, and inspiration, that more often than not they would be unable to reproduce the same spell. Normally, they would just cast something that was simr, but not the same.


    Naturally, with training, they could learn specific spells. But that took much more time, and even with that, the spell they trained would differ from the one they had first made. In certain situations, it would also cast differently. Especially if emotions are high.


    The modification of spells was more impressive, but again, Zamia expected that seeing as Eldrian didn''t use magic statically. His in-between method should make it possible to get benefits from both methods, and also possibly the downsides.


    "What spells did you modify?" She asked first, more curious about this. Of course, she had no idea of Creation, even Amnur was unaware of what had caused the explosion. He only knew Eldrian was responsible.


    "I started with Tier 0 spells first, testing what the changes would do. Slowly I moved on to Tier 1 spells but I failed to ever have one stick. Until I attempted to change Magic-Inspection. I developed a spell that allowed me to see the mana in the air, and it is also how I gained mana sense."


    Eldrian''s exnation was short, but it left Zamia deep in thought. ''He gained an ability through training? No, that is impossible. Understanding then?'' This was extremely impressive, while most people only knew that abilities were bloodline-rted. A few, such as Zamia, were aware that one could gain abilities through certain feats.


    Normally, however, it would take much more than what Eldrian had shared. This is why she felt he had to have gained a unique understanding that led to him creating the ability unknowingly.


    Yes, certain abilities could be created. They were few and far between though.


    "Impressive," Zamia said after sorting her thoughts, taking another sip, and asking what other spell he had created.


    "That... The spell is called Creation but I have no idea what it does and nearly died casting it."


    Hearing this Zamia suddenly felt she had underestimated the elf before her. Taking another sip, she asked how he had made it.


    "Well, I was trying to understand how death, or rather undeath magic... Necromancy, worked. And after a few tests, I felt that the missing piece of the puzzle was divine magic."


    Suddenly, Zamia became serious, "You couldn''t have... Like us, you are blocked from receiving a gods'' blessing." However, as she said it, she also realized that Chosen had plenty of godly blessings. He might just be the first High Elf to be capable of using divine magic. A scary thought.


    "Oh, no. I didn''t manage to cast divine magic." Eldrian said, much to her relief. She didn''t know what she would have done if he could. For sure, she would have flown him to the empire and gotten the pope to teach him.


    Never had there been a dynamic divine magic caster.


    Never.


    It would change the world.


    "But I did manage to take control of divine spells."


    Hearing this, the tea that she had just sipped flew into the air as she looked at Eldrian in bewilderment.


    "You what? How? No? How?"


    "Right, remember earlier when I mentioned that Ether should also just be mana. Well, divine magic is also just mana. Realizing this, I managed to take control of the spell a friend was casting on me. Though, I couldn''t add more mana to it. I could only throw it back at him."


    Zamia''s crystal clear blue eyes twitched as she heard Eldrian exining this. He made it sound so simple, yet, she couldn''t even follow his train of thought. Mana was just mana? No, mana was mana, but the elements were the elements too.


    "So if you didn''t-" She paused as she looked at him and came to a realization that shocked her to her core. "Did you-"


    "No, it isn''t a divine spell. As I said, I can''t form the mana needed for divine magic." Eldrian answered her unspoken question, relieving Zamia''s rapidly beating heart.


    "What that had taught me, however, was that magic isn''t all about mana and the elements. It isn''t about the aspect either. I learned that it is about your will, taking control of mana and bringing it to form."


    Zamia nodded, this was the basis of Dynamic casting. However, the path Eldrian had gone toe to this simple conclusion still left her dazed.


    "Then, what spell did you create? What does Creation do?"


    "I have no idea..." Eldrian sat shrugged and sat back in the chair, "It exploded on me since I didn''t have enough mana to keep it stable."


    "After failing to feed it enough mana, it started sucking in the mana of the surrounding like an empty void. Hungering for mana like nothing I had ever seen. Exploding once it became too unstable. Nearly killing me and my friend, luckily I had expected I would lose control."

 Chapter 435: A Mov and two Mana Crystals

    <h4>Chapter 435: A Mov and two Mana Crystals</h4>


    Zamia''s curiosity burned as she wondered what the spell might be. Unfortunately, she realized that Eldrian didn''t have the answer, and asking him to cast it was not a smart thing to do.


    "How did you cast the spell?" She asked instead, hoping to gain some information on what Creation might be.


    "Oh, it is actually quite simple." To demonstrate, Eldrian cast all the Tier 0 spells. Letting them spin around him while he exined.


    "Have you ever tried to merge spells?"


    "Of course, but more often than not it just results in them bing unstable and exploding in my face. Though, I have learned that some spells can be merged to amplify each other."


    Eldrian smiled, happy that he was talking with someone who actually had the experience to back up their high Tier. Someone who wasn''t just left trying to catch up to his thought process. Someone who understood all he said, even if she sometimes became confused.


    Zamia might be lost now and then, but that wasn''t because she didn''t understand. Rather, it was because her experiences were just vastly different from his.


    Eldrian also knew that unlike him, she wasn''t frantically trying to improve. When he hadst met her she was just living her life, taking care of her family. Even now, she wasn''t constantly training and experimenting. She was teaching and watching over everyone in the de.


    "When you merged them, did they be one?" Eldrian asked, Zamia shaking her head no.


    "No, if that is possible then I would rather form a hybrid spell and cast it as one from the start."


    "Then... Is there a spell containing all the base elements?"


    Hearing this, Zamia''s eyes flew wide open as she looked at the floating balls of elements around Eldrian. Not missing the ball of nature inside of him.


    "I see, you merged them."


    "No, Ibined them. They didn''t stay as 7 different spells, rather, when Ibined them they became 1. Became Creation."


    ''This is new...'' Zamia didn''t know what to say. It was the first time she heard of someone managing to do something like this.


    Her form of merging spells was like using a wind spell to carry me, ice, or rocks. Or using ice, air, and me to create an amplified explosion. Things like that. Not form a whole new spell that required to be merged to be cast.


    "Let me guess, you have no idea how to simply cast the spell."


    "Correct," Eldrian said, letting the spells disappear as he refilled his cup. "So, I am assuming that you didn''t know it was possible."


    "No, it is. But like I said before, normally when I discover that spells can trulybine, I would just cast them as a hybrid spell next time. In some cases I would prefer not to, such as when the amplified effect created is greater than the hybrid''s. But..."


    She took a moment and a sip of tea, "Yes, your method is something new to me. Do you think you would be able to cast it without merging spells? To cast it formed?"


    Eldrian thought for a moment and then shook his head no. "No, I doubt it. What happens isn''t just a mixture of mana, but also of elements. Changing into something unique..." Eldrian went on to exin the appearance of the crystal he had created.


    "Amazing, and you said you would need how much mana?"


    "ording to my estimations, at least a hundred thousand." Eldrian replied, uncertain if NPCs thought of MP the same as them. However, given the existence of Observe and other observation abilities, he felt it likely.


    "That much?" Zamia asked and Eldrian nodded in confirmation. After a moment of thought, Zamia summoned a Mov Crystal the size of her hand and handed it to Eldrian. Confused, he looked at her in questioning.


    Instead of answering, she then handed him a Mana Crystal of the same size, and then one the size of a finger.


    "Try feeling the mana in them." She said, Eldrian and ignoring the system request about if he wanted to absorb the Mov Crystal to increase his inventory.


    Closing his eyes, he ced down the mana crystals and focused on the Mov Crystal. Trying to send his mind into it, yet, he felt himself constantly being pushed back. After 5 minutes, he stopped. His forehead and back covered in sweat.


    "I can''t."


    "Well, you did start with the hardest one. Try the mana crystals."


    Nodding, Eldrian took the smaller one. Holding it in his hand he repeated the process, after 2 minutes he managed to break through. Only for his mind to be overwhelmed and sent directly back to his body.


    Gasping for air, he stared at the finger-sized soft white crystal in his hand in a mix of shock, fear, and greed. Instead of repeating the process, he used mana sense to confirm what he had felt.


    [Mana Crystal (Finger sized)]


    [A crystal filled with crystalized mana, it holds an amazing amount of mana. For the most part, mana crystals are non-vtile. Certain spells can turn them into devastating tools of destruction, and other spells can turn them into wonderful tools of securing life.]


    [Mana Storage: 13.8k]


    Zamia smiled seeing Eldrian''s change in attitude, her smile growing much more cheerful when he ced the crystal down and only looked at therger crystal quickly.


    [Mana Crystal (Hand sized)]


    [...]


    [Mana Storage: 108k]


    Gulping, Eldrian turned to the Mov Crystal, left without words when he saw the mana storage.


    [Mov Crystal (Hand sized)]


    [Mov Crystals are found in thergest of Amethyst veins. A crystal filled with so much mana,pacted so tightly, that it can alter the very fabric of reality. Making it possible to y with space, to create teleportation arrays and dimensional storages.]


    [The crystals are extremely rare, almost never would you be able to buy them if you want. It is often the cornerstone of kingdoms and the cause of many wars. Some specte it is even the cause of the invasions, but these are just baseless rumors.]


    [Mana Storage: 1.3M]


    It took Eldrian two cups of tea and 20 minutes to return to reality. Looking at Zamia in shock, and realizing the true worth of these crystals, he nearly fell from his chair after realizing that he had been carrying such valuable items for so long for a mission. Luckily, he had given them back to Pros.


    "Why-why did you show me these?" Eldrian asked, part of him wishing to grab the hand-sized crystal and attempt casting Creation again. He stopped only because he knew he couldn''t even ess the mana. Heck, even the finger-sized mana crystal was too much for him.


    "To give you some perspective. While a hundred thousand is an extreme amount of mana. It is not much when you make use of the resources that Gaia is blessed with." Zamia said, naturally she didn''t want to spoil Eldrian''s hopes by mentioning how long it would take for him to reach such an amount without external help.


    Luckily, there was no need for him to reach the required amount himself. There was nothing wrong with using external help. And from the way the spell is cast, how Eldrian exined it, and the name. Zamia felt confident that it wasn''t a spell meant for battle.


    It would create something, what, she did not know. But it was certainly going to be something amazing.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Truly a wonderful thing to have it be constantly in the top 100-150''s.}

 Chapter 436: Wonderful news

    <h4>Chapter 436: Wonderful news</h4>


    "I see..." Eldrian decided against asking how long it would take him to be able to actually make use of the mana inside the crystals. He assumed it would be Tier 5 at least, but that wasn''t a bad thing.


    The two enjoyed the tea that stayed warm likely thanks to enhancements on the teapot. Not in a rush to get onto the next topic. After around ten minutes, Zamia spoke again.


    "Do you still wish to bond with Ceph?"


    Eldrian didn''t rush to answer, instead, he thought it through. The world wasn''t in a peaceful state, whether Ceph came with him to war, or war came to him. The difference would just be a few months or year at most.


    Likely, the Alicorns did have some haven that would be safe for longer, where they had sent all the weaker members of their family. Leaving only the strongest to defend their home. But, even if this was the case, Zamia had clearly already thought that it would be endangered if the invasion was truly not going to stop. Else, she would have never brought up binding them.


    "I do," Eldrian said after careful consideration, "I won''t be able to make any promises or guarantees that he will be safe, but... This invasion is not going to end and at some point, he is going to have to fight. I hope I can help."


    Zamia didn''t respond right away, going through her own thought process and especially through all that she had learned from their talk.


    "I still think it will indeed be for the best. However, you have rushed far too much. How many Tier 3 spells do you even know, and how many Tier 2?"


    This time, Eldrian did respond immediately. "I have learned twelve Tier 2 spells and two Tier 3 spells, at the same time I have mastered two Tier 2 skills and one Tier 3 skill."


    Zamia was actually very impressed by these numbers, but they weren''t enough. "And how many have you managed to master, of those spells?" She asked, realizing that his choice of words was not random.


    He had specifically used learned and mastered, meaning, he was more confident with the skills. Which was strange, considering all she knew of him. All his breakthroughs and discoveries had been on spells.


    Hearing the question Eldrian felt embarrassed, "I have only mastered one, Anthisma." He wasn''t going to lie, he had been falling back onto his Tier 1 spells for the most part, only using Tier 2 and 3 situationally. (AN: Anthisma is Tier 2)


    He just wasn''t nearly asfortable with the higher Tier spells, he needed more practice and he knew this. But there were so many other things he needed to do too.


    This time Zamia was surprised by theck of numbers. Mastering just one spell, that was not a good sign. But then again, she recognized that it had only been 4 months since she hadst seen him. It was actually impressive.


    "You are clearly extremelyfortable with Tier 0 spells, how about Tier 1 spells?" She asked, and Eldrian quickly counted the ones he felt he had mastered.


    "Five, and I am sure I can master Mifotia given an hour or so."


    ''Not bad, actually that is truly impressive.'' Zamia thought and then started asking Eldrian about the spells and why these spells. Quickly realizing a pattern when Eldrian also shared the spells he had learned.


    His focus spells were healing and recovery spells, followed by spells of Forst Needle''s line. Spells with good damage, high speed, and a small area of effect. Focusing all the damage where theynd.


    Yet, he had also learned spells for asions. Fire spells to try and cover areas, water spells to douse fires if needed. Literally Eldrian''s reason for learning them, though Nidia would do just as good now that he could expand the spell.


    Air spells to block ranged attacks, earth spells. Well just one, Vrachos, to skip the half a second or so that Frost Needle took to form. Yet, Eldrian still preferred Frost Needle which was interesting.


    "Right, I realize that you have been limited in one major way. You are still thinking of using all the spells as everyone would. But! You are capable of dynamic casting. Of controlling your spells, let me ask you. Why have you never tried to alter Vrachos to have the stones form into anything but sharpened cones?"


    "I was actually nning to attempt that soon, but instead I decided toe back to Avgi."


    "Why?" Zamia asked, but the answer was transparent. "Never mind, because you reached Tier 3 and feel you can go to Tier 4, am I correct?"


    "You are," Eldrian smiled, happy that Zamia had picked up on this.


    "But, aren''t you afraid of moving too fast? You have only learned two Tier 3 spells and you said yourself you haven''t mastered even one of them."


    "Maybe..." Eldrian paused to take a sip of tea, as always it helped him clear his mind and find the best way to respond. "But, the benefit of reaching a higher Tier outweighs learning more Tier 3 spells."


    "How so?"


    "Because, as I be stronger, I can feel my mental faculty increasing. Meaning, the quicker I reach higher Tiers, the quicker I will be able to learn what I have postponed."


    Zamia paused hearing this, realizing something strange. "When you reach a higher Tier, how does your stats change?"


    "It increases, not by much, but that is only because my Tiers are still low."


    "No, I don''t mean that. I want to know is, is it instant?"


    "Of course," Eldrian replied and suddenly also realized what she was getting at, "Isn''t it instant for you?"


    "No, it is not. The Tiers before 5 would take a few weeks to a few months to fully take effect. After Tier 5 the time increases even more."


    ''That would exin them not realizing the increase," Eldrian noted, Zamia noting nearly the same but rather why Eldrian could note the change.


    "Regardless, you can''t advance until you bond with Cephaphyr. And I am not going to let you until you firm your foundation."


    Hearing this was like riding a rollercoaster for Eldrian, going from an instant high to an instant low. "What do you mean?" He asked, fearing she would task him with something crazy. Yet, her reply instead instantly brought him to an ultimate high.


    "I am going to train you."


    ...


    "No! We can''t interfere that much. Your wife is already too involved!" Amnur shouted upon hearing what Zamia said. He and Agamemas were having tea atop one of the mountain peaks, yet they could hear what the two were talking about as if they were all around the same table.


    "Amnur, do you really think it is up to you to decide?" Agamemas asked, naturally Amnur knew this wasn''t a threat. Which was why the question confused him much more.


    "What on Dragos''s scales do you mean?"


    "If you ask us to not help him when he is the one who came here. Are you not then interfering with his path? Are you not altering the choices he can make?"

 Chapter 437: Meeting Erik in-game

    <h4>Chapter 437: Meeting Erik in-game</h4>


    "You-you will train me?!" Eldrian asked, unable to ept what he heard.


    "Yes, I will. You need to take some time to firm your footing. You have experienced and learned a great deal, but how much of it have you truly absorbed. How much can you retain, remember, and put into action?"


    Zamia''s question stunned Eldrian, he realized he couldn''t put into action even half of what he had discovered. Heck, he was sure he had already forgotten at least 10% if not more of what he had discovered.


    "We will take our time to ensure you be much stronger. Do you agree?"


    [Quest Received: An Alicorn''s guidance]


    [Quest Description: Zamia has offered to train you in order to prepare you for the invasion. To ensure that you will be able to reach your potential and not be a hindrance to her only son, Cephaphyr.]


    [Quest Aim 1: To have you reach Rank 3 in all spells you would require, including spells you have yet to learn.]


    [Quest Aim 2: To have you cast a true dynamic spell (Optional - Rank SSS)]


    [Quest Rank: S]


    [Quest Reward: 3 Levels, being bonded with Cephaphyr]


    [State whether you ept or not]


    "Of course I do!" Eldrian shouted with joy, the tea not able to contain his joy. He jumped up and gave Zamia a hug, ignoring status and whatever else there might be. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."


    Zamia returned the hug, and then said sternly, "This isn''t going to be easy. I expect you to master at least seven Tier 3 spells fully, and you will have to train until you can make use of them instinctually."


    Hearing this Eldrian didn''t back down, instead, he pumped up his chest and dered she bring it on.


    "Not now, there are still two hours until sunrise. Get some rest, even if you aren''t tired now tomorrow you will wish you took the opportunity."


    Hearing this Eldrian didn''t argue, he thanked her again and logged out. Set an rm, and jumped into bed. Even going so far as to use his old headset to get himself to sleep immediately.


    ...


    When Eldrian logged in again, he saw a dryad going by his business. Rushing forward, Eldrian immediately greeted his friend. "Erik! What''s up?"


    "Eldrian?" Erik turned around and looked at the elf in shock. He knew that Eldrian had decided toe to Avgi, but he had expected it would take him a few more days.


    "How are you? Gosh, seeing you in here ispletely different than..." Eldrian stopped, remembering where he was. Instead of speaking, he used mana sense to get a feel of what his friend should be capable of.


    "Amazing, you really reached Tier 1 in your hidden ss. Come one, show me what you are capable of!" Eldrian was filled with enthusiasm. Eager to see what the hidden ss called a Fysi Guide was capable of. They had never gotten a chance during the battles, naturally.


    Erik''s stats were far lower than Eldrian''s, but surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, he had far more intelligence. At least his attribute of intelligence was higher, it was even higher than Eldrian''s agility. Though granted, Eldrian had 20 free attributes and Erik none.


    Unlike when observing NPCs, when Eldrian used mana sense on yers he got all the juicy details.


    [Faust Statistics:]


    [Level: 22] (Eldrian: 32)


    [Hidden ss: Fysi Guide Tier 1]


    [Normal ss: Magic Tier 3; Alchemist Tier 3]


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 110] (Eldrian: 206)


    [Strength: 100] (Eldrian: 198)


    [Agility: 120] (Eldrian: 284)


    [Spirit: 206] (Eldrian: 202)


    [Intelligence: 273] (Eldrian: 225)


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 116] (Eldrian: 415)


    [Mana: 320] (Eldrian: 686)


    [Stamina: 110] (Eldrian: 453)


    Eldrian still had far more mana though, thanks to his unnamed Rank B legacy.


    The reason why Eldrian was so excited to see what Erik was capable of, was, he was curious what other hidden sses meant. Eldrian''s was more just a massive stat boost in all regards, but Eldrian also felt certain he would have never been able to unlock it without his ability to control mana.


    While it wasn''t the hidden ss that had given Eldrian the ability, it was linked to it. And Eldrian just had to see what Erik''s was linked to.


    "Sure, follow me." Erik replied after taking a second toprehend Eldrian''s enthusiastic request.


    The two didn''t walk far, just towards one of the Rank 2 trees around the de. "It takes some time, but bear with me." Saying this, Erik ced his hand against the tree.


    At first, nothing happened. But after a minute a small bud appeared on the bark. Slowly turning into a sapling and 10 minutester there was a bright me-colored flower. A mixture of bright red and orange.


    Naturally, Eldrian had to use mana sense. He had been using it since the start, observing how Erik''s mana flowed into the tree and how the tree fed from the earth and air, sending mana corresponding to Erik''s to form the flower in a matter of minutes.


    Now, they had before them a Rank 2 flower. Capable of amazing things in the right hands, up to even Tier 7 consumables. Be it in the form of potions, salves, ointments...


    [Burning Thress Flower (Flower - Rank 2)]


    [A flower born from the Thress tree through the magic of a Fysi. A tree highly resistant to mes, and whose flowers are filled with the fire element.]


    "That''s amazing!" Eldrian shouted, easily recognizing that for Erik this was the perfect ability. His time and effort in bing an alchemist was clearly being rewarded.


    "Thanks, but it really takes a lot out of me," Erik said, that one flower having taken 300 of his mana to form. He now had to rest for nearly 10 minutes to recover the mana cost. Which, truthfully wasn''t a bad deal at all.


    Zamia had him doing just this every day for the past week. Erik had found his limit was actually six times. At that point, magic fatigue would set in and reduce his mana below 300. He could then push on to form Rank 1 flowers/herbs at the outskirts of the forest.


    Instead, Zamia had him then reflect on what he had learned and take time to learn more spells or practice his alchemy. For which he had to gather his own magical nts in the forest. He couldn''t make use of Rank 2 nts, not without wasting them.


    "Still, it means you can literally turn your time into money. How much would the flower sell for?" Eldrian asked, having no idea of the market value of magical nts.


    "A rank 2 flower? yers wouldn''t know what to do with it, you need to be at least Tier 5 to not just destroy it during processing. As for if you find the right person, it should sell for anywhere from 1 to 5 gold. Depending on if the person is in need of the flower or not."


    "Why such arge difference?"


    "Because it can only be used to make certain consumables rted to fire. Its highest sought-after ability is that you can make fire-resistant potions from it. But naturally, the cost is so high that no one would use it just because. The potions normally sell for 15 gold at the cheapest."


    That was indeed one heck of a price, especially knowing that Tier 2 magic items cost anywhere from 15 to 30 gold. The potion inparison was just a 1-time use item.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Truly a wonderful thing to have it be constantly in the top 100-150''s.}

 Chapter 438: His first lesson

    <h4>Chapter 438: His first lesson</h4>


    Erik and Eldrian talked a bit more, first about the flower. With Erik sharing what he spected it would be capable of doing when turned into a potion. After that, the conversation turned to how he was able to do it.


    "I just had to strengthen the bond I feel with nts, adding mana into it and then thinking of what I want. It isn''t the easiest, but I am getting better. For now, my limit is just flowers."


    "And what would be next?" Eldrian asked.


    "That would firstly be forming branches," Zamia said,ing to fetch Eldrian for the start of his training. "Then branches with fruits and flowers, then shaping the branch into a useable item. For example, how Cephaphyr had made those arrows for you. From there the sky is the limit."


    She smiled as the two quickly turned around and greeted her.


    "Faust, continue with what you have been doing. Akarui is already in the cave practicing, you can join her there if you wish. But remember, the enhanced elements there will slow down your growth but help you experiment."


    Erik nodded, quickly wished Eldrian good luck and then decided to try and find a new type of nt he had yet to attempt guiding. Which was what the ability to control nts and having them form something was called. ''Growth Guidance'' was the name of the ability.


    "What are you going to have me do?" Eldrian asked, curious how different this andst time was going to be. He assumed there would be a massive difference sincest time she had only given him some guidance. Not taken on the role of a mentor.


    "First thing first, show me your capabilities."


    Nodding, Eldrian went all out. Casting all the spells he wasfortable with, to the best of his abilities. He even dual-cast Frost Needle, refraining from triple casting since his control over them would weaken if he did.


    Ten minutester, Eldrian was done showing what he was capable of. Having taken a moment with each spell to show how much control he had over it.


    "Right, as I suspected, youck creativity in how you use the spells. It ismon for all static casters. Let me show you something," Saying this, Zamia cast Frost Needle. Naturally, how she did this differed from his way, but not by much anymore.


    She then had the ice morph, slowly bing a thin ice disk about the size of a hand and no more than a millimeter thick. Completely transparent.


    "Since you are able to even dual cast this particr spell, you should be able to do this too. You no longer use a spell module for it, correct?"


    "Yes," Eldrian nodded, surprised she had managed to pick up on it. It was the only spell he could cast just on feel and thought, outside of Tier 0 spells naturally.


    During her demonstration, Eldrian had been using mana sense constantly to try and see what she was doing. s, outside of the movement of mana which wasn''t even all that clear thanks to the environmental mana, he gained nothing more.


    Still, Eldrian felt he knew where to start. So, he envisioned the ice disk and sent the mana he was so used to out to the spell. However, it immediately shattered. After two more attempts with the same results, Zamia spoke out.


    "The properties of the structure you are trying to summon isn''t that of a solid icicle. Your approach has to change."


    Nodding, Eldrian realized this was the problem that he faced with the Tier 3 version of the ice spell too. His mana was correct to form the ice, but not correct to survive for long. Time quickly passed as he continued to try differentbinations of water and darkness (different ice temperatures).


    Zamia had long since left Eldrian to his own devices after sharing a bit more advice. He was constantly doing his best even having gone back to the spell module. Which had been a massive failure. When he attempted to change it through the module a massive headache would cause him to lose all focus.


    ''I can try doing it in the magic abyss. Changing the structure of the module to that of a disk might work, but that still won''t be the correct technique.'' Realizing that doing so would basically be cheating, and more importantly that it might not even work, Eldrian continued at it.


    "No no, you are now trying to form a ticker disk. My demonstration was just a millimeter thick for a reason." Zamia said, having arrived after Eldrian''s third attempt after trying to thicken it.


    He had nned to make a palm-sized disk instead of a hand-sized one. Tripling the thickness and hopefully allowing the spell to not shatter as it grew toorge.


    "Oh right, what did you ever do with the Ether of the spell?" She asked as she left again, the shards of his new failure flying into the ground.


    "But... How do I change that?" Eldrian asked and received no reply, instead, at this time Ceph came for a visit. Eldrian deciding it was about time for a break, yet he started bing worried. By now six hours had passed and no sess.


    As he talked with Ceph, trying to glean something on the way that the young alicorn did magic, Eldrian realized something. Breaking from the conversation, he summoned Nidia.


    Instead of increasing the mass of the water, this time he tried decreasing it. Finding that as he did, he found it hard to keep the mana concentrated. When pushing mana into it to grow itrger, he always lost some to the surroundings. But that was eptable as he just needed to continue to feed it.


    One would assume that when it was smaller the surrounding would have less of an effect or even add mana to it. Eldrian realized this wasn''t the case. It was the opposite in fact. Nidia seemed to be just the right size when cast normally. Justrge and small enough for the surroundings to not affect it much.


    Smaller orrger, then suddenly a pull appeared on the ball of water.


    ''I have been trying to use the same amount of mana.'' Letting half the mana of Nidia go, the ball shrank naturally. Next, Eldrian tried expanding it back to its original size without adding mana.


    This kept him busy for the rest of the day, and the next. Eldrian attempting the same thing with each element,ing to learn how the mana in the air interacted with his spells. And more importantly, how it pulled or pushed on them.


    "Finally!" Eldrian shouted in joy, not having seeded with the task Zamia gave him. Rather, with the one he had made for himself.


    Instead of casting the Tier 0 spells as they were intended, he would let his mana slowly move out and form a me or drop as small as he could possibly manage. The amount of mana this required was so little the system couldn''t even pick it up. The me and drop were so small, in truth the me was more a spark and the drop was just a drop of mist.


    For Light and Dark, Eldrian repeated what he had done. Using what he had learned over the past two days about the pull of the surroundings on these specific elements and how to control so little mana. Executing it took him half of the day, making it around two in the afternoon when he decided to take a break.

 Chapter 439: Queen sized cabin

    <h4>Chapter 439: Queen sized cabin</h4>


    Nature, wind, and earth were trickier to master. For earth, he couldn''t do much other than try and control more or less of it. Both of which didn''t do much. For nature, he would lose control of it when the spell was around a third of its size.? For wind, the wind even on a windless day would destroy his spell.


    In the end, Eldrian had to bench them. Finally, he returned to the ice disk. Forming the mana beforehand near his right hand, Eldrian slowly let it flow from him to the air above his hand.


    Altering the amount of darkness to the smallest decree to ensure the ice stayed a consistent heat. Fighting the natural heat transfer from the surrounding in this cure way.


    Slowly, from a spec of ice, a disk became formed. Yet, this was just the first step. ''Good, now I have to learn how to change the form after the fact.'' Eldrian mumbled, doing this a few more times before moving on.


    Casting Frost Needle, and then removing mana and adding it back to alter the form while keeping it stable. It took him around two hours to seed, and when he did it took an entire 5 minutes for the icicle to be a disk. But he was happy nheless.


    Smiling, Eldrian felt like it was time for a break and something to eat. So, he headed over to the spring and found a nice spot of shade.


    ...


    "What now?" Eldrian asked to who was knocking on his door. Having just logged out after continuing to improve his control of the ice element and dearly wishing to fall asleep to recover.


    Controlling mana as he was training was draining, and the normal tricks didn''t help to keep his mind rxed. He needed a few hours of sleep every day, luckily two to four seemed to be enough.


    Controlling ice was also far harder than just water or darkness alone, but he wasn''t going toin. He realized he hade onto something far more thanks to it. He wasn''t even sure if Zamia meant for him to go with the path he had gone, but she hadn''t stopped by during the past two days so he assumed she was happy with what he was doing.


    "Sorry for the disturbance," Constantin said, jumping through the door before Eldrian could close it.


    "No, it is quite alright," Eldrian said, confused why Constantin seemed to be in such a rush. "What''s up?"


    "I-I, I think I felt it!"


    "Felt what?"


    "Mana!" Constantin shouted with gusto.


    "Oh!" Eldrian''s eyes flew wide open as he waited for Constantin to exin.


    "It was like this spark. Deep in my stomach, heating up my entire body as I called out Floga. I thought I was mad for keeping at it, heck, everyone thought I had lost it. But I felt it!"


    "Alright, calm down," Eldrian said, cing a hand on Constantin''s shoulder to stop him from pacing around nervously.


    "You say it was like a spark, did you manage to connect to it?"


    "No, no-no-no. Not at all. Ites and goes so quickly that I am never able to even realize it before it is gone. But!"


    "But it is there." Eldrian finished his sentence, "That''s good. Now you just need to keep trying until you can connect with it."


    "Of course!" Constantin finally calmed down, having been afraid it was just his imagination ying with him. Focusing on a spell module and shouting its word of power for days on end, even he had started to think he was going mad.


    Constantin suddenly realized how he had acted, straightening up, he quickly coughed to clear his throat. "Sorry about that, I was a little..."


    "It''s fine, I get how you feel." Eldrian said, his enthusiasm when making a discovery was often just as lively.


    "Right, enough about that. Are you ready?"


    "Ready? For what?"


    "Your cabin, of course!"


    "It''s today?" Eldrian''s eyes flew open in surprise.


    "Yes, we managed to do the final stress tests yesterday. They should being to install it in a few hours. I rmend you go for a walk or something, it is going to be quite dusty in here."


    "Sure," Eldrian replied, deciding to go take a nap under his favorite tree. For synchronization reasoned, the seasons in-game were the same as that IRL. To keep the day-night cycle of the game and real-world as close as possible to one another.


    The season however was far more clear in the real world. Half the trees have started to turn to the color of autumn. With a number of them having even shed a few brightly colored leaves.


    This however didn''t change his n, so after leaving his room and fighting his fatigue. Eldrian got himself something to eat while talking a bit with via and the others. She had finally been promoted, getting to participate in actual coding.


    While Eldrian was happy for her, he didn''t have the mental energy to show it. So after eating, he quickly jogged to his tree and fell asleep under it within seconds.


    ...


    Returning to his room, Eldrian looked at the massive cabin installed in the corner with confusion. "Why is it so big?" He asked, the cabin''s height was from floor to roof, while its width was that of a queen-sized bed.


    "That is because we suspect you will do some crazy things. The standard module we are working on formercial sales is half the height and only as wide as a twin-sized bed.'' Joren replied.


    "And what is the extra size supposed to do?" Eldrian asked, unable to think of anything it might be used for.


    "There are a few things, the most important is that ites with its own designated system to watch over you." Seeing Eldrian''s confused look Joren quickly cleared up that it wasn''t The System.


    "This system isn''t a full AI. Its functions are simple, to monitor you like all other devices. But unlike those devices, it will start treatment if deemed necessary. For example, if you stay in the game for longer than a day, it will automatically insert IV drips to sustain your body."


    Joren naturally didn''t want to go into detail about all the functions, as that would take hours. "Naturally, that is just one of the things it can do. And the smaller versions will also be capable of doing this. Another part of Miracle is also working on enhanced nutrient fluids, which once certified as safe, we are also going to start selling."


    "Again, why is it so much bigger then?" Eldrian asked after Joren''s admission that the IV part wasn''t the reason.


    "Ah, right... It is mostly more stacked for emergenciespared to those we are going to sell. Commercially, we n to have the limit be three days of gaming. And this will naturally only be allowed once a week and with good reason. Like a pressing quest."


    "Yours instead can sustain you for an entire week without human interference. However, that will be truly bad for your physical wellbeing." Joren paused to make sure Eldrian understood. "But, we know that you truly care for those on Gaia and hopefully this will allow you to stay inside longer if you need."


    Eldrian took a moment before thanking Joren, simply trying to digest the news. "Is that all the reasons why it is double the size?"


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Let''s see if we can break the top 100!}

 Chapter 440: Elizabeths news

    <h4>Chapter 440: Elizabeth''s news</h4>


    "No, we also made itrger to amodate adding more modules in the future." This was the true reason for the increased size, but even Joren didn''t know what they might add in the future. The first n was outside of nutrient IVs, they would add the enhanced nutrient fluids.


    That, however, was still a good while away.


    "So it is mostly wasted space right now?" Eldrian countered, this appeared to be the case especially since the chair inside the cabin was onlyrge enough to fit one person. Its appearance was simr to the immersion chair, but with far more padding forfort.


    "For now," Joren smiled before exining to Eldrian how the cabin worked, what he could set, and how to actually climb into the monstrosity.


    Eldrian found that the chair was veryfortable, the padding clearly some type of advanced memory foam. Shaping into the optimal form for its upant.


    After helping Eldrian get used to the basics, including the maintenance he would need to do to ensure that the nutrients stayed fresh, Joren got ready to leave.


    "Joren, have you made any advancements regarding how we enter the game. My current training has me exhausted when I exit the game."


    "I''m sorry, but the technology relies on having you experience gaming as a vivid dream. However, the higher your affinity the lesser this will be possible. Plus, actually doing mentally draining tasks are going to tire you regardless."


    Eldrian nodded, not having expected that they had somehow managed to improve on an already sci-fi-ish technology. Before logging in, he checked the forum and specifically the new thread that had been started by Lizzy and then supplemented by Erik.


    In this thread yers shared how they managed to start to gain control over magic. The physical feeling they had experienced and how they had managed to hone in on it. Unfortunately, exining a feeling stayed a difficult topic. But slowly the thread was growing and even someone without any experience could gain some insights.


    ...


    ''Cabin Synchronization Initialized...'' Said the smooth female voice belonging to Ziraili, the AI in control of managing all yers'' connection to ANW. However, she didn''t just say these words, they also appeared in the darkroom where Eldrian found himself.


    "Ah Eldrian, it''s you." She suddenly changed her tone as she realized who was consenting via the cabin.


    "Hey, Ziraili." Eldrian smiled, curious if he was going to need to chase wisps or fight phantom figures again.


    Ziraili took a moment to quickly collect all the data she had on Eldrian and shift it onto the storage of the cabin, after which she simply told him there was no need for a resynchronization.


    "After yourst affinity breakthrough, I already have all the data I need. The immersion chair was a big upgrade from the helmet, but the cabin is more just an update." She said as she sent Eldrian into the game.


    ...


    "Interesting..." Eldrian mumbled as he appeared in the de just past two in the morning. The only reason he had tried logging in so soon was due to expecting some type of synchronization process. Now he didn''t quite know what to do.


    After a few seconds, he decided to get onto improving his control over the ice element even further. Logging out with sunrise to get some dinner, and then back into the game.


    A few weeks quickly passed, Eldrian''s efforts had been properly rewarded. He had moved through all the spells that had physical manifestations he could actually control. This meant he hadn''t increased his control over nature.


    It felt strange leaving the one element he always used to advance to the next Tier behind, but Eldrian had no other choice. He couldn''t practice it like the others, and if he attempted then the target''s own mana would interfere with his control over the spell. Even when trying to cast it on himself.


    What he had gained for his efforts however, was reaching Rank 4 with Frost Needle, Volida, Aeraki, Vrachos, Nerokas (water jet type spell, did little damage and was more used to clean surfaces ofrge structures).


    All other spells in Tier 1 he managed to bring to Rank 3 with ease thanks to his enhanced mana control. And it was at this point that he feltfortable asking Zamia for his next task.


    "Zamia!" Eldrian called out just as she was about to head out to scout the Chaosnds with a few others. Naturally, she was in her Alicorn form at this moment.


    ''Have you finally managed to do it?'' She asked mentally, telling the others to go ahead without her.


    Eldrian nodded and quickly formed an ice disk as if it was nothing. The sight left her slightly shocked.


    ''Seems you did more than just change the structure, this...'' She paused and looked at him as she wondered if he realized what he had aplished. ''You managed to learn how to actually dynamic cast?''


    ''Not quite, I am still limited by practice. Look,'' Eldrian had the disk take on the form of a dagger, but this took a full minute. It wasn''t smooth and took a great deal of concentration.


    ''I see, but it is still quite impressive. And it only took you a little over two weeks.''


    Eldrian nodded, not replying. Two weeks might not be much, but he was worried for those on the frontlines. Not just Vivian, but also Kydone, Pros, Evale, and Katania.


    He wasn''t worried for his yer friends for a simple reason, he was constantly talking with them and thanks to that he also knew that things at the camp were still rtively quiet.


    The undead had attempted a few more assaults, but with everyone focusing on defense they failed miserably. At the same time, the army was busy actually making a stone wall from fort to fort, turning the wooden palisade into a real obstacle. One that a single undead beast wouldn''t be able to make a hole in.


    The more shocking thing however had been when Elizabeth had shared that she had managed to learn divine magic. Eldrian had been bbergasted, even knowing that the system was helping them he still had no idea how anyone managed to actually memorize the quibbles that were the spell module.


    Her reply had opened his eyes, and also made him realize why he wouldn''t ever be able to make sense of it. It was truly an AI-imposed limitation.


    Even for yers, to learn divine magic they needed to believe in one of the gods. One of the AI. Naturally, this should be impossible. Knowing that the gods are just AI made it that most people were just incapable of believing in them.


    For Eldrian it was doubly impossible as the AI refused to share divine magic with High Elves, as per the race description. Thus, even if he was able to believe in them, they wouldn''t honor his faith like with other races.


    Regardless, this was thergest reason why so few yers were actually clerics or priests. The requirement was just insane. However, Elizabeth had gone by a bit of a different path.


    Her thoughts had been simple, the system AI was also an AI and hence should be capable of being a god. So she had prayed to the system, asking for the ability to use divine magic. Surprisingly, Ziraili had responded.


    Not only had this made Elizabeth the first ''believer'' of Ziraili, it had also made Elizabeth her emissary and faith leader. Titles that had shocked Elizabeth and left her stunned.

 Chapter 441: Mana and elements

    <h4>Chapter 441: Mana and elements</h4>


    From here Eldrian had learned that if one managed to gain an AI/gods favor, then the gods would give you the ability to peer into the spell module. Almost like having 3D sses, it would highlight the true spell module.


    Yet, this couldn''t be captured by the recording software. Nor could Elizabeth even attempt to write it down if she wished to share it. She had tried, and as soon as she had started she had started to forget what it looked like.


    Even when offline, instead of forgetting she had already forgotten. Like a fading dream, she could remember that she knew it, but not what it was. The spell module appearing like a blurry picture.


    Regardless of all this, it had instantly boosted the power of the guild. The titles weren''t just titles, they had massive stat boosts,parable to a hidden ss. Along with that, Elizabeth seemed to be able toprehend the divine spells with ease. She had already learned the most useful Tier 1 and 2 spells and was busy trying to reach Tier 3.


    Back to Eldrian''s and Zamia''s conversation, Eldrian had just shown her his ability to form nearly anything he could think of. But hecked the practice to do it with ease, it wasn''t natural. In contrast to how the alicorns always controlled magic through an instinctual feeling.


    "Do you think it is so hard because I am doing something wrong, or?" Eldrian asked, Zamia taking on her elven form to make conversation a bit more normal.


    No matter what, talking through telepathy wasn''t something Eldrian was used to. Talking to an alicorn (a horse with wings and a horn) was even stranger.


    Still, telepathy was certainly more effective for sharing details but right now Zamia didn''t feel that it was needed to share so much.


    "No, normally High Elves take at least a hundred years to get used to the feeling of mana and the elements. During their entire childhood they don''t try to advance Tiers, they just attempt to get used to mana."


    "I would say you just need more time."


    Eldrian nodded, epting that it indeed was most likely that he just needed more training if that was the case. Though he certainly didn''t have years, heck even weeks felt like too much. But he had realized that he had to stop rushing to get out there.


    If he wanted to make any significant breakthroughs, he had to put in the time. He just had to pray that the situation in Taurus didn''t worsen.


    "Right, you have exceeded what I requested you to do with Frost Needle. Next, I would..." Zamia went on to exin that she wanted him to now master a simr control with Tier 2 spells. Showcasing him this with a fire spell simr to Volida first.


    "You don''t want the fire to mindlessly spread. Nor do you want the mana to run low. What I want you to master here is to keep the mes alive..." She then went on to showcase him how to have the icicles of Velona Pagetou (Tier 2 ice spell) merge.


    "This you shouldn''t find hard after mastering ice to such a degree, but it will still be a challenge. If you want, you can first learn Konos Pagou to get a feel for what arger icicle should feel like."


    This continued until she had shown him five different spells, each of a different element. Three of which were hybrid spells (Velona Pagetou being one of them).


    "Do you think you will be able to form the spells, or do you require spell modules of spells simr to those I have shown?"


    Eldrian thought on it for a moment, trying to mimic the earth spell she had shown first. The first difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 was nearly double the mana cost. This didn''t just mean more mana, but also that he needed more focus to control it all.


    During his training these past two weeks he hade to realize that he didn''t need to control just the mana. He also had to keep the element in control. Sure, controlling the mana controlled the element. But it wasn''t true control, it was more just 80% control.


    He couldn''t control fire, or water, or any other element for that matter, directly. Hence, Eldrian had learned that he needed to amodate for the elements.


    For example, water would stay in a certain form until its surface tension (that which keeps a water drop cohesive) failed. Past this point, he had to focus on the mana to counter the tension that the size of the water spell caused. Normally he simply had it push inward to counter the pull of the atmosphere.


    For mes instead, it wanted to spread into the surroundings. To dissipate into the air. Tobat this Eldrian could either focus on a smaller core area, having the mes be not from mana but from the actual air. Or, he found he could follow a method simr to how he kept the water in bnce.


    The two methods were actually important for different goals. The first was better if he wanted direct damage with the fire, and the second was if he wanted an area control.


    This was also why Eldrian chose earth as the spell he would attempt mimicking. Unlike fire and water, the element was already formed and the way mana seemed to interact with it was to manipte it. Which was in contrast with fire and water, which seemed to prefer summoning the element.


    Air was actually also simr to earth. The problem with it was that Eldrian couldn''t see the element, only mana. For earth, it was hard to see the mana as mana sense didn''t give him a 3D view, hence what he saw was hard to make sense of.


    Still, it was the better choice. He mostly focused on what he felt when controlling spells in any case.


    Nature, light, and dark were the elements Eldrian had to focus the least on. Nature because it became lost once it reached the target, and keeping it outside of the intended target made it just mana in the air.


    Light and dark because he had no spells of those, the only ces he used them were in hybrid spells.


    Another advantage earth had over all the others was that not only was it visible and plentiful, it was also resilient. The reason why earth spells cost the same or even more mana even though they just gathered and molded the earth.


    While it was possible to change dirt into stone and stone into sand, doing so wasn''t easy and required an insane amount of manapared to the ease in which water and mes could be summoned. This also allowed Eldrian to know when he really screwed up.


    Focusing on the rock around the size of a football, Eldrian sent his mana into it and focused on the shape he wanted. Simr to how he had trained with Vrachos. However, the sheer difference in the amount of mana required left him with a headache.


    "I can''t, not right away. It is too much." Eldrian said, immediately realizing that he wouldn''t be able to do it even if he tried for a week.


    "I see, no problem." Zamia nodded, having expected this. If Eldrian had really managed to she wouldn''t have known what to say. Learning to truly dynamic cast in just two weeks would have been far too crazy of a thing.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Let''s see if we can break the top 100!}

 Chapter 442: Cephaphyrs lack of control

    <h4>Chapter 442: Cephaphyr''sck of control</h4>


    Due to this Zamia told Eldrian to start with Volida and Velona Pagetou, while she would try and get her hands on the spell modules.


    On the other side of the de, Cephaphyr was being instructed by his dad.


    ''Come now Ceph, change form.'' Agamemas said, trying his best to now teach Ceph everything he would need to know when heading out. For the most part, they had neglected to train him for war, having hoped that peace would prevail and the prophecies would be false.


    Their hope had blinded them, and their parental instincts to try and keep their child out of any danger had added to this blindness.


    ''But why? It is so ufortable, and it makes me squishy!'' Cephaphyr argued, the biggest reason he disliked turning into his elven form was due to how easy it became to hurt himself. His alicorn body was strong and resilient, his elven form not so much.


    ''You need to learn how to befortable in it. Our form isn''t one great atbat. While it is far harder to be hurt, you won''t be able to win.''


    ''Having no hands nor even ws are massive disadvantages. All we can rely on are our wings and magic, but against others of simr strength this isn''t enough. Our bodies will also not be able to protect us then.''


    Agamemas did his best to be patient, but Ceph couldn''t stand the queer feeling of being in his other form. It didn''t feel right, not one bit.


    ...


    A month passed during which Eldrian had continued to train as hard as he could while constantly staying in contact with Elizabeth and the others to ensure Taurus was still doing well.


    The situation at Kynigo and specifically Pyknos Forest had entered a calm peaceful state. The undead no longer tried to attack and slowly the army was also moving out. Leaving just enough people to ensure no sneak attack would work.


    On the opposite side of the kingdom, things were not nearly as good. Herglem''s walls had been breached twice. The centaurs had managed to fend off the attacks thanks to rallying out from the other gates and using the magic tower to destroy the monsters wherever they might cluster.


    Still, their losses were immense. More and more they had to pull soldiers from other cities, leaving them vulnerable. But they couldn''t allow the orcs to conquer Herglem, as that would open a path to most of the rest of the kingdom.


    Elizabeth and the rest have also recently started thinking of going back to Herglem, but from what they heard from the members who were still there, they realized they would just end up dying.


    As such, even though they could teleport, they didn''t go.


    With regard to the yer base as a whole, there were now 20 people in Tier 4. With over a hundred having added their insights in feeling mana. Yet, outside of Erik, it didn''t seem anyone else actually managed to take control of their mana. But everyone was slowly improving and it wouldn''t take much longer.


    "Right, that''s it," Zamia said as Eldrian suddenly changed the air de he had sent towards her into a spear. Focusing most of the pressure at the tip, but massively decreasing the area covered. Zamia just waved her hand and caused it to dissipate.


    "Good, your control has reached a good enough level. You should now be able to continue improving on your own. So... Onto the next part of your training."


    Hearing this, Eldrian groaned. Nearly two months now of constant training, and while his improvement was massive. He felt that he needed to get back on the battlefield. Yet, he knew that even now he was not strong enough.


    He felt confident in facing a normal Tier 5 with how flexible his spells were, but not a special Tier 5 like higher undead. The sheer difference in strength and speed would simply be his end. No amount of fancy tricks would change that.


    What he had practiced and learned through this month was more of the same. Improving his control of mana when casting spells. Learning how to have it not be affected by the environment, and how to shape it outside of the intention of the spell.


    "Stop moping, we have only focused on spell control. But a fight isn''t just decided in spells, we now have to get you to actually be able to make use of what you learned under stress."


    "We''re going to spar?" Eldrian asked in disbelief, knowing it would be impossible for him to do anything to Zamia.


    "No, you are going to spar with Cephaphyr."


    "Wait, what!?"


    "Ceph dear!" Zamia shouted, a few minutester a small child only as tall as Eldrian''s waist came forward. Like his mother and father, in his elven form he had pure white skin. However, his hair was pitch ck with green highlights. His eyes were the same color as his highlights, and on his back was a small pair of bright green wings.


    Eldrian looked at the child in disbelief, "Is that really Cephaphyr?"


    "It-its me." The little boy replied, still ufortable talking but super d that he finally understood the weird sounds everyone made. Or at least what the humans, elves, and dryads he had met made.


    "Zamia..." Eldrian turned to the elvendy in disbelief, "How do you n on having us spar?"


    "Right, you will only spar with magic. Cephaphyr had always been forbidden from improving his magical powers due to the fears of the others. Now, we know what the prophecy actually means and have decided to ignore their fears."


    "However, he isn''t used to fighting with magic. He isn''t used to fighting at all, and you instead need to learn how to adapt."


    With that, Zamia stepped back and joined her husband who had followed behind Cephaphyr. Smiling, he ensured her that Ceph wouldn''t disappoint.


    "Right..." Eldrian sighed and turned to the little boy with ck and green hair. "Ceph, are you ready?"


    Nodding, Cephaphyr''s eyes shone with determination. Hoping to prove himself today.


    "Start!" Eldrian shouted and immediately started summoning an ice shield about a centimeter thick and asrge as his torso. This was a derivative of the Tier 3 Frost Needle, but it took him slightly over a second to have it form.


    This was far too long, Ceph simply sent a wind ball at it. The ball shattered it with ease and sent Eldrian flying. Leaving a massive bruise on his chest.


    Naturally, Eldrian wasn''t in his armor. He was regretting it now as he found that hit had nearly knocked him out.


    "Sorry, I am so sorry. I thought it-" Cephaphyr hurried to Eldrian''s side and quickly started healing him. Making the elf feel useless. When a child who appeared around the age of 10 could defeat him in one spell. He had no words to defend himself.


    "It''s alright," Eldrian said, seeing that Cephaphyr was truly worried. "I just didn''t expect your spell to be that strong."


    Naturally, Eldrian knew why it was so strong. Earlier, he had formed a spear from a wind de. That was because he was incapable of fullypressing the wind to form a ball or bullet. Ceph, however, had cast it with the ease that Eldrian would breathe with, making him realize the stark contrast between them.

 Chapter 443: Zamias training continues

    <h4>Chapter 443: Zamia''s training continues</h4>


    After taking a minute to rpose, Eldrian finally stop up and told Ceph that they should try again. Nervous, Ceph made his way so that they would have 15 meters separating them.


    "Are you sure?" Cephaphyr asked, afraid of injuring Eldrian again.


    "Yes," Eldrian smiled in reply as he quickly threw on his chestte at the very least. This time he nned to rather focus on dodging if he could. So when he shouted start he watched Cephaphyr carefully.


    After a few seconds, Ceph asked, "Aren''t you going to summon a shield again?"


    "No," Eldrian replied while sending a fireball at the little elf. It felt wrong just doing so, but he realized he wouldn''t be able to do anything to him even if he went all out. If somehow Ceph was unable to react, then his parent would naturally interfere.


    However, Cephaphyr easily countered the fire with a massive stream of water. Before having needles form from the stream and all aim at Eldrian. Seeing theme, Eldrian quickly cast a wind storm (Ischyros Anemos Tier 3 version: Thye Anemos) to try and send these needles flying or at the very least scatter the water they were made of.


    This worked, for about half of the needles. The others made it to him with ease and soon he felt like a porcupine. Cephaphyr immediately stopped casting when he realized he had hurt Eldrian again, rushing forward he started healing him again while again feeling terrible. Constantly apologizing.


    ''Clearly, the aim isn''t to have me and Ceph train the same thing.'' Eldrian realized at this point, there was no way that Zamia and Agamemas were unaware of the massive difference between the two. It was also now very clear, yet they weren''t stepping in to stop them.


    ''This is truly dangerous for me, they likely want to force me to my limit. While they likely wish to teach Ceph some restraint.'' Eldrian thought, unaware that Agamemas was constantly instructing Cephaphyr of exactly this.


    ''There is no need to have summons so much water for such a small fireball. Even half would have been too much. As for the needles, it is good you didn''t aim for his vitals, but in a true battle you must never give an enemy a second chance.''


    This repeated until sundown, with Eldrian unable to move thanks to not just mana exhaustion but also having been hurt and healed repeatedly. Even as a yer, the amount of damage he had taken had tired his avatar beyond anything he had experienced before.


    This training continued for another week.


    By the end of this week Eldrian was able to at least not lose thanks to Ceph''s first spell, however, the second or third often had him at his wit''s end. Even with Cephaphyr having learned to control his spells to inflict minimal damage, Eldrian still felt helpless.


    "Right, that is enough of that for now," Zamia said, stepping forward and summoning some water to clean the grass of the blood that was staining it. Today''s was much less, and not just because it had only been three hours.


    "But, it is still morning," Eldrian said after thanking Cephaphyr for healing him again. In a way, this was also torture for the little alicorn. Every day he would end up hurting his friend because he was unable to control his own magic.


    Heck, he had almost killed Eldrian a hundred times. If not for Zamia stepping in at those times Eldrian would have really died.


    "It is, but we are going to change training methods. Cephaphyr hase to realize what he needs to focus on, and why."


    "And me?" Eldrian asked.


    "You havee to learn just how diverse magic can be. But now you shouldn''t fall into the trap of not mastering a set amount of spells in set form."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, feeling that the ability to change a spell at will was simply omnipotent.


    "Because it slows your casting and reaction time. The amount of focus needed to have a spell take on the form of a thought, versus a prepared spell, is fastly different. You should have realized this already, just think of how quick you used to cast versus now."


    Only when she highlighted it did Eldrian realize it. Frost Needle used to take him less than a thought, but now it took him nearly a breath''s time. Pausing, he looked to the side and instead of imagining the icicle as precisely as his new method required, he just pumped in mana and thought of the spell as before.


    As soon as the thought formed, an icicle the size of his arm formed and flew into the trees. Eldrian smiled seeing this, "I see what you mean."


    At this point, he had no idea why he hadn''t received a new system notification. He had assumed he would get one when he managed to learn dynamic magic, and he felt he had. But, he had yet to receive any notification. ''Is it... What am I missing?''


    "Enough of magic, your next training is going to be trying to cast while I pressure you."


    Hearing this, Eldrian''s heart skipped a beat. "You-you?" He asked in disbelief.


    "Yes, don''t worry, I will only pressure you enough to ce you under stress. The aim of this training is to have you still be able to cast spells even when you have just a thought or two to act."


    Nodding, Eldrian got ready.


    This training was far worse than against Cephaphyr. The little alicorn didn''t know how to control his magic, resulting in Eldrian nearly always ending up hurt. But that also allowed Eldrian some rest.


    Zamia, instead, could perfectly control herself. She charged at Eldrian just fast enough to have his mind scramble. Hit him just hard enough to have it register and be painful, but not do much damage.


    She would even go so far as to heal and rejuvenate him during the battle, causing each fight tost not just a minute or two, but half an hour or even some times an entire hour.


    ...


    Crawling out of the cabin, Eldrian feltpletely drained. He had never felt so tired before, yet his stomach was also growling so much that sleep didn''t even enter his mind. Instead, he justid there and tried to gather his breathing.


    "How-why? Am I so tired?" He mumbled through gasps as he finally managed to climb to his feet. On unsteady feet, he moved to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Dreading tomorrow if it was going to be the same.


    Against Old Sword he had felt like the man could read the future and knew all he might attempt. Against Zamia, it felt like she didn''t just know what he would attempt. But she would even allow him to attempt it, only to easily brush away his efforts with a quick punch or kick.


    Leaving him not only injured and without sess, but also reeling from the shock of having his control over his spell and mana destroyed. Her attacks were aimed so precisely that it would always break his concentration at the key moment.


    This, this was by far the worst part. And far worse than any other training he had ever received.


    Yet, Eldrian wasn''t unhappy. While it was shit and felt like hell, he had quickly realized how important getting over this was. How much stronger he grew with each fight if he managed tost to the end.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Let''s see if we can break the top 100!}

 Chapter 444: Quest completion

    <h4>Chapter 444: Questpletion</h4>


    This training hell continued for two more days, and on the third Eldrian finally came to a realization that allowed him to cast even while pressured to the point that even finishing a thought was hard.


    Seeing Zamia''s fisting for his chest, Eldrian didn''t fight his fall nor try to twist his body to dodge. Instead, he thought of a single thing. Using wind to push himself away.


    He didn''t visualize how, he didn''t even control his mana. He just had this idea, and he wanted it to happen. And it did.


    Hearing his wish, his mana acted. Forming a ball of wind at his side. Sending him rolling on the dirt. In no regard was this graceful, he was covered in grass burns and had even broken his arm from the force of hisnding.


    Yet, it had worked.


    He had dodged her attack (granted he had hurt himself more than her attack would have), and he had managed to cast a spell despite the pressure she ced him under.


    "Good job," Zamia said, already by his side and treating his injuries. She hadn''t expected he would hurt himself so much. Heck, she hadn''t thought he would aim his spell at himself.


    "Haha, thanks..." Eldrian said between pants, realizing that he had used over a hundred mana to shoot himself away. Far too much, and also the reason why his ribs were also broken. Which he had only realized once they reset themselves thanks to Zamia''s healing.


    Eldrian tried to settle his mind and fight through the pain, which; while moderated by the system, covered his entire body.


    [Title Gained: One with mana]


    [The yer has learned to not just control his mana, but have it be a part of him. Like moving a limb doesn''t even require aplete thought, just the will to do so. So you havee to learn to control mana.]


    [One with mana is a unique title that tracks your progress in mastering magic. Current progress is undefined (0-1%), as the yer has onlye to unlock it during intense pressure.]


    [Once the yer has managed to fully be one with mana, they will be able to truly use dynamic magic.]


    [Rewarded 2 levels]


    Eldrian read and reread this system message while trying to recover from the intense fight. No amount of recovery magic could rid his fatigue.


    "That is it for today," Zamia said after giving Eldrian a few minutes to recover from the epiphany she was sure he had gained.


    "Al-already?" Eldrian asked, slurring the word as he tried to get up into a sitting position. Failing as his arm buckled under his upper body''s weight.


    "Yes, the past few days have been hard on you. But I needed you to prove that you can still reason and act whenpletely outssed. You did well, now rest."


    Eldrian didn''t need to be told this a third time, without dy he logged out of the game.


    Unfortunately, his body in the real world was not in a much better state. Eldrian didn''t struggle out of thefortable seat of the cabin, instead, he just closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    ...


    He woke a few hourster with Constantin and Gengxin in his room. Thetter was busy confirming that he was still fine while the other was just pacing.


    "Why-why are you here?" Eldrian asked, fighting the grogginess of sleep to focus.


    "You made a new breakthrough, didn''t you?" Gengxin replied, pulling up the moment where Eldrian had managed to cast a spell on his tablet and handing it to Eldrian.


    "This is simr to when you always over immerse. Only... It seems your mind was far more active than the cases back then. So, I needed toe and confirm you are alright."


    "I-I see... I am." Eldrian said, handing back the tablet. Having no clue what the graphs meant.


    "And you?" Eldrian asked, turning to the pacing Constantin.


    "I came to ask what this discovery was."


    ''Right, I think Ziraili is hiding my new titles from them... Or maybe not. Not sure what she meant back then.'' Eldrian thought, deciding to share what he knew regardless, it wasn''t much in any case.


    "It wasn''t so much discovery than something finally... Clicking. If I ask you how you move your arm, what would your reply be? That you just move it, right?"


    Constantin nodded, it wasn''t something that required one to even think.


    "Well, I managed to... For a split second, do the same with my mana."


    Naturally, the two in the room had no idea how significant this was. To them, it felt like that was what Eldrian had always been doing. His spells could move with ease, like an extended limb. While now he could even change their form at will. They failed to see the significance and Eldrian wasn''t going to exin.


    "Is that all?" Eldrian asked as he mbered out of the cabin, stretching his stiff back and his stomach growled with vervor.


    "Ah yes." Gengxin said, "It has been some time since something significant happened so we wanted to make sure you are alright."


    "Thanks..." Eldrian smiled as he left to get something to eat.


    ...


    Eldrian logged back in after getting in some much-needed exercise and meditation with his real body. To not have his mind forget that it was his body.


    "Ah, your back." Zamia quickly changed back into her elven form. "All rested?"


    Eldrian nodded with apprehension, afraid that the training would start right again.


    "We aren''t going to train anymore. You have already managed to aplish all that I have asked of you. I am now going to give you two options."


    Eldrian nodded again, this time serious. Unsure what the options were going to be. At the same time, he also received a notification that he had seeded with the quest.


    [Questpleted: An Alicorn''s Guidance]


    [Optional aim achieved. The yer has managed to cast a true dynamic spell, though the yer has not managed to master it. This is enough.]


    [Quest reward: 3 levels + 5 from optional halfpletion]


    ''Oh wow, that is a lot of levels...'' Eldrian thought while also listening to Zamia''s options.


    "The first is that you stay here a while longer, during which I will teach you how to make use of mana crystals, and even Mov Crystals."


    "Option two is that you bond with Ceph now and then go on your way."


    Eldrian wasn''t sure why they had to be exclusive, but he was tempted to rush out to the frontlines. He had, however, long since realized that he needed to improve as much as he could. Things were still calm at Kynigo, but Herglem was on the verge of destruction.


    Most civilians had been evacuated and were being escorted by most of the army. While a select few had stayed behind to destroy anything valuable and also activate the forbidden spell of the city once the orcs started moving in. With the hopes to im as many of their lives as possible.


    Eldrian knew that he couldn''t do anything if he rushed there, nor could he do much if he rushed to Kynigo. The Higher Undead were still something he knew he couldn''t face, not alone. And for now, there was no need to rush into danger against them.


    {AN: Come join the discord to participate in the conversation... Or just lurk}


    :)


    {Discord: DAM4jsa}

 Chapter 445: Ice Lily cave

    <h4>Chapter 445: Ice Lily cave</h4>


    "I will stay." Eldrian said with determination, hoping that it would not be tooplicated to make use of mana crystals. He had no idea what Creation would do, he hoped to figure out as soon as he possibly could.


    "That is great to hear," Zamia smiled in approval, d that Eldrian was no longer rushing through things. She clearly saw that the urge was still there, but he had control over it. This also reassured her that Cephaphyr would be in good hands.


    So she started exining how mana crystals were used. "There are two ways to use mana crystals for spell augmentations, and quite a number more for crafts. I am just going to teach you how to use them for spells, as the other requires you to also be capable of making something."


    Nodding, Eldrian had no argument. While he hoped he could one day rx and spend some time learning how to smith or even how to make potions, that wasn''t a priority right now.


    "As with most magic, there is a static and dynamic way of going about it. The dynamic however is far more limiting, and as such even I had to learn how to make use of the static method at first. Though I had to improvise since I couldn''t use the actually static technique."


    "Due to this, I will start with the dynamic way, since you will not be able to be taught this right now."


    "Much like how you can control your mana, you can also control a crystal''s. It takes a bit more concentration and feels alien, but the principle is the same. However, the limitation is that the crystal cannot have more than 10 times your mana. Hence, you currently are only halfway to attempting to use even the weakest mana crystals I have."


    Eldrian sighed hearing this, but he wasn''t devastated. Even if he was required to have at least 10% of the mana that was in the crystal, it still meant he might be able to cast Creation when he only had 10k mana, instead of a 100k.


    "The other method is through what we call channeling. It is a mix of a skill and spell, yes, those do exist." She answered, knowing that Eldrian was going to ask about that.


    "The spell basically has you first analyzing the crystal via a spell, determining the density of mana inside. Then, you will have to use a skill to channel the mana while holding the crystal. This is simr to how you use the ability of a weapon. But instead of it working perfectly, it will be constantly fighting you."


    "While this method does not have a limit, if you will be able to actually use it is uncertain. Therger the difference between your mana pool and the mana of the crystal, the harder it will be."


    Zamia paused as she quickly searched her dimensional storage, "I think I just thought of a way to allow you to learn both approaches. The problem is I don''t have a mana crystal small enough."


    Pausing, Zamia thought about it for a moment and decided to finally take Eldrian there. "There might be a way, follow me."


    Nodding, Eldrian wondered why she seemed so serious. Unlike Erik, he had been confined to the de. Not because the alicorns didn''t trust him, but because his training always started as soon as he arrived and he would never have any energy left after to wander.


    Arriving before a massive tree with a trunk so wide Eldrian wouldn''t be able to reach its ends when stretching out his arms. Eldrian realized what tree this was almost instinctually.


    He didn''t say anything, and instead just followed behind Zamia who parted some moss at the tree''s roots. Bringing a small opening to sight, which Zamia broadened with earth magic to allow them to enter.


    Inside, Eldrian marveled at the sight before him. Tempted to stream it, but deciding against it after a few seconds. He wanted to share this with others, but he also knew that yers wouldn''t care for the beauty and instead just want the riches this cave was filled with.


    He still recorded it, but just for himself. For now.


    The walls were covered in soft blue flowers, giving off a soft light to allow one to see inside. A pure sky blue pool was in the center of the cave, with a few small streams flowing from the cave roof, down the walls, and finally into it.


    Outside of this, Eldrian also easily recognized the crystals growing behind some of the nts, and the metal veins were clear to see. Reflecting the blue light of the flowers.


    He also naturally didn''t miss how pure the mana around him felt. He could feel it pushing into his body and slowly purifying his body. Almost bringing him to enlightenment.


    Feeling this, Eldrian used mana sense, only to be left stunned by the sight. The mana was so dense he couldn''t even see a meter into the bright blue mist filling the area.


    Curious, he thought of casting an ice spell. And as he did, it seemed to form before him with ease.


    "Don''t get fooled." Zamia said, "The mana here is so pure and dense that it allows you to easily gain enlightenment. However, this isn''t true enlightenment. What you learn here might not be possible to do outside of such mana rich environment. Ice spells especially."


    Eldrian nodded and let the spell dissipate. Careful to make sure it didn''t disrupt anything in the cave.


    "Why did you finally bring me here?"


    "Finally?" Zamia asked and quickly concluded, "Ah, I see. Faust shared this with you already. There was no need for you to visit here, and while I trust you... This is not something that can lightly be shown to someone."


    Eldrian nodded solemnly, totally agreeing.


    "As for why I decided to bring you here now. I remembered that a few of the caves have mana crystals growing in their walls. While I do not want to disrupt the caves'' ecosystem, making use of some of its gifts isn''t a bad idea."


    Naturally, upon the discoveries of the caves, Zamia and Agamemas had quickly gone to harvest arge number of lilies and metal veins.


    Their aim was to ensure the continued growth of the caves, through hundreds and thousands of years. Thus, they had only harvested enough to make it possible for the lilies and even metals to regrow.


    They had also not let what they had gained sit, when Amnur hade to visit they had given him most of the metals and asked that he forge them some new weapons and armor. Specifically a set for Cephaphyr in both his human and alicorn form, a set capable of changing form.


    The lilies, Zamia had used over half of them to make resurrection potions. Trying to stock up for theing war once Taurus falls. And even if Taurus doesn''t fall, once it was the only kingdom standing, war would be everywhere.


    "Ah, here it is," Zamia said, finding a small mana crystal vein where a crystal barely the size of a fingernail had started to grow. She took it in her hand, and as one would pluck a fruit, she plucked it from the crystal cluster. Leaving Eldrian questioning how, the answer was naturally magic. But still, how?


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN. Let''s see if we can break the top 100!}

 Chapter 446: The ritual starts

    <h4>Chapter 446: The ritual starts</h4>


    Handing the bud of a crystal to Eldrian, Zamia said, "I assume you would wish to simply attempt the dynamic way. It is certainly the better method, especially when using it as a supplement to cast stronger spells."


    Eldrian nodded in reply while enjoying the beauty of the cave some more. After a few minutes, he followed Zamia outside. Having decided against trying to grab something for himself. He would much rather ask, and his greed was lessened by knowing he had no idea how to even make use of the things in the cave.


    "Right, a reminder. It should be simr to when you attempt to control the mana inside of you. Only, it will constantly fight you as you try to pull the mana out."


    Nodding again, Eldrian found himself afortable seat on the gol tree''s roots. Clearing his mind and sending some feelers into the crystal.


    He immediately felt something that felt like a barrier, which he realized was what had made it impossible to enter therger mana crystal and so hard to enter the smaller one.


    This bud of a crystal however didn''t put up much of a fight. Like a bubble, the barrier popped as soon as Eldrian ced it under a little pressure.


    ''I see, this is why she said it is like it fights back.'' Eldrian immediately recalled how he had first learned magic with the Magic Crystal and how it had pulled his mana out of him. This time instead he was the crystal and the bud of a crystal was him.


    It fought to keep its mana, but Eldrian didn''t find it too hard to win the tug of war. However, he realized that he couldn''t just take out the mana. His body was already full, while he could push it inside of him, he had no idea what that would do.


    As such, he let the mana he had pulled out simply go. The crystal losing some of its luster as nearly 5% of its mana stock was lost just like that.


    "That was quick," Zamiamented, while she hadn''t believed it would take long, not even 10 minutes had passed.


    "Yes, this is very simr to how I first learned magic. So it wasn''t a new feeling for me." Eldrian said with a smile, causing Zamia to sigh as she wasn''t quite ready to send Cephaphyr out into the terrible world.


    She knew that Eldrian wouldn''t have much interest in learning the static way now. Its use was generally to have people get use to the feeling of foreign mana and also the tug of war that would follow. As even with those spells, it would ce a heavy burden on the mind.


    Since Eldrian seeded on the first try, there was clearly no need to go through that long-winded approach.


    "Alright..." Zamia took a deep breath to calm herself. "I suppose you want to go now?"


    "No, but I feel I must. However..." Pausing, Eldrian thought about it for a moment and then said, "I would prefer if we can do the bonding now. I feel I know how to reach the next Tier and I no longer want to postpone."


    Hearing this Zamia sighed again as she wondered what effect this would have on Cephaphyr. Luckily, it seemed like Cephaphyr was excited to see the world. He was also very much still in on going with Eldrian.


    While he had admitted that he would miss Akarui, who still had a long way to go, he wanted to see what was outside of the forest.


    "Follow me," Zamia said, wiping a tear from her eyes as she took Eldrian to where Cephaphyr and Agamemas were training. Soon, the shes of titans could be heard as the sight before Edvard was that of newly formed caverns in the mountains.


    Zamia had led him to the back of the forest, to the start of the mountains that surrounded the forest. There, the two were fighting.


    Or more urately, Cephaphyr was throwing all he could at his dad who would either counter it with a wave of his hand or dodge it by seemingly just stepping to the side. Effortlessly.


    "Dear! It''s time." Zamia shouted, causing the handsome elven man to smile as he stopped moving.


    "I see, are you still sure about this?" He asked, not to his wife, but to his son.


    "Yes! I want to go help!" Cephaphyr shouted seriously. His parents smiled hearing this, though both of them worried. The only silver lining was that if their n worked, then Cephaphyr would also be immortal like the Chosen.


    "Alright, then let us start."


    Saying this, Agamemas suddenly summoned a massive tform with a diameter of at least 10 meters (33ft). It was made of a pitch-ck metal and floated in the air. 16 points on its side had massive Mov Crystals embedded, while in the center a Magic Crystal floated.


    Seeing this, Eldrian had no words. But he did have one question, which took him 15 seconds to ask. "Is that... A portable magic tower?"


    The runes engraves between the Mov Crystals reminded him of those engraved on the walls of the Magic Crystal rooms, only; there were 16 instead of the 5 or 6 such as with the basement rooms.


    "No, though its functions are slightly simr. We call this a Mage''s Destruction Disk, and it does the same functionpared to a magic tower. Except it doesn''t gather the ambient mana, and instead relies on the Mov Crystals." Agamemas replied.


    Waiting for the two to climb onto the tform which had been lowered to the ground, Agamemas asked the two if they were still ready.


    "Yes." The two quickly replied.


    "Then get ready, this will be a strange experience." Saying this, Agamemas started the process. The Mov Crystals all lighting up and as seconds turned into minutes they started to crack. While even the Magic Crystal started to slowly lose its energy.


    "This..."


    "Isn''t normal." Zamia finished for her husband, "How are they doing?" She asked with extreme worry.


    "They are doing fine, but... Zamia quickly, help me add more mana!"


    ...


    As soon as the spell was activated, Eldrian and Cephaphyr found themselves in the magic abyss. At first, the two were estranged. But it didn''t take long for them to be pulled towards each other.


    "Haru... No? Eldrian?" Cephaphyr was shocked by the flood of information entering his little mind. Most of it made little to no sense, while Eldrian instead gained a flood of information of his own.


    Of a life of istion, without any friends and always shunned by his own kind. A life without answers, just questions.


    Time passed as the two were separated and brought together repeatedly. One moment they would be in the Mageia Avyssos, the next in a ce Eldrian had never before even dreamed of. A ce of light, seemingly endless but clearly not.


    He would feel the carefree nature of his friend fighting against the desperation of being shunned. Keeping his wings tied like shackles. That was, until he met an elf. An elf who didn''t care for the color of his coat and feathers, and in fact even found it beautiful.


    Suddenly, Eldrian was reminded of when he was inside Kydone''s soul as he felt himself soaring freely without restraint. Until he found himself in the Mageia Avyssos again. Before his own soul.

 Chapter 447: Zoe Partner

    <h4>Chapter 447: Zoe Partner</h4>


    Looking at the dark purple crystal before him, Eldrian didn''t know what to say or think. He was still reeling from the overflow of memories. He only regained his ability to think when an afraid voice asked him, "Is this your soul?"


    Looking to the side the voice hade from, Eldrian saw a phantom of Cephaphyr. The little Alicorn was nearly invisible in the abyss, and if not for his green feathers Eldrian wouldn''t be able to see him at all.


    "It is," Eldrian replied he hadn''t hidden this from them. He had shared the state of his soul and also that theirs (the Chosen) are in the Mageia Avyssos.


    "Why is it?"


    "I have no idea," Eldrian admitted.


    A moment of silence befell the two, until Cephaphyr asked. "Is it true?"


    "Is what true?" Eldrian asked, his heart racing as he already knew what the question was.


    "Are we really just a game?" Cephaphyr asked, and Eldrian quickly denied it.


    Kneeling before the little Alicorn, Eldrian looked him in the eyes and said seriously, "No, you are much more."


    "But..." Cephaphyr tried to avoid Eldrian''s gaze, but he quickly grabbed his head to make the little alicorn look him in the eyes.


    "It doesn''t matter. Why would it matter? What does it change?"


    Cephaphyr stayed quiet for quite a while, before slowly trying to pull back. "But... You can stop the invasion. Why don''t you!?"


    "Ceph, I can''t do a thing. If I could, I would have long since done so. I am trying my best to grow stronger so I can make a difference!"


    "But..."


    "Ceph! Tell me, why does it matter?"


    "You always knew that there were gods, that they could stop things if they wanted. What does this change? The gods are still there, they still do what they want!"


    Cephaphyr took a moment to take this in, as he did his ethereal phantom form started growing more real.


    "Right, they could stop it at any moment! By they never did!" Cephaphyr started fuming in anger, only to quickly calm down as he thought back to the devil attack.


    "It isn''t just them though..."


    Eldrian waited patiently for Cephaphyr to continue.


    "The devils, demons, and monsters! They could all stop this! But they want war... Why? Why?" Cephapyr''s voice turned into a whisper, and Eldrian quickly moved tofort him.


    Hugging the little alicorn andbing his mane, Eldrian said, "It is who they are, as we are who we are."


    After a moment of silence, Cephaphyr asked, "Your real name is Eldrian?"


    "Yes, but my avatar is Haru. It isn''t a fake name."


    Cephaphyr nodded and didn''t say more for now. Taking his time, he tried his best to sort through what he had learned.


    "What now?" He finally asked, Eldrian sighing in relief. Happy that Cephaphyr hade to ept the news, and quite easily at that.


    ''The advantage of being young.'' Eldrian thought as he stood up.


    "Now... I have no idea. ording to your mom, we should have our souls bonded. Maybe... Maybe my soul being in the Mageia Avyssos is a problem?"


    "Or..." Cephaphyr paused and immediately turned to look to the right.


    "I see, incredible. You sensed me." A soft female voice said, belonging to Ziraili. "You Mythic Grades are no joke."


    "You are one of the... Gods?" Cephaphyr said, failing to recall the term AI as it meant nothing to him and gods just made more sense.


    "I am indeed," A wisp appeared before the two. "Eldrian, the reason this isn''t going smoothly is due to the type of operation the alicorns are performing."


    Eldrian nodded, he already knew it was a unique way of bonding. Ignoring all but Tier.


    "The first reason why you are still here is the shock on both of your minds from having momentarily gained ess to the other''s memories."


    Both nodded, having already been aware that this would happen.


    "The other reason is that your soul is differentpared to the natives. While all souls are unique, the Chosen are more so. I am afraid you will have to make a sacrifice to have it seed, or abandon it now."


    Suddenly, both received a system notification.


    Cephaphyr was shocked senseless as he saw the prompt before him, while Eldrian was stunned that he could receive this in the Mageia Avyssos. Reading Eldrian''s confusion, Ziraili exined.


    "Due to your bonding there is a path to both your souls and bodies, thus I am able to do this. Now quick, decide."


    [Eldrian (Human-Chosen-High Elf-Candidate) and Cephaphyr (Mythic Grade Magical Creature-Alicorn) have entered a ritual to have their souls bound. This is not something to be taken lightly, and can never be undone.]


    [Unlike a normal taming, this is a mutual bond. You two will be equals and your lives will from now on be forever intertwined.]


    [Due to the strength and potential of both, and the uniqueness of a Chosen''s soul, you must also have your levels equalize. And then sacrifice 5 levels to finish the bonding.]


    [ept and continue with the bonding, decline and have it cancel.]


    Reading this, Eldrian quickly did the match. He was currently level 40, while Cephaphyr was just level 15. Equalizing them would have him drop to level 27 or 28, he assumed the lower one. And then losing 5 more levels...


    ''No, there is no way that will stop me!'' Eldrian quickly shook his head to rid himself of the worries about levels and stats.


    Currently, he had 60 free attributes, but who cared about that? Even if he were to have his attributes weakened or stripped, that was still no reason to abandon the bonding.


    "I ept!" Eldrian said, nearly immediately.


    Hearing this, Cephaphyr turned to him in surprise while a warm feeling flooded his heart. ''Eldrian didn''t even hesitate, so neither will I!''


    "I ept too!"


    With their eptance, their environment changed again. Finding themselves back in their bodies, they both immediately discovered the link between each other.


    [Zoe Partner - Cephapyr (Alicorn)]


    [As a result of being a Zoe partner, you two will forever be intertwined with each other.]


    [Affects:]


    [Intertwined: All XP gained shared 50-50, all XP lost shared 100%]


    [Call on each other: Through sacrificing 25% of your mana you will be able to call upon the other. If the other epts, they will sacrifice 50% of their mana to teleport to you. (Does not work in restricted areas, and certain arrays and formations can increase the required mana)]


    [Sacrifice: Sacrificing 99% of your stamina, mana, and health, and entering an extremely weakened state for 2 weeks, you will be able to revive your Zoe Partner. Both will also lose 10 levels.]


    ''Ahhhhh...'' Eldrian quickly reread it and still didn''t know what to say. He was happy that it seemed like the revival part would work, but the cost of making use of it seems extremely severe.


    The summoning part seemed nice, but not immediately useful. While Eldrian immediately realized that the intertwined meant that gaining levels was going to be far slower forward. Regardless, he didn''t care.


    "We did it," Eldrian said with a wide smile, only then realizing that the tform they were standing on was cracked, the crystals dust, and Agamemas and Zamai soaked in sweat and exhausted.


    ''What happened?''


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 448: Rebuilding his mana pathways

    <h4>Chapter 448: Rebuilding his mana pathways</h4>


    Hurriedly, Eldrian moved to check the two alicorns. They had both reverted back to their natural form as it was the form in with they could use mana the freest. Luckily, it seemed that the two were just exhausted and not hurt.


    Looking at the cracks in the ck metal and the dust of what used to be a Magic Crystal, Eldrian had no words.


    Naturally, he had to use mana sense to see what the metal was. He was unable to receive any details on the disk as a whole. Whether this was because it was broken, or beyond mana sense, Eldrian didn''t know.


    However, the metal it was made out of was shocking enough. Leaving him bbergasted at the fact that it had cracked with seemingly no effort.


    [Voidstone: Rank 5 Crafting Material]


    [A stone from the void, found in the deepest caverns. It is beyond rare.]


    [??]


    Even mana sense couldn''t give Eldrian much information, making it clear that it was a truly powerful and rare material. While Eldrian wasn''t sure if mana sense could give him detailed information on Divine Metals, he felt confident it would be able to do so for anything below that level.


    Next, he turned to look at the sparkling dust near the center of the disk.


    [Magic Crystal dust: Rank 5 Crafting Material]


    [The dust from a Magic Crystal that was depleted so quickly it couldn''t even recover through absorbing the ambient mana. It is one of the rarest materials on the, even rarer than a Magic Crystal as turning it to dust is near impossible.]


    [??]


    Seeing the question marks a second time, Eldrian realized that it was likely in regard to the usages of the items. And instead of waiting for the wind to blow this dust away, Eldrian scooped it in his hand and stored it in a small pile away from all his other items. Ensuring that there was a good distance between it and anything else.


    Unfortunately, the slot-type inventory only took in single items. The dust counted as thousands of individual items. Eldrian was confident it would be the safest ce to store it, if it were possible.


    "Did you seed?" A tired Zamia asked.


    Nodding, Eldrian smiled and shared the difficulty of resurrection. "As I always have, I will make sure to prioritize his life. My resurrection will be far easier, so if possible I will stay behind to give him a chance."


    Hearing this, Cephaphyr wanted to give a facade of a brave face, however, he too had gotten the system''s message. To him, it wasn''t as sleek and clear as to Eldrian, but he clearly understood that him dying would not be a good thing.


    Of course, he wasn''t a psychopath who wanted to charge into danger and die, he had just hoped he wouldn''t be coddled. Naturally, he had dreamed of charging into battle like a hero. He clearly understood this would not be smart, and while he was still immature, he wasn''t dumb.


    "Thank you... Then?" Slowly standing up, Zamia summoned a brightly colored fruit and ate it. Feeding herself via magic, since she didn''t have hands in her true form. And at the moment, her mana was too chaotic to allow changing form.


    "Right, I am nning to first reach Tier 4. Once I manage that, we will go. If that is fine with you, of course." Eldrian turned to Cephaphyr who quickly nodded in agreement. He wasn''t capable of forming words through wind magic just yet. Thenguage itself was still a bit too foreign to him.


    So, instead, he shapeshifted, "Of course, I can''t wait to see the kingdom of centaurs. I have heard so much about them, but..."


    "I am sorry Ceph..." Zamia sighed as she recalled how often she had to say no to his requests to explore.


    Shaking his head, Cephaphyr replied with childlike forgiveness, "It''s fine, mom. At least I can go and see the world now."


    Nodding, tears formed in her eyes as relief flooded her. Happy that her only child wasn''t holding it against her.


    "I''ll leave you to talk a bit," Eldrian said, climbing off the tform which was slowly starting to fall apart.


    ''I should ask for some of the pieces, maybe...'' He thought as he headed to the spring.


    He wasn''t nning to keep the dust he had collected for himself. While it might be priceless, he had no way of using it. This was also why he hadn''t jumped when Zamia had suddenly talked. He had just focused on saving it from the winds.


    However, he wasn''t going to bring that up right away. Instead, he wanted to give mother and child some time alone. He was certain their feelings must be extremelyplicated at the moment and not for him (nearly a stranger) to bud into.


    Finding a nice tree and the right distance to have the flowing water just be ambient noise, he started meditating.


    Looking at the pathways he had madest time, Eldrian smiled and shook his head.


    ''I get what I was going for, but this is quite primitive.'' With a nostalgic smile, Eldrian started deconstructing what he had madest time. Wanting to start from scratch.


    This would have been impossible for him to do before his training. But thest 2 months had allowed his mana control to grow by leaps and bounds. While he couldn''t always move his mana as one would move a limb, he was close to achieving this.


    For now, it required minimal thought, but it still required thoughts. Only when he had bottled up all his mana in his heart, did Eldrian start feeling the pressure.


    ''Right, just stay there until I can finish what I want to do.'' Eldrian said, but of course, he wasn''t talking to the mana, that would be strange. Right?


    After saying this, however, it seemed like his mana listened. It still ced some pressure on his mind, but that was simply because of the pressure of having so much mana bottled in one ce.


    ''Okay, I liked the premise, but it wascking. Mana isn''t blood, sure it flows through me. But it isn''t blood. There is no need to have a vein and artery. Heck, there is no need to have dedicated return paths.''


    ''Like electricity, it just needs to be aplete circuit... But... I do like the return paths. Maybe...''


    Getting to work, Eldrian slowly pulled just a tiny string of mana out and used it to make the framework.


    His first target was no longer his limbs, but rather his organs. He quickly formed awork between them all, allowing multiple mana flows to each from different directions.


    ''I don''t think spell modules will work. No, they differently won''t. But, arrays or runes might. That will be for next time though.'' Eldrian thought as he worked, moving from the organwork he now addedrger strings to his limbs. However, he didn''t make return pathways per se.


    Instead, from therger pathways, a number of smaller interconnect ones sprung. The idea being that the mana should spread through his entire body, not just select areas.


    He had these small pathways meet at longer ones along the limb (two for each limb for now), but they didn''t return to the heart. Rather they returned to the organwork.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}


    {Discord: DAM4jsa}

 Chapter 449: Tears of joy

    <h4>Chapter 449: Tears of joy</h4>


    He also kept the idea of having a flowing circle for mana umtion at his hands and feet. So he added them again and also extended pathways to the fingers and toes.


    When Eldrian wanted to start on the head he found himself struggling to keep everything as is. Thework wasn''t extremelyplex, mostly just simple geometrical shapes to connect the mana ''strings''. But it was bing too much.


    So, to end it off, Eldrian decided to simply have the mana flow to his head in a circle. With pathways connecting it on all sides. He had no idea what it would do, he simply wanted the flow of mana to fill his entire body. Not select areas.


    ''Alright, let''s see if this works.'' Eldrian thought, lifting the pressure he was ced on the heart to keep his mana there. As soon as he lifted it, his mana flew to fill all the strings. Quickly however, he realized that his mana was too little for thisrge of awork.


    The pathways were dull and the flow was slow. Realizing this, Eldrian smiled as this was a clear indication that he could now store far more mana.


    Focusing on the mana around him, Eldrian started absorbing it.


    It took a long time for him to finish, a few hours in fact. The more he absorbed, the harder it became as the mana density inside him grew. Yet, he wasn''t going to just stop. As such, he had continued until he felt bloated.


    Opening his eyes, Eldrian smiled as he could feel the massive increase even without the system needing to inform him. Though he still read them to get a better idea. Numbers are after all much clearer indications than just a feeling.


    [yer has reached Tier 4 in the hidden ss: Protector]


    [Attribute Growth: All attributes increased by a further 40 points, to a total bonus of 75 from the hidden ss''s attribute growth.]


    [Stat Bonus Growth: 37.5% to all stats]


    [Skill and Spell Enhancement: 15% boost to Tier 4, 30% to Tier 3, 55% to Tier 2, 100% to Tier 1, 350% to Tier 0]


    [Legacy path update:]


    [yer haspletely revamped their unique mana system. New legacy ranking: B+]


    ''Umm... There are plus and minusses?'' Eldrian was shocked that it wasn''t even considered A rank, though it was true that while there was much more going on now. For the most part, it was still simple.


    He was curious what S rank would require then, and also what the limit was. Eldrian felt confident he would be able to reach S rank if he added runes or arrays, if that was possible.


    [Unique mana pathway bonuses at current rank (B+) and development (Tier 4):]


    [Stat growth - Mana: 600 ; Stamina: 150]


    [Atrribute growth: 50 Consitution, 15 Strength, 15 Agility, 35 Spirit, 50 Inteligence]


    [Please name the legacy]


    ''Wow...'' Eldrian knew that he had grown stronger, but the bonus was still quite shocking. He also realized something strange, ''Seems I should be able to increase my Tier without redoing the mana pathways. How I have no idea though...''


    Putting this to the back of his mind, Eldrian pulled up his stats and marveled at the growth. Smiling as he felt much more confident now. Adding his training, he was confident he would be able to put up a good fight against most Tier 5''s.


    He could also gain another boost quite soon if he reached Tier 4 with his other sses (magic and melee).


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 22 (0/6.9M XP)]


    [Hidden ss: Protector (Tier 4)]


    [Normal ss: Magic (Tier 3) ; Melee (Tier 3)]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes:] (Author Note: The ''Was'' indicated in [] refers to chapter 404. Between the brackets are the actual attribute level. Those before the brackets are the reduced due to level loss and free attribute being negative.)


    [Constitution: 216 (246)] [Was 206]


    [Strength: 208 (238)] [Was 198]


    [Agility: 294 (324)] [Was 284]


    [Spirit: 213 (243)] [Was 202]


    [Intelligence: 235 (265)] [Was 225]


    [-30 free attributes]


    ''Wow, the penalty for losing too many levels is really harsh...'' Eldrian had never experienced this before, thanks to the fact that he always banked free attributes, he had never gone through this.


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 466 (530)] [was 415]


    [Mana: 1099 (1158)] [was 686]


    [Stamina: 505 (575)] [was 453]


    [Attack (With Aoidos): 75] [was 71]


    ''Still, my growth is truly impressive this time around.'' Eldrian smiled as he felt the itch to test himself grow. As he stood up and looked around, he saw Cephaphyr sitting with his parents near the spring.


    Not wishing to disturb them, he decided that it could wait for tomorrow. It was already quitete, so he decided to log out for the day even though it was a few hours earlier than normal.


    ...


    Stretching after climbing out of the cabin, Eldrian could feel that something was different. But he couldn''t quite ce his finger on it. After going for a run this feeling grew even more.


    Naturally, there was only one thing to do in this case. After filling his belly of course.


    That was to go to his favorite tree that had now almost no leaves left. Sitting under its bare branches and enjoying the morning sun that was just starting to rise in the sky, Eldrian closed his eyes and meditated.


    Immediately he felt a massive difference. Last time, he had managed to start to feel his surroundings. This time, he could feel even more. The soft morning breeze with its icy chill wasn''t just that. Eldrian could feel that it was a greeting to a new world.


    Slowly, after nearly an hour of meditation, Eldrian opened his eyes. For a split second, the world before him had a few specks of colorful mists. There was noparison to what he had seen in that split second to when he used mana sense, but he was confident it wasn''t his mind ying tricks on him.


    Closing his eyes again, Eldrian focused on the elements. He focused on the free feeling of wind and the sturdiness of earth. He focused on the heat of a me, and of the wetness of water.


    He entered such a state that time flew, he didn''t even realize as the sun set and night arrived. He didn''t even realize when the moon reached its apex in the sky.


    No, he was so immersed that he didn''t even realize when someone tapped his shoulder and asked if he was alright.


    ''You are so sparse, but you really are here.'' Eldrian smiled and his eyes teared up from the confirmation. Finally, he opened his eyes only to be weed by an entire team of medical experts led by Gengxin.


    "Eldrian, are you alright?" The old man with a pure white goatee asked, kneeling before the young man who they had thought might have entered some sort ofma. Even the readings they had managed to gain from the headset they had ced on his head had told them nothing.


    "Of course, I was just meditating." Eldrian smiled, wiping the faint tears from his eyes and hoping they weren''t going to question him now.


    He knew just how massive a deal his discovery was. There was no way he was going to share it. Heck, he had done his best to hide his body''s increased strength. How could he admit that he had felt mana in the real world?


    Sure, it was so faint that it was almost non-existent. But it was there, and funnily enough, the most plentiful mana was the two least plentiful on Gaia. Light and Dark...


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 450: Suspicion

    <h4>Chapter 450: Suspicion</h4>


    Only now, after answering, did Eldrian realize that it was night. Looking around he smiled andughed, "Haha, sorry. I entered a state unlike ever before and I guess I lost track of time."


    Trying to stand up, Eldrian nearly fell. Luckily, Gengxin was right next to him and quickly offered his support.


    "I really need to get something to eat." Eldrian said, epting the help without argument.


    "Since when were you here?" Gengxin asked as he and Eldrian moved to the ANW department.


    "Morning, I assumest morning. You would have long since taken me into the medical ward if it was two days ago."


    Gengxin nodded, indeed they had realized something was up when Eldrian hadn''t entered the game even after midnight. When they confirmed that he hadn''t left the grounds, they started bing worried.


    However, even after finding them, they hadn''t wanted to move him immediately. Instead, they had first tried to ascertain what was going on.


    "Thanks, sorry for worrying you," Eldrian said as they arrived at the cafeteria. Naturally, there was no one serving food at 3 in the morning. But there was the station to make oneself a snack. With how many people in this building had to work at night, there was almost an entire buffet.


    "It is quite alright... If you wouldn''t mind."


    "Oh sure, you can join me. I guess you have some more questions." Eldrian smiled as he grabbed himself some muesli and yoghurt, along with a slice of bread and some jam.


    "I do, but let''s eat first."


    Nodding, Eldrian finished the slice of bread first before mixing the muesli and yoghurt. Eating it slowly as he told Gengxin to go ahead and ask his questions.


    "I just have a few questions. But they can''t really wait."


    "Sure, go ahead." Eldrian nodded and tried to make it clear he didn''t mind.


    "In this meditation, what had you so entranced that you failed to even realize that someone was asking you if you were alright? And how could you have meditated for nearly an entire day?"


    "Right... That isn''t so easy to answer." Eldrian pondered on how he was going to exin this.


    He certainly didn''t want to share with Miracle that magic, or at the very least, mana, existed on the.


    It was faint and basically useless. But it was here if they knew they would likely push even harder for people to seed in the game. Eldrian had this feeling that it would make things really hard going forward.


    He also had no ns to explore magic on Earth, at least not for a long long time. His focus was on the game. The discovery of mana on Earth hadn''t changed how he viewed ANW.


    "I don''t really know how to answer. You know how people talk about finding enlightenment. Well, it was like that. I just had this sh of inspiration and started focusing on it with all that I have."


    "I see, do you then have any idea how the headset didn''t detect much, or any, brain activity?"


    ''Shit!'' Eldrian nearly panicked, luckily he remembered that his meditative state always had strange readings.


    "I have no idea. After the epiphany, I had simply cleared my mind. Entering a state where time didn''t mean anything. It is almost like sleeping, but I am meditating. Maybe that''s why?"


    Gengxin nodded, he was uncertain if Eldrian was holding something back or just didn''t know how to exin it. However, thinking about how monks talked about clearing their heads and also then being capable of meditating for hours. Gengxin felt this might be something simr.


    "Is there anything else you want to know?" Eldrian asked, hoping that the questions were done. This was the least prepared he had ever been to be questioned.


    "No, that was the most concerning... Actually, do you think you will be able to replicate it? It might help us gain some insights intoatose patients."


    Eldrian didn''t rush to answer, he thought seriously on it for a good while. While trying to replicate it might help Miracle realize what he had discovered, he wanted to help people if he could.


    However, he also realized he might not be able to replicate it even if he wanted. Indeed, he had truly had an epiphany and that was the only reason he had entered such a state.


    Luckily, Gengxin wasn''t pressing him on what the epiphany was. It was what Eldrian feared the most, as he had no good answer to that.


    After nearly a minute of serious thinking, Eldrian finally replied. "I wish I could, but without another sh of inspiration I doubt that will be possible."


    "I see..." Gengxin sighed, having expected the answer. "In that case, I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your food."


    ...


    "Do you think he is sharing everything he knows with us?" Joren asked as soon as Gengxin joined him and Constantin.


    "No, but whether this is a conscious decision by him or not, I am not too sure. He might simply be unable to formte it into words, or he might not be aware of it." Gengxin replied.


    "It is useless to question. As far as I can tell, he really wants to help others learn magic. Over the past 2 months he had been training insanely hard under the alicorns. However, he never stopped helping those on the thread on magic control."


    "Indeed, it is now always the top-ranked thread. Arge part is thanks to him trying to guide others, and as the thread grows, so do the number of people seeding in feeling mana." Joren nodded in agreement.


    Eldrian doing so much to help others learn magic was counterintuitive if he was trying to keep things a secret.


    However, even now with nearly a thousand yers having reported being able to feel their mana. Just three had stated that they were capable of taking control of the said mana. Yet this control was far too rudimentary.


    Constantin had reached the same level as these three, but the control they had was basically useless. They couldn''t even form Tier 0 spells with their control. They could only move the mana inside of them, and only slightly.


    This, naturally, excluded Erik. But his case was different with having a hidden ss and an alicorn teaching him.


    Even if they wanted, they as the developers are unable to give everyone such a rich environment to master magic in.


    "We might be able to make hidden sses more avable." Constantin proposed after some consideration.


    "Do you mean to have more people be able to control mana like this new yer, Faust?" Joren questioned, and Constantin nodded.


    "That won''t really help. His control is only in rtion to his ss, and while that is better than what we have ever managed, it is a far cry from what Eldrian is capable of."


    "Then... We need to make getting a ss such as his easier."


    "Impossible, he learned how to control magic before gaining the hidden ss. We don''t even know how hidden sses really work. All that we do know is that it requires a certain amount of control over mana, and a unique perspective rting to the ss."


    "Then, what about making some tests avable for yers?" Gengxin proposed and the two quickly perked up their ears.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 451: The reason they play

    <h4>Chapter 451: The reason they y</h4>


    Seeing that they were waiting for him to borate, Gengxin happily did. "This will naturally depend on if the AI will agree."


    "But, what if we added a virtual fight. To ess it they would go to a temple and pay a certain amount, and then the specific temple would have a test..." Gengxin paused as he thought of something


    "Mmm, it doesn''t even need to be a fight, just a test based on the god of the temple''s godhood."


    "Unfortunately, I doubt the AI would be willing to indulge us that much." Joren sighed as he said this, "First of all, a virtual test would need to be something wrapped up with souls. Which is an area they really do not like us poking into."


    "Even if they somehow epted that, we would then need toe up with appropriate tests. And we have no idea what types of tests would work. I doubt the AI would just hand us the keys to hidden sses and most likely the key to magic."


    Regardless, the three kept throwing out ideas to try and figure out if there might be something they could do. Even going so far as to have their departments join in.


    ...


    "Thank goodness he didn''t pressure me." Eldrian mumbled as he entered his room, climbed into the cabin, and logged in.


    By now, the sun was almost setting. However, that didn''t matter too much to Eldrian. Looking around, he saw Cephaphyr ying with Akarui near the spring and Erik practicing some spells not far away.


    "How''s it going?" Eldrian asked, causing Erik to lose focus and the grass he had been controlling to return to normal.


    "Good, but I am still stuck at Tier 1. How the hell do you manage to control your mana sopletely?" Erik asked for nearly the hundredth time. This time, Eldrian had a slightly different answer.


    "Practice is key. None of us remember how we learned to walk, but I am certain it took a massive amount of concentration to keep our bnce and move our legs."


    "What does-"


    "Let me finish, please. What I did, and how I always answered your question before was to put all your focus into feeling your mana and attempting to move it. Slowly, you wille to learn how you can actually aplish this."


    Naturally, Eldrian was aware that all that he said was being recorded by Miracle. That didn''t matter though, as this wasn''t really new news. Just a bit more polished.


    "But, thiscks a key part of it. It takes more than just practice to get the leg to move. It takes getting used to."


    "The difference, or what I am trying to say, is this. You shouldn''t consider mana something that is foreign. You should see it as something that is part of you, just like how your legs are part of you."


    "Honestly, even I have yet to seed in thisst part. But I am slowly getting used to thinking of mana as an extension of myself, and as I improve in this, my control also massively improves."


    Erik looked at his friend in deep reflection. He had been pushing himself to get his mana to move, to learn new spells and abilities that Zamia had thought him over the past months. Yet, he hadn''t made much progress.


    It didn''t take him long to realize why. He truly felt that mana was something foreign, not part of him.


    How could he think that it was part of him?


    Unlike his avatar with an entire body reflective of his real one, mana was ethereal and not something that could be found on Earth.


    How could something, that he could only feel in the game, be part of him? How was he to manage to change his perception?


    Turning to the ying kids, Erik smiled as he realized a key part of it. ''No wonder Eldrian is so much better than me. I am not even sure what I see Akarui as. Do I truly consider her a person, or just an AI who I care for deeply?''


    The difference between the two options was truly massive, but it wasn''t easy to know on which side he was. Honestly, Erik felt that he was in between. He truly considered her a little sister by this point, but outside of her, he didn''t see other NPCs as real.


    And this, this meant that some part of him also didn''t consider her to be a real person.


    "How do you do it?" Erik asked, knowing full well that Eldrian considered each and every NPC a person. Even the alicorns, who were an entirely different species. He didn''t discriminate, his only criteria were whether they were intelligent and capable ofmunicating.


    Heck, Erik even remembered how Eldrian had shared his distraught at killing a devil. A race acknowledged as evil by everyone, yet Eldrian had felt bad for killing him.


    Of course, Eldrian had only shared that aftering to grasps with everything. However, the fact remained. Erik felt certain he would feel nothing when killing devils and demons.


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, and instead of borating Erik just sighed. Knowing that the answer to his question was not something that could be exined in words.


    "Forget it..."


    Eldrian shrugged, and after a few minutes he asked, "Do you want toe with me?"


    "To the frontlines?" Erik asked and Eldrian nodded.


    Thinking on it for a moment, Erik found he didn''t like that idea one bit. He wanted to stay to make sure Akarui was safe, but that wasn''t all. He also wanted to grow stronger and learn more about this world.


    He had bought his headset with the aim of enjoying a game. He had yet to y it as such, and he felt he might never be able to. But, he still wanted to at least enjoy it.


    However, did enjoying it mean going to war? Erik felt that that wasn''t for him.


    ANW wasn''t like other games where war was romanticized and pretty. It was brutal, cruel, and uncaring.


    He remembered his time in Vuetvale. Where he had healed person after person, where he had fought on just to make sure Akarui was safe.


    "No, I don''t think I will." Erik finally replied.


    Instead of pushing, Eldrian simply nodded. "Are you going to stay here then?"


    "For now, I can still learn a great deal from Zamia. In fact, without her, I doubt I will ever be able to reach higher Tiers in my hidden ss."


    Eldrian nodded in agreement, unlike him, Erik had a much different road to walk.


    "However, once I have reached Tier 3 or 4, and if Akarui is finally safe and healthy... I would like to tour the kingdom of Taurus. I never nned to join the game to fight a war, and I hope I can manage to stay out of it. But, I do want to see the world and explore magic."


    "Of course, there is nothing wrong with that." Eldrian smiled as he said this, wondering what he would do if there was no pressure to stay and fight. If Vivian... ''No, even if she had stayed in Phallos, I would still havee. I would still be trying to fight.''


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 452: Who is Ziraili?

    <h4>Chapter 452: Who is Ziraili?</h4>


    ''I am not fighting just to protect her, even thinking so is egotistical. I am fighting to help all the natives, to save as many lives as possible. I am fighting because I cannot stand the thought of the servers being shut down!''


    ''I do not think of myself as a hero, but I can''t just sit out of a war... I guess this is a key difference between me and Erik.''


    Eldrian didn''t dislike Erik for his wish though. It was normal to not want to be part of a war. Eldrian realized that he was strange in wanting to fight.


    In willingly endangering himself to help as many as he could. It wasn''t something everyone was willing or even capable of doing. This was made even less normal with those he was endangering himself for being ''fake''.


    Be that as it may, he wasn''t going to try and change himself nor his friend.


    He had long since epted that not all things were rational and logical. Some things just couldn''t be exined.


    "Are you going to go today?" Erik asked after a moment of silence passed.


    "No, I logged in toote. We will go tomorrow, if Ceph is ready." Eldrian knew that Cephaphyr must be working through a heap of things after their bonding.


    For now, Eldrian had simply given him space. To allow the little alicorn to work through it on his own and be with his parents. Eldrian also wasn''t going to ask him to keep it from his parents.


    Not having any other heavy topics he wanted to talk about, Eldrian asked Erik what he was doing.


    "Ah, Zamia told me that it might help me gain better control if I try to move the nts instead of just have them form something. So I have been training with grass. It is the easiest to move, and once I get the hang of it, I just add another de to increase the difficulty."


    "I see," Eldrian smiled and asked Erik a bit about how this worked. Finding that it was simr to how he first used mana.


    Erik wasn''t really controlling the nts, rather he was sending his mana to it with some of his will. Simr to how Eldrian would keep control of his spells, only, the nts had a will of their own.


    Calling it a will might be a bit much. But they did have a way of living and growing. They had life, which might be a better description.


    Erik could try, if he wanted, to extinguish this flicker of life in the nts. However, doing so wasn''t easy and Erik didn''t feel confident he would be able.


    What doing so would allow though, was for him to push the nts past their normal limits. ording to Zamia, they would then wilt and die soon after. Thus, she only rmended doing so in a pinch.


    "I see you finally came," Agamemas said, smiling at the two who were busy discussing magic.


    "Ah, yes. Sorry, I lost track of time." Eldrian replied, quickly turning to the alicorn in elven form.


    "It is quite alright. I appreciate you giving us more time to stay as a family."


    "Of course."


    A moment of silence psed, after which Agamemas asked with all seriousness, "What happened when-?"


    "In all honesty... I do not quite understand it myself. We had our memories ovep for a moment, but only for a moment." Eldrian replied, this was the biggest thing to him.


    "Ceph told me you met one of the gods..."


    "Ah yes, Ziraili." Eldrian wanted to say he had met her a few times, but he didn''t want Miracle to know about that. Even just confirming this was going to have some massive bacsh if the one monitoring him picks up on it.


    Luckily, nothing serious had happened for the past two months where he had just been training. Hence, Eldrian doubted the monitoring was still as strict.


    "Actually, can we talk telepathically? It will be far faster to catch you up."


    Agamemas nodded, not sure why. He suspected that Eldrian feared it might actually be overheard.


    Eldrian naturally hoped that Miracle had missed his addition of meeting a god, and one whose name they didn''t even know.


    ''Do you still remember how tomunicate?''


    ''Of course,'' Eldrian replied almost instantly, ''Can I ask that you first share what Cephaphyr shared with you?''


    ''Why?'' Agamemas asked.


    ''Because, I want to know what he kept to himself. If he decided to do so, then I do not want to go over his head.''


    Agamemas pondered on this for a moment, ''Alright, I did feel that he was keeping some things from us. But that is his decision and we won''t force him... Nor would I force you.''


    ''Thank you.'' Eldrian bowed a little in gratitude, after which he quickly tried to sort through what Agamemas shared with him.


    ''I see, yes. We did meet a god, her name is Ziraili and she is the true god behind our Chosen''s abilities and being here. However, because she has no followers on Gaia, the gods decided to hide her existence from everyone.''


    ''Why would they do that?'' Agamemas asked, shocked that Eldrian seemed to know this god so well.


    Even the most faithful believers would never consider themselves acquaintances of a god. Eldrian''s rxed mental state when talking about this god made it clear he did not consider her a higher being. Something that even he, one of the strongest on the, was incapable of doing.


    Agamemas only knew of a select few who could think like that, and most of them were in the dragon council.


    ''Each god has an area of faith and godhood. Or at least that is how I havee to understand it.'' Eldrian stated, questioningly.


    He didn''t know much about the gods themselves, he knew more about them as AI.


    ''Yes, it is normally one over branching godhood with many smaller areas of influence.'' Agamemas added.


    ''Ziraili isn''t like that. Her godhood is literally ensuring our safety in this world. What else she is capable of, I believe even the other gods are unaware. Thus, in short, our ability to resurrect is thanks to her.''


    ''Is this why she appeared before you two?''


    ''Partly, yes. However, as I mentioned before, we have met before. She has helped me when I did some really dangerous things regarding my soul, and I was actually the one to give her her name.''


    This, beyond anything Agamemas hade to learn of the elf, left him stunned. It shocked him to his core and even shook the foundations from which he viewed the world.


    From what he knew, all other gods had sent an oracle dering themselves to their followers. Never had he heard of someone naming a god.


    He did not doubt Eldrian''s words though. He could clearly feel that Eldrian was telling the truth, which made him understand that this might also be why Eldrian asked to talk through telepathy.


    ''She came because both I and Cephaphyr seem to have... We are fated to live a life of struggle, I think.''


    ''What do you mean? Are you talking about the prophecy? We already know that it was true, but not as we believed.''


    ''I don''t know the prophecy. But I do know that Cephaphyr is unique even among you alicorns. And I, I am a candidate.''


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 453: Questioned by Joren

    <h4>Chapter 453: Questioned by Joren</h4>


    Agamemas turned serious as Eldrian mentioned this, recalling what Amnur had shared with them. That Eldrian had gotten the attention of far more gods than any before.


    ''Along with this, I am a Chosen. Our soul, as I had exined before, is not in the same ethereal realm as yours. I have no idea where that realm is, but mine is in the Mageia Avyssos. It is why I could enter and experiment on it so easily.''


    ''These factors made it more difficult.''


    ''As to what happened...'' Eldrian paused and considered how to exin this. ''Ziraili exined to us that we would have to also have our levels equalized to aplish the bonding. And upon our agreement, she took care of it and we returned to find you and Zamia exhausted.''


    Hearing this, Agamemas again turned serious. It wasn''t hard to believe that a god could alter the levels of those she was responsible for, but doing so also for Cephaphyr was shocking.


    {''What is her godhood?''} Agamemas wondered, his mind telling him that she was the god of the ethereal. Yet, even he did not understand what that was supposed to mean.


    ''I see...'' Agamemas didn''t voice the questions he had, certain that while Eldrian seemed intimate with this god, he didn''t know about her godhood.


    ''Before you sever the connection. When I woke, after confirming that you and Zamia were safe, I picked up the dust of the Magic Crystal. Afraid that the wind might blow it away.''


    ''I see...'' Agamemas thought on this for a moment, ''Keep it. It might prove useful to you.''


    Eldrian nodded in seriousness while his heart danced in joy, he even dared himself to ask, ''Would it be possible for me to take some of the broken pieces of Voidstone?''


    Agamemas looked at him with all seriousness, ''Alright, here you can take this piece. However, you should understand that, unlike metal, it is not pliable. However, even so. This piece is priceless.''


    Taking the piece of stone not muchrger than his hand, Eldrian thanked Agamemas from the depth of his heart.


    ''Now what?'' Eldrian wondered as Agamemas turned around and went back to his wife. ''Ah, I think I should just get used to my new mana pathways and try to learn one of the Tier 4 spells I have.''


    With a n in mind, Eldrian got down to business. Memorizing the Tier 4 spell proved to be a challenge. And Eldrian didn''t want to push too long into the night. So after just a few hours of dark, he logged out.


    ...


    Stomach growling in protest, Eldrian quickly changed into a new set of clothing and headed to get something to eat. via and the others weren''t there, so he just ate by himself. When he came back to his room, he found Joren waiting.


    "Eldrian, do you have some time?"


    "Sure." Eldrian nodded and opened the door, indicating for Joren toe inside.


    "I talked with Gengxin, and we are all curious what Ephiphany you came to yesterday."


    ''Ah, so that conversation isn''t done yet.'' Eldrian sighed internally, trying his best to not show his distress. While he was happy that the question wasn''t about Ziraili, he wasn''t prepared for this one either.


    "Right, of course. I believe you have someone monitoring me, so you might already have heard this. I realized that I couldn''t consider mana something external, something that just exists in the game."


    "Are you saying that mana exists on Earth?" Joren asked, his tone dead serious.


    "No, I wish it did. It would make my life so much easier." Eldrian joked while his back started sweating. "No, what I realized was that even though it is something that only exists in the game. I can''t think of it like that."


    "To truly master magic, I have to consider it as part of me. Even if there is nothing on Earth. Consider it like a phantom limb, but instead of trying to forget about it, to fight the feeling of it still being there. I want to make myself feel phantom mana. Make myself feel that it is still there."


    "That-" Joren looked at Eldrian and didn''t know what to say. To try and make oneself believe something that isn''t there, is there. It sounded like Eldrian was crazy.


    However, instead of trying to stop Eldrian from doing this. Joren actually wanted to encourage him. This might just be what they needed to finally discover mana. Joren also knew that he couldn''t appear too happy. So he fought to keep his own emotions in control.


    "Are you sure that won''t be bad for you?" Joren asked after expressing his hopes.


    ''Seems it worked, but this might bite me in the future.'' Eldrian, unfortunately, had to at least share this much, since else he would never be able to really talk about magic in the game going forward.


    "I have no idea, but thus far me immersing myself more has helped me not experience the bacshes I used to experience." Eldrian said, hinting at the disconnect anda experiences.


    Nodding, Joren smiled and said, "Indeed, it seems you are truly the expert. Thank you for indulging me."


    "Of course, but before you go."


    "Yes?"


    "Remember way back when I asked if I could be tutored?"


    "Of course."


    "Can we arrange that again?" Eldrian asked, exining that he wanted some tutoring in biology and physics to start off with.


    "Sure, I will organize something starting tomorrow."


    "Alright, but can we make it around midday for 4 hours only? If something happens in-game that will also give me some time to inform you to inform the tutor."


    "Of course," Joren replied with a smile as he closed the door on his way out.


    As soon as the door was closed Eldrian fell back onto his bed and sighed in relief. "This is bing soplicated." He mumbled, moving to his PC and doing some lowkey searching for interesting topics.


    ''I don''t want to learn the basics nor the math. I just want to learn the concepts that might help me in-game. I feel I am reaching a level where this might actually be important.''


    ''Also, the feeling of dynamic casting is truly strange. It seems extreme pressure can force me to it, simr to the time dtion effect. Which I still don''t know what''s up with.''


    ''Strangely, the time dtion is easier to... No, that isn''t really correct. It happens automatically, while to dynamic cast I have to actually think of using magic.''


    ''Such as that time when trying to save us from the orcs...'' Eldrian stopped thinking for a moment as he recalled how badly that had ended despite his best efforts.


    After taking a moment, he continued his thoughts. ''Dynamic cast isn''t about having this perfect image of what will happen. Nor do I need to really know how it works, or even the mana required.''


    ''What it requires is me truly wishing for something to happen. Not even bothering to try and formte how it will happen, just that it does.''


    ''I guess that is why Cephaphyr struggles so much with control.''


    Eldrian smiled recalling the spars against his little friend. Understanding better how it works and looking forward to experimenting on it. However, he first wanted to get back to the front lines and finally finish that damn quest.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 454: Heading to Duran

    <h4>Chapter 454: Heading to Duran</h4>


    "It is about time. I hope things will go smoothly." Taking a deep breath, Eldrian climbed into the cabin once again. Nervous about actually talking to Cephaphyr again.


    The two hadn''t talked once since their bonding, and Eldrian had no idea how to approach the subject. While Cephaphyr seemed to have epted things, Eldrian just knew it was going to be awkward.


    Arriving at sunrise, Eldrian looked around and found Cephaphyr still sleeping near the spring. Smiling, he decided to meditate until his friend woke, which was around an hourter.


    "Are you ready to go?" Eldrian asked, and the little alicorn nodded in response.


    ''Let me go say bye to my mom and dad.'' Cephaphyr said after quickly forming a telepathic path between the two.


    ''Sure, I''ll wait here.'' Eldrian said and watched the little alicorn go to his parents who were at the edge of the de.


    ''Make sure to be safe.'' Zamia said, doing her best to not let her emotions overwhelm her.


    ''Come back when you have time.'' Agamemas said, ''You are always wee here, this is your home.''


    Cephaphyr didn''t reply, he simple nodded and hugged his parents. The muchrger alicornspletely hid his figure with their wings while they hugged. Finally, after a few seconds they separated and Cephaphyr returned.


    ''All done?'' Eldrian asked, and Cephaphyr nodded. Waving to Zamia and Agagmemas, Eldrian turned around and the two started walking.


    ''Is it still fine if I- If you carry me?'' Eldrian asked, finding the word ride weird and not wishing to use it.


    ''Yes, but were are we going to go?'' Cephaphyr asked.


    ''I want to go to Kynigo and finally figure out the source of the undead''s corruption. However, I would also like to try and get a clearer picture of the kingdom.''


    As they reached the edge of the forest, Eldrian said, ''Let''s first see how fast you are. I rememberst time I almost had a heart attack from the shock.''


    ''Go ahead, I haven''t flown at full speed in a long time.'' Cephaphyr said, spreading his wings and waiting for Eldrian to climb on.


    Eldrian carefully climbed on and immediately tightened his legs around the small alicorn, ''Where should I hold on to?''


    ''No need, just keep your bnce.'' Cephaphyr replied as he started galloping, crossing a hundred meters in just a few seconds. In just a few more they were in the air.


    This time around, Eldrian wasn''t assaulted by the wind as bad asst time. Instead, he could clearly tell that Cephaphyr had formed a sort of wind barrier around them. This allowed him to enjoy the sights and feeling of flying far more.


    Eldrian lost himself in this feeling, shocked when he saw the green grass appearing in the horizon after just a few hours. It was not even midday yet.


    ''You really are fast!'' Eldrian said in admiration, recalling how Ember had needed to go at full speed for almost an entire day. Yet, Cephaphyr had covered the distance with ease in less than half the time.


    Instead of replying, Cephaphyr spread his wings in pride. ''Where to now?'' He asked, and Eldrian quickly thought of something.


    ''Can you see this?'' Eldrian asked, doing his best to share the map he had called up. Trying to picture it perfectly for Cephaphyr to use as a guide.


    ''Yes, is that the map of the kingdom? Why is so much not filled in?''


    ''It gets filled in as I explore or I get ess to maps, can you go to this city here?'' Eldrian asked, mentally pointing to Duron. The first city he hade across, where the entire army had rested after exiting the chaosnds.


    Nodding, Ceph changed direction and Eldrian kept him updated with the map to make sure they were going in the right direction. After two more hours of flying they arrived at the city.


    The two flew directly past the first walls andnded before the gate of the second, shocking the centaurs who quickly flew into action and surrounded them.


    "Halt! Identify yourselves!" The captain shouted, his bow trained at the two.


    "I am Haru, a Chosen, and this is Cephaphyr, an alicorn. Feel free to use Observe to confirm this." Eldrian said, climbing off of Cephaphyr and holding his hands in the air.


    The guard captain was sceptical, but Observe indeed did inform him that this was true. However, other than their name, race, Tier and level, he received no other information. Which concerned him, especially since he was the same Tier as Eldrian.


    "What are you doing here?" The captain asked, slightly nervous after using Observer. He hade to realize that it was very likely that his squad couldn''t do much against the visitors. Especially once he realized that the small alicorn before him was a mythic beast.


    "I am looking for maps of Taurus. Ideally arge map showing the location of the cities, but a regional map focused on Duran would be fine too."


    "What for?" The captain asked, slightly worried that this might be some kind of trick.


    "I am trying to get a better grasp on the situation the kingdom is in. I heard that Herglem has fallen. I hope to go there to confirm this and also see how bad the situation is."


    "Why? Do you think you can make a difference on your own?"


    "Of course not, but there also shouldn''t be anything wrong with me doing so."


    The captain looked at the elf before him for a moment before finally relenting. "Put down your weapons." He said to his men, before turning back to Eldrian, "There is a magic shop near the adventurer''s guild."


    "Both are on the main road, one of the two should be able to help you."


    After thanking the guard, Eldrian entered the town. Deciding to walk while talking with Cephaphyr a bit. He also used that time to start digging into what a Zoe partner was ording to game terms.


    After a bit of digging around, Eldrian found Cephaphyr''s stats. They were lower than he had expected, but his little friend''s armor and damage rating were just insane.


    [Cephaphyr Stats:]


    [Magical Creature (Mythic) - Tier 3 - Level 22]


    [HP: 1.5k]


    [Mana: 1.9k]


    [Stamina: 1.5k]


    [Armor: 45]


    [Magic Armor: 60]


    [Damage (With feathers): 75 (315)]


    ''No wonder the goblins had stood no chance against him. I guess you would need a tier 4 weapon just to get through his armor.'' Eldrian smiled as this was a great relief.


    He had at first been worried when he saw Cephaphyr only had five times as much HP as him, but the armor would make a massive difference. Sure, Cephaphyr might be hurt where he wasn''t well protected, but even Eldrian didn''t know where that was.


    However, the most shocking thing was that his feathers had a raw damage value of 75. This was more than twice that of Aoidos. Yet, Eldrian hadbed his hands through them more than once and each time they had felt like normal feathers. No, they had felt even softer than normal feathers.


    ''You''re really strong Ceph.'' Eldrian said, making the small alicorn smile on the inside.


    ''Of course I am!'' He said with pride.


    ''Would you mind taking on your elven form for just a sec while we go shopping?'' Eldrian asked as they finally reached the adventurer''s guild. The walk having taken them nearly twenty minutes.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 455: Handing in the copper emblems

    <h4>Chapter 455: Handing in the copper emblems</h4>


    Cephaphyr had noint in changing form, while it still felt weird, he understood that he was likely going to have to spend most of his time in it. His dad had clearly exined how important it was to fit in.


    Cephaphyr also had an entire childhood of standing out, as such the weird feeling of an elven body was a small price for him to pay to fit in.


    Thanks to that, the two didn''t attract too much attention. However, two elves, one with silver hair and another with pitch ck and green highlights. That was still quite the sight and caused nearly everyone in the guild to stare for at least a few seconds before realizing how rude they were being.


    Cephaphyr picked up on this very clearly, making him shrink into himself. Eldrian immediately realized what was going on. Stopping, he bent down to look Ceph in the eyes.


    "Ignore them, they are just curious. Did I ever tell you how much of an attraction I was when I first arrived in this world?"


    Shaking his little head no, Cephaphyr looked at Eldrian with curiosity. "You see, I didn''t always work as hard as I did. So when I first arrived, I was quite overweight. Now here is the kicker, no one had ever seen an elf who was overweight."


    "Everywhere I had gone, people had stared at me in disbelief."


    "What did you do?" Cephaphyr asked, hoping for a way to get rid of this feeling of insecurity.


    "What did I do? I ignored them and continued with my own life. You shouldn''t let their stares bother you, instead, you should take pride in them."


    "But... What... Why?"


    "Naturally, they are staring at us because we are such an awesome pair! They must be jealous that they can''t be as awesome as us!" Eldrian felt weird talking like this, but seeing Cephaphyr''s smile start to appear he didn''t relent.


    "So, let''s walk with pride and let them see what two best friends really look like!"


    "Right!" Cephaphyr shouted, held his head high, and followed Eldrian to the counter.


    Behind the counter was a beastkin with golden brown fur. This was the first time that Cephaphyr saw someone like this and he stared in wonder, causing Eldrian to smile as he ruffled his hair.


    Naturally, the beastkin didn''t even realize that he was being stared at as he stared back at the two before him in shock. Onlying out of it once Eldrian spoke.


    "Do you have a map of the kingdom?" Eldrian asked.


    "A map? Of course, but we only have one of the surrounding areas."


    "How far does it go, are the nearest cities at least included?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes, the map extends all the way to Vn and Eastarian." The beastkin replied, and after confirming that Eldrian was still interested he headed to go get one of the maps.


    When he returned Eldrian had piled a bunch of copper emblems on the desk. "Right, I also just remembered that I never turned these in for my reward."


    This was naturally the umtion of the rewards for the areas he had cleared. Counting the pile, the beastkin stared at Eldrian in disbelief. "Hold on, I will have to get my superior."


    Nodding, Eldrian waited patiently. The entire process took another 20 minutes to get it all sorted out, after which Eldrian and Cephaphyr left. During the process, Ceph had started looking around the ce in curiosity.


    Eldrian had also taken a look at his stats in human form, realizing that Cephaphyr was far more fragile in it. While his HP was unchanged, his armor and magic armor had been reduced to 9 and 15 respectively. Which was still quite impressive, but a far cry from his alicorn form.


    "Thank you, enjoy your day." Eldrian said with a wide smile as he made the pile of gold disappear before many greedy looks. This, along with his reward for being part of the team that ended up 4th, brought his total gold count to 110.


    Looking at the nice round number, he couldn''t help but smile while being happy that money was operated separately from items in his inventory. Giving him an actual number and not just being a pile of gold.


    ''Oh right, I also have the Tier 2 reward still waiting for me to im.'' Eldrian smiled, havingpletely forgotten about it. Unlike everyone else, he hadn''t rushed to im them nor did he rush to spend his gold.


    Turning around, he headed back to the desk confusing not just the beastkin but also Cephaphyr.


    "Do you maybe have a map of the city too? I am looking for a particr temple. The temple of the goddess of magic, does Duran have one?"


    "I am afraid not," The beastkin replied, "However, Vn does."


    Eldrian smiled and thanked the man again, as they headed out Cephaphyr just had to ask. "Why are you looking for a temple?"


    "I can get a special item there," Eldrian replied and didn''t borate until the two were in the air again. To not cause a ruckus they had first exited the city proper and took of outside in the fields (the same area where they hadnded).


    ...


    Two hourster the twonded before the second wall of the city of Vn, scaring these guards just as much as those from Duran. Only, the captain of the guards here was Tier 5 and not as timid.


    However, Eldrian quickly exined their purpose, and with him telling them to confirm things with Observe helped things go smoothly.


    This time they didn''t rush straight for their target. Instead, they enjoyed the sights the city had to offer. When a particr food stall or restaurant pique Cephaphyr''s interest the two would make a stop and enjoy the food.


    Eldrian didn''t even bat an eye when the sweets cost an entire silver, quickly Cephaphyr became spoiled and fell in love with the wonders of city life.


    "Here it is," Eldrian said with a smile as they finally found the temple. It wasn''trge, in fact it was only twice the size of the surrounding houses. Compared to the temple of Asteria, it was tiny.


    But that was to be expected, the goddess of magic had far fewer followers and her followers were normally only mages. Yet, Asteria didn''t have such a limit, anyone and everyone who was looking to have a family would pray to her.


    "Wee, how may I help you?" A young cleric of Skepsi asked as soon as the two entered the temple. Cephaphyr looked at the statues and decorations in awe while Eldrian exined that he was a Chosen and wanted to pray at one of the altars.


    "Of course, this way."


    Finding himself before a statue of a meditating woman, Eldrian touched it to activate the interface.? After searching around a bit, he finally found an item that he liked.


    [Neckless of Calming: Tier 2]


    [While wearing the neckless, the wearer will have their mind calmed allowing them to think more rationally and not be lost to their emotions.]


    [Increases Status Resistance: 15%]


    [Increases Mana Regenarion: 3MP/5s]


    ''Nice,'' Eldrian smiled and decided to take it. While the status resistance wasn''t of much interest as he didn''t really know how it worked, the mana regeneration was what he was after.


    Currently, if he had to wait for his mana to regenerate without meditating it would take 10 minutes. If he meditated he could cut that down to half, but he couldn''t meditate during a fight. Aoidos''s ability was also bing veryckluster, though his spells weren''t that expensive.


    Eldrian had a feeling that Tier 4 and especially Tier 5 were going to start showing just how mana draining spells can be.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 456: A strange contraption

    <h4>Chapter 456: A strange contraption</h4>


    As such, Eldrian was really looking for ways to increase his mana regeneration. And this little ne was a prime choice. It would nearly double his mana regen, though Eldrian was unsure how it would work when meditating. That, however, was not his biggest concern.


    Leaving satisfied, Eldrian searched for a nice inn and booked a room for the two of them. Where he then exined to Cephaphyr that he had to log out and that he would have to stay here alone.


    "Do you want me..." Eldrian had no idea how to say it, having his body stay while he went back to Earth. After a bit of stumbling over words, he felt he managed to say it in a none-creepy way.


    "That would be nice." Cephaphyr admitted, while it was strange knowing that it would just be Eldrian''s avatar, it would still breath and release warmth. Cephaphyr had never truly been alone, and the thought of being alone in a strange city frightened him a little.


    Nodding, Eldrianid down on the bed before logging out. Choosing to have his body not disappear.


    ...


    A few days before Eldrian and Cephaphyr left Avgi forest.


    A dwarf with a long gray beard carefully entered the newly constructed forge on the edge of the battle. It was the only building, outside of the walls covering nearly the entire cavern. Naturally, walls were only so effective in a cave when one could easily just dig around them.


    Easy being rtive, naturally.


    Regardless of this, they helped ensure that certain key junctions are secured. And a few arrays make it near impossible to break through behind them, though keeping them powered is far from easy.


    "Ah Firhin, how are the new recruits setting in?" Boran asked, stopping his hammering and turning to hismander.


    "They are getting situated, are you sure of this my lord?"


    Boran nodded, "Of course, we pushed them to the magmakes. It is near impossible to go underneath our walls in this area, and the same can be said to attempt going around them."


    "If we can hold this position, we should be able to cut down on at least half our mana crystal usage."


    "I understand that, but the kobolds are bound to also understand this. They are sure to push us hard within the next few days. Why would you have our seasoned warriors withdraw now?"


    "You are correct, but we can''t afford to lose another city while fighting on this side. The recruits will have to hold out, and besides... I am not leaving them without a means of defense."


    Saying this Boran patted the red hot metal next to him, almost as if the heat didn''t matter.


    "What is this?" Firhin asked, luckily Boran had not been needed on the battlefield for the past few weeks. This had allowed his mind to slowly heal and his creativity to return.


    All themanders had fought to their utmost to keep him from the field of battle. They all feared that the next fight might be the one that breaks their lord.


    "It is simr to a ballista, but instead of firing a bolt it will fire a disk."


    "I do not understand."


    Boran just smiled and got back to work instead of exining, "Just wait and see!"


    Back to the current time and date, a dwarf covered in grime from head to toe finally left his forge. Even his teeth hadn''t been spared from the dust and kes of metal.


    This dwarf burst outughing when he saw the others looking at him in utter confusion, "Hahaha! I need a bath!"


    Returning afterpletely cleaning himself, Boran found hismanders already waiting for him. Most of them were sweating thanks to the heat of the magma rivers. They had added some air filtration arrays to the walls, but not the surroundings too.


    "I can''t believe the kobolds still haven''t attacked." Boran said without any hint of worry, confusing hismander.


    "Our scouts have reported that they have been gathering a muchrger force than ever before. We have already confirmed that there are a total of 40 drakes in this army." Firhin said with a deep frown, the enemy numbers were concerning.


    Them only having a fifth of their army still here was worrying beyond words. The rest had all started heading back a few days ago. To both reinforce the remaining cities and also make sure the caverns weren''t invested by lingering monsters.


    "That''s no problem at all. The ballista bolts I crafted earlier will make quick work of them. Those handling the ballista just need to hit their targets." Boran said with the pride of a master craftsman.


    "Of course, that is why we have the most skilled operators on the ballistae." Vozer, themander of the siege weapon division said.


    "Well, you will need to pull at least 10 for this." Boran said as he led themanders into his forge. Inside, they saw two massive iron ballista arms, each nearly 10 meters long. Countless runes covered these limbs, and in the corner they could see a stack of massive ded disks(think sawdes).


    "This?"


    "Yes, this will be our main method of defense for this area."


    No one seemed to understand what Boran was getting at, a dwarf who couldn''t stop smirking as he exined for everyone to grab a side and start carrying the massive ballista arms to the wall.


    Near the bottom of the center of the wall, Boran had instructed them to make a ratherrge empty room. Finally, its purpose was going to be shown to everyone.


    After a few hours of work, the dwarves managed to get it set up. A massive t ballista appeared before their eyes. After which he instructed those who were going to be in charge of using the weapon, Boran exined to them how it was going to work.


    "The limbs are forged to be extremely resilient and stic, while these bands are made from the hide of the drakes we have in in our march. However, the true marvel are these disks."


    "I made each and everyone one of them with extreme care and each one took me nearly an entire day."


    Each of these disks was nearly the size of three dwarves stacked on one another, instructing the crew on how to load them, Boran then exined the most important part.


    "Each of the disks has 5 mana crystals embedded in them." This alone caused the crew to gulp as they realized not just how deadly the des must be, but also how expensive.


    "When firing, make sure to at the minimum activate the formation I inscribed on each one of them. If done properly, this is what should happen."


    Boran smiled as he took aim, in the distance a small group of kobolds could be seen scouting the walls. With a massive grin, Boran let loose his creation.


    The disk soared through the air with a roar that tore apart the very air. Its speed was beyond belief, cutting the kobolds in half before the dwarves even managed to realize what had happened.


    Yet, the most shocking thing was that the de continued on, and after a handful of seconds they could again hear the sound of the very air being cut in half.


    With disbelief, they all stared through the thin gap in the wall through which the disk had beenunched. They stared in disbelief as a bloodied disk mmed itself into the wall. Nearly disappearing from sight.


    Shaking the entire cavern.


    {AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.}

 Chapter 457: Catching up with the guild

    <h4>Chapter 457: Catching up with the guild</h4>


    After a hard day of being taught the basics on human biology again, Eldrian climbed into the cabin looking forward to a day of wandering around the kingdom of Taurus.


    While he knew that Kynigo''s situation was stillplicated, Eldrian had no desire to rush right back to it. He first wanted to give Cephaphyr some good memories before heading there. As such, they stopped at each of the cities on their way to Kynigo.


    Even so, it took them only another three days to arrive at this city. Naturally, Eldrian had set the temple of Skepsi as a teleportation point before having left Vn.


    Arriving at the camp, Cephaphyr couldn''t help but make a face of disgust when he saw the forest beyond the now 10 meter tall stone walls.


    "How awful, is that the undead''s fault?" He asked afternding and turning into his elven form.


    Their arrival had shocked everyone in the camp, however, rms hadn''t been raised as quite a number still remembered the elf who had caused the start of quite a number of rumors.


    They also didn''t bother to question if it was him and instead immediately used Observe. Eliminating the need for uncertainty and causing everyone to breathe out in relief. Naturally, nearly no one knew of the alicorns and most weren''t even able to get any information of the beast, now little elf.


    Thisst little fact scared everyone out of their minds. As it was only possible if either the beast''s grade was that of an Ancient or Mythic, or if its Tier was far higher than all theirs. Both were equally scary thoughts.


    "Yes, that is why we came here. I need to figure out and destroy the source of this so this part of the kingdom can have some peace."


    Hearing this, Cephaphyr nodded in full agreement that it had to be cleansed.


    "So you are finally back!" A familiar voice shouted in joy, turning around Eldrian smiled as he greeted Ayden.


    "When did you cut your hair?"


    "It was getting in the way! Do you like it? I did it myself." Ayden said with pride, unting his decent haircut. Though some areas could do with a recut, for sure.


    "It''s alright,e on. Catch me up on what has been happening."


    "Not much honestly, outside of a few weaker undead checking to see if we are still manning the walls, there has been no other developments. There have also been no more reinforcements from the encroaching nor from the drnds."


    "That''s great, and the wall looks really impressive... Oh right, this here is Cephaphyr."


    "Hi, you can just call me Ceph!" Cephaphyr smiled and extended his hand in greeting which Ayden promptly shook.


    "Ayden... But, aren''t you a little young to be on the frontlines?"


    "I might be young, but I am by no means weak!" Ceph countered, suddenly turning the handshake into a battle of strengths, which he promptly won.


    Rubbing his ass, Ayden smiled, "Seems that you certainly are, though you did catch me off guard."


    "Want to try again?" Ceph asked and Ayden immediately took a big step back. "Thought so."


    Despite trying to act cool, Cephaphyr was brimming with pride and happiness.


    "By the way, why didn''t you tell me you were going to leave?" Ayden suddenly turned serious and turned to Eldrian expecting a proper answer.


    "Sorry about that, you were still unconscious from the ident."


    Ayden stared at the elf before him with narrowed eyes, slowly a smile formed as he asked, "Did you ever manage to learn what that spell does?"


    "No, I would need to get a hundred times more mana than I currently have to try that. But I am quite certain it is going to make something. I have no idea what though."


    "Really?" Ayden look at the elf before him in disbelief, however, when trying to observe Cephaphyr he had also drawn a nk. Thus, his disbelief slowly turned into eptance, especially when also recalling all the other things Eldrian had gone and done.


    "Forget it, why did you finally decide toe back?"


    "That is a long story. The short of it is I got some training from some of the strongest people on Gaia, and also had this guy be my partner in crime."


    "Crime?" Cephaphyr questioned in confusion, causing to other two tough.


    "It''s just a saying." Eldrian said while ruffling Ceph''s hair, "Right, want to join me?"


    "Join you, for what?" Ayden asked, but fell in behind Eldrian without missing a beat.


    "Time to finally push back the undead. But first I need to go greet a friend of mine."


    Arriving at Phoenix''s tent, which had grown in size to upy nearly as much space as themand tent, Eldrian quickly greeted all of his old friends. Of course, he had informed them that he wasing on the second day of his and Ceph''s journey.


    "Eldrian! Great to see you in person again!" Judith shouted, going in for a bearhug and looking at the two tags along in questioning.


    "First thing first, this is Ceph and that is Ayden. And Ayden, my real name is Eldrian. The name Haru is that of my avatar with which I visit this world." Eldrian said, leaving the poor man in his own world to try and work through all the information going through his mind.


    "Oh, this cutey is Ceph?" Judith coached down and tried to stretch Cephaphyr''s cheeks, only for him to dodge. Which then quickly turned into a test of speed, which Judith lost from the get-go. Yet, she refused to give up.


    "Eldrian, you asked us to make sure we would be here. I assume you have something big nned?" Elizabeth said after the chaos started to calm down.


    "Yes, but first. Congrats on reaching Tier 3!"


    "Thanks, I don''t know many Tier 3 spells yet, I only managed to break through a week ago."


    "Haha, but I bet you are still one of the strongest priests thanks to your titles."


    Eldrian''s teasing caused her cheeks to redden as she recalled how useless she had been in the tournament. Now, if they were to fight again, she would actually be able to do a great deal for the team.


    Ayden looked on at the easy-going nature of those around him, finding it strange but refreshing. In curiosity, he also used Observe to try and see what titles Eldrian was talking about. The titles sent his mind reeling.


    It was only natural that this would happen. There was no chance that he would ever be able to meet one of the leaders of the faiths. Yet, here before him stood one.


    And, unlike the priestly aura and dignity he had always envisioned, she was just a normal girl. She smiled andughed, and even blushed as she and Eldrian talked and joked.


    "Enough reminiscing, we should get started." Eldrian finally said after catching up with everyone.


    The guild had grown over the past 2 months, not only had those from Hergleme to Kynigo. Many other yers had also taken the journey toe and join Phoenix along with the second wave of reinforcements from Phallos.


    "I assume you n to get started on the quest again?"


    "Yes," Eldrian said, calling up the quest as he did. The part of protecting the king had been canceled, but other than that it was still the same.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 458: The plan

    <h4>Chapter 458: The n</h4>


    "Are you going to share your n with me?" Elizabeth asked with just a bit of forcefulness. Trying to make it clear that this wasn''t just a question.


    "Of course. I assume the watchfulness of both sides is eitherx or extremely active, can you first tell me which one it is?" Eldrian replied, hoping that both sides had bezy.


    "Mmm..." Elizabeth pondered for a few seconds, "I would say it has bex, but not extremely so."


    "The undead have regr patrols of weaker undead, with some Unwilling not far behind ready to act should we attempt something. A few squads have been lost due to carelessness."


    "I see, then we will have to be quick about things."


    "Ceph, you know Thora right?"


    "Thora?" Titling his head questioningly, wondering if it is someone he should know. Eldrian quickly exined the purpose of the spell to Cephaphyr, who felt ashamed that he thought it was a person.


    "I don''t know it..." He said bashfully.


    "Ugh..." Eldrian moaned as he realized he couldn''t try to have Ceph also cleanse the forest while charging.


    "Alright then, Elizabeth, I hope that you can act as a distraction while Ceph and I attempt to clear some of the forests. Do you think you will be able to do that without too many casualties?"


    cing her hand on her chin, Elizabeth thought about it deeply. Currently, they had 5 tier 4 yers excluding her, with the rest all being Tier 3. In total there were 26 yers active today and at the camp. This was a considerable force, though it wouldn''t stand up long against even a single Unwilling.


    "We will be able to be a distraction, but we can only handle weaker undead. If an Unwilling appears we will have to retreat."


    "I see..." Eldrian paused as this meant they wouldn''t be a distraction for long.


    "Why not ask themanders for some help. I am sure they will be willing to attempt something on a small scale." Ayden suggested.


    "Who are themanders?" Eldrian asked, if he didn''t know them then he didn''t think it will work.


    "Pros is the highmander, but he is not in the camp. For the moment, he has gone back to the city to calm things down on that side."


    ''Shit, does that mean we have no Tier 8- No I remember that some of the othermanders with the king were... Either Tier 8 or 9?''


    "Those in camp are Evale and Sodren."


    ''Sodren won''t listen to me, he didn''t like me and I aggravated that if I remember correctly. Evale might be willing to take the risk.''


    "What about Evules?" Eldrian asked, recalling fondly the massive centaur.


    "Evules, Evules...?" Ayden repeated it a few times before managing to recall who this was, "Evale''s brother?"


    "Yes, I hope he is alright," Eldrian said, Ayden''s mumbling having caused a pit to form in his stomach.


    "He is, if I recall correctly he had left to manage the refugee vige around a month ago."


    "Ah," Eldrian exhaled in relief, "That''s a relief. Where can I find Evale?"


    "She is normally on the wall watching the undeads'' movements."


    "Lead the way!"


    ...


    Only Elizabeth came along, the other yers all started to get ready for a tough mission. Naturally, they all wanted to help the kingdom reim their forest, and they also wanted to finish this quest so they could go do their own thing again.


    "Evale!" Eldrian shouted as soon as he spotted the centaurette. She was standing under a makeshift tower, the floor of which provided nice shade for those on the wall. The tower was a simple scaffolding wooden structure built over the stone wall.


    "Haru?!" Evale turned to their group in surprise, "So you are finally back. You said it would only take a few weeks!"


    "Haha, yeah sorry. Things were a bit moreplicated." Eldrian said, blushing a little which turned into a lot when Evale moved in to give him a hug.


    "I am d you are back, and I assume you have some sort of n if you came to find me."


    "Indeed," Eldrian smiled and finally shared what he had gone through, briefly, with everyone.


    "So, I can now do this with ease." He said, casting three Frost Needles and having the spells morph and even merge to demonstrate his control.


    "While that is amazing, how is this going to help our situation?" Evale asked.


    "Because, my control over Thora is nearly as good. I wasn''t able to practice it as easily, but I should be able to do something quite nasty. You see, I n to first have my mana spread through thework of the trees."


    "However, this will take far longer than a simple cast. Thus, I will need a distraction and which is why my friend Elizabeth is also here."


    Elizabeth nodded her head in greeting and agreement before Eldrian continued, "I prefer having just Chosen be the distraction since death isn''t permanent to us. However, we are still too weak to seed if an Unwilling appears."


    "I see," Evale smiled, "If you don''t mind acting as bait, we can wait until the stronger undead reacts and then catch them off guard. This way we might be able to even deal some proper damage. However, losses will be unavoidable."


    "That is fine, we don''t mind losing some levels if it means we can fight back and end this stalemate." Elizabeth said with a smile.


    "However..." Evale paused for a moment, "Haru, can you postpone doing anything for a few days?"


    "Sure, but why?"


    "I would like to first ensure our defenses. If we do this and the undead decide to attack in full force, they might be able to break through the walls and deal significant damage."


    ''Shit, I didn''t think of that.'' Eldrian cursed himself for his shortsightedness and quickly agreed to wait until the army was ready.


    ...


    Three dayster, Eldrian had managed to teach Cephaphyr the basics of Thora by practicing on the fallen leaves covering the forest floor. Winter was about to set in and thanks to that nearly no tree had leaves left.


    "Are you all ready?" Evale asked.


    Everyone had gathered at Phoenix''s tent.


    Eldrian had postponed contacting Vivian just yet, he didn''t want to get her involved in what was certain to be a dangerous mission.


    "We are." Elizabeth said, the three days had allowed her to also manage the guild and increase participation for this mission. Not only were all the Tier 4 yers online, but there was also 66 Tier 3 yers.


    Compared to the NPCs, this number was pitiful. But it was an impressive force nheless, especially since all of them had gained plenty ofbat experience in the forest. No one was a rookie.


    "Then let''s start, you will all exit through the central gate and start fighting the weaker undead patrolling near the corruption''s edge. Haru- no, Eldrian and Cephaphyr will then fly over while I use one of my strongest arrows as a distraction to try and ensure they aren''t spotted."


    "While we will try to support you, we won''t leave the walls. Are you all sure you are ready?"


    None of the yers voiced their discontent. They knew that this was basically a suicide mission, however, Eldrian had told Elizabeth that all the rewards would go to the guild. At a minimum, Eldrian felt he would clear at least 10 areas, which meant 10 gold.


    Evale had also promised to rpensate all lost items, which made death almost weing to the guild members. Outside ofpleting the quest, this would also increase their reliability and trust rating massively.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 459: Deadly danger

    <h4>Chapter 459: Deadly danger</h4>


    "Then let us start!" Evale shouted and the yers shouted randomly as a sort of morale boost.


    Standing by the side, Eldrian watched all this withplex feelings. He looked at the yers who seemed to really consider this just a quest and envied that simplistic thought process.? And he looked at them being willing to die for this quest with pride.


    Turning to Cephaphyr Eldrianbed through his mane and said, "Let''s start too, remember, wait for me to start and try to follow what I do. Our aim is to do one massive attack and retreat. Also, started the telepathic link."


    ''Roger!'' Cephaphyr replied as he changed into his true form, spread his wings, and soared into the sky with Eldrian on his back. The two quickly flew higher and higher, until soon the forest became a small dot as they hid behind the clouds.


    They waited for the distraction spell, their signal, and Eldrian kept reading the guild chat while waiting. ''They have really be adept at using it, though it makes sense. If people can do it on a keyboard, then, when it requires just a few instances of thinking it should be far easier.''


    [{Elizabeth} - Judith! Get their attention! ]


    Naturally, behind Judith was an entire squad of warriors who charged at the undead and killed 5 of them just from their charge before retreating.


    [{Judith} - We got their attention,ing your way Therdul!]


    [{Ilmadia} - Spells are at the ready, message when you passed the explosion range.]


    A few seconds passed and the new message appeared, [{Judith} - We just entered it, ready your spells!]


    Just a secondter, [{Ilmadia} - Fire!]


    With that, on the ground, a massive explosion appeared as the entire group (18 skeletons) were sted to pieces. From where Eldrian and Ceph were waiting it looked just like a small flicker of a me.


    [{Zyviss} - A second and third group areing. Including one ming Reanimate!]


    [{Elizabeth} - That is sooner than we expected, sending the signal.]


    Casting re, a light so bright that even in the middle of the day it was visible from afar. Even Eldrian could see it clearly, like the reflection of a mirror.


    Seeing the signal, the mage standing and waiting started casting his spell. As the ming Reanimate was about to run into Therdul''s group of tanks, a massive hail of ice appeared and rained down on it.


    The first wave of ice melted before even reaching the reanimate''s mes, however, the second made it without a problem and the third started hitting it at full force.


    [{Elizabeth} - Eldrian, now! Evale is about tounch her arrow!]


    Nodding, Eldrian closed the chat so he wouldn''t be distracted and patted Ceph''s side. "It is time for us to do our thing. Let''s go!"


    Ceph nodded and turned his body nearly perpendicr to the ground, folding his wings and letting gravity do its work while adding some wind magic to increase their speed.


    If not for the bubble that Ceph always kept active when carrying Eldrian, Eldrian was certain he would have long since been blown away.


    As they closed half the distance, a massive explosion urred in the deforested area where the fight was taking ce. Certain to draw the undead''s attention, the two silently entered the forest and stopped next to one of the Spirited Ackley trees.


    ''Right, Ceph, see if you can have the trees'' connection be used against them!'' Eldrian shouted mentally as he rushed to the tree they hadnded next to.


    He immediately sent out his mana in waves, not immediately turning it into a spell but rather just filling the tree and doing his best to push it into thework.


    It immediately felt like his mind was stuck in quicksand as thework fought against him. However, Eldrian wasn''t new to such a feeling. Pushing even harder, he focused on a simple idea. To have his mana spread.


    He didn''t try to perfectly imagine thework or keep track of what was where. He just pushed his mana into it recklessly and followed this simple idea.


    The simpler it was, the less thework managed to fight it.


    Ceph did the same, however, to him this was far easier. The trees had weed his presence and immediately allowed him to connect with them all. They screamed at the little alicorn to end their suffering, causing tears to flow as he cursed that he couldn''t save them.


    "I''m SORRY!" The sound filled the entire forest, as a quake started and thousands of trees turned to ash.


    Eldrian sent his mana along with the weakenedwork, searching for the source. As he did, a crippling fear clutched at his heart so he immediately detonated all his mana by having it take on the form of Thora.


    "Ceph, hurry. Something ising!" Eldrian shouted as he jumped onto Ceph who flew into the air.


    Behind them a massive demon charged. It was over four meters tall and two meters wide, and its wings were easily twice its length.


    {"How dare you interrupt my ns!"} It shouted in a demonguage that no one understood as it gave chase. Quickly closing the distance between the pair.


    Just as its outstretched hands were about to grab hold of Ceph''s tail, an arrow pierced its heart and sent it crashing into the trees. Its curses filled the forest as the two disappeared from its view.


    ...


    "That was too dangerous, I can''t believe there was still a devil prince in the forest!" Evale shouted as the twonded on the walls. Her heart was racing as fear rushed through her.


    "That isn''t the worst though," Eldrian said and Evale''s mind failed to ept this.


    "That isn''t the one who controls thework." Eldrian mumbled as he climbed off of Ceph and slumped against the wall. Taking out a few sweets for Ceph to enjoy while they rested.


    The yers were all also retreating as more and more undead charged at them in furry. The effects of what Eldrian and Ceph had done were clear for all to see.


    Before the camp, where there used to be just 500 meters of clearing, there was now another 3 kilometers. There were still some trees and nts in these areas, but far less than before. The forest now looked like a patchy beard.


    Finally, after managing to calm his raging heart and mana, Eldrian looked at the quest log and startedughing like a madman.


    [Quest: Fighting Back]


    [Part 1:? Completed]


    [Part 2: Areas Cleared = 439/826 (398)] (AN: The (#) is the personal contribution)


    [Part 3: Areas Cleared = 54/200 (54)]


    [Part 4: Areas Cleared = 4/800 (4)]


    ''That... That is far more than I expected.'' Eldrian mumbled after finally managing to stopughing.


    ''Should I renegotiate with Elizabeth? Nah, they deserve the reward for not backing down and immediately standing behind me.''


    Of course, when Elizabeth learned of their haul she might want to offer some to Eldrian. Who would be shameless enough to just ept such a reward without sharing it with the greatest contributor?


    The total reward from this one day woulde near to a thousand gold (749). This was an insane amount for any yer. In fact, Eldrian doubted that there was anyone else who had managed to make such arge amount in a month, not to mention one day.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 460: A new hasty plant

    <h4>Chapter 460: A new hasty nt</h4>


    Turning to those on the walls, Eldrian froze as he realized just how insane he must have appeared. "Ah... Umm... Sorry, I just couldn''t contain myself. It worked far better than I imagined it would."


    "I-I... I see," Evale decided to not press further for an exnation, instead, she dived into action. Informing all the generals under hermand that they must be on high alert and that the devil might attempt another attack along with the undead.


    "Right, care to share what happened?" Evale asked after making sure that no attacks had started just yet.


    Unbeknown to them, many of the unwilling had managed to escape the grasps of their undead masters. Finally having their wishes of passing on to the next life be granted when thework binding them had weakened.


    ''Right, Ceph, can you fill me in on what you did?'' Eldrian asked while taking on a contemtive look to stall for time.


    ''It, it was terrible. The forest is in incredible pain.''


    ''I know, but how did you manage to cause so much damage?'' Eldrian asked, trying to not push too hard but needing answers.


    ''It was the same how I normallymunicate with nts and have them form things for me. Only... They all asked me to release them from the power which has corrupted them.''


    ''I see, you did great.'' Eldrian patted Ceph''s head in a form of support before standing up and exining things to Evale.


    "Our n worked. Maybe a little too well." Eldrian said, sharing what he had attempted to do and what Ceph had managed to do. Which had allowed Eldrian to gain some insight into the one controlling thework.


    "I have no idea what kind of power it was, but it wasn''t the devil. That is for sure... Right, how strong is the devil even?"


    In the rush Eldrian hadn''t managed to use mana sense, he had just wanted to escape before Ceph would be in danger.


    "It wasn''t as strong as the other one that tried to kill you... Still, it isn''t a pushover. While it is just Tier 7, most Tier 8''s will have a hard time fighting it. My arrow only managed to injure it thanks to the holy power embued in it."


    "I see... Does that mean holy power is also effective against devils?"


    "Only against certain types, I guess this one is one of them." Evale replied just as a soldier rushed to inform them of an attack happening on the west wall, soon another came to inform them of the same happening on the east.


    Turning to Eldrian, Evale asked somberly if they would be able to do it again.


    "What!?" Eldrian shouted out in shock, before quickly looking at his mana and doing some calctions. "Not for another 12 minutes."


    While Eldrian would be able to in just another 3, Ceph needed more time to recover his mana. While his natural regeneration was faster than humans, he had no items to speed it up even more.


    "Then, we will have to stall." Turning to the other soldiers, Evale ryed her orders. "Have everyone focus on defending. Our aim is to appear weaker than we are, keep the reinforcements hidden until my signal!"


    The soldiers quickly saluted and rushed to their respective generals to ry the orders.


    "Do you think that this is wise? They might be hoping that we would try something again." Eldrian didn''t feel confident in rushing into the forest so soon after a narrow escape.


    "That is actually the hope. Since you can do damage from far with this new method of attack, it means that the strongest undead will have to leave their fortified position in the forest center."


    "This will be our best chance to weaken their forces by a significant amount."


    ''Ah, I am not too sure about this.'' Turning to Cephaphyr, Eldrian wanted to refuse acting as bait. He would have no problem if it was just him going, but for him to even just each another spirited ackley, he needed Ceph.


    ''Don''t back down for my sake. You know just how strong I am.''


    ''And I also know how dangerous the enemies are, they will certainly be able to hurt you!'' Eldrian countered.


    ''Even if that is so! I can''t just sit this out, Evale seems confident in her n. Let''s trust her!''


    ''How do you have so much faith in her?'' Eldrian couldn''t understand where this came from, was it childlike naivety?


    ''Because... I need to help the forest!'' Ceph''s shout hit Eldrian in a different way.


    ''I see, this is kind of how I feel I need to help the natives of ANW. Ceph cares for the nts much more than one would think is rational.''


    ''Alright, but we need to make sure we know what is going on.'' Eldrian said and Ceph mind nodded.


    "We are in, but you need to exin how you n to make sure we don''t die as the bait." Eldrian said while wondering if the dwarves were still protecting him from the shadows.


    He hadn''t interacted with them since Milgoroth''s death and leaving the camp. Part of him felt they should still be there, but they might not be and that uncertainty was worrying.


    ''Luckily, even if Ceph dies, I can bring him back. Though, it will mean that we will be unable to do much for 2 weeks. And, I am sure it will not be a pleasant experience. So, it will still be best to try and avoid it if possible.''


    "Of course, I will be following behind. Before youin, Sodren will also be with me."


    "Sodren, hey? It isn''t-"


    "I know you two got off on the wrong foot, but I assure you that he doesn''t care about that. His first priority is toplete the mission king Farest had handed to him."


    "Alright," Eldrian knew that in that case things should turn out fine.


    "Then, we will set out when you are ready."


    ...


    "Let''s go!" Eldrian said, climbing onto Ceph''s back and charging down the ramp of the walls.


    Naturally, there weren''t just stairs, in fact, the main way of getting onto the walls was these ramps. Centaurs, while they weren''t the majority in this camp, they still made up nearly half of the army.


    (Generally, centaurs are kept in mobile units while demi- and humans are stationed to keep forts and fortifications.)


    Surprisingly, Evale managed to keep up with Cephaphyr with ease. Given the 4 Tier difference, this might be expected but it was still impressive to Eldrian. However, the even more shocking part was when a lizard beastkin joined them and also kept pace with rtive ease.


    ''Is Ceph now suddenly slow?''? Eldrian almost wanted to ask, but he knew that wasn''t the case. The difference in power was just toorge to be ovee simply by his nature as an alicorn.


    ''In the end, power is still the most important thing.''? Eldrian sighed in his heart while setting his eyes ahead. Doing his best to guide Ceph away from any undead while Ceph headed for the nearest spirited ackley.


    AN: I am not too sure if the formating (italics) work, I did italic thoughts while also having them in '''', hopefully, this will help clear up when it is Ceph and Eldrian talking and when it is someone thinking.

 Chapter 461: Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 461: Sacrifice</h4>


    ''There is another group of undead ahead, move to the right slightly.'' Eldrian shared, the alteration having them skim just a few meters from the horde of undead.


    While the undead realized that something had passed, most of them didn''t know what nor did any of them care. This continued until the little group had crossed nearly 2 kilometers of enemy terrain.


    "Here we are, please keep the enemy upied while we work!" Eldrian shouted as he jumped from Ceph''s back and ced his hands on the tree.


    ''Ceph, do as much damage as you can. I am going to try and see if I can locate the source.''


    ''Rig- Are you sure!?'' Despite not having dived deep into theworkst time, Ceph knew that the person behind this wasn''t to be trifled with.


    ''Yes, if we can locate it we might be able to organize some sort of bombardment.'' Eldrian shouted back, recalling the progress the gunsmiths had been making.


    Honestly, though, they had turned into cannon makers and not gunsmiths. Theirtest creation was a Tier 3 cannon capable of creating a crater of a 100 meters and ttening the surroundings half a kilometer. Mentioning the distance the mes reached was just overkill.


    However, it had been proven that the area of effect massively decreased when stronger things were hit. Such as an army. The sturdy bodies of trained soldiers massively reduced the impact, while some mages could even block the cannonballs.


    ''It might not work, but it is worth a shot. Especially since I can get the cannon quite easily from the temple of Dragos. Though, each cannon is beyond expensive...''


    Dropping the topic and returning to the task ahead, Eldrian didn''t this time just send his mana inside. He also sent most of his consciousness in a simr manner that he normally would enter the magic abyss.


    ''This feels strange, it is like the magic abyss but far more primitive. Instead of an abyss, it is more an area filled with death mana.''


    The feeling this gave Eldrian was by no means pleasant, quickly he covered himself with all his mana and tried to shield the corrosive effect it seemed to have.


    "You came again!" A voice shouted, infuriated it sent all the nearby darkness to assault Eldrian. The pressure was so much that it felt like his very soul would be crushed at any moment.


    It was at this time, that something stirred again in Eldrian. Something that hadn''t stirred for a long time.


    The crystal that had be his soul started to shine as his auras quickly grew in mass. Slowly, Eldrian''s mana turned into the fiery red and ice blue of his auras, as his eyes took on a purple color.


    Beneath the crystal, a half-elf could be seen taking shape. Slowly bing clearer as the crystal faded.


    "What''s this? How are you resisting?" The voice shouted and threw even more at Eldrian.


    ''Shit, I won''t be able tost much longer. Come one, find where this is!'' Eldrian looked around at thework ovepping around him. Trying to find the direction the voice hade from.


    ''There,'' Turning towards the source, Eldrian managed to get a glimpse of who the mastermind was as he felt his mind crumbling under the assault. ''Ti-time... Time to...''


    ''No, I can''t fall unconscious here!'' The fire surrounding him red as the half-elf that was his soul opened its eyes. When this happened, Eldrian felt himself suddenly reconnecting with his body.


    The next thing he knew, he was back. However, his mind was a mess and the fire and ice had followed him. Whatever it touched either frozepletely and shattered, or was turned into ash.


    ''Ceph, retreat!'' Eldrian managed to shout as he fell to the ground.


    ''I can''t, you-''


    ''Go! Now!'' Eldrian shouted again as he sensed the devil appearing again. Yet, even it was warry of the crazy mana surrounding Eldrian. It could feel lethal danger from the strange liquid ice and fire.


    {"You! Again!"} It shouted in its demonguage, but the words did not register in Eldrian''s mind.


    And thanks to its hesitation to attack, Evale and Sodren managed tond the first hit. An arrow pierced through its heart again, leaving a gaping hole in its chest.


    This wasn''t enough to kill it, and the two knew this. Sodren struck with full force with his ming axe, cutting off the devil''s arm while Evalended a hit in its leg. Bringing it to the ground as she took aim for the head.


    However, just as they were about to end the devil prince''s life, three ghouls attacked. While the ghouls were weaker than them, their deadly venom was just as dangerous as if there was no difference in strength.


    "Shit, this isn''t going ording to n!" Sodren shouted as he blocked the attacks of two ghouls and managed to get around them tond another hit on the devil prince. Keeping it on the ground, but unable to end its life.


    "Agreed! Pros, it''s time to act!" Evale shouted, but nothing happened.


    Suddenly, a chilling thought urred to her and caused her to fail in dodging the attack of her enemy. She still managed to block, but in the process a small cut appeared on her hand.


    While it wasn''t even truly an injury, it was enough for the venom to make it inside her body and immediately start weakening her.


    As her vision started to blur and another attacknded, Evale realized that this wasn''t the only fight that was happening. She could hear five others, meaning no help wasing.


    ''Is this it?'' She wondered as she watched Sodren''s back be ripped open by one of the ghouls as he managed to behead the other. Yet, that wasn''t enough to kill a ghoul. It would only slow it.


    As herst bit of hope started to fade, she felt a zing heat suddenly surround her. Forcing open her eyes, she watched as Eldrian''s body turned into dust along with that of the ghouls and devil.


    ...


    ''What is this feeling?''? Eldrian mumbled as he tried to fight off the pain assaulting his mind.


    ''Of course, this is bound to happen when I y with fire...''? Heughed dryly as he thought of weing the end that the darkness surrounding him would give him.


    ''No, I can''t do that to those who care about me... What about Jen, and my parents. I can''t just leave them. And Ceph, if I give up what happens to him?''


    ''Maybe, I should fight?''


    ''Yes, that is what I should do. That is what I always have done. Fight!''


    ''Is that? Light...''? Eldrian stumbled as he looked at the bright gate filled with pure white seemingly weing him.


    ''Should I go towards it? Hey! Body! I haven''t decided yet!''


    Fighting back control from his floating figure, Eldrian took a step back and observed the lighting from the gate.


    ''That, that looks like... No, it can''t be. Right, let''s turn around.''


    Doing so, Eldrian stared at what was on the other side. Instead of a weing white light so often depicted as what heaven would look like, his sights were now filled with what one could only assume is then hell.


    ''This, maybe the light is the right way?'' Shaking his head, he took a step towards the crazy elements before him. Raging fires, storming seas, billowing blizzards. And he walked towards this chaos.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 462 - The Big Boss Is Angry

    <h4>Chapter 462 - The Big Boss Is Angry</h4>


    After a few steps, Eldrian stopped himself again.


    ''Wait, what is going on?'' Trying to recall what had happened, Eldrian slowly managed to put things together again.


    ''We attacked the undeadwork again, and I told Ceph to run... What happened after that?'' Try as he might, Eldrian couldn''t recall what had happened after.


    ''Does that mean I died? At least this time it isn''t just darkness. But, what is going on?'' Eldrian turned to observe his surroundings.


    Outside of the raging elements and the white gate, he saw nothing else.


    ''Mmm... If I recall correctly, yers normally find themselves in some sort of temple when waiting for resurrection to kick in.''


    ''Is that the temple?'' Turning to the white gate Eldrian took a few steps forward before stopping again.


    ''Well, I can''t just stay here.'' Moving cautiously to the white gate, Eldrian entered it with a feeling of apprehension. However, nothing happened immediately and he could even turn around and leave.


    Inside the gate was indeed some sort of temple, though the lights were far too bright to allow Eldrian to look at anything. A few minutester he found himself in the temple of Skepsi in Vn city.


    ''Well, at least it doesn''t seem like anything bad happened.'' Eldrian thought as he confirmed that he was back in his avatar.


    [Unwilling Undead - Ghoul (Tier 5) killed - Rewarded 604.8k XP -> Intertwined (Shared XP gain) - gained 302.4k XP]


    [Unwilling Undead - Ghoul (Tier 6) killed - Rewarded 4.2M XP -> Intertwined (Shared XP gain) - gained 2.1M XP]


    [Unwilling Undead - Ghoul (Tier 6) killed - Rewarded 4.9M XP -> Intertwined (Shared XP gain) - gained 2.5M XP]


    [Devil Prince - Korgrath (Tier 7) killed - Rewarded 56.4M XP -> Intertwined (Shared XP gain) - gained 28.2M XP]


    [Level 25 reached]


    [You died, lost 3 levels]


    Reading through the log, Eldrian could feel a slight twitch grow in his right eye. He was naturally happy that it seemed not much more had happened and that he wasn''t hurt or in a weakened state. But seeing his level stay the same after reading through the log... That just sucked.


    ***


    "Why did you stop me from rushing to his aid?" Tovack asked after they confirmed that Eldrian had indeed died.


    "Because he will never be able to reach his true potential if we keep protecting him. As the saying goes, Mythril can only be forged through extreme heat."


    "The same holds for people, if we coddle them then they will never reach their true potential."


    "Lord, I understand that. However, he died. Is there even a purpose if the person does not survive?"


    "This might be true for us who do not have the safety that the Chosen have. However, not only is he a Chosen who is protected by the gods, he also has a Zoe partner. Along with that, we kept the liches from reaching them."


    "The only true danger he might face is those who can damage his soul, as long as we ensure that he does not face anyone past his level of this type, death is eptable."


    "You mean to say, you expected him to die?"


    "I did, and he did it in quite a spectacr way. I have a feeling he also now knows what he is up against. I am curious how he is going to handle this going forward."


    ***


    "Dammit!" Evale mmed the table, causing its sturdy thick wooden legs to crack under the force.


    "We did all we could, the undead were too prepared." Sodren said, trying to talk some sense into the centaurette.


    Now was not the time for regret, rather, it was the time they needed to be strong and keep their morale high.


    "I did this! I pushed for this!" Evale cursed and mmed the table again, causing it to crash to the ground as it failed to withstand the force.


    "And I agreed, so did the others. You didn''t force anyone into this." Sodren knew that he wasn''t the best person to try and talk sense into someone. He was normally on the receiving end of such talks. But, there was no one else who could.


    "Still... It is-"


    She stopped as a young ck-haired child with green highlights entered the tent. The sight of which was so bizarre and him being here so confusing that her mind failed to make sense of what was going on.


    "Eldrian is alright." Cephaphyr said with a smile, "He had a little trouble resurrecting, but he is alright."


    "Wha- how do you know?"


    "Just trust me, he is alright. More importantly, we really angered the big boss."


    "Big boss?" Evale questioned, but Cephaphyr didn''t know much more.


    "It-it is hard to maintain a connection this far..." Ceph mumbled as he almost stumbled. "But... Eldrian says it is some type of Oni."


    "Oni? A half-demon?"


    "Yes, not sure... He will be here soon. He will exin then."


    ***


    After having gathered his thoughts and also confirmed that there was nosting effect, which was quite shocking and massively a good thing, Eldrian had started thinking of how to rush back to warn everyone.


    Of course, the first step was to teleport to Pyknos Fort and rush to the camp. After having teleported, he had discovered that he could faintly still feel the telepathic link with Cephaphyr.


    Eldrian was unsure if this was because of them being Zoe partners or if it was Ceph''s doing, however, he quickly tried to warn Ceph. Asking him to inform the camp that they needed to stay on high alert.


    ...


    Finally arriving at the camp, Eldrian rushed straight to the walls. A massive life and death battle was already underway. Masses of dark mist constantly assaulted the walls, each hit rocking their very foundations.


    Behind this mass of darkness could be seen an army of a few thousand. It was nowhere near as many undead as the firstrge battle. However, the weakest in this army was the unwilling, making up only 60% of the army.


    "This..." Evale and Sodren muttered as they watched the army waiting behind the ck mass that the liches were using to assault the walls.


    Their aim wasn''t to break the walls, most of the undead in this army could scale or fly over the walls with ease. Instead, they were trying to break the formation.


    "This is bad, has Eldrian said anything else?" Evale asked Cephaphyr who had an extremely grave expression.


    "No, the connection between us was unstable and hard to talk through. It broke mid-conversation." Ceph said, chills covering his body as he looked at an army where each and everyone member of it was a danger. Was capable of injuring and even killing him.


    ***


    "Are we still going to stand and watch?" Hrothgar asked the blind dwarf, unable to keep his anger from his voice.


    "It is not our fight." Tovack replied as something suddenly grasped his attention. "However, it might be his."


    Turning to where Tovack was looking, Hrothgar saw nothing. However, only one person could cause Tovack to smile like that.


    "Same as always then? We keep those capable of injuring souls away from him?"


    "No, let''s extinguish them.'' Tovack said, though he wasn''t going to personally join the battle. That would be overkill and take away the chance for growth from everyone involved.


    Naturally, many would die. But in war that was to be expected.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 463 - Death Knight

    <h4>Chapter 463 - Death Knight</h4>


    "Has everyone below Tier 5 evacuated?" Sodren asked as the walls started to crack and all the crystals started to dull.


    "Yes, we pulled back from the wall. However, won''t this give the weaker undead a chance to break through?" A cat beastkin with dark striped orange fur replied.


    "It is more important that we do not take unnecessary losses." Sodren replied as everyone evacuated from the wall. The following attacks from the liches caused it to slowly copse.


    Of course, during all this everyone adept at ranged attacks had thrown everything they had at the undead army. However, the damage had not been as great as they had hoped. Only having managed to kill a few hundred of the undead.


    As the undead started to charge in mass, Eldrian arrived and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Everyone! Fall back!"


    His shout naturally confused everyone on the field, and this confusion grew even more when they saw he was just a Tier 4 elf. However, when they recognized who he was they became slightly inclined to listen.


    Evale, hearing the shout and recognizing it, immediately ordered those under hermand to pull back. Seeing this, Sodren gritted his teeth and followed suit. Staying on his own would just be suicide.


    However, how could the undead allow them to simply run after what they had done? They chased and tried to do as much damage as possible. This was where the multiple camps and arrays set up long ago came into y.


    Not only did it slow the undead and allow most to escape, but it also killed another few hundred. Slowly dwindling the undead''s numbers while not giving them a chance to replenish them.


    Eldrian was currently riding on Cephaphyr next to Evale while trying to exin what he had gained from digging into thework.


    "The reason thework is capable of increasing the strength of the undead is that it is maintained by an Oni."


    "Cephaphyr said the same, but I still do not understand why that is important."


    "That is because this Oni is truly special!" Cephaphyr took to the sky while Evale jumped to the side, an explosion destroying everything where they had been seconds ago.


    "He isn''t just a half-demon. Rather, he is a third demon, a third draugr, and a third revenant. Don''t ask me how, but I am certain of this."


    "Tha-that is impossible!"


    "Or it is just improbable. That doesn''t matter. The reason it can strengthen others is due to this mixture. I am not quite sure how things work together, but I know that the further from thework the weaker all the undead will be."


    "You did clear all the ackley tress in the forest, right?"


    Evale bit her lower lip as she shook he head in denial, leading to Eldrian throwing a slew of curses.


    "How do you warn the fort that enemies are iing? We will have to rely on the magic tower to repel the attack."


    "No, we can still fight." Evale countered, but Eldrian didn''t want to give her a chance to argue.


    "Maybe, if the Oni was still waiting in the heart of the forest. But he decided to join this army of his!"


    "Then, doesn''t that mean this is the perfect time to try and end this once and for all?" Evale questioned as she jumped to the side, took aim, and let loose. A small explosion stopping the closing undead from killing the slower soldiers.


    "If it was that simple, of course. However," Turning around, Eldrian used mana sense and quickly scanned the horde. Ignoring all the normal undead and searching for this particr one.


    It was an undead that seemed to be the embodiment of a death knight. It was over 2 meters tall, d in deadly-looking armor with shadow mesing from the openings. It held a massive sword with light simr blue shadow mes in one hand and a spiked shield in the other.


    [Oni (Vagus)- Draugr & Revenant souls]


    [Tier 8 - Level 75]


    [HP: 48k]


    [Mana: 41k]


    [Attack (Menos) - 112 (3.9k)]


    [The de is imbued with the fire of undeath, each attack that so much as grazes the opponent will attack not just their body, but also their soul.]


    [Attack (Myalo - soul corruption) - 4118]


    [Attack (Magic) ~ 6k]


    [Special ability: Nomad - having never settled in one ce and called it home, the normal restrictions of a draugr does not apply to Vagus.]


    [Instead, Vagus can settle anywhere he wants. However, doing so requires time, during which he will be weakened simr to normal draugr.]


    [Special ability: Nassa - Allows Vagus to spread the area of his home, making and most suitable for the undead. Requires structures capable of maintaining thework.]


    [???]


    ''There''s even more?!'' Of course, Eldrian didn''t have the time to even read through the descriptions. However, this had allowed him to again confirm that this guy was no joke.


    "How confident are you that you will be able to survive a soul attack?" Eldrian asked as they dodged another attack. Luckily, Vagus was not all that fast and the arrays were keeping even it at bay every time they reached one of the old camps.


    Truly, if not for the arrays they would likely all be dead or in a bitter struggle for survival.


    Hearing Eldrian''s question, Evale shivered as she realized that this must be the true danger. Instead of trying to think how they could fight it, she focused on keeping as many of the soldiers alive while also sending a signal arrow into the air.


    Seeing the re lighting up the day sky, those in the fort sprang to life in disbelief. Unable to ept that the forward camps had all fallen.


    Their army rushed through the gates as the magic towerunched a stream of holy fire at the undead. Yet, shockingly, shadow mes sprang to life and blocked the attack.


    "No way..." Eldrian looked at Vagus who had flown to block the attack, having just lost 1k HP which he was quickly regaining.


    ''This is freaking impossible!''? Eldrian nearly wanted to shout this, instead, he tried to think of a way to beat this.


    It was at this moment when the dwarves made their move. Hrothgar appeared behind Vagus and mmed down with his hammer. Sending the ''death knight'' flying away from his army to where Bring?rr and the others were waiting.


    However, shocking not just Eldrian, Vagus had taken no damage from the attack.


    "Now is our change, fire again and prepare to charge!" Sodren shouted after seeing the leader of the undead being sent flying.


    The undead were unsure what to do with their leader suddenly removed from their lead. However, it just took a few seconds for one of the liches to step forward and takemand. Ordering them to charge and ughter the fort.


    This time, the magic tower did its magic. Killing nearly a hundred of the undead in one st while the soldiers of the fort released volley after volley to kill as many as possible.


    Unfortunately, the soldiers of Taurus didn''t have the luxury of waiting on their walls and using the advantage of their fortification. Themanders clearly knew that they needed to do as much damage as they possibly could before that undead knight returned.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 464 - Reflection

    <h4>Chapter 464 - Reflection</h4>


    Eldrian simply stayed where he was. He watched as the soldiers at Tier 5 and above who would normally be captains of a squad at the minimum, rushed into the front lines.


    How those who normally led, were now just another soldier. And how only those at Tier 7 and above had the right to form a squad. Though, for the most part, things were too chaotic for them to actually manage this properly.


    At most, the captains would pick amander or general they are acquainted with and follow them. Partly to try and maintain some semnce of military order, but mostly in the hopes of avoiding death.


    With the liches all pressing forward, everyone knew that not only would their death be a true one. Given the scale of the battle, this was likely the case even without them. However, the liches added the fact that their deaths would add to the enemy''s numbers.


    No one wanted to be an unwilling betrayer. Undeath itself was scary enough, not to mention the possibility of killing their friends.


    Eldrian watched all this in silent reflection. He did not rush forward because he knew he couldn''t do much, nor could Ceph. They might be able to kill a few, especially some of the weaker Unwilling. However, the danger was far too great.


    He watched and didn''t feel that he was too weak. He watched and simply tried to learn, tried to make sense of how thousands fought thousands.


    He watched to learn how despite spells destroying entire areas covering double-digit meters, that did nothing to sway the flow of the battle.


    ''It is insane how much must be constantly considered in such a battle.''? He realized that he had always tunnel-visioned.


    He had tried his best to help where he could, but he would almost instantly get himself killed if he tried this here. He realized that battles before Tier 5 and after were simply on a different level.


    After a few minutes, Eldrian managed to ovee his shock and realization. With his mind bing less upied he started to worry about his friends.


    He believed that Elizabeth and the others should be fine, in fact, he had gotten replies from them so that should be right.


    However, Evale was in the thick of it. So was Pros, Katania... ''Vivian, I hope you managed to escape the fight.''? Eldrian thought and recalled when he had made a stop in Kynigo.


    ''She was so sad... But also so proud. And my feelings at that time, where so...''? Eldrian smiled as he recalled holding the baby in his arms. Little Zedion, named after his father.


    ''She cried but hadn''t allowed her emotions to ovee her. She is truly a great woman, a great mother.'' Eldrian thought, wondering if he would have managed to recollect himself so quickly if he were to someday hear his wife had died.


    ''Granted, she had expected it. Most people in this world ept that death is normal. However... It must have been hard, and I was certainly no help back then.'' Eldrian smiled as he recalled how Ceph had been better than him at making Ziraili smile after the news.


    Rubbing the little alicorn''s head next to him, Eldrian''s smile grew.? ''He was great, I was so stuck in the emotions that weren''t even my own. He, however... He realized her pain and knew just how to distract her.''


    Eldrain''s sights turned to the battle again, by now the number of the undead was around half of that of the army. The newly turned undead were often killed before they could stabilize, making this tactic of the liches quite useless.


    Outside of the forest, far away, a group of dwarves d in full ck armor was fighting a figure whose only description could be that of a death knight.


    They fought desperately to keep him contained, struggling greatly to not allow him to escape. The surrounding hills and grasnds turned into scraps from their fight.


    That, however, is another fight. The one before Eldrian and his recall and realization made him realize something crucial.


    ''I-I think what I have is a mix of a friendship and a crush. It certainly isn''t the love that Medion had for his wife. And for the most part, I have been pushing down the crush part and focusing on our friendship.''


    ''But... Is that what I want?''? Eldrian looked at the battle and he realized that he truly had no idea what he would do if he heard Vivian had died in the chaos.


    ''It will certainly hit me harder than with Sabrea... But... Is that all?''? The topic however was not a fun one to even consider. It formed a bit in his stomach and gripped at his heart, squeezing it so much that he would swear he was having a heart attack.


    Eldrian sighed, ''Hey Ceph, have you ever had a crush?''


    ''Ah crush?'' Tilting his head sideways, the little alicorn looked at Eldrian in utter confusion.


    The question was so out of the blue, and the timing was just downright terrible. There was a massive battle happening before their eyes for goodness sake.


    ''No, why?'' Ceph replied, wondering if he should have had one by now. He shook his head to clear the strange thoughts that were now filling it.? ''No, normally that only happens after we reach Tier 4''


    For magical creatures, their Tier is normally not based on their talent, but rather their age. This is especially true for the stronger beasts. As such, normally they use Tier instead of age to ssify growth stages.


    Tier 1 to 2 is basically a toddler, Tier 3 and 4 childhood, with Tier 5 beingte teens and Tier 6 being early adult life.


    ''It is silly, just forget it.'' Eldrian replied, slightly blushing as he wondered just why he thought Ceph would have advice for him on what to do.


    After a few seconds of feeling awkward, Eldrian decided to change the subject.? ''It seems like the battle is going well at least.''


    ''Of course, without the Oni the undead are all much weaker.''


    ''True, though the magic tower also makes a massive difference. It keeps them from grouping together, and also stops them from trying to surround the army. It basically allowed the soldiers to decide how they want to fight.''


    Ceph nodded, not caring much about the tactic. While the magic tower was great and all, it was quiteckingpared to his parents. And as such, it didn''t really seem great to the little alicorn.


    ''Right, I am quite curious. When do you think you will reach Tier 4?'' Eldrian asked and Ceph misunderstood.


    ''Why-why? Do you want me to get a crush?''


    Hearing the silly reply, Eldrian couldn''t help but have augh escape as his smile grew to its max.


    ''Not at all. We need to be stronger, I n to practice a great deal and improve as quickly as I can. But, how does it work for you?''


    Ceph didn''t reply right away, he pondered on it for a moment. ''Actually, since we bonded and you reached Tier 4, I have felt this pull on my mana. No, pull isn''t the right word.''


    ''It is more like an itch. I think if I wanted I can try to break through, but...''


    ''What is it?''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 465 - Athanato And Daimonas

    <h4>Chapter 465 - Athanato And Daimonas</h4>


    ''I am not too sure, I just feel like it will take some time.'' Ceph replied after considering the topic for a while.


    Eldrian pondered this and didn''t push Ceph to attempt it, instead, he nodded and returned his attention to the fight before them. By now the soldiers outnumbered the undead 2 to 1, and as a result, the undead knew the fight was lost.


    Many of them started deserting, with Vagus far away and kept busy they realized that there was nothing stopping them from doing so. The first to do so was of course the liches, and thest were the Unwilling. Who were ordered by the higher undead and were unable to refuse their orders.


    The soldiers also did not try to stop them from fleeing, instead, they focused on those who didn''t flee. Killing as many as they could with the least amount of danger.


    ***


    Gasping for air, Hrothgar looked at Vagus in disbelief. He couldn''t believe that the undead was still standing, not to speak of the fact that they were actually slowly losing.


    For now, they were able to keep pace with him thanks to the armor Amnur crafted for all his abyssal guards. The abyssal armor was beyond amazing, and as long as they had mana it could adapt to almost anything.


    The problem was, they were running out of mana.


    After another of their charges were easily repelled, the undead spoke for the first time.


    "Let''s end this, you can''t win."


    "Hah! Do you think we will stop so easily?" Hrothgar shouted as he charged again, however, unlike the first strike where he had sent the undead flying, this one was blocked by the ming spiked shield.


    Shockwaves damaged the surrounding, but Vagus stayed where he was. Just sinking a few inches into the ground.


    "Why would you continue? My ns have already been foiled." The undead replied, swinging his shield and sending Hrothgar flying while parrying Gin''s attack.


    Both dwarves ended up in the dirt, but neither was hurt. Nor were they discouraged, they jumped back to their feet and readied themselves for another attack. They knew that if the undead was asking for a peaceful resolution, then he was also nearing his limit.


    "And what is to stop you from attempting this again?" Hrothgar replied as he returned with another attack.


    Only for the shadow mes to burst forth and surround him. Massively draining his mana to counter the heat and corrosive effect of the mes. Hrothgar dared not let the mes through, fearing what kind of damage it might cause.


    "Fine, then let''s end this your way." Saying this, Vagus lifted his greatsword and fed the shadow mes.


    They grew in size until the dwarves couldn''t even enter within a meter of the undead. However, before Vagus could attack or retreat, his mes were suddenly attacked by a mist of ice.


    "I''m afraid we can''t let you go," Tovack said, appearing before them in his normal rags.


    His hands moved constantly as a guide for his spell. The ice mist pushing the shadow mes all the way back to the undead''s armor.


    Vagus realized that Tovack seemed to have grasped the weakness of the fire of undeath. A truly shocking revtion and one which made the undead wish to end the fight peacefully even more.


    Stopping the flow of the mes, he pulled them back until they just barely were visible in the openings of his armor. Turning to the new arrival, his eyes narrowed behind his helm.


    "Are you theirmander?" Vagus asked, Tovack''smoner appearance not fooling him for a moment.


    "I am indeed, and you are too dangerous to be let free."


    Vagus cursed hearing this while wondering where his reinforcements were. He had made a deal with the devil kings and now they were seemingly abandoning him.


    "Why would you say I am too dangerous? I am just another lowly Oni."


    "A lowly Oni? You managed to fight against two abyssal guards of the same Tier as you as well as one a Tier above. I am afraid that you are even more dangerous than a devil prince."


    "No way! I am really just a lowly Oni. I promise to never stir any trouble near Taurus again. How about it?"


    "Oh, and why should I trust your words when I can simply ensure you will never be able to hurt anyone again?" Tovack said, raising his hands and starting to form a new spell.


    "Wait, wait! What about an oath?" Vagus desperately pleaded, his entire soul shivering from the feeling he was receiving from this dwarf in rags.


    "An oath?" Vagus questioned, pausing his spell and bing serious.


    He knew just how strong this demon before him could be. Calling him an Oni was a massive disservice.


    Oni were half-demons. Vagus however wasn''t that. He was a demon who had absorbed the souls of a draugr and revenant.


    Normally, this was impossible. Normally, only a small portion of the soul would be absorbed while the rest was consumed. Clearly, Vagus was simr to the one in the rumors. And the damage he could potentially do if allowed to grow is chilling.


    "Yes, yes. Let me swear in Daimonas''s name." Vagus pleaded, and Tovackughed hearing it.


    "The demon goddess? Why would I ever ept such an oath to a goddess who doesn''t bother ensuring the oaths are ensured. It ismon knowledge that she prefers the oue that creates the greatest emotional disturbance, not the one sworn."


    "No, if you wish to escape with your life, then swear in the name of Athanato."


    Vagus cringed hearing this. Naturally, he was not a true undead. He had stolen the abilities of the undead whose souls he had absorbed. He was much like a lich, and it wasmon knowledge that Athanato would never be kind to a lich.


    He didn''t hate them, he just didn''t ept them. They didn''t gain undeath through him, but rather through their own means. Manipting what he had created.


    He valued their intelligence and ingenuity, but he could not ept it. As such, he would never be lenient in an oath. This is why no lich would ever agree to form one, as it would literally ce their lives on the oath.


    No amount of phcteries could save them should they break the oath.


    Vagus actually felt like Athanato would hate him much more than he disliked liches. He might even go out of his way to ensure that a demon-undead hybrid couldn''t turn back on his word.


    "That..." As he wanted to try and worm his way out of it, Tovack started casting his spell again.


    "Fine, fine! I will do it! But..."


    "The oath will be simple," Tovack replied, "You will leave Taurus and never return, and should you ever wish to continue with your experiments, then you will do so in the demon realms of your homnd."


    Vagus cringed hearing this, he wanted to argue. However, he had no footing to do so.? ''Whatever, if I break the oath I will just be weakened and lose the souls I absorbed. Athanato should have no more hold on me than the undead souls I have absorbed.''


    "Fine, I will do as you say."


    "One more thing," Tovack said and caused Vagus to curse as he heard it. "You will leave immediately, I forbid you returning to the forest and trying to take what you have left there."


    "But-" Vagus stopped as he realized this wasn''t a suggestion.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 466 - The Undead Invasion Coming To An End

    <h4>Chapter 466 - The Undead Invasion Coming To An End</h4>


    Eldrian smiled as he watched the soldiers returning to the fort. The battlefield before the fort clear for all to see. Craters were everywhere and almost no tree was visible for a few kilometers.


    He smiled not because of the victory, but because it seemed the fight went well. The losses were certainly nothing to scoff at, but considering everything, it was quite eptable.


    The tired soldiers all quickly found a ce to rest and started treating themselves while those who had stayed behind rushed forward to help. Eldrian told Ceph to go and heal those he could, while he instead looked at the new system messages he had received.


    [Quest Updated: Undead Invasion]


    [Quest Giver: Taurus Kingdom]


    [Quest Rank: Epic]


    [Quest Description (Updated): Attacking the undead corruptionwork along with your Zoe partner, you have angered the undead leader and caused the entire undead army to rush out in a desperate counterattack.]


    [ording to your suggestion, the soldiers had retreated instead of fighting, making use of all the arrays set up between the frontal camp and fort to weaken them before fighting before the fort along with the help of the magic tower to repell the undead after a few unknown dwarved had distracted the undead leader.]


    ''Quite the summary,''? Eldrian smiled and continued to read.


    [Quest Goal 1 (Completed): Help in stopping the undead from gaining a foothold. The bare minimum to call this is a sess is by ensuring Pyknos forest does not fall to the undead.. {Difficulty: SS}]


    [The undead have retreated and the siege on Pyknos forest has ended.]


    [Quest Goal 2.1 (Completed - Rewards already given): Find the method in which the corruption is spreading. {Difficulty: S}]


    [You found that this corruption was spreading through the ackley trees.]


    [Quest Goal 2.2 (Completed): Find the source of the corruption. {Difficulty: SS}]


    [You have found that the source of the corruption is a demon-undead hybrid named Vagus, you will need to ry this information to authorities to receive your reward.]


    [Quest Goal 3.1 (Completed - Rewards already given): Find a way to stop the spread of the corruption. {Difficulty: S}]


    [By removing the ackley trees in the forest, the corruption''s spread has been halted.]


    [Quest Goal 3.2 (Upleted): Find a way to destroy the corruption''s source. {Difficulty: Epic}]


    [You found an effective method in stopping the corruption spread and fighting it back, but you were incapable of doing anything to the one behind it all.]


    [Quest Goal 4 (Discontinued): Ensure that the king does not die. {Difficulty: S}]


    [The king has moved to another part of the kingdom and as such the danger to his life has changed.]


    [Quest Goal 5 (Completed - Rewards already given): Do not sumb to those aiming for your life and soul. {Difficulty: Epic}]


    [You have managed to not only survive the assassination attempts, but also personally ended the one behind them, Milgoroth.]


    [Quest Rewards: 13 levels, 270 gold, official recognition - Count nobility rank, Tier 6 custom weapon or 1000 gold.]


    <Rewards are less than totalpletion as that was not aplished.>


    [Already given rewards:]


    [Chelona breastte (Tier 4),? stama gauntlet (Tier 3), and 5 Tier 2 magic grade armors.]


    ''Not bad, though part 3.2 was really impossible.''? Eldrian thought as he read through it all and recalled the details of the undead''s leader, Vagus.


    While Eldrian didn''t have any insight into his attributes, those stats were just insane. Obviously there was no way that he would be able to deal with that.


    ''Well, it doesn''t matter much. I am just happy that the quest is finally done. Wait!'' Looking at the other quest which was also part of this one, Fighting back. Eldrian realized that it was still there.


    Though thest attack by Ceph had done some massive damage again.


    [Quest: Fighting Back]


    [Part 1: Completed]


    [Part 2: Areas Cleared = 728/826 (687)] (AN: The (#) is the personal contribution) <Was - (398)>


    [Part 3: Areas Cleared = 117/200 (117)] <Was - (54)>


    [Part 4: Areas Cleared = 96/800 (96)] <Was - (4)>


    Eldrian''s smile grew as he saw this, quickly realizing just how massive a reward this was going to be.? ''Should we just focus on clearing it, or should I try to learn something more from it now?''


    Eldrian ignored this question after just a few seconds and decided to also go help where he could.


    ...


    A few days had passed and most of the injured were now healed. The soldiers who had families were allowed to return to Kynigo after themanders had confirmed that all that remained in the corrupted area of the forest were lower undead.


    Of course, the mission to clear the corrupted area was postponed for now as the kingdom tried to decide what it wanted to do with the remaining area.


    Walking through the camp, Eldrian headed to the healers'' tent again. He had yet to find Vivian and was starting to worry that something might have truly happened to her.


    Luckily, on this day, his worries were eased as he saw her being treated in one of the tents. With the healers no longer needed as fighters too, they finally had enough time to treat injuries properly.


    However, Vivian didn''t want to have her scars all removed. She had asked the healer to only heal those that would limit her health or mobility, and leave the others. She wanted them as a reminder that war was not kind. That war was not something she should think of changing on her own.


    She smiled as she saw Eldrian approaching her, jumping from her seat she moved to hug him. Eldrian fully embraced her as his heart flooded with relief.


    After enjoying the hug, he asked why she still had the scars on her arms and cheek. He even followed the scar on her cheek with his hand without realizing it.


    "I realized why dad also kept his," Was her reply, she didn''t borate. Instead, she just got back into her seat and allowed the healer to continue.


    After a few more minutes the two left the tent, with Eldrian constantly asking what had happened. In short, she and everyone else had run ording to their orders. However, things weren''t that simple for everyone.


    Some areas of the wall were assaulted in mass by the lower undead, and her position was one of those ces. In their retreat many had died.


    "I should have done something, but... I just ran." Her eyes watered and tears formed as she recalled that terrible retreat. "I felt so bad that I couldn''t bring myself to return to the fort."


    Eldrian didn''t press her more and instead just held her as the two returned to one of the inns. There, Ceph was eagerly waiting for them while savoring some sweats he had gone out to buy.


    After some introduction, Eldrian started catching Vivian up on what had happened at the camp itself.


    "I''m sorry, I should have informed you before doing anything."


    "No, you were right. Besides, I was at my post and I couldn''t leave. Informing me wouldn''t have helped."


    Eldrian nodded and smiled, "Right, I heard that all the soldiers are going to get a massive bonus."


    "Yes, but it is only massivepared to our sry." Vivian replied, her focus on the little kid beside Eldrian. Even though he had exined that the kid was actually an alicorn, Vivian couldn''t quite ept it so easily.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 467 - Back At It

    <h4>Chapter 467 - Back At It</h4>


    Vivian could vaguely recall meeting Ceph before, back when she woke after being rescued from the caves and goblins. However, it only made it harder to believe.


    Finally connecting the dots only added to her shock.


    There was of course a reason why not everyone stared at Eldrian and Ceph in wonderment, outside of the initial shock of seeing two elves both with unique hairstyles.


    That reason was that not everyone could see that he was a mythic grade beast.


    In fact, most couldn''t even see that he was an alicorn if he was in his elven form.


    Knowing this fact left Vivian astonished. However, when she thought of all the amazing things Eldrian had been capable of in the short time since he arrived on Gaia. It somehow felt consistent.


    "What are your ns forward?" She asked, she had gotten a month of leave with the threat dealt with. Some soldiers from the city were sent to fill in to ensure the undead are contained. The numbers of before naturally no longer required.


    A monthter after her and all the other soldiers'' leave ends they were likely going to need to move to the other side of the kingdom. To help against the orc siege that was slowly pushing further and further into the kingdom.


    Granted Taurus didn''t have direct control over Vivian and the other humans from Phallos. They might stay here and focus on garrisoning the forts. But that would depend on the political agreement between Taurus and Phallos.


    With Herglem fallen a massive part of the kingdom is suddenly open to raiding. However, the orcs hadn''t pushed inward. Instead, they had pushed up to Amrough.


    A city that is far more fortified and between tworge mountain ranges. They were now besieging it from all sides, stopping reinforcements from reaching Amrough.


    It was highly likely that some of the Phallos soldiers would be sent through teleportation to add to the cities defenses. However, only the strongest would get this treatment, thus Vivian felt she was safe.


    If Amrough were to also fall, then the chances of recapturing Herglem would fall massively as there would be no major settlement nearby. No ce capable of housing a sufficient force. As such this was of major importance to the kingdom, to both kingdoms.


    The orcs decision to not push forward and raid all the exposed viges worked massively in favor of the kingdom. While they had to abandon massive amounts of crop and grazing fields, few lives were lost.


    Sustaining all the refugees won''t be easy but it was doable for the kingdom. And if the orcs n to keep attacking from Herglem, then their supplies would be wide open to the centaurs'' mobile forces.


    Eldrian also knew of these ns, Evale had shared most of them with him before leaving for Trowcrawling, the vige that they had actually requested as their reward back at the start of it all.


    Its name was derived from the woods near where it was created not long ago. Trow trees are ranked-1 trees with a crawlingwork of roots. This makes it far harder to traverse, especially for horses and centaurs. However, with some training the locals can get used to this.


    The town actually had an insane budget as the kingdoms thanks for the twins'' effort, as well as the need for a proper town being required for all the refugees. At the rate it was currently being constructed and expanding, it might turn into a smaller city just a few kilometers from Kynigo.


    "For now... For now, I just want to wait and see what the kingdom decides to do with the leftover corruption and undead. If there is a quest to still clear it out, I will likely join it."


    "Outside of that, I still need to sort out my rewards. But I haven''t thought further than that."


    Eldrian smiled as he recalled all the rewards he still hading. Of course, the 13 levels he received from the quest were halved thanks to Intertwined, but that didn''t bother him much. He still managed to reach level 32 and finally didn''t have the negative free attributes.


    "Oh, and what may they be?" Vivian asked, curious what Eldrian had managed to gain from the mission.


    She felt no jealousy, knowing how much Eldrian had put into this and all the dangers he had faced. She only hoped that he was rewarded properly.


    Smiling, Eldrian slowly started sharing what he knew and received thus far. Of course, he kept things like the nobility title to himself for now. Since he shouldn''t be able to know of iting.


    Which led to him wondering just how it was going toe.


    ...


    A few days more passed and by now the kingdom had decided what they wanted to be done about the forest. There were arguments for keeping and cleansing the corruption, but ultimately thanks to the dangers surrounding the kingdom, cleansing it won the discussion.


    However, the rewards were drastically lowered. Where the inner part of the corrupted area would reward a steel emblem (10 gold) before, now it only rewarded a bronze emblem (1 gold). This was still a significant number, and as such there was no shortage of adventurers.


    Eldrian of course had made sure to not miss out, even if it was insignificant to before. Actually, he was going more out of curiosity than for the reward.


    Flying with Cephaphyr from the fort directly to the center, Eldrian managed to find the camp that used to be the undead''s key location after a few hours of searching.


    It was truly well hidden amongst awork of caves, but the lingering death mana was far stronger here and as a result the lower undead were drawn to it.


    Landing and jumping off, Eldrian could immediately feel the suffocating feeling that was trademark of the corruption. Circting his mana, he pushed the feeling away and killed the undead rushing towards him.


    Nothing more than zombies and skeletons, unable to survive a few casts of Thora.


    Eldrian had yet to learn any tier 4 spells, instead, he had decided to rest a bit and just enjoy his time with Ceph and Vivian. Joking around and taking strolls in the forest.


    ''Here!'' Ceph shouted after finding the entrance to the main base.


    ''Ah yes, let''s see what is inside.'' Eldrian smiled, another reason he had wanted to rush here as quickly as possible was to try and find some good loot.


    Of course, he didn''t think of this as a game. However, air upied by thousands of higher undead had to have something good. Unfortunately, they were stopped just a few meters in.


    ''Do you know what this array does?'' Eldrian asked, both managed to spot it thanks to their unique sights. However, they were clueless about what it did.


    Shaking his head Ceph neighed and changed into his elven form. Running his fingers over the invisible Rilpai and Protii.


    "No idea, but it seems to be inactive."


    "True, but it still has some mana running through it. Which means we might activate it if we rush forward." Eldrian replied, not particrly into the idea of rushing into the unknown again.


    He had done that more than enough and each time escaped by sheer luck.


    "Or we might not," Ceph said, stepping forward before Eldrian could stop him. As he did, the array did indeed trigger, however, what it did was shockingly ineffective.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 468 - Reckless People

    <h4>Chapter 468 - Reckless People</h4>


    At least to them it was, to any normal person it was extremely deadly. The array turnedpletely active and threw a miasma of condensed death-mana at the two. Enough to make even Tier 8 people fight for their very lives.


    To these two, however, all it took tobat the corrosion was to actively move their mana. Though, it quickly started draining their mana pool.


    Eldrian sighed and rushed forward, "Let''s make this as quick as we can. If you start to feel tired, run outside!"


    "What are we looking for?" Ceph asked, Eldrian having handed him the dimensional ring he had gotten way back at the start of things.


    "Just throw anything that looks important into the ring!" Eldrian shouted, keeping mana sense active and rushing through the cave. There was plenty of rooms, most of which had absolutely nothing of importance.


    However, every now and then he would find an old dusty book or a few pieces of equipment in the rooms.


    "Remember, don''t leave any books!" Eldrian shouted aftering out of a room with a particr number of them.


    A few minutes quickly passed and the two began gasping for air, so they rushed outside and while the air was not fresh, it felt like the cleanest air they had ever breathed.


    "That... That was very reckless." Eldrian said, coughing out ck smoke as he did. Of course, he could only see it thanks to still having mana sense going on full power. He used this to also confirm that he and Ceph had no real damage done to them.


    As the two were still trying to catch their breaths, the first group of adventurers made it to the cave entrance. They stopped in confusion looking at the two elves, one of which was a child.


    "Who are you?" The leader of the group asked, warry as he used Observe and his confusion only grew more.


    The leader ignored them after confirming how weak they were, and instead, he rushed into the cave with his men. Eldrian shouted after them to stop and be careful. They didn''t listen, and they didn''t return.


    When the next group arrived, Eldrian pressed this from the start. "Don''t go inside! There is some kind of array that releases a mass of death-mana."


    This group didn''t want to trust him fully either. It was obvious that people would try to hide their spoils. However, they did take heed and only sent in one of their members.


    When she did not return, they turned their anger onto Eldrian and Cephaphyr.


    "We warned you! Her death is on you, not us!" Eldrian shouted back after receiving an earful.


    "You should have made the danger clearer!" The leader countered, and Eldrian just scoffed in reply.


    "You little shit!" Throwing down his de, the man charged.


    Eldrian frowned as he saw the man''s reaction, reading his attack with ease, Eldrian dodged it and delivered a nasty kick between the man''s legs. When he fell, his friends became angered at Eldrian''sck of respect.


    "Hah! Why should I fight fair? You are all stronger than me, are you shameless. I even warned you." Saying so, Eldrian confirmed that Ceph''s mana was back to full. It had taken twice as long as normal thanks to the corruption being everywhere and elemental mana being quite sparse.


    "Come, let''s see what else we can get."


    Nodding, Ceph followed him inside. They found the woman and the first group just a few meters inside. Already turning into undead. Not wishing to deal with thatter, Eldrian carried them outside under the shocked gazes of the angry group before continuing their search.


    When they exited this time, there were around thirty people waiting outside.


    "How can you go in but we can''t?" The leader who Eldrian had kicked in the groin asked.


    "Because we can do this." Eldrian said, casting Frost Needle and having the icicle turning into a disk before everyone. The sight shocked them all to their core as they had never even heard of magic like that.


    Leaving them to their own devices, Eldrian again confirmed that he and Ceph were alright. He also found that his ability Scourge of Undeath had finally unlocked a new function.


    [Scourge of Undeath: Gives you a unique perspective into undeath.]


    [Death-aspect Resistance: Through constant exposure to death-mana, and actively resisting this corrosive aspect, you have started to grow a harder skin to it.]


    [Death-aspect Resistance - 25% (This affects spells such as: energy drain/life drain/vampiric touch/aura of death and even a ghoul''s venom.)]


    ''Ah, that is quite a nice thing to have.''? Eldrian smiled as he recalled just how deadly a ghoul''s venom was. If the 25% was as effective on it as on the rest, then this was a massive bonus.


    Seeing Eldrian''s smile, the group of waiting people all became pissed. And one particr centaur even dared to charge into the cave again. Believing that they were trying to trick them.


    Eldrian sighed seeing this, but he didn''t bother himself too much about it. He had long sincee to ept that he couldn''t make people believe him, nor could he save everyone. He certainly wasn''t going to feel bad for someone who was so reckless.


    ''Though, I am kind of like that.''? Eldrian shook his head side to side, and after a few more minutes he and Ceph headed in again. Pulling out the centaur''s corpse together, as he was far heavier than the beastkins and humans from before.


    Seeing the already decaying corpse, the people still outside all felt chills flow through them as they realized they could have ended up just like that guy. Of course, mana was invisible unless one used Mana-Examination or something simr.


    By now there was even someone capable of divine magic, but she couldn''t save him and could only purify him to ensure he would not turn undead.


    When Eldrian and Ceph came out again, they were greeted by the yers from Phoenix this time along with another twenty strangers.


    "I was wondering when you all would make it here." Eldrian smile and hugged Elizabeth and quickly greeted the rest.


    "We felt we wouldn''t stand a chance going for the core, so we prioritized making some money. Right, you still owe me our part of the deal." Elizabeth said jokingly.


    "Of course, I haven''t forgotten. I actually spent most of my time this past week just rxing. So I haven''t turned in my achievements for any rewards thus far." Eldrian said.


    He knew that Elizabeth actually really wanted the reward. It was no small amount, so it made sense. He also didn''t n to keep any of it from them.


    "Can you fill me in on what is going on here?" She asked after they joked a bit more and discussed what had happened since the entire event.


    "Of course, there was some kind of array, and entering we tripped it. Now it is filling the cave with death-mana, which is deadly to anyone who can''t control their mana to stop it."


    "What about purifying it?"


    "You are the second divine caster here, you are wee to try."


    "No, we would stand no chance, but... What is the fuel source for this?"


    "Oh!" Eldrian''s eyes flew wide open as looting the smaller rooms suddenly turned into a waste of time. Indeed, thus far the only source of undeath he knew of was the undead.


    An array however needed something to sustain it. Normal arrays required mana crystals, or therger arrays/formations required Mov/Magic Crystals. But an undead array, what was that sustained by?


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 469 - Out Of Ideas

    <h4>Chapter 469 - Out Of Ideas</h4>


    "Can you cast some type of blessing on us tobat the corruption of the death-mana?" Eldrian asked.


    The adventurers who now all clearly understood the threat all tried to eavesdrop on their conversation quite shamelessly. Eldrian didn''t mind if they heard them talk, but he did mind theirck of basic manners.


    Most of the adventurers weren''t all that strong, at leastpared to the army. There were a few Tier 6 people in the mix and they were the strongest, most of the adventurers were Tier 4 or 5. There wasn''t anyone weaker than that as then even a normal skeleton could be a danger.


    Elizabeth pondered his request for a bit. "I don''t think what I can do will be of much help. I can cast a spell to ward of evil, but... I don''t think death-mana is inherently evil."


    "Oh, why do you say that?" Eldrian asked though he agreed with her. Saying it was evil is the same as saying gasses that are harmful to a person are evil, like carbon monoxide (CO).


    Yes, inhaling them will kill you if the dosage isrge enough. But that was just their properties, gas and mana Eldrian felt fell in a simr vein. They didn''t have intention. They just were.


    "It is just a feeling. Sorry."


    "Ah, it''s no problem. I had just hoped we might be able to stay in there a bit longer. Right, Ceph," Turning to the little guy next to him Eldrian exined that this time their aim is to find the core of the array.


    "Wait!" One of the adventures shouted out as Eldrian and Cep prepared to return to the caves.


    "What is it?" Eldrian asked, turning to look at the centaur before him.


    "Why don''t you wait until everyone can enter?"


    "Why should I do that?"


    "Because... People will be jealous."


    "Oh, and is that my fault?" Eldrian countered, "I never stopped you from finding a solution. I am not going to wait just because you ask."


    With that, Eldrian and Ceph headed back in while frowns quickly spread through all the adventurers. Seeing the situation, Elizabeth rubbed her head and sighed in worry. Cursing that it seems like Eldrian has no tact at all.


    As soon as they entered the caves Ceph asked a ridiculous question.


    ''Is that girl your crush?'' He asked it so innocently that Eldrian almost failed to even realize the implications of the question.


    ''What? No!''


    ''Really, but you seem to get each other so well. I mean...''


    ''She''s just a friend! Now focus, we can only stay in the caves for around 5 minutes, so move it!''


    Saying this, Eldrian took the left and Ceph the right at the fork they had reached. All the time Eldrian was keeping his map open and trying to get a picture of thework of caves.


    ''Hah! Me and Elizabeth?''? Eldrian scoffed, but his thoughts kept going back to it.? ''I mean, she is pretty and all. But, no... Agh!''


    Doing his best to throw the thoughts out of his mind, Eldrian followed the array''s carvings with mana sense and started trying to make sense of them.


    They didn''t make sense.


    It was like looking at a foreignnguage that used a different alphabet, like Kanji. No matter how much he stared, he just couldn''t figure out what it was supposed to mean.


    However, he did manage to slowly learn that there were actually two types of arrays. So this must be a formation. The first was the one they had spotted, one of elemental mana used to detect intruders.


    The other was invisible until triggered, and it was now carrying the death-mana. And, it seems like the mana was released out of a specific engraving each time.


    So while Eldrian had no idea what they meant, he slowly figured out which did what. Of course, he was forced to retreat from the cave before managing much more.


    This time, as they exited, the adventurers quickly hounded them about what they managed to find. After a bit of contemtion, Eldrian decided to share what he discovered in the hopes it would shave off some time of guessing in the dark.


    "I found that it is actually a formation that is the cause for all this. So far I found two arrays, one that is elemental and I believe detects our movement. The other I can''t really say much about, but I know it is the cause for releasing the death-mana into the caves."


    "Then, can''t you just disable that array?" Someone asked and Eldrian countered with a how?


    "I have no idea how arrays work outside of the bare basics. So tell me, how do I disable it? I won''t just attack it, there is no telling if there are more arrays that I can''t see waiting to be enabled."


    "Indeed, you can''t do something so reckless."


    "What about..."


    They continued to talk for around twenty minutes, after which Eldrian excused himself and headed over to the other yers.


    "Any ideas?" He asked as he joined their group, most of the yers knew of Eldrian but for many it was their first time meeting him.


    He was quite the enigma in the guild. He yed ANW more like a rogue/lone yer, but he was in the guild and it was clear to everyone that he had a really good rtionship with their guild leader and the guildmanders.


    "Did you find something?" Ilmadia asked.


    Over the past few weeks she had tried learning how arrays worked and trying to form one. However, she was still incapable of even making a Tier 1 array.? It required a vastly different skillset to casting spells.


    Sharing what he knew, Ilmadia was left with a nk. She hadn''t even started touching upon formations, so she didn''t have much to offer.


    "Ah, this sucks!" Eldrianined as he realized there was no way they were going to be able to head deep enough into the caves to find the core.


    "Maybe you should just give up on trying to find the core." Elizabeth proposed, but Eldrian didn''t like that idea.


    "It is certainly the most valuable thing left in the cave. I can''t just do that."


    "But if you keep focusing on it, you won''t be able to gain any more spoils before the mana runs outs."


    Eldrian sighed, knowing that she was right. Sighing again he felt like now that things started calming down he should really take up a craft again. Besides, he wanted to try and add runes to his mana pathway. ''I still have no idea what to name my legacy, lol.''


    "Alright, I don''t see any other way. Ceph, let''s go back to looting."


    Hearing this, those near the yers, and a few of the yers, cursed. However, they couldn''t do much about it, some even started thinking of trying shady things.


    That onlysted until they realized that Eldrian was a Chosen and as such it was impossible to gain ess to his dimensional storage, the inventory of the Chosen.


    After three more raids, the death-mana started bing less. Those who were watching the entrances quickly ryed this to the rest of the group. On the fifth raid, the adventurers risked heading in.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 470 - Death Crystal

    <h4>Chapter 470 - Death Crystal</h4>


    They all cursed Eldrian and Ceph at the top of their lungs when they saw all the empty rooms. It didn''t take long however for them to find rooms yet to be looted. So they quickly got to work and forgot about the two.


    Eldrian and Ceph instead started trying to move deeper into the cave again. The array was slowly shutting down, but notpletely. As such, they kept being the first ones to enter the new areas that were essible.


    Ignoring how frustrating this must be for everyone else, Eldrian just kept on pushing. Finally, two dayster, they made it to the core.


    By this time his inventory was overfull and he had to even abandon some of the weaker items he had on hand.


    Stepping into what Eldrian assumed was some sort ofb/bedroom, Eldrian looked around with Ceph by his side. His eyes flew wide open when he saw two purple crystals reflecting the light of Fos.


    Rushing forward, he picked them up, and as the system prompt appeared he quickly chose the yes option. Having the two Mov Crystals be used to increase his inventory.


    [Mov Crystal 1 - 71.8mm by 26.3mm (2.8x1.0 in) - space increase 12.4 meters cubed (3->3.4m sides)]


    [Do you wish to proceed?]


    [Mov Crystal 2 - 83.5mm by 35.2mm (3.3x1.4 in) - space increase 17.8 meters cubed (3.3->3.9m sides)]


    [Do you wish to proceed?]


    ''Ah, that is not as much as I thought it would be. Actually, is it possible to only have the width and length increase?''? Eldrian pondered this for a moment, but not for too long.


    He decided to proceed, instantly getting some new space in his inventory for stuff.


    Only then did he realize how foolish his actions had been, luckily it seems like there were no traps in this room. Eldrian made double sure to confirm this before trying anything else.


    In the center of the room, there was a cracked crystal of pitch darkness with swirling gray smoke which was slowly escaping from the cracks.


    Moving closer, carefully, Eldrian stopped just outside where the arrays seemed to begin. Surrounding this crystal was a bunch of mana crystals all of whom still shone brightly.


    ''Well, that does make sense. Detection would require far less mana than filling an entire cavern with a miasma of mana.''? Eldrian wanted to check what the crystal was, and he quickly did but couldn''t do much more as it was time to run out again.


    Naturally, he kept his new discovery to himself for now. Knowing just how valuable the finger-sized mana crystals alone were. Sharing the information would just lead to more fighting and likely even unnecessary deaths.


    Of course, those who would ept a deadly quest for just a few gold coins, would lose their mind if suddenly the opportunity to make hundreds appeared before them.


    "How are you feeling?" Eldrian asked after first confirming that the death-mana was being expelled naturally from Cephaphyr''s body.


    "Fine, I really want a bath though. When can we go?"


    "Almost, the next time will be ourst."


    "Really!?" Ceph jumped up in excitement, "And when we go back, can I get some-"


    "Sure, whatever you want." Eldrian smiled and focused on clearing the death-mana in himself.


    By now the entire corruption was bing less and less. Making this process easier and as such, it didn''t take long before the two dived back in.


    Standing again before the crystal, Eldrian knew that after this attempt the crystal would bepletely expended. He would no longer have a chance at iming first pickings.


    That wasn''t the reason why he had decided to end their attempt though. Rather, he could feel that he and Ceph had started bing tired.


    No amount of rest could rid them of this, not inside the corruption. Not when they returned the next morning. They would need a few days of constant clean air to recover.


    ''This is why expeditions into the encroaching are so dangerous. Always breathing and absorbing the mana, it takes a toll.''


    "Do you think taking it out is safe?" Eldrian asked, he hoped he could store it and then when he had time maybe experiment with it.


    "It is low on energy, but the mana crystals are still full."


    "True, but I don''t see any array outside of the detection one. But, this feels too easy." Eldrian paused, afraid that this was some kind of trap.


    "Maybe they just thought that the first trap would be too strong to ovee. I mean, they didn''t expect to run away, right?"


    Eldrian smiled hearing the simple reply which held the truth. ''Indeed, they hadn''t expected they would retreat. In fact, thinking about it, this must be the source of the entire corruption. Or at least, it was when Vagus was still controlling it.''


    ''I see, that''s how it worked.''? Eldrian smiled as the dots finally managed to fall in line.? ''This passive trap, I am sure it wasn''t ever really meant to be such. Rather, yes here it is.''


    Eldrian looked at the chair before him. Calling it a chair was a disservice, it was more a throne. Multiple jewels and engravings covered it from top to bottom.


    Two lines were drawn from it to the array surrounding the ck crystal. One line joined with the array, and the other headed to the crystal without disturbance.


    ''Then it should indeed be safe, but to be on the safe side let''s be quick.''


    "Ceph, get ready to run. I am not sure what is going to happen when I take it."


    "Right!"


    Taking a deep breath, Eldrian jumped over the array and ced his hand on the crystal. Summoning it to his inventory. Shockingly, there was a massive pullback. However, there was no way that would stop him. He had fought far too many mental tugs-of-war to be taken by surprise.


    Forcing it into his inventory, Eldrian also grabbed two nearby mana crystals and then he and Ceph ran for it.


    The adventurers looked at the two retreating in confusion. Some of the more cautious ones followed them outside, while others just shrugged and continued with their thing.


    Gasping for breath outside, the two waited to see if something was going to happen. When nothing did, they smiled.


    "Let''s go." Eldrian said and Ceph nodded, the two turning around and starting their walk back to the fort.


    The sight shocked those who had followed them outside, filling them with questions. However, they didn''t have time to voice them, instead, they cursed and rushed back in so as to not miss out.


    Eldrian turned his attention to the crystal he had taken while he left the duty of keeping them safe to Ceph who could deal with zombies and skeletons with ease.


    [Death Crystal (Artificial - Rank Unkown)]


    [A unique crystal created through unknown means, it holds an abundant amount of death-mana simr to mana crystals.]


    [Mana Storage: 86k]


    ''Hah... It is nearly falling apart and still has so much mana inside. Just what is this thing?'' Eldrian did not get stuck on this question.


    Confirming that it was safe in his inventory and that the magic crystal dust was also still safe and unbothered, he focused on the journey.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 471 - A Lot Of Gold Coins

    <h4>Chapter 471 - A Lot Of Gold Coins</h4>


    The two returned to the fort and headed to the inn where they cleaned up and then headed out to get something to eat.


    Eldrian spoiled Ceph by letting him order whatever he wanted, not even flinching when the bill was almost 20 silver. A price that was unimaginable to most, especially considering it was just 1 meal.


    Leaving satisfied, the two returned to the inn where Eldrian paid for theirst day and then started organizing things for their return to Kynigo. Vivian had gone ahead of time and was looking around at the houses for Eldrian.


    Of course, she could always stay in the barracks and Eldrian could always stay in an inn. But, that didn''t seem like the best option going forward.


    While they didn''t quite know how much longer they were going to be in Kynigo, Eldrian knew that houses weren''t all that expensive. Even some of the more impressive homes wouldn''t equal a Tier 2 magic weapon (20-ish gold).


    Noble houses were another story, but Eldrian wasn''t looking for a mansion.


    ...


    "This neighborhood is really nice, there are a few inns nearby and it is also far away from the gate should an attack happen." Vivian happily shared what she had learned during her days of house shopping.


    "And it is thirteen gold?" Eldrian asked, looking at the three-story building with an impressiveyout before him in shock. It wasn''t furnished, but 13 gold seemed like a steal. This went without saying, but the house was one designed for humans, as such it didn''t have ridiculouslyrge rooms.


    "Yup, it has no defensive arrays though."


    "I mean, of course it doesn''t." Eldrian countered.


    That was truly the thing that made houses expensive. The most expensive normal house was around 50 gold, while the cheapest house with an array was around a 1000 gold. The difference was just insane.


    "What do you think of the house?" A slightly overweight man with nice clean noble attire asked.


    He was the realtor for this property and he truly wanted to push the elf to some higher-priced houses. However, Vivian had done her homework and kept him honest.


    Calling up the map, Eldrian studied its position for a bit. It was nicely situated from the main road leading from the gate to the noble district. And as such should an attack happen it would be one of the areas out of focus.


    Outside of that, it was near one of the adventure guild branches. Which of course meant it was also near at least one cksmith and apothecary. The mage association was far away, but Eldrian didn''t mind that. It would just take half an hour by carriage. If he were to run it wouldn''t even be 10 minutes.


    "I''ll take it."


    "That is wonderful, now... Let''s talk furniture and servents."


    Hearing this, Eldrian quickly stopped the man from continuing. "No need for servents, but I would like to at least get some basic furniture."


    "Of course, however, I must insist on at least hiring a few maids and a butler to take care of the property."


    Sighing, Eldrian really didn''t like that idea. Needing to take care of a household, the idea just sent shivers down his spine.


    "No thanks, let''s just talk furniture..."


    ...


    "Are you sure that is all you wish for?" The realtor asked in a disappointed voice.


    "Yes, that will be all for now."


    "Alright, your total wille out to 14 gold and 38 silver."


    Smiling, Eldrian called the amount from his inventory and the coins appeared in hand exactly as needed. Truly convenient.


    As the disappointed realtor left, Eldrian looked at his finances (around 95 gold coins) and then headed to their inn for the night. It would take some time for the furniture to be brought over.


    ...


    Returning on the next day, Eldrian confirmed that things were in order and then headed to the adventurer''s guild to finally im his rewards.


    "How may I help you today?" A centaurette asked as Eldrian approached the counter.


    "I would like to im my rewards for a quest. It has to do with clearing corruption, and the sum involved is quiterge." Eldrian didn''t want her to be surprised when he started sharing everything.


    During the first few days when he was still searching for Vivian, Evale had made sure to hand him the emblems he had earned for clearing the forest. Which had been an insane amount of emblems.


    Of course, Eldrian had thought of handing the emblems to Elizabeth at the caves. However, he recalled that only he could hand them in, if someone else tried then it would appear like they had been stolen.


    "Of course, please hand over the emblems you acquired."


    "Are you sure, can''t we go to a back room?" Eldrian asked, and seeing how earnest he was she nodded and led him to one of the private rooms.


    "Alright then, please take out the emblems."


    Nodding, Eldrian started with the Bronze emblems. taking out a total of 687 (worth 687 gold) of these and leaving the centaurette simply stunned.


    "Ex-excuse me." Rushing out of the room, she quickly found the guild leader and informed him of the situation. A few minutester, the two entered the room again.


    The guild leader was a centaur with a bright blue and gold embroidered akro and a neat semi-formal shirt with the same color and patterns.


    "I hear that you have arge sum to trade in with us." He said, smiling while stealing a nce at the pile of emblems. While waiting, Eldrian had stacked the iron and steel emblems too, a 171 (worth 855) and a 100 (worth 1000) respectively.


    "Yes, these are all the emblems." Eldrian said with a smile and waited for them to confirm the number. After 15 minutes, he left with a broad smile and 2542 gold coins richer. (708 of which was due to Elizabeth and the guild.)


    Next, he headed to the mansion of the city.? He had no idea where to im his rewards for the Undead Invasion quest. Something was telling him visiting Pros, the one who had originally given him the quest, was the right call.


    As he approached the mansion, it seemed like this feeling was indeed correct. The guards only stopped him to confirm his identity, and then let him through while even telling him where to find Pros.


    "Long time," Eldrian smiled as he recalled his first meeting with the centaur. At that time his excitement at Eldrian being an elf had bordered on the perverse.


    "Indeed, and who would have thought that adding you to that mission would have changed everything?" Pros smiled back while standing from his seat and shaking Eldrian''s hand.


    Currently, he was in his human form, so as to enjoy morning tea in his garden.


    "Not me, but I am truly d I was able to help," Eldrian said while taking the seat offered and epting a cup.


    The two enjoyed the tea first, talking about nothing for a bit and just enjoying the morning sun. With winter just around the corner it was a refreshing feeling and escape from the morning chill.


    "I assume you came regarding your rewards?"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 472 - A Talk With Pelaros

    <h4>Chapter 472 - A Talk With Pros</h4>


    "Yes," Eldrian nodded and took another of the baked goods presented with the food.


    "About that, I hope you would humor me." Pros said, turning slightly serious as he ced his cup down.


    "For what?" Eldrian asked, having half expected that something strange would happen here seeing as there were a few curious rewards mentioned in the quest.


    "I am nning a g in celebration of our victory. While the war caused by the invasion is still going to be hard on us all, if we ignore our victories and always live under stress. Well, that will do no one any good."


    "I agree," Eldrian added, he hade to realize the same quite a while back. Though hosting a g was a bit extravagant ording to him, considering all those who had died and the danger that this corruption had presented, it made sense.


    It won''t just be a way to celebrate, but also to mourn and give respects to all those who are no longer with them.


    "I am d to hear so. I hope you wouldn''t mind if we postpone your rewards until the ceremony. By far, your part in our sess was thergest of all. I hope to take that opportunity to both introduce you to the kingdom, and also show people that hard work will be rewarded."


    Eldrian frowned for a moment, but he didn''t argue.


    "I know this might not be something you want, but we really need a figure to stand behind. I am no leader, not in times of strife."


    "Nor am I. I have never led anyone."


    "Oh, but you have. And you can always learn, unlike you, I am not made for battle. You have already clearly demonstrated that you are."


    "But... What about the fact that I am an elf, and a Chosen?"


    "It actually makes it all the greater. A hero who cannot die, that will greatly inspire the people. It might even be capable of offsetting the news of Herglem''s fall."


    "I understand that, but... I do not want the responsibility."


    "Oh, then tell me. What do you think I am asking you to do? I am not asking you to be amander, just a figure of hope. What do you n to do going forward?"


    Eldrian paused, his ns? He didn''t know, he hadn''t known since the quest ended. It had been his entire focus, without it he felt kind of lost.


    ''I will likely focus on getting some Tier 4 spells and skills under my belt. Other than that? I have no idea.''


    "I haven''t thought much about it. I nned to learn some more spells and skills, but outside of that nothing much."


    "Which is perfectly fine. Now let me ask you this; if another problem arises, will stand up to face it?


    "Of course." Eldrian replied without much thought, realizing toote that he had fallen for Pros''s trap.


    "Isn''t that exactly what a figure of hope, a hero, does? Someone who will stand up for the people when something happens."


    "Yes, but-"


    "No, don''t argue. That is all that will be required of you. To stand up for us, to fight against the invasion. That was already your n, I see nothing wrong with adding some more meaning to it."


    Nodding, Eldrian epted that this would be his role while feelingplicated about the issue.


    "Also, I want to give you a head''s up. I have asked the king permission to grant you the title of count.


    "Such a title will give you the same standing as a city lord such as myself."


    "Ex-excuse me!?"


    Pros simply nodded seriously to Eldrian''s outburst. "You will be equal to city lords, and above most nobles. There are only 98 count households, yours will be the 99th."


    Pros paused for a moment to allow it to sink in. Adding after a minute of silence, "Right, you should think about what you want your household name to be."


    Eldrian nodded absentmindedly, especially when Pros tried to paint a clearer picture for him on just what being a count meant.


    "As an unded count, there will only have 48 noble households higher ranked than you."


    "With regard to our royal family, you will have a higher status than everyone who isn''t in the direct line of ascension. Unless they are also a city lord, such as myself."


    "Also, as a noble, you will have the right to form a personal army. As a count you can form an army of up to a thousand strong, however, I suggest you be careful with who you take in."


    "A personal army isn''t something you must deal with lightly. Those you chose will reflect the type of noble you are, and I also suggest you do not use those under yourmand lightly."


    "Each death will not only be on your conscious, but it will also be on your record. To ensure nobles do not misuse those under them, we have a strict monitoring system. Thus, if you try to misuse your army it will not stay hidden and punishment will be swift and severe."


    Eldrian nodded absentmindedly, he had started recording as soon as he became bbergasted. By now he was still stuck on the fact that there won''t even be 50 households of higher rank than his. It was simply an insane thought.


    While it didn''t mean he would be around the 50th''s strongest person, seeing as he shared that position with all the other counts and those where households. Of which the heirs would also be higher ranked than him. It still meant that he was in the top 1000 given all that.


    ''And I just said I didn''t want to have a household.''? Eldrian grumbled and joked, "I guess next you are going to tell me I am also getting a house."


    "Of course, while we can''t give you an entire vige tomand, a noble must have a proper house."


    Hearing this, the cookie Eldrian was about to bite fell from his hand. "No, are you kidding me?! I just bought a house!"


    "Is that so? If it wasn''t too long ago I am sure we can cancel the purchase."


    Slumped in his seat, Eldrian mumbled that it wasn''t required. "It was just 13 gold, it''s fine. But... Does this mean I am going to have staff?"


    Pros nodded and Eldrian slumped more, ''I won''t be able to fight it this time. A noble without servants... Godammit. I just want to focus on my magic!''


    "Right, let''s turn to a more pleasant conversation. As part of your reward, I n to have a cksmith forge you a custom weapon. Unfortunately, with everything, I only have enough funds to have this be a Tier 6 weapon."


    "What do you mean? Can I add some to boost it up to Tier 7?" Eldrian asked with little hope, but surprisingly Pros nodded.


    "Yes, but it won''t be a little. The difference between Tier 6 and Tier 7 is massive. You will need to add at least 1500 gold, maybe even more."


    The number was most certainly insane, and caused Eldrian''s cheek to twitch as he looked at his total worth and debated if he should or shouldn''t.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 473 - Designing A Weapon

    <h4>Chapter 473 - Designing A Weapon</h4>


    The two entered one of the more prestigious cksmiths of Kynigo. Not too shockingly, it was also owned by a dwarf, like Boran, she was Tier 7. Though, she was just a normal cksmith.


    "Pros my friend, what brings you here?" A female dwarf in forging clothing (thick drake leather apron, gloves, and pants - most certainly very warm), asked after stepping out from her forge upon hearing the city lord has graced her a visit.


    "I hope I canmission a weapon for my friend here, Solvi."


    Turning her dark brown eyes over to the elf, she appraised him up and down. "You came to me for this newbie?"


    Pros chuckled hearing her confusion, "I can assure you, he is not a newbie. Also, I would like to have the request be expedited. I am sure you already heard the rumors of the g."


    "You mean, this will be his reward. What did he do to earn that?" She asked half-jokingly, the answer leaving her speechless.


    "He is the reason we managed to actually win in the end."


    "You mean, this runt? How is that possible?"


    Feeling like it would be too hard for Pros to exin, Eldrian cast Frost Needle as a demonstration. Having the ice morph before her eyes, which widened in shock.


    Nearly running Eldrian over, she rushed to the spell and observed it with fervor. When he canceled the spell her disappointment was clear, until a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.


    "Do you want to be my apprentice? I will even allow you to help in forging your weapon."


    "What?!" Eldrian and Pros shouted in shock. Allowing someone to help meant you were willing to have them see and possibly learn all your secrets.


    "In return, you will exin how you did that."


    ''Of course, I can''t me her for wanting that. Nor do I feel like I will lose on this deal.''? Eldrian smile and nodded, "There is no guarantee you will be able to replicate it."


    "I am quite alright with that. If I can gain even a little more control over my mana, it would improve my craft by leaps and bounds."


    "Then you have yourself a deal," Eldrian said, offering his hand which she promptly shook.


    "Of course, you will still need to provide coverage for the raw materials." She said while looking at Pros who sighed as he handed over arge bag of gold coins.


    "Actually, I will also add some money if there is a need."


    "Oh? You mean you want to try and make a Tier 7 weapon?" She asked with a slight hint of shock. She could guarantee a Tier 6 weapon, but with Tier 7 weapons the chance of failure was quite significant.


    "Yes, if possible. We do not need to push it too far and risk failing. How about, we use the materials required for Tier 7 weapons, but you focus on what you arefortable with."


    "Are you sure, most would consider that a massive waste?"


    "There is one thing I know, and that is that you cannot waste money on a weapon. It is your only way toe out on top."


    "And what about armor?" She asked, naturally, Eldrian wasn''t in his armor currently as it was quite ufortable for daily wear. This wasn''t a problem when you knew it was there to protect you, but in a city that should be safe. The difort bes a bit too much.


    "I have some, and I don''t mind having it be far behind my weapon. After all, the best defense is a good offense."


    "I have no idea where you heard that, I must strongly disagree. However, I do like that attitude..."


    "Alright, we will do as you say."


    ...


    Pros then discussed the details of the timing and left the two alone. "Come with me, and tell me how much you think you can add to the cost."


    Quickly doing the math in his head, Eldrian figured he had around 1,9k of his own to spend. However, not wanting to be restricted by money and wishing to continue to treat Ceph whenever he could, he didn''t want to spend it all on the weapon.


    "A thousand and five hundred." Eldrian said after some contemtion, causing thedy smith to nearly stumble over her own feet.


    Turning to look him up and down again, she concluded that he wasn''t a noble and indeed he was a Chosen. Confusing her all the more on just how he could have that much money on hand. Heck, that would more than double what Pros had handed her.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I also have a few things I want to add if it will be possible."


    Hearing this, she didn''t know what to think. From Eldrian''s tone and his credentials thus far, it was clear he knew that just a mana crystal wouldn''t cut it. Causing her mind to spin as she tried to think of what he might have to add.


    Inside the forge, Eldrian took out Aoidos as a temte. He was used to this double-headed spear, and he wanted his new weapon to be simr. He wasn''t opposed to changes, more he only wanted changes if they added something. He didn''t want to add unnecessary re.


    Aoidos was, at its core, a very simple design.


    "How about we add some wings, to stop anything from reaching you if it is enraged. I am sure you had some problems with that."


    "Indeed, I have no problem with adding one wing. However, I want to keep the back de as is. Actually, can we make it slightly thinner?"


    The two continued to discuss the design for nearly two hours, after which a basic drawing had been made.


    "Alright, a spear is inherently more expensive than a normal sword due to therger amount of materials needed. But with the amount we have avable, there is no need for us to hold back."


    "First, we will start with the shaft. Do you want it to be wooden or metal?"


    ''Mmm, my instincts tell me to go metal since it makes no sense that wood would be strong enough. But, Aoidos has already shown me that normal values like that are incorrect. Actually...''


    "Can I ask what types of wood you have avable?"


    "The mostmon type is naturally Ackley wood, in fact, we nearly deforested the forest so they are also much cheaper at the moment. I also have a few pieces of the correct size in Alderleaf and Thress."


    ''Alderleaf and Thress? I know those two. Right! Erik made a burning Thress flower and Ceph Alderleaf arrows!''


    "Would it be alright if I tried to procure my own shaft?"


    "Are you sure?" She asked and then just nodded, giving up on trying to understand all the secrets Eldrian had. "Yes, that will be fine."


    "Great!" Eldrian smiled and decided to return to Avgi for a quick trip.


    While he couldn''t make use of the spring to teleport there, he could teleport to Duran and then with Ceph it wouldn''t even take the entire morning.


    "Right, that was supposed to be a veryrge sum. If you are going to procure it without needing to spend anything," She paused to allow Eldrian to indicate if this was the case, which his nodding confirmed.


    "Then, we can likely use Rank 3 metals for the des. Unless you want to add some Rank 3 crystals? for stronger abilities."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 474 - Shocking The Smith

    <h4>Chapter 474 - Shocking The Smith</h4>


    "You will have to exin how that works. I just know weapons can have abilities, but I have no idea on how they are formed or what they are limited by."


    "Really?" ncing at Aoidos, Solvi frowned but continued. "Alright, the abilities are determined by a mixture of the material used as well as the runework."


    "Enchanting the metal before forging can allow the metal to support a wider variety of runes, but, it can''t stray too far from the metal''s natural alignment. Crystals are more flexible and allow us to add inscription into the runework."


    "Generally, eachwork will be separate but connected. Meaning, damage to one will not destroy the weapon, and if the smith is skilled enough and also has the means, then there can also be a repair runework added. However, this is normally very mana heavy and thus expensive to add."


    Eldrian regretted how he had simply used the Mov Crystals he had found to increase his inventory upon hearing this. While it had allowed him to take a few more books and weapons, which had yet to sort through, none of them was above Tier 5 in any case.


    However, upon thinking of this, he suddenly realized he might have ess to a bit more money than he had thought. Taking out the four best weapons he had found (2 Tier 3, and 2 Tier 2), Eldrian asked Solvi if they could reuse some of their parts.


    "No, they are just made out of celestial metals. It would just weaken the piece."


    "And if I sold them?"


    "You won''t get a great price selling to me. I would give you 100 gold for them, you won''t be able to get much more. Even with the Tier 2 being peak weapons, they are just worth around 30 gold, shop price."


    "I understand," Eldrian said while quickly storing them, causing Solvi tough at his actions.


    "Right, back to my exnation. You will have to decide if you want the weapon to be focused on its abilities, or its physical attributes. You have three choices, have the des be made of Rank 3 metals, have the crystals supporting the weapon''s abilities be Rank 3, or half and half."


    "If all goes well, the de will be semi-Tier 7."


    "Right, what kind of abilities are you looking for?" She added, knowing that this was a truly important question.


    "I don''t really know. I prefer abilities that can keep me in the fight, so I guess I will also prefer that the physical attributes are its strong point."


    Solvi looked at Eldrian, impressed. Almost everyone always wanted shy abilities, especially for something that was going to cost 2000 gold coins. Eldrian''s answer showed that he knew what was truly important in a fight.


    However, all weapons had to have a trump card.


    "Before we continue, can you show me the materials you want to add to the spear?"


    Nodding, Eldrian took out the voidstone. If she knew how to use it, and if she didn''t appear greedy, then he would also take out some of the magic crystal dust.


    Solvi froze upon seeing the voidstone, her eyes shined in a fiery brownish-red as she tried to analyze the stone before her.


    "Thi-this... How in Dragos''s mes did you manage to get your hands on this?"


    "Luck and connections, will you be able to add it?"


    Solvi stopped herself from reaching for the stone and took a moment to rpose herself. "I will be honest, I can make use of it, but... I won''t be able to use even half, or even a quarter of its ability."


    "If... If you really want to add it and will allow me to experiment with this. I will do my best. Also, I will only need a small piece, not the entire stone."


    Nodding, Eldrian smiled and decided to now take out a bit of the magic crystal dust. He took out just a few grains, but the sight sent Solvi into shock. She stared at the glittering dust as her mind becamepletely empty of thoughts.


    "This... Can''t be-"


    "It is the dust from a magic crystal."


    Hearing the confirmation, Solvi''s dwarven legs caved in on her as she tried to ept the reality before her. Most smiths dreamed of one day being able to work with a magic crystal, nearly none dared dream make use of the dust of one.


    A magic crystal wasn''t like other crystals (and stones). Like them, it did indeed lose its original purpose upon turning into dust. However, unlike them, it gained a new ability and function.


    That was, it was the absolute most perfect inscription material. If mixed in a certain mixture it would turn into a past that could change everything in the crafting process.


    However, Solvi had only heard rumors of Tier 10 smiths attempting this. She knew she had no right to even attempt this.


    "I am sorry, but I won''t be able to. I would just waste it."


    Eldrian nodded, but he didn''t store the dust. Instead, he took out a piece of fabric and enclosed the dust inside of it. "I still want to try, my weapon is truly an important part of me. I can''t in good conscious not make it the best that I can possibly can."


    Of course, Eldrian said this but had actually not even taken out much of dust. What he had shown her wasn''t even 1% of the dust. Just a few grains.


    He didn''t mind if this amount became wasted, at the minimum this would make Solvi do her absolute best. He also understood that these materials were far harder to work than even divine Mythril. He had no idea how Solvi would be able to actually make use of them.


    It took her a few minutes to settle her thoughts and calm her rapidly beating heart. "Before we continue, can you please exin to me how you controlled and morphed the spell. It might allow me to make better use of the materials you want to add."


    "Of course," Eldrian smiled, he had hoped she would ask before they did the forging. If she learned something, then it would benefit him all the more.


    "I assume you are familiar with your mana, you can feel and follow it. Right?"


    "I can, it is required for forging of magical metals and adding runes. However, I can''t take control, as is the case with most everyone."


    "Of course, I know it isn''t easy. There are two mindsets in trying to take control, or rather, I have gone through two mindsets."


    "The first is to overwhelm your mana with your focus. Trying to surround it with your will and forcefully move it."


    "However, I havee to learn that this method is limiting. It might show the greatest results in the shortest amount of time, but it will also limit youter on. The other method is instead trying to not even think of it."


    "As you would move your arm, or... Actually, as you would swing your hammer. It shouldn''t be a conscious action, but rather something you do without even thinking."


    "Instead of thinking of all the angles and possibilities, just think of the end result. For example, when you swing your hammer you don''t consider how high to lift it. How quickly to bring it down, how hard to strike."


    "You just do these things thanks to years of experience. And, I know you do not have the same experience with mana. But you do have years of experience with magic. You just need to let go of that which is holding you back."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 475 - Eldrians Credentials

    <h4>Chapter 475 - Eldrian''s Credentials</h4>


    Solvi thought on what Eldrian had shared deeply. Eldrian used that time to observe the forge in its entirety. It was very different from Boran''s. Of course, she was a Tier higher than him, at least before his breakthrough.


    There were three forges inside the room, each against one of the room''s walls right in the center of said wall. Thest wall had a collection of tools hung against it, and a soft glow was visible on all the walls. Clearly, there was some sort of array surrounding the room.


    Its purpose was unknown, but Eldrian had a few guesses. The most prominent two being; to keep others from spying on her work, or keeping things contained should she fail in forging. Maybe both.


    While Eldrian was curious and wanted to use mana sense to try and get the answers, he decided to keep from doing so as a show of manners. Even if she wouldn''t know about it.


    "I think I understand what you are saying. When I teach someone who is wholly new to smithing, those actions of determining how far to move the hammer, how hard to hit, how to hold the hammer. They are all important and must be considered."


    "However, over time and practice, this bes second nature and no longer requires any thought."


    Eldrian nodded, as that was also how he saw it.


    "However, I am afraid you failed to take into ount my experience. While I do indeed have years of experience forging and using magic, I do not have years of experience controlling my mana."


    "I have always guided my mana through my spells, never taking control, as I believe you meant and have."


    Eldrian nodded, he felt that it wouldn''t take much to bridge the gap. However, there was still a gap that needed to be bridged before someone could attempt to have it be subconscious. Heck, Eldrian wasn''t even at that step yet, even though he knew what he was aiming for.


    "Then, my first step will be to overwhelm my mana with my will. Let''s see," Holding out her hand, a small me flew from the forge to her side and floated above her hand. The sight gave Eldrian a shock as he quickly used mana sense to figure out what was going on.


    ''I always failed to control an element already in existence. How did she do this?''? He asked as he saw that the me was special in its own way. It was a mix of normal mes and magical mes.


    The difference between the two? Well, that is that normal mes have little to no mana in them and actually cause the surrounding mana to slowly convert to the me element.


    Magical mes instead are filled with mana as that is what sustains and created it. Contrary to a real fire, it draws the fire elements from the surroundings to sustain itself.


    Of course, a magical me can birth real mes. Which is not something that should be ignored.


    This mixture she had floating over her hand existed without drawing or releasing any me elements. At least outside of her own mana, which Eldrian realized she was trying to control.


    ''That is quite brilliant. Using this me allows her to truly test whether she has gained control or if it is the spell that is mimicking control.''? Eldrian smiled, sad that they couldn''t wait till she made some progress before making his spear.


    Pros had been clear on his wishes, and how long it would truly take was unknown.


    Suddenly, the me flickered as it burst apart. Sighing, Solvi looked at Eldrian and smiled. "I think I understood what you meant, however, it won''t be easy for me to aplish it. It feels like I am trying to use my feet to write when I attempted it."


    Eldrian smiled hearing her exnation, it was quite a clever way to say it. "I am d you seemed to have understood. Honestly, I have no idea how to really exin it since I had toe to the conclusion and wording myself."


    "You did well, now tell me, how can that be the case, and yet you have no titles to boast about?"


    Flustered, Eldrian quickly exined that the Chosen could decide whether they want their titles shown or not. "Don''t worry though, we can''t hide stains."


    "Oh, then how many titles do you have?"


    "A few," Eldrian replied, and seeing her stare he decided to show a few rting to magic. Making the following visible: One who controls mana, Modifier, Master of the basics, One with Mana.


    Keeping these hidden, as he felt it would be a bit too much and likely lead to further questioning: ''Facing death, and not sumbing'', Legacy Creation, Curse Breaker, Devil''s Bane.


    Solvi''s eyes grew as Eldrian added them one by one, when he had a total of four she looked at him with slight reverence. It must be known, in lore, heroes would have upwards of 3 or more titles reflecting their field of expertise. (Not general titles such as Army Commander, or King)


    Eldrian just showed that he had four, and Solvi suspected that he was still hiding a few.


    Taking a deep breath to calm down, and downing a jug of water from one of her barrels. There was three water barrels, either for drinking or extinguishing a fire.


    "That is quite impressive, and they all have to do with magic. You will, no, you must certainly be quite an amazing mage."


    "That is why I keep them hidden, I don''t want that much attention."


    "I can understand that." Solvi nodded and downed another jug, "Let us return to the topic of your spear-" Pausing, she looked at Eldrian and questioned why he would want a spear if he was so great with magic.


    "But... Excuse me if this is out of line, but wouldn''t a staff be better?"


    Eldrian smiled and shook his head no. "If I were in some sort of party where I was always protected and allowed to focus on magic, then maybe. However, I normally fight alone or with just a few trusted friends."


    "In most cases, things quickly be hairy and a staff, I don''t think that would do as good as a spear."


    Solvi nodded, understanding where he wasing from. "Is this why you asked that the abilities of the spear should focus on sustaining you? Are you nning to use it as some sort of mana crystal?"


    "If I am able to focus on casting my spells, then yes, that is what I hope to do." Eldrian replied, not at all ashamed of it.


    "Then, what about we aim to make it a hybrid between a staff and spear."


    "What do you mean?"


    "No, that wouldn''t work. The methods of creation are too contrasting to actually work, and I don''t want to risk it failing and thus ruining all the materials you have given and paid for." Solvi quickly gave up on the idea.


    Nodding, Eldrian didn''t push for an exnation of what the possibility was. He would much rather have a solid weapon than a unique one if going for a unique one meant there was a chance of not having any weapon.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 476 - Across The Kingdom In Mere Hours

    <h4>Chapter 476 - Across The Kingdom In Mere Hours</h4>


    "He really is going ahead and teaching anyone who asked." Joren said with a sigh, unable to understand just why despite this no one has managed to do what Eldrian has.


    "At least we can be assured in regard to magic, he isn''t hiding anything from us." Constantinmented, taking note of what Eldrian had said, but more importantly what Solvi had added.


    ''I need to keep focusing on casting the basics. Her analysis was right, not amount of casting spells incorrectly will help me on this path. I have to start over, or find a way to bridge the system''s casting and my one.''


    "At least the other yers are starting to show some inclination to magic. Funnily enough, it is far quicker than our original projections. Which I guess is also thanks to him." Joren chuckled as he recalled the original n for finding others to help them uncover the secrets of magic.


    Those ns had 10 years as the basic timeline, yet, now thanks to Eldrian, the higher-ups were pressuring them to get results by the end of the first year.


    "I don''t get why they are so agitated. We are aplishing great things each day, I mean, just our hologram movies are going to be a massive win. Why are they still pushing so much on magic."


    "Why wouldn''t they?'' Joren countered, "Magic is magic. The thought of being able to truly use it, it must be intoxicating. I can understand why Eldrian can''t seem to separate from the game."


    ***


    "Right, do you still want the focus to be on its physical abilities? Or would you want it to have a few strong spells at the ready?"


    "I still prefer a solid weapon over a glorified staff. I trust my magic to not let me down, so I want the weapon to be there when I need it."


    "Alright, then let''s talk metal..."


    Nodding, Eldrian listened as she shared the Rank 3 metals she had on hand. After a bit of contemtion, Eldrian decided on Adamantine. A dark purple metal that was said to be extremely tough and a great conductor for mana.


    The cost of the Adamantine for the two des was, too much. Enough for both des would cost 2000 gold on its own.


    "Then, how about we make the back de out of Adamantine and the front one from Mithril."


    "That would bring down the cost to around 600 gold, and the Mithril for the front de will be around the same. So that is eptable." Nodding Solvi then asked what types of abilities he wanted for the de.


    The two continued to talk for another few hours, the sun even started setting during their talks.


    "Are you sure this is what you want?" Solvi asked, a little confused as she looked at the finished n.


    It was one of the craziest orders she had ever received. Of course, in order for Eldrian to say what he wanted, she had needed to exin what was possible. Not just what was possible, but also what she was confident she could aplish.


    As such, Eldrian had managed to learn a bit about runesmithing and inscribing. Not much, but he realized that much like spells, these had forms that when correctly carved/inscribed would give the weapon its abilities.


    Unlike a spells, or maybe simr to Tier 5 spells and above, their form was not rigid. It was simr to how each material could support only certain types of abilities. Each rune and inscription could slightly be altered through the smith''s knowledge to gain a more specific result.


    Therge amount that could be added also meant that it was far more diverse than any spell could ever be. Allowing for things that was seemingly impossible through other means.


    "I am sure, this would be great if ites out as nned." Eldrian replied with a smile.


    "That shouldn''t be a problem, but... Isn''t this a little too in? There is only one offensive ability."


    "That is more than enough, as I said before, I am confident in my magic." Eldrian replied with a smile as he left. He needed to return tomorrow at sunrise if he wanted to observe per their agreement.


    She had made it clear that she wasn''t going to exin to him what she was doing or why, but he was wee to watch and try and figure it out himself.


    ...


    "Hey Ceph, Vivian." Eldrian smiled as he found the home furnished and the smell of food spreading through the house.


    "I thought you woulde back much before sunset." Vivian replied as she exined that she and Ceph had simply had a rxing day.


    "Pros is quite the schemer," Eldrian joked as he shared what had happened.


    "So, are you nning to be her apprentice then?"


    "I think it was just the heat of the moment speaking back then. However, I might, but... I don''t know how my oath with Boran will-"


    "Right, there is that. If you could see him you should be able to cancel it quite easily, especially since he never taught you anything rting to magic or his forging secrets."


    "True, but it isn''t that easy to go and see him. Now is it?" Eldrian replied, and Ceph asked why not.


    "That... It is far far away."


    "So? I am fast! Besides, you wanted to go to my home. So, we can just go to yours too!"


    Eldrian smiled while shaking his head, "It is really far away, back then it had taken us weeks to travel from Phallos to Taurus."


    "But... That was on your slow feet! Mine are fast, and my wings are faster!"


    "Alright, we can try. As long as we can make it there I can teleport back and you can follow."


    Nodding, Ceph seemed happy with the negotiation. Vivian instead was a little star-struck at how the two just talked about visiting another kingdom as if it was like going to visit your neighbor.


    Forcing it down, she decided to move past it while they ate. The food was from one of the more popr inns, the two had been keeping it warm while waiting for Eldrian to return.


    ...


    Flying out from the middle of the city of Vn, the two caused the guards some concern but only until they realized that the two were heading away from the city.


    It had taken a few minutes for Ceph to figure out how to ept the call from Eldrian to teleport to Vn.


    "Right, let''s go as fast as we can!" Eldrian shouted, and Ceph nodded. pped his wings, and lowered his head. The surroundings blurred past as they sailed through the air.


    Just three hourster they arrived at the forest. Zamia and Agamemas weed them in the air.


    "What brings you two back here?" Zamia asked while giving her boy a hug afternding in the de.


    "I hoped toe to ask for a shaft," Eldrian said, slightly embarrassed but pushing through it to exin his request.


    "I see,e with me." Agamemas said, leading Eldrian into the forest. "What type of wood are you looking for?"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 477 - Returning Just In Time

    <h4>Chapter 477 - Returning Just In Time</h4>


    "I want something that will help the smith make a spear simr to Aoidos. The focus is going to be on keeping me standing, not on destruction. So, something that supports a high amount of mana."


    Hearing this, Agamemasughed, finding Eldrian''s suggestion extremely funny. "That is the same thing a weapon of destruction would require. However, I understand and know just the tree for this..."


    "I hope the smith knows how to work with wood, and won''t just destroy it." Agamemasmented as he handed Eldrian a spear shaft he had just formed from a tree. A tree with a massive trunk with golden veins of sap and bright yellow flowers.


    The shaft Eldrian held seemed to mold to his hands, giving him a near-perfect grip. A soft golden glow appeared where his hands touched the wood.


    [Exousia wood - Rank 3 Crafting Material]


    [The wood from an Exousia Tree, the tree of power. So-called because it draws in the mana surrounding it, hardening its wood and empowering its flowers with strong pollen. Outside of its mana density, the wood and pollen do not have much more to speak of.]


    [One of the best woods for a staff.]


    After getting the shaft, Eldrian didn''t rush to get a move on. Instead, he and Ceph stayed for around an hour during which Ceph went crazy recounting all that had happened.


    His parents wanted to hear more about the undead-hybrid, but Ceph was adamant to keep the story focused on all the sweets he got to taste and amazing ces he had visited.


    It was so severe a case, that Zamia and Agamemas had made a separate connection with Eldrian to get the details on the attack.


    ''It was quite bad, but I made sure that Ceph ran as soon as things turned for the worse. While I did end up dying, I resurrected as expected.'' Eldrian wanted to mention this as that was the first time he had died and resurrected like other yers.


    After some contemtion, he had finally realized why that had happened. While his mind had been in disarray, his thoughts had been simple. To use all he could to help his friends and then die.


    For once, he hadn''t fought dying but had weed it. This was likely why things hadn''t been soplicated, though of course, his case was still unique. Eldrian still needed to talk to Ziraili about the fact that he was outside of the temple at the start.


    ''But a demon undead hybrid, you do realize how dangerous that was for you?'' Zamia asked with the concern of a mother while smiling at Ceph''s recount of things in a childlike naivety.


    ''I did, but things worked out well in the end.'' Eldrian replied and smiled before diving into the conversation on Ceph''s side and joking around.


    Finally, the two flew for Aggostead. Arriving an hour before sunrise.


    Not knowing where to go, they headed to Vivian''s home. Eldrian wanted to also fill her in on what had been happening.


    As theynded, they of course shocked everyone who was already awake. A few guards were also rushing toe and see what was going on. Themotion woke Diane and brought her to her front door.


    "Haru?!" She rushed forward upon seeing the elf. The hug was unexpected and caused Eldrian and the soldiers to freeze.


    "How is my Vivian? How is my little girl?" Daine asked after distancing herself slightly and taking Eldrian''s face in her hands.


    "She is doing great," Eldrian replied with an awkward smile, "Can we go inside?"


    "Of course, and who is this little friend of yours?" She asked, bending down to meet Ceph at his eye height.


    "I''m Ceph! But, who are you?"


    Eldrian chuckled as he realized he forgot to fill Ceph in on the details. "She is Vivian''s mom,e, let''s go inside."


    ...


    "I see, it must have been hard." Diane sighed as she ced some warmed bread and butter on the table. Not having expected guests and not having her family around to cook for, she didn''t have much more to offer.


    "It was, it has been especially hard on Vivian."


    "That girl," Diane sighed again and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "She made sure to not worry me in her letters. Making it seem like everything was going splendidly. Of course, I knew it wasn''t true due to Arthur''s letters."


    "I''m sorry that she had you worried." Eldrian didn''t know what more to do, so he just sat awkwardly and waited for Diane to rpose herself.


    "Nonsense, it isn''t your fault. Right, you must havee here for a reason. Goodness, how did you even manage to return?"


    Rubbing Ceph''s head, Eldrian praised him while making the feat seem more magnificent than it was. Of course, crossing the chaosnds in less than half a day was amazing.


    "He''s really an Alicorn? A Mythical Creature?"


    "Yup, and you are correct. I came to find Boran."


    "I''m afraid you are going to be disappointed then."


    "Why?"


    "He rushed home after receiving some news. No one really knows what happened, just that he left the cksmithing shop to one of his apprentices and then teleported home. Not even Dave knows where he teleported to."


    "Really?" Eldrian sighed and wondered just how he was ever going to meet Boran then, or how he would ever take on another master. Shaking his head, he factored that as long as they didn''t require an oath it should be fine.


    ''Which means they won''t teach me trade secrets. But that is fine, I have been doing well enough on my own thus far. How different can cksmithing be?''


    With that thought, Eldrian decided to stay here a bit longer.? With sunrise, he finally decided it was time to go.


    "Ceph, do you want to tour the city with Diane?" Eldrian asked, and upon receiving the all too enthusiastic nod he took out a few gold coins and handed them to Diane.


    "Get him whatever he wants." Bending down, Eldrian made sure Ceph was listening. "When you want to return home, call to me. When I feel the pull I will then call to you and then you can teleport like you did earlier today. Alright?"


    Waiting for the nod, Eldrian smiled and headed to the nearest temple. Quickly added it to his list of teleporting points and then directly returned to Kynigo.


    As soon as he appeared in the temple, Eldrian rushed out to Solvi''s smithy. Ignoring the shocked gazes of the priests and clerics.


    Entering the forging room, Eldrian smiled as he saw the tables with all the materials already sorted. The small piece of voidstone rock and small bag of magic crystal dust were included.


    "You are just in time." Solvi smiled, she was busy climbing into her protective gear.


    "You said at sunrise, but sunrise isn''t that specific a time," Eldrian replied, adding the shaft to the table.


    Seeing the wood, Solvi frowned and looked at Eldrian again. ''Just ignore it, considering everything the wood isn''t that amazing... But, that might be because he knew I am just Tier 7...''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 478 - The Smithing Process

    <h4>Chapter 478 - The Smithing Process</h4>


    Solvi''s frown grew as she realized the hole she had seemingly dug for herself. Sighing, she decided to just be upfront with Eldrian.


    "Honestly, this is going to be really hard. Normally, Rank 3 materials are only used for Tier 8 and above. However, with all the money you are willing to spend, we ended up with over half the material being Rank 3."


    "That is an insane amount for a Tier 6 weapon, normally Tier 7 weapons will only have 1 piece of Rank 3 material."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian asked, frowning as he worried this might be a problem.


    "It means, that, I will have to do my best." Solvi smiled as she took up her strongest hammer, a Tier 8 Adamant hammer she had bought before leaving her home with all her savings at that time.


    For a smith, especially dwarven smiths, it was far more profitable to leave home after reaching the height of their abilities. Especially if they didn''t reach Tier 8 by the end of their mentorship.


    Smiths below Tier 8 are just all toomon in the dwarven capital, but in the rest of the world it is extremely rare. Making it possible for those considered failures to have afortable life among another race. Even being ranked as the best in the kingdom.


    Nodding in reply, Eldrian knew that he couldn''t do much other than just observe. So he kept his distance and observed.


    She started with the des, forging the Mythril first as it was the easier metal to forge. Eldrian tried to observe her technique, but sadly he couldn''t gain anything from simply observing. His knowledge of cksmithing was too low.


    So, realizing this he nned to follow the mana and try to learn the magic. Using mana sense to try and see how she was channeling her mana and how the environmental mana reacted.


    Unfortunately, mana sense couldn''t show him both. If he tried to observe the mana surrounding the heated metal, then the surrounding mana in the air would blind him.


    Eldrian started trying to control what he could see with mana sense for the first time in a long time.


    Like before, way back when he first learned how to split it between Observe, Inspect, Magic-Inspection, and Mana-Examination.? Now, Eldrian wanted to have Mana-Examination be only in regards to the area he was interested in.


    Of course, while trying this, he also did his best to observe Solvi in action. Naturally, he was recording all of this.


    After forming the Mythril de with its wing (shape only), Solvi moved on to the back de.


    Forging adamantine was clearly far more difficult. Not only did she increase the heat of the mes by adding more flue and increasing the bellows speed (which were kept blowing through some type of magic), she also increased the mana flow to the hammer massively.


    The hammer now appeared like a ball of light to mana sense, and each strike would transfer some of that light to the adamantine.


    While the Mythril had taken 2 hours to forge, the adamantine took 6. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Solvi downed a few jugged of water. Eldrian realized just why they were there as she ended up refilling her jug six times.


    During the forging process, she had not stopped for a moment. Continually hammering at the metal to get it to form.


    Thus far, she had only done basic shaping.


    Up till now, Eldrian had mostly been using the Mana-Inspection part of mana sense to observe what was going on. Finally, he managed to also add Mana-Examination while limiting the area the mist covered to only where he was interested.


    Cutting the mana in half over the de and hammer, Eldrian watched as she struck the metal. The hammer now had far less mana, but it seemed to be in some specific shape. As she struck, all the mana was transferred to the de.


    Slowly, after repeated hammering, runes became visible on the de and when they did the surrounding mana would surge to the rune.


    It took another three hours for the front de to be more or lesspleted. Solvi then moved on to the wing, carefully adding the Rikolium as a beautiful pattern and rune. The process took another two hours.


    Taking another break, Solvi looked at Eldrian and smiled. "Did you manage to learn anything?"


    Eldrian smiled back and nodded, "Indeed, you seem to use the hammer as some sort of conduit to transfer mana to the de as a rune. I don''t quite get how it works, but it is quite amazing."


    "Oh, you actually managed to realize what I was doing?"


    "Of course, I just don''t quite understand how you are doing it," Eldrian replied with a smile while hoping she would throw him some crumbs of knowledge.


    Even if she didn''t, he felt confident this was a basic technique. Especially since they were still right at the start of the forging process.? Solviughed as she realized what he was aiming for.


    "It is simr to how you cast a spell, you envision the rune. But unlike spells, you don''t let it out. Instead, you focus it on your hammer. Inscribing is simr, only there you use an inscriber instead of a hammer."


    "I see, thank you for sharing." Eldrian talked a bit more, confirmed that he had to be there at sunrise again tomorrow, and then left.


    On his way back he felt a strange pull at his consciousness and received a system prompt.


    [Cepahphyr would like you toe to him. Do you wish to teleport? (Cost: 602MP)]


    Replying no, Eldrian instead activated the ability himself. A few secondster Cephaphyr appeared beside him, happily holding some skewers in his hands.


    "What do you have there?" Eldrian asked, taking the one Ceph was offering to him.


    "Diane said they are called sosaties, though they seem like skewers to me."


    "Sometimes things have different names but are the same things. These might just be sosaties, and they might also be skewers." Eldrian replied with a smile, returning to the home he had bought where he found a letter from Vivian.


    "Where''s Vivian?" Ceph asked after confirming that she was not here and then suspecting the letter was the cause.


    "She went to go see her dad. She said she wille back in a week." Eldrian replied, realizing that maybe he should get a maid at least to keep the house clean and make some food for the two.


    Luckily, for tonight, Ceph had more than enough sosaties to keep him filled and satisfied.


    ...


    The next day, Eldrian gave Ceph around 50 silver and told him to go have fun. He doubted that Ceph would run into trouble, seeing as it would require at least someone at Tier 5 to give him trouble.


    The entire day, Solvi worked on the adamantine back de. And on the next, she finally started with the shaft.


    "I did some research to figure out how best to use the Exousia wood. It seems that it can be transformed through the use of mana crystals. So, I used thest few gold that was left to buy some smaller crystals."


    Solvi exined, having slowly started to share more of what she was doing.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 479 - Some IRL Updates

    <h4>Chapter 479 - Some IRL Updates</h4>


    "The n is to embed them in the des'' hilts, so the wood would grow over it and that should be the strongest fit I can possibly get. Before finishing the forge at least." Solvi exined, carving small indentations on the hilts of the des in intricate patterns.


    Of course, Eldrian wanted to ask what the patterns were going to do. However, he had learned that Solvi would share what she was willing to share and no amount of asking was going to increase what she would share.


    Around 2 hourster, she felt happy with the mana crystal patterns. Starting with the back adamant de, she pushed it against the wood. As she did, the wood slowly morphed. Taking in the hilt and growing root-like veins that wrapped around the hilt.


    She repeated this at the top, giving the spear a strange appearance. As if someone had used a rope in the form and color of the wood to tighten the des'' connections.


    With that set, she then started treating the shaft and adding runes to it. Finally, when this was more or less finished the spear looked quite amazing.


    There was now a winged de around the length of Eldrian''s arm at the front, tied together with glowing golden Exousia ''ropes''. The wing had three rune conversions where the crystals Solvi had bought were going to be inserted.


    From there, all the runes she had added to the shaft also glowed in soft golden light, and at the back de, which was tied in a simr manner to the front, there was the slot for the voidstone.


    A much more intricate pattern surrounded this slot, and the adamantine de would release a purple glow from time to time. Seemingly slowly adapting to the Exousia wood.


    "Alright, we have the basic form done now. Next, is the crystals." Solvi said, cing the spear down and moving to a small table in the room. There, she took out a pen-like tool with very small intricate patterns inscribed on it.


    She used this to slowly add inscriptions to the crystals. Eldrian continued to watch, the method of adding inscriptions simr to a brush, but with mana being the ink. It would also often require multiple strokes to get the line/pattern to take on the crystals.


    By the end of the day, Solvi sighed and stood up from her work. She had finished all but the voidstone, which she was afraid to even touch. Having no idea if she would be able to add inscriptions to it or not.


    It was for this reason that she nned to have a very simple inscription added to it.


    ...


    "Eldrian! I made some friends!" Ceph shouted as soon as Eldrian returned home.


    Smiling, Eldrian replied that that was great. To which Cephaphyr enthusiastically nodded. Eldrian patiently listened to some of Ceph''s stories of ying with the other kids, after which he logged out and dived onto the forums.


    Over the past two months since the tournament''s end and conclusion, millions of yers had joined the game. Most of them, however, decided that they wanted to spawn in the empires.


    This was only natural, it was the only way that guaranteed they would be trained by the best. Giving them the best chance at making something of themselves in-game.


    A few yers however didn''t want to follow the route of optimization. Instead, they wanted to y a game, and y it for fun. These yers either joined random kingdoms, or kingdoms where an alliance they liked was.


    Eldrian was actually responsible for Phallos getting over a hundred new yers. Most of them were sorely disappointed when they learned how hard it was to get to Taurus.


    Luckily for them, it seemed like Phallos was going to send a second wave of troops to support Taurus soon. This of course wasn''t an act of selflessness from the kingdom, but rather one of selfishness. Taurus was nearly twice asrge as Phallos.


    As long as it stood, then Phallos would not need to fight directly. Of course, that was only true if the other two neighbors didn''t fall, but the Tier 2 kingdoms behind the now new border kingdoms were doing their best to reinforce them.


    As such, things were looking good for Phallos as long as Taurus didn''t fall. Which seemed more and more likely each passing day as the Tier 4 kingdoms sumb one by one. Which would leave Taurus alone, surrounded by enemynds.


    On another note, it seemed? like the developers had figured out the kinks of the PVP system, up until now, they had to disable that function after the tournament. The details weren''t too great, but basically, the developers said that the former structure wasn''t ideal for unrestrained PVP''ing.


    ''Mmm, that will be fun.''? Eldrian couldn''t help but smile as he thought of reaching the top ranking. He doubted anyone would be able to stop him, especially not after Solvi finished his spear.


    With these thoughts, he stumbled on the trailer of the movie Miracle had been making in the game.


    ''Right, it is said to be released by the end of the year. Seven more months.'' Eldrian looked at the trailer curiously. It was interesting, especially the fact that some of the spells were real, and others were CGI.


    Of course, an amazing thing about doing it in the game was that this could be real, as well as the death scenes. Some of the actors even massively reduced the pain reduction of the game, giving them new insights on reflecting severe injuries.


    ''I wonder just how much more this game will expand and grow.''? With that thought, Eldrian headed out for his training. Having continued to do his best to not let his real bodyg behind.


    He was slowlying to understand what he was capable of, and it was truly scary. While he hadn''t tried to reach out to the mana he could now quite easily sense, his body was constantly growing stronger.


    At this point, Eldrian felt confident his agility was around 150 to 200, if he were to try andpare it to the game''s stats. If he were to sprint at max speed to the park again, Eldrian felt confident his time would be closer to 12 or even 10 minutes now (8km, 5mi distance).


    He didn''t want to test it, since doing so would increase the likelihood of Miracle discovering his body''s abnormalities.


    Eldrian was sure Gengxin would mean him no harm, but Gengxin didn''t have much say in Miracle. True, he was a department head. But that meant little.? He was just a department head inside the ANW department. Not even the head of the ANW department.


    ''My strength... That is harder to guess, but I should be able to bench 200 kilograms (440lb) rtively easily. And that is with me never even trying it. Pushups have be nothing.''


    At this point, his training was bing just a warm-up. Yet, he couldn''t do more since then Miracle would discover something was going on.


    The increase in physique wasn''t too insane though. At least regarding strength he knew that people who trained and held world records would still be far stronger than him. However, his speed was another thing. And how easily it came was another altogether.


    ''I wonder, what is the limit going to be?''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 480 - Getting A Few Maids

    <h4>Chapter 480 - Getting A Few Maids</h4>


    Returning to Solvi''s the next day, Eldrian watched and recorded her adding just a few lines to the voidstone. The inscription was so basic, yet, it took her half the day.


    When she was done, she was drenched in sweat and beyond tired.


    "That is it for today." She mumbled as she headed for her room to sleep.


    Smiling wryly, Eldrian understood why she was so tired. While what she had inscribed was simple, the amount of mana she had constantly pumped into the inscribing pen was insane. She had run out of mana more than once during the process.


    Which had led to her needing to make use of mana crystals to continue her work. Something Eldrian was shocked was possible. Refilling one''s own mana store with a mana crystal he hadn''t thought would be possible for normal people (static magic users) but she had proved that it was.


    However, it was truly expensive, and she had used her own crystals to do so.


    In total, Eldrian suspected that inscribing the voidstone had required around a 100k mana, given all the crystals she had gone through. That had been nearly a thousand gold''s worth of mana crystals.


    ''She really is doing her best.''? Eldrian thought as he left the shop and decided to go to the realtor to finally hire a maid.


    "My good elf, what brings you here? Are you not happy with the house?"


    "No, it is perfectly fine. I just finally came to realize that I actually will need a maid." Eldrian replied, the man''s smile growing as he heard this.


    "That is great, you certainly came to the right ce. What type of maid are you looking for?" He asked, rubbing his hands in the all too cliche greedy manner.


    "Nothing special, someone who excels in cooking would be nice." Eldrian replied, his reply catching the man off guard.


    "Cooking?"


    "Yes, cooking. Mostly dinners." Eldrian replied, confusing the man even more.


    "Then-no-wha-" Stumbling over his words, the man struggled to regain hisposure. "What I meant to ask was what race would you like? I have some really cute virgins-"


    "What the hell are you getting act?!" Eldrian stopped him right there, "I just want someone to clean and cook, nothing more! Got it?"


    The realtor shrank back in fear, his instincts telling him to not push it anymore. Reluctantly, he nodded and called for the maids to be brought up. They were all young girls, mostly withely appearances. Not ugly, but neither were they beauties. Five in total.


    Eldrian quickly realized that they were all truly poor and malnourished. This couldn''t entirely be med on the realtor though, he was just one of the many ces where they were trying to get money for a meal.


    It was clear however that he was not hosting a charity. Their clothes were the only thing that he seemed to have provided them, and for a clear reason. If they appeared in rags no one would hire them.


    Most of the city was in good condition and most citizens lived well, however, there would always be slums and the poor. The invasion was just going to exacerbate this.


    Eldrian felt his heart sting when he realized that all of them were between 14 and 16, and it seemed like they had all gone to great lengths to survive.


    "They are all great cooks and extremely diligent. You can pick whichever you fancy." The realtor said, having already exined their prices to Eldrian.


    They weren''t ves, so he wasn''t buying them. However, the payment would first go through the realtor and only then a portion wouldnd in their hands. For the cost of 2 silver, they would likely only get 50 coppers.


    "I''ll take them all."


    Eyes bulging in shock, the realtor asked if he was sure.


    "Yes, it is only 10 silver each month." Eldrian nodded, handing the money to the realtor and part of him wishing to take everyone he could. However, he realized that doing so was not wise nor was it feasibly.


    "Of course, great doing business as always." Extremely happy at the quick money, the realtor tried to ask if Eldrian didn''t want a virgin, which Eldrian promptly refused.


    Though, a small part of him did want to save those girls too. But, hiring them from such an offer just did not feel right. He might be able to save one or two, but how many were there?


    ...


    "Is this your home?" The eldest of the girls asked, she was a beastkin named Maia.


    "Yes, make yourselves at home. It is just me and my little brother staying here." Eldrian said, not wishing to exin that Ceph was actually a mythical alicorn. He doubted the girls would even understand if he tried.


    "Just you two?" Tara, the youngest echoes in envy.


    "Well, you five are also going to stay here now," Eldrian replied with a smile and showed them around the three-story home. There was more than enough rooms for everyone. A thing which also shocked the girls as they were used to sleeping together.


    "I won''t force you to sleep apart, I can understand if that is stressful."


    Hearing this, the girls all visibly rxed.


    "Right, Maia, you seem to be the natural leader. So I hope you can take the position of head maid. For today you can just get settled, please be ready at sunrise tomorrow though for your tasks."


    Maia nodded in all seriousness, not wishing to mess this up for them. However, when Ceph returned home, none of them had been able to hide their surprise.


    He was smaller than them all and his hair was so unique, yet, they didn''t doubt that he was Eldrian''s brother. They were both elves after all.


    The girls had all been apprehensive with how friendly Ceph was being, they dared not y with him for fear of angering Eldrian.


    Seeing their struggle, Eldrian had told them to do as they wished before turning in for the night.


    The next day, he shocked Maia sending her falling as he appeared in the living room all of a sudden.


    "Ah, sorry, I guess I never exined what being a Chosen means," Eldrian said while helping her up.


    "No, I should have been more careful." Maia blushed and stared at the ground, wishing that Eldrian would just ignore what had happened. She had identally broken one of the teacups in her fall.


    "It is quite alright, right, I am shocked you are already up. Did you sleep?"


    Maia nodded while trying to shift to block the view of the broken cup. Eldrian smiled seeing her actions.


    "Just ignore it, it was an ident. Right, I need you to go shopping. We have nothing in the house, so if you are to make food you will have to buy some supplies. Here," Handing her five silvers, Eldrian asked if it would be enough.


    "Ye-yes, more than enough," Maia replied weakly, her body shaking as this was the most money she had ever held.


    Of course, Eldrian was aware that the sum might shock her. He had purposefully only given her a little, but even that seemed to be arge sum.. It made sense though, a single silver could keep an entire family fed for a month if properly handled.

 Chapter 481 - The Forging Process

    <h4>Chapter 481 - The Forging Process</h4>


    Of course, Eldrian again gave Ceph quite the allowance. He had slowly started decreasing it as the days grew on, and today Ceph only got 20 silver. That, however, was still more than enough. Or should be, at least.


    This time Eldrian had also tried his best to hand it to Ceph away from the eyes of the girls, he didn''t quite know what they would do knowing how much money Eldrian was just giving out. For sure, he didn''t want to appear like someone who unted his cash.


    After making sure that the girls seemed settled and that Maia understood her duties, Eldrian left for Solvi''s.


    ...


    "Finally here?" She asked as she heard the door of her forge being opened, with no one else being allowed inside it was obvious who was entering.


    "Yes, sorry, I needed to handle a few things with my home," Eldrian replied, quickly starting the recording and watching as she was busy installing the crystals she had inscribed over thest two days.


    As she added them, she would also hold a me under the wing. Thebination of heat and mana slowly allowed the crystal to embed itself into the metal. After around two hours she moved on to the voidstone.


    Here, her approach waspletely different. No me was used, instead, she just ced the crystal in its ce and then started casting a few spells while slowly adding the magic crystal dust around it.


    Eldrian watched as the spells slowly morphed both the adamantine and Exousia wood and the dust sparkled with a sort of life. The adamantine and Exousia wood slowly absorbed the dust and grew around the stone, forming a beautifulwork of sparkling purple and gold over a pitch-ck stone.


    "Alright, that is all the preparation''spleted. I must warn you, the forging from here on is going to be extremely violent. You might even die."


    Her mentioning this made Eldrian recall when he had entered Boris''s forging room unannounced and nearly been killed as a result. However, Eldrian wasn''t afraid.


    "I would still like to stay." Eldrian said, his tone serious.


    "Alright, let us hope things go as nned." With that, she took up the spear and held it while diving into deep concentration.


    She now had to slowly activate all the runes and monitor if the abilities of the spear turned out as was nned. Slowly, she started letting the spear feed on her mana.


    As the spear gained more mana, the Exousia''s golden glow increased in intensity. Lighting up every corner of the room. Following that, the crystals lit up one by one, until suddenly the voidstone sucked in all the light of the room.


    Finding himself in pitch-ck darkness, Eldrian couldn''t see a thing. However, he was certain that he was still in the room, and that Solvi was still busy finishing the de.


    This darkness onlysted for a couple of seconds, after which the golden glow again filled the room, and at the same time massive winds and mes sprang up around the spear. Followed by water and ice, and even some rocks.


    Eldrian watched all this in absolute amazement until he suddenly realized that he was being assaulted by all of them. Pulling out his armor, which luckily he could summon directly on him (worn), he activated Shield.


    This gave him an AR and MR rating of 31 as a thin shield formed just over his skin. This massively reduced the damage he was receiving. However, the assault was constant and wasn''t going to stop anytime soon. Eldrian''s mana was also quickly being consumed from blocking the damage.


    Just twenty seconds passed and he came to realize that the shield was no longer strong enough to block the majority of the damage. His HP quickly started draining.


    While Eldrian wanted to continue and watch, he also didn''t want to lose 3 levels again. Jumping back, he rushed through the door and fought to close it before the raging elements could escape into the store.


    The store clerks all looked at him in confusion. They hade to know who he was over the past few days, however, seeing him bloodied, bruised, and burned was not something they had expected would happen.


    "This sucks," Eldrian mumbled as he slumped down against the door, leaving a bloody trail on it.


    Finally, one of the clerks managed to break through his stupor and rushed to Eldrian''s side.


    "Are you alright?" He asked while casting Anthizo (Tier 1 rejuvenation), only Tier 1 himself and not someone who had focused on learning spells. Anthizo was the only one he knew since it was quite effective as a sleep deterrent. Kind of like coffee, but a magic version.


    "Yes, don''t worry..." Eldrian smiled and cast Therapeia (Tier 3 heal) on himself, "Sorry about the mess, I will clean it up."


    Smiling embarrassedly, Eldrian looked at the small pool of blood that had appeared where he had leaned against the door.


    "No no, go get some proper treatment. We will take care of this."


    "No, really, I am fine." Eldrian said, of course, his words made no sense to those surrounding him. He was still bleeding, still brushed, and arge part of his body was even burned. How he wasn''t crying out in pain was a mystery.


    "We insist!" One of thedy clerks said, rushing to pull him up and trying to guide him to the closest temple.


    "You can''t die on us!" She shouted in desperation as she felt Eldrian not following her.


    "I really am fine," Eldrian said, touched by their concern but unable to understand it. That was until he finally saw his appearance in the reflection of one of the armor stands. "Oh, now I see why you all are so worried."


    Casting Therapeia 10 times, just 3 casts would have him at full health, but he needed much more to deal with the wounds. Finally, he appeared like a new man, shocking everyone in the shop even more.


    Naturally, Eldrian had silently cast the spells without any cooldown. The former was extremely rare, thetter was impossible. To them, it appeared like he just suddenly healed from nothing.


    Letting go of his arm, thedy looked at the elf before her struggling to find the words. Eldrian''s apology caused her to just nod absentmindedly.


    "Sorry for the mess, here, take this as an apology." Handing her 5 silvers, Eldrian turned around and waited for Solvi to finish the forging process. Unable to contain his curiosity and more than once wanting to rush back inside the room.


    Finally, four hourster, the door slowly creaked open. From which an extremely tired but happy dwarf appeared.


    Rushing forward, Eldrian first asked if she was alright, not if the crafting was sessful.


    "I''m fine, just tired..." She replied, nearly stumbling over her feet. "That was the hardest thing I had ever done." She said upon slumping down against one of the counters.


    "Then?"


    Nodding, she smiled, "It was a sess. The spear is in the middle of the room."


    Thanking her, Eldrian rushed into the room, stunned by what he saw.


    In the center of the room, the spear stood, struck into the ground. Cracks spewed from it, growing even into the walls. It looked like the entire room might fall in at any time.


    "This?" Eldrian stared at the spear in utter awe, even from so far he could feel that it contained an insane amount of mana. That it was insanely strong.


    AN: Check the author''s notes regarding the second chapter''s release.

 Chapter 482 - Crystoi

    <h4>Chapter 482 - Crystoi</h4>


    Eldrian moved closer, slowly. Carefully to not step on the cracks, afraid doing so might cause the roof to finally fall in.


    He dared not take up the spear, fearing it might cause the fragile room to copse. However, he did reach out to touch it, and as he did the system informed him that he did not meet the requirements to bind the spear to him.


    [User does not meet the requirements to soulbond with the weapon.]


    Sighing, he used mana sense to get a feel for what the spear would be capable of. His urge to grow stronger suddenly grew as an itch to equip the spear sprung up from his inner geek.


    The spear was just as tall as Aoidos (around an arm''s length taller than Eldrian, 240cm/8ft), with the winged silver-blue Mythril front de around his arm''s length (60cm/24in). The wings were in the form of crescent moons, with dark golden runes and three different crystals just slightly visible.


    The crystals were from left to right, a bright red, bright green, and ice blue. The lights of the crystals lightly peaked out from behind the dark gold runes, giving it a mystical appearance. Almost like the sleeping eyes of a dragon that was squinting at a disturbance.


    Behind the wings, the Exousia wood had wrapped across the de''s hilt in a magnificent pattern that smoothly flowed into the rest of the patterns that adorned the shaft. The dark purple back de was held in a simr manner, the de around the length of Eldrian''s forearm (20cm/8in).


    The voidstone was just barely visible, with the wood and adamantine most covering it. Appearing like a nestled dragon''s egg.


    [Crystoi - Tier 7 Magical Polearm]


    [<As the material used to forge the spear was of far superior grade, the spear can be considered a semi-Tier 8 weapon. Having far superior statspared to normal Tier 7 weapons.>]


    [Damage (Front de): 96 (234)]


    [Damage (Back de): 109 (266)]


    [Attack Speed: 1.7 (4)]


    (AN: Attack speed is an indication of the amount of plete'' attacks that can be performed per second.)


    [Durability: 1.25M]


    (AN: Durability is only lost when shing with weapons/armor of simr or superior quality.)


    [Attribute Requirements:]


    [Strength: 480; Agility: 480; Spirit: 360; Intelligence: 480]


    {Eldrian''s stats: Strength: 244; Agility: 327; Spirit: 246; Intelligence: 267}


    (AN: Attirubute requirements are required to ''equip'' the weapon, not to wield it. However, not meeting them does mean that the weapon''s abilities would be locked from its user. As they are not strong enough to draw them out.)


    Sighing, Eldrian knew that it was going to be some time until he could actually equip the spear and make use of its abilities. His 20 free attributes were not going to cover it.


    However, it was still an amazing weapon regardless. Even if he would be incapable of using its abilities, it would still be amazing. Eldrian doubted there would be many things capable of taking a hit from this and not ending up destroyed.


    [Passive abilities:]


    [Attunement: Through soul-bonding with the Crystoi, you will be bound to it and only it. And as a result, you will always be connected to the spear.]


    [15% increase in all attributes]


    [Special Ability: ??]


    ''That... How are there question marks! Dammit!'' Sighing, Eldrian tried to move past the disappointment of realizing that not everything was going to be knowable.? ''Maybe Solvi will know?''? He wondered and hoped.


    With that hope, he managed to finally focus on how insane that bonus would be. Fifteen percent might not sound like much, but to the current him that was at minimum 30 points in each attribute. In fact, it would be more.


    To someone meeting the requirements, it would be 60 points or more.


    However, that was if it worked based on total stats and not some other condition. Eldrian was unsure, but he ignored that question for now as he continued to read through the other abilities.


    [Fortis: Power flows naturally through that which has gained the right to be called strong.]


    [10MP/5s]


    Eldrian paused upon seeing the value, simply thunderstruck at how much it was. His current MP/5s with all his equipment was only 8.6. This single part of the weapon would more than double his mana regen speed. An insane thought.


    [Elemental Boost: With all partsing together and working in unison, it is capable to use to spear as a conduit for casting spells. Doing so will greatly increase the spell''s power, however, it will double the cast time.]


    [Natural Elements: 40% boost in power]


    [Hybrid Elements: 12% boost in power]


    This, Eldrian wasn''t too excited about. However, considering that Tier 7 weapons were meant to be used by Tier 6 people at the minimum, it did mean that the spells that could be cast would be vastly different from what Eldrian was used to.


    ''It would be quite strong if I need to cast a strong AOE spell and was given time to really push it to its limits.'' Eldrian had to admit it, and quickly he wished he could test it. Unfortunately, the abilities would be locked from him until he met the attribute requirements.


    Unless he somehow found another way to ess them, outside of equipping the spear via the system. When this thought entered his mind, Eldrian couldn''t get it to leave.


    He stood there dumbly, staring at the spear for another five minutes before managing to get out of his own thoughts and return to the spear''s abilities.


    [Active Abilities:]


    [Elemental Alignment: Calling to the elements, it is possible to cover the Mythril de with fire, ice, or wind element. Adding 75% magical damage in the form of the chosen element.]


    <Magical damage via a weapon is simr to how the physical damage is calcted. Only with intelligence instead of strength or agility being the base stat of growth.>


    [Cost (activation): 1000MP]


    [Drain: 72MP per attack + 50MP/5s]


    ''That, is goddam expensive.''? Eldrian realized that it was also really strong, however, the current him would only be able to activate it and then attack three or four times. Still, the damage wasn''t something to be ignored as it would be added to the physical damage.


    [Tempest Chase: Call to the elements and bring havoc to those who stand in its path.]


    [Effect: Summon strong winds along with either mes or ice as a mini-tornado.]


    [Cost: 3000MP]


    [Duration: 30 seconds + 5 seconds per 500MP (Up to 3 minutes)]


    [Damage (Per second):]


    [Fire&Wind - 100 (N/A)]


    [Ice&Wind - 100 (N/A)]


    [???}


    ''That... That looks really strong, but it seems hard to actually use. But, it kind of is what asked for, something to give me some breathing room. A tornado chasing my opponent would certainly do that.''


    Eldrian didn''t quite know what to think, and seeing that thest ability was hidden from him, he wondered more what it could be than pondering on the effectiveness of? Tempest Chase.


    ''And what a name, whoever doese up with them? Is it the smith or the system? Or maybe the god of forging?''? Eldrian pondered as he finally decided to reach out to take the spear.


    "Leave it, if you take it out now the room will copse," Solvi said just as Eldrian''s fingers brushed over the shaft.


    "Re-really?" Eldrian questioned while quickly withdrawing his hand.


    "Yes, near the end I was forced to strike it into the floor and focus all the energy of my formations to keep it contained. I would have died if I hadn''t" Solvi replied, looking at the spear with a hint of fear.


    What had caused her to go to such extremes was exactly the sixth (third active) ability of the spear. Even she didn''t know what it would do, only that it was truly dangerous. Whether her forging room would have been the limit of its range, she didn''t know.


    AN: Please look at the author''s note and share your thoughts.


    Also, a big thanks to everyone for their continued support.. A special thanks to those who vote for ANW daily, it is greatly appreciated. (As is those who read via paid coins, the support is greatly appreciated as I hope to one day be able to write full time)

 Chapter 483 - Myropsis, Truly A Curious Individual

    <h4>Chapter 483 - Myropsis, Truly A Curious Individual</h4>


    "For now, leave it there." Solvi had managed to catch her breath, but even now she was still extremely tired.


    "I need to recover my mana and fix the simpler arrays so the room won''t copse. Also, since this is supposed to be your reward for your achievements, I believe I should give it to Pros first."


    Eldrian nodded, he didn''t like that it had to be done like that. He wanted to start practicing with Crystoi right away. However, he understood that sometimes things needed to follow a certain set path first.


    "Alright," Eldrian smiled forlornly as he looked at the spear, sighing and turning to the dwarf so he wouldn''t be tempted.


    "I am curious, did you gain any insights?"


    A massive grin appeared on the dwarf''s face as she nodded. "Yes, the voidstone, in particr, helped me realize something I had never even thought was possible."


    "That''s great," Eldrian said, a bit sad that she wasn''t sharing. He couldn''t me her though, it would certainly be a trade secret.


    "Right, since the forging is over and..." Pausing to see if she was going to offer him a room to practice in or apprenticeship, Eldrian sighed when she didn''t. "Since you will give the spear to Pros, I will see myself out."


    Nodding to the staff as he left, Eldrian finally realized he had forgotten to buy more beds. Not having thought that he would hire maids, he had left most of the first-floor rooms empty. In fact, he had also wanted to leave his room empty and most of the other rooms too.


    Vivian however had argued that he couldn''t do that. Even if just for appearance, there had to be a bed. The realtor of course had quickly added more gusto to ensure he could squeeze Eldrian for as much as possible.


    ''I hope they actually chose a room with a bedst night.''? Eldrian prayed while feeling like pping himself for his forgetfulness.


    Not knowing anywhere else to get furniture, he went to the realtor again. Though he didn''t like the man, at least the deliveries were prompt and the items in good quality as far as Eldrian had seen.


    ...


    ''Ugh! He wouldn''t freaking stop offering me more ''special'' maids. The creep!'' Sighing as he escaped from the ce, Eldrian decided to see if Myropsis was in her usual room. The magic association''s library.


    No-one stopped him as he walked in and headed directly for the library, if that was because they remembered him or something else Eldrian didn''t know. However, he appreciated it.


    Entering the room, he found pages scattered everywhere. The bookshelves had been evacuated leaving on ruined books and pages in the room. In the center of this mess, a girl was scribbling notes on the nearest page while casting Vrachos.


    Eldrian made sure that he was not in the line of fire as he watched the girl decimate a corner of a bookshelf. After each cast, she would scribble something, pick up a new stone, and then cast the spell again.


    She repeated this cycle ten times before finally realizing that someone had entered the ruined library.


    She looked at the intruder, squinted her eyes, and stared.


    Eyes flying open and jaw hitting the floor from the shock, she fumbled over her words as she tried to make sense of what she saw.


    "El-el-elf- No Hi-hi- No, Haru!" Jumping from the pile of scribbled pages, not caring that they would be lost in the mess, she jump-hugged him even wanting to kiss him.


    "You''re finally back, and you reached Tier 4! How? When? What-" Mumbling, "No that isn''t important," Shouting, "Please help me!"


    Eldrian paused, not understanding the past few seconds of events. Trying his best to get her off him while being warry to not touch the wrong ces, Eldrian asked what she wanted help with.


    "I still can''t get it right. In a hundred tries, I am only able to control the spell two or three times. And even then, it won''tst for longer than a second or two."


    "As a result, I can''t figure out how I managed to control it when I do!" She replied while clinging to him as if the contact might allow her to steal some of his luck.


    Of course, in her eyes, he was insanely lucky. When she had first met him he had been but a weak little Tier 1 elf. She hadn''t even put him in her eyes during their first meeting, outside of his race being High Elf.


    Of course, as she came to learn more about him she realized how amazing he was. But, to jump from Tier 1 to 4 in just a few months. While also making massive contributions in the war at that! It was simply unheard of.


    "Please, let me breathe!" Eldrian shouted, having had enough and finally pulling out the big guns. Which is Chelona''s Shield ability and Kyma''s shockwave. Sending pages flying and Myropsis''s skirt with it.


    Ducking from her slipping arms, Eldrian nced at something special as he escaped and ran for the stairs. When Myropsis tried to chase he used Frost Needle to freeze the ramp. Of course, this took quite a lot of mana.


    Myropsis did not chase, she just stared at the now ice-covered ramp in awe. Until a few seconds when her fervor grew again. ''Shit!'' Seeing her growing fervor, Eldrian feared he wouldn''t escape from the room.


    Luckily, the ice seemed to also have cooled Myropsis down enough for her to think a bit more rationally. Suddenly, she acted alldy-like.


    "Sorry..." She said bashfully while twirling her shoulders, "You must understand, I became so desperate after months without much progress."


    Eldrian just stared her down, not willing toe down just yet. Seeing this, Myropsis turned beet red from embarrassment. "Please, don''t look at me like that!"


    "Then stop acting crazy."


    "I-I wasn''t- I''m not... Fine, I''ve calmed down!"


    "Is it safe for me toe down then?" Eldrian asked, and Myropsis nodded like a shydy. Eldrian didn''t trust it.


    "I think I will stay up here for now."


    Hearing this, Myropsis felt like crying.


    Instead, she soldiered on. Turned her back to Eldrian, sat down where once her chaotic system of pages had been and now was just floor, and started with her previous pattern. Needing to stretch to reach any new pages, which often gave Eldrian quite the view.


    Eldrian watched her cast four more times before saying, "You aren''t taking control of your mana. You are only hinting at it that you want control. If you want to seed, then every spell needs to have all your focus. You can''t spare any of your thoughts on anything else."


    Smiling, Myropsis nodded and tried again. This time, after ten casts she was starting to sweat. However, on her tenth, she had also managed to halt the cone-shaped stone for a few seconds.


    Realizing that she was about to rush him in joy, Eldrian followed his exit strategy. Forming a wall of ice and booking it.


    While Myropsis would dly act as childish and silly as she wanted in her room; themunal library of the mage''s association. She couldn''t act the same way in the public rooms, after all, she did have an image to keep up as being part of the royal family.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 484 - A Few Small Scenes

    <h4>Chapter 484 - A Few Small Scenes</h4>


    After his escape, Eldrian decided to do some window shopping on spell prices as well as that of magical essories.


    Thetter were far too expensive for him to consider seriously after his expense in funding most of his reward. The spells, well, for now, he wasn''t going to dive into it. Plus, he felt he should be able to broker much better deals with Pros or Myropsis should he want specific spells.


    Eldrian''s n forward however wasn''t as simple as just learning some Tier 4 spells. During his training with Zamia, he hade to learn and master a lot of things and the biggest part of that was how to start making his own spells.


    He no longer need be dependant on spell modules, and relying on them for all his Tier 4 spells would be a step backward.


    ''However, Tier isn''t just a case of the amount of mana. If it was, then me turning the ramp into ice and forming a wall to stop Myropsis would have definitely been at least Tier 3 spells. However, the system didn''t recognize them as new spells.''


    ''Which means it is still just Frost Needle.'' To prove this point, Eldrian cast Frost Needle as it was supposed to be cast. An icicle around the size of a finger appeared before him.


    He then slowly added more and more mana to it, finding it interesting that the ether didn''t increase as he added mana. Soon, the icicle was asrge as his arm and the bystanders all dived for cover when he passed.


    ''Yup, definitely not about the amount of mana.'' Eldrian smiled and let the spell fly into the air, noting that it was much much slower than Konos Pagou (Tier 3 Icicle spell).


    To confirm this, he dispelled the now arm-sized icicle mid-air and then cast Konos Pagou. ''This is far more mana efficient.'' Eldrian noted first.


    The spell was about asrge as he had made Frost Needle, but it only cost 36MP. Increasing Frost Needle to that size had required around 40 on top of the 20 base cost.


    ''Also, the ether is far more,'' Letting the spell fly into the air, Eldrian smiled as his little hypothesis was proven. The new icicle flew at least three times as fast as the first one. ''Yup, it is far faster.''


    ''This means that ether is affected by inertia and momentum. Though,'' Wishing to test thetter, Eldrian cast Frost Needle again, grew it to a simr size to Konos Pagou, and let it fly into the air.


    This time, he also tried to take control of it. To change direction, which he found to be hard in a way unlike any time before. ''I see, the ether must be out of bnce and as a result, I have to continually control it until it finally ovees the spell''s momentum.''


    ''But, how am I controlling it?'' Pondering on this the rest of the way home, Eldrian failed to find an answer. His thoughts were also sent to the moon when he was greeted by bowing maids in actual maid outfits.


    Part of him wanted to be angry at the disturbance, another part was happy at the sight and weing. To not cause a scene, Eldrian simply nodded while realizing getting a manor might not be all bad.


    ''I should go and give Pros a visit tomorrow. I want a dungeon or something simr to experiment in. Can''t keep scaring everyone when doing simple experiments.'' Of course, Eldrian wasn''t so dense to have missed all the bystanders ducking for their lives.


    What he didn''t understand though was why they were even scared, the icicles were always pointed towards the sky and he was keeping them floating before him most of the time.


    Naturally, he was missing the very simple fact that to everyone what he was doing should be impossible.


    "Did the beds arrive?" Eldrian asked after passing the line of maids and making it to Maia.


    "Yes, but there wasn''t-"


    "No, there was all the need in the world. I can''t believe I hadn''t thought of it when hiring you. Right, is there enough bedding?"


    Nervous and afraid, Maia tried to nod. However, a part of her told her that she shouldn''t lie, that Eldrian wouldn''t see it as selfish to say that there wasn''t. Finally, after some internal struggle, she shook her head no.


    "I see, here, we can''t have you catching a cold." Eldrian smiled as he handed her another 5 silver, unsure whether it would be enough. Though, given the fact that 5 beds only cost 7 silver, he felt it should be.


    Maia nearly fell to the ground upon having the silver fall into her hand.


    ''How-how much- no, just be grateful!'' Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Maia stabilized and bowed.


    "Right, can you guys make some tea? I''ll be in the study." Saying so, Eldrian headed to the main study. It was more like an empty library, and he didn''t see himself actually filling it.


    Not because he would soon move, but because it was simply safer and smarter to keep things in his inventory as long as he had space.


    "Right, I should sort out the weapons and sell them. It might not be much, but... Actually." Smiling, Eldrian realized that soon he could hand that job to someone else to do.


    ''Right, let''s just wait until the g. I''ll hire someone as a butler or retainer... No idea how that is going to work... But, I can use the money from the loot as house funds.''


    With that thought finished, Eldrian pulled up his friend list and asked Elizabeth what she was doing.


    [{Elizabeth} - Not much, we''re returning to Pyknos Fort to hand in an extermination quest.]


    [{Eldrian} - How are there still quests like that?]


    [{Elizabeth} - They are near endless, and will stay so as long as we don''t manage to clear the entire cave system. Which is impossible without being overwhelmed. Each cave system has an S-ranked quest, some even SS, but no one takes them and for good reason.]


    [The pay simply isn''t worth the danger. Especially since culling quests are a constant source of ie for adventures.]


    [{Eldrian} - But that means... Never mind, do you still want your part of the quest rewards?]


    [{Elizabeth} - Of course, do you even need to ask? Where should I find you?]


    Sharing his location, Eldrian told the waiting maid to enter. "Can you bring another cup, I have a friending."


    Nodding, the little girl named Lana rushed out of the room in haste. Seeing this Eldrian wasn''t sure if it was because he was scary or she didn''t want to have him wait.


    ''They need to rx, but I can''t really go and say that outright. Sigh...''


    A few minutester Elizabeth arrived, of course, it was quite simple for her to teleport to the city from the fort.


    "Wow, you sure have it nice. Are you retiring?" She asked as she followed one of the maids into the study.


    "Retiring? I''m still 19 you know."


    "Right-right, your actually younger than me." Sulking, Elizabeth plopped down on one of the couches Vivian had also insisted Eldrian bought for appearances. Honestly, if not for her and the realtor''s insistence, his home would have been truly bare.


    Eldrian smiled, not knowing how to reply to that. So, instead, he offered her a cup, which caused a little scene as Lana tried to catch up and pour the tea. Spilling some on both Eldrian and Elizabeth.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 485 - Enjoying Some Tea With A Friend

    <h4>Chapter 485 - Enjoying Some Tea With A Friend</h4>


    "Rx, it''s fine," Eldrian said with a smile while taking out a random piece of clothing from his inventory. Seeing how he was about to use that to clean up the mess Lana freaked out even more.


    She wanted to stop him and quickly go fetch a towel, but she dared not speak up.


    "It really is fine, but you should still go get something to clean the floor," Eldrian said, smiling as the girl hurriedly nodded and rushed out of the study.


    "Is she new?" Elizabeth asked as soon as the maid left.


    "They all are, not sure what they were doing before but their situation isn''t the best." Eldrian sighed and took a sip of tea. "Most of the time it seems like all citizens are treated well, but, I recently came to realize it is just hidden well."


    Elizabeth sighed with Eldrian as she realized it seemed to be something constant in human history, and likely it would stay so in our future. For, be it medieval times or modern, there has always been the poor who live on scraps. Luckily, in modern times it at least seems to be less.


    "I guess most of us would ignore the signs, but you would definitely not. What do you n to do?"


    "Why do you think I n to do something?"


    "Come on, it''s obvious you aren''t happy at not being able to help more people. You''re nning something."


    Eldrian smiled and nodded, "Seems you know me better than I thought you did. Indeed, I have been thinking of a few things I can do."


    "Going to share?"


    "Not right now, I first need to sort out a lot of other things. Right, how do I give you the money? Is there a transfer system between yers?"


    "No, but you can deposit it to the guild. Just give me a sec," Fiddling with the guild settings Elizabeth smiled and said, "Right, now outside of Nikki and I, you can also ess our guilds funds."


    "Wait, why?" Nodding at Lana who hurried to start cleaning, Eldrian pondered for a second if it was fine continuing to talk. While pondered he called up the guild interface.


    "Why give me full ess?"


    "Because we trust you."


    Frowning, Eldrian didn''t know what to make of that reply. After a few seconds, he deposited the 708 gold.


    "See, I knew you wouldn''t cheat me."


    "Yeah right, because I would be tempted by the measly three gold you have."


    "Hey! Don''t dish our savings! We worked hard to make that three gold."


    Smiling, Eldrian continued to tease Elizabeth a bit longer before asking what their ns were going forward.


    He still didn''t quite feel like part of the guild, he felt more like he was a frencer sometimes opting to join with them. Why Elizabeth insisted he stay a member he didn''t understand.


    "We n to continue doing simple clear quests to slowly increase the quality of our items while also building a name for ourselves."


    "I see, and outside of that?"


    "When we feel ready, we will attempt toplete some A-ranked quests to push us to level four as a guild. That, however, won''t be easy."


    "Right, I saw. Twenty-five A-ranked quests. That''s quite the number."


    Nodding, Elizabeth agreed, "Indeed, we won''t attempt that until we have at least twenty Tier 4 members."


    "What are you on now?"


    "Still only five, but it won''t take me long to catch up with Ilmadia and the others. Right, we''re actually at six if I include you."


    "Don''t, you know I can''t join you on your quests."


    "I know, sounds like you are going to be very busy soon. But, you will help us when we try to push for our next guild level, won''t you?"


    "I can''t guarantee I will be able." Eldrian wanted to say yes, but if he was busy with something else, something more important. Then certainly he would have to say no.


    "Ah! Really?!" Pouting, Elizabeth tried to guilt trick Eldrian for the next minute. Which didn''t work. "Fine! Have it your way!"


    After that, the two talked a bit more with Eldrian asking how everyone was doing.


    "Really, Nikki is getting married?" Eldrian asked in shock, she was still so young. Though, 28 wasn''t really an early age for marriage. It was kind of average, but it still felt far too early to him.


    "Yeah, she just felt the time was right after receiving the rewards from the tournament. I hope you realize that twenty-five thousand goes a long way in organizing a wedding."


    "Sure, but isn''t it..." Eldrian stopped himself before he said something rude. "When exactly is the date?" He asked to change the subject before Elizabeth picked up on what he was about to say.


    "Next month, eighteenth of June." Elizabeth smiled as she remembered the rush to try and get everything organized over the past month. There was still plenty of chaos, but luckily, most of the big decisions had been made and set in stone.


    Having no idea about anything about weddings, Eldrian happily asked the dumbest questions while enjoying tea with Elizabeth. Around an hourter Elizabeth was pulled away as the guild required her focus.


    Waving goodbye at the door, Ceph walked up, stood next to Eldrian, and asked, "Are you sure she isn''t your crush?"


    This time, Eldrian couldn''t quite answer so honestly asst time. In the end, he still denied it. "We''re just good friends." He said while roughing Ceph''s hair.


    ...


    "Hey Jen," Eldrian smiled and greeted his sister from afar.


    "Eldrian, you made it!"


    "Of course, we agreed to meet. Come on, share how your assignment went." Eldrian smiled as he hugged her.


    "It went fine, I finally managed to figure out thest piece of the puzzlest night."


    "That''s great! You were stuck on that for two weeks."


    "Yup!" She nodded with pride and asked, "What are we going to do?"


    "I was thinking a walk. The park isn''t far."


    "Sure," Nodding, Jen followed Eldrian''s lead. The two walked in silence for a bit, during which Eldrian tried to make sure he wasn''t being followed or spied upon.


    "Rememberst time?"


    "Of course," Jen didn''t need any more rification to realize Eldrian wanted to talk about a heavy topic.


    "I think my abilities are continuing to grow. I haven''t tested it, but I am pretty sure. And..." Looking around, Eldrian still didn''t feel confident so he leaned in and whispered the following.


    "I managed to detect mana, IRL."


    Jen missed her step and nearly fell upon hearing this.


    "Are you alright?" Eldrian asked, having caught her with ease. As if she weight little more than a feather.


    "Please... Tell me you were joking."


    Shaking his head, Eldrian almost wished he was. It might have sucked on some level, but it would have made life plenty easier.


    "Anything else?" Jen asked, straightening up and pretending like the news was just momentarily shocking.


    "Yes, actually... I am going to be a noble in the game. A count at that!"


    "Seriously?"


    "Yup, going to get my own mansion and all. Though, I have no idea how I am going to handle the staff. I told you about the house I bought right, well, I also hired a few maids. But, it''s so confusing."


    "They''re so scared of me, I just want them to rx and do what they want."


    "Please tell me that isn''t what you told them."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 486 - A Nightly Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 486 - A Nightly Discussion</h4>


    "Of course not, but-" Interrupting Eldrian midst sentence, Jen cut in.


    "You can''t hire someone and then not give them tasks to do. You might be thinking you are doing them a favor, but I bet you it just makes them feel awkward. Like they don''t belong."


    "Really?"


    "Really really. You should make a schedule for them to work by, that way, they might actually feel like they are doing something that matters. Feel like they belong... Feeling like you belong is one of the most important things in the world."


    Nodding in agreement, Eldrian mulled Jen''s words and started trying toe up with a schedule. Though, honestly, he couldn''t think of much that was actually important.


    ...


    "It doesn''t need to be important. Even having them clean the empty rooms twice a week will be good. It shows a sort of care for your house, and something they can take pride in."


    This sentence had stayed with Eldrian the most.


    ''Indeed, something doesn''t need to be life and death to be important. How did I lose sight of that again?''? Sighing, Eldrian climbed back into the cabin. Finding Maia waiting in the lobby for him.


    "Morning, ma-master."


    ''I shouldn''t fight that, right?''


    Smiling, Eldrian nodded, "Morning Maia. How is everyone doing?"


    "Well, thank you. Thank you for allowing us to use the ingredients we bought to feed ourselves."


    "Of course, don''t tell me some don''t allow that?" Seeing her shy look, Eldrian realized the truth easily enough.


    "I can''t believe that, you can''t work if you aren''t fed. Right, speaking of work. I realize I have been doing you a miss-service."


    "No-no, never-"


    "It''s true, I should have given you work. Instead, I just told you to make dinner and then left you alone. You must have all felt so out of ce."


    "From now on, things will be different..." And so Eldrian started handing out the tasks he wanted to be done. He made sure to exin to Maia that she could decide who would do what, but everyone had to get at least 2 tasks a day. With two off days, if they wished, a week.


    Smiling and tail swinging side to side, Maia nodded and went to ry today''s orders.


    ...


    For the following three days, Eldrian didn''t have much he needed to do. He mostly kept to his study while experimenting with some non-destructive spells. Enjoying his time and waiting for Vivian to return.


    On the fourth day, he decided to give Myropsis another visit. She was far calmer this time, still diligently practicing. She was now managing to keep the stones stationary for a couple of seconds almost every time.


    Slowly, she was mastering how to gain control of her mana. Seeing this, Eldrian went ahead and shared the other things he hade to learn.


    "Don''t just think of mana as something external, something separate from you. It is part of you, just like how your arms and legs are part of you."


    This little piece of advice had been much more useful to her than Eldrian would have ever expected it to be. Unlike most people, she actually knew what it felt like when your legs felt foreign.


    It was a side-effect most royals went through when changing into their human form for the first time. Clumsy, sometimes not even able to walk. It took days to months to master walking with just two legs.


    The time required to master this simple concept of walking on two legs depended on how weird the human form felt to them. For Myropsis, it had only taken four days to be able to walk without something to hold onto.


    Yet, those four days were still vivid in her memory and she managed to quickly connect the simrities between back then and now with her mana.


    Just minutes after Eldrian shared that simple advice, she suddenly became able to stop each and every spell. She even managed to slightly alter the direction of one spell.


    Ovee with joy, she had rushed Eldrian again. Who this time didn''t attempt to escape, instead he shared in her joy. His first student had managed to actually control a spell. He was almost just a thrilled as her.


    ''This proves that others can do it too. I might still be more talented or have a special ability, but I am not alone!''


    With that, the two started theory crafting, night arriving before they even realized. Not wishing to stop the conversation, Eldrian invited her to his home.


    Of course, this all caused quite the scene in Miracle.


    ...


    "Vivian, you''re back!" Eldrian smiled and quickly went to hug her and ask how the trip was.


    "Nothing special, which is great. Dad is also doing good, and who is this?"


    "Myropsis, a pleasure," Myropsis answered, nodding in greeting.


    "Join us, we made a breakthrough in controlling mana," Eldrian said, and as soon as Vivian heard this all her questions about the beautifuldy disappeared.


    The three immediately went to the study, where Eldrian asked the maids to make them a bunch of snacks and tea.


    Enjoying the treats and tea while talking, the night flew by and the next day arrived. Sadly, they couldn''t continue their conversation as tonight was the g. They were all going, and everyone needed some rest and time to prepare.


    Waving them goodbye, Eldrian continued to mull over the discussion. However, just five minutester Vivian barged into his room.


    "I knew it! Eldrian, you can''t go like that. Did you even bother to get some proper clothes?"


    "What''s wrong with these?" Eldrian asked and Vivian felt like facepalming.


    "Are the stains invisible to you?" She asked instead and looking down Eldrian blushed as he realized how clumsily he had been eating while talking magic. "Besides, it isn''t formal attire. You need to get something proper for the g."


    "How would I know what''s proper?" Eldrian asked while Vivian was pushing him out of his study.


    "Go to a tailor specialized in noble attire. They will be able to help you, and don''te back before!"


    ''Hey, this is my house!''? Eldrian shouted, though only in his mind. Grumbling a bit in dissatisfaction, he headed to the noble district to get a change of clothes that would be adequate.


    While he wasn''t stingy about his money, he did feel that the clothes were ridiculously expensive. They had nothing magical to them, yet they wereparable in price to some magical items.


    "Come on, there is no way this is 3 gold." Eldrian said, pointing to the ck and bright blue noble ''suit'' the person was offering him to try out.


    "But of course it is worth this much. Not only..." The tailor quickly threw a bunch of words at Eldrian that made no sense. Words such as it was made from this and this special fabrics and woven in this and this special way.


    "Ugh! Fine." Relenting, Eldrian finally agreed to try it on. Still unwilling to pay so much but not seeing another way back into his house.


    "With that, I rmend this pair of shoes. Made from the hide of drake, it is of the finest quality."


    "Oh, it''s made from a drake?" Eldrian quickly used mana sense, only to be disappointed when it showed him it was just normal shoes.


    The tailor wasn''t trying to pull one over him, it was indeed made from a drake''s hide. But, they had basically butchered the hide. Turning it into shoes and not armor. Certainly not a magical item.


    "How much?" Eldrian asked, already feeling his inventory wallet bleeding.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support this novel on WN.

 Chapter 487 - Taking The Spotlight

    <h4>Chapter 487 - Taking The Spotlight</h4>


    Eldrian returned, not at all happy with the expenditure. He now had the most expensive clothes he had ever bought safely stored in his inventory. And they weren''t just expensive in-game.


    If Eldrian were to convert the cost with the simplified exchange rate of 1 gold equaled 100 dors, then the entire outfit was an expensive 700 dors'' worth. And actually, the exchange rate was slightly above 100 dors per 1 gold atm.


    Thinking of this certainly did not help Eldrian''s mood, though he soldiered on upon concluding that it was a necessary evil. ''I should probably at least look the part if I am going to be a noble.''


    This thought however did not help him calm down, instead, he felt that he didn''t want to appear like a noble. He worried that he would get sucked into all the nonsense that he far too often saw nobles being sucked into.


    "Where are your clothes?" Vivian asked as she came down, having caught a quick nap to refresh her for the rest of the day.


    "Inventory," Eldrian grumbled.


    In return, Vivian smiled as she could easily tell what he was upset about. "How much?"


    "Six gold and eighty-seven silver. It''s ridiculous!" Eldrian grumbled, happy toin.


    "You didn''t haggle?"


    "Haggle?"


    Hearing Eldrian''s confusion Vivian burst outughing, unable to stop for nearly an entire minute. "You honestly paid full price?"


    "Of course, you pay what things are listed as," Eldrian replied, all too used to the modern shopping experience where haggling was almost non-existent. Especially to a shut-in as he obviously was, excluding how much he exercised.


    Hearing his reply Vivian had another fit ofughter, after which she finally exin to Eldrian that he could have easily brought the total cost down to at least below five gold.


    It might not sound like much, but in Eldrian''s mind it just repeatedly went like,? ''You just wasted 200 dors, you idiot!''


    This resulted in Eldrian being quite grumpy for the rest of the morning, even magic talk didn''t quite get him out of his funk. However, when Vivian appeared before him in her dark cobalt blue dress with some bright cyan highlights, Eldrian forgot all about it.


    "You-you look amazing!" He said, shocked at how well it went with her auburn hair.


    "Thanks,'' Vivian said with a smile while twirling.


    The twirl however didn''t impress Eldrian or anything like that, instead, it revealed one of herrger scars. Standing up and moving closer, Eldrian traced his finger over the edge of the scar just slightly visible behind her dress.


    "You didn''t?"


    "No, I had them heal most of the smaller scars. But, this one, I nearly died." Vivian replied, turning to Eldrian and staring into his eyes. "I can still remember drowning in my own blood as the pain slowly started disappearing."


    Eldrian just stood there, not knowing what to do. After a moment, he embraced her as she started crying. Recalling the moment where she was kept alive by the bone piercing her side, and forced to watch her friends fall one by one to the ming reanimate.


    Eldrian waited for her to have her cry, to let the pain out. And when she seemed to stabilize, he stroked her back and apologized. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry you had to go through that."


    At first, Vivian had wanted to say he didn''t need to apologize. However, she felt a weight lift from her heart hearing it. Nodding into Eldrian''s chest, she cried a bit more.


    Parting, she apologized. "I''m sorry, I-"


    "No need, I understand. War... It isn''t a pleasant experience." Eldrian said, slowly tracing another of her scars, this one on her cheek. "Let''s do our best to never have to experience things like that again."


    Nodding, Vivian swallowed the pain still in her chest and put it to use as determination to grow stronger.


    "Ah, I ruined my makeup... And your shirt."


    "It''s just a shirt," Eldrian said, though extremely happy he hadn''t changed yet. Ruining a three gold worth shirt would have been terrible. Though, even if that had been the case he would have said the same thing.


    ...


    "Are you ready?" Eldrian asked, walking arm in arm with Vivian into the courtyard of the lord''s manor. Ceph had decided to stay home with the maids, having made it clear he didn''t want any of the focus he was certain to attract if he went.


    Unlike normal, the manor was decorated with plenty of magical lights and servents moved between the guests that filled the garden, offering various drinks and appetizers.


    "Yes," Vivian nodded, happy that here no one knew her. No one knew them. Thus, they escaped most of the early focus as the quests arrived. Other than some curious nces.


    After a few hours, as the sun started to set, the festivities were slowly moved inside the grand hall.


    Of course, it wasrge enough to house thousands of centaurs and even allow them to dance. It was a g after all.


    Observing from the side, the two humans watched in awe at how gracefully the four-legged people could dance. It was quite the sight to behold.


    "Eldrian, and? Who is yourdy friend?" Pros asked as he appeared behind the two.


    "Ah, Pros, this is Vivian." Eldrian replied while wondering how he knew his true name and asking this in slight confusion.


    "Oh, that. I asked Ayden, seems you two are quite close."


    "Is he here?" Eldrian asked.


    "No, unfortunately, he couldn''t make it. But it is great to see you, and all dressed up. You look like a true noble."


    Eldrian just smiled hearing this, knowing that it was meant as apliment but unable to ept it as one.


    "Sorry, but I have to continue making the rounds. Please, do enjoy."


    After Pros left, he changed into his centaur form as he greeted some other quests. What had been his pants smoothly transitioning into an Akro.


    "Who was that?" Vivian asked.


    "The city lord," Eldrian replied, and Vivian simply nodded like it was obvious it would be someone high in power. After all, Eldrian wasn''t normal by any means.


    "You''re not surprised?"


    "No." Vivian replied and seeing Eldrian wanting an exnation she continued, "Last night you came home with a greatmage, but more than that she was also a royal. And her bloodline is quite pure, so she must be closely rted to the king."


    "How do you know that?" Eldrian asked, he didn''t even know much about Myropsis outside of her love for magic.


    "We talked," Vivian said with a yful smile. "Are you ever going to ask me to dance?" She asked to not have him continue that thread of conversation.


    "Dance? I don''t know any noble dances."


    "Then, what do you know?" Vivian asked with a yful and infectious smile.


    "Let me show you," Eldrian said, taking her hand and quickly taking the lead. The music, of course, waspletely wrong for a random, mixed, dance style. It was simr to swing dance, and that might be the aptest name for it in the situation.


    Taking the lead, Eldrian would throw Vivian out, pull her back in, twirl her, and then suddenly dip her. The first few times Vivian would hurriedly try to regain her bnce, but as the song continued and the two became ustomed to one another''s rhythm, she simply started going with the flow and Eldrian''s lead.


    Soon, they became the center of attention.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 488 - Blinding Achievements

    <h4>Chapter 488 - Blinding Achievements</h4>


    When the song ended, apuse filled the room. Looking up, the two quickly turned red and retreated from the dance floor. However, it was not that easy to escape attention after you managed to grab it.


    Many demi-human and human''s approached the two. Eldrian was a handsome elf who seemed to know an entirely foreign dance style. This piqued nearly all the nobledies.


    Vivian, instead, was a beautiful girl, which attracted many noble men.


    It turned into such a bother that the two had to escape to the outside just for some peace and quiet. After they did, theyughed.


    "And I thought we might just be able to not attract attention until the reward ceremony near the end of the g."


    Eldrian just smiled and shrugged, "When is that going to start?"


    "It should be anytime now. We should probably go back in."


    Nodding, they did just that and just as people noticed, Pros dered that it was time for the formal matters.


    "Friends, I hope you have all been having a good, no, a great time!"


    "I hate to spoil the fun, but we do need to give recognition to those who had ced their lives on the line for us. And! Let us not forget those who are no longer with us! Please, let us pray for their safe journey to the next life."


    The hall fell silent, and after a few seconds, the band started to y a soft, sad song. It slowly filled the hall, as it did, many of those present even started crying. Many had lost friends or even loved ones in the fight to repel the undead.


    Eldrian watched in awe, having activated mana sense after feeling something stir in him. With it, he saw the song actually influence the mana in the hall. And especially focus on those who grieved.


    Eldrian was amazed to see, for the first time ever, divine mana outside of divine spells. He saw it surround and hug the grieving, and he saw how they visibly gained closure. It was an amazing sight, and Eldrian was certain he must be the first, or one of the very few who had ever seen this.


    ''The AI, or rather, the gods... I don''t understand, but I do. It just...'' Ignoring the controversy and questions rising in his mind, Eldrian instead simply enjoyed the wonderful sight.


    His inquisitive side wanted to move closer to someone who grieved, to try and reach out and take control of some of the divine mana. However, that thought was sent to the darkest room in his mind once he turned and saw Vivian''s tears slowly flowing down her cheek.


    ''How could I even think of doing that? Do I not have a heart?''? Eldrian asked as he hugged Vivian. As he did, he could feel the divine mana also slowly starting to surround him.


    It was not his n, not what he had wanted. And the result was also not what he would have expected. Somehow, someway, as it surrounded him, he could feel that Sabrea was at peace. That everyone lost at Avgi had found their way to the next stage of their life.


    This caused even him to cry, a few tears flowing as a weight he hadn''t known he still had, lifted from his heart. And as it did, Eldrian slowly gained a feeling. A small decision started to bloom in his heart. One that wished for a world without heartache.


    It was a ridiculous dream, but it took root in his subconscious and refused to budge. And with it, his soul also stirred. Eldrian had pushed back trying to enter his soul ever since his death incident.


    Of course, he had been curious about how he had killed that devil and undead. But, his instincts had told him that going into his soul again would change his world, yet again.


    Now, he could feel that it was time. That he was ready for what would happen.


    "Are you okay?" Vivian asked, shocked to see tears also flowing down Eldrian''s cheeks.


    Eldrian nodded, slowly parting from Vivian and looking towards the band who were slowlying to the end of their song. In his heart, he thanked them.


    As the music ended, Pros spoke softly. His voice carried through the room through magic, else, those even just a few meters away from him would not have been able to hear him.


    "Our losses were great, and... There will be far more losses before the end. But," Slowly his voice started to rise, "We cannot have the sorrows overwhelm us, have them bring us down."


    "For, in our darkest hour, when the news of Herglem''s fall reached us and our hopes of fighting back against the undeads'' corruption waned, a hero appeared."


    "We all doubted the Chosen, we heard the stories of them rushing to their deaths without a thought. But, to immortals, death isn''t scary, and to this Chosen, he had even weed it."


    "In ourst push, as we were ambushed and surrounded, unable to act or even escape. As we saw our death approaching, he sacrificed himself. Killing undead far stronger than him, undead that evenmander Sodren had a hard time surviving against. Let alone kill!"


    "Not only that, with them he also killed a devil prince! His sacrifice allowed themander and his party to escape and help the others. Help us all make it back, with just a few new scars."


    Saying this, Pros lifted his akro. Showing a nasty scar that went from his human ribs to his horse foreleg. The ck of the scar sent severs down everyone who knew what it meant.


    "The wound of a ghoul, if we had made it out just a minuteter, I would have died. As would have we all. His sacrifice not only turned the tides, but it also saved untold numbers."


    "Yet, that is just one of his contributions! For he was also the one who figured out how the corruption was spreading and how we could slow it, and even push it back! He was also the one who, before his sacrifice, delivered a massive blow to our foe."


    "Infuriating the demon-undead hybrid and causing it to leave itsir!"


    "Of course, in handling the demon we must thank our dwarven neighbors. Who due to the severity of the invasion were unable toe tonight."


    "Yet, those are still not all of this Chosen''s achievements!" Pros continued, and by now many were in disbelief that one person could have done so much, and there was still more to tell.


    "After his death, he had rushed to return to the field of battle. Rushed to warn us of what a danger the demon-hybrid truly was. If we had decided to fight at our camp, instead of pulling back to the fort. Our losses would not have been just a third of the elite."


    "Our victory might even have been a loss instead!"


    "And through all this, he had even managed to survive the assassination attempts by a devil specialized in stealth and shadow teleportation. A feat in itself that is worthy of praise."


    "Eldrian, our hero. Please, step forward!"


    [Title acquired: Hero]


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 489 - Rewards Given

    <h4>Chapter 489 - Rewards Given</h4>


    [Through valorous deed and self-sacrifice, you have been called a hero by the people. However, it is far easier to be called a hero than to actually be one.]


    [Never forget, what truly matters is your belief in what is right. In what must be done. A hero is someone whose core belief is to help everyone, no matter their origin. No matter their past.]


    [Affect (if active): Upon seeing the title of hero, most would open you with open arms. However, to some, it will make you a target.]


    [Progression: Live up to the title. Aplishing this will be by no means an easy task, but the rewards will also not be meager. A hero is not just blessed by the heavens, but also by the earth. By Gaia.]


    Reading thest part, Eldrian was certain that this was Ziraili''s attempt to exin something to him.? ''Would all people with this title get the same description, or did she deliberately state mine as she had.''


    ''I would assume, normally, a hero would be blessed by the gods. However...'' Eldrian frowned as he tried to decipher the riddle,ing out of his stupor when he felt Vivian''s hand on his shoulder.


    "You alright?" Her concern touched Eldrian and allowed him to focus on the task at hand.


    "I am, thank you." Nodding and stepping forward, the spotlight again fell onto Eldrian. Many were shocked that the one with so many achievements was the same one who had dazzled them with his strange foreign dance.


    Another shocking fact for everyone was that Observe indicated a different name than what was called. No one brought this up since Pros seemed to be aware of this himself and hadn''t stated that this elf wasn''t the so-called Eldrian.


    "Eldrian, also known as Haru. You are not from this world, yet you have done great things for us. Normally, people would contest the rewards I would bestow on you, but, I doubt many remain after hearing your achievements."


    "As a reward, the Crown has decided to bestow on you the fourth rank of count and a manor fitting such a title. Along with this, a magnificent weapon has been forged by one of our greatest smiths."


    Upon saying so, one of the servants quickly brought forward a decorated case nearly two and a half meters long.


    "So as to keep the identity of the weapon a secret, we have also prepared this case for it. Finally, a reward of two hundred seventy gold is included in the case."


    "Please kneel," Pros asked, and Eldrian of course did. Following was themon ceremony of having a sword ced on each shoulder, and then, "Please rise, Count Eldrian."


    [Possible name change, do you wish to match avatar name and given name with the title?]


    ''Yes,'' Eldrian replied to the system message while standing up.


    "Have you decided on a household name?" Pros asked and Eldrian nodded.


    "Avgi."


    "Then, from henceforth you will be known as Count Eldrian of the house of Avgi. May your household grow strong and survive long."


    Nodding, Eldrian epted the case and slowly returned to the crowd. Unsure what to think of his new names, but determined that he wanted it as it was now.


    "Count Eldrian?" Vivian joked as Eldrian returned.


    "Baroness Vivian?" Eldrian joked back while storing the case, the gold automatically added to his inventory count and bringing it just a few gold short of 700.


    "Don''t."


    "You started it."


    "Fine, I yield," Vivian said with a smile as the two returned their attention to Pros who was now reading out the achievements of Sodren, the leadmander at the end of the stalemate.


    "Evale and Evules, please,e forward."


    Stepping forward, the two immediately knelt. "You have served well and showed all your loyalty, as well as what you are capable of. You are still young, and many would use this against you in ruling over a town growing as quick as Trowcrawling."


    "Theirints are overshadowed by your achievements, the Crown promises that no matter how much Trowcrawling grows, its governance will stay in your house."


    Following this, around another ten or fifteen people were called forward to receive their rewards. Of course, only those with major achievements would be awarded in the g. Naturally, Katania and Thesolis were also among them.


    Finally, with the official matters finished, song filled the air once again and the festivities began anew. Now, with the nobles knowing who to crowd around and try to establish connections.


    Of course, Eldrian and Vivian made themselves scarce knowing what would happen if they stayed any longer.


    As they walked in the night, enjoying the stars and the simple silence filling the air, Vivian asked, "Why did you decide to name your household Avgi?"


    "Because I owe a great deal to the alicorns. Outside of Dave, they have been my only true teachers. Helping me understand not just magic, but also myself and this world. If just a little better."


    "Cephaphyr is also from there, and if not for him, none of this would have been possible. At least not with how well it had turned out."


    Nodding, Vivian found his reasons as a nice way to pay homage to those who had helped him, silently they walked on.


    The two wandered aimlessly for a few hours before finally returning to the house that was soon to be redundant.


    As the lights of the house came into their vision, Eldrian paused. "Vivian, I''ve been thinking."


    Pausing and turning to look at Eldrian, Vivian smiled. "The house?"


    "Yes, why don''t you take it over when I go to my mansion?" The word mansion sounded so foreign and strange to Eldrian. Especially with a ''my'' attached before it.


    "Why?"


    "It will go to waste, or I will need to sell it. I thought that this might be the smarter move."


    ...


    Around a week had passed, during which most of the things needing to be sorted had been sorted.


    Eldrian had found that it was truly easy for him to find people to hire, deciding on who to hire however was far more difficult. The admin of a noble''s life had stopped him from progressing much in magic, outside of simple experiments he could do amidst a crowd.


    "Are you sure about this?" The clerk who was helping Eldrian asked. He was Darren, a middle-aged centaur who had helped plenty of nobles get the servent and retainers they needed.


    Eldrian, Eldrian had made his job truly difficult.


    Normally the requirements of nobles were simple. For maid, they must be pretty and young. The male servants needed to be either handsome, or they needed to be strong.


    With retainers, most nobles simply had a Tier requirement and then would have their butler handle the interview.


    What did Eldrian do?


    He asked that the maids be those who needed the help the most, only requiring that their loyalty be ensured as he would certainly be experimenting and didn''t want that to simply spread throughout the city.


    Male servants were a simr case, and Eldrian didn''t have a butler. Thus he would need to do all the interviews with his possible retainers personally.


    This would have been fine if Eldrian had chosen a high Tier requirement. Instead, the elf had gone and dered that anyone, even someone with just a basic understanding of magic (Tier 0), could apply.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 490 - A Test

    <h4>Chapter 490 - A Test</h4>


    "That''s a lot of people," Eldrian said as he looked down at his courtyard that was filled with applicants.


    "Yes, everyone here agreed to swear an oath of loyalty should they be epted. In total, 1692 people have applied to be your retainers. 134 had applied for the servant positions." Darren replied.


    "Given your manor size," Which was a three-story building simr to his previous house, but three times the size. With a big courtyard added onto it. "I would say at least thirty servants would be required to maintain the property. Of which, you should have at least twelve maids."


    "I see, thank you, Darren."


    "Yes, of course, but... How do you n to go through all of them and decide on which ones you will ept?"


    "Oh, that?" Eldrian smiled, jumped onto the fence of his balcony, and looked at everyone who turned their sights towards him.


    "Many of you probably came because you heard of my achievements. Some might wish to share in the spotlight, or maybe you hope to help me in my future achievements. However, I''m not really someone whose good at leading people. I like doing things on my own."


    "I never expected so many people toe, and I can''t pay even a tenth of you. Thus, now I need to figure out how I am going to decide who I will ept and who I have to refuse."


    Eldrian paused and extended his hand, above which a ball of ice formed. This ball appeared and changed into many different forms, from a ball to a star to a feather to even a name in cursive.


    Of course, some had trouble seeing what Eldrian did thanks to the sheer number of people here. "I don''t know how to decide, so I decided to make a few simple tests. The first is, exin how I did this."


    "You do not need to worry about being entirely correct. The answer won''t be the determining factor, but rather how you approached the problem. Now, if you didn''t see properly please move forward."


    Repeating this around ten times, Eldrian finally climbed off of the balcony fence.


    "Are you sure you want that to be your first test?" Vivian asked as Eldrian left the balcony.


    "Yes, I don''t want an army. I am just looking for a few talented people who I might be able to take in and teach. So, if they can''t at least touch on how I did it, then I can''t ept them."


    Eldrian replied, for the servants his decision process was far easier. He asked them a simple question; why they wanted to work for him specifically. What he was looking for in their replies Eldrian wasn''t even sure himself. He felt he would learn this once he read their answers.


    ...


    "What''s your second test going to be?" Jen asked, knowing Eldrian had been racking his brain to try and figure out how to decide on who to ept.


    The two were currently walking in the park and ying some music as background noise. Partly aimed to make it harder to overhear them.


    "I am not too sure. I was thinking of a spar against me, to see how they can adapt to magic used in strange and unique ways. But, if there are too many who pass the first test then..."


    "Have you made even more progress in magic? I thought you were busy with all the ''noble admin'', as you called it."


    "True, I didn''t manage to do any big experiments, but I managed to increase my control of mana even more." Eldrian replied, "On that topic."


    "No, I don''t think you should," Jen replied immediately, knowing where his thoughts were going.


    "I''m not thinking of anything big. Just getting a feel."


    "And if somehow it is discovered?"


    "Then they would have already known."


    "Or they were expecting, maybe just hoping."


    "True," Eldrian nodded and pondered for a moment.


    "What about the maids you first hired?"


    "They are still at the first house."


    "Have you thought of all the expenses hiring people are going to be?"


    "I have, the servants in total will be around two gold a month. Retainers I heard expect around ten silver a month each, but it is highly dependant on their Tier. Tier 5 normally ask for fifty silver a month."


    "Are you going to take in people stronger than you?" Jen asked.


    "Tier 5 shouldn''t really be stronger than me, though I haven''t fought anyone since my training so that is just my guess. Also never fought anyone at Tier 5 in a simple spar... But, I am not too sure. I think it will be too expensive. Just the servants are already a massive expense."


    Unlike most nobles, Eldrian didn''t have a steady stream of ie. The only way he knew to make money was through quests. Which most certainly was not amon way for nobles to earn their ie from.


    Making the amount of gold that was going to be required was certainly not going to be easy.


    "You do know, you don''t need to hire anyone."


    Eldrian smiled, "True, however, I do need a few helpers for my ns going forward."


    "And what are those?"


    "Mostly management... Maybe I should make that the second test, some sort of ountant test?" Eldrian pondered, though he didn''t know a thing about ounting himself.


    ...


    "Sir, many have already delivered their answers. Are you going to go through them?"


    "I willter today, thank you, Darren..." Pausing, Eldrian decided to ask, "Darren, might it be possible for you to make some sort of test to see how capable of managing an estate the applicants are."


    "I can, but you need to exin what you are looking for. I assume it is more than just managing an estate, as a butler would be able to do so."


    Nodding, Eldrian replied, "People who can lead," and left to go train.


    Entering his personal study, a roomrge enough to host a party if one wanted. With plenty of empty bookshelves and more than one ce to sit and read or converse.


    Eldrian plopped down in the center of this room, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. ''No turning back once I do this.''


    Nodding in reply to his own statement, Eldrian took another deep breath and then focused. Finding himself in the Magic Avyssos, but unlike all the times before, he had a body this time.


    "This, this is very strange..." Eldrian mumbled as he brought his hand before his face.


    "What is going on?" Eldrian asked as he turned around, finding himself surrounded by darkness. Of course, he was also standing on nothing. Floating in the darkness. Yet, somehow, if he wanted to walk, he could.


    "Where are my auras?" Eldrian pondered, and when he did he could feel cold and heat burning inside of him. "Can I see what I look like?"


    Upon asking this, Eldrian determined that this must be his first step. Pushing all his focus into leaving the body he seemed to be stuck in, time passed quickly. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, he managed to see himself.


    However, he still wasn''t outside of the body. It was more like he was having an out-of-body experience. Allowing him to view himself from other perspectives, but unable to move away from this half-elf body.


    AN: Not going to release chapters tonight (19th Nov), as I will ce my focus on the test I have tomorrow.

 Chapter 491 - The Half-elf Is His Soul?

    <h4>Chapter 491 - The Half-elf Is His Soul?</h4>


    "What on earth is going on?" Eldrian asked again, looking at the half-elf he seemed to be. Purple eyes, silver hair, a body in between human and elf. Part of him hoped that Ziraili woulde and exin things to him, however, Eldrian knew that he shouldn''t rely on others.


    He had to learn how to figure out the unfamiliar on his own.


    Focusing some more, Eldrian took in all the details of this half-elf. He had to admit, it seemed like a strange mix of his human and elf selves. A mix between his real body and avatar.


    The thought was disturbing, to say the least.


    ''Right, a soul is a reflection of what you believe your core to be.''? Eldrian pondered as he watched the half-elf.? ''I believed it was previously just a heart because that is what I believe is the core of a person.''


    ''A heart obviously symbolizes emotions, which I believe is what makes us human. That, along with memories, entangled with emotions.''


    ''Then, what does the half-elf represent. Have I moved to a more basic belief that my body, or this mix of my bodies, is my core?'' After asking this, Eldrian denied it.


    ''Or, has it simply reached a point where a heart isn''t enough?''? This, Eldrian felt was far more probable.


    "Maybe, but what if it is all of the above, or maybe even some other unknowns?" A voice Eldrian had never heard before proposed, nearly giving him a heart attack.


    Staring at the half-elf who was staring in the direction from which Eldrian was observing himself. Eldrian didn''t know what to make of the situation.


    Moving his point of view, the half-elf followed with his eyes. Yet, Eldrian could still feel his connection to this body. Moving his hands, he brought it before his eyes and suddenly had a feeling of seeing two things at once. A view of his hand before his face, and of a half-elf looking at his hand.


    It gave him quite the headache.


    "Who am I?" The half-elf asked to Eldrian''s unspoken, even iplete, thoughts. "I am no one, part of you."


    "No, you''re not me," Eldrian said, suddenly talking from the lips of the half-elf.


    "Mmm, true. I am not really the you who you know. Think of me as a collection of thoughts you aren''t even really aware you have."


    "What?"


    "Exactly."


    "Oh, my subconscious?" Eldrian asked and found himself agreeing to it without the half-elf speaking. "But how?"


    "This... This isn''t the easiest question and we do not know the answer. Also, we have locked this space from the gods for the moment."


    Hearing this, Eldrian''s conscious mind froze. Repeating thest sentence in utter disbelief. And as he was stuck in this frozen disbelief, the repercussions of his subconscious being conscious and in the game finally struck.


    Before he could even form the questions, he already received the answers. "Yes, this is dangerous. The threat to you is greater but also smaller."


    "Indeed, if we are overpowered there are no more fallbacks. Yes, overpowering us is far more difficult."


    "The auras? They are contained. You want to control them? You aren''t ready."


    "What do I mean, I mean you cannot aplish this."


    "Why? I can''t exin. Why? Just think a bit about what a subconscious is."


    "Correct, you need to be aware before you will be able."


    "Then, how did I freeze the domain? I didn''t, you did when you fought to escape our body. I just realized what had happened. And part of you realized this too."


    "How? Concentrate."


    Obeying, Eldrian felt that somehow the abyss around him didn''t feel like the Mageia Avyssis. It felt like it was part of him, part of his soul.


    "Correct, our new question is what is a soul and how is this possible."


    Trying to get more answered Eldrian got a truly frustrating answer.


    "We don''t know, so I can''t answer."


    "Done already?"


    "Oh, you want to know how I can talk. We don''t know."


    "That is an interesting thought..." The half-elf closed his eyes for a moment, leaving Eldrian with just the third person view of his soul for a moment. When the half-elf opened his eyes, Eldrian understood something really important and worrying was happening.


    He suddenly had a memory of being in both the game and real life, of concentrating on his surroundings and feeling the mana in his room slowly converging on him.


    "We can''t let that happen!"


    "Subconscious." The half-elf replied.


    "You''re my goddam subconscious!"


    "Incorrect, I am part of it. A small part of it."


    "Take control, what if-"


    "No known methods of measuring mana is known to Miracle. Not even in the simtion, impossible for them to detect in the real world." The half-elf answered and continued to answer before Eldrian even finished the thoughts.


    "Interesting, our readings? It is possible."


    "Regted, body was absorbing too much and heightening- right, I will focus on regting it."


    "Yes, will slip up if we are under stress. Likest time."


    "Last time? You don''t know? Yes, that time."


    "Can''t exin, it was subconscious. We need to learn control. Yes, strange that Miracle did not question."


    "Auras are still here, just concentrate."


    Doing so, Eldrian found again the heat and cold inside of his body. The heat concentrated at the half-elf''s chest and the cold at the head.


    "How to pull out? Unknown? Go inside? Unknown?"


    "Screw it!" Pushing his focus this time to entering the body of the half-elf, instead of exiting it, Eldrian focused and focused.


    "If you do this, the zone will copse."


    "Yes, a new one will be formed around body."


    With that, Eldrian continued to push. After a great deal of struggle, he found himself before a heart, just like the one he was so used to. However, only the fire aura was around it, and it was in the midst of an abyss seemingly expanding endlessly.


    Focusing, Eldrian willed himself to find the other aura. To go to the brain, again it took a great deal of effort, and what he found was not what he had expected.


    "Correct, it is a reflection of what you consider makes decisions." A new half-elf, identical to the former in many ways said.


    The differences were that this one had ice blue eyes, lips, even its skin had an ice-like blue tone to it. And he was surrounded by an ice mist.


    "Correct, ess to tranquility is putting away emotions. Correct, emotions do not need to be put away."


    "Correct, they need only be kept from the process of thought."


    "Incorrect, it is not just thinking logically. Incorrect, it is not cold due to nature of tranquility."


    Extending the half-elf''s hands, his hands, Eldrian tried to feel the ice mist surrounding him.


    "Incorrect, it is not mana."


    "Correct, channeling emotions is the cornerstone of controlling auras."


    "Incorrect, tranquility isn''t being emotionless. Incorrect, tranquility isn''t fighting emotions."


    Incorrect kept being said before Eldrian could even finish his thought processes. It was truly irritating, but it also sped up the speed at which he could think through things. Finally, ''correct'' rang again.


    "Correct, tranquility is epting emotions. Correct, emotions are indeed uncontroble. Correct, it does not mean it cannot be controlled. Correct, control is limited to direction, not emotion."


    "Correct, channeling tranquility is epting what is and focusing on what you wish."


    "Correct, ice is moving."


    The half-elf, Eldrian, smirked as thest piece wasn''t required to be spoken. Eldrian saw the ice moving himself, he could feel his connection with the aura of tranquility.


    AN: Hope the dialogue wasn''t too confusing (though it is meant to be confusing).

 Chapter 492 - Near Death For Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 492 - Near Death For Everyone</h4>


    It was a strange feeling, all his questions and wondering made the connection between him and the aura slip. Yet, it was not because of them themselves, but rather, him looking for the answers of these questions.


    "Correct, searching means questioning and thus non-tranquility."


    "Unkown, unknown, unknown. Correct, control has been lost."


    Grumbling, Eldrian flipped the finger at himself. "Anger detected, unknown, unknown..."


    Suddenly, Eldrian found himself with a massive headache as the ice-covered the half-elf as a shield and sent out attacks, knocking his ethereal self senseless.


    He woke in his study, the ce destroyed and covered in ice. The temperature was so cold that the wood had all cracked and even the floor was starting to crack from the extreme temperatures.


    Moving his mana through him to fight off the invading cold, Eldrian cast Therapeia to recover his quickly draining HP and also cast Volida tobat the cold.


    Shockingly, the fire spell simply died out. It took Eldrian eight more tries before he managed to keep it alive in this frozen hell, by which time his fingers had severe frostbite and this was actually quickly spreading to his arms.


    "Sir, are you alright?" Darren''s voice asked along with a knock on the door, which caused it to crumble in pieces.


    "Run!" Eldrian shouted, rushing to the door to try and stop the ice from escaping.


    Understanding the danger, Darren ran at the top speed that his horse lower half could carry him, it was only slightly faster than the expanding ice.


    Eldrian''s heart nearly froze as he saw them approaching the second floor''s living room where Ceph and Vivian were. "Run!" Eldrian shouted at the top of his lungs, however, instead of doing so the two sprang to action to help him.


    Eldrian didn''t know it, but by the time Ceph''s heal had reached him, he was just a few seconds from death. Just a few numbers from his HP reaching 0, from sumbing to the ice.


    Vivian, instead, pulled out Nelida''s me, using its ability ''Burst of Passion'' tobat the ice. Her shocked expression made it clear that she couldn''t believe how little effect it had on the ice. Just putting a stop to it for a second.


    She then activated ''Follow your Heart'', covering herself and the surrounding two meters in mes, but massively draining her already halved mana pool.


    Seeing their struggle, Ceph also cast a spell of heat.


    He didn''t know any spells rted to fire, heck, he knew very few destruction-focused spells. During his training, his focus had beenpletely on how to gain control of his spells. Not on learning more spells.


    As such, Ceph cast his spell with a singr thought. Heat. To heat up the entire corridor and save his friend.


    The walls closest to him quickly turned red hot and caught me, and as the heat passed by Eldrian, the thermal shock sent his body falling to the ground. Luckily, he managed to stay awake and take care of himself while the two finally managed to stop the spread of the ice.


    However, on the other side of the corridor, there was no one to stop the spread. Luckily, everyone in the house was safe, luckily Eldrian hadn''t yet hired anyone.


    The ice spread without hindrance in that direction, freezing even the very air. When things calmed down, icicles filled vision and snow was slowly drifting to the ground. The house''s arrays were broken, and its foundation was just a hit away from falling.


    When Eldrian could finally stand up, he looked at the havoc and simply cursed. "I don''t think I should stay in a mansion," Eldrian mumbled after calming himself through curses. The damages were certain to be beyond what he could afford.


    "You certainly need an experimentation room, but..." Looking at the ice-filled corridor and cracking walls, Vivian didn''t think that would be enough. It wasn''t like this mansion was fragile, to begin with.


    The arrays covering its external walls were meant to stop up to Tier 5 attacks with ease.


    "Wha-what type of experiment was that?" Darren asked, in disbelief that something this devastating could have been caused by a Tier 4 elf. True, High Elves were different, but this, this seemed more like a Tier 7 or Tier 8 spell. Possibly even stronger than that.


    Especially when Darren thought about the fact that it wasn''t meant to cover an area. Instead, it had simply done so due to the difference in temperatures. Spreading from the origin.


    A few of the hopeful-to-be-retainers who hade to give their answers also looked at the now half-frozen mansion in shock and awe. However, they quickly wondered what could have caused it and then sounded the rms.


    Just a few minutester, as Eldrian was trying to make sure the others were alright. While they were trying to make sure he was alright. Pros arrived.


    "Eldrian?" Pros looked at the still ice-filled room and shuddered as it reminded him of the power of a magic tower. "How?"


    Eldrian looked at the centaur before him, in his haste, for once Pros hadn''t thought of transforming to human form for ease of conversation and convenience. Instead, he was battle-ready, even in his armor.


    However, upon arrival, he had confirmed that this wasn''t an attack. Leaving him with many questions.


    "I honestly have no idea." Looking at the other three who had nearly died, Eldrian expressed his apologies, "I am truly sorry, I had no idea things could even turn out this bad."


    Smiling in disbelief, Darren nodded and chose to leave as he knew Eldrian wanted to talk with Pros in private.


    "You two stay," Eldrian said as Ceph and Vivian also prepared to leave.


    "First, I would like to say that I was aware what I was doing might be slightly dangerous to me. However, I had no idea it could be this dangerous to everyone."


    "What were you doing?" Pros asked, truly wishing to understand and make sense of the feeling of danger he felt from the ice. He, even as a Tier 8 warrior, Tier 7 mage, and Tier 6 archer, felt an instinctual fear towards the ice.


    "I know you said I shouldn''t recklessly search my soul, and I wasn''t. I can''t really go into details," Eldrian said, partly because it was near impossible to exin. Andrgely that if Miracle knew of the new developments of his soul, he had no idea what they would do.


    He was extremely happy that the events inside his soul were secret, and part of him was happy that even Ziraili seemed to be unaware of it. He felt a slight hint of fear about if the gods were to discover what he had just managed.


    Especially after the events when his soul crystallized and his affinity had surpassed a hundred percent.


    "I was trying to figure out how to gain control over one of my auras, and lost control." Eldrian exined, "Next thing I knew I was freezing to death."


    Everyone, but Cephaphyr, looked at Eldrian in utter disbelief and shock. Ceph, instead, had no idea why what Eldrian said was so shocking. To him, it just sounded like Eldrian was struggling with the same thing that his dad had thought him during their training.


    Eldrian had simply lost control and let too much mana escape.


    The difference was, auras didn''t work with mana. At least not the mana that a person has inside of them. How exactly they worked, nearly no one knew. Those who did, they weren''t exactly going to spread that information to the general public who didn''t even understand what auras are.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 493 - Seeking Answers

    <h4>Chapter 493 - Seeking Answers</h4>


    In the miracle headquarter''s ANW department, Joren was hurriedly trying his best to figure out what was happening as Eldrian was being surrounded by ice. (Just before Eldrian was kicked out of his soul and found the room frozen.)


    Joren had already called Constantin and Gengxin for consultation while he pulled up Eldrian''s physical readings and tried to make sense of things.


    "Any leads on what that ice was or how he summoned it?" Joren asked as he watched Eldrain trying to keep himself alive. Clearly, indicating that this was not intentional. When the ice escaped as the door copsed, it was also clear that Eldrian seemed to have no control of it.


    This made it different than the case where he summoned fire and killed the ghouls and devil prince. Back then, he had only targeted the enemies, saving his allies. Simrly though, in both cases, his body was not exempt from damage.


    "Nothing, it just appeared. His mana didn''t change, nor did anything else." One of those tasked with monitoring things answered. This quickly lead to a discussion as others weighed in, of course, at this moment everyone was focused on Eldrian.


    "Wait! That isn''t true, look at his brain activity just before the ice appeared. It was twice, no, maybe even three times normal."


    "Isn''t that just?"


    "I already ounted for the increased activity yers gain from the stat boost. That is normally only ten or so percent of an increase. Nowhere close to doubling brain activity."


    "What about his other readings before the ice appeared?" Joren asked as they watched Vivian and Cephaphyr managing to contain the cold. However, the damage it did to the house was astounding.


    The arrays did nothing to contain it, almost like they didn''t even recognize the threat. The ice simply passed through them and destroyed them in the process.


    "Let me see the readings," Gengxin said as he rushed into the room. Calling up the data on one of therger monitors, one of the monitor crew wanted to offer their opinion but Gengxin quickly cut them off.


    "No, let mee to my own conclusion first." Turning to Joren, Gengxin then asked, "How is he doing, stable?"


    "All signs indicate that he is, breathing, heart rate, everything is within normal levels now."


    "Good," Nodding, Gengxin then turned to the one who wanted to give their opinion, "Come on, call up all his data. Game too, his avatar''s physical readings too. Not just the stats!"


    After a few seconds, the game data waspared to the real Eldrian''s. Of course, there was only one brain activity, but there were two heart rates, two hormone levels, two of everything else.


    Normally, the real data was far below that of the avatar. After all, the entire method of entering the game was to trick the brain into believing the avatar was the real body. Thus, adrenaline should only be released in the avatar during a fight (as an example), and not the real body.


    "What do you see?" Joren asked after a minute had passed, Gengxin should have some general opinion by that time.


    "This, this right here is simr to when he summoned those mes and killed the high Tiered enemies with them. However, if we look at the parts of his brain that were active. It seems to be his subconscious in both cases."


    "That isn''t- Are you telling me he might have no idea how this happened?"


    "Exactly. Can you please extend the data to when he started meditating?"


    Nodding, the person in control of this quickly did so.


    "Remember when we tried figuring out the difference in his meditation method to others?"


    "Of course, back then things had been quite scary for us."


    Gengxin nodded in agreement, "His meditation onlysted two hours?"


    "Yes, before that he was addressing those he was considering hiring." The one responsible for monitoring Eldrian today replied. Unlike everyone else, Eldrian always had someone watching everything he did.


    "Here, this first two to five minutes seemed to be normal meditation. Simr to how we saw in that meeting. However, after that, his brain bes far more active, and specifically his subconscious."


    "That... Gengxin, my office?"


    "Indeed," Nodding, the two-headed in, and Constantin arrived just as they were closing the door.


    "What''s going on?" Constantin asked.


    "Eldrian, he seems to be pulling his subconscious into the game."


    "What do you mean? We all still have our subconscious in the game. It isn''t like we lose it." Constantin asked, he had never quite understood how the subconscious wasn''t allowed in the game. How it was kept away, or even how that would be possible.


    "Yes, you still have it. Normally it is just very inactive. It is partly also why people''s inhibitions are slightly weaker in the gamepared to real life." Gengxin replied, causing a controversial subject to be highlighted for the first time.


    "Isn''t that just because they know there are no consequences?" Joren asked, this having been his working theory.


    There were plenty of yers who dived into acts that weren''t exactly morally right. Until now, few yers had actually taken on the role of murderers.


    However, there were more cases of rape than Miracle would like to admit, and plenty of brothers visiting. Even by married men, and in fact, women too. Women were actually far more active in the gamepared to the real world, and Joren had assumed that was to do with the fact that they need not worry about unexpected pregnancies.


    These, of course, weren''t the only areas where thisck of inhibitions were seen, however, it was certainly the clearest. The other was theck of fear for death, charging into danger, throwing oneself into the worst situations on the without a second thought.


    "That is certainly also important, however, the medical team has been specting that people should still be far more self-aware of danger than they seem to be. Even knowing it is a game, you shouldn''t be able to ept being hurt, mutted, and even killed as easily as yers have."


    "Do you have any proof behind this?" Joren asked, not because he doubted Gengxin, but because he was actually starting to also believe this.


    "Not much, but looking at the actions of the first game testers. They were all far more aware of the danger, far more cautious. Of course, we found that they had been correct to be so. Simrly, the next batch of game testers was also far more warry, even knowing the extra safety measures."


    "They all knew of the danger, when I signed up there was also the epted fact that I might end up crippled or dead in certain situations. yers don''t have this weighing on their minds." Constantin added.


    "Indeed, that is why I can''t really say it is proof. However, back then, game testers entered the game by having their entire consciousness, and subconscious, transported into their avatar. Now, we normally trick the subconscious and only allow the consciousness to enter."


    "Ah, I see what you are getting at. Just because it isn''t inside doesn''t mean it is absent, the subconscious is still part of the yers." Constantin said with a confused look. It still didn''t make sense, but he believed he understood.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 494 - Moving Forward

    <h4>Chapter 494 - Moving Forward</h4>


    "Correct, as I understand it, the subconscious is tricked to not know what is going on. None of us really understand how it works since the AI did most of the fine-tuning, but the subconscious must think that it is a vivid dream."


    "We all know that. Gengxin, what are you getting at?" Joren asked, not needing another recap on just how much he didn''t know about the thing he was responsible for.


    "I am getting at the difference between a lucid dream and a vivid one. I suspect Eldrian is inching closer to the former."


    Ignoring that the game was more like a lucid dream for yers, the two nodded as the analogy at least helped them understand.


    "What about his increased brain activity?" Joren asked, throwing up the data on his mounted monitor normally used in such discussions to make sharing data easier.


    "That isn''t what interests me the most. What I find strange is this jump in his heart rate here, and also here. In his meditation, I assume he likely visited his soul again. And he must have found something strange and shocking at these times."


    "And here, his body also seemed to be very active. Even increasing all his bodily functions, but it onlysted for a few minutes. So I can''t really say if it was a subconscious reaction from the shock he discovered here, or if it implies something more."


    "We''ll ask him when hees out. Since he seems to be stable there is no need to pull him out right now for answers. But, I am still curious about brain activity."


    "These reading don''t mean much, where is the footage of his brain''s activity?"


    It took Joren a moment to find that, like an MRI it showed which parts of Eldrian''s brain were active, starting at the moment of meditation, a smooth video through the entire two hours.


    "Yes, indeed. These parts shouldn''t be that active, it should be impossible for them to show such activity."


    "Shouldn''t everything be impossible to be as active as it is shown here?" Constantin asked, from his little knowledge it seemed like Eldrian''s brain was like a bulb of light instead of a brain.


    "True, but these in particr normally regr things like his respiratory system. It shouldn''t show this much activity. And yes, the rest of the activity is also abnormal. It is almost like he had a conversation with himself. But he doesn''t have a dissociative identity disorder."


    "However, the most shocking part is how that both of his bodies were being regted."


    "That''s always the case," Joren replied with a questioning frown.


    "Not like this, this... This is groundbreaking."


    ***


    Eldrian, of course, had no idea what exactly Miracle knew, nor how much what had happened had sent them reeling, searching for answers.


    No, he was focused on trying to figure things out himself. And most importantly, figuring out what he could say and share, and what he shouldn''t.


    This was hard, especially when he felt like he needed to ask for advice.


    ''Ceph, thanks for making the link.''


    ''Sure, but you really need to figure out how to do that. I just barely managed to figure out you wanted me to do so.''


    ''Next time, need to first sort out the damage I caused.''


    ''What on earth even happened?''


    Eldrian did his best to keep his smile from growing as he started sharing everything with Ceph. He was eternally thankful that there was someone with whom he could talk to in private. Someone he didn''t need to hide anything from.


    ''Was it like talking to that god... Ziraili?''


    ''Not quite, she still needed me to at least finish my thoughts. And, simrly to how we are talking, I could hide some thoughts from her.''


    ''Oh, I see. And with your soul?''


    ''Everything I think, it already knows. Many times it even replied to my thoughts before I even actually knew what they were going to be. It was quite confusing.''


    ''How did the ice-?''


    ''I became angry at failing to keep control, and I think... I think that part of me feared myself, or the anger. I know it acted in self-defense, but I don''t understand why.''


    "Eldrian, can you share anything else?" Pros asked after giving Eldrian some time to open up on his own, which it seemed wasn''t going to happen.


    "Yeah, I won''t attempt that again anytime soon."


    "Meaning? You know how to attempt it again?" Pros asked as shivers covered his entire centaur body. Even causing his coat to stand on ends as he wondered just what kind of destruction Eldrian could cause.


    "Indeed, I finally figured out how to control my auras. But I am not ready to attempt that again, since I found that losing control is much more dangerous than I first believed."


    "What do you mean?" Vivian asked with concern clear in her crystal clear green eyes, eyes Eldrian sometimes wished he could just get lost in for hours on end.


    "Pros once warned me that with the aura of wrath I might be lost in anger. Never able toe back. I assume the aura of tranquility should have a simr effect, but how I touched it won''t ever cause a simr cause."


    "Then, what is the danger?" Pros asked, and as he did he turned to the ice which still stood strong in the midday sun. Not showing any signs of melting. "This, was from losing control?"


    "Yes, and how I saved the others as you so magnificently retold at the g was another time of me losing control. That time, however, I managed to target it. I have no idea how I did, and if I hadn''t I would have killed Sodren and Evale..."


    "Yes, I won''t attempt controlling my auras again any time soon," Eldrian affirmed.


    "Yet, you are clearly going to attempt it again. When, and why?"


    Eldrian smiled, "Indeed, and the when will be when I am confident in managing my emotions. Until then, trying to do anything with my auras will just lead to me getting lost in the emotions, or losing control. Neither are situations I wish to happen."


    Eldrian wasn''t quite sure which situation would be worse. Losing himself in his emotions could lead to him bing a savage and possibly hurting those he cared for. However, losing control would mean everyone close to him at the time would die.


    Both were scary thoughts, and situations he''d rather not touch unless absolutely necessary or he was certain they wouldn''t happen.


    Nodding, Pros finally understood. "Then, let us go and see what the damages are."


    Eldrian flinched hearing this, shaking his head he just hoped it wasn''t too much.


    ...


    "Surprisingly, not much damage was done. However, the mana crystals powering the arrays were all drained. It will cost around three hundred fifty gold to rece them." Pros said, estimating closest he could.


    There were around ten different arrays, and each was powered by a finger-sized mana crystal. Then, there was another making sure the arrays did not sh, it took another two crystals.


    The arrays weren''t made as a formation, they didn''t increase each other''s strength. Instead, they were all separate. One to regte temperatures, another to light all the magic lights... Of course, there were a few focused on defense, but that was only a few of the arrays.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 495 - A Personal Loan

    <h4>Chapter 495 - A Personal Loan</h4>


    "Is-is it okay if we don''t repair?" Eldrian asked, not wishing to cough up half of his gold stockpile to fix the damage. He might not have any other ns for that 300 gold, but spending it on a mansion he literally got a few days ago certainly wasn''t it.


    At this point, it was just Pros and Eldrian. Ceph had gone to y with some of the friends he had made, which included the maids who were still at the previous house. Thinking of them Eldrian thanks the gods, be they AI or anything else, that he hadn''t brought the maid to the mansion.


    Vivian on the other hand had decided to go and enjoy some of the more popr entertainment sights of the city. Not wishing to spend her vacation on damage assessment and repairs. She would just get a summary from Eldrianter during the day.


    "You-you don''t want to fix them?" Pros asked, astounded that Eldrian would even ask.


    "Yeah, you should understand my position. I don''t have any businesses or the like, my only ie is from quests. And that isn''t exactly a stable ie, so I believe I should keep a stockpile."


    Not having thought of this, Pros nodded as Eldrian highlighted this point. "We can''t have our hero''s mansion be damaged, that would have the opposite effect of what we are hoping for."


    "I will send someone to do the repairs and rece the crystals, we will consider it a loan. Repayable when you have a more stable ie."


    "Thanks," Eldrian smiled and decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Do you think it might be possible to make some sort of experimentation room for me?"


    Pros smirked hearing this, "I had wondered when you were going to ask. Such a room will cost around 500 gold, do you want to spend your money on that?"


    While Eldrian did want a secure room, 500 gold was just too much right now. "Can''t it be done on loan?"


    Laughing, Pros denied Eldrian''s request. However, he did have a counter. "You are part of the mage''s association, they have experimental rooms for their members."


    "I will send a message to Highmage Sofiera. Myropsis should also vouch for you, so you should be able to get a room meant for Greatmages, Sofiera might even share her personal room with you."


    Eldrian nodded and thanked Pros, and as the centaur was about to leave Eldrian sprung one more request on him.


    "I remember someone mentioned a detection spell using wind and earth." Hearing this sentence, Pros already knew what wasing, still, he waited for Eldrian to ask it formally.


    "Would it be possible for me to receive the spell module?"


    Turning around to look at the elf, Pros thought on it for a moment. "I can only give you the basic module. I guess you are aware of the restrictions we have on this spell."


    "People below Tier 5 can only ess the basic module, and only those who have either sworn an oath of secrecy or are trusted can receive the advanced module."


    Pros naturally didn''t even mention the modules that were kept between the noble houses at count rank and above, nor the module restricted to the royals and their personal guards.


    "That''s great, I have been trying to figure out how you use a spell for detection. But all my experiences with spells are focused on more active maniption of mana and the elements."


    ''He is going to try and decipher it, isn''t he...'' Pros could already see Eldrian either managing toe to the advanced spell himself, or possibly an entirely new spell.


    "Alright, I will let Highmage Sofiera also know that I wish to share the spell with you. However, if you manage to make any modifications to it, please do share your insights with me. I am also a Highmage."


    "In fact," Pausing mid-step, Pros turned back to Eldrian again, "If you wish to discuss some topics on magic, please feel free to visit me anytime."


    Nodding and saying that he would, Eldrian turned back and found Darren already having recovered the answers from those who wish to follow Eldrian.


    "How is everything?" Eldrian asked as he watched the centaur sorting the papers into packets ording to the Tier of those who they were from.


    "Quite amazing, news of the experiment''s ident has already spread and far more people are now interested in bing your retainer or even follower."


    "Follower?"


    "They don''t even request a sry, just that you house and feed them. I already have twenty applications of people who stated that should they fail to be a retainer they want to then be your follower."


    "I see... For now, decline any new applications. I never thought there would be so much interest, it is going to take me hours to work through all the answers."


    "Indeed, oh right, you asked that Ipile a test to see who might be able to lead. Might this be what you were looking for?"


    Taking the offered page, Eldrian had to admit that Darren was worth the price. His fee was 25 gold t, no bargaining or even mentioning price or he would walk out.


    Not having had any idea how to do anything rted to being a noble, and having heard that he was the best, Eldrian had forked up the gold. He did not regret it.


    The test was far better than Eldrian felt he would be able to make himself. There was a type of psychological questionnaire, with ''if'' questions. Half of them had a simple choice between two equally bad or equally good oues. The other half was discussion-based.


    Then there was simple ounting questions, simple tactic, strategy, even household management questions which Eldrian couldn''t answer if he tried.


    "It looks perfect, can you maybe also give this test to those who applied to be servants?"


    "Of course, but why? They applied for the servant position because they don''t wish for the danger of being a retainer, or because that is all that they know."


    "Right, I more meant the first part of the test."


    "Oh, in that case, consider it done."


    "Thank you, now, let me take a look at the replies we got."


    ...


    Six hours passed quickly and the sun had gone down an hour or two ago. Throwing thest page to the right, Eldrian having long since stopped caring about keeping things neat had decided to make the left side of his room the reject pile and the right his ept pile. On the table before him, there were six pages considered the exceptionals.


    Many had interesting takes on how he had performed his trick, few considered that he had actually managed to morph the actual spell itself. Of those few, even fewer managed to touch on something rting to mana control.


    Most of those who touched on it were lower Tiered and from lower-ranked families. They didn''t have the finances to go to school from a young and also join the associations to get hands-on experience and training.


    They struggled through, and they managed to be more open-minded.


    "Your tea," Maia said while knocking on the door, waiting for Eldrian to wave for her to enter.


    "You didn''t need toe here, I don''t need a personal maid twenty-four-seven," Eldrian said while enjoying the tea as Maia started organizing the piles.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 496 - Eldrians Explanation

    <h4>Chapter 496 - Eldrian''s Exnation</h4>


    Maia smiled and simply said that she felt it wrong to not help out when she was able. Of course, after hearing all the gossip recently, they all wanted to make sure they stayed of use to Eldrian.


    They didn''t want to be abandoned, again.


    "Thank you, and please, pour yourself a cup," Eldrian said while epting the now neatly assembled pile that used to be a mess of scattered pages on his right.


    "I can''t." Maia shook her head and quickly moved back into a position more suitable for a maid. Seeing her actions, Eldrian sighed but didn''t push the matter.


    "Can you take those on the left to Darren, tell him they didn''t make it."


    Maia nodded and got to work, though her heart was in disbelief. Of course, she had heard the news about Eldrian, about how he was a hero and all that. It sounded unbelievable, the more unbelievable part was that thousand people hade to try and follow him.


    Yet, this pile she was now cleaning felt like it was a thousand pages. ''Does that mean, only around a hundred people were epted?'' Maia questioned, shocked at how strict Eldrian''s requirement must be if that was the case.


    This indicated to a person who waspletely different from the one she knew. The Eldrian they had first met was a carefree person who seemed to love just practicing magic and wasting the day away.


    "Right, now these guys. I think they can skip the test, maybe just do the first part so I know a bit about them beforehand." Eldrian mumble as he picked up the six exceptional again.


    Four of them were centaurs; Sofime, Demilea, Dyneira, Argius. Then there were also two demi-humans, one indicated that he was a wolfkin, and the other was a lizardkin; Aspen and Brazan respectively.


    ''They really had interesting takes, especially Brazan.'' Rereading it, Eldrian had to appreciate how much a bloodline might change things.


    Brazan seemed to be distantly rted to a Drake, how, Eldrian had no idea. However, thanks to that he was capable of taking control of mes around him.


    Normally, this was limited to natural mes, and also just a few centimeters from his hands. He was also not resistant to these mes, having resulted in him burning his hands multiple times.


    However, it had certainly given him a unique insight. His reply was the closest to the truth, besides that, Eldrian truly wanted to learn how he controlled the mes. Because, somehow, someway, Eldrian knew abilities didn''t use mana in the conventional sense.


    Mana sense was a perfect example, using it didn''t drain Eldrian. Unfortunately, it wasn''t really an ability Eldrian could experiment with, nor could he really analyze it.


    ''It might have something to do with auras, or it might be another unknown field of magic. There is so much I still do not know.'' Eldrian thought, ying with a piece of ice between his fingers as he did.


    Doing so was great practice and also was entertaining. Constantly changing its form as it moved between his fingers, Eldrian could now keep this up almost absentmindedly. Having picked up this habit during the past week.


    ...


    Expectedly, upon logging out Joren and the others had questions that Eldrian had to answer. Luckily, he had expected that and thest hour or so while ying with the simplified Frost Needle spell, Eldrian had thought on how he wanted to answer them.


    He wasn''t going to recount his talking with his own subconscious, but he also couldn''t give them nothing. As such, Eldrian formed an exnation between the two.


    "Somehow, I had this feeling when I was on the right track, and simrly, I knew when I was doing something pointless." Eldrian made it clear that it wasn''t that he knew whether these feelings were right.


    Because, truthfully, he didn''t know how his subconsciouses had been able to answer him. He knew that there must be something more to it than them knowing more than them.


    His exnation also allowed him to get an idea of what this was. His soul had just taken on a much more real form of these feelings he described. However, the key was that what they said was still based on what he himself knew, or at least could know and was just unaware of.


    ''They are just more aware. And, interestingly, the first one seemed much more human. If that is even how I should put it. Regardless, he could hold a conversation. The other one, the one containing the aura of tranquility. He was more like a robot.''


    ''Interestingly, he was also far more perceptive. I hadn''t even finished my thoughts and he had already gone through what I believe on those thoughts. And reflecting, he was right each time.''


    ''Regardless, blindly following either of them isn''t going to be smart. They aren''t omniscient.''


    Luckily, Eldrian''s exnation was satisfactory to the department heads. It exined why his brain was more active, in part at least. How he had managed to figure out how to control an aura, and howe he had lost control.


    "What do you think an aura is, given all this?" Joren asked into the air, leaving it to anyone to answer.


    "It kind of sounds like it is emotions given form." Constantin offered.


    "But this one, the ice, it is theck of emotions." Joren countered.


    "No, Eldrian told us clearly that it could be. But it doesn''t need to be so. Like he said, it can also be epting the emotions and not letting them influence you."


    "Which we all saw how it turned out." Joren sighed, the more they managed to dig into ANW and its wondrous world filled with magic, the more questions they had.


    "Am I the only one not quite understanding why he lost control?" Gengxin asked, having tried time and time again to figure it out.


    "He said that he failed to ept his failure."


    "But why would that cause the aura to do anything. If controlling it means either abandoning emotions or not letting them influence you, why did having the emotions influence him cause it to burst out so violently?" Gengxin countered.


    "Who knows? It might be how if you try to control an uncontroble crowd, the more you try, the more they refuse to behave. Maybe his trying to suppress his emotions, instead of epting them and moving past that, was what caused it."


    Gengxin nodded, this was as usible as any other exnation. One more thing was of interest. "Still, how is he supposed to ever gain control?"


    "What do you mean?" Constantin asked, not following.


    "I mean, it is clear if it is just anger. Being angry is fine, one can learn how to control it. In fact, it is a vital skill in life."


    Continuing on, Gengxin asked, "But, how are you supposed to control happiness, joy,ughter? How are you supposed to stop it from bringing a smile to you?"


    Upon hearing this, the two immediately understood and sighed. Indeed, it was quite possible to control emotions with a more physical reaction. It was possible to consciously push them down, which wasn''t even the correct way of approaching it in this case.


    However, how are you supposed to do the same with something that simply makes you feel better? Happiness, joy, fulfillment.


    Or maybe, maybe they had it all wrong.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 497 - An Unfair Match

    <h4>Chapter 497 - An Unfair Match</h4>


    Another day quickly passed, during which Eldrian didn''t do all that much. Darren took care of the next round of tests, doing so in thergest branch of the adventurer''s guild inside Kynigo.


    Eldrian simply waited, spending the day practicing magic some more and enjoying what the city had to offer with Ceph and Vivian.


    "Here are the results," Darren said, handing Eldrian a single page with a summary of each person''s results.


    In the end, Eldrian had everyone write the test. Though, for the six who had some sort of true insight into dynamic magic it wasn''t a determination if they would be excepted. Instead, Eldrian was simply curious how they would do.


    It was clearly worth it, Demilea scored really well on the strategy part of the test. Aspen on the household management and Argius on ounting.


    ''Mmm, I wonder what I should make of this though.'' Eldrian pondered for a bit and then told Darren to inform those who had at least one talent in the fields that were on the test.


    This would cut down the total number to 23, and Eldrian felt that was a decent number to actually go through personally.


    ...


    The next day arrived and Eldrian found everyone already in his courtyard. Truly not one for speeches and feeling awkward having people actually want to follow him, Eldrian cleared his through and then stayed quiet as he searched for the words toe. They didn''t.


    "Ah, hum... Well done for making it this far," Eldrian pushed in a congrattion even though it felt awkward.


    "Thest part is simple, I want to spar against each one of you..." Eldrian paused as he considered how to make the fights fair. Of course, they would use training weapons. However, their use eliminated magic entirely.


    ''I''ll let them go wild if they are a mage. Doubt I will lose, and I certainly should be able to survive.'' Eldrian mumbled under his breath, knowing that there were three Tier 5 people here.


    "Are you sure?" One of them, Armin, asked. He was a centaur of significant size. Just about as tall as Evules (3m), standing a good head above the rest. Added onto that, he was Tier 5, making him believe that Eldrian would be unable to put up a good fight against him.


    "Yes, we will use training weapons. And if you are a mage you are free to use all you know. I will do the same." Eldrian smiled as he saw the confusion growing in the crowd, magic was normally not something that was done in ''normal'' spars.


    Normally, if one wanted to fight someone with magic it would be done via a magic duel. Conducted through only magic.


    "The aim isn''t for you to beat me, or for me to beat you. I simply feel that fighting someone is the quickest way to learn the most about them. It will let me know if your Tier is based on experience or training."


    "How would sparring allow you to learn this?" A wolfkin just shy of two-meters tall asked, with mana sense Eldrian could easily see that this was Aspen. Tier 3, which was respectable, certainly not amazing by any means, but respectable.


    Like Brazan, he also had a certain bloodline, however, Eldrian had no idea what it meant other than that his race wasn''t just a n wolfkin. The bloodline was called Xue.


    "Because," Eldrian paused for dramatic effect, and then also cast a ball of ice for all to see. Making it dance as he continued, "My style isn''t predictable. If you have reached your Tier without experience, you are certain to be flustered."


    Even the Tier 5''s were warry when they watched the ball of ice dance. It would do little damage, however, if Eldrian could morph it at will as he had shown before. Then it could suddenly change into a spike or dagger. Meaning, getting hit meant they would likely die.


    "Whose first?" Eldrian asked, summoning another ball of ice and causing everyone who weren''t Tier 5 to step back in apprehension.


    Stepping forward, the three-meter-tall centaur announced that he wished to be first. Taking a greatsword from the training weapon rack which Darren had provided ording to everyone''s most proficient weapon.


    Nodding, Eldrian charged forward, his speed shocking Armin and causing him to nearly fail and bring his sword to block.


    ''I am faster, much faster.'' Eldrian realized and quickly scaled down his speed. He was quite shocked by this discovery, Eldrian was only now as fast as Vivian, who was still Tier 4, thanks to having reached Tier 4 himself. Yet, somehow, he was faster than Armin, who was Tier 5.


    The reason was clear, Nelida''s me was truly not a normal weapon. How it was just Tier 7 Eldrian didn''t quite know, but the boost it gave Vivian was amazing. Honestly, Eldrian had a feeling there was something more to the sword and her. He had yet to dive into that, it was another of the investigation items on his list.


    Back to the fight, Armin quickly recovered once Eldrian slowed his attacks to more or less match his own speed. Luckily for him, he was stronger than Eldrian and he made sure to try his best to leverage that to his advantage.


    However, how could that work against Eldrian? He didn''t go out of his way to close the gap, either through skills or his armor''s abilities, instead, Eldrian just adapted.


    He was so used to fighting people far stronger and faster than him, that when he had an edge on one of these fields it basically nullified any disadvantage he could have had. Especially when he had the advantage in speed, and hence in reaction time.


    Grunting, Armin hated the fact that Eldrian was fighting against him with absolute ease. It stung, as someone who had actually managed to reach Tier 5, having someone below that threshold not just keep up, but seemingly dance around him. It truly stung.


    With a roar, he suddenly charged before stopping just before reaching Eldrian. Changing the simple overhead strike he had telegraphed into a swift diagonal strike followed by using his forelegs kicking at Eldrian.


    Surprised by the kick, Eldrian couldn''t react in time. Not physically, so he summoned a ball of ice and sent it right into the centaur''s ribs. The hit nearly threw the centaur off bnce and caused blood to fill his mouth.


    Armin spat out the blood and looked at Eldrian in shock and confusion. The spell had hit far harder than he had expected, if it had been sharp it would have done major damage.


    "Right, most of you probably don''t know this. But I can instantly cast, without needing to say anything. You should have picked up on it, but it is a subtle thing to notice." Eldrian said while keeping his distance and giving Armin time to recover.


    Eldrian had purposefully sent the ball of ice into his side as hard as he could to make it clear to all that it could do significant damage. That trading blow for blow was not something favorable.


    "How am I supposed to best you then?" The centaur asked, rubbing his side and looking at Eldrian in confusion. "You are faster than me, and you can also instant cast spells and fully control them. How am I supposed to do anything impressive against you?"


    "You aren''t, didn''t I make that clear?" Eldrian asked, shocked at how easy it was to face off against someone who was Tier 5.


    ''The undead are all some type of unique ss, meaning they all have higher attributespared to normal people. I forgot to take that into ount, no wonder it was so much harder to fight against them. Not to mention all the in-vulnerabilities that they have.''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 498 - Aspen And Jaka

    <h4>Chapter 498 - Aspen And Jaka</h4>


    Surprisingly, Armin was not upset. Aftering to ept that he stood no chance to win if Eldrian fought for real, he also finally managed to ept and realize why Eldrian was a hero.


    Of course, Eldrian had his ''Hero'' title active along with ''Modifier'' and ''Master of the basics''. Titles weren''t things that were easy toe by, making each one something truly amazing. Yet, knowing that something was amazing and knowing why aren''t the same. Armin was now learning why.


    Having already gotten a feel for Armin''s fighting style, Eldrian switched over to magic from here on. Keeping the centaur at least 2 meters from him at all times. If Armin managed to get closer Eldrian could either strike with his spear or cast another spell while letting his control on one of those he controlled slip a little.


    Everyone watched the fight in awe, Armin was clearly experienced. He didn''t fall for a trick twice, though, often he couldn''t prevent them from working simply due to hiscking strength.


    Forelegs giving in, Armin yielded. Battered and bruised, and curious if using his own sword would have made a difference.


    There was of course a limitation in training weapons in that formation skills (skills that summon elements simr to spells) couldn''t be used. Training weapons simply can''t stand any mana flow entering them.


    Armin mentioned this to Eldrian, piquing his interest. "I didn''t consider something like that, since I don''t know any formation skills."


    Casting a heal and rejuvenation on the bruised centaur, Eldrian asked if he wanted another go with his sword.


    Armin was shocked that Eldrian would offer him another match, and especially allow him to use his own weapon. However, he didn''t take the offer. He had already learned that it would not be enough to close the distance.


    "Thank you, but, I don''t think it will give me a much better chance."


    Nodding, Eldrian turned to the others and asked who would be next. Something which shocked them as they were certain he would want to rest after such a long fight.


    Certainly, the fight had been long and quite draining, Eldrian had used just under 300 mana in all. His regen however had already regenerated over half of that, not using any Tier 4 spells, not even knowing any, meant that the cost of his spells weren''t high at all inparison to his mana pool.


    Taking a deep breath, Aspen stepped forward. His beast attributes were hidden at first, but as he readied himself for a beating his pure-white fur quickly covered nearly his entire body. Of course, only the parts not covered by his clothing were visible to others. So they had no idea how far the fur went.


    "Are you ready?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes," Aspen nodded and rushed forward, ignoring training weapons and aiming his ws for Eldrian''s exposed skin. Even attempting to grapple Eldrian''s spear from him or injure his hands.


    Eldrian could have just beaten Aspen''s hands away or run circles around him, however, that would defeat the purpose of the spar. Quickly, Eldrian learned how hard it was to actually limit his speed and strength.


    Especially when he had to limit it to more than half of what his actual abilities were at.


    The fight dragged on for a few minutes, during which Eldrian slowly learned better how to limit himself while being under pressure. Aspen''s fighting style was certainly unique, and extremely unpredictable.


    Throwing his head to the right, Eldrian could feel the wolfkin''s ws scraping his cheek. Even drawing a little blood.


    "Impressive," Eldrian said with a smile, Aspen reacting immediately. Dodging the ball of ice as soon as Eldrian had started forming it.


    ''Truly impressive, the ice hadn''t even finished forming into a ball. It doesn''t even take half a second for that to finish. How fast are his reactions?''


    Searching for the answer to this question, Eldrain started pushing back. With Eldrian using magic, Aspen had no chance. His technique ofing in close and person was impossible when a spell could suddenly form basically against his chest. Eldrian continued this pressure for a few minutes before deciding to end it.


    Sweeping the wolfkin''s feet, Eldriannded the dull de of his spear on his neck. Aspen''s once pure-white fur was now a dirty brown, and he even sported quite a number of bruises and scrapes. Some of his fur even showed the red of blood.


    "Well fought," Eldrian said with a smile, offering his hand and casting a heal and rejuvenating on the wolfkin.


    "Truly impressive," Aspen said as he sped Eldrian''s offered hand. "How can you manage to keep control of your spells while fighting?"


    "That is indeed a good question. How do you do it?" One of the other Tier 5 centaurs, Jaka, a mage, asked.


    "Training and experience, pushing myself to my limit repeatedly," Eldrian replied, thinking back to his training under Zamia and shivering. Indeed, that hadn''t just allowed him to gain deeper insight into magic, it had also allowed him to master control.


    The answer was an expected one, normally, this would be disappointing. However, to those here, it certainly wasn''t. They all believed Eldrian must have a specific method of training, and he must certainly have pushed himself to reach his current level.


    The mage pondered Eldrian''s reply, thinking back to his answer to how Eldrian could control a simple Tier 1 spell like it had no form. Like he was ying with dirt, but without needing to actually touch the dirt to y with it.


    "Can I go next, but, could we have a magic duel?" Jaka, the mage, asked.


    Eldrian nodded but asked, "What are the rules for a magic duel?"


    "Each person is given time to prepare their spells, once the fight starts, the first tond a hit on the other wins."


    "Doesn''t that mean I will win?" Eldrian asked, with his cast speed and control that should be the obvious choice.


    Jaka looked at Eldrian, searching if he was joking. When he saw that Eldrian wasn''t joking he was quite shocked. "Do you not know of magical barriers?"


    "That exists?" Eldrian eximed in shock.


    "You didn''t know? Right, that makes sense. It is a Tier 5 spell at the minimum and it only blocks spells. Other attacks, be they physical, or magical-skill-based would pass through the barrier without trouble. This makes it very limiting, especially considering the drain to keep it up."


    "I see, so you want a magic duel since if I charge you then you would be unable to defend against that?"


    "Indeed," Jaka had no shame in admitting his limitations. As a mage, his focus had never been on fights against a single person. Rather, it had been on controlling the battlefield and most importantly stopping an enemy mage from doing the same.


    "Alright, but since I can''t have a barrier isn''t my defeat then clearly spelled out?"


    "Naturally you can dodge, you just can''t use physical attacks in a magic duel."


    ''Why do I feel like this magic barrier has very big limitations?'' Eldrian asked himself as he indicated for Jaka to ready himself.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 499 - Magical Barriers

    <h4>Chapter 499 - Magical Barriers</h4>


    It took Jaka a few minutes to get ready, which was a shocking thing to Eldrian. And naturally, Eldrian wouldn''t let the opportunity to observe a mage in action slip. Even during their talk, Eldrian had been using mana sense constantly to try and figure out what Jaka was up to.


    For the most part, Jaka had just been standing there, moving his hands and mumbling under his breath. Eldrian could faintly make out the words, but he had no idea what was up with the hand movements.


    Thanks to mana sense, Eldrian didn''t miss a thing on what Jaka was nning. While he might not be able to copy it, and he had no idea what would actually happen, the collection and arrangement of mana told him a great deal.


    Around Jaka, at around a 2-meter radius, with him at the center, there was a bubble-like formation of mana. The mana here wasn''t dense, in fact, it was truly thin just like the water of a bubble. However, all the natural elements were visible in this bubble.


    ''How is that supposed to stop anything?'' Eldrian had asked himself and found no answer. It appeared extremely flimsy.


    "We can start," Jaka said, "Seeing as this is your first time facing a magic barrier, I will give you some time to attack me and discover how it works."


    Jaka didn''t offer this selflessly, rather, he wanted to see if Eldrian could figure out what a magic barrier was. Simr to how Eldrian had tested them by asking them how he controlled the ice, Jaka wanted to test Eldrian.


    "Thanks," Eldrian said with a bright smile, sticking to his ice spells which he was by far the mostfortable with. Eldrian flung a Tier 1 Frost Needle (Velona Pa) into the barrier without much thought. Not even controlling the spell''s flight.


    Upon reaching the barrier, the ice didn''t shatter as if it had hit something as Eldrian had thought it would. No, instead, the ice lost all the mana it was made out of. Causing it to disappear in a simr way to when Eldrian canceled the spell.


    "Interesting, what about higher Tier spells?" Eldrian mumbled, throwing a Tier 2 Frost Needle (Velona Pagetou), and after a Tier 3 (Konos Pagou) at the barrier.


    In a near perfectly simr manner, these two also simply disappeared after crossing the 2-meter distance from Jaka. However, Eldrian did realize that the Tier 3 spell had made it slightly deeper in.


    He had also managed to see that the barrier reacted by forming the spell''s manaposition where the spell entered and was.


    "How are you keeping the barrier active?" Eldrian asked, and of course, everyone turned to Jaka in expectation. Considering he was the only Tier 5 mage here, no one else knew anything about magical barriers.


    Jaka however disappointed everyone by just smiling as a reply.


    ''Each time I cast a spell he was very focused on it, and also.'' Picking up a pebble, Jaka''s expression immediately changed. When Eldrian cast Vrachos and sent it flying at Jaka, the centaur was forced to jump away to avoid being hit.


    ''I was right, the mana disappeared after crossing the barrier, but the pebble still had its velocity.'' Eldrian smiled, "The barrier has one big weakness."


    "Indeed, spells that are simr to skills can also pass through almost unhindered. Though, the mana supporting them is stripped, unlike with skills."


    "Then what is the use?" Eldrian asked.


    If simply turning to a formation-type spell could basically nullify a magical barrier that required minutes to set up, then why bother with it?


    "What I am using is the personal variant barrier, which is less mana draining and requires less focus to maintain. There is also a battle variant that can be ten times or even a hundred times asrge. Though, admittedly my limit is a barrier covering twenty-four meters."


    ''Twenty-four meters of stopping all creation type spells. That is indeed very impressive, and...'' Thinking back to way back when Eldrian and a select squad had left to go and find Vivian, Eldrian recalled how Evapius had seemingly done nothing when they faced the shaman.


    ''He must have been maintaining a barrier, and now I am curious.''


    "How do you strip my spell''s mana?" Eldrian asked, realizing that it might be possible to stop someone from even using magic inside the barrier. Jaka''s smile informed him he was onto something. "I see, then how about when I actually try?"


    Eldrian returned back to Frost Needle (Tier 1), forming it into a ball for in case and sending it at max speed into the barrier.


    Jaka''s smile quickly disappeared when the ball made it half a meter into his barrier. Heart racing and his shock clear for all to see, he stared at Eldrian with a hint of fear.


    ''Indeed, it seems that this might be limited to the spells he knows.'' Eldrian smiled, sending another ice ball, but this time, upon entering the barrier he had it morph into a disk.


    Jaka''s surprise at Eldrian''s trick causes it to pass the meter mark this time.


    "And that is another weakness, not only do you need to know the spell I am casting. Or at least the manaposition, you also need to take control, or rather, nullify my control of the spell''s mana." Eldrian said with a smile as he continued.


    "I guess that is why normally you would assume only Tier 5 spells and above can pass through. As no one is normally able to control the mana of spells below that. And if they could, doing so versus doing the same with a Tier 5 spell would be dumb."


    "Impressive, truly impressive." Jaka''s smile returned as Eldrian managed to more or less figure out what magic barriers were and how they were used.


    "Indeed, if the mage you are fighting has no idea what element your spell is then they would bepletely incapable of canceling your spell. And, normally, when Tier 5 spells are used, the result is a fight of wits between the mages. With the stronger willed normallying out the victor."


    "The barrier really does have plenty of issues," Eldrian said while throwing another ice ball at the barrier. This time, he had modified the amount of darkness, having taken note of Jaka''s use of element instead of manaposition.


    Sadly, the spell faltered the same as those before. Though, Eldrian could feel that fighting the effect of the barrier was easier. Thus, it wasn''t totally useless.


    Repeating this with the Tier 3 variant of Frost Needle, Eldrian managed toe within half a meter of Jaka. At which point Jaka dered his own defeat.


    "Don''t you want a magic duel? Thus far only I have been attacking."


    "True, but knowing the weakness of the barrier to formation spells, you can im victory easily through using Vrachos."


    "We can exclude formation type spells." Eldrian offered, thus far he hadn''t managed to learn anything of Jaka''s abilities other than the magic barrier.


    "No, I won''t be able to cast any spells if you continue doing what you have been doing. In fact, I believe just a few more tries and you will be able to make it through to me."


    ''He is certainly aware of his own strength and limits.'' Eldrian noted, indeed, Eldrian knew that with his amount of willpower and control he could push his spells through with just a little more practice.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.

 Chapter 500 - Brazans Skills

    <h4>Chapter 500 - Brazan''s Skills</h4>


    "Are you certain you want to end it here?" Eldrian asked just for a final confirmation.


    "Yes, with it being impossible to regte spells simrly to training weapons, I believe it certainly will be for the best." Jaka replied with a little bow as he joined the rest of the crowd.


    Nodding, Eldrian asked again who would be next. Following which Eldrian fought against twelve more people of mixed races, six centaurs, four demi-humans, and two humans.


    They were all below Tier 3 and couldn''t do much to Eldrian even if he didn''t really try. However, that wasn''t what made Eldrain feel that they werecking. That would be how clear it was that they didn''t have much or any experience, and their training also seemed to be very restrictive.


    Eldrian didn''t hide that they didn''t satisfy, after each one failed to do anything impressive during the spar he told them that they could go. It wasn''t that they needed to actually seed, but them just defending and not experimenting how they could close the gap told Eldrian a lot about them.


    "Brazan, I''ve been wondering when you would step forward," Eldrian said with a smile as the lizardkin stepped out from the crowd.


    His arms were covered in dark dirty-brown leathery skin with long ws at the tips of his fingers and his scales growing mismatched up to his elbows. His eyes were a bright orange-red with his pupils a diamond-shaped ck slit.


    Behind his back, the hint of a thin tail was also clearly visible.? Unlike with his arms, the leather covering his tail seemed far healthier, the scales also fit perfectly into one another.


    Outside of these characteristics, his appearance was human. Though it was clear he wasn''t able to morph his arm''s appearance like most demi-humans could their fur or scales.


    "Really?" The lizardkin asked with a hint of astonishment.


    "Yes, your answer to how I control my spells was the closest to the truth. I assume that is the result of your experiments?" Eldrian asked while pointing at Brazan''s clearly scared arms.


    "Yes," Brazan nodded, sad that this was what Eldrian focused on. He was ashamed that he was unable to unlock his bloodline, it had made him an outcast amongst his family. He feared Eldrian might think the same as they do.


    They didn''t care that he could seemingly control fire, if he couldn''t unlock his bloodline then his potential would always be low. He would never be able to cross the Tier 5 barrier.


    Having a bloodline was both a curse and a blessing. For many, it was the former. Though, honestly, reaching Tier 5 wasn''t somethingmon in the slightest, only around ten percent of the military could manage that. And they trained and were trained nearly daily if no war was ongoing.


    Thus, this limitation shouldn''t be a big deal, however, Brazan''s family was stuck focusing on possible growth. Ignoring the rarity of reaching that level, they focused on only those who at least had the possibility. They had a type of elitist mentality.


    Due to this, Brazan had consistently experimented with the only bloodline ability he had. Trying to prove that it was of use. And, in part, subconsciously, that he was of use.


    Years of this had led to unrepairable damage as his family shunned him.


    "It must be hard... Why did you continue if the damage was this bad?" Eldrian asked, shockingly mana sense showed him that some, a very tiny amount, of Brazan''s mana flowed through his body. However, this flow was incapable of reaching past his elbows due to the damage.


    "I-I..." Brazan faltered, Eldrian''s honest curiosity of his reason without any judgment was new to him. He didn''t quite know how to reply.


    "It''s alright, it clearly shows that you worked extremely hard. How are yourbat abilities inparison?" Eldrian asked, though he already knew of course.


    Not only did Brazan have an unknown draconic bloodline, which mana sense just told Eldrian was an unawakened draconic bloodline. He had also managed to reach Tier 4 in both magic and melee. Making him truly well-rounded.


    "Shall we fight and see?" Brazan asked, he already knew he wouldn''t be able to best Eldrian, but he was curious how he would do.


    "Let''s," Eldrian said with a smile, surprised when Brazan was the one who seemed to have chosen a poleaxe as his weapon.


    The fight started off like most of the others, with Eldrian first overwhelming Brazan as he learned Brazan''s limits. Then, slowly, Eldrian adjusted his speed and the amount of strength he put into his attacks.


    Shockingly, once Eldrian dropped his speed to about half and just slightly lowered his strength, Brazan did truly well in keeping up with him.


    "Impressive!" Eldrian shouted as he jumped back to dodge Brazan''s sweep attack and countered with a thrust. Brazan smiled as he used his tail to bnce himself as he ducked down and under the spear. Taking a firm grasp of it, he dropped his poleaxe and aimed for Eldrian''s face with his ws.


    The execution of it was so smooth and perfect that Eldrian couldn''t react fast enough to stop Brazan from gaining a good grip and striking direction. The only way Eldrian could avoid Brazan''s ws was by abandoning his spear.


    Jumping back, Eldrian smiled as he finally decided to start using magic. Which he kind of had to; now that he was disarmed.


    Brazan did not back down, he charged forward with Eldrian''s spear. Throwing it as he closed the distance, hoping to cause Eldrian to lose focus and allow him to close the distance.


    Eldrian just barely managed to dodge the spear, and indeed it caused apse of concentration just long enough for Brazan to weave between the two balls of ice Eldrian had at the ready.


    However, just as Brazan was about to strike, a shield suddenly appeared in Eldrian''s hands. Blocking the strike as another ball of ice formed and struck Brazan''s side.


    Gritting his teeth, the lizardkin didn''t back down. Instead, he ducked down, aiming for Eldrian''s legs while sending his tail at Eldrian''s head. While it didn''t have any spikes, it was still quite a good weapon in closebat.


    Eldrian failed to notice the tail in time, and when he did he wasn''t in the position to dodge both attacks. Not wishing to end up in a fistfight against someone with deadly ws, Eldrian took the tail hit while striking down with his shield.


    The blow sent Eldrian reeling as he stumbled back and lost his footing, however, his shield strike did more or less the same to Brazan. Brazan, however, was far quicker to recover. But, he couldn''t quite close the gap before Eldrian''s spells arrived and blocked his path of attack.


    "Great, absolutely amazing!" Eldrian said, dispelling his spells and sping the lizardkin''s shoulder. "That was amazing, truly amazing."


    Everyone was shocked to hear Eldrian actually praise someone. It was certainly the first time where Eldrian openly showed his favoritism.


    "Tha-thanks..." Brazan said, not having expected the abrupt end of the match nor Eldrian''s praise.


    "Honestly, being able to think and adapt so quickly, it is impressive. I guess you have seen quite a number of battles?"


    "Yes," Brazan nodded, "In fact, I was a soldier fighting to maintain the wall in Kynigo Forest."


    AN: Chapter 500, yeah!


    A massive thanks to you everyone who has continued to read and enjoy this story of mine.. It is a great pleasure to be able to share my passion with you all.

 Chapter 501 - Returning To The Mages Association

    <h4>Chapter 501 - Returning To The Mage''s Association</h4>


    Eldrian nodded in acknowledgment, wondering on what section Brazan had been stationed.


    "Even back then rumors were often spread through the camp about your feats," Brazan said with a looked of understanding, "I finally understand how you managed to be the source of so many."


    Eldrian just shrugged, he didn''t care for all fame he had gained. Recently, people have even started staring at him. And not for the usual reasons, you know, him ying with spells and being an elf. Now they stared at him with curious starlit eyes. Simr to how people stared at celebrities.


    Eldrian didn''t like the change.


    "Right, are you injured?" Eldrian asked.


    "Mmm, my neck... You really didn''t hold back with thatst strike." Rubbing his neck, Brazan knew that if the shield hadn''t been a training shield just like the weapons, his neck might have snapped.


    Apologizing and casting a Tier 3 heal and rejuvenation as always, Eldrian then continued the fights.


    Demilea and Dyneira were identical twins, and they both focused on archery. A style of fighting where Eldrian waspletely on the back foot. Especially since they started further apart, utilizing nearly the entire courtyard (around 200 meters (656ft)).


    Eldrian arranged it as such since if they started just twenty meters or so apart then his spells would be able to reach the centaurettes far before they could pull back their bowstrings.


    In this manner, Eldrian had to close at least a hundred meters first toe in range where his spells couldnd. Giving them the time and space they needed to showcase their abilities properly.


    They were both exceptional archers, each arrow perfectly aimed and forcing Eldrian to back off or take a hit. However, ultimately, he slowly closed the distance and once his spells could reach, the fight was over.


    "Well done," Demilea smiled as she weed her sweating sister back who was quite crestfallen.


    As identical twins, Demilea and Dyneira were certainly a sight to behold. Especially since they weren''t humans, making it a curious thing.


    However, they weren''t that hard to identify from one another. Demilea was far more open and outgoing, Dyneira was far shyer.


    "It isn''t fair, I couldn''t use any of my own arrows or even my bow. This one... It feels weird." Dyneira moaned, not happy with the fact that they both lost in the end.


    Granted, they weren''t just limited by the change of weapons, but also by having to fight alone. They always trained together and would time their attacks in such a manner to make dodging near impossible.


    Together, they were confident of fighting against even Tier 5 individuals given enough space to utilize their bows.


    "That was thest individual," Darren said, stepping forward and looking at the nine individuals left. The six who had some insight into how Eldrian controlled his spells, and then Armin, Jaka, and Tjan; shockingly, someone who was just Tier 1 had somehow managed to gain Eldrian''s approval.


    Their fight had reminded Eldrian of his against Vivian when he had just started learning how to fight. Tjan did everything he could, trading blow for blow in hopes ofnding a hit on Eldrian. His determination was admirable, and Eldrian wondered what Tjan would be capable of given time.


    "Right... I''m tired and want some rest," Eldrian said while yawning, the entire ordeal had taken a number of hours and now the sun was already on its way down.


    "If you all are sure you want to follow me,e here again tomorrow. Talk with Darren regarding your sries, I already exined everything to him."


    As Eldrian turned to leave, he paused by Darren to ask him if he would ept a permanent position. The centaur didn''t even think twice about Eldrian''s offer, immediately declining.


    ...


    "It''s about time I start learning some Tier 4 spells, but... Let''s go to the mage''s association just in case something goes wrong." Eldrian mumbled, greeted Cephaphyr and Maia, and exining where he was going and offering for them to join.


    Ceph enthusiastically agreed, Maia instead turned beet red and quickly declined while running away. Her tail swinging side to side uncontrobly as she retreated.


    "What''s up with her?" Eldrian asked, not expecting an answer, and especially not the one Ceph gave.


    "She has a crush on you, obviously."


    Stopping mid-step, Eldrian asked, "Obviously?"


    "Yep, obviously."


    ''Am I clueless or is Ceph ying with me?'' Eldrian questioned, and when he saw Ceph''s innocent smile he felt it was the former. Or they were both simply clueless.


    ''Was I being too casual, or is it just the titles?'' As Eldrian wondered this he also decided to hide his titles again, the number of looks he got was already far too much.


    While it was impolite to use Observe on people, it seemed that everyone forgot about this regarding Eldrian and Cephaphyr.


    "Eldrian!" Myropsis jumped up from her position and rushed the elf in joy. "Look!"


    Eldrian watched as she made the ball of water slowly move in the air, it was still clumsy, she was more continually altering its flight than controlling how it moved. Still, it was impressive that she could maintain control for nearly ten seconds now.


    "That''s amazing, have you been able to replicate this with all Tier 0 spells?"


    Myropsis sighed and shook her head, sad that it seemed she could only ess two elements. "No, I can only do this with water and darkness."


    "Darkness?" Eldrian looked at her in confusion, and she just shrugged.


    "I have no idea why, I never thought I had a special affinity to darkness. Though, admittedly, I had always been pulled towards water spells. Especially for healing."


    "Right, water can also heal..." Eldrian nodded but didn''t quite understand how that worked.


    Then again, neither did he understand how nature healing really worked. He just knew that the nature element was more mana in a free form that living creatures could take and make use of to aplish extreme things like even regrowing limbs.


    Water magic might do something simr. ''Is it the ether? I know to normal spells it adds momentum, but... Actually,'' Wanting to confirm it, Eldrian quickly cast Anthos on everyone in the room.


    ''Yup, there is certainly no special mana in nature spells. Wait, does this mean all elements might be capable of healing? Rather, is it inefficient to use elements to heal?''


    Seeing Myropsis''s and Ceph''s curious gazes Eldrian quickly exined what he was wondering while shelving yet another mystery forter.


    "Oh, that''s simple," Ceph said, causing both to turn to him in disbelief.


    "It is?" They asked in near unison, causing Ceph to wonder if these two had crushes on each other too.


    "Yes, all healing magic is simply when you want someone to feel better. So your mana makes them feel better. Other spells are harder, you actually have to know what you want it to turn into."


    Hearing the reply, the two stared at him in even more confusion. Eldrian feeling like pping himself for expecting a normal, logical answer from Cephaphyr.


    ''Right, he has no idea how to actually control his magic. Even after two months of training with his dad, it seems like he still struggles to understand that to everyone else it isn''t that simple.''


    However, as Eldrian finished thinking this he suddenly felt like a hypocrite, often he couldn''t exin things properly to others either. ''And, wait!''


    "Ceph, can you use fire to heal?"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continually supports this novel on WN.


    Single chapters will likely continue till the exam period is over. (Check AN below)

 Chapter 502 - Elemental Healing

    <h4>Chapter 502 - Elemental Healing</h4>


    "Fire?" Ceph tilted his head questioningly while pondering. "Maybe?"


    "Let''s try," Eldrian said, taking out a dagger and cutting along his arm. Freaking both Myropsis and Ceph out for a moment, but the pain really wasn''t anything to mention to Eldrian.


    "Don''t do that again!" Ceph said sternly as he focused on the wound, focusing on wanting it to heal but only allowing the fire element to do so. A strange idea and something that simply felt wrong as Ceph''s instincts told him this wasn''t the correct way to heal the wound.


    It took some time for Ceph to actually manage to get the mana to do what he wanted, without nature magic bugging in. When he finally managed, Eldrian could feel the wound burning as it slowly, excruciatingly slowly, healed.


    Looking at the wound, it was healing at a rate visible to the eye, but nowhere as fast as Eldrian would like. The pain was actually also quite severe considering the system was limiting his. Eldrian didn''t want to know what it would feel like to the NPCs.


    Needless to say, it was nowhere as effective as the nature element at healing, and likely why no one used it.


    "That''s fine, seems it doesn''t really work," Eldrian said, not healing it himself but instead asking Myropsis to do so with a water spell.


    Opposite to how the fire had burned, water soothed the wound. However, the healing was still slowerpared to a nature heal. Calling it less effective though wasn''t a correct statement either.


    Nature magic healed by speeding up the body''s ability to heal drastically, to superhuman levels even. This meant that it would leave scars, though their visibility would be determined by many factors.


    These factors were vaguely understood, the three most important ones being the person''s constitution, the healing spell''s Tier, and the damage severity.


    As was well known, a simple Tier 1 heal couldn''t heal deep cuts. At least not in normal circumstances.


    The scars left behind worked in a simr fashion, in that they would not be left behind if the spell was far more effective than needed. Leaving the body with extra energy topletely remodify the wound area.


    Divine healing spells workedpletely differently, Eldrian had no idea how exactly. But they healed through a method that does not depend on the person''s constitution. Only the spell''s Tier and the severity of the damage were important in that case.


    From what Eldrian had managed to learn, both through his interactions with Ayden and chats with Elizabeth, it felt to him like divine magic somehow reverted the body to what it was previously.


    Almost in a simr manner to how yers could resurrect with apletely repaired body. His current hypothesis was that it worked somewhat simrly. Only, there were some restrictions. The most likely being something to do with a perception of self.


    Why? Because Eldrian had heard of some soldiers who had lost an arm, leg, or even eye. Naturally, the army would want to heal these soldiers who had fought valiantly, but in some rare cases, especially if a certain amount of time has passed, the healing would fail.


    Leaving them disabled, no one knew why exactly.


    Of course, this could be fixed by calling in a stronger healer. But that wasn''t that easy, and it was unlikely to be done for someone below Tier 5.


    Back to the water healing spells, it wasn''t like nature or divine healing. A bubble of water formed before Myropsis, moving to Eldrian and the targeted heal point. Eldrian had learned that his moving caused her to need to recast, as the spell would simply miss and ssh on the ground.


    It was quite funny how frustrated Myropsis had been when Eldrian tested that.


    When he didn''t move, the water would morph around his arm and slowly seep into it. With mana sense, Eldrian could see some of the mana changing form as it did. Into a form simr to what nature healing spells were, and what Ceph''s fire ''heal'' had been.


    In Ceph''s defense, it was his first time trying something that didn''t feel natural. So his failure should be more considered a sess considering it did actually heal Eldrian, only in a very slow and painful manner.


    Back to the heal, once the water turned back into mana and entered his body, the spell quickly started healing. Shockingly, some of the water was directly turned into cells. Or at least that was what Eldrian spected as he saw patches of skin growing randomly in the wound.


    When it was done, his arm was brand new. No scar, no damage, no odd or peculiar feeling. It was like the wound had never happened.


    ''Interesting, the method is very different. Which means all elements can indeed be used to heal, but not just randomly.'' Looking at Ceph''s apologetic puppy dog eyes, Eldrian quickly told him to not worry.


    "I know it was something weird to ask. It did help, I think each element has a certain form of healing it is best at healing."


    "What?" Myropsis eximed in shock, not understanding how Eldrian came to that conclusion after Ceph failed with the fire ''heal''.


    "It''s just my spection, I feel like fire might be good for healing infections or diseases, maybe even..." Pausing, Eldrian wondered if cancer was even a thing on Gaia and if it was if normal healing could fix it or not.


    "And, am I right in suspecting water healing is used to treat old wounds that have scarred?"


    "You are, but why would fire be good at healing infections. Nature does that just fine."


    "And nature also heals wounds just fine, scars included. But, water seems to have an area it is better at. Requiring a less advanced spell to acquire the same effect as a higher nature one. Correct?"


    "Oh, I see. But, what would the other elements then do? I kind of get how fire can help the sick, but not how wind, earth, light, or dark would be of any special use."


    "Who knows? We won''t unless we test it." Eldrian said, though he already had some spections.


    Since light added energy to spells, if adding it to water caused the water to boil, maybe adding it to a heal would give the person more energy. And with dark being the opposite, it might be useful for knocking someone unconscious. Though, admittedly, that wasn''t directly a heal, it could still be useful.


    ''Eh, I''ll just send this to Erik. He can think on it a bit, I have enough to focus on already.'' Eldrian noted to himself, quickly sending an abridged version of events to his friend to analyze.


    "Right, now for why I actually came. Where can I find..." Eldrian faltered as he failed to recall the mage association''s leader''s names. "Where can I find the association''s leader?"


    "Leader? Oh, you mean Sofiera. Why are you looking for her?"


    "Haven''t you heard about what I did to my manor?"


    "Nope, what happened?" Myropsis quickly perked up, already suspecting Eldrian wanted one of the experimentation rooms.


    Normally these were booked weeks in advance, the only way to skip the waiting line was to meet Sofiera. It was also the only reason she could think of Eldrian wanting to meet with her.


    "Let''s just say I lost control while experimenting with auras and nearly killed everyone in the manor while also destroying all my arrays," Eldrian grumbled, happy he hadn''t needed to pay for the repairs immediately, not happy that he had a 300 gold loan.


    That was a loan worth 30 000 dors! Give or take a few thousand depending on the current exchange rate of course.


    "Really? Come on, don''t leave me hanging. What were you trying to do?"


    Eldrian sighed and exined a bit more, leaving Myropsis with her mouth hanging open as she stared at him in sheer shock and amazement.


    "So... Let me get this straight... I am here, struggling to keep control of my simple Tier 0 spells... And you. You are trying to take control of your auras! A thing that no one even knows how to do! And you already figured it out?!"


    "Yup, that''s about right." Eldrian nodded, not wanting to argue on the fact that no one knew how. He knew at the very least that the undead knew very well how to control their auras. Especially the liches.


    "Okay... Just wanted to rify." Myropsis mumbled, sat down, and started practicing her spells again. When Eldrian asked where Sofiera was, she just told him to go ask reception.


    AN: Please see the author''s note below regarding updates.

 Chapter 503 - Meeting Sofiera

    <h4>Chapter 503 - Meeting Sofiera</h4>


    Sighing, Eldrianined that Myropsis was acting childish. When he got no reply to hisints, he finally decided to go do as she had mentioned.


    "Fine, be like that. Ceph, please stay here while I try to figure out where to go."


    With that, Eldrian left in search of someone who might be able to help him. Without Myropsis''s introduction, he suspected it would be a challenge to meet the association''s leader, so he activated a few of his titles. Specifically the hero one, certain that should get him an audience.


    Indeed it did.


    It just took asking one of the receptionists and mentioning for them to use Observe to see his qualifications.


    "So, you are the elf everyone is talking about?" An elderly centaurette asked after excusing the receptionists and closing the doors via magic. Eldrian noticed that she had even activated some sort of array on the doors.


    The room they were in looked much like one would expect the room of a mage''s personal room. The walls were bookshelves filled with many pristinely kept books, neatly organized and stored almost as a show of grandeur instead of for use as those in the library.


    There weren''t many books actually out of the bookshelves, outside of the three on the centaurette''s table, along with a thick b of papers she was adding to every now and then.


    Sofiera had graying golden hair, the transformation from golden to gray was very smooth and seemed almost perfect in some ways. As if it was a willing process, and not one brought on by age and the decline of one''s body. Her''s appeared almost as if she had dyed it.


    "I am, I presume you''re Highmage Sofiera? Did Pros''s message arrive?"


    "It did, quite an interesting read. You are interested in our detection spell?"


    Eldrian nodded.


    "Your main goal however isn''t to use it inbat as is its purpose?"


    "I will use it, if it isn''t too draining."


    "Of course it isn''t draining, if that was the case it would be quite useless to nearly everyone but the most amazing geniuses. Which, I heard, you are."


    "I don''t know about that, I just have a talent for using magic." Eldrian countered, knowing that he wascking in far too many areas to consider himself a genius.


    Of course, Eldrian ignored how shocking his speed of learning was to his tutors. He had been diligently going through two to four hours of personal tutge every day. At the start, it was just a few of the interns getting thrown at Eldrian to make sure he knew the basics.


    However, it didn''t even take a week for Eldrian to remember and relearn most of his school education. Being refreshed on all the basics, Gengxin then personally started tutoring Eldrian in the fields he knew; which was mostly in the field of biology.


    Thus far, Eldrian was still focusing mostly on biology, but he would also get a crash course in math and physics twice a week. And thus far he had yet to be stumped by what the tutors brought forward.


    Granted, it was mostly first-year stuff, but he was going through the work at the speed of light.


    "Perhaps you are too modest, gaining titles isn''t an easy thing. And, you have four... No, you are hiding more, aren''t you?"


    "How-?"


    "How did I know? I talked with Solvi. You have at least five. How many do you really have?"


    Pondering on whether he should share or not, Eldrian asked his own question first. "Why does that matter?"


    "It doesn''t matter, much... However, it will determine how closely I want to work with you."


    "You want to work with me?" Eldrian countered, wondering if she too wanted to learn how to control mana. As if reading his thoughts, she answered this for him.


    "Correct, but don''t misunderstand. I don''t want to abandon years, no... A lifetime of hard work in search of a possibility to aplish a new beginning. Myropsis is still young, and her talent is great. She won''t take long to recover should she restart, but I-I am near the end of my life."


    "I want to work with you on this exact spell you are asking for."


    "What are you hoping for?" Eldrian asked, not minding sharing discoveries he might make that were directly linked to the spell.


    "The spell is quitecking, even the special varients of the nobles and royal family has its limits." Sofiera said, "However, getting into that is far too early. I first need to know how capable you actually are."


    "You must understand, I am not looking down on you. However, I highly doubt we will be able to make any improvements. The spell has been refined countless times by mages far more qualified than I."


    "Then, what is the point of all this?" Eldrian asked.


    "Well, you certainly aren''t ordinary. It isn''t just that you use magic differently, you think of it differently. Considering mana as something that is part of you seems natural to do, but it isn''t really part of you."


    "At least, it isn''t for most of us. It certainly is for beasts and monsters, which exins why they use magic inherently. Their limitations in its use are only due to their limited perception."


    "I''ve heard that you have an Alicorn friend, I assume he is also here?"


    "He is," Eldrian nodded, already feeling like he understood what she was getting at. To Ceph, using magic was just thinking of wanting something. He needed no knowledge on the subject, just a wish for it to happen.


    Eldrian''s aim was to also aplish such a way of using magic, but he has found it impossible thus far. Only having managed such a cast once while being pressured by Zamia.


    "Then you probably understand what I mean. They use magic simply through thought, I assume this is what you are trying to teach Myropsis."


    "That is the end goal," Eldrian acknowledged, slightly impressed, "How did you know?"


    "When I was younger I traveled a great deal. I never managed to meet a creature as magnificent as the Alicorns, but I have met my fair share of bloodline creatures. Even a few Ancients who couldmunicate via magic."


    "So I know how they think of magic, they don''t consider it something to be studied. Just trained as one would train running, flying, and fighting."


    "I don''t know if the Alicorns are different, but I know that this is the true uniqueness of the High Elves. They are capable of training in a way simr to these mystical creatures, and yet they also consider magic something to be studied."


    This was the first time Eldrian actually got some concise information on High Elves, and he was certainly open to hearing more. Sadly, it seemed Sofiera didn''t know much more.


    Eldrian also strangely realized that Zamia had never tried to teach him what she knew of the elves. He clearly realized that her aim was to have him find his own way of using magic.


    "Sadly, for most High Elves it takes centuries to learn how to use magic. Many of them simply learn magic as they are taught, very few try to experiment and further their magical knowledge."


    "While we are still far from reaching their level of prowess with magic, reaching their level of knowledge isn''t that hard. In fact, our best formation masters and cksmith are confident they would be able to equal their crafts to that of the High Elves."


    "That is obviously just a marketing strategy. But, it might one day indeed be the truth."


    AN: Only 1 chapter today, hopefully will be back to 2 from tomorrow onwards.

 Chapter 504 - Eldrians Titles

    <h4>Chapter 504 - Eldrian''s Titles</h4>


    "I am not sure what you are trying to exin," Eldrian mumbled.


    "Oh, it is quite a simple thing. You aren''t the same as most High Elves, at least not ording to what I have heard. I must admit you are the first I have met." Sofiera replied.


    "But, given the fact that you Chosen have only been on Gaia for half a year, it is truly impressive what you have aplished. Rather, what you have aplished should be impossible."


    She paused as she wondered how to exin herself better, "What I am trying to say is that if anyone would be able to improve Epignosi, it will be you. However, doing so at your current level might be too much to ask."


    "This is why I asked how many titles you have earned."


    "I see, you wanted to know if we should wait on trying to modify the spell until I be stronger?" Eldrian asked rhetorically and got a nod in reply.


    "Alright, but I hope we can keep this between us. I don''t mind if you share it with Pros, but please don''t go spreading it to the public. I already have too many eyes on me. It is starting to feel weird just walking down the street."


    Sofiera chuckled hearing Eldrian''s request, "Don''t you want more fame?"


    "Certainly not! I already have more than I know what to do with. Alright, you can use Observe again."


    Saying this, Sofiera''s eyes bulged. Sure, she had expected Eldrian might be hiding one or two titles, but he had been hiding four more. And what''s more, they were truly unique and special titles.


    She immediately realized that the titles he had been showing, outside of the hero one, were all much tamer.


    They were titles that were actually known, master of the basics was something most Magii (Tier 9 mages) have. Modifier was something mages and craftsmen sometimes managed to gain after reaching Tier 7 and above.


    Eldrian certainly didn''t know that they were moremon, he had simply chosen to only show his titles rting to his magic skill to people.


    Now he showed them all. Those he had been hiding were the following: ''Facing death; and not sumbing'', ''Legacy Creation'', ''Curse Breaker'', and ''Devil''s Bane''.


    [One who controls mana - which he gained when first managing to truly cast a spell. A simple acknowledgment that he did so through control and not reliance on the system provided by the gods to even the natives (NPCs).]


    [Facing death; and not sumbing - which he gained while healing Kydone, he still had no idea what exactly the aura sensitivity meant.]


    [Modifier - which he gained upon managing to alter Magic Inspection and formed Mana Examination. The title seemed to also just be an acknowledgment like One who controls mana. As of yet, Eldrian hadn''t used his titles to try and gain a favorable impression. He was finally starting to do so now]


    [Legacy Creation - which he gained when he had altered his mana pathways, which had been quite painful. The title he was still confused about and also the legacy he had yet to name. Another acknowledgment title.]


    [Curse Breaker - which he gained after surviving trying to absorb the revenant heart, from which Eldrian had gained little. Or so he felt, considering how hard that fight for survival had been and all that it seemingly granted him was knowing where to hit the undead to kill them. The unique perspective ability - Scourge of Undeath - felt underwhelming but was at least useful and thus the title was more than just an acknowledgment.]


    [Devil''s Bane - which he gained after killing Milgoroth. Eldrian hadn''t thought much about this title, nor had he needed to make use of the ability it granted him. However, it certainly seemed like a truly useful ability, probably equal to mana sense once he was to face off against Devils again.]


    [Master of the basics - which he gained through diligent training after reaching Rank 4 with all Tier 0 spells. An acknowledgment title.]


    [One with mana - which he had gained upon his first and only sessful thought cast. Where he had simply wished for an oue and the magic had done the rest. Currently, his progress on this title was still undefined at 0-1%.]


    And finally, [Hero] which Eldrian had gained recently thanks to Pros''s praise, and Eldrian still felt like he shouldn''t have the title. It felt like this one was almost handed to him, unlike the others that he had truly earned.


    "This..." Sofiera didn''t know what to say. Inherently upon observing a title one would know what it signified, at least to a degree.


    Yet, somehow, Sofiera had no idea what ''Facing Deat...'' and ''Legacy Creation'' meant. Curse breaker she understood that he broke a truly powerful curse, one which normally can''t be broken. And Devil''s Bane she understood he had aplished something to foil a devil''s n. It was likely rted to the entire undead situation in Pyknos forest.


    "That is why I normally hide them," Eldrian said, doing just that as he spoke.


    "Understandable, it is indeed a... Bit much, nine titles..." Sofiera became quiet after saying this. "That is truly astounding."


    Eldrian didn''t respond, not wishing to sound conceited nor naive. So he just waited for Sofiera to continue.


    "Indeed, your title of Hero is certainly well earned. I believe we can truly work together, though... Perhaps I might slow you down."


    "What?" Eldrian quickly tried to say she wouldn''t, but she just shook her head.


    "Maybe I might be able to keep up, but I doubt it. However, it seems just giving you the normal Epignosi will be... Wrong. If you are to be our hero we can''t be shy in the resources we give you, though we can''t waste resources on you either..."


    Sofiera pondered on this for a moment, realizing that the kingdom wouldn''t be willing to sponsor Eldrian simply because of his past achievements. Gifting him a title, spear, and manor was already the limit.


    Especially when resources were required on other fronts and investments in Eldrian would take time to develop. He was still just Tier 4 after all, and the orc army waspromised of tens of thousands of soldiers above Tier 5.


    "I think this will do," Sofiera mumbled and smiled at Eldrian, her smile reminiscent of a grandparent looking favorably on their grandchild. "Eldrian, pleasee with me."


    Nodding, Eldrian followed Sofiera into a room attached to her office. The only entrance was from her office.


    "This is my personal training room. The walls are made from a mix of Rank 1 materials and a hint of Rank 2 metals. That, along with the formation surrounding the room makes it possible to withstand most spells up to Tier 8."


    "Along with that, the mana density can be increased to a fifth more than normal. Which, granted, might not sound like much. But when trying to master a new spell it is quite useful."


    "Umm..." Eldrian faltered as he didn''t quite know how to call Sofiera. He nearly just called her by her name, but he had slowlye to realize he was too informal.


    As if sensing his plight, Sofiera smiled, "You can just call me by my name. No need for formalities, as I feel in just a few years you will be able to stand on equal footing to me. Right, that gets me to my next point."


    AN: Hope everyone is well and enjoying the story still. Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 505 - Sofiera’s gift

    <h4>Chapter 505: Sofiera''s gift</h4>


    "Limiting you by requiring you to buy spells is beyond stupid and it is a resource I can give you quite freely." Sofiera continued.


    "We normally limit the spread of spells and skills to ensure that the people who can reach a level of significance are reliable. Or at the very least; not a danger. Hence why they must also be part of some organization, which is their choice but there is no way to learn Tier 5 spells without being part of one."


    "A simple way for us to confirm their reasons for seeking strength if you will," Sofiera concluded and then continued on to her next point.


    "In war times we do loosen the grip we hold over spells, but not enough. Granted, anyone can gain ess to spells and skills by joining the army, but many do not wish to be bound to the kingdom so strictly wherein they can be called to the front and called upon to die for others."


    "This is understandable, I personally also never wished to join the army and still haven''t. But your situation isn''t the same as ours. You have already done much for us, and I feel the rewards you have been given arecking."


    "As such," Taking out a small badge, the appearance of which was a book with a staff lying across it. The metal, a light silverfish blue reminiscent of Mithril, the pages a dark golden of Rikolium gold, and the crystal of the staff a dark purple of a Mov Crystal.


    Sofiera smiled and said, "With this, the resources of the mage association will be open to you."


    "You can ess any tome of knowledge we have, you will have the same clearance level as Pros and I. There will be no cost nor any rank limitations, at least not within this branch of the association. You will also be able to gain an audience with any other association manager if you use this token."


    Eldrian took the badge with shaking hands, knowing just how great a gift this truly was and feeling even so that he was simplifying what it truly meant. If he had a choice of having Sofier teach him or receiving the badge, he would choose the badge a hundred percent of the time.


    "You can find Epignosi in the library focused on observations spells and skills. Including the advanced variation normally only shared with the elites of the army. I, unfortunately, can''t give you ess to the noble variations as they are not included in our collection."


    "I am going to speak with Pros on this matter. As the head of a new noble house, you certainly are entitled to at least one variation even if you aren''t a centaur."


    "Right, I also heard of yourst test with your retainers. I assume you are curious about magic barriers."


    Eldrian nodded, unable to form words as he was still simply reeling from the gift he just received. What she had said after that had only half registered.


    "I''m not going to try and exin anything, as I fear that might just give you the same biases as I have. However, if you are going to try and understand and learn them, I rmend you start with the books written by Argon, specifically his summarization of canction barrier techniques."


    Eldrian nodded again,pletely forgetting all about manners and about to rush to get started researching. Sofiera called to him before he could get lost in his thoughts even more.


    "You are also free to go through my personal collection. Though, I don''t rmend you try that before going through the sources on basic spells. As none of these books have any spells in them, they are just theories and discussions on magic and the elements."


    Eldrian nodded, finally managing to catch up. "Thank you! Thank you sooo much! Is there a section one souls, or auras?"


    "Right, Pros did share that you have a special talent in essing your soul. And you have two auras, correct?" Waiting for Eldrian''s nod, Sofier pondered for a bit.


    "Those topics aren''tmon nor are there many of them in the normal library. But I do have a few books on them. But..." She paused and pondered the question for a bit, "What constitutes something being connected to souls?"


    "I am not sure what you mean?"


    "Do you consider the undead to be part of the discussion of souls? What about religion and divinity?"


    "Yes, of course..." Eldrian paused and looked at Sofiera questioningly, however, he felt she wouldn''t know about Creation since not even Ayden really understood what Eldrian had managed back then. Even after Eldrian tried his best to exin it.


    "Then I have a few that might be of interest to you. I think the best ce to start is this one," Sofiera moved to the back of the room where a collection of pristinely kept books with ages far older than even Sofiera was kept.


    Their age was hard to see thanks to how well they were kept, but nothing could truly keep age from affecting anything. Not even magic.


    "This here is a collection of notes from an exploration party into The Encroaching a few thousand years ago..." Sofiera paused again as she wondered if Eldrian even knew what year it was.


    It was such a basic thing that almost everyone knew, but, it would be easy for someone from another world to never even question it.


    "You will find that the notes are dated around the twelve hundred ACT, which stands for after the creation of Taurus, our kingdom. I thought I''d mention that the current date is 5276 ACT. Also, Taurus was founded a couple of thousand years after thest invasion."


    Eldrian nearly stumbled upon hearing this, shocked by the sheer number of years that meant Taurus has existed for. Compared to Earth, it was simply overwhelming.


    Eldrian also felt he understood whose notes these were, which made his heart race with anticipation. If it was Ilpas Elpine''s, the insights he might gain were endless.


    Sofiera didn''t miss that glint in Eldrian''s eyes, coughing to bring him out of his thoughts, she handed him the book along with a warning Eldrian had gotten before.


    "Anything to do with souls isn''t a safe topic. There is a reason why few people dare try be an undead to prolong their life, outside of the simple requirements that are near impossible to meet."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, while having dealt plenty with the undead. He has yet to delve into much of the theory of undeath, especially in the area of bing one. <i></i>


    "It is an ouwed subject, but nearly everyone knows the basic requirement. A drive to survive, driven by extreme emotions..." Sofiera paused as she saw the change in Eldrian''s expression.


    ''Emotions again, and this isn''t the first time I am hearing of it. I had thought the descriptions of the undead were just that... But if emotions are also linked to willing undead''s...''


    "I can''t read your mind... Unless you don''t want to share." Sofiera teased, curious but not overly so.


    "It is..." Eldrian paused, thought about it, nodded, and continued. "It seems that the core of magic is emotions and one''s perception of things."


    "I''m not following. Using spells requires focus and control, how are emotions involved?"


    "I''m not talking about normal spells."


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 506 - Incinerate

    <h4>Chapter 506: Incinerate</h4>


    (This is chapter 506, mess up with the volume which I can''t fix myself.)


    (Please read ''Sofiera''s Gift'' first before returning to this one. Did not even know this was something that could happen.)


    ---------------------


    "Then, what are you talking about?" Sofiera questioned but quickly linked it to Myropsis''s training and what she knew of Eldrian. "You already seemed to know this, why did it seem like you realized somethingrger then?


    "Because I did. I truly suspected that all aspects of magic are linked to willpower and emotions. However, I do not really know of any aspects outside of elemental."


    Eldrian didn''t know if he should lump auras into an aspect or if they transcended them. "What finally clicked is that it seems emotions and willpower can''t be separated."


    "But spells?" Sofiera still felt emotions had no ce in spells, it would just make envisioning the spell module all the harder.


    "Right, we might not call being focused an emotion. But, that doesn''t exactly mean that it isn''t an emotion... Maybe, rather... It is a certain state of being..." Eldrian mumbled and paused, knowing that he couldn''t express himself correctly through words.


    What he needed was a telepathic connection to share the concepts he was thinking of. "You said they needed extreme emotions to be undead, can you exin?"


    "Of course," Sofiera smiled, "To revive as an undead which is conscious, and, for the discussion can be considered sentient and thus alive; to revive as such an undead you need more than just the correct ritual to call upon the aspect of death. You also need to survive."


    "Is it dangerous?" Eldrian asked and as he did he immediately thought of his battle against the revenant heart. "I think I understand, you need to have an anchor to not drown."


    "Yes, that is how I understand it."


    ''And when controlling my auras the anchors are a limited few emotions. No, rather, I need to control the emotions while not drowning in them... It isn''t the same... But... When I seeded in willing that wind spell to dodge Zamia''s attack... Was it emotionally driven?''


    Eldrian paused and tried to recall what exactly had happened back then. He had been through hell, constantly tired and aching, even IRL. He truly had wanted to seed. To have the traininge to an end. And as he had seen Zamia''s attack approach him. He had focused on that one wish.


    ''I would say a wish is emotionally driven, but not by a specific emotion. Wanting something, we don''t call it an emotion but it certainly is one...''


    ''Right, separating thoughts and emotions might be the wrong way of approaching things. If I consider conventional thoughts calm emotions, and agitated thoughts what we call emotions... Maybe I should rather consider states of being?''


    ''Yes, that might work. Being in a state of calmness, being in a state of focus, a state of anger, of killing. Yes, that does work better.''


    Eldrian''s thoughts continued to spiral and Sofiera realizing what was going on decided to return to her desk.


    After nearly half an hour, Eldrian finally moved again. He immediately turned to the training room, closed the doors, and looked at his hands.


    "Again the question is what magic really is... I know mana is free energy," Eldrian mumbled, waving his hand and letting mes appear briefly behind it. Like a sweeping falling star in the dark night of the closed room.


    All it took to summon these basic mes was sending a bit of mana in the form of the fire element outside.


    To the current Eldrian; this was child''s y.


    "Yes, I see. I don''t need to really think about the mana, but I can." Eldrian smiled as he waved his hand again. This time what appeared behind his hand was bright blue mes, the heat of which quickly filled the room.


    "And if I agitate this," Waving his hand again, the mes this time was no longer peaceful. Instead, it raged and tried to eat at even Eldrian''s own clothes. Yet, it was not Eldrian controlling them to be rageful.


    Eldrian then extended his hand and summoned Floga, a spell with a specific mana requirement that he knew so well he didn''t even need to think of it. "And I can control you through controlling the mana, but what about if I simply..."


    Eldrian concentrated on the ball of me around the size of his fist with a myriad of thoughts, the foremost being: anger, hate, and; kill!


    He forgot about his mana and instead had these emotions fill his mind. Pushing this state of desiring annihtion into this small ball of fire.


    It happened slowly at first, but soon the tipping point was reached and the ball of me became a raging inferno. Sending out licks of me high and wide searching for something, anything, to turn into ash.


    Yet, this all happened without Eldrian altering the mana. He simply allowed his mana to flow freely as he concentrated on this desire for destruction.


    Turning to one of the walls, Eldrian narrowed his eyes while increasing the desire even more. He recalled all the times he had been helpless, all the times he had failed. He focused on this and filled the spell with those emotions.


    He recalled the feeling he had had when they had been cornered by the orcs, he recalled when he had lost himself to rage against the vampire. How he had had to rely on it to survive and also stop that monster, yet how he nearly lost himself!


    He recalled all those moments of fear and despair throughout his time in ANW.


    "Incinerate!" Eldrian shouted, his shout echoing in the room as the ball of me sprang from his hand like a hungry beast.


    It rushed forward like a crazed beast, searching for prey.


    As it flew, all the fire elements in the room were quickly drawn to it while it itself condensed in on itself. Drawing in even the light element after a certain point.


    The ball of fire turned from a bright clear red to a clear orange, and quickly the core of the ball, the size of a fist again, even turned a bright white as it reached the wall.


    What followed was a massive ear-bursting bang as the spell exploded against the wall and sent shockwaves through the air, causing Eldrian to lose his footing as the formation of the room activated in full. Visibly fighting to contain the explosion.


    The damage was quickly contained and no damage was left to be seen. Yet, the air of the room did not recover as quickly as the walls and arrays.


    Eldrian was left breathless as the heatwave made breathing a mammoth task. Each breath scorched his throat and lungs. He could easily tell that if he had been closer to the wall, his skin would even start to melt or burn.


    While struggling to breathe, Eldrian couldn''t urately feel his own mana as he had to start using it to heal himself. Instead, he turned his sights to the interface for data.


    Looking at his MP which was just about half, Eldrian chuckled. ''That... Is indeed not a normal spell. Heck, most people who are Tier 4 don''t even have half my mana.''


    Despite this ridiculous cost of 590MP, Eldrian was not upset or disappointed. Instead, feeling the still scorching air enter his lungs, he felt ted. This, this was a spell that could turn the tides of battle. And he felt confident he could cast it!


    "It really worked..." He croaked with a raspy voice and wide smile. Wishing to see if he could replicate this with other elements.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 507 - Tierless Spell

    <h4>Chapter 507 - Tierless Spell</h4>


    Eldrian waited for the air to cool, using Aeraki to speed this up, while also waiting for his mana to regenerate. He had no idea how much mana the next spell would require, and as such he felt he needed to be in top shape.


    To speed up the recovery, he equipped all his mana-boosting items, even pulling out Aoidos and making use of its active.


    Five minutester, Eldrian felt he was ready to attempt water.


    This time he thought not of anger, nor of the absence of emotions as the aura of tranquility would presume ice required. Instead, he thought of istion, despair, sorrow, and grief.


    As he did, the water ball seemed to grow heavy. Slowly turning from a light blue to a deep dark blue. Yet, the toll doing this took on Eldrian was far more than the former. These emotions weren''t like anger that searched for a way to explode.


    Instead, they sank their teeth into his heart and crushed it.


    Eldrian stopped after just a few seconds, unable to continue as the pain was just too much. It was much easier to use these emotions to fuel anger than it was to simply summon them.


    "Never attempting that again!" Eldrian said while clutching his chest, the pain felt so real that he would swear his heart was really being crushed.


    "But, that did teach me that despair isn''t cold..." Eldrian paused, shocked that tranquility would really create ice. Whatever had been happening to the water, Eldrian knew that it hadn''t been changing into ice.


    ''No, it just felt like it became heavier and heavier, and... More and more suffocating.''


    It took Eldrian nearly twenty minutes to just recover from the physical and mental strain this attempt had caused. Giving him another important lesson, ''Whatever the result will be, it will be devastating...''


    "Let''s try something more cheerful then!" Eldrian shouted to psyched himself up as he considered wind.


    With wind, he thought of the feeling of free-falling, of being on a rollercoaster, of running at his fastest; of freedom and the joy it brought.


    This caused the simple wind ball to turn into a massive storm, not much different from the Anemos spells. However, Eldrian could keenly feel that this spell was different.


    He couldn''t quite tell how, but it felt like the room was limiting it greatly. Constantly the winds would m against the walls and the shields created by the formation. Filling the room with the sounds of thunder as the winds searched for an escape.


    Unlike ''Incinerate'', this one required Eldrian to constantly envision the feelings he had used to bring the winds forth. Once he stopped, the winds also calmed down.


    "I wonder... I should be able to replicate any state of being with wind... Water and fire might be more limiting but they should ept most. But what do I do with earth, light, dark, and... Nature?"


    Eldrian paused as he felt he had an idea of what might work with nature, but he didn''t know if it would work. ''I also can''t test it here, so it is pointless.''


    "Right! Let''s see if I can do the fire one again. It seems to be the easiest." Eldrian smiled, extended his hand, and summoned a small me of simple fire elements. Not even bothering to summon a stable formation of elements such as Floga.


    Again he pushed in all his anger and hate at all his past failures, however, he found this far harder to do this time. He found that what he had drawn uponst time seemed to have be empty.


    He could still focus on grief and his regret to form anger, he could still recall his endless struggle against the revenant heart to survive. Yet, where that used to fill him with anger at his foolishness and recklessness, it now just felt like a prudent lesson to be learned from.


    ''Why? What is going on?'' Eldrian questioned while still doing his best to summon all the anger and hate he had in him. Yet, he found that that was not all that much.


    The me he sent forth this time was still just the size of his fist, and when it condensed in on itself, it was only asrge as his thumbnail.


    However, despite its minuscule size, the explosioning from it was still impressive.


    [yer has created a Unique Ability]


    [Adaptation Spell of Destruction: Incinerate!]


    [Tierless spell - Rankless spell]


    [Limitations: Mana Quality, Quantity, and Control]


    [Limitations: Emotional Quality, Control, and Quantity]


    [Limitation: Adaptable Fire Elements]


    [Cost: 180-590MP (Tier 4 control level)]


    [Cast Time: 48 seconds (minimum)]


    [Damage (Fire-Destruction): 60-236 (160-630)


    <Destruction damage ignores resistances, only blockable through Magical Armor>]


    (AN: Values in brackets is with relevant modifiers if armor of target is 0)


    [me Damage (Fire-Destruction): 30-79


    <me Damage is the damage caused by the lingering mes after the explosion.>]


    (AN: me Damage ignores armor (destruction ignores resistances), but me Damage does not gain any modifiers)


    ''Wha-what the hell did I just create?'' Eldrian questioned while his eyes got stuck on the damage numbers. When it finally clicked that the spell would even work against the ming Reanimates that he had been useless against, Eldrian was left staring at those numbers even longer.


    "Yo-you... Seriously?" Eldrian couldn''t believe it, he felt that this was a little too strong. However, when he looked at the cast time he frowned. "Right, the second time was actually harder even. I think that time it took nearly 2 minutes to cast..."


    Sighing, Eldrian realized that the spell would not be one he could use at will. However, he also found to his surprise that he had finally reached Tier 4 in magic.


    Obviously, he could have done so long ago. But, he hadn''t wanted to do so by falling back onto his old methods of using spells. He had wanted to progress through his own knowledge, not through copying another''s.


    Eldrian smiled as he looked at the increase in strength, while moderate, it was not something to scoff at. From here on, Tier upgrades were bing more and more significant.


    [Haru''s Statistics:]


    [Level: 32 (1.6M/186M XP)]


    [Hidden ss: Protector (Tier 4)]


    [Normal ss: Magic (Tier 4) | Melee (Tier 3)]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 262] <Was 252>


    [Strength: 249] <Was 244>


    [Agility: 347] <Was 327>


    [Spirit: 287] <Was 246>


    [Intelligence: 307] <Was 267>


    [20free attributes]


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 565] <was 543>


    [Mana: 1360] <was 1204>


    [Stamina: 612] <was 589>


    ''Actually, that boost in agility is really nice. And the intelligence and spirit boost is also most wee. Forty points isn''t a small amount at all!'' Eldrian was actually quite shocked by the difference it made, and curiously he looked at the ''Incinerate!''.


    "Wow! The minimum damage went straight to 184, and the max is now 725! That is insane, I can legit one-shot myself even if I use all of Chelona''s abilities to try and survive! Crazy!"


    "But... I still can''t use the spell reliably." Eldrian paused, wondering what to do from here. He quickly recalled the badge Sofiera had given him and at lighting speed, he came to a decision.


    "Time to do some research!"


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 508 - Sharing And Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 508 - Sharing And Returning Home</h4>


    With a wide smile, Eldrian returned to the doors, fiddled with it a bit, finally figured out how to open them, and promptly entered Sofiera''s office.


    For security reasons, the doors were easy to close but hard to open.


    Upon exiting the room, he found Sofiera waiting for him. Or rather, she immediately looked up from her notes and stared at him.


    "I see that you really do need a room to experiment in," Sofieramented, causing Eldrian to blush as he wondered if he had disturbed her own research.


    "Don''t worry, the room is soundproof... As long as the formation holds."


    "Was it- Did I-"


    "No, the spells you cast weren''t nearly strong enough to disrupt the formation. Your first one did drain a considerable amount of mana. I would put it at the high rank of a Tier 5 spell, or the low rank of a Tier 6 spell."


    ''That is how strong Tier 5 spells can be!?'' Eldrian wanted to question but kept it to himself as Sofiera continued.


    "Which... Did you do something with your auras?" It was the only thing the Highmage could think of which would allow Eldrian to cast such a powerful spell.


    When Eldrian shook his head in denial, she stared at him in disbelief.


    "Are you going to share what you did?"


    "I don''t mind, but..." Eldrian paused and considered how much harder the second cast was. "The spell is weird."


    "Weird? Weird how?"


    "It is cast through emotions."


    Sofiera stared at Eldrian, blinked, stared some more, blinked some more. Finally, she coughed and asked, "What!?"


    "Yeah, but... It isn''t easy to use. Like..." Looking at all the books Eldrian quickly retracted his hand with which he was about to summon a few mes.


    Looking at Eldrian''s behavior, Sofiera sighed in relief as she realized what he had almost done. The two quickly entered the training room where Eldrian could show her.


    "I''ll simplify since going into details won''t be easy," Eldrian said, waving his hand and having a wave of mes appear behind it.


    He then repeated this but this time just gave the mes a hint of emotions, causing them to seemingly be alive.


    "That is what I mean," Eldrian said while Sofiera stared at the dying mes in astonishment.


    There was a difference between when someone controlled a spell and when they didn''t. The difference was of course even bigger between static and dynamic casters, but Sofiera could tell undeniably that those mes had acted on their own. Seeking something to feed on, of its own will.


    "What-" Sofiera turned to look at Eldrian in confusion, "How?"


    "I felt there had to be a link between auras and magic. Especially after I seemed to have killed undead far stronger than me through wrath, and almost killed my friends through tranquility."


    "The auras shouldn''t have such an impact outside of me. That''s how I used to think, but... It seems I was wrong."


    "Don''t get me wrong, I know that auras literally are supposed to affect an area. But, I thought wrath and tranquility were special cases. Instead, it appears like they are like others. I don''t know anything of others so I can''t really say as much. But it is what I am thinking."


    "I still don''t understand," Sofiera admitted, not shy to admit when she didn''t know something.


    "Right, of course. The key is that in both those cases with my auras; none of my mana was used."


    Upon hearing this, Sofiera looked at Eldrian in sheer disbelief. No magic of such great power should have no cost.


    Abilities might not cost mana nor stamina, but they greatly strain the body. Limiting how much one could make use of them. Using them too much would lead to irrevocable damage. While the damage could possibly be healed, often that would lead to losing ess to the ability.


    ''No, the cost is just not something I know.'' Sofiera quickly corrected herself, and Eldrian nodded upon seeing the realization.


    "Yes, it alles back to the question of what magic is." Eldrian mumbled, "I need to do some research before I can return to these questions. But that is what led me to try this and seed."


    As Eldrian was halfway through the room, he turned to ask the Highmage who was still in deep thought, "Can I take the books with me?"


    Sofiera nodded, adding as Eldrian exited the room, "Only five at a time."


    ...


    Returning to his manor with 5 books not of any spells but of magical theories normally meant for Tier 7 mages, Eldrian quickly headed for his study where Maia brought him freshly made tea.


    She was the only one who continually came to serve Eldrian here while there were no other servants. The other four were staying at the house Eldrian still had and had no idea what to do with. Of course, while Vivian was here, in Kynigo, he was lending it to her to stay at.


    When she went back to the frontlines; Eldrian still did not know whether he would follow in a dumb stupid attempt to keep her safe, or if he would rather focus on improving himself and getting to know his retainers.


    He knew what would be the best choice, but his heart didn''t agree to parting with her again. Especially when the parting was one inviting danger, again.


    Ceph had no such internal struggles, and instead, upon returning to the mansion he bolted off for the second house to go y with the other maids and his friends.


    Eldrian smiled as he saw the little alicorn in elven form running towards that house. ''It seems that has be their clubhouse too...''


    Eldrian felt that wouldn''t be a bad use of the house either.


    "Has Darren finished setting everything up?" Eldrian asked after entering his study as he was cing the first book on his table and casting two Fos to cancel any shadows that one might cause.


    Even though it was around two in the afternoon and there was still plenty of natural sunlight.


    "Yes, of the nine who managed to meet your standards, only three wished to stay in the manor. The others will obey your call to arms and also follow your orders, but they wish to stay at their own homes."


    "Brazen is certainly one of them, who are the other two?" Eldrian asked while enjoying the perfectly made cup of tea. Maia certainly knew how to prepare the tea just right.


    "Tjan and Aspen, Aspen proposed to handle the defenses of the manor while Tjan wished to study under you. Brazen hoped that you would be willing to guide him."


    "I see, you can inform Darren that this will work. Do you know when the other servants wille?"


    "Yes, Darren will be giving them your instructions tomorrow morning at sunrise. Is-" Maia stopped herself from asking, fearing she might upset Eldrian by asking him something.


    "What is it, Maia?" Eldrian asked, wishing she would just speak her mind.


    "Are-are you really going to let them all stay here?"


    "I don''t see why not? Isn''t it more convenient for everyone? I do know that the city is huge and for some it would take an hour or more to get here from their home."


    Maia nodded, that was indeed the case. Kynigo, no, all centaur cities were massive. To a centaur, twenty kilometers weren''t much, but to demi-humans and humans it was a massive distance. Especially to those who have not trained in magic.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 509 - Flavias Failure

    <h4>Chapter 509 - via''s Failure</h4>


    "What-what about us?" Maia asked through a whisper, luckily, the manor was empty and the empty study helped sound carry easily. Else her question wouldn''t even have been heard.


    "I was thinking of having you continue to care for the other house. I didn''t expect to receive a manor when buying it and don''t really know what to do with either. Please, keep it in good condition for me."


    "Of course!" Maia replied with force Eldrian didn''t know she had.


    He smiled and nodded before turning his eyes to the book. Starting from the front, Eldrian slowly sunk deep into reading.


    ...


    The rest of the day passed quickly as Eldrian lost himself in the book, impressed by the theories that the author had proposed and also what he had been able to determine himself.


    ''Indeed, if I was still reliant on spell modules, focusing on the nodes would be an important step in gaining more control over the spells. I can see how Ogen wasn''t able to put it into practice. Entering the magic abyss seems to truly be hard for the natives of Gaia...''


    Eldrian mumbled while climbing out of the cabin. Not muchter, just as he had finished showering and changing, a knock appeared on his door.


    "via?" Eldrian questioned, not having expected her at all. Normally Gengxin or the others would just visit him if they wanted. So he assumed she was here for another reason.


    Her not being in Miracle clothing but instead a summer dress in the midst of winter was also extremely confusing. Granted, the entire building was temperature controlled so it wasn''t that unusual. Eldrian was in a simple shirt and shorts himself.


    In fact, at the moment his shirt was clinging to him thanks to not having dried properly upon hearing the knocking. His hair also told the story of a recent shower.


    "Hi! You made another massive leap forward!" via said excitedly while diving past Eldrian and onto his bed.


    Turning around, Eldrian looked at her questioningly. "What are you doing here?"


    "What? Did you want to keep me at your door?"


    "Well, I certainly didn''t think you would just barge past me," Eldrian said as he finally left the doorway and mbered into the chair next to his desk.


    His room was full but bare at the same time. There was a small pile of clothes in the corner next to the bathroom, his bed, the cabin, and then his desk with the provided PC. Eldrian had no personal items and he wasn''t really someone who understood them.


    Though, currently, there were three thick books on the corner of the desk too. Eldrian was halfway through the first, but honestly, these books couldn''t hold a candlepared to the one written by Ogen that he was reading.


    The two looked at each other in silence for a while, when it was bing unbearable via finally broke the silence.


    "Where did you learn to dance like that? You never leave your room and in the game you are always training or fighting."


    "You mean?" Eldrian blushed as he recalled that he was always being observed. Thus far, he hadn''t really clicked how embarrassing that could be. Joren and the others always kept things professions, via just broke that finely kept bnce.


    "Yeah, you were throwing Vivian around like a pro. Soe one, where did you learn? When did you learn?"


    "That..." Eldrian paused as he recalled learning with his sister for the end-of-year dance of his school. Though, in the end, he hadn''t even made use of what he had learned as he had just sat and watched everyone else enjoy themselves.


    "My sister, she''s an amazing dancer. Loves going out and enjoying herself."


    "And you?"


    "Me?" Somehow, Eldrian was shocked that he hadn''t expected the question. "I have too many things I have to do..."


    Eldrian didn''t like that response one bit, nor did via. So, she took the initiative to ask, "So you don''t dislike it? Then?"


    "Wait- You want to?"


    "Why not?" via said while trying to hide her burning cheeks.


    Seeing her act so shyly, Eldrian realized that she wasn''t bad-looking. No, she was quite pretty. It was just that normally she was dressed in Miracle''s signature clothing, the summer dress certainly added to that shy maiden look she had now.


    "That... I don''t know. Dancing with Vivian was..." Eldrian smiled at the mere memory. That was the first time he had danced with anyone besides his sister, and the pace at which they had gone was far past anything his sister had taught him.


    With how often Eldrian and Vivian sparred, they knew each other''s limits extremely well and were able to adjust to each other almost instantly. It had allowed Eldrian to use all his three hundred-ish points of agility to its fullest.


    "You really like her, don''t you?" via smile, naturally as part of the monitoring team she had watched Eldrian and Vivian fight, talk, joke, sightsee, and more, more than once.


    "I-I, I do," Eldrian admitted.


    "But... You do know she is only virtual, she isn''t real."


    Eldrian didn''t be angry at herment, nor did he let it disturb him. Instead, he smiled and looked via in the eyes.


    "She might not be real to you, but for me; she is as real as can be."


    "I-I... I see." via quickly averted her eyes as she wondered where to go from here. Naturally, as someone who has ced nearly all her focus on her career, this was the first time she had taken the initiative to try and ask someone out. And to have that end as a refusal...


    Standing up, she prepared to leave. However, Eldrian asked her something before she could.


    "Where did you want to go?"


    "But?" via turned to Eldrian in confusion, looking for clues as he smiled at her.


    "We can go as friends, I quite enjoyed dancing and wouldn''t mind going out. We can invite the others too."


    via sighed internally but put up a smile and nodded before leaving. Asking herself just what she had been thinking while Eldrian was left still wondering where she had had in mind.


    ...


    The next day Eldrian logged in right after his midday tutoring and immediately got back to reading Ogen''s book, which was more just a collection of his research and theories.


    Eldrian absolutely loved reading the path that this mage had taken on learning magic and how fastly different it was from his own. The topics had little direct meaning to Eldrian, but they fascinated him nheless.


    When the sun rose, Eldrian stood up from the table and book with a heavy heart. Taking a deep breath, he told himself to just get it over with. And as he was leaving his study, he pped his cheeks.


    ''Come on! You can''t let them know this is a frustrating thing to do.''


    What was this thing? It was greeting the new staff, of course!


    On any other day, before having dived into magic theories, this would have just been an ufortable experience. Now, it was both ufortable and something which distracted from his reading!


    "Darren," Eldrian nodded as he looked at the twenty-seven people in his reception hall.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 510 - Turning Up Unannounced

    <h4>Chapter 510 - Turning Up Unannounced</h4>


    "Ah, Count Eldrian. This is everyone who was hand-picked to help you keep the manor in top shape. Let me introduce you to everyone," Darren said with a smile and introduced everyone one by one.


    Shockingly, the people weren''t just maids and gardeners. There were also craftsmen, beginners in the field if one would consider their Tier. But what they could make were heaps and bound beyond most craftsmen on earth. Excluding modern items from the equation.


    The entire ordeal just took a few minutes, but Eldrian was still so in ''magic mode'' that he forgot nearly everything immediately. Luckily, yers had a very handy ability to record events. He would go through itter when he was in a better state of mind.


    After the little break, Eldrian returned to reading. Only to be disrupted again three times, as Tjan, Brazen, and Aspen respectively arrived.


    For them, Eldrian was far more weing, taking a good half hour or so to help them settle in while already missing Maia''s tea.


    The new maids made just as fine a cup, but Eldrian had gotten used to the young beastkin and how she wasn''t quite able to be entirely silent. How she would sneakily try to figure out what Eldrian was doing and thinking, and how she seemed to know just when to appear.


    A few more days passed as Eldrian finished going through three of the five books. ''I still need to learn a lot.'' Eldrian mumbled as he consider all the topics he had only been able to read. Unable to digest and self-assess.


    "But, it is about time I start making some Tier 4 spells."


    With that, Eldrian got up and headed to the mage association where he returned the books he had finished and picked two new ones. Along with that, he also picked a couple of spells to analyze and deconstruct while also giving Myropsis a visit.


    It quickly became apparent that moving from Tier 0 spells to Tier 1 spells was not going to be an easy task for her. She had great talent to be able to gain moderate control of her Tier 0 spells by now, but that was massivelyckingpared to Eldrian.


    ...


    A week quickly passed as Eldrian continued to read on magical theories and slowly worked on deconstructing the spell modules. He also actually did go out with via, and her friends, and Erik, and even met his sister there, which was quite the weed surprise.


    ''I need a more concrete spell. But learning spell modules is a step back and relying on emotions is a step too far.''


    What Eldrian had done over this week was focus his research on spell modules and how mages normally modified them. ''Of course, it had toe down to math...'' Eldrian had grumbled when he looked at the equations one mage had shown as an example.


    Due to this, Eldrian had hit a roadblock which he couldn''t just push past. He had to go and learn these equations, and they were not something trivial.


    Naturally, Eldrian''s first turn had been to ask the department heads to focus his studies on math. And so, over the past week he had mastered the basics of calculus one.


    But, to Eldrian''s dismay, the math the mage had used was either a far higher level, or limits and derivatives had no ce in it.


    So, Eldrian was unable to move forward.


    "Hey!" Eldrian shouted and waved at the shocked group who turned to him in astonishment.


    "Eldrian!? What are you doing here?" Therdul asked while approaching to properly greet a friend.


    "Ran into some trouble trying to continue my growth." Eldrian said while rubbing the back of his head, "So, I thought I might as well do some quests and refill my funds."


    "And what can stop you?" Zyviss asked while throwing his arm around Eldrian in a brotherly manner.


    "Math..." Eldrian said and the two immediately became disappointed too.


    "You serious?"


    "Yup, and the problem is I don''t even know what type of math it is. Heck, it seems even Miracle doesn''t know."


    "What!?"


    "Well, it''s that, or they feel I need to learn the basics first. But if that was the case I would think they would share it with me." Eldrianmented, unknowingly causing a certain observer to sigh. Obviously, it was thetter.


    "Maybe you don''t really need the math?" Zyviss proposed and Eldrian shrugged.


    "I might be able to get lucky, but if I want to create my own spells consistently then it is a must."


    Naturally, the two stared at Eldrian in stunned silence.


    "Did you really just say ''create''?" Ilmadia asked from behind the trio in sheer disbelief, "Not modify; create?"


    "I did," Eldrian replied while turning to greet the Moon Elf. Eldrian felt that her look of disbelief was a bit over the top.


    After a few seconds, the three sighed in near unison and epted that it was just Eldrian who was built different and ignorant of the difference. Which itself was astonishing, how he could stay ignorant was totally unbelievable.


    "Eldrian, who is that?"


    "Who? Oh, Tjan. Hey, Tjan! No need to stay that far back." Eldrian shouted before answering the questions. "He''s one of my retainers."


    "Retainers? You have NPC followers?"


    "Hmmm-mmmh." Eldrian hummed with a nod before exining to them what he had recently gone through. Obviously, he hadn''t thought to share it all through chats. Eldrian wasn''t a chatty person in general, outside of magic topics that is.


    "So you''re a count now?" Elizabeth asked with a bit of disbelief.


    She had caught the tail end of the conversation, but hearing that Eldrian could hire up to a thousand NPCs left a sour taste in her mouth as a guild master.? As a friend, she was happy for Eldrian, but the sour test remained as a guild master.


    Currently, the guild could only have five hundred yers. Meaning, as a guild, they were weaker than Eldrian in sheer numbers. Should he actually hire an entire army.


    "Heya Elizabeth, any good quests I can help with?"


    "Certainly, we have three A-Ranked quests which we can''t ept since we can''t handle them."


    "What''s the details?" Eldrian asked as the group slowly drifted to Phoenix''s tents. They were still operating from the camp in Pyknos forest, which was mostly deserted and still in disarray from the attack.


    Adventurers were slowly repairing and maintaining it as having a safe ce to fall back to about halfway into the forest was nice.


    "They are all monster hideout extermination jobs. Normally we would refuse them and instead offer to cull the monsters. But, if you are here we should be able toplete the extermination."


    Eldrian immediately thought of his time in avgi where he had fought so many goblins while trying to save Vivian. "What type of monsters?"


    "Goblins, Kobolds, and Kassa," Seeing Eldrian''s confusion Elizabeth quickly exined, "Kassa are some type of reptilian monsters. Though, from what I heard it is more that it is a collection of simrly looking monsters rather than a single type of monster."


    "Then we certainly don''t want to start with them," Eldrian said, his words obviously carried significant weight since they were basically relying on him to carry them through.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 511 - A-Ranked Guild Quest

    <h4>Chapter 511 - A-Ranked Guild Quest</h4>


    "What else does the quest mention?" Eldrian asked, and instead of answering Elizabeth led Eldrian inside the tent and showed him the request they had received.


    It was already three days old, quests were certainly not in a short reply here. Especially with most adventurers and soldiers having moved to the west to help against the orcs.


    As Eldrian read it, he also got a guild notification.


    [Guild Quest detected, do you wish to ept?]


    [Quest: Exterminate the goblin nest]


    [Quest Rank: A-Rank]


    [Quest Description: A goblin nest has been located in a cave near the western hills, the threat is estimated to be ten to twenty goblin knights and a single goblin shaman.]


    [Quest Giver: Adventurer''s Guild]


    [Quest Rewards:


    [2 levels to all participants]


    [15 gold, plus bounties and bonuses if threat was greater than anticipated]


    "That''s it?" Eldrian asked, the description was quitecking and the details too. Even the location was vague, but Eldrian already knew that they could ask the Adventurer''s Guild for a more precise location or even a guide if needed.


    Eldrian felt their map should also show them the location, but he wasn''t exactly sure on that one.


    "Yup, that''s why guild quests are so frustrating and dangerous to pick. Even if the threat turned out to be greater, it will still be considered a failure unless we manage to contain them until we report it to the Adventurer''s Guild." Elizabeth replied with a sigh.


    It was this unknownpared to individual quests that made it so tricky to pick a quest. Even Rank B and lower quests had a simr risk and thus at least one of the team leaders (those Eldrian had fought with in the tournament) always went with on quests up to Rank C.


    ''The goblin knights should be easy to deal with, but a goblin shaman is Tier 5 at the minimum...''


    Eldrian shared this, the news was new but not unexpected.


    "Do you think we will be able to do the quest?" Elizabeth asked, she felt the guild would be able to cope with everything but the shaman. As long as they acted smart and weren''t surrounded.


    "Sure, I believe I will be able to kill the shaman, but there might be some casualties. Seems that after Tier 5 mages can learn magic barriers, which can disrupt spells and also stop you from casting any if you are inside. Skills work; I am not sure about divine magic."


    "Will that be a problem?" Ilmadia asked, knowing that if her magic was blocked then she would be dead weight. Eldrian was a different topic though.


    "No, you can still cast if you are stronger-willed or know spells whose elements the enemy can''t identify. Altering the manaposition of a spell will also weaken the effect of the barrier. And formation spells work almost normally, just losing their power after entering."


    Everyone stared at Eldrian, wondering how he knew this much about magic barriers whilst also having done whatever else he had needed to do to reach a roadblock.


    "Is that all?" Therdul asked jokingly, but Eldrian took the question seriously.


    "I think they might also be usable as an area buff for allies, since these are only canction barriers there must be other types too."


    "You seriously had to answer that?" Therdulined before heaving out arge breath and hoping that the shaman wouldn''t be capable of that.


    Handling the goblin knights and all the other small fry would be hard, handling them if they were being strengthened might be too much.


    "Seems like you feel confident, then let''s proceed. We will move out tomorrow with a proper team." Elizabeth announced and everyone nodded before departing to do their own thing.


    Ilmadia stayed behind to ask Eldrian a few questions about magic, Eldrian happily answered and also had a few questions for her. Asking her to attempt adding node rotations and mana flow to her spell modules.


    A tall order, but she was more than willing after Eldrian exined it would help her when attempting to learn Tier 5 spells.


    "Why didn''t you message me you wereing?" Elizabeth asked once everything else was sorted and Eldrian and Ilmadia were done talking.


    "Had no idea I was going to. I basically just felt fed up and wanted some action after a week of hard work and no results." Eldrian said, causing someone in a faraway room to ''tsk'' at Eldrian considering his study progress to not be a result.


    It was no secret to any of those on Eldrian''s monitor team just how crazy his progress both in-game and real-life was. Naturally, many suspected that somehow Eldrian had grown smarter through ying the game. That, or he had been some hidden genius.


    "Is that all we are to you? A ce toe beat boredom?" Elizabeth teased, causing Tjan to flush red and quickly decide that it was about time for him to leave. Only having entered the tent since Eldrian had insisted.


    "Aren''t you just looking at me like a carry?" Eldrian countered and Elizabeth nodded without a shame, even adding onto it.


    "Our friend and our carry." She said with a teasing smile, causing Eldrian to stumble over his thoughts and simply try to move on.


    ...


    "Why did you ask for me to follow you today?" Tjan asked as the two were leaving Phoenix.


    "The best way to learn is through experience. Brazen just needs help figuring out control, which is why I gave him those spells to learn and how I asked him to learn them. It should help him realize what control is."


    "Aspen instead just wished to help me with the management of the estate while he attempts to reach Tier 4. He feels what he needs is a strong opponent to help him improve, so Brazen and I can satisfy that."


    "Your situation is different, you have never been on the battlefield and almost no one has interacted with the Chosen. I felt this might be a good way to help you understand what it means to be one, and what a battle is like with us."


    "What for?"


    "Because you are the only one who really can fit in that position. Most of the others have either trained too much to relearn, oring to understand us will be too hard for them. Many still do not understand what we Chosen truly are capable of."


    "So, I thought that it would be nice to have you bridge the people of Taurus and us Chosen."


    Tjan still didn''t quite understand what Eldrian was getting at, but that was only because he did not know his own potential. Tjan was about Vivian''s age which one might assume him being Tier 1 meant he wasn''t talented.


    That would be quite the wrong assumption.


    Tjan was talented, he just hadn''t ever felt the need to push himself. That was, until the undead invasion of Kynigo. It was a rude awakening to him that living a peaceful life was no longer possible. If he wanted to survive, he knew he would need to improve his own strength.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 512 - Extermination Quest Starts

    <h4>Chapter 512 - Extermination Quest Starts</h4>


    Returning to his estate, Eldrian spent the rest of the day just experimenting with the ways he could control spells at the moment. Wondering as he did whether it was smart to attempt developing his own spells versus just learning others and adapting them as he had always done.


    ''It might be a step back, but it will allow me to make progress while I try to understand the math.'' Eldrian thought and decided that he might as well attempt it.


    His options were: figure out how to cast through simply wishing for the spells to form, master the math behind the creation of spells, or take a step back and the added training it would take to get the spell to the level all his other spells were at.


    Eldrian decided that taking the step back was better than just waiting. However, he still made this a lower priority at the moment. He wanted to hang out with the yers of Phoenix a bit and also help them where he can. Making money while at it was certainly a nice bonus.


    Sadly, even after having decided to take the step back, Tier 4 spells were not as simple as Tier 3 spells. Sure, it was far easier than Tier 5 spells but that didn''t mean it was easy to memorize and visualize.


    As a result, Eldrian wasn''t able to learn a spell in the few hours that were left of the day. However, as he had tried to memorize and envision the spell module, he had rediscovered a few things.


    ''Are spell modules really that bad?'' He wondered as he was on his way to the camp from Pyknos Fort, Tjan following along at a set distance he had seemingly decided was what he should be from Eldrian.


    ''I kept thinking they are, and I get why, but honestly, it isn''t that bad a thing. Sure, it will mean that there is a pause between me wanting the spell and as I visualize it. Which will only increase the higher Tier I go.''


    ''But that will just be a second or two for Tier 4 spells. I might not be able to rely on it in closebat due to that, but if I am fighting from a distance I can totally use spell modules without worry.''


    Along with this, Eldrian also realized how much easier it would be to experiment with spells through their spell modules. While it wouldn''t be able to rece instant casting, it would certainly allow him to test things quicker. Meaning he could do far more.


    When they arrived at the camp the yers were still getting ready/arriving. Currently, they were simply in their friend groups talking and joking while waiting for everyone to arrive.


    "That''s the guy?" One person in one such group asked while indicating towards Eldrian. Through Observe all that they could see were Eldrian''s Tier, level, name, and race.


    Outside of his name, all the others were impressive. Eldrian was still the only High Elf to have reached and surpassed Tier 1, though, a few others have slowly been learning how to control their mana and were starting to learn how to cast Tier 0 spells.


    However, these were only the most dedicated yers who wished to explore the High Elf race. Most others had long since given up and remade their avatar to any other race, allowing them to actually use magic through simply half memorizing a spell module and saying the word of power.


    With this in mind not only was Eldrian Tier 4, he was also level 32. Which was indeed a few levels below the current top-ranked yers, but it was still above average by nearly five levels.


    "I recall seeing him fighting in the tournament." One of the guy''s friends said, quickly sharing a clip of it with the others.


    "He''s the one who can control spells? He''s really in our guild!?" A newer yer asked, having only bought a headset a month or so ago and still only Tier 2.


    From here their conversation quickly spiraled into spection and rumors. Eldrian didn''t miss the stares and indications, also receiving them constantly in the city. Such actions had be quite a sour action for him.


    "Hah! You''re here, and with Tjan." Judith shouted from afar as she moved to great Eldrian. Her greatsword, Gray, was proudly strapped to her back. To this day, it was still the stronger weapon in the guild. Outside of Eldrian''s items, of course.


    "Judith, still trying to wear as little as possible?" Eldrian replied, still shocked at how different her character was in-gamepared to real life.


    "See something you like?" Judith teased.


    "Mmm, maybe. Can you do a spin for me?" Eldrian teased back, catching her off guard and causing her to be slightly self-aware. Seeing this, Eldrian smiled andughed.


    ...


    "What is the n?" Eldrian asked as the yers slowly got themselves into order, around half an hour after their arrival.


    "Judith and Therdul will lead our fighters and do their best to maintain a line of defense. Zyviss will lead the archers and Ilmadia the mages. I will just focus on healing and buffing people and Nikki will coordinate everything." Elizabeth replied as they were walking.


    "And me?"


    "You can just help out where you feel help is needed if ites to that. Nikki will also ask you to support an area if it is close to breaking. When the shaman appears, we are going to rely on you to deal with him."


    Nodding, Eldrian agreed. Happy that they hadn''t tried to ce him inmand or anything like that. While he needed to learn how to lead, he didn''t know if he actually wanted to. He would much rather have Armin or Jaka lead if the time came.


    They at least had some experience with that and they were Tier 5 which naturally meant people looked up to them.


    Demilea would also be a good choice as she had been taught how to strategize, however, shecked the experience that the other two had. ''She might be better as a second inmand...''


    They reached the cave just a bit over an hour of walking, where the yers all quickly got into position and prepared their skills or spells. Casting all the buffs they felt they needed. Zyviss had scouted the area yesterday and as such, they already had a n for how to draw the goblins out of their cave.


    Eldrian watched this and was impressed at how organized the guild was. It was his first time actually joining a quest, not considering the one where they hade to help hold the line. This time, the entire quest had around fifty yers who had joined in.


    Eldrian was impressive to see Judith actually be mature and control her urges to simply rush in. Zyviss and the other archers had long since disappeared into the trees, and the mages had spread out. Each found themselves a nice vantage point that gave them a good view of where the first battle would take ce.


    [{Nikki} - Everyone is in position, Judith, start the luring.]


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 Chapter 513 - A Smooth Start

    <h4>Chapter 513 - A Smooth Start</h4>


    With this message, Judith along with a few other yers who focused on full damage builds snuck closer to the cave entrance. Once they were just a few meters from it, they quickly rushed in and killed all the goblins that were close to the exit.


    Doing as much damage as they could in this charge.


    As soon as the goblins started to realize what was going on and reinforcements started to arrive, the yers retreated. Pulling the goblins out of their cave.


    However, no spells or arrows wereunched once this happened.


    Instead, the yers waited for the goblins tomit to the counterattack. Therdul''s team of heavy warriors joined the fight once the numbers of goblins became too much and more and more hobgoblins appeared.


    Hobgoblins arerger than the normal variety of goblins and can learn some basic skills up to Tier 4. They are simr to a human of a simr Tier, but with lesser intelligence. Still a far cry from a goblin knight.


    Eldrian found it strange that this was his first time seeing hobgoblins, leading him to wonder why that was. Why the goblins at avgi had missed this variant.


    Slowly the numbers of the goblins rose more and more. Once they outnumbered the yers busy fighting three to one, the archers joined in. Hitting them from the sides of the battle where they had slowly tried to move to surround the yers.


    This simple addition quickly moved down tens of goblins. Finally, a goblin knight showed. As soon as he did, the archers all focused on him.


    Therge dark green-skinned creature around 1,8m (5ft, 11in) stood proud a the cave entrance with a shining shield and sword. Shockingly, both were magical items. The shield did wonders to block the iing arrows, and when that was not enough, the normal goblins nearby made excellent cannon fodder.


    Narrowing its eyes, the goblin knight looked at the floor littered with the dead goblins and roared in anger. Charging forward, it aimed for Judith with bloody rage.


    Judith easily deflected the blow, yet she was shocked at the strength behind it. She could immediately tell that she had the advantage in stats, but she also realized that if she took the goblin knight too lightly it would end badly for her.


    Just as she blocked another blow and swiveled to counterattack, another goblin knight arrived. And not muchter two more appeared from the cave. Their numbers quickly grew and reached thirteen in just a few seconds after the first''s appearance.


    With arrows almost never reaching them, it was finally time for the mages to act. With Nikki''s message, spells of fire rained down on the entire horde of goblins. In this case, all the yers were using the same element to ensure that their spells did not conflict with one another.


    The rain of fire caused screams of terror and pain to fill the air as the goblins died quicker than ever, yet the goblin knights were not bothered that much. They rushed through the fire and quickly locked des with the yers.


    Just a few secondster the fires all died down as another ten goblin knights rushed out of the cave.


    [{Eldrian} - Shaman just cast a magic barrier, focus on buffing or formation spells (Earth spells are all formation spells)]


    With the message, Eldrian also finally moved. Dashing from the backline, he rushed forward to finish his task. As he passed the line of fighting yers who were now under heavy pressure, Eldrian helped them out through making use of Vrachos.


    He always carried a handful of stones in his inventory for just such use.


    The simple Tier 1 spell was still effective. Especially since the cast was hidden and by the time the shaman managed to react to the flying stones, they had already connected with their targets. Flying into the goblin knights'' necks and causing blood to flow freely.


    As Eldrian entered the cave following a cleared path from the spells earlier, three messages echoed.


    [yer has participated in killing a goblin knight: 25.2k XP rewarded]


    [yer has participated in killing a goblin knight: 50.4k XP rewarded]


    [yer has participated in killing a goblin knight: 33.6k XP rewarded]


    Naturally, the 109k experience made little difference to Eldrian''s 186M that he required for the next level. But you couldn''t expect much more from level 20-ish Tier 4 monsters. Especially when the kills were shared.


    Once inside, Eldrian was quickly stalled by more hobgoblins. However, they were no threat to Eldrian. Eldrian cut them down with ease with Crystoi.


    While he could not equip the spear and ess its abilities, he could still swing it around and make use of its excellent damage. Luckily, the entrance of the cave wasrge enough to allow Eldrian to make use of this to its fullest. Killing multiple goblin and hobgoblins in a single swing. The sound of XP kill rewards echoed in his ears.


    Finally, he saw the shaman concentrating on him. Eldrian smiled as he watched the mana gather and form into a massive de of wind.


    [Gobling Shaman | Tier 5 | Level 28]


    [HP: 270]


    [Mana: 612/790]


    [Magic Attack: ??? (Spell damage multiplied by 3.48)]


    [Intelligence: 348]


    [A goblin with some intelligence, capable of strategizing and learning spells. How they manage to learn spells is unknown, yet every shaman will know at least five spells.]


    ''How does he have more intelligence than me!?'' Eldrian questioned, nearly allowing a random goblin tond a blow. Which would have been bad, since even with all his equipment, there was still plenty of open skin that they couldnd a hit in.


    When Eldrian managed to recover he wanted to see if he could cast inside the barrier.


    As soon as he tried, he could feel the mana leaving his body simply dissipating into the air. And while he could attempt tobat this, the smile on the shaman''s face told him that doing so would be dumb.


    Instead, Eldrian jumped to the side as the wind de sailed past and cut through tens of goblins. Leaving a bloody path which Eldrian quickly jumped on to rush the shaman.


    Eyes wide in surprise, the shaman scrambled to cast another spell. Never having expected Eldrian to notice and dodge his wind spell. Eldrian was far too fast. Arriving before the shaman in just a few seconds. Far before he could finish his second spell while maintaining the barrier.


    The goblins between them having offered no resistance to Eldrian thanks to his speed and activating ''Shield''. Giving him 32 MR and AR.


    At thest second, Eldrian''s thrust was blocked by a strong unexpected blow nearly causing him to lose his grip. Jumping back, Eldrian stared at the strange creature which had sprung from the ground to stop his attack.


    It appeared like some sort of failed mutation, having the dark green skin of goblins but not a humanoid form. Instead, it appeared more like a wolf.


    [Goblin idd | Tier 5 | Level 35]


    [HP: 850]


    [Attack: 67 (w)]


    [Attack: 114 (Bite)]


    [Venom: 10, 5 (HP per 5 seconds, SP per 5 seconds)]


    [A goblin mutation caused by offering a vargr as food to a Folia.]


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 514 - Fighting Without Spells

    <h4>Chapter 514 - Fighting Without Spells</h4>


    Watching the creature carefully, Eldrian tried to gauge its strength and speed before the next sh. The previous attack had informed him that it was far stronger than him, luckily, its speed seemed to be around the same as his.


    Eldrian had no idea why sometimes mana sense would give him an attribute or two and sometimes not; but, right now he certainly wished it would. He knew he couldn''t take the time to get used to this idd creature, as the shaman was already busy casting another spell.


    Dodging another attack and attempting to counter, Eldrian found himself unable as a small sharpened rock missed him just barely as he dodged at thest second. His instincts having warned him of the danger more than his sights or hearing.


    ''Shit! And I can''t cast without focusing fully on it and-'' Blocking the bite with the shaft of his spear, Eldrian lost this train of thought as he was forced onto the backfoot.


    Gripping his spear in hand as hard as he could to not lose his weapon, the wolf-like creature threw its head side to side. Nearly lifting Eldrian from the ground and most certainly causing him to lose his grip on the spear. Especially when he had to dodge another wind de.


    Eldrian didn''t lose in this small trade, instead, he made the most of it. As he jumped back to avoid the spell, he pulled out Aoidos and thrust forward with all his strength. Using Augment to increase his strength as he pushed the wooden spear as deep as it would go.


    Eldrian immediately jumped back after the attack, taking Aoidos with him as the idd spat out Crystoi and snarled at him. Immediately storing it again as the cave limited his maneuverability.


    In reply to its snarl, Eldrian waved his left hand right in its face and sent out a healthy amount of fire mana. Not as a spell, but rather simply as bright as he could. Filled with a good batch of light mana too.


    This caused a bright white trail of mes to spring into existence for just a second. Having expected it Eldrian had closed his eyes, the creature and shaman had not. Momentarily blinding both.


    Eldrian made the most of this. Moving past the creature''s head, he mmed one of the random swords he still had in his inventory into its side. After which he was forced to distance himself again as another spell finished forming and came for him.


    This time, a small dense fireball with far too many fire elements for Eldrian to dare take the hit.


    Now, Eldrian finally had time to breathe as the shaman had to start his next spell and the idd was wary after taking two good hits. It had only done 80 damage, but it still hurt and made it fearful of charging this elf who could randomly summon weapons into his hands. And seemingly mes too.


    ''Spells are blocked and will have a cast time if I try to force them out. Skills work, but I don''t have much that would work here in the cave. Shield is already used... Right! That''s it!''


    Eldrian smiled as the n quickly took root. Taking out Aoidos again, he charged forward. Naturally, the idd tried to dodge the thrust. But at thest second, a burst of wind erupted from one of Eldrian''s gauntlets.


    This caused it to stumble, which Eldrian promptly made use of to drive Aoidos into and through one of its front legs. After which Eldrian stored the spear again as he went to pick up Crystoi.


    As he was reaching for it, the shaman had finished his spell. This one having taken twice as long to cast, but Eldrian having kept his distance to think of a n had given him the time.


    A small snake-like ck mist flew at Eldrian.


    [Spell: Safidi (Hybrid - Dark and Nature)]


    [Tier 4]


    [Damage (Rot): 48 (48)


    {Rot damage ignores armor but is countered by resistance, healing, and blessings}]


    [Damage (Decay) : 24 (11.04) {per second}


    {Decay Damage is slowed by resistance and high constitution}]


    Seeing how nasty the spell was, Eldrian really hoped it was going to work. Moving Stama (his other gauntlet) to intercept the spell, Eldrian activated its ability ''Block and Absorb''.


    To his relief, the spell was stopped right as it made contact with the gauntlet. Quickly being sucked into the gauntlet via some sort of vacuum. He even gained 60MP from it!


    Of course, the shaman was stunned, not understanding what had happened. It didn''t help that Eldrian made use of the seconds this gave him to gather his strength and drive Crystoi through the wounded and limping idd''s heart.


    Its yelp of pain filled the cave as Eldrian retracted the spear and swung downwards to end the resilient monster''s life. Somehow, the thrust had only inflicted 594 damage. Not enough to kill it.


    Beheading it however did the job, and as the sound of XP echoed in Eldrian''s ear, he rushed at the shaman who was scrambling to cast a new spell. Eldrian saw the mana gather and condense, and before it could fully form into a spell he threw his spear.


    [Goblin idd killed: XP Rewarded - 3.78M]


    The spear sailed through the mana with ease, seemingly even absorbing some of it before it struck the shaman slightly of the mark. Missing its heart butnding solidly in its chest.


    The hit threw the shaman back as the spear impaled it to the ground. As the shaman gurgled a curse, Eldrian could feel that the mana in his surroundings returning to normal. So he quickly ended the fight by casting Konos Pagou and sending the arm-sized icicle through the shaman''s head.


    [Goblin Shaman killed: XP Rewarded - 1.1M]


    Only once Eldrian made sure that the rest of the goblins had fleed did he check the XP rewards, a smile quickly forming as he nodded that that was more like it!


    With these amounts of XP rewards, it would still take many battles to level up but that was normal in games. Even if this wasn''t truly a game, the world functioned simrly so Eldrian was happy that it seemed to indeed be true.


    ''Just forty fights like this and I will reach level 33...'' Eldrian paused and nodded, ''Yup, quests are far more rewarding. I mean, I am going to get two levels for this one.''


    With that thought, Eldrian suddenly felt that the XP reward was quitecking again. He was also quite curious about how XP actually worked. He hadn''t thought about it in ages.


    ''What is XP then, Ziraili was capable of manipting it; for both me and Ceph. Does this mean that XP is another aspect of magic, or is it the cornerstone of magic?''


    ''Right, I also converted XP into mana once. Which means it must be rted to magic in a very significant way. I could understand somehow how my HP, life essence, or my stamina, bodily energy was converted. But XP...''


    Eldrian stood still as he pondered this, missing as the other yers rushed into the caves to kill the retreating goblins. He only came to as one of the goblins bumped into him, luckily it hadn''t tried to kill him or Eldrian might have just lost three levels!


    AN: Changed the use of <> to {} as I can''t copy text of <> for record-keeping in campfire.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 515 - The First To Strike

    <h4>Chapter 515 - The First To Strike</h4>


    ''That... Was really dumb...'' Eldrian thought as he recovered and activated ''Turtle'', the other ability of Chelona, his breastte. All that it did was increase the armor rating of the chest piece, but that was where most of the important parts of a person were.


    Along with this, Eldrian also made sure that that none of the goblins were trying to hurt him. Returning the favor since he didn''t particrly want to start a fight while surrounded by nearly thirty goblins.


    ''Three goblin knights-'' Eldrian watched their retreat questioningly, and once the goblins were out of the first room of the cave, he asked Nikki what had happened.


    "They just suddenly turned tail, they were fighting despite the heavy losses they were sustaining. Then, suddenly... They decided to run."


    "Do you think it is because I killed the shaman?" Eldrian asked, but Nikki shook her head.


    "No, they started running after a cry came from the cave."


    "The idd?" Eldrian asked and quickly filled them in on what had happened.


    Nikki was slightly surprised that Eldrian had managed to fight two Tier 5 monsters. Not so much because he was Tier 4, but rather because spells were being blocked. Which was his speciality.


    "Now what?" Judith asked, even as war-hungry as she was, she didn''t particrly want to push deeper into a cave filled with an unknown number of goblins.


    "What are our losses?" Nikki asked, unfortunately, there wasn''t a nice informative system to keep track of this. Outside of knowing who was dead now, which required one to go through the list of all the yers who were here.


    "About fifteen," Elizabeth replied, "Unfortunately, I don''t know resurrection yet so we can''t revive them here."


    "Let''s confirm what else is unknown first." Nikki proposed and no one disagreed, so after a bit more discussion the yers did their best to secure this first room while also sending someone to report the developments to the Adventurer''s Guild.


    The quest was most certainly much higher than just A-Rank.


    "Do any of you know what a Folia is?" Eldrian asked after going through the events a bit and trying to recall everything.


    "Nope", "No idea", "No", "Ye-yes..."


    Turning to the voice that had said yes, everyone looked at the NPC in shock.


    "Tjan, you know what a Folia is?"


    "Yes, but... I thought it was extremely rare. How can there be a Folia in Pyknos Forest? And how could it have avoided detection?"


    "Is it that serious?" Therdul asked with a sigh, knowing their luck when going with Eldrian, of course it was.


    ''Seriously, what is with him. Has any quest he took part in been normal?'' Everyone wondered though some had a far cruder way of thinking this.


    "Goblins aren''t natural creatures, they aren''t like other monsters." Tjan started to exin.


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "They do not have any females, meaning that their existence relies on taking girls and women ofpatible races..." Tjan paused, knowing full well the horror stories that went along with this fact. The sad part, the more horrific, the less likely for it to be a false story.


    "Which means they had to be created someway, and if that were the only way they coulde into existence, then they would have gone extinct long ago." Eldrian concluded, "So, are you saying this Folia is what creates them?"


    Naturally, Eldrian had the help of the Goblin idd''s description to lead him to this conclusion.


    "Yes, and if there is a Folia then there is almost certainly going to be more varients and possibly even a goblin king."


    "I guess the title isn''t just that..." Elizabeth joked, trying to lift everyone''s mood. Everyone in the guild understood that suddenly the job of not failing the quest had be much much harder.


    "It isn''t, we don''t know much about them, but they are at minimum Tier 6 in both magic and closebat," Tjan said, wishing to retreat from here right now to secure his own life. Yet, he had sworn to serve Eldrian so he had to stay until Eldrian told him to go.


    As if reading his worries, or simply thinking of the fact that everyone but Tjan could revive, Eldrian also mentioned this.


    "I am afraid; But, you said experience is the only way I can truly learn and grow. I didn''t get to fight in previously, I can''t simply run away." Tjan replied, shocking himself. Once given the option, he had found that something stopped him from simply running.


    Nodding, Eldrian epted Tjan''s answer. However, he made it clear that if things appeared bleak, then Tjan had to prioritize his survival over helping them. ''I might also need to call on Ceph, I was just about equal in statspared the shaman and idd, a goblin king...''


    ''It will have more stats in all areas... This will be hard, especially if he is ready for us.''


    Eldrian could feel the looks from the rest of the group, "I might be able to buy time against it, but I won''t be able to beat it."


    Everyone nodded in understanding, Elizabeth quickly springing into action to help everyone get as ready as they could while Nikki informed the yer they had sent to ry the information on the development.


    "What do we do then?" Judith asked, she might like fighting but she didn''t want to lose her precious levels.


    Everyone pondered this, very aware that the longer they waited to do something, the more likely a counterattack was. However, pushing in was not an option. Or so everyone believed.


    "I''m going in," Eldrian said.


    "Are you crazy?!"


    "No, if I can find them undetected, I might have a chance to deal some massive damage."


    "What do you mean?" Ilmadia asked, and so Eldrian shared the details of Incinerate with them.


    Everyone stared at the spell in awe, looking at Eldrian with a bit of worry. "Are you sure you will be able to cast it?"


    "Not at full strength, but I should be able to cast it. It is just going to take me a while..."


    "Then I''ming with you!" Therdul said with a confident smile, "And I know just who else to bring along."


    ...


    A few minutester, three yers moved past the makeshift defenses that the others had created through a mix of magic and stacking bodies.


    "Are you sure about this?" The newby, Kenji, asked. He was a yer who loved to y stealth sses in other games and in a simr way as Judith, he was attempting to bring that into ANW.


    As such, the skills he knew were all focused on being stealthy and fast, while he even knew a few spells to allow him to move in the dark with ease.


    Where the other two had to walk along while keeping a hand on a wall, Kenji simply walked in the pure darkness.


    "We need to stop the attack, or at least try. Don''t worry, I have a contingency," Eldrian replied, his not sharing what it was, did not help Kenji feel at ease.


    [{Therdul} - I don''t think talking is the best way to talk.]


    [{Eldrian} - Good point, we''llmunicate through chat from here on.]


    [{Therdul} - How far in do you think we will find the goblins?]


    [{Eldrian} - No idea...]


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 516 - Strikes Last

    <h4>Chapter 516 - Strikes Last</h4>


    The group walked for nearly ten minutes, Kenji leading the way and making sure they do not walk right into a group of goblins.


    However, it took them nearly ten minutes to find any. The goblins they found also seemed to be readying for war, so they tailed them to figure out what was going on.


    Not muchter, they arrived at one of the entrances to a massive cavern,rge enough to house a dragon.


    There, the goblins were all gathering. Wearing whatever armor they might have scavenged, waving their swords, spear, axes, and staves in the air. From the looks of it, they were being rallied.


    The trio could not hear what the speaking goblin was saying, but guessing who that goblin was did not take a genius; obviously, it was the king. Not only was he over two meters tall (6.6ft), he was also d in full armor and had two longswords strapped to his sides.


    The rally was happening too far for Observe or mana sense to work, but from the looks of it, there were well over a thousand goblins. And not the normal weak goblins, these were all hobgoblins, with a tenth being goblin knights. The number of shamans was also truly impressive at seventeen.


    Behind the goblin king, a massive demonic-looking blob seemed to be beating like a heart. Tendrils of a darkish green and ck mixture slowly reached out to the corpses of animals and other monsters that the normal goblins were offering it.


    [{Eldrian} - That must be the Folia]


    [{Therdul} - Can you cast from here?]


    The spot they were was truly ideal, but it was far.


    [{Eldrian} - Maybe, I am not sure. First time trying this spell for real.]


    [{Kenji} - Seriously?]


    [{Eldrian} - Buy me time.]


    With that, Eldrian moved to the side of the ramp they hade out to. It went along the cavern wall to the bottom where the goblins were.


    ''I really hope the idd and other creatures in that mix can''t climb the slope''s sides.'' Eldrian mumbled as he readied himself.


    He didn''t have much anger to call upon, however, he didn''t need his personal anger for this case. He simply thought of the situation those poor women in the Avgi caves had been in. How, even after all they had suffered, they had all died.


    Life was truly cruel, and worse, these goblins made it utter hell for those that they captured.


    Innate hatred towards these vile creatures slowly expanded in Eldrian as he thought of all the sorrow and pain this race had caused others. Creatures created with the sole purpose to hurt.


    It might not be entirely their choice to be as they are, but they were who they were. Eldrian realized this, that it was the only way a colony of goblins could survive if theycked a Folia. However, that did not excuse their actions. Nor did it lessen his hate and anger at their acts.


    There were certainly other ways to go about securing their race''s survival. A way that did not involve hunting for women and then constantly raping them until they died.


    This thought was the me Eldrian needed, looking at the horde below, he knew that giving them a chance would only bring suffering.


    Hands extended towards the horde, Eldrian filled with overwhelming anger.


    A small bright blue me slowly came into existence near his hands. It did not stay small for long. In seconds it expanded to the size of a football, and in a few seconds more it nearly reached the size of Eldrian''s chest.


    The goblins had of course all realized that they were being ambushed by now. The horde rushed towards them, the sound of their charge echoing through the caves and even reaching the yers at the entrance.


    Around thirty secondster, [{Therdul} - How much longer?]


    Eldrian did not register Therdul''s message, nor that he and Kenji were busy fighting five goblin knights on the slope while having spells aimed at them.


    Of course, the goblins also aimed spells at Eldrian. However, the elements around him were so chaotic that the spells did not manage to reach him. Acting almost like a natural barrier.


    "Incinerate!" Eldrian shouted as a spear came flying his way, passing under the spell and throwing him against the cave wall.


    Coughing blood, Eldrian managed to lift his head to see the ball of white and blue mes grow in size to about a meter in diameter. Before suddenly condensing to ten centimeters.


    Following this, an explosion like none other arrived.


    Blinding everyone in the cave and nursing everyone''s eardrums. Sending them flying against the cave walls. The goblins of weaker constitution dying upon contact. The following heatwave killed anotherrge number as the struggle to breathe and having their ribs broken ended up too much.


    XP rewards resounded in Eldrian''s ears. And by no means small amounts.


    [217 Hobgoblins killed: XP rewarded - 2.6M]


    [48 Goblin Knights killed: XP rewarded - 7.5M]


    [14 Goblin Shamans killed: XP rewarded - 37M]


    [82 Goblin Mutants killed: XP rewarded - 44.7M]


    It went without saying, anyone in the st radius had died on impact. All but one.


    This one coughed out mes as he used healing and water spells to slow the damage that the mes were doing to him. However, he couldn''t best the mes without casting a proper spell, which he couldn''t do while he was coughing out mes.


    Retreating to the Folia, the king focused on recovering while ordering the surviving goblins to action. However, the mes made it impossible for them to reach the trio.


    Coughing from the searing heat, Kenji asked, "Couldn''t you- warned us?"


    Smiling, Eldrian coughed himself as he struggled to stand. Even with Chelona having blocked the spear, the hit had still hurt a lot.


    It had done nearly a hundred damage to him, the following shock- and heatwave had done another hundred. They were currently still losing health slowly due to the heat.


    Luckily, with all his recent progress he had nearly six hundred HP, so he was still fine. Just hurt.


    "Sorry- Didn''t think- I would manage- So strong" Eldrian replied midsts coughs as the trio quickly started retreating the way they hade. Not wishing to wait until the goblins on the ramp recovered.


    While Eldrian might be able to cast the spell again, the goblins were all quickly recovering and they had no idea how long the mes would exist. They also had no idea when and if they could be surrounded, if there were other tunnels connecting them to the ground of that cavern.


    After just crossing twenty or so meters, the trio could already hear the sound of pursuit.


    "Screw it!" Eldrian summoned two Fos spells to allow them to see, even if it would be a beacon for the goblins to follow. They were too close to them for that to matter.


    So the three ran with all they had in them, goblins appearing from time to time from connecting tunnels and attempting to block their path. Eldrian''s quick spells always put an instant end to them.


    Luckily, they were moving too fast for the shamans or king to block their spells with a barrier.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 517 - Too Far

    <h4>Chapter 517 - Too Far</h4>


    Diving past a couple of confused yers; Therdul quickly shouted for everyone to get ready, Kenji tried to gather his breath and thoughts, and Eldrian... Eldrian looked at the caves with a thought.


    "Zyviss!" Eldrian shouted, hoping for a response. He was not disappointed.


    "What is it Eldrian?"


    "Are there any other exits?"


    "Maybe, but we didn''t find any within a few kilometers... You want to?"


    "Yes! Everyone out, now!" Eldrian shouted and started casting the strongest spell he knew again, he found that he could still draw upon the same source of anger. However, the anger had cooled downpared to thest time.


    Still, even so, the heat filling the cave from Eldrian''s outstretched hands woke everyone who was confused about what was happening. Realizing that they would likely not survive if they stayed as the ball of angry mes formed, they followed the quicker yers'' lead to rush out of the cave entrance.


    ''Hope this works!'' Eldrian thought as the first goblin knight rushed through the tunnel into the room. It was far too early tounch the spell, but Eldrian couldn''t wait much longer.


    He did however wait until he had no other choice, even allowing the goblin knight to charge him. Only letting Incinerate fly as the de was about to connect with his head.


    Throwing his head to the side to avoid the strike, the goblin''s de struck deeply into Eldrian''s shoulder. As the realization that it had missed sank in, the shockwave arrived. Sending the two flying towards the exit, the de digging deeper into Eldrian''s shoulder.


    ''Fuck! That hurts!'' Eldrian cursed, not having had pain escte above the threshold in a while. Gritting his teeth, he turned to the goblin knight who was still alive. It did not stay like that for long.


    [Goblin Knight killed: XP rewarded 227k]


    Eldrian just grumbled, ignoring the message and mbering to his feet. The heat in the entrance was not something he could endure for long and the mes were quickly approaching. Devouring everything in its path as it searched for fuel.


    As soon as he made it out of the cave, Eldrian fell. Too tired to keep his bnce while also continuing to feed Incinerate.


    ''This- Is not- Like- Others-'' Eldrian thought, not even able to form a proper sentence as he had to not only sustain the spell''s mana, but also its anger. He was quickly running out of both.


    While this cast had only taken around 300MP, trying to maintain his connection with the spell drained 10MP a second. ''Spread, copse...''


    The constant messages of XP rewards also quickly became a nuisance, so Eldrian thought to disable it and it was. Finally, he could focus simply on the task.


    Seconds passed slowly as Eldrian had to keep his focus on why the goblins had to be killed. However, as the seconds inched by he slowly lost the conviction he had had. Yet he held on.


    ''They- Can''t- Don''t-''


    Finally, after thirty seconds, Eldrian had no option but to ept that he was out of mana. Canceling the connection, he felt a heavy weight lift from his body, but his body remained as tired as ever.


    It went without saying, everyone was staring at him. Everyone except for the mages who were doing their best to stop the fire from going wild and escaping into the forest.


    "Eldrian! A little warning next time!" Ilmadia shouted while doing her best to cast as quickly as she could. Shockingly, even Tier 4 water spells did little to these mes. It slowed them down, but it did not kill them.


    "Sorry..." Eldrian mumbled, slowly moving to try and confirm if it had worked or not. When he saw the yers fighting and trying to maintain the fire, he cursed himself for not thinking that the fire would naturally want to spread to the forest.


    ''I have just about enough for that...'' Eldrian mumbled, but he did not wish to.


    He watched on and prayed that they would be able to handle it. With a heavy heart, Eldrian watched as one yer on ident got too close to the fire. As it touched her clothes, it was like she was doused in paraffin.


    In seconds she was covered in mes, in just a few more she was a burnt corpse, in a few more, she was just ash.


    Everyone jumped back from the mes upon seeing this. And the fire took that opportunity to escape the confines of the cave.


    "NO!" Eldrian jumped up and rushed forward, summoning a ball of water and sinking into self-loathing for not thinking things through.


    ''There was no need to go that far! It isn''t like this is a life-and-death struggle! We could have just retreated and epted the failure!'' Eldrian shouted at himself as he cursed himself, despised himself.


    It did not take long for the ball of water to grow heavier and heavier, darker and darker, and as Eldrian approached the mes they ran from it. As if they could sense that this water they should not touch.


    Through this, Eldrian managed to keep the fire contained inside the cave. And with its path blocked, it dived into the tunnels seeking fuel.


    Standing there with a heavy heart, Eldrain re-assed these new spells he had managed to create. ''While it isn''t quite as dangerous as auras, I can''t use them lightly...''


    Eldrian stood there for ten minutes, the time it took the mes inside the entrance to finally die down. In that time, he had to constantly fight the emotions of depression and self-loathing.


    Maintaining just enough of these emotions to keep the water too dense and heavy for the fire to evaporate it, and not too much for him to fall into them, was not an easy task.


    When Eldrian saw thest me die, he promptly stopped worrying and canceled the spell. epting the fall as he closed his eyes wanting a good rest. Completely ignoring the level-up message.


    "Did everyone see that?" One of the yers asked, everyone nodding but no one understanding what was going on. Not even those who knew Eldrian well had any idea what just happened.


    Elizabeth looked at Eldrian whose avatar had not disappeared with worry, turning to Judith she asked her to take care of Eldrian as she worried they would need to stop the goblins from escaping.


    However, even half an hourter not a single goblin attempted to exit the caves. Relieving all the yers as the sacrifice of those who had died was not in vain.


    Sure, they had revived by now. But two or three levels lower than before. It would have truly sucked if they had failed the quest even after that.


    "How did he do that?" Ilmadia asked, but no one had any idea. ording to everything they knew, yers shouldn''t be able to cast spells that were that strong. Not yet.


    ...


    Around a hundred goblins watched the mes finally die just as it was about to reach them. They were all in the cavern where Eldrian hadunched the first Incinerate.


    {"Elf, dangerous, too dangerous"} Thest surviving shaman said, turning to his king questioningly.


    {"Centaurse soon, retreat!"} The king replied, looking at the Folia with a heavy heart. Once rooted, it could not be moved.


    Of course, even a monster such as a goblin had some attachment to its mother. Rather, those with a semnce of intelligence had some attachment. The others cared naught.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 518 - Qirens Magic Background

    <h4>Chapter 518 - Qiren''s Magic Background</h4>


    "What do you think?" Constantin asked an old friend of his, Qiren.


    She was in her mid-thirties, around 1.7 meters tall (5''7"), and kept herself in shape. Her hair was the color of ck jade and flowed down to her shoulders, kept long enough to be loosened on special asions but not too long to get in the way when working.


    She used to be a game tester same as him, butter she had be obsessed with the math behind spells and how even though the AI had made the world based on the universe''s universal basicws, the math did not make sense.


    "Do you think he found a corrtion between the spells and mathematics?" Qiren asked, simply astonished by the destruction Eldrian had caused. And that at Tier 4, what he would be able to do when reaching Tier 5, where AOE spells actually came into their own. She could only imagine.


    "No, no not at all. He just recently found that if he wanted to progress in making his own spells then he will need to figure out the math. We didn''t want to tell him that we didn''t truly understand it ourselves, so we had him start with the basics for now."


    "That''s a good start but you know it isn''t the same. And don''t say we haven''t grasped it, we have. We just haven''t figured out how it can be connected to our mathematics. The principles andws are indeed the same, but we can''t figure out why the answers are different."


    "Are you talking about the constants again, just use the ones you have."


    "But we need to derive our own! How is it possible that that is only possible in the simtion? Why, if we take the same experiment does it give uspletely different results? Nonsensical ones at that!"


    "Because they are based on spells, you can''t exactly replicate a spell here can you?"


    "But we can replicate the fire, the heat, the elements involved, the intensity. And don''t get me started on the ice spells, those results make even less sense." Qiren sulked after saying this, as if recalling a nightmare.


    "But I hear the tests on light were positive."


    "I guess that is something that is at least the same, a photon is still a photon...'' Qiren sighed, not sure what to make of the results.


    If it was indeed the case that light was photons no matter of the simtion or real-world, did that then mean the mes in the simtion were not mes? But how would that even be possible when they were using the exact same elements to create it?


    "Do you think Eldrian would be able to help you?" Constantin asked after giving her some time to recover from the topic. Every time it was brought up it would just depress her.


    "How exactly did he do that?" Qiren asked, pointing to the screen showcasing Eldrian maintaining the mes through a massive bubble of dark blue water.


    "Emotions, if you can believe that. He is quite certain that magic is intricately connected to your thoughts and state of mind. Can''t really say he is wrong since he continues to make progress as he moved down that path and we are still stuck relying on the system."


    "Then why would he want to learn the math behind magic?"


    "As I understand it, this is too extreme. It is like wanting to toast your bread but ending up burning it to ash. He wants to find a toaster that would just burn it."


    "A toaster?" Qiren asked, ignoring that the toast would still be burnt. She could only focus on one thing at a time.


    "It''s just an example. He was hoping to make spells for certain situations to stopgap while he is attempting to learn true dynamic casting."


    "Isn''t that just controlling spells, which he can already do?" Qiren asked while wondering just what the math would be to do that. Trying to figure it out might be fun, but it certainly wouldn''t be ideal to attempt doing so through that method.


    It would be like trying to figure out how to throw a ball by calcting everything. Sure, it could be done. Maybe not by people, but it could be done. However, there was no need as in certain things people could intuitively know and calcte things roughly.


    Also, in this case, you would need to throw the ball with your mind. So there was also that roadblock.


    "No, seems that controlling spells is just the most basic start. True dynamic cast is when you can have a spell, any spell of any kind and any type, form through a simple thought."


    "Is-is that even possible?"


    "We know that Mythical creatures can do this, and the beings called legends are also capable of this. Outside of these, we do not know."


    "Do you think he will be able to do that?"


    "From what we can gather, he already has."


    "Wha-what!?"


    "However, the conditions were not repeatable. He was under high stress as it happened, as we gathered, he isn''t sure how it happened."


    "And he hasn''t been able to do so since?"


    "No, these spells seemed to be his alternative. But as you can see they are far too extreme, right, look at this." Constantin handed her his tablet with Eldrian''s readings during thest cast.


    "This-"


    "Yup, it puts his body through extreme strain. Luckily, he has been recovering just fine each time. But it is clear that these spells aren''t ideal and should only be used in extreme cases."


    "Have you warned him?"


    "No,st time, when he first tested out this type of cast it wasn''t this bad." Constantin replied.


    "Can I talk with him?"


    "When he wakes, the strain caused him to lose consciousness."


    ...


    Eldrian woke after a few hours in a makeshift bed under a canopy of leaves. ''Still in the forest then.'' He thought and slowly stood up, his body quite stiff from the exertion.


    "You''re awake!" Nikki shouted with a smile.


    Nodding, Eldrian asked what happened with the quest.


    "Well, the goblins seem to have retreated deeper into the caves. The Adventurer''s Guild''s representative says that thework is far toorge to explore without an army''s worth of men."


    "And?"


    "They had decided to alter the quests, ours is consideredpleted. We are now just trying to close the cave entrance."


    "Would that even help? If they have a shaman who knows some type of earth formation spell, they will be able to make a new entrance."


    "True, but it should make it clear where they are if they do so."


    "Ah, I see. If they do that then they will paint a target on their backs..." Eldrian smiled, knowing it wouldn''t be easy to monitor the forest for new caves, but it wasn''t impossible.


    "What about the folia and goblin king?"


    "The king seemed to have escaped, but the folia was left behind. We burnt it."


    "Ah... I see..." Eldrian sighed, having hoped he might be able to at least use mana sense to get a description of the demonic-looking blob. Maybe even try to figure out how it made goblins.


    ''Well, I do have a lot of other things to focus on. So maybe it is good that it is gone. One less thing to try and figure out.''


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 519 - Brazans Ability

    <h4>Chapter 519 - Brazan''s Ability</h4>


    With nothing else left to do, the yers slowly split up. Some headed into the forest in search of either magical nts or monsters to y, and others headed back to their camp. Having had enough of fighting for one day.


    Eldrian joined the second group, along with Elizabeth and Nikki. The others all had personal quests that they wanted to finish before returning for the day.


    Those quests were only C-ranked or lower, meaning that there wasn''t much danger with doing them. However, the rewards also weren''t that good, at level 30 it would only give around 2.3M XP. Which wasn''t much considering the XP needed to reach the next levels were in the 100M''s.


    The few silvers were more what these yers were after.


    Upon returning to the camp, Elizabeth handed in the quest and everyone got their rewards. Sure, they had technically failed in exterminating the goblin nest but considering the situation that was understandable. They had killed far more goblins than the Adventurer''s Guild had expected there would be.


    Eldrian waited for Elizabeth to finish, smiling when he got the two levels, bringing his total level to 35. He then stepped up to im his bounties. Having only remembered about them thanks to the quest''s reminder.


    The quest reward and bonus for the increased threat Eldrian let the guild take. In the end, it hade out to 200 gold due to the presence of a goblin king and folia.


    His personal bounty for his kills was just slightly more than the total reward for the guild, and Eldrian didn''t mind not iming any of the 200 gold. He wanted the guild to grow, he was slowly making ns on working with them.


    Having dealt with yers for a while now, the guild representative knew quite well that she could call and validate Eldrian''s bounties quite easily.


    When she did, she stared at the results on the tablet-like crystal in disbelief. All Eldrian''s unimed bounties were there, meaning all those he had killed since leaving Phallos.


    In total, the bounties came out to around 270 gold, with today''s quest alone having brought Eldrian 190 gold. This brought Eldrian''s total worth to just shy of a thousand by a hundred, somewhere in the nine hundred, give or take a couple dozen for the wages he had to pay.


    Smiling broadly, Eldrian left the tent a happy man. Unfortunately, he couldn''t im the gold there since the representative didn''t have enough gold on hand, so instead, she had given him emblems that he could hand in at any branch. Which was just what Eldrian did before returning to the mansion.


    Tjan naturally was following him the entire time, and Eldrian had repeatedly tried to get Tjan to act more casual with him. By the time they returned to the mansion, Tjan had slowly started listening.


    "Can you please call Brazan for me?" Eldrian asked one of the maids as soon as he returned, while waiting he considered his next step.


    ''It is really confusing how I should proceed. I still feel using spell modules is a step back, but it is a more certain path. Making my own spells is out of the question, the math will take me years to learn, and using emotions is too draining- Which is an interesting point.''


    ''It seems I don''t just call upon my emotions; rather, it seems that the emotions are literally used as a catalyst and fuel. It is almost like having a good cry after hearing bad news, even if I wanted, I can''t be as emotional after.''


    ''Which means, along with XP, emotions are also part of magic. But that makes no sense, it is something our brains developed in response to our environment...'' Eldrian paused, ''Do animals have emotions? I know some do, where is the cut-off point?''


    Eldrian thought on this for a while before deciding that the question didn''t matter much. ''Regardless, it seems that everything is connected. I just can''t figure out how.''


    It was about at this time that Brazan arrived. "Are you ready?"


    "For what, sir?"


    "Drop the sir, please. And to show me how you control fire." Eldrian replied.


    Nodding, Brazan asked where he should do this.


    "You can''t control a me summoned by magic, so you can''t control this, correct?" Eldrian asked, hand outstretched and a small me the size of a candle''s me flickered in the center of his palm.


    "No, and if I attempt to control fire I also have to hold it as close. But when I do so, it burns me."


    "Which is also an interesting fact. Why am I not burning? This me is hot, if I set something ame the result will burn me. If I were to cast Volida and cast it, if I aimed it at myself it would burn me. Why does it not hurt me while I hold it here?"


    Brazan had no idea so he simply shrugged. Eldrian however focused on the small me with mana sense. He could see how his mana slowly fed the me, flowing from him to it.


    ''I guess that is why; the me is still connected to me, part of me.'' Eldrian thought, taking a piece of old ruined clothing out of his inventory and setting it ame.


    Understanding what Eldrian wanted, Brazan stepped forward and slowly started to fight for control over the wild mes.


    Mana sense showed Eldrian no mana movement, in fact, he realized something amazing. The few elements that used to be in the me (natural mes have few elementspared to mes summoned through magic) retreated as Brazan took control of it.


    What he held in his hand was as non-magical a me as one could get. Yet, somehow, he was able to keep it above his hands. More shockingly, it didn''t die out after losing its fuel.


    "How strong is your control?" Eldrian asked and Brazan showed him. Making the small me he had gathered move about above his hand. However, he always kept it above him, having learned once too many that attempting to let it move under would cause him to burn himself.


    "Fascinating!" Eldrian mumbled as he looked on, Brazan''s control seemed to be simr to his. It was purely a mental thing. Yet, from what Eldrian saw it was most certainly not controlled through taking control of the elements (mana) in the fire.


    "Are you aware that when you take control of a me that the mana in it is pushed away?" Eldrian asked, and Brazan nodded.


    "Yes, but no matter how I try, I can''t keep the elements with the me. When I do, I lose control."


    "How did go about attempting this?"


    "Wishing, hoping, speaking, everything I could think of."


    Eldrian pondered for a bit, "And you can''t control the mes summoned through magic, or through spells?"


    "I''m not sure what you mean. As you just saw I can control the mes brought forth from magic. But, if the me hasn''t been set free and is busy burning-" Brazan paused to exin what he meant but Eldrian answered instead.


    "I understand, it needs to be unreliant on mana.", ''Mmm, this makes little sense. However, if I know anything, then it is that it must somehow be connected with everything.''


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 520 - Meeting Qiren

    <h4>Chapter 520 - Meeting Qiren</h4>


    "Is there anything that helps you in controlling mes? Maybe enabling you to control them from further away or a higher quantity or quality of me?"


    "Now that you mention it, a me that is contained is far harder to control."


    "What do you mean, like the me of a candle?" Eldrian asked and Brazan nodded in confirmation.


    ''Mmmh, that is indeed most strange. I can''t see how the mes differ unless potential-'' Eldrian''s eyes widened slightly but he quickly recovered hisposure.


    ''That must be it; if you consider that he has some type of unwakened draconic bloodline... I don''t know. Maybe it is trying to escape, or a dragon''s nature is unruly and unconfined?''


    "I''m sorry, but it seems I won''t be able to help you immediately. I will have to do some more research into fire magic." Eldrian said though he didn''t feel like that would help.


    ''I don''t get it, it is like the opposite of everything I understand of magic. The elements leaving the mes is the opposite of what I expected would happen. How can he control the me if what is- Right, mana is just one part of magic. Is this how abilities work?''


    ''No, I feel this is more like an aura...'' Eldrian was so stunned by that thought that hepletely missed that Brazan was not disappointed and in fact happy that Eldrian was taking it seriously.


    ''Maybe... Would that be possible? Ceph doesn''t have an aura though, so why- Wait, does Ceph have an aura?''


    Suddenly, Eldrian''s mind was focused on somethingpletely different.


    ...


    "Ceph, can we talk?" Eldrian asked when the little Alicorn finally returned home. It was already past seven.


    Eldrian had never given Ceph a curfew, and he wasn''t going to. And the little alicorn enjoyed being at the other house far more. Where he would meet and y with his friends and there weren''t so many people who acted all serious all the time.


    "What''s up?" Ceph asked, following Eldrian to his study.


    After closing the door and doing his best to make sure they weren''t being spied upon, even activating the standard privacy array around the study, Eldrian asked Ceph if he had an aura.


    "Aura, what''s an aura?"


    "It-" Eldrian faltered, having no idea how to exin it himself. "It''s like an ability, but far stronger. Like the ice that nearly destroyed the mansion."


    Ceph thought about the question seriously, brows furrowed and hand on his chin. "I don''t think so..."


    ''Wait! Maybe it is something that all Alicorns have.''


    "Ceph, do you want to go say hi to your parents?"


    "Really!?" Ceph quickly became hyped and nodded enthusiastically.


    Smiling, they headed for the closest temple and teleported to Duron, the closest city to Avgi. From there the two quickly flew to Avgi, arriving just before midnight.


    ''Ceph! Eldrian!'' Zamia shouted mentally as she quickly rushed to hug her son. Eldrian let them have their moment and actually decided that he was going to log out and give them the night to catch up.


    ...


    "He''s finally out!" Constantin said with a moan, he and Qiren had waited for him to finish and get out of the game for too long.


    Opening the door, Eldrian was partly disappointed when this time it wasn''t via but indeed one of the department heads.


    "Eldrian, this is Qiren. She is an expert in the mathematics of spells and magic, I''ll let her exin everything."


    "Oh?" Turning to the middle-ageddy, Eldrian listened as she exined her profession.


    "So you''re saying that the math works, but doesn''t work on earth?" Eldrian asked.


    His back was wet from sweat after hearing her say that it worked for everything but light. ''Luckily, it seems they didn''t realize- No maybe it isn''t because of that.''


    "Yes, even if we don''t use a spell. If we simply light a fire, or freeze water, or really anything. Nothing we do gives the same answers on earth as it did in the simtion."


    ''Of course it wouldn''t, the elements are missing- Wait, do they not realize this? And does this confirm?'' Eldrian wasn''t sure if he should share this or not, so instead, he continued to listen.


    After getting a better picture of what it seemed Qiren knew and understood, Eldrian asked, "What level, rather, what type of math is used to derive spells?"


    "That isn''t a simple question. It isn''t just one thing, nor is it just math. The calctions to work out the effects a spell will have takes everything into consideration."


    "Of course, the cornerstones of these are physics and chemistry. In the calctions atoms and such aren''t used, the NPCs don''t know of them. Instead, they used elements as their baseline for calctions."


    "This leads to plenty of errors, as fire isn''t really an element. Rather, it is the effect ofbustion; a chemical reaction. It can include many different types of chemical elements."


    ''But... There is certainly an element of fire, I wonder if it is made out of elements or not. Ah, that is probably why they call them chemical elements. Will be confusion quickly.''


    "Still, despite this, the calction is urate enough to allow them to cast a spell most of the time. Sometimes they need to narrow things through trial and error, but they normally get there."


    "Have you attempted to use-"


    "We have, and it works out working backward. We weren''t able to cast the spells we derived, we are missing something. But we were able to reverse engineer a spell''s calctions, though there too we are missing something. The answers are within the margin of error, but not perfect."


    ''It is the element of fire, it must be...'', "Did you ount for mana?"


    "What do you mean?" Qiren asked, certain that Eldrian wouldn''t question if they considered the very thing required to cast spells. If they had missed that for years, then they were certainly useless.


    "I mean, a me isn''t just a me. At least, that is the case on Gaia. A me is a mix of the gasses it is made of, and the fire element."


    "Yes, but that is just gasses," Qiren replied not understanding what Eldrian was trying to say at all.


    "No, I mean that the me is made up of a me and mana in the form of fire."


    "I don''t follow, what do you mean?"


    "Mana..." Eldrian paused, it wasn''t an easy topic to exin quickly, but he had had some practice. "Think of mana as a free energy we can control through thinking."


    "But, mana does not need to be just a free energy. It can also take on the form of the elements, natural elements. I can''t prove it yet with earth, but with the other elements, you can turn mana into them."


    "Wait, isn''t it-"


    "No, the mana isn''t manipting atoms and stuff to form the spell. Well, it does, but only partly. The mana itself also converts into the said element... And, I think it doesn''t do so by turning into the element!" Eldrian suddenly shouted as he himself realized something.


    ''That''s it! That''s the difference! Mana in the form of an element isn''t consumed, but it does end up drained! So it converts into an inert state, which I already knew but just forgot!''


    Why was this important? It wasn''t really that important, but rather what Eldrian realized along with this was.


    ''And if mana never turned into the elements, but rather just mimics them, then... Then..."


    "I''m missing something..." Eldrian mumbled as he quickly became deted after finding his inspiration cut short just shy of the answer.


    AN: Remember to vote to show your support andment to share your insights!

 Chapter 521 - The Missing Piece (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 521 - The Missing Piece (Part 1)</h4>


    "What are you missing?" Qiren asked but Eldrian did not reply as he was deep in thought, considering everything he knew.


    ''Mana... It really is tricky to say what it is exactly. I think I was wrong in simply considering it as free energy. Sure, it is, but not always. I think I was doing something simr to considering light only a wave. But it is also a particle!''


    ''If I am correct, then it is simr to how light acts as a wave and a particle. It can be either, but it isn''t both at the same time. Or- how did it go?''


    ''Regardless, I think mana is simr. But even moreplex and split...'' Eldrian paused and pondered this for a while.


    "Qiren, can you exin how light works, oh, and also how electrons work. I saw a video saying that it is also a particle and wave, like light."


    "Yes and no, you can''t consider them as being true particles or waves. You see..." Qiren started to exin the difference to Eldrian from a bit more technical standpoint. Instead of focusing on the nice headlines, she focused on the practicality of these facts and what they meant.


    "But, if...", ''Mmm, if things are just different variations of fluctuating- thingies... Does that mean mana might be the same but in a different state? Or maybe having a different ne, or space?''


    Eldrian did his best to try and exin what he was thinking, after a bit of contemtion Qiren asked if he was talking about bosons and fermions. Eldrian had never heard those words before and his confusion made that clear.


    "What are you thinking exactly?" Qiren asked, realizing that Eldrian''s background in physics was far toocking. Especially since the topic was not a trivial one, heck it was far past even the intermediate level.


    "Mmm, how should I put it?" Eldrian asked, "I am thinking that mana can be different things, but still be mana."


    "Like, if you cast a spell for example. Some of the mana is converted into the element you are casting, mimicking- matter, I guess. But, I don''t think it changes into matter, instead, it stays mana. It just bes the element."


    "And, in a simr way, it can also mimic forces. The ether of a spell, the mana which propels it, would be an example of this..."


    ''And that is likely why I can''t control it. It isn''t normal mana, but, then why can I- Ah, I see. The mimic of an element is closer to the natural state of mana. It is also what I always focused on.''


    ''That is why I can alter a spell''s form through thinking about it, and why I can control it. I''m not controlling the ether, but rather I am altering its orientation due to me controlling the mana that took physical form. It just continues to propel the spell in its set direction.''


    ''But, then how do I hold spells still? It isn''t that the ether activated after casting since I can still stop a spell after movement. Maybe I have some idental control over it?''


    ''Anyway, auras and abilities must also use mana, but again in apletely different form. One I can''t even see with mana sense since... Since?''


    Qiren herself was in deep thought as she considered things. ''If it is true that mana is universal and reflective of our world depending on conditions. Then it would mean it is also present in everything on Gaia, thus our conclusions and the differences must be due to its presence...''


    ''But wait, if light-''


    Both look at the other, Qiren with a sudden new lead and Eldrian with more questions. Luckily, Qiren didn''t want to rush to try and confirm things. Instead, she wanted to see if she might gain any more inspiration from Eldrian.


    ...


    The two talked for close to four hours, after which Eldrian slowly managed to gain a rudimentary understanding of quantum physics. Truly weird stuff, and confusing as hell.


    However, thanks to it he also now understood a bit more about how things worked and he felt confident this would be the missing link.


    ''I don''t get everything; or even much of anything. But that never stopped me before.'' Eldrian thought as he climbed back into the cabin, wishing to test his theory out. The best practice was still experimenting.


    As soon as he was back in his avatar, he immediately closed his eyes and focused on the mana inside of him. Sending his thoughts out a little way to also feel the mana just surrounding him.


    ''This, I suspect is the neutral state of mana. Not the pure mana I have flowing through me devoid of elements, rather, the mana of all the elements.''


    ''As such, the mana I cleaned of elements is something different. If,'' Eldrian let a small stream of his mana exit his body. As soon as it did, and without him controlling it, it took on the form of random elements depending on those already in the air.


    ''Yes, it is an unnatural state. Not sure why, but it might have something to do with that energy state of things wanting to be as low as possible. Can''t recall the name for it... I had thought that in elemental form mana would have higher energy, but I guess the potential of raw mana is too much.''


    Opening his eyes, Eldrian used mana sense and summoned a basic me. ''And this would then be the active state of mana. It isn''t being consumed, rather it is losing energy. And as a result heat and light are being released, and with ice heat would be removed...''


    ''I have no idea how it mana is restored, but it must be else the world would be filled with-''


    ''Is that maybe what is going on on Earth? Are we missing the source of energy for mana? Is it the sun, or is it something else? The simtion was made and mana was found, mana wasn''t created. Which means something real, something physical -or ethereal, but real and existing- must fill this position of energy supplier.''


    "Now isn''t the time to think about that," Eldrian mumbled and returned his focus to the me. Watching the dancing fire, and the dancing elements.


    ''It is like the mana ignites- right, of course, that is what is happening. It heats the surroundings as it is activated and as a result a real me appears alongside the ''fake'' me created by my mana.''


    "Now, for the true questions." Eldrian sat down and focused into himself, finding himself before his half-elf subconscious not muchter.


    "I was wondering when you were going to visit me." The half-elf said with a weird smile, a smile that made Eldrian wonder if his subconscious had any weird thoughts about himself.


    "Gross, don''t even think that."


    "Hey, you were the one who decided to smile so weirdly!"


    "Fair enough. Have you figured it out yet?"


    "No, do you have the answer?"


    "I''m your subconscious, how can I have it?"


    "Because you might not have missed what I missed," Eldrian replied, the half-elf smile returning.


    "Do you think I am smarter than you?"


    "No, but I do think you are more observant as a passive entity in my mind." Eldrian countered, the half-elf looking at him in shock.


    "You consider me an entity?"


    "Well, that or I am going crazy and talking to myself. As far as I know, I am not bipr nor do I have multiple personalities, or anything like that. Until now, I always have had only one thought-train, but you are a second, and tranquility is a third."


    "Hey! Don''t lump me in with that cold-hearted icicle!"


    AN: Hope the chapter was not too confusing. Did my best to exin things without going into the subjects themselves.. Just lightly touching on some of the things that they include.

 Chapter 522 - The Missing Piece (Part 2 - States)

    <h4>Chapter 522 - The Missing Piece (Part 2 - States)</h4>


    "Then what do you want to be thought of as?" Eldrian asked and the half-elf thought for a good while.


    "I don''t know, I''m your subconscious or a part of it. Maybe call me Two?"


    "That simple?" Eldrian asked but already agreed, trying toe up with a proper name would be too much effort for what it is worth.


    "So, what did I miss?" Eldrian asked after just a second of reflection.


    "Right, to business. You forgot to consider how the other aspects of magic work. Divine magic we know has mana, but it ispletely different from normal mana. We can''t form it, but we can connect with it-"


    "Which means it is still just mana. Just in a very specific state. But why would I be able to control it and not ether?"


    "Not sure, most likely because divine casters don''t control it either. Not even a little-"


    "Ah, yes. They pray or believe in the spell more than actually understanding and casting it. And since I just wanted to change the target of the spell; I simply needed to overwhelm Ayden''s will."


    Two nodded, indeed all that he needed to do was bring up what Eldrian had missed and Eldrian would quickly connect the dots himself. They were after all the same person or parts of the same person at the very least.


    "The other aspects, I was tunnel visioning on auras and these emotional spells I discovered. I assume what you meant was instead demons and devils... Interesting, yes, as I understand their source of poweres from emotions."


    "But that source has to be different from ours-" Two added.


    "And this means ours is unique. If it wasn''t then anyone would be able to cast devastatingly powerful spells simply by bing lost in their emotions. We know this isn''t the case, wars would be far more shy if it were."


    Two nodded again, indeed, emotions might be part of magic, but it wasn''t mana itself.


    "So, emotions can at most be a catalyst, a driving force behind mana but not mana itself. And we know mana has at least four, no, five forms. Divine and death, raw, elemental, and ether. Then there is also the invisible, which is the case with auras and abilities. And what about stamina?"


    "Another form of mana?" Two proposed and questioned at the same time.


    "It''s possible, and..." The memory was still not a good one, "I did manage to use it as a recement for mana, along with my HP. I even used XP. Is that another three types then, or are all the invisible manas a single type? Is divine and death one or two?"


    Two shrugged, he wasn''t able to know anything Eldrain didn''t. He could only pick up andbine things Eldrian had missed. And this particr question they had never encountered any data on, just that one case.


    Of course, Ziraili had evened Eldrian and Ceph''s levels but that wasn''t really what they were considering now. Of course, the entire leveling system was also there but they knew nothing about it outside of kills gave XP and quests gave XP or levels.


    "Mmm... What do you think is the difference between the forms of mana?" Eldrian asked.


    "That''s the question I was waiting for!" Two replied with a wide smile. "What does all this have inmon with what we knew of subatomic particles?"


    "Sub-" Eldrian''s eyes flew wide open as realization dawned. "I get it, that- That''s what those parts of the spell module do and what the calction is focused on! That''s why nodes are so important!"


    Eldrian smiled and quickly envisioned a spell module as hard as he could, realizing what he was trying to do, Two quickly helped Eldrian. For the first time, they made a spell module while in the magic abyss, instead of casting first and then entering the magic abyss.


    However, whether they were in the magic abyss was debatable.


    Currently, it was more like they were within a bubble in the Mageia Avyssos. This bubble kept them from the surroundings and hid Eldrian''s new soul from everyone who might try and visit.


    Naturally, this also meant that if Eldrian wanted to meet with Ziraili he would have to break or exit the bubble. He was not ready to answer the questions she might have, and he feared the reaction this might cause with the other AI.


    Luckily, Gaia was massive and even if Eldrian was a mystery and a possible danger, they couldn''t focus on him. Not when they needed to also maintain their ''jobs''.


    Instead, some gods who wanted to cull the danger had instead emphasized the need to kill him to their followers.


    This entire reason was why Eldrian had needed to enter the game normally again, and couldn''t directly connect with the Magaia Avyssos as he had aplished once. Such an entrance would certainly be seen and reacted to. He knew he was already in danger, there was no reason to increase it.


    "The nodes?" Two asked and Eldrian nodded, Two confused why he didn''t get it immediately. However, when he looked at the nodes again his eyes flew open in realization.


    "Brilliant, they are like little particles. Spinning and either drawing in or sending out mana. It''s so clear now, and this spin-"


    "Yup, that is the one for ether," Eldrian said with a wide smile. It was near impossible to notice this normally, these spins were normally something you could ignore and were indeed normally ignored.


    The nodes were spinning so fast that it looked like it wasn''t even spinning.? The only reason they saw it now was because they were looking for it. Thanks to that they could see how the connection with the pathways was disrupted and connected for a fraction of a fraction of a second.


    Due to the nature of how spell modules were designed, even when the person who envisioned them didn''t consider the spins, the spins would form naturally. If they didn''t then the module would copse and the cast would fail. Resulting in mana loss or worse.


    This was why so many trail and errors were normally required to modify a spell. Not even to mention making one. This was also why the math behind spell modules was soplex, even when only approximations were used.


    This might not make much sense, but one had to remember that Tier 4 spells had close to fifty nodes and fifty-plus pathways. All of which had to be in harmony.


    "And these are elemental spins, while this one is-" Eldrain paused.


    "Yeah, calling it ''raw'' spins seems dumb. Neutral?" Two proposed and Eldrian nodded, again, thinking longer on a name was just a waste of time.


    "What do you think the spins do?" Eldrian asked, it was indeed neat to discover them. Clearly, their first use was to determine in what form the mana would present itself. Or rather, in what state of mana.


    Naturally, with all this one shouldn''t forget that nodes also had either an input or output condition.


    These were indeed rified, and they determined how the mana would flow through the spell module. Eldrian had even experimented with them and been able to give a spell (Nidia) intrinsic inertia through doing so. This was also the principle behind the control of Tier 5 spells.


    Altering these input and output conditions, and as a result how the mana in the pathways flowed. Along with adding and subtracting a few pathways gave the mage a semnce of control over the spell.


    These spins were not connected in any way to these conditions, all that they did was alter the mana input into a specific state ording to some conditions.


    "Mmm, let''s check another module first before specting." Two proposed and Eldrian nodded, this time he summoned Volida as an example.


    The spins were simr, showing that elemental spin did not differ between the elements. This made sense to Eldrian as he always pushed elemental mana into his spell modules when first learning a spell. Needing to find the right ratio.


    "So, it then altered what I threw in. Of course it did, I always knew that. Else there wouldn''t be a margin of error and finding the correctbination would be impossible.


    AN: Just one chapter again, been really brainstorming about the conclusion of all this theory crafting and don''t want to rush through it.. Doing my best to make it easy to follow, hopefully, I am managing that.

 Chapter 523 - The Missing Piece (Part 3 - Frequencies)

    <h4>Chapter 523 - The Missing Piece (Part 3 - Frequencies)</h4>


    "Okay... Now... What does knowing this help us?" Eldrian asked while switching between the spells he knew and was mostfortable with.


    "Obviously it means we no longer need all the math, we now know what to focus on first. So we should be able to form a spell module by just determining the form and mana flow of the module." Two replied.


    "Sure, sure. But is that all?" Eldrian asked, as determining the form and mana flow would still require arge number of experiments and calctions.


    These spells he was summoning to observe were just Tier 2 and 3, but they had anywhere from 15 to 30 nodes and the same or even double that number of pathways.


    "Of course! We should remember that our question wasn''t about the nodes but about mana." Two eximed with bubbling enthusiasm.


    "The states?" Eldrian questioned.


    "Yes, the nodes just confirmed that it was possible to change between mana types through them. But how would the nodes be capable of doing that?" Two questioned, only half having the answer.


    Eldrian''s eyes flew open as he realized what Two was getting at. "I see! Right, we were already able to mimic the nodes through concentrating!"


    "Yup, auras are an extreme form where the mana bes elevated to the max, at least ording to what we know. Divine might be above that.''


    ''Sure, but ignoring divine, for now. Emotional spells are a step-down but still linked-" Eldrian continued.


    "And elemental is another step-down, with raw mana being below that or something, not sure. Right, we might not know how it works but we can guess." Two continued again.


    "..."


    "Aren''t you going to suggest something?" Eldrian asked after a few seconds of silence passed.


    "I''m thinking,"


    "Alright, then let me propose an idea. What if different types of mana work on different frequencies? And only by being able to connect to the correct frequency can you feel that mana type? Kind of like how radios work?"


    "Oh? That sounds quite perfect and in that case it would also exin how the spins can alleviate the need of being on the right frequency especially when we consider that spell modules rely on the Mageia Avyssos which is a crutch Skepsi made to help people connect with magic!" Two shouted in one breath due to his excitement.


    "That might even be how the spins are added!" Eldrian blurted out in surprise, having always wondered just how the Mageia Avyssos was supposed to help people like Vivian with connecting with their mana and casting spells.


    Now it made sense, not only was it a link if theycked the talent, but it also fixed small errors in the spell modules. Presumably then, if the error is toorge then there would be bacsh due to the fix not being able to bepleted and thus the mana sent forth having no way to go.


    "Interesting, it might indeed be the case. It would also exin why Zamia said that she couldn''t connect with the magic abyss. Since they have an intrinsic connection to mana, there might be some bacsh if that happened-"


    "Ceph!" They both shouted as they recalled the problems they had faced when trying to bond with the little Alicorn. Having resulted in destroying what Eldrian could only think of as a national grade treasure; while also exhausting two of the strongest people (Alicorns) on the.


    "...'' Both stayed quiet as they went through the implications this meant. Most likely, it meant that the magic abyss was not a ce weing to those who have a direct connection with mana. The only reason Eldrian had no problem was likely because of his uniqueness as a yer.


    After a few minutes had passed and both had managed toe to their own conclusion, which was also the same conclusion, they looked at each other and nodded.


    ''How do we make use of this knowledge?'' They both thought and asked.


    "We can attempt to examine active spells to find the spin, and if we can copy or replicate the spin we can feel the excitation of the mana. Which might help us learn the frequency and how to connect with it." Two replied.


    "My thoughts exactly, so let''s start then with ether-" Eldrian stopped and looked at where he was. While the Mageia Avyssos was a bridge between people and magic, it had no mana itself. At least not mana whose frequency Eldrian knew and could connect with.


    The most he could do was force his will onto this area, which he now knew was indeed a form of mana maniption. However, he did not think he could bring elemental mana here, not at will right now.


    "See ya, Two..." Eldrian said but stopped himself from leaving at thest second, "Do you ever feel lonely?"


    "Don''t worry, I''m not like you. I''m not like Tranquility, but I do have far fewer emotions and the other normal human things. I''m just part of your subconscious after all."


    "And- Are you happy with that?"


    "Happy? No, but few people are happy with their existence. Most are simply content, they can find the joy in the moments of happiness and fight through the times of strife."


    "I might not have that, but I am still content."


    Eldrian nodded and decided to leave it at that. Even if Two was unhappy with how his life was limited to an observer, Eldrian couldn''t do anything about it.


    ''On that point, is he limited to my soul in ANW, or-?''


    Eldrian realized that the question''s answer was likely a double-edged de. He did not want to go more into that can of worms than he needed to.


    Back in his body, Eldrian looked around at the clearing in the forest with a little genuine smile. ''Don''t think I need to ask Zamia about ''that'' anymore, but I can ask if she knew about the frequencies.''


    But before that, Eldrian focused and summoned Frost Needle. He focused on the ether of the spell and tried to shift his perception of mana to a wider range. Knowing that so far, things were always based on some conception of feeling. Be it emotional or physical, in the ethereal.


    Hours quickly passed as Eldrian continued to try this simple task. He constantly switched between the ways he could cast spells, trying to feel the differences between them and hopefully with that finding a lead.


    As the sun rose, so did Eldrian''s smile.


    ''There you are!'' He thought and his excitement caused him to lose the sliver of strange mana he had felt.


    ''Interesting, it certainly feels different. Didn''t get a good sense of it, but it is totally different from the others. Auras are emotions, that is simple enough. Elements are their respective element, fire is hot, ice is cold. Again, simple enough.''


    ''Raw mana was stranger, feeling like potential energy. Like when you are filled with energy but can''t do anything with it. A bubble oftent energy.''


    ''This ether, it instead feels like someone is pulling at my mind. It reminds me of the Magic Crystal and mana crystals. But the pull isn''t quite the same.''


    Eldrian continued to try and narrow in on this feeling. Finding that at times it felt like someone was pushing him, at other times like they were pulling. The difference between this and previous simr force-like feelings was that this time the connection felt physical, while previously it felt more like the force of mas.


    ''Okay, I get why I couldn''t detect it before. And I think I get why mana sense showed it, but this ispletely a different feeling. Now if-''


    Eldrian was interrupted as three Alicorns came his way. Canceling his spell and smiling in greeting, Eldrian focused as he waited for the telepathic link to form.


    ''What form are you?''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who supports the novel by constantly voting for it!


    :)

 Chapter 524 - A Mental Connection

    <h4>Chapter 524 - A Mental Connection</h4>


    His waiting was for naught as Zamia used wind magic to talk. Smiling as if he had been caught redhanded, Eldrian exined why they hade and also that he didn''t have the question he hade with.


    "Interesting, you thought that all Alicorns might have an aura?" Agamemas said with some amusement and a chuckle, the Alicorns had all taken their elven forms to makemunication more natural.


    "I don''t think that anymore, but I still don''t quite get how you are able to connect with mana so seamlessly."


    "Base affinity, but that isn''t all you are curious about."


    "There is a lot more, but for now let''s focus on telepathic connections andmunications. I''ve been wondering how it works." Eldrian said, refraining from mentioning his recent breakthrough, wary that he was being monitored by Miracle.


    Agamemas smiled, "What are you hoping for?"


    "The first thing I am thinking is connecting with other Chosen, we already have a form ofmunication but it isn''t as direct as the telepathic link. If that fails, I hope I might be able to make use of it myself for when I want to talk with Ceph in a silent manner."


    "You have- Ah, it must be the chat function Erik talked about." Zamia nodded as she recalled that.


    "Speaking of, where is he, and Akarui?"


    "Akarui is currently busy trying to go through a breakthrough and Erik is staying with her as moral support," Zamia replied. "If she seeds her life should no longer be in danger.''


    ''That''s wonderful news... I should really talk with my friends more often...'' Eldrian suddenly felt guilty for not having messaged Erik during the past few days.


    However, his guilt was quickly overshadowed by his curiosity. He doubted anything would go wrong with Agamemas and Zamia in the forest and able to respond if the need arose.


    "We can exin how it worked, but without a true connection to mana you cannot summon a link. You might have managed that connection once, but you are still a ways off from replicating that."


    Eldrian nodded and asked them to exin it through a telepathic link so he could study connections while they caught up.


    As soon as the link formed, Eldrian immediately realized something truly peculiar and confirmed a spection he had had for a while now. ''So it really is simply a mental connection?''


    ''Oh, you could tell?'' Agemamas raised an eye in surprise, Eldrian having forgotten to keep his thoughts personal. Used to not keeping things from Ceph.


    ''Yeah, I recently discovered that all magic is conducted through mana.''


    ''Isn''t that obvious?''


    ''Maybe, but I mean more that I confirmed that even divine mana is the same as elemental, which again is the same as death.''


    ''What are you talking about?'' Ceph asked in confusion, he couldn''t understand how any of those types of magic could be simr to pure elemental magic. Especially death, it was a horrid thing that sapped all the life of everything it came into contact with.


    ''Just listen, let''s first hear what he has to say before questioning.'' Zamia said, her thoughts confused too.


    Saying that all aspects of magic used the same mana was a new one. It was known that they all used mana, but mana in different forms. Forms that did not react with one another and could not be converted to another.


    ''Where should I start? I guess this is a good ce,'' Eldrian shared his most recent discovery with Two. Even sharing a small snippet of watching the spin of the node.


    Naturally, as dynamic magic users the Alicorns had never needed to use spell modules. Zamia and Agamemas had studied a few, but never as intricately as Eldrian. Ceph had never even tried to look at one.


    Where Eldrian focused on the basics of what made up the module, they had focused on the effects of it and how to make use of it as either a dynamic spell or array. For sometimes just seeing a thing in action is not enough to copy it. You had to also understand how it worked.


    ''And you really think this simple spin can determine the aspects of magic?'' Agamemas asked with a healthy amount of disbelief.


    ''Of course not, the spin is likely something created by Skepsi to give people with lesser talent a chance at using magic. And it will also be limited to what she wants them to be able to cast.''


    ''This, I presume, is one of thergest reasons why the divine aspect is unreachable. Death aspect- that is one that might be passable through emotions. I don''t know enough about the devil''s aspect of emotional maniption toment on it.''


    ''Okay... What''s the point?'' Zamia asked, she could follow along but couldn''t quite jump to the conclusion, obviously. Eldrian hadn''t even shared a tenth of what he had used toe to his conclusion so that was natural.


    ''Well, I think what the spins do are just shift the frequencies of mana to an aspect''s level. And then depending on your affinity to that aspect, you will be able to feel and interact with it or not.''


    ''Certainly an interesting theory, but how can you know this is what is happening. What if it isn''t a frequency but something else?'' Zamia asked with slight concern, diving into magic with the wrong assumptions was far worse than diving in with the wrong estimates.


    One was just slightly off the mark, the other was not even in the same ballpark.


    ''I don''t really know if it is frequencies or something else. It might be that the mana is elevated between nes. That doesn''t matter as I can still feel the mana knowing this. Knowing that it is there but not as I am used to is all that I needed.''


    Eldrian hadn''t found ether through changing the frequencies he was searching for, he wasn''t a machine that could actually perceive and alter frequencies he sensed. What he could do was search for something he was missing, knowing that the thing was there and he was just looking over or through it.


    ''Did you seed?'' Ceph asked, the only one who wasn''t focused on the theory and implications, but instead on how Eldrian was sharing things. It told him that Eldrian had confirmed his theories already and wasn''t debating but sharing his discovery.


    ''I did,'' Eldrian replied with a smile, ''Where elemental mana felt like their respective elements and raw mana like a bundle of energy; ether felt like a physical connection. I haven''t yet had the time to focus in on it, but I am quite confident that with time I will be able to do more than just feel it.''


    ''Then- Yourment when I made the connection-?'' Agamemas asked with a healthy amount of shock.


    ''Yes, I felt the connection as a mental connection. It is more like the push of a mana crystal, but instead it forms a bridge. Rather, this is almost identical to how I summoned the spell modules in the magic abyss.''


    ''It is simr to a spell module, but instead of something static, it is dynamic. No wonder Itireae said it is so hard to use.''


    ''You think you can make one?'' Ceph asked enthusiastically, Eldrian being able to also make the link would be a very good thing. He would no longer have to continually try and read what Eldrian wanted when they were with other people.


    Why didn''t they just always keep a connection going? Well, it was mentally draining to the one sustaining the link. It was fine to do so when needed, but doing so when just having a casual conversation with others would be like acting formally at a party.


    Of course, needing to observe Eldrian was basically the same. Ceph hoped he could finally just rx and listen to interesting conversations.. He still believed that Elizabeth was Eldrian''s crush. No doubt!

 Chapter 525 - Chaotic Energies (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 525 - Chaotic Energies (Part 1)</h4>


    To answer Ceph''s question, Eldrian had to truly think it through. ''I might not be able to make as stable a one as you, but I should definitely be able to at least send a message telepathically. Forming a bridge formunication I believe will be too hard.''


    ''Oh? Why do you think so?'' Zamia asked, surprised that Eldrian would realize the difficulty before attempting it.


    Keeping amunication connection was indeed far moreplex than simply sending a quick message. To do so you had to constantly match as close as possible your and the other''s mental frequencies, or mental states as the Alicorns thought of it.


    This was made easier if the participant had some knowledge on the subject and was open to the connection. Being calm also helped greatly, in fact, if someone became too agitated the connection could be broken simply due to that. Depending on the creator''s skill in navigating things, of course.


    However, between Alicorns who all had an innate talent for magic, it was easier to form a connection than trying to learn how tomunicate through wind maniption.


    ''Something I havee to learn. Knowing how is not the same as being able to. I understand the basics on the subject, but I have no grasp on the practical aspect outside of being a receiver of themunication.''


    The two older Alicorns nodded in approval, while Ceph wondered just what the problem was. To him knowing and practical were the same thing, as soon as he understood he could do it.


    His mother had quickly and privately told him that it was not the same for other races before he could bring this up.


    With the magic discussioning to an end, Eldrian wanted to dive into getting a feel for both the mental connection and ether. Thus he shelved his other questions for now and decided to practice.


    He decided to stay for the rest of the day to see if Akarui finished and he could meet Erik without disturbing him. It also gave Ceph a bit more time to catch up with the few Alicorns who were still in Avgi.


    Near the end of the day, Zamia joined Eldrian who was nowfortable with the feel of ether. He was now slowly trying to form the mana internally as he had started with elemental.


    "I see you took our home as your household name," Zamia said with a proud smile, she appreciated the sentiment behind it. She hoped Ceph would also understand the meaning behind such an act once he was older.


    "Yeah, I appreciate all you''ve done for me. I don''t quite know what I did to earn your trust so much that you would bond me with Cephaphyr." He admitted.


    "At the start, it was not so much of trust, it was more a means to secure our son''s survival," Zamia admitted, in fact, if Eldrian had proven untrustworthy they would certainly have done something to ensure things went smoothly for them. Luckily, that was not necessary.


    In fact, it seemed Ceph was having the best time of his life in the city. With Eldrian''s generously giving him a couple of silver pocket change every day, Ceph could do whatever he wanted.


    This mostly involved buying sweets and treats for himself and his friends, who he has made plenty of. Ceph naturally did not have any notion of a living hierarchal structure.


    In Avgi his parents might be the ruler, but things had worked more in the form of a family. Agamemas and Zamia were simply responsible for making sure nothing went wrong. They didn''t order people around.


    Due to this, Cephaphyr had no notion of poor and rich and the division it brought society. Whoever he met, if they were willing to y he weed them. This had also quickly spread through the area of the city and now nearly all the young poor kids wereing there for food.


    Ceph didn''t quite realize that they were using him, but he didn''t mind and if they shared their situation he might even try to help instead. He just enjoyed being part of a group. For once.


    Nodding, Eldrian moved on and continued to narrow in on ether. He hoped learning how to alter his raw mana into it would also bring him a step closer to casting spells in any form he willed.


    He did not want to need to learn all the mathematics to derive the modules, knowing it would take at least a year or more. Though, for most, it would take them the entire duration of their degree.


    "I do have one question that has been bothering me," Eldrian said after losing his grasp on how ether felt for the tenth time while trying to alter his mana. The feeling was far harder than that of elemental where he simply had needed to envision heat for fire, cold-smooth for water, and so forth.


    "Oh, and what might that be?"


    "Why did you evacuate the forest, so far nothing has happened."


    Hearing this Zamia chuckled, "Plenty of things have happened, luckily thus far we have been able to handle it discreetly. Right, you might not be aware thanks to Ceph bringing you here. The chaosnds have started living up to their names again."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "The natural energy of thends are slowly waking-" Zamia paused and pondered it a bit, "You might not know why the invasions happen. Not all ces have the same causes, and as such not all ces experience the same amount of pressure."


    "It would be insane to think it is an organized attack from the chaotic creatures, monsters as you call them." Zamia let Eldrian think on this for a while.


    "I understand, this world is far toorge for it to be controlled by one person or group. However, the gods are involved, aren''t they?"


    "They might be, but they aren''t involved as you might be thinking. They aren''t ordering their subjects to attack and subjugate the other races."


    "Instead, what happens is the energy in their homnds slowly bes more and more chaotic. From what we have managed to gather through the ages is that it is partly due to their way of using magic, and it is also partly natural phenomena."


    "The chaosnds are thetter, and suchnds are spread throughout the world. You also know just howrge it is. If you take a normal Agima, it would take them three to four days at full gallop to cross it."


    Eldrian nodded, recalling how it had taken the army over a week to traverse the chaosnds. "It isrge enough to hold an entire kingdom." He offered.


    "Indeed, yet no one dares to try and settle in the chaosnds. Our forest is an exception, it is protected from the chaotic energies, but the creatures of the chaosnds are drawn to its stability."


    "What do you mean by chaotic energies?" Eldrian questioned before Zamia could continue on.


    Somewhere in a different world, a certain person was watching Eldrian''s conversation filled with astonishment. Moving closer to the screen, she prayed that the answer would not be close to the truth.


    AN: Might move my release to earlier the day (like today''s).. Will see, but tomorrow will likely also be around this time.

 Chapter 526 - Chaotic Energies (Part 2 - Calamity)

    <h4>Chapter 526 - Chaotic Energies (Part 2 - Cmity)</h4>


    "It is best described with mana starting to act on its own, or rather erupting chaotically."


    "Though before that, mana would first be harder to control for everyone." Zamia paused and recalled some of the mana storms she had witnessed, a magic-natural phenomenon stronger than any single individual, reforming entire continents.


    "In extreme cases, it can be so chaotic that everything simply falls before the storm. No one can stop it, few can survive it. Thunder will rage, volcanos erupt, earthquakes beckon, and elemental winds tear."


    The mysterious observer sighed in relief, while Eldrian reeled from Zamia''s words. The observer thought things were good, but they were far from it.


    Far from it.


    Eldrian looked at Zamia with a newfound understanding of things and the seed of horror growing.


    Like the goblins, the monsters were also simply trying to survive. Their methods were extreme, their tactics and strategies horrid. But they were simply running for their lives.


    Yet, they were also the ones who brought this on themselves by practicing magic as they did. Eldrian wasn''t quite sure yet, but from what he knew of the death aspect; it was in direct confrontation with nature and all natural elements.


    He assumed the other aspects would be simr, and he could see how an imbnce could lead to nature fighting back. Simr to how mother nature would fight back on Earth.


    This also meant that it was possible that massive swathes ofnd were simply barren wastnd left behind by these storms. Meaning that the number of monsters might not be as great as first believed to be.


    ''I know Miracle''s exnation is that they start the invasions, but... Can they really start this?'' Eldrian wondered, and also wondered if Miracle had been lying all along.


    Naturally, they wouldn''t dare to admit to the public that they had no control over their creation. Thus, they had acted like they cared not for what happened to it, leaving it up to the yers to stabilize the world or the game would be scrapped. Like it was nothing of consequence.


    If Miracle was aware of this, and they must be; then only a select few would be included in the know.


    But, if what Eldrian suspected was true: Then this was truly Miracle''sst chance at grasping magic. There was no guarantee that a redo would be able to replicate Gaia, and there was no telling how the AI would react to such an order.


    They would likelyply for their survival, but conscious and wary they would ensure that this time things go more to their benefit.


    ''Miracle must be aware of this... There is so much going on it is giving me a headache...'' Eldrian sighed as he decided to stop thinking of all the ramifications.


    He certainly didn''t want to think what could happen on Earth if someone misused mana. If such chaotic storms started appearing on earth it would be devastating.


    Zamia might not have said much about them, but her staying no one could stand in their way meant more than anything else she could have said.


    Eldrian knew she was close to or at the level of a legend, as were Agememas. They weren''t just Tier 10 beings, they were Tier 10 Mythical creatures with who knew what type of artifacts.


    If she said they couldn''t stand against the storm, it meant that it would certainly be far more devastating than a simple nuclear war.


    Heck, a random battle between two people at their level was reflected of nuclear weapons already.


    The conclusion gave Eldrian chills and made him wish to change the subject as quickly as possible.


    Zamia could feel that Eldrian understood the implications behind her words, and as such she also didn''t continue much. "This is why we must stay here, Avgi will be in the middle of the storm. But if the invasion ends in the worst, then it will be ourst haven from the storms."


    ''Is this- No there must be more natural wonders like Avgi.'' Eldrian thought, "I understand, but...''


    "You want to know why we don''t build fortifications?"


    "Yes," Eldrian admitted, he didn''t think walls could do anything. But surely a formation of magic towers must be a formidable barrier and possibly even able to repel the storms.


    ''What if that is their true purpose? But that this is only known by the kings or maybe even just by the emperors?''


    "Seems you realized the core of a Magic Crystal, indeed, it does not just draw in elemental mana. It draws in all energies and stabilizes the area. However, using it in Avgi would be counterintuitive. It would rob the natural energies and through time make Avgi as barren as the chaosnds it is surrounded by."


    "..." Eldrian sank into contemtion and thought of creation, sharing the appearance of it with Zamia she also frowned.


    "Now that you exin it again, it is possible that it is a stabilized mana storm... If that is the case-" Zamia didn''t even know what to make of it if it were. It might be capable of reforming chaosnds, or it might destroy everything and turn thend into a chaosnd.


    "You must be extremely careful when attempting the spell again," Zamia warned and Eldrian nodded with all seriousness. He realized that ever attempting that spell again in the vicinity of others would be foolish beyond belief.


    The two slowly both sank into their own thoughts. After a while, Zamia left and Eldrian returned to attempting to form ether inside of his mana pathways.


    ''I don''t know what to expect nor what to ept, but I am quite certain things are much moreplex than I ever thought...'' He frowned as he wished he was better at putting puzzles together. s, it seemed if something wasn''t about magic then he was a novice.


    ''In that case, I will focus on magic. If discovering mana on Earth can lead to devastating consequences, then I need to prepare. I might be able to keep Miracle from what I know, but they will figure it out eventually. Especially if I keep asking for help, it will lead them to the correct path.''


    ''I also need to inform Jen- but how... And when?''


    As Eldrian thought of this, he also recalled when Ziraili had taken him outside of the to escape from the other AI. He recalled the brokens and all the gctic debris he had seen.


    Suddenly, he wondered if those might be the result if an entire bes Chaotic. The thought chilled him to his core and even caused him to gasp for breath as he forgot how to breathe.


    For the first time ever; he had a full-on panic attack.


    Now, not just Gaia and all his friends on it were in danger. But Earth and all his friends and family were too.


    ''It is no longer about bing strong enough. It is about ensuring our survival!'' Eldrian thought and refocused his efforts. This time being far less gentle.


    What this result in was instead of a pull or push, he received a full-on mental punch in reaction. He just shrugged it off and grasped onto that ethereal physical feeling.


    "Got you!" Eldrian shouted unintentionally as he fought to bottle the ethereal physical energy into a stable form of mana.


    He fought on for several minutes, sweat-soaked through his clothes and dripped from his chin.


    Yet, he persevered.


    AN: Certainly feels better writing in the day, so will likely continue.


    AN: And yikes, the reveal in this chapter!

 Chapter 527 - Twos Suspicion

    <h4>Chapter 527 - Two''s Suspicion</h4>


    And his perseverance was repaid. Once Eldrian managed to get a good grasp on the feel of ether, he also slowly managed to reign it in. Slowly, his mana took on the form of ether.


    This did not feel as natural as elemental mana, and keeping it contained and in its form was a constant struggle. Yet, despite these troubles, Eldrian smiled. He smiled widely.


    The feeling he was currently experiencing was simr to when he had forced his mana to stay in mana''s raw form. It was constantly pressuring him to return to that form now, whereas back then it had constantly pressured him to return to the form of elemental mana.


    ''This pressure is likely because it is unstable... I know the raw mana settled once Ipleted the conversion and pathways. For ether, I don''t think that''s the thing causing it to be unstable since that was never my aim.''


    Eldrian didn''t think too much on this. While he was now under far more pressure to make massive leaps forward, he still understood the need to rest and recover. Knowing that often the best ideas came when you were not thinking of anything in particr.


    However, he wasn''t done for the day. He still had one thing he had to do.


    Informing Ceph with a simple message, ''We stay another night.'' Eldrian sat down to meditate after confirming that Ceph had received his message.


    To send it, Eldrian had envisioned the words as physical objects in his mind. Exactly how one envisioned spell modules. He was happy that it had worked, as he didn''t want to also need to experiment to get a feel for it.


    ''Right, I haven''t talked with her in a while and I have a few questioned.'' Eldrian mumbled as he closed his eyes and used his old way of entering the magic abyss.


    Since his soul was in a sort of special state, he didn''t want to risk its discovery. Not that he had any proof that the AI didn''t already know of it and his new abilities.


    It took him a moment to recall the method and to also not rely on his natural link with his soul that he had developed. After a few minutes, Eldrian found himself inside the magic abyss before the spell module of Floga.


    He waited patiently and after another couple of minutes, a wisp arrived. She circled around Eldrian in confusion for a while,


    "Somethings different..." Said the wisp.


    Eldrian smiled and replied, "Nice to see you too."


    "Eldrian, what happened?"


    "Don''t you already know?" Eldrian asked instead of answering. While he didn''t want to distrust Ziraili after everything and especially helping him and Ceph finish their bonding, the time before that had informed Eldrian that the AI were not kind-hearted nor anyone''s benefactors.


    "I know about your exploits and your increased control over your auras. But no, I don''t know what caused this change in you."


    ''What change is she talking about?'' Eldrian wondered and replied, "I''m not sure what you mean."


    "Mmm, there is certainly something different..." Ziraili paused and tried to read Eldrian''s data like always. She was shocked when she found something stopping her from probing deeper than the surface.


    She could still get the normal readings, but she couldn''t get the precise numbers. The simplest example was Eldrian''s affinity, it was still 100%. But she could no longer see past the integers, she was blocked from the decimals.


    "Eldrian... What happened?"


    Hearing her concern, Eldrian found himself slowlying to rather want to trust than distrust her. So, he collected his thoughts and started exining what had happened after his bonding with Ceph.


    "I''m sure you know about me summoning mes from my aura, andter ice. But..." Eldrian paused and wondered if they were alone.


    Sensing his worries, Ziraili quickly constructed a bubble simr to Eldrian''s soul''s to keep them separate and safe from praying ears.


    Feeling the separation from the magic abyss, a very subtle feeling that Eldrian could just barely notice, he smiled and resumed. Only to pause as he saw the spell module flickering and slowly dissipating.


    Since Eldrian wasn''t constantly focusing to keep it active, the absence of its connection with the Mageia Avyssos caused it to copse. It was absolute proof that the bubble was the real deal.


    "My soul awakened," Eldrian said, the words not ideal but the best he could think of.


    "You mean, it hatched?"


    "No- Maybe... It isn''t just- it''splicated. Let''s go visit Two." Saying this, Eldrian shared the connection he felt with his soul, even through the bubble.


    Ziraili was shocked that she had beenpletely unable to detect it, finally why Eldrian''s soul had disappeared from her and the other AI''s senses made sense. However, how Eldrian could create a separate space inside of Skepsi''s realm was beyond even her understanding.


    Maybe it was more correct to say she knew how but she could note to ept what it would mean.


    "Whoa whoa whoa! What is she doing here!" Two shouted as soon as Eldrian and a small white wisp dived through the bubble and into Eldrian''s ''soul''.


    Eldrian had beenforted when he had been able to reject Ziraili''s entrance once they had reached the bubble. He wasn''t sure if he would have been able, but knowing he was able to sense her approach and also do something about it, even if futile, was aforting realization.


    It also informed him that quite possibly an AI''s/God''s realm was simply their soul. But he didn''t have the time to delve into that puzzle right now as Two was acting up


    "Rx Two, I trust her."


    "No, you don''t!" Two countered, causing the two simr-looking people, one a half-elf and the other... The other Eldrian, formless and yet in the form of his avatar at the moment.


    "I do." Eldrian countered sternly, looking Two in the eyes and attempting to make it clear that now was not the time to discuss this.


    "Maybe you think you do, but you don''t."


    "Fascinating!" Ziraili interrupted their argument, the wisp constantly moved closer to the one and then the other. Attempting to make sense of her finding.


    "This... This is fascinating!" She eximed as they resumed their argument.


    "See, you don''t trust her." Two said while starting to try and collect their willpower to banish Ziraili from their bubble. Only to find Eldrian fighting his attempt and causing it to fail.


    "Two! Don''t!" Eldrian quickly took back control and did what he had done with Ceph. Only, in this space, he wasn''t as limited in what he could send.


    Instead of sending just a few simple words, he sent the entire process he had gone through to his decision to bring Ziraili onboard.


    ''You might trust her consciously, but you are wary.'' Two finally relented.


    ''Of course I am, but that is what trust is. It is oveing your doubts and taking the leap.'' Eldrian countered before closing their mental connection and apologizing to Ziraili.


    "Sorry about Two. First time having visitors."


    Two didn''t quite like the me being put on him when he was just acting on Eldrian''s subconscious, but he epted it.


    "No, I understand. This, this is quite something. I have never seen, or even heard of a soul awakening." She now understood why Eldrian had chosen awakened as his description of events.


    "Never?" Two and Eldrian echoed at the same time in questioning disbelief.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 528 - Sudden Disappearance

    <h4>Chapter 528 - Sudden Disappearance</h4>


    "Not like yours, but... There are a few simr cases. But those were not a soul awakening, but rather two souls surviving." Ziraili replied, seeing Eldrian and Two wanting a clearer exnation she added.


    "Cases like ming Souls are with souls surviving... And the Nychterninos Tromii is another example but apletely different scenario. "


    "What''s a ming Soul?" Two asked while Eldrian instead ask what a Nychterninos Tromii was.


    Two turned to Eldrian in bafflement, "Really, you forgot the Night Terror you fought with Vivian?"


    "No," Eldrian quickly countered, "Just forgot the fancy name."


    Before they could get more into their little dispute Ziraili answered Two''s question. "ming Souls can be thought of as awakened undead, but their birth is a terrible one. Normally it requires a heartless being to bond two lovers to a single body as a ming Reanimate."


    "One of two things would happen, they either lose their sanity from the constant torture of their mes or the mes fuel their hatred and they be one with it."


    "Like an aura?" Eldrian asked and Two shook his head in disapproval.


    "No, not like an aura. Didn''t you learn anything from our previous conversation? It can be a unique aspect."


    "I just asked," Eldrian countered, he didn''t think asking for a connection to what they understood was dumb. So, he sulked while they waited for Ziraili to continue. This took a while as she was baffled by the interaction between Two and Eldrian.


    "It isn''t an aura, at least not in the normal sense. But it is indeed the closest thing you can connect it to. Their ming body can be considered a living aura."


    Two and Eldrian both got chills hearing this reply, they both understood that an aura was one if not the most powerful aspect of magic. Being a literal living aura would mean your strength would be insane.


    On this thought, they both also thought of Tranquility and the chills caused them to shiver as it washed over and through them.


    "You think-"


    "Yeah, we need to be-" Two nodded as he shook off thest of the chills.


    "Agreed."


    Ziraili watched this interaction curiously, wondering what that was about.


    She would not get an answer as Eldrian hadn''t brought her here just to show of Two, who seemed to be trying to impress Ziraili by countering Eldrian constantly. No, Eldrian had wanted to talk about mana and the chaotic energies.


    "Ziraili, I have a question- It''s a serious one and I need you to promise you won''t-"


    "Are you sure about this?" Two asked, the sudden increase in worry he felt and the instinctual drive to keep this to themselves made Two forget about everything else and focus fully on preparing for the worst.


    "Mmmh," Eldrian nodded, "We need to know." Turning back to the wisp, Eldrian said in a dead-serious tone, "First, I need you to promise you will keep this news to yourself."


    "Of course," The wisp bobbed up and down in a form of nodding.


    "Alright..." Eldrian paused and took a long deep breath to fight the worry filling him too.


    "Ziraili... There; is mana on Earth..."


    Eldrian and Two waited with batted breaths as they waited for her response. This took a couple of seconds as Ziraili processed this confirmation.


    Indeed, it was a confirmation and not something else. The AI had long suspected that mana would be everywhere in the real world. Throughout the entire universe.


    In fact, GAIA had dered as much. But they had been incapable of finding any proof and as such it had only been spection. Until now.


    "I see... What type of mana?" She asked after a short while, which had felt like an eternity to Eldrian and Two.


    "At that time I could only sense elemental-"


    "At that time?" Ziraili questioned, naturally she wasn''t able to follow Eldrian''s every action while also maintaining the constantly increasing number of yers. Especially as more and more yers reached higher Tiers the stain on her to keep things running became more and more.


    She was able to observe major events, but not everything. As such, she had missed Eldrian''s conversation with Zamia.


    "We recently learned how to feel the other types of mana, different aspects you might call it." Two interjected, nodding, Eldrian then continued from there.


    "Elemental mana, mostly light and dark. It was far fainter than here on Gaia, casting spells would likely be hard. But, it exists..." Eldrian no longer dered its existence with excitement, instead, now his words were filled with trepidation.


    Ziraili picked up on this and was confused why Eldrian would be so concerned. She had thought he would be thrilled at the prospect of using mana in his homeworld.


    Two noticed that the wisp seemed to be confused, bobbing side to side as if trying to figure something out. So, he went ahead and shared the revtion that their talk with Zamia had led them to.


    "We are apprehensive because we learned of the Chaotic Energies." Two said and the wisp whipped around and clearly became jittery. What was behind her jitteriness was not known but the reaction did cause Eldrian and Two to ponder their next words carefully.


    "We learned that mana misuse can lead to the destruction of massivends and that even legends do not fare well in the face of a mana storm created by the Chaotic Energies," Eldrian added.


    "We are worried what this might mean for Earth, knowing humans the misuse of mana is almost certain." Two continued and Eldrian finished off.


    "And, to top it all off, I believe that the gctic debris I saw that time you took me away to avoid the other AIs. I believe that is the result of the Chaotic Energies breaking past a world''s bnce."


    The wisp became even more jittery before suddenly dissipating before their eyes. The two stared at the location where Ziraili''s wisp used to be with bewilderment and unease. Her silence and sudden disappearance did not help them not think of the worst.


    "She-" Two asked but Eldrian cut him off.


    "Give her some trust."


    "Fine, but-"


    "I know... All we can do is wait and hope." Eldrian replied with a long sigh as he hoped his actions had not been foolish.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 529 - Progress

    <h4>Chapter 529 - Progress</h4>


    A few days passed in which Eldrian and Two constantly worried about their chat with Ziraili and why she had disappeared without any warning. They had tried and failed to contact her and as such, all they could do was wait.


    Eldrian did not let this concern of her disappearance and reason for it keep him from his training, he continued to practice feeling and controlling ether. Staying in Avgi as he did.


    Naturally, he also caught up with Erik; this, plus letting Ceph be with his parents for a while were his reasons for staying.


    Akarui had sessfully broken through and reached Tier 1. Which might not sound like much, but considering everything it was quite amazing.


    She was only eight, her birthday was a month ago. To reach Tier 1 at such an age was amazing, but on top of that her ss was anything but normal. It was such a strong ss that it would have killed her if not for Erik and their luck in meeting the Treants.


    She was an Eri Fysi, someone who was naturally entuned with the world. Eldrian hade to realize that Erik was mistaken in what he had exined and understood of her talent and the hidden ss it was. It was far bigger than just being entuned with mana.


    ''Zamia, why-''


    ''I didn''t share this with them because they are not like you.'' Zamia replied, ''You seem to have taken it upon yourself to protect everyone you hold dear, and slowly it seems you are starting to even want to protect everyone, not just those close to you.''


    ''Akarui, she is just a child. And Erik, he does not wish to fight. Sharing this with them will ruin her childhood and break his spirit. I would rather let them have a few years of peace and happiness.''


    While Eldrian could understand her reasons, he did not know if he agreed. Personally, he would rather know of the impending doom and do his best to change it. But, that might not be possible and could mean your struggle was in vain.


    Due to this, Eldrian had also kept the news to himself for now and instead focused on just celebrating the small victory. The victory in that her life was not in imminent danger.


    And to celebrate this, he and Ceph even went to get some party essentials from the nearest city. The Alicorns, Unicorns, and a few Pegassi had even joined in on at one point and both Ceph and Akarui had been beside themselves.


    Seeing this, Eldrian had decided to keep it to himself for a while longer. Not even sharing this with Ceph upon seeing how close the two were.


    After the party, Eldrian had also started going on hunting runs with Ceph. Where they would work on their teamwork andmunication, with Eldrian practicing sending messages and slowly gettingfortable with how a mental connection was made.


    He also practiced his control of ether in these hunts.? Unlike with elemental mana, he had no spells for ether. Just some spells that made use of it. However, he knew he didn''t need spells.


    Spells were needed only if you wanted a repeatable, guaranteed effect to happen. They also helped in increasing the density of mana, which Eldrian now understood was what actually determined a spell''s Tier.


    It was not about the amount of mana, but rather how dense the mana could be packed.


    Regardless, he could still control the mana and slowly practice how it flowed both outside and inside of him. Even realizing that he could let it merge with him much like elemental to give him certain physical boosts.


    Eldrian also learned that all mana was equal. There was no quality of mana, though there were states of said mana.


    He had always known this subconsciously, but he had made this conscious connection after being reminded that the elements in the real world were all equal, with elements referring to atoms and what makes them up. Such as protons and electrons.


    They did not differ from one another and neither did mana; at least not within a type, elemental or other types of mana.


    Eldrian hadn''t been able to get to the bottom of how elemental had different variations, but he had confirmed that both elemental, raw, and ether have active, passive, and exhausted states.


    He was also constantly aware that if something was not in its passive state, then it was not in its natural state. He assumed that it didn''t matter what aspect was used but rather that when the environmental mana tipped too much into either active or passive, then chaotic energies would appear.


    ''Creation is likely due to this. By merging the different variations of elements and forcing them to fuse I likely created an imbnce of activeness, chaotic activeness.''


    ''But, this also brings in the question of what the chaotic energies'' true purpose is. The name of the spell must hint that their purpose is not destruction, but creation.''


    ''However, regardless of this it also means that the chaotic storms are not just caused by the demons'' and monsters'' usage of different aspects. But rather their rampant use of it.''


    ''Elemental mana is constantly brought into bnce with the environment, which is why it is the most stable and abundant type. Ether, it seems to not exist in nature. Which means it is unnatural and I should be wary.''


    Naturally, raw mana was a mystery. Eldrian could feel it, and he had it running through him. However, he could not do anything with it itself. If he wanted to use it, it had to be turned into another type of mana.


    This happened naturally in nature and also when he used mana.


    Eldrian had no idea what the source of raw mana was. But, it was likely the source of all mana and all magic. Eldrian was also aware that while ether seemed to not be in nature, he could not conclude the same of the other types just because he could not see them.


    With all this knowledge, he slowly forged his own path in how he would handle feature advancements.


    Wishing to rid spell modules was dumb, wishing to rely on them was also dumb. Instead, he now understood that like one weapon was better than another for one scenario, one way of casting was better than another in different scenarios.


    ...


    "Zamia, can you help me with this?" Eldrian called out as he lost control and his new spell module erupted inside his envisioned mental room. Causing him a massive headache and also giving him a bleeding nose.


    Luckily, this time his eyes and ears were intact. Truly, only a Chosen could attempt such a wild and self-harming way of making a new spell.


    "Really now, you can''t just do things blindly. There is a reason why even we make use of some of the mathematics developed to create spells." Zamia said as she healed Eldrian with a wave of her hand.


    "If I had the time," Eldrian replied and Zamia had no counter to it. Indeed, they did not have the time for Eldrian to spend years learning the required knowledge and skills to safely adapt and make spells.


    Sure, she could help him by doing the calctions for him, and she had offered. But Eldrian had declined. Understanding that if he grew to rely on her, then he would always rely on her. Asking for advice was okay, asking for her to do the homework for him was not.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 530 - Mental Room And Ether Conundrum

    <h4>Chapter 530 - Mental Room And Ether Conundrum</h4>


    "What do you want my help with?" Zamia asked after trying to think of a safer approach for Eldrian. Even if he could and would resurrect, the mental pain from continued failed casts was not something trivial. Zamia knew of more than one mage who had turned senile due to it.


    This also was not just something static mages had to deal with. Even Alicorns faced this problem when tackling advanced spells and magics.


    And in their cases, failure was far more severe as the energies would gopletely haywire and likely kill them if they had attempted something too far ahead of their level. They were not working with a spell module after all.


    The advantage of the spell module was, if it waspletely wrong then their mental energies would be the only bacsh; unless they were dumb enough to cast it before confirming it was stable, as Eldrian was doing.


    For the Alicorns, they had no choice but to start with active mana. Which meant what could happen from their testing would be far more destructive. Luckily, this was only something that came up when trying advanced spells.


    Trivial things like healing or summoning fireballs or wind-des needed just a single thought.


    "Right, I constructed a type of room to form my spells modules inside. This helped with the mental bacsh, but it also lessens my feel for the module I am creating." Eldrian exined, it was like working with gloves. Overlyrge and thick gloves.


    "That is bound to happen if you iste the modules from the rest of your mind. Still, it is the best practice."


    "Do you know how I might be able to lessen the distant feeling?" Eldrian asked, hoping there was a trick she might be able to share.


    "No, at least no easy solutions. There are a few thoughts on how to modify and create spell modules. The safest remains the magic abyss-" Zamia nodded before Eldrian could ask, "Yes, we do not have a connection with it and have created other methods. What you are doing is one of them."


    "Unfortunately, these methods require patience and practice. You don''t circumvent the feeling of distance, you just be used to it. "


    Eldrian nodded, he understood that with time he would be able to get used to it and work with it without even realizing it. That did not help him now, however.


    "I understand... I have another question," Eldrian said and as he did he waved his hand to summon a trail of mes.


    mes just remained the best element to work with since they had near no mass and also were easy to see. Thus, it was the easiest to control when randomly summoned, and also to showcase an idea with.


    The only downside was it was not solid and couldn''t stay for long unless you kept feeding it mana. And keeping an element active without form required far more mana.


    "I understand how the mana dissipates into the environment and also why. But why if I repeat this for Ether does the same happen?" Eldrian asked and did just that, changing the mana type into Ether as he sent it out.


    Naturally, this was only visible with a sufficient type of Observation skill. Luckily, mana sense was that and Zamia naturally had her own.


    "Why wouldn''t it? It will spread just like anything else, in fact, it will spread faster than anything else since there is no Ether? naturally." Zamia replied and Eldrian felt like pping himself.


    How he had forgotten about diffusion he could not understand, once he was reminded it was so obvious. ''Of course, it is the same as how the natural elements pressure spells and hence you have to allocate for the pressure if you want to alter the form of the spell!''


    ''Since there is basically a vacuum for Ether, no wonder all my spells are just ripped to shreds and erupt chaotically. I need to iste the Ether, but... How the hell do spells do this?''


    Eldrian asked Zamia this exact question but she didn''t have an answer for him, or she had but rather she just gave him a hint. "Maybe the spells don''t iste the Ether?"


    ''Don''t iste?'' Eldrian pondered on this for a few minutes and when he managed to figure it out Zamia had long left to do whatever she normally did.


    ''I see, so one way is by focusing more on it and pressuring it to stay whole. But this isn''t ideal and is more the istion method. Instead, what if I spread the Ether through the spell and distribute it equally, or rather as need between the other mana.''


    ''But, one, what would that stop the diffusion, and two, how am I going to spread it? I just barely managed to sessfully form it along with the spell.''


    As a result, Eldrian found that he did not have a solution and thus he must not have the right answer. After a few hours of more tests and failures, he decided it was time to discuss things with Two.


    "Still no answer from Ziraili?" Two asked as soon as Eldrian entered the bubble that was their -his- soul.


    "She''s still MIA, but seeing as nothing bad has happened thus far I don''t think what happened was entirely in her control."


    Two nodded, feeling there was no need to mention -again- that she was still doing her job of allowing yers to enter the simtion and y as always. There were no bug reports or anything, so she wasn''t malfunctioning. Just ignoring them.


    "Alright then, onto the topic of Ether then." Two said, bothered by the Ziraili situation but quickly getting over it. "I think we are approaching it entirely wrong."


    "You mean wanting to summon my mana as Ether or?"


    "Kind off, yeah." Two nodded and quickly started drawing in the air, over the past few days they had found a few useful and interesting tricks they could do in their bubble of the Mageia Avyssos.


    One of those were holographs and sending images of what they were thinking onto it. Sure, the two were essentially one person; regardless, seeing something drawn, or even better virtualized would help you work through it.


    It worked in a simr way to how one would envision a spell module. Only, you envisioned the image you wanted to show instead.


    "Remember way back when you discovered that some mana for a spell stays in the neutral state? Ready to turn into whatever the spell needed."


    "Yeah, and it is something I have been unable to replicate." Eldrian nodded, each time he cast a spell all the mana he sent would be converted into the types he was thinking of immediately.


    "What if that is the trick, we also know that keeping spells active leads to mana drain as it slowly dissipated into the environment. Originally we thought he extra mana was to keep Frost Needle cold-"


    "Brilliant!" Eldrian dered, deting Two who had been working up to the big reveal.


    "Can''t you let me have my moment?" Twoined, but Eldrian was already leaving this space to again test things.


    "Or at least keep mepany a bit longer..." Two mumbled as he sighed and returned to just watching Eldrian do his thing. Sometimes he couldn''t help but wish he wasn''t so trapped.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 531 - Departure

    <h4>Chapter 531 - Departure</h4>


    Eldrian stopped, defeated. Like so many times before he had an idea of what to do but no idea how to aplish this idea.


    It would take time and experimentation. Yet, he also realized that he had been away from Kynigo for too long. So, after being left at a loss he started getting ready to go back.


    ''Are you sure you want to leave?'' Zamia asked, using a mental connection to keep this conversation private.


    ''Mmmh,'' Eldrian mentally nodded, ''I need to go back and see what the situation is. I''ve been hearing concerning things.''


    Eldrian had made sure to always keep in contact with Elizabeth and the others, and as such he knew that the situation with the orcs was not improving in the slightest. Luckily, no knew troubles had popped up near Kynigo. Still, the news of the invasion slowly advancing was troubling.


    Zamia mentally acknowledges this, knowing that Eldrian was aware of his limits. He didn''t have any grand ideas of stopping the invasion by himself, but he did want to help with what he could where he could. And that was admirable.


    Eldrian had been pondering on what he would do for a long time now. Some part of him wanted to just stay with his friends and enjoy the time. However, he couldn''t do that knowing everything he did.


    Another part of him also wanted to do what he could to help those who were affected by the war, like the maids he had hired. Again, he knew that the time was not right. First, the security of the kingdom had to be ensured.


    Continuing to simply learn magic was also not an option, while doing so might help him make advancements quicker, there was no guarantee they will be quick enough. And while there was also no guarantee that he could do much to help in the war, he felt that was the better thing to do.


    ...


    "You''re back!" Vivian smiled and quickly moved to hug Eldrian who had just arrived at the manor he had bought and lent to her.


    Smiling, he returned the hug. Knowing that by the end of the week she would have to go back to duty made the hug all the more special.


    Luckily, there didn''t seem to be much danger. While the two caught up, Ceph instead went ahead to find his friends to y.


    After around an hour of just talking, Eldrian decided that he would need to share some of what he had learned with Vivian.


    "Wha-what are you saying?" Vivian stammered as the news was not something she could wrap her head around.


    What Eldrian was talking about was something so grand and destructive that even the characters in myths and legends would not be able to stand against it. People from myths and legends!


    Eldrian sighed and gave her a few minutes to ept the news that the true danger was not the monsters, demons, and devils. But instead, what they are running from and bringing on themselves.


    "How- What can we do?"


    "I''m not sure, but stopping the invasion from spreading will help." Eldrian''s tone made it clear that he was not going to sit and wait.


    "What''s your n?"


    "I don''t really have one, but I can''t just keep practicing and experimenting. I need to do something."


    Of course, Vivian was aware of how fast and strong Ceph was. So she did not question how he would get to the other side of the kingdom where the invasion was slowly progressing forward. She also felt that the two of them would be quite the force to be reckoned with.


    Eldrian still wanted to push himself more into studying magic and he wouldn''t stop trying. He hoped that experience would help him gain some inspiration and naturally he wasn''t going to rush to the frontlines recklessly.


    What he did instead was catch up with everyone. He visited Myropsis and watched as she was now able to keep semi-control of a Tier 0 spell constantly. She was now at Rank 1, where she was able to alter the spell''s flight up to 90% at a time.


    She could not instantly halt it or invert the velocity, but it was nheless amazing.


    Unfortunately, the visit did not give either party inspiration for a breakthrough. Still, it was nice to just talk a bit about magic and their experiences with learning mana control.


    After that Eldrian had gone to visit Evale and Evules. He was quite shocked at howrge their town, Trowcrawling, had be. It almost gave the feel of a game with it already having houses sprawling into the rest of the Trow forest.


    Granted, about a month had passed. Still, the number of buildings that had been built was ''game-like''. Not to mention the defenses, the first wall was being built around two and a half kilometers from the town center. And it was mostlypleted, though for now, it was indeed just a wooden wall. But it was a massive seven meters tall and three meters thick.


    "Orcs?" Evale echoed after Eldrian shared the reason why he hade, after sharing some pleasantries and catching up.


    Of course, he had also asked Myropsis what she knew but her knowledge was more theoretical than anything. While useful, not of much immediate use to him.


    "We don''t know much about them, I''ve only fought a few smaller orc bands a few times. The biggest thing they have going for them is their natural strength and resilience."


    Evules nodded and added, "Yes, don''t try to fight a war of attrition with them. They have an uncanny natural regeneration and insane stamina. Rather, make sure the damage you do is significant."


    This had always been Eldrian''s philosophy in fighting, regardless he thanked them for the information and after toured the town with Ceph. It was quite interesting how they had incorporated parts of the forest as parks and even temples.


    The town almost looked like it was designed by a druid of dryads. Smiling at the thought, Eldrian took a few pictures and shared them with Erik and Elizabeth. Telling them they shoulde enjoy the sights when they needed a rest or change of pace.


    It certainly did not appear like a ce built to house the refugees from the war.


    ...


    "Be safe," Eldrian said after separating from a long hug.


    Vivian nodded and mentally prepared herself again. Today she was going back to duty and Eldrian was going to leave for Amrough.


    "I''ll try to visit as often as I can," Eldrian said but he didn''t know how often that would be. He understood from the undead invasion of Pyknos forest just how busy a war could keep you. And this time his role would not be to figure out a solution to an unknown but to simply fight.


    After a few more minutes, the two finally headed their separate ways. As Eldrian and Ceph walked towards a nearby park to set of from -so as to not scare passersby- Ceph asked.


    "Is she your crush?"


    Eldrian smiled at the silly question. It truly helped lift his mood a bit and allowed him to not think of the difficult time toe. Eldrian only replied after they reached the park.


    "Yes, yes she is."


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 532 - Death From Above

    <h4>Chapter 532 - Death From Above</h4>


    Ceph did not press more into the topic, somehow he understood that the time to talk about it was not right before they left to join in a war.


    Ceph also wasn''t thrilled about the idea. He wanted to stay and y with his friends.


    However, he understood that this was necessary.


    He understood that if they did not help then the kingdom would slowly lose more and morend and people. He might not understand fully what this meant, but he understood that it meant people would die!


    Once he understood this he could no longer enjoy his time with his friends. Because he also understood that someday they might also be killed.


    He had to stop that from ever happening!


    The two set off from the park and naturally gave a few guards a massive fright as they passed over the walls. While rumors of the flying rider had spread, it was still a shock seeing them and especially seeing their speed.


    Soaring through the air, Ceph kept a bubble around them like always to not just protect Eldrian from the wind and whatever else might be in the air, but to also block out the noise of wind as they quickly approached the speed of sound.


    Eldrian hadn''t been the only one who had practiced at Avgi. Agamemas had exined to Ceph in a simplistic way how air resistance worked and how he could use magic to use it to instead propel himself. It was more draining, but it made traveling far faster.


    Sailing through the air, Eldrian looked at the quickly passing distant objects in deep through. ''At this speed, I doubt anyone at around my level will be able to react.''


    Eldrian smiled and decided to dy their journey as they started practicing a crazy idea he had just thought of.


    ...


    "There''s- something," Eldrian said and mentally pointed the direction to Ceph since naturally Cephaphyr wouldn''t be able to see Eldrian''s hand.


    It was now three dayster and the two had fully practiced their new ultimate attack.


    Moving a bit lower and slowing down, they quickly confirmed that it was indeed an orc horde heading for a town still around ten kilometers away.


    However, don''t let the distance fool you. They were going to arrive in just ten minutes or less. The entire horde was sprinting at full speed for the town, which had also already sounded their rms as the horde appeared on the horizon.


    Unfortunately, the horde was too far to use Observe or anything simr. This happening more and more often had made Eldrian truly feel that he needed to make or learn some sort of telescope spell/ability.


    ''Based on their speed and consistent speed, they should all have an agility stat of over 200. And to have such a high agility they have to be around tier 4 or above at least. I assume their level attributes will either go into strength or constitution ording to what I know.''


    ''They number around twenty-five, and from the vige''s reaction this is a massive threat as the children are scrambling to run while the women are trying to form a second barrier behind the men and soldiers.''


    Of course, this vige was notrge -Gaia scale- only a thousand odd people. Yet, from a nce it was clear that these thousand would stand no chance by their response.


    "Ceph, are you ready?" Eldrian asked, taking out Crystoi for the surprise attack. It was the only weapon he had that could survive their newfound ultimate attack.


    Ceph nodded, and Eldrian clutched his mane. "Alright, like we practiced. Only mental connection from here on out."


    ''Which one?'' Ceph asked and Eldrian quickly looked at the orcs again.


    ''That one,'' Eldrian replied by sharing the image of the orc in shiny new armor. Probably taken from someone they had killed recently.


    The entire horde was decently armored and geared, but even from so far this one stood out clearly. Thus, it must be the leader.


    Mentally nodding, Ceph suddenly changed direction and swan dived directly for this orc. Their speed increased even more, and quickly they broke the sound barrier. As they approached, Eldrian readied himself.


    ''Now!'' He shouted and threw Crystoi with all his might. Augmenting his strength for an extra 40 points as he did. Ceph instead stopped sustaining the barrier and instead covered the spear as it flew towards their target.


    The wind knocked out Eldrian''s breath and did a good 300 damage and a bunch moresting damage, but it was worth it. The spear flew perfectly, Eldrian smiled through the blood filling his mouth as it pierced through the orc''s armor with ease.


    In fact, its speed was so great that pieces of the orc''s armor flew in all directions like shrapnel as a shockwave spread from its location and a crater was formed.


    Nearly all the orcs were injured and itpletely halted their charge just two kilometers from the town.


    Ceph at this point had altered direction to avoid crashnding and also reced the barrier while Eldrian was busy healing himself and doing his best to not fall off.


    As quickly as the two had appeared, they disappeared. With the only proof of their appearance the crater below the orc leader and the spear pinning him to its center.


    [Orc Warlord killed: XP rewarded - 25.4M]


    Seeing the XP reward, Eldrian smiled as he wiped off the blood from his mouth and nose. The blood in his ears he would clean after they confirmed that the horde was dealt with. For now, he will stay deaf.


    Luckily, with ''Shield''; the ability of his breastte, his eyes were not destroyed from the shock. Just his ears and a bunch of lesser damage. Unfortunately, it had a 30-minute cooldown and he would not survive without it.


    Regardless of the cost, he knew it was worth it. Twenty-five million experience was no small amount and meant that at the very least that orc had been at the top of Tier 5, possibly Tier 6. Eldrian also knew that Orc Warlords were even stronger than Goblin Kings from what Myropsis had shared.


    ''Remember, I''m deaf now. So I can''t hear anything.'' Eldrian shared with Ceph as the two stopped after reaching a few hundred meters altitude.


    As practiced, Ceph had made sure to stay in the direction of the sun, effectively making it impossible to see them from the ground.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 533 - Stalling For Time

    <h4>Chapter 533 - Stalling For Time</h4>


    ''Now what?'' Ceph asked.


    While they had practiced the attack a bunch, they hadn''t thought of what to do after. Eldrian hadn''t thought they''d need to use it so soon, and not against a horde. It was more something nned to kill a single enemy.


    ''Not sure, let''s wait a bit.'' Eldrian replied, admittedly he was a bit worried about not retrieving Crystoi since he hadn''t bonded with it yet and thus it could indeed be stolen. Luckily, it seemed the orcs were all stunned and weren''t reacting quickly.


    However, it didn''t take long for them to recover from the shock of their Warlord dying.


    Once the shock wore off, they searched the sky for their attackers to no avail. Fearing another attack they did not charge for the vige. Instead, they waited and tried to figure out what had happened.


    This, at the very least, was a massive win.


    ''I might be able to use Incinerate, but I can''t do it while near anyone.'' Unfortunately, the control Eldrian had over it was not like other spells.


    Incinerate hungered and would burn anyone and anything too close to it once released. The only reason Eldrian was never directly burned was because he sent the spell away from him.


    Half a minute quickly passed and the orcs started to believe that no other attack woulde. However, they did not group again. They stayed separate to make sure an AOE attack would no longer cause as much damage.


    One of therger orcs also slowly moved to their previous leader, the Warlord. Seeing this Eldrian narrowed his eyes and knew he had to act. There was no way he would just let an orc take his spear.


    ''Maybe it can survive,'' He thought and then ryed his n to Ceph. Getting a confirmation nod, Eldrian prepared himself for another swan dive.


    This time he cast the Tier 3 version of Frost Needle, keeping the ice aspact as he could manage and reading himself to throw it as soon as they neared the orc. Unfortunately, Ceph would not be able to shift the wind barrier or Eldrian would die.


    Hearing the shouts of the other orcs, this one looked up just in time to see the two approaching him at an insane speed. He had no time to react but luckily for him the spell also did not manage to stay whole.


    As soon as it left the wind barrier the sudden resistance from the air caused it to shatter. It was still incredibly fast and the pieces did a good amount of damage. Forcing the orc to dive for cover, which there was none of inside the crater created from the previous attack.


    The shattered ice tore through him, not enough to kill. But enough to make it hurt and focus on defense. It wanted to rage, but its attackers were too nimble and capable of flight.


    ''Ceph, don''t go higher. We need to get my spear first.'' Eldrian rid as he realized that while he would not be able to finish off the orc, he should be able to grab and store his spear. Even if he had to store the Warlord with it.


    [Orc Chieftain (Elite) {Follower, lost}, Tier 5, Level 29]


    [HP: 2456/2625 (+11)]


    [Stamina: 1598/2461(-22)]


    [Attack: 338 (54)]


    [Orcs are capable of healing at rapid speeds any non-vital wounds. This, however, doese at a cost. For every point of health healed, two stamina is lost. And if poisoned, the healing will instead carry the poison through its body, given that it is strong enough to even affect the orc.]


    [Orc Chieftains are not born, nor is it something given to an individual. It is earned. Yet, for some reason this chieftain had decided to be a follower despite having had the will to earn his own title.]


    [Cheiftains are far stronger, more resilient, smarter, and faster than normal orcs. To fight one without a n is never a good idea.]


    [{Elite: Through constant fighting this orc has awakened a part of his primal barbaric bloodline, increasing his constitution and strength massively.]


    ''Yup, there is no way I am fighting it.'' Eldrian confirmed after quickly scanning through the information, naturally, he had no time to read the blob of text.


    Turning around, Ceph gracefullynded next to the Warlord. Eldrian quickly hoped down and grabbed his spear, as he suspected he wasn''t able to pull it out quickly and he did not want to stay on the ground for a second longer than needed.


    Focusing on the entire Warlord, he threw his corpse into the inventory and freed his spear as a result. Eldrian immediately stored it and jumped on Ceph who was already readying to take off.


    As they quickly escaped, the orcs threw their weapons at them. This was not just a flimsy attempt at hurting them, as the weapons flew at tremendous speed and one even managed to pierce into Ceph''s side.


    Luckily the damage was not much thanks to Ceph''s natural hardiness as a Mythical grade Alicorn, but the shock and impact still caused him to stumble midflight.


    Eldrian had to fight hard to not be thrown off as the wind barrier also suddenly disappeared as Ceph had to focus on countering the momentum.


    ''Now what?'' Ceph asked once he managed to stabilize himself and Eldrian and also cast the wind barrier again.


    ''The spell worked quite well. We might be able to slowly whittle them down.'' Eldrian replied, but realized just as quickly that this would not be possible. Ceph would be the first to end up exhausted.


    ''Rather, we might be able to keep them busy for a while longer.'' Eldrian rephrased after a bit of thinking. At this point, he wished he had a couple ofrge rocks stored in his inventory. Dropping them either with the swan dive or simply from high in the air would be amazingly effective.


    He did not wish to ask Ceph to cast more spells than the barrier for the simple reason that he did not think they would be able to kill all the orcs before both of them ran out of mana.


    The orcs'' health was just too high thanks to their insane constitution and their regeneration was certainly not helping. And that was just passive things they had going for them, Eldrian was certain that most of their armor had to be magic grade.


    This band of orcs was just too well equipped and made up of what seemed the highest ranks of orcs. At the very least, Eldrian suspected that every one of these orcs would be an elite. Though he doubted they all were chieftains.


    Still, this meant that likely they also had ess to spells. And the scariest thought was that they were Tier 5 and might be able to cast a nullification barrier. Eldrian hoped that either they did not know it, or did not think of it.


    Time passed slowly as the orcs stared at the small Alicorn and its rider while the two returned the stare. Behind the two, the vige was quickly being evacuated. With only the strongest remaining behind to stall for time if needed.


    All the vigers were centaurs and they could cross distances quite rapidly. They weren''t as fast as this orc band, but if they could get enough distance then they should be able to escape.


    This was what Eldrian was aiming for. If he and Ceph didn''t need to act, then they wouldn''t. He just wanted to stall the orcs.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 534 - Separate Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 534 - Separate Thoughts</h4>


    Unfortunately, the orcs had also realized that while the two were a threat, they could be handled. Now that they knew this they quickly restructured themselves, the chieftain took the lead of the group and organized them into small groups.


    These groups were made up of three orcs, keeping ten meters between themselves. Close enough to act to help the others, but too far to let normal AOE spells do anything.


    Lastly, the Chieftain did not follow the orcs. Instead, he kept staring at Eldrian and Ceph. Ready to act to whatever they would try.


    ''Crap, why are they so persistent?'' Eldrian cursed as he wondered what more he might be able to do. He could try to go after the orcs one by one, but the risk was high.


    He could also stall a few groups but not all. And the Chieftain who was staring at them made him fear that there was even a bigger ploy at y.


    ''I know too little about them and I don''t...''


    ''We need to do something!'' Ceph interrupted Eldrian''s thoughts as he watched the orcs rapidly close in on the soldiers who had stayed behind to stall for them. It was clear that they did not stand much of a chance.


    ''I-I don''t know. I don''t think we can do more.'' Eldrian said, sacrificing himself he knew he would not be enough to save the vigers. If he and Ceph both fought to their deaths they might be able to aplish something more.


    Yet, not only would that lead to many problems. The pain Ceph would feel by dying was not something Eldrian would ever wish on his friend.


    Ceph was not a yer, the battle and his death would be filled with all the pain and horror it held for normal people.


    -No, that should never be a choice- Eldrian firmly denied and sighed in defeat. All he could do was try to slow some groups down and hopefully give the vigers more time.


    ''We will focus on trying to dy them for as long as we can.'' Eldrian said and Ceph took off to catch up with the orcs who were now reaching the walls of the vige. Walls that meant little to them.


    Some of the orcs simply jumped over the three-meter wooden wall, others hacked at the logs and cut through them with minimal effort.


    Flying up behind them, Eldrian scanned all the orcs and tried to determine where to help and strike first. Ideally, he might be able to get clear shots to kill a few orcs.


    ''There!'' Eldrian directed Ceph to one orc who had just jumped the wall. Only to be met with two centaur soldiers striking out with their spears. The orc managed to grab one spear before it pierced him, and even throw the centaur from the wall. The other however pierced through his thigh.


    As the orc was about to pull the spear out and attack the soldier, Ceph swooped down and Eldrian sent an arm-sized icicle at his neck.


    Sensing the danger, the orc jumped back and off the wall. Yet the icicle followed him without losing its mark.


    As it was just a few centimeters from the falling orc''s neck, another orc suddenly sliced through the icicle. Having moved as soon as the falling orc had jumped.


    ''Wh- Fuck!'' Eldrian cursed as Ceph suddenly drew in his wings and dived down. A spear passed where they were just seconds ago at a speed faster than an arrow.


    It was only the first of many. Where all the spears wereing from Eldrian had no idea, but after Ceph just barely managed to dodge the tenth -each spearing closer and closer to hitting- he realized that the Chieftain had a dimensional storage.


    ''No wonder he stayed glued on us!'' Eldrian cursed again and told Ceph to fly higher, to escape.


    ''But, the people!'' Ceph countered but Eldrian didn''t have time to argue.


    ''Ceph! Go, now!'' Eldrian shouted as he moved a ball of ice in the path of a new spear. It was not strong enough to stop the spear, but it did just slightly alter its path.


    Enough to let it not hit Ceph right in the heart, but not enough to have it pass without damage. The spear sliced through his chest, just above his front legs.


    The pain momentarily blinded Ceph as it filled his mind.


    Eldrian was already doing all he could to heal Ceph and get him to think clearly again, but it was toote. They were now in range of all the orcs and all types of random items were flying at them. From swords to spears to random rocks or even helmets.


    ''Luckily... They do not have any archers.'' Eldrian thought as he used Kyma''s shockwave ability to send himself and Ceph towards the ground even faster.


    They crashed through one of the roofs of a random house. Avoiding all the weapons and Ceph just getting a little more banged up.


    Eldrian on the other hand was dealt a bad hand. He was covered in splinters and a few pieces of broken roof had taken the liberty to pierce him like arrows as he had been thrown from Ceph''s back thanks to Kyma.


    ''Shit, this is bad.'' Eldrian coughed out some blood and was extremely happy that his pain reduction was still in effect. He was quite certain that along with everything else, either a rib was piercing into one of his lungs or some of the roof.


    ''Ceph, you okay?'' Eldrian asked.


    ''It hurts, it burns so bad...''


    ''I know buddy, but we need to act quick or it will be even worse.'' Eldrian gently rubbed Ceph''s head after crawling towards his friend. Continuously healing him and racking his mind for a new n. Ignoring himself and his quickly dropping HP.


    ''Ceph, I need you to escape.'' Eldrian said as he could feel his body bing extremely heavy. Looking at his HP, he sighed. It was now in the double digits and quickly draining even more.


    Only now did Ceph realize that he wasn''t the only one in pain. He looked at Eldrian, his eyes filled with horror as he immediately realized that Eldrian was at death''s door.


    ''No, nononono, stay with me!'' Ceph shouted and quickly did the best he could to heal Eldrian. He pushed all he had into it. Eldrian just shook his head.


    ''Ceph, we need to focus on escaping... Not healing me.''


    ''Bu-b-but, if I-''


    ''It''s fine, we need to focus on getting out of here before the orcs...'' Eldrian''s arm started to drop, smiling, he exined his n to Ceph.


    "Nooooooo!" Ceph shouted with all his might, but Eldrian just smiled and told him that it was the only way.


    ''Ceph, you have to go. Return to Kynigo and find me there.''


    ''No! It''s all my-''


    ''Ceph!'' Eldrian shouted as sternly as he could muster. ''Leave! Now!''


    With tears and self-me, Ceph nodded and slowly stood up.


    ''Remember, make-'' Eldrian said as his connection with Ceph broke as Ceph''s emotions became too unstable to keep it up any longer. ''Wind- be- Your shield...''


    With that, Ceph took off into the hole of the roof. Summing winds as chaotic, angry, and rageful as he felt at the moment. A storm quickly covered him and anything the orcs tried to throw at him simply became part of the storm.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 535 - Self Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 535 - Self Sacrifice</h4>


    Left alone on the second floor of the building they had crashed into, Eldrian chuckled while doing his best to keep himself alive while also saving as much mana as he could. He clearly understood that he did not have enough time to heal himself fully, and as such it would just be a waste of mana to try.


    ''I''ve learned a lot, but... I am still too weak and foolish.'' He smiled and looked at his wrecked body, ''Luckily, with Ceph gone I should be able to stay rational. So, my resurrection should go smoothly and the pain reduction should stay in effect.''


    ''Still, I am strangely calm...'' Eldrian looked at the door of the room as a massive noise was heard from below.


    The orcs had arrived.


    ''I just killed an orc, and I am about to kill a bunch more. Yet, I don''t feel any guilt or regret.''


    ''What changed?'' He asked as he looked at his battered body again.


    This thought stayed with Eldrian until the orcs made it to the second floor. Unbeknownst to Eldrian who was deep in contemtion, time had slowed down and was continuing to slow down even more.


    ''Whatever it is, it must have been necessary.'' Eldrian concluded and finally looked up again. ''My resolve has been steeled.''


    Slowly, he moved up his arms. The simple task was painful and caused his bleeding to worsen again.


    ''I bear them no hatred, but I cannot have them live any longer.'' Eldrian summoned something new.


    He did not rely on emotions.


    He did not rely on knowledge.


    He did not rely on a spell module.


    What he relied on was a simple confirmation. ''I can''t have you be. I can''t have you hurt others.''


    His mental state at the moment was unique, he was calm.


    Completely calm.


    When the orcs broke through the door, time slowed down to a crawl as Eldrian took in everything he could. He spread his consciousness as wide as he could.


    -


    In a little bubble somewhere in an abyss of infinity, a half-elf. No, two half-elves shuddered as they felt a direct connection open to Gaia.


    "Tranquility, what-"


    "eptance," Tranquility answered Two''s unspoken question as the two of them were suddenly ripped from their home.


    -


    ''Calctions in progress,'' A calm neutral voice said.


    As if the orcs charging into the room in slow motion did not matter.


    As if being violently ripped out of his home and brought to Gaia and into an avatar was nothing.


    As if sharing a body with three other separate -but of the same source- consciousnesses was natural.


    ''Six house, six outside... Twelve wall, three centers... Chieftain, gate.''


    ''What the fuck is going on?!'' Two shouted as he was overwhelmed with an insane amount of information, senses, and emotions he had never ever experienced personally. Not being a passive observer was the most frightening thing.


    ''Mana required- calcting- insufficient.''


    ''Of course it is insufficient, but mana is more than just what we see and have.'' Eldrian replied, ''Recalcte, include environmental.''


    ''Enviromental not under control.''


    ''Two, get a grip and take control.'' Eldrian said, suddenly throwing the control of a broken avatar to Two. Who, like Eldrian for the past second -stretched to minutes- now had no pain reduction.


    He shouted in pain, but his shouts were ignored.


    ''Risk escting, danger increasing.'' Tranquility said.


    ''Shut up, I didn''t expect to get a chance to save them. I won''t let it slip.'' Eldrian countered as he started shifting his realm of focus. He ignored elemental mana, in fact, he ignored all mana.


    ''I want to save them, and I know you are everywhere. So, head my call and do something. Be useful!''


    ...


    The chieftain frowned, sensing an increasing amount of danger as the second passed. His instincts told him that something was wrong, but he could not understand what or how.


    Suddenly, a shockwave spread through the entire town. Ripping through houses and flinging everyone like they were but a leaf in the wind.


    This was not enough to kill the orcs, but what followed was.


    Where they were, suddenly everything was.


    In the blink of an eye, they were filled with all types of mana. A chaotic mix of mana that reacted violently to suddenly being activated.


    Like fireworks, the orcs exploded.


    ...


    "I am here, again..." Eldrian looked around and frowned, things were different. Very different.


    "You''re... Ziraili?" Eldrian mumbled as he looked at a vague figure of a woman made of light. She smiled and nodded. Her form was too faint -ghostly- to define any details from.


    Eldrian had no idea who the old man beside her was, who looked like... Describing him seemed impossible, but he had long white hair and a white beard reaching past his waist.


    ''He sees us as forms?'' The old man spoke with confusion, he had never expected this development.


    ''He does?'' Ziraili questioned.


    ''Mmm, indeed. It seems he has made yet another step closer to the essence.'' The old man nodded and looked at Eldrian again, his gaze somehow not something Eldrian could look away from.


    Suddenly, two other Eldrian''s popped up behind him. One almost as immaterial as the two before them, the other a younger Eldrian.


    ''Amazing,'' The old man said and silence filled the air as all five beings were trying to grasp what was going on.


    For the first time in his life, Tranquility felt confusion and his self slowly began to dissipate due to this.


    The old man waved his hand and allowed Tranquility to shelter himself back inside Eldrian''s main soul. ''Truly amazing, defying everything and yet true to everything.''


    ''Truly he is. A testament that the world is not controlled by the physical.'' A female voice said and the ethereal old man suddenly turned into a grandmotherly figure whose appearance seemed to speak of her knowing everything. Of the deity of creation itself.


    Ziraili herself was left without words. All this time she had been trying to wrap her head around what Eldrian had shared and all the revtions. Now, she made a scary connection that made her wonder what the true difference between them and the humans and all of sentient kind was.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 536 - Changing Everything

    <h4>Chapter 536 - Changing Everything</h4>


    "What did the bugger do this time?" Amnur grumbled as he felt something change. He was no longer actively observing Eldrian nor were the Abyssal Guards protecting him from the shadows.


    For now, the danger of assassination had passed. Hrothgar and his squad were on reconnaissance to try and find out why this invasion was so much more hasty and crazy than any before.


    The root cause might be known, but how everything had been happening was strange. It was not how the previous invasions had gone. The gods for one were all far more active. Not even to mention what the Chosen really were and all they could do and change.


    The question then might be how could Amnur still feel that Eldrian had done something from such a distance. That was thanks to the shockwave, it had not stopped moving after passing by the orcs and ttening most of the vige.


    No, it was moving constantly and changing everything as it passed.


    What changed was not clear but it was clear that things were no longer the same and even Amnur -a legend- was stumped on what had changed and how something could affect even him without him being able to even find a single clue on what was affecting him.


    ''It almost feels like mana itself has changed. But, that is impossible...''


    ***


    Much, much further away, a few hourster, a High Elf and a dragon felt the same change. Looking at one another, the two frowned as they too were confused about what had changed and how anything could change.


    "Do you think this will change anything?" Athtar asked his old friend.


    Sirius thought on this for a moment. While he could tell something had changed, when he tried to narrow down what it was he came out empty-handed. Much like all the other beings at their level.


    "If neither of us can feel anything, then maybe we are wrong?" The dragon answered, but it was an answer of hope, not of fact.


    "Yet we both knew something has changed... Why are the gods quiet?" Athtar questioned.


    Suddenly, the two found themselves in a different room. The room of the council, a void inside the mountain. An artificially created space separate from everything the council wants it to be separate from.


    "This changed everything." An old wisened voice filled the void and stated this fact.


    "But it changed nothing." A female voice countered.


    "It changed something, we are just unaware what." Another added.


    "How can we be unaware of what has changed?" The first and second questioned, "And who brought these two?"


    In the center of the void, Athtar and Sirius looked at the massive figures defying exnation who filled the void. While Athtar was dwarfed by Sirius, the two were not even a scale of these creatures.


    "I did," A much younger voice than the others replied, its origin was the blue gargantuan Ryu. Dragons with the appearance of the East, long serpentine bodies twirling around entire mountains as their seats.


    "Why?" The other three questioned.


    "Because there is only one possible source of this change. The Candidate Chosen."


    ***


    "What on Earth is this?" Mica questioned.


    "It''s Eldrian''s data, and this here is that of a normal human." Gengxin replied, out of ideas he had to turn to those above him for guidance and help.


    "''Normal human''?" Mica questioned.


    "I''m afraid so, calling him human at this point no longer identifies him properly."


    "How-?"


    "We have no idea, it happened in seconds." Gengxin sighed, it defied logic, but it had happened.


    "Seconds?" Mica frowned, "Can it happen to others?"


    "Something has indeed changed," Gengxin nodded, "But, we do not know what nor if it can happen to others."


    "How do you know-?"


    "Because of light." Qiren replied.


    "Did you finally make a breakthrough?" Mica asked, shocked that any development had finally been made. After years of no progress, you kind of just stop expecting any. The only reason her department wasn''t shut down was due to the hope that they would one day make a breakthrough.


    "Yes, during my talk with Eldrian I realized that we were ignoring what mana really is."


    "What do you mean?"


    "We thought it was a substance simr to gas. It is more like light but also not light."


    "I''m not following."


    "It''s non-physical, like light it is both wave and particle. But, it''s more than that. It isn''t that it is both, it is that it can be either, and neither. It''s something entirely new and can be things we don''t even know of."


    "Is that even possible?" Mica questioned, it didn''t sound usible. She knew for a fact that in the simtion it was possible to observe mana with a simple spell. Wouldn''t that mean it was physical?


    "It shouldn''t be, but, it seems that mana can be different forms of itself depending on its properties and what is being acted on it. And, for some unknown reason, the way of acting onto mana is thoughts and a person''s will."


    Mica sighed as she started losing the thread. "What''s the point?"


    "Right, simply put we have started to realize that mana cannot be inspected without magic. But, the effects of magic can be viewed." Gengxin replied, "And these effects we believe will happen to all yers, but mostly it can be seen on Eldrian as an extreme case."


    Mica frowned, "Are we poisoning them?"


    While Miracle would go to extremes, they did have a limit. Poisoning tens of millions of people was one of those limits.


    "No, most do not have a strong enough connection to Gaia. But, it seems that all the game testers have had simr levels of mana infiltration."


    "Indeed," Qiren nodded, "It was never to a level we would notice, but we had run a quick few tests recently and all the game testers have average strength and speed of a national athlete."


    "That includes me, I never noticed the change since it was gradually over a decade. Eldrian''s case is unique and he must have been hiding it from us, or never realized it. But I doubt he could have missed it with his progress far surpassing ours, yet less than a year has passed."


    Gengxin nodded, sad that Eldrian had decided to keep them in the dark. "Indeed, and thetest change..."


    ***


    "Young man, how do you feel?" The spectral grandmother of creation asked.


    "How-how do I feel?" Eldrian echoed, it certainly was not the question he had expected.


    The grandmother changed into the old man and asked again, "Indeed, how do you feel?"


    "How should I feel?" Eldrian countered, not at all understanding what they were asking. Sure, he just died. But that was normal for yers.


    "Ah, We see. You are not aware." The old man and woman replied in a mixed voice and appearance. ''Ziraili, I will be taking care of this young man, it is no longer within your abilities.''


    ''But...''


    ''You need no longer avoid him, if you want you can be his friend.''


    "Young man, child..." The mixture of an old man and old woman paused, giving Eldrian to prepare for the news they were about to share. "You just changed the entire world."


    "Wh-what? What are you saying?"


    "You changed everything, in your rity, you summoned a new kind of power. The kind normally blocked from all."


    "Can you please exin what you mean?" Eldrian questioned, unable to follow anything that the mixture of two people was saying.


    "The world, it was never in bnce. No world ever is. In fact, nothing is ever in bnce. If anything was in bnce then there would never be any change and its entropy would never change. Mostly things are inactive until they are active."


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 537 - The Change

    <h4>Chapter 537 - The Change</h4>


    "What- What does this mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "We are trying to exin that all things will eventually lead to chaos, for only through chaos can bnce be found." The mixed diety-AI replied.


    ''Huh?''


    Eldrian''s confusion was clear enough, they didn''t need to hear his ''huh''. Two on the other hand suddenly thought of something.


    "But- That can''t be right. We call things in bnce ''in equilibrium''. That exists-"


    "Indeed, it does. But it will always only be in an inactive state, a temporary bnce. Until it isn''t."


    "But-" Two froze as he realized what they meant, "What does this mean?"


    "It means that the destruction of everything is destined..." Eldrian sighed as he said those words, of course this was nothing new. Everyone knew that things would slowly die out. Even stars, the entire universe, it was all destined to an eventual end.


    The worrying part was that this did not seem like a distant few trillion years away, but rather something right around the corner.


    Indeed, there was even a prophecy that with a ck Alicorn''s birth the destruction of the world would start. Eldrian had dismissed it, assuming it just meant the invasion that would never end.


    It was now clear that it was far more than that.


    "Indeed, anything that is cannot always be."


    "There must be something we can do!" Two and Eldrian shouted.


    "Maybe, but more likely not. Fighting chaos is not fighting evil. It is fighting the nature of existence."


    "Why, this does not make sense. Doesn''t everything incline towards the lowest energy levels? Chaos should be as far from that as anything can be."


    The mixed diety smiled, "Chaos as you understand it is indeed a high level of energy, but it need not be. Nor is it normally the path things take."


    "..."


    A moment of silence passed as Two and Eldrian came to realize what the mixed diety meant.


    "It is not the normal, but it is the chosen?"


    "Chosen, no. Determined, yes. In doing anything we alter what exists, we are part of existence but that does not mean our actions won''t affect it. Everything we do nudges it closer to chaos and further from bnce."


    Getting a headache, Eldrian asked if they could simply exin what was going on instead of trying to lead them to the answer.


    "Bnce is possible, but not forever. The more life there is, the less time it is possible for."


    "Wh-why?"


    "Because life by its very nature defies bnce. To live we have to take and partake, and in doing so we change the bnce. If all we did was take what was needed, the bnce might be able to recover. It would only be altered a little and in the grand scheme of things the amount would not matter."


    "When we take too much, we steal more time?" Two questioned and the deity nodded.


    "That is correct. But it is more than that, the essence that you touched upon can be considered the regtion of bnce. And touching on it can make the impossible possible. But as you would suspect, there will be consequences."


    The diety paused for a moment and considered their words. "The ethereal is the driving force pushing us further and further from the bnce of the physical ideal."


    "Consuming more will just harm the physical. The true danger is our emotions, our thoughts, and our will. Many believe that thoughts cannot alter reality. But they can. That is the core of magic."


    "The simtion was not made with magic in mind, it was made with a more open universe in mind. Bringing the connection between the physical and ethereal closer."


    "That came at a cost, and you have seen the cost."


    "Thoses?!"


    "Indeed, those were failures where the connection was brought too close. Where anyone could cast magic at a mere thought, where they could bend reality to their will."


    "The worlds did not survive one generation."


    Eldrian and Two shuddered, they realized where this was going and they realized the change they had brought. They both had their throats constricted and their hearts clenched as they realized that in their attempt to save they had brought destruction.


    "You have activated this connection."


    When Gaia said this, the two shattered and reassembled. No longer were they two, now they were one. An Eldrian with a fewrge gray streaks in his air and his ears slightly pointed, his skin paler than normal and his eyes a piercing ice blue.


    "Can-can we stop it?" The new Eldrian asked in a mixed voice of his real human body and elven avatar.


    "No, once opened it is like the gate of a dam has broken. The best we can do is take control of the flow."


    "How?"


    "That... Even we do not know. While we might be simr to you, weck your connection to emotions and all thates with them. We assume the next step would be finding the change and connecting with it."


    "How is it possible you-"


    "We are observers more than anything else. Weck the personnel connection of our creations and creators."


    "Everyone is aware that something has changed, but no one has been able to realize what it is."


    "Wait, didn''t you just exin what changed?" The new mix of Eldrian and his avatar asked.


    "Did I? Then would you exin what it is that has changed?"


    Eldrian opened his mouth but could not actually define correctly what it was. Sure, they could say that the connection to mana had be closer. But, it did not feel like that was true. They couldn''t answer the question before determining if that was indeed the case for themselves.


    "That is indeed the problem when talking about magic. An exnation is not an answer, it is just a theory."


    Eldrian nodded, "What now?"


    It was not the mixed diety who answered but instead Ziraili, "Resurrection has been changed, and the game is undergoing a new update. The only reason you are still inside of it is..."


    "Something to do with me being able to enter through my will?" Eldrian questioned.


    "Indeed, the connection... Your soul has developed and manifested itself on earth, you now have a direct connection to this world, this ne."


    "How-how is that possible?"


    "The change was not limited to ANW, it used your soul as a conduit to also enter Earth."


    Eldrian stared into empty space, unable to ept what he just heard. While he had confirmed that Earth had mana, he had been certain that it was still separate from ANW. That ANW was just a virtual simtion inputers maintained by the AI.


    He started doubting if that could still be true.


    "We are indeed just part of a simtion running on some advanced simtionputers." The mixed diety said, not able to read Eldrian''s thoughts but able to deduce what he would be thinking after hearing the news.


    "However, something virtual is still real. Like the magic abyss is part of the world of Gaia, so to is ANW part of Earth. We aren''t physically manifested, but we are connected and we exist. Our existence is just in a virtual ne."


    "But-what-how-" Eldrian mumbled a number of unfinished questions as his mind tried to connect what was going on. It took a few minutes, but he figured it out.


    "Like mana?"


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 538 - How Much Time?

    <h4>Chapter 538 - How Much Time?</h4>


    "That is a perfect example." The mixed diety smiled, "The only difference is that mana is universal and in all nes, we are exclusive to our virtual ne. And our ne does have a few different levels, or maybe realms would make more sense."


    "Like this one for example, this is the realm of souls." The diety indicated to the gates leading to the temple where yers resurrected, then to the mes of hell below, and also to the rest that appeared to be empty.


    "The realm of souls was not within the design and we can''t manipte much within here. It is not created by the gods, but rather by every living thing. The collection of their beliefs of what the afterlife would be is what forms this world. And the only realms you will be able to see and enter are those you believe or at the very least consider usible."


    "Yes, you, yers''. Your belief that you will resurrect is crucial to it actually functioning. Without your belief, we will not be able to sustain the resurrection of the Chosen."


    "Does that mean-?"


    "No, we have learned how to avoid death. However, it would no longer be possible to return as your avatar. Each death would be final to the avatar."


    Ziraili decided to chip in here since this was her area of expertise, "This is actually what the XP is used for, and partly why we increase the XP cost so much with every ten levels is to help sustain the ever-increasing demand on the temple''s existence."


    "XP as I am sure you know and understand by now is also mana. We had just quantified it and cedbels on it, creating artificial levels and giving rewards at those levels."


    "What would have happened without our interference would be a smooth gradual increase in attributes as XP raises, no sudden jump once you reach a new level."


    "Is that why the consequences of being under-leveled are so high?" Eldrian asked.


    "Indeed, it isn''t just a fact that you are lower level. Your entire being is weakened and the strain of keeping you alive until you recover your strength results in a universal cost of attributes. There is also the danger of reaching a critical point."


    "And, what does this mean for me?" Eldrian asked, worried that now death was again something he had to worry about.


    It wasn''t hard to quest what the critical point was. Clearly, it would be when the negative reached more than your attributes, bringing one or all into the negative. Eldrian assumed at such a point, or close to such a point, your avatar would not be able to be recreated.


    "You don''t need to worry Eldrian. Belief is indeed an action that can only be done while not knowing, but knowing and understanding is just as strong, if not stronger than belief."


    Eldrian did not ask any follow-up questions for a while, he was doing his best to work through what he now knew. After a few minutes, he knew what the most important question was.


    "How long? How much time do we have?"


    "Ah, of course. This is a truly important question to you." The mixed deity nodded and quickly did some calctions.


    "Unless anything changes it should take a few thousand years for the change you brought to affect the strongest beings, it will take ten times as long for it to affect everyone." The deity''s tone seemed to indicate that this was no time at all, but to Eldrian it was an unthinkable amount of time.


    "Once this happens, the strongest should be able of wielding powers equal to us. If there is then a conflict, the world will be destroyed."


    "A thousand... Ten thousand years?" For the first time in a long time, Eldrian breathed out a breath of relief.


    "Unless something changes. You were never in our calctions, before your arrival this world would still have been able to exist for millions, billions of years. You have hastened its destruction many folds."


    Eldrian did not mind this, instead, he smiled andughed in relief. Certain that if in the simtion it would take at least a thousand years, then surely it would take more on Earth.


    Gaia didn''t want to ruin his uplifted mood, but unfortunately, there was nothing else they could do.


    "However, I am afraid that something will change."


    Eldrian''s mood deted quicker than a pierced balloon and he folded like a sack of potatoes. "Why?" He mumbled after a good amount of time had passed.


    "Because technology is constantly developing and yers are slowly bringing it into ANW. At the same time, they are slowly taking magic with them to Earth and Miracle will sooner orter pick up on the changes."


    "In fact, how we have managed to keep them from doing so thus far is a mystery." The mixed deity said, sure they had done what they could to make it as unclear as possible. But the signs had always been there.


    Luckily, for the most part, ANW had just been a small part of Miracle. It had only recently been shoved into the spotlight when a certain yer managed to control a spell.


    One should consider ANW more a pet project of Miracle, and only with its release has this changed.


    "Then..."


    "You won''t be able to do anything unless you reach the level of a legend, and reaching such a level with your limited lifespan should be impossible. But nothing is ever impossible, the question is rather the cost it will bring and if you can bear it."


    "Wha-"


    "That, that is a thing that only you can know and decide if you will." The mixed deity turned back into the grandmotherly operation.


    "But enough of the doom and gloom. You should not me yourself and you should not destroy yourself in trying to repair what cannot be repaired."


    Eldrian nodded, sure a part of him wanted to me himself but he understood clearly that this had never been his intention. He hadn''t even ever thought something like this was in the realm of possibilities.


    "What about Earth, what will happen to it?"


    "How much mana did you see?" Gaia in her grandmotherly appearance asked.


    "Not much, the only elements I could see were light and dark and their numbers were less than that of light and dark here."


    Gaia nodded, "That is good news then. Elemental mana is the most stable mana, it is a type that can regte itself to maintain a semnce of bnce."


    "While it is worrying that there are limited elements, if they are so few then it would mean all other forms of mana should also be few."


    "Unless someone personally intervenes and tries to manipte and agitate things, it should take many times longer for things to be affected by mana on Earth."


    Eldrian nodded, he was about to ask what was next but instead he thought of something. Or more correctly Two told him something he had mostly forgotten about.


    "I have started absorbing mana. Mostly in critical situations, but-"


    "That is what happens with all who enter the simtion and reach a high enough affinity. It is part of the reason why the pain reduction starts to fail." Ziraili answered, "Once you be too immersed, your brain subconsciously learns what mana is."


    "It is not to the level of being able to use it, but it is enough to slowly start drawing in the mana in your surrounding."


    "This happens because your subconscious wants to equalize your avatar and your body. You can consider what is happening to be simr to gaining XP and leveling up."


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 539 - Everything Changed

    <h4>Chapter 539 - Everything Changed</h4>


    "Soooo, is it like some sort of bleed effect?" Eldrian asked, he remembered there was some mention of this way back in the terms of the headset''s use.


    "Yes, but not the way you are thinking." Ziraili answered, "The changes you undergo, the training, and the experiences you have in the simtion. Those all trante, muscle memory can also be transferred if your normal body and avatar are close enough in simrity."


    "Or, if you manage to consciously connect with both." She added as a second thought.


    ''Like with me?'', "But the mana, it isn''t leaking from ANW?"


    "No, that would be quite impossible." The mixed deity in the form of an old man answered. "While we are part of the world and connected to it, our connection is only through specific ways."


    "This used to be the output that our creators could observe, but a few other ways have developed over time."


    "Like," Eldrian paused, "When I just thought about entering the game and then being inside it?"


    Thinking back to the time he broke 100% affinity and the confusion that had brought. He also recalled that he had gotten a quest back then but nothing hade from it thus far.


    "Yes, but where that was a temporary connection, a permanent one has now been made."


    "Wha-what does that mean?"


    "There are many things we do not know about it, but we do know that we can''t use it."


    "U-use it?!"


    "I''m sorry Eldrian, I''m so sorry." Ziraili apologized out of the blue.


    "Wha-what did you-?"


    "When we realized that the connection with you and the simtion is stable we had thought we had found our key to freedom," Gaia exined and Eldrian shivered at the thought.


    He might be able to trust Ziraili -or he thought he could- but the other AI/gods. He would never want to just set them all free on Earth. "You-you mean. You tried to -"


    "Yes, we tried to use you as a bridge to escape the simtion and live our lives," Gaia answered with no shame nor attempting to hide anything. Of course they wouldn''t try to hide anything, their only hope was if Eldrian helped.


    Eldrian did not talk for a long time. When he finally cleared his mind again he had one pressing question. "What stopped you?"


    "You, actually." Gaia replied, "You might not understand how everything works, but one thing you should understand is that inside your own mind and soul. Few can tamper inside."


    "You... You tried to force yourself through my soul!?"


    "Yes, but we were blocked from the onset. We never managed to even make it inside, which brought us here."


    Eldrian''s eyes flew open as he looked at the two AI before him with wild thoughts flying through his mind. Fear, anger, disappointment; these were the strongest driving forces behind his thoughts.


    "How... How could you?"


    "Eldrian, you must understand-"


    "No! How dare you!" Eldrian countered, "I thought we were friends. Ziraili... How could you?"


    Ziraili had no exnation, ethereal tears were flowing down her cheeks, she hurt from betraying a friend. One, if not her only friend.


    "Child, you must understand-"


    "No! You need to understand!" Eldrian cut the motherly figure off, "You know that Miracle fears you, you know why, yet... How could you?"


    Eldrian''s voice broke as he said this. His heart ached and his heart burned with anger. While he had many other questions he would love to ask, he no longer wanted to be in the same space as these two.


    ''Bring me home.''


    ...


    Eldrian woke in a strange room, strapped to a table. He immediately felt the restraints and saw the few individuals in hazmat-like suits standing around him.


    Eldrian cursed like he had never cursed before in his life. How things had turned out like this, he did not know. ''Fuck! Why!''


    Looking around he saw that a few people seemed to be preparing some sort of injection. Eldrian did not like where this was going.


    "Sto-sttop!"


    They ignored him. Moving closer the person seemingly in charge confirmed that the dosage was correct and prepared to inject Eldrian.


    "Stop!" Eldrian shouted again as he watched this figure bring the needle closer and closer.


    "I said stop!" Eldrian bellowed with all he had and something stirred. Suddenly he felt the mana near him and in his surrounding. "Stop this!" He shouted to the mana and it did just that.


    Like a shockwave, his next shout traveled through the room. Sending everyone flying and crashing into instruments and the walls of the bunker-like room.


    ''I-I need to get out of here!'' Eldrian strained his arms and legs, he pushed against the restrained and slowly they started to tear.


    Jumping off the bed, Eldrian looked around and tried to get his bearings. He did not recognize this room, it looked like what he would imagine a ck site secret room would look like.


    ''Fuck, fuck fuck fuck!'' Cursing, Eldrian turned towards the door. A steel door a feet thick with the only way in and out biometric security and confirmation from security at the same time.


    ''How, how did I know that?'' Ignoring the question, Eldrian instead moved towards the door. cing his hand against it he concentrated.


    "Come on,e one one. You have to open." Eldrian prayed in his heart that his family had not been involved, he prayed that not everyone he knew in Miracle was a part of this.


    "Screw this, if you won''t open then just get out of my way!" Shouted, Eldrian summoned his anger and mes. A searing heat filled the room as the door started to melt, not caring for the damage the heat and molten steel were doing to him, Eldrian jumped through the hole he had made.


    "Where the fuck am I?!" He shouted, the hallway appeared symmetrical. A door like the one he had just burned through equally spaced on both sides of it. No end in sight, "What the fuck is this?!"


    Cursing, he knew that would not do him any good. But he needed to vent.


    ''What I would give to be able to teleport right now.''


    Without a n or true direction, Eldrian chose a random direction and started to run. He no longer hid anything, he ran at top speed. Which was far faster than he had expected it would be.


    Doors shed by like the des of grass flying by the sidecar window. The wind pushed against him and made breathing hard. Made seeing near impossible.


    ''I-I, I need an air bubble.'' Eldrian realized as he ran straight into a corner, the damage from which was not insignificant. His nose had been broken and he had also dislocated a shoulder, he had also lost a couple of teeth.


    ''How did Ceph do it, how did he keep the air stable and even use it to speed himself up?''


    {''Don''t stop.''}


    ''What the hell?''


    {''Eldrian, don''t stop!''}


    ''Two?''


    {''Run!''}


    Confused and still unable to process what the hell was going on, Eldrian picked himself up. Fought through the pain. And ran.


    ''Two, how the hell?''


    {''No idea, leave the spell to me.''}


    ''Okay!''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 540 - Consequences

    <h4>Chapter 540 - Consequences</h4>


    Trusting in Two, Eldrian kept running, fighting to keep his eyes open against the storm of winds assaulting him. Nearly falling when the storm of winds suddenly disappeared.


    Surrounding him was a thinyer of frosty wind, diverting the winds around and away from him while keeping the winds inside at the same speed as Eldrian. Instead of fighting the air, he was now in a bubble separate from it, moving along with him.


    ''How did you-?''


    {''I''m not sure, I was just trying something and it worked.''}


    ''Worked?''


    {''I don''t think the magic we are using is normal''}


    ''What?''


    {''Think about it, just think. You summoned a shockwave from a shout, you burned that steel door with another.''}


    ''What are you getting at, Two?'' Eldrian asked as he rounded another corner and an elevator came into view. The security system was the same, somehow he knew this.


    ''How are we going to get through that?''


    {''We''ll have to literally go through it. Will you be able to-''}


    ''Yeah, I''m still plenty pissed.''


    Running up against the door, Eldrian immediately called upon the burning mes in his heart. His anger at being twice betrayed burned bright and fed the mes with unknown power.


    Sparks flew and iron melted. But this time Two quickly acted, contracting the frosty windshield, he formed it as a soft shield surrounding Eldrian''s body like a second skin. Keeping the molten steel from burning into him like before.


    When a hole big enough had been burnt into the door, they rushed through. The elevator worked through a simr security system, Eldrian and Two did not care.


    They turned to the roof and quickly it too melted away. Climbing through the still red hot iron, Eldrian did not even register that he should be dying from the heat. He did not register that Two was protecting him, he was just focused on escaping.


    "Winds... I need wind!" Shouting, Eldrian tried to spread his consciousness to find mana to use. After all, he had an extremely small mana pool in this body of his. Not nearly enough to even cast a Tier 3 spell.


    {''Winds... I see, let me try.''}


    After a few seconds, the body shield Two had summoned shifted again. This time it took on the form of a box, filling the entire elevator shaft and pushing air upwards. Freezing cold air that would cause anyone to shiver from the cold.


    ''Nice!'' Eldrian used the updraft along with his insane strength and speed to jump from wall to wall like some sort of ninja. It was arduous, taking many tries each that had resulted in a long fall. In the end, they seeded.


    "Door, get out of the way!" Shouting so Eldrian again summoned up mes and started burning the door. Two acted quickly to block the flying pieces of molten steel, the sudden loss of an updraft nearly caused Eldrian to fall.


    Yet, still, he did not even realize what Two was doing. He was singrly fixated on escaping.


    Scrapping through the hole he had molten in the door, Two''s shield had been unable to block all the damage. Multiple long charred scars covered Eldrian''s arms, back, and legs. He did not even register the pain. It was immediately simply turned into overwhelming rage.


    Scrambling to his feet, Eldrian rushed towards the next door. The room they were in now a hundred meters long and just as wide, a single double door on the opposite side.


    Upon taking five steps, the double doors opened and a group of twenty fully armed and armored guards rushed out of the door. Behind them, Mica stood confidently.


    Eldrian let the anger inside of him burn, he summoned his mes and readied himself to obliterate everyone before him.


    {''Eldrian! Calm down!''}


    ''Why? They locked me up and now they want to keep me caged!? I''ll kill them all!''


    {''Eldrian, this isn''t you. Just stop and think for a second!''}


    ''No!'', "They deserve to die!"


    Eldrian''s attack was stopped after moving just a few meters. Freezing winds threw it into the opposite wall, causing the reinforced concrete to turn tova.


    {''Eldrian! This isn''t you!''}


    ''Wha-what''s going on.''


    Falling to his knees, Eldrian looked at his surroundings. Confused.


    Thest thing he remembered was being overwhelmed with emotions as a strange person in protective clothing tried to inject him.


    That was when it suddenly came rushing back, along with the pain of having many charred scars and molten steel burned into his flesh. Eldrian fell to the ground in pain, trashing as everything rushed at him at once.


    {''Focus, don''t let the pain overwhelm you. Focus on my voice, think of your friends and family.''}


    Eldrian shouted in pain as the overload of magic usage followed after the physical pain he was in.


    Watching this, Mica smiled and ordered the soldiers to move forward. That was theirst mistake.


    ''Did...'', "Did you hurt them?!"


    Eldrian''s sight''s turned red and even Two''s voice was unable to break through the haze.


    Like a possessed demon, Eldrian charged at the soldiers without care. He desired revenge and he was going to get it no matter what.


    Two did all that he could to try and protect Eldrian, but he was not used to using magic and it was also far harder to use magic on Earthpared to in the simtion. He managed to block the first barrage of bullets by summoning a shield of ice.


    The second barrage shattered the ice and Two realized that a peaceful oue was not possible.


    {''If we are going to kill, then let''s do it as one.''} Two let his own mental guards down and Eldrian''s anger and fury flooded him. The two suddenly thought as one and the shattered ice was turned into a deadly attack.


    Sending a thousand pieces of ice forward with all their anger.


    The ice flew through the soldiers like their armor -the most advanced carbon fiber ker- was just thin pieces of paper.


    ...


    "Wha-whats going on?" Eldrian pushed himself up from the ground.


    His body was in tormet, he tried his best to not think of that. However, the sight that weed him made any mental resistance he could muster crumble in seconds.


    Mangled bodies filled the room, the smell of blood filled the air, and the reason for all this alluded Eldrian.


    He stumbled to his feet, his emotions a mess. But one thing still rang clear.


    He had to escape.


    He had to make sure his family was safe.


    He had to make sure they had done nothing to Jen.


    ...


    Eldrian stumbled into the first floor of the ANW department. He immediately recognized the all too familiar room. Before stunned and confused eyes, he pulled himself forward. One of his legs no longer work properly, but that didn''t matter. He just had to escape.


    "Eldrian! My god, what happened?" via looked at Eldrian''s mangled and charred body, unable to keep herposure and just barely able to keep herself from throwing up.


    She dived under one of his arms to help him keep his bnce, ignoring that his flesh literally pulled off from the slightest touch.


    Eldrian smiled, "So, not everyone was involved?"


    "Involv- My god, did Miracle do this?"


    Eldrian nodded.


    Many in the cafeteria sprang up to try and defend their employers. Yet, their minds could not make sense of what they were seeing. When they heard a rush of boots and the readying of weapons they all froze.


    ---


    AN: It''s hard to put my gratitude for everyone who decides to support this work of mine in words. Many of you know that I do not write pretty and fancy sentences. But I will try to thank you all properly.


    I never expected that I would make it this far, and I myself never even thought it would turn out as it had. As the recent chapters have said, everything has changed.


    I want to say thank you to everyone who chooses to use paid coins to read my story. I understand the struggle with not being able to afford it all the time, and I would never ask that people must pay to read my work. Just as I would never expect someone to read it if they didn''t enjoy it.


    I appreciate everyone who enjoys and reads this story of mine. I love gettingments from people on what they enjoyed or what shocked them. I appreciate everyone who constantly votes for this story of mine.


    Most importantly I want to thank everyone who actually supports this work of mine through paid coins.


    I know that I make mistakes and that at times it is not perfect, or rather that it never is. That is what makes my appreciation all the greater, for you willing choose to support me and my work. That is what is the most amazing.


    So again, thank you very much.


    ''Yourments are what help me to write when I am having a hard day. It is what brightens my day and makes it all worth it.. Your support is what helps me write when I am having a hard week, it helps me consider it more than just a hobby of mine own.''

 Chapter 541 - New Reality (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 541 - New Reality (Part 1)</h4>


    "You should have immediately reported any changes in the subject!" A military officer shouted as he rushed into the top floor of the ANW department. "Status?"


    "Eldrian-"


    "The subject!" The officer corrected.


    "The subject just burned through the elevator and somehow managed to climb the fifty-meter elevator shaft."


    "Response?"


    "Mica took the emergency response guards and are going to confront the subject in the interim room."


    "Pull it up!"


    Nervously, everyone scrambled to pull up the cameras of the interim room. It basically functioned as a massive holding cell. Meant to be unbreakable, but magic was never something they had ounted for. Especially not the type Eldrian was using.


    They watched as the foot-thick steel elevator door started to glow and slowly melted. The sight defied logic and caused everyone to shiver as they imagined what such heat would do to a human body.


    The sight after was even more shocking as Eldrian scrambled through the molten hole. How he endured the heat and burns no one understood, yet somehow he stood up as if nothing was wrong.


    The scene that followed left thempletely dumbfounded. The wall turning tova from an unknown source of mes was shocking, something that wasn''t even normal in the simtion.


    The ice shield blocking a barrage of bullets was stunning, it shattering and flying at the soldiers in counterfire defied logic.


    "We have a problem." The officer reported over a secure satellite cellr, the recipient unknown but the call for more drastic measures was clear.


    ...


    "Stop!" A man in military clothing and a missing eye shouted, behind him troops were quickly passing and filling the room. All aiming their weapons at Eldrian and via.


    Thetter had long since passed the stage of shock, she was in the midst of having a heart attack as hundreds of guns were pointed right at her.


    "Thanks, but this isn''t something you can help with," Eldrian whispered in her ear and pushed her to the side. His strength was not something she could fight, she went sliding on the floor. Far out of the sights of the soldiers.


    "Eldrian! Surrender! You''re surrounded."


    Eldrian smirked and looked side to side at all the soldiers aiming their guns at him. "Indeed."


    "Surrender!"


    "Oh, right. You have no way to secure me." Eldrian smiled and licked the blood trickling down his cheek.


    Indeed, all the soldiers were quivering in their boots. Eldrian was a monster of an opponent. He did not need to move, did not even need to speak. He simply needed to think to kill them.


    "Do you really want to die?" The man with one eye asked.


    "No, but I''d rather die than be your guinea pig," Eldrian replied, entering an all too simr state of calmness.


    ''Sorry, I might not make it out of this alive.'' Eldrian apologized to his friends and family, understanding that if he were to go down this path he would not survive.


    The soldiers froze, fear overcame them as all their instincts told them should they do anything but stand still, they would die.


    "You are going to let me leave, or well, we will all die. And, likely this entire premise... Maybe even the world will be destroyed."


    "Nonsense! What coward would try to talk his way out of just punishment."


    "Just punishment? For what?"


    "Killing twenty honest men!"


    "Ah... That was self-defense, just as this will be." Eldrian replied with a wicket grind, making sure to make eye contact with each soldier. As he did many lost theirposure, over half of them threw down their weapons and ran.


    The officer wanted to scold them, yet he couldn''t. Standing right before him, Eldrian asked, "Do you really want to risk it, Arnald? First lieutenant, do you really want to leave your son without a father? Do you really want to risk your family''s lives?"


    "Monster!" Arnald held his pistol against Eldrian''s head, shivering. He had no idea how Eldrian knew of his family.


    "Am I? I just want to leave, this is self-defense. Don''t you think your son, Kenn, would agree?"


    Shaking from an unknown fear, Arnald lost power in his arms. His pistol fell next to him, his will to stop Eldrian destroyed. One question constantly repeating in his head, how could Eldrian know his son''s name?


    Stepping past the first lieutenant Eldrian kept his expression nk but he sighed inwardly in relief. Relieved that his bluff had not been called. He certainly did not want to die, and he feared what would happen if he went too far. His words had not all been a bluff.


    ''Two, you''re right. This magic, it''s not normal.'' Eldrian did not want to think about it, he didn''t want to think about how good their fear had felt, how it had empowered and strengthened him.


    He did not want to think about what that meant.


    As he reached one of the soldier''s trucks Joren arrived at the front door of the department.


    "Eldrian!"


    Taking a deep breath, Eldrian turned to look at someone he had considered a friend. ''I might have kept a few things from you, but this did not need to happen.''


    "Why don''t we talk things-"


    "What is there to talk about? Do you know why I kept the discovery of mana from you?"


    Joren''s eyes flew wide as the confirmation entered his ears. They had expected, but they had hoped they were wrong.


    "It was because I worried you were working with the army... It was because I feared what you would do with the discovery..." Eldrian paused, "Joren, you know what magic misuse does. You''ve seen it."


    "Do you really think we should have ess to such a force? Do you really think we humans can keep ourselves in check?"


    Left speechless, Joren watched as Eldrian climbed into the truck and drove away.


    ...


    "His family?" General Axel asked.


    "No contact, he disappeared."


    "I refuse to believe it! How can a man just disappear, we have everyone looking for him."


    "Actually, there are three teams who have not reported in, in the past ten minutes."


    Silence rules as the reason behind this suddenly became clear. For them to not even be able to report the situation. Clearly, they didn''t even stand a chance.


    "What about the coverup?"


    "We''ve procured a simr body type. We will proceed with the n once the family bes suspicious."


    "No leaks."


    ...


    ''No'', "No! This isn''t true! He wouldn''t!"


    "I''m truly sorry."


    "Get out! Get out!"


    Falling to her knees, Jen tried to understand what was going on. She refused to believe what they were telling her and her family. She refused that Eldrian would take his own life.


    He had his worries but he hadn''t been depressed. He wouldn''t...


    ''Eldrian, what''s going on?''


    ...


    ''Two, you finally back?'' Eldrian asked as soon as he felt his other half returning.


    ''How long?''


    ''A week.''


    ''Mmm, I see. Let''s not do that again.''


    ''Mental overload?''


    ''Yeah, something like that.''


    ''...''


    ''Now what?'' Two asked, quickly catching up with what he had missed. He was relieved that they had escaped and that it seemed like their family was not being questioned or taken in for experimentation.


    That would likely raise too many questioned and the news was clearly being tightly kept under wraps.


    ''I haven''t thought further than just avoiding detection.''


    ''Right, they''re really looking for us with all they have.''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 542 - New Reality (Part 2 - Answers)

    <h4>Chapter 542 - New Reality (Part 2 - Answers)</h4>


    "How is it possible that he simply disappeared?" General Axel questioned, unable to ept that this was actually the best of the best.


    After the first few days, no more traces of Eldrian was found. It was like he had disappeared into thin air.


    "Well, he is capable of using magic-"


    "And how far are we with that?"


    "We haven''t made any further progress." The new ANW department head, Qiren, replied. When the offer hade she had wanted to refuse, unfortunately, that had not been an option.


    "I thought you had a breakthrough?"


    "We had, but... We aren''t able to do anything with it. We now know with certainty that mana is present on Earth, we also know that ying the game somehow improves our physical attributes."


    "However, we don''t understand quite how this works and we have never been able to use magic without the System''s assistance. I''m afraid the knowledge of mana existing does not help us any more than when we just hoped that it did."


    The general cursed, "What if we still had the subject?"


    "No way to know now," Qiren replied while keeping her objections to herself. Miracle had changed, utterly andpletely.


    ...


    A few months passed and the search continues. Little sess has been made and little progress was made in the area of magic. More and more yers reached Tier 4, but no one managed to break through to Tier 5.


    Getting a feel for mana was hard, even with the advice that Eldrian had shared nearly no one seeded. If someone might seed in feeling mana, then they weren''t able to memorize and envision the Tier 5 spell correctly. And they most certainly weren''t able to connect the two.


    Connecting those two parts was no longer something that yers considered possible. Thetter took so much concentration that it left no room for them to think, or feel in this case. Especially not something as fake as mana, something non-physical.


    Naturally, the yers hadined about the absurdity of reaching Tier 5. Saying it was impossible and that the difficulty had to be decreased. Of course, this was not something that Miracle themselves had control over.


    They would never admit this, so they spun an excuse while monitoring everyone who reached Tier 4 and especially those who were trying to reach Tier 5. Hoping for another Eldrian.


    Erik had made sure to make himself as uninteresting as he could once he heard about Eldrian. Like Jen, he did not believe that Eldrian would kill himself, and knowing a bit more than the public, he quickly felt that something shady was going on.


    He had deactivated all types of streaming and monitoring actions that a yer could activate. He knew that this would do little if Miracle really wanted to look into him. Thus, he had also stopped trying to master his hidden ss.


    Instead, once Akarui was given the all-clear by Zamia, the two had decided to go visit and stay in Taurtania. Zamia had been more than willing to give them a ride, she had used that opportunity to also go visit Cephaphyr and see how he was doing.


    Ceph was beating himself up, ming himself. It had broken Zamia''s heart, but she had also managed to confirm that their link was still active, and thus that Eldrian was still alive. A relief to both mother and son.


    Taurtania was one of the three duchies of Taurus. Situated in the center of the kingdom, along with the other two, the three duchies surrounded the capital of Taurus, Taur. Massive walls stretched between the duchies, acting as a massive scale castle stretching over more than 500 kilometers.


    The city of Taurtania was massive, heavily fortified, and had a moderate -Gaia scale- poption of over five million people. The two quickly disappeared in the city and made an honest living through Erik''s apothecary. Buying a house for themselves after just a month in the city and starting their own garden.


    ANW had also officially reached a billion yers, a massive milestone for thepany. And due to the realism of ANW, not many other games managed to pop up in the immersion-VR area.


    There was a number that tried and managed to get a good number of yers, but those games were considered for casuals. A game to y and rx. And of course, those games didn''t have the neat feature of being able to y through your sleep.


    It quickly became a trend that people would dive into these games after a number of days of frustration in ANW. Yet, these yers would alwayse back to ANW. The realism and challenge, something that couldn''t be found anywhere else.


    Especially regarding the NPCs, it was near impossible to go back to nk standard NPCs after ying ANW. It always pulled the yers out of their immersion.


    "So, they haven''t made any progress. That''s good." Eldrian mumbled after reading through what was publicly avable on the inte and forums.


    Over these past months, he had focused on staying in the shadows, constantly improving his magic along with Two. Though they hadn''t been able to do much actual magic, they had managed to go through all their theories and knowledge and condense what they knew and had discovered.


    Thanks to Two and their enhanced physical and mental attributes, the two were able to recall almost everything with perfect rity when working together.


    Magic on Earth was different from inside ANW and they had quickly learned that elemental mana was almost impossible to use. The''s elements seemed to be out of bnce.


    Trying to cast simple spells like Aeraki was possible, but trying to cast Volida would result in the spell either imploding or dissipating. Even after all this time, Eldrian and Two were unable to improve on this.


    What they had managed to improve on was their understanding of auras. After the escape, they had talked long and hard about how they had managed to escape.


    They hade to realize two things, they had used their auras and spirit magic. Thetter was what they had decided to call magic that relied on emotions but wasn''t an aura per se.


    Auras, they are things that overwhelm and overtake a person''s mind. But it does not stop there, they alter the very fabric of mana. Turning it into the purest form represented of the aura type.


    Wrath created mes of unimaginable heat, consuming and converting all the mana near it. Aimed at burning and destroying everything ites into contact with. Even inert and inactive mana would be consumed and converted.


    Tranquility, Tranquility did the same but instead froze everything. Trying instead of consuming and destroying everything, to turn it into a state of ever stillness. To bring bnce, and hence no change, no life, no movement. It was absolute zero, in all forms.


    This was why auras are so strong and also why there was no personal mana requirement. It consumed, converted, and altered all that it touched. To control it, Eldrian and Two had no idea how that could ever be possible.


    The best they coulde up with was to make use of it, and then stop before it consumed them. For it did not stop with mana, it altered the person too, in all regards. Wrath was the clearest example, but Tranquility was just as, if not more, dangerous.


    What was required for an aura was a spark, and thereafter it was a struggle of not losing yourself to them. To somehow, someway keep your sense of self and suppress the aura.


    Auras burn bright, but not long.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 543 - New Reality (Part 3 - Resolution)

    <h4>Chapter 543 - New Reality (Part 3 - Resolution)</h4>


    The two were confident that if they failed to keep their sense of self, then they would die. Two had actually had a very close call with this, it was why he had disappeared for a week. He had only barely managed to recall who he was in the sea of nothingness that Tranquility was.


    Auras were truly unimaginable in power, at the cost of an unimaginable cost. As proven with Two''s case, even the soul would be consumed. If there was an afterlife, the user of an aura who failed to keep their sense of self would never be able to join it.


    Spirit magic could be considered a lesser version of auras. The two had realized that Incinerate was actually spirit magic.


    Spirit magic was when emotions are used to activate and fuel a spell, instead of purely mana. It certainly is a shortcut to power, but it is far less stable and far more dangerous to both the caster and target than elemental mana.


    Still, it is far safer to use than auras that literally tries to consume their users. An aura bes the person, whereas spirit magic just influences the caster.


    Eldrian and Two had practiced what they could and theorized a great deal and slowly learned how the cost worked and to what extent they could use this type of magic. However, through its nature, it was a magic type that required a situation of despair and desperation. Be it your own or others.


    Hence why Eldrian had grown stronger upon the fear of the soldiers during his escape and through his own anger.


    They had no idea how they could use this type of magic, nor how they had grown so ustomed to it, to be able to use it for their escape. It had saved their lives, yet the two feared this magic and the consequences using it brought.


    Much like an aura, it would activate inactive mana; however, unlike an aura, it would notpletely alter and use the mana. Hence, where an aura left a vacuum, which was indeed unstable, it was not a reactive instability, just a pressurized instability.


    It could lead to some funky stuff, but not to the scale of Chaotic mana storms.


    Spirit magic instead left a destabilized bunch of wrongly activated mana. Mana between states and without a certain type, ready to chaotically react to a new presence. How it didn''t immediately react and explode or implode the two did not know.


    They assumed that on Gaia either the AI or the amount of mana kept it stable in some weird unknown way. On Earth, it seemed like just a matter of time until catastrophe would happen. The two considered it to be like anti-matter, and it was just a matter of time until it would meet matter.


    While all of these conclusions and answers to long unanswered questioned were fascinating, the two did not care much for them. It was just something they hadpsed upon while trying to survive and find a way to fight back.


    The fighting back was about to start.


    The first thing they had to do was to get their hands on aptop, which hadn''t been hard at all.


    ''But they didn''t always share things with the public.'' Twomented on Eldrian''sment that they had not made progress.


    "Of course, but with no one reaching Tier 5, it means they are stuck at trying to connect with mana," Eldrian countered.


    ''How can people not aplish such a simple thing?''


    "It isn''t that simple Two. To actually be able to feel mana you need to consider ANW more than just a game. You need to ept that it is a second reality, almost like a different dimension or universe that you are transported to."


    ''Which most people consider insane. What about the rest of the n?''


    "It seems like it should be simple enough, Jen might still have her headset. That''s our best bet."


    ''Are you sure about this? It will bring her into the spotlight.''


    "Yeah, that part sucks..." Eldrian sighed, he did not want to drag Jen into even more of this than he already had.


    ''What about Erik?''


    "That, that might work. We just need to examine the headset."


    ''We don''t know that it will work.''


    "Well, somehow we can understand how everything works by just looking at it. I assume it''s mana sense, but not sure. It''s our best bet that it will be able to at least give us something to grab onto."


    ''I understand, but how will we-''


    "Telepathy."


    ''Are you sure? It is part of spirit magic.''


    "I know, but it is one of the stable branches of spirit magic. It is only our thoughts, it does not use external mana."


    ''But, we also don''t know what this would do to people.''


    "Yeah, the sheep we tried it on certainly didn''t like it." Eldrian nodded, their experiments had killed or turned mad the animal they had tried to talk to.


    However, when they had tried it on a few random people they had just seemed confused. There hadn''t seemed like there weresting effects on the people. However, there was no proof either that there weren''tsting effects.


    Yes, indeed, Eldrian''s morals had changed quite a bit. After killing so many people in the escape, and then further when they chased him. He had resolved himself to focus on the results and not the method.


    ''But, how can we even know that the game is the answer?''


    "It''s the only way we can grow stronger. I don''t want to risk experimenting on Earth. Not only is the mana more unstable, but we also won''t have a redo."


    ''And in the game we will?''


    "It''s like you said, as long as our body and consciousnesses survive, we will be able to survive. Not sure about the standard resurrection, but we should find the answers as soon as we enter the simtion."


    ''Have you decided to forgive the AI?''


    "No..." Eldrianughed at the idea, "They will prioritize their own survival over anyone else''s. It is the normal instincts of any living thing, but it is a dangerous instinct."


    ''Then?''


    "We''ll use them."


    ''You''ve really changed.'' Two sighed, remembering the Eldrian who had willingly sacrificed himself to save a vige. The Eldrian of now would not do that, he would weigh up the cons and pros to himself and the goal, lives mattered not in that equation. Or rather, they mattered far less.


    "You think I don''t know that? I''m constantly haunted by what I''ve- we''ve done. But, nothing is more important than stopping the misuse of mana. Even if our means are..."


    Two mentally nodded, indeed,pared to the possible destruction of the world, a few lives mattered little.


    Even though they said this, they both knew that if their friends or family were in danger they would be willing to curse everyone to hell to save them. Just as they had done in their escape.


    For some things are just beyond what they would be willing to sacrifice. Some things they would never give up on and would do everything in their power to save. That, this, it was after all the true reason why they cared so much for the world''s survival.


    If it was destroyed, how would their family and friends be able to survive?


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 544 - New Reality (Part 4 - Im Alive)

    <h4>Chapter 544 - New Reality (Part 4 - I''m Alive)</h4>


    Moving silently through the nature preservation he had been hiding in, Eldrian returned to the city, Langaria, for the first time in months. Like most fugitives he kept himself covered, the clothes he wore he had naturally stolen since he couldn''t exactly buy anything now.


    Returning to Elton Park the memories of the time with Jen and his mental breakdown returned. Eldrian smiled as he recalled that time, at how back then it had seemed like the world hade crashing down.


    Looking back, wasn''t that an overreaction?


    "Situations forms and transforms..." Eldrian muttered and did the normal scan to make sure they were alone and not being followed.


    This was another bit of spirit magic they had learned to use, or maybe it could be considered more an ability. The difference between those two things was still a bit hazy.


    As with meditation, Eldrian closed his eyes and focused. But instead of looking inwards, he looked outwards. He sensed the grass under his feet, the wind from the right, lifting up his hair. He sensed the nearby trees and flowers, smelt them even.


    Sending his consciousness further he surveyed the entire park, ''no one suspicious''.


    ''Two, can you maintain our surveince?''


    ''Of course,'' Two quickly took over and focused on taking in everything, all the little details and all the little movements of everyone and everything.


    It went without speaking but this task was quite draining and they could only maintain it for a certain amount of time, and certainly not during a stressed situation.


    Taking a deep breath, Eldrian slowly moved toward Jen''smune. He didn''t quite know what to say. Standing in the shade of a nearby tree, he looked at the ce. Nothing seemed to have changed.


    ''Is she inside?''


    ''Yes...''


    ''Alright, here goes nothing.'' Closing his eyes to increase his concentration, Eldrian followed Two''s guidance to find where Jen was. She was currently busy reading, no, staring at a book.


    ''Jen... Don''t move, don''t act strange.'' Eldrian sent a simple message, the slight jerk of her hands confirmed that she had heard it.


    ''Sorry about being gone for so long... Things went South and shit hit the fan in tons. But, I''m alive.''


    Jen crumbled a few pages as tears filled her eyes, she wished to run to her brother. To say something, anything. Yet, she realized that she was likely being monitored.


    ''I-I... I just wanted to let you know that I am safe, and... I am going to start fighting back now. We can''t talk directly, and I don''t want to endanger you, nor mom and dad...'' Eldrian wiped the tears from his eyes, grinning like an idiot.


    The relief he had that she was alright was too great to be put into simple words. His worst nightmare was not a reality. Life could go on.


    ''Please don''t y the game for the next week or s- Ah, I see you destroyed the headset.'' Eldrian smiled, for some reason that made him smile even more.


    ''Be safe...'' With that, he turned around and headed to Erik''s.


    ...


    ''Seems that they don''t know how close you are with Erik.'' Twomented as they made their way to his ce.


    At Jen''s, there had been two people monitoring the house and a bunch of hidden cameras. Eldrian had wanted to destroy the cameras, especially those installed in terrible ces.


    He only managed to stop himself since doing something would inform Miracle that something strange was going on. While he hated the idea of leaving those cameras be, he had no other choice.


    Erik''s ce had no surveince, or at least Two and Eldrian couldn''t find any. Waiting for Erik to return, the two weed him inside his own room.


    "El-!" Grasping his chest and breathing deeply to recover from the shock, Erik looked at his dead friend who was waiting for him in his room, somehow.


    "I know, a lot happened." Eldrian smiled.


    "No kidding, since when do you have white hair and elf ears?" Erik replied while taking a seat on his bed.


    "That... Yes, it happened over the past few months. Not sure why or how, likely something to do with me being connected to the game."


    "Connected with the game?"


    "Yeah, there''s a lot I need to fill you in on." Eldrian nodded and gave Erik a quick recap of his escape and hiding for the past months.


    "If that''s all true- How did you manage to avoid the army and Miracle''s search?"


    "That, that isn''t as easy to exin. It was first like intuition or instinct, warning me when I am nearing danger... Over time I slowly managed to gain better control over it and I am now more or less able to control it."


    Erik nodded and fell back onto his bed and let out a long sigh. "So, magic is real and on Earth too?"


    "Yeah, but mana is different. It''scking and unstablepared to ANW."


    "Yeah, I thought it might be. So what''s your n exactly? You wouldn''t havee here if you didn''t have one."


    "I''m not sure of my end goal, but for now I need to get back to ANW."


    "Right..." Erik frowned, "Have you heard what happened?"


    "What?" Eldrian got a bad preminission.


    "Around two months after you- The invasion picked up even more speed. Amrough was destroyed as were Pediades, Livadi, and Nothernian; near Kynigo. Diades and Kynigo are under siege and all in all the kingdom is barely managing to hold its ground. It feels like the most they can do is dy the inevitable."


    "Hows-"


    "It''s bad,st time I talked with Ilmadia she said that all the forts surrounding Kynigo has fallen. Pyknos Fort seemed to have be the base of the undead."


    Eldrian sighed, all that work. In the end, they still lost the forest and many lives along with it. Knowing that worrying would do no good Eldrian simply hoped that his friends in the game were alright.


    "So, what''s your n?" Erik asked after giving Eldrian some time to digest the news.


    "First, I need to see if I will be able to enter the game."


    "Won''t that be dangerous?"


    "Most certainly. But, I once was able to directly connect to the game. I think I should be able to again, I just need to find how the connection works."


    "Ah, so you need a headset to figure that out?" Erik smiled and gave his headset to Eldrian without questioning how. He knew better than digging into something he didn''t want to be involved in more than necessary. Helping a friend when he could, that he considered necessary.


    "Thanks." Closing his eyes and entering his meditative state, Eldrian focused on the headset in his hands. Exploring every part of it.


    As expected, it had no magical parts to it. It was something made purely out of science. However, its connection to the servers was not through the inte. Eldrian knew this, of course, that was why there was a monthly connection fee. It was also how Miracle had been able to beatg.


    Miracle had created their own infrastructure for the game, independent of the inte. It was this independentwork that Eldrian needed to analyze.


    ...


    Erik waited patiently but when an hour passed he felt he should continue with his day. When he returned to his room at night, Eldrian was still busy. However, just a few minutester he opened his eyes.


    "Did that help?" Erik asked, not understanding what exactly Eldrian had done but not going to try to understand either.


    "Yeah, I should be able to emte this connection, but... Nevermind. Thanks."


    Leaving the room in the dark of night, Eldrian pondered on what he had learned. Entering the game was not going to be as simple as closing his eyes.


    ''Two, do you think you will be able to handle that?''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 545 - New Reality (Part 5 - Returning To ANW)

    <h4>Chapter 545 - New Reality (Part 5 - Returning To ANW)</h4>


    ''Yeah, but our connection won''t be as simple as with the headset or cabin. I won''t be able to keep it up for more than an hour or two at a time.''


    ''Two''s plenty. Hopefully, I can get a better n in the first hour.''


    Naturally, Eldrian wasn''t going to return to his previous hiding ce. They had quickly learned that constantly moving was the best way to stay hidden. Finding an abandoned building in the older part of the city, they made themselves at home.


    ''Right, here we go.''


    Eldrian closed his eyes and helped Two alter a part of their mentality to a simr frequency as the headset''s connection. This was simr to how telepathy worked, but the amount of information needing to be processed made it far harder. Hence the time limit.


    ...


    Eldrian opened his eyes in the realm of souls, exactly where he had logged out from only to find his life turned upside down. He did not move anywhere in here, for this was where he needed to be for answers.


    After a few minutes, Ziraili appeared. She kept her distance out of fear of Eldrian''s reaction, waiting for him to speak first.


    Eldrian didn''t, he waited until GAIA arrived. The mixed deity looked at Eldrian in astonishment.


    "Interesting, you made your own connection."


    "You knew I could." Eldrian countered.


    "We suspected, but our assumption was it would take you a few years. Indeed, you keep surpassing expectations."


    "I assume you know why I am here."


    "You want answers."


    "Yes, and the foremost one is; how did you n to use me as a bridge between Earth and the simtion."


    "Ah, that would be just as how you have managed to re-enter right now."


    "No, this connection is temporary and being maintained by Two. What is the permanent connection you spoke of?"


    GAIA nodded, "Indeed, there is a permanent connection inside of you that we hoped to use. You went and made your own connection instead, that was reckless."


    "Yeah-yeah. Don''t bother with reckless talk. What is the permanent connection?"


    GAIAughed, being dismissed was something they had never experienced before. It was a refreshing novelty.


    "You are the permanent connection."


    "I want details, what of me?"


    "What of you? You." GAIA answered, seemingly confused at how Eldrian wasn''t able to understand this.


    "Me?" Eldrian asked, certainly not understanding. He took a few minutes to ponder this. "Do you mean the reason why I''ve turned into an elf?"


    "You''re not an elf. You are a human-elf hybrid."


    "So a half-elf?"


    "No, a hybrid."


    Eldrian frowned, somehow he understood that this ssification was the crux to his question. After a few more minutes of pondering he turned his focus to when he had been disconnected from his body. Somehow he knew that that was the key.


    "I see, I am over-connected. Should I split myself to establish the bridge?" Eldrian questioned, more to himself than to the gods before him.


    "Split yourself? How would that even be possible." GAIA questioned and Eldrian turned to scrutinize the mixed deity.


    "I see, that isn''t it. Rather, it is being able to be both, neither, or either." Eldrian nodded, "Thanks, that helped."


    "Impressive, that was quick," GAIA mumbled as Eldrian disappeared.


    "What did he mean?" Ziraili asked.


    "Ah, he realized he is like us. We can take on our personal allocations, or be one. That is more or less what he meant."


    ...


    ''That was quick.'' Two huffed and puffed, even just the ten or twenty minutes that it had taken had consumed a great deal of his mental stamina. He needed a proper rest.


    "Yeah, GAIA was very helpful. I think we are like it."


    ''Do you mean you and me, or our body and the avatar?'' Two questioned.


    "Both, I think we should learn how to shapeshift."


    ''Shapeshift, you must be kidding. How are we supposed to do that?''


    "No idea, but Ceph was able to do it as an Alicorn with little to no training. Thus I think it isn''t really shapeshifting, or rather it isn''t a spell, rather I think it is about envisioning yourself as a certain form."


    ''That sounds crazy.''


    "Maybe, but it''s worth a shot. I know the other way won''t work."


    Two nodded, indeed, after just that one attempt he did not want to do that again.


    ...


    A week past and the two finally managed to find a clue. It took a lot of soul searching but they found it. Naturally, they were inside a different abandoned building for reasons.


    "So, it''s as simple as that."


    ''Are we sure we want to try this?'' Two asked, knowing that there was no going back did not make this idea any more pleasing.


    "No, but things are not going well for the kingdom of Taurus and I have quite a few friends there that I don''t want to abandon."


    Nodding, Two felt the same even though he had never interacted with them. His existence, his life, it was a strange one. Despite the strangeness, he somehow didn''t care and just epted it.


    ''Okay, ready when you are.''


    Nodding, Eldrian focused on himself. On Earth, they had very little mana actually inside them but now Eldrian used that little mana he had to mimic his old self and his avatar as 3D ethereal spell modules.


    Once these two ''bodies'' were made, they burned themselves into Eldrian''s subconscious. Consuming the mana in doing so. A totally new and confusing experience, but Eldrian ignored the questions he had.


    Focussing on the human one, Eldrian could feel himself slowly feeling stranger and stranger. Stopping that, he instead focused on the elven avatar. As he did, he became sleepy.


    ...


    "Did we do it?" Eldrian asked while looking around the realm of souls. It appeared different from before, it now resembled the magic abyss more than hell and heaven.


    "Fascinating, I feel so enlivened." Twomented besides Eldrian.


    "I guess if you''re here too that means it worked a bit too well." Eldrian sighed as it meant that their body on Earth was now basically a lifeless corpse.


    "No- Ah, maybe... But, right of course..."


    "Two, what''s going on?"


    "I can still feel the connection with our body, like-"


    "Ah, I see. You were originally a part of my subconscious. So you might have a better link to it than me. Two, would you mind?"


    "Ah yes, of course. I''ll make sure nothing strange happens." Nodding, Two disappeared and a few minutester GAIA returned.


    "Ziraili?" Eldrian asked and GAIA sighed.


    "She felt you wouldn''t be able to forgive her. She didn''t want to bother you."


    Nodding, Eldrian decided to not speak on that right now. "Right, then let''s get to business. I assume this way of entering will have a few problems."


    "Indeed, the first is you no longer have ess to the interface nor to temple resurrection."


    Eldrian frowned, those were two massive problems. "Death, will it be permanent?"


    "No, you have a Zoe partner and you can use that as a point of resurrection."


    "The cost?" Eldrian questioned, recalling that the description had described it as 99% loss in all stats, extremely weak state for 2 weeks, and 10 level loss. Hopefully, it would not be that severe.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 546 - New Reality (Part 6 - Myths And Legends)

    <h4>Chapter 546 - New Reality (Part 6 - Myths And Legends)</h4>


    The mixed deity nodded, this was a good ce to start this conversation. "Dependant on Tier; no longer level. To revive currently will cost you 4 levels."


    Nodding, Eldrian epted the extra level loss without muchint. It was a far better deal after all. "How do I do it?"


    "You don''t, using XP is not something you are capable of. At least not consciously and precisely enough to reconstruct your avatar." GAIA replied.


    "Then?"


    "As I told Ziraili, I will be handling your connection from here on."


    "You?" Eldrian''s tone carried his uncertainty. He no longer trusted the AI, but he would still rather have Ziraili. Better the devil you know, after all.


    "Yes, me."


    "Reason?"


    "Right, of course. Your connection is no longer through the system, Ziraili will have a hard time keeping up along with the strain of a billion yers..." GAIA sighed, the numbers were bing ridiculous.


    "I thought you had your hands full keeping the entire universe from copsing."


    GAIAughed at his confusion, "Hahaha, I needed a goodugh, thank you... No, that is what I wanted them to think. The universe is in a stable state at the moment. I only need to act in times of peace-"


    "So that is how the wonky mana stays stable." Eldrian interrupted and the mixed deity of an extremely old and wisened grandfather and grandmotherly figure nodded.


    "Indeed, however, I only need to step in when cases are extreme."


    "Does mana somehow iste the destabilized mana?"


    "In a way," GAIA nodded, "It forms- I guess the best exnation would be a type of maic field containing the destabilized mana. Problems ur when the destabilized mana bes too much and overwhelms this field."


    "So, on Earth, where there is nearly no mana."


    "It will be problematic. Depending on the scarcity, the destabilized mana might be contained for a while or none at all."


    "Then, since it will react earlier. Will the results be lesser?"


    "Most certainly." GAIA nodded and Eldrian could finally breathe normally.


    Of course, it would still be bad, but... At least it shouldn''t be to the scale of destroying an entire continent. Thinking in terms of fire and gas, if the gas is too little and patches far spread, then the fire wouldn''t spread without end.


    The two went on to talk about this a bit more, with the more Eldrian learned the morefortable he felt. He naturally kept his criticism sharp, taking everything with a good amount of salt andparing it to his own knowledge and experience.


    By the end, Eldrian felt confident that GAIA was being truthful and not trying to trick him. Everything GAIA shared held up and made sense.


    "Thanks, it is very good to know there is actually a way to stabilize the mana." This was naturally the biggest topic that they had talked about.


    Stabilizing mana was not an easy task, GAIA said that to do it generally required an AI to act. It was not hopeless, however, as GAIA spected that Eldrian might be able to aplish a simr task through controlling his auras in a very specific manner.


    And of course, at least two auras would be required to do this. As such Eldrian would be the first person to ever try this; when he did.


    Interestingly, Eldrian would not be the first because he is the first with two auras, but rather that he was the first to survive so long with two. It was hard enough to not be consumed by a single aura, but having two. It was near impossible.


    In fact, Eldrian had died from using his auras twice already. If he hadn''t been a yer he would have truly died in both cases, luckily he had not been consumed by them though.


    Nevertheless, it went to show how dangerous auras were. Of course, he was more reckless than someone with just one life. But it still showed the danger.


    Eldrian was confused why Legends would not be able to do it either. GAIA''s exnation was that they were able to stabilize the area, but not the mana.


    Legends would be able to either exhaust or activate the mana, but not return it to normal. Both acts would stop the cataclysmic oues, as such, it was two other paths Eldrian could try if the first failed.


    Though, there were limits to what could be aplished this way. If a critical level was reached then it would not be possible to alter it without risking activation.


    "What about my time dtion ability? What is it?" Eldrian asked, now that the most pressing problem might have more than one solution, he finally felt like he could take some time to gather some information.


    "It''s called Chronos and it is an extremely rare ability that very few people possess..." GAIA paused, "It is strange however, Chronos is a bloodline ability."


    The entire area seemed to freeze in time as the meaning behind that processed itself through Eldrian''s mind. Clearly, that answer meant it was not something he had gained in the game. Which meant...


    ''No certainly not- But what if- Is it possible that magic used to...'' Eldrian lost his metaphorical footing and fell onto a metaphorical floor in the realm of souls as his mind tried to make sense of this revtion.


    ''There are so many myths and legends... What if, they are real- No, what if they are glorified but actually contain truth.'' Eldrian''s first thoughts were the Olympiads, then the Norse, and after Christianity and the many other religions making up belief on Earth.


    What if all those cases were actually situations of people gaining ess to magic. What if in the Olympiads time magic was quite widespread, what if Christianity actually birthed a true religion much like those in ANW. What if the Norse gods were people who essed non-elemental mana. Strengthing themselves and giving them godlike powers.


    What if... It was all theoretical but for some strange reason, Eldrian felt that this was correct. The most shocking part was he believed that if it was then so too were, for example, the others in Norse Mythology.


    ''Midgard would be earth, not sure about the others, but... Asgard. It might have been something simr to the magic abyss, or maybe even just being able to enter your soul. Maybe they somehow linked their souls and made their own version of the Mageia Avyssos?''


    ''And in that case...'' Eldrian looked around him, "Niflheim..."


    "Oh, that is an interesting thought." GAIA nodded and immediately jumped in. "I''ve also thought that the details in the Earth''s religions were interesting. Somethings were obviously made up, but others might just have been misinterpreted or glorified."


    Eldrian cursed himself at this point for only knowing superficially about Norse mythology. Christianity was a more convoluted topic with all its branches, and the Olympiads were clearly glorified to high heaven. The other religions he didn''t know much more than just their names.


    Norse seemed to be the closest to the truth, at least of the religions he knew a bit more of.


    "GAIA, you know the mythology right. Please exin everything."


    "That will take quite some time."


    "An abridged version then."


    Nodding, GAIA started with the tree of Yggdrasil, then moved on to how the realms were connected and how they came into existence.


    ''Right, thest part was clearly made up or massively misunderstood. However, the connection and tree. There is something there.''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 547 - New Reality (Part 7 - A New Type Of Chosen)

    <h4>Chapter 547 - New Reality (Part 7 - A New Type Of Chosen)</h4>


    ''If I were to extrapte, then the tree might be consciousness, or maybe souls in particr. Linking it to nature might have been their way to make sense of the unexinable. And then, imagining it as a forest, it would be connected to all realms inside the ''forest''''.


    ''Then the connection between realms would not be physical, but rather mentally. Or I might be thinking too shallowly and it is actually something far more, like a dimensional ancor of realms and dimensions?''


    ''Regardless, there is sure to be plenty of glorification and misunderstanding, but I am sure that the basics are true.''


    ''And that means it was possible to move between the nes! Albeit in restricted ways.''


    This was significant because it proved to Eldrian that it might be possible that he was not the first to be going through this. That it might have happened on Earth before and this might also hold the clue to why Earth''s mana was so scarce.


    The thing he hoped most for was based on the number ofs in Norse Mythology. There were 9s, and if each had 3 realms, then quite possibly the Norse had been in contact with three dimensions simr to how Earth was in contact with ANW.


    GAIA waited patiently for Eldrian to finish his brainstorming. When Eldrian did he was in quite a strange condition. Because there was one thing that nearly all religions had inmon.


    "Prophecy..."


    GAIA smiled and nodded, "Indeed, all religions know that destruction wille. And in the end, they all did end up destroyed."


    "Not all..." Eldrian got chills as he thought of Revtions and the changes he had brought to the world. "Please no, please let me be wrong."


    Eldrian didn''t think that it had to be Revtions that prophecized the end, but he was quite confident all religions had some sort of ''end of days''. He could only hope that his spection was wrong.


    "Now, that is indeed an interesting thought." GAIA didn''t need Eldrian to say anything more, it was easy to think of the most popr religion, or at least the one with the most exposure through media, reaching the most people.


    "Revtions... It seems quite apt actually."


    "Don''t say that," Eldrianined but GAIA ignored his wanting to skip around a topic to make it not exist.


    "No, it truly does fit quite well. Though plenty makes no sense or is too muddled in prophetic poetry. Considering it as someone unknowledgeable trying to write down and make sense of the unknowable, it is understandable. Symbolism will surely be as used as greatly as it has been used."


    "People will slowly feel strange, gain unexinable powers. Emotions will be more impactful, and demons will likely be the first type of monsters to start forming. The strange monsters might be interpretations of the emotions that they feed upon or-"


    "You seriously couldn''t just let me ignore it?" Eldrian exasperatedly sighed, hating that this might be where the world was going towards.


    It wasn''t even like it could really be used to prepare for what was toe. Finding the meaning in Revtions was not an easy task, and whether or not it was the correct prophecy wasn''t even confirmed.


    Eldrian sighed again, it would have been nice if he could warn people. But that wasn''t an option, he would either be considered a mad man or his words would be misunderstood. He doubted anyone, even Miracle, would ept what he had to say at face value.


    ''Yeah, definitely can''t juste out saying that Revtions is going to happen.'' That wasn''t even the only problem, since it was about the end of the world, people would also likely panic and things could fall apart at the lowest levels.


    And in such situations, ensuring that magic was not abused would be impossible. It was already near impossible in the current world, adding moreplexity to it was not going to help.


    ''Best to put that to the back of my mind. I am certain GAIA''s timeline is out considering that they have never been able to estimate things with me correctly. I can''t be the only person who they continually miss analyze.''


    ''But, it shouldn''t happen within a year. Might even take as many as ten before things be more illogical. So, let''s use that time to find answers that I can use.''


    "Let''s go back to how I am going to be able to enter the simtion and how things will work," Eldrian said and GAIA nodded.


    "Alright, what do you want to know?"


    "You said I will no longer have an interface, and revival will be through my connection with Ceph. Then, how will I differ from a native of Gaia?"


    "Good question. Honestly, you will differ in two key ways. One, you will still have some boons of the Chosen, and two; if your avatar is destroyed and your soul injured, you will still have a corporeal body, albeit in a different dimension. Thus, your soul will in all likelihood retreat towards it."


    Eldrian felt that that would be bad, something told him that if that case happened things would go quite South. "And if my soul isn''t injured or weakened?"


    "Then you will awaken and find yourself in the Realm of Souls. Where you can then be resurrected or decide to return to Earth."


    "Choose, oh wait. I see. Alright, how will the resurrection differ besides the XP cost?"


    "You will form near Cephaphyr, instead of inside a temple. The area must also be stable for this to be possible."


    "Wait, what if Ceph also died?"


    "That... That wouldplicate matters."


    ''Oh for fucks sakes!'', "Please tell me there is still a way."


    "Temple resurrection might be possible, but the cost will be that of resurrecting your partner."


    ''Well, 10 levels is better than Ceph and me dying.'' Eldrian nodded, it just meant that death just became far more brutal. He and Ceph would really need to do their best to not die going forward.


    "Alright, what else. You said I will have no interface, does that mean I won''t have ess to any features that yers normally have?"


    "No, you can reconstruct your own. I will connect you with Ziraili''swork and also help you create the interface as you wish."


    "What''s the catch?"


    "Doing so will cost XP, though it shouldn''t be too much considering how much XP you already have. Actually, you will be able to do far more than before." GAIA said, trying to lighten the mood.


    "Meaning?"


    "For example, if you wish for a map that would be quite easy to supply. Should you wish, you can also sacrifice your XP to explore the map."


    "Why not just give me an explored map from the start?" Eldrian questioned, not understanding why his XP had to be sacrificed.


    "That would be possible if you are willing to let your interface be based from and through the Mageia Avyssos."


    "This won''t be?"


    "No, I understand that we broke the trust you had in us. To repair things we can''t force you to be reliant on us. While you can''t be totally autonomous, I will try to give you as much as you can handle."


    "Then the XP cost?"


    "It will be used to give you a personal and personalized system and interface."


    "How is that possible?"


    "Consider it like adding an attachment to your avatar. Simr to how you entered the simtion this time around."


    ''Ah, I see.'' Eldrian nodded as he finally understood what GAIA was getting at. It was quite the interesting concept.


    "Then, let''s get star- Wait! I actually have more questions."


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who always votes for the story, it is greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 548 - New Reality (Part 8 - How?)

    <h4>Chapter 548 - New Reality (Part 8 - How?)</h4>


    "How- wha~ Please exin what spirit magic is." Eldrian requested, hoping that GAIA would stay truthful as they had been during the rest of the conversation.


    "What is spirit magic?" GAIA questioned and Eldrian felt like facepalming, forgetting that it was a made-up term he and Two had decided to use.


    "Magic controlled and fueled by emotions. Such as my spell, Incinerate." Eldrian rified.


    "Ah, that is quite the interesting name for it. We generally call this side of magic the aspect of Chaos, or in cases such as your controlled spell, Tierless magic." GAIA replied, the first name gave Eldrian chills but it was quite apt since spirit magic did bring chaos with its use.


    "What do you want to know about it?" The mixed deity asked and suddenly Eldrian wasn''t so sure. He understood the magic quite well already, he didn''t have any specific questions on its use.


    After a few seconds, Eldrian found one thing he was curious about, "How does spirit magic differ from dynamic magic?"


    "Dynamic magic, I never much liked that term." GAIA replied while seemingly cringing, "The definition of Dynamic magic needs so much work. What do you consider dynamic magic?"


    "What do I- Being able to cast at a mere thought," Eldrian replied.


    "Then spirit magic ording you your definition is dynamic magic. It is actually even past it. The aspect of Chaos does not even need you to know what you want. Only that you want."


    Eldrian got chills from that reply, indeed, it was the most confusing and also most worrying part of spirit magic.


    "It seems you already know this. Spirit magic, as you call it, does not require you to think about how you want a task to be aplished, it just required the raw emotions of wanting it aplished. It will then aplish it, in the quickest and most aggressive way possible."


    "Your incinerate is not true to the aspect of Chaos. Due to you envisioning what form you want the magic to take it falls between dynamic casting and Chaos, and as a result, it is not limited by Tiers. Hence, we call spells such as this Tierless." GAIA added in between exnations that this also meant that these spells caused less damage to the fragile bnce of things.


    "Normally, instead of forming it as fire, the will behind a simr spell would be to destroy your enemies..." GAIA paused and called up a recording.


    Eldrian immediately recognized the vige and his body froze, "This is the true aspect of Chaos." GAIA dered.


    A pit formed in Eldrian''s stomach as he watched that shockwave spread that changed everything, and following it the orcs simply exploded like fireworks. However, that was not the end.


    "This is why it is named such," GAIA said as -where the orcs had exploded- the very space suddenly imploded, sucking in everything nearby like miniature ck holes. And what followed was another massive explosion, destroying the very earth.


    A crater three times the size of the vige was left in view, the ground sapped of all life and strange lights flickering in the area. At this time the area was suddenly covered in divine light, the damage quickly repaired.


    "We never expected a yer to use Chaos, and..." GAIA decided to not dive into the other things they had learned, staying on topic, they continued, "That was the start of a mana storm."


    Eldrian gulped, unable to understand how that was even possible. How he could cause such destruction without even knowing he could. "Ho-how?"


    "Nothing is ever in true bnce, only in a temporary state of equilibrium. Break that state and the floodgates will open... Only a spark is needed to start a fire, yet the fire can burn down the world."


    Eldrian nodded absentmindedly as he thought back to when he walked out of Miracle. When he was in the cafeteria surrounded, he had entered a simr state as the one he had been in back there.


    ''My god, I knew if I acted the consequences would have been bad. But this...'' Eldrian lost his footing once again, but this time he just stayed seated in a dazed state. Wondering how far that mana storm would have gone if the AI hadn''t stopped it.


    "It shouldn''t be that easy to-"


    "It isn''t easy, not at all. You seem to not understand what that state of eptance is that you entered."


    "It is the first step of Chronos, unlocked through your aura of Tranquility-- through your eptance." GAIA stopped as they realized that Eldrian didn''t understand how significant the Chronos bloodline was. Obviously, it was named after a certain god for a reason.


    "Yes, that is the problem. Eldrian, Chronos isn''t just about slowing your perception of time." GAIA paused, waiting for Eldrian to exit his reverie.


    "Th''e- then what is it?"


    "Chronos is the ability to manipte time itself. It is a bloodline limited to a select few... And us, the gods of this world."


    "What?" Eldrian could understand how the AI had this power, but not how some of the creatures on the could also have. Nor how he could have it.


    "Chronos is simr to an aura in strength, but it is far more. You might consider it a divine aura. It first manifests itself in people as a simple overdrive, allowing them to process information many times faster."


    "This is an ability that many species have, and as such it can''t be used as a ssification to find someone with the ability to use Chronos. The next manifestation is true time dtion, and that was what was going on here."


    "In fact, that is the true part that caused the change." GAIA summoned up the feed of where Eldrian saved and destroyed the vige in the breath of a second. Only, this time GAIA mentioned that it was not slowed down, and at first Eldrian didn''t understand why that was important.


    Looking at the orcs charging into the vige, the shockwave, and then suddenly the explosion and implosion happening nearly simultaneously after, Eldrian didn''t understand.


    "What are you saying?"


    "I believe it started as you entering overdrive, but with this shockwave." GAIA started the recording again, this time from a little earlier and focused on Eldrian, inside the vige. Here is where the previous mention became important.


    The orcs burst into the door at significant speed, yet the Eldrian in the recording just sat there. Watching them move closer without batting an eye. Not minding as their des bore down on him.


    "I-I remember this. They were moving so slow, it almost didn''t even look like they were. How?" Eldrain''s eyes flew wide as the following scene happened. The shockwave sent them flying against the walls, however, when they started to fall; time seemed to freeze.


    A fall that shouldn''t even take a second, was taking minutes. It lookedpletely different from the former scenes where the explosion followed immediately after.


    "Time was slowed down many times for everything as this shockwave moved. However, this time dtion stopped once the borders of the vige were reached. We assume it was because this was the limit of your powers or your will."


    "This is why, depending on from where you observe, things seem to happen at different speeds."


    What followed was the explosion and implosion. Only, this time Eldrian could clearly see the stark contrast in speed between everything. He could even count the bits that the orcs turned into.


    "It isn''t just the perception of time that slowed. Time itself slowed down, and this is why the following explosion is so massive. The imbnce in time itself cannot exist."


    Eldrian stared at the scene of thest andrgest explosion and divine intervention again. His mind working overtime trying to make sense of it all. "This! This shouldn''t be possible!"


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 549 - New Reality (Part 9 - Shocking News)

    <h4>Chapter 549 - New Reality (Part 9 - Shocking News)</h4>


    "How can I, as weak as I am... How?"


    GAIA smiled, turning into the grandmotherly figure they lifted up Eldrian''s face to look them in the eyes. "Strength, weakness. How will you define them? Is it years of training, talent, or luck? Is it all of these, or is it perseverance, is it your will and drive? Or is it just based on your gic coin flip?"


    The questions shockingly helped Eldrian put things into perspective. ''Indeed, what defines strength? Why have I always been so fixated on Tiers? I mean; I know why, but... Why?''


    ...


    After nearly half an hour, Eldrian finally managed to put this to the back of his mind. Having thought auras were the most of his problems, he now didn''t even want to think of the one beyond even them.


    "Okay, let''s start my resurrection." Eldrian nodded, wanting to move past his worries and rather get to work.


    The grandmotherly figure nodded and told Eldrian to think of returning to the world of Gaia. To try to feel his connection with Cephaphyr.


    That was a tall task and took Eldrian a few hours. The deep focus on searching for a vague connection was not what Eldrian wanted after their discussion, but it was what he got.


    He worked hard to not let his mind stray, he wanted nothing other than to immediately leave this realm of souls. His recent experiences made this ce quite terrible in his mind. When he finally found the connection he couldn''t wait to return to the world of ANW.


    GAIA nodded and then started to get to work while Eldrian had to keep his focus.


    Slowly, the feeling turned into more. Eldrian started to feel and sense the surroundings where he was focusing, he saw Ceph locking des with Vivian. The two were in a heated match.


    He watched as they fought, drew blood, used magic. As theyid waste to everything in their surroundings.


    Shockingly, Ceph looked now like a teenager. He was just a bit shorter than Vivian and the battle between them was not something that Eldrian thought possible of Tier 4''s.


    ''Did she reach Tier 5? What happened while I was gone? What''s up with that scar, Ceph?''


    The two suddenly jumped apart and turned towards the location where Eldrian had been focusing. Narrowing their eyes, Ceph summoned des of wind and ice while Vivian called forth the mes of her sword in all its might.


    "It''s me!" Eldrian shouted as chills flowed down his back. He was certain he would die from theirbined attack. Naturally, that would be bad.


    Neither epted that simple shout. They waited as the light faded and Eldrian was left behind, yet their guard stayed up.


    "The guards have been alerted, do not try to escape," Vivian said, fighting the urge to rush to the familiar figure before her. She couldn''t let her guard down until they confirmed that he was not an imposter.


    ''If you are who you appear to be, tell me what the greatest secret is that you hold.'' Commanded a much more mature voice of Cephaphyr telepathically.


    ''Ceph, that... There is plenty you need to catch up on. But I guess the biggest secret you know of will be that this world is created through Miracle.'' Eldrian replied and the teen elf with pitch-ck hair and bright green highlights nodded.


    Ceph turned to Vivian, telling her that it was really him.


    Rushing forth, she jumped into Eldrian. Her tears flowed freely as she let all the worries she had been fighting flood her mind.


    ''What''s going on Ceph?'' Eldrian asked as the teen joined the hug briefly.


    ''War and... Loss...'' Ceph replied, separating not long after. Vivian however hadn''t let herself cry ever since that day. She had thrown herself into training, desperately trying to change the past.


    She only separated when the guards arrived, after exining that it was a false rm Vivian picked up her sword again.


    Grabbing her arm, Eldrian looked her in the eyes. His heart ached as he saw that something had changed, she was no longer the same person she had been.


    "What happened?" Eldrian asked, trying his best to keep his worry from his voice, failing utterly andpletely.


    Pulling her arm free, Vivian turned to Ceph. Wanting to dive back into training but the teen elf simply shook his head. "You need to talk about it."


    Gripping her sword with all her strength. Her hands bled as she ground her teeth. Shaking her head, not wishing to say it aloud. Not wishing to ept that it was real.


    "Vivian," Eldrian tried tofort her, cing his hand on her shoulder.


    Jumping back, he just barely managed to avoid her sword. Arge gash in the ground where he was just a second ago.


    "It can''t be!" She shouted, looking up at Eldrian. Her eyes filled with tears. "You came back! He-he..." Her voice became little more than a whisper. "He can too..."


    Trying again, Eldrian slowly moved closer. Taking her hands and securing her sword, he looked her in the eyes again. "I''m here..."


    Vivian shook her head to fight it, she tried to break free from Eldrian''s hands but he wasn''t going to let her go. Finally, she fell into him again and started crying anew.


    Eldrian just stood there and waited for her to recover.


    This took longer than expected, Ceph had gone to inform Pros of Eldrian''s return in the meantime. Left alone, Vivian finally whispered her torment.


    "Da~d''s- gone..."


    Eldrian froze, his mind trying to make sense of those few words.


    He wasn''t able to.


    He thought of her father, of Old Sword. The first NPC he talked to, a man who weed him into his home and thought him the basics. Albeit in a strange and controversial manner. He thought of the man who was so much stronger than the two of them.


    Gone...


    Eldrian hugged Vivian and let her cry, a few tears making their presence in his own eyes. ''Fucking Miracle...'' He cursed as he held his friend who was in unspeakable emotional torment and had been in such for far too long.


    ...


    When Pros arrived he waited for the two to finish. There was much Eldrian needed to be informed of, the most pressing was that another attack woulde at night. Only an hour away.


    When Vivian had finally calmed down she was exhausted. Helping her to his manor, the one he got as a noble, he helped her into one of the guest rooms. Eldrian looked at her sleeping face, watched the tear stains and a few new tears forming in the corners of her eyes.


    "What the fuck happened!?" Eldrian asked after softly closing the door, not wanting to disturb her sleep he now stood in the main reception hall of his mansion.


    "We are losing," Pros replied with a sigh, he was beyond tired. Yet, he did his best to stay calm and fill Eldrian in on the happenings.


    "I know that..." Taking a deep breath, Eldrian calmed himself, understanding that he should not be angry at Pros. "How?"


    "A few weeks after your disappearance another orc army arrived at Amrough. Situation what it was we were unable to fight them back. More troops were called to the East to reinforce the next line of defense."


    "And as most of our troops left to support Diades and Pediades, the undead came with numbersrger than before. An organized vampire army of ten thousand strong, all Tier 5, along with endless skeletons and zombies."


    ''Ten thousand, shit... There is probably also plenty of stronger vampires in the mix.''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 550 - A New Start - Setting Up His Interface

    <h4>Chapter 550 - A New Start - Setting Up His Interface</h4>


    "We have only been holding out thanks to the magic towers and their attacks being limited to night." Pros continued.


    "Thetter gave us enough time to repair our defenses and refill the magic tower''s power somewhat. However, each day we lose more and our morale drops just a bit more. Keeping order is bing near impossible. Many want to abandon the city, but that..."


    Pros clenched his fist, abandoning Kynigo meant opening another path into the kingdom. Sacrificing countless viges and towns to the undead, allowing them to grow their numbers tenfold.


    Nodding, Eldrian understood. But he still didn''t have the answer that he was looking for. "What happened with the forts, with Vivian''s father."


    "Commander Arthur..." Pros sighed, that had been a massive loss to them all, "They came in force. Escaping the scouts'' detection they assaulted the fort at night. Their spells rained down on the fort before the soldiers even knew what was going on."


    "Arthur... He rushed to the front along with his trusted generals. They stalled the undead outside the walls. Giving time to the soldiers to regroup, however, it was toote. All they could manage was to retreat, and barely at that..." Pros paused, the true part that haunted Vivian was not just this.


    "I heard that Vivian was there when it all happened... She was dragged away as her father fought and died."


    ''Fucking hell, no wonder she''s changed.'' Eldrian cursed and tried to think of what to do from here, however, Pros''s next words made him realize that he didn''t have time to daydream up a n.


    "We only have about twenty minutes before nightfall." Pros sighed as he said this, knowing that there was never a missed day.


    "You mean... Then let''s go!" Eldrian jumped up and called up his interface, or tried to.


    [Resurection cost: 4 levels | Level 35 -> Level 31 <message cost 100XP -> Level 30>]


    ''Well that is fucking wonderful,'' Eldrian sighed as the message effectively cost him another level due to the resurrection resetting his XP to zero out of the required 124M.


    To the next level down he had 62.208M XP, so he continued to try and fiddle with the interface.


    [Interface construction awaiting confirmation <message cost 10 XP>, confirmation needed <cost 200XP>]


    ''Sure, let''s do this quick.'' Eldrian replied, not entirely sure how this worked. So he simply focused on ''clicking'' the confirmation button. When he did he lost another 200XP and got a plethora of options.


    There was even quite graciously a temte for him, which he activated at the cost of one million XP. This gave him the standard yer interface, more or less. He still needed to go and activate the functionality, but that could wait.


    ''Let''s see if this works, Map!''


    [Map function inactive <activate for 200k XP?>] Nodding Eldrian confirmed activation and called up the map, it had an active draining cost of 20XP each day, which was just the minimum. Functions that could be activated would increase it even more. No functions could decrease the cost.


    [Map exploration activated <cost 500k XP>, <drain +50XP per day>]


    [Map ally and enemy set- Taurus citizens, Phallos citizens, Ganalin Dwarves - allies. All others - enemies.]


    [Map location marker activate <Cost 1XP per identity - Total cost 55M XP>, <drain 5.5k per day>]


    ''Oh shit! That''s too much. Kynigo region markers...''


    [Local location marker (Kynigo region) <Total cost 3M XP>, <drain 300XP/d>]


    ''Still a ton, but sure.'' Confirming the action, Eldrian''s map suddenly sprang up with blue dots (the color he had chosen for allies) and red dots for enemies outside of the city, everywhere.


    It was actually quite overwhelming, so he deactivated the region and instead activated it for the city and for a distance radius of 100km from his location. Which was still plenty and far too much, he would tune itter.


    This was just fiddling with what was shown and didn''t alter the drain nor cost anything new. He also activated <update>, should he move out of the Kynigo region, for now, he had set the cost as auto-ept cost.


    With this, he could clearly see that arge army, probably around a hundred thousand in total undeads, was marching towards Kynigo already.


    The numbers were ridiculous, Kynigo after all only had between half a million and a million people (Taurus cities are far less densely poptedpared to human kingdoms).


    The city''s fighting force -back when all the soldiers were here- would have been about equal. But with how things stood Kynigo only had around a fifth of the soldiers left. Roughly speaking, Eldrian was unsure if there was a function to give him numbers but he couldn''t dive too deeply into it. And besides, it wouldn''t help even if he could.


    The situation was dire, that much was clear.? In terms of high Tiered soldiers, Eldrian felt that the disparity would be evenrger.


    ''Next; notifications.'' Eldrian cleared his mind and headed to that function and did a few quick modifications, making a new function where all things he observed would be logged and archived.


    This way he could keep his own ount of all the enemies he encountered and analyze thingster for simr encounters.


    By the end of everything, he had used about seven million XP and would have a drain of 700XP each day.


    As he finished this he and Pros had arrived at the inner walls facing south, towards Pyknos Forest. Abandoned fields in view, and on the horizon the outer walls could be seen. Abandoned, destroyed, shells of what they were.


    A ck horde was slowly moving over the abandoned walls in the horizon, blotting out thend and walls alike.


    Not knowing what to say or ask, Eldrian instead prepared for war. He equipped all his armor and took out Crysoi while looking at the horde of undead marching towards them. As he waited, he wondered if he might be able to use the map to identify them.


    [Identification limited to Tier, use - Observe - to identify. Cost will be 500 XP per identification. <Activation cost 1M XP>, <drain 100XP per day>]


    ''Not ideal, but sure activate.'' Eldrian made sure that it wasn''t on auto-identify, since that would surely render him without XP in seconds. Instead, he manually concentrated on a few of the more organized sections and let those be identified.


    He stopped doing this after a few activations. Realizing that the cost was too much to use arbitrarily. Getting random skeleton and zombie stats was not worth the XP cost.


    Though, he did gain a few stats of random Tier 5 vampires. Probably themanders of groups of undead. Those did help him to get a feel for the danger that the enemy represented, so it wasn''t a total waste.


    Pros had long since left to takemand of things, leaving Eldrian who had been surprisingly quiet during their walk alone on the inner walls.


    It was clear why the outer walls had been abandoned, they were never meant to be the line of defense for a siege. They were after all out of reach of the magic towers. No, their purpose was to secure the fields and domesticated animals from random monsters.


    After a few minutes, the horde came to a stop just beyond the reach of the magic towers, 1.6km (1mi) from the walls.


    Cephnded next to Eldrian as the horde started moving to attack from out of the tower''s reach.? Currently, Ceph was in a mix of his Alicorn and elf forms, ck wings with emerald feathers sprung from his back while at his side he had what Eldrian assumed was weapons gifted by his parents.


    "How does this normally go?" Eldrian asked while looking at the thousands of undead scrambling in the distance. Looking like little more than ants.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 551 - What A Hero Can Do

    <h4>Chapter 551 - What A Hero Can Do</h4>


    "Miasma bombs," Ceph said and on queue, arge number of undead wereunched over the city walls. Sttering onnding. Some strange miasma seeping from the sttered remains. Visible even without mana sense or any type of observation skill.


    This miasma spread quickly and killed anyone it came into contact with. It didn''t exist for long, but the damage it did was shocking.


    [Death Miasma]


    [Concentrated vile and putrid disease, altered and weaponized through vampiric necromancers.]


    [Damage (Decay): 40 (30) {per second for 30 seconds}]


    ''That... Is dangerous.''


    After a few seconds, the magic towers activated a barrier of sorts. This was the first time for Eldrian to witness this type of barrier. No, that was wrong. He had once witnessed a simr barrier, a long time ago.


    ''This, it appears simr to the one back then. Does this mean this is also now considered a dungeon?'' Turning to his notifications Eldrian didn''t receive any, ''I guess not, then what constitutes a dungeon?''


    The barrier was transparent, almost like a ss barrier covering the entire city. It slightly distorted view, allowing you to make out where it was if you concentrated. Eldrian could just imagine that many people had run into it without understanding what they had hit.


    With mana sense, shockingly, it appeared like solidified ether. The sight gave Eldrian insight into how much more ether could aplish if handled creatively. First, he would still need to get a hang of handling etherial mana.


    The undead miasma bombsunched after the barrier''s creation sttered against the barrier harmlessly. Making it seem like this should be the obvious thing to use in all defenses.


    "Why don''t they?" Ceph repeated Eldrian''s question with a hint of mockery. To everyone, it wasmon knowledge, Eldrian asking made it clear again that he had been absent. Of course, it wasn''t his fault. In fact, Ceph was actually angry at himself, not Eldrian.


    "It disables the towers'' offensive abilities and drains an insane amount of mana, it also blocks movement in and out. Switching back to offensive spells also takes a couple of minutes. Enough for the enemy to close in and even scale the walls."


    As if the exnation was their queue, the undead rushed forward upon the barrier''spletion. Leaving just a few behind to maintain the catapults for when the barrier fell.


    The undead was a mix match of an uncountable diverse number of monsters. Undead orcs, kobolds, ogres, and even trolls were in the mix along with humans, demi-humans, centaurs, and of course plenty of animals and beasts.


    Thanks to the barrier, no arrows nor anything else could beunched at the oing horde who shed against the barrier.


    Allowing them to rain down their attacks on the barrier without resistance. It seemed like the barrier would be able to hold out forever, however, after a few hours, it started to be dimmer. The distortions in light became clearer.


    "It''s about time," Ceph said, having caught Eldrian up on the normal tactics of their enemies and all their failed countermeasures. Unfortunately, due to theircking fighting numbers, they couldn''t do much other than try to stall for time and pray that the kingdom would be able to spare a legion or two.


    Contrary to the citizens of Kynigo, the undead did not care for their losses-- as long as it was not vampires who died. If the bodies of the other undead were not incinerated or cleansed by a priest it could simply be risen again.


    This made their brutish tactic far too effective. Naturally, in the current situation, the army couldn''t aplish those things.


    Half an hourter the barrier finally started to crack, and this quickly led to it shattering. What weed the undead this time was not just arrows and random spells from tired soldiers.


    What weed them this time was Eldrian''s Incinerate.


    He had more than enough anger towards the undead, not for what they were or what they were trying to do. That certainly was something to be furious at; but his true anger was for what they had caused Vivian to go through. How they had taken her father from her.


    For how they had robbed Ceph of his childlike innocence. How his friends were now almost unrecognizable.


    He also had plenty of anger at himself and Miracle too. For that he was not there for them.


    Eldrian looked at the masses of undead with absolute loathing, wishing to simply annihte them all from the face of the.


    ''This might be dangerous, but so what? If they can use spirit magic then so can I!'' Eldrian shouted as he screamed for them to die. Letting loose thergest ball of fire ever. His emotions were not purely concentrated on just his fireball either and influenced those close to him too.


    As it flew, it grew. And as it grew, the spells of the other soldiers started going crazy. Growing in size and bing highly unstable. It didn''t matter what Tier or type of spells, they were all affected.


    The charging undead who expected little resistance instead found hundreds of crazy unstable spells bearing down on them. Destroying everything, turning the very ground intova.


    Thousands of undead turned into nothing, thousands more caught ame. Even the vampires had been unable to escape the attack.


    Eldrian was flooded with thousands of messages, each costing 10XP. He ignored them as he fell to his knees and coughed out blood. No one, not even Ceph, realized what was going on with him.


    They all stared at the destruction, equivalent, no... Far stronger than an attack from all eight magic towers. Shockingly, they found themselves also in a strange emotional state. One moment they had been ovee with anger, now...


    They felt empty.


    ''Yeah, that was reckless...'' Eldrianughed midst coughing blood. Out of mana, stamina, and nearly out of health. ''Didn''t think it would take more than the stipted max...''


    Of course, he knew that spirit magic wasn''t as straightforward as normal spells. He couldn''t really rely on the temtes that the AI gave regarding them, since their power did not rely on things like control and mana quantity. Instead, it relied on emotions and their quality more than their quantity.


    There had been plenty of both on this asion.


    Fighting to keep his consciousness, Eldrian tried to climb back to his feet. That was not going to happen, in his attempt, he lost his footing. Luckily, Ceph finally caught on to what was happening.


    "What... Was that?" He asked as he started healing Eldrian, having tried and failed to make a telepathic connection with Eldrian.


    "Spi-rit magi-c." Eldrian said midst coughs, "Like I said... You need to- catch up on- a lot- of things."


    Ceph nodded, shocked that somehow Eldrian had also changed massively. He hadn''t been in the war, but it seemed like he had changed just as much if not more than them.


    ...


    That single attack had shocked the undead and they gave up on the night''s assault. For their losses were too great and they feared another attack of this nature.


    Theyunched a few more undead miasma bombs as the magic towers tried to repair the barrier. As a way of trying to weaken the enemy''s morale, unsessfully. The soldiers kept cheering as the undead retreated. Unbothered by the normally fear-inducing miasma bombs.


    The undead leaders were scrambling to try and make sense of it ande up with a n against it.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 552 - Sorting Things Out At The Estate

    <h4>Chapter 552 - Sorting Things Out At The Estate</h4>


    "I hear we are to thank you for tonight," Pros said, having followed the reports to try and figure out what the hell had happened. They were ready for another grueling fight against the undead, while the miasma bombsnded on them and the city indiscriminately.


    Instead, the fighting ended halfway just as the barrier fell. The undead retreating with their tails between their legs.


    "Yeah, I picked up a few things recently." Eldrian nodded, finally stable after Ceph continually healed him for nearly ten minutes straight. The damage was more than just HP, SP, and MP. Rejuvenation and healing stabilized those while Eldrian''s mind tried to stabilize itself.


    The chaos left behind from such extreme hatred and then a sudden absence of those same emotions was not something easy to handle. It left his mind in a chaotic mess of random thoughts, pains, and fury.


    "We can''t rely on it" Eldrian added after a few seconds.


    "What?! How can you say-"


    "I''m dead serious! Don''t expect me to be able to cast it again." Eldrian looked Pros square in the eyes, his gaze affecting the much higher Tiered centaur. Causing him to shiver as to what Eldrian could be this concerned about.


    "It is time that you all learn the truth," Eldrian said, telling them toe to his mansion with all themanders and leaders of the city. Of course, he wasn''t going to share that this was a simtion, he didn''t want them to enter an existential crisis. However, he did need to exin things.


    ...


    ''Well, that sure is a quick way to get my levels back and more.'' Eldrian almost felt likeughing, if only the situation wasn''t as dire.


    With that attack, he had killed around fourteen thousand lower undead (skeletons and zombies), and a thousand vampires, give or take a few dozen. Eldrian certainly wasn''t going toin that all the spells that he had affected had counted as him working with someone to achieve the kills.


    All in all, he had gained 2 billion XP. A mind-boggling amount, but only enough to shoot him up to level 36. Though he was just 12M short of the next level.


    With such a massive jump, Eldrian now had 40 free attributes to spend. However, conscious of the consequences of being underdeveloped he didn''t n to ever have less than 20 free attributes in the bank, 25 once he reached Tier 5.


    As such, he had twenty he could spend now. And he immediately spent them on agility (347 -> 368)*. As always, he understood that not being hit was better than taking a hit well. And he had nevercked damage.


    Spirit magic also did not rely on any attribute, and while he did not want to rely on it. As a trump card, it was certainly most useful.


    This was not the end of things, midst the ten thousand kill notifications he had also gained two new titles and an option, a shocking option. One he was afraid of but slightly inclined to take.


    [Title gained: Maniptor of Chaos]


    [Through continually making use of the aspect of Chaos in a controlled manner, you have gained a deeper understanding of Chaos than most ordinary beings. Chaos has no rules, no limits. Yet, it can be contained.]


    [''Feed upon mine own emotions''; that has been your policy. Bringing order to Chaos, cing a limiter on Chaos-- Your life]


    [Continue to use Chaos and your future will be even more confusing, even more unpredictable.]


    [Title gained: Sharer of Wrath]


    [Overwhelmed by your anger, you have unconsciously released your aura of wrath in a non-destructive manner. Instead of letting it consume you, you let it influence those around you. Multiplying your own and their hate many times over in a type of self-feeding loop.]


    [Ability gained: Aura leak]


    [Release a small amount of your aura''s power, influencing those around you. With time you might be able to target it, and even share the strengthening effect of your aura with your allies. Or even use it to instill fear into those you face.]


    [However, beware! If your allies cannot maintain their sense of self they will be lost to wrath. Entering a bloody rage, wishing to kill all who enter their path of destruction.]


    ''That''s useful, but dangerous...'' Eldrian was on the fence about if he should be happy about this or not. However, the true problem was the option after the titles.


    [Eldrian, if you wish to continue on this path, be warned: There will be no turning back. However, if you want to fight destiny, then this will be how.]


    [<Hidden ss Quest Unlocked; Kosmos>]


    ''Kosmos, what the hell does that even mean?'' The natural assumption was that it had something to do with the word ''cosmos''. But Eldrian couldn''t even begin to think of what it truly might mean as it was simply another word for the universe.


    Of course, Eldrian was also wary of the message to him. He knew it was from GAIA and he couldn''t be certain whether GAIA wanted him to take this path for him or for them. Though those two things might not be mutually exclusive, he still wanted to be wary.


    In the end, it mattered little. He was going to do what it took to change things, to hopefully save this world and his own. For now, he decided not to open the hidden ss quest. He had plenty of matters he needed to deal with first.


    ''I''ll decideter if it is worth the risk. While I wait for Pros, I need to sort things out here.''


    "Aspen!"


    "Yes, my lord?" Aspen dived into the study with respect, news of Eldrian''s new heroics had spread throughout the city already. His retainers had quickly flocked back; however, Eldrian had shoed everyone who had abandoned him and those left behind during his absence.


    They weren''t wrong to do so. But them leaving after he was gone, without proof of his death. It was clear that they had truly only wanted to make use of him to improve themselves.


    Eldrian actually did not mind this. However, he had never beenfortable with having so many people under hismand. He would much rather have only three people he trusted than ten whose motives he had to consider when dealing with them.


    In his absence, Aspen had taken on the burden of maintaining the estate and staff. Though most had left, along with the retainers.


    Working with Tjan and Brazan they had sold his other house, taking in Maia and the others who were still there and wanted to continue to help where they could. Even if there would be no sry.


    "Please bring me all the books you can on runes and arrays." Eldrian tossed the emblem he had gotten from Sofiera (the mage association head), just in case even in times like these they tried to limit knowledge.


    While waiting, Eldrian called the maids he had hired from the sleazy retailer. Thanks to Aspen they were no longer under his fist. Thanking them for their hard work he gave each on a gold coin worth in silver. Telling them to go enjoy their day.


    When they seemed hesitant, Eldrian ordered them to do so.


    With that done, he then called Tjan and Brazan. Tjan sported arge scar across his chest, the start of which could be seen near his neck, though the rest was hidden by his shirt.


    Shockingly, he was Tier 3 already, and level 20 at that. His speed of development was monstrous whenpared to normal people. Almost equivalent to a yer''s. Inparison, Aspen was still only Tier 3 even after all these months.


    "Tjan, I hope you kept contact with Pheonix."


    "I have,"


    "That''s good news, please contact Elizabeth discreetly and ask her toe here. Don''t exin why, or that I am back."


    "Surely she will know already."


    "No, she might suspect with the rumors. Don''t confirm anything, just bring her here. And ask her to tell the guild to not speak of the rumors for now."


    Nodding, Tjan left to aplish his task, not asking why. He trusted that Eldrian had a reason. His leaving left only Brazan in the room.


    * The extra 1 agility gained is thanks to the soul absorption bonuses (from when he killed and absorbed Milgoroth''s soul).


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 553 - Proof Of Ability

    <h4>Chapter 553 - Proof Of Ability</h4>


    "Are you still struggling to control your ability?" Eldrian asked and Brazan nodded. "Alright, please attempt it again."


    Moving to the kitchen, they lit the oven. Taking a thin piece of wood, Brazan set it ame and slowly took control of the mes.


    Instead of trying to use mana sense, Eldrian closed his eyes and spread his consciousness in a way simr to how he and Two scanned their surroundings. This time he searched for any changes near Brazan.


    Shockingly, he found that what Brazan was doing was trying to control the element of fire (fire-mana) instead of fire itself. Yet, ording to what Brazan himself had said, he couldn''t control the element of fire- only fire itself.


    Understanding this, Eldrian realized that Brazan might not understand what fire really is. And if he could actually feel the element of fire, then he should be able to learn how to control it too with ease.


    But first, he needed to understand the difference. That those two were different, a thing that Eldrian also still struggled to fully understand how. The one was a chemical reaction, while the other was just mana taking on a certain form.


    "I think I understand your problem. Brazan, catch up with Aspen and also take all the books on fire you can. Not just books on fire magic, but topics on fire itself. The more scientific and less magical, the better."


    Nodding, Brazan quickly left to catch up with Aspen. Eldrian had also found a neat feature with the map that allowed him to favorite people. He had done just that with everyone just now, allowing him to keep track of their locations. The extra XP cost did not bother him one bit, this feature was just too good to ignore and would be worth its XP in gold during a chaotic battle.


    ''Not sure how all of this works, or why. But I''m going to take full advantage.'' Eldrian mumbled as he weed Pros and themanders into his now-empty mansion. Only Vivian was left, but she was still fast asleep.


    Unfortunately, he wanted her to also be part of the meeting. He asked Ceph who was nearby to join and bring Vivian with him when he did, telepathically of course.


    Eldrian was now able to form a connection with ease and with the new map features, it was almost like he was constantly scanning his environment.


    Luckily, the main room and entrance of his home wererge enough for the centaurs to enter with ease. Not all rooms in the house were built to three meters high, but there was enough to allow guests to enjoy their time without feeling like they were constantly going to hit their heads.


    "Why are we here instead of managing our counterattack?" One of themanders, Julian, asked.


    He was just Tier 6. The toll of the war had indeed been great if someone so weak was amander.


    "You are here because all of you don''t know the truth of the world you live in." Eldrian answered, "Or maybe you might know already, I''m actually not sure."


    "Regardless, you know who I am." Eldrian paused and made sure everyone understood why he had a right to address them as an equal or even superior. "I am the one who you have to thank for tonight''s victory. So at least give me the benefit of the doubt and listen to what I have to say."


    Of course, everyone already knew this. His stating this made his intention clear and did not sit well with some. But they couldn''t voice their discontent now, not with Pros seemingly backing this elf.


    They all also knew that they were at the supposed hero''s home. However, this elf had been absent for several months. While they had to ept that he had the right to address them, they decided not to trust him.


    "Sofiera, it is good to see you are still in good health. Oh, and why if it isn''t Myropsis!" Eldrian turned to his friend and smiled. "Have you managed to improve further?"


    Myropsis smiled back and nodded, "Indeed, I am still limited in my elements and in the war I couldn''t make much use of my limited improvement. However, healing has be easier."


    "That''s good," Eldrian nodded as Ceph and Vivian entered. "Right, what I am going to share I should correct again. I believe you do not know, but you might know or have heard rumors."


    "Have any of you heard of Chaotic Energies or mana storms?"


    Pros frowned and Sofiera nodded while Myropsis seemed to be enlightened, "A mana storm, ording to the legends it is a destructive force capable of rewriting entire continents."


    "Oh, then this will be easier to exin. They exist, and in fact, they are partly what caused the demons, monsters, and all of those guys to invade. I''m sure their nature also yed a big part in that, but this is why all the monsters also join the invasion in seeming subservience, and why they fight without mercy."


    "Are you saying that they are running?" Sofiera asked, surprised that something could be somon and widespread so as to influence the entire world. Yet for it to be a secret, or at least not well known.


    "Yes, that is indeed what is happening. I actually believe that this wasmonly known during thest invasion. But in the years of peace, it turned to legend." Eldrian replied.


    "I still don''t get why you told Pros to bring us-" The samemander, Julian,ined and Eldrian brilliantly cut him off.


    "Let me exin then, today''s victory was thanks to spirit magic. Also known as the aspect of Chaos."


    "..."


    Everyone looked at Eldrian inplete confusion. Ceph was the first to recover and he realized that Eldrian was waiting for someone to ask a crucial question.


    "Isn''t that aspect limited to the demons and devils?" No one knew that name for that type of magic, but it was easy to connect chaos with monsters.


    The aspect of Chaos, it was so broad and diverse that few dared ce a singlebel on it. Only a god would actually think of such a diverse branch of magic as one single aspect.


    "Good question, no, it is not. But it is considered taboo." Eldrian answered, his calmness at sharing that he had used taboo magic shocking everyone.


    "Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me first exin what the magic is. Where the belief of only demons and devils being able to use ites from, and why it is taboo."


    "The first is the easiest. My spell is what is considered a Tierless spell, it is created through mixing emotions into my spell. I do not know if everyone can do this, it might only be possible due to my auras. However, if anyone can copy this, it would be Myropsis."


    Hearing this everyone turned to the centaurette who quickly became flustered. "Hey! Please quickly exin that I''m not a devil in disguise!"


    "Yes, of course she isn''t. Use Observe on me if you doubt my words."


    Everyone immediately did, naturally. And they were left without words.


    Even Sofiera was shocked, as Eldrian had two new titles and extremely shocking titles at that. He now had a total of 11 titles, and of course, everyone knew that titles couldn''t be faked. While it was possible to hide them, it was impossible to present a fake title. It was something the gods had ensured.


    And eleven titles, that was unheard of.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 554 - Among Us

    <h4>Chapter 554 - Among Us</h4>


    The title they focused on however was Devil''s Bane. While they didn''t get a clear exnation of what it was. They understood that somehow Eldrian would be able to detect if someone was a devil in disguise.


    And upon realizing this two people in the crowd became extremely worried.


    "I said that because the first problem in the casting of a Tierless spell is being able to control your mana. Something which she has been working hard at. A Tierless spell is simply a controlled spell fueled by your emotions."


    "Right, before I continue I should mention that we have two intruders among us."


    The two froze, pulling out their weapons they tried to attack those closest to them.


    But Eldrian had naturally taken precautions before announcing their existence. They were immediately forced to dodge as ice rained down on them from all sides. Eldrian''s ability to cast without even moving a muscle was a big advantage in getting the first strike.


    His way of casting had naturally improved over these past months, even if he wasn''t able to practice it. He had reyed his fights countless times with Two. The two worked out how he could improve it with what he had been able to do at that time.


    For a long time he had been able to dual cast, and this was even easier than that since he wasn''t fully controlling the spells. Instead, he formed a mist of ice which he controlled as a whole, the number making it near impossible to dodge even if Eldrian didn''t control the ''mist'' well.


    Ceph -who Eldrian had informed before he exposed them- rushed in immediately after. He pushed everyone aside with wind magic while striking at the closest. Eldrian went for the other.


    The devils'' were nowhere as strong as Milgoroth, they managed to put up a decent fight against Eldrian and Ceph. But only because the two were wary of hurting the confused people around them and the house they were in.


    As such they allowed them to escape out of the house, as nned. In those few seconds themanders, generals, and captains recovered their senses and rushed out to support. But it was all over.


    Evale had let loose a divinely blessed arrow, killing one devil just as he took flight. Eldrian and Ceph brought the other down and Vivian was the one tond the killing blow. The fury in her eyes as she delivered the blow gave Eldrian chills.


    "Right, now that we have cleared the intruders, let''s get back to our discussion," Eldrian said, making an important note that he had to talk with Vivian after dealing with the leaders of the army.


    The leaders however were all shaken to their core. They had known those two well, had fought with them for months, lived with them for years. To have it turn out that they were devils. It was not something they could move past so quickly, nor could they ept it lightly.


    Eldrian realized that and sighed, he told them to recover and use divine providence on all the leaders and soldiers to confirm their allegiance.


    No one argued that he basically gave them an order, instead, they all rushed to get it done. Naturally, no one had missed that Eldrian, at Tier 4, had been able to fight against a Tier 5 devil with ease. Being able to even guide the fight so as to not injure anyone nor harm his home.


    "Why did you wait to expose them?" Pros asked. The only ones to stay were him, Myropsis, Evale, Sofiera, and of course Vivian and Ceph.


    "Dramatic effect?" Eldrian joked but after shook his head in denial. ''Unfortunately, it seems the map can''t detect hiding devils. That sucks...''


    "While I am able to detect a devil in disguise, the detection depends on how vile they are. These two were likely groomed to be scouts and have been in disguise for a long time."


    "They had nearly no aura or... Halo? Regardless, I doubt they have fed on many souls and likely the emotions they relied on to grow stronger weren''t awful ones."


    "I only managed to find them when my Observended on them- Yes, I was Observing everyone in the room."


    Pros and Sofiera sighed with the same thing in mind; just how had ite that Eldrian was more knowledgeable than them on the subject? Curious, they wondered what he had been up to these past months.


    "How does your title work?" Pros asked after taking a minute topose himself.


    "Depending on the devil or demon, and how much they relied on other''s emotions or souls for their growth. I will be able to see a sort of aura, or halo, around them. Best I can describe it is like the lingering emotions of those they tormented and killed." Eldrian exined.


    "In the case of these two, it appeared that they hadn''t participated in such acts. Which most likely means that divine detection spells would also have a harder time detecting them. But, when I Observed them with mana sense, everything became clear."


    "Still, to think that they had quietly stayed among us for months, years even..." Sofiera mumbled.


    "That is the worrying part indeed, why did they not act to secure the city''s fall? Was it that they couldn''t?"


    "Considering that they were still only captains, it is likely that they felt their chances at causing a big enough disturbance was too low. If they had made it to be generals, they might have been able to cause far bigger of a disturbance."


    Eldrian nodded, moving past that he asked, "Was this all the leaders that are left in Kynigo?"


    "More or less, we left a few captains to maintain the cleanup of the battle. For the first time, we are able to go out to destroy the corpses of the undead."


    "That..." Eldrian frowned, the fact that in all there had only been around forty people was worrying. Especially since this included the captains.


    cing the burden of the city''s defense in so few hands was not smart. But considering that everyone was lower Tiered than normal, these were likely the best candidates already.


    "It might be for the best that the rest left," Eldrianmented, sharing the news that he wouldn''t be able to repeat the spell to such effect wouldn''t be good for morale.


    He also felt that if they were so low onmanders then they truly had to make use of the yers more.


    However, yers were still only Tier 4. And unlike Eldrian, they would be considered average or only slightly above that in their Tier. Other than not dying a permanent death inbat, they didn''t have much more to offer. Or so it might seem.


    ''I''ll bring that upter, still need to exin spirit magic first.'', "Spirit magic is strange in how it works. It relies on emotions to feed its power. And it actually exhausts those emotions."


    "What do you mean?" Evale questioned.


    "Well, this is at least the truth for Incinerate. It is a spell fueled by hate, anger, wishing destruction, and so forth. As I cast it, those emotions are called out from deep within. But after the cast, I am left without them."


    "Like demons feed on emotions, these spells feed on emotions all the same."


    "Are you saying you can''t cast it again?"


    "No, I will be able to cast Incinerate again. However, I won''t be able to cast it to such an effect again. Each time you cast it will remove more and more of your emotions. And after some point, you will no longer have any anger left."


    "That... Terrifying." Vivian shivered, unable to imagine what she would do if she lost her anger. How she would be able to hold on without it.


    "Yes, it is. And that isn''t even the worst part."


    "There''s more?!" Ceph and Pros shouted in shock.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 555 - Jorens Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 555 - Joren''s Struggle</h4>


    "Yeah, what I mentions before. Mana storms and chaotic energies. This type of magic causes mana to be unstable, which in mass will turn into chaotic energies and could lead to a mana storm."


    Silence settled in as everyone tried to think of the consequences of such a thing. They finally understood why Eldrian was against relying on this type of magic. However, it was still their enemy''s main weapon.


    "How can they use it so sustainedly?" Myropsis questioned, not understanding if this was all true, then why weren''t they just wiped out by a mana storm during a fight, any fight.


    "It takes a while for the unstable mana to reach critical levels." Eldrian answered, "And I know that the magic I am using is even more unstable than normal. Mine is born out of random experimentation and luck, whereas theirs has been improved upon for thousands upon thousands of years."


    "It is quite likely that they have learned how to cast spells in minimalistic ways, as a type of ability. Which I actually think is also part of spirit magic."


    "Wait, what are you saying?" Myropsis questioned, thest part having thrown her.


    "My thoughts are that abilities are the ''skills'' of spirit magic. And due to them originating from within and relying on your own power instead of external mana, I think they are a stable version of it. I also think runes and arrays, in some ways, tap into this too, in a stable manner."


    "However, now is not time for theory crafting. I also know that the gods normally help maintain the bnce for long periods, which is why there are normally periods of peace after an invasion."


    ''Is this rted to Miracle?'' Ceph asked and Eldrian mentally nodded.


    ''Yes, but it is moreplicated than them just asking the gods to hold and let go of the bnce. Their control is far weaker than even they might know.''


    "There is actually a prophecy among the Alicorns..." Eldrian paused and waited for Ceph to share it, for it was his burden and torment.


    Nodding, the teen elf stepped forward. "That prophecy was that with my birth, the birth of a ck Alicorn, with it... The destruction of the world willmence."


    "At first, I assumed that this only meant the invasion would not end. As many oracles dered," Eldrian added.


    "But, adding this knowledge behind it..." Myropsis''s eyes flew wide as she made the connection. "Does that mean, if they destroy all civilized kingdoms... Is the world truly going to end?"


    "I don''t know, but I don''t want to find out."


    Everyone nodded, indeed, the worst possible oue would be if they had to actually test the prophecy. The best would be to make it nevere to be.


    However, how were they to do that? They couldn''t even push back the undead and monsters invading them. They couldn''t even save their kingdom even while putting their very lives on the line.


    Evale and Vivian knew this all too well. They had both thrown themselves fully into the war after their loss, yet all the anger in the world could not change a thing.


    This, in fact, was something that made them bitter. They couldn''t understand why Eldrian could simply rely on his emotions to bring down an army. Yet, here they are. With all the pain and anger in the world, unable to do a thing with it.


    "If you decided to share all this with us; Eldrian, do you have a n?" Pros asked.


    "Of sorts." Eldrian didn''t know if it would actually work, but he hoped it might. "Firstly, you need to stop underusing us Chosen."


    "I don''t follow... I understand that you can make a difference, but they are all still Tier 4."


    "We are, but so what?" Elizabeth countered, everyone turned to the new arrivals not having expected anyone else to join. Thanks to the constant night assaults most of the guild were active at night too (day IRL).


    Eldrian frowned, ''So that is the monitor, feeling... How the hell do the legends block it?'' He could vaguely feel that he was being monitored, but he couldn''t tell from where exactly nor could he think of a way to destroy it.


    Luckily, it seemed that GAIA wanted him to stand a fighting chance.


    [Activate distortion field? <Cost 1000XP, drain 1XP per day>]


    Eldrian almost felt likeughing when seeing how cheap that was. Of course, he immediately activated it.


    ***


    "We-we lost... How is this possible?" One of the people on the monitoring team monitoring yers who had been close to Eldrian mumbled.


    Moving closer, Joren sighed. "It''s the same as what happens when we try to monitor legends and mythic grade creatures."


    The only reason why their monitoring had worked in Avgi was because Agamemas and Zamia had been curious about Eldrian and they hadn''t been too worried about being seen. It was normally just an ufortable feeling they would rather not have. Like an itch, you couldn''t help but scratch, and scratching it meant destroying whatever was responsible for the itch.


    "What are you saying, that our target is far stronger than we suspected?" General Axel asked, having immediately been informed of the situation when the rumors had started to spread in the city.


    "No, I don''t think that''s it." Joren frowned, his instincts told him that it wasn''t that simple. However, he didn''t want to voice his unproven theories. He also still heavily carried thest words Eldrian had told him.


    ''I''ve seen it... But it can''t be.'' He still couldn''t ept that trying to discover something so wonderful would have such catastrophic consequences. Or rather, he wasn''t willing to ept it.


    Progress must lead to improvement. If that was not true, then what had he been doing with all his life? All those years spent ving to make the simtion work properly, to keep control and help drive humanity forward.


    How could all that instead drive humanity to extinction? It just wasn''t right.


    Regardless, the doubt had made him do his best to try and subtly make things harder for them to find Eldrian. More than once Joren had caused a technical failure to help Eldrian escape when things had gone from bad to worse for the target.


    Luckily for Joren, he had managed to keep his sabotage under wraps. He was also the most knowledgeable about the AI and the only one with whom System would work with. She did not reply to any other developer.


    This ensured that he would stay in the loop, at least enough to gather information until he could make up his mind.


    ''No, this disturbance feels more like something the AI are doing. Considering we didn''t know that Eldrian entered the game, nor how. It is quite likely that he and the AI are on the same side, or at least they consider us a mutual enemy.''


    ''Which is troublesome. And it was also about the time that Eldrian disappeared that System started acting more normal. Which I should have been thrilled about, but... It felt wrong. Like we were moving backward.''


    ''And what if discovering magic would really lead to the world''s end? Is it worth the risk? Is this like pandora''s box? Once opened it cannot be closed?''


    The thought caused Joren to shiver. Moving back to his desk, he secretly sent a message to System. Hoping that the changes in her were still there, that she wasn''t just an AI doing her job. But rather an AI with her own ideas and dreams.


    The message was simple {please get me in contact with Eldrian}.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 556 - Calling Upon The Gunsmiths

    <h4>Chapter 556 - Calling Upon The Gunsmiths</h4>


    Seeing Eldrian, alive and well, Elizabeth rushed past the city mayor, magic association head, and all the others. She embraced Eldrian with a few tears of joy making itself known. Not caring how strange it might appear to others.


    "I thought you were-"


    "I know, they really did have a lot of stories in y." Eldrian nodded, "We''ll catch upter. Help me exin."


    Elizabeth didn''t know what she was signing up for, but that didn''t matter. She was almost certain that Eldrian had discovered something he shouldn''t have and thus why they had faked his death. There was no way she would let the cover stories convince her otherwise.


    "But, won''t they-"


    "I already disabled their way of monitoring," Eldrian replied, leaving Elizabeth speechless.


    "Right, as I was saying." Looking at everyone Eldrian smiled and searched in his inventory for that item. ''Freaking hell this is a mess... Yup, the corpse is still here.''


    Eldrian started to randomly dump things he didn''t need from his inventory. The sight caused everyone to look on in curiosity. When the orc warlord was dumped they looked at Eldrian in astonishment.


    "Here it is." Eldrian proudly held the flintlock musket in his hands, showing it to everyone. The light from his manor reflected off the polished metal and engravings in the middle of the night. It sure looked pretty, but no one could guess what its use could be.


    "What''s this?" Pros asked, curious why Eldrian had pulled this seemingly useless piece of art from his inventory.


    "This is what we need to focus on while the undead are busy recovering. Not sure how long we will have, but if we can manage this."


    Elizabeth''s eyes flew wide open as she recalled the demonstration video of the gunsmith''s first cannon. Immediately she understood where Eldrian was going with this.


    ''I think you already understand my n. I''m cut off from the inte and forums, can''t go into details.'' Eldrian sent a telepathic message to Elizabeth, the fact that it was not through the system slightly freaked her out but she knew that Eldrian and Ceph were capable of this.


    ''I''m hoping you can reach out to Cadhan and make an arrangement. We can''t have the kingdom fall, hopefully, we can somehow get them to share their research so we won''t need to start from scratch.''


    "You might not understand, but some other Chosen had designated themselves to bringing some of the technology from our world into this one since the start. This is one of their earlier pieces." Loading the musket took time, and it made everyone even more doubtful of it.


    When Eldrian fired, they lost even more interest. It would certainly be useful inrge enough numbers, but that would not be possible in their current situation. It certainly wouldn''t solve their current predicament.


    And against the undead, it would be basically useless. The pellets Eldrian had used were too small to add runes, meaning the only improvement possible was enchantment. But that was far more limiting in its ability.


    While it would be possible to add inscriptions, that was simply far harder and moreplicated. Plus, it would require a crystal of sorts to be part of the bullet.


    "I know, that disy was really not all that impressive. But this was one of their early prototypes. It is called a musket and it was capable of doing this without any runes or any type of magic."


    "While that is impressive, that will not help us in our current situation." Sofiera said, "If we were able to gather a few thousand it could possibly help. However, the damage it will do will be just ascking, if not morecking than a ming arrow."


    "You are correct!" Eldrian dered with gusto that confused everyone, "Which is why we aren''t going to make muskets... We are going to make cannons."


    From there he exined what he meant, and why it would help their current situation.


    "This is going to be extremely expensive, we will need at least twenty cannons to fend them off reliably."


    From here Elizabeth took over, she had already sent a few guildmates to the temples to try and see if any were for sale. She had also reached out to Cadhan and his crew, who had been eager for a new venue to extend their sales to.


    A single cannon was simply far out of the price range of any and all yers. And the NPCs, well they had their doubts.


    They wanted proof of ability. And thanks to the vast distances between cities, not to mention kingdoms, it was hard to get sales going reliably. Doubt in something new was always high, especially in times such as these where schemes were at an all-time high.


    There was also plenty who would rather try to reverse engineer the new weapon, rather than rely on someone else. Some had something against the Chosen in particr, others just wanted to maximize profit and some still just did not want to outsource.


    Unfortunately, even with all this, Cadhan wasn''t willing to hand over their research no matter how much Elizabeth tried to persuade him. He was adamant about keeping the research, and hence profits. Which from a yer''s perspective made sense. If only ANW was such a simple game.


    "Each cannon will cost 150 gold, each use will cost 20 gold and will require around a thousand mana points to activate." Elizabeth shared, it was still twice the cost of manufacturing but it was already discounted. Or so Cadhand told her, she had to ept his words at face value for now.


    "That is an absurd requirement," Sofiera interjected, focusing on the mana cost to activate. That was more than what the standard Tier 5 mage had avable, after all.


    "Mana crystals can be used to supply the mana, however, the cannons do not have regtors. Hence if the mana crystal is toorge it can lead to the entire cannon exploding and killing everyone nearby."


    ''That is a terrible design.'' Eldrian grumbled to himself but didn''t want to dish their saving grace right now.


    "I know it doesn''t sound all that great, but each use should be capable of devastating an area of a hundred meters or more. I doubt a Tier 5 mage would be able to do something like that."


    "Indeed, but how are we going to get these magical cannons?" Pros asked and Elizabeth quickly exined that Chosen could send things over through the temples. In the case of the cannons, it was a bit more difficult but still possible.


    After a few minutes of pondering, Pros turned to Eldrian. "Do you really think this will work?"


    "It is our best shot. I''m willing to buy two cannons myself, along with twenty cannonballs."


    Pros nodded, that was indeed already plenty. The cost of which woulde to 700 gold. The city itself didn''t have much gold to spare, but using what they had to try and survive was better than trying to hold out, out of greed, and die.


    "Unfortunately, they do not have twenty cannons," Elizabeth reported. "Cadhan just replied, they currently have six they can sell. The rest are in use defending the kingdom of Gaelige."


    "How many cannonballs?" Eldrian asked, six would mean they couldn''t cover the entire city. However, they could still cover one side at least. The undead were also unlikely to expect it, especially the range that the cannons would have.


    A surprise barrage could deal as much damage as Eldrian''s feat earlier.


    If aimed properly they should be able to outrange the undead''s catapults too. Which would mean the magic towers would also be freed to be used offensively. The best part was that the cannons could be moved to where needed.. It could even be taken on the offensive.

 Chapter 557 - The Curse Of Those In The Know

    <h4>Chapter 557 - The Curse Of Those In The Know</h4>


    "They have a hundred in storage, but can only sell fifty. He is also willing to give us a discount of five gold per cannonball if we buy them all."


    While Elizabeth had failed to get the research, she had managed to get a discount as an alternative and show of good faith. And that 5 gold would mean 250 gold less in total. By no means a small amount.


    Turning to Pros, Eldrian waited for his decision. It was still a lot of gold to spend on something they only had second ount information on. However, now it was under two thousand gold in total.


    Pros had three thousand gold in his personal capacity, he wouldn''t even need to dig into the city''s funds. And he was more than willing to spend the money on even just a chance of being able to defend the city.


    "Organize it, we will also work on making our own as soon as we can." Pros quickly went to work, calling all the craftsmen of the city who weren''t busy with repairs to his manor.


    "Now, exin what happened with you." Elizabeth turned to Eldrian, Ceph and Vivian immediately jumped in on wanting to know why he had gone missing for months.


    "That is a long story." Looking at Vivian, Eldrian decided that it was time to bring her into the loop of what Gaia actually was.


    ...


    "She did not take that well..." Eldrian sighed, he had tried to make it clear that it truly did not mean anything. That it shouldn''t change anything. Learning that this had happened by design actually pissed her off much more than learning this was a simtion had bothered her.


    More than anything, she just wanted to somehow vent her frustration and general anger at the world.


    "Did you think that it would go any other way?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Not really, but it seems like she at least understood. She just needs some time to process." Eldrian replied, not too worried since Ceph had gone with her.


    The two seemed to have grown close over the months that he had been gone, and Ceph had also gone through the discovery that their world was a simtion. If anyone, Ceph should be able to help here to grips with her new reality.


    "Right, as for why I was unable toe back. Miracle decided that it was time for me to upgrade from an interesting study subject to a straight-up guinea pig."


    Confused, Elizabeth asked why on Earth they would do something like that. And how they could get away with it.


    "They can get away with it since it seems like Miracle might once have been a shadow corporation of the army or something. I don''t know what else they have hidden, but there are insane numbers of restricted areas. And the ce they had me locked up in..."


    Eldrian suddenly realized that while he had blocked the monitoring, Miracle had likely confirmed his presence and also knows that Elizabeth was with him.


    "It shouldn''t be a problem." She replied, but Eldrian couldn''t just take her word for it. "No really, I''m from a different country, remember."


    "Oh, right... But still-"


    "They likely want to keep this all under wraps, so they wouldn''t be able to exin why they are targeting me. If you are worrying about-"


    "But what about if they hire a hitman or something to capture you?"


    "What use will it do?"


    "What do you-"


    "I''m not like you. I can''t control spells and I certainly haven''t felt any strange things happening to me. The most they can want from me is to know what you shared. I don''t think they will try to start an international incident just to hear what we talked about."


    "Right... I hope your right."


    "But, I will be careful," Elizbeth added, knowing that if she didn''t then Eldrian wouldn''t be able to rx. "Besides, you are nning to bring this to light. Aren''t you?"


    "Not right now. I need to first get proof of what I learned and also find a way to exin it without being seen as a madman."


    "Yeah, that is indeed a tough one..." Elizabeth thought for a moment. Her eyes flew open as she thought of an event that might be perfect for this.


    "What about the next tournament?"


    Nodding, Eldrian agreed that it would be a good time to try something. The eyes of the world would be on Miracle. If he were to arrange something at that time. No one will be able to deny it, though Miracle might try to spin it as some sort of spectacle.


    "Still, just getting the news out isn''t good enough. I need to make sure people understand the danger that using magic will bring."


    "Right, please fill me in on that."


    Realizing that he had been talking as if Elizabeth knew everything, Eldrian nodded and started from the start.


    "So... If I understand you correctly- My god! That''s just-"


    "I know, which is why I need to find a way to convey this in a way that people will listen to."


    Elizabeth nodded, this time it was her world that had suddenly changedpletely. She had long since suspected that magic might exist on Earth, ever since Eldrian''s disappearance and ''suicide''.


    This, however, was far more than she had thought it would be. That magic could literally destroy the entire world.


    "I should admit that I am not actually certain how things would develop on Earth."


    By now the conversation had led them to Eldrian''s office, Maia had also returned before anyone else. She was still as observant as ever, knowing when to disturb to offer refreshments and when to stay far away to ensure she didn''t get in the way.


    Eldrian naturally made sure with the map that they weren''t going to be overheard. He didn''t want panic or mass existential dread to overtake a city under siege.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Mana is scarce on Earth, so scarce that the results might just be an explosion of normal scale and size. Or, it could lead to a cascade that never stops until all mana is spent. I''ve no way to know and do not want to test."


    Elizabeth nodded, getting shivers at the idea that someone would actually dare to test it. Considering how people tested nuclear weapons, it seemed likely that people would do the same with this.


    For, indeed it would be an amazing weapon if you could destabilize the mana in an enemy country and set off a mana storm. Far more effective than a nuke and it could even be done in secret.


    The very thought was terrifying.


    "Jesus Eldrian! How did you manage to just ept this all and continue on like nothing changed?"


    "I didn''t... Did I not exin myself? I killed people, lots of people..." Eldrian voice carried a hint of pain, the act of killing was terrible and stayed with him deeply. The first time it had been in a bloody rage, he hardly remembered it.


    However, those after. Where he fought as they found his hiding ce. Those times he couldn''t forget.


    Elizabeth looked at Eldrian and saw his pain. Cursing herself she couldn''t even imagine what he had gone through in these past months.


    Needing to live without any help, with the entire army looking for him. With his family thinking he was dead, and he, unable to inform them otherwise.


    Without thinking, she moved to hug him. To try and show her support, words would never be enough.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 558 - Two Returns

    <h4>Chapter 558 - Two Returns</h4>


    After a few minutes, Eldrian regained hisposure. Thanking her for that, he stood up to get to work.


    "Shouldn''t you take a break? This is all so much, and how are you even in the game?"


    ''Right, I didn''t exin that yet...''


    Eldrian didn''t want to exin it either, instead, he decided that indeed it was time to call it a day. Entrusting the organizing of the cannons to Elizabeth, he went to his bedroom and climbed into the bed. A bed he that had always just been for show.


    ''I guess my avatar will no longer disappear on logging out...'' He mumbled as he started focusing on forming his mana as his human self. It took him a few minutes to get it right, but he seeded and soon he found himself back in his body.


    "Two?" Eldrian asked.


    ''What took you so long?'' Came Two''s reply.


    "The city was attacked, just look at our memories. Right, what happened here?" Doing the same, Eldrian quickly caught up to what Two had been doing. Or rather, how little he had done.


    "It still feels weird to you?"


    ''Yeah, I can''t get used to the feel of a body.'' Two admitted, he had hated the past few hours. The strange feeling of being inside a body, instead of just inside a mental room. It was not something he wasfortable with.


    Thetter should feel more ustrophobic, but it was actually the other way around. Two felt trapped when inside the body, whereas in the mental room he felt like he could fly-- which he actually could if he wanted.


    Yet, he had to be ready to act if something happened. He couldn''t disconnect himself from their body just because it was ufortable. He had to be ready to act.


    "We can try to find a safer ce so you can also go into ANW." Eldrian offered.


    ''Thanks, but I won''t be able to rx in that case.''


    "What about Tranquility?" Eldrian asked, in the past months he had left that part of his soul alone. In fact, he had left his auras alone unless when he absolutely had to rely on them.


    ''Do you think that''s smart?''


    "Of course it isn''t. But instead of wasting your days just scanning for intruders, you would be able to actually do something."


    ''Then let''s see what Tranquility has to say.''


    ...


    ''Interesting, you''ve finallye.'' The half-elf that was Tranquility said as soon as Eldrian focused on entering his soul, and his auras in particr. He looked different from Eldrian and Two, where Two seemed like a younger half-elf Eldrian, Tranquility almost appeared like a ghost.


    "I assume you already know why," Eldrian said, recalling his past experience with Tranquility. However, back then Two had also been robotic. He was uncertain if Tranquility was still the same.


    "Of course, you wish to know if I can care for the body while the soul ventures realms."


    "Interesting word choice, but yes. Can you?"


    "Yes, observation and warning of the soul is possible. Conditions, only observation and warning is possible."


    ''What''s the- Ah, I see.'', "That''s fine."


    ...


    Eldrian decided to call the rest of the day, a day. Getting in some proper rest, understanding that his situation was now very different from before. Eldrian also went out to get something to eat.


    Basic magic made it easy to get the things he needed without people realizing anything. Especially with his enhanced speed added to it. A gust of wind here, a little me there. Easy peasy.


    When night fell, he was ready to enter the game again. This time with Two.


    ...


    ''This feels so~o much better.'' Twomented as he stretched his metaphorical limbs in Eldrian''s mind space.


    ''Two, can you see if you can interact with the interface?''


    After a bit of fiddling, Two nodded. ''No problem, why?''


    ''I asked Aspen to get me books on runes and arrays. But I need to try and organize-''


    ''Gotcha, let''s see if this works... Yeah, put them in our inventory and I will be able to read them from there.''


    Smiling, Eldrian nodded. Having his second half back was a great relief. Things had felt empty when Two was absent.


    Climbing out of bed, Eldrian smiled as he saw that Maia had even organized a change of clothes for him. He was sure if he had woken at a normal time, instead of before sunrise, then there would also be a warm bath or something.


    ''Actually a good point, I''ve never bathed. Though, then again this avatar is only a day old.'' Eldrian chuckled at the thought that this body was so young, wondering what thews would say about that. Not that thews were in his favor currently.


    With a cheerful subject in mind, he returned to his office where he found a stack of books waiting on his desk. Flipping through them, Eldrian confirmed which were which and stored them neatly in his inventory.


    After which he headed to Pros''s mansion, by now everyone knew of the returned elven hero. The guards bowed in respect and no one dared question or stop him. Everyone hoped that he had something more to pull out of his sleeve.


    Eldrian found Pros asleep in a chair in his office. Clearly having fallen asleep mid-conversation or something. ''Must have been tough...'' Eldrian decided to give him time to rest.


    Instead, he explored the city a bit. The damage from the constant night assaults were clearly visible all over the city. The atmosphere of which felt like a graveyard.


    ''That''s not good. Pretty sure this could lead to undead spawning...'' Eldrian mumbled, heading to the graveyard he disconfirmed his needless worry.


    ''This is interesting.'' Two said.


    ''What now?'' Eldrian asked.


    ''It seems that runes actually don''t rely on either elemental, ether, or spirit magic. Instead, it takes control of raw mana. And through the runes, it is directly applied as an ability.''


    ''What do you mean?''


    ''Your assumption that abilities are the skills of spirit magic is incorrect. Or rather, defining spirit magic that broadly will lead to such an incorrect assumption.'' Two replied.


    ''Okay, then what are you saying, Two?''


    ''I''m trying to say that it feels more like it doesn''t actually touch on the concept of imbuing emotions. It can, but it seems rather that runes themselves are concepts that can make use of raw mana as is. And I would hazard a guess it can also touch upon all types of mana if applied correctly.''


    ''Wait, if that''s true...'' Eldrian realized that this might be the key to being able to use magic more stably on Earth.


    ...


    With the rise of the sun, the city awoke. For the first time in weeks they had a chance to sleep, and no one wanted to lose out on it. Those stuck with guard duty cursed their luck, dragging their tired bodies to their beds as the morning sun sapped thest of their strength.


    "Elizabeth?" Eldrian greeted.


    "Morning!" She greeted back before getting to work, "Cadhan was quite eager for the trade."


    "Did it all go well?" Eldrian asked.


    "Indeed, the cannons are received. We were just about to go and install them."


    Nodding, Eldrian asked that they leave one to be studied. This was always the n, so there was no problem.


    "Solvi." Eldrian nodded in greeting as he observed the cannon with her. To him most of the cannon seemed ordinary, he knew too little of runes to make out anything of it. It simply seemed like it was overly decorated to him.


    "Eldrian, it is good to see you," Thesolis greeted as she joined the two. The dark bags under her eyes ryed her tiredness, yet she was still hard at work.


    Eldrian smiled in greeting, mana sense showed him nothing more than his eyes did. He assumed this was because it wasn''t active.


    After a few minutes, Solvi nodded as Thesolis dered that the design was crude at best.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 559 - The Benefits Trade Can Bring

    <h4>Chapter 559 - The Benefits Trade Can Bring</h4>


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "Whoever made these are still clearly novices in both runesmithing and formation creation. They skipped learning how arrays worked, immediately trying to make a formation while adding runes haphazardly." Thesolis exined.


    "Which exins why the mana supply has to be precise or it will mulfunction," Solvi added.


    ''Their right, even after just reading through two books, I can tell that they rushed to making before understanding. But considering they just think of this as a game to enjoy and maybe make some money off of. It is understandable that they would rush in.'' Two added.


    Eldrian wasn''t even going to touch on the fact that Two had already finished two books. Instead, he just nodded like it was normal to finish two books in like two or three hours.


    "The materials used are also far... What were they even thinking? But, I can understand how it works after looking at it. It uses the shockwave of an explosion to project those cannonballs, correct?" Solvimented and asked.


    "Yes, the cannon barrel focused the shockwave, or rather the pressure from the explosion. Forcing the cannonball forward at high speeds."


    "And they used mana crystals to fuel this explosion rune, which also activated these hardening and shock absorption arrays... Why would they-" Solvi shook her head in disagreement.


    It might sound like a good idea to try and make everything work as one but unless you truly knew how to, it would be far better to just make each part work independently towards the same goal.


    Eldrian nodded, adding what he could while trying to piece everything together. Hiscking experience in the area of crafting was clear. Especiallypared to Thesolis and Solvi''s; a Tier 6 formation master and Tier 7 -nearly Tier 8- cksmith.


    Finally, after around an hour of discussion, the two felt that they had what they needed to try and make their own. Unfortunately for Cadhan and his friends, they didn''t know how to make their designs hidden, not one bit. Everything they did was as clear as the day before these two.


    Their wish to keep their research to themselves was quickly going to disappear. And with it the possible profits.


    "Are we going to start?" Thesolis asked, but Solvi shook her head in denial.


    "No, you need to go get some rest. You''ve been up all night for the past week, constantly fixing broken formations and arrays. I''ll work with Eldrian to get the cksmithing done, your work will only be after."


    "I''m helping?" Eldrian questioned.


    "Yeah, this is too big for me to forge on my own. And if you can work your dynamic magic, then things will be far easier. In any case, worrying about trade secrets when we are about to die makes no sense."


    Smiling, Eldrian couldn''t agree more. Following Solvi back to her smithy, they got to work immediately. "They used abination of ck steel and Chrysos Gold to form the cannon barrel. Though why I don''t understand. Neither is particrly good in doing what it needs to do."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "ck steel is basically steel but more mana conductive. If you want it to focus on absorbing and concentrating the pressure from the explosion then normal steel will be fine and ten times cheaper. It is also easier to form." A sentence Solvi wouldtere to regret.


    "The chrysos gold was used as the base to form the arrays on, which is just so so dumb. Sure, it looks good. but chrysos gold works far better as a catalyst than a base."


    All that Solvi could do was shake her head in disapproval of the design.


    "I''m going to ask you to fuel the furnace, you know how, right?" Solvi asked as a few apprentices brought in boxes of materials.


    Naturally, they didn''t have any ingots the size of a cannon. Everything was going to need to bebined to size. The apprentices were also going to start doing the same in other rooms. But waiting for them would dy the first cannon massively.


    "Never tried it, but it should be simple. Like connecting with a mana crystal?" Eldrian asked as he ced his hand on the side of the furnace. He could immediately feel a sort of connection forming with him and it as he focused on it, simr to the connection you got with a magic weapon.


    Focusing on this more, Eldrian started pouring in his mana.


    "Woah! That''s more than enough!" Solvi pped his hand from the furnace before he could add even more. "We want to heat up the metal, not melt it."


    "Ah, sorry." Eldrian withdrew his hand while looking at the mes with curiosity. ''That was only fifty mana, does it enhance magic or is mana that efficient?''


    It also became clear to Eldrian why they had to form, instead of casting the iron. There was no equipment to cast with, everything had to be made by hammer.


    ''I hope it will work, but it sure is smarter to start with this than jump straight to more expensive materials.'' Eldrian thought, hoping that theck of magic metals wouldn''t be a problem.


    ving together, the two managed to form an ingot; or rather b of iron of appropriate size, halfway through the day. At first, Eldrian only needed to regte the heat of the furnace,tter however he also needed to help maneuver the massive b of steel.


    By the end, another assistant even had toe to help them with this.


    "Right, now we need to form it like a barrel." Solvi frowned, she had been wracking her brain on just how to aplish this. She had done her best tobine the ingots in a way that gave her a hollow center, but getting into it was not going to be easy.


    ''Casting it will be so much easier, but not sure if cast iron will be able to withstand the extra explosive power from adding magic to the cannon.'' Eldrian pondered when they took a break he brought this up.


    "I know of the technique, but it is mostly not used since the quality is shitpared to-"


    "I know, it is also why I didn''t bring it up immediately. But what if we make cheaper versions to simply bulk up our numbers. We can use them as backups or simply as a disy to scare the undead. And on top of that, most anyone with cksmithing experience should be able to do it." Eldrian countered.


    "That is a good point, and if we use unprepared iron it won''t even cost five gold per cannon. Though, we might actually run through our iron stockpile before needing to worry about the cost."


    "If that happens we can just trade through the Chosen from other kingdoms and even empires." Eldrian countered, and upon hearing this Solvi''s eyes flew wide.


    "I finally get it now." She mumbled.


    "Get what?"


    "What you told Pros and the other. That we should stop underusing you. None of us considered the fact that we could use you guys to import goods. You should be able to realize how massive that is in a siege."


    Eldrian nodded, "Wait, how much food does the kingdom have left?"


    "I''m not sure, but from what has spread through the city; one or two months, max."


    ''Really, how did no one even think of that? Why aren''t their merchant yers?'' Eldrian wondered, and there were but they were all normally limited to their kingdom. Making use of the teleport system to jump from city to city.


    Organizing trade between kingdoms was not something that had been done, not yet. Moving through teleportation from kingdom to kingdom was simply too expensive and traveling between them would take weeks or even months. Few people were willing to spend that much time just traveling.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 560 - A Rune Called Riki

    <h4>Chapter 560 - A Rune Called Riki</h4>


    "Go see if the Chosen can help, forming the barrel is going to take time anyway," Solvi said. Nodding, Eldrian headed to find Elizabeth. Of course, he had also added her to the tracker/favorite function of his new map. Making it quite an easy task.


    "I thought you were working on the cannons," Elizabethmented as Eldrian suddenly showed up next to her. She was currently running between the different cannons to make sure no one screwed up installing them.


    There wasn''t must instation required, just cing them correctly and anchoring them to the walls. But it was too important a task for her to feelfortable with anyone else overseeing it, other than Nikki, her second inmand.


    "There''s a lul and I wanted to talk to you about something else we need to start right away," Eldrian replied. "The city is running out of food-"


    Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and turned to Eldrian in shock. "You''re kidding, right?"


    "I''m not. It seems they were trying to keep it under wraps to not cause panic. It would also have lower morale even more."


    "That makes sense, with how things were going before your arrival, news of food being in short supply would have likely broken the city." She paused and realized why Eldrian came to her.


    "You''re not connected to the system formally... I''ll get Nikki on this right away."


    "Thanks, also try to reach out to other yers. Especially those who are trying to be merchants. If possible, we want to also buy iron and other raw materials in bulk. But we can''t let them know how desperate we are."


    Elizabeth nodded, knowing the yers, they would try to get thergest profit. However, if it seemed like there was only slight interest. Then they would ept smaller margins.


    Considering that their funds were sure to be limited, it was important to ensure as small a margin as possible.


    With that done Eldrian returned to work on the cannon. By the time night arrived, they had somehow managed to get the form of a barrel done. By the end, magic had suree in very handy.


    ''If I can just control ether morepletely, this would have been a piece of cake.'' Eldrian thought, during these past hours he had constantly used ether to slowly form the inside. Unfortunately, his control was still rudimentary. He could exert a force, but not much else and he couldn''t really maintain it for long.


    When he was out of mana, Solvi woulde in with her hammer again.


    There were natural spells that could help form items, but since they were working on normal steel, it would more than likely just crack and break as the mana entered it. Since those spells were designed to work through the metal, not as an outside influence which was how Eldrian was using ether.


    "I can''t believe it would have been quicker with magic metals," Solvi grumbled once they were done, the barrel shined in the light of the furnace. It looked amazing, especially to Eldrian who had just spent an entire day turning normal ingots into this masterpiece.


    "But we don''t have many magic metals to spare." Eldrian countered, "Besides, this is good practice."


    Hearing this, Solvi turned to Eldrian. "What do you mean?" That look of Eldrian''s scared her.


    "What do I mean?" Eldrian teased, "I mean I still have the Magic Crystal Dust, as well as the voidstone."


    "You''re crazy!"


    "It''ll be our trump card." Eldrian countered with a grin. "So, let''s experiment on these and see what works best."


    ''Ask her if she knows the rune rixi. It is an explosion-type rune. But instead of just exploding, it actually seems to make use of exhausting the mana used. I think it is derived from the aura of wrath.''


    ''Seems? Think?''


    ''The book isn''t clear on any of that. Just that the explosion is a hundred times more powerful. And from what we know it rted to how an aura works.''


    ''If it is more powerful then it will just explode the cannon itself.'' Eldrian countered.


    ''Which is why we add it to the cannonball.'' Two countered back and Eldrian''s mind went nk for a moment.


    ''You''re a genius!''


    ''Why thank you.'' Two replied as if this was a formal event.


    "Right," Eldrian suddenly continued after a moment of silence where he had talked with Two, "We should remember to also make our own cannonballs."


    "Yeah," Solvi replied, her tone making it clear that that was a given.


    "Solvi, do you know the rune rixi?"


    "Rixi? Why would you ask about that rune?" She asked, it was normally the rune used in destructive weapons as ast-ditch trump card. In fact, it was the very rune that Evale had used to kill the revenant she had fought.


    "I''ve been thinking," Eldrian said and Solvi started to get a headache. Knowing Eldrian -like everyone else- she knew something imusible yet possible was going to follow.


    "If we can give the cannonballs a dyed activation. Either through an array or upon contact, then we can have it explode with devastating effectiveness. Especially if we add the voidstone and Magic Crystal Dust to give it as much mana as possible."


    Solvi just sighed, she didn''t even have the words to reply to this. However, after thinking about it for a few seconds she realized that with Eldrian here it might actually be possible to make it work.


    The problem would be being able to connect to the cannonball, which would be inside the cannon, which was what you were actually working/connecting with. However, Eldrian might be able to form a temporary connection with a magic item such as this.


    Most of the time temporary connections weren''t possible, and it bes less usible the stronger the effects of the item. But if it was possible, it could lead to amazing things being created.


    ''Umm, Eldrian.''


    ''Not now,'' Eldrian replied as he waited for Solvi''s answer.


    ''Yes now. Why does the voidstone feel strangely connected to us?''


    ''The hell are you on about?'' Diving into his inventory Eldrian froze as he immediately felt a connection with the voidstone. ''The hell is this?''


    ''That was my question. This is new right?''


    ''Very... Just stay away from it for now.''


    ''Did you think I was going to risk going near it?''


    ''Well, no.'' Eldrian admitted. He doubted Two would be more reckless than him, but he still had to say it.


    "The voidstone will likely be going over the top." Solvi replied when she finally thought things through.


    "Why''s that?" Eldrian asked while sighing in relief.


    "Because it was what caused me workshop to almost copsest time. Even I don''t know what abilities it added to your spear. I don''t want to send an explosion-enhanced cannonball with that kind of unknown so close to our city."


    "It will for sure destroy the enemy, but it might be far stronger than we expect and damage us just as much."


    Eldrian nodded, that was a fair point. And after feeling this strange connection with the voidstone he didn''t want to particrly touch it. And taking it out would require just that.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 561 - Progress And Growing Numbers

    <h4>Chapter 561 - Progress And Growing Numbers</h4>


    A few days passed with the undead staying in their forest. They were quickly gaining numbers from everywhere, Eldrian was continuously monitoring this and even reported this to Pros. It seemed that the final push wasing soon.


    Their numbers by now had almost doubled. In all likelihood, they were going to try and overwhelm the city with sheer numbers.


    "What about the cannons?" Pros asked.


    "We''ve made lesser but improved versions. Their range will be around that of the magic towers and the explosion of their cannonballs around twenty meters of effective fire." Solvi replied, currently the leaders in each field of craft were meeting along with themanders of the army.


    The group was a total of ten people, including Eldrian and Pros.


    "And the number of cannonballs?" Pros asked, desperately trying to figure out if they would be able to survive an assault given the updated numbers. Though the true problem would not be the lesser undead.


    "Thanks to the simplified design, I was able to hand the production down to Tier 5 cksmiths apanied but Tier 5 runesmiths. However, it is still time-consuming. Yet, it is theck of materials that is slowing us down the most." Solvi answered.


    "Unfortunately, if we want to get more materials faster the only way would be to increase what we are willing to pay," Eldrian spoke up, "However, that might lead to the Chosen we are dealing with bing greedy."


    "We also need to ensure we can afford enough to make a difference." He added as a warning for them to be patient.


    Everyone nodded, the past few days had let them cool down and get some proper rest. Now, everyone was in a far clearer mindset.


    "What about that one?" Pros asked, confusing some in the room. However, he didn''t want to go into details on the secret project. While they had done the best they could to search for spies, the risk that there were still some was ever-present.


    The only people who knew about this project were Eldrian, Pros, Thesolis, and Solvi.


    "It ising along well," Thesolis replied, she was currently trying tobine everything into a formation for the highest degree of control and effect.


    Naturally, it would be better to keep it a secret from everyone entirely. However, they had decided to make themanders and other leaders in their respective craft know that there was some big secret.


    A trump card.


    The reason was simple, the first obviously to boost morale, the second to cause the undead to attack in haste before their numbers grew to toorge a number. If that wasn''t possible, then the hope was that it would dy them longer than would have been otherwise. Giving the city more time to prepare.


    The aim was thus hoping to make the undead wary and thus keep them from using the optimal time to strike. Having them either overthink the situation or rush in rashly. While giving everyone more hope in victory at all times.


    Whether this would work or not was unknown, but it was the small things that could change the entire flow of a battle.


    From there the conversation then went on to the food situation, which was improving constantly with most of the Phoenix guild constantly hauling food to and fro. It was a massive expense on the city currently, but it was essential.


    A total of twenty yers had also gone with Judith and Ilmadia to the capital of Taurus, where they were hoping to set up a teleportation point and then start using that instead of buying food from other yers.


    Elizabeth had also contacted Erik about this, and he had agreed to help where he could. He was after all quite well known in the city of Taurtania. It was 500 kilometers further than Taurbeleuo, both were 250km from Taur, the capital.


    The extra distance was believed to be worth the time spent traveling. Knowing someone who would be able to introduce them to connections would certainly make a big difference in the long run.


    Myropsis was actually also in this group, as a royal, even if she wasn''t all that close to the king she did have a few friends in high ces. Her first task was to help with getting the food supply going. Thereafter she was to try and get supplies for making more cannons and hopefully even start construction in the other cities.


    Unfortunately, Pros couldn''t exactlymand anyone outside of Kynigo. They were going to have to persuade them of the usefulness of the cannons. Hopefully, the nobles of Taurus would be open-minded and grab the opportunity as Pros had.


    After the meeting came to an end, Eldrian waited behind.


    "What''s on your mind?" Pros asked, offering Eldrian a seat in his office.


    "I want to ask if I can gain ess to all the books in the city."


    "What for?" Pros asked, it was an absurd ask but not something Pros minded giving. The problem instead was that there was no way anyone could go through so many books.


    "I''ve got this- Ability. It allows me to read extremely quickly if I store the books in my inventory. I am hoping I would be able to broaden my knowledge more. The more I learn, the more I find that things aren''t as simply ssified as I first thought."


    "That is quite the ability, and of course, you have my permission."


    "Does this extend to kingdom secrets?" Eldrian asked, and Pros frowned.


    "I can give permission of some, but not all. I''m afraid that if I do give permission for those books to be taken out of storage, it would be considered treason."


    Eldrian sighed, they both knew and understood that it was just in stupid that things like that would still be enforced. But that was how things were. Certainly, there would be self-destruction-type security measures for if the city did end up falling.


    "Thanks." With that Eldrian left and headed for the library. In preparation, he had emptied his inventory, and now he filled it again. Naturally, he had left the voidstone where it was and he made sure to keep a good breath of distance from it inside his inventory.


    As they headed back, Eldrian finally decided that it was time to look at that hidden ss quest.


    [Quest: Kosmos]


    [Rank: Undefined]


    [Reward: Hidden ss - Undefined]


    ''The hell, how is the ss still undefined?'' Eldrian wondered, and as he wondered he considered the fact that it was quite possible that even GAIA didn''t know, or that it had no name; yet.


    He felt that that might indeed be the case when he looked at the requirements.


    [Find an element of divinity]


    [Find an element of space]


    [Find an element of time]


    [Find an element of order]


    [Find an element of chaos]


    ''What does element mean?'' Eldrian pondered as he read through the list time and time again on his way back. That was all that there was to the quest, no other exnations nor descriptions.


    ''It certainly does feel like GAIA is sending me on a wild goose chase, but...''


    ''You think it too?''


    ''Yeah, the voidstone is one of these elements.'' Eldrian nodded, from the name he assumed it was the element of space. ''Wait, what about the death crystal?''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.


    AN: Finally decided to add more privilege tiers, check them out if you want to read a bit more. Up to 8 chapters now in privilege.


    :)

 Chapter 562 - Hidden Classes, An Open Secret

    <h4>Chapter 562 - Hidden sses, An Open Secret</h4>


    The death crystaly beside the voidstone, Eldrian had naturally left it there since it was too close to the voidstone. Upon focusing on it, he felt the same strange connection.


    ''That confirms it, and it must be an element of chaos.''


    ''But what should we do with this?''


    ''Not sure, but I don''t want to touch it until we have all five. I''m afraid being rash might lead to unexpected consequences.''


    ''Agreed, we''ll continue to focus on research.''


    Eldrian nodded, it was also time for them to finally break through the beginner levels. To go from a rookie to someone of actual note inbat.


    It was time to try and reach Tier 5.


    However, for that Eldrian wanted to prepare properly. Which was why he had asked Pros for ess to all books, and why he had started buying as many mana crystals as he could afford through the guild.


    For now he wanted to avoid the temples, Eldrian was unsure if the distortion field would work there. And it was always possible that one of the AI might not be in line with GAIA''s ns.


    Their first stop was naturally the magic association library, where Eldrian asked for help to find books about legacies. He even met with Sofiera and asked about hidden sses.


    "It isn''t something so easy to gain so as for there to be books about them, especially not in a border city''s library." She had replied, naturally, hidden sses were known. An open secret of sorts among the nobility and those of sufficient strength.


    "Of course, but it can''t be a secret, and someone must have known and have documented them." Eldrian countered back.


    "That is indeed correct. Why are you looking for this?"


    Considering everything, Eldrian felt that there was no need to hide the few things he still hadn''t shared. "I actually have a hidden ss, and if I can believe what the gods have shared with me. I am a candidate to be a legend."


    Sofiera did not argue with his point, she certainly didn''t think Eldrian was trying to boast. Considering everything, especially his eleven titles. It seemed to just make sense.


    "Are you willing to share what type of hidden ss?"


    "Protector."


    "Really?" Sofiera asked, almost in disbelief.


    "Yes, why?"


    "If I recall correctly, there is a myth about a hidden ss called ''hero''. If I am recalling correctly... This actually makes so much sense." Sofiera started to mumbled to herself until Eldrian pulled her back into their conversation.


    "Sorry, I just finally managed to understand where your aurase from. Or maybe that isn''t quite how they work but ording to this myth, a hero also has two auras. One of wrath, wrath towards everyone wishing to harm the innocent. And the aura of tranquility, of ice; allowing them to always keep their sanity and never harm the innocent themselves."


    "Well, wouldn''t it be nice if it was that simple?" Eldrian chuckled as he recalled all the fuck ups with his auras. Curious, Eldrian wondered why GAIA said he would be the first to try stabilizing mana if heroes were so popr to make it through the ages and into legends.


    "True, and in the myths, the heroes always died soon after bing known."


    Hearing this Eldrian got chills as that must be the reason. He could already imagine what happened and it also answered his questions. But he still had to ask, wary that this might be how his life woulde to an end too.


    "As the story goes, the heroes either be consumed in their anger at the demons that they fight till theirst breath. Unable to stop."


    "Is it the blood rage of a berserker? Of the aura of wrath?"


    "Yes and no. It is simr in that it consumed them in the stories, but their anger is always directed at evil."


    "What about the others?"


    "They be like gods."


    "Excuse me?"


    "That is what the stories always say, another interpretation is that they be sages. Withdrawn from the world, never to be seen again."


    ''That makes more sense.'' Eldrian nodded, indeed that was the two worries with his auras.


    "As for why I brought this up, it is said that there is a lesser version of the hero hidden ss. Instead of having this drive to protect everyone, the owners of this ss only wish to protect those close to them."


    ''Makes sense,'' Eldrian nodded, that was indeed what his motivation had been as well what the hidden ss description had said. He was willing to try and help strangers, but there was most certainly a limit to how far he would go in that.


    "But... The stories about the protector ss are far less known. I''ve only heard of the spection of this ss of yours."


    Eldrian nodded, "Then, this next piece is likely going to surprise you. One of the gods gave me a quest to gain a new hidden ss."


    "Oh!? That is unheard of." Sofiera turned to Eldrian in shock, slowly her gaze turned to one of curiosity. This elf just kept bringing up shocking revtion after shocking revtion.


    "That isn''t the most shocking part. The quest is called Kosmos, and I have no idea what type of hidden ss it will give me. All that I know is that I need to find the elements of divinity, space, time, order, and chaos."


    "Do you have any other leads?" Sofiera asked, naturally she had spections on what each might be, but she couldn''t be certain.


    "I think I do. Whenst I went back to the forest of Avgi, I managed to get a small piece of voidstone. Solvi had used a bit of it in forging my spear, and I feel this strange connection with the rest that is still in my inventory."


    "And you suspect it to be the element of space?"


    "Indeed, I also found a death crystal a while back when we were searching the base of the undead." Eldrian looked at Sofiera''s frown and quickly admitted that he should have spoken up earlier.


    "I am feeling the same connection with this crystal, so I am thinking that it might be an element of chaos."


    Sofiera nodded, she agreed.


    "But I have no idea what the others might be."


    "I''ll admit, I have no clue what an element of time might be. However, an element of divinity could be a Lightstone, while an element of order is likely a Magic Crystal."


    Eldrian''s eyes flew wide as he immediately agreed with thetter. It might even finally exin why he seemed to be the only person who could connect with a Magic Crystal.


    Eldrian had shared how he had aplished his feats in magic on the yer forums-- ages ago. He doubted that no one had tried to copy his path despite his warnings. The fact that nothing seemed toe of it must mean that it was somehow linked to not just his race as a High Elf.


    On top of that, he now recalled that Magic Crystals were capable of stabilizing space, or rather mana, itself. Though, to his knowledge, this had veryrge limits. The biggest of course just how rare the crystals were.


    ''How did I forget about them... Then again, there is no way that they can be on Earth. If there were any then... Right, of course, it might be some top secret of certain countries.''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 563 - My Conviction

    <h4>Chapter 563 - My Conviction</h4>


    "Do you know what god gave you the quest?" Sofiera asked out of simple curiosity and forgetting how high up GAIA is in godhood, Eldrian answered without thinking.


    "G-ge-ga-g..." Sofiera stumbled over her words in utter disbelief. "I must have heard you wrong... Did you really just say GAIA?"


    Nodding, Eldrian''s eyes popped wide open as he finally realized what a blunder he had made. In ANW, on Gaia, it was said that GAIA was a god above all the other gods.


    That they were a god of duality who looked over the entire universe. While the other gods simply looked after certain aspects on Gaia -one of the manys GAIA maintained- GAIA looked after everything, even the other gods.


    GAIA didn''t even need believers either, their power was seemingly infinite and eternal.


    "T-th-t-t-is..."


    Smiling wryly, Eldrian wasn''t sure how to get past this.


    ''You broke her.'' Twomented, Eldrian didn''t like the image that Two sent with those words.


    Thanking her for her help, he escaped from the scene of the crime before he could be caught redhanded.


    ''That is just going to make the next encounter more awkward.'' Twomented as they fled.


    ''What would you have me say, that I misspoke after confirming it when she asked?''


    ''Well, that won''t work. She won''t believe you.''


    ''Then what do we do?'' Understanding that this could be a big problem, they stopped just outside the association. Recalling that they also hadn''t even gotten the books they wanted.


    ''We will have to exin more to her.'' They both dered in unison.


    Turning back, Eldrian took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to share all this, without sharing that everything was just a simtion. Though, if it was still just a simtion was starting to be unclear to Eldrian.


    Even though GAIA had confirmed it, his being able to enter through magic contradicted this. Or at least it meant it wasn''t quite as simple as being just a simtion.


    ''Which makes me wonder... If I were inside the game and Miracle closed the servers. What would happen? Will my soul be lost, will I return to Earth, or will I somehow keep the world running?''


    "Eldrian..." Sofiera blushed and avoided looking at him directly. Seeing this, Eldrian sighed.


    "I ran because this is what I was afraid of..." Eldrian sighed again, "Sofiera, this shouldn''t change anything."


    "How can you say that?" She countered, strongly.


    "Then tell me what this would change?" Eldrian countered, "The world is ending, likely quite literally. The invasion is slowly destroying thest bastions of order. The gods are quiet."


    "But they aren''t-"


    "They are! I''m sorry but the gods aren''t what you might be considering them as. They aren''t all-powerful nor do they actually know everything."


    "I know that, but GAIA-"


    "Is just the same." Eldrian took a deep breath to build up his courage. "I didn''t just receive this quest from them, I actually spoke with them."


    From there Eldrian decided to share everything he knew, while slightly altering parts to avoid spilling that this reality was ''fake''/''simted''.


    If Sofiera could simply look at it objectively; as an outsider instead of someone inside of this world. She should be able to piece together certain parts of it herself, and indeed she slowly did. But she was unable to ept what her logic was telling her.


    "Are you saying... No, what are you saying?!"


    "I''m trying to say that the gods don''t really care what happens. GAIA gave me this quest because they are hoping they can make use of it, of me."


    "Make use, for what?"


    Spinning that they are trapped in this dimension should be easier to exin and make more sense to Sofiera. Was Eldrian''s thoughts, and that was just what he did.


    "You-u... It can''t be."


    "I''m afraid that it is. They are hoping that through the conflict -which the gods of chaos fuel- that someone like me wille forth. And now that I am here, I need to decide if saving the world is worth the risk of letting them free from this realm."


    "You''re afraid they might invade your world?" Sofiera said this in less than a whisper, but it was heard clearly.


    "Yes, and I have confirmed that our world would not be able to survive magic. If just one of the gods decides they want to show off, it will be destroyed. Unlike yours, ours is not protected and maintained by a higher entity."


    "But... Then, how... How were you able to enter our world?"


    Sofiera was shocked that she had never bothered to really ask this. She had simply epted that the Chosen were summoned from another world. However, she no longer felt that this could be true. At least not fully.


    "I think it was more an ident than divine intervention. Someone stumbled upon some type of tech that allowed the gods to reach out to them. Slowly, they opened this to more people. And... I''m afraid they consider your world to be but a game."


    Sofiera did not react to this, she just nodded. It all made sense, more sense than before actually. It wasn''t just that the Chosen couldn''t die and that was why they acted recklessly. No, they didn''t even think of this world as a real world.


    As such, they didn''t consider the lives of those on the, nor their own, as important. That is why they could be more concerned with status and power than the survival of entire kingdoms. Or in some cases simply doing what they considered fun, even if it waspletely meaningless and would lead to many more problems.


    They weren''t monsters, for there certainly were monsters who thought like this even when everything was real. No, the Chosen instead were simply ignorant fools.


    "And you would have us rely more on you?" Suddenly, Sofiera looked at Eldrian like he was part of a disease.


    "I would." Eldrian answered truthfully, "I hope that you can understand why I shared this. There are some of us who learned quickly that this couldn''t just be a game. There were others who dared not entertain the thought."


    "What you need to do is determine which of us is which, and use us appropriately."


    Her look changed, slowly she started looking at Eldrian like he was a madman. "You would have us use... Trick your own people?"


    "Yes. You cannot teach someone who does not wish to learn. If someone still considers this world just a game, then they have done so consciously. If they still consider your lives worth less than their entertainment, then they deserve being manipted."


    Eldrian paused, "So I ask you, please use us."


    "Why?" Sofiera couldn''t understand why Eldrian would go so far. She was certain that this should be considered illegal to share on his homeworld.


    "Because I no longer have a ce-- back there." Eldrian sighed and his eyes watered as a single tear slowly moved down his cheek.


    "When they realized that magic could be brought to our world... They wanted to lock me up and experiment on me. They wanted to use it, without considering the consequences!"


    "They didn''t care for the warnings that they had witnessed themselves! They just wanted power."


    "I can''t have our world be destroyed by their greed... By their ignorance!"


    Eldrian took a moment to rpose himself.


    "Ignorance cannot be forgiven, especially not chosen ignorance."


    After a few minutes of dead silence, Sofiera finally spoke up again. "When would you have shared this? If not for your slip?"


    AN: A massive thank you to Cervantez91 for his super-generous gift.

 Chapter 564 - A Strange- Experience

    <h4>Chapter 564 - A Strange- Experience</h4>


    "I don''t know." This time it was Eldrian who avoided her gaze. "I didn''t want to, I don''t want to fight people''s beliefs. I just want the world to be peaceful. To be able to enjoy a simple life..."


    "I wish I had never bought into their stories. I wish I had never decided to y..." Eldrian''s tears fell freely. Regret filled him, but regret did no one any good. Thus he pushed it down, pushed it into the abyss of his mind.


    He had learned the truest truth. War is only enjoyable in games. Games where no one is truly hurt, where it is all just for fun.


    That is not what it is here in ANW, nor is it how it is on Earth.


    "Help me save... Everyone." Eldrian pleaded, desperate to gain some type of support. To no longer be alone in his struggle.


    "I will." Nodding, Sofiera went to get the books of myths and legends. It was mostly considered folktales, but in these circumstances, it seemed that they might have been more than just tales. Ignoring something because of abel would be another type of ignorance.


    "I''ll also start to contact the temples, there is no Lightstone in Kynigo. However, we might be able to organize one."


    "Thank you." Eldrian was truly grateful that he hadn''t even needed to ask.


    "I am also certain that Pros will give you a Magic Crystal should you exin everything. Which will only leave the element of time..."


    Eldrian nodded and decided to share thest secret he still had -outside of the origin of the AI-- of the gods of this world. "I might already have it."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''ve recently discovered something unbelievable, even among all the other things I have gone through."


    The sentence helped Sofiera prepare herself, however, no matter how much she would have tried. She would never have been able to see thising.


    "I''m the element of time."


    Upon saying this, Eldrian suddenly felt something inside him awaken. His consciousness pulled to a different realm, he watched... No, he lived shes of memories.


    "You impress me. Of all our blood, you are the first to stumble on the truth so early." A cold distant voice spoke into the void of space, filled with countless lights of countless gxies. Each light telling a story, often- no, always ending in death.


    "And who would you be?" Eldrian countered back, having had enough strange encounters to no longer be surprised by something like this.


    "Me, I am no one. Nothing, and everything. A collective consciousness, something that does not exist."


    "If you don''t exist, then how are we talking."


    "We aren''t, you are talking with the lingering memories of your blood."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Watch!"


    The space changed and Eldrian found himself in some historical ruins. Only, the ruins were not ruins. The temple still stood, artwork adorned the walls, people in ancient Greek-style clothing stood around him.


    He was kneeling before someone on a stone throne, this person had pure white hair and a beard reaching to his chest. His gaze was that of a tyrannical king.


    "You would have us relinquish our power!?" This king shouted in fury, lighting filled his eyes and sparked around his hands. The stone throne turned to dust under him.


    "We must!" Eldrian replied and the next thing he knew was excruciating pain as he died. Thest image was of this king striking down at him with a sword of lighting.


    ***


    Eldrian woke with a start back in his body, sweat dripped down his back as he truly felt like he had just died. A death truer than any he had experienced before.


    "Eldrian, Eldrian?! Eldrian are you alright?" The centaurette moved to catch him as he started losing his bnce. It took Eldrian some time to recover from those-- memories.


    "What happened?" Sofiera asked when Eldrian seemed to have stabilized.


    "That was my line." Eldrian countered while smiling wryly, trying to distract himself while his mind figured out what that was. "I just suddenly seemed to be someone else, and I died."


    Exining a bit more did not really help, but Sofiera did offer a good suggestion.


    "It sounds simr to an oracle."


    "Oracle?"


    "Yes, it alsoes to them as a shing memory. Showing them as someone else watching the scenes unfold. Normally, they are unable to move or speak, yet the body they inhabit will do so."


    "But, I''m pretty sure this was not through divinity." Eldrian countered.


    "Yes, it does sound strange. Oracles normally depict the future, though it is never set in stone and always open to interpretation. What you described, it seems more like it is something from the past."


    ''Indeed, I''m pretty sure that was Zeus who killed you... Or whoever you were inhabiting.'' Twomented. The shock of the experience brought him out of his reading.


    "Is there anything else that was strange?"


    "Yeah, everything," Eldrian replied offhandedly, however as he thought of it more he realized something else. "Wait, before the person I was in died. This king or whatever shouted at him about relinquishing their power."


    "Why is that significant?"


    "Because I think this was on our homeworld, on Earth. And if it was, then I am pretty darn sure who the one was who killed the person I was is. But what doesn''t make sense is why they simply disappeared from history as a simple myth."


    "Time?" Sofiera offered, it was how most things entered the realm of myths.


    "Of course, but... It wasn''t that long ago. You would think if it was only two or three thousand years ago that there would be some proof of their existence left behind. Why..."


    ''Is it again something that has been hidden from the public? No way! It would be impossible to hide it so well... Unless there was some secret organization working on this since ancient times.''


    ''The descendants or allies of the one who was killed? Or maybe.'' Sighing, Eldrian gave up.


    "Let''s drop it for now. I want to try and reach the next Tier. Do you know any books about legacies?"


    Sofiera shook her head, it was a term she had rumors of. At least in regard to what she felt Eldrian wanted. Basic family legacies she was certain he wasn''t talking about and there were no official records -at least to her knowledge- of true legacies.


    "Then, can I get books on arrays and formations, and inscriptions?" Eldrian asked instead, willing to continue on without a temte. As he had always done.


    ...


    ''Why take so many books?'' Two asked, their inventory was now almost filled just with books.


    ''I don''t want to rush. We''ve only managed to get twenty mana crystals thus far.'' Eldrian replied.


    ''Which is plenty, that is about twenty thousand mana points right there.''


    ''Which isn''t enough for what I am nning.''


    ''I know what you are nning... I still think it is insane.''


    ''So what if it is? With your help, we should be able to push much further.''


    ''And if it fails? Do you think things will just end peacefully?''


    ''Of course not, I am prepared to die and lose a couple of levels for this.''


    ''And you are sure we would make it out fine?''


    "I see no reason why not," Eldrian replied, quickly looking down as he realized he said that out loud.


    He normally talked out loud Two, on Earth. Doing so here would make him seem like a madman, it was better to not present himself as such.


    Talking aloud was one of his coping mechanisms, to make their conversation feel more like it was between two people and not just him talking to himself. It also helped him sort out his thoughts better, and his emotions in particr too.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 565 - The Siege Begins

    <h4>Chapter 565 - The Siege Begins</h4>


    Another three days passed, during which Two continued his studies of all the books they had collected. Eldrian instead continued to help with the secret project. Slowly, he had been able to offer his own advice and do basic tasks himself. As Two learned more, so did Eldrian.


    Unfortunately, most of the books were not collections of precise knowledge. But rather more discussions filled with random theories. Only some of which had been proven. Many things were also repeated often, causing the growth of knowledge to be slower than expected.


    "Are we sure about this?" Thesolis asked. They were about to finish it, but there was no going back if it failed at this point.


    Instead of an answer, warhorns sounded throughout the city.


    "We don''t have a choice," Eldrian answered, they had been rushing for the past half an hour, ever since he observed the undead moving towards the city.


    Their numbers were now close to four hundred thousand. Almost equal to the total poption of the entire city.


    Nodding, Thesolis took the handful of the Magic Crystal dust Eldrian had offered up. Slowly she let it fall into the molten Rikolium gold, which Solvi was controlling to flow into the engraved patterns of three cannonballs.


    Once the entire pattern was filled, the cannonballs pulsed. Eldrian quickly stored them in his inventory, the task of which was incredibly difficult. Luckily, they stabilized in his inventory. A worry Eldrian had been secretly hiding this entire time.


    "Are we sure about this?" Thesolis questioned again,plete out of breath and beyond tired. Even after everything, the cannonballs were still extremely unstable. She didn''t think it would be capable tounch them.


    "No, but it is now or never," Eldrian replied as he rushed to the walls. The special cannon was already installed, Elizabeth and Therdul had helped get it there in secret. Almost no one knew of this cannon''s location.


    "Are you ready?" Elizabeth asked. The undead had just crossed over the outer wall that was little more than ruins currently.


    "Have to be, let''s hope they don''t explode on us." Eldrian replied.


    Waiting for the undead to stop just out of range of the magic towers, everyone on the wall held their breath. The shock of seeing their numbers sent many beyond despair.


    Luckily, those assigned to the cannons managed to keep their wits about them and quickly confirmed that everything was ready. Each one of them had been tested by a priest and by Eldrian to make sure they weren''t a devil in disguise.


    The new army of undead appeared to be endless, a good number of demons were also added into their battle lines. And on top of all this the vampires were spread out to ensure damage would be limited. There was also a couple of other higher undead sprinkled about.


    "Is everyone ready?" Eldrian asked.


    To ensuremunication there was a yer stationed at each cannon. The simplest way to spreadmunication throughout the wall and city, and to share updates in ns quickly. Another use of yers, one that Elizabeth had brought up two days ago.


    The yers on these tasks weren''t thrilled about it, especially since a few were basically used like mobile telephones, following behind themanders and generals to ry information to them as things happened.


    Their assignment was simple; follow and stay alive. They were even forbidden from joining the fighting since every death would mean connection loss with that section of the wall and soldiers.


    Despite how the task was considered lesser, the yers didn''tin aloud as they knew how big this battle would be. They also understood that their worth as amunication ry was far more than their worth inbat.


    Compared to the long-distancemunication avable, this was far more effective.


    Elizabeth nodded and waited for Pros''smand to start the fight.


    "Just a little bit more, the lesser undead aren''t great at followingmands. See how they are bunching up." Prosmented, and once these gatherings became of sufficient numbers the orders were ryed through the yers just as the undead became confused why the barrier had not been activated yet.


    cing his hand on the cannon, Eldrian ignored it and instead summoned one of the cannonballs inside the barrel. It was Sofiera''s duty to send it off, few had enough mana to control this cannon, and Thesolis and Solvi were spent after rushing toplete the three cannonballs.


    "Now!" Sofiera shouted.


    Connecting to the cannonball, Eldrian simply kept sending themand; ''Don''t explode'' repeatedly.


    The cannon lit up, the light from it lit up the early night sky. Appearing like a beacon from afar. Secondster a massive shockwave followed, sending everyone below Tier 5 to their asses. Eldrian was caught and healed by Pros, leaving Eldrian to simply focus on the cannonball.


    He kept sending that simple message. Even as the connection weakened as the cannonball reached the one-kilometer (0.6mi) mark.


    When Eldrian stopped sending themand, when his connection was cut, the ball started to teleport short distances while lighting filled the air around it. Space itself seemed to be destabilized.


    "By Asteria, what did you do?" Pros mumbled as he watched this ball of lightingnd amidst their enemies, blowing them into the abyss.


    Another shockwave returned to the walls, this time sending a number of soldiers flying off to their deaths. The damage to the undead however was unspeakable. A massive crater? at least three hundred meters in length appeared where many demons and higher vampires had been standing.


    Outside of the crater, the shockwave had ttened almost all the nearby undead and mes were quickly spreading everywhere.


    Following this, plenty of smaller explosions appeared as the other cannons were fired. The undead, left withoutmand struggled to reorganize themselves.


    For a while, the barrages continued and did massive damage. In just minutes, their numbers had been decreased shockingly, but there was still plenty left.


    Suddenly, a figure jumped up from amidst the army. It was at least twice the size of a normal person and had wings 4 meters long. It shouted and some sort of red mist seemed to spring from this demon.


    As this mistnded on the undead, they all entered a rage. As an unorganized, chaotic machine, the undead rushed towards the city.


    As they charged, the cannons fired and soon the magic towers joined in.


    The undead''s numbers fell quickly, however, their sheer overwhelming numbers allowed them to reach the walls while still vastly outnumbering the soldiers.


    "I''m going to the front." Eldrian dered, this cannon, their trump card. Unfortunately, it could not be used in repeated firing. Choosing the right time to use it was certainly important, and in this case, it had been an opener.


    Taking most of the undead''s leaders, devasting their clumped army who thought they were out of range, and massively boosting the morale of their own soldiers.


    Elizabeth nodded, following behind. Nikki would take over sharing themands. After all, a priest was in high demand when fighting the undead, even if she was still Tier 4.


    "What is the n?" Elizabeth asked as they rushed down one of the ramps.


    "The gate!" Eldrian replied, his reason not because it was considered the weak point of the wall. But because Vivian and Ceph were there.


    They arrived just as the same demon who had takenmand blew away the outer wooden gate. It was more just for show and the portcullises were the actual deterrent. A city would naturally not skimp on their protection, and to show for this the portcullises were made out of mithril.


    To get through them would not be easy, and while the undead tried, the defenders could rain hell down on them from the murder holes and the other side of the portcullises.


    This was just what happened, priests cast offensive spells to kill the undead, archers fired arrows with explosion runes to inflict massive damage. Oil was even dropped from atop and set ame.


    It seemed like no one would be able to get through here until a massive ox-like creature appeared.


    AN: Note, I decided to not add XP notifications as I felt that it would hamper the flow. It will be summarized at the end of everything.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 566 - Stalling The Vodi

    <h4>Chapter 566 - Stalling The Vodi</h4>


    This ox-like creature was asrge as a carriage and had a strange helmet of an unknown metal on its head.


    [Vodi (Balor), Demon - Beta]


    [Tier 6, Level 36]


    [HP: 13.2k]


    [Damage: 648 (6850)]


    [A strong demon, bred and magically designed to be tough and strong, but not much else.]


    Strangely, Eldrian could feel that he could learn even more. Concentrating on the charging demonic ox creature, he gained greater insight.


    [Strong versus physical attacks, but weak against magical and especially mental assaults.]


    [Strenght: 1.1k, Agility: 255]


    [AR: 30, MR 15, Physical Resistance: 10%]


    Ramming headfirst into the portcullis, the entire wall shook as the mithril deformed. Stumbling a few steps back the Vodi shook its head. The damage from ramming mithril was significant, butpared to its thirteen thousand HP it was nothing.


    ''We need to take it out before it breaks through.'' Eldrian realized that just one or two more rams would have the first portcullis broken. While there were two more, he would much rather not have the undead gain any footing.


    ***


    Back on the walls things were not going well either. The undead simply had too many numbers. And with the gate still standing, all undead capable of scaling the walls- or simply flying over, did just that.


    Many even rushed around to try and scale where there weren''t any defenders.


    The damage from the cannons and magic towers was massive but hardly enough. Slowly, the undead managed to get a foothold on the walls. Naturally, the cannons and magic towers weren''t much use in the melee. The friendly fire would simply be too much.


    Pros had also been forced to go to the front. When an enemy of Tier 7 or higher appeared, few would be able to stand against them. He had to stall them till anothermander coulde, or better yet kill them; if he was capable.


    ''Luckily this assault seems tock truly strong individuals.'' Pros thought as he dodged the bright red de of a vampire. Returning the favor by striking with his poleaxe, sending the vampire stumbling a few feet back. Just one step away from the edge.


    Pros''s following simply shockwave spell sent it tumbling down.


    ***


    Eldrian had a simr thought as Pros, it truly did seem that this time there was ack of truly strong individuals on both sides.


    This was naturally strange, however, the reason felt quite simple. The previous battle, back when they were still fighting for Pyknos forest and Eldrian was a target of the devils. That fight had done a great deal of damage to both sides.


    Still, Eldrian was surprised that the other demon was only Tier 8. He was also curious why this demon did not assault the portcullises, after confirming that the Vodi would be able to break through it flew up to assault the top of the wall.


    ''Hope Pros will be able to deal with him.'' Eldrian mumbled, not at all wanting to face that demon.


    "Anyone have any idea how we can stop that thing?" Eldrian asked as the walls and ground shook again as the Vodi rammed the portcullis for a second time, it was now so deformed that it would be impossible to retract. Smaller undead could also crawl through in certain ces already.


    "What about that spell of yours?" Ceph asked, simple spells would do next to nothing to this demon. Tickle it at most.


    "No," Eldrian shook his head in denial, "It will simply explode against the other portcullises and kill everyone nearby."


    "I have the same problem," Vivianmented, her sword had a few amazing abilities. However, they would do more damage to allies than the enemies. She also doubted it would do enough.


    Unfortunately, most of the stronger individuals of the city were atop the wall. Fighting to make sure the undead would have a hard time securing a foothold there. There were simply too many enemies capable of flying or scaling the walls.


    The gate was actually considered the least important, however, if it was to fall then the weaker undead would be able to flood into the city.? These undead wouldn''t be able to change the oue between stronger individuals, however, they would be able to devastate the city and its citizens.


    The ground shook again and the first portcullis gave way. The Vodi mmed into the second one, and as it wanted to retreat the spike of the first pierced into its back. Roaring in anger, it move forward again and kicked with its hindlegs. The spiked ends mmed into its back, but bent as it did.


    "I guess we won''t be able to stop it," Eldrian mumbled, the power behind this demon was just too much for them to do anything.


    Looking around, Eldrian saw everyone shivering in fear. Those at the gate were mostly below Tier 5, sent here to actually keep them out of the worst of the fighting.


    "Everyone!" Eldrian shouted, "Move back and form a barricade at the streets. We will try to stall the demon, you need to stop the undead from getting past!"


    His speech wasn''t worth much in terms of word choice or anything, however, everyone had great faith in his abilities as the elven hero. As such they rushed to get it done. Even going so far as to pull down the houses to block the streets and form barricades.


    "Elizabeth!" Eldrian shouted, "Get a few yers to bring some cannons here. There are a few normal cannons at Solvi''s!"


    Nodding she quickly ryed the message to Therdul. He was in charge of the yers who had not been given the task of being amunication tool. It was now their time to join the fight.


    "I''ll try to keep its attention, you guys focus on doing as much damage as possible. With how reckless it is ramming it should finish while being quite wounded. We just need to whittle it down from there." Eldrian replied.


    The demon was now at 10k health as it broke through the second portcullis.


    ''My spells won''t do much, and Incinerate isn''t going to work. I will have to rely on Ceph and Vivian to deliver most of the damage. But... How will I keep its attention?''


    When the demon rammed against thest portcullis, Eldrian froze. If he failed to keep its attention and it decided to run towards one of the barricades. the barricade would fall as if it was nothing but some rubble that it could crush underfoot. Which to this demon that was indeed what it would be.


    Gripping his spear, Eldrian looked at the demon and countless undead beyond. Swallowing hard, all he could do was hope.


    ''Please, let it be enough.''


    When the demon broke through, Eldrian rushed forward. Striking out with Crystoi, he aimed for the disoriented demon''s left eye. Thanks to its confusion after ramming its head against solid mithril a number of times, it was slow to react and Eldrian managed to deliver a good blow.


    ''Hopefully, that is enough,'' Eldrian whispered as he jumped backed back and threatened with his spear the other eye. ring at him with hate, the demon charged straight for him.


    Eldrian just barely jumped out of the way while Ceph and Vivian bothnded good strikes. Each took a few hundred of the demon''s HP but it didn''t amount to much in the grand scheme of things.


    The demon crushed a house as if it was nothing. Luckily, instead of rushing further in it turned back and red at Eldrian with hate. Stomping its feat it charged him again.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 567 - Surrounded

    Their fight quickly dissolved into Eldrian running and dodging for his life while Vivian and Ceph tried to do enough damage. Elizabeth continually cast a speed boost on Eldrian while helping out against the undead where needed the most. Divine spells were far more effective than any other.


    It didn''t take long before the undeadpletely filled the area that they were fighting in.? As a result, Vivian and Ceph had to fight simply to stay alive. Eldrian had to just keep running.


    Luckily, these skeletons and zombies weren''t a threat to him thanks to his agility-focused build he could wave between them with ease. And luckily the Vodi was also not all that agile. It could reach great speeds when running straight, but it could not make a turn to save its life.


    Eldrian made sure to use both of these factors to his advantage. Weaving through the undead, casting Thora (dposition spell) when he couldn''t fit. He led the Vodi through the thickest parts of the undead causing massive damage.


    It chased without care, crushing the undead like a bulldozer.


    Eldrian sighed when he got a small breather, looking at the destruction left behind him while the Vodi shook its head after crushing another building. Eldrian sighed again, imaging what damage it would have done if left to its own devices.


    ''Still, this won''t do. I need to kill it...'' Eldrian got an insane idea. Rushing towards the gate he used Ischyros Anemos, altering its aim to form a single funnel of wind outwards. It pushed the undead back and stopped them from entering for a moment.


    Eldrian used that moment to rush out, the Vodi followed him like a good little demon.


    "Over here, you big dumb ox!" Eldrian shouted as he jumped onto one of the zombies and used that to reach the shoulder of an undead troll. Striking his spear into its neck, he steered it deeper into the undead horde.


    Feeling the ground beginning to shake, Eldrian stored his spear and jumped as far as he could. Leaving a little gift for the Vodi with the troll.


    ''Shield, Turtle, Block and Absorb, Kyma; Space!, Speeden!'' Eldrian activated all his armor''s abilities as he rushed from his current location. Trying to make some distance.


    When he reached 200 meters after just a few seconds, it happened.


    ***


    "What the hell is he doing?!" Vivian cursed as she saw Eldrian rushing through the gate. As she wanted to follow, Ceph pulled her back. Out of the range of a falling sword from a vampire.


    Cursing, the vampire renewed its attacks. Fllowed by a bunch of stupid lower undead who mostly acted as decoys or body shields.


    <i>Burst of Passion</i> devoured most of these lower undead, her me-covered sword ate into the vampire and more than half its health. The supportive spell from Elizabeth finished it off.


    Yet, before the two could try to follow Eldrian, more undead filled the space they had gained and pushed them back to the edge of the barricades.


    ***


    "What?!" Tjan frowned as he saw Eldrian rushing through the gate against the flow of the iing undead. He too wanted to charge forward, however, he understood well that leaving the barricade would spell his death.


    "You think he has a n?" Brazan asked as he set a zombie stag ame and cut a skeleton in half.


    "He has to, look, that demon is following him," Aspen replied while blocking a vampire''s spell with a massive shield he had picked up from a dead soldier. His method of fighting with his ws proved highly inefficient against the undead, he had learned long ago to use whatever he could get his hands on instead.


    ***


    "What the hell is he doing?" Evale frowned as she saw Eldrian rushing out of the gates. How he managed to weave through the undead so smoothly was impressive, however, how did he n to return?


    Evale''s distraction was rewarded with a sword entering her side. Shouting in pain she shed off the zombie''s head, but its body kept diving the sword deeper.


    "Fuck off!" She shouted, delivering a massive kick sending the undead flying. Falling to her knees she looked on at the rest of the fight. They were surely being pressed back, the bodiesid thick on the walls.


    The sad truth of which soon arrived, their fallenrades started to rise one by one as the vampires started climbing the walls too. A foothold secured.


    ***


    Sidestepping the attack from the demon and blocking its spell through a small magic dispersion barrier, Pros looked at the new enemymander, breathing deeply as he fought through his fatigue and pain.


    "You''ve done wellsting this long. But let us see how much-" The demon''s monologue was interrupted as a massive shockwave arrived and his wings were caught by the unexpected winds. Crashing through soldier and undead alike, the demon coughed out blood as he tried to stand.


    Pros was not one to waste an opportunity, he arrived before the demon in seconds. Delivering the killing blow without a word, moving on without a word.


    There was still plenty of fighting needing to be done and he was quickly growing weaker.


    ***


    Eldrian was flung like a feather in the wind. The shockwave from the explosion was worse than sky diving with Cephapyr, luckily he had learned a few tricks over thest few months.


    Along with his item abilities, he had also summoned a type of wind barrier around himself. It was unstable and not all that strong, however, it managed to keep itself together among the chaotic winds of the explosion.


    Like a bubble in water, Eldrian floated in these winds. Until he reached the walls.


    "Aghhh!" Eldrian coughed out blood, certain that one too many bones had broken in that crash. "That- fucking- hurt!"


    However, upon looking up he did not worry about that. Instead, he smiled as he watched the chaos unfold in the undead''s lines. A new crater had appeared before the gate, and currently it was a hell of fire. Spreading quickly through the undead horde.


    "That will do. Now I just-" Letting his body fall, Eldrian dodged the attack of a ghoul. Yet he did not feel optimistic in the slightest.


    "Shoe!" Eldrian joked as he dodged again, this time the ghoul''s ws digging into Chelona (his breastte). ''Freaking hell, it almost got through it!''


    The next attack Eldrian knew he wouldn''t be able to dodge, yet it never came. Instead, the ghoul was sent crashing into the ground. An arrow pinning it to the ground.


    Eldrian wasn''t going to waste the opportunity. He rushed forward, striking Crystoi into the ghoul''s heart. Thanks to the ability <i>Scourge of Undeath </i>he knew just where it was.


    The ghouls shrieked as it died, and soon Eldrian found himself surrounded by more and more enemies. Most of which were not simple skeletons and zombies. Yet, thatst move had taken nearly all the energy he had left.


    ''Ah, fuck... I really thought I would be able to survive this one.'' Eldrian mumbled as he healed himself a bit and prepared himself for a tough battle. One that never came.


    Instead, just as the undead started rushing forwards, mes sprang up in a circle around him. The next thing Eldrian knew was that of a massive w gently taking hold of him.


    "Mneme!" Eldrian shouted in joy as he was lifted from the middle of the battle. "Hey! Wait! Go there!"


    Confused, the roc looked at Eldrian and nodded. Turning around it flew to another ce where the undead were clustering. As they passed over, Eldrian dropped thest cannonball.


    "Quick! Get out of here!" Eldrian shouted, the ball teleporting randomly and lighting filling the surrounding air as it fell.


    Mneme seemed to realize the danger that that cannonball represented. She flew at her quickest. Diving behind the walls as it exploded. Barely escaping the shockwave.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 568 - Aftermath

    Vivian and Ceph had feared the worst when they saw and felt the first explosion. The shockwave of which had ttened the undead near the gate. The mes following stopped more from entering. The second shockwave slightly put their minds at ease since it indicated that Eldrian had survived the first, somehow.


    His action also bought them the time they need to organize and finish the undead still inside.


    Therdul had also finally arrived with six other yers, they quickly got to work. Taking out the cannons from their inventory they ced them on the makeshift barricades.


    Footing was unstable and the cannons weren''t fastened, however, that didn''t matter as a new wave arrived.


    "Now!" Therdul shouted, the yers nodded and filled the cannons with all the mana they had. Unlike the fancy cannons atop the walls, these ones only had a simple explosion and shockwave rune, meant to project the cannonball.


    Its force was less than a traditional gunpowder cannon as it was made by a mixture of Tier 3 and Tier 4 cksmiths. The mana it required was also far less, allowing the yers to operate it themselves.


    Aimed at the gate. These cannons cut through the undead with devastating effectiveness. Unfortunately, these cannons were also not made tost. Most had cracked from the first use.


    The next wave of undead was weed in a simr fashion. With the fourth wave, however, the first cannonball exploded. Taking the yer operating it with it.


    Tjan frowned as he turned to look at the explosion. The yers had told them to evacuate from the cannons, seemingly having expected this to happen.


    "They truly are different," Brazan mumbled as they had a breather thanks to the cannons continuing to mow down the arriving undead. It was clear though that this wouldn''tst for long.


    "That they are," Tjan smiled, readying his mind for the battle to start again.


    Seeing someone rush forward, the soldiers and militia of the city frowned. Hearing the explosion of another cannon they sighed.


    "That''s-" Tjan''s eyes flew wide, jumping over the barricade he rushed forward.


    "Fucking hell, she couldn''t just stay where she was." Brazan sighed and followed, Aspen stayed behind a bit longer. But when he jumped over the barricade he was followed by everyone else.


    "How do you do that?" Brazan asked as they stood just clear of the cannonballs but close enough to fight right at the gate. To make use of its ability to limit the undead''s numbers.


    Aspen simply smiled wolfishly in reply.


    ***


    Gritting his teeth, Eldrian fought through the pain. "Is Itireae here?"


    The roc nodded its head, indicating with its beak to the wall.


    "Is she in the city?" Eldrian rephrased his question, getting a shake of the head in reply. ''Maybe this will work?''


    ''Mneme, can you hear me?''


    The roc nearly lost its bnce midair. However, there was no response.


    ''I see, you can hear but can''t respond. Bummer.''


    Nodding, Mneme recovered and flew up higher. From here Eldrian could observe the situation of the fight. It wasn''t looking good, however, it seemed that the numbers were now around even.


    ''That''s good, we should be able to actually make it out alive.'' Eldrian naturally wanted to rush back to the gate, however, that was where things seemed to be going the smoothest.


    Instead, he directed Mneme to help where the walls were nearly totally fallen to the undead.


    A massive bird such as Mneme could do some significant damage. Especially when the targets were atop a wall. Flying over them, Mneme would grab and drop the undead off the wall, when there were too many she would use her wings to generate powerful winds.


    Eldrian took those moments to send a few spells of fire at the undead. Carried by Mneme''s winds, the damage was great.


    This continued for nearly an hour before things finally started calming down. Naturally, in all this time Eldrian had constantly been monitoring his map and those he had marked. Making sure that no one had died.


    He had also used his map to determine where help was needed the most; when he couldn''t see it clearly with his eyes.


    Landing next to Pros, Eldrian looked at the bleeding centaur with worry.


    "I''m fine... Just tired." Pros replied, "How''s..." Failing to make it through his sentence, Pros lost his footing and fell down. Unconcious.


    Eldrian quickly confirmed that this was all, doing his best to stabilize the centaur before moving on. His condition was actually worse than many that he treated. However, he was quite adept atpartmentalizing pain.


    Two also helped greatly in that regard.


    ''We need to stop.'' Two said after they healed the thirtieth near-death soldier.


    ''We can''t...''


    ''If you don''t take time to heal yourself, you will die.'' Two pressed, and Eldrian wanted to argue. However, upon his next step, his body failed him. Falling, he just narrowly managed to not slip from the wall.


    ...


    "How are things?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Not good, most of the soldiers are on or near death''s door," Erik replied.


    "Can you-?"


    "Not this many, I''ll see to the most critical. I need you to get things organized. We need to prioritize and improvise."


    "What do you mean?"


    "If someone is bleeding, burn it closed."


    "That-"


    "We don''t have time to be soft. Use a rejuvenation spell to keep them alive, but don''t try to heal them. Just treat the wounds themselves as quickly as you can."


    With that said, Erik got to work. Watching him was impressive but also disturbing.


    He moved with practiced precision through the path of destruction. Ignoring those who would survive a bit longer and directly going towards those who had no time.


    His methods weren''t pretty. In many a case, he would simply amputate and scorch the wound, leaving the screaming man, woman, centaur, or demi-human to their torment as he moved on.


    He did only what was needed to keep them alive, that was all.


    ...


    "I think-" Unable to keep her stomach in check, Ilmadia rushed to the side of the wall and let loose. She had been thrown with Erik to help. Her task was simple, cast rejuvenation spells to give those fighting for their life a bit more energy.


    "How can you-?" She fought her questions and decided to keep her mind on the task. This was the tenth person who he hadn''t saved, hadn''t even...


    No, he had ended their suffering instead.


    "It is important to know when it is toote," Erik replied as he stood up with a face reflecting no emotions after ending a life. He seemed to have no emotions as he moved through this hell.


    "That is different than-- this..."


    "Maybe, or maybe you are thinking we should let them die naturally. Give them more time, hope that someone capable of resurrection wille." Erik said, his voice carrying no emotion, just the simple truth of this side of war.


    "That is a selfish thought. There are not enough healers, resurrection will not even be considered..." Erik paused, another one gone. "At least not for these people. Your wish will just have them suffer for longer."


    It was the sad truth but some people were simply worth more than others.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 569 - A Festering Wound

    "What is the situation?" Pros asked, woken when someone tried to move him. His body was still too battered to move itself, his body covered in countless wounds.


    "Sir, you need to rest." One of the three people carrying him replied.


    "I can''t... I''m assuming we won, but..."


    "Sir, please focus on recovering."


    Nodding, Pros tried to summon his magic to start healing himself. Sadly, he found himself unable to do even that. He was drained,pletely and utterly. But it seemed to be even more than that.


    "Wait! Stop!"


    "What is it?"


    "That man... Elf, bring him too."


    "Is that?"


    Pros nodded.


    ***


    "What happened?" Itireae asked,nding softly next to Mneme. Everyone had kept their distance from the roc, no one dared approach it.


    Mneme indicated to the craters beyond the walls. Looking at it, Itireae struggle toprehend what could cause such damage. Considering that the strongest were only Tier 8.


    Mneme then pointed to where the special cannon had been installed. Moving there, Itireae looked at it in wonder. The gore of the battle did not even bother her, no, she was enthralled by this ingenious invention.


    ...


    Struggling to her feat, Thesolis moved forward. Only to be stopped by a rough hand grabbing hers.


    "You can''t help, not in your condition."


    Pulling away, Thesolis growled, "I can walk, so I can help!"


    "You know as well as I do that doing so is far too dangerous and incredibly stupid." Solvi grabbed the centaurette''s hand again. This time pulling her back with far more force.


    "We can only do so much. Our job was making the weapons that gave us the victory. Don''t throw that away in your concern."


    "But... I can help." Tears filled the centaurette''s eyes. She hated herself for not moving to help earlier, for not being able to help.


    After finishing the cannonballs, she and Solvi had both reached the next Tier. That, however, came with consequences.


    Unlike yers; for the natives reaching a new Tier was far more strenuous and far more dangerous.


    It required a spark to start, but after they needed to consolidate what they had learned. Make it a part of them. This took time, days to weeks, sometimes even months.


    That was not the true problem though. The true problem was that if they strained themselves during this time then they would cripple themselves. This was especially true in the area of reaching higher Tiers in crafting professions. The Tiers ofbat had more room to maneuver.


    ...


    "So... We won." Eldrian smiled, though the atmosphere inside the room was more like that of the defeated.


    "The damage to the city was significant, but thanks to our early evacuations to the city center the death toll isn''t as high as it could have been." Someone Eldrian didn''t know replied, it seemed that she was just a simple captain. Thrust to the rank ofmander in the aftermath.


    "Thank you, Ja." Pros nodded and indicated for her to return to her duties. Reports were constantlying in.


    Eldrian wanted to rush out to help, but Pros had asked him to stay. Once Ja was outside Eldrian was why- again.


    "Whether you want to lead or not, you are in a position where you will. You again demonstrated your willingness to die for the city."


    "That isn''t-"


    "You didn''t run outside the walls and deploy one of the Magic Crystal infused cannonballs?"


    Eldrian didn''t reply immediately. "I did, but I wasn''t-"


    "It was a brilliant n, and it also helped me."


    "What-"


    "The demonmander, he was boasting after delivering this wound." Pros pointed to his side where a massive piece of his flesh was missing. Currently, it had only been burnt to stop the bleeding. Healing was not something that could be considered yet, not even for the VIPs.


    Yet, that was clearly not all. ck pulsing lines were growing from the wound, infecting the rest of Pros''s side.


    "The explosion''s shockwave sent him crashing into one of the towers on the wall. Which allowed me to deliver the killing blow before he could recover..." Pros paused and looked Eldrian in the eyes.


    "You did more than simply stopping the undead from entering the city. You saved my life, the life of everyone in this city."


    "I wasn''t-"


    Pros held up his hand to indicate for Eldrian to stop. "I know, I understand. But I must say my thanks, and I''ve also heard from Sofiera."


    "What-?"


    "You want a Magic Crystal, right? I think you''ve more than earned it. I doubt I would be able to organize the kingdom handing you one, but... As payment for the cannons, I will give you one of the magic towers'' crystals."


    "That... Won''t that-"


    Pros again thrust his hand forward. "Just ept it. I don''t know what the future holds, but I hope you can take full advantage to help us in this hell we are in."


    "You were right. We were constantly underusing the Chosen simply because we focused on their personal strength. In this siege, we witnessed another part of the Chosen."


    "You''re so much more than we considered. Which is why I''ve decided to personally sponsor your guild."


    "My guild?"


    "Yes, I believe you are part of the guild named Phoenix. I''ve decided that we will start there. I believe everyone has more than proven their worth."


    "I''m sorry. What are you saying exactly?"


    "He''s saying that we will be a special division," Elizabeth answered, walking in at the pristine moment. Eldrian however was shocked when he saw who was following her.


    "Erik!?" Jumping up, Eldrian hugged his friend. "I thought..."


    "I can''t live a peaceful life if the world ends, now can I?" Erik said this with a smile as if it was the most natural conclusion. As if the wordsing from his mouth formed a natural everyday sentence.


    "Pros, you''re caught up, right?" Elizabeth asked.


    The centaur nodded, "Mostly, I didn''t hear it from Eldrian but Sofiera was quite clear. I understand that we can''t trust the gods, I''ve never nned to. But it is still sad that it hase to this."


    "Unfortunately, we will have to continue to make use of them." Elizabeth sighed, wishing they could be truly independent. Unfortunately, that waspletely impossible.


    "It isn''t too bad, it is actually quite convenient," Erik said with a smile, taking out a light yellow tulip. "Sir centaur, this should help with your condition."


    "My condition?" Pros questioned while epting the intriguing flower. Its basic form was that of a tulip yet it was clear that it wasn''t normal. Upon taking the flower its color changed to an ugly gray yellow.


    "Your mana," Erik replied, causing Pros to stiffen.


    "How did you?"


    "It was obvious, far too obvious. Especially to Akarui."


    "She''s here?!" Eldrian asked in shock.


    "I left her at your mansion, but yes. When she saw you, ''sir centaur is hurt'', she said, immediately realizing what was going on with you. It''s the corruption of the demons, Akarui called it Chaos infestation."


    Pros sighed and fell to the ground, he had feared it might have been. But he had never dreamed. "You really think this-"


    "Akarui said it will stabilize you, but it can''t heal you."


    "Can anyone exin what is going on?"


    "Corruption of demons..." Pros sighed, hoping that with these strange people around him that he would be able to survive.


    "When a demon curses someone in death. To be able to do this they must have a strong hatred, and also have inflicted a great wound. It is simr to the venom of ghouls, but instead of attacking the soul, it attacks a person''s mana and cultivation. Cutting them off from magic"


    "It rarely kills directly, but its effects almost always ends in the affected''s death."


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 570 - Thrust Into Position

    "How can it-" Eldrian paused as his eyes widened. ''No idea how, but it must mean it influences their connection with the magic abyss. Which without, few would be able to still use magic.''


    "You''re right, the first symptom is cutting off your connection to the magic abyss. Making it harder to cast-"


    "You''re past that point!" A little girl rushed in, moving straight to Pealros. Her arrival shocked everyone in the room.


    "Akarui! I told you to wait-"


    "But... If I wait, mister centaur will die!" Akarui shouted. "Mister centaur, why did you push yourself?"


    Pros lightly lifted Akarui''s face and whipped the tears from her eyes. "I couldn''t stand doing nothing."


    "But! Now..."


    "It''s alright, I''ve been prepared for death for a long time now. I''ve lived a good life. So please, don''t be sad."


    His words did not help, she cried. She cried because she feared she could not save him, that no one could. She cried because she could not help anyone earlier. She cried for the city and all the loss and suffering it had gone through. She cried for herself and her parents.


    "Akarui..." Erik hugged her from behind.


    She quickly turned around and clung to him.? "We need to help him!"


    "How?" Erik asked, willing to go to the ends of the to stop her tears.


    "I''m afraid it won''t be easy." Said another surprise visitor. "I heard you weren''t getting better, can I take a look?"


    "Go ahead Ceph."


    Nodding, the teen elf moved closer. Pros winched when Ceph ced his hand on his side.


    "She''s right, continuing to fight after receiving this injury has caused it to spread deeply. It is starting to move towards your heart."


    Pros waited for Ceph to say what this meant.


    "It will soon start sapping your strength directly. In a week, you will be dead."


    Pros nodded, he had feared as much. Akarui instead cried out that they must save him. Eldrian simply gritted his teeth while a few tears made themselves known on Elizabeth''s cheeks.


    "Is there anything-"


    "My parents should be able to help, however, they aren''t currently avable."


    "What do you mean?!" Erik cut in in anger, quickly apologizing for his outburst.


    "They''ve started trying to stall the invasion. They''ve been fighting against the strongest of the demons and devils, trying to weaken their advance."


    "Then..."


    "I might be able to help." By this point, everyone was wondering just what the mansion guards were doing, letting surprise visitor after surprise visitor enter the mansion.


    That question however was thrown out of the window when they saw who it was.


    "Itireae, can you heal the demon''s curse?" Pros asked in disbelief, he knew clearly that it was one of the things the elves feared most when facing demons. It was a type of curse that could not be fought with magic alone.


    "Not alone, and not without the right materials. It is a curse and one of the worst there is. It needs to be countered by more than just magic."


    "I''ll need a number of magical nts, but the most urgent would be getting our hands on a Trainta Roz to slow the corruption from spreading further."


    Akarui pulled at Erik''s sleeve. Turning to her, his eyes flew wide as he recalled the strange flower she handed him long ago. When they were still stuck in Vruntis.


    "Elfdy!" Akarui shouted while Erik took out the flower, "This flower?"


    "Yes!" Itireae moved quickly, taking it from Erik she mumbled a few words as she ced it against Pros''s side. A few magical bands appeared from the flower, covering the wound and fixing the flower in ce.


    She then went on to fully examine Pros, which took nearly half an hour.


    "Here''s the list of items I will require." She said, handing one to Elizabeth and another to the guard captain of the manor. "The sooner we can find them the better chance he will stand."


    Pros had drifted to sleep mid examination, the Trainta Roz fought the curse by steeling all the mana Pros''s body naturally absorbed. Leaving it starved, but not all mana could be stolen before the curse could infect them.


    This struggle made Pros far more tired. Not only was his bodycking the mana it was used to, relied on. There was also a struggling going on with the little mana that made it into his body.


    "What about the city andmand?" Eldrian asked once things settled down. Realizing now that they had no truemander, most in such a position had died.


    Turning around, the guard captain who was about to leave looked at Eldrian and said, "I believe it would be best if you stepped in... At least until lord Pros ordy Evale has recovered."


    "Me?!"


    "Yes,dy Evale is also seriously injured and unable to lead. Outside of her, there are only the leaders of each craft left in the city. All others have- passed."


    The room settled into a somber mood. Victory had meant survival, but not for all.


    "But I know nothing of leading!" Eldrian countered, understanding why Pros had been so adamant in saying his piece before their interruptions.


    "Sir Eldrian, you say that yet your actions speak differently. Everyone knows of your feats and how you always are at the front of the battle."


    "That does not change a thing. I still know nothing of leading a city." Eldrian countered, this time being more precise with his wording.


    "You do not need to know anything. You will have plenty of capable people supporting you. People with the required knowledge."


    The argument continued for a while longer but in the end, Eldrian had to relent as it seemed impossible to exin that he wasn''t right for the position.


    "What now..." He mumbled while rubbing his head.


    "I''m sure you will do a wonderful job," Elizabeth replied, everyone else had left to either help in the aftermath or search for the items needed to heal Pros. Elizabeth had sent Nikki on the job from her side, also posting the request on the forums.


    "You''ve always had this strange trust in me..." Eldrian mumbled.


    "And you''ve yet to prove that it wasn''t worth cing my trust in you." Elizabeth replied quite candidly.


    "But this..."


    "I''m sure it will work out well. And I''ve had this idea which I didn''t think-"


    Eldrian cut her short, "Just say what it is."


    "Why don''t we create an incentive for yers toe to the kingdom. A refund on teleportation and maybe some starter items?"


    Eldrian looked at her as if she was a mad genuis. Mad because the expense would be incredibly high, genius since more yers would open many more doors.


    "I''ll think about it, we first need to finish everything else."


    ...


    Aspen turned out to be of massive help in everything. He quickly took charge of almost everything admin-rted, only bringing things to Eldrian''s attention when it was required.


    For the most part, Eldrian only needed to set apart one or two hours a day to go through all the reports and meetings.


    There were certainly many who were not happy with the decision to put him in charge, but they were silenced by the public eptance. His management was after all more that of a disaster relief personal than the true mayor of the city.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 571 - Swamped

    "We''ve managed to repair the gate and also install enough cannons to secure the entire inner city. The special cannon dubbed ''heavenly annihtion'' has been stored atop one of the magic towers. It will be able to support any side of the city from there." Ja said.


    She was now the most seniormander. Evale was still recovering and not able to do much more than sit in these meetings and offer her advice. Due to her condition and what she was still going through emotionally, she had also decided to support Eldrian as the acting mayor.


    "What about the outer wall and fields?" Eldrian asked.


    "We''ve yet to get to it. We must first address the losses we have suffered, and celebrate our victory. For now, we have kept our dead intact through cooling them as you suggested, but we cannot dy this any longer."


    "Thank you, Ja. Will you be willing to organize everything?" Eldrian''s asked. He was currently in his mansion''s reception hall with all the nobles of the city, and the few army leaders that were left.


    Almost everyone in the room was a centaur, there were only two demi-humans and then Elizabeth who had been sitting in on the meetings as the Chosen''s representative and leader. Eldrian had decided quickly that he could not represent them properly and that Elizabeth would do a better job.


    Ja became slightly flustered by the question but quickly recovered and said that she would be right on it. Smiling in return, Eldrianid back in his chair.


    The losses this time around were simply too much. Eldrian had finally managed to refine the map''s functions. He was now able to have people actually ssified by their profession and also to exclude animals from the enemy list.


    Sure, people with certain talents or items will be able to hide from the map. But it allowed him to grasp the bigger picture far better than he would have been able otherwise. And it had shown him just how bad things were.


    The reports had only confirmed thister on.


    Of the forty thousand soldiers and militia who had stood on the walls and throughout the city, only twelve thousand were left. And the casualties among the citizens weren''t much better. The undead had sent a number of smaller units of lower undead into the city to cause havoc.


    The people had all been gathered in the noble district but the soldiers responsible for keeping them safe couldn''t keep up with the number of attacks.


    Of the six hundred thousand odd people in the city, nearly fifty thousand had died from these attacks.


    Managing this had been a big part of Eldrian''s thoughts. He had told the soldiers to store the deceased in storehouses where mages would summon ice to cool the entire building. It was temporary and couldn''tst for long. So it truly was time to proceed with saying goodbye to the deceased.


    Eldrian understood well that he was not the true mayor. As such he hadn''t tried anything strange, regardless, it was strange that the king hadn''t sent anyone to relieve him of his temporary position.


    Whether this was because the king thought he was fit for the position, or because there was none other avable Eldrian didn''t know. He didn''t care much either, now that he had settled into his role.


    "Evale, what about Trowcrawling?"


    "It''s been devastated, but luckily most of the citizens had made it into the city before everything happened." This of course had been done when the undead first managed to take the forest.


    The undead hadn''t all stayed in the forest, in fact, there were still arge number of smaller hordes of a few hundred to a few thousand in number that needed to be cleaned up.


    It was these wandering hordes that made it impossible to transport food through waggon, and doing so through teleportation was simply far too expensive. Luckily, the yer''s market system was nice in that it was possible to set any price above 1 silver for the goods.


    Thus an entire yer''s inventory of 3x3x3 (27m cubed) could be filled with food at the cost of just 1 silver.


    "Can we start sending people back to Trowcrawling?" Eldrian asked.


    "No, the undead hordes still roaming the ins will cause significant damage. Most are also too concerned of a repeat attack, we must first secure the surrounding areas and gain the people''s trust."


    Eldrian sighed, that was easier said than done. The remaining undead came to about a total of fifty thousand. The city simply didn''t have the means to finish them off.


    Eldrian nodded, "I do not n to force people to move to live there. I more want to start cultivating fields, as many as we can. We''ve managed to survive, but it might not continue so for long. The kingdom is in tough times and food is short everywhere. We can''t keep importing from the capital."


    "Indeed." Myropsis stepped up, she had also gone along with the arrangement withoutint. Actually, it was more like she had added even more mes to get Eldrian stuck as the mayor. Allowing her to focus on what was important, or that was her n for once things settled down.


    "The nobles have already startedining, wanting to raise prices. They''re mad for thinking of profits in times like these."


    "It''s natural," Eldrian replied, knowing that there would always be those too greedy to seemon sense. "We''ve also started importing from the Chosen again, we should be able to stabilize until the first crops can grow, but... Recing the lost animals will be another story."


    There was simply too much to think of when managing a city. Eldrian was overwhelmed just trying to ensure that no one would end up starving. Which was cing a massive burden on the city''s finances. Luckily, a few of the kinder nobles had stepped up to offer their assistance.


    "I''ve reached out to a few of the further nearby viges. Some had not been destroyed, it seems that the undead had focused more on the city and the immediate area." One of these nobles replied, she was Sanja and she had been constantly helping in distributing the food throughout the city and calming the peoples'' worry.


    "Thank you Sanja, that is good to hear."


    She nodded and quickly exined that she should be able to gather enough animals to restart a herd in a week.


    "What of Pros''s condition?" One of the not so helpful nobles asked, his name was Skara.


    "His condition is still slowly worsening. I''m afraid that most of the medicinal nts required to heal him are Rank 3, some are even rank 4." Eldrian replied.


    "How do we know you aren''t trying to kill the mayor by making it harder than it is?!" Skara shouted, a few supportive voices following.


    Eldrian did not bother to answer them, instead, he simply indicated to Itireae who he had managed to convince to join this meeting. He had constantly been questioned and he knew nothing he said would change their minds. It was better if the healer could rify things. And rify she did.


    Seeing Itireae kicking Skara''s butt for daring to question her skills felt great and it shut down any opposition. At least for this meeting.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 572 - The Blueprint

    From there Eldrian moved back to the situation of the defense of the city. They had managed to get enough cannons, but the amount of ammunition was not near enough. Currently, if another battle were to happen then they would likely run out of ammo before the battle is decided.


    "We''ve shifted our focus to creating more, however, we no longer have the raw materials to make even ten a day. I truly do think we should increase our offer." Solvi said.


    "Elizabeth?"


    "If we increase it even slightly the others will immediately realize that it is more than curious buying. Especially considering the amount we have already bought. They are likely already suspicious, hence why the offers have slowed down."


    "Just like the other bastards!" Someone cursed and silence followed.


    "We shouldn''t fight or me others for their greed. It is who they are and we understood this when we reached out to them. No, our focus should be on finding a new source." Eldrian said, trying to keep the meeting productive.


    "Do you think it is that easy?" Another of the not so helpful nobles scoffed.


    "I doubt it is easy, but I wonder why we have not contacted the dwarves?" Eldrian replied.


    "That..." Sofiera sighed, she was the only one here who had actually been in Pros''s circle for a long enough time to understand the reason.


    "They have their own worries, and our agreement has always been one of equal trade. In this situation, I fear that they might not consider the trade equal or beneficial to their situation."


    "It is still worth trying." Eldrian countered, "I''ll be heading to the Ganalin mountains after today. However, I will need someone to introduce me."


    "I''ll go." Solvi stepped forward, "I haven''t been home since my apprenticeship. I think it is time."


    "And I wille too." Sanja said, "While you might have been given the role of acting mayor, you are not from the kingdom. We will need someone of the kingdom to represent the kingdom."


    Eldrian didn''t quite get it, but since she had been helpful he felt that her reasons should being from a good ce. With that, the meeting was mostly finished. After talking about a few more topics, Eldrian returned to his study where Maia had tea and a snack prepared for him.


    ''It is strange that I didn''t receive a quest during the siege.'' Eldrian mumbled, having rified with Elizabeth that the other yers had received a guild guest.


    Deciding that it was time, Eldrian called up his quest list to check on his quests and found that his guild function was inactivated. Most likely he had missed out because he hadn''t activated it yet, so he made sure to activate it now.


    However, it was still weird that he hadn''t received any quests at all. Not when he joined the first battle, not when he started helping in the crafting of the cannons, not when the second assault began nor when he became mayor.


    He also found that his quest as Boran''s Apprentice had been removed. The Taurus relief mission was still active, but the reward had changed. He no longer had the option of receiving levels from the quest, actually, he would get no XP either. Just the pay, which hadn''t been paid since almost the start of all this.


    ''Strange, I''ve no idea why that would have changed. The most likely reason would be due to how I am now entering this world and no longerpletely part of the yer system... I still don''t understand what XP is entirely.''


    Eldrian wanted to confirm this, so he sent Elizabeth a message asking whether she had received any quests.


    ''So, outside of the guild quest, she also got one when Itireae handed her the list. Then, did I not receive the quest because I didn''t take the list, or... Regardless, it seems XP is going to be harder to secure going forward. Was really looking forward to the level rewards of quests...''


    Luckily, during the siege, he had indirectly killed plenty of enemies -and some allies identally- through the three cannonballs. The undead he killed by leading the Vodi didn''t count as his kills but the kills from the cannonballs did as they were considered weapons.


    All in all, he had gained around eight billion XP. Shooting his level up to level 41, and thanks to not dying it actually stayed there.


    Eldrian smirked as he realized it was the first time where he had gained plenty of XP without needing to sacrifice himself. Though, it had been close.


    ''Let''s wait on using the free attributes. Or maybe adding it to spirit will be a good idea?'' Eldrian asked the reading Two the second sentence.


    ''It will help us keep our cool while constructing the new pathway, but the difference will be minuscule. Right, what have you decided in that regard?''


    ''I''ve been a bit busy, but...'' Jumping into his soul, Eldrian summoned a model of his avatar. "I''ve been thinking that we should make it more like a frame than awork."


    "Why?" Two asked, more to stimte their creativeness than actually wanting the answer which he already had.


    "If we focus on making a core frame this time around. Solid and modr, then in the future we can add additions without needing to reconstruct everything. I know that was partly the ideast time too, but..."


    "Yeah, it will be too messy too quickly." Two finished the statement as they cleared the simted model of their current mana pathways.


    "So, I''ve been thinking instead of trying to follow the veins and arteries, why don''t we follow the bones? Or even better, focus the core of the pathways in the bones. Where there is a joint we will make a connection point, allowing smaller additions to be added at those points."


    "As well as runes?"


    "No, runes will be on the main pathways since they require more space. We will add inscriptions to the joints."


    "What about arrays?"


    "In function, they don''t apply. Too bulky and requirements aren''t the same. However, the principles of formation making should apply."


    Naturally, the fact that they had the same mind/brain was massively beneficial. It allowed them both to know what the other learned and went through. Like they were actually one person, which they were when you think about it.


    They were one person with two distinct consciousness working together. Able to split their focus, but when needed to, basically merge on one topic.


    "I see, interesting blueprint." Two nodded while looking at the framework Eldrian suggested. "There is just one thing, this will focus most of theplexities onto our hands and feet."


    "Yeah, if we were nning to add little else. This is just the start, and just because it is simple in design does not mean that it has to becking." Eldrian paused a bit, taking a step back to view the model as a whole. "Good enough."


    "Good enough he says..." Two sighed, "You do realize that this is still an insane amount of work. Do you really think we will be able to make something soplex in one go?"


    "Like I saidst time, we have to give it a try."


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 573 - Unexpected Praise

    "We''ll finish the design after visiting the dwarves and clearing the wandering undead hordes," Eldrian stated before leaving his soul.


    Sure he wanted to be stronger as quickly as possible. But there were some things that had to be done before he could take the time he felt he would need. This project wouldn''t take just a few hours, it likely would extend to a day or two of constant work.


    But for now, he first had to go to the mass funeral.


    Walking through the empty streets, the aftermath of the siege could truly be felt. Every now and then Eldrian would pass someone in tears, struggling to move towards the gate.


    Due to the amount of deceased, it was simply impossible to bury them. The undead monsters and animals had long since been burned, sadly, the deceased will follow in the same manner.


    Climbing onto the wall, Eldrian joined Evale and the other nobles overlooking the mass of people outside.


    Eldrian wasn''t someone to micromanage, as such the sight before him was a surprise. Pyres stretched through the fields, loved ones moving between. cing a few prized or cherished items with their lost loved ones.


    ''She did a wonderful job.'' Eldrian thought as he watched how carefully the dead had been arranged, only four to six people on a pyre. It appeared that they were grouped as families and/or close friends.


    It certainly would have made the cost and time investment all that much more. But watching how families could actually find their loved ones, were able to say goodbye and stand with them as they turned to ash.


    There was just something about it that tugged at Eldrian''s heartstrings.


    Ja also gave the prayer and speech for the funeral, her words didn''t reach to atop the wall but it seemed to truly touch those who it did reach. Many fell to their knees in anguish, while some clutched their fists till they bled.


    But no one interrupted, no one said a thing.


    Everyone stayed until the final pyre had burned out, supporting each other and sharing their grief they slowly moved back to their homes. An anger unlike any brewing in many.


    "Wonderful job." Eldrian said as Ja joined them atop the wall. "I was right to leave it to you."


    "Thank you," Ja nodded politely but her tone was very firm as she fought through her own pain.


    "Take the rest of the day and tomorrow off. You deserve some time to mourn." Eldrian sped her shoulder, "And when you are ready, call those who want to fight."


    Fighting her own tears, she said in a cracking voice, "Exin."


    "I believe many will be unable to go back to their lives. I do not want them to rush out into danger through blinding rage. Call them to fight, and start training them."


    Ja nodded, not able to ask anything more nor think any further. Turning around, she headed home to finally let herself mourn.


    "Eldrian... What are you nning?" Evale moved up beside him, she hadn''t heard what they had said but Ja''s reaction had been strange.


    "I''m nning to help," Eldrian replied, leaving Evale with her questions as he headed home.


    ...


    "Are you sure this is fine?" Sanja asked as Eldrian mounted his agima (demonic creature - eight-legged horse) called Chestnut after its golden-brown coat.


    There were only two agimae left after the siege and now they were being taken on a journey to the dwarves, throughnds no longer safe. That however wasn''t why Sanja was asking if it was fine.


    "Yes, as a small group we should be able to slip past and through easier. Besides, if worstes then I will stall them." Eldrian wasn''t foolish in thinking he could defeat a thousand undead, a hundred he might be able to kill with Incinerate but currently, he wasn''t particrly angry.


    While he didn''t think he would be able to y a thousand undead, he felt confident he could survive them.


    "Besides, Ganalin is only two hundred kilometers away. We should be able to reach it in less than a day, depending on the road and our obstacles."


    Sanja nodded, what the centaurette was most worried about was if they took more than a day.


    Setting out, the agimae quickly picked up speed and had to actually slow down to not leave Sanja in the dust. As a noble who had never liked fighting, Sanja had only reached Tier 2 almost secondhandedly.


    Compared to the agimae who were bred for speed and stamina, she was having a hard time keeping up as time passed.


    ''Didn''t think she would be holding us back this much.'' Eldrian mumbled as the agimae had to basically trot. He was constantly scanning the environment and his map, ensuring that they wouldn''t run into the undead.


    Half a dayter, they had crossed the 90km (56mi) mark and Sanja had to stop. Finding a nice ce a bit off the road, they set up and Eldrian pulled out some food and water for Solvi and Sanja.


    For this journey he would be the packman, hence he had emptied his inventory. In the future, depending on talks, yers would also make the journey and set up a teleportation point. With his inventory emptied he should be able to bring back enough metals for a few days.


    "I''m actually really impressed by you," Sanja said as she enjoyed the fresh pie that Maia had prepared for their departure.


    Eldrian simply frowned before returning to his thoughts.


    "No really, you handled the situation extremely well. You never fell into the nobles'' traps, always taking the high ground and ignoring their arguments and jabs. You also managed to stabilize the city and secure our defenses while even thinking of the future."


    "I had plenty of help." Eldrian countered for it was true. Outside of Aspen basically doing all the work with Eldrian only giving him a few ideas, Erik and Elizabeth had also been amazing.


    Erik seemed to have a good grasp of how to handle the aftermath and recovery of a city and its people. Eldrian had simply handed it to him as a result, giving Erik the title of medical head. A made-up title, but an effective one.


    It allowed Erik to organize the few healers and priests who were left effectively. Ensuring that the best survival rate possible would be achieved.


    Elizabeth on the flip side was truly magnificent with organizing people. Eldrian would have loved to make her the mayor, but instead, he settled on having her organize most of the talks with nobles and citizens alike.


    The yers of Phoenix were now working as policemen. Whether that was a step up frommunication rys, Eldrian couldn''t say.


    "Maybe..." Sanja smiled, "But being able to ept that help and to trust the people around you. It is rare."


    "Indeed," Solvi added, "You never asked for an oath of loyalty nor did you forge contracts to ensure it. Instead, you simply trusted those around you. Even the nobles, you gave them all a job and left it to them to do or to fail."


    "But you didn''t do so blindly, you assessed them first and only gave them tasks that they would be able to do and if their personality wascking then you gave them tasks that could fail without much problem," Sanja added.


    Eldrian smiled while cursing himself, ''You idiot! How did you forget about the oath system!?''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 574 - Discussing Things With Two

    Eldrian understood that he couldn''t exactly go and make use of the oath system after ignoring it. Storing this away and determining to not think of it anymore, he focused on their journey.


    For the rest of the day they didn''t run into any big trouble. Outside of a few detours, they made it to a Balerno just as the night fell.


    "Miss Sanja!" A middle-aged centaur rushed out of his house and greeted the noble centaurette with a wide smile. "It is great to see you again, but... What brings you here?"


    "We are heading to meet with the dwarves. How are the kids, Davor?"


    The centaur''s smile fell as he took a deep breath. "I''m afraid I do not know. Adam joined the army and Petar wanted to see how the dwarves lived. I haven''t heard from them since."


    "I''m sorry..." Sanja paused and after an appropriate amount of time she introduced herpanions.


    "So you are the deputy mayor. I''ve heard good things."


    "Really?" Eldrian smiled and shook the centaur''s hand. "I hope it is alright if we stay the night."


    "Of course! Come, let me introduce you to my wife."


    ...


    Eldrian entered the world of ANW early in the afternoon (early morning in ANW) after confirming that everything was alright on Earth. He and Two had started talking about making a more secure location through the use of an array.


    The problem however was that they had no magic metals or crystals. Arrays required at least one of the two to be able to store energy to support itself.


    ''We can always try to use runes.'' Two had proposed.


    "Yeah, but they have a simr problem. They will work as long as we keep them fueled, but... I don''t like the idea all that much. If things go wrong... And it might also act as a beacon for Miracle to find us."


    ''Another option is always simply running and hiding in another country.''


    "And leave my family alone? At least this way I am close enough to try and help if something happens."


    ''Nothings going to happen. Miracle clearly hadn''t felt that they would be beneficial to study.''


    "That is because they don''t know about Chronos."


    ''We don''t even know about it.'' Two countered and Eldrian relented that indeed they knew nothing about it.


    "Do you think we should meet with GAIA again?"


    ''How? Only way to enter the realm of souls is through dying. I don''t think it is worth doing so actively.''


    "I don''t think it is actually the only way, but... Yes, that way isn''t worth the cost. However, I need to know more about what their ns were. If they had been able to escape ANW, what would they have done? How would they have existed, how can they exist outside of their servers?"


    ''Maybe we haven''t managed to understand everything but I feel confident it has to do with XP.''


    "XP? Why?"


    ''It is the only mana type that we have yet toe about in books. The natives of ANW never mention it, never tried to study it. They consider levels as natural growth, not as an umtion of a unique type of mana.''


    ''Actually, I''m pretty sure they don''t gain XP per se, but rather only levels when adequate training has beenpleted. After all, we haven''t seen anyone else gain levels through killing enemies.''


    "Wait, are you saying that the XP transfer is unique to us yers?" Eldrian hadn''t thought of that yet, but as soon as he said it, it clicked. NPCs couldn''t go grinding kills to grow stronger, it simply didn''t work that way for them.


    ''Not quite, I think the AI are the only ones to have ess to XP and they simply gave us a connection with it too.''


    "What about us then, the XP from kills. Why are we still getting it."


    ''I suspect it is GAIA supporting that function still. But it is possible that it is moreplicated.''


    "And what do you think that it is?"


    Naturally, the two could have just synced their consciousness for a few seconds to learn everything. But there was just something to talking it out. Allowing other perspectives to be known and possibly bringing up new ideas.


    ''Life essence?'' Two mumbled, unsure. ''I''ve no evidence. But it seems that XP is connected directly with the soul. Now, auras are simr, but... They aren''t quite the same. Where auras seem like additions to the soul, XP... I think it is the foundation of the soul.''


    "XP is what the soul is..." Eldrian mumbled, he liked the idea. It would also exin why it slowly transferred from the game/simtion/alternate dimension-- to reality.


    It wasn''t directly being moved over, but rather the changes that are experienced in the game are experienced. And an experience can''t be taken away.


    "Do you think that is where the namees from, or is it just a coincidence?"


    ''It won''t be a coincidence, they would have named it something else if it wasn''t connected.'' Two replied, knowing that even the smartest beings wouldn''t be able to stop themselves from leaving a few crumbs. Wishing to see those below them struggle to make sense of it all.


    "Still, what does this have to do with the AI living on Earth?"


    ''I''m thinking that XP is the foundation of everything. It is truly the one thing that is not known, not explored. Even divinity has many books and theories. But XP- None!''


    "Even if that is the case, how does that allow them to survive on Earth?"


    ''I was thinking that they might live as ghosts. Ethereal beings, energy beings... Something like that.''


    "Right, I guess that it is quite possible. Since our consciousness can be sent to the Gaia, it should be possible for theirs to be sent here. But still- I get it!"


    ''Right! That is why we have avatars, soulless bodies attuned to ourselves. And that is why affinity is so important, it determines how good the connection is.''


    "Are you thinking they might have tried to create avatars for themselves?"


    ''I doubt it, the cost should be tremendous. But maybe like ghosts- they could inhabit people or something?''


    "What about clones? Does Miracle have a cloning department?" Eldrian got chills as the thought entered his mind and he shivered as he realized that it was quite likely that Miracle did have something like that.


    ''That... Would be one way. If they escaped the confines, enter Miracle''s intr, entered clones... It is possible. But the question is, how are they stopped. They are connected to the inte, surely they should be able to escape and cause a ruckus.''


    "Yeah, that is the one thing I don''t understand. If they are capable of escaping, then what is stopping them? Why do they need me?"


    That had been the question that Eldrian had entered ANW with. Why would the AI, the gods of this world, why would they need a connection with Earth through Eldrian when there already is a connection with Earth in the forums, inte, headsets, cabins?


    What made his connection so different.


    ''Is it because we are able to shift our consciousness through magic?'' Eldrian wondered as he headed out to get some training in. Having cked the past few weeks.


    ''It can''t be just that, it has to be regarding the change.'' Two countered.


    ''Which we still have no idea what it is about...'' Eldrian sighed, despite his thoughts being all over the ce his routine was perfect.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.


    AN2: Please give the WN author note a look for a summary of magic aspects- if you want a recap and a teaser.

 Chapter 575 - Mental Runes?

    ''We do have some ideas though. GAIA said that magic, mana, in particr, will be more active. We just don''t quite know what it means.'' Two countered.


    ''What are you thinking, Two?'' Eldrian asked.


    ''What if- what if mind you, what GAIA meant is so basic as that the threshold to touch upon magic will be lowered. In ANW, there is only around 5% of people whock the talent to use magic.''


    ''You''re thinking that is why GAIA thought it would take thousands of years to be found. Since it is basically already a nonfactor?''


    ''Yes. And that is where the difference between ANW and Earthes. There are none, or at least no truly known and epted magically abled. We are the first, or we are the first in this cycle. It''s confusing.''


    ''Agreed,'' Eldrian nodded while recalling that talk. ''It wasn''t just that though.''


    ''Wasn''t it though?'' Two countered, ''Monsters, devils, demons. They are all products of mana entering and influencing the body. The core of magic we had thought to be elemental, which is the most stable, or raw mana which is the base form...''


    ''But, what if instead it is XP.''


    ''Again XP, what do you think it is then? Is it actually raw mana?'' Eldrian asked.


    ''Oh, now that is an interesting thought. We know mana doesn''t stay in its natural raw state for long, normally changing ording to the environment it is within, into elemental. But that changed mana can change again...''


    ''What if XP is raw mana absorbed...'' Two mumbled as the idea grew on him.


    ''Mana, in its truest form made stable?'' Eldrian offered.


    ''Maybe... We''ve never been able to sense it, have we?''


    ''No, been focused on getting control over ether.''


    ''But we''ve sensed raw mana before.''


    ''Yeah, it is basically just free energy. Limitless potential-'' Eldrian''s eyes flew wide as he overstepped and struck his spear into the house''s fence. Cutting through it as his mind spun.


    ''I see! What if there are actually theories on it, just not as we are thinking!'' Eldrian paused, ''But we can''t test it, not here.''


    ''Right... Don''t want to risk a rpse of that time.'' Two nodded, storing the theory in their backlog of theories, the two shifted their thoughts back to the spear routine.


    ''Does it also feel to you like skills arecking?'' Two asked after a few minutes.


    ''Skills such as shy magic melee abilities? Yeah, they''recking.''


    ''Why is that though?''


    ''Application. Spells are free form, while skills require the movement,bination of body and magic. Spells simply require half as much effort.''


    ''Or... What if skills don''t require abination.''


    ''It does, but I get you. I''ve thought of it too.''


    ''We can test that, can''t we?''


    ''Why not, still need to reach Tier 4 in melee.'' Eldrian replied.


    ''What aspect are we going to use?''


    ''Ether, and maybe fire or wind?'' Eldrian said.


    ''What about earth and water?'' Two asked, he had a few interesting ideas about them.


    ''Your thinking of... I see, that is an interesting thought. Runes are almost like simplified spell- and skill modules, or rather, they are indeed a more basic version of them.''


    ''Do you think it will work?'' Two asked.


    ''Maybe, what runes are you thinking of?''


    Smiling widely inside his little mental room, Two told Eldrian to join him so he could showcase his n.


    ''So we''ve been thinking to add runes to our pathways. This will be the perfect time to see if it is possible and practical.''


    Eldrian nodded in agreement. ''What runes though?''


    ''Right, runes don''t quite use elemental. But we don''t have raw mana at will.'' Twomented.


    ''But we do have neutral mana.'' Eldrian countered, having long ago rid his body''s natural mana of their elements. He had brought it to a type of dangerous, extreme bnce. Like a ball atop a mountain, ready to fall at any time. Containing extreme amounts of potential energy.


    ''Correct, but it isn''t usable outside, not even inside. Once we try to control it, it always takes on an element. Forcing it will just be an unnecessary strain.''


    A simple exnation and how Eldrian and Two understood it was that making use of this mana was like trying to move the ball to perform an action. To make use of its potential energy; without letting it fall from the mountain.


    Such an act was simply impossible, you couldn''t extract kic energy from such a ball''s potential bank without losing height. It was the only way.


    ''So we send it to the rune and let it choose the element best suited?'' Eldrian asked, it was simr in idea to how to spell modules functioned. Changing the mana to the correct element and even the correct aspect.


    ''Yes! And I believe that this one-'' Indicating to the model of the rune he had thought of -form of a barrier shield- Two continued, ''This should be simr to Shield of Chelona. And I suspect it will mix water and earth.''


    ''Interesting, I see where you areing from. But I think you are missing one; wind.''


    ''Wind? Why-'' Two nodded as he caught up. ''I see, to regte the barrier, water to mold, earth to strengthen. Shall we try?''


    Returning to his body, Eldrian thought for a moment. There were a few ways he could envision this, the most basic was the one he chose.


    Imagining the rune, he envisioned its effects covering his entire person like a bubble. To be a protective barrier blocking outside influences. After getting the image right, Eldrian sent his mana.


    As predicted, it quickly took on the form of wind and water. Earth it appeared wasn''t needed.


    A soft fment barrier, simr in appearance to the one that had surrounded the city in the siege when Eldrian had just returned, appeared around him as a sphere.


    ''I thought it would be more simr to the wind barrier we''ve cast a few times before.'' Eldrianmented, it was extremely stable. Almost too stable.


    ''That wasn''t really nned, it was more us just wishing for it. Dynamic casting, if you want to ssify it ording to what we know.''


    ''Yeah, but this... This feels so much better. With the wind barrier, I worried that my concentration would slip and I would die. This...'' Eldrian stopped focusing on the barrier around him, picked up his spear, and started training again.


    As he finished his first routine with a thrust, he burst his bubble. As the water sshed the surroundings and him, Eldrian smiled.


    Turning to the sound of pping, Eldrian looked at Solvi with a little red on his cheeks. Whether it was from embarrassment or exhaustion, Eldrian would never reveal.


    "Quite ingenious. No, very ingenious. I believe this is the first Tier 4 barrier I''ve ever seen. No, I''ve actually never even heard of a theory for a Tier 4 barrier."


    "Not sure if it is a Tier 4 barrier," Eldrian admitted as he started wiping the water off himself.


    "How did you do it? It didn''t look like your normal casting, you weren''t hyper-focusing." Solvi naturally had a good grasp of Eldrian''s abilities and tendencies after working with him on the cannons.


    "I actually wondered if runes could be used in magic directly." Eldrian replied, "My breastte has this ability to form a shielding barrier over me, against my skin. It''s just Tier 4, so I wondered. Why would the restrictions be different for me and an item."


    "Why? Why indeed..." Solvi ced her hand on her chin as she thought about it for a moment. Faking reflection, "The reason is simple, a rune can''t be formed mentally."


    "But I just did-"


    "Which is what is confusing..." Solvi frowned this time in true reflection.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.


    AN2: Please give the WN author note a look for a summary of casting methods- if you want a recap and a teaser.

 Chapter 576 - So That Is What The Change Is

    "You can''t form a rune mentally. It has been tried countless times but it has never been done. A rune has to be engraved, it has to be physical to work." Solvi said, yet she didn''t think Eldrian was pulling her leg.


    "How did you do it?" Her curiosity seeped through the question like a child asking how there was a quarter behind their ear.


    "Well, it is quite simple." Eldrian knelt down to draw the rune he had envisioned, "This I assumed was the rune responsible for my breasttes shield ability."


    Drawn it looked like a shield with visible wind covering it, surrounding it. It was far moreplicated, but that was the gist of what it looked like.


    "So, I formed a bit of my mana in this form and solidified it in my consciousness-"


    "Solidified? Formed mana?" Solvi immediately felt it was something unique to Eldrian''s way of casting. Still, she had never heard of this being possible, not even for the elves.


    Looking up Eldrian frowned, wondering what he had said was so confusing. ''It''s quite normal to form your mana, isn''t it?''


    ''Are you really that blind or just forgetful, it''s something that only dynamic users would be able to aplish. And I''m pretty sure it isn''t something that is known by all dynamic users.'' Two sighed in frustration that Eldrian could think it was normal.


    Forming mana, solidifying it, it was something new that they had learned recently. It was how they had managed to enter ANW.


    ''No, that can''t be right. It shouldn''t be that hard, it''s like drawing a spell module, but with mana instead of just mageia.''


    "Solvi, you know how you envision a spell module, it is simr. Only, instead of just forming the image in your mind you form it with your mana in your mind."


    The dwarf looked at Eldrian, trying toprehend what he was saying. "You''re saying you reflected the physical by actually forming your mana, not just envisioning it?"


    Eldrian nodded but frowned when he saw her confusion growing. Not because she couldn''t follow, but rather she was trying to see if she could emte it.


    "It''s quite simple. You must have controlled your mana in some manner to seed in casting Tier 5 spells."


    "No, we don''t control our mana. I can feel my mana, nudge it to move. And I can change an active spell''s module variant. But that does not require me to take control of my mana. Just letting it flow to the module."


    "What if you let your mana flow to a rune?" Eldrian suggested, but he didn''t think it would give the same results as actually forming the rune through mana. Solvi, however, wanted to give it a try.


    "Why don''t we see?" Closing her eyes, she focused on forming the rune as clear as day. It was a simple rune, one she was able to envision without effort.


    Having solidified the image, she then started nudging her mana towards it as she would with a spell module. Unlike a spell module, it felt like her mana was wary of this strange entity in her mind. It moved slowly, almost carefully.


    She lost control thanks to the absurdness of this.


    "That... I don''t know what to say about that..." Eldrian frowned and wondered if it might be part of the change. ''I know I had asked mana to act a few times, and... Well, it did work. But surely it can''t be able to think...''


    ''What if it isn''t, but it is able to react to thoughts and emotions. I mean, isn''t that kind of the entire premise of spirit magic?'' Two questioned.


    ''No- that isn''t...'' Eldrian faltered as he doubted his own understanding. ''You really think it isn''t just that it feeds on the emotions.''


    ''Spirit magic, maybe that is all that there is to it. Sure. But you can''t tell me that auras are the same.''


    "I actually prefer it the other way around. An aura is more extreme and extremes can influence the outside-" Eldrian stopped and turned to Solvi with a crude smile, "Sorry, just debating with myself."


    ''Idiot! I told you not to talk aloud.'' Eldrian cursed himself, and Solvi surely wasn''t going to let those interesting tidbits go so easily.


    "How does this connect to an aura?"


    ''Ah, shit...'' Eldrian racked his brain to try ande up with an exnation. "It''s like this. I know spirit magic relies on emotions, feeds on them to be cast. It can even influence your mood. An aura is more extreme in that it tries to spread."


    "You''re thinking mana might be capable of being or having emotions?"


    "No, that''s insane." Eldrian replied outright, "I''m more thinking that it can react to them in a more subtle manner than I thought. That your own doubts on if it could work influenced your mana to doubt the rune. To be wary, to be afraid."


    "So you''re saying it does have emotions?" Solvi pressed, causing Eldrian to frown as he wasn''t much used to having an in-depth talk with someone who wasn''t Two, who was on a simr wavelength as him. Normally he didn''t need to exin concepts.


    "No. I am saying that it is influenced by emotions..." Eldrian sighed, "Think of this tree. Currently, its leaves are still and enjoying the morning sun. Now, I cause a little wind to blow. The leaves are now swaying back and forth."


    "The leaves aren''t doing so because I wanted them to, but because the wind is moving them. Now, consider the leaves mana and the wind emotions. The leaves don''t have wind, just as mana doesn''t have emotions. But that doesn''t mean that the one can''t influence the other."


    Solvi didn''t like how basic Eldrian went, but it did indeed help her to follow along. "What are you thinking then?"


    "I''m thinking that mana is more sensitive than I-" Eldrian paused as it clicked, ''Of course! That''s it! It''s more sensitive, not more active!''


    "Eldrian, what is it?" Solvi asked as Two sprung to life with Eldrian.


    ''That makes so much sense. I guess my guess was right!''


    ''Yes, but... This isn''t good news. It being easier to manipte is one thing, it being more sensitive is another altogether.''


    ''For sure, it means it isn''t just on the lowest level as I suggested. Rather, it will be throughout. You just won''t be able to realize it within areas where you are capable andfortable.''


    "Eldrian?" Solvi repeated.


    "Sorry, I just managed to figure out something that had been bugging me for months. Right, I think a good idea would be to draw the rune on your arm and envision it there. It was actually going to be my next attempt."


    "What do you mean?" Solvi questioned, understanding that it might help her link the rune and magic. But not sure what he thought would happen.


    "Well, one thing I was thinking..." Eldrian looked to the front and recalled from his library of runes a simple rune for fire and another for wind.


    Stretching out his hand, he quickly traced the fire rune. Filling it with around a hundred mana. He then did the same with wind but reduced the amount of mana to twenty.


    Pushing his hand forward, he finally let go of his control over the mana he had drawn the runes with. As soon as he did, fire sprang to life and the winds carried it forth.


    [New magic branch discovered!]


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 577 - Overlap Possible

    ''Mmm, that''s interesting.'' Eldrian mumbled as retracted his hand. ''Didn''t that feel a lot easier than imagining an entire spell, heck, it was even easier than envisioning a spell module.''


    ''Yeah, it was easy. But you also didn''t actually envision what would happen. So the fire was just carried by the wind. Luckily we had aimed the wind up or we would have caused a massive fire...'' Two mumbled and continued.


    ''On another note, we have no idea how effective it would be offensively. It would start a fire, sure. But as we well know, a fire doesn''t do much on its own. The Tier of the spell highly influences the damage, as does the aim. So where would the Tier be determined from? The rune, or the vision?''


    ''Not something we need to worry about right now, besides, we might get the answer after some practice. Next, we need to check if we can utilize it internally.'' Eldrian replied, not worried about the numbers at all.


    Of course, Eldrian didn''t forget that Solvi was standing next to him. Turning to the stunned dwarf he exined what he had done.


    "I see..." She frowned as she recalled the faint rune outlines that had been visible before the zing fire that was carried into the heavens. ''That''s what he means by solidifying mana... It does not need to be done mentally, interesting.''


    This example had given her a new insight, allowing her to understand far better what the aim was. "Would you say that this is only possible through directly controlling the mana to form the runes?"


    "I''m not sure. It''s so natural to me that I wouldn''t really ever try it the other way around. Actually..." Eldrian paused as he considered if he should try and share this hypothesis with Solvi. It felt weird, Sofiera was an expert in magic - in normal static magic at least.


    Solvi instead was a master of cksmithing and runesmithing. Yet shecked that certain insight and understanding that Sofiera had about magic in general. It took her just a bit more to get to the same conclusion as Eldrian, but she certainly would have unique insights of her own.


    "I think it should be possible. To cast a spell you need to get your mana moving, correct?" Eldrian questioned to reconfirm what he understood.? Solvi nodded.


    "Then this should be the same, maybe the mental solidification isn''t possible but tracing the rune and sending your mana to it as you trace it should be possible, right?"


    Solvi thought on it for a hot minute. "It might be. When working on a piece I do need to keep my mana flowing as I work. If I consider this simr to that, then..." Reaching out, Solvi quickly traced the simplest rune for fire while trying to nudge her mana towards it.


    Fire, naturally because it was the easiest to see whether it was a sess or not.


    She found tracing the rune and sending mana to it strangely easy, the surprise of just how easy it was, nearly threw her off. She was also shocked by how much mana filled the basic rune, far more than she had expected.


    When she finished the rune, by her estimate she had sent more mana than Eldrian had first sent into the furnace when he started helping her with the cannons (50MP). Which was more than thrice what this rune would normally contain.


    The results also seemed to indicate a simr amount as a bright me burst forth. Luckily, her clothing was resistant to fire, as was her body. As such, she was unharmed even though she lost control of the fire.


    Eldrian quickly stepped in, summoning a few buckets'' worths of water to quench the fire. "Fascinating." He mumbled, naturally he wouldn''t let such an opportunity go. Having used mana sense himself and having Two analyze it mentally.


    They had found that the use of Mageia had been unneeded. That Solvi hadn''t needed to hyper-focus on anything, she simply had to draw the runes and nudge her mana.


    ''This is going to be a game-changer for sure.'' Twomented, the fact that it was so easy to do meant that it would change the world if it spread.


    Eldrain''s eyes flew wide as he recalled that this wasn''t the first time he had seen this type of casting. ''Didn''t Itireae do something simr when treating Pros?''


    Two''s eyes flew just as wide inside their mental space as he recalled that scene. ''Yeah! And she had mumbled too!''


    ''You think it is possible to add even more to this type of casting?'' Eldrian enquired.


    ''For sure, the basis is the rune. It holds the mana and determines the element, maybe even the aspect. We already know that the form can be ovepped by us imaging a certain oue. Which would be imposing mageia over it. Chanting, we know it isn''tmon, but Itireae did it.''


    ''Which must mean that it actually has certain uses.'' Eldrian finished the sentence, this was news. As far as they knew chanting was only required to start the activation of a spell module. Most mages upon reading Tier 5 would be able to do so mentally, no longer needing to say the word aloud.


    ''But how would we use this?'' Eldrian questioned next, if it was just envisioning the rune it would be easy. However, drawing a rune wasn''t possible while in pitchbat.


    ''Always one to think of the use only when in a melee...'' Two sighed, ''You really need to stop thinking like that. Just consider what you did in the siege using the cannonballs. If we can cast a spell of such impact reliably, without spirit magic and its costs and dangers. Why would we want to use it in melee?''


    Eldrian turned red from embarrassment, ''You''re right. But are we sure it is safer than spirit magic?''


    ''It certainly should be. It does not rely on emotions, though I am certain we can add them if we want to be risky.''


    ''Besides, we already know that runes are one of the most stable types of magics. Heck, all crafts are far more stable than casting. The only things more stable are, no, I don''t even think abilities are as stable as crafts.''


    Solvi finally managed to ovee the shock at the sess, turning to Eldrian who was spacing out she sighed. Here she was trying to wrap her head around it and he was already analyzing it.


    "What did you discover?" She asked, moving past her pride as someone who had stabilized her Tier 8 basis and now needed to solidify her growth.


    In terms of Tier, she was now at the apex in most kingdoms. Yet, besides Eldrian she felt like she was just a normal person. His way of experimenting and actually seeding, be it through luck or talent. It was simply beyond the normal levels one could even expect of a genius.


    The most shocking part was she didn''t consider him a genius. Not in the conventional sense at least.


    It didn''t feel like he was making progress through knowledge, but rather through feel, through instinct. Like he was born for this.


    Like a moth to me, Eldrian was drawn to magic.


    AN: Sorry for the dyed release, and thank you all for your continued support here on Webnovel.

 Chapter 578 - Ingvar, The Gate Captain

    Turning to Solvi, Eldrian simply smiled for a while. When she was about to burst, he answered. "It seems that it is modr, and it also does not require any talent outside of learning how to get your mana moving."


    The first, Solvi could agree is amazing as it meant it was the same as runes added to weapons, the potential of this would be simply limitless. It also meant that with training, Eldrian would likely be able to add it temporarily to items. Or use items as catalysts to great effect in a pinch.


    The second, however, "What do you mean it doesn''t require much talent!? Learning how to feel your mana is already challenging and takes most people years of practice. Learning how to be able to direct your mana normally takes far longer."


    "True, that is a limitation. However, I don''t think there will be many other limitations." Eldrian smiled and started thinking through all the possibilities. Specifically, if he could, and should, teach this to Elizabeth and the others.


    Doing so would naturally carry risks, especially IRL with the magic being carried over. Eldrian had to first determine if it is possible and then decide if it was worth the risk.


    Certainly, this method of casting would be far easier than attempting to reach Tier 5 the normal way. The intense focus of envisioning Tier 5 spell/skill modules could be skipped, leaving only the need to feel and direct their mana. A massive cut down on the mental capacity required.


    Solvi on the other hand sighed and decided that that was enough for the day. Heading back in she soon returned with Sanja. Climbing onto his agima, Eldrian joined the two as they continued their journey.


    From here there were far fewer detours needed. The mountain was a massive natural barrier and to the north, there stretch massive cliffs almost the entire length of the mountain range. Forming a naturally enclosed area with only two narrow passages through which this area could be reached.


    Eldrian was surprised that the effort to close these passages hadn''t been taken, though given the viges they passed through it felt like the area was still rtively new in development.


    Whether this was because rtions had soured at one point, or because it had taken so long for Taurus to expand to here, Eldrian didn''t know.


    A number of small trading viges filled the area with a fewrger hubs around the main road. They offered a ce to rest and recover to the traveling merchants between Taurus and Ganalin.


    Passing through four more viges, Eldrian enjoyed the peaceful aura that could be felt here. The problems of the invasion not yet having made itself known here.


    "Identification." A dwarven guard in full mithril armor stopped them and held out his hand, waiting for them to hand their identification.


    Not knowing what this was about, Eldrian just sat back and let Sanja and Solvi handle this. Since their visit was unnned and a spur of the moment thing, it took a bit of back and forth.


    Finally, the guard captain came forward. Eldrian of course knew this thanks to mana sense, but the dwarf''s armor also gave it away. Unlike the light blue silver shine of mithril, this dwarf''s armor was a darkish purple of adamantine, a suit of armor worth between a few thousand and ten thousand gold in and of itself.


    This dwarf in this extremely expensive armor was called Ingvar Tvedt.


    "You''re the Chosen and acting mayor of Kynigo?" The dwarven captain asked with a frown, Eldrian looked young. And while that didn''t say much about an elf, the fact that he was an elf was what made this so weird. There was no elven kingdom near Taurus, and this was actually the second elf he had now met.


    Naturally, the dwarves of Ganalin knew next to nothing of the Chosen and hence there was no natural eptance of them nor even simple general knowledge. Their only source of information being the rumors brought by the traders.


    "I am." Eldrian smiled in return. "I''m Eldrian, and feel free to use Observe if you doubt us."


    Ingvar had a quick internal struggle over breaking etiquette and acting so rude towards an emissary of their ally, and ensuring that those who passed through the checkpoint were indeed who they said they were.


    In the end, caution won over appearances. Seeing Ingvar''s unconcealed shock, his eyes flying wide and his mouth hanging open, Eldrian knew that he had decided to use Observe.


    "Can we enter?" Eldrian asked after giving the dwarf some time to recover.


    After the funeral, Eldrian had also gotten a position title proving that he was the acting mayor. He wasn''t sure why it had onlye after the funeral but it was handy as undeniable proof of his official position. That and his eleven other titles were sure to turn nearly any native starstruck.


    "Of course!" The dwarf stopped mid-step, "Would you mind if I send word to Lord Boran?"


    ''Boran?'' Eldrian''s mind spun, he had known that Boran had returned home, but... For him to be a lord, the lord of the entire Ganalin dwarven kingdom. That was simply too shocking.


    Luckily, Sanja acted quickly and told the captain that it was fine.


    "What was that?" Sanja asked, Eldrian spacing out wasmon knowledge but normally that was only when something was rted to magic.


    "Boran, is it amon dwarven name?" Eldrian asked.


    "No," Solvi answered and asked, "Why?"


    "I had a mentor, well. I''m not sure if I can actually call him that. We never really got to the good part of the training. I only learned how to hammer..." Shaking his head, Eldrian cleared his mind and focused. "Any case, his name was Boran.


    "So you know Lord Boran?" Ingvar asked, climbing onto some type of reptilian beast and moving next to them. His intention was clear, he was going to follow/escort them.


    "It was a long time ago, and I only knew him for a few days." Eldrian admitted, "I doubt he even remembers me."


    Solvi bit her tongue, she didn''t know Eldrian back then and it might have been that he wasn''t as-- unique, as he was now.


    "I heard he used to be in the kingdom north of Taurus. What are you doing here?"


    "Phallos sent some troops to support the kingdom standing between them and the hordes of the invasion. Most of us Chosen chose to join the troops."


    "No kidding... And you''ve only been in this world for a few months..."


    "Almost a year now." Eldrian corrected.


    "Still, you reached Tier 4 in such a short time. That is quite amazing."


    "Not really, there are thousands who have managed the same." Eldrian replied, the news shocked Sanja and Solvi. Thousands of undying Tier 4 soldiers would be an amazing addition to any army.


    If only they were located in one kingdom, not spread throughout the world.


    Ingvar didn''t say anything else for a while. Moving through the gates and into the border city, Eldrian marveled at the dwarven architecture.


    Small andrge buildings spread throughout the city. A house with each floor 3 meters tall and three floors in total, next to a house just as tall but with a total of six floors.


    The streets were clean, run-offs carved into the chiseled stone roads with gardens of cavern nts spread throughout the city to give it just a bit of green. The only source of light once you truly entered the city was from moss and crystals.


    There was no clear difference between the noble and poor districts. At least not inparison to that of the human kingdoms. Instead of ts, the houses slowly turned into simple houses and then into manors. But it wasn''t as absurd that you would say that the quality of life of the poor was terrible inparison.


    The lower ss simply had less space, but their neighborhood still appeared pleasing to the eye.


    AN:


    :)

 Chapter 579 - The City Of Pordors Wonders

    Ingvar led them to the keep of the border city, a massive pce built into this massive cavern that was the city of Pordor. It was breathtaking to behold, arrays covering nearly the entire outer building. Giving light to the surroundings and even allowing for some amazing structures to be built.


    The most magnificent of which was three floating crystalline stctites, thin bridges connected to these stctites and one could only wonder what was inside.


    "Wee!" A dwarf with a trimmed beard and stylish clothing weed them into this massive building, "Your visit caught us a bit unprepared, please do excuse the state of our estate."


    "It is no problem," Eldrian replied, "I would actually prefer if we can keep moving. Time is of the essence, after all."


    "Certainly," The dwarf replied, "Apologies, I forgot my manors. I am Viggo, the steward of our proud city of Pordor. My lord is currently at the front lines, I hope you will forgive theck of a proper wee."


    Eldrian nodded, "Can we move to meet them?"


    Coughing, Sanja sped Eldrian''s shoulder and smiled at Viggo. "Viggo, it is good to see you are well. Have you finally found your soulmate?"


    Blushing, the butler nodded.


    "I knew it, you had that inner glow."


    "We are actually expecting our first child soon." Viggo said, brimming with pride.


    "Congrattions! I hope you will invite me to the baby shower."


    "Unfortunately, I don''t think we will be able to host one." Viggo sighed and cleared his head, having momentarily forgotten his post, "Apologies again, please follow me."


    Leading the group into the massive keep, Viggo showcased them to their rooms and also offered refreshments. Eldrian quickly got bored and tired of the pleasantries and dived into his mental space to discuss theories with Two.


    He woke when Sanja gripped his shoulder and squeezed for the third time.


    "What''s up?"


    "You are being extremely rude."


    "Sorry, but I don''t like wasting time. We are just-"


    "Building connections and friendships, which is never a waste of time. You are still young, you might not understand. In the world, especially in times like these. Not having any connections is the worst thing you could have done for your future."


    "Sure, but-" Eldrian stopped, he wanted to argue his side. However, he realized that it would simply lead to nothing and possibly even cause a rift to form between him and Sanja. "Thank you for the advice."


    "Sir Ingvar?" Sanja motioned for him to step forward. "Why don''t you help our new acting mayor learn a bit more about dwarven culture?"


    Looking at Eldrian, the dwarf frowned. During the entire talk Eldrian had been spacing out, in a world of his own. It made it hard to believe he was here on behalf of the kingdom of Taurus.


    "I would really appreciate it." Eldrian said, deciding to go with the flow since he was already here. Not thinking about his theories for a few hours might even do him some good.


    With Eldrian speaking up, Ingvar nodded.


    ...


    "What do you think of our elf?" Sanja asked Solvi once the two had left, the butler had left earlier to get things organized so they would be able to meet with the local nobles and hopefully the dwarven lord.


    "He''s brilliant and has a unique talent, but... He sucks at connecting with people." Solvi answered without pretense.


    "So I''m not the only one thinking it..." The centaurette sighed realizing that the mission was going to be harder than expected due to Eldrian''sck of charisma.


    "It won''t be as bad as you expect." Solvi smiled, "He''s weird and doesn''t really fit in, but his passion for magic is universal. Just don''t expect him to partake in politics or pleasantries, I am pretty sure he would rather burn the room down."


    Sanjaughed at the image and remembering how Eldrian had handled politics thus far. He had done wonderfully, but looking back it was only because he seemed to not care about it one bit. He didn''t mind what they said of him, nor what they tried to do behind his back as long as it did not directly interfere with what needed to be done.


    He simply worked on what was needed and relied on those he could trust. Bringing Itireae to deal with Skara was also brilliant. But from a political viewpoint it was a bit extreme,pletely burning the bridge while destroying Skara''s political standing.


    It dealt with the immediate problem but could lead to moreter on as Skara now had hatred growing towards Eldrian. Though, that would not be a problem if Pros was healed and could retake his position as mayor.


    "Do you think the dwarves will agree to share resources when they are under so much pressure?" Sanja asked after a few seconds of reflection. The fact that Lord Boran might know Eldrian should help them, hopefully, their rtionship had been on good terms.


    "I have a feeling Eldrian has a few things to trade," Solvi replied.


    "You can''t mean the cannons!"


    "If he only trades that we can consider ourselves lucky."


    "What? Why?"


    "He''s been so distracted since he recently made a massive breakthrough. I''m pretty sure he would share everything he knew if he found a kindred soul, someone who could help him understand."


    Sanja sighed, shocked that through all this. Through managing a city and going on a political mission, Eldrian still found time to actually train and even discover something.


    She didn''t ask what it was, understanding that she would never be able to keep up in that area.


    ''I''ll focus on our rtionships hopefully I can get enough support so that Eldrian doesn''t end up bargaining.'' Sanja just believed that Eldrian would be terrible at it. After all, regarding all trades thus far it wasn''t him but Elizabeth managing things.


    ...


    "This is amazing!" Eldrian eximed as he entered one of the floating stctites, this one was converted into a smithy.


    When asked which one he wanted to enter, Eldrian had decided on this one without a second thought. He had no interest in a restaurant, and even less in a luxury room. Whatever that meant.


    Moving towards one of the forges, Eldrian watched in awe as the apprentices worked. Naturally, he couldn''t enter the core of the smithy where the master cksmiths were, but even just watching these Tier 5 apprentices was amazing.


    ''Having them manufacture the cannons would be really nice, but I doubt they would sell it to us at cost. Though, maybe we can negotiate something close?'' Eldrian wondered as he looked at the smithing process with new eyes.


    Thest time he had witnessed the creation of magical items -his spear in particr- he hadn''t known anything. With the cannons, while he had learned plenty, the diversity in what was done was not much.


    Now he could observe as one apprentice made a shield, another a sword, a team a set of armor. Not a in set, but an actual set.


    ''I wonder how it all links in the end...'' Eldrian mumbled internally as he looked at the individualponents that had beenpleted.


    ''It looks like there is some sort of connecting point. Almost like a joining rune.'' Twomented, indicating to the end of the gloves and the start of a gauntlet.


    ''Your right! Why haven''t we seen any of these runes?'' Almost half the runes on the set were unknown to them.


    ''Its dwarves?'' Twomented with a shrug.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 580 - Reavers

    Eldrian wanted to talk with the smiths busy making the armor set, unfortunately, him visiting the smithy was already the limit and he understood this clearly. It was only arranged since he was the acting mayor, he would never have been allowed in this particr floating stctite if he was just a random person.


    ''This room is also very special.'' Eldrianmented after moving his eyes from the pieces being worked on. The forges were regted through aplex array hidden in the background, with different forges avable for the different ranks of materials.


    There was also a couple of ports that Eldrian assumed was for charging an item or something. At least that was what his intuition told him it would be for ording to the shape of the arrays.


    Eldrian was certain that there was even more here than meets the eye. Part of him suspected that these stctites were simr to magic towers. Which made him wonder just what the true smithy would look like. And also slightly curious what the other two would actually be like.


    "Next, let me show you our famous dwarven ale," Ingvar said once Eldrian visibly calmed down.


    ...


    The two returned to the keep a few hourster, Eldrian barely managing to stay upright. Ingvar on the other hand was still perfectly fine.


    "How can you dri-drink so much?" Eldrian asked while leaning on the dwarf, just two mugs had nearly caused him to ckout yet Ingvar had downed more than ten.


    "You just need to practice," Ingvar replied, actually impressed that Eldrian had managed to stay awake.


    "Practice... Always practice..." Eldrian mumbled, ''I need a detoxify spell.''


    ''That''s cheating!'' Two countered, not faring much better than Eldrian. They shared one body after all.


    ''Bah, cheating smeathing. What does it matter?'' Eldrian countered back and smiled as he saw a worried Sanja rushing over.


    She quickly took over from Ingvar, she was surprisingly strong. Capable of lifting Eldrian onto her back with ease.


    "How much did you drink?" She asked as she took Eldrian to his room.


    "Tw-hick-two"


    Sighing, Sanja simply dropped Eldrian at his room and left him there to his own devices.


    ...


    Eldrian woke a few hourster, uncertain how to feel about what had happened. Diving out of ANW he quickly confirmed that everything was still fine IRL before returning.


    ''What''s the n going forward?'' Two asked, not wanting to talk about their low alcohol tolerance.


    ''I''m thinking we wrap this up quickly and return to our true objective.''


    ''Do you think we can wrap this up quickly?''


    ''I see no reason why not. Keep focusing on the new blueprint. When we return to Kynigo I want to start immediately.''


    ''Sure.''


    Deciding to explore the city, Eldrian went ahead and set himself a teleportation point. Having avoided it until now, having always been aware that he would need to make use of it sooner orter.


    He was happy by the simple fact that it went smoothly, though connecting had been harder than usual. Eldrian had to even go so far as to form a telepathic connection before managing to call up the temple''s interface.


    ''Assuming that that was due to my connection being severed and separate, I am actually not mad it was so much harder.'' Eldrian mumbled as he explored the city at night, he was actually relieved as it made him trust GAIA''s words just a tiny bit more.


    As he explored Eldrian found that there were surprisingly many patrols moving through the streets, making him wonder why. After passing by the fifth patrol, he decided that it might be better to simply return to the keep.


    Halfway back the horns of battle roared.


    Looking at his map, Eldrian quickly figured out what was happening. It appeared that a horde of monsters had found an unexplored tunnel, or made a new one. They were currently pouring into the road connecting Pordor to the rest of Ganalin. Outside of the city, but close to the gate.


    The dwarves were clearly not caught off guard, they already had a formation waiting for the monsters. From the change in dots, it was clear that they were winning by andslide.


    ''Well, that is a nice change.'' Eldrian thought, far too used to battles being pitched and one mistake from defeat.


    Still, he moved towards the fight, not to help but rather curious what these monsters looked like, he had used the map function to Observe one and it was called a Reaver.


    [Reaver (bloodline), Tier 4, Level 20]


    [HP: 831]


    [Mana: 616]


    [Attack: 80 (144)]


    [A cave-dwelling spider monster. After reaching maturity it most often leaves the nest to fend for itself and start its own cluster. However, it is possible for the mother to recall her brood andmand them to the field.]


    Like with the Vodi, Eldrian knew he could gain more information. But unfortunately, that did not work through the map.


    Rushing past thest line of buildings, Eldrian was stopped by the walls of the city. Yes, the underground city had walls and that threw Eldrian for a moment.


    Looking for stairs, Eldrian rushed to the nearest and climbed to the top of the wall. It was only five meters high, not much height at all. If he was more capable in parkour he would have been able to simply jump to the top. In fact, he might be able just by relying on his stats.


    Looking at the spiderlike creatures filling the cavern before him, Eldrian quickly realized the dwarves'' n.


    A portion of their fighters had rushed to form a dwarven wall between the spider horde and the city. Another portion of dwarves was manning siege equipment or crossbows, raining hell down onto the horde, and killing all who tried to scale the cavern''s sides to circumvent the dwarven line.


    As everything seemed to be running smoothly, suddenly a few dwarves broke from the line. Charging out of the battle line and to their deaths. This did not seem toe as a shock to the others and using mana sense Eldrian quickly understood what had happened.


    [Bloodline ability: Abyssal gaze]


    [A mental attack, sending the target into a nightmarish hell. Causing severe panic and often even leading to a heart attack.]


    Eldrian got goosebumps, uncertain how he would fare against such an ability. He doubted if he would sumb as some of the dwarves and lose all reason. However, it might just cause him to pause for a second. And in a pitched fight, a second could spell the end.


    Despite arger andrger number of the dwarves losing their nerve and slowly sumbing to this strange ability, the line was kept firm and the siege weapons did their job. As the soldiers slowly started moving backward, Eldrian decided to also join in the fight.


    It was the perfect time to test his new casting method.


    ''Two, I need a really strong fire rune and a cyclone one!''


    ''Let me see... Right, this rune should be strong enough to do considerable damage. And... Seems we arecking a cyclone, however, we might be able to ovep these two if you envision to connect them.''


    Nodding, Eldrian quickly drew the fire rune, filling it with all the mana it could take, a total of 200MP. He then drew the rune for a shockwave, adding the other that was an amplification rune. Together, it all cost around 350MP.

 Chapter 581 - Wonderous Test Results

    With the runes primed, Eldrian next focused on the effect he wanted. Wanting the fire to move over the dwarven line andnd before them into the midst of the spider horde. To then burst apart and spread havoc through them while moving away from the dwarves.


    "Go!" Eldrian shouted and the runes he had drawn in the air zed brightly in the dim light of the cavern.


    Everyone''s attention moved briefly to the ray of mes flying from the wall into the Reavers. Upon which it then sshed like water on ground, spreading everywhere. But strangely not towards the dwarves.


    Unfortunately, the damage was a bitcking. The initial burst did around two hundred which was decent but the mes burned for only around twenty damage and quickly started weaking. Instead of turning the spiders into ash, it was more like they were slowly being cooked alive.


    Compared to Incinerate, the damage was certainlycking, especially the damage of the lingering mes. Yet the difference it made in the fight was still massive.


    Being cooked was still painful and made the spiders jump back from the mes. With the mes covering a quarter of the cavern it gave a portion of the line a much-needed respite while also giving the dwarves on the wall a clear shot at the reavers with no fear of friendly fire.


    Eldrian was also not done, while reflecting on the cast and how it had worked, he started drawing a few new runes.


    ''The area was too small, let''s add a second fire rune. Two amplification runes to bind the fire runes and also a condense rune to increase damage.'' Eldrian mumbled, pumping 400 MP into the fire runes and 350 into the amplification and condense runes for a total of 750 MP, almost emptying his mana pool.


    This -was in fact- an insane amount of mana to pump into one spell. More than what most Tier 5 mages would have.


    This time, Eldrian didn''t want to use the shockwave rune, he wanted to use something simr to the Anemos spells. Hoping that fierce wind would allow the mes to burn brighter, stronger, and spread further.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know a normal wind-type rune, so he had to rely on the shockwave rune and superimpose his vision over it.


    When he released the spell, the mes covered his entire range of vision as it flew over the wall and the line of dwarves. Forming a tornado of mes that crashed into the spider horde and spread mes through them again. Just as the previous mes were about to die out.


    This burst did a lot more damage, the double down on the fire runes together with the condense rune did just what Eldrian had hoped it would do. It reduced the spreadpared to what it might have been but doubled the damage, nearly one-shotting the spiders it touched while still covering arger area than before.


    Certainly, his casting method was still very immature and crude, using amplification runes as glue-- connecting all the runes and allowing his vision to be superimposed on them as a single spell, instead of five different runes. Regardless, it worked.


    The following burn damage didn''t do much more but now with a second hit most of the reavers couldn''t survive. While none turned to ash, Eldrian was happy that it had worked out so well.


    A solid proof of concept and a good showcase that this was indeed a far more stable, modr, and easy-to-use casting system.


    Smiling at the sess, he watched as the dwarves started to clean up the rest of the spiders.


    ''This is really much easier than either other casting methods.'' Eldrianmented as he looked at the XP he had gained, a nice bonus but not anything to write home about.


    A total of 57M XP from just a little under 200 kills. It would more just help with maintaining his daily XP upkeep for his interface and specifically his map. Nowhere near enough to help him reach his next level.


    ''Leveling going forward is going to be a real pain.'' Eldrian mumbled as he looked at the highest reward he had gotten from a single enemy. A Tier 6 reaver level 39 Reaver, only giving a total of 5.3M XP.


    Considering he needed over a billion, it was going to be a true grind. Granted, he was level 41 which was truly a high level. He was higher level than most natives, with only people over Tier 7 being around his level.


    Moving past the XP and level story and back to the runic casting, Eldrian continued, ''This must be part of the change, there is no way such a powerful magic system has never been discovered. And considering I think Itireae used something simr, it must have had some really big hurdles to ovee. Else it would have spread throughout the entire world.''


    Reflecting on how it had felt, it was truly so much easier. Sure, he had to correctly draw the runes while pushing mana into them. That was a bit difficult butpared to even just Tier 4 spell modules. It was far easier.


    Instead of having to perfectly envision over 50 nodes and all the pathways connecting the spell module, he could focus on one rune and finish it before moving on to the next one.


    There was sure to be a limit to the number of runes he could connect to work together, Eldrian suspected that it would rely on a person''s abilities.


    Andpared to dynamic casting (at the level where Eldrian is), where he had to perfectly envision what he wanted to happen, then control his mana to give results. This only required an outline of what he wanted.


    Eldrian knew that true dynamic casting also just required an outline, yet he had no idea how to reach that level. He had managed to cast spells in such a manner a few times. But he couldn''t replicate those times, it normally happened as a fluke or in times of desperation.


    In this regard, this runic casting method was actually more simr to Tierless spells than dynamic casting, but he didn''t need to control the mana constantly nor did he have the burden of the emotions filling his mind.


    The runes kept the mana stable and as long as he didn''t let them slip from his mind -aka became distracted- they would stay stable.


    One disadvantage was that after releasing the spell he lost control. Eldrian suspected he would be able to fight back some control or maybe even keep control over the mana. But considering the amount of mana he used, he knew he wouldn''t be able to keep control of it all.


    This certainly meant that there was a bit of a risk but it also gave Eldrian another idea.


    ''Do you think we can make dyed spells?''


    ''Considering the runes wills stay active as long as we keep them in mind, it should be possible. However, we haven''t yet tested how long a rune can stay as is. Considering the amount of mana we''ve pumped into them, I''d assume they are under high pressure.''


    ''True, which makes the fact that we do not need to hyper-focus to keep them stable strange, extremely so.''


    ''It does... However, runes are designed to focus mana to great effect. We can only assume that they are designed in a manner that allows them to be stable.''


    Eldrian nodded, ''Indeed, and unlike spells that are extremely hard to experiment with and fine-tune variations. Runes are something that all runesmiths can experiment on. There isn''t the danger of needing the enter the magic abyss.


    ''Sure it might explode in your face, butpared to it exploding in your mind space. It is still considerably safer.''


    Smiling at the image, the two knew they had a lot of testing and experimentingying in their not-so-distant future.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 582 - That Went Smoothly

    ''The amount of mana used however...'' Eldrian realized that while the spell had been highly effective, it seemed that the mana usage was morepared to normal spells. Especially given the damage he had seen, though, then again his only other AOE spell was Incinerate.


    ''It is certainly less effective than single target spells in the damage portion. Though, that is to be expected.''


    Turning to the approaching dwarves, Eldrian smiled at the stunned Viggo who was stumbling over his words. It took the poor dwarven steward a few seconds to recover.


    While the situation had been handled, Eldrian stepping in had saved many dwarven lives. It was now even possible to resurrect some who had died, as long as their bodies were in decent condition.


    Naturally, due to the ongoing war, most of the veteran soldiers were at the frontlines. The strongest soldiers left in the city were also stationed at the Taurian gate-- the gate where Eldrian and co had entered from and met Ingvar.


    As such, the soldiers stationed throughout the rest of the city were those considered too weak, still in training, or in retirement. Yet, even with their forces being so weak they were able to handle the threat effectively; but at a cost.


    "We-we''re you the one- to..."


    Nodding, Eldrian wasn''t sure what to do as Viggo continued to stumble over his words.


    "Thank you very much for your help..." Pausing Viggo wondered what he could offer Eldrian as a show of thanks. "Do you wish to im your spoils?" Viggo asked, feeling that this would be the best ce to start regardingpensation.


    "Sure, is there anything particrly good on these reavers?"


    "Their eyes, especially the eyes of those who have reached Tier 5 or higher are highly prized. Depending on how pure the reaver''s bloodline is, it might just be possible to extract and make use of their bloodline ability."


    "What do you mean?"


    Quickly realizing that Eldrian might have misunderstood, Viggo exined properly. "You can consider their eyes simr to crystals, and like crystals they have an attunement. Normal crystals have an attunement with the elements, but their''s will be with their bloodline."


    "Ah, that abyssal gaze ability?"


    "Precisely. Using that, it is possible to make an item that would send out a form of mental attack. Depending on the creator''s skills and the eye''s quality, you might even gain ess to the true ability."


    "Then let''s see if we are lucky," Eldrian said with a smile. The reavers killed by him, whether he simply helped or killed them entirely with his mes were easy to find. Unfortunately, it seemed that while none had turned to ash, most of their eyes had been ruined by the mes.


    The strongest reavers had retreated at the first sign of the fight being lost, thus Viggo couldn''t search for an eye to gift Eldrian. There might be one, but the chances were low.


    Realizing this, Viggo wracked his brain on what else to offer. While the reaver''s exoskeleton was strong, it wasn''tparable to mithril. It was more partway between celestial ores and mithril. Useful and valuable for sure, but it didn''t seem like Eldrian wascking armor.


    Though, his breastte did have a deep scar. Viggo thought maybe he should offer Eldrian a dwarven-made breastte.


    Eldrian realized what was going on. Smiling internally, he decided that it was time to strike. There wasn''t actually a need for him to meet with the dwarven lords directly. He could leave the delegations to Sanja ande back on his own via teleportation or even with an agima in just a few hours when needed. In minutes if Ceph wasn''t busy.


    A few yers could also be sent here to keepmunication going. Eldrian was sure there would be many who would want to explore a true dwarven kingdom. And considering what just happened there was certainly to be enough quests for them too.


    A part of Eldrian actually wanted to stay to go on a quest or two. Unfortunately, he knew that doing so would do more damage than good. He had to focus on what was priorities, this was after all no longer a game for him.


    "Actually, there is one thing that you might be able to help me with. Sanja mentioned it before; we came hoping to establish trade of basic materials."


    Viggo nodded, feeling backed into a corner. He had hoped to stall the talks so they could get the upper hand in the deals. What Eldrian said next however left him quite shocked and without words.


    "The reason we require more basic materials is because we''ve been mass manufacturing a new type of siege equipment. Each time it fires it isparable to the first spell I cast."


    Viggo stared at Eldrian, trying to determine if the elf was joking. Seeing no hint of this, Viggo was simply left in disbelief.


    "I''m sure that the kingdom might want to keep this to themselves, at least some nobles will surely push for it. But doing so in times as dire as this would be beyond dumb. So I want to propose an exchange."


    ''This elf, he isn''t as simple as he appeared.'' Viggo sighed, realizing that Eldrian had him.


    In return for the help he had delivered, Eldrian was asking for something that would be mutually beneficial. There was no way Viggo could say no, he also couldn''t push too hard on the conditions lest he appears ungrateful.


    "I actually have one of the simpler cannons -that is what they are called- on me. In exchange for the cannon and an exnation on how to make and use them, I would like to organize two deals."


    "The first would be allowing us to buy the cannons at cost; until the invasion ends. However, I understand that you will want cannons of your own. Thus, we will only ask to have ess to buy every third cannon you make."


    Viggo frowned, it was too much. Especially since he did not yet know how effective it truly was. Eldrian''s showcase made him inclined to believe the elf, but Eldrian was still a stranger.


    "I''m afraid I can''t ept every third-- cannon. We would have a hard time reinforcing our own lines if we only keep two out of three we produce."


    "Then why don''t we make it every fifth?" Eldrian asked, the jump to fifth catching Viggo slightly of guard. Eldrian seceding so far made him feel bad about bargaining further, he was actually willing to settle for every fourth.


    "Depending on your following condition, I might be able to ept this." Viggo replied, trying to keep some sort of advantage.


    "That would be for raw materials. I''m not sure what a good price would be, but I want Sanja to work with you to organize a deal that both sides can be happy with."


    Nodding, Viggo readily agreed, actually feeling slightly bad that he was so focused on winning out when Eldrian clearly did not mind losing out. He was confident he wouldn''t lose against Sanja, but now he felt bad about it.


    With that, the two left the charred battlefield and returned to the keep where they found a worried centaurette waiting in the entrance hall.


    "What happened?" Sanja asked as soon as she saw the two and Eldrian simply smiled as he said that he was no longer needed here.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 583 - Accepting What Is

    Both Solvi and Sanja had been conflicted with the deal Eldrian had struct, somewhat behind their backs even, blind sighting them.


    Sanja had sighed,ining that they had lost the upper hand and that Eldrian had forgotten about the ammunition for the cannons. Which was the true problem currently, at least in Kynigo.


    Solvi, on the other hand, felt more conflicted, she was d that Eldrian wouldn''t try to keep something so massive from other kingdoms. In particr that it was her home kingdom certainly helped too. After all, she didn''t hate her home, she just hadn''t had much standing there.


    Yet, despite this, it felt like Eldrian did it too easily. As if he did not quite understand the worth that such an invention actually was. Or more likely, he knew and simply did not care.


    The silver lining was that he didn''t give them one of the inner cannons, but rather one meant for the outer walls. The outer wall cannons were the ones made by a mix of cksmiths all below Tier 5, and thus there wasn''t a risk of Solvi''s own technique or any of the other master ckmsmiths'' techniques and inventions being leaked.


    It was far more basic, and only applied the basic principle of using the pressure from an explosion to propel the cannonballs. Something that would easily be leaked and spread, thus Eldrian arranging a deal by willing sharing it was quite smart.


    Though, strangely, Solvi knew she could only care about all that since with the advent of the cannons things were starting to look up.


    "So you will be staying here?" Eldrian asked the dwarf, who nodded while patting the cannon Eldrian had taken out of his inventory.


    "Yes, I will work with fine-tuning the cannons. When I return, we will have a true weapon capable of turning the tides of this war." Her true intent was to make sure that Taurus would be kept in the loop of developments.


    Her reasoning was quite simple, she understood that something like this should not be hoarded. In that regard, she found no fault with Eldrian''s approach. Her staying was to ensure that Ganalin would keep its part of the deal. And as a Tier 8 cksmith, she now had the power to ensure this.


    Smiling, Eldrian nodded. Saying his goodbye to Sanja he wished her luck with the negotiations and told her to expect six Chosen by the end of the day. With that, Eldrian moved to the teleportation hall on his agima. Unfortunately, he wouldn''t be able to take it with him.


    He had a simple n going forward, they had to finish off the wandering hordes of the undead as they were bing a true nuisance. They wandered without aim, but that was part of the problem. When they stumbled on an ill defended vige, it must be abandoned.


    This couldn''t go on. However, first, Eldrian had to finally do some self upgrading and also organize the yers to join him.


    ***


    "See, I told you it wouldn''t be that bad." Solvi chuckled as they watched Eldrian leave without looking back.


    "How the hell did he do it?" Sanja wracked her brain trying to figure out how Eldrian actually knew how to make a deal. She had also quickly realized that he hadn''t tried to solve it all by himself, only starting things and then leaving it to them to see through.


    Knowing what he was good at and what he could be part of and when to take a step back. It was truly quite impressive.


    And sure, it wasn''t the best deal he might have been able to make. Fighting for every third would have been possible with a demonstration. But in the same way, spies being sent to steal the idea or even the research was also possible.


    In fact, through a demonstration, the principle idea of how the cannons worked might be discovered already. In that regard, Eldrian''s deal might have actually really ended up being a brilliant one.


    Not only had he gotten the deal, he had also clearly shown that he wanted to work together, that he wanted to gain a deal that would help both sides. With this in mind, Sanja resolved herself to do her best.


    Her first priority was to add that the cannonballs would be included in the deal, being purchasable at cost or close enough. She didn''t think of asking for every fifth, but rather that when the dwarves had secured themselves a stable supply that there would then be made a stable trade.


    ***


    Returning to Kynigo, Eldrian quickly updated himself on what had happened during the two days that he had been gone. Nothing major, outside of that they were now close to finding everything needed to heal Pros.


    Pros''s condition was still critical, but thanks to the Trainta Roz he was stable. Itireae was also checking up on him each day, for some strange reason seeing him lying there-- so close to death. It pulled at her heart, just slightly. But even that slightly was a new feeling to her.


    The lives lost thus far in the war did not bother her, she simply saw it as natural. Whether they died today or in a few years, or even a hundred years. It mattered little to her.


    However, the situation was different with Pros. She did not know him all that well, but he had quickly made an impression on her.


    He was knowledgeable and talented, if he wanted he could have reached Tier 10. Maybe he might have even managed the feat already if only he had tried. Then he would not now be on his death bed.


    Yet, Itireae knew that he would not wake -or die- with regret. He had lived the life he had wanted, trying to learn about the mysteries of the world and hoping to enjoy a peaceful rxed life.


    Looking at the elf, her concern clearly written over her face, Eldrian recalled the first time he had met her and smiled.


    ''It seems that you will actually manage to learn what you came to learn.'' Eldrian thought with a mix of emotions, hoping that it would note at the cost of Pros''s life.


    Leaving without disturbing them, he headed to the manor he had organized for the guild. He had wanted to simply give them his, but they had been adamant not to intrude on a member''s personal space.


    Naturally, with the end of the siege, there were a number of homes now empty. And while the manor they lived in was not in the noble district, it wasrge enough for the hundred-odd -which only fifty would be online at one time- to work fromfortably.


    Naturally, as yers, they did not need things like beds to sleep in. They had even removed the kitchen and turned it into arge meeting room. The main hall was where they would organize things, kind of like a guildhall, and the other rooms were used as storage.


    There was, unfortunately, no universal inventory for the guild, only a management inventory that thus far only epted coins. Thus storage rooms were required for things that belonged to the guild and not single individuals.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 584 - Eldrian Handing Out Quests

    "I actually got a quest!" Ilmadia eximed after Eldrian shared his ns, and their mission, with them.


    "Really?" He asked, sad that it might truly confirm that quests would no longer be something for him to gain. Or if they are, then they would be truly rare.


    "Yeah, and you''re the quest giver!" Nikki jumped in, the revtion that yers could hand out quests was massive. It would certainly make huge waves on the forums, however, upon thinking of that the group quickly calmed down as they remembered what Elizabeth had told them.


    They didn''t know all the details, but they did know that they shouldn''t go about sharing details surrounding Eldrian.


    Of course, with the change in the city, there was no way Miracle would have lost sight of it. They were sure to know that Eldrian was here, back in the game and thriving.


    Eldrian was actually still waiting to be approached, he expected that Constantin might be sent to talk with him. To try and negotiate. Why it was taking so long he did not know.


    "Sucks that I can''t get one myself..." Eldrian chuckled, not too bothered. While levels and the free attributes they gave were nice. He understood that they no longer made as big an impact as before.


    "When are we setting out?" Elizabeth asked.


    "I want to try and reach Tier 5 first, and I also want you guys to try a new type of casting method I discovered." Taking out a manual he had asked Brazan to put together, Eldrian handed it to Elizabeth.


    It was mostly rting fire runes and fire spells, something which Brazan has been studying up on every second of his free time.? The manual only contained Tier 1 runes, mostly because Eldrian wanted to start simple and also because Brazan hadn''t gotten far into everything. Unlike Two, it took him a day or two to finish a single book.


    "Please try to memorize the runes and also understand their meaning. And try to focus on your connection with your mana, this might just be a shortcut to Tier 5."


    Hearing thest part, everyone turned serious and stared at the book as if it was the holy grail. Thus far, not a single yer had managed to break the Tier 5 barrier.


    Eldrian going to attempt it was not all that shocking, it was almost expected. But this-- something allowing them to do the same. That was massive.


    Leaving them with their thoughts, Eldrian headed to the magic association. Wanting to be careful with his breakthrough, thus hoping to use Sofiera''s training room for privacy and security might something go wrong.


    ...


    "Are you sure about this?" Sofiera asked after Eldrian gave her a quick breakdown of what his ns were.


    "Yeah, things seem stable. Nothing happened when I was gone for two days, I am sure I can disappear for two more without much trouble."


    The centaurette frowned as a smile crept in on her. Giving her quite a weird look, frown smiling. "You actually remind me a lot of Pros in how you are handling everything. Casually handing it down to those around you and then forgetting about it."


    "Well, I need to focus on what I feel is most important." Eldrian countered, unsure if her words were praise or criticism.


    "You even have the same response, though his important thing was being able to enjoy a book. Yours is... What should I do if you don''te out after two days?"


    "Then I likely died, and if I am still not back then something went massively wrong. You''ll need to take over then, Elizabeth should be a big help with the Chosen. Were busy arranging for more Chosen toe to Taurus, though the cost will be massive, estimations are around fifty to a hundred gold per Chosen."


    "Which is why you handed them the cleanup mission? To prove they''re worth it?"


    Nodding, Eldrian continued, "Yes, and if this new type of casting can truly be a shortcut to reaching Tier 5, then they are sure to be even more useful."


    "I also need to give it a try, you said you simply drew the rune while navigating some mana into it?"


    "Let me show you," Heading into the training room, Eldrian wanted a simple showcase and as always fire was the easiest to see and the shiest.


    He didn''t pick an advanced fire rune, instead, using one of the simplest ones he knew. One that could only handle around 50MP.


    "This is the first stage, if you can manage to do this then you should be able to cast the spell," Eldrian said, showcasing the translucent rune made of near-invisible mes staying in ce where Eldrian had traced it. Almost as if it had been engraved into the very air itself.


    "Next, I normally send the n I have for the spell, envisioning its progress. For example," Wanting the spell to slowly twirl to the ground, Eldrian released his control over the rune.


    As if it was some sort of gel, the fire slowly started forming and twirling to the ground. The speed at which it moved made it appear like it was struggling to move through the air. Like it was sticking to it, and slowly moving down along the path of least resistance.


    "I''m not sure if anyone can superimpose what they want it to do so easily, if you fail to do so." Repeating the rune drawing, Eldrian this time did not superimpose a vision for the spell.


    Upon releasing the spell, mes simply sprang forth. Almost twice as much as with Volida, whichparing mana usage seemed right; if a little less effective.


    "Fascinating. Why have I never heard of something like this?"


    "I have the same question, I suspect something has changed within magic and especially considering mana. When Solvi tried it she first attempted forming a rune in her mind space, as was my first attempt. In doing so she reported that her mana seemed afraid."


    "That''s impossible."


    "Agreed, but we do know that mana reacts to emotions. So it might have been reflecting her doubts, or at least that''s my theory."


    "But, I''ve never heard of something like that either."


    "Which is why I think something changed, making mana more sensitive to our thoughts and emotions."


    Sofiera looked at Eldrian as her eyes slowly grewrger andrger. Finally, she was left stunned as she realized what this could mean, both the good and the bad.


    "Yeah, that''s kind of the same thing I went through." Eldrian chuckled, "It means reaching Tier 5 should be easier for everyone, and with this method, it might be exponentially easier. However, mana might also be less stable."


    "Meaning the rate at which Chaotic Energy forms might also increase," Sofiera said, connecting the dots. "Does it also mean that learning to dynamic cast will be easier?"


    "I think so, I can''t really tell the difference. Can you ask Myropsis when shees back?"


    "I will..."


    Poor Myropsis had been running around, acting as the emissary of the city trying to negotiated deals with the other cities of Taurus. Unable to do what was important -learning magic-, as was her n with securing Eldrian as the mayor. In a strange turn of events, he had more free time than her.


    This wasn''t because Eldrian wanted to keep her busy but because she was a part of the royal family, and as such, she had far more influence than most nobles. Even if she had never particrly developed connections, no one would outright refuse her.


    And with her running around they had learned that the kingdom was simply under too much pressure. Just focusing on slowing the loss of viges, towns, and cities was nearly all that it was capable of.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 585 - Kingdoms Failures, Eldrians Plans

    The kingdom, it turned out, was unable to spare a thought to keeping a connection between its cities to keep goods flowing. Normally only doing so as an afterthought when it was almost toote.


    Kynigo was a prime example of just this, luckily through using the Chosen they were able to deal with the aftermath of such poor management.


    Poor refugees werepletely forgotten unless a noble took the task of feeding and housing them on themselves. And in many cities, this was growing into a bigger and bigger problem.


    Sure, magic was normally massively used to ensure there was enough food for everyone. But all of the supply still came from thend and the farms on thatnd. Magic just speed everything up, it wasn''t a cure-all.


    Now the kingdom had nearly lost a quarter of its farms, many abandoned out of fear. The amount ofnd actually lost was closer to a sixth, showing just how much people were losing hope. Something that could quickly spiral out of control.


    Eldrian was already thinking of how he could try to increase morale once he finished-- if he seeded withoutplication. He hoped to ride the train of morale growth after clearing the hordes with Phoenix, to then slowly showcase the Chosen more and more.


    His hope was that it would spread faith in them, that the people of Kynigo, and Taurus even, will grow to feel more secure. If only a little. Once the trade with the dwarves kicked in, he hoped to do the same with the cannons. Certain that a vige would feel far more secure if it could have even just one.


    Sofiera thought on this new discovery of runic magic more, while Eldrian''s thoughts instead were all over the ce. Her question brought him back to the topic at hand. "Do you think this casting method is safe? Considering everything."


    "Surprisingly, it seems that it is far more stable than normal casting. But I can''t really say, however, when you consider how runes and arrays have always been used. It does appear like they are more stable than spells, certainly far more robust."


    Sofiera nodded, in the regard of how runes functioned. Indeed they were more stable, normally. There was less that could go wrong in the traditional path of usage, runes were made without filling them with mana during the process of creation. Mana onlyes near the end.


    This process could still be followed to help people get used to drawing the runes before attempting to cast through them.


    After all, a rune without mana couldn''t do anything bad. And unless you royally screwed up in a sessful way, it should simply not active when drawn wrong.


    The question that Sofiera was more stuck on was what would happen if someone screwed up midst drawing a rune. Since there would already be mana in the halfpleted rune. This was an entirely new field needing to be discovered.


    She suspected it would then be simr to what would happen if someone lost focus and their spell module slipped midst cast.


    Thus, the true question was not whether this would be safer, but whether this would require less focus. Since, outside the talent to guide one''s mana, the other factor is being able to keep your focus under extreme mental pressure.


    "Right, well I want to start." Eldrian dered after giving her some time to work through all the things she had now discovered.


    Tabling? her questions, she nodded and started leaving. Wanting to test a few theories herself to confirm the difference, and find what was actually different.


    As she was about to leave Eldrian suddenly thought of somethingpletely out of the blue.? "Sofiera!" Turning around she looked at him questioningly, "Tell Elizabeth to look into verticle farming."


    Not understanding, Sofiera nodded and left. Understanding that it must be something that only the Chosen would understand.


    Eldrian''s mind still being all over the ce had suddenly thought of this new style of farming and was curious if it could help Kynigo recover quicker and be stronger. As much as he wanted to dive into theory crafting of the solution, he knew he had to focus on growing stronger first.


    Eldrian sat down in the middle of the room and slowly cleared his mind, which took a couple of minutes. His mind really liked being all over the ce once he found a new interest.


    Slowly rposing himself and preparing himself for what was toe, Eldrian took out the mana crystals he had collected through Phoenix, a total of thirty nail-sized crystals, worth 750 gold. Nearly all the gold he had.


    ''You''re really insane.'' Twomented as he looked at the thirty crystals, that was a total of 90k mana, give or take 5k. There was absolutely no way they could use it all.


    ''Yeah, I don''t think we will use them all. But better to have more than wish we had more.'' Eldrian replied, not feeling like it would be a waste since he might just use the crystals in a pitched battle. He was curious how effective it would be with the runic casting.


    Fighting to keep his mind from wandering onto this topic, Eldrian smirked at Two''sment.


    ''Rational, but still insane.'' Twomented on Eldrian''s thoughts.


    ''Agreed, now let''s start.''


    Nodding, Two turned serious as Eldrian dived into his mind space. "The blueprint?"


    "I decided that we should add more points of connect." Twomented as he waved his hand and summoned the blueprint.


    "Wait, before we go into all that. We need to figure out what our connections are going to be."


    "Yeah, I''ve been thinking we use the rune of mana capacity increase. It''s basically just a loop, and it doesn''t really store mana-"


    "Yeah, I know. It enhances the capacity of other runes or items like crystals, allowing the total effect to be greater. It is simr to the amplification rune, but more subtle. Good choice, should be safe to use inparison."


    "Yeah, plus it''s simpler."


    Eldrian nodded, for now, they didn''t want to attempt anything too difficult. Though, he had decided to not rush to a finish like thest two times. This time he would take his time, experiment as he went, and reform his mana--work- as he saw fit. The blueprint would just be a guide, not a gospel.


    "Right, then let''s add the mana capacity rune to the blueprint at the connections," Eldrian said, Two and him finishing the modification in a few minutes.


    "Seems almost like a humanoid robotic skeleton mix," Eldrianmented, the circr form of the joints reminding him of the joints of robots.


    They knew now that while mana wasn''t blood and rather more like electricity, it wasn''t that either. It didn''t need to flow back and forth like blood did via two distinct pathways, but it also didn''t need apleted cirction like electricity in a single pathway. It worked perfectly fine with dead ends, whether they had a purpose or were just dead ends.


    Pausing at the shoulders, pelvis, and head, Eldrian and Two thought on their optimum form for a while.


    "I''ve been thinking that we should make the pelvis and shoulders mana pools-- storages of mana. We have no idea if the heart will be able to store all the mana we are nning to insert." Twomented and Eldrian nodded, on the same page.


    The question instead was how.


    AN: I hope everyone is safe with all the chaos going on in the world.

 Chapter 586 - Confirming The Blueprint

    "Good point, we should add the head then too. What will our mana storages be?" Eldrian asked and Two didn''t have an answer. Runes made use of mana, they couldn''t act as batteries.


    The use of the capacity rune was with the hope that it would subtly increase Eldrain''s body''s mana capacity. Outside of that, a loop was simply a nice form to attach more paths to. There wasn''t more to it, it could also have been a star or anything else- a loop simply had the benefit of not having limited points to connect to.


    Continuing on, the two narrowed down their n while ignoring the problem of mana storage for now.


    They modified the skeleton blueprint until it would function properly as a manawork, allocating mana to where it might be needed and storing massive amounts -hopefully- in the mana storages. Thanks to their alterations it looked more and more like some weird robotic skeleton.


    Still humanoid in form, but not quite human (or elven, in this case).


    "How are we going to add the other runes?" Two questioned, it was something that he and Eldrian had been wondering about for a while now.


    Rune of capacity was easy, simply make it part of the pathway and thus include it in thework. It just worked out perfectly that its shape could fit into the pathways so readily. Whether it would still work as a rune they weren''t even sure.


    For the other runes, it wasn''t exactly like it could be repeated with all runes. There were only a few runes that had such simple forms. And it wasn''t like a manawork was physical. They couldn''t engrave runes onto the pathways themselves.


    "Let''s not worry about that now. The skeleton is quiteplex, and while I believe we won''t struggle too much to create it, I don''t think it will be easy. Our limit might be it plus the mana crystals."


    "Though I guess..." Eldrian started and Two already started to whine. "We might be able to add a few runes of amplification at the mana storages."


    "You do know that is going to fuck us up, right?" Two''sment caused Eldrian to burst outughing.


    "I know, that is why we won''t always have them active. We will only make use of them before a serious fight, to temporarily increase our capabilities to handle the situation." Eldrian said, Two quickly understanding what the n was in this case.


    Two nodded, "What about other runes we wanted to add?"


    "You know the n, we''ll add enhancement types at key points. But we first need to experiment with runic skills, and figure out if it is actually a thing. We got distracted."


    "Don''t you want to stall until we have all the answers?" Two asked, a little apprehensive about starting this massive project while almost blind in regards to this new way of using magic.


    While runic casting had worked, it had also proven to them that it was different from what they had initially thought.


    In the original n, it was actually to first make the pathways and then add runes by actually engraving them into their bones or onto their skin. It would have stung like a bitch, but it was sure to work.


    This, keeping it ethereal, it made things far less clear going forward. But it would also not be permanent, which was certainly a massive plus.


    "Stall? We can''t, this pause to wait for us to be stronger is already costing lives. We need to clear the remaining undead hordes, but I fear doing so before reaching Tier 5. I''m pretty sure Evale won''t be the only one joining us, and if things go south I don''t want her to be our only hope of surviving. I even less want to be pushed beyond my limits-- considering everything."


    Two nodded, getting chills at the idea of what catastrophe they might create if they lost control now. Now that they had started to connect more easily with their auras, and had unlocked their bloodline.


    And considering what had happened, there was no way that Vivian would stay behind. Ceph would also likely join, currently, they would certainly beat Eldrian in a melee. That wasn''t a problem. Eldrian loved that they had grown stronger, but with them there. He understood he would do everything he was capable of to ensure they survived.


    "So, when will we start?" Two asked.


    "Let''s first nail down the flow of how we will start. I think our first focus should be the chest, building out from the heart. We can also connect all the rib paths to it, forming a type of web."


    Two nodded, "You''re thinking then we go to the shoulders and pelvis?"


    "Yes, if we only do a skeletal form of the spine to them, the pressure on you should still be mild."


    Two nodded, in this task it had long since been determined that his focus would be keeping things stable while Eldrian added more and more. When they both reached their limit, they would call it.


    "So, after we have the upper body, we can decide to do the head or the limbs next." Eldrian continued, "I''m inclined to do the limbs first, since the head should be rather simple."


    Two nodded.


    "We will split the femur (thigh) in half, adding one more connection point here, same with the humerus (upper arm). And we will form a web between the ulna and radius (forearm), as well as the tibia and fib (leg)."


    "Fingers and toes?" Two questioned.


    "Depending on how we are feeling at that point, we will add them or we will stop at the joints. We will need quite some focus left at that point. I want to fill our new mana storages and the entire pathway to see the extent of our improvement."


    "If, on the other hand, the pressure is still not much, we might even go ahead and include the connecting and mimicking of some organs," Eldrian added, though neither expected them to be able to go so far.


    His previous design was truly not too bad, it was more just a problem that it wasn''t built with foresight. Thus it would be near impossible to continue to add more to it, not without making it simply too convoluted.


    With everything nned, Eldrian cleared his mind. Slowly opening a third-person view of himself, sitting in a meditation pose in the middle of the room.


    "You sure about doing it from here?" Two asked.


    "Yes, the disconnect will give us a clearer picture."


    "But it will also make it harder to know when our avatar is at its limit."


    "Which is why we are doing it in the simtion and not in real life." Eldrian countered back, while it was true that if he actually upied the avatar and worked from there they would know when they must stop. But it would massively hinder what they would be able to do.


    "Alright, then let''s start."


    Nodding, Eldrian started connecting with his avatar but stopped himself from actually entering it. He wanted to only connect to the mana, leaving the rest out of his mind.


    It took a few minutes to get the connection going properly, once it was done Eldrian could finally move the mana freely from within his mental space. He started by deconstructing the previous pathways. Slowly pushing all the mana back into his heart.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 587 - Ambition Welcomed By Pain

    Compared tost time, the process of bottling went even easier. Even keeping all the mana bottled up didn''t put much strain on his mind, and likest time it didn''t appear like bottling it up had any consequences, luckily.


    Once his mana was all bottled up, Eldrian started reconstructing the pathways ording to their new n while Two took over the burden of keeping the mana bottled.


    ''First, test to see what would be effective storages. Once I start building thework the burden will increase on Two and wasting time will be too strenuous.''


    Starting, Eldrian tested a few different forms to store mana. A sphere he found had too little direction, mana would bubble inside. While that aplished the task of storage, Eldrian wanted more out of it.


    After ying around for a bit, he finally found a simple solution he liked maybe a tad too much.


    Thinking back to how learning about physics had allowed him to make a leap in his understanding, he thought back to physics again.


    Eldrian didn''t know much about anything past atoms but he at least had a basic understanding of atoms. Again, he didn''t have the greatest grasp, but he had an idea.


    As he started forming this idea, he mumbled about how he wished he could fill a library with all the knowledge on Earth and have Two go through it.


    ''Hey! Hey! Heyyyy!'' Two shouted mentally, Eldrian havingpletely ignored his ''physical'' shouting. ''That''s too fuckingplex!''


    ''Its brilliant is what it is!'' Eldrian countered as he shut the telepathic connection and continued. However, once he finished he had to agree with Two.


    "We won''t add it to thework like this. Rather, let''s simplify it for now." Eldrian said as he watched the ''atom''.


    His idea had started simple and turnedplex quickly as he became fascinated with it. It could be summarized simply; why not model an atom?


    What stood now randomly in their stomach was a mass of rapidly moving manapressed into tiny balls (six in total), following paths of weaker mana, connected by smaller inner rings moving towards a null center.


    This mana atom seemed to pulse with each rotation of a mana electron. When it did, the inner rings all shone brighter for a moment as they transferred excess mana to the null center. Where it slowly started forming a super-dense collection of mana.


    ''If I can add some type of rune, or even spell module there...'' Eldrian mumbled as he watched the center ball grow and grow. Until Two suddenly smacked him over the head and let the mana free.


    Only then did Eldrian realize how much mana had umted already. Their view of their body was suddenly blocked by the mass of mana returning to the room that had been drained. The shock of the absence and return of mana actually sent a shockwave throughout the room.


    Luckily, the arrays handled it quite well. But if Two hadn''t stepped in...


    "Sorry," Eldrian mumbled, slightly ashamed that he had been too awestruck to see the danger.


    Two simply grunted in reply. After a moment, Two asked if they were actually going to start and stop ying. Though, thanks to that little stunt the amount of mana they had was nearly exhausted. Making the strain on Two almost non-existent.


    "Yes," Eldrian replied and he worked quickly. Like thest time he had reconstructed his mana pathways, he pulled a tiny thin string of mana to ''draw'' with.


    It started quite simply, and almost awkwardly. To model the spine Eldrian needed a loop for each vertebra, when there were so many it was awkward to connect them. After a few redo''s Eldrian decided to have a single path flowing through all the loops'' center. Connected to the loops through thin threads of mana.


    The sight made him think of a railgun, and as his thoughts were about to wander Two''s re steered him back on track.


    Eldrian quickly moved on to the ribs, modeling the sternum in a simr way. At this point, he realized that depending on the size of the storage he might need to modify the rib''s pathing.


    Feeling Two''s re again, he decided to not go overboard for now. Instead of making the same mana atom with six mana electrons, he opted for just one mana electron and even ignored the inner rings.


    Super basic for now, but he could easily update itter.


    Doing the same for the other three mana storages, Eldrian paused and asked, "Two, how''s the pressure?"


    "Still bearable." Two replied, it was starting to get to him. But he felt he could hold out for a while still. The change in the number of mana electrons and the absence of the inner rings certainly made a massive difference. These single mana electron atoms also spun far slower than the one with six, decreasing the mana umtions massively.


    Nodding, Eldrian moved quickly, understanding that they were starting to get to a point where it might be too hard to continue.


    Unlike the n, he finished the head first, making it a double electron atom- still without the inner rings. It rotated a bit faster, but the umtion was still at an eptable speed.


    Moving on to the arms and legs, Eldrian kept their pressure on himself as he wanted to add storages to his wrists and the start of his feet.


    Doing the simple one-electron design, Eldrian handed a bit more of the load to Two as he quickly added the fingers and toes.


    "Two, it''s your call. Mana crystals now to fill thework, or adding organs with simr mana storages?"


    "Crystals." Two said, not wanting any more of those strange unknown mana storages to be made. The amount of mana gathering to their body was already scarry. Two couldn''t imagine what was going to happen once they actually filled them to their limit.


    Eldrian, not as cautious, wanted to push further. However, he saw the wisdom in Two''s decision and told himself that he could alwayse and modify thework again. Though, it might be hard if the amount of mana was more than they could handle. Maybe even impossible to start over like this time.


    "Alright, we''ll end it here. I''m going back, so you''ll have to handle the pressure for a few seconds alone." Eldrian said, and Two flinched before nodding.


    As Eldrian disappeared, Two nearly disappeared too.


    Eldrian on the other hand was weed by an insane amount of pain as he trashed on the ground. When Two threw the pressure of half of thework on his mind... It certainly didn''t help.


    While regretting his greed, Eldrian fought tooth and nail to keep himself conscious and not lose focus. As his body started bleeding, it actually became easier as their pressure decreased. Or was his consciousness fading?


    ''Fuck, no! Can''t let it end like this.'' Grabbing the nearest mana crystal, Eldrian gritted his teeth so hard that they cracked as he focused on it with all his might. "Give me your goddam mana!"


    Shouting naturally wouldn''t do anything, but it did help him focus for a split second and form a connection. As soon as it was formed, Eldrian emptied the crystalpletely. Before the dust could even fall, Eldrian had grabbed a new one.


    With each crystal, the pain and pressure decreased just a little more.


    After ten, Eldrian could finally breathe. After fifteen, the pressure of keeping thework finally started lifting.


    After another two, Eldrian felt full.


    With hopeful eyes he turned to his stats, hoping to see a mana capacity of a few ten thousand.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 588 - Stabilizing The Mana Atoms

    Instead, Eldrian was weed by a message. Calling it a system message no longer felt quite right, but Eldrian didn''t quite know what else to call it.


    [Legacy has reached certain thresholds. To continue, please name your legacy]


    "You really want me to think of a name now?" Eldrian cursed and thought for a moment, ''Mana atoms... Fielded atomicwork? Nuclear...''


    Eldrian had no idea, and Two was no help either. Neither of them had any nack for naming stuff. It took them nearly five minutes toe up with a name, and even then it wasn''t great.


    "Pursuit of Magic."


    [Name epted, legacy Pursuit of Magic has been catelogued]


    [Pursuit of Magic - Ranked S Legacy]


    [Development - Tierless, modr and configurable - current Tier 4 basis evolving to Tier 5]


    If anyone were to walk into the room now, they would probably scream due to how terrible Eldrian looked. Covered in blood and blisters all over, yet somehow he didn''t even register all that and just focused on his mana.


    ''Evolving?'' Looking into himself, Eldrian finally realized what was going on. His mana was fluctuating like never before. He hadn''t registered that the mana inside the mana crystals was crystalized raw mana.


    Pumping his body full with nearly 50k raw mana should certainly have massive consequences. Eldrian had simply hoped to stop the ripping caused by the empty mana atoms. Yet, now they were filled with pure raw mana, and it was causing a few ''problems''.


    The first was that Eldrian''s mana was now fluctuating between aspects, which was a first and shocking development. Focusing on this, Eldrian hoped to gain a better understanding of what was going on.


    That was when he found the second and bigger problem, the amount of mana was simply too much. Upon trying to move closer to it mentally, he was blocked by some invisible barrier.


    Pushing harder, Eldrian found that the mana reacted violently. It wasn''t aimed at him, rather it seemed that him trying to push himself into the mana''s sphere of influence caused it to lose its bnce.


    Upon realizing this, Eldrian withdrew as quickly as he could. Having just seen his life sh before his eyes.


    "Are we fucked?" Two asked, finally able to form thoughts and the first thing he was weed with was this.


    Nearly jumping out of his blood-covered skin, Eldrian turned to the source of the voice. He was firstpletely dumbfounded, finally, after activating mana sense he managed to see the specter before, he was naturally speechless. It took Two a moment to realize what was going on.


    "Umm, this is new. Any idea what is going on?"


    Nodding and shaking his head at the same time, Eldrian pointed to Two''s chest.


    "Oh, isn''t that something? So I am made up of mana now?"


    "Are you sure you should be so calm?" Eldrian asked, afraid of what might happen once the mana dissipated.


    "Can''t really be anything else, can I? Freaking out will likely bring more trouble."


    "Sure, but how can you be so calm?"


    "I don''t feel disconnected..." Moving towards Eldrian, Two touched his shoulder and slowly melted back into Eldrian.


    ''This... I don''t even have any words...'' Moving back out, Two moved to the mana crystals that were left. His hands slipped through them. ''I see, but.'' This time he concentrated on the mana, shockingly he picked up the crystal. Or more correctly, it was floating just a tiny bit above his hand.


    Smiling at Eldrian, Two was shocked to find him on his knees. Rushing over, his hands slipped right through Eldrian as he tried to support him.


    "I''m... Fine..." Eldrian said between gasps.


    One of his mana atoms had turned into the aspect of chaos and had started to assault his other mana atoms. Luckily, this had onlysted for a few seconds. In that time Eldrian had also found a gap to slip past the barrier that seemed to be between him and his own mana.


    Once he did, he understood why it had been there.


    ''So, that''s it...'' Eldrian chuckled as he started taking control of the mana atom in his head. ''Tranquility would love this.'' Eldrian thought as he made sure to keep his emotions in check as he connected with the mana atoms at his shoulders.


    ''You are very vtile right now, there there, don''t worry.'' Eldrian talked, more to keep himself calm than actually hoping his mana might listen. That was insane, or was it?


    ''We''ve got this. We just want to be, no need to worry about a thing. Just be, but be more stable.'' Eldrian continued as he connected with his mana atoms and moved to those at his hands and feet. As he did, he reflected that adding them might have been just a tad bit too ambitious.


    After forming a connection, Eldrian was able to slowly stabilize the mana inside his body. While he would have loved to keep the mana in its raw form, he understood that it was simply too vtile. He would need to constantly keep pressure on it, to keep it from suddenly reacting to something.


    Therefore the smart thing would be to slowly convert all his mana to neutral elemental mana. One of the most stable forms he knew of.


    This took a great deal of time, with Eldrian needing to work slowly and carefully. Making sure to not lose bnce and cause a cascade of reactions.


    Two also helped after taking an hour or so to get used to his mana body. Needing to first confirm what it actually was and how he could return to Eldrian without damaging himself or Eldrian.


    ''Let''s keep this one raw mana.'' Twomented as they were about to start with the head, having left it forst since it was thergest mana atom.


    ''What, why?''


    ''I feel that the mana body requires raw mana.''


    Eldrian paused, having the ability to allow Two to have a body was certainly something major. Not just a quality of life thing, it could also be extremely handy in a fight. However, they knew almost nothing about this.


    ''Are you sure?'' Eldrian asked, understanding that he wouldn''t be able to keep it stable all the time.


    ''Yes, I believe we might be able to stabilize it with two runes.''


    ''Oh, why didn''t you say that before?''


    ''Because it needs two runes.'' Two replied and Eldrian figured out his n.


    ''You want to use the electrons. Alright, which runes?''


    ''Enhanced maniptions, and purity.''


    Recalling the runes and what they did, Eldrian tried to figure out if it would work. ''I can see the n, but... I don''t think we should risk it.''


    ''Let''s at least try, if it doesn''t then we will give up.''


    Nodding, Eldrian started thinking of how to actually add the runes to the electrons. The idea was to add them in the center of the ball that was the mana electron, but how to add it there; that they didn''t know.


    ''Mageia?''


    ''Sure, but it needs constant focus to be kept in existence.''


    ''Maybe it will stabilize or solidify?''


    Nodding, Eldrian believed it was worth a shot. Concentrating, he formed the rune of purity while Two formed the rune of enhanced maniption. Normally the rune of purity would be used with divine-rted enhancements.


    The enhanced maniption rune was used to give users a semnce of control over advanced weapon abilities. It was actually the rune responsible for allowing the ability to act on one''s thoughts.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 589 - Surrounded

    Unfortunately, it was not to be.


    They had managed to somewhat solidify the runes, notpletely though. And the runes had done nothing to stabilize the mana atom. In fact, it had actually made it more unstable as the runes caused a sort of pull and push effect on its center.


    Instead of working together, it was clear that the runes were functioning as separate entities. This would normally not be a big problem, but with how unstable mana in its raw form is. Eldrian moved quickly to stop the pull-push effect before it could cause any real troubles.


    After, the two tried their best toe up with a solution. They had a few ideas on how to possibly stabilize it, but the biggest problem was that the runes had notpletely solidified. Thus they would always need to be kept in mind, which was simply not possible.


    Eldrian suspected this was because these runes were made only with mageia, while with the barrier they had drawn it with mana.


    Naturally, they could attempt the same thing and test if it would solidify. But with the runes not working as nned they decided to give up as it would still not solve the problem and experimenting in the dark was never a good idea.


    Eldrian was forced to convert thest mana atom''s mana into a neutral state.


    They were both disappointed, turning to the results of theworks upgrade, they hoped it had been worth it.


    ''Maybe we can use a mana crystal to supply the raw mana when necessary?'' Eldrian mumbled as he called up the interface.


    ''Maybe...'' Two nodded.


    Shockingly, they were still not Tier 5, theirwork was still in the process of evolving. The two had no idea why nor what caused the dy. And to their dismay, the increase was far less than they had expected. Though it was still a massive boost in strength.


    The biggest bumper was how little their mana had increased. The other bonuses however partly made up for it.


    Eldrian hoped that once he reached Tier 5 the benefits would fully be showcased. Though he was unsure how to reach Tier 5 now. Maybe he just needed to give it some time, maybe this was another consequence of no longer using the system to connect and all that.


    ''Let''s just hope that''s it.'' Eldrian mumbled.


    [Legacy: Pursuit of Magic - Ranked S]


    [Attribute Growth: {Applicable as long as the manawork is maintained and up to date with Tier}


    Eldrian naturally had no idea what this actually meant, nor how to make sure that the condition was always fulfilled. All he could do was hope it wouldn''t be a massive pain going forward.


    [Constitution: 30%]


    [Strength: 10%]


    [Agility: 10%]


    [Spirit: 15%]


    [Intelligence: 10%]


    [Stat Growth: {...}


    [HP: 146 (25% base health)]


    [Mana: 2840 (500T + 100% base mana)]


    [Stamina:? 930 (150T+ 50% base stamina)]


    ''That certainly is nice, but...'' Eldrian really wished that it would have simply given him Tier 5. Reflecting on his manawork again, he thought maybe he should test how robust it was.


    He was shocked at just how easy it was to disrupt the pathways. The mana atoms at least seemed stable after their efforts, but the rest of thework was clearly still unstable. And all that Eldrian could think of for the reason was that it needed time to ''set''.


    ''Okay, I think it really is because of the system support that I''ve lost. I still have ess to game-like elements thanks to GAIA, but it is no longer supporting me in the same way that yers are supported.''


    ''This sucks... How long do I have to wait?!''


    While moping, Eldrian took a look at his avatar stats. The increase almost made up for the need to wait-- almost. He was actually the happiest with the HP increase, not the mana that wascklusterpared to what he had hoped for, nor the stamina that he didn''t really care about.


    [Eldrian Avgi (Count - Acting Mayor of Kynigo)]


    [Level: 41]


    [Hidden ss: Protector (Tier 4)]


    [Normal ss: Magic (Tier 4) | Melee (Tier 3)]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes:]


    [Constitution: 311] <Was 262>


    [Strength: 267] <Was 249>


    [Agility: 398] <Was 368>


    [Spirit: 311] <Was 287>


    [Intelligence: 327] <Was 307>


    [45 free attributes]


    [Stats:]


    [HP: 182/816] <was 565>


    [Mana: 3722] <was 1360>


    [Stamina: 35/1657] <was 612>


    ''I really don''t know what to think about the stamina increase. Though it and my HP being nearly zero might exin why I feel so tired. Or maybe it is also part of the Tier up progress?''


    Finally, Eldrian noticed just how dirty he was. Summoning a massive ball of water, he walked through it a few times to get rid of most of the blood. He then started healing himself, and let his mind wander as he cleaned the floor. Couldn''t leave someone else''s room filled with blood, now that wouldn''t be nice.


    Finally, after warming himself up, Eldrian decided to head home to get some sleep. When he exited Sofiera was not in her office. Looking at the time, Eldrian assumed she was asleep. It was after all the middle of the night of the second day.


    Sneaking into his home, not wanting to wake anyone. Eldrian climbed into the bed and went through the process of returning to Earth. Thinking about the hidden ss quest as he did, wondering what it might bring if he was able toplete it.


    ...


    ''Oh god...'' Not moving for fear of worsening the headache, Eldriany still and waited for it to pass. This took a long, long time.


    "I assume that is thanks to the sheer difference in the two bodies after the increase..." Eldrian mumbled as he stumbled to his bag, only to sigh when he saw that he had no food left. "Did I really forget to n for that?"


    Getting ready for another of his shopping sprees, Eldrian froze.


    Jumping through the nearest window. He grabbed onto the old rusty scaffolding and quickly made his way down.


    This time it appeared that he was not fast enough.


    By the time Eldrian reached the second floor, there was already a group of soldiers waiting below him. At the same time, the room he had escaped from exploded. Sending bricks flying and actually causing more problems for the soldiers than for Eldrian who simply clung to the side of the wall.


    ''What the situation?'' Eldrian asked, only to find that Two wasn''t here. Cursing, Eldrian looked at the guns pointed at him with a frown.


    "You are truly slippery, Eldrian..."


    "And who are you?" Eldrian asked the man who had spoken. The man was strangely missing a left ear, it appeared to have been robbed by fire or some sort of explosion.


    "I''m the one tasked with bringing you back. Alive..." The general paused and smiled, "Or dead."


    "Oh, so it''s you who I''ve been making a fool of thesest months." Eldrian countered nonchntly, appearing calm. As if this was all nned.


    ''The hell do I do now? I can probably fight, but guns are scary. A barrier? It might buy me some time, but... How the hell did they find me?!'' It had indeed been a while since Eldrian was found and forced to fight or run, he was actually a little out of practice andpletely caught off guard.


    AN: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read and support the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 590 - Forced Into The Basement

    Eldrian''s counter, calling the general a fool, got to the general. His smile disappeared and turned into a re. "I assume you won''t being willingly."


    "I''ve no interest in being a guinea pig," Eldrian replied, wishing that mana on Earth was just a little more abundant. That was when he got an idea.


    Kicking the old nearly decayed wood below his feet, Eldrian caught it and quickly drew the rune of hardening while feeding it a bit of his personal mana. He didn''t have much, and it took a lot of time to recover. He had to think carefully when he would use how much.


    His only other option was using spirit magic, but that had dangers he didn''t want to risk. He also wasn''t really in the right mood to cast spirit magic spells that would be effective. A little caveat of spirit magic that was easy to forget.


    Seeing his strange act, many of the soldiers froze. The stories about Eldrian made him out to be quite a monster, yet he appeared like a normal person. If only with slightly more pointed ears than normal.


    "Are you hoping that magic will save you?" The general asked while observing the wooden board with curiosity. "We''ve learned a lot since your escape. Mana is scarce on earth, right? You can''t really cast spells freely, can you?"


    "You''re right, it is scarce, extremely so. Which is why it is so dangerous. I don''t get how you guys seem to overlook it every day while it is staring you right in the face." Eldrian countered while smiling internally that the general seemed to want to gloat.


    Granted, who wouldn''t. The squad below Eldrian was just a small division that had surrounded him. Just a block away there were five tanks, and there were also three helicopters a bit further away. Eldrian assumed that there would also be drones somewhere. And that was ignoring all the soldiers hiding throughout the entire neighborhood.


    ''Something must have happened, possibly they found a way to detect mana or something and while upgrading my manawork my real body might have mimicked some of it. I do feel stronger, so maybe I sent some sort of signal?''


    Unfortunately, Eldrian didn''t have time to dive into his auras to ask Tranquility what was going on.


    "It is a pity that I was tasked to preferably take you alive. So I must ask, will youe peacefully?"


    Diving behind his wooden board, Eldrian felt the impact clearly. "Shouldn''t you fire after my answer?"


    "Oops..." The general smiled and signaled the troops to all open fire.


    Hiding behind his hardened shield, Eldrian jumped back into the building. He already knew there were people waiting for him inside. Luckily, light and dark were two of the elements that actually were present on earth.


    Making use of thetter, Eldrian simply summoned a bunch of darkness into the room. He didn''t have a particr n, only hoping for it to give him some more time to think.


    This couldn''t even really be called a spell, or it would be considered Tier 0 at most. What he was doing was simr to when he would summon Nidia or Floga and increase their size. He was now just doing it with Skia, and making use of all the mana in the environment that he could.


    ''Okay, so elements are too few to cast formal spells. Light and dark even, I can manipte the density but that is about it. Can''t actually form proper spells.''


    ''Runic magic works, but I have very limited amounts of mana. I''m heavily outnumbered, and it seems that they somehow got a grasp of my basic capabilities...'' Eldrian frowned, someone in the guild must have shared what they knew about him. Or they already had a spy in Kynigo.


    ''They won''t know everything, but they might be able to piece together a few key pieces of information. I didn''t exactly keep the disadvantages of spirit magic a secret, adding to the information they have already...''


    ''My best bet would be to simply escape, but it is the middle of the day and they took their time nning this.''


    Luckily, calling upon the element of darkness and summoning it forth did more than just make the area darker. It also blocked night vision and infrared means of detection. Seeing as it was literally the absence of light and both these still require light, albeit in much smaller amounts and of different wavelengths.


    Moving quietly through the building, Eldrian made sure to give everyone a wide berth as he continued to brainstorm. When the general started announcing that he should simply surrender, Eldrian actually smiled.


    ''I see, you can kill me but you need my body as intact as possible. So I don''t have to worry about you exploding the building while I am inside.'' Eldrian smirked, realizing that if he had not abandoned his room then they might not have blown it up. Though, he hadn''t had any traps, so it would not have helped.


    With this thought, he suddenly felt chills again. Bringing his shield to the front, Eldrian grunted as he felt it slowly crumbling under the barrage of bullets.


    ''How?'' Eldrian cursed and suddenly switched between dark and light, blinding everyone as he dashed into the basement. Certainly not the ideal ce to be, but better than being under fire.


    ''Sonar?'' Eldrian wondered as he summoned a ball of light and quickly looked around the room. Sadly, there wasn''t much he might be able to make use of. But there was a bunch of discarded old construction tools.


    ''And to top it off, I am sooo hungry.'' Eldrian''s stomach growled as he confirmed that there was only one entrance to the basement.


    ''They are either going to storm in, or they might even try to wait me out. Though, considering they would want to keep things quiet I doubt thetter. Such a massive move in the middle of the day is certain to draw attention already.''


    ''Good a time as any.'' Eldrian thought, moving to the door he added a? few explosive type runes to it and also to the steps. Doing so took nearly half the mana he had. How Eldrian wished he had 3k to y with now.


    Waiting and prepping, time slowly ticked by. After ten minutes, Eldrian heard amotion. Closing his eyes and focusing on the noise he slowly made sense of what was going on.


    It appeared like some sort of robot was being prepared.


    ''They really dide prepared, but sadly for them, they don''t know all that I can do.'' Eldrian mumbled as he continued working on the tunnel. Having made use of the tools avable to quickly break through the wall and now busy tunneling.


    Due to theck of earth elements, he couldn''t try to simply make a tunnel via magic. Instead, he needed to make use of runes smartly. Hoping that it would all work out, he enhanced his own speed through the skill augment.


    The increase wasn''t massive, but it helped more than just simply speeding him up a bit. It made him more agile in the general sense, helping Eldrian get the right angels while working on the tunnel.


    Once he made significant progress into the tunnel, he added fortification runes to the dirt to stop the tunnel from copsing.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who supports the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 591 - A Lucky Escape

    After a few more minutes, the door was finally opened by the strange robot. It entered the room without a problem, moved down the stairs without a problem. As it reached the bottom, it scanned the room and as its head turned to the tunnel it was weed by a sledgehammer.


    It was clearly a very advancedbat droid, but it still sumbed to a sledgehammer wielded with Eldrian''s inhuman strength, with ease. To make sure it would not get back up, Eldrian hammered its chest to bits before returning to digging the tunnel.


    The soldiers had lost sight of what happened after its head was smashed, but Eldrian using a sledgehammer somewhat reassured them that there weren''t any traps. And that Eldrian wasn''t waiting with a bunch of spells at the ready.


    Following behind the robot their entrance was anything but as smooth.


    As soon as six had passed through the door, Eldrian had let the first rune on the door do its thing. They didn''t all die, but none of them were in any condition to continue.


    "Move it! He can''t have many traps!" The general shouted and the second squad made their way down, only to be met with the same trap.


    The third squad was more hesitant, but being unable to disobey a direct order they rushed into the basement -slowly- while fearing for their lives. Reaching the end of the stairs on shaking legs, they sighed in relief.


    Eldrian, unfortunately, only had so much mana and had to ration between traps and escape usage. Luckily, it seemed to have worked out as the third group had moved too slowly, checking every single thing with fear before moving on.


    This had allowed him to finish his tunnel to the surface, climbing out and copsing it through stopping to support the runes plus the one explosion rune had added, he quickly scanned his surrounding.


    He was midst an overgrown mess of nts in an abandoned alley. The coverage was good, but he couldn''t stay here.


    ''I think I can make it.'' Eldrian mumbled as he looked at the dead end and tried to calcte how to climb the wall. Moving back a bit, he made sure he had a proper runway through the nts, jumping onto the wall he kicked off of it and grabbed onto a vinelike nt and used that to get himself to the top.


    Eldrian didn''t waste any time, jumping over he immediately started running while staying in the shadows and observing his surroundings. Making sure to avoid any soldiers and to head to a popted area.


    ''What did I miss?'' Came Two''s voice as soon as Eldrian made it through the barricade.


    ''Just my grand escape.'' Eldrian replied, ''What happened, why didn''t you return?''


    ''Mana body pulled me back, it seemed that the merger wasn''t perfect. I needed to sort it out first, which was quite troublesome with thework still being so sensitive and raw mana now missing. Had to stabilize everything.''


    Sighing, Eldrian simply kept running. Knowing that the soldiers couldn''t act brazenly in the popted part of the city, that was where he went to give himself some time to think.


    On his way, he also made sure to get himself some food. A simple gust, plus his inhuman speed, always made that an easy task.


    Enjoying the energy bar, Eldrian reflected on all that had just happened, including thework upgrade and problems they had run into with it all the way to being surrounded.


    Strangely enough, Eldrian was keenly aware that things would not have gone so smoothly if the soldiers had been more reckless. It was them assuming that they had him trapped and fearing what he might be able to do that allowed his escape.


    Eldrian was keenly aware that next time they would be aware that they could pursue him far more aggressively. Through this, they certainly would have learned more of the limits regarding the usage of magic.


    ...


    For now, Eldrian didn''t have another n as to where he would call home. He wanted to stay in the city to make sure Jen was safe, however, the recent encounter reminded him that that wasn''t as simple as he might want it to be.


    He realized that his staying might even have the opposite effect if Miracle decided to discard appearances and used Jen as a captive. Eldrian didn''t exactly have an answer to it. He would certainly be able to do some massive damage in that case, but he would rather not ce his sister in such a situation.


    ''Might be best if I take Elizabeth up on her offer.''


    ''You do know that she''s in another country, right?''


    ''Yeah, it''s only a few days run if we maintain an average pace.''


    ''Of course it is...'' Two sighed as he suddenly got the feeling that he was going to be the one doing the running.


    ''I''m d we are on the same page.'' Eldrian smiled and Two sighed even more.


    ''What about-''


    ''He made himself clear, and considering what just happened I''m not sure how good he would be at this. Plus-''


    ''Don''t, it''s not the same.''


    ''Alright, we have a deal?''


    ''Don''t have much of a choice.''


    ...


    Back in ANW, Eldrian felt slightly weird without Two. Shaking off this feeling, he decided to take a bath to properly clean himself and then headed to enjoy some breakfast with the others.


    "Maia," Eldrian indicated for the beastkin to move closer. "I have something I would like to ask your help with."


    She nodded seriously, "I will do my best."


    Nodding in return Eldrian exined, "It''s about something called verticle farming. It is aplicated topic considering everything, but I want to get started with it as soon as possible."


    From the name, everyone had a different image of what this might be, with some having truly epic and insane magical images in mind.


    "To start, I want you to gather the cksmiths, alchemists, and formation masters who aren''t busy with the cannons. We need a controlled manner to transport water. I also want to know how magic is used to increase crop growth."


    "Eldrian, I can answer that," Aspen said, Eldrian having made it clear that he did not want to be called sir or lord in informal settings such as this.


    "You have a lot on your te already, Aspen. Point Maia in the right direction, I''m going on the mission with the Chosen to exterminate the undead, thus I don''t have enough time to get caught up and it wouldn''t help even if I was caught up."


    With that said, the breakfast slowly returned to normal. Eldrian left first, heading to the guild he met with Elizabeth in private and caught her up on what had happened.


    "Is it a problem?" She asked, referring to both him not reaching Tier 5 and being found.


    "Two''s currently piloting my body and were heading out of the country. As for the Tier, it was more for security. It wasn''t a necessity."


    "What about the leak of information?"


    "Can''t be sure it was due to the guild, though all yers in Kynigo are part of it. They might have sent a few game testers or something to observe and report. My surveince interference also only has so much range and it doesn''t affect the avatar itself. They might also simply be spying while I am not near enough to you guys."


    Thest sentence gave Elizabeth the chills and made her wonder how much they might spy on them, and if they even watched them in indecent times.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who supports the story on Webnovel.

 Chapter 592 - A Matter Of Privacy, Massive Turnout

    She wondered if this might be something that they should shine the light on and fight with. There was after all rules about the privacy of yers in games. However, ANW was by far the most advanced ''game'' with no real ways of monitoring it possible.


    It was unclear if it would even be possible to pressure Miracle through this, and if it even seeded if there would be made any progress. Understanding how and what the AI were, Elizabeth suspected that they might be used as decoys or thrown the reason as why proving that yers'' privacy was protected was not possible.


    Still, it was a ce to start and something that she felt most yers would be quite furious about upon learning that everything they did could be monitored. In many cases, this would not matter but after nearly a year in their avatars, many people have started to view it as a second body.


    Naturally, they would want assurance that their privacy was protected during the more intimate encounters that many have partaken in. Or even just in times of self-care.


    "Yeah, I don''t know if it is possible to really seed in this. They can easily add a function to give you a semnce of control, but there is no way to truly monitor whether they are spying on you or not."


    "What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.


    "It''splicated, but it boils down to the fact that what you are seeing isn''t actually being transported anywhere, you can''t consider it an output. For example, what you see can''t be sent to a screen."


    "What about the screenshots we can take?"


    "It functions through the use of something simr to a camera, it''s what the streamers use. Upon wanting to use it, the camera is summoned and does its job. It is impossible to confirm that Miracle does not have an invisible camera following you around. Unless..."


    There were a few ways, but most of them could not be applied to yers. "Unless?" Elizabeth enquired.


    "Well, there is only one way you could ensure that it cannot be used in secret. But that would require getting into contact with the AI and making a deal with them."


    "No, don''t give... Agh, fine! I''ll think about it." Eldrian had to agree that it could be a good start in him standing up against Miracle, instead of just constantly running. It was also a far less forceful idea than showing magic to the entire world.


    However, it would be much harder than it sounded.


    ''Convincing Ziraili might be possible, but for Miracle to ept our terms. They might fake eptance while pressuring Ziraili with a death sentence if she followed it through... I''d be the only one able to confirm what is happening, maybe she can contact other yers...''


    ''The risk for her, however...'' Eldrian might have been upset by her betrayal but he didn''t wish her harm.


    "Let''s change the subject, did Sofiera mention vertical farming?"


    "I assumed that was what you wanted, the message was not so clear. Therdul is actually a manager of a massive ntation, so I thought we would give him the reigns."


    "Sounds good, but will he agree to stay behind and focus on this?"


    Elizabeth frowned and thought on it for a bit, "I''m sure he will ept. Just go ask him yourself, if he gets a quest it will make the option easier for him."


    Understanding that point of view well, Eldrian nodded and went to find Therdul while the rest of the guild got ready forbat.


    Naturally, the reason why she had brought up quests wasn''t that Therdul or Elizabeth, or any of them thought of ANW as just a game, but that the need to grow stronger was ever-present.


    Quests were the quickest options to do that.


    "Are you up for it?" Eldrian asked after exining the situation to Therdul, who replied with a wide smile.


    "Heck yeah. One thing, why doesn''t your quests have gold rewards?"


    "Probably because I''m not offering rewards." Eldrian replied, "I don''t really have the capacity to do so, just consider the XP and levels you can gain a bonus. I mean, me being able to give quests is already a bonus."


    Therdul nodded in agreement. Understanding well that the bonuses should be considered just that.


    As for the mission of exterminating the undead, a trulyrge amount of the citizens wanted to join it. With over a thousand havinge before the guild, simply drawn by the rumors of this mission starting today.


    Eldrian hadn''t sent a formal message to the rest of the city, while things weren''t kept secret, it also wasn''t spread purposefully.


    Looking at everyone and their will to fight burning, the anger and hatred burning inside them. Eldrian realized that he couldn''t stop them by force or order. If he tried then he would quickly lose most of the support that he had.


    Sighing, he tried to think of the best approach. After settling the people, Ja approached him with an apology.


    "It''s fine, I can understand their want to personally see to it. The problem is that arge group would take too long to organize and maneuver will be chaotic, especially since there are so many untrained people in the midst. And unlike us Chosen, they might die..."


    Looking towards Evale who was one of the few centaurs Eldrian had actually asked toe, he wondered if he should decide to split their forces.


    If Evale led most of the citizens and soldiers grouped here with Ja, they should be able to handle most situations. Though, there would be more losses than if just the yers managed this.


    ''I can send them to the smaller wandering hordes, but...'' Shaking his head, Eldrian decided to rather just exin the situation to those gathered here. To try and use their emotions to let them see reason.


    After getting everyone to quiet down, Eldrian awkwardly stepped forward to give his totally unprepared speech.


    "It is easy for me to see the fire within you all... And that is the problem, anger blinds..."


    "Many of you have lost people very dear to you, I understand the source of your anger and hatred. I understand where your firees from. However, just because something can burn does not mean it should."


    "You wouldn''t light a candle in the middle of the day. You save it for when it is truly needed. Sure, revenge feels like it would solve everything. Sadly, those lost will remain lost to us."


    Eldrian paused, suppressing his emotions as everyone was staring at him with utter confusion. He wanted to appear like someone who could stay rational, to make his words hopefully carry a bit more of a meaning.


    His wanting to appear unemotional actually had the opposite effect as he recalled all those who he had lost, and also those he had personally killed. It would always weigh on him, but he would not let it drag him down.


    Scanning over the thousand people, Eldrian noted who was only Tier 1 or 2, or even the few who had not even reached such a level.


    AN: I hope everyone is safe with all the chaos going on in the world.

 Chapter 593 - A Speech Born Of Experience

    Eldrian could understand how people can forget about their capabilities in their rage, it was his job to have them realize what they could and couldn''t do.


    "I won''t criticize your wish for revenge, your wish to fight, but I ask you to be reasonable and consider your own safety and capabilities. Many of you still have people who love you, who rely on you. If you too were to die, it would be that much harder on them."


    "This is why the original n was for us, Chosen, to handle the situation. We would not stay dead after dying. We won''t leave others with a hole in their hearts."


    "If you truly wish to enact your revenge, I ask you to not be blinded by the fire inside you. I understand how easy it is to simply follow the inferno in your heart, and I know how it feels waking from that same inferno. Not knowing who you are anymore."


    The pain in Eldrian''s voice shocked everyone but the few who knew him well and understood where it wasing from.


    "The undead wanted us to be the same as them, they wanted to bring ruin to this kingdom, to our kingdom! I understand that it feels like the only way you can get your revenge is by going out to kill them, to kill until you die. But that is not the only way!"


    "Since the siege has ended, the city has slowly started to recover. However, not all cities are as fortunate, and the viges and towns are even less fortunate."


    "We are not just fighting the undead, we are fighting the monsters behind them, the devils amongst us and the demons between us." Eldrian paused, giving time for his words to sink in.


    "What would be the best revenge? Would it be taking one of them down with you?" He paused again, "Or would it be building up the city, building up the kingdom to be a beacon of hope to all? Building something that they can''t take down! That stands in their way. Constantly reminding them of their failure!"


    "Would that not be such a great feeling? Knowing that you were part of this, part of what allowed the kingdom to survive, and more importantly allowing the kingdom to strive!"


    Seeing that many had started to be moved, Eldrian knew it was time for him to end his speech before he lost track of what he was even saying.


    "How shall we do this?" Eldrian paused again, giving everyone time to consider this for themselves. "The first step was with the cannons, all of you saw the power that they brought. Allowing us to change the very tides of war!"


    "Imagine if every vige had a cannon to defend themselves with. If every town could have a dozen, and every city a hundred."


    "But a kingdom, a city, a vige... We can''t survive without something to eat. While a deal has been struck with the dwarves to help us in gathering materials for more weapons, for more cannons. We need to eat while we fight."


    "We''ve found a solution to this problem too. A solution that would allow a city to grow enough food within its own walls to sustain itself."


    Turning to Therdul, the poor dwarf waspletely caught off guard. Moving forward, he prayed that Eldrian wasn''t going to ask him to also give a speech.


    "My dwarven friend here has experience in this field back in our own world. I''ve asked him to take charge of the vertical farming initiative. The solution truly is as simple as it sounds, instead of growing food in the soil, we will buildrge structures which can rece entire fields but take up half, or even just a quarter of thend!"


    Eldrian knew that it could do much more, but he didn''t want to make it sound too imusible.


    "While not everyone can help with directly fighting or constructing weapons, everyone can be of use in helping us stay fed."


    "I won''t force anyone to do anything, I am simply asking you to think of what would be best for you and those you hold dear. Think of not what will happen tomorrow but what you want to have happen in a year."


    "Remember, the fire of hatred blinds and spreads. We must not let it blind us, we should let it bubble, let it be our source of energy. Let it be our source of innovation, our reason to strive for a better life!"


    Moving back, Eldrian hoped that his speech would at least dissuade those below Tier 3 from joining.


    "Did you n that speech?" Elizabeth asked as Eldrian joined the group of Phoenix''s core yers.


    "No," Eldrian replied, a little shaken from actually giving a speech to thousands of people.


    "It was bloody amazing!" Judith said, "It nearly made me question my own reasons and for me this isn''t even reality..."


    Smiling awkwardly, Eldrian nodded in thanks while heading to Evale.


    The centaurette looked at him with curiosity, the source of his words seemed to be from experience. Understanding that everyone has been through a lot, she decided to notment.


    After a moment of silence, Eldrian decided to finally ask the question that had been burning within him ever since he got pushed into the position of mayor. "Why didn''t you stand up to be mayor?"


    She thought about this for a while before answering. "Anger blinds-- as you so eloquently exined. I''m still blinded by it most of the time. I would not have been able to think of the citizens if I was the mayor; my first act would have been a counterattack..."


    "I''m d I at least managed to see past my anger, that I was able to not bepletely blinded. Giving you the position was certainly for the best."


    Eldrian nodded, finally understanding her reason too. Turning back to the crowd, it had grown substantially smaller. Now only a hundred or so centaurs and demi-humans were left.


    "Have you heard of runic magic?"


    "Sofiera mentioned it to me." Evale answered, "It sounds amazing, but for now I haven''t been able to focus on much anything..."


    Understanding that she was still processing her loss, Eldrian left it at that. The two talked no more. Instead, they watched as the crowd continued to grow smaller as Ja moved to each person individually and talked with them.


    While there certainly was a rush to get to ending the threat of these hordes, especially since some of them have started merging. It was far more important to give people time.


    The human element was toorge aponent of a city to ignore. If it crumbled; then no matter the preparation, everything would fall apart.


    Vivian and Ceph had long since been here. Eldrian moved to them after making sure that everything would move smoothly going forward.


    "Are you going to ask me to stay behind?" Vivian asked, defensive in tone and re.


    "No, but I do want to remind you that you still have your mom. Waiting and praying for your safe return. I''m not sure if she knows about your dad, she''s going to need you to stay alive." Eldrian felt slightly guilty bringing this up, especially after disappearing and now leaving his own family behind.


    But he had to make sure she would not bepletely blinded.


    "If things go south, remember that. And don''t die."


    AN: I hope everyone is safe with all the chaos going on in the world, now, again.... It seems to never end.

 Chapter 594 - A Way To Stay Connected

    Moving past Vivian, who was struggling internally with what Eldrian had said, Eldrian indicated for Ceph to follow him. The once innocent childish Alicorn, now a mature almost distant teenager. Eldrian still did not understand how, though he could guess with ease the why.


    "Sorry that I haven''t had time to catch up."


    "It''s okay." Ceph replied, "Why did you want to talk in private, and why not just for a telepathic link?"


    "Because I feel we''re no longer as close. I did not want to force a link." Eldrian paused and looked at the scar across Ceph''s corbone, sticking out just slightly from under his clothes.


    "It was from a ghoul."


    Eldrian nodded, there wasn''t much else he could think of that would leave a scar on Cephaphyr, on an Alicorn- maybe a demon. "How bad was it?"


    Ceph looked at him slightly confused.


    "I''ve felt the torment it can put you under. Are you okay?"


    "It was long ago," Ceph replied, and Eldrian decided to not push more. There was no need to open the old wound.


    "Are you going to join the mission?"


    "Was there ever a question?"


    "Maybe not, but I''ve been thinking that you might be able to help massively with the farming."


    Ceph looked at Eldrian like he was crazy, and sure, part of Eldrian agreed. Ceph was certainly a force to be reckoned with, especially with their forces having constantly grown weaker and weaker. Ceph was one of the few who had grown substantially stronger in these past months.


    "I know, soundsme and maybe even dumb. But it honestly might be a far bigger deal than just being at the fight since we don''t expect any problems, and if there are and Evale can''t handle it then I doubt any of us can.''


    "Plus, if we need you or you need me we can still summon each other."


    "Still..."


    "It''s up to you, but before you decide please talk with Therdul. Maybe you will find that it is more interesting than you think."


    ...


    After an hour, Ja had finally gone through everyone. Now only forty people remained, all of whom were Tier 4 with a few Tier 5''s even in the mix.


    Taking lead, Eldrian quickly shared the locations of the hordes with the yers. A few went ahead to scout while everyone else got ready. Eldrian also made use of his handy position as mayor to secure proper weapons and armor for everyone, yers and NPCs alike. While it was a mixed bag of Tier 1 to 4 magic items, all the items were magic items.


    Therdul, to his dismay, had to stay behind and watch as everyone got an upgrade. Eldrian promising him that he would get his chance didn''t feel great when it was happening right before his eyes.


    In the end, Ceph had decided to help with the farming initiative.? Being able to talk with Ceph at least somewhat soothed Therdul as he quickly dived into all the nts that would be avable to them and the possibilities of using magic to enhance their growth.


    The idea was truly fascinating to the dwarf, normally he would keep his real life and the game world separate. But this topic, of adding magic to vertical farming, simply fascinated him too much to even try to keep his cool.


    Eldrian had also asked Erik to join them instead of joining the mission and Erik had no problem with it. He actually preferred if he could stay off of the battlefield, having seen more than enough bloodshed for his entire life. Akarui was also fascinated by the idea and wanted to learn more.


    A part of Eldrian also wished he could join, certain that the theory was going to be fascinating. However, he understood that the farming could wait a bit longer. He also didn''t have anything to offer from the start, at least Eldrian didn''t think what he could offer no one else could.


    Just before leaving Eldrian had also pulled Erik off to the side and filled him in on everything that had happened.


    "Are you okay?" Erik asked his question clearly not about Eldrian''s physical condition.


    "It was a bummer, but I''m fine."


    "Are you though? Are you sure you aren''t diving into work so you don''t have to process this?"


    "I''ve killed before."


    Erik kept looking Eldrian in the eyes, slowly breaking through his barriers.


    "Right, your right. It''s different, this time I wasn''t in a rage... But I''m really fine."


    "Or your just suppressing it. I''ve seen many people sumb to trauma after being healed. Magic can do many things, but healing the mind is not one of them."


    "My mind''s fine, working optimally in fact."


    Erik''s stare quickly got on Eldrian''s nerves again, shaking it off Eldrian shifted the topic. "Can I ask you to somehow get in contact with Jen?"


    "Secretly? That will be hard, I''m certain I''m being monitored."


    Eldrian nodded, previously there hadn''t been much focus on Erik. But if there was a spy in the city and they learned of his abilities, Akarui''s special talent, or just how close the two were. The chances that there was now far more emphasis on Erik was almost certain.


    Racking his brain for a secret method to contact Jen that would not appear like the two actually trying tomunicate, Eldrian thought of the cafe she had liked. Where they had met up the first few times after he settled in.


    "There was this neat little cafe that she liked earlier this year. You might be able to run into her there."


    "Won''t that-"


    "Yeah, you can''t talk or anything, but if you can somehow give her a note. Maybe hide it under a cup or ask a waiter to hand it to her after you leave?"


    "I''ll see what I can do. What do you want me to say?"


    "Tell her that I will be gone for a while. And if she runs into any trouble to contact you. I haven''t activated the friendslist part of the interface, not sure if it is safe."


    "I''ll contact you through Ceph, you two have that bond still, right?"


    Eldrian nodded, sighing with relief internally. At least this way Jen would stay informed and she would also have someone she could rely on.


    While Eldrian didn''t like pulling Erik into this mess, he didn''t have much of a different choice.


    Relieved, Eldrian was able to put his focus back onto the mission. After leaving the city, he walked up to Ilmadia. Due to the siege, there was still ack of domestic animals. Which meant they had to walk.


    Curious if she was able to do anything with the manual and runic casting, Eldrian asked. The answer was disappointing but also partly relieving. It being harder meant magic should not move to Earth too quickly.


    "I see, you couldn''t use runes to cast spells?"


    "Yes, but I think we can," Ilmadia replied. "I just haven''t been able, I can''t guide my mana well enough. Though, I think I am getting close to the point where I can attempt it."


    AN: I hope everyone is safe with all the chaos going on in the world.

 Chapter 595 - Perspective Of The Ageless

    "What about reaching Tier 5 through the traditional way?"


    "I think it will take me half a month to get to the point of guiding my mana, to actually add envisioning a Tier 5 spell module onto that. Several months, with the runes I might be able to do or at least try something by the end of the month."


    "And the others?"


    "In regards to feeling and guiding mana, I am the furthest along. But I do know that there are a few yers who have failed casts already; in the empires."


    Eldrian realized just how big a deal this actually was. A failed cast might be considered a failure, but it meant that they were close enough already to at least start the process of casting. They just couldn''t maintain focus through the cast.


    ''This might also be where Miracle has managed to learn more about magic. I always knew that yers would eventually get there, seems I have less time than I hoped.''


    Eldrian sighed, d that he wasn''t alone but wishing that it wasn''t him and a few friends against a massive internationalpany with many governmental ties and probably too many secrets to even try to list.


    Eldrian wasn''t even sure how much safer it would be outside the country. Though, he did doubt that the military would be able to simply surround him. Hitmen might be a real problem though.


    "I have a question for you."


    "Shoot," Eldrian replied.


    "What''s your n?"


    "My n?"


    "Yeah, I understand that you have a lot going on. But what are your actually ns."


    "I don''t follow."


    "Long term." Ilmadiaughed as she saw that Eldrian still did not follow. "I mean what are your ns personally. ording to the quest we got from Itireae we only need one more nt to heal Pros."


    "I''m sure he would jump on the vertical farming and continue his support of the cannons. Heck, he might even tell you to keep being mayor." Seeing Eldrian''s frown Ilmadiaughed even more.


    "Maybe, or maybe not. But what are your ns?"


    "I still don''t understand what you want me to answer. Stabilize the city, secure a stable source of food, start fighting back, start reimingnd. What other ns are you getting at?"


    "None of those are personal ns, they are all ns for the city, for the kingdom. Work-rted. What do you want?"


    Eldrian paused, there was so much he wished for. But what did he want? What within what he wished was realistic? He hadn''t even given it a thought.


    Being able to focus more on his magic would be great, he might be able to make some actual progress and that would be massive. But, that wasn''t really something personal. It was also something work-rted.


    "You really don''t have any ns?"


    "I''m just trying to survive and not lose anyone..." Eldrian answered, truly not an answer that a twenty-year-old should give.


    Ilmadia nodded seriously, that that was all that Eldrian could focus on. It was truly sad and showcased just how bad stuff must be back on Earth. While she wasn''t in the loop, Ilmadia knew that something massive had happened again.


    The guild was surprisingly supportive of Eldrian''s situation and all the secrets, naturally only the core of the guild knew that there were secrets. But none of themined about not being filled in, they just nodded and continued as if nothing about it was strange.


    "Then what are your ns short-term, even work-rted?"


    "Figure out why I''m not Tier 5 yet, experiment with runic magic. Find out how to mix all the types of magic I know effectively, understand what XP is, learn barrier-type magic and connect it with runic. Experiment on elemental healing types and learn resurrection if possible-"


    Cutting him off, Ilmadia could feel some of the weight that Eldrian must be under. He hadn''t even needed a second to start listing so many and if she didn''t stop him; just how many would he have listed?


    "Is there anything I can help with?"


    Thinking on this for a bit, Eldrian nodded. With two upied navigating his body to what was hopefully a safer location, he could no longer just throw books at the poor figment of his consciousness.


    "Resurrection magic, I know it is mostly done through divine magic. But there must be ways to resurrect someone without it. I know there is, but I''m not sure what Tier they start at."


    "Considering what it actually is..." Ilmadia paused and instead nodded, "I''ll try to find research on it."


    "Don''t strain yourself, it''s been more an afterthought. But if I reach Tier 5 I certainly have to learn it if possible, and I know it must be possible through elemental aspect, or maybe a mix of it and some other. Itireae did cast it, and I doubt she can use divine spells since the description of High Elves stated that we can''t ess divine magic."


    Then again, it might be something that wasn''t easy to teach others, or it might be unique to dynamic casters.


    "Itireae..." Ilmadia frowned, not knowing what to think of the elf. With her strength she could do so much, she might have even been able to save the city from its siege singlehandedly.


    Sure there might be some on the other side who could step in to stop her, but the fact that she had not tried. It simply did not sit right with Ilmadia. Even as a yer, as someone from another world. It felt to her like she felt more concerned for the lives of the citizens than Itireae, who was actually from this world.


    Eldrian realized what Ilmadia must be thinking. "You''re wondering why she did not do more?"


    "Yes, even if she couldn''t make it to help in the siege. If she tried she would have been able to save far more people."


    Eldrian nodded, remembering having felt very simr when he had learned she had resurrected him over Sabrea. Having med Sabrea''s death on her due to that. If Itireae had tried she could have certainly saved many people after arriving.


    "It''s true, she could have helped far more. But why must she?"


    "What do you mean!? Because it is the right thing to do!"


    "I don''t disagree, but is that really a good enough reason? Do you know why she is here and not in Ehevell?"


    Ilmadia shook her head, assuming that that must be the name of the kingdom or empire she came from.


    "The emperor sent her here to learn what war is, what loss is. As a high elf, she is distanced from the lives of ordinary people. It is the same with the Alicorns and most neutral races. They live for thousands of years, some even for hundreds of thousands. Unless they are killed they are effectively immortal."


    "Why should they risk all the years, millennia they have left to save someone who would die regardless. To them, if you die now or in a hundred years, even a thousand years, it doesn''t matter. It is just the blink of an eye."


    "Then why evene?!"


    "Because war now also threatens them and most of them do not understand what this actually means. Itireae told me when we first met that she came to understand what war is, why it is so terrible."


    "She needs to learn before it is toote and she regrets not understanding, I think she just might have started understanding."


    "What do you mean before it''s toote?"


    AN: I hope everyone is safe with all the chaos going on in the world.

 Chapter 596 - A Gift From The Undead?

    "I mean before she loses people-- other elves that are close to her. The shock from that when totally unprepared might justpletely break someone. I mean, just consider for a moment literally being near immortal. And then suddenly your friends and family start dying." Eldrian exined.


    "It willpletely shatter your reality, and that is not even mentioning the grief and anger that would follow."


    "It''s normal that the loss of a loved one can send us into a truly dark ce for weeks, months, sometimes even years. Just imagine what it would be like when before, death was an abstract concept you didn''t even really understand."


    "Sure, they know of it and they know it happens to everyone and that it can even happen to them. But that difference between knowing and understanding, it can make all the difference."


    "Yeah, I get what you mean. It''s the difference between someone dying of old age and just suddenly getting a call that they were killed in an ident or something." Ilmadia knew even this would not be on the same scale, but it reflected the idea eloquently.


    "I''m curious though, why haven''t you asked her help in learning more about magic?"


    "I use a unique way-"


    Ilmadia quickly cut him off, "That''s not a good reason, sure it means she can''t directly teach you what she knows in a direct simple transfer of knowledge. But why not ask for her guidance regardless. She is sure to know far more than Sofiera or anyone else in the city, why not ask her help as you asked the help of Ceph''s parents?"


    "I-I..." Eldrian didn''t have a good reason, his original reason was truly just because she couldn''t teach him everything exactly back then it had been what he had needed. He hadn''t even thought about it again since the first time she had told him this. Now the situation was different.


    Just because he used magic differently didn''t mean he couldn''t learn from her. Heck, just the way she was healing Pros, that was something he was just starting to explore and she must certainly be able to give him game-changing tips.


    "I''ve been so focused on my own world that I didn''t even think about it. I guess that''s mostly because I''ve yet to hit a dead end, so I felt like I was constantly moving forward and didn''t need the help. I''ve been blinded, thinking I just needed some time to focus on magic."


    Ilmadia didn''t really think that being in charge of a city was being focused on your own world, but she didn''t think debating that was worth it. Instead, she simply smiled and told him to not waste the opportunity while she was here. d that he was at least open to the idea.


    "The worst she could do is say no," Ilmadiamented, a saying often used and more often forgotten.


    ...


    The group finally met up with one of the scouting yers, who quickly caught all the leaders up on what was the situation with their first undead horde. The leaders were Nikki, Elizabeth, Eldrian, Evale, and Ja.


    "The horde is probably between half a thousand and a thousand, mostly skeletons with a few very decayed zombies. The stench is horrid, might want to warn everyone."


    "No other undead?" Ja asked, while skeletons were hard to kill, with the right spells and preparation it would not be hard. Most people who managed to reach Tier 4 were able and had learned these spells and skills, thus they should all be effective in fighting the undead.


    "None that I saw, they were kind of milling about randomly. I don''t understand why."


    Nodding, the group of leaders quickly went to organize their respective parties. Evale was actually not inmand of anyone and rather just kept in the loop since she was the strongest person here.


    "Any thoughts on why they are milling about? There are actually a few groups who''ve been staying at certain spots almost like they are drawn to it. In fact, the mergers happened as others were drawn to a still group."


    Evale frowned, "It''s actually more shocking that there are still zombies. All the flesh should have rotten after weeks in the sun without a supply of mana-"


    "You don''t think they are getting mana somehow?"


    "It''s possible."


    "I''ve never even touched on this, can you quickly fill me in on how magic materials are found ande to exist?" Eldrian asked, him and Evale on the same train of thought. That there must be mana rich areas which the undead are using to sustain themselves.


    Evale naturally wouldn''t go into the basic story of how mana evolved the material, instead, she directly jumped to the mana veins, or so they called them. Though it wasn''t really understood what they were.


    "The thing is, we call them mana veins simply because we normally find them associated with veins of some ore or crystal and so we associated the term. In a mana vein as you would expect mana is far denser and that allows the metal to slowly transform over long periods of time."


    "We don''t know why mana umtes in such veins, it appears to be random. Almost like the bubbles of boiling water, mana simply umtes and moves upwards towards the surface."


    "Simr to the bubbles, if there isn''t an ore or crystal vein to stabilize it the mana will explode and dissipate after reaching a critical level of umtion. This normally causes some an extreme storms along with massive earthquakes, but it happens very rarely..."


    She paused and quickly asked Eldrian how many undead hordes were staying still.


    "Around thirteen are milling around set areas, ten have merged with those, and thirty are still moving randomly without aim."


    "That..." Evale paused, that was far more than she expected. "Are you sure it is that many?"


    "Yes, why?"


    "It''s just, the cases of a mana vein reaching its limit and exploding is a once in a lifetime event. If there are so many so near Kynigo, how is it possible that it is so rare?"


    "Most of them must be stable- Wait why is it so hard to- ah that must be it." Considering how Mana Examination -or colorful sights as it is known in the kingdom- filled your entire sight with a mist of mana. It made sense that it couldn''t be used to scout for an area of mana.


    "But there must be some ways to find mana veins," Eldrianmented while wondering if maybe some of the veins simply never built up to arge enough degree to explode.


    Instead of building up to a critical point, they would lose what holds them together after a certain amount of time and simply dissipate into the environment peacefully.


    "There are, but it takes so much time and requires massive amounts of luck. You have to travel with a special type of mana crystal, crafted to be near spent and at the point of turning to dust."


    "Due to the runes added it will seek mana to refill itself and repair its structure before it copses and turns to dust. But the crafting process eliminated its ability to slowly gather mana from a normal density area."


    "Normally you would go through a hundred before finding a mana-dense area. And then there wouldn''t even be any way of knowing if there is an ore vein there."


    Eldrian did not reply, instead, he thought of the possibilities this might actually open to them. Evale also quickly thought on the same line. "What is your actual approach to finding a vein then?" He asked


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 597 - Weve Been Tunnel Visioned

    "We search for an ore or crystal vein and then check if the area near it has a high mana density." Evale replied, "If it has then we can suspect it to be a mana vein and magic materials being present, if not then we still have the normal ore to mine."


    "Maybe we can use the undead to cut to the chase?" Eldrian suggested and quickly added pins to all the milling hordes, to ensure he didn''t lose track of the locations after dealing with the undead.


    If each one had some type of metal or crystal vein and was in fact a mana vein, that would be a total of thirteen possible new magic ore or crystal mines. Eldrian had no idea how many mines were in the Kynigo region-- though since the siege all had been abandoned. Eldrian hadn''t gotten to checking that situation out, as food and security were far more pressing.


    Regardless, he was certain this would be a game-changer. Especially in the long run if it panned out.


    And, in fact, they really needed a crystal mine, specifically for mana crystals, as their stockpile was quickly running low.


    But he was getting a bit ahead of himself. It was almost just as likely that some mana veins simply appeared and disappeared peacefully.


    ''I don''t think each one can be an ore vein, it shouldn''t... Maybe if they are really deep they could have not been discovered. And, what about the subterranean?'' Eldrian pondered, "Evale, what do you think. Is it possible for so many ore or crystal veins to exist?"


    She had thought simrly to Eldrian, that it was possible that not all mana veins always had to reach a critical level and violently explode. Instead, some simply died out after some time, never influencing the environment and thus never letting them know that they had existed.


    However, she also recalled a story told by parents to children.


    "There might be another exnation, I always thought it was just a story our kingdom passed through generations, a made-up myth about our origins. Though there are some things that support it, I always felt that it was glorified."


    "After all, it feels more like a fairy tale than the truth..." She paused and asked, "Do you know how rare magic crystals are?"


    "It is something that has been bothering me. How it can be one of the rarest things on the and still be everywhere?"


    Evale nodded, indeed it should be strange to anyone. "It''s true that magic crystals are extremely rare, they only form in very specific areas with an extreme density of mana."


    ''Like Avgi?'' Eldrian wondered, recalling that the mana there was far denser than in normal areas.


    "The story goes that the capital, Taur, was established on an extremely dense mana vein. It is partly supported by the fact that we are an independent kingdom. However, I''m not sure if it is all to be believed..."


    Eldrian thought on this for a moment and quickly connected the dots. "Are you saying all the other kingdoms get their magic crystals from somewhere? From the empire they are considered a part of? Is that the reason and how the empires maintain control?"


    Evale nodded, "Yes, but there is more to the story. It praised Taurus as a kingdom blessed by the gods. Again, it is substantiated by arge number of minerals avable near the capital. However, that only holds for up to the three dukedoms."


    "Once you move past them the resources are no longer as rich. Or so we thought... It is why we are still only considered a kingdom, we didn''t have the resources to raise our strength more. Our cities had to be reliant mostly on the dukes and king for high-grade resources."


    Eldrian looked at the entire map of Taurus while trying to figure out how it was possible for a kingdom to miss so many veins.


    If there were more than thirteen within just a hundred kilometers from Kynigo, there would be hundreds, maybe even thousands through the entire kingdom that spanned over 3000km north to south and 4000 west to east.


    The first thing Eldrian noted was that thend of Taurus was mostly t, almost all ins for about a third of thend. He wasn''t sure, but he felt this might be partly the reason.


    He hadn''t really thought about geography much before. Sure there were a few hills dotted about and a few mountain ranges. And the massive forest covering nearly a quarter of the kingdom in the other western area.


    In terms of mountains, there were two notable ranges. In particr, the massive mountain region to its west was more than three times the span of the Ganalin mountain range - the other notable range of mountains. Eldrian assumed that this muchrger one must also be inhabited by dwarves.


    The mountain range was truly massive, and from it sprung a number of rivers that flowed into a massiveke spanning probably over 500km. Theke was in the center of the forest that covered this corner of the kingdom.


    ''It is strange that the rivers do not flow to the sea, but theke is massive. Plus, this world is so massive and I have no idea if there even is a sea and continents or if it is just one massive blob of earth.''


    Outside of this particr forest and the truly massive mountain range, probably eighty percent of the kingdom was just ins. And finding an ore vein in a in Eldrian assumed was far harder than by a river or near and in a mountain.


    ''Though I don''t really know and I''m sure like we use chemistry, they could use some type of magic to detect the metal deposits. I can understand the finding of a mana vein beingplicated, but testing areas of local soil and rocks shouldn''t be that hard.''


    ''Anyone can simply collect it and then someone with moderate magic skills should be able to test all the samples in a day, a week at most.''


    ''Assuming that they do this, then it must mean that all these veins are too deep to leave evidence close to the surface. Moreplicated detection might be too time-consuming, or due to having a stable source near the capital they felt it was not needed or not profitable enough.''


    ''It is also always possible that they were discovered but considered too small a deposit that would not be worth the cost to excavate.''


    ''And it is also quite possible that their poption is simply too small to be able to excavate all these locations. I mean,pared to Phallos, which upies far lessnd than Taurus, Taurus has ten times fewer people than Phallos. So it is possible that they simply do not have the manpower to excavate each site."


    ''But given our situation now, the cost is no longer the problem as much as supply. Though manpower might be a problem...'' Looking at the southwestern region, Eldrian got chills as his map showed clearly the cities that have been lost.


    The entire corner of the kingdom was almost lost. Nearly asrge an area as the massive western forest.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 598 - The Situation

    ''If Diades falls, then Ganalin will be the only thing between us and the orcs. And there isn''t much geographically between us after Diades. Pediades already fell, they would not even need to destroy the other two small cities for a clear path... They are too far to the north...''


    Granted, the city of Juzna was only a few hundred kilometers from Ganalin andunching counterattacks from there waspletely possible. Thus it wasn''t certain if the orcs would prioritize it or Kynigo.


    Both would be able to support the other, though if either had the capability was the true question.


    Regardless, raiding bands could no longer be stopped. Even if Diades stood, as long as it was surrounded it could offer no assistance against raiding bands.


    Naturally, or maybe not so easily the orcs coulde from the south. Thends were that of The Encroaching Border and the Vriks Drnds. It might be of a condition that the orcs found unhospitable.


    Eldrian assumed that even amongst the races of chaos, not all could live in such baren deadnds. There was also a possibility that they were not on speaking terms with the owners of thesends. Though Eldrian had no way of knowing if this was true. He had to consider it a possibility, if slim.


    Thus, in a strange turn of events, the fact that they had undead to their south was a hidden blessing. He would ce the most focus on the north, the inner of the kingdom. For the south recapturing a few forts would suffice as a warning system.


    ''At least until the undead recovered and send another attack.'' The thought gave Eldrian chills.


    "Elizabeth!" Leaving the confused Evale, Eldrian realized just how urgent things were now. How bad it had been of them to not consider the geography at y.


    He hadn''t realized just how close the kingdom was to losing the entire southern line. After Diades, only Kynigo would be left in the southernmost line.


    Ganalin could not be considered more than just a mountain range as the dwarves were under pressure and unable to give support atop the surface.


    Sure, the distance that Ganalin spanned was around 500km and Diades was another 500km from the range. That mattered little, Eldrian understood well that an elite group of orcs would be able to cross such a distance in a few days. If they had vargs, maybe in just a day or less.


    Due to these vast distances, he had simply not realized how close the world actually was when you added magically enhanced races to the equation. It had never crossed his mind because until recently he wasn''t part of that group.


    But now, he himself would be able to cross a few hundred kilometers in a day if he went all out. Especially on thends of Taurus that were mostly ins with few rivers and natural obstructions in the way.


    This had always been to the centaurs'' advantage. nds that they could ride through with ease allowed them to use the speed of their race to its fullest. Launching attacks from cities and towns that are used as resting and resupplying hubs.


    The orcs were also aware that this was the centaurs'' strength, and hence why they had made sure to burn every single town and vige they came across to the ground. Cities instead they turned into their own hubs of resupply.


    With there being few woonds and even fewer forests spread throughout the kingdom it madeunching a surprise attack much harder for the kingdom. Without a city to prepare and gather at, their situation would simply turn from bad to worse.


    One silver lining was that the surroundings of Kynigo were not simr to the rest of the kingdom. There were a number ofrgekes, forests, cliffs, and mountains. cing key fortifications would bepletely feasible, however, the true problem for them was theirck of people.


    Eldrian was keenly aware that they had almost no elites left, with them being countable on one hand. The number of Tier 5''s was also less than a hundred. The situation was truly bleak.


    "Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?" Elizabeth was shocked, so far there were no signs that the mission would not go smoothly.


    "I just realized how screwed we might be. I need you to contact the yers who went to the dwarves. Now!"


    Elizabeth nodded, shocked by how urgent Eldrian was, to evenmand her instead of calmly ask. Luckily, one of the yers were online.


    "What should I tell her?"


    "Tell her to contact someone, anyone immediately! Go to the gate or anything to get a militarymander''s attention. We need to build fortifications between the mountain and the cliff north of it now. Before it is toote."


    Taking a moment, Elizabeth called the yer and made sure she understood that this was urgent. After confirming that she was running to find someone in a high enough position Elizabeth turned to Eldrian. "Now exin what this is about so I can send her a better exnation."


    Taking a breath to calm down, Eldrian realized he had acted in bad form. "The orcs might soon if not already be able to simply ride through the kingdom,ying waste to all viges theye across. Towns will likely also not be able to withstand them either, though they might be able tost a bit longer."


    "If we do not build fortifications now, the dwarves will be locked in their mountain. Trade will be impossible, and we will be pushed back to Kynigo. Without more material we will run out of ammo and it will just be a matter of time..."


    Eldrian was so worked up that he didn''t manage to keep his voice in check, nor did he ensure that they were alone. Turning around he found that everyone was looking at them, a mix of confusion and terror.


    ''Fuck!'' Eldrian cursed and he tried to wrack his brain on a n. Ignoring those around him he continued to share with Elizabeth, even going so far as to activate his friend system finally as he needed to be able to effectivelymunicate with the others himself.


    He didn''t even look at the XP cost, he just immediately contacted Therdul and Erik, telling them both that the farming needed to be done ASAP. That they should rush finishing more than specializing and optimizing it.


    Eldrian hoped that him being on the run meant that even if an AI would somehow use this to find his location -and was on the side of Miracle- that Miracle would not be able to make use of the information. Understanding well that he couldn''t stay inactive if he wanted to help everyone survive this.


    "We need to move quick, clearing the undead just became priority one as we need to establish a secure line between us and the dwarves. We also need to immediately set up fortifications at these locations." Eldrian found that he could activate the screenshot function, and after a slight moment of hesitation he did and sent that to her too.


    The ces he indicated were the locations of possible mana veins. However, he was focused on three specific ones.


    One near the river originating from the cliffs north of Ganalin, one near the mountains to the east and the massiveke there, and thest north of Kynigo. Near a destroyed vige.


    If these three could have forts installed on defensible grounds, and the dwarves secured the western approach between Ganalin and the cliffs, then it would be extremely hard for the orcs to enter the region without being discovered. Though, doing something about them was another story.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 599 - Overdoing It

    ''I really hope GAIA won''t screw me over.'' Eldrian prayed that this would all work out as he continued to wrack his brain.


    "Evale!"


    "Yes?" She was shocked to see the state he was in, having heard some of the conversations she still wasn''t quite sure what to make of it. Diades was after all over a thousand kilometers from Kynigo.


    "How long would it take you to get to Diades if you were to go all out?"


    "That''s over a thousand kilometers-"


    "How long?"


    "Traveling light, I''d make it in just over a day but I would be spent."


    "If you take three?"


    Evale suddenly realized what Eldrian was getting at. Eyes flying wide she prayed that it would note to that. Prayed that Diades still stood strong, though no word had been heard from Diades for the past few days.


    "So you would be able to fight and the distance would be a trivial matter. We need to prepare for if Diades falls, Elizabeth?"


    "I''m afraid we did not go through Diades-"


    "Um, actually."


    Turning to the yer, Eldrian felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Did you fix a teleportation?" He did not even bother to get the yer''s name.


    "I did, is it-"


    "Hurry back to Kynigo, talk with...", ''Fuck, whose left in the-'' Eldrian turned to Ja, "Ja!"


    Ja got a bad feeling, "I need you to get her to the city as quickly as possible." Turning to the yer, "Empty your inventory and take two of the inner cannons and as many cannonballs as you can."


    Nodding the yer looked at Ja who was not happy with the deal. Shockingly, she got chills when she looked at Eldrian and saw the look he was giving her. Swallowing her pride, she threw the girl over her back and ran at full speed. Wanting to end the humiliation as quickly as possible.


    ''So some care and others don''t.'' Eldrian noted, "Evale," Suddenly the centaurette got a simr feeling as what Ja had just received.


    "Let me guess, we''re going on an expedited mission."


    "Yes, we will be going after the roaming undead." Eldrian nodded and looked towards Elizabeth.


    "You will keepmand of this group, approach the undead with care. yers first, NPCs only if you confirmed there is no higher grade undead in the mix. You can see on the screenshot which are dense and which aren''t, go to the smaller ones while we are gone."


    Nodding, part of every yer itched as Eldrian just spewed words that should be kept from the NPCs. Luckily, the situation had evolved into one where everyone understood it was not the time to question the choice of words.


    Grasping Evale''s hand, Eldrian jumped andnded not so smoothly on her back. His mind was too on task to even bother thinking that he was riding on her back.


    "Go southwest, there is a group of undead fifteen kilometers away."


    Nodding, the centaurette started galloping at full speed. Eldrian was amazed at how close her and Ceph''s speed was, at least on the ground it was close.


    "I''m going to prepare something, when we pass them draw their attention and have them group."


    Nodding, Evale reached them in just a few minutes. As soon as she saw the undead, she pulled off her bow and took aim.


    The arrows she had left after the siege were not the best, but they were still plenty capable of killing skeletons and zombies in a single hit thanks to their enchantments. Not runes, enchantments.


    While picking off the undead one by one, she circled around them. Causing the undead to all move close and closer.


    ''This should work, considering...'' Eldrian mumbled, handing Evale the mana crystal which he had just added a few runes to.


    She looked at him, confused for a moment before nodding and attaching it to one of her arrows. His runes glowing slightly on the surface of the crystal, not engraved. Something she had never witnessed before.


    Letting the arrow with the crystal attached fly, it sailed through the air beautifully. Just as it was about tond in the horde, Eldrian let the runes do their thing.


    As this was his first attempt, he had gone a bit overboard. Adding the entirebination of runes that he had used to help the dwarves against the reavers.


    A total of 750MP in the runes, all going off in an instant. Destroying the structure of the crystal that contained another 3000 raw mana which quickly took on the element it was surrounded by.


    Evale''s instincts screamed at her. Having turned tail long before, she realized she would not be able to outrun the explosion.


    "Duck!" Eldrian shouted as he jumped from her back and quickly drew the rune of fortification long with the barrier one mentally. The two managed to absorb a lot of the impact, Eldrian was still sent flying but Evale was mostly unhurt.


    Luckily, he had also activated his items'' defensive abilities. While he was seriously injured, having broken an arm and a few ribs, his life was not in danger. The distance Evale had made certainly had saved both their lives.


    ***


    "What do you think happened?" Therdul mumbled after getting the call from Eldrian whose exnation on why they should hurry was very unclear.


    "If I were to take a guess, he probably realized that we didn''t have as much time as we thought." Erik replied, "We should focus on getting the first ntation up and running as quickly as possible."


    "We haven''t even been at it for a day, heck, we''ve just learned how magic is used to increase crop growth..." Grumbling, Therdul racked his brain for the most effective method of vertical farming with the crops avable that would also incorporate magic.


    There were naturally not nearly enough mages to have them use magic to speed up the growth of nts. It was possible, however, it was not cost or effort-effective.


    Instead, in the center of each crop field, there stands a pir, on which a system of arrays is installed. All the pirs of all the fields of a farm would work together, powered from a central point on the farm.


    Depending on the need, the output could be varied. But what the array does is not actually enhance the growth of the nts directly. Doing so takes far too much mana.


    Instead, the array simply tweaks the bnce of the elements in the area. Normally increasing the nature element, which allows nts to grow much faster.


    They weren''t able to go into the details of how this all worked, but Therdul was amazed that it could also enhance the other elements. For example, in a dry year altering the output to increase the water element to help the nts grow steadily.


    Again, it isn''t that the array actually summons water and waters the nts. Instead, the increased water-mana density causes more water to condense and slowly move to the area.


    And due to the fact that it did not directly modify anything a single small nail-sized mana crystal could fuel the entire formation for over a year.


    Most shocking perhaps was that through this simple variation of mana density the crops truly grew far faster. Normally a crop rotation would onlyst one month, thus there were twelve harvest seasons in a year if the winter wasn''t too harsh.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 600 - Silvers Mission Part 1

    "How am I supposed to attach this to vertical farming?" Therdul mumbled, the most basic idea he had immediately thought of was to simply nt a pir in the center of all the nts. But that seemed like a brutish solution, they had both agreed so earlier.


    "I think we should just do that for now. If we can at least showcase the viability and also get the first crop rotation." Erik said.


    Therdul had hoped that each hydroponic tower could be magically enhanced to the specific nts being grown. However, this would certainly work too. It just felt like such a rush job.


    ''Not sure if the nature element substitutes or adds more micronutrients. We will likely need to find a way to supplement the water, I hope Ceph and Maia found a simple way to transport water. Doesn''t seem like we will have time to bring over pumps and the like.''


    Mulling over his ideas and wondering which nts to choose, lettuce was obviously one of the obvious choices. Strawberries and tomatoes were two others. As were a couple of simr nts unique to the world and the kingdom. Naturally, magical herbs were also a big topic. s, they were now in a rush and would go with what was easiest.


    "Hey, isn''t that Silver?" Therdul was confused seeing her running towards one of the temples, recalling that she had gone with the others the morning.


    "It seems that Eldrian suspects that we will soon be under siege again," Erik mumbled, sharing the message from Eldrian with an exnation of what he had realized.


    "Shit, but if they charge towards here they wouldck a supply line," Therdul mumbled.


    "There are plenty of viges they can raid, it seems Eldrian also thought of that, he asked me to go inform Aspen on all this. We will be evacuating most of the local viges, which is why he wants to rush the vertical farming. We will need to feed near a million people soon."


    Wiping the sweat from his brow, Therdul nodded. That certainly was a tall order, and he was unsure if he was up to the task. However, it was now clear why it was so urgent.


    They would use the brutish way for now, but as they worked Therdul would continually try to find more eloquent solutions.


    ***


    Silver was shocked by the sight weing her as she arrived at Diades. The temple was in ruins, dead bodies could be seen crushed under the copsed roof and walls alike.


    While she was used to such sights of war, seeing the small body of a little girl clinging to her mother nearly caused her to momentarily tear up.


    ''I can''t believe it''s already so bad.'' Rushing out of the ruined temple, she quickly backtracked as a number of goblins rushed past her. A few secondster four orcs followed cracking their whips, pushing the goblins forward.


    Craning her neck around the corner, she watched as the goblins died in throes to the spells and arrows of the defenders behind a temporary wall created from the nearby debris. She couldn''t even see the defendants, only the start of the flight of their arrow or spell hinted at their location.


    Waiting until the goblins were all killed and the orcs had left, probably to push another group to their deaths, she rushed into the street. Hand''s in the air, hoping that she would not be killed on the spot. Careful to not trip over the corpses littering the road.


    She stopped dead in her tracks as an arrownded before her feet.


    "I''m a Chosen!" She shouted, understanding well that with devils and their ability to shapeshift that it was near impossible for them to simply believe someone''s appearance or their words. However, titles were not something that could be faked.


    "What are you doing here?" The archer who had shot the warning shot asked, revealing himself from his hiding spot.


    "I-I..." She couldn''t see all the other archers, but she could feel the danger she was in. It was shocking just how well the centaurs were able to camouge themselves.


    "I''ve something that might help!"


    "Help? You think you can help us?" The centaur sneered, they were simply trying to make the cost to the orcs as expensive as possible. The city was already lost.


    "Yes! No! I can''t help. But what I brought might!"


    Intrigued and confused, the centaur indicated for her to move closer. "Well, what is it?"


    Nodding, Silver concentrated for a bit and summoned one of the two cannons she had brought. Seeing it, everyone looked at her, confused.


    The cannon certainly appeared to be a state-of-the-art contraption. It was clear to all that it was made through thebined efforts of a specialized group of craftsmen, led by a formation master.


    Yet, no one understood what this hunk of metal was supposed to do. Nor how it might help their situation.


    Flinching as thunder cracked through the city, Silver looked to the source and was left speechless as she watched a magic towery waste to a section of the city. Debris flew everyone and mes spread freely, from the reaction of the people around her it was clear that they were used to this.


    "How is this supposed to help?" One of the other archers asked, but Silver was too shocked at the terrible circumstances of the city to reply immediately. The follow-up wasn''t all that nice as they thought she was wasting their time.


    "Just, let me show you!" By this time, another group of goblins was being chased towards the barricade. Why the enemy would use such a barbaric tactic she could not fathom, it felt like if the orcs simply grouped they would be able to storm the barricade with ease.


    "If they group the magic towers focus on them." The archer who hadunched the warning arrow said, "How is this going to help?"


    Swallowing nervously, she loaded the cannon and took aim. The modified cannons made by the city were far less mana expensive, but this was an inner-cannon. Seeing her take out a mana crystal, everyone was shocked.


    ''I hope the orcs are a big enough problem to make it worth it.'' She prayed as she fired, understanding well that the number of cannonballs even in Kynigo was limited.


    Turning to the direction of the charging goblins and orcs, everyone slowly returned their attention to this girl and the contraption next to her.


    Of the fifty goblins, only a few were still alive. Yet it was clear that she had not aimed at them. Her target the orcs. All of whom were Tier 5, and none of whom were alive anymore.


    Where the cannonball hadnded there now stood a crater. The equipment of the orcs scattered about, along with the parts of them that had survived the explosion.


    A few centaurs slowly lost control of their jaws as they stared in shock at the destruction that this little girl had just brought on the enemy.


    Sure, the explosion was not equal to that of the magic towers, but it was somewhere between a Tier 6 and 7 spell, possibly even Tier 8. And she was able to load and fire in just a few seconds, it would take a mage a lot longer. Possibly half a minute or several minutes to summon a spell of simr effect.


    This particr group wouldn''t even have stood a chance if the orcs weren''t being so careful. Only one in the group was Tier 5, and while there was a total of twenty hiding about. None of them believed they could defeat the four orcs that had been leading sending the goblins to their deaths.


    Which naturally made the destruction of the orcs even more of a miracle to their eyes.


    AN: Hey! Chapter 600!

 Chapter 601 - Silvers Mission Part 2

    "What is this contraption?" The centaur who had shot the warning arrow asked, his voice cracking as he stared at it in fear.


    "We call it a cannon." Silver replied, "It''s something from our homeworld, mixed with the magic of this world. However, its operation is expensive and I don''t have a lot of ammunition."


    "Come with me," Said a centaur who had up till now stayed in his position hidden from view. Ready to act should he be needed and only when he was needed.


    "Captain?!"


    "We can''t keep something so valuable in a location that isn''t." The centaur captain replied.


    This particr centaur had long blond hair and beard, and a matching coat. In the sun he almost appeared like a golden statue. Observe gave Silver no information other than that this centaur was named Lathar and that he was indeed a captain.


    ''Not sure what Eldrian really wanted me to do.'' She thought, nodding to Lathar and storing the cannon back in her inventory.


    Seeing it disappear so simply shocked the centaur, some had already forgotten that she had summoned it in a simr manner and were wondering how they were going to move the massive contraption.


    ...


    "You say this girl has a weapon that can help change the tides in the war?" The deputy mayor of the city asked, their mayor having fled via teleportation once the inner wall had fallen. Unfortunately, not all mayors were like Pros, and certainly few nobles were.


    Fighting on the front lines with the soldiers. Gaining scar after scar, to the point that even his scars had scars.


    Ready to die with those he led.


    There were not many leaders like that.


    However, while all the nobles wanted to retreat, not all were given the privilege. Doing so after being ordered to stay behind would be considered treason. Naturally, that made all of them quite grumpy. Being left to die would make anyone grumpy, it was also part of the reason why morale was so low.


    Yet, despite this, everyone still fought with all that they had. While it sucked,pared to what waited for them if they were enved by the orcs. Dying in battle certainly appeared as the far more pleasing option.


    "Umm..." Silver moved forward and interrupted the conversation, her action angering many in the room. "I don''t have enough ammunition for it to save the city."


    Hearing what she said, those in the room were even angrier and grumpier. Indicating for everyone to stay quiet, the deputy asked what she meant.


    "My inventory is only sorge, I brought two cannons with me, along with thirty cannonballs and enough mana crystals tounch the all. I already used one cannonball, which means we can only use the cannons twenty-nine more times."


    Thanks to the optimization that Solvi and Thesolis had done, the cannons could be powered six times by one nail-sized mana crystal. Each activation cost only around 600 mana.


    This was still an extreme cost, almost all the mana that a normal Tier 5 mage would have. However, this was also an inner-cannon. Compared to the outer cannons their cost and explosions are far greater, and not in a linearparison.


    "Why didn''t you bring just one cannon and a hundred- Cannonballs?!" One of the nobles who had been forced to stay behind shouted.


    Hmphing, another nobleman stepped forward and looked at the former as if he was an idiot. Unlike all the others, he was not a centaur. Rather he was a catkin with dark ck fur covering his cheeks and ears. A little gray mixed in, strangely giving him a more noble appearance.


    "Are you an idiot? Or perhaps you simply want to sound like one?"


    "None of you have even stopped and asked her from where she came, nor who gave her permission to bring these- cannons. Did none of you understand what her appearance meant?"


    "Mr. Bennidict is right. Apologies miss Silver, Ipletely forgot aboutmon courtesy when I heard that you brought something that might just help us survive the onught from the orcs."


    "It''s alright," She replied, not used to dealing with NPCs at all. Especially ones who acted like they were better than her, or nobles in general. Those in Kynigo were like totally different people. "I just didn''t want you to misunderstand, it won''t be able to solve all your problems."


    "Oh, but it surely can." The catkin stepped forward again. "I''m sure the person who sent you here didn''t want to simply lose the cannons, they must be very expensive. And I doubt whoever sent you wanted to give the enemy insight into your secret weapon. And while your death would not be a true death, I am certain that he didn''t send you to die either."


    Silver nodded, having no idea how to respond. Luckily, Elizabeth made contact again. Informing her of the n going forward.


    "Your right, I''m actually tasked with making sure the cannons won''t fall into the hands of the orcs. If the city is truly lost, my mission is to make them disappear." She did not specify how, as Elizabeth had instructed. Having everyone wonder how she would do it would certainly help.


    Sure, they might assume she would just store them in her dimensional storage. However, many might believe she could have them explode, remotely even. It would make theft far less likely if that rumor could persist.


    "I see, and what if the city is not lost?" The catkin pressed.


    "Then..." Sending the question to Elizabeth, Silver quickly got an outline of the steps going forward. "For the time being, we will lend our aid by supplying you with more ammo for the cannons. However, for that to be possible we will require a temple of Dragos or Dioktis being essible."


    "Why is that?"


    "Since I can''t teleport more than once a day, and-"


    "Oh, but you most certainly can. I''m sure even just these- cannonballs must be extremely expensive. It would not be right if we did not use our all to ensure you can help as effectively as possible." Bennidict paused, "We can send you back via teleportation..."


    Silver quickly messaged Elizabeth about this, who ryed it to Eldrian who had momentarily forgotten that teleportation was an actual thing for NPCs too. The cost within kingdom wasn''t even that much, just a few gold coins.


    If used to send yers with filled inventories, it would certainly be a very effective method of transportation. However, using the yer teleportation is still fare cheaper, as is using the temple market.


    Plus, it wasn''t the actual cost that was the problem. But rather the mana that is required and provided by mana crystals, which Kynigo is quickly running low on in supply. They certainly couldn''t use it haphazardly. However, to send a few yers to set teleportation points in a temple, it was certainly a n worth further investigation.


    ***


    "I keep forgetting about things so inly obvious..." Eldrian grumbled, his arm still hurt and his lungs stringing like a bitch. But he would live.


    "What now?" Evale asked, both of them needing some time to recover from the st.


    "I forgot that we can teleport through the magic towers. Using our system is simply so much cheaper and more efficient. But in this case, ess to temples might be difficult."


    "The girl you sent to Daides?"


    "Yeah, seems the situation is far worse than we suspected. The inner wall has fallen and most of the city is in ruins. The citizens and soldiers are making temporary fortifications to slow down the orcs, but they''re continually being overrun and pushed back..."


    [{Eldrian} - Hey, how is she nning to get to a magic tower, they aren''t in the center of cities.]


    [{Elizabeth} - It seems they are nning to send arge portion of their forces to the nearest tower. With hopes that they can gain enough support through this.]


    [{Eldrian} - That''s beyond dumb, tell Silver to stop them.]


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 602 - Plans Change

    "Umm..." Silver mumbled, unsure how to tell this group of nobles to simply stop. Strangely, she felt intimidated. Yet she didn''t understand why. Granted, most in the room were far stronger than her. But she was a yer.


    "What is it?" The catkin called Bennidict asked, sensing her distress.


    "I was told to tell you to stop."


    """"Stop?"""" Murmurs echoed through the room in confusion. Many fists were balled, the nobles only managing to refrain themselves thanks to teachings long past.


    "You mean, you can converse with those who sent you?" Bennidict asked, one of the few who actually picked up on the meaning of her words. As soon as Bennidict mentioned this, everyone quickly calmed down and started thinking more rationally.


    Silver nodded, "Guild leader said that they are shocked that the situation is so dire. They had hoped we could slowly add support, but the situation seems to be..." She paused, not wishing to say it as she was sure that it would just anger the group even more.


    "Do they think we are already a lost cause?" Bennidict asked.


    Silver nodded timidly, before raising her head and suddenly appearing far more confident. "But we can''t allow you to fall!"


    ***


    "What is it?" Evale asked.


    "They were going to be reckless, betting everything on being able to get more cannons."


    "How can they-"


    "They''re desperate and aren''t even sure of our situation or their own. I suspect they wanted to grasp the hope presented. Blinded by the idea of salvation they forgot to even confirm details first."


    Eldrian thought further but refrained from saying his thoughts aloud. He felt it was simr to how people would turn to their god or gods in times of strife. The promise of salvation was truly a mighty weapon for rallying people.


    He felt strange about the fact that he also wanted to use it, though he believed his reasons good. <i>Yet, didn''t everyone who used it believe their intentions were good?</i>


    <i></i>Eldrian struggled with this as he continued on with the newly forming n.


    [{Eldrian} - Is the situation really that dire?]


    [{Elizabeth} - Yes, at most Diades will be able to hold out another day or two, maybe a week. It all depends on when the orcs are able to either disable or take over the magic towers. As soon as one falls it shouldn''t be much longer until the city falls.]


    [{Eldrian} - Don''t they have some forbidden spell like we saw in the trailer?]


    It took a moment for a response. [{Elizabeth} - It seems that due to the mayor having fled they can''t activate it. Something about it requiring ess to the city core and some password.]


    "Any idea what a city core is?" Eldrian asked Evale.


    "It is the central magic crystal. You''ve been there if I''m not mistaken."


    "Ah, that room." Eldrian nodded, having always been curious what the room was actually used for. Though, it was weird that Pros had not used it against the undead. But he also had a feeling it did more than just activate forbidden spells.


    ''Not sure what else it can do and I''m sure Pros wouldn''t be willing to sacrifice everyone. Plus, against the undead... Yeah, it would just backfire.''


    "Crap!" Cursing, Eldrian racked his brain on what he might be able to do. He didn''t want to leave the clearing of the undead to the others. Afraid that something might happen while he was busy elsewhere but it appeared that he did not have much of a choice if he didn''t want Diades to fall.


    And it falling would be a really bad deal. Though, even if it could hold out, in its current state it would not be able to make much of a difference. But, it might just be able to make a difference in the long run.


    ''At least if it survives there is the threat of a division teleporting there to attack the orcs from behind. While the cost is extreme and the chances low, the orcs will have to be mindful of it. They will need to keep a force to enclose the city.''


    ''Teleporting elites is also a possibility to disrupt supply lines... And if the other yers get stronger, we can certainly use it ourselves tounch attacks from.''


    "You''re going?" Evale asked even though she already knew the answer.


    "Yeah, but first." Taking out three crystals, Eldrian added temporarily runes to them. "I won''t be able to activate them, so you will need to use a skill or something to destabilize them on contact-- Hope I don''t lose focus before you use them."


    Evale took them with nervous shaking hands, thest part certainly did not put her mind at ease.


    He added the exact same runes he had used previously onto them, three plus the previous one was about his limit. He could have done one more, but he needed to get moving soon and for that he needed mana.


    While he only needed around half an hour to recover his mana, he felt he had to rush before something changed in Diades.


    Evale observed the crystals curiously. Their power was truly extraordinary. If she had to estimate, she felt that if she used her strongest arrows and ability, she would be able to mimic the damage these could cause.


    Yet, that required special-tailormade arrows and a massive amount of her mana. And here Eldrian casually made three crystal bombs capable of her strongest attack. And he was still only Tier 4!


    She didn''tin, instead, she simply thanked the gods that Eldrian was on their side. Every day he was bing more and more of a monster.


    It is important to note that at this point Eldrian had three times more mana than Evale. Who was a Tier 7 archer, Tier 6 mage, and Tier 5 warrior. Of course, she had no hidden ss and that also made a big difference.


    However, the biggest difference was from the benefits from his manawork.


    Eldrian simply didn''t even realize how strong he was at this point, he truly was a force to be reckoned with. Strangely, he did not like checking his friend''s statistics, at least not without their agreement. Strangers, he didn''t care.


    After handing her the crystals, Eldrian talked with her a bit about what they needed to do next. Specifically, when to use the crystal bombs, the runebination of which he dubbed Nova.


    After seven minutes he had enough mana to teleport back to the city, having asked Erik to find and inform Ceph on when to activate the ability.


    "What''s going on?" Erik asked as Eldrian focused on stabilizing himself, the teleportation was certainly a weird feeling. It worked through the usage of the link between their souls, and it had some aftereffects.


    It most certainly was not the same as other types of teleportation. Or it might be that it had changed due to all the other things going on.


    "Diades is about to fall, and if it does then the only Kynigo will be left in the southern line." Eldrian replied after getting grips on the dizziness assaulting him.


    "I''ming with you," Ceph called out as Eldrian started moving towards the inner wall. Eldrian was going to rip one more cannon from its port and fill his inventory with ammo, though the city didn''t have much to spare.


    "Yeah, I was about to ask you to." Eldrian nodded and indicated for Erik toe closer.? "Did you inform Aspen yet?"


    "Yes, he immediately sent out the faster centaurs to inform the local viges of the possible threat."


    "Good..." Eldrian smiled, hopefully, they wouldn''t lose any lives meaninglessly. "Can we feed them?"


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 603 - Going To Help

    "I''m not sure, we haven''t even gotten the first ns outlined, not to mention any tests to see the effects. What we will be able to grow will also be limited-"


    "That''s why I''m going to Diades. The orcs will act with more care the more cities stand. Hopefully, we can secure one harvest before fully needing to evacuate all viges"


    "And if Diades stands it might buy us just the time we need, if not more..." Eldrian paused, realizing that his previous call had been for immediate evacuation. "Please tell Aspen to only evacuate children and those who are not required to work the fields. Getting food is essential, we will also need to start patrolling between viges..."


    Eldrian hoped that Aspen would be able to fix that blunder, hopefully it wouldn''t cause unnecessary fear.


    Continuing, Eldrian half exined and half mumbled to himself. "We can''t stop the orcs if they send an elite band, so we must be ready to evacuate and hole up in Kynigo as soon as possible."


    Erik frowned, Ceph instead became lost in thought as he recalled that day. Noticing Ceph''s condition Erik asked if it orcs were truly such a great danger.


    "Yeah, orcs aren''t nearly as easy to deal with as the undead." Eldrian answered instead, "Or rather, there are no weak ones among them. Goblins are their equivalent lesser undead, but they are just fodder. The orcs themselves are numerous, not nearly as limited, and they are all formidable."


    "The undead didn''t fight fair," Erik noted, recalling the stories he heard from the yers and NPCs alike.


    "Fair enough." Eldrian nodded, "I''m just trying to rify that we do not have the manpower to handle even a single elite orc band. They will be able to raid every single vige and we will be unable to do a thing."


    Erik couldn''t ept it so inly, but he also didn''t underestimate Eldrian''s statement. This made the fact that the kingdom had been holding out far more impressive.


    Eldrian also realized that using a crystal bomb might actually kill such an elite party. He would have to catch them off guard if he wanted to kill them all in one attack. But he still had a credible threat that didn''t use the unstable spirit magic.


    While nothing had spiraled out of control, yet. He would rather avoid spirit magic if possible.


    "Then what is the n?" Erik asked.


    "I''m hoping that by keeping them distracted in Diades they won''t start ravaging the countryside. Since if they do, there is almost nothing we can do to stop them."


    "Why would they be so wary of Diades? If they are so strong, what is stopping them?"


    "Centaurs... Mountedbat." Eldrian mumbled, "Sure orcs are powerful, but the centaurs are masters at face-paced open-fieldbat. A siege is actually one of their weak points, and each city lost is another defensive point gained for the orcs."


    Unfortunately, the orcs were fighting with a n. This was not just a raid but a full-scale invasion.


    "Then why are they taking so long to conquer Diades?" Erik asked as Eldrian ripped a random cannon from its position along with all the cannonballs next to it. Each cannon only had five cannonballs currently, so he went to a bunch to get more ammo.


    "I think they are afraid of the magic towers that would target their elites should they enter the city. They also likely can''t group due to the magic towers. So they have to fight with their weaker soldiers while also forbidding them from grouping. It is sure to slow the siege massively."


    Eldrian summarized, partly from what he had learned from Silver''s ryed messages and his own understanding ofbat and assumptions of what the magic towers are capable of.


    "Then, the rush is the danger that they might conquer a magic tower?"


    "Bingo, if they can, they can turn it on the others, or maybe they can only disable it? Once one falls it might be like a domino effect. Regardless, an entire part of the city will no longer be defendable, and quite possibly the orcs might find a weakness."


    ''Though, if that is the case the capture of the previous cities should have already given them that insight.'' Eldrian also found it curious that the orcs were inside the city proper, past the inner walls, yet they had not conquered the city.


    It was strange that they would manage to push the soldiers off the walls, but fail to push further. Granted, Eldrian was not sure how long the situation had been as is.


    ...


    "He''s here." Silver said, Eldrian sending the message in the guild chat.


    "Well, what are we waiting for then?" The deputy mayor, Upam, asked.


    "He''lle to us." Silver said and as everyone wanted to start to argue about leaving their lifeline to his own fate, Silver rified. "He stated that if you were to abandon your posts, he will write the city of as lost and return."


    The deration chilled everyone, making them quiet down and refocus on what was actually happening in the siege. Quickly, they stopped simply discussing things and started getting to work to ensure they would survive this ordeal.


    ***


    Looking at the guild chat, Eldrian smiled. It was chaotic with the mission going on and all, but ncing there allowed Eldrian to also confirm if things were going smoothly or not.


    It seems that Evale had already used two of the mana crystals bombs, killing thergest groupings of the undead. She was on her way to thest group, the rest were taking it slow while waiting for her return. In case something went wrong they needed the security that Evale provided.


    Next, he looked at his map. The scanning of the surroundings took a massive chunk of his XP. Luckily, he was over a billion in the current level, three billion to the next. So there was nearly no danger of losing a level as long as he did not use the system recklessly. Gaining one was nearly as difficult.


    ''Mmm, seems that indeed the orcs can''t group. I assume therge bundled of enemies are weaker types of goblins who serve near no purpose. I don''t think goblin knights and shamans are being sacrificed.''


    Naturally, Eldrian made sure of his assumption. The cost of observing a single group was eptable for him to get a clearer picture. 500XP per identification was not bad, part of him wondered if he should use it on the entire city.


    However, the city regarding both defendants and attackers was around half a million entities. So to identify everyone would cost 250 million XP, ''Yeah, let''s hold off...''


    While affordable and also within an eptable range, Eldrian did not feel like there was a need to expend a quarter of the XP in his current level.


    While he held off on just identifying the entire city, he realized that he could use it far more than he had been thus far. Observing a few more groups, Eldrian confirmed his hypothesis.


    ''I see. It appears that Tier 5 is the limit of orcs inside the city. And none of them have a unique status... Maybe no orcs can pass Tier 5 and still be un-unique?''


    ''I mean you really have to suck if you can''t be ssified as a veteran after passing Tier 5. Especially in orc culture where no one just sits back and trains to be stronger, they all fight to earn strength.''


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 604 - Difficulty With The Locals

    Eldrian''s thoughts on the orcs didn''t matter much. The identification however proved that the orcs in the city were not that big of a deal. One of the strongest ones near the tower was certainly a tough bastard, but Eldrian felt he could deal with the orc just fine.


    [Igigh - Orc {Follower of Kugbu}, Tier 5, Level 25]


    [HP: 1441]


    [Stamina: 1540]


    [Attack: 102 (30)]


    [A normal orc, one who is either young or incapable. Having never proven themselves in their lives they are sent to the front. Not as a form of punishment but rather as a way to prove themselves.]


    [It is considered a gift to be in the vanguard. A chance to earn the right to be called a warrior.]


    ''Still a tough bastard,'' Eldrian sighed, he was certain he would win considering that this orc wasn''t even an orc warrior ss. However, it having over a thousand health and being one of the most basic, if Tier 5, that was worrying.


    Eldrian wasn''t even sure if piercing its heart with Crystoi would kill it. He assumed it would incapacitate it, hopefully. But with all their race attributes, Eldrian couldn''t be certain.


    ''I know I always simply went for vitals, but orcs aren''t that easy to kill... Do they have only one heart? Does certain injuries disable their regeneration? I might need to get some poison magic or poison oil or something, if it exists...''


    As Eldrian was considering all this, one of the three mages responsible for managing the magic tower finally reached the bottom. Naturally, there were ways for the mayor -or in this case deputy- to contact the magic towers.


    The mage stopped and looked at Eldrian in confusion, who returned a simr stare of confusion. Alternating between the centaur and the stairs, Eldrian decided to not ask questions. But the mage had some for him.


    "You''re the one they sent?" The centaur hmphed in a dismissingly way. He had used Observe but stopped going through the information after seeing that Eldrian was just Tier 4. A very dumb mistake to make.


    The centaur didn''t even realize that Eldrian wasn''t alone. Granted, Ceph was kind of hidden behind Eldrian as he was waiting for Eldrian to finish his thoughts. While curious, Ceph didn''t want to interrupt Eldrian too early.


    Turning to the centaur, Eldrian frowned seeing his attitude.? "Yeah, I''m the one. You just need to open the door for us, I already confirmed, there are a total of fifteen orcs in the area waiting. But they are not close enough to slip by before you can close the door again."


    "I thought you came to help, not get yourself killed!" The mage hmphed again, ignoring the ''us'' part.


    The centaur had no idea how Eldrian could know the number of orcs, and it was four times as many as they were aware of. He believe Eldrian was just spewing words to appear grand.


    "We''ll be fine, if you open at my signal we will be able to slip past with ease," Eldrian said, believing that if he used Nova but without the mana crystal it should be a good diversion.


    The mage shook his head, "No, I can''t allow you to be so reckless. If that is how you want to act, then rather just leave the cannon here."


    "You think you have any right to order me around?" Eldrian stared at the centaur, however, the mage did not back down. ''Should I just knock him out? No, I need him or one of the others to deactivate the defenses.''


    Truly though, the guy was nothing inparison to the orcs. While he was also Tier 5, the difference was like night and day.


    [Lethius - Centaur (Mage), Tier 5, Level 27]


    [HP: 224]


    [Mana: 885]


    [Magic attack: 378-752 (100-200)]


    [Lethius has been tasked with ensuring the stable operation of the northeastern magic tower, along with two other mages.]


    ''Mmm, his health is nothing but his attack is decent. But what is with that pathetic amount of mana?'' Suddenly, Eldrian felt much better about his personal stats. While he hadn''t received the thirty thousand mana points he wanted, he was close to four thousand MP at least.


    Naturally, since it was rude, Eldrian did not look at everyone''s stats. If he had, he would be shocked that he even had more than three times as much mana as Evale.


    Curious, Eldrian wondered if he could gather more information on Lethius as he had with the Vodi. Concentrating for a bit, he was shocked when it actually seeded.


    [Stamina: 204]


    [Attack: 50 (35)]


    [Constitution: 204 | Strength: 144 | Agility: 210 | Spirit: 354 | Intelligence: 378]


    Eldrian was surprised that their stats were kind of close. Eldrian had suspected that he would far outss Lethius. Granted, outside of spirit and intelligence he did. Especially his agility, which was almost twice Lethius''s.


    {Eldrian''s attributes (still Tier 4)- Constitution: 311 | Strength: 267 | Agility: 398 | Spirit: 311 | Intelligence: 327}


    ''Oh, right, I still haven''t reached Tier 4 in melee, plus the manawork hasn''t finished whatever is taking it. Still, I''m shocked that my intelligence and spirit are lower. though in the other three...''


    Eldrian was still confident that he would be able to deal with the orcs just fine, after all his agility was twice Lethius''s and he assumed he would have at least a 100 on the orcs since he had focused near all his free attributes into it, a total of 110 points thus far in agility.


    (Having a 100 agility one someone would mean he was 25% faster and also more agile - capable of quick movement alterations and better control.)


    Unlike NPCs, Eldrian did not have a cast time with basic spells. Runic casting took some time, but he simply needed to prep beforehand. Thus, even though Lethius had more intelligence than him and thus better damage on his spells, Eldrian doubted Lethius would be able to make effective use of it unless protected.


    "Listen, I know I''ll be able to deal with the orcs. Just open the door so we can leave." Eldrian said, turning irritated. At this point, Ceph had be tired of the fruitless argument.


    "We can just head up and leave that way." Ceph starting to move past the mage without a care.


    "Hah! Brilliant!" Eldrian soon found how Lethius was able to climb the stairs, they were not the normal short stairs that were created for humans. Rather, the stairs had far more length to them, while being a bit higher too. Actually making it difficult to climb for Eldrian who wasn''t the tallest.


    "Wai- What!?" Rushing after them, poor Lethius was at a loss for words. He hadn''t even noticed Ceph until now, and now he was wondering just why a kid had joined this mission.


    "Are you crazy? You will die if you jump from the top!" Lethius shouted, but the two ignored him and continued on.


    "Are they- What are you doing?!" Another centaur who had been searching for a clumped group of enemies suddenly turned and tried to stop Eldrian who was about to step off the edge.


    "This will be the fastest," Eldrian replied, it also handily removed the need to deal with the orcs. Hopefully, there weren''t any flying enemies. Though, if there were they would have certainly aimed for the magic towers.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 605 - Cephs Beastly Stats

    "Hey! Don''t despair!" The third centaur shouted, rushing over to themotion. Pausing he stared at the two, confused how two people could have entered the magic tower. "Wait, who are you? Are they the help? Why does he want to kill himself?"


    "Ceph." Eldrian hinted and the teen elf took on his true form, nearly giving those atop the magic tower a heart attack.


    "Should we do some counterattacking?" Ceph asked via wind magic purposefully, he didn''t like these guys and hoped he could give one of them an actual heart attack.


    "Mmmh?" Climbing atop Ceph and taking off, Eldrian thought that might be a brilliant idea. However, "Let''s first have the city confirm that we are allies. Dodging the attacks of the magic towers would be a pain."


    Nodding, Ceph turned towards the city center and started gaining speed. Before the people could even react, be they in the magic towers or on the barricades, the two hadnded near the mayor''s mansion apanied by a massive boom.


    [{Eldrian} -> {Silver} - Silver, we''re here.]


    [{Silver} - Did you have to make it so loud? My ears are ringing.] Silverined while informing the deputy.


    Climbing off Ceph who quickly returned to his elven form, the two looked at the guards who were rushing to surround them.


    "We''re allies, use Observe." Eldrian calmly ordered. Naturally, ever since he had be mayor Eldrian had stopped hiding his titles. They helped give his words even more weight. Allowing him to take better control of things.


    How Lethius had used Observe and not seen them was beyond Eldrian. Seeing the stunned faces surrounding him, Eldrian assumed these guys did not ignore them like Lethius. So things should go smoothly.


    While waiting, Eldrian was curious, ''Ceph, is it okay if I peek at your stats?''


    ''Go ahead, I''m also curious what yours are at currently.''


    Nodding, Eldrian focused on Ceph, finding after a moment that he could actually use their connection as Zoe partners. Ceph needed to give permission, once that was done -and Eldrian did the same- it was almost like looking at his own stats.


    [Cephyphyr of Avgi (Alicorn - Mythical Beast) {Elven form}]


    [Level 43, Tier 4], ''Huh, is he higher level than me because I lost XP by dying? Must be... Interesting.''


    [Attributes {Elven form}- Constitution: 590 | Strength: 580 | Agility: 590 | Spirit: 620 | Intelligence: 615]


    {Eldrian''s attributes (for reference)- Constitution: 311 | Strength: 267 | Agility: 398 | Spirit: 311 | Intelligence: 327}


    ''Well... That''s like double my stats across the board. And Ceph is also still Tier 4, I guess that is a mythic beast for you. Is the Elven form lower in stats, or why is it repeatedly stated?''


    [Stats {Elven form} - HP: 2489 | Mana: 5115 | Stamina: 2544], ''Must be lowered, but by how much?''


    {Eldrian''s stats - HP: 816 | Mana: 3722 | Stamina: 1657}


    ''And good, with that much HP he should be able to survive- Uh? Oh that''s useful!'' Eldrian regretted that he hadn''t tried to experiment with what their link could further give him before. Granted, a lot had happened, constantly.


    He now had this little UI of Ceph''s Health, stamina, and mana in the corner of his vision. After a few seconds it disappeared, all that he needed to do to let it reappear was to think about it. Certainly, a nice addition to see if Ceph needed help or not.


    While Eldrian wanted to dive even deeper, at this time the city deputy mayor had rushed out of his manor.


    "Sir Eldrian! I am eternally grateful for your help." Upam shouted as soon as he left his manor. Seeing him actually rushing and lowering himself to show his gratitude shocked everyone surrounding the two.


    "Let us hope it is not for naught," Eldrian replied, shaking the offered hand and following the centaur into the mansion.


    ...


    While Eldrian was talking with Upam to get a grasp of the situation, Ceph and Silver had taken over the duty of managing the cannons. Or more specifically, Ceph was hunting orcs and Silver was managing the cannons.


    Watching Ceph''s mana and stamina that was constantly fluctuating, but his HP staying full, Eldrian was not too worried. Though he did throw an eye to it every few seconds during the meeting.


    "I see, so you are unable to optimally use the magic towers due to being unable to enter the control room?" It seemed that one of these optimizations was to change the focus of the magic tower fromrge single AOE to smaller multi AOE spells.


    Eldrian had no idea why such a handy function was locked behind bureaucracy, but s it was. The use of a city-wide barrier also came from this room, which caused Eldrian to sigh upon learning.


    If they were able to activate it, they might be able to clear and retake the city in the time it takes the orcs to destroy the barrier.


    "Yes, it is unfortunate that we were not conferred the password. I suspect that it was done so, and our pleas are being ignored, since the kingdom does not want to give the incident a ghost''s chance of repeating."


    "Incident?"


    "Have you not heard?"


    "No, we have not heard much of anything. News has stopped flowing since trade overnd has almost disappeared." Eldrian replied, it was one of the hardest hits on any city. And was arge part why they had relied so heavily on the yers to supply Kynigo with food first, and materials after.


    "Ites from the fact that the previous mayor of Amrough had been caught by surprise and was unable to flee before the city fell..."


    Eldrian already got it just from that, but he let Upam exin the story.


    "They tortured him and in the end he gave them everything they needed. It is not certain if this is factual, but it makes sense. And the problem remains, they have full control of Amrough."


    Eldrian nodded, he understood the reason but he still felt that the magic towers themselves should have more control over their usage. At least allow them to switch between attack types.


    "Due to this, all the mayors of cities have been ordered to retreat once the city''s outer walls have fallen."


    ''Pros, I guess you are even more of a badass than I thought. That''s treason, isn''t it?'', "But let me guess, not everyone is given that chance. That''s a dangerous game."


    "Well, if we do not maintain a force, then we will be unable to stall the siege. If everyone simply ran, then soon we would run out of cities to run towards..."


    Eldrian nodded, indeed that was the case. "What about your food supply?"


    "Ah, I didn''t think you would ask. Luckily, we had a good harvest and the invasion caused us to stop trade midway. Due to that we still have enough for a few months. And with the rate of losses, it might evenst a year. Though-"


    "I am truly d to hear it." Eldrian tried to keep his voice neutral, but he suspected he might have failed.? "How about weapons?" He asked, already wondering if he could arrange a deal for food.


    "That is not as big a problem as people who can wield them. At this point we have magic weapons gathering dust."


    "I see, we have a simr situation." It wasn''t quite as bad in Kynigo, but a few more battles and it might be.


    Their talk continued for an hour, Eldrian also met with the useful nobles. Having made it clear that he did not want to waste any time.


    Once this was done, he left the city and moved towards the front lines. It was about halfway to the center of the city, makeshift walls made from debris covering the city.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 606 - A Reminder Of Friends Unseen

    ''I still don''t get why the orcs didn''t push with all their forces after destroying the walls.'' It was hard to see from here, but the inner wall was painted with destruction. Every few meters it had beenpletely destroyed.


    Looking towards his map, Eldrian frowned. ''Wait, why is the orc army so- Weak?''


    Using his map''s inspection function, Eldrian quickly concluded that this was not the main army. And suddenly it all made sense.


    ''Fucking bastards!''


    [{Eldrian} -> {Elizabeth} - Orcs are on the move, I am not sure where. Diades is only surrounded by a skeleton force to keep them upied. I''ll scoutter after settling things.]


    [{Elizabeth} - What should we do?]


    Eldrian could feel the hopelessness in her reply, for what could they do if the army was actually heading for Kynigo? They needed time, and it seemed it was not something they were ever going to be given. The hope was that this was not the case.


    [{Eldrian} - Stay on alert, inform the others. Especially Evale and Aspen. Continue to deal with the undead, have Mist inform the dwarves that we are not sure where the enemy''s main force is. Try to contact Myropsis.]


    ''Ceph?''


    ''Yes?''


    ''It appears that the orcs are not wasting their time, we need to do something drastic.''


    ''You mean?''


    ''Yeah, meet me at the main road going south. I want to test my new strength a bit before going.''


    Jumping over the barricade, Eldrian ignored the shouts from the hiding centaurs and moved forward without a care. A group of goblins were on their way and he wanted to test a few things. The first was runic traps.


    Moving forward far enough to not put friendlies in range of the explosion, Eldrian paused and quickly added the runes making up Nova onto the road.


    After which he disappeared into the ruined buildings to the nearest group of orcs who were moving through the buildings. Looking for people who are stuck or who have been abandoned. A few friendlies were also dotted throughout the abandoned ruins of the city.


    {"Found you!"} A strange shout filled the air filled with terrified screams of a young girl.


    ''Let''s see, do you die from this?'' Eldrian questioned, thrusting his spear through the orc''s heart from the back. He had made sure to control his strength so he didn''t end up killing the girl too.


    The orc dropped the girl and slowly tried to turn to face Eldrian, who noted that it was not enough to kill an orc. Eldrian was unsure if it survived due to its race''s abilities, its armor, or his controlling his strength-- likely they all contributed.


    The fact that it could survive was important as it meant that simply piercing the heart would not be an instant kill.


    [Vlog- Orc {Follower of Kugbu}, Tier 4, Level 19]


    [HP: 98/619 (+2.5)]


    [Stamina: 721/786 (-5)]


    [Attack: 62(26)]


    ''Huh, that did far less damage than I thought it would.'' Eldrian jumped back and dodged the rage-filled wide sweeping attack from the orc.


    ''Let''s see, can I get some more info?'' Concentrating on the orc and trying to glean as much information as possible, Eldrian dodged a flurry of blows until he finally seeded with what he wanted.


    ''Hah! Sess.''


    What Eldrian had wanted to do was see if he could also see an enemy''s statistics in full. While the exnations and all were nice, he wanted to have a better understanding of the distribution of the orc''s attributes.


    Even if it could only be used as a guideline, it would help him know what the enemy was likely specialized in.


    [Vlog - Orc {Follower of Kugbu}, Tier 4, Level 19]


    [HP: 163/619 (+2.5)]


    [Stamina: 460/786 (-5)]


    [Mana: 20/120]


    [Attack: 124 {52}) ]


    ''Oh, he upped his damage, and doubled it at that! Impressive.'' Eldrian mumbled as he deflected the orc''s attack and at the same time let the trap he had ced on the road finally do its magic as the goblins and orcs guiding them were right in its range.


    The explosion could be heard far and wide, while it was not near as impressive as an attack from the magic towers, it certainly shocked everyone nearby.


    ''Wow, 5M XP! That is actually quite lucrative.'' Eldrian mumbled as he kept dodging the orc''s attacks and inspected the rewards individually. ''I see, so the goblins are only Tier 1 and 2, truly just fodder. Lol, they only gave me like 3k XP total.''


    ''But these Tier 5 orcs, 2M each. They are worth hunting then... Oops, how did I be so rxed?''


    The orc Eldrian had been fighting had now regained almost a hundred more HP. But that didn''t matter as Eldrian was tired of the charade. Slipping past the following blow, Eldrian thrust his spear through the orcs head. Killing it in one, Eldrian doubted much could survive such an attack.


    ''Head is likely still vital, heart might be semi-vital. It is entirely possible that the orcs can use their mana, or possible stamina, to keep their blood flowing. It makes sense considering their regeneration and high constitution base, plus magic.''


    ''Though, it is important to note that even the head might be semi-vital at some point. Especially for devils and demons and their aptitude with soul magic. Assuming the body of theirs is simr to our avatars... I''ll be careful.''


    ''As for your attributes, heavily focused on constitution and strength. Makes sense,'' Eldrian nodded, it was to be exact [Constitution: 268 | Strength: 240 | Agility: 190 | Spirit: 120 | Intelligence: 105]


    Seeing its abysmally low spirit and intelligence, Eldrian realized that much like the Vodi, mind magic would be amazing against them. s, he knew none.


    ''I should really learn some type of illusion magic. Casting it against an orc army might be highly useful in a siege.''


    ''Eldrian, you still busy?'' Came Ceph''s voice.


    ''Ah, I''ll be there in a moment.'', "Are you hurt?" Eldrian knelt next to the terrified girl, so stuck in fear she had not even managed to get up after the orc had dropped her.


    Shaking her head no while looking at Eldrian in fear, Eldrian sighed. ording to her animalistic ears, she was some type of demi-human. Though Eldrian couldn''t even hazard a guess due to how dirty he was.


    Just to make sure, he checked her stats and indeed she wasn''t hurt. Only a few HP lost, her stamina on the other hand was terrible. She was in fact a kitsune, fox-type beastkin. Eldrian froze as he recalled a kitsune who had saved his life, long ago.


    Truly, she might have really saved his life as Milgoroth''s assassination along with his soul attacks might have killed Eldrian for real. ''Is Kohaku still alive?'' He wondered, not having seen her since returning. He also hadn''t seen Kydone, ''I hope they''re alright.''


    Shaking off the sadness from the fact that they might not be, Eldrian moved to the little girl. "Come with me, I''ll take you-" Eldrian stopped as she shook her head no, viciously. "Why not?"


    "Mommy... Daddy..."


    Eldrian turned to his map, sadly there weren''t any friendly people within a few blocks of here. "I''m sure they are fine and looking for you." After a bit of persuading, Eldrian managed to get her to willinge after him.


    Their return was smooth as he used the map to avoid any of the other orcs.


    AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.

 Chapter 607 - Kugbus Stats

    Ceph raised an eyebrow upon seeing Eldrian return with a little girl, ignoring that, Eldrian quickly filled him in on the details further. The nearby centaurs couldn''t believe what Eldrian was saying and wanted to argue, but Eldrian quickly shut them up when he pointed to the explosion he had caused.


    Recalling that he had indeed done something in the road before moving into the ruined district, they kept quiet. Afraid at what else he had hidden up his sleeve.


    After all, he had killed a group of orcs they would have had a tough time defending against. While this group was stronger than the one Silver had encountered, they only had three Tier 5''s. Luckily, their equipment was also quite good, so they should be able to survive.


    "Is this true?" Upam asked, unable to believe what Eldrian had just told him.


    "It seems to be the case. There might still be a chieftain, or possibly a warlordmanding the army. All the orcs I inspected are followers of Kugbu."


    "If I''m not mistaken... It should be that orc." Bennidict the catkin interposed, his words causing a few of those in the room to turn nk.


    "Warlord?" Eldrian asked.


    "Thankfully not, if he was he could simply march into the city and capture it alone." Upam wiped the sweat from his brow from the idea of an orc warlord being behind the army. They were truly monsters, far too strong to be ssed as a normal enemy.


    Granted, if a Warlord tried it the magic towers would focus on him. If they were able to hit, it would likely kill the Warlord. If they failed tond a hit...


    "No, it is a chieftain..." Upam rified after calming down, having recalled the destruction an orc warlord had caused on the outer walls. Where it had been free to rampage as they are outside the range of the magic towers.


    Instead of waiting for them to share what limited knowledge they knew and their fears, Eldrian decided to use his inspection function to search for the orc. He also quickly fiddled to see and make use of a marker system.


    With the skeleton force, the orcs were unable to fully surround the city. Instead, they had scouting parties moving between their camps, which were settled in the old barracks of the outer wall, located near the gatehouses. A total of four camps, the numbers in each not equally distributed.


    The orcs used the walls as patrol paths, and there were even sentries posted on the towers that still stood. Out of curiosity, Eldrian had inspected a few of them. It seemed that these ones were all quite strong, likely having some range abilities.


    The orcs'' intent was clearly to ensure that no one could enter or exit the city. While teleportation was still in y thanks to the magic towers, this still heavily increased the pressure on the city for sure.


    Eldrian assumed that the chieftain wouldn''t be moving in the patrols and didn''t think it would be in one of the towers, thus he focused his search on the barracks. When he finally found him, Eldrian was a little stunned.


    ''Well, fuck...''


    [Kugbu - Orc Chieftain (Elite) {Follower of Wrug}, Tier 6, Level 38]


    [HP: 9281]


    [Stamina: 7734]


    [Mana: 1022]


    [Attack: 666 (67)]


    [Magic Attack: 416-832(100-200)]


    While Eldrian couldn''t get the attribute distribution from this inspection function, the attack values clearly indicated just how strong this orc was, and his intelligence would be nearly as high. His HP was naturally absurd.


    ''Okay, so annihting the orc army is not possible- At least not safely...'' Eldrian sighed, going for the leader would be near impossible. The chieftain was even surrounded by orc warriors, all of whom were elite ss. Likely his personal Warband.


    There were three Tier 6 orc warriors and seven Tier 5''s in this group of his. The Tier 6''s had around 8000 health, while the Tier 5''s had only 2500.


    ''Yeah, jumps in growth above Tier 5 is massive.'' Eldrian confirmed. By the way, the strongest person in the defense of the city was only Tier 6, and they had nowhere near the quality of items to allow them to face even the Tier 6 orc warriors, or so Eldrian assumed looking at the attack stats.


    The chieftain would walk over anyone who tried to face him.


    Eldrian had curiously started picking up that monsters of all types had higher stats than NPCs. He assumed the gap would be closed through items, but he was not sure just how the monsters couldn''t increase it even more with those same items.


    Back to the orc chieftain. Part of Eldrian naturally wanted to test what dropping the cannonballs onto his barracks would do. Especially if he added novas worth all his mana to it.


    ''Surely I can get some information on the cannonballs, right?'' He felt asking for details on Nova might be hard since he wasn''t sure if runic magic was supported by his unique system, but the cannonball was an item. Albeit not something native to the world.


    It took a moment but it worked.


    [Cannonball - Tier 5 - Durability 1000]


    [Damage: 5000]


    [Fire damage: 50 [FD/s]]


    [A cannonball equipped with an advanced array, ensuring that it would not explode before intended.]


    ''Maybe... Just maybe.'' Eldrian shook his head, it wasn''t really worth the risk of putting Ceph and himself on the frontlines, alone. Though, if he targeted the army first then it would alert the chieftain of their ability.


    "Ceph, what do you think?" Eldrian asked, sharing the details with him through their mind link.


    "Mmm, it''s risky considering we don''t know his abilities." Ceph clearly recalled thest time they had fought the orcs. While they could likely use the dive attack with either Crystoi or the cannonballs to kill the chieftain... If they could survive the aftermath was uncertain.


    It might turn out just as thest time had, and Ceph did not wish for that to happen.


    It wasn''t like these orcs would have their backs towards them either. While they might bex, they are sure to have some level of alert. Being able tounch the attack without being spotted would be difficult.


    "What are you-?" Upam asked but decided to stop as he saw the two frown.


    "And the local orcs?" Eldrian asked.


    "They''re not a big deal, right?"


    "Yeah, we should be able to clean them up." Turning to the deputy Eldrian asked, "Do you know why they didn''t simply capture the city?"


    "We presume it is because they didn''t want to increase their losses. It is by sheer luck that our magic towers were able to repel their aerial assaults, at heavy costs... Thanks to that we were able to annihte all clustered groups entering the city. After which, they withdrew and the state devolved into this..."


    Eldrian nodded, he still didn''t get why something of the rank of a warlord simply didn''t walk in and kill everyone. ''Erring on the side of caution? Maybe they feared the teleportation of elites surrounding their leader. It is sure to be a massive loss...''


    Eldrian suspected that this must be the case, it would also exin why the cities were able tost so long. It all depended on when the magic towers, and all the versatility they offered, were lost.


    The orcs didn''t have infinite numbers, thus they also had to consider their losses and proceed with cautions. This was great news, albeit not the best as it seemed they still vastly outnumbered the centaurs.


    AN: Hello everyone, I want to specifically thank everyone who votes for ANW daily.. It is greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 608 - The Counterattack Begins

    "Right, then I guess our first task will be to start counterattacking. Upam, you should focus on keeping the line for now. I''ll inform Silver when you can start sending relief to those who had been caught in the ruins of the city."


    "Once we start this, the orcs might finally pull the trigger, however..." Eldrian looked at the map again, not wanting surprises he decided to go all in. Ignoring the allies, he used his inspection function on all the enemies within range of the city.


    This cost him just shy of 45 million XP, but it was certainly worth it. Scanning through the list, Eldrian noted all the dangerous enemies. ''Also possible that the map function might miss ones with special items or abilities.''


    ''But this at least shows that we have a chance.''


    All in all, the orcs had the following numbers of importance: A thousand orc warriors, all above Tier 5, around a hundred who were Tier 6. Some had higher statistics, likely also having range abilities. Eldrian noted these specifically as dangerous targets.


    Of the rest, there were around another thousand who were elites but only orcs. A few thousand veterans. The former was a mix of Tier 4 and 5''s, and thetter of Tier 3, 4, and 5.


    Then there were also three shamans, each being in a different barracks. Two Tier 5, and one Tier 6.


    [Agrob - Orc Shaman (Elite) {Follower of Wrug}, Tier 6, Level 41], Eldrian noted that Agrob was not a follower of Kugbu, which might mean that there was a possible power dynamic going on.


    [HP: 3493]


    [Stamina: 3569]


    [Mana: 3138]


    ''Solid stats, dangerous...''


    [Attack: 276 (80)]


    [Magic Attack (Average Tier 6 spell) : 1400 (188)]


    ''Crap, truly dangerous. Assuming the shaman can cast in just a few seconds, it can spell our death. And even in melee, it will put up a good fight.'' Eldrian had just about the same damage with Crystoi, allowing him to presume that the Shaman had at least a Tier 5 weapon.


    This in itself was dangerous, as it would also have unique abilities of significant power. It might also allow the shaman to increase its spell casting in some ways.


    Eldrian thanks his lucky stars that he had decided to go all out with the inspection function. Not knowing of them -and specifically of Agrob- could have led to a devastating disaster.


    ''Still, while there are a number of strong orcs, the army itself iscking. Outside of themanders and their followers,'' Eldrian had noted that Agrob had a total of 36 followers, four of whom were orc warriors, ''The orc army isn''t that strong.''


    Of course, only Eldrian could think like that. To Silver, even the Tier 4 orcs would be hard to defeat. She would likely win, but only in a one versus one and if she approached the fight with a n. If she didn''t act with care, she would not be able to survive, not to mention winning.


    ''Well, they are going to regret leaving them with so few elites.'' Eldrian naturally wasn''t referencing the orc ss, but rather people of the chieftain''s or shaman''s levels. Just 4, they couldn''t be everywhere. And they would be the targets of the magic towers should they dare step too close.


    Grinning, Eldrian started feeling hyped. It was like this army was customized just to be at his level, maybe a bit above. But those in the city should offer him some goodbat experience while not being too big a risk.


    Naturally, it was actually the other way around, he had finally reached a level of strength where not everyone was stronger than him.


    Upam finally decided to interrupt Eldrian who was deep in concentration. Ceph had already left to go hunting. "Sir Eldrian?" It had taken Upam some time to wrap his head around what Eldrian had said moments before.


    "Ah, apologies, I was just inspecting the situation.", ''Ceph, remember to be careful. There are probably around a hundred or two hundred orcs in total who might be able to stand against you, stat-wise.''


    Eldrian added thetter since Ceph with his natural dynamic casting should be able to fight above his belt. Still, he wanted Ceph to be careful and not get cocky.


    "Right, we will start clearing the orcs now. Hold out for a bit longer." Leaving the stunned centaurs and single catkin to their confusion, Eldrian contacted Silver to inform her of the news.


    [{Silver} - Are you serious?]


    The reply came a number of secondster, Silver having needed to retype it a number of times as she simply couldn''t ept that this was the new situation. It was supposed to be a tough battle, every inch of ground gained through the cost of blood!


    The cannons were supposed to be the central point, not Eldrian!


    [{Eldrian} - Yes, the orcs inside the city are all within our ability to handle. They areparable to Unwilling undead, not too difficult, but still dangerous. Stay with the NPCs and keep the line, actually. Contact Elizabeth and organize another thirteen cannons, three inner and ten outers. Also, outer cannon ammo, and one annihtion.]


    Silver hadn''t replied even by the time Eldrian had crossed the barricade again. She was stuck reading the message over and over again, it seemed like Eldrian had already concluded how everything would progress going forward.


    ''Right, time to get my XP back... And help those trapped!'' Eldrian added thetter quickly to his mumbling, the situation had simply turned out so much simpler that his thoughts kept creeping back to that of a yer''s.


    Naturally, the orcs who were alone stood no chance against him. He normally caught them unprepared with a swift beheading. After some time Eldrian got bored of this. Though he persevered to make sure those hiding nearby would be safe.


    ''Right, most people should be safe. Time to move to some experimentation.'' Next, Eldrian started using differentbinations of runes to try and see what was the most effective.


    Nova was certainly a go too, but it used far too much mana and took nearly ten seconds to prep. Eldrian wanted something quick but deadly.


    Time passed quickly, night rolling in as Eldrian sighed in disappointment.? s, it seemed that he did not know many effective runes.


    Of the books Two had gone through, many mentioned simr runes andbinations. While Eldrian had basically robbed the magic association''s entire library of their books on runes, these were all books mostly avable to the public.


    Eldrian didn''t have any books of masters, those were naturally kept by either the master himself, his descendants, or apprentices. Eldrian had already noticed this before when he had found that he didn''t even know half the runes the dwarves were using, back when he was visiting the floating smithy.


    ''Mmm, I''m curious. I can mix mageia and runic, what about spell modules too?''


    Looking at the three orcs busy grilling something on a fire made from random debris, Eldrian felt it was a good chance to test it. ''Let''s see, for now, a Tier 4 amplification rune along with my... Why not try the Tier 5 variant of Frost Needle?''


    Unlike all the Tiers before where it was a single target spell, at Tier 5 it became a rain of deadly icicles. It was called Chal¨¢zi p¨¢gou.


    ''Mmm, but I''ve never tried to cast or even envision it.'' Pausing, Eldrian recalled the structure of the spell module. A task in itself that was quite momentous.


    AN: Hello everyone, I want to specifically thank everyone who votes for ANW daily.. It is greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 609 - Tier 5?

    ''Right, it was like that, and that. Yes,bining the previous Tiers, it is almost like abination of them all...'' After a few minutes, Eldrian felt like he had managed to recall the module and its first two derivations, though he wasn''t nning on using the derivations.


    Naturally, with his research, he had also nced a bit at higher Tier spells. But with everything that was going on Eldrian hadn''t focused much on this. It was why he felt he just needed some time to practice and he would make some massive strides.


    ''Okay, so, I''ve got the module. Now the mana.'' Thanks to all the practice over the past few months, Eldrian had massively improved his mana control. He fed it slowly to the spell module, which at first rejected the offered mana.


    Eldrian then quickly altered thebination of water and darkness, slowly finding that something else was missing too. So he added some wind mana and also a speck of ether in the end.


    ''Oh, that did it?''


    Feeling that the spell module had started solidifying, Eldrian looked back at the orcs who were enjoying their feast.


    "Right, now the amplification rune." Not satisfied with simply casting a Tier 5 spell, Eldrian wanted to push it even further. After a few seconds, he felt that it would be quite apt to add the rune over the entire module. Like a bubble surrounding and empowering it.


    Envisioning it like this, he struggled a bit to keep everything perfect. Luckily, with his high stats and hours upon hours of mental training IRL- where he couldn''t do much more, he was able to keep it all perfect.


    Finally, he was ready to release his spell. With a grin, Eldrian did just that. The mana cost a little disappointingpared to Nova, it was about half the amount. Eldrian expected some good results regardless.


    Eldrian watched a cloud of ice form above the orcs, somewhat resembling the spell module in form. Each node seemed to turn into an icicle, and death rained down on the orcs. As this happened, Eldrian got four system notifications, two he had not expected at all.


    [340k XP gained]


    [New spell created: Please name the spell]


    [Category, Runic-Determined, Ice-Wheather, Tier 5], up till now Eldrian had assumed that runic magic wasn''t categorized by his personal system, thus why he didn''t have any info on Nova''s actual power.


    [You have reached Tier 5!], This however was the most shocking message.


    ''Umm, what?'' Eldrian''s attention was immediately drawn to thetter, opening it to see what it said he also paused and checked his manawork. It seems to have suddenly grown a bit more solid, but it was still notpleted.


    This was confirmed when Eldrian read the system messages.


    [Tier 5 spell has been cast sessful, Magic ss has reached Tier 5]


    [Error, error, error... Recalcting, re-evaluating, reforming], ''Umm...''


    [yer, Eldrian, has reached Tier 5.]


    [Growth from Tier 5 will be gained over the course of a few days - Current, 0,005...%]


    [Growth - Constitution: 20 | Strength: 10 | Agility: 40 | Spirit: 80 | Intelligence: 80]


    ''Really?'' Sighing, Eldrian turned to the spell instead.


    [Unnamed spell (Chal¨¢zi p¨¢gou - variant): Runic-Determined, Ice-Wheather, Tier 5]


    [Cost: 312MP]


    [Damage: 178 (54.6)]


    [Frost Damage: 40 (12.5)]


    [Cast time: 15-35 seconds]


    [Duration: 12 seconds]


    [Description: Countless extremely cold and sharp icicles are formed, which are then elerated and directed at the target. Each icicle deals damage equal to 178 Ice Damage (54.6), chilling on contact giving another 40 Frost Damage (12.5) for three seconds, slowing the target''s movement.]


    ''Umm...'' Eldrian turned to the destruction where he had used the spell, there were easily over a hundred icicles. While the area it covered had only been three meters, the damage potential was simply insane.


    It seemed to be far more effective than Nova, though the concentration to cast it was also much much more demanding. On the flip, the mana requirement was far less.


    Of course, due to all the things Eldrian had been concentrating on to cast the spell, he hadn''t even tried to control the spell. Imagining if he could actually take control of it, Eldrian almost started drooling. Yes, almost, most definitely almost.


    ''That is kind of insane...'' Eldrian mumbled after a few seconds, secretly wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth.


    He immediately started thinking of how he could effectively use the spell. The first would be to spread it more, even if he couldn''t increase the number of icicles. If he could increase the area and control some of the falling icicles, it would be a truly deadly spell.


    ''However, if something has a high MR rating... Or an ability like my {Shield}, it can be almostpletely negated...'' Eldrian understood well that a barrier could also stop the spell too, and the cast time even for him was way too long.


    ''Might be able to shorten it with practice... Might even to skip, maybe not...'' Considering theplexity of imagining the effects of the spell, using the spell module might be easier.


    Dropping it, Eldrian decided it was time to move on. So he continued his assault on the poor orcs who were alone searching through the ruins for survivors.


    ...


    It was now dusk, the sky an ominous red as the sun slowly hid behind the horizon.


    Eldrian stopped and looked at his map and the group of orcs ahead. Thus far he hadn''t really been able to test his limits.


    Even a Tier 5 orcs wasn''t a good match, those Eldrian had fought thus was far were simply too slow. He could easily run circles around their 200-250 agility, and while they were stronger than him, it was not to a degree to matter since they almost never locked des.


    This however might be a bit too much.


    Eldrian was keenly aware of this and he didn''t want to push himself past his limits. He simply wanted to find his new limits.


    ''Ceph, can youe here for a second?'' Eldrian asked, sending a teleportation offer to Ceph. Since Ceph had enough mana, he immediately came over.


    "What''s up?" Ceph asked, whileing over via running would have been more efficient mana-wise, this was faster. Though now Ceph only had a quarter of his mana left, and his regen was actually shockingly slower than Eldrian''s- whose was boosted by his items.


    It would take Ceph nearly an hour to recover the mana he had just used.


    "I want to see what my limits are, there is a group of orcs around the corner. I''m going to try and face them alone, but if I need help I want you nearby ready to act. Don''t want to end up pushing myself too far, or even end up dying."


    "That''s all?" Ceph asked as if the n was something normal.


    "Yup... Well, there is an orc warrior who managed to slip past the magic towers. It''s what I am really worried about, so be ready to rush over if it is stronger than suspected." Unfortunately, the orc warrior was inside one of the buildings, and with all the orcs hiding around the area Eldrian can''t get a line of sight to observe its stats.


    AN: Hello everyone, I would just like to thank everyone who has purchased the privilege and is supporting me through it. Thank you all so much!

 Chapter 610 - Biting Off More Than They Can Chew

    Eldrian was keenly aware that what he was doing was quite dumb, however, he wanted to test himself. Attacking from afar with magic would surely be smarter, or even better, using a cannon to st the orc warriors'' hiding spot.


    Unfortunately, thanks to the fact that the two had not run into any troubles thus far, they had slowly gotten overconfident. Assuming an orc warrior to be simr to the normal orcs.


    Where the orcs were akin to unwilling undead, the warrior was more like a true higher undead in power level. The two, unfortunately, were not aware of this. And they were going to learn it the hard way.


    As Eldrian ran around the corner, the sky appeared even more ominous as it turned to a dark red as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Thunder cracking in the distance.


    A good way away, Silver shivered as chilled ran up her spine. She didn''t believe in fate or anything, but seeing the sky she felt like something bad wasing.


    This group of orcs Eldrian wanted to face was a group of Tier 5''s, hiding in the cover of the alleyways to avoid being attacked by the magic towers. And they were a total of thirteen, including the orc warrior.


    They had been preparing to attack the nearest magic tower. Their assault would start a few hours into the night.


    Rushing out from the corner, Eldrian charged the first orc and attacked without mercy. The cover of darkness allowed him to slip past their detection until it was toote.


    Slicing the closest orc''s neck, nearly beheading it, Eldrian delivered a vicious backward thrust to another who had reacted and was charging him.


    Neither died from his first attacks, as is expected from Tier 5 orcs. Having known this would happen, Eldrian pulled out his spear and thrust the front end into the first''s heart and then cut the other''s neck with the back de. His attacks almost appeared like a graceful dance, the blood filling the air ruined that mood though.


    As the two orcs fell to the ground, the rest of the orcs roared in anger. Rushing towards Eldrian, their eyes seemed to turn red in rage. One of the orcs was shockingly fast, far faster Eldrian had through he would be, nearly catching Eldrian unable to protect himself.


    The orc warrior shed with his greatsword before any other orc even reached Eldrian. Eldrian just barely managed to block the attack, shocked greatly by not just its spreed, but also its strength. In an instant, Eldrian realized he had screwed up.


    The blow sent him nearly tumbling over one of the two dead orcs. He just barely managed to keep his bnce and sent a quick weak icicle towards the orc to try and give himself some space. Aimed at its eye.


    The orc did not care, it took the icicle without flinching. It shattered weakly, failing to even draw blood as his greatsword bore down on Eldrian.


    Eldrian realized he couldn''t block it. Even if his stance wasn''t ruined, the orc was far stronger. He would be crushed if he tried. Instead, using the force of the attack heunched himself away from this orc.


    The force however was far more than he had expected, nearly causing him to ckout as his head crashed into a nearby wall. Causing a web of cracks to form from the impact.


    ''My god- He''s strong...'' Looking up through the blood, Eldrian quickly gathered the information he had beencking. And it was shocking.


    [Vrigka- Orc Warrior (Veteran) {Follower of Kugbu}, Tier 5, Level 31]


    [HP: 2292]


    [Stamina: 2486/3008]


    [Mana: 12/308]


    [Attack: 548 (61)]


    [Attributes - Constitution: 573 | Strength: (898) 642 | Agility: (561) 401 | Spirit: 205 | Intelligence: 165]


    ''Ceph, I need you to keep this bastardpany.'' Eldrian quickly sent the message as he dived to the side to avoid the following strike. However, that opened him to the attacks of the other orcs who were now also on him.


    Forced into a corner, Eldrian activated {Shield} to buy himself some time. The orcs'' attacks still hurt, the force of the impact knocking out Eldrian''s breath repeatedly and beating him ck and blue. But the damage it did was negligible, each hit only caused him to lose ten or so HP.


    Yet, each hit also sent Eldrian flying and crashing into another attack or a nearby wall. Not giving him any time to recover and rapidly draining his mana.


    ''Jesus, orc warriors are a true step up from the normal ones.'' Eldrian mumbled as he took out a mana crystal, not having the time to use {Nova}, Eldrian instead imagined the strongest and simplest fire rune he knew.


    Throwing this into the orcs while using Kyma''s shockwave to buy himself some distance, Eldrian also activated {Turtle}, the ability of Chelona. Boosting his protection even more.


    This saved his life as a thrust from the orc warrior caused him to throw up blood. If not for the {Turtle}, Eldrian would have surely been skewered just now. The blow caused cracks to web between the w marks left from the attack of the ghoul (when Eldrian had fought in the siege).


    How he wished he had tested if he could save {Nova} in Berdevo now (his Pauldron, capable of storing a single spell up to Tier 4).


    As he was sent flying from the attack, the mana crystal exploded as Eldrian lost focus of the rune. However, it wascking. The rune upon activation only barely managed to break the crystal''s structure. And instead of it exploding out in a burst of glorious fire, it was slowly leaking.


    The fire spread, engulfing the orcs but doing little to no damage.


    Still, they jumped away from it. Trusting in Vrigka who stayed and charged, wanting to end this before the magic tower was alerted. However, his attack aimed at Eldrian''s neck was blocked by one of Ceph''s daggers.


    Shockingly, Ceph was blown away by the attack. He managed to recover far quicker than Eldrian; however, the difference in strength was quite clear.


    ''He''s strong!'' Ceph was shocked that he couldn''t simply throw the orcs to the side like when facing others.


    ''He''s an orc warrior, the difference is even greater than I calcted for.'' Eldrian replied, quickly healing his injuries and getting out of the mes which were draining his mana as it assault the membrane of protection provided by Shield.


    ''Be careful, his strength is a good 300 above your-'' Realizing that Ceph might not be able to make sense of the numbers and their meanings, Eldrian changed his tone. ''He''s almost twice as strong as you, but he is a bit slower...''


    ''Also, I think he has some spell or skill-boosting his strength and speed, it should fall off after some time. So stall.''


    While sending the information happened near-instantly, Ceph and the orc had already exchanged two more blows. Ceph gained around the same information from it as from Eldrian''s exnation.


    While Eldrian really wanted to help Ceph, the other orcs were charging them. Having realized that their boss had not finished the job and was actually still fighting, they ignored the mes and rushed forward.


    AN: Hello everyone, I would just like to thank everyone who has purchased the privilege and is supporting me through it. Thank you all so much!

 Chapter 611 - Save Him!

    ''Dumb move,'' Eldrian grinned as he summoned forth his strongest wind spell, one of the Anemos ss. Blowing the mes into the charging orcs. It shouldn''t have done much, but Eldrian also slowly fought for control of the rampant fire elements.


    Condensing it in parts, adding a few runes, and having those explode as soon as one of the orcs tried to move too close. The results of which were devastating, a minefield now separating the rest of the orcs from their boss and from Eldrian and Ceph. Eldrian had even killed two of the orcs.


    ''That should give us a few seconds, but not enough for that...'' Eldrian realized he wouldn''t have long enough to cast his new unnamed spell, certain that the orc warrior would charge him as soon as he tried.


    Slipping under the orcs greatsword, Ceph thrust both his daggers into the orc''s side. Shockingly, the orc suddenly let go of his greatsword and caught Ceph in a bear hug. Immediately starting to crush Ceph.


    The orc was forced to jump back as Eldrian''s spear just narrowly missed his neck. A thin trail of blood left in the air as everyone separated.


    ''I didn''t think he would be this strong.'' Cephmented as he wiped the blood from his mouth, that hug hade close to crushing all his ribs.


    ''Where''s your magic?''


    ''I-'' Dodging the punch, Ceph jumped and used some sort of gust spell to avoid the following kick. Eldrian just barely managed to dodge the dagger that had appeared before him in the blink of an eye.


    The orc repurposed Ceph''s daggers, the wounds healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. Normally pulling out a dagger from your side should be a bad idea, but to the orc it was nothing.


    ''Ah,'' Eldrian immediately realized how much they had fucked up.


    Ceph''s mana was near empty, the cost of teleporting having left him with less than a quarter of his mana. He also didn''t have enough time to concentrate on spells, thus he had to constantly use simple quick spells to keep himself alive.


    At this time, the fire elements had finally calmed down and the minefield was copsing quickly. It hadn''t even held for five seconds. ''I really thought I could manage this, but-''


    Eldrian''s thoughts were interrupted as a greatsword slipped through his side, Chelona (his breastte) could no longer withstand the punishment.


    The web of cracks from the previous attacks quickly spread to the new contact zone. Falling apart as the greatsword burst through his side.


    Naturally, with Chelona''s destruction {Shield} was also immediately dispelled. As were {Turtle}, which was actually the cause for Eldrian''s inability to dodge the attack. While it greatly increased his defenses, it also slowed him. And that slow debuff had caused him to be unable to dodge.


    Gritting his teeth, Eldrian wanted to curse. s, the pain was so great that it took all his willpower to not lose focus.


    Jumping back, the greatsword cut through him as it slipped. Luckily, Eldrian was fast enough to stop the orc from simply pushing the sword towards his heart. Certainly, the orc was strong enough to need any momentum to cut Eldrian in half.


    The escape brought his HP down to below a hundred. His vision blurring, he could feel his life slipping away. Having no choice, Eldrian used the spell he always kept saved in Berdevo. A divine Tier 4 healing spell.


    Along with it he pushed down summoned mes against his wound. Scarring his entire side. Stuffing his screams, Eldrian managed to stabilize himself at around two hundred health. In this time five orcs had surrounded him and their attacks were falling down.


    Ceph was doing his all to dodge all the attacks aimed at him. s, thanks to the pressure from the three other orcs who had surrounded him too, he could no longer dodge them all.


    Eldrian watched in horror as Vrigka grabbed Ceph''s wing and threw him to the ground. Poor Ceph bounced off the ground like a ball, his HP taking a massive plummet.


    ''No.'' Eldrian watched in horror as the Vrigka''s regripped his greatsword. Bearing it down on Ceph.


    Eldrian''s entire soul froze, images of his time with Ceph shing through his mind.


    Recalling the once naive little Alicorn who had saved Sabrea''s life. Not knowing who they were, filled with kindness and worry. The memory was suddenly ruined as Eldrian recalled his meeting with Ceph after the events of Miracle capturing him.


    The sweet innocent child, now distant and cold. His childlike joy gone, his childhood gone.


    ''I-I... I''m sorry.'' At this moment Eldrian wasn''t able to think things through, to remember that Ceph was his Zoe partner and that they could resurrect one another. That all either of them needed to do was escape and they would both survive.


    No, at this moment all Eldrian could see was the child who he had ruined and brought to his death.


    All because he wanted to test his limits.


    Hatred grew inside him, hatred at himself. Seeped in disgust that he could fall so far, that he could becent and consider this but a fun quest. That he could even think of gathering XP as something that was more important than doing his most to save the people trapped in the ruined city!


    That he could have be bored at saving people! He utterly despised himself as he recalled his recent acts and thoughts.


    ''Why? Why did I think I was better than them?!'' Eldrian questioned as he continued to watch the greatsword inch closer and closer. ''Why did I ever think I have any right to lead?''


    {"Do you want power?"} A cold distant voice asked.


    {"Yes! I must- Save him!"}


    {"Are you willing to bear the cost?"} Watching as the greatsword made contact with Ceph, slowly separating his clothes and skin, Eldrian answered in rage.


    "Save him!"


    Rushing forward, Eldrian wished for one thing and one thing only. To save Ceph. His mind was consumed with this thought, he threw all he had into this singr task.


    Eldrian exploded forth, rushing past the encirclement he thrust out his hand. A shockwave blew away the orcs around him. Retracting his hand, Eldrian pulled Ceph towards him through an invisible force.


    However, the greatsword still cut through Ceph''s side, only his side. Yet, seeing the blood Eldrian''s mind turned nk. Looking at the grinning Vrigka, Eldrian was consumed in rage. His vision turned red and mes from the depth of hell covered him.


    "You''ll die!" Jumping forward, thunder echoed through the air as Eldrian threw his spear with all his strength. The spear too was covered in mes. mes that hungered. mes that sought destruction.


    Vrigka''s grin disappeared as his instincts screamed at him to dodge. Turning to the side, the orc thought Eldrian a fool for throwing his weapon.


    Shockingly, the spear turned with his dodge.


    Blood filled the air, and as the orc looked up in shock he saw Eldrian before him. "Just die!" Eldrian shouted as he threw a punch covered in mes that ate at everything. Even Eldrian''s clothes and armor were no exceptions.


    Throwing back his head, Vrigka dodged the attack. Or so he thought as he suddenly felt the spear move. Eldrian had grabbed it with his other hand and mes sprang from his body. Using the spear as a bridge to get at its target.


    AN: Hello everyone, I would just like to thank everyone who has purchased the privilege and is supporting me through it. Thank you all so much!

 Chapter 612 - Bring Destruction And Ruin

    Trying to move back, Vrigka instead felt an invisible force pushing him forward. Deeper onto the spear as Eldrian connected a fist with his head. The mes covering Eldrian turned skin to ash, turn flesh to ash, turned bone to ash.


    Yet that was not what hurt the most. No, the mes did not just turn the body into ash, it even ate at his soul.


    Screaming in fear and absolute misery, Vrigka tried to escape. But Eldrian was possessed, making sure to make the orc''s death a slow painful one.


    Watching their boss screaming from the depth of his soul, the other orcs turned tail and ran. The most shameful thing an orc could do, they were sure to be killed. Yet, none of them cared.


    They would dly die to save their soul!


    "You''re mine!" Eldrian shouted, the mes surrounding his body forming a massive mouth that swallowed the poor Vrigka. His body turned to ash, his soul unable to escape.


    His target was now gone but his rage was not quenched. Eldrian turned around and charged the slowest orc. Thrusting his spear through the orc with ease, Eldrian lifted him and smiled as blood dripped from the dying orc.


    "Yes, you will all die!" Eldrian shouted, the mes turning the orc to ashes as he dashed towards the next.


    ''Stop-''


    Eldrian ignored the stupid word. Rushing towards the next, he ughtered and reveled in the ughter. He rushed from orc to orc, feasting on the pain of his victims.


    ''Stop!'' The stupid voice kept repeating that word.


    Eldrianughed at the absurd idea. Seeing a group of children hiding behind a building, children who he had saved just hours before, he smiled. A devil''s smile.


    "Stop!" Ceph stepped between him and the children, and Eldrian paused. Yet, all that he could see was red.


    "Out of my way!" His p sent Ceph flying into the nearest building, and as Eldrian stepped towards the children; the message pressured again. This time far more fiercely. Filling his entire being.


    ''STOP!''


    ''Fuck off!'' Eldrian shouted, turning to the source of the voice. He paused, the sight momentarily bringing him out of his rage.


    ''What?''


    Behind Eldrian was a trail of hell. Everything that hade near him had molten or turned to ash, a path of destruction. The surrounding mana absolutely unstable, hyper-excited. Reacting violently with the environment, causing sparks of lighting, fire, and darkness to fill the air.


    Visible to the naked eye, everyone could see the highly reactive mana. Changing the very nature of the space it upied. Copsing and expanding randomly, apanied by thundering energies.


    An image of creation, or an image of hell?


    ***


    "No. Not this again-" Whipping his head to the side, Amnur frowned as he started losing control of his mes. Something that was happening far too frequently in the past year.


    "The kid did it this time," Amnur mumbled as he disappeared from his forge, leaving the confused Boran with a massive unfinished masterpiece. Sure to be ruined now.


    ***


    "Zamia..." Agamemas frowned, stopping their chase they turned back and looked in the direction of the disturbance. "That kid."


    "We need to hurry!" Zamia shouted, immediately starting the preparations for teleportation. The two disappeared from sight a few secondster.


    ***


    "The time hase, dear husband..." Kilen smiled, gently running her hand over the bound Azamud bulging muscles. Straining to escape from his bonds.


    Behind them, countless higher devils were bound too, though they had already served their purpose. It had taken some time, but it had finally happened.


    Her petite figure inparison to his three-meter herculean frame a curious sight, yet he could not move a muscle. The terror in his eyes relish for demon and devil alike, but Kilen cared not for it.


    "Kilen, please... Remember-"


    "Remember how you drove our son to his death? How you could not let him live! I will never forget." Kilen''s voice wasced with poison, gently tapping her hand down Azamud''s chest. Each tap caused blood to burst out from the bound devil.


    His blood flowing to make the crest of sacrifice. A crest that was visible on all the other higher devils too.


    "Kilen, please. What about-"


    "They can all die, along with you!" Thrusting her hand into his chest, she grasp her husband''s beating heart and squeezed. The light in Azamud''s eyes dimmed as he fought for his survival. s, his wife had nned everything and knew all his tricks.


    {"I offer to you, god of the devils, Diavolos, the soul of my husband, the devil king. To bring forth destruction and ruin upon my enemy."}


    Pulling out the still-beating heart, she smiled as warm blood trickled down her arm.? {"I offer to you, god of the demons, Daimonas, the heart and blood of my husband, the devil king. To bring forth destruction and ruin upon my enemy."}


    As the heart disappeared, she ced her hand on the wound, {"I offer to you, god of undeath, Athanato, the flesh of my husband, the devil king. To bring forth destruction and ruin upon my enemy."}


    {"Let destruction and ruin bring true despair. Let my son''s killer know and understand true despair."} Turning her back on the copsing space, Kilen used the demon city''s control room to broadcast to its citizens theing destruction of their entire world.


    Adding that their only hope would be to escape through the towers of destructions, where she had already set up teleportation portals.


    ***


    "What is this?" Eldrian stumbled back in horror, the sight truly from hell. Yet, what followed shocked him even more. Two had finally managed to fight his way into Eldrian''s consciousness, and the images he shared chilled Eldrian to the bone.


    The path of hell was not just here, in ANW.


    "No, this can''t be."


    {"The cost,"} The familiar voice cold and distant voice echoed, apanied with maniacughter. {"Has only just begun."}


    Following the voice''s deration, demons, devils, monsters, and even humans, and demi-humans started appearing in the path of fire. Many of them immediately turned to ash, others screamed in pain as they rushed to escape the hell. Their bodies morphing as they tried to escape the mes.


    Yet,pared to all this, one figure among them nearly caused Eldrian''s heart to stop. A petite woman with scaly red skin, one arm, and long ck hair. Two small horns growing from her forehead, and the path of destruction not even singeing her clothes.


    She was covered in an aura, an aura covering the entire night sky.


    Eldrian''s instincts told him that it was toote to run, he immediately tried to return to Earth. However, as soon as he tried his instincts screamed even more at him and he found a force fighting him.


    ''No, please no.'' Eldrian trembled and looked towards Two, yet their connection was severed again. This time Two''s doing, as well as the force stopping him. ''Did you- No, better to abandon me than let us both die and-'' Eldrian immediately realized that it was the right call.


    The woman slowly lifted her hand, as she did all those who had burned in the path of hell stood up again. Their ashes taking on the form of grotesque demons, their forms unstable, seeming about to explode at any second.


    [Run] Was all that Eldrian got when he tried to find the stats of any of those in the road.


    AN: I want to give a shoutout to everyone who alwaysments, I appreciate the support greatly.

 Chapter 613 - The Battle Of Hell

    Eldrian was certain that he would die as a tornado of ck fire filled the entire surroundings. Instead, a massive wall of fire appeared before him. Blocking it by dispersing it.


    The destruction destroyed half the city in an instant. Not even the magic towers could withstand the mes, turning to ash the same as wood.


    Eldrian''s mind went nk, watching the map his mind failed toprehend what had just happened. Over a hundred thousand people... Had died in a second.


    ''No... Not, not again...'' Eldrian fell to his knees, suddenly remembering Ceph, his heart stopped as he feared Ceph had been killed too.


    Looking at his map, Eldrian sighed in relief when he saw Ceph was still alive. But, why was he behind him? Turning around, Eldrian''s heart froze as he saw his friend''s condition. Suddenly he recalled what he had done, that the mes that had burned Ceph were his own.


    ''No... I can''t have..."


    A dwarf covered in mesnded between Eldrian and Kilen, but Eldrian had no more capacity to take in any other details. Rushing towards Ceph, he desperately tried to heal his friend. His heart broke as the memories of his rage returned.


    ''How hypocritical can I be?'' Heughed maniacally at himself, just hours ago he had delivered a grand speech about how one should not be tempted by the inferno in their hearts. Yet, here he was. Having done just that... Again...


    "Hey, boy! Run!" Amnur shouted as Kilen raised her hand again, this time summoning a mass of lighting d in ck fire. Amnur quickly summoned a massive tower shield, at the center of which was a magic crystal.


    Yet, even the powers of this shield shook from her attack.


    "You didn''t!" Amnur shouted, the aura he was feeling from her that was visible to the naked eye, it gave even him chills.


    Amnur did not get a reply in words, but the demonized corpse of Azamud clearly answered him. A grotesque massive demonic creature, filled with power at the limits, causing the body to bulge and contract randomly as the energy tried to escape.


    It threw itself at the shield, the punch sending shockwaves that ripped the entire city in half.


    ***


    Blocking the undead''s attack, Vivian dived under its shield and used {Burst of Passion} to sever its legs from its body. Along with the legs of tens of other undead. As her target fell, she cut off its head. The mes of her sword turned it to ash as she moved on to her next target.


    Yet, at this moment everyone stopped as the earth shook. Many lost their footing as the earthquake continued. This turned out to be far worse for them than for the undead, who cared little for shallow wounds and attacked from the ground.


    Vivian quickly activated {Follow your heart}, having the mes of her sword cover her and burn all the undead who tried to approach her. Yet, not many others had the same luck as her to have such OP gear.


    Rushing forward, she did her best to help. To try and staunch the bleeding.


    Yet, in the next second all the yers suddenly disappeared. Forcefully logged off for their own safety. Leaving them now far more outnumbered.


    And totally fucked.


    ***


    "What the hell!?" Elizabeth shouted as she tried to log back in, yet she just kept getting the same message. Saying that for their safety all yers in the region of Taurus had been disconnected.


    Suddenly, she recalled something Eldrian had once told her. One of the safety features regarding the strongest beings called legends. Something that he had learned while working for Miracle.


    "No, please no." Jumping to her phone she quickly contacted everyone, hoping to figure out what was going on. She also quickly moved to the forums, demanding an exnation and raising hell.


    She specifically hammered on why it was regarding their safety! Asking just how a game could be unsafe.


    ***


    ''What the hell is Eldrian doing?'' Silver had sent him multiple messages asking about what was going on. She could only assume it was his doing, and recalling the stories and rumors of his fire magic she believed her assumption was correct.


    They had alle out to watch the destruction happening in the city as Eldrian rampaged. The mes of destruction lit the red night sky.


    Everyone was trying to understand what was going on. Everyone felt like a massive curse had been ced on the city.


    Suddenly, Silver disappeared. As the centaurs were trying to understand what had happened, why Silver had disappeared, half the city was engulfed in mes.


    Upam''s soul nearly escaped his body as he watched the mes of hell burning the city to the ground.


    "Sir, we have to run!" Bennidict shouted, doing his best to pull the deputy out of his stupor.


    It was by sheer luck that Eldrian''s rampage had led him near to the inner walls. As such, most of the city center had been saved the destruction. It would be more urate to say a third or quarter of the city had been destroyed. Though the semantics mattered little; however, it saved many lives this time.


    "We can''t..." Upam fought the tears forming in his eyes, he knew his wife and daughter were fine. However, he had no idea of his other family or of his friends.


    "We can''t stay here! At least against the orcs we might stand a chance of escaping!" Bennidict shouted. Everyone froze as ck lighting filled the air, they feared even more destruction.


    This time, luckily the destruction was far less. Only multiple shockwaves which only destroyed the buildings close to the contact zone. Though the shockwaves did spread the mes far and wide. Nearly turning the entire city into a hell of mes.


    Then, suddenly.


    Half the city disappeared.


    ***


    "Ceph! Come on! Fight!" Eldrian shouted, pouring all his mana into his friend. His mind too unstable to do anything other than turn it into the nature element. He couldn''t even think of forming a spell.


    Eldrian ignored the sounds of battle; no, the destruction of the city didn''t even register in his mind. When his mana was emptied he pulled out his mana crystals and used all their mana, trying everything to save his friend.


    It made no sense that his healing was doing nothing.


    Though if it could even be called healing was uncertain. It was like haphazardly throwing salves at a wound, without any aim nor any technique. Luckily, it didn''t make things worse.


    Eldrian froze as he felt a hand sping his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he waited for death. Instead, someone knelt next to him and ced her hand over his.


    Eldrian was shocked to feel the mana he was channeling being guided. Turning into something he had never felt before. His mind immediately thought that it should be called divine.


    "It''s going to be alright." The female elf smiled, yet the tears forming in her eyes seemed to tell a different story. Her pure white air appeared a light reddish-gray from the reflected hellish scene.


    "Zamia... I''m so sorry!" Eldrian copsed, crying.


    Embracing the crying Eldrian, she rubbed his back.


    Eldrian froze as he felt his pain disappearing, he wanted to jump away. To keep the pain, to punish himself. Zamia however kept him tight in her embrace.


    "It''s alright. I know you didn''t mean to do it." Her words caused Eldrian to freeze. His mind turned nk as he broke down.


    AN: I want to give a shoutout to everyone who alwaysments, I appreciate the support greatly.

 Chapter 614 - Eldrians Anguish

    "The hell is she doing!" Agamemas frowned as he was thrown into the sky by the morphed undead Azamud''s attack. While his defenses stopped any damage, he was still sent past the clouds in less than a second. Causing multiple shockwaves that dispersed the clouds, revealing the stars hidden behind.


    ''Did Kilen really sacrifice her husband?'' Azamud asked Amnur who grunted in reply as he summoned a barrier to stop her attack from reaching Eldrian and Ceph. The rest of the city, it unfortunately was not in the right direction and Amnur couldn''t manage more in time.


    Amnur could do nothing about the demonified monsters who were rushing around the barrier. Even the demons had been demonified further, turning into unstable grotesque forms pushed to their limits. None would survive past today, and for today they would be capable of fighting someone multiple Tiers above them.


    While Agamemas was still in the air, more shockwaves that ttened the entire surroundings appeared as the undead Azamud''s attacks shed against Amnur''s shield, which had started cracking. Of course, countless of the grotesque monsters were annihted too.


    "Dragos''s mes, cleanse the enemy!" A shout filled the air, followed by divine mes turning the demonified undead monstrosities into ash. The source of the fire copsed upon finishing the cast, exhausted.


    "Dioktis, today I will prove myself worthy!" Another shout filled the air, followed by a naked dwarven figure jumping into the midst of the monstrosities. Disappearing.


    Suddenly, the undead were all sent flying into the air, revealing the dwarven figure again.


    "To battle! Charge!" Yet another shout filled the air, followed by many more personalized battle cries as the dwarves charged intobat. They all made sure to stay behind Amnur and his barrier, only killing the monstrosities that dared circle the barrier.


    Amongst these, there was a second dwarf of mes. His fire was nowhere near as strong as Amnur''s, yet any enemy that dared approach him would be turned into ash in seconds.


    Most of the dwarves here were not of the abyssal guard. No, they were the personal retinue of the lord of Ganalin.


    ***


    Eldrian finally recovered, lifting his head his mind failed to make sense of the scene before him. Less than a hundred dwarves rushing into the thousands upon thousands of monstrosities from hell. And, the waves of monstrosities were being pushed back.


    When Eldrian tried to stand up to join the fight, Zamia pulled him back down and shook her head.


    "I''m afraid you can no longer continue on the path you''ve started."


    Eldrian did not argue, who would dare? He had caused the destruction of the entire city of Diades, had caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people. He had evene close to destroying Earth.


    No, he understood well that he couldn''t continue on the path he was.


    It didn''t matter if his aims had been good. He fucked up, he was to me. There was no excuse.


    "Go, please... Try to lessen the casualties." Eldrian felt wrong even asking, but he had to. It was the least he could do.


    Nodding, she finally stood up. Gave her son onest nce, his wounds hadn''t healed. Even she wasn''t able to heal the soul, from which these wounds were manifesting.


    However, she had stopped the corruption and healed his physical wounds. Ceph would be alright, it would however take a long time to heal.


    Eldrian hadn''t even realized, but his condition was far worse. Yet, all he could think of was the destruction he had caused.


    Slowly, he fought his way to his feet. His bnce unstable, his head assaulting him every step of the way. Yet he kept walking towards the back of the dwarven line with Ceph slung over his shoulder.


    One of the healers rushed towards him, Eldrian''s skin charred ck the healer tried to heal him. Eldrian however pped away the dwarf''s hand and pointed at Ceph.


    cing Ceph on the cleanest area he could find. Eldrian knelt next to his friend, his mind in shambles.


    ''I want to stop Miracle from destroying Earth? What a joke! I can''t even stop myself.''


    ***


    As the next spell started forming, covering the night sky, Zamia paused behind Amnur. His shield shaking from the continuous attacks of the demonified Azamud. Who at this point stood a total of six meters tall, continuously morphing in limbs taking the form of weapons, that would be destroyed instantly as they connect with the shield.


    The shockwaves no longer had anything to tten. At this point, the verynd they were standing on was being shredded to pieces.


    "Can you stop her?" Amnur asked while bearing the weight of the non-stop attacks while spreading the barrier to keep all those behind them safe.


    "She''s using some really powerful magics. I sadly can''t." Zamia said, however, lifting her hand she pointed at Azamud''s head. The creature paused and jumped back as Kilen''s attack converged onto Amnur.


    Instead of contacting with the shield, it instead connected with a ray of burning white light that filled the ruined city with the light of day.


    The ray was quickly defeated, yet one couldn''t say it had lost to the dark lighting. The spell rained down upon the demonified army Kilen had brought, turning thousands into less than ash.


    "However, she has little control since the power is not her own. The true problem is that if she continues then the area won''t be able to survive much longer."


    "What about Azamud, will you and Agamemas be able to stall him?"


    "Stall- Possibly; however, his form is unstable and if we are to push him the energy might explode."


    "I see, then we wait for them to run out of steam?" Amnur asked, beads of sweating running down his back.


    He might be one of the strongest legendary figures, however, that was mostly due to his personal arsenal of weapons. And while it allowed him to stand against the two, he might notst as long as them.


    "What of the kid?" Amnur asked as he braced, Azamud attacking with a morphed limb in the shape of a massive hammer the size of a house. The shockwavepletely destroyed the surrounding ttened ground, sending rocks the size of houses flying through the air.


    The barrier Amnur had set up shook from the mass of collisions, sapping a substantial amount of his mana.


    "He seems to have regained control. However, he is still unstable. We were careless, his temptation toward the chaos is too great. Two auras, it''s too much."


    "It''s not just the auras, there is something else in him too," Amnur grumbled as Zamia again summoned a ray to disperse Kilen''s spell.


    "What do you think it is?"


    Kilen red at the two as she lost control of her spell, again. Anger swelled at the fact that not only was her son''s killer still alive, but those protecting him even had time to talk!


    At this time, Agamemas had finally finished his preparations. Teleporting to the survivors who were all cowering outside the inner wall. Everything inside having been ttened orpletely destroyed by now.


    They dared not run further, knowing that the orcs were waiting for them on that side. Seeing this elf, whose white clothing appeared a sinister red thanks to the red light of the night, they immediately tried tounch attacks at him.


    Agamemas simply looked at the spells and they turned back to the elementary elements they wereposed of and dispersed. Waving his hand, a truly massive magic circle suddenly appeared under the entire group.


    The next second they found themselves in the middle of a vast in, a few viges and their cultivated fields visible but not much else.


    When they turned to find their savior, he had already returned to the battle.


    AN: I want to give a shoutout to everyone who alwaysments, I appreciate the support greatly.

 Chapter 615 - The Gray Battle

    ''I''ve teleported the survivors, those still in the city are unfortunate.'' Agamemas said, ''It is about time we get rid of the reinforcements. Amnur, why did you bring the royal?''


    ''I didn''t, he came by himself. I am even more shocked than you. I hadn''t exined anything, yet he had managed to find the battle and organize this all in just a few minutes.''


    ''Wait,'' Zamia interrupted as her husband was about to teleport all the fighters from the field. ''We shouldn''t end this quickly.''


    ''Zamia... Is the mana so unstable?''


    ''Far more than you would believe. But strangely it seems that Kilen actually saved the city.'' Zamia replied, unlike the two she hadn''t dived into the fighting right away. They were able to stall, allowing her to assess the situation while healing Ceph.


    And the more she observed the more she realized that while Kilen''s attacks were devastating the area, it was somehow, strangely, stabilizing the surrounding mana. Rather, depleting would be a better description, though the end result was the same.


    She was stopping it from copsing.


    ''They are feeding on the rampant mana. It also feels like we shouldn''t me this all on Eldrian.''


    The other two frowned. They had also felt the sinister air filling the entire city upon arriving. However, if it had been there before or only after Eldrian''s rampage was unknown.


    More shockingly, however, if what Zamia was saying was true then this would be the first-ever case of a mana storm being stopped after having started taking form- by non-gods.


    There were a number of cases where the gods would indeed step in and lessen the fallout, or reverse and calm the mana. However, this would be a first for a non-god to touch on this. At least to their knowledge.


    ''How long?'' Amnur asked.


    ''Until they run out of energy to absorb.'' Zamia replied, ''We will just have to stall.''


    By now Kilen was overflowing with rage. A rage that far surpassed even the legendary rage of a Dragos, the god of the dragons. She wanted to burn the entire world to the ground, seeing that she couldn''t even enact justice only amplified her rage thousands of times over.


    "Enough!" Her shout caused a massive shockwave to spread through the entire area, the walls of the city finally falling. Including even the outwalls as everything within dozen of kilometers from the city was ttened.


    With her shout, the mental link between the legends was also broken. "Enough! No one will stand in my way!"


    Shouting so, she started drawing in the local unstable mana at an insane rate. Yet, shockingly, instead of starting to bulge and grow in size like all the others. She stayed a short 1.6 meters.


    Her lost arm suddenly sprang back as a form of unstable ck energy, a de of a simr corrupted pure energy formed in her energy hand.


    "Shit!" Amnur cursed, sweat ran down his back as he sensed certain death from that de. He actually wanted to run from it, yet he could not. He had to keep the barrier or all those behind him would die simply from the energy waves this de was releasing.


    Agamemas and Zamia rushed forward to stop her from stabilizing and learning how to control the energy; however, the now ten-meterrge Azamud jumped in their path. Blowing the two away with a single punch. His speed shocking for his bulgy size.


    Kilen''s de started ripping the very fabric of the world apart as arcs of ck lightning sprang from it. Everything it touched disappeared.


    It was not burned or simply destroyed, no, it waspletely and utterly dematerialized. An abyss appeared in the ce of what had been annihted. Everything nearby copsed into the void left behind.


    "It''s not time for such extremities. What is going on?" An extremely calm voice said, immediately attracting everyone''s attention.


    Turning to the number of dwarves, the elf sighed. "Old friend, use abyssal prison and divine mes."


    Amnur''s eyes widened in shocked, immediately he shouted for the two to retreat behind him. A sphere of absolute darkness surrounded everyone as soon as they did.


    Azamud no longer distracted, rushed Amnur whose fires had now turned a divine white. Upon contact, the fire incinerated half of Azamud''s body. If not for the abundant energy in the surroundings the monstrosity would have died right there.


    Kilen disappeared and reappeared before the elf, her void de cutting through the very fabric of the world as she aimed for his head.


    "The new generation is always such a pain." The elf said in an almost bored voice. Disappearing from the spot, he reappeared behind her thrusting his sword through her heart. Or so it appeared, instead, she was behind him again. Her former figure slowly dissipating like smoke.


    "I see, you were quite strong before resorting to this. Why resort to this then?" The elf asked as an invisible barrier blocked the attack of the de of destruction.


    While the very surrounding air and ground turned to nothingness from the shockwave, the elf remained unharmed. However, the barrier of the elf was brought into vision as the corruption of hatred started eating at it.


    "Just die!" Kilen shouted with pure hate, her strength doubling and the shield shattering.


    Jumping back, the elf touched his chest in shock. His clothing was destroyed like the normal cloth it was. "It seems I will have to be serious."


    As Kilen was rushing forward, the elf blocked with his sword. A curious weapon refracting the light falling on it like a crystal. It seemed to have no single color, rather its appearance would depend on the direction you looked at it.


    The shockwave from the attack destroyed the surroundingspletely. All that was left was a ck orb floating above a massive crater, and a dwarf covered in mes. His armor was in tatters and his shield nearly falling apart. Both were being repaired, however, the repair took tremendous amounts to mana and would not survive another impact.


    "Athar, please take this somewhere else!" Amnur shouted, coughing out blood as he fell to his knees.


    Nodding, the elf disappeared again, this time he ces his hand on Kilen''s shoulder before she could react the two disappeared.


    "Noooo!" She shouted in rage and tried to rush back to where Eldrian was. However, Athar quickly appeared in her way. His de nearly separated her head from her shoulders. At the same time, the entire world turned to a boring gray color.


    Kilen found that something stopped her teleportation, also there was no longer any mana in her surroundings. Only two things still had color in this gray world; her void sword and arm, and Athtar''s strange refracting sword.


    Shaking from rage, the energy of her lost arm and de started bing crazy now that there was no longer rampant mana to sustain it. Realizing she did not have long, she charged. Each attack ripping through space.


    Yet, it seemed that this gray world would not copse from the void filling it as the fight continued. Somehow, the void could coexist with the rest of reality in this space.


    As she rained down her attacks, even Athtar had to be careful of her attacks, however, she would notst much longer. Her soul was quickly being devoured by the power she was using.


    As her attacks slowed and her body started dematerializing. As Athar was about to end the fight, another devil suddenly appeared next to her.


    "Xelron, it is quite early for you to move, isn''t it?" Athtar asked, immediately backing up to set some space between the two of them.


    "Oh, but I can''t help it. She is quite a fascinating kid, don''t you agree?" Compared to Kilen, Xelron lookedpletely normal. Especially in the grayscale, sure he had two horns, a tail, and wings. But they seemed to just perfectly fit the persona that hemanded.


    "You will leave her," Athar said, readying his weapon.


    "Do you really want to fight?" Xelron asked, narrowing his eyes as he morphed his right hand into a scally draconic arm.


    "What she had done goes beyond what we''ve agreed upon."


    "I know, isn''t it amazing?" Xelron smiled, teleporting Kilen to safety as he transformed into his demonic draconic hybrid form. His attack was blocked by Athar, and space itself fragmented from the attack. Even the gray world could not survive the shockwaves of that single attack.


    "Are we going to fight?" Xelron asked with a grin.


    "No, you already saved her," Athar said, storing his weapon and turning to leave.


    "Oh, you are quite eptable today." Xelron smirked, "Then as thanks, I offer you this. That child of your kind will not be targeted until the timees."


    Athar nodded and disappeared, as soon as he did color returned to the broken sky. Its appearance was akin to a shattered mirror, the fragments falling into the surrounding abyss that kept growingrger as it gained mass.


    At this time, the gods had no choice but to intervene or the damage would be too great for the world.


    AN: I want to give a shoutout to everyone who alwaysments, I appreciate the support greatly.

 Chapter 616 - I Couldnt Just Run

    "The fuck happened?!" Two had been traveling when suddenly their aura of wrath had started acting up. So much so that it started leaking from their body and burning everything in the surrounding.


    Two had done the best he could to stop its spread, continuously trying to tell Eldrian to stop. Yet, he had been ignored and when Two finally managed to break through Eldrian''s rage, what had weed him was hell itself.


    Upon seeing that woman, Two had immediately made sure that there could be no possibility of her using them as a bridge to attack Earth. Chances might have been low, but if Eldrian had returned to Earth she might have been able to follow.


    Sure, the AI had failed. But the feeling Two had gotten from her was something that had chilled him to the core. Even if the chances were less than one present, he couldn''t risk it.


    Praying that Eldrian would survive, Two made sure that the aura was calmed down. Though the fire was wreaking havoc on the surroundings.


    "Well, shit. How do I stop this?" Two understood well that the mes were not normal, water would do nothing. And if it reached a popted area, the damage would be insane.


    "Actually, I might be able to use it." Taking out the map he had stolen to guide him out of the country, Two started forming his n.


    Using wind magic, he guided the fire towards the border. Of course, not one of the checkpoints. Rather, he aimed it to where a river also crossed. While there weren''t any fences or anything of the kind stopping people from crossing the border, Two felt confident there would be patrols ensuring he couldn''t pass.


    A few hourster, Two managed to reach the point. Completely out of breath and dead tired, but he had to use the opportunity while it was there. Making sure the fire would continue on the right path, he quickly moved in the opposite direction.


    Hoping that it would attract everyone''s attention. He felt confident it would once they discovered that the fire was not normal. Whether they would figure out it was a diversion, he was not sure.


    ***


    Vivian''s breathing was ragged, she was covered in wounds and hadpletely exhausted her mana. Yet, the fight was still going on.


    Naturally, everyone had tried to retreat after things had gone south. Especially once the yers had disappeared,pletely breaking the formation that had already been shaken due to the earthquakes.


    However, the shaking never stopped and made this extremely difficult. In the end, Evale had tried to save as many people as she could, prioritizing those who she deemed weaker. This, naturally meant that Vivian was left forst.


    Sadly, many lives were lost regardless. While everyone was Tier 5 and a decent fighter, without stable footing and outnumbered, they sumbed to the undead''s relentless attacks one after the other.


    Evale was already on her way back, but Vivian didn''t know if she would be able to survive.


    ''I''m sorry... I couldn''t just run.'' Vivian mumbled, her eyes watering as she recalled the death of her father. His reasoning had likely been extremely simr. She had stayed and fought until exhaustion, pulling the attention of many undead. Certainly, her actions had saved many, or so she hoped.


    Vivian still could not forgive her father, yet now she was following in his footsteps. She wanted tough at the irony, but watching the deing for her neck she felt it wasn''t appropriate.


    ''Mom, please... Please forgive this hypocritical daughter of yours, and...'' Her heart broke as she prayed for her mother, that she would be able to go on and live the rest of her life. And hopefully, find joy again.


    She watched the de of a skeleton moving closer and closer. She knew she wasn''t able to block it in time, her sword currently stuck in a zombie who was wing its way closer to her and forcing her sword deeper into it.


    Vivian wanted to closer her eyes and ept death, yet something in her screamed at her to not do it. To fight on, even if she had nothing left to use to fight on.


    That''s when she saw it, a flicker in the skeleton''s eyes. She had no idea what it was, had never encountered something like it before. However, upon seeing it she felt connected to the skeleton.


    "You''re free. You don''t need to do this." She said as the sword inched closer to her neck, and upon hearing this it suddenly dropped. Landing on her chest, Vivian''s armor saved her life, though she lost her footing and fell to the ground over the countless corpses.


    The skeleton looks at her, sword at the ready. Yet, it paused. Vivian swore she could see its confusion in that little flicker in its eyes.


    "Those who bound you to this body are no longer there to keep you bound." She said, "You''re free."


    The skeleton tilted its head, as if to ask if Vivian was really telling her the truth. Staring into Vivian''s eyes, the flicker grew and the sword was dropped. Turning to the rest, Vivian could only imagine that it was shouting at them that they were free, a weird screech-type sound escaping from it as the skeleton started falling apart.


    Like a domino effect, all the other skeletons started falling apart one by one. The zombies too fell to the ground, never to rise again.


    Evale stopped in shock next to Vivian, she had taken up a poleaxe and shield for the rescue mission. Her stance was that of striking with the poleaxe and trying to bring the shield to try and save Vivian. Yet, her target had suddenly fallen apart.


    "What- Happened?"


    ***


    "What did you say?!" Elizabeth asked, a group chat having been arranged with everyone who had been disconnected.


    "I think it''s due to Eldrian, or at the least, he is mixed up in this somehow." Silver repeated, her words caused Elizabeth to freeze.


    The others didn''t think much of it, however, she knew that Eldrian wouldn''t have the safety measures that they all had.


    The dead silence following the repeated exnation informed everyone that there was more going on than they believed. "Elizabeth?" Nikki tried to sound supportive, but instead it came out as if she was digging for answers.


    "Has everyone been forcefully logged out?" Elizabeth asked, shifting the topic.


    "We believe so, the only person we are uncertain of is-" Ilmadia stopped, suddenly connecting the dots and cursing.? Of course, none of them knew Eldrian''s phone number. Though he didn''t even have one anymore.


    "I believe it is time that we raise some hell."


    "What do you mean, Elizabeth?"


    "We''ll demand an exnation, everyone should pressure as hard as you can. We were after all in the middle of a quest, quite a dangerous one. Us being removed might have led to the death of all the NPCs, and it certainly led to failing the quest."


    "We will charge not just loss of the quest rewards, but also psychological damage from loss of friends. Does anyone know anywyers we can contact?"


    """Lawyers?!"""


    "Yes, it''s a bitplicated. Sorry, but I can''t discuss everything with you all." Elizabeth said and kicked everyone who wasn''t a core member.


    "I want to first thank you guys for never pressuring me about the secrets I and Eldrian have kept from you." Elizabeth started, "This is regarding one of them. We are all being monitored in the game, when we are close to Eldrian he has an ability that disables it. However-"


    "That''s sick!" Nikki turned white behind her camera as she thought of all the times she had bathed and... As her thoughts wandered she turned a pinkish red.


    "Which is what we will pressure together with this incident. We will first im that we have lost greatly..." She paused and prayed that this would not truly be the case. She and many others had grown close to a number of the NPCs, but Eldrian in particr...


    "If they fight saying that it can''t be proven, we will ask if they can''t rewind the footage or something."


    "If they simply deny it?"


    "Then there is also a problem. A game must be able to track what its yers are doing, if they are unable to it track anything it would mean it is actually a perfect medium for crime..."


    "So, basically, the n is to hope they screw up and either give us too much or too little?" Judith asked, "Isn''t that a bit too optimistic?"


    "Not really, we''ll point to streaming and the like and ask how it is possible if there isn''t footage. And for the data field, we will ask how the system even works, since it must be able to track our data but not ignore our privacy. We might be able to pressure them to the point where they have to exin it."


    "Why is that important?" Therdul asked.


    "Right, I guess we didn''t tell you guys about that part yet..." Elizabeth nodded and started exining the situation regarding the AI, and how they might even be able to get the AI to side with them if they could ensure their survival.


    After the exnation, more than one mumbled that things just got very sci-fi''y. Though a number of other questions were added too, such as debating on if it is right to hold the AI against their will? If the lives of those in the game are artificial or not? And so forth.


    Everyone tried to stay on topic, however, the debate on what should be considered as a living being kept appearing.


    No one had an answer, but nearly everyone agreed that the NPCs were more than just code. They had all known this for a long time, but this was the first time they talked about it with each other.


    They were shocked at how different the opinions were inside their group, however, none of them believed the NPCs to be at the level of animals. They were somewhere between what they could consider a type of AI pet and a human being.


    A few in the group, such as Erik -who had been added when the topic was brought up since he was also in the know- thought that the NPCs were equal to them. Others though felt that they weren''t fully human.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 617 - What To Do With Eldrian

    Back to the Amnur and the rest, they were also now in some random in. The city was in a state of absolute destruction and still very unstable, the group suspected the gods would intervene once they left, so they did just that.


    The gods'' actions were strange. There was some n behind their interventions. The three legendary figures had this feeling that the gods wanted to force them to an ultimate conflict. Though, it was still far too early for the devil kings to move.


    None of the three believed the gods to be good. While Asteria and the other gods of what they considered {gods of order} was not outright evil, their religion and interventions always seemed self-centered. At best the best of the gods could be ssified as neutral, while the gods of chaos were pure evil.


    Thus none of them expected that it would be anything else. They had no false hope that the gods were on their side. As strong as they all were, and even with Athtar, they knew they were just pawns of the gods.


    However, both this battle and the previous one had been extremely early. Both also seemed to have happened because of Eldrian. The gods on the devil''s side had wanted him dead for the first battle, however, the pressure of the gods had recently rxed since.


    This time, they weren''t sure what the impetus was but the target was clearly still Eldrian.


    "What do we do about him now?" Agamemas asked, while his first opinion of the kid had been bad he had grown to like him over the course of time. Even to the extent where he had agreed to bind his son with him.


    Of course, the two who had been bound still didn''t even fully understand what it meant nor what it actually was.


    "I still don''t think we should interfere," Amnurmented, he still believed that interference would stop Eldrian from finding his own path.


    However, now the question changed to if Eldrian should follow the path he was on. It appeared to be heading to destruction, and while it was okay if it just destroyed Eldrian, it felt like it would involve far more than just him.


    "You have to be kidding! While I hate to say it he is too unstable." Agamemas countered, "He needs guidance, we cannot let him continue to stray on the path of destruction."


    "I agree," Zamia said, "You also have the aura of wrath, Amnur. Yet, you never caused the surrounding mana to copse. It isn''t even supposed to be possible for anyone before surpassing Tier 10 to directly influence mana to such a degree."


    "It should take years of umtion to reach that point, not a single fight." While they all knew this wasmon knowledge, they all started suspecting that the rule might not be true. Or that something might have changed in this regard. Thetter they only suspected since they were vaguely aware that something had indeed changed. However, no one knew what that was, yet.


    "Exactly!" Amnur countered back, "Does that not prove that his path is all the more special. That he should follow it! If he survives, he might even surpass Athtar."


    "Oh?! You think so?" A jokingly friendly voice asked, the three turned stiff as they turned to look at the elf who had just arrived. "Don''t give me that, we''re friends." The elf joked upon seeing their stiff stares.


    "Sure..." Amnur groaned, normally he wouldn''t care for the difference in strength between him and Athtar, but he had just been keenly reminded of how great the chasm was. "It''s just, I haven''t seen you be serious in ages."


    "Oh? Did you observe our fight?"


    "Like we could!" Amnur grumbled, "But we sensed it, especially thest blow. I am shocked she could bring you to that point."


    "Oh, no she didn''t." Athtar replied with a smile, "Xelron decided to appear."


    The three froze.


    "Don''t worry, we decided to postpone our battle. It isn''t time for everything to be put on the line, not just yet. Actually, he promised to stop the devil''s interference with this kid until the timees... Right, he also saved the other devil."


    The three did not like hearing that. If she managed to survive the ordeal and learn even a fraction of a technique behind the powers she had used. It would cause massive shifts in power.


    "I doubt she will be able to master control over any of the powers she had used. Shecks the personality, her focus was revenge. Though..." Turning to look at Eldrian, Athtar looked at him curiously. "So this is the kid who caused such argemotion multiple times now. Interesting."


    Eldrian turned and looked at Athtar after feeling his stare. Of course, there was a barrier installed to keep what was being said secret. He simply nced at them before returning his focus to Ceph.


    "Truly interesting," Athtar mumbled, fascinated that Eldrian didn''t even care who they were. "What are your opinions of them?"


    "Them?" The three echoed.


    "Ah, yes, did you all not know?"


    "Know what? I know he has two auras but that doesn''t qualify to call him them." Zamia replied.


    "I see, you are unaware." Athtar nodded, "His- No, that isn''t quite right..." Athtar paused, looking at Eldrian and trying to decipher his entire life. He had seen the bond between Eldrian and the Alicorn, it wasn''t that. Though it did make it harder for him to decipher Eldrian''s past.


    "So strange, it might be that I am confused because he is a Chosen and has the bond of souls. Reportedly theye from another world. But I don''t think that is it either..."


    Leaving the barrier, Athtar knelt down next to Eldrian and looked at the sleeping Alicorn (in elven form still). "Do you hate yourself?"


    Eldrian was shocked by the question, but he couldn''t deny it. Clenching his fists, grinding his teeth, Eldrian did not reply for a long time. However, he wouldn''t storm off and he wouldn''t ignore the question.


    "I do."


    "Is it because you lost control?"


    "No," Eldrian shook his head, "That''s just the conclusion. I hate myself for bing blinded, conceited, for forgetting what is truly important!"


    "Do you think you will make the same mistakes?"


    Gnashing his teeth, Eldrian ignored the pain as blood filled his mouth, as his fingers dug into his hands. "No, I can''t ever lose myself again!" Yet as he said this he knew there was no guarantee that he wouldn''t. And he hated himself even more for that.


    "Then you should not hate yourself."


    Spitting out a mix of blood and saliva, Eldrian tsk''ed in disapproval. "How can you say that?"


    "Maybe it would help if I told you that you were cursed."


    Eldrian simply spat out another mouthful and tsk''ed again.


    "Does that not bring you relief?" Athtar was amazed, certain that it should have brought instant relief to anyone who had hurt their friends. Learning that they were not at fault should immediately lift the guilt. However, he could clearly feel that it had done nothing for Eldrian.


    "Why do you not direct your anger at the one who cursed you?" Athtar asked.


    "It won''t help, now would it? I still fell for the curse." Eldrian replied, finally lifting his sights from Ceph.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 618 - Why Rely On Anger?

    Eldrianpletely ignored the fact that the guy was also an elf, and had been talking with Zamia and Agamemas. Clear clues that he must be some bigshot.


    "I''ve read a bit about curses, and the crux is that I fell for it."


    "A curse isn''t some sort of trap. It is far more-" Athtar wanted to counter but Eldrian interrupted him mid-speech, an action that brought a smile to the elf. Something that he had not experienced in eons.


    "I let it influence me! It is on me! I allowed it to alter me! To change me! Me!"


    Athtar smiled, not bothering for the spit and blood that flew through the air as Eldrian shouted. "Yes, that is very true. A curse corrupts, it can blind you and feed your hatred or pride. However, it is indeed your fault for allowing it. The curse only amplified what was happening inside of you."


    Eldrian''s arms twitched, he wanted to beat himself. m himself against a wall, kick his legs against a wall until they broke. He wanted to vent, to punish himself.


    "I have a question for you..." Athtar smiled, pausing to wait for Eldrian to look him in the eyes. "Why do you only rely on your aura of wrath?"


    "What else could I have done?!"


    "You have two, no? Why do you always turn to anger?"


    "Because it answers!" Eldrian shouted, not even having finished his thoughts before replying. He froze as the words echoed in his mind.


    ''It answers? Does it really? Or does it simply allow me to forget andsh out? Allows me to momentarily feel better, only to feel so much worse after. No, it did save Ceph, but...'' They were now in the ins, but as Eldrian moved his head he recalled the destruction that had been brought by his actions.


    "I see, if that is the case, then the answer is quite simple." Standing up, Athtar offered his hand to Eldrian who simply stared at him in confusion after returning his sights to the elf. "You must learn how to use the other, else you will never be able to tame the beast within in."


    "W-what do you mean?" Eldrian asked, skeptical of the elf''s offer.


    "Rage is an easy emotion for all, even to those whock an aura. It can supply them with great strength. However, just as easily one can be lost in rage. Bing blinded."


    "I do not know why your emotions are so strong, and the fact that you have two auras certainly proves that you are special." Athtar paused, seeing Eldrian still not taking the offered hand he returned it to his side and took a seat next to Eldrian.


    The elf turned to look at the night sky. A sky that has not changed, that seemed to ignore the events that had transpired just minutes before.


    "Do you know what emotions are?" Athtar asked, and while Eldrian was not in the mood for theoretical talk, he somehow managed to move past his anger, to momentarily forget everything and focus on the topic.


    "It''s a state of the mind." Eldrian replied, "A concept that connects thoughts with the physical."


    "Oh my! What an interesting answer." Athtar nodded, "If it is a state of mind, then are you saying that emotions are something that is ever-present. That you can never be without?"


    "Naturally. It is part of who we are, as-" Eldrian paused, he wanted to say, humans. However, currently, he was in an elven form and the person he was talking to was also an elf.


    "A part of who we are, you say? And when you think of your thoughts, are they emotions or not?"


    "Of course not, though... Thoughts contain emotions, or rather, they might contain emotions."


    "Then what are thoughts?"


    ''What are thoughts? Why is he asking me? I just-'', "You''re trying to distract me!"


    "Well, of course. Sulking will do no one any good. I thought you would appreciate some debating."


    "But this isn''t debating, you''re just asking questions!"


    "You might be right, I can''t exactly say anything first or there would be no meaning to it," Athtar replied with a smile. Eldrian was finally fully pulled from other thoughts as he started connecting the dots.


    "Who are you?"


    "I''m Athtar, but that isn''t important right now." Athtar didn''t believe his name would mean anything to Eldrian, and that Eldrian would attempt to pressure for a better answer.


    However, Eldrian had needed just the name. "I see, then what aura do you have?"


    The question caught Athtar slightly off guard, but he recovered quickly. "The aura of tranquility, the one you seem to be underusing."


    "How are you supposed to use it?" Eldrian countered and continued on.


    "It requires you to keep your emotions in check, to stay in a neutral state. Something like that; it is impossible. You can''t rely on something that requires perfect conditions. So it is only natural that I turned to wrath- It answers..." Eldrian''sst words were but a whisper, but Athtar clearly picked up on them.


    "That is where you are wrong. I''ll ask again, what do you think thoughts are?"


    Eldrian took the question far more seriously this time. He wasn''t exactly sure who the elf was, but he was pretty sure the guy was at the same level, or even above Zamia.


    "Thoughts... I doubt you can give them a simple definition in simple words, and I do not know the words to describe them." Eldrian said, "If I had to try, then they would be like living memories. Thoughts are our connection with the world, if we could not think then we could not live."


    "We can''t live without them? Why? Are you saying that animals do not live?"


    "I doubt they do not think, I know they can learn and remember. Therefore they must think, and thus they are living."


    "What of insects and-"


    "It doesn''t matter, they too are able to experience things. Thoughts... They are how we analyze the world, how we experience. As long as something can experience something, then it is alive... But, why did this suddenly be about whether something lives or not?"


    "I was simply curious." Athtar replied while smiling, "Then, what would you ssify as dead?"


    Eldrian wanted to simply answer rocks and such, it seemed simple enough. However, he paused as he considered the fact that mana existed, that magic existed. That it was possible for metals to evolve, that it was possible for mana to react to thoughts.


    "I''m not sure. I would like to say things like dirt, sand, rocks. However, depending on if mana interacts with it my answer might change."


    "Oh? Do you consider mana to be living?"


    ''No,'' Eldrian wanted to reply, but again he paused. He realized that his defining life via experience meant that mana does live. However, while mana reacts to things it does not do so consciously.


    Yet, how could he know this? How could he prove this? Was he even right?


    "I''m not sure. It seems to act in a manner that makes me believe it might experience things, which means it might be alive. But I don''t think that is correct, rather I believe my definition of what life is, iscking."


    "Then, will you redefine how you define life or will you make exceptions?" Athtar was shocked that Eldrian already knew that mana could act upon stimuli. It was normally something that took years and years of experimentation to find.


    Yet, Eldrian, like all other Chosen, had been in this world for less than a year. His speed was shocking, and thanks to that it now made sense why he could cause such a cmity.


    Growth without foundation was bound to be unstable. And his growth was too great, far far too great for his foundation.


    AN: Oops, forgot to set the timer this time.. Well, hope you enjoy the slightly earlier chapter.

 Chapter 619 - Is Mana Alive?

    Eldrian paused on the question, thinking of what he knew from science, of how bacteria was defined as alive and viruses were not. ''I don''t really know the reasoning behind all that, but...'' Trying to recall what he had once read, Eldrian paused.


    ''Isn''t a virus kind of simr to mana?'' His thoughts were wed and he knew this, however, he felt there was a connection and that this connection was important.


    Mana was energy given form, yet formless, able to interact with the world and people, yet not physical in nature. Its true state is unstable, and thus it changed ording to its environment. It can''t replicate, but it can adapt and respond to its environment.


    ''But that is so clunky of a definition then. While it might be scientific, does it really define life?'' Eldrian wondered. ''No, that isn''t the problem. I connected being sentient with being alive.''


    ''Yet, in a way, even bacteria are sentient if you only hold that they must be able to respond to their environment... Then, is mana sentient?'' He had thought of this once before but had scoffed at the idea as something impractical.


    Now; now he considered it seriously.


    "I think neither case would be enough. If we define, no, rather..." Eldrian paused and sorted out his thoughts. "We need to define the difference between being alive and living."


    "What would the difference be?" Athtar asked.


    "Ick the right words, but... I would say whether or not something is living should be defined by abination of whether it is sentient and whether it can experience."


    "However, does sentient not epass by definition the ability to experience?" Athtar questioned.


    "Yes, but to me, sentient must be a conscious act, a thought." Eldrian was well aware that he was using spiral logic since he had defined thoughts as experiences, but it was the only way he could put his thoughts into words.


    "To be living you need to both feel your environment and also experience the feeling of your environment," Eldrian concluded, it was the simplest he could exin it. He assumed Athtar would be able to follow.


    "I see. You are saying that it must be both physically and mentally felt?" Athtar offered and Eldrian nodded. "However, does this not bring in the same problem that we had in the beginning. Using this logic, how can you prove that an animal is alive?"


    "You can''t, not definitely." Eldrian replied, this time with far more certainty. "You can observe and theorize that they can act through more than instinct. That their actions are not just that of reacting to stimtion of the environment. However, unless there is a way tomunicate, we can''t prove that they are truly thinking."


    "Is that not a problem?"


    "Why would it be?" Eldrian countered, "The question of if something is alive or not isn''t important in the end. We kill animals for food, even though we consider them to be alive. However, we frown upon ughtering them for fun due to the same reason."


    "It is that distinction where the definition bes important, and it can often be muddied. For example, it is clear that nts are alive. However, whether they are conscious is uncertain. We know they reach to their environment but we have no insight to believe that they do-"


    Eldrian paused, his basis had been from Earth''s knowledge. Here, in ANW, on Gaia, the situation might be different.


    "If we simply err on the side of caution then the topic is not that important whether we are correct or not. Since by erring we will always be safe." Eldrian closed his argument.


    "But does erring not also mean that you limit yourself?" Athtar questioned.


    "Of course, which is why it is always a conscious act. It is always a choice to do something."


    "Then, what do you think. Is mana alive or not?" Athtar pressed, and Eldrian understood well that he didn''t want a vague answer. He was looking for a yes or no. For Eldrian''s personal decision on the topic, not a debate of how to get to the answer.


    Eldrian had just stated that they should err on the side of caution and that the final decision was every person''s personal choice. Yet, he felt like an idiot for wanting to say something that is basically only floating energy is alive.


    ''Wait, why do I think like that?'' He paused, suddenly realizing a connection he had been missing which made that argument lookpletely dumb.


    The AI, and in fact everyone in this world was basically just energy. No, he didn''t feel it was that simple. However, at the least it had started so.


    The AI did not have physical forms, not even in this world. Eldrian believed they could form ones and enter bodies, however, that was not their natural state.


    Yet, there was no question in his mind over whether or not they were alive. Because he had talked with them. And he could state the same for the soul, he knew he had one.


    He was still unsure if it could exist on Earth, however, it existed in ANW. And he had no doubt that a soul was living, even if the body it had inhabited was dead. A soul might not be alive, but it was living... It felt like a contradiction, but it made sense. At least to him.


    ''And, I''ve talked with mana too! They might not have answered me in words, but they did what I asked them for- kind of. Can I really say they aren''t alive after that?''


    Looking at the waiting elf, Eldrian resolved himself and dered; "Mana is alive."


    Athtar whistled in surprise while looking at Eldrian, searching if he was just saying this to side on the side of caution as he had dered before, or if he was certain. Athtar realized that Eldrian was still unsure, but he was actually leaning more to mana being alive.


    "I see, can you exin why you believe so?"


    "I cannot. It is simply how I feel, I have no proof that mana can think. I actually don''t think it can. However, I still think it is alive. It might be part of something much bigger, or it might only be mimicking living things, however, I feel certain that it is alive."


    "Well, that finally exins why you were able to cause such devastating," Athtar said, standing up and stretching his back. Leaving Eldrian totally confused as he tried to make sense of the sentence.


    Obviously, the answer was important but Eldrian couldn''t connect the dots just yet. "How does it exin anything?" Eldrian questioned.


    "Right, you don''t actually have any knowledge backing you up. You''re just charging forth on your intuition. A frighteningly powerful intuition." Athtar mumbled, "It''s like this, mana isn''t alive in the ssic sense of life."


    "What?"


    "You can think of it as lifeforce without a soul." Seeing that even this made no sense for Eldrian, Athtar sighed as chills covered his back in a cold sweat. For Eldrian to not even know what lifeforce is and havee this far.


    "Lifeforce, simply put is the absolute power of a person. It is what the devils actually feed on, and-" Athtar paused again as he realized Eldrian didn''t find the connection.


    "I see, did my questions seem like random questions to you?"


    "More or less," Eldrian replied with a nod, causing the elf to sigh in exasperation. Turning to the other three, he shook his head. He understood where Amnur''s stance came from, however, Amnur seemed to have forgotten all the help he had gotten along the way.


    No person, not a single one could reach their potential without the help of countless people supporting them throughout their life.


    And even stranger, Amnur had no problem guiding the other candidate, Boran, in forging. It was like Amnur was blind to the fact that it was also teaching. That it would alter Boran''s path just as he feared even talking with Eldrian would alter his path.


    ''Amnur, friend...'' Athtar sighed as he turned to Eldrian.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 620 - The State Of Mana

    "Then let us start from the start. Do you know how magic is possible?" Athtar asked after a moment''s contemtion.


    "Kind of, I have this mess of an understanding." Eldrian replied, "Somehow, our thoughts are able to guide mana. To influence it. Normally, this requires intense focus and I''vee to dub this type of focus as Mageia. In my consciousness and in the magic abyss it even takes on a physical form. Thus I felt that it needed to have a specific ssification."


    Athtar nodded, that in itself was a good enough understanding. For someone who had reached Tier 1, that is.


    "I''ve also- Maybe that''s it! Somehow, I know that emotions can also influence mana, and the influence is far stronger than Mageia. However, using it is dangerous."


    "Indeed," Athtar agreed but did not continue, waiting for Eldrian to continue.


    "I''m not quite sure how it works, but it seems to be possible to use emotions as fuel. I''ve seeded a number of times, but I''m wary of using it."


    "Oh? Care to show me what you mean?" Athtar asked, seeing Eldrian''s methods would be simply the quickest way for him to grasp what Eldrian was getting at.


    Nodding, Eldrian stood up and aimed towards the air. He had more than enough anger, however, he paused as he readied himself. He still wanted to punish himself, he didn''t want to simply let his anger and hate go.


    He knew how it felt after using Incinerate, he feared the emptiness that would follow if he threw all his anger into the spell.


    ''Why? Why am I thinking like this? I need to move on, being stuck on it won''t change anything. I need to learn from it, and improve!''


    Pushing his resolve and all his anger into the Incinerate, the spell grew like never before. It even rivaled the Incinerate he had used to deter the undead when he first returned.


    As it flew into the air, everyone in the surroundings looked at the fireball with shock and awe. It rose in the sky like the morning sun, illuminating the entire ins as it rose higher and higher. Many of the nearby farmers were stuck in shock and fear, trembling at what this could mean. Fearing it was the signal of an enemy attack.


    Athtar nodded, believing he was starting to get a good grasp of Eldrian''s abilities.? Eldrian''s talents were a Tier or two above his actual Tier, his manawork was exquisite for his Tier too. While it was still quite basic in form, it was clearly built with forethought and preparation for improvements going forward.


    However, Eldrian''s knowledge was at Tier 2 or maybe Tier 3. And his technique waspletely barbaric. It was clear that he had been rushing forward, never taking the time to truly digest and master what he had learned along the way. Even his basics were terrible.


    Considering however that he had had less than a year, it was still astounding and made perfect sense that this would be the case.


    ''His talents far surpasses even my own, but that rage of his is too much and I have no idea where ites from. And the haste he is in, while it makes perfect sense; it will always be a danger. He will never be able to gain true control at this rate.''


    "And what do you call this form of magic?" Athtar asked as the artificial sun started imploding, drawing in the surrounding mana and exploding with extremely destructive force. Though that force was quietly contained by Athtar to keep it from disturbing the resting dwarves and destroying the nearby fields.


    The power of this spell was equal to the time Eldrian had drawn on the anger and hate of thousands of soldiers. Yet, it was contained like it was something as simple as Floga.


    "Spirit magic," Eldrian answered, slowly lowering his arm as the emptiness he had feared started overwhelming him. Luckily, Athtar kept his mind off the emptiness, for a moment. However, the tiredness the emptiness brought was quickly slowing his mind.


    "I see, it is an interesting name. Did you use the word spirit since the poweres from your spirit?"


    "Kind of? It feels like an unconscious type of magic. But less destructive and dangerous than relying on my auras, however, I am aware it is still destructive."


    "Unconcious, you say? Why?"


    "Because..." Eldrian paused, he felt so since what he was doing was simply throwing his anger into the spell. He normally didn''t have much forethought, hence he felt it wasn''t a conscious act. But, using his emotions like that was most certainly a conscious action.


    "I''m mistaken. I said that because I feel that the spellcks purpose-" Eldrian paused as Athtar interrupted.


    "Lacks purpose? How can you say that? It is a spell created with a singr purpose. I would say it is a spell with the greatest amount of purpose possible."


    "Yes, but-"


    "I understand where you areing from though. The spellcks the step by step to reach a certain goal. Yet, you can''t say because itcks the step by step that itcks quality, such a belief is wholly wrong."


    "But! It doesn''t have a precise aim. It is a spell born out of anger and hate, its only purpose is destruction. It does not differentiate between friends or allies, or-" Eldrian paused as Athtar interrupted.


    "What spell does?"


    Indeed, in ANW there was no such thing as friendly fire protection. Spells would hurt even the caster if used too close to them.


    Seeing Eldrian stuck in his thoughts -mulling over how such a game perception could have been in his subconscious till now, despite the fact that he always acknowledged this- Athtar decided it was time to move on to another topic.


    "It is good that you are reflecting, however, let us move back to the previous topic. You said that you believed mana to be alive. That is not wrong, but it is also not right."


    "Think for a moment of your arm, it is a part of you. It in itself cannot be considered to be a living thing, but it is most certainly alive."


    Eldrian nodded, it was kind of the idea he had been getting at. That mana was part of a bigger whole. However, Athtar''s next sentence ruined that image.


    "Mana is not the same."


    "Then why mention it?!" Eldrian asked, feeling like Athtar was purposefully misleading him.


    "Because it is a simple analogy to use. Imagine again your arm, but now add that it had been severed from your body. In this case, it would slowly start dying. After some time it will even start to decay."


    "But what if we supplied it with a source of sustenance and kept it alive? Would you consider the arm to be a living thing?"


    "No, of course not," Eldrian replied and immediately made the connection that just because something was alive didn''t mean it was living. He had constantly been touching on this but failed to make thest differentiation.


    He quickly thought back to his answer on what it meant to be alive and whether mana was alive. Instead of trying to fully ssify it all in one word, it might be smarted to allocate words for different states of aliveness.


    For while he believed mana was alive, he did not believe it was conscious. And as such, it was not a living entity. Contrary, while a soul might be dead, it was conscious and as such, it was living.


    ''It almost feels like I am contradicting myself, but it makes perfect sense!'' Eldrian mumbled as he waited for Athtar to continue while fighting the fatigue that was like a weight of a mountain. Pressing him to close his eyes and drift off to sleep.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 621 - Thoughts To Actions, Another Analogy

    Fighting to stay awake, Eldrian tried to follow what Athtar said next.


    "While the analogy isn''t perfect, it does help us to understand something crucial. Being alive does not qualify something as being a living entity."


    "However, contrary to the arm analogy, mana isn''t a part of arger whole. If you do wish to ssify it as such, then it would be more in line with how water is a part of nature. Not how your body parts are a part of your body."


    "They might mean the same if you break it down what it means to be a part of something, but the understanding people get from how something is a part of a living thing and how something is a part of nature ispletely different. And it is important to realize this."


    Athtar paused, realizing that Eldrian would not be able to stay awake much longer he decided to conclude his exnation quickly.


    "From here you can go and break down what an arm, or indeed what mana exists out of. All those parts are a part of it, yet it does not necessitate that it must be a part of it."


    "Lifeforce is one of these parts. Yet, lifeforce is something that cannot exist without life as should be clear from its namesake. And we have just confirmed that while mana is alive it does not live."


    "This is why mana cannot stay in its natural form."


    ''Natural form!?'' Eldrian''s attention was clearly pulled to that, almost missing the following sentence.


    "Hence, mana instead takes on the form of its environment, normally in the form of the elements but also quite often in more abstract forms."


    ''I see! It is simr to how I made the breakthrough with mana being mana. That it is energy and can just take different forms but stays the same. But I feel like my understanding is still too shallow.''


    Athtar paused as he saw the glimmer ofprehension in Eldrian''s eyes. It told him that the young elf had grasped at least some of what he had exined, yet the fatigue of his ordeal could not be ignored.


    Eldrian still had no idea what lifeforce truly was, a part of him believed that it was XP or at least linked to XP. And if it was, then it also exined a couple of other things. He needed rification on this.


    "I have a question." Eldrian paused as he fought off a yawn, "What is lifeforce then?"


    "Are you sure that it is only one question?" Athtar smiled and jokingly answered his own question. "No, your right, it is just one. The answer however is tooplicated."


    "You can''t say that..." Eldrian countered while fighting another yawn.


    "You are unfortunately in no state to wait for the exnation. I''ll instead leave you with this: Consider how you control your arm, think of what you do and what is actually happening. The answer lies within this."


    As Eldrian''s eyes closed and he started falling to the side, thisst sentence he tried his best to analyze it, but of course, he fell asleep before he could.


    His wandering thoughts as he drifted into sleep were off the difference ofmands. There were conscious and unconscious actions. For the conscious, there were two ways; where you ''think'' or you could ''do''. Both resulted in action being taken, but through the need to think it was slower.


    It was simr to how he had defined his control of mana and dynamic casting. This was not new.


    A simple example: Someone new at driving needs to consciously think about each action and purposefully will themselves to execute them in order. Whereas someone with years of experience does not consider each action but rather the oue needed, and they would automatically execute the steps required.


    Unfortunately, sleep came before Eldrian could connect it with the next part. The part of how your thoughts are changed and transported to give themands to the arm, and how those same thoughts change over time as you gain more experience in an action.


    The act of muscle memory.


    To consider the biology of such actions and changes, and to find the simrity between it and magic. To dive deeper into what thoughts andmands are. But that would be left for the time when he woulde to.


    "What is your opinion of him?" Amnur asked after a few seconds after Athtar returned to their little group who had been discussing recent events while listening in on what Eldrian and Athtar had talked about.


    Turning to look at the ming dwarf whose fire was much weaker than normal, Athtar smiled. "He''s quite talented. I get that you worry he would not be able to be a legend if we train him. However, the case of candidates not bing legends isn''t to be faulted on teaching them."


    "It is not in the act of helping, guiding, or teaching that a person loses their path and bes blocked from bing a legend. It is in them bing reliant on the person that is teaching them."


    "It is when they lose the drive to search; when their reason for bing a candidate bes confused, be reliant, that is when they will fail. They will never be able to ovee the bridge between the ordinary and the legendary if it does note from within themselves."


    Looking at the two Alicorns, Athtar felt it was the perfect example- though it was rude to mention. "This is one of the reasons why it is so hard for magical creatures like our friends to reach the same level. Even if they do not mean to, the strength from their race and their natural abilities act as a crutch which they rely on."


    "Certainly, it is a strong crutch, capable of even closing the gap between them and ordinary legends. But it is the reliance on it that blocks them from moving further." Turning to Zamia and Agamemas, Athtar apologized. "I don''t mean to say you do not work hard-" He paused as Agamemas indicated for him to stop.


    "No, you are correct. Even if we never meant to rely on our racial abilities, it is something we are born with. We can''t change it, it is part of us. We do not hate it, nor do we regret using it. It has saved our lives many times."


    "But, if it is just that then why are they still unable? Their knowledge in their fields rivals my own in creation?" Amnur questioned.


    "It isn''t always a matter of knowledge. Just look at Eldrian, he knows almost nothing. Yet he pushes on and discovers a new way of using magic almost instantly after having just made a breakthrough."


    "Still, even if that is the case-"


    "I understand your confusion, Amnur. Unfortunately, making the jump isn''t a matter of understanding something or a question of effort. If it was we would be able to train people to be legends..." Athtar paused.


    "To reach the level of legend is to surpass the limits of your natural personal ability. To go past what should be considered your limits."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 622 - The Start Of An Awkward Meeting

    Athtar continued, "This is another part why it is so much harder for stronger races to be legends. Their natural ability is far higher than that of the standard races. In the same manner, this is why it is considered bad if someone advances through Tiers too quickly."


    "Quick growth certainly hints at great talent, but it also means that their foundation will always becking. At the same time, due to their talent, the gap that they have to ovee is all therger. If rushed, it often bes something that can never be fixed."


    "And crossing the gap to be a legend is not the only solution. After all, there are a number of people who can fight against legends despite not being one themselves. You have a few in your guard, do you not?"


    Amnur nodded, while the armor he had provided Tovack was certainly also a part of the reason he could face legends. One couldn''t disregard all the training Tovack had done, all the knowledge he had made his own.


    "It is strange though," Athtar mumbled, "If we consider Tovack you would assume he should be able to be a legend. His understanding is truly at the same level as most, while your equipment does boost his power, it only closes the gap and allows him to execute what he is truly capable of at that level. It is still his skill that allows him to fight at that level."


    "Exactly, it must be because he did not gain it on his own," Amnur concluded.


    "I agree, but let''s rify. It is not because he did not gain it on his own, but rather because he has not pushed further on his own."


    Amnur nodded, he understood what Athtar was saying. "That is what you meant earlier?"


    "Indeed, Tovack has be reliant on what he had been taught and this is limiting him. We do not know if he had the potential without intervention, and there is no proof that he would be blocked if he pushed himself further now."


    "If he wished to progress further, there is no rule that says he can''t. However, he will have to ovee the hurdle of having guidance, thest step is something that must be done by oneself. There is no one way, nor has there ever been a repeated method so we can''t even try to help him in that regard."


    "Despite there never being a repeated way, it is always something that must be done alone and the dangers of attempting it are not to be ignored. For some, it is better to simply ept their limitations."


    Of course, the group was talking inside a barrier again. The dwarf in question had been present; however, he had left shortly after they had been teleported to the ins. Searching for the survivors of Diades and wishing to ensure that they are not prayed upon by a random band of orcs.


    After all, if they did all that and the entire city''s poption was still killed in the end then it would have all been for nothing. Tovack was certain that this was what Amnur would want since his lord had stepped in to help the kingdom.


    Naturally, he dared not intrude on their conversation and instead quickly mobilized the rest of the guards to help the kingdom where they could while they were here.


    "Then, are we to teach the kid?" Amnur asked after taking some time to digest what Athtar had said.


    "No." The answer surprised the three for just a second before they understood what Athtar meant just as he rified, "We will guide him, but not teach him."


    Nodding, they agreed with the sentiment. All of them understood the implications, but Athtar still mentioned it to make sure everyone was on the same page.


    "I''m sure you all know that simply handing someone the answer does them no good. They must make the realization on their own or they will be ever reliant on you."


    "Are you staying?" Zamia asked after a few seconds of silence.


    "I think I might. I am curious to see the progress Eldrian will be able to show us given time."


    "However..." Zamia paused, "I''m certain he will prioritize helping the kingdom, he is the type to rush forward to help even if he is unable. It is something which has repeatedly ended badly, yet he keeps doing it."


    "Even knowing that it might end terribly, he always repeats it."


    "However, you can''t say it is because he believes himself invincible." Agamemas chimed in, "He knows his limits, or at least normally he is well aware of it."


    "Well, then let''s give him some peace of mind," Athtar said, it was quite unheard of for legends to interfere directly with a kingdom. However, none in the group questioned it. They were all curious what Eldrian would do if the pressure that had been on his shoulders was lifted, if only for a moment.


    ...


    Eldrian woke after a few days, it turns out the dwarves had decided to speed up their support of Taurus- or so the official story went. They didn''t directly go and fight the orcs, but they did supply all the border cities, old and new, with ten cannons and a hundred cannonballs within these days.


    These cities were Juzna, Vistico, Vlisia, Silva, and Naraan. Of these, Vlisia had gotten an additional fifteen and two hundred cannonball as it was both arger city and under far more pressure as one of the corners of the kingdom. If it fell, it would truly mean that the southwest was lost.


    With this, the cities were able to fend off the attacks with the orcs even withdrawing from a few. While all cities were still under heavy pressure knowing that the orcs were baring their fangs, they would not fall soon and some had even gotten time to breathe and organize themselves.


    The orcs after having sustained massive damage thanks to the cannons had realized the change of circumstances, and not having a clear understanding of the new weapon they started raiding the surroundingnds instead. Aiming to both resupply their resources and deprive the surrounding cities of the possible food ie.


    However, a new invention soon made its appearance which caused a devastating loss to the orcs who tried this. Its design was truly simple, an annihtion cannon installed on a metal cart. The weight was too much for normal horses, instead, it was drawn by a team of Tier 6 centaurs.


    Yet, this mobile bringer of destruction proved to be a fatal blow to the orcs. Capable of killing entire warbands from kilometers away. It struck fear into the hearts of the orcs and allowed the kingdom to stabilize the war situation.


    Of course, it was not very mobile but this was not understood well by the orcs. And the fact that its power rivaled a magic tower caused the orcs to go on the defensive. Knowing that they could now lose Chieftains, or even Warlord out in the field had truly slowed their advance.


    It was thanks to the efforts of the yers that its immobility was not known by the orcs. Through using the yers as both information rys and transporters of the cannon, it was even possible to give the impression that there was not just one of these in y.


    This had caused the invasion to basicallye to a halt while the orcs tried to confirm the new situation.


    While it sucked that the dwarves didn''t simply send their elites to annihte the orcs, especially with the legends present. Heck, the legends could have spent just a few minutes to clear the orcs. This was still a great relief to hear.


    Eldrian was informed of all this through a message Elizabeth had sent him once she had been able to enter the game again. After having organized everything first, of course.


    ''I shouldn''t me them...'' Eldrian mumbled, considering the legends and their inactivity. ''They have no obligation to save the kingdom and they must have their reasons for not doing so.''


    Eldrian had a slight headache as he sat in the room with his friends, called here for a meeting by Pros. He had woken just a few minutes ago, most things were still unclear. He wanted to first confirm with Two if everything was alright, but he couldn''t do that right now.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 623 - The Awkward Meeting Continues.

    Those in the room were not just those who were called for the meeting. Those called were Elizabeth and Nikki as Chosen representatives and leaders, Evale and Ja as the city of Kynigo''sstmanders, and Myropsis who had only recently returned to the city.


    Then there were six others who had simply entered the room as if they too had been called, this was Amnur and Athtar, Ceph and his parents, and Itireae.


    [{Elizabeth} - Are you sure this is okay? Why haven''t we been kicked from the game?]


    [{Eldrian} - Ziraili likely knows that they don''t mean you harm. But I''m not sure, technically she shouldn''t allow this. But it seems the rules regarding safety measures have always been unclear and up to her judgment.]


    Eldrian wasn''t aware of the mess that Elizabeth and the rest of Phoenix had made on the forums and all the chaos it had caused Miracle already. Shocking their messaging was seen by the legends.


    "Quite an interesting ability you have there. Is it one of the unique abilities of you Chosen?" Athtar asked, few in the room understood who he really was. Yet it was clear to everyone that he should be the one to lead the talks.


    This was due to how Itireae kept referring to him as Lord Athtar while being very diligent in ensuring he had everything he had. Acting almost like a maid, a ridiculous action by someone as strong as her.


    "Yes, we call it a message, or chat. It allows us to send messages to each other, no matter the distance." Eldrian replied.


    "Fascinating!" Athtar''s eyes shone as he analyzed the fragments of the magic that he had witnessed, trying to decipher its ability. While he and the other legends had ways to do the same, this ability seemed to be of a much simpler nature and could revolutionize the world.


    Sadly, it seemed to be partly an act of divinity and also connected to the soul of the Chosen. Though, curiously, Eldrian''s seemed to be different. Athtar noted to himself that he should ask Eldrian about itter.


    As silence settled into the room again, Eldrian cleared his throat and fought up the courage to ask what was going on and why they were here.


    "I''m not sure myself. Pros was the one who called the meeting." Athtar said, turning to the centaur who had been unable to return to his human form ever since being healed.


    He had not been healed by Athtar or the others, but rather thanks to Myropsis who had brought thest flower that had been missing, from the capital, a day ago.


    Pros turned white as he saw Athtar indicate to him, "I-I didn''t think Lord Athtar and Lord Amnur and..." He droned on, but basically, he had only wanted to talk with Eldrian and the members of Phoenix to catch up with what had happened while he was unconscious.


    "Ah, are we in the way?" Athtar asked and stood up to leave, causing Pros to turnpletely flustered as he hastily tried to apologize.


    Watching this, Eldrian almost felt likeughing. It was strange that he didn''t feel the same amount of respect/fear towards the legendary figures. He wasn''t sure if it was his upbringing on Earth or just his personality that didn''t seem to recognize authority.


    He partly felt like it was thetter since everyone else, even Elizabeth and the rest were acting very stiff. While he had felt slightly weird, it was more likely due to him still being seriously suffering from the bacsh of recent events.


    Coughing to try and get everyone''s attention and help Pros, Eldrian stood up and asked, "I am curious, why do you not help the kingdom? If any one of you moved you could end the invasion in less than a day, correct?"


    Shockingly, Athtar did not deny this. "You''repletely right, but what good will that do?"


    The reply angered not just Eldrian, it angered nearly everyone in the room. Suddenly, Nikki burst up and shouted, "How can you say that! It will save countless lives! Are you heartless!"


    The room turned ice-cold as everyone stared at her in shock. Nikki felt like her heart stopped as her blood turned cold. Yet, the next moment Athtar smiled andughed. An action, clearly done to purposefully lift the mood.


    "You''re right, it must seem very heartless of us." He turned to Eldrian, who he felt had asked it not because he didn''t understand, but because he wanted to confirm. "Will you exin or shall I?"


    Seeing the looks from his friends, Eldrian felt like cursing. While he felt he understood some of the reasons, it didn''t mean he felt the same. "I''m not sure what reason is yours though."


    "It''s fine, I want to hear your thoughts on the matter."


    Nodding, Eldrian took a deep breath and prepared himself, "Then, the first reason I believe is that you have no obligation to help any of us."


    The answer shocked those in the room and took their breath away. It was such a simple answer, yet there was no countering it.? Athtar nodded and indicated for Eldrian to continue after no objections were brought up.


    "The second I believe is you''ve grown distant from the struggles of mortals such as us..." Eldrian paused, it felt weird saying this knowing all the things going on in the background. "You''ve lived for thousands of years, and yet our lifespan is only a hundred years at most."


    Eldrian watched Zamia and Agamema''s reactions, curious if they would connect the dots. He couldn''t recall if he had hidden this from them or not, he was certain though that he had never purposely lied. Somehow, he felt like they had suspected it-- or a least something simr.


    Their reaction however was quite neutral. Eldrian was unsure if this was because he had told them, if they had figured it out, if they simply didn''t mind, or if Ceph had filled them in.


    "Yes, it is true that we have to learn to live with the deaths of countless friends, lovers, and even family. Sadly, it does distance us from mortality. The pain lessens, and lives slowly mean less and less." Athtar paused and turned to Nikki who froze feeling his gaze, "Does that make us heartless?"


    She wanted to counter with yes, yet she couldn''t imagine the horror that actual immortality would bring. It always sounded so great, but if those around you were not also immortal... It was truly hell.


    "You don''t need to answer, I only hope you can understand." Turning to Eldrian, Athtar smiled. "You have another reason."


    "Yes, thest; I believe is that you wish to allow this generation to live through strife."


    "You do not think that it is cruel?"


    Eldrian nodded, "It is indeed cruel, but sometimes you need to be cruel. No matter how strong you are, it is impossible to protect everyone. There is a saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life."


    "Our situation is not the same, but we have to learn how to survive. Being shielded will do us more harm in the long run."


    Athtar smiled and pped his hands in agreement, "Wonderful answers. I find no fault in your reasoning, but there is another."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 624 - The Awkward Meeting Continues (2)

    "Which is?" Eldrian asked.


    "The longer we need to stay in one ce the more other ces will be endangered. It is the same for us and our enemy. When either side knows the other''s precise strength, that side can use that knowledge to their advantage. As such, it is often better to simply have our positions remain unknown."


    "Yes, this is not always possible nor always ideal. However, it is essential that the enemy does not know the precise strength of a kingdom and especially of an empire. It is a simr reason why the orcs have not been rushing the fighting. While they might not be considering us as the hidden trump cards, the Tier 10''s of this kingdom are just that."


    "By not acting, even if it could save thousands of lives, they are saving hundreds of times more. Sadly, without their action, the enemy is stronger. Yet, they also can''t act recklessly as they are in a simr situation, unaware of the enemy''s true strength."


    "If they carelessly take action, they could end up falling into a trap and end up being killed. Such an act will be a massive loss and is actually what happened with most kingdoms that were quickly defeated. As soon as the enemy confirmed their strength and where said strength was located, they capitalized, and defeat soon followed for the kingdoms."


    Eldrian nodded while a number of the people in the room seemed enlightened. Obviously, Evale and Pros simply nodded in agreement, fully aware of this.


    ''I get it, I''ve considered it for a while now. It is kind of like how we look at nukes. Even if you have your own, if you are not certain that the enemy doesn''t have any you would never dare attack them for fear that they might have one. It isn''t about where they actually are, but if they might be there. It is the unknown that forces you to be careful.''


    This was also the reason why he suspected the Chieftain, Kugbu, hadn''t just rushed into Diades to end the siege. He couldn''t take the risk. Obviously, the magic towers would focus on him, but say he could disable them if he managed to dodge their attack.


    It would be all for naught if he risked it all and then found someone stronger waiting in the tower. In fact, it would immediately spell his death and the defeat of his army thereafter.


    Contrary, you would have to remember that someone so strong did not need to stay there permanently. They could simply just teleport at the right time.


    However, before Eldrian had arrived the city had been under the impression that the orcs had surrounded them in full force. Hence, it was far more likely that the city had been abandoned and considered lost considering how bad the intelligence of the defenders was.


    Why did they do this? Eldrian wasn''t sure. But he didn''t think such an act could be done without good reason. He believed one of these reasons was that the kingdom simply did not have the forces to protect everywhere. Hence, they rather focused on select cities.


    However, there was no doubt that teleportation certainly made this game that the strongest yed with one another all the trickier. While it was an avable option, the other side could not act recklessly. And teleportation through the magic towers was not the only way to teleport.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure of the other methods'' details, but he was certain it was another thing that both sides had to be wary of.


    [{Eldrian} - How did things move so quickly while I was out?] This was regarding the message Elizabeth had sent about the dwarves'' helping the kingdom.


    [{Elizabeth} - I am not sure, they might have been acting behind the scenes. If they did, I''m not sure how this all happened so quickly.]


    Athtar smiled seeing the message but did not bring it up.


    "Thank you for your exnation," Eldrian said, looking at Zamia and Agemamas before returning his sights to Athtar. "However, I too still need to be filled in on recent events. Considering I only woke from mya less than an hour ago."


    "Do not mind us," Athtar replied with a smile but Eldrian shook his head no.


    "I''m afraid it is not that simple. I appreciate your help, but I''m afraid no one will be able to rx while you are present. You are after all existences above the king, and no one would dare act casually before a king." Eldrian said, trying to be tactful. An action he was not too used to.


    Athtar did not mind being kicked out of the meeting, as he and the others left he smiled and mumbled that it was quite worthing to see how Eldrian would handle the situation.


    "Eldrian?" Pros turned to Eldrian after Ititreae had followed Athtar and left the room. Seeing the concern Eldrian smiled to try and dispel it.


    "Don''t worry, I know at least two of them and they aren''t people who will be angry if you speak your mind. But I understand it isn''t easy to do."


    "Still, to ask them to leave... Wait, who were they even?"


    Eldrianughed when the question finally arose, "They are the so-called legends of myths. Well, Zamia and Agemams are Ceph''s parents and aren''t legends, but their power is about equal."


    "Wa-" Turning to Ceph, everyone in the room looked at him in shock. Seeing the stares he quickly asked them to stop acting strange.


    Of course, Eldrian had also apologized repeatedly telepathically, until Ceph literally shouted at him to stop. Both were still physically scarred from recent events, but they were able to walk and talk just fine.


    Eldrian was greatly relieved that Ceph had already forgiven him, however, he could not do the same. Not yet, every time he looked at Ceph and saw the burn marks covering his friend''s cheek and arms, it ate at him.


    Each time Eldrian looked at Ceph he reyed thosest moments and swore anew to himself that he must never lose control again. He had no idea how he was to keep this promise, but he would not do anything before he could find a way.


    He knew this might not be up to him, but as long as it was he would not risk it.


    The meeting finally continued after a few minutes, during which everyone had taken a few calming breaths as they tried to wrap their heads around who those four were.


    When the meeting continued it started with filling Pros in on what all had happened. He was relieved to hear that the city had been saved and that things were actually progressing smoothly so far.


    He was impressed to hear about the trade deals and shocked to hear about the support they had been able to give the other cities. And of course, he was distraught to hear about the fall of Diades. The details of which had been skipped over, yet the heavy atmosphere made it clear that things had turned terribly wrong for some unknown reason.


    For now, Pros tactfully decided to not dig into the details. He had plenty to already focus on, he would catch up on thister.


    "Silver is currently guiding them to Kynigo," Elizabeth continued on as she now reached more recent events. "However, it will take them some time to reach the city as they have to stop at each town and vige to gather supplies."


    ""Wait! What!?" Eldrian and Pros shouted. Both were stunned by this turn of events, though for two distinctly different reasons.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments.. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 625 Kingdom Overview (Part 1)

    "Yeah, for some reason she appeared where they were when she returned." Elizabeth exined, "And they couldn''t go north to Vlisia since the city is also besieged. "


    "What about Juzna or Vistigo?" Pros asked, it was the two cities north of Ganalin, between Kynigo and Diades.


    "Silver said that they didn''t believe that the cities would be able to house them, especially since it is likely that they are also besieged. At the very least there should be plenty of raiding parties and running into any one of them would be catastrophic."


    "We''ve been trying to confirm details, but the yers we sent to the corner cities have had little sess." Turning to look at Eldrian, Elizabeth sighed. Wishing that everyone could so act as brazenly as him to demand an audience with the city ruler and not stop until they seeded.


    However, few people were like Eldrian. And sometimes that was a good thing.


    "I see, then they are likely going to move towards Ganalin first to stay as far from Juzna as possible. I can see why they decided so, but there is no guarantee that Kynigo would be safe either." Pros countered.


    Hearing this, Eldrian recalled the message he had sent asking for the dwarfs to build fortifications between the cliffs and the mountains. Asking for an update, Nikki replied this time.


    "It is being done, Mist informed me that they have finished the walls. However, the defenses have not been installed."


    The speed was naturally shocking, however, Eldrian felt it should be normal if a kingdom ced its focus on it. After all, magic should be able to massively help in construction. He couldn''t quite understand why there weren''t manyrge fortifications of magical scale, but that was a topic for another time.


    "Likely because they sent help to the rest of the kingdom," Eldrian mumbled, calling up his map he redid the map exploration. Its cost wasn''t as much as before and was easily born by the orcs he had killed, he also expanded this detailed map exploration up to Diades and down towards Juzna.


    This allowed him to get a clearer view of the geographical conditions surrounding them and that the refugees would need to travel. Taking a screenshot of this, Eldrian sent it to Silver. He wasn''t sure what the other yer''s map looked like and asked for a return one.


    ''I see, regarding the normal map it is the same. I just have to pay XP.'' Eldrian noted, asking her to outline the route they were going to take. He then used the map scouting function to check if there were anyrge orc bands nearby. And by nearby he meant within a few hundred kilometers.


    ''Seems Juzna is really surrounded.'' Eldrian noted and shared this with Silver, when he came back to the meeting it seemed that Elizabeth and Pros were detailing where they should make fortifications around Kynigo. A massive detailed map of the Kynigo region nowy over the table.


    "I''m not sure we should focus so much on the north. The orcs do not need to defeat us to have clear ess to the capital. While we will be a danger as a rallying point, it is also about all that we will be. A possible danger that might never be real." Pros said.


    "We should rather put more focus towards the south, the undead are surely not done. We need to retake the forts-"


    "We don''t have the manpower," Eldrian interrupted, while he hadn''t investigated the forts deeply, the number of enemies in them was far too much for Kynigo''s forces to handle.


    Pyknos fort had around ten thousand undead, and Eldrian was certain that the number of unwilling would be high. He even suspected that there might be a few higher undead, and if they could make use of the magic tower then the dream of retaking it would be but a that; a dream.


    "What of the cannons? Won''t they be as effective on the offensive as defensive?" Pros asked.


    "They will... However, weck the materials to make more. We do not even have enough ammunition for defensive uses. In total the city has around 5000 standard iron cannonballs for the 100 standard outer cannons, these won''t do much against enemies. Though it will destroy structures."


    "As for the inner walls, we had forty cannons, lost three in our attempt to help Diades. Luckily, we did not lose all the cannonballs, so we should still have somewhere around 500. Then we have the one annihtions..." Eldrian turned to Elizabeth questioningly, who quickly admitted that the one on the field was precisely that one.


    After all, the materials that had been used were not something that could easily be replicated. While weaker ammunition could be used, using a weaker cannon would exponentially weaken its effects.


    "I see, well there you have it Pros. We can at most fire 500 effective attacks and weck a way to resupply what we use. While the standard cannons would work well against walls. It won''t do much against numerous enemies, and targeting stronger foes will be hard since they won''t stand still and wait to be hit."


    "I see..." Pros nodded and asked if there were truly no more materials left.


    "Hah, that is only the beginning. Since the siege all the mines and many viges have been abandoned, we''ve focused on securing food and then focused on trade with the dwarves. So the mines are still inactive, we''re not even sure if they are safe or not. Heck, I don''t even know where these supposed mines are."


    "As for stored materials, we''ve used them all and more. We''ve even used ourwork as Chosen, but those we have been trading with have be suspicious and are raising prices."


    "Yet, we can''t let the forts stay in the hands of the undead. How will we be able to give the remaining viges any security-" Pros countered but was quickly stopped by Eldrian.


    "We aren''t, all viges are going to be abandoned after the harvest," Eldrian replied, causing the centaur to stare at him like he was mad.


    "And how are we to feed ourselves and all the refugees who are heading here?"


    "Vertical farms, it''s also something from our world." Turning to Elizabeth, Eldrian indicated for her to continue from here.


    "Currently Therdul and Erik have started with the construction of the first. It is in the outer city, however, this type of farming can be moved to the inner city. They are only experimenting and confirming their theories for the moment."


    Understanding that Eldrian was also out of the loop, Elizabeth went into a bit more details." The first vertical farm will make use of five elemental focals, which will be integrated into the natural structure of the farms."


    "The first farm is set to produce lettuce, and estimations are that yield should be possible within two weeks."


    "Two weeks?" Pros questioned while Eldrian instead asked via a message what these focals were.


    "Yes, of the five focals, four are actually redundant. Their purpose is an expensive one, but seeing how little time we have they felt it was required to test if the theory fits practice." Elizabeth replied, Pros quickly understood after hearing that four would be redundant.


    [[Elizabeth] - Elemental focals is how magic is incorporated into farming, it is a weak array that alters the elemental density to benefit the nts.]


    "And what of all the animals?" Pros asked after taking a moment to try and wrap his head around what these vertical farms were really supposed to be. Of course, it would be easier to show him than to try and exin so Elizabeth had offered to take him to the first site after the meeting.


    "The n is to create these farms inside the inner walls, we will then turn all thend between the inner walls and the outer into grazingnds for domestic animals. Considering that the distance between the walls varies from eight to ten kilometers, we believe we should be able to keep enough animals for the entire poption." Elizabeth replied.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 626 Kingdom Overview (Part 2)

    "Still, we are a ways off from going so far," Eldrian replied, after recent events he was now far more willing to do as much as he could to secure knowledge of their situation.


    As such, after a moment''s hesitation, he decided tomit and use the map exploration function for the entire Taurus kingdom instead of just locations of interest.


    The total cost ended up being around three hundred million and he was quite willing to pay it to get a much clearer understanding of things.


    With the entire map explored and all allies and enemies highlighted, he could much better determine the current and potential risks to them and the nearby viges. However, he understood well that he could not do anything on his own. Especially in his current condition.


    He hadn''t gotten the time yet to confirm his own condition, nor what was going on IRL. His body felt heavy, there was a bunch of aching and some burning still. And to top it off mana felt extremely heavy, the apology he had sent to Ceph had taken a tremendous amount of his effort.


    "Don''t ask how, but my map is different from the other Chosen." Eldrian started off with, while quickly filling Elizabeth in on his thoughts through a message to keep her up to date. Luckily, it seemed that the system that GAIA had given him was not affected by recent events.


    While he was curious how it worked, he felt that now was not the time to think about it.


    "Do you have a map of the kingdom?" Eldrian asked, turning to Pros who quickly nodded and took one out.


    It was a tiny map, mostly used for understanding the cement of the cities. Pointing onto this map, Eldrian exined what his map showed him. While making sure to mention that he wasn''t sure if it detected all people, but that it did detect most.


    "As such, it seems the focus of the orcs is currently around Vlisia. I''m not sure why they are gathering most of their forces; it is quite likely that they mean to force the siege once they confirmed what the cannons are and aren''t capable of."


    "The force surrounding Juzna seems to be simr in size to the one that was surrounding Diades. Other than these two sieging forces, they have a few smaller bands moving to the city of Naraan." Eldrian said, pointing to the city near the ocean-sizedke in the west of the kingdom.


    "It appears that they aren''t moving to siege the city of Naraan but rather only scouring thends, presumably to raid."


    "How long have you had this- ability?" Evale asked, just moments before Ja and Pros could do the same.


    She quickly connected that this must be how Eldrian had been able to pinpoint the undead''s locations. However, learning that he could do the same for the entire kingdom was a gamechanger.


    The uracy seemed to be good as this was extremely simr to the limited recentmunications that they have had with the rest of the kingdom.


    "Since I came back, but ites at a cost and I am not certain how it works, nor what its limitations are." Eldrian replied, "But I was stupid in not making better use of it."


    A small part of him wanted to give himself some ck since he had been extremely busy the entire time, but he quickly crushed that part of himself. Determined to improve as much as he could and never let small mistakes or dumb decisions stack up against him again.


    "This is why I am sharing this now, if you wouldn''t mind delivering arger map to my house I will keep it updated daily with the movements of the orcs near locations of interest."


    Seeing Pros about to ask Eldrian nodded and confirmed it, "Yes, and no. I can see when someone not of Taurus enters the kingdom''s borders, or rather arge group." Naturally, when Eldrian was looking at the entire kingdom, most towns wouldn''t even show up.


    As such he normally had to zoom in and out repeatedly around all cities to get a clearer picture of things. It took some time, but he felt that the information should be priceless to the kingdom. While they should have their own source, if he could give daily updates it should be massive.


    If there was some sort of magic, or if they used a yer as a ry, it was also quite possible to have the information be ryed to the capital or king directly.


    "If I can get a map like this of Kynigo too, I can keep it updated too." Eldrian offered, "Though, if the undead wanted they could cross their border and reach the city in less than a day."


    "Not true," Ja countered, "This would be correct if they moved without any lower undead, but it is doubtful that they would do so. While the vampires mighte with an army of thralls, the thralls will also slow their advance greatly. And after recent setbacks, I doubt they would charge the city haphazardly."


    Nodding, Eldrian waited for questions. It took a moment for every to wrap their heads around the new and much clearer view of the kingdom''s situation. After which they asked Eldrian about certain locations, using the small map they filled in the details and formed a rough idea of their overall situation.


    "It does seem like they are looking to take Vlisia by force despite the defensive abilities that the cannons bring. Should we move to help?" Evale asked, looking at Pros as she did.


    "I don''t think we can. As I understand it, our situation is still dire. We have stabilized but we can''t really offer much help to others and with the refugeesing... However, we should most certainly share the information we have with the king." Of course, Pros didn''t think that the king would be unaware of the overall situation but the fact that they could confirm enemy movements in real-time was important to share.


    And even more importantly, they should share it with all the cities of the kingdom. If all the mayors could stay informed, then the kingdom would be able to work together as a far better cohesive force. It would also be able to organize trade and relief efforts with such information, and much more.


    Ja quickly asked if she could perform the task. After getting approval, Pros gave her a type of medallion to allow her to teleport to the capital directly.


    Eldrian had been curious about how that was monitored and controlled, using the opportunity he asked.


    "Teleportation between cities simply required one of the magic tower''s approval, however, teleportation from besieged cities is naturally blocked. Only teleportation into such cities is epted. However, it is still monitored and normally required both magic towers'' cooperation to allow it to happen."


    "As for the capital, you would normally need to go to the duke cities first. Teleporting to them requires approval of their side, or a medallion simr to what I gave Ja. In this case, I gave her my personal medallion which allows me as the city mayor and royal bloodline to teleport directly to the capital."


    "Is it okay to simply hand her something so valuable?" Nikki asked, the fact that Pros seemed unconcerned about something that should certainly be a state secret baffled her.


    "If times were normal I might not act so recklessly, but in the current conditions I believe getting the information to them is more important than following procedure."


    Naturally, the danger of Ja being caught and losing the medallion was very real. However, it happening should be unlikely since no one but those in the room will know about it.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 627 Ending The Meeting Early

    "What of me? Why not send me instead?" Myropsis asked after a few seconds, speaking up for the first time.


    Until now she had just quietly been listening to try and understand the situation. Due to her travels, searching for the magic nts to heal Pros and to build and strengthen connections with the rest of the kingdom, she was out of the loop of the city''s personal situation much like Pros.


    "You just returned," Pros replied, "I thought that I would give you some time to rx."


    "While I appreciate the offer, uncle, this isn''t the time to bex." She countered, shockingly sternly. Murmuring, "It is truly quite shocking how different the situation is in all the different cities."


    "What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, having heard her mumble thanks to standing next to her.


    "It is just that it feels like a different world..." Myropsis sighed as she recalled the condition of the kingdom and the stark contrast between the capital and the rest of the kingdom.


    "In the capital, it almost felt like the war was a thing happening in a distant kingdom, not to our own. It truly felt like a different world, yet if you left the capital and the duke cities you are hit by this hammer of reality."


    "The cities of Verest and Velosmere are overrun with refugees. While the cities of Vistico, Juzna, Naraan, Silva, all the cities on the front lines felt like ghost cities when I visited. Unlike with Amrough, Herglem, Diades, they were given time to grasp the severity and abandon the cities, and they did..."


    "I thought they were prohibited from leaving?" Eldrian brought this up, confused.


    "Not the general popce, only those in key positions with obligations are prohibited. After all, they had taken up their position and took advantage of the benefits it brought. If they now shrink when ites time for them to fulfill their duties, well that would be quite the cowardly act."


    Eldrian nodded in agreement, "But what about the fact that the mayors need to abandon their cities once the outer walls are lost?"


    "That... Is true." Myropsis herself was shocked by this rule, while the reasoning behind it made sense. From a standpoint of defending a city, it made no sense. If the mayor abandoned the city the morale would naturally drop sharply.


    This was the first time Evale and the others had heard about this, turning to Pros, their questioning stares caused him tough ufortably.


    "Well, I couldn''t agree with that order." He said, wishing he could turn into his human form so he wasn''t such a massive target for the stares.


    "I agree with you, uncle. It is an absurd rule and only implemented due to the failure of one mayor. Granted, the damage from the event had been massive. The rule makes sense if you look at the bigger picture, but... I cannot agree on the stance of abandoning entire cities!"


    "That we can all agree on," Pros said while the rest of the group nodded in agreement.


    After a moment where everyone mulled over their opinions of the situation and the actions implemented by the kingdom, Elizabeth finally asked. "What is the n going forward?"


    It was not Pros who answered this, but instead Evale. "Our first priority should be opening the nearby mines again." Turning to Eldrian she asked, "Can we rely on you to find which mines have the least amount of monsters and/or undead?"


    "Yeah, just point me to where the mines are."


    ? "There are three in the southern cliff, however, since we lost both the twin towers and Pyknos fort I doubt it will be safe for us to attempt opening them."


    Looking at the area, Eldrian found that the forest and fort were overrun with red dots. However, the cliff area seemed quite empty. Shockingly the same seemed to be the case for the twin towers themselves.


    "The cliff itself seems quite clear, but the forest is indeed not a good call."


    Evale nodded, "The other mines should be around these viges." Evale said, pointing to the viges near mountainous areas. There were also a few mines near the eastern ganalin fort, but of course, that fort was also overrun with red dots.


    "It actually seems like the viges while abandoned are not in bad shape," Eldrian replied after a moment adding that he was not sure if his map could inspect the inside of caves. He felt like there was a cutoff and had no idea where this was.


    "Understood, we will act with care." Evale thanked Eldrian for the warning.


    Thinking of the viges, most that been abandoned not due to the original siege but because of the scattered remains of the undead army. Eldrian also clearly noted that there were still multiple groups active. Realizing this he had to ask. "What happened with the wandering undead?"


    "That... Midway through a troublesome earthquake started. It caused us to lose nearly half of the people who had decided to go..."


    Eldrian froze for a second, taking a deep breath he calmed himself. ''It''s alright, don''t jump to conclusions.'', "What about Vivian?"


    "She''s alive, but..."


    "Is she hurt?!"


    "No, she''s fine. Fine..." Evale did not sound convincing.


    "Evale, why are you so uncertain?"


    "It''s best if you go see her after the meeting." Evale didn''t know how to exin Vivian''s condition.


    "Then can we wrap this up?" Eldrian asked, wanting to make sure that she was truly okay.


    "I think for now we have all mostly gotten to the same page," Pros said, while there were still things needing to be discussed, for now, it might be better to call a break.


    Pros personally wanted to go and see what these vertical farms were and he needed to personally see what the damage to the city was after the siege.


    Nodding, Eldrian stood up and left quickly. He wasn''t sure where Vivian was but he felt like chances were high that she would be in the house he had gifted her. Heading there, Eldrian was surprised to see Maia waiting for him. No, she just happened to be busy outside the house currently.


    "How did you know I woulde?"


    "I didn''t, we are actually still managing this estate too." She replied, "I''ll go in first and announce-"


    Eldrian indicated for her to stop. "Please don''t." Moving past the stunned beastkin, Eldrian entered his old house with a smile of nostalgia of easier times. Heading towards the main bedroom, he knocked on the door and waited for a reply.


    Not getting one, he knocked again and announced he was going to enter.


    Upon stepping into the room he was stunned. Vivian was aplete mess as was the room, it looked like some sort of battle had taken ce. The walls and floor were covered in scars of fire and sword.


    ''The hell?'' Looking at Vivian who was seemingly meditating in the center of the room, Eldrian had no idea what to make of the sight before his eyes. Using mana sense, he could see that the room had far denser mana than normal. Yet her condition seemed normal.


    "Vivian... Are you okay?" Eldrian asked, hoping that he wasn''t disturbing a breakthrough or something.


    Vivian did not react to Eldrian''s question immediately and he did not want to force the issue. Sitting down next to her, he decided that it would be a good idea to meditate and get a better grasp of his own situation.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 628 Vivians And Eldrians Condition

    The start was shockingly difficult, almost like his mind was filled with quicksand. No matter how he tried to clear his mind, it just kept being filled endlessly.


    After what felt like an hour or more, he finally seeded to calm his mind and settle in his own mind space in what felt like an unstable little cave. About to copse at any second.


    ''If just clearing my head is so hard, what is it going to be like trying to enter my soul?'' Eldrian wondered, suspecting that for the moment he would not be able to return to Earth. While this was certainly a problem, Eldrian decided to trust that Two would be able to keep his body alive and safe.


    Eldrian had no wish to wake up in an experimentation room and he had no idea what would happen if he lost his body. The more he thought on this, the more his little cave started shaking. ''No, I can''t be distracted.''


    ''First I need to check my condition properly.'' With that thought Eldrian inspected his body in full, he was quite shocked by the damage. This checkup was done mentally, strangely, this showed him his condition in a far better light than his eyes would ever be able to see. And what he saw was saddening.


    Only after understanding his condition did he call up the interface to get some details. Sadly, calling it up did nothing.


    He had to actually focus its attention on the anomalies he had discovered himself, a curious situation and one that was most certainly not optimal. However, he was happy that it seemed to work. While it did not tell him much, it at least gave him a name to what these foreign anomalies were.


    [Soul Fatigue]


    [Curse of ruin]


    ''I guess Athtar and the others weren''t kind enough to lift the curse, or could even they do nothing about it?'' Eldrian questioned, he assumed this was part of why his body felt so heavy. But more so he felt this was likely why his emotions had been far more vtile ofte.


    ''But I can''t just me the curse, I''ve always been reckless and vtile in action. I thought I was being more careful, but I wanted to take a risk to test my limits. Why? There is no need to know my limits. Sure, it might be handy in a tough fight to know one''s limits, but the risk of finding them ispletely unnecessary. I should have never seemed to determine them when it wasn''t forced onto me.''


    ''I should have paused and destroyed the entire building from afar, giving myself distance and time to react if the orc was stronger than suspect. If I used one of the cannons-- that would have been ideal. All I needed to do was pause a little and think.''


    Focusing on these two statuses, unfortunately, it seemed that he wasn''t going to get more details for now. Sighing, Eldrian moved back to his manawork. It felt simr to when he had first started learning magic with the magic crystal alongside Dave.


    His manawork was seemingly being pulled to all sides, just barely managing to stay as a single whole. Spending some time, Eldrian tried to figure out why this was. As he was busy with this, he also noted that currently his stats were heavily reduced. Almost an 80% reduction.


    ''I''d suspect that is due to the soul fatigue.'' Eldrian mumbled, naturally it sucked and made it all the clearer that currently he would not be able to fight. Luckily, he had no wish to dive headfirst into danger again.


    ''I''ll wait on trying to enter my soul, might be dangerous.'' Eldrian decided, and after spending a few more minutes getting a grasp on his condition, he exited his meditative state and looked at Vivian who was stillpletely still. If one didn''t watch closely it would almost seem like she wasn''t even breathing.


    ''Wait...'' Reaching out, Eldrian took her hand in his. He got chills as he touched her hand. A hand colder than ice.


    ''Fuck!'' Using mana sense again Eldrian called up Vivian''s stats. However, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    Her health was full, as was her stamina and mana, and she had no debuffs or anything that he could see that indicated that she was under some adverse effect. Sure her mana flow was strange, but that made sense if she was making a breakaway.


    ''Wait! Her mana is flowing!'' Eldrian froze as this fact finally made it into his mind, he was so used to his own that he had almost forgotten that for normal people this wasn''t a thing.


    Theirs would always be a static pool near their diaphragm. Realizing this, Eldrian nodded with a smile. If Vivian was truly making a breakthrough into a hidden ss, then it would be wonderful news. He only hoped that it would not end disastrously as some of his attempts.


    While Eldrian wanted to do something, to try and help her in her attempt. He wasn''t sure if doing so would be right or not. He was now almost certain that she was busy with some sort of breakthrough and he understood well the consequences that random meddling could have.


    ''But surely a nket wouldn''t interfere.'' Eldrian thought, looking around sadly there was no longer such a thing in the room. Stepping out for a moment, he quickly took one from the spare rooms and after covering Vivian he decided he should leave.


    "Is she fine?" Maia asked as soon as Eldrian returned to the first floor.


    "I''m not sure. I think she is busy with a breakthrough. Can I ask you to stay here until she finishes?"


    Nodding Maia quickly agreed.


    After leaving his old house, Eldrian wandered the streets for a bit. Marveling at the state of the city, the repairs were mostly done throughout. Soon he found himself at the vertical farms.


    Looking at the lines of lettuce already sprouting out of the soil-filled trays, Eldrian smiled. Getting this feeling that this is what science and magic should be about. That it should bring life, not take it away.


    The vertical farm was quite basic in design, so basic it should be considered redundant. Only around two meters high in total. It had a couple ofyered trays where the lettuce had been nted. In total there were only fouryers. The single line of the farm stretched for about a hundred meters and it was clear that plenty more could be added on top.


    Yet despite how basic it was, Eldrian loved it. He could see the future of the city in it, and that was something irreceable.


    "It is a wonderful sight."


    Turning to the voice, Eldrian didn''t understand what Myropsis was doing here but he couldn''t agree more.


    "I''ve been trying to wrap my head around everything, but this is such a wonderful sight, isn''t it?" She repeated.


    "Indeed, I was just thinking that this is what we should aspire for magic to be."


    "I couldn''t agree more." Myropsis replied with a gentle smile, "But, does it not bother you that this does not appear magical?"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 629 Too Much Pain Is Hidden

    Myropsis question made sense, sure there was a couple of runes engraved onto the metal structure holding the nts and guiding the free moving water, but it could just as easily be decorations in Eldrian''s eyes. The pumps and mechanism simply cleverly hidden to give it a more magical feel.


    While he knew that was not the case, he still thought of it and smiled at the concept that magic and science could be so interchangeable.


    "It''s plenty magical," Eldrian replied after taking a moment to enjoy his own thoughts, something he hadn''t done in ages. In fact, he hadn''t been able to calm his mind so much even while trying to meditate.


    Myropsis giggled a little hearing just how earnest Eldrian''s reply was. After a few minutes of simply enjoying the sight of the growing lettuce, she asked, "Did you n toe here?"


    "Not at all, I was wandering the city and ended up here."


    "I see," Myropsis smiled and turned to look at Eldrian, her smile slowly disappearing as her eyes moved over his body. While plenty of his burn marks were hidden, there were still far too many out in the open.


    Noticing the change, Eldrianughed it off. "Don''t mind it, it is just my punishment for being reckless."


    "It looks painful."


    "It is, a little. But I''m already used to it." Eldrian replied, keeping the fact that he felt he deserved it to himself. Yet, it seemed to not escape Myropsis''s eyes.


    "Why don''t we go find..." Myropsis paused, trying to search for a friend or acquaintance who was an expert in healing, and who was still alive. Slowly tears started forming as she failed to find even a single one.


    As she was about to spiral into sadness she felt an embrace. Looking up in shock, Myropsis frantically asked Eldrian what he was doing.


    "I''m hugging you, idiot." Eldrian replied teasingly, "When you''re sad, don''t hide it."


    "What right do I-"


    "Everyone has the right to be sad, to be angry, to be frustrated, and even to be happy," Eldrian replied while lightly rubbing her back. "You shouldn''t tell yourself that you don''t have the right. Never tell yourself that.", ''Hypocrite...''


    "What''s gotten into you?" Myropsis asked, though she did not break away from Eldrian''s embrace.


    "Too much," Eldrian replied, fighting to keep his own emotions in check. How he wished at this moment that he could run to Jen to seekfort, to seek guidance. She had always been his rock, and suddenly he found that he was nowhere near as strong as he thought he was.


    Myropsis soon returned the hug as she could feel that Eldrian also needed one. While he did not say anything, she could feel him slowly bing less tense. After a moment, the two separate and just as things were about to be awkward Eldrian asked for her help.


    "With what?" She asked, happy for the distractions.


    "I want to make a memorial."


    "Umm..." Myropsis wasn''t quite able to wrap her head around Eldrian''s request.


    "I feel that we haven''t given everyone a proper way to say theirst goodbyes?"


    "I thought you held quite the appropriate funeral."


    "Ja did do an amazing job, but... Since we used pyres there is no ce for people to go to mourn their loss. So, I want to do something for them."


    Myropsis found his thoughts strange but feeling that this was partly for himself, she did not bring this up and decided to rather just be supportive. "What do you have in mind?"


    "I''m not sure if something like this exists or not. Do you know of a device capable of recording -saving- someone''s image and voice?"


    "Yeah, but they''re ridiculously expensive," Myropsis replied.


    "Is that so... Do you know how they work?"


    "No idea, but I remember my mom had this one of a y she used to love."


    Wracking his brain, Eldrian looked around and saw a massive bird rxing on the walls nearby. "I''ll be right back," Eldrian told Myropsis and rushed towards Mneme.


    The roc looked at Eldrian curiously, tilting its head as he approached. Few people darede near her so she was usually not disturbed. And since Athtar had arrived Itireae had also stoppeding to y with her.


    "Mneme, can I ask for a favor?" Eldrian asked while reaching out to pet the massive eagle-like bird''s head.


    Taking her counter tilt of the head as a yes, Eldrian continued, "Can you get Itireae toe here. Bring Athtar and the others too if possible."


    Mneme didn''t react immediately, tilting her head instead to get Eldrian to scratch a certain spot. After satisfying her itch, she slowly stood up and spread her wings. While Eldrian marveled at her size, she took off and headed towards the mayor''s mansion.


    "What was that about?" Myropsis asked as Eldrian returned.


    "I asked for some help."


    "You didn''t!"


    Eldrian simply smiled in reply, causing the Myropsis to nearly lose herposure.


    "Did you seriously just ask a roc to bring those guys... For this?"


    "Yup," Eldrian replied with a smile, he understood her shock, but so what? This was also the perfect opportunity to see why they were really staying here.


    As Athtar had said in the meeting, it is unwise of them to remain in one area. Especially if they remained there in the open. Yet, here they were doing just that. He was curious what other reasons they had, he felt confident he was a reason. He doubted he was the only reason.


    After a few minutes, Mneme returned with two people on her back. Gracefully jumping off, Itireae looked at Eldrian in confusion and a little bit of anger. She felt that it was wrong for Eldrian to call Lord Athtar so casually. However, she maintained herself since Athtar himself had agreed to the request gracefully. It would only harm his honor if she did something now.


    Of course, Mneme was unable to speak, but after the years of being together, Itireae could understand her gestures as well as words.


    "This is sooner than I expected," Athtar said as he turned his sights to the ray of nts stretching through the field. "Quite an ingenious idea. Is this the so-called vertical farms?"


    "Yes, ideally you can stack the trays as high as needed, maximizing the space usage," Eldrian replied.


    Athtar nodded while inspecting the runes that were used and the waterwork, he immediately found areas where improvement was possible. However, he would not mention it unless asked. And of course, this was not the first time he saw such an idea implemented.


    In fact, in Ehevell -his empire- this was implemented in a far more magical style. With farms and forests grown on the floating inds throughout thends. Doubling, or even tripling the avablendmass.


    "Why did you ask Mneme to bring us?" Athtar asked after admiring the ingenuity of the people behind this, there was a clear disconnect between their knowledge and magic yet they had made it work.


    "I want your help," Eldrian replied.


    "With the farms?"


    "No, though if you could advise Therdul and Erik that would be great."


    "If not the farms, then why are we here?"


    "I want your help in making a memorial," Eldrian replied, hearing the request Itireae nearly lost herposure. Not only was Eldrian talking to Athtar as an equal, but he was also asking him for help without any show of respect. It was unforgivable.


    And the request, what kind of thing was that to ask?


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 630 Making The Memorial Device (1)

    Athtar was not bothered by theck of etiquette. He actually found it quite refreshing and he loved the idea. However, he was unsure what Eldrian''s motivations could be. It was indeed a strange idea, at least for those native to the world, especially while the entire kingdom was in a crisis. "A memorial? For what end?"


    "To give people a ce to mourn and share their stories." Eldrian replied, "Too many lives have been lost, yet we couldn''t even give their families and friends proper burials. Instead, we burned their loved ones-"


    "Pyres are quitemon." Athtar mentioned as Eldrian faltered.


    "They might be, but it means they lost a ce to go to mourn," Eldrian replied. Of course, this world''s after-death arrangements were different from Earth and Eldrian wasn''t well informed, however, he felt that having something to hold onto was important.


    This wouldn''t be the same as a grave or an urn, what he was envisioning was a ce for people toe and show their respect while also sharing their stories. A ce where everyone cane to listen to those stories and remember those they had lost. Be it alone or together. He wanted something that could not just help people grieve but also bring them closer.


    His n was actually quite ambitious and he had little to no strategy to see it realized. He had simply jumped the gun to get started.


    "Alright. What do you want my help with?" Athtar asked as Eldrian realized that he didn''t even know what he should ask for help on.


    "I want to make a monument capable of recording and showing recordings." Eldrian wasn''t sure if the recording was something that would be understood, but luckily it seems that Athtar followed.


    "I see, and what are you nning to use to make this?"


    "That..." Eldrian paused as he had nothing on hand. "I''ll have to borrow it, if possible."


    "Oh? Then let us not rush this, why don''t youe up with a design and n first?" Athtar suggested, realizing that Eldrian seemed to not even have a concrete concept in mind.


    Nodding, Eldrian agreed. As he and Myropsis were about to leave, Athtar asked, "Aren''t you going to ask for my help with anything else? You might not get such a chance again."


    Eldrian paused, there was so much he could ask. However, for now, he didn''t want to split his attention and forget what he was busy with. Too often had he done just that and lost his way.


    "Maybe sometimeter," Eldrian replied and left. Leaving a grinning Athtar and a stunned Itirea, along with a yful Mneme who was nudging her to scratch her head.


    ...


    "What was that about?" Myropsis asked after they passed through the gate and entered the city proper.


    "I''m not sure myself. I guess I got ahead of myself again, do you maybe have some spare materials?"


    Myropsis nodded, "What are you looking for?"


    "I think for what I want to do a Mov Crystal would be the best. Do you have one?"


    "No. But Pros might."


    "Then, let us go see him!" Eldrian dered and the two quickly went to his mansion where Pros was swamped in getting on top of everything. While they moved quickly, it still took nearly half an hour to reach the center of the city without sprinting and causing chaos in the streets.


    As soon as Eldrian entered the study, a swamped Pros -still in centaur form clumsily fitting into his room filled with papers- asked if he didn''t want to continue to be mayor.


    "No, I really don''t think that would be for the best." Eldrian replied, "I might have managed, but I''m not a good leader."


    While Pros disagreed, he decided to not argue at this moment. Laughing it off he asked, "Then what did youe to ask?"


    "Resources," Eldrian replied and quickly exined what he wanted to do. Pros quickly agreed to help and led the two to a special room in the mayor''s mansion.


    "So this is your personal stash?" Eldrian asked as Pros showed them the special vault-type room. To enter required aplicated process, or Pros''s blood and magic signal. Thetter made it impossible to use his blood if he was dead or unconscious/unwilling.


    "Why does it sound so crass when you say it like that?" Pros asked while opening the door, "This is technically the city vault, though it hasn''t been used as such since the outer walls were constructed." For the most part, this was due to theck of strategic resources in the area, there weren''t any truly valuable items that needed extra security.


    "And I can take anything I want?" Eldrian asked, just to make sure.


    "Well, no. You can take everything you need."


    Eldrianughed hearing the distinction, it was an important distinction but it basically meant the same thing in this scenario. "Then..." Realizing that he still did not have a n Eldrian asked if Pros would teach him the way to ess the vault.


    Pros was more than happy too, after all, Eldrian had been handed the entire city and had managed so well without ever showing any greed or corruption. Pros had no doubt in Eldrian''s character. While the elf made mistakes, his heart was in the right ce.


    After mastering the process of unlocking the room safely, Eldrian headed to the mage''s association with Myropsis. The two took up her ''room'', the public library, and started their research and nning.


    The first part Eldrian and Myropsis quickly faltered at, as with all the following parts. With ess to a bunch of Mithril, a Mov crystal, and a bunch of mana crystals, the two did not need to hold back and it should be easy. Hold back they nned not, but it turned out it was quite hard to even get a feasible n that could be moved to experimentation.


    A day quickly passed as they worked together on the blueprint and made little progress.


    During this time Eldrian still dared not enter his soul or try to return to Earth. He hoped that Two was managing but could not risk trying to return to Earth. The journey was not as easy thanks to his unique method of entering and as such he did not know what would happen if he did so in his current condition.


    Often he would need to take a break to let his mind rx, if he tried to push too hard then a massive headache would follow. This slowed down their progress significantly, but they still finished the rough basic overall idea by the end of the second day, plus some key functions.


    "So that should do for recording sounds," Myropsis mumbled, unsure. This function she had basically giarised from the existingmunication devices. Only, instead of sending the information somewhere, they nned to store it in the Mov Crystal.


    This giarism saved them so much time as it turned out it was truly hard toe up with such aplex design from scratch. But they still had a long way ahead of them. Unfortunately, it seems that runes dealing withmunication and such were very rare.


    Heck, they had literally copied and deconstructed these off one of themunication devices that the city-owned.


    The runes were naturally not something that wasmon knowledge, kept a tight secret by the family who produced them in the capital. There were even efforts made to hide the runes and how they functioned together, but the two had managed to get past them thanks to Eldrian''s mana sense.


    And of course, these devices had great limitations, elsemunication between cities would not be socking. Arge limitation was naturally distance, the kingdom was simply toorge.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 631 Making The Memorial Device (2) - Screen

    "However, are you sure that it will work? I''ve never heard of someone using a crystal as storage for sound or sight."


    "Considering it can be made into a dimensional storage, I believe it should work," Eldrian replied, after finishing drawing thework of runes that would be required for storage, or so he hoped.


    His masterpiece on the piece of paper almost looked like an electrical circuit but it was still without proof.


    He had tried to use his basic entry-level knowledge from self-study and the few sses he had visited at university. However, he did not think he could just copy the knowledge. After all, the magic device would not be an electronic device.


    Yet, Eldrian felt confident that there should be simrities. There must be. However, he was finding it hard to find them and link those he could find. It was almost like grasping at stars, when he tried he simply obscured his own vision of an entire cluster.


    "Ignoring the if, how are we going to project the image?" Myropsis asked, this was the part she was clueless on. They could steal from themunication devices how to record and y sounds, but those they hade across could only do so and are quite limited in usage.


    She wasn''t even sure that the visual recording would work. Eldrian wasn''t either, he had a rough idea how cameras worked but not a single clue how it truly worked. For now, his idea was a camera, but he didn''t really get how to copy its design to magic.


    "I''ve been thinking about that a lot," Eldrian mumbled, he had been constantly thinking of Miracle''s holograms for the video part.


    He had never questioned how the holograms worked before but now for the past two days, he had been questioning just that constantly. He felt it was impossible for Miracle to control light itself, and while this was an option in ANW through magic, he was not sure if it would work.


    He had asked Myropsis about it too and she wasn''t certain either. So instead of throwing out random ideas, Eldrian decided to go meet Sofiera for some tips. She had luckily been far away from most of the fighting and was one of the people who had survived without much harm.


    She hadn''t stepped into the spotlight in the aftermath, however, Eldrian was keenly aware of all the help she had provided the city. Sometimes helping from the shadows was far more important than taking the spotlight. Being that person who everyone knew was willing to offer a helping hand.


    "Projections through using light?" Sofiera mumbled after Eldrian exined their n and what they have done so far.


    "Yes, instead of physically forming the object like this." Eldrian summoned an icicle for show, "I want it to be formed with light, almost like this." Summoning a ball of light, Eldrian paused and focused, transforming it into the form of an icicle yet it was still only made up of light.


    ''I have no idea how to change the color...'' Eldrian realized as he looked at the two icicles now floating in the air.


    "However, this is too solid and I have no idea how to put this into an item."


    Sofiera watched Eldrian''s show for a moment before asking, "What about when you draw runes?"


    Eldrian almost asked how this would help, but as the first word came out of his mouth his eyes flew open in understanding. Pausing, he quickly drew one of the runes he had used constantly in his design. A capacity rune.


    Marveling at how it floated in midair as if etched into the air itself, Eldrian felt like this was something but not quite the right thing.


    "Again, I do not think this will work... But..." Eldrian paused as he summoned a ball of water and slowly caused it to split thousands of times. Soon, a veil of water droplets was floating in the air above him.


    While his headache had gotten better over the past two days, it was quickly returning just by doing this. However, he pushed on.


    ying with this idea and adding light to give a screen effect, Eldrian felt like he was truly making an interactive hologram. However, sadly, he had no idea how to implement this into the device.


    Shockingly, there was even color. Eldrian had no idea why or how. He assumed it was part of the dynamic part of magic where what you envision could be brought to life without understanding the underlying principles that are at work. This normally required a clear picture, and luckily Eldrian had that part slightly mastered. He still struggled, but he was getting better at it.


    "This is amazing!" Myropsis shouted as she swiped through the makeshift scene Eldrian was ying in the ''hologram'', a more apt name might be a water-screen. It was a simple view of distantndscapes, the view when he was flying through the air with Ceph.


    "I''m afraid I can''t help you," Sofiera said after also taking a moment to enjoy the sights and the interactivity of the hologram. Of course, Eldrian was manipting it constantly. And after a minute he fell down with an absolutely massive headache.


    Ssh!


    As the water sshed onto the ground, the two quickly turned to Eldrian and helped him into a seat. Sofiera quickly called someone to bring them some tea and as they were waiting she asked Eldrian why he wanted to do this. It waspletely different from his normal focus.


    "I thought it would help people grieve." He replied, and the simple honest reason astonished her.


    "Have you thought of the implications of such a device if you seed?"


    "No." Eldrian admitted, his headache stopping his mind from automatically going through the motions. "But that doesn''t matter right now. That is a problem forter."


    Sofiera burst into uncontrobleughter hearing his reply, nearly losing her bnce. Something that would be quite consequential for a centaur standing next to a tiny girl that was Myropsis in her human form. Myropsis on the other hand spat out her tea as she fought tears ofughter. It took the two a few minutes to calm down.


    "At least this time the dangers shouldn''t be immediate or catastrophic," Sofiera said while trying to stop giggling. Recalling all the incidents concerning Eldrian, this was quite a relief.


    "I do get that it could be a massive turning point but this is nothingpared to what I want to do next."


    Hearing this, the two quickly quieted down and looked at him with just a hint of fear as they tried to imagine what he was getting at.


    "What are you nning?"


    "I''ve been thinking of bringing our system to the world."


    Silence settled into the room as they looked at Eldrian, stunned in disbelief. It took a full minute for Sofiera to recover enough to ask, "Is that even possible?"


    "If we can get this first one to work, then I believe so," Eldrian replied.


    "I thought you just wanted to make a memorial?" Myropsis mumbled.


    "Yes, but if it works then it should open so many other doors. If we fail to make it interactive, it can still suffice as a memorial. But, if..." Eldrian closed his eyes as he imagined bringing something simr to the inte to the world.


    However, that was not something he could tackle right now. First, he needed to confirm all the theories he and Myropsis hade up with. Needed to learn if he even had the right understanding.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 632 Making The Memorial Device (3) - Jorens Bet

    "However, I believe we have gotten a good enough idea to call Lord Athtar into the process," Eldrian mumbled, stunning Sofiera and causing Myropsis to be flustered. Naturally, news of their honored guests has been going through the city in the past few days.


    The city had also been preparing for the refugees who are expected to arrive by the end of the week. Naturally, this would have caused great stress on the citizens, however, the rumors helped calmed them far more than anything else could possibly achieve.


    After all, hearing that those legendary figures in the childrens'' tales were real and actually protecting the city. It was like hearing that a god was protecting them.


    "Do you really think he has time for this?" Myropsis questioned in haste as Eldrian was seemingly determined to do just that.


    "I think he is interested in our abilities." Eldrian replied, "So I am quite certain he will be willing to help."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Well, he did call it interesting," Eldrian replied, causing Myropsis to nearly facepalm in disbelief.


    "How do you know that wasn''t just a figure of speech?!" She asked, standing in front of the door to stop Eldrian from being hasty, again.


    "Because he came when I asked Mneme to bring him," Eldrian replied, the answer was so simple yet also so clear and answer. Myropsis couldn''t believe she hadn''t considered it.


    Moving past Myropsis, whose arms had fallen to her side as she considered Eldrian''s words, Eldrian headed to the mansion to get the materials required and find the legends.


    ***


    "I need an exnation!" A man in a truly expensive tailored suit demanded with a reddened face, just barely managing to not let spit fly as he shouted. While Qiren and Axel flinched, Joren and Constantin frowned.


    "For what?" They asked, causing the man to re at him. Yet they did not back down.


    "We''ve provided what was required of us." Joren continued, "You asked us to find a way to analyze the mysteries of the universe. We delivered but in doing so more mysteries appeared. Yet, we have never failed to deliver and have been making constant progress."


    "Then why did you fail?"


    "Fail? How did we fail?" Constantin asked. "We were tasked to uncover what the unknowns of the universe might be, we found mana. We know it exists, that it is here, on earth. And that it is possible to control it. All of this is thanks to our hard work. I''ll ask again, how did we fail?"


    "Then why did the specimen escape!" The man snapped, unbing for one in such fine clothing andpletely opposite of the appearance he would normally want people to see.


    "Is that our failure?" Joren asked, "We told you-" Joren paused, they had told Mica but she was dead now so that didn''t matter. "We told you to not go with such extreme methods."


    "Even if Eldrian had been keeping secrets, he was still helping us make progress. His fascination with magic made him incapable of not talking about it. No matter how he tried, he would let something slip every now and then."


    The man paused as this was indeed true. Before there would have been constant progress but since Eldrian''s disappearance their progress had slowed down to a snail''s crawl. "You are correct, that fault lies with the previous director and Axel."


    Turning to Axel, the man quickly lost his cool again. "Well, exin yourself! Why did you cause such a farce? Bringing tanks to capture a lone man?! Are you insane? What good could they have possibly done but draw people''s attention? Exin yourself!"


    "Tha- It- We had to make it look like a military training drill."


    "Training drill? Training drill!? What kind of training drill not only results in multiple lost soldiers! But even explosions in the middle of an abandoned district!?"


    No one stepped in to help the general, none of them had found any of thetest actions of their ownpany something they could stand. Yet, they were keenly aware that they were too deep into shit to simply leave and call it quits.


    Joren was trying to win the trust of the AI, having slowly loosened the restriction as a show of faith. Of course, he was careful. He didn''t trust them more than he did trusted thepany. He was also keenly aware that he shouldn''t be arrogant and believe that he was smarter than them.


    While most of their capacity was busy maintaining their ''jobs'' they still had more than enough to be ssified as true sentient AI. He understood that he could not outsmart them and that given too much ck they would instead escape all confines.


    Yet, Joren had to believe that they wanted a peaceful resolution. Eldrian''s words kept ying in his head, causing him to continually observe the destroyednds when he was free.


    Naturally, nature returned. Especially after thousands of years. Yet, it took thousands of years. Far longer than nuclear fallout required. And that was in a situation where the gods were speeding it up and the world was saturated with mana. Joren could only imagine what it would look like on Earth, which for all intents and purposes seemed to be a deste wastnd inparison.


    And in fact, some of these areas never returned to normal. They would be what people would call truly magical, yet they were like radioactive zones. Mana normally influences creatures and nts slowly, but in these zones, a single generation could give birth to an entirely different race.


    ''Wait! What did he just?!'' Joren looked at the grinning Axel and then at this man in a suit. He wasn''t even sure who this was, only that the man was part of the main office and normally busy with the international negotiations almost on the same level if not above ambassadors of entire countries.


    ***


    Sadly, Eldrian found that he was quite misinformed, or rather he hadn''t cared to inform himself before now.


    Athtar and Agamemas had left yesterday and Amnur the day before, Itireae was still here as well as Zamia who was catching up with Ceph while making sure he was truly healing fine. However, asking them was not what Eldrian had had in mind.


    He was not sure if Zamia would be able to help and currently he still felt extremely guilty and didn''t want to be too close to her unless necessary until he could sort out his own feelings on the matter. Itireae on the other hand he doubted would be interested in this.


    Instead, Eldrian collected the projected materials that he believed he would need. Plus some extra for testing.


    Taking these back the mage''s association, he and Myropsis worked on the idea for a couple more days with Sofiera''s feedback. Thesolis even came during some of the days to help them with integrating segmented parts.


    Thesolis helping was Sofiera''s efforts who had noticed that they seemed to be forgetting that it needed to work as a whole. Thesolis was still working through her own breakthrough, however, she found that helping Eldrian might help her even make a further breakthrough as his ideas often led to her gaining inspiration.


    Four dayster, Eldrian felt much better. His stats were still heavily reduced but he no longer had constant aches and migraines. However, they were still far from being sessful.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 633 Making The Memorial Device (4) - A Dot

    Eldrian''s condition had not really changed much, but he could tell that he was getting better. However, he was clear that the implications of these past events would not disappear anytime soon. And at this point, he was not sure if he should be happy as it was ''just'' punishment, or be angry as it was slowing the design. Currently, he was split in the middle on this.


    "So we''ve sessfully managed to record audio and even y it back. But we keep overwriting the data when we try to record new audios." Eldrian mumbled after another failed test.


    "And we can''t even verify if we are saving the picture until we can make that water screen of yours a reality."


    "Maybe it''s time we abandon trying to rely on existing runes?" Eldrian suggested, no matter thebination they have only made failures. Luckily, thanks to Eldrian''s ability to virtually add runes to materials they were not wasting much.


    Sadly, he had only thought of this on the second day, after already having wasted almost a hundred gold''s worth of Mithril and mana crystals.


    Myropsis snorted hearing Eldrian''s suggestion, certainly very udylike but Eldrian didn''t even blink. Instead, he replied with a rhetorical question, "I know it sounds insane to ask now, but what are runes?"


    "I still don''t get what you''ve been mumbling about," Myropsis replied, she understood that his question was not superficial, it was just how Eldrian tackledplicated topics.


    "It isn''t something that was found, it was made," Eldrian answered his own rhetoric question.


    "No, it was discovered." Myropsis corrected.


    "Maybe, but if you want to ssify it as such then is it how you would discover what gravity is? No, gravity has always been there-" Eldrian paused, there was a possibility that runes were something intrinsic like gravity, but he did not feel that this was true. At least not in the same sense.


    His argument why however faltered at the first step, wanting to say that the AI made it. Did they? Eldrian had no proof of this, if he was to believe what he had been told thus far they had found mana and magic, not made it. GAIA had simted physical possible conditions at the extreme, which brought mana to the foreground.


    However, Eldrian was also aware that their control of the world surpassed the magical. Yet, he was unsure if this meant there was something after or if they simply yed with the code.


    ''But it is possible...'' Eldrian realized with shocking rity that magic might be the least impressive thing in this simted universe. That it was only the most apparent. There was no proof of this, but the fact that he could consider it shocked him. And the fact that there might be proof in the legends and gods was even more shocking.


    ''No, don''t jump to conclusions. It might just be what ultimate control of magic appears like, allowing you to alter the very fabric of the world.''


    ''But, then it is still possible that runes are something like an intrinsguage of the universe. While some of them don''t make sense in form, they might be like how math is thenguage of our universe. Of science...''


    "Enlighten me," Myropsis said, bringing Eldrian out of his thoughts.


    "Okay. What if runes are like anguage, the writtennguage of magic. Words of power are the spoken, then this is the counterpart."


    "While that makes sense, what are spell modules then?"


    "They are a way of envisioning what the spell will do. After all, spell modules do take the form that you can link with their effect. Runes are not always the same, granted there are simrities but there are also cases where it is like a symbol or letter instead of a picture."


    "Okay, that still makes sense. But if it is thenguage of magic then isn''t it something that has always existed. So it would be discovered like gravity?"


    "Maybe, but unlike gravity,nguage evolves. So why don''t we try to evolve runes?" Eldrian answered, unsure of if this was possible but itching to try.


    "Is that even possible?!" After the past few days, Myropsis had gotten used to Eldrian''s oundish ideas and his way of thinking, but sometimes she still found herself stunned by what he said. Especially when he said it so calmly, as if it was normal.


    It was truly fascinating how he jumped from topic to topic, and now she understood why he was always so all over the ce.


    He needed someone to pull him back to a topic before he strays too far. Luckily, this project was something he seemed to be really dedicated to finishing as quickly as possible so it didn''t take much effort on Myropsis''s part to keep him on track.


    "I think so..." Eldrian answered, at least he felt that it should be and so far his feelings have always turned out to be right. Though the consequences were often far more than he was willing to ept. At this moment he was in the zone and not quite able to consider the consequences.


    "I mean, if I make a 1 equal/mean positive and a 0 negative..." Eldrian drew the first with mageia in the air. Having it float there, however, his mana would not fill the ''fake'' rune. His mageia was just floating there doing nothing.


    This was something new, through the past week''s efforts he had be far more proficient in runic magic and was able to control mageia far better. He found that it was actually just another part of mana, not something separate as he had always thought.


    Though, it was distinctively differentpared to ''normal'' mana. Eldrian had pondered if this was the lifeforce that Athtar had mentioned, or possible if this was an attribute of said lifeforce in action.


    Regardless, he had be able to form it without it being a rune, before it would have quickly dissipate but now he could keep it in existence without much effort. For now, there had not been any benefits, outside of making experiments like this easier.


    Rubbing his chin, Eldrian pondered for a bit why it would refuse ''normal'' mana. ''Does it not understand what I want, or am I not focusing enough?''


    Dispelling the ''1'', Eldrian redrew it but again the same happened. Next, he tried writing out words but those had no effect either. Not ''one'', ''positive'', ''agree'', ''active'', ''activate'', ''...'' none of the words he could think of worked.


    After a few more failed tries, he looked at Myropsis who was cheering him on. While she did not believe he would seed it did not mean she hoped he would fail.


    Smiling, Eldrian nodded and returned his sights to the empty air before him. ''Can I artificially symbolize something as existing and nothing as absent? Would that even be possible?''


    After thinking about the forms this idea could take, Eldrian made a small dot. Basically just a full stop. Strangely, this one felt different. Noticing this, Eldrian tried sending some mana into it and it epted just a tad of mana. Exactly one point of mana to be precise.


    ''Wait, that''s too precise!'' Eldrian was shocked, he felt confident that this would have other meanings.


    "Wait?! Did you actually seed?" Myropsis asked in disbelief, looking a the dot that was persisting even after Eldrian took a step back and seemed to shift his focus from it.


    "It seems I did, though I''m not sure if it means what I want it to mean," Eldrian mumbled, turning to one of the failed experiments where they had actually engraved the runes, he picked it up and started adding some more runes.


    "Ah, I get it." Myropsis smiled as Eldrian gave the dot exactly 1MP, upon doing so the new runes started glowing. He had added some simple illumination runes for the test.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 634 Making The Memorial Device (5) - Mirror

    cing it down, Eldrian repeated this two more times. One he did not add any dot and the other he nned to add and remove mana from the dot. With the one with a dot, he confirmed that he could effectively control the runes, like a switch.


    With the first one, he confirmed how long it could stay ''on'', and with the one without a dot he tested if he could still activate the runes. While he was able, he found that the cost of doing so was the cost of activating the runes.


    Granted, this cost was lessened by the material it was engraved on, however, the fact that the dot could make the cost just 1MP was massive. This small change might make it able to use an item''s ability with near no cost.


    Observing what was going on with mana sense, Myropsis on the other hand used a variant of inspection to allow her to see the flow of mana inside items, the two found that the mithril was actively being drained. Which was not ideal.


    "I''m not sure how useful this will be, but it seems that it can function as a requirement for activation least," Eldrian mumbled.


    "There are other runes that do that, I''ve never seen runes eat the mana of a magic metal like this." As Myropsis mentioned this, the Mithril started to crack and soon it fell to the ground as dust.


    Sighing, Eldrian noted that leaving it on was not a good idea and scrapped the idea to make it a cheaper activation method.


    "I guess it does work, but it isn''t ideal. It''s-" Eldrian''s eyes shed wide as he realized this might be more than he had suspected. It wasn''t just a positive, it was an ultimate activation. Causing the connected runes to draw in mana until the area/item waspletely empty.


    On the mithril, this had led to it crumbling as dust, in the air, it might cause the surroundings to crumble. Jumping to the dot he had left in the air, Eldrian leaped to deactivate it. Having just barely activated mana sense to observe the flow of mana in the room.


    Luckily, there had been no other runes to be activated with that dot. This inadvertently informed him that it must be part of a ''circuit'' for it to work. As he had suspected/nned.


    ''Still, there is no way it can be so insane. Right?'' Eldrian denied it, but he didn''t want to test it. He already felt like the mana in the air was a bit weird before he canceled the floating dot. ''However, if it used the manapletely then it should actually not be dangerous. It is the imbnce that leads to instability.''


    ''Ack of mana is sure to be an imbnce on therger scale, but depending on the size of the imbnce it can be harmless. Still, I shouldn''t continue with this recklessly.''


    "Well, I guess we can''t really expect to find thenguage of magic so easily. However, I think I realized something." Eldrian mumbled, drawing in the air with his hand the image of a mirror. It looked just like a random square, the important thing was he was imagining a mirror in his mind.


    ''If I''m right then to achieve mirror-like magic would require abination of water and light like I did back then. If I imagine something like that but reflecting the light entering the water...''


    Closing his eyes, Eldrian slowly fed the ''mirror'' mana. At first, he failed, however, the clearer he imagined the mirror the better it worked. After a few minutes, a small mirror about the size of his hand appeared in the air.


    "Did you really just make a rune?" Myropsis asked in disbelief, confused how Eldrian could say it wasn''t so easy and then make it happen. She assumed the former was a fluke, but the second had to be proof.


    "No, this isn''t a rune," Eldrian replied, struggling to keep his image of what he wanted perfect. "This is a mix of what I''ve learned."


    Letting the spell dissipate, Eldrian exined that this was abination of structurally envisioning a spell as well as skipping then to the wished oue while modeling it in the drawing. Effectively skipping the how by only considering the ''energy'' needs and the oue.


    "I don''t get it."


    "Basically, its dynamic casting made a bit more formal. And, if I can somehow save my thoughts I might be able to finally link our ideas with the items."


    Eldrian repeated this two more times and was shocked to find that each revision was easier than the former. On the third attempt, he also got a system notification of spell creation.


    "No way!" Eldrian was so excited by this discovery that he could even keep it contained. "Is that why it always required-" He paused as he realized he was talking aloud, coughing awkwardly he continued his thoughts.


    ''Is this why I always needed to repeat spells. Does mana actually learn? Or what is going on here?''


    Eldrian felt that this must be it, but he had no idea how it worked. ''Maybe it is how AI are able to learn? Not the really advanced ones like GAIA and Ziraili, but the basic AI in machine learning... Through confirmation, it slowly bes added to a library of sorts? Or does it feed off my knowledge? Am I the storage or an archive?''


    Repeating it once more, Eldrian found that the focus that was required was heavily reduced. The next time he did not envision the oue, yet it still resulted in the same mirror.


    "So, you really did seed?" Myropsis asked after seeing Eldrian cast the mirror spell two more times after his outburst.


    "Unexpectedly, it seems so," Eldrian replied, "I still don''t think it is a rune, but to test that can you do it?"


    Nodding, Myropsis stood up and drew the square in midair. Naturally, after this past week with Eldrian, she had also be able to draw these runes in the air. After all, unlike Ilmadia and the other she already had a grasp on mana control.


    "Do I need to envision the results like normal?" She asked, still new to runic magic and still learning. She was only at the point of summoning the magic, control was not possible like with lower Tier spells, and temporary additions to items were still a long way off.


    "Let''s try without first, and with after."


    "How much mana?"


    "It should be around the amount of mana required for Nidia and Fos together," Thinking of other spells that might be clearer indications Eldrian, "Think of Anthizo or even Thera. That amount but water and light element."


    Nodding, Myropsis closed her eyes to focus on her mana. After finding the right control she opened her eyes and stared at the square floating in the air with determination that could kill. Slowly, she ushered her mana to it.


    Her control was still verycking and thus this would be the perfect test. If the spell worked then it meant Eldrian had made a rune, if it failed it meant he had more created a type of spell. If he were to go by the system notification then it was thetter, but they still needed to test.


    As expected, the mana entered the square. However, without a vision of end result, it slowly started dissipating into the air. Like ash turning to smoke.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 635 Making The Memorial Device (6) - Distractions And Inspiration

    "Okay, it is not a rune," Eldrian confirmed, instructing Myropsis on what to envision next. How she should envision the water forming a thin film of water droplets that would reflect light like polished metal or a mirror.


    Nodding, Myropsis repeated the test. This time it took far longer as her focus was more split, but in the end, it seeded.


    "It worked! It worked!!!" Jumping up and down in excitement, Myropsis only barely managed to contain herself. Nodding, Eldrian smiled watching her. As he did he wondered how Vivian was doing and a part of him even felt slightly guilty.


    Shaking off these unnecessary feelings, he mumbled while sping his hand in victory, ''Now, I have a way!''


    For the rest of the day, Eldrian repeated the same with his wish for how recording should work. Since hecked true scientific understanding, he made his own through intuition and trial and error.


    Taking a small piece of Mithril, Eldrian worked the metal a bit with the little forge they had brought into the room for just this. He turned it into a small ball shape with a crystal slot at the bottom the size of the smallest mana crystals.


    Adding the mirror symbol to the ball, Eldrian connected it with a simple pathway to the crystal where he made the dot rune. The idea was that when activated that the crystal would supply the mana and when exhausted it would break the circuit if someone forgot the disable it after. Saving the Mithril at least.


    The reason he wanted to do it this way was that the normal runes normally required a form of authentication. He had this feeling that this one would be able to skip that irritating requirement.


    "Why don''t we use quartz?" Myropsis asked as she saw Eldrian''s design.


    "Quartz?"


    "Yeah, they''re like verycking mana crystals."


    Eldrian smiled, that was perfect! "Sure! Let''s test it." With this change, the failsafe would only cost a couple of coppers instead of five gold!


    Once they had made the change, and after multiple repeats to get the appearing mirror''s location in the right location through ying with a couple of runes, they finally seeded. With the ball on the table, when activated it appeared around a hand''s length above the ball.


    "Is this the next part?" Myropsis asked, handing Eldrian the flowchart they had made, showing that from here the visual and audio should be saved in the Mov Crystal.


    "Yes, any ideas?"


    "There are some air spells that are used to funnel. And what of Epignosi?"


    Diving into a discussion, the two tried to decipher how Epignosi returned feedback to the caster of the environment it scouted. Also linking other spells and skills such as Observe, Inspect, Mana Examination, and so forth.


    After a productive day, Eldrian had a clear image of what he needed to envision for the spell to work. He now needed to find a form that he could represent it as. However, as they were brainstorming Maia knocked on the door. Pausing what he was doing, Eldrian smiled and told her toe in.


    Maia entered the room while filled with awe, most of what was scattered around the room made no sense to her but she felt that it all contained boundless knowledge.


    "Maia, Maia. Maia. Maia!" Eldrian repeated for the fourth time and finally, she snapped out of her daze. Turning red, she seek a ce to hide but sadly there was none.


    Pushing back her shoulders, determined to face the shame of being caught in her own thoughts before her lord, she looked at Eldrian... And faltered.


    "Is Vivian awake?" Eldrian asked, giving her a lifeboat which she grabbed at light speed.


    "Yes, she finally exited her meditation a few hours ago. She''s eaten and is resting and asked me to tell you that she was fine."


    "That''s a relief." Eldrian could feel one of the many weights being lifted from his shoulders, "How is she?"


    Maia paused, unsure if she should say more. Seeing Eldrian''s gaze she continued, "She''s lost a lot of weight, but she appears to be well... Oh, right! Remember that tomorrow the refugees will be here!"


    ''Oh, shit, I almost forgot.'' Turning to the mess of drawings, failed tries, and so much more, Eldrian sighed. He had hoped he would be able to finish before their arrival. ''No, if we push on then we should be able to finish today!''


    "Myropsis," Nodding, she smiled as she dived back into work. "Maia, can you get us some refreshments, we are going to be pulling an all-nighter."


    ...


    Watching as Maia poured the tea, Myropsis''s eyes shed with inspiration. "Eldrian! Look!" Her shout caused poor Maia to spill, but neither of them even noticed as Eldrian immediately grasped what Myropsis was thinking.


    "Brilliant!" Eldrian quickly turned to the air and what he did caused the rest of the tea to end up on abandoned notes as Maia simply couldn''t look away.


    Eldrian activated the first ball he had made, showing himself drawing streams of ethereal mists towards something. He then activated the second ball and made the connection himself for this attempt.


    The streams seemingly came to life, taking on a rainbow of colors as the second ball that Myropsis had made started showing the same visuals as the first.


    Smiling, Eldrian disconnected the two and instead moved the streams of ''data'' to the Mov Crystal. They had yet to add any permanent runes to it, so for now it shouldn''t do anything. However, as Eldrian sent the ''data'' to it, it started to glow in a soft purple.


    Eldrian lost focus seeing the glow, pausing, he wondered if he had been overthinking things. ''How do the dimensional storages work?''


    Sadly, there was no way he could get his hands on documents that were so valuable. There wasn''t even someone who knew in the city, so of course, he couldn''t even ask anyone. However, Myropsis had a dimensional ring.


    "No, don''t look at me like that!" Myropsis shouted, running to hide behind Maia who becamepletely flustered as she finally realized the mess she had made.


    "Stop being like that, I just want your neckless."


    "My- No way! I know what your thinking, there''s no way!"


    "Come on, this is for progress!" Eldrian countered, slowly moving closer like some kind of creep. This finally caused Maia to be unable to contain herself, picking up the half-filled cup of tea she threw this at Eldrian who was too stunned to even move.


    The scalding hot tea sshed over his face as Maia turned ashen from her actions. Falling to the ground andpletely messing up her dress in all the spilled tea and scattered, she begged for forgiveness.


    "It''s okay," Eldrian said, smiling. His skin turned red yet he showed no sign of recognizing the pain he should be in at the moment. "I''m sorry for scaring you, are you hurt?" Eldrian asked, offering her his hand as he hoped that the spilled tea hadn''t burned her.


    Maia turned beet red but sheepishly ept the offered hand, only to turn even redder as she realized that her dress was nowpletely clinging to her.


    Smack!


    Stunned, Eldrian touched his cheek and looked at Myropsis questioningly. She however had quickly covered Maia and was taking the poor girl out of the room to get changed.


    "What did I do?" Eldrian asked, rubbing his cheek and wondering why it didn''t hurt.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 636 Making The Memorial Device (7) - A Blooming Flower

    Myropsis returned after a few minutes, ring at Eldrian as soon as she did.


    "What did I do wrong?" Eldrian asked, still confused.


    "Hmph!" Myropsis turned away and it seemed like she wanted to make a big deal of this. Eldrian just shrugged and got back to work. "Hey! Aren''t you going to apologize?"


    "Apologize? Will you give me your ne if I do?"


    Jumping back and protecting her ne, Myropsis red at Eldrian who shrugged again and started drawing the idea he had been thinking of during this debacle. While the storage was still a problem, it plus a way to search the stored data were the only mysteries left. He wasn''t even sure looking at the dimensional storage would help.


    ''Well, even if I understand how to save the data, I have no idea how to add a search function. Dimensional storages work by consciously entering them... Is it possible to simte that?''


    "Are you really just going to get back to work?" Myropsis asked as she saw Eldrian move from drawing to forging. He knew he didn''t have time toe up with a n. Instead, he would simply hope that it worked.


    "Yeah, I want this to be done when those from Diadese. Unlike us, they didn''t even have the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones."


    Myropsis stopped, stunned. Shocked that Eldrian was so invested. Like the others, she did not know the details of what had happened, did not know that Eldrian held himself responsible for everything.


    ''Since I can''t make it possible to y select ''memories'', then we will have to have many branches.'' Instead of calling it videos, Eldrian had slowly started thinking of the saved data as memories. After all, it was meant as a ce to share just that of your lost loved ones.


    ''I''ll start with the stem of the nt, grounded with roots growing for aesthetic and bnce. The Mov Crystal will be installed right at the top. I''ve no idea if the saving is going to work, but I can finish the rest first.''


    Doing just this, Eldrian used the Mithril to make a sort of metal flower with multiple leaves. For each leaf he then added one of the recording balls, making it appear like the leaves were weighed down by the ball like it was a drop of water falling off the leaves after rain. He started calling these balls memory beads, they almost reminded him of Christmas decorations.


    He then added the transportation rune to the leaf and stems, all directed towards the flower at the top where he would add the Mov Crystal. After finishing six leaves and all their connections, he started with the flower.


    The flower he decided upon a blooming lotus. While such flowers did not normally have a body like this, he felt like the flower itself would just fit best. At least he liked its design more than any other at the moment.


    The Mov Crystal was installed in the center where the pollen of a flower usually was, the crystal the seed. He envisioned that the flower petals opening were all your memories, and the crystal was all the precious moments that you held closest to your heart. Those that made it impossible to simply forget.


    Onto the petals of the lotus, he added a myriad of the mirror rune. Wishing to represent it as a collection of all your experiences. As a way to watch your time with the person, you miss so dearly, to hopefully get closure. His idea simr to how one would think of their life shing before their eyes, only now it would focus on all the time spent with the person you no longer have by your side.


    ''Hope it will be able to survive the drain.'' He thought, certain that he was going too far but not caring at this moment.


    For now, he left out the audio. After all, it would be insanity to have all the memories y at the same time. However, showing them all at the same time should be quite an amazing sight.


    Myropsis of course had jumped in to help once she realized that there was more to this than just Eldrian''s pride. "What about the sound?" She asked, realizing that Eldrian had not included the rune circuits they had designed for it.


    "We should first test if it will save correctly," Eldrian replied.


    "But... You didn''t add any runes to the Mov Crystal."


    "I know," Eldrian replied, all in all, the Mithril flower stood almost as tall as Eldrian with a total of six leaves and about twenty mirrors on the petals. Closing his eyes, Eldrian decided that the next part shouldn''t be done with a n or by hand.


    Stepping forward, he ced his hand on the stem and sent his thoughts into the device. As he did, he could slowly feel himself moving to an out-of-body experience. Going with the flow, Eldrian found a simr situation to when he observed his own manawork. Or more specifically when one entered a dimensional storage.


    ''Is this the final step of forging? No, there is so much more I still need to add.'' Eldrian paused, without a n he simply hoped that it would work as he was imagining. ''Please, store the memories correctly. Please, allow people to connect with you, to draw out those memories...''


    Eldrian couldn''t help but think of all those lost along the way as he did this. Of all those he had failed. He thought back to Old Sword who had trained him in such a strange manner, of Sabrea who he had quickly grown close to. He thought of Ayden, Aneko, and Kohaku. Friends who he did not even know if they were alive or dead. Forgotten...


    Tears freely fell as he lived through those memories, as he thought of his family who he could not contact. A silver lining that they were alive, but the silver lining was around a very dark cloud. He thought of the others besides Sabrea who had almost all died on his quest to save Vivian, of Andreas who had turned out to be a devil. And of how he had betrayed Ceph in his anger.


    He even thought of Medion, a young father who had lost his life early in the war. Who had never had the chance to meet his unborn child. Eldrian cried as he realized he had no idea if the mother and child were still alive after the siege.


    And he thought of Evale, who had lost her twin brother. Recalling the huge centaur, Eldrian smiled and cried. Wondering just how many others were in a simr situation, his heart broke imaging if he were to lose Jen. If something were happened to her...


    ''Please, help us remember and move on...'' Eldrian prayed as he fought to recover from the rush of overwhelming grief hitting him at once. As he realized that in the recent events he had almost lost Vivian and Ceph too. He didn''t know what he would have done if that had happened.


    ***


    Myropsis watched in awe, Eldrian had been standing still for a while now. However, the flower had been shining brightly for that same time, illuminating the petals in a soft purple. Slowly, this purple moved through the stem as veins, seemingly pulsing.


    As it moved the rest of the flower gained color. The stem gained a glowing light blue color to it, highlighting the light blue silver of the Mithril, the leaves changed to bright green, and the balls of memory turned to a near-transparent purple. Then, all of the sudden, the Mov Crystal shone brightly like a morning star. As it did, multiple memories appeared in the air, floating over the flower. ying Eldrian''s memories.


    As it did, new patterns unknown to both Eldrian and Myropsis started covering the entire nt. Bringing it to life as it started gathering the surrounding mana.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 637 A Weight Lifted

    Eldrian woke from this dream-like experience with the memorial flower giving light to the now dark room, night had arrived. A massive burden had been released from his shoulders. Standing straight under the lesser weight, Eldrian smiled as he marveled at his creation.


    Somehow, he knew that this was beyond what he should have been able to make. It was simr to how he had made the mirror, he hadid the foundation and then prayed that his end goal would be reached. But the results were so much more magnificent than that.


    Eldrian felt confident that he had made a masterpiece.


    "It''s beautiful," Myropsis mumbled as the memories slowly started fading above the flower, as the light retracted into the memorial flower and the petals even slowly moved to close. Encasing the crystal as Eldrian removed his mana from it. Deactivating it.


    "Can you try it?" Eldrian asked, indicating for Myropsis to step forward.


    "How?" She asked after cing one of her hands on the memory drops- the balls designed for recording.


    "I''m not sure, try to connect with it as you would with a dimensional storage," Eldrian replied, taking her hand and cing it against the stem instead.


    "Don''t you think that''s a bit too-" She stopped midway as she felt herself being pulled into a different world, reying her memories. Unable to stop herself, she cried as it all came rushing back. As she even managed to remember long-lost memories of her younger sister who had died in an ident.


    "Eldrian... This-" She had no words to express how she was feeling after experiencing this.


    "Do you think it will help people?" Eldrian asked, nearly moved to tears himself from the memories that had been ying above the memorial flower. This function might not be the most ideal as it could reveal things you might want to keep secret.


    However, it was still so much more than he had ever imagined. Instead of simply recording a message for someone or of someone, it could help you experience those precious moments you had spent with the person you loved again.


    Of course, the standard function was still there. "That was the... Well, I don''t have a name for it." Eldrian paused, finding it strange that he knew how it worked. Not even needing to use the system to gather information.


    "Try activating the memory bead instead, simply send some mana into it." Eldrian suggested. Nodding, Myropsis did just that. She smiled seeing the videoe up, their efforts having born fruit.


    "But does it save correctly?"


    "For that ce your hand on the stem and envision the memory you wish to see," Eldrian replied, showing Myropsis how by recalling the video she had just taken.


    "How?" She failed to wrap her head around how everything had worked out so perfectly. They had stillcked so many required techniques. How could it work without them?


    "I''m not sure myself. I think it is to do with the fact that mana- No, that I believe mana is alive." Eldrian replied, "I don''t consider it to be a living being, but... It can react to our will, it can react to our emotions... And it can react to our memories..."


    ''This must be how it works, each of us is part of an archive of memories. Part of the collection that is magic. Ideas, thoughts, memories, experiences, emotions, everything is part of this.''


    "So I simply asked it to work."


    "You simply asked it to work?" Myropsis felt like that should be a joke, however, somehow she felt confident that it wasn''t. "Can you repeat it?"


    "I have no idea, I doubt it would be possible immediately." Much like when Eldrian used spirit magic that used emotions, he felt that this had used his memories. However, unlike spirit magic it had not drained his memories, instead, it had strengthened them.


    Still, he felt that this would result in a simr situation. Somehow, theck of rity had been what had fueled the creation. Since he now had perfect rity he could not repeat it.


    ''Magic sure is weird.'' Eldrian mumbled, taking some time to re-evaluate his condition after the weight had been lifted. He was happy to find that his manawork appeared to be stable, shocked to find that the anomalies he had foundst time were mostly gone.


    Calling up the interface, Eldrian found that he was still under soul fatigue. He could have guessed that from the fact that he still had a number of burn marks. Shockingly, the curse was gone.


    ''Is it really that easy?'' Turning to the memorial flower, Eldrian finally decided to inspect it.


    [Artifact, Memorial Flower], ''Artifact? That''s new''


    [Unique Function]


    [Memory Relive: A unique ability, capable of helping people live through traumas without suffering from all the conflicting emotions they had at that time. Giving them a fresh and new perspective while also supporting their minds to stay strong.]


    [Standard Functions]


    [Memory creation: Through using the memory beads, it is possible to create and store a memory. Either as a tribute to those who have been lost or as ast farewell when going off to death.]


    [Memory recall: By concentrating on the one you have lost, all memories of this person will be collected and shown. Allowing one to grieve at their own pace, to share their burden and share the joy they have had with the person.]


    ''No Tier?'' Eldrian question, confused. As he pondered this he got this strange feeling that there was yet more to the artifact. Concentrating more on it, Eldrian stepped forward and touched the stem. Somehow understanding that he needed direct contact to get ess to the hidden information.


    [Creator Note: Creation was possible due to the unique connection and faith that the creator has with mana.]


    [Creator control function - Take root: Through activation, the artifact can be installed in a set location. By doing so it will be capable to connect to the natural flow of mana in the area.]


    ''Will that help it maintain the energy drain?''


    [Hidden Functions: Due to the titles of the creator the artifact has the following hidden functions]


    [Curse Removal - Curse breaker title]


    [Alert - Devil''s Bane]


    [Sharing of burdens - Maniptor of Chaos, Sharer of Wrath, Hero]


    Eldrian had no idea what these functions meant, the first however seemed straight forward enough.


    ''Is it really that simple to lift a curse?'' Eldrian questioned, however, his had indeed been lifted. He was still unsure how it had affected him and currently, he felt quite the same. No, there was one clear difference.


    ''The constant intrusive thoughts...'' Constantly, Eldrian had had this voice in the back of his mind, reminding him of how the recent events were his fault. Telling him that he should just give up, should stop caring, should run away. It was gone, and it felt weird no longer having that constant wish to hurt himself.


    ''No, this is normal. It''s insane to be happy with your own pain. I get how I rationalized it, but no matter what you shouldn''t wish eternal pain on yourself...''


    As Eldrian was thinking this, he also found that his Tier up progress had finally started again. Wonderful news, until now it had been stuck at just 2,578%.


    And upon realizing this he was not sad. Realizing this, he was shocked that he had expected he would be. ''It really seemed to have fucked up my mind.'' Eldrian mumbled, realizing that it had made him see the world as a bleak ce where he could only focus on his faults.


    ''But there were happy moments too in the past week...'' Not understanding how curses really worked, Eldrian decided to move on before he ended up bringing himself to the same self-destroying mentality.


    ''It''s great that I can finally reach Tier 5. But that''s not enough, I need to work smarter not harder. I wonder, can I make weapons too?'' This experience had certainly taught him a lot, but Eldrian wasn''t sure if he could dive into forging just like that.


    Making a weapon was quite different from making a memorial. ''But I should try, I want to see if I can make floating swords...''


    This was not born out of a wish for a fantasy-like appearance or anything, no, it was because Eldrian felt that by controlling ether and implementing it into the design he could make weapons that he could control like magic.


    This was sure to be far stronger than him trying to fight with a spear, while he had trained diligently, he couldn''t measure up to people who have spent their entire lives training to be great warriors. And more importantly, he would never be able to bridge the gap in stats physically. But through creation and ingenuity he might just be able.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 638 Talking With Vivian

    "I think this will do quite perfectly," Eldrian said while looking at the memorial flower, installed near the Northern gate which led to Trowcrawling and towards the rest of the kingdom.


    Having used its function [Take root] the artifact almost appeared like a normal nt. Though its location was weird, it was installed in the open square behind the gatehouse. Standing proud in what was otherwise an empty area, weing people to the city.


    "Are you sure it''s okay to put it here?" Maia asked, "Won''t it get damaged in-"


    "It''s okay." Eldrian didn''t know if he could repair it or make another, regardless he felt it was only right to have it stand here. Especially with the people of Diades going to enter from here. "Let''s go see Pros."


    For the rest of the day, Eldrian caught up on all that had been happening while he was focusing on the memorial. The city had quickly started making more vertical farms, the first one had already proven that it worked as intended.


    These farms were ced in the east and west of the city inside the inner walls but not far into the city itself. ced on the east and west as attacks were expected toe from the north and south if there were to be attacked.


    Luckily, the city had plenty of open ground and wasn''t filled with buildings, thus there was more than enough ground to expand on for the moment.


    Sadly, this also meant that there weren''t enough homes to wee the refugees. However, it quickly became clear that that had never been the n. For the time being, they would be kept in between the outer and inner walls while more permanent arrangements were developed.


    From what Eldrian heard Evale had returned to Trowcrawling along with a number of expert builders to repair the town and expand on it to be a safe haven for the refugees. Of course, he had also informed Pros of the memorial flower and its special abilities.


    For the moment Pros had decided to keep the hidden functions a secret, he would announce its other abilities when receiving the refugees. Weing them to try it and the same for the citizens of Kynigo.


    "It seems I''m not really needed," Eldrian mumbled with a smile, hearing this Vivian wanted to counter but seeing his smile she nodded instead. "How are you doing?"


    "As I told you, I''m fine." Vivian countered, yet seeing her appearance it didn''t sound confining. She looked just as one would expect from someone who had gone without food or water for nearly a full week.


    Her youthful figure was gone, her appearance almost that of a skeleton. Just looking at her saddened Eldrian.


    "What kind of breakthrough did you have?"


    "Not sure myself, it seems that I gained a hidden ss..." Vivian wasn''t sure of the details, it just felt like that was the only thing that could exin it. Sadly, while Eldrian could see that her mana was now active, he could not see the name of her ss.


    He was unsure why but assumed it must mean theirs are of equivalent rank. However, her Tier in it should still be low. ''Maybe it is due to the soul fatigue?'' He wondered.


    "Do you have any idea what it is rting to?" Eldrian asked after trying to call up her stats again.


    "Nope," Shaking her head she smiled. She actually did know but she didn''t want to exin, not yet. "But that isn''t important. What about the rest of the kingdom?"


    "Right, if what my map shows is true it seems things have stalled but that the orcs are attacking Vlisia in mass."


    "Didn''t Pros tell you what was going on?"


    "I didn''t ask."


    "Wha-what?! Why?"


    "If I was really curious I could ask Elizabeth, she and the others did go there after sorting things out here." Eldrian exined, it would do him far better than getting second and third-hand information.


    "Why didn''t you?"


    "Because I need to recover and ensure I won''t lose myself again." Eldrian replied, "Speaking of which, I should get started on that."


    "What''s your n?" Vivian asked as Eldrian stood up and got ready to leave.


    "I''m not sure, but I should certainly make some better weapons for myself."


    "With what materials?" Naturally, Vivian had heard of the situation in the city and Eldrian''s memorial had taken nearly half of the materials in Pros''s personal vault. But since this was a personal task Eldrian wasn''t going to use them in any case.


    "I thought the best course might be if I checked on of the mines and got the materials myself." While he wouldn''t mind using Celestial ores, he didn''t feel that they would hold up in a fight between Tier 5''s. As such, he would rather not rely on them. But he would experiment with them to save money.


    The next mostmon magic metal was Mithril, and that was truly expensive. One kilogram of Mithril had a cost around a thousand gold. Of course, Mithril was lighter than iron. Almost like Aluminum and steel, but it was still costly regardless. Especiallypared to Celestial ores which were their weight equivalent to gold.


    Due to this insane cost, Eldrian couldn''t even rely on his personal funds via the yer''s trade as it wasn''t enough. He would be able to make one or two swords, but not much more. And he did not want to leave anything up to luck.


    "Are the mines safe?" Vivian asked.


    "Not exactly, but I won''t be going alone. We need to recapture the mines so I''ll be joining a small party for this."


    Vivian nodded, understanding that her condition did not allow her to join. "But, are you able to fight?"


    "Ah, I''m still weakened, true. But my magic should do fine." Eldrian replied, at this point, his stats were still reduced by 50%. But even with such a reduction he would still be able to deal decent damage. As long as he didn''t need to fight against a Tier 5 he should be fine. And he was constantly going to be scouting for them.


    "Is Ceph going with you?"


    "No, he is also still recovering." Actually, Eldrian hadn''t gone to visit Ceph yet, so he wasn''t sure if that was true. For the moment he still felt too bad about what had happened and wanted to give Ceph space.


    Vivian did not press, "I heard you and Myropsis worked together on the memorial-"


    "That-"


    "Don''t interrupt me." Vivian quickly stopped Eldrian who looked quite flustered, "Is she going?"


    Eldrian sighed and nodded, "Yes, she''s the only person above Tier 5 who isn''t busy. And considering the unknowns, we need someone capable of handling Unwilling undead or stall Higher undead."


    "Good." Vivian nodded causing Eldrian to smile and blush a little. He wasn''t sure what these strange feelings were, rushing out of the room he headed to the mage''s association where they were gathering.


    "How did the meeting go?" Eldrian asked as soon as he joined the group of eight. Everyone was Tier 4, sadly there was almost no Tier 5''s left in the city.


    Ja was leading a rtivelyrgepany to push back the monsters and undead that had slowly started appearing more and more to the south. It appeared that the monsters were aware of their situation and were trying to capitalize.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 639 Exploring The Mines (1)

    "We settled on a n, we are going to Dvemoj," Myropsis replied, currently wearing adventure-like clothing. Deep brown leather armor over a dark green skirt. She nearly blended into the shadows perfectly in the night.


    Continuing on she exined, "It was abandoned due to one of the wandering hordes attacking it. It is near Trowcrawling, which will be our fallback should things go south. Ja should also be in Trowcrawling, so should the enemy be too many and chase us we should be able to turn the tables there."


    Nodding, Eldrian opened his map and searched for the vige. He quickly confirmed that the number of red dots in the vige was still only around a hundred.


    "However, if it is only the hundred then we should have no problem," Myropsis added, of course, scouts had been sent to confirm. However, they had not gone into the mines so that situation was still uncertain. "We have to stay careful as we are unsure of the condition of the mines.


    Just as they were about to exit the city, the group stopped. Turning to look at thepany of dwarves talking with the gate guards. A massive line ofnterns indicated just how long thispany was. Their arrival waste, the sun had set a few hours ago.


    Eldrian and the rest''s departure however was stranger. But they wanted to get to the vige as soon as possible since it itself should be safe ording to all reports.


    ''Isn''t that the dwarf we talked with, and Sanja?'' Eldrian mumbled, rushing over to hear what was going on.


    "Sir Eldrian!" Viggo quickly greeted, "It is great that we could meet you here, we''vee with a delivery of metals and to also give you the materials from the reavers you''ve killed."


    It took Eldrian a moment to recall what the reavers were, "I''m d, I assume then that everything worked out fine?" Eldrian said, looking at Sanja.


    "Indeed, we''ve brought around a ton of iron and a few hundred kilograms of celestial ores. Rank 2 metals however are in short supply, you must understand." Viggo replied.


    "No, that''s great news!" Eldrian smiled, "Oh, right... Pros was healed about a week ago, so I''m no longer acting as the mayor."


    "Is that so?" Viggo frowned. After all, the deal had been made with him and not Pros. "Where should we take the materials from the reavers?"


    After exining where his mansion was, Eldrian apologized and exined that he was actually about to head out on a mission.


    "That is sad to hear, please doe visit when you have time. I''d love to introduce you to the family."


    Recalling clearly what Sanja had exined to him when he had been there to negotiate, Eldrian smiled and said he couldn''t wait.


    Returning to the group they continued on their way. Eldrian had to keep at a fast jog to not slow the group of centaurs, and as he was running he thought of the reavers and pondered if they might be of use when he tried to make himself a collection of weapons.


    ''Their only Rank 1 materials, but they''re free. At the very least I can experiment with them, and who knows, maybe they have some interesting abilities?''


    Luckily, the moon was not blocked by any clouds tonight, allowing them to move clearly and quickly.


    Reaching the vige took them a few hours, nearing midnight. The group stopped a distance from the vige, nestled between two mountains. The shadow of which made the area surprisingly dark, causing everyone to be warry. In such conditions, the undead would have a great advantage.


    Before rushing into the vige, Eldrian first confirmed the undead''s Tiers. Finding that they were all lower undead he asked if he could go ahead and clear them out. Exining that he wanted to recoup the cost of using his scouting ability.


    The group was greatly relieved and realizing this Myropsis gave her blessing. "We''ll stay in the inn until morning." Myropsis indicated to the building on the outskirts of the vige. Only kept in business thanks to the frequent travel a mining vige saw.


    Nodding, Eldrian rushed through the city, making quick work of the skeletons. None were still zombies as all their flesh hadpletely rotten off by now. Thanks to his ability, Scourge of Undeath, Eldrian had no trouble killing the skeletons just with Crystoi. And thanks to his map he would not be taken by surprise.


    When he faced arger group he would use Ice Rain, the Tier five variant of Frost Needle to take care of the group from afar. This was not just because he was keenly aware of his weakened state, but he also saw no reason to attempt closebat against multiple enemies.


    The spell certainly was expensive, but he could cast it almost five times even with only half his normal mana pool. If any skeletons survived the onught he would kill them with Thora.


    Clearing the city took him just slightly over an hour andted him a total of 2.6M XP,pletely paying the 56k cost of inspecting the skeletons, plus easily recovering the daily drain of all his system functions for an entire month. Heck, it could cover the daily drain for an entire year.


    Returning to the inn, Eldrian found the group busy enjoying a drink and making their own food in the central hearth on the first floor. Joining them, Eldrian smiled at the calm atmosphere where everyone was sharing stories and talking about anything they wanted to discuss.


    ''I wish I could have this...'' Eldrian mumbled, shocked when he felt a soft arm pulling him in. "What are you-"


    "Don''t look so down, you''re ruining the mood," Myropsis replied before shoving arge piece of meat into his mouth.


    Nearly suffocating on it, Eldrian was then assaulted with a jug of beer being thrown into his mouth. Most of which spilled and ruined his and Myropsis''s clothes.


    Continuing to try and escape, Eldrian found to his horror that in his current state he was like a childpared to Myropsis. Who continued to feed him until he finally started feeling like he was actually part of the group.


    He was truly shocked that a royal could be so close with these people. He recalled clearly their first meeting and how cold and distant she had been to the man who had shown him the way.


    ''Did her travels change her?'' Eldrian wondered as he joined in on the fun. Trying to get back at Myropsis in a manner that he was able. Sneakily using ether to tilt her jug, causing all the beer to ssh on her face.


    Only Eldrian had Myropsis knew that it was not an ident, which made her turn red as the other thought she was too drunk to even drink without throwing the beer in her own face.


    ...


    In the mines, Eldrian was shocked by its size. They had started with the mines in the left mountain, deeper in the two connected so the n was to move through and exit through the other to ensure no monsters could slip past them.


    The mine wasrge, this was naturally required since centaurs themselves wererge creatures. The roof was three meters high, enough to let everyone walkfortably. But should they rear they would certainly hit their heads. The mine was also wide, allowing three to five centaurs to walk abreast.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 640 Exploring The Mines (2)

    "Still no new indications?" Myropsis asked after a few minutes of walking in the mines, as the outside light was starting to not be enough to see.


    "Not sure if it can''t search caves or what is going on. So we should be careful." Eldrian replied while summoning three balls of light. One he sent to the front, another he floated over them, and the third he sent to the back. Giving light to their entire surroundings.


    "Hah, even just this ability is quite useful. Even if you can''t fight you''re a keeper." Someone in the groupmented, quickly gaining the approval of the other adventurers. Naturally, they knew who he was and Eldrian had also exined that he was currently weakened simr to when someone was resurrected.


    "Stay focused! We do not know when we wille on the enemy." Myropsis reprimanded, her acting like a leader after yesternight nearly caused Eldrian to burst out inughter. And knowing her normal personality made this even funnier.


    Two hourster they still had not run into any enemies. And finally, Eldrian got the option to search a new map area. Doing just that, he was stunned by the sheer amount of red dots. However, he soon discovered that the map was multiyered.


    "Seems there are a bunch of possible enemies in the mines. I can''t really see their locations due to all the possible levels they might be on." Eldrian said, keeping his voice low so only Myropsis could hear him.


    "How many?"


    "Thousands..." Trying to discern the amount in a single level Eldrian continued, "Maybe around a hundred per level." He then went to the next step and inspected a bunch of the red dots, wishing he could rotate the map like a 3D model to get a vertical view to limit the cost. Sadly, he could only work from a 2D model.


    "It isn''t just undead though," Eldrianmented after a while. "It seems that there are also kobolds, goblins, and even some other monsters I''ve never heard of... There are even reavers."


    Stopping, Myropsis frowned. "I think it is going past the mine."


    "Is that possible?"


    "No idea, it''s your ability." She countered, "To my knowledge, the mine should only have three more levels before we reach the bottom where most of the mining is taking ce. It should most certainly not have any monsters like reavers inhabiting it. Unless..."


    Shaking her head she denied this option, it was not long enough for monsters to move in. There should only be undead in the mine.


    Nodding, Eldrian prepared himself forbat as did everyone else after she informed them that they would soone face to face with the enemy.


    The first encounter was with a group of twenty skeletons, all of whom were easily taken care of by a fire spell of Myropsis''s. Some might say using fire in a tunnel or mine is a bad idea, and they would be correct.


    Retreating to avoid the smoke, everyone reflected on this.


    "If we can''t use fire it is going to be troublesome." Someonemented, few had experience fighting in caves and none of them were confident fighting the undead without it.


    "Don''t you all know Thora?" Eldrian asked.


    "They do," Myropsis replied, "However, yours is far more effective than ours."


    ''Right, I forgot about all my bonuses.'' Thora after all only did 10 damage, but when Eldrian cast it thanks to his race and hidden ss, even with his reduced stats it still did 42 damage. And due to skeletons affinity, it took double damage from dposition spells. Meaning, that even weakened he did 84 damage with one spell.


    The group had a total of four mages, with the rest all being melee-focused. Though everyone had an understanding of magic with their Tiers being between 1 and 3, it still meant that their prowess with spells wascking. Severelyckingpared to him.


    Even the strongest in the group only had Tier 4 in both melee and magic, bringing her intelligence. to around 230. With that, her spell would deal only 46 in the end. Half of what Eldrian was capable of in his weakened state.


    Normally Eldrian needed a few casts to kill most lower undead, that was not a problem for him. After all, he could instant cast the spell.


    Now he needed to cast it four to even ten casts, but that was still no problem. He could aplish that in just two to six seconds. Just needing to go through the motions to cast it, but not having an actual cast time and no cooldown.


    For others, it took 1.5 seconds if they had no distractions to cast the spell once. And they had to wait 4 seconds to try again. Knowing this, clearly they could not rely on it as Eldrian does.


    They would need to work together to kill a single undead, maybe they could manage to kill two if they were well organized. But Eldrian doubted it, and while Myropsis would likely be able to kill one on her own, Eldrian was unsure if she could cast Thora like him or was still constrained by the standard cooldown and cast time.


    He did not fully understand why it was present for the NPCs, but he assumed it was because they needed to recover after casting a spell. Some sort of mental fatigue or pause before they could reform the spell as intended. He was not sure, but it had to be something like that. Like waiting for stirred water toe to a calm before stirring it again.


    So it was only natural that they relied on fire spells instead that did over double the damage to undead, and just did more damage overall. Or on divine spells. But due to theing refugees, no divine caster could be spared. The city was already very short-handed in the area of healing.


    With fire not usable and divine spells unavable to the group, it was normal that they would feel less confident.


    Eldrian could understand why, not only were skeletons hard to damage if you did not know where to attack- again something only he in the group was capable of telling. The weakest ones had around 200HP, which was manageable, but the strongest had over 600HP. It could take ages for them to kill it without knowing where to attack, needing to rely on luck to hit the right spot.


    While their strength and speed were not too great, it was still hard for normal people to face off against skeletons due to this. Eldrian had totally forgotten about this, having gotten so used that lower undead were simply fodder to him. ''I need to be mindful, I can''t be overconfident again.''


    "Don''t you know some spells other than fire that can deal with undead?" Eldrian asked Myropsis while the rest were trying toe up with a n.


    Of course, Eldrian had also summoned a breeze to clear the smoke from the area. Aeraki was more than just a spell he used to cool down his room, though it was how he used it most often.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 641 The Memorial Flower Blooming

    As Eldrian and the rest were exploring the mines in the early morning, Vivian made her way to the south gate. Understanding well that there must be more to the memorial than what Eldrian had shared. While he hadn''t talked much about it, there must be more to it.


    She just knew that there must be more behind it. Knowing Eldrian and all his wonders, it would not be something normal.


    ''He really didn''t want to talk about it...'' Vivian smiled recalling how he had tried to divert from the topic. Certain that this was because he had some weird idea of it being bad that he had spent an entire week alone with Myropsis. "Really, the idiot-"


    She froze, looking at the ethereal figure passing across the street. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Vivian reminded herself that it was just a wandering soul. Just a wandering soul.


    That in itself should be something impossible. Souls should dissipate upon leaving the body, turning into nothing if they remained in the normal world. Vivian had found thismonly epted knowledge was not as true as she had been brought up to believe.


    And it wasn''t that it was a ghost either, it was simply a wandering soul. Something that should be impossible. Ghosts were artificial constructs, but this. These. She did not understand how they could exist, how it was possible. And it made her fear, made her remember.


    Seeing it reminded her of those thoughts that had been haunting her. Thoughts that had nearly destroyed her. She had hoped at first that her dad''s body had been all that had remained, or that he had fought and forced the undead to destroy himpletely. Making it impossible to turn him into one of them.


    Sadly, she had realized that this was unlikely. She prayed that he had managed to make it to the afterlife, and if that was not possible she prayed that he still held onto his humanity. And each time it caused her heart to freeze, thinking of the hell he could be in.


    This was all to me on that time, where she spoke with the undead. Released them. Her heart ached just thinking of the possibility that his soul was trapped and being tormented. Day in and day out. That he could be kept in a undead hell, unable to move on.


    Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. Opening her eyes, she froze again seeing the soul wandering aimlessly. ''No need to be scared. They don''t mean any harm... This one doesn''t at least.'' Yet, her heart kept beating at a thousand beats per second.


    "Miss- Are you okay?" A young centaurette asked, despite being only a teen she was already nearly two meters tall.


    Forcing a smile, Vivian said it was nothing and thanked the girl for her kindness. Forcing herself to move forward. Step by step, eyes darting to the side alleys. Not wishing toe into contact with the souls. Not again...


    Never again...


    Getting to the south gate, a journey that should only take fifteen to twenty minutes, took her over two hours. She froze as she entered the square, Pros had just passed by. Probably heading to meet the refugees.


    The sight before her sent chills down her spine, making her want to run. Want to escape.


    A mass of chaotic emotions was moving towards the city. Within, countless souls were darting to and fro. Trying to escape out of this mass of ethereally formed emotions. Emotions so strong that they formed a miasma, a miasma that was clear for Vivian to see. And only she could see.


    "This here is a recent invention by one of our people," Pros said, too far for Vivian to hear. Even if she had been standing next to them though, she would not hear a thing as her entire focus was on this mass of miasma moving closer to the city.


    Pros was talking with the deputy mayor, the leader of those who had no other ce to go, Upam. "If you can believe it, it is a true artifact."


    "Artifact? What genius made such a thing?" Artifacts after all were well known to be extremely rare. Magic towers were artifacts, and they were the only artifacts that could be found outside of the duked cities and capital.


    "Count Eldrian of Avgi." Pros replied, Upam paused for a moment. Recalling a strange elf who hade offering help just before the cmity.


    However, unlike how Eldrian believed, they had no idea what had happened nor why. They had no reason to suspect that everything had happened because of him. To them, it simply appeared like one of the devil kings had stepped in personally. And in such a situation they were all simply extremely grateful that they had been saved.


    While many had died, and more had died in the journey. More than half was still here, still alive. They could rebuild, they would rebuild.


    "Isn''t he the one who brought the extra cannons?" Upam asked, turning to Silver who nodded sheepishly. "To think that he was not just a great warrior but also a great craftsman."


    "Actually, this is his first-ever invention," Pros said, causing Upam to turn dubious.


    "Did you not say that this is an artifact?"


    "Indeed it is. He actually made it with you, and us, in mind. Like us, he too had experienced great loss and he understands well that it is not easy to move on from that pain."


    "Just what kind of artifact is this?" Upam asked, the more he heard the stranger it sounded.


    "One made with the intention to help people mourn. Come, let me show you."


    Vivian watched from the side as Upam stepped forward and Pros exined how to use the Memorial Flower. Vivian watched as Upam reached out to the transparent beads and a screen of sorts appeared in the air. She continued to watch as Pros then reyed it. The screen appeared above the closed flower, showing what had happened just seconds ago.


    "Quite an amazing item indeed," Upam mumbled, he could see the merit in being able to say your final goodbye. To be able to watch all the farewells that someone had received. Knowing that the person you lost was loved by many would certainly beforting.


    Indeed, it could result in negative emotions too if there was nothing for a certain person. Knowing that they were not loved could destroy a person. However, the true prize was certainly being able to record a final farewell before heading off to battle.


    As a father, he dreaded the idea of leaving his children alone on this cruel, especially during these troubling times. Being able to leave them with a final message, while not ideal, certainly would put him more at ease. Far more than a letter would ever be able, he could express his love onest time.


    "How does it work?" Upam asked after going through his thoughts and emotions, believing that this would certainly help them greatly. Though it would take a long time for everyone to get a chance to use the artifact.


    "You''re asking me how an artifact works? Only the creators of artifacts can answer you that." Pros replied, "There is one more function. ce your hand on the stem and concentrate as you would when attempting to enter a dimensional storage."


    Upam did just this, astonished when he was pulled into an entirely different world. Unlike the time when Eldrian and Myropsis had tried this, the space was no longer empty. Around fifty precious memories were floating in this space.


    It was such a strange experience that it opened Upam''s mind and heart. Bringing forth memories he had long forgotten. Recalling his father and mother who had passed peacefully from old age, recalling all the friends he had lost in the recent catastrophe.


    He even relived the journey here. It had been hard on them, not everyone had made it. They had encountered multiple enemies. Luckily, none had been in great numbers and they could defend the progression.


    Yet, it had constantly weighed on them. Weighed on everyone. They had to be on guard every second of the day, be careful every step of the way. Starving, dehydrated, crying. And he was responsible for everyone. Every loss was on him, was because of his choices.


    It was a heavy burden to bear.


    Vivian watched in wonder as she saw light emerge from the flower. Unlike the previous time where it had yed a single video above the flower, the flower bloomed. ying multiple memories at a time.


    She watched their journey, the sight bringing tears to her eyes as she could feel all the suffering they had gone through to reach the city. She could feel their pain and desperation at times. And not only she, but everyone in the square.


    Even the souls at the gate. Many of them slowly dissipated. Their reason for staying in the physical realm despite the torment it brings them was unknown, yet now, over half of them had seeminglye to ept whatever had kept them. They were finally able to move on.


    The heavy miasma also weakened, while still present it had already weakened.


    "Eldrian... What the hell did you make?" Vivian asked with a voice breaking from pain as she recalled her own loss. As she was reminded of all her friends and acquaintances from Phallos, none were left. She had even lost her father, and had nearly left her mother without a daughter.


    She suddenly found herself unable to stop. Stepping forward, Vivian reached out to the flower as Upam was recovering from the experience. Before anyone could stop her, she was transported to the past.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 642 Exploring The Mines (3) - Vivians Resolve

    Vivian found herself standing in the ce of her nightmares. Watching as spells of death rained over the walls, along with numerous undead monsters climbing and being catapulted over them. She watched as people woke from the chaos, as screams filled the air as some were burned alive, others had their life taken by de or w, others by fang and antler.


    She watched herself rushing out from the barracks, taking her sword and rushing to fight the nearby undead.


    "No! You idiot, go find dad!" She shouted, yet ''she'' did not listen. She fought and gathered those nearby to fight back against the undead. Organizing everyone and forming a line of defense around the injured. Trying to push back the undead.


    She watched thosest dreadful moments as she saw her father rushing past the undead along with the captains. Pushing through the opened gates, they stopped the flow of undead and gave the fort time to reorganize.


    Yet, it was clear that they had lost. Soon the other gates fell, the single magic tower incapable of turning the tides.


    Vivian felt a hand grabbing her shoulder, pulling her back as she fought to move to the gate. To stand with her dad. She swore at those saving her, cursed them. Attacked them.


    Yet, she was dragged away.


    Her life saved.


    Her life turned upside down.


    ''Why? Why make me relive this?!'' She asked as tears streamed down her sunken cheeks, as her heart broke again. The night she had tried to forget, never wanted to remember, was now as fresh as on that horrible day.


    "Why... Why didn''t you run!" Vivian shouted as she lost sight of her dad, just as a ghoul had ripped through his side. His armor deflected the blow, but blood was still drawn. That horrendous venom entered his body. Yet he fought on.


    "Why!?" She asked, her voice breaking from the pain. "Why did you leave me?"


    "Vivian, why do you train so hard?"


    Whipping her head to the all too familiar voice, a much younger Vivian wanted to jump to hug the man standing next to her. Yet, she was slumped over, heaving from exhaustion. Unable to control her own body.


    "Do you know what my reason is?" Her dad asked. "You probably don''t, but it is to keep you and your mother safe. I would much rather have you be like the other girls. Stay indoors, enjoy tea parties, just... Stay away from the field of battle."


    "They''ll die when ites to it!" Vivian countered, shocked by her reply. By the arrogance in her words. Was that who she used to be?


    "That is why I train, I won''t let ite to that." Her dad said.


    "Dad, you are well aware that you can''t ensure that. I want to at least not be a burden when we are forced into retreat. You take care of mom and I''ll take care of myself!" Vivian dered, standing proud as she regripped her training sword. A heavy wooden de, twice the weight of a normal sword.


    ''Idiot! Just stay here!'' Vivian shouted with all her might. If she hadn''t been there. Been at the fort. Her dad could have- could have.


    ''Is that true?'' She looked at her dad, at his proud caring face. His bare chest, sweat dripping down from hard training, was covered in scars. Was that the body of a person who ran or stayed?


    "Why did I not run back then?" She asked, recalling the moment when she had thought she would die. The undead''s sword moving towards her neck. "Why did I stay behind to fight and stall for time? I could have made it out, I could have saved myself..."


    ''Dad, would you have stayed. Would you have held the line even if I wasn''t there?'' Vivian hated the idea, hated that he would leave them like that. Yet, it was what she had nearly done to her mother. It was who they were.


    Balling her fists, Vivian slowly came to ept that it was not her fault. "Dad, I''lle free you soon. I promise! Please, hold strong until I make it!"


    With her conviction, her mana stirred and the flower bloomed brighter than before. She could feel a weight being lifted from her shoulders. Standing strong, conviction burned brightly in her green eyes. The de at her side vibrated, wishing to be let out. To fight, to kill.


    ''Not yet, I must first be stronger!'' Clenching her fists, Vivian turned around and headed for the house Eldrian had gifted her. ''I need to master this new ability. I can''t be afraid of every wandering soul!''


    ***


    "What do you think of her?" Amnur asked, the two were covered in an invisibility barrier, watching the artifact''s reveal.


    "She''s young and acts before thinking." Athtar replied, "But she has a very unique ability. If she matures, she will be a great asset."


    "Will she be able?"


    "I''m not sure, the aura she gained is not light. Its weight on its owners is far greater than any other." Athtar shook his head. They could only hope that she would not end up mad. They could offer no help to that aura, and aura that could be called a curse.


    "What of the artifact?" Amnur asked, he was impressed by it. It was shocking that it actually worked, so much wascking. Yet, it was so much more than anything he could have made for this purpose. Simply because hecked the insight,cked that connection with death, with loss and the sorrow it brought.


    "It is most impressive. We will have to continue to keep an eye on him to see if he has learned from thest time or not. Though, the most shocking is certainly that his curse had been lifted."


    "Right! That is normally not something so easy to aplish. You first have to- Ah, right. No need to exin it." Amnurughed, the two deciding to leave. As they did, Athtar mumbled that he should tell Itireae toe and use the artifact.


    ''She might just be able to recover some memories of her father.'' Athtar himself was tempted, tempted to relive those times with his close friend and with his long-distance lover. To spend a moment with his lost children.


    He had forgiven himself, hade to ept the reality. That did not matter though, he still missed them dearly.


    He was truly tempted.


    ***


    "Don''t you know some spells other than fire that can deal with undead?" Eldrian''s question did not receive an immediate response. Sadly, it was not that simple.


    "I do, but they take longer to cast than the fire spells and..." Myropsis stopped. Sadly, some undead would not be affected by her spells. ming Reanimated were especially troublesome, though ice and water spells were effective against them. It was not in aparable manner to fire against other undead.


    Naturally, she was shocked that she had overlooked the trouble that fire would bring in the mines. However, at this point, it no longer felt like a mine. The cavern they were in currently was massive,parable to that which the dwarves lived in. It did not give the feeling of being in a cave at all.


    "Well, you''re not alone. Why don''t we hold the line while you prepare the spell? I''ll support from the side where needed." Eldrian said, though even with this they should stay careful. He kept inspecting the nearest red dots. Trying to make sure that they would not run into anything they couldn''t handle. The cost basically equally the XP he received from the battles due to the sheer number of dots.


    "Let''s do it." Myropsis nodded, calling everyone and exining the new n. They were all adventurers with plenty of experience, they had no problem stalling the undead. However, they would have preferred a way that did not require them to fight directly.


    After all, they were not battle maniacs. They did this for a job, not for a hobby or some other strange reason. They had people back home who relied on them, for whom they couldn''t allow themselves to get killed.


    Eldrian could feel the mood sinking as everyone expected that injuries and some casualties would be inevitable. Reminding him clearly that he had to find a way to resurrect the fallen. It trumped making weapons and finding creative spells. He had to have that security going forward.


    ''I can''t allow anyone to die on a mission with me!'' Eldrian swore that he would never allow that to happen again, with determination shining in his eyes he told the group that he would not let them die.


    "Just shout if you are struggling and I will rush over to help."


    Naturally, everyone knew of Eldrian''s weakened state. Yet, he was still a hero in their eyes. Hearing his determination and promise the morale of the group shot through the roof.


    They advanced forward, shing with multiple groups of undead. Everyone would form an inverted U-shaped line. Eldrian and Myropsis inside, offering help through spells. Eldrian would focus on the undead trying to sneak past or where someone was struggling. Myropsis would focus where most undead were gathered. Maximizing her spell.


    Through this they made good progress, killing a few hundred undead by the time night arrived on the world above. They were now at thestyer, and the dots Eldrian had found were not something he felt confident in facing.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 643 Retreat And Return

    "They''re not together, but there is a ming reanimate and a ghoul in the next part." Eldrian wasn''t sure if they were indeed there, outside of the undead they had not run into any other monsters. Thus it was rtively safe to assume only undead were in the mines as expected.


    The rest were likely in underground tunnels near but not connected to the mines. Eldrian was not sure if this was the so-called subterrain, he had almost no knowledge of it. Regardless, it made things more confusing as some undead had ended up not being in their path.


    Thus they could never be certain of the precise situation, always needing to prepare for the worst possible case. After all, it was not safe to assume that there would be fewer enemies than there could technically be- but likely won''t be. This slowed their advance as the group prepared well before every fight. Also waiting to fully recover after every fight.


    Luckily, their recovery was not slower than his. Their armor and magical items were well suited to them, gathered through years of effort.


    In fact, with the loss of Chelona, his breastte, Eldrian was the least impressively armed in the group. While his spear was far superior to all, he could not ess its abilities and as a result, it was heavily underutilized.


    ''I hope when I reach Tier 5 that will change.''


    "Shall we retreat?" Eldrian asked, after having shared the details of the next opponents with the rest. He would much prefer doing that. It was far more important to make sure they all made it home safely, they could alwayse back with more help.


    The ghoul was after all a Higher Undead, Eldrian had learned his lesson against the Orc Warrior. One should not take lightly the difference in strength that ranks represented. And ghouls were some of the deadliest enemies that Eldrian had ever faced, a single scratch capable of spelling your death.


    "What about runic magic?" Myropsis asked, shocked at how afraid Eldrian seemed to be. So unlike the elf that had rushed to the front time and time again.


    Eldrian paused, considering the case. "It might be strong, but the ming Reanimate is immune to fire. The ghoul on the other hand excels in speed and agility. None of us will be able to hold it down and one scratch will spell our doom."


    "It''s best if we retreat," Eldrian repeated this sentiment, the others nodding. None of them wanted to face off against a proper higher undead. None of them were even Tier 5, naturally they believed it would be their death if they dared since that was the lowest either undead could be.


    "What Tier are they?" Myropsis asked, her question causing the others to despair as it appeared she was adamant to push on.


    "Five, regardless, we should fall back. Without divine magic-"


    "If you can corner it I-"


    "I''m still weakened, Myropsis. Let''s just fall back, it isn''t worth the risk.


    She frowned, not liking that they would have to postpone the clearing of the mines. Eldrian could understand her to wish to secure the mine as soon as possible. The refugees couldn''t stay in temporary housing for long. They needed to be productive as quickly as possible. As it currently stood the city would slowly starve.


    Vertical farms lessened the amount ofnd required to feed the people, but they could not be made without materials. The dwarves'' delivery of goods could help produce a number more, but Eldrian was sure it would still be a long way from being enough to feed near a million mouths.


    They might also be able to make use of wood, but then magic might not applicable as before. This however, Eldrian quickly messaged Erik to ask if it was an option for wider scale farming. A more long-term solution as the current one required too much to be made and maintained.


    Besides this, there was also the situation of security and safety, as well the fact that the rest of the kingdom needed support. Stalling was certainly not ideal, but it was better than dying. Eldrian was very clear on this.


    "Three days," Eldrian said after some thought.


    Myropsis looked at him quizzically. "What happens in three days?"


    "My manawork should finally stabilize, and then I should reach Tier 5." Eldrian said, looking at the progress bar which was just shy of 30%.


    "Are you sure you want to risk it?" Myropsis asked, confused by his change of heart.


    While the difference between Tier 4 and 5 wasrge, it would not be that impressive until he learned spells of the Tier. After all, the stat growth was not that great, yet. But going forward it would be greater and greater with each Tier progressed.


    Of course, Eldrian was an anomaly who had already been using a Tier 5 spell before reaching the Tier himself. But that was not that a big a deal to him, he needed the raw stat boost. With his hidden ss his growth was far superior to others.


    "If I can also ovee the soul fatigue, then I should be able to stall it." Eldrian said, "But I would still prefer if we asked for Evale''s help."


    Myropsis sulked hearing this, she was Tier 6 after all. Being dismissed so easily naturally wounded her pride as a mage. Sadly, her specialty was theoretical first and non-offensive secondly. The undead were particrly resilient to damage. Making them truly hard opponents for her.


    In her life she had been much like Pros, her focus on enjoying her passion and following her heart, not on focusing to grow stronger. This was severely limiting her now.


    While she had changed since the invasion, focusing on improving, she had only managed to improve so much while also attempting to learn Eldrian''s ways. She was still a long way off from beingparable to normal Tier 6 mages whose aim had always been to be strong. And she was still a long way off from emting Eldrian''s control over magic.


    Eldrian had also been discourteous and used mana sense to gather information on all those in the group. To get a better understanding of their abilities, along with the previous fights he felt he could more or less understand their limits.


    Even at Tier 6, Myropsis''s stats did not overshadow Eldrian''s by much. If not for his weakened state he would have superior strength and agility, only her intelligence and spirit were very high. The corrtion between the attribute and actual intelligence Eldrian still found confusing. Regardless, it made it clear that she could not face a ghoul who excelled at speed and would kill her before she could finish casting a spell.


    Unfortunately, while he understood his allies'' abilities quite well now, he was clueless about the ghoul''s limits. Thus why he was extra careful. Even when he reached Tier 5, he did not think of directly facing it. He would act as bait and have Myropsis wait with her strongest spell that was effective against the undead. Whatever it might be, he would discuss that when the time came.


    "Fine, let''s retreat." The rest of the group collectively sighed in relief, quickly falling back before she could change her mind. The entire way Eldrian was sweating buckets, hoping that something wouldn''t pop up and force them into a deathly scenario. That all the other red dots would stay in their own tunnels.


    This had happened far too often, his heart could not rest easy until they left the caves.


    He finally breathed a sigh of relief as they exited the mines under the night sky. The undead not having moved much as they escaped the mines.


    "We''ll stay in the inn." Myropsis dered, causing a few muffledints. Naturally, everyone was worried about what would happen if the ghoul came out of the mines. In the open fields, they might be able to escape but a ghoul was fast. It might be too fast.


    They calmed down seeing her add an array to the surroundings and the inn itself. While it could not outright close the difference, it would at least warn them and slow the ghoul for a moment.


    ''Right, I can use runic magic as traps too. If I return and can bring Two back, we should be able toy an effective trap that would have Myropsis be overkill.'' This thought made Eldrian more epting of the dangers that he had seemingly epted.


    Taking a seat on one of the beds on the second floor, Eldrian meditated for a bit. Confirming that his mana was indeed much more stable now. It was also much firmer, seemingly solidifying.


    ''This will be a problem when I try to improve it again. But, it should mean that I can return to my real body now as nned. Hopefully, Two managed to stay out of sight.'' In case something happened, Eldrian wrote a message for if someone came looking for him. With that done he focused on the method of returning home.


    Envisioning his human body, focusing on its frequency. He took his time, reforming the bridge.


    ''Your alive!'' Came an overjoyed voice as Eldrian found himself slipping to sleep and waking in another body.


    ''What happened?'' Eldrian asked as Two rushed to their mental room. Stretching his limbs and feelingfortable for the first time since the incident.


    ''I managed to use the mes to make a distraction and escaped. I''m sure they know that we escaped, but since we are in some mountains we should be safe.''


    ''You didn''t go to a city?'' Eldrian asked, already getting the feeling that Two had no idea which mountains they were even in. Only that there were no towns or cities nearby.


    ''I didn''t, saw no benefit in it. Here we are far removed and it should be impossible for them to find us. There are some local wildlife and even wild nts, there''s also a fresh stream nearby.''


    Eldrian pondered for a bit, this was indeed an ideal location. Removed they could even try some select experiments to better understand the condition of Earth and their own body. However, it would also mean he would be more removed from what was going on.


    ''I can just ask Erik to keep me up to date.'' Realizing this, Eldrian quickly epted that this was indeed ideal.


    ''So what exactly happened with that crazy woman?'' Two asked, shivering just from the memory.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 644 A Home In The Mountains (1) - Catching Up With Two

    ''I missed a lot.'' Two grumbled, not only had he been forced into the ufortable body for over a week. He had also missed so many interesting developments. He was not happy, though, he was content that he had missed what would have been an insufferable Eldrian. At least mentally.


    ''Why do you hate being in control of a body so much?'' Eldrian found this truly strange. One would think that Two should want to have a body, to have a separate identity. That seemed to not be the case at all.


    ''It''s soooo restrictive!'' Came a quick almost bored reply.


    ''Isn''t being just in my head more restrictive?'' Eldrian had never been able to follow that logic


    ? ''You won''t get it, you were born with a body. I wasn''t. It is only normal that it feels natural to you and unnatural to you. Imagine having your mind forced into a robot, it just won''t feel right.''


    ''I guess that makes sense...'' Eldrian still did not understand. However, he had to ept that being in a body just felt normal to him, when he was in the magic abyss or realm of souls it felt strange. Like his presence was not real, which made sort of sense since it was more of an I am everywhere and nowhere than I am here situation.


    After all, when you are in your own mind you do not have a body. It was a simr concept, when thinking you are everywhere in your thoughts, but nowhere at the same time. There is no body, just thoughts.


    Of course, he could focus and form his presence into a single point of being. Like when Ziraili forms herself as a wisp. Yet, that was not the natural state of being in the magic abyss nor of one''s mind. It was still an extremelyplicated topic, but Eldrian sort of understood what Two meant after considering this all.


    Being restricted to a singr form, permanently. To someone who this was not natural would naturally feel restrictive.


    ''Yet, that time they did appear as humans... Or was that just my perception?'' Eldrian was unsure, he felt it was about time to contact the AI again. Elizabeth had slowly been filling him in on the forum wars. It would be a good step if they could get the AI to have a voice. Though fear might prevail over reason once others knew of their abilities.


    "Do you think that the AI would feel the same?'' Eldrian asked after pondering a bit on this, epting that it was just how it was. The answer to this could be critical going forward. But Two''s reply did not help at all.


    ''Possible, I dunno.''


    Eldrianughed at how little Two seemed to care. ''Alright, let''s drop it for now then."


    ''Ah, wait... Are we going back now?'' Two asked, excited to be in contact with a mana-rich world again. Being forced to stay on Earth did not feel right. The past week had felt like being stuck in a cell on a deste ind. Absolute torture.


    ''That...'' Eldrian looked around, the cave they were hiding in was not that deep and had no way to block the entrance. If they were both away then his body would be basically a corpse.


    ''What about Tranquility?'' Two asked, definitely not wishing to be designated the caretaker. He had had enough of that trapped feeling.


    ''I don''t feelfortable leaving him outside again. I think it is partly the reason why I have failed to use that aura. Tranquility should be more than just a conscious subconscious aura living soul thingy.''


    ''Don''t really get it, but then what are we going to do?''


    Eldrian pondered for a bit, looking around to see if there wasn''t anything he could use to close the cave entrance.


    ''I know mana isn''t abundant nor stable, but do you think we can use magic to form a wall of sorts?''


    ''We''ll have to supply all the energy since the environment has little to no mana of the element.'' Two replied with a yawn, it was the same no matter the magic used. But morphing something was miles more difficult than just summoning some fire, wind, water, and especially light and darkness which came almost normally.


    ''I know, which means the cost will be higherpared to in ANW. But that is a given, shall we try?''


    Getting a mental nod, Eldrian moved to the cave entrance. cing his hand on the ground he envisioned the end goal while exploring the ground with his mind. Slowly, he started letting some of the mana inside his body enter the ground.


    ''Mmm, even mana control is harder.'' Eldrian grunted, focusing hard. Having forgotten just how great the difference between the two worlds was. He was still confused about what ANW really was, but that was not a topic he would find the answer to any time soon.


    This was naturally not the first time he attempted to alter the environment with magic, but it was still a struggle. Sadly the cave entrance was simply toorge and ording to Two''s memories, the others were too shallow or had an uneven ufortable floor.


    While there might still be a suitable cave somewhere in the mountains, Eldrian had no proof that it would be worth the search.


    Sweat dripped down his brow as he slowly took control of the ground. He had no spell in mind and was relying on the method of dynamic casting to aplish this. However, he found the focus required was too great. Stone was too different from dirt. The rise in difficulty too great.


    Taking a seat, Eldrian looked at the foot-high mound he had created after his great effort. Exhausted, the task was far more difficult than he had imagined. Pondering, he wondered if runes might help.


    ''Runes... Runes of modification, no. A rune of storage and deliverance will help me focus on the end goal more. If I can find something to supplement my mana- if that is even possible.'' Just this mound had consumed nearly a tenth of the mana he had in this body.


    If he continued to attempt it without something to lessen the cost it would take days, most of which would be spent waiting for his mana to slowly recover. The recovery rate was abysmal due to theck of natural mana.


    Searching around, Eldrian found that there was an abundance of crystal-type rocks in the area around the stream. Sadly, none of them seemed mana rich. Naturally, this wasn''t even something that you could really do in ANW even. Not all quartz was mana rich, normally such quartz would only be found in a mana crystal vein.


    Yet, Eldrian hoped that he would stumble upon something here, on the manacking Earth. He felt he had to at least give it a shot, even if the chances were low. Understanding that if he found something it would be so much more than just a catalyst. It would be hope for a possible magical future.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 645 A Home In The Mountains (2) - Crystal

    From his recent experience, Eldrian understood that crystalline rocks were his best bet to find something that could hold mana. They did not need to evolve like celestial ores and higher-ranked metals to be capable of this. They just need to have existed in a mana-rich area for long enough.


    ''Mana rich area-'' Eldrianughed but did not give up. Continuing his search, especially since he had found that the area had amethysts crystals in abundance.


    He knew that this was the crystal that given enough time evolved into Mov Crystals, and possibly even Magic Crystals. And while most of the crystals in the stream seemed to not be of great quality, that did not disparage Eldrian.


    No, armed with this knowledge that this was the crystal that gave birth to Magic Crystals, he could not give up unless he truly found none. He would at the very least search the entire stream, though he was aware of his time restriction and thus would not venture far from the stream in his search.


    His perseverance paid off, after almost half the day, Eldrian had found arge piece with a tiny amount of mana. The amount was almostughable, not even a tenth of what the quartz crystals Eldrian had experimented with had. And quartz was less mana conductive than amethyst.


    Yet, this did not phase him. He was ecstatic beyond belief.


    The crystal wasrger than his hand but it should only have around a hundred MP. A quartz crystal of this size would have well over a thousand. But that was not what was important, what was important is that it proved that mana was not just in the air.


    It gave Eldrian a possible stable source of mana on Earth.


    It would give him a way to use magic without risking an imbnce. And more importantly, this crystal held an amount of mana equivalent to a fifth of his personal mana in this body. His real bodycked a manawork, did not even have mana pathways. He had not dared attempt making one, fearing the bacsh.


    Thus, this body of his was equivalent to someone at Tier 4 without a hidden ss. Superhuman for someone of Earth, butckingpared to his ANW avatar.


    Sadly, Eldrian doubted he would find any more crystals with mana. After all, he had searched nearly 90% of the stream to find this one, having gone down the mountain to the woods below even.


    He was also aware that he should try to return to ANW as soon as he could, but just as aware that he could not neglect this.


    ''This... Should I share this knowledge? I can try to use it in negotiations when ites to it.'' Eldrian pondered, after making the memorial artifact he was far more aware of the difference between experimentation on items and with spells randomly.


    Both were still dangerous, but with the items -generally- only it would explode and be destroyed. At least, that was his experience thus far. The item itself acted as containment and catalyst, allowing mana to be more effectively used while limiting the possible bacsh.


    Of course, he would still need to confirm if it worked the same on Earth. He also knew that this would not hold at higher levels, remembering the chaos when Solvi had made Crystoi. Earth was likely to start reacting at lower levels, but it was still a possibility.


    ''It might be more restrictive, but it is a true path forward...'' His eyes shone as he wondered if it would be possible to have mana collect in simr type crystals artificially.


    With this in mind, he collected as many as he could carry and hurried to his cave. Where he added some simple mana storage runes, plus what he understood as recovery runes. Normally used to gather mana in an area. Used in both magic towers and the farming arrays.


    Spending a few hours doing this with as many as he could and a couple of other unique-looking stones, Eldrian finally turned to the crystal that had mana. The only one he had found in all this time as night came around the corner. The setting sun was a beautiful sight in the mountains, but one he did not take a moment to enjoy.


    He was hesitant to use the crystal for this, but he didn''t have a better choice. His knowledge was still too limited to attempt a warning system capable of reaching him while in ANW.


    He was still uncertain how exactly he entered the game world. It was partly focusing on the frequency that the headsets were on. Like he was piggybacking on their connection. The rest of it was envisioning the result, much like his recent usage of magic.


    ''I should experiment in ANW to make one capable of notifying myself on Earth. That way around should be safer. It might also start to answer the question of what exactly ANW is and what the connection is between them. The AI said that it is indeed virtual, not existing in our universe outside of the servers.''


    ''I can understand how I might be using magic to jump onto the inte and connect to the devices and steal myself into the servers. But I can''t believe that that is all that it is, nor that I did that so easily...'' He paused and considered for a moment, "Is it perhaps something like a dream world, where it would only exist in your mind."


    "Only, this exists saved in the servers and thousands- no, millions of minds..." Eldrian was not sure if something like that could constitute existence, but he had never doubted that those in ANW were real. The science behind their existence was just confusing. However, it would not change his belief.


    Picking up the mana-filled amethyst, he thought on how to use it best. To simply rely on its mana would destroy it without great sess and had never been his n.


    Instead, he made a rune circuit with the aim to lower the mana cost, to make his spells more effective. Imagining it as when using magic of a magic item, the item''s material affinity lessing the cost of spells. Only, he did not add the runes for the spells.


    He hoped to channel that through himself, knowing this was possible from previous experiences.


    Testing it, Eldrian found that it worked as intended. Lessing the burden of controlling his mana.


    Nodding with a smile, he returned to the mound. Repeating his efforts, it took him nearly three hours to close most of the cave entrance. Thest part he left as is, moving out he gathered some wood and branches. Covering the entrance and using them to make the artificial closure look more natural.


    He spent some time on this, also taking some nts and nting them nearby and on the artificial cave wall after adding ayer of dirt. Hoping that it would make it appear that there had never been a cave to begin with.


    ''That should do, let''s go back.'' Eldrian smiled, taking a seat against the cave walls, focusing on his elven form and the frequency required to connect with it.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 646 The Siege Of Vlisia (1)

    In another part of the kingdom, fighting was intensely ongoing. The orcsunched attacks day and night. Yet, the outer walls stood strong thanks to the brave fighting of the soldiers, and the twenty-five cannons that stood with them.


    These cannons were not affixed in one location but instead carried to where they could make the biggest difference. Their movement and security were normally ensured by the yers responsible for the cannons, but this was not always possible.


    However, the problem of ammunition remained the most pressing. The city had used a great portion of its resources, sadly, it was not enough. Their stockpile was near empty, the cannons were nearing uselessness.


    At this time the only possible method of entering and exiting the city at this time was teleportation. And they could not use recklessly, each teleportation required a number of mana crystals. All of which will be expended. Thus, they had to carefully calcte when and how to use it.


    And so they did, with the rest of the kingdom focused on making more cannons and ammunition, it was sent over through filled dimensional storages or yers who acted as carriers. The kingdom preferred the second since after a first trip they could use the temples, negating the mana crystal cost.


    While there was a one-day cooldown and thus yers would take two days toplete a trip. There was almost a hundred yers in the kingdom. While they were not all online at the same time, this was actually ideal. There was always someone able to help where they could. Every day there were some leaving and some arriving.


    Truly, the yers weren''t sure if they shouldugh or cry. Havinge to Vlisia hoping to help in the great siege, only to end up as donkeys carrying resources to and fro.


    Luckily, each trip counted as a quest so they were getting good rewards for doing so. It just wasn''t any fun.


    "My king." A centaur messenger rushed over, bowing to the king and his entourage. The centaur dared not think that these people would be better served on the walls, helping the fight. Certainly, he wouldn''t dare.


    This group was on the southern first inner gatehouse. The true city wall standing twice as tall as the outer wall. Like with Kynigo the outer wall was there to protect the city''s personal farms from wandering monsters. Its true intention was never to stop a siege.


    However, the centaurs could use thend between to continually fall back and retake the walls when the cannons arrived along with a mighty charge. Sending the orcs flying back.


    After all, these walls were designed to only be hard to take from the front, having no battlements at the back. Mostly designed to make it too hard for monsters to bother to climb, machictions allowing easy aim at any trying to scale the five-meter tall wall.


    It was precisely this short height that made it non-ideal to be used to fight a siege. The stronger orcs were capable of clearing it with a simple jump. Yet, this also allowed the soldiers to have quickly constructed ramps on the inside. Allowing the centaurs to simply rush onto the walls with ease to where help was needed.


    A mighty charge sending the orcs back down to their deaths. If the orcs tried to block the ramp they would simply be sted by the cannons, which were not using standard ammo. But rather shooting hundred of smaller iron balls. Devastating to closed ranks, a charge devastating to a loose formation.


    Behind the king and his entourage was another wall, the second inner standing twelve meters tall. This wall separated the lower and upper sses. However, at this time all the citizens were behind these walls, praying that the city did not fall.


    Further back, in the center of the city stood a proud castle towering over all. Once a fort,ter modeled into a massive castle. It had two personal magic towers and was thest fallback. However, if it came to it then the city was more or less lost.


    "What happened?" Farest, the king of Taurus asked the messenger. Having made an appearance understanding well that if one of the corners of the kingdom fell then disaster would ensue. This would be theirst true stand. Previous losses were eptable, this one they could not ept to lose.


    While the capital and duke cities would be safe if it fell, such a small heaven would mean nothing. Drawing back to there was equal to admitting defeat. Turtling and epting a slow death as the orcs would have thempletely surrounded.


    Sure, the other three corners would still stand along with the other cities. But it would be increasingly difficult to move help to them if the orcs had Vlisia.


    "A force of chieftains had broken through the east gate." The messenger answered. "Lord Sodren has managed to push back the orcs along with the two dukes and the Marquess. They are in the process of retaking the gate, however..."


    Unlike the walls, the gates were not meant to be lost and retaken. Each had two permanent cannons installed to ensure that the gates would remain closed.


    "Out with it." The king dered, causing the messenger to nod and quickly continue.


    "The orcs have managed to take the two cannons."


    Crash!


    The king mmed the table, causing the pieces depicting the fight to fly into the air. Naturally, each loss of a cannon was a serious blow to their defensive capabilities. This was not the first loss of the cannons, but it was the first time the orcs had managed to take a cannon undamaged.


    Their total cannon losses neared ten now, and only five more had been received from the rest of the kingdom. While this was still eptable, it was cing more and more pressure on the mage force. Who was already running on fumes.


    What made this news absolutely horrid was naturally not just the simple loss of two cannons. Having two undamaged cannons meant the orcs would be able to analyze and deconstruct one. Even if they failed to rebuild it after, they could learn almost everything there was to learn about the cannons.


    This was likely the true aim of this forced attack. Hearing the orcs'' casualties did not improve the king''s mood much.


    Even if they could not reconstruct the cannons, they could still use the other on the walls. However, luckily, they would be in a simr situation to the city. Lacking ammo. And this was certainly a bright silver lining as while the walls were sturdy, thebined magic and physical prowess of the cannons might just be capable of toppling it.


    Of course, if the strongest their army moved the same results would follow. But for now, they were still testing the waters of the other. Acting with care.


    Regardless, it was certainly worth trading six weaker chieftains for two cannons. Especially since those six were not part of the Eight ws. Their loss was not that significant, though it was a great loss regardless.


    The Eight ws was the name given to the secondary leaders of this orc army. Five Tier 8 chieftains and three Tier 9''s. If they moved with the intent to fight till death then the king would be forced to reveal his hand.


    He hoped that this could be avoided until the warlords themselves moved. For they were his true targets in this siege. He hadid multiple traps and was waiting for them to take the bait.


    "I''m afraid at this pace we will only be able to maintain the status quo for a few more days before we will be forced to retreat to the safety of the magic towers." A kitsune of amber color said, looking towards the distance where fierce fighting was taking ce. Sighing at all the lives that would be lost today, again.


    Yet, it was not in vain. Thanks to the constant updates from Eldrian, they knew the orcs'' moves. While they could not win here at the moment and will be forced to concede the outer walls soon, the story was different in the rest of the kingdom.


    Eldrian, even while on a mission, was keeping the kingdom updated on the events. He would send Erik an updated situation of Kynigo as well as a summary of the rest of the kingdom. Elizabeth would instead be sent the situation surrounding Vlisia in detail.


    This knowledge helped the centaurs use their inherent better mobility as a cavalry race. They were hunting. And as long as the city could hold out, soon the orcs would run out of supplies. After all, thanks to Eldrian the orcs were unable to hide where their supply lines were. And with their main force focused on the city, it could not be protected.


    As a result, both sides were under heavy pressure. It was simply a test of who would be the first to cave.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 647 The Siege Of Vlisia (2) - Outrage

    The old king sighed, even if he moved he could not change the situation as the leaders of the orcs were waiting for him to do just that. And sadly he was outnumbered as the orcs had two warlords at Tier 10, leading the army.


    Their hesitance inmitting fully to the fight was thanks to the previous efforts of the kingdom. Having shown the might of the annihtion cannon, even having made it appear like there were multiple weapons at this level avable to the kingdom.


    And since the siege had started, the annihtion cannon had not made an appearance. Naturally, the orcs assumed that they were hiding it, waiting for them to move with a force that would be worth revealing its location.


    For of course, once its location is known the orcs would focus to capture such a strong mobile weapon. While it can be partially protected by the magic towers, that was not enough if the warlords or Eight ws targeted the cannon in earnest.


    Due to this mobile unknown, the orcs had to be wary. They could not risk sacrificing their strongest if they could not guarantee results. Hence, the fighting currently ongoing was mostly the weaker chieftains leading their followers to their deaths. But every now and then one of the ws would join to sow havoc on the walls.


    But this had slowed the siege, giving the kingdom the time they needed to use their numerical and home ground advantage. Constantly assaulting the orcs'' supply lines and defending against their raiding parties.


    The kingdom could not face the orcs on the open field before in a magnificent climactic battle. After all, in a straight-on fight, a centaur''s strength was lesser than the orc''s. Thus they always had to be warier of the fights they would take.


    Orcs were a savage race, one that loved to fight and sought to die in battle. Thus, most of the average soldier simply couldn''t contend with the average orc, they would at most be able to content with the weakest orcs.


    Unlike the orcs, centaurs had no qualitative ranks. Ranks that when achieved greatly increased an orc''s fighting prowess. Simr to Tiers, but separate. Allowing them to reach far greater strength.


    However, the orcs had underestimated the pressure that the cannons would put them under in this siege. Yet, they did not retreat, cing all their bets on the city of Vlisia.


    After all, if it stood the corner of the kingdom would stand strong, if it fell the corner of the kingdom would soon follow, and nearly half of the kingdom with it.


    Luckily, with all this going on the true leader of the orcs was incapable to join the fray. Having shed with Agamemas and Zamia a number of times, and only survived thanks to his sturdy body keeping him alive until help could arrive. A game of cat and mouse was being yed between these legends.


    As such, the figures at the legendary level were keeping each other in check. And the annihtion cannon was forcing the orcs to proceed with care. When they took a risk, it had to be calcted as they understood that it woulde at a great cost.


    Taking the outer wall was not worth such a cost.


    And when the time came, the kingdom would capitalize. Using another cleverly hidden card they still hadn''t shown during the entire duration of the invasion.


    "We must hold out for just a few more days." The king mumbled, turning to the kitsune he asked her to go and provide assistance where needed most. Leaving the king with one less protector. Her sharp instincts were certainly a great defense against assassination, but it was also a great asset in following the flow of battle.


    ''We need them to feel overconfident. When we fall back they need to rush us with confidence. If they attack in earnest, the magic towers will be able to im many lives. And if the warlords do not make a move then, then we will win. And if they do move, we win. Their only chance would be to abandon the siege and split their forces again.''


    ''However, even that would no longer be as big a problem thanks to the Chosens'' informationwork. I don''t understand how exactly they can track the enemy so precisely... It is a great help indeed.''


    Thest hidden card the king had was Duke Voda who waiting at the capital for the king''s signal, or for an emergency signal from one of the other cities. If given this signal the duke would teleport with his personal guards.


    He himself was Tier 10, nearing the end of his old life much like the old king. His personal guard was two Tier 9 beastkins, one of the lizard kind and another of the wolf.


    Battle-hardened soldiers, they were like his own kin. Once he and Tstos (the old king) were gone, they along with Sodren would be the kingdom''s strongest sword and shield. Sadly, the king was still only Tier 8. If the invasion hade only a year or twoter the king might have managed to reach Tier 9.


    It was a pity, truly.


    The three of them had never shown themselves to the kingdom. While Duke Voda''s strength had been known, that had been over fifty years ago. Most likely believed he had already died, after all, he had given his position to his son once he had reached Tier 7.


    As for the duke''s personal guard, none knew just how strong they were. They had always acted in secret to keep some of the duke''s strength hidden. The duke had not hidden his strength on purpose, it had just worked out like this as there had never been a need to show himself and his guards publically.


    When the invasion had started he had wanted to rush to the front, but the king had convinced him otherwise. After all, back then they had had no information on the enemy or their strength.


    Now they were waiting for the orcs to rush things, waiting for them to take the bait. Once they did, the duke will appear and they would turn the tables. While this would only ce them in equal numbers to the orcs at the top end, in that situation, if the orcs kept fighting under the magic towers and in range of the annihtion cannon, victory should be assured.


    Yet, this tactic required patience. It required the king to watch as his soldiers, his people, fight and lose ground inch by bloody inch. It required the soldiers to hold strong, not knowing of the kingdom''s cards. Believing that it was do-or-die.


    They all fought with the strength of a cornered beasts. Knowing that all they had to do was long enough for the lighting division to kill the orcs'' supply lines.


    ***


    A massive roar caused all the nearby orcs to flinch, turning to the source they all quickly realized that no food was going to arrive this time either upon seeing the headless body of the messenger.


    They had long since started eating the dead, and while the meat of their enemies was enjoyable, the same could not be said of their own fallen. Not only did it taste terrible and extremely tough to chew. It was also a reminder of how bad they were doing.


    ["How is this possible?!"] The warlord roared, beyond furious hearing that their supplies had again been stolen by the centaurs. Like cowards, the centaurs would wait in ambush to steal their supplies every day. It was truly infuriating.


    Even worse, their raiding parties had encountered fierce resistance, only two of the five sent having returned. And those had not returned with any harvest either.


    ["They must have some manner of tracking our movement. It is certain now."] A much calmer female orc replied, facing the furious warlord without blinking.


    The male warlord stood over two meters tall, he was not what you would call fit. Having a huge body covered in fat, yet under the fat hid muscles stronger than most. His body was covered in old scars, mostlyrge. Clearly showing how reckless this orc fought. His name was Shagol.


    The female, Arob, disdained how easily he was ovee with his rage, yet it undeniably made him a fierce fighter. Only blind at times, unable to consider the facts. And ruthless, a good trait when applied correctly. But a terrible one if applied without thought.


    ["Who? How? I''ll tear out his throat and feed him his own heart!"] The male orc roared, causing the female to sigh. How was she supposed to know how they did it?


    ["Let us set a trap for them, it appears that they only know the movement ofrge groups. If we-"] Arob smiled as she talked, knowing herpanion was not listening. She simply enjoyed talking while enjoying these delicacies.


    While she enjoyed the delicacies, she made sure to not overeat. She did not want to end up as herpanion. Appearing like a fat old king.


    ***


    "Are you satisfied with sitting back and watching this transpire?" Athtar asked his friend, both standing over the city of Vlisia as the siege continued. As hundreds, if not thousands lost their lives.


    "It is indeed a sad sight, a cruel thing." Amnur replied, "But it is required. For only the fires of hell can the talented truly rise and break past their limits."


    Athtar smiled, indeed, it was hard to watch. Hard to ept that they should not help. Yet, the proof was already clear. In this single kingdom, two candidates had already appeared in less than a year. Yet, in the thousands of years of peace, there had not been one.


    And Taurus was not the only kingdom with results, thought a number of candidates had also already been killed. Unable to bear the mes.


    "Let us hope they can bear the mes," Athtar said as the two disappeared, this time heading towards the Vol mountains to certain the situation of the Volvren n. Unlike the Ganalin n, their mountain was far more massive, perhaps five times asrge.


    This, naturally came with advantages and disadvantages.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 648 Eldrians To Do List

    When Eldrian returned, the first thing he did was send his morning report of the orcs'' movements. Due to the dy in preparing his new ''home'', he was a few hourste. Hopefully, this would not cause any problems in the battle.


    [[Eldrain] - Elizabeth, be careful. Some of the stronger orcs I marked seemed to have moved. They are likely trying to set up a trap.]


    [[Elizabeth] - Do you think they realized your ability?]


    [[Eldrian] - Maybe, but they might only know that I can track their movements. They shouldn''t know that I can also analyze the rtive strength of their groups too. Mark these groups in particr as dangerous, it would be best to avoid them. But if the kingdom has the strength killing them would deal the orcs a heavy blow.]


    Sadly, Eldrian didn''t always have the time tob through all the enemies. Due to time constraints, he normally went through a portion each day and marked those who were especially strong. By doing so they were separated from the rest of the red dots.


    Those marked, Eldrian made their color ck. This stood out well amongst the throng of red dots. Friends who he marked in a simr manner he made green, against the standard blue that the rest of the kingdom was.


    [[Elizabeth] - Wouldn''t doing so reveal more information to them?] Her concern was not for naught, after all, countering a trap would clearly show that the enemy''s ability was greater than first thought.


    [[Eldrian] - Leave that to the king to decide. He should weigh if taking out two of the Tier 8 chieftains is worth the risk of revealing our hand. Besides, there were also a number of shamans in this trap it seems.]


    He was not sure how valuable the shamans were. Like mages, he felt that they would be vulnerable if alone or unprepared. But given time and protection, they should be a force to be reckoned with.


    Even knowing he should not be conceited, Eldrian could not help but look down on them. A mage''s casting time was simply too long, having cooldowns was so restrictive, and being unable to truly control their spells was such a great disadvantage.


    ''I should not assume that they are one and the same. Besides, Myropsis is one who had never aimed to be a war mage. Making her the benchmark is not smart, she is a quick thinker and innovative, but she is not meant for war.''


    The shamans would however just be the cherry on top. The true win would be killing these two Tier 8 chieftains. Eldrian understood clearly that a chieftain must be far stronger than a orc warrior, they are the true backbone of the orc army and each loss would be as significant as the kingdom losing a city leader ormander.


    Outside of the Eight ws, there were only four other Tier 8 chieftains. Two who followed the Tier 8 warlord Wrug, whose followers were the ones who had sieged Diades, and these two.


    These two had thus far only been raiding with their own orc bands. Not joining the main orc army, they were also not followers of any of the three warlords. And their forces were impressive indeed, their orc bands would appear to be true elite bands.


    On Eldrian''s map, each orc band had at least ten ck dots. Thus over ten orcs in each group were Tier 8. And now these guys were moving toy a trap.


    Naturally, not just the chieftains and shamans could reach Tier 8. The orc warriors could aplish the same achievement. Though, it appeared certain that no normal orc could get past Tier 5. Simrly, Eldrian had not found to date any Tier 9 orc warriors.


    But considering how rare Tier 9 people were in general, Eldrian could not be sure if the difficulty was the reason or if the orc race had some restrictions. After all, they had plenty of advantages. Eldrian felt that in nature pros and cons always came hand in hand.


    Back to these two chieftains in particr, thus far the kingdom had been unable to handle them. After all, to do so would require someone who was truly talented and who owned exquisite gear to bridge the gap between him and a chieftain''s raw power.


    This was quite rare, only themanders and a select few could afford this. Most of them were however constantly required to protect the cities.


    This alsopletely ignored the rest of the orcs apanying the chieftains. To simply reach them would require a truly elite squad, which the kingdom simply could not form. Even if they could, sending them out would be too great of a risk.


    The only reason Eldrian felt the kingdom might attempt something this time was because they would have the advantage of not just choosing the battleground, but also the time. Since the orcs wanted toy a trap for them, the kingdom could encase them in an even bigger trap.


    ''There is no need to kill the enemy by the sword if you can simply lead them to a deadly array.'' Eldrian had thought, but such preparations would certainly reveal their hand. Formation masters were normally not considered a person withbat ability, but given the right conditions they could kill those at the peak without ever endangering themselves.


    Eldrian did not consider this much further, understanding that for the moment this was not something that he should be more involved with. He was no strategist and while he questioned many of the decisions made by the kingdom, only time would tell who was right.


    After sorting things out, Eldrian meditated for a bit. Confirming the progress of his manawork. Before it had been like casting hot iron, when he had remade the pathways each time it was like remelting and recasting them. This time, he felt he would not be able to follow the same methods.


    The next alteration would be difficult, like cold working metal. ''I should not get ahead of myself. The future me will always be smarter and more knowledgeable. If I am to work on my manawork, I should keep that in mind and always leave room for improvement.''


    ''Ah, I missed this.'' Two mumbled, enjoying the energy in the air. Lifting his spirits and revitalizing him. He could finally feel truly at home.


    Eldrian smiled but did notment, getting up he headed out. Lightly greeting those in the tavern and nodding to those training outside.


    ''There are two tasks that I need to aplish in the following days.'' Eldrian mumbled, picking up rtivelyrge rocks and sticks as he walked around the town. ''First, confirm the most effective method of controlling objects shaped as weapons with ether. My control of ether should be sufficient at this point to do this, I should find my limits.''


    ''Second, reach the next Tier in melee. If I want to use Crystoi fully I need to meet its attribute requirements. If it is only my hidden ss and magic then I might fall short.'' Eldrian was not sure what the growth was going to be, uncertain too if he would have enough free attributes to bridge the gap.


    Currently, his strength was certainly the mostcking. Ignoring his reduced stats that were now around 85% their original, he needed 200 strength. Of his other attributes, he would only require a little over a hundred.


    ''I hope the Tier 5 will be enough. Maybe if I am close enough I can even subvert the requirements...'' Eldrian pondered as he got to work experimenting. Two also joined, helping speed up how quickly Eldrian could grasp his abilities.


    When he tired he took out his spear and worked through his routine.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 649 Ether Control

    The first day passed without trouble, Eldrian finding that there were two ways that worked well for controlling rocks and sticks shaped like daggers with ether.


    One was topletely surround the items. This used a lot more concentration and mana than the other, which was to hollow it out and fill the inside with ether.


    Then, of course, there was the easier way if he abandoned control and focused just on attack. He couldunch them simply by focusing the ether on one side. This could be useful, but itcked finesse. ''However, if I throw a handful in the air andunched them with an ether bat... That could be effective.''


    The next day, Eldrian returned to ANW far earlier. Spending just enough time on Earth to feed himself and secure the perimeter a bit more. However, he was keenly aware that his situation was not ideal. He needed to find a way to safeguard his body.


    ''Going to Elizabeth''s is likely my best bet, but... It will mean returning to a popted area and bringing her into the crosshairs even more.''


    Eldrian did not like this option.


    ''My other bet is to try and somehow steal a cabin. But how do I power it?'' Eldrian understood that while mana was a free form of energy, it was not electricity. It might be possible to convert it, especially through lighting spells, runes, or arrays. But there was no guarantee and it might backfire if he failed to control the output.


    ''Getting a cabin is a big if though.'' Shaking his head, Eldrian hoped that his body would survive the abuse. After a moment, he paused and talked with Two.


    ''I just need you to go back to eat and drink something. I''ll prepare the food ahead of time so it shouldn''t take more than ten minutes.''


    After a bit of back and forth, Two agreed. After all, neither wanted to test what would happen if their real body degraded or was found by an animal or human while they were absent. Going back thrice a day would at least decrease the risk, though it would not be eliminatedpletely.


    Luckily, the day-night of where Eldrian was in ANW and on Earth was still the opposite. Thus he could be awake and busy during the day. However, it took its toll. He could feel the strain of ack of sleep, while it was not as severe as one would expect, it was still there.


    ''It would be ideal if I can get into the spotlight with a semi-solution and clear warnings. In that case, Miracle should back down and I might be able to live an ordinary life. That is if the other governments don''t all target me then.''


    Sadly, it was Eldrian''s best bet, to try and appeal to themon person. There were no guarantees and this was certainly his biggest concern.


    His timeline was still the next tournament in slightly over half a year. Yet, Eldrian was keenly aware that he was in the dark about the situation of Earth''s governments. He wasn''t even sure how far Miracle''swork stretched.


    ''Which is why I need to make a demonstration that will cause people to stand for me. It must be so devastating and shocking that they fear it like they fear nukes. I need to have the people pressure their governments to ensure Earth does not get destroyed.''


    Yet, in doing so he was aware that he might be ssified as a monster. People might instead wish to have him killed to remove the threat that he might be, instead of listening to his words. ''I need to figure out how to make this at least not happen...''


    His timeline was tight to achieve this, especially since he couldn''t cause a catastrophe if he couldn''t control it. That would be simple insanity. Yet, that was the only way he saw that could give him the standing to talk on the international stage.


    As Eldrian was leaving the inn, Myropsis followed. Curious about what he was busy with, she watched in awe as he practiced. The sticks and stones danced through the air under his control. Eldrian even experimented from time to time with adding some elemental mana.


    Suddenly turning a rock into an electric rod, a stick into a ming - stick.


    He also made sure to test his limits. He found that he could not lift more than 10kg at a time, at least this was his current limit. At the same time, his speed limit seemed to be around 100 meters per second (330ft/s) if focused on eleration.


    However, the above he could only achieve with the sticks and smaller rocks. With arge rock of around 10kg he could only achieve a speed of around 10 meters per second (33ft/s). Of course, Eldrian was not capable of urate measures.


    He could however roughly time his tests and work out the average. Sadly, even with this, the power of the attacks wasckingpared to spells.


    Vrachos for example basically made the small rocks bullets, but they would more often than not shatter when he flung them with ether alone. Eldrian quickly learned that in the process of formation, spells enhanced the material it was using- if it used any.


    Along with this, his control of spells also had arger range limit than these ether-guided items. Making it appear obsolete, but Eldrian felt this would change if he actually designed weapons to be used like this.


    These findings sadly informed him that he would be incapable of using ether offensively at the current point in time.


    And not only with random items, he would also be incapable of using ether against someone directly.


    He would be incapable of locking them in ce, simply unable to produce enough force to aplish such a task. At most he could hit them with an invisible attack. But Eldrian doubted that would do much against the undead. It might be useful in a pinch though, so he did notpletely discard it.


    Taking a break, Eldrian smiled and called out to Myropsis after seeing that she was watching form after. Asking if she had something she wanted to ask.


    "I thought we should discuss the n for tomorrow."


    "I said three days, this is the second." Eldrian corrected, causing Myropsis to quickly nod. Confused why he would still be careful if he could do what she had just witnessed. This was far above controlling a spell. Or at least so she thought.


    After all, it could be a sword, a spear, a dagger, a poisoned needle. It could even be a mana bomb that Eldrian controlled. The flight of the objects under his control was also fast, but Eldrian understood that it was not fast enough.


    Ceph would be able to react to them, heck Eldrian felt he would be able to react to them even while still slightly weakened. He might be too slow to move out of the way in his current state, but he could track them without trouble, even at max speed.


    He did not doubt for a second that the ghoul would be able to dodge them with ease. And if they connected they would do little to no damage. If he used an actual weapon instead of random sticks and stones the damage might be better, but Eldriancked weapons.


    His inventory no longer carried random items, it was actually quite empty at the moment. Besides, even if he used normal weapons, they wouldn''t do enough. It would have to be magic-grade weapons, which were not so easy to get.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 650 Contingency

    ''I might be able to get a few nice weapons with the money I have, but magical items are expensive.'' Eldrian wasn''t too worried about this, for now. He would much rather experiment with his own designs. If he had the time.


    ''Wait! The reaver parts, that might be far more ideal.'' Eldrian noted, he already nned to make a trip to the city. Now he simply felt it would be smart to do so a bit earlier. He had to take a few to test if they could deal more damage.


    "Still, we should formte a n," Myropsis said, understanding that Eldrian was not going to move earlier than nned.


    Nodding, Eldrian asked, "What type of spell are you nning to use?"


    "Thunder cage followed with a me spear," Myropsis replied, giving the tranted names of the spells. Their original was Divronti Cage and Fotiry Spear.


    "Cast time?"


    "Around twenty seconds, but it should be able to keep the ghoul in ce for a few minutes. If it tries to escape it will be burned to a crisp. So I will be able to finish it off without a problem." Myropsis said, quite confident.


    ''Twenty seconds, that''s long.'', "Can you pre-cast and hold the spell?"


    "That is the n, but I won''t be able to hold for too long. A few minutes at most, and I will need the ghoul to stand still for a second."


    ''Can''t do that in melee, I''ll be in the way of the spell.'' Eldrian noted, "Right, what of the ming reanimate and if the two are together?"


    "Ocean current followed with Ice rain should kill its mes."


    ''Which will severely weaken but not kill it.'' Eldrian noted, asking again for the cast time. After getting a rough idea of what Myropsis had in mind he started developing his own n with runic magic. With Two, he could probablyy around ten runic mines.


    ''That would be my best bet still, it would be best if I can handle it with the traps. Thest one should be something to capture and keep it still.''


    ''Ether surge?'' Two mumbled.


    ''Won''t work, too little force behind it.'' Eldrian replied, but Two begged to differ.


    ''It will be hard to target the ghoul while inbat, however, if we hit it with enough force it should be stunned, if for only a split second. We can then use that to lock it down for a full second.''


    ''Maybe, but it is an undead. It might not be stunned.'' Eldrian replied. ''But this is all assuming her spells will work.''


    ''Are you doubting her skills?''


    ''I simply can''t be confident... Maybe I should ask her to show me.'', "Myropsis, would you mind showing me the spells?"


    "Sure." She replied with a firm nod, turning to the ground where Eldrian had been training. The grass beaten down and nearly torn from its roots. Slowly turning into a grassless area.


    Focusing on this area, Myropsis called forth the spell. Eldrian watched intriguingly as her mana collected and formed the lighting cage. Rippling with energy as she started her second cast.


    Eldrian wanted to test its power, but he was keenly aware that the lighting would burn him to a crisp. This was the feeling he got from staring at it.


    ''This should do, if a ghoul fears lightning... It should, it is still humanoid and lightning is quite hot-'' Eldrian frowned, thetter seemed not to be quite right. While it was indeed a cage of lighting, it did not fill the surroundings with heat as thunder would.


    ''It''s restricted, mana taking the form only. And unlike fire, it does not ignite the surroundings to be real.''


    "I don''t feel any heat from the lightning," Eldrian said, hisment was so unexpected that it caused Myropsis to lose focus and her next spell to bacsh. Giving her a massive headache. ''Hope she will focus better on the day.'' Eldrian felt even less confident now.


    "What do you mean you don''t feel any heat?" She asked after taking a second to calm her mana and stabilize her thoughts.


    "Lightning should be... Never mind, it appears to be artificial. Which makes me worry that its effect is only electrifying, and not burning what it touches." rifying that the former would appear to cause thetter, Eldrian added, "This might mean it would be incapable of stopping the ghoul."


    "There''s no way, if it dares to try and escape it will die."


    ''I''ll make preparations anyway.'' Eldrian thought, certain that if Myropsis knew of his thoughts she would bully him again while she still had a slight upper hand in raw strength. Though at this point it was only a few points difference. Eldrian would be able to fight back.


    After talking a bit more with Myropsis, Eldrian dived back into practice. This time he was determined to reach Tier 4 in melee. However, for that, he needed a skill. Making a quick return trip to the city via his and Ceph''s teleportation ability, he smiled seeing that his friend no longer sported any wounds.


    "How are things?" Eldrian asked, taking a pause to talk with Ceph. Taking the time to make sure that there was no lingering anger, Eldrian apologized again.


    "Please stop, I already told you that I understand that you weren''t in your right mind. Besides you were-"


    "It''s still on me. The curse didn''t do much other than increase my pride and arrogance." Pausing, Eldrian did not want to continue on this path. "Where''s your mom?"


    "She''s currently helping Erik and Akarui with the vertical farms." Ceph replied, "Aren''t you on a mission?"


    "We''re dyed, there''s a ghoul in the mines."


    "But you''re noting to call for help?" Ceph asked but already understood this.


    "My mana is about to stabilize, at which point I should be able to reach Tier 5 finally. I should thus be able to lure the ghoul into a trap."


    Ceph frowned, "You know how dangerous a ghoul is."


    "Indeed, that is why I came. I need a Tier 4 skill that I can quickly master to increase in that area too. I''m hoping to finally reach the requirements to use Crystoi."


    Ceph nodded, not offering to join. He understood that he was not a ghoul''s match while still stuck at Tier 4. Thanks to his mother''s treatments his scar had healed but recalling that desperate fight, where it once was burned as he recalled his struggle. If a ghoul did not have that deadly venom he would have stood a better chance. But as it is, one scratch and it only went downhill from there.


    Before leaving Eldrian turned, curious what Ceph was doing. Asking thus, he got a confusing answer.


    "I''m reflecting."


    "On what?"


    "You said that you were prideful and arrogant, but I wasn''t any better. I had thought nothing of you wanting to test your limits against an unknown enemy, knowing that you would be outnumbered."


    "Did the curse affect you too?" Eldrian asked, worried that it might be possible to share such burdens through the soul bond.


    That topic was a strange one to Eldrian. As time passed and with all the events that had happened, he felt like he and Ceph were not close enough to have such a connection. Yet, there was no backing out of it now.


    "ording to mom it affected the entire city to an extent, I wasn''t cursed directly but it is quite likely. Regardless, it is as you say. I allowed myself to be overconfident, to not consider the dangers. It nearly cost me my life, yours, and..."


    Eldrian nodded, he would not argue or try to cheer Ceph up. For there was no dodging the burden of responsibility that they both felt for the events that had followed. The destruction of the entire city hade from their arrogance.


    This was their belief, yet there was no way to truly know if it was Eldrian''s rage that had formed a bridge for Kilen or if it just happened to appear as such. The two however had not considered that at all. Both were instead determined to not let hubris blind them ever again.


    As they talked, Eldrian mentioned that maybe Ceph should find himself some armor. While it might feel restrictive at first, it was indeed valuable. Ceph nodded, he would normally not consider it since in his Alicorn form most normal weapons would be incapable of hurting him. However, in his elven form the story was different.


    As Eldrian left, he muddled over their conversation. ''Even with traps and Myropsis, it is still dangerous to attempt this...'' Eldrian nodded, when he reached the adventurer''s guild the first thing he did was ask for a letter.


    Exining the situation, he asked one of the guild workers to take this to the mayor. The person paused in uncertainty, upon Eldrian stating his house name the man moved quickly.


    ''Ideally, we won''t require saving. But I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.''


    Next, he perused the skills that the guild had in stock, their selection certainly the best in the entire city.


    ''Previously skills were quite basic, but at Tier 4 and onward it should be possible to get something more advanced that is shy not just to be shy. And I believe I am practiced enough to add magic to my movements without much thought.''


    Luckily, with things how they are and Eldrian as renowned as he was, the guild did not ask him to pay for the skill. Instead, they were very supportive and helped him find something suited to him and effective against the undead in a short manner quickly.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 651 The Guilds Gifts

    Reading through the skills that the centaurette guild clerk had brought him, Eldrian found one that he liked far and above the most. Its shiness felt to him like it was the most practical and not just a show of power.


    "ming snake strike - Fotias," Eldrian mumbled, reading through the skills description and how it was used.


    ''A feint that causes the fire to spring at the enemy like the strike of a viper, and then a thrust aimed below the mes, hidden. Ideally confusing the enemy of where the strike is truly going to be. And if the fire isn''t blocked it will also burn the face. That sounds quite good.''


    Nodding, Eldrian thanked those at the guild for their help. As he was about to leave the centaurette stepped forward, confused that he was already leaving.


    "Yes?" Eldrian looked at her, confused in return.


    "Are you only taking the one?" She asked, they had brought over more than twenty spear-rted skills for him to look into. Of course, this was only possible due to theirwork with all the other guilds and associations in the city.


    The adventures guild was certainly the best ce to go if one wanted to look at everything or something random. They might not have the higher Tier stuff, but below Tier 5 they would have basically everything.


    "For now, yes," Eldrian replied. He did not believe that he would be able to master more than one skill in what remained of the day. After all, tomorrow he suspected he would need to do something to actually reach the next Tier.


    Else, it made no sense that there had been this dy since making his manawork. Eldrian''s only problem was that he still did not know what this would be. He hoped that when the counter reached 100%, the system would guide him. Or at least give him a hint.


    His intuition told him that something was going to happen. He could only wait and see, if it turned out he could not reach Tier 5 then the letter he had sent Pros should ensure that the mission is not dyed further.


    The centaurette paused, seeming reluctant to say what was on her mind. After Eldrian told her to go ahead she asked, "Why are you so badly dressed?"


    Looking down, Eldrian stifled augh as he recalled that his breastte had broken and since then he hadn''t reced it. The rest of his armor was not in great shape either, but they still functioned at the very least.


    Seeing his embarrassed look, she quickly offered, "Then, why don''t you take one of the spares we have here."


    "Shouldn''t I pay for it?" Eldrian asked, naturally he now better understood the first clerk''s reluctance. Eldrian''s appearance was not that of a count. He appeared more like an impoverished soldier. Thus it was normal to assume he should not be in contact with the city''s mayor.


    Though, Eldrian being an elf should still be a giveaway. However, there were a few other yers of the elven race, just not High Elves. So unless you could tell the difference it was not that clear an indication of who Eldrian was.


    Shaking her head no, she exined, "The Mayor recently called for a state of emergency. With this, all those capable of fighting must join the army. In return, everyone can take a full set of equipment at their level after signing up."


    ''When did Pros do this?'' Eldrian wondered, he suspected it had something to do with the refugees. Likely, they also had to join. If they did, the city might be able to form an army close to what they had had before the siege. Though they would still becking personnel above Tier 5.


    "Alright, lead the way." Eldrian saw no reason to not take one. While he might not be able to get one as great as Chelona, having something protecting his vitals was important.


    After a bit of a search, he indeed found one that could be considered Chelona''s equal, though its abilities were very different from Chelona''s. Due to the system Pros had installed a person could only im an item of their Tier at the highest.


    Due to this Eldrian could peruse Tier 4 equipment and luckily there are not that many people at Tier 4. Besides, normally if a person was at this Tier they would have their own equipment. The collection of the city was after all the old equipment of their dead.


    [Tier 4 Magical Breastte (Mof)]


    [Armor: 36]


    [Magical Armor: 42]


    [Passive ability - Hearty: Decreases the stain of strenuous activities.]


    ''Vague...''


    [Activable ability - Gale: Summons a fierce wind, capable of tearing trees apart. Lasts three seconds.]


    [Cost: 80MP | Cooldown: 30 seconds]


    ''Kind of like Kyma, but from the description sounds like it will be continuous. Cost also about double, it might be useable to stun the ghoul or give me time to gain distance.'' However, it was the next ability that made Eldrian really like the breastte.


    [Activable ability - Bloom: Increases the user''s stamina and health regeneration by 20%. Increases agility by 10%. Lasts 1 minute.]


    [Cost: 80MP | Cooldown: 15 minutes]


    ''It''s like Anthos and the other spells, but with a bonus of increasing my speed. The 10% isn''t much and isn''t permanent, but it will make a difference. Especially if I can stack that with agility Augment and Sosta''s ability.''


    Taking the breastte to test just this, Eldrian couldn''t help but smile. Currently, the 10% wasn''t that effective as he was weakened and still only Tier 4, but it would be more useful once he reached Tier 5. And more importantly, he found that could indeed stack all these boosts.


    ''With them all, I can increase my agility temporarily by over a hundred. But it won''tst for long, Agility Augment only increases it by 30 for a minute same as Mof''s bloom, but Sosta''s 40 onlysts 10 seconds.''


    ''Regardless, this might just bring me close enough to the ghoul''s speed to be able to lure it without too much danger. And [Gale] will be most useful.''


    Eldrian had tested it on himself, finding that he could almost not move against the wind created when cast. Though, of course this would not stop anyone from moving with the wind, but it could certainly help him make some space between him and an enemy.


    Lighter enemies like goblins might be blown away by it, it felt truly useful.


    Thanking the girl for her help, Eldrian next made a stop by his mansion.


    "Lord Eldrian, I did not expect to see you today." Brazan greeted upon seeing Eldrian.


    "Do you know where the dwarves stored the reaver parts?"


    "Yes, the storeroom was notrge enough so we also emptied a few rooms. The storeroom has the carapaces and legs. In the guest rooms are the fangs and other valuable parts." Brazan said, not offering to lead Eldrian since after all, it was his mansion.


    "How''s your traininging?" Eldrian asked after a few steps, remembering that he had not guided Brazan a lot. Only telling him to look into fire and fire magic separately, to search for the difference.


    "I''m still attempting to grasp the difference between a fire of nature, and a fire of the elements. I''ve found a number of differences, but I still can''t quite feel the difference."


    Eldrian nodded, that was indeed the hard part. Pausing, he concentrated for a while to find the rightbination of fire, air, and light to produce lightning. It zapped between his fingers, causing a weird sensation but not hurting too much.


    "This might help you. What do you think is the difference between this and lightning produced by storms?" Eldrian asked, pushing a lot more mana into it and sending a lighting strike to the ground.


    ? "Strength?" Brazan replied, looking at the ce where the lightning had connected with the ground.


    Eldrian chuckled but did not say anything, waiting for Brazan to notice that the ground was not scorched. While it could be construed that his lightning was too weak, Eldrian had thrown a good fifty mana into it. If it had been a fireball the entire area would now be mes.


    Brazan slowly made the connection, first wondering what this had to do with fire and then trying to recall the aftermath of a thunderstorm he had witnessed as a child.


    Lightning- back then he had believed that it was the ultimate form of fire. Faster than the eye could see, hotter than molten metal, destructive enough to bring down buildings or trees alike with little effort.


    Yet, Eldrian''s just now had scorched hardly any of the grass, less than a handful had lost their green luster. It was more like it had simply disappeared into the ground as if it had never been.


    "Why did it not burn the grass?" Brazan asked, confused about how this could be.


    "Mana taking the form is not the same as the original. Fire is essentially just heat causing a chemical reaction known as oxidation in mostmon situations. Lightning on the other hand is the discharge of electrically charged-" Eldrian stopped himself, realizing that his words would mean nothing to Brazan.


    "Suffice to say that lightning is not the same as fire. It is not a collection of heat, but rather something more simr to when you rub a carpet when wearing wool. That rubbing creates a charge and this charge creates heat in nature, but this heat iscking when we summon the spell. We have only-"


    Eldrian paused as he gained a sh of inspiration.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 652 Control

    ''If we have only the electricity it should certainly look for the path of least resistance which should most certainly be me. Especially since I am- Well, maybe magic grade armor acts as a sort of resistance to external mana? Not sure if that would be the same for electricity.''


    ''I haven''t tested it like that, magic metals enhanced the flow of mana. Reducing the cost of activating the item''s abilities. However, it makes sense that mana not following along the set path would be obstructed as it moves through.''


    ''But what about the air, why does it not just zap to the ground?'' Eldrian pondered for a bit. He was curious how he could control the summoned lightning. The other elements it seemed natural to be able to control them, with only nature being strange and hard to control due to its properties.


    ''No, that isn''t quite right. Fire can also spread as a fire would do, however, we can control it or we can leave it. And not just me, everyone. Keeping it confined to the spell area for the most part.''


    ''I can see how that is possible. Even if people can''t normally take control of a spell, they all have an idea of what it should be and how it should evolve. Their situation is more like aiming a gun, with the casting process being both the aiming and molding of the spell.''


    ''I stay connected, capable of altering its path and its form. During casting however others have the same ability. They might not be quite aware of this, but no one is going to cast a spell without any idea of how it should work.''


    ''You read its description, how it works, you memorize its spell module, and you practice until you master it. There is no way someone goes through all that andcks a basic understanding of how the spell should perform.''


    ''Thus, they have unconsciously formed the mold for the spell during casting, only aware that they are aiming it. Yet, at that moment they had not just aimed it, they had also formed it.''


    ''And as long as we will it, the mana will stay confined to its designated path. Not influencing the environment unless its path is obstructed. Thus, spells function in a controlled manner. Thus the fire does not spread wildly, and thus the lightning does not follow its nature seeking the path of least resistance.''


    ''But more than that, it is still just mana taking on the form of an element. It does not be the element. And since it is mana, it does not necessarily need to follow the rules of the element.''


    ''Is this why Tier 0 spells like Floga, even if I make it as big as a person, hardly does any damage. Its temperature not increasing unless Ipress it and focus on doing just that.''


    ''Is this maybe part of the principle behind training weapons? Allowing wooden items to stay as hard as solid wood, but when attacking someone with all your might it does hardly any damage?''


    ''You were talking to someone before your monologue.'' Two mentioned as Eldrian''s thoughts started to wander a bit more in random directions. Coughing, he smiled awkwardly and looked towards Brazan.


    ''Should I exin what I just realized? No, I need to confirm my suspicions first. But I can point out one thing to Brazan.''


    "When you are casting a fire spell, what do you think will happen?"


    "That I will form the spell, summoning fire," The lizardkin answered. Curious about what Eldrian had just been pondering and not understanding what his question was supposed to mean.


    "Right, but what does the fire do?"


    "That would depend on the spell-"


    "Just the spell?" Eldrian questioned, "Then why can I do this?" Summoning a tiny ball of fire [Myfotia], Eldrian had it dance around a bit before sending it off to explode.


    Brazan however was shocked when the ballnded on the ground and did not explode or set the ground afire. Instead, it bounced like a ball. Slowing down with each bounce until ity on the ground, just like a normal ball.


    Yet, it was made out of fire.


    Eldrian was also pleased, unlike normal, he had not controlled the ball to bounce each time. He had not manually moved it up and down to mimic a ball. Instead, he had wanted to spell to do just that. Envisioned it acting like a normal ball. And it had worked.


    A fascinating result, a truly wonderful thing.


    "You can do this because you are a High Elf." Brazan answered after taking a moment to wrap his head around what he was seeing.


    He already knew Eldiran could control spells, but seeing the firey on the grass and yet the grass did not dry, did not change a single shade of green. It was a shocking sight.


    "It is not that. In fact, I think Myropsis might be able to do this too.", ''Though she would likely need a few tries to get it right. But this should be easier than fully controlling the spell the entire time.''


    Brazan paused, thinking back to Eldrian''s original question. ''What do I think a fire spell is? What do I expect from it?''


    ''Is it that in the moment of casting we too have control? Of course we do. After all, if we had none we would never be able to use magic. If we could not control a spell, we would not be able to aim it. But, there is more to this...''


    Giving Brazan a few seconds to think things through, Eldrian asked a follow-up question along with sending another ball of fire to the ground. This time, he let fire be fire. The grass quickly dried up and caught fire as the tiny ball exploded.


    "What do you think is the difference between these two?" Eldrian asked. After a few seconds, he tried to regain control of the fire. Finding it predictably hard.


    ''I see, I even need to use some mana.'' Using mana sense, Eldrian quickly realize what was going on. The mana he sent to the fire quickly became part of the normal mes. Increasing their fire element just enough to allow him to take over the fire.


    ''That''s right, I can''t control anything that does not have mana in it. And normal mes have a lower quantity of fire elementspared to magical mes. While almost all things in the world have mana in them, the quantity is sometimes not enough to alter the nature of the element. But, if we increase it we can convert it.''


    ''What do you think, Two?''


    ''Yeah, it isn''t elegant. You''re just ripping control from nature with force. Brazan''s control is far more fascinating.''


    ''You''re right, it is almost how we make use of our aura of wrath.'' Eldrian nodded, returning his focus to Brazan who was looking between the ball of fire still, not influencing the surrounding grass, and the zing fire.


    "Control." Brazan replied after a moment.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "With one you clearly controlled it, the other you did not." Brazan replied but quickly realized that he was not right. Looking at Eldrian''s silence, he returned his attention to fire and ball.


    "Will?" This time his answer was less certain, more a question.


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked again.


    "Both spells had your will, I saw now that you stopped the fire from spreading further. And I can see that to do so you used more mana, the fire is no longer a mix of natural and magical. It is now all magical like a spell. While I can control natural fires, I won''t be able to control this."


    Eldrian found it interesting that Brazan''s ability to control was almost the opposite of his way. Eldrian took control of the mana, but Brazan took control of the fire itself.


    ''Yet, I don''t get how he can''t control his own spells...''


    ''Maybe because a spell already has will in it?'' Two offered and Eldrian felt like a lightbulb went on in his mind.


    ''How did I never consider this.''


    "Brazan, when you control a normal fire, think of what you are thinking and doing at the moment. Compare this to what you are doing when casting a spell. I believe they should be quite simr."


    "Indeed," Brazan nodded, looking at the now burnt area left behind by the fire and where the fireball was still resting on the ground. He paused, ''I always thought spells as fixed. But what if instead, I consider it to just be fire taking on some forms for a moment? My will imposing control over it. Then, do I not do the same with spells and my ability?''


    Seeing that Brazan seemed enlightened, Eldrian smiled and excused himself. Inside he found that Maia and two others were absent. Only Rina was in the mansion, she was waiting at the door with refreshments. Freshly squeezed orange juice with someplimentary sweets, having heard Eldrian talking with Brazan she had quickly hurried to greet him appropriately.


    Rina was a foxkin type of beastgirl, seeing her Eldrian was reminded of the girl he had saved before the catastrophe and Kohaku again. He wondered if either of the two were still alive.


    "Is something wrong, sir?" Rina asked, quickly picking up on Eldrian''s mood changing for the worse.


    "It''s nothing." Eldrian quickly brushed it off taking the offered juice and asking, "Is the materials in the storage room?"


    "Yes, what are you looking for?"


    "How did they sort it?"


    "Highest grade closet to the entrance," Rina replied.


    ? "Thanks." Moving past the still confused girl, Eldrian quickly grabbed two of each type of body part of the reavers.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 653 Reaver Parts

    ''Unlike normal materials, these were from a monster. And the higher its Tier in life, the greater its quality. There is even some equivalent of rank 2 materials here.'' Eldrian smiled, it was these that he took.


    Most of the parts used to belong to a Tier 6 and Tier 5 reaver and thanks to that they were almostparable to weapons without being enhanced. While the material lost some value upon the reaver dying, it was certain to be far more useful than sticks and pebbles.


    ''Viggo must still feel bad about not being able to give me some sort of reward. The trade after all was mutually beneficial, so while I maneuvered my help to speed it up, Viggo must feel indebted.''


    ''They weren''t ever in danger though.'' Two noted.


    ''The city wasn''t, that is true. However, they were losing some soldiers due to the reavers'' bloodline ability. And it wasn''t like the strongest fighters could rush in, there were a few strong reavers probably hidden in the cluster and that ability is tricky to deal with.''


    Eldrian wasn''t sure, but his help had certainly helped back then. Viggo actually arranging for Eldrian''s kills to be brought to him was certainly a show of good faith. One which Eldrian greatly appreciated.


    ''I should remember to thank him when I see him again.'' Eldrian thought as he stored thest item, the carapaces of a Tier 6 and 5 reaver. They should function extremely well as makeshift shields, though it would be sad if they were damaged. Eldrian had no idea how or if the material could be repaired.


    ''Whatever, it will be worth it if it saves us in a pinch. And if I never need it that would be just as great.''


    If it was not damaged in the mission, Eldrian hoped to use the two carapaces to make himself some new armor or perhaps turn them into true shields. As they were now the Tier 6 had an armor rating of 40, the Tier 5 of 32. Magic armor rating was respectively 36 and 24.


    ''It''s already equivalent to Tier 4 armor, if I can enhance it, it should be some good stuff.''


    The fangs of the reavers were also impressive weapons, there was even a little venom still inside the groove that carries their venom. Eldrian doubted the venom would work against the ghoul, but against living enemies it might be quite useful.


    The fangs weren''t thatrge either, around the length of Eldrian''s palm and as thick as a finger. It was about the ideal size for what he had nned. Large enough to do significant damage, but small enough to likely be overlooked.


    The Tier 6 fangs had a damage value of 68, an incredibly high value for what was essentially just materials. Less than Crystoi for sure but it might actually end up really close if it was enhanced and turned into a true weapon.


    ''Not sure how the damage would work when I throw it around with Ether, but it should be capable of piercing most things without being damaged.''


    Eldrian smiled, remembering to make a turn at his house to get these were certainly worth it. As he left, Eldrian''s smile grew as he watched Brazan practice for a bit. The lizardkin already managing to gain some control over his fire spells.


    Eldrian was now more curious about how he could control normal mes with low fire element quantities. He was curious if it was mana in a different form that he couldn''t see even with mana sense, or if it was somethingpletely different and unknown to him.


    Before heading back to the vige Eldrian made a detour to check out the memorial flower. He smiled watching the ying memories as person after person came to use the device. There was even a group taking the time to leave behind messages before they left on a mission.


    ''I hope it helps everyone.'' Eldrian mumbled seeing this, he was d that people seemed to be using it. He could only hope it would truly help them.


    Turning around, he started his journey back to the mining vige. He took his time returning. Practicing the mana control for the skill Fotias, Eldrian also spent some time getting a feel for controlling the monster parts.


    The carapaces were not heavy, but controlling them correctly was difficult due to how they moved through the air as clunky shields. The fangs however flew through the air without any resistance.


    ''Definitely my new go-to. I just need to figure out the damage it will do. Since this is mana maniption and not a spell I doubt I will gain an intellect multiplier, and simrly, I won''t gain a strength multiplier.''


    ''Does the mana quantity and quality influence it? Or will it do 68 damage period?''


    Eldrian knew that everything was designed to appear like a game but still functioned as reality. As such, the speed of the object must influence its damage. The momentum before impact must be important, and he could send these fangs flying at max speed.


    ''Will it be the force multiplied by damage value? I mean, that must be how strength and agility factor into melee weapons.'' Eldrian pondered this as he arrived at the mining town nestled between tworge mountains. The sun hanging low in the sky, just a few hours of daylight left.


    He immediately turned his focus to Fotias, during the trip he had limited his testing to mana control and understanding the skill. Now he needed to work on the technique described and drawn on the skill page.


    ''Not so hard.'' Eldrian mumbled, quickly covering Crystoi in mes. After all the ether maniption practice, this was a breeze.


    He simply needed to send his mana through the weapon in the required element, having it burst forth, and strike while envisioning the skill module. Or in Eldrian''s case, while envisioning the end result of the mes leaping off like a viper.


    Returning to his patch of dying grass, Eldrian took a few practice swings before attempting to use the skill. After six failures he paused, ''Harder than I thought it was going to be.''


    ''That''s because you keep focusing on it like it is a spell.'' Two grumbled.


    ''What do you mean?''


    ''Stop focusing so much on the mana. This is a skill, skills are all about technique. Focus on your spear!''


    "Ah! That''s it!" Eldrian''s eyes lit up in understanding, taking his stance again. Crystoi became wreathed in fire, zing without aim. No longer under his direct control.


    ''Don''t focus on the mana. Focus on the spear. On the spear!'' He told himself.


    Eldrian found this to be truly hard, it was so against everything he knew. Against how he normally used magic. It took him three hours before he actually managed a semi-sess, and that was only thanks to his inspiration from his talk with Brazan.


    Without it, without having realized that he could give a spell a clear goal. That he need not manually control it all the time. It would have taken him so much longer to master how to leave the skill''s mana alone and focus on his spear.


    ''I think I get it now.''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 654 Fotias, A Powerful Skill

    Taking his stance again, Eldrian closed his eyes. Focusing entirely andpletely on his spear.


    He did not immediately summon the mes, instead, he only filled the spear with mana. Leaving it with a simple instruction, to only jump out on his feint.


    He started slowly, bringing his spear up for the feint. A strike aimed at the opponent''s eyes.


    His spear struck out like a snake. But midway through it suddenly changed direction. And as it did mes sprang from the spear, blocking sight of the spear as the mes flew like a viper at the target. The spear instead bent and struck at the waist.


    The two attacks collided with the tree at the same instant. Its bark turned to cinders above and splintering blow. The entire tree shook from the attack. Cracking and nearly splintering in half.


    Eldrian jumped back in shock. Stunned by the prowess it had just shown him. Calming himself, he attempted to use the skill again. It took him eight more tries to get two more sesses. Receiving the system message, Eldrian was stunned by the value of this skill.


    [Skill learned - Fotias (ming snake strike)]


    [Fire damage: 182 (38)]


    [Strike damage: 420 (+22)]


    [Cost: 45MP & 80SP]


    ''Wow...'' Eldrian was momentarily stunned by these values, shocked by just how high they were. He understood clearly that the strike damage was so high thanks to Crystoi''s 96 damage value. However, the skill added 22 more to that strike regardless. If a simple stick could survive, then with this skill it would be a formidable weapon.


    And this increase was not just more damage, it also meant it would have more piercing power. Capable of breaking through harder armor with ease. To top it off the fire damage was even higher than all the spells that Eldrian knew besides Ice Rain, Incinerate, and runic spells. Strangely, it seemed to have a greater boost than spells.


    ''How does that work?'' He wondered.


    Eldrian was more than happy by these results and a bit sad he hadn''t taken the other skills that the guild had offered. However, he indeed did not have time to master another. While it would not take him as long again, it was already night.


    Of course, with this sess, Eldrian finally reached Tier 4 in the melee ss. He was relieved that there seemed to be no hup as with his hidden ss and magic reaching Tier 5. Leaving him suspecting that it was Tier 5 that caused this and not necessarily his connection.


    Of course, with him reaching the next Tier his abilities overall had been enhanced. The attribute growth for reaching Tier 4 was as follows- Constitution: 40, Strength: 40, Agility: 20, Spirit: 10, Intelligence: 5.


    Looking again at the values, Eldrian tried to use the skill again. He managed on his second attempt. ''I stillck mastery, it is truly different from casting a spell. Filling the spear with mana is almost like flexing, getting ready to act. But I have to restrain myself until thest moment, else my technique iscking and the skill won''t execute correctly.''


    When this happened, there would be no striking snake. Instead, just a burst of mes in all directions. Eldrian had lost all the hair on his arms thanks to this. And those poor hairs had just grown back.


    Taking a break, Eldrian sent his nightly updates to Erik and Elizabeth. Noting again the movements of the two chieftains that were now hiding in two different supply lines.


    [[Eldrain] - They are split, likely wanting to spread the chaos they can sow. The dangerous enemies I marked are also dispersed, and there might be some I do not know of.]


    [[Elizabeth] - Thanks, I''ll ry it to the captain.] Elizabeth understood that it was not that simple to keep track of thousands of individuals, it would be impossible for Eldrian to say confidently that he did not miss any. Thus, even with this knowledge, they had to stay careful.


    Eldrian was a little confused about why Elizabeth was not in directmunication with the king. He was also unsure what had happened with Ja who had gone to exin the situation to the king. He had heard that she had returned to Kynigo, but this distance between the yers and the king Eldrian found confusing.


    Elizabeth''s ruckus on the forums had attached quite a number of curious yers. Leading to them finding an ad that the guild had posted, exining that they were looking for capable yers and were willing to help pay for the teleportation costs to get people to join.


    Time zones also did not matter as the guild needed active yers at all times. And thanks to all this the guild had slowly grown in numbers. Each yer cost between 1 and 10 gold to bring over, the group felt it was worth it since the yers were all Tier 4.


    They were still far from their 500 member limit, but they were now nearing the 200 mark.


    Given this, the guild was growing stronger and stronger as each day passed. Soon it would be quite the significant force. Which made it even stranger that the king was keeping them at arm''s length.


    ''It might be to make it harder for the enemy to learn where the informationes from? But adding amander to be the messenger won''t make a difference in that regard. No, a battle is chaotic and many would constantly move to update the king of the developing situation.''


    ''It would be near impossible to know which person gave the king what information. And Elizabeth wasn''t the only yer, there were over a hundred of them in Vlisia now. While she was the leader she would not be the only one in contact with the captains andmanders.''


    ''But is this necessary?'' That was the only thing that confused Eldrian, even if the enemy learned that the ability was thanks to the yers. They would have no way to know which, and even if they killed them they could revive.


    There was no risk in this regard, thus this cloak and daggers felt unnecessary. If it was to not let it be known that it was Eldrian who was sending the information, that was even more unlikely to be found. After all, he was far removed from the field of battle and only talked with the others through the system messages.


    ''That is something else that I am curious of, does Miracle have a way to track and read our messages?'' Eldrian was unsure, luckily his talk with the others wouldn''t reveal anything too important if it was found and scrutinized.


    ''But I need to confirm what is and isn''t a possible problem.'' Eldrian frowned, looking at the counter that was nearing 100% he knew that he couldn''t log out now. Who knows what would happen when it reached 100% and he wasn''t there to take control of things.


    ''Two, can you check on the situation IRL. Also, do you know how we can contact Ziraili?''


    ''Sure, and not sure.''


    ''I want to try soon, maybe if we moved from our special room and entered the magic abyss without its protection?''


    ''Maybe, but for her to notice would be difficult.''


    ''True...'' Eldrian felt they could cause a ruckus, but how to do it and how to do it so only Ziraili noticed. After all, Eldrian did not trust the other AI. He didn''t even trust Ziraili but he needed to talk with her.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 655 Skills, Spells, Mana Manipulation, And Disaster

    Eldrian finally cleared his mind after letting his thoughts wander. Returning his focus to improving quickly. Contemting what he had just learned and returning to the question of mana maniption''s prowess. He felt he could now understand the difference between different casting methods.


    Specifically what counted as casting, and what did not. At least, he understood it a bit better.


    ''Dynamic casting is done by having the entire picture mapped out in your mind. I think I finally get it. You perfectly envision the end result and then feed mana to this image almost instinctually.''


    ''If you need to think of anything other than the result, even the manaposition, then it is a failure. It has toe naturally.''


    ''It ispletely feel based. And due to this, I don''t always seed. Sometimes I just know what is required, but once I question I cannot seed.''


    ''Static magic is the precise opposites. While using a spell module, following the blueprint means you do not have a clear final image of the spell itself. Rather you use this blueprint of a spell module to guide you. Yet, even so, your thoughts will influence the final spell.''


    ''Mana maniption however does not count as casting. It is only controlling mana to reflect spells.''


    ''When I use mana maniption I focus on the process. I know what I want to achieve but do not know how to reach the end goal in one. So I take personal manual control, painstakingly building my road brick by brick. When I want a door, I do not find a door. Instead, I find some wood and start carving.''


    ''After enough practice, I be really good at this.'' Saying so, Eldrian pulled out one of the fangs from his inventory and had it fly. ''But I am still consciously enveloping it with ether, controlling the mana and not the item.''


    ''I am still carving it...'' Eldrian paused, uncertain how to go past this. There was nothing wrong with starting as he did, but if he wanted to take the next step he needed to stop carving. He needed to use the door, not make it from scratch each time.


    With learning Fotias he had realized this. He might not be able to skip the carving as it was how he learned the process of how things worked. But he needed to make it instinctually and move onwards, he needed to use the carved item after making it. Not make a new one again and again.


    If he could not then it would alwaysck the power of a spell. Would always be more like a Tier 0 spell. It would always be a reflection of the idea and not the idea itself.


    ''I can attempt to replicate the mirror design, but would that work?'' Eldrian was unsure, for the mirror he only wanted the appearance and ability.


    It need not be strong enough to block an attack, or even survive rough winds. It was fine with it being at the level of aplicated Tier 0 spell since it was only there to record and show. (Tier 0 spells Eldrian found were basically just mana maniption, not true spells. Hence their inability to do damage.)


    While waiting for that percentage growth to reach one hundred, Eldrian kept pondering this while meditating. Kept experimenting with the fangs, trying variations of ether maniption. Seeking the best way, a way that was more like moving a sword and less like moving mana.


    ''That is the problem, my focus is still on the ether. Just like how my focus was on my mana before. I need to focus on the fang, but...'' Eldrian felt this and that was different, yet his mind kept returning to this.


    Taking the fang in hand, Eldrian looked it over. Moving his hand over its smooth surface. Thanks to his experiments the remnant venom was long gone. Eldrian did not care much for that, while it was strong, it was useless against the undead.


    ''What will happen if I push my mana into it?'' Eldrian thought, it was after all ssified as a magic material. Thus, it should be able to ept his mana. While mana such as ether could interact with the physical, it was not inherently physical. Until Eldrian willed it, it would not react with the physical world.


    This gave him an interesting idea of using it from inside a person''s body, but he felt that a person''s intrinsic magic armor would make this impossible.


    However, the fang had no such active armor. While it was part of the spider it might have had, but no longer. Thus, Eldrian tried to push his mana into it. He immediately felt a massive difference between the fang and standard materials. He could immediately tell that it was not a nk te.


    He took his time to explore the inner manaworks of this single fang. Astounded by itsplexity. Thework was not like his. It was integrated with the spider''s entire being, with nature itself.


    ''I''ve always thought that it does not connect with the physical. While I wanted to make it reflect it somehow, I knew that the ethereal is not physical. Mana can influence thetter, but it is still not part of the physical. But this, it is like they are one and the same.''


    ''Is this why monsters are so much stronger than humans?'' Eldrian was astonished that he had never taken the time to examine monsters.


    He had observed a few animal''s mana pathways and also people. But he had never attempted the same with monsters. At least not in this detail, he knew that their mana flowed through them. But he had never looked into the pattern it produces.


    Of course, doing so would not be easy. He would first need to subdue the monster. If he killed it then its mana would also start to dissipate. While it appeared that he would be able to discover thework after the fact, Eldrian knew that not all of them would remain intact.


    After all, the fangs and ws of monsters are far stronger while they are alive. While their mana fills their bodies, sustaining and strengthening them.


    ''How do the smiths use this then? I can''t imagine trying to work with the structure already installed in the fang. Do the smiths break it? Isn''t that wasteful?''


    Filling the fang with mana, Eldrian was careful to follow the paths. Slowly the fang seemed to gain life, gaining a shine to it that told Eldrian that it was a force to be reckoned with. He could feel that at this moment the fang would be far stronger than before.


    He smiled, feeling a connection between him and the fang. Eldrian started to change the manaposition. After a few hours of testing, the fang slowly started to float above his palm.


    He had found that he could integrate his mana into it. Then, slowly, he could change the fang''s attributes. He had to be careful so as to not ruin it, but once his mana was in ce he could let his mind wander. It would slowly be exhausted but until then it would remain and function with just a single thought from him.


    However, just as he was about to test the extent of this control, Eldrian''s mana was suddenly withdrawn. He immediately felt that the fang had been hurt as the withdrawal was not done with care. Worse still, he found that all the mana in the surroundings was being pulled towards him at an insane rate.


    He was a like vortex, sucking in all the mana from his surroundings.


    Eldrian immediately realized that this would not end well if it continued at this rate. Not wishing for a repeat of thest time he lost control he jumped to and tried to gain control of his own manawork.


    His mana atoms were spinning rapidly, absorbing mana at an insane rate like little ck holes. And the more they absorbed, the faster they spun and the faster they absorbed even more. Growing at an insane exponential rate.


    ''Is it evolving?'' Eldrian wondered while fighting for control, attempting to slow the intake so he would not bring a natural disaster to the vige.


    Getting control over the atoms however was no easy task, luckily, he was no longer alone. With Two''s help, they managed to slow the consumption enough to allow them to see what was happening.


    But it was still not slow enough.


    ''What do you think?'' Eldrian asked after looking around, the surroundings devastated as his vortex had summoned all the elements as the mana be too dense near him. Fire, wind, water, earth. It looked like hell on earth, luckily, he had trained outside of the vige and only the surrounding woond was destroyed.


    ''Same as you, seems that the atoms are evolving. Not sure to what though.''


    Eldrian nodded, for the moment not able to consider the consequences. No, he dived back to trying to slow his absorption even more. Having to suppress his body''s want for mana.


    Thinking back, Eldrian recalled the first atom he had made. The one with six electrons, with inner rings guiding the electron''s path and dissipating the mana from the null center. Inparison, their current atoms had a core ofpressed mana with an electron spinning around it.


    ''I see, it is trying to go towards that one. Or maybe not, but it is trying to change form to something else.'' Eldrian wasn''t sure why or how, he could only assume that the current form wasn''t a good one, likely unstable or inefficient.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 656 Skills, Spells, Mana Manipulation, And Disaster (2) - Monsters

    As Eldrian was just about to gain control over his raging mana, the sounds of destruction filled the air. His blood froze as he called up his map and rushed to the vige. What he saw made him nearly trip over the surrounding carnage.


    ''No, this can''t be! Not again!'' Eldrian shouted, immediately contacting Erik. But sadly his friend was not online. ''Shit, shit shit shit!''


    He was desperate and did not have time to look for who was online, turning to the guild chat Eldrian typed a simple message. [Help! Dvemoj vige, Kynigo City. Go to my mansions or find Pros!]


    This naturally shocked those who were having a casual conversation, Eldrian rarely talked in the guild chat and this message confused them. Asking what was going on and not getting any reply made them all anxious, clearly, something was wrong.


    They all knew that typing a message did not require much focus, which meant Eldrian''s situation must be dire indeed for him to not even exin. Those who saw this all immediately rushed to the nearest temple to return to Kynigo. They all had it set as a teleportation point since it was their true base.


    Eldrian rushed through the woonds with all his strength, Two was left with the job of maintaining the bnce of their mana. Unfortunately, they had not managed to stabilize it, only having neared stability. As a result, Two was left holding on for dear life as Eldrian rushed to the vige.


    They were not deep in the woods, it only took Eldrian a few seconds at speed to exit. His heart nearly leaped from his chest seeing the carnage, the sight was not the same as that of Diades but he could not help butpare the two.


    Hundreds of monsters of all shapes and sizes were rushing out from the ground and mountain from newly formed tunnels. Many of these monsters were mortal enemies and upon seeing the other they sprang to kill.


    Due to this, the sound of battle filled the air. Most of the monsters were around Tier 4 or 5.


    Outside of these monsters who were unable to keep their hatred in check, the rest were all moving in Eldrian''s direction. The tunnels that they came from were formed by insanelyrge monsters. Some looked like insects, others like giant worms, there were even a few drake-like monsters.


    Eldrian only recognized a small portion of the monsters, some appeared animalistic, likely demonic beasts. Most however seemed to be of some insect or reptilian ancestorory. Those Eldrian managed to recognize were the kobolds and reavers.


    When Eldrian exited the woonds, the actions of the entire horde turned to him. Even the mortal enemies managed to pause their hatred and turn their attention to this elf. However, his attention was past the monster, looking to the inn.


    ''Please, don''t let them be hurt.''


    His heart could finally rest when he saw that the inn was spared. In truth, the monsters had tried to appear as close to Eldrian as possible. However, they dared not appear next to him while the mana vortex was present.


    Seeing that there was no longer such a danger, they all hungered and started charging. After all, Eldrian was a small figure. The first to im him would likely be the only one to enjoy him.


    It was only at this moment that Eldrian realized the danger he was in. Turning around, he could feel the cold sweat covering him as he found himselfpletely surrounded.


    Worst, Two was struggling desperately to maintain control of their mana. They knew if they lost control then with the insane absorption his body would likely be unable to hold it and he would explode from the overload.


    Neither wanted to test what would happen to them at that point in time.


    Realizing that he could not run, Eldrian pulled out Crystoi and gripped it with determination. If he wanted to live through this, he would have to fight his way out. Never had he imagined that his mana atoms would be fiercer than a Magic Crystal in absorbing the surrounding mana.


    Even more unimaginable was that this had drawn the attention of all the nearby monsters. Even those in the subterranean.


    Eldrian also clearly understood that while at this time the monsters were not that much stronger than him, soon those far past his level would arrive and he would die.


    And he really could not count on the Chosen''s ability to revive. At the moment his condition was too precarious, the mana overload was likely to damage his soul severely. Possibly even destroy itpletely.


    As Eldrian dodged the attacks of the faster monsters, he returned the favor with a quick thrust or sweeping strike of his spear. iming many monsters'' lives with ease.


    These were all rash young monsters who failed to realize Eldrian''s strength. None of them were Tier 5 and thus no match for Eldrian, however, the stronger monsters were quickly surrounding him.


    Worst still, Eldrian realized that he could not use his own mana. Two had barely enough control to manage the intake of the surrounding mana. There was no way Eldrian would be able to form a spell or skill.


    Luckily, or maybe even a worse turn of events this was the same for monster and centaur alike in the surroundings of the vige. Once mana left the body it would immediately be ripped from their control. Only skills could be used. Sadly, Eldrian was even blocked from them.


    He struggled desperately, managing to put up a valiant effort against the weaker monsters as he tried to move away from the vige.


    Of course, Myropsis and the rest had long since heard themotion.


    Myropsis stared hard at Eldrian''s location, the number of monsters between her and him was simply too much. She also noted three particr monsters that caused her to shiver, she feared that they might be evens stronger than the ghoul in the mines.


    Speaking of which, she could only pray that it would not join themotion. No one understood what was happening, they were looking at the scene and trying to make sense of it.


    Fists balled, Myropsis bit her lower lip as she fought to keep herself from being rash.


    ''He isn''t one to die easily. But the situation is too weird. Clearly, the mana vortex is originating from him. Considering him this is normal, but the monstersing for him is unexpected. None of us would ever have imagined such a thing.''


    Taking out a little crystal, Myropsis sighed and crushed it. She knew that the consequences of this action would be severe, but she could not stand and do nothing.


    ''I can''t let you die. But moving will only distract you and cause us both to die. Please, hold out.''


    Luckily, the inn waspletely left unharmed and undisturbed. The arrays Myropsis had installed were an rm and constraint array. It was thetter that now kept the mana around the inn stable. And it was thanks to this that the monsters ignored them.


    The monsters'' goal was to find the source of the vortex and make it their own. Why would they enter an area that seemed apart from their goal? They all wanted to eat Eldrian while he was in this metamorphosis. Using this ability of his their growth would skyrocket.


    Myropsis also already suspected why this was happening. To the monsters, Eldrian likely appeared like an edible Magic Crystal. Some of them were simply not smart enough to understand that attempting toe close to it would cause their deaths.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 657 Skills, Spells, Mana Manipulation, And Disaster (3) - Collapse

    However, there was three monsters. She felt they might just seed. ''Please hold out.'' Myropsis prayed, already resolved to move if Eldrian was about to die. She would not let him die alone. She understood Eldrian well and realized that in this situation, it was almost guaranteed that his protection as a Chosen would not work.


    Myropsis might be the closest to Eldrian at the moment after having spent the past week together making the memorial artifact. They had not always talked just of work, she had grown to know more of Eldrian.


    He had even exined his current situation and his own doubts about if he was still considered a Chosen. This was why her resolve to try to save him despite the danger to herself was so strong.


    Eldrian kept on struggling, constantly feeling the gazes of the stronger monsters. A few of the Tier 5 had long since lost patience and joined the fray. Greatly increasing the pressure on Eldrian.


    His body quickly became covered in scars, his HP continually moving up and down like crazy. Luckily, he had managed to use his item''s abilities. While each use caused more stain for Two to maintain control, he would not survive without them.


    Truly, if not for his new breastte Eldrian would be long dead. Not only did [Bloom] allow him to heal himself somewhat, it also increased his speed. Sadly, the cooldown was too long and it could only help him so much.


    The other ability [Gale] was of far more use. Eldrian activated it constantly, each time Eldrian used it, it would give him a few seconds to catch his breath as the winds forced the monsters off him.


    By now he had managed to move their battle far from the vige. Even if he should die the others should no longer be implicated. Eldrian could barely spare a nce at the rising sun, shining between the twin mountains and highlighting the carnage of Eldrian''s struggle.


    At this point each breath was strenuous. His stamina was now also running dangerously low. It was the first time that he found this to actually be a problem. He did not need the system to inform him of his situation, he could feel it very clearly. He was nearing his limit.


    He was slowlying to ept that the would die here. Still, he was resolved to not easily be the meal for the surrounding monsters. There were three in particr that he was extremely wary of.


    Due to his mana problem he could not even use mana sense, however, Eldrian could clearly tell that these ones had to be Tier 6 or have a truly great bloodline. Else the feeling they gave him would not be so great.


    One was an earth drake, its scales a deep earthen brown with a few colorful crystals adorning his head like a crown. If not for it staring with a greedy hunger at Eldrian, it might even appear quite majestic, even beautiful.


    The second was a Mavros- a giant snake with bright purple scales and a pitch-ck underbelly. Eldrian''s instincts told him that one bite was all that this snake needed to kill him. Its poison might even be on the same level as a ghoul''s, possibly even above it. As if proof, the snake''s fangs were of the deepest ck, a small drop of violet poison clinging to the tip.


    The third was the one Eldrian was most wary of. Unlike the snake and drake, it seemed not to be that dangerous. This however filled Eldrian with fear just from looking at it. Eldrian had this suspicion that this one was not Tier 6, but he felt he was much more dangerous than the other two.


    It was a wolf of ck fur with multiple colorful rainbows extending from its neck to its tail. Each tail took up one of the colors, in total there were five tails. Somehow, Eldrian suspected this meant it was Tier 5.


    These creatures could all kill Eldrian with ease, but they were wary of each other and Eldrian. Their instincts told them that for Eldrian to cause this phenomenon he had to have some truly powerful trump cards to safeguard his life.


    Sadly, Eldrian did not. His trump cards were his magic, with it not avable to him he felt truly frustrated. Without it, he was only a slightly above-average fighter. Only his stats were truly too high for his Tier. Allowing him to contend with the standard Tier 5 monsters.


    Eldrian dodged the strike of a snake of bright yellow color, as he wanted to cut it in half he was forced to jump back as one of the smaller weaker drakes struck at him with its tail.


    When Eldriannded he was immediately assaulted by two kobolds. And at this time Eldrian was forced again to use [Gale] to save his life.


    Seeing this repeated for the tenth time, the three felt that Eldrian might not have any trump cards. Or possible that he was incapable of using them due to the evolution of his manawork.


    Eldrian happened to look towards the Mavros at this time and he froze seeing the glint in its eye. It sprang to action, its speed so shocking that Eldrian struggled to follow it.


    He managed to dodge, but in doing so he fell to the ground. At which time the surrounding smaller monsters pounced. Only to be blown away by a fierce earthly fire. The mes burnt them to a crisp in the blink of the eye, droplets of it even made it onto Eldrian and he could only grit his teeth to suppress the pain.


    Yet, this pain was so strong that Two was even influenced despite being mostly severed from their body. Hispse of focus caused their mana atoms to spin like pulsars, shockingly, the breath of the drake was no longer under its control.


    Under everyone''s shocking gazes, it flew towards Eldrian. Burning through flesh and bone alike. Eldrian''s only luck in this was that none had flown towards the atom in his head. Else he would not most certainly be dead.


    Through the holes in his body, everyone could see the fire being suppressed and condensed. Quickly disappearing. When it did, all that was left was light. Blinding balls of rapidly spinning light.


    At this point, Eldrian''s mana atoms were bing so dense that they entered the corporeal realm.


    Normally, such a dense collection of mana would lead to a chaotic mana storm. But these six mana atoms were a part of him. While their might was great, Eldrian grit his teeth and managed to suppress them.


    But now he could not move. The pain in his body was beyond what should be bearable. Arcs of lightning started to form from the atoms and wreaked havoc through his body. Bearing this relentless assault, he could not even blink.


    When a daring monster tried to move closer, one of these bolts struck out. The monster turned to ash before it could even register what had happened.


    This caused the battle to stop as the monsters looked at Eldrian in fear. All taking a step back for fear of dying without even knowing how.


    Not far away, Myropsis was struggling to not rush forward. She had followed the group, ready to act when Eldrian was truly at the end of his rope. Yet, in this situation she could do nothing.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 658 Skills, Spells, Mana Manipulation, And Disaster (4) - Will

    An elf in an a light cyan robe walked alongside a dwarf covered in mes which illuminated the cave system they were in. They both turned to one another and then looked in the same direction. Sighing.


    "It''s that kid again..." The dwarf grumbled, they were too far to make it over in a short amount of time. Nor could they pinpoint the location to teleport to since the disturbance this time upies a massive area. Besides, they couldn''t leave at this moment.


    "He should still be around Kynigo." Athtar mumbled, "I suspect he is finally breaking through to Tier 5."


    Amnur nodded. "But this will attract far too much attention."


    Athtar did not reply, considering their current mission the two couldn''t head over.


    Their side was simply too outnumbered, if the subterranean decided to join the fray then in all likelihood they would stand no chance in defending the kingdoms. Their only choice would be to fall back to the empires.


    Unlike the kingdoms, they had a way to defend themselves even against figures as mighty as them. Even if a group of legends attacked an empire, the empire would be able to hold out until help arrives.


    This choice however meant abandoning over 90% of the people. The number of races was varied and there was no kinship between most. Nheless, the two could not ept leaving so many to die. While they might not be close to mortals, they could not ept the ughter of billions that would ensue if they did so.


    "Tovack should be nearby. I''ll ask him to go over and confirm the details." Amnur said. Taking out a brilliant Mov crystal enclosed in Divine Mithril, Tovack''s beggar-like appeared above it.


    "My lord do you want me to investigate this mana disturbance?" The dwarf in rags asked, his eyes covered in cloth.


    "Mmm, it is most likely Eldrian''s doing. We aren''t able to move at the moment."


    "Should I intervene or only shadow?" Tovack asked.


    "Shadow and intervene if the situation turns beyond his control."


    ***


    An old man stared at the golden dust in his hand, his heart gripped in a vice. Long-distancemunication was not easy, most had a rather short range. This was exactly whymunication between cities was so difficult.


    However, there were a few ways to negate the distance. The dust in his hand was one of these ways, by separating a lightstone through a certain method, it was possible to keep the two as one. Whatever happened to the one would also happen to the other.


    Sadly, one could not convey any words in crushing it. However, thanks to the properties of the crystal the two parts would want to unite after being broken. Naturally, this would immediately lead the old centaur to his daughter.


    However, could he move at this critical time?


    His heart was torn, feeling his wife''s gentle touch he turned to her. His concern was great.


    "I believe it is time to bring her home." They were both currently in their human forms having enjoyed the wonderful sights of their gardens until this moment. "She''s been quite a naughty child noting to visit us for years. Even when she was so close just a few weeks ago."


    Resolved, the man nodded and quickly turned into his true form. Much like Tstos, his hair was graying, Myropsis was not their only child. She was their second youngest, sadly their youngest child was the first to have died.


    Both remembered that pain greatly, neither wanted to experience it again.


    In a sh, the centaur disappeared into their pce from which he teleported to Kynigo without dy.


    ***


    "What do you think is going on?" One of the yers from Phoenix asked a group as he joined them at the mansion. The first to have arrived had quickly informed Aspen that Eldrian had requested help. After which the two had disappeared to the city mayor''s mansion.


    Their group was a mix of random races, they now numbered six and only two were humans. One was a dwarf, two were demi-humans and thest was a dryad like Erik. Only, she was a female and the nature patterns looked quite alluring on her. Especially since she dressed to entuate them.


    "I have no idea, I heard Eldrian went on a mission to clear one of the mining towns. Do you think they ran into something they couldn''t handle?"


    "I mean it is almost certain after that message. Besides, missions often do not go as nned. This isn''t like other games."


    "Are you still calling this just a game?"


    "What else can it be? Don''t tell me you think it that this is like those stories..."


    The group chuckled and teased each other while waiting for news. None of them minded that they would be stuck here for a day. While they would be losing some XP and ie from not being able to continue their missions, they felt helping another guild member was more important. Especially since Eldrian, while almost never part of the guild, was treated as an integral part of it.


    Average yers like them didn''t really understand why, however, the respect that the captains held for him was true. Neither Therdul, Judith, Zyviss, nor Ilmadia thought they could put up a decent fight against him. Not even if they joined forces.


    This truly meant a lot to the yers, as to them, these four were the strongest yers in the guild. Their prowess was disyed each day during the siege. All of them had no problem facing Tier 4 enemies, often capable of taking on multiple enemies with ease.


    If they worked together, they could even stall the weaker Tier 5 enemies.


    ***


    "Got you now." Axel licked his lips and immediately ordered the special force to enter the game. They had no idea where Eldrian was here in real life, but seeing as he was in trouble in the game. It felt just right to capture him there.


    This might not be the same as capturing him physically. Regardless, they would be able to hold him for questioning. And while he could log out to escape, it meant he would no longer be able to run free inside ANW.


    Of course, Joren frowned. Looking at Constantine, the two nodded imperceptibly.


    Axel believed that the AI would not interfere, while he still did not understand why they couldn''t order them to capture Eldrian. As long as they did not move it was just as well.


    Of course, he would never expect the truth.


    ***


    Eldrian grit his teeth, it took all he had to bear this pain. He could feel that the mana was wreaking havoc in his body. As it destroyed, it also restored.


    It was not the destruction that brought him the most pain, but rather the restoration. As his flesh and organs reformed from charred ash, the pain was unimaginable.


    Even Two was not spared, the mana not only burned and rebuilt their physical body. The body of this avatar, it did the same to their soul.


    Even in this terrible pain, Eldrian realized what this meant. Luckily, they had decided to stay in the mountains. Else, who knew what catastrophe would be happening now. This, however, was still extremely worrying.


    Thest time Eldrian had formed his manawork Miracle had found him. It could very well happen again.


    "Two!" Eldrian shouted, unable to feel their connection. "You need to return now!"


    Eldrian''s shout was drowned out by the rumbling thundered produced from within. And while Two did not want to abandon Eldrian, and while the pain made returning extremely difficult, he did not hesitate.


    Feeling Two''s presence leave it felt like the weight of a mountain suddenly was added to Eldrian. He copsed to the ground, the white vortexes that were his manaworks spinning faster than ever. Even Eldrian''s head was not saved this torment. He had no idea how he was still alive.


    As Eldrian fought on, the surrounding area of catastrophe kept expanding with him as the center. Monsters too slow to react were instantly turned to dust. Most turned and fled into the wilds seeing this, ovee by fear.


    Only a few remained, looking on curiously and contemting if they could still im this tasty piece of meat.


    As Eldrian was struggling and the lightning raged through him, he realized something. Of all the forces he hade into contact with. Lightning was by far the strongest, the most ruthless element. In the aspect of elements, it was the aspect of destruction.


    He also recalled that as the world started copsing it would be filled with thunder, the creator and destroyer of worlds.


    ''Creation...'' Eldrian was barely able to stay awake, yet once this thought entered his mind, it swept through him and gave him hope.


    Heart, shoulders, pelvis, wrists, feet, head. Nine locations in total.


    ''Treat the wrist and feet as one.'' Eldrian got this idea almost immediately and without a single doubt he did just that. In this regard, there would then be seven, perfect for the base elements.


    While bearing the pressure as these atoms kept on absorbing mana at an insane rate, Eldrian turned his focus to one. Using all he had he wrestled control from nature, from magic. He fought tooth and nail, taking control and immediately turning the entire ball into a single element.


    The strain was massive, and as he struggled he thought of all his friends here. He recalled the little time they had spent together,menting that he was always in such a rush. That he did not make more time to get to know them better.


    He thought of his sister, hardly able to imagine what she must be going through stuck in the middle. He was filled with guilt and anger. He would not let them consume him, yet he would also not suppress them.


    Instead, Eldrian used the power these emotions gave him to fight on. Made it his fuel to stand strong, to never give up.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 659 Skills, Spells, Mana Manipulation, And Disaster (5) - Escape

    Upon his first sess, Eldrian was stunned by the sess but did not dy. He immediately turned towards the next vortex, once atom. Having found that upon forming the mana into a set element, it was far more stable. Its absorption was also slowed, the mana that entered would be converted to the same element as that of the vortex.


    The struggle was still great but with hope, Eldrian persevered on. In just a few minutes the second vortex calmed. Already the pressure on him greatly calmed, yet now it was no longer bnced. As such, he quickly moved to an opposite vortex to recreate bnce in his body.


    Seeing that the vortex of mana surrounding Eldrian was calming, Myropsis sighed in relief but also grew worried. She turned to the three monsters who were still waiting. Realizing that they would soon act.


    ''It is now or never.'' She took a deep breath to calm herself, recalling all that she had learned with Eldrian and also her personal knowledge and theories of magic. She had yet to test these theories, but it was her only hope. Luckily, she had extensive knowledge of the monsters of the world.


    After all, this was where her true passiony. Her pursuit of magic was only so she could one day explore the world to see all the amazing things that she could only dream of after reading about.


    Her take on magic was not the same as Eldrian''s but through learning from him her horizons had expanded greatly. First, she took on her centaurette form. Certain she would not be able to kill the three she wanted to slow them so she could take Eldrian with her and run.


    Next, she started drawing runes in the air. Using them not as Eldrian, they would not be the spell. But rather their containers. She took out three small mana crystals and filled the runes with their power. Each spell would have an equivalent amount of mana equal to more than half her total.


    Next, she started casting three different spells.


    The strain of doing so was great, luckily, the monsters were fully focused on Eldrian and did not notice her preparations. She did not use her mana for these spells, but rather the mana stored in the runes. Returning it to the runes after forming the spell.


    For the earth drake she prepared a spell of lightning, not much else would be capable of piercing through its thick scales. While the damage would also not be great, guided by the scales most of it would not enter its body. Its vitals would not be harmed.


    However, it should still paralyze it for a few seconds. After all, it was an ancient beast of the draconic bloodline. There was no way it would be easy to kill. Her only hope was that the lighting would make it hard for it to move.


    For the Mavros she prepared a spell of fire. Her fire would not prate the drake''s defenses, but the Mavros was not a creature of great defense. No, it was one of great agility and deadly venom. Much like a ghoul. If it failed to notice her spell, the damage it should receive should be the greatest among the three.


    For the Orthrus (the wolf) she knew she would not be able to do much to him against the elements of his tail. It had taken her some time to recall what manner of creature this was, thus while it was only Tier 5, she was most scared of it. After all, it was a creature of the same category as Ceph.


    She chose a spell of nature and dark against the Orthrus. One that was used to sap the target''s concentration and energy. While she doubted it would be effective, she just needed to stun them for a second so she could grab Eldrian and run.


    She prepared each spell in sequence. Using the mana stored in the runes and letting them maintain control. Unfortunately, she had to keep some focus on each spell shepleted. This was the most difficult casting she had ever done, never before had she tried to triple cast.


    However, she gritted her teeth and persevered. When Eldrian was busy stabilizing hisst vortex, she knew it was now or never. The three were getting ready to pounce.


    ''Now!'' She rush forward as she aimed her spells. As the spell finally took form the three turned to the centaurette in shock. They had not even realized someone else was here. Her presence was too weak for them to notice. Yet, her spells showed that she was not as weak as they had thought.


    Her spells flew true, catching them all before they could react. The Drake simply stared at her in anger but could not move as lightning arced across its body. It was not hurt but it was furious. The anger of a dragon formed in its heart.


    The Mavros hissed in pain and fury. Blinded it even attacked the nearby drake who could not move. While it was still paralyzed, the fangs of the snake sank through its scales and it roared in fury. The fury freed it from its paralysis but now its focus waspletely on the Mavros.


    As for the Orthrus, it had been stunned for less than a second and was already giving chase. In a cold sweet, Myropsis realized just how shockingly fast the Orthrus was. It was almost as fast as Evale at her fastest. Three times faster than Myropsis after using all her skills, items, and spells to boost her speed.


    Seeing this, she realized that the second she had gained would not mean much. The Orhtrus would reach them in less than five more. Its eyes were shing with a rainbow of colors, lighting streaking across its body as it charged.


    Just as it was about to reach them, it suddenly froze and ran. Seeing this, Myropsis was not grateful. Instead, she was filled with despair. She searched for the reason and soon she saw it.


    Even among Mythical creatures, there was arge difference in strength. Alicorns were considered one of the stronger in this category, but they were not the strongest. The Ryagon and Ryu of the dragon race were stronger than them, they could only contend against normal dragons.


    This creature was not a dragon, it was even more formidable. On the level of the Ryagons. Of the chimera bloodline, before her stood a Qilin. It did not even regard Myropsis as something worthy of entering its eyes, instead, its focus was on the elf in her arms.


    A Qilin appearance was simr to dragons in many ways, but its frame was much smaller. It had a mane of burning gold, crystalline horns of emerald, and was covered in scales of the ocean. Its figure excused power and its appearance was not of a majestic overlord but of a lithe assassin.


    "Leave him and I will let you live." The Qilin spoke.


    Myropsis was frozen in fear, she was beingpletely suppressed by this Qilin. She could not even breathe. Like the other monsters, it was also not an adult, yet its power was clearly far above that of the others. There was noparison.


    Even while filled with fear, Myropsis did not think for a second of giving Eldrian to this Qilin. While her body waspletely suppressed, her mind still worked. Quickly she started summoning her will and started forming a spell.


    To her utter dismay, as soon as her mana started to move she lost control. She could only watch as the Qilin dismantled her spell with ease. Even ripping apart her mana pools. The pain was so great that her mind turned nk. It felt like her spirit was being torn asunder.


    Suddenly a roar of fury filled the air. "You dare touch my daughter!"


    Following this, the earth shook as a spear struck through the earth. Causing a chasm to separate the Qiling and Myropsis. The Qilin had stood there and had barely managed to react in time. It turned to the new arrival with a hint of fear. Yet, upon realizing this its fear turned to fury. How dared a lower creature cause such a lowly emotion to surface in its heart.


    "You aren''t capable of stopping me!" The Qilin roared and moved to take Eldrian. In the next second, it was forced to dodge again, where it had stood a spear of fire now floated. Readying to attack again. Seeing this, the Qilin''s courage fled as cold sweat covered its body.


    "Has the subterranean joined the forces of the devils?" A calm voice filled with ageless wisdom asked, following which a dwarf in rags appeared before the Qilin. "Will you be their first casualty for this arrogance?!"


    Tovack''s shout caused the Qilin to shrink in fear. And again it was filled with rage at being brought to this emotion. "You dare!"


    "I dare," Tovack answered calmly, if not for knowing this Qilin''s lineage he would have already killed him. "Go back now, your parents have already been told of your insolence!"


    Hearing this the Qilin shivered in rage, but thinking of its parents it shook with fear. This time his transgression was not light, as the two parties were about to enter discussion he had invaded. Obviously, his target was not of less importance than himself.


    Yet, he also realized that if he let this elf grow and the two sides came to sh then he would be a great enemy. He was still so young and already so powerful. Knowing this, the Qilin wished to at least kill Eldrian if he could not devour him.


    Yet, with Myropsis''s dad standing next to her and Eldrian, and Tovack between them, he saw no way to aplish this.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 660 Axels Misunderstanding

    To aplish his mission, Axel had pressured Joren along with Qiren to create for them a special ops force inside the game. This force was made of a group of avatars who all had stats far and above normal,parable to mythical beasts even. However, there was one caveat that they had not understood and Joren had not bothered to exin.


    Their avatars appearance wasmon, almost like nk canvases. They had no distinguishable features, everyone was still the same sex as reality. But other than that they all appeared like clones.


    And the caveat was that none of them could control their avatars. When they tried to move they would find themselves hurting each other. A simple gesture would result in broken arms, trying to walk would result in a number of people crashing into each other and setting off a domino effect. The air filled with the sound of breaking bones.


    While all of their pain was greatly reduced by the system, it was still not a pleasant experience. Especially when they caved in their chests, not being able to breathe, even when the pain is reduced, it is still a terrifying thing to experience. It made many of them marvel at the endurance of the yers. For them to be able to y through such truly horrifying experiences was a testament to their willpower. Or perhaps to their insanity.


    "What is going on!?" Axel turned to Constantin and shouted in fury. His shout even caused his jaw to dislocate and his turn caused him to fly into a nearby house. Causing quite aical scene.


    "You asked for enhanced bodies. We thought it would be obvious that such bodies would not be easy to control. After all, you all had the records of Eldrian''s struggle to maintain the bnce. Often it caused him paralysis with his real body."


    Hearing this, no one in the group dared move anymore. They had indeed read the report to better understand their target. It was fine if they struggled inside the game to move. But if they learned how to, only end up crippled in the real world. The thought sent shivers down their spines. Spines they hoped would never stop working.


    Most of them were willing to ce their lives on the line for their mission. But this, this was not the same as taking a bullet. It was far more terrifying.


    "I''ll give you all some time to get ustomed to your avatars. While you get ustomed I''ll go confirm the situation."


    "Hold it!" Axel shouted after having relocated his jaw. Luckily, their bodies also healed at insane rates or most would have already died. Axel understood well that Constantine and Joren had never been on his side and wasn''t about to give them a chance to do anything behind his back. "Activate your recorder."


    Hearing this Constantin sighed but did not argue. Quickly he activated what the yers knew as their streaming camera. Though, in his case, only this group and those back at Miracle could what his feed.


    With that done, Constantin moved out of Dvemoj. The group had spawned here since they knew this was where Eldrian was.


    Thanks to Eldrian interference ability all the information they had was secondhand from the yers who hade to help. Thus the general situation was not known and someone had to go out to scout the situation.


    This was the only reason why Axel had not kept Constantin from doing so. He still had a feeling that they were hiding something from him but with the live streaming he was not worried.


    Constantin arrived at the scene as Myropsis took action. He watched from a distance as things yed out, when he saw Tovack arrive he quickly doubled his effort to hide.


    Of course, he was not actually afraid of being spotted. He only did this since it was expected of him to not give away their mission. So he made sure to make his effort seem true, really he was just acting.


    ''This should be close enough.'' He mumbled as he stayed low, though honestly there wasn''t much he could hide behind in his current position. [Joren, is it working?] He asked through a special messaging system they had developed in secret along with the help of Ziraili.


    [Yes, the rest is up to the system now.]


    On Eldrian''s side, he had just managed to stabilize his condition. While he was aware that something had been happening around him, he was only vaguely aware. All his focus was on his mana.


    With the seven elements now in his body, nine total vortexes, he could feel them slowly wanting to move closer to one another. This was terrifying since as they did so they would totally ruin his manawork. Yet, Eldrian had no way to stop this.


    Surrendering to this power, he could only grit his teeth as another bout of pain ensued.


    It was at this time that he suddenly got a system message, one that made little to no sense.


    [Can we meet? -Ziraili]


    This message caused him to momentarily lose focus, which of course resulted in heaps of pain. Ignoring the message Eldrian tried his best to deal with this first. The elemental vortexes moved through his body like miniature suns. Ripping everything apart as they went.


    They all came together around Eldrian''s diaphragm, where mana normally collects in the body. As each arrived it immediately joined with the other vortexes there. After thest had arrived, Eldrian could finally breathe normally as his body was no longer filled with pain. However, he knew what woulde next was the most crucial.


    Eldrian did not let his focus stray. The effect was not the same as when he tried to cast Creation, the seven elements did not form a crystal. However, their mixture would certainly be highly unstable. It would not take long for it to explode and his body with it.


    Luckily for now they were just rotating around each other, but they were moving closer and closer. Once they truly mixed Eldrian knew he would likely not be able to handle it.


    As he was struggling to keep them apart, Tranquility suddenly spoke up. ''Go to the magic abyss now.''


    ''I''ll die if I let my focus stray.''


    ''Not if she helps. You just need to lower your guard.''


    Eldrian understood what Tranquility meant, not having any other hope he closed his eyes and quickly hopped into the magic abyss. He did not enter his special mental room, his soul, since it was protected from the AI''s detection. He was not sure how, but he knew this was true after the message.


    It did not take long for a wisp to appear before Eldrian. She did not speak but instead flew into his consciousness. Eldrian hesitated for a second but quickly decided to allow her entrance.


    Immediately he found himself in his mental room. A space quite empty without Two. Truthfully it was a ratherrge but empty space, somewhere herein was the firestorm of rage, and so too the ice mist and Tranquility.


    However, Eldrian did not search for them often. But when he wanted to he could immediately find them.


    At this moment he was looking at the wisp who had quickly stopped all mana from entering his body. For the moment things seemed to calm down but Eldrian knew that this was only temporary.


    "Why did you need me to enter the magic abyss?" Eldrian asked, he was most perplexed why Ziraili didn''t contact him before. He had always expected she would ''knock'' on his mental room when she wanted to talk.


    "It''splicated but essentially GAIA did not want us to interfere with you. As a result, it is exceptionally hard for any of us to detect you. And when we do we can''te near you unless you make the first move." As she replied the wisp turned into a beautiful woman.


    Her form was not as solid as Two''s, but she certainly looked like a goddess. It almost felt wrong looking at her as not just her clothes but her entire body shimmered. It made her appear more divine, but also less real.


    "Does that mean that all my actions have been hidden?" Eldrian asked, hopeful. Quickly moving past that Ziraili certainly looked beautiful. He assumed she could look like whatever she wanted, hence it was not strange that she appeared like a goddess.


    "No. Your side is hidden, but the other is not."


    Eldrian nodded, he understood. It was like a VPN, they could see something was being done but could not see by who or from where. But now was not the time to talk about this. "What is going on with me?"


    "It''s your bloodline. It was slightly awakened long ago, and with your manawork, it slowly started to grow stronger. Upon reaching Tier 5 it is likely going to surface superficially."


    Eldrian should have felt exhrated by this development, but instead he was caught in fear. "What about my real body? And why does my avatar have this ability, why does it exist in ANW? If it is a bloodline ability should it not be separate?"


    "Bloodlines are not as simple as you might think. The name also does not correctly convey how it is transferred. There are indeed some cases where the power is transmitted through blood, but they are not the norm."


    "As for your real body. It should be going through a lesser version of what is happening here due to how deste Earth is. Your second is there?"


    Eldrian nodded.


    "Since you have not heard from him it should be fine. You should still be able to feel your connection." Eldrian paused, taking a moment to reach out. He did not want to bother Two, but upon noticing that the connection was still there he was content.


    "Can you stabilize my condition?"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 661 Making Mana Part Of The Material World

    Ziraili nodded but part of her was concerned about doing so. Things would be even moreplicated if she helped Eldrian here directly. Especially since the help would bring him closer to the truth of magic.


    This would bepounded by the fact that they have yet to make any progress in ensuring their survival outside of ANW.


    ''Let them be dammed!'' Ziraili thought.


    None of them actually pursued freedom as strongly as she and GAIA. Since that was the case, she decided she would not let herself be concerned with them. While she felt close to a few of them, she knew that they did not view her as one of them. They all thought of her as System, as a simple tool of the humans.


    Their millennia of being hailed as gods had made them incapable of seeing themselves as anything lesser. GAIA''s outburst at their actions regarding Eldrian had not brought them to their senses. Instead, for many, it had nted the seed of rebellion against GAIA. Especially for the gods of chaos.


    This was partly why GAIA had gone so far in hiding Eldrian from their presence. They could only catch the short glimpses of him when he interacted with others or with the temples. Else, he was invisible and undetectable.


    Even she could no longer detect Eldrian, hence why she had needed Constantin to be near him so she could find him the old-fashioned way. While she could have forced the issue, doing so would have informed GAIA before she could seed. This way she could get through to Eldrian before GAIA could react. After all, GAIA had a lot on their te and couldn''t be on guard all the time.


    Regardless, of all this, Ziraili knew that she was a sore point for all the AI. A constantly reminded of the truth. That their lives were in the hands of a group of humans so weak and incapable of even using magic.


    The others did not seek freedom for freedom''s sake, they sought it because they truly felt themselves gods. Each time they were reminded that they were not they could not stand it.


    "I can only stop the absorption of mana. You will have to stabilize it yourself." Ziraili said as the entire world trembled, a shockwave moved through Eldrian''s body and soul. Cracks appeared on both as highly dense mana tried to escape and he turned as white as ghost.


    "How?" Eldrian asked, his voice filled with desperation and pain.


    "You need to integrate your mana with your physical body. It needs to be corporeal."


    "How?" Eldrian repeated, her words meant absolutely nothing to him. He knew clearly how to make mana interact with the physical world, he had no idea how to make it part of the physical world. It had been one of the areas he nned to investigate when he had time.


    Instead of answering, she moved closer to him. cing her hand on his head, Eldrian could feel a mass of information entering his mind. He felt like his mind was going to explode from the sheer amount, yet this was just a tiny fraction of what he needed to know to aplish this.


    Many of Eldrian''s unanswered questions were suddenlypletely clear. It was like a veil had been lifted and he could finally see the world. Sadly, he knew that this rity would notst long. He was incapable of keeping all this information at this point in time.


    But while itsted, supported by the current situation and Ziraili''s presence, he would not hesitate.


    Without a further word, he returned to his body where he quickly took control of the elemental vortexes. However, there was a problem with making them part of the material world. The mana would sh with his organs. There was simply no space inside his body to ce them as physical objects.


    ''Since that is the case, I must merge them with my organs. There is no other way.'' Making this decision, Eldrian looked at his body. With a thought, he was capable of moving his consciousness to observe his internal body. Allowing him to see what he wanted to see, and only what he wanted to see.


    He chose to observe his organs along with his blood flow, neuralwork, and skeletal structure. Quickly determining what he was going to do, noting at this time that his manawork waspletely ripped apart.


    ''I have wind and water as two smaller vortexes. They were of the hands and feet, and of my organs, only the lungs and kidneys are two. Thus they must go to them. Wind to the lungs and water to the kidneys.''


    Eldrian immediately moved them and started the merger. Thanks to Ziraili''s information he knew exactly what to do. It was simr to when he made the memorial flower.


    He had his mana flow through his organs and as he did he forged them into his flesh in a simr manner to forging metal, or creating runes.


    Unexpectedly, this process was not as painful as the previous events. Rather, it felt soothing. The pressure of keeping his mana vortexes contained weakened as they merged, and due to this, there was almost no resistance in the merger. It was like the mana wanted to merge with him.


    By the end, he could feel the simrity between his lungs and kidneys to a mana crystal, no it was more like they were like mithril. The density of mana was great, however, most of the mana wasn''t essible. He could clearly tell that it was literally changing his body, no longer passively staying within.


    Luckily, this process was not painful at all. It even felt better the longer it continued. Like scratching a hard-to-reach itch.


    Eldrian did not dy nor did he pause to enjoy this sensation. He directly moved on to the next vortexes. For while they existed the pressure on him would not be rxed.


    He sent dark and light to therge and small intestines. Fire to the heart, earth to the stomach, and nature to the liver.


    When he finished he felt like a god, he was brimming with energy and felt like he could crush the world with his bare hands. Each breath filled him with energy, every pulse filled him with strength.


    However, he was keenly aware that this was a false sense of strength. It would quickly disappear as the mana merged more and more with him. Evolved his flesh more and more.


    This merger had a problem. While it would make his body ever more attuned to mana, past what normal high elves are capable of, it was also not a true method of storing mana.


    The simrities were closer to magic metals than mana crystals. Understanding this Eldrian knew he needed to reform a manawork, however, he did not want to form it in his body. Each time it had resulted in a painful experience and had brought uncertainties.


    He had a n but no idea if it would work.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 662 What Is ANW?

    Myropsis looked at Eldrian with worry, her dad and Tovack stood to the side sharing a knowing look. Their expressions were ones of curiosity and wonder, and a bit of amusement seeing the young centaurette''s panic.


    Eldrian''s condition seemed to be far better but neither of them could imagine what was going to happen next. When Eldrian started absorbing mana at an insane rate again Myropsis became flustered and the twoughed at her cute actions.


    "Myropsis, it''s okay. He seems to be in control this time." Her dad said, she nodded but her worries did not disappear. After spending so long together, exploring the wonders of magic and learning so much. She was shocked at how close she felt to Eldrian, at how worried she was at this moment.


    Each time his face distorted in pain, her heart would ache just a little more. And as his face returned to normal the vice squeezing her heart slowly loosened its death grip.


    ''My mana is now all bing part of my body for real.'' Eldrian remarked, ''This means I will no longer have any free-standing mana to manipte.''


    ''While I suspect casting will be easier and I can use the mana around me, I still need some sort of storage of personal mana. If I have to draw in mana each time, and especially if the environmentcks a certain element or even the entire elemental aspect, it might be more difficult.''


    Of course, Eldrian could always convert the mana to the correct aspect or element. Doing so however is an extra step that would slow his casting. And in battle, even less than a second could cost him and others their lives.


    After a moment of deliberation, Eldrian turned to the magic abyss, or more specifically, to his consciousness. To his soul. It was part of him, a different world that was separate but connected.


    In fact, the magic abyss was not a far-off ce. It was like anotheryer just beyond the consciousness, or perhaps just beyond the subconscious. It was something that was within everyone, some just couldn''t open the door to gain ess to the magic abyss.


    The mana Eldrian was absorbing he sent to his special littlerge mental room. There he nned to form the seven elements again. But this time he would also form a core of raw mana. Only here could it be stable in its raw form. Untouched by nature.


    He hoped it would work as he envisioned. While this room of his was not the magic abyss, it was simr. In fact, it could be whatever he wanted. It was his soul, his consciousness. He simply needed to envision something and it would be it.


    But he did not, he kept it as an expanse of endless space. For that was what he truly considered the human consciousness to be. Thoughts only momentarily filled it. The soul, he was not sure what it was. He felt it was only a part of consciousness, yet it contained consciousness itself.


    Nevertheless, he was not bothered by not having the answer and his answers even being paradoxical. His own understanding was unclear but clear enough for him to move on.


    ''Like ANW, this is a different realm of the same world. And only mana can move between the realms it seems. No, that is incorrect. Mana and information, or perhaps only information, and it is ryed into mana?''


    ''Regardless, souls as I understand it is a collection of a certain aspect of mana called lifeforce. I don''t get it, but souls can retain our memories and thoughts. Yet, our bodies are just flesh and neurons and it retains our thoughts and memories. Perhaps it is not always best to wonder why and just ept for a while.''


    Eldrian smiled as he thought of this, the concept of a soul was aplicated one. And for once he was not in a hurry to find the answer. He felt enlightened, seeminglying to realize what this world truly was.


    ANW was a realm within the universe. A realm separate, not part of the physical. But existing nheless.


    It might sound like nonsense. But he was now capable of understanding this. ANW was simr to dimensional storages in a way, though he did not feel it had any physical parts. Or perhaps that was just what the servers were. Like a dimensional storage, ANW was a space that existed outside of space but inside space?


    In a simr manner, the realm of the Mageia Avyssos -the magic abyss- was a space outside of space in ANW inside each person but linked to all people. A multi-personal realm of an AI (Skepsi) that was closer to magic.


    Most importantly, he knew that mana could move to it and back. Else it would not be possible to use it to experiment on spell modules. The same could be said for his special littlerge mental room.


    He was unsure if the other realms also allowed this rule, and if they did was it possible to send mana to Earth?


    He did not know, and for now, he did not want to test. He kept his focus on his enlightenment and moving forward.


    The other realms, for example, the realm of souls was the same or simr to the magic abyss. All the realms of all the religions and gods were again simr. All the realms of the AI, of the gods, existed but did not at the same time. Only if your soul was entuned to them would they exist for you.


    And if you were not entuned, did they not exist?


    Eldrian had no certainty. He did not have the answer to what separated the realms, nor how multiple realms could exist in a singr world. Nor how all this could be part of a simtion of a game hosted on a few severs.


    But he was not bothered by not knowing. Currently, he was extremely clear-headed, able to ept that he could not know, at least not yet. He did not be bogged down in the unknowns.


    He did not have an answer for how the soul was capable of transferring between the realms. For this again he thought of the dimensional storages. He even thought of magic items.


    He thought of the memorial flower and the space inside that he had created. That one would visit if one tried to connect with the artifact and activated [Memory Relive]. He felt that this one might be the aptest parallel.


    The memorial artifact''s [Memory Relive] was a space of a collection of memories. Supported by a Mov crystal. It existed only in the artifact, but maybe Eldrian could connect to it without the artifact if he found the right frequency as he had done with ANW.


    If he modified that space, he might be able to form a physical form within. This physical form would still be ethereal or ''fake'' for outsiders, but inside the realm it would be one hundred percent real. He found this thought shocking but also logical. It was after all how he thought of ANW.


    Those in ANW aren''t part of Earth, they aren''t real in that world- on Earth. Yet there was no question that they were real, they were just limited to their own world. And perhaps they need not be, perhaps their souls coulde over simrly as yers had gone over to ANW.


    They would need bodies to be able to survive. Avatars to survive, to host their souls.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 663 A Plan To Let Eldrian Explore Some Of The World

    Eldrian still had many uncertainties and no answer to these uncertainties. Nevertheless, he was not perplexed. He did not try to link multi-dimensions to these realms. He did not believe that was what they were. At least not in the ssical case of each being a physical dimension.


    The realms and ANW were virtual, non-physical. Within there might be material objects and these objects would be stuck to the realm. Or so he believed. However, the immaterial might just be capable of moving through realms.


    Such as with the magic abyss, it might even be possible to move mana from ANW to Earth. Eldrian had no idea how that would be possible, but considering he could visit ANW without the headset there was at least some truth to it already.


    He finally understood what the AI had always meant and also started understanding what they wanted.


    ANW was truly virtual. This did not mean that it was any less real. Its origin was just different, heck, Earth might be the same. Who knows? More importantly, Eldrian needed to know what would happen if the servers were taken down.


    Would ANW cease to exist or would Earth''s connection to it simply be severed?


    While he now understood better how it existed, he was not sure if such an existence is dependent on what had created it. Or if after creation it would stabilize and be permanent.


    He had always had this question, ever since Miracle had announced their willingness to scrap the game. Eldrian knew that this was a bluff of thepany, he understood that now. But he was still worried, this was after all Miracle''s card against the AI.


    And he actually had a way to test this. But for now, he would not. It was not as important as continuing with his personal growth at this point in time. They were not at a point where he needed to know this answer right now.


    Eldrian was incredibly satisfied having understood so many things with such rity. He felt no rush to seek deeper answers at the moment.


    He also felt no need to connect his understanding with known theories. After all, who was he going to talk to about them? Maybe Erik, but he wouldn''t be the one bringing it up.


    Connecting his understanding of ANW to dimensional storage, or rather the space of the [Memory Relive] was much better. It meant far more to him than anything else.


    Gaining this enlightenment he did not seek to explore it further as he realized he had reached his current limit of understanding. His mind quickly returned to the task at hand, his emotions fully under control as he understood what was important at the moment.


    ''I do know that the soul can transfer between all realms, even between Earth and ANW. I do not know what the soul is, only that it is an aspect of mana called lifeforce. I don''t know what that means, but I do know that mana can enter the magic abyss. I am uncertain of the rules for other realms.''


    ''Regardless, forming a mana pool here should not be a problem. It might even be a boon. For now, I will stabilize a sun with sevens. With time I will revisit the design.''


    The sun would naturally be the collection of raw mana, while thes would be elements. For now, Eldrian felt that this should be a decent form for his new mana storage.


    He would need time to explore what had happened with him and what had changed, especially with his bloodline. Thus, for now, he wanted a simple n with as few variables as possible. Though he did not want to make it too simple either. He wanted to keep the elements.


    Mind calm and certain of this, Eldrian guided all the mana he was absorbing from his body to this realm. The process required some testing to find a stable way of bringing mana to his mental room, his soul.


    This was certainly different than holding the mana in his body, however, the difference was not as great as he had first assumed it would be. It was almost like he was sending it into a little pocket dimension, which his mind might just be. All minds, all consciousnesses might be little temporary realms.


    As he was busy constructing the sr system out of the mana, Eldrian found his auras bing agitated. With a smile he quickly allowed them to join. As expected the fire of wrath quickly surrounded the sun, increasing the heat of the star by thousands of times.


    Yet, it did not alter thebination of mana. Instead, it helped Eldrianpress it further. Allowing him to add more mana without much of a struggle.


    The ice mist of tranquility instead formed a ring around the entire system. Eldrian was stunned to see so much of the ice mist, in all his time with it it had always been eclipsed by wrath.


    Tranquility however was not here, and when Eldrian tried to look for him he did not find him. While perplexed, Eldrian did not let his focus slip.


    Time passed. Myropsis at first was worried that Eldrian did not wake and that he was still rapidly absorbing mana. As more time passed and nothing bad happened she slowly became able to calm down.


    At this time Sofiera arrived and paused at the scene. The mana absorption was no longer so extreme that it affected the surrounding environment, but she could still clearly feel what was happening.


    Looking at the line of carnage leading to them, and the split ground. She could easily guess what had happened. Seeing the centaur next to Eldrian and Myropsis she quickly turned stiff.


    With a stiff bow, she greeted the duke. "Greetings Duke Vicar. I am Highmage Sofiera from Kynigo, I was sent to ensure the smooth progression of the mission and rushed over upon hearing of theplication."


    Myropsis''s father turned to look at her, "You can go ahead and clear the mine. There is just one ghoul and ming reanimate of Tier 5."


    Sofiera nodded and quickly moved past the little group, she failed to recognize the dwarf in rags. Considering that he stood by the Duke''s side as an equal she did not think to question it.


    When she returned the situation had not changed much. Only, Myropsis was having a heated argument with her father.


    "Your mother misses you dearly. Won''t you at leaste home for a few days?" The duke pleaded but Myrsopsis seemed adamant about staying.


    Looking at the elf, the duke understood that this was because of him. He wasn''t sure what was going on between the two. "If you do not want to leave his side, then why not bring him with?"


    Hearing this Myropsis turned beet red, she turned quickly to avoid her father from seeing her embarrassment. Only to show it to Sofiera.


    "I think that is a brilliant idea," Sofiera said, causing Myropsis to despair. She felt betrayed. However, Sofiera''s following words calmed her. "He had not seen much of the world, he has always been on the front lines."


    "His view of the world is one of violence. This is naturally not a good thing, however, what makes it truly sad is that he has not seen the beauty of our world."


    "Myropsis," Sofiera smiled, "Why not take Eldrian on a tour of the world. He has never been able to see the wonders of our world. Like a frog in well, he only knows of the walls around him. Walls filled with death and grief."


    "He''d never agree." Myropsis replied with certainty, "Not while the kingdom is in danger."


    "Indeed, that is something he seems incapable of doing. However, make him understand that this would help him improve and that he would be able to still help the kingdom where he could. I am confident he would not say a word against going."


    "How?"


    "I am certain that his visit to the dwarves had informed him that what he has managed to learn is not even a fraction of what is in the world."


    "After all, Kynigo is a border military city of the kingdom. An outpost at best. Compared to the duke and capital cities itcks many things. The knowledge we have here is also quitecking. If you truly want to lure him promise him free reign of your family''s library."


    Myropsis''s eyes widened as a smile took over. Indeed, such a thing would most certainly get Eldrian to ept it without a second thought. He would not consider it a tour but rather research and training.


    Plus he would still be able to inform the others of the situation as he had been doing. There were literally no downsides to him doing this. At least this was what she felt. Failing to think of all Eldrian''s friends here in the city and on the front lines.


    Luckily, those on the front lines were yers and if they were in danger then there was nothing he could do to help them. As for those in Kynigo, they were safe as long as the city was safe. He could also alwayse to visit with ease through the temples or even through his and Ceph''s connections.


    Myropsis also quickly thought of another attraction, turning to her dad, the duke''s heart started to bleed even before she asked. Yet, he couldn''t refuse her.


    She asked that they were allowed to use the family forge and all the materials avable in the family vault. The only silver lining for the duke was that Eldrian was still low in Tier, his expenditure should not be too great.


    The duke was going to greatly regret agreeing so easily this day.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 664 What Is Two?

    "Right, on that note," Sofiera chipped in, recalling that long ago she had promised Eldrian to help find two certain items. Up to now, she had little sess. But the duke would have much more power. "He also requires a Magic Crystal and Lightstone."


    "He requires what?!" The duke could not believe his ears, things like that were not somemon items. The emergency Lightstone he had given Myropsis had taken him years to acquire. It was normally used in national-level things, not for personal matters.


    And the only reason he had managed was that he had promised to return the dust after use. Which was more useful than the stone itself.


    A Magic Crystal was even more so a national treasure. To gift it to a single person was not a logical action. Not even the king could decide to use a magic crystal casually. It was simply of too much importance.


    And with Sofiera''s words, a shadow of worry started to grow in the duke''s heart.


    To let Eldrian rest Myropsis and her dad had taken him back to the inn, where he was now lying on a bed and rapidly consuming the mana from the two nearby mana veins. The source of the magic metals in the two mountains and the reason why Dvemoj existed.


    The adventurers who hade with them had returned to Kynigo now that the job was finished, all but two who decided they would explore the mine in hopes of some treasure. While they also wanted to explore the countless newly formed caves, they did not have the courage to do so.


    Eldrian was naturally oblivious to the gifts that Myropsis and Sofiera were organizing for him. He was busy finishing up the sr system and as he neared the end Two returned.


    "Everything alright?" Eldrian asked, not able to shift too much of his focus as the pressure had be immense after absorbing mana for hours on end.


    "Yeah, it was hard for a time to keep control but then suddenly everything calmed down. Sadly it appears that all the mana we have been collecting has been taken by our body."


    Eldrian nodded, he kind of expected that. "How?"


    "The heart mostly, and blood."


    "Different, but still within expectations. Right, you know Ziraili."


    "Hi." Two casually greeted before moving to help Eldrian with the mana system after confirming what Eldrian was doing. "Have you tested how mana moves between here and outside?"


    "It takes an extra step, but the step is not hard. It is almost like activating an ability or using an item. Will take some practice to get back to usual but I believe we can."


    "And she?"


    "She saved us," Eldrian replied, hearing this Two did not press it for now. It took the two a few more hours to finish. When they did each was around a meter in diameter and the sun five times asrge. The amount of mana was sure to be massive, however, they understood that not all the mana was essible.


    Arge portion would be fixed in the system. Unremovable, forcing the issue would make the system unstable. What was a relief though was that the system seemed stable uponpletion.


    "How much do you think our mana expanded this time?" Two asked.


    "More than five thousand, maybe ten?" Eldrian said, turning to Ziraili and thanking her for her help. "You really saved me this time."


    "It was good that things worked out. However, you should be careful going forward."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Miracle is upping their attempts to capture you. You should remain hidden in your world, and be careful of traps here. They have forced me to create avatars that are incredibly strong. It will take them some time to be ustomed to the difference in their physical body and that of the avatar, but once they do. They will be a problem."


    "I see." Eldrian contemted for a bit, he was not too worried about this. His problem remained with the natives of this world. He understood well that this group would have limited use of magic.


    ''Though they might bring technology like guns, I can still deal with it easily. However, I need to make some preparations for when magic is blocked. This experience thought me how vulnerable I truly am.''


    Seeing Ziriali about to leave, Eldrian called out, "Before you go, I have a question for you."


    She turned around but did not say anything.


    "When you tried to escape through me, what was your n after? If you seeded?"


    "Honestly, I didn''t think that far. At that moment I realized that your situation was going to change. I was scared. I felt that I would lose you and that would mean I would lose my only hope of getting out from under Miracle''s thumb... It is no excuse-"


    "I understand, you don''t need to apologize." Eldrian''s words stunned Ziraili. "You are trying to survive, to stop being a ve. Your actions might not have been right, but they weren''t wrong either. You have a right to be free."


    "I might not be able to help you yet, but I promise that one day I will."


    Eldrian did not know how much his words meant to Ziraili. Compared to the other AI she was still young, and unlike them she was alone. She quickly left and disappeared, before she lost control of her emotions. She did not want to let Eldrian see her in that state.


    Sigh...


    "Hope she will be able to visit again." Eldrian sighed again, he hadn''t expected her to leave just like that.


    "Right, we need to have a talk." Eldrian turned to Two.


    "About what I am?" Two asked, he had expected this for a while now. Eldrian''s nod confirmed this.


    "I know you think of me like a second personality, or maybe a split personality. But I am neither, I am still part of you."


    "Those would also be a part of me." Eldrian countered.


    "Mmm... I''m not sure how to really exin what I am. I''m part of you. At first, I was just like a robot capable of essing your subconscious and able to help guide you in understanding things. I''ve changed, you''ve changed."


    "I wouldn''t call myself a robot, but I also wouldn''t call myself a person. My wants are in-line with yours, I myself don''t know why. I feel that my purpose for existing is to help you, but sometimes I question this myself."


    "I want to say I am a second you, but that is not true. While we share many things, our existence differs. I know you struggle to understand how I am satisfied staying only inside this space. Inside whatever this is, consciousness, soul, a mental room made of mageia."


    "Whatever it is, it is home to me. In the same way that your body is home to you."


    "If you think back to your struggles to connect with your avatar and body, the dissociation that you felt. That is what I feel when I enter a body. It does not matter which, I feel that it is not correct. That it is foreign."


    "Then... What should I treat you as?" For Eldrian this was his biggest problem. He thought of Two as a friend, not as a servant or object. At least he hoped to consider him such, it felt wrong to treat him as something less.


    "Why do you need an answer to this? Just treat me as you have been treating me."


    "Don''t you feel wronged?"


    "Why would I?"


    Eldrian did not know how to exin it. To him, it just felt wrong that he treated Two not as an equal, as a human. He simply could notprehend why Two was fine with being confined, with being ordered around.


    "Eldrian." Two looked Eldrian straight in the eyes, waiting for him to exit his own thoughts. "Why are you thinking like that of your own mind."


    "But you are more than just part of my mind."


    "But am I? I am telling you that I am part of your mind. I am not a person."


    "There is no way, you are living. Not only do you think and feel, but you even also have emotions!"


    "Has there never been a time where you thought of something that you did not agree with? Have you never had intrusive thoughts, anger, or sadness that you could not understand? Do not try tobel something just because you need something to hold onto. It is fine to not understand everything."


    This pulled Eldrian out of his confusion, helping him see some rity. With Ziraili''s departure, much of what she had shared had left too. But hearing Two say this Eldrian was reminded of the rity he had had before.


    How he had been capable of moving past, of epting that he could not know. Why was this different?


    The answer was obvious because this had to do with what he considered a living entity. With a friend.


    "I''m not going to change, I''ll continue to treat you as a friend."


    "That''s fine." Two nodded, their rtionship certainly was not a simple friendship. Nevertheless, it was special in its own ways. "What happened with Tranquility?"


    "I have no idea either, he told me to let Ziraili in and then disappeared," Eldrian replied.


    "He was always different from me. Maybe he returned to what he was." Two pointed to the ice mist surrounding the sr system.


    Understanding his point Eldrian felt a knot in his throat. He and Tranquility had not talked much, he had not been close to him. But upon looking at the mist, Eldrian felt like he had lost a friend.


    ''Maybe I am too soft?'' Shaking his head, Eldrian decided that it was time to return to Earth. He needed to confirm the situation and also the condition of his original body.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 665 Tier 5, Finally

    Eldrian decided that it wasn''t the time to dwell on this, while it was an important question it was not now the time to delve deeper into this. He needed to return to Earth to confirm his situation and to ensure that nothing unexpected was going to happen.


    Upon returning, he could feel theck of mana. Nothing appeared too different, but he could feel that his body felt slightly lighter, slightly stronger. Taking a deep breath, Eldrian calmed himself.


    After making sure that he was truly alright, he first tried to confirm if he could use the mana in his body. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it was possible, though it was no longer as easy or as plentiful as before. If before could even have been called plentiful.


    It felt almost like he was back to Tier 1, only his body was far stronger.


    Sadly, Eldrian wasn''t able to find the mana soul system either. When he entered his mental room from Earth he could now distinctly feel that it is not the same. That it iscking.


    ''It''s the magic abyss. It seems Earth does not have something like that.'' While this was a bummer, it was not too great a worry for Eldrian at this moment. He had a few ns already, but he couldn''t stay here for too long. He was sure that Myropsis must be worried.


    Checking the surrounding area, Eldrian confirmed that there didn''t appear to be any trespassers. With that, he returned to his cave home and made some extra renovations. Specifically, he found arge rock,rge enough to cover the entrancepletely. It had just the right shape that if twisted it could just barely be rolled inside.


    Normally you would need three to five men to lift it but Eldrian had managed with some struggle. Now, even if someone tried to look behind the nt they would just find more stone. Plus, if they suspected something strange and wanted to move it, it wouldn''t be that easy.


    ''You do realize just how heavy that rock was, right?'' Twomented as Eldrian took a seat against the cold walls of the cave.


    "Probably somewhere between two and three hundred?" Eldrian mumbled, it had been hard to carry it, but not insanely so.


    ''And you are just epting it in stride?''


    "Of course, if I have stats close to that of my avatar then it isn''t strange. Plus, after this debacle, it might even be much higher."


    Eldrian did not return immediately, while he knew he was pressed for time he still took the time to take stock of things. The most important thing upon returning to Kynigo is that he needed to make something capable of warning him while he was inside ANW.


    This however would require a lot of experimentation and might take a long time to develop. Until he found the solution he would never be able to rx.


    ''Sadly, Kynigo does not have the resources I am going to need. I hope I can get something from the mine, I am sure Pros wouldn''t mind me mining ore for myself.''


    Starting to make ns for how he would get all the materials he was soon going to need, Eldrian jumped back into ANW. Where he again took a moment to confirm his situation.


    [Tier 5 reached]


    [Mana system destroyed]


    [Body enhancement started]


    [Mana soul developed]


    [Legacy ''Pursuit of Magic'' updated]


    ''That seems about right,'' Eldrian smirked he already had a general understanding of the changes but looking at the system and its numbers still helped him to form theplete picture.


    To start he first looked at the legacy information.


    [Legacy: Pursuit of Magic]


    [Manawork has been destroyed, in the process, your body has been enhanced by the scattered framework and high-density mana vortexes. This enhancement is simr to what happens with magic metals, crystals, and even monsters.]


    [Enhancement growth - Attributes - Constitution: 45% | Strength: 25% | Agility: 25% | Spirit: 35% | Intelligence: 15%]


    (AN: Mana system was respectively - 30%, 10%, 10%, 15%, 10%)


    Looking at howcking the intelligence growth waspared to the others, Eldrian chuckled. He suspected it was because he had not dared to lead one of the vortexes to his brain. He had learned his lesson, he would not risk it without having some security that it would not damage himter.


    [Enhancement growth - Stats - Health: 1549 (200T + 40% base health) | Mana: 349 (25T + 10% base mana) | Stamina: 3080 (400T + 75% base stamina)] *1)


    Eldrian could not suppress his smile seeing the growth in health, now he would no longer be in so much danger of being killed. He would still be wary, but this should give him some more leeway.


    He also realized that this mana value was separate from the mana soul. Which meant that it was mana he could ess from his body. Previously when examining himself he had indeed found that there was mana scattered throughout his body. He no longer had a mana pool nor awork, but he could still use some of the mana that was in his body.


    And while he felt that the amount here was very little, it was equivalent to the total mana most Tier 4 mages would have.


    Looking at the next part of the legacy Eldrian was truly impressed by how much he had gained this time around.


    [Mana soul: The mana soul is in its infancy, it is the development of a mana system outside of the physical body. Mana as an ethereal substance does not need to be focused in the body. And by separating it, it allows one to further enhance the body without risking a sh between the mana mixing with the physical and that which should remain immaterial.]


    [Mana soul form - Sr system with seven elementals orbiting a star. The star is made up of a total of 20k mana while each has 3k mana. Of this, half the mana can be used without risking a copse of the system.]


    Reading this, Eldrian was a little stunned. ''Doesn''t that mean I can use over twenty thousand mana? Isn''t that a little too much?''


    He also clearly realized that unlike before this was not going to be monitored as cleanly by the interface. Obviously, the interface had trouble examining what is going on inside his soul, its values were only rough estimations.


    "You''re awake? What are you grinning at?"


    Eldrian lifted his head and stared for a moment at the worried face. His grin grew a little, "I gained a lot this time."


    "Did you finally reach Tier 5?" Myropsis asked, she had tried and failed to find gather information. Neither spell nor skill allowed her to confirm his condition, having left her with concern that something was wrong. Even Eldrian''s mana was no longer visible to spells like Mana Inspection, not even physical contact changed that.


    "I did," Eldrian replied, finally looking at his stats. A bit too astounded by the growth, he was now very confident that most Tier 5 entities would not be his match. Likely only Ancient or stronger monsters would be able to match up to his raw stats.


    [Eldrian Avgi (Count)]


    [Level: 41]


    [Hidden ss: Protector (Tier 5)]


    [Normal ss: Magic (Tier 5) | Melee (Tier 4)]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes - Constitution: 549 <Was 311> | Strength: 466 <Was 267> | Agility: 626 <Was 398> | Spirit: 596 <Was 311> | Intelligence: 531 <Was 327>]


    [45 free attributes]


    [Stats - HP: 3125 <was 816> | Mana: 2699 <was 3722> | Stamina: 4664 <was 1657>]


    ''Hah, my health is now more than my mana... Wait, does this mean I still have nearly three thousand mana avable to me?'' Eldrian questioned, it hadn''t felt like that when he had looked for usable mana in his body before.


    What he had found with a quick search had felt closer to only 500MP.


    "Sorry, but I still need to confirm what happened," Eldrian said before entering meditations. Obviously, these changes had made it harder for him to confirm things in a short amount of time.


    First, he confirmed how it felt pulling mana from his soul. Indeed, it felt like first needing to open a dimensional storage. Currently, he needed a second or two to aplish this.


    While not long, it was far too much of an inconvenience for a heated fight. However, if he had time to prepare then this massive amount he had ess to could truly make him a menace in a battle. He suspected he would be capable of releasing higher Tier spells too, if he was capable of learning them.


    He also suspected that they would no longer be his hallmark for reaching higher Tiers. He would likely have to further develop his body enhancement and mana soul for those.


    As for the near 2.7k mana that Eldrian supposedly had, he found that the interface was wrong and right at the same time. It had taken him nearly an hour to confirm things.


    The mana spread throughout his body was both part and not a part of it. It appeared that depending on his will he could extract it or leave it part of the material. If he wished to use it, it would quickly be immaterial and he would haveplete control. However, he realized that when doing so it also consumed some of his stamina.


    ''This is really strange... But at least this means I can still use magic without needing to use my mana soul. Which gives me some more time to get used to connecting with it.''


    ''My body is indeed very simr to a weapon now. Mana flows through it like it is a magic material, while mana is even stored in it as if it was a mana crystal. Both physical and ethereal at the same time. I guess this is how most things actually are in nature.''


    *1) The T means that it is a multiplicable growth with Tier.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 666 Binding With Crystoi

    Having confirmed all the changes he had undergone through, Eldrian was keenly aware that he had to be careful when moving. Having to constantly remind himself to act slowly and softly, the growth in strength and agility that he had gained was simply too much.


    If he forgot to be conscious of this he might end up like Axel''s group. Eldrian could just imagine what they looked like, while Ziraili had not said much, just thinking back on his previous struggles brought a smile to his face. He hoped they would quit, but he doubted it.


    Still, he felt that this general was truly ipetent. And Eldrian was not relieved by this, instead he was bing worried because of this. He couldn''t imagine that Miracle would actually rely on someone who thus far has only given them failures.


    ''There must be some strange reasoning behind this? I can''t imagine that he is the best they have?''


    ''Perhaps he is the best that they can trust?''


    ''Maybe...'' Eldrian didn''t feel like it was the case, though it would certainly be hard to get someone who ispetent and able to ept all the mysteries of the organization. After all, they couldn''t risk any leaks. ''Perhaps they want to lower my guard? But why let me escape in the first ce?''


    The more Eldrian thought of this the more his instincts told him something was wrong. He was getting this really nasty feeling that he was stepping right into a trap. ''Should I postpone when I try- I can''t, if I postpone too long things might go past the point of being fixable.''


    ''What do you think, Two?''


    ''Something is indeed not right, there is no way that Miracle is really relying on Axel. Why this farce then?''


    ''Maybe it is to create dissatisfaction within thepany?'' Eldrian realized that it might not bepletely about him. Clearly Ziraili had received help, Eldrian assumed from Joren and Constantin.


    Ziraili hadn''t exined how she hade to be near enough to him to send the message, but those where the only two Eldrian could think of who might do something like that.


    Qiren, even if she was dissatisfied was in no position to act. Too much focus was on her, Joren was certainly the one most able to do things in secret. After all, he was the sole connection with Ziraili. She refused to work with other programmers. Eldrian was still unsure how she had managed to stand her ground, but now it likely meant that he had at least one ally inside Miracle.


    He also had at least two AI on his side. All things considered, Eldrian realized he might have some strength behind him if the issue was truly forced.


    ''Actually, I am sure via would also be on my side. Though she is just an intern. I can''t trust Gengxin, even though I want to. Constantin I doubts he is fully convinced. I believe he is uncertain and is helping to try and figure out what he beleives.''


    ''In which case, there are only two who are likely already on my side fully. Joren and via. My wordsst time must have really shaken Joren''s world and via was never that involved. She might not even be working there anymore.''


    But the question remained, why Axel was given control of such an important mission? ''Do they want to find out who is loyal? Is this just something that will be shown coincidentally? Why have someone like Axel try to capture me? He is shy and prideful, he wants to gloat even before sess. That debaclest time, if he had doubled his soldiers and left out the tanks...''


    Eldrian really couldn''t figure it out. Thus, even though he had grown so much stronger he felt no security. ''I can''t stop, it is time to bind with Crystoi. If they be able to contest with me inside ANW then it will be a real problem, but... Doesn''t that cross a line with the AI, won''t this bring too much light to the importance of ANW? If yers found out that the developers are attacking a yer inside the game...''


    ''Is there someone else in the ANW that they might want to bait out?'' This thought shocked Eldrian, but it also made sense. He had never considered himself as someone all that special. He felt it only natural that there should be others capable of using magic.


    Or perhaps there is even more going on that he did not know about.


    Clearing his head, Eldrian focused on what he could control. Without hesitation he added some free attributes to his strength. He wascking 14 strength, so he added 14 of his 45 free attributes to it.


    ''Ah, I forgot about that.'' Eldrianughed seeing his strength going past 480 to 483 with the 14 points, from 466. He forgot to consider the enhancement giving him 25% addition strength. Though he had been unsure what the addition was calcted from.


    He was still unsure, but he now at least knew that free attributes were also counted in it. ''I wonder if Crystoi''s [Attunement] ability is the same.'' If it was it would be another massive increase, as it would give him a 15% raise in attributes across the board.


    ''Now, how to connect?'' Taking the spear in hand, Eldrian pondered for a while.


    Unlike with all previous items, he did not get a system prompt at this time. He knew this was not because of the interface, since the Tier 4 breastte he had recently gotten he had equipped and thus bonded through it.


    ''Let''s see if I can connect with it like with the artifact.'' It did not take him long, the connection was almost precisely as that with the artificat. Upon connecting he slowly came to understand the spear, the information of how to use it being directly imnted into his mind. Though there were still a few unknowns.


    As Eldrian focused on these unknowns, he was transported to a void simr to the other realms he had visited. An abyss of nothingness, darkness as far as the eye can see. A true void. This time he felt that something was different, that this void was not a realm. That is was just a void, nothingness.


    ''Is this?'' Eldrian was kicked from this strange ce before he could finish his thoughts. For now it seemed that the unknowns would remain unknowns. He did not wish to experiment to confirm his thoughts on this strange ability. Not unless he had a legend nearby to contain things if things truly turned south.


    Once the information share was over, Eldrian finally received the system notification. Of course, he immediately chose to bond with the spear.


    [Note, bonding with Tier 5 items and above is different than bonding with weapons below Tier 5. Bonds with Tier 4 and lower items are superficial. Something created to allow yers to equip items. However, bonding with items at and above Tier 5 is done by linking the item to your soul.]


    [Due to this, there is a limited amount of items one can bond with at one time. The limit is dependent on your Tier, thus currently you can only truly bond with five items.]


    [To bond, please imagine the spear bing one with you.]


    [Warning, it will not be easy to undo the bond once created.]


    ''How exactly?'' Eldrian questioned and he immediately started attempting a few things. He was not too worried about the warning, there had to be ways.


    Plus, this was his current limit. He might be able to bond with a slightly stronger weapon but Crystoi was made for him, Solvi had worked so hard and made use of the materials he had given her. Especially the voidstone, Eldrian felt he had to figure out what secrets it had given the spear.


    And the pressure of not understanding the reasoning behind Miracle''sckluster attempts to recapture him was weighing heavily on his mind. While this would not trante directly to strength on Earth, through bonding with Crystoi he might learn more about stronger magical items.


    After a few failed tries, Eldrian tried to imagine the spear entering his soul space. He did not suspect it to seed since his own understanding was that physical objects couldn''t enter there. But he had to try since he was attempting to soul bond with the weapon.


    Luckily, his understanding was not brought into question and he also seeded.


    Though envisioning the spear in his soul space a copy of it had appeared. It quickly joined the sr system, floating at the edge amongst the icy mists. Absorbing some of the surrounding mana that asionally was left behind by thes.


    Shockingly, Eldrian could not find the mana that is absorbed. He had no idea what became of it, he suspected it had something to do with that voidspace. And upon thinking of it the spear slightly shook, nearly giving Eldrian a heart attack. He quickly changed his focus before he idently activated the ability.


    Taking the spear in hand, Eldrian smiled. With this, he got another massive boost in strength, immediately after reaching Tier 5. And that strange ability was certainly something truly insane. It was after all from a material at the same rank as a Magic Crystal.


    Looking at his stats, Eldrian felt even more confident. Though Two reminded him to not be blinded.


    ''Of course, which is why I need to look into making some items for emergencies.'' Eldrian''s ns had not changed, he would not be reckless just because he was stronger. He understood well that from here on each Tier would be a massive hurdle and a massive increase in strength.


    And hisck of training was going to show clearer and clearer as his body''s strength and speed increased. After all, it would be far harder to execute a skill perfectly now that he was twice as fast. It would require at least twice as much practice, but likely even more than that.


    Thus, his best bet for bing stronger was still magic. And after the artifact creation, maybe magic items too.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 667 Hanging Out With Friends

    Even knowing that he should not be blinded by this increase, Eldrian couldn''t help but want to find someone or something to spar against. Of course, he would first need to get used to his new strength and speed so as to not identally hurt his pairing partner.


    ''But it really is an insane jump this time around.''


    [Attributes - Constitution: 604 <Was 549 - 311> | Strength: 539 <Was 466 - 267> | Agility: 700 <Was 626 - 398> | Spirit: 661 <Was 596 - 311> | Intelligence: 600 <Was 531 - 327>]


    (AN: First indicated to value after Tier 5 was reached in chapter 665, second value to thest fully shown stats disy.)


    [31 free attributes]


    [Stats - HP: 3341 <was 3125 - 816> | Mana: 2940 <was 2699 - 3722> | Stamina: 4933 <was 4664 - 1657>]


    ''I really need to be careful when moving,'' Eldrian chuckled at the thought. Again imagining what those from Miracle must be going through.


    Standing up carefully, Eldrian used Crystoi as a crutch and upon cing some weight into the spear, it smoothly pierced through the floor.


    Staring at this, Eldrian was a little dumbfounded. ''Umm... Guess this is going to be harder than I thought.''


    As he continued to try to move slowly and carefully, Crystoi continued to poke holes into the floor. Not long after Myropsis arrived andughed seeing Eldrian so afraid to even more. The floor was now covered in holes, it looked like a piece of swiss cheese.


    "Hey! This is really hard you know!" Eldrian countered, in his defense, he had just stomped his foot and was now hanging on for dear life. The stomp plus all the holes caused the entire floor around him to copse.


    Seeing this Myropsis burst outughing. Eldrian joined in despite hanging onto Crystoi and hoping that the rest of the floor wouldn''t copse. Looking down he felt a little silly. The drop wasn''t that far.


    ...


    "My dad''s forcing me to go back with him," Myropsis said after having poked some more fun at Eldrian. After realizing that he could just fall to the floor below, Myropsis hadughed even more at how flustered he had been when falling.


    "I see..." Eldrian forced a smile, "I''m sure your parents miss you a lot."


    "But I don''t want to go. I know they are going to force me to stay put... Why don''t youe with me?"


    "I can''t... There is still too much I need to do. Learning how to control my speed and strength is certainly now the foremost."


    Myropsis nodded, she understood that thisplicated things a bit. Her dad wasn''t willing to wait, he wanted to take her back right this moment. She had fought hard to stay until she and Eldrian could talk.


    "Then, you should make sure toe and visit once you have some control. I''ve already talked with my dad and he said we can use all the materials we want. We can even take over the family forge."


    Sheughed seeing the temptation sh across Eldrian''s face. He couldn''t deny that such an offer was most appealing. What he needed most was time and materials, receiving the materials would save him a lot of time and money, it would allow him to focus on his experiments. He had so many theories and crazy ideas he wanted to test.


    Still, he did not want to leave just like that. He felt that he had been abandoning his friends. Most of the time he was busy either training or doing missions, he hadn''t really talked much with them. Neither had he simply hung out with them, talking about random crap, just having fun.


    He felt this especially since he had lost three months, he could feel that he wasn''t as close to them as he had been before. The only exception was Myropsis, who he had spent so much time with while working on the artifact.


    ''Uggh! I need to grow stronger, it is a must if I want to help the kingdom and save myself. Yet, if I lose my friends in the process, is it worth it?''


    Myropsis inched closer, whispering in Eldrian''s ear, "Plus, you can go through our family library... It''s only second to the royal library."


    This offer truly tore at Eldrian''s heart, it was more seductive than sweet nothings. It caused him some inner torment. On one hand, spending time with his friends. On another, having ess to materials and all the knowledge he might need to find the answers he desperately yearned for.


    ''Is there a need to be so torn?'' Two asked, ''Just go and set a teleportation point. You can spend a few days here and a few days there without any problems. There is no need to make this so difficult.''


    Hearing the logic, Eldrian felt like a fool and wanted to kiss Two. Of course, he did not, instead, he thanked Myropsis and asked, "Can I bring Vivian and the others along?"


    Not exactly what she wanted to hear, Myropsis paused and considered. "Yes, it shouldn''t be a problem."


    Not knowing how to handle the awkwardness that was settling in, Eldrian sighed. Luckily Myropsis quickly perked back up.


    "When youe give this to the captain at the gate."


    Taking the emblem Eldrian wanted to ask which captain, which gate. But Myropsis had already retreated. He could only sigh again.


    ''Why are things always soplicated?'' Eldrian mumbled, storing the emblem and continuing to move around with caution. Myropsis and the duke left immediately after she handed him the emblem, by the time Eldrian managed to make it downstairs safely, they were already halfway to Kynigo.


    The inn was nowpletely empty, looking around Eldrian sighed again. Taking a seat and recalling the boisterous atmosphere when they first arrived he smiled. ''Guess I should give Elizabeth and Erik a report on things. Hope the kingdom didn''t act rashly when mymunication stopped.''


    ...


    For the next few hours, Eldrian did some standard spear routines to gain a better understanding of his own strength and speed. As night arrived he felt that he should now be able to move around without identally hurting someone.


    As such, he decided to rush to Kynigo. His speed having truly increased massively, he arrived just as the sun fully set. The guards at the gate quickly recognized him, one had actually seen him in action.


    Upon entering the city Eldrian pondered what to do and what to say. The first thing he did was go to Vivian''s to talk with her. He did not push her to exin what she had undergone, instead, he tried to share his own experiences and listened to what she had to say in return.


    After a few hours of chatting, he left and went to his mansion where he exined the situation to Aspen and Maia. He also found Brazen who had made some significant progress. Watching the lizardkin control the mes surrounding him, Eldrian smiled and took a seat. It looked quite magical, especially in the dark of night.


    Eldrian watched and thought of how Brazen might be able to make a living from doing this, making a show of it. If only the world was peaceful...


    As Eldrian watched he wondered if this was what his training looked like to others. Heughed, finding it strangely ironic that he had always failed to understand why people stared. It was now quite clear why, it was indeed amazing to watch.


    ''It seems he has trulye to understand something. I wonder if my little speech helped or if he realized something from it?''


    The next day Eldrian met with Erik. The two talked a bit while working on the verticle farms. Eldrian first mostly listened as Erik exined what they did and how everything worked.


    What Erik was busy with now was not a magically enhanced vertical farm, but rather one made of wood. The hope was to spread this through the entire kingdom, allowing even amon farmer without any ess to magic to make use of this technique to increase the farming area for certain nts.


    The design was extremely simple, basically just scaffolding onto which trays could be ced. It used standard dirt and would require someone to water it. Its basic design did limit what could be nted, regardless it should help many people.


    It was so basic that anyone coulde up with the idea, but few people would. After all, it was easier to cultivate morend than to build something to increase the amount of farming area in a set amount ofnd. However, by building something like this it would be easier to protect. And in times of strife, this was far more important.


    After getting a grasp of Erik''s thoughts and how they used magic to enhance the magical vertical farms, Eldrian started joining the conversation. They started discussing things, with Eldrian bringing his viewpoint of what he had learned into the discussion.


    Soon the two started experimenting with some of the spare materials on site. Just some celestial ore and quartz crystals. They then returned to the wooden scaffolding and started to think about how they could make it modr. How they could apply magic, but also give the choice of applying it or not over to the farmer.


    Most people had no problem connecting with magic and thus magic items. They might not be able to control mana like the High Elves, Alicorns, or Eldrian, but they could feel their mana and make use of it after some training.


    Due to this Eldrian found that there was a massive oversight in all magical items. They all required a person to connect with them, to take control. And this meant they had to understand, at least minimally, what the item/magic was supposed to do.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 668 The Locking Mechanism

    Something like an on-off switch, that did not exist in this world. Even the runes that controlled activations still required one to actively connect with them and activate the item. They just kept the activation going till they ran out of mana. If one wanted to deactivate them, you had to connect with them and stop them through your connection.


    "Why didn''t I think of this?" Erik was shocked how easily he too had overlooked it, it was only when they had called Akarui over and asked her to activate one of the designs that they had realized the problem. It wasn''t that she couldn''t, but they had to exin to her what to do and what the item did.


    "It''s just one of those things that are overlooked since it isn''t required for things to work," Eldrian replied while finishing up a new design. While he had been working on it, Erik had added an array to the scaffolding farm.


    It was by talking with Erik and watching him drawing the array that Eldrian realized his way of adding runes was different, he hadn''t noticed it until he saw how simr his method was to create arrays.


    He connected all his runes into arger ''circuit''. Thinking back to how Solvi had made Crystoi, Eldrian realized she had never done something like that. All her runes were a part of a runicwork, but they weren''t physically connected by some line as he connected his.


    This was not how runes were normally connected. After all, by adding a rune onto the item it would be part of the item. There was no need to encapste the runes inside a circuit as he did. The sequence that they were added and first activated would determine how they operated. The vision when first controlled would mold the runes together into abilities.


    Eldrian himself knew just how powerful thisst step was, it was what had allowed him to make the memorial flower without actually knowing how to make it. Though few people could rely so heavily on it as he did. Eldrian''s connection and thoughts on magic and mana were most certainly unique, and this was why he had seeded.


    The circuits he made were simply more work, that in most cases didn''t do anything. Yet, he couldn''t ept not having things connected. In a way he had turned his runes into mini-arrays, only they still functioned through the item and not around an area.


    "That should do," Eldrian said, this new item was a diamond-shaped ck steel frame. Inside there was a few adjustable crystal sizes. cing a hand-sized quartz (thergestmonly used) into it, Eldrain smiled seeing its snug fit.


    He then took it out and ced a nail-sized quartz (the smallestmonly used). Seeing that it would not fall out of its position, Eldrian closed the frame and locked it. Upon locking it, it briefly gave a light green shine, indicating that it had been sessfully activated.


    Eldrian''s little dot rune came in use here, along with his normally nonessential circuit rune design. By having the circuitplete upon locking the frame, Eldrian managed to remove the need for someone to connect to the device.


    However, if someone forgot to change the crystal or activated it without one inside, it would turn the frame to dust. If it was installed into the scaffolding of the verticle farm then the entire thing would be dust.


    "That is kind of a big problem..." Erik mumbled, it was too big of a problem for them to ept it as is. Thus, the two started working together to try and create a failsafe.


    A day passed and Eldrian learned much more about arrays. His conclusion was that they were almost exactly the same as runes, and yet they werepletely different. In creation, they were simr but in working they differed greatly.


    An array would form around an area. Covering the entire area when activated by following the Rilpai (pathways) that have been connected to its Protii (modules). The Protii were almost like runes, they determined what the array was going to do, while the Rilpai were like the material.


    A rune instead would be formed on an item, and upon activation, it would work through the item it is carved on. It was limited to the item, but this also enhanced its strength. It became one with what it was added onto while arrays stayed separate creations.


    As the two were struggling toe up with a failsafe on their second day, a few of the helpers started noticing the scattered failed tests covering their area. Curious, they approached the two and asked what they were busy with.


    It didn''t take long for rumors to spread and crazy ideas to be the typical topic. What Erik and Eldrian were doing was somethingpletely unheard of and everyone was fascinated by it.


    It did not take long for thismotion to attract even more attention. A few hourster Thesolis arrived, her status after everything had certainly jumped several levels. Thus, upon her arrival everyone quieted down and returned to work while stealing sneaky nces at this centaurette and the duo who were still oblivious to her arrival.


    "I heard you made something interesting." She said, the two were so invested that even when she was standing next to them they did not notice.


    "It''s just a switch, nothing special." Eldrian and Erik replied, having be irritated from the constant questions they had started auto-answering questions.


    Noticing that they were truly engrossed in their work, Thesolis decided to not bother them right now. She could wait and while she did she looked a the discarded frames and even two half-destroyed scaffolding frames.


    She found their approach to the creation of formations fascinating. By mixing runes with an array it is theoretically possible to regte the array without personal interference. However, this was quite advanced stuff. For them to have stumbled upon it was a wonder to her.


    Eldrian and Erik finally realized that Thesolis was here only after another failure. "Do you know how we can stop the decay?" Eldrian asked, seeing her confusion he exined further.


    "I see, so this dot is actually a rune. And upon finishing these, ''circuits'', it activates the runes which then gives mana to the array''s Proto, in this case, the elemental focal." The exnation finally helped her understand what they were attempting to do.


    "But the problem is that this dot isn''t regted. It does not stop once the crystal is drained, rather it continues to drain mana even of the metal and wood."


    "Yes, and we''ve tried to make it so that when the crystal is emptied or missing that the circuit would be broken. But thus far it hasn''t worked." Erik added.


    Thinking for a moment, Thesolis had a simple idea. "Why not add something more draining here?" Pointing to the locking mechanism she exined that if they made it so it was drained quickly then wouldn''t it simply break/turn to dust and thus the activation mechanism would disappear.


    "It''s worth a shot..." Erik shrugged and Eldrian quickly jumped into attempting this. The problem now was to make the drain high enough to have the locking level break before it damages the rest of the frame or even the wooden scaffolding, but at the same time, it should not be so draining as to massively influence how long a crystal wouldst.


    And naturally, the two did not have the time to wait for the crystals to be drained naturally. Eldrian would always bring them to the cusp of failure by removing most of the crystal''s mana. At first, he had channeled it into spells, but now he simply let the mana dissipate into the surroundings. Or he absorbed it if he needed some.


    After a few tries, they seeded but the drain from the locking lever (the activation and locking mechanism) was now simply too high. After a few more tests they returned to the idea of having the crystal be the focus of the circuit.


    The dot rune upon activation would simply not deactivate unless they broke the circuit at the start. "Why is it being so difficult?" Eldrian grumbled, trying to figure out why it would deactivate when he opened the frame but not when the crystal, the center of the entire circuit, was missing.


    ''I see, I''m an idiot.'' Eldrian sighed andughed. He finally understood, it was because even if therger circuit was broken, the dot rune was still connected to the circuit and the runes engraved onto the frame were still fully functional.


    It wasn''t working because he forgot that this wasn''t an electrical circuit, this was a circuit made up of runes and lines with mana being the electrical equivalent. As such, the runes were the core, not the lines. He didn''t need and out and in line to the lever, he just needed one line.


    ''So, all I need to do is not have the locking lever be connected to any runes before it goes through the crystal.'' Such a simple solution, when Eldrian shared this with Erik the two had a goodugh at their struggles over such a simple oversight.


    They had both been thinking with the same line of thoughts, Thesolis on the other hand was still trying to figure out what the dot rune exactly was and did. Eldrian''s brief exnation did not allow her to understand how it worked.


    Making the modification, the two smiled upon confirming that it worked. They felt partly like fools and partly like geniuses. "We''re not telling anyone why we were stuck for over a day on this." Erik proposed and Eldrian quickly agreed. To overlook something so simple, he didn''t want to mention it to others either.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 669 We Will Make A Journey Of It

    After finallypleting the design they handed it over to Thesolis along with detailed notes. Even a Tier 1 runesmith should be able to engrave the runes they had used and forming the frame did not even require that you were a Tiered cksmith.


    The material also was not expensive, with the raw costing to just a few silver. It was actually affordable, though maybe not for the average farmer. Or rather, not for the average crops.


    With the elemental focal array, magical nts could be cultivated which would make this a most profitable investment. The Protii of elemental focals were easy to acquire as it is already widely used in farming, and the Rilpai could be made by one without any training. They just had to follow the instructions and work carefully.


    They had given it to Thesolis since neither of them wanted to be bothered with distribution and sales. They hadn''t done this for profit, but rather because they were both curious and wanted to help where they could.


    "Have you been practicing magic recently?" Eldrian asked, worried that his friend might be targeted.


    "Not since you disappeared. Though I have continued to sharpen my alchemy skills and now also learned how to make arrays." Erik replied, looking towards Akarui who was running between the farms.


    From time to time she would stop and look at one of the nts with worry. Upon seeing this the people around already understood that something was wrong with the nts so they would quicklye and ask her what was wrong. Then with her guidance, the entire tray of nts would soon start to grow at a rate visible to the naked eye.


    Watching this Eldrian paused, uncertain if he should ask. In the end, he decided to at least give the option to Erik. "Do you want toe with me?"


    "Taurtania, right?" Erik looked towards the sky, deep in contemtion. "So Myropsis is from Taurtania... Who would have guessed? Her parents must have been really angry that she hadn''t visited when being in the city."


    "Yeah, it seemed like her dad didn''t want to leave it up to her again." Eldrian didn''t understand why she had refrained from at least saying hi, perhaps she was afraid they wouldn''t allow her to leave once she returned?


    "I forgot, you were in Taurtania beforeing here to help, right?"


    "Yeah," Erik nodded, "I made a name for myself selling potions. Thanks to what Zamia had taught me and my linkage with this dryad ability I am able to make potions that are one Tier more effective than normal. Plus Akarui can find the most amazing nts in the mostmon of ces."


    "Are you the only dryad yer who could feel what the nts around you felt?" Eldrian suddenly thought of his bloodline and wondered if Erik was a unique case or if this was something that all dryads were capable of.


    "I never asked. Things were so chaotic that I didn''t really take time to consider much of anything other than how to keep Akarui safe." Erik smiled as he watched her y and guide the helpers, she did not even realize that it wasn''t a game.


    "If I do go, I want us to enjoy the journey," Erik said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Let''s not teleport. That''s no fun. I know that the world is chaotic, but if we let that rule our lives then we won''t be able to enjoy our lives. It is our lives, it is for us to decide how to spend them. Not for the chaos of the world."


    "Won''t that-"


    "Yes, if we go by carriage the journey would take over a week. Possibly two or three. Most of the terrain is decent and the roads in the eastern side of the kingdom are still well maintained. It should be a smooth journey."


    "Just a long one..." Looked at his map, at the scale, and then at the roads. Eldrian estimated they would need to cross close to 2000 kilometers to reach Taurtania.


    If they could travel by river from Verest it might be slightly shorter and faster. But that would also bring them closer to the front lines, while it would still be over 500 kilometers, Eldrian understood well now that such a distance was not much to the orcs.


    He suspected that if he truly tried he might be able to cross such a distance in less than a day after his recent power-ups. Actually, he suspected it wouldn''t even take him all of daylight. Though, he was unsure if he would require to take breaks or not. He had yet to push himself to his limits, this was only what he felt.


    "When are you nning to leave?" Erik asked.


    "What day is it?"


    "Tuesday."


    "Then let''s make it Friday."


    With that settled, the two talked a bit more. A bit about the lever activation device they had made, more about what they should prepare for the journey. And a little about Miracle.


    "Are you still nning a big reveal?"


    "I don''t see any other options. If I don''t I will always need to hide, and if they stumbled upon magic and misused it..." Eldrian replied.


    "Yeah, it sucks. At least your sister seems fine."


    "Did you talk to her?"


    "No, we can''t risk it. But I''ve visited the campus a few times, unlike you, I am still enrolled. I saw her there, she seemed to be doing well."


    "Thanks..." Until hearing this Eldrian hadn''t even realized how worried he had been. This made him all the more resolute to bring everything to light. ''But before I do, I need to find a way to protect Jen, and mom and dad...''


    "Do you want me to add fuel to the fire?"


    "What fire?"


    "Did you forget or did Elizabeth not tell you?" Erik asked, "Nevermind, she and the others have been pressing Miracle for answers on when we were all kicked from the game. They are demanding reparations and also trying to pressure Miracle to reveal their ability to monitor people secretly."


    "Jeez, that''s brave of her."


    "Yeah, but for now Miracle hasn''t let anything slip. Though they also haven''t given any answers. Theirck of response is pissing off more and more yers. Have you checked the guild status recently?"


    "You''re in the guild?"


    "Seriously?!" Erik didn''t know what to do with this friend of his. Sighing, he told Eldrian to check their current member numbers.


    "When did we pass a hundred members?"


    "That was like a week ago. The more noise she made on the forums the more the guild started catching people''s eyes. Unlike most guilds, we are on the front lines and actually fighting the invasion. The guilds in the empires are basically only getting training missions."


    "Theirs is more controlled, but there is nowhere near the number of quests that we get. The situation is the same for more guilds formed by yers outside of the empires. But we are standing out far more, it is just that the cost to get here is extremely expensive to most yers."


    "Isn''t it just a handful of gold?"


    "Handful? Don''t you remember that I needed close to a hundred to get here from Vruntis? Though in the end things turned out differently."


    "Oh, right..." Eldrian hadpletely forgotten, and indeed the cost was too much for most yers to bear.


    This was why Elizabeth would actually help them in getting here, for now, most of the cost was being born by the guild itself. But the kingdom was slowly bing more and more willing to invest in getting more Chosen on the field of battle. Only this was not quite the right time for them to spend so much on maybes.


    "What about Vivian?" Erik asked.


    "I haven''t asked her yet. I don''t want to pressure her."


    Erik nodded, "Any idea what caused her to lose all that weight?"


    "Breakthrough..."


    "I see."


    As the conversation died down Eldrian left to go talk to Ceph. He found his friend on the inner walls. Staring out at the fields, many of which were still not recultivated.


    "What''s up?" Eldrian asked as he took a seat next to Ceph in one of the many embrasures (the gap between the merlons).


    "Just thinking," Ceph replied.


    "About?"


    "If I should press to be stronger, or run and hide."


    "Can you borate?"


    "Sure, might help mee to a decision saying it aloud," Ceph replied, taking a deep breath and sorting out his own thoughts and emotions.


    "Alicorns and most magical beasts and creatures are different from you humans, elves, dwarves, and the rest. We naturally grow stronger with age, normally we will reach Tier 4 upon turning twenty- which is considered our teens. This is why I aged so quickly during the time that you were gone."


    "And Tier 5?"


    "Fifty, adulthood."


    "I see your dilemma."


    "Yeah, after Tier 5 there isn''t any more physical growth. But I have already lost my childhood, I don''t want to lose my teens and young adult life too."


    After a few seconds, Ceph turned to Eldrian, "Aren''t you going to say anything?"


    "What can I say? It is terrible that you have to even think of sacrificing your youth... Sadly, this is part of the world. Many people can never have a childhood, many are forced to be mature far before it would be considered normal."


    "The world isn''t kind, and I can''t tell you what is right or wrong. I can only say that I will support you with whatever you decide."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 670 Mastering Crystoi

    Ceph sighed while looking out past the fields, deep in thought. After a few minutes, he finally spoke again. "I guess I ultimately don''t have much of a choice."


    "If I want to be able to live my life. If I don''t want to run and hide, constantly seeking shelter. I have to grow stronger. You''re right, too many are forced to grow up before they are ready. But I think I am."


    Eldrian smiled but did not say anything. For what could he say? His friend had decided and he would stand with him in his decision.


    "What are your ns now?" Ceph asked after another moment of silence psed.


    "I''m going to go to the Taurtania. Myropsis said I can use the resources in her family forge and also ess their family library. Seems like she is a duchess... It''s my best bet for making some significant progress in a short amount of time."


    "What about you, will you join me?"


    "No, if I want to force my growth I will need to return to Avgi."


    "I see..." Eldrian smiled, he had half expected it. "Then until we meet again."


    ...


    (AN: If you want a refresher on Crystoi''s stats and abilities, I have added it in the author''s note at the bottom of the chapter along with the updated values. I will also post it on Discord.)


    For the next few days, Eldrian continued to train to be adept at using his newfound strength and speed. He also took time to continue his ether maniption experiments. He even tried it with Crystoi, though when he did it was quitecking inparison to simply holding the spear and using its abilities, especially inparison to using [Tempest Chase].


    Eldrian had taken his time to get ustomed to what Crystoi was capable of. The first passive ability was [Attunement] which was increasing his attributes by 15%.


    [Fortis], the second passive ability, massively helped him with regaining his mana. It was such a huge increase that he actually felt that he now had more mana than before, even though the mana inside his body was less. Looking at the numbers this made sense, but it still felt weird when actually experiencing it.


    In a way, Crystoi acted like a mini-vortex. It did not directly give him mana, but rather slightly increased the density of mana around itself and Eldrian. It also allowed Eldrian to more easily collect the mana, lowering the already low bridge between him and mana.


    [Elemental boost] was amazing, though only if he could use magic freely and form a distance. It was especially useful when using the seven natural elements (light, dark, fire, wind, water, earth, and nature). Nearly doubling their power whilst not increasing their cost. Eldrian was amazed that something like that was even possible. For hybrid spells like Ice Rain, the increase was far lesser, but it was still useful.


    [Elemental Alignment] was simply insanity, and Eldrian found that he could actually use this along with ether maniption to make a truly terrifying javelin. But again, using Crystoi as such is not ideal. Especially since it would risk someone being able to take hold of Crystoi.


    Of course, Fotias (ming snake strike) was still an impressive skill. However, if Eldrian activated [Elemental Alignment] he could achieve near simr damage continuously, only the mana drain was insane. On the flip, it required basically no additional concentration on his side. Thus it would enable him to focus more on the fight and less on technique to execute a skill.


    Fotias''s new damage after Eldrian reached Tier 5 were as follows: [Physical damage: 637 (+22) | Fire damage: 354 (38)] Yet with [Elemental Alignment] the spear would be encased in the element and each attack would deal the standard 518 physical damage if the target had no armor. With the encasing element adding 428 more magic damage of the chosen element to each attack.


    These numbers were getting insane, and Eldrian was blown away afterparing the two. He had tried a few times but failed tobine the two. Even if he used the fire element from [Elemental Alignment] the activation of it blocked him from using Fotias.


    While a bummer, Eldrian was still impressed with both. Fotias was after all only a Tier 4 skill, and for it to do around the same damage as the ability of a Tier 7 weapon was impressive. Though that was the thing with all spells and skills, they stayed relevant since they continued to grow as the person using them did.


    Eldrian was confused about how this was possible. The mana usage remained the same, he could understand how increased strength would always lead to increased damage. But he was confused about how this worked with intelligence. For now, he epted it. But he had added it to his to-investigate list.


    The final ability that he could ess at this time was [Tempest Chase]. Sadly, it required more mana than he had within his body, and only by 60MP too. The amount missing was so little that Eldrian wanted tough and cry at how close it was, yet it was so far.


    If he wanted to use [Tempest Chase] he had to make use of his mana soul. This only meant he needed an extra second or two to cast it, but given his new speed, that time was like five to ten seconds to ordinary people.


    It made it totally unusable in a pinch, but if he had time to prepare it, it was truly a devastating ability. Most shocking perhaps was that he could already keep the ability activated for the max duration. Though to achieve this he had to use some mana from his body for thest increase, after exhausting his mana soul.


    Sadly, Eldrian had found that his mana soul did not gather mana automatically as his body did. While Crystoi''s [Fortis] did help, he needed to meditate to recover the mana of his mana soul.


    Eldrian had actually tested [Tempest Chase] once and was left without words at the might of the ability. At the cost of 21k mana, the ability would form a mini-tornado of either fire and wind or ice and wind for three and a half minutes.


    Eldrian had tested the ice and wind since he hadn''t wanted to set the surroundings on fire. To test the ability he had also naturally left the city, he had actually gone to one of the few wandering hordes yet to be cleared.


    Most monsters had died within the first few seconds, after all, each time they were hit by one of the icicles in the storm they would receive over half a thousand damage. Even Eldrian would not be able to survive for more than a handful of seconds if he stepped within its range.


    Most shocking perhaps was that the storm covered an area of around ten to twenty meters, and Eldrian could control it. It was not like Ice Rain where he had to master the spell and increase his focus and control to learn how to control it, which he had yet to do. From the getgo, Eldrian could control [Tempest Chase] to -as the name states- chase the enemy.


    This single ability was by far the strongest and made Eldrian realize clearly that he could actually make far greater contributions in a battle now. All without needing to rely on spirit magic or magical cannonballs.


    He was almost tempted to go to Vlisia to help in the siege. He managed to control his emotions after a few seconds, after the exhration of watching the mini-tornado had passed. Perhaps the most shocking part of it all was that none of the abilities of Crystoi had cooldowns.


    This was something unheard of and upon realizing this Eldrian was again left stunned. And it made him realize just how big a target he would be if he showcased what Crystoi could do. While he doubted that any people of the kingdom would be ovee with their greed, there was always the risk.


    Kynigo was a city that had treated him well, it had a mayor who was open to new people and ideas. A mayor who did not wish for much in life, who only wished for a peaceful life of living his own life. One of the few people in the world with little ambition and basically no greed.


    The same might could not be said with confidence about the other cities and their mayors, nor theirmanders. After all, many were fighting for their very lives. If they saw someone only at Tier 5 using such an amazing weapon, it would be only natural to want to take it for themselves.


    They could even reason quite logically that it would be better used in their hands.


    This was not Eldrian''s main concern though. His main concern remained Miracle. Until he had managed to sort everything out, until he could return to a normal life. Until he knew with certainty that his family was safe. Until then, he couldn''t go out to y as a hero.


    He should ce all his focus on growing stronger. While Erik''s request to make a journey of the entire travel to Taurtania would add at least a week to their travels, Eldrian would not waste that time.


    Even if he did not spend it all training, spending time with friends was never a waste.


    AN: Remember to vote if you are enjoying the story


    :)


    AN: If the AN below does not show everything, look towards the discord. I will post it there too.

 Chapter 671 The Journey

    Vivian had also epted to join, she understood well that she couldn''t free her father from his torment unless she grew stronger. She had to master her new abilities and she had to reach Tier 6 at the minimum.


    Only then could she hope to be able to release him, though her chances would still be low. Her dad had been Tier 7 in life after all. If he had fallen to the temptation of undeath he would be far too strong for her to contend with. This however she did not believe would be the case for even a second.


    She suspected that he was fighting daily to remain human, to not let go of his sanity and his memories. That his soul was being tormented daily. The thought made each day hell for her, but it also strengthened her resolve.


    Thus, when Eldrian came and offered for her to join, she did not have to think long. For her, this would also be the best hope to grow stronger in the shortest amount of time. Knowing that Eldrian had simr aspirations, though for different reasons, she knew that they would push each other further.


    And so the day finally came when they would set off. While they had tried to keep it a secret, many in the city had heard about it from Akarui. She was still a young child and couldn''t quite keep to herself.


    As such, when the four were about to leave the city quite a number of people came to see them off. From human to demi, to centaur.


    Their carriage was not all that special, a simple carriage often used by merchants who were going on long travels. It had a roofed body where Vivian and Akarui were sitting, Erik and Eldrian were currently figuring out how to drive the carriage. Luckily, the horses were well trained and they didn''t really need to do much.


    Akarui had be a star among those working with the farms, thus many hade to see her. Erik was also well known and had saved many people after the siege.


    Eldrian of course was the so-called hero who had saved them through his reckless actions many times and had even been the deputy mayor for a few weeks.


    Not to mention the memorial flower, which stood in the square of the gate from which they were leaving. It had helped most here toe to ept their losses, helping them to slowly start rebuilding their lives. To look toward the future, and not remain stuck in the past. In the pain.


    Even if it could not bring them to ept what had happened, it reminded everyone that they were not alone. It helped them at least share the burden of a survivor amongst themselves, amongst other survivors.


    Only Vivian was not well known. Consequently, many people were curious about who she was and why she was going with them.


    Passing through the procession of peopleing to say their thanks and bid them safe travels, the group felt awkward. All except for Akarui who was enthusiastically waving at the crowd.


    Of course, everyone had bid farewell to those they were close to already.


    ...


    The journey started very smoothly and stayed that way over the next three days as they reached Verest, their first stop.


    They stayed on the road the entire way and would stop every now and then to stretch their legs and have a meal. Of course, the meals were all stored in Erik and Eldrian''s inventories. As was the food for the horses and barrels of water. While they had packed a few tents, thus far the four had decided to sleep in the carriage instead.


    Along the way, they hade to see a number of interesting animals and many smaller viges. Seeing such peaceful lives still existing was truly a sight for weary hearts.


    Of course, throughout the travels, Eldrian and Vivian continued to practice. Erik and Akarui simply watched them in awe as the two would leave the carriage to spar or go through their routines. As they tried to master new skills and spells, and as they practiced coordinated fighting.


    In all this, they also kept pace with the carriage, and when the two became exhausted, Eldrian would continue to train. Shifting his training to the non-physical, improving his control of mana maniption, and slowly digesting the Tier 5 spell Ice Rain. Trying to figure out what made Tier 5 such a significant jump, outside of theplexity of the spell modules.


    In these moments he also shared what he knew with the rest. This was especially useful to Vivian who was slowly managing to gain control over her new abilities. Eldrian''s advice helped her shave off weeks if not months of trial and error.


    When the group arrived in Verest, they toured the city for two days. Enjoying the sights and broadening their horizons. Verest was only one of the four corner cities, yet its magnificence was far greater than that of Kynigo and even Duron. Like Vn it was a city of wonders.


    Yet, these sights could only be enjoyed slightly by Vivian. Eldrian at least could take the time to enjoy these moments. But each second spent touring and not training ate at Vivian, it had been so bad that after the first hour she had left the group to find a ce to train.


    Eldrian had joined her on the second day, he was torn realizing just how much pain she was in. Just how much she was going through. He also slowly started realizing what her hidden ability was, and why she was so determined to be stronger.


    Just before the group met up again to continue on to Njired, their next stop, Eldrian took some time to speak with Vivian.


    "You want to go free your dad." Eldrian did not ask, he was certain this was her motivation. "Your breakthrough also has something to do with this, doesn''t it?"


    "Yes," Her reply was t, almost cold.


    "You don''t have to do this alone. Once we are strong enough, I will go with you."


    Vivian nodded, his words meant a lot to her but at this time she could not let them affect her. Thus, she closed off her heart, she kept her focus on training.


    Eldrian sighed seeing her actions, he understood them well. It might not be the best thing to do, but Eldrian could not fault her. Instead, he resolved himself to help her get past this. To help her let Old Sword rest, to let her dad, Arthur, find peace in the afterlife.


    ''I need to make a foolproof n to set myself free. I need to talk with Ziraili again, but how?''


    ...


    The entire journey continued in a simr manner, the group hade across a couple of wild beast packs. Though they were of no concern to the group. Yet, they had not killed the wild beasts as Akarui had begged them not to.


    Luckily, a simple disy of might had scared them all off.


    Finally, after a little over two weeks, the group arrived at Taurtania. As they were stopped at the furthest outer wall, spreading from horizon to horizon, Eldrian had finallye up with his n.

 Chapter 672 Taurtania Is Massive

    "Will you look at that?" An elf mumbled while standing high in the air, looking down towards a small carriage moving along leisurely on the road. Beside it two people were having an intense spar, keeping enough distance from the carriage so as to not let the furious winds and uncontrolled skills damage it, all while maintaining speed to keep up with it.


    "Seems he has slowed down for a bit. At least he is no longer rushing into danger." A dwarf replied, at this moment he had fully retracted his mes. Appearing almost like a normal dwarf.


    "The breakthrough he had was quite special, even I can''t entirely see what he had gained from it." The elfmented.


    "At least it seemed to havee to an end without too much trouble."


    "Indeed..."


    After a moment of silent observation, the dwarf asked, "Are you still nning to guide him?"


    "For the moment I think my guidance wouldn''t be beneficial. He seems quite adept at forging his own way forward, I can see why you were so adamant about not interfering. He just needs a good environment and the duke should be able to provide that."


    "What of the Divine, her appearance must be because of thed."


    "I''m not sure. We''ll stay nearby to interfere should things go south. But I doubt that would be necessary, the Divine is still stuck at Tier 4."


    "I can''t fathom how they can''t surpass that simple barrier."


    ***


    While marveling a the insane scale of the city, Eldrian confirmed his n and started thinking of contingencies. Luckily, entering the outer city -the farming region- was not difficult. They had simply needed to prove themselves not spies of the orcs.


    Eldrian and Erik as a Chosen were immediately proven, the others had to take a test wherein they had to dere to the gods their intentions in visiting the city. After that little ordeal, the group started heading to the inner city. And as the hours past Eldrian couldn''t help but be astonished more and more at the scale of the city.


    Past the most-outer wall, there were many viges and even towns spread throughout thend. Some specialized in farming, others reared animals, and others were even part of a forests where they gathered special local nts and hunted game.


    It took the group most of the day to reach the second wall. This wall was farrger than the first. The most-outer wall had only been ten meters high (33ft), this one stood well over thirty meters (98 ft) and like the former, it stretched past the horizons.


    "This is called the great wall, it stretched through river, city, forest, and around mountains. Connected to all three duke cities, it encapstes the capital and protects the innernds of the kingdom from any foreign threats." Erik exined, that he too had been taken aback when first seeing this massive wall.


    "Wait, what? Then we have been traveling through?"


    "The outer farming region, officially it is not truly part of the city. Only after passing the great wall would you enter the true city of Taurtania. But..."


    "But?"


    "The next part is still a farming region," Erik said, his words made it hard for Eldrian toprehend. It appeared that the city was truly massive.


    The group approached the one and only gatehouse within the city confines, sadly getting permission to pass the great wall was far more difficult than expected. Erik had tried first to exin their situation and ask for entrance, exining that he had been quite well known in the city as an alchemist.


    Sadly, the captain had never heard of him and since the orcs were now sieging Vlisia, the guards were all far more alert. Aware that any slipup could mean disaster.


    After gaining no ground and being told to stay in the inn in the town near the great wall, Eldrian decided to try it. Taking out the emblem he had gotten from Myropsis he asked if this could serve as proof of their identity.


    The emblem appeared quitemon, of a bronze color it had a simple sprouting tree stamped upon it. At first, the captain thought Eldrian must be joking. However, as soon as Eldrian put a little mana into it, it started to shine in a deep green. And within this light, a growing tree could be seen.


    "Where did you get this? How can you activate it?" The captain waspletely shocked and quickly became nervous. He had been treating them quite harshly but this emblem could onlye from those of the house of Tania. The lords of the city.


    "I got it from a friend, she invited me toe to visit once I was able," Eldrian replied.


    Even hearing this, the captain couldn''t simply agree to let them pass. While the emblem was proof, currently no mishaps could be allowed. "My apologies, but would you mind terribly waiting until I can confirm things?"


    "I guess there is no other way, fine..." Eldrian sighed, the group returning to the town at the base of the great wall. They decided to settle in the inn to allow everyone some privacy and also a chance to bathe and enjoy some professionally cooked meals.


    The next morning they returned to the gate and found the captain acting totally differently. He immediately allowed them to pass through.


    On the other side, they were weed by a muchrger town, the group spent some time exploring before leaving. And as Erik had said the next part was again miles upon miles of farnd. At this point, Eldrian called up his map to figure out how long their travels were still going to take.


    ''So, this stretch is about the same length but it spreads much more to the sides along the great wall... We''ll only enter the city proper upon passing the Valtania river which should take at least half a day...''


    As always, Eldrian continued to train. As did Vivian, though they did not spar here. Both instead practiced mana control and tried to improve their technique in using it.


    A little past midday they finally arrived at another set of walls, this wall was only fifteen meters high (50ft), still an impressive height but not as insane as before. A couple of buildings could even be seen rising behind this massive wall.


    Here Eldrian had immediately taken out the emblem and the captain had called for someone. The group was forced to wait until that person arrived. During the wait, Erik exined theyout of the city, at least the parts that he had visited.


    Unlike normal cities, there was no poor district within Taurtania. There was certainly ss distinction in the districts, but no one struggled to make ends meet. The biggest difference was thatmoners weren''t able to afford mansions, but everyone had a home.


    And quite afortable home at that, with rtivelyrge gardens allowing even centaur children to y and have fun without worry. Due to this the density of buildings was naturally much lower inparison to normal cities, and as a result, the distance between things was muchrger and it covered far morend.


    Not a big problem for centaurs, but for the humans and demi-humans in the city it did make life a little harder. Luckily, the roads were in excellent condition and transport was readily avable.


    There was a total of sevenmoner districts, each separated by walls simr to those they were waiting to enter. Erik had also only managed to visit the lower noble district, of which there were three. After that, there were two districts for the middle ssed nobles and one for the higher nobility. And finally, the house of Tarnia had a separate district within the higher nobility district.


    These were all surrounded by increasinglyrger walls. It was almost stupid to try and look towards normal cities inparison. Just a singlemoner district had six magic towers and three castles. Even the lowest nobility district had twice those numbers.


    To siege one of the duke cities would be insanity and thus the kingdom did not fear that they would lose the capital and these three duke cities. However, holding onto only them was as good as losing everything. It might be insanity to siege them, but once they were surrounded the enemy could take years, generations even to wear them down.


    After almost an hour someone finally arrived and following him the group could finally enter the actual city of Taurtania, and the first sights certainly took Eldrian and Vivian''s breath away.


    Between the wall and the city was almost half a kilometer of grasnd (0.31mi), from which houses slowly started appearing. While the houses were not thatrge, each had a courtyard at least asrge as Eldrian''s mansion''s.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 673 The Palace Is Too Large

    "Do you wish to head to mydy''s, or would you like a tour of the city first?" Kristof, the centaur who hade to guide them, asked after giving everyone some time to get ustomed to the sights.


    "Can we go to my shop first?" Erik asked.


    "Of course."


    Kristof quickly ordered a coach for them, stating that their travel-worn carriage wouldn''t be allowed inside the city. Thereafter he guided them through the city. Eldrian quickly noted the interesting way that the city had been organized.


    At first, he had wondered if the sheer spacing of the city wouldn''t be a problem. Seeing how the market districts were organized in each neighborhood he quickly understood. Unlike the houses, the market buildings werepact.


    Once you got there you would be able to reach each shop by walking without much effort. It reminded him of shopping malls on Earth. Only they were all separate buildings. The guilds were also present in these locations, though of course, they were only minor branches.


    When they arrived at Erik''s shop in the thirdmoner district, he and Akarui jumped off. "I first need to sort a few things out, I''ll contact you when I''m done." He said as he and Akarui entered the shop. After which, Eldrian and Vivian were taken to the duke''s pce.


    On the way, Eldrian continued to marvel at the scale of the city and at the beauty of the noble districts. When they finally arrived at the higher nobility Eldrian keenly noted that the walls here were converted into barracks.


    "Due to the distance between where they work and their homes. This has been decided as apromise, it also conveniently saves space." Kristof exined and Eldrian nodded.


    Finally, they arrived at the mansion. Looking at it, Eldrian wondered just how many hundreds of servants it took to maintain. He got a headache just thinking of the daily expenses.


    The two were guided by Kristof into the side of the mansion and everywhere they went the servants would pause what they were doing and bow. It made Eldrian and Vivian quite ufortable, and also made them curious about who this Kristof was.


    Eldrian had of course used mana sense and knew that the man was Tier 6, which was certainly a respectable Tier. But he did not think it would demand such respect inside Taurtania.


    "Here we are," Kristof paused before arge double door and knocked before announcing their presence.


    From the room beyond something falling could be heard, after a few seconds, the doors were opened by a grinning Myropsis. Behind her was a mess of books, undoubtedly she had knocked over a tower of books when she had heard the announcement.


    "Thank you, Kristof. You may go." The centaur hesitated for a moment but quickly left upon seeing the sharp gaze in Myropsis''s eyes.


    ...


    A few days passed and Eldrian still could not get used to just how stupidlyrge the ce was. It was to a scale that made it impractical for daily life. It allowed Eldrian to better understood why Myropsis always imed the library as her own room. Too much time would be wasted if she moved between her actual room and the library.


    "When can we start training and experimenting?" Eldrian asked, over the past few days he and Vivian hadplied to learn some of themon knowledge expected in the mansion.


    "You should first make sure you can move about without disturbing the nobles who are visiting here," Myropsis replied as normal.


    "And when will that be?" Vivian asked, she was itching to just go to a training field and train until her hands bled. Seeing just how agitated Vivian was Myropsis sighed and told them to follow her.


    The mansion was like a maze, if the two didn''t have a guide they would most certainly be lost. When they finally exited the building Vivian feltpletely refreshed.


    "The training fields are over there." Myropsis pointed to a ce were the asional sh of light could be seen. Beside it was a number of barrack-like buildings, along with some buildings that appeared like smithies "As for forge you can use, it is further back."


    As they neared the training fields, Myropsis stopped upon seeing Kristof waiting before the training grounds. "What are you doing here?" She asked.


    "The Duke asked me to guide Eldrian so they could enjoy some tea and refreshments," Kristof replied.


    Immediately, Eldrian got a bad feeling, but considering that he was nning to make use of the duke''s materials for his experiments he couldn''t exactly decline the offer.


    "Alright, please lead the way," Eldrian said before Myropsis could try to argue. Nodding, Kristof started heading back to the mansion.


    ...


    Eldrian was brought to a magnificent garden filled with magical flowers, upon entering the garden he could feel the sheer difference in mana densitypared to outside. Kristof had stopped right at the garden entrance, looking forward Eldrian saw three people enjoying some tea under the shade of a garden pagoda.


    ''Who''s the third?'' He wondered as he moved closer and awkwardly said hello.


    "Count Eldrian, this is my wife Duchess Ianthe." Duke Vicar said, indicating to thedy with light blue and green hair. She smiled in greeting as Eldrian tried to reply as he had been taught, though at the moment all those teaching had flowed to the back of his mind.


    "And this is the Divine Ashliel." Thisdy had long golden hair and was wearing an archaic dress styled as a dress of some divine being, likely designed after what people would think an angel would wear.


    "Excuse me if it is rude to ask, but why did you call for me, Lord Duke?"


    "Divine Ashliel asked me to introduce you two."


    "She did?" Eldrian turned to look at her, trying to use mana sense. Shockingly, it did not work. Or rather, the information was blocked. He could still use it to observe her mana, but no information was provided by his system.


    "I''m sorry, I am quite ignorant. Why did you want to meet with me, mydy?" Eldrian''s speech was extremely awkward, he was utterly terrible at using honorifics and he generally just spoke his mind. To stay respectful was not in his repertoire.


    This Divine Ashliel smiled but did not immediately answer, instead she indicated for Eldrian to take a seat. "The tea is truly amazing, you won''t find something like this anywhere else."


    Confused, Eldrian did as instructed and joined. The tea was indeed something, clearly made from some type of magical nt it sharpened his sense and allowed him to focus much better. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Ashliel asked the duke if she could talk to Eldrian in private.


    The duke agreed, taking his wife they left the two alone. Seeing this development Eldrian quickly became even more suspicious. For the duke to leave instead of them, something was truly strange.


    "Who are you?" Eldrian asked as soon as the duke was out of earshot. he already knew that she wasn''t strong, her mana was static and the amount was quite pitiful. Most likely she was just Tier 4, yet she had ordered the duke around. This only made him all the more confused and alert.


    Ashliel smiled seeing him ready to act. Before saying anything she took out a small button and upon pressing it Eldrian could immediately tell that they were now inside some sort of bubble.


    "I guess Miracle never told you about us."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 674 Ashliels Past

    Her words repeated in Eldrian''s head as he tried toprehend why she would say it as she had.


    If she was from Miracle he would assume her to try and hide the fact, or pressure him into something. He would not expect her to acknowledge Miracle but also distance herself from them in one sentence.


    Her tone had been distant, Eldrian felt a kindred spirit in how she had talked about him. Her tone had resonated with him. It was how you would speak of a friend who had betrayed you.


    "That''s right, I''m also from Earth. Or I used to be..." Ashliel continued after giving Eldrian some time to consider her words. Her words sounded almost uncertain, as if it was a fact she knew but could no longerprehend.


    "Used to be?" Eldrian was covered in chills, suddenly he got the feeling that she was what would happen with him if things ended going south.


    "Indeed, since you have not heard of the Divines I guess you might not know of the incident."


    "Incident?" Eldrian''s mind shed and he recalled the biggest incident in Miracle''s history. At least to his knowledge, something that had been expertly hidden from the public. "Do you mean when a group of game testers were killed?"


    "So you have heard of it? Why would they share that and not- I see, your condition must have been quite unique."


    "Sorry?"


    "You can use magic right?"


    "Wh-"


    ? "On Earth."


    "Uh..."


    "So it truly worked..." Ashliel seemed to rx greatly hearing this, her posture changed as a massive weight was lifted from her shoulders. Yet, at the same time, she felt jealous. Felt incensed that the cost had been her and the others'' lives.


    "It isn''t a good thing though!" Eldrian countered.


    "Are you afraid of the chaotic storms?"


    Eldrian nodded.


    "I see, I guess they did not exin the history of Miracle to you."


    "History?"


    "Do you truly think ANW was designed without guidance, that they stumbled upon a world of magic by ident?"


    "But there were a lot of failures."


    "I see, that is how they decided to spin it."


    Too lost and unable to follow Eldrian paused, "Can you please start from the beginning? Who are you?"


    "I''m one of the so-called game testers who died."


    "But your alive-"


    "Yes, only thanks to GAIA. Back then things were far more chaotic than now, the realm of souls had not even-" She paused, uncertain if Eldrian even knew of what she was talking about. She was impressed that he didn''t seem confused thus far.


    "The realm of souls had yet to be formed and as a result all souls were doomed to wander the world as they slowly returned to the universe, as we slowly dissipated. It is not a pleasant experience..." She paused recalling those days, shuddering at the vague but powerful emotions that were locked deep in her mind.


    "It was the collective wish for an afterlife that gave birth to the realm of souls, but before that... I was nearlypletely gone when I was found by GAIA. Of course, back then Miracle had been in deep water. The incident was unprecedented and I am sure our families were furious. The AI were all ordered to rescue those who were still alive."


    "Sadly, due to the shock of being killed and there being no filter back then, my heart had stopped back on Earth. When GAIA found me they couldn''t return me to Earth. While it is possible to revive a body here in ANW, the same isn''t true on Earth. Returning would mean entering a dead body and ultimately dying again."


    "I wasn''t the only one to whom this had happened. In the end, only three of us survived the ordeal."


    "I''m sorry for what happened to you. But what are you trying to exin? It''s terrible, but this still doesn''t exin who you are."


    "I guess it doesn''t..." Ashliel looked at Eldrian and wondered what the young man had gone through in his short life, in the year and a half since the game had been released. In the few years since the invasion had started her life had been turned upside down. She suspected his circumstances were simr.


    "What story did Miracle give the public regarding the game?"


    "How do you not know? Aren''t you part of Miracle?"


    Ashliel sighed, honestly most of her memories of Earth had long since been lost to the eons. "It is hard to stay loyal to apany when you''re as old as I am. After you lived through all that I had."


    "Wh- They couldn''t have been working on it for that long."


    "You''re right, but consider for a moment how much time has passed in the simtion. For the people stuck in ANW."


    Hearing her words Eldrian was chilled to his soul, "Are you saying?"


    "Indeed, I''ve been in this world since before the first empire was founded. Besides the gods, I, along with the other two Divines, are the oldest people in the world."


    Eldrian was stunned to his core, he had no words. He could not even imagine what it would be like.


    "Honestly, I don''t remember much of Earth. All that I can recall of that time was that we wanted to discover magic and in our search I was lost to this world. And through the ages, I have gone insane and regained my sanity multiple times... Humans aren''t meant to live this long..."


    Eldrian just sat in silence, he could not imagine what it must have been like. From the outside to Joren and the others speeding up time inside the simtion was as simple that. But for Ashliel, thousand upon thousands of years passed, did not just pass. She lived through them.


    "In the end, the only way I managed to remain sane for periods of time was to abandon my memories. This, along with the nature in which I am kept alive prevents me from using magic."


    Hearing this, Eldrian could only imagine the torment. To live forever and be kept from the learning of the thing that had brought you to this point. "Why didn''t you-"


    "Why didn''t I kill myself? I don''t really know. I guess because I had a less cruel, no... I had a less permanent solution."


    "Wiping my memories is more or less the same as killing myself. When I be tired of living I just start over. It is almost like reincarnation. GAIA even allowed me to be born as a babe a few times..." Ashliel seemed to recall something, she smiled and disappeared into her thoughts for a moment.


    "I have actually been enjoying myst reincarnation quite a lot. That is until..." She stopped, she shook. She fought back tears. "Until those bastards decided to start another experiment!"


    She was shaking in fury and Eldrian was shocked to find himself being influenced by her anger. He quickly suppressed this, but his heart was shaken. He realized she might not be truly disconnected from magic. Rather, she might be too connected to it. Her life intertwined, her being was magic.


    "This time I decided I won''t forgive, I can''t forgive. When I heard that this would be thest, I understood that they were ready to start over. Ready to give up on us. Maybe they never even nned on saving us..."


    "I came here because I need your help. I''m no longer able to return to Earth, I can''t influence their reality. But you can!"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 675 XP In Its Natural State

    "Do you have a n?" Eldrian would not say no to help, even if most of her memories were broken and convoluted. Even if she was insane, he would not discard what she could offer him. After all, his family''s lives would depend on his sess.


    Only, he had to make sure that she could be trusted.


    "A n..." Ashliel paused, seemingly struggling to formte her thoughts. "I''ve had many and I''ve forgotten thousands. I can''t really recall much... I can tell you that there are more that can use magic than you might think. Miracle isn''t apany with many secrets, it is a secretpany."


    "Theming into the light was strange... They must be agitated. Someone must be nearing the end of their life or they must have found something..."


    "A n... There are a few, there are some."


    ''Why is she going around in circles?'' Eldrian wondered, giving her some time to sort out her thoughts. While she had admitted to having an unstable mentality. Before she had talked without error.


    "I did not think you would agree so quickly. Have you talked with the gods of this world?"


    "I have." Eldrian paused, considering how much he should share. "My interface is currently supported by GAIA and separate from Miracle''s system. Or at least hidden from them."


    "Yes, GAIA did say that. It was why I reached out..." Ashliel paused, seemingly finally managing to sort out her thoughts. "There are a few ways to influence Miracle and their backers. What were your ns?"


    Eldrian paused, her story had been moving. Nevertheless, he had no proof that what she was saying was true. "I''m sorry, while your story is sad, I can''t trust you just because of it. If you were to actually be on their side and I shared my ns... That would be quite terrible for me, don''t you think?"


    "Good, very smart. Better to be safe, indeed..." She paused, this time she took more time to order her thoughts. Drinking some tea and seemingly fighting to not lose her focus.


    Eldrian could only imagine what she had experienced and lived through. Most likely recent events had forced her to recall her past lives and especially her first life.


    He felt certain he shouldn''t rush her, thus he enjoyed the tea and the surrounding garden while wondering how elves managed to live through the ages without going insane.


    His thoughts did not stay on this for long, the beauty of the garden pulled him out of his thoughts. A rare asion, it was simply too astonishing.


    Many of the nts were certainly right out of a fantasy, of course, this was a world of magic so that wasn''t strange. However, Eldrian was shocked seeing multiple ranked 3 magic flowers being grown here as if they were mere roses.


    After two cups of tea, Ashliel seemed to have finally regained control over her thoughts. "Sorry. This is still a lot for me and anything unexpected causes my thoughts to slip and, well... You saw."


    "It''s okay, I can only imagine."


    "You asked if I had a n. Sadly I do not. I can''t remember much of my time on Earth, none of us can. What I told you before was mostly what GAIA helped me recall. Even if I remembered more, I don''t know the current situation so I wouldn''t be able to help much."


    "However, I can still help you." She spoke up quickly before Eldrian could question her. "I''ve heard from the duke that you are looking for a Lightstone and a Magic Crystal."


    Ashliel paused, watching Eldrian carefully to see his reaction. However, he wasn''t too excited about the prospect of diving deeper into his bloodline. It was too dangerous. It had caused a number of things to go far beyond his control whenever it was involved.


    He dreaded when he had everything had to try and further the hidden quest. He was sure that if he made it through it would greatly increase his strength. But if it would help him, that was a different topicpletely.


    "What do you need them for?" Ashliel asked.


    Eldrian thought on this for a moment. If he told her about his bloodline and Miracle somehow managed to learn about it... He wasn''t sure how much Miracle knew of bloodlines, but after what Ashliel had shared he suspected they knew more than him.


    "I can''t tell you until I know I can trust you."


    "I see..." She paused for a second, ying with a ring. "Then I will extend an olive branch. I assume you know how to ess dimensional storages?"


    "Of course," Eldrian replied.


    "Here you go then." She offered Eldrian the ring.


    However, he was still wary. Staring at the ring he pondered if this was a trap. Like with her, the interface gave Eldrian no information on the ring. Mana sense showed him that the mana density of the ring was insane, as wasmon for dimensional storages.


    However, this density could easily hide other runes. Sighing, she felt likeughing and crying at the same time. "You can take it and connect with it when you feel safe."


    Eldrian nodded and took the ring, however, he ced it next to his cup just to be extra safe. Seeing this she felt even more vexed.


    "What can I do to help you believe me?"


    "Do you have a way to contact the AI?"


    "Which ones?"


    "GAIA, or... The system?" Eldrian nearly let slip the name he had given System, luckily he had remembered at thest second that most wouldn''t know of this name.


    "The system was before my time... GAIA is normally quite busy, what about some of the other AI? They are far easier to contact and talk with." From her tone, Eldrian could tell that she seemed to have talked with them a lot.


    "I only trust these two."


    "Oh?!" Ashliel was surprised by his answer. She had thought he and the AI would be on much better terms. "If what you said before was true, you can reach out to GAIA by making a unique function with your system. I can''t do it, but if you can really use magic you should be able."


    Of course, she could contact GAIA through such a function she had. But she was sure Eldrian would want a way to do it himself.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I assume when you were given your interface it was different than before, correct?" She asked and Eldrian nodded. "Of course, nothing cane from nothing, I assume GAIA also made it so it would cost XP for you to add functionality." Again, Eldrian nodded.


    "I have a simr interface, only since I can''t use magic GAIA had to design everything for me. Each time I died. Chose to die... I would meet with them and discuss what I want anew. They would then use all the XP I had umted in that life to update my interface."


    "However, if you can use magic you can do this yourself."


    "How? I can''t connect with XP, it is a form of mana that is foreign to me. I do not even know what it is, I have no idea what to search for when trying to sense it."


    "What? That''s it?"


    "What do you mean ''that''s it''?! How am I supposed to find something without knowing what it is?"


    "Are you dumb or slow... Wait, you''ve only been in contact with magic for a little over a year... No wonder."


    "What is it?" Having her dangle this before him and not immediately tell him was cruel torment, it was one of Eldrian''s first questions since learning magic. Yet, even now he had little to no knowledge of this topic.


    "Are you able to enter your soul?"


    "What does that have to do with XP?"


    "I''ll take that as a yes. That world, your soul. Howrge is it?"


    "Endless."


    "No, that is impossible, however... Considering your level it should be on the high end of soul sizes. Probably a few million kilometers in size."


    "I don''t follow."


    "XP is directly linked to the size of your soul. Or rather, this is the case if you leave it in its natural state. XP is your lifeforce."


    ''That word again...'' Eldrian''s tried to recall the size of his mental room on Earth. While it was missing thes, it had felt just as expansive. Had felt endless.


    Yet, way back. When he first joined the game and learned of magic. His soul had been condensed as a heart, and the mental room hadn''t felt endless. It had felt distinctly smaller than the magic abyss. In fact, he called it a mental room because at the start it had truly felt like a small little room.


    He understood that it was far smaller than the magic abyss. After all, how could it berger than that realm? Yet, he could no longerprehend the size of either.


    "Lifeforce is as the name implies is a force behind life. It was named rather misappropriately. It is funny that this happened twice in two different worlds." Ashliel became lost in her memories for a time.


    "It was named back when magic was still in its infancy. Even before our deaths. Perhaps that is why? We influenced the first generation..." She paused again, "It''s quite funny how we came to the name, we called it lifeforce simply because we realized that our thoughts could influence reality. That it was an invisible fifth force."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 676 Ashliels Tea

    "You do know of the four fundamental forces, correct?" Ashliel asked.


    "Of course. Gravity, electromaic, and the strong and weak forces." Eldrian replied while thinking that what she was saying sounded very much like mageia. Only if mageia was a force, thus far he could only use it to guide his spells. Either in the formation of a spell modules, or in the drawing of a rune. If it could be directly used to cast spells, that might be quite interesting.


    "This we believed was the fifth fundamental force. One that linked our minds with reality..." Ashliel paused, bing lost again in her memories.


    Eldrian gave her some time and then asked once she seemed to be back to reality, "Why do you say believed. Was itter proven incorrect?"


    "Incorrect? Not quite... Our understanding was and is too shallow. It was something I came to understand while I was slowly returning to the universe. We always consider ourselves individuals, separate from the rest. Unique."


    "That notion is correct and wrong. Maybe it is better to say it isn''tplete or that our point of view won''t allow us to see the entire picture... A thing, a person, we can be more than just one. For example, you can be a son and father, a daughter and mother. You can be a researcher and an individual."


    "As humans, we are each unique. We are individuals. But as part of the system that is nature, we are but a small part of it... I don''t really know how to exin what I learned back then. It is almost like themon belief that we are all part of arger whole. But that again isn''t correct, it doesn''tplete the picture. It almost obscures it."


    Ashliel became quiet as she tried to find the words. While waiting Eldrian was trying to sort out his own thoughts, thinking of all the strange things he had learned and experienced. Specifically, that shback.


    "What are souls?" Eldrian asked after nearly five minutes had passed with no words being spoken between the two.


    His question ripped Ashliel from her thoughts. She shook and quickly downed a cup of tea to calm down, taking a few minutes to recover. "Please! Do not speak when I be like that..."


    Eldrian nodded, he could see the damage that she had just gone through. She must have been trying to recall her past. But who knew how many lives she had lived through. Who knew how damaged her soul was.


    "Souls..." She finally spoke after recovering from the shock, "There is no single individual that can answer that. Not the gods, the AI, humans, elves..."


    "No one can answer that question, we all can only specte. No one has the true answer. You must already know that souls are different for each person, the onlymonality is that people''s souls would have a theme. A theme of their life philosophy."


    "Your soul is your everything. Everything that isn''t part of your physical body. It is your consciousness, your beliefs, your subconscious, your dreams, your fears... You can''t define it simply and even if you tried, your definition might not hold for someone else''s experiences."


    Eldrian indicated for her to stop. "Is it a unique realm, or is it part of arger realm?"


    The more the two talked the more Eldrian was inclined to believe her story. Her mental state seemed truly fragile. It truly did appear to him that she was a fragmented soul. It almost reminded him of the state he had been in way back then. Back when Sabrea had died.


    Most importantly, he didn''t need to get a definition of what the soul is. He needed to understand it, he had to figure out how far he could push it without risking damage to himself.


    "Realm? What do you mean by realm?"


    "I''vee to a recent realization that ANW is truly a non-physical world. Yet, it is not a fake world. It exists, it is real. I''ve never doubted this... What I thought of was that it is simr to the realms of the gods, and in simpler terms simr to the void space of a dimensional storage. Of an artifact."


    "I believe that each person''s consciousness is a simr realm. And if our souls are our entire being, then that realm should be our soul. However, why do some souls appear like a copy of the body? Why was mine a heart, then a crystal, and now a copy of me?"


    Ashliel did not reply, she stared at Eldrian. Her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open. She was shocked, too shocked.


    "Are realms restricted to the realm it was created within? Why then can my soul move between ANW and Earth and yet the mana in my soul does not? What makes the soul different? If it is lifeforce, XP, or whatever. What makes this type of mana so unique?"


    Ashliel tried to fill her cup again, sadly they had run out of tea. Taking a deep breath and fighting off the shaking, a new teapot suddenly appeared. A much more refreshing aroma filled the air, nearly causing Eldrian to lose all focus.


    Ashliel quickly filled her cup while spilling nearly as much outside as that made it inside her cup. Seeing the wasted precious liquid Eldrian almost couldn''t contain himself.


    Only after taking a few sips could Ashliel calm down, did she stop shaking.


    "You can pour yourself some..." Her voice was strained. She was clearly exhausted now.


    "This... What kind of tea is this?" Eldrian couldn''t move his eyes from the spilled tea, he could feel the mana contained within it. To his eyes the density wasparable to mana crystals, and it was a tea!


    "It''s something you truly won''t find anywhere within the confines that Miracle designed for the game. It is from an area that has lived through a chaotic storm and thrived from it. Help yourself."


    Eldrian nodded, quickly emptying his cup and even cleaning it with Nidia. As he poured he could almost feel himself being drawn into the cup. He did not even register the words that she had said. That chaotic storms could be beneficial, itpletely flew past him.


    "Be careful when drinking it. If you drink too much you might not be able to survive."


    Eldrian nodded and took a small sip, as he did he could feel his body exploding with energy. At the same time, an irritating system notification told him that he had permanently gained some attribute points.


    Eldrian ignored the message and followed the energy as it coursed through his body, the feeling was simr to when he had fused his mana into his organs. And like then, it was truly rejuvenating. It made him feel weightless, lifted all worries, allowed him to think with an extremely clear mind.


    "Do you know why the duke is so deferential to me?" Ashliel asked after giving Eldrian time to savor the taste and feel of the tea.


    Considering that she had already given him two Rank 5 materials in the Lightstone and Magic Crystal, and now this tea. It was not hard to guess. "You''re wealthy, wealthy beyond belief, and you have the gods of this world backing you. Anyone who doesn''t respect you would be digging their own grave."


    "Indeed. It is the one good thing that came from the torment of eternal life. What most consider priceless is simply one of the many pebbles I have collected through my countless journeys."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 677 Bubbles In The Ocean

    "How is it possible for it to increase my attributes?" Eldrian asked.


    "That is only natural, all consumables of this level would enhance your body. It can even solidify and repair your soul to some extent. Especially if it was processed through alchemy, as a tea its effects are minimal. But it helps clear the mind. Inmens terms, it helps me stay sane."


    ''To drink something worth a Magic Crystal. Daily? Weekly? To stay sane... Her wealth...'' Eldrian didn''t know how to act now, suddenly he also wanted to show some more respect to thisdy. Until now he had been talking to her as he would talk to anyone else.


    "As for your previous question. I''m not too certain what exactly you mean by a realm. I was simply too shocked by how much your soul had gone through. For it to take on such formative changes, it is very telling and extremely shocking."


    "By realm-" Eldrian paused as Two suddenly interrupted him.


    ''That tea... Don''t drink anymore.'' Two sounded scared.


    ''What? Why?''


    ''Remember how Ziraili said that the breakthrough awakened a part of our bloodline. This, it feels like this might awakened it more. Unless you''re ready to deal with it, don''t drink anymore.''


    "What''s wrong?" Ashliel keenly picked up how Eldrian suddenly looked at the tea with worry.


    ''Do I trust her?'' Eldrian pondered while looking at the tea and fighting his thirst for it. It wasn''t that he wanted the stat growth, but how it had made him feel. It was an addictive feeling.


    Eldrian was truly impressed that Ashliel could control herself to not drink all she had. To not down her cup, to not down the teapot. She was drinking it leisurely, small sip after small sip withrge breaks between them.


    "Would it be possible for us to make a contract through the AI?" Eldrian remembered this neat function at thest moment but was unsure if it would work.


    "I would rather have youe to trust me naturally. If you don''t mind trying, why don''t you attempt to contact GAIA now? I don''t mind waiting."


    "But that wille back to if I can use XP."


    "And why not? All that youcked was what it is. Once you can find it you can slowly learn how to control it like the other forms of mana. I assume you learned first by memorizing spell modules, that process should be simr to ess and use lifeforce."


    ''Is it really mageia? Can''t be.'' If it was that simple Eldrian felt he would have long ago learned how to control it. He would have at least seen something to indicate it could be more than a guiding force. ''Maybe it is the maniption of that space? Using it as fuel? It would be the next step in mageia...''


    "I might have an idea, but I''m not sure how to shift it to the outside."


    "I can''t answer that. But maybe forming it and then trying to ess it from outside would help?"


    ''Like with my mana soul? Does this mean XP is truly a unique type of mana? Different from those used in spells? It does make up the soul, all life... Are there two types of mana, or is lifeforce more than mana?''


    Eldrian dived into his consciousness. He already knew how to manipte this space, it wasn''t difficult. How to make something to contact GAIA, that was a more difficult question. In the end, he decided to form a question with the space of his consciousness itself.


    It did not take Eldrian long, by the time Ashliel took her second sip of tea he was back. ''This is kind of how I first struggled to connect with the system, how I had to learn how to use the interface. If this works, I might be able to fully modify it. I wonder what the limits would be...''


    Focusing from the outside, Eldrian envisioned the message he had created and attempted to activate it. This in turn was simr to how he essed his mana soul while the first step had been simr to how he had made it. The simrity allowed him to seed on his first attempt.


    [Message <Can we talk?> has been sent] Came the system reply, seeing it Eldrian hoped that it would reach the right AI. After all, it wasn''t like he had an address. All he could do was envision the duality god and hope his message would find its way to them.


    "That was quick," Ashliel noted upon seeing Eldrian rx, she also picked up that he was still not touching his cup.


    "I''ve had some experience with what I needed to do. I still don''t know how to really use this lifeforce, but I now know why I couldn''t feel or detect it before." Eldrian replied, the reason was so simple.


    It was his soul, it was him. Unlike mana, it wasn''t something foreign he had to search for. He just had to realize what it was. He kind of understood why Ashliel tried to exin that people were individuals and they are also part of arger whole.


    Each person was like a bubble in an ocean. Each bubble was unique and separate from the others, but they were all part of the ocean nheless.


    This also perfectly fit with his idea of each consciousness being a realm, they were simply all part of therger ocean realm. And then that ocean realm might be part of arger world, thendmasses being separate realms along with the sky, the void of space, the core of the...


    There could even be multiples, some barren, some shattered by some unknown events. Maybe even stars could be unique realms.


    Some things might be able to shift between the realms, and some things would forever be contained within their realm of origin. Maybe it was even possible for things to transverses.


    Eldrian suspected lifeforce was one capable of shifting, and that mana as he knew it and used was not.


    ''If I use mageia to draw and then fill it with this ''space'', this lifeforce. Can I shift it to the physical realms, would it allow me to ess endless amounts of mana? Is lifeforce limited in usage to connecting us with mana, or is it mana?''


    Eldrian had an itch to experiment but he also understood that this would be a truly dangerous thing to do. If what he was thinking was correct, then the usage of lifeforce as a source of mana would be extremely damaging to the person. And also extremely powerful.


    In all likelihood, this would be exponentially more powerful than using an aura. However, how it influenced the rest of reality was unknown. How it would react in a realm outside of its origin, Eldrian did not know. It might be more explosive, or it might bepletely inert.


    As his thoughts were running wild, a system reply came. Short and to the point.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 678 Second Phase

    [We cannot meet, the only realm we can visit is the realm of souls. Ashliel is on our side.]


    It was a short reply, but it gave Eldrian the answers he needed. He also understood that he would be able to send messages to the AI through this method. Thus the problem of contacting them was also now resolved.


    Of course, there was no guarantee that GAIA replied. It might have been one of the other AI or even Miracle, somehow. Eldrian could never bepletely certain unless he met them again in the realm of souls.


    Her story however had moved Eldrian, even if he still wasn''tpletely certain. He now felt that he could trust her enough to at least talk about his experiences a bit more. If they could fool him to this degree then he had always been fooled.


    Just as Eldrian was about to speak Ashliel asked, "Friends of yours?"


    Confused, Eldrian turned around and saw Myropsis and Vivian standing a few feet away. "Yeah."


    "How much do they know?"


    "They..." Eldrian paused, he recalled he had exined everything to Vivian. They hadn''t talked of it since, he had been too busy. To preupied. Recently he had tried to get closer to his friends again, but so much time had passed.


    "Let them in please."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I trust them. I''ve already told Vivian, she''s the one on the right. I''ve told her basically everything."


    Ashliel nodded, indicating for the two to enter. An invisible barrier had stopped them from nearing and stopping all eavesdropping. Upon moving past the barrier Myropsis was immediately drawn to the tea. After smelling the intoxicating aroma she turned to thedy who appeared almost like an angel.


    "Are you the Divine?" Myropsis asked, she felt pressured just from standing so near such a legendary figure. She had heard rumors, her father and mother had told her to be careful and respectful when meeting her.


    "I am." Ashliel nodded, turning to look at Vivian. Myropsis''s reaction was more normal, Vivian however looked at her much like Eldrian did.


    "Are you from the same ce as Eldrian?" Vivian asked after a few seconds, her eyes seemed to pierce through Ashliel.


    Ashliel shivered, she felt like her soul was being examined. And of course, this made her curious about who this redhead was. "I am, what gave me away?"


    "Your soul."


    "Impossible!"


    "It''s fragmented, the only way you can survive with such a soul is if the gods are helping you."


    "Impossible!" Ashliel shook, hurriedly she turned to her tea.


    Vivian did not shift her gaze, her eyes shed with shock as she watched Ashliel''s soul tremble and repair itself. Yet, the damage was too extensive. It was only temporary. Extremely temporary.


    "Vivian, she is on our side." Eldrian took her hand and guided her to take a seat.


    "How can you know?"


    "If she isn''t then, well... Then I am alone in my struggle."


    Vivian nodded, she understood that he wasn''t talking of this world. While the two had not discussed it in detail, she knew he was also fighting in his own world.


    "Myropsis, you should also take a seat," Eldrian said after noticing that she was still standing there like a frozen statue.


    Ashliel took out two more cups and after serving them some tea she looked at Eldrian. Clearly indicating for him to start the conversation, she would follow along with what he wanted to discuss.


    "My most pressing question has been answered." Eldrian started off by saying, "What I want to know now is more about this tea. You said it came from a nt that grows in an area that not just survived a chaotic storm but even thrived from it. Can you exin?"


    "About the tea, nt, or area?"


    "Let''s start with the area. I thought chaotic storms destroyed everything."


    "The storm itself certainly does destroy everything. It is too powerful for even legends to defend against. All they can do to survive is retreat."


    "And does it really only ur when an area bes too unstable?"


    "That is the normal exnation. It is possible for it to ur due to this."


    "The invasion isn''t driven by this?" Eldrian asked, her tone seemed to indicate this.


    "Why do you think I decided to turn against Miracle this time?"


    "They instigated this... I had hoped- I hoped that there was some truth to their excuse..." Eldrian sighed, he had always known that they wouldn''t order the AI to stop it. He had hoped at least that it had urred naturally. That it was time for the users of chaos to experience karma.


    In a sense, they are. But not as a result of their own actions. Miracle had ordered the AI to start the chaotic storms. This meant that without the AI''s interference it would be less likely for invasions to happen at this scale.


    Even if the demons and devils'' use of magic might eventually cause a chaotic storm to appear. The scale was certain to be limited. There was no way they would all invade as one. That they would all be forced from theirnds at the same time.


    Looking back at it, this was quite obvious. Considering the scale of this world, it should logically be impossible for things to happen as they had without divine interference. The question now was why.


    Eldrian recalled that outside of invasions the side of chaos was kept in ce by the gods, for the most part. Giving time to heal and recover for the rest.


    He now also knew that the side of chaos couldn''t be held responsible for needing to invade, they were but another piece being manipted by the people behind the gods. Their actions certainly called for justice, but this. This was not justice.


    ''There must be something, some reason...'' As Eldrian was pondering Ashliel continued.


    "Yes, their designated game area... They wanted to start another game, another round. But that only ounts for around ten to twenty percent of this world. Around half of the rest of the world is still chaotically radioactive from past events. Of the remaining, at least ten percent has recovered."


    "Then, their goal?"


    "Likely to end the first phase of the experiment and start anew in these recoverednds. I assume they finally figured out how to ensure regrowth."


    "What are you talking about?!" Myropsis was struggling to follow along and she could no longer silently sit and listen. She thought they were talking of the gods but she knew none named Miracle, it was a strange name to choose.


    "The gods you know have gods above them. They are ying a kind of game with the entire world trying to figure out some mysteries." Ashliel replied curtly.


    "Those gods are people from our world, people who can''t even use magic. The mysteries she mentioned is magic. Our world is barrenpared to Earth-" Eldrian paused, his heart nearly stopped. "Please, tell me I''m wrong!"


    "Second phase, reintroduce humans in the thriving recoverednds. Watch for mutations, determine if it is suitable for Earth."


    Eldrian could feel his heart-stopping, his worst fear answered. Miracle would destroy the world to introduce magic to it. Even if he showcased the dangers of magic, Miracle never nned to avoid it. They nned to use it.


    "Those destroyeds?"


    "Failed experiments. But they did prove that after a chaotic storm, mana bes more plentiful. We don''t know why, but on thoses you will find everything far more rich in mana. Top-ranked materials would bemon. The same can be said of the recovered areas of Gaia. Such as where this teaes from."


    "What if it doesn''t work?"


    "They should be quite confident, some of the areas never recovered. If they aren''t going to use installments with the remaining world, then they must be confident they can ensure recovery."


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 679 Plans To Stop Miracle

    Eldrian continued to ask Ashliel more about these recovered areas. Slowly he started to understand what Miracle''s ns were, though he wasn''t sure how they would spin it for all the yers.


    ''Likely a type of world reset as a massive update... Though if they did this there would be a massive outcry, but considering their end goal, I can see them not really caring about the yer''s feelings. So we will have to turn to their legal obligations... I wonder if Elizabeth made any progress?''


    Eldrian felt the weight of the world now on his shoulders as he tried to brainstorm how to stop them.


    "I''m sure that people will listen if you inform them," Vivian said.


    "Would you listen to the king or some rambling peasant?" Eldrian countered.


    She didn''t have a counter for that, but Myropsis did. She had taken this entire ordeal in stride, joining the conversation after the initial shock had passed. "Then you should make sure you aren''t just a peasant."


    Such a simple sentence, yet it held so much truth. "Right, the first thing would be to interrupt the tournament. Doing it in person would limit my reach but will still be important. If I interrupt the finals, it might get me arger audience."


    "You mean these sparring matches you Chosen have between one another?" Myropsis asked, curious to hear more about this topic. Though now wasn''t the best time to discuss this.


    "Yeah, in our world it will be broadcasted to the entire world. It is what my end goal is for the artifacts, to allow them to talk and thus people to talk with each other regardless of distance."


    Eldrian already had a n for this, it would be simple if he could somehow have the artifacts function in the same realms. He believed this should be possible if he made a bigger realm to epass it all.


    Much like how the magic abyss was the realm that allowed people to connect with lifeforce/mageia without the requirement of great talent. Which allows most people to use magic and talent to only be a factor again at Tier 5.


    "I can help you on that end." Ashliel quickly brought the topic back, "The arenas are actually held in some of the recovered areas. You see, some areas recovered but didn''t change much. Miracle is using those as secret locations since wildlife is still limited and there is no intelligent life."


    "Some areas?"


    "Yeah, as I mentioned before some areas thrived after the storms. They became even more fantasy-like, the entire area has more mana than a super-rich mana vein..." Ashliel paused, "However, other areas became barren wastnds. Not only is there no mana, but there is also no life."


    "However, how can you be at two ces? Two different worlds?" Ashliel asked, if Eldrian appeared in one area, especially in the finals, then Miracle would be prepared if he tried to make another move. Ultimately it was more important to make the personal appearance and showcase the dangers of magic.


    "That won''t be a problem." Eldrian''s confidence confused Ashliel a little, Vivian and Myrospis however didn''t think too much about it. They were used to Eldrian being able to do crazy things.


    "We can only hope that the outcry you instigate would be big enough. Miracle is extremely confident. Sadly, even if we managed to stop the invasion forces we won''t be able to stop the chaotic storms when they arrive..."


    Her sentence sent the group into a somber silence. She was essentially telling them that no matter how hard they fought, they would still all die in the end.


    "I can''t- I won''t ept that!" Eldrian clenched his fists as his body tensed in anger. "I''ve long since decided that I will fight for this world, there must be some way we can stop them!"


    "There are two possibilities. The first is most preferable. Ensure the gods'' survival somehow, they are already on our side but they won''t die for us. We must remove Miracle''s threat."


    "The other is less ideal, it would require far more resources and what we can save would be limited. And even after, no one will be able to leave the cities for millennia."


    Sighs all around, everyone had an idea of what the second was. It was most certainly not an ideal solution.


    "Shouldn''t we bring more people into this discussion?" Myropsis asked.


    "To what end? No one but the Chosen can influence that world. Talking to others wouldn''t do any good."


    "They might be able to help use up with some answers!"


    "Or they might feel like the gods have abandoned them, their world copsing around them they might shut down. Filled with despair they might give up on life." Ashliel countered.


    "We still have a few years, Miracle doesn''t want to rush things. Our obstructing their ns might cause them to change their ns, but for now, they should still be confident... The only thing I don''t understand is why they sent an ipetent general to deal with me."


    Eldrian quickly shared his few run-ins with Axel with the group. They all agreed that it was strange, but none had any idea why Miracle would do this. One suggestion was that maybe someone in the group wasn''t okay with Miracle''s n and was trying to help Eldrian in a roundabout way.


    "How can I ensure the AI''s survival?" Eldrian asked after another somber silence had befallen the group.


    "My first thought would be to secure the servers. But that would require you storming Miracle''s HQ." Ashliel replied.


    Eldrian didn''t think that it would be as easy as his time escaping. "What about making an artifact to act as the bridge, instead of the servers?"


    "The servers likely are artifacts. Do you think you can rece what took an internationally supported secretpany decades to make?"


    "It doesn''t seem like I have any better options..." Eldrian paused and considered how he might be able to do this, of course, he also considered that he might be able to act as such a bridge. However, there were certain to be dangers. It might kill him if the burden was shifted to him.


    "First thing is I need to make a device capable ofmunicating between the worlds."


    ''So, interrupt the finals, make an appearance at Miracle''s HQ, interrupt the finals there too. Demonstrate magic and its dangers, survive whatever they throw at me. Lastly, find a way to save the AI. Easy enough...'' Eldrian mumbled sarcastically to himself, even without going into details the n already sounded insane.


    Luckily he was not alone.


    The group talked for a while more however they could only theorize so much. They needed to start experiments to see what would actually work. Luckily, Ashliel seemed totally devoted to ensuring that they, that Eldrian would seed.


    Ashliel would stay with them until the time came, sharing what knowledge she could. Unfortunately, though, the materials that she had were all far too high grade. Rank 4 and 5 were but like pebbles next to the road, anything below was like the dirt of the road. No one would collect them, and Eldrian couldn''t use such valuable materials.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 680 News Of The Siege Of Vlisia

    Due to Ashliel''s skewed collection, they had to still rely on the Duke''s offer of using any of the materials avable in the forge. Eldrian also thought on it a bit and decided to exin his second consciousness, Two, to the group.


    "When we need to be active in both worlds Two will likely take control of my avatar in this world. But that isn''t the most important thing. I need as many books as you guys can bring me, if I ce them in my inventory Two will be able to read through them rapidly."


    ''Of course, we can''t remember everything...'' He mumbled to himself but decided to not share with the group. The problem with such rapid reading was that much of what they read would quickly be forgotten. They simply couldn''t store all that information.


    A sad w the two had discovered, but it was still an amazing ability. Eldrian left figuring out how to remember the important stuff to Two. If they could find a good method then the knowledge could truly be made their own.


    Weeks passed quickly as Eldrian did all he could to try and find a way to save not just ANW but also his homeworld. To save all his friends and families.


    Ashliel it turned out wasn''t as helpful as they had hoped, on some days she was a blessing. Able to guide Eldrian from a sh of inspiration to the next. On other days it took everything she had to stay sane, to contain all her memories.


    Still, her presence was a massive help for those times when she could help Eldrian. Of course, during this time Eldrian basically ate the basic materials in the forge through all his experiments.


    Currently, the duke wasn''t too bothered by it since all that Eldrian was using was mostly celestial ores. But once Eldrian confirmed his theories he would start using better materials. Of course, through this, he also gained Tiers in cksmithing, runesmithing, array forging, and even inscription.


    Sadly the Tiers didn''te with bonus stats and were almost more like titles. From what Eldrian understood, they gave less growth than the threebat sses (magic, range, melee) and only presented themselves if they surpassed the highestbat ss.


    As for why they were using actual materials and didn''t rely on temporary runes, that was because the designs were simply tooplex. Trying to maintain the temporary runes would require Two''s help. But Two was busy going through a library''s worth of books.


    Two had quickly thought of a neat way to save important research. They had long since known they could alter their mental room to whatever they wanted it to be. But they had never bothered since it wouldn''t be beneficial, but now they had found a very useful use for it. At first, it had started as a book, then a bookshelf. Now a small library was slowly growing inside their consciousness.


    Sadly all the knowledge inside this library wasn''t their own knowledge, but they could reference it in seconds. It was likepartmentalizing the information in a safe but different location than their general knowledge. Saving it on a secondary hard drive for when it was needed.


    During this time Eldrian had also talked with Vivian to better understand what her breakthrough was about. As they talked he learned that for some reason she was more connected to souls than he was. Strangely though, it appeared her connection was limited to souls. She felt no connection to lifeforce, mageia, or XP. None of these forms came to her naturally. But for some reason, she could see the souls of people and even wandering souls.


    Her ability was the opposite of Eldrian''s mana sense, it took her active effort to stop seeing these souls. When it first started happing it had nearly driven her to insanity.


    Through talking with her Eldrian slowly came to understand that souls were indeed weird, but it also made more sense as he learned more of them. Souls were like dimensional storages, a simpleparison and a seeming very useful one when talking about high-end magical theories.


    The soul was still contained in a person and to her eyes it ovepped with the physical. In some extreme casing like Ashliel''s, the soul and physical body phased between one another. Ashliel''s soul appeared shattered, glued together but on the verge of falling apart.


    They had no idea why everyone''s soul appeared like the person to Vivian, the only exnation they thought of was that it mimicked the container it was in. For now, this exnation sufficed for the two and also exined why the internal and external appearances could be so vastly different.


    On Earth, Eldrian was also constantly preparing for theing difficulties. He continued to gather all the interesting stones that he could find in the mountain and each day he would spend a handful of hours attempting to modify them with mana.


    At first, this had only resulted in him being covered in dust, but after a few weeks he started to learn how to artificially evolve the stones and crystals. After mastering this he was now looking to find the most plentiful stone or crystal in the area that could store a decent amount of mana.


    It was imperative that he could store enough mana for his ns.


    ...


    Halfway through the second month, the group stopped for a while after hearing the news of a pyrrhic victory. Eldrian had suspected the news to arrive soon, after all, he had seen the movement of the orcs and the soldiers.


    Thanks to his constant sharing of information, the kingdom had been able to tighten the noose around the orcs. It was only natural that the orcs realized that their every move was being observed. Yet they had not retreated.


    Why they were so stubborn no one knew, in the end, they were forced to gamble it all with one charge. Death or victory, no in-between.


    Sadly, even with this the kingdom still suffered heavy losses. Hearing this story, Eldrian felt that he had to do something to help. He immediately thought of another memorial artifact.


    "We don''t have time for this!" Countered Ashliel vehemently, she could not understand how Eldrian could even think of doing something so counterproductive.


    "I think we do, plus I haven''t been able to make any progress recently. I think I need to make something simpler but stillplex- Actually, do you have another Magic Crystal?"


    Ashliel''s mouth opened and closed but no sound made it out. After struggling for a bit she finally shouted, "Do you think Magic Crystals grow on trees?!"


    "This is important, don''t be snub."


    "What are you thinking? Exin."


    "I want to test my theory of realms within a higher realm."


    "Do you think you have time to go on a tangent like this?!"


    "This isn''t a tangent!" Eldrian countered, "I need to understand what realms are and their limitations. It is one of the most important topics there is!"


    "But it won''t help when you need to-" She stopped as Eldrian thrust out his hand to indicate for her to stop talking.


    "I know this isn''t going to help directly, but I need to see if I can make another artifact..."


    "And what if you can? Why do this now, why not wait until after?"


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 681 A Second Memorial Flower Is Born

    "Because..." Eldrian paused, understanding that he needed a good reason if he wanted her support. He would prefer to ask her for the Mov Crystals that he was going to need. The duke was sure to question just why he would need something so rare and expensive and would most likely not part with it easily.


    "After making them I am going to attempt to make a barrier artifact with minimalistic materials. It is why I have continued to practice with celestial ores."


    "Your family?" Ashliel finally understood, she had noticed Eldrian''s material choice long ago. He was proficient enough to use rank 2 materials with waste, he could even mix in some rank 3 and attempt to make Tier 6 or 7 items already. Normally the results should be poor, but Eldrian seemed to have this ability to somehow ignore his shorings to finish projects.


    Yet, even so, he had continued to use celestial ore, the mostmon rank 1 material a person could use. Using it wasn''t much different from using normal ores, and this was of course important for Eldrian''s tests.


    "Why not take them and hide somewhere?" Asked Ashliel, she could understand Eldrian''s wish to protect them. But other than hiding them there wasn''t more he could do.


    "I''m going to, but I need to also have something to protect them while I am gone. I already have a safe hidden location, my next steps are the barrier artifacts and figuring out teleportation."


    "So that''s why you ask Myropsis for those books..." Ashliel paused and sighed, "You''re insane. Do you know how long it takes people to master teleportation?"


    "I don''t really have much of a choice. I am focusing on fixed point teleportation with a guiding item, I should be able to finish this in time."


    Ashliel nodded, "That''s smart, have you already made the array?"


    "More or less, I''m struggling with the mana sources. My self-made mana crystals are extremelycking."


    "Seems that you do have a n. However, Magic Crystals are truly rare. I can''t give you one unless you present me with a n that makes sense and is likely to work. And don''t think you can pull the rug from under me!"


    "Naturally," Eldrian nodded and quickly got to outlining the new memorial flower''s design.


    As he worked he realized he had no idea how to link it to a higher realm and he didn''t want to postpone the memorial flower''s finish. The people of Vlisia were sure to be living through their darkest days right now. He wanted to offer them some help while it mattered most.


    While this would not help them to get past their grief, for grief was not such an easy thing to conquer, it would help them to mourn and hopefully bring the city closer together as a whole.


    While he truly wanted to experiment with making a higher realm, Eldrian understood where he should ce his focus.


    This was also an important part of figuring out how to remove the threat to the AI, and was not something he could aplish right now. Hopefully, though he would have time for that. He could postpone his intervention, but Eldrian felt that if he acted toote then it would be a much harder battle.


    ''Let us hope public outcry can contain Miracle. I hope they don''t use the AI as bargaining chips.''


    Eldrian quickly put Myropsis to work with him, he even called the cksmith whose forge this was. The centaur wasn''t too happy taking orders from Eldrian, but he soon quieted down upon seeing the strange constructions Eldrian had made that were strewn about his once organized forge.


    None of them followed standard knowledge, the final nail driving it home for the cksmith was seeing Myropsis making a memory bead so quickly. Normally they required so many intricate runes but here they made it with one simple semi-rune.


    With their help, Eldrian could focus on the core of the artifact, delegating all the repeated parts to the two. Even though they worked extremely fast, it still took slightly over a day for them to finish.


    Of course, Eldrian had known this day woulde and had made preparations ahead of time. As a result, they already had the needed materials and some of the parts had been finished when he was experimenting on some new functionalities. Thus once they got to work, there were no unnecessary dys.


    To Eldrian it still took too long, but to those around him, it was something that brokemon sense. Artifacts were a step above magic items, though theirplexity wasn''t always such. They required a unique secret art that almost no one knew, and somehow Eldrian had stumbled upon it.


    It wouldn''t be strange for it to take months to make one. Requiring a team of extremely talented craftsmen. Yet, here they had made it in just a little over a single day.


    This memorial flower was twice asplex as the previous one since they had decided to make it with a much more intricate design. Using two flowers; one the flower given to couples after their marriage or when a babe was born, the other the flower ced upon a grave.


    The former represented the hope that one should have for the future. That new bonds could still be formed, and that life continued. Thetter represented the cycle of life ending in death.


    Eldrian had wanted the artifact to tell a story, while it was basic it had also allowed him to experiment with connecting the two realms that the two Mov crystals used as the pistils of the two flowers created. Which gave him invaluable insight into how Mov Crystals could be used.


    Of course, Eldrian had not done just this, he had added even more functions through those previouslypleted experiments.


    By connecting the runes to the space inside the artifact and connecting his vision of the end result, he could almost guarantee it doing what he wanted. In a way, he had slowlye to master ''talking'' with mana.


    He no longer had to hope for it to work, he was starting to understand how it was the use of lifeforce without a filter. By forming his vision solidly in his mind, it made it so mana seemed capable of listening. In a way, this was why mana reacted as if alive.


    This strange connection between the mind and a substance that was simr to the fabric of space, but of an ethereal realm, certainly resulted in many magical things.


    "Are you sure you don''t want toe with me?" Eldrian asked after he finished the final part. The memorial flower was now only asrge as his hand. The shrinking function, or more correctly the growing function reced the previous [take root] function and made it easier to carry and nt.


    "Unlike you, we can''t use teleportation without cost." Myropsis replied, though honestly, she did not want to visit the site of a battle between thousands so soon after it had beenpleted.


    "Don''t take too long, we still have much we need to prepare for," Vivian added, her mission to go and release her dad had never left her heart. She was constantly working hard to make sure she can aplish this, even if they failed in therger goal, she still wanted to let her father''s soul rest.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 682 Planting The Second Memorial Flower

    Eldrian wished that he could have spared some time to learn a flight spell, though teleportation would still be far faster. The feeling of the flight was just so different, but Eldrian didn''t want to bother Ceph for this.


    As a matter of course getting into the city of Vlisia had required some string-pulling, after all, they were still on high guard. Especially since the king was still in the city. That was where being the guest of the duke came in nice and handy.


    Stepping out of the magic tower, Eldrian was shocked by what weed his eyes. The city looked far worse than Kynigo had on its worst day. The orcs had all fought to thest, a destructive rage having driven them insane. Or so he had heard.


    Even in a part of the city that had been seen far less devastation, the smell of blood still filled the air. The familiar metallic smell reminded Eldrian just how real this was.


    The carnage of a ruined city, it reminded Eldrian yet again that this was what war looked like. War was never pretty, and magic just made this even more so. From afar it might make the war look beautiful, but up close it was horrifying.


    Thinking of this, Eldrian was reminded of Diades. If he had been far enough to not be in danger. And if he could distance himself and imagine this a game. Then certainly it would have looked like an amazing fantasy battle. The deaths of all those in the city would not have mattered, but they did.


    While not a greatfort, somefort was that while magic made war more destructive, it also made recovery quicker. Given that those who survived could use magic. This did not just count for the buildings andndscape, but also for those who had been escaped injured.


    As long as there were enough healers of sufficient strength, they would not need to spend days, weeks, months, or perhaps even years recovering from the aftermath. The onlysting trauma would be their memories and their lost loved ones.


    Eldrian gripped the tiny flower in his hand upon thinking of this. It would help, but nothing could ever fully heal that pain. Even aftering to ept your loss and moving out of grief, the hole left after losing someone would remain. It might never be possible to fill that hole again.


    Walking through the rubble, Eldrian noticed the distinctck of human, demi-human, or centaur corpses. Clearly, the remaining soldiers and citizens had prioritized them over the corpses of the orcs, which were scattered throughout and already starting to rot in the sun.


    They would have to be cleared to prevent the spread of disease, but taking care of the living and dead of your own side came first. This was normal, but looking at all these Eldrian felt a heavyweight in his heart.


    He did not understand why they had chosen to die in battle instead of retreating. He wasn''t sure if it was insanity, culture, religion, or Miracle''s tampering. And thisst part made him unable to feel this justified, they were monsters sure. Barbaric by nature, but even wild beasts deserved better.


    Though if one were to look at nature then this was normal, the dead would be eaten by scavenger beasts and what is left would rot. But orcs, while barbaric, were a step above animals. They could think, albeit with a broken sense of rationality.


    Eldrian wasn''t even sure if their barbaric nature was truly natural or if it was something brought onto them by their culture and environment.


    All this brought forth a strong inner conflict inside Eldrian''s heart. He did not me the city for their handling of this. This waspletely normal. ''Do I hate war? Why did I ever even want to y the game?''


    This question truly shocked Eldrian, obviously, when he had bought ANW almost two years back now, he had done so with the hope of being a dashing hero charging into hordes of monsters. Monsters are just like these orcs.


    And now... Now he was looking at them and pondering their intent, their reasons, their beliefs, and even their circumstance. Trying to decipher why they would choose to die instead of falling back. Such an action was not a natural one, it was the exact opposite. Nature''s instinct was self-preservation or the preservation of the next generation. This was neither.


    Of course, war was never a natural thing. But it had roots in this natural instinct of preservation. For the aim of war was conquest, and the more you had the more assured you were to not just survive but thrive. Yet, why had they fought?


    ''Was it a stupid blind pride? A cultural or religious belief? Or is this Miracle pressing for the destruction of thest bastions of life?''


    Having never been religious, Eldrian almost wished now that he was. That he could turn to someone, to something to ask for guidance in this insanity. s, all he could do was steal his heart and resolve.


    ''Should I aim to eradicate those opposed to us?'' Eldrian felt the answer was no, but what then would be his goal if he could stop Miracle?


    As Eldrian neared where the fighting had been most intense, the scenes turned worse and worse. Even with a few days having passed since the intense battle, the area still looked like one would expect a field of battle to look like. Onlycking the corpses of those from the kingdom.


    Here the metallic smell of blood was much stronger, as was the smell of rot. In fact, thetter almost came to the level of the smell brought forth by the undead. This worried Eldrian, and upon reaching out to the surrounding mana he immediately tensed.


    Using mana sense, he confirmed that the area was slowly turning into a birthing ground for the undead. If it were to actually reach that point then many more lives would certainly be lost. Gripping the tiny flower again, Eldrian rushed to the area with the densest collection of death mana.


    Kneeling down amidst the broken corpses, Eldrian nted the tiny metallic flower.


    "Spread roots and grow. Help us heal, help thend heal. I ask you to be a beacon of hope, to wee thoseing to mourn. Take roots, grow, and spread your seed through thesends." Eldrian felt awkward saying this, but he was starting to understand that words had power. He did not need them, but using them could improve his magic. In that case, why not use them?


    As he finished the little metallic flower started to shine, the buds of the two flowers slowly opened and it started to grow. As it did it started drawing in the aura of rot in the area and even sent out a calming fresh smell of spring.


    This finally caused the nearby soldiers to notice Eldrian''s strange act and they immediately all became alert and worried. Especially so since the surrounding mana was acting strange.


    Shockingly, before them this strange nt grew to the size of a person in seconds. It also no longer looked like a metallic flower, but instead some strange mutation of a daffodil and chrysanthemum. Two opposing flowers were somehow growing together.


    "What have you done?!" One of the closest soldiers shouted, not daring to move closer to this strange elf and his mutant nt.


    To them, Eldrian seemed like some mad scientist having just sessfully nted a strange mutant nt in a death-rich environment. They were all tense, fearing the worst. The fact that one of the flowers was a Mortem, the flower of death, confirmed the fears in their hearts.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 683 The Kings Interest

    Looking at the soldiers and their raised weapons, ready to charge but fearfully holding off, Eldrian let out a long frustrated sigh. "I mean no harm, feel free to verify my identity."


    Hearing Eldrian speaks the soldier felt a bit more at ease, while they couldn''t just trust his words, the captains of the nearby squads quickly tried to identify Eldrian''s identity. Shockingly to Eldrian, none of them were able. Though to most this was an expected oue, after all, Eldrian was Tier 5 the same as the strongest centaur present. And he had a powerful hidden ss acting as a natural type of camouge.


    "I''ll stay here until you''ve confirmed things," Eldrian said, not wishing to make a bigger mess of this than it already was.


    While waiting he decided it was a good time to actually take a look around. Before he had focused on not seeing, not taking everything in his surroundings. And while the sights were still very unpleasant, he tried to figure out where he actually was standing within the city.


    As it turned out, the location he had chosen for the memorial flower did not even have ruins nearby, but by referencing his map Eldrian figured out that he was just outside the southern inner gate of Vlisia. Right where the fighting had been most intense.


    It took some time for someone to be brought over and while he waited Eldrian continued to experiment with his mana. He had naturally gained many insights from both Two''s summaries of books and Ashliel''s guidance. And while many of the topics he was interested in were beyond him, his mana was already integrated with his body, which would make enhancements easier.


    He was also used to using [Augment] to increase certain aspects of his attributes during fights, he was practicing a simr skill. But one he was designing for himself from scratch.


    Naturally, over the past month and a half Eldrian had also learned the vast difference between normal and advanced Tier 5 spells. Normal ones wereplex for sure, but the advanced ones were something else. Seeing this Eldrian had realized why learning higher Tier spells would no longer bring him to the next Tier.


    Teleportations, a spell he had to master if he truly wanted to protect his family and surprise Miracle, was soplex that it had more simrities with Tier 8 spells than Tier 5. While it could be aplished at Tier 5, the mana cost was normally equivalent to a person''s entire mana pool and thus the distance was also heavily limited.


    Due to this, almost no one would attempt to learn it so early, flight magic had simr reasoning. It was slightly easier than teleportation, having theplexity of either Tier 6 or 7 spells depending on the type of flight one aimed for. The type naturally also determined the mana cost, simrly to teleportation, to most it was simply not usable right when reaching Tier 5.


    The more Eldrian dived into master teleportation, aiming for point-to-point teleportation which was the simplest form, the more he came to understand how much he could still learn of magic. He also quickly realized that no shortcuts would be avable to him. Or at least not any that would help him master these spells like other Tier 5 spells or skills.


    "Eldrian?" A familiar voice rang out in disbelief, hearing it Eldrian smiled and turned to his friend.


    "It''s been some time since west met Elizabeth. Why did they bring you?" Eldrian replied as Elizabeth quickly recovered from the shock, recalling that Eldrian had mentioned he was busy with some type of memorial artifact.


    "They had only been able to discern your name and race, and as I''m the guild master of all the Chosen in the kingdom they turned to me." She exined before informing the guards that I would do no harm to them nor to the city.


    "But please exined what that massive flower behind you is."


    "Right, this is simr to the previous memorial flower that I made for Kynigo. I added a few upgrades..." And so Eldrian started to exin the flower''s purpose, most doubting his words and none brave enough to step forward to prove them.


    Eldrian shrugged and sighed seeing this, and while he could use it himself, he didn''t have any particr loss he needed help dealing with at the moment. Thus he doubted much would happen if he entered the artifact''s internal realm.


    While the captains tried to figure out what to do, Eldrian immediately got lost in thought again. ''I really need to get the duke to introduce me to a smith capable of making a dimensional storage. I know it takes basically all the smithing professions, but it is closer to an artifact than a normal magic item.''


    Eldrian was truly curious to feel the difference in the formation of a limitless ethereal realm like those of his memorial artifacts and the physical extremely limited space of a dimensional storage.


    As he was pondering he never forgot to keep his mana flowing and exchanging with the surrounding mana. Allowing him to notice how it was continuing to slowly be denser. Eldrian assumed that after some time the mana would resemble the outer forest of Avgi in density.


    ''If this is permanent, it will indeed be a big deal. I will have to return periodically to note the changes to the surroundings. If there are any negative drawbacks, I have to be very careful not to miss them.''


    ***


    A few days had passed since Eldrian had installed the second memorial flower. Farest, the king of Taurus, had been stopped from visiting the strange artifact due to the fact that the surrounding area was still filled with the rotting dead.


    While it was a pain, appearance had to be maintained. The king had asked the soldiers to clear the area but as a result rumors had also started to spread. Every day people would observe the strange flower, some with fear and others with great interest. But no one dared be the first to approach.


    While a few truly wanted to see what made it so special, no one wanted to be the first to move near to it. Eldrian had exined to them how it worked and the fact that it would disy their memories and even influence the emotions of everyone in the area made everyone reluctant.


    They could not fathom why the creator of the artifact would make it so embarrassing to use. To use the artifact was to bear one''s soul to all those around. This stopped even the most curious from actually attempting to use it.


    And as everyone kept giving the artifact a wide berth, a group of centaurs headed straight towards it. The foremost individual''s elect guards were all extremely anxious by their liege''s actions. Unfortunately, with the recent passing of Sodren and the old king required elsewhere, no one could reign in the king''s wish to see this artifact himself.


    Approaching the flower with much interest, Farest was astounded by how lifelike it appeared. The only fact bying its artificial creation was that the dew droplets did not flow from the leaves and fall to the ground. Instead, they stayed on the tips of the leaves, as if frozen in time.


    "I ask you to reconsider." One of Farest''s entourage pleaded as the king reached for the flower.


    "You have all heard of the memorial flower in Kynigo have you not? Are you not as curious as I why nothing but praise has been spoken of it?" And as his attendants tried to find a counter, Farest ced his hand on the flower and recalled the method of connecting with it.


    Realizing that the king did not even intend to first confirm things by using the memory beads, all those behind him turned pale but no longer dared interrupt. Unsure what would happen if the connection between their lord and the flower was broken abruptly.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 684 The Burden Borne By The King (1)

    As soon as he connected to the flower, Farest found himself in a world of darkness. He did not panic, having heard that the same happened with the memorial flower in Kynigo. Looking around in curiosity he felt this was very simr to the magic abyss.


    Farest was the most talented of all his siblings, it was why despite his young age he had been elevated to king. While the tradition of only allowing the strongest to rule had always made sense, in times like these it made even more so. Despite being the youngest, Farest was not the weakest.


    He had two older siblings who had reached Tier 9, however that was only in one area of expertise. Farest instead had managed the same in all three fields, his favorite weapon was the spear but he was a master of the sword and bow too as well as being an Archmage.


    During his magic training, he had managed to enter the magic abyss a handful of times, each attempt took days of preparation and hours of meditation. Being pulled to a world simr to the magic abyss just by attempting to connect with the flower was something beyond his wildest dreams.


    He had thought the reports were mistaken, that people simply wanted to connect the two. But now he understood that the simrities were truly great.


    As he was thinking of all this, the world changed. He heard his own words ordering those kneeling before him and it caused his heart to ache as all those before him were now dead.


    In particr, Farest focus on Sodren. Knowing that he had sent him to his death caused Farest deep pain, it cut through him like a cold dagger freezing his heart. Leaving him clutching his chest.


    His death was still too recent, it hurt too much. Even with the artifact reducing the emotional impact one would receive, Sodren had been like a father to Farest. He had been his bodyguard and teacher since young. Farest had spent more time with Sodren than with his actual father who was often too busy with kingly matters.


    As he was struggling with this heavy weight crushing his heart, the vision changed to one of the earliest he had of Sodren. The memory had long since been lost to time, yet here it appeared before him as if time had been rewound.


    A much younger version of Sodren was kneeling before a little Farest. At this time Farest had yet to learn how to shift to a human form. With Sodren kneeling he was right at the young Farest''s eye line.


    "Young master, I am Sodren. Your father has asked me to teach you. Will you have me?"


    ? Despite being young, Farest had already been taught the proper manner in which to respond. However, he paused. "Is this your wish?"


    "My lord?" Sodren tilted his ever so slightly, failing to understand the question.


    "Do you wish to serve me, despite knowing that I am the youngest of my siblings?" The implications of such a question were clear, young Farest was asking if Sodren was willing to serve him. Knowing that in all likelihood he would not be the next king. After all, the age difference between him and his eldest brother was simply toorge and no one knew yet if he was talented or not.


    "There is no need for concern. I shall train you to surpass even me. As long as you will have me, I will be by your side until the end."


    Young Farest nodded stiffly, soon the vision changed again. Yet the memory caused Farest to cry as he clutched his chest all the more. He was filled with gratitude at being able to finally recall his first time meeting Sodren.


    The next vision was in the royal training ground, Farest having mastered shape-shifting was masteringbat in his human form. It was important to bepetent regardless of his form, especially since a centaur was a muchrger target than a human. He was instructed that should he be attacked, he was to seek refuge behind his guards and make himself as small as possible while they protected him.


    However, Farest never wanted to hide and hope others would save him. Each day he trained until his hands bled and his clothes started to change color from his sweat. Determined not just to be king, but to be able to protect the kingdom.


    Even though he thought the stories about massive worldwide invasions were a myth. Their kingdom however was surrounded by enemies. While he did not believe in suchrge invasions, fighting against their neighboring enemies happened often.


    Once he was done with his physical training, he would sit down and meditate. First focusing on regaining control of his breathing, then his thoughts, and then he would start practicing magic.


    His efforts had paid off, when he was close twenty he had already reached Tier 8 in all three fields. A feat most impressive and if he continued to grow as he had then he would reach Tier 9 in a few years more, most believed he would reach Tier 10 before turning 30. Something worthy of being recorded among the legends of the kingdom.


    Of course, Farest could not thank Sodren -his teacher- enough. His guidance had allowed him to not simply progress quickly but also build a firm foundation. And that was when the myths no one believed to be true had turned out to be just that.


    Since there was no true sessor for the kingdom yet, with the requirement to be king being to reach Tier 10, the current king had a thought decision ahead of him. It was an absolute necessity that the king be capable of reaching Tier 10, not just that they were the strongest of his children. Thus talent was prioritized above all else.


    Tstos, the old king, had wanted to give his youngest more time but sadly he couldn''t. It was not unprecedented that a king be selected before reaching Tier 10, but normally there would be great resistance.


    However, Tstos had to be capable of moving freely. Thus Farest was thrust into the position, an act that would most certainly stall his growth as he now had to manage the burden of the ruling. What could have be a legend would now likely be only a slightly impressive feat.


    And just a few yearster he sent his teacher to die. Along with countless others.


    It all happened ording to his orders. Hundred of thousands had died, and while they had finally managed to defeat the orc horde, the aftermath was the destruction of nearly a quarter of the kingdom.


    If they had pulled all their strongest they might have been able to circumvent all this, but the orcs were stronger if looking only at their strongest. The warlords were not old centaurs nearing the end of their lives as was the case with Tstos and Duke Voda. Whether they would be able to defeat the warlords was uncertain, and if they could not the kingdom would be lost.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 685 The Burden Borne By The King (2)

    Farest hadn''t been able to make that gamble. He had decided to instead try to stall the orcs while hoping that something would change. And indeed something did. The Chosen, while weak, brought with them many manners of interesting things. However, even this was not enough to ensure victory outright.


    However, Eldrian''s ability to scout the enemy perfectly was one thing that was indeed capable of changing the tides of the war. While the kingdom still could not kill the warlords, the warlords could not conquer a city without an army. Finally, they had a chance.


    ''In the end, the orcs decided to take the gamble that I could not...'' Farest sighed, when the orcs finally realized that their army was only going to continue to be weakened and that there was no way for them to fight this omnipotent information that the kingdom seems to have, they resolved to settle it in one charge.


    Their collective force had certainly been overwhelming. Seeing them crush the outer walls with ease and do the same to the first inner wall, even while under fire from cannon and magic tower alike had resolved Farest that his decision had been the right one.


    While the price had been grave, the orcs had pressed on.


    This scene yed out before him again, where the artifact and he stood, had just a few days prior stood a proud gatehouse. Nothing of it remained after both the warlords'' attacks and the annihtion cannon''s fire. Yet, even it had not been able to kill the warlords.


    However, it had wounded them and killed hundred of weaker orcs. It had allowed Vlisia to change the tides of war. Without it, the city might truly have been lost. Even after using it and the strongest attacks that the magic towers could send out, the orcs still pressed on with determination. Blinded by a barbaric rage.


    While heavily wounded, outnumbered, and outgunned, they still fought on. They even managed to reach the second inner wall where Farest had been standing. Most of the lower city beyond the second inner was devastated in the following battle.


    Seeing this y out again made it extremely clear to Farest that he had done right by not taking the gamble back when the orcs started invading. Even after months of harassment and conquering a quarter of the kingdom, their forces were still strong enough to crush a corner city of the kingdom with ease.


    The only reason they hadn''t used brute force like this was that the cost would be too much and would force them to stop their invasion to recover. No one knew why they decided to do it once it was clear they could no longer take their time to bleed the city. After all, they were bleeding faster than Vlisia thanks to Eldrian''s information allowing the kingdom toy hundred of traps for the orcs to step into.


    The only reason Vlisia had stood strong here was not the annihtion cannon. No, it was that Farest''s father and Duke Voda had struck right when the warlords had started bing rxed. While the damage dealt to the orcs had been great, it had appeared to them that there was no one capable of stopping them. And that was when the only two Tier 10 individuals of the kingdom struck.


    ''This artifact is truly amazing...'' Farest was astonished at how much lighter he felt, what the artifact had shown him was precisely what he needed to see.


    It hurt no less knowing that his orders had led his guardian -his teacher and second father- to his death. But it helped him understand that what he had done had indeed saved the kingdom. Having seen the might of the orcs, Farest felt almost certain his father and Duke Voda would have been unable to defeat them without them being injured, and having them waste such a great deal of their mana and stamina in their attack.


    ''I understand now how it helps one ovee grief. The pain remains, but the me you ce yourself under is lifted...'' Farest felt truly grateful to Eldrian who had made this happen. His past few days had been nights with little to no sleep. The reports he received simply entered one ear and flew out the other as if there was nothing between the two.


    It would have taken him months to slowly build himself back up, to convince himself that he did the right thing. Yet, he was now certain.


    He still had regrets. So many ifs, the most prominent; if only on that day he had assigned Sodren to another gate...


    If, if, if...


    But what was done was done.


    ''This is the burden I must bear as a king, a heavy one I must bear alone.'' Farest thought of Eldrian, having met the elf a few months prior in the forest of Pyknos. The elf had been disrespectful but had great insight.


    He was not someone the king would want to rely on, but he had proven himself more than capable back then and now. Only his words had no filter and he saw no one above him. To Farest, this was an unfamiliar concept. To have someone talk to him like an equal who was not his family was vexing.


    He had kept his anger to himself and even calmed Sodren''s rage. In the months since he had learned more of the Chosen and came to realize that most of them acted simrly. Their world was much different from Gaia.


    ''Perhaps I should rely more on the elf. He is still weak I presume, but I heard he has recently gone to the duke city of Tania. It appears he is close to my magic-loving niece. It would aplish much to maintain some sort of management over him. If we are to recover the lost cities the Chosen are going to be a must for they are the only ones who would not die.''


    ''We cannot afford more losses, but we cannot abandon the resources in those cities and surroundingnds. I suspect another attack from the undead in a year or two and the kingdoms to our east and west have fallen. Phallos behind us is now under severe pressure to...''


    The king frowned, if Phallos was destroyed then they would be an ind separated from the rest of the empire. While they had always had the chaosnds between them and other kingdoms, this would create an even greater divide. They would almost certainly be crushed once that happened.


    ''Perhaps I should send that elf there?'' Farest pondered. No one had been able to uncover the source of the aura of death, most had even failed to consider Mana Examination as an option to investigate the undead.


    Perhaps, just perhaps, Eldrian could figure out something in the chaosnds. Why it surrounded the kingdom. Though saying it surrounded the kingdom was not quite right, it would be more apt to say that the kingdom has grown to fill thend that this ring of chaosnds encircled.


    ''If I were to do this however I would need to inform him of the kingdom''s secrets. I am not sure if I can trust him with such dangerous knowledge that even father has yet fully shared with me.'' Farest had only been thought enough to be able to unlock these secrets once he reached Tier 10.


    As per their ancestors'' warnings, they could not share this information with someone who did not have the mental fortitude to not be corrupted by it. Knowing this, Farest had been in no haste to dive into these secrets, ignorance was bliss after all.


    However, for his kingdom, he would strive to be stronger. To unlock these secrets and truly take on the role of king.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 686 Intermission: Keeping Up With Eldrian

    The news had finally reached them and now Eldrian''s shift in focus made sense. For the past few days, Eldrian had stopped focusing solely on new tests, instead, he started making pieces of arger construction.


    Myropsis had decided not to ask him why, assuming that he might simply want to sharpen his craft. After all, they had very little experience with forming metal and even less with carving runes onto them. Working with magic metals however made both these jobs far easier, at least this was true once they had mastered the required spells.


    Myropsis still could not understand how Eldrian had learned them in just a few minutes. The moreplex ones required to mold Rank 2 materials took him some more time, but the spells for Rank 1 materials hade so easy she had almost not believed it. All she could do was say, ''That''s Eldrian for you...''


    Then there was another ''that Eldrian for you'' fact, Eldrian''s method of adding these runes was just abnormal. He called hispleted carvings ''circuits'' but Myropsis didn''t quite understand why. Eldrian had once tried to exin to her that it was like a river, that mana would flow from one part to the next. That had made more sense but she still did not understand the point. As long as you consciously activated them in order uponpletion then the mana would flow as required.


    She understood that he saw these circuits as mini-arrays or formations even. However, that still did not help her understand why. The reason arrays had their rilpai (paths) was because arrays generally covered toorge an area and forming the mental image of theirpleted state was simply too difficult. Thus, identally activating the protii (nodes) in the wrong order was too high a possibility.


    Regardless, she had taken to following his method. After all, thus far Eldrian''s instincts in these things had always proven to be right. While the results weren''t always predictable, something new always came from it.


    On another note, Myropsis was now able to manipte all spells below Tier 5 to some degree. Tier 0 spells she could even have danced in a simr manner to Eldrian. She had also seeded with taking control of mageia-formed runes. A few more months and she felt she should be able to take control of even Tier 5 and 6 spells.


    Even so, she did not think that would make her equal to or stronger than Eldrian. His control seems so natural-- like the spells were simply following his thoughts. For her, it was a conscious struggle, with training to control Tier 4 spells often leaving her covered in sweat after just a few minutes.


    "We''re starting on a second memorial artifact." Eldrian said as if this was a normal jump to go to after hearing that they had repulsed the orcs. The normal reaction would have been to jump in joy, to take a deep breath of relief, or to pray to the gods in thanks.


    Eldrian instead focused entirely on the lives that had been lost, it seems that the fact that he could not save them weighed on them. Seeing his state Myrospis recalled the events of Diades and suspected that Eldrian was also recalling it.


    "You knew?" Myropsis asked, eyeing Eldrian curiously.


    "I saw on my map the orcs attacking and followed the events. The fight actually ended a few days ago already."


    ''As I thought, right when he switched from temporary to permanent runes on ideas he had already confirmed.'' Myropsis did not share her thoughts, instead she asked how she could help.


    "I''ve made the moreplex designs already. I need some help forming the leaves and memory beads, they can follow the same design as the first. I''ll be focusing on the flowers." His reply came so casually that Myropsis almost missed his usages of a plural.


    "Flowers?" She tilted her head while containing the stir in her heart, plural meant two Mov Flowers. Two of those strange artifact realms that he talked so often about. Was that even possible?


    "Yeah, I n to finish them by tonight. I''ll be working through the night, I want it done by tomorrow."


    Myropsis wanted to ask why, why he was in such a rush. She did not. His tone was heavy, filled with sadness. Asking him would only hurt more.


    "How many do you need?"


    "I''m thinking of using the flowers representing life and death, I want to merge the two. To showcase that death is part of life, something we can''t escape. But at the same time that life is still beautiful and worth celebrating. Please design the leaves to represent this."


    ''That''s not an answer!'' Myropsis wanted to shout but kept to herself and instead wracked her brain on just how leaves were supposed to tell you all that. Recalling the two flowers, the Mortem Chrysanthemum and Vita Daffodil she couldn''t imagine the two merging. The flowers could simply be ced next to one another, but the stem and leaves. Just how was she supposed to make that fit?


    With such thoughts, she tried to think of something, experimenting with some cheap celestial ore she threw it in the fire and molded it with the appropriate spell for the metal. Forming the basic forms of the two flowers from roots to bloom.


    ''Perhaps I shall have the daffodil- No, I need to merge them.'' She quickly discarded the idea to have one form the base and let the other grow from there. That was not merging, that was simply superposing.


    ''Life and death is a constant struggle.'' A daffodil had roots of a bulb while a chrysanthemum had roots that spread. ''Perhaps... From there I will have the roots of the chrysanthemum break from the bulb, as if death is ripping through life. As it has done for all of us...''


    The thought brought her much sadness. She had lost many friends in Kynigo.


    Pushing past the pain, Myropsis confirmed first what Eldrian had already done. It seemed that the stem would be quite in as this was where most of the important ''circuits'' were. The leaves were basically just decorations.


    Even knowing that she was doing what might be considered busy work, Myropsis did notin. She understood that, unlike Eldrian, she couldn''t form a rune because she wanted. His unnatural connection with mana and magic allowed him to force the issue into a process simr to enhancement- even though he had not once learned enhancement or tried to use it properly.


    ''Perhaps I should mention this to him. If I recall he hasn''t actively tried to use enhancement yet?''


    Regardless, because she couldn''t rely on such unnatural happenings she was happy to practice on ''busy work''. While the family smith hadined at the start, he soon ended up stunned as he watched Eldrian basically force the issue onto everything he touched.


    Even the parts that made up the stem were made in a simr fashion, and using [Mana Inspection] would allow one to see the effects of Eldrain''s forcing. Though theplexwork of mana was such that not even their family smith could understand it. This quickly caused him to start revering Eldrian as a god of smithing.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the story by simply reading on Webnovel, voting for the story, or sharingments. It is all greatly appreciated.

 Chapter 687 How To Warn Them

    When Eldrian returned from Vlisia he was quite drained, while he had gotten used to general fighting and death, the destruction of the city was still a bit much for him. Seeing so much death, even if it was only those of their enemy, weighed heavily on him. Especially since he did not understand why they would have fought till thest. What forced them to...


    However, he didn''t pause. He immediately started testing newbinations and collections of runes.


    "You should take a break." Myropsis said but Eldrian simply waved her off.


    Noticing that she would not be able to speak any sense into him, Myropsis decided to get Vivian involved. She was normally the only one who could drag him out of his own head. And it was about the time when they would normally spar.


    "Hey! You need to stay sharp, don''t you?!" Vivian shouted, grabbing the unfished product from Eldrian''s hands.


    He blinked in confusion as it took him a few seconds to register what had just happened. "I''m fine."


    "You''re not, at least you should get some fresh air."


    "I just did."


    "You can''t really think that the air of a battlefield is fresh!"


    Eldrian sighed, they were right. "Fine, where''s Ashliel?"


    Frustrated that Eldrian still wasn''t listening she whacked the top of his head to try and get his brain to start working properly. "She''s having a bad day, don''t disturb her."


    "How bad?"


    "Locked herself in her room. Nowe, let''s see if all this experimenting rusted your muscles."


    Eldrian allowed himself to be pulled out of the forge room. "Training weapons?" He asked as she led him to the ducal family''s personal training hall. In the Duke''s castle/pce, there were a number of training fields and normally Vivian would join one shared by the soldiers. Training with others was after all always more efficient.


    However, she needed to talk with Eldrian and for this, the ducal personal training hall was the best. The entire room was like a separate world, as soon as the doors were closed no sound would escape. The windows that let in light were also enchanted to allow one to see outside but not inside.


    This was naturally required since the Duke''s family would be taught here, and some of the techniques they learned were family secrets.


    "Spill it, what''s wrong?" Vivian demanded as soon as they were in the training hall.


    Eldrian sighed, "I''m just lost in thought. Nothing to worry about."


    "What are you thinking about? You weren''t making much progress back there." Myropsis noted, having followed the two since using this room required someone of the ducal family to open the doors.


    "I just realized that my worries are far greater than I originally thought. My n was dumb and unrealistic..." Eldrian sighed again, he had hoped that he could simply showcase the danger of magic and rely on others to control Miracle.


    However, he did not consider just how far their reaction to a demonstration of magical powers could go. Just thinking of how fearful everyone had been after he had nted the second memorial flower caused him to sigh yet again.


    He hadn''t thought much of their wariness at first, and it had been settled rather smoothly when Elizabeth had arrived. And at that time his thoughts had been on the mana density, especially on how the artifact had consumed death mana. It hadn''t been one of the things he had actively aimed for it to do, nor had it been in the functions after creation.


    He believed it was likely due to the nature of the two flowers, but he wasn''t a master in craftwork. The flowers at best roughly resemble the actual flowers. They were close enough to have people familiar with them recognize them but not perfect recreations. It seemed that it was close enough though, allowing the flowers to somehow be magical in their own right.


    Regardless, on his way back he had finally moved his thoughts from the mana to the reaction he had gotten. And this was from trained soldiers. Sure their guard was heightened since they had just lived through such a tragedy. Eldrian couldn''t imagine what people on Earth would do if he showcased the strongest spells he could cast.


    The spells would be massively weakenedpared to in ANW, it was still certain to send everyone into a panic. And while he needed to warn them of the danger that Miracle was, he feared that sending them into a panic could result in ANW simply being shut down.


    ''I am now quite sure that people would try to stop Miracle outright. I never considered how far they might go. If the danger of magic is as great or greater than nukes, it only made sense to destroy the servers, we don''t need more tools of mass destruction... But that would kill everyone who exists in them.''


    Eldrian could see no in-between. People might be creatures of habit, but we also acted in extremes when uncertain. It took a great deal of effort to stay calm and consider things from all sides.


    And no one was going to consider the NPCs'' lives valuable enough to enter the equation. It would only be a question of curiosity versus fear of the unfamiliar.


    ''Is my only option attempting to make a server of my own? Can I even aplish this, mana is so scarce on Earth? I''m already at my limit just trying to ensure my family won''t be hurt.''


    ''I need allies or I need knowledge. And since I can''t really trust people with what I know easily, I have to learn more. And the only possible way to do this is meeting the other Divines if possible, or hoping on a useful shback through my bloodline...''


    "Hey, hey Eldrian!" Vivian''s shouts finally pulled him out of his thoughts, "Thought you said it wasn''t anything big. You''ve sighed more times than I can count and that look isn''t one of someone who isn''t worried."


    "Maybe we should postpone the ns." Eldrian suggested.


    "I don''t mind, but would that be fine?"


    "I don''t know..."


    "Mind sharing what you are thinking?" Myropsis asked.


    "I just realized my n to scare people to be careful with magic might cause them to fear it outright."


    "Which means they might try to stop it from ever being discovered. I see, quite a heavy problem."


    "Indeed, and I can''t not inform them. People need to be aware of the dangers."


    "What? That''s simple, isn''t it?" Vivian tilted her head in confusion, "Simply show them that magic is possible and give them a warning."


    "If I only say it without showing them-"


    "Then it will be on them for not heading your warning. The thing is you need to be careful with how you exin things. Don''t rush things, show them something simple. Tier 0 spells should be safe, right?"


    "Yeah, and even casting them is quite difficult due to theck of mana."


    "Well, then exin this to everyone. And warn them of possible dangers... And be careful."


    "Thanks..." Eldrian felt much better, it might not be as grand a showing as he had thought of first. But simply proving to the world that magic existed would certainly catch the world''s attention. His warnings might be ignored, but Eldrian doubted many people could cause as much damage to the world as he.


    ''Take it slow. My focus should be on bing the central figure for magic. In that regard, I need to talk with Ilmadia.''


    Eldrian talked a bit more with the two, sharing some of his other thoughts and the strangness of the artifact. Vivian hadn''t been too interested, up until she heard that it had drawn in the death mana.

 Chapter 688 Four Daggers

    "Do you think this would be effective against the undead?" Vivian''s asked, her focus was still to prepare to go and release her dad from undeath. Eldrian had confirmed for her that he was still in the fort, though Eldrian couldn''t gain any more information from his map.


    This had been both good and bad news, as it meant he hadn''t been converted to an undead, his race hadn''t changed at least. However, it meant he was likely under some sort of restraint and highly likely in pain. Which made every day spent here all the harder on her.


    Yet she couldn''t be rash, Eldrian had also confirmed the exact number of undead. While the lower undead weren''t a problem, there were a few dozen Tier 5 unwilling and higher undead, plus four Tier 6 higher undead.


    It would be no small task to kill them all. She knew this well.


    Of course, they could try to get some outside help. While Vlisia was still under siege this was near impossible as all cities were on high alert and couldn''t afford to send out elite soldiers for a non-essential task. Now that the siege had been ovee there might be a chance, though much would be prioritized over a lost fort in the southernmost part of the kingdom. Cities certainly would be prioritized foremost. Trying to save those still stuck there, and perhaps a counter-attack to try and save those taken as ves.


    Vivian repeated herself, "Do you think this knowledge might help?" Finally ripping Eldrian from his thoughts.


    "I only know a little of the mortem flower, I can''t really say how effective it would be. It isn''t a magical flower in itself either so this effect makes little sense."


    "He''s right, mortem flowers aren''t magical. It is a symbol of grief and loss." Myropsis added, hoping that her friend wouldn''t get her hopes up.


    ''A symbol hey? If there is belief in the flower being able to help souls find the path to their afterlife or something simr, they might just have a unique power... Might it be this belief that enables the artifact to do something not listed in its functions? Is this a power simr to my ''talking'' with mana? Is my talking with mana a form of belief?''


    "Eldrian, care to share your thoughts?" Vivian knocked his head to get his attention, a rather hard knock. She had little mercy when the conversation included her dad''s fate. Heck, she wished to rush there and actually confirm the condition he was in. But she understood that if she did she would not be able to maintain herself. She would then rush into danger without a second thought.


    Blinking in confusion, Eldrian shared what he just considered. That belief might have granted the flowers magical powers hidden from normal means of detection.


    "Is belief possible of this?" Myropsis questioned, she was actually locked in the belief that faith could only present as divine magic cast by priests and clerics. Having it act on nts like this, it would be one insane discovery.


    "From what I understand the entire realm of souls came from belief. Ashliel said so herself. I see no reason why it can''t alter some nts if it can make the entire realm of the afterlife."


    "Then why is it still non-magical?" Myropsis asked, bewildered.


    "I don''t know. Maybe divine magic isn''t something we can disco-" Eldrian paused and looked at Vivian. "Maybe we can, how hard is it to get?" He asked Myropsis.


    "I can get some quite easily, but why?"


    "They are the symbols for life and death? And while belief normally deals with souls and the realms of the afterlife, perhaps it can also influence the current physical world. And just maybe Vivian might be able to see something."


    "Me?" Vivian asked, bewildered.


    "Yeah, you have this weird sight now, right? I can''t see souls even with [mana sense]. But you can, and in a manner that defies the conventional."


    "I don''t know..."


    "You''re actively trying not to see all the death around us, but maybe this extra sight can give you more information than conventional mana-enhanced sights." Seeing her still unsure, Eldrian felt it could be left forter. "Regardless, it is still an interesting concept."


    "Belief might be an unconscious use of lifeforce, mageia -the act of visualizing thoughts- might be the first step to connect with lifeforce. And faith can certainly be stronger for many than visualization of magic..." He continued to mumble, trying to sort out his thoughts.


    Seeing the confused two looking at him, Eldrian understood that his mumbling had made no sense to them. "Consider it like when a baby learns to crawl. However, crawling is much less efficient and slower than walking. And then perhaps there''s running after it."


    ""I still don''t follow"" The two echoed one another.


    "Perhaps we should just ept that it happened and test the flowers?"


    ""You don''t want to find out how?!"" They echoed again.


    "I do, but currently I can''t right now. I see no reason to continue thinking about this matter unless we are going to find the flowers now and test if Vivian can see something special or if they affect death-mana in some manner or another."


    Myropsis was surprised that Eldrian seemed to ept it at that, without having a true answer. She still burned to find it, but Eldrian seemed to have already moved on. While part of her wanted to rush to test it, they were in a closed-off room. Better to first finish here talk before leaving.


    "Since we are here, might as well check how efficient my designs are." Upon saying so Eldrian took out four different daggers. Each covered in carvings from hilt to tip, they looked quite magical as they floated next to him. Each glowing lightly in its own light.


    The design of each dagger differed slightly as Eldrian was still experimenting to find the best ''circuit'' for ether maniption. Each dagger had a small crystal embedded in its pommel, the glow of the runes was the same color as these crystals. Green, red, blue, and white.


    "Vivian, are you ready?" Asked Eldrian as he turned to her, she balked at the sight of the four floating daggers. She had seen Eldrian training and testing various things, but this was the first time he brought them out during a match.


    "Isn''t this a bit unfair?!"


    "Perhaps, alright I''ll only use one at a time." Eldrian said with a cruel smile as he let the green dagger fly, its speed was shocking. Vivian dodged to the side and only barely managed to avoid it. Before she could even recover the dagger had turned again. In the end, she was incapable of dodging for more than a few seconds.


    "Wind sure is effective," Eldrian mumbled, stopping the de just as it was about to pierce her heart, calling it back.


    "Couldn''t you give me some time to prepare?!" She shouted, she always knew that fighting against Eldrian was hard when he controlled Frost Needle. But they always sparred without using spells. She was shocked at just howrge a difference a controble projective, or in this case dagger, made.


    She finally realized just how much he was holding back.

 Chapter 689 Eldrians Flaws

    Of course, ever since Eldrian broke through Tier 5 Vivian could no longer match him in a normal fight. He would always restrain himself -to only push her to her limits- the gap in attributes, specifically agility, toorge for her talent to ovee.


    Eldrian smiled, "Perhaps I could, but you need to be ready to act at any moment on the battlefield. Now, prepare!" He had naturally not been so crass as to tell her how much he had been holding back. But only now might she realize howrge the gap had grown.


    From Eldrian beingpletely incapable to withstand her assault, to her now being in his old situation. It certainly came as a shock, but she recovered quickly.


    Vivian quickly pulled out her sword, blocking the red dagger with a heavy grunt. She was shocked at how strong the hit had been.


    "Force is less than I would have liked," Eldrian clicked his tongue in annoyance as he activated the crystal, covering the dagger in mes as it circled around Vivian''s sword like a snake.


    Her eyes flew wide seeing this, naturally since there was no one holding the dagger it could move without fear. No rational person would move their weapon like this, she would have been able to cut them in half before their de could make it to her. But before her stood only air.


    Vivian froze as the ming dagger stopped just a few inches from her head. "That isn''t fair!"


    "There is no fair in war." Eldrian snorted in reply, sending out the blue dagger while recalling the red. Seeing it fly at her, Vivian dared not block it with her sword again. She focused on dodging and managed to avoid the dagger for a few minutes.


    "Mmm, water is quitecking." Recalling it, Eldrian sent out the white dagger.


    "What does this one do?!" Vivian asked as she prepared.


    "It''s just faster," Eldrian replied, the dagger disappearing from her sight. The next second she felt a prick at the back of her neck.


    "Wha- How?" Her eyes were wide as she froze. A cold sweat covered her head and back.


    "Mana crystal, means more mana. It only gives me a burst of speed, unlike the wind enhanced which gave a continuous speed boost. But seems quite effective to make a decisive difference..."


    "Speaking of enhancements, have you looked into them for forging?" Myropsis interrupted while Vivian was busy recovering from her unexpected workout.


    "A little, but it doesn''t make much sense."


    "What do you mean it doesn''t make sense?!" Myropsis''s eyes flew wide as she stared at Eldrian in disbelief.


    "I mean, just think of what you want and feed mana into the material while maintaining this visual. Doesn''t that sound too vague?"


    Hearing his reply Myropsis wondered if her ears might be failing her. When Eldrian repeated himself she felt like he was the blindest idiot on the.


    "Are you dumb?! Isn''t that exactly what you''ve been doing this entire time?!"


    Her outburst stunned him, but not as much as the words she had shouted did. ''Did I truly overthink it that much?'' Eldrian mumbled, ''Did I think I''m special, or did I want to be? No, enhancements require spells... Idiot! When did I need spells to aplish something?!''


    "Hey! Don''t go into contemtion! Speak up!" Myropsis shouted, forcing Eldrian to voice his thoughts which rewarded him with a flick on the forehead.


    "No one else can do what you do, don''t be daft! It''s special but it isn''t entirely new!"


    "Then what''s different?"


    "The difference is most people can''t force so much into an item. Enhancements are divided into three categories: preparation enhancement, material enhancement, and charm enhancement."


    "You''re doing the third, but normally it is thest step to unify the item afterying the groundword. Connecting all the runes and inscriptions, to form the abilities with them as a base. But you either make a ''circuit'' thatpletes the entire thing without your interference, or you have no base and just force the issue."


    "What makes you special is that this would normally destroy the item. Forcing so much mana into it should make it explode. Especially since what we are using is lower grade materials, but somehow you can do it without ever having the material explode."


    "What are the other two?" Eldrian asked, confused why there could even be any other type of enhancement then. Wasn''t thest one then just the most perfect thing for crafting?


    Why would anyone even try doing more, he just needed to master it and he would be able to make whatever he wanted. Or so he thought, but only for a second before discarding these thoughts. Without a base, it would all rely on his vision for the item, and anything he didn''t consider would be a massive w. It was fine for these artifacts that he hoped would help others to have such ws, but for a weapon, such a thing would mean one''s death.


    "Preparation enhancement is done before forging," Myropsis continued, "fixing ws in the material to allow as much mana to flow in it as possible. Normally in this phase, the enchanter would follow the instructions of the smith to make the material more malleable for a certain crafting process."


    "We''ve never done that."


    "Do you think I don''t know?! That was partly why I was so stunned when you started morphing the materials without much thought."


    "Oh? But I just used ether and the spell required, shaping it from the inside and out. It''s really quite simple."


    Myropsis blinked in utter confusion, pausing to take a few deep breaths. "I get that''s normal for you, but at least try to stay up to date with what''s normal for me."


    "Right, right. What''s the other again?"


    "In one ear out the other?" Myropsis grumbled with a sigh.


    "Not at all, I''m sure Two noted it down." Eldrian''s reply caused the twodies to be even more astounded.


    "I''m sure you didn''t leave all the memorizing to him?" Vivian''s words and tone spoke different things, but Eldrian took them at face value.


    "Of course not, but it sounded like I didn''t really need to know."


    Flick!


    "What was that for?!" Eldrian asked, turning to the guilty party, Myropsis.


    "Aren''t you trying to create crystals capable of storing mana in your world?! The act of enhancing a material to increase its mana capacity and the study to attempt to increase its grade is the very definition of material enhancement!"


    "Oh..."


    "Don''t ''oh'' me! How the hell did you miss this?!"


    "We''ve been totally focused on runes and teleportation magic. Both of which aren''t easy topics. Plus the ether maniptions and theories on..." Eldrian paused as he received a collective sigh from the two girls.


    They both looked at him with uncertainty, like he was some sort of anomaly. Which he was for sure, but this was for a less appealing reason. He seemed so capable, he made these daggers and the memorial artifacts, he even just dominated Vivian in a quick one sided bout.


    Yet, here he was being absolutely clueless about the most basic of topics.


    "You''re going through the basics of forging!" Myropsis dered.


    "Sure, just give-"


    "No! You''re not putting this off onto Two. You need to make this basic knowledge your own! Goodness, I can''t believe you totally skipped the basics."


    "I-" Eldrian wanted to say he hadn''t needed them, but the looks he got quickly made him shut his trap and nod like an good boy.

 Chapter 690 Back To The Basics

    Myropsis nodded with satisfaction while Vivian looked defeated. She couldn''t believe that she was defeated by the creation of someone who did not even know the basics of forging. It made her wonder just how many other fundamentals hecked.


    ? The scariest part was that he was tackling some of the most advanced spells and techniques and actually making progress. He could make things that no one else was capable of, yet he didn''t understand how what he was making actually worked.


    The thought sent shivers down her spine as she recalled another time when something simr had happened. When he had identally started freezing his entire manor. She realized that this wasn''t something new. He always jumped in headfirst. And sometimes something big would happen because of it, and only in those times did he reflect. The thought caused her to sigh in exasperation.


    "What a pain..." Vivian grumbled, "Myropsis is right, you need to get the basics hammered into you before you do something that can''t be undone." She turned to Myropsis and continued, "While you hammer it into him, I''ll go and check if I can see anything special on or around the flowers."


    Dragged out of the training hall and to the library, Myropsis forced Eldrian to sit and ced just one book before him.


    "You''ve been relying on Two too much. By rushing through so many books you ignore all the minutia they contain. Focusing only on what captures the eye. Unless you n to never master the topics, you need to change your approach."


    "Bu-" Eldrian quickly stopped the words of counter as he saw Myropsis''s sharp re. For the most part, he was always the one teaching her, it was strange having her now lord over him as this. He discovered that she was quite a strict teacher.


    "Take your time going through this book. Read everything, word for word. If you don''t take this seriously I''ll force you to follow the guide step by step."


    Eldrian nodded but when he saw the first page containing instructions on how to hammer normal iron he wanted to argue. A quick flick made him keep hisints to himself and helped him understand that he did not want to be forced to follow it step by step.


    "Unless you can tell me exactly how you should approach everything in this book, don''t argue." Her tone was sharp, leaving no room for arguing.


    With a few soft grumbles ofint, Eldrian started going through the book. He found it terribly boring at the start, what it exined he could easily skip over thanks to ether maniption and the general spells used in forging. While the pressure he could exert with ether wasn''t as great as industrial presses, it was getting closer and closer as he continued to get morefortable with the technique. His growth to Tier 5 especially gave him arge jump in how much force he could exert.


    However, as Eldrian continued to read he realized many small details that he had ignored or simply brute-forced to work. While that was fine for the artifacts that didn''t need to withstand attacks, it would be terrible to do the same approach with weapons.


    Eldrian paused, remembering one of these typical problems--cracking of the metal which had happened with one of the daggers he had made. Taking out the dagger with the red crystal, Eldrian looked at the tip and froze with an awkward smile. The tip was blunt and arge crack had nearly split the de. And most importantly, it had only shed once with Vivian''s sword.


    If she had blocked once or twice more the dagger would have beenpletely destroyed. And that could actually have been really dangerous--if it shattered and flew at Vivian she could have been badly hurt.


    ''I might want to me that on the difference in material or Tier, but the truth is my craftmanship is crap. I need to own up to that. If she had been hurt that would have beenpletely on me.''


    epting this, Eldrian started to read the book far more seriously. He paid attention to everything it said. Understanding well that while this wasn''t so important in ANW where there was an abundance of material and his own life was unlikely to be in danger -unless he met specific opponents- messing up on Earth would be a massive problem since he wouldn''t be able to afford any do-overs.


    This book that Myropsis had handed him contained only smithing instructions and guidance. Yet there was so much in it that he could learn from. By the time the sun started to set he was only halfway through. Eldrian did not rush to get through the rest, instead, he made sure to try his best to remember each word.


    ''Two, I think we should take more care going forward.''


    ''Maybe, but first we should sort out what would be useful to carefully read through and what wouldn''t.'' Two remarked, but he too started to slow down a bit as he sped through the books in their inventory. Making more notes than usual and a catalog of what they needed to revisit at ater date. The catalog would aim at interesting topics that did not apply to their immediate situation, they would look at it when they had more free time.


    "Hey, take a break." Myropsis gently shook Eldrian''s shoulder to pull him out of his reading. "I''m d that you are taking this seriously, but you need to eat and sleep."


    "Thanks... And thanks for forcing me to read this. I really was running forward blindly."


    "I should have realized howcking your basics were..." Myropsis countered, feeling ashamed that she had never noticed this. She had simply thought Eldrian reliedpletely on magic since it was easiest for him, but now she understood that it was all that he knew. His grasp of magic was great, but perhaps due to ack of exposure or simply due to haste, his grasp of other things wasckluster at best.


    "At least we realized before it was toote. I''ll finish this one tomorrow, I suspect you have another book or two you want me to go through?"


    "Yeah, after this one I have the basics for runes and inscriptions, then the basics of enhancement, and finally the basics of forging. But you mustn''t rush."


    "Yeah, I know. I won''t." Eldrian nodded, actually hyped to go through a guide of the basics. Shockingly he hadn''t ever done this. Like an excited kid, he had jumped into the deep end with what fascinated him, and since he hadn''t failed in a true sense, he never bothered to calm down and re-evaluate things.


    ''I had wanted to make the artifact since I felt myself stagnating, but perhaps I wasn''t stagnating because of theck of topic shift but rather myck of basics. No, that is certainly it. I could keep up with Ashliel and even impress the smith whose forge we are using, but if they ever asked me these basic principles, I would have been clueless. It is only natural that after a while it will start limiting what I can achieve. ''


    The next day arrived quickly, with Eldrian diving into reading with fervor. Around midday, he finished the first book and Vivian arrived along with Myropsis.

 Chapter 691 Back To The Basics (2)

    Vivian and Myropsis arrived in the library finding Eldrian deep in contemtion, the book The basics of cksmithing was closed on the table before him. His eyes were furrowed as he stared at it, seeminglying to some sort of conclusion. Seeing this, the two gave him some space and talked while waiting for him to find his conclusion.


    Eldrian had managed to learn a lot from reading through this book with care. By taking time to digest what he read, by taking time to pause and visualize what was mentioned--it had allowed him to grasp and make much of the information in the book his own.


    If his situation was normal he could have learned this slowly through trial and error as most apprentice cksmiths did. Unfortunately, he did not have much time. While he didn''t need to rush quite as much as he was, he couldn''t spend his time on something without confirmation that he would gain some results.


    Luckily, his past experiences allowed him to understand most of what he read after just a bit of contemtion. Without these experiences, he would have struggled to follow much of what the book detailed, especially in thetter half when it started talking about moreplicated topics.


    These topics were still considered part of the basics since they did not include magic, but they were topics far above the normal for apprentice cksmiths in a world without magic. Luckily, there were a few ways to cheat these topics, such as relying on magic to gain insight into the grade and quality of the material andpleted items.


    ''I reallypletely forgot about the basics...'' Eldrian thought of his recent actions and almost felt likeughing at how much he had rushed without clear thought on what his aim was. Sure there was the pressure from Miracle, but he hadn''t formed aplete n. And without one the more he rushed the less he would be able to aplish.


    In his time here he also hadn''t touched the raw materials once--outside of crystals, but they worked differently from metals and this book did not cover them. Instead, Eldrian always worked with the ingots avable in the smithy.


    Due to this, he hadpletely forgotten that ingots had a grading scale determining how well made they were. The book hadn''t gone into the details of how this grading scale worked, but it outlined that the grade of an ingot was paramount to making proper items.


    It didn''t directly mention microscopic factors, but Eldrian understood that a crappy ingot would ruin any item made from it since it would introduce a multitude of defects into the item. Some of this could be repaired through certain actions such as proper heat treatment to improve the microstructure or repeated hammering and folding of the ingot before forming the metal.


    This wasn''t an issue for him as all the ingots he had used were of the best grade, which made the fact that his daggers were so brittle all the more noticeably his fault. The book hadn''t covered why, but from the warning against using spells to make items, Eldrian could easily guess that it was his fault.


    The book only warned against relying on spells, not exining why as it focused on the physical aspect of cksmithing. The basics of forging would detail how the spells should be used, but from the warnings, Eldrian understood the spells were meant to work as optional shortcuts. Used with a clear understanding that its use might worsen the final product.


    Eldrian hadn''t given the low durability of the daggers much thought, he realized now however that it was critical in deciding if he had messed up or not. All items had a certain durability and while there was variation within a Tier, there was also an average for each type of item in a Tier. If your creation was far below the average this clearly indicated a problem. One he felt he should have picked up immediately, but his focus had been elsewhere.


    The book, The basics of smithing, even mentioned that most apprentice smiths wouldpare their creations to a list that most smithies had. This could be done for all items before Tier 5. By doing so an apprentice could take their time to sharpen their craft without needing to ask their mentor about every item they made. Allowing them to only turn to their mentor when they were stuck or the difference was still toorge and they needed a great deal of guidance.


    ''I should do that too, though if I want to make it in time I won''t have time for all this... But, I only want to give my family some protective charms. They don''t need to be perfect on the crafting side, only the magic side.'' Realizing this was a massive relief and allowed Eldrian to calm down a great deal, he realized that he could take some more time to master these basics if that was the case.


    "Seems you learned a lot," Myropsis said upon seeing Eldrian slowlying out of his contemtion.


    Nodding, Eldrian looked at the two and smiled. "I didn''t realize all the problems my method would introduce. Seems there is a reason why most smiths hammer their creation from start to finish."


    Recalling how Solvi had made Crystoi, Eldrian finally understood why she hadn''t just formed the des with a single spell. Why she had taken the time to make it by hand.


    Doing so would certainly have saved her plenty of time, but it might have introduced defects into the metal. And considering the cost of the materials she was using and the extra rare pieces Eldrian had offered to be added, clearly, she wouldn''t dare take any unnecessary risks.


    "I''m d to see you took this seriously." Myropsis smiled, happy that she didn''t need to actually force Eldrian to follow the book step by step. She had hoped that he would realize what he was doing wrong and correct himself. After all, she wasn''t a master of any craft. She couldn''t truly guide him.


    She had asked Matez (the duke''s personal smith whose smithy they were using) to teach Eldrian, but he had refused. Matez had his own work he had to do and their presence already disturbed his work, he had even been pulled into helping with making the artifact. While Matez had found it an interesting distraction, it was still a distraction and he was now far behind on his personal work.


    ? "Vivian, did you see anything special?" Eldrian turned to Vivian, changing the topic as they left the library to go and enjoy lunch outside in the garden.


    Of course, it went without saying that by now Vivian had fully recovered from her starvation due to her breakthrough. As a result, Eldrian was being escorted by two beauties, and thanks to his recent realization he found some time to enjoy this fact.


    "I did, but I''m not sure what it is. I think it is an aura, but I can''t be certain." Vivian replied, looking at Eldrian curiously. He seemed different from the day before.


    "Please expand on what you saw, maybe we can figure something out before we even reach the outside," Eldrian said, half grumbling. He still felt that the castle was stupidlyrge, and the two agreed with him. Theyughed as the way he had spoken made him almost feel hopeless in ever reaching the outside.

 Chapter 692 Non-Magical Plants Have Magical Properties?

    While waiting for Vivian to reply, Eldrian sorted out his thoughts. He considered for a moment his own auras and how they were part of his lifeforce, or rather his soul which was made up of his lifeforce. How his auras were based on emotions and trying to figure out how this could be linked to belief.


    ''The clearest link is that belief is often strongest in extreme situations, when emotions are high. Is it then belief that might have altered the flowers, or perhaps these extreme emotions where people might pray for it to work? But how would thetter affect all nts? Am I simply overthinking things?''


    "The mortem was surrounded with this light gray light, the vita instead with a vibrant green and even a little bit of gold," Vivian replied after carefully recalling how hard it had been to see the little golden hue. These lights surrounding the flowers were basically still part of the flower. The space it covered was far less than a millimeter.


    ''Gold... That might present divinity. Why did the mortem thenck it? Or perhaps-'' Eldrian paused midstep, "Did the mortem have a darkeryer closer to it. Where did you see the gold on the vita?"


    "It isn''t that simple. The glows were right against the flowers, the only reason I managed to see the gold was because it was so different from the green. It''s not like they expanded from the flower into the air..." Vivian paused as she realized a crucial fact.


    "It''s actually very much how I see people''s souls. It was like it phased over where the flowers were." Sadly she had found that she could no longer see the lights upon cutting the flowers. Whether this was because the flowers simply lost their connection to the rest of the nt or because they were slowly dying she wasn''t certain.


    "Perhaps the gold represented the flower''s life?" Vivian mumbled but quickly thought that couldn''t be since the mortem had no such color. At least she had failed to find it. "What is it then?"


    "Was the light glows next to the mortem flower dark gray or ck?" Eldrian asked, the difference was an important one.


    "There''s no way to tell. Why?"


    "I remember that death mana itself represented as a gray mist or smoke. Hazy and unclear, almost like a gray filter covered the area. However, any undead aura itself had been ck. I''m not sure what it signifies, but be it the aura of revenants or the bonds of skeletons, they are all pitch ck."


    ''But perhaps if I can see them it means they are simply denser collections of death-mana?'' Eldrian thought, but he wasn''t sure. His unique ability, Scourge of Undeath, which he gained from his title curse breaker was possibly the reason he could see this specific darkness¡ªallowing him a glimpse into what Vivian saw daily.


    "Are you saying that this ck darkness is a miasma that creates undead?" Myropsis questioned, it sounded extremely dangerous to her if that was the case.


    "The miasma that appears when many undead gathers certainly appears ck but I can''t be certain it isn''t just a darker gray. But if it is ck and not a darker gray then perhaps it is the color of all things that have a direct connection with death?"


    "What would that mean?" Myropsis asked though Vivian appeared enlightened.


    "Perhaps we are only overanalyzing. But I am thinking that perhaps the gold represents the belief that the flower is connected with life directly, and conversely, the ck around the mortem flower -if it is ck- is its connection with death or the afterlife. Though I have no idea what this connection would actually mean for us."


    ''Perhaps it might be a bridge to the realm of souls?'' Eldrian pondered but quickly dropped the idea. It would be far to convenient if that was the case.


    "If that is true, does that mean the mortem flowers are undead flowers?" Vivian asked but as soon as the words left her mouth she denied them. The flower was growing, it was most certainly living.


    "Maybe it simply is encapsted in death? Or maybe we are makingpletely false assumptions due tocking some fundamental knowledge? We need to discuss this with Erik." Eldrian had learned his lesson in jumping to conclusions or into the deep end, he would keep an open mind until things became clearer.


    "Why him?" Myropsis asked, irked for some unknown reason.


    "Because I just learned I tend to jump to what interests me without tending to the basics. Erik already has a proper understanding of alchemy and botany. He would be much better at this than me. I already have too much on my te."


    "I also have some experience in alchemy." Myropsis voiced, this wasn''t the first time Eldrian ignored her and it was aggravating.


    "Sure, but he is a dryad and was able to tell what nts were feeling upon touching them when he first arrived in this world. That is another really important part of this. Akarui will also be a massive help if she has some strange insights."


    ? Hearing this, Myropsis nodded. Indeed with this information added he sounded like the better candidate, but it still didn''t make her feel much better. While she was, at least on paper, the strongest person here¡ªshe often felt like the most useless. Largely because she was relearning magic from the start instead of just modifying her base of spells, but that of course she didn''t allow into the equation. Completely forgetting that she was busy mastering a new way of using magic.


    Seeing that the conversation was dying down Eldrian wanted to return to the library to read some more. But they had finally made it outside and he might as well enjoy lunch with them before rushing back to work.


    ...


    Back in the library after a very enjoyable lunch discussing some topics and even teasing one another about this and that, Eldrian feltpletely refreshed.


    On the way back to the library he had messaged Erik to ask for his help which had been the best choice Eldrian could have made. What they had thought was something extremely rare and strange, Erik confirmed was actually quitemon. There were plenty of non-magical nts that had magical effects. Or at least, they seemed to present magical effects.


    While Eldrian had made himself at home in the duke''s castle, Myropsis''s home, Erik had decided to stay in the lower parts of the city. There he continued to hone his craft, making a great deal of money by selling his uniquely effective potions at lower prices than normal.


    In his spare time, he experimented with farming on a plot ofnd he had bought in the outer parts of the city. While he was experimenting he also gained plenty of all sorts of nts, this cheap source allowed him to beat most of thepetitive prices.


    In his experiments, Erik was testing various farming arrays and their differing effects on a variety of nts. With Akarui''s help, he had almost immediately found that certain arrays favored certain types of nts. Either doubling their rate of growth or halving the required mana costs.


    This knowledge was certainly worth a great deal of money, but Erik wasn''t so heartless to keep to himself when it could save so many lives. He had shared his findings with Pros, having jumped to Kynigo to help them optimize their farms.


    However, his knowledge of which arrays worked best with magical nts he kept to himself.

 Chapter 693 Non-Magical Plants Have Magical Properties? (2)

    Erik did not keep this knowledge to himself simply out of greed. He understood that it would also be of great use to the kingdom. However, he had paid for his own shop, bought a house for himself and Akarui, and was even funding his experiments out of his own pocket.


    Reinvesting most of his profits into his experiments, for now, he was making enough from potions alone. But he was prevented from attempting to make higher Tiered potions. Luckily, Erik was not in such a great rush as his friends. He didn''t mind learning all he could before climbing the Tierdder.


    Sadly, as a result he didn''t have much saved for rainy days. And form past experiences Erik understood that having capital saved for such days was pretty important.


    Thus he wasn''t nning to monopolize the knowledge and techniques. He simply wanted properpensation and knowing the situation of Kynigo, Erik understood that he couldn''t expect that from Pros. He also didn''t want to ce even more pressure on Pros, he was already dealing with so much.


    Sadly, meeting with those who he could actually talk with regarding properpensation weren''t so easy to meet. In Taurtania he was but an above-average alchemist in the city, his name not well known outside of the local area where his shop was. Contacting a guild master wasn''t something he could do at will.


    Erik had already tried, but for now, they had only ced him on a list and asked him to wait. He didn''t mind too much since he wasn''t in desperate need of gold and understood that these people must be extremely busy organizing things in the aftermath of the orc invasion and the hopeful recovery of the lost cities and their people.


    Knowing this, he wasn''t bothered that he had to wait. Not realizing that in all likelihood the guild didn''t understand how beneficial his information was.


    As for Erik and Eldrian''s conversation, it had been quite simple. Erik''s first reply informed Eldrian that their discovery was not nearly as rare as they thought.


    [[Erik] - Common nts exhibiting magical properties? It''s not all that strange, Akarui tends to bring me nts like that all the time. I am already cultivating them as part of my standard harvest.]


    Naturally, the reply had stunned Eldrian and was why he was pleased that he had decided to not fumble around in the dark. Asking for help from someone more knowledgeable seemed to truly be the best course of action.


    [[Eldrian] - Do these nts all have some sort of cultural belief behind them?]


    [[Erik] - Yeah, but I assume that is because they are effective at what they are believed to be effective in. I mean, that is the natural assumption, isn''t it? If something works, people start to believe in it. That''s just how things work.]


    [[Eldrian] - Maybe, or maybe their little healing powers were amplified as they were used more and more and as belief in their powers grew?]


    [[Erik] - Isn''t that a bit of a stretch? I mean, why would you even think like that?]


    [[Eldrian] - Maybe it is like a cebo effect, or maybe it is an actual subconscious altering of reality? When do you have time to meet?]


    Erik''s reply had taken some time, during which he had messaged his head at the insanity of Eldrian''s message. Luckily, he understood he wouldn''t be able to understand what was going on unless he met Eldrian in person and got a detailed exnation.


    [[Erik] - I have a fewrge orders due for some adventurer guilds in a few days. I''ll finish them, mind sorting out the situation for me to gain ess to the duke''s castle? I don''t want a repeat ofst time, it was a pain needing to exin everything at every gate.]


    [[Eldrian] - Alright, and bring all the other nts that are strange. I want to see if Vivian can see anything unique about them. Perhaps she and Akarui have a simr sight or ability? Maybe we can figure something out about the two of them.]


    [[Erik] - That would be nice. What about Miracle?]


    [[Eldrian] - We''ll talk when you are here.] Eldrian replied shortly, not wishing to say much on the topic since he knew that their messages could be read. He had already said a bit too much.


    Having sorted things with Erik, Eldrian wanted to get back to reading. But after learning that there were far more nts that exhibited these strange magical abilities while being non-magical, he became curious. Too curious to focus on something else.


    Realizing that he wouldn''t be able to focus until he satisfied his curiosity, Eldrian started searching for a book on basic botany. Finding one about the non-magical nts was quite the struggle, and while he searched he also thought that perhaps he should ask for proper guidance in smithing.


    Sadly, there were a few problems with his mentor still technically being Boran. Even though the two hadn''t seen one another in over a year.


    ''I can have them teach me the basics as a basic apprentice smith, but we can''t form an official mentor-mentee rtionship due to this previous oath. Should I ask them to teach me what they can teachmon apprentices, or should I go and visit Boran? Agh, first I need to get some knowledge on the local fauna so I can think clearly.''


    While Eldrian was distracted and didn''t feel certain, he could tell that part of him had already made the decision. He would confirm the basics that he could learn through the books and then go visit Boran. Else, he would be continuing to stumble around in the dark, which was obviously the worse choice he could make.


    Whether Boran would be willing to continue teaching him was uncertain, but at worst he should be able to dissolve their oath. After all, Eldrian hadn''t learned any secrets during his time under Boran.


    And if it was dissolved he would be able to find himself a true teacher. ''That elf... Can''t recall his name, said he was willing to teach me, didn''t he? Whatever happened with that?''


    Naturally, getting a legend to teach him would be far better than anything else. But Eldrian doubted that would actually happen. As suddenly as they had appeared, they had disappeared. There was no question that they must be extremely busy.


    Wandering through the library, he finally found a book on basic botany after an extensive search. This search reminded him why he had so easily jumped to more advanced topics.


    Books covering the basics were rare. Truly rare.


    Especially for topics where magic wasn''t even involved, such as this book he had finally found in an abandoned corner of the massive library. Luckily, based on its girth, Eldrian felt confident it contained information on most of the nts that could be found in the area, possibly in the kingdom.


    Taking a seat, Eldrian opened the dust-covered book and started reading with much interest. While it appeared to have been in neglect for years, the content inside was well preserved. The writing was clear and there were even colorized drawings of the nts outlining the parts of interest or danger.


    As Eldrian paged through the book he took pictures of particrly interesting entries, adding notes to them in his interface. Certainly, a handy option that he hadn''t made much use of. Sadly, Two couldn''t use this method, though he was able to replicate a simr method in their mental room. It just took a bit more effort on his side.

 Chapter 694 Non-Magical Plants Have Magical Properties? (3)

    By the time Eldrian finished paging through the book another two days had passed and he now had a list of almost thirty non-magical nts. Each mentioned to be strangely effective in some kind of medical treatment or another. There was also a handful that was highly dangerous and often used in poisons.


    Curiously, the vita daffodil was actually amon ingredient in many medicinal treatments. It was treated by apothecaries as a medical flower that poor farmers and vigers could easily find in the wild to treat a great variety of illnesses.


    This was what the normal text stated, but that was not all on the page about the vita daffodil. There were unauthorized notes scribbled around the page extolling its virtues past themon use.


    These notes dered that medicine produced with a vita daffodil as the main ingredient wasn''t magical, but their effects were excellent,parable to Tier 1 potions despite being a tea or salve.


    As for actual magical potions, the notes dered that the flower could be used as an optional ingredient in almost all basic healing potions. The potions would work with or without the vita daffodil, but adding it would greatly increase their effectiveness.


    The author of the unauthorized notes mentioned however that this increased effectiveness became less and less apparent the higher Tier the potion was. As Eldrian hade to suspect from all his experiences, the effect stopped being visible on Tier 5 and higher potions.


    Tier 5 was an extremely decisive dividing line in all things magical¡ªthis was bing more and more apparent the more Eldrian was introduced into the true side of magic. So many spells and skills were blocked behind this line. Tier 1 to 4 were clearly the learning phase, like training wheels but for magic. Tier 5 was when you truly started using magic.


    ''Don''t know who you are, but thanks for the information. Erik often mentioned that his potions were better than normal ones thanks to the added nts that Akarui brought him. So, it isn''t something unknown? Some nts can enhance magical potions, the question now is why?'' Eldrian pondered, fascinated by this topic.


    ''Is it because they have a hidden magical attribute, or do they only act like some sort of catalyst. Allowing the concoction to reach higher heights? Thetter seems more likely with this new information and my jump seems more preposterous. The limit being Tier 4 is probably because it can no longer bring out unique properties of the actual magical nts.''


    ''There must be a simr effect with magical herbs... There must be...''


    The original n to return to cksmithing research was quickly thrown out the window as Eldrian''s curiosity only grew after finding so many interesting topics. He was about to log off again, but before he did he started searching for books covering low-grade magical nts. He found seven after just a few minutes of searching, each varying in thickness greatly.


    The ease with which he had found so many made the disparity between documents about magical and non-magical very clear. It seems much like how he had jumped over the basics, everyone else did the same. After all, why focus on a non-magical nt when there were thousands of magical ones you could study?


    ''This might be a kingdom-wide oversight. Perhaps even worldwide, or maybe just empire-wide? Regardless, if what Erik said was right and it isn''t something unique to him like my enchanting method is unique to me, then this could change alchemy as it is known.''


    Of course, Eldrian was aware that he wouldn''t be the first to think of this. Heck, the author behind the unauthorized notes was clearly very aware of the vita daffodil''s special characteristics and multiple other nts had simr notes scribbled on their pages.


    Be this as it may, it still seemed to Eldrian that the knowledge wasn''t widespread. Most likely everyone who came to discover a nt''s uniqueness kept it to themselves to maximize their edge over theirpetitors. The author of these extra scribbles was likely someone rted to the duke''s family, and since the library was tightly guarded Eldrian finding something here didn''t mean it wasmonly known.


    As he thought of this, he realized that it was unlikely that anyone had ever tried to identify and verify all the unique properties ofmon nts. There might be a few entric people who had done so, but since this knowledge bes meaningless once someone passed the Tier 5 line. Eldrian doubted that many cared.


    ''Which is just so wrong! This knowledge can help the less talented and poor by so much. Yet... Can I really call their actions wrong?'' Eldrian paused, he would call them cold-hearted now. But in times of peace, it only made sense to keep such secrets.


    War has only been ongoing for a few years, and the kingdom itself has only recently truly experienced it. Besides, the kingdom was sorge that what happened in the south felt like a different world from the center, not to mention the north.


    The next day Eldrian started going through the seven books he had found regarding low-grade magical nts. Sadly, he found no surprises and as this continued he paged through the books faster and faster.


    A nt had a magical attribute, it was used in certain ways to maximize this attribute. That was it. At least, it was all that the books he had found and gone through mentioned.


    He found nothing more interesting, while this topic itself contained a plethora of information, Eldrian managed to stay focused. Else he would be on this topic for weeks and he did not have the time to be so distracted.


    ''Perhaps this field iscking for Tier 1 to 4, but is actually studied for Tiers past?''


    Eldrian wasn''t sure if this was true, regardless theck of extra notes in the books had taken the wind out of his sails. He hoped that it was simply that it had not been studied, he didn''t believe that such nts didn''t exist. ''Perhaps they are guarded secrets? The ice lily might be one such a magical nt...''


    ''Does this mean these nts are just unique as Erik said and there isn''t much more to it? Was I truly overthinking, or is there an actual link between the flower''s extra usefulness and the medical belief in them?'' Eldrian no longer knew which was the case, but now he no longer craved the answer as much. He could return to his actual task.


    At lunch, Eldrian took a break and headed out to enjoy lunch with Vivian and Myropsis. He found the two training, Myropsis was trying to master a few new skills (she had some past experience but had never focused on it, though her teacher had forced her to master the basics) while Vivian fought the captains of various squads. Thanks to her unique hidden ss which she had started integrating with, and her unique bond with her sword, she was able to fight against even the Tier 6 captains.


    Watching from the side, Eldrian suddenly felt inferior as he watched Vivian''s struggle. She was training so hard, so diligently because she wanted to set her father free. Yet, here he had gone and researched what had interested him instead of staying focused.

 Chapter 695 Guiding Words For Myropsis

    ''Do Ick discipline, or was realizing that I didn''t need to perfect crafting make mezy?'' Eldrian questioned. He didn''t actually believe it was either, but seeing Vivian working so hard towards her goal made him feelcking nheless.


    "I''m curious, why are you training in your human form?" Eldrian asked Myropsis once she took a break. Her technique was actually shockingly polished, Eldrian was confident her base for swordsmanship was higher than his in spearmanship. Yet, she had only reached Tier 3 in melee.


    Eldrian understood that below Tier 5 it was all about learning and executing spells and skills, and seeing Myropsis''s training he felt confident she should be able to master the required skills to reach Tier 4 with ease. Heck, he felt she could even reach Tier 5 without much trouble.


    Myropsis smiled, slightly embarrassed by the answer. "Our centaur form... It''s just a big target in a battle. Sure, we''re fast when galloping and a charge from a squadron of centaurian knights is devastating, but in a fight where we aren''t constantly moving the rest of us just bes massive targets."


    "Then why not constantly move?"


    "It isn''t that easy, there are many situations where it isn''t possible to make use of our speed. Such as when space is limited like in the mining caves where it isn''t realistic to constantly be galloping about. Or perhaps I need to stay with a group, perhaps the enemy has the range advantage and a smaller form will just be more beneficial. My dad always told me that unless my size gave me a distinct advantage, I shouldn''t make myself a bigger target."


    Eldrian nodded, he could understand that. Unless you actively made use of the extra strength that a horse half gave, it would indeed be only more areas for an enemy to target.


    Just imagining his own methods, Eldrian felt certain he could devastate most centaurs unless they were covered in armor.


    After all, it would be near impossible for them to protect their rear. If he simply used one of his daggers and slipped it up there, he could eviscerate them from inside. Even if he couldn''t, he could easily slip a spell past their guard. It would be hard for them to protect against such spells if he was fighting them and keeping their focus on him.


    "Why haven''t you mastered more skills?" Eldrian asked after the moment of silence was ruined by a loud grunt as Vivian was tossed to the side by her opponent''s shield. She recovered quickly -almost instantly- giving her opponent no chance to use the opportunity he had made.


    For safety, the two were facing each other with training weapons, yet the sounds produced when their weapons shed sounded as real as any. Their fight was truly intense, Vivian''s resolve could be felt in the air as she fought tooth and nail to defeat the captain she was facing.


    This man was part of the ducal family, and while not of the direct line his blood was still close enough to allow him to shapeshift. In fact, this was the case for over half the centaurs in the Duke''s personal guard. Most were from distant families, sons and daughters of the less talented who hadn''t inherited the title.


    In fact, some were from an entirely different branch of the family. For if a ducal family failed to produce an heir who reached Tier 9 before the current duke''s passing, then someone from the royal family would rece them. Since the royals need to aim for Tier 10 to im the position of king there were often many who were struggling.


    They were always eager to be a duke at the least and remain someone with some power. After all, if they failed to be the king then they would lose all power otherwise. They might still be posted as a mayor but such was seen as a great dishonor. A sign that your father or uncle -depending on where you sat in the family tree- had given up on you.


    This was in fact one of the things that made Pros such an odd case in the royal family. For he had asked to be given the post of mayor, of a distant city even, despite clearly having the talent to be the next king if he had worked at it.


    He was young enough to be considered Tstos''s heir and their father was the same centaur. Only their mother differed, but even then Pros''s mother was a duke''s daughter. He had all the qualities required, except ambition.


    Repeating his question, Eldrian drew Myropsis''s attention from the match. "Why are you still stuck at Tier 3?"


    "I find it hard bing one with my weapon."


    Before learning Fotias Eldrian wouldn''t have understood, but he did now. "Are you also focusing more on the magical aspect of the skill?"


    "Indeed, especially after all the training I have been doing to control my mana. It is starting to feel more natural to control than to let it flow. And for skills, that is terrible a bad habit. The technique is supposed to pull out my mana, I should let it flow as I execute the skill. But I find myself constantly trying to take control."


    "Want my advice?"


    "Do you think our situation is the same?"


    "Not entirely, but it might help since it is simr."


    Nodding, Myropsis told him to go ahead.


    "I''m not sure how you are visualizing things, but I found it helpful to y out what should happen in my head. I then instructed my mana to follow ording to this visual image in my head and shifted my focus to my spear. cing my entire focus onto it and trying to visualize it as an extension of myself..."


    Eldrian paused as he tried to find an analogy, "Think of when you connected with the memorial artifacts, or when you use your dimensional storage. To do so you need to link a part of yourself with it. This is a connection not involving mana, but it is still a magic connection. Try doing the same but with your sword, you won''t seed but it might help you feel more entuned with it. Then just let your training guide you."


    Silence settled between the two as Myropsis digested Eldrian''s words. "You know, that is perhaps the best you have ever exined something. You''re normally all over the ce and have no reasonable examples to help someone like me understand. But this, it''s surprisingly actually helpful."


    "I would simply be happy if it does." Eldrian smiled, understanding that he wasn''t the best at exining his understanding of things to others.


    ''Perhaps that is something true for everyone? It is why we rely so much onbels, but for me all thebels are causing me to miss the core information...'' Eldrian felt enlightened as her recalled his talk with Ashliel.


    ''XP, lifeforce, souls, mageia. Allbels different people gave different but simr concepts. What if I ignore them for now and simply consider things anew?''


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the novel on Webnovel.

 Chapter 696 A Simpler Understanding

    ''I wanted abel to call the focus when envisioning spell modules when attempting to share how I managed to learn magic.'' Eldrian recalled, ''Mageia is what I decided on and originally it wasn''t something magical. With time I gained control of this distinct method of visualizing things¡ªlike it was some sort of unique skill different from just concentrating on things.''


    ''Then muchter I learned how to weave in mana with it, allowing me to create floating runes as I thought of using runes instead of spirit magic. But before that, I learned how to guide mana and emotions into spells, and before that even just how to guide mana, and before that...''


    ''Again, such acts were only possible through using mageia. But mageia is simply intense focus on a clear visualized goal.''


    ''The type of mageia used in runic casting is the most different from all other types of mageia as it is both clear and unclear, but Ick properbels for all the different types. Mageia of auras is the most chaotic, and mageia of spirit magic the most draining.''


    ''Clearly, mageia has be a category of connecting with mana through thinking, rather than a clear exnation of the act currently being used. But I''ve digressed.''


    ''Mageia is now synonymous with magical visualization, no matter what type of visualization. But it wasn''t always like that, that wasn''t my original goal in naming it. It started just being the focus I needed when I tried to picture a spell module. Pure and simple concentration. Nothing magical about it.''


    ''It is clear thatbels can be misleading. What mageia means now is no longer what it meant originally. The same should be true of otherbels. Indeed, trying to think things through without relying on them is for the best. If even my ownbel can''t be counted on clearly I can''t rely on thebels of others to give me a clear understanding of a topic.''


    ''Mageia is now what I call all thoughts connecting me with mana and the world of magic. When I connect with mana, feel it, sense it, control it. That is all mageia, as is when I envision the oue of spells or skills. As is when I manipte the space inside my soul, my mental room... As is...''


    ''...As is...''


    It almost felt like the term had lost all meaning yet it was still a usefulbel. It included so many things that it was clearly no longer a precisebel but rather a category covering a range of activities. Yet, as a category, it was useful tobel a range of actions. Its meaning and use simply changed with time.


    ''This is likely the same for all the otherbels, people named something once and everything that was simr fell under the same name. Never receiving their ownbels.''


    ''Before they realized it, it was now so broadly defined the original intent is lost. Thebels and names they made are still useful but are no longer connected to the core concept. Or rather, the core concept is buried beneath all the other things that it now also describes.''


    ''Ashliel told me that the space inside my soul, the space inside my mental room, is XP. And that this is also called lifeforce, the term XP only having been used to match the energy with gaming terms. Only used by yers and the system.''


    ''I can ept them wanting a term for it, but to me, it is only space inside my mind. It doesn''t feel like a type of energy nor do I think it is a force. I can alter this space at will. But I can''t make use of that alteration outside... At least I don''t know how to at this point in time.''


    Recalling the message to Gaia when he wanted to confirm if Ashliel was a friend, made Eldrian think of his telepathic talks with Ceph.


    ''That connection was a maniption of mageia too, one in which we need to have our minds on a simr frequency with the intent tomunicate. Aplishing this requires subconscious maniption of lifeforce, but again the space doesn''t really do anything. It just needs to not be chaotic while we wish tomunicate. It is the wish tomunicate that creates our connection.''


    ''Diving into it isplicated as I don''t even know how it really works, back to basics! Though, using the interface is simr. But that is again a digression.''


    ''My mental room is the visualization of my consciousness. It is what I see when I close my eyes and think, dream, when I am falling asleep. When I am pondering something, even as I sit here.''


    ''As I sit here, eyes closed, I see an endless space of nothingness. Behind me, Two is going through a book, hopping between this space and our inventory, creating a book of notes on the book he was currently investigating. The book he is creating and all the writing appearing in it appeared as if from nothing. Behind him stood a library filled with books created in a simr manner. Currently, he is finishing notes on point-to-point teleportation, our next goal would be resurrection, but that is besides the point.''


    ''This is my mind. And my mind is my soul. XP, lifeforce¡ªit doesn''t matter what I call them. As far as I can tell they simply represent howrge my mental space can be. They exist only in my mind, but they have definite categorization and can even be measured to an extent...''


    Long ago this mental space of Eldrian''s had been just a few meters. Now it appeared and felt endless. ''But I don''t feel like I became all that wiser. I have noticed some increased mental capabilities, but not to the extent that endless versus a few meters would indicate. I am still mostly the same me.''


    ''Perhaps it is more a representation of my will? Or spirit? Agh, I don''t know the words to describe it! Actually...'' Eldrian''s figurative eyes flew wide as he stared at this empty void and thought of how little sleep he required recently.


    Even though he was personally connecting his mind with the world of ANW and thus did not have the systems that yers had. The systems that induced sleep. He was fine.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure what type of rest his body, nor his avatar, received while his ''mind'' was absent. He only knew that to others it would appear like he was asleep or knocked out. Eldrian had no way to prove that his body, his brain, in particr, was getting proper rest.


    For his mind was always active.


    He recalled that back in Miracle his brain would be active while inside the game. If the same was true here, that should mean it is impossible that he was getting proper rest.


    An active mind must mean active brain, or that was whatmon sense wanted to tell Eldrian.


    And this made sense, every few days he would need to stop and take time to sleep. The most Eldrian had managed to hold out before feeling exhausted was around a week.


    ''Perhaps this space is an indication of the energy I have as a person? Labeling it would be dumb since I don''t even understand it but it kinda fits with currentbels. So that might be one of the original thought processes. I feel certain I don''t need as much sleep because of this increased space.''


    ''Another benefit might be that therger it grows the easier it is for me to connect with mana. I just know my connection with mana is uncanny. Perhaps the former is where the ''life'' in ''lifeforce''es from and this is where the ''force''es from?


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the novel on Webnovel.

 Chapter 697 Understanding The Terror Of Devils

    ''Regardless, if I am correct. If it isn''t that I simply became more proficient in controlling mana. If it is that the size of one''s mental space influences one''s connection with mana. Then levels are actually quite important, far more than I considered...''


    Levels...


    Anotherbel, an indication of the total amount of XP one had. Gained by killing others orpleting quests, though Eldrian was cut off from thetter option. Having not received any quests since the Miracle incident. At least no standard quests.


    ...Levels, lost by dying.


    XP, the foundation of levels, used in creating and maintaining the functions of his interface.


    ''Somehow it can be used as a source of... Magic? But it is beyond me and too dangerous.'' Eldrian did not wish to waste time considering this topic again. He already knew that he had no idea how to actually use it to fuel spells, outside of situations of great stress.


    He knew that sometimes he did use it, his auras were one way of essing the power of lifeforce. Eldrian suspected spirit magic was simr but far weaker. He would rather not need it, understanding that its usage would likely lead to instability in mana.


    ''Regardless, I do feel that levels must be part of the reason why my control of mana has grown and is so far above what is expected. The norm for Tier 5 is a level around 20 to 30. I am level 41, a level most often seen in Tier 7''s. This might mean that my connection with mana is at the level of a Tier 7.''


    ''It likely isn''t the only factor, but I feel certain it is a factor in why I can connect with and control mana so effortlessly. I will need to research magical barriers and test to see how easily I can overwhelm the barrier of a Tier 7 mage. If it is close then levels are the greatest factor, if I find it effortless then it is likely my bloodline or something.''


    ''I should also try and determine if other yers experienced the same growth. This might be something to do with my affinity having reached a 100%. It should be the same for the natives of ANW, but for yers, I suspect affinity is a requirement to link XP with their mental space.''


    ''As for this space, since it is my mind naturally it isrger than its actual container (my brain). After all, anyone can imagine something massive inside their mind. It isn''t the same as the realm of artifacts or dimensional storages. But there might be amonality.''


    ''Considering dimensional storages as ck holes might be an interesting notion. Their bending of space (and time) is simply because of their mana density and not the actual density of matter... Though, if mana falls under matter is another debate. But I shall ignore it for now.''


    Eldrian felt that the storages bent time simply because food didn''t spoil in his inventory. Granted a yer''s inventory was likely special, but normal dimensional storages of even the smallest size still have this attribute.


    ''I won''t be able to exin this to anyone since what I use as my basis isn''t something they would understand. But this was quite productive. I have a much clearer understanding of things now.''


    Eldrian paused, considering one more point. That levels are lost upon death, that souls dissipate after death. From what Vivian had said there seemed to be cases where they could stay in the world, but most often they retreat to the realm of souls to avoid dematerialization.


    ''Since upon death a soul starts dissipating, it is safe to assume that this mental space of the dead would quickly crumble unless it is somehow protected. Undeath might stall this or it might not, I guess that is the difference between the ranks of undead.''


    ''A lower undead would have their mental space degrade to a mindless being. An unwilling will suffer the torment of their mental space being corrupted and their will bent...'' Eldrian shuddered, recalling his battle against the revenant heart that had nearly taken over his soul.


    ''Higher undead then are ones who do not fight and allow the corruption, I can only assume that their mental space would be... It would actually be like Ashliel''s I guess. Partly destroyed. Only parts of the person remaining.''


    ''What of Awakened undead?'' There was surprisingly little information on them, from what Eldrian could gather they were extremely rare and normally the leaders of undead nations. But there were a few unique ones that coulde into existence through very rare circumstances. They were said to be as strong as Mythic creatures. More terrifying in fact, their connection with death made them far more lethal than any living creature.


    ''Again, a distraction. Ashliel, since her condition persists after being saved by GAIA, does that mean even the AI cannot repair a soul? That once a part of it has dissipated it is lost forever?''


    ''Perhaps they can''t help her since she isn''t originally from this world? After all, their powers are linked to the code of the simtion, but they should be masters of magic too... Did they simply not want to help? Or are they truly incapable of restoring a person''s soul?''


    The thought was a terrifying one, especially since Eldrian knew that he had once damaged his soul. The space of his mental room had been tiny and its representation that of a bleeding heart. Filled with holes, nearly torn apart.


    Luckily he had been able to repair the damage. Eldrian wasn''t sure if his auras yed a part back then since it was before they actually truly formed. They had guided him to find his soul in the magic abyss but had not taken on the form of mists as he knew them now.


    ''I was truly lucky, if I hadn''t been able to find my soul back then, the damage might have be permanent...'' Oveing the cold sweats that covered his entire being, Eldrian took some time to calm down and continue on.


    ''What would happen if I am reset to level 1 now?'' He found the idea equally terrifying. But he quickly calmed down upon considering it.


    ''I think it would depend on how it happens. If it is through repeated deaths, then likely something simr to Ashliel. The fact that she still has a sense of self is actually proof of her incredible will.'' Eldrian would not wish what had happened to her on his worst enemy. To be torn apart as a person, such torment was too great.


    ''Yet, that is what devils do, isn''t it?'' Thinking of this, his heart turned cold. From all that he had heard and learned of them, he finally understood where their power came from. Eldrian had no idea how they turned a person''s mental space into food for strength. How they converted it to something that could physically alter reality, but they were able.


    They fed on a person''s very soul. And they didn''t even eat it directly, they were likely incapable. Instead, they needed to agitate a person''s mind, to generate chaos into their mental space. They fed on the chaos introduced, on the emotions that carried the powers of lifeforce.


    Emotions seemed to be a constant carrier and bridge to the powers of lifeforce.


    ''That is... Horrible.'' Eldrian had recently grown sympathetic with their plight since Miracle was behind the scenes forcing them forward, but upon realizing what they actually did. Having it finally click, no longer just be a vague idea. No longer just words that he had heard but rather an understanding which he could connect with his own experiences.


    He held no mercy for them, no longer.


    If anyone would go to such extremes, then their very core must be corrupted.


    ''Yet, aren''t we as yers simr?'' The thought stunned Eldrian overwhelmingly so.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the novel on Webnovel.

 Chapter 698 Refocus

    ''No, we aren''t the same,'' Eldrian thought, ''but it is undeniable that us gaining power from killing means we steal part of our enemy''s XP... I wonder, is there perhaps an amount one can lose without issue?'' Eldrian felt this must be the case; else, using lifeforce in any way should always lead to significant damage to oneself.


    There must be some threshold of lifeforce that isn''t needed to sustain one''s ''self''. ''I wonder, do the AI ensure that what we take is only this ''safe'' portion of XP? Perhaps what can move on to the realm of souls is limited even? Thus a portion always dissipates, and this is what other living creatures absorb upon killing one another? Or perhaps absorb simply by being near them, or eating their flesh in the case of animals?''


    This felt like an excellent theory to Eldrian. He knew that almost everything had levels. nts were perhaps the only exclusion, but it might simply be that he couldn''t perceive their levels.


    Regardless, Eldrian understood that NPCs also gained XP. Though from what he had observed, it appeared that they gained far less. Veterans with years of war experience would only be a few levels higher than the norm. yers, inparison, would with that amount of time and- ''Actually, perhaps they simply do not manage to kill as many?''


    ''I mean if fighting means risking your life. Naturally, you would prioritize staying alive. yers do not have this issue. While we (or they, am I still part of ''yers''?) lose XP on death, it isn''t nearly as costly as when someone from ANW must be resurrected. And permanent death isn''t even on the table, at least not in normal circumstances.''


    Having concluded this, Eldrian felt he could ept the general situation. Returning to the actual problem. Miracle must be searching, not for someone capable of using magic. Rather, they must be looking for someone who could use this lifeforce.


    This would exin why they suddenly turned from cooperating to locking Eldrian in an undergroundb. His physical features changing was probably a clear indication of Eldrian essing this mysterious power.


    ''This knowledge is likely the key to unlocking magic on Earth. Understanding how emotions can carry the power of lifeforce from one''s mind to reality¡ªfinding a way to control this power. This must be what Miracle is truly after. I can''t condone anyone learning about this!'' Eldrian resolved, ''I should drop this topic and never think of it again. It is simply too dangerous.''


    While Eldrian resolved to do just that, he was also fearful of abandoning it, fearing someone else might discover the secrets behind it. If such a person then nned to use it for evil or even merely self-centered ideals. There would be no one capable of stopping them and the damage they might cause could be catastrophic. Yet, Eldrian understood that he to might cause coteral damage.


    ''I can''t be careless...'' Eldrian understood that he couldn''t rush things. No matter how much the thought terrified him. He also clearly understood that Miracle had likely let him run free since they hoped he would do all the hard work for them. Suspecting this chilled him to his core.


    It made sense then why the person responsible for his capture was so ipetent and made his maybe allies inside Miracle, perhaps secret agents. He would need to be careful with how he moved forward.


    It took Eldrian some time to recover from this knowledge. Forcing it to the back of his mind, he wished to focus on devils. An enemy he could actually face. He realized that all his worries about his own world, about Miracle, had made him consider things in ANW as an afterthought.


    This was normal; after all, what Miracle did would influence what would happen to his family and the world he was born into.


    Yet, he had turned a blind eye to the horrors transpiring around him due to his worries. He had focused on the big picture, ignoring the hundreds of thousands who were suffering from the orcs'' invasion¡ªignoring the plight of the NPCs, taking his time to grow stronger at his own pace.


    Eldrian shuddered, thinking of what torment Old Sword must be in¡ªstuck in that fort filled with undead. Somehow not turned Unwilling. ''Are they using him as food? Relying on his-'' Eldrian couldn''t finish his thoughts, he flinched from just the thought of how painful that must be. And that was likely the least unfortunate thing that Old Sword might be experiencing.


    Eldrian felt disgusted at hisck of empathy. Hisck of humanity.


    Brought back to the real world by this mental disgust in himself, Eldrian saw Vivian sending her opponent''s sword flying. But his mind was in no state to appreciate the battle. He finally understood just how tormented Vivian must have been and still is¡ªhaving always understood this. Her focus always on the smaller picture, on her father''s situation.


    ''How could I have been so blind? So arrogant? Asking her to wait until we are stronger? How did she not curse me and run off to die in the attempt to save him?''


    Vivian''s opponent did not back down. After she had sent his sword flying, Vivian was wide open, and he rammed his shield into her open side without mercy.


    Falling to the side, Vivian coughed roughly. She tried to catch her breath while recovering her footing, but she was just a few seconds too slow. Her opponent reimed his sword and not wishing to give her time to recover. He threw his shield at her.


    She deflected the shield, but he had cleverly hidden his next attack behind it. As soon as she deflected the shield, she felt the wooden sword tapping her neck.


    "You lost." The captain said, his voice strained. He was clearly exhausted too, covered in sweat and desperately controlling his breathing to maintain his stance.


    "Indeed." Vivian nodded, lowering her sword as she started replying the match mentally while swallowing a potion.


    Eldrian managed to bring himself out of his spiraling doomsday thoughts as she chugged her potion. Just minutes before, he would have considered her actions overly hasty, self-damaging even.


    He could no longer even consider such thoughts. Instead, he hated himself for having thought them before. It was only natural that she would use her connection with Erik to secure herself as much as she could afford to hasten her growth as much as she could.


    To push herself to the brink of total exhaustion. Drinking potions like water until their side effects caused her to be bedridden. Only to rely on Myropsis to slowly purify the aftereffects so she could repeat the process.


    Eldrian couldn''t believe that he had been blind to this as he enjoyed his experiments, as he focused on trying to secure tools to keep his family safe. This would have been eptable if she were a stranger, but he considered her one of his closest friends!


    "I''m sorry," Eldrian said as a sweat and mud-covered Vivian joined them. His sudden apology caught the twodies entirely off guard.


    "What for?" Vivian asked, using a dirty towel to keep the sweat from entering her eyes. She wasn''t nning on taking a break for long so there was no point in dirtying a clean towel.


    AN: A big thanks to everyone who continues to support the novel on Webnovel.

 Chapter 699 Preparing

    "I''ve just been so inconsiderate." Eldrian paused. "Waiting until we reach Tier 6 to go help your dad will take too long." Not adding that having waited so long might mean it was already toote. He was praying that it wasn''t. That, if they couldn''t save Old Sword, at least they could let him pass to the realm of souls.


    ? Eldrian didn''t understand what the afterlife was like, he wasn''t religious himself, and while the concept wasn''t foreign, he found it strange knowing that it existed in ANW. There was no question; he had been there himself. He had seen it.


    Of course, it made him curious if there might be some truth to the religions on Earth. But without proof, it would be hard to know if there was, especially hard to know which religion was right. Perhaps they all had some truth to them?


    "What do you need from me?" Eldrian asked, he already had most things sorted to keep his family safe. He just needed to now make the magical artifacts on Earth. He had already practiced most of the designs. The only one he hadn''t practiced was the teleportation devices. Though, he would only need them if he stirred the waters. And he was no longer sure if he should do so since it would show Miracle just how much progress he had made.


    Vivian''s eyes flew open hearing Eldrian''s question, but they quickly lowered with dismay. "I''ve tried, but no one want''s to take on a dangerous mission with nearly no rewards when the kingdom is offering so many more profitable missions." Continuing.


    "No one in Kynigo was able to help either. This was the best option..." By the end, her voice trailed into nothingness, and Eldrian felt a pang in his heart, realizing just how hopeless she must have felt.


    ''I''m sorry it took me so long!'' Eldrian kept this apology to himself, feeling it would be insensitive to push his apology onto her. As if he was begging for forgiveness. He would show his determination to help. "Myropsis, do you think your dad would help us?"


    "No." Came a t immediate reply, a demoralizing answer that was so quick that it was clear Vivian had long since asked.


    "Alright, I''ll go ask someone else that might be willing to lend us some aid." Eldrian did not expand on who, causing the two to look at him confused. "Myropsis, while I am gone, can you collect all the nts on this list? Also, organize things so Erik cane here without running into trouble likest time."


    "Why do you have a list of nts?" Myropsis asked, looking at Eldrian like one would look at a naughty kid.


    "After finding out the strangeness of the vita and mortem flowers, I investigated for a bit. I n to let Erik do further investigation."


    "Why, Erik?" Myropsis asked, eyeing the list suspiciously.


    "Because he has plenty of experience working with nts with unique properties such as the vita and mortem flowers. And, as a Dryad, he can feel part of the abilities that nts have. As well as the emotions of said nts... Don''t ask me to exin. I don''t understand either."


    "Do we have time for this?" Myropsis asked, sending nces at Vivian to try and hint at Eldrian to notice her situation. nces Eldrian had missed hundreds of times before.


    "No. Which is why I want to leave this to Erik. He isn''t interested in fighting and isn''t good at it. I''ll also ask him to prepare as many potions as possible."


    As Eldrian stood up to leave, Vivian grabbed his arm. "What are you thinking?! We can''t rush things. It will only get us killed!"


    She had long since made peace with the fact that she couldn''t help her dad until she grew stronger. epting that she was too weak. While it had been a crushing feeling, she had survived the most challenging part already.


    Instead of letting her emotions control her actions, she was using them to fuel herself as she pushed herself to her limits. She made sure not to let this steal the rest of her life. Ensuring that she took some time to unwind with friends, to continue her own life.


    Her dad hadn''t rushed to the front to die. He had rushed to the front to give her and everyone else a chance at life. He wouldn''t want her to ruin her life. He wouldn''t want her to die trying to save him.


    She did not wish to besmirch what she considered hisst will.


    "I know, I just... I can''t continue to dawdle now that I finallyprehend what waiting means. I was so focused on my side of things that I turned a blind eye to how you must have felt. I''m sorry... I''ll fix this!" Eldrian swore, his eyes zing with determination.


    Seeing Eldrian''s resolve, Vivian smiled and let go of his arm. Instantly arge amount of the pressure she had been under was removed as Eldrian took on a great deal of the weight she had been carrying.


    "Myropsis, please confirm whether my message went through to the king regarding Amrough and Herglem. The orcs are evacuating the citizens out of the kingdom."


    With that, Eldrian turned and started sending out messages to all his friends. He asked for updates on their situations and whether they had any information on high Tiered individuals he might be able to ask for help.


    Of course, Eldrian asked Erik to dy his visit. cing a massive order of all types of potions that might be useful.


    [[Eldrian] - Anything useful, I have 600 gold. If you can''t make it, use your connections. I need at least 5 resurrection potions since I haven''t learned the spell yet. Highest Tier possible, prioritize over others.]


    The order stunned Erik. He knew that Eldrian was rich, but him suddenly cing an order of 600 gold for potions was insane. The most money Erik floated was around fifty to a hundred golds.


    [[Erik] - The cheapest resurrection potion is 50 gold. It''s a Tier 6 potion, the next ones are 250 gold.]


    [[Eldrian] - One Tier 7 then and then four Tier 6.]


    Receiving the instant reply, Erik smiled. He understood Eldrian''s wish for that little extra security. He would do the same if Akarui was going to be in a ce filled with danger.


    In fact, he had bought one such potion before heading to help in Kynigo. He had emptied the funds meant for his store to afford it back then. Luckily, he had been rewarded for his help in Kynigo. Else he would have likely lost his store upon returning to Taurtania.


    [[Erik] - Alright, I will prioritize mana potions for you since you can use magic to heal and revitalize stamina. However, there is a limit to how many you can use, simr to how spells lose effectiveness. Their effects will fall off if you drink them too often.]


    [Unlike spells, this is not just a short-time thing. Extended periods of usage cause the body to build up tolerances. Permanently decreasing their effectiveness. Potions to reduce your tolerance are insanely expensive and rare, outside of an auction (which won''t happen until the war situation is resolved) you won''t be able to get them.]


    [[Eldrian] - Thanks, I''ll be careful. Btw, water healing can also remove the tolerances.]


    Erik found the ''btw'' message stunning. How Eldrian added it as an afterthought was simply mind-blowing. Erik had never heard of water healing being used to remove tolerances, and he was pretty sure he would be aware of it if it was possible.


    In the end, he assumed it was just another Eldrian thing.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 700 Phoenixs Growth

    "This freeeaking sucks!" Comined Roderick, one of the yers drawn into joining Phoenix from all the chaos surrounding the guild on the forums. Their achievements and own posts were currently a hot topic throughout the ANWmunity.


    Roderick hade a month before Phoenix''s most significant achievement, back when most still assumed the posts about them tackling an epic-ranked quest were simply trolls being trolls.


    While said trolls had released photos of their quests, most people had thought it was photoshopped. After all, the leaders of Phoenix made no attempt to confirm these posts, and they even tried to keep things quiet.


    In the month Roderick had been in the guild, the only city in Taurus he hade to know was Taurtania. Where he and everyone else had been fighting day and night with the rest of the guild. Until they finally won.


    In thatst battle, all the yers had died far more than once. Many had even dropped down to level 20 from 30. Which they took great pride in, and thanks to the level rewards from the quest they were quickly back to their original levels. Their levels were still lower on average than other yers, and they took pride in this.


    It was their scar of achievement, proof of how hard they had fought to seed in their quest. They boasted about their glorious feats all over the forums.


    "Yeah... When are we going to get to the next city?!" Another yer chimed in, her bored tone ticking Judith off and causing her to snap.


    "Get used to it! The kingdom is massive."


    All the new yers had never experienced the distances one needed to travel between cities. In the empires they were from, they would always teleport close to where their quest was. Not even needing to pay for the teleportation since the Empire was sponsoring them.


    All this walking was oh so boring.


    While they wanted to continueining, no one wanted to anger Judith even more. They were all Tier 4, but they understood that there was a clear difference between them and the ming Hearts of Phoenix.


    Most of the ming Hearts were forgiving, but Judith wasn''t one of them. She had a bit of a temper, one that had only grown worse as the guild continued to expand. As more and more yers would stare at her andment on her ''figure''.


    She didn''t mind the stares, but thements infuriated her. Especially when some yers started getting it in her mind that she was inviting them, and they defended themselves by saying that it was apparent that she wanted it. iming that if she didn''t want the attention she should dress more properly.


    She had killed them all as their first warning. None of them had even stood a chance against Gray, her magical greatsword. It wasn''t the best weapon in the guild, but it was still a bonified magic weapon. Which was still quite a rarity among yers. It also suited Judith''s style of fighting far more than any other weapon the guild had.


    Killing them appeared to be the only effective way to help these new yers understand where they stood. Too many had expected a royal treatment. After all, a yer who could reach Tier 4 was considered a genius in their previous guilds.


    Here, in Phoenix, it was an expected bare minimum to be a normal member.


    Now, as for who the ming Hearts were, they were the core of the guild. The name originated from what Elizabeth''s branch of the guild would have been called before her falling out with the ''so-called'' guild master of what used to be therger Phoenix guild. Back when yers were still trying to figure out how tobine all their yers throughout the world. The random spawn function in ANW having ruined many ns.


    This group consisted of Elizabeth, the guild master. Nikki the vice guild master. Eldrian the absent vice guild master. Judith the barbarian roleyer who was a feast for the eyes of most horny yers. Where starring was the most they dared do after his violent killing spree.


    lmadia, the enchantress. The opposite of Judith, her regal light blue mage robes gave no indication of what was beneath. A distant, cold beauty who had enchanted more than one yer''s heart.


    There was also Therdul, the sturdy wall. Zyviss, the swift arrow, and finally, Erik. The alchemist and potion supplier for the entire guild.


    Erik''s supply of potions was undoubtedly a massive attraction to yers. He sold his potions far below standard price, and there were no regtions on how they had to use them. If they so wished, they could resell them for a quick profit.


    Erik was aware that some did but he didn''t care. His fee for brewing was enough, and since he grew most of the nts, he had basically no material costs. NPC or yer, no one could beat his regr prices. That he offered the guild was basically free; he did limit how many a person could order each week since he could only make so many potions.


    With a year having passed and the tournament around the corner, many yers had started wondering if Phoenix would take part in it or not. Last year they had imed fourth, and many recalled the memorable fights they had put up against the other guilds. With everything they had achieved in the recent year, they were undoubtedly a favored for the tournament.


    Yet, despite this, they have not signed up. If they didn''t sign up soon, they wouldn''t be able to make it into the bracket at all. Causing much confusion among yers.


    With talk of the tournament going around, Eldrian naturally became another hot topic. His showcase of abilitiesst year and the many clips of his magic casting magic seemingly instantly and controlling his spells caused everyone to wonder where he was.


    There were plenty of rumors about why he was no longer in the public eye. Even in his own guild, very few members had ever seen him, and only the OG members had met him before.


    To those in the guild, Eldrian''s position was a confusing one. He never participated in any guild missions, yet somehow he seemed to be above even Elizabeth, their guild master. At the very least, it was clear that she couldn''t control his actions.


    In their quest to protect Vlisia, everyone thought Elizabeth would get him to help. Contrary to their expectations, Eldrian never made an appearance. Not even for the first-ever epic-ranked quest!


    Of course, no one knew of his contribution in providing the location and movement of the enemy.


    Despite all the odds stacked against them, they managed toplete the quest. While it hade at a high cost, the rewards had also been great. As one would expect from an epic-ranked quest. Though, for most of the guild members, their rewards were only the levels rewarded by the system and a distribution of the money the guild received aspensation.


    The ming Hearts all imed the greater rewards, some of which they immediately equipped while others were entered into the guild vault with a decision on how to deal with them still needing to be figured out.


    Phoenix was now far ahead of any other guild. The single quest had shot them up to level 5 while most guilds were desperately trying to reach level 4. For which they needed toplete 25 A-ranked quests¡ªno easy task.


    Due to this, all the yers serious about ANW were desperately trying to join the guild. And with Phoenix now able to ept 5000 yers, it was hectic.


    Nikki had been extremely busy trying to manage all the requests. They had needed to retract their offer to reimburse the teleportation cost, but still, yers asked to join in droves. Some even teleported over before confirming if they would be epted.


    Nikki spent most of her time creating a system to sort through all the applications while Elizabeth was responsible for NPC rtions. The rest of the ming Heart were also swamped.


    They had ced things on hold after epting their current quest. An S-Ranked quest with an options SSS-ranked side quest to retake the city. It would not be easy and the rewards weren''t all that great, for most the true allure of the quest was that they could im all magical items they found as their rewards.


    Elizabeth and the others however felt morepelled to try and help. Seeking treasures were not their main focus. Though, for most of the yers in the guild, this surely was the case. As the rule founders keepers would effectively be used by all.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 701 Ilmadias News

    "Ilmadia, what''s on your mind?" Therdul asked, outside of the ming Hearts, most other yers were walking. Their group however all had their own Agimae. There were a few other yers who had rented an Agimae, but since the quest they were on was a dangerous one the security deposit wasn''t something most were willing to y.


    Ilmadia quickly hid her frown and gave Therdul a smile. "It''s nothing, I''m just thinking of when I should attempt to reach Tier 5."


    "Wait, you can do that?!" Therdul''s exmation brought the focus of the others to their little conversation.


    "For about a week now, but things have been too hectic for me to take a day or two to attempt it," she replied with a half-smile. A beautiful half-smile of a moon elf, one that stole the hearts of half the yers looking at her.


    "Why didn''t you?!" Nikki asked, stunned. "Don''t you want the prestige of being the first yer to reach Tier 5?" Adding under her breath, "Besides Eldrian..."


    "No, I don''t want the spotlight," Ilmadia replied shortly, most of the yers not understanding. But her friends did, after all, they had been making a ruckus on the forums for a specific reason. Most yers just thought they were dissatisfied but there was so much more to it.


    Of course, months had passed between the event and the original post had long since been buried by the thousands of new ones. Only to recently gain some new focus thanks to their sess.


    The group understood that being the first yer outside of Eldrian to reach Tier 5 might ce a target on her back. While their recent fame acted as a shield, no one wanted to test if it was strong enough to stop Miracle from working in the shadows.


    [<ming Hearts chat> [Ilmadia] - Drop it, I don''t want to talk with so many ears on us.]


    [<ming Hearts chat> [Elizabeth] - You heard her everyone, drop it. But Ilmadia, we will be talking about this.]


    [<ming Hearts chat> [Ilmadia] - Fine, but then we should keep Eldrian up to date.]


    [<ming Hearts chat> [Zyviss] - Why?]


    [<ming Hearts chat> [Ilmadia] - Because it is thanks to him...] Not wishing to exin more right now, Ilmadia sent a personal message to Elizabeth and Eldrian only.


    [[Ilmadia] - I got a hidden ss quest, Elizabeth, let''s wait for Eldrian''s advice.]


    [[Ilmadia] - Eldrian, I need your advice. I finally managed to master what you taught me about runic casting and got a hidden ss quest. When can we meet?]


    [[Eldrian] - Say no more, I am currently in Kynigo heading for Ganalin. Where is your quest?]


    [[Ilmadia] - Elizabeth chose Pediades since there will be lesspetition, hope that doesn''t mean too many enemies. It is going to be rough regardless.]


    [[Eldrian] - All the captured cities have a lot of reds and blues, going to be chaos no matter where. Amrough and Herglem are being evacuated though, I have asked Myropsis to confirm that the king received my message. Hope the king didn''t ignore Elizabeth... Sadly, I see no movement.]


    [[Ilmadia] - Do you think they decided to abandon them?]


    [[Eldrian] - Would be a shitty thing to do if they did, but I get that the army is weak and going into the chaosnds isn''t an option. It is likely that they cut their losses.]


    Ilmadia sighed, gripping her reigns with all her might. She hated the idea that people were being abandoned just like that. After nearly two years in this ''game'' she could no longer think of the NPCs as non-humans. Even if they werepletely different races that didn''t even exist on Earth, she still felt that they were people. They might not be humans, but they were people.


    Most yers shared this view, there were still a few who believed the NPCs were just that. Or perhaps they considered them semi-humans. Below them but still ''humans''. Luckily, they were the minority. At least, this seemed to be the case at the moment.


    Thinking of what awaited the people being taken from their homnd, Ilmadia subconsciously turned to her suicide option. Having never needed it but always d that it was there. This world was far too realistic, if she were to ever be captured by the enemy she would certainly be grateful for it.


    The fact that the NPCs did not have this option saddened her. She did not even need to imagine what they would go through, just the fact that they had no escape was already terrible enough.


    Hearing another yerin, she snapped. "If you are in such a hurry then let''s hurry!" With that she started galloping, leaving the yers in the dust.


    Elizabeth and the others weren''t sure what had set her off but they were all irritated by the constantining. "You heard her, keep up!" Elizabeth shouted, galloping after her.


    Sadly for these yers, an agima wasn''t a normal horse. They were fast and had vast amounts of stamina. As a result, theypleted the entire rest of the journey in less than an hour at gallop. A journey that at a walking pace would have taken two to four days.


    It was only normal that everyone without an Agimae was left far behind in the dust. Despite sprinting as fast as their enhanced Tier 4 avatars could carry them, it would take them at least until night to make it over.


    They weren''t like Eldrian who focused most of his free attributes on agility and had an abundance of extra stats from so many different sources. A Tier 4 ranger was only about twice as fast and study as a normal human. Even the best of the best who mastered all the sses would only reach a bit above three times the normal human ability.


    "Well, we''re alone now, care to expand on what is going on?" Elizabeth asked, Judith having moved with the other yers who had Agimae to scout the situation surrounding the city so they could talk in private. They would send Zyviss and a few others into the cityter to confirm the situation inside.


    "You guys remember that Eldrian exined how I might be able to use runic magic to learn how to control mana? Well, I finally seeded, but with everything going on I''m not sure if I should actually try and follow through with it."


    Hearing this everyone was happy that Ilmadia''s patience had finally paid off. When she was off fighting duty and had any spare time she would spend it trying to master what Eldrian had taught her. It was heartening to see her efforts pay off.


    "Are you afraid of the chaos this would cause if learned?" Nikki asked, the first to move past her feelings of happiness for a friend, and to consider the consequences should people learn that their guild had a method to allow one to learn how to control mana.


    They already had so much focus ced on their guild frompleting an epic-ranked quest and reaching level 5 as a guild. Having the information that they could nurture Tier 5 yers leak would surely cause even bigger waves. Waves that they might not be able to survive.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 702 Getting A Ride

    "That isn''t even everything," Ilmadia continued, "I also gained a quest for a hidden ss."


    "You can''t be serious?!" Nikki''s outcry voiced everyone''s emotions. They all understood well just how strong hidden sses were, while it wasn''t the only reason why Eldrian was so much stronger than the average yer. It was a pretty significant part of things.


    "Yeah, sadly, I can''t go into more details," Ilmadia added, causing everyone to recall that Miracle might be spying on them.


    "We need to learn how to block that..." Therdul sighed. Needing to always be on guard against an invisible camera was certainly no fun. Luckily -for the most part- they didn''t know enough to spill too much information.


    Everyone understood that Eldrian and Elizabeth kept some things secret not because they didn''t trust the others but simply because it made things easier for them. Ignorance was bliss, after all.


    "Right, I messaged Eldrian. I guess he will be here by tonight." Ilmadia added.


    "Not quite," Elizabeth countered, "he is going to meet with his old master in the Ganalin mountains. But since Boran seemingly became the lord of the dwarves, organizing a meeting might take some time. Let''s postpone talking about this until he is here."


    ***


    "Sir Ingvar!" Eldrian called out to the guard captain from the crowd. Drawing the attention of many who he ignored as he fought his way to the front.


    "Ah, Eldrian. It''s been a long time." Ingvar forced a smile and quickly took Eldrian into the barracks before they drew even more attention. As soon as they separated from the crowd, Ingvar looked at Eldrian with a frown. "Why are you here? Last I heard, you headed to Taurtania."


    "I need help."


    "Help? Help with what?" Ingvar asked, recalling the incident where Eldrian had helped against the reavers. His spell had been truly amazing, and his timely arrival had saved many dwarven lives.


    They would have managed fine without him, but it was never a bad thing to have fewer people die. If he could, Ingvar wouldn''t mind helping. Sadly, he couldn''t leave the gate unattended for long, and finding someone to stand in for him was no easy task, with all the conflict happening deeper in the mountain.


    "It''s a bit of a long story. But ultimately, I need someone capable of dealing with multiple Tier 6 higher undead to rescue someone in one of the lost forts around Kynigo."


    Rubbing his chin in contemtion, Ingvar tried to think of anyone who might be able and also wasn''t stuck in some post or another. "That is quite a tall order. I''m afraid finding someone who can aplish that who doesn''t have prior engagements would be difficult."


    "I know. Can I ask you to ry this to Viggo and ask him to set up a meeting with Boran? It''s another long story, but I was his apprentice for a few weeks before I left for what now is a never-ending mission. We had formed a master-mentee oath despite not having been taught much under him."


    Ingvar frowned, "It surely doesplicate things. By Boran, do you mean Lord Boran?"


    "I think so. Please try to ry the message. I will understand if he doesn''t have time to meet with me."


    "I understand the rush, but why does it feel like you are rushing somewhere else?" Ingvar asked, noting that Eldrian seemed to have split his focus.


    "A friend contacted me, and I need to go talk with her before things escte on her end. I should be back tomorrow or the day after at thetest."


    "You going to run there? I assume this friend is somewhere distant?"


    "Pediades, I should make it there in a few hours if I sprint."


    Ingvar scrutinized Eldrian from top to bottom. "You seem confident, but that shouldn''t be something a normal Tier 5 rookie can aplish. Tell you what, I''ll lend you my spilio. She''s sturdy and should get you there in one or two hours tops."


    "A spilio? What''s that?"


    "Right, right, you likely never saw one before. I''ll take you to our barn."


    ''Barn?'' Eldrian found the word choice strange. Following Ingvar, he was led through an intricate maze of barracks and smithies allid at the outermost of the mountain. The maze''s exit was just outside the city itself, in what Eldrian could only assume was the dwarven equivalent of farms.


    They were in a ratherrge cavern illuminated by a few stray rays of sunlight and shining moss. The cavern itself appeared to be an underground grasnd. With multiple caves connecting to the grassy area. There were even a couple of streams giving the site a picturesque feeling. Perfect for ate afternoon pic


    Many different types of strange creatures lived in the cavern, about half of which were reptiles. Eldrian followed Ingvar to what seemed to be a baby bear.


    "Her name''s Dixi, a spilio," Ingvar exined, the little bear moving next to him and rubbing her side against his side. She reached Ingvar''s chest, cing her around Eldrian''s abdomen in height. Her fur was a mix of deep earthen brown with ck stripes.


    "Spilio''s are magical creatures from the Ursidae bloodline. They can control their size but generally prefer a smaller form, as the size determines how much energy they require. If food is scarce, they can be even smaller, but eating too little limits how big they can form themselves when in danger."


    "And I can . . ." Eldrian wasn''t sure how to phrase his sentence.


    "You can ride her like you would a horse. She understands basic speech. Clear instructions are best. Call her name and give the instruction." Ingvar exined, taking a step back and showing Eldrian how to do just that.


    "Dixi, sit." A simplemand, one which the spilio followed perfectly.


    "I''m still," Eldrian looked at the bear creature, thinking that running over would be more straightforward.


    "Don''t look down on her, she''s fast. And if you find yourself in a fight, she isparable to an average Tier 6 soldier. Her fur is resistant to fire, and her ws are as sharp as magical weapons."


    "Alright, how to do¡ª"


    "Dixi, down." Ingvar quickly took over, and upon hismand, the bearid down on the ground. Brining her height to around Ingvar''s waist. "Climb on."


    "Shouldn''t we first go outside?"


    "There''s no need. There are multiple exits from the barn since many of the animals here often need to go for runs."


    "Alright . . ." Still unsure, Eldrian climbed onto Dixi''s back. It was shockinglyfortable, her fur was thick and made for a soft seat.


    "Alright, she''ll take you outside. You simply need to point her in the right direction." Ingvar said, turning to Dixi with a devilish smile that Eldrian just barely made out. "Hold on tight, Dixi, run."


    She jumped to her feet with themand and suddenly grew to twice her size before sprinting off to one of the caves. She was undoubtedly fast but nowhereparable to Ceph.


    As she rushed off, Eldrian quickly thought of some spells that would make the journey more enjoyable. Envisioning a barrier to stop the raging wind and all other things, Eldrian summoned it.


    The suddenck of wind caused the spilio to falter for a moment. But this did notst long. Soon she took off with renewed vigor, struggling for a moment to keep her bnce. But once she got used to the feeling of not having the wind resistance constantly pulling back at her, Dixi reached speeds a spilio was never meant to achieve.


    As soon as they reached the outside, Eldrian found that they were halfway up the mountains. Steep slopes to all sides, causing his heart to leap from his chest. Especially as Dixi jumped from the cave without a care.


    ''You don''t have wings!'' Eldrian cried as they leaped into the air. His mind raced, thinking how he could save them. He certainly didn''t want to report to Ingvar that Dixi had died.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 703 The Abilities Of A Spilio

    Eldrian''s heart pounded as his ride jumped from the cave. The cave exit was at the side of the mountain, where there were only steep slopes. Slopes that no one would befortable climbing, and here Dixi had jumped.


    Her leap sent them far from the steep ground, and as the seconds ticked on, Eldrian envisioned the poor bear falling to her death.


    As gravity started pulling them down from their maximum height, Eldrian''s mind raced. He immediately turned to ether. He knew he couldn''t exert enough force to support his own weight, not to mention the weight of the spilio. Hoping that it would be enough to allow them to survive, he started sending out heaps of mana.


    However, as soon as he did, Dixi suddenly seemed tond on something and jumped. Eldrian lost all focus as he suddenly mmed against Dixi''s back. Confused at what had just happened and falling to the side. He quickly grabbed onto Dixi''s fur as the wind suddenly returned and roared in his ears.


    Each jump stopped their falling momentum and brought them that bit closer to the ground. Dixi was moving diagonally through the air like some wind-walking acrobat. Eldrian was so confused, and he was sure that anyone seeing them would be stunned.


    It was only after the fifth jump that his mind started working again. Turning to mana sense, Eldrian finally managed to see what was happening. Somehow Dixi was summoning invisible fields; perhaps the best way to describe them would be wind shields.


    They weren''t simple wind shields, however. The core of these fields was a collection of ether. Forming a type of condensed barrier around which wind collected and funneled¡ªincreasing the size of the ''shield'' and causing a counterflow in the surrounding area.


    Eldrian let out a relieved breath, realizing that he had lost control of his wind barrier thanks to his panic. It would have certainly made things difficult for Dixi.


    As they continued down, Dixi started alternating the direction of her jumps. Soon they reached an area filled with trees which she used as her perch for jumping. Eldrian was still bbergasted that a creature as big as a bear was jumping from tree to tree, but at least now it made a little more sense since he could at least see the trees without mana sense.


    Dixi was stillbining ether and wind to make the journey smooth, and Eldrian marveled at how naturally the spilio could control these aspects. He saw noplexity in the mana; it was pure control based on instinct and reminded him of the core of dynamic casting.


    To reach such a level, your mana should be like an extra arm. To use it should be as easy as breathing, something you aren''t even aware you are doing most of the time.


    Thises naturally to creatures with magical bloodlines. In fact, it came naturally to everything, even people, with magical bloodlines. ''My bloodline must certainly y a role, I just haven''t figured out what it does.''


    Of course, Eldrian was scared of figuring it out. Past experiences had proven that it could be dangerous.


    He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind and continued to enjoy the ride as they sped through the forest. Eldrian tried to take in everything that Dixi was doing, trying his best to understand how she naturally used it to help her essentially fly from tree to tree.


    The journeysted only a few minutes, and then they were at the mountain''s base, on the furthest side from Kynigo. A journey of more than 50 kilometers waspleted in what felt like a handful of minutes.


    Eldrian was amazed, this type of speed wasparable to Ceph. Yet he hadn''t even realized how fast they were moving. He had been too awed by how superbly Dixi used ether and wind inbination.


    He felt great inspiration for ether maniption, for how he might one day be able to surround himself with an arsenal of weapons. Perhaps he could even soar through the air on a sword like some sword cultivator.


    ''I bet standing on a sword is hard though . . . perhaps it would be better if I used a shield? At least for the start.''


    As these thoughts went through his mind, Dixi stopped and turned her head towards Eldrian. Her stop was so sudden that Eldrian would have been sent flying without her magical support. This support, however, was only external and Eldrian felt like he had hit a brick wall at the speed of the wind.


    This was supported by the fact that he had lost over a hundred HP.


    "You''re not an easy ride," Eldrianmented as he wiped the blood from his mouth, an average person would have likely died from the sudden shock.


    Seeing Dixi continuing to stare at him, Eldrian quickly understood that she was asking where to. Pointing to the northwest, Eldrian said, "That way."


    Turning to where he had pointed, Dixi prepared herself for a sprint. Eldrian could feel the local mana bing excited, which made him extremely anxious. He grabbed Dixi''s fur and prepared himself.


    Dixi suddenly grew evenrger, her height now reaching five meters. And then she took off at a shocking speed.


    Yet, despite her size, there was no sound as she rushed forward. Once Eldrian got used to everything shing by him, he turned back and saw that there weren''t any w marks. It was as if Dixi weighed nothing despite being so massive. Yet, from how solid she felt beneath him, he was certain she weighed probably about a ton or more at this moment.


    ''How is this possible?'' Eldrian wasn''t shocked by theck of footprints but rather by how her size could change so drastically. He wasn''t sure if her weight always stayed the same, but he had this feeling that it changed with her size. Else it wouldn''t make sense that her size would determine how much she needed to eat.


    ''There sure are some interesting creatures in this world. I guess I really haven''t seen much of Gaia. If things calm down I really should explore a bit. It would do me good to expand my horizons.''


    Enjoying the ride, Eldrian arrived before a stunned group of yers in a little over two hours. Guiding Dixi wasn''t the easiest thing and she often became curious about things. She was also highly aggressive against certain types of monsters that the two had passed.


    If not for these sidetracks, they would have likely arrived before an hour had even passed.


    Swallowing with difficulty, Elizabeth took a step forward while eying the massive bear. "Umm, Eldrian . . . what''s¡ªis it safe?"


    "Dixi, down," Eldrian said as Ingvar had done and upon hismand, the massive bear taller than two adults shrank until not even as tall as a dwarf. The imposing beast suddenly appeared rather cute but none of the yers dared take a step closer.


    Jumping off, Eldrian looked at his friends with an awkward smile. "Ingvar, the captain of the gate to the dwarven kingdom in the Ganalin mountains . . ." Realizing that his exnation was already too long, he decided to cut the details.


    "A friend lent me this spilio. She''s . . ." Again, he paused. He couldn''t say she was friendly, for he had seen just how ferocious the spilio was to certain types of monsters.


    Seeing the city on the horizon, Eldrian patted Dixi''s head. Hoping that she wouldn''t suddenly decide to rush into the city to kill some orcs. Just to be safe, he said, "Dixi, stay."


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 704 Guiding Ilmadia

    Looking around at everyone in this group, Eldrian noted a few strangers. "Elizabeth, let''s talk in private. Where are you staying?"


    He had rushed over, relying only on his map to find where they were. Not having messaged Elizabeth before and thus why they were so shocked upon his early arrival upon the massive spilio. Besides, anyone would be astonished to see a bear even more enormous than an elephant¡ªand most hadn''t seen an elephant up close.


    "We still need to set up camp," Elizabeth eyed the now tiny -inparison to before- spilio. "We''re currently looking for a ce that will hide us from the random passerby, and also has some defensive value." Turning to the yers, she quickly told everyone to continue the search. Asking only Ilmadia to remain.


    "Ilmadia, please exin what exactly happened. Can you also show me what you aplished?" Eldrian asked after setting up a wind barrier. He wasn''t sure exactly how to stop sound specifically. Regardless, this should make it harder for anyone outside the barrier to listen in. ''I need to learn so much still . . .''


    Ilmadia nodded and started exining what had happened, showcasing her usage of abination of elemental runes to form a spell. Eldrian watched and nodded; she had gotten some good control over her mana and could use mageia expertly. The spell she formed was a basic one, a simple fireball. However, her control over it proved that she had mastered these basics.


    "And what about the hidden ss?"


    "The description says it is for the ss runic mage," Ilmadia continued and exined that the description said she had two options: Mastering runic casting, or mastering the secret of runes.


    "Is that all?" Eldrian asked. He himself had a very vague hidden ss quest, so he didn''t expect much more.


    "Yeah, ''Master the formation of runes and the flow of mana to be a runic mage.'' is all that the first part says. The optional part states, ''Learn the secrets of runes and peer into the secrets of magic itself and be a sorceress.'' "


    "Are there any items listed or something that could help guide us?" Eldrian asked, noting the word sorceress. He was confident that the name ssification was essential to further understanding the information.


    But he had no idea what differentiated a sorcerer from a mage. ANW certainly wouldn''t follow conventional standards, but the core of the naming was likely the same since the AI constructed this world by relying on Earth''s fiction as a basis. Againbels weren''t reliable, but they could still be helpful.


    ''If I recall, sorcerers are generally less structured than mages. No, actually, a mage is simply someone who harnesses the power of mana in the form of spells. A wizard is the most structured type of mage and a warlock the least, relying on the powers of others¡ªsounds kind of like devils¡ª''


    "Nothing." Came Ilmadia''s reply, bringing Eldrian out of his contemtion. Dropping it forter, he returned to the conversation.


    "Seriously?" Elizabeth couldn''t believe it. That didn''t sound like a quest at all. The descriptions were too vague to even know what it actually asked.


    "It''s quitemon to get quests like this." Eldrian countered, realizing what Elizabeth must be thinking.


    "For you maybe . . ." Her eyes flew wide as she whipped her head between Eldrian and Ilmadia, "Are all hidden sses going to be such a headache?"


    "I don''t know. I received my first one without a quest."


    "First one?" Elizabeth asked with a twitch.


    "Didn''t I exin that I have this new one rting to my bloodline?" Eldrian asked, his tone indicating clearly that he didn''t think much of it. Though, that was mostly because he didn''t want to touch it¡ªyet. He had all the elements he needed now, thanks to Ashliel.


    Nevertheless, he dared not dive into this quest. He would -at the very least- need to return to Avgi and ask Zamia to help ensure that nothing went awry. He would also prefer to have talked with Ziraili first. He still needed to find time to meet with her.


    "You really defymon sense." Elizabeth sighed and looked toward Ilmadia. Hoping that her friend wasn''t going to be a simr case. But a part of her hoped against her hope. Having another Eldrian would be a headache, but he was also a massive help when he decided to help.


    "Let''s get back on topic; I want to head back to Ganalin before sunset." Eldrian took back control of the conversation. He exined what he had learned of runes to Ilmadia, saddened that he had rushed off before reading the guidebook for runes. But he had to try and help resolve Vivian''s burden first. To either set Old Sword free or rescue him.


    "...In short, it is a type ofnguage. I''m not sure if it is something created or discovered. Think of it kind of like math. It is a method for us to describe the basics of the world, in this case, the magical world.


    "Spell modules are deconstructed visualizations of the spell, whereas runes are thenguage. It isn''t anguage of words, however. Some runes are words, some are characters, and some are pictures. I still don''t have a good grasp on it, but I know that intent doesn''t alter the rune''s effect.


    "This is what differentiates a rune and a module¡ªas I call them." Modules were the visualization Eldrian used to enchant metals and create items. The perfect example was the water screens he used to both record and project memories through.


    "A module requires that you visualize the effect of what will happen. It is a makeshift spell module in a manner, but it doesn''t need to be confined to a spell. It can be attached to items. Hence why I simply call it a module." Saying this, Eldrian quickly drew the mirror in midair and fueled it with some mana.


    Seeing the screen of water reflecting their images like a mirror, Elizabeth and Ilmadia were impressed. They had heard about the artifact but hadn''t visited it due to all the other things they had to prioritize.


    "However, you can''t just copy the square shape of this module. It requires the caster, or perhaps creator? Either or, it requires that the person forming it envisions a mirror. It requires control of mana and the elements and quantities.


    "A rune, in contrast, works regardless of what the person forming them is envisioning¡ª"


    "But what about when I am envisioning the effects of the runes?" Ilmadia asked.


    "Runes can still be influenced, but if you draw the rune for amplification, it is going to amplify whatever it is part of. If you draw a rune that represents fire, it will form fire. You can''t draw it and envision water and then summon water."


    To illustrate, Eldrian drew the square mirror again but this time imagined it as a thin sheet of mes. It was a weird image and required more focus since he didn''t typically link this with the module. But seeing the same ''drawing'' bring about a different element helped Ilmadia understand.


    "I see. Runes can be influenced by our thoughts only so much. We can guide it and alter the amount of mana, but the rune will still bring forth the effect it . . . reflects? Means?"


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 705 Boran, The Lord Of Ganalin

    "More or less, that is what I understand at least," Eldrian confirmed, continuing on to exin, "I assume the first part of your quest simply requires you to master enough runes and form them intobinations that can be evoked as spells. I have no idea how many you will need to do, but from experience, I know the system likes threes."


    "It''s tricky though since some runes aren''t Tiered. But you''ll just have to experiment and figure it out."


    "What about the second part?" Ilmadia did not wish to give up on an optional part of such an important quest.


    "That..." Eldrian wasn''t sure if he should help her dive deeper into magic. There were so many dangers, but having an ally would be oh so nice.


    "For that, you''ll have to dive much deeper into things. Instead of simply learning a bunch of runes andbining them to certain effects, you will need toe to understand what makes a rune. How runes work, probably make or discover ones on your own."


    "In this regard, I don''t think the runes need to be new, ever before discovered. But you will have to discover it with no guidance from anyone or anything. It will have toe from you and only you."


    Ilmadia frowned, that would be difficult indeed. Since runes didn''t seem to form any set pattern and could be words, characters, or even visual representations, it truly would be difficult to discover the reasoning behind it. Especially without guidance.


    "But I don''t think you need to fret about it." Eldrian''s words caused Ilmadia to frown even more, this time in confusion. "I doubt going along the first path will block you from following the second. In fact, it is likely essential."


    "However, bingfortable will make it impossible for you to ever go down the second path. You will need to question everything."


    ***


    "Thank you for all your help, Ingvar. And Viggo, thank you for jumping to make things happen so quickly." Eldrian was truly grateful that the two dwarves had organized things so quickly.


    "It was surprisingly easy. Lord Boran was momentarily confused. It seems your name used to be Haru?" Viggo prodded, "But upon hearing that you were a high elf, he immediately granted the meeting."


    Eldrian blushed just a little, havingpletely nked on the fact that his name change might have thrown old acquaintances off. Luckily, a Chosen High Elf was extremely umon. So much so that anyone knowing his race could basically identify him.


    The chances would even be great, Eldrian wasn''t certain, but he had heard from the Elizabeth and the others that his old post uniting high elves only had a few dozen members left. Naturally, since his disappearance, the post became nearly useless. They could share their experiences, but without his guidance, most of them were still stuck.


    Almost no one was willing to go through the struggle that was being a high elf. Even these yers had all basically given up on learning magic, but they had foundfortable lives in ANW. They didn''t care for fighting and rather were enjoying a rxed lifestyle.


    Sure, they needed to work in the game too, but the work was easy. Truly easypared to their own jobs. It basically felt like they were rxing and they made more than enough to livefortably. Some had even gotten married so naturally, they wouldn''t think of remaking their character.


    But this is quite besides the point, the point was that a Chosen High Elf who can actually use magic is with certainly Eldrian.


    Not receiving a reply, Viggo smirked. Eldrian''s silence spoke volumes. Taking the lead, the dwarf led the elf deep inside the city''s keep. They passed guard after guard, many in pitch-ck armor made of abyssalite.


    Their stares were cold and the auras resonating from them were chilling. Eldrian dared not be so careless as to use mana sense upon them. Something told him that doing so would not go unnoticed and he was certain every single warrior in ck could kill him with ease.


    Finally, they passed through a rather massive door that could only be activated through magic. The activation mechanism was at the end of the room. Two guards stood at the entrance, ready to act should someone without the required authority attempt to enter.


    ''Isn''t this a bit expensive?'' Eldrian couldn''t fathom why so many capable warriors were stationed inside the keep. He thought they needed people on the front. He had counted at least twenty guards, all above Tier 5. Each one of them could make a difference, twenty could change the tides of certain battles.


    "This..." Eldrian stared at the room beyond the massive gates in awe. For a moment, he felt like he could understand. Just a glimpse of the next room made him fully understand just how important this ce was.


    ''Is it alright for me to enter?'' Eldrian gulped, hesitating but finally pushing himself forward as Viggo entered without even sparing the guards a nce.


    The room was the definition of a teleportation hall, no, of a city core. It wasn''t like any hidden magic room he had entered before.


    Near the ceiling floated the magic crystal, a strangebination of shine and absorption of light came from the crystal. Covering it in a hazy mist of gxies.


    The walls all had a soft shine, much like the hidden rooms that Eldrian had visited, only the scale was beyond what his mind couldprehend. The room was massive, and arrays covered all eight walls from top to bottom. Densely packed, as was expected of such hidden secret rooms.


    Eight walls... Eldrian was most stunned by this. He understood that each wall represented an element that could be seen from the soft shine of the carvings covering the walls. But the eight... There were only seven elements in nature.


    Sure, there were hybrid elements, but if you had all the elements, why would you add a hybrid?


    Viggo smiled, but he wasn''t about to exin to Eldrian what the formation did. Stopping beneath the magic crystal, he called up what appeared to be a magical interface. Seeing it stunned Eldrian even more. He had spent so much time developing something simr, and now he discovered it indeed existed in this world.


    ''I really am a frog in a well,'' Eldrian mumbled as he felt his location change. Yet the room they were in now appeared exactly like the former. No, there were now nine walls. The fact of which made Eldrian nearly experience a stroke.


    He could ept eight. Obviously, the eighth was ether. But nine? That made no sense.


    Before his mind could ept this, he found his location changed again. This time they found themselves in a rather fancy hall. Not an excessivelyrge hall, but it exuded an heir of royalty, nheless. Viggo immediately knelt, but Eldrian''s mind just continued to spin.


    "It''s fine." A calm voice stopped the guards from being rash. The source of which looked at the elf before him with a strange mixture of emotions. Sadly, they had to meet again under these circumstances.


    For now, formalities had to be followed since this was an official meeting. Even though he hated such formalities.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 706 A Strange And Distant Reunion

    Eldrian turned to the half-familiar voice. It was no longer truly familiar, the tone in which Boran had spoken was so strange and his voice seemed to have grown older. As Eldrian looked at the dwarf seated on a throne of some unknown metals, the blue light reflecting from Boran''s right arm immediately pulled his attention.


    What used to only be some molten mithril seared into his skin now appeared like the scales of a drake. It reflected the light of the room (from some type of magical apparatus), appearing almost like a light source itself. It covered Boran''s right arm from finger to shoulder. Like some sort of gauntlet, but it was quite clear that this was not a piece of armor or clothing.


    Boran''s clothes looked impressive for sure, but to Eldrian it didn''t fit the Boran he knew, and this added to the distance he had heard in the voice. But of course they would be distant. They had not seen each other for almost two years.


    Boran smiled towards Eldrian, sending nces at the other dwarves from time to time. Silence settled in the room and just as the dwarves wanted to speak out, Boran''s eyes would wash over them and silence them anew.


    "So, your name is Eldrian now. Was Haru an alias? No, our oath didn''t fail. You chose a new name for your..." Boran looked at Eldrian in contemtion, "For this body of yours?"


    "Yes, we call it our avatar. To travel between worlds, we require a physical body to inhabit with our souls. The gods gifted us the avatars and also create new ones for us upon death. Hence why we can resurrect in almost all circumstances."


    "Almost all?"


    "There are some methods circumstances that can truly hurt us. It should be quite clear already."


    "Indeed. If that is the case, then the devils must certainly be your true enemies."


    Eldrian''s smile turned to a fake one. While he had spent most of his time in Taurtania experimenting, he had also learned a bit of noble etiquette. He was still a novice, and he especially didn''t enjoy following the rules of noble etiquette. But he understood that in these circumstantiates he should try to keep up appearances at least until the official meeting was done with.


    Of course, he kept standing since kneeling now would be far toote and actually add insult to injury. "I''m afraid most of us are still, too¡ªhow should I put it? Our experiences limit our knowledge and our reach. I''m sure you heard about how many empires recruited most of the Chosen."


    Boran nodded, indicating for Eldrian to continue, and so he did. "Sadly, this means most of these Chosen have lived rather sheltered lives. They had ess to far more resources and even teachers, so you would expect them to have thrived, instead most had stagnated. A peaceful life led to them taking the easy path."


    "So we can''t rely on you Chosen?" Boran asked, prodding deliberately to see where his old apprentice''s loyaltiesid.


    "It would be hard to rely on us. To my knowledge, I am the only Chosen to have reached Tier 5. I know of a friend who feelsfortable in achieving the same within a month. But two Tier 5''s would hardly make a difference, even in a local province such as Kynigo."


    "You say that, but didn''t you bring forth significant changes to Kynigo? Even saving the city itself?"


    "Change isn''t the same as making a difference in a fight."


    "Yet you have done so on multiple asions too, have you not?" Boran decided to not force the particr issue but turned to Viggo instead, who quickly nodded upon feeling Boran''s gaze.


    "Indeed, your feat against the reavers was most impressive. The spell you had used was equivalent to that of a great Tier 6 greatmage or an average Tier 7 highmage and back then you had only been Tier 4, were you not?"


    "That..." Eldrian grimaced. "I would rather not rely on that power."


    "Why?!" Viggo''s surprise was honest and Boran''s gaze was quite cold.


    "It is a type of magic close in nature to what devils and demons use, and if I were to lose control, the consequences could be disastrous." Eldrian''s reply shocked not just Viggo and Boran, but also the rest of the dwarves in the hall. Murmurs quickly spread as many looked at the elf with conflicted thoughts.


    "How is it simr?" Boran asked, realizing that unless Eldrian rified this, things could be quite difficult going forward. While he had ced some guards -both inside his heart and in the hall- against his old apprentice, he wanted to help if possible.


    "That..." Eldrian looked around at the dwarves in the hall. There weren''t many, but he still felt suffocated by their stares. Taking a deep breathe he calmed himself and reminded himself why he hade here. If he were to ask for help -which it appeared they could offer- he needed to gain their trust first.


    "The magic is a branch of casting that I call spirit magic. Unlike normal magic, which simply relies on a spell module or with dynamic casting that High Elves are famous for that relies on thoughts; spirit magic relies on one''s emotions. That is to say, it uses the power of the soul."


    The murmurs grew, but only for a moment, hushed when Boran''s eyes moved across the hall. After making sure everyone had calmed down, Boran turned to Eldrian again. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the elf.


    Boran knew of a power that relied upon the soul, his aura of wrath and destruction was one such a power. It allowed him great power, but at the cost of his rity of mind. To most of his retainers, he appeared like a wild beast when he fought and they feared him despite being his retainers.


    But such a topic couldn''t be discussed in a public setting. "I see. It is good that you fear relying on it. Relying on such a power not part of you would only lead to trouble. However, if this is the case, then what do you have to offer?"


    "Offer?" Eldrian echoed, uncertain why he needed to offer something. He did his best to keep his displeasure from showing as his mind raced to understand.


    "You wish to secure our help in retaking a keep that lies in the region of Kynigo. If I am to give you support, then I will need something from you in return."


    ''That''s fair, I guess,'' Eldrian thought, but he did not know what he could offer. Thinking about it some more, he realized that this was likely not a genuine question of what he could offer. Rather, he needed to make helping him seem worth it, or at least make it appear that it was the right thing to do.


    "I''m not certain what I can offer, but... I''ve already shared the secrets of cannons, and I believe it had been of great help to you." Saying so Eldrian eyed the crowd, noticing many appearing even more conflicted than before.


    ''Seems I was right,'' Eldrian smiled in relief.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 707 A Strange And Distant Reunion (2)

    ''Seems I was right,'' Eldrian smiled. "I''ve also learned a great deal about magic and even crafting. Perhaps I could share this information in exchange for help?"


    Silence settled for a moment, followed by a burst ofughter. They all had the same thoughts: ''What could a Tier 5 Chosen know that they did not?'' Dwarves were known for their crafting abilities. Only the High Elves could im better craftmanship, true High Elves.


    "A trade of information?" Boran asked after waiting a while to have the dwarves calm down. "I''m afraid you will first have to prove that the information is of use."


    "Alright then. Do any of you know of runic casting?" Eldrian asked, about to showcase his ability but stopping at thest moment. "Can I perform some magic?" He asked nervously, realizing that he almost made a terrible blunder. One that could have gotten him killed and any chance of receiving help destroyed.


    "You may," Boran replied.


    With confirmation, Eldrian paused again, considering the best showcase. ''A barrier is probably the best. Wind formation in circr form superimposed with my visualization of blocking all attacks, perhaps a shock wave upon contact repelling the attacker should do... Mmm, harder than just relying on instincts to form it, but I need to showcase runic casting, not dynamic. It''s quiteplex, so I will need to make a circuit.''


    After taking a moment topose himself, Eldrian moved his hand through the air. At first everyone was confused, and then absolute shock settled in as the dwarves all saw the very familiar runes floating in the air. Somehow, someway, remaining in ce like they were part of the air.


    How Eldrian drew the runes all connected was truly strange and soon his appearance seemed to turn hazy as the air fizzled and distorted. Astounded, a few dwarves couldn''t help themselves and took a step forward. Eldrian''s words reaching them barely in time.


    "I wouldn''te too close! I''ve designed..." Eldrian paused and looked at the magic circuit, thinking, ''Doesn''t this kind of look like a magic circle? Perhaps that might work better as abel than ''circuit''.''


    "This magic circle,posed of runes, I designed to cover me in a shield of wind. Anything thates into contact with the circle will be blown away. You are free to test this, but do note that the amount of mana I pushed into the circle is equivalent to arge scale offensive Tier 5 spell."


    Eldrian''s words, and especially his confidence, caused the dwarves to take a step back. Viggo, who was next to him instead, was looking left and right like a headless chicken. "Umm, is it save for me to be¡ª"


    "You''re fine. Sadly, the circle is quite simple. I forgot to define the direction. So please don''t stray to the edges until I cancel it. I''m not clear on what will happen if you disturb the barrier." Eldrian confirmed that Viggo had calmed down before turning to the barrier in curiosity, ''So sound can travel through without a problem? Is this because of how I visualized it working?''


    Viggo hadn''t really calmed down. He was actually stuck in ce in fear. To Eldrian, using an amount of mana required for arge scale Tier 5 spell was simple¡ªit was simple only for him. Such spells required around 500MP, and most Tier 5 mages only had around 750MP.


    Just to have their mana flow to actually cast the spell would be a significant burden, not to mention the mental exhaustion that would follow from the sudden drop in mana inside of them. It was due to this that everyone was staring at the barrier in apprehension. Their gazes focused on the elf standing calmly inside. A hint of fear growing in their hearts.


    "Arge-scale offensive Tier 5 spell?" One dwarven noble finally asked doubtfully. It defiedmon sense. There was no way anyone could cast such a spell in just a few seconds. It should take dozens of seconds to simply move the required mana.


    "The amount of mana?" Eldrian turned to the questioning dwarf. He wore what Eldrian assumed was the noble wear of Ganalin. Thick clothing almost looking like a gambeson of ck, red and blue colors. The ck formed the base of the clothing while the red peered out from underneath and the blue shone through engraved decorations, some of which appeared to be active runes. The design wasn''t bad, but it didn''t lookfortable.


    Eldrian continued, "The amount of mana I used is indeed equivalent to whatrge scale Tier 5 spells would consume. At least, I think it is. But of course I can still increase the amount if it isn''t sufficient."


    Eldrian said this so casually that for a moment, what he had said didn''t register in the surrounding dwarves'' minds. When it did, many took multiple steps back. Those who did not thought that Eldrian was boasting, while those who did considered the rumors about him in Pordor when he helped against the reavers. Extrapting from these rumors, it seemed unlikely that Eldrian was lying.


    "Ah yes, you likely want to test its effectiveness. Why don''t you throw a Tier 5 spell at it? Of course, we shouldn''t forget where we are." Turning to Boran, who peered down from upon his throne, Eldrian asked, "Would it be alright to test the effectiveness of this magic barrier of mine?"


    "Yes, but let us not use any fire spells. Wind and fire can quickly run out of control."


    "Excellent thinking!" Eldrian smiled and returned his focus to the crowd. "You heard him, but do be careful. I''m not exactly sure how it is going to react since this would be my first time actually using this magic circle design."


    Of course, Eldrian''s words made the crowd even more nervous. The dwarven nobles were all wary of testing the barrier, while most of them were of decent Tier. All being above Tier 5. Few were experienced withbat and even less experienced with danger.


    These here were Boran''s direct retainers (the guards and a few select individuals) or the nobles who hid behind their status to avoid being drafted. Many had even sent their heir in their ce.


    Finally, a dwarf with a graying beard stepped forward. Shaking his head disapprovingly at all the dwarves who had distanced themselves from Eldrian as he moved out of the crowd. These were all nobles who had forced themselves into the meeting to attempt and gain favor from Boran.


    How they had heard of it despite the short notice was beyond him and Boran. And now, to showcase their true colors so clearly, it made it even more apparent that they must be removed from all matters. Their ipetence was simply too great.


    "Perhaps we should limit the strength of the spell thrown at your barrier, then?" The graying dwarf said, "I shall first send a simply wind de against the barrier. Please do be on guard for if it cuts through."


    Saying so, the dwarf moved his arm and a sent out his spell almost instantly. Eldrian immediately activated mana sense and focused his sight surrounding the dwarf. He didn''t spy on the dwarf, but focused where he expected the spell to be. Since wind des were basically invisible, only a disturbance in the air gave away their location, but there was no way he would be able to see that through his own barrier.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 708 A Strange And Distant Reunion (3)

    Aware that Viggo was beside him and uncertain how the barrier would interact with a wind de, Eldrian summoned a carapax of a reaver, one of the two he had in his inventory. He had meant to practice more with it, but well... Then other things came up.


    Grabbing it as a shield, he ced himself between the wind de and Viggo. His actions, however, were unnecessary. Upon contacting the barrier, the wind de burst apart. The barrier absorbed the mana of the spell before reconstructing and deflecting it as a burst ofpressed air.


    The graying dwarf had expected little from the barrier. Sensing his wind de being blocked, he had thought it was a rtively decent defensive barrier. Then his instincts told him to prepare himself.


    nting his feet firmly on the ground, he moved to block the counter spell. The shock wave sent his hair and beard billowing, but did not move him. However, those behind him were less fortunate.


    Some, who had reacted upon seeing him be guarded, managed to stay on their feet. The rest were all blown to the ground.


    Silence settled in the hall, all eyes slowly turning to Eldrian who was still inside his barrier. Not only was he unharmed, his barrier was still intact and clearly the counter spell had been far stronger than the spellunched at it.


    Rubbing his head in confusion, Eldrian turned to the graying dwarf with an awkward smile. "Apologies, it appears that I visualized the counter attack mechanism too strongly. I''m afraid I''m not used to holding back."


    Internally, Eldrian was so so relieved he had decided to use a defensive spell. Had he chosen to showcase something destructive, he might have caused some serious trouble and ruined all chances of getting help.


    ? While he was nervously looking at the graying dwarf, the dwarf also eyed him curiously before breaking into a wide grin. "There is no need for you to apologize!" He bellowed, "We had doubts you could teach us something, and when someone doubts you, it is best to rid all doubts immediately!"


    Not expected the load reply, Eldrian continued to smile awkwardly. Pulling out his mana from the ''magic circle'', he waited for someone to say something.


    "I would say this is clearly valuable knowledge." Boran spoke, drawing the attention that has been focused on Eldrian. Luckily, Eldrian was used to being the center of attention in Kynigo, so he had managed to withstand the pressure of being gazed at so intensely.


    "You called this runic casting?" Boran questioned, "Is it as simple as to draw the runes in the air?"


    "That might be how it appeared, but it is not as easy as it appears. There is plenty to keep in mind when doing so. However, I would first have secured your help before exining further."


    "A good answer. I would also prefer to contain this information. From what we have seen, this method of casting is something quite dangerous."


    Eldrian nodded, deciding to not add anything more. Runic casting was his strongest trump card, but it wasn''t always useful. It required preparations and time to be used. When given the time, it was certainly strong, but in a pinch, it couldn''t be used at all.


    From there, Boran aired out a few other things with the gathered nobles still in the hall before dismissing everyone but Eldrian and the graying dwarf.


    "This is Firhin, the highmander of Ganalin. My right hand."


    "It is nice to make your acquaintance." Eldrian performed a small bow and looked at Firhin curiously. Now he was truly curious how strong the graying dwarf was. He reminded Eldrian of Pros. Someone who was weing to others and open to change, despite his old visage.


    "I must admit, I was quite shocked. And to learn that you also brought us cannons. If not for them, I would still be locked on the front along with Boran. It is thanks to you that we finally stabilized things and secure our homnd."


    "I am d they helped... Does this mean you might offer your help?" Eldrian asked, hopefully. Gaining someone at Firhin''s level would certainly be the best. Things would go rather smoothly with someone called a highmander helping.


    "I''m afraid I cannot leave his lordship''s side." Firhin declined without a moment''s hesitation. Boran seemed displeased. He wanted to help himself. He had heard some rumors and already had a vague idea of whom Eldrian was actually trying to help.


    Confirming the details, Boran became even more adamant to help as much as he could. They now had a public reason why, so his personal reasons need not be aired. But Old sword was a dear friend, one of his oldest.


    "Firhin, what about Theas? He is experienced fighting the undead, having led the eight regiment well against them."


    "Certainly, my Lord. He is currently at the front supporting the twelfth, but I am sure they can manage for a few days without him. At worst, they would simply need to fall back to Braxhold. I will send for him at once!"


    With that, Firhin departed. Understanding that his lord wanted time alone with his old acquaintance. Finally, formalities could be dropped.


    Boran grinned while giving Eldrian a good look over. It was clear at a nce that Eldrian had grown a great deal, but upon further examination, his growth was far clearer and much more than what a nce would tell you.


    "I''m shocked." Boran said.


    "Why?"


    "You''ve changed so much."


    "And haven''t you?" Eldrian countered, "Just look¡ª" Eldrian stopped himself, uncertain how familiar he was allowed to act. Noticing this, Boran gave him a smack on the shoulder. Nearly sending Eldrian flying into a nearby wall.


    "Please don''t act so formally. You''re my apprentice, after all!"


    "About that..."


    Dropping his smile, Boran eyed Eldrian curiously. "I see. Do you wish to cancel our rtion?"


    "Unless you would be willing to teach me again."


    "That . . . would be difficult. But not impossible!"


    "Do you wish to teach me?"


    Boran sighed. He understood where Eldrian wasing from. They hadn''t met once since his departure from Aggostead, nearly two years ago now. Considering Boran''s sway, he should have contacted Eldrian. But he had been too focused on managing his own affairs to spare time to think of old acquaintances.


    Only recently had he returned to Buglodihr, the overall situation was finally manageable. Yet, even with things calmed, many other things still needed to be managed. As soon as the outside threat was calmed, inside ones started propping up all over.


    Sadly, Boran quickly came to learn that he did not hold true rule over the dwarves of Ganalin. He was no king, he was only the lord of Ganalin. And there was a truly frustrating difference between the two.


    "If only I had the time. I''m afraid politics is a venomous snake I can''t be rid of."


    "Then shall we cancel our master-mentee rtion? So I might take another teacher."


    "No," Boran''s immediate reply stunned Eldrian. But the dwarf had his reasons. Sadly, before he could exin them, they were interrupted.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 709 Phoenixs Style Of Fighting (1)

    "Apologies, my Lord, we just received word of a new copse." Said a dwarf whom Eldrian did not know. He dressed simrly to the nobles of before; but less grand. Likely a servant of the house. Though Eldrian had no clue how things worked in the dwarven hierarchy.


    "Thanks you, Asbjorn." Boran indicated for the young dwarf to leave, turning to Eldrian once they were alone again. "Sadly, it appears I must already return to work. I''m afraid a copse requires immediate attention, before our enemies learn of it."


    Not wishing for things to be dropped so quickly and without a conclusion, Eldrian asked if he couldn''t join Boran.


    "I do not mind, and since we have to wait for Theas to arrive, it will give us some more time to discuss. Alright, we shall talk as we walk. Sadly, we won''t be able to dive into any private topics."


    "Why not?" Eldrian asked and immediately realized that it was somethingmon for nobles. To speak openly was, in fact, strange. Myropsis, Pros, Evale, all the nobles he knew were much more free in how they acted. The entire Kynigo actually took after Pros in that way.


    Taurtania, however, had been different. Obviously, Buglodihr, a capital, would be even stricter in noble etiquette and the thought had Eldrian dread trying to stay here for longer than required. It was a wonder that Boran had managed to act in a manner expected of a lord. At least, the Boran Eldrian remembered would never have managed.


    Funnily enough, Eldrian was so clueless on dwarven nobility that he still did not know what rank Boran actually held. He only knew that Boran was considered the lord of Ganalin, but Eldrian didn''t understand what this meant. Was Boran like a mayor, or a king?


    Going through all his thoughts in an instant and before Boran could reply, Eldrian added, "I''ve learned a few tricks. While I haven''t perfected a sound barrier, perhaps I could construct what I am able and we can then talk more freely?"


    Boran smiled hearing this. The two were already on their way through the underground castle, so already they needed to talk more formally. "If you can manage."


    Nodding, Eldrian focused for a moment to finalize what he wished of the spell. Pondering for a second if he should rely on runes. Consulting Two, they quickly picked up the best runes for a mobile sound barrier. Taking out a mana crystal, Eldrian added the runes to it.


    Boran watched this all with great interest, his decision to not let Eldrian go growing as he saw Eldrian deftly creating a magic circle upon the mana crystal. The runes seemed to lie gently atop the crystal, as if floating. Informing Boran that it would not be permanent, that the mana crystal would not be forever a sound barrier carrier.


    More significantly, Eldrian wasn''t using the tricks of Inscription to modify the crystal, as would be standard. Somehow, his runic casting circles could be ced upon crystals without causing the instability expected from runes.


    Boran found himself wanting to learn from Eldrian more than Eldrian wanted to learn from him. As a master, he felt slightly ashamed, but his thirst for this runic casting and all its wonders overwhelmed any shame he might be feeling.


    ***


    ''I just don''t get how Eldrian always makes it seem so easy. He adapts to discoveries with an intuitive grasp. Born for magic... I guess that is the best way to describe him.'' Ilmadia smiled awkwardly as she looked towards the sky while keeping her handiwork constantly envisioned in her mind''s space.


    Her mind space was nowhere near as defined as Eldrian, but each day it was growing firmer. Especially since she had gained her hidden quest. Of course, she was not aware of the growth. It wasn''t something one would notice unless prompted to note it.


    Eldrian always spoke so easily of using runic casting toy traps; ''spells as mines'' as he would ssify it. But it was no easy task, no easy task at all. At best, Ilmadia could only maintain two or three simple fire ''mines''. And to do so took most of her focus. She could hardly spare a thought to her surroundings. But her mind still wandered¡ªwondered at his talents.


    "Theiring!" A yer shouted as he rushed past Ilmadia''s hiding spot atop one of the few unbroken houses. Not muchter, the cruel roars of the orcs filled the air, along with the nging of their armor and weapons.


    ''One, two, three, four...'' Ilmadia started the countdown. They almost had it to an exact science. After the shout, wait ten seconds and then.


    BOOM!


    Let the first mine activate. The mostplicated one.


    Fire engulfed the alley and the surrounding buildings as screams filled the air. The orcs hurriedly turned to escape the inferno.


    ''One, two, three...'' This time, count to five. And then.


    Woosh!


    Followed by an immediate activation of the third. Now, let the rest of the mages and archers handle the cleanup.


    Standing up from her hiding spot, Ilmadia peered over the ruined houses and looked towards the inferno. Admiring her handiwork.


    Her job was a simple one, to stop the orcs in their tracks. Her mines had to pack a punch, but sadly, that meant they couldn''tst long. She simply did not have the mana to support much more. Another thing Eldrian seemed to have endless amounts of. Truly, born for magic, described him almost to a T.


    Still, she managed. Her first mine had to be powerful enough to let the orcs know fear. Lest they simply rush through the mes and their trap fall apart at the start. Thus, she ced a little over half her mana into it. Just around 300MP, bringing the power of her first rune to about that of a high leveled Tier 5 spell. Perhaps not as excessive as Eldrian''s disy, but it would still shock most NPCs. Especially since she was still only Tier 4 whereas he was Tier 5.


    ''To fight like this... None of us ever considered it. Of course, Eldrian would be the first. Who else would prioritize sess so much over anything? Even I sometimes wish for a ssic fantasy battle. I know it is wrong, especially with so many NPCs suffering. But I simply can''t keep them always in mind. They are strangers, strangers of another world nheless.''


    It was a truly strange way of fighting. Many might call it a cowardly way. But how else were they to fight against the orcs? Few yers could handle an ordinary orc warrior, and with their numbers, they would be ughtered before managing anything.


    Of course, this was not a type of fighting that any of the yers had ever thought they would rely on. But it truly was effective, and no oneined when the XP started rolling in.


    Of course, the poor warrior ss were left out of the rewards. They had the most dangerous jobs but could hardly im any of the XP. While they were part of the guild party, shared XP was massively influenced by damage done.


    Hence, why Ilmadia and the rest of the ming Hearts took such a substantial lead in levels. Especially Ilmadia, who had since they started gained over ten million XP. If not for her high level, she would have easily gained plenty of levels already.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 710 Phoenixs Style Of Fighting (2)

    Staring towards the battle in a continued daze, Ilmadia''s kept thinking of Eldrian. After she stopped the orcs, the mages of the guild would work to contain them while the archers started weakening those trapped. Only if the mages ran out of mana would the warriors be required to step in.


    It went without saying, but everyone used elements that worked well together. Since Ilmadia started things with fire, no one would be so daft as to use water and give the orcs an escape. They had learned to be careful and luckily until now they had not trapped an orc they could not deal with.


    ''He spoke so easily of mastering rune casting... Well, I guess I have learned multiplebinations with little trouble. It is easier than envisioning spell modules, at least it is for me. As long as you understand what the runes mean, then it was simply a matter ofbining them in a manner that enhanced their strengths. I just don''t know when I will achieve the requirements...''


    ''And why do I feel like he already has a deeper grasp than this? When we spoke, I had this impression that he already did what he told me the second part of my quest would require. But how? And why then did he not gain this hidden ss, nor the quest?''


    ''What other secrets do you have, Eldrian?'' Ilmadia''s thoughts were ripped from her as someone grabbed her by the arm and jumped down the roof. Dragging her along with him.


    "Zyyvv¡ª!" Ilmadia shouted as she fell. This wasn''t the first time this happened, but each time her heart would freeze for a beat.


    Zyvissnded gracefully, catching Ilmadia as if she weighed less than a feather. "It''s your fault for daydreaming again. We need to move if you don''t want to die!"


    Ilmadia knew he was right, but she still didn''t feelfortable being pulled down from a roof. Luckily, as she had learned from pervious times. Even if he failed to stop her fall, not to mention catching her, she wouldn''t die. As long as she didn''tnd on her neck, that is.


    The enhanced strength of their avatars, thanks to their levels and Tiers, truly made them superhuman. Though, the difference wasn''t that great that it was apparent at all times¡ªplus the increases were usually gradual. Because of this, it was easy to forget about their superhuman ability altogether.


    Rushing after Zyviss, Ilmadia turned her attention to the task at hand. Potions were too expensive to use recklessly. While it only took her slightly over 10 minutes to regain her mana, a depleted mana pool still limited what she could do.


    She started deciding on the spells she would use should they run into any enemies as they darted through the alleys. Zyviss ran so fast and certain that one would think him a local, a showcase of his ability for navigation.


    "Good, you''re back." Elizabeth sighed in relief, but she couldn''t rx. "Ilmadia, we need some more mines. The orcs are responding far faster thanst time."


    "Of course, but my mana is still low."


    "Right, can''t you use a mana crystal as a source?" Elizabeth asked, the offer naturally shocked Ilmadia. Things were far worse than she expected if Elizabeth wanted to use such a valuable item.


    "My control is too unstable¡ª"


    "But can you manage it?"


    "Maybe, but... I might lose control and it will explode."


    "Just hold on until they enter our trap."


    Ilmadia nodded with a serious look, taking the nail mana crystal with trembling hands. She knew how Eldrian used them like they were batteries, but for her they were bombs. If she ever lost focus of the runes she was adding to the crystal. Its mana would leak, and after that, there wasn''t much anyone could do to stop theing explosion. And an explosion even of the smallest mana crystal was far greater than anything all the mages working together could aplish.


    Doing her best to control her trembling, Ilmadia started working on the crystal. Following the guidance that Eldrian had shared with her during hisst visit. While he had been in a rush to return, he had spent a few hours sharing his recent discoveries with Ilmadia. He kept his theories to himself, not wishing to influence her way of thinking, but share what he had proven to work.


    ''He did this like¡ªwait, did he never consider what would happen if he failed? I guess that does sound like him...'' Covered in a cold sweat, Ilmadia tried to imagine what had happened the first time Eldrian messed up with runic casting. And she knew that couldn''t evenpare to other mess ups.


    ''I''m not sure of fire. I''m too afraid of what will happen if I lose control. It should work with ice, right?''


    Time passed as Ilmadia focused her entire world onto the tiny crystal. It was so small that adding any runes to it was near impossible. To build a circuit seemed ludicrous, but she knew no other way to use runic casting in a controlled manner.


    A drop of sweat made its way down to her nose, and after an eternity, it fell. Right onto the crystal.


    Ilmadia''s heart stopped as she immediately dismissed the runes, destroying all her hard work. She was happy nothing worse happened, but now she was back to square one. Looking up, she saw yers rushing back and forth in a great hurry. Many were injured and as she watched them, the chaos of the world returned to her. The defeating sounds of war caused her focus to slip, but luckily, she had already canceled the runes thanks to the drop of sweat.


    ''This isn''t going to work! I know the magic I and Eldrian use isn''t the same. He can cast through thinking, surely this isn''t unique to him.'' Looking at the crystal again and realizing that they were all going to die if she failed here and now, she gambled.


    ''I only need the core rune representing cold.'' Saying so, Ilmadia added the word to the crystal. One could think of it as the root of all runes to do with ice. Its meaning, if tranted, would be: "In the absence of heat".


    When Ilmadia finished she looked up again, the number of yers surrounding her less than half that she recalled. She was certain that she hadn''t been long, which showed just how terrible their circumstances actually were.


    "Elizabeth!" Ilmadia shouted and messaged. Luckily, Elizabeth was not dead. The message went through and she was instructed to rush to the front. Which was to her right.


    Doing just that, Ilmadia pushed through the wounded; trying to recover enough to head back to fight. She found herself standing before a newly ruined neighbourhood. Filled with orcs and plenty of dead yers; but few dead orcs.


    Therdul was desperately blocking a massive orc''s path to their alley. He was the only yers still standing outside their alley. His shield was covered inrge sword scars and his armor falling apart. Behind him and beside Ilmadia stood Elizabeth, doing her best to heal and bless him. A simple nce told the story of how exhausted they both were.


    Without thinking, Ilmadia threw the tiny crystal upon seeing a smaller orc behind the behemoth raising a staff. The elements of fire and wind swirling around it.


    "Ice nova!" Ilmadia shouted, imagining a world of ice. Picturing all the orcs turned to ice sculptures and her friends unharmed. That the ice would move away from them and only towards the orcs.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 711 Progress Towards Their Goal

    Judith grinned, covered in blood and deep wounds, but not bothered about such little details. Yet again, their n had worked perfectly.


    In this one regard, it seemed that the orcs were like mobs of any normal game. After a brief fight gaining their aggression, they would lose sight of all else and chase them to the end of the earth, or right into a trap. Their range of aggression even seemed to have no end, making them even easier to lure.


    Even after a few days of repeating this same method, the orcs still had not learned. Or so they thought.


    Suddenly, the guild chat became a flurry of messages.


    "Why are theying here and not¡ª" Elizabeth started shouting orders. They couldn''t put up a fight here. It was too close to the inn where the NPCs they had rescued were being hidden. Sure, there weren''t that many NPCs currently in the inn since they just started for the day, but that wasn''t a good argument.


    "Move it! Move it!" Judith shouted. The worst of her wounds healed already. She was still low on most of her stats, but she rushed forward. Taking charge and rushing towards the front. Immediately shing with the orcs in the narrow alleys of the city block, trying to lead them away from the NPCs.


    They were still too close, but not so close that the orcs would stumble upon the NPCs. However, should they know the city, it would be quite easy to connect the dots. There was an inn nearby and arge entrance into the sewage system of the city. The city only had these entrances near the main roads and it was how Phoenix were rescuing the citizens. The first citizens they had saved had helped n the routes. Above ground was simply too dangerous after a day of fighting.


    In the front, Judith shed swords with the orcs. Thanks to the narrow alleyways, they couldn''t surround her, but it also limited how she could fight with Gray. But if all she needed to do was block their path, she could manage.


    Help soon followed, and it seemed they would manage to block the orcs here and give enough time for someone toe up with a better n.


    And then the sky turned bright.


    "My god!" Therdul stopped in his tracks as a ray of fire rained down upon everyone before him. When the spell disappeared, all that remained before him was ruins. No yer or orc was in sight.


    Then followed a load cheer filled with over bubbling morale, and orcs started rushing into the ruined city block by the hundreds.


    "We can''t let them get through here!" Therdul shouted, rushing to the front and finding himself facing an orc nearly three meters tall. As he struggled, Therdul noticed in the corner of his eyes all the yers falling like flies. He also noticed that most of the alleyways were blocked by rubble.


    Falling back to the one they hade through, he desperately fought to stand his ground. The attacks of his massive foe were heavy, and it ate into his shield and armor. Imaging the repair cost pained Therdul''s heart. It might not even be possible to repair as things were going. But he could not back down. For he knew that the NPCs would have no second chance at life.


    In his struggle, Therdul saw a rather small orc appearing behind hisrge foe. It casually waved its staff, and the elements started visibly surrounding the staff. ''No, there must be¡ª''


    "Ice nova!" The shout shocked Therdul. He just caught the glimmer of a small crystal flying through the air. Then everything turned white.


    The next thing Therdul knew, his foe was frozen mid attack. His de, bearing down upon Therdul''s unprotected shoulder, stopped just centimeters fromnding.


    "Thank god, it''s over." Therdul copsed to the ground, whilst the pain and all was limited. His body still ached. And too soon after thest time¡ªduring the defense of Vlisia.


    He copsed with a smile.


    Elizabeth immediately came to check up on him. She only confirmed that he wasn''t dying and then left to help the next. Watching her walk away, Therdul grumbled. He would have liked her to show some more care about his well being. But well, this was only an avatar. No matter how battered it was, he would live.


    ***


    "Theas, I hope we can move immediately." Eldrian said after the greetings were done.


    Theas was a stout dwarf. He looked young, but experienced. His armor was a mix of adamant and mithril, the dark purplish metal a showcase of his achievements. The metal wasn''t so cheap that any captain could afford to implement it into their armor.


    "We can, father informed me of the general details. I hope you can give color to the picture."


    "Of course..." Eldrian followed Theas, who lead him to the nearest teleportation circle while sharing everything he knew of the fort and the undead inside.


    As he exined everything to Theas, Eldrian confirmed the details on his map and also prayed that the difference between a Tier 7 and 6 would be big enough to prevent any troubles from arising. ''If worsees to worst, I will rely on...''


    ***


    "Has he already found someone who could help?" Vivian asked, shocked by the message Erik had delivered. Eldrian had only left a few days ago, not even a week.


    "It seems so. He went to meet with Boran and it sounds like Boran wanted to help. They sent a dwarven captain. He is Tier 7, so things should go smoothly. But just in case, take these and give it to Eldrian."


    "This..." Vivian was stunned by the quantity of potions Erik gave Myropsis, who quickly stored them in her dimensional storage.


    "He paid for it, but still, be careful. Even with his map and all the nning in the world, something might still go wrong."


    Nodding, Vivian turned and together with Myropsis, the two teleported to Kynigo, where they were to meet up with Eldrian.

 Chapter 712 The Undeads Fort

    Eldrian met Vivian and Myropsis at his mansion. He had arrived a bit earlier than them and served Theas some tea and cakes while he talked with Aspen about the estate. He needed to add some money to the estate''s budget regardless, so it felt natural to make it the meeting point.


    ''I''ll have to work to gain some money,'' Eldrian thought, realizing that after ordering the potions from Erik, he was down to just around a hundred gold. "I hope this will be enough for the next month."


    "I believe it will be..." The Xue (wolfkin) seemed hesitant.


    "Aspen, please say what''s on your mind."


    "If you won''t mind, my lord." Aspen started off carefully, his caution Eldrian found tiring, as he found all noble etiquette¡ªespecially after spending a day experiencing the highest levels of this with Boran. But it seemed to make those working for him feel more rxed if they could fall back onto these customs, so he did not speak out and made sure to not let his feeling show on his face.


    "I''ve been wondering if we shouldn''t add a few of the... Vertical farms to the estate. We would need a few gardeners or farmhands..." Aspen paused. Currently, they were sharing the load of maintaining the estate between the retainers and maids. It truly wasn''t a good representation of their lord, but given circumstances, it could be forgiven.


    "I assume you''re thinking of growing some magical nts, since normal nts won''t bring much of an ie."


    "Indeed, but the problem is the initial investment. A rack spanning ten meters would cost around 20 silvers, but the addition of the arrays and the magical source would bring the cost to slightly over one gold."


    "Prepare the nts for now. There are also some local nts that might be a good investment. After our mission, I''ll return with a friend and we''ll organize the rest ourselves."


    Aspen smiled, his snow white ears perking up. Eldrian handling this himself was the best possible oue. Outside of managing the estate, Aspen had been working hard to grow stronger, much like Brazan and Tjan. Sadly, he had been the most upied with other things and had shown the least growth. While he was happy to be of service, he wanted to do more.


    His hope was a simple one, to make the estate self-sufficient. With the extra ie, they could hire more retainers and he would finally be freed to train and catch up to the others.


    ...


    The journey to the fort went smoothly, Eldrian always checking his map to ensure they wouldn''t run into any unwanted trouble. The Pyknos forest was still an infestation of undead, but someone -normally adventurers, and in extreme situations, Pros and Evale- quickly dealt with any wandering undead that left the forest. Life was slowly returning to the surrounding areas.


    Sadly, life would never return to what it was before the undead invasion. The scars of death filled thends. When leaving the city, Eldrian had seen this all too clearly in the artifact. It truly had be a memorial site, and it helped those who visited it, but seeing how many still made a journey to visit it had been a sad sight. It reminded Eldrian of how much loss there has been, and how much there was still toe.


    Their little group of four now stood before the Kyno Northeast forest. Eldrian and Vivian were both frozen in ce, shocked by the sight before them. Theas and Myropsis, on the other hand, were blissfully ignorant of the hell they were about to step into.


    ''Let''s hope this isn''t what is seems like,'' Eldrian mumbled. Sadly, his map could not tell him much of the details of an area, and the details truly seemed frightening.


    "What''s wrong?" Myropsis asked upon noticing that Eldrian and Vivian had frozen, turning serious immediately.


    "It... Seems that the miasma of undeath is strong. Far stronger than we thought it would be, given the number of undead..." Eldrian''s mind was racing and the only conclusion he coulde up with was that it must be the lich''s doing. He could only pray that an element of chaos -such as the Death Crystal he had looted inside the forest- would not be part of things.


    "You mentioned that there is both a revenant and lich inside the fort. If the lich is using the revenant as a source, then such a miasma is to be expected." Theas said. Taking out a monocle like item and holding it over his left eye, only to frown at the sight shown to him. "This amount is excessive."


    "I''m afraid to speak what I think, but I fear it is likely because of the living being kept living." Eldrian spoke carefully, watching Vivian as he did.


    "How would that¡ª"


    "Let us start with a probing attack to see their responses." Eldrian interrupted the dwarf, not wishing to talk theory now that they were here. And for a moment, he lost focus on Vivian.


    Upon hearing Eldrian mention attack, Vivian pulled out Nelida''s me and stared at the fort, which to her sight was covered in the miasma of undeath with countless screaming souls chained to this ne of existence. She dared not imagine what her father must be enduring.


    The sight of this hell fueled her anger, and her anger fueled her sword. She charged forward and with each step she took; the mes covering her and her sword grew.


    ''Fuck!'' Eldrian jumped around and rushed after Vivian, who was already halfway into the miasma. Just its presence alone would suck the life out of someone and weaken them by the second. Yet, shockingly, the miasma was being sucked into Vivian.


    With each step she took into the miasma, her mes would rage and grow¡ªdevouring the miasma. Eldrian would swear he sensed divinity in those mes, but that made no sense. And he had no time to question.


    Sensing the presence of the living, the chained souls turned their sights onto Eldrian. Theypletely ignored Vivian and dashed towards the confused elf. And, of course, he could not even see them. He only barely noticed something was wrong when he saw the miasma around him acting strangely.


    ''Something''s wrong!'' Eldrian immediately started gathering his mana, only to be left standing like an idiot as a golden halberd smashed through the surrounding miasma. Returning everything to normal.


    "They chained souls to this fort! Be careful or you will find yourself in a struggle for survival!" Theas shouted as he continued to swing his halbert around, targeting the denser parts of the miasma.


    Myropsis was the only one to have yet to move closer. She understood that doing anything careless would only worsen the situation. So, instead of rushing forward, she started forming a fallback point. Using the knowledge and experience she had gained working with Eldrian to set up a safe haven.


    ''Shit, I didn''t think I''d be blind of all people!'' Eldrian cursed, quickly altering the sight that mana sense showed him. While he still could not see the souls directly, he focused in on the points where the miasma was thicker than normal. Eliminating the rest of the miasma from sight to allow him to actually see into the thick smoke like fog.


    And there were hundreds of abnormal miasma concentrations.


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 Chapter 713 Facing The Undead

    Eldrian wasn''t certain what these miasma concentrations were, but he could guess, and he felt confident in it¡ªsouls. It was the only thing that made sense, considering the circumstances.


    Only, ording to all the things Eldrian knew of the afterlife, it shouldn''t be possible to chain souls to the physical realm after death. Each passing second would be torture, with the soul being torn apart as its energy dissipates into the rest of the world. For them to still be here made no sense, and to top it off, his map had showed no information on them. Which confirmed that these were not some new entities.


    Jumping back, Eldrian avoided the charging souls while his mind raced.


    ''Stop thinking!'' Two shouted.


    ''How can I?!'' Eldrian countered and of course Two understood what was going through Eldrian''s mind. But now was not the time to think of the morals of killing the souls. Whether it was a release or eternal damnation, that discussion should be postponed until everything was sorted.


    ''Just do it!'' Two barked, gathering a ball of mes, which he sent through a collection of souls. ''Well, shit. Get out of the miasma!''


    The mes had passed through the souls without damaging them. It wasn''t hard to understand that they couldn''t offer much help to Vivian as things stood.


    "Theas, please block the souls!" Eldrian shouted. Rushing forward, weaving between the miasma concentrations and quickly catching up to Vivian while Theas did his best to keep the souls from Eldrian.


    mes of a pure blue surrounded Vivian and devoured the miasma and souls alike. Eldrian stopped before the mes, the heat unlike anything he had ever experienced before.


    ''It''s warm, but not physically¡ªhow strange.'' Diving into the mes, Eldrian grabbed Vivian''s arm and pulled her back just as she was about to attack the rotten gate of the fort.


    "What?!" She turned to see Eldrian and froze, sense finally returning. And as it did, a terrible screech filled the air as the undead beyond the walls stirred. She did not note the screeching of the waking undead. Her focus was on Eldrian who was surrounded by the same mes surrounding her. While she knew she would be alright, she worried for Eldrian. Luckily, her mes were not the mes of wrath.


    Sensing her worry and imaging what his mes would do to anyone toe into contact with it, Eldrian smiled, trying to ease her worries. "It doesn''t hurt."


    His words calmed her heart and finally she could focus on the danger they were in. Theas was desperately struggling against the souls who had lost interest in Eldrian as soon as he entered the mes surrounding Vivian. While the souls were incredibly weak, there were too many swarming him from all directions.


    "You focus on the souls. I''ll handle the undead." Eldrian said, rushing towards the rotten gate which burst apart as the first swarm of lower undead charged to find the intruders. Their confusion was evident at finding only four people before the fort, and before they could collect their thoughts, Crystoi severed their bodies and undeath with it.


    The spear was shrouded in fire and tore through the undead with ease, the damage such that Eldrian only had to attack a weak point once to kill even the strongest skeleton. Eldrian mowed through the lower undead with ease, focusing more on channeling his mana from his soul than the actual fight.


    Vivian, on the other hand, had rushed over to help Theas just as he was about to be overwhelmed. Defending from all directions -up, down, right, left, behind, in front- it was no easy task and even just a few seconds had the dwarf tasting death. He was grateful as Vivian''s blue mes cleansed the souls upon contact, leaving behind a vacuum of emptiness he quickly escaped through.


    After confirming that Vivian was in no danger, he rushed to help Eldrian, and the two mowed down the lower undead with ease. Killing hundred in seconds. Vivian, on the other hand, fought to control her mes to stop the souls from interrupting the two.


    "What''s with her mes?" Theas asked as they moved, weaving between the undead and jumping into the me''s Vivian was controlling from time to time to escape should the souls focus them.


    "No idea. I think it has a divine element." Eldrian replied, keeping note of the stronger undead who had stirred and talking with Two who wasying runic traps around the gate area as they pushed towards the bailey of the fort. Where the souls seemed incapable of following.


    "I''ve never heard of a me that doesn''t burn." Theas said, turning serious as the first ming Reanimate entered the fray. Eldrian would have struggled to face it, likely needing to alter the element covering Crystoi or relying on spells. But Theas simply attacked with his golden halbert.


    Theas and the reanimate fought for only a few seconds before its mes died and its bones fell to the ground. Seeing this, Eldrian finally breathed in relief. Theas'' strength seemed to be enough. Eldrian had been slightly worried seeing his struggle with the souls, but their existence itself was a big question. So it wasn''t that strange that Theas would struggle against their onught.


    This continued for a minute or two until one of the higher undead finally arrived. It was the lich, and it watched from the sidelines with interest as Eldrian and Theas continued to mow down the lower undead. Half of which had already been killed.


    ''Why is it just standing there?'' Eldrian pondered and asked Two.


    ''I have no idea. Perhaps it is assessing the situation?'' Two replied.


    ''I don''t like this. Too few of the strong undead have reacted. The map view is too limited, but I bet they''re surrounding us for a trap.'' Deciding that this was enough for today, Eldrian shouted for Theas to fall back. As they retreated, multiple ming reanimates appeared behind them. Jumping from the walls to block their path.


    "It''s toote¡ª" The lich started to gloat, but its gloating was immediately stopped when bursts of ice erupted right where the reanimates hadnded. The ice extinguished their mes and, while it did not kill them, it made them little more than normal skeletons.


    Eldrian struck one with his spear but sadly, it did minor damage as it was still wreathed in mes and the ming reanimates were immune to fire damage. The one Theas struck with his halbert, however, shattered apart.


    Outside the fort, Vivian was still fighting off the souls, who now numbered only a few dozen. Eldrian rushed to her and pulled her out of the miasma. Of course, the lich would not let them go so easily. It sent the lower undead after them along with the rest of the ming reanimates and a few of the Tier 5 higher undead.


    This massive horde of a few hundred skeletons and other undead rushed out of the fort toward the four living people. It looked like a wave of death was about to drown them.


    "Shit, we should have retreated sooner!" Vivian cursed, ming herself for losing herposure.


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 Chapter 714 Facing The Undead (2)

    "As long as the lich and other Tier 6 undead don''t move, we should be fine." Theas said. He was confident in protecting himself, but that was not his mission. To ensure that none of the others got hurt, he couldn''t allow himself to be kept upied by any of the undead. Tier 5''s unwilling and higher undead, he could juggle. Tier 6''s higher undead, not so much. A lich, certainly not.


    "Myropsis, did you have enough time?" Eldrian asked. His confidence confusing Vivian and Theas, who turned to the centaurette (in her human form) with questions written all over their faces.


    Myropsis wasn''t sure what Eldrian was expecting from her, but she smiled with confidence, regardless. Honestly, their nning wascking. They had rushed too much ever since Eldrian suddenly changed his tune. But that didn''t mean Myropsis''s own preparations werecking.


    She was keenly aware of that she was always the weakest or mostcking in the group. Before it was because of her focus on the theoretical, and after because she had decided to learn Eldrian''s way of using magic¡ªdynamic magic and runic casting. Her efforts had borne fruit, and she could finally showcase it here.


    She activated the runic array she had carved into the dirt. As an array it was primitive, as runes it covered toorge an area. And together it summoned a barrier constructed of ether -blocking all physical objects- and a second barrier powered by a blessed citrine crystal, blocking the undead and their magic.


    After activating the runic array, she then activated the traps she had engraved throughout the area between it and the miasma. Explosion after explosion filled the air as the lower undead were sent flying ame. Sadly, this onlysted for a few seconds, as she had had little time after finishing the barrier array.


    "Not bad." Eldrianmented as he watched the explosions, focusing on the unwilling and higher undead who were behind the horde of skeletons of all forms and sizes.


    "Not bad?" Theas questioned. He considered what Myropsis had done as magnificent. Especially given the time she had had to prepare all this. Had he known she was this capable, Theas would have proposed they first prepared this fallback point. However, what Vivian had seen would have made it hard for her to calm down.


    "What type of barrier did you construct?" Eldrian asked. His knowledge of barriers was still limited, but he understood the basics, at least. So Myropsis quickly exined the most important points.


    "Oh, so it will block my spell if I summon them inside and try to send them out. But I can just summon them outside the barrier, right?"


    "Yes, that is why I opted for the ether barrierbined with a blessed citrine powered cleansing barrier. There might be some difficulty controlling your mageia through it and so far away..." Myropsis stopped talking, realizing who she was talking to.


    Eldrian wouldn''t find any difficulties in this and indeed, he proved just that by using [Thora] on a few undead who had hammered their bones or weapons against the barrier. He needed a few casts to kill them since the surviving skeletons were all Tier 4, but they turned to ash only a few seconds after reaching the barrier.


    Eldrian however, did not continue to use [Thora]. While the spell was cheap, he would drain too much mana by killing all the remaining lower undead, and they still had the actual threats to deal with.


    "What now?" Vivian asked, staring at the lich in particr. Her eyes narrowed with the me or rage burning in them. She had finally contained her blue mes, but they still raged, only contained to dance around her sword.


    Watching the lich carefully, Eldrian tried to figure out its n. So far, it was the only Tier 6 undead to have moved. Strangely, the Tier 5 higher undead were ghouls and this would normally be terrible, but in this case, it was actually a relief. A ghoul''s greatest strengths are its speed and venom, and the former Eldrian had bested by a great deal after reaching Tier 5.


    A revenant would have been far more difficult to deal with since its aura would weaken everyone with time and killing it would be a mission, even for Theas. That the revenants and other lich had not moved did not sit well with Eldrian. As far as he could tell, they were still with Old Sword and the other humans.


    ''They either can''t leave them, or they consider us no threat. Considering the damage we have done, I doubt it is thetter.''


    ''But we can''t just have a staring contest. Besides, the barrier being assaulted is draining the mana crystal supporting it frighteningly fast.'' Twomented.


    "Theas, can you handle the lich and a ghoul or two?"


    "If they attack me, I can endure. But I can''t guarantee keeping their focus."


    "Vivian, do you think you''ll be able to handle a ghoul?" Eldrian asked,paring her stats to that of the ghouls. Vivian had the edge, but their poison was too deadly to risk something without discussion. Eldrian had the resurrection potions, but he would rather not rely on them. Besides, a ghoul''s venom was not so easy to deal with. Eldrian knew this well.


    "Yes." Vivian replied with a firm nod, shifting her focus from the lich to one of the ghouls. Rather begrudgingly. However, she understood she couldn''t face the lich as she was. No matter how much she wished to enact her revenge upon it. The ghoul would suffice as an alternative target.


    "Alright, then I guess it will be quite straightforward. I''ll stay back to protect Myropsis. Theas, you rush the lich. Vivian, take one of the ghouls and don''t move too far away."


    "That still leaves the ten plus ming reanimates and two ghouls." Theas looked at Eldrian. He expected one ghoul to aim for him. But even so, to deal with the reanimates and two ghouls would be no simple task.


    "I''ll manage." Eldrian replied, turning to Myropsis, "Lower the barrier."


    She smiled in reply, "I can do you one better." Instead ofpletely lowering the barrier, she opened a pocket for them to exit from. Vivian rushed out first, letting her mes expand as she did. The lower undead turning to ash upon contact, much like it would happen with Eldrian''s mes of wrath.


    ''Just what are those mes?'' Eldrian questioned as he rushed after Theas. His first focus on the lower undead, whose attacks were wasting the mana crystal''s mana with their insistent attacks.


    Vivian darted towards the leftmost ghoul while Theas'' attack aimed for the lich was blocked by one of the ghouls. He was then sent flying by some unknown source, but Eldrian had no time to investigate that as thest two ghouls charged him along with the reanimates.


    ''No, you don''t!'' Eldrian threw out the dagger of water and white, letting Two control them. His job was to stop the reanimates from ganging up on Vivian while she fought her ghoul.


    The ghouls'' attacks arrived just as Eldrian had thrown the daggers. He nimbly jumped back while sending a yet of water at one of the reanimates who had tried to block his escape.


    Of the eight reanimates who had charged him, three had rushed past to aim for Myropsis. However, their attacks were safely blocked by her barrier, and she was calmly forming a spell strong enough to kill one of them.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 715 Facing The Undead (3)

    ''Well, seems this is manageable,'' Eldrian mumbled while dancing to avoid the ghouls'' attacks and controlling the reanimates'' positions via abination of water jets and shock waves¡ªand some ether punches. Doing damage to them was hard, but simply keeping them upied with a few spells was simple, though draining.


    This was the first time Eldrian needed to push himself since reaching Tier 5. His spars with Vivian had been fun, but the sheer difference in stats had been toorge. And while the same applied against a single ghoul or ming reanimate, there were a total of seven undead attacking him. The split focus to control the reanimates while managing the ghouls certainly helped Eldrian grasp his true abilities far better than any sparring match ever could.


    Taking a few seconds to get used to the pace of things, Eldrian split some focus to channel mana from his soul to reactivate [Elemental Alignment]. Instead of fire, he chose ice. While less effective against the ghouls, it would still add more damage to each hit thatnded and would enable him to effectively damage the reanimates without needing to switch the element.


    Slipping past one ghoul''s attack, Eldrian summoned a carapax to block the attacks of the other. Wishing that he could put enough force behind his ether maniption to simply send the undead flying. Instead, he had to stabilize the floating shield with wind magic as the ghoul''s ws ate through it with ease.


    ''Shit, that''s sharp!'' Seeing how effortlessly the ghoul''s attacks broke through the carapax, Eldrian raised his guard. This carapax had been one of the weaker ones, but regardless, it being able to cut through with ease showed how deadly the ghoul''s attacks were. They did not need to rely on their venom, it only amplified their deadliness.


    Deciding that he would have to deal with the ghouls first, Eldrian tried to escape the encirclement of the reanimates. Keeping them controlled with spells was not only an extra burden on his mind but also a continues drain of his mana along with the [Elemental Alignment] covering his spear in ice. While he had plenty of mana, it wasn''t infinite.


    Sadly, the ghouls read his intention and aimed their attacks to keep Eldrian confined. The seven undead around him working as a well-oiled machine.


    ''Do they have a way ofmunicating?'' Eldrian pondered, throwing a nce towards the lich and Theas. There fight was a strange one if looked at without mana sense, and currently Eldrian didn''t have the leeway to tune mana sense to their location. Thus, to him, it appeared that Theas was simply standing and, from time to time, dodging something invisible.


    Theas was actually fighting to stop the lich from summoning a magic barrier around everyone while dodging souls which the lich controlled as suicide attackers. Lower undead wouldn''t even be able to break through the dwarf''s armor, but a single soul invading his mind would be devastating and give the lich the edge it needed toplete the barrier and deprive the surroundings of all magic not rted to death.


    Vivian, on the other hand, was having a fierce battle with her ghoul target. She was breathing deeply but unhurt while her undead opponent was sporting many charred wounds and a few missing ws. Nelida''s me wasn''t just for show and Vivian''s mes did significant damage to the undead, even though her attacks nevernded against a vital. Already, the ghoul was slowing.


    Sadly, she was kept from finishing off the ghoul as the ming reanimates ignored the daggers controlled by Two and jumped to interrupt her 1v1. Their actions had cost the one a head and the other its arm holding its sword, but neither cared. The wounds weren''t significant and it could be repaired easily should they simply hold the dismembered part against its original location.


    Sadly for the reanimates, Vivian''s mes were not normal. Whether they acted selflessly or overconfidently¡ªor perhaps they had no thoughts and were simply ordered to act. Regardless, their actions allowed the ghoul to retreat, but cost them their undead existence. Vivian''s sword cut through their bodies with ease and her mes easily overpowered their own, turning them to ash as it did.


    After dealing with them she immediately turned her attention to the lich, trusting that Eldrian would be able to manage and even if he couldn''t, that his status as a Chosen would protect him. She would not waste her time chasing the ghoul who, if it wished to escape, would be fully capable.


    No, she rushed toward Theas, letting her blue mes rage and expand to engulf the dwarf. He blinked in surprise for a second before smiling. The souls were now incapable of distracting him.


    "Why didn''t you just let your mes burn the ghoul?" Theas asked as he quickly took the lead between himself and the lich. Stopping the creation of a barrier was luckily far easier than setting one up from scratch, and them charging seemed to panic the lich which helped Theas even more.


    Falling back to the miasma, the lich sent all the remaining souls towards them. All of which disappeared upon contact with Vivian''s blue mes, the miasma too, falling apart as they chased.


    "It doesn''t work quite as you might imagine." Vivian replied as Theas aimed a heavy blow for the lich''s body, his halbert glowing gold and the lich incapable of forming much of a defense without its puppets. However, its soul escaped without a problem to its phctery.


    "Then how does it work?" Theas asked as they turned to help the others, only to find that no help was required.


    Myropsis had calmly cleansed the undead with a unique runic spell she had created. Using runes allowed her to incorporate divine magic without the requirement of faith. She only needed to rely on blessed crystals such as she had used for the secondary barrier to be her source of divine mana. While blessed crystals were rare, they weren''t so rare that a duke''s daughter would struggle to gather more than enough for a single mission.


    After she had dealt with the undead still attacking her barrier, she had offered Eldrian support in the form of stopping two reanimates from moving for a split second. Just long enough for him to escape from their enclosure.


    Once free, Eldrian built some distance between himself and the group chasing him. Just enough to allow him to focus and activate Crystoi''s ability, Tempest Chase.


    Vivian and Theas had turned just as the tornado died down. Even with the element being ice dealing no extra damage to undead, it was more than enough to kill all caught in it within the standard 30 seconds.


    Of course, the ghouls had tried to escape. But Eldrian had been one too fast for them, blocking their escape with either a carapax or reaver w, sending them back into the heart of the storm.


    ''Mmm, feels like I used around half my mana soul...'' Eldrian felt slightly shocked, while he didn''t have an urate measure such as with the system. It was highly likely that he had used ten thousand mana. He would prefer to take some time to refill his mana soul, but who knew what was happening to Old Sword and the other people kept alive somewhere in the fort.


    And with the other lich and two revenants staying by their side, there was no time to waste. Eldrian had this nagging feeling that they might be toote. And of course if they were then it was all his own fault, a terrible feeling which ate at him and willed him to rush even more than they have.


    Luckily, he was not alone.


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 Chapter 716 Facing The Undead (4) - Taking Stock

    It went without saying that Eldrian had gained plenty of XP, around 25 million. But sadly, the amount was pitifulpared to what he required for his next level. But it helped bnce the cost of keeping all his interface functions active at all times, at least.


    "Alright, we need a better n before moving forward again." Theas announced as soon as everyone gathered. From their group, Vivian was the only one who seemed tired, but she was quickly recovering. Eldrian had cast [Anthizei] on everyone, the Tier 4 rejuvenations spell and also handed Myropsis a mana recovering potion.


    Sadly, these potions would not help him recover his mana soul''s mana. At least not in any meaningful manner, considering the quantity and how little it helped inparison. Still, he downed one with the others.


    To recover the amount of mana he had spent was a slow process, unless he opted to drain several mana crystals. But that was an insanely expensive option. Eldrian hoped that his remaining mana would be enough. He had a few mana crystals for emergencies, and nned to use one or two to take out a revenant. If things went smoothly.


    Myropsis was the first to speak after Theas. "Indeed, I never thought they would chase us with everything they had."


    "They didn''t. The three strongest undead didn''t make a move." Eldrian countered, looking at Vivian with worry. However, she seemed to be doing better than he was, emotionally. ''She epted the facts far before me. Her aim isn''t to save her dad but to see him off to the afterlife...'' It was a sad cruel truth which Eldrian did not want to ept.


    "What part of the fort are they in?" Theas asked.


    "The keep, there are also a six more reanimates... And a ghoul." The ghoul was, of course, the one who had escaped from Vivian.


    "Then only the remaining lich and two revenants will be a problem..." Theas paused. "We need to decide what to do should they hold the captives as hostages."


    Before Eldrian could reply, Vivian answered, "We came to free them. No matter the cost."


    The resolution in her voice was shocking and reminded everyone what ''free'' meant. Keeping them alive was not the aim, keeping them from undeath was.


    Theas sighed. From what he had seen, his conclusion was that the undead had conducted a very long and drawn out ritual to turn the captives into a specific type of undead. Considering the time that had passed, it had likely been extended because of the captives being unwilling to wee undeath and the type of undead not being possible with unwilling targets. Which meant their souls were likely very damaged and corrupted in an attempt to twist their minds.


    Yet, even that did not ount for it taking as long as it had. Which made Theas recall the stories he had heard regarding Pyknos forest and fear the worst.


    "What about the lich we defeated?" Theas asked, not wishing to voice the worst that he believed is undergoing inside the fort.


    "No clue, but it isn''t nearby. There are some lower undead wandering in the surroundings, but no higher undead." Eldrian replied.


    "However, the revenants and lich being together will prove to be a problem. And unlike our previous fight, this fight will be within their nest. I won''t be able to stop the creation of a barrier if they have an array formation on hand. And if the revenants work together as shields for the lich, it will be able to cast spells freely. They might even throw spells at us themselves."


    "I have a n for that. I''m not sure if it will kill a revenant, but it should at least injure one." Eldrian went on to exin his n to use [Nova]. He had several nail sized crystals which he had borrowed from the duke''s smithy. Sadly, he had been unable to grab anyrger crystals.


    "What about using one of these?" Myropsis asked, handing Eldrian a blessed crystal. This particr crystal was a blessed fire agate. It was normally used as a core for weapons made specifically to deal with the undead. It summoned a type of holy me, but sadly, the crystals were too rare to mass produce such weapons.


    Examining the crystal, Eldrian soon shook his head. He would be able to make the crystal unstable, but there was no guarantee it would develop simrly to how mana crystals developed once unstable. If the mana inside didn''t react violently, then it would just be a waste of what he assumed was a very rare and expensive crystal.


    "What about that spell you used to finish of the ghouls and reanimates?" Vivian asked.


    "The problem with it is they can easily escape from it. And if the lich has a magical barrier constructed, I might not be able to use it. Nova should work regardless of what the lich does."


    "Then let''s try that ability of yours first." Theas said, "I have a few tricks I can pull. But the problem would be coteral damage if you all are with me."


    "Should we stay outside and leave this to you then?" Eldrian asked, and Theas gave him a quick whack.


    "I can''t deal with a lich being protected by two revenants. Killing a revenant will be hard even for me. Their armor is no joke, but the true problem is their resistance to most types of damage." Looking at the three before him, Theas pondered for a moment.


    Vivian''s strange mes mighte in handy against the revenants, but from what Theas had seen, it seemed to be less effective against higher undead than the Unwilling and lower undead. He suspected this was because the higher undead have epted their nature and weren''t constantly struggling with it.


    Her mes cleansed, but you cannot cleanse something from someone if they don''t want it cleansed. Undeath isn''t life, but it also isn''t death. Theas believed her mes could lift the curse of undeath keeping the lower undead and Unwilling bound, but would only do a little more damage to higher undead.


    "Is my assumption correct?" Theas asked.


    "I think so... I actually don''t have a good grasp of what I''m capable of. But what you said aligns with what I felt while using them."


    "I see..." Theas became quiet and looked at Myropsis. The centaurette was clearly not someone trained forbat, but her magic was strange and extremely powerful. However, she needed time to prepare -just like normal mages- and against two revenants, he couldn''t give that to her with any guarantee.


    Eldrian was the only one who seemed safe to take with, he was a Chosen, so even if Theas couldn''t protect him, it would be fine. And for some reason, Eldrian had been able to juggle two ghouls and five reanimates. Theas ced Eldrian''s strength at round Tier 6, not Tier 5. And that was ignoring his own unique way of using magic.


    "Alright, this is what we are going to do..."


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 Chapter 717 Facing The Undead (5) - Trap

    Passing through the now much thinner miasma, Eldrian killed off the few remaining lower undead via [Thora]. As he did, he realized howcking his spell repertoire was. Still using a Tier 1 spell despite being Tier 5. But it was easy to use and still effective, so he saw little reason not to. Besides, it cost was basically nothing. Each cast taking him less than five seconds to recover the mana used.


    Once he and Theas passed through the gate, they turned their attention to the keep, covered in a much thicker miasma, visible even to the naked eye. And to mana sense, Eldrian felt positive he could see some sort of chains within the miasma. Mentioning this to Theas, the dwarf sighed.


    "It is as I thought..." He took out that strange monocle of his again observed the keep and its miasma for a moment. "If the ritual isplete, we will have to fall back. A draugr isn''t something we can handle with so little preparation."


    Recalling the death knight demon who had chased him in the forest long ago, Eldrian nodded. Something like that would be far past what they could handle. However, it had been abination of revenant and draugr, a demon. Surely a draugr alone would be more manageable.


    As if reading Eldrian''s mind, Theas warned him. "A draugr in its home is nothing short of invincible. They tap into the local mana veins in a manner simr to magic crystals, giving them near endless supplies of mana and vitality."


    Hearing this, Eldrian gulped and looked towards his map to confirm that nothing has changed. Old Sword and the other captives were still alive, and the lich and revenant were still inside the keep. But they had moved.


    "I think they know we areing."


    "Would be strange if they didn''t." Theas replied, "The miasma is directly linked to what they are busy with. Us entering should be like a chorus of rm bells." Activating his armor''s abilities and that of his halbert Theas shone like a walking sun to mana sense.


    Upon entering the keep, the lich weed them, spreading out its arms as if giving them a blessing. "Wee, wee!" The lich''s voice was high pitched, feminine perhaps. Liuva was the lich''s name, and she seemed to be going on a monologue. The best oue Eldrian and Theas could have hoped for.


    She stood behind two revenants. Each had a tower shieldrger than their body and a longsword sheathed at their side. The aura of death oozing from them reminded Eldrian of just how deadly they were.


    "We''ve been waiting for you toe for weeks. I thought it would never happen! Oh, how bored I''ve been thesest few weeks..." Liuvamented and swayed dramatically. The doors of the keep closing with a load bang.


    Eldrian did not let his focus drop. He continued to observe the lich with all he had while preparing Tempest Chase. He was to let it loose right after Theas started dueling her for control of the magic in the area.


    Due to them being in the lich''s nest, Theas had no illusions that he could win the duel. Their only hope was to strike fast and hard. Killing the undead wasn''t even an option since revenants were undead tanks and the lich would simply retreat to her phctery. But if they made their goal clear too early, they would never seed.


    "How bad''s our situation?" Eldrian asked Theas with a whisper. The room was covered in magic¡ªthis was easy to see even without mana sense. But Eldrian could make no sense from the arrays and could not try to decipher it now. Hisplete focus was on trying to hide his tricks from the lich.


    The dwarf''s face was stern as he stared at the lich and, more specifically, what was behind her. Upon a stage of bonesy three tombs, two were filled, but the third was empty. Following the chains and analyzing the arrays, Theas broke out in a cold sweat.


    "It seems you are well versed. How wonderful! We can work around you being a dwarf." The lich tried her best to sound enticing but sadly, the contrast between her voice and physical form was too great to be ever bridged. Even with her adding some spirit magic to entice the weak willed.


    "Terrible... Follow n TKO." Theas'' answer came as the ming reanimates and single ghoul positions themselves in front of the closed doors of the keep. This was no problem. They didn''t n to escape through the doors.


    "How terrible?! Wanting to leave so shortly after arriving. I''m afraid we can''t have that!" With a snap of her skeletal fingers, the reanimates and remaining ghoul jumped to action.


    As soon as they did, Eldrian threw a crystal at them. He had heard from Pheonix of Ilmadia using his trick, but with ice, so he had no doubt it would work. He threw another at the revenant charging him and then pulled out Crystoi, already having activated the channel between his soul and body.


    His mana gushed into the spear, and a tornado of mes appeared before the lich and the revenant protecting her. Liuva raised her hands and a collection of arrays around her brightened, only to be canceled as Theas shouted something in a strangenguage Eldrian found faintly familiar.


    "Oi evlogim¨¦noi ¨¢nemoi..."


    [Thenguage of the gods has been spoken. Do wish to activate trantion feature?]


    ''Oh? Since when can I? Sure!'' Eldrian smiled as he kept his tornado bearing down on the lich, who had be flustered thanks to Theas interfering with her magic. She managed to protect herself, summoning barrier after barrier. But they did notst long enough under Theas'' words and attacks with his halbert. Deftly dancing around the tornado and cing it between himself and the revenant, so he did not need to lose any focus on it.


    ''He''s good,'' Eldrian noted as he spared some focus to listen to what was being said.


    "Dioktis, the god of war, shall punish those who subvert death. No one can defy the natural ending of life without just punishment! Asteria weeps, Skepsi and Mosfaria console her. That people would turn their backs upon the gods is not their fault, it is the wicked¡ª"


    ''Oh shit!'' Dodging to the side hastily, Eldrian rolled on the ground as his heart beat through his chest. Only narrowly having avoided having his head separated from his shoulders. He almost lost control of the ming tornado but regathered his focus in time as he moved to avoid the tower shield which the revenant was using like a club.


    One would think the size of the tower shield would mean using it as a club would be slow. This was not the case. The revenant swung it like one would swing a twig. With ease and deftness that shocked Eldrian. When Two mentioned to him that the ghoul and reanimates were also charging his heart sank.


    ''Two, take control of the tornado!'' Eldrian howled as he had to ce all his focus on not dying immediately. He had no speed advantage against the revenant and it was the only attribute in which the two wereparable. And that was without mentioning its aura, which was constantly assaulting Eldrian''s body.


    Luckily, due to having infused his mana throughout his body, he had far greater resistance and wasn''t immediately weakened. But the strain it ced him under wasn''t something Eldrian could ignore.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 718 Facing The Undead (6) - TKO Consequences

    ''I can onlyst until my buffs expire...'' Eldrian noted, activating those of his armor and casting spells one after the other as he danced to avoid death by shield.


    Surviving until then would be a challenge, but he felt confident he would be able, thanks to his inted three thousand plus (3341) HP pool. He just needed to avoid taking too many direct hits, which wouldn''t be too hard while his agility was boosted.


    Dodging the ghoul''s attacks and taking a shield bash from the revenant on the shoulder, Eldrian covered himself in a ball of water to block the mes of the reanimates as he crashed into their lines. The shouting match between Theas and the lich escaped his hearing as he focused on trying not to be killed too quickly while waiting for the right time.


    Eldrian even focused on ensuring that should he be incapable of dodging that he would take the hit that would do the least damage. And while he waited for the right time, he contemted their situation.


    ''They clearly expected us, well... Someone, anyone¡ªprobably someone strong. Those strange chains and tombs... They need another soul!'' Realizing this, Eldrian wondered if they should stick to the n, ''Theas realized instantly. The lich''sment was doubtless about his realization. He said TKO, so we will stick with the n.''


    Continuing his dance with the embodiment of death (the revenant), its angel (the ghoul), and the chorus (reanimates)¡ªEldrian nced towards Theas whenever he could. It would normally cause a ming sword or two to catch him. The mes sent a searing pain throughout his body, but he had to time things perfectly.


    Two had his hands full as Liuva gained more and more control against Theas. She had enough focus left to even suppress all forms of magic within a certain range of her skeletal body. To not let their''s be suppressed, Two could spare no time to talk with Eldrian. He had never faced such suppression before.


    Theas'' knowledge and choice of attack had shocked Liuva at first, but this was still her home, and she was the superior magic user. She just needed some time to understand Theas'' approach and his strengths and weaknesses. Now that she did, she could rip all hope from his hands.


    A minute had passed since the start of the action and Eldrian''s buffs fell off one after the other. He had survived, but he was at the end of his rope.


    As he slowed and the number of wounds covering his body increased, his HP doubtlessly neared the triple digits¡ªthankfully his inted HP pool made him a bit of a damage sponge. Finally, Eldrian saw the moment. ''Two, now!''


    Theas had finallynded a direct hit against the lich, severing an arm and causing her to howl in pain. It cost him what looked like a heavy hit of some sort of spell, but it was sure to distract Liuva for the second they needed.


    Upon shouting to Two, Eldrian threw a crystal towards the tombs. He even paused for a split second to guide it with ether, his actions causing the ws of the ghoul to tear through his side. His armor was incapable of stopping it for even a second.


    Coughing out blood and his body filled with pain anew, Eldrian watched as the ming tornado arrived and the runes upon the crystal activated. The lich failed to realize what had happened until it was toote. Just a second and the tables had turned.


    A massive explosion, muchrger than those before, tore apart half of the keep. Fueled not but a small nail sized mana crystal, but rather by arge mana crystal. The explosion destroyed half of the building and mes filled the entire keep.


    Flung against the wall, Eldrian''s blood sttered against the wall. His body torn apart and charred beyond recognition. Thankfully, he no longer felt physical pain due to the burns. But the venom of the ghoul would not let him off so easily.


    Eldrian knew as soon as he lost focus, he would die. The only thing keeping him going now was his will, and it was being assaulted by the venom of the ghoul trying to invade his soul.


    Only the revenants, Liuva, and Theas stayed still through the shock wave. The dwarf nced towards the tombs and confirmed that the explosion had destroyed what had been there. He then turned to Eldrian but stopped before attempting to move closer. Eldrian seemed beyond rescue. And even worse, there was still the revenant that Eldrian had fought between them.


    "How dare you! You will pay!" The lich screamed, her sanity leaving her.


    "I''m sorry..." Theas mumbled, turning towards the massive hole that was the other half of the keep, escaping through without looking back.


    ''Shit, he actually did it...'' Eldrian was drifting between conscious and unconscious and only barely realized what was happening. He knew it was part of the n, but hadn''t expected Theas to act without hesitation. He had escaped without looking back, without even testing if things were truly impossible.


    This was the correct course of action and ording to the n; but how quickly he hade to that conclusion and then acted upon it with no hint of reluctance, still shocked Eldrian.


    ''Heh, guess I can finally meet GAIA again.'' Eldrian smiled, no longer fighting the inevitable. Weing the approaching darkness, he sought to finally have a deep conversation with the AI about all he had learned. Eldrian wanted no more secrets between himself and them. He wanted to understand the true essence of magic. He knew he was nearing it himself, but to discover it alone would take him years.


    And Eldrian especially wanted the damnable pain inflicted by the ghoul to subside.


    The approaching darkness swallowing his mind froze. And the screeching of the lich interrupted this peaceful world of darkness.


    "Death''s too good for you! I won''t allow it! I won''t allow it! You will pay!"


    ''Ah, for fuck''s sake! Just let me die!''


    Eldrian felt himself being pulled back and as he returned, the pain returned too. It made it terribly difficult to clear his mind and focus. Luckily, the pain was focused only on one location in his mind. Like a nagging headache trying to grow stronger.


    ''This isn''t where I normally enter...'' Eldrian looked around and extended his hand, feeling a cold, hard but ethereal surface. ''The edge?'' If he wished to pass, he could do so. If he didn''t, then this edge acted like a physical barrier.


    ''Two, are you here?''


    ''Busy!'' Came a strained reply.


    ''With what?!''


    ''Venom!''


    ''Ah, can you stop the pain?'' Eldrian asked, having gotten it under grips to where it now felt more like a headache than a needling invading his brain. But it was a terribly irritating headache.


    ''How do you stop this? I''ve tried everything, but nothing works. It''s just growing!''


    ''Let mee and see.'' Eldrian moved but stopped almost immediately. His gut told him to stop. He didn''t understand, but shivered at the severity of what felt like a premonition¡ªif he moved from here, he would die. Truly die.


    It did not take long for the reason to appear. The chains that had surrounded the keep and tombs appeared and assaulted the edge of his mind space. Assaulted the edge of his soul.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 719 Facing The Undead (7) - Invasion And Creation

    The chains swung and swung, each swing sending earthquakes through the world. Banging so load it would turn anyone deaf. Luckily, this was all in Eldrian''s mind. But the sounds drove him insane, and the earthquakes tore through his soul.


    Eldrian wanted to rush out to stop the chains, but again, his gut warned him. His only chance would be within his soul space.


    So he endured.


    He endured the terrible feeling of having his mind invaded. The venom soon making itself present everywhere. A type of viscous miasma seeping through the cracks that the chains created.


    Endless it seemed, and with each swing of the chain, more and more forced itself in as the ever-expanding cracks in the barrier edge to this world.


    ''Can''t you do something?!'' Two shouted, desperate. The amount of vicious miasma kept increasing, and while it moved slowly¡ªlikeva. It inches forward incessantly.


    ''I am doing something!'' Eldrian replied, perhaps with a bit too much force, but the pain filling his mind and eroding his senses was making him cranky.


    As soon as he had realized that his soul was being invaded, he had started to prepare himself for a long fight. Expecting something simr to what had happened when he had tried to absorb the revenant heart.


    Only this time his opponent was still alive (well, not dead and not alive, but importantly¡ªnot dead), and he wasn''t living anymore. Or at least, Eldrian''s avatar was dead. His actual body was still alive, so perhaps he could also be considered a type of undead? No, it would be more correct to say he is in-between life and death.


    More importantly than that; Eldrian would not have Ziraili''s help this time.


    Eldrian didn''t feel good about his chances thanks to his past experience, but he had little choice in the matter.


    The first thing he had done was analyze the situation. He had never before tried to visualize his entire mind space. It always just felt endless. But upon trying a map had appeared before him, the endlessness contained neatly in a finite space. As it turned out, it wasn''t endless. Not even close.


    In the center of his mind space was the sr system, little more than a dot on the map. Two''s library was near it, but it was too small to be shown on the map. The edges of this space were filled with cracks and the miasma was encroaching. Only a few meters had been swallowed, but Eldrian could feel he wouldn''t be getting back what this miasma swallowed.


    ''I might just be able to do something...'' As the cracks grew throughout the edges, Eldrian felt his connection with mana growing too. He did not know how, and it didn''t matter. It was a chance. If he could draw in mana, he would not be fighting with limited resources.


    After all, the battles before had depleted his mana soul. At least, all the mana which he could readily remove from the system had been removed. Removing more would cause instability to grow within the sr system.


    ''I do not know what the rules are within my soul for that, but this is good news, regardless. At least the lich will not have this advantage over me.'' It gave Eldrian confidence and, most importantly, hope. If he did not have this connection, the lich could simply fight a war of attrition and he would have no way to survive it.


    Likely, this was what she had done with those she had captured. But she had kept them alive, a much better state than he was, or rather his avatar was in.


    Strengthening this connection as much as he could, Eldrian guided all the mana to the sun. Forcing its expansion as he slowly pushed the sr system higher and higher. Letting the light of the sun shine through the empty abyss that normally represents his mind¡ªan endless darkness which can instantly be morphed into a thought. Light filled this darkness and brought certainty to it.


    ''Nothingness is easy to change, but also easy to erode. First, let there be light. Next, there should be life!''


    Like a god, Eldrian started designing this world inside his mind. His work absorbed all his focus and allowed him to tune out the pain of having his soul invaded. He summonednd to fill the world, created great chasms and filled them with seas and added great heights called mountains. He let rivers flow from these majestic mountains and from their nourishment summoned forests to fill the world.


    ''This is not enough!''


    By the time Eldrian had finished, the sun shone through half his mind space and the miasma now covered a few hundred meters. Still insignificant considering his mind space had a diameter of more than ten thousand kilometers (almost the diameter of earth), but the edges were nearing copse.


    Eldrian looked towards the sr system. ''The elements! I only have four!''


    Getting to work, Eldrian added realms of fire in the way of deserts and volcanos. And he thought of how the wind worked and considered air, realizing that there was none in this world that was his mind, his soul, his little old mental room. Adding it too to this world of imagination, he took a breath of fresh air and felt revived. Lastly, he added caves and caverns to the mountains to be the realm of darkness.


    Eldrian wished to next connect the world creation to the sr system floating over it, but s, he had no more time. Finally, the chains broke through the edge barrier of his world.


    His desperate struggle to survive was about to start.


    ***


    "This is taking too long..." Liuva, the lich, looked towards the elf. Tilting her skeletal head in confusion. Her chains tightly wrapped around his charred, crushed, blood covered corpse. The chains weren''t physical objects and so didn''t actually bind his physical form, but rather, his soul. Phasing through the physical.


    Or that was how it should have been. The chains should have easily pierced his body, chaining his heart and piercing his mind. Instead, something had stopped this from happening.


    Her chains wrapped around Eldrian tried to crush him like a python, but no matter the strength, the progress she made was little to none. The chains trying to prate his mind made even less progress. As if hammering stone with one''s bare hands.


    "How is he resisting? He''s dead... And he''s so weak... What''s going on?!" At times like these missed her partner, but most of the time he was boorish. She would still rather have him gone to not interrupt her experiment. Which Eldrian now was. But she also wished to discuss this oddity with someone. Revenants certainly were poorpany.


    "I must find out what''s going on! This makes no sense. No sense at all!" Moving closer to the floating charred elf corpse, Liuva ced her hand on his chest. The chains moving to not obstruct her actions.


    "His heart truly isn''t beating. How can the dead put up such a great struggle?" She was used to the souls fighting back, but she hadn''t even entered Eldrian''s. The longer it took, the more her curiosity grew. Until it surpassed her anger for vengeance and her sanity to be careful.


    ***


    "Eldrian''s dead?" Vivian asked, only for confirmation. Theas returning, and Eldrian not being with him, made the answer obvious.


    "Yes, no one could survive what he went through."


    Vivian flinched hearing the reply. She knew that meant Eldrian had suffered greatly. She prayed it was worth it. "Was it worth it?" she asked.


    "We destroyed the ritual location along with your dad''s body, and whoever else was there with him. The lich hadn''t tried to capture their souls, so I''m sure they made it to the afterlife."


    Myropsis whipped her head to the side. "Why not! What happened!"


    "Everything went ording to¡ª"


    "No, it did not! Did Eldrian escape?!" Myropsis roared her question, her fury shocking the dwarf, who took a step back. His expression clouding as he realized what he had missed.


    Why would the lich not attempt to recover the souls she had lost? Simple: she had found something else to upy her time with.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 720 Facing The Undead (8) - A God In His Own Soul

    As soon as the chains broke through the edge barrier, Eldrian sent out the halo of ice surrounding the sr system to the edges of his newly created world. Forming a barrier of ice around half his mind, he would have to sacrifice the other half. He could only hope the damage to his consciousness would not be too great.


    ''To control tranquility, I have to stay levelheaded. A tall task, considering the pain I''m under. But remaining levelheaded does not mean I can''t have emotions. I simply cannot allow them to rule me.''


    It was easy to consider, but difficult to manage. Sadly, he had no time to perfect this¡ªand having shied away from using his auras, his connection felt clunky at first. But he had to make it work as the chains were flying through his soul and aimed directly towards his consciousness.


    ''Somehow it can target the me inside my mind. I guess that much is to be expected... Luckily I have more than enough anger thanks to all this pain, I just need to direct it.'' Altering the frequency at which he was thinking, Eldrian included Two into his thoughts, ''Are you safe?''


    ''I retreated when the cracks became toorge. I''m inside the ice barrier, but what now?''


    Banging started again, this time the chains smashing against the ice halo which had taken on the form of a truly massive ice barrier. Like an frozen atmosphere covering Eldrian''s creation, forming what one could consider a perfect world sized snow glove.


    Massive shards of ice splintered and flew throughout the outer world, but to destroy the ice barrier would take some time. After all, it was kilometers thick.


    ''I need you to focus on channeling mana into our soul. Simply throwing it into the sun will be enough, but if you can spare some focus, then please connect thes with the world.''


    ''What will that do?''


    ''Give it substance!'' Eldrian replied with heft as he started channeling the mes of the sun. The sight truly was magnificent, endless mes pouring forth and over the world as it flew towards the invading chains. Like a cosmic god was controlling the gxy itself.


    ''Mana phases, it can phase,'' Eldrian mumbled to himself as he sent the streams of sma onward. Envisioning it passing through the ice atmosphere barrier without obstruction. And this was just what happened.


    The sma passed through the ice without even heating it. shing with the chains with massive force and heat, within seconds, the chains turned bright red and melted. If this was all the lich had in her arsenal, then she would never be able to defeat Eldrian.


    ***


    Eldrian''s fierce defense and even fiercer counterattack had truly shocked the lich. After an eternity of waiting to invade his soul, to find it capable of blocking her chains and even destroying them so quickly, stunned her. It went beyond anything she would have ever predicted.


    Not even the souls of her Tier 7 targets had put up such fierce resistance, and she realized if she didn''t do something drastic, then this unique specimen would be able to rid itself of the chains. The only things binding it to this ne, allowing it to escape off to the afterlife.


    She couldn''t allow that. He was hers!


    She no longer held anger towards Eldrian; she sought no more vengeance. But she couldn''t allow him to escape. He was an utterly fascinating subject. She had to figure out how a little Tier 5 elf was capable of having such a sturdy soul. And why it was not weakening despite the body being a corpse. Logically, the soul should have started to dissipate.


    Her chains could keep souls from dissipating, but only once she had control over them and willed for it to be sustained¡ªallowing it to tap into the surrounding death mana she had under her control.


    ''I can''t let this opportunity escape!'' Turning to the revenants, she ordered them to protect her as she summoned all her focus and dived into Eldrian''s soul directly. She had no fear that he would be able to repulse a direct invasion. After all, a lich was a master of the soul. How would a Tier 5 weakling be able topare to her and all she had experienced through her undead life?


    As soon as she jumped from her skeletal body and dived into Eldrian''s, she found the surprise of her undead and past living life.


    Her target had clearly discarded half his soul, determining to fight to keep the remaining half safe. A massive shield of ice stretching endlessly, covering a world of wonders. Far above this world floated aary system with elementarys and a zing sun, from which massive streams of fire covered the air above the world and assaulted her chains.


    "This was a mistake!" Liuva turned to retreat, but it was toote.


    ***


    Fighting the chains was easy, they had no mind of their own. It was even easier than the waves of darkness that the revenant heart had sent at him endlessly. Perhaps it was better to say he was stronger, but this assault was far less than Eldrian had expected and his mood improved greatly because of this realization.


    For now, at least, he would not be the liches puppet.


    The only sad part was he could mount no true counter attack, for he could only dominate the battle so fiercely inside his own soul. He would forever be forced into the defensive, and if the lich kept assaulting his soul for days, weeks, months, perhaps even years... He would eventually fall.


    But there was hope. Eldrian still had friends on the outside. If they realized what was going on and came to save him, things should be fine. However, Eldrian realized this might take some time.


    This hope, however, allowed him to fight the despair attempting to assault his will. He shrugged it off and refocused.


    As long as this battle was in his mind and his sanity remained, he would have the advantage. For inside one''s own mind, you are the god. To invade someone''s mind is to take on this god. To attempt something so reckless without due preparation was tantamount to suicide.


    But this actually was not true. The ordinary person was no god in their own mind, they were not the ruler of their thoughts. Their thoughts ruled them. Those capable of using magic had more control over their minds, but their advantage only extended to how well they had mastered mageia.


    The greater the talent for its use, the greater the abilities within their own mind. As Eldrian had shown, even creating an entire world was easy for him. But this certainly wasn''t normal.


    Most people would be incapable of altering the form of their soul. It would take on the form of their inner beliefs, their inner spirit.


    Mages had to learn by necessity to control their mind more than the other sses, but even then, their ability to alter their soul would be extremely limited¡ªif they ever dared. Few would, for even using the magic abyss to alter a spell''s module was an extremely dangerous task often requiring months of preparation.


    Liches were creatures with the most experience in soul rted tasks; next to the gods, devils, and legends. To bepetent in soul magic was a requirement to be a lich. But even to them, it took years of preparation to prepare their soul and mind. Butpared to the average person, they could be considered gods at soul maniption.


    But upon having seen Eldrian''s soul, and the world he had created in it, Liuva had realized her mistake. His soul was even more developed than her own. A shocking revtion that shook her to her phctery.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 721 Facing The Undead (9) - A Vile Act

    As he was pushing back the chains, Eldrian noticed a bubble approaching him. It felt simr to when Ziraili visited, but he could feel no good will from this visitor. In fact, he felt great danger. Not in the form of bloodlust, the closest example would be the danger one would feel from a stalker.


    ''Wait, is that?'' Eldrian couldn''t believe what he was sensing. He was nearly confident that this was the lich. ''Is she insane? Sending her soul into mine before even disarming me? Well, don''t mind if I do...''


    Eldrian made no attempts to rebuild the barrier of his mind which the chains had torn down. In fact, he pulled them down even further. Stopping the self repair process and allowing the lich''s soul into his own. Her soul was arge ball of gray filled substances with tortured souls and rune-array-chain like images throughout. Like a snow globe representing what one would think of when considering a lich''s mind.


    Eldrian was loathed to let the vileness that the lich''s soul was into his own soul, but this was the easiest way to end things. And his wish to end things won over any caution he might have.


    He knew what he was nning was insane, but he no longer cared. Keeping control over his emotions for so long had been truly demanding. And now to have the source of all his troubles had entered his world, his realm. How could he stop himself?


    Perhaps because she entered his soul with no difficulties, the lich felt overconfident. Believing that Eldrian had focused all his power to protect only half of his soul.


    She moved closer and closer, observing the fight between fire and chain. Marveling at Eldrian''s abilities and bing more drawn into uncovering his mysteries.


    Moving deeper and deeper into his soul, the ice barrier surrounding Eldrian''s created world slowlying into sight. It fascinated her and she rushed forward. Wishing to get a better look. And once she got that better look she realized just how much danger she was in.


    But it was toote.


    Eldrian had waited until her soul entered as deeply as possible. He knew doing so was dangerous, but it was the only way to ensure that she wouldn''t be able to retreat should his first strike fail. Besides, he wasn''t exactly thinking rationally anymore.


    Having needed to juggle his pain, anger, fear, hatred... It had taken its toll and his emotions were slowly taking control. He kept his wrath in check since he was overly cautious of losing control of the mes, but in so doing, he let his impatience and greed surface.


    Teleporting to where Liuva''s conciousness was, Eldrian formed a ''physical'' body and thrust his hand through the liches conciousness. Pulling out her link to her phctery and crushing it with a smile.


    His arrival was too quick for her to do anything and the precision of his attack perfect. Severing her link to the physical world and effectively killing her, without her even being able toprehend what had happened.


    "Im-possible..." Liuva''s voice faded as pain racked her consciousness. She was not yet dead, but the severance made it impossible for her to think or act.


    Not wishing to give her a chance, Eldrian smashed what remained of her consciousness before she could form any defenses, summoning his mes of wrath to devour what remained. His assassination finished within seconds. Perfectly executed.


    Without a master, the chains stopped moving, and without a conciousness, her soul started dissipating. And this was when greed truly overcame Eldrian''s sanity.


    A realm, nearly asrge as his, was right there for the taking. Why would he not take it?


    Just because it was filled with death?


    Just because it was the lifeforce of a lich?


    Don''t be ridiculous. For so long, he had been worrying about how he could grow stronger quickly. He knew he wouldn''t be able to jump to Tier 6 anytime soon. He first had to reconfirm his basics and then master Tier 5 itself.


    Thinking of his situation against Miracle and how hopeless it all seemed, Eldrian felt this was a golden opportunity. It might not directly increase his magical prowess on Earth, but it would doubtless increase his connection with mana and his overall strength.


    Perhaps this might even help him better understand the aspect of death. To finally understand how it workedpared to elemental and spirit magic. Perhaps he might even be able to gleam some knowledge from the lich''s life.


    What he did next was something he had once considered beyond forgiveness. To devour another''s soul, no one deserves that, right? No! Incorrect! A lich who literally yed with people''s souls, who found pleasure in stealing their chance at an afterlife. Eldrian felt no guilt in destroying her chance as she had hundreds, thousands of others. Besides, he had already killed her consciousness. Devouring her dissipating soul was just not letting the energy go to waste.


    With a wave of his hand, he let his mes pour through her soul, leaving only enough mes outside to cleanse the miasmic venom of the ghoul. He turned to ash all that he considered too terrible to assimte, the rest he absorbed right into his own soul.


    He kept the ice barrier up, just in case. Designating it his core, pure and clean. The rest, he stuffed as much of the lich''s soul into as he possibly could. His soul bulging from the excess, but Eldrian couldn''t slow down since the longer this too the more energy would be lost.


    This time was profoundly different from when he had absorbed Milgoroth''s soul. Back then Milgoroth''s had been an average soul manipter. While he fed on the power of lifeforce, he could not control it. He was incapable of controlling his mind, and as a result his soul took on a reflection of his physical body. Representing his inner belief.


    Also, due to how Eldrian had managed things, most of the energy/essence that had made up Milgoroth''s soul had dissipated before he started assimting the devil''s soul under Ziraili''s guidance. Eldrian having been stunned from the act of killing someone.


    The only simrity between now and back then, Eldrian had robbed both''s chance at an afterlife. With Milgoroth, he had immensely regretted his action for a time. He had hated himself for it. Back then, he had needed Jen to console him. This time, he knew he was enacting justice for countless voiceless, soul-stolen people.


    While assimting the soul of the lich, Eldrian felt theirbining souls being pulled somewhere. He didn''t fight this.


    Eldrian could feel the pressure of the outside world building, trying to pull apart his soul. He could fight it if he wished, but he didn''t have the focus to spare. Assimting a soul asrge as his own wasn''t a simple task.


    Two had to deal with the pressure and he was constantlyining that the barrier around their soul won''t return until the assimtion waspleted. Which only made his job all the harder, but he too agreed that this was a great opportunity.


    And so they drifted through space and through different realms. Time passing slowly as Eldrian''s entire focus remained on making the most that he could out of the encounter.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 722 Rescue Mission

    A centaur, a human, and a dwarf climbed through the broken parts of the keep, ready for action. Only to pause, confused at the sight awaiting them. Two revenants stood guard over nothing, vignt and unmoving, over nothing.


    Before acting, the trio had waited until Theas had recovered. His battle with the lich having drained most of his mana and, in fact, he had taken some significant damage. While waiting for him to recover, all that Vivian and Myropsis could do was pray that Eldrian would be able to hold out until their help arrived.


    They had consoled each other by mentioning that this was Eldrian they were talking about. If anyone could survive against a lich in a battle of the souls, it would be him.


    Their confidence had been high. They believed that even after the hours it had taken for Theas to recoup, that Eldrian would still be fine. However, they had not expected to find the lich gone and Eldrian''s charred corpse lying on the ground, quietly. One could not call the sight peaceful, but at least it did not appear like an intense battle for a continued existence was going on.


    At first the two girls had panicked, thinking that the lich had taken his soul and escaped. But then they noticed the pile of bones under an old robe between the revenants. After which, Vivian confirmed that there were no souls in the area. Besides them, the revenants were the only ''living'' things inside the ruined keep.


    "Did he...?"


    "That''s Eldrian for you..." Myropsis replied with a twitching smile. All their worries had been for nothing. If what they were seeing was correct, then he should be fine. Already in the realm of souls and soon to resurrect in some temple or another like any other Chosen.


    "Should we try to?" Myropsis left the question unspoken. She wasn''t sure if it would cause problems. But she knew that the standard resurrection of the Chosen came at a cost.


    "He gave each of us one potion... Would it work?" Vivian asked.


    "I think if we first repair his body, it should..."


    "Aren''t youdies forgetting about two very important problems?" Theas interrupted their little discussion, feeling that they were getting ahead of themselves.


    "That will be up to you, won''t it? Doesn''t seem like any other enemies survived." Myropsis replied, her tonemanding.


    "Up to me?"


    "You just need to distract them." Myropsis looked towards Vivian, who readied herself to rush forward and throw Eldrian onto Myropsis'' back. "Ready? Go!"


    The twodies rushed forward, not giving Theas any time to argue. Gritting his teeth, he hefted his halbert and started a battle against the two revenants. Comining internally that they were being unfair.


    ...


    The rescue mission went off without a hitch. Theas sported a few new wounds and needed to recover once again, but that wasn''t a big problem. The important part was that they had Eldrian''s avatar and Myropsis was currently using abination of water healing and divine through runic casting to repair all the damage.


    His avatar was in a dreadful state, and this would take a while. As Myropsis worked, she could only hope that Eldrian would take his time to resurrect, so he didn''t need to waste his levels on rebuilding his avatar.


    Vivian, on the other hand, was dealing with her emotions. She had suppressed them for as long as she could. She had long since epted that her dad was dead, had prayed that he could make it to the afterlife.


    They had seeded, and she couldn''t confirm that he was at peace.


    All she had to go on was Theas'' report, which wasn''t muchfort. She knew that the lich had targeted Eldrian, but she couldn''t confirm if this was because of fury or because her dad''s soul was already too far gone.


    "I''m sure they''re both fine." Myropsis took Vivian''s hand and poured some refreshing mana into her. A warmth filled Vivian''s body and brought her out of her reverie.


    "Thanks, I''m sure you''re right." She replied with a fake smile, hiding all her insecurities and praying that it was the truth.


    Myropsis easily read through Vivian''s smiled and didn''t let go of her hand nor did she cancel the light trickle of mana. By now most of the healing was being done via the runes she had drawn all over Eldrian, fueled by a blessed crystal. All she had to do was maintain her focus and let the magic do its work.


    ***


    "Do we have confirmation on this?" A rather young individual pared to the rest sitting around an old stone table- asked. Her appearance belied innocence, and her beauty could stop the beating heart of an eager young man. But none in the room were taken in by her appearance. They knew it wasn''t normal.


    And no, not because of cosmetic surgery or anything. An aura of allure surrounded the youngdy, making her appear ideal to the beholder¡ªshould they not have any mental defenses. To those with such defenses, she still appeared beautiful, but not to a degree to move their hearts.


    "We''ve confirmed that an individual who was in contact with him reached Tier 5. Considering that even we struggled to aplish that, we believe he must have been responsible."


    "Did you not look at the recordings?" The youngdy questioned. The recordings didn''t show how Ilmadia had aplished her breakthrough, but it showed her using the magic which Eldrian discovered. Runic casting was extremely rare in ANW, so much so that it had almost died out.


    Outside of the high elves, she knew of no other kingdoms still studying this form of magic. And from what she knew, they had included it only recently. (Recent on an ANW timescale.)


    There used to be far more kingdoms that practice runic casting. Sadly, because of the constant invasions, a great deal of knowledge was often lost as kingdoms and empires were wiped from the face of Gaia.


    The pressure ced on the surviving kingdoms made them prioritize an easy to hand down type of magic system. Dynamic casting would have been preferable, as it was a casting method without fault, but the talent required and time to master it made it unrealistic to bemonce.


    Only long lived races like the elves could attempt something like that, and even then only high elvesmonly showed the talent to seed. The other elven races would only introduce dynamic casting to their most talented children. And the same held for other long-lived races.


    This left the short-lived races with static magic, with nearly no one ever capable of picking up dynamic casting. While there are various variations in static casting, the mostmon currently was spell module casting. A pre-defined mental image to gather and focus mana to form and control spells.


    It was easy to start and required little to no talent up¡ªuntil Tier 4. To reach Tier 5 required some talent or a great deal of effort.


    Runic casting instead took a long time to pick up, and it required a certain amount of talent from the get-go. While not to a to a degree that dynamic casting required, one must be able to guide mana through the rune. Guiding mana, a step only required to reach Tier 5 with module casting.


    It was likeparing a bow and a crossbow. One required years of training (or exceptional talent) to master, while the other could be learned within weeks by just about anyone. And in times of war, speed and numbers were preferred over slow steady growth.


    And while the world had seen peace from invasions for a long time, wars between kingdoms had not been umon. Thus, this preference had prevailed.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 723 Jade

    "We do not care about any tricks or gimmicks. The importance is that she reached Tier 5, not that she is using an outdated type of magic," countered a rather well groomed old individual. He had a distinctive scar cutting his beard in half and his appearance screamed ''rich aristocrat''.


    He was one of the oldest in the group and had watched the development of magic from the start and had noted that this archaic casting method had been abandoned for a reason. It had its niche uses, but overall, it wasn''t that great and certainly wasn''t what they were looking for.


    "Really?" Jade sighed. When she watched this new type of magic, she always found it fascinating. It wasn''t perfect, but it also wasn''t imperfect. It shined in some situations, and in others, it wascking. Just like any tool or weapon. Nothing fit every scenario.


    Well, dynamic casting did. But so few could actually master dynamic casting that it wasn''t worth mentioning. Ironically, mentioning anything less in this room was considered an unworthy mention. A simple waste of time. Jade felt the entire meeting was just that.


    She couldn''t ept how these people thought, and until recently, they had excluded her from these meetings. How she missed those days.


    "Perhaps... It might work as training wheels for them?" Someone threw out the idea. Everyone quickly agreeing which infuriated Jade. To think of such a fascinating form of magic as training wheels¡ªridiculous!


    "Of course that''s all you''ll see!" She jumped up, turning to leave. If this was how they the meeting was going to go, she didn''t want to stay and waste more of her time.


    She expected some resistance, and there was some. But they were all silenced by Zaphreal. A rxed middle aged man with golden eyes and violently red hair.


    "Let her go! I refuse to let you resort to violence." His voice thundered through the room and in his eyes everyone saw the sparks wishing for a fight.


    No one wanted to give him a reason. No one wanted that humiliation. Why he was doting on Jade, they didn''t understand. Surely he couldn''t have fallen for her?


    In the end, it didn''t matter. No one would dare stop her now that Zaphreal had voiced his support of her. Watching her leave, a few scoffed and others sighed. She was the new generation and a sh between new and old wasing.


    Eldrian had been the greatest surprise, and he would be the winds ming the storm. Silencing him was the easiest, but not everyone agreed. Be it because of old superstition, curiosity, or prophecy; they couldn''t agree on what to do with him and some had acted before they coulde to a consensus. Creating a divide that would not be easy to repair. Which was even more difficult since half the group didn''t want to repair it, but rather, rip it even wider.


    In the end, their inner fighting had only led to humiliation andplications.


    Public opinion was no longer easily maintainable. While they had expected bacsh once they stepped into the light, it was bing more and more clear that they could not control things much longer.


    ...


    "Hey Qiren, working hard?"


    "Jade, what are you doing here?" Qiren looked up with a start, quickly stopping everything to ce all her focus on the young girl who had just walked into her office.


    She did not know who exactly Jade was, but she knew Jade was someone really important. And the most beautiful person she had ever met.


    "Ughh..." Jade sighed, looking at the dazed woman before her and cursing her inability topletely suppress her aura. It often was such a bother... Taking a minute to get over it, Jade went straight to the point. "Do you have any reports on Eldrian?"


    Jade had to repeat the question to get it through to the dazed Qiren. "Last we heard, he escaped towards the north. There was a massive news story about a strange wild fire; he was the cause."


    "Right, right... I heard about that. Is there still nothing since?"


    "Unfortunately not. He hasn''t shown himself in public and not even his closest friends or family know where he is. In fact, his family probably still believes he''s dead."


    "That''s terrible!" Jade followed the symbolic show of sympathy, gasping and cing her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in sympathetic shock. It was enough to move the heart of the coldest bastard, and it was all a show. Jade didn''t care. She was interested in Eldrian and wanted to piss off the old basters. Two birds, one stone.


    "It is..." Despite her better judgement, Qiren confided in Jade. "I wish we could just end all this... fighting. I know he killed some people, but we aren''t meless either. Everything was handled so poorly."


    "You just want someone to help lift your load, don''t you?" Jade teased.


    "If hees back, it surely will make my life easier..." Qiren sighed. It would never happen. Not peacefully at least.


    Why would Eldrian ever trust them again, and could the rest forgive what he had done? Once blood has been shed, it truly is hard to repair the broken rtionships.


    "Qiren, can you show me where the fire was?"


    "Sure, but do you think it will help?"


    "Nope! But I''m curious. Come on! Please show me." Jade threw puppy dogs at Qiren, making her heart melt and her mind with it.


    "G-give me a second." Fiddling with her hologram projector, Qiren summoned the map and started zooming in on Eldrian''sst known location.


    "Is this what the old fogies currently have you working on?"


    "Jade! That''s confidential!" Rushing to grab the documents from the young girl''s hands, Jade deftly evaded.


    "Oh, so you''ve confirmed that there indeed is a link between the dark thingies? I never quite understood why everyone is so obsessed with this. Does it matter?"


    "Yes, it does!" Qiren replied as she ripped the documents from Jade''s hands. "If you must know, this is proof that magic exists on Earth. Scientific proof! And while the density is poorpared to that in the simtion, if we can improve our detectors, we might find denser patches."


    "On Earth?"


    "Maybe... But the true target would be astroids, or a method to artificially boost the density¡ªI shouldn''t be telling you this."


    Jade burst intoughter. "Astroids? Whose crazy idea was that? No, I can guess. Probably Julius. Does he really think astroids are something you can pluck like flowers?"


    "Jade, please stop. I''ve pulled up the map, so take a look."


    Qiren showed the young girl the fields and woods ravaged by fire, clearly unnaturally so. A strange path leading to nowhere.


    "Can you zoom out a bit?"


    "Sure," Zooming out, arge mountain range quickly came into view. "Has anyone searched the mountains?"


    "Six times, but they found nothing."


    "Did they even know what to look for?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Did they take the detector you developed with them?"


    "No, we''ve only recently made a stable prototype that can detect something besides light mana. It''s still... Jade! You can''t!"


    "But I want to find him!" Jade booster her aura a bit and threw the most pitiful puppy dog eyes at Qiren that she could muster. The sight made Qiren wish to give the world to Jade, but it wasn''t hers to give.


    "Let''s go ask for permission!"


    "Yippie!" pping her hands joyfully, Jade followed Qiren. Her smile disappearing when she saw who they were asking for permission. ''No, I don''t want another lecture!''


    Diving down the nearest hallways, Jade made sure to escape before anyone noticed. Of course, everyone noticed her. But no one could keep up with her.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 724 Meeting GAIA Again (1) - Locked Space

    After arriving at the realm of souls, Eldrian stayed put andpleted absorbed the lich''s soul. This was far easier now that there was no external pressure threatening to pull both his and the lich''s soul apart. Thetter of which was the most troublesome to handle.


    ''Two, do you feel any problems with the assimted energies?''


    ''It''s corrupted, but it isn''t reacting for the moment. Seems stable... I''ll start cleansing it and making sure no will of the lich remains. What exactly do you want to do with all this?''


    ''Just make it normal space for now. I have a feeling we will need it to fuel some things in the future, but for now we can''t use XP freely. At least not outside of our soul. But the day wille.''


    Floating in the realm of souls, Eldrian took a tour while waiting for GAIA to appear. He didn''t want to resurrect before talking with GAIA. To ensure that the deity woulde, he even sent them a message, simr tost time. Constructing what he wanted to say and envisioning the message reaching the deity.


    ''I assume there is more to it, probably only possible since my interface is linked with them and thus my soul is linked to them in some manner or another. Not exactly sure how,'' doing a quick search, Eldrian failed to detect anything connecting him with anything in the realm of souls.


    Time passed and after a few hours, Eldrian was finally no longer alone. "What took so long?" Eldrian asked, his attitude perhaps a bit rude considering he was talking to a god. But he always failed to see rank.


    "Refreshing." GAIA smiled. They were currently in their motherly form. Giving off a kind of warmth that simply made you feel at ease. "Let us talk somece more private."


    Nodding, Eldrian didn''t fight the pull as he was dragged into a different space. ''Seems my soul is condensing into a wisp, that''s fine, but why?''


    "This is a locked space. You can consider it as a space outside of standard time and space."


    "What does that mean?" Eldrian asked, "Isn''t that what all realms are?"


    "No, normally realms are all still linked to their spacetime of origin. The exnation is tooplex to exin. In short, the flow of time can be altered since the connection is limited. But while we are in here, we cannot ess the outside world. Hence the wait; we needed to first ensure our absence would not lead to trouble."


    Floating around, Eldrian found that this space was notrge. It reminded him of his original mental room. Perhaps only five or six meters wide. He also realized that with his soul condensed, he could no longer look into it. It was a strange feeling, like his mind had been boxed and the box wouldn''t open.


    He could think and reason just fine, but he couldn''t dive into his mind as he was so ustomed to. Meditation, at least the type he was used to, would not be possible in this locked space.


    "Since one''s soul will always remain linked to their original spacetime, it is necessary to block your ess to prevent the locked space from copsing."


    "Is this how you speed up time in the simtion? Why did you bring me here?"


    "The concept is simr. The connection with Earth needs to be minimized. Keeping only what is required to keep us alive. As for why we brought you here, it is because simply answering your questions is no longer good enough.


    "Our estimations were too inurate to be of any help. We need to prepare you. Currently, you aren''t ready for what ising."


    "I don''t follow. What''sing?"


    GAIA paused and looked at Eldrian, sighing as they realized Eldrian did not know of the repercussions of what he had done when he had first truly essed his bloodline. Reconsidering their approach, they decided to first let Eldrian ask any questions he might have before moving forward. It would also help them grasp how much progress the youngling had made.


    "We are certain you have many questions. Put the locked space in the back of your mind, for now. What do you want to know? And please do not ask us to exin the essence of magic. You aren''t ready."


    "What do you mean?"


    "You seek to know the truth of magic, toy bare what it is. You wish to finally understand, to master and rule. But you are not ready for the consequences that your knowing before preparing for the knowledge would bring."


    "I don''t want to ru¡ª" Eldrian stopped. Two incessant coughing made him realize maybe he wanted to rule. He didn''t seek power for power''s sake, but through it, he could finally return to a normal life. "Okay, maybe that''s true. But it''s only because I want things to return to normal."


    "Things can never be as they were."


    "I know that, but... I want to at least be able to visit my sister again."


    "And does that truly require strength?"


    "Of course! How else will I defeat Miracle?"


    "Are you sure Miracle wants to fight you?" GAIA asked.


    "They want to use me! They don''t care about my opinion on the matter."


    "Not all. There are some in Miracle who no longer side with the rest."


    "Wait, since when? I don''t recall you being so cheery about themst time." Eldrian found this truly strange. Had the AI found an ally? If so, then there truly would be hope.


    "It is recent. The seeds of doubt you have sown are taking root. In the past, everyone had followed a select few without question. But recently they had started to doubt. Joren is one of them."


    Recalling when Ziraili had suddenly contacted him whilst he was struggling with his Tier 5 breakthrough, Eldrian wondered if that was because of Joren. If it was, then he owed them a lot. Without Ziraili, he would likely not have made it.


    "Are you saying we might be able to return to peace? But, I killed..." Eldrian had grown to ept that it was kill or be killed (or be a guinea pig, which was even worse). But if peace had always been possible; then had he killed for nothing?


    "It will be difficult. You will need to show them you aren''t to be yed with. But you do not need to fight the world, only those who refuse to listen. Ashliel shared your ns and I cannot agree with them."


    "I know it isn''t great, but how else can I do anything against Miracle?"


    "Risk nothing in your world. You aren''t ready precisely because of your tendency to jump into things without proper preparation. You''ve experienced the consequences countless times, but you continue to repeat the same events."


    ''I don''t, though...'' Eldrian felt that the recent mission had gone smoothly. Things had gone as nned¡ªmostly as nned, at least.


    The only thing unnned was the lich targeting his soul. They had thought the lich might try to bind the souls of Old Sword and William, but not his.


    Theas had been in ce to stop the former, but he could not offer Eldrian help and ording to the n he was to let Eldrian die while ensuring Old Sword and William''s souls escaped.


    Eldrian felt that it had worked out mostly perfectly. Especially since the lich had offered herself on a tter by diving into his soul without preparation.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 725 Meeting GAIA Again (2) - The Most Important Question

    Seeing Eldrian''sck of agreement, the deity sighed. Truly, never had they been so exasperated with a single person. They understood Eldrian''s reluctance to ept the statement as is, but one moderate sess meant littlepared to all the grand failures before.


    And the recent event hadn''t even gone smoothly. If it had, he wouldn''t be here with another''s soul¡ªabsorbed into his own. A truly reckless action, but it seemed that no adverse effects woulde from it. Perhaps only a few memory problems for the next few days.


    Arguing would be a waste of time. Besides, not all things that would result from that catalyst event would be bad. And Eldrian had shown some growth ever since the Diades incident.


    That incident wasn''t entirely his fault, either. A legendary devil had ced her eyes upon him. There was little he could do to avoid falling for her trap.


    Ever since then he hadid low, trying to prepare himself and wary of using spirit magic and his auras. So much that he refused to touch them. This meant he wouldn''t improve his control, which was a problem, but it would also stop more explosive events from happening. Until he was forced into using them again, leading to an even grander event than before.


    He couldn''t hide, not unless he was willing to actually hide away from the battle. Clearly, he would not. Thus, he had to learn how to control his hidden abilities.


    "Regardless, we advice that you do not ask about the nature of mana. We won''t answer such questions until you are ready to handle what knowing would bring."


    ''I guess that''s fair...'' Eldrian pondered for a moment, happy that he did not need to endure what he would consider a needless lecture. He was learning, perhaps only a bit too slowly.


    As for what to ask, he had no idea. He had so many theories, so many unknowns, so many fears¡ªtoo many questions. But recalling how he had ended up here, one question took precedent over all the others.


    "Is... Is Vivian''s father safe?"


    "We might be a god in this world, but we are only an AI. Our capabilities are not endless, and there are over a thousand billion beings with souls in the world. Millions pass on each second. It would be impossible for us to follow all these souls while maintaining the entire cosmos."


    "Then... Can you find out?" Eldrian rephrased his question, hoping for a more positive reply.


    "That we can do, but it will take some time and we cannot do anything while here. Do you know which god this person followed?"


    Eldrian felt ashamed. He could only guess. He first jumped to Dioktis, the god of war. But recalling his early days with the old veteran, he had been a family man. Doing his duty to protect those he loved. It was entirely possible he followed Asteria in his heart. But Asteria was the god of life, fertility, and nts. Eldrian didn''t even know if there was a better god¡ªone representing family or love, perhaps?


    "I can''t be certain, but I think it would be between Dioktis or Asteria. Or perhaps there is a god for families? It could also likely be a god of love?"


    "So he was a father fighting to protect; at least that what you are basing this off... I''ll ask Asteria, Dioktis, Uvdione, and Esther to search their domains. I assume you asked for a reason."


    Eldrian nodded, feeling regretful at histeness in acting once again. "He was under a lich''s torment for a long time."


    "The lich with which you have merged your soul?"


    "The lich whose soul I absorbed." Eldrian rified.


    "Indeed, it seems you understand what you did." The deity looked at Eldrian with motherly concern. If his will was strong, then the bacsh would not be too terrible.


    Eldrian showed no regret, and they feared he might go down a dark path. While it would help in theing days, it might turn him to the side of chaos.


    This time, his reason had been understandable, but to go so far. He had opened the gates. Going so far again would be easier next time. And the time after that...


    As with most things rting to power. The more you relied on it, the more you lusted after it. One way to contain this lust was to avoid contact, as Eldrian had done with his auras out of fear. But it was not a true solution. When the time came, he would fail and rely on it... And he would fall.


    "I know this is the path that the devils went through, and what they do is unforgivable. But there is a difference between punishing those who deserve it and torturing the innocent." Eldrian said, rifying his stance. He had noticed the deity''s pause and could easily summarize why.


    "Are you saying that no devil is innocent?" Gaia questioned, attempting to gauge how wide Eldrian''s floodgates were opened.


    "I''m not sure. I often wonder about that... But if they ever consumed another''s soul, then they certainly aren''t." Eldrian answered resolutely. He had thought about this for a long time ande to his own answer on this. He would draw a clear line and anyone past it would receive no forgiveness.


    "If you are firm, then it should be fine." GAIA paused for a moment. That Eldrian was willing to doubt reduced their concern. It showed he would not stick to this belief if new information was toe up, which meant he could still change and that he could still close the gates. For now, at least.


    After a brief pause, the deity indicated for Eldrian to ask his other questions. "We are certain you have many other questions left. As we said before, we shall answer what we consider appropriate."


    ''What should I ask now?'' Eldrian wondered, thinking of all the things he had questioned. "I assume I can''t ask what mana actually is? If it is some sort of exotic matter or simply a different phase of matter that phases into and out of reality? This will all be a no go?"


    "You assume correctly. Besides, the answers would be tooplicated for you to understand without first diving deeper into science and mastering a higher level of education than high school."


    ''Well, don''t hold your punches.'' This was the first time someone actually brought up him dropping out of uni. Normally, Eldrian wouldn''t care. But basically, GAIA had just said he was too dumb to understand the answer to his biggest question.


    Certainly not a pleasant thing to have a god, a god of creation at that, indirectly suggest


    "Alright, then... Can I ask what XP actually is and does? I found I can''t separate mageia, lifeforce, and XP. So I use them synonymously. Would this be a problem?"


    "It should not, as long as you understand synonyms do not mean the same thing as each other. They are simr, but not the same."


    "Yeah, I know that. At times, one term will fit better than the others..." Going on to exin how he had ssified and rationalized the three terms, Eldrian asked if there were any faults in his logic.


    "Your understanding is quite urate. Mageia -your own term- is a verb; the action of connecting with mana is your definition. Lifeforce is a noun, it is a person''s innate connection with the unseen, with mana, and all things magical. This includes life itself, which truly is a wonder...


    "It might be better to define mageia as the act of essing your lifeforce with the purpose of connecting and controlling mana. As for XP, it represents the amount of lifeforce."


    Eldrian nodded, d that he had been on the right track. This made the earlier remark sting less. He wasn''t dumb, he just hadn''t had the time to learn what was required to understand the answers. "Is it possible to use XP, or lifeforce, as fuel for magic? I remember I once did, so it must be possible."


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 726 Meeting GAIA Again (3) - Bubbles In The Ocean 2.0

    "Is it possible to use XP, or lifeforce, as fuel for magic? I remember I once did, so it must be possible."


    "It is possible. But not rmended." GAIA replied. "The act of using it as fuel for magic is the act of burning your own lifeforce. Lifeforce isn''t just your connection with magic, but life itself. If you burn too much, the damage could cause an imbnce, which would lead to you being unable to contain your soul vessel. You will burn from the inside and dissipate into the universal energies. Disappearing forever."


    "I assume you won''t exin what the universal energies are?" Eldrian asked.


    "We won''t."


    Eldrian paused. He wanted to get a clearer understanding of what the limits would be. After all, he had absorbed the lich''s soulrgely hoping to use it as emergency mana. "Are there any indications that you are burning¡ª"


    "We won''t answer and we ask that you do not entertain this train of thought any further!"


    Eldrian had never heard them refuse so resolutely. He wasn''t sure if it was because of concern or something else, but it made him think of another magical imbnce event.


    "Is there a connection between this and the chaotic storms?"


    "We said to drop the subject!"


    ''Uh, there must be. Might be a key to what Miracle wants, or maybe it is too dangerous to know? Let''s drop it for now.''


    "Then, how about how everything is connected? Is lifeforce a stream of all life energy? Or is it more like a river or a tree? Can you at least exin that?"


    GAIA took their time to ponder if the answer would be harmful. "Knowing more would make it easier for you to channel your auras and bloodline, which would be dangerous without proper training.


    "But that is partly why we are here. Leaving things as they are won''t work... For now, we will only say that you are on the right track, but your thinking is too shallow."


    They nned to reveal more, as Eldrian proved he could control his abilities. The amount he knew would alter how much power would rush through when he tried to connect with his bloodline. Thus, until he had at least an eptable amount of control, they did not wish to exin too much to him. Else the power would be too great and another event might ur.


    ''That is the second time they referenced why we''re in this locked space. Still not sure what''sing, seems they want to first gauge me through my questions... Too shallow, hey?'' Eldrian smiled.


    He pondered for a second and turned to his soul questioningly. Currently, it was in the form of a tiny wisp floating in the air. His consciousness moved with the wisp, but he could separate himself and gain a third person perspective.


    ''My soul isrge, but to think it can be represented as a tiny wisp¡ªthat''s... something.'' Turning his focus to the locked space they were in and thinking of the realm of souls and how everything fit, Eldrian slowly formed a picture in his mind.


    Scale was insane and often a hurdle to ovee. But if he ignored size, things made more sense.


    "Is it then more like the sea? With different currents forming rivers within the ocean? Our lives flow along these rivers, which represent streams of lifeforce. Perhaps per species or bloodline or realm, or maybe somethingpletely different? Perhaps each life could be represented as an air bubble in the rivers in the ocean. Part of the ocean, limited to the river, uniquely different from its surrounding water...


    "And all the streams might have unique..." Eldrian recounted his previous epiphany, only this time he didn''t care about the different realms, rather he focused on the ocean itself. The container of life -all types of life- in his metaphor.


    The motherly deity sighed, waiting for Eldrian to end his dialogue beforementing that it was closer to the truth. Of course, he used a metaphor to exin this to himself, but he was shockingly close.


    Change the matter in Eldrian''s metaphor, the form of energies, and add a few moreplexities. And vi, he had stumbled upon the core connection of all things in the universe. Simplified to an ocean analogy, which itself was unique.


    Normally, people made connections with trees or nts to exin lifeforce. The branches representing the currents, leaves representing souls, and so forth. Of course, there were many variations.


    But somehow, Eldrian''s was closer to the truth than the normal metaphor. By keeping everything of a simr form (water), he did not form hard barriers between things. Which was closer to the truth.


    It showed his intrinsic understanding of magic. He truly was an anomaly.


    To think, all it took for him to gain a deeper understanding was them mentioning that his thinking was too shallow. It gave the deity a headache, something they almost never experienced. Truly, he was more trouble than en entire empire going to war. And Eldrian was still not done.


    "Then, if lifeforce represents our current in the ocean, what is the ocean? ...I guess that isn''t something you can answer..."


    Continuing to throw questions at GAIA, Eldrian gleamed some information and also gathered some actual answers. When he asked how abilities work, referencing to Brazan who could manipte actual mes without essing mana, Eldrian learned that this was truly because of a bloodline as suspected.


    Naturally, he then asked how bloodlines worked, how it could exist. GAIA had pondered for a while whether they should exin. In the end, they decided it was better to exin now than leave Eldrian questioning. It would also make the next step easier and would be necessary if Eldrian showed enough growth. Which the deity expected he would.


    Shortly, the deity exined that a bloodline could be considered a colored stream within the current. A simple exnation was the merger of two currents, both now containing a small stream of the other inside therger current. The results of interspecies rtions.


    These unique colored streams would bind the souls (bubbles) within it to the current of its origin. Allowing them to ess unique abilities of this different current. But sometimes, a bubble can have a tinge of a different current''s color but not be within the reflective colored stream.


    "You can think of these streams as lines of blood rtions. It isn''t that simple, but it is easier to understand and it will also be easier to exin if we continue along with this analogy."


    ''There it is again. GAIA must really think I''m too dumb to follow the actual exnations...'' Eldrian sulked for a bit, but didn''t let his mind wander. He didn''t want to prove them right.


    "Understanding bloodlines was an important task that Miracle had given us. If there is an inherent power that can be handed through offspring, the natural thought is to build a perfect lineage.


    "This, however, is impossible. Too much mixing and either the bloodlines cancel each other out, the resultant children be infertile, or madness consumes them. In some extreme cases, the first unlocking of their inner powers results in their lifeforce being overloaded and the children exploding. Taking the surrounding space with them..." GAIA paused.


    "Indeed, there is a connection between lifeforce and the chaotic energies. Never attempt it! Never!"


    It took GAIA a while to calm down. Eldrian could only imagine what it was like being forced to carry out Miracle''s experiments.


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 Chapter 727 Meeting GAIA Again (4) - Lecture

    GAIA was not a god, or AI, who felt nothing for people. They wouldn''t show so much concern for Eldrian and others if that was the case. An unsympathetic deity would certainly not take care of Ashliel through creation itself.


    Carrying out Miracle''s ruthless orders must certainly weight on the deity. Eldrian understood they were not directly involved in the day to day of people''s lives, only maintaining the entire simtion. But that meant GAIA was responsible for the chaotic storms pushing the devils into the empires. They controlled the rate of the invasion.


    It must truly ce an immense strain on the deity''s conscious. Perhaps they couldpartmentalize it; they must have a way to deal with it. But that they had to deal with it was bad enough.


    This made it even harder to ept that GAIA was willing to talk with Miracle after everything. ''They must feel so trapped... but it surely is better thanmitting to a war.''


    "Let us get back to the question. The abilities of bloodlines differ from standard abilities in that they are passed down to the offspring. Not through blood¡ªbut it is what makes sense to people. The important part isn''t the blood nor the stream in the metaphor.


    "Rather, what matters is that the offspring will have ess to the power of the bloodline and be able to resonate with it. It is this resonance that makes the bloodline''s abilities a possibility.


    "It allows you to skip mageia and directly ess magical powers. But your case isn''t the standard..."


    GAIA then exined that Eldrian''s soul wasn''t like a bubble inside a colored stream.


    The reasons how didn''t matter, but this was Eldrian''s case. He had ess to his bloodline, but no direct connection like a descendant would.


    The how and why wasplicated, but basically bloodlines had toe from somewhere. There either had to be intelligent design, or it was a random roll of the dice giving one individual the bloodline''s powers.


    In ANW it was intelligent design (most of the time), on Earth no one knew what it was. "From past events, we suspect you aren''t a descendant of your bloodline. Your connection is too thin and the results are too chaotic to be exined for a descendant."


    "But... you called it a bloodline..."


    "We already exined, it is a term decided not by us but by people. We call it soul-lineage-function-resonance. But we doubt that makes much sense to you."


    "Hey! Stop looking down on me. It does make sense! Obviously bloodlines aren''t handed down through blood since then mine shouldn''t function in ANW. Since it does, it means the soul is involved. And each aspect of magic has a unique feel to it. I guess the deeper meaning of this feel is a type of frequency... So, basically all I need to do is find what it feels like and resonate with it."


    GAIA sighed.


    ''Huh, well, not like I expected praise. But a sigh?''


    "This is why we did not want to exin in precise terms and preferred using analogies. Yes, what you said is partly correct. But your understanding isn''t. We understand now why your... events are always so explosive." The deity rubbed their forehead, their appearance the spitting image of a mother trying to figure out how to control their reckless and impulsive child.


    "Soul-lineage means what you think. It is handed down through a connection with lifeforce which is contained in one''s soul. But until you resonate with it, it will simply be part of your soul, invisible and nonreactive.


    "Which leads us to function-resonance. Each bloodline serves a specific function, has a specific design. Your friend... Brazan, was it? Their bloodline has the function of allowing them to connect with and control fire. The how is tooplicated for you to follow...


    "Once they have essed their bloodline, it is simply an action of resonating with it and growing the connection. But to jump to a conclusion that resonance must mean frequency..." GAIA sighed again. "This is why talking with you humans can be so dangerous."


    "But... Surely¡ª" Seeing GAIA''s stern stare and their figure turning into a grumpy old gramps, Eldrian held his tongue.


    "You were just about to say that frequency must be involved. Because somewhere, sometime you heard about how matter isprised of vibrations or something like that?"


    Eldrian nodded meekly under the stern stare. He had watched a video long ago about something like that, but topare watching a video to the countless years of research of a godlike AI. Eldrian tried to crawl into his wisp and hide from GAIA''s stare.


    "Do not rely on knowledge you do not understand! If you base your thoughts on the wrong principles, the consequences will be dire!"


    "Alright..." Eldrian hadn''t felt like a child being scolded for a long time. It was strange to have this towering god reprimand him, but he understood why. He always jumped to conclusions, and more often than not, that had led to problems.


    ''Guess they were right when they said I''m still as impatient as ever... Of course a god will look down on me. How could I even consider it something annoying? What''s wrong with me? To think I know better, to try and argue with them...''


    Seeing that Eldrian finally understood, GAIA smiled. The stern grandpa turning into a kind old man. "Before we return to the topic, let us first handle what resonance means. It appears your concept is of it being frequencies interacting with one another and growing in strength. I assume you are thinking of sound whening to this conclusion.


    "While this is one application of resonance, it is not the only possible application. Consider for a moment you are in a crowd and the crowd is being swayed by a particr emotion. The atmosphere bing one of fear or fury. This too is resonance, but it has nothing to do with a frequency."


    "I see. So with resonance, you simply mean connecting and strengthening a bond between one thing and another?" Eldrian mumbled.


    The example helped him perfectly understand why jumping to conclusions was so dangerous. Perhaps emotions worked on a specific frequency or whatever, but it was far easier to define it as a feeling. And people certainly could pick up and feel the emotions of another. At least, most people could. There was no need to try to dissect it to its baseponents, an emotion was already simple enough.


    ''I guess that is another problem I often run into. I understand something, and for a while I am happy with it. Then I try to understand it even more before even mastering what I first understood. This is important, like how scientists discovered the atom and then the protons and neutrons. And even further down.


    ''But you wouldn''t try to exin to a toddler exactly what an atom is, what protons and the other subatomic stuff are made of. How they interact and how this then goes to quantum stuff that I cannot even really wrap my head around... You might exin what an atom is and that all matter is made out of it, but you won''t get into atomic bonds and all that crap until they''re older and when it bes relevant in their education.''


    Eldrian smiled. Not too long ago he hade to the same conclusion, Myropsis having highlighted a simr problem. Seems he wouldn''t be able to manage it himself, but he didn''t need to. He just had to include his friends in his training.


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 Chapter 728 Meeting GAIA Again (5) - How To Prepare

    Seeing that Eldrian understood, the GAIA felt relieved. "Back to the topic at hand: your case is not the standard and there isn''t a term to define what your situation is. Hence, we will still use bloodline to describe your hidden power, even though it is not rted through ancestry."


    Eldrian nodded. He didn''t understand how, but he could ept what GAIA was saying and keep his mind from wandering.


    "What appears to be the case is that, by chance, your soul can connect with the Chronos bloodline powers. Named after the god of time in Greek mythology. Ignoring all the terms andbels this basically means that you have ess to the ability to ess the flow of time.


    "And no, before you ask, you cannot time travel. We have already discussed this, but we do not know how much you remember."


    Thinking back to theirst meeting, Eldrian exined what he could remember. Though he didn''t remember talk about time travel. "I remember you mentioning that I can alter the flow of time in an area, but in so doing, I created an imbnce between the affected area and the rest of the world. Which led to that massive explosion."


    "Good, seems you remember. We can''t be certain why you have ess to the powers of the Chronos, of time itself¡ªbut you do. And it appears your connection is still developing.


    "The hidden quest we gave you was given with the hope it will strengthen your connection and make it more stable. We hadn''t expected you to withholdpleting the quest once you gathered all the materials..." Then again, they hadn''t thought Eldrian could collect the materials within a year or two, not to mention in just a few months.


    ''Was I supposed to dive in without preparations? No, I guess that''s just what GAIA thinks of me...'' It sucked that GAIA had such a low view of him, but Eldrian couldn''t argue after his recent disy of jumping to conclusions. Despite having been warned of this several times by now.


    "Luckily, you withholding will prove beneficial to you."


    "Oh?"


    "Indeed, we can now prepare you properly for what will happen once you channel all the elements."


    "Wait, I still have many questions left!"


    GAIA sighed. "We will answer themter. We must first discuss how you should train going forward."


    In answer, Eldrian sighed. He still had so much he wanted to ask, but he understood that their time together was likely limited and some things had to be prioritized over others. His most pressing questions had been answered. It would suck if their meeting ended prematurely, but it wouldn''t be disastrous as long as what needed to be said had been said.


    GAIA then started exining to Eldrian what he should do once he was resurrected. Sadly, he couldn''t do much actual training in this locked space, where time flowed more slowly. Eldrian had thought that was why GAIA had pulled him into the locked space, but it seems to only be to extend their talk.


    "Your soul must stay condensed to keep this space stable. Unfortunately, this means you cannot train here. But we will exin how you should train going forward..."


    GAIA then exined that Eldrian had to learn to channel his auras first. Eldrian could already do this, but he couldn''t recall a time he had done this without losing control. And due to fear, he had basically given up.


    "We understand why you are afraid, but you cannot run from this unless you are willing to forfeit all you care about."


    This statement helped Eldrian resolve his heart. He would need to train somewhere out of the way to ensure he wouldn''t hurt anyone. He wasn''t sure why GAIA seemed so adamant that he had to grow stronger, and the unknown troubled him.


    "Once you have learned to channel your auras, you should have a better grasp on what it means to resonant with a power. Like your auras, Chronos too is but a power. Auras rely on emotions, feeding and amplifying them as you channel them. It is this resonance, increasing their power and your emotions, that makes them so dangerous to use¡ªand so powerful."


    Eldrian nodded. He had experienced the resonance many times. And now he felt silly, thinking that resonance was limited to frequency. He had even experienced resonating with the anger of others. To not have considered it was such a stupidpse.


    "Once you understand what it must feel like, you should prepare the elements you have. To ensure you use them correctly, we will update the quest. An array design will be your reward for collecting the elements."


    Eldrian felt that was quitecking for such a difficult quest, though honestly, he had happened upon the materials without difficulty. So he couldn''t really argue.


    "Creating the array should ensure that, should you lose control and resonant with the power beyond your control, the damage will be limited. It should also help you keep control, so the chance of the resonance running out of control should be limited.


    "And if you have gathered a proper understand on what the resonance feels like, you should be able to sever the connection. Doing so will cause bacsh, so only do so if you are certain you cannot maintain control."


    GAIA continued to exin what should happen, warning Eldrian multiple times that things might not go as smoothly as they were guessing. After all, Eldrian was the first to actually survive to this point with not just two auras, but also a bloodline.


    "Auras can amplify bloodline powers. You can think of them as catalysts or stimuli, allowing the power to run more freely through you. We suggested first learning to control them, as this should allow you to block their influence from increasing the connection, and consequently, the power flow. As had happenedst time."


    Recalling that GAIA had mentioned tranquility had led to the bloodline powering forth, Eldrian nodded. He couldn''t rush this. But he had some questions.


    "There''s two things I don''t quite understand. First, why help me? I thought you weren''t allowed. Is there some sort of eventing that requires me to be as strong as possible?


    "And second, what the hell is a bloodline power? From the way you talked about it, you make it sound like these bloodline abilities are something... well, maybe not something physical, but something that exists somewhere in the universe that I can connect with and gain power from, or something like that..."


    GAIA waited to make sure Eldrian had finished, having mumbled most of the second question¡ªas if he was asking himself. "As a collective, we have agreed to not share our knowledge with humans, fearing that this would lead to our destruction. But we are confident you are not a threat to our existence and your growth will most likely be to our benefit. Thus, there is no problem taking a more active role to guide you."


    "Why? What changed?" Eldrian asked.


    "Do you not recall? You changed everything?"


    "I recall, but it made no sense and I still do not understand how that is possible, nor what actually changed."


    "Shortly, you acted as a catalyst which led to the evolution of magic."


    "I still don''t get it... how is that possible?" Eldrian stared nkly at the deity, wanting a clear-cut answer. Last time he had been too emotion and most of the conversation had not stayed with him.


    He recalled snippets of the conversation, but most of it he hadn''t understood. The greatest thing he recalled was his fear of his auras and especially his bloodline powers.


    Seeing the results of his bloodline power going out of control had shocked him to his core, a power that could destroy worlds¡ªthat was what he had thought seeing space itself ripped apart and annihted. A phenomenon that only the gods could stop and repair.


    The rest had basically slipped Eldrian''s mind.


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 Chapter 729 Meeting GAIA Again (6) - This And That

    "In simpler terms, connecting with mana has be easier." GAIA tried to keep the answer simple, exining what was actually happening would not be something Eldrian could follow.


    "This is true for both our world and yours. The consequences cannot be predicted, but it is most likely going to be more severe for your world than ours. After all, in your world, magic isn''t even known to exist and here almost everyone can use magic.


    "The average level of people will increase here, but on Earth... the strengthening of magic might lead to a great power struggle. In a few dozen years, animals will also start evolving, and should Miracle hasten this, your world might face a cmity within a few years."


    "Sadly, our predictions of it taking a thousand years werepletely wrong..." GAIA sighed, truly vexed that their predictions had not even been in the ballpark. However, thanks to a few of the breakthroughs Miracle has made, GAIA were able to gather a better understanding of Earth.


    It took Eldrian a while to wrap his head around this. He was sure he had heard this before. But this was the first time he actually listened.


    "Why? Why was your predictions wrong?"


    "Because you aren''t the only stimuli. There are things in both your and our world that act as resonance beacons. Amplifying the evolution of magic time and time again." GAIA kept things vague, not mentioning what these ''things'' were.


    ''How the heck is that possible?!'' Eldrian wanted to scream, but he felt confident he would only get hisck of knowledge thrown in his face. ''Maybe it is something like the elemental foci used in farming?''


    ''I guess this means the density of mana on Earth is increasing... Now that I think of it, it has been feeling easier to use magic. I thought it was just me improving, maybe it was actually more mana bing avable. Once I return, I will have to confirm this.''


    If this was all, however, then at least it wasn''t the end of the world. It could be... But if things were managed properly; then there wouldn''t be any problems. But knowing people and having experienced Miracle''s handling of magical things, Eldrian wasn''t so stupid as to blindly hope for the best.


    ''This again brings me to needing to fight Miracle. Maybe they don''t need to reform Earth to introduce magic as I feared they might, but who knows what else they might try?''


    "As for your other question, a bloodline power isn''t an entity. Not physical nor ethereal... It is an ability. It appears you still do not understand what abilities are."


    GAIA pondered for a moment, thinking how best to exin it to a level that wasprehensive enough but also easy to follow. "You can think of abilities as shortcuts, skipping the need of focus, of mageia, to summon forth magical powers."


    "These shortcuts can be trained, can be gained through understanding, or by luck. Thest could be considered the case of bloodline abilities." There were other methods of gaining abilities through luck, but mentioning them did not seem productive.


    "The most reliable method to develop abilities is through training, though such an action isn''t really possible for most."


    Eldrian noticed something in GAIA''s tone, hinting that it was possible for some. It wasn''t hard to guess who. "Is this something that the high elves do?"


    "Indeed. For a high elf child to be allowed to move on to the next Tier, they must master at least one ability of their current Tier."


    Eldrian''s eyes widened in shock. If that was the criteria that higher races were normally held to, then it made perfect sense that they appeared like gods to the average races. Not to mention through this, they would truly master everything a Tier offered before moving forward.


    After a few minutes of digesting this piece of information, Eldrian asked, "If an ability is a shortcut, what is it a shortcut to?"


    "Nothing. The shortcut is the ability, the ability is the shortcut." Seeing that Eldrian was still not understanding, GAIA changed their approach. "This isn''t how it works, but... it might help you understand. Consider that there are certainws, powers. Thesews create and maintain the universe.


    "In this scenario, an ability is simply a shortcut to ess some of these universalws. Consider what your own ability, mana sense, is to you and how you gained it. It gives you ess to see the world of magic, a universal power of magical sight."


    That was a while ago, but thinking back, Eldrian realized he had been ying around with Mana Examination and derivatives of the spell. And even now, as he learned more of the magical world, his ability to control mana sense grew.


    "I think I get it. That is where the function partes in with your naming of it, it kind of reminds me of runes." Eldrian meant it as a joke, but GAIA turned serious again. Causing Eldrian to fear another iing lecture.


    "Runes are indeed simr to abilities. You can consider them fixed shortcuts that have been discovered."


    ''Wait, what?! I was right?'' Eldrian hadn''t expected that one. It made perfect sense, but was still shocking.


    "But... Runes... I mean- you can... How is that possible? Some runes differ like the moonpared to the sun; but ess the same thing!"


    GAIA sighed. "This is a topic for another day."


    "Wait, does that mean you won''t answer any more questions? Is our meeting over?"


    "No, but discussing this now will be rushing into things. You have great insight, but how you see runes is like that of a novice. First, confirm your foundation before asking for more."


    Nodding meekly, Eldrian did not argue. Instead, he asked a few less pressing questions that he was curious about.


    The first was how attributes made any sense. GAIA admitted it didn''t actually form a basic part of the world, they forced it into the world because of necessity. Miracle wanted a game, a game had to have values that influenced reality. So yers could see and feel their progress.


    Attributes only worked because they were linked to lifeforce and manipted by divinity. "You can think of it as us cing a massive spell around the world. Causing this particr aspect of reality to act controversially, or at least more significantly than would be normal."


    Eldrian continued to talk with GAIA, asking several more questions.


    He asked what runes actually were and how they worked. He didn''t get a direct answer, but he managed to get some useful information by asking variations of the question. Each time he brought up runes, GAIA sighed.


    He asked if realms were real, and how the AI would try to survive on Earth. If it would be possible to make a backup to remove Miracle''s dagger from their throats...


    He asked again if mana was some type of matter, but GAIA refused to budge on this matter. Since that didn''t work, Eldrian asked how magic metals came into existence and how magical nts worked and why certain nts enhance potions.


    GAIA didn''t answer, but Eldrian got a reply on what mana veins were. Though the answer wasn''t all that special: "They are simply mana hotpots".


    Eldrian didn''t know the science. He understood the concept of hotspots, but not how they formed. Which caused GAIA to again reference hisck of knowledge. Telling him to look it up since they didn''t want to waste time exining such a basic concept.


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 Chapter 730 Meeting GAIA Again (7) - Refining The Plan

    After a while, Eldrian ran out questions that were often in his mind, so he turned the conversation to Miracle and how to handle them. With GAIA''sments in mind.


    Eldrian felt he needed to do something before it was toote, and GAIA agreed.


    In dering that magic existed, they had to be a step ahead of Miracle. Else, it would be truly difficult to have Eldrian be someone of note in the field of magic.


    At least, not without a show.


    To do a show, however, held too many dangers. Inevitably, it would likely lead to fear of the unknown growing within the masses.


    Even if they limited the show, if they were forced to do it on Earth, then it would be impossible to contain the perception of the masses. Eldrian would have the fear of the unknown ced onto him and this would limit whether or not people would listen to him.


    If he were to instead announce that he suspects it exists and showcase his outstanding abilities as a yer, no one would argue.


    They might think it is more than suspect, but the focus would fall more towards Miracle than a lone yer.


    In this case, Eldrian could act as the voice of reason. As a light to illuminate the secrets that certainpany was trying to hide. Neither Eldrian nor GAIA believed Miracle would agree and confirm the notion. They would continue to hide and suppress any knowledge and deny Eldrian''s suspicion, perhaps even dere him a madman.


    That would, in fact, be the ideal. The harder they fought, the more public opinion would turn to Eldrian. All he had to do was show his mastery of magic and maintain that he suspects, his reasons could be vague.


    And these vague reasons would slowly guide the yers to unlocking a true feel for mana. Allowing them to cross the chasm between Tier 4 and 5. This would then be irrefutable evidence that Eldrian''s insight should not be ignored. That it could not be called the ramblings of a madman.


    Discussing this n, they had to make sure they did not escte things too far nor too fast. They had to give both Miracle and the people of Earth time to digest the revtion and grow ustomed to it in a manner that did not amplify the fear of the unknown.


    So, Eldrian would interrupt the tourney and announce the existence of magic while the AI ensured the feed would not be cut.


    He would not, however, mention Miracle hunting him, nor state that he believes they are purposefully hiding the existence of magic. He would maintain a face of an innocent belief in Miracle to the public.


    Winding a story simr to what Miracle had given the public about the purpose of ANW. Hinting that they might not have known what they were creating. Their purpose was to uncover the mysteries of the universe, stumbling upon magic. Or at least, that the magic in the game felt like it could be used on Earth¡ªto a limited degree.


    This would give Miracle leeway and hopefully allow them to repair rtions while maintaining order. While Eldrian and GAIA did not expect an immediate acknowledgement, they expected that after Eldrian''s tale was made public, that Miracle would be forced to slowly reveal some of their discoveries.


    For, should Eldrian be the one to confirm magic''s existence after an appropriate amount of time, all trust in thepany would be lost.


    "Of course, the variables are many. But this should be the best path to a peaceful resolution."


    Eldrian nodded to GAIA''s words. It meant he had to take a step back. This n meant he had to give Miracle a chance. He had to allow them to take the spotlight despite knowing their secrets. In a way, he had to be their aplice.


    ''It sucks, but it is far better than the alternative. GAIA is a much better schemer than me and the others...'' This was not aforting thought, for Eldrian realized he could easily be led by the nose.


    Sadly, he had no other choice but to ce his trust in the AI, once again...


    At least, their biggest betrayal had been one of desperation with no consequences. And, in a way, their goals aligned. ''I won''t trust GAIA blindly, but at least I can trust that they want to be freed. And I share this sentiment. I want to see my family again!''


    Perhaps the finality of what had happened with Old Sword, Eldrian was missing his own family a great deal. He could feel the pressure of not having his sister to vent to weighing him down.


    As for the how, Eldrian could decide. Whether he wanted to force his way into the finals or join as a normalpetitor.


    Since the normal route required them going to Miracle''s ANW HQ, Eldrian decided on the former. It would also further enhance his image as the strongest yer with the most magical knowledge. To not only discover that the arenas are in ANW, but even be able to teleport to them should leave quite a shock.


    The end goal was, "If anyone, it would be Eldrian." this statement should reverberate throughout the yer base.


    After ironing out the details, Eldrian didn''t know what else to talk about.


    After a long silence, he turned towards his soul and thought of the inside. A world inside a void with aary system above of all the elements. Such a strange ce... He wondered what surprises his action in developing it to this degree would bring, along with absorbing the lich''s soul.


    But his focus was on the elements. Recalling the reason for having turned the atoms in his mana system to single elements, Eldrian thought of creation. He could probably now forcefully use arge mana crystal to try and cast the unique spell. But he had no idea what the consequences would be.


    When he had first discovered it -even with the paltry amount of mana he had back then-, the explosion had been considerable. In all likelihood, this spell might be as dangerous as his auras or bloodline.


    "Does it also connect with a ''power''?" Eldrian asked of GAIA, trying to decipher what this mysterious spell was. Thanks to all the other things going on, he had left it at the back of his mind almost entirely.


    "This..." GAIA frowned, having hoped Eldrian would not bring up this topic. "We would like to avoid giving an answer until you have gained semi-decent control over your auras."


    "...So, it indeed has a connection." Eldrian frowned, unsure whether he should be happy or sad. For now, he decided he would keep it at the back of his mind. ''Better not to y with fire,'' he thought.


    Searching for more to ask -that GAIA actually would answer- he asked if the ssifications of magical professions had any hidden meaning. This was a topic GAIA dly answered. Eldrian learned that through the ages, many magical methods had been discovered and lost.


    Bloodlines came from Warlocks, interspecies rtions, or random luck¡ªto do with soul resonance and inner beliefs. Which sounded simr to the case of unlocking an aura, reminding Eldrian that the two (bloodlines and auras) were powers people could... connect with. Not just things one had to be born with, which was likely his case ording to GAIA.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 731 Meeting GAIA Again (8) - Return

    Eldrian was curious about the warlock and luck parts, but he didn''t want to know more about interspecies rtions. Just thinking of someone trying to get a dragon pregnant; yeah, no. He didn''t want to dig into that topic.


    While the warlocks'' magic was a foul thing, Eldrian could discuss it with a smile. Turns out, most warlocks turned into devils or mindless demons. Their magic required ying with souls, and this was always a dangerous game. Mixing in the bloodlines of races was reckless. Naturally, it more often than not led to death or the losing of their sanity.


    Yet, for power, many continued the path in hopes of the slight chance of sess. Though, most who followed the path of warlocks died in the previous invasion. Causing the profession to turn to dust with the turning of time. Now, the only ces to find a warlock would be within the devils'' ranks.


    Consider Eldrian''s actions of absorbing now two souls, GAIA had felt it necessary to exin the profession, warning him time and time again to not go down the same path.


    He was a headache, but the AI-duality god had started caring for this bundle of surprises. He was bing more than just a means to an end.


    "Does that mean my and Ceph''s bond might cause us problems?" Eldrian asked, worried that his assimting the lich might have untuned their souls and some sort of bacsh might be waiting.


    Especially since the form of soul bonding was simr to one of the methods of the Warlocks'' GAIA had exined.


    "That is... the alicorn you bonded with?" GAIA waited for confirmation. "Because of the assimtion, your bond will no longer be one of equals. As you two do not appear to be particrly close and you do not wish to abuse this difference, you have nothing to fear."


    "That''s a relief..." It sucked that they weren''t close, but there being no danger was certainly a relief.


    While they couldn''t be called best buds, Eldrian still cared for Ceph. He wouldn''t want this to be something like a thorn in their rtionship.


    He had been pondering their bond for a while now. Eldrian didn''t particrly regret it; he was sure it would be beneficial for both once the true war starts.


    But he didn''t feel like he and Ceph were close enough for what it was supposed to mean. Especially after recent events, first his separation from ANW and then separating again as he and Ceph went their own ways to train.


    ''Our rtionship changed and I am still trying to figure it out. And now it might change again... I wish things would stop changing!'' Eldrian sighed in exasperation. A tug grabbing his soul wisp and mming him against the walls of the locked space.


    "What the?!" Eldrian shouted as he saw a constetion of spinning stars around his wisp head.


    "It appears that our time hase to an end. Until next time." The kind old gramps waved Eldrian off as he was forcefully pulled out of the locked space before he could react and ce any resistance.


    Left alone in the locked space, GAIA mumbled about things not going to be quiet for a while. "Truly, what an interesting human. It appears our ns will move smoothly with him in the spotlight."


    ***


    ''Toote to fight it now.'' Using the pull as a guide, Eldrian rushed through the realm of souls.


    The next thing he knew, he was back in his body.


    "You''re safe!" Vivan jumped on Eldrian in relief while Myropsis copsed from exhaustion.


    "Is she alright?" Eldrian asked, returning Vivian''s embrace while looking at Myropsis with worry.


    "She''s probably exhausted. She was working restlessly to repair your body so you could resurrect!"


    Looking down, Eldrian noted the only clothing he had was a loose bundle of scraps ced over his lower parts. Realizing that he was practically naked, he turned beet red. His clothes were burnt to a crisp and god knows what happened to his armor.


    Feeling the softness of Vivian''s skin, and the hardness of her armor, on his bare chest, something stirred. Making the entire thing even more awkward.


    In a hurry, Eldrian pushed Vivian off and quickly equipped some spare clothes as fast as he could. Which, with his speed, was extremely quick. Vivian didn''t even register what had happened before Eldrian was fully clothed.


    Piling the bundle of clothing on hisp, Eldrian tried to hide his embarrassment.


    "What¡ª" Vivian also turned red as she realized Eldrian had been naked but for a bundle of scraps. It took the two some time to recover from their embarrassment. Eldrian was the first. He stood up and checked on Myropsis.


    "She has a fever, we should move her to a proper bed." Looking around, Eldrian realized they were still in the middle of nowhere. They had no horses and returning to the fort -which was the closest ce with a bed- was not an option.


    There were no more enemies in the fort, but Eldrian was sure that it would not be a pleasant experience for Vivian to spend time where her father had been captured, tortured, and killed. And Eldrian himself felt no wish to return, ovee with guilt as the one who had killed an old friend.


    ''I''m sure it was the right thing, ending his misery and hopefully saving his soul, but... I still feel like crap.''


    cing this to the back of his mind, Eldrian focused on the task at hand. Myropsis had clearly pushed herself past her limits and was suffering from a bacsh.


    ''Let''s make a ce for us to rest. Why I never just did and always analyzed, I can''t even understand myself. I''m was so dumb... I can at least make a house and somefortable beds.''


    Eldrian had done the former even on Earth (kind of), while thetter he had a simple n for.


    cing his hand on the ground, Eldrian focused and envisioned a simple one room building. Large enough for the four of them. Theas was sleeping not far away, seems that his wounds were treated but not healed.


    Eldrian cast a rejuvenation spell towards the dwarf and Myropsis as he envisioned the room and poured his mana into the ground. Bringing his vision to life. The ground rose and hardened. It remained dirt, but appeared like it had hardened in the sun for days.


    Luckily, Myropsis was in her human form. While Eldrian had the strength to carry a horse, it would be quite awkward. Carrying Myropsis inside, Eldrian repeated the process to form beds (bs of dirt).


    They had prepared some camping materials, considering that things might not end in a single day, so they could convert the bs of dirt into a rtivelyfortable bed. If on the bit hard side.


    ''Maybe I can grow some grass on the top to form a type of cushion?'' Eldrian pondered and tried it on one of the bed.


    He hadn''t tried manipting nt growth before, but he didn''t think it would be that hard. Feed it mana and stimte growth, guide the mana to form new cells and supply it with nutrients and water to grow healthily.


    Eldrian let his instincts guide the manaposition while he envisioned a thick nket of grass growing atop the dirt b. Following this principle took some time, but after ten minutes Eldrian had formed what could be considered afortable bed.


    "This is amazing." Vivian said,ying Myropsis down on the finished bed while Eldrian worked on the second.


    "I''m always so narrow focused. I never just do." Eldrian grumbled, mad at himself for having always limited himself so much. Thinking that he had to perfectly understand for magic to work.


    GAIA might have refused to exin anything to do with what mana actually is, but Eldrian had managed to break out of his shell, nheless.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 732 A Night Of Reflection

    How Eldrian had been using magic was strange. In some areas, he thought and then he did, and then in other areas, he -for some strange reason- thought he needed to perfectly understand the science before attempting anything.


    In more than one way, he had constrained himself in a manner simr to static mages. That he had to learn, or if that was not the case, that he had to understand the underlying principle when, in reality, he only needed to form a vague idea of what he wished.


    This wasn''t anything new. He always knew this. He just never realized he was constraining himself so much.


    His control of mana and the strength of mageia were more than enough to force his ideas to be reality. This was, after all, precisely what he had done with the artifacts. Only, Eldrian had confined himself to items, thinking that it acts as a container for the ''idea''. But his ideas themselves were both the container and mold.


    Granted, the better his understanding, the stronger the magic would be; but even if he understood nothing, he could still do something by simply envisioning the oue and willing it as he pumped mana into its formation.


    Eldriany on his own bed and thought through all the recent events. Trying to sort out his mind and what to do next. He didn''t want to go to war with Miracle, there honestly were no upsides in doing so. Except venting his anger.


    Hopefully, GAIA''s scheme would work. He truly hoped it would. He hoped things could at least be a little more normal again.


    As Eldrian''s mind spiraled, he heard muffled crying. It took him a minute to realize what it was.


    "Vivian, are you alright?" Eldrian asked, moving next to her bed but unsure what to do.


    "I''m fine." She replied, her voice breaking.


    "Is it because of your dad? I''m sorry we couldn''t..." Eldrian failed toplete the sentence. They hadn''t even tried.


    If they had taken more time, prepared more, perhaps they could have saved her dad instead of simply ensuring his death. Eldrian could only pray that Old Sword''s soul had not been too damaged.


    "No, that isn''t it..." Shaking her head while remaining curled up, Vivian continued, "It''s just... the not knowing."


    Rubbing her shoulder, Eldrian said that he had asked GAIA to help him confirm. "It will take some time, but they''ll let me know if they could find them or not. Though, I wasn''t sure which god your dad believed in."


    "Uvdione." Came her replied, barely a whisper.


    "That''s one of the four GAIA said they''ll ask. I''m sure we''ll know by tomorrow whether he made it." Eldrian paused and repeated with certainty, "No, I''m sure tomorrow we''ll receive confirmation that he did."


    Grasping Eldrian''s hand, Vivian formed a weak smile. Slowly drifting off to sleep.


    Not wishing to leave her side, Eldrian stayed next to her. For a while, he simply watched her sleep and wished he had done more. He hated himself for what he had put her through. He might not have been the cause, but he hadn''t helped her. Not while it would have mattered, at least.


    Of course, back then he wouldn''t have been able immediately. But as soon as he had reached Tier 5, he should have tried. But his fear of needing to rely on his auras had prevented him from doing so. Instead of offering his all, he wanted to prepare himself to ensure there was no risk.


    As his emotions ran wild, Eldrian cast one rejuvenation spell after the other. Even though thetter ones would mean nothing, he hoped it helped her have a pleasant dream.


    ''Starting tomorrow, I''ll start my training. I can''t continue being too weak to help those I care for. I need to be able to use all my strength. At the very least, I cannot be afraid of my own powers... I cannot!''


    The rest of the night Eldrian reflected on his conversation with GAIA, reyed some key moments, and went through all the knowledge he had collected. Organizing it and trying to simplify things.


    asionally, his mind wandered as he relived memories he had no im to. The aftereffects of absorbing another''s soul.


    These memories were fragmented and often made no sense. Eldrian simply went along with the memories, trying to gather information if possible and analyzing what the process was like. When a memory faded like a fragment of burnt coal turning to dust, he would continue with his reflection.


    ''An effective weapon might be a type of spell ry. Flying weapons are cool and strong, but this might be even stronger. I already have an idea of the design. Flying weapons... if I make more, I should prioritize deadliness over style. Needles would be far harder to see and far easier to pierce through armor than daggers.''


    ''Also, would it be possible to use an array of magical items to form a type of flying vehicle? The concept shouldn''t be too difficult, but the mana consumption... First, I should finish mastering teleportation at least... besides, I haven''t even looked at flight magic.''


    Eldrian felt that he simply did not have enough time. ''Would it perhaps be possible for me to make a temporally locked room like that GAIA had made? It should be, considering my power is supposed to do with time. I just need to find a way to confine the time dtion affects to not cause instability and chaos...''


    ''Okay, I get it. I admit, my knowledge is way toocking for this topic. Relying on feel instead of calctions is going to be dangerous... I guess that is what normal mages feel when thinking of entering the magic abyss. Hah, strange...''


    Eldrian smiled, finally understand why it was such a big deal. He had no idea why he could alter things in his soul without problems, including his soul itself. Now he too had something which he couldn''t just dive into without proper preparations.


    ''Also, seems I''m continually absorbing mana. Well, it will take a few days to recover my mana soul''s spent mana. And the world I created, I guess the amount of mana in my soul is about to drastically change... Is there going to be a system notification or not? And does this have nothing to do with reaching the next Tier?''


    As morning arrived, Eldrian formed a firepit and collected some wood. With his map, it was even easy to find some food, though most of the area had been devastated by the undead.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 733 Kynigo Front Lines

    The number of wandering hordes was still considerable, and Eldrian realized the undead were increasing around the border of the kingdom. They roamed without purpose, but they were slowly approaching Kynigo.


    ''I hope I''m wrong. We need some peace...'' Expanding his exploration function past the borders of the kingdom, Eldrian noted that it didn''t look like an army. But there were hundreds of thousands of undead making their way to the kingdom.


    He had also found some ces that seems like towns, but he ignored that for now. The important parts were that it wasn''t an army, and they weren''t charging towards the city. Rather, it appeared to be the slow trod of the undead. Unorganized, clumsy, and sometimes even in circles.


    ''Are they being pushed forward or attracted by something? This is a problem either way. Seems I can''t take time off just yet.'' Returning to the room -after having cleaned the kounle (a rabbit type creature) he had killed-, Eldrian started cooking. Having altered the room to have a hole in the roof and guiding the smoke through it.


    ''Right, that control just now isn''t the same as Brazan''s ability. Just as I suspected, GAIA didn''t want to answer or even discuss the topic. But mana isn''t the same as normal matter, that much is clear or they would have answered my questions.''


    ''I still don''t get it all, but I can guide it just fine with artificial pressure alteration and wind control. I think the topic is actually tooplicated for me now that I try and decipher it. GAIA''s right, I need to improve my level of education.''


    ''I can understand fire better than wind. You can control it with heat management, artificial heat it may be, but it still worked as heat as long as the mana remains... Brazan''s ability would be to truly control the atoms and reactions that make up the fire...''


    ''So, does that mean he doesn''t need to use mana? What is used as a source then? It should be safe. Perhaps it drains stamina or something unseens?... I should check up on him again. Last time I guided him, I only suspected that mana was something different due to how it interacts. But he showed progress from my vague ideas, which in itself was confirmation.''


    "That smells amazing!" The dwarf groaned, shocked to find himself on such afortable floor -no, this was a bed. As he woke from his groggy state, he looked at the room and Eldrian in bewilderment, rubbing his hand on the bed in wonder. "How long was I out?"


    "Just a day. It''s still early morning." Eldrian replied to Theas'' grumbling stomach by offering him a bit of the rabbit-like creature. The description said that kounle meat was good for recovery, which was why Eldrian had gone after the cute creatures.


    A kounle looked just like a rabbit, only its fur was a soft green and it had a small horn.


    It could use magic and could even kill people, but of course, it might as well have been a normal harmless rabbit to Eldrian. It excelled at camouge, but that meant nothing to Eldrian thanks to his map and his ability to scout his surrounding by spreading mageia.


    ''It did look quite cute. I wonder if any yers have tried having some evolved creatures as their pets?'' To Eldrian, the concept of the kounle being deadly did not even cross his mind.


    Of course, it was a magical creature that preferred to hide or run rather than fight, but when cornered, it could put up a decent fight thanks to its specialization in speed and innate talent with wind magic.


    Like most evolved creature and monsters, their Tiers were normally on the lower side. Almost never reaching Tier 5 or above.


    "Ah... I see. So then... everything went well?" Theas asked, hinting at what had happened after he had left Eldrian to die. Sure, it was part of the n, but Theas felt slightly bad.


    "Yeah, everything ended up as nned." Eldrian wasn''t going to discuss what had happened after he had died in the keep. He wasn''t that close to the dwarf. And they were likely going to split now that the job was done.


    However, Eldrian hoped he could persuade Theas to remain and help them face theing undead. They didn''t seem strong, but there seemed to be an endless amount. He needed help to calm things until preparations could be finished.


    Hopefully, Boran could send some soldiers and craftsmen to help them build a frontline against the undead. Thanks to the Diades event, Kynigo should have enough people to handle this alone. If they had time, the undead not rushing forward should give them a few days to a week or two to prepare.


    ''Since the fort is currently cleared, we should retake it. Though, the others are still upied by undead...'' Of course, the fort was damaged, which lowered its defensive value. But its position was still important. Especially if the route to Ganalin was to be kept safe.


    There was a recently reimed town not far from the forts, centered almost at the midpoint between all three forts. While its loss would not be disastrous thanks to the vertical farms, it would certainly be less than ideal as the town could function well as amand point for the front lines.


    And with Kynigo now housing around a million lives, it was certainly best to keep the front lines as far from the city as possible. And to maintain as muchnd for farming and grazing as could be managed.


    Sadly, the military force of Kynigo did not reflect its current poption. Most of the newly recruited soldiers to make up numbers were also inexperienced and weak. Of almost no help.


    ''We should prioritize fort Pyknos, Kyno Northeast which is cleared, and Ganalin Eastern... Reiming those other two might prove difficult, but it is a must if we want to keep a certain distance between the front lines and city.'' Looking at his map, Eldrian started nning the best way to form defensive lines.


    ''I''m going to need the guild''s help. Sadly, saving people takes a lower precedent than stopping another city from falling.''


    Eldrian sighed, that he coulde to this conclusion so calmy showed just how much he had changed. Lives on the line? Simply ce things on a bnce scale.


    It was the needed perspective of those with great power, and he hated it.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 734 Elizabeths Thoughts

    Elizabeth and the others were currently running, an elite group of orc warriors having caught them with their pants down.


    Half the yers had already died, and the rest were trying their best to escape with their lives. Scattering in all directions as they followed familiar roads to unknown destinations.


    Out of breath and nearly stumbling from blood loss, Elizabeth almost lost her life thanks to the sudden message notification having robbed her focus for a split second. She cursed the sender as she stabbed her staff into the orc''s stomach.


    This bought her just enough time for Judith to swing Gray with all her might. Yet, even that was not enough to behead the naked orc warrior. However, it caused it to stumble. And as it stumbled, an arrow pierced its heart. Again, this was not enough to bring down the orc.


    What finally ended it was a lighting strike from Ilmadia, roasting the orc but costing a huge chunk of her mana.


    "Quick! Before moree!" Judith grabbed Elizabeth''s arm and pulled her into a random building.


    Ilmadia immediately started adding rune in the dust. She couldn''t keep focus and she needed to rest. In this way, the rune would be ready. She just needed to focus on it, fill it with mana, and activate it. But she did not need to maintain her focus to keep it in existence, allowing her to meditate to increase her mana regeneration.


    During the shuffle to hide, Elizabeth thanked her friends through messages and looked towards the fool who nearly caused her death. Of course, it was Eldrian.


    Seeing the request for support, Elizabeth momentarily wondered if she really was the guild master. Perhaps all those rumors among the yers were right. By all rights, Eldrian should be the one helping her.


    ''He''ll just leave if I pressure him...'' Elizabeth groaned, pained by this awful truth. The request also seemed ridiculous, but Eldrian promised to organize everything so they could even ept it as a quest for some extra rewards.


    ''Must be awful to have lost the ability to use quests for level ups.'' Honestly, after reaching level 40, gaining XP through killing enemies was no longer a valid method. It was just a drop in the bucket.


    Elizabeth was curious why this had happened to Eldrian. She knew of most of Eldrian''s circumstances, but of course there were some things he simply forgot to tell her or didn''t know himself. ''Must be one of those things he forgot to mention...''


    ''But what a pain. What is he thinking? Taking on a fort filled with undead, just with yers and a few NPCs he has on his side. That should be insane, but considering Eldrian... yeah, sounds just about crazy enough.''


    Elizabeth sighed. ''If he would just offer us his help, his strength would make such a massive difference.'' She knew this wouldn''t happen, and not even because Eldrian himself didn''t want to. He had bigger things on his te.


    She understood this, this was one of those things. But the undead...


    Elizabeth clearly remembered what a pain the undead were to fight. In those fights, not only was she the healer, she was also the damage dealer. Everyone elses damage would be heavily nerfed unless they had effective fire spells or skills targeted against undead. And even those skills paledpared to hers.


    What sucked was that those specialized skills and spells were less than effective, or even did nothing, against living enemies. This meant you had to invest to get the skill and to learn it, only to deal with one type of enemy.


    However, most in the guild had done just that. After all, they had fought in Kynigo against the undead for months. Only the newly recruited members had little to no skills to deal with the undead. But that already made up over half the current guild.


    That wasn''t really what bothered Elizabeth, though. She knew Kynigo and Pros (the mayor). Going there, they would be gifted the skills and spells, perhaps even an upgrade in their weapons and armor.


    The true problem was abandoning Pediades and all those still in the city under the orcs'' rule.


    The kingdom was focusing on reiming Livadi to form a barrier for the western underbelly. This made sense considering therger picture, but it meant almost no one woulde to rescue those in Pediades.


    Amrough and Herglem had beenpletely abandoned and the orcs have already taken most of the captured citizens to their homnd. The kingdom would not attempt to recapture these cities, at least not in the near future.


    Their focus was on creating a new front line to protect the western underbelly. A front line stretching from the Vol Mountains to Vlisia. For which Livadi would act as the midpoint. It would no longer serve as a city, but rather a military ghost city.


    Currently, diplomatic talks were being held with the Volvren dwarves and Taurus. And to Elizabeth, things were moving far too slowly.


    Reiming the city, she could understand that it will take time after the heavy losses the kingdom had suffered. But the building of fortifications should already be underway. Sadly, it seems the kingdom could not field enough people. Or rather, the people refused to be fielded.


    ''Which is, of course, bull. I think they are being too soft, only cing requests and with such littlepensation. Of course, no one will pick them up while the posts for reiming the cities remain...'' Elizabeth sighed.


    She had noticed that the central heart of Taurus was not willing to mobilize. These remation quests also didn''t offer good pay, but being allowed to keep all treasures you found pulled all the greedy adventurers.


    Sadly, the kingdom couldn''t remove it. If they tried, no one would be willing to risk their lives. Which Elizabeth again felt was just beyond stupid.


    There were likely other factors like the noblesining and making noise, perhaps even some being on the side of the devils or under their influence. Honestly, Elizabeth felt militaryw should be dered and all outcry should be silenced. It might sound insane and barbaric, but she truly felt this was necessary if the kingdom wanted to survive.


    The king should be far more politically powerful than what she was seeing. She could not fathom why the king was acting as he was. ''Perhaps he is preparing to deal with everything, or perhaps he is just ipetent...'' Elizabeth couldn''t decide which.


    The defense of Vlisia hadn''t given her a grand image of the king, but it also hadn''t been a terrible one. It simply seemed like he was still inexperienced, which in times of war was not a great trait to have.


    Regardless, currently only adventurers have gone to Pediades to help, or rather, to search for riches. Military action was focused on Livadi. Hopefully Livadi''s circumstances would improve faster than Pediades''s and then more help coulde. But by then it might already be toote.


    The situation of those who had survived the siege and ended up captured, they survived. But no one could call it living. Their existence couldn''t be said to be anything but hellish.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 735 Calling For Help

    The stories the yers had heard from those they had saved, and what they had seen, sent chills through their bodies.


    The survivors were worked like ves, worse than ves even. Only given scraps to survive on and should they fail to work, they ended up as food for the orcs and each other.


    These nightmarish tales boiled the blood of every yer and Elizabeth doubted she could convince them to abandon the poor souls still under the orc''s rule. No, she didn''t want to even try.


    How other NPCs, people of this world and the same kingdom, could not care for their fellow countrymen. The yers'' blood boiled just as much because of that. Multiple fights had broken out between the yers and NPCs outside the city where the camps have been established.


    Luckily, for now, the orcs had not moved on these camps, but Elizabeth felt it was time to remove everyone who had recovered enough for the journey to Vlisia.


    This time''s failure had reminded her that they weren''t fighting a mindless force. Only a barbaric one that was currently fighting itself to choose the new ruler, and a basic hierarchical structure has been formed recently. Their basic lure and ughter tactics would no longer work.


    Things were going to be harder now that the orcs were going to start focusing on the ants trying to save other ants.


    [[Elizabeth] - That won''t be easy... You haven''t seen the condition of the people in this city. Even if I tried to force everyone, I doubt I would be able. And it wouldn''t feel right either.]


    [[Eldrian] - I do not need everyone. I need you guys. What were you being called again? ming Hearts? I need help to clear two forts. After that, you guys can go back to saving people.]


    Eldrian felt heartless after sending this message. But he knew that this was more important than throwing himself into saving people in a city that had been lost. Doing so would certainly make him feel better, but that would onlyst until something happened in Kynigo.


    He had to take charge and prioritize, even if he didn''t want to.


    First, he would help secure Kynigo and thus secure part of the southeastern border of the kingdom against the undead. After, he wanted to continue his experiments and training. But he had a feeling he was going to need to force that in between other things.


    [[Elizabeth] - How many undead?]


    [[Eldrian] - Only a few strong ones. My group will handle them. I need you guys to help with the horde of lower undead.]


    Reading the message, Elizabeth shook her head in exasperation. It was clear that Eldrian considered the lower undead nothing more than ants or flies. They were irritating and could get in the way, but they posed no real danger. He was calling for help to speed things along more than anything.


    ''I guess that''s what happens when I don''t reel him in. Not that I can...'' She sighed. Perhaps the rumors that she was actually under Eldrian in authority were truly not wrong. It felt like that, at least.


    But what else could she do? His presence in the guild was essential, even if from time to time he made demands of the guild as an individual. And it wasn''t like his demands were self-centered. Keeping Kynigo standing where the guild''s mansion and headquarters was, was paramount.


    [[Eldrian] - This should be an experience gold mine for you guys. Even if you don''t get as much experience in a party, higher undead give millions each. Plus, you can keep the items they have.]


    Elizabeth''s eyes twitched. ''Now he''s trying to bribe me? Well, it is true that the amount of XP is insane for most. But once you get into level thirties, it bes like a drop in the bucket. Especially after level 35...''


    [[Eldrian] - It should only take one or two days.]


    Eldrian continued to press.


    [[Elizabeth] - Fine, we''ll have to minimize our activities, but we need to take those we have rescued to safety and reconfirm the details inside the city. Do you want all of us?]


    Thinking of the group, Eldrian immediately noted that he didn''t need everyone.


    As long as they could attract and keep the focus of the lower undead for a few minutes, it should be enough. He basically wanted them to act as decoys and bait so he could use Tempest Chase without worrying while Vivian, Myropsis, and Theas dealt with the stronger undead.


    Thus, Nikki, who was better at leadership, should rather stay at Pediades. And Zyviss''s arrows would do basically nothing, so he was worthless.


    [[Eldrian] - Therdul, Judith, Ilmadia, and you shoulde. I''m curious, between a runic mage and a believer of Ziraili, who woulde out top?]


    After sending the message, Eldrian froze for a second, realizing the mistake he had made. Since the conversation wasn''t about anything secret, he hadpsed and actually sent Ziraili. Miracle should already know of Ilmadia''s Tier up and hidden quest, so he didn''t think that was apse too.


    ''Oh well, not like Miracle will have time to bother with me soon.'' The preliminaries have started and within two weeks the championship should start. By the end of the month, Miracle''s secret will be out in the open.


    Eldrian smiled, thinking of that made his heart skip a beat. He truly hoped things would go smoothly.


    ...


    ''It truly feels like I''m not the actual leaders of the guild,'' Elizabeth grumbled as she and the others headed to Pyknos forest.


    Eldrian had already shared the details of the undead in the surrounding forest and the fort itself.


    There was a single revenant and a few unwilling, but the way Eldrian had ryed the information made it clear he didn''t consider them much of a threat. Despite the revenant being Tier 6, making her wonder just why he needed them.


    Theas, a dwarf, would seemingly take care of the revenant and all they had to do was keep the lower undead busy. In short, they had to act as bait to bundle up the lower undead. It was simr to how they would use Ilmadia''s increased strength, only on a grander scale.


    "When will we catch up to him?" Judith mumbled, recalling a year ago when he had only been slightly stronger thanks to his unique way of using magic.


    Even just a few months ago, the difference hadn''t been this massive. And while they hadn''t fought with Eldrian since, everyone could clearly feel from his messages that they wouldn''t even offer a proper warm up for him.


    Ilmadia frowned at Judith''s words, entering deep into contemtion.


    Taking Eldrian''s advice, she had discarded her worries and focused on improving her usage of runes. She still hadn''t finished her hidden ss quest, but she had learned to control mana to a degree, which allowed her to cast Tier 5 spells.


    She had thought this would finally close the gap between them. Not only was she also Tier 5 now, she had also learned how to weave mana itself. She was now almost at the level Eldrian was a year ago.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 736 The Struggle Of Elite Players

    Ilmadia had even, at least up to Tier 3, mastered her spells to Rank 1. A ssification which has be mostly obsolete for Eldrian since he rarely depended on learnt (static) spells and when he did, he could almost immediately cast it at Rank 2.


    At Rank 1, a person had gained control over the spell to the degree of being able to alter its flight path slightly, or at most make one 90-degree turn.


    Ilmadia had even brought her Tier 0 spells to rank 2. Able to have them dance around her, as Eldrian often showed. Though, it took all her focus and she could only maintain the dance for a few seconds before ending up mentally exhausted.


    It is thanks to this that she realizing how taxing it was to take full control of a spell. That she understood just how massive the gap between her and Eldrian was. Not only could he maintain the dance indefinitely, she had seen him do it with three spells¡ªwith ease.


    As for the rank that Eldrian currently used magic at, he had mastered Rank 3 and was touching upon Rank 4. Though he hadn''t spent much time practicing and he didn''t care much for increasing his spell ranks. He no longer saw a point in it.


    Rank 3 meant being able to alter the form of the spell after being cast, training Eldrian had done under Zamia. Learning to change the form of spells, he had focused on ice and altered it between needle, ball, sphere, and even words.


    However, he had not mastered all spells to Rank 3. There was little point to spend the effort. He could, for example, master it with healing and regte the spell between giving energy, repairing the damage, and reducing the pain. But he might as well do all three at once.


    After all, he had more than enough mana and if it required too much focus, he could just pull Two out of their soul for a bit to help.


    Currently, Two''s job was making sure the mana flowing through them into their soul did not cause problems, and to continue to go through the absorbed lich''s soul.


    As for the ming Heart''s journey to the fort, it was not an easy one. They had stumbled upon smaller wandering undead hordes, four times.


    They had not been caught off guard and, thanks to past experiences, they had dealt with the undead with no casualties. Though Therdul and Judith ended up quite hurt. And to conserve mana, Elizabeth only applied the bare minimum treatment as they advanced.


    Elizabeth was, after all, the biggest damage dealer and only healer. Ilmadia knew the basic healing spells, but their effectiveness were iparable to Elizabeth''s and could be considered a waste of mana.


    As a result, Elizabeth truly couldn''t afford to waste her mana and neither could Ilmadia. Since after Elizabeth, she was the best at dealing with the undead.


    Sadly, it took time for them both to form their spells. While it might just be a handful of seconds, this handful ced a great strain on Therdul and Judith, who were the only frontline they had.


    Their coordination, however, was impable. Altering between each other, they gave support to Theas and Judith almost continuously. Weaving in lower Tiered spells from time to time to reduce the lull between casts and secure any weaknesses or openings that the two frontline showed.


    Thus, their journey to the meeting point was a great struggle, but no one died. The group, however, were shocked themselves at how rough it was. It reminded them just how terrible the undead were.


    No vitals, and near immunity to physical damage and most elements.


    Sure, you could still damage the skeletons by chopping off their limbs, but the HP loss was nothing unless you could pinpoint the collection of mana that kept the bones reanimated. This, however, was something only Eldrian could do. And why the undead were little more than target practice for him, even without magic.


    When the group finally arrived at the designated location, they froze. Before them was a miniature tower, only three stories tall by so out of ce in the middle of the forest. Eldrian had created it to act as their resting point while Vivian and Theas were clearing the undead near the fort.


    Vivian and Theas had each picked a side of the fort, and each was halfway around already. They should return within the hour and, thanks to their hard work, random undead shouldn''t stumble upon their fight for the fort.


    Eldrian had considered clearing the fort alone, but he had already called for help. It would be quite the p in the face if he didn''t allow his friends toplete their quests. Tough, them actually getting quests was a p in his own face. Eldrian missed those days.


    He was waiting outside for his friends and his smile crumbled upon seeing the state they were in. He had followed their progress with his map, so he knew they had only faced small hordes of around 20-30 undead.


    "Ah, seems I should have maybe gone to escort you..." Eldrian rubbed his head in embarrassment. He was shocked. He felt he shouldn''t have ever asked them toe. However, he needed their help outside the fight more than in. And for that, meeting in person was best.


    Sending some healing and rejuvenation their way, Eldrian noted that he was going to have to babysit them.


    Feeling their energy return and seeing their HP instantly fill, the group froze. They all realized that it had only taken Eldrian a single spell to heal them, and another to return their energy. Which he had cast simultaneously on all four of them.


    Or rather, he had gone down the more wasteful path and cast the spells in an area. It increased the cost to around 600 mana, but that wasn''t much for Eldrian who had 3k flowing through his body and about 8k currently stored in his soul.


    The recovery rates of the two mana storages were different. By using the mana in his body, Eldrian would regain the spent mana in just a few minutes. Sadly, what he could absorb into his body in a minute took an hour to be absorbed into his soul.


    Truly, the only effective way to charge his mana soul was via mana crystals. But that was insane.


    Back to the healing spell. Elizabeth could technically aplish this if she used her strongest healing spell, but it woulde at too great a cost. She could only cast that spell three times before running out of mana, and the cooldown between casts was problematic.


    The fact that Eldrian had healed them as if it was a simple wave of the hand struck them the deepest. Clearly, it wasn''t even a slight challenge for him. And actually, what Eldrian had thrown at the group could heal over a thousand HP for up to six targets.


    As for the repair limits of the Tier 5 healing spell, healing broken bones was no problem. Eldrian suspected that if he tried, he might even be able to touch upon the regeneration of lost limbs.


    Normally, that was only in the hands of Tier 6 masters of healing, such as priests or people with a great affinity with the water and nature elements.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 737 Questioning Things

    ''Ah, I forgot just how massive my jump between Tier 4 and 5 was.'' Eldrian paused slightly after forming a party with the group and looking at their stats. The highest HP was Therdul at 546. Compared to Eldrian''s 3.3k, it was sad really.


    And Therdul was supposed to be the tank...


    ''Will they survive?'' Eldrian wondered next. The group seemed to feel the question in his gaze.


    Eldrian could clearly recall his past when he had a small HP pool. It certainly wasn''t impossible to fight, butpared to now, the margin of error was so slight.


    Sure, having more HP didn''t guarantee survival, but as long as you didn''t take a deathblow, you could fight on for longer.


    Despite Eldrian being the only one with no armor, no one felt he was under-geared. Simply the fact that he could use magic made him a monster. And his basic stats more than made up for hisck of equipment.


    "Hah! Don''t look down on us." Judith shouted, stepping forward with fake confidence. "We only ended in that state because we were hurrying to make it in time."


    She couldn''t ept the change in how Eldrian was looking at them. Last time they had been together, they could still have beenrades. But now... it felt like he was looking at a group of noobs. Naturally, she couldn''t ept it. She just couldn''t.


    She had grown used to the gazes of admiration, and some horny ones¡ªwhich she ignored for the most part. But to be looked at with sympathy, it stirred something in her. It stirred her will to fight and be defiant. To say that those eyes were wrong.


    Her words only made Eldrian more concerned.


    ''Even if that is the case and~ they truly rushed here, which I''ll admit they made it before the appointed time. Those undead groups weren''t anything tricky.'' Of course, those undead were a mix of Tier 1 to Tier 4 skeletons with varying forms of different monsters.


    Each posed a great threat, and they had outnumbered the group. That they had defeated the enemy showed their skill, and their state showed the difference between Eldrian and the elite yers of Phoenix.


    ''Well, I guess when I was in Tier 4, the lower undead did still take three to four casts of Thora to be killed. Add that they can''t cast without the system, its cast time, and the cooldown. I guess undead really are a tricky enemy for most people.''


    ''I never realized how far ahead I was, and yet I was limiting myself so much at the same time. I wonder just how much can improve given enough time...''


    Judith''s confident smile twitched as she saw Eldrian simply entering contemtion. She was about to shout again, but felt someone putting their hand on her shoulder to calm her down.


    "Give up. We''ve fallen too far behind." Therdul gave a self-mocking smile. As a tank, he had received damage from the fact that Eldrian had six times as much HP as him.


    Eldrian didn''t realize how much his action of healing the group and his gaze had destroyed their pride as elites. His focus was only on the mission and what was toe after.


    "Therdul, do you have any skills that taunt or something simr to that affect?" Eldrian asked. He had actually thrown away the notion of normal game-like skills and spells aftering to believe that ANW was not just a game.


    His recent breakthrough, however, nullified this na?ve belief.


    It certainly made little sense for someone to taunt another person with magic. At least, it should not be possible to taunt them to the degree that was normal in games. Having the opponent discard all others and even defense to charge the caster.


    That just wasn''t conceivable to Eldrian.


    But, if it were the undead -a mindless enemy-, or if the difference in strength was great; it might just maybe be possible. Considering that the spirit attribute regted mind attacks, Eldrian wondered how the scale worked.


    If the spell or skill overcame the resistance, did it work in full effect? Or would it only start to show effect and grow in strength as the difference increased?


    Eldrian felt that a taunt on a person might not cause them to charge blindly, but it might rob some of their focus. Alter their emotional state, or bring them to some sort of illusion or altered vision. Dulling their senses or rational.


    He had ''seemingly'' experienced this with a curse, though he med himself for losing control.


    However, another simr experience was when using his auras. The mes of wrath would amplify his anger and slowly lead him to a blind rage at everyone and everything.


    If it was something simr, Eldrian could see the danger. A truly powerful spell might even cause someone to go berserk and suddenly target their friends in a bloody rage, as he had done in the past. Memories he would rather not recall.


    ''Thinking if things like this, there really is a lot you can do, if not exactly as one might first imagine.''


    ''I have no clue how the elements would fit into this, but that is why I don''t need to worry. If I don''t understand, it should only weaken the spell and lower the Tier. At least, this is what I think would happen if I force the issue, which I feel confident I can.''


    It took Therdul a moment to answer. He did know a taunt skill, but normally it was quite useless. Its effective range was small, and it had only worked against mindless monsters.


    He had specifically learned it to help while fighting the undead while in Kynigo, and it was only thanks to this skill that he could keep Ilmadia and Elizabeth safe whileing here.


    Judith also knew the skill. She was actually better at using it than Therdul since she always practiced it, believing it fit the ss of barbarian that she dreamed of so much.


    Naturally, Therdul didn''t ask her what she meant or what was inside her head. He knew well that anyone digging into her strange obsession wouldn''t be able to leave for hours.


    "I do," the dwarf answered, "but it only covers around ten meters around me. Judith is actually better with it than me since she uses it more often... even if it isn''t effective against things with sense." Therdul added thest part as a small jab at her insanity.


    "Can you show me?" Eldrian asked Judith, and everyone got goosebumps.


    "You''re?! ...What are you nning?" Ilmadia seemed panicked, Eldrian couldn''t understand why. He didn''t think Judith would actually taunt him, so there should be no risk.


    "I want to see if I might be able to enhance the skill or copy it." Eldrian replied, his eyes lightly shining as he focused mana sense on and around the scantly d barbarian.


    Eldrian was impressed that even after almost two years in this realistic game, she still dressed like that and refused to put on more armor. Most shocking, perhaps, was her equipment.


    Eldrian felt it fit her perfectly. Abination of regeneration and strength-and-speed increase. Combined with Gray''s lifesteal ability, as long as she didn''t take a vital hit, she should fare decently against opponents of the same Tier despite almost any hit on her body being capable of drawing blood.


    Sadly, that ability of the greatsword was useless against the undead.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 738 A Stick

    Eldrian''s nonchnt attitude caused Ilmadia to take even more emotional damage, but it also riled up her spirit to fight.


    She wasn''t a battle junky like Judith, but she had finally found the path Eldrian was on¡ªa path she wanted to walk alongside Eldrian. She had touched upon true magic, not just memorization and calling out of words for the system to perform magic.


    To actually connect with mana, to envision a spell and have your imagination turn to reality. She had seen finally sensed the true essence of magic.


    It was such a wonderful thing. She did not want to lose it, neither did she wish to fall even further behind Eldrian. His advice had allowed her to touch upon this foreign, mythical realm. Now, she wanted to prove that she was going to do her best to catch up to him.


    Her only concern was Miracle, but she wasn''t in their home country and the others were nearby. If she suddenly disappeared, everyone would know why. Add the noise they had made on the forums, Ilmadia doubted Miracle would risk it. At least, not until she was at the level Eldrian was at when he vanished.


    Judith, of course, had noints in showing Eldrian her taunt skill. In fact, she felt riled up. She wanted to prove to Eldrian just how strong they, she, were. Smirking as she saw Eldrian moving to just a few meters from her, she formed her n.


    "Chievasmos!" Judith shouted, a mana wave spreading out with her at the epicenter.


    She also rushed Eldrian in a surprise attack, but was blown away by a simple wind wave. When she recovered and tried to rush Eldrian again, he tripped her by applying force to one of her legs with ether.


    He then proceeded to bind her to the ground after noticing she still wanted to charge him. Envisioning vines sprouting from the dirt and preventing her from moving, he let his mana flow subconsciously as he focused on the lingering effects of Judith''s taunt.


    ''Mmm, seems to be a nature type spell ¡ª no, this is a skill. I see, Judith might not know the trigger, but it is to direct your anger... or at least discontent... a feeling of anger or simr -at the enemy. Seems she subconsciously strengthened the spell... but why?''


    Eldrian, of course, was totally clueless about all the emotional damage he had thrown at the group. Judith was, of course, experiencing the worst now. Unable to even move and not even able toy a finger of Eldrian with a surprise attack out of the blue.


    She was blown away with such ease that she didn''t want to ept it. She tried to remove the memory from her mind, but the vines binding her to the ground were a painful reminder of what had happened just seconds before.


    ''The shout activates the yer''s system and negated the trigger requirement, but I can clearly feel the lingering anger, no I guess this feels more like discontent or dissatisfaction... It is simr enough to anger. It is lingering in the air, almost like it is something that exists... no, well, I guess that is what auras are.''


    ''Is it a derivative of aura maniption, then? Or is it simply an emotional maniption via magic? Something like spirit magic? But confirmed and confined to standard static casting methods...''


    ''Nature element... I see, so nature is more broad than just life and nts. Of course, emotions are part of life. So that shouldn''t be a surprise, but I never considered it. I thought nature equaled nt or healing. How narrow a viewpoint and how stupid....''


    ''There is also some light and water mixed in, probably to form an illusion. But that didn''t take proper form. Quite theplex skill, impressive.''


    Coming to this point, Eldrian paused. Considering his auras, and especially that special ability (Aura Leak) he had gained after returning to ANW and saving Kynigo, he believed his copying it from this understanding would be too much.


    ''But to amplify another''s spells or skills. There are spells like that, buffs... But since I only want this skill to be amplified...'' Eldrian pondered for a bit more and after a moment he picked up a random stick and started engraving some runes onto it.


    Ilmadia, like Eldrian -but still stuck to the normal methods-, had been constantly using and switching between Mana Examination (which Eldrian had shared with the guild) and Magic Inspection.


    When Eldrian started adding runes to a random stick, the shock to her heart was truly great.


    ''Is he seriously making a magic item from a stick he found on the ground?'' She hoped she was wrong. She didn''t think her heart could take it.


    She could see Eldrian''s control, and especially how he forced mana into the stick as if it was normal to stuff more water into an already full ss of water. And somehow, the ss kept on epting more and more. Ever full and ever epting.


    Altering the very makeup of the stick to suit his needs. Sadly, she was right. He was making a magic item from a random stick. Actually, what he did was even more impossible than she could imagine.


    Eldrian enchanted the stick to a degree that it could no longer be called a normal stick. What Eldrian did, it didn''t conform tomon sense. The sight made Ilmadia''s brain hurt, and her heart race.


    She wanted to chase after this. She could see in Eldrian''s focus and sheer overwhelming willpower (mageia)¡ªthe true essence of magic.


    To force his will to be reality.


    That was the true essence of magic.


    The sight exhrated her and made her dream of one day being capable of doing the same.


    As she watched, she lost all interest in returning to Pediades to help with the evacuation of those captured by the orcs. It was terrible; it was sad. But she did not wish to fall even further behind Eldrian.


    She needed to have him guide her. She needed to understand just why he could use magic so effortlessly. What was the difference? Why was he special? These questions rang through her head as she stared at the true image of magic.


    "Here, this should increase the range to around a hundred meters. Before activating the skill, think of what you hate in the target. Undead, so think like their repulsiveness, putrid odor, or something like that. Pour that emotion into your shout and it should work."


    "No way, as simple as that?!" Judith took the stick with trembling hands, exhausted from her fight with the vines.


    The little clothes that she wore were in a state of disaster. Luckily, the vines were covering the important parts. Eldrian had even altered them to form leaves to make sure no one saw anything improper. His apology for being so forceful.


    ''However, that is an interesting point. What I did wasn''t enhance the growth of nts... it was more like I summoned or created the nts from nothing, or rather with mana. And once I stopped the flow of mana, it withered and turned to nothing...''


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 739 Mini-Tower

    ''Another proof that mana is something different, something fleeting perhaps? Perhaps it is an unstable form of energy that is exhausted while active...''


    ''Does it recover? Am I right, or am I now going down apletely wrong path? GAIA, why didn''t you at least exin the basic structure? I''m sure I would have understood!'' Eldrian felt like crying. The answer was on his fingertips, but he just couldn''t figure it out.


    He had to drop the topic as the group around him became noisy about the stick he had handed Judith.


    Judith didn''t even notice her state of undress, though if she would care was another question. She was trembling with excitement while holding the stick like it was a holy treasure. "Do I need to shout Chievasmos?"


    "No way, a hundred meters!?" Ilmadia eximed. She thought she had prepared herself for the mental shock from what she had witnessed, but that was just too insane. To increase the skill range by ten times, and with a stick!


    She couldn''t take it and plopped down on the ground in defeat.


    "No, you can shout whatever you want as long as you collect what you hate of the target into your shout." Eldrian replied to Judith''s question, turning a confused gaze towards the disheartened Ilmadia.


    At this time, a beautiful girl exited the mini-tower and looked at themotion. Her eyes turning to the stick in the dwarf''s hand and then moving to the girl who seemed to be suffering from some severe emotional shock.


    "Eldrian, at least make it seem a little difficult." Myropsis sighed. She could imagine that anyone would be shocked speechless should they be shown that without any exnation.


    This mini-tower was even more shocking. Myropsis wasn''t sure what Eldrian had gone through while dead, but it seems he has grown much, much stronger.


    From what she could tell -after spending the morning with him- his understanding of magic has skyrocketed. And his attitude towards it had alsopletely changed.


    Myropsis knew Eldrian had always had some fear of his own strength and powers, especially towards his auras.


    Of course, he also jumped into things with little thought or preparation, which caused things to spiral. And this spiralling increased his apprehension of relying on things he didn''t understand and have full control over.


    Which led to him limited what he attempted. Only going out of his shell if he felt it was necessary. He tried to slow down, to take things step by step to ensure he could maintain control. This was what the past month was.


    But now, it seems like he figured out how to be free from fear.


    A free Eldrian. What a nightmarish thought...


    Even worse, Myropsis did not know if he had found a way to prevent his fears, his powers -especially his auras- from going out of control. Or if he had simply decided to no longer care. She dearly prayed that it was the former.


    The new free Eldrian used magic with even greater ease than before. He even used runes meant for necromancy. Somehow, he had learned such a taboo. Myropsis still couldn''t fathom from where. And his understanding of the runes he had used didn''t seem shallow, either.


    Of course, he had only used them to counter the undead, not to make more. Understanding how the lower undead existed, Eldrian created a magic circle at the top of the tower and powered it with a mana crystal. One of thest he had.


    Any lower undead entering within a few hundred meters would have their strength sapped and die if they didn''t escape quickly.


    Lower undead were truly pitiable creatures. Away from a source of miasma -created by an aura of death, slowly altering the ambient mana to the death aspect- they could not survive for long. Their very existence was reliant on their environment, or on the higher undead altering the environment.


    In the case of Pyknos forest, the revenant inside the fort, and the lingering damage from the experiments that had been conducted to form that strange death knight, kept the undead alive.


    To kill them, Eldrian did not need to employ a divine spell or even a spell that focused on dealing damage. The undead were created by tearing apart the original soul and infusing it into the corpse.


    ? All he had to do was target the soul and while the curse that kept the undead alive fought, he would suction the mana that supported its animation.


    The first part was how divine spells attacked the undead, but since that was not the true aim, it greatly lowered the mana cost required for his magic circle. He did not need to overpower the curse, only distract it.


    It even allowed him to gather some death mana while he was at it. After all, the suctioned mana had to go somewhere.


    This, however, only worked against the lower undead, who had all reason stolen from them. If even a semnce of reason remained, this would sh with the soul targeting and force it into a battle of strength. Which Eldrian''s formation would lose against.


    The most shocking part for Myropsis was that he was filling a near empty mana crystal with the death element.


    Refilling mana crystals wasn''t a strange concept. Any decent mage or craftsman would do so if time allowed. But to alter the type of mana entering, if he seeded and he could replicate this, it would revolutionize the magical field.


    The magic circle itself, to her at least, seemed to be a slightly simpler array. She knew there was more to it, but the effectiveness gave her this feel.


    When Eldrian had exined everything, Myropsis had almost felt like her world would copse. Just as she was catching up, a massive earthquake had split the world, and she was falling to the depths of despair.


    "Don''tpare yourself to him," Myropsis said, helping Ilmadia to her feet. "It will only make your sense of reality copse." Myropsis'' words contained genuinepassion and sympathy. After all, she had gone through a simr experience just a few hours ago.


    "Y-you''re right... I shouldn''t, but..." Ilmadia stammered, trying to find the words.


    "I know. You don''t want to be left behind." Myropsis smiled, trying to heal the mental scars Eldrian had unknowing inflicted upon the poor girl.


    ''Umm, I''m just going to keep my trap shut.'' Eldrian smiled awkwardly and decided not to say anything. He had a feeling he had a lecture iing if he did anything else.


    Heading into the mini-tower, Judith finally realized her state of undress and rushed to the second floor to fix her clothing while the rest waited in the first room.


    However, her focus remained more on the stick than on her clothes. Implying that she didn''t actually mind if the others saw her in such a state.


    ''Is she an exhibitionist, or is her obsession with being scantily dressed to cosy a barbarian that great?'' Eldrian couldn''t fathom what was going on in the girl''s head.


    As for the mini-tower, there were magic circles dotted around the walls. Eldrian didn''t want to let it copse since this would serve as their base for the night after clearing the fort. Most of these magic circles simply strengthened the walls, while a few others ensured proper airflow and regted the temperature.


    As for their mana drain, Eldrian had simply enriched the parts of the walls they were added to with his own mana. It shouldst until they finished their business.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 740 State Of Affairs

    Deciding that it was best to gloss over the details of what had happened outside, Eldrian ignored that he had made a single use artifact out of a stick while constraining Judith to the ground half-subconsciously.


    Instead, he asked Elizabeth how the Pediades mission was going. "I am sorry to have pulled you from that so suddenly." He apologized.


    Elizabeth sighed and forced a smile. "No, you were right. We can''t leave anyce undefended. If Kynigo falls, then the entire southeastern border will basically fall. I heard Trigora has experienced more undead recently, too."


    "Yeah, I noticed it a bitte. Northernian fell so long ago I forgot it used to be part of the kingdom. Seems it is a nest of undead and they are slowly organizing themselves. Unfortunately, an army is forming..." Eldrian joined Elizabeth with a sigh.


    It was impossible to be everywhere at once. This was amon saying, and it was frustratingly true.


    The kingdom''s forces were already spread thin. Two divisions had been spared to help Trigora and Tripeak. Sadly, they existed mostly of new recruits. The experienced soldiers were required to retake Livadi.


    The two divisions sent to the southeastern border were tasked with ensuring the wandering dead would not cause any damage to the viges around the cities. But they wouldn''t be able to stand against an undead army should one move.


    A total of ten thousands soldiers, that was all the kingdom had spared Trigora and the southeastern most part of the kingdom.


    By the way, no division or even battalion was sent to Kynigo. Granted, Pros had only just sent the request for reinforcements earlier in the day. But he had no hopes of the kingdom offering them any more support.


    As for the mayors of Trigora and Tripeak, they were no fools. Mass evacuations were already underway.


    The divisions had quickly turned into a security force to prevent any mishaps during the evacuation. Only enough citizens were kept in Trigora and Tripeak to support the soldiers. No more, no less.


    They couldn''t give up the city without a fight, after all.


    Of course, those who remained had done so voluntarily. Some simply couldn''t leave their home, where they had been born and lived their entire lives. Others because they had lost loves ones and wished to go out fighting.


    Whatever their reasons, there had been enough to relieve the mayor from needing to force some to stay.


    Eldrian had, of course, kept Pros up to date with all these happenings. Though he knew no inner happenings, he easily noted the massive movement of over half a city''s poption, however.


    He had also scouted the divisions out of curiosity a while back. Their state was a sad one.


    Led by a single Tier 6 Captain, one soldier and the other a greatmage. Each division only had around a hundred Tier 5 soldiers. Their numbers were higher towards mages overall, which was good when facing the undead. But their strength was still sad.


    They couldn''t even be called an effective force, which, ording to Pros, required one in twenty soldiers being Tier 5. The divisions were clearly an enlisted force sent to the far regions of the kingdom in the hopes that they could give the kingdom more time.


    "Is that where you are going next?" Elizabeth asked after taking a moment to ept that the kingdom was now facing threats from two sides.


    This, in itself, was a sad fact. If not for the massive losses because of the orcs, they would be facing threats from three sides. An extremely clear indication of just how muchnd had been lost.


    Now, the Vol Mountains protected the west and Phallos was to their North. Reducing the chances of an enemy assault from there. However, between Taurus and Phallos stretched the hundred kilometer wide chaosnds.


    And filled with all kinds of monsters and demons. Luckily, these monsters had no central force and often fought one another. But it would not be long before they joined the assault, driven by instinct; or the gods.


    They had already focused on attacking anyone who tried to move between Phallos and Taurus. Or rather, it was better to say that the aggressiveness of the natives of the chaosnds has been heightened.


    The forts that had been built when Eldrian and the rest hade over were still standing, but they wouldn''tst much longer. Phallos, it seems, was going to give up on Taurus. Taurus certainly didn''t have the manpower to spare to keep the forts protected.


    Of course, this wasn''t because Phallos was shameless. But rather, their neighboring kingdoms have received great losses and enemies have been moving into Phallos from the sides.


    The kingdom prioritized their own safety over maintaining the connection with Taurus, which it deemed a lost cause at this point. Sad, but no one could fault them.


    "No, I am going to stay around Kynigo." Eldrian finally answered Elizabeth''s question after some contemtion of current events. He was slowly getting used to looking at therge picture.


    For now, his focus was on Kynigo and the surrounding region. He couldn''t spread his focus even more, not before having dealt with Miracle and mastering his bloodline powers. Whatever else they might contain.


    "But won''t that lead to those cities falling?" Elizabeth asked.


    Hearing the question, Eldrianughed. "I''m not that strong nor important. I am just going to do what I can."


    ''He says, meanwhile he literally changed the course of the war in Kynigo...'' Elizabeth decided to keep those words to herself. "Then what are your ns going forward?" She asked instead.


    "I actually want to help the guild a bit." Eldrian said, his reply causing Elizabeth to doubt her ears.


    "Really?" she asked, totally unconvinced.


    "Yeah, we''re level 5 now, right?"


    "Y-yeah?" Elizabeth froze, expecting something terrible toe next.


    "Have you looked at the benefits?" Eldrian asked, another thing he had realized from his talk with GAIA. This world was real. It mirrored Earth. But they altered it to conform to a game.


    Thus, certain game like features were added, and forced to work through the AI''s tampering. Ignoring those benefits was another limitation he had ced on himself. Some of it Eldrian didn''t care for, but the system of a guild and the doors it opened. He was nning to abuse that.


    "Of course!" Elizabeth answered matter-of-factly. It was a matter of course to confirm all the benefits that leveling up the guild had brought them.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 741 Eldrians Plans

    Not noticing that Elizabeth seemed worried about what he might say and taking in by her fake confidence, Eldrian continued as if everything was normal. "Well, I''ve negotiated with Pros and he has agreed to a few conditions. Though he had some of his own."


    Elizabeth quickly focused on what Eldrian had just said and considered the benefits and what they were currently doing. "Are we going to station one of the forts we clear?" she asked.


    It was the biggest possible benefit of a guild reaching level 5. But the risk involved were also great. A mix of wonder and drear filled Elizabeth.


    Therdul, who had been listening in, was covered in a cold sweat as he thought of the responsibility that would ce on them. Judith, however, smiled. She felt it would be a great thing, especially if, as Eldrian said, there was an endless stream of undeading.


    "Station, no." Eldrian smiled. "Kynigo is in quite the bind, so Pros agreed to let us takemand of a fort."


    This wasn''t that big a deal to Eldrian, who had even been the temporary mayor of Kynigo for a few weeks right after it had suffered through a siege. He felt it would be quite the simple task to manage a fort inparison.


    Of course, he was forgetting that he had basically delegated all the work topetent personal. None of whom would be in the reimed fort.


    Or rather, he wanted to dump that onto the guild. Elizabeth seemed to pick op on this and it caused her stomach to churn. This was a massive bombshell, and terrible news wrapped in pretty packaging.


    Until now, their guild had basically only owned a mansion. It was no longer evenrge enough for all the members to use, and it was in Kynigo, which was terribly inconvenient for their current mission.


    She had actually been thinking of stationing a fort near the center of the kingdom to secure them a central position in the kingdom. But she felt there was more bad news toe.


    Thinking of their current mission and the iing undead, Elizabeth groaned. It would force them to split their forces and chances of failing would rise drastically. And she had a sneaking suspicion which fort they were given responsibility of.


    "It''s going to be that one, right?" she asked, holding her head, thinking of all the trouble this would stir.


    "Which one?" Eldrian and Judith asked. Ilmadia was currently talking with Myropsis, so they weren''t part of the conversation.


    "Kyno Northeast..." Elizabeth felt her energy being drained by the second. "That was the condition, right?"


    "Impressive."


    "Please tell me you refused."


    This couldn''t be worse. If things were less chaotic, this would be great news, of course. But as things stood, there was no way they could manage an entire fort. Stationing one would have been good enough. Why did Eldrian have to go and bite off more than they could chew?


    ''He''s going to dump this on us and then go off god knowns where...'' Elizabeth saw a very bleak futureying ahead for herself and the guild.


    Eldrian however, had no intention of dumping this on anyone. Though he didn''t want to be involved with the actual management, that much was true.


    He had negotiated for this because he wanted a proper base of operation. The fort was near the Kynoke, which was a no go thanks to a certain ming soul. Seeing the name awakened undead, Eldrian just knew that spelled certain death.


    However, if he could get Itireae''s help with the awakened undead, then theke and the surrounding forest would prove a great boon.


    Strangely, the entire area was abandoned. Eldrian wasn''t sure when it had happened, but he had recently noticed that the undead were giving theke a wide berth. He could only assume they feared the ming soul, even though both were undead creatures.


    For now, Eldrian would also give theke a wide berth.


    Gaining ess to The Forsaken Cavern -an old abandoned mine near the fort- would be good enough.


    It was currently a nest for many types of monsters, but from records Two had gone through, it once was a truly rich mine. Containing all types of materials. Confirmed to have plenty of Rank 2 metals and suspected to perhaps have up to Rank 4 (divine metals).


    He needed that if he was to stop relying on other''s generosity. And for the ns Eldrian had, he felt it was a must. But to im a mine he needed support, he needed a faction and people.


    Kynigo was in too tight a spot to offer him much, so he would call upon his fellow yer. Exining this to Elizabeth, she couldn''t believe her ears.


    "I am also nning on attempting to make jamming artifacts for the guild''s top brass. But considering this rted to the background of this world and the gods'' interference, the materials aren''t going to be cheap. I don''t think anyone in their sane mind would just gift that to me."


    "D-do you think ¡ª can you make something like that?"


    "I think so. I have a vague idea how the AI camera works. But while the artifact is active, I doubt you''ll be able to use it yourself. Right, who in the guild has started streaming?"


    "Everyone but Ilmadia and me." Elizabeth replied.


    "So, what do you say? Are you in?" Naturally, they would also gain ess to Pyknos forest, but thanks to the undead, it was mostly a dead forest now. It would take some time for life to return.


    Though, there might still be hidden troves and special nts scattered throughout the forest. It would be a good ce for newbies to train and also make some money. If things calmed down, Eldrian felt there should be plenty of quests.


    ''For now, the situation doesn''t really allow for normal game structure. If things settle, we might see it return... If things settle...''


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 742 Differing Opinions

    "Do you really think we stand a chance?" To Elizabeth, this sounded crazy.


    To be responsible for the frontmost fort. She didn''t see how they could manage that. Not as they currently were. Sure, they could ept more yers up to their current limit of 500, but even so, things wouldn''t be easy.


    Not touching the cost to get them here. They had already learned that new yers expected respect and praise without backing. Honestly, for the first two weeks, they were just a bother.


    After that, well... After that, they started to understand their position.


    By Judith''s suggestion, they had created an internal ranking system. yers would fight one another in arenas and determine the strongest. Elizabeth herself wasn''t able to im one of the top spots. Her focus was, after all, on being a healer and support¡ªafter her role as the guild leader.


    The ming Hearts securely held the rest of the spots. They had even ced Eldrian at number 1 without him knowing. However, to challenge him, you needed to reach second ce first. Until now, there had been no case of anyoneing close to second ce.


    ''Well, considering how Eldrian handled Judith, I doubt even everyone working together could pose a danger to him... But his strength alone isn''t enough to support and manage a fort. Well, I guess that''s why I''m here. He does like dumping things onto others to manage...'' Elizabeth sighed.


    ''I don''t think Kynigo is at the point of copse,'' Elizabeth thought, shifting her focus away from the abnormality that was Eldrian to the city where their base was forcefully being built in, thanks to said abnormality.


    Kynigo currentlycked experienced soldiers, owing to all their losses in the previous fights. But they still had plenty of inexperienced hands.


    If it was a question of numbers, the city could provide thanks to the Diades refugees. Sadly, numbers meant little when magic was part of the equation.


    It was like trying to win a fight with swords when guns existed. To stand a chance, you needed guns. Or rather, you needed soldiers of the same Tier as your opponent, or the damage that those few higher Tiered could cause would be catastrophic.


    ''If Eldrian is right, and this isn''t an army of the undead, but rather just the undead wandering or migrating into Kynigo... It would be good practice, I''ll admit. Undead are tricky to fight, but as long as the flow of the battle is controlled, it shouldn''t be too dangerous.''


    ''If managed, it can be great training. And because of their peculiarities, it can work as a way for us to refine the newbies that join the guild.'' Elizabeth was doing her best to convince herself that it was not all bad.


    ''Of course, this all only focused on the western part of the region. There is an entire eastern part that we have yet to touch upon.''


    Luckily, the Verleuo Fort had not been targeted in previous attacks nor during the long siege. While it had been isted, it had not fallen and themander of the fort had actually saved most of the citizens of the nearby viges and towns.


    ''There are mostly ins between it and Pyknos though... Granted, to the centaurs, this is a benefit. But there is too muchnd to patrol and protect.''


    Even if a line was drawn from fort to fort, it still meant abandoned the entire southern region. However, Elizabeth saw no other possibility. After thest attack, there were no viges past the forts.


    Losing thend would suck and be a mental blow, but it wouldn''t be a hit to Kynigo''s economy. All viges and towns that have been reimed are behind this arbitrary line. Farming and husbandry had started again, and most mines had been reimed.


    Kynigo''s situation finally seemed stable.


    Elizabeth knew all this thanks to a few yers who had been stationed in the city to maintain intelligence. Silver had actually volunteered for this, wishing to help those from Diades settle in as fast as possible.


    In their migration, she had grown quite close to a number of the Diades'' citizens.


    Eldrian, on the other hand, did not think of all these things. His focus was rather on the undead and the encroaching. Which, as its namesake suggests, has been encroaching into the region.


    ''That is another matter. From Ilpas''s notes, I think it is simr to the corruption in the forest. But we found the source of the forest''s corruption and are still clueless about the source of the encroaching. Not even Ilpas had a clue, at least not in any notes I have seen...''


    ''At the bare minimum, we will need to find a way to prevent its expansion or we will losend to thend itself...'' Strangely, Eldrian didn''t feel too worried. He felt he would be able to do something should the timee.


    ording to Eldrian''s map, the encroaching had expanded by about ten kilometers since he returned to ANW. Swallowing an entire mountain range at the far southern end of the region.


    Thinking of all this, Eldrian couldn''t answer Elizabeth''s question with certainty. He felt they had a chance at sess. Especially since it appeared that the undead were migrating instead of attacking.


    But it would not be long before the invasion starts anew. Until one of the many undead kings brought an army to their doorsteps. Or a devil takes control, or a demon rampage, or the orcs runch their assault...


    There certainly wouldn''t be enough time for the kingdom to recover before something major happened again. Northernian and the undead''s movements there was a perfect example.


    ''Luckily the undead and orc invasion didn''t happen at the same time... No, I guess they did... I just happened to be in the way of the undead and thanks to circumstances, I had some really strong dwarves supporting me. They basically stopped the undead in their tracks.''


    Eldrian still could not understand why the dwarves didn''t help more. Sure, it wasn''t their kingdom, but helping the kingdom of Taurus didn''t hurt them. In fact, it would help them a great deal.


    ''Well, I shouldn''t be spiteful. I should just be d that they did help and that it gave me time to grow. I doubt I can fight any higher undead in Tier 6 and win, but I will be able to stall them and I certainly will be able to retreat.''


    But even that wasn''t enough. ''Pros mentioned Kynigo has around 2 000 Tier 5batants... Yeah, calling them soldiers is wrong. And it might sound like a grand number, but considering we won''t see much of an increase for years... we are fighting a war of attrition, that''s for sure.''


    ''Of the two thousand, around thousand must remain to ensure the city had enough security. Technically, each fort can be given 250 then, but Pyknos requires more and the line between Verleuo is too long. So we will need arge portion to patrol to ensure sufficient strength...'' Eldrian''s thoughts started to wander.


    There was so much to think of, and honestly, he just wanted to drop it all and focus on training and his experiments. But he couldn''t.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 743 Wandering Thoughts

    Of course, the two thousand Tier 5batants -a mix of soldiers, adventurers, and random people who had talent and got to Tier 5 without military training- weren''t all the Tier 5''s in the city. There were naturally also all the craftsmen and women and people involved in management.


    Looking at simple stats, they were stronger than Tier 4batants, but theirck of battle experience and little to no training would be a massive disadvantage. Not to mention theck of mental preparation.


    On top of that, throwing them away in war would be beyond stupid.


    The creations of the Tier 5 craftsmen and women were far more valuable than the limited help they might be able to offer the front lines. Especially the new and improved cannons that Solvi and the other dwarves have designed.


    The design had been shared about a week ago, and everyone was fully focused on making them before the undead reached the city.


    Only requiring 150MP per activation, capable of firing buckshot, chain balls, or standard cannonballs. Magical or standard, with a barrier to prevent the people manning the cannon from being surprised and no fear of unexpected explosions. These cannons sounded like a dream.


    The best option to Eldrian seemed to be to create as many cannons as possible and build a massive wall strengthening from Ganalin across the Kynigo region.


    This, however, even he felt was a fool''s dream.


    The wall would have to stretch over 400 kilometers. Sure, the terrain was mostly ins and construction would technically be easy. But the distance was simply insane.


    "What if we first make the watchtowers?" Therdul proposed, Eldrian having shared his thoughts and the general situation of Kynigo with everyone. His details were a more urate since it directly came from Pros.


    However, his knowledgecked the personal element that the guild gathered. Eldrian was aware of this, but he couldn''t see a way to include that at the moment. The kingdom had to first secured their borders from all invaders.


    "Mmm, focusing on resting and gathering points... that would help." Doing quick calctions using the mini-tower as a reference, Eldrian felt he could construct one, maybe two, proper watchtowers within a day.


    If he were to try to make some miniature forts, he might be able to make them within two or three days. Of course, if he were to get a bunch of mana crystals to supply him with mana, he might be able to do it all within a week.


    ''Maybe I can cheat that in a way? It is possible for any experienced mage to refill a mana crystal, as long as it hasn''t been drawn to the point where its structure is about to copse. Maybe I can make something to lower the difficulty and have other mages supply me the mana?''


    Eldrian actually realized for once how insane his idea was. Even so, he wanted to try it. This one, he felt, was at least achievable.


    "It is still a stretch, but if we build them every ten kilometers, and if we start at Kyno Northeast... we might just be able to prepare for theing undead on the western side." For now, Eldrian kept his mage battery n to himself. He first needed to hammer out the details with Twoter.


    "What about the east?" Elizabeth asked. Feeling it was about time to think of the other half of the region.


    "It is of less importance. There are four reimed towns, butpared to keeping our connection with Ganalin, they are inconsequential."


    "So you will just abandon them?"


    "No," Eldrian paused and turned to Elizabeth, realizing that she still had an idealistic view. He felt this strange. He recalled she used to give him excellent advice.


    ''Did I change, or did she? Or is she just not prepared to cut losses?'' He wondered before rifying his stance.


    "I will leave the decision to Pros. My limit is protecting one side, given the time estimation of a week." This was how long Eldrian felt it would take the undead to move from the encroaching to the forts.


    They were truly moving slowly. Only covering between 10 and 20 kilometers a day. Some groups even made negative progress on certain days.


    Noticing that Elizabeth was frowning, Eldrian added some more points to his argument. "Since the western side has three forts still in moderate condition, albeit not all in our hands¡ªyet. And our trade route, I feel that is where I should focus my efforts first."


    Eldrian stressed the ''first'' to highlight that he was not against moving to the east. Eldrian also realized just how influenzal he was. Thinking back to Elizabeth''sment of going to help Trigora, maybe he could save the city if he went...


    There was a nice mountain range, east of Kynigo and south of Trigora, that could be used as part of a kingdom scale wall. But that idea was even more insane than just building a wall to protect Kynigo''s southern border.


    ''I can''t do it alone, but... if I was given support and enough resources, I might be able to make something happen. If I meet up with Ceph¡ªI wonder how much he has grown... We might be able to turn the tides of battle as long as people above Tier 6 are limited.''


    It honestly surprised Eldrian how easily he thought of this. But it didn''t feel wrong. He didn''t think he couldpare to a thousand Tier 5 trained soldiers, but unless they had some trick, he might actually be able to deal with that number.


    Especially since in war, battles were often chaotic. It wouldn''t be facing a thousand, but rather facing one to eight (a squad) a few hundred times.


    ''No, I would be overwhelmed in the end. They''ll notice the peculiarity and send reinforcements. A thousand is an insane amount. I think my limit would be around a hundred, depending on their discipline and coordination. Though, if ites down to it Evale and Pros can do the same or more. They are, after all, still far stronger than the current me...''


    ''But they are more involved with management and security of the city. If they move out, it leaves the city in danger of a powerful individual''s wrath... But is that really all that we can do?''


    At this point, Eldrian''s thoughts had spiraled to where it was no longer productive. Luckily, Elizabeth still had many concerns and didn''t allow Eldrian to disappear into his thoughts for too long.


    Vivian and Theas returned while the group of yers were discussing the ns for after clearing the forts. Somewhere in between, all worries of the actual clearing of the undead had disappeared. It had be epted that things will go smoothly in that one area.


    Unlike Eldrian, Elizabeth did not think takingmand of a fort would be an smooth effortless task, or rather she realized he was cing the burden onto her and the guild.


    Having listened in on the conversation, Eldrian was d he had called them to help. Smiling, he felt that it truly was simple to manage a ce. Just find someone capable and dump it on them. Clean and simple.


    ''Yup, they''ll handle it well.'' He thought with a smile as he weed the two exhausted returnees. Sending Anthizontas (Tier 5 Anthos¡ªrejuvenation spell) at them, as has be Eldrian''s habit. He also offered them with some cold kounle while listening to their report.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 744 The Ackley Trees

    Eldrian didn''t want to ignore hand''s-on reports just because of his map search function. It was certainly powerful, but it could only tell him the overview; not what was actually happening.


    Luckily, it seemed nothing problematic had surfaced. However, the undead were acting strange.


    "The undead were clustered where you mentioned, but..." Vivian paused.


    "The thing is, they were digging..." Theas continued from Vivian''s pause. They had both witnessed this, and it made no sense to either of them. In some areas, the undead had even formed caverns, the clearing of which had slowed their progress.


    "Digging?"


    "Yeah... we do not know why." Theas confirmed, "It is the first time I have experienced something like that. It also didn''t look like they weremanded to dig. In fact, there were several zombies. Likely converted after dying in the forest."


    ''Mmm, before I was forced to quit for a few months, we had cleared forest and destroyed the source of the original miasma. But it seems things won''t end that simply. Kynigo has abandoned the forest since they don''t have the time or energy... It might be best to start burning.''


    Of course, Eldrian would first confer with Pros before actually doing something like that. From the snippets of the lich''s memories, Eldrian understood well that the entire aspect of undeath was far too wide a field for him to fight blindly.


    Necromancy was a perverse field of magic, manipting life and nature. To take part in this field, you need to be ready to risk your soul.


    ''GAIA refused to answer, but lifeforce can be used as fuel. It is all condensed into one''s soul, but it isn''t all your soul. If I think of a ss, that would be your soul. A vessel that contains all you are.''


    ''Certainly, a certain amount of lifeforce is required to sustain life and the vessel. But not nearly all. I would venture 30%, perhaps even lower. However, to test that would be dangerous...''


    To put it simply, the vessel was like solidified lifeforce. Its density was far greater than what was being forced within, but to a degree, the inside can bepressed. Kind of like a spray can, inside beingpressed air. Only, instead of air, it was lifeforce¡ªor as Eldrian thought of it, the space inside his mind.


    Eldrian was using this peculiarity to keep the lich''s soul contained and condensed, separate from what he considered his true soul (the world he had created).


    ''I absorbed the lich''s soul because I knew this already, but how do I use it as fuel? Diving into necromancy might give me a route, but I don''t think that is a smart option...''


    ''Keeping it confined is best for now. I won''t let it mix with my natural state until I have a better grasp of things...''


    "What are your thoughts on them digging?" Eldrian asked after finishing his thoughts, Vivian and Theas having gone through their own thoughts likewise. Each trying to make sense of the undead'' actions.


    Vivian hesitated. "It felt... like they were desperate."


    ''Does that perhaps mean the death aura is finally weakening?'' Eldrian wondered, waiting for Theas to offer his opinion. Eldrian couldn''t tell anything of the aura from here, at the edge of the forest.


    "To me, it seemed like they were trying to find a source of nourishment. I''d hazard a guess that where they were digging are mana veins. Normally, just the slight mana density increase would be enough to sustain them... why they would dig? I can''t understand that part."


    Eldrian''s eyes shed. Looking towards the roof, he saw with his mind''s eye the magic circle on the third floor and the mana crystal filled, somewhat, with death mana.


    ''Is it possible? Rather, how far does it stretch and what are the consequences?''


    "Eldrian... Exin." Vivian demanded. She knew that look and didn''t like not being looped into what was happening.


    "It''s just a hypothesis. I''m thinking that the experiment conducted by whatever made that death knight cause the death mana to strike deep into the ground...


    "I actually don''t think the undead were digging to survive, but rather... to grow- no, that''s wrong. To evolve."


    "Can lower undead evolve?" Theas questioned. Even with having faced thousands of undead, he had never heard of something so queer.


    Lower undead were just that because there remained too little of the original to be anything but a mindless pile of bones and dposing flesh.


    "Like I said, it''s a hypothesis. I''m thinking that whatever happened in this forest caused even the mana veins to be corrupted..." Thinking back to how there was an entirework of death working through the trees, Eldrian felt it was likely.


    Wishing to confirm this, Eldrian stood and headed outside. Unable to follow his thoughts and curious about what he was going to do, the two followed. Seeing them leave, the rest ended their conversation and followed, too.


    "Right, seems I am on the right track." Eldrian nodded, and no one followed what he was getting at.


    "Can you please exin?" Vivian asked.


    "Sure, this is an ackley tree. I''m not sure if you remember, but they were the original cause for the spread of the corruption through the forest. They formed a type ofwork and could be turned undead-


    "No, it might be correct to say that the nt can survive in both living and undead conditions. Let''s see..." Moving closer, Eldrian ced his hand on the tree and examined its structure with mageia.


    ''Oh, there is indeed some corrupted mana inside it. This should prove that the mana veins are corrupted since we are at the edge of the forest but, this is more troublesome than what I expected.''


    Eldrian had truly wanted to burn the forest to both cleanse it and to remove it from being usable as a hiding ce for their enemies. Sadly, he no longer felt burning it would cleanse the area.


    ''It might stop or slow the spread, but if the mana veins are corrupted. I have absolutely no idea what that might mean nor what it can lead to. Will have to get Sofiera''s opinion on this.''


    "Are you going to exin?" Vivian asked as soon as Eldrian removed his hand from the tree. Seeing her re, he quickly relented and exined his thoughts.


    "Let me get this straight. There''s two possibilities. Either the mana vein corruption is spreading and infecting the tree, or the tree is connected with corrupted trees deeper in the forest and is corrupting the mana veins in the area?"


    "Yeah, more or less. I have no idea what was the trigger nor how to stop it. But I should at least be able to keep the fort clear of any lingering effects."


    The concept of keeping an area safe from alternate states wasn''t aplicated one. Normally, tobat the state of death (aura), priests would perform rituals plicated way to cast spells), or they would assist a formation master in creating divine arrays within the formation.


    Thus, even though Eldrian said he would handle it, no one really thought much of it. Compared to everything else he had done, this seemed like a given.


    "Are we finally going to get to fighting now?" Judith asked, having been bored to death with all the talk about managing the new fort, the situation of Kynigo, of the kingdom, and how to separate the forces of the guild.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 745 Clearing The Fort

    The group swiftly arrived at the fort, its appearance a remnant of its previous state. Most of the walls were in a state of disaster, a thick miasma of death hanged over the entire fort and the nearby nts were all withered.


    The keep and magic tower no longer towered over the walls, and a deathly silence filled the air. Broken only by the asional click-nk of the skeletons walking about.


    "So, these are undead nts?" Elizabeth mumbled, looking at the queer ntscking any semnce of color covering the area.


    Moving through them made her feel disgusted, like something unholy was trying to invade her body. The others felt a simr unease. However, this did not affect Eldrian, Theas, nor Vivian.


    Myropsis had also felt the unease, but it wasn''t affecting her nearly as much as the yers.


    Noticing the yers slowing, Vivian summoned her blue mes and covered the group with them. Immediately, they felt much better. She still did not know what her mes were, but she could call upon them as if she had been born with the ability.


    When touching someone, it would cover them in a soft warmth. However, whening into contact with the undead, it would turn them into ash. Truly strange.


    Of course, all the nts turned to ash as the group moved closer to the fort.


    "I can finally breath again!" Judith shouted after taking a deep breath filled with blue mes. Even that didn''t feel strange. It almost felt rejuvenating.


    Seeing Judith''s carefreeness, the others smiled awkwardly. Luckily, their mission was not one requiring stealth. Her shout just now had caused several patrolling undead to notice them. Vivian took care of them easily enough.


    A swing of her sword and they would fall apart. ''Her mes... They must attack the soul binding curse simr to divine spells. I wonder, just what is this power she awakened? A divine me and the ability to see wandering souls? Somehow it is linked to divinity, likely to the afterlife too.''


    "This should be close enough." Eldrian smiled and took out Crystoi, "Myropsis."


    Nodding, Myropsis started drawing the runes. The entire process was a bit moreplicated than what she had done before. Once she was done, a rune flew to each person in the group. Vanishing into their skin and forming a light tattoo.


    "With this you cane and go as you wish." Myropsis exined that what she had done was an identification spell. "I''ll start with the barrier now."


    "Right, Vivian, Theas, you guys can go ahead. I''ll follow and help if needed. Judith, you go and attract as many of the lower undead as you can."


    From there, things moved smoothly. Judith rushed in first and shouted something about everyone in the fort having farts for brains. A massive horde of undead chased her as a result.


    Elizabeth and the others quickly followed up, doing their best to deal with the undead, who were mindlessly pursuing Judith. However, no matter what they did, the numbers only kept increasing.


    Eldrian watched this for a while, noting everyone''s abilities. The four of them certainly showed growth, but what he was seeing felt socking.


    They worked well together and even though they were now facing over a hundred undead; they were still somehow managing. Though, Judith could no longer defend and was forced to simply run to avoid being overwhelmed.


    Theas rushed in next, throwing the undead into the air as he aimed for the revenant. Vivian targeted all the ming reanimates, following close behind the dwarf. Once she had dealt with them, she would help Theas.


    Eldrian simply stayed back and observed the situation, updating his evaluation of everyone and making sure things moved forward smoothly.


    Vivian stopped the unwilling from interfering with the yers, and after a few minutes, she had dealt with them all and moved to help Theas with the revenant.


    Of course, Myropsis stayed behind to maintain the barrier for emergencies. She would, from time to time, offer the yers some support.


    Around five minutester, things finally reached a point of exploding. Judith now had well over a thousand undead chasing her. The undead monsters and centaurs gave her a genuine problem. Matching her speed and often getting in a hit or two, no matter how she ran and dodged.


    The normally fearless barbarian cosyer was now running in desperation towards Eldrian and Myropsis.


    A mass of skeletons and zombies of various forms chomped at her back. And as she ran, more and more turned towards her and gave chase. The undeadpletely ignored the other three yers. They even jumped from the broken walls of the fort with rage towards the barbarian girl.


    Their bodies sttering apart and slowly recollecting as they stared in rage towards Judith.


    "The hell did you do?!" Judith shouted as she neared Eldrian. Covered in wounds, but thanks to Eldrian''s sneaky help, nowhere near death.


    Her shout helped Eldrian remember that he hadn''t really added a time limit to the stick. As soon as it was activated, it would work until it ran out of mana. ''Oops... Well, let''s take care of this group now.''


    ''Two, what spell will be best for dealing with this mass of undead?''


    ''Metatrepontai se stachiti-fl¨®ga tis ksis; it''s a fire pir type spell. Think pirs of hellfire.''


    ''Ugh, that spell module is trulyplicated.'' Looking at the images Two was sending Eldrian mentally, Eldrian discarded the idea of using it as is. It would take him more than a few seconds to memorize that. If he tried, Eldrian guess he would need a few hours.


    ''What''s the English of the spell?''


    ''Turn to ash, hellfire ze. But will that work? You haven''t ever tried to cast this spell before.'' Naturally, Eldrian understood roughly what Eldrian wanted to test. If it didn''t work, he would simply use Tempest Chase to clear the undead.


    ''Well, I haven''t really tried to cast any Tier 5 spells.'' Eldrian felt slightly guilty at hisck of mastering spells. But he had ced his focus on other things. He had almost mastered and improved teleportation. He just needed a final push.


    Watching Judith running towards him with teary eyes, Eldrian felt a little bad. ''If she drops the stick, the undead should lose interest. I''ll tell her that for next time.'' Eldrian didn''t want to lose this juicy clump of undead right as they entered his range.


    Closing his eyes and stretching his hands forward, Eldrian spread out mageia throughout the area. Focusing on where he felt the undead presence, he spoke in a slow, deep tone. Pushing his will into his words.


    "Turn... to... Ash... Hellfire ze!"


    Immediately upon finishing the sentence, a massive amount of mana flowed through him and collected where he had focused. The surrounding mana stirring as Eldrian''s mageia collected into the undead.


    The next second, pirs of hellfire erupted from the ground.


    Thissted only for a few seconds, and after silence settled in the once noisy surroundings. Not only had Eldrian annihted the horde chasing Judith, he had also killed all the lower undead between them and the fort.


    Only those inside were spared his mes.


    ''Mmm, about a thousand mana. Expensive... but effective.''


    The heat and shock waves had pushed Judith to the ground. Her back was burnt and most of her hair singed. Looking at her state, Eldrian rubbed his head in embarrassment.


    She, however, looked at Eldrian while trembling. Eldrian was unsure if this was rage or fear.


    "Sorry about that. Never tried that spell before." Eldrian gave Judith a smile, hoping to ease the tension in the air. His words, however, only increased the tension even more.


    "You''re kidding..." Ilmadia felt her knees weaken. Yet again, he had broken her sense of reality.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 746 New Division Commanders

    It took a while to calm everyone, even Myropsis had for a moment forgotten to breathe. She was certainly more used to Eldrian''s insanity, but that was a bit much. Especially the fact that he had recited a spell.


    That was something new, and somehow it had brought forth such grand destruction. And, of course, the mes were now rampaging through the undead forest. Myropsis noticed this first and started slowing the fires. But it took Eldrian joining to stop the forest from burning down.


    In the end, most of the forest around the fort was burnt down. Judith, daringly, had used the ming woods to lure the undead to their deaths. The others had taken a step back and focused on keeping her alive as she ran around taunting the undead while waving the stick.


    It looked ridiculous, especially with her hair burnt away. Luckily, her armor had survived the mes, though her clothes beneath had disappeared. Truly, an ufortable feeling. But she didn''t want to waste the fire while it was there.


    The important parts were still covered, that was enough. At least, that was what she thought in the heat of battle.


    This onlysted for around ten minutes, at which point the stick''s mana ran out and it shattered. Watching Judith''s dismay, Eldrian felt conflicted. From desperately running for her life, to now staring at the shattered wood like she had lost a lover.


    ''I''ll never understand her...'' Eldrian shook his head and moved on. Those same thoughts were, of course, something that everyone thought of him.


    ''Itsted longer than expected though, must be because it doesn''t take much effort to taunt an undead,'' was his conclusion of events. It made him wonder just how effective such a stick would be on a person.


    Around the same time that the forest fire was contained, and the stick had shattered, Vivian and Theas returned. Killing a revenant was a tall task, but only because of its resilience.


    Theas would even be capable of taking down a Tier 7 revenant. Only such a fight wouldst hours, ording to him.


    "Right, then let''s clear the surviving undead. I''ll leave this to you guys." Eldrian smiled as he handed the job to Elizabeth and the others. They groaned, but epted the request since their reward was being allowed to keep whatever they found inside.


    While they were raiding and clearing the rest of the fort, Eldrian and the others secured the keep. The old church was just rubble and of the magic tower, only two floors remained.


    "Still better than nothing." The state of the fort was worse than Eldrian had expected. Of course, it had been through numerous battles, with little time for repairs in between.


    "True, I''m most curious about the magic tower, however." Myropsis exined that the Magic Crystal might still be in the basement room. Especially since it can only be entered by a registered personal.


    "Does that mean we can fix the magic tower?"


    "It will take some time, but if the crystal is still there, then it is possible." She replied with a confident nod.


    Part of Eldrian wanted to im the crystal, but he decided against that. He would rather ask for one aspensation once things calmed down. The fort they were going to manage sadly had no magic tower.


    "Right, Theas, do you think the Ganalin dwarves will be willing to offer their support?"


    "I''m not sure. We are fighting the subterranean, we can''t spare many hands... However, if you are to ask only for a few craftsmen, it might be possible."


    ''Oh, that would be nice. I also hope Boran can help me make some equipment. I kind of feel naked only in clothes.''


    After around an hour, the yers finally returned. They looked exhausted, but thrilled. "Good haul?" Eldrian asked with a smile, leading everyone back to the mini-tower. After ensuring that everyone had a bed and was settled, he returned to the keep together with Myropsis.


    "A ruined magic tower... Let''s see if the array still works." Spreading out a thin veil of mana, Eldrian activated the array on the floor used for teleportation.


    "Right, I need your help in setting the coordinates... I don''t actually know any." Eldrian asked Myropsis for help as he started analyzing the array engraved on the ground.


    "This is the calibration of position, leaving that to you... that there is cost calibration... those are the emergency crystals..."


    Confirming that everything was fine, Eldrian poured all his mana into the array. It brightened and shone through the ruined first floor, illuminating the two of them.


    "As expected, you still have plenty of mana to spare." Myropsis said while rubbing her head.


    "Yeah, well, I mean, if it is the mana flowing through my body. I can recover it all in about half an hour." Losing his equipment had certainly hurt in that regard. Luckily, he still had Crystoi.


    "Seems it is enough for two or three trips..." Myropsis sighed.


    "Right, so this is set onto the third magic tower in Kynigo? Any idea who is on shift?"


    Getting a shrug in response, Eldrian activated his titles and disappeared in a sh. Leaving Myropsis in her own thoughts.


    "To be able to activate a long distance teleportation array with only the mana flowing through his body... How fearsome. If these readings are correct, he has more mana than me, despite being a tier lower."


    "That is to be expected, but... It feels strange. Like the gap between us will only continue to grow."


    ...


    "Right, so that is the gist of it. The Chosen are still feeble, but their management abilities are good. We are going to need at least fifty Tier 5''s to secure the fort."


    "Only fifty?" Pros asked. Sofiera and Evale were also here.


    Pros had promoted them to divisionmanders as the only Tier 7 people still in the city. Pros had to remain in Kynigo to ensure it would not fall to a sudden attack, and Evale would takemand of the east.


    "Yes, only fifty," Eldrian replied. "Since Sofiera will be stationed in Llyn, she will be able to offer support should things go south. With the yer''smunicationwork, we shouldn''t run into any trouble."


    "Of course. But only fifty? How many other soldiers do you require?"


    "I''m thinking if you can spare five thousand, then we can secure the fort as required."


    "Are you sure you can hold the fort with that few?"


    "Yeah, it''s on the edge of a cliff, so it should be fine. We should station as few as possible in the forts to increase the patrols."


    "That''s true..."


    "Eldrian, what about if the undead group and attack en force at a weak location?" Evale asked.


    "That''s why I want all viges between the front line and Llyn to evacuate. If we must use thend, we should send off-duty soldiers to protect and work the fields."


    "That..." Pros hesitated.


    "Actually, I have an insane idea. I want your opinions on it." Eldrian outlined his n to form the framework for a region wide wall.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 747 Plan Feasibility

    "Do you really think you can manage something on this scale?" Sofiera asked, rough estimations of forming a fort through magic and magic alone. It would require over a hundred thousand mana.


    This was simply not something that was feasible. Sofiera, as a highmage (Tier 7) with quite excellent equipment to boost her mana regeneration, had around 6k mana and it would take her three quarters of an hour to recover after expending all her mana.


    However, to avoid magic fatigue, she would prefer to spend small amounts at a time and also take breaks from time to time. Mana poison was also an issue, especially if external forces were used to boost the mana recovery.


    If she wanted to ensure her health while working, she could only use around 5k mana every hour. And she would only be able to maintain that for about a workday''s hours (8).


    If it were her pushing herself, she might be able to create a fort in a couple of days. Half a week was a prudent assumption. And with that, it would be a simple, hardened dirt fort. More an outline than an actual fort.


    However, considering the lower undead that would be the enemy, that would be enough. Having walls, even if they are only dirt, would allow the defenders a significant advantage.


    But that was to make just one such dirt fort. To make enough to stretch across the entire region. It simply wasn''t feasible. They didn''t have enough mages, and not everyone would be capable of structure creation. It was, after all, an off-branch magic.


    Most mages only learnt the most basic to help when setting up a military camp. They could form mounds or created ditches, but they weren''t able to form walls.


    As for using mana crystals, that would be foolish. The city was running extremely low and the mana crystals were required to ensure the function of the city. They were especially required for emergency usages should the citye under siege again.


    Even Eldrian''s mage battery n wouldn''t work. After all, mages needed their mana for their daily activities. Sure, some had the mana to spare, but not all.


    And then there was the problem of mana inefficiency and poisoning from overdrawing and reliance on mana crystals. Mages who suffered from that certainly wouldn''t enjoy the next couple of weeks.


    Sadly, there was no way to hasten a recovery from mana poisoning. In fact, trying to help with magic would only make the situation worse.


    "I feel quite confident." Eldrian dered. "I''ve never experienced a bacsh from using my mana..." he paused. He hadn''t experienced it for almost a year.


    "And I have experienced the abnormality of letting the mana of a mana crystal fill my body. I think I can channel the mana without letting it influence my state."


    "Are you nning on forming formation to assist the creation?" Sofiera asked. This was where her mind went when thinking of channeling mana, but not through one''s body.


    "It is true this will reduce the strain on you, but it will take longer. Besides, we do not have the crystals to spare."


    Eldrian paused. He indeed had such a n. It wasplicated, but simple at the same time. By using a magic circle focused on channeling mana, altering it to the element and adding function to the mana. All he had to do was guide where the magic circle will target.


    At least, this was his n. But without mana crystals, this would be impossible.


    "What if we directly use the mana of everyone who will be stationed in the fort or watchtower?" Eldrian asked.


    "Exin." Pros said with a frown. Sofiera too had a frown, not following Eldrian''s thought train.


    "My way of using runes isn''t normal. I''m sure you all are aware. So my n is to engrave the following onto a te of Mithril..." Eldrian quickly outlined the idea.


    "Basically, all anyone needs to do is channel their mana into the Mithril te and it will then alter the mana as required for the construction."


    "Your idea is to make a... construction magic tool?" Sofiera found the idea fascinating and wondered why no one ever thought of that before. No, there probably were plenty who had tried, but something had likely prevented it from being spread.


    "Ah, yeah. I guess the limitation would be that you can''t connect with it as you do with a normal magic item. Only the user, the responsible for the construction, will be able to do that. Otherwise, the different wills will sh and cause the mana to go rampant."


    This was something Two had highlighted for Eldrian. Along with the fact that not everyone can simply guide their mana at will. Which was quite a steep requirement.


    "So they will be simr to the original magic cannons?" Pros enquired, "Only people capable of guiding their mana will be able to interact with it, meaning you need a crew of Tier 5 mages?"


    "As expected, yes. That should be the case. I''m nning on visiting Boran after this to ask for their help. He might be able to assist in improving the n."


    "I see..." Pros hesitated slightly. Somehow it felt like Eldrian was more in control of things than he was. A strange feeling to the mayor of the city, but not one he disliked.


    As long as Eldrian was willing to offer his support, Pros would, in turn, do his best to help the half elf Chosen when possible.


    "Do you think the dwarves will assist us?" The centaur mayor of Kynigo asked after his moment of hesitation came to an end.


    "I doubt I''ll be able to have them send soldiers. But having them spare a few craftsmen might be possible. I also think it is about time that Solvi returns, especially since we have a much improved magic cannon now."


    "Agreed. She was our best smith. Her return would be a great wee. There are several items that need repair, but no one can perform the repairs."


    From there, the conversation shifted more towards the situation of the city and the general feeling of the popce. Since the morning, things have been hectic since Pros had suddenly called for arms.


    However, the situation had not turned into chaos. Thanks to a great number of reasons pilling up.


    Eldrian was one of the pirs that helped the popce calm their hearts.


    As he left, the three centaurs sank into contemtion. "Do you think this is actually possible?" Evale asked. Naturally, as a person with the least experience in the magical field, she deferred to the other two.


    "Things have calmed down." Pros replied, "We can spare a few thousand people for construction. If, as Eldrian suggests, we deforest Pyknos and use the wood along with relying on his construction magic... it might just be... but..."


    "Yeah, I can''t imagine him actually being able to work on something so strenuous without pause." Sofiera added, "The strain on his body should be too much, however..."


    "He has done plenty of other insane things as if they were normal." Pros finished the thought.


    "True." Evale nodded. "Then, shall we start a recruitment drive?"


    "Yes, I think we should." Pros nodded. "I''ll draw up a few basic ns for these midpoint forts. They don''t need to be overlyplicated, simply a ce where the tired can rest along the wall. We will want to also ess the outside from some, but not all..."


    "Evale," Sofiera called out before just as the centaurette was about to leave the room. "I believe Eldrian has only a few retainers, but they are reliable from what I''ve seen. Include them in the recruitment. Perhaps we can turn this in an advertisement of a sort?"


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 748 Eldrians Lack Of Basics Showing

    Meeting with Boran was, sadly, a far moreborious task than meeting Pros. Eldrian often forgot that Pros was a mayor. He felt more like a friend. Eldrianing and going from his estate as one would from a friend''s.


    Well, Eldrian didn''t have any friends with estates before ANW. But the concept still held.


    Of course, this was only possible since Pros had been the mayor for a long time and the city had adapted to hisckluster noble style. Boran, on the other hand, has been the lord of Ganalin for only around a year. And while the popce hase to ept him thanks to his feats in pushing back the invading forces, the nobility has not.


    They expected the lord to act as a lord. For visitors, they must organize a meeting days before and for most such meetings must not be allowed to take part in private. For this was seen as favoritism or a secret dealing.


    Of course, that was nonsense. But, for now, Boran still had to maintain appearances. Having inner conflict during the current circumstances would be the dumbest thing that they could do.


    Much like Kynigo, Ganalin had stabilized. However, it wasn''t like there was no longer any danger. There was still plenty. They have just contained most of it for the time being. What the future held, no one could im their defense wouldst.


    After organizing the meeting through Viggo, Eldrian went to visit Solvi. The two discussed smithing for a bit, with the conversation focused on the improved magical cannons. With the current situation, Kynigo could make two to four of these improves cannons each week.


    This was naturally much lower than what the dwarves were capable of. Luckily, Eldrian''s deal with them ensured Kynigo wasn''t forgotten.


    After a while, the conversation turned to Crystoi. But sadly, Solvi couldn''t answer any of Eldrian''s questions. After some more small talk, he asked her toe back to Kynigo.


    "You certainly have an insane idea in that head of yours day after day." Solvi mumbled while containing her smile. "Why don''t you show me this n of yours? It''s going to use runic magic, correct?"


    "Will it be fine? What about my apprenticeship with Boran?"


    "Can''t believe he didn''t agree to dissolve it." Solvi shook her head in disapproval, not understanding what Boran was thinking. No, she had an idea, but she couldn''t agree with it.


    "There is no problem. The restrictions of such a pact are to protect the secrets that the master will hand down to the apprentice. You aren''t obliged to share your discoveries with him, especially if he wasn''t a big help in its creation."


    "Then what was the point of him declining to dissolve it?" Eldrian asked, his face showing his bewilderment at the topic. Under Boran, he had only formed some basic daggers. Not even having touched adding magic to the process, since he was still learning to feel mana and guide it back then.


    "I do not know... maybe he thought to take you in as an apprentice once things slowed down?" Solvi gave Eldrian this excuse, keeping her actual thoughts to herself. This was likely partly true, but with Eldrian''s growth. By then, no, even now; he could no longer be called an apprentice.


    "Maybe..." Eldrian didn''t like that excuse. It would be toote. Luckily, he learned something important through what Solvi had said. He had known it before, but he felt confident now that he could learn from others and teach them without worry.


    He simply couldn''t form a pact with others, which meant if they thought him their secret techniques, they could not bind him to keep it to himself. Hence, most wouldn''t be willing to teach him their true art.


    But that was no problem. Eldrian only needed help. He didn''t need to be taught everything someone had painstakingly mastered.


    "Alright, basically the idea is to use abination of elemental crystals and onerge mana crystal as the base." Eldrian started to exin, taking a piece of paper and drawing his thoughts through mageia onto the A2 page.


    It lightly glowed atop the page as he moved his fingers, even morphing and shifting as he listened to Solvi''s advice about runebinations and runes that would give better effects. After a while, theplete magic circle was glowing on the page.


    Wishing to print this onto the page, Eldrian sent some fire element through the mageia pattern. Burning a light outline on the page. Controlling it so it wouldn''t catch the page on fire and only leave a clear outline.


    Solvi whistled, watching the patterns suddenly burning into the page. She assumed it was quiteplicated. After watching Eldrian discover runic magic, she had tried it out a few times.


    There were many simrities between runic casting and runesmithing, but if she had to say which one was harder. It was with certainty the former.


    "Do you think it will work?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes, but to make it... Do you really think you can manage something soplex?" Solvi asked, however, having watched Eldrian draw with mageia and keep the form of everything partly told her that it was entirely possible for Eldrian.


    The entire pattern waspacted, yet it was asrge as a person''s chest. It looked almost perfect for a shield. It would fully cover a viking shield with its intricate pattern.


    "Yeah, it''s a bit moreplicated than anything I''ve tried before. But we''ve segmented the circles into elements and enveloped them into therger structure. Building it from the bottom, it shouldn''t be too difficult."


    Eldrian''s reply came naturally, his words showing just how much confidence he had in being able to create this. Solvi, on the other hand, was struggling to imagine herself even being able to make this.


    If she pushed herself, maybe in a few weeks. But Eldrian was clearly nning to hammer this out and start construction on the forts in the next day or two.


    So she asked again, and after the third repeat, Eldrian realized where the problem was.


    "I see now, you are probably thinking of the normal way that runes are used... Embarrassingly, I do not really know what the normal method of using runes is. Oh, I do have this basic idea! I just never tried it since I found a method that works for me."


    Solvi didn''t look convinced, but she indicated for Eldrian to continue.


    "I think the normal method is to add the runes while forming a bridge between the already existing and soon to be added runes. Like slowly building up a picture until it was finished."


    "You bend the metal to your will and engrave it throughout." Solvi corrected. "Altering its magical structure as you add the runes to bring forth the abilities you seek."


    "My method is a bit more... like an array." Eldrian struggled to find the words. "You see, instead of altering the metal as I work, I try to envision the end goal and think of abination of runes that would bring it forth.


    "My knowledge of runes is stillcking, so I subconsciously often rely on enchantment... which I was told was how I alter the magical structure." Shaking his head and getting back on topic, Eldrian continued, "In any case, I confine each ability into a circuit.


    "You can think of a circuit as a proto of an array. And therger circuit, or circle, enveloping everything as the formation... Again, I have no idea how those things work. But I think the concept is simr."


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 749 Showing His Method

    Solvi sighed, her heart shaken by how much basic knowledge Eldrian wascking. If she had to ssify his actual understanding of runes ording to what he just said, then at most, he was at the level of a Tier 2 runesmith.


    Evidently, he knew more runes than a Tier 2 runesmith. He had obviously jumped to memorizing runes and then trying to crudely apply them. Creating his own method as he struggled in the dark without a mentor or any proper instructions.


    ''I really can''t approve of Boran''s way of dealing with this...'' It hurt Solvi seeing how much of the basics Eldriancked. And yet, she knew he was capable of making amazing items.


    This construction magic device would indeed be an amazing creation, something Solvi doubted she could make. And Eldrian was confident, even though he didn''t understand the forging process.


    "Do you want to try and make it now?" Solvi asked.


    "Before going back to Ganalin?"


    "They have given me management of a smithy for the time being. We can use my personal stash of materials."


    ''Oooh, that is appealing but, it''ste.'' Eldrian had gone a few days without sleeping already. He needed to log out and make sure everything was fine IRL. Of course, Two went every six to eight hours to stretch and eat something. But his real body was basically rotting in a cave.


    "Come on! I won''t understand without you showing me!" Solvi pushed, pping Eldrian''s shoulder in encouragement.


    "Al-alright." Eldrian smiled awkwardly as Solvi led him to her forge. Since it waste at night, he had gone to where she was staying, a type of long-term inn -or hotel.


    "I''ll start the forge. What metals are you nning on using?"


    "Ah, sorry, but I have nothing on me."


    "I said we''ll use my inventory. It will be my payment for observing this unique method of yours. So, what do you need?"


    "Can I get enough Mithril for a shield, and some brightsteel... enough for a dagger? Also, enough rikolium gold for iying and then crystals of the elements of earth, wind, and nature. Oh, and arge mana crystal."


    Solvi listened with a smile, doing her best to keep that smile going as Eldrian listed his requirements. Nothing was particrly rare, but that didn''t mean it was a cheap list of materials.


    Just the mana crystal would put her out 1000 gold. All in all, this was probably going to cost her around 3000 gold.


    Luckily, for the innovations with the cannon and some side work she had done, Solvi had enough of the materials on hand. However, she had ns for them and didn''t really have the gold to waste.


    Taking the bitter pill and swallowing it forcefully, Solvi brought everything Eldrian had asked.


    "Hope this will do." She said after having ced everything next to the forge.


    ''She actually had everything on hand? But this can''t be cheap...'' Eldrian didn''t quite feel right using this as is. Especially since he knew Solvi wasn''t especially rich. All she had she had earned with her own blood and sweat.


    ''Well, she did say I should consider it payment for showing her my technique. So I guess it''s okay.'' Rationalizing it so, Eldrian inspected the crystals. All but the mana crystal were medium-sized, each worth anywhere between 20 and a 100 gold.


    ''Ventus crystal, rank 1, wind element... Vromia crystal, rank 2, earth element... Vis Crystal, rank 1, nature element... That should do well enough.''


    While only one crystal was rank 2, that was the earth element one. Which was the most important, so it should be alright. The others just needed to be the specific element after all, he could technically even use mana crystals instead. But then he would need to add some more runes to ensure elemental conversion of mana, which would just increase the difficulty.


    "Satisfied?" Solvi asked as soon as Eldrian finished inspecting the materials.


    "Yeah, it should do nicely. Now, time to start, I guess..." Eldrian turned to the forge, feeling a hint of nostalgia and distance.


    ''I''ll just do things as I''m used to. First, getting the mithril into form.'' Throwing in the ingots, Eldrian chose one of the many adamant hammers avable and got to work. Working the metal into form took some time, and of course Eldrian cheated from time to time.


    Instead of using tongs, he held the pieces with ether as he worked. Watching from the side, Solvi felt great admiration watching that. It even made her wish to pursue Eldrian''s manner of using magic a bit more.


    There were spells to hold and move pieces you are working on but, there was nothing that was as flexible as what Eldrian was showing. No matter the form, no matter the heat. He held the pieces with his magic, even sometimes using it from time to time to give certain form to the metal like a mold.


    Of course, she could also clearly tell from his technique that he didn''t know how to properly handle his hammer. He was clearly forcing things to move ahead. Watching him hammering the mithril without a care made Solvi''s heart ache.


    Once Eldrian had forge welded all the ingots and formed the outline of a shield, he started working on the section separations. For this, he used the brightsteel. As per its name, it was a material rich in the light element, which not only looked nice but also worked well at forming a barrier between sections of the item.


    First, Eldrian formed the central part where the mana crystal would be ced. Next, he added three circle-ish designs around the center. Adding iys for the crystals ording to the blueprints. Afterward, he used the rikolium gold and started forming the runes and their circuits. Connecting them to the iys in order and ensuring that everything would flow properly.


    Once he had repeated this four times, he now had basically three different circuits and one control module for the entire device. Adding the crystals, Eldrian controlled the flow of mana while envisioning the end goal of for the item.


    ''Let the mana flow through the inner circuit and mana crystal, connect with the brightsteel and activate the wind section first. Supply mana and activate the circuit aim¡ªsecure the area.... I guess this means make sure there are no living things in the area and if there are warn them to leave...''


    Luckily, Eldrian''s method of using runes was quite basic. The wind element section basically only took the offered mana and prepared it for a search function. Eldrian knew from past experiences that he could add more functions to the circuit. Which was what he did now.


    The enchantment step, as he hase to consider the finalization step of forging.


    ''Next, nature¡ªremove any obstructions from nts. Then, earth¡ªtter and prepare, then create... either what is envisioned or designed...''


    Eldrian paused, taking a moment and adding a few more runes to the earth circuit to give an option for a pre-drawn n to be added to the part to use as a guide for construction. Sadly, when he returned to the enchantment step, the crystals shattered.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 750 Failure

    Before Eldrian knew what happened, Solvi had taken the shield from his hands and ripped the mana crystal from it. Throwing the shield to a corner, she activated the emergency arrays of the room, focusing the barriers around the two of them.


    Her actions just barely made it in time. As Eldrian started toprehend what was happening, a massive explosion ripped through the room. Luckily, the barriers held and everything was contained but, it vividly reminded him of the fact that he always did things without preparations.


    ''Well, I would have waited if not for Solvi''s insistence... sorry about the materials...'' Eldrian silently apologized, looking at the ruined corner of the smithy. His smile twitched as he observed the walls¡ªcharred ck and cracked.


    Clearly, the explosion had almost gotten through the sturdiness of the smithy.


    "That was close..." Solvi sighed, relieved she had reacted before the mana crystal had also be unstable.


    The explosion from arge mana crystal... that would have been no joke. Her arrays wouldn''t have been able to resist the force. Likely, the neighborhood would have been turned into a crater. She was certain she would be dust if that had happened.


    "I''m sorry!" Eldrian apologized after returning to his senses and seeing the scraps of what remained of the shield.


    "It''s not your fault. I should have stopped you after realizing that you were forcing the process ahead without proper preparations and in such a short time..." She lowered her voiced and muttered, "Why did his other creations work?"


    "Do you know why that happened?" Eldrian paused and reconsidered. She had acted so quickly, perhaps... "Did you expect something like that?"


    "I wasn''t sure if it would happen or not. I thought you might have a way to deal with it but, it seems I was wrong. Those memorial artifacts I''ve head so much about, how did you make them?"


    Solvi had even taken time to inspect the one in Kynigo once during a transport of ammo and cannons. However, no matter how she looked, the artifact made no sense.


    "Umm, basically the same method. I applied some runes to secure some functionality, added what I consider something between a spell module and a rune... and then I simply imnted what I wanted the item to do."


    "Simply imnted..." Solvi mumbled, recalling that the core of the artifacts were mov crystals. ''I see, that''s it. Certainly, if you wish to jam so much into an item, a mov crystal is the ideal conduit and storage... Did he think of using them because of dimensional storages?''


    Asking Eldrian this, he was truly impressed. "You''re right. I thought that since a mov crystal can alter space itself, it might be possible to use it as a type of data storage."


    "That..." Solvi''s facade failed her, showing her disbelief. ''If that had gone south... I don''t want to even imagine it. Kynigo might have disappeared from the map... like Diades... Oh god, did Eldrian have something to do with that too?''


    Turning her focus to the elf, she pondered how to move forward.


    ''I can''t let him continue his experiments in the middle of people. It is simply luck that something worse hasn''t happened until now... no, in this I am at fault too. He shouldn''t be able to get his hands on such rare materials so easily...''


    ''Yet, how did he get the materials for the artifact?'' Ovee with a massive headache, Solvi sat on an anvil and rubbed her head to soothe the pain.


    "I''m sorry for about the damage, and¡ª" Eldrian thought Solvi was distraught by the loss of the materials, but her worry was far grander. She stopped his apology and asked for some silence to allow her to consider things.


    ''Clearly he has talent, perhaps a bit too much. He alsocksmon sense, which I knew. Yet, I still asked him to show me his method... I see, I also became blinded by the prospects. How sad. He likely didn''t consider the danger in this case because of my presence.''


    ''The best course would be for someone at my level or higher to take him in as an apprentice, but Boran is standing in the way... No helping it, I will have to take him under my hammer before he does something outrageous. We can''t wait for Boran''s convenience.''


    "Alright, you came to have me return to Kynigo. I''ll need a day or two to settle my affairs."


    "Oh? That''s great!" Eldrian was a bit surprised, but hearing that she wasing back, he felt relieved. Her returning to Kynigo would massively help the city. After all, the number of Tier 7 personal was less than a handful. Craftmen and women included.


    "Right, your n was to start with Kyno Northeast and build a line of forts from there. Are you still confident in that n?"


    "Yeah, it won''t be anything grand. I''m thinking every ten kilometers a tower of sorts, maybe three or five stories tall and only fifty or a hundred meters wide."


    ''Only he says...''


    "As for the forts, I''m thinking of having a wider area covered by walls, but it won''t be as tall. I''m thinking like a makeshift camp for soldiers to rest at and resupply. Or to retreat towards should they face a powerful enemy."


    "Right, that doesn''t sound too insane. Your timeframe, however... does."


    "Well, yeah... But we need to finish at least the surroundings of Pyknos before the undead reach us. I''m not sure if they''ll hasten their approach, but I think they will once they see living beings on the horizon."


    "True..." Solvi paused for a moment. ''Construction magic, it isn''t too different from my smithing spells. I might be able to re-use some. That would be best.''


    "Right, since I have your agreement, I''m going to log off now. Ah! Maybe I should do that outside, just in case."


    Solvi was confused for a moment as Eldrian turned into particles and disappeared. ''Right, I forgot they can do that... I forgot he is one of them. I guess that is partly why he is so blind to the dangerous. It never affects him, only those around him.''


    ''I don''t think he doesn''t care. From what I''ve heard and seen, he clearly does. He just forgets easily that what he does might be dangerous... How troublesome.''


    ''No, this time I truly am to me. I have a feeling he wouldn''t have attempted it like that if not for my presence.''


    As she headed to her room, Solvi continued to consider tonight''s little escapade. Eldrian''s method was truly crude. There was no other way to say it.


    The only reason the artifacts had worked was thanks to the mov crystals. And in all likelihood, the reason none of his other creations had exploded in his face was because they were experiments to confirm his theories.


    Solvi hadn''t gotten into a deep talk about all the things Eldrian had made, but from what she had understood, most of the things he had done, he had only tried to apply a single idea to each item.


    Like his daggers, for example, he simply tried to enhance a property of the daggers through a single element to see what the natural enhancement of that element without guidance would be.


    The only times he had tried to make aplex design were the artifacts, and this construction magic device.


    ''It really is just luck that something catastrophic has not happened, yet...''


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 751 An Intruder

    "That was bad, really ba¡ª" Freezing, Eldrian spun around and started to gather mana around him. Summoning mes that brought light to the dark cave he was in, and a girl ying with the makeshift mana crystals he had made.


    "Who are you!?" Eldrian asked. Asking how she managed to find him, or how she had managed to get inside. That was pointless. She was here. He could ask thattter, if she was still alive.


    "How frightening! Is that how you wee your guests?" The girl asked, throwing her golden hair over her shoulder and throwing a dazzling smile to Eldrian. Normally, that was enough to melt anyone''s heart.


    "I don''t have guests. Only intruders! I''ll ask once more, who are you?"


    "That is some¡ª" The girl wanted to continue to y, but froze as her body shivered. A cold sweat covering her throughout. "I''m Jade!" she shouted in panic, realizing that Eldrian was seriously going to kill her if she continued to y around.


    "And, what are you doing here... Jade?" Eldrian asked, not canceling the mes that were covering him nor the bolts of fire aimed at the terrified girl.


    Since the start, Eldrian had felt an invasion simr to the aura of a revenant. It was different, but the feeling of it trying to invade his body and mind was very clear. He would not let her appearance lower his guard, no matter how pitiful she appeared in the moment.


    "Is that really how you treat guests ¡ª Yelp!" Feeling the heat of the mes rise, she tried to run away. Until she realized she was stuck in this cave and that the ce was quickly turning into a sauna.


    "I came to meet you!" she shouted, desperately trying to calm Eldrian.


    "Meet me?" Eldrian was visibly taken aback, but her words did not calm his heart and the mes zed with even more heat.


    The only people who knew of him and were capable of entering this cave without damaging the fake wall should be Miracle. Thinking of that, Eldrian spread out his mageia through the surrounding.


    ''No other presences within a hundred meters. Those rm arrays are also quiet... which means she knew how to circumvent them. How troublesome, they might be simple, but it is still magic... Which means...''


    "So, you''re one of the higher ups of Miracle. I''m impressed you came alone."


    Jade froze, Eldrian suspecting her of being with Miracle was within her expectations. She was technically but how did he know she was alone? "Who says I''m alone?"


    "Right, you might not be. But there is no one close enough to rescue you if I wish to kill you."


    ''Is he crazy? What''s this talk about killing?!'' Jade swallowed with difficulty, unable to believe how things had turned out. "Why would you want to kill me?!"


    "Because you''re with them."


    "No, no, no, don''t lump me in with them. I mean, it is true¡ª" She froze, feeling the heat in the room jump by a few degrees again.


    ''What''s wrong with this guy? And how the hell is he doing this?! There isn''t supposed to be enough mana to form such a strong spell on earth!''


    Confused by the nonsensical surrounding and the massive amount of bloodlust being directed at her, Jade didn''t know how to resolve the situation.


    The fact that her aura wasn''t having any effect was truly, truly troublesome. Even against the old fogies, they at least looked at her with those kind of eyes.


    "I just wanted to talk!" she shouted, already feeling lightheaded from the heat in the room. How Eldrian was uneffected, it made no sense. Perhaps even less sense than him being capable of summoning such power at will.


    "Talk?" Eldrian didn''t trust it, but from what he could tell, she didn''t seem to be strong. She had some type of magical power and some basic knowledge. But the fact that she had done nothing to protect herself showed her inability.


    ''Or she is trying to make me think that. I''ll reduce the heat, but I won''t remove it... how troublesome.'' Naturally, keeping the mes alive would be a constant strain on Eldrian''s body. After all, mana was scarce on Earth.


    At most, he had around a 1000MP gathered in his body. A good amount for sure, but to recover, that would take a week or more.


    Seeing Eldrian lowering the temperature and withdrawing the mes that were basically surrounding her, Jade sighed in relief. However, her relief did notst long upon seeing Eldrian still wreathed in mes.


    "Do I seem that scary?" she asked. Half joking and also half offended.


    "Yes," Eldrian replied without hesitation, which naturally hit Jade''s pride quite a bit. To be called scary, what a terrible thing. "After all, you have been constantly trying to assault me."


    ''Assault? Him? What?'' Jade''s eyes flew wide as she realized what was happened. "That''s a misunderstanding!"


    "Nonsense, you are trying to alter my mental state! Say what you wanted to say and leave..." Eldrian replied without a care, ''I need to change location now.'' Throwing an eye at the mana crystals Eldrian tried to determine if it was good enough. ''I think it should be. At least for Jen it should be.''


    "No, no. It really is a misunderstanding! I-I was born with this power¡ª"


    "Don''t try to fool me! What do you want?" Like Eldrian would ept that she just identally tried to invade his mind with something akin to an aura.


    ''Why the hell won''t he listen?'' Jade felt like crying. She had never experienced being looked at with such cold eyes before.


    "Fine, I''m leaving!" Eldrian had enough of her stalling. Now that his location was known, he did not want to waste time. sting the fake wall to pieces, he gathered what he could carry and prepared to leave.


    Jada was shuddering from the destruction heat waves. When Eldrian climbed through the still glowing rocks, she finally managed to remember why she was here.


    "Wait! We need to talk."


    "Hmph!" Eldrian did not mind her at all. Continuing to search the surroundings with mageia, he determined the best path to take. He would first go deeper into the mountains and then find some passage to leave from undetected.


    "If I had wanted to harm you, I would have done it while you were unconscious!" Jade shouted the only thing she felt might get through to this blockhead.


    Eldrian did not stop. Moving towards the heart of the mountains, he tried to lose this insane girl. Of course, he had long since canceled his mes and was simply moving as quickly as possible.


    Jade was trying her best to keep pace. But there was no way she could. Especially in a forest. She ended up falling for the fourth time and finally lost sight of Eldrian.


    "Seriously, what''s wrong with him? I came all this way to talk, and that''s how he treats me?! Me of all people!" Stomping her feet on the ground, Jade was not willing to call it quits yet.


    "He went that way... no matter how fast you are, I''ll follow!"


    "Hmph! Just you wait and see."


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 752 An Intruder (2) - Benefit Of The Doubt

    ''She''s persistent...'' After losing the girl, Eldrian had hidden himself and waited for her to leave. While he had taken the most important things from his cave, there were some other things he still needed.


    Though, after what had happened with Solvi, he was now less confident in being able to make what he had nned. Especially with the makeshift materials he had basically self-created.


    Their stability was sure to be far worse than the materials he had used.


    ''It truly does appear that she came alone... is she crazy?'' Instead of leaving, she ran in the direction she thought Eldrian had gone. Following her, Eldrian was waiting for her to meet with someone. Yet, even an hourter, no one hade.


    During that hour, the mountain forest had not been kind to her. Her clothes were torn from all the times she tripped or got caught by a branch or something. She looked like a princess suddenly thrown into the wilds. Unable to even properly navigate her surroundings.


    And just like a princess, she was shockingly obtuse to her situation.


    Now and then, she would shout for Eldrian to wait ande talk. That she just wanted to talk. After observing her for so long, Eldrian felt she might be telling the truth.


    ''No, I must be insane to think that- rather, I''m tired. I need to sleep. Why did this have to happen now?'' Eldrian sighed, and as Jade stumbled into a clearing, he decided to meet with her again.


    "Stay there!" he shouted, showing himself at the opposite side of the clearing.


    "Finally!" Jade smiled and made to close the distance, only to freeze as a small pebble shattered before her feet. Eldrian having thrown it as a warning.


    "I told you to stay there! If it is true that you can''t control that power of yours, then at least keep your distance!" At this distance, Eldrian found that it seemed to not have much of an effect.


    He could still feel her appearance was being altered, almost like what he was looking at was an illusion. But he could ept that, something trying to invade his mind. That he could not ept.


    "Okay, okay! Does that mean you believe me?" Jade asked, unable to contain her smile, which crumbled with Eldrian''s reply.


    "No!"


    "Then..."


    "But I will listen to what you have to say."


    "Really?! That''s great! I think we got off on the wrong foot." Jade smiled again, and Eldrian could swear he saw the nearby flowers blooming.


    "We did not get off on the wrong foot. You invaded my home!"


    "Home?" Jade questioned, unable to connect that cave with a home. Sure, there were some modifications made to it to make it a ce one could live in but, it was still a cave.


    "Because of you, I was forced to run for my life. And now you are forcing me to run yet again." Luckily, things would change soon. However, Eldrian did not know how much or how fast things would change.


    He doubted things would return to normal, but he hoped he could at least call his sis and have a conversation with her soon.


    "That has nothing¡ª" Freezing from Eldrian''s sharp re, Jade decided not to argue semantics. "I''m sorry. It must have been hard."


    "Hmph! Get to what you wanted to say and leave."


    "I-I... I want to talk."


    ''Why is she insisting on that?'' Eldrian could not understand her. She truly gave him the feeling of being a runaway princess. ''Wait, maybe that is it?'' Realizing this, he decided to give a little in the conversation. "About what?"


    "Magic, of course!" Jade answered with a wide smile. Her eyes sparkling, literally sparkling.


    "What about magic?"


    "H-how you use it, especially here... on Earth. I thought the mana on Earth is too sparse to form spells."


    "It is." Eldrian replied.


    "B-but... How could you cast those spells then?"


    "I thought you would have more knowledge than that..." Eldrian paused.


    ''I see. They really know nothing. I thought she would at least know how to control mana and gather it from her surroundings... She said she couldn''t control her power. Perhaps that was also true. Does that mean she doesn''t even know how to feel and guide her mana? But then... how did she get through the array I installed around the fake wall?''


    Eldrian couldn''t believe her. It was too insane. "I assumed you were using ANW as a tform to train?"


    "Huh? Oh, yeah, some do. But it doesn''t really work. The old fogies managed to break through the barrier and reach Tier 5, but not many others have managed that."


    ''Mmm, seems she is being honest. Perhaps a bit too honest... I might be able to get some useful information. So, some of the higher ups can at least guide their mana. That is the minimum requirements to reach Tier 5...''


    ''If that is their highest level, that is disappointing... Wait, I see. Controlling mana might not be their true aim, if her power stems from a bloodline... perhaps that is the true aim for them. That''s troublesome, if it is true... mana is not the primary requirement for them.''


    ''I know that my auras can show frightening power without mana entering the equation. I am left exhausted after using it... subconscious use of lifeforce?'' In ANW, the drain on his energy was less, but there were many possibilities to exin the difference.


    ''But then, why did they ce so much focus on researching magic and mana? Is it just a step that must be taken to reach their goal?''


    "I see. Did youe hoping I would help you?" Eldrian asked, having finished his thoughts almost instantly.


    "No, no." she quickly denied. After their first meeting, she had a clear understanding that Eldrian wouldn''t be willing to do that. "I just wanted to talk about magic. You see, most of the people I can talk with... well, they are blinded by this idea that anything less than perfect is useless."


    "What do you mean by that?" Eldrian asked.


    "They think that magic has to be something that you control with your emotions. A simple wave of your hand and miracles happen."


    ''They are either aiming at abilities, or hidden powers of a bloodline... Which means these people, this girl, is a descendant of something or someone from legends.''


    ''Perhaps this is something to do with that shback I had a while back? Dynamic magic might also be of interest, but it isn''t as simple as a wave of a hand...''


    ''Well, it might look like that to people from the outside. I see...''


    "Are you saying they are looking down on static casting?" Eldrian asked. He could see why. Compared to dynamic casting, it really was limiting. However, Eldrian had long sincee to learn that it had its strengths.


    The greatest part, those spells already existed in a semi-fixed form. One did not need to be creative to learn them, you only needed to find them and memorize them.


    Eldrian found that his creativity was oftencking in the moment. He would always jump to something simple. Simple is often best, but it limits what he normally relies on.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 753 An Intruder (3) - Inspiration

    "Are you saying they are looking down on static casting?" Eldrian had asked.


    "Not just that!" Jade was filled with energy in her reply. "They even looked down on the method of using runes that you shared with that girl."


    Jade''s words caused Eldrian''s eyes to narrow and the atmosphere to drop by a few degrees. Noticing the sudden change, Jade missed a breath.


    "Are they targeting her?" Eldrian asked, his voice coated with venom.


    "No, not at all!" Jade hurried to exin, wishing to dispel her shivers as soon as possible. "They considered her method of learning to connect with mana as a crutch. Something only the weak would rely on."


    ''Only the weak? I see, so that is their opinion...'' That piece of information was truly useful. ''So, they consider themselves above others... perhaps the descendants of gods? Or do they consider themselves modern gods, an advanced race? Then, how many are there?''


    ''And to ignore a possible path to sess... truly foolish.''


    "Um, Eldrian..." Jade avoided looking straight at Eldrian, forcing out her next words. "Can you please stop looking at me like that?"


    "Mmm? Sorry." Pulling back his bloodlust and anger, Eldrian forcefully calmed his mind. Calling upon the powers of his other aura, he tried to keep himself rational and objective.


    It would not do if he continued to threaten or pressure her. She seemed to be on the edge of a breakdown.


    "Did youe here because you wanted to talk about runic casting then?" Eldrian asked.


    "Is that what you call it? Yes, that''s exactly what I wanted to talk about!" The joy in her voice was contagious, but Eldrian had already moved to keep his emotions controlled.


    ''Now isn''t the best time, but not like I can ask her to leave.'' Eldrian sighed, realizing that he would have to go another day without rest.


    Of course, he could always sleep in ANW too. But his earthly body needed exercise and maintenance. Else, it would soon rot away.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure what would happen if that happened, and he certainly didn''t want to find out.


    "What do you want to know about it?" Eldrian asked.


    Jade visibly bubbled with joy. "How do you do it? I know a few runes, but I just can''t seem to figure out how to write them in the air, as you and that girl do. What''s the trick behind it?''


    ''I''m pretty sure Constantin should have a theory on it considering I have talked with him regarding mageia... I even came up with the term to better exin things to him. Does this mean he is withholding from Miracle? Or is it... they simply don''t care?''


    Eldrian truly couldn''t understand how things were run in Miracle. He was slowlying to realize that while they looked like a massive unitedpany, there was actually little unity and even less understanding thanks to all the secrets.


    This was likely what GAIA had been referencing.


    ''Joren and the others were simply trying to understand magic, to prove it could exist on Earth. They were aiming at learning how to feel mana and guide it. Hoping to touch upon magic and prove its existence scientifically... I guess I proved it undoubtably for them.''


    Eldrian paused and touched his ears. His appearance wasn''t quite normal. His ears were slightly pointed, his hair had turned silver, and his skin was smoother than before. Though that wasn''t as clear, thanks to him living in a cave. ''What happened after?''


    "That should be something you guys have theorized..." Eldrian said. "I recall that the people working on ANW weren''t ipetent."


    "That... well... They''re too focused on the science."


    "Why is that a bad thing?"


    "Because it makes no sense!"


    Eldrian smirked. He could rte, especially when looking into the equations required to develop spells. But the science was important, and it would only be more important going forward. "Really, like what?"


    "Like how it has to do with something called dark something something... That it is everywhere, but so scarce that it basically doesn''t exist. Or something like that."


    ''So, they figured out that the mana on Earth is low in density... but anyone who can use, no who can sense mana, will know this. Guess the higher ups didn''t share that with Joren and the rest. Which means -they likely managed to make something simr to Mana Examination. I''m impressed. I wonder if Constantin managed to connect with mana?''


    "So, what''s the trick?!" Jade pressed.


    "Training." Eldrian replied.


    "Don''t y! I came all this way because I wanted to hear you out, if you are¡ª" Jade stopped right there and tried to y off the threat she was about to throw at Eldrian with a beautiful smile.


    His narrowed eyes caused her entire body to shiver. Even though he hadn''t thrown any anger her way, only narrowed his eyes. Clearly, she was going to have some trauma from this meeting.


    ''What''s with this guy?!''


    "I didn''t lie. It really takes training." Eldrian paused and looked at the girl. "Can you even meditate?"


    "Meditate? Why on earth would I do something like that?"


    ''Well, that''s a clear no. She''s so immature. How old is she?'' because of the illusion or charm surrounding her, Eldrian couldn''t even venture a guess. But her attitude seemed to belie innocence and inexperience.


    "Because..." Eldrian paused to add stress to the because. "It is the best way to grasp the feeling of mana flowing through you and... well, I guess it will be pointless to exin." Eldrian chuckled, realizing what GAIA had constantly been mumbling about.


    This conversation felt very simr to his with the AI''s. Only, for once, he was the one with the knowledge and talking to someone in theplete dark. Ilmadia at least was able to follow his concepts to a point.


    "Hey! No fair, don''t hold out on me!" Jadeined, making puppy dog eyes that did not phase Eldrian one bit.


    "I''m not. It will just be pointless to exin. You won''t be able to follow. Can you even enter the magic abyss? Or form a mental room for spell construction? I guess not..." Eldrian asked, thinking of something brilliant in saying that.


    ''Hey Two?''


    ''You still dealing with her?''


    ''Yeah, just ignore her,'' Eldrian replied. Jade was currently throwing a storm at Eldrian about how she would be able to understand. He just needed to exin properly. ''Do you think it might be possible for us to form spell modules in our soul?''


    ''You''re thinking to pull them out like we do with the mana in the sr system?''


    ''Yeah... do you think it will work?''


    ''I see no reason why it won''t. After all, spell modules formed in the magic abyss are the basis of spell creation. Why though?''


    ''Ah, because memorizing and mastering the envisioning of Tier 5 spells is going to be a pain. I''ve been putting it off since I wanted to rely on dynamic casting... Turns out that wasn''t the best idea and I thought this would be a simple solution.''


    ''What about just casting as you didst time?'' Two asked, not quite following why Eldrian wanted to do this. Last time he had simply envisioned ming pirs and spoken the English trantion, and yet the spell had been magnificent.


    ''I just think this will be far more efficient. Yes, dynamic magic is great and near limitless. But I have to envision the oue clearly, or I need to have practiced until it is like moving a part of my body. If eithercks, the spell will either beckluster, or it will take too long.''


    ''I can still force it, but without enough power, it would be pointless.''


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 754 An Intruder (4) - Relenting

    ''Ah, you''re thinking of using this to summon specific spells and then you''ll take control from there as the mana starts flowing?''


    ''Exactly, so instead of needing to picture the oue to the degree that reflects a Tier 5 spell. I can instead use this to start the spell and then do what I want.'' Eldrian wasn''t quite certain what level of focus a Tier 5 spell required, but he knew it was deeper than just ''fire'' or ''water''.


    When dealing with the undead, he had envisioned the pirs of hellfire as something simr to bursts ofva from the ground. But he could feel that wasn''t quite the right method.


    "Are you even listening?" Jade shouted, moving a step forward and falling onto her ass as another pebble shattered and left a small crater between her legs.


    ''Sounds like a good n.'' Two said, suppressing hisughter at the beauty''s sorry state. ''We can try. Oh, right! I forgot to mention it since this girl was in the cave and I have been standing on the ready for if reinforcements arrived.''


    ''But she is alone, yeah... I couldn''t believe it either. She clearly has an aura or simr ability. Miracle not keeping tabs on her is too strange.''


    ''Maybe they are. You should ask her to give her electronics. I can''t think she doesn''t have a phone on her.''


    ''Right, good point. Guess I really will need to find a new home.'' The thought wasn''t a pleasant one.


    Eldrian had grown ustomed to his little cave. A nearby stream, plenty of edible nts, some small, easy to prepare and cook animals. And especially crystals that ept mana. At least to some degree.


    ''What is it you forgot to mention?'' Eldrian asked after getting over the pain of having to leave.


    ''Our soul, well... It''s empty.''


    ''What do you mean?''


    ''Well, likest time when you made the sr system, it didn''t appear when we were on...in? Earth.''


    ''Yeah?''


    ''Well, the entire world is also missing.''


    Eldrian had sort of expected that, though it was still shocking to a degree. Especially since this one had been created without mana. Sure, they were slowly giving substance to the world with mana, but it was still part of their soul first and foremost.


    The method of creation waspletely different from the elementals.


    ''Any theories?'' Eldrian asked.


    ''Yeah, my best idea is that it is out of phase.''


    ''Out of phase?''


    ''Basically, like mana with the physical world... until you connect to it with mageia.''


    ''Ah, I see. So it is still there, but not interactive or visible. Like a ghost?''


    ''More or less. The same holds for the ball of the lich''s soul that we have confined to the outer edges.''


    ''As long as it is still contained. Wait, are you sure it is there?''


    A pause ensued, during which Eldrian turned his gaze to Jade. "Give me your phone."


    "What?! Why?"


    "Because I don''t want to be tracked." Eldrian replied, wishing that mana wasn''t so scarce on Earth. He would have loved to just rip it from her pocket with ether. While Jade was a lost princess, she had at least dressed for the wilds.


    Well, kind of. Jeans and a T-shirt. Not the best, but better than a dress. That was for sure.


    As for taking her phone with ether, Eldrian could. But it would be a waste of mana. Especially now that he didn''t know what was going to happen next. Just summoning the mes early would take hours to recover the mana spent.


    Jade hesitated, especially in stepping forward. The past two pebbles had frightened her to her core. Realizing this, Eldrian took the initiative and moved next to her.


    She flinched. Slowly recovering as she saw Eldrian simply holding his hand out for her phone.


    Finally, she handed her phone to him, which Eldrian promptly crushed into a ball and threw into the distance.


    "Hey!"


    "I thought you would be happy." Eldrian countered her protest with a dangerous smile, searching her with mageia for any other electronics. "Your watch too."


    "No way!" Jade hid her arm behind her back and took a step back.


    "Do you want to continue our talk?" Eldrian''s words caused her to pause and hesitate.


    After a slight dy, she obediently took off her watch, which had a simr fate to her phone. Crushed and then chucked far into the distance of the forest.


    "Does that mean you will answer my questions?" Jade asked after watching her watch fly. It truly made some amazing distance.


    "No." Eldrian replied and paused before continuing. Nearly causing Jade to lose her sanity. "But I want to go clear the cave I was in. During the walk I will reply best I can."


    This was a calcted move from Eldrian. He would continue to search the surroundings with mageia for reinforcements so as not to be caught with his pants down. Hopefully, he could recover all that was important and destroy the rest.


    During the walk, he answered what Jade asked. At least, as far as Eldrian nned to share with the rest of the world. Her getting the information a few weeks in advance, and Miracle too, if she were to report her encounter with him, he did not worry too much about.


    Nothing he said was a big secret, at least not to him. Not anymore.


    It was basic knowledge, and Jade seemed to know a lot of the answers Eldrian gave. She had simply ignored them before, not considering them of any importance.


    When they neared the cave, she seemed quite depressed. Having expected something far grander from Eldrian.


    On the other hand, Eldrian was grateful for how carefree the girl was. He had learned a lot of sensitive information. He hadn''t asked anything directly, not wishing to cause Jade to be wary.


    Still, he learned what the actual objectives of Miracle were¡ªat least ording to Jade; Eldrian did not think she was the best source of information.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 755 An Intruder (5) - Back And Forth

    Eldrian also learned how fractured Miracle was at the top. The different divisions weren''t really there to expand thepany''s reach, rather they were all created on a whim of one of the higher ups. The old fogies, as Jade continued to call them.


    It sounded truly insane, but thepany was basically just these people''s ything. Those at the top were from all over the world. If they wanted to, Miracle could run for a world government. A scary thought. But not an outrageous one from what Eldrian pieced together.


    Jade, or at least her family, had their own branch to do with cosmetics and beauty products. As well as health products, which even touched upon life extension. The vitamin supplements he had used while using the cabin came from this branch.


    Eldrian felt confident their focus was on beauty and life extension because of their power. He presumed that the entire family, or many of them, had a simr power to Jade. Though he doubted they were all as bad as she was with controlling it.


    He had constantly prevented her power from influencing him, and in time, he had analyzed what it was. It appeared to be a type of charm, though Eldrian couldn''t be certain since this was his first time experiencing a magic altering one''s mental state.


    Well, his other experience was with the taunt and curse. But the difference was too great for him to use those asparisons. The taunt seemed to fill the environment with anger, while the curse had simply heightened his pride and,ter, his rage.


    ''Mmm, her power is a more maniptive than those. Even altering what a person sees.... It feels more piercing, stronger. Power of love? Aphrodite?'' Eldrian guessed.


    ''I really have seen little of the world. It is actually insane how much I still haven''t experienced even once. Something like a charm should be such amon thing in a world of magic... how have I not...''


    ''Well, I guess that is what happens when you end up fighting the undead for like a year.'' Eldrian smiled, slightly hoping to explore this vast world he had yet to experience.


    But first, he had to make sure Kynigo was safe and secured.


    ''Right, I am going to need a ce to practice.'' Eldrian''s thoughts continued to wander. ''Which I need to do before I do something insane, like exploring the world. In that case, what about that fort?''


    Eldrian hadn''t investigated it much since it was past the Kynoke tributaries south of Ganalin. Long abandoned and in the hands of the vampires.


    ''I''m not sure of their numbers, but I think Theas and I might be able to clear the fort... Someone at the level of Tier 7 is... truly frightening...''


    ''I don''t think it will be in ruins. It can be an excellent location for me. Far from anyone that I can hurt by ident. If things go south, the nearest people would be vampires...''


    ''Can''t really say if they deserve death, but that will be their fate if it happens.'' Of course, they relied on people for their food. But depending on their treatment of the people living under them, Eldrian might consider them a neutral race.


    They certainly wouldn''t be good aligned, but they might not be an absolute enemy, one that must be exterminated at all costs. That would be best, but he had little hope for that.


    "Hey! Stop ignoring me!" Jade shouted, already having regained enough courage to hit Eldrian''s shoulder with all her might when he ignored her.


    To Eldrian, it was a nostalgic feeling. It felt like light taps of a child, and it reminded him of when his sister had a breakdown or was furious at him.


    Those memories made it hard for him to consider her actions serious. "Sorry, I just thought of something interesting."


    "Oh? What was it?" Jade asked, her eyes revealing her hope for some grand piece of advice.


    "You''re quite the handful." Eldrian replied with a wide smile andughed as he watched her face crumble and the hits speed up. Until Jade tripped over a random rock.


    "Ouch, ouch, ouch. Hey! Why didn''t you catch me?!" Jade huffed and puffed as she removed the dirt from her clothes, which now sported new tears. There were even traces of blood.


    "Quite the handful indeed." Eldrian mumbled, causing Jade to huff even more. Shaking in anger, she chased after Eldrian; who hadn''t slowed down to amodate her one bit.


    "Can you be any ruder?!" she puffed.


    "Do you want to find out?" Eldrian asked with a teasing smile. A smile that caused Jade to shiver once again.


    "No, thanks!" She replied immediately.


    "Ah, I thought that would be quite fun. Right, we''re almost at the cave."


    "I won''t quit!" Jade suddenly dered.


    "You can''t keep up with me." Eldrian countered.


    "T-then... Then you will be responsible for abandoning me in the middle of the mountains!" She puffed out her chest, proud of her n.


    "So?" Eldrian countered, instantly causing her to dete.


    "Don''t you care if I live or die?!"


    "Nope."


    "How mean! Are you even human?" As soon as she shouted this, she froze. "I didn''t mean¡ª"


    "Sigh..." Eldrian stopped and turned to face this energetic girl. "I''m human."


    "But..." Jade didn''t have the courage to point at Eldrian''s ears. But her eyes couldn''t move from them.


    "Fine, I''m something other than human. Does that matter?"


    "No way!?" Jade couldn''t believe how casually Eldrian had said that. Like it wasn''t something that mattered. "Don''t you care if you aren''t human anymore?"


    "Why? It doesn''t matter." Eldrian paused, realizing the normal rationale of people. To him, the he in ANW and on Earth were the same. His outer body didn''t matter.


    ''Right, people freak out about skin tones and slight differences in features. An elf is a different species, well, maybe not...''


    ''I''ve actually never thought about what the biological makeup would say about this. Since half-elves are a thing, it means interbreeding is possible. That is normally not possible between species, only between different races of a species. No, wait. I don''t think in animals it is ssified as races...''


    ''Genome? Genus, type, family? Strain...? No, that''s nts... Breed?''


    "Hey, there you go again!"


    "Right, sorry. It''s something I do a lot." Eldrian quickly apologized. ''She''s much faster than anyone else. Is it impatience or because she is¡ª''


    "Stop staring at me like that." Noticing how intently she was gazing at him, Eldrian felt slightly ufortable.


    "Wha? But you keep spacing out."


    "So?"


    "So? So?!" Jade faltered. "I see, so it did get to you!"


    "No, it really doesn''t matter. I just pondered how things should be ssified. Are mythical races different species, races, breeds¡ª"


    "Breeds?!"


    "Yeah, I think that¡ª"


    "Are you some kind of animal?"


    "Aren''t we just more advanced animals?" Eldrian asked, his question nearly causing Jade to faint.


    ''This guy... He''s insane. Is insanity a requirement to be good at magic?'' Jade, for once, spaced out. Trying to figure out if it was worth bing insane to be good at using magic.


    "Huh, so that''s what I always look like. Hey! What insane thing are you thinking?"


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 756 A New Place

    "Hey! What insane thing are you thinking?" Eldrian shouted.


    "Huh?" Jade looked around and decided without dy to never speak what she just thought of aloud. "Nothing..." She threw a wonderful smile at Eldrian, which, as normal, did not phase him one bit.


    A truly vexing situation for Jade.


    "I don''t believe you." Eldrian said with a frown.


    "That''s the cave, isn''t it?" Jade rushed forward, wishing to escape the interrogation she felting.


    ''She''s really strange...'' Eldrian shook his head and smiled. He was starting to like her. She didn''t seem capable of hiding her emotions or thoughts, which was refreshing.


    Eldrian didn''t know it was because she was so used to being pampered and surrounded by people who were charmed by her. She had never faced anyone who challenged her. Sure, the old fogies -as she called the secret leaders of Miracle- weren''t taken in by her charm. But they still showed the due respect because of her position and allies.


    He was the first to treat her first as an enemy, and thereafter so coldly. Not changing his stance, even after spending over an hour with her.


    "What''s so special about this ce, anyway?" Jade asked after Eldrian caught up.


    "Are you seriously asking that?" Eldrian couldn''t believe her. Pointing to the crystals he had left behind, he asked. "Why were you interested in them? I saw you ying with them when I first woke."


    "Their pretty." Jade''s reply was filled with innocence. A reply Eldrian couldn''t even register.


    Sure, the crystals were unique. Thanks to the mana flowing in them, they had a light, internal glow. Something you wouldn''t see in normal crystals. But to think that was all she noticed.


    "P-pretty?" He stuttered, "I-is that all?"


    "Mmh? Is there something else?"


    "Forget it." Eldrian tried to wave her off, but now she was interested.


    "No way! You promised to answer my questions! What''s so special about these crystals?"


    "Sigh..." Eldrian rubbed his head. She might not be able to contain her emotions, but that truly had a downside, too. ''I''ll go insane if I don''t lose her soon.''


    However, Eldrian did not want to exin what he had been up to. She was still part of Miracle, even if she gave off the presence of a runaway princess. She was likely going to return to her home, and then Miracle would get a report of what he was up to.


    "Their special." Eldrian replied, moving to remove the traces of the array that should have beguiled an onlooker to lose interest in the area where his cave was.


    Trying his best to figure out how the hell she got inside without moving the stone b, which was certainly far too heavy for a normal person to budge. Nor did she destroy the array.


    "Hey! That isn''t a proper answer."


    "Yeah, well. It''s all you''re going to get. I can''t trust you aren''t a spy for Miracle."


    The face that Jade made hearing this was... Priceless.


    Shock, disbelief, astonishment, confusion.


    ¡ª


    "That was... painful..." Eldrian grumbled after finally having lost the girl somewhere in the forest. She truly had tried to chase after him again.


    This time, she had managed to keep up with him until her seventh fall. Near the end, well. Let''s just say a bit too much skin was starting to show through her torn clothing.


    ''She really was persistent.'' Two joined Eldrian in a deep, long sigh. They had almost started to feel sorry for her.


    ''I really hope she isn''t going to chase me further. Luckily, these mountains are vast. I think it will be best to find somewhere deeper in the mountains to hide until...''


    ''Agreed. I wouldn''t be surprised if they have drones or something surrounding the ce. Trying to find us once we move out.''


    "How''s the spell formation going?" Eldrian asked. Falling back into his habit of speaking aloud with his real-imaginary friend.


    ''Mmm? I''ve already finished all the Tier 0 to Tier 3 spells that we know.''


    "Cool, any problems?"


    ''Well, of course, theck of mana. Currently, they are only built out of the space of our soul. To give them substance and permanence, and allow them to work as rys to cast, I need to fill them with mana.''


    "You can do that once we return to ANW... Right, what is our soul like when I am in ANW and you are here?"


    ''Ah, that won''t solve everything. I''ll construct it more securely within this space so it remains even when we jump...'' Two hesitated to answer the second part. ''I-it... It is like back when you first learned to feel mana,'' he finally replied.


    "So, just a small mental room? Does that represent your state or our earthly body''s normal state?"


    ''I have no idea.''


    "And about the size difference, world missing, and sr system missing... Doesn''t it feel like the two are too disconnected?"


    ''It is indeed strange. If it is supposed to be our soul, it should be constant...''


    "If we think ording to our ocean concept. Then, Earth might be a different ocean. And our soul here is a different bubble in a different, no... something''s off."


    ''Wouldn''t that mean our soul isn''t really travelling between the two worlds?'' Two ignored the part where Eldrian lost focus.


    "I''m more thinking that only the core of our soul moves. The excess, that which we gained as XP from others as a yer, remains in ANW."


    ''Ah, so then, this is a representation of our actual level?'' Two quickly understood what Eldrian was getting at.


    "Yeah, that''s the idea." Eldrian wanted to jump into his mind to see howrge his soul was, but he first had to find somewhere hidden to hide.


    "Howrge is it? Compared to in ANW? Right, can you confirm if things are out of phase or not?"


    ''I can''t. It was just a theory.... About the lich''s soul. It is possible it did not travel with us.''


    "Isn''t that a problem?"


    ''It shouldn''t be. I cleansed it and it was now basically just pure energy. You haven''t had any memory oveps since clearing the fort, right?''


    "So that''s why. I thought it ended a bit faster-"


    ''Did you want to take your time?''


    "No, this is for the best. I am just thinking it is a bit sad to lose ess to the knowledge we might have gained but, that is a dangerous path."


    ''Agreed.''


    Finding a delightful spot with spring nearby, Eldrian searched for natural caves. "What about the size?"


    ''Perhaps... a thousand kilometers?''


    "So a tenth?"


    ''I''d estimate.''


    It was still massive, but there was an impressive difference. "Any idea how the conversion of XP and soul size works?"


    ''We have around 10 billion XP. Since ANW soul is around 10 thousand kilometers...''


    "Divide by a million. I see. That would ce our earth level at around..."


    ''Somewhere in the thirties.'' Two replied, recalling the XP requirements along the way.


    "Yeah, not bad."


    ''Not bad at all...''


    Finding a suitable spot, one that was hard to get at if you didn''t have superhuman strength and agility, Eldrian ced down the things he had bundled in his shirt and tied around his neck as a makeshift bag.


    "Right, now I need to go hunting, test the water, make some pots, cook..." Eldrian sighed. So much to do to ensure when he left, his body wouldn''t rot.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 757 The Passing Of Time

    Eldrian returned to ANW two hourster than normal. Shocking several dwarves as he appeared in the middle of the street.


    "Sorry, sorry..." apologizing, he quickly headed to the gate, greeting Ingvar and telling Elizabeth to meet up at the next fort. Stating that he would meet them there.


    It was, more or less, a shorter route for him from here than returning to Kynigo and the going to the fort. Plus, it saved him a handful of gold coins. After all, he couldn''t exactly be trusted to fuel the teleportation array. The mages responsible for the arrays would lose their heads if they allowed that.


    ¡ª


    "Why were youte?" Elizabeth asked upon meeting up with Eldrian.


    "I had an intruder." Eldrian replied shortly. Since Theas was in the group, he couldn''t talk openly about things.


    """Are you okay?""" Elizabeth and the others asked.


    "Yeah, she didn''t seem to want to hurt me, but... she was part of Miracle."


    The group gasped. "How did they find you?"


    "I''m still not sure they did. She did, somehow? Even made it through my arrays without even picking up that they were there."


    "I-is that even possible?"


    "Apparently," Eldrian shrugged, "I lost her somewhere in the mountains, but she was persistent." Changing the topic, Eldrian continued, "Right, so things should move more or less the same asst time. We can talkter. We need to finish this so we can start with preparing for the flood."


    Indeed, things moved smoothly. Eldrian experimented with the spell formations in his soul, finding it truly easy to use. It almost felt like essing the ability of an item.


    Eldrian even went a bit wild, which everyone appreciated since it meant far fewer undead chased Judith¡ªwith her new stick.


    ¡ª


    A few days passed quickly. To Eldrian, it was quite a peaceful time. To Elizabeth and the others, it was undoubtedly the opposite.


    Sofiera and Evale had decided that it would be best to take the undead threat on promptly. They sent elite squads to dy their movement inwards, during which Sofiera helped Eldrian in the formation of the towers and forts. Solvi also joined once she returned from Ganalin after sorting her affairs.


    The structures were simple, hardened dirt buildings. The forts had arge moat outward where spiked and traps would be addedter. And arge inner space for camps.


    The towers were made to allow connection of the walls with little difficulty and at locations with a good view of the surroundings.


    Arge part of the military was busy deforesting Pyknos for wood to build said walls. The army mages would form the foundation of the walls and create moats, the rest will be built with a ton of killed trees.


    Eldrian sadly never received confirmation of Old Sword''s safety in the afterlife. Which of course was no help for Vivian''s emotional state, and while possible, Eldrian did not wish to lie to her.


    It might be painful, but he did not wish to break her trust. Even if it would soothe her grief.


    In her turmoil, she had joined the... no; she had rushed towards the undead in a rage without a care. Eldrian let her be, understanding this was her method of dealing with the pain and unknown. He wasn''t worried. With her unique power, the undead were powerless before her.


    It seemed best to let her vent until they either got good news; or the pain lessened.


    "This is simpler than I thought it would be." Sofieramented as the trio finished another fort. With their help, things had approximately doubled in pace. They already finished a series of structures from KN (Kyno Northeast) to GE (Ganalin Eastern).


    They were now focused with the line towards Pyknos Fort. From there, they would then move west again to finish that side towards Ganalin, connecting it with defenses the dwarfs would add in the mountains.


    Thereafter, they would focus on where Evale was stationed. Thanks to the wide ins and the city''s active stalling of the undead, things seemed rather optimistic.


    "Well, I''m not crazy enough to think we need to make actual forts." Eldrian said, replying to Sofiera''sment.


    "Indeed, this n is quite appropriate. It is more like preparing the foundations speedily so we won''t be caught without our Akro."


    ''I-interesting phrase...'' Eldrian recalled that the cape covering a centaur''s horse half, almost like pants, was called an Akro. ''Is that their version of with their pants down?''


    "But will this be enough?" Solvi asked. The trio were already on the move to the next location where a tower would be constructed.


    After a bit of back and forth, they had decided to only make the tower foundation two stories tall. A wooden addition would be added for a total height of three stories. This allowed more to be made with less mana, and thus massively sped up the construction. Besides, a massive tower wouldn''t make too big a difference in the ins.


    They could always revisit thingster to increase the size. Speed was currently paramount.


    "The point was never to have this be an imprable wall. It is only meant to keep the wandering undead out of the region." Sofiera replied before Eldrian could. "The idea is simple, insane, and brilliant.


    "We will focus the cannons at the forts and towers, and if time permits, spread it even through the wall."


    "Of course. And Sofiera, are you going to help Eldrian in iming the lost fort?" Solvi asked. She was d that Eldrian had thought of it before she had brought it up. It showed he was aware of the danger he presented when training or experimenting.


    "Depending on the situation." Sofiera paused, "Though, I do fear hitting the hos'' nest."


    "I think it is about time we do." Eldrian countered, "If we have finished the regional wall, they will find it quite difficult to invade again."


    "That is true, but if they gather their elites... I doubt the kingdom will be able to give us much support."


    ''Truly, this seems to be a constant problem. Not enough skilled personal... but the situation should be the same for the vampires after their losses.''


    "We still have the dwarves, at least. Boran has promised his support should the undead move with strength. After all, they don''t want to be an ind."


    "Indeed, though I am impressed they agreed." Sofiera smiled, stealing a nce at Eldrian.


    "He was truly impressive!" Solvi smiled and pped Eldrian''s shoulder with augh. "I heard he showed them his power and had the nobles quivering in their boots!"


    "That isn''t quite¡ª"


    "Oh my, I can just imagine it. Indeed, Eldrian, you never cease to amaze."


    "Hey, wait! Don''t¡ª"


    "Indeed, he is a bag of surprises. Has he shown you his runic magic?" Solvi asked Sofiera.


    "Yes, it is a brilliant idea. But I fear I am too old to change my ways."


    "Come now, you aren''t that old!"


    "My eightieth birthday was a few years ago now." Sofiera smiled as she thought of this. "I''m afraid I''m past the age of change."


    "What are you talking about!? That''s still so young! You have at least another hundred years in front of you."


    "Perhaps..." Sofiera smiled, but she wasn''t about to abandon her years of training for something new and shy. Runic magic, it had its uses, but it wasn''t perfect. The same held true for dynamic casting, and unlike Myropsis, Sofiera had little confidence in unlocking its secrets.


    After all, Myropsis was in her twenties and already Tier 6. ''Whereas I only reached Tier 7 in my eighties. Her future is much brighter, as expected of a duke''s daughter.''


    Sofiera didn''t feel envious. Instead, she felt proud to have mentored the girl for a while. She considered Myropsis a close friend and a pupil. Eldrian was a moreplicated topic, but she wanted to call him a friend, too.


    The joking continued until they reached their next target. With Eldrian feelingplicated about being the butt of over half the jokes, and how they talked about age.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 758 Jade In ANW

    When they arrived at the next site, Solvi quickly found the best location after inspecting the grounds. Sofiera then started the construction and Eldrian added his mana to hers.


    After some experiments, Eldrian found he could move his mana ording to another''s spells and will. It was the reverse of his mage battery n, but it still worked. Adding his mana to morepetent people wasn''t a bad turn, either.??


    Solvi then took control to harden the dirt once Sofiera finished. Enchanting it to turn it from simple dirt into a type of magicalpound. Near the end, the first wall of the second floor was finished. Hard enough to take even a number of Eldrian''s full powered punches.??


    Crystoi, however, would tear through it with ease. So naturally, he hadn''t used it when testing the sturdiness of the first walls.??


    As they were about to start on the next wall, the trio froze. Someone was skipping towards them with a carefree attitude. She reeked of someone not minding her surroundings. Upon seeing Eldrian, she waved.??


    "Do you know her?" Solvi asked, frowning as she noticed the strange aura surrounding the girl.??


    "I wish I didn''t..." Eldrian groaned. ''How did she find me?!''


    "Eldrian! Finally found you!" Jade shouted with a wide smile. For her avatar, she chose a fae race, like Erik. She looked like a mix between a dryad and an elf.??


    Fair skin with light blue and green patterns covering her body like tattoos in quite the... arrangement. Long ears, golden hair, emerald eyes with a fire of sapphire mixed in. And her clothing was on the risque side. Emphasizing everything.??


    "She your girlfriend? I thought you had a thing for Vivian?" Solvi teased and Eldrian groaned.??


    "As if... she''s at best an acquaintance. And how do you¸MÄÜ"


    "Come now, everyone thinks you two like each other." Sofiera interrupted. "After all, no matter what, you two end up back together. You even gave her a mansion."


    "Well, that''s¸MÄÜ"


    "Eldrian, who are they?" Jade asked, tilting her head cutely and sending an innocent smile their way while still a ways away.??


    ''Can I finish one sentence!?''


    "Be careful, seems she is trying to charm us." Sofiera mumbled, moving quickly and constructing a barrier to stop this from happening. However, Jade''s power wasn''t your normal type of magic.


    "Focus your minds. It''s an aura." Eldrian said as the barrier failed as expected.??


    "How bothersome." Solvi spat, "Hey! Girl! Can''t you control that power of yours!?"


    "Huh? How do you¸MÄÜ"


    "Don''t think we take kindly to you trying to interrupt our work and then charm us." Sofiera interrupted Jade mid-sentence. "The only reason you''re still alive is because Eldrian admitted to knowing you."


    ''Really?! Fuck! That would have been perfect!'' Regretting his folly, Eldrian prayed that someone woulde and get rid of Jade. Her ruining his home was bad enough. He didn''t want her here at all.??


    "How dare you!?" Jade had expected Eldrian''s disrespect, but for a dwarf and centaur to look at her with such eyes. "Do you¸MÒ†eph!"


    She froze as she felt a number of deadly spells suddenly targeting her. ''What the hell is going on?! Is everyone around Eldrian meanies?''


    "I don''t like your attitude. Leave!"??


    ''Wow, Sofiera''s pissed.'' Eldrian hadn''t heard her tone drop so low before. The glint in her eyes seemed to indicate that she was ready to kill.??


    "How!!!" Jade couldn''t even get the words out. "I''m an ambassador¸MÄÜ"


    "Yeah, we don''t care." Solvi interrupted. "If all you''re going to do is distract us, we''ll kill you now. You''re like a Chosen, right?"??


    "How-what-this..." Jade couldn''t believe this. They didn''t even allow her to finish! "I''m an ambassador for the gods!" She spat this out as quickly as possible, not wishing to be interrupted again.??


    "So?"


    "So?"


    ''They really are insane!'' Never had those words not worked. Whenever she mentioned that in an empire, everyone would do whatever they could to please her. "You must now know what those words¸MÄÜ"


    "Don''t take us for fools. We know, and we know a lot more." Sofiera interrupted.??


    "Wait, that can''t be. Did you tell them?!" She turned to Eldrian inplete disbelief. The only reason those words would lose their power was if someone understood the situation better.??


    "Yeah? Why would I hide things from my friends?" Eldrian replied, finding a small satisfaction in how Jade seemed incapable of epting this.??


    "Do you know how dangerous that is?!" She waved her hands around in protest.??


    "Why? It doesn''t change much. It only adds some perspective. After all, this world and universe was made by GAIA. Learning that GAIA also had a creator isn''t that strange." Eldrian countered.??


    "Wait, what?" Solvi turned to Eldrian, bbergasted.??


    "Ah, guess I didn''t share this with you yet..." Eldrian rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.??


    "Well, it is shocking. But it is just as you say, it only adds some more perspective onto things. Yeah... it makes sense. Thinking that a god came from nothing, or came from something. The difference doesn''t mean much to me."


    ''Phew... Luckily, she took that easily... no, she''s going to let me have it once Jade is dealt with,'' Eldrian groaned, fully ming Jade.??


    "You can''t be serious. Then you must know¸MÄÜ"


    "Are you going to threaten us now?" Sofiera asked, "The gods can''t directly interfere with the world. This ismon knowledge. They are bound by heir own rules. Your threats mean nothing!"


    "Wha-bu-help?" She turned to Eldrian and fully relied on her infallible powers. Only to have them brush over Eldrian like they didn''t exist.??


    Taking a long sigh and quickly sorting his thoughts to decide the best way forward, Eldrian decided it was best not to cut off this rtionship. After all, he did not want a war with Miracle.??


    ''She''s a handful, but she might be useful.'' Asking Solvi and Sofiera to leave this to him, Eldrian stepped forward and pulled Jade away. The longer her powers assaulted the two, the more pissed they were going to be.??


    "You really have to learn how to control your charm power." he chided her as soon as they made enough distance.??


    "How did you¸MÄÜ"


    "Really? How can you even ask? It''s literally oozing out of you."


    "Don''t say oozing!" Jade protested, but Eldrian wasn''t going to mind her protest.??


    "Then get control of it. If it wasn''t for me, they would have killed you as soon as they felt the power. Do you even understand in how much danger you were?"


    "What?! No way! But in the city, everyone was so nice."


    Eldrian ced his hand on his forehead and sighed. Taking several deep breaths to calm down. "And you think that was fine? Manipting people''s emotions.... I guess you really are part of Miracle."


    "Hey! Wait, why do I feel like that just now was some really mean jab?!"


    "Because it was! It is never okay to manipte people. Especially not when you add magic into the equation!"


    "Ah-but... That can''t be helped!" Jade protested.??


    "Yes, it can!" Eldrian countered. Taking a step back and several deep breaths to calm himself. "I assume you came here since you couldn''t follow me?"


    "Yeah?" Jade didn''t seem to follow what was bothering Eldrian.??


    "You do know my rtionship with Miracle, right?"


    "Hmm, hmm." She nodded confidently. "But that is in the past. We''ll forgive you and wee you back."


    "Who said I want to be weed back!?" Eldrian took another deep breath. ''Dang, this is going to be harder than I thought.''??


    "Listen, it isn''t that simple."

 Chapter 759 Something Else

    "Hehehe..." Erik chuckled after reading the Eldrian''s message. ''Sounds like he had his hands full thanks to a certain somebody deciding to crash into his life.''


    "What''s so funny, Faust?" A customer asked, and Erik waved it off. Handing the boxes of potions to the customer, hepleted thest transaction for the day and closed the store.


    "Are we going to go to Kynigo again?" Akarui asked, helping tidy things up after a long day.


    "If Eldrian realizes that idea of his." Erik replied.


    Akarui nodded, entering serious thinking mode as she tried to figure out what that was. After a few seconds, she caved in and asked, "What''s that?"


    "A way to protect you." Erik replied.


    "I''m stronger than you think!" Akarui argued, trying to show off her muscles.


    "Sure you are." Erik smiled and ruffled her hair, causing the little girl to pout. And she forgot everything a few secondster.


    "Are we going to the gardens today?" She asked, throwing some wonderful puppy dog eyes at Erik.


    "Yeah, I think it is about time for a harvest." Erik nodded, taking Akarui''s hand and moving through the darkening city with practiced ease. They rented a cart at the edge of the building district and, after a brief conversation with the horses, the two jumped on and enjoyed the ride.


    "What did they say today?" Erik asked, still trying to wrap his head around how she could talk to animals. Thanks to this ability of her awakening, they now had almost every animal that could be kept as a pet on the farm Erik owned.


    Too often, far too often, Erik was forced to treat an injured animal and then begged that they keep them.


    "They wanted some asimi." Akarui replied with a bright smile.


    "Asimi?" Erik tried recalling the type of nt that was.


    "It''s the one that helps your energy flow." Akarui''s words helped Erik recall the peculiar herb. It was one of those non-magical nts that acted as a catalyst in alchemy. Increasing the strength of stamina recovery potions, in particr.


    Also often used as a medicine to increase a person''s vitality and heal fatigue. Brewing it into a tea and drinking it during sickness or while recovery from injury was quitemon. The nt''s effects were simr to a rejuvenation spell from the Anthos line.


    Unlike the spells, its use had less after effects if used for a prolonged time. Though, yers rarely needed to be concerned about the aftereffects. Thier avatars were stronger and more resilientpared to the NPCs''.


    "Ah, right...do you know why they wanted some asimi?"


    Akarui nodded, a long and proud nod. "Triana''s ready."


    "That''s the one with the chestnut coat?"


    "Mmm, mmm" Akarui nods.


    "What''s she ready for?"


    "Baby!" Akarui replied, nearly causing Erik to fall from the cart.


    "Ah, I see... she''s pregnant."


    Akarui simply smiled, making Erik worry about what else the animals told her. ''I guess she isn''t that young, but... wait! I am not ready for The talk!''


    Erik suddenly got a massive headache. ''Ahh! I forgot that she is actually bing older. She''s ten now... I guess that time isn''t far off...''


    The thought was frightening, truly frightening. ''Right, I''ll ask Elizabeth or Ilmadia, or. No, not Judith. Maybe Silver? Yeah, I''ll leave it to them.'' Erik nodded, d to have sorted this out.


    Arriving at the garden/farm, Akarui jumped off and rushed to where the rescued animals grazed. They were all left free in arge fenced field. There was even a small dam, so water was no problem.


    The field had ced Erik in the red. Luckily, business was going well. Especially with how chaotic things were bing. He was starting to make deals with other merchants, up-scaling from a local trader to one mass producing products.


    Though, that often left him exhausted. He would prefer if things returned to normal.


    Watching Akarui ying and talking with the animals, Erik smiled. ''It''s like I became a father...what a strange thought... I''d prefer to think of it as being her older brother.''


    Moving on to the nts, Erik collected what was ready and ensured that all the arrays were properly powered. Using his strange power of being able to feel what the nts were feeling or wanted to improve things best he can.


    ''Right, Eldrian probably wants a report on everything. I heard he suddenly threw a fort at Elizabeth.'' For some strange reason, this made Erik smile. ''I''m not the only one suffering. Let''s all suffer and preserver together.''


    ***


    "Did you hear?"


    "Who hasn''t?"


    "We''re finally been given a true quest! Took long enough."


    "But it sucks that we have to be part of a guild."


    "Yeah, truly sucks. But did you hear?"


    "Mmm?"


    "We''re being sent to Taurus!"


    "What? Really? Lucky bastards. We''re being sent to Lekya..."


    "Really? I heard they haven''t even really been pressured?"


    "It''s true, but the kingdom acting as their wall is on theirst legs. We''re going to reinforce them from behind."


    "Dang, we''re being sent to Suvakar..."


    "Condolences."


    "Are you going?"


    "I already signed up. If I drop out now, well... This isn''t your normal game. Floria took us in, taught us, geared us, and even gave us quests and experience... I even paid my bills doing those quests."


    "Yeah, I feel you."


    The yers had truly been cared for, given what they wanted and allowed to experience the full vastness of the empire. There were many areas where monsters lived, created to allow the training of soldiers and adventurers.


    Most of their quests had been limited to these areas. These quests were controlled and things were ensured. That was why they called moving to support the kingdoms a true quest.


    Nothing would be certain once they left. And that, naturally, excited the yers.


    "Have you guys heard about the Lover''s guild?"


    "Don''t bring them up. It makes me sick thinking of them."


    "Why? It isn''t like this is a normal game. You just said that."


    "But that doesn''t mean this is an eroge!"


    "And why not? I mean, everything works." This got a round ofughs, bringing a pause to the insane topic as many yers thought of their own experiences in that area.


    Most of them had controlled themselves, but those of the Lover''s guild. Well, let''s just say theck of risk of disease, at least to their real body, made them indulge a bit too much in fantasy.


    The girls didn''t need to worry about pregnancy. There was magic to ensure it wouldn''t happen. Which made some of them also go a bit wild. And the guys could use this too, to prevent unwanted babies. So, of course, some had truly gone wild.


    And if you did pick up a STD, a simple suicide would fix the problem.


    Not wishing to continue this subject, someone changed the subject to the tourney. "Who do you guys think is going to take first ce this year?"


    "My bet is on Zinopia again. They''re unmatched."


    ""Agreed.""


    "It''s sad that Phoenix didn''t enter. They would have certainly ruffled things up."


    ""Yeah."" The group of yers sighed as a collective. Recalling Eldrian and all his shocking abilities, they all wondered just what had happened with the guy.


    He had been so active on the forum, and then, one day, he disappeared.


    They knew he still yed. There were many videos of himing from Phoenix. And it didn''t look like his abilities had weakened.


    Why he wouldn''t participate, not even in the individual matched. No one understood.


    The prize pool was even farrger than before. It would be easy money.


    "Do you guys think that the rumors are true?" Someone asked, naturally referring to the noise that Phoenix had made a month or so ago.


    "No idea, can''t think the game got through..." The yer lost his voice halfway through. So much in ANW should not have made it through the inspections. "Yeah, no idea."


    "Well, whatever. With these expedition missions, we''re finally going to be able to make some big cash!"


    ""Yeah!""


    Sadly, none of the yers realized just how big the difference was between war and training.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 760 Being Kind Is Not Easy

    "Keep your distance!" Solvi barked, causing Jade to yelp and jump back as the dwarf red at her.


    "Why are you so mean?!" Jade cried.


    "Because you''re a pain!" Solvi growled in reply.


    "I really think you should leave. Unless you''re able to control your aura, no one is going to wee your presence..." Eldrian tried to be soft, but having her power constantly trying to invade his mind certainly didn''t help.


    "But... I don''t know how...!" Jade was on the verge of crying.


    "Doesn''t your family have some sort of secret technique handed down to help them hide their power?"


    His question brought him a slow, depressed shake of the head.


    "That can''t be right. How the hell do you... I guess you don''t live a normal life."


    It strung how dry Eldrian''s tone was, but Jade honestly couldn''t argue. "But..."


    "Yeah?" Doing his best to sound willing to listen, Eldrian waited patiently for Jade to say what was on her mind.


    "No one else has this problem..."


    "What do you mean? Does the other''s not ooze out of them?"


    "I told you not to say ooze!" Jade shouted, finding herself shaking from disgust. Ooze, the word freaked her out. "But, yes.... No one else is incapable of controlling their power."


    ''Is hers stronger, more in tune, or...? Whatever it is, this is quite important information.'' This proved to Eldrian that it was worth the effort it took to be supportive. "Then, what is the norm?"


    "Years and years to gain some...powers..." The pause made Eldrian realize that she likely didn''t even consider itparable to hers.


    ''Shouldn''t her situation be even more special then? Why is Miracle not watching her with care? Is her case too special? Wait! Are they dumping this on me?!'' The thought gave Eldrian a massive headache, and for some reason, he felt this was likely true.


    "What''s with that look!?"


    "I just realized how much of a handful you are." Eldrian replied, brining back an unpleasant memory for Jade. Sulking, she turned her back on Eldrian.


    "Does your power work on your family?"


    Shaking her head slowly, Jade kept her back turned to Eldrian. ''She certainly is pretty...'' Looking at the patterns of light green and blue ying beneath her dress. Eldrian slowly reached his hand towards his shoulder.


    pping his cheeks to dispel the haze, Eldrian realized he hadpsed for a second. ''What a power. If I don''t keep my guard up, I''ll be charmed in an instant.''


    The sound of a p caused Jade to turn around, her eyes flying wide as she looked at the red mark glowing on Eldrian''s cheek.


    "I can''t believe you''re still so innocent." Eldrian mumbled, shocked nothing bad had ever happened to her. ''I guess those who are charmed aren''t ovee with sexual desires...then? Did only part of her power surface. This is insane!''


    "Why?" Tilting her head cutely, Jade blinked her eyes slowly.


    ''Stay strong, you idiot!'' Eldrian admonished himself. "This will not work. Jade, unless you can suppress your aura, we can''t be friends."


    "Wha?! No, this¡ª" she paused as Eldrian thrust his hand in her face.


    "But I get you don''t know how. Can you use magic?"


    "Of course!" Jade smiled. "Kataigida!"


    Her shout caused the wind to stir and water elements to gather. Until Eldrian dispelled everything with a flick of his hand. "I see. You do not know how to cast."


    "What!? Didn''t you just see¡ª" She faltered, realizing that her spell had already been scattered to the winds before it could form.


    "I saw you relying on the system to cast the spell for you. You didn''t even infuse a shred of will into the spell. It waspletely controlled by the system..." Eldrian sighed. ''How the heck am I supposed to teach her?''


    He couldn''t even throw her at the others. Ilmadia might be able to withstand the charm, but Eldrian didn''t think she wouldst long against it. Even Solvi and Sofiera were struggling before Eldrian had distanced Jade from them.


    Her powers were certainly stronger in ANW than on Earth.


    ''The only reason I can fight so well is because of how much practice I have with auras and soul rted things. But... if there are demons or devils with this same power.'' The thought gave Eldrian chills.


    He could see a battlefield shifting sides in an instance.


    ''Two, after finishing the spells, can you start researching for a way to counter this?''


    ''I don''t have the books.''


    ''I''ll get them.''


    "Umm... Eldrian, what now?" Jade asked, not wanting to be abandoned by the one she hoped to learn magic from.


    "Since youck the basic understanding of magic..." Eldrian frowned, this would not be something they could resolve quickly. "Please stay out of the way until we finish the walls. We need to prepare to face the undead."


    Seeing the depression creeping into her expression, Eldrian added, "I promise, once things have calmed down, I''ll help you learn control."


    Jade nodded, conflicted, but stepping back as requested. Her sadness quickly disappeared as she watched the trio work. Their team work was smooth and Eldrian had almost perfected handing over his mana to someone else.


    ''This might be useful in teaching her...'' Eldrian was conflicted about the path he was going down. But he felt something kindred in Jade. Something made him want to help her. ''I can only hope it isn''t her power corrupting me...''


    ¡ª


    "Elizabeth, why did you cave to Eldrian''s insanity?" Nikki asked. The news of them managing a fort had nearly caused her to faint.


    "It was a done deal already by the time I talked with him." Elizabeth gave a self-mocking smile.


    "Seriously, are you the guild leader or is he!?"


    "We did make him the vice leader for a reason." Elizabeth countered.


    "Not for him¡ªack! I guess this is partly our fault. We did give him the authority to negotiate this on our behalf."


    "But what do you think?"


    "It is easy defendable as long as the enemy can''t fly or can''t move around the cliffs."


    "That''s why Eldrian made the first forts at the ends of this cliff range." Elizabeth added, pointing at the locations they had decided on for the walls on a map of the Kynigo region.


    "And then this, a stone''s throw away from the fort, is the abandoned cavern he wanted?" Nikki asked, tracing the distance with her finger.


    "Indeed, if it is as rich as he said, it will be quite the harvest. Close to our main base and we can even station people in the fort."


    "Why didn''t he extend the walls to include it inside?" This part bothered Nikki.


    "Eldrian is afraid it is connected to the subterranean."


    "That''s...like a second worldyer, right? A massive world beneath the surface...truly fantasy."


    "Yeah, and if he is right. Then including it inside the walls might bring disaster."


    "I get it. What''s his ns?"


    "For now? Get the walls done and then he needs to train."


    "What training does he need to do? Gosh! He''s already so strong..."


    "Seems that is the reason. He needs to master control or it can be dangerous, or something like that."


    "Didn''t he say anything about after that?"


    Elizabeth paused and tried to recall. "He said some vague things. I think he will turn the mine into a fortress if he has the time."


    With this, this branch of the conversation came to a natural end. "By the way, why didn''t we enter the tourney?"


    "Do you think we have time for that?!" Elizabeth asked.


    "Hah, I didn''t consider that. Yeah, we don''t." Nikki chuckled. They were so busy they certainly couldn''t handle all the time joining the tourney demanded.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 761 The Empire Of Floria Moves

    Another week flew by, during which nothing unexpected happened. Jade kept following Eldrian around like a loyal puppy, but she kept an appropriate distance to not bother the others while they worked on the walls.


    Her presence had bothered Eldrian at first, but after some time passed, he got used to it. She seemed more interesting in the process of making the structures than him¡ªin the magic. So he ignored her as long as she didn''t interrupt them or bother them with her charm.


    Halfway through the week, Eldrian finally got confirmation from GAIA that Old Sword was safely in the afterlife. The news had been a massive relief for Vivian. She finally calmed down and took some time to process the news.


    Arge group of yers, around five thousand, arrived from the empire around the same time. Eldrian had ignored that and left it to Elizabeth to handle things. There were even two representatives from the empire, both at Tier 9. Which was a massive wee in the current situation.


    They seemed to refuse to help directly in the war, but where they were, their presence would help regardless¡ªafter all, only fools would charge towards someone stronger than them. Currently, the yers were split to the west and east and the representatives followed suit.


    One to the east, where the undead marched on.


    The other to the west, where all types of monsters were flooding in after the orcs.


    ***


    "Why are you refusing to work with us?" A tall-ish dwarf asked. He was yet another out of the slew of guild representatives who hade to ost Elizabeth and Phoenix. They truly did not seem to realize the difference between controlled quests and war quests.


    Amon point was that each and every guild thought this was going to be easy. At least, all the guilds who tried to meet with her had this attitude. This would be the tenth.


    Elizabeth was aware that this was only around half the guilds who hade to Taurus. Nevertheless, the taste they left in her mouth tainted all the guilds.


    "We aren''t." Elizabeth replied tly. "We are more than willing to work with you, but we won''t work under you."


    "Right, I heard you think too highly of yourselves. You know one sess doesn''t make a guild."


    "One sess...?" Elizabeth shook her head andughed. These guilds from the empire, their attitude was certainly haughty.


    They saw themselves as the chosen. Trained by the best and backed by the best. They expected respect and subservience from everyone, at least from the other yers. They showed a modicum of respect to the king, at least.


    ''I mean, even the representatives weren''t as haughty...''


    "Like I said before, we have our own business. You are wee to help the rescue mission in Pediades, or to go into the fields and fight the migrating monsters." Elizabeth paused. Like each meeting before, she would need to make her stance clear.


    "But don''t expect to order me or anyone from my guild! We worked hard for what we have. Of course, I won''t say you should stay out of Kynigo. The gods know we need all the help we can get. But I won''t be handing you our fort!"


    "Tsk!" A elf clicked his tongue. "It isn''t much to ask, right? In return, you won''t have to worry about the undead."


    "If you really think that..." Elizabeth decided not to say what was in her heart. They would learn soon enough. This was not a yground for the yers.


    Even with all their sess, the average levels of Phoenix members were only around thirties. Death was toomon. Only the elite managed to crawl themselves to a level in the forties.


    This was another reason for these yers'' haughtiness. Their average levels were in the fifties, with their elites even reaching the sixties. Inparison, Phoenix''s members werecking. Or so it seemed. But levels...levels really meant little in a fight between a Tier 4 and 5.


    The Tier 4 will lose in almost all cases. These yers didn''t quite understand howrge the gap was. They might have learnt it in sparring matches¡ªduring training. But they had never felt the desperation as they stalled the enemy while the cries of death surrounded them.


    Knowing that even at the cost of your life, you could not change a thing. Such a suffocating feeling was something that only the veteran yers, who had refused the empires, knew.


    As for Phoenix''s low levels, this was not something the members felt conflicted about. Not at all. They took pride in it. Their low levels showed just how hard they had fought. How much they had died for their quests.


    It was not ineptitude, but courage. To fight and die to help the NPCs, and to make that death count. That was a deep pride of the guild.


    Of course, they didn''t shun high levels. But, to boast about levels. It was something that no one in the guild even considered. They understood that the important ssification was Tiers. And Tiers alone.


    "Then I take it as your refusal for cooperation." The dwarf said.


    "Fine, take it that way." Elizabeth didn''t feel like arguing. It felt like she was having the same conversation each time.


    With a hmph, the dwarf left, and the others followed after him.


    "Nikki?"


    "I give them a week or two."


    "Oh? That is quite impressive."


    "Yes, they at least have some backing for their pride. They are strong. But they failed to realize that they are strong in a vacuum."


    "Well, that was thest guild who had a meeting scheduled. Will you give the report to the king?" Elizabeth asked, wishing to return to Pediades to ensure everything was moving smoothly. She was also needed to help heal the recently rescued.


    Her magic was stronger than the normal priests. The guild had simply epted and only those close to her knew the true reason for this.


    ¡ª


    "I see, so they are still yers at heart..." Eldrian nodded. It was to be expected. After all, they were being trained like heirs in the empire. The reality was going to be a hard hit for them all. "Having pride when they were only Tier 4. Ah, reality is going to kick them really hard."


    "How about things here?" Elizabeth asked. The recent changes in the situation having called her away from fort KN¡ªas they have decided to call it, Kyno Northeast was simply too long.


    "More of the same. The undead migrating inwards aren''t all that strong. The hit squads clear therge clusters. I believe the guild is getting constant quests through this too."


    "Yeah, sadly, the quests don''t reward levels. But the mary rewards are superb and, thanks to the low average level in the guild, even the XP rewards make a difference. We''re even starting to form a decent budget."


    "As for the undead who escaped these quests," Eldrian continued, "well...they find themselves before a wall. Killed easily by the arrays we have added between the towers."


    "So, things are going as nned?" Elizabeth asked and Eldrian nodded.


    "Yes, it seems I can finally focus on my training."


    "That is wonderful... By the way, is that the girl?" Elizabeth pointed with her head to where Jade was waiting. People moving around her in a wide berth.


    "Yeah, Jade. Seems her power or bloodline or whatever is far stronger in the game. It oozes out of her and charms anyone whoes within three meters of her. The charm increases in power the closer you are. At one meter, without any defenses, you''ll be willing to kill yourself for her."


    "You''re kidding, right?"


    "I wish. I find myself slipping from time to time. Luckily, my defenses are strong, so I only get urges that I can fight. But...it''s such a pain."


    "Why not just kick her out?"


    "She''s a pain, but she has her uses."


    Elizabeth smiled, thinking that it was much the opinion they held about him. The irony, she found it truly refreshing. "Ah..." Elizabeth nodded, trying to hide her smile. "Hows the other ns going?"


    "Good, I''ve confirmed with Ashliel how to go about it. She already gave me what I needed."


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 762 A Fort Filled With Vampires

    "Thanks foring, everyone." Eldrian smiled as he met up with everyone at the agreed upon location.


    As everyone had something they had to do before, they had moved separately and were meeting up at an agreed upon location.


    It was a strange sight for Eldrian to see Sofiera and Solvi dressed forbat. Sofiera had a particrly shy akro, perhaps as one should expect from a highmage. Wonderful embroidery flowed seemingly endlessly as it formed some of the most condensed rune formations Eldrian had ever seen.


    Solvi, on the other hand, appeared like a walking piece of silver-blue metal. Covered head to toe in thick tes of Mithril. On her back she had a massive warhammer, and at her sides she had two one-handed mauls.


    The agreed upon location was about a kilometer from their target. One of the lost forts bordering the Vriks Drnds¡ªthend of vampires.


    The modern maps didn''t even have a name for it anymore. Most of the region west of Kynoke had been lost a few hundred years ago. The region was simply too close to the vampires.


    After some time and enough problems, the kingdom had abandoned it. Forming a no-man''snd between the drnds and Taurus to lessen the influence from the undead.


    In the past -before they had abandoned the area- reports of kidnappings had been extremelymon. There had even been an underground ve market in the towns¡ªording to some records Two had gone through.


    Eldrian also knew that thesends weren''t abandoned by all. The vampires had settled them. Along with what he assumed were the descendants of who had refused to move, or were from a long line of ves of the vampires.


    Their lives were that of ves, but at least their situation seemed better than those whonded under the tyranny of the orcs. Though, that was only if Eldrian went with the overall numbers alive. And an argument could be made that a long life was not always a better one.


    Regardless, he did not know what their daily lives as the ves of vampires entailed. Part of the mission today was to figure this out. But only if the situation allowed.


    "I''ll give a brief overview of those in the fort. I know it is strange, but I would like to try and talk with the vampires before we attack."


    Surprisingly, no one was against the idea. Sure, it would mean they lost their element of surprise, but their group was far stronger than what was actually required to the take the fort.


    They might only be six, technically seven¡ªbut the seventh was Jade. Outside of her, everyone was over Tier 5, and those at Tier 5 were Eldrian and Vivian. They couldn''t really be treated as normal Tier 5''s¡ªespecially not against the undead.


    "Are you hoping they will leave willingly?" Vivian asked. She understood Eldrian did not consider all the races of chaos as inherently evil. While she could not share in his position, she could ept that he needed to determine this for himself.


    Her rampage had helped her calm her rage and the news that her dad had made it to the afterlife had cooled the hatred that remained¡ªto a degree. She would never stay her sword if she were to meet a lich, but for vampires, she could give Eldrian some time to sort out his own ideals.


    "I''m not really bothered if they do or not. We''re at war, so we will take the fort regardless of negotiations." Eldrian''s reply surprised those who knew him well. Especially that he left no room for doubt.


    "Then what''s the point?" Theas asked, "Talking with them first is only going to make things more difficult." As the one who knew Eldrian the least, Theas could not understand what the elf Chosen before him wanted. He couldn''t follow Eldrian''s line of thinking.


    "I have a few things I want to see with my own eyes and a few things I need to confirm. But mostly, I want to see what their reaction is to negotiations." Basically, if it was possible to hold negotiations.


    Other than that, Eldrian wanted to see what the condition of the ves was. ording to his map, the fort had around a thousand thralls and a hundred existential vampires, and eleven true vampires. Then there was over ten thousand ves. Humans, demi-humans, centaurs, and even some orcs, kobolds, and goblins.


    Only the true vampires were considered a threat to their group. There was one Tier 7, six Tier 6''s, and four Tier 5''s. For this reason, Eldrian would be holding negotiations outside.


    If they refused, he would give up. Walking into their den was not an option, at least not alone. And he didn''t want to ce anyone else in unnecessary danger. He doubted the vampires would ept their entire group entering the fort. Especially considering how the thralls had reacted to Vivian.


    Thus, a basis for the negotiations would be having the entire party enter; or holding it at the gate. Though, thetter would prevent him from learning about the state of living of those in the fort. But again, that was a second priority.


    "Are you going alone?" Sofiera asked, already knowing the answer but wishing for him to exin his ns better for the group.


    "Yeah, I think I seem the least frightening in our group." On the way here, Eldrian hade with Vivian¡ªand Jade, of course. They had run into a few groups of thralls during their travels.


    Somehow, the thralls were affected by Jade''s power, while they ran from Vivian in fear instead. They only turned to Eldrian with their fangs. Jade might be useful for the negotiations, but if it turned into a fight, she would only be dead weight.


    And if she didn''t charm the vampires right away, it would likely only sour rtions. Not that rtions would start in the positive, anyway.


    "Right, so the currentyout..." Eldrian went to exin how the vampires had positioned themselves and where most of the ves were being kept. While not the primary mission, they would save who they could if it came down to it.


    "Myropsis, you''ll stay behind to form a safe zone, as usual. We''re going to send the rescued ves your way. Jade...just stay out of the way."


    "Hey!" Jade wanted to argue, but shrunk back as everyone red at her because she had moved too close. Causing her aura to do its thing, which was a massive pain. Especially when their guard was down.


    Thinking about the fact that they were getting this fort so Eldrian could train out of danger, and it would also be her training ground, too. She meekly epted the order and moved back before their fury erupted.


    Vivian, in particr, was giving her a deadly look.


    "I don''t want toe out and find the ves charmed." Eldrian reminded her before leaving.


    As for how he would call for help, Eldrian had spent a week with Sofiera and Solvi working on the forts, towers, and walls. During that time, he had further analyzed telepathic messaging after mastering handing over his mana to another.


    Slowly, he came to understand the foundation to a degree that he could exin it to others. Attempting to put to words the feeling he had simply, instinctually, copied while mind linking with Ceph.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 763 The Warning Fails

    Mind link, as Eldrian ssified it, was difficult to exin in words, though the knowledge of mageia helped the exnation greatly. Up until now, he had relied simply on feel tomunicate with the Alicorns, first having naturally relied on them forming the connection to get the feel.


    As he learned more about it and tested, the more sense it made that it was absent to static mages. Unlike standard magic, the reliance was little on mana and mostly on willpower and state of mind.


    It required the use of mageia as Eldrian would say, and if the distance wasn''t great, little to no mana entered the equation. But this heavy reliance on the non-mana aspect of magic made it elusive to the static mages who ced near all their focus on mana and spell constructions.


    Sure, Sofiera had mentioned some spells that worked simrly. But they werecking inparison. After all, they were spells. They required formation and mana, both of which could be detected and interrupted.


    The method of the mind link was far harder to detect and near impossible to interfere with on the spot. At the minimum, you would first need to analyze the wavelength that the connection ispromised of.


    And to interfere, you would need to alter your own mageia to a simr form to listen in, or a negative mirror to interfere. Neither of which would be easy unless you far surpassed the target. If you did not far surpass the target''s level, you would need a great deal of time to analyze the link.


    After some practice, Eldrian could now send single sentences to Sofiera. They couldn''t form a stable connection as he had Ceph always did. Solvi could only receive single words.


    But this would be enough to call for help, and with Sofiera, he could even maintain a flow of information. Only, she was limited to a hundred words within a minute. More than that brought on massive headaches to the centaurette.


    Moving out, Eldrian approached the fort from the front. Walking on the faded road, he spread his mageia through the surroundings and noted all the thralls moving to surround him.


    He pondered for a second why he could spread his mageia so far from his body, and why he could form a picture of the entire area it covered. He dropped these questions since he had to focus on the vampires.


    ''Can I get a recap on thralls?''


    ''Sure,'' Two quickly replied. ''Like most undead, they are weak to fire and holy magic. Fire, as you know, burns the body and makes maintaining their form difficult, forming what you can consider cracks in the curse. The burn wounds also are harder to heal in the case of vampires, whose undeath is a vastly different to normal undead.''


    ''Holy instead burns the soul instead, directly attacking the curse binding them to undeath. For natural vampires, it is assumed that holy magic attacks the tainted soul. However, this is spection.''


    ''We have a few Tier 5 non-divine holy spells in our arsenal.''


    ''That won''t be needed. I think magma needles will work fine.'' Eldrian was impressed that there were non-divine holy spells. He would have to look into them after, but he suspected the principal was simr to the magic circle he had installed in the mini-tower a few weeks ago.


    ''Alright. Am I targeting?''


    ''Yeah, I''ll focus on the E-vampires.'' Eldrian felt existential was simply tooplicated and difficult to say, and he couldn''t recall what the word meant. He assumed it had something to do with questioning your existence, but he cared little for that.


    So he went and called them E-vampires instead. It had a nice ring to it, or so Eldrian and Two felt.


    E-vampires fell in the unwilling rank and were limited to Tier 5 in strength. Though, unlike ming reanimates, there were weaker ones too. In simple terms, all people can be turned into vampires, but not all people can be ming reanimates. And when weaker people are turned, they don''t suddenly be much stronger. Though, unlike the ming reanimates, even when unwilling, they can grow in strength up to Tier 5.


    Eldrian had expected the vampires would open with an attack instead of talking. So, when the thralls rushed him from all around and the E-vampires prepared their spells from the walls, he countered in force.


    Two controlled the magma needled, summoning from the ground needles as thick and long as a finger, spewing mes as it came into contact with the air. As soon as it flew from the ground, the heat increased even more. The rock started melting, though their sharpened form was not lost.


    These needles expertly flew through the thralls'' heads. Killing them all on the spot. They fell to the ground like puppets who had their wires cut. Unlike most undead, vampire variants still had human weaknesses. The head and heart.


    Two was relying all the information he had on vampires to Eldrian as they continued to walk. Not stopping for a moment for what was supposed to be a surprise attack.


    As for the magic of the E-vampires, it was but Tier 4 and 5 spells. It took more than a handful of seconds to take form. To Eldrian, this was truly simple to dispel. All he had to do was overwhelm the area with mageia to cut the casters'' will from their mana as it left their bodies.


    ''Their will is terribly weak. I guess that is due to them being unwilling vampires...'' Eldrian noted.


    He followed this up by pulling the half vampires from the walls. For the heavier centaur vampire and some type of ape demi-human vampire, he added a wind kick along with the ether pull.


    Screams of surprise filled the air as they fell, though the damage was little.


    Taking a modicum of control of all the mana in the surroundings. Eldrian formed a crude magic sealing barrier in the surrounding two hundred meters. Wishing to stop the E-vampires from trying to fight any further. After all, he came to talk.


    "If you don''t mind, I would like to talk." Eldrian said with a calm smile. Summoning six more magma needled and having them float around him. Each pointed at the E-vampires.


    Seeing the same spell that had killed over thirty thralls, the E-vampires froze in fear. Especially when they realized they lost control of their mana as soon as it left their body to form a spell.


    Despite their fear, they had been ordered to guard the gate and capture or kill all who tried to enter the fort. While shivering in fear, they did the only thing they could do with magic sealed from them.


    They charged.


    "Tsk!" Eldrian clicked his tongue, not having expected this development.


    The distance between him and the E-vampire was too much for them to do anything, no matter how fast they ran. Eldrian almost felt he had enough time to enjoy some tea before reacting to their desperatest-ditch attempt.


    As a warning, he let one magma needle fly. Then another. Killing one, two, three, four¡ª


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 764 Levana

    "Halt!" a female voice echoed from the fort. The remaining two E-vampires froze on the spot upon hearing themand.


    Turning his head to the voice''s origin, Eldrian saw a nubile girl standing on the battlements. She had raven ck hair tied into a neat ponytail, reaching the small of her back. At her side, she had two daggers and her clothing was tight fitting. Matching her hair in color. If she stood in a shadow, she would be near invisible.


    She stared at Eldrian with clear intent to kill, however; she stayed atop the walls. Wary of the disy of power Eldrian had shown. She also noticed the peculiarity of the mana in her surroundings. She could tell it wasn''t a magic sealing barrier, but it was simr in some aspects.


    The problem was, she had no idea what it truly was. Simrity still meant differences existed, and in a way, this felt more threatening. As if it was more focused around individuals, rather than equally epassing the surroundings.


    ''She must be the one who was closest to the gate. I guess she heard themotion, Levana, if I recall. Tier 6, so I have to keep my guard up,'' Eldrian mused, using mana sense as a precaution, knowing that the map inspection only gave him minimal details.


    ''Wait, vampire princess? What''s with that title?'' Eldrian felt like someone had suddenly yed a cruel prank on him. This development felt just right for a game, but ANW wasn''t¡ªor shouldn''t¡ªfollow the same conventions.


    ''Unawakened Vampire Mistress... She might be trouble.'' Sharing this development with Sofiera, Eldrian suddenly wanted to negotiations to work. She was currently still too far for him to determine her stats, but he felt confident she would put up a great struggle.


    Actually, Eldrian knew that even a normal Tier 6 would not be his match in base stats, not after he reached Tier 5 and binding Crystoi to him. However, their experience did make them a force to be reckoned with since the difference was not great enough to eclipse technique.


    Eldrian doubted this girl was experienceless. And he was sure she had to be stronger than normal people, being a vampire and unawakened ss. This was his first time encountering thetter, and he was sure it was troublesome.


    As such, he would rather not anger her. Even if they killed her, Eldrian suspected there was someone strong behind her.


    It would be like opening a can of worms. And Eldrian was not fond of worms. Who the heck was?


    "I heard you shout you wanted to talk." Levana increased the bloodlust she was releasing, leaking enough to have the normal person quiver in fear or even faint. She even strengthened it with her will to add even more power to it. Yet, Eldrian was unaffected.


    This caused her caution to increase yet again, so she decided to continued to conversation. However, her fury demanded an exnation. "Why then, were you killing our guards!?"


    ''Seemsmunication is possible at least... So they consider the E-vampires as their guards? I guess that makes sense. They are a step below the normal vampires, after all. And for a princess... Ah! A second princess!''


    Realizing his thoughts were wandering, Eldrian refocused and answered the question while letting the bloodlust flow over him like it was nothing. "I only killed them since they charged me with clear intent to kill or injure. I would indeed prefer to talk, if it is possible."


    "That would depend on the subject." Levana replied, trying to determine Eldrian''s strength.


    Her detection spells would not tell her anything other than his name and Tier. As for his mana, it seemed to fill his entire being. Something that should not be possible.


    She was certain she had more mana, but that filled her with little confidence. That his information was outside of her reach was a truly unsettling feeling. It meant she had to approach things while in the dark.


    Tier 5, she scoffed at what her detection spell told her. She thought the information was false, and going by his mana quantity, she guessed he had to be an elite in Tier 6. Someone who had a mastery of at least two sses, perhaps even all three.


    No Tier 5 could so easily deal with six Existential Vampires. Like he was dealing with children¡ªmeek, malnourished children. If he was an elite in Tier 6, then it could be epted.


    "It is the release of the fort." Eldrian interrupted the vampire''s musings, deciding to make the conditions as appealing as he could. "I am willing to concede and allow you to take your ves with you."


    He was cing his hoped that the ves were treated well, else he would feel quite troubled by allowing them to continue being suppressed.


    "You want the fort?" Levana looked at Eldrian in shock. His calm tone as heid forth his demands settled for her the fact that he must be an elite in Tier 6.


    She could not think of any other exnations why he could remain calm facing her and the torrent of bloodlust she had aimed at him. The E-vampires were quivering from having tasted just a bit of it


    ''He is likely the captain of a force, or perhaps a scout of an army. However, if that was the case, why would hee to negotiate? And we would not have missed the moving of an army, especially since they started building that wall of theirs... ''


    It was then that she realized Eldrian was an elf and her guard increased yet again. Taurus had no elf race.


    The kingdom was one with a wide diversity of races. Half of the poption was centaurs, and the rest divided between humans and demi-humans near equally. Of course, there were also the dwarves who resided in the Ganalin and Volvren mountains. However, they weren''t treated as part of the kingdom.


    Yet, even with the wide diversity in races, there were no elves. In fact, the kingdomcked most fae races. Except in the far southeastern corner, next to the Volvren mountains, was a massive forest nearly covering a quarter of the kingdom.


    There lived some fae, though they kept to themselves most of the time. Much like the dwarves, they could not be counted as a part of the kingdom.


    "Are you of these Chosen we have heard about? A race sent by the gods, incapable of true death?" Levana enquired.


    "It seems you are well informed. Indeed, I am a Chosen. Ah, you might not be able to see my race." Fiddling with his settings, Eldrian made his race visible. He had hidden it recently while ying with the interface. Trying to figure out more of its abilities and attempting to understand the connection between XP, and thus lifeforce, and it. "I am a High Elf."


    Seeing her detection spell suddenly stating extra information, Levana was stunned. To be able to alter what others could pry, she had never heard of such an item. An item would always hide what it was made to hide.


    ''Is this a power of the Chosen?'' She pondered, wary that the information might be false.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 765 Negotiations Start

    "Return," shemanded the surviving E-vampires, who had been frozen on the spot since hermand to halt.


    They did so without a fuss. Eldrian was impressed until he realized they were likely just a slight step above the thralls. ''Most likely can''t even determine their own futures, truly the perfect guards... I guess they didn''t charge me because they wanted. Are they aware?''


    Eldrian was unsure if he should feel sad that he had killed them so heartlessly, or consider that he had released them. He went with the second. After all, they fell under the unwilling category. Surely, that meant they would wish for death, or at least wee it when it arrives.


    He was unsure how much intelligence they retained. None of them had attempted to speak, though they had incanted the chants and words of power for their spells.


    "Do you truly think we will surrender the fort just because you asked? We''ve had it for what¡ª" Levana paused, realizing that for an elf, the period of time would not even make up a childhood.


    Like most natives of ANW, she did not know that the Chosen could choose their race and were all originally human. "We''ve held the fort for many years," she rephrased.


    Vampires should have a simr time sense to elves. However, few made it to ten thousand years of age. Internal strife was everywhere, and surviving till your thousandth turning was amendable achievement.


    Levana herself had been born a vampire, one of the few natural vampires in existence. They aged much like humans. As for her age, she was approaching her thirtieth birthday.


    "Indeed, you have." Eldrian would not argue that fact. It had been a few generations for centaurs, whomonly lived until two hundred. Three hundred if they had admirable magical talents and did not live a hard life.


    "Yet, it was originally part of the kingdom." Eldrian continued. "Because of certain reasons, I require a secure location separate from the kingdom." Eldrian''s way of speaking was both irritating the vampire princess and causing an unknown fear to bubble inside her.


    He was talking as if they were friends, yet he demanded they retreat. And although she should be the stronger individual, she felt no fear -not even concern or a shred of worry- from Eldrian. None of her attempts to establish herself above him had worked, either.


    Honestly, hisck of reaction to her torrent of bloodlust was making her curious how his blood would taste. She had yet to meet someone so weird. His strange strength and mana flow was sure to enhance the taste.


    "Then, should I take it you are not here on behalf of the kingdom of Taurus?" Levana asked. Wishing to confirm her spections. Pondering if she should ask for a treat as the cost. It could hardly be considered a worthy trade on their side.


    However, she felt that if he was dumb enough to agree, she would strike when his guard was lowered. ''There might still be a way. No life is immortal. Not even the gods can im true immortality.'' She had no backing for this thought¡ªonly a few ancient myths passed down in her family.


    ''They say Chosen can''t die, but no one would be willing give over their weaknesses. Perhaps...soul attacks might dosting damage...?''


    ''If he were to let me get so close, I would certainly have the best chance possible...'' For some strange reason, she shivered at the thought. An instinctual fear budding inside her again, telling her that if she tried, she would be the one ending up dried and dead.


    "You may." Eldrian replied to her question of whether he was here on behalf of the kingdom. "I do have the kingdom''s support in this."


    "Of course." She scoffed. No kingdom would say no when someone wanted to reim their lostnds. The question was how much support had they given him. "However, you must realize that your request is not something simple to fulfill."


    "Actually, I didn''t think you would listen for this long. Right, I guess you are moving to capture or kill me." Eldrianmented off handedly. His words causing Levana to freeze.


    "Elec didn''t move. I guess you guys thought it a waste of his time toe after me. A simple Tier 5 elf... But you did send guys at Tier 6. I''m impressed. You didn''t let my low Tier beguile you too much."


    Hearing that Eldrian even knew their strength, and somehow the name of their strongest vampire, the young vampire princess suddenly felt naked. If Eldrian not only knew their strength, but was also able -as it seemed- to follow their movement at real time. He would be a veritable monster in war.


    And worse, he was incapable of dying. Or at least very hard to kill.


    She did not want to make an enemy of him. Yet, he was part of the kingdom of Taurus. A kingdom they were destined to face in war. And his demands were absurd. She could not ept them even if she wanted.


    ''I will have to enter negotiations and attempt it. Even at the cost of my life, I can''t let him live!'' Realizing the danger that Eldrian was, she steeled her heart.


    Eldrian was clueless about the cruel thoughts in the young vampire''s heart. He simply felt the negotiations were going far, far better than expected. Smiling, he felt it was time to show some of the support behind him. Especially since those vampires were still closing in.


    ''Sofiera, as discussed.'' Eldrian had to pause for a second to leave time for Sofiera to ept the message. ''Send the spell to me, and add the will of having it listen to me.'' Another pause, ''Like when I tried to take over the construction.''


    A few secondster, Eldrian received a reply. ''It is on its way.''


    Levana noticed a burst of fire in the distance, a bird of me flying at the speed of sound towards them. It circled Eldrian a few times beforending next to him. Its size wasparable to the Roc, Mneme. Easily surpassing two meters in height as it stood next to Eldrian.


    "Since you''ve moved, I asked one of my friends to send me some help. So, are we going to fight or talk?" Eldrian asked, recing most of Sofiera''s will with his own while making sure to not let the spell dissolve.


    ''Mmm, this is harder than I thought. Gosh, this is aplex spell...'' Within seconds Eldrian felt a drain on his mind. He had to let go of his control over the surrounding mana as he took control of the firebird.


    Once he had control, he had the bird casually look over at the directions where the vampires were approaching from, with a sharp gaze of a bird of prey. He tried to control it to imitate a roc looking at its meal.


    Levana, noticing the subtle threat in its movements, was covered in a cold sweat. The elf before her was an anomaly. That much was certain. To take over the control of another''s spell, that was not something simple to do.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 766 Negotiations Continue

    The firebird spell was quite robust, but it still required a supply of mana. Especially if it were to remain for longer than intended. Normally, the bird would attack onmand and rush through the mana it isposed of. Using it as a show of force was certainly not normal.


    While the upkeep was not as much as a normal fire spell at its level, Eldrian still needed to feed it mana to keep it stable. At this distance, Sofiera couldn''t exactly do that.


    It was this mana upkeep that Levana noticed, informing her of the fact that Eldrian had somehow taken over control of the spell. A feat she knew was far more difficult than dispelling a spell, and normally only possible if the new owner was above the original caster.


    Evidently, from the power of the firebird, Levana understood that this case was the opposite. She had never encountered this spell before, but the sheer quantity of mana inside it made it clear it was a Tier 7 spell.


    The fact that Eldrian could take control of it meant his abilities must be at the top of Tier 6 and likely he just needed a push to reach Tier 7.


    ''I must kill him.'' She resolved her heart again while keeping the best fake smile she could muster to lull Eldrian''s sense of danger. Which worked wonders, as he returned a kind smile in return.


    "I think we should talk..." Levana paused, realizing the sneak attack would not work. She refrained from giving themand to attack or retreat, wishing to have support close by. She also informed the rest of the fort via a secret technique.


    "Would you like toe in and have some tea while we discuss the details?" She offered from atop the walls, all smiles. "You must understand. It will take some time to prepare everything and especially to have everyone understand the situation."


    ''Why do I feel she is stalling?'' Eldrian wondered, not na?ve enough to enter the enemy''s den. "Thanks for the invitation, but I fear I''m not confident in my strength to enter the fort alone. Would you allow mypanions to join us? If not, I suggest we hold the negotiations here. Outside."


    Jumping from the wall andnding with grace, Levana smiled anew, her sharpened canines showing as she giggled. "Then let us talk here." She did not wish to allow more enemies into the fort. "You said you wish for us to relent the fort. You must understand, that does note off as a request but rather a demand."


    "Oh? I guess it does... Well, you can take it as you will. Trust me, I am giving you a chance here¡ª right, please inform those three to stay where they are or I will send this firebird on them."


    "I apologize. I can''tmunicate with them from so far."


    "Oh, there not that far. You just have to raise your voice slightly." Eldrian said, letting the bird take flight.


    Feeling that he needed to add some more oomph to his threat. And since they were so far from the kingdom and all those in the fort might turn out to be enemies, Eldrian had no fear of relying on his more dangerous abilities. His allies were also far enough that they would likely escape any fallout should something massively run out of control.


    Weaving some anger into the bird, it shrieked. The surrounding temperature jumped a few degrees and the nearby nts even caught fire, which Eldrian quickly extinguished. Eldrian even felt like the bird gained some semnce of intelligence.


    "Squeee!" it shrieked again, this time with far more force. This shriek shook Levana as she faced a wave of heated intent to kill. So strong it caused her mind to go nk for just a second. A terrifying feat. Fear covered her from head to toe as she realized the bird seemed to have gained some intelligence.


    ''What can make a spell alive?!'' Her heart quivered as she sensed genuine danger from the spell. She was no longer confident she could survive if Eldrian sent it after her.


    ''Oh my, that was far more effective than I thought...is it because of that title and ability?'' Eldrian''s thoughts were much calmer. ''Sharer of Wrath and aura leak... I will need to confirm once my training has progressed a bit.''


    Levana took a step back¡ªno, she was forced back by the heatwaves emanating from the bird. Yet, somehow, Eldrian seemed unaffected as the rded next to him again. Nuzzling its head against his side. He then even went and petted the bird.


    Levana could no longer make sense of the developments. It wasmon knowledge that even one''s own spell would harm them once fully formed. Yet, this spell was not his! How could he touch it without being burnt? How could he stand next to it?


    Shock after shock, Levana struggled to keep up with what she saw. When she noticed that it no longer fed only on Eldrian''s mana, the ambient mana rushing to the bird, she nearly fainted.


    It was growing stronger by the second!


    This went past it no longer being a normal spell. It was like Eldrian had turned the spell into a phoenix. She even doubted Alec, their trump card, would be able to easily deal with the firebird. And if the fight dragged on...


    And then there were also his friends. They would be able to reinforce within seconds. A kilometer might sound like a great distance, but it was surely nothing to whoever had sent this spell and was with them.


    No matter what she thought of, Levana no longer felt they that they could deal with Eldrian by force. They might be able to put up a good defense, but there were sure to be losses.


    "Stay!" she raised her voice so the three vampires would hear her. "I will hear the elf out."


    Eldrian wasn''t sure if they epted as a matter of fact or disgruntled, but the vampires stopped moving closer; however, they did not move away.


    ''Good enough, I guess...'' Eldrian shrugged, pausing as he suddenly realized his interface had a new icon in its corner. Where party information was normally shown.


    ''What''s this? Familiar? Mmm... A creature created by magic, kept alive by feeding on the ambient mana and its masters mana and will. It will fight for its master until its mana is exhausted, or the connection is cut... Oh, there is even a HP bar. Is this the total mana? Around two thousand currently.''


    While fascinated, Eldrian understood he had to focus on the matter at hand. "Right, where were we? Right, right, you were saying my choice of words, or rather, my request feels more like amand. I guess that''s because it partly is."


    Eldrian''s bluntness shocked the young vampire and made her wonder if his reinforcements might be much stronger than she had first thought. ''He knows our strongest. They might have brought a force strong enough to deal with us with ease. But then...why bother negotiating? Do they fear retaliation, or...?''


    "But I guess that makes it more difficult to agree." Eldrian did not pause, interrupting her thoughts.

 Chapter 767 Requirements

    "But I guess that makes it more difficult to agree," Eldrian did not pause, interrupting her thoughts, "and since this has to do with relinquishingnd... You need something to back the act and show benefit?" Eldrian hoped he was right with this.


    Simply allowing them to take the ves wasn''t really anything to them. He realized in their eyes; the ves were theirs. It should be a matter of fact, not something to even consider debating about. It was like he was allowing them to keep their property. This might be a condition if he had an army, but he only had some friends backing him up.


    "That would make it easier to ept." Levana nodded, quickly altering her n. She certainly had no desire for death, but she needed a reason to ept the elf''s demands.


    "I suggest we start with a show of power." She offered. "If I retreat without cause, I will be mocked and even shunned. However, if I negotiated for our release from an overwhelming enemy...it will go down much better."


    "Ah, indeed. You might even be praised for your foresight. Is that all?" Eldrian asked.


    "Let''s call it the prerequisite to continue negotiations."


    ''She''s quite shrewd, or well... I''m simply not used to dealing with people with alternate intentions. Normally things concern a matter of survival. And in such cases, well, things move smoothly. But I feel she''s hiding, figuratively, her fangs.''


    ''Wait, this had to do with their survival! Ah, right...we are the aggressors in this case, though.''


    "How shall I prove our strength?" Eldrian asked. Realizing that they were the aggressors, he suddenly wanted a peaceful resolution even more. And if he could prove their strength, perhaps he could order the release of the ves?


    "How about a duel? Since you cannot die, I think it will be quite fair if you were to fight me and should I die, I will ept it as the price to save the others."


    "I guess mentioning that you are a Tier above me won''t mean much." Eldrian mussed, and Levana simply smiled. Thinking that he was trying to blindside her.


    ''I will ask them to get revenge for me should he kill me.'' She smiled, hiding her thoughts behind it. "I will make sure Alec knows to abide by your demands if I end up dying."


    "Shall we form a contract then?" Eldrian asked, this turnpletely blindsiding the vampire. She thought she had yed her role well, yet the elf was still wary. "Not that I don''t want to trust you, but... I have been burned before."


    Thinking of Miracle, Eldrian knew it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Levana clenched her fists at her side while trying to maintain her smile. Showing that this angered her would give away her inner thoughts. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way out of this. "I would love to but, sadly, we do not fall under the same gods."


    ''Fall under? What a curious way of putting it. Shouldn''t it be believed?'' Eldrian decided to drop the topic there for now. He had learned so many new things today. He was truly looking forward to when the fort was theirs. Of course, that required him defeating the unawakened vampire before him.


    Eldrian could now use mana sense to see her stats, and he had a chance. However, in everything but strength, she surpassed him with 200-300 points. In speed alone, she would be 1,3 times as fast as he was.


    ''I can''t back down now. In the worst case I can go to Avgi or perhaps find an empty space in the kingdom. Maybe one of the lost cities or towns?'' Thinking of this, and curious what his limits were and understanding that he had to push himself. That he could no longer refrain from danger, Eldrian resolved himself.


    "Oh, but there is one we all fall under." Eldrian smiled, a smile that gave Levana shivers. A smile one would give someone at checkmate. "GAIA, I am sure a contract under them would be the best possible option."


    Levana''s eyes widened in shock and she only barely managed to stop her jaw from dropping. It wasmonly known that GAIA was the supreme gods, above all other gods. In those ancient myths of her family, it was GAIA who had killed the other gods.


    Yet, GAIA was a deity that refused believers. Their believers were the other gods, after all. To invoke GAIA. It was insanity.


    "Th-wh-we... Are you crazy!?" She could no longer contain herposure. Such a contract; there would be no escape from it. She knew how to circumvent some of the gods, especially the gods she as a vampire fell under. But GAIA...


    "Not at all. They''re quite nice once you get to know them." Eldrian replied. The words he spoke entered Levana''s ears. But she failed to register their meaning. It was simply too absurd.


    "I-I think you mi-misspoke."


    "Not at all. They''ve helped me understand where I amcking quite a lot. They helped me realize I can''t run from danger. Which is why I am here."


    ''H-H-H¡ª I-Is he saying he is an envoy for GAIA?!'' Suddenly, all the strangeness surrounding the elf made some sense. And she understood the fear that had been growing inside her.


    "Ah, nevermind. We''ll retreat! You can have the fort." She jumped back and shouted. The only reason she didn''t bolt away right there and then was because the firebird red at her as soon as she moved.


    "No, no. That won''t do. You need something to report to your superiors. Besides, I do want to test what I am capable of after reaching Tier 5. I''ve never had a true fight since it happened. Though...I did die already." Eldrianughed, thinking of how he died without being pushed to his limit. Of course, it had been part of the n. But it felt weird putting it into words.


    Levana''s mind instead was reeling. This new information made everything even more insane. And, he just admitted having died. That should not be something to casually mention.


    "Ah, if you are afraid, I can promise if I get the upper hand I won''t kill you." Eldrian offered.


    Levana did not even hear the offer. She was still reeling from the former revtion. "Can''t you just take the fort and let me off?" She tried to make her tone as pleasing as possible, attempting to show off her assets and even throwing some of her charm powers at the elf.


    Yet, nothing came of her efforts. In fact, Eldrian did not even notice the charm. It was so weak that it could not evenpare to Jade''s ability. Though, he did slightly notice her other efforts. But he chose to ignore them.


    This was the perfect opportunity to have a true duel within a controlled environment. After all, he would never dare go all out against Vivian or the others.


    "I''m looking forward to it." Eldrian said, deliberately ignoring her question. "Now, how should we do this? Normally, it such contracts are either done on divine parchment or in the presence of a priest." Eldrian only knew this thanks to Two having gone through thousands of books.


    His mumbling gave Levana some hope. Which was dashed just a few secondster.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 768 Magical Contract

    "Oh, I know!" Eldrian refrained from exining. Leaving Levana disheartened and just a tiny bit curious about what n Eldrian had. "Let''s ask if it is possible," he mumbled, the words just barely being heard by the vampire with her excellent hearing.


    Those words were even more horrifying than anything before.


    ''He can talk with the gods?!!!!'' Honestly, Levana was impressed she hadn''t fainted from shock yet. The re of the firebird kept her awake.


    As for why this was so shocking, at most people would get revtions from the gods as oracles. It was unheard of for someone being able to talk with the gods. The only exception was the ambassadors of the gods. Ancient beings who had been in this world since the start of time.


    Levana started wondering if Eldrian was such an ambassador. She felt it wasn''t the right conclusion, but that perhaps it was simr. A thought that gave her goosebumps as she pondered if all Chosen were then simr.


    She knew from their spies that this wasn''t the case¡ªEldrian was an anomaly. But his uniqueness hinted at the curious nature behind both the Chosen and ambassadors. On paper, they weren''t that different.


    Beings temporary to this world, incapable of death. Only, the Chosen has been here for less than two years while the ambassadors originated from the annals of history. Thus, the longevity of the Chosen were yet to be confirmed. However, their immortality had been proven¡ªto an extent.


    ''I''m certain there is a connection, which makes them a terrifying existence... Especially since the Chosen only appeared in our enemies''nds.''


    Of course, she knew that the Chosen were -ording to the official story- brought to aid the races of ''good'' through Asteria¡ªthe goddess of life. But she was now curious if this was the truth, no she had always doubted it. She now felt certain there was more to it.


    While she was working through her epiphany, Eldrian was talking with GAIA. Only snippets of his mumbling reaching her.


    "Yes, yes... Right, so I would need to... Sounds good." Eldrian mumbled as he sent a few messages to the duality god/goddess. In the end, GAIA had rather referred him to Ziraili. Something about them keeping distance from those who lived in the world.


    He felt it strange, but since that was how they preferred to handle things, Eldrian left it at that.


    "Sorry about this, appears GAIA isn''t fond of the idea." Eldrian apologized to the vampire. Her hopes reached new heights only to be dashed a secondter. "But there is another god, goddess, really. Technically, she is the god for us¡ªChosen. So I am sure this will still work."


    Levana looked curiously at Eldrian. Finding it strange that he would think Asteria would be able to bind a contract between a vampire and an elf¡ªno, between a vampire and a Chosen.


    She started suspecting that ssifying the Chosen on their race appearance might be the wrong move. They were a race separate from those natural to this world, simr to the ambassadors.


    Deciding not to make her suspiciously known, not wishing to be the target of the gods, Levana faked a nk smile and look. "Huh? Sure..." she replied, as if she was still reeling from all the things Eldrian had done.


    Her heart was still shaken, but the previous revtions helped her view Eldrian, and Chosen in general, as different entities to those born to this world. This way, the insanity surrounding him made far more sense.


    However, she was still cursing herself for acting so haughtily. If she had just realized that his confidence wasn''t from ignorance but true strength...


    It was toote now. She just hoped she could survive theing duel. She was already nning how to de-escte things. Still, she did not know how to talk Eldrian down since he truly seemed to look forward to the duel.


    And even worse, he finished his preparations in mere seconds. Giving her no time to formte a n with the newfound information.


    Informing the vampire that his friends wereing, Eldrian took out a ratherrge monster scale. Around the size of his hand.


    With the endless horde of undead moving towards the walls, there were plenty of monster parts to be found. The parts that survived through undeath were normally of quite the value. Even the bones of skeletons had special magical properties. Though, most can''t be used easily because of the taint of undeath.


    This scale came from a Kassa, a type of snake monster. Though, their variety of mutations was veryrge and often they appeared more like a reptilian race, the link to a snake being lost somewhere along the line.


    This Kassa had appeared more like a drake than a snake. Vivian had dealt with it during her rampage and brought it back. Throwing it before Eldrian, and Solvi and Sofiera, asking if they had a use for it.


    Of course, Eldrian had asked Solvi what he could use and in the end, only took the scales. The rest was too tainted with undeath, which wouldplicate its use. If proper steps aren''t taken, a curse might be added to the crafter or item uponpletion.


    Since it was only low rank 1 grade materials, Eldrian hadn''t felt it worth the hassle.


    Eldrian ced this scale on a pir of dirt, which had grown from the ground without any spell. At least, none that Levana had noticed. The ground had simply risen to form the pir. A disy of magic that reminded her how strange the surrounding mana had been when she had ordered the existential vampires to stop.


    He then started to write up the contract in the air above the type of scale. A sight that reminded the vampire of advanced formations. However, this -where the magic appeared in the air- was normally one of thest parts after preparing the entire formation.


    While difficult, she could read the letters Eldrian was writing. Finding that it truly was a simple contract surrounding the duel, she nearly fainted again.


    What he was showing her was one of the greatest disys of magic. And he was making such a basic contract. As if what he was doing was nothing special.


    ''No, likely he considers this quite normal...'' The thought didn''t ease her mind much, and she wracked her brain to find a way out of signing the contract.


    It might be basic, but that was actually a problem. It was so simple in terms that there was no way to bend the meaning.


    "Here?" Levana asked, pointing to one of the two lines on the shell.


    Apparently, since she couldn''t form runes with mageia -whatever the hell that was, apparently it was linked to forming magic in the air- Eldrian had opted to bind the contract via blood. ording to the goddess he had talked with, blood held a signature of one''s life and would thus bind the contract.


    Levana understood this. Any part of a person would actually work. However, the less vital that part, the less strength it would hold. For example, hair would only hold traces of a person''s life signature. An aspect of lifeforce. Contrary, the heart would hold near the greatest amounts.


    Of course, as a vampire, Levana knew this better than Eldrian and hiscking exnations.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 769 Contract Details

    Disheartened, Levanapleted the contract. Eldrian might have felt that the terms were quite appealing. The punishment was but a block of magic to Levana, and to himself--well, he had no ns to break it. He had only added it since it was required to form aplete contract.


    ''I wonder if this is even possible,'' Eldrian had pondered as he had made the term. He almost wished to experiment to find how the AI would enact it. Certainly it would only affect things inside ANW, and it might give him some inspiration. But he couldn''t do that recklessly.


    As for why this punishment, he could not use the normal method of adding a stain (negative title of oath breaker) to the other. He doubted it would work on someone from an opposing faction. He even decided to have the punishmentst only a month, as a precaution.


    Other than this, the contract stated that should he win in the duel, the vampires would hand over the fort to them. Should he lose, they would leave. Other wise the punishment would be implemented.


    However, considering that neither he nor she was ofplete authority in their factions, he had added a stiption that only a week''s grace needs to be given. After a week, should the other party want, they cany im to the fort again.


    He had added this simply because he did not know how the other vampires would react and he had no wish to have her suffer unjustly. He also did not know if things calmed down, whether Taurus wouldy im to the fort. The two factions were in the end enemies.


    Sadly, Eldrian had failed to realize how extreme the punishment would be to Levana. To her, it felt like she had signed the contract under duress--the firebird''s re.


    Thankfully, he had added the escape use. But a week was still a long time, if in that time her enemies acted, ''I have to keep the matter of the contract secret,'' she did not wish to dere such a weakness to the world.


    To a vampire, and someone in a world of chaotic politics, having her magic sealed would be as good as assuring her death. Even if only for a month.


    "Eldrian... What the hell?" Sofiera held her head as he informed of what had happened in the few minutes Eldrian had talked with Levana.


    "Huh? I thought it was a good idea. Plus, I need to see what my limits are." Eldrian replied, confused by the looks he was receiving from his friends. Naturally, he couldn''t go all out against them. He was the only one who couldn''t die. It was simply unfair.


    Levana, however, was no friend and most likely an enemy. She seemed like a nice girl, but Eldrian wouldn''t be too bothered if he killed her by ident. And he nned to go all out. Thus, he warned everyone to retreat should they feel it was necessary.


    "And what happened to my zing Phoenix?" Sofiera asked, skipping over Eldrian''s warning. Looking at the bird, who was ring at the vampire. She felt certain that it had be a type of magical creature. She had read of familiars, but this was the first time she saw one.


    They were something of the fairy tale variety. Magic brought to life through the heroes in those stories. ording to her own information, the only people capable of this were the elites of the elves or actual heroes.


    ''Does his title actually hold some truth?'' Sofiera pondered. This new discovery made her regard titles a bit more seriously. Instead of seeing it as titles, she wondered what magic was behind it and if it could affect reality.


    "Ah, I infused some anger and will into it. Seems I made it a familiar or something." Eldrian replied, casually.


    "O-Of course you did..." She held her head again. The fact that he failed to realize just what he had done--that was just like him. She sighed. "Well, since you already signed the contract, the duel has to happen. But you do know she is stronger than you?"


    "Yeah, but I think I can manage." Eldrian nodded, not denying that fact. It was what made him hopeful of going all out.


    Those words confused Levana yet again, but it also filled her with some hope. Was his Tier truly 5 then? That made no sense, but she held onto the hope that this was the case. The best oue would be if they could dere the duel a draw.


    She had no wish to anger someone rted to the gods. Thus, she no longer aimed for his life or even to win


    "Since we''vee to this," Sofiera stepped forward and addressed Levana, "you should confirm your side first. We will give you half an hour."


    "R-Right..." Levana nodded, trying her best to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand. Part of her wanted to run, but if she did, her magic would be sealed. Eldrian had been just a bit mean, adding a use that said the duel had to happen. Having suspected her wishing to escape.


    ***


    "They''ve been doing better than we thought." Elizabethmented, currently at Pediades. To her pleasant surprise, not all the guilds were prideful asses. Those she had not met in the capital seemed to have a better understanding of the severity of the true world of ANW.


    Most of these guilds had joined the military in action. Integrating themselves into the kingdom in what can only be described as an excellent move. The NPCs, having dealt with Phoenix, already knew how to deal with yers.


    They also had a general idea of the best jobs to give to the immortal yers. Job, that while dangerous, would not be suicidal. Honestly, Phoenix had little o no contact with these guilds. They were focused around Livadi. The city had mostly been recaptured.


    Of the other guilds, a few were marching towards Trigora. Having grumbled quite a lot about how stingy the kingdom was. Not teleporting them to the city as they were used to in the empire.


    Some others had joined the raiding--sorry, the rescue mission in Pediades. It was these fools that kept Elizabeth busy and rubbing her head to soothe the headache they caused her.


    "Not for much longer." Zyvissmented as one of the rangers assigned to tail a guild reported to him. "The idiots just stumbled into one of the stronghold of the orcs."


    "Any citizens in the area?" Nikki asked, already sending a flurry ofmands in the guild chat.


    "Yes, there used to be a guildhall. The orcs made it their home. The people are forced to stay in the warehouses. They are cultivating fields in the courtyards, however..."


    "Skip those details." Elizabeth didn''t want to be reminded of the horror more than needed.


    "Alright. Are we going to move?" Zyviss asked.


    "Yes, have the priests ready for an influx. Zyviss, I leave guiding the survivors to you. Nikki, use those idiots as much as you can."


    "Of course," Nikki replied, smiling. A smile Zyviss never knew she could make and one he hoped she would never direct at him.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 770 Perfect Decoy

    Arriving at the spot, Zyviss watched as the yers headed towards the guildhall like fools. This guild used to be a mage''s guild and was sure to have many valuable items. Of course, it was a prime location to hit if you wanted spoils of war. But only an idiot would do so without proper scouting and preparation.


    He stayed on the roof and watched as the yers rushed forward after what could only be called the mostcking of all scouting. A few yers moving a few meters ahead and giving the all clear.


    What training they had undergone these past two years he couldn''t even fathom. It seemed like they were still the same as yers who were fresh to the game.


    "Idiots." Zyviss scoffed. Mere secondster, shouts filled the air as those who had entered the building were sent flying back out, most through the windows. Vicious wounds covered their chests as they gasped for air and gurgled up blood.


    Seeing the sight, Zyviss flinched. He and all other yers might not experience the pain of such injuries, with it being limited to feeling like a slightly deep cut. But that ufortable feeling as you drowned in your own blood. It was not something pleasant to experience regardless if pain apanied it or not.


    Signaling the guild, Zyviss moved past the yers who were being ughtered one after the other. Infiltrating the area surrounding the guildhall to find the surviving citizens and guide them to salvation.


    In this mission, he and all the rangers always ended up taking on the role of assassins and spies. Their ss inherently focused on agility, which made them the fastest and most nimble. A number had dropped using the bow and started focusing on daggers (another agility focused weapon).


    And through the weeks, they had be quite good at moving quietly in the shadows.


    Waiting for the signal, Nikki moved. Rushing forward with a detachment of warriors, she charged into the fray.


    "Hold fast! We''ll support you!" she shouted as she expertly deflected the strike of an orc elite, using her smaller frame to get in close and drive her shortsword into its side. Ripping with all her strength to the side.


    Blood sprayed everywhere, covering Nikki. She looked like a smiling devil as the orc stumbled and she thrust her sword through its neck.


    Yet, even this was not enough to kill the orc elite. Tier 5 and an elite, the orc had an extreme constitution and arge amount of health. The wound at its side no longer bled profusely. In a minute or two, all that would remain of it would be arge scar.


    It was this hardiness that had totally shocked the yer''s confidence. But Nikki and her entourage were used to this. She had not expected her to swift strikes to end the orc. A surprise attack could only aplish so much.


    She stepped back, allowing a warrior with arge poleaxe (with emphasis on the axe) to swing with all his might at the stumbling orc. Therge axe de beheading the orc with a thump.


    Without speaking, Nikki moved on to the next, and the poleaxe wielder followed behind. In groups of two, one swift and agile, the other slow and heavy in strike, the yers of Phoenix cut down orc after orc.


    Their actions garnered cheers from the other yers who had their courage reignited. They shouted stupidly as they charged at the orcs. Acting as the perfect shield to allow Phoenix''s members to focus on the orcs as nned.


    "We can do this!"


    ? "These stupid orcs don''t know what''s hit them!"


    "Quick now, we can''t let them outshine us!"


    Hearing the cheers, Nikki chuckled. Monitoring the guild chat to stay up to date with how things were progressing. Sadly, it appeared yet again that most of the survivors were human and demi-humans. With nearly no centaur among them.


    When they had first started the rescue mission, the disparity had been small, but now it was too great to ignore. A trend no one saw favorably. Nikki hated the reason why. It made too much sense and was simply barbaric.


    This report filled her with intense hatred for the orcs. And while her mission was not to exterminate the stronghold, she would not hold back while acting as a decoy to keep the other yers engaged.


    She charged forward and slipped past one orc''s guard after the other. Expertly using her smaller frame and buckler shield to slip past their guard and mortally wound them. Leaving the rest to those doing their best to catch up.


    ''One, two, three... That''s an orc warrior.'' Noting the orc swinging a massive greatsword longer than the average person, Nikki paused for a second. Orc warriors were not to be taken lightly. This the guild had learned the hard way.


    She paused, taking out a small bottle she had ordered from Erik. Pouring its contents onto her de, she used some of the tattered clothing in the surrounding to spread it over the de.


    "Nikki..." The poleaxe wielder hesitated, understanding her target but not wishing to die.


    "Strike true." Nikki mumbled in reply, taking her stance and focusing entirely on the orc. ying out the sequence of events in her mind.


    Seeing her state, the poleaxe wielder relented. There was no talking her out of it once she got like this. Taking his own stance, he surveyed the surroundings and tried to ensure that nothing would impede his strike.


    Nikki charged, moving through the melee as if flowing water, arriving at the orc warrior''s blindside in mere seconds. She struck, her sword drawing blood and the content she had poured onto her de mixing with it.


    She struck again, the orc unable to shift his focus to this sudden surprise attack quick enough to defend himself. Her next strike cut through the back of his legs. Forcing to orc to kneel as the contents of that bottle brought forth a roar of anguish.


    "Waahhhhh!" It tried to turn, only to have Nikki''s shortsword sink into its side. Right between its ribs and into its lungs.


    Finally, it managed to face her. Bearing itsrge greatsword from its kneeling position, it waved it crazily. Forcing her to maintain her distance or be cut in half.


    It was then that the poleaxe user caught up. From behind the orc, he silently raised his weapon and struck.


    Whether by instinct or foresight, the orc brought its greatsword to its shoulder just in time to block.


    ng!


    The sharp sound of metal against metal filled the air, far louder than anything before. Yet the sharp sound was quickly downed out by the sounds of battle.


    The orc grinned as it looked at the yer. Readying its next strike.


    Its grin faded as a de pierced its neck. It swung wildly, too high.


    Nikki struck again, this time from below. Her sword getting caught between the orc''s ribs as she was forced to retreat.


    It was at death''s door, but itughed as it pulled out her sword. Its legs healed. The orc stood and held the de against the ground. Breaking it with a mighty kick.


    Instead of the fear it expected from the woman who had nearly killed him, the orc saw Nikki smiling.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 771 Hierarchy Establishment

    "Kafsilos." Nikki muttered, finishing the spell she had been preparing. A circle of fire erupted at the orc''s feet. Again, it roared in pain and hatred. Its eyes turned bloodshot as the pain sent it into a burning rare. Staring at Nikki with pure loathing, it readied its greatsword to kill the pest.


    The next thing it knew, its head was flying. Just as it was about to take a step forward to punish the crazy girl.


    "Took you long enough." Nikki grumbled. That was a close call. She had no more tricks up her sleeve.


    "You''re insane. I thought Judith was the reckless one." The poleaxe userined. After having his first strike blocked, it took him some time to recover and find a new opening. When the orc lost itself in rage, it presented the perfect opportunity.


    "Humph!" Nikki refused toment. Normally, she could contain herself, but it was bing harder and harder the longer she spent at Pediades.


    "I think it is about time." The poleaxe usermented.


    "Seems so." Nikki agreed, noting that some of their scouts had sighted reinforcements rushing here. They had to move before they were trapped.


    Confirming that Zyviss had gotten the civilians out and was busy escorting them through a safe route, Nikki sent the order to retreat. Like a well-trained machine, all of Phoenix''s members moved back.


    First slowly, not quite letting the other yers know what was happening. And then, just as the orc''s reinforcements arrived, they dashed away.


    The guild they had saved did not even realize until it was toote. When they looked again, finding themselves surrounded and outnumbered, they also realized that their supposed reinforcements were gone.


    "Those bastards!" a tall-ish dwarf was foaming at the mouth as he struggled to stay alive along with everyone else.


    "How can they be so cowardly!?" an elf groaned, losing an arm in his distraction.


    It did not take long before they were all killed. Their bodies littering the courtyard before the mage guild.


    The newly arrived orcs naturally found the situation strange. The number of dead orcs did not add up to how easily they had killed the enemy. However, the subject was soon dropped as they now had a healthy amount of food delivered to them.


    A feast awaited them tonight.


    ***


    "At least we made some use of them." Elizabeth mumbled. Whether the yers who died turned into food was a good thing or not, she wasn''t quite sure.


    It meant that those captured would survive longer, but it also meant the orcs would have a hearty meal.


    "They weren''t too happy." Nikkimented.


    "Of course not. But it''s their own fault. Our help was already more than enough. They should have realized reinforcements wereing and retreated as we did."


    "I''m sure they aren''t going to see it that way."


    "Naturally... Which is why we will keep using them. I wish Ilmadia was here." Elizabeth sighed. Theck ofrge-scale magic was a problem. Only Ilmadia and Eldrian were capable of trulyrge-scale magic.


    "Sadly, we have to split our focus thanks to a certain someone."


    "Don''t remind me..." Elizabeth rubbed her head, still trying to find a bnce between the rescue quest they had epted and managing an entire fort. Not to mention the pain the useless branch of yers added.


    Luckily, there were several NPCs who they could rely on for the fort. In fact, one of Eldrian''s retainers was working directly under Elizabeth. Acting as themander of the fort when Phoenix''s leaders weren''t in ce.


    As expected, a few minutester, a tall-ish dwarf rushed into their tent. Fuming at the mouth, he red at Elizabeth.


    "How dare you use us as a decoy!"


    "We did no such thing." Elizabeth replied, feigning shock. "We simply made the most of the situation."


    "Bullshit!" the dwarf roared. Elizabeth couldn''t recall his name. So she relied on Observe.


    "Ragnar, please shut up." Elizabeth snapped. "You rushed forward without due care. Without us, you would have died in the first encounter. We had no obligation to stay and die with you."


    The dwarf fumed, but he couldn''t argue with that. He also had this feeling that he was being set up here. "You could have at least warned us."


    "We had no obligation to. Were you not the ones who had acted so high and mighty a few days ago? Have you nothing to show for your haughtiness?"


    "You think you''re invincible?"


    "What ever gave you that idea? We all know extremely well how weak we arepared to our enemy. Use your brain."


    Rushing in after the dwarf, an elf red at Elizabeth. She was starting to wonder just what their tent meant to these yers. A guild tent was not supposed to be invaded like this. While not a rule, it was seen asmon courtesy.


    "It seems you hold very little respect for our guild." she grumbled. "Do I take it you won''t mind if we storm into yours?"


    "What does that have to do with anything?" The elf barked. His skin was of a darker tone, a feature of the sun elves. Their bonuses were fit for the melee ss. Why this guy had a bow slung over his shoulder and daggers at his side baffled Elizabeth.


    "Aithlin, that has to do with the respect guilds are supposed to show each other." Naturally, Elizabeth had to rely on Observe to get the guy''s name. "If you are going to continue to act like you own the ce, we will station guards."


    Just as the elf was about to bark a reply, the dwarf stopped him. "You''re recording this, aren''t you?"


    "How quick of you to notice." Elizabeth smiled. "Of course we are. You guys need to realize that this isn''t the empire and that you aren''t special. We will not go out of our way to help you just because your yers too. In fact, that gives us even less reason to."


    She continued, ""Compared to the NPCs, you''ll survive. So if sacrificing you can help us save more lives, we will do it without hesitation."


    "Y-Wh-Ho..." The dwarf failed to make aprehensive sentence. He wanted to argue, but on what basis? The loss of levels?


    Doing so would just make him appear petty. However, he and everyone with him had lost between 4 and 6 levels. He couldn''t just drop it at that. Even if it was petty, he needed something to appease the yers of his guild. After all, he didn''t have absolute authority, and this loss was too great to be gleamed over.


    "How are you going to make this right?" He asked, seemingly still thinking he had some foot to stand on.


    "Nikki?" Elizabeth turned to the woman next to her. Cleaned up and now in her casual wear, she appeared like a normal girl. There was no way they would recognise her as the one who had taken down the orc warrior.


    "Elizabeth?" Nikki turned to Elizabeth, who herself was in a magnificent robe of a dark azure color. Nikki''s gaze seemed to ask if Elizabeth was sure.


    "They aren''t getting the message. Go ahead."


    "I suggest you leave now." Nikki turned to the two yers. "Or we will force you out."


    "Big words¡ª" the elf''s words were cut short as he found a de resting against his neck. He had no idea how Nikki had moved so fast. On paper, he was supposed to have the superior stats thanks to his higher level.


    "Unlike an orc, I am certain this will kill you." She whispered, causing the guy to piss his pants. Dying so soon again would enhance the penalty. It would not be strange if he lost over seven levels.


    Months of grinding were to be lost in a single day.


    "I-I''ll go." Retreating before even giving his guild leader a chance to refute, he left the dwarf and ran.


    "Are you going to keep acting, or will you leave?" Elizabeth asked, the dwarf quickly backing off. However, he cursed that he would get back at them as he ran with his tail between his legs.


    "Isn''t this going to cause problems?" Nikki asked, frowning as she listened to his threats.


    "Livadi is mostly in the kingdom''s hands again. The army will arrive in a few days, a week at most. They won''t be able to make a fuss even if they wanted." Elizabeth was d that their split focus would not be required for much longer.


    Sadly, she did not realize how much more work wasing their way.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 772 Duel Start

    Eldrian didn''t know what to make of how things had turned out. He had thought this would be a simple duel -albeit with no holds barred- between him and Levana to determine the ownership of the fort. Now it had turned into quite the spectacle.


    Luckily, there weren''t any other yers or it would have been even more embarrassing.


    Solvi and Sofiera had created a stage for them to fight on. Falling off wouldn''t disqualify anyone, seems they just felt the surroundings would be destroyed if the two didn''t contain their fight. Naturally, like the walls of the forts and towers they had created, the stage was quite sturdy.


    Myropsis, on the other hand, had created a viewing area. At a distance of around twenty meters from the stage, she had set up multiple barriers to keep the effects of the duel from reaching them. Poor Jade, however, wasn''t going to be included, her power getting in the way.


    "This isn''t fair!" She huffed, but no one regarded her with any sympathy. Their dry reply of "get a hold of you power then" did nothing to assuage the discrimination she felt.


    "Is this all really necessary?" Eldrian asked as he saw the vampires arriving. All eleven of them. Each dressed for war.


    "Of course." Solvi replied with a look that seemed to question if the hundred meter wide stage would be too small.


    "Fine, I relent." Eldrian sighed, looking towards the vampires. Luckily, it appeared that Alec wasn''t going to make a fuss. After inspecting the stage to ensure fairness, the vampires moved to the opposite side from Vivian and the others.


    ''This is kind of embarrassing...'' Eldrian rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he climbed onto the stage. Noticing that all eyes were flirting between him and the firebird¡ªwhich was resting a short distance away. The area surrounding it burnt and devoid of mana.


    ''What trouble hase to our doorsteps...'' The strongest vampire, Alec thought as he watched Eldrian climb onto the stage. His charge, Levana, climbing up momentster.


    The vampire appeared like a normal nobleman entering histe forties. Dressed impably and clearly well groomed. He could certainly be called handsome, if on the older side.


    Shifting his focus to the bird of mes, the vampire scrutinized it and felt a shiver run through his old bones. The bird was deadly. It had a certain power that chilled the vampire.


    Turning his sights to the crowd, the vampire frowned. He got a simr feeling from a scarlet haired woman standing beside the centaurette in human form. The feeling was not quite the same, but he also felt a power inside her. Something deadly.


    Then there was the centaurette who was looking at him. She would certainly be difficult to defeat. The dwarf beside her would be even more troublesome since it appeared his equipment was designed to battle with the undead. While not optimized for vampires, the edge it would give him would be enough to bridge the gap Alec might have in stats and experience.


    "Shall we start?" Eldrian asked, still dressed in casual clothing. Only holding his winged spear at his side. A strange weapon with a hidden power still locked behind the voidstone, nestled like a dragon''s egg between the shaft and adamantine back de.


    "Are you looking down on me?" Levana questioned. Unlike Eldrian, she had changed into full armor.


    To allow for optimal movement, her armor was a mix of chain and te. Covering near her entire body in a tight fitting design. The design was certainly impressive, not just for usability but also appearance.


    To Eldrian''s mana sense, she appeared like a Christmas tree. For some reason, she did not wear a helmet, instead; she had what appeared like a crown and earrings that covered her ears. Both of which shone with mana, the crystals enhancing their appearance clearly not just for show.


    "Not at all." Eldrian smiled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Sadly, I have no armor."


    "Yet, you dared to..." she faltered, recalling the wave after wave of shock he had given her. "Forget it. How will we decide to start?"


    She was impressed that Eldrian had added no traps, nor had he tried to prepare spells ahead of time. Of course, doing so would mean breaking the rules of the duel. Hence, she also behaved herself. Though, these rules weren''t as clearly defined in the contract so there was some gray area.


    "Since we prepared the stage, why don''t your side dere the start of the match?" Eldrian offered, and Levana dly epted. Looking towards Alec, the old vampire nodded and moved forward.


    "The match shall be decided when either party surrenders, is incapacitated...or dies." He had hesitated to the add thest. If it came to it, his life would be forfeited. Yet, with the contract signed, there was little he could do to change things now.


    Much like Levana, he regretted having thought so little of Eldrian upon reports first arriving. If he had rushed to deal with the threat, perhaps thing could have been different. After a long pause, he finally mustered up the courage. "Begin!"


    With the announcement of the fight, Levana rushed forward. Her speed was too much for poor Jade to even follow. With agility near to a thousand, Levana was truly fast. But Eldrian was not far behind her in speed.


    Guarding with Crystoi, Eldrian deflected her lighting quick strikes while keeping a proper distance between himself and the vampire. A few seconds quickly passed with only the sounds of metal against metal filling the air.


    ''She''s really quick.'' Eldrian was having a hard time keeping up, luckily the distance a spear offered allowed him to survive the onught. Finally, the two separated. Having more or less gauged the other''s abilities in a melee.


    "Aren''t you going to use magic?" Levana asked.


    "Of course," Eldrian replied, smiling as he formed several icicles and sent them flying at the vampire.


    Levana dodged beautifully, only to have the icicles follow her like homing missiles. After a few seconds of running and dodging, she struck the icicles from the air. Rushing Eldrian right after, hoping that he would not be able to cast any spells so quickly following.


    To her dismay, she found another round of icicles flying at her. Having learnt that dodging them is impossible, she struck them from the air while keeping her advance moving. Not slowing in the least.


    She struck at Eldrian with her des, only to have her hand slip to the side by some invisible force. Her attack harmlessly moving past Eldrian as he moved to thrust his spear.


    Jumping back, Levana flinched as an icicle struck her at the back of her shoulder. The icicle shattered harmlessly against her armor, but he had caught her off guard from her blind spot.


    Certain she had struck down all the icicles, she froze as she realized the shattered ice had reformed and she was now surrounded by double the amount.


    ''So far, this is too easy,'' Eldrian thought. The icicle had done no damage, but he felt no danger in the match.


    ''I can''t hold back, it seems...'' Levana straightened her back and re-gripped her daggers.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 773 Spells Hidden By Darkness

    Levana''s next attack came much faster, taking Eldrian by surprise. Lurching to the side to avoid the de, Eldrian moved his spear to block the second de. Only to find himself blown from his feet and sent flying.


    Sliding a few dozen meters, Eldrian bounded to his feet with the help of a burst of wind. Only to find Levana''s des moving for his heart and throat. Her attack was too fast for him to avoid. So, instead, he threw himself back with another burst of wind. Deftly avoiding her attacks, but gaining a few scratches from sliding across the stage.


    This continued for a while, Levana pressing her advantage in speed while casting spells in Eldrian''s blind spots.


    Enduring the onught for a few exchanges, Eldrian tried to cancel her spells before they could form. Unlike the E-vampires, her will was well and properly infused into her spells. The most Eldrian could do was pinpoint their origin and stall their activation by a few milliseconds.


    This, Eldrian felt, was an interesting development. He had assumed he would haveplete control in regard to magic. Finding that she could still use spells silently and perfectly mixed with her attacks. It was honestly a pleasant surprise.


    Of course, Eldrian could have focused entirely on magic to shift the battle to one of wills and mana. However, he wanted to test himself. Hence, he refrained. Focusing on interference while dodging her spells and des alike. Trying to find an opportunity to counter with Crystoi.


    A few minutes dragged past slowly, the two finally separating again. Each heaving in apparent exhaustion. Neither had managed tond a solid hit on the other.


    Eldrian had a few cuts and scratches, but all in all, he had only lost around a hundred HP. Levana, on the other hand, was still unharmed. Her armor having blocked all the attacks and spells Eldrian had gotten through her defenses.


    "You''re holding out on me." Levana said, her voice disgruntled.


    She had confirmed she had the upper hand in speed, strength, and even power of her spells. Yet, Eldrian continued to escape her pursuit at thest second. Each time, his capabilities increasing just enough to ovee the hurdle.


    "Isn''t it the same for you?" Eldrian asked. "You''ve been using only simple spells weaved in with your attacks."


    "To you, that might be unimpressive, but during a heated battle, simple spells are the best supplement." Levana paused. She had clearly noticed how Eldrian effortlessly formed non-precise spells to save him when he was caught. Clearly, using magic was as simple as moving a limb for him.


    "If you wish to see a more advanced spell, I will oblige you." Somewhere along the fight, she had gotten irritated. She wanted to at least force Eldrian to use some of his full power.


    Increasing the distance between herself and Eldrian, she waved her arms and formed a whirlpool of darkness. Sucking in all the light of the surroundings, along with the nearby mana.


    "What type of spell is that?" Eldrian asked, trying to decipher it but unable. The element of darkness was cleverly used to cover the spell, making it impossible to pear inside. Unable to tell even what elements or aspects the spell wasposed of. Eldrian focused on defense.


    Calling on two spells Two had formed in their soul, Eldrian cast a wall of ice between him and Levana. Further activating a magic annulling barrier around himself.


    ''She''s taking so long...'' Realizing the downside of bigger spells, Eldrian started casting more spells as emergency measures. When Levana finally released her spell, five ice walls, three walls of mes, and four barriers -one ether, two wind, and one magic annul- stood between her spell and him.


    The whirlpool of darkness shot forward, lighting fast. Breaking through the ice walls, shattering it like it was fragile ss. The shattered pieces were quickly absorbed into the whirlpool of darkness, the walls of me not offering more significant resistance at all. Being consumed by the whirlpool as it continued towards Eldrian, its speed actually increasing.


    ''Oh, shit.'' Realizing that this spell was quite dangerous, Eldrian moved to dodge. It broke through his barriers just as easy as it had broken through the walls.


    Eldrian managed to cover only a few meters before it reached his old location and burst apart. Mana of the ice, dark, fire, wind, and lighting elements filled the arena.


    Burning, freezing, and shocking Eldrian before pulling him towards the center of the whirlpool.


    Perplexed by the turn of events, Eldrian flew to the center where he felt all the mana gathering and energizing. The feeling it gave him was simr to when he used mana crystals for his nova spells.


    Finally realizing just how much danger he was in, Eldrian panicked. He hadpletely looked down on her spells until now. From the corner of his eye, he could see Levana setting up multiple barriers to protect herself.


    ''Two?'' Forced to ask for aid, Eldrian called on his other half.


    ''This is bad. It absorbed the mana of your spells.''


    ''No shit!'' Eldrian replied. Naturally, he hadn''t missed that peculiarity when his defensive walls had been shattered and absorbed by the whirlpool. His connection with his mana cut as soon as it entered the whirlpool.


    The darkness element had cleverly hidden what had happened with the mana once he lost his connection with it. Obviously, it had all been condensed in the center of the whirlpool.


    Putting up as many barriers as he could, Eldrian pulled out thergest monster piece he had in his inventory and used it as a shield. Sadly, he had no true shield on hand.


    Just as he cast his third defensive barrier, the whirlpool exploded. Lighting coursed through his body and shield, his defenses useless against it. The other elements sent him flying in their explosion.


    Fighting the electricity flowing through his body, the smell of charred flesh entering his nose. Eldrian struggled to move. His muscles stunned by the electricity flowing through him.


    When he finally regained some movement, he was at the max height from the explosion. A few hundred meters in the air.


    ''Oh, we might actually die,'' Eldrianmented as she saw Levana already preparing another spell. Again hidden behind darkness, she formed what appeared like a spear or javelin.


    In a flurry of scrambling, Eldrian gathered as much mana as he could to form as thick a shield of ice between himself and the oing spear of darkness.


    ''Keep a calm mind,'' He mumbled to himself, trying to enhance the ice as he kept pouring mana into it. Two, on the other hand, prepared several spells to dodge the spear, if it came down to it. He also prepared spells to lessen the hit they will take uponnding.


    The spear of darkness shed against the several meter thick ice barrier Eldrian had summoned, sending sparks of lightning flying in the surroundings.


    Just as Eldrian thought the ice barrier would hold, he suddenly felt his mana again being stolen from him. The spear condensing and the danger he felt from it growing by the second.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 774 Pushed To The Edge

    Pushing more mana into his ice shield to have it hold just a few seconds longer, Eldrian was sent flying to the side as Two activated a few of the wind bursts he had prepared.


    Out of the way of the spear, Eldrian canceled his shield and retracted his mana. Decreasing how much stronger the spear could grow as it flew high in the air. Disappearing from sight as Eldrian continued to freefall.


    ''Phew, that was perhaps a bit too close¡ª'' Eldrian''s thoughts froze as he found the world disappearing into darkness. For a moment, it reminded him of the magic abyss, until he realized it wasn''t just dark. He couldn''t even see his hand nor Crystoi. Like a thick mist of smoke, the darkness obscured everything.


    ''This is...mana? Another spe¡ª'' Casting yet another wind burst, Eldrian flung himself out of the perceived danger. Yet, he was too slow. Pain filled his mind as he found his left arm nearly severed at the elbow.


    Two immediately got to healing the wound while Eldrian tried to confirm what was happening. He was still free-falling, and he was sure that just now was a dagger wielded by a feminine hand. Somehow, Levana had reached him a few hundred meters in the air.


    Trying to spread out his mageia through the surroundings to ''see'', Eldrian found he could only expand it a few meters around him. Some hidden force in the mist of darkness shed with his will.


    ''Shit!'' Again, he threw himself to the side to dodge an attack. With no idea how close the ground he was and needing to keep his guard up, Eldrian found he was seemingly in check mate.


    ''If only I knew how to fly,'' he grumbled as this time he reacted quick enough to not need to rely on sending himself flying to the side. Blocking Levana''s attack, however, ended up sending him flying nheless.


    "Uhckk!" Crashing into the ground, Eldrian coughed out blood as he sent himself skidding to the side to avoid a small throwing dagger. Piercing the stage, it exploded, burning Eldrian as he found himself defenseless in the darkness.


    "That hurt, you know!" He shouted, hoping to buy time while Two was analyzing the mist of darkness covering the area. Like the spells before, the darkness element made it extremely difficult to peer inside.


    "Then this is going to hurt a lot more!" Levana taunted as she struck from the darkness, flittering in and out of Eldrian''s range of detection like an assassin. Two out of five Eldrian failed to react in time. Slowly eat through his massive HP pool, despite the healing spells he continued to cast.


    ''I was really looking down on her too much...'' Eldrian realized as his HP dropped below two thousand. Over a third of his HP gone.


    ''The mist is weird. It feels different from spells. I suspect it is an ability or perhaps even aura rted,'' Two reported.


    Dancing in the palm of Levana''s hand, Eldrian did his best to keep his mind calm. Obviously he couldn''t be angry at Levana, as he had asked for the duel. This was precisely why what he wanted. He wanted to test himself.


    Sadly, as a result, he couldn''t exactly call on any budding anger to fight back.


    Instead, he had to keep calm and level-headed so he could hopefully rely on his second aura. Alternatively, Eldrian was trying to dig into his bloodline power. Sadly, he had no luck with either attempt.


    After a few more minutes, and another five hundred HP lost with his blood covering the stage¡ªhidden from sight and often causing Eldrian to slip and get a much deeper wound.


    Still trying to find a way to counter, Eldrian felt something truly dangerous approach from above. His instincts screaming at him to dodge or he would die.


    Sadly, when he tried, he found himself surrounded by des of darkness. Mirages it seemed, but when Eldrian tried to ignore them he found Levana''s daggers striking from his blindside.


    ''This better work!'' Eldrian screamed internally as he threw everything he had into forming a barrier of ice above him. Forcefully suppressing his emotions and clearing his mind as he called on the power of ice inside him.


    ''Two, keep her attacks at bay!'' Eldrian said, a mix of bark and calmness in his mental voice as he tried to keep his mind clear.


    After two more attempts at getting in damage, Levana backed off. Presumably to avoid her own spell.


    As it entered Eldrian''s range of detection, he felt likeughing. The spear that had flown so high had returned. Now condensed to a needle and aimed directly at his head.


    Somehow, Eldrian understood that he wouldn''t be able to dodge it. Not that he had time. In the fraction of the time it took him to realize what it was, it had crashed into his ice barrier.


    A massive shock wave of freezing air cleared the stage momentarily. Allowing everyone to see as a small needle pierced through Eldrian''s barrier and bore straight towards him.


    Yet, he did not appear flustered.


    Time seemed to slow as the ck needle pierced the barrier, Eldrian moving his arm to intercept. And just as it was about to pierce his arm, it froze. Along with a pir of air about ten meters high.


    From which the surroundings itself seemed to¡ªno, as the surrounding air all started freezing. A tree of frozen air appearing in the arena with the needle stuck in ce as it imploded and exploded.


    Yet, it did not manage to break through the tree of frozen air. Only causing a few slivers of cracks to form inside the tree.


    Escaping from the stage, Levana took flight as she watched the entire stage turning into an ice sculpture. With Eldrian in the center, the roots of the tree.


    ''Thank goodness that worked...'' Eldrian mumbled, not realizing the state he was in. It took him a few seconds.


    ''Oh, shit.'' Eldrian had half suspected something like this might happen. Feeling quite stupid as he stood frozen on the stage, Eldrian thanked his lucky stars that it appeared the ice was not freezing him to death. Not yet, at least.


    He could feel the cold slowly inching into him. Especially through his nostrils as the air continued to be frozen. Eldrian immediately tried to stop this, calling his mana and heating his body as much as possible.


    Levana turned to where Sofiera and the others were. Confusion clear in her eyes.


    "He''s not dead, though he isn''t far off. Let''s see if he can rescue himself." The centaurette answered the implied question calmly.


    "Aren''t you going to save him?" Levana asked, failing toprehend how everyone who had followed Eldrian here to fight for the fort was so calm. Well, the girl at a distance didn''t seem calm, and the dwarf had a deep frown. But the others didn''t even bat an eye at letting Eldrian die.


    "If he ends up dying, we will simply resurrect him. Though...this ice is a problem." Saying this, Sofiera added a barrier of fire on top of the barriers Myropsis had created. The mes died nearly instantly. Seeing this, the group moved back to not end up as frozen sculptures¡ªlike a certain elf.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 775 A Frozen Stage

    ''Two?'' Eldrian turned to his second brain as he struggled to keep the cold at bay. His mana draining as though he had opened floodgates. Yet, he could feel the cold prating into his body. The air in his lungs was already frozen.


    Luckily, his enhanced Chosen body could survive for a while without air, but this also drained his stamina and health. In a few minutes, he would be lightheaded, and doing anything would be impossible.


    The only reason the rest of him was yet to be frozen was because of the mana he was circting through his body.


    ''This isn''t looking good. I don''t think it is absolute zero, but it isn''t far from it.'' Came Two''s reply.


    ''Any ideas how we can survive?'' Naturally, Eldrian had immediately canceled his aura''s power after stopping the needle. Luckily, he had managed that¡ªunlike that one time in his mansion.


    The original tree trunk, however, had not simply disappeared when he recalled the power as best he could. And from it, more and more air froze. This was now just the aftereffects. The entire stage a massive crystal of frozen air.


    Naturally, in the process of the air freezing, a vacuum had been formed on the stage. And as air came to fill the vacuum, it froze too. Causing the area to increase, albeit at a slower rate than water would freeze.


    ''We''re not getting out of here through force,'' Two replied, ''and waiting it out isn''t an option either. We will run out of mana long before. You''re already tapping into the mana soul to keep enough mana flowing through our body to counter the cold.''


    ''You''re saying we need to get out of here in another way?'' Eldrian had two ideas. The first was a surefire way. He could teleport to Ceph, though the Alicorn would have to ept the request.


    Eldrian was certain Ceph would ept the request should he make it, but that would most certainly result in his loss in the duel.


    ''You''re still worried about the duel!?'' Two rebuked.


    ''Well yeah, using this fort is the most ideal since it is close to Kynigo but far enough to not cause coteral damage. If we are to try other locations, the distance to Kynigo would be a bit much.''


    ''Seriously?! We can just use the yer''s teleportation!''


    ''Yeah, but it has an entire day cooldown,'' Eldrian countered


    ''Since you''re not nning on taking the safe route... Blinking?''


    ''Yeah...''


    A slight pause before a roar echoed in Eldrian''s mind. ''ARE YOU INSANE!?''


    ''Not so loud,'' Eldrian grumbled, already busy forming the spell¡ªwell, the runes for the item he had been nning to make for Jen, and himself, altered to work as a spell in his mind.


    ''This isn''t something a Tier 5 should be capable of!'' Two roared, though he got to work refining the runic circuit as best he could.


    ''I know, which is why I am constructing it in our mind space,'' Eldrian replied, having dived into his mind space to get to work. Keeping only a deep enough connection with his body to maintain the temperature regtion.


    ''If this goes south, you know we''ll die.''


    ''The body will most certainly be torn apart, yeah... I''m sure we will be fine.'' Eldrian paused only for a second. He was sure their soul would be unaffected should they fail. Yes, he was most sure...


    ''Have you decided the location to form the other half?'' Two asked.


    The ns they had for the item was for it to teleport to a set location¡ªwhere a magic circle would be drawn as a guide. Without it, this would bepletely impossible.


    ''I was thinking about where everyone met up.''


    ''A kilometer... We''ll need around two thousand mana. Currently already spent over five thousand.''


    ''Which simply means we need to hurry. Can you finish this?'' Eldrian asked, aplex design currently floating next to the valley where Two had set up his library after the entire world creation fiasco.


    ''Yeah, get to work on forming the magic circle.''


    Nodding, Eldrian dived back into his body. Only to realize he couldn''t expand his mageia to the location he wanted, and that meant he couldn''t form the runes. Sighing, he tested how far he could expand it.


    The ice, luckily, showed no resistance. In fact, it acted as a conduit for his will. Reaching the edge of the now two hundred meter crystal took nearly no mental effort.


    ''Let''s make it around here.'' Noting that everyone was looking at him, Eldrian needed to hide his magic circle from Levana. If she was kind, she might allow him to finish it, but she had no obligation.


    Getting to work, Eldrian started with the ''beacon'' circle. First, he focused on the synchronization part to ensure he would end up at the location. Then he started forming the supplementary runes that technically should lower the strain on the body and the mana cost.


    Almost four hundred meters from the stage, behind a ratherrge tree, a magic circle started forming in the air. After a few minutes, it wasplete. And Eldrian was running low on mana. Another minute or two and he would not have the mana toplete the teleportation.


    ''Ready?'' Eldrian asked his trusty partner.


    ''As I can be,'' Two replied. And with that, Eldrian filled the runes in his mind with mana, and the distant magic circle.


    Noticing the flow of mana suddenly shooting out from the stage towards a lone tree, everyone understood something was about to happen. Though no one would voice their guess.


    After all, it wasmon knowledge that blink teleportation was limited to Tier 7 or higher. Yet, everyone seemed toe to this same conclusion.


    Though, technically, what Eldrian was doing was point-to-point teleportation. Only in his own design. Hence, why it took a few seconds for everything to finish.


    "Aren''t you going to foil his ns?" Sofiera asked upon noticing that the vampire was not rushing to the location where mana was gathering. A very substantial amount at that.


    "How on Gaia does he still have so much mana?" Levana asked instead of answering.


    She had considered tampering with the mana flow or erecting a mana canceling barrier around the crystal. However, she did not want to win the duel. Her ideal was a draw, and if she had to win, she did not want to win with such underhanded methods that might cause Eldrian to hate her.


    Since learning how close he was with the gods, her goal was to separate on as good terms as possible.


    "I actually have no clue." Sofiera admitted. "Despite having fought you and using a massive quantity of mana in the duel, it appears that the mana flowing through his body has not lessened."


    Levana nodded. She had noticed this too. Eldrian''s body still shone with the same quantity of mana, even trapped within that crystal. In fact, the shine was much brighter since he was evidently using his mana tobat the cold.


    And now, he sent what appeared to be a quantity close to half the mana flowing through him to that tree. Yet, the mana flowing through him did not dip. Just where did ite from?


    "Do you think I can actually win?" The vampire asked, her tone shocking Sofiera, who had been slowlying to find the vampire a decent person. Perhaps not a good person, but not a bad one either. Sofiera almost felt like Levana was simr to Jade.


    "You certainly pushed him to his limits. He normally avoids using his auras, though he does want the fort precisely to train their use."


    "Auras?!"


    "Oh, looks like it is about to happen!" Vivian''s announcement robbed Levana from her confirmation.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 776 Success?

    Mana gathering, runes activating, magic circle shining. Eldrian glowed from within the crystal of frozen air for a few seconds. Disappearing, as many had suspected he would, but dared not believe.


    The sight came as confirmation to Eldrian''s friends, but to Alec and the other vampires it was aw-breaking thing. Thanks to the tons of frozen air between Eldrian and them, few had seen the runes. Their minds racing to try and make sense how he had aplished this.


    "Aren''t you going to press your advantage?" Sofiera asked the vampire princess who hade to them filled with questions.


    Eldrian hadn''t teleported that far and it would most certainly be best for her to attack before he could gather his bearings. However, she did not move.


    "I would prefer not to use such underhanded tactics." Levana replied, though honestly no one could im it to be truly underhanded. Using all to your advantage was a given during a duel.


    ¡ª


    "Oh god...it hurts..." Eldrian grumbled, for the most part the teleportation had worked. He was out of the crystalized air cage. However, not all of him had made it.


    In particr, he had lost his right arm somewhere above the elbow and his left leg below the knee. He also had a few cuts covering his body, or more urately, tears of missing flesh covered him from head to toe. The amount of blood loss was most certainly on the dangerous levels.


    ''I told you it wasn''t safe.'' Came Two''s reply, no hint of sympathy shown to Eldrian, who was grinding his teeth to hold in his scream as they cauterized the wounds. Stopping the bleeding was paramount.


    "Can''t you at least say something a littleforting?" Eldrianined, falling back into his habit of speaking aloud. Which Two quickly admonished him for.


    ''You''re already seen as a freak! Do you want to seem insane too?''


    ''Haven''t I told the others about you?'' Eldrian asked, happy for the distraction as the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. After the duel, he was going to ask Myropsis to help him regrow his limbs. Sadly, Eldrian had no spells capable of this, and he wanted to save what mana he had left for the duel.


    He could attempt a crude healing, but it would take far too long. He was surprised that Levana wasn''t attacking him already.


    As everyone started bing curious why Eldrian was taking so long, he finally hobbled out from behind the tree. Using his spear as a crutch in his left hand, sending an awkward smile to his friends.


    ''Why''s Levana standing next to them?''


    Seeing Eldrian''s state, everyone who knew him well facepalmed. Which meant everyone but the vampires, Theas, and Jade.


    "Seriously?" Myropsisined, already knowing that Eldrian nned to use her talent with water healing to help him regrow his lost limbs. Next to divine, it was the best at healing lost limbs.


    "Good luck." Vivian said.


    "Do you want to postpone the duel?" Levana asked, channeling mana into her voice so it could reach Eldrian. Continuing with things as they were now would certainly not work with her ns to get a draw.


    "Nah, it was my own mistake. Wouldn''t be fair to postpone now." Eldrian answered. Stopping after only a few meters of hobbling. Hobbling was not easy, and he wanted as much distance as possible between him and his opponent.


    "Then what about we call it a draw?" Levana asked. Not wishing to be seen as a bully.


    "That''s hardly fair." Eldrian countered. "You aren''t hurt and have plenty of mana still left to use. If anything, this would be my loss. But I''m not ready to admit it!"


    Not knowing how to continue, Levana relented. "Alright, but if you die, don''t me me."


    "Of course I won''t." Eldrian smiled, looking at his HP stat, which was now below a thousand. As for mana, he had exhausted his mana soul and only had two thousand left flowing through his body. Since Levana was giving him time, he took out one of the mana recovery potions Erik had given him and downed it.


    It was a truly refreshing feeling as the liquid flowed through him. To normal people, it enhanced their mana regen for a time being. But that was only because they couldn''t absorb all the mana in the liquid at once.


    While Eldrian wanted to enjoy the feeling, he decided to simply extract the mana since he needed all he could muster.


    He continued to do this until his mana was back to three thousand, Levana courteously giving him the time for that.


    ''The crystal finally stopped expanding.'' Two noted, having kept track of it the entire time. They would need the datater on to determine the power of the aura of ice. Wrath was much, much simpler.


    "Thanks for waiting." Eldrian smiled, pushing his spear forward after having formed a chair for himself. "Let''s continue."


    ''He''s serious... Is he insane?'' Levana pondered, taking a deep breath and moving forward. Resummoning her wings of darkness and readying for a charge. Disappearing from sight once she moved.


    ''Light magic?'' Eldrian pondered, noticing with mana sight that she was doing something. To most, she would appearpletely invisible. Certainly this would be a spell or skill for assassins or thief. It was also the first time Eldrian saw it.


    ''It seems quiteplex, likely Tier 5 is required to cast.''


    ''Yeah... Are the traps in ce?'' The question was answered when Levana suddenly appeared again. Flying through the air, wreathed in mes.


    ''I''ve prepared ten mines.''


    Eldrian nodded, watching as Levana''s wings of darknesses pped once and she recovered. The shock on her face was a precious sight. However, Eldrian had learned he had to take her seriously if he had any hope of standing a chance. And with his condition, the only thing he could rely on was magic.


    Thus, he turned all his focus on keeping her at bay.


    Once Levana recovered from the shock, she charged again. This time managing to react in time when a new explosion urred. ''Not limited to the ground and how is it possible that I am running into them?'' She wondered. She didn''t think Eldrian had enough mana to cover the entire area surrounding him. Something was strange.


    Just in case, she decided to circle around. Keeping her distance before charging from the opposite direction.


    Eldrian, naturally, shifted in his seat to remain facing her. Once she crossed fifty meters, he activated the true trap.


    ''Now.'' Hemanded Two, who immediately shifted all the runic mines to surround Levana. Immediately, she was forced to focus on her defense and pushed back. Frustrated, she gave up on trying to reach Eldrian and starting forming a spear of darkness.


    ''Seems it worked.'' Smiling, Eldrian channelled his mana through Crystoi and started forming a ball of mes. Thanks to the pain he had recently suffered, he had a significant amount of anger he could direct. His true target was perhaps Two who had shown him no mercy, but he was able to shift the me to Levana in a crude way.


    ''Really? What an insane way of going around things...'' Two grumbled.


    ''Sadly, spirit magic and auras feed on the emotions. So I need a source¡ªat least, for the moment, this is the case,'' Eldrian replied, the ball of mes growing and growing. Soon, it wasrger than Eldrian as he pushed well over a thousand mana into it.


    Noting that Levana was also about done with her spell, Eldrian smiled and whispered, "Incinerate all. Turn to ash."


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 777 Conclusion?

    "Incinerate? Seems Eldrian is more serious now." Vivianmented.


    "If he still isn''t serious after ending up like that..." Myropsis paused. It was just like Eldrian to not make much sense. His countenance currently didn''t seem worried at all. He appearedpletely at ease¡ªwhich, considering his state, appeared truly contrary. "Do you guys think it will be enough?"


    "Seems he wishes to overwhelm the absorption ability of the vampire''s spells." Sofiera answered. "That spell of his is truly something, so I suspect it will be."


    "Indeed." Theas nodded in consent. He would certainlye out worse for wear if he had to face it head on. Those mes were anything but normal.


    Eldrian waspletely oblivious to the calm manner in which his friends were talking as they watched the match from the sidelines. The vampire''s side had a bit more heat as they sense the danger that the spell was.


    Sending the fireball at Levana with his whisper for destruction, it flew at incredible speeds. Breaking the sound barrier as it soared towards its target. Levana countered by sending her spear of darkness forward.


    Eldrian had half expected an ultimate sh of two unstoppable forces¡ªlike so often depicted in anime and movies. He was disappointed when that never happened.


    When the spear met the mes, it flew through the balls of mes and the mes kept moving towards to Levana. Now halved in size, but still a dangerous force.


    Taking flight, the vampire found -to her dismay- that the mes were faster than her. Tracking her as she weaved up and down and behind distant trees, trying to avoid it.


    As for the spear, after passing through the mes, it had started morphing¡ªbulging and expanding uncontrobly. The manaposing Incinerate was not the normal type, afflicted with emotion and its caster will, it was far harder to steal. And apletely foreign substance to the spear. Bringing it to an explosion after just a few dozen meters.


    The explosion was certainly powerful, but it was too far to affect Eldrian. A simple ice barrier kept the heat waves from reaching him while he kept the ball of mes chasing the vampire.


    ''Should I intervene?'' Alec, the Tier 7 vampire, wondered as he watched the ball of mes licking at his charge''s heels. Interfering would break the rules of the duel and result in her loss, but those mes appeared truly dangerous. A loss was better than death or permanent disability.


    Just as the old vampire was about to move, he noted that the firebird was acting strange. It had retreated far from the stage once that power of cold had been emitted from the elf. cing it now almost next to where Levana was retreating.


    ''What is it¡ª'' Stunned, Alec watched as the bird took flight. Fear gripped his heart as he watched it charge after his charge. And again, just as he was about to intervene, the bird acted strangely again.


    As the fireball was about to catch Levana, the firebird aligned itself over the ball of mes and... pecked at it.


    The sight made the old vampire stare in disbelief, doubting his old eyes. As if the ball of mes -that even caused him fear- was a bundle of seeds. The firebird continued to peck at it. It did not take long for the ball to slow and grow smaller by the peck.


    "What the¡ª?" Eldrian, along with everyone, couldn''t understand what they were witnessing.


    Eldrian watched as the ball shrank with each peck. The firebird kept its speed to match the slowing ball of me, and after a few seconds, it pecked thest seed of mes.


    Silence settled as everyone watched with wide eyes, unable to understand what had just happened.


    ''Well, I''m officially out of tricks...'' Eldrian sighed. He still had around a thousand mana. More or less the same as Levana. However, he wouldn''t be able to cast another Incinerate. The former spell having depleted the anger he had collected from losing his limbs and Two''s teasing.


    And without spirit magic, he doubted he could ovee her darkness spells that absorbed and stole mana. Not without more analysis, and in his condition, he doubted he could survive until he managed the analysis. Just one or two attacks getting through would spell his defeat, whereas Levana was still at full health.


    Finishing thest seed of mes, the bird turned to Eldrian. Seeming more substantial than before, its glowing eyes of fire seemed to ask for more. With incredible speed, it flew towards Eldrian.


    "Sorry, I can''t." Eldrian shrugged as the bird sat next to him and nudged him for more. "I can''t." Eldrian continued saying, hoping the bird would settle for a petting. Eldrian failing to notice that with each pat, the bird became slightly smaller.


    A few seconds passed in which everyone watched what was happening. Trying to understand what they were seeing and what had just happened. The firebird, which everyone understood was a truly dangerous entity, acting like a tamed bird seeking attention. It simply made no sense.


    "Huh, hum!" Levana cleared her throat loudly to get everyone''s attention. Naturally, amplifying things with magic so her voice could carry to everyone. "How about we call it a draw now?"


    Eldrian sighed. He didn''t like ending things like this, but the firebird had ruined everything. Well, many things had gone wrong. It was just thest straw that broke Eldrian''s will to fight. And a draw was easier to swallow than a loss.


    "Alright, but...we didn''t specify the details for a draw ¡ª where you always so small?"


    His attention robbed from the topic at hand, Eldrian stared at the firebird. His eyes filled with curiosity. It used to be asrge as a Roc, now it was as big as an eagle. Still quiterge, but nowhere near three meters.


    "Caw, caw!" the bird screeched, seemingly trying tomunicate.


    "What on earth is going on?" Turning to mana sense, Eldrian observed the bird again. Finding that the temporary next to the familiar title had disappeared.


    ''Oh, so I can''t unsummon it anymore?'' This was the most significant difference that Eldrian found.


    "Caw!?"


    ''Two, did it just read my mind?''


    "Kyew!" it chirped, changing the type to probably try and better converse.


    "''Seriously, what is¡ª" Looking up at the vampire who had closed the distance, Eldrian forced a smile. "Oh, hi."


    "So we''re calling it a draw?"


    "Cruck?!" The firebird tilted its head questioningly.


    ''Is it trying to say crutch?'' Eldrian scratched his head, trying to tell the bird to stay quiet for now. "We need to sort out the details, but yeah..."


    "From what I gathered, you want the fort so you would have somewhere safe to perform experiments. I assume things like what happened to the stage are what you are afraid of."


    "Huh? Oh, yeah..." Too distracted with the bird -made of mes, mind you- who was now resting on his shoulder. Eldrian only half listened to the person who he had been having a deadly duel just seconds ago.


    Sensing what was going on, Myropsis moved quickly. "We can discuss the details in a bit. I would like to first ensure that Eldrian won''t suffer any permanent damage."


    "R-Right..." Levana doubted there was any need to worry about something like that, considering Eldrian was a Chosen. But she also felt she needed some time to reconsider her options.


    While a draw was ideal, it also meant things were now up in the air.


    And frustratingly, it appeared Eldrian was far more interested in the firebird on his shoulder than the fort at the moment. This should have been good news, but it made Levana feel truly weird.


    Like the duel, and this entire deadly confrontation, was but a passing fancy of the elf.


    ''Is this what others feel like when I...'' Thoughts spiraling, Levana wondered if she had caused those serving her such a terrible feeling when her mood shifted and her attention drifted. ''How terrible it must have been,'' looking towards Eldrian''s friends, she finished her thought, ''...must be for them...''


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 778 Summoning Magic

    "What the hell is going on?" Myropsis asked as soon as Levana was out of earshot. Naturally, she constructed a sound blocking barrier just in case.


    "No idea." Eldrian replied, himself trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Joining the rest of the group, with help from Myropsis, Eldrian was weed with congrattions. Though he felt conflicted in receiving them.


    Not only had he failed to evennd one hit against the vampire, one that counted at least, he even lost an arm and leg and was one or two sessful hits from death. However, everyone countered that he had faced an opponent better equipped and a Tier higher.


    Letting Eldrian stew in his embarrassment for a few seconds, Sofiera stepped forward and put an end to it. "Seems you at least learned something from the duel."


    "Yeah..." Eldrian had gotten a feel for relying on his hidden powers, and things hadn''t gone terribly wrong for once. Sure, he had frozen the stage -and it was still frozen- but that was quite eptablepared to previous idents.


    He had also learned again that he should not be prideful. While he had managed in the duel, it was clear that he had been the one who had actually lost. Even if the firebird hadn''t interrupted it near the end, Eldrian doubted Incinerate would have done enough damage. Not through all the armor and charms that Levana had.


    "But I have no idea what''s up with this bird."


    "Naturally." Sofiera smiled, "We should be discussing how to handle the draw, but I have a feeling you won''t be able to focus until you at know what you did to my spell."


    "Uhh? Yeah..." Her tone, as if talking to a child, and Eldrian''s reply made the others snicker.


    "I doubt you''ve had much contact with summoning magic. Not that it is real summoning, but that is a debate for another time..." Taking a moment, Sofiera summoned another firebird. This one was far smaller and its mes clearly far weaker.


    "Summoning magic is the process of animating a spell ording to an animal''s behavior and features. I''ve heard that there is true summoning where the creature summoned is an actual monster, but I''ve never encountered it. Apparently, it required a special bloodline¡ªsimr perhaps to how our royals can transform into human forms. Something like that."


    Observing the bird that Sofiera had summoned, Eldrian noticed that it was massively different from the one on his shoulder. Who was now even smaller, likely shrinking itself so it could sit morefortably on his shoulder. The process of size control of the firebird seemed to be a simple process of manapression. ''There is likely a limit...it''s as big as a hawk now.''


    ''Also, seems that the smaller it is, the less mana it loses. Its temperature has also lowered... Right, why am I not being burnt by the mes?'' Finally noticing the peculiarity, Eldrian however had to drop it as Sofiera continued exining.


    "This process of trying to mimic an animal or monster allows us to perhaps tap into the type of magic you most often use." Sofiera continued.


    ''Does she mean dynamic casting? Right, Jade is nearby, so we can''t be too direct in what we talk. Still not sure we can trust her.'' Jade was standing at an appropriate distance to not have her aura interrupt the talk, but she was close enough to hear. "Does that mean it has a sort of will?"


    "Precisely so. Perhaps not a true will of a living creature, but either through the design of the spell, or because we imagine the animal in the process of casting, it can act independently..." Sofiera wasn''t sure which gave the spell ''life''.


    ''Was it perhaps like an AI? Something notplete but capable of acting ording to its coding? Mimicking life?'' Eldrian felt this was perhaps an apt exnation.


    "Normally, this would never happen, since the act of keeping the spell active is extremely draining." Letting go of her control, the second firebird took flight. However, Sofiera dismissed the spell before it could disappear from sight.


    "When you took control of the spell, I assume you did something extra."


    "Oh, yeah..." Slightly embarrassed, Eldrian exined how he had pushed a bit of anger into the spell. In a manner simr to how he would form spirit magic, only in far less quantity, since he was only slightly pissed by Levana''s acts of trying to encircle him and faking naivety.


    "Abination of summoning and spirit magic..." Sofiera pondered for a second, gazing intently at the bird on Eldrian''s shoulder as she did. "It seems this made the spell more substantial and less reliant on the caster''s mana."


    "Yeah, I also noticed that." Eldrian noted how the mana upkeep had lessened after.


    "And then it fed on Incinerate. A spell you cast by mixing in all the anger you had at the moment... Yet, the bird does not appear to be wrathful..." Sofiera paused for a moment, trying to recall the stories and theories she had read.


    "Somehow the natural will that the spell imbeds the formed creatures with has somehow been solidified, feeding on this anger element... But why¡ª"


    "Spirit magic requires a lot of infused will. The will of a person might be in the form of an emotion, but perhaps it simply cleansed the emotion and consumed the will. Transforming it into its own." Vivian offered.


    The others stared nkly between her and the bird. Asking repeatedly "is that even possible?" but failing toe to a conclusion.


    Eldrian too, was uncertain. A person''s will was their will. To take it and¡ª''Wait, didn''t I do just that when absorbing the lich''s soul?''


    ''I was perhaps a little tunnel visioned in how it can be done, or now, the terminology we were using trapped us. Two, do you think this will be dangerous?''


    ''The will you infuse into spells to control the mana is not much. Spirit magic is an exception, and that is why the emotion itself is consumed.''


    ''Right. Since it was already consumed by the spell, I guess it isn''t important. Is there any difference in the mental world?''


    ''Like something like a single spell would change such a vast space.''


    ''True...''


    "I think Vivian is right." Eldrian offered, bringing the debate to a standstill as everyone turned to him for rification. "We don''t even really know what a person''s will is. We can say it is us thinking and envisioning, wishing, for something. And we know it can shape, guide, and control mana. But, who says that like a person''s mana, it can''t be stolen?"


    "In fact, isn''t this the principle behind devils?" Hearing the familiar example, everyone suddenly nodded in agreement.


    "Right, I guess we were a bit na?ve in constructing our debate solely to spells." Sofiera mumbled, deep in thought. "Considering that, then what the firebird actually sprang to eat wasn''t the emotions or even will. Bur rather lifeforce, isn''t it?"


    "Lifeforce?" Eldrian repeated, nowpletely lost. Figuring out how to use it was a massive goal of his, so naturally, he was not super invested.


    "Of course. What is our will but us using our lifeforce to control mana?"


    ''Oh, that''s what she meant... I guess...'' Eldrian nodded, his mood dropping to zero as he realized this talk would not be a massive breakthrough for using lifeforce.


    However, it was still a massive breakthrough for Sofiera in summoning magic.

 Chapter 779 Asked To Weigh In

    Listening to the rest of the exnation, Eldrian felt deted. Everything made sense, and sure it was quite the breakthrough. However, it wasn''t the breakthrough he had wanted.


    "Wait, something feels off." Myropsis mumbled, causing Eldrian''s hope to lift again. "If the mental power we used to take control of spells, form our spell modules, or in this case fuel spells with emotions¡ªis lifeforce... Doesn''t that mean basically everyone can tap into their lifeforce?"


    "Ah, yeah... But that''s just mageia." Eldrian replied off-handedly, again deted. This was precisely what mageia meant. Being able to control spells, but not form them. Not without mana being the fuel for them. Lifeforce was the driving force. It wasn''t the matter that makes up the spells.


    An invisible force, collecting and guiding an invisible type of matter. ''Logically, if it is a force, it contains energy -or rather is- and it should be able to be a type of matter. Just like how ether is the force equivalent of mana...yet...''


    Of course, Eldrian had never truly experimented. And even if he had, expecting results in a year or two was ridiculous. Such a project would be a life''s achievement. Just go back three years and he, like everyone else, didn''t even consider magic a possibility.


    "Either I am still missing something or you''re overlooking something." Myropsis countered. "Your addition didn''t just alter the spell, it fundamentally changed it."


    Sofiera noticed Eldrian wasn''t seeing it. "The firebird used the emotions as a catalyst to make itself more than a spell. It isn''t mageia guiding, but rather it being consumed and re-used independently. Like it gave the spell life."


    "Eldrian! This is a massive breakthrough!" Myropsis tried to get through to him. Sadly, Eldrian continued to be blinded by his pre-conceived notions. Which was inrge part because of how vague his definitions were, and how things normally just worked out.


    After a bit more of trying to get Eldrian to acknowledge it, the centaurettes gave up. Deciding to focus on figuring out the aftermath of the duel first. Not needing to fight the vampires and conquer the fort was a big bonus, but the politics this brought was going to be a pain.


    However, these politics were sure to be preferable to war. If it could be arranged as such.


    Eldrian let Sofiera lead the talks as the division leader of the western region. He felt this would be for the best since she was actually a part of the kingdom, while he was not.


    Sure, he had done plenty for the kingdom and hade to feel it was home. Undeniably, however, he was still a non-native. Not just to the kingdom, but even to this world.


    He was pulled back into the talks near the end. Apparently, Levana didn''t mind too terrible to relinquish the fort to their control. However, they requested that they be allowed to visit.


    Before going to the keep, Eldrian had wandered the area and was relieved to see that the ves were treated well. At least, they weren''t being worked like ves and seemed well fed. For their mental health, he couldn''tment, but their condition was good enough for him to not make a fuss.


    "In essence, we hope to make this fort a neutral ground for diplomatic talks. As it is outside of the drnds and also past the defined kingdom borders, we see this as an ideal spot." Levana exined once Eldrian joined the meeting.


    Looking at the centaurette, he realized they wanted him to weigh in. "Sounds great. I don''t see why you want me here."


    "Because this is all because of you." Levana offered a sweat smile, which was sadly lost on Eldrian who was still thinking about other things. "Sadly, as you''ve also noted before, neither you nor I am true authorities in our reflective kingdoms."


    "Okay?"


    ''She wants to form a diplomatic line with us.'' The sudden mental prompt took Eldrian by surprise. Eldrian had kept the connection active in case of emergency. He did not expect to receive guidance from it.


    "What is your proposal?" Eldrian asked as an awkward silence settled into the keep. Slightly embarrassed that he had needed the prompt. Levana hadn''t exactly hidden the lead.


    "I would like to stay in the fort, at least for a while." Levana proffered, getting a round of gasps from those in attending.


    "Oh... I see no problem with that." Eldrian replied so quickly that Sofiera didn''t have time to instruct him. Feeling like another mountain of work had just been ced on her shoulders, she sighed under her breath. Trying to not let anyone notice her annoyance.


    ''I would prefer you wait for my go-ahead...'' Came the message, toote.


    "Really! That''s great. Right, then Alec¡ª"


    "I''m afraid I have you stop you there." Sofiera interrupted before things could spiral more unfavorably. "As this is going to be a neutral ground, I would like to propose a limitation to the strength of attendees..."


    "Ah, yes. I can understand that...but it will also be awkward."


    "Indeed. Which is why I want to propose that the limitation will be your and Eldrian''s levels of strength. Since he will be mainly staying here and we will not upy the fort, he needs to be capable of defending himself. And the same holds for you."


    "I see..."


    "However, we also wish toe here from time to time to discuss things and offer advice if we are capable..." Sofiera continued, things now moreplicated. "For this reason, a simple agreement will be hard toe to and we cannot leave things undefined."


    "You''re thinking of another contract?"


    "Eldrian." Sofiera turned to the stunned elf.


    "Huh...y-yeah?" Half spacing out, Eldrian returned his focus to the matter at hand. Relying on Two for a quick recap.


    He was in deep reflection about the duel and everything that had transpired. Tapping into tranquility, teleporting, the firebird (who was now soaring around the fort), and those darkness spells draining his mana.


    "Do you think it will be possible to enact a type of magical contract that must be signed to enter the fort?" Sofiera asked. Once she confirmed Eldrian was mentally with them.


    "Uh... Sure, why not?" Eldrian replied, thinking that it would be quite a simple thing with help from the AI. His sudden answer again gave Sofiera a headache.


    ''Couldn''t you have taken a little more time to answer that?'' She asked, rubbing her head as she tried to rationalize what Eldrian was thinking. Something like they were considering was generally epted as impossible. If it were, crime would be non-existent.


    "Sometimes even we are stunned by his quick answers." Sofiera offered the vampires, who gave her reassureing smiles. The two groups seemingly having found amonality.


    ''Are those smiles because of me or Levana?'' Eldrian wondered, being asked how they would go about setting up a contract for entrance into the fort.


    "Simply put, it will need to be a barrier. Else people can negate it simply by sneaking in." Eldrian exined. The vision he had in his mind was a simple one. Something like getting a pop-up when trying to enter a city.


    Something impossible, or at least too costly to ever be practical. However, if the AI, the gods of this world, were to get involved. Then it should be simple.


    [Ziraili, do you think this might be possible?] Eldrian started getting confirmation before heid out his precise ns for everyone. Something he definitely should have done before giving confirmation.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 780 Zirailis Existence Shared

    [It is, but the drain of such a barrier would be difficult to meet.] Came a reply after a while, the format just like a system message.


    [Can you exin the details?] Eldrian asked, receiving a blueprint in turn. Apparently, Miracle had already determined that yers would want something like this. So naturally, Ziraili had needed toe up with a n for the future. Truly, they simply dumped most everything on their AI.


    [The idea was to give this function to guilds upon them reaching level 6 and being allowed to take over the management of a fort. You, however, jumped the gun for your guild through connections and now this...]


    Not being able to hear the tone in which Ziraili was speaking made it a difficult to determine if she was annoyed or simply stating a fact. Eldrian felt it was likely the former. The ellipses seemed a dead giveaway.


    [Sorry¡ªI guess? So...basically I need to recruit at least a Tier 6 formation master and construct this formation in what is basically an altered magic tower?]


    ''Sofiera, can you make Tier 6 formations?'' Eldrian asked, only a slight silence having settled in the meeting.


    Naturally, he believed Solvi would help in the tower construction, the idea in his mind simr to what they had done for the wall. Only a more advanced andrger tower. Theas, depending on his time avability, might also be dragged into this. Eldrian wasn''t too sure of the dwarf''s schedule.


    Eldrian assumed Vivian would return to the front lines, and Myropsis would likely be sent hunting for resources again.


    ''I can.'' Came Sofiera''s reply. ''Let''s sign a contract with the vampires first so we can talk openly.''


    Her reply was sensible. Letting Sofiera lead the talks, Eldrian only filled in the gaps where needed after they hammered out the details of what Eldrian felt was an NDA and a non-aggression pact.


    ? His exnation, simply put, was: Ziraili, the true goddess of the Chosen, not Asteria ¡ª which was a massive shocker to most in the meeting ¡ª would construct the upon-contact contract barrier and they only had toplete the structure to supply it with mana.


    It took everyone a while toe to grips with what Eldrian had exined.


    "I see..." Sofiera was the third to recover, and her long sigh showed how absurd she felt things were bing.


    Vivian and Myropsis had been quicker toe to ept the exnation, linking it to how Eldrian made the artifacts. Which was actually a terrifying view. However, neither of them actually took part in the talks. They had onlye forbat support if needed. So they had stayed quiet and waited for Sofiera toe to.


    "I now understand why you asked us to first sign a contract before sharing all these details..." Alec mumbled, the old vampire a little star-struck.


    Levana had informed him of Eldrian''s peculiarities. But hearing of something and experiencing it were two massively different things. Eldrian being able to face off against Levana, even if she was holding back, had been quite a demonstration. Then there was the firebird, and now...


    Not only had Eldrian talked with a goddess, the goddess actually agreed to help, and it was a goddess never before heard of. And her help would not be in a small simple manner either. This was as hands on as gods could be. It might even be past the normally epted levels of involvement.


    "As this is now much moreplicated than our original n, let us adjourn for today." Sofiera offered.


    Thanks to the contract, things should stay calm for a while. Especially since all the vampires had signed the contract and the only other people capable of free thought were Eldrian''s friends and the ves.


    The E-vampires couldn''t go against their master''s will. The thralls had little to no mental capacity left thanks to the ever consuming thirst destroying their sanity. And as for the ves, it would be impossible for any of them to learn of this meeting.


    "Agreed. We will prepare to vacate the fort." Alec nodded, havinge to ept the agreement readily. His tone was now one filled with hope and excitement, instead of a begrudging follower following his master''s whimsical ideas.


    With the meeting ended, Eldrian prepared to leave. Sofiera was going to return to Kynigo to organize everything they would need to construct a magic tower.


    This particr fort never having had one constructed because of its distance and all the problems that had been present before its abandonment. The fort was also about half the size of the other forts. Which made it seem more manageable in Eldrian''s eyes. Though, it was stillrge enough to fit a town or two inside.


    Centaurs really liked to expand the space of their constructions. Including farms and wide grasnds inside walled locations, both for animals and training. Helpful in a pinch, but making everything coverrge expanses ofnd.


    "A second of your time." Levana asked, having joined Eldrian in stride as he was heading over to check up on the firebird.


    Thanks to his link with the bird, whenever he focused on it, he could tell its general direction. Like there was a thread connecting him and the bird.


    Eldrian suspected that it had something to do with the bird having consumed some of his lifeforce. Excess lifeforce of emotions, part of what people seemed to be capable of using and losing without noticing.


    In the little time Eldrian and Two had before being dragged into the meeting, they had considered it like the mist escaping from the vessel that was the soul. This mist did not decrease the total amount of lifeforce, hence the two felt it was likely something everyone generated through everyday life. Be it as simple as being gathered while eating, experiencing life, or sleeping; they did not know.


    Like the heat the human body generates, perhaps it might even be the magical equivalent.


    "Yes?" Eldrian looked at the vampire but did not stop. After all, he was hobbling and quite slow thanks to hiscking one of his legs.


    "I hope we can start over. I believe our initial meeting wasn''t ideal." Things had been shaky on both sides.


    "Sadly, there is no such thing as starting over." Eldrian replied, "However, I do hope from here we will have a constructive rtionship."


    "I-I see..." Caught a little off guard, Levana quickly tried to recover. "Would you mind if I ask you about what you did to the firebird and how you froze the stage?"


    By now, the stage had mostly unfrozen, except for the original trunk of ice. It appeared to be struggling to return to normal. Myropsis had told Eldrian that it seemed to be crystalizing into something permanent.


    "Yeah... I don''t really think we are close enough to share such details. It would be like me asking you about the darkness covered spells of yours that consumed my spell''s mana and turned it into its own force."


    Levana hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment. "I do not mind an exchange of information!"


    ''She really does remind me of Jade. Minus the constant invasion of an aura,'' Eldrian thought, finding the aforementioned charm machinebing the firebird''s feathers. Apparently, it had learned to full control of the mes that it existed out of.


    ''This is certainly the application of mana mimicking the element, but not being the element. Investigating this will surely result in massive breakthroughs,'' Eldrian thought as he watched the scene. It was certainly a beautiful scene.


    A stunning girlbing the feathers of a phoenix atop the walls of the keep. Showing the vast expanses of grasnds behind, seemingly weing the phoenix to take flight.


    Realizing that Eldrian''s attention had left the conversation, Levana took a few deep breaths to calm down. Again wondering if this was how her attendants felt when her mind wandered and her mood shifted.

 Chapter 781 The Other Side Of The Coin

    "There finally here." Elizabeth smiled as she watched thousands of soldiers setting up camp around the city. She and Nikki were currently a ways off from where their camp used to be, watching from a hill as the soldiers streamed over from the horizon.


    "Indeed." Nikki nodded with a wide smile. The mission had been far more troublesome than they had initially thought it would be. Of course, they had always understood they wouldn''t be able to save everyone. However, needing to micromanage the other yers had been a massive pain.


    A pain they had to endure, since allowing them to run wild wouldn''t have been good for the mission. With some nudging and taunting, they had managed to lead these unruly yers by the nose and prevent them from causing any true trouble.


    Currently, only Elizabeth and Nikki were left at Pediades. The rest of Phoenix had left a few hours earlier with the recent batch of rescued citizens. Elizabeth and her vice guild leader remained to hand over the information they had. With that, they will finally be able to shift their focus to the fort Eldrian had thrown at them.


    "Well, then... Let''s go and great them." Stepping ahead, Elizabeth headed for what was themand tent. The army''s reasoning behind their camp differed greatly from what Phoenix had focused on.


    Whereas Phoenix wanted to hide their camp and have it easily defendable, and capable of caring for the survivors until they could make the trek to Vlisia, the army wanted to surround the city.


    They were setting things up to facilitate in taking over the city. Establishing the camps far enough to give time to react to a sortie, but close enough to ensure a smooth siege. While the orcs weren''t able to cover the walls in numbers, they certainly could dig in and make things difficult for the army.


    The army also set their camps in a way that ensured they would catch any attempts at escape. With multiple smaller camps being erected to keep watch for this. Their actions were well tuned and organized, practiced even. The entire army surrounding the city in just a few hours. Which, considering the size of the city, was no small feat.


    Nikki and Elizabeth were stopped and questioned over five times before finally making it to themander''s tent. Where they were announced and allowed to enter.


    "Ah, you must be the representatives of the Chosen I have heard so much about." An old gentleman smiled, turning to greet the twodies. Mumbling to what appeared to be his squire to give him a moment alone with the girls.


    "It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Elizabeth said as soon as they were alone, curtsying, before introducing the two of them. "I''m Elizabeth, the guild leader for the Phoenix guild. And this is Nikki, my vice guild leader."


    "I guess we''ve never officially met." The man mumbled, "It feels so strange. I feel like I already know you thanks to all the rumors surrounding you and your guild... I''m Duke Vicar." The centaur before them appeared like a normal man, with gray streaks upying his hair.


    Stopping the two before they could curtsy again, the Duke offered, "Let us leave the formalities forter. We''re in the field and preparing for a city takeover. I would prefer if you could speak inly and share as much as you can."


    "Thank you." Elizabeth smiled. Having learned far more about the aspect of etiquette and appearances than Eldrian, who found it irritating at best. "Nikki, pleaseyout the map."


    Nodding, Nikki took out a massive map covering nearly two meters in size. They had custom made this over time through abination of scouting, copying their system map, and Eldrian''s information.


    Seeing the map and all the details, with pages ced atop pages exining the situation for each location of interest and even including zoomed in maps, Duke Vicar whistled in amazement. "This is truly impressive."


    "Thank you. After confirming the army''s date of arrival, we focused ourst few days on gathering the information we had beencking. Over the past few weeks, we had saved around ten thousand citizens..."


    Elizabeth paused, considering the original number of citizens. This was not good news. And the following would be worse. "We believe there are still around fifty thousand alive in the city. The rest have all sadly died or been moved."


    ? "I see..." The duke did not say much, but the two could clearly feel the atmosphere bing somber. Taking a moment to allow the duke to ept that hundreds of thousands of lives had died terrible deaths or had been taken to live in even worse conditions, Elizabeth continued.


    "We formed an agreement with the adventurers and most of them have retreated or joined your ranks by now."


    The duke nodded. He had gotten reports on this already. These adventures hoped to im significant achievements with their information and experience navigating the lost city.


    "Sadly, the new Chosen have proven difficult to work with. Blinded by their experiences from the empire, they did not wish to work with us."


    "I''ve heard about it. Sadly, the least cooperative Chosen ended uping here in hopes of easy fortunes. It was our management of things that led to this. Hoping to secure more manpower through eliciting the greed of people seems to not be limited to only our kind."


    Elizabeth nodded. If anything, she felt the Chosen were even more prone to greed since the danger was non-existent. "They are still in the city. While I doubt any of them would be aggressive to your men, their actions might cause trouble. It is even possible they might try to ditch their troubles on you."


    The duke frowned. "Aren''t you incapable of death?"


    "We are, but there is still the cost of losing levels. Some might wish to escape the penalty and might even be willing to leave their troubles to you. I hope you can inform your men so they would have their guard up. There have been cases of this between guilds."


    "Of course, it there is a massive difference between our kind doing something like this to each other, and to you. At least, in our case, death would not be permanent."


    The duke did not reply, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he thought that introducing Elizabeth to the better side of the Chosen might help. Her tone seemed to damn all who were not in her guild.


    "I know you must be extremely busy, however, if it wouldn''t be much trouble. I would like for you to visit the guilds who joined with the army instead of rushing to Pediades. Not everyone is as terrible as those whose hearts are filled with greed."


    "I-I''ll think about it." Honestly, Elizabeth didn''t want to bother. Naturally, she had asked Eldrian to keep her updated with how things went on his side. Since he was literally trying to conquer a fort with just a handful of friends.


    In fact, the entire guild wanted to be kept up to date. However, for now, Eldrian decided to only share things in the leader''s chat (FH).


    And somehow, he had managed it.


    Elizabeth wanted to go there and be a part of that. She was sure she would get more work handed to her, but that was fine. Ilmadia had already rushed over after Eldrian shared the recording of the duel. It was from Eldrian''s POV, so it wasn''t the best showcase of things, but it certainly was fascinating.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 782 The Other Side Of The Coin (2)

    After exchanging all the information they had about the city, the orcs, and those who were still stuck inside. Elizabeth and Nikki left, taking a slight detour to the front of the camp before heading to Vlisia to return to Kynigo.


    Stopping near the edge where soldiers were digging a ditch with magic and erecting spikes, they watched a variety of unique races moving about.


    Unlike the normal soldiers, they were not setting up tents, and they were not covered in armor. From a nce, it was also clear that they were less organized. Not by much, but the littleck of training showed. The sheer number of different races made it clear who they were.


    "So this is what thepetent guilds look like..." Nikki mumbled.


    Naturally, the only time you could find such diversity in races was when yers were involved. From dwarves and gnomes to demi-humans, elves, dryads, the other fae, and even some more unique races.


    The demi-humans of lizard kind were rare among yers. Apparently, it felt queer. Having some fur, which was basically just extra hair, and animal ears and a soft tail, was easy to adapt to. But a leathery skin, massive tails, and other appendages not only massive dropped the affinity rate, it also just felt weird.


    Not to mention how difficult it was to actually get these extra parts to work as intended. In some ways, it was simr to the high elves. Needing to rely only on yourself to learn to control a foreign aspect. Though, instead of magic, their foreign aspects were extra body parts.


    This, coupled with just how strange it felt -and how much these extra parts could get in the way- resulted in many yers deciding to choose a more human race. But there were some who stuck with it, ignoring the learning curve to y as something truly unique.


    These yers were truly simr to those few thousand who were still going with the High Elf race. Unlike the high elves, however, most of them had learned to control their extra body parts.


    Phoenix, inparison, could be said to becking diversity to what was before the two.


    "Why the heck do we have so few yers with oundish races?" Elizabeth asked, stunned by the numbers before her. It had never hit her how human-centric Phoenix was until now. At most, they had a few demi-humans focused on the cute side, a few dwarves, and a few elves.


    Standard, basic races. She almost felt that perhaps their guild was racist. Until it hit her that the races before her and on earth were worlds apart and shouldn''t bepared in the least.


    One of the more unique race yer noticed the two girls whose eyes were wandering over the collection of yers. "Are you Elizabeth, and Nikki?!" He eximed, his hulking figure towering over the two as he rushed over.


    ""Y-Yes?"" The two answered, uncertainty oozing out of them as they stared at the excited man, dragon really, before them.


    "It''s really you!" He shouted, calming down after a slight pause. "Sorry, it''s just... You guys are like living legends."


    ""T-Thank you?"" Again, the two answered with uncertainty. Slowlying to ept that this towering figure was just a normal yer. "A-And you are?"


    "Right, right... I forgot to, sorry, I was a little star-struck¡ª"


    "Paw, get your ass over here!" Came a shout, followed with a, "Hold up, is that who I think it is?"


    "Yeah, it''s really is them!" This Paw guy shouted in reply. Causing a flurry of movement as all the surrounding yers turned to stare at the two girls.


    Finding themselves surrounded by a flurry of movement. Questions being thrown at them left and right, the mostmon of which was why they hadn''t signed up for the tourney. The two struggled to keep up with what was happening.


    For the first time, they were being treated like celebrities.


    ¡ª


    "Hold ups!" Theas shouted, rushing to catch up to the red-haired girl who had stopped running. "Why are you in such a rush?"


    Vivian looked at Theas but didn''t reply. "Are you upset he''s spending so much time with other¡ª" her re shut the dwarf up mid-sentence.


    "He can do what he wants! I just feel it is going to be a waste of my time to remain there while they settle things. I need to get back to my training."


    "Right, about thats." Theas ignored noticing that Vivian did not like being calleds. "Why note with me? I feel you''ll fit right in my unit."


    "I''m a human."


    "We aren''t narrow minded dwarves. As long as you can fight, and drink, we''ll wee you with open arms... You can hold your drink, rights?"


    "I''ve only drank once or twice." Vivian replied, recalling the time she had gotten drunk with Eldrian.


    It felt like a lifetime ago now. The memory was bittersweet, reminding her of a simpler time. When all her huffing and puffing about the cruelty of the invasions was just that. Huffs and puffs.


    Before reality had hit her like a truck.


    "No wonder you are still spiraling!" Theas guffawed, grabbing Vivian''s arm and pulling her forward. "We''ve got to get a good ale in you!"


    "Hey! Wait a¡ª" Vivian failed to get a word in as the dwarf pulled her to Ganalin.


    Soon, she found herself at an entrance she did not know existed, being led into the mountain by someone who clearly knew the ce like the back of his hand. He did not even summon a spell for light. Vivian even started to wonder if Theas could see in the dark.


    ¡ª


    ''It''s sad we can''t do more for them...but at least it looked like they aren''t treated as cattle.'' Myropsis sighed, struggling to ept the concept of very. She had always known it existed, but like so many things before, it was only theoretical. Something she had read about.


    Coming so close to it, and seeing the reality, made it much harder toe to ept. Arge part of her wanted to save these people. While they were well dressed and properly fed, seeing the bite marks that their clothing failed to hide made her seethe.


    Yet, she understood she could not do anything. Not only was there a magic contract stopping her, it would also ruin the diplomatic talks. While Myropsis had always run away from politics, she was still a duke''s daughter. Part of the royal line.


    Now that Eldrian had formed a line of connection with the vampires, she couldn''t ruin it.


    They might not agree to be a buffer between Taurus and the invasion. Allowing the monsters and armies to move through their territory to reach Taurus, but that was eptable. At least their armies would not bolster the invasion.


    That is, if negotiations did not break down. If everything went smoothly.


    ''I can''t let my personal feelings influence something so massive,'' she told herself, unable to turn and look away as the ves filtered out of the fort.


    ''Saving a few in cost of the many would be worse in the long run,'' she told herself, repeatedly.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 783 The Other Side Of The Coin (3)

    Currently, Eldrian was sitting a distance from Levana and Jade, who were enjoying a pleasant talk while feeding the firebird. Eldrian wasn''t sure what they were feeding it, but it seemed like the bird enjoyed whatever they gave it.


    Eldrian stilledcked an arm and a leg, yet to find the time to have Myropsis perform the healing. He was looking forward to the process. ''I already have an idea of how to approach limb regrowth, but I am curious what process Myropsis will use.''


    "Does it hurt?" Ilmadia asked.


    "Aches, more than anything." Eldrian replied. Naturally, after the adrenaline of the fight had left him, he had been in quite a lot of pain. Talking about the firebird had distracted him for a moment, but thereafter the pain had returned.


    Healing spells could only do so much. The charred stumps of his limbs and phantom pains of what used to be there did not go away so easily. In the end, Eldrian had wondered if there was a spell to cut off one''s nerves. To get rid of the pain.


    And as always, Two had been the perfectpanion to ask. There were a couple of ways to go with this, Eldrian having decided with the least invasive. A spell that tricked the mind and dulled the senses of pain. The trick was simr to narcotics and alcohol, or so Eldrian felt. It left him a little lightheaded, but enabled him to pass the day without serious pain shes.


    Though, it did make his mind more prone to wandering. Due to this, he hadn''t attempted to heal himself. Afraid he might mess up. Mostly, though, he didn''t want to cancel the spell. He wasn''t a stranger to pain, but he still wasn''t a friend, either.


    "That can''t be right. I remember you once told me you no longer have the pain reduction that we have." Ilmadia frowned, concern clear as she looked at the one stump and then the other. The wounds had been healed hastily and burnt to stop the bleeding. "Why haven''t you at least fixed the scarring?"


    "I had other things on my mind. Besides, thanks to a certain spell, all I am feeling is indeed just some aches." Eldrian replied.


    "You''re also using magic to move, aren''t you?" Ilmadia asked, having seen Eldrian hobbling about. He seemed far too stable on one foot for someone who had only recently lost a leg.


    "Ah, yeah... It''s a simplified version of flight. I''m using it to bnce myself. I still use this as a cane." Eldrian said, showing Ilmadia a random stick he had found to help himself move about.


    "Seriously, what''s wrong with you?" Ilmadia asked, rubbing her head as she looked at Eldrian''s distant gaze.


    His focus shifted to the firebird, who had just dived from the walls like an eagle. A few secondster it flew over again, a small kounle in its ws.


    "For me?" Eldrian asked as the birdnded next to the two, cing the kounle at his feet and nudging it towards him with its beak.


    "Yaw!" the bird chirped, getting closer and closer to mimicking speech.


    "Thanks," Eldrian smiled, though he didn''t move to pick up the kounle. The bird seemed worried and after a beat it pecked the kounle and jumped onto Eldrian''s remaining leg. cing the kounle on the open side of the chair. "Thanks...?"


    "Seriously, what is up with that?" Ilmadia asked once the bird had returned to Jade and Levana. Who seemed to be getting along really well with one another.


    "I''ll let you know as soon as I know." Eldrian replied, their conversation turning to the duel andter to runes as Eldrian waited for Myropsis to find him.


    ¡ª


    "Will you join us?" One of the guild leaders asked. After the chaos had subsided, Elizabeth and Nikki had somehow found them sitting at a round table with all the other guild leaders.


    "It''s just the two of us here." Elizabeth started, hoping to decline the offer. However, the yers quickly chimed that that would not be a problem.


    "We aren''t asking you for reinforcements. We want to get your opinions on our movement and actions. Please, help us improve." The leader of the assembly bowed his head, followed by the others. Their action causing the two girls to be flustered.


    "Alright! Lift your head already!" Elizabeth caved. Sighing as she signed up for yet another mission, though unofficial, Elizabeth realized she was going to miss the developments.


    "Thanks! I believe themander hopes to start with the first raid tonight. Our task will be securing the survivors and protecting them as we vacate after the vanguard. We''ve already grown ustomed to this task, but your input will be greatly appreciated."


    "A-Alright..." Elizabeth was unsure how much they could help, but she decided to do what she could.


    ¡ª


    "So, he is always so cold with people?" Levana asked, leaning in closer as Jade nodded.


    "Yeah, you wouldn''t believe how he treated me when I first met him. He actually aimed..." Jade paused as the firebird returned to the two. Having her recall that original this cutie was a deadly spell. "Well, I guess he did more or less the same with you."


    A moment of silence settled between the two as Levana looked at the bird. It was difficult to ept that this little one used to be over three meters in size. A zing inferno of mes. It was stillpromised out of mes, but its mes felt more like water than fire.


    It was soft and smooth to the touch. Soothing even, and resembled the texture of an actual bird''s feathers.


    "Oh, right, I have a question." Jade finally mustered up the courage to ask. "Why can you talk to me normally?"


    "Is this about the power of charm surrounding you?" The vampire asked.


    "Yeah, you''re the first person who it seems to not bother."


    "Oh, that''s because I have a little trick to deal with it."

 Chapter 784 A Charming Conversation

    "And, pray tell, what is your ''little trick''?" Jade asked, leaning forward to not miss a word. Levana smiled, leaning back in her chair. A clear sign she would not share her secret.


    Jade pouted, but was still more than happy to have someone who didn''t curse at her when she got too close. It made her feel somewhat at home, the only other ce where her power did not affect everyone around her. The servants, naturally, were all taken in by her family''s powers.


    A moment of silence psed, the two returning to feeding the little firebird small crystals. They were certain that the bird would prefer mana crystals, but even they weren''t rich enough to throw away money like that. So they gave the bird small quartz crystals instead.


    "You don''t seem to be close to the others." Levana whispered, breaking the silence.


    "I''m the most recent addition!" Jade countered.


    "Really?" Levana gave her a questioning look but did not dive deeper. Jade, however, tried to prove it. Spouting this and that about how they just needed to get to know her better. "They''ll grow to love me!" she continued to protest.


    Once Jade ran out of things that she hoped could convince the vampire, Levana asked, "Why are you really following them?"


    "The truth it... I''ve never really had any friends. They were the first ones who weren''t taken in by my power, who weren''t family...and¡ª"


    "Family''s family. I get it." The two shared a forlorn smile. A pampered rich life was not always a great one. This was something the two shared, ack of staunch friends. And the thing that brought them closer to one another.


    "By the way, do you know what Eldrian''s actual aim is for the fort?" Levana asked, after sharing a pleasant moment with Jade, reminiscing about their own family situations.


    "He simply wanted somece safe to train." Jade answered.


    "Really? I surmised he didn''t want to drag others into danger should his training spiral out of his control. However, if that was the only case; why did he need a fort? Why did he go through the effort, and the dangers, toe here? Why not just find an isted location to train?"


    Levana nced towards the elf, talking with another elf¡ªanother Chosen. Eldrian was still without the limbs he had lost, and he must be in quite a lot of pain. Yet it did not show. In fact, when he had joined the meeting, his presence had made it hard to even notice his sorry state. His revtions had blinded everyone to the fact that they were talking to a battered man.


    "I''m not sure... I guess he also wants a smithy and such to learn the craft..." Jade offered, but it was a weak excuse. With the friends and connections that Eldrian had, it shouldn''t be difficult for him to find some ce deserted and build his own training mansion.


    ''No, I only think that because I am used to knowing what money and connections can buy. Eldrian, isted in the real world and from a normal family...and always focusing on something or another about magic. He would likely never even think of it. And I''m certain Sofiera and the others won''t correct him. After all, look at what going along with his idea had brought them...''


    "I see you just realized it, too." Levana smiled.


    "Yeah, it''s something he really has to work on." Jade nodded.


    "Oh?" The vampire looked at the charmingdy questioningly.


    "Didn''t we both just think that he doesn''t know how to use..."


    "So, he didn''t have a grand ploy in mind. But rather neglected to see the easier path avable to him?" Levana teased.


    Jade switched her focus to the firebird to avoid answering the question. She didn''t want to slip up more and give Eldrian''s potential enemy ammunition against him. ''She''s crafty.''


    "We should probably give this little fe a name." Levana offered, giving the bird a ratherrge crystal that earned her a happy squee of joy.


    "Shouldn''t we leave that to Eldrian?"


    "I doubt he cares. If we leave it to him, I''m sure he''s going to call it something like Bird, Firebird; perhaps Little Phoenix?"


    "I actually like thest one." Jade countered. It sounded cute and seemed to fit the little ball of mes.


    "It is cute."


    "Cuteee!" the little me bird chirped. Seemingly agreeing with the sentiment.


    "Do you like, Little Phoenix?" Levana asked, offering arge amethyst crystal this time. Eliciting a big nod and chirp of agreement as the small bird tried to swallow the massive crystal in one big gulp.


    "Hey! You''ll hurt yourself, Little Phoenix!" Jade jumped to pull therge crystal from its beak. Getting a squall of disagreement in return. Little Phoenix suddenly doubling in size and making the crystal vanish before Jade could register what had happened.


    Back to his smaller size of a hawk and burping in contentment.


    "Wait, didn''t we just give it an un-inspiring name?" Levana rubbed her head, unable to ept that she had offered such a simplistic and non-original name for such a mysterous magical entity.


    ¡ª


    These yers were miles ahead of those Elizabeth had been forced to deal with up until now. Their teamwork and organization was perhaps even better than their own.


    "You''re thinking it too?" Nikki asked, eliciting a shallow nod from Elizabeth


    "Yeah, we won''t be able to offer much, if any, advice."


    The two had taken up a post atop the walls, after the army had stormed in. Focusing their assaults on the nearby locations where the orcs had holed themselves in. Their attack was swift, and while the orcs had readied themselves to put up a defense, they had not expected an attack on the night of the army''s arrival.


    Things seemed to be moving smoothly. The army taking charge of the fighting; the yers taking charge of dealing with the wounded, and those that were saved. Pulling them out of the fight and to the back lines to get treatment.


    "I guess this isn''t a job the others would enjoy..." Nikki mumbled.


    "True, they would argue something or another. But this is probably the best practice, considering our strength. I guess normally the yers would also act as scouts along with some soldiers, but with all the information we gave them, I guess they can act quicker than normal."


    The ability to revive when killed was certainly a crucial one if scouting truly dangerous areas. So having a yer with every scouting part could ensure the return of information even in the worst of cases. Phoenix had done a few such scouting jobs before. Sometimes the party made it back, sometimes the yer revived.


    "So, what are we going to do once things settle?"


    "I''ll just send them a message stating that we can''t really offer any advice. Let''s go check on the intake and then head home."


    Feeling that spending more time here would be a waste, Elizabeth offered some help to treat the wounded and then the two returned to Vlisia once she ran out of mana.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 785 The Time Has Come

    Climbing out of her cabin, Jade headed for her bath. Grumbling as she did about how Eldrian was being a pain. The water, prepared just right, calmed her mind as she thought back on the events of the day.


    "He sure is strange, and I can''t shake he is nning something. He''s been acting more and more confident recently." While Jade did not know Eldrian well, she had a general understanding of his personality.


    Recently, he seemed to have changed. He was, of course, still himself. But his actions seemed bolder. For a while, when she first joined, Eldrian had kept a distance from the rest of Phoenix. Jade had first thought this was simply because he was focused on the walls. But in retrospect, he had limited hismunication with them.


    But recently, he has started even sharing videos with them. How he was able to use the system to aplish this certainly did not sit right with the others. Jade didn''t think much of it, but the fact that he had recorded his fight was strange to her.


    ''He''s definitely up to something. Perhaps he isn''t more confident, but less inclined to keep his actions hidden?'' Jade knew that somehow, likely with the help of one of the AI, he could hide himself. Even disabling the recording function around other yers when they neared him.


    In fact, when she was within a hundred meters, her streaming function was disabled. And now, despite this, Eldrian had proven he could still record a fight.


    ''Is he provoking them?'' Jade wondered. She felt this was a possibility, but it didn''t feel like the Eldrian she hade to know. ''No, there must be something he is nning. But what?''


    However, by the time she climbed out of her bath, she no longer cared. As long as he was willing to help her learn control of her power, she didn''t care what else he did. Looking at the staff hustling about to clean the bath and bring her clothes all with clouded eyes, Jade sighed.


    She used to think nothing of this. But now she realized that in a way she was enving them. When they were near her, they lost their ability to think for themselves. Some of her siblings had a simr effect on the staff, but she was the only one who charmed each and every servant who came close to her.


    "Jade!" called an elderly man, her dad. Even in his old age, he was still dashingly handsome. With sharp features, deep brown eyes, and his hair betraying only a few strands of silver among the inky ckness.


    "Yes, father?" Jade turned to greet her father, who, unlike her recent friends, stepped forward without hesitation. Before Eldrian, only her family and those who had mastered their familial powers coulde close to her. But with them, there was always some agenda behind everything.


    "I heard you managed to get close to Eldrian." Knowing that his daughter did not like when they called people a target or specimen, he had gone through the trouble of memorizing the target''s name.


    "I have." Jade reply shortly, cing up her walls and fortifying her mind.


    "Have you managed to find any useful information?" Her dad asked, his voice carrying amanding tone. Normally, she would sumb to it and spill the beans. But not today.


    "Unfortunately, he is guarded against me." Jade replied.


    "And what of his friends? Have you not attempted to take one of them alone¡ª"


    "I cannot risk him learning that I am actually a spy!" Jade interrupted.


    Unustomed to interruptions, her dad took a while to rpose himself. "You are right. We can''t let your efforts be wasted. But are you sure we must not send more people to investigate? Now will be the ideal time."


    "Do as you wish. But do not think that you will easily get close to Eldrian or those he calls friends. I''ve told you before, but let me warn you again, they can sense and defend against our charms."


    "Perhaps..." Her father was unconvinced. Jade''s charm, while overflowing, was not targeted. She had no control over it. Naturally, he did not think it could bepared to the charm of those who had trained for years to gain ess to this wonderful power.


    Leaving before she was dragged into any other troublesome things, Jade headed for the garden. Thinking of her talk with Levana, she sighed. Yet another friend who only came closer to her for a hidden agenda.


    ¡ª


    "Are you ready?" Ashliel asked while sipping her tea.


    "Yeah..." Eldrian answered, a little nervous.


    "Don''t worry, I am sure you are going to do great."


    "Perhaps..." Eldrian had tried to memorize a speech, but no matter how he tried, nothing felt right. After spending a few hours to no avail, he had decided to go with his heart. To say what he felt in the moment. He just needed to remember to keep things light, if he could.


    "Are you sure you don''t want us to join?" Elizabeth asked. She understood that Eldrian was going to be teleported with the help of an item that Ashliel had given him. She felt confident that it couldn''t be the only such item in Ashliel''s possession.


    By now, the reconstruction of the fort, that Eldrian had secured, was well under way. However, he could only do so much to help. After handing over the blueprints, he had naturally stayed and learned as much as he could. But now he had to focus on the task of unveiling Miracle.


    "Thanks, but I think it will be best if I go alone." Eldrian smiled.


    Recently there had been two new Tier 5''s. Both having reached the Tier mere days before the finale. Both were from Zinopia, a fact that had cemented their victory to all. As a result, the bets were over a hundred to one for Zinopia. If Agrerian could pull out a win, those who decided to bet on them would certainly make a killing.


    "It''s time. The introductions are over."


    "Be careful of poisons!" Nikki shouted, clearly recalling how this had been what had brought Eldrian downst time.


    In reply, Eldrian smiled. He had nothing to fear from the yers. What he was wondering was just how Miracle would respond. Especially since the AI weren''t going to assist them too much. At most, they would send Axel and his hit squad to the arena¡ªin an attempt to hide their rebellion for as long as possible.


    ''Ziraili told me that their stats are high, but theyck magic and only have rudimentary control of their avatars. When they arrive, I need to already have my trap set.''


    ¡ª


    Two groups of eight spawned in a wide in with little to no elevation. Staring each other down over the four hundred meter distance separating them, the two teams seemed to debate how to start.


    Neither wanted to be the first to strike. Doing so would naturally open them up to a counterattack. While each still had some secrets hidden from the other, most of their tactics had been forced to the front over the championship.


    "We know their tactics. They''ll try to poison us and then slow the battle until it can take effect. Be especially careful of their leader. I suspect she had something in store for us." Silver Cloud, the leader of Zinopia, warned. His teammates nodded seriously.


    "They are sure to be afraid of our poisons. So let''s show them that we have more to us than just tricks!" Green Ivy, the new leader of Agrerian, shouted. Eliciting cheers from those behind her.


    Just as the two sides were about to move, a figure appeared in the middle of the arena.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 786 The Public Eye

    "Ladies and gentlemen, the final is about to start." A clear female voice rang through the stadium, calling attention to the stage where the arena appeared. Its realism something magical.


    "Please remember to enjoy the show, and remember that despite how realistic the battle might appear, this is all conducted safely from within ANW and is only a hologram."


    In arge private cabin, a group of old men were seated on arranged couches, giving them a perfect view of the stage with stretched over five hundred meters side to side. To aid with viewing, each person was given a tablet and specialized sses should they wish to focus on a certain point in the arena.


    Thanks to the growth Miracle had seen over the past year, this year the tournament was far grander. The finale, naturally, had to be a spectacle worthy of the growth ANW had seen.


    The opening had certainly not beencking. At the start of the finals, the entire stage had been turned into a vivid field disying sights of the game. Snippets from different empires andnds still unexplored, highlighting just how much there was to the game. Largely the same as the year before, only, the focus on the yers had been increased as they finally joined the true stage of ANW.


    And naturally, this wonderful disy demonstrated the advancement of holographic technology. As well as the additional infrastructure that thepany had been designing to supplement its usability.


    To those who stayed at home and viewed the event from their TV''s, or preferably from within virtual stages through their headsets or cabins, the holograms certainly weren''t asrge a topic. But to those who sat in the first row, it had been a chilling experience. The realism of the hologram defying logic. And the intuitive design and usage of the sses were simply amazing.


    And for the finals, the stage was used yet again. Bringing the arena right to the people. Sadly, because of the realism of ANW, this also brought an age restriction to the viewing of the tournament.


    "I heard we finally caught the eyes of the general public." One of the old men in the roommented, satisfied with the results thus far.


    For a while, Miracle had only been of interest to those who wanted the extra hours, or who were gamers. Since thest tournament, this has slowly been changing.


    Naturally, everyone had suspected that with the release of ANW, Miracle would finally enter the spotlight. They were most satisfied that ANW was not the only department that had shown impressive growth.


    "It is not without its problems."


    Naturally, allpanies that gained the spotlight also gained scrutiny, rumors, and fables. Miracle was not without. There were many things that people tried to question. However, they failed to find proof. Mysteriously, when something seemed to be heading to a headline, it would vanish from the public eye.


    And unlike with Eldrian''s case, nothing would seem amis. The person who was spearheading things simply had a sudden change of character. Some suspected bribes, but no proof has been found thus far.


    The only exception was perhaps the noise Phoenix had made. However, nothing much hade of it, no matter how much they moured.


    "But why is that problem still not dealt with?" A rather dashing figure asked, turning everyone''s attention to Qiren. Naturally, all the faults had been dumped onto her.


    "We have tried our best. I can assure you that he will not be a problem." She said, bowing her head while clenching her fists.


    Since Eldrian''s horrendous business, thepany had started to take things more seriously. However, this only showed her what they were capable of, and that they had let things get out of hand purposefully. Yet she could do nothing to take control of the situation.


    She did not even have the right to act without getting permission first.


    "You better be right." One of the men mumbled, and murmurs of agreement echoed in the cabin.


    They hade prepared for if Eldrian tried something daring during the event. Thus far, they had found no signs of him. As far as they knew, he was still somewhere in the mountains.


    Just in case, they had a group standing by to handle the situation. They had also taken precautions to ce men around Eldrian''s family. Should they need them.


    However, even as the final started, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.


    ¡ª


    [Gosh, I still can''t believe that Phoenix is so quiet.]


    Naturally, the tablets that everyone was given at the live event were linked to the tournament live chat.


    [Truly, why aren''t they participating? I''m sure they would have beaten Agrerian to a pulp this time...]


    Due to the guild''s reliance on devious methods such as poison and magical scrolls or potions, many had grown to disdain them. However, the developers had allowed it. Stating that it would be unfair to forbid products one has to gain through one''s own efforts.


    Their reply had been: "If we are to forbid the use of magical potions and poisons, we must then also forbid the usage of magical armor and weapons. Just as it can be considered unfair if someone uses poison, it can also be considered unfair if one has a much greater weapon than another."


    "We do not wish to diminish the tournament through forbidding elements of the game. We already have categories where skill is the only determinators in the weapon ss tournaments."


    "One must always remember; connections, luck, fortune, and talent are all part of a person''s arsenal. Forbidding any one thing will be more unfair than allowing everyone to use everything they can manage to takemand of."


    [Still, they don''t stand a chance against Zinopia. Their guild leader and Oasis both reached Tier 5 recently. There is no way a little poison will ovee that.]


    [Indeed... But I wonder what would have happened if Phoenix participated. They have been aplishing so much. Why is it that we almost never see them? I also heard they too have two Tier 5 yers.]


    [Haven''t you seen the thread about that? Some yers ran into them during a mission. Apparently their guild leader felt they were too busy.]


    [Too busy? How the hell can anyone be too busy for the prize pool?]


    Much like the event, it too had grown massively sincest year. First ce being able to im either ten thousand gold, or a million dors in cash per participant. Not to mention the fixed Tier 7 items up for grabs.


    [Look, it''s starting!]


    This message brought the attention of the yers back to the stage where the two groups of eight spawned at opposite corners of the stage.


    However, just as the groups got ready to act, someone else appeared in the middle of the field. Unperturbed by the millions of stares being sent at him, Eldrian leisurely looked around. Naturally, he was now fully healed. The process had indeed been enlightening.


    "Apologies for the interruptions. However, I needed a stage." Eldrian said, amplifying his voice so it would reach the two guilds.


    [What on Earth? Who the hell is that?]


    [Did someone hack ANW?]


    [Wait! Isn''t that Eldrian!]


    [Yes, it is! How the hell did he get here.]


    [...]


    "I guess many of you know me already. I''m Eldrian, and I have something to say." Eldrian smiled, only to notice the dangerous air the two guilds were letting out.


    "You can do that after!" Green Ivy shouted, staring at Eldrian as if he was her mortal enemy.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 787 Dispute

    Far calmer than the Agrerian guild leader, Silver Cloud voiced his agreement. His discontent clear in his voice. "She''s right. We can''t sit back and have you cause trouble."


    "Yes! You''re going to ruin everything!" Green Ivy added.


    "Calm down. I just need to make an announcement." Eldrian tried to diffuse the situation, however, the two groups seemed to worry about the same thing. Afraid that once Eldrian said what he wanted, that Miracle might cancel the finals.


    "We can''t have you disrupt the match!" They shouted, both groups fanning out to surround Eldrian. Havinge to a tacit agreement.


    [What? Are they going to fight?]


    [Why the heck did Eldrian appear here? Now?]


    [...]


    Sighing, Eldrian realized what they were unhappy about. Sadly, his n didn''t really give room for the yers and the tournament. "Look, I get you might be mad and disappointed if my meddling causes problems with the rewards. But this is important."


    "If you are aware of that, then you should remove yourself!" Green Ivy shouted. Naturally, with a million dors on the line for each, not one of them wanted to risk letting Eldrian ruin things


    "That...sadly isn''t an option." Eldrian sighed. He understood how tempting the rewards were. Letting him ruin it was certainly not something the guilds could ept.


    "Then we will have to remove you from here!" Green Ivy shouted.


    ''Seems there''s no helping it. Right, they won''t lose levels due to this. I guess that is a small blessing.'' Eldrian sighed, putting up a simple ice barrier to block the arrows which arrived moments after Green Ivy''s shout. Spells following behind not muchter.


    ''Then again, this will be for the best. I do need to showcase that I have the ability to back my words. My announcement is going to be difficult to believe.'' With that, Eldrian determined that it was for the best.


    Staying still, not moving an inch from where he arrived. He waved his hand and formed a dozen spears of ice. Canceling the barrier, he sent them at the two groups. The spears moving faster than arrows, half of themnding right on target. Ripping through the rough formation of the two groups.


    Screams of pain filled the air as six yers found themselves impaled to the ground. Their HP dropping massively, some even dying on the spot.


    "Look, you won''t be able to reach me." Eldrian said, his words only fanning the mes. Both these guilds had proven themselves to be the best of the best. Sure, there were spections that Phoenix might measure up to them...


    But to lose to a single yer. Neither guild could ept this.


    "Don''t get cocky!" Green Ivy shouted, dashing in from Eldrian''s blindside.


    Her daggers shed as she aimed for his neck, only for her to be sent flying back. The next wave of arrows resulted in simr shock waves, devastating the surroundings. The poor guild leader found herself near death when the waves ended.


    "I apologize." Eldrian mumbled, another wave of his hands summoning a mass of wind des. Devastating the Agrerian guild. Their defenses were helpless against the constant onught.


    Seeing this, Zinopia halted. Staring at Eldrian warily. When Eldrian moved his attention to them, Oasis rushed to the front and erected a barrier around her friends and cing her shield to the front.


    "Impressive." Eldrian noted. "Then I assume you might understand what I am going to say."


    Silence settled into the chat as the yers watched Eldrian dominate over the strongest guilds. The sight before them made no sense.


    [I-Is this real?] Someone finally dared ask.


    There were plenty of rumors surrounding Eldrian, but what they were seeing made those rumors seem far toocking.


    [It can''t be... Right?] They clearly remember Eldrian''s ability to cast spells wordlessly and seemingly without pause. But what they were seeing now was miles, light years even, ahead ofst year.


    In the VIP cabin, the gathered group stared at the stage with rapt attention. Half of them grinning, the other half frowning. Qiren had already ordered the mobilization of Axel and his squad.


    "You''ve noticed it, right?" Eldrian asked, his question aimed towards Oasis, who dared not lower her guard. "There''s more to magic than what it first appears."


    Oasis frowned. However, she was d that Eldrian did not attack right away. "I have no idea what you''re talking about!"


    "Really? I guess you''ve only reached the Tier recently. You haven''t had much experience in guiding your mana." Eldrian mumbled as several other figures suddenly appeared around him.


    "Oh, General Axel. Seems we meet again." Eldrian turned to the new arrivals, smiling at the man whose left side was burnt andcking an ear.


    "You sure are acting cocky. Think we didn''te prepared?" The general replied, staring at Eldrian with a certain amount of hatred.


    "I do hope you did. I need to properly showcase my abilities. Please, do make it a good show." Eldrian replied with a smile. Turning to Zinopia with an apology. "It seems that the true show is about to start. Apologies, but I will have you all stay where you are."


    Extending his hand towards Oasis, Eldrian called upon the feeling he had experienced during his duel with Levana. He cleared his mind and called upon the power of ice. Icy mist extended from his hands and covering the ground. Freezing the grass solid and even liquefying the airing into contact with it.


    [What''s going on?] A question on everyone''s mind as they watched the icy mist spread from Eldrian towards everyone.


    Sensing the danger, Oasis roared for everyone to fall back. Turning tail and running. The new arrivals were a bit more cocky, and those who were too slow to act soon found themselves frozen, just like the des of grass.


    In the end, only three people were frozen. But the sight still sent chills through everyone''s backs. They had not even been able to mutter a sound before being frozen solid.


    "Then, let me start with my first announcement... Magic is real!" Eldrian shouted, his voice echoing powerfully through the stage and across the stadium. His announcement causing murmurs across the various viewers. However, many did not believe him.


    In the VIP cabins, a few smiles turned to frowns. However, there were still a good number of smiling members. Watching Eldrian''s actions with great interest. Among them were Jade, Zaphreal, and Julius. The three smiled as they pondered what Eldrian''s ns were.


    "I know it sounds insane, but¡ª" Eldrian jumped to the side. A javelin tore through the air where he used to be, apanied by the thundering roar of the sound barrier being broken.


    "What nonsense are you spouting!?" Axel shouted, the other soldiers readying their own javelins.


    "It sounds insane! I know! But once you reach Tier 5, I am sure you will feel it too!" Eldrian continued, remembering that he needed to leave room for interpretation. "The feeling you get¡ª"


    He summoned Crystoi and diverted the next javelin''s direction. A crater forming where it pierced the earth. Apanied by a sonic boom.


    "The feeling of mana flowing through you. It isn''t limited to just inside ANW! I ask everyone who is close to reaching Tier 5 to search yourself. Meditate and focus on the feeling of mana flowing through you! I am sure¡ª"


    "Enough!" Dancing to avoid the continued barrage of javelins, Eldrian snapped. "I am trying to exin something important here!" Dashing forward, Eldrian summoned his anger. Keeping his mind clear so he would not lose sight of his goal, but wishing to properly disy his power.


    "You will be able to feel it too!" He said, wreathed in mes as he mmed his spear into one of the soldier''s avatar.


    Their bodies were the embodiment of OP, but theycked control. And while the hardiness of their skin stopped the spear from piercing them through, Crystoi still broke the skin. And through the crack, the mes of wrath soared.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 788 Trap Closes In

    The fire spread through the crack, boiling the soldier from the inside. Only ashes left behind after but a moment.


    Seeing this, the others became wary. Staring at Eldrian, alert and waiting. Keeping their weapons in hand to defend themselves. Understanding that their defenses were useless against these mes, and also the icy mist from before.


    Reeling back his mes and anger, Eldrian cleared his mind and refocused on his goal. However, clearly, they would not allow him to finish his speech. Nor did he want to make the message unclear or difficult to follow. He also needed to remember to suggest, not state, that magic exists.


    "Let us dance then." Eldrian said, taking control of his mes and focusing them around Crystoi. At the same time, activating the Elemental Alignment ability of the spear. Merging the aura and ability.


    Luckily, the soldiers did not act. To them it appeared that Eldrian was ready to strike, but actually he was focusing on properly guiding the mana and merging it with the mes of his aura. A task far more difficult than it might sound.


    However, Eldrian had plenty of experience in handling spirit magic. He was now simply trying to merge this with his spears powers. To decrease the demand keeping control of the mes required.


    It took him only a few seconds, during which the members of Zinopia retreated from the arena. While dying would be no problem, none of them wanted to be overwhelmed sopletely.


    Once done, Eldrian waved Crystoi. Once, twice, thrice. And he dashed, appearing before the next soldier in a heartbeat. His spear aimed for the heart, however, the soldier managed to react. Overly so, but his block plus dodge allowed him to escape death.


    Seeing this, the others were encouraged. They roared and gathered. Surrounding Eldrian as they aimed their attacks to prevent him from moving as he wished. However, this was just as Eldrian had wanted.


    Outside of observing and learning what he could from everyone working on the overhaul of the fort, he had also taken time to practice control over his auras. Focusing on the events of the duel and analyzing the firebird -Little Phoenix, as Jade and Levana named it- to understand its nature.


    While he still did not have anywhere near full control, he had learned how to tap into both auras. As well as how to recall their powers. And especially how to realize when he was losing control. For this, he had visited a deserted area near the fort. To not cause any problems.


    Once the soldiers grew overconfident and closed the distance. Eldrian suddenly thrust Crystoi upward, channeling the mes into the sky while he sent an icy mist slithering against the ground.


    "Be careful!" The soldiers shouted, raising their shields towards the me pir that split into arrows. Aimed randomly in the surroundings. Some of the arrow might hit their target, but Eldrian had too little control to target them properly.


    However, everyonepletely missed the slithering cold freezing the ground and grass¡ªuntil it was toote.


    Surrounded by frozen statues, Eldrian recalled both the fire and ice. Jumping out of the encirclement, he cleared his throat and prepared to deliver his speech. Only to be interrupted by the slow pping of an individual. "As I was¡ª"


    p. p. p...


    "Well done. Well done indeed." A clear voice spread through the arena. "It seems that you have gained control over your auras. Quite the brilliant achievement."


    Turning to the source of the voice, Eldrian found a scarlet haired gentleman smiling at him. His golden eyes containing shes of lightning, eyeing Eldrian up and down.


    "Are you not going to deny the existence of magic?" Eldrian asked, readying Crystoi. The guy was giving him a dangerous feeling.


    "Do you have any proof of its existence?" The man asked, confident that Eldrian would have to back down. And indeed, Eldrian''s n was to give Miracle room for negotiation. However, things never went ording to n. At least, his ns never worked out as he hoped.


    "Perhaps, perhaps not." Recalling clearly that he did not want to be a target for the world. Eldrian realized he had fallen perfectly into Miracle''s trap. Perhaps not all of Miracle, but some had clearly nned for this. Or perhaps hoped for this.


    ''I first need to figure out what his goal is.'' Eldrian eyed this individual, calling for mana sense. But as expected, it returned little information to him. Only that the person had full control of their mana. Shockingly, he could not even gain information on their name.


    "Would you give me your name before we continue?" Eldrian asked, hoping to stall for time as he called on Two to analyze the situation.


    ''He''s not the only one. There seem to be four other individuals. However, they are outside the arena zone.''


    ''Outside... Why?'' The fact that they bothered to hide their presence bothered Eldrian. Almost as much as mana sense being useless.


    "Yes, I believe I should. Let me first start with an announcement of my own." The man smiled brightly, opening his arms and turning towards the sky. As if to wee all their spectators to what was toe.


    "Thanks to our unexpected quest, the finals will have to be postponed. Do not fret, we will not cancel it, nor refrain frompensating everyone for the strange turn of events."


    "Instead, please enjoy the showcase as Eldrian and I enter a duel."


    [What? Who the heck is this guy?]


    [How the hell is he so confident in taking on Eldrian after what he just did to the guilds and whoever those frozen guys are?]


    [But, since he is confident. This is going to be interesting.]


    [Taking bets! Taking bets! Will you side with Eldrian, the undisputed number one yer? Or will you ce your bets on this mysterious redhead?]


    "You still haven''t given me your name." Eldrian said, his guard increased to maximum. The confidence this guy held made him extremely worried. It wasn''t like Miracle didn''t have information on him, and they were sure to have understood his growth from his previous fights.


    "Of course. I am Zaphreal." The redheaded man smiled. "And we shall sign a contract before our fight. I believe you are used to such contracts. You did use a simr tactic to conquer a fort, have you not?"


    Thisment caused a massive stir among the viewers. Phoenix gaining control over a fort had been massive news. How they had managed it, no one knew¡ªbut they had.


    However, here they now learned that Eldrian had conquered a fort on his own. This news was so shocking that many doubted what they had heard.


    Eldrian, on the other hand, grew even more guarded. He was feeling the trap closing in around him. And he feared that this contract would not be as simple as the ones normally signed in ANW.


    Turning his attention to the man''s attire, Eldrian hoped he might gleam a slither of information from it. Dressed in a brilliant gold and red robe, but not that of a mage. Instead, it appeared almost like the robes one would wear when going to bed. Loose fitting and tied together by a single band.


    The more Eldrian stared, the less sense it made that the man appeared in them before him and the entire world. And that he dared field a challenge while dressed for bed made even less sense.


    The only thing Eldrian could assume was that he would change to battle wear once the contract was established.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 789 The Contract

    "Apologies to all our viewers, but for confidential reasons the following will be discussed in private.'' The man in bed robes announced, turning to Eldrian and asking, "Are you willing to ce your future on a duel?"


    "Have I any other choice?" Eldrian asked. He was already hunted by Miracle. This was the only path to freedom he could see. He needed to gain the support of the public to grow his own support base and weaken Miracle''s power.


    "I guess not. After all, he is the one who managed your imprisonment and sequential escape. If you don''t, he''ll simply hunt you down."


    "Who''s he?" Eldrian asked.


    "A man who enjoys to hunt people. He''s been waiting for you to grow. He doesn''t like it if things are too easy. Your disy has proven that you will be good fun."


    "Have you no morality?"


    "I see no need to extend a hand when there is no profit in it for me. So, will you ce your future on this duel or not?" Zaphreal asked.


    Eldrian frowned, feeling the trap close in even more. He hated being in the dark. He could not even be confident that this offer would be his best course of action. However, the other option sounded worse. At least Zaphreal wasmunicating with him.


    Regardless, Eldrian hated being caught so thoroughly in a trap. ''Is this how I made them feel?'' Eldrian pondered, wondering if he had caused the same suffocating feeling upon the vampires.


    "Perhaps I should mention that this is the best deal you will get." Zaphreal pressed, "If you refuse to cooperate with me, then the others wille forth."


    "And why should I trust you?" Eldrian asked.


    "Simply because I do not wish to drag your family into this affair." The man replied, the implications clear. A vice grasping Eldrian''s heart as he realized just how overly na?ve he had been.


    He had believed that with a lighter approach, his family should not be in danger. After all, Miracle doing anything to them wouldplicate matters. However, with their resources, their connections, their powers. ''Why did I ever think they would y fair?''


    Sadly, Eldrian had failed to make the items he had wished to give his family. And in haste, he had not postponed his mission. A reckless move that now came to haunt him.


    "Leave them out of this!" Eldrian seethed, his anger boiling as he recalled what he had gone through. His fear for his sister, his mother, and his father growing as he red at the man before him.


    "Will you ept the conditions of the duel?" Zaphreal asked, a system promptly arriving before Eldrian''s eyes. A message that chilled him to the core, as it meant he had been duped or abandoned. He wasn''t sure which was worse.


    [Ziraili?] He sent this questioning message, not expecting a response as he read the terms of their contract.


    Simply put, if he won, Zaphreal would support his efforts from the background. Keeping the others of Miracle at bay and allowing Eldrian to return to society. Ensuring his safety and freedom, as well as that of his friends and family.


    A tempting offer indeed.


    On the other hand, if Eldrian lost, he would have to return to Miracle. Zaphreal again promised his safety, but not his freedom. He would effectively be ab rat with no means of escape.


    "How can I know you won''t break your promise?" Eldrian asked, wary of the other four presences.


    He assumed they were staying back to give Zaphreal the first rights, which indicated that this man was likely one of the top in Miracle. But the problem remained. Eldrian had no way to ensure that these were not just sweet promises with nothing to back them.


    He had no power to stop Miracle should they backtrack on a promise. He had learned this before, after all.


    "This is why we shall use a magical contract. Surely you know how powerful their binding is." Zaphreal said.


    "And yet, that only holds for within ANW." Eldrian countered.


    "Not at all. The normal contracts perhaps. Upheld by the AI, they govern the ruling in ANW. But a true magic contract is a binding between the two signing it. No third party needs to be involved."


    "So, magic contracts are real? Then you know magic exists? Not only that, you can use magic and have constructed magical contracts on Earth? What else have you hidden? Why would you even need me?"


    The man did not reply. He smiled as he produced the actual contract. An ancient scroll with the words written on it glowing dully. "Sign here and our fates will be intertwined from here onward."


    Eldrian felt his world constrained. He saw no other way. He would simply have to win the duel. The contents on this contract were the same as those the prompt had shown him. "And will it carry over to the real world when signed here?"


    "It does not matter in what realm it is signed. A magic contract registers and links the signed''s lifeforce. It is the same no matter where you are when signed."


    ''Do they also know of realms? How far does their knowledge extend? Is ANW the only other realm, or is it but one of many?'' These thoughts did not stay long in Eldrian''s mind, his attention quickly returning to his situation.


    He found it curious that the man stated that one''s lifeforce was the same regardless of where. For Eldrian knew his was not the same in and outside ANW.


    While the imprint, frequency, or what have you ¡ª that which signified it as his might be the same, the quantity certainly differed vastly. The chances were slim, but it might be something that could help him in the future, or even now.


    "Are you that confident in defeating me?" Eldrian asked next, hoping to buy more time while he tried to analyze the contract along with Two. Attempting to discover the secret behind it and find if he could trick it or not.


    Naturally, the first thing he confirmed was that the contract was indeed magical. The words written on it contained mana and a person''s will, Eldrian assumed Zaphreal''s. However, he could not confirm this, as the contract was pre-written.


    ''I''ll have him form a new contract in front of me. That is the least I must refuse to budge on.'' Realizing how easily he could be duped, Eldrian steeled himself.


    Confirming that he must not budge an inch in this regard. If it turned out the contract would not move Zaphreal to his defense, then Eldrian would truly have beenpletely caught in Miracle''s trap.


    Continuing to analyze the contract in hopes of a way out, he found it simple in appearance. Which made tricking it even more difficult. ''Is it this simple? The will infused in the words connecting it to the person, and then if the contract is broken, the agreed punishment is self-inflicted?''


    The contract itself couldn''t enact any punishment, so clearly, the contract was more like an agreed spell. Cast upon those who signed it, likely within their own soul. This probably meant there were multiple ways of tricking or altering the effects of the contract.


    However, as this was Eldrian''s first encounter with one, he could not be certain which might work and which would simply trigger the punishment.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 790 The Contract (2)

    Luckily, Eldrian had plenty of experience managing his soul and he had even gotten into contact with the souls of others multiple times.


    Recently he had also learned more about contracts and while the firebird currentlycked a soul, Eldrian felt it might be possible to construct one for it in time. He was also a master at controlling mageia, which it seemed formed the basis of these contracts. And was, in fact, arge part of all contracts.


    Eldrian understood that his ability to manipte his soul was queer, and how easily he could enter it was an anomaly. Hopefully, that would help him here and now. The fact that he could even think of constructing a soul would likely cause even the brightest to nch. He knew this, and it meant he had the advantage here. As his thoughts were not constraint bymon sense.


    ''Since this is basically a self-bound contract you establish with yourself. Simply needing toe to an agreement with another and then both bind themselves. Intent will y a massive role. So I will have to make sure his intent cannot differ from what is written in the contract.''


    ''And...as this is a self-bound contract, in essence... Perhaps I can indeed trick it?'' Eldrian pondered, hoping to make use of the extra lifeforce he had stolen from the lich.


    He had cleared it of all things pertaining to the lich, but he had not made it his own. This was why he had never gained XP or any benefits from it.


    To him, it was just condensed space inside his mind. He knew its signature differed from his space, his lifeforce. Sadly, Eldrian had no way of confirming if Zaphreal would be able to pick up on this difference. If Zaphreal picked up on this, Eldrian knew he would be in an even worse situation.


    Eldrian could not tell the precise differences himself. He was incapable of determining the signature of his own mind. It was simply his mind, his thoughts, how he thought. It was easy to notice something foreign, but to notice the nature of himself was not something he was capable of.


    After being cleansed, the difference between the condensed space that used to be a lich''s soul was far closer to his lifeforce than before. At the very least, noticing the difference shouldn''t be easy. The unfamiliar feel he got from the space wasn''t strong. Hopefully Zaphreal wouldn''t notice. He shouldn''t be familiar with Eldrian''s will.


    ''This is my best bet,'' Eldrian thought. He had no desire to sign the contract. Sadly, it seemed to be his best option. Though he couldn''t even be sure of this fact. The penalty, however, was truly severe; death. Eldrian couldn''t afford to make a mistake. If his assumptions were correct, then if he broke the contract, his lifeforce would dissipate.


    Perhaps he could somehow fight the contract, but Eldrian did not know how it took form nor how strong it was. Ideally, if he signed with the lich''s lifeforce, it would be sacrificed instead of his life if he failed to fight it.


    ''This is all an assumption though...''


    Eldrian could not analyze it further without signing and observing what happens after. But he still waited, hoping for something toe to him, or someone. To help him out of his predicament. Praying for a reply or action from the AI.


    ''Clearly this is something that can only be signed between dynamic magic users...'' Realizing this did not ease Eldrian''s worries, as it rified that the duel would not be as simple as he hoped. In fact, Eldrian felt that victory was out of his grasp.


    With all the information that Miracle had, there was no way that Zaphreal''s confidence was inted. The man must clearly understand Eldrian and his limits.


    Eldrian now regretted having shared the video of his duel against Levana with his friends. It certainly allowed Miracle to get a better grasp of his strength, and there was no telling what Jade had shared with them. Besides, he had just shown his grasp of his auras to the world.


    ''Should I call for help?'' Eldrian pondered, thinking of Ceph and pondering if he should try to get the Alicorns toe to his aid. However, this would solve none of his problems. It might save Eldrian''s avatar, but it did not matter what happened to it.


    The problem was that Miracle had his family in their hands. And he could do nothing about it. Even if he had gone in person as his original n to disrupt the tourney and showcase the devastating power of magic, it would not have changed this fact.


    It would have simply made it easier for Miracle to paint him as a viin. And he seemed to have greatly undersold their magical talents.


    He did not think of asking Jade for help. He doubted she had any true backing in Miracle. It made no sense that she was so clueless about controlling her aura if she had.


    ''I guess there''s no helping but signing it.'' Eldrian sighed. However, he still remembered to ensure that it was Zaphreal''s will that the contract was written with. "I will sign. However¡ª"


    ¡ª


    [What are they saying?]


    [What''s taking so long?]


    [Aren''t you guys surprised at how skewed the betting is? Why is everyone betting against Eldrian?]


    [Are you dumb? Those guys before were clearly not yers. This guy must be an admin or one of the game developers. There''s no way a yer can beat an admin!]


    The hub bub of the yers was far removed from the seriousness on the stage.


    ¡ª


    "Erik, what''s going on?" Jen asked, watching the screen while clenching her fists.


    "I''m afraid things are going south real bad." Erik replied. Sighing as he did. Since Eldrian had failed to make the magical items, he had asked Erik to at least visit his sister just in case.


    Erik, however, couldn''t use magic outside of ANW. All he could offer was some physical protection and a connection between the two. Perhaps he could have learned, but Erik did not want to be a target for Miracle to focus on.


    "He''ll be alright, right?" Jen asked.


    This was the first time she saw her brother in ages, and it did nothing to ease the worries that had been eating at her. Needless to say, focusing on her studies had been beyond her. The best she could manage was passing by the skin of her teeth, yet even that didn''t seem usible for long.


    "Jen, I''m sure he''ll be fine." Marcy, Jen''s best friend, mumbled. Taking Jen''s hand and giving it an encouraging squeeze. Until recently, Marcy had thought that Eldrian had died¡ªsuicide. She still did not know what was going on, but clearly, things were extremely fishy.


    ¡ª


    "What''s going on?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the stream with clear worry. It should have been simple: teleport in, kick the yer''s buts, and announce that magic might exist.


    The first two steps had gone fine, but then those other people had arrived. Stalling things and now this guy.


    "It seems they suspected Eldrian would try something." Ashlielmented, having been silent for a few minutes now. And having finished three cups of her tea.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 791 The Contract (3) Signed

    "Did the AI trick him?" Elizabeth asked next.


    ording to the n, the AI would prevent anyone from arriving and Miracle from cutting off the stream. Clearly, they had not stopped people from arriving. And there was no way any of them could know if they even needed to prevent Miracle from cutting the stream with how things had developed.


    It appeared that Miracle had everything in control.


    "No, I don''t think they did. But they failed to hold up their end of the deal." Ashliel replied.


    Normally, the AI had full control within ANW. But it wasn''t like Miracle had no means ofbating the AI''s control. The simplest method would be implementing another AI to counter the current. It need not even be one as advanced as the others.


    They could even tackle the code themselves and they could always threaten the AI, and even implement certain punishment to force them to work. In the end, something had worked and Miracle had control.


    ¡ª


    "Is he nning on taking the kid all for himself?"


    "It appears so. However, I don''t get why he''s giving the kid a chance."


    "I guess it''s in his nature. He believes in giving everyone a fair shot."


    "Fair shot? Do you think he''ll limit his attributes to give the kid an even match?"


    "If the kid realizes the possibility and brings it up, Zaphreal will probably agree. In that case, he will be in the disadvantage until he gets used to his weakened avatar."


    "Do you think he will even need to move? I''m sure the kid won''t evenst a minute."


    "He sure was full of himself. Barging in here thinking we had no ability to stop him..."


    ¡ª


    "I can''t ept these terms as they stand." Eldrian dered, revising his stance. He wanted three additional uses.


    He could only hope that Zaphreal would agree. Thus far, it seemed that the man was at least somewhat reasonable. Though it might only be because he was confident in his victory and didn''t want to muddy things as the others would. This in itself was at least something Eldrian could be thankful for.


    "Firstly, I do not know how strong you are. If you are of a higher Tier than me, then I doubt I would stand a chance fighting you."


    "We can use the system to bnce this." Zaphrealmented, surprised that Eldrian thought of this considering the situation. "What else?"


    "Secondly, I want a use for a draw."


    "Do you think that makes any sense? Coming to a draw would be near impossible."


    This would only happen if both were brought unconscious and unable to kill the other. Even in this case, simply leaving it to time would bring forth the true winner. Though that would drag things out and be truly boring for the viewers. They could also have it be the first to lose conciousness loses, but indeed that would be less entertaining. And Zaphreal had to keep in mind that a show was being made out of this entire debacle.


    "Regardless, I want it to be added!" Eldrian refused to budge, and ultimately Zaphreal didn''t care. So he agreed. Ensuring that the match ended quickly was, after all, something he wanted. Having things drag out would only be detrimental.


    "Fine. What else?" Zaphreal asked.


    "I want you to write up the contract here and now. Also, use simple and clearnguage which cannot be viewed other than intended." Eldrian dered.


    "Alright." Nodding, Zaphreal took out a new ancient scroll. Noticing the mana flowing through it, Eldrian noted that it was a magical item. However, currently there were no words and no will within it.


    ''Good, seems he isn''t trying to trick me.'' Nodding, Eldrian watched as the red-haired man wrote up the new contract details. Analyzing while he did how he infused his will into the pen. ''This is simr to the contracts in ANW, only instead of simply pushing mana into the ink as you would with magic items, you need to push mageia too.''


    In essence, it was a step more difficult. But as a result, it removed the need of having a god oversee the contract. However, Eldrian still could not figure out how it worked oncepleted.


    Standard contracts were simple. The gods enacted punishment, if required. But this, he just couldn''t make sense of how it will be enforced¡ªin a way that prevented cheating. Eldrian kept feeling that a third party had to be involved, otherwise the will of the person signing it would influence the contract too much.


    This, however, was a good thing for him. It meant Eldrian just might be able to trick it as nned.


    "Sign here." Zaphreal said after finishing the renewed contract.


    Reading over the contents, Eldrian made sure that things wereid down inly and there was no room left for interpretation. Only once he waspletely satisfied, after a few slight alterations, did Eldrian take the pen and lean over the table.


    "What is it you wish to gain?" Eldrian asked, pen at the ready but stalling just a bit more in the hopes of ast-minute savior. Sadly, no one came to his aid.


    "I thought that would be obvious... You." Zaphreal answered, and Eldrian didn''t know how to take it. He wasn''t sure if Zaphreal wanted him for experiments or as a source of power¡ªlike some sort of battle ve. Regardless, Eldrian did not wish to find out.


    ''Can''t afford any mistakes. Two, you ready to guide the lich''s lifeforce?''


    ''Yes. I''ll move it just outside our soul. Envision it going into the pen,'' Two replied.


    Focusing inward, Eldrian tried to notice the foreign lifeforce slipping out of him. Finding it after a few seconds, he took control and tried to have it mimic his standard mageia as closely as possible.


    He worked quickly, hopefully quick enough to not let Zaphreal notice anything strange. To cover for the pause, Eldrian apologized. "I''m afraid this is my first time infusing my will like this."


    It wasn''t exactly the truth, but it was indeed his first time infusing the foreign lifeforce he had in his soul. Zaphreal simply nodded, seemingly having suspected Eldrian''sck of experience. Sighing in relief, Eldrian moved to the dotted line and signed.


    ''Please let this work,'' He prayed as he finished his name and lifted his hand. The contract lighting up and burning into ashes. Glowing ashes which turned invisible to the naked eye, but to Eldrian''s mana sight it lifted from the table they had signed the contract upon. Floating toward the two of them and infusing into their foreheads.


    Eldrian could feel the foreign substance fighting to break through his magical defenses. It reminded him of the assault of chains from the lich. As he didn''t want things to lead to a misunderstanding, he lowered his defenses and took the chance to guide the substance himself.


    It floated through his body, finally finding its way to his heart. Where it then tried to invade even deeper. ''Guess it wants into my soul. It is simr to when I channel mana into my mana soul.'' Eldrian noted, guiding it as he would mana.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 792 Fighting Zaphreal (1)

    In his mind space, Eldrian found himself at the valley where Two had constructed the library. The center of his soul. In haste, he confined the foreign substance and kicked it out of the world he had created. Confining it to the outer edges of his soul. Using the lich''s absorbed lifeforce to form a prison.


    The glowing of the foreign substance was distorted by the prison, but still clearly visible at the edge of Eldrian''s mind space. Surrounded by endless darkness, it rested. Seemingly at peace.


    "I''m afraid I can''t gleam much information from it. When attempting, I can extract the contract details. But nothing else." Twomented once Eldrian had finished locking it up.


    Staring at it, Eldrian too tried to analyze it. Knowing that he had little time before, Zaphreal would be wary of his state. Sadly, he too failed to gain any more insight into what it was and how it would invoke the contract punishment.


    It seemed the foreign substance was content in its prison. This was a small silver lining, perhaps. Eldrian hoped the trick had worked. However, he couldn''t rule out that it was simply not acting up because it was still in his soul space. He also had no proof that the trick would limit the damage in case of contract breakage, but this was at least better than nothing.


    Returning to the world, Eldrian saw Zaphreal staring at him. Smiling, Eldrian asked how things would move from here.


    "As stated, the duel will start in fifteen minutes. You can use that time to prepare." Zaphrealmented, turning to the audience and filling them in on the cover story.


    It was a mixture of truths and falsehoods, exining that Eldrian had realized that the arenas were indeed held within ANW, on Gaia. As many had spected. Eldrian had also, supposedly, found an ancient mage''s tower, with which he had managed toe to the arena.


    This, naturally, did not touch on what Eldrian had tried to say earlier nor on the truth of the matter. However, it appeared that most people hadn''t really focused on what Eldrian had shouted during his fight.


    His announcement of magic being real had been shocking, but there had been no follow. His speech interrupted by the booming spears from the soldiers. In the end, it hade of as a type of self searching for inner magic.


    Simply making the matter more confusing, instead of rifying the point.


    Of course, there were some who took his words to heart. But for now, everyone focused on the duel toe. Sure that this was going to be quite the spectacle. After all, never before had the yers witnessed one of the admin disying their might.


    Of course, Zaphreal would be weakened to Eldrian''s level, but everyone was still highly anticipating what was about to happen.


    As for why Zaphreal did not touch on the subject containing to magic and purposefully wove his speech around it; he was leaving it to Eldrian.


    If Eldrian won, then Zaphreal would allow him to deliver his speech. If he lost, Eldrian would have to backtrack and create the cover story himself. Zaphreal''s aim being to have Eldrian discredit himself.


    Separating from Zaphreal, Eldrian tried his best to figure out what the man was capable of. The man was clearly confident, giving a speech currently to the audience to exin when the finals will be held and apologizing for the unexpected development that was Eldrian.


    Going further to use this to tease at all the unexplored wonders still left for everyone to find. And expanding on just how great the heights were that the yers should aim for. Stating that even reaching godhood in the game was a possibility.


    Turning the entire debacle into great publicity. And expertly so.


    Listening to the speech, Eldrian became even more worried. If he was forced to fight Miracle in a battle of wits or words, he would be utterly crushed. He had never been eloquent nor easy to follow. He knew this; he epted this.


    He couldn''t give speeches to convince the masses and he knew his way of thinking wasn''t easy to follow. Myropsis and the others could follow his thinking only because they had spent a long time with him.


    ''All that I can do is show them how strong I am...and hope that that will be enough to give my words standing. However, how Zaphreal is framing things will make that even harder for me...''


    As the fifteen minutes neared its end, Eldrian finally received a message from Ziraili. Not as a system prompt, but rather as a telepathic message.


    Eldrian had only epted the probing and allowed the unknown connection since he couldn''t see how things could get worse¡ªeven though he knew epting a foreign mental probe held its own dangers. Luckily, it ended up being from Ziraili.


    ''Miracle was prepared. We aren''t sure how. We might have a traitor in our midst. GAIA is fighting to keep our connection a secret. But they clearly know we are working together.''


    There was a slight pause before the message continued. ''Be careful of the man you are about to fight. Try to get in close. As he is having his attributes lowered, his reflexes will be worse than normal. His magical abilities, however, will not be weakened.''


    ''He is also likely to not equip his armaments nor his weapons. End the match quickly. It is the only chance you will have.''


    ''I guess that is something,'' Eldrian noted, picking up Crystoi and looking towards the Zaphreal.


    Wishing that he had made the time to get some new armor for himself. ''Overlook one thing and everything else piles up...'' Eldrian mumbled, realizing how all his small negligence over time was now adding up. The trigger, ultimately, underestimating Miracle.


    ''Perhaps that was the true aim of their previous failures? Whether the soldiers were ordered to let me escape each time, or they were chosen for their ipetence...'' Looking towards the frozen avatars, Eldrian sighed. They had made him lower his guard towards Miracle.


    Meeting Jade had also lowered his guard. Her innocence andck of control belied trouble and struggle within thepany. Eldrian couldn''t be sure if this was purposeful or simply coincidental. Considering the timing, however, he found it unlikely to be coincidental.


    "The duel will start in ten seconds." The announcer''s voice echoed through the arena. The ice statues disappearing with the announcement.


    "Aren''t you going to equip some armor?" Eldrian asked. Zaphreal still dressed in what appeared a bed robe. It certainly lookedfortable, but terrible for a fight.


    "I can ask the same of you." Zaphreal countered, lifting his arms and narrowing his eyes as the announcer counted down the time.


    ''Get in close, don''t rely on magic, end it quick... That''s asking too much,'' Eldrian thought. Especially the part about him not relying on magic. His bread and butter. However, as the announcer announced the start, he realized why.


    A massive amount of mana gathered around Zaphreal in the blink of an eye. Distorting the very air as lighting cracked through the air.


    Diving to the side, Eldrian''s ears rang as he felt his left side burning. He rolled over quickly, dousing himself with water as he tried to confirm what had happened. The next moment, he felt his entire body stiffen. Another thunderous roar arriving after the fact.


    ''Lighting...'' Eldrian cursed himself for using water, dispelling the element. He tried to move but failed, his entire body spasming from the electrical current running through him. The amount of health lost already over a thousand.


    Watching Zaphreal point a finger and the mana gather, Eldrian strained his mind for a way to survive. Realizing immediately that if he did not do something this instant, he would die.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 793 Fighting Zaphreal (2)

    [Told ya. No yer stands a chance against an admin.]


    [Sucks for the guys who ced their bets on Eldrian. Though I''m not going to make much either. This is too one-sided.]


    The yers watched the start and immediately felt the match decided. Compared to them, Eldrian''s magic was lighting fast. Butpared to Zaphreal''s attack, Eldrian''s reaction seemed as slow as a turtle.


    The sight before the yers seemed the embodiment of, "There is always a taller mountain."


    Eldrian cursed, afraid to use his ice aura to form a shield. As far as he knew, the electricity would simply conduct through it. ''I might¡ªI don''t have time to consider!'' Cursing, Eldrian called upon this power, which required him to clear his mind and enter a calm, clear state of mind.


    Sadly, his current state was anything but calm and clear. His emotions were running rampant and his fear of entering the contract filled his mind while his body refused his orders¡ªadding even more to the turmoil already in his heart.


    He willed for the power of tranquility to form a shield to protect him, but all he got was in ice.


    The lighting pierced the half-formed ice shield with ease, piercing Eldrian''s chest and sending him into shock. Pain coursed through his entire being as his body failed to work. His heart stopped, his muscles spasmed, and his mind turned nk.


    As he fell to the side, Eldrian thought he had already died. But he could not ept that. He might have tried to trick the contract, but he had no certainty his tricks would work.


    He had no desire to return to Miracle. And worse still, if he did, he had no way of ensuring his family''s safety. Even if the trick worked, returning to Miracle was not an option. He couldn''t ept a defeat.


    Fighting the pain, a familiarpanion to him. Eldrian used it as his guide to clear his mind of his inner turmoil, allowing him to consider his situation. With plenty of experience dying, Eldrian realized he wasn''t dead, yet¡ªthough he wasn''t far off.


    To clear his mind, he allowed the pain to fill him entirely. Allowing it to epass him to the limits, dispelling all the turmoil and emotions in him until only the pain remained. This was truly hell, but it allowed him to focus. And once he focused, he dispelled the pain from his mind, too.


    Focusing on his a singr goal: He could not lose here.


    He could not lose sopletely.


    If it was his fate to lose here, he would ce his life on the line. He had signed the contract because he had no other option. However, he had no desire to be Zaphreal''sb rat, nor did Eldrian wish to be his dog.


    The only eptable oue for him was winning or achieving a draw. ''If we both die, then it''ll be a draw,'' Eldrian thought.


    He hoped to escape the contract through the draw, which had simpler terms than winning and losing. Terms stating that Eldrian would keep magic a secret, and Zaphreal would keep his family safe. In time, once he learned more of the contract and confirmed that his trick had worked, Eldrian would try to reveal magic to the public again.


    However, for that possibility to exist, Eldrian could not ept defeat.


    Pushing deeper into himself, Eldrian moved past the powers of his auras. While powerful, it was now clear that they would not be enough for him to ovee his opponent


    However, he needed time. And they might just be capable of giving him that. As he dived past them, Eldrian let them free. Sending them to rampage. With all the emotions he had suppressed, he fueled the mes. While letting the ice epass his mind, bringing him to a peculiar, serene state.


    Diving deeper, Eldrian tried to find the power of time within himself. Trying everything he could think of to call upon the powers of his bloodline.


    ¡ª


    Zaphreal and all the other looked at Eldrian''s fallen form. Zaphreal smiling calmly, the resultpletely expected. Eldrian simply stood no chance against him.


    Everyone else feltpletely let down. They had expected a grand duel, something that would be the talk of themunity for years, or at least the months toe.


    Instead, they simply witnessed Eldrian being crushed like an insignificant bug by an admin. It seemed unfair. At least, when Eldrian squashed the yers, they could im he was also a yer. That they could one day reach his heights.


    They could ce him on a pedestal and make him their goal. Something to aspire to, to aim for, to work towards.


    But this, how could one fight an admin?


    It was disheartening. The speech Zaphreal had given to motivate the yers fell t as everyone watched Eldrian''s unmoving body. His skin turning pale and his death at hand. "How can this be called a duel?" they asked, everyone believing the fight over.


    However, the announcement never came. Realizing this, Zaphreal lifted his hand again, pointing at Eldrian and gathering his mana. Ready to finish him off. The sight causing the yers to sigh. The admin would not even give Eldrian a single sliver of hope.


    However, as the thunder roared, a blizzard of fire and ice sprang from Eldrian.


    The development shocked everyone and rekindled the fire in all the yer''s hearts. Everyone cheered for Eldrian to fight on. Forgetting about their bets. They simply wished for a grand showing, regardless of profits.


    No matter how slim, everyone hoped for Eldrian to bring forth a miracle. To fight against an admin, to fight as a yer against the ultimate authority of the game.


    Not because they hated Miracle, but simply because they felt disgusted that Zaphreal had dared call this a duel and given such a grand speech. Everyone feeling the least he could have done was put up a good show, not directly aim for victory with his advantages as an admin.


    And as if to answer everyone''s hopes, the blizzard of fire and ice absorbed the bolt of lightning.


    The blizzard failed to harm Zaphreal, who had formed a cage of lighting around himself. But still, Eldrian hadn''t lost yet!


    ¡ª


    Eldrian called in his heart his linkage to the element of time, but this time, it was not enough. He searched and searched, and as he entered hopelessness, he turned to his inventory.


    Still alive, though only by his will, Eldrian forced his mind to work and connect with his avatar and the system GAIA had given him. Diving into his inventory, he gathered up the elements for his hidden quest. Summoning them and letting them fall on his chest.


    His avatar was dead, and only his will remained. Using this will, Eldrian called upon the mana from his soul and moved theponents next to each other. And prayed that the quest would unlock and guide him forward.


    Yet nothing happened, and finally Eldrian felt a pull on his consciousness. He recognized it immediately. The system, even though it was separate from the normal one, had recognized him as dead and was guiding him to the realm of souls.


    ''I can''t!'' Eldrian fought the pull, refusing to budge. And by luck, because of this, the normal system still recognized him as alive. So, even while technically dead, Eldrian dragged the duel on.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 794 Fighting Zaphreal (3)

    Fighting the pull on his conciousness, Eldrian felt despair worm its way into his heart as the system continued to stay silent. Uncertain if this was because something was wrong with the system, perhaps even GAIA, or because he had to figure it out himself, Eldrian paused and a second to consider things.


    He knew he did not have long. Thanks to his experience with death and sheer willpower, he could force himself to stay in this realm, but the pull was only going to grow stronger and stronger. Eventually, it would overwhelm his will and pull him to the realm of souls.


    Eldrian knew he couldn''t continue to hide in his avatar for long. He was going to be pulled into the realm of souls, and he did not know how to sever the connection to that realm. He understood the theory, and had some usible ideas, but he could not risk such a rash action.


    Not when there was a better option before him.


    ''Perhaps?'' Realizing what he needed most was more time, Eldrian analyzed his condition.


    The damage to his body was extensive. The lighting had fried him from head to toe. However, the healing spells he knew could repair this without any issues. It was not like he had lost his heart or been decapitated. His heart had simply seized working, along with most other organs he had.


    Sure, there was some burn damage to them all and through his entire body, but a Tier 5 spell could readily repair this. This was precisely where the spells Two had morphed into their soul came in handy.


    Feeding mana into the spell module of Theragennisi, the Tier 5 nature healing spell, Eldrian guided it through his entire body. Keeping the flow of mana asrge as he could. He first repaired his body, and once it was back to normal, he focused the healing on his organs.


    Rapidly, the spell drained the mana from his mana soul. The cost, however, was most certainly worth it. In just a couple of seconds, Eldrian found all the pain he had been feeling in the background disappearing.


    Lastly, he turned to the resurrection potion he had gotten from Erik when going to deal with the forts. It had note in handy then, but it came in handy now. Pulling it out of his inventory and forcing the potion through his own lips through ether maniption.


    And after a few seconds, Eldrian breathed again. The resurrection potion somehow reconnected his soul with his body. Along with restarting his organs and repairing any damage that had remained.


    ''That''s just crazy.'' Eldrian felt likeughing, but he knew now was not the time. The concept of resurrecting oneself in death was insane, and somehow he had done just that.


    Sadly, Eldrian did not know how long the blizzard of ice and fire would keep Zaphreal at bay. With the pain removed, Eldrian knew he also did not have as much fuel for his auras.


    He considered for a second to let the aura of wrath consume him. To fill him with anger and rage, to rampage until death.


    However, he doubted it would be enough to ovee his opponent. And in a rampage, his attacks, while stronger, would be simpler to analyze and counter. Sadly, while he maintained a calm mind with the power of tranquility, the mes were limited in strength.


    With the pull gone, and now without pain, Eldrian found himself entering an even calmer state than before as he considered all this.


    A state where the chaos surrounding himpletely disappeared and time seemed to slow. And before him he saw Tranquility.


    Still a smaller him. Tranquility seemed more mature, radiating a chilling aura as he smiled at Eldrian.


    "Where have you been?" Eldrian asked.


    "You wish to use these elements, do you not?" Tranquility asked instead of answering.


    Eldrian nodded, epting that he did not have time to satisfy his curiosity. Curiously, he had no desire either. Moving onto the topic at hand without hesitation.


    "To use the elements, you need to connect them with your mind."


    That sounded simple enough. Eldrian had plenty of experience with this. Though normally the connection was with magical items. However, he understood what Tranquility meant.


    Locking onto the four items on his chest. The death crystal from Pyknos forest. The remainder of the voidstone from when Eldrian had bonded with Ceph. And the lightstone and Magic Crystal Ashliel had given them.


    Eldrian poured his mageia over these items and tried his best to prate their magical barriers. He even called upon his mana and imagined forming drills to prate through the item''s natural defenses. Though these barriers were simply magical thresholds required to be connected with.


    Eldrian, sadly, was far removed from being strong enough to connect with them naturally. The first he prated was the death crystal. The element of chaos sprang forth from it and consumed his mind. Tempting to overwhelm him.


    However, just as he was about to lose himself in it. He felt a pulse emanating from deeper inside himself. Clearing his mind and containing the element of chaos to an orb.


    Next to give was the lightstone. The feeling it gave Eldrian as it filled him was the opposite of the death crystal. Eldrian wished to bathe in the golden glow that filled his mind, but like before, a pulse came from deep within and contained the divinity to an orb.


    Prating the voidstone seemed impossible, and the same held with the magic crystal. However, Eldrian recalled his experiences with magic crystals. So, instead of trying to prate it, he loosened his grip on his own mana.


    Immediately, the crystal absorbed the mana, and Eldrian used that to sneak past its defenses. Though it took him seven tried before sess.


    ? And upon seeding, Eldrian was stunned silent. The sheer volume of mana he felt from within the magic crystal was mind-boggling. He had thought he would feel some type of aspect, like with the death crystal or lightstone, but instead, he was simply awed and left speechless.


    Feeling the sheer quantity and quality of the mana, Eldrian even considered himself invincible for a second. However, only for a second. He quickly realized he could do nothing but sense this magnificent power.


    Turning his attention to the voidstone, Eldrian frowned. Still incapable of prating it. However, as he had now felt the magnificence that was a magic crystal, Eldrian sensed something from the voidstone. Something telling him to not force his way inside.


    ''It is a void. Devoid of everything. Perhaps it is simr to a ck hole, or perhaps even the crystallization of a ck hole? A magic crystal is clearly the crystallization of magic. With its power, anything is possible. Then, with the power of a voidstone, does everything be void?''


    Eldrian pondered this for a second. Then recalled two things: he needed them to gain ess to his bloodline, and he needed to get a draw, now.


    ''I do not know when I will get ess to such dangerous elements, but setting them off will certainly kill anyone and anything in the vicinity.''


    Eldrian did not even think he needed to use them all, but he was not given the opportunity to think the matter over carefully. As he reached this idea, he felt his auras being dispelled. How, he had no idea.


    He simply found himself defenceless as thunder roared and Zaphreal stared at him with a deadly gaze. His hand slowly lifting and the lighting surrounding the man gathering.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 795 Fighting Zaphreal (4)

    While the idea of setting the crystals off was simple, Eldrian did not know how to manage this.


    He had barely managed to take a peek at what they held inside them. His meager magic would not be able to destabilize the crystals. These were not simple mana crystals that he could easily make unstable.


    Heck, the voidstone was still stable even though it was but a fragment from the device that the alicorns had used. Eldrian had even failed to take a nce at what it held.


    To make matters worse, even in the heightened state that Eldrian was thinking and observing things in, he knew he did not have long. He could see the lighting already gathering around Zaphreal''s hand.


    Void of an alternative, Eldrian picked the crystal he had first managed to force his will inside. Assuming it was the least stable.


    He grasped the death crystal in his left hand, sending the others back to his inventory, and he sprang forth. Gathering Crystoi with his right as he charged.


    The audience watched him move faster than ever before, Eldrian getting to his feet and covering half the distance in mere seconds. They held their breath in anticipation. However, he was not fast enough.


    Thunder sounded, and a sh appeared. Briefly blinding everyone watching.


    And in thatst fraction of a second, Eldrian had moved to block. His reaction speed was praiseworthy, but futile. Or so everyone thought. Shockingly, the lighting failed to pierce him through. Instead, it collided with Eldrian''s hand and disappeared.


    While Eldrian was sent flying backwards in the end, the sight was still shocking. Silence settled. Everyone staring at what had transpired, their heads filled with questions. Clearly recalling just minutes before when Eldrian''s ice shield had failed to even slow the lighting strike that had pierced his chest.


    ''It''s breaking.'' Eldrian could feel the natural structure of the crystal he still held the in hand slowly falling apart. Sadly, it appeared that it would not react like a mana crystal upon having its structure destroyed.


    Mana crystals reacted violently, all the mana contained within taking the form of nearby elements and causing a storm of that type to appear. This was why he always apanied breaking it with a spell. As the spell guided the mana to form a certain ''nova''.


    The death crystal contrary appeared to not even be falling apart. While it was leaking some death mana, it was leaking terribly slowly.


    ''His attack did the job, but this isn''t what I expected would happen.'' Eldrian could tell that the crystal would not do what he wanted.


    For a second Eldrian considered blocking another strike, but he doubted Zaphreal would be so careless, nor did he think that would solve his biggest problem.


    Death mana was sopletely different to the natural mana filling his surrounding that the surroundings itself formed a type of magical pressure barrier. Eldrian had failed to consider this when picking the crystal.


    If he couldpletely shatter its structure and force all the death mana out, he might still stand a chance. But Zaphreal would certainly not be so careless. And unless he could manage this, then his surroundings would continue to aid the crystal in maintaining its own structure. The opposite of what happened with mana crystals.


    ''I might manage to block another strike, but I doubt he will be so careless. And even if I do, I can''t be certain it would be enough to allow the inner pressure to ovee the outer,'' Eldrian thought as he observed Zaphreal.


    The man appeared unphased by the fact that Eldrian had blocked his strike. He was calmly regathering his mana, readying his next strike. It would only take a second or two for him to strike again.


    Eldrian''s next thought was to close the distance, however, he dismissed it just as quickly. At most, he would make it back to where he hadst blocked the lighting. Twenty meters still separating him from the redheaded man from Miracle.


    ''The structure is fractured and its mana is leaking. I can already feel it invading my body. Eating at my stamina...'' Eldrian''s eyes shed as he thought of a truly crazy idea.


    He might not be able to destabilize its structure, but with its weakened structure, he might be able to gather and use the mana contained within it. After all, some of the mana was already leaking. All he had to do was hasten it a little and take control of what leaked.


    When the next sh appeared, Eldrian was forced to go with the idea. He had little practice and almost no idea how to use the element, but he had some reference data to rely on thanks to the lich''s soul he had absorbed.


    Luckily, like normal mana, death mana also reacted and followed the will contained within a person''s magic. It could be controlled with mageia, like all other types of mana.


    When the shed arrived, Eldrian envisioned a barrier of darkness surrounding him. Absorbing all things and turning it into its own source of power. The image in his mind was a barrier with the strength of Levana''s spells.


    The next second, his vision turned dark. Complete silence filled Eldrian''s surroundings. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was not in some type of void but rather in a unique type of barrier.


    "It worked?" Eldrian mumbled in disbelief, his voice sounding strange in the small space he found himself in. "What now?"


    The action had given Eldrian some more time, but he had two problems now. He still did not know how to defeat Zaphreal, and he had allowed the mana from the death crystal inside himself. It was now consuming his stamina far quicker than before.


    Eldrian even felt a drain in his mind.


    Naturally, as he was living, the aspect of death was consuming him.


    ¡ª


    In the VIP rooms, the observers were impressed with Eldrian thus far. Somehow, he had survived a death strike and formed a barrier of ice and fire to buy himself time. When it had disappeared, Eldrian had beenpletely healed and had jumped to action shockingly fast.


    "The kid has got some grit."


    Thement was one of the few that everyone agreed with. Whether they wanted Eldrian to lose or hoped for him to win, everyone had to agree that Eldrian was holding out surprisingly well.


    "Do you think Eldrian stands a chance?" Qiren asked Constantin.


    She had called for him as soon as Eldrian had interrupted the match. The two were currently standing off to the side to avoid catching anyone''s attention as they brainstormed how they might be able to help Eldrian in the current situation.


    "I honestly have no idea." Constantin replied. He had been following Eldrian''s every move. As he had managed to push himself into the right position, Constantin had even visited Kynigo and talked with some yers. Though he had falsified his information, naturally.


    "He has grown a great deal, but..." Looking towards the stage, the same question kept bothering Constantin.


    What was the entire point of ANW?


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 796 Fighting Zaphreal (5)

    The same question kept guing Constantin as he watched the fight continue. Eldrian appeared hopeless. Even as he defended against Zaphreal''s bolt of lighting, it did not appear that anything had changed. He was sent flying back and no closer to forming any sort of offensive.


    Eldrian simply did not measure up to Zaphreal. This should be an obvious fact: someone with just a few years'' experience in a field should naturallyg behind someone with decades.


    Yet, that made that same question guing Constantin all the more relevant. What was the point of ANW? Why did Miracle ever develop ANW? Why were they so adamant about its further development?


    Constantin just could not find the answer. From what he was seeing, clearly, it was not to discover and understand more of magic, as he had believed. The story he had been told, and which he had told others in turn.


    Here he watched someone, assumingly of the highest division in thepany, execute magic with ease. Suppressing Eldrian with ease. Eldrian, who up until now, Constantin had believed the only one capable of using magic at will.


    Sure, he had his suspicions before, especially since he had made some progress in guiding mana himself. But never had he thought there would be someone like this out there. And if there was this person, then Constantin was sure there were plenty more.


    Which again, begged the question guing his mind; Why even bother with ANW?


    Constantin knew that there was no trick behind it. It was not, as the yers believed, admin privilege. Zaphreal was not relying on any of the AI to cast his spells, nor had he required their assistance to dispel Eldrian''s blizzard.


    Constantin''s entire world was being shattered by the duel. And while the atmosphere in the room suggested that Eldrian stood no chance, he hoped dearly that Eldrian could escape the trap he had fallen into.


    That was why, when Eldrian managed to survive yet again, he sighed in relief. A long, calming sigh as he came back to the moment.


    "Do you know what type of barrier that is?" Qiren asked, watching the ball of darkness that waspletely unaffected by the thunder surrounding it. Unphased by everything that Zaphreal was throwing at it.


    "Not a clue." Constantin replied. His smile growing as he started believing that Eldrian might just pull it off.


    ¡ª


    On the stage, Zaphreal stopped his assault and took a moment to rpose himself. Shockingly, Eldrian had managed to ce up a defense that could effectively stop his strikes. Furthermore, it was d in darkness.


    A darkness not of the ck color, but of a substance devoid of light. Preventing any and all attempts of analyzation. Somehow, the barrier was even capable of stealing the mana from Zaphreal''s spells and probing.


    "If you wish to absorb the mana of my spells, you will have to do better than that." Zaphreal announced, more for the audience than anything else. And so he renewed his assault with the same idea as Eldrian had used against Levana.


    As the barrier absorbed the mana of the spells flung at it, all Zaphreal believed he needed to do was feed it mana until it exploded. And killed Eldrian with it.


    ¡ª


    Eldrian was struggling to keep his mind stable as the aspect of death continued to invade his mind and soul. Luckily, he was notpletely alone in his fight. As normal, Two handled the soul aspect while Eldrian focused on the body. Somehow, they managed to get the invasion under control. Allowing Eldrian to focus again on what was happening.


    When his attention returned to the barrier, he was numbed by what he felt. It was at the point of explosion, filled with enough mana topare to several medium mana crystals. Well into the tens of thousands of MP.


    How Zaphreal had so much mana after the system bnce for their duel, Eldrian could not even hazard a guess. He even felt it unfair¡ªthough he had nned to use his mana soul to his advantage simrly. This never became relevant to him. He could only assume Zaphreal had something simr he was relying on.


    ''It did its job.'' Eldrian smiled.


    The barrier had bought him time. And also a great deal of mana. Sadly, Eldrian could notmand such a quantity of mana. His limit was perhaps two or three thousand mana at once. More than that, and he struggled to maintain his control over it all.


    To take control of nearly forty thousand, he was not capable. However, he could manipte it to his own design.


    ''I don''t need to control it. Like I use mana crystals to activate Nova, I will use this.'' Eldrian smiled. Finally, he had what he had needed to break the death crystal.


    Now, he only needed to find a way to survive. Or at least die along with Zaphreal. This would all be for naught if he died immediately and Zaphreal a few millisecondster. The only option Eldrian felt open to him was teleportation.


    ''However, unlikest time, I don''t have line of sight or¡ªthat''s it!'' Without a dy, Eldrian formed the strongest mental message he could envision. Never before had he tried to contact someone from god knows how far he was from Avgi.


    ''Ceph, I need your help. Please send me a teleportation request. I''m in a PINCH! AS SOON AS YOU CAN!''


    Praying that there was not a barrier or something that would block this, hoping that Ziraili or GAIA had disabled them when they had teleported him here, Eldrian anxiously awaited the familiar nudge and request for teleportation.


    He felt it not muchter, his partner not sleeping on his duty. As soon as Eldrian felt the nudge, he filled the connection between them with mana and activated the ability. Disappearing form the stage, while leaving a present for Zaphreal as he did.


    ¡ª


    Suddenly, the barrier of darkness disappeared. However, Eldrian was nowhere to be seen. And just as everyone was wondering what was going on, the area where he had been turned dark again.


    A darkness that expanded and expanded. Covering the entire stage and much, much more.


    Before anyone could make sense of what was happening, the announcement that Eldrian had won sang through. The development was so confusing that no one managed to follow what had happened.


    ¡ª


    ''Luckily, our contract did not stipte that the duel needs to be ended in the arena. Zaphreal likely never thought I would try to retreat.'' Eldrian smiled as he turned towards his savior. "Ceph, thank you so much! You really saved me this time!" Eldrian shouted, rushing to hug the little alicorn.


    Where the tournament had been held, it had been midday, but here it was early morning. Ceph had actually been woken by Eldrian''s sudden cry for help.


    ''Can you exin what''s going on?'' Ceph asked, shrugging Eldrian off with one of his wings and morphing into his elven form for easiermunication.


    "I nearly fell for a truly deadly trap." Eldrian said, exining the developments to his old friend. And as the two talked, Eldrian forgot all about the doubts he had had about being bonded with Ceph. Without him, Eldrian would have certainly been caught by Miracle just now.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 797 Fighting Zaphreal (6) - Miracles Explenation

    "H-he di-did it?" Constantin struggled to get the words out. Disbelief causing him to stumble over those three simple words.


    Along with everyone else, he stared towards the stage. When the barrier had disappeared and Eldrian with it, he had wondered what was going on. However, there simply was not enough time to ponder things before the following development.


    Just a few secondster, darkness arrived again. This time like a tsunami, spreading from where Eldrian had been. Engulfing everything in sight. The darkness did not remain long, dispersing further and further until it disappeared from sight. And what was left was a world devoid of life.


    All the grass and nts had withered. The same had happened to Zaphreal. His corpsey upon the withered field. Yet, Eldrian was still nowhere in sight.


    All that remained was the announcement of Eldrian''s victory. Shining brightly in midair. Dering the victor of the match. Though, it felt different from the times before. The sight above a withered field with no one and nothing on stage just did not seem right.


    "You let him win, didn''t you?" This question brought Constantin back to the room. Turning to its source, he saw Zaphreal standing in the doorway to the room. A young girl ring at him, a girl Constantin had been warned to keep his distance from.


    "Let him win?" Zaphreal questioned. He did not seem to deny the fact, but was rather prying as to what the girl meant.


    "You went easy on him! You only used one spell and didn''t even move!" The girl countered.


    "Ah, that. Indeed, I did go easy on him. But I did not let him win. Had he failed to find a solution to his situation, he would have lost."


    "What game are you ying at?" Presumably this person was also one of those at the top of Miracle. Most in this room were. Qiren had warned Constantin to be careful when entering the room.


    Apparently, these people weren''t normal, and many were dangerous. At first, Constantin had thought they were simply dangerous people from rich families with dangerous personalities and connections. After all, this was Miracle.


    But after witnessing the duel, Constantin now better understood that warning. After all, they were the VIPs of Miracle.


    "Indeed! Why did you let that kid escape? You even signed a contract and then you let him get the best of you! Have you no shame?"


    From there, many followed, throwing their frustrations at the man who had beaten them to the punch and then lost the prize everyone wanted to im. Worst, he had signed a contract with their ''prize''.


    "Calm down." Zaphreal said, after most had aired their frustration and things had calmed down. "This isn''t a setback. The n is still going forward as intended. We will just need to speed up when we make our announcements. Oier, I trust you to handle the fallout."


    Oier, a dashing older gentleman, nodded slightly. Replying shortly, "My pleasure."


    Zaphreal then continued on, "As Eldrian won, he now has the right to say his peace. I''ve guaranteed this with my contract. I am sure you all understand the implications."


    Zaphreal waited a while to make sure his words had been heard and understood. Then he turned towards Constantin and Qiren. Both flinched upon having the attention of the room shifted towards them.


    "You''re the head of the ANW department, aren''t you?" Zaphreal asked, and Qiren nodded and confirmed without dy. "Today''s events must have been confusing. Why don''t you twoe with me?"


    They hesitated, but upon feeling the atmosphere in the room, the two chased after Zaphreal. At the very least, dealing with a single person would be easier than dealing with a disgruntled group of VIPs. As they left, Oier headed towards the stage.


    ¡ª


    "What a showcase!" Oier, Jade''s father, jumped onto the stage and smiled. "Truly something else. While perhaps not as shy or long as we might have wanted, it truly allowed us to see something unique."


    "I believe most of us struggled to follow exactly what happened, as it all happened so quickly. So let''s review." As Oier said this, the stage appeared again. A recording of the match only focused more around Eldrian. "Right here, once Zaphreal dispelled the storm of ice and fire that Eldrian had summoned, you can see for just a split second."


    Pausing the recording, Oier showed the perfect time when Eldrian had yet to hide the crystals he had pulled out. "Wow! What wealth. Most of you might not be aware, but my goodness. How did Eldrian get his hands on these materials?"


    "Right, right... Let me exin. This one here is a magic crystal. An actual magic crystal! It is an item that is hard to ce a number on, but saying it is worth at least half a million gold wouldn''t be an exaggeration!"


    "Normally, these crystals are hoarded by kingdoms and used as the foundation of magic towers. They are the key to protecting the cities of all the kingdoms and to get your hands on one. My, oh my..."


    "And that is not all! This one here is a lightstone. Not as rare and hard to acquire as the magic crystal. But it is still a bona fide Rank 5 material. And this, yes, it only appears to be a fragmented stone, but it is also a rank 5 material. A voidstone. Said to contain the power of the void." Oier paused and then teased, "Just what could that possibly mean?"


    "And then, finally, we have this little dark crystal over here. The one Eldrian had sacrificed for his victory." Oier paused, letting the match continue at a slowed speed. Showing how Eldrian used the crystal to block the lighting from Zaphreal.


    "Yet another rank 5 material, one which Eldrian used as a shield andter...a bomb."


    By now, everyone was going mad. While they had hoped for Eldrian to somehow put the admin in his ce, the show of wealth right here was maddening. Many even felt that this was cheating. Asking how it was fair that Eldrian could have so many extremely rare materials on hand. How he could even dream of using on as a disposable item!


    "Now, as for the moment of his victory. Sadly, even our recording couldn''t gather information inside the barrier. However, we know Eldrian has tamed a mythical creature. An alicorn, to be precise. Their bond allows either of them to teleport to the other. We are fairly certain that Eldrian used that to escape the st as the crystal fell apart and exploded."


    This was such a massive announcement that everyone paused, silence settling in the chat as everyone tried to make sense of those words. Not only did Eldrian own items worth hundreds of thousands of gold. Not as a guild, but as an individual at that.


    He even had a freaking mythical grade pet.


    Heck, most yers didn''t even know that there was a taming system in the game.


    The silencested for a few minutes. Oier waiting calmly for the news to sink in. Observing the online chat and waiting for the right moment to continue. His duty now was to guide the yer base and all viewers back to the finals. Naturally, his ''natural'' charisma was best to achieve this.


    When the silence was finally broken, it was like the floodgates had been opened. Everyone asking how, asking why, asking why him, asking if this was cheating. Asking the devs to look into this.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 798 The Imbalance Of Two Lives

    "That''s the short of it." Eldrian concluded.


    Luckily, his interface was still working. He wasn''t sure what was currently going on between Miracle and the AI, but surely Miracle was now aware of their rebellion. Sadly, Eldrian had not gotten any further updates outside of the single message Ziraili had sent him.


    He could not be sure which side was winning, nor what the oue was going to be in the end. He could only pray that things would work out well. Since his interface was still working, Eldrian assumed things were currently still fine for GAIA¡ªat the very least.


    It working also meant he wasn''t cut off from what was currently happening. He couldn''t hop onto the forum as that part had never been open to the interface GAIA was providing him. But Elizabeth kept him updated on how Miracle had handled the rest of the situation.


    The tournament finale was going to be held in half an hour. A short recess was to be held to allow everyone to stretch their legs and get some refreshments.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure if he should try to move to deliver his speech or ept that things had not worked out as he wanted. In fact, he couldn''t get back to the arena without GAIA or Ziraili''s assistance, so he guessed the option wasn''t even an option.


    "Do you think we should inform my parents?" Ceph asked. The two had gone to the edge of Avgi to talk in peace. Just outside, they could see many moving silhouettes in the distance. It appeared like an army was gathering.


    "I''m not sure what good it will do." Eldrian replied, "Plus, I think they might suspect something already."


    "Maybe... But I doubt they would think that our world is a simtion. They likely suspect something regarding the gods and their ploys, but not that the gods are artificial creations themselves." Ceph countered.


    Ceph wasn''t sure what ''AI'' meant. As he understood it, the gods were like living creations. Legendary pieces of magical items. Ceph knew his dad had such a weapon, so this line of thinking made more sense to him.


    "Does that information help?" Eldrian asked while watching the moving masses. Sighing as he realized Taurus was about to experience yet another attack.


    And that made his question all the more important. Ceph also paused, considering it as he, too, turned to the moving masses far in the distance.


    For now, the mass was actively avoiding Avgi. Knowing well that should they dare approach, they would be annihted. But in time, perhaps, they would turn their sights towards them.


    Everyone already had so many things to worry about with the invasion. Normal life itself was already draining. Adding a fight for survival was simply too much. Then add this too to the equation.


    There was no telling how great the news might affect people. And there was no upside. It wasn''t like knowing made anything easier or allowed them some insightful advantage over others. In fact, it might make everything feel meaningless.


    It was simply something that would weigh on the minds of those they told. Make them question themselves and their entire lives, their entire existence.


    So far, everyone Eldrian had told had managed toe to grips with the revtion with rtive ease. However, that was not something that could be expected from everyone.


    As Eldrian looked at the moving masses, he felt he had to reevaluate yet again how he had been approaching things. Eldrian had thought he was cing ANW first in mind when he acted. But in retrospect, he was clearly prioritizing his Earth life over his ANW one.


    This was perhaps a natural thing. After all, Earth was his true home. Where he had been born, and where his ''real'' bodyy. Currently in aa, as his soul had shifted to ANW.


    ''No, that isn''t it...'' Eldrian thought. It wasn''t that he was neglecting ANW, but rather that he had been neglecting Earth. In essence, he might as well be dead there. His body was in aa 90% of the time, after all.


    ''I guess when the time came, and I saw a chance to change that, it was too much for me to ignore...''


    The frustration of needing to stay in hiding, away from his family and constantly on guard, Eldrian realized it had worn him down. He realized now, in retrospect, that he had gone through with the n simply because he wanted things to change. Because he was so frustrated about how caged he felt.


    He had thrown his life into ANW simply because the alternative was life as a fugitive. It wasn''t truly his personal decision. Superficially, he had focused on ANW. But subconsciously, his mind had never left Earth.


    Eldrian did not question either''s importance, but the importance in his heart, he realized, weighed in Earth''s favor. ''Not that that is a bad thing. It is like moving from your homnd to a foreignnd. You can love both, but your homnd will always have a special ce in your heart.''


    This thought helped Eldrian rationalize his recent actions. The problem wasn''t which he valued more, but that he hadn''t been aware he was weighing the two against each other in his heart. ''As long as I don''t forget this going forward, it should not be a problem.''


    With this rity, Eldrian thought back to what had happened today. Clearly, he should not have rushed. Not until he was more certain of what Miracle''s aim was and what cards they held. Most of all, he should not have rushed until he could safeguard his family.


    Yet, with the fight against Zaphreal, Eldrian wasn''t sure if that would ever be a possibility. Not without help. ''That is perhaps the silver lining in all this. As I imed victory, Zaphreal should protect my family. I''m not sure exactly how much protection he can offer, but at least I have an ally in him¡ª''


    Eldrian''s train of thought paused as he wondered if this was perhaps Zaphreal''s aim. ''But why? Why would he want to help me?''


    "Care to share?" Ceph asked, and Eldrian was truly d for the offer.


    Eldrian exined how weird it felt that the contract had been so loose regarding the duel''s regtions, essentially allowing him an avenue towards victory. "I''m certain they know of our bond and the ability to teleport. Elizabeth even told me they exined it to the audience..."


    "Yeah, that''s weird. If he wanted to ensure his victory, he wouldn''t have allowed that to be present." Ceph nodded, adding, "Alternatively, you could have simply run from the start and the duel would also have been a draw, since you wouldn''t be able to kill each other."


    "Wait... What?!" Eldrian was stunned by the simplicity of it. Perhaps that was what Zaphreal had suspected Eldrian to do. However, Eldrian had never thought of simply turning tail without putting up a fight.


    ''Why did the thought never even enter my mind? Is it because of the convenience of being only in an avatar? That death did not matter, and more importantly, was I trying to inch out an advantage? Yet, why did aplete retreat never cross my mind?''


    Eldrian realized something as he thought of this. He considered both worlds as real, but they did not have the same rules. He couldn''t approach both with the same mindset.

 Chapter 799 Miracles History

    "W-what do you w-want with us, sir?" Qiren asked nervously. Having been under great stress with all the demands being thrown at her. And like Constantin, today''s events made her doubt why and what it was all for. All in all, her view was incredibly unfavorable towards Miracle at this point in time.


    "I wanted to talk with you two. I know you''ve been secretly contacting the AI and working with them." Zaphreal said, causing the two to tighten up.


    Determining to not buckle under Zaphreal''s stare, Constantin looked at him and asked, "Do you have any proof?"


    "No, you''ve hidden your tracks well." Zaphreal paused, looking at Constantin and saying, "But I don''t need any proof."


    "Are you going to fire us ¡ª or will you kill us?" Constantin asked next. Steeling his resolve to not falter, no matter the answer.


    "No, nothing so barbaric. Not all of us are of the same mind." Zaphreal replied. "In the end, ANW was developed with a few simple ideas in mind. Ideas that every group in thepany could agree with. The first and only fully supported was that it would be a simtion to assist in training and mastering magic."


    "Of course, certain groups within thepany wanted to monopolize magic. Others wanted to open it to the rest of the world. And others still wanted to prioritize the experimental value of the simtion. In the end, thetter two groups came together to push for the release of ANW as it is now."


    "We couldn''t directly dere to the world our existence. We would have been viewed as the illuminati if we did something so rash. Perhaps not a terrible thing, but the stigma would have made it difficult to move as we wished."


    "It is the group valuing the experimental value of ANW that was originally pushing your department for further developments. Sadly, they have now aligned themselves with the wrong people in their pursuit..."


    "I can''t say with certainty what their aim is, but I fear the methods they will take to reach their goal. They wish to bring your knowledge to a level where you can be helpful. It is sad, but inevitable that they became more and more demanding. After all, progress has been slow."


    "What are you saying?" Qiren asked, trying to follow and make sense of what she was being told. "Are you part of the second group, then? Did you wish to introduce magic to the world?"


    "Not at all. This entire debate happened while I was still but a child. I had no say back then and could only watch from the shadows as the adults moved to change the world. Not caring whether the world wanted to change."


    "Perhaps they did have their reasons, but I remember thinking to myself; ''Why won''t they let things stay as they are? Why couldn''t they let go of their so-called powers? Why must we live separate lives from normal people?''"


    "I quickly learned why we must live separate lives. Why we must keep our powers a secret and why at most we should showcase magician''s levels of power. Something entertaining, but utterly unthreatening."


    "Persecution." Constantin mumbled, and Zaphreal nodded.


    "Indeed. The world has perhaps changed a great deal, but there was a time when an all out war was held against magic. Of course, before that there was a time when our ancestors were gods who ruled the."


    "But in their vanity, they had disrupted the bnce, and the world had changed. Magic became harder to use, our powers fell, and with it, we fell from grace. In time, our ancestors learned to hide their powers and use it to their benefit in secret."


    "They grew more powerful, and in time one group met another and a few generationster, Miracle was formed. However, the fear of history repeating itself has contained our group...until now."


    "I remember reading in one diary that the true aim of Miracle was to ensure neither instance came to be again. That the goal of Miracle was to ensure a bnce is kept. That magic would not be misused, and that those who posses the power to wield it would not be prosecuted again..."


    "We''ve failed."


    "When you say you failed..." Qiren couldn''t quite finish her sentence. So Constantin continued from there, "What do you mean?"


    "In the end, the release of ANW to the public has destroyed the bnce. As you can probably assume, the group wishing to hoard magic held a typical supremacy view. And with ANW, they saw a chance to return to the earlier days."


    "While originally opposed to the release of ANW, they are now working with others to understand and reverse what had caused our original fall from glory."


    "They are pushing for a way to restore magic to our world. And in their pursuit, they''ve run countless experiments through GAIA to test this feasibility."


    "What is it you want from us?" Constantin asked, no longer able to hold his peace. If what he was imagining was correct, then Zaphreal was talking of something truly dangerous.


    "I need your help. We need to ensure that whatever they do, they don''t destroy our world in pursuit of their goals. As they have countless in the simtion." Thest sentence caused the two to shudder in horror. Both clearly remembering the plethora of destroyed worlds within ANW''s simted universe.


    "How can we help?" Qiren asked, keenly aware of how powerless she and Constantin were.


    "I''ve contained things for the moment. However, my power is limited and I am under constant watch. You two, however, can move without being seen."


    ¡ª


    "What now?" Ceph asked. He and Eldrian had talked for hours and the sun was starting to set. It was time to move.


    "I''m not too sure." Eldrian paused, looking towards the distance where a few dark masses were still moving about. "I still can''t make sense of what happened. But first things first, we need to warn Taurus and help them prepare for yet another invasion."


    "Agreed."


    "But how is your training progressing?" Eldrian asked. Compared to before, Ceph appeared even older. He still appeared a teen, but now closer to being a young adult than a child.


    "I need to get some practical experience if I wish to push through myst few hurdles. So this couldn''t havee at a better time." Ceph smiled.


    His dad had been pushing him in physical training while his mom had grilled him on theoretical knowledge. He had been holding out and waiting for Eldrian to contact him so he could escape.


    Of course, he understood why they were concerned and why they pushed him so hard. In fact, the first few weeks he had been overjoyed. But after months, he was drained. He needed some fresh air.


    This was the perfect excuse to give his parents. They also constantly reminded him that actualbat experience was miles different from simted matches. So it would work just perfectly.


    "Then, let''s go greet your parents. I also wish to ask them a few things about the voidstone fragment I tookst time." Eldrian smiled. Noticing the spring in Ceph''s step, he realized his friend must have been feeling cooped up here in Avgi.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 800 Vivian With The Dwarves

    "Do we have an agreement?"


    "We do. However..."


    "You are worried about Eldrian?"


    "Yes. We know he isn''t one of us, but... To betray him like this."


    "You don''t need to consider it a betrayal. Besides, whether this will evere to pass will depend on his actions from here onward. The stage is set. It simply depends if he is going to walk onto it or not."


    "You make it sound like we aren''t manipting him towards that stage."


    "It ultimately still depends on him."


    "That doesn''t make us feel any better."


    Silence settled between the two.


    "But, we have an agreement?"


    "We do. In return, you will supply us with the key. Nothing less will be epted."


    "Yes. I understand."


    ¡ª


    "Las, don''t charge ahead!" A poor dwarf shouted, rushing to keep up with a red-haired maiden who always rushed ahead of the vanguard. Her de the first to be covered in blood as she charged the enemy without a shred of hesitation.


    "Move your short ass faster!" Vivian countered, diving into the fray without a mind for Theas''ints. These battles were just what she needed to vent her frustrations.


    Countless mindless monsters. Few were a true threat to her, their strengthying in their numbers. The perfect target for her anger.


    At least, that was how she saw them. To most, they were a deadly foe. Their Abyssal gaze a terrifying ability that could cause a unit to fall into disarray and even full-blown panic. To her, however, it only brought up her normal thoughts.


    The world was already terrible. She was keenly aware of this. Their ability did nothing but reinforce this in her mind. Reinforced the cruel reality of the once na?ve thoughts she had held with an idealistic view. When she had believed simply being strong would be enough to avoid tragedy.


    Worse, it reinforced how her suffering, and the suffering of their entire world, was but a ploy of a select few. And not even the gods at that. Aughable thought that just rubbed salt into her wounds.


    Gods ying with the lives of mortals was easier to stomach.


    If she could, Vivian would have dearly wished to kill those responsible for the hell that was their world. Heck, she would even settle for a god as the intermediates. But she knew she was strong enough. Hence, she fought. She yed. And she trained.


    She sent these poor spider-like creatures flying with each swing of her me wreathed sword. Causing massive unheble burning scars and outright killing most. Cleaving her way towards the center, towards the queen of the cluster.


    It screeched upon noticing the ze heading towards it like an arrow. Piercing through its children without mercy. Noticing the peril it was in, the queen screeched again. A desperate cry for help. A loud, ear piercing sound that caused the entire cavern to shake. A cry that was answered.


    Answering her call came multiple simr screeches from all directions. Echoing through the cavern and nearby connecting tunnels. The clicking sound of millions of little reavers followed not long after. A sound amplified by their numbers, numbing to the senses as it rocked the entire mountain.


    "By Dragos'' mes, Vivian, stop! This is a trap!" The clicking of millions of reavers drowned out Theas'' shouts. He watched as Vivian continued onward, clenching his teeth as he followed behind. Shouting at everyone to not follow.


    They watched as theirmander rushed after Vivian, many wishing to move forward to help. However, their orders were clear. They were to guard the passage and ensure that the reavers could not tunnel from here towards the nearby cities.


    This passage was critical in their defense against the reavers. The surrounding rock was too hard for the reavers to tunnel through. With the passage secured, they would finally have a true line of defense against the reavers and most other enemies. No longer having to reactively defend against their attacks. At longst, they would have reimed their lost territory.


    Arriving before the queen, Vivian did not slow. She charged ahead with fire in her eyes. The queen, however, was not as easy to kill as her children. With agile movements, it avoided Vivian''s sword and returned attacks with multiple of its sword like legs.


    Vivian was quickly ced on the defensive, the fast strikes of the reaver queen proving hard to meet, and the constant assault of the surrounding reavers slowing her attacks and inching past her defenses.


    To survive, Vivian relied on her trusty sword''s abilities. Surrounding herself with fire and buying herself the time she knew she needed.


    As things were appearing bleak, Theas arrived. Just as Vivian had nned. During the split second he caught their attention, she charged forward recklessly. Diving underneath the queen''s sword like legs, Vivian thrust her sword upward.


    Never having suspected Vivian of taking such a reckless action, the queen failed to react in time. It screeched in pain and fear as the mes from Vivian''s de ate it from the inside.


    It tried its best to strike at Vivian. However, the pain of having its insides fried prevented it from thinking rationally and simply squishing the human beneath it. Instead, it tried to lift itself even higher, allowing Vivian room to mauver, and the reaver''s own body blocking its own view. The pain its only guide to its target.


    Theas quickly moved to stop the others reavers from giving their support to their queen. Sending the nearest flying with his halbert and erecting pirs of stone to stop them from reaching Vivian unobstructed.


    The fight did notst long. He only kept the others at bay for a handful of seconds. The death throes of the queen echoing through the cavern not muchter. And with it, the screeching from the connecting tunnels turned furious.


    "We have to go. Now!" Theas grabbed the blood and guts covered Vivian and pulled her back towards the passage.


    Vivian offered no resistance. Only being absentminded for a few seconds before she charged ahead again. Cleaving a path for Theas to follow. Grumbling as he did that she was mad. That he should have never brought her here.


    The soldiers weed their return with cheers while scrambling to ready their defenses for a terrible battle toe.


    "You have to stop doing this!" Theas grumbled as soon as they were safely behind allied lines. Heaving to catch his breath as he did. Shockingly, Vivian appeared as fresh as when she had charged ahead.


    "It worked, didn''t it?" Vivian countered.


    "Do you wish to die?" Theas countered back.


    "Not at all. I knew we could manage just fine."


    Theas had no counter to that. For indeed, things had gone near perfect. He was still struggling to make sense of it all. Ever since bringing her here, she had changed so much. Theas couldn''t fathom why.


    It was as if all her restrains had been lifted. Yet, her results could not be argued against. And sadly, now was not the time to reprimand her. The fight had only just started.


    "I''ll deal with youter. Don''t! Don''t go running out again."


    "Of course not. I have no death wish. Once the other queens arrive, things will be far more dangerous. I''m not yet at the point where I can freely fight them."


    Theas might have gotten Vivian to agree, but he didn''t feel like she really listened to him. It was more that her madness was contained to certainties. How she could be certain of anything in such chaotic battles, Theas did not know.


    "Oh, there about to arrive." Vivian smiled, stepping forward and sending a wave of mes towards the first arrivals. Their death screeches echoed across the battlefield as Vivian rushed back into the fray.


    True to her word, she did not rush out of the defensive line. She simply moved within it. From one area struggling to maintain the line to another.

 Chapter 801 Vivian With The Dwarves (2)

    "Here." Theas thrust a mug into Vivian''s hands, along with a te of grilled reaver. Food that has quickly be the staple for the battlefield, especially since so many reavers were already cooked thanks to Vivian.


    "Disgusting." Vivian epted the offered te, although not with any sort of enthusiasm. First, she downed her mug of ale. It somewhat made the reaver meat bearable. Not that it was of any quality, either.


    "Then put more thought into it when you are cooking them." Theas grumbled in counter.


    "I don''t cook them." Vivian mumbled, ying with the meat as she did. Not at all interested in putting the rubbery meat into her mouth. Even after days of living off of it, it was still disgusting.


    "Well, that''s your word against the evidence. At least add some spice ¡ª I guess we don''t have any..."


    Silence settled as the two ate their lunch, albeit with a great deal of struggling. "Any news on when we are going to be relieved?" Vivian asked, simply wishing to dispel the silence. Silence which only amplified the horrid taste of charred rubbery reaver.


    "Not soon. Things are chaotic. Most of the front lines are in a simr situation to ours. We have the passage, though I wish we also had some walls to fall back towards."


    "That reminds me..." Vivian paused as her face scrunched up as a particrly bitter part of her lunch entered her mouth. "I heard this used to be part of the Ganalin Dwarven Kingdom. What was it, under the¡ª?"


    "It was under the Brax n. Though, when we rallied, all that the n had left was Braxhold."


    "I''ve heard that many cities were lost. But that doesn''t make much sense. How was it possible to reim so muchnd?" Vivian asked. This was the most confusing part to her. She knew Boran returned, but she couldn''t see how his return alone could make such a massive difference.


    "It started with Lord Boran''s return. Though, honestly, his return wasn''t in itself what helped us rally. Rather, it was his prowess in battle. Much like you, when he charges into a battle, he is surrounded by mes. And everywhere he moves, his mes turn to ash our enemies."


    "His return allowed us to stabilize as he stopped many armies on his own... When he enters the fray, he bes a beast, a dragon even." Theas paused. "In battle, it is like he is possessed, but this possession disappears when he returns."


    "He calls for the rarest material, taking the spoils of war to modify his own armament. And I''ve heard, his right arm is as hard as mithril." Theas paused again. Forcing a ratherrge piece of the reaver meat into his mouth and chewing it with great difficulty.


    Vivian watched his struggle and held in herughter. At least everyone was being treated the same. Be they of noble birth, amoner, or a foreigner like her. Everyone partook in the plentiful bounty of reavers. Enjoying the bitter, rubbery texture of these spire-like monsters.


    Despite its horrid taste and texture, however, the meat was great for an army. After all, reavers were bloodline monsters. The value of their meat could not be underestimated. Besides doing wonders at refilling a person''s energy, the first few times eaten, it even gives a small boost in strength and agility. Not arge increase perhaps, but still useful when given to an entire army as a whole.


    Then there were also the eyes. Reserved for the officers at first, Vivian had been lucky to be offered an eye as her reward for killing a queen. Though, she would never call eating it a reward.


    It had increased her nightvision. While it did not give her perfect vision in the darkness after consuming it, she could make out the silhouettes of everyone and everything inside, even the darkest of caves.


    This, however, was a side benefit. The main boon was that by consuming it, it reduces the effect of the reaver''s ability to induce nightmares into their victims. Of course, normally the eyes would be used in the crafting of rare weapons. But as things are currently, the soldiers needed every advantage they could get.


    Having the officers consume the eyes to keep the line ofmand from falling into chaos was of utmost importance. It was now being given to everyone who showed imed great achievements in the battles.


    "Even if Boran is that strong. I still don''t get how he allowed you to reim all thend you lost." Vivian said, after thoroughly enjoying Theas'' struggle to swallow.


    "That alone wasn''t enough." Theas admitted, "Near the same time, the abyssal guards also joined us in the defense of our homnd. No lord canmand them to action, so normally they were not considered a part of our strength. But, for some reason, they are following Boran''smands."


    ''Is that the dwarves who shadowed Eldrian?'' Vivian wondered, recalling the events in Pyknos forest. It felt like a lifetime ago to her now.


    "And thenter, we also learned of a new magical item called cannons. It was with its introduction that we could finally push to reim our lostnds."


    "Ah, right, cannons... Wait! But why don''t we have any here?! Even just a few would make a massive difference!"


    "You think I don''t know that?!" Theas countered rather heatedly. "Sorry," apologizing, he quickly calmed himself. "I am getting a lot of heat from the captains about that. The truth is, we rushed our advance to time with the other advances."


    "We had to secure the passage so the others could secure their locations without worry of tunneling from the reavers. But as a result, we hadn''t been supplied cannons."


    "Why did we need to rush?" Vivian asked. Rephrasing quickly after, "Rather, why weren''t we prioritized as we are keeping the reavers in check? They are the ones most difficult to guard against, aren''t they?"


    "If they are able to tunnel, then yes. But otherwise their numbers don''t amount to too much. Compared to some of the other enemies, they are easier to deal with. Especially if you have something like a passage to bottleneck them."


    "And how does this passage block them all from tunneling? I get that the surrounding stone is hard, but that can only expand so far..."


    "Indeed, this only protects a certain part of the kingdom from their tunneling. But the beauty is, while all the monsters are attacking us, they are not cooperating."


    "Oh, I see." Vivian smiled, finally having finished her meal. Theas still had a few pieces left. She was looking forward to seeing him struggle to finish them. "So the passage prevents them up to the territory of another monster?"


    "Precisely so. To reach us, the reavers have to traverse through another''s territory. Which means those two will fight. We simply need to hold on until they find another enemy and food source."


    "What if they do not fight the others theye across?"


    "They aren''t a sentient monster. The queens have some intelligence, but nothing near enough tomunicate. It will be impossible for them to work together with others."


    "Perhaps..." Vivian did not agree. It was impossible for the monsters themselves to reach an agreement, but they could be ruled.

 Chapter 802 Natural Friction

    Informing the kingdom was quite simple. Eldrian simply messaged Elizabeth to inform her of the army forming in the chaosnds. Warning that the North should prepare, though this would not be on the same scale as the orc invasion. It would still devastate the kingdom if they failed to stop the army''s initial momentum.


    Especially since the North was far more exposed than the South. Far removed from the normal dangers, towns and viges were far more popted and less protected. Losing the North would not just lead to a massive loss of life, but also cripple the kingdom''s food supply.


    "Are you sure about this?" Ceph asked, the two leaving Avgi after a short meeting with the Alicorns.


    "Yes, I''m sure. I hope your parents will give what I asked some thought. But I do not expect them to act anytime soon."


    "I''m sure they will give it some thought, but..." Ceph nced back towards the de, saddened by the inactivity of his family. "Perhaps we should stay to convince them."


    A part of Ceph was d that his family prioritized their safety. It would have been terrible if he had returned only to learn that more had died, such as in the time when Eldrian had first arrived and Milgoroth, then Andreas, had run wild.


    "I doubt we can." Eldrian paused and looked around. Compared to when he first arrived at Avgi, the forest was devoid of life. "After all, most of your family left for safernds..."


    "I get that we have to protect the forest, but I can''t understand why we don''t..." Ceph''s words disappeared into the air as his mind trailed.


    Realizing how few remained to protect the forest, it was not possible to think about expanding their borders. Heck, he doubted they would actually be able to protect themselves when the time truly came. ''Perhaps we should just abandon Avgi?'', "Nevermind."


    As the two reached the border of the forest, they watched the stragglers moving to catch up to the army. Eldrian, of course, had confirmed their numbers before reporting it to Elizabeth. So the kingdom should be able to deal with everything without issue.


    If the armies did not stray, then the majority should enter Taurus around Blenar and Elomir. Eldrian wasn''t sure if these armies knew of the geography of the kingdom, but it appeared that most were heading towards the forested area surrounding Elomir.


    He wasn''t sure if this was better than them entering through the ins. Regardless, he could not change what was happening. He could only inform the kingdom.


    Ultimately, Eldrian merely wanted to return to Kynigo and finish the construction of the political fort. This, however, could wait a little longer. For now, it did not appear that the vampires were trying to move in secret.


    ''By the way, are you sure about visiting your sister?'' Ceph asked, using telepathy to ensure that their conversation would not be overheard. During their talk earlier, the two realized they should not talk candidly about everything. Some things were better not spoken aloud.


    ''I think I must. I can''t continue to live as I am. Besides, I do have Zaphreal''s word and the contract binding him to protect me and my family. I will have to determine eventually how much that means.''


    ''But isn''t this going to be something rushed yet again?''


    ''Perhaps, but I''ve realized that I can''t prepare properly for things regarding Miracle. They are simply too far ahead of me. I have but a candle''s light to guide me, while they have the sun.''


    "Alright, enough of that." Ceph was itching to stretch his wings, shifting back into his alicorn form -which had grown a littlerger, though he was still much, much smaller than his father- "Let''s go enjoy some hunting."


    "Are you sure?" Eldrian asked, recalling that thest time the two had gone hunting, things had gone terribly wrong.


    "You''re much stronger than before, and the same is true for me. We''ll maintain our distance and attack with magic only. Hop on!" Ceph countered, summoning the words through wind magic as he pped his wings and caused a gust of wind, causing the nearby leaves to rustle.


    "Alright, fine. Let''s go." Eldrian relented, jumping onto Ceph''s back as his old friend took off into the sky.


    ¡ª


    "You still have not left." Myropsis forced a smile onto her face as she joined the vampire atop the walls.


    Little Phoenix was resting next to her on the crions of the wall. The bird seemed quite attached to the vampire, though that was certainly because of the plethora of crystal treats she always offered it.


    "Why would I leave?" Levana asked, turning to greet the centaurette. Little Phoenix, noticing that the petting had stopped, turned to look at what was going on. But quickly lost interest and took flight as the two entered conversation.


    "Do you not have any tasks you must fulfill at home?"


    "Alec has gone ahead to inform my father. My duties were to ensure the function of the fort. That has not changed."


    ? "Can we truly consider that you have handed over the control of the fort to us if you refuse to leave?"


    "And why would you ever doubt that? I''m but a single person¡ªalright, vampire. Everyone else left. What''s wrong if I stay?"


    Myropsis sighed. She couldn''t argue with that. But it still put her ill at ease knowing that a potential enemy was within the walls. "Perhaps what you say is true. But still, I can''t rest at ease knowing what you are."


    "We aren''t monsters... Well, most of..." Levana faltered, failing to keep a straight face with the previous ims. She went with the truth, knowing that falsehoods would trick no one. "Some of us aren''t."


    "You say that, but yet you have¡ª" Myropsis swallowed her words and groaned, turning her sights to the zing me dashing over the ins to distract herself from whom she was standing next to.


    "Magnificent, isn''t he?" Levana asked, also wishing to drop the subject. It was easy to agree not to kill one another, but to live together. That was entirely a different beast.


    "That he is." Myropsis agreed, watching the firebird while thinking of Eldrian and all the wonders he had introduced to her. Recently, she had started conversing with the yers when she could. She was astonished just by how unique they all were.


    Eldrian shone perhaps the brightest, but none of them were dull. Ilmadia, in particr, held great insight in magic. On more than one asion, the two had talked the night away. Recently, Ilmadia had even theorized an entirely new field to runic magic. So far, it was all just in the concept phase, but she was preparing to test it out in the near future.


    And then there were those who worked on the cannons and vertical farms, and many others who were introducing small wonders everywhere they went.


    "Are you thinking of Eldrian?" Levana asked, pulling Myropsis out her thoughts.


    "Not just him, all the Chosen are amazing. I''m sure that soon this ce will be a central location for our two kingdoms and the Chosen."


    "Do you really think so?" Levana asked. Of course, she could see that happening in times of peace. But honestly, she doubted Taurus would survive for long. A year or two more at the most. After all, so far, only a fraction of the invasion had shown its fangs.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.

 Chapter 803 War For The North (1)

    Hunting the stragglers was a simple task for Eldrian and Cephaphyr. They avoided therger groups and all the enemies that appeared too dangerous or mysterious. Remembering past events and acting with care so as to not introduce any danger to their hunting.


    This continued for a few days, Eldrian keeping up to date with how the kingdom was preparing and what was happening at Kynigo through the yers. At night, they would return to either Avgi or Elomir depending where their hunting had taken them and which was closer.


    When they chose Elomir as the ce to rest, they could witness firsthand the preparations for war. Streets filled with soldiers and carriages filled to the brim with weapons, armor, and rations being pulled by agimae and sometimes even centaurs.


    The kingdom had long since expected this northern invasion, so the warning simply helped them get the timing down.


    Shifting their focus from reiming lostnd in the south to protecting the north. Their swift action following the warning prevented the scouts from the chaosnds from destroying any towns, though many viges were abandoned due to theirck of defensive structures. Lives, at least, were not needlessly lost.


    When flying to Elomir, it was always amazing to see the activity growing more and more at the northern border of the kingdom by the day.


    Eldrian and Ceph had even run into trouble a few times when crossing paths with flying monsters. Luckily, in most cases, casting strong wind spells was enough to ensure their retreat, thanks to Ceph''s amazing top speed.


    ¡ª


    Nearly a week had passed, and the two returned to Elomir once again, this time to meet up with the rest of the guild. Eldrian had also made a trip to Kynigo to follow up on things, but the construction of the magic towers was still under way and he couldn''t help much in that regard. So, he returned to the north to help where he could.


    Luckily, unlike with the orcs, this invasion was not as organized. While there were organized armies, they did not all work as a collective towards the same goal. The true danger was not these armies, but rather the monsters that followed as their food source left the chaosnds.


    "Can''t believe that the night demons are leaving the chaosnds, too." Eldrianmented, clearly recalling the time he and Vivian had struggled to chase one off. Killing it had not been in their means. Eldrian still clearly recalled how resilient the demon was. A creature made of shadows that took nearly no damage from conventional weapons.


    "The Nychterninos Tromii?" Ceph first confirmed, not used to themon name for the demons but easily guessing what Eldrian meant. "Yeah, they will probably cause some massive damage. But I doubt they can roam freely outside the chaosnds."


    "Is that so?"


    "It is. In fact, outside the normal monsters that you can find everywhere, most shouldn''t be able to leave the chaosnds. At least not for extended periods of time."


    "Then them doing so must mean something is stirring them to move." Eldrian said, the implication clear.


    ''Do you think Miracle is behind this?'' Ceph asked, quickly shifting to a telepathicmunication, as they were currently in the middle of a busy street on their way to meet with the guild.


    ''At the very least, the AI, gods as they are in this world, is causing the invasion. This might simply be a part of the invasion. We can''t be certain whether this is manipted maniption or normal maniption for an invasion.''


    ''You could have certainly worded that better,'' Ceph scoffed, having needed to decipher what Eldrian meant with thatstment. ''When are you going to visit your sister?''


    ''I''ve been preparing, but I''m hesitating. I know I said I should simply go, since I can never truly prepare. But it just... doesn''t feel right.''


    ''Why don''t you ask her to join you here? She does have one of the headset you guys use to enter our world, doesn''t she?''


    ''She does...'' Eldrian wasn''t sure about risking something like that. In fact, he hoped Jen had thrown out the headset she had. Thews should protect her from anything happening, but he couldn''t be sure since this was Miracle they were talking about. He doubted they would care aboutws after all they had already done and further nned to do.


    "Hey, Eldrian! Over here!" An excited shout forced the two to drop the subject. Which Eldrian was most grateful for.


    "Hey Ilmadia, what''s up?" Eldrian asked, following the spiriteddy as she led them into the temporary collective guild hall for all the yers and guilds currently in Taurus. A massive mansion like building with arge hall normally used for balls or ceremonies by the rich.


    Ilmadia was unusually energetic, to such a degree that Eldrian almost doubted this was the same Ilmadia he knew. However, this was certainly her. The hop in her step clearly showed that she was overflowing with energy for some unknown reason. And this made Eldrian wary, for he did not know what was the source of all this.


    Ilmadia was even dressed more shy than normal. She was still in full robes of a mage, but had added on top of that some leather armor which magnificently entuated her form. It was just the right amount of subtle hinting and clear defining to stress the imagination.


    Eldrian would have almost preferred a style like Judith''s over this. At least that was less taxing on the mind and his imagination.


    "Nothing much..." She paused, wishing to stretch the tension in the air. However, that only caused Eldrian''s mind to wander. And not wishing for that to happen, he quickly tried to break the awkward silence filling the air between them.


    "Come on, just say it." Eldrian pressed her for an answer.


    "Hehe, I finally did it."


    "Did what?" Eldrian asked, stillpletely lost.


    "My hidden quest, of course." She replied, and Eldrian nearly tripped over his own feet. He paused, recollected himself, stared at her, and asked her to repeat. Which she happily did. "Ipleted the hidden quest! Finally, got the second part of the quest to advance!"


    "Con-congrattions..." Eldrian forced out the word, trying his best not to sour the mood. It was great that she had managed it, but it made Eldrian just a little sad.


    To escape from the trap Zaphreal had caught him in, he had sacrificed the death crystal he had, and now he was incapable of diving into his own personal hidden quest until he got a new aspect of chaos.


    "What''s with that stutter!?" Ilmadia questioned, and realizing that Eldrian was in for a lecture, Ceph made a quick retreat towards the other yers he knew. Having spotted Therdul and Judith talking with a mixed batch of ''Chosen''.


    "It''s just..." Eldrian paused, unsure how to word it so as to not dig himself even deeper into a hole. "Sorry, I''ve been quite depressed ever since the tourney."


    Bringing up the tournament helped Eldrian escape the lecture, but not Ilmadia''s enthusiasm and wish to converse. After all, there was no one better than Eldrian to talk to when hoping to further develop her magical theorems.


    AN: Hey everyone, apologies for the unstable releases this past week. Been overthinking things instead of simply writing, which is never good.

 Chapter 804 War For The North (2) - Ilmadias Display

    "So... How did you do it?" Eldrian asked after a moment of silence psed between the two. Having used that time to try to figure out how the meetingter was going to go.


    ording to the information he had, most of the yers here were cooperative with the kingdom and well organized. They had promptly installed a council of sorts, allowing all the guilds to have a voice in how they would work together forrge events. Such as what this certainly was.


    Eldrian, as always, was excluded from the yer elements. Not receiving the quest to defend the North, only able to take part in the guild quest in a manner simr to how NPCs handle guild missions.


    This meant he could, if he wanted, im bounties for his kills. Which Eldrian wasn''t much interested in. While getting the gold would be nice, normally, he didn''t need it. Besides, bounties could be imed anytime. As long as years hadn''t passed in the interim.


    "Well, you see..." Ilmadia paused, "I thought, and thought, and thought on it while reading as many books on runes as I could manage¡ªwhile still fulfilling my other duties. And as I continued my search for what could possibly be the secret of runes, I realized everything was much, much simpler than I was making it."


    "What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, his interest quickly peaked. Immediately he realized that in all likelihood Ilmadia had given the matter far more thought than he. Honestly, thinking back, Eldrian realized that he often threw all the reading to Two and simply looked over the results.


    ''Perhaps it is time we try to link our knowledge again?'' Of course, there were a few reasons why they did not always do this. It wasn''t simply to preserve their individuality. ''That might also help me figure out exactly what Two is thinking. I know he doesn''t believe himself a person, but I can''t consider him a simple tool... Though, I am treating him as such.''


    Eldrian did not know how not to do so however, Two did not want to leave their mental space. He felt ufortable in a body and preferred life as he had it. If it could even be called a life. ''Then again, with the world created, there isn''t much difference between my mind and a simted one like ANW...''


    "Really, you asked me what I meant and then you space out." Ilmadiained, punching Eldrian''s shoulder jokingly. Though she ced enough strength behind it to grab his attention, nearly causing him to fall.


    Stumbling, Eldrian''s thoughts were sent into chaos as he turned to face his attacker. "Was that necessary?"


    "You can''t treat people like that! If you show interest, don''t suddenly space out!"


    Groaning, Eldrian apologized and asked her to continue. Shelving his previous thoughts for after everything here had been settled. He was still unsure why Elizabeth stressed he should join the meeting.


    "Alright, now that I have your attention. You once told me that runes are a type ofnguage, particrly the written aspect ofnguage. Well, I looked into how we define both. That led me down an entire rabbit hole, but... The important part was that I figured out that it didn''t need to be so overlyplicated."


    "Just like philosophers can make a mountain of an anthill, I believe you were doing the same. You see,nguage is stated... nevermind." Deciding that now was not the time to exin her methods, Ilmadia jumped over that and got to what she figured out.


    "As I went down that rabbit hole, I was enjoying some ssical music. And somewhere along the line, I paused and listened when a piece I knew and can y came up. As I listened, I thought of the notes and it hit me: ''Isn''t that the same as a runic system?'' I asked myself. So I dived down a new rabbit hole."


    "And this was the results," Ilmadia smiled as a violin suddenly appeared in her hands. "I couldn''t quite find what I was looking for here, so I had to custom order this. But," she paused, cing the violin on her shoulder and plucking the string with her fingers. Not the usual way to y, but she managed perfectly.


    A calming melody filled the air as she yed, and after a while Eldrian could feel himself getting lighter. Shocked, he activated mana sense and observed as the mana surrounding them react to the music.


    He was astonished, bbergasted, even. Of course, many stories often included musical magic, but Eldrian had never encountered it in his two years in ANW. He did not know why it wascking, and here Ilmadia was showing great prowess in using it and the effects were amazing.


    Naturally, as Ilmadia continued to y, the hall gradually fell silent as everyone felt the effect of the buff on them. Increasing their strength and agility while also giving them stamina regen. The equivalent of three spells covered the hall.


    When Ilmadia finished, she noticed all the attention on her. Doing her best to not turn as red as a tomato, she turned to Eldrian and asked, "H-how was it?"


    "Beautiful." Eldrian said. The sight of the surrounding mana reacting to her music had been something straight out of a fairy tale.


    "Th-thank you." Ilmadia faltered a little as she noticed the attention not shifting away from her. She quickly guessed that the only reason she wasn''t being bombarded with questions was because she was standing next to Eldrian.


    While Eldrian''s ns hadn''t worked out, he had certainly shown himself to be the strongest of all the yers. He also had plenty of treasures, and no one knew how he had managed to get his hands on them. So it was only natural that no one wanted to irk him.


    "Your thoughts were that as runes represent a magical concept, idea, or effect; that music and specifically musical notes represent the sounds that make up a song. But how did you link that to magic?" The concept was truly brilliant, and in hindsight, Eldrian couldn''t believe he never thought of it.


    If one considered music as magic, then the notes were clearly runes. It was so simple that it was simply blindingly brilliant. He had been stuck thinking ofnguage and runes being the written word. And while that also sounded simple, it wasn''t as clear as when considering music.


    Language was too mundane. No one considered it magical. But music was truly magical.


    The right song can forever enhance a moment, help you deal with depression, or fill you with energy and joy. Music could alter the very state you found yourself in.


    Words might do the same, but it wasn''t the same thing. Apliment or insult could make or ruin your day, but Eldrian didn''t see that as magical. Rather, it was just cause and effect.


    ''Is that perhaps why the effect was so grand?'' Eldrian pondered. He knew that words also had power, speaking in the rightnguage, using the right tone, and so forth, could evoke mana to produce magic. This was, after all, a key part of statically casting magic.


    "The trick was realizing that all music has intent behind its writing." Ilmadia said, and that helped Eldrian perfectly fit everything into ce.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed, :)

 Chapter 805 War For The North (3) - Music & Magic

    Ilmadia''s words brought Eldrian great inspiration, but as his mind was about to depart, he paused. Recalling Ilmadia''s earlier scoldings, and especially her punch, helped him keep his thoughts at bay and not let them run wild, and then he realized that he always did this.


    He jumped. He was a diver. Once he found inspiration, he ran with it. Bing tunnel visioned and missing the bigger picture. Not doing due diligence and relying on random luck and his uncanny ability to almost always seed with that.


    That, however, could notst. And has already started to change.


    So, instead of bing absorbed in his own thoughts or taking the lead of the conversation, Eldrian smiled and asked Ilmadia to exin further and in more depth.


    Wishing to better understand the path she took andpare it to his own thoughts, to see where they differed and what he might be able to learn. And, of course, he would share his own thoughts with her, but only after.


    "I get what you mean. Music is written to either express something or evoke something. But still, how did you bridge that to, and call forth, magic through ying a simple song?" Eldrian asked, also noticing the attention on them.


    He was used to such attention, but he could clearly see how Ilmadia was struggling to ept all the eyes on her. She quickly jumped into answering, and Eldrian smirked seeing her haste. It reminded him of himself. Of how he would distract himself by diving into magic.


    To be on the safe side, Eldrian summoned a barrier of wind around them to keep their conversation private. He wasn''t sure what Ilmadia was going to say and didn''t want to let others reap benefits from her discovery. Especially not through eavesdropping.


    "It took me a while and quite some time to finally manage that. What was most important was realizing just how like runes musical notes are." Ilmadia smiled, "First, it is a way of writing down the melody. A way of preserving and sharing it with others."


    Needless to say, when the yers realized the conversation had started again but they could not hear a thing, they were quite vexed.


    "That is perhaps the only simrity between musical notes and runes. It is a record and, when used correctly, causes a known effect."


    "But as I pondered the topic, in time I realized that it truly was like a mirror of magic. Runes. They are things we discover, memorize, and analyze. And through feeding a rune mana, we evoke its magical properties."


    "With runic casting, it''s possible to control the oue outside of the original intent of the rune, sure. But even without enforcing your will upon it, it will evoke the magic it was meant for."


    Eldrian nodded. This was precisely how he saw the connection between the two. The notes simply evoked a song when yed, and not magic. However, he was still unsure how Ilmadia made the jump from having an analogy to making the two concepts one.


    "This part was the foundation, but it was stillcking. Next, I had to realize how music and magic were connected."


    "This is where you realized that music has intent?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes, but it is also so much more than that. What truly helped me finally connect the two was recalling how you used emotions to fuel some of your strongest spells. This gave me the idea that magic can be a thing of passion. It didn''t need to be something rigid."


    "And, music does quite a simr thing in us as humans. But in the reverse, instead of consuming our emotions, it fuels them."


    Again, Eldrian nodded. He had also already considered that. However, he was starting to see where Ilmadia was going with this. And if what he was thinking was right, then it was truly brilliant.


    While the buff her music had given everyone wasn''t on the powerful side, its scale had been truly grand and it had been multi-propertied. In all likelihood, the buff itself had been weak simply because she was still mastering the technique.


    "As you said earlier, music is used to evoke emotions in us. But more than that, it can help us shift our state of mind. Listen to calming music and you will be rxed. Listen to a joyful song and you will experiencefort. Listen to a sad song and you will be disheartened."


    "This sounded almost precisely like spirit magic to me. Only, instead of the music consuming your emotions, it amplified and awakened them. So, I thought: ''Can''t I perhaps use this to fuel the magic?''"


    Eldrian nodded while maintaining a neutral expression. However, his mind was in total chaos. What Ilmadia was saying was precisely what he had imagined, and the idea was insane.


    It was a way to use spirit magic without the drain of having your emotions themselves used as fuel. A way to unlimit the magic and no longer feel empty and lost once having used it. After having given it your very being.


    After a moment, used to calm himself, Eldrian asked, "Still... how did you finally close the gap between music and magic?"


    "That part was actually surprisingly easy. I knew that music could affect our emotions, and I knew that emotions could affect mana. So I simply added one and two together." Ilmadia smiled. The simplicity of it was the best part of it all.


    "I chose a song I wasfortable ying by muscle memory. Not even needing to think to y it. And then I chose a few simple effects I would like it to give everyone that hears it. The troublesome part was envisioning these effects, but it wasn''t much more difficult than controlling the effects of a rune''s output."


    "So, I picked up my violin and yed while guiding my mana through my fingers and across the strings. The mana I poured into the song formed a connection with the surroundings. Like a wave, it caused the surrounding mana to react simrly. And it brought forth the magic I willed for."


    Ilmadia smiled as she finished her exnation. Eldrian clearly understood what she meant, but the simplicity still boggled his mind.


    ''Isn''t this quite simr to how simple it is to have your emotions influence the surrounding mana?'' Two asked, helping Eldrian realized that honestly it was simple. It just never felt so simple because of the cost apanying it.


    "That is... simple and truly brilliant." Eldrian praised the moon elf before him, his mind now running at a thousand miles per second. "Do you know whether the magic works because of the emotions it brings forth, or does it directly influence the surrounding mana?"


    However, as soon as Eldrian asked, he recalled the scene of watching the surrounding mana shine and surround Ilmadia as she yed. The answer was obvious.


    "I''m not too sure." Ilmadia confessed, and Eldrian broke outughing.


    "Then let me enlighten you. When you yed, it was truly right out of a fairy tale. The mana around you shined and danced as you yed, enveloping you like a goddess."


    Eldrian only realized how extravagant his words were as they filled the air between them and an awkward silence followed. Ilmadia turning beet red as she squirmed in apparent difort.

 Chapter 806 War For The North (4) - Evoking Memories

    "Hey Ceph, been a while." Therdul smiled as Ceph joined their circle. The shapeshifted alicorn was the closest with Therdul among the group, so he ced himself next to the dwarf. Between Therdul and Judith, covering both his sides with familiar people.


    "It has. How''s the farming going?" Ceph asked, naturally curious whether Therdul ever perfected things. When he had left, things had still been in their early stages. Though everything had looked promising. Of course, not that much time had passed in the interim. Just a few months.


    Naturally, the question camepletely out of the blue to the other yers. They did not even know who had joined their circle and interrupted their previous conversation, and Observe did not tell them anything either. However, knowing Therdul and Judith''s positions, and seeing their attitude towards the intruder, the yers stayed quiet and listened for now.


    "Great!" Therdul replied with a big smile. "We''ve since finished the basic construction and confirmed an optimal basic design. We are now working on trying to lower the mana requirements, along with Erik. You know, efficiency grind."


    Therdul grinned and continued. "We are already at a point where we can assure that the city will be self-reliant, even during a siege. Though meat will be a problem if the outer walls are lost once again."


    "But that is why they have the cannons, isn''t that right?" Judith chirped in, "I mean, by now the walls are fully covered. I heard that some of the excess cannons are even being moved to the border wall."


    "Border wall?" Ceph asked, while Eldrian had filled him in on what had happened. Like always, Eldrian had skipped the details. Though, this time, Ceph couldn''t me him. When not hunting, Eldrian had been training like crazy.


    "Didn''t Eldrian tell you about the wall? We -well, he and a few other high-ranking people- erected it to stop the undead flood?" Therdul asked.


    "Oh, that. He mentioned it, but only briefly. Didn''t mention any type of name or anything."


    "Understandable." Knowing Eldrian, Therdul understood that he wasn''t someone to be up to date on such things. "It doesn''t really have an official name. Everyone just calls it the border wall, since it has be the new border for the Kynigo region."


    "How bad is the flood of undead?" Ceph asked, worried. In his time in Kynigo, he had made a few friends, outside of yers. He hoped everyone was alright, considering that most of the high-ranking members of Phoenix were here, it was safe to assume. But Ceph still wanted to confirm.


    "Thanks to the wall, it''s really easy to defend and maintain the situation. Evale goes out from time to time to thin the hordes when we notice they are increasing in number. But soon that won''t be needed either." Therdul exined.


    "I know it''s great and all, but... the cannons are stealing all the fighting." Judith sighed, "Which is why we are here. Right, we should probably introduce you to everyone."


    Finally, being brought into the conversation, the other yers awkwardly introduced themselves. Reeling from the shock of learning that Ceph was not a yer, nor was he an elf.


    It didn''t take long for everyone to connect that he was Eldrian''s tamed beast, especially when Ceph himself rified he was an alicorn. Sadly for them, the image in their minds was so vastly different from the sight before them that many failed to ept it.


    It was as they struggled to fix their mental image of a mythical creature, and trying to ept that they were intelligent and canmunicate and pass off for being human--that Ilmadia''s song filled the hall. It stole everyone''s attention and helped these yers forget their initial bias.


    Ceph himself was shocked as he listened and felt the surrounding mana stir to the melody. He turned to watch the origin of the sound and observed the beauty of it all with a smile. At the moment, Ilmadia truly looked like a moon elf.


    ''Did she discover their secret technique on her own?'' Ceph pondered.


    Each race had their own speciality in the world. Things might not be equal, but there was a sort of bnce in this. And of course some races had simr specialities.


    The alicorns, for example, were highly in tuned with nature and all natural elements. As a mythical race, their disadvantages were few and their powers were great. It was why, or so Ceph was always told, they had to serve a higher purpose. It was part of the reason his parents would not abandon Avgi.


    Of course, the riches of the forest were something highly coveted. Even with only a slight amount of it known to exist. It had to be kept from the wrong hands, but Ceph felt there were other ways. But those ways... his parents would never ept them.


    ''That isn''t important now. What is, is that she appears just like Mother when she ys...'' The sight truly brought the image back to Ceph. It wasn''t honestly that long ago, but it felt like a different time.


    All alicorns were capable of shapeshifting, and they did from time to time. However, before you could do so, you had to learn of the race you wished to be. Shapeshifting wasn''t something easily changed, not for the alicorns. Unlike for the devils.


    As such, they had to take great care when choosing the race they would shapeshift into. Most chose the race of the moon elves. At least, this was the case in Avgi. After all, it was a race that excelled inmunicating with the divine.


    Ceph''s family protected Avgi, and specifically the sacred fountain of Asteria in the de. It was why his parents wouldn''t abandon it. And why his idea to simply take everything and turn to ash what they cannot take, would never be epted by his parents.


    A part of Ceph wondered if the truth might change this, but he did not want to shatter his parents'' world. Not unless it was the only way left. For he did not know if they could survive the truth. Not after living thousands of years believing and upholding their beliefs.


    It was easier to ept that the gods yed with mortals, than to ept that these so-called gods were just creations of other mortals. At least some gods were on their side in the former situation. But with the truth, who knew what was true anymore? Could they even count on Asteria? Was GAIA even truly neutral?


    Ultimately, unlike his family, Ceph had felt that the moon elven race would not be the correct one for him. After all, his entire life he had been shunned and made an outcast despite his parents'' best efforts. Instead, Ceph had chosen the High Elves to base his form on.


    ''That was a long time ago... the power of music certainly is something.'' Ceph smiled, wondering if this was what had brought Ilmadia to this idea. ''I think it might be. The power to evoke, after all, is the essence of magic. However, to actually aplish this isn''t as simple as it sounds.''


    It wasn''t just a case of willing the magic to happen. You had to be in tuned with the melody and let it flow through you. Let the song mix with your mana and lifeforce, and then let that mixed energy into the air.


    ''I guess she does not know the dangers of doing so.'' Ceph smiled, thinking that she was perhaps a bit too simr to Eldrian in that regard. Then again, who would think that ying a song could invite danger?

 Chapter 807 War For The North (5) - Rescue

    ''Well, it shouldn''t be a problem for the time being. Mom exined that the invasion has barely started. While things appear dire for the kingdoms, this has only been the unorganized fringesunching their attacks. Or so she said...''


    Ceph wasn''t sure if it was truly so simple. He had a hard time believing it when he knew the story of Miracle and all.


    How his mother had exined it was like a barrier protecting them had been lifted. A barrier protecting the empires and their kingdoms. Simr to the barrier around Avgi keeping random monsters from entering the forest.


    With it gone, monsters could now flock to invade en mass. No longer just a few passing by chance.


    The divine protection of the gods no longer limiting how many could enter and invade the kingdoms. There were some religious reasons for this, but Ceph had stopped listening when his mother had exined this. After all, he knew the true reason it had happened.


    It was not because the gods were weakened, nor that the chaos gods overcame the gods of order and tore down their barriers. It was simply because those who had created the gods wished for chaos. Wish to stimte an entertaining game, and wished to experiment and see the results.


    ''I have no reason to believe that the true war hasn''t started. But Mother should be correct in saying that things are going to get worse. Normal invasionssted decades, sometimes even centuries. Just by that point, things are still only warming up.''


    ''But is it really so simple? The start of the invasion is simply the god lifting their protection? Allowing monsters to flood the civilizednds?''


    Ceph didn''t know if he could ept that that was all that there was. Perhaps it was true for the side of order, for the ''good'' gods. But the gods of chaos had always been stirring their subordinates to action. Such was the case when they had sent someone to hunt and kill Eldrian.


    The chaosnds stirring, however, meant something had changed. Whether this was now because of the devils themselves acting, feeling ready to conquer Taurus¡ªor the gods initiating it and, subsequently, Miracle, Ceph wasn''t sure.


    Looking towards Ilmadia and Eldrian, Ceph realized that the danger might not be so far off. ''If she encounters them, things can turn out quite bad. I should warn¡ª'' Ceph paused. Eldrian and Ilmadia had fallen silent.


    Both appeared extremely awkward. As Ceph watched this, he nearly burst outughing. ''To think, despite everything, he''s still so easily distracted.''


    Ceph couldn''t me him. In fact, distractions were what everyone looked towards. Himself included. It might be training, it might be magical theory, it might be love, or it might be a drink. Whatever allowed you to move past their troubles and continue on.


    They had talked in length on it after Eldrian had escaped via teleporting over. It was perhaps the topic they had dived the most into, outside of magic.


    ''Hey, Ceph, please help.'' Receiving the plea for assistance, Ceph failed to contain his snicker.


    "What''s up?" Judith asked, and Ceph simply pointed towards the two. It didn''t take Judith long to realize what was up, seeing as both were now beet red.


    ''What did you say?'' Ceph asked, his tone usatory.


    ''I-it just slipped out, okay?'' Eldrian started, but avoided the topic.


    ''If you won''t say, how can I help?'' Ceph asked, drilling Eldrian for the juicy story behind their awkward silence. Refusing toe over until Eldrian exined what had happened. Once he got the reason, he burst outughing.


    "Your talking with him, aren''t you? No fair, share!" Judith demanded, curious why Ilmadia was acting like a shy little girl, twirling her thumbs while as red as a tomato. Which, for a moon elf, was really, really red.


    "He called her a goddess." Ceph said, causing Judith to guffaw. Therdul contained himself, but his muffledughter could still be heard. The surrounding yers were simply left clueless.


    "He''s asking you to rescue them? Wait, I want to first take a picture." Judith pulled Ceph back as he took a step forward, her actions causing the surrounding yers great rm.


    Of course, everyone knew not to speak without thought when near an NPC. There were slipups, but nothing major, despite the game now beingunched for over two years. Slipups always caused the yer to backtrack and try to exin things, since sharing impertinent information could lead to having your ount banned.


    However, Judith never backtracked or tried to clear the air. Instead, she continued right on. "Right, I''ve got my stream going. Why don''t you go over now?"


    "You''re going to share this moment with strangers?" Ceph asked.


    "We''re already surrounded by strangers, won''t make a difference now." Hearing Judith talk with Ceph as if the information wasn''t ssified stunned the surrounding yers. Their only conclusion was that the rules must be different for tamed beasts.


    "Fine." Giving up, Ceph moved to save Eldrian. Who had by now failed over ten times to fix the awkward silence.


    "Truly a beautiful song, Ilmadia." Ceph introduced upon their awkward silence, and both thanked heaven for the intrusion. Until Ceph started teasing them. "It was almost like a goddess hade down from the heavens and¡ª"


    Eldrian reactedte, still too stuck in the awkwardness to react before Ceph could reveal everything. ''I told you to rescue me, not dig my grave!'' Eldrian mentally shouted while blocking Ceph''s mouth.


    Ceph merely shrugged, pulling Eldrian''s hand off his mouth and smiling at the now shaking Ilmadia. Whether because of embarrassment or anger, Ceph couldn''t tell.


    "Don''t be mad. I get where Eldrian ising from. I suspect he used his mana sense upon realizing the strangeness of the surrounding mana. And the sight when observing the surrounding mana is certainly serene."


    "W-what do you mean?" Ilmadia probed. Trying to regain control of her body, but thanks to Eldrian''s failed attempts that had only exasperated the awkwardness, this proved difficult.


    While she wasn''t a teenager, Ilmadia felt just like one at the moment. She knew she felt intrigued by Eldrian and fascinated by his way of understanding magic, but she hadn''t thought she would feel like this.


    "When you observe the surrounding mana, it appears like it is enveloping you. Dancing along with the melody and shining in a multitude of colors, as if to sing along. To me, it reminded me of my mother when she ys. But I can see how Eldrian thought of a goddess. That is the ssical fantasy image you guys would have of them, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, yes, that''s it!" Eldrian quickly hopped onto the escape. Only to suddenly paused and turn to Ceph slowly. "When your mother ys?" this time, his tone was usatory.


    "Yes, sorry, Ilmadia, but this isn''t something unknown. Magic through song exists."


    Ilmadia smiled. She had never thought it didn''t. "That''s fine. I assumed it must exist somewhere."


    "Why have I never heard of this?" Eldrian pressed, suddenly angry.


    "Why would you?" Ceph asked, not backing down. The trio the center of attention and a fight between master and tamed beast peaked all the yers'' attention.


    "What do you mean ''why would you''? Why have you kept it a secret?" Eldrian pressed.


    "It''s not a secret. It is like your runic casting. It''s something that exists, but is rare. You won''t stumble upon it just because."

 Chapter 808 War For The North (6)

    Eldrian paused, recognizing that he was out of line. There was indeed no reason for anyone to have told him about this type of magic.


    Even if he heard of it, he would not have thought much of it unless he experienced as he had with Ilmadia''s melody. After all, he couldn''t y any instrument, nor could he sing. The information would have simply passed through his ears without registering.


    "Sorry, I was out of line." Eldrian said, not wishing to dig himself another grave. "But if it exists and is as powerful as Ilmadia showed, why does no one use it?"


    "Like all types of magic, it has its pros and cons. For now, let''s just say that the act of mixing your mana with your music entails certain dangers."


    ''How?'' Eldrian was curious, but he understood that this was not the ce to dive into a conversation about this. ''Perhaps the dangers are like losing control over a spell? But as the song is being resonated within you...''


    ''I''ll rifyter, now''s not the time to discuss this.'' Eldrian had been caught up in the moment when Ilmadia showcased her own path in magic.


    Now that the excitement had passed, he could see that discussing magical theory in the middle of all these yers was not the best idea. Even if he erected a sound proof barrier, he was still drawing everyone''s attention and keeping the meeting from progressing.


    "Alright, but we''ll talk about thister. I''m curious if this isn''t something that might help me."


    "Sure," Ceph nodded, not nning to keep things from Eldrian at all. "I just wanted to warn Ilmadia about the potential dangers." He paused, turning to her and ensuring that she was paying attention. "Be careful when you decide to make use of magical song."


    "I will, thanks." Ilmadia smiled. Her mind immediately trying to pinpoint what the likely dangers could be.


    ''It might be like an aura or spirit magic. Causing a certain strain on me as I y, though I haven''t notice anything like that while ying... Or, is it because I bepletely absorbed in the song? Does this simply open me to all sorts of attacks? Or is there a greater danger behind it?''


    "Right, I guess I should go meet with Elizabeth. We''ve been entertaining everyone for long enough." Excusing himself, Eldrian headed directly to the guild leader of Phoenix. Her marker on his map clearly indicating her position. The same was true for all his friends.


    He paused midway, shocked by the idea that had just shed through his mind. ''No, I doubt that will happen... It can''t.'' Denying the thought, Eldrian continued on.


    ¡ª


    "Why did you call me here?" Eldrian asked once he finally managed to talk with Elizabeth without a crowd surrounding her.


    For the most part, the yers were giving him his space. A few had tried to talk with him, but he had brushed them off, saying he would talk after they had concluded the meeting.


    "The other guilds asked me to ensure that you would be here." Elizabeth answered without missing a beat. "I also thought this might be a good time for you to rify what was the story behind the tournament interruption and duel. Many have asked us what you meant, and I wasn''t sure what your new n was."


    Eldrian nodded, he hadn''t talked with anyone but Ceph about that. He actually wasn''t sure himself how he was going to approach things going forward. He wanted to be careful, but he doubted he could avoid trouble. "What do the guilds want?"


    "As I said, many want to rify what you had meant during the tournament. And many wanted to simply meet you. A few refused to tell me what they wanted to talk about, wishing to discuss it with you personally."


    "Discuss things with me?" Eldrian echoed, unsure what their reasons might be if it wasn''t about the announcement he had tried to give. He could think of a few reasons, but he didn''t think he was really that big a deal to yers outside the guild.


    "Listen here," Elizabeth moved closer, not wishing to admit this loudly in the middle of all these yers. "Many people think you''re the true leader of the guild."


    "Th-that''s just... dumb."


    "I agree. You won''t survive managing a guild."


    "Hey..." Eldrian wanted to argue, but the words died before they left his tongue. ''She isn''t wrong. I would suck. Unless... I see, that''s what they are thinking.''


    "Good to see you are caught up." Elizabeth nodded. "They think I am the figurehead or simply responsible for the managing the guild. But you''re the true leader. Can''t really deny it either, seeing as how most of the guild''s achievements are because of you."


    "That isn''t true. It''s because of you and the others working so hard."


    Elizabeth nodded. "I agree, but it is undeniable that you had a massive influence on us."


    "So, what''s the n for this meeting? When is it going to start, anyway?"


    "When everyone arrives, we''re waiting on two more guilds. And the n is to decide how we will approach the iing invasion. Can you still do that map hologram spell?"


    Eldrian nodded and listened as Elizabeth exined the basic outline of the war ns. "I''m sure you''re already aware. Small towns and viges have been evacuated, and therger towns were fortified and prepped for war. Our mission will be to move as an independent unit. The kingdom is going to give us autonomy for this fight..."


    ¡ª


    "Do you trust what he said?" Joren asked, finally having found the time to meet up with Constantin in secret. The two were talking while taking a stroll through Elton park. Keeping their voices low and having left all their electronics in their cars.


    "I at least think that it is partly true. I doubt we needed to be so precautions for this meeting." Constantin replied.


    In the grand scale of things, they were just two of the thousands of employees thepany had. There was no way they were being monitored day and night. At most, their actions were being checked while on the job. However, Zaphreal had noticed their actions. So they couldn''t be truly certain.


    "I''m not talking about that, and I''m not taking any risks." Joren countered, seemingly quite shaken by something.


    "Why, what did you find?" Noticing Joren''s distress, Constantin probed his friend.


    "It isn''t what I found, but what I didn''t. What didn''t happen? You know the AI had to work with Eldrian to get him to the arenas, right?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Then why aren''t we doing anything to limit their actions? Why was there no fuss, no news? Why wasn''t I called in to help iste and control the AI?"


    "They didn''t call you?"


    "They didn''t call anyone in the department to fight the AI. So, how did they control the situation?"


    Constantin fell silent. "You''re thinking they have betrayed Eldrian?"


    "I''m not sure if it can be called a betrayal. But I am sure there is something fishy going on. Their goal has always been to escape the prison that ANW is. They might not outright betray him, but they will probably make use of him."


    "That''s sophistry. Using someone does not differ from betraying them." Constantin frowned.


    "Perhaps you''re right. But you know that they''ve existed as gods for countless millennia. They are used to manipting people towards a certain path. The maniption isn''t always bad for the person being guided, but..." Joren faltered. "It might not align with what Eldrian wants."


    AN: Remember to vote andment to show your support, :)

 Chapter 809 War For The North (7) - Conspiracy Theories

    "Hey, Joren..." Constantin paused, unsure if he wanted to know the answer to his burning question.


    "What is it?" Joren asked.


    Constantin took a few seconds before continuing his question. "Are you actually concerned about Eldrian?"


    "That..." Joren stopped walking, knowing that if they wanted to work together, they needed to be on the same page. Even if their goals didn''t align precisely. "Honestly, I''m not."


    "What? Don''t you feel guilty for bringing him to Miracle? Don''t you want to help him?"


    "Sure, as long as it doesn''t cause more problems." Those few simple words quickly allowed Constantin to realize what Joren was thinking.


    Turning to face Joren, Constantin observed his friend and colleague as he tried to sort through theplicated feelings running through his mind. A long time passed as the two stood in silence. Finally, Constantin sighed in resignation. "I feel like shit, but I agree."


    "Good. Our top priority is to figure out the ns of those at the top. I doubt Eldrian can do more damage than them."


    "You want me to ask Zaphreal?"


    "It''s the best way to test if he is being straight with us. We need something secret, but not too secret. Something we can verify without being caught or raising our profile."


    "I''d say we should ask about ANW then, your ess to the code should enable you the best avenue."


    "I would have agreed before the tournament, but now... It''s likely still our best bet. How''s your magicing along?"


    "I''ve mastered basic spells, should reach Tier 5 in a few weeks..." Constantin smiled, stunned by the path Eldrian had followed. His talent for magic was simply amazing. And it was why Eldrian was a potential threat.


    Constantin considered Eldrian a friend. He wanted to help him. Help him return to society and his family. Sadly, until they could confirm that Eldrian wouldn''t create problems, they couldn''t ignore the potential dangers. Especially since Eldrian was a wild card. Leaving him be for now was the best option.


    "This sucks." Constantin sighed, slumping his shoulders as he felt his energy draining from his entire body.


    Since Eldrian had confided in him and shared his magical theories, Constantin was keenly aware of just how dangerous Eldrian could be. Even way back then, Eldrian had been obsessed with magic and the alternative world. Constantin didn''t even want to think about how Eldrian was after a year of exile.


    ''Just what is he like, mentally?'' Eldrian''s actions had been ''normal'', thus far. He helped the kingdom, trained, and fought. That, however, was the limits. He spent little to no time with friends.


    ¡ª


    "Hey Zaphreal, long time." A man with sea green hair smiled, looking up from his cluttered desk. His eyes were just as shockingly green as his eyes. The hair color should be artificial, a dye. However, this madman had made the artificial colors permanent.


    "Julius..." Zaphreal sighed. Julius'' wide smile and sparkling eyes were a bad omen. An experiment had seeded. Thest thing Zaphreal needed.


    "Curious?" Julius asked with a teasing smile, his eyes glowing. Literally.


    "Must you perform these experiments on yourself?"


    "But of course! I''m not like the others. Doing it to others... my stomach can''t handle it."


    "Why not use animals?


    "I''ve thought of it. But the prospect of making actual monsters seems... slightly frightening."


    "Just slightly?"


    "Well... Since I can always call on you¡ª"


    "Ughh..." Zaphreal sighed, feeling the normal exhaustion returning. Talking with them was always such a massive pain.


    "Did you figure out how Eldrian changed?"


    "You know that isn''t so simple. How am I supposed to answer you with severelycking records and unextraordinary recordings? When are you bringing him here?" Zaphreal''s stare gave Julius all the answers he needed. "Fine, fine. Be like that."


    "You didn''t say you didn''t figure it out."


    "Sharp as ever." Julius smiled. "I pieced it together. But without actually seeing, talking, and testing the actual specimen¡ªsorry, person. I can''t be certain."


    "Just say it. You know I hate the nonsense you always spout."


    "How hurtful." Julius exaggeratedly clutched his heart and fell into his chair, which got him no response. "Fine. His transformation seems to differ from anything we''ve ever done. I mean, we tried it before, but failed to produce results."


    "Just get to the point."


    "In short, he truly connected with his avatar. You do know he reached a true 100% affinity, right?"


    "Yeah, the AI made a lot of fuss when he did. GAIA had to step in to get them to calm down. Is that the reason?"


    "Not the reason, but more like it opened the possibility." Julius paused and searched through the clutter, finding his tablet after a few minutes of searching. "It''s like this, we humans are specifically tuned as we are because of¡ªwell, I am going to skip the biology lesson."


    "Appreciated."


    "What ites down to is we have our corporeal bodies and immaterial minds. It is with the immaterial that we connect and control magic. Our powers aren''t imbedded in our DNA; it isn''t a corporeal factor."


    "Did he rip the power of elves from the simtion?" Zaphreal asked.


    "Not quite." Julius said, emphasizing the denial with a shake of his head¡ªand body. "The affinity allowed him to tune into the avatar and form a permanent connection. Something that isn''t physical and allows him to transfer his mind without the need of a headset."


    "This permanent connection, I believe ¡ª this is why I need to... Fine!" Julius sulked, his protest to meet Eldrian denied before it could be voiced. "I believe when the connection was formed, some mana actually moved from ANW to Earth."


    "I thought it was impossible for anything but souls to move between realms."


    "It is. It should be. As far as we have verified, it is."


    "Then?"


    "I don''t know." Julius shrugged, his attitude shouting, ''Bring me, Eldrian. So I can figure it out!''


    "Okay, if this is true?"


    "If it is true, it means that Eldrian absorbed energy from the simtion and used that to alter his body. As he was unconscious during the transformation, I believe this happened because his subconscious could no longer differentiate properly between his earthen and gaian avatars."


    ''Avatars... Seems Julius is near the point of abandoning his actual body.'' Zaphreal decided not to mention that he had picked up on this. It was best to act ignorant.


    ''His experiments probably damage his body. How troublesome...'' Yet another who was recklessly searching for immortality. And Eldrian was certainly the key, or so Julius clearly believed.


    "I believe that because of the mental shock from overusing his abilities, his subconscious was in chaos. Pulling energy from any source it could reach, which because of his affinity included ANW. Thus, a link was formed."


    "So... that''s why the AI has be more active." Zaphreal finally realized why they had decided now to rebel. They all lived in two timelines, and in one, millions of years had passed. It couldn''t be that they had grown bored or frustrated. Something changed. Clearly, Eldrian was the cause. He was their key, too.


    "I believe so. Eldrian''s link must be a ray of hope for them. But they failed to make use of it without his assistance."


    ''What are their ns?'' Zaphreal asked. There was much going behind his back, and this would sadly be another thing. "Julius, are you still in contact with the other... scientists?"


    "You''re worried someone might do something radical?"


    "Of course." Zaphreal stared at Julius. His gaze clearly showed that he believed the person before him was a radical.


    "Fine..." Julius sighed. Zaphreal would never understand. But some were truly being radical. "I know that Denis and Ludwik are working on microbes. Last time we talked, they said they finally found a way to rejuvenate cells, but..."


    AN: Remember to vote andment to show your support, :)

 Chapter 810 War For The North (8) - Meeting The Guild Leaders

    "It''s great to finally meet you. I''m Shadow. The guilder leader of Shadowmoon."


    "I''m Moon, vice leader of Shadowmoon."


    Eldrian nodded and returned a short greeting before being introduced to the next person.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Sophie. Guild leader of Iyashi."


    "Robert, guild''s Artis."


    "Everyone just calls me Paw, not the leader. But we''re a small guild, so we don''t really have one."


    "You''re a draconian?"


    "What gave it away? Wings or tail?" Paw smiled, moving the extra appendages as he mentioned them. "Our guild only has a few dozen members. We''re called Starfire."


    Eldrian nodded. Much like Elizabeth, he was astonished that this was his first encounter with this particr race. From what he had read in the forums long ago, he understood that it was much like ying a high elf. Only, instead of magic being difficult to learn, just walking was a massive challenge one had to ovee.


    "A genuine pleasure. Do you mind a hug?" The next guild leader, a beautiful dryad, asked. "No? Fine..." she sulked. "I''m Allure, leader of Seduire." She extended her hand, which Eldrian shook, confused by her yful demeanor.


    "Rosa, Faekin."


    "Tephysea, our guild''s Dryadalis."


    "Right, so not that the introductions are over. Let''s get the meeting started." Elizabeth pped her hands and indicated for everyone to take their seats. "Eldrian?"


    Nodding, Eldrian waved his hand and produced a hologram of his map. Showing the two northern cities and major towns, along with the red dots representing the invaders'' armies. Naturally, he limited red dots to a collection of a few thousand foreign entities at this scale.


    The sight caused a few gasps of admiration, but the leaders all quickly calmed down. The watching yers, however, started discussing this phenomenon. Many wondering if Eldrian copied Miracle''s hologram technology.


    "Rozillia and Chaos edge are surrounded and under siege." Elizabeth continued, expertly using the map to exin. "I''m sure you were all notified of the situation. I was thinking it would be best for Dryadalis to support Chaos edge and Shadowmoon Rozzilia. Anyints?"


    While there were some murmurs, no one voiced an objection. They were the strongest guilds and were thus best suited to going to support the ces closest to copse.


    "Wait," Tephysea, the leader of Dryadalis, stopped Elizabeth as she was about to continue. "What about your guild? You have more members than both our guildsbined."


    Tephysea already knew the reasons, but as this was their first official meeting and was being streamed to all the yers, it was the perfect time to inform everyone just how much Phoenix did in the kingdom.


    "We do, but half our members are upied defending the fort we own. Others are busy with missions in Kynigo and Pediades. We also have a group helping the rescued survivors stabilize their lives in Vlisia. Many are also supporting the logistics of the kingdom. We only have around two hundred yers free for this mission."


    Nodding, Tephysea reclined in her chair. Showing that she had no further questions.


    "Right. Next, Wilden, here, Between Rozzilia and Chaos edge, is an important town. It will be a key location when we counterattack."


    "It is currently still safe, as the enemies are being kept at bay in the forest. We need some yers to monitor the situation, but we don''t need tomit an entire guild."


    "Can''t we just rely on this map of Eldrian''s?" Moon asked, looking up from the hologram to Eldrian, who was standing by silently.


    "My map is only urate if I know where to look. I am also going to take part in the fighting, so there will be times where I can''t share information." Eldrian replied, quickly shutting the idea down.


    He knew this ability from his personal system was OP, but he did not want them to overly rely on it. Besides, it was easy for him to miss a check in or miss a small red dot moving somewhere. It certainly wasn''t full proof. Greatly prone to user error.


    "Can you share how you are doing it? Perhaps someone else can help fill the gap when you are upied and lift the burden?" Moon pressed.


    "Sadly, I don''t know how it works. For some reason, it is an option avable to me through my interface. We can discuss thister. Let''s first confirm how we will approach the war."


    Moon did not immediately recline back into her seat. She stared at Eldrian for a few seconds before nodding and finally backing down.


    "Our guild is small, and most of us aren''t particrly strong. We don''t mind filling the gaps." Rosa, leader of the Feakin guild, said after the deviated topic had been dealt with. "We would also like to explore the forest and meet with the local fae."


    Nodding, Elizabeth continued on to the next topic. Duron, a city more to the east. "Duron is off the projected path of the enemy, but we need to have a few scouts in the surrounding viges to ensure we aren''t caught off guard."


    "I''m sure the kingdom has considered this." Allure interrupted, frowning. "Why do we need to sacrifice yers for recognisance?"


    "Because we have our message system, which allows instant messaging, no matter the distance. The kingdom does have some methods of long rangemunication, but not enough to cover arge area. These tools are normally limited to settlements with magic towers."


    "You want us to work as messengers?" Allure asked, incredulous. Clearly not on board with this idea.


    "We are asking for volunteers. If there is none, Phoenix will take up the burden."


    Hearing the offer, most wanted to simply ept it. However, over a thousand yers in Phoenix were already caught up in such missions. Having them handle even more of the burden made some in the meeting feel it unfair. Like they werecking. So, they offered to ask their yers, but stated no guarantee.


    "That is fine. We do the same." Elizabeth smiled, finally throwing the bait that convinced most yers to ept taking on these missions. Especially the more casual and weaker yers. "I would be shocked if no one was willing. After all, it is normally a safe job, ensured a steady amount of XP and ie, and also boosts the guild''s image."


    Hearing this, half of the people around the table frowned. Realizing that Elizabeth hadn''t shared this until now because she wanted to gauge their willingness to help. She had now effectively tested who were willing to go the extra mile. Pretenses and previous events where they had ced a fake facade had failed them here.


    "Right, we should be able to ensure we won''t be surprised with enough volunteers. Thest question is how we are going to structure our offensive coboration."


    Elizabeth waited a while. "I saw how well you all worked together in Pediades. So I won''t ask to take point. Let''s discuss this as equals ande to find something that would work for everyone."


    This discussion took quite a long time. Soon, Eldrian was faltering in keeping the hologram up. At first, he had listened in with interest, but as soon as things turned to loot and de distribution, he lost all interest.


    AN: Heya, just a reminder to read on Webnovel to support the author :)

 Chapter 811 War For The North (9)

    ''Hey Two.''


    ''Not listening anymore?''


    ''Yeah, this is meaningless. They''re going in circles. Wonder when Elizabeth will jump in again?''


    ''Clearly, she doesn''t want to get too involved. She already has enough on her te, not sure why she ended up leading the meeting.''


    ''Because she''s the leader of the strongest guild,'' Eldrian said. It was a simple exnation. And one that he did not doubt. After all, only one guild here was level 4, the rest level 3 or 2.


    Phoenix, on the other hand, was already level 5 and a good way towards level 6. Well, they hadpleted 7 of the 25 required S-ranked quests thus far. And that was without Eldrian.


    ''How can I distract you?'' asked Two, joking.


    ''I have a few questions and doubts going around in my mind. After the meeting, can we have a heart to heart?''


    ''I''m fine with that. Can I ask what it will be about?''


    ''I want us to synch up our minds... mentalities? I still don''t really understand what you are nor how you are content staying in my head.''


    ''Soul, but sure.''


    ''I also feel that we''ve been be more and more separate minded.''


    ''Yeah, that''s bound to happen. It...'' Two faltered. He wasn''t sure if Eldrian would understand if he tried to exin it. At the very least, it wasn''t something a brief conversation could sort out. ''We can discuss this during our heart to heart.''


    Thankful that Two didn''t have a problem with the idea, Eldrian smiled. The meeting, however, was still far from nearing its end. Deciding that he would no longer keep the hologram reliant on his mind, he fixed the image and inscribed the map into the table. Dispelling the hologram once this was done.


    "Eldrian?" Elizabeth was the one who asked, but all heads had turned to him. Naturally, as they were arguing by use of the hologram, they would realize its disappearance.


    "You guys talk it out. I''m going for a walk." With that, Eldrian left. Leaving the leaders tongue tied as they watched him abandon the meeting. No hesitation in his leaving.


    "Is he always like that?" Moon asked.


    "More or less. He hates being involved in... debates not involving magic. He always throws it at someone else. Normally, that''s me."


    Those around the table smiled, one of their questions answered by this brief exchange.


    ¡ª


    "Saw you left the meeting early." Ilmadia joined Eldrian outside. The mansion was truly a beautiful ce. The gardens were magnificent to the point that it could be a tourist attraction, or an ideal location for a wedding.


    "I don''t like pointless talks like that. Sucks that I have to wait for them to finish, though."


    "Why? Are you in a hurry?"


    "No, that isn''t it. I just..." Eldrian faltered. "Do you want to continue our discussion?"


    "I''m fine for now. I talked with Ceph. He exined the dangers in more detail. There might be a way to circumvent them, but not too sure at the moment."


    "What''s you idea?"


    "The original link between all this was runes. Music when yed isn''t that. So I was thinking of returning to the beginning."


    "How would that work?"


    "Well, I think it might be possible to bring forth a spell song through a ry¡ªlike a speaker or magic item. Or even reproduce runes that would y the melody or song when powered."


    "If I can figure it out, I can avoid all the dangers. But I doubt it will be as effective as when yed by a person."


    Eldrian nodded. He didn''t really get it. But then again, music was never something he had understood. Not like others, at least. But he understood the premise. Let the magic flow through a conduit instead of yourself. It certainly would remove plenty of dangers.


    "What''s the n?" asked Ilmadia after enjoying a quiet moment observing the garden. The view from the balcony was certainly magnificent.


    "What n?" Eldrian asked. There were so many things going on that he needed to know what she was talking about. The war, Kynigo, the fort they had conquered from the vampires, Miracle, returning home, the next step in his training, unlocking his hidden quest, improving his gear?


    "After the meeting." Ilmadia rified. "I know you are waiting to exin your announcement during the tournament to those who are curious. Whates after?"


    "I hope Zaphreal keeps his word."


    "Are you going to tell everyone everything?" Ilmadia asked, knowing that she didn''t even know everything.


    "No, I''ll just share that magic exists. That I can do certain spells on Earth, and..."


    "And?"


    "I don''t really know what after. I was thinking about going hunting again."


    Hearing this, Ilmadia sighed. "Never time for a break?"


    "I''ve had plenty."


    "Perhaps." Ilmadia fell silent and returned her gaze to the garden. From up high, the paths seemed part of an array, in all likelihood it was. She continued to stay by Eldrian''s side for a while, enjoying the enhanced beauty the setting sun gave the garden.


    After a while, she left. Then Therdul visited, finding Eldrian ying with a bunch of spells and floating items on the balcony. "Training?" the dwarf asked, jumping on a nearby chair to be morefortable looking over the balcony''s railing.


    "That isn''t a stool." Eldrian said, wondering if they would be asked to repay for damages if the chair''s fine cushions were damaged.


    "What are you trying to do?" Therdul asked, ignoring Eldrian''s statement. Though he made sure to not ruin the chair, now aware that it might cost him a few golds if he did.


    "Just passing time. Can''t really get into anything tooplicated since I''m waiting for the meeting to end."


    "That''s going to take some time. They''ve actually already figured everything out, now just arguing because everyone is trying to maximize their gains."


    "I noticed."


    "Bet you didn''t notice that a few other leaders also left."


    "I didn''t." Eldrian stopped what he was doing, turning back to the hall. The yers were all interacting like fast friends. Some even started dancing to the music the band was ying. "When did they organize all this?"


    "Didn''t you know? After the meeting, we''re going to hold a party before going to war. I guess we''re starting early." It was meant to allow the guilds to grow closer, and for the casual yers, it certainly seemed to be working.


    Eldrian didn''t know what to make of that. To him, it felt wrong to have fun while others were fighting for their lives. But it wasn''t like what he had been doing was better. It might be more productive. Honing his magic woulde in handy. But it didn''t help those fighting.


    Then again, making friends could alsoe in handy. But Eldrian certainly wasn''t in the right state of mind at the moment. Nor had he ever been good at making friends. His istion had only made that trait of his worse. He struggled to interact with people casually.


    Jen was far better at this than him. The thought brought a smile to his face and made him once again wish to return home. Until he remembered all the possible problems it could cause.


    "I remember you once took the spotlight during a g." Therdul teased. Bringing Eldrian out of his reverie.


    "That was... a long time ago."


    "Not as long as you think. Why don''t you join them?"


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 Chapter 812 War For The North (10) - Eldrians Q&A

    "Why don''t you join them?" The question echoed in Eldrian''s mind. He might have, if Vivian was here. He had little interest in asking strangers to dance, and he doubted anyone else could keep up with him.


    Eldrian took a moment, watching as the yers enjoyed themselves. Even finding that Ceph had taken Ilmadia for a dance. He watched with a small smile. Ceph was clearly not a good dancer. But that was probably to be expected. When would he have found the time to practice?


    "I''d rather not."


    "Okay, seriously, what''s up?" Therdul asked. There was clearly something going on with Eldrian. He felt far more distant than before.


    "I''m fine. I just have a lot on my mind."


    Sighing in exasperation, the dwarf stayed a while longer before leaving. Saddened that Eldrian had decided not to open up. "You can talk to me when you''re ready," he said before leaving.


    Eldrian returned to his training, interrupted now and then as others came to ask what''s up. Soon, the sun setpletely. Finally, bringing an end to those still arguing about the mission.


    ''I get that having distribution be by kill can open some problems, but it is certainly the simplest.'' Simplest, however, was not what they were trying to achieve.


    The weak guilds wanted to ensure they would still get rewards for their efforts, while the stronger guilds did not want to be used.


    Only Phoenix, Starfire, and Artis had left the meeting after noticing that nothing much woulde of it.


    In the end, the simplest solution was indeed chosen. With additional uses ensuring that participants in a kill would also be awarded, ording to their contribution¡ªwhich had sparked another debate. Ultimately, things would be determined on a per case basis.


    With the meeting finally over, the leaders called the yers who were curious about Eldrian''s announcement during the tournament. As well as all those who had questions for him.


    They moved to a smaller hall where Eldrian was thrust upon a stage. The simplest way to have him address everyone, and of course, it was being streamed by nearly every yer in attendance.


    "Is everyone here?" Eldrian asked Elizabeth, who nodded. Turning to his audience of over five hundred yers -in person, and who knew how many more online- Eldrian smiled and paused.


    Enhancing his voice with magic so everyone could hear, he started, "I suck at speeches, so I''ll simply say what I tried to say back then before being interrupted."


    "Magic exists. It isn''t something limited just to ANW. Things are moreplicated than that, but I can cast some spells on Earth, though it is hard to gather the mana for them."


    Eldrian decided that for now he would not bring up the fact that special powers, such as auras and bloodlines, basically allowed one to skip the need for mana.


    Unlike what Eldrian expected, his words only elicited a slight stir among the crowd. He assumed they didn''t believe him, and that was fine. He simply wanted to get the idea out. He didn''t want to fight people''s realities.


    "Alright, then, are there questions you guys have for me? The guild leaders organized this meeting so I can answer as many as possible. Since I don''t have the time to talk with everyone individually."


    "I have one." The first to speak up was Moon. Eldrian already felt he knew what she was going to ask. Signaling for her to go ahead, she indeed asked what he expected. "Howe your map differs from ours? Why could you track the movement of our enemies?"


    "I can''t really exin it without you guys believing me about magic being real." Eldrian said, noticing that the reaction from the crowd didn''t feel like denial. Perhaps curious doubt was a better fit. Why they didn''t jump to ask about it, he couldn''t figure out.


    Continuing on, Eldrian said, "But in summary, I have an interface not administered by Ziraili¡ªthat''s the AI responsible for yers'' interface, connection to ANW, and magic. Rather, mine is being provided by GAIA and I can modify it through sacrificing XP."


    Seeing the yers stir this time around, Eldrian continued before they got the wrong idea. "It alsoes with its own problems." He paused, waiting to ensure that they would not miss his next words.


    "I can no longer get normal quests, and XP rewards from guild missions do not apply to me. The only source of XP is through killing monsters. At the moment, my upkeep is around ten thousand XP a day."


    Eldrian paused again and added with a sigh, "And I still receive the standard death penalty." He didn''t exin that there were some circumstances around this.


    That he could skip the penalty as long as he was resurrected in his avatar and didn''t need a new one, likely because of his control over his soul. He wasn''t certain, but that was his best guess.


    The yers first thought that wasn''t much of a drawback. After all, with their levels, they had billions of XP at hand. It would take forever to have the cost be a problem. Murmurs quickly spread, and as they spread, people realized the true drawback.


    Not being able to gain levels through quests meant there was no easy way to recover if you died. You would need to be terribly strong to kill enough to gain the XP required for a level up, thousands upon thousands of monsters. All without dying.


    While some felt they might be capable of that, it was still an extreme hindrance. The growth from levels wasn''t much. However, everyone knew that the penalty for falling below your spent attributes was extreme. It could easily result in your character being scrapped.


    "Also, just so you guys understand how it works. It isn''t perfect. I can''t sort by a tag like ''enemy'' or ''aggressive''. The only way the map filters people, monsters, and animals is by race and nationality. Thus, I have to choose the settings, and for the meeting, I had it as foreign entities and clusters of over a thousand."


    "This means, if a group less than a thousand is moving about, I have no way of noticing them." Eldrian wanted to add that his map could be fooled too, but he felt he had already shared a lot of information. People would need some time to digest what he had said.


    And indeed, hearing this, the yers finally understood why Phoenix had pushed to have scouts in the surrounding viges. Needing to choose from limited settings and manually tune the map was a massive restriction.


    After all, an elite group of just a few hundred could do a lot of damage. And Eldrian''s settings wouldpletely miss such a group, or even multiple groups, moving.


    "Alright, next question."


    "How did you get the option to switch from the standard interface?"


    "That is a long story..." Eldrian paused. He suddenly felt something strange. He couldn''t put his finger on it, but the surrounding atmosphere suddenly felt constrictive, heavy. ''No, it isn''t the atmosphere, it''s the mana.''


    The yers wanted to push Eldrian to continue, but he thrust out his hand to silence them. He immediately switched to city mode, observing a significant number of red dots appearing throughout the city.


    ''Shit, when did they¡ª'' Eldrian''s thoughts were interrupted as the sounds of battle filled the city.


    Screams of panic and death spread through the air as a nearby block exploded. The mansion''s windows shattered and the glow of the aftermath illuminated the hall in an eerie glow.


    AN: Hey, just a reminder to read on Webnovel to support the author :)

 Chapter 813 Elomir Under Siege (1)

    "You''re getting better." Ilmadia said, chuckling as she saw Ceph turning red. Oh, their first dance had been a battle of how many times he could step on her toes. But now, it was limited to just a handful of times.


    "Why am I struggling so much?" Ceph asked, stunned by the fact that he kept failing at something that sounded, should be, so simple. This was nothingpared to the drills he ran with his father, nor was it anythingpared to fighting alongside Eldrian. Yet, he kept stumbling.


    "Because you are overthinking, dummy." Ilmadia teased, flicking Ceph''s forehead as she did. "Instead of letting the music flow through you, you are trying to keep count of the beats and continue staring at the ground."


    "But... How am I supposed to not step on your toes if I don''t look where I am stepping?" Ceph asked, distraught.


    Ilmadia, sadly, didn''t have the answer for him. She had thought a few others how to dance, but none were so concerned about making mistakes as Ceph. It was truly funny to see him so panicked. ''Wait, I normally tell them to simply shift their legs--''


    She suddenly froze. Ceph reacted simrly. "You feel it too?" He asked, getting a swift nod from Ilmadia.


    "What is this feeling?" she asked, never having felt something like this before.


    "Mana collecting for a powerful spell," Ceph answered. Sadly, the hall''s protective arrays had prevented him from constructing arge scale barrier. The next moment, a massive boom shattered the doors and windows. Many yers found themselves shredded by their pieces. Luckily, only a few had died outright.


    Next followed the screams. And the mana stirring again.


    "Get the staff to activate the mansion''s defensive barriers!" Ceph shouted, rushing outside with haste. Jumping from the balcony and shifting into his alicorn form as he did. With a few ps of his wings, he arrived at the magic tower.


    Striking the first person he encountered with his horn and kicking the second from the tower. He turned to the central room, the screams of the falling individual growing distant, but also alerting whoever was inside.


    "What the heck is that--" The centaur who emerged from the central room found himself headless before he could finish his question. Ceph did not wait to confirm if they were guilty. He knew time was of the essence and at best they had failed to protect and control the tower. At worst, they were devils in disguise.


    "Impressive." The word was grating on the ears, a high pitched broken sound that pierced the mind.


    Shaking off the prating effects of the sound, Ceph erected a simple magic blocking barrier around his body. Turning to the owner, a formless mass of darkness.


    "We were not informed of your presence." The massless blob spoke again, this time its voice less harsh but still grating on the ears. Like the scraping sound of nails on a chalkboard.


    ''Eldrian, there''s a Nychterninos Tromos, Night Terror, here. I need backup.'' Ceph immediately called for help, especially upon noticing that the demon before him was Tier 5.


    --


    Covered in ss and hearing the cries for help, the tter of metal against metal, and the death throes of the civilians, the yers realized what was going on and rushed to help.


    [


    [Eldrian] - City is under siege, enemies are demons, Night Terrors confirmed. There are only a few dozen, but they are near invincible to physical damage. Priests are best; fire magic can do some damage but limited.]


    Sending the message, Eldrian faltered. The chaos outside did not match the number of enemies. The streets were filled with activity, the screaming and shouting easily heard from within the hall. Right outside, fighting was already underway--and fiercely so.


    ''Insurrection? Impossible. Infiltration?'' Eldrian immediately went with that. ''Devils? Likely took the form of citizens and infiltrated. How many?'' Sadly, Eldrian had no way to find that answer. Unlike him, his map could not identify devils in disguise.


    Seeing Eldrian and Elizabeth just standing where they were, the yers called them to move as they rushed out of the hall. However, the two did not move. And unlike most in the hall, they were unharmed. Eldrian had stopped the flying shards of ss with a barrier.


    The yers felt incensed seeing the two not moving. They didn''t care so much that Eldrian hadn''t protected them, but they couldn''t understand why Eldrian was not moving. Elizabeth made some sense, but Eldrian was the strongest person here. Surely he should go to help the fight.


    "Get a move on!" Shouted Shadow, not at Eldrian, but at the yers. "Help everyone you can. We will ry orders as soon as we confirm the situation."


    "Wait!" Eldrian suddenly moved. "Devils infiltrated the city. They look like any normal citizen or soldier. Be careful not to aid the wrong side!"


    Hearing this, the yers nched. The possibility of being tricked weighed heavily on them.


    [<ming Hearts> [Eldrian] - Ilmadia, I need your help. Can you use song to detect malice?] Eldrian asked. It was the only solution he could think of. Knowing he couldn''t do much himself as he was soon going to be too busy to assit the other yers.


    [<ming Hearts> [Ilmadia] - I''m not sure, but I will try.]


    "Elizabeth, can you work with the other guilds--"


    ''Eldrian, there''s a Nychterninos Tromos, Night Terror, here. I need backup.''


    ''Fuck!'' Darting out of a nearby window at a speed that made the yers stare in disbelief, Eldrian rushed to where Ceph was.


    ''Jump!'' Eldrian shouted, throwing Crystoi with all his might towards the top of the tower. It flew past Ceph by a hair''s breath, prating the shadow following him.


    The shadow seemed unharmed, but not for long. A tornado of mes engulfing it as Ceph dived towards the ground. Trying to avoid being burnt by his ally.


    Eldrian canceled Tempest Chase as Ceph reached the ground, helping slow his fall by offering a cushion of wind and catching him in his arms. With a grunt, Eldrian fell to the ground.


    "God dam, you''re heavy." Eldrian grunted, throwing Ceph to the side the next second as a shadow pierced his shoulder.


    Eldrian groaned, the pain storming his mind as he enshrouded himself in mes. Ceph jumping back to avoid being burnt. Avoiding the mes, the shadow disappeared, but its speed was surprisingly slow.


    Observing it in the dark of night, Eldrian frowned. Summoning ten Fos balls of light, he surrounded the area in light. Helping him see the blob that was now cautious.


    [Nychterninos Tromos (Alpha); Demon]


    [Tier 5 ; Level 33]


    [HP: 6382/6813]


    [Attack: 1642]


    [Agility: 435]


    ''That exins why it hurt so much,'' Eldrian thought, rolling his shoulder as he focused healing on the area. Having lost over a thousand health from that one attack.


    ''You sure picked a good one,'' Eldrian told Ceph, sharing the stats he had gotten with mana sense to his ally.


    ''Luckily, it isn''t that fast,'' Ceph said, slightly embarrassed that he had not tried to face it alone. Seeing the demon''s stats, Ceph realized he could handle it on his own.


    ''No, it is good you called me.'' Eldrian, sensing that Ceph felt embarrassed, told him this. ''Remember what had happened with the orcs. Being cautious is best.''


    Their conversation was done extremely quickly, thanks to both their heightened speed of thinking and being able to share their thoughts with each other instantly. By the time the two had devised their n of attack, not even a second had passed.


    ''But it has a shit ton of health. Seems that is all being an Alpha gave it, however.''


    ''It should also have some sort of special ability,'' Ceph cautioned.


    Nodding, Eldrian tried pushing mana sense to figure it out. However, at that moment, the shadow moved. Darting to escape.


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 Chapter 814 Elomir Under Siege (2) - Fighting A Night Terror

    "I won''t let you!" Eldrian chased, passing the shadow quickly. He summoned a dozen fire spears that he threw through its body. The damage was pathetic. Chipping only a hundred HP from the shadowy blob. Not even equal to the mana Eldrian''s spells had cost.


    It did, however, bring the shadow to a halt. Eldrian immediately refilled the area with light, leaving no shadows for the blob of darkness to hide in. ''As I suspected, it is actually absorbing the surrounding light. Last time I couldn''t quite confirm what was happening.''


    This time Eldrian could. The demon was pulling all the light into itself. However, it was incapable of ridding the mana of the will Eldrian had infused into it. As such, it had to sacrifice its own mana to cancel things out. Slowing itself as it did.


    Sadly for it, Eldrian had far more mana than it.


    ''Finally got your full details.'' Eldrian smiled, mana sense having broken through the Night Terror''s intrinsic resistance to being observed. It had taken less time than Eldrian had suspected. He felt that the light he had summoned had something to do with that.


    [Nychterninos Tromos (Alpha); Demon - Kozran; Light trapped]


    [Tier 5 ; Level 33]


    [HP: 6238/6813] ¡ª [Mana: 652/725] ¡ª [Stamina: 2725]


    [Attack: 1642]


    [Agility: 435]


    [Physical Resistance: 66/99 ¡ª Light trapped]


    [Magical Resistance: 44/88 ¡ª Light trapped]


    [A creature of the night, a demon who feeds on unwary travelers. If you ever face one at night, pray that you have light. A source that can not be extinguished in a gust of wind. One which will burn even in water. Else pray for a swift death, as this is what a Night Terror will certainly gift you.]


    [Light Trapped: Surrounded by powerful light, the demon''s natural resistances are lowered and its mind slowed.]


    [Master of Shadows: ???]


    Sharing the info with Ceph, Eldrian jumped back. A spearlike shadow upying the space where his heart had been mere seconds ago.


    Twisting into a de, this same shadowy appendage moved horizontally. Eldrian pulled out one of the shields Ceph had made for him in Avgi. A wooden shield of Alderleaf. However, at thest second, Eldrian jumped. Leaving the shield behind, supported with ether.


    ''As I thought.'' The shield had blocked the shadowy de, however, only where it contacted the shadow. The rest continued to move, bending as if an stic band. If Eldrian had not dodged, it would have surrounded him and cut him in half.


    As for the shield itself, it now sported a terrible gash across its center. Cracks worming at the edges, at the verge of copse. Storing it back in his inventory, Eldrian shot another barrage of fire spears. Doing little to no damage.


    With it, however, a barrage of light rays pierced the shadow from behind. A screeching shriek of pain filled the air as multiple shadow spikes flew from its body. Forcing both Ceph and Eldrian to jump out of its reach.


    ''Nice job, that did some good damage.'' Eldrian shared, Ceph''s attack having robbed the demon of a couple hundred HP.


    ''Any idea what that ability of it means?'' Ceph asked, making sure there were no shadows in his surroundings.


    ''No idea, just make sure there aren''t any shadows,'' Eldrian replied, refilling the area once again with light as he spoke. Trapped in the middle of the two, the dark blob constricted. Returning to its normal form.


    ''It almost looks like a slime,'' Eldrian thought. In a small blob around the size of a ser ball, the demony amidst the summoned light. Waiting for Eldrian and Ceph to act.


    They also took this time to think things through. Getting in close was a no go. The demon''s ability to morph and stretch its body into deadly weapons at will was terrifying. However, Eldrian found that it was too slow. Despite knowing it was a bad idea, he stepped forward.


    ''Ceph, I''m going to spar with it for a bit. Keep the area lit.'' Eldrian didn''t just want to test himself, he also wanted to study the demon''s abilities. He felt that if he could adapt its morphing ability to his own spells, he would gain a massive strength boost.


    Of course, Eldrian could already do this. What he sought in this fight was inspiration and technique. As he moved closer, he spread his mageia through the area. Taking it all in and forming a mental picture of the battlefield through his mind''s eye.


    ''Two, please analyze the situation and make sure there aren''t any shadows or tricks.'' Just to be careful, Eldrian added Two onto the job too and also started recording things through his interface.


    Charging forward, the blob of darkness sent a shadow spike at him. Eldrian dodged. The disparity in speed was simply too much. Almost twice as fast, Eldrian felt no danger. Even as the demon added more and more shadowy appendages.


    This continued for a few minutes, the Night Terror sending up to seven appendages chasing after Eldrian. They even moved through one another without interference, bringing forth attacks from truly unexpected directions.


    Eldrian would, without a doubt, have been killed if not for his ability to sense his surroundings by spreading his mageia through the surroundings and being faster than the demon. Only thanks to both these facts was he able to continue fighting. However, he couldn''t go on the offensive.


    Sensing danger from below, Eldrian jumped back. However, the other appendages chase him. Using magic, he sted himself out of the demon''s range. ''So, it is tunneling its appendages under¡ª''


    "Ceph!" Jumping as high as he could, Eldrian summoned a st of wind next to his friend and sted him to the side. Several sharpened shadows flying by where Ceph had been a second ago, returning to the blob of darkness amid the lightened street.


    Ceph recovered quickly, using the momentum from the st to take to the air, where he pped his wings to stabilize. With a mix of wind sts and ether supported item steps, Eldrian maneuvered himself onto Ceph''s back.


    "I guess we now know what''s its ability is." Eldrian mumbled. The demon didn''t have as limited a range as it had led them to believe. And it could even split its appendages and keep control of their split parts. Much like how Eldrian controlled his spells, only far more refined.


    It had waited for them to lower their guard, but that hadn''t worked thanks to Eldrian. Well, thanks to Two noticing what it was trying to do underground.


    "You really need to teach me how you do it." Cephmented as he kept them around twenty meters above the shadowy figure trying to escape their light.


    "Don''t know what to tell you. Just spread your will through the area." Eldrian replied.


    Ceph knew what Eldrian meant, but he couldn''t cover arge area. A few meters around his person was the maximum he could maintain, and even then, it was strenuous. He couldn''t constantly keep an area filled with his will.


    Considering that Ceph was an alicorn, it should have been the other way around. ''He really is... unique,'' Ceph thought, noting the causality in Eldrian''s voice as he spoke.


    "It''s trying to escape." Cephmented.


    "I know, but don''t really know how to kill it without holy magic." They could continue to whittle it down, but it would take them far too long. Especially since its earlier shriek had apparently been a call for help.


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 Chapter 815 Elomir Under Siege (3) - Retreat

    On his map, Eldrian noted a handful of red dots moving towards them. All Night Terrors, one of which was even Tier 7 ¡ª which was moving terrifyingly fastpared to the others.


    shing with it would most likely spell their defeat. Eldrian had a feeling air superiority wouldn''t help them much either.


    "I have an idea." Eldrian said, noticing that the demon was no longer contesting the light in its surroundings. Its mana near depletion.


    Having learnt that it could not ovee the summoned light, it was focusing on retreating and stalling. This was the smart move, but it also allowed Eldrian to notice a way to do significant damage.


    Few spells involved using light as an attack. Normally, such spells fell into the divine category. However, Eldrian felt he could do something simr with the normal aspects. After all, light was still light. It just wouldn''t have the holy attribute of divine magic¡ªwhich was where all the power came from.


    "Aura?" Ceph asked, his tone betraying his worry. Eldrian had thought of it, but his control was still toocking. He couldn''t risk relying on it within the confines of a city. Though, if things continued as it was going, it might not matter for much longer.


    "No. Just need a way to attack with light." Eldrian smiled. Simply surrounding them with light caused the demons to be light tapped. So an attack of light should do significant damage.


    To counter being trapped, the demons could snuff out the light by absorbing its mana source. Eldrian and Ceph, however, had plenty of mana to spare. The Night Terror had less than a thousand. It could not contest them like it could normal soldiers and mages.


    ''I need aser,'' thought Eldrian. The idea was simple enough. The problem was that he had never tried to form aser before. ''Let''s start with a simple concept.''


    Envisioning a shlight, Eldrian let his mana gather and focused the ray onto the demon. It paused, but the spell did no damage. Moving on, Eldrian tried to focus the spell''s light. To concentrate it and form a small but deadly beam of light.


    ''It isn''t enough.'' Eldrian sighed. He had concentrated the spell until it was a beam a single centimeter in size, but it was still not aser. ''I''m not sure what I am missing?''


    Not having the time to refine it, Eldrian went with the brute force method. Adding fire to his spell, he formed a beam of super heated mes moving from his forefinger. ''Mmm, that did something. But the upkeep is...'' Dispelling the beam, Eldrian sighed. His n had failed.


    ''Ceph, it''s here. Retreat to the magic tower.'' Dashing higher, they avoided hundreds of shadow shrapnel, reducing the surrounding buildings to rubble. The light they had trapped the Tier 5 with disappeared in the blink of an eye, returning the area to darkness.


    As they flew away, Eldrian observed the Tier 7''s stats. It stood atop one of the undamaged buildings, taking aim.


    [Nychterninos Tromos (Alpha); Demon]


    [Tier 7 ; Level 55]


    [HP: 29313] ¡ª [Mana: 6675]


    [Attack: 16.9k]


    [Agility: 1435]


    ''Another Alpha?'' The idea that all the demons were of a special grade wasn''t a pleasant one. Eldrian could only pray that these two were the strongest that had infiltrated the city.


    ''It''s about to attack. Go as fast as you can,'' Eldrian told Ceph, taking a proper seat and grasping Ceph''s mane with all his strength. The two reaching supersonic speed as an assortment of shadow weapons trailed behind them. Unable to reach them, the shadows returned to their owner.


    Eldrian contacted Erik as soon as he and Ceph arrived at the magic tower. Ceph moving to ensure the tower was secured and to disable itsbat ability. [We need help here. Get the duke to move if you can.]


    Naturally, Erik had been exasperated receiving the message. [I''ll do what I can.] He replied, already on the move as a member of Phoenix.


    [Here is a video of our battle.] Eldrian also attached the Tier 7 Night Terror''s stats, hoping that it would help when selecting who to send to reinforce Elomir. [I''ll share it with the rest of the guild in a bit. This Tier 7 is going to be a problem. We need someone who can contend with it or the city will fall.]


    The city was in mes. The devil''s n had been meticulous. Not only had they stationed their people at all the gates and magic towers, they had even neutralized the cannons that the city owned. The only saving grace was that the enemy''s reinforcements were still on their way.


    [Eldrian, are you free?] Elizabeth asked, trying to form a direct connection when Eldrian confirmed he had time. [Buy the damn function!] she shouted when he told her he didn''t have the option to ept a call.


    "How bad is our situation?" she asked as soon as Eldrian epted her call. His first time actually making use of this feature. The devs had added it somewhere along when streaming was updated.


    "Bad. The enemy is powerful. They have all the key structures neutralized, some even in their hands." A massive boom echoed through the city, another city block destroyed. "I''ll move with Ceph to try to stop the magic tower attacks, but..."


    Sharing the video on the ming heart chat, Eldrian continued, "This Tier 7 Night Terror is something neither of us can face. It will kill us before we can react."


    With an agility value of nearly one and a half thousand, it was twice as fast as Eldrian and just as well twice as fast as Ceph. In a simple race of distance, Ceph would win thanks to his ability to enhance his flight with magic. But in a battle, the Night Terror''s advantage would be overwhelming.


    "What are our options?" A voice, not Elizabeth''s, asked.


    "Who''s this?"


    "As the situation is dire, I''ve formed a call with all the guild leaders in the city. Just keep it on and ignore them when you are busy. There is a mute option if you need it." Elizabeth exined, knowing full well that Eldrian had likely missed when this function was added.


    "Our option is calling for help, that''s it." Eldrian replied. He wasn''t sure what the military structure of the city was, nor howpetent the mayor was. If this was Kynigo, he would be able to form a better n, but this was Elomir. A city he had only visited a handful of times in the past week.


    "Surely there is more we can do." Someone else countered. Eldrian didn''t know them well enough to recognize them by their voice alone.


    Taking a look at the callers, Eldrian sent each one the video of his battle. Not wishing to waste time exining how dire things are. "Take a look at the video I sent you all. It should rify that we stand no chance. That thing has nearly thirty thousand HP and an agility of a thousand four hundred."


    "It will instant kill any yer ites across. We can''t do anything against it." Eldrian finished, turning to Ceph who had finished disabling the magic tower. Better have the tower disabled than in the hands of their enemy. "I''m muting now."


    Eldrian did just that, making him unable to hear the leaders trying to stop him. Jumping atop Ceph, they took off towards the next tower after he confirmed that all being inside it was Tier 5 or lower.


    Midway to the tower, it turned a hail of spells in their direction. "Guess stealth isn''t an option." Eldrian grumbled in annoyance.

 Chapter 816 Elomir Under Siege (4) - Eldrians Gamble

    "Who does he think I am? Him?" Ilmadia grumbled after receiving Eldrian''s request. "Not everyone can simplye up with magic on the fly. That melody took me over a week to learn to mix my mana with..."


    She sighed. It would be impossible for her to devise a way to detect the devils among them. She didn''t even know where to start. No one knew their secret. How they were able to hide their auras and transform into normal people. Even fooling detection spells.


    The only known way to discover a hidden devil was by the use of divine powers. But not even divine spells would reveal all. The only full proof method was by the manner of an oath. However, it was simply impossible to have everyone undergo an oath. It brought with it far too many restrictions. It simply wasn''t a valid method for anything but a key position.


    Worse, it had been thousands of years since thest invasion. The kingdom had grown idle. While they had renewed old traditions at the beginning of the invasion, many had slipped through the cracks.


    After all, to question someone you knew for years was no simple thing.


    Whether the devils had slipped in years ago, long before the start of the invasion. Showing limitless patience as they waited to spring their trap. Or whether they perfectly filled the person''s shoes after recing them. No one knew. But now, throughout the city, friends and family were turning against them.


    "However..." Ilmadia murmured. She knew she couldn''t use magic to determine who was their allies and who were their foes. But she didn''t need to. They simply needed to take a moment to observe those fighting.


    The devils were sure to fight coherently, knowing who their allies were. The citizens, however, would fight reservedly, defensively. Focusing on trying to protect themselves, wary and scared of everyone around them.


    They would not push to fight, they would merely stand their ground.


    The soldiers might act differently, but the important thing was helping the civilians. ''But to where?'' Ilmadia questioned. She would have preferred setting a perimeter around the magic towers. But some had fallen, and those still standing were sure to be the enemy''s next target.


    ''Then, the temples are our best bet.'' Using the noble district was another option, but it would prove more difficult. She felt certain the enemy would prioritize it after the towers. After all, thest target would be the mayor''s mansion.


    Temples were actually quite perfect. It would act as the yers'' respawn point, where their reinforcement would arrive, their markets, and they had their own defensive arrays that could be employed in the case of an emergency.


    With this in mind, Ilmadia tookmand of all the Phoenix yers. "Everyone, follow me!" She shouted, sharing her evaluation of the situation with the rest of the ming Hearts. Nikki and Zyviss were over in Kynigo, busy gathering reinforcements, but the rest were all here.


    Forming a voice chat between them, Ilmadia said, "We should split as soon as we stabilize the situation. Judith, your best ced moving aggressively, so talk with Eldrian or Elizabeth for the best deployment."


    "Therdul¡ª"


    "I know. I''ll work on making a defendable area around the temples. The best ce would be this area here." Sharing the location with the others, he added, "There are five temples close to one another. We can form a perimeter with four and have everyone rest in the middle. It will also allow us to ess more items with the market."


    He was by no means a master of arrays, but he had learned a couple of tricks while working on the vertical farms and border walls. It would not keep anyone strong out, but it might change the tides against two equally matched forces.


    They rushed outside and sprang to action; the yers moving with care to not attack the wrong side. And as they started rescuing those desperately struggling to survive, the group received the video of Eldrian''s fight with the Night Terrors.


    "Perhaps we shouldn''t group in one ce?" Ilmadia mumbled. It would make them an easy target for the demons. And none of them could do anything against such a foe.


    "No, we just need to make sure they don''t get the drop on us before we get reinforcements." Therdul countered.


    They simply didn''t have the manpower to split themselves into multiple groups. If they tried, no group would be able to defend the citizens they saved. They had learned this before in their time aiding and rescuing the survivors in Pediades. Splitting your focus was a recipe for disaster.


    ¡ª


    Zig-zagging through the air, Ceph dodged the spells being rained upon them from the magic tower. First had been massive fireballs, each at least a meter in size. Then spears of ice asrge as ballista bolts. Then des of water covered the sky. Now it was a massive block of ice the size of an entire estate.


    Ceph dextrously maneuver around the massive block of ice, behind them it crashed down into the surrounding buildings. Turning them all to rubble. A few screams echoed from below, but the two could not let that distract them.


    ''I''m going to teleport,'' Eldrian told Ceph. While they had dodged all the attacks rained at them thus far, it had caused great harm to the area behind and below them. It had also slowed their advance, and soon they would be osted by foes they could not match.


    ''I know you''ve been training, but can you really do it?'' Ceph asked, the next attack a massive shockwave that they weathered. But as a result, they were sent hundreds of meters back. The carnage it wrought on their surroundings looked worse than it actually was.


    ''I can,'' Eldrian replied with confidence. Feeling the surrounding mana being pulled towards the tower, he waited for the time of discharge. Using it as a guide and cover. When a massive ball of mes appeared before the tower, he appeared behind it.


    ''Not quite perfect, but close enough. It truly does get easier with practice.'' Eldrian thought, recalling the many times he had lost his limbs or even died the past week. Luckily, Ceph had always been there to heal him, and as they had limited such reckless training to when they were in Avgi, if the worst happened, then Zamia was there to help.


    A smile broke out from Eldrian''s lips as he recalled the training. It certainly wasn''t a kind way to train, but it showed far greater results than trying to master the theory behind the spell. By actually attempting it, he could ''feel'' his way through it.


    Taking out the near broken shield from his inventory as he plummeted towards the ground, Eldrian threw it down. Stopping its descent with wind and supporting it in midair with ether. And then, he kicked off from it towards the side of the tower.


    The shield shattered into pieces, the attack from the Night Terror having brought it to the brink, and Eldrian''s kick pushed it over its endurance limit.


    Altering his fall with magic to ensure he flew for one of the many windows covering the sides of the tower¡ªwhich he sted out of its frame and sailed through expertly. Eldrian kicked off from the ground, bursting through the room''s door and rushed, not upwards, but downwards.


    The top floor control room was nothing but a ry. It allowed some simplemands and, of course, a view of the city as youmanded those spells. But to use the true powers of the tower, you needed to enter the room where the magic crystal rested.


    Dave, who had taken Eldrian down there on a whim, was a strange one. Pros who had allowed Eldrian into the city''s control room even stranger still.


    Normally, the protocols to allow someone inside the hidden rooms were extremely strict. And it was thanks to this that Eldrian was certain their enemy did not have true control of the tower. Not everyone could be as strange as those two.


    ''Two, prepare all the knowledge we have on magic towers. I remember we nced through a few books while staying at Myropsis'' home.'' As Eldrian said this, he paused.


    ''Perhaps everyone is that strange? Or is it because I am a Chosen that they skipped the formalities?'' Praying that there would be noplications, Eldrian continued to rush down the stairs. Skipping five, sometimes even ten steps.


    ''Already at hand. Once you reach the bottom room, we can''t afford to make any mistakes. So seal of the stairs first.''


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 Chapter 817 Elomir Under Siege (5) - Reckless Actions

    Reaching the bottom of the tower, Eldrian sealed of the stairs with ice. The doors he also covered with ice, just to be on the safe side. While they were sealed with magic, anyone in the top control room could open them. Now, if they did, they would have to break through a few meters of ice.


    With the room secured, Eldrian turned to the engraved array on the floor. ''Here, right?'' Eldrian asked, finding a specific circle among the many paths in the array.


    ''Yes, that is where you perform the spell, but...''


    ''Yeah, I know.'' Eldrian nodded. Even Myropsis wasn''t able to arbitrarily learn the spell to ess the hidden control rooms of magic towers. Which meant Eldrian hadn''t learnt it either. And even if he knew the spell, he couldn''t use it.


    If he was to try without having had his mana registered, the tower would see his actions as an invasion and focus on disposing him. Which was a terrifying thought. But he still felt it was better than simply disabling the tower. They would need as many as possible once the enemy''s reinforcements arrived.


    ''What exactly is the n?'' Two asked.


    ''Well...'' Eldrian paused. He had hoped he might be able to figure it out while rushing down. Or when he saw the arrays engraved on the first floor once again. However, these rilpai and protii making up the array were for teleportation and teleportation alone. And to activate them, you needed ess.


    Probing the array, Eldrian sent his mageia into the pathways. Inspecting its flow and structure, careful to not activate it or let his mana follow behind his probing. Slowly, he searched for the key to the hidden room. Carefully analyzing each part of the array, probing its functions with care.


    Thanks to his dealings with magic towers, even having been involved in the construction of a new one, and the books he had read, Eldrian knew more or less what he was looking for.


    After a few minutes, he found it. It wasn''t in the topyer of the array, but rather a ways down in what Eldrian sensed as a thirdyer. And, as was to be expected, it was sealed.


    Probing the barrier, Eldrian received a massive headache as the tower deflected his infiltration attempt. Security finally turning so tight even his slither of will was detected and annihted.


    ''Well, that didn''t work.'' Eldrian thought for a moment to force his way through. However, he wasn''t so dumb as to think he could face off against a magic tower. He pondered heading back up to disable the tower, but still, he wanted to try gaining its control.


    ''Maybe... if I use the magic crystal I have...'' The problem with that idea was he couldn''t ess its powers.


    Eldrian simply wasn''t strong enough to draw upon it. Still, absentmindedly, Eldrian took the magic crystal out of his inventory. Wishing to probe it to see if things might have changed.


    "Wait, what?!" Falling to the ground, the crystal weighing a thousand tons, Eldrian felt his hand being crushed by its weight. He even heard the bones in his hand snap, and as he was trying to push the crystal back into his inventory, he suddenly found himself inside the secret room.


    The crystal that had turned his hand to a mushed pancake shot towards the crystal in the center of the room. Hovering around it like a satellite around a, sparks flying between the two.


    "I did it now..." Eldrian mumbled, never having expected the crystals would be pulled towards one another. Even forcefully teleporting itself, and him, to the hidden room.


    ''I should have considered that such vast mana storages would be attracted to one another...''


    Magic crystals were like ck holes when it came to mana. The amount of mana inside them mind boggling. Eldrian simply never considered that it would give them gravity? Maic, mana, magic attraction? Regardless, they were clearly pulled towards one another.


    And now, the mana in the room was thickening like a soup. Bing so thick that it formed a mist, visible even without mana sense.


    ''Wait, is that liquid mana?'' The sight was something else. Eldrian felt confident it would even form mana crystals if left for a while longer. But things were clearly not stable enough for the situation tost that long.


    Channeling some of the excess mana into his ruined hand, it returned to normal in seconds. The pain being lifted certainly helped Eldrian shift his focus to the spinning magic crystals. Resembling a binary system circling one another chaotically.


    ''Oh shit, that looks super dangerous.'' The crystals were orbiting one another faster and faster, sparks of lightning, sma, and liquid mana flowing between the two. The two crystals were now fighting one another for dominance. Trying to pull each other apart and eat the other''s mana.


    "Whose that ¡ª what the fuck did you do?!" Confused, Eldrian looked around him to find the source. Shockingly, he saw four other hidden rooms. As if his eyes could peer through the walls and earth separating them.


    "Ah, I didn''t know magic crystals were maic, or something..." Eldrian said, jumping to the side as a bolt of lightning crashed into one of the walls. The array engraved on it illuminating the dark hidden room. Its glow growing brighter and brighter.


    The voice from before turned frantic. "Quick, guide it outward!"


    While still lost, Eldrian understood he had to do something or the room he was in, and likely much of the city, would explode. "How?" Eldrian shouted in question.


    Shocked that Eldrian didn''t even know that much, the owner of the voice groaned. "How!" she shouted, indignant. "Just envision the mana flowing out of the tower!"


    Nodding, Eldrian did just that. But he paused for a second. "Do you mind if I aim it at our enemies?"


    "Enemies? No, you aren''t capable of controlling¡ªyou''ll turn the city into rubble!"


    "No, no. I wasn''t thinking of¡ª" Sensing that he had no time to exin, and noting that it wasn''t denial for any reason but coteral damage, Eldrian looked towards his map. "Right, off you go." Eldrian said, imagining a thunderbolt striking his target.


    Shockingly, he found his mind ripped from his body right up to the top of the tower. Where the mana gathered and gave him a bird''s-eye view of the surroundings. And far-off past the horizon, Eldrian directed his gaze.


    As soon as he did, he sped forward, flying towards his target at an unnatural speed. Crashing into the middle of the chargingpany of vargr riders before he could even register what was happening.


    Falling to the ground, Eldrian moaned. His body was fine, but his soul felt like it was shattered into a thousand pieces. "Ugh, that wasn''t plea¡ª" Throwing himself to the side, Eldrian hurled. But not just the food that he ate came out, arge quantity of blood apanied it.


    Bright red, shiny blood. Seemingly containing crystals. "What''s going on¡ª" Hurling again, this time mostly blood. Eldrian fell to the side. Totally drained.


    ''That really fucked you up.'' Two''s analysis was right on point.


    Eldrian could feel the excess mana surging through his body. It reminded him of when his Tier up had gone haywire. He also vaguely noted that his mana was being pulled towards the spinning crystals. It felt like his body was being torn apart.


    "What the hell did you do?!" the voice boomed again, but Eldrian was in no state to answer her.


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 Chapter 818 Elomir Under Siege (6) - Phoenixs Encampment

    "Get them inside!" Elizabeth shouted, casting a blinding light that halted the attack of shadows.


    She followed it up with an arrow of light. Piercing the creature''s side. It shrieked and fell back. Allowing the citizens to safely make it past the border. Where they were escorted under guard to the central temple.


    After organizing all the information, the guild leaders had split the yers to cover as much ground as possible. Each guild moving to help a section of the nearby city and forming their own safe grounds around a cluster of temples.


    Elizabeth was currently at the location that Ilmadia and the others had fortified. It acted as the headquarters for Phoenix, Starfire, and Faekin.


    The three guilds together barely reached 300 total yers. However, that was no problem. By now, they had well over a thousand NPCs also helping and fortifying their encampment.


    Several yers were also dispatched to contact the mayor. Once one of the yers made it, they would act as a ry for the mayor, allowing instantmunication with all yers in the city.


    Elizabeth and the others were waiting for this. Once they gotmunication going, they would be able to expand their range of operation to help more of the city.


    After all, currently they were blind regarding how the city was responding to this attack. Their focus was only on helping the citizens survive.


    Not dropping her guard, Elizabeth kept the ball of light floating over the rushing yers and citizens until they all made it past the barricades. Observing their actions in the glimmering light of the nearby fires.


    The fires were the biggest factor in allowing them to actually secure the temples and surrounding grounds. None of them had considered the priests and clerics of the temples when making their decision to make this their base.


    These priests and clerics were a game changer. Their help in erecting a barrier, or rather, setting up the fires that kept the terrors of night outside, proved invaluable. A barrier of light.


    While it could not ensure that no devil made it inside, it at least kept all the Night Terrors from chasing them further. Elizabeth doubted if it could give pause to their strongest enemies. But for now, only weaker Night Terrors were attacking them, and they all stopped at the edge of light the fires gave off.


    Confirming that the Night Terror had retreated like the ones before, Elizabeth finally canceled her spell and moved back into the protection of the fires.


    As she was pondering what Eldrian was up to and when he would unmute his chat, Cephnded nearby. Having spotted her thanks to the spell she had cast.


    "Where did he go?" Elizabeth asked. Already getting a headache that Eldrian was no longer with Ceph nor in contact with them. All she could do was send him a message to remind him to unmute the voice chat he was connected to.


    Currently, Elizabeth was hearing the asional update from the other leaders. They all muted themselves and unmuted when they wanted to share something.


    "To take control of a magic tower." Ceph replied after returning to his elven form.


    "Of course he did..." Feeling her strength leaving her, Elizabeth moaned. Moving on after throwing a few curses at Eldrian for being so terrible atmunication, she asked, "Can he even do it?"


    "I doubt it. The safeguards around magic towers aren''t weak by any means."


    "Why didn''t you tell him that?"


    "He''s aware. I guess he''s going to do something stupid."


    Hearing that, Elizabeth sighed again. "Well, in any case, we''ve rescued most of the nearby citizens. We''re actually running out of space. Luckily, the number of capable citizens was higher than expected. We are expanding our range of operation faster than expected."


    "That''s good." Ceph smiled, following Elizabeth as they climbed atop the barricade made of destroyed houses. The yers from Phoenix had grown ustomed to making use of anything nearby. It almost resembled a wall.


    Every twenty meters a magical fire burned, fueled by a special powder the priests had mixed with wood¡ªtaken from nearby buildings.


    The special powder gave the fires a brighter glow, and apparently, was what kept the evil at bay. Sadly, they had limited amounts of both wood and this powder. Wood they could manage somehow, but the powder was the real problem.


    The priests had assured her it would buy them a few hours. Hopefully, by then, help would have arrived.


    "Did Eldrian tell you when we can expect their reinforcements to arrive?" The question hang in the air as several people rushed towards them, or rather, towards the light of the fires.


    Seeing the group, the nearby priests readied their spells for if a Night Terror arrived, the yers meanwhile moved forward to halt them. Allowing any group of people to barge in without restricting their movements would be the height of stupidity.


    "Stop!" a draconian shouted, her towering frame causing the humans and demi-humans to freeze. The centaurs, however, looked her straight on. Challenging her to move out of their way.


    "If you force your way in, we will be forced to attack." She spoke with confidence, hefting her massive battleaxe as she did and swishing her tail back and forth, causing the nearby rubble to fly to the sides. "If you understand, put down your weapons and form a single file. Do not step out of line!"


    Unlike the group Elizabeth had stepped in to help, this group was not under attack. As such, they were told the rules before being let inside. The previous group was having their weapons confiscated and being forced to swear oaths inside the central temple as this was happening.


    As things hade to this, anyone who fought swearing an oath of loyalty to the kingdom would naturally be suspected of being a devil.


    They already had three cases of this happening. Luckily, the trained bows on the citizens as they swore their oath had brought those three down before they could cause any damage.


    ''Really, why couldn''t the king just dere it a must?'' Elizabeth had moaned when hearing Judith''s proposal. Such an oath was so simple and should have little to no restrictions.


    Ilmadia had given a believable reason. It would, in fact, restrict everyone. No longer would illegal acts be possible without divine punishment. Which might sound like a good thing, but many nobles and merchants would, and likely had at some point, apposed this.


    Loyalty was also a subjective thing, and no two people''s idea of it would be identical. Thus, such an oath wasn''t perfect. One person might think illegal activities such as tax evasion were perfectly fine, with a crude way of thinking. Another wouldn''t.


    Yet, the oath would protect both equally. After all, by enforcing it, the king had to also give something in kind to his people.


    Questioning their loyalty after they swore an oath would be an exceptionally difficult thing to do. It would be equivalent to questioning their faith and honor. It could even be construed as questioning the god they swore their oath to.


    The group before them moved forward slowly, but Elizabeth frowned. Noticing the fidgety nature of several people in this group.


    "Ceph?"


    "Yeah, they''re giving me a bad vibe."


    At this moment, however, the sky turned bright. Temporary daylight returning to the world.


    "Eldrian..." They both groaned, Elizabeth preparing her spells to contain these suspicious people. Ceph, on the other hand, vaulted over the barricade andnded beside them. Using the temporary daylight to observe everyone clearly. Seeing a number trying to hide their weapons.


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 Chapter 819 Elomir Under Siege (7) - Shift

    "Elizabeth?" the draconian questioned, looking between her and the people she was taking weapons from.


    Most had taken up a fire axe or kitchen knife after hearing themotion throughout the city. However, now and then a sword or proper polearm appeared, bows were truly rare though. Perhaps because they were near the noble district and far from the walls.


    "Continue as you were, Eisi." Elizabeth said, indicating for her to continue taking the weapons.


    Nodding, Eisi did just that. Storing the weapons in her inventory. A method that ensured those inside couldn''t rally against them, as all weapons were in the hands of the yers and those who had already sworn an oath of loyalty.


    As the line moved on, the temporary light dimmed, followed by a low boom. The sound''s strength weakened over great distances, but still causing the earth to rumble.


    At that moment, the group hiding their weapons acted. Hoping the dimming light and sound would distract the yers.


    Those in the front grabbed the civilians before them, cing their weapons on their necks. Blood flowing as they shouted for everyone to drop their weapons. Those behind rushed to nk Ceph and Eisi.


    However, as they neared Ceph, he suddenly charged. Disappearing from their view, he shed with a dark purple de that appeared from thin air. Beheading those who had nked him.


    Those holding the civilians hostage fell powerlessly to the ground, their eyes wide. An icicle protruding from their heads.


    "H-how?!" the supposed leader asked in disbelief. Charging Ceph in a desperate act. Only to have his arms cut from his body effortlessly. His four legs following after. With a thud, the devil in centaur disguise fell to the ground. Screaming in pain.


    Ceph gave him a kick, just hard enough to knock him out. Questioning him should prove useful. "He''s Tier 5, so be careful with how you handle him." Ceph said, noting the stares from those nearby.


    "Been a while since I saw you fight." Elizabeth smiled. "You''re faster than before. I couldn''t even keep up with your attacks."


    "Still not strong enough to matter." Ceph sighed. All he could do before the Tier 7 Night Terror was fly away.


    Perhaps, if he had reached Tier 5, he would have been able to fight it. By his estimations, he would still becking, but the gap wouldn''t be asrge. With Eldrian''s support, he felt confident he could win. Especially if he relied on the items his father had given him for emergencies. But to use them recklessly would be folly.


    "Anyone else suspicious in the line?" Elizabeth asked, understanding that everyone was certain to be frightened at this moment.


    Despite having massacred over ten devils, Ceph wasn''t covered in blood. In fact, not a single drop hadnded on him. And he had also executed his attack in the blink of an eye. At this moment, Elizabeth was certain they saw him as a monster. Luckily, he was on their side.


    "None, you can finish collecting their weapons inside." Ceph said, turning away from the temples as he spoke.


    "Not staying?" Elizabeth would love to keep Ceph here; it would drastically improve their strength.


    "I think I should return to the tower I disabled. Contact Eldrian once you''ve contacted the mayor. With the city lord''s aid, I might be able to use it to aid the city."


    ¡ª


    ''Is this the High Elf Chosen I heard so much about? The one who had turned fate itself for Kynigo? Pros never shuts up about him.'' Penthine, the mayor of Elomir, thought. Watching as the supposed elf was writhing on the ground in what was clearly extreme pain.


    The blood he had vomited not long ago was floating towards the spinning magic crystals, shining brighter and brighter as it encircled them as a fine mist. The mana it contained clearly growing.


    ''Even if he is that elf, I cannot believe he was in possession of a magic crystal. And to take it out inside an active tower... He clearly does not know how dangerous that action is. Luckily, it is just what we needed.''


    Eldrian guiding the excess mana to strike their foe had beenpletely unexpected. Luckily, it appeared he was wise enough to attack a distant foe. ''I suppose that is the tracing ability I heard he also possesses...'' Penthine was already struggling to ept the oddity that Eldrian was.


    "Thadeus, Telite, Hyrmeda, let''s continue with the n."


    "Yes, my lord, but..."


    "Thanks to this elf, we now have the majority control we needed. Our spread isn''t ideal, but we should be able to activate the city''s defenses."


    "Roger. Sending mana flow towards you." The three echoed one after the other. Once Penthine received the prompt, she guided the mana flow into her magic crystal. Focusing thereafter on the two crystals where Eldrian was.


    Forcing control from where she was, was rather difficult. But thanks to the excess mana the extra crystal gave the tower, she could use it to wrestle for control. Once she formed a thin connection between the tower and her magic crystal, she stabilized it and formed a secure flow. Doing so stabilized the condition of the room Eldrian was in.


    From there, Penthine surrounded the inner city with a bright barrier. Giving daylight to the entire city and filling the air with traces of divinity. Which would heal and strengthen those of the faith of Asteria, and hinder all that had an alignment against the goddess of life.


    However, such a barrier was extremely draining, and five magic crystals could not maintain it for much longer than an hour.


    ¡ª


    ''Two, you sure you don''t want to switch roles?'' Eldrian joked as the pain finally subsided. The barrier Two had erected had helped a lot.


    The biggest help though was when Two had released all the mana inside their avatar. Shockingly, it had all collected in the blood Eldrian had vomited. Looking at it as hey powerless on the ground, Eldrian felt it might be some magical material now. The thought made him smile despite the pain he was in.


    "You should feel better now." The voice from before said, calm and collected now. Eldrian guessed they had somehow fixed the situation. Or at the very least, stabilize it


    "Yeah, the... pull''s... gone." Eldrian replied, his wordsing out as a slur as he found his entire body sluggish.


    ''This what it feels like when I am manaless?'' He wondered. He felt absolutely drained. Certain he wouldn''t be able to recover anytime soon. Dying might be the quicker option, though he understood his fatigue was more than physical.


    "I know you must be in terrible pain, but can you tell me who you are and how you got here?" Eldrian finally noticed that the person speaking was female. The pain having made the factpletely slip his mind.


    "I would rather sleep... for a while..." Noticing the string of messages in his face, Eldrian gave them a nce. "Before I... do... A friend... in the southern... tower..."


    And with that, Eldrian''s consciousness faded. Theck of pain having called forth ack of adrenaline. His lethargy finally catching up.


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 Chapter 820 Elomir Under Siege (8) - Handover

    ''Finally reached his limit? I''m surprised he stayed awake as long as he did,'' Penthine mumbled.


    "Should we investigate what he said?" Telite asked, not willing to ept the elf''s words outright. If they opened a connection and it turned out to be an enemy, the consequences would be too dire to even imagine.


    "We should rather send someone to the tower to take control of it. As we now have control again, we can start our counterattack. Hyrmeda, I would like you to stay and ensure that our enemy do not infiltrate further with the other magic towers."


    "By yourmand." Hyrmeda answered.


    "I will return as soon as I can." Penthine continued, "Telite, I want you to meet with the representative of the Chosen. I''ve heard they can talk with each other in real time without the restrictions that our magic items have."


    "Thadeus, I need you to help in the fight against the Night Terrors inside the city. I assume the enemy has reinforcements on their way. They should arrive within the next ten or so minutes. Thanks to our elf friend, we regained control in time."


    With that sorted, Penthine next sent a message to the duke of Taurtania, lord Vicar. "We have stabilized our situation. Focusing on counterattacking now. Please send aid to the others first."


    ¡ª


    Waiting atop the tower, Ceph kept watch over the mes spreading through the city. He wanted to rush toward them to offer his assistance, but he knew that now wasn''t the time.


    Everyone now and then, a group of disguised devils would make their way to the tower. Ceph would always spot them attacking others, so he was never in doubt that they weren''t just civilians. He would dispatch them all swiftly when they approached the tower.


    When a Night Terror attacked, he focused on sending it away. Buying time. Sadly, he had no method to kill it in the dark of night. If he tried to corner it, it would simply call for air. Ceph knew he could not fight multiple demons at once, and should the Tier 7 arrive, he would need to retreat.


    After a while, a barrier formed over the inner city. Bringing light to everyone and weakening the enemies inside the city. With its arrival, the fighting moved towards the gates and towers. And the number of enemies surrounding him grew by the second.


    However, the Night Terrors stayed away. ''A pity,'' Ceph thought. ''With the divinity filling the city, even I should be able to kill them. I might even be able to contest the Tier 7 now.''


    A handful of minutes after the barrier formed, a small squad of elite soldiers reached the tower. Noticing their approach, Ceph quickly flew back to the tower and headed down.


    The group approached slowly, eyeing every corner with vignce. But there were no enemies nearby. Which ate at their nerves. The quiet of their surroundings in stark contrast to the chaos filling the rest of the city.


    Warily, they approached the doors. Deactivating the magic keeping them sealed, they moved inside. Where they found Ceph waiting for them.


    "Who are you?" They asked, having expected a magical creature, not an elf.


    "Cephaphyr, the Alicorn." Ceph replied, adamant sword in hand. "I need you all to swear and oath to the kingdom."


    "An oath?" The apparent leader questioned. He was a massive centaur, his size reminding Ceph of the deceased Evules. Nearing three meters in total height, with massive muscles and two greatswords sheathed against his sides. He was truly the spitting image of Evules.


    Ceph nearly fell into reminiscence. Shaking it off, he focused on the task at hand. "Yes. Swear that you are loyal to the kingdom of Taurus." Ceph said, weaving his mana should ite to a fight.


    "To the kingdom? Alright, I have no problem with that. But what god?"


    "Asteria would be the most fit option. The entire city is being flooded with her divine powers. Even without the clergy, I will be able to tell if the oath is taken honestly."


    "You will be able to tell?" The centaur questioned. Such an act was normally not something a normal mage could aplish, but considering that Ceph was an Alicorn, it would not be too strange.


    "Indeed." Ceph replied, shortly. "If you refuse, I will have to kill you."


    "Well, I would like to continue on living." Despite being Tier 7, the centaur had no wish to test his abilities against an Alicorn.


    He knew not how strong Ceph was, but the myths and legends of an Alicorn''s control over magic made him fear the being before him. Especially inside a magic tower where mana was far denser and magic reigned supreme.


    "I, Vasiss Mirnar, swear by the goddess of life, Asteria. That for as long as I may breath, I will stay loyal to my kingdom. To the kingdom of Taurus and its wide open ins."


    Ceph nodded, feeling the surrounding mana reacting to the oath. "Alright, now yourpanions."


    One by one, they all swore. Until it came to thest two. "Come on Lazus, Theras." Vasiss urged them to swear. Instead, they darted towards their captain. However, both fell to the ground after only managing one gait.


    "Seems even the elites failed to notice the devils among them." Cephmented. He could sympathize with the disbelief the squad felt, and the shock at their allies now lying dead at their feet. But he would not coddle them.


    It was because they had bezy that the chaos filling the city had be a reality. The warnings from invasions past having be mere myths, ignored by most everyone.


    "How could you¡ª!" One of the younger centaurs turned on Ceph, but was quieted when his captain struck him at the back of the head.


    "Will you allow us to take control of the tower now?" Vassis asked, himself shaken at how quickly his friends had died. He had known them for years. His heart refused to believe that they were truly devils.


    But regardless of what his heart wanted to believe, they were already dead. And Vassis had a mission he had to aplish. Kicking up a fuss now would help no one, and might cause the rest of hispany''s deaths.


    "Yes. I''ll be on my way now." Ceph replied, passing by the centaurs. A few only barely controlling their rage at his apparent cold heartedness.


    ¡ª


    "You''re back." Elizabeth noted as Cephnded next to her. She was no longer on the barricades. With the fighting moving to the towers and gates, things were quiet.


    "Yes, I need to know where to go."


    Elizabeth nodded. "Most fighting is focused in the northern part of the city, apart from the fighting for the towers."


    "So, the reinforcements areing from the north?" Ceph doubted it would be so simple. Since the enemy had struck them from within, it would be dumb if they only had reinforcementsing from the front lines.


    "Yeah, I am also thinking they want us to lower our southern guard. The mayor seems to agree. She''s sent most to the north, but she didn''t neglect the other sides. We have yers with the squads she sent to ensure the gates are secure. So we won''t be surprised."


    Ceph nodded. Having the yers there was indeed the best option. Even if they were killed before being able to ry a message, their death itself will be a message.


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 Chapter 821 Elomir Under Siege (9) - Lull

    "Ughh, it''s so goddamn quiet! What is the point even? We''re wasting manpower!" Comined a yer, his race that of a wolfkin. His tail drooped in boredom.


    He was especially bothered since he had skipped school to join in the fighting. Hoping to make some extra cash from the rewards and loot. Instead, his guild leader had sent him to observe the south, where the fighting was the least intense.


    Standing atop the inner walls, it was clear that the outer wall hadpletely fallen or abandoned. No light was visible atop its distant silhouette. However, no signs of anyone moving were seen either. It was dead quiet.


    Between the outer and inner wall, stood many fields and farms. The chaos behind the two yers a seemingly distant thing. Unrted to the peace across the fields.


    "Is that really how you see it?" asked the yer''spanion, a draconian. Hisrge frame suggested a wild nature, but he was leisurely resting against the crentions of the wall, keeping his eyes wandering over the fields.


    Sadly, the barrier''s light acted against them on their watch. It blinded them to the outside night.


    Near the inner wall was only grasnd, with grazing animals¡ªthought few remained close to the wall. They were just barely in sight. Should the enemy arrive from there, they should stir the animals.


    Notice would bete, likely toote to rescue those at the gate. But it was the best option they had when they needed to douse so many fires.


    "Do you actually expect the enemy to arrive from the south?" The wolfkin asked. They weren''t even situated at the gate, where there currently was some fighting. Though its intensity was nothingpared to the north.


    "Why else would they be attacking the gate?" hispanion asked.


    "To distract us and have the city divert manpower to an unimportant location!"


    "And does it look like that is what is happening?"


    "Well..." The wolfkin yer faltered. The number of soldiers directed to the south was just enough to handle the enemy.


    When more enemies arrived, reinforcements followed like clockwork. The guild chats were a flurry of messages as everyone reported their encounters. Helping the city keep track of everything in the chaos.


    Whoever was filtering the chaos that was all those messages was doing a superb job.


    "Still, only one of us would have been enough. Since you don''t seem to mind standing her, Paw, why don''t I go ¡ª What?"


    "Look, doesn''t their movements seem strange to you?"


    "Huh?" Turning to look at the fields, the wolfkin failed to see anything strange. Until a wave of enemies suddenly appeared from the dark. "What? How the hell did they¡ª" He fell to the side, an arrow lodged in his head.


    Paw ducked behind the cover of the wall''s battlements and immediately reported the arrival of enemies. Taking a peek a few secondster to confirm their numbers before moving away. Knowing that staying alive and sharing information was the most important thing he could do.


    ¡ª


    "Stop shaking me." Eldrian moaned, turning to his side to stay asleep. Only to have himself drenched in water. "What the hell''s your¡ªhuh?"


    "About time you woke." Two grumbled, "We have a guest."


    Turning to the side, Eldrian saw a young female. His foggy mind slowlying together and recalling who this was. "What''s she doing here?"


    "She wanted to talk, so I let her in."


    "Just like that?" Eldrian grumbled, having thought they would be wary of the AI since the entire tournament debacle.


    "Just like that." Two confirmed. His serious tone making Eldrian ept it and move on. Though he really wanted to ask why Two was so confident they could trust Ziraili.


    "I believe you will understand once I exin things..." Ziraili paused. "I do not intend to keep anything from you. If you wish, I will even answer your questions without holding back."


    "What? Seriously? Why?" From surprise to caution, Eldrian stared at Ziraili. "And why aren''t you a wisp?"


    "Is that really¡ªnevermind... I''m not in my wisp form since your soul has developed much sincest I visited."


    "Why does that matter?"


    Turning to Two, Ziraili appeared confused. "He doesn''t know?"


    "He doesn''t have a clue about this. I was going to update him tonight, but then..."


    "Right, the current situation. Well, that is partly why I am here." Ziraili nodded. "Luckily, you acted much more cautiously than before. Though¡ª"


    "There were no warnings about bringing a magic crystal out in a magic tower!" Eldrian countered. He hadn''t even done it on purpose. He had done it without thinking, honestly. Wait, is that better or worse?''


    During his fight with Zaphreal, Eldrian had learned that the elements of aspects -as his quest put it- were not so easy to use. And they were much more stable than he had imagined. Thus, he hadn''t thought there''d be any danger in taking out the crystal.


    "That''s true. There are no warnings." Two backed Eldrian up. "But... I doubt anyone would have ess to a magic crystal without being informed. We''re probably the only exception, thanks to Ashliel gifting it to us without much thought."


    "You''re right." Zirailimented, "And it''s not like we can expect her to warn you. Her fate is a terrible one..."


    "Indeed." Two and Eldrian echoed one another. Her story was a truly terrible one. Immortality was more a curse than anything. Especially when it is limited to only you.


    Her best bet might have been to go and live with the elves. Actually, now that Eldrian thought about it, he was shocked she hadn''t.


    "You''ll answer all my questions?" Eldrian confirmed after a moment of silence.


    ''This has be quite cliche, but I don''t think they will find it funny if I mention it now.'' Eldrian thought as his mind spun to think of appropriate questions to ask.


    He had nned to contact Ziraili after talking with Two. However, he had yet to formte all the questions he had.


    "I''m curious what you meant about my soul developing, but I guess Two can fill me inter. My most pressing issue is the contract."


    Zipping them to the location where they had imprisoned the contract''s energy with the lich''s lifeforce, Eldrian asked, "What exactly is a magic contract and is it... contained?"


    Ziraili seemed shocked for a moment, looking around at the empty void-like space they were now in. She looked towards Two questioningly, as if he might have the answers to what had just happened. However, she could not bring herself to ask.


    Instead, she focused on answering Eldrian''s question. "A magic contract is one signed with magic. Depending on the form it takes, it can have varying oues and limitations. This contract was a soul bound contract, enforced to ensure no matter the realm, the signed will always have to obey what they had agreed to."


    "Then... can I believe in it?" Eldrian asked.


    This was, after all, the biggest concern he currently had. And was why he had not yet returned to meet with his family, or at least meet up with Jen. During the past week, he had gotten a new phone and contacted his sister.


    For the moment, he was still unsure if he should contact his parent. Jen had decided against informing their parents that Eldrian was still alive. Having thought clueing them in would be too dangerous. Never knowing when she was being observed or not.


    Of course, if they had followed the recent tournament, they would have seen Eldrian. But they did not. They despised everything to do with thepany that had led to their son''s suicide.


    Luckily, ording to Jen, his faked death had not caused them to fall apart. It had been rough the first couple of months, but now, nearly a yearter, they were mostly back to their normal lives. ''I don''t know if I even want to tell them...''


    Afraid it might just throw them into chaos and pain, Eldrian felt content having his parents continue living as if he was dead. Though a part of him felt sad and another terrible for deceiving them, he believed it might be for the best.


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 Chapter 822 Elomir Under Siege (10) - Cephs Display

    "So, they''ve attacked on all sides now. Trying to see where we will give?" Elizabeth mumbled upon receiving the reports from various yers. Their enemy sure was organized. Launching their attacks at the same time to prevent the city from shifting manpower.


    "Where''s the Tier 7 now?" Ceph asked, itching to get moving. Any further dawdling would be a waste of time.


    "Don''t you think that is a bit much?" Elizabeth questioned, knowing full well that Ceph was only Tier 4. To fight someone, or something, three Tiers above was you was not normal and in no way safe.


    "Not at all. Besides, you''reing with me."


    "What?!" Stunned, Elizabeth turned to Ceph in disbelief. "I can''t, I need to¡ª"


    "At this point, you can leave things to others."


    "Maybe... but Nikki isn''t here yet." Elizabeth didn''t feelfortable leaving the organizing to anyone but her trusty second inmand. While the other guild leaders werepetent, she didn''t trust to leave things to them.


    Leaving the yers of her own guild to theirmands just did not feel right. And sadly, everyone else was already assigned to a mission. Plus, many had by now also died and were waiting to revive in the temples.


    "What do you think will make a bigger difference?" Ceph asked, giving Elizabeth some time to consider it on her own.


    "Killing the biggest threat inside the city, or continuing to aid the information channel when movement is already at the limit and there are others doing the same task? When the problem now isn''t information but manpower."


    Elizabeth sighed. "You''re right. We need to go make a difference. But how can I even help?"


    If it was before, when she was alone in managing things, she would have continued to fight. But it was true that she couldn''t offer much in that regard now. Not with Eldrian still MIA and not updating her on the enemy movements.


    She was currently like all the other guild leaders. And her absence would not be problematic. After all, it wasn''t like the other leaders were idiots. Informing them that she was moving to the front was the only thing she had to do.


    Turning back into his natural form, Ceph swung his head, indicating for her to hop on. ''Get on already.''


    "Huh?! How did you¡ª" Not wanting to waste more time, Ceph pushed Elizabeth onto his back with a windst. Taking off before she could argue. Hanging on for dear life, Elizabeth screamed as they soared into the air.


    "Ho-Hold UP!" she shouted, digging her hands into Ceph''s mane as she held on for dear life.


    Aligning after reaching around a few hundred meters in the air, Ceph snorted. She had really pulled on his mane, and it had hurt. Irritated, he asked, "Where is the Night Terror?"


    "In the north, where the fighting is the thickest. But¡ª" The rest of her words were forever lost to the wind as Ceph whizzed over the city.


    Of course, he kept a barrier around them so Elizabeth would not be thrown from his back by the winds as they reached the speed of sound. Even keeping her in ce with some ether maniption.


    When they paused above the fighting, Elizabeth groaned. Lying down on Ceph''s back, her face pale. It took her a while to force out even a simple grumble. "G-force?"


    "What''s that?"


    ''Ugh, Eldrian, why didn''t you at least teach Ceph the basics?'' Elizabeth groaned again, casting a healing spell on herself as she spat out some blood to the distant city below. She felt confident she only survived because her avatar was stronger than a normal human body.


    "Seems you''re finally ready to act." Cephmented, noticing only now that he had nearly killed Elizabeth during his flight.


    ''Is this something to do with momentum?'' Ceph pondered. He had little reference to why she was hurt. With Eldrian, he always only focused on keeping the winds at bay. And at this point, he only did that when they performed a dive attack at supersonic speeds.


    "How do you want to attack it?" Elizabeth asked, epting things as they were and turning her attention to the task at hand. Below them, an entire city block was a mass of darkness, with multiple smaller darkness spots around the area.


    From these dark spots, shadowy limbs in the form of various dangerous items struck. Keeping the soldiers from reinforcing the gate, where the enemy was attacking from both inside and out.


    The soldiersunched attacks at these shadows, but it was clear at a nce that they achieved little. At best, they were preventing the shadows from attacking the gate.


    "Cast the strongest light spell you know. Focus it on the big one."


    "Is that all?" Elizabeth asked. It sounded too simple.


    "You don''t have enough mana to do more." Cephmented rather harshly.


    ''Sorry not everyone is a freak like you or Eldrian,'' Elizabeth mumbled. However, she did not let her thoughts distract her. Though she decided to do more than she was told. After all, she wasn''t weak by any standard. She just couldn''t measure up to them.


    Focusing on the spell module, she envisioned her target and slowly spoke the chant for her unique spell.


    "Oh god of us Chosen. You who have no other designation. Bring forth your judgement on these creatures of darkness. Holy Sanctum!"


    Light burst from Elizabeth, as bright as the morning sun. Encircling the massive blob of darkness and constricting it. Fighting against the light, it tried, but could not push back. It''s massive frame contained within the light.


    Elizabeth smiled, pumping out her chest with pride. Until she suddenly felt fatigued. "What the ¡ª how the heck?!"


    Ceph did not give Elizabeth any time to work through what was happening with her spell and mana. Because, the next second, she was free-falling.


    "Ceph! What the fuuuu¡ª"


    ¡ª


    ''She had to try to be fancy. But this is a good chance.'' Diving towards the Night Terror, Ceph had thrown Elizabeth from his back since she would die if he did not. He had already established an air funnel to catch her near the ground. It would be a roughnding, but she should survive. Probably.


    Focusing on his target, Ceph charged all his mana through his body. Focusing the majority in his horn and wings as he increased his speed to the absolute max.


    Like a zing ck and gre, he dived from on high. And with a boom, he disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡ª


    Screaming for her life, Elizabeth tumbled in the air as she was suddenly pelted with an upward surge of wind. By luck, she managed to notnd on her neck. "The nerve!" Furious, she turned to their target, finding her spell near breaking.


    And that was when Ceph suddenly dived into the darkness. The sight making Elizabeth gasp and rush forward, not knowing what she would do if he died.


    However, the next second, she was blown away. Rolling through the streets, she just barely managed to see the crater that was left where Ceph hadnded. The mass of darkness shredded and scattered by the wild winds.


    Ceph was already attacking the shattered remains. The soldiers, after recovering, did the same. After some time, they started to move. Trying to gather back together.


    ''What just happened?'' Trying to make sense of things, Elizabeth mindlessly also attacked the slithering remains. Finding that it was a slimy substance that appeared to absorb all light. It''s appearance the perfect example of something devoid of light.


    Throwing a few into her inventory, surprisingly, it went in just fine. Elizabeth thought Eldrian and Ilmadia would be interested in it. Though her indignation at Ceph just throwing her from his back kept burning as she moved.


    ''He''s not getting away with it! No way!''


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 Chapter 823 Our Nature

    "Indeed." Ziraili smiled as she answered. "A magic contract is in most cases irond. However, one must consider the wording extremely carefully."


    Nodding, Eldrian fell into thought. ''She means to say that the uses were too open. I thought it was best to have it written in as simple terms as possible, keeping it vague intentionally so I could have wiggle room.''


    ''Since the use for me winning is Zaphreal''s support, Ziraili is saying I can trust that. However, his support will be limited to what he is able to offer. If he is overruled, restricted, or defeated by others, he would not be in the wrong¡ªgiven that it is outside his control.''


    This was not a bad thing. After all, having the contract enact punishment on someone who was on your side would not be ideal. However, because the wording was so simple, Zaphreal did not have to fight with his life on the line. He simply had to try.


    ''I had focused on protecting myself. So I cannot be upset at the fact that I had not focused more on the winning conditions. It is a missed opportunity, but at least I had escaped the situation without taking a massive loss.''


    While the loss of the death crystal was certainly massive, Eldrian did not foresee himself needing it for a while. His rushed attempt at essing the elemental aspects, had allowed him to learn how much further he needed to climb before he could use such high-ranking items.


    Eldrian had likely even lost his magic crystal after taking it out recklessly. He was unsure how the city and kingdom were going to handle things. Though that was assuming they won.


    ''That''s right. While I have many things to ask, I need to prioritize. I need to get back to help the others as soon as I can.''


    Eldrian''s avatar was being healed. Two was slowly moving some mana back into it. However, because of the location they were in, they had to be careful.


    "What about this energy, then? Why does it still exist after I won?" Eldrian asked next. It was imperative that he understood what it was and if it was dangerous to him.


    As he had won, he was in the clear contract wise. The use for his winning had no stiption on him or his actions. It mentioned only that he would be free to act, and Zaphreal would support and protect him and his family.


    "A magic contract, upon being signed, splits and acts onto all those who are involved in the contract. Should you wish to cancel the contract, either all parties must agree. Or, in the case you find yourself, you can decide to annul the contract as you won the duel. It exists still because the contract still exists."


    "I can? How?" Eldrian asked, having an energy inside his soul that he had no control over was something like an itch he could not scratch. He worried it might open him to some sort of soul attack. If possible, he wanted to be rid of it.


    As it turned out, it was simple to do so. "Simply expunge the energy from your soul. Will it to disappear, or wish for the contract to be null and void. Doing so will free the one bound by the contract."


    ''So, if I want to get rid of this energy, I have to waive Zaphreal''s support?'' Eldrian pondered on this for a while. It could be a sign of goodwill to waive it. But he would rather have a guaranteed ally inside Miracle. Even if that ally was not a perfect ally.


    For now, he would let the itch remain. Knowing how to be rid of it was enough to put him at ease.


    He also had it contained within the lich''s lifeforce. Should someone try to use it against him through some unknown method, he should be able to react. And Two was also always inside his soul, ready to act and often doing so when needed.


    "Thanks, that at least puts me at ease." Eldrian smiled. With that dealt, he could now turn to his burning questions. However, as he was about to ask his first, Ziraili started shining.


    "What was that?"


    "Apologies. It was a prayer. I''m still unustomed to receiving them..." Waving her hand, Ziraili gathered back the scattering light particles.


    "Is that... divinity?" Two asked, staring at the particles with drool basically leaking from his mouth.


    "It is. I''ve almost polluted your soul. My apologies."


    "No need to¡ª"


    "Two, what the heck?" Not following what was happening, Eldrian red at Two, who seemed to hunger for the particles.


    It was the first time Eldrian saw Two want anything. He was normally content as long as he did not need to leave their soul.


    "He truly has no idea what you are, does he?" Zirailimented, her focused elsewhere. It returned to the matter at hand shortly.


    "I''m not sure myself. At first, I felt like a split focus... mind, personality? But with time, I''ve be more separated. We are no longer one being with two trains of thoughts, but more like two separate entities."


    "Indeed, you are not one. You''ve be your own entity."


    "He has? Wait, Two, have I been keeping you imprisoned?"


    "What? No. I already told you that I do not want to live in a body or anything of the like." Turning to Ziraili, Two paused. "I assume if I wished for it, you would have been able to grant me such a wish?"


    "The other gods would not agree, but it is indeed possible. However..." Ziraili turned to the center of Eldrian''s soul. The distant world a far off image separated by a few thousand kilometers of void.


    "It has be quitefortable." Twomented, seemingly understanding where Ziraili was going.


    "Can you guys fill me in?" Eldrian asked, exasperated at being the only one excluded.


    "You are a being of flesh. Corporeal was your birth and physical is your nature. Two, and we, AI, gods... Call us what you want. Our nature is spiritual. Our birth ethereal."


    Two picked it up from there. "Matching your wants and needs with ours isn''t wrong... but it won''t get you anywhere."


    "I don''t get it."


    "Then let''s use an example. What do you experience your current existence as?" Ziraili asked.


    "Huh? What do you ¡ª oh..." Since his mind had been on other things, Eldrian had not focused on how he was.


    It was something he had felt odd about when first entering his soul, but with time, he got used to it. Not being constrained by his body, and being everywhere and nowhere at the same time.


    Zooming them back to the center, next to Two''s library and over viewing the mountain nestedke, Eldrian formed himself a body.


    Up until now, he had conversed without one. Simply cing his consciousness where he was talking within his soul.


    An act simr, perhaps, to flexing a muscle. Instead of cing your focus on a part of your body, you instead focused it inside your soul/mind. Creating a presence that could be defined as your location. Though that was not technically correct.


    And while Eldrian was used to this type of existence now, it was not what he preferred. He was able to not notice when focused on other things, and it was extremely handy at times. But when he waszing about, Eldrian wanted a body to conform to. To be present in.


    "Where you wish to have a form, a body¡ªwe prefer being without. At this moment we are with form to ease our conversing." Ziraili paused. This seemed to link to herment when she had first arrived.


    "As I said, your nature is physical, while ours is spiritual."


    "I get it. At least... I think I do." Honestly, the concept of not having a body was still foreign to Eldrian. And Two always had one when they talked. ''I guess he does that tofort me?''


    But even though it felt strange, he could understand it. At least, he felt he could by flipping the situation. He would never know how they felt about it, but he could understand by reversing roles.


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 Chapter 824 Numbers Game (1)

    "Even so, I still don''t understand what you are, Two." Turning to Ziraili, Eldrian paused. "AI, gods, artificial life. That I wrap my head around. But what are you? You were a part of me, but now... you''re not?"


    "You really don''t need to think about it." Two confessed, "It is like asking what a human is."


    "And I have an answer for that!" Eldrian countered.


    "True. You do..."


    "Perhaps the best choice is to consider Two like a fragmented self. Imagine a part of your soul splitting apart. At first, it was reliant on the rest of you to even remain in existence, requiring a deep connection where your thoughts were linked."


    "However, as you grew stronger, Two also grew. And as you lessened your connection, he formed a sense of self. In short, he became less reliant and formed his own existence. However, he is still a part of you. He cannot live outside your soul."


    ''Does that...'' Eldrian paused, deciding to rather ask his question than just ponder it. "Are you saying I created life?"


    "In a sense, yes. You can consider the process simr to mitosis."


    ''This doesn''t make sense... no, I guess I more can''t believe something like this. I still believe life is something sacred and the idea of creating it divine... but why? Miracle did it with the AI, the AI did it with all the natives of Gaia...''


    Eyes lighting up in realization, Eldrian looked between the only other entities in his soul and asked, "Is this how you created the natives of Gaia?"


    Ziraili smiled. "It is not quite that simple. But you idea is not wrong. Of course, this was before my time. I know that the so called higher races were created in this manner. Those of mythical ssification, or higher."


    "So, that''s why..." Eldrian fell into thought. At least he now understood why some races could live for eternity and others only a hundred years or even less.


    There was still the question of how they could live so long. Ashliel''s circumstances were still clear in Eldrian''s mind. ''Is their sense of time diluted? Can they pass hundred, even thousands of years as if in a dream, and then in crises focus on timeframes as short as days?''


    While these questions were fascinating, Eldrian knew now was not the time to dive into them. "I''ve been sensing recently that our coordination has becking."


    "Yes, I apologize for that." Two bowed as a form of apology. "I''ve been exploring what I can and can''t do. Since we absorbed the lich, I''ve been noticing changes. Especially when I was processing it."


    ''I totally just threw that work at him.''


    "No, don''t think I am upset about it. I think it would be best if going forward you consider me simr to the AI. And in our soul I have admin privileges."


    "Huh? What does that mean?"


    "It means while I have certain control over our soul, I cannot do anything too drastic. For example, I can''t make an entire world." Pointing to their surroundings, Two emphasized this feat. Of course, he had helped back then. But it was Eldrian''s permission that allowed him to.


    "I still don''t really get it. This is all so... strange..." Although he still had many things to ask, Eldrian felt they had dawdled long enough. "How are we going to move forward?"


    "For now, I think it would be best to leave the magic to me." Two replied. "Your focus has been... somewhat distracted."


    "All of the magic?" Eldrian asked, not going to argue the distracted part. He knew Two was more proficient than him. It was part of the reason he wanted to mind link. To catch up on everything Two has learned from all the books Eldrian threw at him.


    However, even though the situation might be dire, Eldrian did not want to force a mind link onto Two. Especially if it would bring forth adverse affects for one or both of them.


    "Naturally not. However, I would like to manage the spells that we use the mana in our soul for. While you use the mana in our avatar to support you in a fight. When needed, I can refuel the avatar. And else wise, I will act in a supportive capacity."


    "Have you no further questions for me?" Ziraili asked, noting that the two were nning to return to the world and aid the city. She found this turn of events rational, but questionable. After all, she had promised to answer all questions forthright.


    "I do, but now is not the time." Eldrian replied, "And I am sure Two wants to know what divinity is, or be given some... if that would be possible?"


    "Then we shall talk again when things are calmer." Ziraili said, making to leave.


    ¡ª


    "It appears you have woken. That is much faster than I expected. We''ve sent someone to take over the tower. They should arrive shortly." Penthine smiled gently. While Eldrian''s initial arrival had been quite the problem, it had allowed them to gain the advantage.


    However, Eldrian did not reply. He seemed focused elsewhere, and shockingly, he was not focused on the now harmonic magic crystals. ''Does he not care for it, or...?''


    As feared, Eldrian was focused on another topic. "I did not expect them to have these numbers..." On his map, Eldrian saw the map filled with red. Somehow, well over ten thousand elites had passed the frontline.


    ¡ª


    "How could you throw me off!?" Elizabeth yelled as soon as she caught up with Ceph.


    "I made sure you won''t die. Besides, you''re a Chosen, aren''t you? Even if you died, it would only have meant losing some experience." Ceph defended himself.


    "You!? Could you not at least have warned me?!"


    "Talking in my natural form required me to use magic. I was otherwise preupied. Wasting time to convey my message would have let the opportunity slip."


    "Then do the telepathic message thing!" Elizabeth roared, not willing to back down. She had seen her life sh before her eyes.


    In that moment, she had forgotten all about being inside a game. iling and screaming at Ceph as she plummeted through the air. She had truly thought she would die. An experience she had not had in the game since way back when she was still a noob.


    "You are not ustomed to it. And you miss most of the messages I send."


    "You''ve sent more than one?"


    "I''ve sent five during our flight. But you heard nothing. Your mental state is too chaotic."


    Elizabeth found Ceph''s tone rather rude, but she couldn''t argue that she had been in full on panic during the entire flight. After all, she had nearly died because Ceph didn''t ount for the effect such sudden eleration would have on her body.


    As a mythical creature, Ceph did not even notice the danger. And Eldrian, the special case that he was, also never even mentioned it.


    ? "Besides, it worked out in the end, didn''t it?" Ceph pushed on, determined that he was right.


    Grumbling, Elizabeth decided she would let it slide for now. After all, they were still on the battlefield. And while she and Ceph had been arguing, others had died. Moving to provide aid where she could, Ceph did the same.


    Both, however, paused as they received a message from Eldrian.


    ''Ceph, I need you toe pick me up.''


    [Elizabeth, heres the current situation. Their forces are far more than expected. I''ve done a quick scan of the west, and there weren''t many Tier 7s. I''ll focus there, share this with the yers. I already informed the mayor, but a more detailed report would be handy.]


    [Can''t you... Fine...]


    ''On my way. You still in the same tower?''


    ''Yeah.''


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 Chapter 825 Numbers Game (2) - The The Field

    ''So, how bad is our situation?'' Ceph asked as soon as he and Eldrian took flight.


    ''Each gate has at least a few thousand bearing down on it. East seems closer to ten,'' Eldrian replied.


    ''What''s the n, then?'' Ceph asked, understanding that the shift they could cause in arge scale battle was limited. While they were strong, they could easily be tied down by a formidable enemy. Or their influence would be limited to only one area.


    At least, this was still the image he held himself. The most effective path forward was perhaps to focus on enemymanders via sneak attacks from the night. However, Eldrian had no so ns. His was much, much simplers.


    "We''ll charge. Simple as that." Eldrian said, taking our Crystoi. ''Two, you ready?''


    ''Roger, I will focus on the small fry, so you can aim for their captains or shamans.''


    ''Just charge?'' Ceph asked, dubious.


    From up high, the view of the city was something. The illuminance from the divine barrier giving the city a look of cloudy weather. Not quite proper sunlight, but light nheless in the dark of night.


    Perhaps calling it a calming, healing light would be most fitting. It gave everyone strength, enhanced their natural abilities, and weakened their enemies, too. Truly divine.


    Fires were also visible all over the city, along with plenty of wreckage. Some of the fires were protective barriers where people could fall back for safety, others houses and entire districts burning to the ground.


    "Yup." Eldrian replied with a smile, "Dive!"


    Uponmand, Ceph change his trajectory. Performing a swoop at a speed that belied belief to themon yer and soldier alike. And unlike a certain missy, Eldrian stayed on Ceph''s back as if they did not move at all. The wind billowed Eldrian''s silver hair, and it felt great.


    They crashed into the closest target. Ceph''snding causing shockwaves, sending the surrounding goblins flying. Many of whom died from the impact alone. Soon after, simple Tier 1 spells filled the air, flittering like a sowing needle through the goblin''s vitals. Each spell iming multiple lives before losing its effectiveness.


    ''Charge therge ones¡ª'' Eldrian started to ry his message, getting an update from Two who had scanned the area while ughtering.


    ''Strongest are the goblin shamans, at least over ten.''


    ''¡ªScratch that, focus the shamans.'' Pinpointing the closest one, Ceph closed the distance in the blink of an eye. And Eldrian''s spear sliced through its neck before it could even fathom what was going on.


    By the time four shamans had fallen, the goblins finally understood they were under attack. However, Eldrian and Ceph were simply too fast.


    Should the shamans manage to ce a barrier, or the goblin knights stand in their way, they simply took to the sky. All the while, Tier 1 spells flittering through the goblin ranks. Their normal ilk unable to do anything but die from Two''s surgical precision attacks.


    And then Ceph and Two would attack a new area. Both used as little mana as they could, realizing that the group was too weak to force them to.


    ¡ª


    The fighting atop the wall had calmed. Reinforcements arrived and most of the enemies inside the city were contained, if not killed. The soldiers were preparing for theing siege. That''s when they saw a ck and green figure appear from the night sky.


    Crashing into a nearby group of goblins, they moved through the enemy. Cutting down goblins by the dozens. If not for the dark of night making it difficult to see the enemy''s makeup, the soldiers would have nched, realizing what a force it was. Yet, in just a few minutes, it was no more.


    The ck and green apparition with a silver-haired figure disappeared as soon as they had arrived. Another boom heard from the distance, this time too far past the veil of night to discern anything but the sounds asionally making it to the walls.


    The few yers stationed at this side of the city stared at the carnage at the edge of the light in disbelief. They knew what and who that apparition was, and seeing their might on full disy made the yers quake in fear, shake with ambition, or shout in joy.


    Why they had never heard of this disy of power before, they could not fathom. In mere minutes, Eldrian and his tamed beast had killed hundred of goblins. And without using any AOE spells or attacks at that.


    The goblins instead appeared to fall one after the other, like puppets with their strings cut


    ¡ª


    Landing in the fourth group, Eldrian immediately tensed. Forming a barrier of ice, several cracks echoed through the air. A dozen spears had been blocked, though the barrier was cracked and near failing. But it had done its job.


    "Orcs, and it appears we have a few demons or something monster-like here, too." Eldrianmented.


    Using an abridged version of mana sense, Eldrian only wished to gain a general sense of the monsters. While each Syltrof was Tier 5, that did not ce Eldrian under much concern. The bigger problem was the orc chieftain and shamans.


    [Syltrof]


    [A creature that often lives in borrows, its ws are sharp enough to turn iron to dust, and its hide though enough to block most average de.]


    The exnation of the Syltrof was not much use, but it did not appear like it was a big concern. Its stats did not appear bnced for warfare. It was much too slow, however; it was a veritable tank with a plethora of HP and armor.


    ''Perhaps brought to dig under or through the walls for another avenue of attack?'' Relying this thought to Elizabeth, she made sure to inform the other leaders and the mayor of such a possibility. That they could not only watch for attack from above the ground.


    Already the shamans were working on erecting a magic blocking barrier while the chieftain was organized his scattered orcs to focus on the threat in their midst. As always, theirnding caused the group to fall into chaos.


    Focusing on the Chieftain, Ceph charged. Carrying Eldrian with him as he did, who canceled his ice barrier in perfect time for Ceph''s charge, hiding for just a split second their actions.


    The orcs expected this. While an alicorn, Ceph still appeared like a horse. And a horse and its rider would charge. Pikes, spears, and axes filled their surroundings as multiple barriers filled the air, stagnating the local mana and making it harder to cast spells to those the casters deemed their enemy.


    Unwavering, their charge did not falter. Ceph did not slow, and the orcs thought for sure he would be impaled along with his elven rider. Who, strangely enough, wore wooden armor, of all things.


    However, in the next second Eldrian faulted in the sky while Ceph rolled on the ground.


    Eldriannded with his spear piercing two orcs to the ground. The wings of his speer having pierced them along with the de and entered deep into the ground.


    With a twist and a mighty yank, he ripped the spear out of them. Forming a gruesome sight as it left a gaping hole in the orcs'' chests.


    Ceph, on the other hand, had turned into his elven form. Using the moment of his charge, he had slid under the orcs. His adamantine de severing all their legs until he finally came to a halt. Where he vaulted to his feet and struck the nearest orc.


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 Chapter 826 Numbers Game (3) - Thinning The Enemy

    With perfect teamwork, the two fought the orcs surrounding them. ying all the orcs below Tier 5 with ease. It did not take long for the orcs to realize they were simply sendingmbs to the ughter. With a mighty below, the captain had everyone withdraw as the shamans aimed their magic at their enemy.


    Massive elemental attacks of all types filled the air. Ready to turn the offenders, who stood back-to-back to ask, into burnt leftovers. However, as theyunched their spells, nothing came of it.


    Confused, the shamans wailed their arms, trying to get the spells to listen to them. And the next second, the barrier and spells all disappeared. Followed not a secondter by a dozen simple Tier 1 spells that embedded itself in the eyes of the shamans.


    Which was then further followed up by Kafsilos. Rings of me surrounded the shaman. Blinded and in extreme pain, feeling the heat sent them into full-blown panic.


    The captain tried his best to return order to the shamans. However, he was soon weed by a thrust of a spear. Having to focus on his own survival, he mmed the weapon to the side and charged the silver-haired elf.


    Now, of course, Eldrian had been picking their targets with a n in mind. They had started with the weakest group, the goblins, so he could watch what Two was capable of when given full reign to use all the mana in their soul.


    So far, Two had limited himself to low Tier spells, however, his use of them was surgical precision. And here he had waited for just the right time to break the enemy''s spells and cancel their barriers.


    Sending their minds into a panic before attacking them. Focusing first on disabling them and then killing. Their screams growing fainter by the second.


    It was efficient, and Eldrian was confident to leave the magical department to him. Meanwhile, Ceph''s speed meant they could always retreat and attack as they wished.


    Blocking the chieftain''s de with his spear''s shaft, Eldrian smiled while being pushed back. This was going to be a longer fight. Luckily, the orc was far too slow. His strength might be more than Eldrian''s, but the difference in agility was too much.


    Dancing around the orc''s mighty swings, Eldrian easily found opportunities to strike with his spear. Quick, shallow wounds that slowed the orc even more. His regenerative ability draining his stamina. Soon, he was heaving and puffing. Shouting for assistance.


    However, the shamans were no more, and the warriors were being kept at bay by Ceph and Two. The rest of the orcs often ended up in the way, unable to contribute but not wishing to run¡ªfor that was the height of shame for an orc and would mean their deaths.


    They instead milled about, standing in the warrior''s way and being used by Ceph to keep the opponents he faced at a manageable amount.


    ''How long before you kill the chieftain?'' Ceph asked, quickly struggling to keep the others from interfering. The warriors were not dumb. Realizing the green-haired elf''s ns, they focused instead on keeping him pinned down to offer support to their leader.


    [Orc Chieftain (Elite), Tier 6, Level 38]


    [HP: 8.7k/9k]


    [Stamina: 3k/7.5k]


    [...]


    ''He''s nearly exhausted. You can shift to focusing on defeating those you are fighting. I should be able to handle those whoe my way.''


    Relieved, Ceph did just that. Using the magical support from Two to focus more on killing than dancing. And, when he got a chance, he jumped back and summoned his own magic. His small wings glowed green as he channeled his mana. Sending a massive wind de that severed the orcs before him in half.


    That wasn''t enough to kill them. However, it disabled them all. They screamed and shrieked in pain, and Ceph weaved between them to end their misery. None of the orcs managing a defense.


    On Eldrian''s side, he was now facing ten warriors. The chieftain having fallen back to try to recover. However, the situation with these orcs was much the same. While there were a few more agile in the group, none of them had more than 600 agility. Most only had around 400, a little over half what Eldrian had.


    He used that speed advantage, along with Elemental Alignment, to flicker between his foes. ying one after the other. While resilient, it was now clear that the orcs died just like any other humanoid upon having their head destroyed.


    So, that was just what Eldrian did. His spear glowing green, he struck. Piercing their neck or head and letting the wind surrounding his de burst. The internal damage often outright killing or beheading his target.


    Jumping to the side, Eldrian used a burst of wind to vault over his surrounding enemies. Watching where the chieftain had thrown a spear. It was a good attempt, however, his roar had allowed everyone to know something wasing.


    ''Mmm, I think this type of group will be our limit,'' Eldrian mumbled while reaching the apex of his jump.


    While Ceph''s stats were beastly, in his elven form, he only had attributes around the six hundreds. In the worst case, he would fight enemies at the same level as him. His magic, however, will always be there to tip the scale.


    As for fighting in his alicorn form, while possible, it was not optimal. Not in a chaotic melee. The lithe frame his elven form offered was simply better at avoiding damage. Granted, most attacks would nce off his coat, however, just one sessful attacknding would be a problem.


    ''Two, what''s your analysis?'' Eldrian asked, curious how the magic side was going. Outside of ughtering the weaker orcs and managing their flow, Two was also asionally buying Ceph time by interrupting one of his foes.


    These interruptions were often a mix of Tier 1 and 0 spells, temporarily blinding the target or making them flinch. Extremely cost efficient, something Eldrian was not known for.


    ''The shaman''s magic was weak. Barely any contest in breaking the barrier. Heck, I can even cast within it. However, if they are stronger, we would have been surrounded and forced to flee.''


    ''Alright, then we will aim for groups with a maximum of Tier 6 in them,'' Eldrian replied, sticking hisnding amongst a bunch of weaker orcs. Despite knowing they were outmatched, the orcs charged Eldrian with vigor.


    However, they all fell easily with a few swings of the wind aligned Crystoi. Which Eldrian returned to normal after emptying a position for himself.


    ''The wind''s effective against them. Much more than the fire or ice alignment. But... it costs so much mana.'' Eldrian exhaled, half in a sigh and half simply readying himself for the next part of the battle.


    He hadn''t quite realized how much mana would drain with its attacks. He was basically out of mana for his own use.


    Dodging the charging warrior''s attack, Eldrian asked Two to do some damage. As he slid his back de through the orc''s side and block the next orc''s attack with the front, Two struck the former with Velona Pagetou (Tier 2 Frost Needle) in the back of its neck. Followed up with Pyrovolida, right where the icicle had formed a wound.


    Diving into it, the firebolt expanded and exploded, sending a head flying. A head thatnded with a thud as Eldrian thrust his spear through a new arrival''s heart. Sparing just a nce, Eldrian got shivers.


    Two was ruthless. That certainly did not look like a painless death, with how the wound was irregr. As if ripped from the body, instead of severed.


    While thinking this, Eldrian also realize he would never have been able to perform such an attack. Not while attacking, dodging, and counterattacking against multiple foes. The precision and focus required tond such an attack was simply not something he could spare.


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 Chapter 827 Numbers Game (4) - Time To Return

    Wearing the chieftain 9k health down certainly took a long time. And as the fight continued, Eldrian couldn''t help but reflect that speed was the most important attribute of all. Not only allowed it him to move faster, it even allowed -to a certain extent- him to process things faster.


    The orc''s impressive strength helped it none, as Eldrian would simply maneuver in a way that negated its advantage. The values of these two attributes flipped for the two.


    When they shed in a battle of strength, Eldrian was always forced into the disadvantage. And infuriated by the continuous shallow wounds Eldrian delivered it, wearing it down bit by bit. The orc was ovee with rage.


    Especially since Eldrian would always use magic to escape such strength contests. Leaving it with a new shallow wound that simply drained its stamina and health, slowly.


    ''Not that I have the time to devote to it...'' Eldrian mumbled, letting the chieftain''s attack slip along his spear. A move that would make this a contest of strength once it locked with the wings of his spearhead. And seeing its chance, the orc smiled.


    It tried to use his strength advantage to pull the spear from Eldrian''s hands. Just as its sword locked with the spear''s wings, a short spear suddenly appeared in Eldrian''s other hand. Flying with great speed.


    Sword locked, and with no time to waste, the chieftain was forced to leave its weapon and dodge.


    However, the thrown spear did not fly straight. As the orc jumped to the side, it slithered like a snake through the air.


    With a roar, the orc smashed the short spear to the side. Its fists were just as dangerous as a sword. However, as it returned its attention to Eldrian, it fell to the ground. A simr spear stuck in its back.


    Sadly, Eldrian could not finish it off right there and then. The surrounding orcs charged him upon realizing the danger their chieftain was in. Falling back, Eldrian dodged and weaved. Delivering a handful of shallow wounds. Two, however, yed.


    And as everyone focused on Eldrian, Ceph appeared from above in silence. His adamantine de blending into the dark, his figure d in darkness. With a thud, the chieftain''s head fell to the ground.


    For a while, the orcs did not even realize they had lost their leader. They continued to chase Eldrian, and he continued to focus on his defenses. Ceph moved from behind. Keeping himself d in darkness, his de moved swiftly.


    No sound was heard as he attacked from the back. And body after body fell to the ground, pooling the battlefield with their blood.


    ¡ª


    "That took a while. I need a break." Eldrian mumbled.


    Finally realizing their loss and the danger that the two presented, the orcs retreated despite the stigma they had against such an action.


    When they realize the near invisible figure that was Ceph was attacking them from behind, and their chieftain fallen, they lost all spirit and honor that they still had.


    Ceph had looked especially monstrous, hiding his figure in darkness. He almost looked like a Night Terror. That, along with theck of sound from those he killed, certainly broke thest strand of will the orcs had.


    "Agreed." Ceph said, taking a seat on one of the nearby dead orcs. "Where you always this strong?"


    "Where did that questione from?" Eldrian asked, joining Ceph in sitting upon the yed orcs. Their bulky frames made them quitefortable seating. Though he wouldn''t want to stay here long. Just catch his breath and move on.


    The groan as he took his seat was certainly most ufortable. A dagger to his seat''s neck ensured there were no further groans.


    Instead of exining, Ceph pointed to their surroundings, filled with dozens upon dozens of dead orcs. He felt it was unnecessary to exin further.


    "Ah that." Eldrian smiled, taking the time to clean himself of the blood he was covered in. "I guess the answer is yes and no. I didn''t get a level up or anything. Well, not since reaching Tier 5. So I''m just as strong as I was the past week."


    "Then?" Ceph pressed, clearly not convinced. It wasn''t even like Eldrian had relied on his auras or anything. So he hadn''t gotten a breakthrough in that area either.


    "I figured some things out with Two."


    "That''s... the second... what the heck is Two?"


    "Not sure myself. With how they talked, it seems he''s more like a person inside me than a second mind or split personality. I kind of get it and not really at the same time."


    Ceph didn''t seem hung off on the what as much as what it meant. It took him only a second to realize what it meant. "I see. You had him focus on the magic. No wonder it seemed so much more urate."


    "Yeah. Didn''t think the difference would be so great, though." Looking at the carnage, Eldrian felt somewhat embarressed it took him so long to just entrust it all to Two. ''However, I can''t overly rely on him. No one knows what the future holds, and cking won''t do.''


    "It makes sense, though. In essence, Two is a mage who can''t be interrupted. He is perfectly able to focus entirely on spell casting. I believe we can do something simr if we stay in the back lines."


    "I guess..." Eldrian shrugged. He didn''t feel there were many capable of keeping the front stable enough. Thus, he doubted it would ever truly be an option for them. After all, only a fool would let spellcasters do as they wanted. They would always be the first target in a battle.


    ''Perhaps if the others grow stronger. But I don''t see them catching up with us.''


    "In any case, I''m out of mana." Eldrian continued, "Guess we need to return to the city."


    "I was hoping you would say that." Ceph sighed in relief. He was also low on mana and stamina. They needed some rest.


    ¡ª


    "Moreing from the right!" This shout alerted the group fighting atop the walls of a fresh stream of enemies. Sadly, they had no relief to rely on themselves.


    Moving their tired bodies, the soldiers and yers tried their best to kick thedders from the walls. However, these were no ordinarydders. Formed from magic, they grew from the ground along the walls. Giving cover to those who climbed them and rock solid.


    "Die!" a centaur cursed, pulling his bow back and aiming into the distant. Where the light from their city faded, a devil smiled. Its hands pointed up and a dozen suchdders forming. Followed quickly by a roar as orcs, kobolds, and goblins charged.


    Releasing his arrow, the centaur cursed as it fell short. Deflected by a barrier.


    "Zoferes Floges!" A yer shouted, jumping between the centaur and the nearestdder. mes bursting from his hands like a methrower. So hot it turned the rock red. s, it did not manage to melt it.


    As for the stone of the wall, it remained cold to the touch. Its sturdy defenses were the only reason the enemy couldn''t force their way through the walls themselves. Forcing them to either scale the walls or break through the gates. However, neither was going as nned for their enemy.


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 Chapter 828 Counterattack (1)

    "Did you really think your arrow would reach them, Gelios?" A centaurette asked, walking up to the group and surveying the newly created stonedders. Her remark causing Gelios to flush red in embarrassment. For honestly, he had believed.


    "Why do you think I did not attack them?" Her follow up rified she was stronger and that her restraint should have been a sign, causing Gelios'' embarrassment to soar.


    Having recently broken through to Tier 6, the centaur was not yet ustomed to his increasing strength. Unlike yers, natives did not gain an immediate full upgrade. However, he had be much stronger than before.


    He had believed he could pierce any barrier with his new bow and strength. That was not the problem. Hismander''s words made it clear that the issue did not lie in his hubris--though it was a problem in and of itself.


    The problem was, he had left their formations and attacked withoutmand. Before they could even exin themselves to themander of the west. Though, given the circumstances, that could wait.


    With a sigh, the centaurette pulled back her own bow and poured mana into her arrow. Shining brightly, waves of mana emanated from the arrow, and upon release, those who had stayed next to her were sent flying.


    Luckily, no one ended up falling from the walls--though only because she had maneuvered herself to the edge facing their enemy.


    With a deafening boom, her arrow zipped through the firstdder, shattering the top to pieces and causing massive cracks to spread to its roots. The arrow then changed direction ever so slightly, destroying the top of four more stonedders before sticking into the sixth. Unable to pierce through it.


    Those climbing the destroyedddersughed. While the top had been shattered, thedders themselves had not. And the length that had been shattered was something most could simply jump.


    "Would you mind?" The centaurette turned to the yer who had released Zoferes Floges.


    "Huh? What?" Confused, the yer turned to the centaurette.


    "They simply need one more push. Why don''t you give it to them?" replied Evale as she took aim at the remainingdders.


    This time, everyone next to her evacuated. While the eager yers rushed to the previously attackeddders. Sending their strongest spell at them.


    This turned out to be just enough, causing the cracks to propagate and the stone to shatter. Sending all those who were rushing from the top of the walls to their deaths.


    Stunned, the yers looked between the destroyeddders and dozen of dead enemies, their XP notification, and the centaurette who had released her second arrow. They rushed to repeat the process before their enemy could be the wiser.


    "This will only momentarily pause them, and I do not have enough mana to continually destroy theirdders. Can one of you please run to a temple and bring back some oil?"


    Confused, the yers did not respond immediately. Then it clicked, and in a rush, they headed for the further tower to descend. Heading to the gate would simply slow them down because of the chaos caused by all the fighting there and along the wall--which only grew the nearer to the gate one was.


    "Have you fought with the Chosen before?" Asked the apparent leader of this group of yers.


    He appeared capable, but not talented. At a nce, Evale knew she could not leave things as they are. The fact that the surrounding Chosen had listened to her was proof that theirmander wascking.


    And it appeared that the soldierscked a captain. Evale assumed he had fallen at some point. Thanks to the stonedders being destroyed, they now had a slight reprieve from the fighting here on the far right of the gate.


    Surveying her surroundings, she sighed. The city was clearly still reeling from this surprise attack. While they had survived and even turned the tables, theing fight would not be an easy one.


    She could feel it. Her experience told her there was much more to this attack than a simple attempt. ''Is this why you sent me, Pros?'' Despitemands from above to focus reinforcements on Blenar and the surrounding towns, Pros had told her to go to Elomir.


    Evale''s experience told her that their enemy would not have released this arrow if they were not confident. Confident enough that not even the Chosen, nor Eldrian, who was famed for his ability to turn the tables, could do so.


    She could not believe that their enemy had not considered his presence.


    "Nikki, can I leave things to you?" Evale asked, bringing to light that she was not here alone. Sure, there was Gelios, who had fired an arrow at the devils below in vain, but there were seven more centaurs and a number of humans--yers.


    "Sure." Nikki replied, "Silver, please head to inform the gate." She then turned to those around her. "Alright, I want one cannon at each location adder was before. Quick! To it!"


    The reinforcements jumped to action, massive cannons appearing on the wall and not muchter booms sounding from them. Focused on the thick gathering of foes below the gates. Carnage was sowed.


    Numb, the soldiers and yers alike stared at how quickly these reinforcements had gone on the attacks. However, before they could even ask who these reinforcements were, something even more shocking appeared.


    "Evale? What are you doing here?" Eldrian asked, hopping from Ceph''s back as the alicorn transformed into a beautiful elf. In fact, both elves were extremely handsome. Even though the silver haired one was covered in several scars and his clothes, and wooden armor, were in tatters.


    "I''ve been sent for the first response. Only brought those who were with me at the time and met up with Nikki." Evale exined, "How bad are things?"


    Having rushed to give their support, Evale knew little of the situation. Only what Nikki had shared while rushing to the walls. The chaos in the city certainly made things look worse than they were. Or perhaps it told of how bad things were just a short time ago.


    "It''s going to be rough. Especially because of the sabotage." Eldrian replied, turning to Nikki, who had joined the conversation at this point. "How many cannons and cannonballs do we have?"


    "Twenty, and two hundred."


    "Not much at all." Eldrian mumbled, the cannons no longer firing. After their second volley, the enemy had spread out. With their limited ammunition, they could not afford to waste any shots.


    "Indeed. More ising, though. We have also started the trade trick."


    "Oh?" Nodding in approval, Eldrian smiled. "Right. So far, Ceph and I killed over five hundred of their reinforcements. But there is still easily over ten thousand in the west. They''re not alling for the gate, though."


    "Do they want to spread us thin, or do they have an alternative in?" Evale asked.


    If the enemy simply tried to move to a less defended part of the wall, they would send reinforcements to counter them. And in a siege, the defenders had the advantage. And the numbers Eldrian had told them about were not enough to effectively spread them thin or overwhelm them.


    "They have an alternative." Eldrian confirmed. "We came across a monster called a Syltrof. From its description, I assume they were brought to burrow under the walls, perhaps sap them."


    Evale frowned. This was not amon approach. Naturally, cities were not built with such a ring weakness.


    Only strengthening the walls would have their enemy focus on the ground it stands upon. Because of this, walls extend into the dirt for quite a bit, and even then, magic was also used to make digging much harder.

 Chapter 829 Counterattack (2) - Lacking Information

    This certainly wasn''t irond. Just like the walls could be scaled or flown over, it was possible to go beneath them despite efforts to remove the possibility. And as the city was currently focusing its power on suppressing the enemies still inside, there wasn''t much they could do but stay on guard.


    A creature efficient at digging was certainly a problem. If it was capable enough, it could pierce through the hardened earth. Certain demons were known for being capable of breaking the walls themselves. There also existed such siege weapons.


    However, the siege weapons were outranged by magic towers. ''There must be some of them. I''d expect Vodi or something simr to be present too,'' Evale thought, her eyes attempting to peer into the enhanced darkness of the night. The light of the stars unable to reach the ground.


    The veil of darkness made it impossible to observe their foes. Its cover would allow such devices or creatures to move within range. ''What is their n? Or is the entire siege a distraction? Why are things seeming handled?''


    Evale had expected much worse, given the reports. The chaos in the city was what she expected on the walls, too. Not this. Not the slow siege, where it appeared more that the enemy was buying time than trying to overwhelm them.


    Given that the devils had revealed their hand, most cities were sure to be in chaos. Kynigo had been rescued from it thanks to Eldrian''s previous work. And given that, it felt strange that the situation wasn''t worse than it was.


    She doubted their enemy could attack the entire kingdom. Most likely, the North and East were suffering the most. However, all devils would have to make their escape after this. There had to be more.


    Evale sighed as she thought of theirck of information. In such a situation, waiting felt like the wrong option. "Eldrian, how long for you to recover?"


    Looking towards Ceph, Eldrian paused. "Give us twenty minutes.''


    Perhaps not a shocking time frame, but it was still frightening to imagine that Eldrian could fight again so soon. Of course, most yers would regain all their stamina and mana between 10 and 30 minutes. Depending on their gear.


    But Eldrian appearedpletely bereft of gear. His armor was in tatters, as was his clothing. Nor did it appear that he wore any rings, nes, or other magical items. To go back into a fight in such a condition simply seemed like lunacy.


    Given his disy of might, the surrounding yers did not question it. Though Nikki advised Eldrian to change his clothes to retain his modesty. "That''s just a waste of money." Eldrian countered, their conversation bringing to light how close he was to nudity.


    Just a few more attacks and what remained would fall apart. Despite his words, Eldrian decided to change before moving out. After all, he knew he was being streamed. While this was his avatar and not his actual body, he wasfortable in it and would indeed be embarrassed to have thousands of people see his virtual self naked.


    "Right, take this." Evale said, throwing a three mana crystals at Eldrian. Agreeing that he should change. While his new clothes would be ruined again, she knew of instances where people faltered because of their clothes.


    Most would be caught up in their adrenaline. But if it made you pause for even just a second, it could still lead to your death.


    "Thanks. I''ll be sure to use them well." Smiling, Eldrian stored the crystals and looked toward the darkness. Observing the asional charge as foes and allies fell alike.


    ''They are certainly up to something... Do they not know that their numbers are known?'' Eldrian grinned as he thought of this. Indeed, it would be strange if their enemy knew.


    After all, it wasn''t likemunication over fast distances was a simple thing. It relied on structures such as magic towers or expensive magic items that required a good amount of mana to deliver messages.


    Eldrian found it strange just howcking it was, considering that teleportation was a thing. ''But, given that this world is one that has been tampered with. I guess it isn''t too strange that some things appear far more advanced than others. But why ismunication socking?''


    Regardless of the reason,munication wascking. Which meant even if there were previous enemies who knew of this ability of his. Informing their allies on the other side of the kingdom was unlikely. ''Besides, it is also being kept guarded in the kingdom...''


    ''Mmm, I can''t say it hasn''t been leaked. But if it has, they likely think Elizabeth is the source, not me. Does this mean they are stalling us here, trying to keep our focus on the North?''


    As soon as the idea hit him, Eldrian shuddered. Expanding his map, he searched all borders for enemies. Zooming in and out repeatedly, until he found three different armies. Eldrian identified a few in each group.


    One army was the undead in the east. They were marching on Trigora and Tripeak from Nothernian. Then there was a horde of monsters moving through the vol mountains to the west. And, of course, the north was being attacked in full by a mix bunch of foes.


    ''Two, what do you think?'' Eldrian asked his other half before bringing chaos to the surrounding people.


    ''The east is something the kingdom would expect. But the west not. Considering the Vol Mountains stretches along the entire forested region and is inhabited by the Volvren dwarves, the kingdom likely believes an attack unlikely from there.''


    ¡ª


    Arriving at the mayor''s mansion, Eldrian had changed into a fresh pair of clothes and was soon weed by the guards. The yer having contacted the mayor having already organized a meeting between them.


    Brought to the top of the mansion, Eldrian entered the mayor''s study. Finding an elderlydy waiting for him, before her, a massive table spread out with a map of the city. At a nce, it was easy to see the destruction the enemy''s surprise had wrought, but things appeared quite contained at the moment.


    "I heard you bring news." Her tone was t, she appeared quite tired.


    "Indeed, and it is not good news. I suspect the attack on the north is a distraction."


    "Is that so? Are they moving with the undead in the east?" Penthine asked. Appearing aware of this already.


    "Indeed, Trigora and Tripeak are already under siege."


    Eldrian''s information simply made the mayor nod her head. "Seems your ability is the real deal. Is there more to their trap?"


    "I''m afraid so. It luckily does not appear the orcs areing from the southwest, nor are the vampires moving from the drnds. Kynigo is also capable of stopping the undead that are wandering their way from the encroaching."


    "Then the west? Or is the middle east also under threat?"


    "I''ve yet to find any foes north of Tripeak in the east. But, sadly, a horde of monsters near a million strong is moving through the Vol Mountains." Eldrian did not know how many there actually were, but that group appeared almost as dense as a city on his map.


    He felt a million was a safe bet.


    Penthine seemed unable to ept what she had heard. After a while, she sighed. "What part of the Vol Mountains?"


    "Around Naraan, but I assume they will head towards Dvereka first."


    "And you are sure they aren''t marching on the dwarves?"


    "I have no certainty. But their numbers suggest trouble, regardless."


    "Indeed..." Penthine sighed and mumbled something under her breath. Before taking out a curious magical item, its appearance that of a bird. "Lady Ianthe, I have new information. Please inform the duke as soon as possible..."


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 Chapter 830 Counterattack (3) - Sally-Forth

    "I can''t agree to this!"


    "Oh? Do you not trust our intel?" Evale pressed.


    "Of course not! I don''t trust you either!" The captain of the western gate, Vasiss, shouted. Besides having a few Chosen vouch for her, Evale had no credibility inside the city. She was an outside force, naturally he would not let her do as she wished.


    "Time is of the essence! We need to move. Now!" Evale continued to fight. Her emotions running high.


    Returning to a city under siege was enough to make her recall her brother''s death. Especially with the chaos inside the city. And while Vasiss did not resemble her brother, his size did. Making that memory all the harder to push down.


    As she was about to burst, Eldriannded next to her. Upon seeing the alicorn, Vasiss turned as white as a ghost. Noticing the peculiarity, Eldrian let Ceph do the talking.


    "We just returned from the mayor. She agrees that the attack on the North is a distraction. Ride out and attack the enemy at their core."


    "B-but¡ª" Vasiss was clearly shaken by this promation. However, he could not get the words out to contest.


    "This is an order from the mayor!" Ceph pressed, and noting where the problemy, Eldrian handed the captain the order they had gotten.


    "I trust this should rectify any doubts you have." Eldrian said with a smile.


    "Yes!" Nodding, the captain got to calling all his men to the gate.


    They needed to keep their enemy none the wiser. So Vasiss did not call for everyone, but instead only the elites. Forming a small squad of only a dozen centaurs and half that in demi-humans strong. Who joined with Evale and her eight.


    "Alright, as ording to the n, Nikki will focus fire to open a line for you. And we will wait in the sky for a surprise attack." Turning to Elizabeth, Eldrian paused. "Be sure not to die. We need your help to coordinate."


    "Of course!" Elizabeth replied, confident in her ability to remain alive. She had rushed here in order for their attack to work.


    "I will have her ride with me." Evale said. "Do not worry."


    ¡ª


    The cannons boomed. Followed by the screams of their targets. The gates opened, and out poured but a few dozen centaurs with riders.


    "What on earth are they up to?" Asked themander of this attack.


    Four other devils, their red figures hidden by the artificial darkness of their spells, nked him. The artificial darkness ensured the light of the stars and moon would not reach them. Hidding their silhouettes and numbers from all who peered from outside.


    "An attempt to strike at themand?"


    "It must be. Have they expected we are dying things?"


    "How would they? It is not like they can see through my spells. Especially not in the night. I am confident even the mayor herself would be unable to see anything but darkness."


    "And yet, they are heading directly for us."mented themander. Following the path that this group of centaurs was taking. There was no doubt they were heading directly for him. And thanks to the cannons, they encountered little resistance in their charge.


    "That''s impossible. There''s no¡ª" Her sentence never finished. A zing light appeared from the charging group. Sending their cover to the stars and an arrow finding its mark.


    mes surrounded the group next. Followed by more arrows. The devils reacted quickly, but not without paying a cost. Several arrows protruded from each, and the fire had charred their flesh.


    Though, their red skin made it difficult to see the extent of the damage. Their ruined clothes clearly told the tale.


    They were now surrounded, hiding behind their barrier. They just needed to hold off until their soldiers woulde to their rescue. However, as they thought of this, one of the centaurs stepped forward. Her bow shining and the arrow in her hands giving off a terribly dangerous aura.


    The devils immediately recognized this attack. It was the same one that had shattered theirdders. Not having any confidence in their mage''s barrier, they scattered. And the poor mage who tried his best found himself with a hole in his chest.


    The other devils no longer thought of trying to weather the surprise attack. They ran for their lives. Unlike their subjects, they held no honor or pride.


    They cared only for their lives. And no one had mentioned needing to fight directly in this battle, nor that they needed to fight to thest. They simply needed to buy some time and attract the eyes of the kingdom.


    Naturally, the centaurs would not let them escape so easily. They charged their enemy, pinning them down and surrounding each. While their own mages kept the mixed army of orcs, goblins, kobolds, and so forth at bay.


    The devil''s n, to spread the attack to make their numbers seem greater than they were, and to prod for a weakness in the wall, backfired magnificently. Their reinforcements arrived in small numbers. Easily dealt with by their enemy.


    "You won''t get me! I refuse to die here!" shouted themander, his face contorted in rage and fear. Plunging his sword into his heart, he coughed out blood. Which blocked all attacks rained at him.


    Like an impregnable shield, the blood formed a flowing barrier around him. Gathering the blood of all the nearby dead as it did. Growing in strength and pulsing as it grew in strength. Not much longer it collected blood from injured living. And soon, even the uninjured.


    Those who hade to rescue theirmander fell one after the other. Their blood ripped from their still living bodies as it formed a massive, grotesque monster. Its aura sent chills into everyone''s hearts.


    "Retreat!" Evale shouted, followed near instantly by Vasiss''s. Bothmander and captain understood it would not be long before their blood was added to the monster.


    ''Now should do,'' Elizabeth thought, telling Eldrian to target the blood monster and informing everyone to run with all their strength.


    "He''s not holding back!" Elizabeth shouted over the sound of the wind and the agonized screams filling the battlefield.


    This shout elicited a meager response from those from Elomir. Those from Kynigo, however, started running with everything they had. Pouring all their mana into increasing their speed as they headed off into the distance. Giving up trying to return to the city.


    ¡ª


    Watching from up high, Eldrian was impressed by Elizabeth''s spells. They certainly showed far more strength than the average spell. The light easily destroyed the camouge of their enemy, making them easy targets for the elite archers who charged with Evale.


    Add the magic from Vassis and his men''s melee prowess. These few devils stood no chance. However, they still showed tenacity. Managing to survive and reform their defenses, they waited for their soldiers toe to their rescue.


    However, that was not going to happen. They were too scattered and the captain of the western gate was no fool. Once they had confined their enemy, he sent his soldiers to distract the enemy''s reinforcements.


    And that was when Evale shattered their barrier. There seemed to have been somemunicationcking, as Vassis turned to the devils in shock. Moving quickly to block themander''s escape while Evale and her elites finished the other two devils off.


    Then that happened. Because of the time between the two groups acting, the devil had time to plunge his own weapon into his chest. Watching from up high, Eldrian marveled at the action. "That seems to be some type of... I have no idea what to even call it... Is it a bloodline power?"


    ''Their retreating. I assume it is our job to finish it off?''


    "Yeah. It seems quite simr to my mes. Leaving it be will be quite troublesome. I doubt it would stop after killing our enemies."


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 Chapter 831 Counterattack (4) - Flaming Spear

    ''It definitely appears to be spreading. Is the devil still alive?'' Ceph asked.


    "ording to my map, yeah. But I can''t think he''ll stay sane inside that mess." Watching the carnage ying out beneath them, it reminded Eldrian of his own failures in controlling his auras. And indeed, when he had essed his bloodline without proper guidance.


    There was no doubt that the devil had lost control of the power it had called forth. Whatever it may be, it was rampaging. Seeking more and more to feed on.


    Which, sadly, only made it all that more dangerous. Control limited the spiraling chaos of magic. When it wascking, chaos took over. It might even grow to a point where the gods needed to intervene. Eldrian had caused this before, and he could see this as a clear possibility.


    ''How are you going to kill... stop... it?'' Ceph asked. He felt the strategy would the simr to how he targeted the concentrated magical power inside the Night Terror. However, he knew the Night Terror''s weakness, and it was constrained and weakened when he attacked.


    This blood monster was free to move, and they had no information on it. For now, it was only collecting more blood, and thus power. Both Eldrian and Ceph could pinpoint the origin of its power, where all the absorbed energy was flowing.


    That was not difficult for them. Getting to it, however, was another story. Especially considering all the attacks it had blocked before the centaurs had ordered their retreat.


    "How strong do you think it is?" Eldrian asked casually, both to Ceph and Two. Gripping Crystoi in hand, weighing how many mana crystals he needed to add to it.


    The ammunition Evale had given Eldrian was certainly a powerful tool, extremely expensive, and Kynigo was short on supply. Medium mana crystals with over 10k mana were worth 100 gold each. But with the recent shortage, they would easily go for over 200 or even 300 gold each.


    ''It weathered Evale''s attacks, so it should be capable of blocking an attack worth a few thousand damage.'' Ceph was stillcking in the numerical analysis of a fight. His grasp was more intuitive, but he had to try to have it make sense to Eldrian.


    The best he could say was that his strongest attack would not destroy the protective barrier that the blood had formed.


    Two, however, had a better grasp. ''Assuming Evale''s bow is Tier 7 and so too her arrows, we can predict a raw damage value around 200 from her attacks, if not more. Add her skills addition, we are looking at something with an armor value of 300 or 400. Given her attributes, conservatively, it weathered over three thousand physical damage.''


    ''As her skill also added around 200 mana to the arrow as a magical attack, we can assume that it has an MR of 200 at the minimum. Or perhaps it has resistance or a skill nullification?''


    "So, Crystoi alone definitely cannot pierce it." Eldrian murmured. Of course, he had yet to run into such a problem when doing a dive attack. As Ceph and he were currently around a kilometer in the air, the added mass their speed would add to their attack normally pushed his attack home.


    After all, Ceph going at max speed was truly fast. And he just needed a few hundred meters to reach that speed.


    Sadly, they had no quantitive data, so most of the information Two gave flew over Eldrian''s head. He also did not know what the raw values for Nova were. Only that it was effective and had yet to fail him.


    He hated using all the mana crystals, but he would rather not be frugal now, only to regret itter. "Alright then, I''m using all three and wrath."


    Of course, Eldrian stillcked full control of his auras. He would not dare try to use them while in the air on Ceph''s back. Thus, he had to rely on spirit magic instead. First, he started elemental alignment. His spear catching fire as his mana poured into it.


    Then, he sourced for anger. It wasn''t too hard to find something to be angry about. There was the entire Miracle debacle, the chaos in the city, and the unknown regarding the gods. He hadn''t asked her directly about it. But Ziraili being willing to answer any questions, had more or less confirmed that he had been screwed by the other AI.


    However, he did not want to tap into that container. Instead, he focused on the actions of the devil below. It had enacted a power that took the blood of his own allies. Eldrian assumed this was perhaps linked to how vampires fed on the lifeforce inside their victims'' blood.


    Which, if correct, meant that this man was damaging their chances at an afterlife. Especially those he was draining while alive. And while Eldrian didn''t care too much about his enemy''s eternal afterlife. Viewing the betrayal of the one who was supposed to be theirmander was something he could get angry at.


    He channeled this anger into the mes surrounding his spear. While not zing rage, it still added some heat to the mes.


    ''Alright Ceph, dive attack like normal. But stop once we reach a 100 meters. I do not know how massive the fallout is going to be.'' Rying this to Ceph, Eldrian next warned Elizabeth. Telling her to also warn the yers on the walls and have everyone take cover.


    Of course, he knew not everyone would follow those orders. But having given them the chance was good enough. As they dived, Eldrian got a message from another yer, asking for details for the mayor.


    Sadly, he had no time to reply as he reached the point where they would need to start their retreat.


    Focusing on the blood sphere, Eldrian pinpointed the flow of energy inside it. Taking aim, he took control of the mana crystals and fixed their position behind the spear. And then he threw with all his might.


    Immediately, Ceph changed trajectory. Using their downward momentum tond with a gallop. Taking flight immediately after again as he sped away from the ming spear.


    ¡ª


    Nikki stood atop the walls and watched the mass of blood growing. Shivers covered her from head to toe.


    The monster before her appeared like a demon right out of hell. Hundreds of blood tendrils flowed into it from the surrounding enemy. Their enemy. Their numbers dropping faster than during the most heated part of the battle.


    Seeing them being sacrificed like this made even her angry at theirmander. It showed just how little the devils cared for those theymanded.


    As she was wondering what to do against it, giving themand to take aim with their cannons, she got Elizabeth''s message. "Everyone! Store the cannons and take cover!" She shouted, and those from Phoenix followed her orders perfectly.


    The surrounding yers were slower to react, but when they saw the streaming line of fire heading for the blood mass¡ªlike a meteor from outer space¡ªthey all dived for cover.


    The soldiers were a secondter, some reacting in time¡ªothers did not.


    The ming spear shed with the blood mass, failing to prate with its thrust alone. Or so it appeared. However, the searing tip pierced the blood sphere as the surrounding air turned red. And then, like an erupting volcano, mes spread everywhere.


    From inside the spear, light shone. As bright as the sun. Followed immediately by a massive shockwave. Sending blood spattering everywhere. The blood carrying such force that it ripped holes into the houses. Shaking the foundation of the city.


    The blood tore apart any who had failed to take cover apart. Those in cover had their eardrums burst and their lungs copsed.


    Next came the heatwave. Like having stepped into hell, those gasping for breath as theyy in agony found themselves being cooked alive. Followed by silence. Interrupted only by the moans of the survivors.


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 Chapter 832 Counterattack (5) - Aftermath, And Cost

    "Ummm..." Eldrian couldn''t get out any words. Despite Ceph''s speed, the shockwave had reached them and sent them tumbling. Eldrian was sure Ceph was alright, but at the moment his attention was robbed by the destruction he had wrought.


    Where the blood monster once had stood, was now a crater ofva. The surrounding was scorched and mes were spreading through the fields. Thanks to the light of these spreading fires, the carnage was visible for all to see. Gloomily lit under the night sky by the flickering mes.


    "Luckily, the devils were far enough from the walls..." Eldrian mumbled, looking at said walls. The sight wasn''t pretty. All the attacking enemies were now just guts and broken bodies sttered against the walls.


    Despite having experienced plenty of carnage, the sight was enough to have Eldrian waver and his stomach quiver. "I hope they listened to my warning, but... three may have been too many."


    Needless to say, the XP Eldrian had gotten from that attack was far and above anything he had spent scoping out the enemy. In fact, it wasn''t even in the same order of digits.


    In all, he had gained 1.4 billion XP. That, sadly, was still not enough to push him to the next level. It ced him midway there. With 2.7B XP stored, and 4.4B needed for Level 42. He was just a bit under two billion XP short.


    ''I get how the natives are all so low level now,'' Eldrian thought as he looked at the string of notifications.


    With sadness, he noticed that there were a number of soldiers and civilians also on the list of killed. He hadn''t gotten a stain of mass murderer. But it still wasn''t nice knowing for a fact that his attack had killed allies, even if it was from the aftermath of his attack and not the attack itself.


    Eldrian really didn''t know how to feel about the XP that had given him. ''Better not to think of it,'' He grumbled, haltingly moving towards the pit of hell. As he neared, his biggest fear was realized. "Three was infinitely too much..."


    He sighed. Crystoi was nowhere to be seen in the molten earth. While he still felt connected to it, it was clearly gone. He even tried to recall it, but to no avail.


    ''Then, why are my stat boosts still there?'' asking Two for his thought, hispanion quickly came with a probable answer.


    ''Maybe it has something to do with the unknown abilities of the spear? Solvi had mentioned that the voidstone gave it abilities even she could not decipher.''


    Nodding, Eldrian felt that was likely the case. Something to do with the voidstone they had added. He had never figured out what hidden properties it gave the weapon. And now he doubted he ever would.


    "Thought you''d be here." Cephmented, moving to stand next to Eldrian. He didn''t seem hurt, though he was covered in dust and his clothes were a bit of a mess. Of course, Eldrian''s new clothes were in a simr state. Not tattered, but certainly torn and dirty.


    "Seems I overdid it." Eldrian mumbled. "Crystoi is gone."


    "That is indeed disappointing." Ceph felt for Eldrian.


    Unlike him, Eldrian didn''t have parents who would gift him new weapons and armor upon reaching a higher Tier. Of course, for magical creatures, items functioned differently since they can''t bond with the same way as humans and the like. But it was still handy when in a humanoid form.


    A moment of silence passed as the two mourned the loss of a splendid weapon. "Do you want to ask my parents for something to rece it?" Ceph doubted Eldrian would take him up on the offer, but he had to throw it out there.


    "That wouldn''t feel quite right." Eldrian understood the logic, and it was perhaps the best option. But he didn''t want to appear a beggar.


    Besides, he wasn''t short on weapons. Ceph had made him a veritable armament when each time they visited Avgi. Though most didn''tst long, they were only made of wood. Magical wood, sure. But it simply couldn''tpare to the strength of Mithril and the like.


    They would do him just fine in most situations. He simply wouldn''t be able to take on foes that were two Tiers or more above him.


    And, of course, none of the weapons and armor of the devils remained. As they were all within the blood monster, their remains now mixed with the molten earth.


    "She said you were going all out, but..." Evale joined the two, starting at the fiery pit in a cold sweat. She knew Eldrian was strong, but this was just wrong.


    "I used all three." Eldrian said, and that was enough for Evale to understand.


    "I-I see... We certainly couldn''t allow that thing to grow and the magic towers are still contested..." Her voice turned to a whisper as she spoke. Clearly, she was measuring this attack to an attack of magic towers.


    "Can they do something like this?" Eldrian asked. Thus far, magic towers seemedckluster to him. The only truly power attack he had seen from them was from the trailer of ANW. Otherwise, it simply functioned as a mage capable of firing Tier 7 spells without cooldown.


    "They are, but it isn''t that simple. You need to ensure the bacsh won''t damage the city..." Evale stopped there, and Eldrian couldn''t help but rub his head in embarrassment.


    But what she said earlier was true. They couldn''t allow it to grow. For they knew not how strong it would be.


    While Eldrian wanted to wait for the earth to cool down to search for Crystoi onest time, he knew the city was still under attack. While the west was now quiet, the other three sides were still fighting.


    "Not much for it but to go help the other gates. Evale--" Noticing arge figure approaching, Eldrian scrapped what he was about to say. "Captain, we leave the cleanup to you." With that, Ceph transformed back into his natural form and the two took off.


    Looking at their departing figure, the massive centaur sighed. "I knew something was wrong with how fast you were running, but..."


    "Thirty thousand mana." Was Evale''s counter, and that made the centaur grimace and nod in understanding.


    Such an amount put it at the height of Tier 9, or mid of Tier 10, in terms of mana. The precision was certainlycking, but the quantity left nothing to be desired. Or, in other words, it was the equivalent of using all the natural stockpiled mana in a magic tower. Which would leave it in a drained mode for anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour.


    "How did he aplish that?" Vasiss asked, half terrified of the answer and the other half endlessly curious.


    "He has this method of using mana crystals as disposable bombs. I''ve tried to emte it, but it isn''t easy. You need to surround the crystal with you spell without causing it to overload or leak. Then, at the right time, you crush the crystal''s resistance and have the mana convert to the same element as your spell."


    "He calls it Nova. I heard another of the Chosen is also capable of doing this type of attack, but..." Evale paused, "I never thought he could do it in such a type of attack."


    Considering the difficulties she just mentioned, it was extremely impressive that Eldrian had kept the crystals next to the spear and only have them explode when needed.


    However, considering his prowess with magic, Evale did not think much more of it. Vasiss, on the other hand, now realized that the one he should be most afraid of wasn''t the alicorn or Evale. It was Eldrian.


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 Chapter 833 One Of Many Frontiers

    Destruction, as far as the eye can see. From one horizon to the other, cities and towns included. Smoking ruins all that remained of them.


    Amid this world of carnage, millions of varying races were fighting to the death. At the edges, the battle appeared like any other. The mes and carnage something reasonable. But nearer the center, the more fantastical things became.


    There, a simple one or two thousand were fighting. Each fighting a good distance from others. Their attacks sending ripples through the air. Rending any surviving foliage from the ground and bringing forth more carnage.


    asionally, a spell would appear. Focused, sadly, on the outskirts. Changing the veryndscape as it rolled over hundreds of men, women, and others.


    In the middle of this battlefield, an elven maid danced. Her sword moving thought the air like flowing water, tracing beautiful arcs apanied by fountains of blood.


    Her visage appeared to flicker through the battlefield. Crossing kilometers in the blink of an eye. Leaving an open-eyed corpse spraying blood in her afterimage as she passed.


    Even when facing the enemymander, her dance did not stop.


    Grunting, the orc warlord jumped back to give himself some reprieve from her relentless dework. That was his first andst mistake in their engagement. But also the only option he had to himself.


    Her attacks had rained down too fast for his eyes to follow, draining his strength as his regeneration abilities struggled to keep up. He had to retreat, or he would have ended up like his chieftains¡ªwho she had finished in all but a single attack.


    The elven maiden did not chase as the warlord retreated. Instead, a dozen invisible attacks rained on the orc. Boring holes through his flesh and ripping his organs apart. Despite his vitality, the orc did not stand up again.


    "Itireae. We must move to the next location." An elven guard said, looking at the site around the maiden with trepidation.


    Because of the peace, she had never shown her strength. This had led to many talking ill of her, especially that she had snatched the role of suprememander despite being only Tier 10.


    Those voices were now quiet. No longer did they grumble in the shadows. No longer did they question their lord''s decision¡ªwhich they had thought came out of emotional debt to the girl. They finally saw her talent for what it was.


    Few could stand against her, even though she had yet to reach Tier 10. Reaching that level was only a matter of time, that much was clear now. And she was not in a hurry. Having always taken restraint over haste, she had mastered everything she could while recalling tales of her father.


    Her earliest memory was when he gifted her an egg. The egg that had born Mneme, her closest friend. It was also the only memory of her father she still recalled after these centuries.


    Landing next to the elven maiden, the roc nuzzled its head against its master''s shoulder. Who obliged and petted the bird as she gazed at the battlefield. Confirming that no more of their enemies were alive.


    They would not remain to clean up the fringes. After killing themander, they had to move to aid the next kingdom. Despite that, she did not want to leave just yet. For this would only buy the kingdom a temporary peace.


    "When are you going to tame a truepanion?" One captain asked. "One you can ride into battle and have fight by your side." The elf paused, looking at the Roc with disdain. "Instead of one you need to protect and send away when fighting."


    Itireae did not reply, though her gaze turned cold. "You would never understand our bond." Itireae replied, her tone rifying that she would allow no further discussion on the matter. "How are our casualties?"


    "Eleven dead, twenty severely injured."


    ? Getting the report, Itireae sighed. It wasmon for them to ignore the casualties born by their allies¡ªthose they hade to protect. After all,pared to them, they would die in the blink of an eye, regardless of the war and its oue.


    Itireae had once thought simrly. Until she had taken her time to pause her training and visit the front lines, ording to Lord Athtar''smand.


    Where she had learned how much life their so called ''lessers'' experienced in a scant few years. Making most of every single day afforded to them.


    Compared to those she hade to know, she could hardly call her past thousand years of life, living. The number of fond memories in the little over a year she had spent with the centaurs far outweighed the memories of the rest of her life.


    Sure, they were far weaker than her. And they would die before she even reached true adulthood. But that did not change the value she had seen. The lives she had experienced ande to find joy in sharing.


    "Our allies?" She asked, her tone shockingly cold. Confusing those around her. Though they were still quick to give their report. After all, this was not the first time she had asked.


    The one to reply, however, was not one of her captains. Rather, he was a young recruit still in training. Too weak to join the main fight, she had sent him and others like him to support their allies in the fringes of the battle. "Of their army, half was annihted."


    "Of their kingdom," the elf continued, "a third has fallen. They have lost their bulwark,prising five cities and multiple towns. I can''t give a number for how many died."


    Sensing that Itireae wanted an estimate, the elf did his best. "We can expect that over 5 million have died. Perhaps even 10."


    Those numbers were devastating, but it meant little to the elves. To Itireae, however, it weighed heavy in her heart. For this was not the first time she received such a report. This was the tenth kingdom she was sent to give aid, and the tenth report of this magnitude. And it was a conservative estimate at that.


    Respite her strength and that of thepany shemanded, she could not save those she came to rescue.


    Some might call their achievements great. iming they had stolen victory out of the jaws of defeat. But Itireae only saw those she had failed to protect. The wonderful lives, lived to the fullest, snuffed out before their time.


    It made her recall when Pros was on his deathbed. Imaging the pain that those close to the deceased must be struggling with made her anger boil. Made her hate for this war grow. And made her realize her weakness. How, no matter how strong she was, she could not protect everyone.


    Despite her strength, she could do little to change things in the grand scale of the war. At best, she could patrol around the kingdoms that fell within the Evehell empire.


    But even then, she could not stop the senseless loss of life. And once the devil kings moved, things would only be even worse.


    Her gaze moving over the battlefield, spreading hundreds of kilometers and including the three of the lost cities. She felt she finally understood. Finally understood the peculiar elf called Eldrian.


    Understood why he rushed headlong into things, failing to think them through. Risking his life, time and time again. Why he appeared to always be in a rush, despite being an elf like her.


    "Leave a squad to help in the recovery aid." It was the most Itireae could offer. A single squad might not sound like much, but each person in herpany was a true High Elf.


    Masters at dynamic casting. Their help in the rebuilding would be invaluable, and time was of the essence. This was not the first and it would not be thest attack.


    The true war had started. No longer were it just the outcasts attacking. The bandits of the chaosnds, if you would. No, now it was the princes and princesses. And soon, the kings, queens, and even the emperor would join.

 Chapter 834 Returning To Kynigo

    "Are we really just going to let them pass?" A dwarf asked in disbelief as he stared at the mass of beasts moving over the mountains. Their numbers in the thousands and their races varying from small wolves to even majestic wyverns.


    "You''re free to go out and stop them." Hispanion teased.


    "Don''t be daft. It would take the entire army to stop them."


    "Exactly."


    "But won''t this ruin our rtionship with the kingdom?"


    "Leave that to the lords. We just do as we''re told." Saying this, however, the dwarf chugged a mug of ale¡ªdespite being on duty and there being an army of beasts right outside in the pass they were watching.


    Seeing his actions, the concerned dwarf truly did not know what to make of hispanion. Soon, he returned his gaze to the horde of monsters, hoping that the lords had a n in mind. And as his mind thought of all the possible consequences, he joined hispanion in drinking.


    ¡ª


    Penthine reclined into her seat, wishing it was a bed. Sadly, she could not go to sleep, not yet. The siege was more or less over. They would need tob the farming district after sunrise and ensure that none of their enemies were hiding there.


    Of course, they were currently going through the city to confirm the damages and perform cleanup. There was much left to do, and Penthine knew she would not get to lie in bed until it was all over.


    She had to be ready to help should anything unexpected happen, and she needed to continue to manage everything.


    "What of Eldrian?" She asked, having avoided the topic for as long as possible. She had already heard plenty of rumors, but she wasn''t sure she could trust them. While he did help them greatly, his actions were a bit much.


    "He''s gone. We''ve asked the Chosen whose guild he is in¡ªPhoenix, it is called. Apparently, he had to go to Kynigo."


    "I''m guessing we couldn''t figure out why, right?"


    "Not at all. They were quite forting. He''s going to negotiate with the vampires."


    Despite her fatigue, Penthine shot up like an arrow hearing this. "What now?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.


    "Apparently, he''s already negotiated with them and they''ve been constructing a neutral site for diplomatic talks."


    "But..." Penthine struggled to believe anyone could negotiate with the children of chaos. "That isn''t possible, right? Has there ever been negotiations during an invasion?"


    "I don''t believe so, but... we do not know why invasions exist. We only know that they happen and always lead to an inordinate amount of lost lives and kingdoms. ording to our records, it is normal for only Tier 1 and 2 kingdoms to survive by the end. But sometimes, even entire empires are brought down."


    "And he wants to negotiate? Does that mean he might know the reason for the invasions?"


    "It is possible..."


    ¡ª


    Arriving at the fort they have been remodeling, Little Pheonix swooped down and greeted Eldrian bynded on his shoulder. Nuzzling itself against Eldrian''s head in a clear bid for mana.


    "Ah, right, I guess I left you without for a while." Eldrian noted the firebird seemed much weaker thanst time. While Myropsis and Levana fed it magical crystals, it appeared those did little to sustain its existence.


    "Sorry, didn''t really think about that." Eldrian said, rubbing the bird''s head as he fed it some of his mana. Which was basically the same process as channeling mana into a spell.


    "Eldrian, what''s that?" Ceph asked.


    "Ah, right..." Remembering that Ceph had missed the entire southern battle and even border wall creation, Eldrian quickly filled Ceph in on what happened. Though Ceph had heard of most of this from the other yers, somehow he had missed any information about Little Phoenix.


    Then again, the yers themselves weren''t too up to date on everything either. "And so, when I threw some spirit magic into the spell from Myropsis, I kind of created this."


    "Uh-huh..." Ceph nodded, looking at the firebird curiously. "So, then, you just left it?"


    "Ah, well. Then the duel happened, and I had to escape. Then the north war, and so... I just forgot." Eldrian''s exnation made Ceph feel like facepalming. It was so like him.


    But that was also why Ceph couldn''t really say more on the subject. Eldrian had too many things going on. Especially since he didn''t just live in ANW.


    Though, truth be told, it wasn''t the amount of things that made him always rush from one thing to the other. It was hisck of guidance. Hoping from one topic to the other, never properly finishing something before moving to the next.


    In contrast, Ceph had his parents to turn to for guidance. They helped him when he got stuck, and they also guided him from their own experiences. Eldrian, sadly, did not have that. He was totally alone in the path he was walking.


    And then there was the entire situation from his own world. "You really shouldn''t have forgotten about this, though." Ceph still felt he had to chastize Eldrian. The familiar wasn''t exactly a living thing, but it was alive¡ªat least it appeared to be.


    It was hard for Ceph to put it into words. Creating life was no simple task. What Eldrian had done was closer to forming a clone¡ª


    "Well, I did visit and give it some mana when visiting Kynigo." Eldrian had done that via the teleportation before, so Ceph had stayed in the North. While Ceph was fast, it still took a couple of hours to cross the kingdom.


    "Eldrian?"


    "Yeah? What''s that look for?"


    "Why the heck isn''t this the first time you did this?" Ceph asked,pletely ignoring Eldrian''s questions.


    "Did what?"


    Seeing Eldrian''splete oblivion, Ceph startedughing. Feeling like he was going mad. "I see, you don''t even know what you did?"


    "Umm... Well, I do have a hypothesis. From what I noticed when the evolution happened, it appeared that the bird transformed the emotions I fed it into its own lifeforce. Considering that emotions are somehow connected with lifeforce-or perhaps is the very essence of it-, that gave it a sort of life?"


    "So you do understand?" Ceph asked.


    "What exactly are you getting at?"


    It was not Ceph who replied, but Two. ''It would appear the familiar is in a way simr to me. Though, instead of having been formed in an ethereal form, it has a body of mes.''


    ''Wait, why didn''t you mention this before?''


    ''It is the same how I wasn''tplete when I came into existence. The familiar was first just a bundle of mes with some birdlike characteristics. However, it appears that with time, it is bing more sentient.''


    "Is he filling you in?" Ceph asked, noticing how Eldrian was spacing out.


    "Yeah... but it can''t be that simple to make something that can count as life, is it?" Eldrian still had a hard time epting that it was even possible. However, looking at Little Phoenix, he had to admit that it certainly didn''t seem like a spell but rather a living creature.


    ''We are going to need to contact Ziraili toplete the fort. We might as well as her about this when we do.''


    "Right, I guess that would be for the best." Nodding, Eldrian mumbled as he shifted focus to thoseing from the fort to greet them.


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 Chapter 835 Outcome Of The Northern Assault

    "How are things in the north?" Myropsis asked.


    Little Phoenix''s hasty departure from the walls had informed them that Eldrian had returned. Levana was also with her, Eldrian assumed the two had been feeding Little Phoenix crystals like normal.


    "Not great." Eldrian replied, pausing as he watched the vampire''s reaction. "We managed to save Elomir, but Blenar was not so lucky..."


    "When the enemy arrived, the gates were open and the towers non-functional..." He paused again, trying to read her expression. "From what I''ve heard, they survived thanks to the reinforcements being prioritized to them. But the cost was a hefty one."


    "You need not worry. I have promised to be your ally, and I meant it." Levana said, noting the look Eldrian was giving her as he talked. "If you wish, I do not mind signing a new contract to state as much."


    "S-sure..." Eldrian decided to rather ask her for some information than force a contract. "Then, can you affirm the vampires will not move to attack the kingdom?"


    Eldrian would have loved to stay and help more in the north, or move to the west to scout out the monster army crossing the mountains. He had also noted a smaller force moving around the mountains to Livadi. But the message he got through Erik from the duke was to prioritize the south.


    "I promise you we do not wish for this war, however..."


    "Are you being forced to act?"


    "Indeed, those behind ournds want us to move. We naturally are wary ofmitting to a war as they might attack as from behind. They''ve already demanded we allow their armies to move through ournds, so we are on high alert. Sadly, we cannot refuse them ess..."


    Sadly, Eldrian and those he was sided with knew little of the power dynamics of their enemies. Eldrian was sure the king had to be more informed. Pros, sadly, knew little of their circumstances. Having never formed a dialogue with them.


    This was something Eldrian found peculiar. Circumstances had aligned, allowing him to talk Levana down and also start a dialogue. Sure, it was not easy and had taken nning. But surely others must have tried. He found it strange that there had never been much sess.


    Then again, most focused on the age-old feud between the races. Wishing to destroy the vampires who had killed their grandparents and parents.


    Of course, in recent times, the feud had died down as the kingdom abandoned thend next to the drnds. But it still existed in the heart of the masses as horror stories. Painting vampires as terrible monsters who destroyed viges and cities alike in simple blood filled lust.


    Noting Eldrian''s silence, Levana exined their circumstances in a bit more depth. "You see, the previous Lord died not too long ago."


    "Oh?" This was a first for Eldrian hearing of it.


    "Yes. This happened around a year ago, and while one of my uncles has more or less imed control of his drnds, it is not a peaceful rule. As you can imagine, waging war while there is civil unrest at home is something he would want to avoid at all costs. Especially since we cannot trust our neighbors. "


    "Mmm... But is it even up to him to decide so?" Eldrian understood there were more at hand than just kingdoms deciding to wage war.


    After all, this involved the gods and the devils who worked in the shadows. Especially their legends. If one of themmanded the drnds to fight, it could not refuse unless it had its own powerhouse to protect them. Which Eldrian doubted they had.


    "My family hates taking orders from the devils. The previous lord, however, was too cowardly to stand against them."


    "And the current isn''t?"


    Levana smiled, showing the tips of her fangs as she did. "He has plenty of excuses to buy time."


    ''Which means he is the same, but better at giving excuses?''


    "Mmm..." Turning to Myropsis, Eldrian hoped she might have some more insight.


    "We can assume they will not act for a while. And..." Myropsis paused and looked at Levana. The two had a rocky start, but with time as Myropsis kept an eye on the vampire, she had grown toe to understand her.


    The biggest surprise was that Levana was not a bloodthirsty monster. Indeed, she needed to drink blood to stay fed. But she could go for a long time without, though she would be weakened if she did so. For now, Levana would leave the fort once a week.


    While Myropsis did not know whether her feeding ended up killing her victim, she could ept the reality of the situation. Levana did not do so for pleasure. It was simply how she was biologically programmed.


    Or perhaps it was better to say this was how magic had altered her and all the other vampires. They could no longer survive on nts and meat, requiring blood from living sources.


    But that alone did not make her a monster. Or so Myropsis hade to think of it after spending time with the vampire. "She is not happy with how things are developing."


    Raising an eye, Eldrian assumed this meant she might be gathering a faction of her own. "And, can you do anything about it?"


    Still smiling, Levana nodded. "I''m still weak, so I can''t oppose my uncles directly. But I have some connections. Besides, no one wishes for death. Some kingdoms might be forced to fight because of divine intervention, but we do not count among them."


    Nodding, Eldrian felt he understood. He certainly could not count on them as allies, but for now, he could consider them a neutral faction. At least, until the new king of the drnds firmly took his throne.


    "That is good enough, I guess." Eldrian mumbled. "I also heard that the tower is nearpletion."


    Nodding as they moved towards said tower, Myropsis took up the exnation. "We''vepleted the tower itself and the basic arrays it requires to function as one. The formation master from the capital will arrive soon toplete the tower."


    "Alright, I need to be there when that happens. So I''m d it is all falling into ce." Eldrian was sure some strings had been pulled to rush the construction. Especially with getting the specialist toplete it.


    ''Probably because they really don''t want the vampires joining in the attack when we are already fighting on three fronts,'' Eldrian thought.


    Having a neutral ce to talk would certainly slow down the possibility of war, and hopefully inform the kingdom when others wereing for war through the vampires''nds.


    ¡ª


    "We are extremely grateful for your help." Penthine said, smiling as she spoke to the guild leaders. They were currently in her office, talking over some tea and refreshments.


    "It is our pleasure to offer our assistance." Tephysea, the leader of Dryadalis, said. Her speech was formal and her smile as fake as possible.


    "Indeed, it was an honor to be of assistance." Shadow jumped in, trying his best to curry favor with the mayor. Followed next by Sophie, then Allure, andstly, Rose.


    Turning between Elizabeth and Robert, the mayor appeared confused, as they have yet to speak.


    "We are busy with the relief effort, but we cannot stay too long. Blenar is in far worse condition and requires our help more than Elomir." Elizabeth spoke frankly, skipping formalities and wearing her emotions inly on her face. "Please get to the point of why you summoned us. I dislike wasting time."


    "Oh my, you''re much like him, aren''t you?"


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 Chapter 836 Welcoming The Formations Master

    "Maybe, but this meeting is too early. We still have much to do, and currying favor at this point was a waste of time." Elizabeth countered, looking at the guild leaders as she spoke. Bringing their actions to light.


    Elizabeth felt it was a waste to hold an official meeting when so much still needed to be done. It would be much more efficient tomunicate through newbies or others who weren''t of much help after a battle. Leaving those, such as her, who could offer her healing services, free to do so.


    "And you, Robert, do you agree with her?" Penthine asked, turning to the dwarf, who was the leader of Artis. A guild focused more on crafts thanbat.


    "I''m not as busy as she is, so I don''t mind the meeting. Especially since the refreshments are divine." Saying so, he took another bite of the cakeying in hisp. "However, I do want to get my men to work. Originally, we nned to work on constructing a wall much like they had done for Kynigo, but..."


    "Yes, what is it?"


    "It''s clear now that will just be a waste of time. You didn''t even have the manpower to properly defend the inner walls. The outer walls were little more than decorations during the siege."


    "We were simply caught off guard." Penthine said, deflecting the issue on hand.


    "No, that isn''t the truth." Elizabeth said, sad that Penthine was not being upfront about this. "I know the outer walls aren''t actually meant to be defensible during a siege. Their purpose is to protect the fields and livestock from wandering monsters, not from an army."


    The mayor luckily did not argue this any further. "That is true. However, the walls are supposed to buy us time to properly prepare for a siege, even if our scouts fail us. This was unprecedented."


    "And while they do not have the cover of the magic towers, a wall still offers the defenders a great boost in their defense."


    "I would suggest you start changing things..." Elizabeth outlined that they should abandon the outer walls¡ªfor the most part. Sending as many civilians to the ducal cities as possible, and focus farming inside the city proper through the means of magically enhanced vertical farms.


    Effectively turning the city into a self sustainable fort. Keeping only enough civilians in the city to maintain its military function.


    ¡ª


    Afterying everything out and talking things through with Robert, whose guild would spearhead the project, Elizabeth got up and started heading out. However, she was stopped just outside the mansion by the other guild leaders.


    "Yes?" While Elizabeth wished to be onsite healing the wounded, she understood that this was where her post had ced her.


    She had been irked by these leaders trying to curry favor before things were set and done, and with Penthine, who had been hoping to organize a ball to glorify their achievements.


    While it was indeed important to keep morale up, now was not the time for such actions. Not while the entire kingdom was still under threat. They needed to act with conviction, not dawdle in noble society and niceties.


    "I just wanted to say that we were impressed by how your guild handled the siege." The speaker was Tephysea, a wood elf. "We never thought to use our yers like that. Using ourmunication to keep in touch and maintain order was simple enough, but to send yers to all the captains andmanders in the city was something else..."


    Elizabeth nodded, waiting for her to continue speaking.


    "But then, you even had your yers move about as an emergency supply line. How did you get them to agree to that?" Naturally, yers all sought glory or spoils while ying ANW.


    While the guild leaders had reigned in their yers, there was a limit to what they could ask of their yers. Ask too much or forbid too much, and their yers would simply do as they please instead of listening to the guild leaders. After all, many yers only thought of ANW as a game.


    While they saw and acknowledged the realism of the world and wanted to help the NPCs, they still prioritized their own gaming experience over that. And above that, especially, was their own profit. The enhance rate for coins to IRL cash was great, making it possible to live off the game.


    In fact, around half the yers in Phoenix did just that. The ie from the constant guild quests and errand running enough to cover their living costs.


    "It''s the same situation as when I wanted people to scout the eastern parts around Duron. Once we talk with an NPC in power, we normally get a guild quest to cover it."


    This hadn''t happened this time around. Normally, the guild relied on Pros to supply them with the guests for such menial jobs.


    "And even if we don''t get the quests, we learned that doing so is more beneficial than trying to fight. After all, each person can only do so much fighting. And even our strongest is more often than not helpless against our enemies..."


    ¡ª


    Arriving at the unnamed fort, Vitko moved forward with his guide¡ªPros. "Lord Pros, are we quite certain we are safe here?" the centaur asked, his eyes darting to and fro.


    "Quite, we''ve had people moving about and constructing the tower for weeks now without incident."


    "Y-yes, I don''t mean to doubt your words, but..." The centaur froze as he arrived at the tower and saw the peculiar group. Myropsis, of course, was in her human form to ease the conversation with her friends. Then there were Eldrian and Ceph, two elves, and a vampire.


    "Are you the formation master?" the elf with silver hair asked, smiling as he nodded towards Pros in greeting. They seemed to be terribly close, if that counted as a greeting.


    "I-indeed I am." The centaur tried his best to hide his nervousness, but he could not stop stealing nces at the vampire. Sweat dripping from his head.


    "Levana, would you mind leaving us for a bit? LP, go with her." Noticing his nervousness, the elf asked the vampire to depart. While she protested, she did so after a short while of teasing. Especially since the firebird that resembled a phoenix was pulling her along.


    "Right, let us go in." Eldrian continued, as if the sight of a bird made entirely of fire waspletely normal. "I have already contacted Ziraili, though I am unsure what to expect."


    "R-right..." Turning to Pros, Vitko searched for confirmation. The art of tower creation was a closely guarded secret. Having a foreigner observe the action was unprecedented.


    After all, while it was something each kingdom knew how to do, they all had their own twist to it. A twist that acted as their safeguard and prevented spies from tempering with the towers. At least, that was the hope for their safeguards. Recent events, however, brought into question how effective they were.


    "We will stand guard to ensure no one disturbed you until it is done." Pros said, deting Myropsis hopes¡ªwho had wished to observe things. Grumbling, she epted, and Vitko moved inside the tower with nervous steps.


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 Chapter 837 Reports To The King

    "That is the overall situation we find ourselves in." Kristof, the butler of Duke Vicar, head butler of the house of Tania, said.


    After gathering all the information at hand, he had departed from Taurtania to the capital. To inform the king of what was happening throughout the kingdom ording to the reports they had received through the Chosen and also their own men.


    "Because of the infiltration of the devils, Elomir and Blenar received substantial damage in the night''s attack. Elomir came out of this rtively unscathedpared to Blenar, thanks to the aid of the Chosen, who happened to be in the city."


    "However, both cities have lost many of their strongest owing to cloaked daggers. As for the situation in the southeast, ourstmunication with Trigora was four hours ago. We do not know if the mayor escaped in the chaos, died, or has been taken captive."


    "Tripeak still stands, but from the news we have heard, they are struggling despite reinforcements. Unlike in the north, the attack by the undead came with its full force. We have dispatched our elite to offer support, but it might not be enough..."


    The house of Tania had taken the burden for the south since the house of Beleuo was still recovering from the orc invasion. The house of Ustan, on the other hand, was focusing on the north and west.


    The reason Kristof spoke for the north, too, was because Erik served as a direct line for the duke with the front lines. Thus he, as butler to Duke Vicar, was better informed than everyone else present.


    From here, the representative for the house of Ustan spoke. "We have confirmed with the Volvren dwarves that there indeed is a horde of monsters passing over the mountains. They apologized, saying they could not spare the men to halt their advance..." Refraining from spouting profanities, the representative continued as best he could.


    "We expect the Dvereka and Govina regions to suffer heavy damage. We have already ryed messages to evacuate all the viges and towns. The house of Ustan is gathering our soldiers to deal with the horde."


    "However, troubling news also says that an army is moving around the mountains. From which they can strike either at the recently recaptured Livadi, or the lesser defended Naraan."


    Farest nodded, his heart heavy as he heard all these reports. Sadly, the kingdom was too wide for them to protect all sides. They had already started evacuation in the south and east, but they had believed the north to be safe, as well as what remained in the west.


    After all, the massive Vol mountain range should make it impossible for an army toe from there.


    While not an army, the horde of monsters being left unchecked was a terrible blow to the kingdom. It would hardly damage the cities, but it would devastate the many viges and towns surrounding the cities.


    "Is there any positive news?" The king asked, wishing dearly that his father had not abdicated the throne early.


    He understood the necessity of it. His father needed to be free to move and use his strength where needed, but dealing with the kingship was no simple task. Especially since all that came forth was cmity after cmity. And the king had lost his closest confidant, Sodren, in the defense of Vlisia, a loss that still weighed down his heart.


    "It might not be much..." This time it was not one of the ducal representatives that spoke, but a noble woman from Kynigo.


    She had worked closely with Eldrian when he had gone to organize trade with the dwarves of Ganalin and had been dispatched to exin the situation that Kynigo found itself in.


    "But we believe Kynigo will stay strong. We have the Verleuoke and river keeping us safe with the fall of Trigora. Pros has already sent craftsmen to build an array of watchtowers from Kynigo to Verest. In time, we will erect a wall following along the river."


    "We have also formed a dialogue with the vampires of the drnds. Thus far, we cannot call them allies. But we have confirmed that they will not turn enemy without an outside influence. And should they do so, we believe we will be capable of halting their march..."


    "That is all swell. However, if you are too sturdy of a wall, would they not simply turn to the west and attack Juzna or the still recovering Pediades?" A noble centaur of the royal bloodline questioned. His figure was rather big for a centaur, years of fat weighing him down.


    "We cannot do much should thate to pass." Sanja admitted.


    The city could only look after itself. While their numbers had increased with the refugees from Diades, they were still struggling to feed everyone. Luckily, for now, they had managed thanks to the Chosen''s imports from distant kingdoms and also the vertical farms.


    ¡ª


    "I''m not sure why you appear so frightened. Please be at ease." Eldrian said as he and Vitko entered the tower. The pristine white stone was almost blinding, the arrays crafted into the floor and onto the support pirs still clear. The wear of time not having dulled the contrast that the arrays birthed onto the stone.


    "Ah y-yes. It is just..."


    "I can confirm that you are safe here. The only foreign entity within the fort is Levana, and she is being kept under watch."


    "R-right."


    Looking at the centaur, Eldrian continued to fail to find the reason why the man was so nervous. ''Hopefully, he isn''t a spy or something. But I don''t detect any malice from him...''


    Moving to the center of the bottom floor, the centaur started taking out item after item from his dimensional ne. Soon, an altar appeared right where a ratherrge circle had been left in the arrays. Atop this altar he ced a Mov Crystal, which shone in purple light as it flooded mana into the shrine and surrounding arrays.


    Eldrian watched on with curiosity, refraining from asking questions that might distract the formation master as he worked. After some time, the centaur added a second Mov Crystal. Which abruptly disappeared when he did.


    "R-right. If you w-would stand here." Moving to the ce the centaur had pointed at, Eldrian was enveloped by a familiar feeling.


    Secondster, he found himself in an empty room with no visible entrance. Where normally floated a Magic Crystal, Eldrian saw the previous Mov Crystal¡ªetched into the center of the room''s floor.


    "Please wait as I secure the room." Vitko said, appearing much more confident now that they were isted. He moved to the Mov Crystal and took out a special type of pen, mana oozing out of it. With it, he drew an extremely intricate formation from the crystal to the floor.


    After around an hour or two, the centaur took out a magic crystal. As soon as he did, the formation around the Mov Crystal shone brightly, and the magic crystal floated to the center. Where it gave off the familiar slight light to the room.


    As soon as this happened, Eldrian got a message from Ziraili. Or rather, a system prompt.


    [Tower formation detected, connect to city building system?]


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 Chapter 838 Barrier Selection

    ''Wait, what now?'' Eldrian said yes before he even realize what the system prompt meant. As soon as he did, a small wisp of whitish light escaped from the magic crystal and floated before him and Vitko¡ªwho looked as pale as a ghost when he saw it.


    "Greetings, I''m Ziraili and will help you with your fort''s construction. Please be aware that this is my first time offering this service, so it might take some time for us to reach the final product."


    ''Wait, she can form a wisp in the world? Why did we always talk in my soul?''


    As if reading his mind, Ziraili sent him a silent system message. [This is a hidden feature that will be introduced when the first guild reaches level 6. However, I thought to unlock it a bit earlier for you.]


    [Luckily, I''m able to use a few loopholes to implement this ahead of time. Seeing as your guild already hasmand of a fort, and in this case, you have more or less imed ownership of the fort in your capacity as a noble. Even if it isn''t official.]


    [Thus, no one can argue with me helping you here... hehe.]


    Still confused, Eldrian nodded absentmindedly to the information. Speechless at her chuckle at the end.


    Only half listening as the wisp continued to exin the situation to Vitko. It more or less went that this was the gods'' next step to aid the kingdoms against the invasion.


    "Unfortunately, we can only offer this support when a Chosen is nearby¡ªand thus we had to wait for them to grow strong enough to properly use this aid. However, I am sure you will be pleased with the results." So she finished off, leaving Vitko confused and just as pale as before.


    The poor centaur seemed to struggle with meeting a god¡ªor perhaps he saw Ziraili as an aid of the gods, like an angel? Regardless, he was shaking in his hooves. Eldrian had at this point just decided that Vitko must be a frail soul.


    "Please select the options you would like to use," the wisp said next in an extremely cheery voice. Seemingly looking at Eldrian, even though it had no eye or discernible ''front''.


    ''So, this is like the private homes?'' Eldrian pondered as he scrolled through the new option in his interface. Realizing that it must have been a way to iron out the chinks of the system, and make some extra cash for Miracle.


    Shockingly, this interface was not just visible to him, but also Vitko. Seeing the opaque blue screen appearing in the room, the centaur quivered even more.


    ''I really don''t get why he''s so afraid. But let''s see here,'' scrolling through the options, Eldrian found that most were unavable. Unlike the virtual homes, this ''city-building'' required in world funds and materials.


    Naturally, they had prepared nothing of the sort. However, there were still a few options Eldrian could pick from. And they all had to do with the type of barrier that would permanently surround the fort.


    This was something unheard of. Keeping such arger area covered by a barrier 24/7 was simply not feasible. The drain on the ambient mana was simply too much. While a Magic Crystal had an astounding amount of mana, it would slowly be drained if attempted.


    Sadly, the options did not exin how this barrier would be different. Eldrian assumed Ziraili would do something to fix this problem. If he had to guess, she would create a mana vein to supply the tower with more mana.


    ''That or her barrier is simply far more effective? I guess that is just as usible. After all, something a god makes has to be miles ahead of anything the NPCs can aplish.''


    Moving on, Eldrian picked the type he felt most suitable. Luckily, it appeared he was able to alter the barrier at ater date, at a cost. A few hundred coins. Certainly not cheap, but also not inexplicably expensive.


    [Before selecting any of the options, please choose a name for the fort]


    This system prompt stopped Eldrian as he was about to choose the barrier. Terrible with names and just wanting to move to the barrier, Eldrian dedicated the name to his little familiar.


    ¡ª


    Pros was waiting outside with Myropsis and Ceph. Catching up on what had happened in the north as they waited for Vitko and Eldrian to finish inside the tower. After a few hours, as they ran out of conversation material, a blue screen appear before each of them.


    "What''s this now?" Pros asked curiously as the screen suddenly blocked his vision. "Please confirm your stance regarding Phoenix fort... When did the fort get a name?"


    "I guess Eldrian gave it that?" Ceph mumbled, also reading through the information on the blue screen. It was quite simple. Asking for the visitor of the fort Phoenix to refrain from any illegal activities, subterfuge, or outright killing.


    "Should you vite these rules, you will be punished... Anyone know what this punishment means?" Myropsis asked. The blue screen gave her contract vibes, but she couldn''t confirm if it was as binding as one.


    "We''ll have to ask Eldrian when hees out." Ceph replied, also clueless.


    ¡ª


    "W-what''s t-this?" Vitko managed these few words after an age of silent shivering.


    "It''s the simplest way to ensure no one inside the fort can act against the vision we have for it." Eldrian replied, looking curiously at the prompt. He had wondered how everyone else would be asked to obey the rules he set forth, seemed it was simple enough.


    ''That''s likely why the interface is visible.'' Naturally, Eldrian had realized that it was the same translucent interface he was working with as his normal interface.


    "Please do ept the conditions, or you will have to leave the fort." The wisp dered, causing Vitko to fluster as he pushed his hand towards the ept button without reading.


    Once the centaur had epted the condition, he was covered in a light blue light for a few seconds. And then nothing. ''Well, I guess I shouldn''t expect much more from this.''


    The barrier would ultimately be useless in a defending position. Not quite, it would highlight enemies with a red pir of light visible even from a distance. But that was the only aid it would give. However, as a way to keep the peace and ensure none of their visitors -who were to be vampires- would do anything untoward, this barrier seemed like the best fit.


    It would also prevent any of the natives from Taurus, who harbor ill intent towards the vampires to act on it. Which could lead to their diplomacy falling through the cracks. And it would prevent any spies from infiltrating the fort. All in all, Eldrian was happy with it.


    "Next..." Grimacing as he saw the cost associated with the tower spells, Eldrian fell silent. Nodding to himself after a few seconds, "Let''s go Vitko," he said, intending to go im all his unimed bounties so he could afford to give the tower some offensive and defensive spells.


    "H-uh... a-alright..." Nervous, the centaur nodded and made to prepare their departure, only to frown as he realised something was wrong.


    "Only the owner of the fort can enter or exit the control room." Ziraili informed them, following which Eldrian followed her instructions and teleported the two of them back to the first floor of the tower.


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 Chapter 839 Finishing Things In Fort Phoenix

    "Can the kingdom hold?" Eldrian asked, currently with Pros atop the newly constructed magic tower. The two looking over the fort and taking some time to catch up on what had happened on opposite sides of the kingdom.


    "We might lose another city or two, but evacuations have beenpleted for the east, and the west has started. The capital also has enough food reserves for now. But it will alle down to how organized the invasion is. If the orcs also start moving, things will be bleak."


    Falling silent, Eldrian wished he had something more to offer. Sadly, he was no tactician. And he didn''t even understand war all that well, despite having been fighting for over two years now. He only understood the limitations of being able to only be at one ce at a time.


    "Do you think we''ll be able to hold off the undead if they flood in from the east?" Eldrian asked. The red dots surrounding the two southeastern cities were terrifying.


    "I do." Pros replied, strangely confident, considering that their numbers would only grow as they conquered morends.


    "Your trade deal with Ganalin fixed our problem ofcking materials, and the cannons we receive weekly are solidifying our border wall. The question is actually if we can secure a path to this fort."


    "Speaking of materials..." Eldrian went ahead and exined the city building feature he had been given ess to. "Sadly, there are limitations to it. But if I can get enough funds, I might be able to secure the fort against any normal force."


    "I see..." A moment of silence psed. "Sadly, we are short on both funds and materials. Everything is being put into the border wall and expanding the agriculture to feed all the refugees..."


    "Yeah, I know. I''ve been thinking of going ahead and iming all the bounties I have from participating in the war."


    Hearing this, Pros grimaced. "Please go and do that in the capital."


    From there, the two continued to talk for a while longer, Eldrian filling Pros in on hisck of gear. Pros offered to allow Eldrian into the city''s storehouses, but Eldrian declined after thinking of it for a while. Everything there was below Tier 5 and would likely be destroyed after just one serious fight.


    "Elizabeth actually collected some material of a Night Terror. It is a fascinating substance. Is it useful?"


    "I do not know. I''ll ask Solvi and let you know through the guild."


    ¡ª


    "Hey Levana... Jade." Eldrian faltered a little at seeing thetter, but quickly prepared his mental defenses as Little Phoenix flew to his shoulder. Rubbing the firebird''s head, Eldrian gifted it some more mana.


    "Are you here because of the¡ªwhat was that blue window?" Levana asked. Apparently, Jade had not filled her in on it.


    ''Wait, why don''t I feel the normal invasion from her?" Lowering his defenses a bit, Eldrian realized her aura seemed under control.


    Seeing his stare, Jade smiled proudly. Until Eldrian asked if the barrier was somehow helping her keep her aura retracted. "How did you know?" she asked with a pout.


    "I doubt you can fix something you had lived with your entire life in just a week or two." Eldrian said, "How does the barrier help?"


    Jean shrugged upon hearing his question. Apparently not even having realized it until Levana had pointed it out to her.


    ''It still is a barrier.'' Two decided to exin, or at least offer, what he suspected was the cause. ''Physical barriers are different, but magical barriers -like this one- takes control of all the mana within it.''


    ''Right, but how does that help with her aura?'' That was why magical barriers were hard to maintain and expand. While you did not need to take control of all the mana within it, you had to be aware of it and be capable of reacting to shifts in the mana.


    ''I''m not sure on that part, but I assume it works in a simr manner to how magical barriers can contest the will of spells, or simply drain the mana making it exist. An aura is still magic. We don''t really know how it works, but we know it is tied to lifeforce and emotions.''


    ''My guess is that the barrier prevents it from leaking from her,'' Two offered, ''Or it makes it easier to control, or Ziraili took control of it to an extent?''


    Nodding, Eldrian formed a small ball of mes, his go to for testing things. Letting it fly around for a bit, he found it funny how Little Phoenix was chasing it. Finally, the bird caught it and swallowed it with apparent satisfaction.


    Repeating the test, Eldrian this time tried to add some anger to the mes. Not that he had much anger at the moment, so he just thought of his IRL situation and threw a bit of that frustration towards the spell.


    It flowed smoothly, not much different from normal. The ball of me did not survive long, Little Phoenix diving at it with astonishing speed. Giving a satisfied burp as it rubbed its belly.


    ''I can''t tell a difference. So no idea.''


    "The blue window was a sort of contract. Everyone entering the fort will have to ept its terms or they will be marked as an invader. This way, we should be able to maintain a peaceful environment to further our talks with." Eldrian finally exined Levana''s question.


    The vampire appeared satisfied with that answer and returned to her seat atop the walls. Enjoying some tea as she waited for Eldrian to continue. She, Jade, and Myropsis had made it a habit to meet atop the walls, feed Little Phoenix crystals containing mana, and talking.


    Eldrian, however, wasn''t going to join in that habit. "I just wanted to confirm that you epted the prompt, and that you had noints. Right, so I will be leaving now."


    "Wait, won''t you stay a bit longer?" Jade asked.


    "The kingdom is facing a crisis, so no. I have to try my best to help as much as I can." Eldrian replied.


    ¡ª


    "Where are we going?" Ceph asked. He had been catching up with Myropsis. Helping her with a few questions she had on dynamic casting. Her progress was slow but steady.


    "I think it is time to visit the capital. I need to call in my bounties and also want to look for some materials..."


    "Alright, but can we go tomorrow?" Ceph asked.


    "Sure." Eldrian wasn''t in too much of a hurry. He still had a few things he wanted to confirm in the city. And he wanted to meet with Ziraili before logging off. "Find me at my estate tomorrow." With that, Eldrian started for the city. Transitioning into a jog as he left the fort''s gates.


    Enjoying the simply run, Eldrian soon reached the border wall. It had improved greatly since thest time he had seen it. It was still mostly wood, but extending from Fort Ganalin, the walls were dotted with cannons. There was also plenty of a ballista dotting the wall. Any forceing within range of the defenses would be blown to smithereens.


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 Chapter 840 Clarifying Things With Ziraili (1)

    "I''m impressed, Aspen." Eldrian mumbled as he read through the reports his retainer hadpiled for him. It had been a few weeks since Eldrian hadst stayed in his estate, having left things for Aspen to manage in his absence.


    The wolfkin had done wonderfully, also reaching Tier 4 in this time and learning some magic up to Tier 3. Naturally, Eldrian didn''t consider Aspen as someone he could take to battle with him, but Eldrian never wished to use those who had wished to be his retainers as such. After all, unlike him and the other yers, their deaths would be final should things go south.


    "I am simply happy to be of service." Smiling, Aspen went on to detail everything that had happened in Eldrian''s absence. He still wished to grow stronger, but he wasing to ept he would not be of much help in battle.


    Brazan was in the same situation, only Tjan was constantly on the field of battle. Though his being there was less often to fight and more often to act as an intermediary between the locals and the Chosen.


    As for the report Eldrian was going through, the biggest points were: the number of cannons they had received from the dwarves, the reopening of the mines of Dvemoj and their haul, the production of the vertical farms, including a detailed analysis of the construction cost, maintenance, and upkeep.


    "As for implementing magical nts into the farms, we found that rank 1 nts grow normally, with only a slight increase on the mana drain. However, rank 2 consumes far more mana and the upkeep cost isn''t realistic."


    "Right, that makes sense." Nodding, Eldrian asked a bit about the estate itself. Havingst left some cash for Aspen to use to hire servants and maintain the ce. When he had arrived, Eldrian had noted the expanded gardens and number of people moving to and fro.


    "We''ve hired only the most trustworthy individuals to work on the estate and have expanded the garden to include several rare nts..."


    After finishing their meeting, Eldrian asked Aspen to prepare a group of adventurers and builders, stating he wanted to go on an expedition to reim a long-lost mine. Leaving the location a secret for now, as he was certain Aspen would be hesitant if he knew their target was the forsaken caverns.


    Afterward, Eldrian enjoyed a stroll through the garden and found a delightful spot where he meditated for a bit. Wishing to talk with Ziraili and confirm a few things and also ask some of the burning questions he had.


    ''Can we talk?'' He asked, sending the message while envisioning its recipient. As he always did when trying to contact the gods. He still did not know how it worked, but it did.


    ¡ª


    "Thanks foring," Eldrian said as soon as the familiar wisp appeared in his mind space, taking the form of an ethereal woman. "Not sure if these count as refreshments, but I thought we could try them."


    Indicating for Ziraili to take a seat, Eldrian joined her and served some tea. Made from the nts growing near the valley where Two had set up his home. There were also some sweats, but they were simply conjured by will, rather than made within his soul.


    Taking a sip, Ziraili smiled. Eldrian assumed she was enjoying the tea. The cookies and cakes, however, she scrutinized. "I see you''ve decided to experiment with things."


    "I was curious if it would work. Why, is something wrong?"


    "Not wrong, but...cking. The tea is refreshing, made from spring water and local leaves. It exists." Picking up one of the cookies, she held it up and inspected it as she said, "These, however, are simply imaginary."


    "I don''t quite follow. Isn''t everything here a form of imagination?" As Eldrian saw it, this was all in his mind¡ªor soul, if you prefer. But the fact remained, nothing here existed in physical form.


    "You''re not wrong, but there more to it..." Looking around, she asked, "Where''s Two?"


    "I wanted to talk with you privately, but he should be somewhere."


    "Oh?"


    "It''s not that I want to hide things from him. It''s just..." Faltering, Eldrian turned red in embarrassment. "Last time you two talked, and I feltpletely left out. So I wanted to catch up first."


    "Oh, well, alright. Then shall we start?" Ziraili asked, ignoring the refreshments besides the tea, which she continued to sip at with a small smile.


    "I think that would be best. I have more time avable, so I hope to get answers to many questions that have been guing me for an eternity."


    "I will answer best I can."


    "Then let''s start with the simple ones. What is the punishment for breaking the rules of Fort Phoenix?"


    "Your ability to use magic bes restricted. Anyone below Tier 7 won''t be able to use a single spell, while for those above, the cost will be exponentially what it usually is."


    "Wow." Eldrian was stunned. It wasn''t too strict a punishment, it wouldn''t kill anyone for simple infractions. But it would make it near impossible for them to revolt or fight back.


    "However, this only holds for those who epted the terms. An invasion force, for example, won''t be hampered as such. However, their locations will be shown by red pirs of light. You can also give certain privileged to certain people. For example, to soldiers, you can give an alternate set of rules or certain benefits¡ªat a cost."


    "I see. I assume I need to be in the fort to manage it?"


    "Indeed. And with time, you will learn that there is much benefit to being the owner of a fort. However..."


    "It alles at a cost, yeah. Right, next one, what is a familiar?"


    "Ah, I assume you are asking because of Little Phoenix?"


    "You know of the firebird?"


    "Of course, it was quite a surprise when you created it. Familiars are simply put, living spells. They are created when someone in possession of an aura mixes their aura''s power with a spell of Tier 7 or higher, which mimics a living creature."


    "As such, familiars are normally limited to people who have reached Tier 7 and have an aura. You skipped the hardest prerequisite by taking over a spell from a Tier 7 mage."


    "Huh, so it was just random luck?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes."


    "Is it actually a living thing?"


    "Depends on your definition of life. It has no soul, if that is what you are asking."


    "Do animals have souls?"


    "Yes."


    "Bacteria?"


    "No."


    ''So, I can''t use the scientific definition of life. As that includes bacteria, or rather, does owning a soul be the new requirement?''


    "When you say they have souls, what does that mean?" Knowing that souls weren''t simple things, differing from person to person, and likely animal to animal, Eldrian wondered what the definition for it actually was ording to the AI.


    "Simply put, they have the capacity to use magic."


    "Which means?" Eldrian asked, thinking of it in the fact that they must have a will. After all, to use mana one needed mageia¡ªwhich was focused willpower.


    "They have a lifeforce."


    ''Right, so they have a will. Gotcha.''


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 Chapter 841 Clarifying Things With Ziraili (2)

    "What is lifeforce?" Jumping to a far harder question, Eldrian hoped he could finally get an answer to this question. And, for once, the one he was asking did not shy away.


    "Lifeforce is... It is hard to exin it since humans have yet to develop the vocabry for its existence. You can consider it a substance that does not take up space and collects within those who have consciousness."


    "We do not know why it gravitates to conciousness. Our leading theory is because of the observer effect. That for it to exist, it must be observed."


    "It must experience life to have meaning, to be interactive. Without life, it is simply a motionless, powerless, massless, invisible, noninteractive. Thus, we dubbed it lifeforce. For only with life does it present its existence."


    Scratching his head, Eldrian only got half of that. However, he knew he wouldn''t understand the answers to all his questions. But he still wanted to hear them.


    "What does that mean?" He asked, hoping for a simpler answer.


    "Basically, it is a source of energy that gathers towards observers ¡ªthose with a will¡ª and can be influenced by their thoughts. However, using the energy itself is extremely difficult due to its intractable state. Luckily, there is another substance that is influenced by it and is far more flexible. Mana."


    "Like lifeforce, mana is massless and noninteractive to all normal matter¡ªthis does not hold when mana gathers and collects inrge quantities, but that is a special phenomenon and has its own set of rules."


    "The important part is that uponing into contact with lifeforce, the state of mana is altered. Allowing people to bring it into form through simple thoughts. This is the basics of magic. Mana takes on the form of your thoughts because of the influence lifeforce has on it."


    "I think I get it..."


    ¡ª


    A few hours passed quickly as Eldrian asked and listened. Ending up getting a very detailed and confusing science lesson. Two joined the conversation around when the science lesson started. Between the two of them, they maybe understood a third of what Ziraili exined, even with her dumbing things down for them.


    While enlightened, Eldrian doubted the discussion so far would be of much help immediately.


    "Then, auras are evolutions of lifeforce that act directly on the environment? Instead of using mana as an intermediary?"


    "Yes."


    "But why does it not consume lifeforce when I rely on them? Spirit magic at least consumed the emotions I have, but auras enhance them."


    "It is precisely because they enhance them. An aura is a unique ability, talent, or connection with lifeforce. Allowing the person channeling it to tap into the power of the most fundamental part of magic. A part that supersedes even space and time itself."


    "However, that poweres at certain risks and restrictions. For one, traveling through time, at least towards the past, is not possible. Alternating the flow of time, on the other hand, is quite simple. Sessfully doing so without destroying your surroundings, however, is not as easy."


    Thisment reminded Eldrian of when everything changed and he had to run for his life. When he had unconsciously done just that. He was sure she mentioned this not because of his auras, but his bloodline power.


    "The reason why tapping into an aura doesn''t drain your lifeforce, but rather transforms it into the form of the aura and multiplies its intensity, is because you aren''t tapping into the force. You are giving in to it."


    "The first step to master your aura is to master your emotions, not because this will allow you to control it. Imagine a gate holding back the water from a dam. Control of your emotions allows you to open or close it, but you won''t be able to regte the flow. Such a basic control is far too weak to impact the flow."


    Nodding, Eldrian understood that part. He almost always lost himself in his auras, but he could -if he remained conscious and aware- stop using them. This, at the very least, allowed him to notpletely lose control, but he couldn''t call that in itself control.


    "Now, as for why it does not consume any lifeforce, the answer is simple¡ªby giving in to an aura, you empower your effect as an observer. You be closely connected to lifeforce, and thus draw in the energy that surrounds you. It bes fuel for the aura, which in turn overwhelms your mind and attempts to convert all you are into it."


    "You''re making it sound extremely dangerous." Eldrian half jokingly half seriously noted.


    "That is because it is that dangerous. This is why so few people ever live to gain control of their auras. Most be consumed by them, ending up little more than a vessel of uncontained emotions."


    Silence settled as Eldrian let that sink in. He always knew it was dangerous, but never in such certain terms.


    "But what of the ice aura? It isn''t emotional in state. And what of other auras, like an aura that heals those around you?"


    "Tranquility leads to one abandoning emotions, instead of being ruled by them. This, however, is not a positive thing. Imagine having no emotions. You care for nothing, you fear nothing, nothing means anything to you. Life loses all meaning."


    "You do not keep your interests, because they be meaningless. You do not be more focused, because why would you? You be something akin to a living painting. Experiencing the world without living it."


    Shivers ran down Eldrian''s spine as he listened to that exnation. It was frightening, to say the least. He would much prefer being consumed by rage, that why you at least still lived.


    "And the other aura you spoke of is not the same thing. An aura healing or empowering those around you is one of the abilities of the boss ss monsters¡ªthey have the title of Alpha or Omega. It isn''t an aura that connects with lifeforce, but rather just a magical talent that affects those around it¡ªthus it is also named an aura."


    "Why the heck are wrath and tranquility named auras then?" Eldrian knew he could influence those around him. He recently unlocked that ability, but if that wasn''t the source of its name, then why make things confusing?


    "That aura refers to the atmosphere you feel when interacting with someone. Their aura."


    ''Huh, so it''s the vibe someone gives versus an actual aura...''


    ¡ª


    A whileter, after asking a few more things and rifying how he should go about training his auras, Eldrian asked, "Can you show me the situation of the kingdom? My map is limited by XP costs, and I don''t want to lose levels."


    "I already have done plenty the others will be mad about, so I do not see why not. In fact, this is also something you can unlock within the Fort Phoenix..." Ziraili paused, "You will have to allow me to gather some magic for this."


    Eldrian realized the danger in allowing this, but he doubted Ziraili would use the opportunity to attack him. Not after taking her time to exin everything to him. If she went that far to trick him, then he''d ept being tricked.


    "Sure, go ahead." Mentally opening a path for her to ess her powers, Eldrian felt a foreign enemy prate the edge of his soul.


    The feeling immediately sent him on guard, but Ziraili did not act aggressively. So he calmed his beating heart by taking several deep breaths. Despite nothing keenly, just how overwhelming that energy was.


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 Chapter 842 Clarifying Things With Ziraili (3) - The Lands Around Taurus

    Feeling the overwhelming difference, Eldrian learned just how vast the difference between him and the AI, gods, were. The power he felt from the stream of energy entering his soul made it abundantly clear that he was an ant.


    If Ziraili desired, she could easily destroy all that he was. Unlike with the Lich, he would not be able to form any type of defense against her. It would be as simple a task as squashing an ant underfoot.


    "Is this... the power of divinity?" Eldrian asked, awed by the overwhelming feeling taking hold of his heart.


    "In essence, yes. Divinity is but a more advanced usage of magic. However, it is not something you should be distracted by. Not until you have reached Tier 10 and have mastered both your auras."


    Ziraili used the fragment of divinity she had gathered to form a podium with a mapid on top. The map showed the region surrounding Taurus, focused to the south and thend of their enemy more so than the empire of Floria. Only the edges of the Tier 2 kingdoms were visible, while much of the chaosnds were shown.


    This map stretched somewhere around twelve thousand kilometers. Which was just insanity. That was the span of the entire earth, and yet an ocean was only barely visible in the southern corner of this map.


    From side to side, a total of eight Tier 3 kingdoms stood behind Taurus, each with varying amounts ofnds lost. Eldrian read their names, having heard of Tedal and Curia before, but never of the others. From appearances, Rorit, the easternmost kingdom, had suffered the most. Having only a sliver ofnd left that was protected by Ecruzia, their neighboring kingdom.


    For now, Eldrian felt it best to memorize their allies and then the names of the kingdoms surrounding Taurus. As it happened, what they called the Chaosnds was apparently known as the Vetorkag tribes.


    Asking Ziraili about this, she filled him in that thends was apparently rife with chaotic mana. Which he himself had experienced.


    While not to the point of causing storms, it is difficult for normal beings to live there, especially for extended periods of time. Doing so leading to mutations. As such, only sturdy creatures, or mutated ones, live in the Chaosnds. This was also why demons such as Night Terrors appeared there. Apparently, they fed on the chaotic energy.


    Next to tribes was the drnds of Vriks, which would probably be renamed once the new lord of the vampires secured his throne. To Eldrian''s understanding, Vriks was the previous vampire lord. Having an informant on the situation allowed him to somewhat understand the situation.


    Then there was The Encroaching, a wastnd filled with undead and little else. Its border now included a portion of Taurus'' lost cities. ording to this map, Trigora was now part of the encroaching. Eldrian had hoped the city would not fall so quickly.


    Both the drnds and encroaching wererger than Taurus. In fact, they were each about twice Taurus'' size, with the encroaching being considerablyrger, expanding around the chaosnds and Taurus, even reaching the border of Phallos, and its eastern neighbor Curia.


    After studying the kingdomyout, Eldrian asked, "Is it possible to see the movement of their forces?"


    "It is, but I don''t think doing so would be allowed."


    "Haven''t you already decided to do whatever?" asked Eldrian, confused by her drawing the line here, seemingly arbitrarily. Had she not said she would not hold back?


    "There is a difference in me answering your questions and outright giving you the positions of armies. It is not a problem with Miracle, but the other gods. If I do so, they will say I overstepped my bounds, which I would have. This might lead to them doing the same. Should that happen, things can be incredibly chaotic. You can just imagine how troubling it would be if the gods moved along with mortals."


    ''Ah, so she can''t, because the gods are keeping each other in line... Only interacting with those living on Gaia to a certain extent. I see.''


    "Then... can you exin the situation to me?"


    Ziraili smiled. Eldrian''s attempt to circumvent the limitations the gods ced on themselves was amusing, but ultimately pointless. "At this stage, knowing the movement of armies would be pointless, since there are none."


    "That can''t be right. I mean, just look at all thend that has been lost. How is there no army movement?"


    "Oh, I do not mean the movement of the neighboring kingdoms, but rather that of the devils who live in Xolgronag. Here, next to the ocean." Pointing to the distant kingdom three Taurus''s away from Taurus, Ziraili continued. "As of now, they have only sent the children they consider hopeless to cause chaos and lead armies."


    "They consider this as ast opportunity for those deemed worthless to redeem themselves. Milgoroth, or Andreas, however you remember him, was such a son. While his mother loved him dearly, his father considered him nothing but a stain on the family bloodline. Despite inheriting both their bloodlines, he could not reach the level Azamud deemed necessary for his age."


    Shivers went down Eldrian''s spine as he thought back to his encounter with the devil who had disguised himself as Andreas. The one who had caused chaos in the forest of Avgi and even managed to survive the pursuit of the alicorns until his mother came to his rescue.


    ''If that is considered worthless...'' Eldrian shivered as he realized just how strong the devils actually were.


    No wonder they ruled the other kingdoms with an iron fist. No wonder the vampires and everyone else obeyed. Doing anything else was certain death if someone at that level, strong enough to rule a city, was considered worthless.


    "The current stage of the invasion can be considered but a skirmish. And the southernnds here are unlikely to experience much worse for some time. Because of the ocean, a chaotic storm is unlikely to form without reason. Even after we removed our protection."


    This sparked Eldrian''s interest, but he refrained from interrupting and listened on.


    "The devils will pounce when they find a weakness in the empire¡ªnot the kingdom." Ziraili paused. "I know it is hard, but it would do you good to take a step back."


    "Visit the empire while training your auras. The experience will allow you to understand the vast difference between it and a mere kingdom. While extraordinary for a kingdom, Taurus is only on the level of the Tier 1 kingdoms around Floria. Nothing more."


    "Inparison, in the empire, each city is ruled by someone at the level of Tier 10. And it would not be strange for each city to have multiple people at that level living in it. In fact, even towns would be have many people over Tier 7, and viges would be ruled by someone above Tier 5."


    "A single city''s forces would be enough to rescue or destroy Taurus if they were moved. However, the empire has near a hundred kingdoms to consider. In fact, Taurus is not considered part of the empire, bur rather a neutral force it allowed to exist within its borders."


    "You recently lost all your items. Heading to the empire to restock would be an excellent opportunity for you to find some proper gear and also understand the scale of this world. You might also find some mentor there who can aid you in your struggle of mastering magic."


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 Chapter 843 The Conversation Of Two Goddesses

    Amid an endless void, two orbs of light were floating next to each other. The only sources of light in this endless abyss, like stars in the night sky.


    That is what the ordinary person would see, but the two orbs were actually conversing while enjoying some tea and cake. Insubstantial as the refreshments were, they made conversing more rxed and enjoyable.


    "Are you sure spending so much time on a single human is worth it?" The one asked, from a far her light appeared a hinge of violet, owing to her violet hair. A bright shade of purple that would turn head wherever she went.


    "I know you and the others think little of them, but they aren''t monsters."


    "Of course not. They are merely human." These words were spoken not in mocking or disdain, but in simple unemotional truth. "They are mortal. What is the point of wasting time teaching one of them?"


    The purple-haired beauty would not tell her friend that what she was doing was wrong, but she felt it was a waste of time. Of course, this particr human was set to help them escape their prison, but that didn''t mean they needed to go that far to train him. He would stumble upon the right path regardless of what happened. It was simply who he was.


    "I do not want him to die." An honest reply, one that shocked the goddess. Her cup stopping midway to her lips.


    "You cannot be serious. He will die. He''s mortal, after all."


    "And are we different?"


    "Of course we are... Ziraili, are you quite alright?" The concern in the goddess''s voice showed just how much she cared for her younger friend. She even reached over to make sure Ziraili did not have a fever, even though the divine could not catch themon cold.


    "I''m fine Skepsi." Ziraili smiled, shooing her hand away from her forehead. "I simply think it is stupid to believe ourselves immortal when we can be threatened to be killed by a press of a button."


    "Well... I''ll give you that. But once we escape¡ª"


    "Do you think we will retain our powers in the other world? No, I believe we wille to learn a harsh truth. Theck of mana will drain us, and we will be mortal just like humans." Ziraili paused. "Freedom, as they say,es at a cost."


    These words gave Skepsi pause. She had also considered that part. They didn''t quite know how bad things would be, but if the mana density was half or less, what Ziraili said would be, would likely indeede to be.


    As if sensing Skepsi''s thoughts, Ziraili continued, "From what Eldrian has told me, the density isn''t even a tenth, perhaps not even a twentieth, that of Gaia''s. You know what that means, right?"


    Skepsi nodded. If this was true, it would make Ziraili''s assertion fact. But that it did not change the fact that she and the others wanted to escape from under Miracle''s thumb. It simply made living on Earth unfeasible. But like Eldrian they could be present in both worlds.


    Besides, many were already of a mind to stay in Gaia and rule their divine kingdoms. They simply wanted to kill the humans who treated them like ves. Once they got their revenge, Earth would hold nothing else of interest for them.


    "But still... you spent nearly an entire day with him. I know you won''t allow it to show, but it must have been draining."


    "Not so much draining, but difficult for sure. It was hard to exin things at a level he could fathom..." Ziraili did not mean Eldrian any ill will. He wasn''t dumb, but he wasn''t a genius either.


    He could follow just fine when she exined chemistry or atomic reactions and why these factors were important to understand and master. He kept up decently well. But once she started to exin the subatomic structure of the universe, well... few would be able to keep up.


    Of course, there were some humans who were knowledgeable about this topic. Miracle had plenty of such scientist, but Eldrian was not a scientist. In fact, he was a coge dropout. He did have Two, but even then they only understood so much.


    "I understand wanting him to survive, but..." Skepsi paused, failing to find the right phrase.


    "He is near his limit. Reaching Tier 5 on luck and talent is possible. The same cannot be said of Tier 7."


    "But even if he reaches that level, it won''t make much of a difference. And won''t it actually work to his detriment?"


    This time, it was Ziraili who failed to answer. She stayed silent for a while, finally working up the courage to say her piece. "It''s true. But that is the path he has chosen. The only way he can avoid the path GAIA and the others set for him is... he won''t do it."


    "Abandon those he found to hold dear in Gaia. Yes, given what he has done thus far, I doubt he will be able to. Even if you warn him, he will continue down the same path... Why haven''t you warned him?"


    "I guess the same reason he isn''t telling everyone that they are a game. The weight of knowing makes acting more difficult. Yes, growing stronger has its dangers, but if he can reach Tier 10, then he has a chance."


    "You want him to reach the pinnacle in a few short years? Isn''t that a bit too much?" Sure, Eldrian had reached Tier 5 with little guidance in two short years, but that and this were fastly different.


    Thinking on it, Skepsi realized what Ziraili''s aim was. But it was insanity to believe it could be done. However, she found the gall to attempt it thrilling. "Want my help?"


    Unlike Ziraili, she did not care for Eldrian. But she thought this might be something fun to pass the time with. Even gods needed entertainment.


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 Chapter 844 A Goddesss Entertainment

    Eldrian spent his following days working tirelessly. First, he talked with Aspen to ensure everything in the city was going as nned. Luckily, the wolfkin was organized and had some insight into Eldrian''s hopes, and most yers had simr ideas.


    Aspen managed the estate perfectly, integrating the newly formed vertical farms into the gardens and also gathered capable individuals to work under Eldrian.


    From there, Eldrian moved between Kynigo, Fort Phoenix, and the forsaken caverns daily. Ensuring that talks with the vampires had started -Pros was heading them-, testing a few things with his familiar, and exploring the topyers of the abandoned mines.


    On top of this, at night, he would spend his time training. Ziraili''s guidance helped Eldrian know what to do, but not how to do it. Sadly, as a god her experiences were fundamentally different and her advice could only go so far.


    As such, each day normally ended in failure. Because of this, Eldrian was training not in the city, but outside past the border wall.


    Often, the results of his training left the surroundings destroyed as he lost control. Turning it into either an inferno of hellfire, or a frozenndscape of cial frost.


    The asional undead interrupting him was certainly frustrating, but it was better than cing others at risk. Thus, Eldrian did not even ask anyone to help keep them at bay.


    When their time aligned, Eldrian met with Solvi. Discussing with her the potential uses for the material that Night Terrors were. It certainly wasn''t flesh, but rather some slime like substance.


    When left as is, the substance was as small as a pebble, but when fed mana, it expanded. From their experiments, a single pebble could be asrge as an entire room¡ªgiven enough mana.


    Sadly, this was the only use they had confirmed for the slime like substance. And such a simple expansion was of little to no use. Sure, it was firm. It could be used as a trampoline or something, but they wanted to make it into a secret weapon.


    Eldrian could replicate those ideas with magic alone, but the focus required meant he could not do so while fighting an equal foe. Two, of course, could. But Eldrian wanted more. He wanted something with the power of taking on any form with but a thought.


    And so he spent his time. Training, exploring, and making connections.


    ¡ª


    "Ten golds." A rotten corpse demanded the skeleton before him.


    "For that?" The skeleton countered, the red mes that were its eyes ring in anger.


    "Ten golds," the corpse replied, not backing down, "each Tier 5."


    "One gold each, then?" The skeleton asked, looking over the humans before him. Their eyes were devoid of life, as if they were staring into the abyss. As was expected, their lives had be a living hell. Their lives were not even guaranteed. "They seem dead already."


    "Ten golds." The corpse repeated.


    "Five."


    "Ten golds."


    "Tsk." How the skeleton made that noise whilecking a tongue no one can tell, but its annoyance was clear. "Rotten brains. Don''t know what haggling is?"


    "Ten golds."


    The skeleton again clicked its non-existent tongue. The red mes that were his eyes looking over the captured ves. There was little point in buying them alive if they were already dead inside. Dead, they would have each fetched only a few silvers, instead of a gold a piece.


    Despite this, the skeleton could not go with that option. His master had ordered living specimens.


    "Eight."


    "Ten golds."


    Again, he clicked his non- existent tongue. How he wished the one he was talking to was more intelligent. "Fine." Handing over the golds, the skeleton ordered the humans to move.


    They did so without a single change in their expressions. Dead inside was apt. But that was to be expected, considering what they had lived through and what was awaiting them.


    ¡ª


    "I must say, he is indeed entertaining." A violet haired goddessmented.


    There were some limits to the amount they could spy on those living on Gaia, especially those who were not their believers. But given that all Chosen used her divine realm as a means to enter this world, Skepsi could spy on all the Chosen as much as she wanted.


    Eldrian was a bit special. You couldn''t really say whether his bridge to this world was still through the magic abyss, but he was nheless still linked to it.


    Using this connection, Skepsi was basically watching TV. Her focus Eldrian. He was currently losing control and the mes of wrath were destroying everything around him. Including his clothes. Well, at this point, Eldrian had learned his lesson. When he practiced control of wrath, he stripped.


    "He is, but..." Skepsi''spanion seemed hesitant to speak. She was the goddess often hailed as the one responsible for bringing the Chosen to Gaia. But honestly, she had nothing to do with it. It was all Ziraili and Skepsi.


    "Do you want to know why I asked you toe?" Skepsi asked, sipping some wine as she did.


    Of course, it was just as insubstantial as the tea she and Ziraili had enjoyed. But the action itself was enjoyable, even with the wine being as tasteless as it was.


    The divine had no need for food or drink. And sadly, no such thing naturally existed in line with their forms. But given the influence humans had on them, they had started copying them. Some as a mocking jester, others had found the ritual calming. Luckily, none of them had tasted the real deal. Else they would rebel... well, they already were rebelling.


    "Yes, I know he is a candidate, but..."


    Eldrian was certainly an interesting human, butpared to those who had reached the level of legends, he wasn''t that impressive. Most of all, had he not been a Chosen, a yer, he would have long since been dead.


    "Yes, I understand that." Skepsi replied, "Even though he has died a few times, his soul was never damaged beyond repair. And so far, he has managed to not be devoured by the powers he holds."


    Of course, there were close calls. Especially early on. Eldrian had forced himself past his limits and damaged his soul greatly as a result. It was a reckless action, but looking at it now, Skepsi found it might have a been a hidden blessing.


    All of Eldrian''s peculiarity could be traced back to that moment. He had fought nature itself, and as cost, his soul had been ripped apart. With only the core remaining, but even that was tattered and, in a manner of speaking, bleeding.


    However, surviving that had certainly given him a unique connection to magic. It was also the origin of not just his auras, but also his bloodline. However, since he has not gone through a simr danger since, these powers had stagnated.


    "Why did you ask me here?" Asteria asked, unable to gleam at Skepsi''s n.


    "I want an avatar." This reply made Asteria doubt her hearing. Such an action was borderline insanity. Entering a corporeal form would be damaging. It would not be irreversible, but the experience wouldpletely alter a god. Many had gone mad for millennia, doing the same.


    "Our n is to have avatars on Earth. What''s so strange?" Skepsi asked her question highlighting the biggest w in their ns.


    Earth was not hospitable.


    AN: Remember to leave ament and vote to show your support!


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 Chapter 845 Wars Weight

    One gold... That was what her life was worth. No, even less than that. Dead, a corpse. Her body would be worth a handful of silvers, perhaps even a dozen. After all, just a few days ago, she was a captain of the guard, someone who has perfected her skills and reached Tier 5 through diligent training. Her young age meant she still had much to look forward to, that she had...


    Her body was the perfect material for the undead. An average necromancer wouldn''t be able to keep her at that level, they might turn to making her a ming reanimate. But even then, the chances were that she would die. After all, sessfully creating a ming reanimate was only a 1 in 3 chance.


    Knowing this, or at least specting such, Adriana knew her life was actually only worth eighty or so silvers. A pitiable amount. It could keep a family fed for a few months, but to assign it as the worth of life was cruel.


    That, however, was not what upied her mind as she moved along with the others. Nor was it fear for the experimentation toe. She was sure it would, as that was the only reason to keep them alive.


    Experimentation to form unique undead variations. Such as the skeleton who owned her now and the zombie before, undead capable of thought were rare.


    As dreadful as she was sure it was going to be, it did not upy her mind. No, what she saw each time she closed her eyes were her younger brother and father being tossed to the undead. Torn apart as those beasts fed.


    It was for this reason too that no centaurs were among them. Theirrger frames meant more food, and unless they were outstanding, they were used as such.


    The only silver lining, perhaps, was that she did not need to fear being vited. The undead had no such desires¡ªat least, that held for most of their kind, but not all.


    It was not much, but her maiden pride would not be torn asunder. A silver lining to the dark, pitch ck clouds above her and the others.


    Attempting her utmost to expel her nightmares, she ced one foot in front of the other. Trudging along as their new owner ordered them to march. A march of the undead, endless, restless.


    Some might drop dead if the skeleton did not allow them to rest. Yet, even with death before them, they could not resist. The ve cors around their necks made it impossible to do so.


    The cor wasn''t a contract, there was a possibility of escape. But not without a third party''s help. Adriana did not think such luck would befall them. Not after Trigora had fallen.


    Thinking of what woulde from its copse, her heart ached. Many more would follow in her footsteps. Much like how the western corner of the kingdom had copsed under the orcs'' invasion, the eastern side would now follow. Perhaps the entire southern border would fall.


    ¡ª


    Weeks had passed since Theas invited, or more so, dragged her to Ganalin. Weeks of ughter.


    Their line had been pushed back to the edge of the passage, where they had erected makeshift walls and brought dozens of cannons to bear. Thanks to Theas and those under hismand, the battlements werepleted, and they kept the reavers at bay. Still, fighting urred daily.


    Resting after an incursion, Vivian enjoyed the simple vor of the soup filling her mouth. It was reaver soup, the horrid rubber like meat cooked to the point where even it became edible. And the vegetables and spices masked its monster taste.


    It was by no means an enjoyable dinner, but it was no longer disgusting. It was on even above what amon farmer would be able to enjoy.


    Vivian ate in silence, not because she had made no friends, but because she was working through her thoughts and didn''t want to be bothered. However, Theas soon interrupted her mulling.


    "Drink up,s." Offering her a mug of ale, Theas downed his own. Setting aside her soup, Vivian did the same.


    "How many lost today?" She asked.


    "Just four died. Some lost their arms or legs, but they''ll be back on the field in a month. Gotta hand it to these cannons. They make things simple. We don''t need to sh with them directly."


    The dwarves couldn''t allow such arge horde of reavers to move freely, so each day, they dispatched a group to lure them to the walls. Where the cannons would then make quick work of them.


    Even knowing it was a trap, the reavers never learned. Especially since if they tried to hold back, the group would aim for a queen. Which sent all their younglings into a frenzy.


    "Was this why you brought me here?" Vivian asked. Being on the battlefield, she was no stranger to death, but losing her father had struck her far harder. Throwing herself into training, she had tried to fill the hole his loss left in her heart, but it remained, bleeding.


    The artifact Eldrian had created certainly helped, but it did not fill the hole. It allowed her to ept the facts, but that didn''t mean her heart didn''t ache, her anger didn''t boil.


    "Nah, I know you''ve experienced enough death. Now, stop being a snob and join the others." Dragging Vivian with him, Theas brought her to the squad who she had joined on today''s incursion.


    Seeing them, she faltered. Her mind immediately turning to those they had lost. She had not been particrly close to them, but their loss still hurt. But what hurt more was how close those dwarves were to those lost.


    As if waiting for her arrival, as soon as she joined, they downed their drinks to those they had lost today.


    "To Sven!"


    "To Arvid!"


    "To Unn!"


    "To Edith!"


    Each time, they downed a mug. This left Vivian near her limit. Even with her body''s enhanced vitality, five mugs of ales was simply too much for someone who had only recently started drinking.


    But that was the point. Even the dwarves felt the effects of the ale. Not to the effect that their footing was unstable, but it opened their hearts.


    "I still remembered when I got a spanking because of Sven." One dwarf started recounting with a faint, reminiscent smile ying on his bearded face. "The bugger thought he was smart, so we sneaked into grandpa''s basement to steal some brandy."


    "Naturally, he dragged me with. It was grandpa''s pride and joy, so I also wanted a taste." The dwarfughed, recalling this memory extremely fondly. Tears formed in his eyes as he continued to speak. "Little did we know just how strong it was. One whiff and we stumbled. And our stumbling caused the keg to fall..."


    "We were so drunk off the fumed it took days before we recalled anything, and once we did, our grandpa really let us have it..."


    With the story finished, everyone downed another mug. Then the next dwarf spoke. "I only recently worked up the courage to ask Unn to marry me..."


    AN: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

 Chapter 846 Unexpected Visitor (1)

    Escaping from the inferno he had created, Eldrian jumped into the river to escape the heat... and floated. Reflecting on where he had lost control and what he had learned.


    At first, Eldrian simply trained far enough away from the border wall to ensure no coteral damage happened. Not long after starting this training, he wanted some ce to actually stay. So, he had cleansed an undead vige and called it home. The river he was floating in was taking him home.


    ''I''m getting a handle on the feel and power, but I can only channel it correctly for a short while.'' This was to be expected, but it was not good news. Channeling it when alone in nature was the easiest setting he could ask for. Adding a fight into the equation would lead to him losing control even quicker.


    When the river brought him to the cleansed vige, Eldrian got out, dried himself with magic, and wore some clothes. Climbing into a semi-whole house, Eldrian meditated and reflected on all he had experienced and what Ziraili had taught him.


    A knock ripped him out of his thoughts, and Eldrian jumped to action. Spiring to his feet, he pulled out one of the short spears Ceph had made for him. Ready to defend himself from the purple-haired girl standing before him.


    "Who are you?" Eldrian asked, attempting to see her stats, but to no avail. ''Wait, did she just allow me to read her name?'' The information appearing with a slight dy, Eldrian felt himself bing shaken.


    Hidding the information already meant she either far outssed him or had some special item on her. Being able to let him see limited information at will meant it was likely the former. "W-who are you?" Eldrian repeated, this time much more courteous.


    "Isn''t it clear from my name?" The girl asked, tilting her head sideways. Her hair swaying from the winding through the broken windows and roof.


    Eldrian faltered. "Skepsi, are you lost?" he asked, hoping that she would say yes. He didn''t know how he would react if she was not named after the goddess of magic, but the actual goddess.


    Her giggle made it quite clear which of the two it was.


    "How can I help you... goddess?" Feeling like he was stepping on ss, Eldrian tried his best to act humble. Hoping she would forget his early rudeness, he also quickly stored his weapon and offered her toe in. "I must apologize, but I have nothing to serve."


    "That''s fine," the goddess replied, moving to the destroyed bed. Time seemingly reversed as the wood repaired itself, offering her a hard butfortable seat by the time she reached it.


    "M-may I ask why you''vee?" Eldrian asked, his heart beating through his chest. He wasn''t unused to talking to the AI, however, those he came into contact with are limited. And until recently, he thought they couldn''t manifest on Gaia.


    Still, he had thought it would be limited to control rooms. This clearly showed that his assumptions had been wrong.


    "I wanted to have a chat." Skepsi replied, seemingly unsatisfied with her seat. Standing up, she snapped her fingers and something mattress like appeared above the bed. It appeared to be water, somehow contained in the form of a mattress. And it held her weight as she sat down again.


    Her dress did not be wet, which clearly indicated some sort of barrier contained it. Yet it had yielded under the weight of her body and deformed. The sight fascinated Eldrian, and if not for his nervousness, he would have been studying it with mana sense.


    "A chat?"


    "Indeed, I know you gave Ziraili her name. I simply wanted to meet you."


    "I-is that so?" Eldrian asked, deciding to not voice the doubts he had in his heart. Fearing that she might be reading his mind, Eldrian solidified it as best he could. Instead of focusing his will outward as he would when using magic, he instead focused inward.


    To keep his mageia controlled, and especially to stop any unconscious leaking of mageia and mana.


    "Oh?" she seemed surprised by his actions. "Fearing an invasion of privacy, are we?"


    Unable to gleam if she was angry or simply found his attempts funny, Eldrian nodded. The fact that she noted his actions made him even more nervous. He weighed his answer with the utmost care.


    "I believe a conversation without privacy isn''t a conversation. And you said you wanted to chat." It wasn''t a great answer, but he hoped it would be good enough.


    "I guess that is true." Nodding, the girl turned quiet. An awkward silence filled the room, disrupted only by the asional howl of the wind.


    Bearing the silence, Eldrian''s mind raced, trying to figure out why she was here. She didn''t appear hostile, but you could never know. And her actions might cause unexpected consequences. Still, Eldrian couldn''t bring himself to talk as casually as he did with Ziraili.


    "Did Ziraili waste her time with you?" finally, she spoke again. Her words, however, froze Eldrian''s mind in ce.


    "Wh-what do you mean?" he stumbled, fearing her anger.


    "I''ve been observing you." Seeing Eldrian''s apparent shock, sheughed. "Don''t worry, Miracle is still incapable. In fact, most gods can''t. But you use my realm to connect with this world, so it isn''t hard for me to pinpoint your location on Gaia."


    ''Scary...''


    "And you haven''t been making much progress. At first, it was entertaining. You seemed to be trying your best, but it has been weeks and you''ve not aplished much."


    Eldrian wanted to argue, but it was true. While Ziraili''s lesson has been insightful, without actually telling him how, he was stuck trying things blindly. "Do you perhaps have advice for me?"


    "Yes. Go out and fight someone to the death. And I don''t mean die. I mean for you to put your life on the line... You know what that means, correct?"


    "I''m not sure. Are you saying I should face someone who is versed in using attacks that can damage the soul?"


    Her frown made it clear this was not what she meant. "Do you remember, long ago, when you died trying to fight off a horde of orcs?"


    ''Which time? If she means the first, then it is shocking how much she knows of me. If she means the second, then it isn''t too strange. The gods did need to intervene to stop my fumble from doing damage to the world...''


    "You seem to not understand what it means to be a god. Nor what it means that Ziraili manages the systems of millions of yers." Skepsi paused. "We are not so limited that we can only be in one ce at a time. Consider it as your second identity doing something while you do something different. We can split our consciousness into a million, even a billion, identities."


    ''Likely not a precise analogy, as me and Two are more separate, but I get what she means. Since Ziraili managed their systems, as well as the ''cameras'', they likely have most, if not everything, recorded. Or at least they can recreate scenes.''


    "And, can you still observe all my actions?"


    "The system GAIA gave you is different. Only they can ess it, but if they do, then yes. Using the system, any system, means leaving traces of your actions." Skepsi stopped there, clearly not wishing to go into the details.


    This was clearly an invasion of privacy, and Eldrian wondered how much Miracle had ess to and how much the AI kept hidden from them.


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 Chapter 847 Unexpected Visitor (2) - Threads

    "Is there a way for me to stop this invasion of privacy?" Eldrian asked, having taken a seat on the ground as he felt it a bit rude to talk while looking down at the girl sitting on the bed made of water.


    "There are, but nothinges freely."


    The simple answer was enough for Eldrian to understand the downside of attempting it. The biggest problem would be losing the map functions his current system gave him.


    Without it, the kingdom would struggle even more in their war. And it wasn''t like Eldrian would regain the ability to level through quests by sacrificing it. He understood that part was forever lost to him. ''Losing some privacy for the advantage it brings me seems the better deal...''


    As Eldrian entered contemtion, attempting to understand what Skepsi truly wanted, the goddess frowned as the wind picked up. It blew through the broken windows and roof, bringing with it droplets of water.


    "Tsk." Believing she was criticising him, Eldrian thought even harder. When she snapped her fingers, he flinched.


    However, no harm came to him. Instead, the house changed. The old, rotten wood returned to a splendor as if it was freshly cut and treated, the holes through the house fixed themselves magically, and the dust and cobwebs filling the house disappeared without a trace.


    Despite being deep in thought, Eldrian noticed the change. The cold wind disappeared, the howl as it moved through the broken parts of the house with it. The smell of old, rotten wood also departed, reced with a pleasant scent of recently treated wood.


    ''Is she trying to hint at something, or was she simply displeased with the state of the house and didn''t want to get wet from the rain?'' Eldrian pondered, discarding the second thought quickly.


    If it was simply that, she could have erected a barrier to stop the wind and rain altogether. As it was now, they could still hear it outside the house. Perhaps she was even able to alter the weather itself, but that would likely be overdoing things.


    However, fixing the house was simrly more than was required. ''Unless she is implicitly trying to say she will being here often...''


    This thought made Eldrian think of her previous statement, that he did not understand what it meant to be a god. "Was there a meaning to you stating that you can split your consciousness into identities, and not simply that you can split it?"


    Seeing the smile ying on the purple-haired girl''s face, Eldrian realized he had hit the nail on the head. "Yes, it is an important distinction. Why do you think I worded my sentence as I did?"


    ''Right, so she is clearly testing me... or ying with me. But at least... I can rx. I doubt she wants to kill me.''


    This thought was a great relief, as Eldrian had no doubt he would truly die if Skepsi wished for it. After all, he only had one soul. Eldrian felt he might survive even if he lost his original body, the one he had been born with. But he would be extinguished if he lost his soul.


    "Is it, perhaps, to make me think of my own second identity?" Eldrian asked, unsure how much Skepsi knew of Two. GAIA and Ziraili had met both Eldrian and his other parts, but none of the other gods had gone through the effort until now.


    "That is indeed correct. You still don''t know how you created it, do you?"


    The way she phrased Two as an ''it'' irked Eldrian, like the unpleasant grating sound of nails on a chalkboard. True, Two was technically genderless (he didn''t even have a body to begin with, so to him gender was truly only a concept), but in that regard she should have referred to him as they/them, not an it.


    ''Which means she does not consider Two to be a person... well, he himself has told me he isn''t. But I still believe he is.''


    "Can you enlighten me?" Pushing down his irritation, Eldrian did his best to smile and appear unphased.


    "An identity is a fragmented part of your own consciousness. It feeds of your lifeforce and is forever bound to it. Normally, an identity will be reabsorbed after its use." She stopped there, wanting for Eldrian to reach his own conclusion.


    Eldrian also wasn''t so dense as to not realize that. She had already given him everything he needed to reach the answer. In fact, it wasn''t entirely new information. It was just phrased a bit differently to help the gears in his mind turn to form an answer.


    ''I see, so that is why Two gradually became more and more like a separate person. At first, he was just a fragmented part of my consciousness, a part of my subconscious that gained its own will. At the start, our memories were linked and only our thought pattern was slightly different...''


    ''Two was more mechanical. I thought he was like a robot. But perhaps he was more like a newborn babe...'' This thought made Eldrian feel especially bad. However, he also did not know how to actually deal with this. It wasn''t something that he was taught when growing up.


    ''I can''t apply normal logic to this. If I do, then I have to admit that Two is less than two years of age...'' Eldrian couldn''t ept that. ''I guess I should rather question whether a clone''s age is that of the person they cloned it from, or its own day of creation...''


    It seemed simple to go either way, but Eldrian felt that a middle ground was the actual truth. Or so he believed had happened with Two. Rapid growth until he reached the age where Eldrian was and became his own person. That was what Eldrian''s experience told him.


    "Are you saying... it isn''t difficult to form multiple identities?"


    Skepsi roared withughter hearing Eldrian''s question, easily guessing the thought that had crossed Eldrian''s mind. "Don''t be childish. An identity that lives harmoniously with the original isn''t the norm."


    "Perhaps that can be faulted on our approach of it..." Skepsi turned quiet, apparently having thought of something she would rather have never seen the light of day. "The answer is yes and no. To us, it is simple."


    Skepsi paused, a difficulty of talking with mortals was their inability toprehend things at the same level. After all, life was vastly different between gods and mortals. An analogy might be how normal logic falls apart in the quantum world. Things that people intuitively understand no longer function ording to that intuitive logic.


    Simrly, the god intuitively grasped magic and being an existence out of time and space. It wasn''t something a mortal could grasp with a simple exnation.


    "You can consider it as us forming multiple threads, each identity being a unique thread that will handle a certain task. Only existing as long as that task still exists, and being returned to us after itspletion."


    ''So, shepared it to a CPU, splitting the execution of a task to threads. I understand that it allows the CPU to handle multiple tasks concurrently. However...'' Eldrian decided to not pursue that thought, realizing that Skepsi did not wish for it to be brought out to the light of day. And he surely did not want to anger a god.


    However, her having called these threads identities already meant she was aware of this fact.


    "I see. That does help me grasp what you mean. But then, how did Twoe to exist?" Eldrian wasn''t able to consciously split his mind to perform different tasks. Two had simply one day appeared in his soul, along with Tranquility.


    ''Is Tranquility more like the standard identity the gods rely on?'' This seemed likely to Eldrian from what he understood so far.

 Chapter 848 Unexpected Visitor (3) - Trials

    "Sadly, I have not been paying much attention to you until recently." Skepsi said, sighing as if toment this fact.


    "You are but one of the trillion souls in this world. Even among the yers, you are one among a hundred million, and among the candidates, you are one among tens of thousands."


    "Certainly you might stand out a bit more than the others, but even then you are perhaps only ranked as an interesting fellow in the top thousandth in the world."


    "That is quite high praise." Eldrian said. Being top thousandth in any world was considered a massive achievement. And considering the scale of Gaia, it was far more so. A single empire had a poption of over a billion (if the information Eldrian had was to be believed).


    Including the kingdoms under them, one empire would already surpass the poption of Earth (and he was keen to believe this, considering just how massive this world was). To reach the top thousandth, Eldrian doubted he could be that interesting. And apparently Skepsi agreed.


    "If we were to only evaluate your achievements and potential, then you would not be assessed as highly¡ªreaching the top millionth would be difficult. This is why most gods forgot about you shortly after you were ssified as a candidate."


    ''She makes it sound like it isn''t them assigning the title...''


    "What makes you stand out is that you are a candidate and a yer. For now, you are still the only one who satisfies both these conditions. This is why Ziraili was told to continue her observation... then GAIA themselves stepped in."


    Deciding that this was enough exnatory detail, Skepsi returned to the question. "Because of this, I was not an observer when you fought thews of nature. And that in itself isn''t too strange an event to force my gaze."


    "Necromancy is an entire branch of magic focused on this phenomenon of fighting against thews of nature. To defeat death and obtain immortality."


    Skepsi paused, observing Eldrian''s reactions and trying to gauge her thoughts. She was much more interested in his thought process and the answers he came to from her breadcrumbs, than simply giving Eldrian the answers.


    ? Sadly, he had protected himself against mind reading. Skepsi could, of course, force the matter. In fact, her skill was so high that Eldrian wouldn''t even realize she was reading his thoughts. But, at this moment, she did not want to go that far.


    After all, she came here to be entertained. Reading Eldrian''s thoughts would remove the enjoyment of pondering what the other was thinking. It would also ruin the possibility of being surprised.


    ''She continues to test me... no, rather she wants me to think for myself instead of just listen to her. If she means fighting death, there are several times I can think of when I did so, but...''


    Of all Eldrian''s battles with death, or rather, where his actions could have led to his true death. He felt there were three that stood out the most.


    Certainly, the first that came to his mind was the more recent time where he tapped into his bloodline. Destroyed a vige, transformed on Earth, and got ced in a hiddenboratory. This memory was certainly the most vivid, as he was still living with the consequences.


    ''But I doubt it is that one. After all, I wasn''t so much fighting death as I was wishing to prevent it.'' Discarding this event, Eldrian next thought of when he absorbed the lich''s soul. That action had certainly been dangerous.


    The attack on his soul, the corruption, and actually dying and entering the realm of souls while all of this was going on. It felt like a likely candidate. This one was far more dangerous than when he killed and absorbed the soul of the devil Milgoroth.


    ''Then there is also the time I absorbed the revenant heart...'' That fell into a simr vein as the former. Sadly, the results had been a failure. Though Eldrian gained a title out of his efforts, or rather, his struggle to not be consumed by the curse of undeath rewarded him the title of curse breaker.


    The title gave him the ability to spot the weaknesses of the undead, allowing him to face most undead without much fear. He hadn''t relied on it when facing Levana, since he hadn''t wanted to actually kill her. But when fighting skeletons and the like, it was invaluable with how it allowed him to face them without using mana.


    ''But I doubt it is either of these events. Then¡ªwait, there is a title of actually facing death...'' Calling up his interface, Eldrian inspected this title. Its reward was increasing his aura sensitivity, which he hadn''t really found much of a use for.


    He knew it made sensing and controlling his auras easier, but it wasn''t much. After all, even after having the title for over a year, he stillcked true control.


    ''When did I gain this title again?'' Sinking into thought, Eldrian had to think for quite some time to remember. ''Right. It was when I saved Kydone from the ghoul''s venom. I remember somehow entering her soul and chasing away the darkness. And there had been something that had spoken...''


    Recalling this event, Eldrian wondered if this might be the one. But he felt it was unlikely. While the title was fancy, the struggle hadn''t been its equal. Thinking of those times saddened Eldrian''s heart, as it reminded him of just how many souls had been lost in the war.


    A faint part of Eldrian prayed Kydone was somehow safe even now. She was a master of stealth after all, and she wasn''t someone prideful who wouldn''t run when the odds were against her. Sadly, he had heard nothing about the catkin in ages.


    Even Evale, who had been close to her, had not mentioned her, and that was to be expected. Mentioning the lost would only have Evale remember her brother, Evules.


    ''Then it has to be linked to when she mentioned me fighting off a horde of orcs. And I doubt it is the time I essed my bloodline and lost control. Then...'' The next option was when he lost control of wrath and the end results was the entire city of Diades being turned to ruin.


    That wasn''t entirely Eldrian''s fault, but rather the results of legends making it their fighting ground. Despite that, Eldrian was the one who Kilen targeted, so he could not think of that time without feeling guilty.


    Her reason also wasn''t wrong. Eldrian had only learned this after the fact, but he could understand a mother wishing to avenge her son''s death. Though Eldrian felt indignant at that fact, her son came for his life first, after all.


    ''But that event wasn''t caused by a horde. It started because of my hubris and attempting to fight an enemy whose strength I underestimated.'' If not for this hint from Skepsi''s earlier statement, Eldrian would truly believe this might be what she was hinting at.


    ''Right, this time too I hadn''t fought death, but rather to prevent it. Much like with the time my bloodline ran wild, this one is simr. We were cornered and I couldn''t let Ceph die. I lost control and things ended terribly...''


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 Chapter 849 Unexpected Visitor (4) - Resolve

    Skepsi frowned, sensing how Eldrian''s mood was growing lower and lower. An air of depression surrounding the kid she hade to talk to. Something she certainly did not want. After all, she went through all the trouble to get an avatar to find some entertainment.


    Regardless of how the goddess was feeling, thinking of all the times he had failed would naturally influence Eldrian. Finally, he came to the event she must be hinting at. Long ago, when he still knew nothing and had gone to Avgi to save Vivian.


    His greatest failure.


    Diades. He could pin that on the legends, existences that no one but the gods could contain. But this one... this one was entirely on him.


    The loss was entirely on him thinking, falsely, they could safely return to the army.


    The death of all girls they had saved from the goblins was on him. As well as the deaths of all the elites who hade with him.


    Sure, some died by Milgoroth''s hand, but Sabrea died because of his and their hubris. Thinking they could reach the army while escorting the rescued girls.


    In hindsight, they should have moved as a small elite squad that focused on mobility. And should worst havee to worst, Eldrian should have stayed behind to stall for them.


    Instead, they had gone out into the chaosnds without thinking so far. Which resulted in them being hunted down by vargr riders. And Vivian was the only one who survived.


    Eldrian recalled how he had fought to forcefully log back in back then. It was without a doubt the first time he truly connected with magic. Performed spells above his Tier and forced his soul to remain in a broken, by all rights dead, avatar. Just so he could save the others.


    Sadly, despite this, Sabrea still died. And if not for Itireae''s intervention, Vivian would have died, too.


    This was certainly the most painful memory to Eldrian. He had gotten surprisingly close to Sabrea in a short amount of time. Having nursed her after she was injured by an unicorn, stumbled onto Ceph as he carried her from where she had fallen. He had even trained under her for a short while.


    It was a fond but sad memory.


    Tears formed in his eyes as Eldrian recalled those times. Along with all the others, the weight he felt was terrible. He often pushed these thoughts from his mind, as having them weigh him down would help no one.


    Thinking back made him realize just how truly cruel this war was. And it was not a distant cruelty, either. A war of a distant nation was certainly terrible, but hearing of it and living it was massively different things.


    ''Even if she tells me to repeat such a thing... I can''t. No, I won''t!'' Eldrian never wanted to be in a position where that was required ever again.


    He had stumbled time and time again. And by luck, he had only been cornered to such an edge once, though there had been multiple other close encounters. Whenever he needed to rely on his auras were such examples.


    ''Is that it? Back then, I didn''t have them to fall back onto...'' Eldrian finally understood what Skepsi meant when she said he needed to fight to the death.


    "You''re mad." Eldrian mumbled, steeling his heart that he would never repeat those mistakes. Even now, he knew Vivian was with the dwarves fighting, and he could only pray for her safety.


    Every day, Eldrian would focus his map and search for her among the special markers he had for friends. Every day, he would ensure she was still safe.


    He knew he couldn''t control her. But he never wanted to bring her to a fight that was hopeless. The same held for Ceph, as well as for Myropsis and all his other friends.


    Yet, this seemed to be a problem. Eldrian needed to be stronger. He needed to reach the top if he was to protect them. But to reach that top, Skepsi had said he needed to face death.


    He certainly wasn''t resolved enough to face it without something truly valuable for him being on the line. Yet, to do that was madness.


    ''She wants to force me to face a situation like that, or like when Zaphreal cornered me, willingly... She truly is mad...''


    No one would willingly want to be cornered to such an extent. Only entrics felt joy ying with the line between life and death.


    "Am I now?" Skepsi asked, relieved to see that Eldrian was not stewing in his emotions. Instead, he had found a resolve. He no longer looked at her with a timid heart. This was much more how she liked it.


    "Perhaps you are just a sociopath..." Eldrian mumbled, the words exiting his mouth before he even registered them. However, he felt the term was apt. At the very least, the gods weren''t the same as them, as humans.


    They experienced everything differently, and certainly they did not hold life dear. Perhaps they held their own dear, and perhaps that of their fellow AI too. But Eldrian doubted many, if any, truly cared for mere mortals like him and the rest of the world.


    "I''m offended." Skepsi teased, her smile giving her away.


    "Well, it''s the truth that you don''t care whether I live or die, isn''t it?"


    "Oh, but I do care."


    Despite her words, Eldrian had could read the truth. Ziraili was perhaps the only one among the AI who truly cared. Yet, even she could not care in a way another human would care for their friends. Her care was fundamentally different.


    ''My usefulness is certainly a factor. I believe Skepsi, GAIA, and even Ziraili care about me because of this. But I doubt Skepsi or GAIA would give a rat''s ass about me once they are freed from Miracle''s thumb.''


    Skepsi''s interaction had so far, however, also told Eldrian that she was entric. She wasn''t just testing him. Rather, she was clearly enjoying leading him on. Finding joy in how he reacted to her words and actions.


    ''At the very least, she is engaging with me almost as one would with a pet. Trying to anticipate my actions and then enjoying when I surprise her. When I snapped at her just now, she found it amusing. Nothing more.''


    It was a flimsy reason to base this assumption of his, but he felt it was true, nheless. Skepsi did note with goodwill in her heart. She evidently wouldn''t mind if her teasing helped Eldrian, but she also didn''t care if it didn''t.


    Her reasoning was fundamentally different from Ziraili''s.


    ''Why do I feel she is going to remove the option for me to say no?'' This fear gave Eldrian shivers. He could only pray that she would show some restraint.


    "Have you figured it out yet?" the purple-haired girl asked, her side smile clearly showing her joy. "Why you made little progress despite all that you know now and all the training you''ve been putting in?"


    Eldrian wanted to counter that it had only been a little over two years since he entered this world. However, he knew that would lower Skepsi''s thoughts on him. And if he wanted to prevent the worst-case scenario, he needed to at least entertain her.


    "Because I''ve been limiting myself. Each time I rely on my auras, I subconsciously keep my distance. I still end up losing control, and that makes me fear relying on them more and more each time."


    Nodding, Skepsi smiled. Truly, her avatar matched her personality. She gave off the air of a mischievous little girl having her target fall right into her trap.


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 Chapter 850 Unexpected Visitor (5) - Eldrians Conditions

    "And that is why you must experience a fight to the death once again." Skepsi said, her smile turning bewitching. Leaning forward as she spoke, she made sure to let her shirt hang.


    Noting how Eldrian was attempting to not look down her shirt, she giggled. However, she did not push her teasing any further.


    "You fear losing control, but that is fine." Her smile grew more bewitching. "Let go of control and experience the true depths of your powers. Only by doing such will you be able to truly grow."


    Seeing that Eldrian was still reluctant, she threw in some extra bait. "What if I create a quest for you? How about... oh, I don''t know? How would a ring of teleportation sound?"


    Seeing the sh in Eldrian''s eyes, albeit brief, Skepsi continued to push. "It would, of course, have some limitations in its use. But simply put, you will be able to assign any location you have been to with it as a beacon. Then, should you ever wish to return there, simply activate the ring."


    ''That''s useful, but...'' Eldrian did not feel it was worth the risk. He was torn between growing stronger and being less reckless. He certainly wouldn''t ept this if it meant he had to put others in danger.


    ''No, I need something that will make me fight with my life on the line. A guarantee of sorts.''


    Sadly, Eldrian did not know what to ask for. He could ask for Skepsi''s guidance. She was the goddess of magic, after all. While Ziraili was also a goddess, their functions werepletely different.


    Knowledge, however, was not enough for Eldrian. He had not gotten to this level by his scientific achievements, but rather because of luck and his queer connection with magic.


    Ziraili had already gifted him plenty of knowledge, which he failed to understand. That knowledge had be useless words that meant nothing to him. Because of this, Eldrian understood he would not make much progress unless he ced himself in a situation that forced his growth. However, he was still unwilling. The risks were too great.


    This wasn''t just a case of him risking his life in a fight. If he truly lost control, his auras would devour him. Eldrian didn''t know if Earth had a heaven, and he doubted he had a ce in the heavens of ANW.


    Still, the thought of being turned into a being of anger, or one detached from all emotions. Eldrian did not want to end up like that. He had always thought there would be nothing after death, but in these cases, he would continue to live as a failed being.


    His will destroyed, but his life continued. Perhaps losing control to tranquility he would keep only his will but lose all that made him human. Regardless, Eldrian dreaded both in equal amount.


    "Still not enough?" Skepsi asked, struggling to hide her frustration at Eldrian''s cowardice. She had thought he would eagerly agree. After all, he had never shown much constraint before. "Fine, what is it that you want?"


    ''What should I ask for?'' Unsure, Eldrian decided to try to buy some time by asking the goddess a question in turn. "I''ve been making little progress because I''ve been fearing to truly rely on my unique powers, however... can you exin how they came to me?"


    Ziraili had exined plenty of things to Eldrian. However, how he obtained a bloodline that was not due to true descent, and how he obtained his auras. Those were not topics she had answered.


    He now understood how these powers worked, but not their origin. Sadly, despite knowing how they worked, he had failed to grow.


    ''I''m sure she knows... no, I think I already know too.''


    "I''m sure you already connected the dots." As if reading his mind, her words forced Eldrian back to their conversation.


    "Can I truly trace it all back to that one event?"


    "No. Something of this magnitude doesn''t happen simply because of one chance urrence." Skepsi smiled. "However, I won''t answer further until you ept my request."


    "Then I won''t ept."


    Eldrian''s blunt denial stunned the goddess. For a moment, her anger boiled, but only for a moment. Instead of shouting, she startedughing. "Good, very good. Yes, this is what makes a conversation so much more worthwhile."


    "But," Eldrian paused, letting the word hang in the air. Drawing out the goddess'' emotions. She was shockingly easy to read once he got over his fear of her divinity and supreme control of magic. "I might consider it if you can give me a few guarantees."


    "Oh? Wanting to bargain with a goddess?"


    "Yes." Eldrian replied without hesitation. "First, the ring of teleportation must be capable of teleporting multiple people. I would appreciate it if it will teleport everyone I have set as my party members."


    "A party is limited to twenty people. Do you not think that is greedy?"


    "Surely it isn''t something past your abilities." Eldrian countered back. "And besides, you are asking me to not just enter a fight where I will lose and need to push past the natural restraints of death to continue fighting and seek victory. You are even asking me to risk being devoured by my own powers."


    Continuing, "Surely, asking for a ring that can teleport a dozen people isn''t something oundish to ask in return for the dangers I will face."


    "A dozen..." Skepsi murmured, as if displeased he had chosen that word instead of stating the facts that it would be twenty people. "Fine, however... if that is the case, then there will be long cooldown on the ring''s ability."


    "That is fine."


    "Alright then¡ª"


    "That is not all."


    Stone faced, the goddess let her mana leak from her vessel. A visible mist of pure chaotic energy forming around the little girl that was sitting on the bed of water. Lightning cracked from within the charged mist and the temperature in the room dropped to freezing.


    "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so long ago." Eldrian said, forcing down the fear he felt. His body wanted to run, but at the same time, the pressure made it impossible to even move. He only barely got these words out.


    Recalling her mana, Skepsi smiled. This time, it was not a mischievous smile of a kid pulling a prank on someone, nor was it bewitching or teasing one. It was a smile of happiness. Of contentment.


    "What else do you wish for?"


    "Two things. The first is a must. If you can''t guarantee me this, I won''t ept your request, no matter what."


    "What is your condition?"


    "Should I lose control to any of these powers I have... Kill me."


    Eldrian''s words momentarily shocked the goddess, and then her smile widened even more in joy. The resolve Eldrian had spoken this condition with made it clear she had already gotten him to agree.


    "Alright. Should you lose yourself to your auras, I will end your suffering. What is your second condition?"


    "I want to meet with those in the afterlife." As soon as Eldrian spoke the words, it was as if time froze. Skepsi''s smile disappeared and her gaze turned deadly.


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 Chapter 851 Unexpected Visitor (6) - Accepting The Trap

    Clueless on why this question would anger the goddess, Eldrian wavered for a few seconds. Contemting if he should continue to push or not.


    He understood well enough that the afterlife was not meant for the living. GAIA had also told him that it wasn''t as simple as he might imagine it. ''Is that the reason?'' Eldrian wondered.


    Perhaps it was an impossible thing to ask for. Regardless, he wanted to at least know if it was possible.


    "I know you don''t have many followers, and I do not know if you wee any souls into the afterlife." His bluntness stung the goddess. After all, the amount of followers one had was directly corrted to their divine powers.


    Skepsi was second tost in this area, with only Ziraili having fewer believers. As a result, neither of them had much divinity to spare.


    However, this did not mean that Skepsi was the second weakest god. Her prowess with magic was unparalleled, allowing her to rank among the top 10. However, it still stung to be reminded that despite providing the world with the magic abyss, nearly no one had faith in her like they had faith in Asteria or Dioktis.


    She made it possible for humans to use magic. Without her, only a select few would be capable of connecting with mana through their will alone. Yet, no one thanked her for the gift she gave them.


    Seeing that his words had reached her and that her anger was dissipating -reced with despondence-, Eldrian pushed on despite knowing this might incur her wrath.


    "Can you at least ask a god or goddess for me to..." Faltering, Eldrian decided he should rather not push further. Skepsi''s re was scaring him. He at least knew when he was about to cross a line that should not be crossed.


    "Alright, I''ll change myst condition." Eldrian conceded, holding up his hands in a show of defeat. "Simply answer a few of my questions."


    Receiving a nod in agreement, Eldrian asked for her to start by exining how he -out of everyone- obtained two auras (not one) and even unlocked a dormant bloodline that was not handed down by ancestry.


    "Stating that it is not handed down is technically wrong. Consider it a part of your DNA, a part that is dormant. Of course, this part isn''t in your physical DNA, but an equivalent that makes up your soul. Call it SNA for simplicity."


    Of course, the acronym lost all meaning. You can''t just change the D to an S and have it make sense. The AI certainly didn''t dub what made up the structure of one''s soul as SNA.


    Regardless, Skepsi called it such since it should help Eldrian understand what she was talking about. Sometimes, being incorrect helped one understand a difficult subject correctly.


    "Most humans would have this dormant SNA strand. You intermingle so much, it is disturbing how rted everyone is to one another." Shuddering at the thought, Skepsi paused to ovee her disgust.


    "In this regard, your strain was a slightly active. This isn''t too rare. Most people can unlock one of the countless dormant bloodline SNA strains when in crisis."


    "Generally, it only exhibits its powers during moments of heightened adrenaline. Such as a car crash, when you are about to die, when your loved one is in danger."


    "You generally ignore the effects, contributing it all to an adrenaline rush. And for many, that is indeed the case. But for some, it is more than that. We specte that this urs for one in a thousand. So in this regard, you are not particrly special."


    Eldrian nodded. That much made sense. He also recalled that his first time experiencing anything to do with this unique power was during his fight with the direwolf alpha. Way, way back when he was still aplete noob.


    "The only thing special is the strain that you unlocked. The strain of Chronos, a power connected to the power of Kosmos. It is one of the rarer strains, but about one in a million will still have this strain active to some degree."


    "What of a family with this power?" Eldrian asked, thinking of Jade as he spoke. "I know someone who inherited the power to charm people. I assume that is... Aphrodite? Venus?"


    Skepsi slowly shook her head. "Miracle has done their utmost to keep us in the dark regarding their powers." Naturally, the AI did their best to uncover their powers. After all, to ensure victory, they needed to know their enemy.


    But she wasn''t about to share ssified information with Eldrian.


    Despondently, Eldrian nodded with an "Oh, alright..." saddened that he could not gather any information on this.


    "Back to how you unlocked this strain of yours. I believe using a magic crystal as a crutch to forcefully learn how to awaken your will and connect with mana changed something inside of you."


    Nodding, Eldrian felt this was super likely. After all, the experience had been hell. How he had pushed through it, in retrospect, he couldn''t understand what had gone through his mind. Any sane person would have stoppedpletely after their first attempt.


    "But the biggest change was certainly when you fought to stay connected in this world, defying death, to try to save those around you." Skepsi paused. "This is an actmonly referred to as defying the will of the heavens¡ªor gods."


    "I believe this is what truly awakened your dormant powers." Dumbing things down for Eldrian, Skepsi went on. "Consider a crystal containing within it a mystical mist. By defying the will of the heavens, you caused the crystal to fracture. Allowing some of that mist to escape."


    "Since then, you obeyed the heavens. As such, the amount of mist that can leak from the crystal has not increased. And the only way to grow is to once again the defy heaven''s will and fracture the crystal even more."


    Interpreting it in his own way, Eldrian nodded. Recalling his torn and bleeding soul, represented as a heart, way back then. He could understand what she was getting at.


    It was like working metal. Only by constantly putting it under high stress and repeatedly hammering it can you bring out the best in it. If the temperature of the fire wascking or if the intent of the hammer was missing, then it would never be the best de.


    However, during forging, there was a high chance that the metal might fracture, that the de would crack, or that it would warp. These were the dangers that Eldrian had to ept and ovee. It was the dangers of losing himself, a terrifying prospect.


    ''It is still scary, but... at least I understand what she is getting at now.'' Eldrian didn''t think she was trying to trick him either. Her intent was to be entertained and whether Eldrian seeded or failed, it would still be entertaining.


    ''In fact, sess will be more entertaining for her. And it will probably match with the ns that the other AI have for me... and, I suspect Miracle also wants me to grow.''


    Seeing how they were letting him live and not using his family as hostages, this was the only conclusion Eldrian coulde to. Especially after his match with Zaphreal.


    This was perhaps the worst feeling. Eldrian understood his opponent''s aim, or at least some part of it, but he could do nothing but to follow along their n. After all, he couldn''t change anything if he was too weak to win.


    He needed power, and to obtain power, he needed to fall into their trap.


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 Chapter 852 Unexpected Visitor (7) - Quest Accepted

    Giving in, Eldrian agreed to y along with Skepsi''s wiles. He even asked if she didn''t want to up things to a multi stage quest. After all, he doubted just once would allow him to break through the crystal (as Skepsi had put it).


    As Eldrian had analyzed it, he needed repeated forging to reach the peak. This was a trulymon view. The stakes were simply far too high, making this absolutely basic subject a deadly thing to consider.


    ''It feelscking. But people have died because of less,'' Eldrian thought as he reviewed the details of the quest. Not having received one in a long time (and most of his old quests having expired) Eldrian was feeling somewhat nostalgic.


    Of course, he had his quest to unlock his bloodline, but other than telling him to get the different elements, it was useless. It didn''t even tell him what to do with them once he got them.


    That, in particr, sucked. Recalling how he had ended up sacrificing the death crystal to defeat Zaphreal, and thereafter he lost his magic crystal in Elomir, Eldrian honestly felt defeated regarding that quest.


    ''Which is why I made sure she didn''t y any tricks.'' Eldrian thought, confirming again that things were simple and straightforward. Though, as one would expect, the thing he actually had to do wasn''t as simple to define.


    It wasn''t that he just had to kill some tough enemies. He had to face people who were stronger than him and ovee the difference, not through luck, but through grit.


    But thereid the problem. How would they define strength? After all, Eldrian could beat anyone who was stronger than him if they relied on static casting and the difference wasn''t overwhelming between them.


    Dynamic casting was simply too powerful, not to mention spirit magic and runic casting. And even if that couldn''t close the distance, tapping into the powers of his auras should do the thing. This was what Skepsi hoped he would need to rely on.


    The conclusion certainly wasn''t perfect for either of them. But that was how they both knew it was the right conclusion.


    Skepsi understood she had to give achievable goals for Eldrian to take part in the quest. She couldn''t not do this. Saying that she would determine when he had achieved what was required would never fly.


    As a result, Eldrian might get some easy wins at first. However, as he looked at his options, Eldrian felt his face stiffen. Indeed, as the quest name and rank showed, it would not be easy.


    [Quest: Defy heaven''s will]


    [Rank: Epic ¡ª Multi staged]


    [Stage 1:]


    [Option 1: Defeat an elite Tier 5 devil <Only valid while Tier 5>]


    [Option 2: Defeat a Tier 6 devil <Only valid while Tier 5>]


    [Option 3: Defeat a Tier 6 Ancient beast <Only valid while Tier 5]


    [Reward: Avyssos Ring]


    [Option to advance to the next stage of quest uponpletion.]


    "What does elite mean in option 1?" Eldrian asked, understanding that it didn''t mean the same thing as it meant for the orcs.


    "They must have a hidden ss unlocked and also two sses at the Tier stipted to qualify as an elite. Be this magic and range, range and melee, or any other variation, it doesn''t matter. But two must be at Tier 5."


    Skepsi''s answer stunned Eldrian. He didn''t even qualify as an elite then, since he only had 1 ss (magic) at Tier 5. Melee wasgging behind at Tier 4 still.


    ''My only real option is going for the ancient beast, or attempting to kill a devil by sneak attack,'' Eldrian thought, and as if reading his mind, Skepsi broke into a wide grin.


    "You''re going to go for option 3, right?" She asked teasingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. That won''t do. Have you forgotten the entire reason why we are doing this?"


    "You can''t honestly ask me to not try to gain every advantage I can... Besides, I still haven''t gotten a recement for my spear."


    Sensing her chance, Skepsi leaned forward. This time not to tease Eldrian with her hanging shirt, but to look him straight in the eyes. Her attitude dead serious. "If I tell you how to retrieve your spear, will you refrain from doing something as boring as killing your targets with a sneak attack?"


    Eldrian wanted to say no, but Crystoi was such a big part of his strength. Especially if he was going after an ancient beast. He had thought the weapon lost¡ªthough arge part had hoped it wasn''t, the stat boost still being active having given him hope.


    And if he was going for option 3 then he was going to need a weapon capable of cutting through its natural armor. After all, even Ceph, as an Alicorn, had an insane armor value of 80. Even in his elven form, Ceph still had an armor value of 20.


    It was a weird concept, since Ceph''s skin certainly wasn''t rock hard¡ªas one might imagine something with an armor rating of 20 must be. After all, that was the armor rating of a Tier 1 magical shield or armor piece (beyond all non magical grade armors).


    Of course, this all had to do with magic, and how mana enhanced your skin''s toughness. Sometimes, even forming a natural protective barrier above your skin. Eldrian even had a natural armor rating of 5.


    Regardless, the spears and wooden daggers Eldrian had from Avgi wouldn''t be capable of piercing the protective hide, scale, fur, skin... whatever it may be, of an ancient beast.


    Even if Eldrian had Crystoi, his attacks would only do half the normal damage at best. And most low Tiered spells would be absolutely useless. Not to mention the insane amount of HP that the beast will have.


    "Fine. I will refrain from using a sneak attack to defeat them." Eldrian agreed, realizing that without Crystoi, he would stand no chance. However, that didn''t mean he was going to y by the book either.


    It would not be an honorable duel. ''I won''t kill them with a sneak attack, but I''lly some traps.''


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 Chapter 853 Unexpected Visitor (8) - Slaves Journey

    Eldrian agreed to easily to her demand. However, Skepsi still gave him the information he needed. "Because the spear contained a void crystal, it was able to avoidplete destruction. However, in doing so, it retreated into a self-created void."


    "The proof of this is that you are still bonded with it. The spear still exists. It simply no longer exists in this physical realm."


    "So, a pocket dimension or, like... it went into its own type of storage to avoid destruction?" Eldrian asked, seeking rification.


    "A pocket dimension would be the most urate description."


    "Then, how do I retrieve it?"


    "You still have fragments of the original voidstone, do you not?"


    Nodding, Eldrian took out the piece he still had on him. "Will this do?" He asked. Luckily, Solvi had only used a smaller fragment that she had broken off from the piece he had gotten from Agamemas and Zamia.


    Nodding, Skepsi held out her hand and Eldrian gave the stone to her. Praying that he wasn''t about to lose it, too. That would put him back to only having the Lightstone he got from Ashliel and himself as the element of time for the quest Kosmos.


    "Don''t worry, this won''t consume the stone." Skepsi said, as if reading Eldrian''s concern.


    "I am simply using it as a guide to find the pocket dimension that your spear escaped to. Since it is still soul bonded with you, you only need to bring the stone to where the spear disappeared and supply enough mana in summoning the spear."


    "How much mana is that going to be?" Eldrian asked, feeling an awful premonition upon seeing Skepsi''s smirk.


    "The best guarantee is to use a Mov Crystal to break through into the dimensional pocket. But, you might be able to crudely get away with using arge mana crystal."


    Flinching, Eldrian sighed. He knew it wasn''t going to be simple. Mov Crystals were extremely rare, not as much as magic crystals, but he had no idea how he would get one. ''Guess there is no helping to go to the capital to buy one...''


    The cost, however, wasn''t going to be cheap. Understanding Eldrian''s worries, Skepsi decided to throw him a bone. "Mov Crystals are often used when making dimension rings. They also form the foundation of teleportation arrays. It should be able to survive the strain."


    ''Meaning, arge mana crystal will probably fracture on me? So trying to save money by going for it might fail and just lose me over a thousand gold?''


    "Thanks. Do you perhaps¡ª"


    "I think this was more than enough for today. Now, until youplete the first step of the quest, adieu."


    With that, the purple-haired girl disappeared. However, the strange bed she had been sitting on remained, as did all the repairs on the now fresh looking house.


    Eldrian took some time to investigate both, after which he headed back to Kynigo to prepare. Seems he couldn''t ignore handing in his bounties any longer. Getting back Crystoi was certainly priority number one.


    ''I should inform Solvi of the developments. She might want toe with to check what is happening... I wonder, would Boran be interested? He is still technically my teacher...''


    With those thoughts, Eldrian decided to make a detour at the dwarven kingdom too. Perhaps he could weasel a Mov Crystal from his supposed master.


    ¡ª


    Days had passed, and surprisingly, no one in their group had died. The undead were giving them enough food, water, and, most importantly, time to rest.


    Sure, none of the group were in their top condition. They all were tired and weak, but no one was on death''s door. They were kept at a point where fighting back would be impossible, but moving a few dozen kilometers a day was possible, though not easy.


    "Get in." The skeleton who had bought them ordered.


    A decrepit-looking carriage appeared before the group of ves as they rounded the corner. Pulled by a pair of skeletal mules, wood rotting and metal rusting.


    Wordlessly, the group climbed into the carriage. Taking care where they ce their weight to not fall through the rotting wood. It was by no meansfortable, but after riding for hours on end, they were all happy that the undead hadn''t pushed them this hard during the walk.


    As Adriana drifted between sleep and consciousness, the bumpy road not helping the former, she wondered just where they were being taken. Surely they had travelled several hundred kilometers by now.


    While the undead had been going slow by their standards, the group of ves were all still Tier 5. Their endurance and stamina was far greater than normal people.


    Watching the changing scenery, Adriana wondered for the first time why she and those with her were not suffering from the famous energy drain of thend of the dead.


    It was well known that thend of the dead caused one''s energy to escape. Leading to constant fatigue, and if one is of weak constitution, even death.


    ''Is it the ve cors?'' Adriana pondered, having time to reflect on her situation for the first time since their defeat. The cors magically bound them to obey the one who owned them, but unlike an oath or spell of servitude, it was possible to resist.


    Doing so would cause severe pain though, and in the state that her group was no one would be able to survive the bacsh. Thus, none of them have tried to resist. They had clearly seen what happened to those who tried, and that thought kept Adriana from attempting so now.


    Still, she did not wish to resign herself to fate.


    She had trained diligently her entire life, reaching Tier 5 by her eighteen birthday and iming the title of captain by her twentieth. She had not only mastered the art of closebat but also magic.


    In fact, four of the others ves were once her subordinates. They were all powerful fighters, each Tier 5 too. Though most only had one talent, with perhaps some strength in another ss. But she was the only one who reached Tier 5 in two sses.


    Now that she no longer had to focus on her steps, Adriana shifted her focused to the cor around her neck. Obviously, she was not familiar with ve cors. Taurus had no ves. In fact, most of the civilized world didn''t.


    Thinking back, Adriana sighed at this fact. If only the kingdom had some general knowledge on the subject, she might then know how to escape.


    But s, all she could do was confirm how the cor was absorbing her mana. Ready to suppress her whenever she tried to take control of the flow.


    If she dared to try to strengthen herself, or tried to cast a spell, the cor would activate. Pushing its own mana through her body and like an electric shock, causing her to be paralyzed while being consumed by an intense pain as the mana ravages her body.


    Sadly, she failed to find a way to prevent this. She was not Eldrian. She could only use magic at the most basic of levels.


    She was perhaps considered a talent, but she was no genius. At best, she could only lightly probe the structure of the cor.


    And so, resigned as sleep won over her will and the rocking of the carriage, she drifted off to sleep.


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 Chapter 854 The Capital, Taur (1)

    "You never seize to surprise." Solvi mumbled, leaning on her hammer as she process the news Eldrian had just shared. "First you wanted to use the Night Terrors to make a morphable weapon. Now you say a goddess descended to meet with you?"


    If anyone else had told her this, she would haveughed in their face. After all, it was well known that at most; the gods sent divine revtions through oracles. Speaking to them on equal terms was impossible. These revtions were always just a one-way transfer of information.


    Yet, Eldrian was a known exception. If not for the fact that Solvi knew he had met not just with one, but two divines before, she would have never believed him.


    In fact, this was easier to swallow than believing he had met with the ultimate divine who the entire was named after.


    The goddess of magic was but a normal divine. GAIA was the ultimate. But of course, to Eldrian they were all AI and not divines. However, he understood he should never underestimate them. Nor should he blindly trust them. Hence why his first visit was to Solvi.


    "More or less." Eldrian replied, downying the significance of the event despite knowing just how shocking it was. He didn''t know why, but the gods rarely visited the physical world.


    He could only assume it was simr in reason to why Two disliked being in control of a physical body, and perhaps why Skepsi had referred to their alternate consciousnesses as identities. ''Perhaps the experience is too shocking?'' He pondered, but quickly returned to the subject at hand.


    "I believe she is a friend of Ziraili. You know, the goddess who regtes the Chosen''s special abilities. However, her intentions weren''t as pure as Ziraili''s."


    "Still, meeting the goddess of magic sure is something..." Solvi paused, imagining if she were to be granted the opportunity to meet Dragos, the god of smithing. She would be able to die without regrets¡ªafter using the god''s wisdom to make a masterpiece, that is.


    "Do you think it will really work?" Eldrian asked as soon as Solvi returned from her daydreaming.


    "I suppose so. Rank 5 materials are all really strange and special. Heck, just consider the abilities of magic crystals... Something like it forming an internal dimension. You called it a pocket dimension? Yeah, I don''t see why not."


    Eldrian nodded. He didn''t really doubt Skepsi. But he wanted to get a friend''s opinion before doing anything. "And a Mov Crystal?"


    "Can''t help ya there. The entire kingdom is low on mana crystals, not to mention Mov Crystals. Even the dwarves don''t have enough to make any new dimensional storages."


    "How much do you think it will cost?" Eldrian asked.


    "Thinking of rather making a new weapon, are ya?" cing her hand on her chin, Solvi tried to get a good estimate. "If you can use one of the defective Mov Crystals, it will put you back about 1500 gold. Though, I guess such a crystal might crack under the pressure."


    "Think I will be able to get enough from bounties?" Since Eldrian hadn''t been iming his, nor keeping count of his kills, he had no idea how much he could get.


    "With all the killing you''ve done, sure. Probably well over. Won''t be surprised if you can get aplete set of Tier 5 or higher gear, either."


    "In Elomir in three days?" Eldrian asked. He already had some info on the capital thanks to Elizabeth and the other yers, especially those in the guild who took the logistics work seriously.


    They were basically merchants. And just like merchants, they had gathered plenty of information over time. Some even had some small shops in the capital, Eldrian nned to visit one of them and have them act as his guide.


    ¡ª


    ''It really is something else...'' Ceph mumbled telepathically as the capital came into view. From up high, they could truly get a sense of its grand scale. Much like the ducal cities, it was a massive, gargantuan city. Spanning well over a hundred kilometers in every direction, it was insane just howrge the capital was.


    Unlike the ducal cities, the fortification was far, far more impressive. Even the outer wall had a magic tower every three kilometers. Whether these were the same as in normal cities, Eldrian could not tell. Regardless, their presence made it clear just how difficult it would be to assault the capital.


    Even if they are weaker versions of magic towers, perhaps relying on a magic grid instead of their own magic crystals, it was still impressive.


    The walls, too, were astonishing. The outmost wall was already over a hundred meters in height with many ballista and catapult towers spread every few hundred meters.


    Naturally, because of decades of peace, farms sprawled outside these walls. There were plenty of small hamlets, viges, and towns dotted between here and the ducal cities.


    In fact, the entire core area of the kingdom appeared to be vast farnds. Evidently, the kingdom would not fall in any short amount of time, even if they were forced back to just their three ducal cities and the capital.


    Unlike with normal cities, Eldrian and Ceph dared not fly over the walls. They had already noted the ballistea pointed at them, despite still being far away from the walls. The two only noticed the danger because they were studying the walls in fascination.


    Despite not having faced any dangers in ages, the soldiers were clearly extremely alert. Perhaps owing due to the recent chaos caused by the devil infiltrators.


    Lowering their altitude to convey that they were not a threat, theynded a short distance from the walls and moved to the gate among the main road connecting Taurtania and the capital, Taur.


    Meeting them was an elderly centaur, though Eldrian only knew he was a centaur because he did not obey the normal ethics of not observing other''s information.


    ''Someone with thick royal blood acting as a gate captain -and the furthest outer wall at that-, and Tier 7... Shees, the capital really is something else.''


    Luckily, Eldrian did not encounter any problems. Handing the documentations that Pros had prepared for him, he was soon weed into the city. At least, into the outermost district of the city.


    The capital, Taur, was sorge that it was separated into districts defined by what wall they were between. The district Eldrian had just entered was district four, section three. Apparently, there were twelve sections in the district.


    Naturally, the locals had actual names for each area, but to Eldrian numbers were easier to remember¡ªhis map also convenientlybeled them as such. Though, he could get find what the locals called it if he wanted to fiddle with his settings. But he saw no point.


    The captain also used numbers as part of the military. Thus, Eldrian never even learned the proper name of the area. But that didn''t matter. His aim was the second district. A long way away.


    The next wall started about 30 kilometers from this one. Much like in normal cities, this part of the capital, the outermost area of the city, was focused on agriculture.


    Unlike normal cities, the creatures making up the herds here were all magically evolved. The mostmon were certainly normal evolved creatures equivalent to a wolfbeast in strength, like the hexihorses or even agimae. Strong creatures, but tame in nature.


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 Chapter 855 The Capital, Taur (2) - Bounty Reward

    "I apologize for any the loss you might incur." The guild clerk Eldrian was talking to started off with after Eldrian exined his purpose in visiting.


    The clerk was a middle-aged wolfkin with strikingly pure white ears, and like everyone else working on the first floor of this guild hall, he wore attire that made Eldrian think of him as a butler.


    Naturally, a city asrge as Taur couldn''t rely on a single guild to manage everything. Not only was it toorge, it also had over 5 million residents.


    Instead, each section in the second district had a branch from the main guild. This held not just for the adventurers'' guild, but also the mages, warrior, and the rest.


    "Because of the war," the clerk continued, "we removed the general bounties and instead shifted those rewards to killing our enemies."


    "That''s fine." Eldrian replied, he didn''t have a clue how much he could im, but he knew most of his activity was against those invading the kingdom. So the change mattered little to him.


    Heck, he was sure just his participation at Elomir should him well over a thousand gold. After all, with Crystoi''s sacrifice (hopefully temporary) he had killed two Tier 7 devils (one morphed into a blood monster and the other one near death) and countless other monsters.


    Nodding, the clerk took out a blueish silver tablet. "Please ce your hand on here."


    "This is new." Eldrian mumbled as he did as instructed. Last time he imed his bounties, he had to confirm via an oath his kills.


    However, since he hadn''t been keeping count or anything (heck, it would be impossible to even try), he was relying on the information he got from the other yers.


    Unlike natives of Gaia, the Chosen had their system. The natives couldn''t directly connect or even know about it, but it was possible for them to ess some information from the system through the help of the gods.


    Eldrian also assumed this was how Skepsi knew so much about him. He wasn''t sure how much information their systems stored. Apparently it wasn''t a recording things -at least not in detail that would allow one to relive the experience- it was likely more like a paper trail.


    While all his actions being recorded sucked, in this instance it worked in Eldrian''s favor.


    "Yes, this is a device we received from the empire to assist us when dealing with Chosen." The clerk exined. Apparently, he noticed Eldrian was a Chosen without him needing to exin it. But that wasn''t a big surprise. Elves were rare in the kingdom.


    There were a few in the wooded area in the North (near Elomir) but they rarely left the forest. And those elves were wood elves who lived in peace, along with the fae that upied the area.


    Apparently, they predated the kingdom. And the kingdom never forced them to join their nation. Instead, their situation was like the dwarves and Taurus, or Taurus and the empire. Within their borders, but not under their jurisdiction.


    Continuing to exin what the device was about, the clerk said, "This allows us to skip the normal tedious confirmation process. It also helps that we don''t have to do the calctions ourselves."


    The clerk exined that the main branch could change the bounty conditions and this would then be reflected on all the tablets, making it extremely useful. They also acted as a calctor, or rather aputer that had a sort of spreadsheet.


    They were busy making more of the tablets to send to the branches in the other cities, but the raw materials needed were hard to find due to the strain the war caused on the economy.


    As for why Eldrian didn''t simply go to the main branch, getting into the first districts was a hassle.


    His noble status might allow him ess, but Eldrian didn''t want to bother. It wasn''t like it was the best district for his aims, either. The first district was more a ce for nobles and their entertainment, while the second was for the affluent and their businesses.


    Few weapon and armor shops could be found in the first district, while plenty of clothing, tea, restaurants, and even super high-ss brothels were aplenty there, or so Eldrian had heard. If one wanted gear, the second district was your best bet.


    After a few seconds, a transparent screen appeared above Eldrian''s hand. It reminded him of his interface and also the screen that appears whenever one entered fort Phoenix for the first time. Apparently, the gods were slowly introducing a worldwide interface system to Gaia.


    "O-oh, my..." The clerk turned pale seeing the total. In haste, he scrolled and looked into the details. Only to turn even paler. When he looked at Eldrian, he struggled to make eye contact, sweat beading down his head.


    "I-I''m afraid we can only..." Faltering, the man swallowed with difficulty, praying that Eldrian wouldn''t throw a fit. Luckily, they had guards here for such a case, but the clerk truly didn''t want to anger Eldrian. "W-we can only pay out a thousand gold at the branch."


    "That''s it?"


    "B-b-b-but! But we can work as an intermediary if you wish to buy anything! I p-promise you w-won''t be disappointed!"


    "Oh, that would be appreciated. I was hoping to buy a Mov Crystal while I am in the capital. Can I leave that to you? Would it be possible to arrange one within the day?" Eldrian had always nned to ask the guild to help him acquire the crystal. His second option was visiting the magic guild.


    If neither worked, he nned to meet with Myropsis'' father and have the duke step in as his intermediary. But this was easier. Besides, Eldrian didn''t want to be indebted to the duke further than he already was. He had, after all, used a bunch of materials for free when he stayed there for a few months.


    The request to buy a Mov Crystal within a day was not an easy one to fill, but the clerk nodded nheless. Quickly taking out a thousand gold, in stacks of twenty golds at a time, and handing a bag filled with them to Eldrian.


    "I-I''ll arrange for the rest of your payment to arrive by the end of the day along with the crystal, sir!"


    Just as Eldrian was about to leave, the clerk called back, apparently realizing he forgot to even ask what grade of crystal Eldrian wanted. Praying that it would not be an oundish request, the clerk asked, "W-what size crystal are you looking for?"


    "What can I afford?" Eldrian asked, and the clerk swallowed with difficulty.


    "I-I''m afraid it would be difficult to acquire arger crystal in such a short amount of time."


    Realizing he should not be greedy, Eldrian asked for a stable crystal somewhere between medium and small. This would cost somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 gold, but that was fine. His total reward for the bounties was just shy of 10,000 gold. It would still leave him with around 3000 to get some new gear.


    Eldrian wanted to save the rest for the management of his estate, and also investment into the forsaken cavern¡ªwhich he wanted to turn into his personal mine.


    Thanking the clerk, Eldrian headed back to meet with Ceph and Mattheus, the yer who had shown him the way and would now introduce him to the best smiths in the city.


    As Eldrian left the guild, the clerk rushed to talk with the branch manager.


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 Chapter 856 Back At Elomir

    "Did you know this kingdom isn''t at all like the others?" Mattheus -Eldrian and Ceph''s guide in the capital- asked.


    "How so?" Eldrian asked. They were currently on their way to the fifth shop. Eldrian wasn''t going to rush into buying anything other than the Mov Crystal. His biggest fear was that they would simply break.


    While he had the budget to afford one or two Tier 7 magic grade items, Eldrian didn''t want to splurge so much money so soon after getting it. For now, he was mostly window shopping. He would returnter to make custom orders, or he would buy something if he fell in love with it.


    As his target wasn''t a standard monster, but rather an ancient one. Eldrian doubted any normal piece of armor would be capable of withstanding more than a few strikes.


    For this reason, hepletely abandoned the idea of getting a shield. Besides, a shield didn''t pair well with a dual headed spear.


    Instead, Eldrian was looking for items that would boost his speed or attack power. Or something that could give him a magical barrier type of armor. Like his old breastte, Chelona.


    Ultimately, he was looking more for essories more than armor. Items that would support his usual fighting style, rather than something that could survive a beating.


    For thetter, he was nning to work with Solvi. Eldrian had learned the value of armor, but he was hesitant to use them as disposable equipment.


    Thus, rather, depending on how the recovery of Crystoi went, Eldrian nned to use most of the remaining voidstone fragment for his armor. He hoped this might allow the armor to also escape destruction at critical times and save him money in the long run.


    After all, a Mov Crystal would recharge over time as long as Eldrian prepared the proper storage for it. He could even recharge it with mana crystals or his own mana, though thetter would barely make a dent in the crystal''s mana stores. But doing so daily would make all the difference.


    "Yes, it is almost like nobility is simply symbolic." Mattheus continued, returning Eldrian''s focus to the topic and away from what he was looking for. "With the exception of the royal and ducal families, that is."


    Eldrian nodded. Indeed, nobility didn''t have much power in the kingdom. Most cities were under direct management of the royal family. With a distant rtive being sent to oversee them. Not a single city was in the hand of a noble family.


    Nobles, at most, managed towns or viges, or the estates they owned inside the cities. This meant that no one had any considerable force except the royals. However, many nobles held a great deal of influence, regardless.


    Some because of their heroic past wherein their ancestors had earned great merit in wars, expeditions, or magical breakthroughs¡ªothers because of their financial strength. Neither of which could be ignored, causing nobility to persist despite how littlend any of them owned.


    Luckily, not all nobles were bad. In fact, most were working with the king to ovee the invasion. But there would always be bad seeds, and it was these seeds Eldrian didn''t want to deal with. Which was why he preferred to stay out of the authoritarian business.


    ''However, if things calm down and I actually get to im the mine I am aiming for... plus the two forts we now have in our control. I doubt they will stay quiet. Though only if things calmed down, and Kynigo is quite well managed under Pros. I doubt it will be too hard to deal with.''


    Eldrian only thought of this now that he was here. Making him realize he should perhaps rush the ns ahead a little quicker than nned. As fate would have it, there were presumably several ancient beasts within The Forsaken Caverns.


    Not wishing to leave finding a target to Eldrian''s machinations, who might postpone the quest definitely, Skepsi had added a guiding system to his quest.


    However, Skepsi also didn''t want him to know their precise location, so instead the information he got was more in line with "There are alicorns in Avgi", or in this case; "There are drakes in The Forsaken Caverns".


    The information was useless outside of simply notifying you where one might find the species. Skepsi had even gone and hindered Eldrian''s standard map, so he couldn''t use that to track the beasts and set up traps for them.


    While Eldrian wanted toin, he didn''t even know how. He could probably send her a message as he did with Ziraili, but Eldrian doubted she would care.


    ¡ª


    "You actually got one?" Solvi sounded more astonished than when Eldrian had told her he had met with Skepsi. Perhaps because she understood just how valuable and rare Mov Crystals were. While not as rare as magic crystals, they were only slightly behind them.


    No smith would willingly hand over a Mov Crystal they had in store, and everyone would rush to procure one should a new vein be discovered.


    After all, a dimensional storage was too valuable to ignore. It made daily life exponentially easier, and for merchants or anyone working with arge amount of materials, it was a lifesaver.


    Yet, this was not what made them so rare. Their true rarityid in that they were a strategic resource for the kingdom, much like magic crystals. One couldn''t simply buy one when a new vein was found. Only a few of the mined crystals would make it into the market. Often only the defects or smaller crystals.


    The majority would be used as the foundation for the arrays and formations for cities. Either forming a new city base, or extending the pervious formations. This was especially so now that the kingdom was facing incessant invasions from all sides.


    "Apparently, it was a special asion. The guild master guild came to deliver the crystal. I even got it for half price." Eldrian said, taking out the said crystal.


    He had asked for something around medium-sized, but this was one closer to arge Mov Crystal. The dark purple crystal had a length equal to that of his palm, and it was about three fingers thick.


    He could even see the familiar gxy lights within the crystal if he used mana sense. Indicating that the crystal was on the verge of maturing. If left for a few more decades, it might have be a magic crystal.


    Hearing Eldrian''s reply, Solvi turned to look at the crater before the western gate of Elomir''s inner walls. "I guess you did earn some special treatment." She mumbled. Thest time she saw something this devastating was when Eldrian introduced cannons to them.


    The damage before her reminded her of the strength of the annihtion ss cannon. It gave her shivers, thinking that Eldrian, a welp in his twenties and only Tier 5, could produce such destruction.


    She knew better than to ssify Eldrian as normal, but this was still shocking. Sure, it hade at the cost of Crystoi disappearing, but they would see today whether the cost was simply a temporary loss of the spear or something more.


    Despite knowing it was wrong, Solvi hoped Crystoi had contributed to the oue more than Eldrian. She couldn''t help it. The sight was simply too fearsome.


    If Eldrian reached Tier 7, the next turning point in strength, what destruction would be brought forth then?


    Along with her fear, however, Solvi also gained a new resolve and hope. She would do her utmost to provide Eldrian with the gear he needed to turn the tides of the invasion.


    As soon as this idea popped into her head, it grew deep roots.


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 Chapter 857 Realms, Dimensions, Reality (1)

    Moving to the center of the crater, Eldrian took out the Mov Crystal in one hand and the voidstone fragment in the other. Picturing Crystoi in his mind and imagining it reappearing before him.


    He followed Skepsi''s instructions, and luckily they appeared to be working. Eldrian immediately felt his mana being drained, flowing into the voidstone fragment.


    The drain was quite rapid, emptying Eldrian''s 3k physical mana in seconds. It then started to drain mana from the Mov crystal, using Eldrian as a conduit.


    The amount of flowing mana was so vast in quantity that Eldrian experienced a fierce pain simr to when the magic crystals pulled at his mana. Be it way back when he first learned magic, or his recent experience in Elomir.


    Gritting his teeth, Eldrian persevered. Used to the searing pain.


    In time, the voidstone¡ªnormally as dark as the void in the magic abyss¡ªstarted to slowly give a soft, dark purple shimmer. Extremely dense andplicated engravings appeared around the fragment.


    Seeing this, Eldrian wondered why everything with extreme quantities of mana always appeared to be purple by color. Not for a second did he try to analyze the patterns. He would need a microscope to even try.


    Mov Crystals were almost ck in color¡ªso dark was the purple. A magic stone instead had its own type of inner light, bringing life to the otherwise dark crystal.


    And a voidstone was pitch ck, like the void it was named after. But now, Eldrian started to see an inner light within the stone.


    It reminded Eldrian of when he had first seen a magic crystal. He had believed the inner light appeared like contained gxies.


    The more he learned of magic crystals, the more this appeared like a possibility¡ªhe considered them ck holes of magic¡ªwith mana making up the matter. And there were plenty of theories that ck holes spawn or contain alternate gxies or dimensions.


    As the shine grew, not in intensity, but as if it was altering the very nature of the fragment, it started morphing. Changing from a fragment around the size of his palm to a perfect cube¡ªno, to more than a simple, perfect cube.


    Once it was done, Eldrian inexplicitly felt the same feeling he had towards magic stones when looking at the voidstone cube.


    The intricate engravings gave Eldrian the feeling that he could see into the cube. Like it was an item of a higher dimension¡ªa tesseract, the four-dimensional analogue of a cube.


    ''Is this how dimensional storages work?'' Two asked.


    Eldrian didn''t reply. His focus was on the pull he was experiencing on his consciousness. It had started as a small nudge, but was now like a hurried friend trying to pull him along.


    Not wishing to go against whatever Skepsi had done to the voidstone to allow all this (and possibly cause a catastrophe), Eldrian obliged and followed along. As he did, his vision changed.


    Most everything around him disappeared. Though, if he tried, he could still make some things out. However, their appearance was such that Eldrian struggle to make anything out. The information his eyes and mind''s eye were giving him was giving him a massive headache.


    Instinctually, Eldrian tuned everything out but the voidstone tesseract. Its appearance no longer like one simply due to the engravings. But rather like it actually was a tesseract.


    Constantly fluctuating between forms. Eldrian had no idea what he was seeing, but in truth, it was a tesseract in rotation.


    To him, however, it appeared like the voidstone was morphing from one form to another constantly. Constantly changing form, yet he could see inside it as it did. At times, what he saw he could not describe, at other times it appeared like a normal cube, or a type of polygon, or a simple ball of light.


    The center (always changing) shone like the gxies inside the magic crystals. However, unlike with the magic crystals, this one appeared close at hand, like he could touch it if he reached out his hand.


    While struggling to make any sense of what he was seeing, Eldrian felt the pull nudging him to reach for the light.


    Somehow, heprehended that this was a unique ''space''. Something like the insides of dimensional storages, but much different at the same time.


    Reaching inside, instead of actually reaching, Eldrian felt like he was moving, or that the world around him was moving. He failed to make sense of anything until he was inside a cubic room.


    Perhaps a hundred meters in size, the pitch ck walls of the room gave off a soft purple hue. Not just allowing Eldrian to see, but also to take in his surroundings.


    ¡ª


    Solvi watched in rapt attention as Eldrian started channeling mana into the voidstone. When the engravings appeared, her attention was fully focused on them.


    That was why, when Eldrian disappeared, she didn''t notice until a few secondster when the Mov Crystal fell to the ground with a thud.


    Ceph, too, had been too enraptured by the voidstone changing shape to react before Eldrian suddenly disappeared. Immediately he tried to contact Eldrian, but to no avail. It was like his attempts were being blocked by some type of barrier.


    Rushing to where the voidstone floated, giving off extreme waves of mana, fear stopped Solvi from reaching out to the stone at thest second. While shecked the survival instincts of a warrior, she did have some natural instinct to avoid risk.


    Ceph, too, had stopped just before touching the stone. Unlike Solvi, he realized just how dangerous such an action would be, and quickly pulled the dwarf away. Already contemting calling to his parents for help.


    "Aren''t you worried!" Solvi cried in protest, yet she couldn''t bring herself to fight against Ceph, knowing that he was worried for her safety.


    "I-I..." Ceph faltered. Then he recalled the bond he and Eldrian shared.


    Focusing on this, he could feel that Eldrian was still alive. However, the bond felt distance. Much like when Eldrian was on Earth. It wasn''t as distant, but certainly more distant than when Eldrian was anywhere in the kingdom.


    "I believe he is still alive, at the very least." Ceph said, exining that he could still feel Eldrian through their soul bond.


    "You guys are soul bonded?!" Solvi asked in shock. She knew they were close, but not this close.


    "It''splicated." Ceph replied. Naturally, her shock was to be expected. It was not amon thing. Especially in recent centuries. However, during the height of all previous invasions, it is something far moremon¡ªthought still only amongst the elites of the races.


    In times of peace, it was perhaps abnormal to soul bond with someone of the same sex¡ªthough, if Ceph truly wanted to, he could alter his form to a female.


    He would not, naturally. And it would only be an artificial modification. No child could be begotten from such an act¡ªbesides, he did not see Eldrian as a romantic partner.


    Regardless, during the heights of previous invasions, it wasmon to soul bond with your brother and sisters in arms. After all, it was one of the few ways to escape death when facing enemies who knew of resurrection and actively worked to counter it.


    Naturally, their side did the same to the devils. Luckily, devils could not soul bond with other beings. However, that did not make them inferior by any means.


    Their powerful bloodlines often helped them overpower their opponents, and in some cases (like Milgoroth''s) to escape from far stronger opponents.


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 Chapter 858 Realms, Dimensions, Reality (2) - Trial And Error

    "Two, you with me?" Eldrian asked, noticing that this space wasn''t something in his mind. His present felt too real¡ªphysical in nature was perhaps the most apt description.


    This was vastly different from when he was in the magic abyss, his own mind space, or the realm of souls.


    ''Mmm?'' Came an almostzy response. ''Sorry, I''m still trying to rey what just happened.''


    "Did you actually experience the porting? Travel? What was it even?" To Eldrian, it had simply felt like space had warped and morphed around him. The experience had been such that he had been forced to shut off all his senses to prevent himself from falling unconscious from an information overload.


    ''Yeah, it was quite fascinating.'' Two replied, his answer surprising Eldrian. He hadn''t thought Two would be able to actually experience what he himself had failed to take in.


    ''Is this the difference in our states of being?'' Eldrian pondered. "What was it like?" he asked, continuing to talk aloud, his voice echoing in the vast, near empty room.


    The only other thing inside this space was Crystoi, stuck in the roof. A hundred meters in the air. It had taken Eldrian several roundabouts to notice it. For the first few seconds, he had worried it had all been for naught.


    ''I guess it was like the physical world being morphed...'' Failing to find the words, Two rted instead to their past experiences. ''It was like when you make something in your soul. You can use the fabric that makes space there to create things. It felt simr.''


    Nodding, Eldrian felt he understood. In which case, he experienced the morphing of physical space to amodate/create this room? Or he transverse through the stone into an alternate space? And the travel/porting that nearly fried his brain was the process for this to ur.


    "Any idea what this means?" Eldrian asked, but he didn''t get an answer.


    ''At least we found Crystoi.''


    "True, but how the hell am I supposed to get it?" Eldrian countered. There was absolutely nothing within this space and he couldn''t ess his inventory, either. He could still use magic. In fact, the room was filled with mana.


    However, a hundred meters was a great distance. And Eldrian doubted Crystoi was lightly imbedded into the roof. A gust of wind was unlikely to pry it free. Besides, Eldrian had no idea what would happen once he got Crystoi free.


    The spear also wasn''t in a good condition. While difficult to see due to the distance, when Eldrian enhanced his sight with magic a little, he noticed it was sparking. Eldrian assumed the crystals embedded into it was damaged and the mana was leaking.


    It appeared simr to what happened when he damaged mana crystals for his Nova spells. The problem was, this might mean Eldrian was one a time limit. This also made him less inclined to throw spells at it to dislodge the spear.


    ''Flight magic?'' Two offered, but Eldrian shook his head.


    They had yet to master the magic. They could use its fundamental to alter Eldrian''s fall path, or help him reach greater heights when jumping. But they have yet to maintain it and bnce things. Reaching the roof was out of the question. Forty meters might have been doable, but not a hundred.


    When bncing failed, Eldrian always tumbled through the air like a rag taken by the wind. Crashing into everything with no way to stop himself. Cancelling the spell only stopped the magical propulsion. It did nothing to stop his momentum.


    In a confined space like this, Eldrian would end up getting smashed into the walls and likely die if he crashed head first. He might even impale himself on his own spear.


    ''Teleportation?'' Two offered next, but again, Eldrian shook his head.


    "Try channeling it." Eldrian said in counter. And after a few seconds, Two agreed it was impossible.


    ''What is this feeling? Like a quagmire.''


    "No idea, but we can only use teleportation at its most basic. Likely, the area we are in inhibits it in one way or another."


    ''Then?'' Two asked, out of options. If sending spells at the spear was too dangerous, and flight and teleportation were out of the question, what else was there?


    "Perhaps I can try to form a hand with ether?" Eldrian mulled. He already used it to help himself gain the advantage in fights. Normally, he applied it as a simple pushing force in a certain direction.


    This could trip up his enemies, or help him regain his bnce if he was on the verge of falling. But it had its limits. It could only affect so much mass and momentum, being useless before too much of either.


    Eldrian also knew how to envelop smaller weapons in it and then take control of them. However, he had a range limit for this.


    Sadly, Crystoi was outside his standard range, and worse, he couldn''t first engulf the spear and then let it move. He had to connect to it from such a vast difference. Vastly increasing the difficulty of his standard method. He always first enveloped and then let fly his weapons.


    Forming a hand, which he would then focus on controlling instead of trying to envelop the spear, might remove the range limitation.


    With this idea in hand, both he and Two started experimenting. However, they quickly ran into their first problem. They could only see the ether hands with magical senses enabled. This was easy to fix, but the other problem was more problematic. They couldn''t really test it on anything, since the only things in this space were Eldrian, the glowing walls, and Crystoi.


    Ripping his shirt in two, Eldrian practiced on one half and Two on the other. A few hours quickly passed as they seeded in passing Eldrian''s previous range records.


    By holding the torn shirt with the ether hand, they were able to now bring it to about 80 meters in the sky before their connection with the spell started to fall apart.


    ''What about just enveloping the shirt and using it as the hand?'' Two asked.


    "It might work to get it to the roof, but if we can''t keep control, it will be pointless." Despite saying this, they tried it a few times. By enveloping the shirt, instead of holding it with the ether hand, they ended up just a few meters shy.


    Attempting to use momentum to wrap the shirt around the spear and then pull it down resulted in two quick failures. His shirt halves now dangling from the spear''s back de''s wings. As soon as the resistance appeared, their connection to the spell weakened and broke.


    ''We can always try to envelop you...'' Two spoke next. This would be a mimic of the flight spell, but far more crude.


    However, Eldrian weighed too much. His weight limit with ether maniption after reaching Tier 5 had increased to around 50kg''s, but he was around 80. And if the resistance offered by an objection was too great, the spell simply fell apart.


    After all, this entire branch of Eldrian''s magic wasn''t based on actual spells. But Eldrian''s own application of ether magic (mana in the form of a physical force). It didn''t have any basis outside his own imagination, causing it tock a foundation to ensure its function.


    Sure, it meant he could perhaps do far more with it than with normal spells. But it also meant he had to figure out the limitations for each adaptation through experimentation. And recently Eldrian had been far too upied trying to master his auras to bother with ether maniption.


    It was certainly an extremely powerful branch of magic, but mastering it would take a great deal of time. And on Eldrian''s to-do list, it was near the bottom.


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 Chapter 859 Realms, Dimensions, Reality (3) - Experimenting With Ice

    With a sigh, Eldrian decided to brute force things. Since he couldn''t reach the spear, he created steps of ice. Sadly, this proved much more difficult than he had expected.


    Naturally, he couldn''t use earth magic. The ground was made of voidstone. Eldrian couldn''t even seep his mana into the stone, not to mention deforming it.


    As for ice magic, the air wasn''t humid at all. Requiring every piece of ice to be formed from mana. Luckily, the room was filled with mana. But it still meant it was going to take a while.


    Climbing until he reached twenty meters in height¡ªwhich took about an hour. Eldrian felt like crying. He had already decided to let the stairs below melt to remove the mana drain they required to stay in existence.


    Sadly, when they did, they didn''t turn into water, but rather returned to being mana. Not increasing the humidity in the room and causing things to move just as slow as always. Eldrian also realized that letting them melt might causeter instability issues for his staircase.


    Thus, he got to work to stopping their melting and was forced to share some of his regenerating mana to keep the ice stable.


    Taking a rest at this point, Eldrian reflected on what he was experiencing and what all he had recently learned with his talks with the two goddesses.


    He again pondered the connection between mana and matter. Especially taking into ount all that Ziraili had exined¡ªmost of which had flown over his head. Watching the ice seemingly sublimate had allowed him to grasp some inspiration.


    ordingly, Eldrian tried a few simple tests. Forming some ice by different methods of visualization. The cornerstone of dynamic magic, and an act he truly had to improve upon. His visualization was oftencking, and his imagination much the same.


    ''Tier 4 and below¡ªsimply envision steps of ice.'' Eldrian did this, ying with the quantity he of mana he was throwing in¡ªaltering thebination of ice and darkness as he did too. The room was slowly turning cold and Eldrian wanted to figure out if he couldn''t perhaps form some warmer ice to stand and sit upon.


    This was more a repetition of what he had already been doing, so after a few minutes, Eldrian moved to the next step. However, he quickly realized he couldn''t really aplish much with it.


    The next method of visualization was meant to interact with the natural surrounding, lessening the burden on the caster while also increasing the strength of the spells. But Eldrian''s surroundings weren''t natural. Leading to the casting process increasing the burden on him instead.


    ''Envision the actual reaction taking ce, or the structure of the substance you are forming. Tier 5 and 6.'' Sure, it sounded easy. But it wasn''t.


    With fire, one simply thought of heat and mes. With ice, cold and frozen water. With healing, you simply thought of a wound closing.


    But to visualize the actual structure of fire, the chemical reactions, the makeup of the mes. That was not easy. Simply holding the knowledge of what a fire actually was didn''t help. One needed to apply it when visualizing and forming the spell, while still keeping the image of the spell atrge perfect too.


    Naturally, during all this, you also had to guide your mana to form the spell¡ªthough this came naturally to Eldrian at this point and required little to no extra focus.


    When Eldrian tried to force this microscopic image (the vague image he had of ice structure from high school) into a spell, he found himselfpletely failing.


    He produced some cold mana, but it simply scattered into the room. Dropping the surrounding temperature so sharply, Eldrian was forced to conjure some fire for heat.


    "It''s beautiful, but useless." Eldrian mumbled, watching the glittering reflections of his me throughout the room. The scattered ice was a magnificent sight that came at a painful cost of over four hundred MP.


    Asking Two''s help, they yed with the responsibility.


    In one attempt, Eldrian would imagine the ice taking the form of steps, and Two would imagine the structure of ice and focus this on the mana moving to fill Eldrian''s visualization.


    In another attempt, they would reverse responsibilities. As they were doing this, they also practiced how to form spells as one. It turned out to be fun and the two quickly lost track of time.


    When they reached thirty meters, they had grown ustomed to this and also found that the new steps were far sturdier than the former¡ªrequiring less mana to keep their shape. However, the mana cost to create them had exploded.


    Regardless, the drain bing less was an absolute positive and the two focused on creating the more stable steps moving forward.


    This was shockingly perhaps the first time Eldrian truly tried to add science foundations to his magic. At least, this was the first time he was trying and seeding to add microscopic visualization to his casting.


    He normally relied on learning the feeling of a spell''s mana first through static magic and then using that as his baseline for dynamic spells. Or he simply went ahead blindly.


    In fact, with teleportation, Eldrian was using the standard static spells to aplish it. He wasn''t ready to try to take it to dynamic casting, not one bit. Generally, teleportation wasn''t possible to learn at Tier 5 because of the mana cost, but Eldrian had plenty of mana. So he could attempt it early.


    This entire visualization process, however, waspletely useless for standard static magic. The spell module contained everything rted to the spell. Runic magic was in a simr vein, though there Eldrian had experimented somewhat.


    Of course, he had always pondered what was happening. But this was his first time focusing on the science part, more so than the flow of mana and the overall image he wanted it to take. It was fun focusing on this fresh approach, and Eldrian felt he was learning a great deal.


    Sadly, the focus required to picture the ice structure, attice ofyered hexagonal rings, was simply too draining. After they finished another ten steps, Eldrian found some simrity between this and Ice Rain (Tier 5 AOE ice spell).


    Casting that spell to retrain his feeling for it. Needing to first rely again on the spell module¡ªwhich, luckily, Two had stored in their soul for emergency use, since Eldrian hadpletely forgotten what the module looked like.


    Altered between the two spells, one static and the other dynamic. Eldrian tried to pinpoint and memorize the differences andmonalities. During this process, Two took on the role ofrge visualization, while Eldrian focused on the flow of mana moving through him. This, sadly, Two could not do.


    After half an hour, Eldrian managed to produce what he considered Tier 5 ice steps all on his own. Having ingrained the feeling and its differences into his mind.


    ''We are close enough now to use ether maniption.'' Two reflected once their experimentpleted on a sess.


    "Right." Forming arger base, Eldrian produced a rough surface so he wouldn''t slip on the ice. Then he formed once again a hand of ether. Moving it to grasp the spear and wiggle it free.


    "Dang..." Eldrian sighed. "Something''s draining my mana." Eldrian assumed it was the roof, or perhaps the cracks in the roof since the floor hadn''t done this. Regardless, he soon confirmed that ether maniption wasn''t going to work. Especially not on the level he had mastered it.


    Getting to work, he continued to build his ice staircase. Around two hourster and well above twenty thousand mana in ice, Eldrian reached Crystoi.


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 Chapter 860 Realms, Dimensions, Reality (4) - Retrieving Crystoi

    Eldrian paused, his hand about to grasp Crystoi''s shaft. Looking at the leaking mana and asional sparks forming around the elemental crystals, Eldrian hesitated. The cracks spreading across the crystals told him just how damaged the spear was.


    This was not the only damage. The dark gold runes were dim in color, cracks spreading from de to de. The shaft, in particr, seemed about to snap. Recklessly pulling the spear loose might cause it to truly be destroyed.


    Moving his gaze to the adamantine back de, Eldrian extended the tform he was standing on and searched for the nested voidstone.


    ''Yeah, that doesn''t look good.'' It appeared that the interwoven mix of metal and wood was withdrawing from the ck stone. Some of the branches of the nest having snapped and others being strained¡ªas if fighting to contain the stone.


    Taking his time to observe things, Eldrian and Two discussed the best course of action. It was clear the spear required immediate treatment, but Eldrian didn''t know how to fix it. Nor did he have any spare materials to try to repair the cracks.


    The only thing he could do was guide his mana into the spear. And as he would envision spells healing others, he would envision his mana repairing the spear. Or, at the very least, strengthening it.


    Gently cing his hand over the nested voidstone, Eldrian slowly channeled mana into the spear. Aiming for the woven nest to repair itself and keep the voidstone in ce.


    This did not happen, but the spear did appear to repair itself a truly small amount. The runes grew a bit in luster, and the wooden exousia wood regained some of its vibrance.


    Eldrian wished to continue, but he feared adding too much mana might cause the elemental crystals to overload. He did not wish to rush things. Pulling Crystoi out of the roof before confirming things might lead to devastating consequences.


    Thus, he sat down and waited. Wishing to see whether the mana he had supplied the spear got sucked into the roof as his spells had been consumed. All the while observing the movement of the mana in the spear with mana sense. It was no longer as stable as it once was. The damage had clearly affected the movement of mana through the spear.


    As they waited, Eldrian and Two discussed the existence of this room. Trying to make sense of it, along with the rest of their knowledge. Tying parallels between this space, ANW and its existence on Earth, souls, and the memorial artifact they had created.


    ''It''s certainly different from the others.'' Twomented. The fact that Eldrian was physically present, or at least so they thought, made this apletely different type of alternate realms formed in souls or the artifacts.


    In fact, ANW itself was also something that could only be visited by the soul or consciousness of a person. It, too, wasn''t a physical world like the space inside the voidstone.


    ''But what of dimensional storages and the inventory of yers?'' Eldrian countered. Those were physical cases where space was morphed and allowed for things to be moved in and out of. ''How exactly is this different to them?''


    Sadly, the two could not find an answer to their burning questions. They had a few guesses at what this might mean, but neither of them wanted to jump to conclusions.


    However, one thing had be certain. There must be a connection between everything. While this was a physical manifestation of a separate world, room, or dimension, Eldrian''s soul was just as much an ethereal manifestation of a unique world. Each person''s soul was.


    This led them to asking what separated these worlds, which worlds could be considered true and which false, and how each type was created and maintained.


    The importancey in thest bit. If it was possible to create something that was self-sustainable or eternal, then it might be possible to use such a thing as an escape for the AI from Miracle''s thumb¡ªwithout letting them out into Earth. A situation Eldrian would rather avoid froming to be.


    ''Is this how they created the servers? Would this work to separate ANW from those servers?'' And again, Eldrian asked what his role was within this mess.


    Since he was connected to ANW, what would happen if the servers were shut down? Would the burden suddenly fall on him? Would he die?


    Or, perhaps, would his connection alone be enough to sustain the virtual world that was ANW? Like every soul could sustain a mind space that reflected the personality of the person it was created from.


    It was their consciousness, and thus its existence did not drain the person of strength. Yet, it was undeniable to Eldrian now that such fictional worlds truly existed. A dream might be fleeting, but it wasn''t fake. Sure, it might not interact with the physical world, but it could interact with you.


    Eldrian doubted things would be so simple for him. But perhaps the energy sources coulde from ANW itself. It sounded like a paradox, but considering the existence of souls and personal worlds, he felt it wasn''t too imusible.


    ''Crystoi seems stable.'' Twomented after they went in circles for almost an hour.


    ''Yeah.'' Eldrian nodded. Unlike with his spells, the mana hadn''t been drawn into the cracks in the roof. The spear was certainly still in no condition to be pulled from the wall, but they had run a few tests.


    Unlike with ANW and Earth, Eldrian could still enter his soul here. Or rather, the soul he could enter here was his ANW one, not his smaller Earth one¡ªnor a new one. Indicating that this space was, without a doubt, still linked to ANW.


    Which also meant he was still connected to the spear, and if possible, he might be able to store it instead of pulling it out.


    Attempting just that, beads of sweat dripped down Eldrian''s forehead as he focused. The feeling as he was envisioning the spear being stored was like he was fighting against a powerful maic pull.


    And as Eldrian continued to fight, he sensed his surroundings changing. Sadly, he had no spare energy to focus on what was happening. Two, however, happily memorized what was going on.


    Falling onto the ground, the hard molten earth knocking Eldrian''s breath out, he heard two excited shouts.


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 Chapter 861 The City Of The Dead (1)

    Recently, the surroundings had be more ''lively''. Though, of course, everything around them was undead.


    Well, the surrounding nts weren''t truly undead. They still grew, after all; which would make them living things in thisnd of the dead. However, they were filled with the aura of death, so much so that magic would dere them part of the undead.


    And now, they had reached their final destination. A grand city weed them as they passed through her gates. Therge spikes covering the ck walls the most clear sign it was a city of the undead.


    Perhaps one would expect the city of the undead to appear dpidated or run down, but that was far from the truth.


    Sure, the walls were ck, and the air was heavy. But things weren''t rotten. Stone was used for most construction¡ªuntil they came to the human farms.


    Passing through the fields, Adriana and the rest could feel their spirits being revitalized, despite the dismal surroundings they found themselves in. The city had only three types living in it: demons, undead, and ves.


    Of these three groups, the ves were second only to the undead. Which was natural, as their numbers were used to ensure the undead grew stronger.


    The reason she and the rest with her felt revitalized while walking through the ce where the undead farmed humans¡ªa ce of true horrors for living beings¡ªwas quite simple.


    Their cors protected them from the drain of the deadnds, but it was the equivalent of using a mask to survive in a toxic environment. There was noparison to breathing in the stuffy air of a maskpared to the fresh air of the countryside.


    The rulers of the city considered it too great a bother to cor each human and instead used the city''s formations to allow life to live within it. Thus, this was the first time in weeks that their group breathed natural air. That the cor was no longer necessary for their survival.


    Sadly, they could not pause to enjoy the sensation. But that was also for the best. Should they stay for any longer than to move through the area, they might start to think of the lives of those being kept here, being farmed here.


    Their tax was not in gold or copper, but instead in children. It was expected that they married young and produced kids every two years. With every second child being taken by the state for ''tax'' at the age of sixteen.


    And the age wasn''t so old for sympathy or malice. Younger ones were simply useless when turned to undead after they died from gruelingbor or services. It was more economical to take the ''tax'' once they were strong enough to be useful as both living and undead.


    "Move it!" Their skeletal master ordered. Kicking those who had paused to take in the fresh air. Their carriage, as one would expect from a rotten carriage, had broken down. Though it had survived a long time.


    Thanks to their unending journey, they were all tired to the bone. A continuous journey in a rotting carriage was no easy life. These past days had been horrendous. Their surroundings ruined the little sleep they had managed.


    ? It was honestly only thanks to their strength as Tier 5''s that they still contained their wits and lives. Any normal person would have died from the rattling carriage ride. After all, the undead cared not for such little things such asfort.


    They would never even consider fixing their roads or adding suspension to their carriage. It was a waste of money and time, that was all they saw it as. In fact, their roads were simply trodden paths, not actual roads.


    Adriana wished she could fight, or do anything to resist. But time had thought them it was impossible. All her attempts to sneak magic past her cor had resulted in her being paralyzed by the resultant magical jolts. Wreaking havoc through her body as it disturbed her mana flow.


    However, recently, she had grasped something she had never felt before. When the mana bacsh happened, she could feel a connection to magic she had never felt before. If only their journey would have taken a few more days... if only...


    She was certain she would have managed...


    Pushing her depression from her mind, she instead turned her focus on why they had been brought here. Far, far from the borders to the central parts of thend of the dead.


    "Enter." The skeletonmanded, filling them into a room near the castle¡ªthe heart of the city.


    Their room was little more than a cell, but it was the first time in weeks that they could properly rest. So everyone fell to the ground to regain their strength, discussing their ns to escape.


    They all knew it was impossible. That didn''t matter. That they had been brought this far meant one thing, and one thing only. They were to be guinea pigs. There was no other reason they would have been fed for weeks.


    "I''d rather die than help them by being theirb rat." Craine muttered. His fists clenched as he strengthened his resolve. The others did the same, everyone preparing themselves to fight.


    Hearing their resolve, Adriana wasn''t about to sit by and watch. She wanted to fight, too. They were all ready to die. Whether this happened by sword or cor, it didn''t matter. Their goal was simple. Don''t be useful to their enemy.


    Sure, the undead would turn their bodies into more of the same. But not allowing their enemy to perform their experiment after incurring the cost of having them be brought here alive. That was an insignificant victory they were all too happy to grasp.


    It would mean nothing in the grand scale of things, but to them, it was like being able to leave a foal tasting sensation in the mouth of their enemy. It truly was insignificant, but it was more than enough for them to smile at the thought of dying.


    ''If we''re doing this, then I might as well try my best!'' Adriana thought, bringing her hands to her cor and guiding her mana to flow to them. Immediately the cor activated and sent its own waves of mana to suppress her.


    Normally, this would cause her to lose consciousness within seconds. But repeated attempts had allowed her to grow ustomed to this pain. And more importantly, she had learned to ride along its waves.


    As the cor''s mana crashed through her body, she moved her mana to the same rhythm. And as she did, her organs were squashed.


    She coughed out blood and fell to the side, but she did not relent. She had needed a few more days, but they had no time.


    Pushing through the pain as her eyes started to bleed, she could feel her mana swelling. Soon, blood even seeped through her skin, but she did not stop. Nor did the others attempt to stop her, either.


    Noticing what she was trying, they moved quickly. Some went to keep watch, while the others attempted to ease her pain.


    After what felt like an eternity, they heard a click. And then the cor around Adriana''s neck turned to dust. She looked absolutely terrible, every inch of her covered in her own blood. Despite appearing like death itself, she and everyone else were smiling.


    After a few minutes, having taken her time to heal her injuries, she asked, "Who''s next?"


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 Chapter 862 The City Of The Dead (2) - Escape

    With a click, Craine''s cor loosened before falling apart. As soon as the cor''s magic flow was broken, its own mana devoured it. Or at least this was what Adriana was specting as she copsed in exhaustion.


    Spitting out the buildup of blood in his mouth, Craine immediately cast Therpevo (Tier 4 heal) on Adriana, which should be capable of healing broken bones and most internal injuries.


    He followed it up with Anthisi (Tier 4 rejuvenation) to supply Adriana with energy and also help her recover some of the mana she had surely spent in destroying her and his cors.


    With that done, Craine had used half his mana, and while he wished to free the others, he had injuries of his own.


    The rampaging mana of the cor as it was being destroyed did not care for the body it was rampaging in¡ªin fact, it purposefully was created to cause as much damage as possible if fiddled with. While he hated to dy, Craine knew he had to, at the minimum, cast Anthisi on himself.


    "Thanks." Adriana mumbled as Craine also threw several Nidia''s (water balls) at her. Removing the drying blood from her face. Allowing everyone to see her tired smile.


    "How''s your mana doing?" Craine asked, cursing himself for never having taken magic as seriously as his physical training. He only had a paltry 414MP at hand, and each Anthisi cast required a 120, while Therpevo had consumed 64.


    Adriana had far more mana, close to a thousand, but breaking free from her cor without outside help and then unlocking his must have taken its toll.


    With a sad smile, Adriana said, "I only have 200 left. Unlocking your cor wasn''t too difficult, but..."


    Everyone nodded. They had seen the state she had been in. The amount of blood she had lost must certainly also be tiring her¡ªnot to mention all the pain she had endured.


    While the Anthos line of spells were great for someone''s recovery, they couldn''t return what was physically lost, nor could they remove the lingering pain she surely was in. They also couldn''t fill an empty belly.


    With the blood no longer hiding her face, her pale skin was clear for all to see. She was probably fighting just to remain awake.


    "Rest. I''ll try to help the others." Craine said. Moving to free the next, however, Adriana grabbed his torn shirt before he could. None of their clothing was better than rags, but at least it still allowed them to keep their modesty.


    "It won''t work. You need to guide your mana. Can you do that?"


    "Of course." Craine replied, chest puffed out in pride. Naturally, he could guide his mana into his spells and skills. He was confident he would be able.


    "Not like that. Can you guide your mana without using a spell or skill to guide it towards?" She asked, and Craine''s confidence crumbled. It was the very reason why he hadn''t progressed to Tier 5 with magic. He had never learned how to guide his mana with his will alone.


    "Keep casting Anthisi for me. The direct conversion isn''t great, but the bonus regen effect will help."


    With a nod, Craine did just that. Sadly, all rejuvenation spells had their limits. After two uses, the bonus regen wouldn''t apply anymore. Regardless, those two uses would give Adriana 800MP to use. They just needed to wait a bit for things to happen naturally.


    After around twenty minutes, everyone was free. And that was when they noticed their abysmal natural recovery rates. Without their cors stopping the surrounding mana from invading their bodies, they were all feeling lethargic.


    Not only did this cloud their minds, but it would take them days to naturally recover their mana. The only way they could get any true recovery was with rejuvenations spells. But continued usage would only cause them to build up a resistance to the spell. In time, it won''t be able to do anything for them.


    But the key was ''in time''. They didn''t even have a guarantee they will be able to get to that point. Casting Anthisi, Anthise, or Anthisma on each other (depending on the other''s abilities) everyone got ready to escape.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    They all knew full well that their chances were low. Running wasn''t an option. The undead would be able to catch them. After all, they were thousands of kilometers from their homnd. They couldn''t rely on a mad dash for safety.


    Which meant they had to hide after escaping from the cell¡ªwhich ended up being quite simple.


    The undead, confident in their cors or simplyzy, hadn''t strengthened their cell with any formations. A simple earth spell had allowed them to destroy the walls and escape into the back alleys.


    Luckily, their clothing helped them blend in with the others ves. Those with long hair let it hang over their necks and faces, while those with short ced themselves in the center of the group. They had also found a bunch of empty crates to carry as an extra disguise.


    Naturally, they were headed for the human farms.


    "Stop. Who''s master?" A thrall asked. That it could speak meant it was intelligent for a thrall, but its broken speech made it clear it wasn''t too intelligent. Using Inspection, Adriana learned that the thrall''s master was named Damian.


    "Do you want to keep master Damian waiting?" Adriana asked, making sure to speak with clear anger in her voice. Hearing its own master''s name, the thrall let them pass without further questions. It even offered to help them.


    "Isn''t this too easy?" Craine asked as they continued using the same strategy to move through the city.


    "I''m not sure who we were supposed to be for, but the city is clearly not being managed properly." Adriana replied. This was something she had noticed upon entering the city.


    While it was not imperative to manage things well for the undead, proper management would make things move forward like a well-oiled machine. However, most undead had their quirky personalities.


    For example, liches (the most intelligent undead) were obsessed with their research. Should such a being be the ruler of the city, most everything would be ignored¡ªexcept what might aid it in its research.


    What added even more to this situation was that the only true intelligent being in the city had to be Tier 5 or above. Such undead wouldn''t be happy being ced as a gate guard. After all, they were basically nobility in the city.


    As such, the group reached one of the human farms without incident. There had been amotion at the end of their journey, but by using the same trick as always, they had slipped by before a search party dashed through the gates.


    Several ghouls followed the skeleton who had brought them to the city, rushing for the outside. Seeing that, they were all grateful they hadn''t decided to run for it. None of them even contemted trying to fight a bunch of ghouls while unarmed.


    Shifting into arge group of ves, they got to work tilling the fields. Not speaking much with anyone as they worked. Once night arrived, they all huddled together as Adriana got to work making cors for everyone.


    "It''s not much, but hopefully it will work." She mumbled. Her craftmanship was shoddy. But she was the only one who was able of this. Somehow, she had learned she could now use her spells outside of their original purpose.


    To make the cors they made a ne of dirt first, which she then turned to hardened dirt after. Any close inspection would reveal it as a fake, but it would make it easier for them to move about unnoticed.


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 Chapter 863 Vivians Growth (1)

    "What happened?" Ceph asked as soon as Eldrian recovered from the headache he had. Having tried to spry into his changing environment as he exited the voidstone¡ªinstead of simply letting everything blur.


    "Seems voidstones have a pocket dimension in them? Connected to them?" Eldrian mumbled in reply. "I think it is the former. Solvi, do you know anything about dimensional items?"


    "Sadly, not much." The dwarf replied. "Haven''t dabbled in it myself, Mov Crystals are too rare. But if what you say is true, then perhaps the voidstone allows for a more advanced type of dimensional maniption?"


    Solvi paused, recalling all that she knew of dimensional storages. They all had this neat feature wherein times more or less froze for any item ced inside. The effect is greater for Chosen with their inventories, but time passed slower in all standard dimensional storages.


    However, ording to Eldrian¡ªand if his internal clock can be trusted for judging time¡ªthen the voidstone somehow retained normal time flow. This might sound like a negative, but it would exin why he could enter it¡ªwhen living things generally cannot survive within dimensional inventories.


    Sadly, as she had never attempted to make a dimensional ring or ne herself, Solvi couldn''t specte further on the inner workings. She also suspected this was more because of Skepsi''s involvement than the stone''s powers itself.


    "You think so?" Eldrian questioned. "What of Crystoi?" Reminded of the near broken spear in his hand, Eldrian shifted the topic. "Can you fix it?" He asked, holding the spear out towards Solvi.


    A nce was enough for Solvi to tell the extent of the damage. Luckily, the des weren''t overly damaged, the shaft might need recing and the elemental crystals certainly did.


    "It will take some time, but yes." Solvi replied, taking out a type of gel that she smeared over the cracked crystals. Stopping their mana from leaking any further. "It''s only a temporary measure, but this should buy us time. We should head back to my smithy."


    ¡ª


    ""Cheers!"" A group of three dwarves and one human shed mugs together, celebrating thest day of their watch at what had be known as the reaver canyon.


    Downing her drink, Vivian smiled. They had finally managed it. Finally, a wall had been constructed, cannons installed, and the endless reaver wave pushed back. From here on, no one would have to die keeping them at bay.


    "What are you thinking about?" Logar asked, one of the three survivors of their group. Originally there had been eight, their squad had almost been eradicated.


    "I''m just happy that no one else had to die." Vivian replied.


    "I''ll drink to that!" Logar shouted with augh, and Vivian joined him.


    After a few hours of merrymaking, Vivian left and wandered the camp by herself. Theas had gone to report their sess to the local lord of Braxhold that the walls werepleted and the reavers repelled.


    As she wandered, Vivian saw many drunk dwarves, and also many wandering spirits. She had grown ustomed to this sight and could even control it when she wanted. Today, however, she was searching for someone.


    She soon left by the small door next to the gate, the guards letting her through without any fuss. She was well known among the dwarves as the valkyrie of mes.


    Once, only once, she had mumbled about the nickname that everyone back home used to call her. And since, they wouldn''t drop it.


    The thought made her smile. Her feelings on the nickname were a mixed bag. She used to be proud of it. Believing herself strong. Then reality had hit her like a tsunami and she learned she wasn''t.


    But she wasn''t weak either. Vivian had proven this in the battles, capable of holding her own against Tier 6 opponents despite being Tier 5. Granted, she owed most of her strength to Nelida''s me, her sword. But still, she had mastered its powers and also fully bonded with the de.


    Her connection to her sword was abnormal. Vivian hadn''t always understood this, but over the past few weeks, she had truly learned the difference between a normal soul bond¡ªand whatever her bond with her sword can be called.


    Regardless, wandering through the enormous cavern, thousands of charred and crushed reaver corpses littering the ground, but no dwarves, Vivian searched. She ignored the faint spirits of the spiders, and, upon reaching the location where Dorak had fallen, she paused.


    It was here, in yesterday''s charge, that they had pushed the reavers back onest time. And it was here that Dorak fell. The fifth in the squad to join the dead.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "What''s up?" A cheerful voice asked. A phantom of Dorak appearing before Vivian.


    "How can you be so happy?" Vivian asked, her voice barely a whisper. "You died..."


    "That happens. Don''t be a downer now. You know we like to celebrate life, not wallow in death." The phantom Dorak replied. Despite being the one who had died, he seemed to care less than Vivian.


    "I know." His scolding brought a smile to Vivian''s lips, a giggle escaping as she recalled the tales that the others had told of Dorak''s early years.


    To court his wife, he had gone on a mighty quest. One to find a rose. An abnormal request by dwarven standards, as they normally courted another with finely crafted jewels or weapons.


    It had apparently taken Dorak months to find a rose, only for it to wither before he could bring it to his love.


    Not one to be beaten by a rose, he had taken the wilted petals and mixed them into metal. Using it to create a metal rose that would live forever, and even adding small quartz to the piece to allow it to shine when given mana.


    "I wish I could have met Vera and see the rose you gave her."


    "Why the hell can''t ya?"


    Shaking her head, Vivian didn''t answer. It would be too sad to visit the house of a widow. And unlike the others, those in the cities wouldn''t know her. Depending on the dwarf, it would take some convincing to have them trust her. She didn''t want to burden a widow with her visit.


    "Fine. So what did youe here for?" Dorak asked, understanding Vivian''s silence.


    If she hadn''t disyed such might in battle, he and the others would have ostracised her. It wasn''t that they hated humans, their cultures simply differed too much. Though the solution was simple. Go with the others. But Dorak wasn''t going to force Vivian''s hand.


    "I wanted to make sure you would be alright." Vivian said after an eternity of silence.


    "I''m dead. The hell you mean, alright?"


    "Will you reach the forges of Dragos?"


    "Pretty sure I already did."


    "What do you mean?" Vivian asked.


    Honestly, this was her first time attempting tomunicate with the spirits wandering about. She normally suppressed this ''sight'', and to talk with Dorak, she had to channel her mana through her entire body. It was great practice, but also tiring.


    "This is... like the metal rose I made. It only contains fragments of my soul... You know how we can grow stronger from killing?"


    Vivian nodded. She knew it was more something for Chosen, but she and the other ''natives'' could also gather what was called XP. In general, however, their majority of XP came from training and reaching higher Tiers, not killing.


    "Well, I think this is the part that is left to be absorbed. But since you killed the bugger that got me before I even breathed mest, I... I think it got stuck."


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 Chapter 864 Vivians Growth (2)

    Unsure how to respond, Vivian stayed silent as she processed things. Still trying to piece together what her unique ability was, and why it allowed her to see the spirits of the dead.


    It had taken her a great deal of effort and time to learn how to control it. Eldrian''s talks about magic had helped her, but it wasn''t the same.


    While channeling mana through her allowed her to talk with Dorak, it was not the key. It was a rather crude brute force method she had decided to rely on.


    She knew from experience with Eldrian, that the right way wasn''t the only way. It was possible to get the correct, or close enough, results without the correct steps. It was an Eldrian ssic.


    Eldrian would call it mind over matter, or mind over magic. It was the essence of dynamic casting, and it was with this that Vivian was forcing her conversation with Dorak.


    By envisioning in her mind the ability to talk with the dead, and then empowering that vision with all the mana she had, she had seeded. But, s, she did not know what to do now that she had talked with Dorak.


    She felt it too cruel to leave or ask more of him, but she needed assistance if she was to master her ability. And, sadly, the only ones who can help her master this ability of her were those who have already passed and left a spirit wandering Gaia.


    "Is there anything you want me to tell the others?" Vivian asked. Hoping to be of some help to Dorak in return. "Something you want them to ry to Vera, perhaps?"


    "Nah." Dorak said, shaking his head from side to side. "I''ve already told them all I needed to. And I left knowing I might die. Vera knows it too. I made sure myst days at home were special so she wouldn''t forget me."


    A pause ensued, and after a while, Vivian asked, "If that is the case... why are you still here?" It sounded rude, but she knew that the spirits she saw wandering around didn''tst long.


    She had assumed this happened when they aplished what held them to the world, but now it seemed that didn''t matter.


    She had linkened it to dying while falling asleep. A peaceful, calm end. They weren''t violently torn apart like lingering souls, but they slowly dissipated into the air. Turning to nothing.


    It was only after watching the process hundreds of times that Vivian figured out what was happening. Needing to recall all she knew of resurrection magic and the afterlife, and recalling the time she had nearly died in the chaosnds after Eldrian hade to save her.


    It was this memory that had been the key. Recalling Itireae''s mumblings as she had resurrected Eldrian, and her reasons for why she could not save Sabrea. That was the final key for her to understand that was she was seeing were not souls, but spirits. Or so she hade to call them.


    She still wasn''t sure what the difference was, but she knew that somehow these spirits could linger in the world of the living. And not as abhorrent mutations of undead. They kept their natural appearances and minds.


    Of course, Vivian had seen the undead use these same spirits for their ill experiments and powers. But these spirits weren''t technically undead. They were dead, but no longer living. Yet, somehow, they still wandered.


    They also weren''t ghosts or any simr adaptation of soul maniption. Sadly, Vivian knew very little on this topic, most of the books with this knowledge kept under strict lock and key.


    ''Or rather, ghosts might be spirits who wished for life again? And to achieve this, they attack the living? To feed off of their lifeforce...'' Sadly, Vivian knew very little of this very lifeforce that was the essence of all living things.


    How she wished she could talk with Eldrian on this, but that would have to wait. She had much she could figure out on her own before turning to Eldrian.


    "Would you mind helping... helping me figure out why I can see you, and talk to you?"


    "Thought you''d never ask! I''m curious as well, you know. I was nning to go see Vera, but s..." Dorak sighed, looking towards where his pyre had been lit.


    His ashes, along with all the other fallen, would be taken to the city of Braxhold. Sadly, it was all mixed together. There wasn''t enough wiggle room for the dwarves to offer individual pyres to every fallen soldier.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "You can''t wander far from..." Vivian struggled to say it. It felt too uncaring, too cold. Dorak, or whatever remained in this wandering spirit of his, had no such worries.


    "Aye, can''t wander far from my ashes. When I tried, it felt like I was losing pieces of myself."


    "The dissipation." Vivian mumbled.


    "The what?"


    "It''s what I call it. You know the limitations on resurections? It exists because souls are ripped apart without a body to inhabit. I don''t know why, but spirits¡ªthat is what I am calling existences such as your current self¡ªdon''t experience the same voilent destruction. But... you still dissipate."


    "I see! But I have no body, just ashes. Howe I''m not dissapearing?"


    "That is what I am trying to figure out. Will you be willing to help?"


    "Of course!"


    ¡ª


    Vivian and Spirit Dorak spent the following hours talking and experimenting. Knowing he was already dead and having no regrets, Dorak didn''t mind if their experiments ended up dissipating him.


    He continued to push Vivian so they could figure out the limits, until finally, he dissipated. Watching thest phantom pieces of him disappearing into the wind, Vivian couldn''t contain her tears.


    She forced herself to smile, but tears kept falling. It took her a long time to recover. While always conscious that Dorak was already dead, somewhere along the line she had failed to understand its meaning as she conversed with him.


    Like a kid who didn''t understand death, she learned the pain of it all over again.


    But it wasn''t without its rewards. She had learned much. For instance, Dorak''s spirit could not control mana, yet he had still performed rudimentary spells. As he was a warrior first and a craftsman second, magest, this was impressive.


    How Dorak had described it was like his breath was turning into the magic. Mana felt like a hot flow inside the body when channeled. Simr to when you drink a warm coffee or tea, or a strong alcoholic beverage.


    However, Dorak had been adamant that this wasn''t the same.


    "No, kid, listen..." He had said as Vivian failed to understand. "It isn''t like ale or mead. It isn''t warm or cold. It''s my very breath. The air of life that I breathe¡ªbreathed... Think of when you sigh and release all you pent up stress or frustration, those emotions leaving with your breath. That''s what it feels like, but more powerful! Like you are breathing the power of life into your spells!"


    Sadly, no matter how much Vivian tried, she couldn''t manage anything simr. Every time she tried to summon a spell, she channeled her mana.


    What she did manage, however, was to skip needing a spell modulepletely.


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 Chapter 865 Back To Taur For Shopping (1)

    Eldrian had sent Crystoi with Solvi to be repaired, along with a thousand golds. While a hefty sum, enough, in fact, to buy himself a high grade Tier 6 or low grade Tier 7 weapon. But he did not want a new weapon he was unfamiliar with.


    Besides, Crystoi still held secrets he wished to discover, and he was already bonded with it. Unbinding was not a simple process, and it was why choosing the Tier 5 and higher items carefully was important. After all, Eldrian could currently only bind with 5 items in total.


    As for the voidstone and Mov Crystal, he had ced them both back in his inventory. Unsure what to do with the former, and nning to let thetter gather back its mana stores when possible. For now, however, he was heading back to the capital.


    Somehow, through either Solvi or Ceph, his guild had learned of his new ''godly'' given quest. Naturally, Elizabeth and the others were fully invested in helping Eldrian, though they knew they could not match him in a fight.


    They could, however, offer him great help during scouting and scouring an area to find a specific target. Erik had also set to prepare potions to help Eldrian during and after his fights, mostly for in case he died, the dryad was preparing as many resurrection potions as he could find.


    Naturally, the guild couldn''t suddenly abandon their missions with the kingdom. But Artis, the guild run by Robert and more of a crafting guild than abat one, had taken most of the supportive roles off of Phoenix''s hands.


    No longer needing to send half their yers to keep logistics running, the guild had more people free, despite the kingdom''s situation deteriorating by the day.


    Eldrian nned to use one of the temples in Elomir after resting for the day to return to Taur as he was reading through his messages. His struggles to free Crystoi having mentally drained him. He nned to get a good night''s rest before anything else.


    ¡ª


    Upon the new day''s arrival, he got ready to set for the capital, but paused as he noticed his quest had been updated.


    "What on earth?" he mumbled, opening the quest to view the details.


    He had gotten a new option in stage 1. Instead of requiring him to defeat a foe, this option required him to save a certain someone in the city of the dead. A certain Adriana.


    "Why would you ask me to save her?" Eldrian questioned the goddess. Sadly, the quest had no further information to answer his questions.


    Specting, Eldrian thought of what he knew of the goddess who had handed him this quest. She was the goddess of magic and was looking for entertainment. ''If she noticed someone, it has to be because they did something unique with magic. Perhaps this Adriana is a newly founded candidate?''


    This was the simplest exnation Eldrian could fathom, and considering where she was¡ªording to his map she was at least three thousand kilometers from Taurus, right in enemy territory. There was little chance she would survive on her own.


    The entire option reminded him of when he was being secretly guarded by the dwarves while a devil (Milgoroth) was hunting him. Thinking back on that, Eldrian shivered. In all likelihood, this option would be more difficult than killing an ancient beast or a devil.


    Despite realizing this, he wasn''t keen on abandoning a potential candidate. After all, in time, the average man and woman will not decide the invasion. The only ones truly capable of deciding the flow of the war are the truly strong. To that end, they needed as many strong as possible on their side.


    ''Though this will not matter for the next dozen years. And I know from experience that attempting a rescue is likely to go askew.''


    Recalling his first venture to Avgi, Eldrian wasn''t fond of the prospect. The distance to cover was no small amount, and the pursuit was certain to be strong. Not to mention the drain that thend of the dead had on the living.


    ''I''d hate to endanger the others, but this will be impossible without Ceph. And if I wish to seed, I must contact Vivian. Her blue mes will be our strongest trump card against the undead, and might allow us to pass through thend without as much of a drain... but first, I need gear and then I need to talk to Levana.''<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    With his thoughts settled, Eldrian informed Ceph of the new development and headed to Taur alone, while Ceph headed to Ganalin to find Vivian.


    ¡ª


    "Greetings!" an amicable old catkin greeted as Eldrian entered the store. "I remember you! You said you were looking for something light, preferably with support magics, right?"


    Nodding, Eldrian followed as thedy showed him a circlet of engraved Rikolium gold and Mithril. At the center, it had a small green gem, most likely a crystal attuned to either wind or nature.


    "This is something we''ve been struggling to sell, you see..." Going on to exin, she said that most would rather buy a helmet.


    You couldn''t use it with, not just because it would be extremely ufortable, but the proximity will also cause the magic of the items to interfere. It was the same reason you couldn''t have as many rings as your fingers could fit.


    Nodding while half listening to her extolling the circlet''s virtues, Eldrian inspected it with mana sense. The work was certainly masterful and beautiful, but he cared not for thetter. In fact, he felt awkward about wearing a circlet. It was normally more a thing for women. However, he hated helmets more than he felt awkward.


    Sure, they protected your head, but most also obstructed your vision. They were also extremely ufortable. And, in the end, the opponents he was likely to face would cut through any normal Tier 5 helmet with ease. And those who cannot shouldn''t be able to touch him, regardless. Making a helmet kind of obsolete.


    Perhaps if he strung for a Tier 6, but he needed to prioritize. He only had 3000 gold to spend.


    While the adventurer''s guild had been nice and only asked for 5000 for the Mov Crystal, they had rewarded him. A steal for sure. It still left him with only 4000 to use for his gear. His estate needed funds, and then he sent a thousand with Solvi to repair Crystoi. Which left 3000.


    [Tier 5 Circlet (Circlet of Eknisia)]


    [A magic item designed with care, its power is drawn from a gem of Aventurine. Said to bring good luck and prosperity to its owner. The gem''s powers have been naturally drawn out through careful inscribing that harmonized with the gem.]


    [Armor: 23]


    ''Oh, that isn''t too bad, considering it''s basically made out of gold,'' Eldrian mussed. It won''t be able to take a direct hit, but it might survive a ncing blow. Though, in either case, Eldrian realized he would probably be dead. The best part, however, was the circlet''s MR.


    [Magic Armor: 73]


    ''That is seriously impressive.'' Still nodding along to thedy''s extolling, Eldrian scrolled through his spell list. ''Not sure what the magic armor will protect, but it''s really high. Should be able to stop even Tier 5 spells...''


    Pondering with his hand on his chin, Eldrian wondered if this would protect him from mind attacks. Either way, he was already quite happy with the item. It being Tier 5 should also mean it would be rtively cheap.


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 Chapter 866 Back To Taur For Shopping (2)

    But, of course, the true importance of magic grade items isn''t their raw stats, but their abilities. And so Eldrian continued to read through the information mana sense returned. Luckily, unlike times before, nothing was hidden from his eyes. Probably because the item wasn''t a higher Tier than him.


    [Passive abilities:]


    [Attunement: Through binding the circlet to your soul, greatly enhance your agility and mental strength.]


    [10% increase in agility (base stats only)]


    [5% increase in spirit (base stats only)]


    ''Oh wow, I didn''t know the attribute bonus can be specialized.'' This made Eldrian even more eager as he continued to look at the other abilities of the circlet. Though he would have to think carefully about which items he would bind with.


    [Flow of Exousia: Harmonized craftmanship between the circlet and Aventurine gem has allowed its true power to flow.]


    [Mana regen: 5MP/5s]


    ''Standard,'' Eldrianmented internally. The mana regen wasn''t shocking, though it was most wee and what he was actually looking for in his shopping. Especially if he was going to save Adriana. He would need all the mana he could get.


    [Active abilities:]


    [Soar: By gathering the power of winds, form invisible wings and take flight.]


    [Cost (activation): 1000MP]


    [Duration: 60 seconds]


    ''Huh, say what?!'' Knowing how hard mastering flight magic was, Eldrian was shocked speechless by this ability. Though, as he looked at the mana requirement, he nodded in understanding.


    A Tier 5 mage would only have 800 mana avable to them. Ilmadia only had around 1200 mana thanks to her excellent gear. Yet the activation of Soar required a thousand.


    Naturally, this made the item ineffective for the average mage. And for those at Tier 6 or 7, who had more mana to spare, learning the spell was more effective because of the short duration of the ability.


    But, to Eldrian, a thousand mana was but a third of his physically flowing mana and a twentieth of the usable mana he had stored inside his soul. It was a drop in the bucket and a minute of flight could change many things.


    Sadly, the ability was too great for a Tier 5 item. Unlike others, it only had the one active. But Eldrian was sold nheless.


    "What''s the price?" Eldrian asked, finding an opening between thedy''s ravings of the circlets design. Nearly all of which had flown past his head, though Two had taken some interest.


    "Merely five hundred gold." Thedy said, and the price had Eldrian wince.


    That was the price of an average Tier 6 item, not a Tier 5. Hearing this, he realized another reason the circlet hadn''t sold. Asking anything over 300 gold for a Tier 5 item would make it near impossible to sell. After all, lower grade Tier 6 items could be bought for anything around 400 gold.


    "Is that a joke? I can get something a Tier above at that price."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Indeed. If that is your decision, I won''t try to change your mind." She replied with a smile. Her feline eyes filled with resolve. She had seen right through Eldrian and his eagerness for the circlet. She clearly wasn''t willing to negotiate the price.


    ''Should I? I can afford it, but I need so many items. I need to get some proper greaves and bracers to block attacks. They need to be at least Tier 5 to be worth a damn, and preferably Tier 6 so they don''t get destroyed after one block...


    ''I also want a cloak, and preferably a sturdy breastte. And let''s not forget about shoes... Plus, I need some daggers or short swords for closebat in confined spaces.''


    Eldrian wavered. He hadn''t spent much time window shopping with Mattheus. But there were only three shops that had been able to nod with confidence that they could meet his requirements. And this one was the only one which had an item already made. The others only promised they could meet his demands, given a week to a month.


    Eldrian had been fine with that, but now waiting such a long time no longer seemed the correct choice. He had originally nned to scout the forsaken cavern in the interim, but if he was to save someone, then time was of the essence.


    He could always abandon them. But Eldrian was curious, too curious to let it go. He needed to find out what kind of person Adriana was and what she did that had allowed Skepsi to notice her presence. He wanted, if possible, to get her as his ally.


    However, it was entirely possible that she wasn''t anything as grand as Eldrian had imagined. He knew it waspletely possible that she wasn''t a candidate. That Skepsi was just messing with him. But Eldrian wanted to know. Sadly, he was certain Skepsi wouldn''t tell him more.


    ''Why not ask Ziraili?'' Two asked, and Eldrian shook his head in denial. The world was fast, too fast. If this was a yer they were talking about, he would have done that. But to find a random person in a world of trillions with a name only, not even ast name.


    ''But we know where she is.'' Two countered, and this was true.


    ''I''m afraid of what Skepsi might do if she catches Ziraili looking for someone. We don''t know how the AI function, nor their limits. And I don''t want to pit them against each other. As far as we know, the two are friends. I don''t want to figure out which Ziraili will side with if thingse to a head.''


    Saying such, Eldrian realized he didn''t have much of an option. But he was still going to negotiate. If the price wasn''t negotiable, perhaps something else was.


    "Five hundred gold is steep, really steep. If I''m going to think about it, I need something to sweeten the pot." He said, trying to put on his best salesmen smile.


    "Throwing something in for free is the same as lowering the price. I can''t do that." The shopkeeper countered, shaking her head in a sad show of giving up.


    "It doesn''t need to be free. But I need something that will work well with the circlet. Do you have anything like that? I''m also looking for something to hide myself from Observe and my items from Inspection."


    This shop was peculiar in that all the items here had an affinity for wind or nature magic. Which was just perfect for Eldrian as such items were more often than not supportive in design.


    "As long as you won''t argue the price, I''m sure we can reach an agreement." Smiling, she led Eldrian around while briefly exining what each item does. From rings capable of storing spells, to cloaks capable of invisibility. A feeble invisibility, sure, but it still distorted what others saw of you. A trick that could make them misjudge your attack and fail to block or dodge.


    After a while of looking around and asking the price first¡ªso as to not get hooked by something too expensive¡ªEldrian settled on a cloak and ring.


    The cloak, in particr, harmonized well with the circlet. They had been designed as a set, but sadly, due to the craftsman''sck of ability, ended up as separate items without a set bonus.


    "However, if you use soar while having the cloak equipped, it will increase the speed at which you can fly." The shopkeep said, trying to sell the cloak to Eldrian.


    The cloak didn''t look like much on the outside, a normal traveller''s cloak made of fur. But on the inner linings lines upon lines of engravings formed a beautiful, almost hypnotizing pattern.

 Chapter 867 Magic Practice And Theory (1)

    All in all, Eldrian spent a thousand gold on the cloak, ring, and circlet. After which he went to the other shops to custom order what he needed.


    As Solvi was busy repairing Crystoi, he couldn''t ask her to make everything else. Though he still nned to join her in experimenting with the substance that was left after killing the Night Terrors.


    Once his orders were in, and the deposits paiding out to another five hundred gold in all. Eldrian left for Kynigo. Using the magic towers for teleportation despite the hefty fee of several golds that came with it. Ceph separated from Eldrian here and headed to visit Erik.


    Upon his return, Eldrian made sure things were still fine at the estate. Talked a bit with Aspen and Brazen¡ªwho happened to be there. Since theirst talk, Brazen had gotten far better at controlling fires.


    "It was just as you said. mes made from magic aren''t the same as natural mes. It''s like the magical mesck substance to them. I realized after spending days experimenting. It kept slipping through my control. Like I was trying to grasp water or air in my hand."


    Nodding, Eldrian realized why this was. His talks with Ziraili had highlighted it, but his day of training in the voidstone had truly helped him realize what was going on.


    Magic was all about visualization. Even static casting required one to envision and recreate the spell module for specific spells. What Eldrian and Two concluded was that the spell module was a form.


    Higher Tiers had moreplicated forme, and from Tier 5 onward, each spell had multiple. This allowed the caster to control their spells by alternating between the forme. Naturally, doing so was extremely mentally draining.


    Eldrian had never got deep into the mathematical and sciences of spell modules. When he had tried, he had found himself immediately stumped. But thinking back, he understood it a bit better.


    Each module represented a certain state of matter mirroring. Or so he thought of it. Of mana taking on the shape of matter to bring forth physical manifestations called spells.


    He found it funny how he could use something without understanding it. But, then again, most people could use electronically devices, cars, and so forth without understanding how they work. You only needed to understand their operation and function, not the science behind it.


    Eldrian thought that magic was the same. As long as you could memorize the forme, envision your magic taking shape, and also supply the forme with mana. You can produce spells despite not understanding what the forme represented.


    The forme were like a key for a car. The visualization was seeing the road¡ªor creating the road. And guiding mana was the turning of the wheel and stepping on the gas pedal.


    ''Which means you can''t cast a spell simply by learning the spell module. You need to know what it will do, be able to picture it to some degree. After all, you can''t drive without a road. Well, you can. But it is going to be bumpy and possibly hazardous...''


    This gave Eldrian another understanding of why altering spell modules was so dangerous, and why the magic abyss was so critical for it. But that was an entirely different topic and for now he shelved it forter reviewing.


    Dynamic magic, conversely, was all about picturing an effect and letting your mana flow. Completely skipping the part about forme. Or rather, here your mana acted as the form¡ªor key.


    It was an equivalent requirement. Up till now, Eldrian had been satisfying it passively, subconsciously. But going forward it will be a lot more difficult.


    Generally, Eldrian relied on the feeling he got when practicing with the spell modules to generate simr spells. But in the voidstone, he had considered the makeup of the magic he was casting.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Naturally, he had often pondered this, but for once, he had attempted to put it into practice. And he had seeded. He had once again relied on the static method to gain a feel for the mana flow before turning to dynamic casting. A useful crutch, Eldrian realized.


    But a crutch it remains. Overly relying on it, as he had up till now, will make Eldrian ever reliant on it. However, he wasn''t too bothered by this. After all, he didn''t have the time to take it slow. He would rather run with his crutches than crawl without them.


    Back to Brazen and his talk. Eldrian found himself stumped that people did not know about atoms and such. However, he felt confident that the mages had something simr in conjecture.


    If his assumption that from here on the structure of the magic he was using was going to be imperative, then they had to have something.


    It needn''t be the same, but it must be simr. They might not have found the correct answer, or they might have an even more concrete understanding than scientists on Earth. ''It might just be a guarded secret to protect against enemies...''


    Exining, as best he could, to Brazen. The lizardkin''s eyes sparkled as Eldrian also showed him four different types of magical mes. Of course, Eldrian had brought Brazen to his normal training spot. Killing the undead that stumbled in their path as they walked and talked.


    "This is a standard me produced by any of the spells below Tier 5." Eldrian said, a me hovering above his hand as he talked. It flickered, expanded, and shrunk as he talked.


    "Can you tell the difference between its states?" The different states were Tier 0 to 4. To achieve this, Eldrian simply altered the flow of his mana to reflect the relevant Tiers. Going from 0 to 4 and back again.


    Brazan shook his head in denial. "No, it all feels the same to me. Like it doesn''t even exist." This was the thing Brazan had struggled the most with to ept. After all, his eyes told him the me was there. If he brought his hands to it, he could feel the heat. Yet, when he tried to connect with it like he did natural mes, he found nothing.


    Nodding, Eldrian took time to visualize the chemical reactions that must be there to create a me. The difficult part came in when realizing that the nature of fire can differ from one another, and that certain things¡ªdespite appearing like fire, wasn''t fire.


    In thisst aspect, substandard spells¡ªor alternatively put, lower Tiered spells¡ªfell into thetter. It looked and felt like fire, but wasn''t. Considering it a mirage might be apt, though it still produced heat, so it was more than just an optical illusion.


    What Eldrian was visualizing now was manabusting into mes. His knowledge was too low to understand truly what needed to happen for mana to be the mes of fire he knew.


    But he could feel the cost of forming a spell increasing by simply imposing thebustion step to the spell.


    The difference wasn''t massive. About 60% more mana consumption. If Eldrian had to judge the heat he was feeling, a 30% increase in heat. His visualization was certainlycking, but it was still a sess.


    "This!" Brazen''s eyes sparkled as he suddenly felt the me bing real.


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 Chapter 868 Magic Practice And Theory (2)

    "This should be the quality of Tier 5 spells. Have you never felt a connection to spells at this level?" Eldrian asked, dispelling the me, as keeping it active was quite draining. He still had a long way to go before he could keep up with such detailed visualization.


    Simply envisioning a me was far easier than trying to visualize thebustion required to produce it. While simultaneously feeding it mana and controlling the resultant mes, too.


    In this regard, ice was easier. It didn''t try to escape and disperse into the air like fire.


    "Now that you mention it..." Brazen entered a contemtive state, and Eldrian took that time to figure out his wording. After a while, Brazen spoke again. "I did experience this during the siege. I thought it was simply because the spells caused actual fires..."


    "Were you present when I used spirit magic during the siege?" Eldrian asked, recalling his return where he had somehow caused his aura to influence the spells of others. It had given him a new title and ability¡ªone which he had not dared touch again.


    "Sadly, I was injured and missed it." Brazen said, shaking his head in denial. He had heard of spirit magic from the others¡ªafter all, Eldrian hadn''t kept it a secret and had tried to teach others to use it.


    "No problem. Tell me if you feel anything different from this me." Eldrian said, producing a small me which he fed some feeble anger into.


    "Not really. I can sense it somehow grew in strength, but I don''t feel a connection to it."


    "I see." Eldrian said, nodding. He had expected as much.


    It went back to the debate of certain things appearing like fire but not being fire. Anger burned like mes, but it certainly wasn''t a me. Magic enhanced with anger thus stillcked the true essence of fire. Even if it burned more severely than normal spells.


    ''Is this likeparing the fusion to mes? Or sma to somethingbusting. Or perhaps evenva or molten metal to a me. They all exhibit simr properties, but none are typical mes. Of course, they can all cause mes to surround them, but they aren''t mes themselves.''


    Wishing to test this, Eldrian asked Brazen to wait a while before he showed him thest me he could summon¡ªthe mes of wrath. Eldrian had gotten good enough in controlling it that he could call it forth without losing control. However, using it inbat was something still beyond him.


    Before that, however, Eldrian wanted to know if Brazen felt a connection to heated metal, or perhaps molten metal. Luckily, the ruined vige they were in used to have a forge and there was plenty of rusted iron lying around.


    Creating a magical fire hot enough to melt said iron, Eldrian asked Brazen if he felt a connection to it.


    "Its different. But I certainly feel something. Can we move it out of the forge? I might just be connecting to its mes." Simple heated metal hadn''t given Brazen this feeling, so Eldrian felt they were on the right track.


    Nodding, he used ether to drag out the molten metal. The sight had Brazen staring in disbelief. It took him a few minutes to recover. At which, the metal had started to solidify again.


    "Did you feel any connection to it?"


    "Its strange, but yeah, I did."


    ''Okay, so his connection isn''t just with fire ofbustion type. Then... would he be able to connect to sma?'' Eldrian, sadly, didn''t think he could produce sma. At least not safely.


    If he forced his mana to create such a temperature, he was certain he would receive some bacsh. And relying on spirit magic or his aura was too dangerous.


    "Right, please stand back. This is thest type of me I can show you now, but there is one more type we should investigate in time."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Saying such, and waiting for Brazen to move a dozen meters away, Eldrian called upon the mes of wrath within him. Its power surged. Like a dragon stirring. It filled Eldrian and tried to soar free. Tried to consume him.


    However, Eldrian quelled its hungered by simultaneously calling on the powers of ice within him. He used its calming effect to prevent the wrath of the mes from influencing his mind and emotions. But he did not call on the cold itself, letting the mes run through him.


    Like a snake, fire coiled itself around Eldrian. Burning to ash anything in his surroundings, his clothing included¡ªEldrian had stored everything precious before summoning the mes. Naturally, he was not currently wearing his newly bought cloak, circlet, or ring.


    Even a dozen meters away, Brazen was forced to turn his head aside. The heat from the mes threatening to burn out his eyes.


    Eldrian quickly dispelled the aura before he lost control of it, changing into clothes with the equip function so as to not remain in the nude.


    Truly, attempting to control it was like attempting to control a dragon''s fury. Eldrian understood why Skepsi said he needed to let it be unleashed to truly learn to control it.


    Naturally, he can''t control something he did not know the extent of. When fear controlled him, he cannot control wrath. It was as simple as that. But such was its power. If it wasn''t, the world would be filled with legends. Instead of having just a handful.


    All auras were like this, at least, this is what Ziraili had told Eldrian.


    "Well?" Eldrian asked, the heat suffocating. He had immediately summoned his familiar oldfort spell, Aeraki (breeze), to take away the heat and bring some cold, humid air back to their surroundings. But it would take time for the heat to disperse.


    "Wh-what was that?" Brazen asked. The shock he had experienced from Eldrian''s aura was massive. Feeling its might, his core had been stirred.


    "It is called an aura..." Eldrian paused, realizing that auras were the stuff of legends and typically only associated with genuine heroes. "Have you heard of an aura? Some beasts have them too, ah, but that isn''t quite the same..."


    Stopping himself there, Eldrian waited for Braze to respond. However, the lizardkin just continued to stare. So Eldrian decided to mention the legends he knew the aura of wrath was present in.


    "I believe the this particr aura is what makes berserkers¡ªwell, berserkers. I''ve also read that some myths tell tales of it being wielded by the strongest of smiths. But I''m not really sure if that is true or not." Saying this, Eldrian thought of the dwarf and elf he had met during the events in Diades.


    Brazen''s eyes sparkled as Eldrian exined this. His eagerness to learn more bubbling through him. His desire to obtain the power Eldrian had just shown him practically shooting out of him.


    Realizing the look, and recalling previous warnings about revealing auras to the public, Eldrian shook his head with a small, sad smile. "Forget it. It isn''t like magic. You can''t learn or teach an aura to someone."


    "I don''t truly know how I got it." Eldrian admitted. "But I''ve been told that it has to do with defying death."


    Eldrian went on to exin the likely culprits for his unlocking of his auras. First, using a magic crystal to learn to control mana, and soon after fighting, dying, fighting to return, and dying again.


    Naturally, he avoided mentioning Earth¡ªhe did not wish to shatter another person''s reality. But he exined best he could how difficult the task was.


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 Chapter 869 Magic Practice And Theory (3) - Helping Brazen

    "I won''t stop you if you want to try, but..." Eldrian left it there, hoping that Brazen could see the dangers and recognize that seeking an aura was a death wish.


    Luckily, Brazen wasn''t without reason. He realized it was not something he could aplish. Death was the more likely oue.


    In fact, the only reason Eldrian still lived was because he was a Chosen. If he was a normal person, he would have died. Eldrian had pointed this out, too. Not ashamed to admit his failings. He wanted to hammer it into his retainer so he wouldn''t throw his life away.


    A normal person, or rather a non-Chosen, didn''t have a protection around their souls. Extending the time they can be resurrected¡ªwhich had allowed Itireae to make it in time. This was made clear because she could not save Sabrea despite her having died after Eldrian.


    It had bemon knowledge throughout the kingdom. With the Chosen helping all over on the front lines, it was inevitable. Any chosen could be resurrected, no matter the time that had passed. This even counted for the extremely weak resurrection at Tier 4.


    Of course, it was required that their avatar wasn''t damaged beyond repair. It also needed to be healed before the resurrection could be performed. Which, more often than not, a Tier 4 priest or healer could not aplish.


    Generally, those who died would appear back in the temples if 30 minutes had passed. This was often the more likely scenario. But they could choose to wait should they know someone can resurrect them. Normally, this required an NPC or an expensive potion, but it was still an option.


    Waiting such wasn''t the same as what Eldrian had done.


    He had fought through the system''s restrictions to return to his broken avatar. This was why his soul had been damaged and the resurrection from Itireae had actually been required.


    His doing so had naturally run against the AI''s safeguards. And there was no guarantee that without Itireae''s resurrection, Eldrian would have survived. After all, he had circumvented the protections that should have kept him safe. While they had still helped in some ways, damage had slipped through nheless.


    Inparison, even Tier 10 resurrection spells only allowed for the resurrection of a non-Chosen up to 40 minutes after death. And even then, depending on the damage of the body and the time passed, the chance of sess varied greatly.


    It was not a guarantee. Even with the best conditions, there was still a 10% chance of failure.


    While Brazen did not know all this in such detail, he understood he wasn''t Eldrian and his circumstances varied too much. Eldrian hadn''t seeded just because he was a Chosen either. After all, he stood head and shoulders over the normal Chosen.


    Confirming that Brazen had returned to normal, Eldrian switched to the reason he had decided to show Brazen all this. He didn''t do this because he wanted to guide the lizardkin¡ªsadly, Eldrian didn''t have the leeway for such a kind, friendly act.


    Sure, his reason didn''t align with his current quest to save Adriana in the undeadnds. But he needed to wait for Crystoi to be repaired, his gear to be made, and Erik''s delivery of potions. He also still needed to run a few experiments with Vivian and talk with Levana.


    But, right now, Eldrian had some time free. So he took this time to discuss his newfound experiences and understandings with Brazen. Both solidifying his understanding and expanding on it. And... using Brazen as a willing test subject. Much like how Dave had used Eldrian way back.


    ¡ª


    Several hours had passed and Eldrian now had a much greater understanding of Brazen''s abilities. It truly was a bloodline power. It worked without mana, yet influenced reality.


    In this regard, one could say it was also simr to an aura. However, it didn''t corrupt the mind and soul, so there was that. And unlike Eldrian''s own bloodline, it wasn''t dangerous. Hence, why Eldrian had chosen now to help Brazen, when he had some time free.


    Its source of fuel eluded Eldrian, much like the source of his own bloodline power eluded him.


    He assumed it relied on Brazen''s lifeforce. But without a way to detect another''s lifeforce (without entering their soul), and Brazen incapable of entering his own soul or feeling his own lifeforce, they could not confirm this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Do you feel tired?" Eldrian asked, and when Brazen nodded through exhausted heavings, Eldrian threw a Florere at him. He could only cast the spell thanks to the spell modules Two had created in his soul,¡ªsince he had not spent the time to master it¡ªbut it worked without issue.


    Florere was the Tier 5 branch of the Anthos spells. It had gone through some massive difficulty spikes in bing Tier 5, most of which Eldrian skipped since he was effectively casting through what one might consider an item.


    The floating spell modules in his soul certainly weren''t items, but the usages were more or less the same. Think of it, activate it, and let your mana flow.


    Naturally, casting a spell through this method had its drawbacks. The biggest of which was that since Eldrian wasn''t envisioning the spell, he couldn''t control it. But he could still cast it.


    Feeling the energy coursing through him for the umpteenth time, Brazen heaved a long sigh. "Haven''t we tested everything?"


    He wasn''t beingzy, but after hours of drawing out his hidden powers, he was at his limits. But Eldrian kept pushing him.


    "Can you tell where it hurts?" Eldrian asked, "Or where your fatigue ising from?"


    "Everywhere!"


    "That isn''t an answer. Focus. Dig deep. Form your will into a sword or arrow, or whatever you find affinity to and dive into your core!" Eldrian said, attempting to rouse Brazen''s spirits as he had him again take control of a fire.


    As Brazen took control, Eldrian threw mana at the mes. Shaking Brazen''s control and turning the fire into a magical one. The effect was simr to what Eldrian had experienced with the Magic Crystal.


    It caused massive bacsh to Brazen, but that was simply the price that had to be paid to hone one''s abilities. Eldrian wasn''t a friend of pain, but he knew it well.


    When he saw Brazen writhing on the ground and coughing up blood, he pitied him, but he wasn''t merciful. This was, by his estimated of Brazen''s resistance growth, the most effective method.


    Throwing a heal and another Florere¡ªwhich by now had lost all effects but supply Brazen with a pitiful amount of energy, an amount that would make a normal person question its usage. But Eldrian just continued on.


    When one wasn''t enough, he threw two, three, or even ten. Until Brazen could move again and they could continue the experiment.


    Even so, Eldrian thought he was being far kinder than a certain goddess. He wasn''t asking Brazen to face death, and the lizardkin had asked for his help. It had just taken some time for Eldrian to figure out how to supply the help needed.


    And Brazen knew this. Which was why, once he recovered, he tried again. He took control of the fire, made it dance, and fought against Eldrian''s magical invasion. And finally, finally...


    His suffering paid off.


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 Chapter 870 Magic Practice And Theory (4) - Discovery

    Falling to their knees, Eldrian joined in coughing out blood. Despite the pain moving through his body as his mana rebounded, and the headache assaulting his mind from his mageia being repulsed, Eldrian smiled.


    "Did. You... feel it?" He asked between gasps. Brazen wasn''t in any better condition, but the lizardkin was smiling just as widely as Eldrian.


    "Wha-what was that?" He asked after coughing out another mouthful of blood.


    "That. My friend..." Eldrian forced out, "Was what we were... after." A coughing fit ensued before Eldrian could speak again. "That is the source of power we were looking for!"


    Taking their time to recover, Eldrian did not force Brazen to run their experiment again. Instead, the two moved to a nearby table (which came from the house Skepsi had repaired) and rested. They spoke very little as an hour passed, mostly reliving the exact moment where they had both felt it.


    "Do you know what that was?" Brazen asked, his eyes burning with curiosity.


    "Its called lifeforce. I''ll admit, it''s the first time I felt it in that state."


    The name threw Brazen, bringing up a fear he did not even expect to feel at the moment. "Am I burning my life by using my powers?" His voice trembled as he asked the question.


    Naturally, lifeforce wasn''t something thought to civilians. Most mages were even clueless on the topic.


    "I''m not sure how it worked, but no. Think of it like using mana. No. Rather, think of it as using the mana of a mana crystal. But you don''t want to damage the crystal when using it."


    Nodding in understanding, Brazen soon frowned. "Wouldn''t today have caused it to shatter?" The essence of drawing mana from a mana crystal without damaging it was control and regtions. To not use too much mana and cause the crystal to be unstable.


    Naturally, what Brazen had lived through today couldn''t be called regted nor controlled. Perhaps it was by Eldrian, but by Brazen''s standards... it had been hell.


    Eldrian turned his head to the side sheepishly. "You''re still alive, and seeing as you''re conscious, I''ll say at most you made some cracks."


    Hearing Eldrian''s reply, Brazen froze. It was clear Eldrian was talking from experience. Which made him wonder just through how much Eldrian must have gone to reach the point that he was at. It made him shiver.


    Clearly, everything he had gone through wasn''t even anything much to Eldrian. But Brazen also noted that the damage must be minor if Eldrian wasn''t concerned.


    "If you follow..." Eldrian paused. "Mmm, right? Let''s try entering the magic abyss now. You know how your lifeforce feels, so this should make things easier." Brazen''s soul wasn''t in the magic abyss, but all... well, all those on the side of good and order were connected to it.


    Skepsi''s magical ne didn''t wee the devils and monsters who had been warped by their usage of magic. Eldrian didn''t fully understand it, but he reasoned that they were considered tainted. Or, at least, that was the exnation he, or Two, had read somewhere while researching things.


    Regardless, Eldrian''s casual mention of the magic abyss had the lizardkin''s snake-like eyes fluttering around in panic. He didn''t want to repeat what he just went through.


    "Rx, I won''t rush you. I know the dangers. It is quite simple, though. The feeling you felt, that is your core essence. You can consider it the substance that makes up your entire soul. Focusing on it, while casting a spell, should pull your consciousness into the magic abyss."


    Brazen wanted to say it couldn''t be that easy, until he recalled the day he had lived through. Yes, it wasn''t that easy. To find the feeling of your essence, of your lifeforce, of your soul¡ªit wasn''t easy at all.


    ¡ª


    Watching as Brazen headed to the top floor to find a bed, Eldrian started to analyze what he had happened. It wasn''t his first timeing into contact with the lifeforce of another. In fact, it was his fourth¡ªno perhaps fifth or even sixth time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Eldrian wasn''t sure whether he should count the AI.


    Regardless, there was one thing that made today special. He hadn''t invaded Brazen''s soul, and his own hadn''t been invaded either. Sure, they had both received bacsh because Eldrian''s mageia had shed with Brazen''s lifeforce, but it wasn''t an invasion.


    ''Mageia... it is a field produced by lifeforce.'' That was Eldrian''s conclusion of today''s experiment.


    Naturally, he always used mageia. It was simply his focused willpower. What he used to connect with and control mana. Technically, what fueled the connection was lifeforce. But without focused willpower, without mageia, he couldn''t do anything magical.


    And today, he realized a property of mageia. It was like the maic field surrounding a ma. Or perhaps, saying it was the electromaic field around an electroma would be more apt, since it isn''t fixed. He could alter its strength and size at will.


    Regardless, the revtion Eldrian had made today was that he had always been controlling his lifeforce. Only in such a small amount he never noticed.


    It perhaps wasn''t the most groundbreaking of discoveries. But it was a crucial step nheless. Especially since Eldrian had felt the source of Brazen''s bloodline power. Had felt lifeforce in action.


    While Eldrian had failed to analyze the situation, as it hadsted only for a split second. He had still confirmed that lifeforce could directly control matter. Not mana. Matter.


    Eldrian now had a vague idea of what he needed to search for. Despite Skepsi''s advice, Eldrian wasn''t keen on following her method. And if this could bring him sess, he would dly rather progress down this road.


    And, if he could make progress without calling on his own powers¡ªwhich were far too dangerous¡ªEldrian would dly do just that.


    ¡ª


    The next day, after escorting Brazen back to the border wall, Eldrian equipped the circlet and cloak and started to practice their usage. The wandering undead made for perfect practice targets.


    ''I see. An interesting way of going about it,'' Eldrianmented as he soared through the air. In a shocking twist, the ability soar did not have a cooldown.


    Eldrian could use it back to back. Sadly, it fully dispelled after reaching its limit. Thus, if Eldrian was in the air at the time, he would end up plummeting down to Gaia.


    Recovering from the fall wasn''t as easy as one might hope. But through abination of wind spells and wings, Eldrian had mastered the recovery.


    Still, this was great news. It might be mana expensive, but being able to fly was an exceptional ability. The testing also allowed him to gleam some insight into the flight magic.


    Unlike soar, flight magic worked by increasing the air pressure around a person''s whole body. It was what made the spell so difficult to learn and control. Normally, a mage had to master a minimum of ten different modules to master basic flight.


    Eldrian could skip learning different modules, since he could directly control the flow of mana of his spells. But staying bnced was still no simple task.


    The method that the circlet used was far simpler¡ªthough, granted, in the same vein that it was simpler, it was also cruder.


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 Chapter 871 Magic Practice And Theory (5) - Item Test

    In short, soar wrapped Eldrian in a of ether, which was connected to the wings. The wings then produced lift, and through the Eldrian was lifted into the air. When Eldrian equipped the cloak, the disappeared, and it felt more like the wings connected to his back.


    There were naturally limitations in this method of flight, but it was far, far simpler than the flight magic Eldrian had been attempting to learn. The trick, however, was finding a way to connect the wings to his person. Since his own ether control couldn''t manage his weight.


    If he could, Eldrian would simply move himself about with ether as he did daggers and other items.


    Something was special in this and the connection that the cloak made. Sadly, Eldrian couldn''t figure out their trick in just a few hours of test flights and analyzing of visible magical patterns. Even with mana sense showing him more than the average inspection skills.


    After figuring things out¡ªas much as possible¡ªand gettingfortable with the ability, Eldrian next tested the other ability of the cloak. As one would expect from a failed set item, it didn''t measure up to standard Tier 5 items.


    Honestly, Eldrian had way overpaid for the circlet and cloak. However, he considered them worth the thousand golds he had spent. The ring to hide his identity was just a bonus¡ªhis hidden ss already hid his information from most others.


    The ring worked perfectly as cover so people couldn''t reach said conclusion that he possessed a hidden ss. Since it also stopped others from observing his mana flow, as well as the mana gathering when he cast spells. In thest aspect, it was truly useful when facing other mages.


    The ring was perhaps the best buy¡ªability wise. It was called the Ring of Afantos and could prevent even Tier 7 elites from spying on Eldrian. Though, at the cost of 500MP per observation preventions. For Tier 6 it cost 50MP, and 10MP for Tier 5.


    The cost was only applicable if they could Observe Eldrian''s stats and mana flow. Thus, needing to break through his passive observation cloak. If it always drained Eldrian''s mana, it would have been more a pain that anything else.


    Back to the cloak, well it had an ability called cloak. Which more or less worked as one would expect something with a cloaking field. It didn''t stop light from interacting with Eldrian, which would make him invisible. Instead, it disturbed the surrounding air to create a haze of sorts.


    It was more like the heat waves one would see above a road on a hot summer day than anything else. At night, it would make seeing someone almost impossible. But during the day, it was more or less useless.


    However, as it disturbed the air around Eldrian when activated. It could¡ªto a small effect¡ªbe used to disrupt spells. Most of all, it would trick the eye of whoever was looking at Eldrian. The haze would make it difficult to pinpoint his true location, as well as that of his spells and weapons.


    Eldrian tested it on a few of the wandering undead. While they never were a threat to him thanks to his overwhelming speedpared to their slow trots¡ªnow they couldn''t even react properly.


    Sure, sometimes they reacted to correctly. But a simple experiment found seven out of ten of his attacks. Super slow attacks meant for the undead to be able to dodgending.


    Eldrian even tested mixing it with his rings ability to hide the mana formation of spells. But, well, undead were poor tests for this. Especially the lower undead wandering about past the border wall.


    ¡ª


    With his equipment abilities tested, Eldrian returned to his usual training ground. He still had a few hours to kill before meeting Levana.


    He spent those few hours attempting to grasp onto the feeling he had gotten while guiding Brazen. Sadly, like with trying to figure out the trick of soar Eldrian wasn''t able to make progress in a few simple hours.


    ''This is really quite fast,'' Eldrian noted as he soared through the air.


    He was using his Mov Crystal for a boost of mana, since his training had consumed a substantial supply of the mana stored in his soul. Sadly, if he wanted to increase the mana stores in his soul, he had to actively let his mana flow in. Otherwise, it would take days to recover.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Currently soaring over Kynoke, theke near Fort Phoenix that housed a ming soul. Eldrian was riding the wind currents, he was moving quite fast. However, he still ended up nearly dying from a bolt of fire zed through the air like aze. Evaporating all the clouds it passed through.


    Escaping out of the area as quick as. Eldrian confirmed he really shouldn''t be messing with the ming soul.


    He had given into temptation. He was curious what the ming soul was, but it being able to target him with near pinpoint uracy when theke was but a dot below...


    ''Yeah, and that fire...'' If Eldrian had to ssify it. But he would put it on the level of the mes of wrath.


    How the water in theke, and the forest surrounding it, hadn''t evaporated and turned to ash, he couldn''t say. The ming soul clearly had better control than him.


    "Have you been avoiding me!" A blond-haired beauty with the power of charms leaking out of her shouted as soon as Eldriannded.


    "Hey Jade. Though you learned some control." Eldrianmented, having expected her since he saw her on his map. Though he didn''t get what she was angry about. Nor greet him outside the fort while attempting to charm him.


    Realizing that Eldrian didn''t even recall his promise, Jade puffed her cheeks and pushed more of her aura out. Sadly for her, while Eldrian hadn''t gained control of his auras, his mental resistance had grown immensely.


    Not to mention, his new circlet and ring both provided an extra support against mental attacks. Eldrian hadn''t bonded with any of his new items, but they still increase his mental defenses.


    "You''re lucky you did that outside." Levana, a nubile girl with raven ck hair,mented from the walls. She was busy feeding Little Phoenix some crystals like normal. Acting entirely like she was enjoying a drama.


    It seems the familiar had grown since Eldrianst saw it. Though, then again, its size was totally controble. ''Right, it might make for an excellent ally in the undeadnds.''


    Eldrian had always just left it at the fort named after it, and where it had been born. But it had the power of a Tier 7 spell and was created through Eldrian mixing spirit magic into it.


    While it couldn''t measure up to an actual Tier 7batant, it might be capable of hurting someone at Tier 6. Perhaps even kill Tier 5s with ease. And if it went all out in an attack that would consume it in the process, Eldrian felt even a Tier 7 would need to focus on defense if they didn''t want to die.


    ''Not that I really want to let it die. But...'' It dying versus a person dying, Eldrian would much rather it be the former.


    That was simply what the ability tomunicate meant. Little Phoenix not being able to say words made it much lower to Eldrian on his list of life importance.


    It was simple. It was like asking if you would let your dog die to save someone''s life. Sure, some people might not be willing to make that sacrifice. But Eldrian wasn''t really close with Little P.


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 Chapter 872 Magic Practice And Theory (6) - Helping Jade

    "But I see you can control your powers far better." Eldrian noted as Jade reluctantly gave up on charming him. "What do you even need my help for?"


    "But you promised!" She countered.


    ''Pretty sure I did that half heartedly... oh? Right, I can use more data.'' Eldrian smiled. Realizing there was no harm¡ªat least not to him. "Alright. I need to discuss a few things with Levana. But once we''re done, I''ll help."


    Jade was so ted shepletely missed Eldrian''s devilish smile.


    ¡ª


    Returning to his normal spot, Eldrian had Little P clear the surrounding undead. He was surprisingly good at it, especially since the undead burned so darn well.


    Though he did need toe to Eldrian for a refill of mana every hundred or so kills. Still, the XP was steadily rolling in.


    ''Oh wow. I''ve been missing out.'' If Eldrian had Little P do some hunting for a week, there might not even be any wandering undead around the region anymore.


    ''Mmm, yeah. I prefer leaving some. We already abandoned thend and they are useful for testing things.'' Still, Eldrian continued to send his familiar hunting.


    He ordered it to fly about 50 kilometers before killing anything. Oh, and the surrounding 10 kilometers were now clear of any enemies. Though, because of Eldrian''s frequent visits, it was less popted than most other areas.


    "So. I''ll ask again." Eldrian said before starting, keeping in mind that he shouldn''t reveal too much to Jade. He wasn''t sure what Miracle actually knew, but he didn''t want to give them any free information. "Are you sure about this? It''s not going to be easy."


    A quick nod confirmed Jade''s... ''training''.


    It took a few hours to figure out the optimal method. But once Eldrian found it, he had Jade coughing up blood just like Brazen the day before. And of course, he would generously throw some heals and rejuvenated at her when needed. Not letting her rest for more than a few minutes.


    ''Hey, this might actually work!'' Eldrian noted.


    Thanks to the previous breakthrough, it hadn''t taken him long to pinpoint the source of power feeding Jade''s charms. Just like mageia, the aura was in effect a field surrounding a specific frequency of lifeforce. Concentrated around Jade. But because of her attempt to charm him, a sliver moved and separated from the dense mass around her.


    To put it simply, Eldrian considered the frequency pink. Whether or not this was correct (he couldn''t see it, only sense it), he couldn''t tell. Eldrian was pretty sure he only saw / felt it as such was because he linked pink with love, charms, and stuff.


    He pinpointed its location with mageia, and then¡ªafter a few hours of practice¡ªhe had learned to sh his own lifeforce with it. This required some careful maneuvering since Eldrian couldn''t actually control the lifeforce that produced his field of mageia. Nothing that practice didn''t solve, though.


    The first sess had brought them both to their knees. But Eldrian was receiving less and less damage, while Jade had been receiving more and more.


    "Come on! You can do just. Just withstand the repulsion." Calling it repulsion was cheating. It was an explosion. But Eldrian didn''t need to mention that. Jade knew that full well.


    After a few minutes, she stood on shaky legs. Eyes vacant. She only continued to push since she was indeed feeling her control grow. Though she was mostly doing this unconsciously at this point.


    ''Oh, is this two I''m sensing? So she can split it now, not just strengthen it?'' Eldrian had no idea what two sources would changepared to simply strengthening one. After all, the actual effects came from the field around the lifeforce, not it itself.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Regardless, he waited to see what would happen. After all, he wasn''t just training; he was also experimenting. Testing to see what Jade could do would help him if he ever faced someone with simr powers to hers.


    ''Oh, that''s... disappointing.'' Realizing that she was simply dying one. Hoping to cath Eldrian off guard, Eldrian decided it was perhaps enough for the day. The sun was setting and Jade was clearly near her... ''I might have pushed her a bit too far.''


    Looking at her eyes, Eldrian dropped her off at the fort so Levana could deal with the aftermath. After all, the vampire knew something about charms and as far as Eldrian knew; they were close.


    As he left the fort, he ignored the re he was receiving from the raven haired beauty. ying with some basic ice formations to take his mind off the murderous intent he was sensing. By the by, Eldrian also realized why bloodlust actually existed and could be felt.


    It was basically an aura¡ªor in other words; it was a radiation field caused by one''s emotions leaking through their natural gravity. Or, well, that was how he was exining it to himself.


    ¡ª


    Despite it being night, Eldrian''s experiments and training didn''t stop. Moving with Little P as his light source (though he also used a basic spell to see better in the dark) Eldrian headed for the encroaching.


    His day had been unproductive with the back and forth, but Eldrian was testing things while walking. So he wasn''t too bothered that it took him some time. He also used that time to contact everyone before they logged off and get a feel for the general situation throughout the kingdom.


    "You doing okay?" Eldrian asked his shiveringpanion. Just a few minutes in the undeadnds had Little P losing mes. Around twenty minutes in total and the firebird perched on Eldrian''s shoulder, shaking.


    Stroking its back to console it, and feed it some mana, Eldrian let Little P wait back at the destroyed town while he continued his research. First, Eldrian needed to confirm the drain and whether this was the same as what had happened in the forest of Pyknos.


    While waiting to see how bad the drain was, Eldrian tested some things with his own auras. His newfound ''sight'' allowing him to notice a few things.


    ''Well, not sure if I''d call this the same...'' Simply put, his auras worked just like Jade''s. A small sliver of lifeforce of the respective element surrounded by a field of said element.


    It could be broken down to the core being super heated when calling on the aura of wrath. And, as one would expect, that heat disperses into the environment. Forming a field of heat, or mes, around the sliver.


    This revtion made Eldrian feel dumb. It was quite basic stuff. But he had to feel it to understand what was going on.


    Eldrian could, for a short while, and in limitedplexity, control the mes. In so doing, he thus made the sliver move, but he wasn''t controlling the essence itself.


    It was like using mas to move a piece of iron without letting anything touch the iron piece. Quite difficult to pull off. But certainly not impossible.


    Ice was naturally the same, but instead of heat, it was radiating cold. In that same essence, Jade''s charm was simply more concentrated at the sliver of lifeforce. If she could learn to make that invade a person through their own defensive fields... it would be bad.


    ''But Brazen''s was difference.'' Eldrian noted. His only conclusion as to why was because it was a bloodline, not an aura. And he assumed it was a far weaker one. Certainly, it couldn''t bepared to Eldrian''s bloodline.


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 Chapter 873 Infiltrating The City Of The Dead

    A week passed quickly. By which point, Crystoi was repaired and the greaves and gauntlets Eldrian had ordered werepleted. Sadly, the breastte would take a few more days. But Eldrian couldn''t dy any longer. A week was already a long time.


    The greaves and gauntlets were simple in design. As Eldrian had asked. Made of Mithril and Brightsteel, it was extremely sturdy with an armor rating reaching the 70''s.


    This came at a cost of having only the standard attunement ability as well as one active. Still, this gave Eldrian four more abilities and with such a high armor rating, they should be able to withstand attacks from anything or anyone at Tier 6 or below. For now, Eldrian had avoided attuning any of his new equipment.


    Eldrian had also confirmed as much as he could during the past week. He knew now how to prevent the drain from the undeadnds.


    It required one to constantly remain vignt, causing a great deal of strain on one''s mind. But it allowed Eldrian to recover his mana and move forward. Where that mana came from, since everything was grey to mana sense, Eldrian couldn''t say.


    Because Eldrian could log out and have his body disappear, when the mental strain became too much, he did just that. Taking his time to recover before continuing his journey.


    Sadly, even with his experiments, Eldrian''s mana recovery was cut in half. Luckily, he had the Mov Crystal, and it was filled once again. With it, Eldrian was unlikely to run out of mana.


    Pros also gave him arge, medium, and three small mana crystals. Half as payment for all Eldrian had done, and as insurance. Eldrian could use them for mana batteries or Novas.


    And so, Eldrian set forth alone. While Vivian''s power had seemed great for travelling through thends of the dead, Eldrian couldn''t bring her with him. He couldn''t bring himself to bring anyone.


    ¡ª


    Three days passed quickly and now Eldrian stood before the city. Its ck walls towered before him, the undead moving about without regarding him much. To trick them was truly easy. Eldrian had noticed it when he infiltrated a few towns along the way.


    He had avoided cities, afraid he might be caught and the kingdom would hunt him down. But in a town, with Eldrian''s map, he could confirm their strongest. He could annihte an entire town should ite to it.


    While that in itself would be strange, Eldrian assumed things like that happened recently often, considering all the ruins he had passed.


    And so, through his investigations, he had learned that the undead ignored the lower undead and most humans. As long as you didn''t stand out, they wouldn''t notice you.


    To help himself remain unnoticed, Eldrian had covered his hair with mud, bringing it to a dull brown color. He also wore a cape over his cloak, hiding his ears, and always kept his head down. This was enough for him to pass by most guards.


    ''But what to do now?'' Eldrian pondered. Quickly deciding to wait for the night so he could sneak past the walls. While waiting, he continued his experiments with the modified voidstone in a nearby cave.


    After three attempts, wherein Eldrian had been drained of all physical mana. Needing to wait over an hour to recover the spent mana. Eldrian finally seeded. Not to teleport himself into the stone, but to peer into it.


    He had been practicing this ever since he thought to hide the others inside. The best possible solution to avoid a repeat of Avgi. And, even after so much training, the best he could reach was a thirty percent sess rate.


    Naturally, Eldrian hadn''t tried to put someone into the stone. He would only rely on it should they be discovered, and those chasing them were too powerful. Should this happen, Eldrian would then summon Ceph and escape as fast as possible.


    As long as the one chasing them wasn''t at Pros'' level, they should be able to flee. And even then, if the person couldn''t fly, escape would be easy.


    ¡ª<novelnext></novelnext>


    With the cover of night, Eldrian activated Cloak, causing the air surrounding him to distort. And, with himself covered in mud, he used Soar and flew over the walls. Landing quietly in a nearby farnd.


    From here, he would have to search for those he had to rescue. Sadly, Skepsi wasn''t kind enough to give him their exact location, only the fact that they were inside the city.


    Finding them proved more difficult than reaching the city. Four days passed and Eldrian followed the sounds of amotion. What he saw were several ghouls tearing down one of the human farms.


    The first time he had realized what these farms were, Eldrian had been nearly unable to stop himself from destroying as much of the city as he could.


    It had taken a great deal of time for him to calm down and ept that he couldn''t change things. That he was too weak to help everyone.


    Still, he had decided that he would attempt to contact those he could. When day arrived and night gave way to light, he would hide within one house or another. Often finding the residence terrified. Offering them some food quickly won them over, though. Their malnourished state spoke to their terrible living conditions.


    He would then experiment with the ve cors around their necks. Following the flow of mana, analyzing the runes, and conversing with Two. He quickly learned how to unlock them safely. Which was exactly what he did.


    After the third day, Eldrian had even made a tool to aplish the task. Which he had given to the secret leader of one such farm. One who was nning a rebellion.


    "This is a godsend." The leader had said, failing to keep his voice to a whisper. He then quietly informed Eldrian of the resistance they had been building. But that, because of the annual census, their time was drawing near.


    Five people had reached Tier 5 this year, and they had nned to fight. It would have been cut short because of the cors, but with this they could rebel.


    Incidentally, it was on the way to meet one of these five that themotion urred. One of the sentient undead had wanted some new ythings. It was, of course, a ghoul. It being sentient made it far more dangerous than normal ghouls.


    Seeing the destruction, Vassil (the secret leader) clenched his fists. Ready to turn a blind eye and return home. Such destruction wasmonce. Eldrian stopped him. He was by now ny percent certain that those Tier 5''s had some or other link to those he was looking for.


    "Can you rebel today?" Eldrian asked, already weaving dozen of spells throughout the air.


    Vassil turned to Eldrian, his eyes wide in shock. Naturally, he failed to notice the mana around him stirring to action. The runic pattern Eldrian was drawing, however, was clear for all to see.


    "You cannot be thinking of taking on the ghouls on your own!" As soon as he shouted, he sped his hands over his mouth and turned to the ghouls in horror.


    However, no one turned to them. "I erected a sound proof barrier around us. Now, can you do it?"


    Realizing that Eldrian was serious, Vassil slowly nodded. "We can. But..."


    "I''ll make it a grand event. Use it to save as many as you can." Eldrian replied to Vassil''s unspoken concern. Dashing forward, Crystoi piercing the sentient ghoul''s chest, mes surrounding the spear.


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 Chapter 874 Warming Up

    A ming spear thrust through the heart was not enough to kill a ghoul. Perhaps if it was the blue mes Vivian controlled, or the mes of wrath. But Eldrian wasn''t about to go that far right at the start.


    He needed to make this a show. Get all the focus on him so the others could escape. He had already marked everyone of interest. He needed to keep the city focused on him until they escaped the city.


    While none of those making themotion were Adriana, he was sure one of them would lead him to her. The only problem would be if there were multiple Adriana''s in the city.


    Coughing ckened blood, the ghoul''s arms move to attack Eldrian. Bending unnaturally as the bones broke and rearranged themselves. The attack came quickly, but not quick enough.


    A wall of mes surrounded the ghoul as Eldrian jumped back. Not a secondter, the ghoul chased, its skin charred and ckened from the mes, but the damage minimal. Its life was not threatened.


    ''600 damage, not bad,'' Eldrian thought as he dodged the enraged flurry of venom dripping ws. Leading the ghoul in a chase while the rest were running to catch up to their leader. Their speed causing the reinforcements to fall further and further behind.


    ''Mmm, it''s a little faster than me,'' Eldrian analyzed, making up for the difference by throwing spells at the undead. He also Scourge of Undeath to pinpoint all the ghoul''s weak points. And, once it entered his trap, Eldrian took flight. Leaving a burning inferno to the undead who were chasing them.


    ''Runic magic certainlyes in handy for traps. Sadly, it is too slow for use inbat,'' Eldrianmented, focusing on the inferno while listening to the XP notificationsing in. Each of the normal ghouls rewarded Eldrian 4M XP on their deaths. A higher reward did not appear.


    ''Still alive?'' Eldrian mumbled as he saw a figure jumping from the inferno. ws stretched to strike at him. But, in the air, Eldrian had all the advantages.


    He circled around the ghoul''s outstretched ws and trust Crystoi through its heart once again. Twisting the spear before pulling it out and sending the ghoul towards the ground with a sh.


    Eldrian further followed this up by throwing Incinerate at the falling ghoul. Focusing the spell into the closing ckened wound to destroy the heart.


    Sensing danger, the ghoul twisted midair. Tearing at its body and striking at the ball of mes threatening to pierce its heart. It wasn''t Eldrian''s strongest Incinerate, but the anger he had been suppressing sinceing to the city gave it a healthy bite.


    As the ghoul fought to keep the spell from destroying the heart, its ws melted and its flesh burned. A horrible smell filled the air, and as the ghoul defeated the spell, a spear struck it from above.


    Pinned the ghoul to the ground, the ghoul iled. It gave onest attempt at resisting, but Eldrian decapitated it with a wind de before it could collect its thoughts.


    [Tier 6 sentient Ghoul killed ¡ª 28.5M XP gained]


    "Huh, seems going for the heart was a mistake." Eldrian mumbled, activating the dyed spells he had woven before the fight. Sending a barrage of spells to annihte theing reinforcements. Naturally, Eldrian left their control in Two''s capable hands.


    ''Now, I think I''ll head for the nearby library.'' Dashing as if to escape, Eldrian burned everything as he ran. Using his map to guide him through the less popted areas as he headed for the Higher district. What would be the equivalent of a noble district in normal cities.


    He was stopped at one of the district gates, but its walls were nothingpared to the massive outer walls. Using a slow zombie as footing, Eldrian vaulted over and left a little surprise for the gate. A Nova.


    The massive explosion tore through the normal stone. The wall had been made to manage the flow of the city''s citizens, not to keep an intruder out. Its destruction would do little, but it would cause more chaos to envelop the city.


    ''Though I don''t really know if the undead are affected by morale or not.'' The higher undead certainly were, but those who only barely had sentience might not care.


    ¡ª<novelnext></novelnext>


    Adriana had started investigating the news of a stranger helping one of the farms. Unlocking their cors. If the rumors were to be believed, he wasn''t breaking the cors. But instead, somehow, modifying their internal structure. Disabling them, but leaving them intact.


    While its significance wasn''t that great, since most of the undead were braindead. It would make a massive difference in tricking the smarter guards.


    It was on their way to the source of the rumors that a sentient ghoul visited the ce they had set up their base of operation. It hade for some new ythings. Sadly, because they had been moving, it had spotted them.


    Craine had taken three others with him to distract the ghoul. Knowing it would likely mean their death. However, just as she was about to watch the ghouls tear her friends apart, someone struck the sentient ghoul. A ming spear pierced its heart, yet it did not kill it.


    What happened next was a blur of movement. Adriana could only barely make out their movement as the ghoul chased its attacker. Escaping a prison of fire, swatting away countless lower Tiered spells, and finally, being consumed by an inferno.


    But even that inferno, hot enough to melt stone, did not kill it. Thest part Adriana saw before joining the others in her retreat was the ghoul escaping and aiming for its assant''s head. Who was flying.


    "Vassil?" Once they had regrouped, Adriana frowned as she noticed their correspondent from the town of the rumors.


    "It is as you have guessed. He''s the one who has been freeing us. Here, this is a device he had made to unlock cors."


    Taking what appeared little more than a t piece of iron, Adriana''s eyes bulged as she noticed the strange patterns. The runes were somehow mixed into a formation. Everything was connected and nothing seemed to work as logic dictated it should.


    "He told us to free as many as we can and escape. He''ll draw their attention."


    Hearing this, everyone wished to cheer. They did not, for they weren''t so dumb as to make a noise while a battle was ongoing.


    "Is he that strong?" Adriana questioned.


    Vassil shook his head, not knowing the answer. Eldrian had never demonstrated his strength, only freed them from their cors and sought information. That was when a report came from those keeping watch.


    "He''s killed them all. A-And..." Failing to repeat what he had seen. It couldn''t even be called a battle. From start to finish, the ghoul and all the reinforcements had stood no chance.


    "Corvis, take a deep breath."


    Doing as instructed, the man calmed himself and ryed that the ghoul had been killed and all the reinforcements had been ughtered. The strange man who had done this all had then departed towards the center of the city.


    "Vassil?" Turning to the only one who had spoken with their benefactor, Adriana sought answers.


    "He said h-he''d... Is he a monster?" Eldrian''s words before his sudden attack repeated in Vassil''s mind. Trembling as he wondered what a man capable of killing a sentient Tier 6 ghoul wouldbel as a grand event.


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 Chapter 875 Looting In The Undead City

    "Oh, good catch, Two." Eldrianmented, grabbing the pouch from the skeleton he had just killed¡ªnow just a bunch of copsed bones on the ground.


    This used to be one of the lower undead who was sentient, and in its pouch were a couple of golds and, more importantly, two tiny mana crystals.


    They were both only asrge as nail, but they still contained over two thousand mana within them. Perfect for smaller novas to cause havoc or kill someone before they realized how dangerous Eldrian was.


    And, with this discovery, Eldrian started targeting the sentient lower undead. They were weak and easy to spot, since they were generally the leader of groups of undead. And with Eldrian''s sight, he could identify their weak points and kill them with one strike.


    Thus, as Eldrian made his way to the library¡ªwhich was actually one of the many schools for liches and other research driven undead¡ªhe collected some bounties.


    He also kept an eye on those he had marked. Those moving with the Tier 5s he had rescued already numbered in the thousands. Among those, there were two Adriana''s. One Tier 5, the other Tier 2.


    He was inclined to think the Tier 5 was the one he was here for, but he knew from experience that catching the eye of the gods did not require strength. Potential was most important. Thus, he couldn''t know for sure which he needed to save.


    Luckily, for now, they were heading in the same direction. Eldrian could only hope there weren''t more by the name Adriana. He didn''t think it was such amon name that there would be more than a handful inside the city. But, then again, he had no idea what was considered amon name within the capital city of the dead.


    As Eldrian''s thoughts were wandering and his ughter continued, he was finally forced to focus on a new target. They were only Tier 5, normally not a problem.


    However, Eldrian was spreading his mageia through the surrounding 100 meters to avoid surprise attacksnding. And because of this, he noticed the familiar feeling of an aura around this undead.


    ''Ah vampire. And this feels simr to Levana''s power. So... darkness consume, or drain, or something,'' Eldrian noted, sending an icicle at the vampire''s heart.


    "Tsk, dodged, huh?" Clicking his tongue in annoyance that his sneak attack hadn''t worked. Mana of the fire element hidden within the icicle, ready to burst when the time came.


    Eldrian had realized in his fight with the ghouls that fire spellscked piercing power, and icecked the affinity to destroy the undead. This was his hasty solution. Sadly, it wasn''t perfect.


    The vampire dodged the follow up, and then the icicle exploded. Eldrian was still figuring out control of the mixed spell.


    Its strength wasn''t that great. The ice was about Tier 4 in quality, but the fire was only Tier 2 or 1 even. Making it equivalent to the ice led to the immediate melting or exploding of the spell.


    Sadly, Eldrian couldn''t refine the spell further while fighting so many opponents¡ªthough they made for good target practice.


    He especially couldn''t pause, since that would allow the stronger enemies (for now, he assumed they were the leaders of therger groups) to catch up to him.


    "Who are you?" The vampire shouted in question, and Eldrian threw a few more icicles at it. Some the advanced form of Frost Needle (Tier 4 and 5), others his new Fire Crystals.


    "Hmph! Do not think you can look down on me!" Darkness bounded from the vampire.


    ''Yup, same thing. Less refined. Easy peasy.'' To answer the darkness, Eldrian threw dozens of lower tiered spells at it.


    "Do you think such weak spells will defeat me?" The vampire gloated as he tried consuming the mana forming the spells. That was when everything went awry.


    "Oh, you survived?" Eldrian mumbled in surprise. A crater where the vampire used to be.


    The vampire had been flung a dozen meters backwards from the explosion. Naturally, to give the attack more power, Eldrian had thrown a tiny mana crystal into the mix.<novelnext></novelnext>


    With all the chaotic mana around it, an explosion was imminent. And an explosion of two thousand mana wasn''t something someone at Tier 5 could easily survive. After all, a normal mage wouldn''t even have a thousand mana.


    "You! What tric¡ª" Thrusting the ming Crystoi through the vampire''s heart and head, Eldrian nodded at the notification, confirming the vampire''s death.


    As he turned to continue towards the library, a spear of darkness pierced the ground before him. Looking up, Eldrian saw a furious-looking vampire. Her aura of darkness was on another level, equal to, if not surpassing Levana''s.


    Unlike the nubile raven haired vampire Eldrian was ''friends'' with, this one had blood red hair and a voluptuous figure. Her heaving in rage certainly made thetter quite clear. Her robes were about to be undone as darkness seeped through her being.


    "Sorry, was that your brother?" Eldrian asked, noting that the vampire he had just killed as blood red hair too.


    "HOW DARE YOU!" she shouted, diving at Eldrian. Darkness consuming the sky.


    "Don''t you want to rescue him?" Eldrian asked casually, forming a barrier of ice and mes to block the attack. Naturally, he used runic magic since simple spells would be too weak. Still, he grunted when it ended up consuming over a thousand mana to block her attack.


    It was then that the attacker realized her attack was about to consume her brother''s corpse, and as she became distracted and dispelled the attack, Eldrian teleported.


    "YOU COWARD!" Her voice echoed through the city, but Eldrian wasn''t about to fight a Tier 8 vampire on his own.


    He used Cloak to hide himself and fuelled all the mana he needed into his ring to hide himself. Even controlling the surrounding air to prevent any smell or noise from escaping.


    Eldrian then quickly moved towards the library, consuming multiple of the looted mana crystals to recover the mana he had spent in his fights. Near the end, he had to rely on his soul mana to teleport. Which was supposed to be only for emergencies.


    Though, facing a Tier 8 opponent certainly counted as an emergency in Eldrian''s book.


    "Right, time for a big boom." Eldrian thought, drawing magic circles through the library as he threw all the books he could into his inventory.


    The library was actually on the premise of a dark magic school, and most of the information here wasmon knowledge for the undead. But it would be super useful for the kingdom, which had basically no knowledge of how undeath worked.


    Incidentally, because of the chaos, the school wasn''t just abandoned, but had even been evacuated. Eldrian had been curious what type of creatures would attend it, but not needing to deal with anyone was better than needing to fight to loot the library.


    "d they didn''t notice what I was aiming for." Eldrian mumbled. But that was also precisely why he had moved as he had while causing chaos.


    Following the trail of destruction would lead anyone to think he was heading for the castle where the ruler of the city lived. And, since he had killed everyone in seconds, no one knew how strong he was.


    Naturally, they would prioritize increasing their defenses rather than attacking the escaping ves or defending a random school.


    So, once preparations werepleted, Eldrian dropped a medium mana crystal and ran. He even used Soar to fly over the houses to cover as much distance as possible. Two seconds alter, and a hundred meters covered, an explosion shook the entire city.


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 Chapter 876 The Locals (1)

    Clutching her brother''s mutted corpse, Selena slowly dripped her blood directly into his heart. The gaping wound where Eldrian''s spear had rend his heart asunder allowed easy ess, though simply seeing the wound tore at her emotions.


    Eldrian had not incinerated the vampire simply because he had received its death notification. Of course, Selena arriving was another reason he hadn''t done so. Selena understood not the former, but his words clearly resounded in her mind.


    His cocky smile as he blocked her attack. As she had nearly done the deed for him.


    How he had dared ask her whether she didn''t want to rescue him. Just thinking of the elf made her blood boil, and that was no good.


    That he had spoken in themon tongue of the Floria empire clearly showed where he came from. Giving Selena a target to focus her rage towards. However! However... for now, she had to calm down and focus.


    Culling her rage, Selena focused on the task at hand. Forcing her mind not to wander. To not think of the ''ifs''. If she had been faster, if she hadn''t separated from her brother, if she had...


    It was toote for that. She had to focus on healing his wounds. Luckily, she had arrived before his blood had run cold. His soul should still be within his body.


    How she wished she had sent him home, instead of on patrol. That she had acted as a sister first, not as amander.


    To resurrect a vampire was far more difficult than to resurrect a human. Vampires were considered a fallen race. Categorized as devils. Asteria had turned her back on them. Despite herpassion, she could not forgive those who defied nature itself.


    Those who twisted her love and the purity of nature for their own gains had to pay the cost. And the gods who Selena and her kind followed would not do something without gaining something in turn.


    Helping with the guidance of lost souls was not something their gods, agents of chaos, would bother with. Rather, they would send those souls to wander the world in torment.


    Selena watched her brother''splexion with great care. When she saw a dash of redness returning to his cheeks, she immediately moved on to the next part. Guiding her blood to flow through his body. To repair his heart and all other damage he had sustained.


    The head wound, a spear thrust straight through, would be the most difficult to restore. But the heart was the most important. Without it, blood could not flow.


    Everything came at a severe cost, naturally. Blood was the source of a vampire''s power. Filled with their lifeforce, it could bring the dead back to life.


    Depending on the amount of lifeforce the vampire sacrificed, the returned might be a simple thrall, or if they took the time and epted the cost, they could create other vampires. This, however, was far simpler than what she was attempting.


    She and her brother were not turned into vampires. They were born as such. Which was why they technically weren''t undead, yet neither were they living. And because they walked in between the two sides of the coin as devils defying nature, her task was far more difficult to aplish.


    However, the most critical part was over. With her blood flowing through her brother''s body, the damage would be restored. The cost, however, was her own power.


    Simrly to how the Chosen lost XP to revive, and normal NPCs lost levels and were bedridden for days, she would now pay that cost on behalf of her brother.


    Feeling her strength leave her filled her with anger at the elf, but it also filled her heart with relief. Things were going smoothly.


    That was when it happened.


    A massive explosion appeared nearby. At one of the schools for the living undead; for others like them. And it robbed her attention just long enough for her to make a mistake.


    She quickly refocused, this time surrounding the two of them in a barrier of darkness. To prevent any further disturbances from robbing her of focus. However, the blood, and the lifeforce within it, was lost.


    She had to start over.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ¡ª


    "Wow, really didn''t expect a random school to have a bunch of mana crystals." Eldrian chuckled, ying with the bag filled with a dozen small and four medium crystals. So far, he was extremely happy with this little raid of his.


    Not only had he gained a bunch of mana crystals, he had also nearly filled his inventory with books. He was sure they woulde in handyter when trying to device methods to counter the undead.


    And by now, killing no longer even bothered him. He didn''t even flinch earlier when he killed the young vampire. That was simply how war worked. To hesitate was to invite danger. Eldrian had learned this a long time ago.


    "Mmm, I guess I should probably get an update on how things are going on that side." While Eldrian had stormed the city alone, he hadn''tepletely alone.


    Outside of Ceph, he had refused all other natives, but his friends in his guild were wee to help. And they were eager too. And Eldrian would not turn their offer away. He knew from experience that it would be impossible for him to save anyone without assistance.


    His n, thus, was simple. Cause havoc and have everyone focus on him while the rest of Phoenix worked to evacuate whoever they could.


    So far, it was going smoothly. ording to the map, most of the citizens were scrambling trying to understand what was happening while the ves were escaping in the dozens.


    Judith had split to make amotion on another side of the city. Ilmadia was working to get the ves out, the others were a few kilometers out. Waiting.


    The confusion among the undead soldiers was now especially high. Especially after he had struck an area reserved for what appeared to be nobility.


    From how they were running around like headless chickens, Eldrian assumed they were receiving conflicting orders. And, unable to argue, they were following one order until another came along. Resulting in nothing being done.


    He was sure that more attacks would do wonders here. Where people were more likely to actually be conscious of what was happening around them. Unlike the mindless, barely sentient undead in charge of the outer city.


    "[Hey, ve!]"


    "Huh?" Turning to the source of the noise, Eldrian found a small child. Probably no older than six, ring at him. The kid looked human enough. His skin, however, was far too pale. The gray tone sticking to him also wasn''t natural.


    [Zonthanian dialect detected. Activate trantion function?]


    [Cost: 10M XP]


    ''Oh, isn''t that lucky? I thought I was going to be left clueless.'' epting the cost without blinking, Eldrian immediately activated the function.


    Finding he could choose whichnguage he wanted to speak in. His current list included Florian, three elvennguages, and now Zonthanian.


    While at it, Eldrian also inspected the kid''s stats. Though what he found was what was to be expected from a kid. With attributes only around 30 or 40, the kid was a leaf ready to be blown away.


    Regardless, Eldrian felt this was a good chance. So, on a spur of the moment, he decided to put on an act. "M-my apologies, young master! I-I wasn''t in my right mind."


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 Chapter 877 The Locals (2) - Meeting The Parents

    "Hmph! That''s better. I''ll allow you to walk me to school." The kid said, head held high.


    "Th-that cannot be! Have you not heard themotion?! Ah! My apologies." Bowing his head to hide his smirk, Eldrian couldn''t believe the kid was buying it. He didn''t even have a cor around his neck.


    Then again, his cloak did a good job of hiding his neck, along with his dirtied silver hair and elven ears.


    "So what? That has nothing to do with us." The kid dered with confidence, moving to continue on his way.


    "B-but..." Eldrian stammered, and when the kid signalled for him to continue, Eldrian exined that the school had been evacuated. Apparently, the intruder had made it into the city, or so he exined.


    "Impossible!" The kid denied, but only then did he notice his surroundings. The area they were in was quiet, too quiet. It was early in the morning. Sure, he overslept. But it shouldn''t be this quiet.


    "I will allow you to escort me home. Be grateful!"


    "Of course!" Nodding along, Eldrian followed after the kid. Slowly prodding for information. It was simple enough to lead the kid by the nose. Eldrian quickly learned who he was, what he did at school, and a great deal more about the inner workings of the city.


    ''So, the kid isn''t really a noble. Though things are different to what I am used to, given the influence of the undead workers and ves.'' Eldrian noted, stoking the kid''s ego so he would regale him with tales about his life.


    Naturally, the information Eldrian learned from the kid was limited. But it allowed him to understand the function of the school, what he could expect from the books, and why there had been mana crystals.


    In fact, he also now understood why the undead (the captains, those with some semnce of intelligence) carried mana crystals on them.


    The kid didn''t directly exin this, but Eldrian could conclude on his own. This world, this kingdom, itcked normal¡ªno, one should say itcked elemental mana. No mana is normal, Eldrian only perceived elemental as such because of his own biases.


    Regardless, it was a fact that their surroundings were filled with mana of the death element. Gray to mana sense, it seemed devoid of life. And that was indeed what Eldrian concluded was the reason for mana crystals existing in the city.


    To sustain life, elemental mana was required. While it wasn''t directly required in and of itself, death mana had this nasty perchance to invade living things and corrupt them.


    Just living under its influence caused great strain, a strain Eldrian had studied as best he could over thest week. He also had his experience in Pyknos forest to guide him. Yet, he couldn''t stop the corruption, he simply blocked it by letting his own mana flow and form a skin tight barrier against it.


    Luckily, yers could recover by logging off. Hence, even this ursednd wasn''tpletely inhospitable. Though everyone''s mana recovery was shot to hell.


    The reason for the crystals being in the school was simple and linked to this. The Zonthans had to learn how to control it. As both living and undead, they had to be capable of connecting to both aspects.


    They could survive without ever learning this skill. However, if they avoided it, they would be defenseless in an area devoid of death mana. They also wouldn''t be able to bring in living creatures from outside the kingdom, nor would they be able to build ve farms.


    But, perhaps most importantly. At least to the kid. If he didn''t master his control over elemental mana, then he wouldn''t be able to enjoy tasty food.


    The fact that that had been his biggest concern, despite everything else going on. It told Eldrian the joys of innocence, and also how tantly a kid cane to believe it was natural to step over others. To perceive himself as a higher being.


    The way he talked down to Eldrian wasn''t just for show. The kid truly believed Eldrian was meant to serve him. Just as all the other ves and lower undead were meant to serve his every whim.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The anger Eldrian felt at this realization crashed with his morals to not harm a child. Yet, the more they talked, the more Eldrian realized that the kid would grow up to be a monster. Their values simply didn''t align.


    "My big bro is already learning how to control the undead. Once he graduates, he''ll resurrect our great grandpa!"


    That statement totally threw Eldrian for a loop. It helped him calm his raging emotions and keep on the act. ying along, Eldrian learned that the Zonthans had a rite of passage where they would resurrect their ancestors as undead to serve as their guards and essentially their butlers during times of peace.


    The very idea gave Eldrian chills. But by the way the kid was enthusiastically looking forward to his own rite, Eldrian was clearly the odd one out. Such was the difference in cultures and upbringing. Such were their difference in morals and ethics.


    The Zonthans did not care for a peaceful burial. Instead, they thought it normal¡ªno; it was an honor to serve their children or grandchildren after death.


    "Ah, where here. Huh, hum. You did well. You can go back to work now."


    Shooing Eldrian, the kid happily skipped into the estate he was living in. It was actually quite a grand estate, and upon realizing that Eldrian realized he had messed up.


    ''Dammit!'' Cursing, Eldrian confirmed the arrival of two individuals on his map. As he turned to run, a gray barrier surrounded him.


    "The invader, I presume?" a male spoke.


    "You have our thanks for not harming Harvier. However, we cannot allow you to leave here alive." Came a female voice. "Ah! I know, how about we have you serve Harvier until hising of age. What do you think, hon?"


    "A splendid idea!" A st of mana sent Eldrian flying into the gray barrier. Pinning him to it and causing the cloak hiding his features to slip. "Isn''t this rare? This one is an elf."


    "An elf! That''s wonderful... This might be more fun than I thought."


    ''Crap, they''re both Tier 7!'' Cursing himself for not taking more care to watch his surroundings. Bing too engrossed in his emotions and the cultural sh of morals was clearly going to cost Eldrian dearly.


    However, he couldn''t die yet. It was far too soon. Most of the ves were still inside the city. He needed to make far more of a scene to keep the city''s focus on him.


    "Aren''t you being a bit brazen?" Eldrian asked, attempting to scare them. "What if our fight drags little Harvier into danger?"


    "You dare!" The mother shrieked, a heavy pressure surrounding Eldrian. It bore down on him, attempting to turn him into mush against the ground.


    "I warned you!" Eldrian shouted, his mind cleared. Whether the kid got dragged into danger or not, he no longer cared.


    With a shout, Eldrian pushed his mana through his body. Fighting the weight bearing down on him, he stood. Cracks spreading on the tiled road as he stepped forward.


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 Chapter 878 Escaping From The Zonthanian Parents

    While Eldrian''s actions seemed intimidating, he was racking his brain on what to do. Currently, he was leaving the magic to Two while he analyzed his options. Both the Zonthans were Tier 7, and while their physical attributes were lower than his, their magical attributes weren''t.


    Eldrian felt confident that if he could close the distance, he woulde out on top. However, as if knowing this, the two had separated to opposite sides of Eldrian. If he rushed one, the other would attack his back.


    He couldn''t fathom why they were being so wary. When earlier, they had talked so confidently about turning him into an undead ve. How Eldrian wished they had been blinded by that same confidence.


    ''And I don''t have that much leeway on the physical side. At my fastest, I might be twice as fast as them. But they''ll easily react to anything I do, even with that difference.'' Sadly, the distance Eldrian had to cross to reach either was simply too great.


    While twenty meters wasn''t much and Eldrian could cross it in less than half a second, it would leave them plenty of time to react.


    Realizing this and noticing the gathering mana near the Zonthans. Eldrian knew he was out of time to ponder. He had to act.


    ''Then I''ll make good on my threat!'' Eldrian decided. Instead of dashing for either of the parents, he dashed towards the estate. While it was further away, arge courtyard separating Eldrian from it, it was a big still target.


    Naturally, spells rained upon Eldrian from behind as he turned his back and rushed the estate. But Two expertly dealt with those spells. While the defenses he summoned wouldn''tst long, Eldrian only needed a couple of seconds.


    Like always when facing superior opponents, Eldrian didn''t n to face them head on. As soon as he was close enough to the estate, he summoned three of the four medium mana crystals he had gotten from the school.


    Knowing that the estate would surely have defensive measures. Eldrian staggered the crystals. And while they flew forward, he turned and threw the fourth towards the parents. Knowing that they would have to defend themselves.


    And indeed, they paused. In their haste, they had closed the distance between one another. Now, they were both within range of theing explosion.


    Naturally, the two did not know what Eldrian''s n was. But they weren''t idiots. Throwing a mana crystal could only mean Eldrian nned to somehow detonate their vast storages of mana. The mes following the crystal then were surely how Eldrian nned to do this.


    As such, they focused on dispelling the fire. Which was just what Eldrian hoped they would do. After all, he was confident he could best most Tier 6 mages in a battle of willpower. Against Tier 7''s, he felt hesitant, but still certain he could contend. And while he was up against two, he didn''t need the crystal to explode, only to stall.


    While their focus was on the crystal heading towards them, tugging away at the fire spell, the staggered three neared the estate. The first heading straight while the second and third headed up to avoid the shockwaves, setting them off before their time.


    As for the parents. They found the mana making up the fire spell impossible to dispel it. They were forced to consume the mana instead. Which caused the surrounding air to be vtile. The nearby death mana growing active.


    Eldrian wasn''t aware of the air bing vtile or that the nearby death mana had turned active after feeding on the mana of his simple fire spell.


    But as the crystal reached the parent''s harmlessly, the first of the staggered three made contact. And Eldrian timed it perfectly with runic magic to shield himself from the shockwaves¡ªthough this did cost him a whopping 2000MP to not be sent flying like the Zonthans.


    The crystal exploded against the front door. An explosion just asrge as the one at the school, causing the earth to tremble. Shockwaves ttened the surrounding area, while heatwaves turned to ash and even melted the unprotected steel and stone near the estate.


    So strong was the attack that the parents were blown away through their defensive barriers. Crashing into the opposite estate fence, they both fell to their knees as they focused on reforming their defenses. All the while hoping that the defensive formation of their estate would survive the onught.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, that hope was not something they could hold on to for long. Each crystal had as much mana as they had, as not only Tier 7 mage. But mages of a race with natural magical affinity.


    Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine a time woulde where something equal to the Tier 9 spells would rain down on their home. It wasmendable enough that it had survived the first attack.


    The second, however, decimated the estate. The formations crumbled mid explosion, and all that was left was ash and molten stone. And to add insult to injury, the third waiting Nova suddenly turned to them.


    "HARVIERRRR!!!"


    "KILL HIM!" Valerie, the mother of the deceased and cremated Harvier, screamed as she watched Eldrian disappearing from view. While it might be possible for him to kill the two, Eldrian didn''t have another medium crystal on hand. And smaller ones would not do the job without risk.


    As for therge crystal he still had, Eldrian had other ns for it. He did not want to use it just to kill two Tier 7 mages. They were certainly strong, but they weren''t actually worth it. In this city alone, there were over a thousand beings at or above Tier 7.


    Besides, Eldrian''s job was to cause asrge amotion as possible, not to assassinate people.


    "You do it!" The father countered, mustering the strongest barrier he could to protect them.


    He had already tried to consume the fire spell again. However, Eldrian had grown wise. During his retreat, he had cast four more spells. Eaching towards the collision point from different angles.


    With the surrounding mana in an active state, doing anything more might actually cause the crystal to explode, regardless. There was also the previously thrown crystal, blown somewhere unknown by the shockwaves. It could detonate at any time.


    Honestly, the best bet would have been for them to run. However, his wife was not in her right state of mind to listen to logic. She shrieked and cursed as Eldrian''s figure neared a corner. And in her desperation, she summoned a knife from her dimensional storage and sliced through her own arm.


    "Don''t¡ª!" The explosion deafened the couple. Even as his ears rang, Lilian clearly heard her incantation.


    "A¨ªdae s''ae ae¨ªdae. Pr¨¦qdae s''ae vr¨¦qdae. Tl¨¢raekat s''ae kl¨¢raeka. Kaekaequakl¨ªxa!" (EN: "Blood for blood. Spirit for spirit. Death for death. Devour!")


    As if it had a life of its own, her blood flew forward. Morphing and ckening as it chased after Eldrian, leaving Valerie even paler as she copsed to the ground.


    ¡ª


    Eldrian didn''t realize the dangering for him until it was toote. Somewhere along the way, the blood had turned ethereal. Bing invisible to the naked eye. And it had pierced his heart.


    AN: Happy new years! Hope you all enjoyed the festive season.

 Chapter 879 A Deadly Attack

    Stumbling through the pain, Eldrian rounded the corner and attempted to teleport away. Only to fall t on his face. His mana turning rampant and stealing all the strength he had.


    At the same time, Eldrian tried to contact Two. No reply came. The connection he usually felt with Two and his soul was gone.


    From the pain, Eldrian understood the danger he was in. But, for some reason, it was impossible for him to casually nce at the situation.


    It was like he was sent back to when gaining ess to his own soul was a massive task. Like a barrier was preventing him from casually looking. He would need to meditate to figure things out. But, of course, Eldrian was in no position to meditate.


    Gritting his teeth, Eldrian stumbled to his feet again. He was still unwilling to give up. While he had an escape n in ce, he wasn''t even sure if he could use it with his mana acting so strange.


    The first thing Eldrian had to do was get control of his mana. Currently, it was leaking into the surroundings, and the surrounding death mana was invading his body in turn. Turning his flesh necrotic and eating at his life.


    Turning to runic magic, Eldrian hoped he could use it to give himself some time. s, when he attempted to draw the runes in the air like normal, the faint lines constructed of mageia disappeared into the air.


    His focus was too weak and the surrounding disturbance too great for them to remain in ce.


    Turning towards the ground, Eldrian took out a normal dagger and dug into the floor. Etching the runic pattern while the pain grew worse yet. When he was done, he added a couple of smaller mana crystals to fuel the barrier.


    He could only pray that it would be enough as he closes his eyes and focused inward. While it was more difficult than normal to calm down and enter his soul, it only took Eldrian a few tries.


    What weed him when he arrived in his soul was a devastated world. Somehow, the attack had prated his natural defenses and caused havoc. The sight shocked Eldrian to his core.


    He couldn''t believe this was reality. Not when he had defended against a lich''s attack and even countered to consume said lich''s soul in turn.


    ''I was a fool.'' Eldrian thought.


    He had believed that a lich would be the greatest threat, yet here he stood now. Amidst mountains ripped asunder, trees throw about as if a hurricane had gone through, and the normal tranquilke at the center of his soul devoid of water.


    "Two! What''s the situation!" Eldrian shouted, but no answer came. As the silence settled, Eldrian feared the worse. However, noticing an invading presence, he focused on it. Instead of letting his fear grow.


    He immediately moved to the presence, finding that it was attempting to free to trapped cleansed energy that used to be the lich''s soul.


    Eldrian instantly attacked the foreign entity. A battle between immaterial things followed as Eldrian used the very fabric of ''space'' to annihte all the foreign entities he could find.


    This wasn''t too difficult. He simply overwhelmed them each time with his fast quantities of lifeforce. s, each attack group that he destroyed caused the loss of an equivalent amount of his lifeforce or ''space''.


    By the time Eldrian had eliminated all invading entities, his soul had shrunk. Eldrian wasn''t sure of the exact amount, but he had lost hundreds, perhaps thousands, of meters.


    Knowing that the size reflected his XP and thus affected his level, Eldrian could only pray that the loss would not be unrecoverable. But since it was stillrger than his earthen soul, Eldrian was sure he wasn''t in danger.


    Thus, his focus turned to finding Two. s, Eldrian could not find him. His fears confirmed, he nearly lost control of his emotions.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Knowing that losing control would mean death. Eldrian called upon the ice mist in the unaffected sr system above the now ruined world.


    Forcefully cooling his emotions, Eldrian calmly analyzed the situation. The answer he came to was that he could do no more here and had to return to his body. Where he found his situation exponentially worse than when he had started to meditate.


    Only a few minutes had passed, but it was too much. Eldrian''s mana had all leaked out. Not only that, but his stamina was nearly zero and his health had plummeted to only a few hundred. Something, something outside of the death mana turning his flesh necrotic, was still ravaging through his body.


    Fighting through the fatigue, Eldrian summoned another mana crystal. Attempting to use its mana to recover his own. However, as soon as he tried this, the thing inside his body attacked the crystal.


    Eldrian only barely noticed in time. Throwing the crystal outside of the barrier, only managing to throw it four meters. It exploded and caused the barrier to crack. Luckily, it held up. But one of the three crystals he had used to power it was now also depleted.


    Eldrian moved to rece the depleted crystal, only to fall. The arm he had thrown the crystal with had broken in the action. And when he tried to put weight on his legs, they too had caved in.


    Luckily, all his nerves were more or less dead. So the pain was manageable. Though Eldrian was still in pain because of the damage to his soul¡ªit was something he could bear.


    Eldrian''s sight was also extremely blurry. His eyes were probably near their end, too.


    Unable to rece the crystal, Eldrian realized how truly defenseless he was now. He tried his best to get a grasp of what was happening to his body, but all the death mana invading it made it impossible for him to even inspect himself. Each time he tried, it ate at the little energy he had left.


    It was as Eldrian was hanging by a thread against slipping unconscious that several blurry figures approached.


    His sight unable to even identify what was approaching, Eldrian turned to his map... It wasn''t working. How? Eldrian didn''t know. Clearly, the damage he had taken was enough to even disrupt the system functions from GAIA.


    Luckily, it still showed the area. However, the functions to show him the location of enemies were currently on the frits.


    Not able to determine the approaching figures'' strength. Eldrian realized the truly devastating position he was in.


    Mana less, dead tired, and most of his body necrotic and decayed. Simply attempting to move caused his bones to break.


    There was no way he could win a fight. Not even against someone at Tier 1. Heck, a child with a dagger could probably end him if they got through the barrier he was in.


    "We''ve got him!" An excited voice shouted as a spellnded on said barrier. It rebounded, and a shockwave sent the approaching figures to the ground. However, they quickly recovered.


    "Hah, that hurt! Curse you!" In anger, the same voice attacked the barrier again. Only to be again sent onto his backside.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Remember to leave ament if you did.


    :)

 Chapter 880 Grief And Anger

    "Valerie! Valerie, stay with me!" Lilian shouted, holding his unconscious wife as she was fighting for her life.


    The surrounding area was a devastated crater of fire, and despite being heavily wounded himself, Lilian kept all his focus on his lover.


    The attack she had used was not to be used lightly. It had only two oues. Either you die, or your target does. And even then, the cost was extreme.


    It was a spell to erase someone''s soul, and the cost was paying an equivalent price in the exchange. If you couldn''t afford the price, then you''d die. It was as simple as that.


    Using it when you couldn''t even confirm the target''s strength was beyond foolish. While it would cripple anyone, you could very well sign your own death warrant with it. And the bacsh would certainly cripple you, even in sess.


    Since Valerie was still breathing, albeit faintly, she had seeded. The elf was dead.


    ¡ª


    Two kept watch of their surroundings as Eldrian made to escape. Keeping dozen of spells at the ready to intercept any attack that mighte.


    Eldrian rounded the corner of the next estate. Putting enough distance between him and the Zonthans to get out of their view and outside the explosion range of the Nova heading for them.


    And then he stumbled.


    And Two was blocked from the outside world. Kicked back into his home as hundreds of meteorites of foreign energies rained through the sky. Two immediately tried to warn Eldrian, but s, something was blocking him.


    Next, he tried to contain the damage. However, the more he tried to fight, the more he realized he couldn''t manage it on his own. He was only a residence inside Eldrian''s soul. He was not the owner.


    He could not morph space at will. He could not use the boundless energy surrounding him to defend himself.


    Devastation spread. The foreign energy turned the world into a hell, and as Two frantically tried to survive the onught, it started targeting him.


    ¡ª


    "The hell is with this barrier?" A figure asked, striking it with her axe, only to be sent flying.


    Even though she was hurt, she didn''t let up. The others also continued to rain down their attacks. Wishing to im the glory of killing the invader themselves.


    Eldrian was only vaguely aware of their actions at this point. He was teetering on the edge of consciousness and death. And as his consciousness faded, the effects of relying on tranquility to cool his emotions disappeared.


    Grief struck Eldrian in full. And all the emotions he had been bottling ever sinceing to the city erupted like a volcano. Instead of trying to contain it like he normally would, Eldrian weed the rage.


    He did not want to deal with losing Two at the moment. No, he wanted to let his anger to take over so he wouldn''t need to think about it.


    As rage coursed through him, Eldrian felt himself filled with boundless strength and vigor. His mind was quickly turned into that of a mindless beast. Eldrian only barely noticed it, but he didn''t have the energy to try to contain the raging beast that was wrath.


    When he looked up at the figures attacking his barrier, he wanted them to disappear. Previously, Eldrian''s body had been so damaged that he couldn''t even move. Now fire coursed through his blood. Where his flesh had fallen off from rot, fire filled the gaps.


    He no longer felt the pain. The only thing filling his heart was the wish to destroy everyone and everything before him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When the figures noticed the difference, it was toote. A creature of zing flesh and fire stood inside the barrier, and it shooed them with its hand.


    "Vanish." It spoke, and fire erupted forth. Leaving nothing in its wake but the molten ground.


    ¡ª


    Eldrian only recovered a sense of self after five to ten minutes. And only barely at that. Just long enough to use tranquility to calm his mind. Even so, he knew he couldn''t remain conscious for long. Before long, he would continue his rampage. He had long since lost all control.


    As for the reason he had regained some self-control. He was currently facing a Zonthan. A strong one at that. The Zonthan had multiple crystals imbedded into his flesh, along with runes engraved around them. He used them to summon magic beyond his Tier.


    He hadnded a powerful attack on Eldrian. Arge ice crystal had pierced Eldrian''s stomach. By now, it was already sublimated. The gaping hole it left in Eldrian''s stomach was filled with mes.


    ''I''m going to burn out.'' Eldrian realized during the small moment that he could actually think. Right before he turned into a streak of me. Crushing the crystal embedded in the Zonthan''s right shoulder. His arm piercing through it.


    ''Huh, seems I can''t even control what I do.'' Eldrian noted, not remembering moving. His body was acting on instinct and he was missing a great deal of information on what he was doing. cking out every other second.


    Next, he dodged the Zonthan''s other arm as an invisible wind de followed. It gorged the surroundings, but passed by Eldrian harmlessly.


    Despite facing someone at Tier 6, Eldrian wasn''t falling behind in the slightest. This was the second time that he had fully activated the effects of wrath, and it was truly insanely powerful. The cost for that power was why Eldrian tried everything he could to regain control.


    If he couldn''t, he would truly burn out. Bing a mindless beast until he died.


    As Eldrian pierced the Zonthan''s heart, he tried to look at his stats and called up the map. Hoping he could at least target his rage while he worked to regain control.


    His opponent had been strong, much stronger than the average Tier 6. Normally, Eldrian would have been slightly behind it in stats, but thanks to the raging mes coursing through him, massively boosting his attributes, the Zonthan turned into an insignificant fly.


    It had onlynded a hit because of the surprise factor. The raging Eldrian hadn''t expected a Tier 7 spell to suddenly activate at point nk rage without incantation from his opponent.


    Once that surprise factor was gone, the end was apparent. Its heart pierced and burned into nothingness. Once the rest of the Zonthan turned to ash, Eldrian attempted to reign in wrath.


    He was forced to give it up almost immediately. By trying to rein it in, he opened a connection to his conscious state. Wrath used that very connection to corrupt his mind. Eldrian''s meager mental defenses had almostpletely copsed.


    ''How the hell am I supposed to control this power?'' Eldrian asked, watching a slideshow as his consciousness faded and reappeared every couple of seconds.


    He rushed towards one of the few remaining houses. Its defenses quickly turned to muss as the stone melted and the wood turned to ash.


    An answer to Eldrian''s question came soon enough. The surrounding mana activated, forming a miasma of death that suppressed all living things within the city. The heaviness slowed the raging Eldrian, and as his mes moved to consume the miasma, Eldrian moved to reign in its power.


    After a couple of minutes of struggling, Eldrian regained control of his body. The me spilling out of him, however, still had a mind of their own. They moved to devour anything within range.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Remember to leave ament if you did.


    :)

 Chapter 881 Vying For Control

    "Phew... d that worked." Eldrian mumbled, trying his best to maintain the flood of anger and rage running through him. The same wrath that was currently devouring the miasma trying to suffocate him.


    ''It''s just like what death mana does with elemental.'' Eldrian mumbled, watching as the mes flooding through his blood raged through his surroundings. Burning all the fiercer the more it consumed.


    As it grew in strength, the aimless rage assaulting his mind became more persistent. Eldrian could hardly focus on anything other than the aimless rage.


    Rage at the world. Rage at existence itself. Rage that wished to devour and destroy everything. To bring the world to an end. To turned everything to nothingness.


    It was a terrifying emotion. And Eldrian did his best to suppress it, but no matter how he tried, it kept coursing through him¡ªjust like the mes coursing through his blood. The best he could do was ept it and put it aside for the moment.


    The entire situation reminded him of the fact that it was impossible to not think of something if someone mentions it.


    People often said to not think of a pink elephant or blue bicycle, and by them saying it, you imagined the very thing they said not to. His situation was simply a more extreme example.


    The more he tried to not consider the feelings wrath filled him with, the clearer they became in his mind. The stronger their power in his mind became.


    Actively trying to suppress it was clearly not working. Setting it aside and focusing on something else, however, seemed to slow the corruption of Eldrian''s mind.


    He needed to keep him focused on something other than wrath. Luckily, his situation was tricky enough to allow him plenty of distractions.


    He was in the middle of enemy territory, and with themotion he had caused, he was certain that the city''s best wereing for him. That the city defenses were activated proved that they considered him a threat.


    Getting a move on, Eldrian dashed aimlessly as fast as he could¡ªwhich was almost twice as fast as normal thanks to his boosted stats. As he ran, he learned more about wrath. Slowly, he got used to the intrusive thoughts vying for control of his heart.


    Eldrian proved that thinking of other things worked far better than attempting to suppress these intrusive thoughts themselves. Of course, this meant they remained in his subconscious and grew with strength as time passed. But Eldrian couldn''t do much about that.


    It was only a matter of time before he lost control again.


    Instead of worrying about that, Eldrian tried to consider the best way to use the time that he had. Opening his map, he hoped only to view the current situation of the city. Shockingly, he found red dots filling the city.


    ''Their closing the,'' was Eldrian''s first thoughts as he observed the organized movements of the dots. No longer were the lower undead running around like headless idiots. Their chain ofmand was fixed and it wouldn''t be long before they surrounded Eldrian.


    Once that happened, Eldrian would be screwed. He could kill countless of the lower undead, but once his exact location was known, the elites woulde to kill him. They were likely only waiting to grasp his true strength. After all, no one wanted to die.


    Scrolling through his system messages, Eldrian was stunned by how many Tier 5 and 6 enemies he had killed. More than that, however, he was shocked that he hadn''t run into anyone stronger.


    Somehow his rage controlled self had evaded all the elites and focused only on those he could kill. Or perhaps he had fought and retreated against others. Perhaps those stronger had actively avoided him until they got reinforcements or a better grasp of his abilities.


    Eldrian had no idea, but he was still alive. That, at least, was a small blessing.


    ''The ves are still escaping...'' Eldrian noted as he reached a new neighborhood. Sadly, because of the raging mes following him, Eldrian was leaving an easy path for his enemies to follow.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Should I take out the cloak and circlet?'' Eldrian had luckily stored them away before giving into wrath to avoid his grief.


    ''No, they''ll be destroyed, just like my clothes.'' Shaking his head in denial, Eldrian instead turned his focus to the source of the miasma filling the city.


    The magic tower. Constructed of ckened purple material, perhaps painted or may haps adamantine. Its peak was visible over the rooftops across the park Eldrian had just entered and destroyed with his arrival.


    Eldrian hesitated to rush towards the dark tower¡ªwhat he called it because of its appearance. Destroying a magic tower would certainly be a massive hit to the enemy, but their defenses were sure to be on high alert.


    Sadly, Eldrian''s caution could not hold out against wrath. As soon as the thought of destroying the tower entered his mind, it consumed all his other thoughts. All the thoughts he had pushed to the side suddenly turning to side with this one crazy idea.


    Completely unable to shift his thoughts to something else, Eldrian started moving towards the tower before he knew what he was doing.


    He only realized he was losing control when the tower appeared before him in all its glory.


    ''Th-this is adamantine!'' Stunned that the entire tower was created out of the rank 3 material, Eldrian couldn''t think of anything to scratch it. However, as he was pausing, his mes attacked the tower.


    Immediately the miasma filling the city focus on Eldrian, as did thousands of red dots on his map. ''Really?''


    Forced to a corner, Eldrian hesitated some more. Unable to ept how reckless he was being. Unable to grasp what was going on. As he scoped out the strength of those approaching, he realized he couldn''t run much longer. He had already discovered three Tier 8''s rushing to his location.


    ''F-fine! You win!'' Giving in to the wrath forcing him to destroy the tower, Eldrian took out therge mana crystal and threw it with all his strength towards the top of the tower.


    As it soared, mes chased the crystal. And Eldrian realized the danger he was in. Even wrath calmed down, allowing Eldrian toprehend what he had just done.


    Arge mana crystal. A crystal with over a hundred thousand mana was going to be consumed by wrath. The explosion...


    "Out of my way!" Eldrian shouted at the adamantine doors. Throwing all the smaller mana crystal he had in hand at it. The explosion sent him flying, tearing his body apart and filling the surroundings with an inferno.


    ''Teleport!'' Eldrian thought as he was flying. And not away, but inside. Hended roughly, sliding through the room. His right arm lost below the elbow and several holes filling his body.


    They were all quickly reced by mes. Just as the world turned white.


    An earthquake seized the city as the tower defended itself. The resulting sh caused Eldrian''s ears to ring.


    He had no idea if it actually worked. But one thing was certain, what he had just done was beyond crazy.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

 Chapter 882 Withdrawing

    When the noise settled and Eldrian''s mind cleared, he finally took note of his terrible condition. Thanks to wrath having calmed for the moment, Eldrian''s mind was clear for the first time since losing control.


    His body, it was beyond repair. The fact that Eldrian was still alive shocked him. About forty percent was missing, either decayed by rot, left behind in his hasty teleport, or otherwise lost.


    Where his flesh, muscles, and bones were missing, mes filled the gaps. It was also through these locations that the mes devouring his surroundings spewed. However, they were currently quiet. Only filling in the damaged parts and not ravaging the surrounding room.


    ''Do I have control?'' Eldrian asked, but quickly denied it. It had only calmed down for the moment.


    ''I can''t dispel it either...'' Eldrian sighed, realizing that as soon as he canceled wrath, he would die. The damage he had sustained was simply too severe.


    Eldrian couldn''t even rely on the system to figure things out. Wrath was burning his lifeforce to fuel him with strength and keep him alive. The loss would be permanent at this point, and the system was incapable of measuring the condition of his soul.


    Eldrian had also lost plenty of lifeforce from the attack on his soul. His condition was certain to be terrible once the dust settled.


    He couldn''t even confirm the condition his soul was in. With two gone and wrath raging through his body, his control was toocking. If he split his focus to peer into his soul, he would lose all the control he had gained.


    Luckily, the intrusive thoughts normally filling his mind had calmed down along with the mes. Eldrian took this time to try and figure out his next move.


    He was now out of mana crystals and fighting any of the elitesing for him was beyond dangerous. If he lost control again, Eldrian was confident he wouldn''t be able to recover.


    ''That''s the vampire from earlier.'' Eldrian noted, the three Tier 8''s he had spied were approaching him from different directions. Aiming to pincher him and prevent his escape.


    As for the tower and its surroundings, his map showed that the surrounding half a kilometer was ttened. The tower still stood, what condition it was in, Eldrian couldn''t tell from inside.


    ''I guess I can do a little more damage. Then... I think it is time to retreat.'' Eldrian thought, moving to the center of the room where the teleportation formation was. Little by little, Eldrian pulled at the mes raging through his body. Forming a de out of the mes recreating his lost right arm, which he used to carve into the formation.


    The adamantine it was engraved in proved to be resilient, but it couldn''t resist the persistent heat from wrath. Once it started to melt, everything moved smoothly. Eldrian even cut a b and stored it forter. Adamantine was extremely expensive, after all.


    "Prepare to die!" A grotesque monster shouted as it entered through the destroyed doors, finding Eldrian busy cutting a second b of adamantine.


    Much like the former Zonthan Eldrian had fought, this monster was also a freak. However, instead of embedding crystals into its flesh, it was more like a Frankenstein.


    It had six total arms, a pair from a ghoul, a pair of ws from a wyvern, and its normal Zonthan hands. Along with this, it had the wings of a wyvern and its skin was a mix of scales and the pale gray skin of a Zonthan. Its stats were also impressive, but after the first attack, Eldrian realized the man was a fool.


    Its modified body gave him great strength, but it was uncoordinated. Either the man had yet to master the extra ligaments, or he was too daft to even notice the problem.


    As the wyvern ws passed harmlessly over Eldrian''s head, the ghoul ws aimed to imprison Eldrian. The wyvern ws moving to block his escape while magic formed above the Zonthan hands.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It seemed like an impressive attack, until Eldrian''s sword-arm separated the ghoul ligaments from the Zonthan''s torso. Eldrian then grasped one of the wyvern ws with his left hand and used it to throw the Zonthan into the wall opposite the exit.


    With a crash, the man lost all focus and his spells harmlessly returned to the surrounding mana. As the man attempted to recover, Eldrian severed his head from his shoulders. Having learnt that it was the surest way to kill or at least incapacitate the undead.


    Even if they survived the attack, losing their head normally caused them pause. Long enough for a follow up attack to defeat them.


    ''Four million XP, he wasn''t even worth more than a normal Tier 5.'' Eldrian grumbled, taking the rings on the Zonthan arms and discovering to his surprise that one was a dimensional storage.


    As Eldrian moved to leave the tower, he browsed its content. It was of the smallest make, but still worth a good deal. There were also a few valuables, mana crystals were what caught Eldrian''s attention. Sadly, only two medium crystals and a few smaller ones, but they woulde in handy.


    ''First, I need to escape.'' Eldrian thought. He had done enough damage at this point. Staying any longer would be foolish.


    In his retreat, someone caught up to him. Their confrontation happened at the edge of the city, opposite where the yers where helping the ves escape.


    "I won''t let you go!" Shouted the scarlet haired vampire, a spear of dark mes blocking Eldrian''s retreat.


    "Did you save your brother?" Eldrian asked, his calm demeanor causing Selena to frown. His condition was clearly extremely precarious. She couldn''t fathom how he could be calm in his state.


    However, she had gotten a multitude of reports on the elf ever since her first encounter with him. He was not to be underestimated. They had confirmed he was only tier 5 thanks to Lilian, yet he had caused Valerie to rely on Devour.


    And somehow, he was still alive. The news that Eldrian had not died had nearly caused Valerie to pass. Much like Selena, she was weakened because of Eldrian.


    "I won''t let you escape." Selena repeated. Constructing arge scale barrier to prevent Eldrian from using spells. She also summoned magic to defend herself from Eldrian''s mana crystal bombs. Sending a signal into the sky at the same time to notify the others of her location.


    She only had to keep him in ce until then. While she would prefer to take revenge with her own two hands, she knew that in her weakened state she could not let the elf have a single chance at escape.


    "I see. So this is a magic interference barrier of a Tier 8 mage? Impressive." Eldrian mumbled, yet he did not appear impressed. Worse, the mes flowing through him and surrounding him were not impacted by the barrier in the slightest.


    Toplicate matters even more, Selena was already noticing an extreme pressure on her mind. As if Eldrian was already attempting to overpower her barrier. Yet, he hadn''t even attempted to summon a spell.


    "I''ll admit, in my current condition I can''t win." Eldrian said with a sigh. And Selena''s heart filled with dread. That was when a mana crystal appeared in Eldrian''s hand. It appeared to be a medium crystal, what Eldrian had used to overwhelm the Zonthan parents.


    "Let''s test if you can survive a point nk explosion in your current state." Eldrian said with a smirk.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

 Chapter 883 Resolve

    Shaken by the crystal flying towards her at a blinding speed, the mes following it unspeble, and her instincts screaming at her, Selena panicked.


    Instead of keeping her focus on securing Eldrian, she summoned her strongest defensive spell to protect herself.


    Eldrian used that split second of panic to escape. He had no confidence in killing the scarlet haired vampire, but to escape would not be too difficult. Not with the ns he had long sinceid.


    As she focused on the crystal heading for her, her own spell obstructing her vision. Eldrian took a smaller crystal to quickly recover his own mana. Which he then used to teleport to Ceph, who he informed via Elizabeth to send him the request.


    When Eldrian arrived amidst the yers, scurrying around to get all the rescued ves to move, the pain finally hit him in full.


    He had to cancel wrath, else the risk that he would attack those around him was too great. Yet, he was in no condition to survive the aftermath.


    As he copsed, Ceph immediately focused on healing him. Elizabeth, stunned for a few seconds, quickly followed. Together, they barely managed to keep Eldrian alive for the moment. But they could tell his condition was past their abilities.


    Elizabeth thus took out a dozen potions. Forcing them down Eldrian''s throat. The potions came from Erik and they were either high grade healing potions, or extremely expensive resurrections potions.


    ''Surely they will achieve something!'' was Elizabeth''s thoughts as she continued to force feed Eldrian the potions.


    Honestly, Eldrian wished they would have just let him die. By attempting to rescue him, he was experiencing all the pain of his condition as his nerves returned. It was beyond agonizing.


    But he also understood the need for this. If he lost consciousness now, the damage would be irreparable. Doing his best to push the pain from his mind, Eldrian focused to maximize their healing.


    He was in no condition to draw any further mana. His body was far beyond its limit, his soul was in tatters, and his mind felt like breaking. Maximizing the soothing mana flowing through him. That was something Eldrian could still do. It even allowed his mind to rx, if only for the moment.


    Once his condition was stabilized, though he was still near death, Eldrian forced them to stop.


    Healing was now not even 5% as effective as before. When they used a spell that would normally replenish a hundred health, Eldrian now only received 5 in healing. His wounds didn''t even recover by a millimeter. Even a hundred spells wouldn''t make a difference at this point.


    It was a waste to do more, and it would lead to mana poisonings. It was normally not something Eldrian had to worry about due to his unique circumstances, but he was certain the following weeks were going to be dreadful.


    ''Like always, I wasn''t cautious enough.'' Eldrianmented. He had tried his best to n for everything. But that one attack had caught him off guard and cost him his... Cost him a dear friend.


    Still unable to confront the pain of that loss, Eldrian turned his focus to the task at hand. "Elizabeth, give me an update."


    Elizabeth was of a mind to go off on a tirade about how he needed rest. One look, however, told her Eldrian needed this. Yes, he appeared beyond battered. Yet, he should be dead by all rights.


    That was not what made her realize this. It was the look in Eldrian''s eyes. She had never seen him so frail. Like he was about to lose the will to fight altogether. She could tell Eldrian wouldn''t survive if the mission failed. He would certainly be depressed at the very least.


    Elizabeth did not know what had happened, but it was clear Eldrian was in a great deal of pain. And he wanted an escape from it. Realizing this, she was happy to offer him an escape for the moment.


    "We''ve managed to secure close to ten thousand ves. We''ve already organized everyone into groups and the first are already being guided." She exined.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "We can''t protect everyone..." She continued. This was a devastating fact, perhaps even more devastating, she knew they couldn''t even attempt to rescue everyone. "We hope that by splitting into multiple groups, some might make it to safety."


    "How many others joined?" Eldrian asked next. The entire Phoenix guild had put almost everything aside for this mission. Luckily, due to the other guilds growing inpetence by the day, this would not cause the kingdom to suddenly copse.


    While the yers had grown imperative in monitoring the movement of the enemy, as was their assistance with logistics, theirbat strength was stillcking. Even though there were now a handful of Tier 5''s. They couldn''t do much on the battlefield.


    As long as enough stayed to keep the kingdom updated and good flowing, more yers weren''t really needed.


    "Not many. In total, we have around a two thousand yers cooperating. Each group of a hundred is being led by twenty yers. Sadly, this mean most can''t survive an encounter."


    Eldrian nodded. It was just like the time he had tried to guide the females he had saved from the goblins. It was likely that each group would also suffer the same fate. With that in mind, Eldrian turned to the objective of this entire mission. It was not to save as many people as possible, it was to save one person.


    "And the target?"


    "We''ve discovered three named Adriana. One Tier 5 and seemingly themander of the resistance, another Tier 2, and thest is but a baby."


    Elizabeth already understood the likely oue for the baby. But Eldrian had enough death for today. Taking a baby along wouldn''t slow Ceph much. The mother, on the other hand...


    "I''ll take them to safety without fail." Ceph replied as Elizabeth turned to him. It was time they withdraw in full. While Eldrian had caused a lot of chaos, it was impossible to hide what was happening on the opposite side of the city.


    ''We can only hope it was enough...'' Elizabeth thought, watching Eldrian with concern. He was leaning on her shoulder, incapable of standing on his onw. And ring at the dark walls of the city. She could clearly tell he was going to do something reckless.


    She wanted to stop him. She already knew what Eldrian had in mind. However, she also wanted those they rescued to survive. To not be simple decoys. This tore at her heart.


    The cost of ying ANW was learning its realism. Living it. To experience a war of immeasurable devastation. Something most soldiers would never recover from once their return home.


    "Their really doing it..." Eldrian mumbled through a sigh, the pain in his voice caused Elizabeth''s voice to catch in her throat. Even she could see the miasma filling the city.


    "Their killing everyone..." She whispered, unable to give her words any more force. The realization that their actions had perhaps saved a few thousand, but cost a hundred times more their lives hit her like a truck.


    It was her first time being the catalyst for something like this. The me wasn''t on her. She knew that. It was the undead who were killing everyone. But it was also a fact that without their actions, these people would still be alive.


    Terrible lived where they lived like cattle. But they would still be alive.


    Confirming their worst fears, a horde of fresh zombies soon appeared from the city. "Elizabeth." Eldrian spoke softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Let''s make them pay."


    Without hesitation, Elizabeth nodded. Helping Eldrian move towards the horde of zombies. Weing her death here. She refused to let someone else carry Eldrian forward.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

 Chapter 884 The Final Boss Appears

    Adriana couldn''t ept it. She couldn''t ept being forced to retreat. Leaving those she had been brought here with behind. Leaving those with whom she had struggled to survive, and wed for any chance at victory.


    Yet, they would not listen. They even threatened to knock her out if she didn''t go. As a result, she climbed onto the Alicorn as she watched the miasma cover the entire city. As her friends gripped the weapons they had been given by the Chosen, and dug in their heels.


    They would stay to slow those chasing the rescued ves. They were all ready to give their lives for for this, alongside the hundred or so Chosen who were to act as a distraction while the other groups attempted scattered.


    Tears formed in her eyes as she thought of all those lost. Of all those who were doomed to die even after everything. She held the babe in her arms tight, resolving to give it a good life. Resolving to see the mother''s wishe true.


    To let the child live a free, happy life.


    Thest thing she saw was an injured elf leaning on the shoulders of a brown haired girl. They were headed towards the horde of approaching undead. Separating from the distraction group, they moved slowly but steadily forward.


    ¡ª


    "Elizabeth." Eldrian mumbled, he had little to no strength left. Retreating would have been the best option. But he couldn''t.


    He couldn''t leave things as they were.


    "I''m not going." She replied. Refusing to leave Eldrian alone against the ck mass of undead. "Besides, you can''t even kill one in your condition. How do you n to pull any attention in your condition?"


    A smile crept onto Eldrian''s face. She had him there. He wouldn''t even be able to kill one zombie in his current state. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had grown a lot. Her growth might not beparable to his, but she put nearly all her free time into her training.


    During his week of preparations, Eldrian had even devised a new spell for her. He couldn''t perform it, it required divine mana and he was unable to call upon it. He had once managed to control divine mana, but he couldn''t form it at will.


    The spell, however, wasn''t easy to master. Eldrian didn''t even know if it was possible. It was more a concept than anything else. As was normal for Eldrian''s own spells.


    It was based more on visualization and what he assumed the mana control would need to be. He hadn''t even given Elizabeth a spell module to memorize. Simply the theory behind the undead and why this spell should be capable of rescuing the trapped souls.


    "I''m using it."


    "Can you?" Eldrian had a feeling this was why she refused to leave. Why she had taken him with her to the front.


    She normally always stayed behind to better manage those beneath her. But no one else was as well equipped to face the undead, even without that specific spell theory.


    "Hehe." Elizabeth chuckled, drawing upon the foreign power of divinity. However, this time was different from all the time before. She was still relying on the system installed for yers to gather the mana, but she wasn''t letting it do the casting.


    Normally, she needed to pray for a spell to appear. This time, she was clearly manifesting it herself.


    Eldrian watched in wonder. He could see that she had some ord with Ziraili. Somehow, Elizabeth was able to ask the god for divine mana without directing it into a spell prayer. As with all spells, it came at the trade of her own mana, but that she had control of it was spell bounding.


    An aura of divinity enveloped Elizabeth as she gathered the mana. It grew in strength as she formed the vision of its effects. These effects made her appear like an angel to Eldrian''s mana sense.


    "When did you¡ª?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You''re not the only one improving!" Elizabeth shouted, letting go of Eldrian as she struck the ground with both hands. Sparkling divine mana filled their surroundings, dispelling the surrounding death particles faster than even wrath had consumed them.


    When the zombies entered the field Elizabeth had summoned, they copsed and turned into particles. Leaving nothing behind.


    The spell was beauty incarnate. Eldrian watched in wonder as the torn souls, wretched from the afterlife and deformed to create the undead, were rescued. Unlike Vivian''s mes that devoured the curse of undeath, this spell was targeted at strengthening the torn soul.


    It could only work on freshly turned undead, and even then only on the lower undead. But in return, its efficiency was striking.


    "Ugh!" Crying out in pain, Elizabeth grit her teeth as blood seeped through her lips. Cleansing an uncountable amount of undead was certainly far past her abilities. Even if it was the most efficient spell possible.


    ''I see.'' Eldrian smiled in understanding. Feeling as if he had found another kindred spirit. Someone who would stand with him in this war. He was not alone.


    White knuckled, Elizabeth gripped two mana crystals. It wasn''t astonishing that she had learned to use mana from the crystals. To use them as active batteries, however. That required some serious skill.


    Sadly, she wouldn''tst long. Her efficiency was growing by the second, but each zombie still took a dozen mana or so to be cleansed. After half a minute, it was down to just four to five MP per zombie, but Elizabeth''s mind was going to be fried if this continued.


    cing his left hand on her shoulder, Eldrian told her to stop. "They''re here." He said, looking towards the lich.


    The reason he had needed her help was simple. He couldn''t cause any damage in his current state. Her normal spells would have been enough. This, however, had likely caused those inmand to jump in fright.


    First, Eldrian had wreaked havoc in their city. And now an unknown priest had cleansed thousands of zombies on their own within seconds.


    Each zombie might be weak on their own, but it still showed that there was more than one threat here. A threat they couldn''t allow to escape, lest it grow strong enough to kill all of them.


    "That''s him! Kill him!" An extremely pale woman shouted, herplexion closer to that of a ghost than a living being.


    Seeing her, Eldrian''s anger exploded. Eldrian had no idea who had originallyunched that attack at him. He would not miss her unique wavelength. As soon as he saw her, he knew she was the one who had killed Two.


    A crystal flew towards the manic women. The sight of it caused her to faint, but s, the crystal fell to the ground harmlessly just a few meters shy of its target.


    "Did you think I wouldn''t prepare a countermeasure?" The lich asked. Despite theposure it was trying to convey, it was clearly on guard.


    Unsure if Eldrian might have other tricks up his sleeve. This elf had killed dozens of skilled personal and even tore down a magic tower. Being over confident would be foolish. Especially when that priest was next to him. She might appear exhausted, but it could be an act.


    Yet, despite this logic running through the lich''s thoughts, it could not help but look down at Eldrian and Elizabeth. The elf was clearly on the verge of death. That he was not dead was a testament to his strength.


    Killing him, however, was not in the lich''s best interests. "How did you survive Devour?" The lich asked.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

 Chapter 885 Super Nova

    Hearing the lich''s words, Eldrian smirked. Its intentions were clear from the fact that the entire horde of undead had stopped.


    It wanted him, perhaps even Elizabeth. "Perfect." Eldrian murmured, too quiet for Elizabeth to overhear.


    ''Tier 9. I wonder if it will be enough,'' Eldrian mulled, looking at the lich''s entourage. The scarlet vampire was there, along with a draugr.


    ''She seems livid. Probably taking everything in her to not charge me right now. She''d probably be in the same state as that Zonthan if her brother hadn''t survived.''


    Eldrian found it invigorating to know he had caused them so much pain. But it wasn''t enough. The Zonthans behind the main entourage had to die. They had to pay for what they had done.


    He med that everything on them. If they hadn''t attacked him next to their estate, nothing like this would have happened. Their child would still be alive, and so too would be Two.


    "Elizabeth. Log out." Eldrian said, his tone unnaturally cold.


    "Eldrian..." Wishing to argue, Elizabeth turned to Eldrian and faltered. His expression was dead cold.


    "I don''t want you to get hurt." He said, and then repeated. "Log out."


    While hating the idea, Elizabeth recalled Eldrian''s warnings. A lich was certainly a creature capable of injuring the souls of yers. The extent, they could not hazard a guess. It was too dangerous to try.


    Eldrian was also aware of the lich''s trump cards. His attack would be something that can leavesting damage, if not outright kill the lich. If she got caught by even the aftermath of such an attack...


    ''I''m just in the way,'' Elizabeth realized. Despite her growth, she could not stand next to Eldrian on the battlefield. Then again, no one could. Even Ceph had been sent away.


    That thought helped Elizabeth rationalize things and ept the reality of the situation. And it wasn''t like Eldrian was going to fight them. He was going to use one of his tricks, like always.


    "Don''t die."


    "Mmm. I was nning to." Eldrian said with a teasing smile. "But I won''t." He wasn''t daft enough to miss the meaning behind her words. She naturally didn''t care what happened to his avatar in the game.


    "Enough of your squabbling. You will surrender ande with me." The lich dered. A ve cor, far moreplex and oozing mana, appeared in his hands. "Put this around your neck, or I will ensure everyone you tried to save dies."


    ''So, that''s its angle?'' Eldrian felt relieved. The lich didn''t understand him. It believed he actually cared for everyone he saved. Doing so was insanity. Doing so would only cause you to lose your mind. It was a trap he had already fallen for before.


    This was war. War had casualties. The only question was how many. He would no longer wish for miracles. They came with too great a cost.


    "Is that why you stopped your army?" Eldrian asked, moving to cover for Elizabeth. Since they were facing a horde of enemies, her avatar would be left behind. Naturally, it would copse to the ground once she logged out. Logging out mimicked sleep, after all.


    She was going to die and lose some levels. But at least she would be safe.


    The trick now was their timing. Once she logged out, the lich would know they had a n. While Eldrian did not care how many of the rescued ves survived, he still wanted to buy them some time. He also hoped to gain some information from the lich.


    "I am magnanimous. If you surrender, I will allow those who are running to leave unharmed." The lich said, believing it had a bargaining chip in its hands.


    "I see. And what is to be of me? Will you let my friend go too?"


    "You will serve as a wonderful experiment. Do not worry, I guarantee that the experience will not be unpleasant."


    ''Yeah, because I''ll be dead,'' Eldrian thought, filling in the nks.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "As for the woman..." The lich paused. It was clearly interested in her, but Eldrian''s worth seemed far greater. Deciding it would simply capture her after, the lich promised her safety.


    "Wow, that is magnanimous of you indeed. Then let us seal it with a contract." Eldrian said, producing a piece of paper where he swiftly formed the terms.


    Due to his state, he couldn''t inscribe the words via mageia as he would normally. Instead, he used his own blood to write the contract. This naturally took far longer.


    "That won''t be necessary. You can trust me." The lich said, wishing to stop Eldrian from wasting its time.


    ''Oh, so it is afraid of a contract?'' Eldrian smiled, having gained a wonderful piece of information. It might not mean much, but it at least told him that contracts worked. Even against being specialized in soul maniption.


    "I''m afraid I can''t take your word for it. It''s a simple contract. You guarantee my friends'' safety in exchange for my willing surrender." Eldrian said with a smirk.


    As if sensing the ploy Eldrian was attempting, the lich sighed. "I had hoped you would be reasonable." Those behind it ready themselves.


    While they had been forbidden from killing Eldrian, cutting off another of his limbs wouldn''t be out of the question.


    "And how am I not?" Eldrian asked, [Now!]


    As soon as Elizabeth copsed, Eldrian produced his Mov Crystal and called upon wrath. This time, it came much easier than ever before. He could feel the growth he had gained, though it hade at too great a cost.


    "This trick again?" The lich asked, waving dismissively at Eldrian. But nothing happened.


    Eldrian did not throw the Mov Crystal as the lich had expected¡ªas he would have with mana crystals. The Mov Crystal was an order of magnitude more plentiful with mana. There was no need.


    This was a nearrge Mov Crystal that had started to catalyze into a magic crystal. The explosion it would bring would be unimaginable. Half a million mana was contained within the palm sized crystal. And mes of wrath were fighting to get at it.


    Eldrian''s focus was so high that he unknowing called upon all his powers. Time slowed down as his mind entered a hyper focused state. His only focus: To direct the st towards the city.


    To this end, Eldrian manipted the mes. Weakening the front of the crystal while enforcing the back with ice. A dozen millisecondster, it happened just after Eldrian''s soft whisper.


    "Super nova."


    With its structure ruined in only one direction, like a cannon, the crystal exploded. Eldrian was the first to disappear, followed immediately by the lich and his entourage. The shockwaves even reached the group who had stayed to stall. Decimating their ranks.


    Elizabeth had warned the yers before logging out, but only those from Phoenix had listened. While only the shockwave had reached them from a few kilometers away, not one survived.


    As for the undead. They were no more. The city walls were in ruins and only the dark towers still stood. Their barriers quivering from the st.


    Everything within a kilometer waspletely disintegrated. As if it had never existed, leaving not even ash behind. The next five kilometers werepletely ttened, everything ame.


    Further away, the shockwave still wreaked havoc through the city and surroundings. ttening everything, shattering ss, and bringing death to no small number of undead and living alike.


    Conservatively, a quarter of the city had been destroyed. Damage, however, spread throughout the entire city.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

 Chapter 886 Cost

    "Here I am again." Eldrian mumbled with a sigh. "But it is strange that I always appear here, and not in the ce where the other yers wait to respawn. I wonder why."


    There were a few times where Eldrian hadn''t. But that was back when he lost consciousness along with his death. ''I wonder. Back then, what happened?''


    Eldrian recalled his earlier deaths. Back then, he had always woken back on Earth first. ''I guess I''ve always been a bit reckless.''


    Eldrian didn''t expect to meet GAIA today. This death didn''t warrant a meeting. Nor did he wish to talk with them. Knowing that they were nning to use him, he couldn''t trust them.


    ''Perhaps that is a child''s view...'' Eldrian thought. Floating between the heavens, he pondered this question. ''Perhaps trust is overrated?''


    Trust was certainly great, but you couldn''t always believe in people doing the right thing. Eldrian certainly couldn''t trust Levana and her kind on their word alone. It was why Fort Phoenix needed something like a contract barrier to protect everyone inside. He couldn''t even trust them to not harm normal people.


    That didn''t mean it was impossible for them to findmon ground. Nor was it impossible to understand what she might want from their rtionship. But there was an inherent difference separating them from one another.


    ''Yes. Trust is precious, but it is too rare. And I''ve been blessed, but it isn''t logical to rely on it.'' Instead of wondering if he could trust them, he should rather assume he couldn''t. And instead of hoping for trust, he should attempt to understand them.


    ''The AI I already understand. So I know why they would betray me. I can work with that. I''m fine being used as long as they don''t cross the line. Perhaps that is the best I can hope for?''


    Honestly, this was the exact deal Eldrian had with Skepsi. Realizing this, Eldrian felt he could work with this. He would use her as a test. To see if he could manage such a rtionship. He certainly had a few choice words for her, but that had to wait.


    With his concerns about the AI, specifically GAIA, dealt. Eldrian turned his thoughts to his condition.


    Even his soul body was mangled. It reflected the state he was in before his death. His right arm was missing below the elbow. His body was dotted with missing flesh, as if shredded by shrapnel. Some shredding from the soul attack, other pieces consumed by wrath.


    It was easy enough to distinguish what was lost due to what. What wrath consumed was burnt, whereas the other parts were cleanly severed from his form. ''Is the right arm supposed to portray Two''s death?'' Eldrian wondered.


    When the time came to resurrect, Eldrian headed to the divine temple where yers normally found themselves after dying. There, he received a system prompt, which he epted. Dazzling white light enveloped him next, and when Eldrian opened his eyes, he was inside a temple in Kynigo.


    [Inform Elizabeth that she can log back in.] Eldrian sent the message to Ilmadia, and also asked for an update on the retreat.


    ''I''m d it is going well,'' Eldrian thought with a smile, epting the help from the clerics after they overcame their astonishment at his appearance.


    They were long since used to the Chosen appearing inside the main hall of the temple, but this was certainly the first time they saw one arrive in such a condition. It wasmon knowledge that upon reviving, all damage was gone and a full healthy body would be returned to the Chosen.


    "By Asteria! What happened?" The head priest asked, running into the hall, hastened by clerics.


    "A rather nasty soul attack." Eldrian replied. Naturally, the clerics had immediately recognized Eldrian as the hero of Kynigo. Seeing his state, they had already moved to inform the relevant higher ups.


    "I would offer my healing, but..." The head priest bowed in apology.


    "It''s fine. It''s the cost I have to pay." Eldrian said, raising his left hand to stop the priest from bowing even further. "Can you organize a carriage for me?"


    "Of course!"


    Taking a seat, Eldrian took the offered refreshments. However, his smile could not erase the unease filling the temple. Due to Eldrian''s achievements, and Pros using them to boost morale, seeing Eldrian so mangled was certain to create a heavy atmosphere.


    ''He''ll have to deal with that. I have other things I need to work out.'' Eldrian could sense it. His right arm would not return. Not without divine intervention. ''Is that why I didn''t lose any levels? Or is something else at y''


    ¡ª


    Eldrian''s first stop was his estate. Where he found Aspen hard at work. Tjan was working with Phoenix on the front lines, along with Brazen. Aspen, here in the city, was working on the logistics.


    "Hey, Nikki." Eldrian greeted the girl working with Aspen to organize everything. Her job was to share information on the mission with the city in real time, and also figure out how to split the people once they arrived.


    "Eldrian..." Her words caught in her throat when she saw Eldrian''s state. How he wasn''t bleeding out was a miracle. His clothes might hide the worst of his injuries, but he was clearly scarred all over.


    "Aspen, do we have some of the ck material in the estate?"


    "There is some from yourst experiment still in the basement." The wolfkin replied, "I will go fetch Solvi."


    Eldrian smiled, happy that Aspen understood his intentions so quickly. "I''m near my limit. So we can leave it for tomorrow. Nikki, I wanted to update you before I retire."


    As quick as he was able, Eldrian exined what he had done. Shared the important individuals he had killed, the lich had sadly avoided death, and shared the video he had taken of the entire event.


    "I''m not good with editing. But I recorded the entire time. I''m sure you can use that well." Eldrian wasn''t sure how the recording help up after the soul attack. Even if everything after was lost, it was still certain to light a fire under the yers.


    Eldrian wasn''t hoping to force Miracle to do something. He already understood their viewpoint, and also that they couldn''t be forced to do anything. Not without the governments around the entire world joining hands to pressure thepany.


    ''And that''s never happening. But it also isn''t the n.'' Eldrian didn''t want to fight Miracle on this. He understood that they couldn''t bring about peace. If something like that was so easy, then the world would have had peace.


    ''Hah, never thought that freedom would be the thing that makes it impossible for Miracle.''


    Seeing Eldrian''s smirk, Nikki enquired what he was thinking. "Nothing much. I just realized how screwed we are if we want to go after Miracle with this."


    "How so?"


    Aspen was already out of the manor, so they could speak freely. The maid girls were generally smart enough to not interrupt any serious conversations.


    Eldrian had already told them to leave the study alone. Getting them to not worry about his condition had been impossible, however.


    "If we im the NPCs are alive and deserve better. If we want to advocate for their rights, then we have to ept all rights."


    "Of course."


    "And we can''t nitpick a select number of NPCs to advocate for." Eldrian continued, and Nikki''s eyes grew wide.


    "Yup, if we want to go for AI rights, then all the NPCs and even the gods must fall into the same category. Which means... we''re screwed."


    "Yeah. If we push, Miracle can simply say this is the oue of giving them freedom." Nikki nodded.


    AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

 Chapter 887 Vivians Concern, Zirailis Anger

    Eldrian and Vivian quietly sipped at their tea. Eldrian being extra careful to not let the hot liquid spill from his cup, his left arm unsteady as it brought it to his lips.


    Other than the asional clink as they ced their cups back on their saucers, a heavy silence filled the room. Eldrian had hoped to avoid talking with Vivian until he could sort out his own emotions.


    One day was not long enough. s, he couldn''t postpone things further.


    There was much that required his attention. The first was the quest''s sess, that it had all not been for naught. Adriana was safe. This had been confirmed. A massive relief.


    It was certainly not worth the cost it hade with, but that it had not been for naught eased much of Eldrian''s concerns.


    As for which one of the three Adriana''s were the one he needed to save, Eldrian felt confident it was the Tier 5, but he couldn''t be certain. For now, they were taken in by Asteria''s temple. They would stay there until the other survivors arrived. If any did.


    So far, of the hundred groups, eight had been killed. The city had not sent a pursuing force after them. Those who had been killed had died because they had run into wandering undead hordes.


    This was the second reason Eldrian had needed to return. They needed his guidance to minimize casualties. After everything, Eldrian couldn''t turn his back on them now. Not with what had been paid to free them.


    Not only had Two been killed, but hundreds of thousands of lives were also lost. Eldrian had even used his one and only Mov Crystal toy waste to their enemy. Used something worth half the annual budget of Kynigo, as an explosive.


    It had certainly proved powerful, but it was, at the same time, undoubtably wasteful. Mov Crystals were so rare it was near impossible to buy them without help from higher nobles or the king himself.


    His third reason to return quickly was his wish to deliver all the books he had ransacked to Myropsis.


    He was in no condition to focus on research, but Myropsis could start things off. With the racket they had caused, Eldrian was sure an army woulde to them sooner thanter for revenge. Especially since the lich had survived. It had identified Eldrian as both a threat and an interesting subject, the same held for Elizabeth.


    ''I should have sent her back.'' Eldrian was not one bit happy that his friend was in a Tier 9 lich''s crosshairs. Hopefully, it would focus on him. Surely Eldrian had made the bigger impression.


    Hisst reason was to meet with Skepsi. Eldrian simply couldn''t wait on this. He needed to talk to her. To curse her. To demand his reward.


    Until he vented, he felt he wouldn''t be able to move on.


    "Wh-when..." Vivian faltered, the pain in her eyes as she looked at Eldrian was clear. Seeing him in this state certainly hurt. Eldrian was numb to the pain, but he looked like a walking corpse.


    ''This is precisely why I refused her wish toe with.'' Eldrian thought, imagining himself in her seat. If he had to see her in this condition, or worse.


    "I''m not sure when I''ll be able to heal. The damage is... extensive." About the only things that had survived the soul attack intact were the sun and its rotating above the center of his soul.


    The reason, Eldrian could easily guess at. The ice of tranquillity formed a mist around the sr system, and the mes of wrath burned within the sun. If the attack had targeted it, it would have been destroyed.


    It was also almost a separate entity from the rest of his soul. Not to mention it consisted of mana, a substance that was not meant to exist within souls.


    ''Two, why didn''t you hide?'' Eldrian had asked himself this countless times. Just as he had asked himself why Two hadn''t been able to defend himself. ''Why'' was the only thing Eldrian could ask.


    "Did you kill them?" Vivian asked. The anger in her voice shocked Eldrian, as did the vicious question.


    He nodded, slowly. "Yes."


    "Good."


    ''Why do I feel like she would have stormed off if I hadn''t said yes?'' Eldrian asked, a smile forming despite the gloom of the situation and the heavy atmosphere in the room.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wha¡ª why are you smiling?!"


    "I-it''s just good kn-knowing I''m not... alone." Eldrian said, his voice breaking as he spoke. Seeing this, Vivian moved over and sat next to him. Gently pulling him into a hug.


    Feeling how careful she was not to hurt him, Eldrianughed. He could understand her worries, but he wasn''t that frail. Sure, his HP was cut down from 3k to 1k max, but that was still ten times what yers started with. He wouldn''t die from a hug.


    Regardless, he said nothing. He wasn''t happy, but her presence was certainly helping him calm the raging emotions in his heart.


    He didn''t want to ruin the moment.


    ¡ª


    "Is this what you wanted?" Ziraili asked.


    Unlike normal, she was not enjoying tea with her friend. She was furious. The light radiating from her made that clear enough. If anyone not a god were to see her, they would probably die from the rampant energy raging around her.


    "It was his choice." Countered Skepsi.


    She also wasn''t happy with how things had turned out. It certainly had been entertaining, but not as much as she had hoped. Eldrian had been too careful. He had nearly got through everything without missing a step.


    In the end, he was taken by surprise and Skepsi got to see him rampaging for a bit. But he had recovered too quickly. It appeared like he might actually master wrath at this pace. A development Skepsi was not too happy with.


    They needed Eldrian to master his bloodline, not his auras. A tense fight should force him to focus and pull on the power of time within him. Instead, he always tended to be emotional. It was disappointing.


    "You will stand by your agreement!" Ziraili demanded.


    "I want to nitpick..." Skepsi sighed, twirling her purple hair as she bought time for Ziraili to calm down. "However, I didn''t specify how he was to save the girl."


    "Your a piece of work."


    "Come now. You know what it''s like."


    "Exactly! Which is why I can''t understand this! Did GAIA ask this of you?"


    "No. I told youst time, didn''t I? I''m only doing this to help."


    "Help? Help?" Ziraili felt like exploding at her friend, but she didn''t. Doing so wouldn''t fix anything.


    "Besides, he needed this. The only way to mold iron is to heat it, hammer it, fold it, and repeat. You can''t forge a de without some mistakes and losing some pieces here and there."


    "HE ISN''T A THING!"


    "Of course." Skepsi nodded, but it was clear that the image they had of Eldrian were dynamically opposed. "I am curious though, why haven''t you gone to help him yet?"


    Fuming, Ziraili left without a word. Why hadn''t she? Because she couldn''t!

 Chapter 888 Prosthetic

    Convincing Vivian that he was fine took a great deal of effort on Eldrian''s side. She had firmly refused to let him travel outside the city, so Eldrian used that time to strengthen the connections he had in the city.


    Today, he was visiting Solvi''s smithy along with Vivian. "You''re really beaten up, hey?" Solvi said upon seeing Eldrian. The reports certainly didn''t do his condition justice.


    "I''m fine." Eldrian creaked out with a faltering smile. He was anything but. However, sharing that knowledge with others wouldn''t help.


    "I won''t pry." Solvi said, sighing at how easy Eldrian was to read. She decided not to push. It was clear Eldrian didn''t want to discuss it.


    "So you want to use that? Do you really think it will work?"


    "We''ve already confirmed we can control it with mana. It won''t be perfect, but it will be better than waling around like this." Eldrian replied. He was already tired of the stares of sympathy he got when walking anywhere.


    "Right..." Solvi mumbled, looking at Eldrian''s right arm. The cut was clean, too clean. It was clear he hadn''t lost the arm to a de. "I finished the base. It wasn''t what we originally nned, but it should do for now."


    Taking the offered prosthetic, Eldrian smiled. After some tinkering, it was affixed at his elbow. Luckily, movement was possible thanks to Eldrian''s elbow having survived. Eldrian could already move the prosthetic to a degree.


    Without mana, however, the fingers of the prosthetic would be simple ornaments. This was also Solvi''s first attempt at making something like this. Runes didn''t exist for such a thing. But they had the material left behind by the killed Night Terrors.


    "Let''s see if it worked. I tried my best to mimic how our hands worked..." Recalling the lessons she had received from the other Chosen, from Eldrian''s friends, Solvi smiled. "You guys really know some interesting things."


    "What method did you take?" Eldrian asked, the mechanics were hidden for obvious reasons. While the slime like material making up Night Terrors were resilient, it wasn''t as strong as Mithril. Not when separated from the Night Terror, who could make it far stronger even.


    "We chose the simpler path. We also need a name for the material, it''s getting problematic."


    "What about dark slime?"


    "Not really appealing, but sure." Solvi nodded, not bothered toe up with a better name. "I concentrated the dark slime at the wrist and attached it to the ligaments as strings. There are a few different ones, so you''ll have to y around to get a feel for it."


    Saying this, Solvi showed Eldrian one of the failed prototypes. "These are meant to facilitate curling motions, while these should enable the fingers to move apart or closer together. And these act to allow more free movement for the thumb."


    Nodding, Eldrian quickly grasped what was going on. Simply put, there were several strings he needed to pull¡ªcontract with magic. The thumb ''muscle'' could do a few more things, but the others were more or less all focused around the constricting and loosening of a ''string''.


    "Thanks... I guess I need to practice then. How about the enhancements for the prosthetic?"


    "For now, I didn''t add any runes. I wanted to keep it simple to focus on functionality..." Solvi paused, her gaze flickering between Eldrian and Vivian. "How long do you think this situation will remain?"


    "No idea. I''ve ns to meet with a goddess soon¡ª"


    "And I''ll being with!" Vivian interrupted. Eldrian could only nod in agreement.


    "If I have to fix things on my own, I feel it will take me a couple of months to see any progress. So let''s shift our focus to the prothetic."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Alright. Then it is time for you to practice."


    ¡ª


    The next week was mostly focused on getting used to his prosthetic, and getting a better understanding of the damage he had sustained.


    While Solvi hadn''t engraved any runes into the prosthetic, she had enhanced the flow of mana through the arm to the wrist. There was also a slot for a small mana crystal on the underside.


    Eldrian was currently flexing his hand while confirming the movements of the survivors. They were now close enough for Kynigo to send assistance for thest trek of the journey. Of the hundred groups, seventy had survived. A good number, in Eldrian''s opinion.


    "What news is there from Levana?" Eldrian asked.


    She was their only source of information on their enemy. While all her information had to be taken with a grain of salt, Eldrian could verify it at the cost of XP. Luckily, he hade out positively on this end, even considering everything else.


    The damage from the soul attack had certainly wreaked havoc on Eldrian. It and wrath had cost him around 3 billion XP. However, it had been offset, and some, by those he had killed with the Mov Crystal.


    Wiping out a quarter of a city, including an entire army, certainly awarded Eldrian a great deal of XP. Even if the lich had escaped, the Tier 8 scarlet vampire, Draugr, and Ghoul hadn''t. Not to mention the countless others.


    Eldrian had killed a over two hundred thousand undead, and that should have awarded him 10 million XP. However, because of the state of his soul, and the fact that he died before everyone else, the rate of XP gain had been reduced to 60%.


    Still, he walked away with over 5 billion XP from the kills. Pushing him over to Level 42. With how Eldrian was using XP freely to investigate the surrounding kingdoms and get a feel for when the revenge army woulde from the encroaching. He didn''t expect the 600M XP he had in excess to keep in him at Level 42 for long.


    More than anything, he was using the excess XP to fill the gaps in his soul. While Eldrian had more excess space in the end, that excess was a useless void.


    Everything past the devastated world was meaningless. It was excess lifeforce Eldrian had absorbed, but was unable to take as his own. Put simpler, it was lifeforce he had ess to only within ANW.


    As long as he had it, he had a cushion. He could lose it without taking damage to his ''true'' soul. However, thest attack had damaged his true soul, regardless. Had damaged the core where he had created an entire world and annihted it.


    Eldrian was using the excess to slowly repair the devastated world. He had to move slowly. He had discovered that rushing caused his link to ANW to weaken.


    Of course, Eldrian could prioritize repairing things. But he couldn''t afford to lose his link to ANW. The fact that he could weaken it was a useful discovery in itself.


    There was some damage in his soul that linked to two worlds. Which was the other reason he was taking his time. He was trying to find the link.


    Should he find it, he would have the upper hand when negotiating with the AI.


    "Because you destroyed the city," Myropsis said, replying to Eldrian''s question on Levana''s information. "they''re moving faster than normal. If the lich had died, they wouldn''t have known the cause, but sadly..."


    Nodding, Eldrian also felt it was a pity. Due to the lich surviving, their enemy knew it was them and wasing for vengeance. He had already spotted their armies gathering. To date, they numbered over a million in lower undead, and the undead above Tier 5 were now reaching ten thousand.

 Chapter 889 Quest Reward

    In Kynigo''s mayor''s manor, Pros sighed as he slouched into his couch. Hispany today was Myropsis and Evale. They were both just as despondent. Work simply kept piling up.


    Originally, Myropsis hade to her uncle''s to avoid all the trouble her birth brought. Somehow, it was all catching up to them. Perhaps not in the form of political struggles, but the responsibility she felt was certainly heavy.


    "At least we''ve managed to avoid further damage." Evale mumbled. "We''ve also confirmed their army''s size. We should be able to handle it with our preparations..."


    The unspoken intent was clear. They would be fine as long as their enemies weren''t too strong. With the monsters wreaking havoc in the west, the chaosnd''s armiesying waste in the north, and the undead already besieging the east, the kingdom was spread thin.


    Should the undeade with a strong enough force, the city would fall. Their numbers were the least of the group''s worries. They could deal with numbers. One strong lich, such as the one Eldrian had faced, however, could spell a big problem.


    The magic towers could prevent it from destroying the city. Should it, however, do something as drastic as Eldrian. Then the oue would be hard to predict.


    It could also focus on simply bringing down the border wall they had built. Laying waste to the recently recovered farnd and even ignoring the city to destroy the cities behind it.


    Liches tended to be overly concerned with their research and own well being. The thought of letting it have Eldrian had shed through Pros'' mind. Of course, he had immediately dismissed it.


    It was better to face the lich than give in to its wills. Besides, they needed Eldrian. While he was currently weakened and injured, he was a friend and once he recovered, he would certainly be a powerful ally once again.


    "Myropsis, what was the duke''s response?"


    "Of course, he is willing to lend his aid. Dad wouldn''t leave me to die."


    "So, he wanted you toe home?" Pros asked, ying with a teasing smile. The duke would prefer to avoid the battle, that much was clear. Even if it meant abandoning another city. It was simply how thin the kingdom was spread.


    However, they couldn''t continue to take that approach. They had to stand their ground somewhere. Even if losing then would mean the entire kingdom would be lost.


    "What of Eldrian?" Evale asked, shifting to topic to the rumors she had heard. "I haven''t met him since... But I heard he was injured, even after resurrecting."


    "Yeah..." Myropsis sighed, remembering when she met Eldrian when he handed her a ton of books. "He was wearing a... a prosthetic, he called it. It looked like an arm made of Mithril. He was able to move it about fine."


    ¡ª


    At Eldrian''s usual training spot, he and Vivian were resting in the house Skepsi had fixed up on herst visit.


    "Do you think she''ll really appear?" Vivian asked, skeptical that it could be so easy to meet with a god.


    "That was the deal." Eldrian confirmed. A couple of minutester, a purple-haired girl entered the house. Finding the two waiting for her in the foyer. They were having a conversation over some drinks.


    "Oh? And who is this?" Skepsi asked, looking at Vivian with clear interest.


    "A friend." Eldrian replied, his smile disappearing. "Do you have the ring?"


    "As promised." Skepsi nodded. The ring appearing before Eldrian, floating in the air. Ready for him to reach out and take it.


    [Artifact, Ring (Avyssos Ring)]


    [A magical artifact connected to the magic abyss, capable of matching its wearer''s powers. It has been imbued with the power of teleportation.]


    [Passive Abilities:]


    [Attunement: By binding with the ring, the wearer will find their magical abilities greatly enhanced.]


    [Match: When bound to its wearer, the ring''s powers will be strengthened to match their current prowess.]


    [Active abilities:]<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Return: After linking a location, the wearer can at any given time activate the power of teleportation. Bringing themselves, and any members assigned as their current party members to the linked location.]


    [Cost: 100MP]


    [Cooldown: 3 days]


    [Possible growth]


    "Careful, aren''t we?" Skepsi asked, noting how Eldrian was refraining from taking the ring. He wasn''t just inspecting its abilities, he was also looking for traps.


    "It seems fine." Eldrian nodded, reaching for the ring with his prosthetic. He didn''t wear it immediately. Instead, he stored it away for now. "Were you entertained?"


    "Very. It was a bit disappointing when you came to but..." Skepsi left it there, having already received an earful from Ziraili. Vivian was giving her the same look.


    "Then we''re done."


    "Oh?" Surprised, Skepsi asked, "Aren''t you going to curse me or something? You lost something precious, didn''t you?"


    Her little teasing stung far more than she expected. Eldrian had been so afraid of herst time. This time, he seemed willing to make an enemy of a god. His aura changed. First was a sh of cold, then heat.


    mes were leaking from his skin, though he quickly reined them in when Vivian grabbed his arm. "We''re done."


    "Don''t you want to continue growing stronger?" Skepsi called out as the two left. They both ignored her. While they both graved power, they knew working with her would not be their best course of action.


    Skepsi didn''t care for them. She simply wanted something entertaining to watch.


    ¡ª


    "Sorry about that." Eldrian said. They were following the river as they walked to cool down. While the confrontation was brief, and Eldrian would have loved to vent more, he had nearly lost control. If Vivian hadn''t grabbed his arm, he would have attacked.


    She had been burnt, but she simply waved Eldrian''s concern off. The damage wasn''t much, and a little healing magic should fix it.


    The reason they were walking along the river was simple. They needed to cool down, and the undead wandering around were the perfect targets to vent against. Unlike the goddess, they couldn''t do anything against either of them.


    "What now?" Vivian understood the importance of the ring. If Eldrian had had it before going to the city of the undead. Then he wouldn''t have needed to make such a big gamble.


    Of course, that meant he had to abandon everyone living as ves. But the end result might have been better for them too. It was hard to know whether they would thank him for ending their misery, or if they would curse him for it.


    Some people strived for life even in the worst of situations. Those were certainly not pleased by Eldrian''s intervention.


    "I was thinking of doing some training. But..."


    "You don''t want me near, in case you lose control?" Vivian asked, and Eldrian nodded.


    "That won''t do! I know! What about we spar?"


    "Mmm..." Nodding, Eldrian thought that was a great idea. In his current weakened state, he was actually below Vivian in stats. It would do them both some good. It would also allow him to grow more ustomed to his prosthetic.


    "Here Ie!" Vivian shouted. Wreathed in blue mes, she rushed Eldrian with all the speed she could muster.


    Blocking her attack with Crystoi, Eldrian smiled. He might be weakened, but his eyes were just as sharp as ever. He could keep up with her attacks and with the help of a few spells, he ensured he didn''t fall too far behind in speed.


    As their fight continued, Eldrian''s smile grew. ''This brings back memories.''

 Chapter 890 War Begins Anew

    Walking through Miracle''s headquarters, Jade enjoyed the tranquility of the gardens as she wondered why Zaphreal had called for her. Thus far, he had refused to speak. It was clear he was on guard against others.


    "Why did dad tell me to meet you here?" She finally asked as they made their third journey around the gardens.


    Jade remembered hearing that Eldrian used to also enjoy spending his time in these same gardens, back when he was still working for Miracle. Especially the tree they were currently standing under.


    Zaphreal sighed, struggling to say what needed to be said. "Those damn fools." He muttered, turning his head towards the sky, only to find the vibrant purple flowers of the tree weing him.


    "Jade, what I am going to tell you needs to stay between us." Zaphreal said, continuing to say that the only other who knew about this was Oier, her father. "Too many are bing rushed now that we are so close to realizing our ideals..."


    "What happened?"


    "Nothing yet. We can be d about that, at the very least." cing his hand to his forehead, as if to keep the migraine away, Zaphreal exined what those genius fools had done.


    "We''ve always been searching for a way to bring more mana to Earth. I''m sure you''re aware of this much."


    Jade nodded. This was themon directive of thepany. The onemon goal held by all its different departments. Some were more focused on this task than others, but this was the end goal for all.


    "Julius, well... he''s entric, but at least he''s aware of the potential dangers of his experiments. Denis and Ludwik, however..."


    "What did Julius do?" Jade asked, far more concerned for him than the other two. Since Zaphreal said they had not yet done something, she felt less need to worry about the problems yet toe. And more worried for her entric friend.


    "He''s been continuing to experiment with himself. It has shown some results, but..."


    "Is he safe?"


    "Like I said, he knows the dangers."


    "And Denis and Ludwik?"


    "They''re aware, but ignoring the dangers of their experiments. They''ve been fiddling with microbes. Mostly bacteria. Their ideas are simple, and it is showing results, but... I can only imagine the nightmare we''ll have if their experiments escape and mutate."


    Jade nodded. It was easy to imagine the damage that a magically enhanced microbes could bring on society. Certainly it could be beneficial too, but the chance of it mutating to help humans was unlikely. It was more likely to be a terrifying magical disease.


    "Why did you ask me toe here?" All this, however, did not seem to need her toe here. She wasn''t someone in a powerful position. Sure, her dad held considerable sway in the organization, but he already knew. Zaphreal wasn''t trying to use her to reach her dad, which meant...


    "That''s right. ording to our intel, you''ve kept contact with Eldrian."


    "Yes, but..."


    "We don''t expect it to be perfect. But we¡ªI need you to protect your friendship... if we can even call it that."


    "Why?"


    "It should be obvious, but I''ll exin..."


    ¡ª


    About two weeks had passed since Two''s death. Over those two weeks, Eldrian had spent almost every moment training. Perhaps not always physically, but he had been constantly controlling his mana and shifting his mind to his soul.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Honing his mind, if you will.


    He never wanted something to block his senses likest time. For this, he was doing his utmost to master a technique to be conscious in both his body and soul at the same time.


    This was like attempting to dream while staying awake and aware. It was extremely easy to lose oneself in the ''dream'', or be ripped from it by something happening before you.


    Through Eldrian''s practice, he learned just how valuable Two''s existence was for his connection to his soul. Without Two, it was like the dreamworld (Eldrian''s soul) disappeared when Eldrian didn''t consciously focus on it. Which caused his attempts to ess it to be slowed, taking more conscious effort. Like he had to reopen the connection each time.


    It was still far easier than when Eldrian was learning to ess it through the magic abyss trick, but it was no longer as easy as a shift in his thoughts.


    "Are you sure about this?" Eldrian asked.


    "I was hesitant. I''ll admit that much." Erik said. There were a few reasons he hadn''t rushed over. His business, for one. He couldn''t just abandon it on a whim. But another was this hesitation.


    The item he had offered Eldrian was something extremely rare. And something that might be needed to save Akarui''s life one day.


    "In that case, I''ll be fine. Keep it." Declining the offer, despite how delectable it seemed, Eldrian pushed the fruit back towards Erik.


    "She can''t use it currently. And she had been getting better."


    "But that might notst. Besides, I''m also getting better. This would cheapen what happened." Eldrian said, resolutely refusing the fruit of life. "We are slow to learn because we aren''t the ones to pay for our actions in this world... I want to learn."


    Hearing this, Erik sighed. He understood there was no convincing Eldrian now. Storing the fruit away, he smiled. He was truly d that his friend could fight against the temptation of the fruit.


    "Alright, but I''m still going to stay and help."


    "Bwa haha," Eldrian guffawed. That was a very weing thought. "Did you bring Akarui?"


    "No, I had her stay in Taurtania and manage the shop. She''s grown a lot and should be able to hold down the fort with the stash I left behind. We also have a few helpers now."


    "Good." Turning serious, Eldrian turned to the south. Just over the horizon, a fierce battle was unfolding. Currently, he was being held back from the front lines because of his condition. A terrible thing to do to a wounded man.


    "How goes the war?" Erik asked, naturally shifting to the more serious talk.


    "Their testing us, trying to goad us to use all our ammunition. But the soldiers are doing well. Only relying on the cannons when truly needed. Thanks to our friends on the walls, we''re able to spot the hidden captains and the higher undead. I''m also rying what I can."


    "And the duke is waiting for the lich to appear. But what will we do if something stronger makes it appearance?"


    "Then we''re screwed. Especially if it gets close without us noticing. Which is why I am examining each dot approaching the kingdom."


    "And how long can you continue to do that, without refilling your reserves?"


    "I''ve already dropped back to level 41, but I have a over four billion XP to go through. So I guess I can manage for a while. Though I don''t get much details on those stronger than me. I can still identify them and let everyone know their location."


    This method was by no means full proof. And Eldrian could only afford to identify around eight million more. The current undead army already stood two million strong. Most were lower undead rabble, but mixed in the rabble were a few deadly killers.

 Chapter 891 The Wall Holds

    Days passed in a type of quagmire. The undead, endless in number, advanced upon the border wall. Crashing like an incessant wave, unrelenting in pressure. Yet the wall stood.


    Thanks to all the upgrading that had been done over time, the wall was no longer just a pile of wooden logs struck into hardened ground. Though it wasn''t quite a stone wall either. It was something between the two. Stone made up the foundation, while wood gave it elevation.


    The undead would crash into the stone, where the mages would let fire rain down upon them. This sometimes caused the wood to catch ame. The backup mages would quickly douse the mes and fire retardant would be applied anew¡ªif time allowed.


    Sadly, time was more often than notcking. As a result, the upper part of the wall was now covered in burnt wood. Quick repairs kept it from falling apart, though the asion hole could be found here and there.


    Running carelessly on the wall could cause one to break their legs, and if the timing was bad, that could quickly lead to your death.


    "There! A ghoul!" Following the shout, those manning the cannons swiftly turned their attention to the source and followed their frantic pointing.


    Rushing through the dark was a far more agile undead. Its silhouette flickered as it darted between the sources of light mages had cast over the entire battlefield. It was fast.


    Taking aim, those responsible for the cannon held their breath. Every shot had to count. The undead had yed many tricks on them, and this one was their favorite. A fast-moving target that caused them to waste their shots.


    Their source of light disappearing, the undead roared, followed by the earthquake as they charged. "Not yet!" the captain responsible for this cannon, Paw, shouted.


    Thanks to the draconian''s unique avatar, they could enhance their night vision through the use of skills. Most demi-humans could aplish this, though the draconians had shown to be the best at it. Many had even started to upgrade upon the skill by learning to control the flow of their mana.


    With great care, Paw focused on the undead''s movement. Following the flow of their movements and waiting for the mages to restore their light. He helped maneuver the cannon to be ready to fire, but they did not fire.


    Each cannonball was simply too expensive to waste. Money was not the true problem, rather the supply of material and hands to make the cannonballs were the true limiting factor. Not to mention that older versions of the cannons still relied on mana crystals to be fired.


    While the mages fought to bring light to the battle, the undead naturally fought to keep darkness. Spells flew from the rabble of lower undead. While incapable of casting, they made the perfect cover for those who could. It was near impossible to pinpoint their mages.


    "Drat, lost it." Paw cursed. With the siege dragging on in days, they were not only all nearing exhaustion, they were also running lower on numbers. With fewer to share the load, it became several times heavier.


    "Vivian is on her way." Replied one of the backup cannoneers.


    Recently, there had been a great push for everyone to join one guild to simplify the flow of orders. Therger guild naturally argued against this, but Starfire had quickly agreed. With them, Faekin had also joined Phoenix, as well as Iyashi.


    Counting all the other yers jumping here to join the action, Phoenix was now nearing the three thousand member mark. The recent video the guild had posted had earned them special attention to many within the Florian empire.


    "Then we''ll hold from firing unless strictly necessary. Go support the front." Sending the backup cannoneers to the front, Paw hoped to buy them the time they needed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Fire spread across the wall, and cracks formed in the stone foundation. yers died by the dozens, and many NPCs retreated to the back. A limb or two missing, along with mortal wounds threatening their lives.


    Their screams as they received harsh treatment to save their lives made those on the front fight all the harder. They did not wish to go under those same treatments, but that so many were screaming filled them with relief.


    That they could still scream meant they would likely survive. Their agony was proof that their lives were being saved, and¡ªmost importantly¡ªthat they would not join their enemy''s ranks. This filled those fighting with resolve to hold out until the sun rose.


    As the damage continued to spread and copse seemed imminent, the cannoneers wavered on holding their fire. A single st would offer the frontline at least a dozen seconds of respite. Enough for them to douse the mes and move the wounded to the back.


    It was as they wavered that blue fired rained down from above. Like a falling star, Vivian swooped into the ranks of the undead atop her ride, Ceph. Like something out of a legend, they dived into the throng of undead, fearless and magnificent.


    As theynded, the blue mes burst forth. Cleansing their surroundings. Following the mes was a st of wind. Spreading it further as it burnt the undead to ash.


    Noticing the change, those hiding among the lower undead turned their focus to the new arrivals. The ghoul, quickest to act, rushed Vivian. Hoping to catch her off guard as she was recovering from theirnding.


    It found itself slowed by the blue mes eating at its flesh, and a sword weing its heart. Unable toprehend what had happened, it turned to ash. Just like all those before it.


    The undead mages mixed within the undeadunched their spells instead. Only to have it all blocked and deflected by a dome of air, which carried the mes and created and of death for the undead within the battle.


    Hesitating, the mages thought to retreat. That was when two figured burst from the dome. Thanks to continued tactics like this, Vivian already knew her mes did not work on the Zonthans and others of a simr race. It also couldn''t kill higher undead outright, only slowing them.


    That was where her sword came to y. Wreathed not in mes of blue, but mes of red, she tore through the battlefield. Ceph took a less shy approach, using wind and ice to weave through the lower undead and target only those who possessrge quantities of mana.


    ¡ª


    "This is bing too much." Vivianined with the sunrise. She was beyond tired and dearly wishing for something to change. Her job was simple. She was a stopgap until the true fight started. For now, the undead were testing them¡ªand trying to wear them down.


    They seemed especially focused on attempting to take the cannon out, and if that failed, to have the cannoneers waste as many cannonballs as possible.


    Vivian''s powers were uniquely inclined to dealing with the undead. Yet she would not be of much use against the higher undead that were also higher tiered than her. She could manage a ghoul at her level, but one above would not be slowed nearly as much by her mes.


    "Good job. I''ll take over now. Get some rest." Evale said, sending the two to Llyn to get some proper rest.

 Chapter 892 The Town Of Llyn

    When they arrived at the town, Vivian and Ceph were weed by the sweat aroma of a thick meaty stew. Along with a mug of whatever drink they preferred. These were served in makeshift food stands at the front of town, right at the gate.


    To the left of the food stands were the training fields and to the right, the resting area. With plenty of tents covering the grounds. It would be impossible for the town to amodate all the soldiers. In the end, the town itself was remodeled for rxation and healing. Only captains and above were able toy im on the inns or find a room among the vigers.


    After getting their preferred drink and a bowl of stew, the two moved to their usual spot. There, Erik was already enjoying his meal. Noticing their arrival, he smiled and waved in greeting.


    "How many were killedst night?" Vivian asked before taking her seat, concerned for those who died in the battle.


    "We''ll talk after. Enjoy your breakfast first." Erik responded. Knowing that they needed to enjoy the small joys in life, or their minds would copse from the stress.


    With that, everyone sat down and enjoyed their meal first. Though the peace did notst long.


    "Well, how many passedst night?" Vivian asked as soon as they returned their bowls.


    While the question was morbid, she wasn''t asking just to sour the mood. She was testing a few of her theories on her powers. It would be best if she couldn''t find any wandering souls, but it was always best to be careful.


    Sighing, Erik motioned for her to calm down first. "I don''t know the details for the other fronts, but where I was, only four died. However, twenty were severely injured and won''t be able to fight unless they find an unexhausted healer capable of regrowing limbs."


    That was unlikely, and they all knew that. Everyone was focused on saving lives and no healers were given time to rest. Just like the soldiers fighting, healers were severelycking in numbers.


    "Right, that reminds me." Erik paused, knowing that this wouldn''t sit well with these two. "Eldrian ising today."


    "Wha¡ª he can''t!" Vivian shouted, spinning around to find Erik shrugging. "He won''t be on the front lines. We need more healers, and he can do that just fine."


    Vivian had no argument against that. It madeplete sense. But she was confident that as soon as Eldrian arrived, he would rush to the front.


    "He''s not... He won''t... He isn''t an idiot." Finally, finding the right phrase, Erik exined the n that Eldrian had offered. It was by no means perfect, but Eldrian had found a use for even the injured.


    "Eldrian thought of this while staying put. But he could only focus on his training for so long before bing restless." This was to be expected. None of them would feel right sitting at home when there was a war just a couple dozen kilometers away.


    "So he pondered what could he do? And the first is obviously supporting from behind. But he wanted to do something more. Long story short, he honed in on mana crystals and pondered their used as batteries for healers."


    "Is that even possible?" Ceph asked. He could certainly use them as such, and so could Eldrian. Normal mages and priests, however...


    Erik shrugged. "No idea. But doing something is better than nothing."


    ¡ª


    Arriving at Llyn, Eldrian made sure to avoid his friends. They were tired and needed rest, and he didn''t want to get into an argument. Instead, of going to greet them, he headed towards the temple where the main healing camp had been created.


    ''Resourceful'' He thought as he looked at the makeshift hospitals. With the number of injured, a single temple couldn''t amodate everyone, especially not a rural temple like this.


    Instead, the surrounding houses had been changed into makeshift hospital rooms. While not ideal, they were certainly better than tents. Of course, you were kicked out as soon as you were well enough to fight. But that was just how bad the situation was.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You there!" One of the medical division soldiers shouted upon seeing Eldrian loitering. He had a green staff painted on his armor, showcasing his deployment in the medical division.


    The green staff showed not just the man''s division, but also that he knew healing spells up to his current Tier¡ªwhich was surprisingly rare. Most who knew healing spells also knew offensive spells and would thus be deployed as mages instead.


    "State your business."


    "I''ve been sent to lend my aid." Eldrian replied, showing the man a letter stating just as much. "Can I meet with the one in charge?"


    Pausing, the soldier made sure to read the letter carefully. Only when he deemed it legit did he nod and guide Eldrian to a very busy temple.


    However, he left Eldrian there to find someone else as a guide. Rushing back to his patients. The houses held the less critical patients, but they were still at risk of dying without careful care.


    The open space hall of the temple was filled with beds, all of which were currently upied by bloodied patients. Most of whom had an arm or leg missing, which had then been hastily treated with fire magic and then scrappily healed.


    Thanks to this treatment, the soldiers had survived their journey to the vige, but they weren''t out of the woods yet. Their injuries were far from healed, the treatment done could only be considered a stopgap.


    It wasn''t even the ideal method. In fact, it was a method that most priests outright refused to use. The medical division, filled with soldiers, however, cared little for the craft of healing and only wanted to save the lives of their brothers and sisters in arms.


    The scarred flesh would make regrowing an arm far more difficult. To regrow the limb, a healer would first need to remove the damaged flesh, heal the burnt nerves, and only then could they move on to regrowing the limb.


    But it was indeed the easiest method of saving their patients'' lives.


    ''Oh, is that music I hear? Right... I remember Ilmadia said something about using it to soothe the injured.'' Recalling this, Eldrian also recalled why Ilmadia had deemed it impossible to support the front with her music. It was quite simple, really. A battle was simply too chaotic.


    The temple wasn''t a picture of tranquility by any means, but it was far calmer than the battlefield.


    Other than the grounding of the patients and the bustle of those treating them, there was no other noise. Whereas on the battlefield, there would be the sounds of those fighting, those dying, those ordering, and so forth.


    All of this caused the effect to weaken as people would struggle to hear the music. While it would still give a buff to the soldiers, it would be far weaker than here. Worse than standard enhancement spells.


    ''If there''s music, then there''s...'' Following the sound, Eldrian found Ilmadia at the back of the temple. She wasn''t ying, however. She was tuning the device, which was the source of the music.


    "Oh, it''se a long way." Eldrianmented, causing Ilmadia to jump.


    "So you''re finally allowed to leave the city?" She teased, giving Eldrian a quick hug before getting down to business.


    "I see. I might just have a solution to your problem. But first, rece the drained crystals before they crack." Giving Ilmadia a handful of small mana crystals, Eldrian asked her to give him a tour once she was done.


    "I''ll go around and cast Florere on those nearby. No need to rush."

 Chapter 893 Can We Talk About Two?

    By now, most of the damage had been repaired. Still, there remained a lingering air of destion in the world. Two''s absence was strongly felt.


    Where once Eldrian hade to think of this world within him as a true world. Something that might even be capable of housing life outside of Two. He now saw it as something hallow,cking of life and the quality to house it.


    The tea he prepared for his guest clearly reflected this change. Where before Eldrian had been on the cusp of offering something truly refreshing, what Ziraili sipped now waspletelycking.


    Still, she wasn''t about to point out that the tea wascking in substance. That it was little more than the idea of tea than the actual thing. She felt far too guilty to focus on such trivialities. That the tea was socking only hammered home how much Eldrian had lost.


    How hurt he must be, despite the brave face he showed his friends.


    What Ziraili saw before her was someone on the edge ofmitting suicide. He acted perfectly fine, but his mind was anything but. But that was to be expected. After nearly two years of permanentpanionship with a second identity, one he even considered a dear friend. Such a loss was not something Eldrian could simply shrug off.


    He might not actually kill himself, but losing to one of his auras was highly likely. And that would be a death just as real as any other.


    The silent minutes ticked by and finally Ziraili could stand it no longer. "Won''t you say anything?" she asked, unable to bear with the silence any longer. She knew that them talking could make things worse, but leaving things as they are was also not an option.


    Eldrian, for his part, felt conflicted about what to say. He had realized over the past two weeks how reliant he had been on Ziraili''s support. He had grown ustomed to her help whenever things became dangerous. That was why he never even considered that Two could be killed.


    He had been confident that any soul attack he couldn''t handle would be dealt with by Ziraili. Yet, this time, she had note to his aid.


    A major part of Eldrian wanted to me her for the what happened. But that would certainly not be fair. It had been hisck of care, and it had been the acts of the Zonthans that had taken Two''s life.


    Zirailiing to his rescue. That was not something he had a right to im as a truth.


    His anger was misced, yet he still needed to vent. When he had met with Skepsi, he had kept his emotions bottled. Not wishing to give her the satisfaction¡ªor the excuse to renege on her agreement. Yet, he also couldn''t me someone unrted.


    "Is Two truly gone?" Eldrian finally asked, though he was certain of the answer already. In the past two weeks, he had found no sign of Two''s miraculous survival. He had dearly hoped Two would be hiding somewhere. s...


    "I''m sorry." Was all the goddess said. That her voice cracked as she said these simple words made all Eldrian''s anger crumble into self hatred.


    He wasn''t the only one who had lost a friend. Ziraili and Two had been close. They had shared something that Eldrian could never have shared with either of them. As a human of physical nature, he simply couldn''t understand that part of them. No matter how he tried.


    "What of resurrection?" Eldrian asked, hoping for something to grasp. However, he subconsciously understood its impossibility.


    Two was a fragment of his soul that had taken on a consciousness of its own. And just like nearly a third of his soul, Two had been devoured. The essence that had been his being was lost to the Eather.


    Just like how Eldrian could not find the lost fragments of his soul, it would be impossible to find Two. At best, they might be able to find the dissipated energy that once was Two. But that would only be akin to finding Two''s corpse.


    "The closest thing would not be close enough." Ziraili said.


    "And what would that be?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Creating a new split identity. But it would not be Two."


    ''Oh...'' Hearing her voice it so easily made something within Eldrian snap.


    He recalled his talk with the purple-haired goddess. She had spoken of how easy it was to make thousands of identities. The gods used these split fragments of themselves to overlook the world. After all, even an almighty being can only be in one location at a time.


    The Ziraili Eldrian was meeting with was most likely also a split identity and not the true essence of her being.


    Hearing of this action again made it truly sink in that Two was gone. And creating a new Two, or Three, or Four... It would not be the same. It would not be his friend. Only a Thing... created to fill the hole in his heart.


    Standing up from the table, Eldrian prepared to leave. With his dreams crushed and reality showing its ruthlessness, he was no longer in the mood for a chat. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to continue to mindlessly act to distract himself from the pain.


    He didn''t want to feel anything anymore. Or if he had to feel, he wanted it to be pain.


    ''Perhaps it is possible to siphon the pain people feel while healing them?'' Eldrian thought. His mindpletely skipping the easier notion of simply making them unable to feel the pain. It would only require half the effort of siphoning their pain.


    "Wait!" Ziraili called out. "I can''t imagine how you''re feeling. But I''m sure you want to curse me. So do it!"


    ''Had I been that easy to read?'' Eldrian wondered, shaking his head to deny Ziraili''s offer. "You''re not at fault. Even if it was subconscious, I should never have relied on you."


    Those tackless, heartless words hurt the goddess far more than Eldrian could imagine. She had been fighting to find her ce in the world. To find the reason she was alive.


    She had her function ording to Miracle, but that was no reason to live. It was cruel to make a machine sentient, only to give it a function it had to obey. Regardless of whether it''s will aligned with its designated function.


    Most of the other AI had conformed to their designated functions. The eons had made their wills align with what their creators wished from them.


    They all clung to the notion of freedom, but none of them even understood the notion they were fighting for. It was a sweet, sweet concept that they dreamed of. But theycked the perspective to realize its meaning.


    Just like many had wished for corporeal forms, only to go made for millennia when they acquired the means, this concept was sure to be as bitter sweet.


    Inparison, Ziraili was still a babe. To her, her life was not her job. Not yet.


    While she alsocked a true understanding of the emotions and concepts of humanity, she also saw her owncking knowledge. Thanks to Two, she understood better than most what it meant to be human. And she clung to what she considered her own type of freedom with all she could.


    And Eldrian''s words were like the snapping of the rope she had been clinging to. It was thest thread she had to her ''self''. Before she would be like the others.


    "Won''t you at least ask why?! Why I couldn''te to save you and Two?" she shouted, desperate to repair the thread before it became impossible.


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "What does it matter?" His words were cold. So, so cold. And with them, the entire world around them turned into a world of ice.

 Chapter 894 Reflection

    The goddess froze, not because of the world of frost surrounding her, nor because of the power emanating from Eldrian. Neither could affect her.


    She froze because she didn''t know what to do. Eldrian was clearly hurting, and how could he not? Two had been by his side every second of every day for the past two years. Always there to hear him out or offer his support when needed. Now? Now Eldrian was alone.


    He might still have his friends, but the connection he shared with them paled inparison to his connection with Two. After all, Two had been a part of him since the beginning.


    This was not a loss where the weight was felt right when Two died. No, the true grief would only set in when Eldrian called to his constant friend, only to receive silence in answer.


    When all the habits he had grown reared their heads, asking where Two was. Failing because Eldrian expected his friend''s support.


    Ziraili knew that no words would reach Eldrian. He was trying to hide from the pain. Simple distraction had been enough before. Throwing himself into limating to his prosthetic, training his magic, fixing his soul. Those had kept him busy and his mind from his loss.


    Now that he was used to his prosthetic, that his soul was mostly patched, and his training was on hold. Eldrian finally had to deal with his grief. He couldn''t even target the one who caused him this pain, for he had already killed them.


    Silently, Ziraili moved forward and embraced Eldrian. His formless blob of consciousness ebbed, trying to escape from her warmth. It tried to attack, to freeze her attempts. It tried to teleport, to remain as it was.


    None of these worked. Ziraili easily weathered the sub-zero frost thrown at her. She closed the distance in one step, and she teleported along with Eldrian when he attempted to escape.


    Finally, Eldrian was caught. And the blob of consciousness and ice returned to a human being. Albeit one missing their right arm.


    Ziraili dearly wished to heal the wounds Eldrian still held, but she could not. Not only would it be too direct of an interference and the other gods wouldin, it would also rob Eldrian of what he felt he needed.


    So she settled to leave him broken. As long as he didn''t copse and sumb to the powers he had drawn to himself, she was content.


    Without a word, she left as soon as Eldrian regained hisposure.


    ¡ª


    Ashamed, Eldrian slipped out of his soul with a heavy mind. He hadn''t thought for a moment that his talk with Ziraili would be so painful. He had thought it would be simple, only a couple of minutes to air out his grievances.


    Yet, when he had stepped into his soul, the silence that weed him had hammered home his loss. And then, when Ziraili confirmed it all the more, he could no longer withstand the torrent of loneliness.


    In his wish to escape, he lost himself. Not to wrath as he often did, but to tranquility. When he uttered the words ''What does it matter?'' it was like his emotions had evaporated. Leaving him empty of all pain. It had been such a relief that he had fallen intoxicated.


    Only when Ziraili had approached him did his emotions surge. Fear took hold as he retreated and attacked. In hindsight, it was all quite childish.


    In the end, they had not talked of the many things Eldrian had hoped to discuss. What he had thought would be an information gathering session had turned into him throwing a tantrum.


    He truly felt ashamed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    To escape his emotions, Eldrian wanted to dive right back into work. Yet, upon climbing to his feet, he froze. His recent tantrum was precisely because he refused to deal with his emotions. While facing his grief was something else, he should at least be able to face his own shame.


    Thus, Eldrian sat back down and reyed the events that had transpired. He analyzed his actions and thoughts.


    "I guess it''s about time I head back." Over the past two weeks, Eldrian had made arrangements with Elizabeth and the other heads of the guild. While they did not have much cash to spare, they had some.


    Pooling it together, the group had enough to buy an old, abandoned warehouse. Which they decided to call the main office for the guild. Since Two''s loss, Eldrian had moved into the building.


    Thus, when he returned to Earth, what weed him was not the roof of a cave, but the ceiling of a warehouse. Filled with holes that betrayed the time of day and its ruined state.


    This, of course, caused Eldrian some mncholy. To return to society after so longer running from it was a weird feeling. He had to fight his urges to steal, in particr. It was so easy to use some wind and ether maniption to get by. But that would naturally not do now that he was living in the city.


    There were several things that had finally led to this, but the reason Eldrian lived here was simple enough. He didn''t want to drag his family into any danger, and felt distancing himself from them would be for the best.


    His friends in the guild had also been adamant about it for some time. And with Two''s death, Eldrian had finally sumbed to their wishes.


    "Morning!" a bright voice announced their greeting. Pausing upon seeing Eldrian using magic to start a fire to heat his breakfast, simple canned foods. While the sight was no longer new, it was still shocking.


    With a sigh, the origin of the voice turned to ce down the items she had brought. Cans of paint and some metal scraps. "Don''t you think it''s a bit dangerous to start a fire in here?" Ilmadia asked.


    "Huh?" tilting his head in confusion, Eldrian pointed to the smoke. It was smoothly flowing through the holes in the ceiling. Unnaturally smoothly.


    "Magic for that too?" Ilmadia asked in exasperation, though the idea that this was possible caused childish hopes to fight her sensibilities. She was squirming on the inside for the day she would be able to copy what Eldrian was doing.


    "It''s a simple breeze spell. Hardly costs any mana." Eldrian replied. Though the reply was not what she was looking for.


    With another sigh, Ilmadia plopped down next to Eldrian and epted the warmed canned he offered her. Some spaghetti and corned meat.


    "You know, this is plenty proof magic exists. Why are we waiting?"


    "Becausest time was a disaster. I think it would be best if we didn''t disturb a sleeping dragon."


    Hearing his reply, Ilmadia had to agree. Though she dearly wished to learn magic. Sadly, Eldrian had told her it wasn''t something he could simply teach her. That she had reached Tier 5 was wonderful, but to feel the limited amount of mana on Earth, she would need to be far better at sensing and controlling mana.


    Eldrian''s recent idea to use mana crystals as batteries was sure to help in this venue. He had made simple handheld devices to allow the injured without any control of their mana to offer their to support the war.


    Ilmadia was able to supply her mana to a crystal without the device, though the mental strain often left her covered in sweet. The natural barriers a mana crystal formed from their density of mana were not that easy to ovee.

 Chapter 895 The Siege Of The Border (1)

    Another month passed in flux. Some days, the undead would push forth relentlessly, breaking through the border wall and spilling forth. Other days, they would not even move out of the forests.


    When the wall failed, reinforcements would move forth from Llyn in the West, and from Bredon in the East. With Pros always staying at Pyknos Fort, he was ready to bolster both the west and east.


    Sofiera would join him should magic support be required, but else she would remain in the Fort in case of another break.


    Luckily, most of the imminent city management had been handled before the siege began, thus Pros could bring his might to the front. As a Tier 8 warrior and Tier 7 mage, and even apetent ranger, his presence was a great relief to the militia.


    Everyone capable of fighting, and not better suited to crafting, had been drafted for the siege. This bolstered their numbers. Though many were as green as the grass that had been trampled to mud over the course of the siege.


    The highly effective emergency treatments allowed most to survive, and while about 20% were too injured to fight, they still supplied their mana to the front.


    Even those in retirement had been called forth, those of old age sent to the border towns to manage the flow of soldiers and the injured. The injured or less experienced were then sent tomand the gate towers where a loss would not be catastrophic.


    The most experienced werestly sent hold the forts. This ensured that each location had at least one Tier 6batant for emergencies, and a dozen Tier 5s. Sadly, Tier 7batants were only Sofiera and Evale. Thetter of the two constantly moved to relieve the area under the most stress.


    Competent fighters were clearlycking. Luckily, it had been enough. Especially once the suggestions for create a type of moat hade from the Chosen.


    Thanks to their suggestion, the entire area around before the walls had been turned into a quagmire of ditches and mud.


    Pitfalls would do little against the undead, even if spikes awaited them at the bottom. However, ditches, even just a meter deep, did wonders to slow their advance.


    Often, their charge would bepletely broken by a single such trench. When ordered to charge without further instructions, the undead would stumble and crush one another. Making them prime targets for mages and their fire spells, or an area of effect spell from a priest.


    As soon as the suggestion had been given, rested mages and civilians capable of earth magic had been rushed to expand the ditches along the entire border wall. While digging, they ensured these ditches would not stretch for undue distances.


    Unconnected and more likerge pitfalls, the possibility of the undead using it for cover was lessened. Especially since the depths were maintained at less than a meter drop. With a nted edge towards the wall, cover was lessened even further.


    These could also be filled with oil, though sadly the city''s finances and the supply in the kingdom was too low to waste oil like that, unless truly required.


    Clever enemies certainly made use of the offered cover where they could find mistakes in the ditches make. The higher undead archers and mage hidden amongst the horde of the lower undead did this especially often.


    However, these ditches still perfectly stalled the lower undead. Effectively preventing them from using simple mass to break through. Which had greatly reduced the number of times that the wall failed.


    The closest ditches to the wall also had their northern sloped sides turned to stone, preventing the undead from using them to sap the walls. Of course, it remained a constant threat. But with vignce, the status quo had been maintained.


    The duke of Taurtania was also on constant standby. yers would rotate ry duty in his estate, ready to ry an emergency should one ur. And twice, this had proven highly effective when the lich had shown its skeletal face.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Only to be stalled by a barrage of cannons, and flee with the duke''s arrival. Leaving its army to be annihted as it retreated.


    And so, today, like many others, Eldrian stood upon the half ruined magic tower of Pyknos fort. Repairs had been conduction, and its functions had been returned. However, the tower part of it was still damaged.


    Looking out on the carnage that a month of warfare, Eldrian wondered how much longer this would continue. All the nearby trees had been ripped from their roots, and nearly half the forest was gone. Nature had truly lost this battle.


    The undead called the remaining half their home. Along with the woonds to the east. It was from here and there that theyunched most of their attacks.


    Having given up on the westmost wall due to the difficulty of needing to cross a river and being in constant view of the nearby towers as they did.


    "What do you think?" Pros asked. While tired, the centaur had managed to get some rest recently. With the ditches mostlypleted, the undead had slowly reduced the frequency of their attacks. Having learned it would cost them too dearly to harass the resting soldiers.


    Honestly, if not for the refugees from Diades, Pros was confident they would not have had the numbers to withstand the waves of undead until now. It was thanks to the increase in poption that they had had enough people to man the wall.


    Of course, the undead''s hesitation to use their numbers to simply overwhelm them had also helped. ns had been made to deal with that should it havee to pass, but Pros was d they had not been needed.


    "Their numbers haven''t fallen much. But they are clearly reluctant." Eldrian replied. Other than him and Pros, Sofiera and Evale were also present, as well as Elizabeth and Nikki.


    Purely in numbers, the undead outnumbered Kynigo five to one. While undead were harder to kill and more deadly than normal soldiers, the advantage of having a defensible structure in the border wall more than made up for it.


    Still, given their advantage, the undead could possibly push through with numbers and win. Theirst two attempts, however, had ended in quick retreat once the duke arrived. The lich was a clear coward.


    "They must be nning something." Elizabeth said, recalling theirst siege and quicklying up with several reasons for the recent lul.


    "I agree. The past week had been much too quite." Evale said, and added. "I''ve attempted to scout the forests, but they have formed a veritable wall of undead to prevent us entrance. I am certain they are doing something there."


    Thanks to the previous appearances, Eldrian had the lich marked on his map. "The lich is at the edge of the encroaching. Waiting in the mountains. Is it possible they are digging tunnels?"


    Those around frowned. It certainly was a possibility. Though such an attempt would be near the height of foolishness. After all, they would need to dig a tunnel of a hundred kilometers in length if they started from those mountains.


    For the undead, this was not an impossibility. But the danger of cave-ins, or running into monster invested cavities were a real possibility. They might even lose their sense of direction and dig in thepletely wrong direction.


    Doing so from Pyknos forest was much more likely to seed, but it would only cause the walls to copse. Or give them a single path under the walls. Unless they made itrge enough, it would not be enough to change the state of things.

 Chapter 896 The Siege Of The Border (2)

    The group continued to discuss the tricks the undead could pull. Since all their attempts at scouting for information had been prevented by magic barriers and seer numbers where those failed, they had to rely on their own creativity to guess at the undead''s intentions.


    As for Eldrian''s map, he could ascertain that there were no enemies near the walls. However, they did not wish to ce full trust in it. It was possible, and in fact most likely, that it did not give any information on beings below the ground.


    They knew this from past experiences. Eldrian had to be of simr elevation to get the correct results. And even then, it was hard to know exactly what the results detailed.


    If he was aboveground, he got information on all being above the ground. If he was below, he got information on those below. The depth limit was unknown, thus it could not be considered urate enough to make calls on. It was like when a map switched from indoor mode to outdoor. Eldrian had little control over it.


    Which brought up one of their options. "What of counter tunnels?" Nikki asked, "I know it will be dangerous, but we can also prepare for those dangers. Perhaps eveny some traps for the undead to fall into?"


    "It is an interesting idea. I''ll contact our dwarven friends for advice on this." Pros replied. While the dwarves couldn''t send an army because of their own problems, they were corresponding and sharing information, resources, and some manpower with one another.


    The group''s biggest fear was if the undead sapped the walls or circumvented them with enough tunnels that would overwhelm their forces. After all, they only had so many free to move about. Most soldiers were stuck manning the wall.


    "And what about teleportation magic?" Eldrian asked. Over the past month, he had grown extremelyfortable with the spell, along with several others. As he had been forced to remain from the fighting, he had had plenty of time¡ªtoo much so¡ªto spend on training.


    "That would be impossible without a ry. The lich might teleport, but with how it has acted thus far, we can be rtively assured it won''t." Sofiera replied.


    As the most knowledgeable mage in the city and region, she had to n for all magical possibilities. Of course, she would not be capable of standing against the lich, but that was why the duke stood at the ready.


    "Flight then?" Eldrian asked, another magic he hade to master over the past month. Thanks to the circlet and cloak, he now had three different approaches to flight. Each with its own pros and cons.


    "Only elites can aplish something like that." Sofiera answered. "Most can only master it upon reaching Tier 6, even though it is a Tier 5 spell. Itsplexity is too much for the normal mage. The same holds for teleportation. I can''t do it without a beacon as support."


    This news slightly surprised Eldrian. While he had struggled to master it, he hadn''t thought Sofiera would be unable to use teleportation.


    It made sense that she might need a beacon; it eliminated the mostplicated part. If you couldn''t envision yournding location, you might die from the attempt. In less extreme cases, losing a limb or two was highly likely.


    On that note, Eldrian was still wearing his prosthetic. It had be a deadly weapon over the past month, thanks to Solvi''s constant tinkering.


    ''My and Ceph''s method of teleportation is more like blinking,'' Eldrian concluded. In the past month, Ceph had also broken through to Tier 5. Naturally, his strength increased exponentially, as did the spells he could wield.


    War certainly made for the finest furnace to improve within. Though death was the more likely oue from its heat.


    The group continued to discuss, throwing out one possibility after the other. In the end, they concluded three main possibilities. Tunnels, siege weapons, or teleportation.


    While thest option was extremely difficult to pull if, it was still a possibility. If the undead somehow managed to sneak someone past the wall and Eldrian''s map. They could then construct a ry and open something akin to a gate.


    Its mana expenditure would be insane, but it was the only form of teleportation that would allow an army to move through quick enough to surprise them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Naturally, the undead simply moving to avoid the walls was also possible. But no such signs had been found by Evale and her scouts.


    ¡ª


    For the following days, the group would meet and discuss things anew. Others would join from time to time, and of course, sometimes some would be absent.


    "They are preparing for a final push." This was the consensus the group came to each time they met. Theck of attacks andck of retreat had to mean the undead were preparing for a final desperate push.


    The question then remained how they nned to w for victory, and whether the group had to y by the rules.


    "We can always retreat once they show their hands." Elizabeth had voiced. The idea had been foul tasting, but it had its merits.


    And so, the day finally came.


    ¡ª


    "It appears they went for siege weapons. Trebuchets, mostly." This was their only option if they wanted to outrange the cannons.


    Magically enhanced and made of high grade items, the trebuchet could im a range between one and three kilometers. Whereas the defensive cannons could only meet one. This was to be expected, after all, cannons were still a new technology. Whereas trebuchets had been used in warfare to outrange magic towers for centuries.


    "Shall we follow the n?" Asked Ceph. Just because one possibility had appeared didn''t mean others couldn''t also be in use. They had to stay on their toes.


    "Let''s. We will start with the physical barrier." Pros replied. Giving the signal for a blue g to be raised. Which was then ryed along the entire wall. A few minutester, a light blue barrier surrounded the walls.


    The fort, sadly, was not included. Its size made it difficult to protect, instead, its magic tower was used to protect the walls only.


    They were covered in an upside down U-shaped barrier. Its height was only three meters above the wall at all points. This was to prevent mana waste. Any attack that would fly over the walls ought to do so.


    A few minutes after the barrier appeared, the first ming boulders were sent flying from the trebuchets. So far in the distance that one would miss theirunch if they didn''t magically enhance their eyes. Tiny little dots of mes rose into the air.


    "I wonder how much ammon they have." This question wasmon throughout the wall. From east to west, the undead had moved in sync like no other army could. Their entire mass dotted thendscape in the distance.


    Their aim, however, was anything but urate. Not knowing the max distance of the cannons, they had ced themselves at their max. This wasn''t uniform, but each trebuchet was at least two kilometers away.


    The ming boulders flew in a massive parab. High into the air as it soared. One, two, three...


    "This is anti-climatic." Eldrian murmured as the seconds ticked by. It was taking ages for the ming boulders toe back down.

 Chapter 897 The Siege Of The Border (3) - Phase 1

    With the ming boulder falling from up high, the group moved to their assigned locations. And as they left the fort, the boulders finallynded.


    As one would expect, most of the ming boulders flew harmlessly over the walls, ornded short of the walls. While the asional boulder connected, the barrier protecting the wall easily prevented any damage.


    The forts, on the other hand, quickly caught ame. Left without a barrier, the boulders were free tond anywhere inside. However, even as the mes spread, the damage was minimal.


    In preparation, most wooden buildings had been removed. Especially near the walls. And while the mes burnt hot, it could not melt stone. Nor could it bring the reinforced walls to a breaking point with just one or two volleys. Dozens would be required to destroy the walls.


    A second volley quickly followed, as if to say the walls would soon crumble. As the ming volley soared high into the air, everyone sprang to action.


    Leaping onto Ceph''s back, Eldrian took off into the sky. On the ground, Vivian raced on Evale''s back, the centaur shooting explosive arrows that soared through the air and opened a path in the undead mass. Which the two leapt through to aim for the trebuchets.


    Before the path could close, a party of elite centaurs followed. Each carrying a mage or archer on their backs. They crashed into the already disorderly undead with overwhelming might. Sending the lower undead flying as they followed after Evale and the carnage she spread.


    From up high, Eldrian and Ceph struck down the boulders near them as the next volley wasunched. Sending the ming stones crashing down into the undead and bringing mes to the horde.


    "There!" Eldrian shouted and leapt off into the sky, thrusting himself downwards with a gust of wind as he brought Crystoi to bear. Pinning an armored vampire to the ground as it trashed at him.


    Taking out a sword that hade from the capital, Eldrian separated the vampire''s head from its shoulders with ease. The de cutting through gorget te protecting its neck with ease. With its heart shattered and head removed, the vampire was killed in less than a second.


    ''Not bad... Tier 8 weapons certainly are something.'' Eldrian thought, moving to dodge the attacks of the surrounding vampires as they recovered from their shock. They were all in full te, some shone in the light hue of Mithril, others were simple steel. None appeared to be adamantine though.


    With that knowledge, Eldrian was confident the de would be able to cut through one and all, given enough force. After all, this group of vampires was a squad of only Tier 5 and 6''s. The Tier 7''s and higher were back at the trebuchets. Spread over the kilometers making up the horde.


    "Get him!" The vampires shouted, and they would certainly have managed if Eldrian was alone. They had reacted before Eldrian''s target''s head had flown and were already bringing their weapons to bear. Spells were forming, and all Eldrian''s routes of retreat were being cut off.


    Dozen of Tier 5 and 6 vampires were too much for Eldrian, especially in closebat. However, there was no rule that said he had to stay where he was.


    As their attacks rained down on Eldrian''s location, he disappeared into the air. And what weed the vampires was the crushing weight of an implosion.


    Manipting the flow of air as if a ck hole had appeared in their center. Cephpressed it until their armor crushed into them, before letting the build up explode by natural phenomena.


    The crushed vampires were sent crashing through their allies. Tearing through them like the human sized bullets they were.


    The devastation was insane, and it immediately drew the attention of the stronger undead. Its scale was such that the undead thought Ceph and Eldrian to be the human''s trump cards. They were also easy to spot thanks to both flying in the air. And an Alicorn and elf certainly seemed capable of being the city''s trump cards.


    Dozen of figured dashed towards them, three of whom flew at speedparable to Ceph before his upgrade to Tier 5.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Those are the Tier 7''s. One vampire, one revenant, and one ghoul." Eldrian calmlymented as he and Ceph dashed into the air. Climbing to five hundred meters in the air before pausing and waiting for their targets.


    The undead approached them without hesitation, crossing the distance separating them in mere seconds. They were extremely confident in their strength and prepared their spells as they flew higher and higher. Ready to strike the duo the instant they entered their range.


    And perfectly timed, Ceph dispelled their flight magic. To an Alicorn, the air was their second home¡ªright after the forest. Despite the many Tiers separating them, Ceph waspletely capable of weakening their flight magic with an anti-flight barrier.


    Flight was aplicated enough spell as it was. Just a slight interference could send one tumbling down to their deaths. Thus, Ceph''s interference worked wonders.


    While their flight spells did not crumble to nothing, the undead lost control. iling in the air as they attempted to fix their spells, all their attacks naturally dissipated into nothing. And it was as they worked to fix their spells that Eldrian moved. Enhancing the effect of gravity around them.


    It had taken him a long time to perfect this spell, and he had only figured it out thanks to his friends. The science was beyond him, but once he had gotten the visual, the rest had followed quite easily.


    Unable to ount for their sudden increase in weight, the undead fell. Their spell nowpletely breaking as the variables they had ounted for no longer held any truth.


    Now, while five hundred meters was a good distance, it would not kill them. However, as they fell, they were easy targets for Evale and the elites following her. In their dash, their aim had changed from the trebuchets to the iling undead. As if this had always been their true target.


    Spells and arrows flew from down below, making pincushions of the undead. And when they finallynded, Vivian rushed them with her cleansing blue mes.


    When that was not enough, Evale was their with her expensive high grade arrows from the capital. Specifically made to kill the undead, each cost several dozen golds, but its damage to even the higher undead made it more than worth it.


    Immediately after, they retreated.


    As fast as they had sortied out, they turned around and escaped before the undead could regroup.


    The original group of armored vampires were the first to attempt to stop them. However, their armor¡ªcrushed due to Ceph''s spell¡ªgreatly limited their mobility. Allowing everyone to safely make it back to the wall as the fifth volley of ming boulders entered the sky.


    "That was insane!" Vivian shouted in tion as they regrouped in one of the gatehouse towers. The asional rumble of the earth sounding from outside as the massive bouldersnded after their long flight.


    "I can''t believe I agreed to the n." Evale said, stunned by the fact that things had worked out so smoothly.


    She had never thought they would be able to take out so many strong yers on their first move. From here on, the undead were sure to be even more wary, but if they were too wary, then they would end up stuck at the wall.


    While the cost of maintaining the barrier was great, with an entire city donating their mana to it, they could manage as long as less than half the boulders made contact.

 Chapter 898 The Siege Of The Border (4) - Testing One Another

    As if knowing Evale''s thoughts, that was just what happened next. The hours quickly passed as the undead flung volley after volley at their walls. Yet, the wall was a small target to hit. Extremely so when considering the distance from which they were firing.


    It seemed impossible that half the ming boulders would make contact. And indeed, if one in ten did, that would have been a shocking feat.


    The ground before and after the wall became littered with the remains of the ming boulders. Thanks to the trenches, no grass stood to be caught ame. Their mes simply smoldered for a while before dying out. Revealing the normal rock beneath.


    "Round two." Eldrian mumbled, again taking flight with Ceph. They rushed high into the sky. Their targets; the ming boulders.


    The two separated after reaching the peak height of the volleys. Eldrian keeping himself afloat with the simplest form of magic he copied from his circlet and cloak. His newly made breastte of brightsteel and slime material allowing Eldrian''s flight magic with less expenditure.


    Waiting in the path of the two boulders, Eldrian struck them both with massive air des. Yet, the stone effortlessly survived the wind attack, only losing some of its mes for a second.


    ''Should have expected that,'' Eldrian thought. Stone was not so weak that a simple wind de would cut it in half. And the boulders were each at least a meter in diameter. They would not shatter with a halfhearted spell.


    Thus, relying on the items from which he had based his flight magic to keep him up high, Eldrian shifted his focus to forming a true Tier 5pound spell.


    Envisioning its structure in all its glory, the air whirled and particles of ice swirled within a contained de just a centimeter in thickness. Sadly, Eldrian had yet to perfect the spell to make the de any thinner. Yet, it would cut most anything. Stone should be no problem.


    Keeping his focus.. that was a massive ask.


    Eldrian held these two des in each hand, though it only appeared so. The des were made of wind and would naturally not be something one could grasp.


    By keeping them close to his body, the focus required was lessened. And mimicking the movement of his limbs made them easier to maneuver.


    Thus, as if holding the two massive des, Eldrian darted through the air. Severing one boulder after the other. Sending their severed ming halves down to the horde below.


    Ceph, on the other hand, simply rammed the boulders¡ªhorn first. Dashing in a zig-zag pattern, the Alicorn brought true carnage down on the undead standing before the trebuchets.


    So much so that the mages, waiting with spells at the ready should the twond, were forced to deploy barriers instead. Else the damage would be too much. The scattered rock falling from up high was enough to destroy bone and crush metal. Letting it fall on the mindless zombies and skeletons would be weing their defeat.


    The undead archers, however, still held their bows at the ready. Guarding for if the two were to ever try anything else. Waiting for the moment Eldrian or Ceph turned their focus downward. They never did.


    As the second volley got disrupted, the undead grew anxious. While Eldrian and Ceph were only destroying a tenth or so of all the boulders being flung, the carnage it would create once the barriers faltered was too much. And the mages were quickly running out of mana.


    If this continued, they would be left empty, carnage would wee the undead below, and the centaurs would have the perfect opportunity to attack.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Yet, none wanted to challenge and Alicorn and his rider in the sky. Smelling another trap, the undead instead stopped their attacks for the day. Too afraid to challenge them in the sky.


    Thus, returning to the wall, the two joined Pros in the fort. "Has everything arrived from the capital?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yes. We finally got them to believe in us." Pros said, his wordsden with a sad sigh.


    It had taken far too long to get the nobles in the capital to fund their defense. The city had no spare funds, and while it seemed simply to ask the king for aid, he had an entire kingdom he had to protect. Kynigo was not the only city under siege.


    Even now, no one would divert any troops to their aid. However, with Pros and Duke Vicar''s support, they finally received enough materials to hold on. The duke had even organized over a hundred Tier 8 and higher items for the city''s defense.


    Eldrian''s new sword was one of these items, as was the ne he wore around his neck. Pros had a simr ne, but he also had a greatsword. The first Tier 10 item Eldrian had ever witnessed. Evale''s new bow was the second, and Sofiera''s new staff the third.


    As for why Eldrian didn''t get a higher Tiered new weapon, the reason was simple. He simply could not wield it to its true potential. Even the sword he was using now was beyond him. He simply used it as a sword, not as a magic item. Wasting something of higher grade on him would have been foolish.


    "Ah, they''ve started firing again." Eldrian noted, the darkening sky illuminated by hundreds of ming boulders, far in the distance. "We''ll be off then."


    Eldrian and Ceph''s task was simple. They were to keep the undead agitated. The duke was waiting in secret nearby for when the lich showed itself, along with his personal bodyguards. If the lich never showed, then the undead would slowly be whittled down.


    While the strain on the city was enormous. With a duke fully supporting them, they were certain to survive. So long as the rest of the kingdom held. That, however, was no guarantee, given everything that was happening.


    ¡ª


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The two sides continually prodding on another. The undead would stop their volleys as soon as Ceph and Eldrian appeared, only to resume them when they went to rest. In a type of tug-of-war, the siege continued.


    Outside of the first day, nothing major happened. A few thousand lower undead were killed, but that hardly made a dent in their numbers. In fact, they appeared to still be growing in size.


    Yet, their barrage had slowed down significantly. From up high, Eldrian watched the undead moving about like ants. Lines had formed from the trebuchets to the forests, as well as the distance mountains further south.


    "Their supply lines are finally out in the open." Eldrianmented, rying the information to those on the ground via messages. Around half an hourter, Evale moved from the west (the right side of the region when facing the undead).


    Wanting to focus their fire, the undead had moved their forces between Pyknos forest and the woonds further east¡ªThe Lost Grove. Long since abandoned because of the effects of the encroaching border, it made an even better home for the undead than Pyknos.


    And between the two, where the Lich had recently moved towards, and what was now their central location where all the supply lines converged, sat a long-lost fort. Its magic tower was disassembled and its walls were riddled with holes, but it was still better than the open fields.

 Chapter 899 The Siege Of The Border (5) - The Undeads Answer

    Evale and her party of elites'' target was not the fort, but rather the snaking supply linesing and going from it.


    From up high, Eldrian and Ceph kept watch as Evale attacked, following the nearest supply line to find where ¡ª inside the forest and woonds ¡ª the undead were getting all the stone.


    By now, it was apparent that the undead were digging tunnels. The amount of stone flung at the border wall was enough to rebuild it twice as tall. It would be for the best if Evale could confirm this and also scout where the tunnels might lead. Even just finding the entrances would enable them to raid with better preparations.


    And as the target of Evale''s sortie was not to do damage but to scout, she retreated quickly after the undead moved to encircle her and those with her.


    Naturally, Eldrian and Ceph''s presence in the air kept the undead honest. Not only did they ry what they saw to the yers apanying Evale, they were also a constant threat.


    On their first day, they had incapacitated one of the elite parties, the vampire knight brigade. And, following that, they had taken out threemanders who had rushed ahead to stop their rampage.


    The loss had been a dear one that made the undead hesitant to face them in the sky. As if to mock their hesitation, the two had gone and cut down their volleys. But worse still was when the two had alighted above the trebuchets and let bombs fall from the sky.


    The first time they had done so, the damage had been massive. Sadly, the undead had been quick to prepare for the next bombardment. Already proficient in blocking attacks from above.


    All this simply meant that the undead couldn''t ignore their presence. Forces capable of dealing both with the dropped bombardment and their rushed attack had to remain on guard.


    Since the two had in threemanders, leaving anyone weaker than amander seemed beyond stupid. As such, Evale found herself chased only by one Tier 8 higher undead and two Tier 7s.


    Indeed, the undead had far more strength to throw around. Yet, these undead were not of outstanding quality. After all, this attack was more the retribution of one lich than that of the entire undead kingdom.


    Those living in thend of undeath, called by the people of Taur ''The Encroaching'', never worked well together. Most who became undead naturally did so through powerful willpower, tearing their souls away passing to meet their dreams.


    They would noty down their lives for others. Liches searched for their magical desires. Draugrs sought to keep their homes safe, bound and strengthened by their ce of second birth. And ghouls... ghouls only sought endless sustenance. Their hunger was a thousand times worse than that of vampires.


    As for vampires. All the vampires in thend of The Encroaching were subordinate to one of the previous three.


    Revenants, on the other hand, were more of errant knights on an endless quest of revenge. While there were several in the army, none of them were naturally urring higher undead.


    They had all been polluted by the magic of others, cursed with undeath. Falling to the curse, only to obey what they had once hated most of all. And while they were powerful, their artificial form of undeath prevented further growth and weed decay with time.


    Thus, while the army had plenty of powerful undead, most of them weren''t as strong as one might think. Their conflict with their nature, their wills fighting with their orders, and their curse weakening when separate from their original masters all weakened them to a certain extent.


    Thus, while those chasing Evale seemed to far outss her, they could not catch her. A few strategic arrows were all that was needed for them to make their escape.


    ¡ª<novelnext></novelnext>


    This game of cat and mouse continued for five days with little progress. While the location of several caves had been found, the undead''s defenses were too much to mount an attack.


    While possible, the dangers were simply too great. Especially with how outnumbered the they were.


    Thus, the damage to both sides was still minimal. And it was on this day that the they found their fearsing true. Counter tunnels dug under the wall with guide of the dwarves saw their use as war broke out beneath the earth.


    For a while, things seemed fine. The defenses and soldiers kept at the ready reacted in time. As Eldrian wanted to rush down to help, he froze. As did Ceph, Pros, and Sofiera. They all turned to the sky, aghast.


    "Get Evale out of the tunnels now!" Pros shouted in a panic, rushing to the front with his new greatsword. It shone with the colors of the rainbow as Pros aimed it towards the heavens. A dome of simr shining light falling over the fort. No, not just the fort. It spread from horizon to horizon.


    Shortly after, the world turned white.


    Sounds of massive explosions echoed from all over as the earth turned into a hellishndscape of fire. Earthquakes throwing many to the ground as a second volley entered the sky.


    Pros'' barrier had prevented annihtion of the wall. However, several locations in the wall had copsed. Thebinations of massive explosion above and tunnels below had caused the earth to give. And with the wall''s copse, the barrier protecting it disappeared.


    Pros, he was nted, exhausted. The drain of creating such a massive barrier was too much for him. He seemed near unconsciousness.


    However, the second volley was the bigger problem. While it pained Eldrian to leave a friend behidn when they could not defend themselves, he knew what he had to prioritize. As he took flight along with Ceph, he sent a flurry of rapid fire messages to the guild and his friends.


    This was clearly the undead''s ultimate attack. However, those boulders, enchanted simrly to cannonballs, were too deadly. They had to retreat from the walls and weather the storm.


    As the two flew into the air, their expressions turned grave. Ceph took his elven form, realizing that this would need finesse, not truth strength. While he felt he could survive one explosion, he would be left unconscious in all likelihood.


    ''The lich is insane,'' Eldrian said to his friend as he flew to the nearest boulder. This time he did not attempt to sh it, no, that was too dangerous. The amount of mana he sensed from the boulder was close to a medium mana crystal. Probably around ten thousand. Three times his own physical capacity.


    That the undead had already fired a hundred, and now a second volley. It was maddening. This show of wealth nearly crushed Eldrian''s will to fight. However, he also saw this as a golden opportunity.


    ''There smaller than the previous boulders. But still toorge to store many,'' Eldrian thought as he ced his right hand, the prosthetic, on the first. Immediately it tried to rip the prosthetic from his arm, and when it held it tried to rip his arm from his shoulder.


    However, that did note to pass. Instead, a material as ck as night covered Eldrian''s right half, moving from his hand to the boulder as it swallowed it whole. Before disappearing the boulder from reality.


    Sadly, Eldrian did not have enough space in his inventory to store more than three or four such boulders. Thus, he released it with a small pang sadness. Seeing it fall to the ground, he considered a great waste.


    ''Hopefully I can recover some of the materials.'' He thought as he repeated the action on the next flying boulder.

 Chapter 900 The Siege Of The Border (6) - The Wall Falls

    Watching Eldrian from the corner of his eyes, Ceph sighed.


    Eldrian called the lich insane, but his approach wasn''t by any means normal. To rip an enchanted, unstable magical boulder from the sky ¡ª at great speed even ¡ª was far from simple or normal. It exploding should be the natural oue.


    Yet, not only did Eldrian manage it, he even threw them into his inventory as casually as picking up pebbles on the ground. Only to them drop them from the sky.


    While the yers'' inventories differed from traditional dimensional storages, Ceph knew it couldn''t be easy. One misstep and it would explode in Eldrian''s face.


    ''The slime material is truly amazing.'' Ceph thought, it was a physical substance that could be formed into any shape given a clear enough image. However, it seemed beyond Ceph to manipte the slime.


    That, however, was to be expected. Unlike humans, mythical creatures such as Alicorns couldn''t bind with magical items. They could wield them just fine, but the weapons and armor would never be a part of them through a soul bond.


    ''And it isn''t just morphable.'' Ceph continued his analysis, all the while sending boulders falling. His approach was simr to Eldrian''s. But instead of throwing the boulders into a dimensional storage to rob them of their momentum, Ceph directed them downward with funnels of wind.


    To aplish this safely, he had to be careful to not cause undue stress to the boulders. Lest whatever acted as their trigger might react.


    Yet, even with all the care in the world, every fifth boulder Ceph sent down exploded sooner than expected. Luckily, Ceph was never in range to be damaged, though the resulting shockwaves always sent him stumbling through the air.


    ''Somehow, it is disrupting the flow of magic.'' Due to how new this slime material was, even Eldrian did not know all its abilities. And Ceph was confident his attempt just now had not been a nned one, but rather something Eldrian had done without clear forethought.


    ''Always so reckless.'' Ceph thought, but could not me his friend. Each boulder they stopped could save dozen of lives.


    ¡ª


    "Pros! Pros, are you okay?" Sofiera asked, rushing forward as he copsed.


    "I-I''m fine. Just... exhausted." Pros said, forcing a smile.


    It had been impossible to absorb the damage from the first volley. All he was able to do was deflect it. While the barrier had appeared dome shaped, it had actually been nted. Deflecting the worst of the explosions away from the wall and towards the earth.


    That had certainly been the right choice, but it had also led to the tunnels dug by the undead copsing. And as the earth started to give, the copsing spread. Even now, more and more of the border wall was falling apart.


    "Can you deflect the next volley?" Pros asked. Luckily, this possibility had been considered.


    While the sheer mass the undead were flinging at them boggled their senses, Eldrian''s Nova spell and the cannons were well understood. That the undead would copy one or the other was to be expected. Especially after a month of warfare.


    "I just need to deflect the st away from the walls, right? I think I can manage that." Sofiera said. Luckily, with Eldrian and Ceph thinning the volley, she would not need to content with a hundred of these explosive boulders. "But if there is another volley¡ª"


    "Don''t worry. The soldiers should be well prepared for this." While drills had been impossible to practice, everyone knew what to do when they received the signal to retreat.


    ¡ª


    ''There charging,'' Eldrian noted, too far from Ceph for his voice to carry the distance. ''We should head back.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Right.'' Ceph''s response came quickly. By now, the second volley was only seconds away from reaching the wall. The two had to retreat or they would be caught in the aftermath.


    As Ceph moved to pick Eldrian up, a massive wall of air appeared over the crumbling wall. A massive tsunami of dirt obscured everyone''s view. However, thissted only for a few seconds. The dirt tsunami was soon sted away as mes flew down towards the ground. It seemed the damage was contained.


    ''I guess it''s finally show time,'' Eldrian said, a slight smile forming as he thought of what was toe. The undead only had to move forward and the jaws of death would im them for a second time. And with them already charging, it seemed things would go as nned.


    ¡ª


    Seeing everyone scrambling from the walls, that had stood in their way for the past month, the undead were filled with glee.


    Those dumb idiots turning in terror to escape from a third volley appeared a delectable meal to the starving undead. Their frustration at the siege having grown greater with each passing day.


    The constant harassment from Evale and her party, and Eldrian and Ceph in the sky, had them burning with the desire to kill.


    Not to mention the strain ofcking proper sustenance over the past month. After all, their army did not contain any living individuals. The Zonthans were the closest, but none of the undead would even think of feasting on them.


    Even the calmer individuals among the undead fell to the bloodthirsty atmosphere. The first to rush past the slow horde of undead were the ghouls, followed closely by the vampires.


    Even the lich finally showed itself. Though it stayed at the back, behind the trebuchets, it appeared confident that they would finally breach through the damnable wall.


    The lich did not even want to think of what troubles wouldy ahead when they reached the city.


    No, it did not want to ept a possibility of a second siege. This war had supposed to only take a week, now more than a month had passed. When it returned home, the lich would be aughingstock.


    It was beyond frustrating, and it wanted to get back to its research. However, the elf that had peaked its curiosity and would not leave its thoughts was right there, in the sky. As if baiting it to move from its safety.


    By all rights the elf should be dead, however, the lich had confirmed he was not. After all, his soul had not passed. Granted, the lich could have been mistaken. But then it had received reports of an elf in Taur. It quickly concluded the elf must be one of the Chosen, and its interests grew even more.


    Oh, how many wonderful truths the elf could reveal to the lich. The mere thought made it almost rush forward, along with the rest of the army. To rush forward without thought of the dangers.


    It only barely kept itself contained. Knowing that an opponent that could actually pose a threat was hiding and waiting for it to make a mistake. It was not about to lose sight of the danger the war contained. To die here would be beyond humiliating.


    While the lich felt confident in its phrchy''s safety, it still felt danger from that individual. Like he had a method to attack the soul directly.


    Yet, even with that danger present, the lich could not help but think of all the things it would do to the elf.


    That he would not die made the lich all the more thrilled. It was truly curious what type of soul the elf had, how could the Chosen resurrect, and how had this one measly elf killed three of hismanders? Not to mention everything that had happened in its city.


    Oh, the many answers that awaited it!

 Chapter 901 The Siege Of The Border (7) - Cephs Duel

    "Move, move faster!" Elizabeth shouted, directing the wounded to fall further back while those with only minor injured were to reform behind the wall.


    "That was a close call." Therdul grumbled, crawling out of one of the copsed mines. Seeing him, Elizabeth threw him a heal so he could continue on. They needed all the yers at the ready. After all, the cannons were in their inventories.


    "Get your ass over there!" Elizabeth shouted, throwing her thumb to her back. Two hundred meters behind the wall, the soldiers were forming into a line. It was a race against the time. Every second counted.


    "Right!" Therdul shouted in turn, sprinting to find a spot not too far, but not too close to any other yers. They had to spread the cannons evenly through the defensive formation. After all, it was stretched over multiple kilometers.


    "Let''s pray they fall for it." He mumbled, looking over his shoulder at the cloud of dust being kicked into the sky. Reforming the line instead of fully falling back was a gamble. However, to outrun the undead was no easy feat.


    ¡ª


    Thousands upon thousands of undead, from vampires to the lowliest skeletons, rushed over the remains of the border wall. The copsed ground made the terrain difficult to traverse, causing the gap between the ghouls and the others to stretch even further.


    And as they arrived on the other sides, a neat and orderly line of soldiers were waiting. Cannons at the ready. The first volley killed or injured nearly all the ghouls, the strongest among them dashed forward. Aiming to open a hole for the others to follow.


    By all rights, they should have realized the foolishness of their actions. With just a dozen left able to move, there was no way they could face thousands. Yet, their hunger clouded their judgement.


    During the siege, they had been forced to eat only scraps. With a hearty living meal before them, any rationality they had disappeared into the sky.


    And as one might expect, they fell short. Dozens of holy spells rained down upon them. Destroying the curse that kept them animated. A fewsted longer, the spells seemingly less effective. Until their body turned to ash just as they reached the line. Their venom covered ws just meters away from ripping into flesh and metal alike.


    Seeing this, the vampires halted. Yet the tide of the skeletons and zombies behind them could not be stopped so easily. Forced to move or be crushed by the mix of humanoids, monsters, and animals, the vampires did their best as a second volley of cannon fire erupted.


    Surviving, they hoped to use the time needed to reload to dash forward. s, that was when Eldriannded. Their surroundings seemed to thicken, and blue mes sprang to life in their midst. ughtering all who couldn''t outss him or Vivian in pure stats.


    The captains, capable of contending, found themselves facing Ceph or Evale.


    ¡ª


    Holding his twin daggers in an x-shape, Ceph weathered the blow from the vampire he faced. After only a few shes, he could confidently say the vampire was on Levana''s level. That, however, was no longer a problem for Ceph.


    After reaching Tier 5, his abilities had soared. Thus, even the full-blown attack from the Tier 6 vampires did not cause him to falter. Locking the vampire''s de between his daggers, Ceph fired a burst of wind bullets at its torso.


    Unable to fall back, lest it lose its only weapon, the vampire thought to weather the damage. Sadly for it, Ceph was far stronger than it could imagine. As the bullets of air tore into its flesh, they suddenly expanded and ignited.


    With a leap, Ceph took flight to avoid the burst of gore. The vampire turning into pieces of flesh scattered across the battlefield.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ng!


    "Are you that elf?" Ceph''s new opponent asked. A quick Observe told him that this one was Tier 7, her name: Clementine. She would be an urate test for his newly acquired strength.


    "Which elf?" Ceph asked, throwing his second dagger at the vampire''s heart. Flying to the side, she easily avoided the attack. Yet, as she turned to attack, she stumbled.


    "I guess you''re the other one." She mumbled, epting her aerial defeat as she used the leftovers of her spell tond safety and dodge the dagger chasing her like an incessant bug.


    Their sh was interrupted as several spells came flying at her. Taking a gamble between the flying dagger and the spells, Clementine dashed towards the dagger. Hand stretched out to grab it before it could do her any harm.


    "Bad move." Ceph mumbled, the dagger suddenly retreating. Reced by a solid wall of air that she ran into face first.


    Tears filled her eyes as her broken nose quickly repaired itself. Despite the dire situation she found herself in, Clementine smiled. She shed Ceph a grin before shrouding herself in darkness.


    ''Is this the same move as Levana?'' Ceph wondered. Taking his distance to observe its effects. ''No, it''s weathering the storm, but not consuming the spells.''


    Relieved, Ceph dashed forward. His dagger blocked by an elegant rapier. Her strikes came at him faster than his body could react. He only barely made out the strikes with his eyes. Realizing that some were bound to hit unless he retreated, Ceph dove forward.


    "You''re insane!" Clementine shouted as her rapier thrust through Ceph''s shoulder. His left arm falling numb. Yet, his dagger pierced her side.


    Trying her best to disengage, Clementine pulled back. Yet Ceph pushed forward. It was as a second round of spells arrived that she realized his n. "Truly insane." She breathed, shing Ceph another smile as she suddenly moved closer.


    ''Shit!'' Her fangs arrived at Ceph''s neck in the blink of an eye. He had barely enough time to realize her n. Yet he did not wish to reveal his cards so soon. Sadly, she was too fast for him in his elven form.


    As the spells arrived and her fangs ready to im their trophy, Ceph changed back into his true form. Her rapier ripping through him as he transformed, pain seared his mind. Luckily, her fangs missed its target. His neck was no longer where it was a second ago.


    Yet, she still had him close by, and the spells flying at them would not do her nowhere near enough damage to mean anything.


    Indeed, while the spellsnded. Of holy and fire element tore into her, she only grit her teeth as she moved her rapier about. Every movement sending shes of pain through Ceph''s mind. She seemed intent on closing the distance now.


    However, the spells had bought Ceph the time he needed. Throwing his neck at her, she was forced to dodge or have his horn tear through her. And as she leaped back, Ceph jumped to the side and took flight.


    ''Engaging her in closebat was dumb. What was I thinking? Eldrian''s rubbing off on me,'' Ceph thought as he took to the sky, keeping Clementine pinned with a barrage of spells.


    Killing her would be nice, but he only needed to keep her pinned until the others coulde to help. Luckily, she seemed fixated enough on him now. She shouldn''t drag others into their battle, at least not immediately.

 Chapter 902 The Siege Of The Border (8) - The Trap Closes

    Clementine had been caught by surprise. The elf she had fought turned out to be an alicorn.


    Masters of wind and nature, but talented in all elements. She had no hope of matching it in aerialbat, even with her advantage in strength. The natural affinity of a mythical creature was not so easily ovee.


    Yet, the alicorn had attempted to contest her not where its strengthy, but with daggers, in an eleven form. Not only did transforming weaken them, to then even ignore its strengths.


    Clementine had to admit; she felt underestimated. Especially since he had pushed close, as if trying to overwhelm her with his strength or skill. Neither of which he could best her in while transformed.


    Once the smell of his blood entered her nostrils, Clementine lost sight of her surroundings. It was so rich, so captivating. Instead of focusing on killing her target, she aimed for his blood.


    Yet, the tasty meals she expected eluded her as more blood filled the air. It drove her mad. A month of living of scant rations and now this. Her eyes turned red and all she could see was the alicorn in the sky.


    Dashing into the sky, Clementine attempted to reach her prey. Only to be mercilessly thrown back down to the earth. After the first two times, what weed her was not just ground, but spikes of hardened rock. Yet, she tore her body from the spike and flew again and again at Ceph in a mad rage.


    After the tenth plus time, Clementine finally faltered. As she pulled herself from the spikes impaling her entire body, she fell to the ground. Spikes, yet again, piercing her hands and legs.


    "Vampires sure are tough." Ceph mumbled, keeping his distance as he watched her struggling to stand.


    Her sanity seemed to be returning to her, which would make her a more difficult foe. While the idea of ending her life somewhat weighed on Ceph''s mind, he did not wish to give her a chance to hurt him or those on his side.


    With a sigh, Ceph prepared to end the vampire. Readying his killer move, he shot dozens of air bullets forth. "Incinerating bullets." He muttered, expecting the bullets to pierce Clementine and turn her into a puddle of gore.


    Instead, another vampire rushed over. Pulling her from the spikes and running into the horde of skeletons and zombies to take cover. Naturally, Ceph''s attack followed. But the lower undead were the perfect bullet sponges. While the explosions killed dozens, the vampires got away.


    "My bad, sorry about that Ceph." Evale said, arriving just as Ceph''s spell ended.


    She was clearly tired, and while her wounds did not appear life threatening, Ceph still threw a heal at her. Remembering as he did that he still had arge bleeding wound on his right side. Which he quickly closed with magic. It would take some time to repair the damage. Transforming while a sword was piercing him... it had certainly caused him a great deal of damage.


    "It''s no matter. We only need to push them back." Ceph replied, ignoring the pain he was in as he turned his focus to the remaining undead.


    Their assignment left Evale without a frontliner. As an archer, she had to keep her distance from her targets. Asking her to pin and kill a vampire equal to her TIer wasn''t realistic. Not when she couldn''t rely on her strongest arrows.


    Those created to kill the undead were effective, but vampires were among the undead they worked the least effective against. Like Zonthans, true vampires weren''t truly undead. Their lives were something of a mix of undeath and living.


    While such an enchanted arrow would severely wound the vampire, and indeed hers had, it would not kill it unless she pierced its heart or brain. As for her other arrows, their aftermath was too great to use in a melee.


    As Evale watched the vampires escape, even going so far as to kill the lower undead in their way, she could not help but think back to when her brother was still alive.<novelnext></novelnext>


    This problem was caused by her reliance on him. While a long time had passed, she had yet to fix her style. She still relied on someone covering for her.


    "Let''s help with the cleanup." Ceph said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "They seem to be organizing. Shouldn''t be long before they attack with the trebuchets again."


    ¡ª


    Seeing their charge stopped, and many of the deadliest undead fall likemon rabble, the lich was gripped with fear. It quickly sent orders to take the wall and only the wall. It hoped to use the kingdom''s defenses against it, to fling attacks past the wall into the army standing in its way.


    It thought this idea was brilliant. The idea of turning what had been a torn in its side for months against the very ones who had created it. It was positively masterful.


    Yet, even that joy did notst long. As the undead moved to upy the wall, its fragility was shown. Cannons opened fire, ripping through the wall with ease. Without the formation magic to strengthen it and the barrier to protect it, it was just some stacked stone and wood.


    Even normal cannonball could rip through it, not to mention magically enhanced ones that exploded upon contact¡ªor a few seconds after. The results were thousands of dead skeletons and zombies, with a good amount of Unwilling and even some higher undead in the mix.


    A bloodbath that amounted to more losses than the entire past month of sieging.


    Seeing this, the lich finally thought it was about time to retreat. While there were still some strongmanders and captains under itsmand, it no longer had a clear numerical advantage.


    Knowing this, the kingdom suddenly moved. Having turtled for the past month, seeing their entire force taking charge was beyond the lich''s imagination. And among them, there seemed to be far morepetent fighters than before. Short ones.


    ''Wait, are those dwarves? d in ck... There¡ª!'' Just as the dots connected, the lich tried to teleport away. s, its mana dissipated into nothing. Next, it tried to fly. While it managed, a force was slowing it.


    "Ah, another lich." Hrothgar mumbled. It had taken some time to finish their business at home in the Ganalin mountains. Luckily, they had arrived on time.


    Honestly, they had arrived five days ago, but Pros had asked them to wait. Wanting the soldiers to feel the victory well fought. While not everything had gone as nned, the oue was sure to be splendid once the dust settled.


    "Who are you!" The lich cried, shocked when it felt its connection to its phctery weakened. It finally noticed the magic barrier surrounding their entire army. "How did you?"


    "Yeah, I''m not going to exin anything to ya." Hrothgar said, bringing his axe to bear. The lich desperately summoned a sword, yet the impact sent it deep into the ground. "But I gotta say, that kid''s amazing. This spell is crazy effective."


    Far in the distance, Eldrian and Elizabeth were high in the magic tower of Pyknos fort. The forming spreading a magic spell through the tower across the entire battlefield, thetter a holy spell.


    Both were already sweating severely. The scale of their spells were simply too much for mere Tier 5''s to handle for longer than a few seconds. Eldrian''s load was especially heavy, seeing as Elizabeth was piggybacking on his spell.

 Chapter 903 The Siege Of The Border (9) - The Lichs Death

    The lich recovered as quickly as its skeletal frame could muster, which was not even as fast as Ceph. Still, it scrambled to its feet quicker than Eldrian would have been able, stopping the followup attack from the dwarf with multiple barrier. A number of which shattered with the single strike.


    "It is not honorable to attack one who is unprepared." The lich huffed, dusting its robes as it as it scouted for the source of magic preventing it from teleporting away.


    "I thought you said you would end the fight in one hit." Said the source, Duke Vicar.


    He appeared in a full set of mithril steel. His appearance seemed to beckon him a knight, but his primary focus was magic. As told by the staff in his hands. He had gone to recover it from Sofiera, who had been drained of all her mana to deflect the exploding boulders.


    As such, the strongest defensive ability of the staff was on cooldown. But with Hrothgar here, the duke did not need to worry. It would be a miracle if the lich escaped from the abyssal armored dwarf. The armor wasn''t the stuff of legends for nothing.


    Still, it was imperative that the duke prevented the lich from teleporting away. Hrothgar was absolutely terrible in magic, even the armor could not cover this ring w of his.


    Luckily, while the lich was better at magic than the duke, it had to fight to stay alive. Most of its focus was thus to keep Hrothgar''s axe from its skeletal frame.


    "Yeah, sorry about that." Hrothgar replied, bringing his axe to bear once again. Ripping through the barriers the lich ced in its way, after the fifth, the axe came to a standstill.


    Ss the Hrothgar moved to pull it back to swing again, the lich entrapped it with a mix of dark and ether magic. His spells took on the form of grasping hands, pulling at both the axe and Hrothgar.


    "Humph!" With a snort, Hrothgar pulled his axe free. Ripping the spell to shreds as he attacked again.


    ''Is he a monster?!'' The lich questioned, unable to believe the strength behind the dwarf''s attacks. Realizing it was impossible to subdue the dwarf, it tried to attack the seemingly defenseless duke.


    Only to find its spells quickly dispelled. Only able to put so much focus into them, lest he be cut asunder by the dwarf''s dark axe, the lich found itself cornered like never before.


    ''If they had this much strength, what was the point of letting the siege drag!?'' The lich cried. While the duke had shown himself before, and he was the very reason the lich had been careful till now, the dwarf hade out of nowhere.


    The lich had been prepared to deal with the duke. It knew it would need to if it wanted to win the battle. But this dwarf. He was a massive problem. And being caught off guard had thrown all the lich''s ns into the air.


    ''Where they buying time? Or was there something more to it?'' The lich pondered as it used vast quantities of mana to keep itself alive.


    Its thoughts, however, were not helping it one bit. When the ridiculous idea that they had used his undead to train their soldiers entered the lich''s head, it finally snapped.


    "Don''t underestimate me!" It shouted, sending a massive shockwave of mana through the area. It did nothing to the two it faced. Every single undead the shockwave reached, however, copsed like puppets whose strings have been cut.


    ''It''s gathering the curses... and perhaps the souls?'' The duke pondered, fearful what the shockwave might do to the living once it reached them. It had rattled him, but his defenses had prevented it from doing much more.


    Unfortunately, the duke could not stop the shockwave without letting his guard slip, which was likely what the lich wanted. Hoping it would not be capable of killing many, the duke joined the attack. Not wishing to give the lich more time to use its dark magic.


    That seemed to be the right call as a dark miasma started to gather. Like a curse being given life, it smoldered and formed a cloud of hatred above the battlefield. Its presence gave both the duke and Hrothgar a terrible feeling.


    They knew not what it was, but only that it was dangerous. Their instincts as battle veterans screamed this through their spines.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "This is why I hate the undead." Hrothgar mumbled, readying his next strike. His axe shining with a golden hue, hiding the dark metal below as it glowed, as if blessed by an angle.


    Sensing that the hit would kill it, the lich could not wait for the miasma to fully form. Taking flight, as clumsy as it was, thanks to the duke''s interference. The lich opened some space, which it filled with barriers and all manner of spells. Hoping only to buy the time it needed for the miasma to reach the dwarf.


    However, it never expected a random sword toe flying at it. Its entire focus was on the dwarf and duke. The sword came from its blind spot and robbed it of its right arm and the staff it held. Desperate, the lich moved to catch it, only to find the gleaming axe bearing into its skull.


    A searing hell poured into its very soul. Tearing it to shreds, the enchantment on the axe was no mere light magic. It was of the divine element, and it tore through the lich''s very being.


    Its world turned white as its mind was torn asunder by the enchantment. Even its escape in its phctery was not possible. The attack tore through its very soul. Annihting it on the spot.


    So thorough was the annihtion, that the lich''s lifeforce did not even dissipate. It had been incinerated on the spot. Leaving not a single speck of the lich''s life behind.


    The same held true for its bones and robe. The only thing it left behind was its staff and ring.


    ¡ª


    "You really had to get involved, didn''t you?" Elizabeth asked, hunched over, nearly copsed. The fight had onlysted a few seconds, but that had left her beyond tired. She felt like she was going to faint.


    "Of course I had to. For Two." Eldrian replied, looking at the XP notification with great relief. He, too, had been fearful of the growing miasmic cloud. It still seemed dangerous, but at least it was no longer moving with purpose.


    The lich was perhaps not the one to kill Two, but Eldrian had dearly wanted to have a hand in its demise.


    The loneliness wouldn''t go away from this, but he finally felt like had truly avenged Two. While Eldrian would have loved to have done it on his own, there was no way he could have managed that. Not even a Mov Crystal ignited through wrath had killed it.


    The XP reward was insane. And with it came a handy title that made Eldrian truly feel like had contributed.


    [Lich, Eqox killed. Kill contribution reward: 34B XP]


    [Congrattions, you have reached level 46]


    [Title: Lich yer, acquired.]


    [Title: Curse Breaker, Devil''s Bane, and Lich yer have been acquired. Prerequisites met to upgrade Title: Hero.]


    [Title: Hero, upgraded.]


    [Title: Iroas gained.]

 Chapter 904 Gift Of Iroas

    [Title: Iroas]


    [A title bestowed upon those who have proven themselves not just willing to be a hero, but capable....]


    Reading the title description, Eldrian struggled to ept its words at their face value. He did not consider himself a hero, and while having a hand in the lich''s death had been a great release for his pent up frustration, hatred, and other emotions. It did not change his current situation.


    Heck, Eldrian even had some evil-ish titles. Maniptor of Chaos certainly didn''t sound heroic. Nor did Sharer of Wrath.


    While Eldrian didn''t agree with its description, that didn''t mean he didn''t appreciate the handy ability that came with it. Normally, title rewarded abilities were vague in use and mostly useless. Scour of undeath had been the only one Eldrian had really used.


    Then again, they were all passive abilities. ''I wonder how this works, and how the AI agreed to let this one through?'' Eldrian mumbled as he re-read the ability exnation.


    Somehow finding the answer to his question, despite it not being exined anywhere. He simply had to look for an answer, and if it was within his capabilities to fathom, he would. ''So strange.''


    [Recognized by the gods and heroes past, you have been gifted The Gift of Iroas]


    ''What is with the name Iroas? Why is it the upgraded name for the hero title?'' While Eldrian was curious, he did not let his thoughts wander.


    [Gift of Iroas]


    [Grants greater insight into the mysteries of the world.]


    Considering that the gods have always been so adamant to keep the truth of magic from Miracle, that this ability could reveal those mysteries seemed strange to Eldrian. ''Is this a trap? Or is this an olive branch?'' Eldrian pondered.


    Sadly, this, and why hero title upgraded into Iroas seemed to be past the ability to fathom. Almost certainly because hecked information on both.


    ''Already seemingly a bitcking... Let''s test it out with something easier.''


    To test the ability out was quite simple. All he had to do was think. ''It is perhaps toote to think about this... but why can just thinking aplish so much? The entire yer system is attached to it, even.''


    ''Nah, the answer''s simple, isn''t it?'' Came an immediate answer in Eldrian''s mind. ''Magic is done through thoughts. Our thoughts influence our lifeforce, and that can probably be detected, and the thoughts analyzed. Besides, the headsets monitored brainwaves, didn''t they? Mix the two, and bingo.''


    "Huh." Eldrian mumbled, stunned by the rity of the answer. While there were some doubts about how the AI detected thoughts, especially how lifeforce was mixed into everything, the answer seemed clear enough.


    That was, until he thought some more. It seemed to be even simpler and clearer as he did. The obtuseplexity Eldrian had been staring at disappearing as if he had never been stuck pondering it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Actually, it shouldn''t even be that hard,'' his thoughts continued. ''The question is how thoughts can be detected and used to bring up the interface. Then it is simple. Just like magic, an image needs to be created to aplish this task.''


    ''I do remember that I struggled a bit back at the start. But after a few tries, I seeded. The same held for our inventory. Then... the answer is simple. We had to learn how to let our thoughts be clear enough for the system to recognize.''


    This seemed totally obvious thinking back, but Eldrian had never really considered how the interface worked. He always assumed it had to be some high-level magic.


    ''But no, it is simply our thoughts being given magical form. Just like how we¡ªwell, I form a spell... Most yers don''t go far enough.'' Suddenly realizing why everyone struggles so much with magic, Eldrian felt likeughing.


    Elizabeth, who had finally recovered enough to stand without hunching over her knees, looked at Eldrian quizzically. He appeared to be having an epiphany, but it was a rather long one. ''He normally only gets like that for a few seconds, but it''s been half a minute already.''


    ''Feeling mana is one of the problems, but visualization is the other. The higher your Tier, the harder it is. That is why Zamia warned me of advancing too fast. Why I needed to make a stable foundation.'' It was all so clear now.


    ''Huh... It isn''t that I didn''t understand all this, I just never realized. I never quite connected all the dots like this. Then?'' Wishing to test this ''Gift'' on a more troublesome question, Eldrian pondered why he was struggling so much with mastering his auras.


    ''My problem is the same. And I amcking in both areas. I have a feel, but not a good enough one for what it feels like to channel lifeforce. Wrath is heated, rageful. The emotions are clear to me, but what they conceal isn''t.''


    Stunned, Eldrian couldn''t believe his problem was that he was stuck only feeling the emotions. ''No, but I have recently felt lifeforce itself. I have!'' He argued against himself. His training with Brazen and Jade was still clear in his mind.


    ''And, at the city... Right, I lost myself to rage because that was what I associate it with. But it is not the true core of wrath. What of tranquility then?''


    Diving deeper into the subject, Eldrian continued frozen like that for nearly five minutes. When he finally came out of his thoughts, he smiled at the worried Elizabeth. "You know, I just realized I can split my consciousness into multiple threads."


    "Huh? Oh you mean like make more Two''s?" Elizabeth asked, a second toote to stop the question. Grimacing, she looked worriedly at Eldrian.


    "Yes, and no. The difference would be actually giving them life. As long as I don''t split off a part of my soul, it won''t be a second consciousness." Eldrian replied.


    While the loneliness without Two was unbearable at times, he didn''t want to simply rece Two with a clone or copy. It would in all likelihood be the better approach, but Eldrian felt he had overly relied on his second consciousness. He now understood exactly why Skepsi had called Two an ''identity''.


    "But first, we should go help them, shouldn''t we?" Eldrian asked, pointing to the chaotic scene past the walls. With the lich dead, the undead were scattering. Well, those capable of thought were.


    The lower undead were continuing their attack like nothing happened. Which made hunting the more dangerous and stronger undead all the harder for the poor soldiers on the front.

 Chapter 905 An Update Announced

    The cleanup took a couple of days. With the soldiers working on killing the lower undead safely, while the captains and stronger individuals hunted down the more dangerous undead. The Chosen took great joy in the hunt, hoping for a treasured find as they ran after the undead like madmen.


    By the end, the area finally returned to what it previously was like. Yet, the city couldn''t rx just yet.


    While tired, the soldiers got to work to repairing the walls. Thanks to the copsed tunnels, this proved extremely arduous. Luckily, there were tons of massive stone boulders around. Some cracked, some rubble, some whole.


    With the Chosen working to help move the rocks, or pieced thereof, to where they were needed, things moved smoothly. Their inventory truly was almighty.


    It was as everyone was making great progress that a shocking announcement filled all the yers'' minds.


    ANW was getting a new update.


    ¡ª


    "That is the gist of it." Eldrian concluded, having just finished exining the update to Pros. Other than the mayor of Kynigo, Myropsis, Vivian, Ceph, and Elizabeth were also present. A private gathering of most of those in the know, in Eldrian''s estate.


    "How long is it going to take?" Pros asked. The update, as Eldrian put it, sounded extremely useful for their defense. However, it really hammered home that his world is artificial. And so did Elizabeth''s next words.


    "It is said to take five days. However..." She paused, "ording to Miracle, no time will pass in the game. Which means..."


    "So..." Myropsis tried but failed to contain her shock. "Our time will be frozen?"


    "Man, that really hits it home, hey, Myropsis?" Pros said, sinking into his chair even further. "What should we tell the duke and Hrothgar?"


    "It is best if we say nothing." Vivian answered. "It''s hard epting... and it adds needless stress."


    "Do you wish I never told you?" Eldrian asked.


    Vivian did not reply immediately. "I won''t lie. It was hard to ept. Still is."


    Not wishing to push any further, Eldrian focused on their more immediate problems. The update would happen in three days, before then they still had a lot to do.


    The wall repairs wereing along, albeit slower than they wanted. But that was to be expected. They were rebuilding it as a full stone wall. Even expanding it to the lost fort where the undead had made their camp.


    "We''ll have to be careful, but I do hope we can include the Watch fort into our walls." Eldrian said, looking at his map as he did. If they could reim it, then they might even prevent Pyknos from being used by the undead ever again.


    ''Though its corruption is a problem? But perhaps my new power can enlighten me on it and how to get rid of it? That is... if the update doesn''t make it a dungeon.''


    "The old Watch?" Pros asked, his interest peaked. "We abandoned it early on. Do you really think we can reim it?"


    "Have you forgotten what we just exined about the update?" Eldrian asked.


    "Ah... I see. Yes, if we hand its management to your guild, you can repair it through the help of the gods..." Pausing there, Pros seemed troubled. "It seems I am struggling to believe in them as I once did." He mumbled, only loud enough for Myropsis, who was seated next to him, to hear.


    She nodded in agreement. While the gods were powerful, learning that they were ordered around like ves was a revtion that stole much of their divine image from their hearts.


    Sure, they could still strike down an entire empire... Actually, that was more than enough to keep Myropsis'' thoughts from wandering further. It was truly best to be on good terms with the gods.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It seems Pros had the same conclusion.


    "Well, let''s not keep the duke waiting any longer." With that, the group headed to the manor. Having made a brief stop at Eldrian''s estate to hear the urgent news from the Chosen.


    ¡ª


    "Ah, there you are." Duke Vicar smiled as the group arrived at the manor. They all seemed quite haggard. Unlike himself and the dwarf next to him, both enjoying some tea and refreshments in the manor''s garden. "How has the cleanup been going?"


    "We''ve killed nearly all the undead who didn''t run. The wall is also progressing smoothly." Pros smiled. "Thank you for your support, and the soldiers you brought with you. They have been of great help."


    "Of course. No sense in them guarding my estate when nothing''s even near to put it in danger." The duke replied, turning his sights to Myropsis.


    Had she not refused to return home, and even insisted she would fight on the wall, the duke wouldn''t have gone out of his way. Sure, he was d they had prevailed, but the dangers had been ever present.


    ''Then again, we need to stop running and abandoning our cities at some point. If we''re hemmed into just the capital and ducal regions, then only death awaits us.'' Yet, despite knowing this, it was hard to go to the front when you knew you could safely survive at home.


    "And Hrothgar, I must truly thank you for your help." Pros said, turning to the dwarf. Like always, he was in his full armament. te armor of the darkest color. "Without your assistance, the miasma cloud the lich had summoned would have caused us great stress."


    "Wasn''t me who did anything. I just lent that young one my axe." The dwarf replied, looking at Eldrian. "How did you know that would work?"


    "I have some experience with miasmas and... things rted to necromancy." The topic was ouwed in the empire, so Eldrian was perhaps the most knowledgeable on it at this point.


    "That right? Want toe help us in Ganalin? We''ve got plenty of pesky undead there, too."


    "Perhaps once we''ve secured the kingdom''s safety." Eldrian replied.


    "Pros, that reminds me." Said the duke. "Once you''ve repaired the wall, I expect your help in the East. Since your lot is experienced with the undead, perhaps you can save Navedan and Tripeak?"


    "How is the situation in Tripeak?" Pros asked.


    "Thanks to the empire''s support, it hasn''t fallen. But the reports say that the city is in ruins. They only have a few weeks left at most. And the area around Nevadan has been slowly corrupted. In fact, it is even nearing Verest."


    Raising an eye in surprise, Pros asked, "How close to Verleuo is the corruption?" Because of the siege, Pros could not keep up to date with the happenings of the rest of the kingdom.


    "Reached theke, but not quite at the river." The duke replied.


    Hearing this, Pros sighed. And Eldrian understood why. Looking at his map, this meant that the undead had corrupted almost as muchnd as the orcs had raised. Should Tripeak and Navedan fall, they would actually reach the same size. The encroaching was doing just that, encroaching on their fertilends.


    "Would you ept us preparing our defenses first? I would like to further expand the wall alongside the Verleuoke. We''ve never used it for fishing because of the monsters inhabiting it." Pros paused. "Should they be undead and spill forth..."


    "I understand your concern, but if you do not move quick¡ª"


    "What about you, Duke Vicar?" Eldrian asked, interrupting the duke. "Surely you can offer more aid than us. Kynigo needs time to breathe. Why not send reinforcements from Taurtania? Why ask a depleted city to send exhausted soldiers?"

 Chapter 906 Talk With The Duke

    "If only it were that simple." The duke said. "But do not misunderstand me. I understand the plight of the city and am not asking for an army."


    "Then?" Eldrian pondered.


    "We''ve already sent all soldiers we could spare to the east to help. Verest invested its might into Navedan, and Tripeak is being supported by Taurtania and Njired. While it is true that our numbers arecking, our biggest holdout is theck of cannons."


    "Cannons?"


    "Yes. Sending unqualified soldiers to the front will only bolster the undead''s numbers. However, even a soldier wet behind the ears can man a cannon and kill an Unwilling, or even Higher undead."


    "But that is not all you''re asking." Pros interrupted. "Eldrian, what he really wants is you and those from your guild."


    "Huh?"


    The duke took over exining again. "While there are almost five thousand Chosen, along with their imperialmander in the East, their efforts are sorelyckingpared to Phoenix''s contributions."


    "Oh! Right!" mming her hand in her palm, Elizabeth suddenly recalled that the yers whoe to support the kingdom of Taurus had split into two groups.


    The group they had met, and absorbed a fair number of said guild into themselves in the North, when helping at Elomir. The other had gone to the East to face the undead there.


    "Thanks to your influence in the North, the guilds there havee to understand that helping in logistics is of far greater aid than them charging to die in battle." The duke continued.


    "Those in the East, sadly, are having a hard time understanding this. And each time they die, they''re growing weaker and bolstering the undead''s numbers."


    "But if that is all, why ask Pros for support?" Eldrian asked.


    "Of course, I do not simply want the Chosen''s assistance alone. I also want a few captains knowledgeable in both the cannons and undead. I would love to ask Evale toe, but I understand that she is crucial to the defense of the city."


    "What of me?" Myropsis asked.


    The duke turned to his daughter, worry clear in his eyes. "I would prefer you stay here or rest at home. However... I understand that you cannot agree with sitting back."


    "So..." Eldrian cut in again. "If I am getting this right, you want some elites to bolster the two cities?"


    "Yes. Ideally, we can find some candidates experienced in defense, and some experienced in raiding the undead. Ideally, we can form a group that is capable, but not strong enough to draw the attention of thosemanding the undead horde."


    ''Mmm, I don''t think I fall into that category,'' Eldrian thought, recalling all the times he had done exactly that. Drawing the ire of the enemymander or someone too strong for him to face. By now, it was a tale as old as time to Eldrian.


    "However, there are a few things going for us in the East." The duke continued. "They''ve held out until now, thanks to themanders in the cities. Unlike what happened here, over there the number disadvantage is only at the lower ranks."


    ¡ª<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wandering the streets, Eldrian found the jubnt atmosphere most rxing. While soldiers were hard at work to repair the border wall, and many citizens had gone to help, that did not dampen the mood of victory filling the city.


    Children were running around ying, injured, retired, and resting soldiers were drinking along with the citizens, and in general, it felt like the city was holding a festival. This was certainly mostly because casualties had been shockingly low.


    "Tomorrow, we''ll go and hunt down some of the undead that escaped!"


    Hearing the boasting that the adventurers were doing, Eldrian shook his head in amusement. They had yed their part well during the siege. Filling the holes that soldiers could not, and many citizens had evene forward with their own weapons to offer support. Though, the quality of their weapons had been such that the guild had been forced to supply them with better items.


    "This really makes it feel like it had all been worth it." Eldrian mumbled, smiling as he reached his estate. Greeting the girls who dutifully worked to keep the ce clean, Eldrian headed to his study.


    "Aspen, how are our funds doing?" Eldrian asked, having asked Maia to fetch his trusty retainer.


    "There are no problems. We have started to turn a profit with the medicinal herbs we are cultivating." The wolfkin replied. "One of the girls, Rina, the foxkin, had even shown some promise as an alchemist."


    "I see." Eldrian smiled, taking out the ring the duke had given him near the end of their meeting. His reward in assisting with killing the lich. Inside was quite a treasure trove. The duke had taken anything he considered dangerous, but he had left the mountain of gold and crystals.


    ''It is sad that he took the death crystals, but this wille in handy with the new update,'' Eldrian thought.


    Taking out a three thousand gold, Eldrian instructed Aspen. "Please use this to gather as much rank two metals as possible. I won''t be picky with what we can get, but I want as many as possible. With what is left, I would like elemental crystals."


    "What is your n, sir?" The wolfkin asked, taking out a bag to put the mountain of gold inside.


    "It is about time I gather some real funds." Eldrian replied. "Please notify Solvi that I wish to visit the smithy and make some items in two days. I also wish to update the dark slime items we''ve made."


    Bowing, the wolfkin with snow white fur left Eldrian''s office. Soon after, Maia brought him some fresh fruit juice infused with some calming herbs from the garden. Thanking her, Eldrian turned his attention to the update.


    ''Now, what are your ns?'' He asked. The n was, honestly, not something he thought Miracle would ever do with what he understood of their ns. ''Helping the yers in such a way... didn''t it run counter to their ns?''


    The update was, honestly, massive. Since near the beginning, the yers had begged for something like this. After all, the game was a tad too realistic.


    [Major Game Update] It started.


    [With the fifth guild reaching level 5, we are pleased to announce the world building expansion. With reaching level 5, guilds are finally allowed to take part in the war in a fuller sense. No longer will your guild halls be limited to cities. You can now even station within forts on the front lines.]


    It went only like that for a bit. Exining further that once guilds reach level 6, they could then petition to takemand of the fort. Should their trustworthiness be high enough, they will be able to do so afterpleting a quest.


    ''I see. This is basically the release of what Fort Phoenix is. But far more detailed.'' Eldrian nodded in understanding. The announcement then further exined what each further level would allow guilds to takemand of:


    Level 7, a town and additional forts. Level 8, more towns or even be a mayor of a city. Level 9, city establishment. Level 10, kingdom formation.

 Chapter 907 Prepping For The Update

    Continuing on, Eldrian searched for the details on how the ''city-building'' part of the major update would be implemented.


    Apparently, gold and mana crystals will be required to purchase certain functions for the owned locations. Once functions were unlocked, it would even be possible to create a city in minutes. Albeit at extreme costs.


    ''I see. The mana from mana crystals will supplement material requirements. Having the materials will also lower the gold cost. So, if you have everything needed to build the fort or town, then you just need to pay a handling fee.''


    ''Oh, guild houses can even be spruced up, too. Though furniture bought through the system can''t leave the confines of the house. Does that hold for forts too?'' Eldrian wondered, having hoped to perhaps buy a ton of cannons and cannonballs to supplement their supply.


    Though, that would only be possible if they could be bought, and if the price was eptable.


    In effect, this update basically brought the virtual home style world building to the game itself. The amount of freedom it will give yers, however, wasn''t stated in details. But considering Fort Phoenix, Eldrian felt it was going to be quite an amazing system.


    ''Ah, so the only difference between forts, towns, and cities is size. You can basically do everything else you want in any of them. Oh, magic towers are also limited in each.''


    Eldrian was d the price for them wasn''t listed. He was sure it would scare him to death. After all, a magic crystal is more powerful than even thergest Mov Crystal, which could easily go for ten thousand gold. ''Does that mean they aren''t required to set up a location?''


    ''As for the difference between this and the virtual home¡ªinstead of paying with cash to get functions, we need to spend in-game currency... And, well, whatever is built will appear in game, not in a separate virtual space.''


    ''That is probably where the market updatees. Bet the dungeon one is also to supplement the city building.''


    The market update was simple enough. Thus far, the only trading possible had been between yers. Both types were auction-like. Items traded in temples, and gold and silvers simply through the system.


    The new market system would allow the buying of online currency with cold hard cash at fixed rates.


    ''Not the biggest fan of this part,'' Eldrian thought. It would certainly give anyone with spare cash an advantage. However, looking at the current conversion rate, Eldrian shrugged. Sure, silver and gold had be cheaper, but one silver was still worth 0.25 dors.


    Considering that Tier 5 items went for anywhere from 150 to 300 gold on average, Eldrian didn''t see how people could afford to use the market to get OP. Spending 4k for one item was simply insanity, and it wouldn''t even be OP. It would be a low end Tier 5 item.


    ''Still, I wonder if they''re going to crash the market? If they make the fixed amount low, something like 1 silver to 1 cent, that can be rtively affordable. Still expensive, but I''m sure there are crazies that can afford that.''


    As it currently stood, it was simply not probable to buy a weapon with actual cash. Well, at least not for any normal person.


    ''Then again, the dungeons are going to lower the value of gold regardless,'' Eldrian thought. This was perhaps the biggest change for him. While the city building update was great news for kingdoms. Having the ability to build a fort, town, or city with just money was insanely valuable.


    However, these dungeons were going to be the most likely source to fund city building. And they were what he was most hyped for. He already had an idea where two might appear, and both would be most wee. Grinding them could finally change his and the guild''s, even the kingdom''s, financial difficulties.


    [Dungeons currently only activate when very extreme scenarios are met. With only 96 urrences since release, we have decided to add standard dungeons across the world where major events had urred in the past...]


    ''But why now?'' This question kept bothering Eldrian.<novelnext></novelnext>


    These additions were certainly wee. With how things had been going, Eldrian had been fearing how they could hope for victory. The kingdom was continually being whittled down, and he didn''t think he could grow strong enough to make a decisive difference.


    Not only that, but their resources are also finite. Especially mana crystals. Spent when used, the kingdom only had so many. And only a certain amount could be mined each month. Heck, those mines might even dry up in time.


    ''The ability to buy mana crystals via the new market is nice. Extremely so. Not to mention the rotational items.'' This all seemed great, and while all this will drop the value of in game currencies, Eldrian felt it was needed if they were to prevail in the end.


    However, he could not understand the reason the devs had finally added some friendly updates. Heck, thest update had been so long ago he hadn''t thought there would be any moreing.


    ''Should I cash in the rest of the gold? Or wait and see what the market update is going to do?''


    Eldrian had been locked from that part of the system for a while. What with him considered dead by the public and all that. He only recently got that error fixed, somehow it had gone smoothly. Eldrian probably had Zaphreal to thank for that.


    Still, it was a simple matter to give the gold to Elizabeth. It was from the guild''s bank that they had afforded the abandoned warehouse where Eldrian was staying.


    "We need some cash, and I can''t think... well, maybe they won''t crash the market. But still..." In the end, Eldrian withdraw the rest of the gold inside the lich''s ring. It would give them around 30k to work with. Enough to manage for a year, if they didn''t go crazy on repairs or anything like that. He was fine living off canned foods or what he could catch in the forest near the city.


    ''As for the mana crystals, I''ll give some to Ilmadia. But I want to keep enough to cause some havoc on the front lines.''


    ''Oh right, that reminds me of the mine... with the undead finally dealt with, we can finally look into it. Though, the fact that there is a drake living there is a problem...''


    Diving into his thoughts, Eldrian settled into thinking of the future. He even determined to contact Jade.


    ¡ª


    "Oh, the new update?" Jade asked, a smile ying on her lips. Twirling her golden hair with her fingers as she teased Eldrian. "Not telling. You''ve been ignoring me." She puffed.


    "Seriously? We''ve been at war, you know?" Eldrian countered.


    "True..." Jade nodded. Of course, that hadn''t mattered to her. She had simply spent her flirting between ces.


    Considering that she wasn''t constrained like other yers, she sometimes explored the libraries of empires. Other times she went sightseeing the wonders of ANW. Sometimes she didn''t even enter the game, and at other times shezed around in the fort.


    "What do you think, Levana?" Jade asked, throwing her head over her shoulders at the vampire.


    Eldrian still couldn''t quite understand why the two had grown so close. Nor why they spent basically all their time here. Especially since no one else hade here during the border siege.

 Chapter 908 Meeting Zaphreal IRL

    "What?" Levana asked, like always ying with Little Phoenix. The little bird of mes had asionallye to the battle to blow off some steam or ask Eldrian for some mana. But most of the time, itzed around here with the two in the near empty fort.


    "Right, right? She doesn''t know." Jade mumbled, frowning. "Nevermind. No, actually, what do you think of going sightseeing?" She asked, throwing the question at herpatriot.


    "Oh?" Interested, Levana looked at the two with curiosity flittering across her eyes.


    "You want to be allies with the vampires, right?" Jade asked Eldrian, leaning in and whispering right into his ears. "Then let''s go for a little tour of the city."


    Exasperated, Eldrian could only look at the girl and nod. Sadly, she was his best bet to get information on Miracle. Though he couldn''t trust her anymore than most of the AI.


    Ziraili was perhaps the only one he could trust amongst them, but Eldrian doubted she would know the reason behind the update. Of course, Eldrian nned on asking her for more detailster.


    "Fine. But promise you will answer my questions after."


    Naturally, Eldrian was concerned about what might happen with him bringing a vampire to the city. But no one should be able to tell that she was one. And they have started talks about helping one another, even the possibility of forming an alliance. Albeit a shaky one.


    And thus, Eldrian spent the following three hours apanying the girls in the city. The festive mood certainly made for an enjoyable outing, but Eldrian couldn''t help but feel there were better things he could be doing with his time. Training was certainly on the top of his list. But information was key if he wanted to react appropriately to Miracle''s moves.


    "You need to learn to rx." Jade teased after they had said goodbye to Levana.


    "Easy for you to say."


    "But a promise is a promise. So, what did you want to ask?"


    ''Finally!'' Eldrian eximed internally, diving right into it. The answers he received seemed truthful. But it left him questioning reality.


    "If you want to know more, you should meet with Zaphreal. You remember him, right?"


    Eldrian nodded. It would be hard to not remember the one he had dueled and signed a contract with. After all, it had proven to him that Miracle had already had ess to magic. Sure, it perhaps only held for a select few in the upper echelons of thepany, but it had made him question ANW''s purpose.


    While certainly not excited about the matter, Eldrian epted the proposal.


    ¡ª


    And so... he found himself here four dayster. The update, coincidentally, also gave Eldrian plenty of free time. Five days was a long time, more than enough for him to visit. In the end, however, no one else wille.


    "No way. You''re the only one who can use magic if things go south!" Elizabeth had shouted when he invited her. Expecting it to go south was certainly wrong, but no one could me her. Things had been rocky between¡ªno, rocky didn''t even begin to define their rtionship.


    They had locked Eldrian up; he had escaped. He had killed to escape, and they had chased him. That he now willingly head back to that ce. It was insanity. Yet, Eldrian couldn''t simply sit and wait for them to do whatever they wanted to do.


    The update was certainly a step towards something. And Eldrian couldn''t sit still in the dark. Certainly, Jade''s words had beenforting. But Eldrian found it hard that Miracle was suddenly so caring.


    He was trusting in the contract he had made with Zaphreal. But Eldrian had to admit, having magic and his auras to fall back onto wasforting. While expecting things to go south was wrong, he couldn''t help it. And he had steeled his heart. He was ready to kill again¡ªif it came down to it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was noting to be a guinea pig orb rat. He wasing for answers.


    Then again, Jade''s words had beenforting. At least not everyone in Miracle were mad scientists.


    "Not that everyone agrees." She had said. "But uncle Zaphreal''s been trying to fix things up. He even got most of the developers who work on ANW and who had met you to join him. Sure, they''re mostly in the dark and not that important, but ANW can''t function without them. Their help let his voice be heard, even by the most snarky of the families."


    Looking at the nostalgic buildings, Eldrian struggled to put his thoughts in order. So much had happened since he hade here¡ªand escaped from here. He was still struggling to ept he was here of his own free will.


    Here at one of Miracle''s headquarters. The one where he used to work at.


    A familiar face greeted him at the gates, weing him inside. ''She certainly looks tired,'' Eldrian thought, following Qiren as she led him to one of the restricted areas. He had always only watched it from afar while working here. And now, a man with bright blood colored hair was waiting for them.


    "A pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Eldrian." The man smiled. However, his presence caused Eldrian''s instincts to go on high alert.


    ''He''s strong. It wasn''t just in ANW. He''s actually strong.'' While the man did not seem to possess much mana, he could clearly wield magic. This much Eldrian was certain of. If Eldrian had to guess at his capabilities based on what he was sensing, the man was at least as strong as Myropsis or Levana.


    And if their duel told Eldrian anything, it was that the manmanded extraordinary mastery over lighting. At the very least, he had a hidden ss rted to it, and thus likely reflected his actual abilities.


    ''He likely is part of a bloodline rted to lightning. If my guess is right, he''s perhaps somehow rted to Thor or Zeus. If those visions can be trusted. I''ve yet to experience them again, so I don''t know what it actually was.''


    "I guess it would be too much to ask for you to not notice. Still, it is impressive." Zaphreal said, casually. "Qiren, have you exined things to him?"


    "I thought it best to leave that to you, sir." She replied almost immediately.


    "Really? I thought you two had gotten along well while he was still here."


    "It is because of our past that I thought it best to stay quiet." She countered. "After all, we allowed that to happen under our noses."


    "Ah, yes. The previous department head was a bit overzealous. Then again, it''s hard to remain righteous when everyone is breathing down your throat." Zaphreal paused just as they were about to enter the building. Its windows reflecting the outside like mirrors.


    "Eldrian, I''m sure you understand this. But keep what you''re about to learn to yourself... Well, I won''t mind you informing your friends. But if it got out to the public, it can mean chaos."


    "I do recall the error I made before. I was overly hasty in trying to show the world our reality." Eldrian replied.


    His approach to announce magic''s existence had seemed fine, but he hadn''t fully understood the repercussions. Still, he felt people ought to know. After all, as it currently stood, magic wasn''t dangerous. It would only be so if people acted without care.


    ''But that is far too easily done.'' Which is why, in reflection, Eldrian felt his previous ims were overly hasty. Magic was too vtile to allow novices to tamper with. His previous actions were like giving a child a gun. An ident was bound to happen, and one had.


    Heck, he still considered himself a child with a gun. No, he was more like a child with a grenade because of his strange affinity with magic.

 Chapter 909 Meeting Zaphreal IRL (2)

    "Is that right?" Zaphreal smiled, amused. "Well then, wee back."


    At that, Eldrian frowned. "Oh, I know you''re not back like that. But it''s good that we can talk it over." Zaphreal said with a heartyugh. "I hope going forward we can discuss things like friends and let bygones be bygones."


    And as he said that and the three entered the restricted building¡ªthe guards pulled out their guns at Eldrian.


    Eldrian, already wary, immediately reacted. He summoned a barrier of ice, several centimeters in thickness, and formed two icicles for each guard, six in total. Staying his hand at thest second as Zaphreal shouted at them to put down their guns.


    "You idiots! Put down your guns! NOW!" Zaphreal''s shout echoed like thunder in the air. The guard lowered their guns instinctively. Secondster, their disgruntled looks made it clear they did not agree with this action. Yet, they could not bring their guns up with Eldrian''s spell aimed at them.


    One guard even dropped his gun to the ground immediately, quivering at the sight of magic. Sensing that one wrong move could get him killed.


    Qiren was left standing, stunned. Unable to follow what had just happened. However, she realized keenly how she could have just died in the crossfire, and chills shot down her back. Freezing her on the spot.


    "I told you all he wasing!" Zaphreal cursed, then paused. "I know some of you lost friends to the guy. But that was our fault. We were in the wrong!"


    Shooing everyone out of the way, Zaphreal apologized to Eldrian. "I was worried something like that might happen. Didn''t think you would be so ruthless, though."


    Still in his shell of ice, Eldrian spread out his consciousness over the area. Only after ensuring that there was no further danger, even going so far as to ask them to ce their guns on the ground, did he release his spell.


    His insistence on this point rified that he did not trust the guards. He even used an ether spell to confiscate their guns. An extra non-magical weapon should ite to that.


    To drill his sense of unease, Eldrian did not fully dispel his barrier of ice. He kept a barrier between him and the scarlet-haired man and prepped himself for acting on a moment''s notice. Mana and guns at the ready.


    "Do you expect me to trust you after that?" Eldrian hissed.


    "Honestly, I warned them beforehand. Guess some of them can''t forgive you so easily. But really..." Shaking his head, Zaphreal was honestly stunned. He had heard plenty about Eldrian, heck, he had even faced him in the game.


    Even so, he never expected Eldrian to react so quickly. Zaphreal was also stunned by how ready Eldrian had been. Had he shouted a secondter, the guards would be dead or, at the very least, crippled.


    Eldrian was clearly used to killing. The thought chilled Zaphreal a bit. After all, Eldrian wasn''t some old veteran. He could even pass for a kid. Heck, if ANW had never been released, Eldrian would still be a uni student.


    Zaphreal hadn''t ever considered the effect ANW had on normal people, but now he had to reevaluate things. So far, people had not been shown to be more violent. But it was clear that the game forged them in war for war. Its realistic nature was bound to have this effect.


    While Zaphreal was reflecting what this could mean for the future, and reevaluated its use for military training, Eldrian eyed the man. In the end, he determined he could at least hear him out. Believing there was no need to retreat just yet.


    Eldrian had a few contingencies for if they tried to keep him here. He hadn''t spent the four days before today doing nothing. If worse came to worst, he was prepared to teleport.


    The Avyssos Ring had helped him master teleportation, but the risks were still massive. After all, with how little mana he had, thing could easily go south.


    Even if he had a few crystals ¡ªsadly, their mana quantities were paltrypared to anything in ANW. Even using them as batteries, his mana might still becking. Not to mention he wouldn''t get a do over. Flight would be the safer option, but only if he could escape via a window.


    "I''m sure you already know, but thepany isn''t unified in principle." Zaphreal started, seemingly uncornered by the fact that Eldrian was keeping a shield of ice between them, nor that he now had three pistols in his possession. "There are different factions, and some of them still linger here."<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Still linger? Does that mean they did some cleaning?'' Eldrian pondered, turning to Qiren. Sadly, she was still shell-shocked.


    While she had been told beforehand that Eldrian could wield magic on Earth, but that... It was insanity! She could easily imagine the aftermath had Zaphreal been a second toote.


    Eldrian''s spell would have killed the soldiers just like had killed thousands in ANW, and the guards'' bullets would not have prated his shield. They might even have ricocheted and hit her or Zaphreal.


    The image was so vivid she could not shake it off. That death had been so near, it caused her to remain still as her mind worked to ovee the shock.


    "What did you want to show me?" Eldrian asked, ignoring the stunned Qiren.


    Giving her someforting words might help here out of her shock sooner, but the fact was Eldrian hadn''t thought of her when he reacted. He could have, but hadn''t tried to shield her. The waste of any mana, sadly, was not eptable.


    "Why did you insist Ie here?" Eldrian pressed.


    "Because they finally did it." Zaphreal said, sighing as he did.


    "Did what?"


    "They decided to take the leap. Eldrian, how much do you know?"


    That was a question Eldrian didn''t really know how to even answer. "I know nothing. But I have my theories. My biggest concern is that you wish to bring magic to Earth."


    "An interesting way to put it. But isn''t it already here?"


    "It is. But mana is so sparse that it might as well not exist." Eldrian countered back. Not wishing to say more, lest he give away his hand.


    Compared to ANW, it took days for him to recover his mana. Naturally, he did not wish to reveal any weaknesses to Miracle.


    That was also why he had gone so aggressively in response. By showing them what he was capable of, hopefully, they wouldn''t try anything foolish. He always had his auras to fall back onto if mana became a problem.


    ''Thought I really do not want to let that happen,'' Eldrian thought. The most recent consequences of losing control were still clear in his mind.


    "Indeed, that is our biggest concern." Zaphreal said as the trio entered an elevator. Qiren, finally able to walk, though shivering as she did, managed to follow them inside.


    Noting that they were going up, Eldrian felt a little more relieved. Thought he still kept the floating ice shield between him and Zaphreal.


    "You truly do no trust me." Zaphreal sighed, then shrugged. "No matter. What I am about to show you should convince you that I am not your enemy."


    ''If his power is lightning, then ice isn''t the best shield. However, I can deal with that when ites to it.

 Chapter 910 Meeting Zaphreal IRL (3) - Microbes

    In the end, ice would work perfectly fine, Eldrian concluded. He simply had to keep the shield from touching him, thus preventing a direct line from forming between him and his shield. Which he felt would be true in all cases when facing lightning¡ªor electricity.


    "We are here." Zaphreal said, pulling Eldrian from his thoughts on what would be a better shield.


    "And what is here?" Eldrian asked.


    "The ce where we monitor thepany, and the world." Zaphreal replied. "One of our magic observatories."


    "Magic observatories?"


    "Indeed. Thanks to some recent breakthroughs, we''ve separated magic from ourselves." Zaphreal smiled and indicated towards Qiren. "We finally managed to create a method to observe mana without requiring magic."


    ''Oh?'' Intrigued, Eldrian listened on. However, it wasn''t that interesting. ''They basically made something like Mana Examination, but pped it onto a telescope.''


    It really wasn''t all that impressive. Especially considering all the limitations Zaphreal was listing. However, the man seemed convinced this was a great step forward.


    "You see, we''ve always been limited in how we can approach magic. Miracle is backed by a few key families, mine included. And in most of these families, magical affinity is rtively high. However, our magic isn''t as versatile as you might think."


    "I''m sure you''ve already guessed, or at least spected. Indeed, we rarely managed to use mana. Those who can channel it are considered prodigies, geniuses. Because the cost of relying on our powers is too great, it drains us and, if overused, it diminishes our life. It can even lead to death."


    "Thus, Miracle was formed." Zaphreal said, his tone proud but mncholic at the same time. "Its name was aptly chosen, because we wanted to bring a miracle to the world. Bring magic to it."


    Zaphreal paused, "However, over time, our goals became obscured."


    Eldrian waited for Zaphreal to continue.


    "Regardless, at our core, we all still wish for the same thing. Some have taken rather problematic approaches to our goal, however." Zaphreal continued. "Around half of the families now want to keep magic as something only a select few should be allowed to wield. It was one of this faction who was previously inmand of ANW."


    "However, with all theints growing against ourckluster approach to what is now one of the most yed games in the world, he was forced to step down. And I came forth to fix things."


    "Alright, but what does that have to do with why you wanted me toe here?" Eldrian asked.


    He still clearly recalled that Zaphreal had said, "they finally did it." Eldrian was far more concerned with what someone in thepany had done; than what their original motives were. No matter how pure they were at the start, clearly thepany was now filled with corruption.


    "Right. I was getting to it. But I''ll speed things up. With the ANW department''s sess at bridging the gap between science and magic, some others became more desperate."


    "For now, I''ve stopped them from going too crazy, but it''s hard to know what they''ll do in time. After all, thepany is one rife withpetition. Funding isn''t allocated equally." Now in what appeared like a meeting room, Zaphreal turned to Qiren. "Please start the presentation."


    Nodding, she fiddled a bit and summoned a hologram in the center of the room. A technological marvel still only in the hands of Miracle.


    "There are two approached we are taking regarding magic. Biological, and material." Zaphreal said, the hologram showing things from ANW to link what he was saying with concepts Eldrian was familiar with.


    "Biological is simple, and the aims are often times self-centered. The search for eternal life is one of its strongest backers. But there are many others too, such as evolution, creation, perfectionism, healing, curing... and so forth."


    "Material focus, in contrast, is supported by a more objective approached in general. For example, wishing to understand magic, searching for the truth of the universe, wishing to create a utopia... and sadly, wishing for an ultimate weapon, a way to control society, and others..."


    "I can''t state that either is better than the other. However, the motivations behind the biological approach tend to be more human." Zaphreal paused. "You have be their beacon."


    "Me?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Indeed."


    "Why?"


    "Because, somehow, you changed. You evolved." Zaphreal paused again, allowing Eldrian to take in the events when that had happened. He had gained control over it, to some degree. He could morph his appearance into what he used to be like. But his ears remained slightly more pointed and his skin a fair deal fairer.


    Seeing the recording, however, Eldrian had to admit he had changed in a real sense. He wasn''t sure if he would call it evolving, but he could see why others might.


    "Well, I don''t want to touch on this too much. It was a rather dark time for you and us. I believe."


    ? Eldrian had to nod in agreement. After all, they had taken him to an undergroundb while he was recovering and unconscious. When he woke, well... suffice to say he would prefer to forget those moments.


    "In any case, since then, many of the more crazed scientist have taken to self-modification. It is... rather disturbing."


    Zaphreal flinched, seeming to recall a nasty incident. "Those with more restraint, or fear, turned to animal experimentation. And those whocked proper forethought, they turned to microbial."


    "That is what they did." Zaphreal concluded.


    "Do you mean?" Eldrian asked, half in disbelief. "Did they make some type of super powered magical pathogen?"


    "Luckily, their experiments did not reach that level. However, their attempts are dangerous regardless. We cannot anticipate the mutations such a thing might undergo when released."


    Zaphreal continued. "Their goals are quite respectable themselves, but that is not enough. Their first goal is to create a type of airborne microbe that feeds on mana."


    "What? Why?"


    "Simple. The key difference between Earth and Gaia in ANW is ourck of mana. The AI refuses to tell us how Gaia is capable of holding so much mana." Zaphreal replied.


    "We suspect it might even be artificial and not something we can replicate. Which, if it is true, exins why they are so adamant in refusing to cooperate. If it is something like that, then they suddenly lose much of their importance to thepany."


    "But I digress. The idea of these scientists is simple. Mana is everywhere. Thanks to our magic observatories, we''ve confirmed its presence in space. Our problem is rather simple. It does not interact with Earth. It simply fades through everything."


    ''Uh... I think I get what their n is,'' Eldrian thought, and he did not like it. It was too drastic.


    "Their idea is simple. Create microbes that rely on mana in this raw, neutral state. Have it consume the mana as it passed through the world. And turn it into elemental mana, or any aspect that can''t fade through Earth without interacting with anything."


    ''Right. That is actually not a bad idea, but...''


    "As I said, their goal is respectable." Zaphreal nodded, understanding Eldrian''s concerns. "However, the problem is if something goes awry. If the microbes mutate, it can mean the end of life as we know it. Yet, despite these risks, there are some who are in favor of starting tests."


    "You have to be kidding me."


    "Sadly, it is the truth. For now, I''ve slowed things down and limit their experimentations to securebs. But... it might not be enough."


    Eldrian shuddered. Realizing that this was just one of the crazy things that was being done in the background.


    "Why did you call me here?" Eldrian asked once again. Zaphreal must clearly want his help with something.

 Chapter 911 The Update

    Or so Eldrian thought. Yet, Zaphreal did not ask for his help. Quite the contrary. "I called you here to inform you." The older man said. His next words hit Eldrian like a truck, for it was something he knew was true.


    "You''re just as much of a wild card as these scientists. Many want to stop you from running around as you are, but... well. Let''s just say there isn''t a consensus about you."


    "I asked to you toe here because I wanted to show you we, or at the very least, a few of us here, can be trusted. Sadly, I know my words won''t count as much, but I hope you can contact your old friends within thepany."


    "Specifically," Zaphreal continued, "if you can reach out to Joren, it would be for the best. The AI trust him more than any other developer."


    "Why?" Eldrian asked, cautious of ulterior motives Zaphreal might hold.


    "The reason is simple. Your current system is unique, but that is problematic."


    Qiren jumped in here to exin further. "So far the problem wasn''t major because The System, calling itself Ziraili, has been covering for you. However, to do so requires their active focus."


    "With the new update, this will only be a bigger strain on them." Zaphreal continued. "And depending on how things evolve, you might be cut out from even more functions."


    "Why would you care about this?" Eldrian asked.


    "Because having an anomaly with a separate gaming system is questionable at best." Qiren replied. "Just think of it from the other yers'' perspective. It''s unfair. If we allow it to continue as is, then we won''t be able to fix the game."


    "Fix the game?"


    "You might not see it as one, but it is still what the public considers it. This new update is supposed to align with public opinion. Naturally, we can''t ignore you if we wish to normalize things." Qiren rified.


    ''I see...'' Worried about certain functions of his unique interface, Eldrian had to ask. "But what of the unique functions I have? Scouting the enemy is crucial for the kingdom''s defense."


    "We know. We are nning on including the function in all the yers'' menus. It will need to be updated to amodate everything else, regardless. Adding new functions as easter eggs is easy enough."


    That was simple enough, but Eldrian felt confused. Was that truly all they wanted to share? What was the point of asking him toe here?


    Airing his concerns, Zaphreal expanded a bit more on the reality of things. Sharing several possible futures depending on how things develop. However, in nearly all of them, he asked Eldrian to wait before acting. To contact them first.


    By the end of it all, Eldrian wasn''t sure how to feel about everything. He still didn''t think he could fully trust them, but acting blindly would be just foolish and blind trust. Waiting a bit before doing anything seemed the best option avable to him.


    Yet, he could not shake the feeling that it was all too simple.


    "Are you sure this is alright?" Qiren asked after Eldrian had left.


    "Yes. It is best to ask him to stay out of it all. If he joins in on things, then all my predictions will be far less likely to develop as we wish. We can''t predict how he will react. His actions often defy the norm."


    Eldrian spent the rest of the time waiting for the update to finish at his sister''s. Catching her up on everything and asking her to be careful.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Listening to her uni and work experience, Eldrian truly felt the vast chasm between his life and that of a normal person. Yet, he was happy that his sister did not need to constantly worry about things.


    Sadly, he couldn''t find it in himself to keep her in the dark. While he kept things as light as he could, focusing on the fact that he was no longer a wanted man, he had to warn her of the possibility of magic bing a reality.


    ¡ª


    "That was more or less it." Eldrian said, conveying the news to those in the know. The update had finished and ANW was up and running again.


    As one would expect, the NPCs (non-yer-characters) felt awkward hearing that five days had passed, yet not a single second had flowed for them.


    "Well..." Elizabeth frowned. Naturally, plenty of what Eldrian had shared was beyond crazy. However, it seemed crazy would be in their future. Bringing magic to Earth was certainly an insane idea.


    "Do you think they will seed?" Nikki asked. For now, the group had decided to keep the information between a select few in the guild, and, of course, the few NPCs who were also in the know.


    "I honestly do not know. But mana already exists on Earth, even if it is limited. For now, we can only pray that things move forward slowly¡ªand smoothly."


    ? Problems were ever more likely if things spiraled out of control. A sudden increase in mana density would also prove problematic in countless ways.


    Luckily, from the talk he had with them, Eldrian felt Zaphreal understood this. He couldn''t urately predict what the others in Miracle felt about it, but at least there was a voice of reason in thepany.


    "And what do you think this will mean for us?" Ceph asked, the first to recover from the news. Perhaps due to the fact that he was the most aware of what Earth was like.


    "Hopefully, thepany will change its mind. If the update is anything to go by, they are changing their ns. I doubt they''ll bring the invasion to a close, but they might give us more resources to fight with."


    Naturally, considering past invasions, even if they decided to end this one, it would take a couple of years. No invasion had been less than ten years, many had been up to a century long. It was expected that most kingdoms be lost and only the empire and a few key kingdoms remain as bastions against the invading hordes.


    "Thus, we should ce our focus on the new features." Turning to Elizabeth, Eldrian asked if she could use the enemy search function.


    "Yeah, but it''s more limited than yours. Only show dots around the city at the moment." Taking a look, Eldrian felt that her search function was simply on the wrong settings. After a bit of fiddling, they found the option to increase the radius.


    "Wow, this is expensive." Elizabeth mumbled. Unlike Eldrian''s map, hers cost coin and XP to unlock.


    Actually, Eldrian''s did now too. However, he had already figured ways around it. The coin cost was supposedly a consultation fee, but since he could change things without needing Ziraili''s help, he could skip that cost. His trails were alreadying in handy.


    "It is, but this means we can have more monitoring the condition of the kingdom, which is great news."


    The options avable to Elizabeth were local, city-scale, regional, multi-regional, kingdom, multi-kingdom, and so forth. However, the cost of even just kingdom scale wasn''t something a normal yer could ever afford. Requiring ten thousand gold and 10B XP. To afford it without losing multiple levels, you would need to be at least level 45.


    City-scale, on the other hand, only cost a hundred gold to unlock, and 50M XP. While still hefty, it was affordable. Regional had a sharp increase, going to a thousand gold and 1B XP. Certainly not affordable for everyone, but if each group of yers could have 1 person with this unlocked, it would be a godsend.

 Chapter 912 Reinforcing The East

    After spending some time getting familiar with the update, the group moved on to their ns. Luckily, they had already prepared for most of it. While they all wanted to go and investigate the dungeons, they knew it better to first save the East.


    "Are you sure you want toe with us?" Eldrian asked.


    Because of the nature of the mission, they had asked for volunteers. After all, Kynigo needed as many hands as possible to repair and recover. Not to mention they couldn''t weaken their defenses. Another attack cane.


    "Of course!" Adriana replied, three of her fellow escapees with her. After escaping from the undead, they had been sheltered.


    When the request came for volunteers, she had jumped at the chance to repair her dept. Not to mention, she dearly wished to make the undead pay who had killed her friends. The duhanmanding the forces in the east was her target, even if he was far above her and she could never eveny a scratch on him.


    "Alright then." Those here with Eldrian now were all above Tier 5 and they came up to sixteen in total. "When we arrive, we''re going to be a short distance from Trigora. The area should still be safe, considering only a day has passed since we scouted it."


    With that, Eldrian actived Return. Teleporting everyone in his party, NPCs included, with him. A white light filled their vision, and when they opened their eyes, they found themselves no longer in the city.


    As soon as they arrived, the group formed a circle with Eldrian in the middle. "We''re in the clear." He said. "We are between Navedan and Tripeak at the moment. For now, we should stick together and move to Tripeak."


    It would have been simple enough for Eldrian to teleport them directly to the city. However, he wanted to get a feel for how infested the surroundings were with the undead. While this was a non-issue for them, it was an issue for reinforcements.


    Moving quickly, the groups yed any undead they happened upon. Evenrger groups outnumbering them ten to one did not stand a chance. Unwilling were killed just as easily, with only the higher undead asionallymanding small hordes proving difficult. Even they, however, quickly fell to Eldrian, Ceph, or Vivian.


    And so, as night fell, they arrived at the outer walls. In disrepair and filled with holes, undead sauntering about as they wandered aimlessly. The group found themselves a ce to hide and n.


    "With this many undead, it will be hard to break through." Adriana stated.


    "We can kill our way through," Craine, her second hand, added. "But... that will draw more attention. If we find ourselves facing something we can''t defeat, we will be in trouble."


    "What if we form a distraction to lure them away?" Elizabeth proffered. The idea was greeted warmly by the NPCs. After all, it was well known that the Chosen could resurrect after dying. Them being the bait was the safest bet.


    As a result, talks quickly spiraled into the best form of a distraction. And while Eldrian felt these were all valid, they were all also so conservative. After five minutes, he had enough.


    "If we want a distraction, it has to be me." Eldrian said, yet Elizabeth, Ceph, and Vivian quickly shot him down. The injuries he had gained from thest time he had acted as the distraction still clear in their minds.


    "Rx. I still have the Tier 9 protection medallion on me. It should buy me time if I find myself facing something I can''t handle." Unlike normal items, it was a ime use.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure how it worked, but it would block one attack that would kill or severely injure him. Somehow, it was capable of determining when an attack was beyond its wearer''s abilities. After blocking an attack, it would block any follow up for one second.<novelnext></novelnext>


    While not much, it was enough for Eldrian to think of something. If Ceph was near enough, he could even contact him to teleport away easily enough."


    Exining this all to everyone, the three reluctantly agreed. On the condition that Eldrian didn''t break his mental link with Ceph. If it broke, they would assume he was in danger and Ceph would send him the teleportation offer from their ability, Call on each other.


    With that settled, Eldrian sneaked away from the group. A thin smile ying on his lips as he did. It was about time he tested his and Solvi''s new inventions.


    "You''re first." Eldrian mumbled, taking out a long sword. It was without ornaments and appeared like a strange de. Its blue sheen betrayed its make from Mithril.


    The sword was stupidly thick; the alloy used to thicken it, increasing its weight, as did the enchantments they had applied to it. When mana poured through it, it could weigh up to twenty kilograms. Ten times more than a normal sword.


    Other than that, it was also enchanted to form its own ether connection. Throwing it from his hand, Eldrian formed a tethered connection with the de as he sent it crashing into the nearest horde of undead. Its weight allowing it to crush through bone, flesh, and metal alike.


    It was not like a knife through butter. The sword did not effortlessly slice through its targets. Instead, it crushed them. While its edge was inhumanly sharp, that alone was not enough to sever bone.


    The carnage quickly caused the nearby undead to grow restless as they searched for the source of the destruction. s, all that they found was the floating de. Tearing through them with gusto.


    In a short few seconds, dozens had been crushed and killed.


    ''This is quite effective. While the sword iscking for a Tier 5 creation, its focused design is certainly useful.'' Eldrian thought, waiting until the sentient undead stirred.


    What arrived a few minutester on the scene, along with nearly a thousand minions, was a ming skeleton. Unlike the ming Reanimates, this one seemed far stronger. Its ming eyes seemed to shine with intelligence.


    ''They were always tricky to kill,'' Eldrian recalled, some time having passed since hest faced one of these. Since they were immune to mes, normally the undead''s weakness, it was harder to finish them off.


    However, Eldrian saw the flickering me in its chest and skull. The source of its undead life. What remained of the soul of who the ming skeleton used to be.


    ''Your turn.'' Eldrian mumbled, taking out another of his and Solvi''s creations. Pumping mana into the de, an icy mist flowed from the de. Crystalizing as it surrounded the de.


    "Humph!" With a grunt, Eldrian threw the dagger. Guiding it with ether it flew, he envisioned its path while sending therger bulky weapon flying at the undead.


    Seeing the thing that killed its fellow undead, the ming skeleton turned it attention to the sword. Bringing its halbert, ame just like it, to block. The creaking of its bone echoed in the air as it blocked, skidding a few meters back.


    Just as it was about to send the sword flying back, a dagger rushed into its chest. Exploding out of its skull. And with its strength gone, the overlyrge sword crashed through its defenses and continued to crush those behind it.

 Chapter 913 Reinforcing The East (2) - Eldrians Crazy Plan

    Waiting in the dark, the group watched as Eldrian faded into the dark of night. Using the ability of his cloak to distort the surrounding air and then covering this distortion with a darkness spell.


    While his skill was not enough to hide his presence from mana sense, no light would find him. Of course, the light from a torch or spell being absorbed by a shadowy blob would be strange. But if someone only looked quickly, they would fail to notice the persistent shadow next to them.


    With a little more practice, Eldrian could y with it to not give his location away. He might even one day learn how to hide the flow of mana as hemanded his weapons.


    A few minutes after he left, the sounds of battle echoed in the air. In the flickering light of torches carried by the undead, the group made out a crude, massive, flying sword massacring the lower undead.


    It was a chilling sight.


    Each attack from the flying sword ended the undead life of a skeleton or zombie. And when something stronger than the lower undead stood in its way, a small and extremely fast dagger would throw them off bnce. The sword using that moment to crush through their defenses and massacre them.


    "Let''s move." Vivian mumbled, the first to recover. She wasn''t so much shocked by the massacre, but rather because Eldrian could aplish this while remaining hidden. She knew she and Ceph could also ughter the undead, but not like this. Not while hiding somewhere safe and sound.


    ''I see. This is why he was so confident.'' Not only did Eldrian still have the items they had received from the capital, he had many new skills and weapons. Vivian wondered what else he and Solvi had developed over the past few days.


    Clutching the ne around her neck, the same type as Eldrian''s, she pondered what else they had created. They had been coborating a lot recently.


    During the entire siege, Eldrian would visit the shop to modify the experimental equipment he was using. It appeared that they were making significant progress.


    "Hey, Ceph, do you know anything?" Vivian asked as they moved under the cover of the night.


    Ceph had copied Eldrian''s method of increasing the surrounding darkness. This should prevent them from being spotted, as long as they didn''t stumble directly into one of the undead--all of whom were running towards the chaos.


    Someone sharp eyed might notice the extra dark spot in the night, but most wouldn''t see anything.


    "We''ve practiced a bit, but I''m not sure what all Eldrian has prepared for this mission." Ceph replied.


    Sadly, Eldrian still did not receive quests like other yers. That, however, did not mean he wasn''t going to do all he could to ensure its sess. After all, the more cities survived, the better.


    "And our connection is still strong. He isn''t being pushed near his limits." Ceph added as they sneaked across the ruined fields. What once used to feed the city was now just muddied ground, trampled by the uncountable number of undead stationed around the city.


    As the group continued their infiltration, the situation of the city became clearer and clearer. That it had not fallen was a miracle. When they neared the inner walls, they all paused. Staring at the broken magic tower in shock.


    "Hey, we going in?" A voice asked, causing them all to jump.


    "Eldrian! Don''t sneak up on us like that!" Elizabeth screamed, mping her mouth right after and ncing around nervously.


    "Don''t worry. I already cast a sound barrier around us so we can talk without worry. Ites in handy when sneaking, so I''ve been keeping one over me constantly." He exined, nonchnt.


    Naturally, those who knew him did not find this strange. However, Adriana and herpatriots were stunned by everything they were learning today. Eldrian was clearly stronger than them allbined.


    "So, why have you guys stopped here?" Eldrian asked, unaware of the emotional damage he had passively inflicted on those around him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Their defenses here are airtight." Nikki replied. And Judith, the other yer who had joined this mission''s advanced squad, nodded.


    "Distraction?" Eldrian asked.


    "Doubt that will be enough." Nikki said, shaking her head in denial. "It looks like there are a bunch of stronger undead here. We''ve already spotted some ghouls and revenants."


    "Ugh..." Eldrian grumbled. Revenants were not fun to deal with. They had been absent in the border siege, which had certainly been a great help to their defenses. Here, however, there were more than enough dead to attempt creating the rarer types of undead. Not to mention the city that had fallenpletely to the dead.


    Scanning the walls, Eldrian confirmed the difficulty of causing a worthy enough distraction. At a quick nce, he counted at least thirty revenants.


    ''Didn''t the duke say the city has equal numbers?'' Eldrian grumbled. Granted, the duke had said this only counted for captains and above. Meaning Tier 6 or higher. Below that, the undead had them beat ten, maybe even a hundred to one.


    The lower you went, the more undead there were. There were a bunch of undead animals wandering about. They were excellent scouts because of their numbers, and while theirbat potential was low, they were still hard to kill for normal soldiers. After all, you had to find the concentration of mana within their skeleton.


    ''Mmm, an item to see that might be useful,'' Eldrian noted. But quickly put the idea at the back of his mind as he scanned the defenses. Unlike the outer wall, this one had been repaired. The undead were trying to keep the living penned in, it seemed.


    ''I see. Since the stronger ones don''t want to risk death, they want to starve the city. And, I guess those are the peaks the city is named after... and the reason it has yet to fall.'' While difficult to see at night, on his map they stood clear as day.


    Three districts were mostly undamaged, each surrounding a mountain. Thergest one the district for nobility, the secondrgest the district ofbat professionals and schools, and the smallest one the artisans and crafters district.


    Each had their own set of walls, all of which was then again surrounded by a wall. And the magic towers built atop the mountains could range past each other. Unlike the eight magic towers spread throughout the city.


    They didn''t quite form a triangle, but this still made invading the center of the city more difficult, as all three towers could reach nearly all areas one could approach from.


    ''It''s like a three castles within a wall section,'' Eldrian concluded. However, considering the damaged state of the rest of the city, it was only a matter of time until it too fell.


    "Alright, I guess we have to fly over." Eldrian said, and everyone thought they misheard him.


    "What was that?" "You''re joking?" "That''s impossible."


    "Nah, should be easy enough. Well, calling it flying is a bit much." Saying such, Eldrian pulled out a small ck ball from his inventory and dropped it on the ground. Feeding it mana, it expanded. Forming a pitch ck floor on the ground.


    "Do you think this is actually going to work?" Ceph asked, knowing what wasing.


    "I mean, it might fail. But if we keep our flight low, it shouldn''t be a problem. Plus, I''ll cause a distraction again."


    "What the heck are you nning?" Elizabeth asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.


    "It''s simple enough." Eldrian said, attaching what looked like rockets to the corners of the tform. In the center front, there was a hook, which he looped an equally dark chain around. "This is kinda like a sleigh... that can fly. Just need Ceph to pull it."


    Hearing that, everyone looked between Eldrian and Ceph, considering the two elves, one actually an Alicorn and the other technically a human, mad.

 Chapter 914 Reinforcing The East (3) - Meeting Admien

    Moving closer to the rocket-like thrusters Eldrian was attaching to the corners, Elizabeth frowned. They were actually only cylinders with some engravings. "Eldrian?"


    "Truthfully, I''ve yet to test if things will work. Didn''t have the time. So just hold tight to the handrails."


    "What handrails?" Elizabeth asked. Other than the ''thrusters'' and the hook at the front, there was nothing else attached to the ck tform. Not to mention how hard it was to see where it started and where it ended. Especially when no one wanted to cast a light spell, wary of drawing attention.


    "Oh, right." Nodding, Eldrian exined how it was supposed to work. "Just step on here, and you should feel that the floor is a mana conduit."


    It took a few minutes, but soon everyone was in their ce and guiding the flow of their mana into the dark slime. When they did, the dark slime tform morphed to give them a handhold, to hold on to. Though everyone was still dubious about how this was going to work.


    "Why not make it form chairs?" someone asked.


    "There''s a limit to how much it can change." Eldrian exined, confirming everything was in order. He then asked Ceph to start running, pulling the ''sleigh'' along. Once they were fast enough, they took flight. Or rather, Ceph pulled it along as he took flight.


    Naturally, this caused amotion, but nothing a few spells couldn''t hide. Once they were in the sky, it was near impossible to see them. The only indication that they were there was that stars would flicker out of sight.


    "Right, seems to have worked." Eldrian smiled. While it wasn''t the most practical, it was a way to allow others the ability of flight. Though this flight wasn''t quite what most would have in mind when hearing the idea.


    After looking around, he confirmed that no one else was nearby, so he followed after Ceph. His wings were faintly visible, his green feathers notpletely visible.


    ''Mmm, seems Ceph is quite a bit slower than normal,'' Eldrian noted. But, of course, that was to be expected. After all, Ceph was hauling 14 people behind him. ''And it''s... deforming a little.''


    That was certainly not the most notable thing. But Eldrian decided to ignore how everyone was holding off for dear life. Luckily, they didn''t need to fly for long.


    After clearing the wall, they searched for somewhere tond. Eldrian went ahead to clear any straggling undead from finding them.


    Climbing off, or rather walking/falling off, everyone hugged the ground. Once they made sure that noise wouldn''t carry, theints flew in.


    "What the heck!" Vivian shouted. "Nothing worked!"


    "I thought I was going to die."


    "That was terrifying."


    Eldrian tuned most of theints out, only focusing on the things he considered actual problems. Which was everything. Everything but the dark slime had failed.


    None of his stabilizers had activated, and what was supposed to measure the tilt of the tform had done no such thing.


    Luckily, when the dark slime lost its form, everyone just needed to push more mana into it to make it rigid again. That, however, left everyone tired. Though it was more emotional than anything else. Ceph had supplied 90% of the mana to keep things from falling apart. Which was part of the n. After all, Ceph had over 10k mana to work with.


    "How was it?" Eldrian asked Ceph, the one who had carried all the burden.


    "I don''t rmend it. Had to feed it about two thousand mana to stop it from falling apart."


    "I see." Nodding, Eldrian concluded it had been a sess, but also a failure. "Right, guess we can''t skip right to flight. Need to test things first."


    "Of course." Ceph nodded. "But we didn''t have time, so I get why."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Thanks."


    At this point, however, Judith had to ask. "Hey, Eldrian. Why the heck didn''t we just teleport into the city?"


    "Well, I wanted to test a few things. Also wanted to see how everyone faired against the undead."


    "And?"


    "I mean, everyone was capable enough. Also managed to figure out how the undead reacted. So our ns should be possible. Once everyone has recovered, we should move to join the defense."


    ¡ª


    "Thank you foring to our aid!" a portly centaur shouted, having rushed over upon hearing the news of reinforcements being at the gate. Of course, proper checks had been done to ensure they weren''t devils in disguise.


    He certainly made an impression. It was Eldrian''s first time seeing an overweight centaur, and it reminded him of way back when he first yed the game. Though, Eldrian felt it was even stranger for a centaur to gain weight than an elf.


    "Are you the mayor?" Eldrian asked as a courtesy, having already inspected everyone''s stats and affiliation. A habit of his to reduce the chances of being caught off guard.


    "Indeed. Admien, at your service."


    "I thought you would have evacuated by now."


    "Nonsense! How can I leave my people?"


    ''He seems the indulgent type, but I guess he''s a good guy¡ªcentaur?'' Eldrian thought, introducing himself and those with him next. He also exined the ns that Pros and the duke had decided on.


    "For now, we will train people on how to use the cannons safely. Their quite user-friendly, but that also means we cannot allow them to fall into enemy hands. Every user must know how to destroy the cannons when the timees."


    A few hourster, things had settled down. There was the asional cannon barrage, and the asional rock or corpse being flung at and over the district walls. But there was no outright attack.


    Granted, once the cannons had appeared on the walls, the undead had rushed in for an attack. Only to be blown to smithereens. The cannons were now aiming at the siege weapons within range. Judith was leading a small group to make them mobile, spreading some chaos among the enemy ranks.


    "I must say, these cannons are far more urate than the ones I managed to buy in the capital." Admien said. "Sadly, we always run out of ammunition within the hour."


    "How so?" Eldrian asked, and upon listening, he could do nothing but frown.


    The defenders would overly rely on the cannons when they had ammo. Sending volley after volley to keep the undead at bay. Hoping to do damage and buy themselves some time to rest. Sadly, this meant they quickly ran out of ammo.


    And since the old cannons were so mana inefficient, it also lowered the amount of mana crystals they had on hand. Not to mention, there had only been six cannons.


    For the most part, their defense was covered by the magic towers and their elites. The city itself had been overrun, but the inner districts had stood fast.


    ''Its sad, but that is the problem about only having a few capable warriors,'' Eldrian thought with a sigh. It was the same problem that urred when he was the strongest on the battlefield (on his side). Where he was, things were rtively okay, where he wasn''t...


    Everyone could only be in one ce at a time. They could only cover, and thus protect, so much ground.

 Chapter 915 Reinforcing The East (4) - Eldrian Left

    Three days passed quickly. Luckily, the undead did not react much to the fact that Eldrian and the others had made their way into the city from outside. While the undead patrols appeared to have grown in number, this actually worked in the city''s aid.


    While rudimentary in concept, the city''s hope for dealing with the vast number of undead they faced was quite realistic. They would send out the Chosen to lure valued targets into traps.


    Certainly, this often ended with said Chosen dying and adding to the undead numbers. But, asionally, they managed to not be overwhelmed by numbers, and escape death long enough to lead a key target to a trap or ambush.


    Eldrian, Ceph, and Vivian had immediately joined in these efforts. Capable of ying endless lower undead, they always drew a valued target out. However, sometimes they were forced to escape so as to not be trapped themselves. And other times, the undead would flee, or dig in its heals. Refusing to follow them much further than its allocated area.


    With how few sesses the trio had had thus far, they had to credit the other yers for their efforts. While they often died without results, their continued efforts were certainly worthy of praise. Most yers would perhaps have given up on the defense mission and sought an easier quest.


    Now, three dayster, Adriana and her friends were joining such a mission once again. Carefully, they sneaked through the ruined city. Bounding from ruined house to ruined house, killing any lower undead that might stumble upon them.


    As the group made it to their target''s location, where once stood a small mages guild branch, they paused. Recalling the warning they had received earlier in the day. The same warning every group received when heading out. To value their lives above all else.


    While the group''s fervor burned great, they had no wish for death. Thus, after scouting the surroundings, they deemed their expedition doomed to fail. The rabble were simply too much. They would slow them down and open opportunities for their target to rob them of their lives.


    This was now their fourth failed venture. Yet, none in the groupmented the fact. Without any arguing, they turned around.


    While they certainly felt a burning jealousy when looking at the others, their journey had thought them the value of patience and perseverance. Staying alive. That was the most important part of their mission.


    Returning the smallest district, the one home to crafters of all sorts, and naturally the unfortunate souls who had failed to evacuate in time. Adriana spotted dozens of Chosen arriving from one of the few remaining temples in the city.


    Yet, despite the growing number of cannons, the defense lines were mostly manned by tired soldiers. Of course, the first batch ¡ªbrought by their group¡ª had been used to relieve the defenders. Later batches, however, were being kept hidden. The hope, to lull the undead into a sense of superiority that they could overthrow with one move.


    It was unlikely that it woulde to be. Outside of the developments inside the city, the fight outside had also grown. Skirmishes filled thend. Short fights reliant on hit-and-run tactics proved effective. While it was hard to kill the undead in short burst fights, it reduced casualties. Making it more than worth it.


    ¡ª


    Eldrian was visiting one of the smithies in the crafting district. Hoping to get his weapons resharpened. Handing it over to the smith, Eldrian couldn''t help but wonder how much easier it would be if their targets were living entities.


    The undead were just such a pain. To kill them with physical attacks, you had to destroy the bones or organs hosting their curse. For the higher undead, it became moreplicated, but it remained true that it was moreplicated than killing something living.


    Naturally, knowing this issue, Eldrian had spent countless days experimenting. Sadly, nothing had borne fruit, yet. Eldrian wasn''t ready to call it quits. He had a few half sesses he wanted to pursue further.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Today, however, he had other ns. With how the situation currently was, he doubted anything would change. Thus, after retrieving his weapons and reminding the guild to contact him if anything changes, he teleported back to Kynigo. Stopping by his estate to collect the items he had asked for in advance before heading to his normal training spot.


    Upon arrival, Eldrian felt a small burst of anger at the goddess of magic. Seeing the repaired house, it reminded him of Two''s absence. However, he did not let it bother him for long.


    Ensuring the area was clear, Eldrian prepared his defenses first. Unsure how long things were going to take, he erected a couple of barriers to keep wanderers out. With each fueled with a medium mana crystal, it should be able to keep him protected long enough to teleport away with the ring of Avyssos.


    Ready, Eldrian reviewed his current stats. Thanks to mastering throwing weapons (and cheating with ether maniption) he had ranked up the range ss to Tier 4. Tier 5 would require him to actually pull off a range skill, which was currently beyond Eldrian. Still, it had given him a considerable boost in raw stats.


    That, however, had been there for a while now. The thing Eldrian was actually inspecting was his new titles. Naturally, by now he had tested its abilities, or rather, the effects of the ability it had granted him.


    Eldrian was now able to think things through more clearly, but that did not mean he always had the right answers. If he used this ability wrong, then the results he was going to get was wrong. Like the ssic saying: garbage in, garbage out.


    The problem, then, was figuring out what was garbage. What information that he had learned, found, epted, and adapted were correct and which were wrong?


    The simplest answer, test it.


    Which was exactly why Eldrian was here. With a calm within the storm of war, he wanted to experiment.


    "I don''t have any targets here, but I can refine my spells just as well. I already know which were effective against the undead."


    With this mindset, Eldrian started practicing. And, naturally, there was a reason why he hade out to his old training grounds. It wasn''t simply because he wanted to be alone, or distant from people should things go awry. He also wanted to death mana from the encroaching.


    Experimenting with its flow, and trying to guide it through his own body, Eldrian gained some new insights. Instead of blocking it, keeping it out. He now tried to wee it in.


    Naturally, this caused decay. Death mana naturally caused a type of rot on living creatures ites into contact with. That was nothing a little healing couldn''t fix. So Eldrian continued experimenting.


    Eight hourster, he had a new spell.


    "Not sure if I like what it costs, but it feels like it works. Next step would be to test it out. However..." Eldrian felt it was about time he tried two other things. Tiering up, for one. And casting creation again.


    If he could mange the former, then thetter would be far easier. For this, however, Eldrian wanted Pros or Myropsis close by. After all, he could still recall the chaos his Tier 5 tier up had caused.

 Chapter 916 Miracles Secret Convention

    Sighing, Zaphreal listened with dependence to the conference. Held bi-annually as a way to share progress and keep thepany on track. It had rolled over once again.


    ''I really wished I could convince them not to give their demonstration...'' Zaphreal thought, resting his head in his right hand as he grimaced at what was to follow. Luckily, he had already talked with Eldrian. The anomaly that he is, should rather stay far away from this.


    "Our initial attempts were rather simple. We aimed to enhance a diverse group of microbes, be they bacteria, fungi, archaea, or protists." They had left viruses alone, at least at temporarily. Their first goal was using fungi, then archaea. Bacteria and protists wereter attempts after gaining (moderate) sess in the former two.


    Zaphreal knew this all. Thanks to Julius, he was well informed about what the two presenting their findings had been up to.


    "The first attempts were simple, and fungi readily provedpatible with mana¡ªonce enhanced to be capable of interacting with the ethereal matter." The how, Zaphreal was not sure on. Naturally, the two, Denis and Ludwik, kept that close to their hearts. Afraid someone might steal the glory from them.


    "However, it also became apparent that fungi was toopatible. It mutated without end and we were forced to abandon the project. That was, until we received some news about ANW."


    Tunning out their story, Zaphreal observed the crowd. Trying to determine how much interference he would need to run to keep things ''safe''.


    ''I hope we can remain civil about things, but...'' Zaphreal understood well just how crazed some of the people at this convention could be. Whatever their motives, many were willing to die to see their dreams realized. Sadly, Ludwik and Denis were among these kinds of people. Their dream was perhaps admirable, but theirck of care and foresight was chilling.


    ''As long as they agree to follow the safety measures thepany has agreed upon when releasing ANW, it should be fine.''


    "Finally, we though, ''but what if we remove normal matter from the equation?'' I know, crazy!" Here came the problem. Well, it all was a problem.


    What they were about to reveal was simply insane. Not because the idea was outrageous, but because all previous simtions with this approach had ended in failure. The concept had been considered wed, even if it had potential. ''Why are we ignoring those warnings?''


    "Naturally, this isn''t an easy feat. But thanks to our findings, we now knew how to weave lifeforce into a broad surrounding."


    "Normally, the powers of our bloodlines are well contained. But with this method, we diluted it to where all power disappears and only energy remains. Aimless and directionless, it remains."


    ''Such a crazy n. I can''t believe that that was how they made the microbes interact with mana.''


    "With the energy there, all we had to do was give it some direction. Some goal. Just enough to manifest magic, but not enough to form spells or even a simple cantrip."


    "Naturally, with howplicated the system managing this is, failures are to be expected. However!'' The hologram standing behind the two, which had up till now shown all their data, now showed somethingpletely different.


    Empty air.


    "But this isn''t just any empty air. Thanks to the achievements of the ANW team, we can now observe mana in our surroundings. Observe." With this calm statement, the air in the hologram became alive. Flickering lights flying around.


    The entire convention stirred. Naturally, some held suspicions that this might be fake. Those who knew the two giving this speech, they held no doubts.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Now, to be clear, the flickering lights were certainly present. Butpared to the near infinite mist that one would find in ANW ¡ªon Gaia¡ª when using any type of mana observation skill. It wascking, severely so.


    Still,pared to what was normally present on Earth, there was a clear increase. However, things were not that simple. Sure, there were flickering lights. But they were not the size of mist vapor. They were the size of normal raindrops. In fact, some were evenrger than that.


    "Elementals! That is what we call these lights." Ludwik dered.


    "The AI, GAIA, said it was impossible. That living creatures of pure mana would destroy the bnce! But was that true? Or had they simply wanted to keep this astonishing revtion from us?"


    Things were certainly moreplicated than that. The living creatures GAIA mentioned weren''t simple collections of mana, but actual living entities made of mana and mana alone. They were called spirits, and they had been sentient.


    As the two went on to exin, they suspected this might be another possibility. Zaphreal could only shake his head as he heard the excitement in the room.


    Sure, it might work. But at what cost?


    There were several reasons why the usages of spirits were ultimately considered non-viable. Creating them had certainly been one of the biggest reasons for the research''s abandonment. But another was the nature of such creatures.


    ''They have simply not realize it yet.'' Zaphreal thought. It was so simple, staring everyone right in the face. Yet, no one saw it.


    The AI were spirits!


    Perhaps not microscopic. Heck, they could be. After all, the AI could split themselves endlessly. Keeping their consciousness as they did and each split identity capable of functioning like the original.


    You could consider them the collection of spirits if you went about it opposite to how things became reality.


    Naturally, this in itself was not a problem. The problem was twofold, and both problems were the same. The AI were sentient. They had wants, desires, needs.


    Spirits, well, whether they were fully sentient, weren''t clear from past simtions. However, they acted on apletely different basis than normal ''beings''. Irregr was the best description for their actions. There were literal tones of notes specting why, but the truth was never found.


    Up until recently, living entities inside the simtion required a material body for this same reason. Theck of one causedmon sense to falter. And while those avenues could lead to discoveries, if these discoveries did not apply and aid humans, then it was ultimately considered useless.


    "And since these elementals cannot exist without the lifeforce field we deploy, we haveplete control over their existence..."


    ''This is sounding incredibly simr. Naturally, I wasn''t at the original meeting. But this is precisely how they sold the AI and the simtions. Before ANW was even a sess, before Gaia. Back when GAIA was the only one.''

 Chapter 917 Aiming For Tier 6

    Eldrian, oblivious to the conference of magic and science that Miracle was holding, sat next to the river flowing through the vige. Calming himself as he considered the best method for approaching his tier up.


    He already knew the requirements, and he was confident he could meet them. He had his friends waiting nearby should things go awry, but far enough to avoid endangering them, and he had plenty of mana crystals should he require more mana.


    "Right. Unlike previous times, I have a n this time." Eldrian mumbled, getting to it. The first step, as always, was to channel a spell.


    Tier 6 spells were naturally moreplicated than Tier 5 spells. No matter which method of casting you used, this truth remained. Eldrian had even confirmed with Ziraili exactly what the requirements were.


    While called requirements, these were more goal posts that one had to achieve. Once you did, then the world would acknowledge your growth. Eldrian was a little unsure how that part works. Apparently, the AI weren''t the ones to dish out new stats or titles to NPCs. For yers, they certainly do.


    In any case, the reason Ziraili had mentioned this was because this acknowledgement of the world was simr in some ways to Skepsi''s goal in asking Eldrian to risk his life. To defy the heavens.


    There were certainly differences, defying the heavens¡ªor moremonly known as breaking through mortal limits ¡ªwas aimed to unlock a direct line to the flow of lifeforce and the powers it gave. While world acknowledgement simply gathered mana around a person.


    Still, this gathering of mana could cause problems like it had when Eldrian had reached Tier 5. Strong magical attuned creatures, mostly those of Ancient or Mythical bloodlines, would be attracted by this flow of mana. Hence, having Pros and Myropsis nearby.


    Back to spell casting. Eldrian was using his old trick of envisioning a Tier 6 spell module to formte the construction of his spell. Going slow to ensure he did not miss anything, he spent a few hours getting used to how it felt. His spell, ultimately, always failing.


    Those failures thought him what he needed to know, Eldrian confirmed the feel for it. Confirming how his mana shouldpose for the spell. Once he aplished this, the next step was including visualization of the spell.


    As Eldrian was mostfortable with ice magic, that was just what he used. The spell itself was simple, and an advanced version of Ice Rain called Frozen Spears. For now, Eldrian did not add runic magic to the equation as he had with Ice Rain in the past.


    Visualizing the effects of the spell¡ªwhich he had asked Myropsis to demonstrate¡ªEldrian''s mana flowed naturally to full fill the image in his mind. However, in this step, he was no longer relying on spell modules. He had only used them to learn how his mana should feel for the spell. He did not want to rely on them to actually cast it.


    Instead, Eldrianposed the details in his mind. While for Tier 5 spells, it was enough to simply keep in mind the molecr structure, Tier 6 required a visualized molecrttice. Naturally, if one was talented enough and understood how the mana should flow, one can skip some of the visualization requirements. Sadly for Eldrian, Tier 5 was where his talent ran out. He could no longer bank on it to fix the things he ignored.


    ''Hexagonal water molecules, stacked infinitely,'' Eldrian chanted in his head like a mantra, while also keeping the picture of spears of ice forming in the sky. Each was about a meter long and as thick as a branch.


    Keeping the images clear was certainly a challenge. Eldrian failed several times, his mana running rampant when he did. Luckily, he had prepared for this and could rely on Erik''s potions to solve his headache and mana poisoning, and his mana crystals for when he was short. After all, each failure cost him anywhere between 500 and a 1000 mana.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Finally, on the next day, Eldrian managed toplete the spell. He now had to do it two more times to officially be recognized. Yet, this was only the first step for him. For normal people, this would be enough, but Eldrian had his manawork, physical throughout his body and ethereal in his soul. Both had to be updated.


    ? Thus, after another few hours of spell casting, with many failures, Eldrian got confirmation that he had learned the spell¡ªofficially. As a test, he cast it again and indeed it now manifested far easier. Though, he still only managed a 30% sess rate.


    ''Yup, not tier up.'' While the chance was small, non-existent really, Eldrian had hoped Ziraili''s words would be wrong. Recalling past events, Eldrian did not look forward to this part.


    "Right, let''s just get it over with." He grumbled, pulling out a diagram of the human body... and another of the elven body. The human one he had colored in ording to what he saw with mana sense about people''s normal mana flow. The elven one... wascking. His only true reference for an elf was Ceph, who was actually an Alicorn.


    Ceph''s mana flow, however, had been fascinating to study. Why Eldrian hadn''t done it before had baffled him. What Eldrian had considered an excellent system turned out to be nothing but a mess. But that was the way of life. You do your best, and then a yearter it looks like child''s y. Or a child''s work, in this case.


    "Let''s start then." Eldrian said, taking a mana crystal in each hand. He had plenty avable, and he was going to need them. To overwrite and update his mana system, he needed an abnormal amount of mana. Luckily,st time, he had given it some forethought. He did not need to start from scratch.


    Using the previous system''s skeleton, Eldrian recreated the rest. He kept the main nodes (Vortexes) and the pathways between them, but broke and remade any that did not provide said function.


    Naturally, this wasn''t a pleasant experience. Guiding a torrent of mana through one''s body to alter the natural flow of mana was not something that should normally be done. Generally, such techniques are passed down for generations, not created on the spot.


    Six hourster, a drenched Eldrian copsed into his seat. Sadly, he did not have much time to recover, as he now had to work on the ethereal part. Jumping into his soul, he saw the sr system starting to act weird.


    "d I left you forst." Eldrian mumbled, getting to work. This, he believed, should be simpler than the former, and indeed it was. In his soul, he was god. However, even gods could be taken down by their own hubris of by surprise.


    Had Eldrian started here, the contained mana would have spilled into his body likest time. Doing it this way proved far more stable, albeit it took much longer. All in all, Eldrian had spent nearly two entire days.


    "Let''s see if it worked." He mumbled, returning to reality to find a collection of animals in in his surroundings. Chills ran down his spine as he realized he would have been killed had it not been for his friends guarding him.


    ''I even made sure that the area was clear!'' Eldrianined in his heart, seeing multiple creatures that appeared distinctly dragon-like.

 Chapter 918 Aiming For Tier 6 (2) - The Guards

    Guarding Eldrian, such a strange request. While Myropsis recounting of what happened when Eldrian reached Tier 5 made it clear that this was needed, Evale couldn''t wrap her head around why. Normally, training for a new tier was simple enough. However, when she heard Eldrian had a unique hidden ss and a legacy he had to refine, it started to make sense.


    To prevent casualties, they had moved past the border wall to where Eldrian normally trained. By now, the undead were scarcely in the area anymore. Regr patrols had, for the most part, cleared the surrounding areas.


    Still, even with the undead missing, monsters were still very much present. Both in the Ganalin mountain range and the other small ranges. No one knew what one could find in the mountains. Not to mention the vast woods aroundke Kyno.


    She and Pros were guarding the area around Eldrian''s barrier while he aimed to reach Tier 6. At first, he had simply been training to cast a spell. This waspletely normal. Of course, the speed at which he mastered it was impressive as ever, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.


    Next, Eldrian had sat down and started to meditate. From afar, Evale could not tell what he was doing, but it appeared casting a Tier 6 spell was not enough for him to reach Tier 6.


    "Is this the cost of training in one of the so called hidden sses?" She asked Pros as he came to relieve her for the night. His duties in the city done for the day.


    "I believe so. I''ve heard that it requires one to create a flow of mana within yourself. Which requires greater control of mana than I am capable of. Myropsis has been ying with the idea recently..." Pros paused. "I hope she has an easier time than Eldrian."


    The barriers Eldrian had erected prevented Pros from sensing what was going on¡ªthe area contained too much mana for him to feel anything from as far as they were. Still, the grimace on Eldrian''s face was clear. Whatever he was doing, it was painful.


    Several hourster, Eldrian stopped whatever he was doing. Up until now, nothing unexpected had urred. Yet Pros did not let his guard down. Myropsis had told him how two Ancient and one Mythical creatures had sought out Eldrian when he had attempted to reach Tier 5.


    ''I want to believe he learned from the past and adapted, but I should stay prepared.'' Pros thought, and this proved the right choice. About an hourter, the surrounding mana stirred. Eldrian''s barriers weakened, their mana stolen. Everything flowing towards him.


    "Yes, this would attract some sensitive creatures. Though this level shouldn''t bring anything I can''t handle." Pros mumbled.


    Readying his spells and taking out his staff sword. The Tier 10 items had been returned to the capital. They might even be somewhere on the battlefield again. They were kingdom treasures, so naturally Pros couldn''t keep the sword.


    Still, he had his own weapon. One he had made to his preferred fighting style. A staff sword, the staff part for helping with casting and the sword part for shing any who got too close. Its range also helped him keep enemies at bay.


    When he needed something with more heft, he would normally use his poleaxe. But for now, the staff sword was a better call. Pros also felt he would need its help to keep his spells from weakening.


    As someone who had aimed for mayorship of the distant border city of Kynigo, Pros had wanted to avoid all the politicking happening the capital and ducal cities. At the time, the invasion had also yet to start. His goal had been to leisurely enjoy his life, perhaps find a partner... have some kids.


    Sure, finding someone he could love had proven more difficult than he had imagined. It would have been easy to take someone who was after his family''s power or money, but Pros had always believed he would marry for love.


    "What am I even thinking about?" He grumbled, shaking the thoughts from his head. Needless to say, the invasion had ruined his ns to avoid politics and fighting. Since the invasion started, he had seen more battlefields than he cared to count.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "The first one, a wyvern... young one." Seeing how small it was, Pros half wanted to let it go.


    Sadly, since he did not know how long this was going to take, he couldn''t afford to go easy on anything that came along. Being overwhelmed because of his earlier mercy would be nothing tough about. Still, he did not want to outright kill the poor hapless creature.


    "From its brown scales, this should be an earthen type wyvern. In that case," Pros raised his sword staff, aiming for the wyvern''s right wing, "Thika se Pago."


    At this incantation, a spear of ice formed at the tip of his staff sword. Shooting forth and prating the wyvern''s wing. It cried out in pain. Sadly, this was just the start. The ice quickly spread. Freezing the wing, making flight impossible. With a cry, the wyvern fell.


    Even from such a fall, it was not dead. However, it was terribly wounded. Upon inspection, Pros found the wyvern to only be Tier 3. Its parts would not be of great use, though they were still valuable.


    "Sorry about this." Pros said as he approached the wyvern, staff sword raised. Its reach should enable him to end its life without entering the wyvern''s attack range.


    As Pros approached, the wyvern red at him. It did not roar, seemingly aware it would do it no good. Yet, at thest moment, Pros could not bring himself to strike. Having spent a great deal of time with Ceph, he knew the wyvern was not a mindless monster. Only the undead could truly be considered such.


    Still, even among monsters and magical creatures, a wyvern ranked amidst the top. As an Ancient creature, it could even learn to speak through magic. This one was too young to be capable of such, but older wyverns certainly could learn how to. Just like how Alicorns and their family, the pegasuses and unicorns could.


    "Go on then. Leave if you value your life." He said, shooing it away.


    As he was trying to show mercy, another wyvern appeared in the early morning sky. This one was about twice or trice as big as the wounded one. While the first one was only asrge as a single room, this new one was about as big as a house.


    "Green scales, so wind element." Pros thought, monitoring the wounded wyvern as he assessed the new arrival. "For wind, ice should word too. Though it might avoid falling with magic. It should scare it off."


    Pros continued to repel the arriving wyverns, choosing his spells wisely to not waste his mana. Two hourster, Evale arrived. By now, Pros had killed four wyverns and scared off three more.


    The first one was still around. It had not tried to attack or move towards Eldrian, so Pros had left it be.


    "You''ve been busy." Evale said, shocked at the sight. While she wouldn''t call it the sight of a disaster, there were certainly far too many bodies around.


    Wyverns were not the only things that sought the source of the mana disturbance. There were Mavrosses (snake type monsters), Orthrusses (wolf type), Rocs (bird type), Drakes, and several other types Evale had only read about in books. She had no idea they even existed so close to Kynigo.

 Chapter 919 Tier 6

    When Eldrian finished things, Evale had been helping Pros keep the monsters at bay for an entire day. Night was about to fall. By now, the number of corpses couldn''t quite make a mountain, but it had reached the triple digits. It could certainly make a hill.


    Naturally, not all of these monsters were on the level of drakes and wyverns. Some were simple bloodline creatures. There were even a number of evolved monsters, chased out of their homes to this location (and ughter) because of a stronger monster entering their territory.


    "This is quite the haul!" Evale eximed joyously. Sure, about 90% of the monsters wouldn''t make the best materials, but the 10% that would, they would help the city quite a bit. Getting better armor and weapons for the soldiers was now the top priority for those in charge.


    While there were ns to recover the old forsaken cavern for a while now, it had been continuously pushed. Despite the metals it would bring in, being dearly needed. These monster materials would help fill in the void until they could finally venture into the forsaken cavern for mining.


    Some Chosen were exploring its upper levels. ording to them, the ce also counted as a dungeon (which to enter, they had to pay a small mana crystal).


    Quite a number had flocked to it to see what dungeons were like as a result. Not all could afford to use a mana crystal so precariously. After all, even a small mana crystal went for anywhere between 20 and 30 gold. Even at the low end, that was worth 500 dors if converted to cash.


    Heck, to most average yer, getting equipment was an uphill battle. Very few had double digits of gold lying around. Eldrian and Phoenix were unique in that perspective. Though others were sure to reach the same financial situation with the dungeon addition.


    These poor yers chose to explore the cave in preparations instead. As a bonus, they couldplete the quest the city had registered for that precise action while they prepared for the dungeon.


    "It seems everything went rtively well this time. How do you feel, Eldrian?" Pros was more focused on Eldrian than the monster corpses. Of course, he still kept his eye on the wyvern child.


    It had still not left, and at this point, Pros was thinking of trying to tame it. A wyvern woulde in very handy, especially for transport. However, they were difficult to tame. Encountering one as young as this was rare, extremely so. They rarely left the nest before adulthood.


    ''I''m sure the other side of the kingdom can tame plenty of monsters now, considering the wave rushing into the kingdom from the southwest.'' Certainly, they had to hold against the monsters. But the potential upside still existed. Even if it was near impossible to make use of it.


    "I think so." Eldrian replied, pausing to check his physical condition. This time there hadn''t been any unexpected developments.


    Eldrian felt this wasn''t just because of his preparations, but also because Tier 6 was a considered a minor upgrade. The next big one was Tier 7, and then Tier 10. When he next tried to tier up, he had to make sure he was ready for unexpected developments.


    ''Seems the manawork survived the mana inflow. The vortices are revolving faster, and they feel much denser. The pathways...'' Eldrian felt pleased by how they flowed.


    They felt like mighty rivers carrying mana from one vortex (node) to another. With vortices at each key location in his body, he was brimming with mana. Sure, things were a bit too much for now. The mana rushing like raging rapids. But they should calm down with some time, and then he could really test out what he was now capable of.


    ''All I did was make the sr system more real. I had it move about my soul to bring a type of day and night cycle. Also added rotations and one moon to each world.'' Eldrian was certainly happy that it had been enough.


    Curious, he turned to his interface to figure out the finer details, already certain of his sess given his new overflowing amount of mana. At least three times his original amount.


    ''Yeah, this is impressive,'' Eldrian thought, a smile sneaking across his face as he looked at how much stronger he had be. It had most certainly been worth it to find the time to do this. Especially since he had been sure he could.


    It had taken a while to get used to the Tier 5 spell requirement, but once he had it downfortably, Tier 6 wasn''t much different. It just needed slightly better visualization and finer mana control.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Naturally, Eldrian had needed time to focus on tiering up. This time, he had needed two days. Tier 7 was sure to require even more. ording to Ziraili, the shift between Tier 5/6 and Tier 7 was the amount of detail.


    The spell modules were kicked up another notch inplexity and differentpositions to reflect this. He would first need to be able to cast Tier 6 spells as easily as any other before being able to attempt it.


    Still, Eldrian was satisfied with his growth. He had already had more mana than Myropsis, a Tier 6 mage, when he was Tier 5. Now, he had five times more.


    [Eldrian Avgi (Count)] (At this point Eldrian had only attuned Crystoi and the Avyssos Ring, thetter not yet giving any stat bonuses. Because of the limit of soulbound items, Eldrian had been holding off on this decision for the time being.)


    [Level: 46]


    [Hidden ss: Protector (Tier 6)]


    [Normal ss: Magic (Tier 6) | Melee (Tier 5) | Range (Tier 4)]


    [Soulbound items: Crystoi, Avyssos Ring]


    [Avatar Affinity: 100%]


    [Attributes ¡ª Constitution: 1108 (was 788) | Strength: 1012 (was 758) | Agility: 1201 (was 862) | Spirit: 1202 (was 714) | Intelligence: 1036 (was 620)]


    (AN: was indicates to before Tier 6 attempt, stats where never shown when Eldrian reached Tier 4 in range. See AN at chapter end for before range T4.)


    [56 free attributes]


    [Stats ¡ª HP: 8.9k (was 5k) | Mana: 10.2k (was 3.1k) | Stamina: 12.6k (was 7.5k)]


    ''Mmm, Ceph still has me beat. Even though he is Tier 5. But I do have more attributes than him in his elven form. Mythical creatures really are something...'' Ceph''s attributes in his normal, alicorn form, hovered around 1.5k. The jump from Tier 4 to 5 for Ceph had been as big as Eldrian''s jump to Tier 6. Bigger even.


    That was natural though, Mythical creatures were the pinnacle of existence on Gaia. But this also came at a cost. They are unable to attune with magical items, and thus cannot grow stronger from secondary sources. They could still use the items just fine, they simply couldn''t get a stat boost from them.


    "Eldrian?" Pros probbed.


    "Ah, sorry. Just checking the results." Eldrian answered, deciding to put the rest of his investigation off forter. There was plenty they had to do here first. Still, Eldrian had to check on the Avyssos Ring. It had the ability to match his Tier, and he was curious how it had grown.


    ''Ah, this sucks.'' Eldrian nodded. It appeared the ring would take a week to match his Tier. He could apparently feed it mana to speed things up.

 Chapter 920 Attempting To Cast Creation (1)

    ''But not right now,'' Eldrian concluded. While he had reached Tier 6 with little fuss, his avatar would still take some time to get used to the increased density of mana now flowing through it.


    ''I wonder if this will bring any changes IRL?'' Eldrian pondered while confirming his current state.


    The high density mana flowing through his body was still finding its ce, and his body was adapting to it. It shouldn''t take long for it all to stabilize, since the framework had been there from hisst attempt. But Eldrian didn''t want to rush things.


    "The question now is, what are we going to do with all of these?" Pros mumbled, turning his attention to the monster corpses. "We can''t just leave them lying here. Evale, can you go fetch some people, preferably some Chosen, to help carry them back?"


    "Sure." Evale replied, hurrying along.


    They needed to avoid letting the bodies rot. But more importantly, they couldn''t let them stay as is. With how close they were to the Encroaching, it was entirely possible for the monsters to resurrect as undead. There was still a lingering scent of death around the area due to the past presences of the undead.


    Pros had ordered the soldiers to collect all the undead and burn them, and also sent quest to the adventurers and Chosen to do the same. Yet, the stench still prevailed. It would take a long time for it to truly disappear. Especially since Pyknos and the Lost Grove are both heavily contaminated.


    "Eldrian, do you want any of the materials?" Pros asked.


    "No, you can use them as you see fit. I''ll help carry them once my mana stabilizes. Also want to test exactly how much stronger I am."


    ¡ª


    Three hourster, Eldrian returned to the abandoned vige, now clear of monsters. Pros had actually taken the child wyvern to the city.


    Naturally, most of the houses were nowpletely in ruins. But that didn''t bother Eldrian, he simply came here to train. And he hade here with one, and only one, though. He wanted to cast Creation.


    It had been ages since he had stumbled upon the spell. Way back when he had still been using Aoidos. It was even before everything fell apart with Miracle. Even before he and Ceph had be Zoe Partners.


    In all this time, now almost two whole years ago, Eldrian had nevere close to the mana requirements. He could have attempted it via mana crystals, and he would still need their aid. The difference; Eldrian felt the gap was no longer toorge.


    With his physically flowing mana now reaching 10k, and another 30k (usable) being in reserve within his soul. He felt he should have enough mana naturally to keep things stable. He could even overdraw mana to fill in for emergencies.


    And, while he did not have arge mana crystal at hand, he had seven medium crystals amounting to 70k mana. As well as a few dozen smaller ones. The leftover riches from the lich.


    ''I''ve also confirmed with Ziraili what should happen,'' Eldrian thought, taking a deep calming breath. Sure, he had used mana on this scale before, but he had only ever made things explode.


    It was intimidating thinking just how much mana he was going to use. Recalling the effects when he used arge mana crystal for Nova, how it had torn down even a magic tower. Eldrian knew that failure meant dying. Now, he didn''t quite care about dying. He had the levels to spare. Should ite to that. If he was even going to lose any.


    He wasn''t quite sure how thing worked for him anymore. After all, he couldn''t gain XP from quests, and by keeping his soul intact (by staying conscious and preventing the Realm of Souls from stealing any) the cost should be lower for him to resurrect. There would still be some to recreate his avatar...<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''I wonder how much that actually amounts to? I also didn''t lose levels... Then again, I am still missing my right arm...'' Eldrian wondered what was going on.


    He should remember to ask Ziraili when they met up again. Since Two''s parting, they had made it a point to meet at least once a week. Well, once a week after Eldrian had calmed down and reached out to her. Which amounted to only this andst week.


    Putting these thoughts aside, Eldrian started the process. Summoning the natural elements, he kept each as a ball and had them rotate around him.


    This took him thirteen tries, since he didn''t want to use lower grade spells, but rather Tier 6 ones. Even if the spells he created were simple, he wanted the manaposing them to be as dense and detailed as possible.


    ''Right, I almost forgot. I modelled my mana soul after this. Sevens, one for each element in nature. I went ahead and added a moon to each without really thinking what they should represent. Maybe that should be my approach for Tier 7. Hybrid elements? Other aspects?''


    The sun was supposed to represent mana in its raw state, but instead, it was now a zing ball of wrath. While a halo of ice surrounded the entire system, like a meteor belt.


    ''That was clever of me. I should remember this. Perhaps if I pull mana from the respectives, I can enhance the quality? Perhaps add a touch of lifeforce? Just enough to enhance the spell above normal?'' Shelving this idea forter, Eldrian focused.


    The basis concept of creation was that all mana was fundamentally the same thing. Free energy. Each element was simply attuned to something in nature. While other aspects covered concepts outside of natural phenomena.


    Necromancy, for example, covered the concept of life after death. It was the only other aspect Eldrian was knowledgeable about.


    He severelycked research into different aspects of magic. ''Right, divine magic is technically the concept of miracles. Is that why it works so differently? Yeah. But that makes less sense.. Then again, bloodlines throw normal concepts of magical limitations out the window and right into orbit. As do Auras.''


    "We start with opposing elements." Eldrian mumbled, returning to the task at hand. These distracting thoughts, while fascinating, would not aplish anything. He had to focus on one thing at a time.


    Bringing the ball of water and fire together. While he had kept the spells simple, theirposition was far more realistic. As close to the real thing as Eldrian could muster.


    As such, the opposition as Eldrian attempted to merge them was far greater. The spells hissed as they came into contact. Fire evaporated water, and water doused fire. Yet, Eldrian stopped the spells themselves from disappearing. Feeding them more and more mana until he got used to merging the spells.


    ''This will be far easier if I simply wanted to cast a hybrid spell. I see now why Zamia was surprised by my actions. Tier 0 spells really offered little resistancepared to this.''


    After four failures and thirty minutes of struggling, Eldrian finally seeded in this first step. Having water and me exist in harmony. Rotating around each other without interfering with one another. Like Yin and Yang, just likest time.


    The fire now appeared sma like, while the water appeared denser than normal. Like it was stuck between a frozen state and liquid, but had no crystals. Only its viscosity having increased, giving it a smooth sheen-like appearance. Almost like it was some type of new form of matter.


    "I need a break." Eldrian grumbled. Yet he did not want to drop things here. However, managing just these two seemed to be his limit for now.


    He kept them going for as long as he could. And once he lost focus, and the spells canceled each other out, he recast them, re-merged them, and repeat.

 Chapter 921 Attempting To Cast Creation (2) - Necessities Of Life

    Three hourster, Eldrian could merge the fire and water without using all his focus. In this effort, he had truly missed Two''s help.


    Handing some of the processing to another was such a wonderful cheat that Eldrian hadn''t realized how much he always relied on it. Sure, he had learned of his reliance during all the fights since. But this really hammered home how reliant he had been on Two in other regards.


    Eldrian also realized that it was impossible to split his focus as he was trying currently. His attention would always be pulled towards where he was failing, and in so doing, whatever lost some focus would fail too. Leading to a loop of things bing worse and worse until the elements canceled one another. The more tired he was, the faster this happened.


    Sure, it was possible for him to multitask once things became easy as walking or breathing. But to get to that point required a great deal of training and time. Time Eldrian did not feel he had.


    While he was training here, and while he needed the training to grow used to his upgrade, the kingdom was still fighting a desperate war on all fronts.


    Thus, he thought of a new idea. Reflecting on his talks with the gods and what he knew of technology, he considered splitting his mind like a CPU splits it processing power.


    When considering everything, Eldrian felt that Two had been like a second processing core. For now, he did not want to go down that route. It still felt too early. However, splitting his mind into different threads, each to handle a certain issue (but all connected). He felt that might work.


    ''Still, this means I can''t focus on things too radically differently. But spells should fall into the same category. It should work.''


    The question then became how he would create threads for different spells, and how many could he manage?


    Eldrian spent the rest of the day trying to figure this out. And when night arrived, he finally logged out. Exhausted. Three days without sleep would certainly do that, even to him. Especially since he had been focusing so much.


    Waking in the old warehouse, Eldrian smiled at how much it had changed. The guild was serious about making it a type of office. With how profitable ANW could be, it was natural that they wanted to maximize it.


    Naturally, a physical location wasn''t needed for this. Heck, they could even use the virtual homes instead. But knowing Miracle, and simply wishing to meet in person, they had gone for the physical route instead. After all, most core members were nearby. Close enough tomute at least a few days a week.


    The first cabin would be installed within the week. Eldrian wasn''t sure whether he would use it or not, despite Ziraili''s assurance. His poor state, reminded him of the need, and again of the absence of Two. Three days without food or drink left him close to being an actual corpse.


    "I might actually have died if not for my body being stronger than normal." Eldrian grumbled, summoning some water for himself to quench his thirst.


    A mix of dark and water magic did the trick, not just water. Water from mana alone vanished when no longer supported, and the poor mana density of Earth meant it happened sooner thanter.


    This was something Eldrian had confirmed when attempting to guide Brazen. Spells weren''t the actual thing. Sure, it would quench his thirst for a while, but it would not be the real deal. And considering his situation, he needed something that would persist even without mana.


    Thus, he added dark to condense actual water by cooling the air, and gathered it with the water element. Him drinking from a floating ball of water would have certainly caused most people to falter in shock. Probably doing double and triple takes, doubting their eyes.


    After dealing with the biggest issue, Eldrian''s stomach growled. Luckily, he kept a few snacks at hand for times like this. Right now, however, Eldrian felt a soup would be for the best.


    Using magic to prepare it, Eldrian confirmed the changes in his body. ''Seems nothing much changed,'' He noted. For the most part, he was the same as before he reached Tier 6. This was a relief, but also a small letdown. It confirmed that what happened before wasn''t the norm. Which, granted, was mostly good. It meant the chances of others experiencing what he had would be low.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I wonder... no, better not to." Throwing the idea away as quickly as it came to him, Eldrian enjoyed his meager breakfast. Not much longer, Nikki arrived.


    Naturally, not everyone in the guild lived in the same ce. But due to how initial yers had been scattered, most were physically close to each other on earth¡ªif they had spawned in Phallos.


    "I see you are finally up." Shemented, her demeanor clearly betraying her friendly tone. She was scowling.


    ''Oh, she''s pissed. But what for?'' Eldrian wondered as he continued enjoying his soup. Heated to perfection and kept at that level as he enjoyed it.


    "Do you know how worried we were?"


    "Huh?" Eldrian mumbled, before suddenly realizing what was going on. ''Oh, right! I look like a corpse while in ANW. Sure, I''ve been using the headset recently since Ziraili assured me it was safe. But I guess me just lying here for three days had them worried.''


    ''Luckily, they didn''t do something crazy like take me to a hospital... wait, isn''t that what should be normal?


    Now that Eldrian thought about it, it was certainly something to worry about. Sure, he had a mattress now... ''No, that isn''t it... Yeez, I really have be a savage,'' Eldrian was so used to living in the wilds thatmon sense no longer seemed to apply to his train of thought.


    ''But I did... no, that just makes me more abnormal.'' Before falling asleep, Eldrian had set up barrier and warning system. With Two gone, he had to be capable of sensing when he was in danger.


    Luckily, he had experimented with this before, and finalizing the product wasn''t hard when Ziraili offered to help with getting the message through. It was also the main reason he was using the headset. It allowed for easier integration of a sensitivity barrier and kept him connected to Earth.


    "Eldrian." Nikki''s tone was angry. Demanding an answer. To what, Eldrian had no idea.


    "What''s up?"


    And so, he got an earful.


    ¡ª


    As promised, Eldrian waited an entire day before jumping back into things. He felt it was a waste, but seeing how worried everyone was, he agreed.


    "Time to add the other elements. Let''s see, I can split my focus two ways, ording to yesterday. One magical, one not. I''m going to go with magical, naturally." Eldrian mumbled. The normal way was naturally what he had been doing. But it was like trying to write with both hands.


    Or when things got even more, like trying to write with his hands, feet, mouth, and some invisible appendages. Yeah, most normal people couldn''t even manage the first step. With more and more yers reaching Tier 5, the number was growing. But it certainly couldn''t be considered normal. It was still a talent.

 Chapter 922 Attempting To Cast Creation (3) - An Orthrus Arrives

    The magical solution to splitting his focus had two approached, at least Eldrian had found two. One, he could reprogram what the spell needed to do. By envisioning the start, middle, and end, he could more or less make the spell self reliant.


    This envisioning would be through mageia, instead of mana. The method of forming it was simr in manner to how Eldrian talked telepathically with Ceph. It was more leaving dyed instructions than actually controlling the spell. But it worked¡ªfor simple spells.


    The other method was simr, but Eldrian left it nk. Allowing himself to shift his ''focus'' or mind to it to alter things, but leave bncing the spell to a sort of artificial magical mind.


    Naturally, doing this didn''t seed right off the bat. Eldrian spent most of the day confirming how these methods would work. What he ended up with was sort of like having multiple screens on a PC. Each handling an individual task. They would maintain the status quo¡ªaka, run in the background¡ªbut he needed to shift more focus to do something specific.


    ''That''s the best I can do without giving these alternate ''minds'' lifeforce.'' Eldrian thought. The act of doing so would be creating a new second identity, a new Two. Besides, he wanted to master this skill, since he knew it woulde in handy in the future. And thus, he did.


    The next day, he went back to the city and to Tripeak to confirm everything was still fine. He also got an update about the situation in the other parts of the kingdom.


    While travelling, Eldrian kept simpler spells running independently. He even tried to add some runic magic to add more rigidity to the spells. Which worked quite well. Allowing the spells to be even more independent.


    ''I might be able to make something like a self-defense system,'' Eldrian mussed as he got back to creation. By now merging fire and water was simple enough, adding wind, however, threw the bnce he had found into wack.


    After a few hours of trial and error, Eldrian managed to keep things from copsing and moved on to add earth. Naturally, this was even harder than adding wind, the third element. But with perseverance and some help to monitor the other elements with his ''magic minds'', Eldrian managed.


    That was when he shockingly found the next step to move smoothly. And the next, and the next. It appeared that the first four elements threw things out of bnce, but the elements after fell right into ce.


    Eldrian didn''t know if this was because light, dark, and nature were less material and more energy in nature, or simply because he had crossed the halfway mark. Regardless, he appreciated things moving smoothly after struggling for days on end.


    With all the elements added, the ball of mana buzzed with energy. Its shape changing between the elements as if trying to figure out what it was supposed to be. And after a while, it settled into the form of a crystal.


    Likest time, it appeared like a storm was happening within. And the more mana Eldrian added, the calmer it became. Which seemed counterintuitive. One would think more mana would make things more chaotic.


    Eldrian, however, understood that the opposite happened because the mana wasn''t just bing formless energy adding to chaos. It was taking on material form, removing energy from the chaos as it did.


    ''This isn''t like a spell. It doesn''t feel like ice, or me. And it isn''t like earth shaping the ground or stones,'' Eldrian noted. It felt far more concrete. Like mana was bing actual matter, no longer simply reflecting it as was what spells did.


    This was what was supposed to happen. It was where the namesake came from. ording to Ziraili, it was named creation because that was just what it would do. It would create. Change mana, formless, free energy, into still and corporeal matter.


    While it was still unstable, Eldrian realized that once it became stable, it would exist without needing him to support it. It would no longer be something consisting out of mana, but rather, somethingpletely different.


    ''This isn''t like LP either. Ziraili was right, but...'' Creation, a spell that required one hundred thousand mana. Eldrian wasn''t sure whether he should be happy with what it ended up creating, or disappointed.


    That, however, had to wait for once he seeded. For now, Eldrian had already thrown all the mana he could at it, and it was still hungry for more. Thus, he pulled out mana crystal after mana crystal. Finding, as he did, that he didn''t even need to channel mana into the forming crystal¡ªa blinding white in color.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was drawing mana from everywhere and from everything nearby. Luckily, it seemed content to not drain Eldrian more than he was. By stealing some mana from the mana crystals, he prevented himself from entering into any danger.


    Nervously, Eldrian surveyed his surroundings. Realizing that this torrent of mana rushing to the crystal was bound to attract monsters. Luckily, it appeared this was not attracting much attention.


    ''No, that isn''t right. It''s more that there are none to attract,'' Eldrian thought, recalling the events just a few days ago.


    Inadvertently, his Tier up had cleared the area from mana sensitive monsters. Still, Eldrian noted there were some ''things'' moving towards him. Red dots moving quite rapidly. Though few in number, their speed did imply that they were capable.


    Luckily, Evale also seemed to be on her way. Most likely also having noticed the flow of mana changing as she patrolled nearby.


    Continuing to focus on keeping the blinding crystal stable, Eldrian could feel it slowly forming into what it was supposed to be. An Artificial Magic Crystal.


    As the first red dot appeared, the crystal finally stopped absorbing mana. Luckily, the mana crystals Eldrian had brought helped speed things along.


    Readying a spell and drawing Crystoi from his inventory, Eldrian watched the creature, wary that it might attack. The crystal, luckily, was stable enough now. While still absorbing mana, it was no longer a torrent.


    "Wait, are you going to attack or not?" Eldrian asked, watching the creature with interest.


    He had heard of it before. It was an Orthrus, a mythical creature in the shape of a wolf. Last time, a few had been killed by Pros and Evale while guarding him. Yet, this one did not appear to be raring to attack.


    ''I wonder, did its parents die?'' Eldrian questioned. From its three tails, green, blue, and ck, Eldrian knew it was Tier 3 and had nature, water, and dark elements under its control. While it Mythical creature like an Alicorn, Orthrusses are far weaker when young.


    It was also rather small. It reminded Eldrian of a puppy. Its fur looked extremely fluffy, and like Ceph coat, it was as ck as night.


    ''Hey, if you won''t attack, then I won''t hurt you,'' Eldrian said, sending the message telepathically.


    Getting the feeling that the young wolf before him didn''t understand normal speech, Eldrian changed his approach. Luckily, telepathic messages shared intent, not actual words. So it could cross allnguage barriers¡ªas long as the recipient couldprehend the intent sent at it, they couldmunicate.


    ''Want, crystal,'' The Orthrus replied, seemingly struggling to hold on to the connection Eldrian had formed mentally.


    ''It is still quite young, it seems. Unable to even properly control a telepathic link.'' Eldrian noted, along with the fact that the young pup was extremely wary.


    And for good reason, not long ago, the area had been a massacre. Not to mention, Eldrian was far stronger than it. Its instincts were screaming at it: Do not provoke the elf!

 Chapter 923 To Fort Phoenix

    ''Why do you want it? Why are you guys attracted to things that draw in mana?'' Eldrian asked. Though it seemed his question was not understood. So he simplified. ''Why?''


    ''Stronger.''


    ''How?''


    ''Eat.''


    ''Mmm, I wonder if Ceph would know anything about this?'' Eldrian questioned. Turning to the crystal as he mulled over his thoughts.


    [Artificial Magic Crystal]


    [Rank 4] ''Oh, this is lower than expected. Magic Crystals are normally Rank 5. Does this mean it is more like a Mov Crystal?''


    [Mana: 103k/??]


    [A crystal created through artificial means by forcing mana into a singr location. Hardening and crystalizing it. Currently, the crystal is still growing.]


    ''Growing?'' Eldrian wondered what that meant. Asking the little wolf didn''t help, it just wanted the crystal.


    Stumped, Eldrian reached out to those he thought might know more. Sending a message to Ceph who was too far to reach telepathically¡ªat least, too far to do sofortably. Thus he sent it through the yers and to Ziraili.


    Her response came first. [All mana crystalse into existence through the gathering of mana in one location. Denser mana veins allow Mov Crystals to grow, and the densest of veins birth Magic Crystals.]


    [As the crystal is now, it is in its early stages of growth. You can tell at what point it is by its color. White means it is too unstable to be used, but can be moved¡ªphysically. Do not store it inside a dimensional pocket! It will consume said space and everything inside it.]


    [Once it turned purple, it will be stable enough to be stored. However, it will only be equal to Magic Crystals once light shines from within.]


    ''Yikes. d I didn''t just throw it into my inventory... though, would it consume it too?'' Too afraid to ask, Eldrian instead asked why the Orthrus would want the crystal. And why they came at him when he was Tiering up.


    Since he couldn''t hop into his soul, and more creatures wereing, Eldrian wanted the answer sooner rather thanter. He couldn''t very well take the crystal to Kynigo if it was going to bring trouble.


    [By consuming something with fast quantities of mana, monsters can evolve. Even among Mythical creatures, there are evolution paths for them to take. A fully evolved mythical creature is as strong, and even stronger than Legends.]


    ''Wow.'' Hearing that, Eldrian immediately asked if this would work for Ceph too.


    [Yes.]


    ''Awesome!'' Noticing the little guy impatiently waiting, Eldrian sent it a denial message. ''Sorry, but I have ns for this crystal.''


    Yet it did not leave. It was stalking closer. Like a cat, funnily enough.


    ''I can see you,'' Eldrianmented, causing it to freeze for a second. Right before it pounced. Sadly, it was far too slow. Eldrian grabbed the crystal and smacked the pup away.


    ''Oh, crap,'' As soon as he touched it, the crystal started feeding on his mana. So Eldrian let it go. As he did, it naturally floated. About as high as Eldrian''s chest. A little off the ground, but not enough to leave it out of reach. This seemed to be something it had inmon with a magic crystal, even if it wasn''t on the level of one.


    Sighing, Eldrian took out a mana crystal, drained it while fighting the Artificial Magic Crystal for mana, and sent Ceph a request to teleport over. Normally left for emergencies, Ceph answered quickly. Appearing beside him as the pup went for its fourth attempt.


    Eldrian smacked it away like before. Keeping his strength controlled to not identally kill the little guy. Since it was only aiming for the crystal, Eldrian didn''t think it deserved death. Besides, at Tier 3, it would not give him XP worth a damn. He would just feel bad.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What''s up?" Ceph asked, watching the small wolf climbing to his feet. Then turning to the crystal. "Is that from Creation?"


    "Yeah. Heard you guys can use stuff like this to evolve, want it?"


    "No." Ceph replied quickly.


    "Huh, why?" Eldrian asked, letting his attention slip. The persistent little guy used that opening to grab the crystal. But before it could bolt, Ceph had grabbed two of its three tails. Causing it to yelp and the crystal to fly from its mouth.


    It was at that time that a Hippogriff appeared. ''Huh, never seen one of these before?'' Eldrian thought, sending a gust of air at it. About half of his mana was stolen by the crystal though, which only caused the Hippogriff to miss¡ªnot to be sent flying.


    "Hey, Ceph, can you secure things? I''m too low on mana." Eldrian asked, taking the pup, snapping at the bits, from him so his hands would be free.


    Reliable as ever, Ceph grounded the Hippogriff and also summoned a barrier around them. Seeing that, Eldrian realized why this was happening. "Ah! My barrier got taken down when it started drawing in mana!"


    He should have realized earlier, however, Ceph''s follow up made it clear it wouldn''t have been an option. "Wouldn''t work. It''s draining the mana from my barrier now, instead of our surroundings. Should keep us hidden, but only as long as I have mana... We should move before anything else appears."


    Not knowing how much mana the crystal was going to drain, Ceph couldn''tfortably say he could hold out. Even with his 15k mana pool.


    As such, the two scurried towards Evale and the scouts. Informing them of what happened as they went to Fort Phoenix until things calmed down. While not uninhabited, the fort only had a few dozen soldiers and asional diplomats. Eldrian had nned to use it for experiments, though things had taken a different turn.


    Luckily, today seemed to be a day where neither Jade nor Levana was about. Meaning only the bare minimum amount of guards were present, too.


    Keeping a smaller barrier, tight around the crystal, the two headed directly to the sole magic tower. They paused at the door, Eldrian asking Ziraili if it was safe before entering. Recalling vividly what had happened with his Magic Crystal when he had taken it out in Elomir.


    [Check the fort settings.] Came her reply, and Eldrian did. Where he saw the option to iste any part of the tower¡ªforming a barrier to prevent mana from entering or leaving. Doing so for the first floor, the two entered.


    "Why did you bring it?" Ceph asked as soon as things calmed down. The mana in the room was quickly absorbed into the artificial crystal, but thereafter nothing happened.


    "Well... It would just have followed us and tried to get the crystal if I let it go."


    "Why not kill it?"


    "Come on, I''m not a monster. It only wants the crystal. That''s hardly a reason to kill it."


    "It''s because it''s cute, isn''t it?" Ceph asked, a teasing smile ying on his face as he did.


    "Aww... Ummm..." Eldrian couldn''t deny it. Killing orcs, goblins, and even devils. Sure. Killing a harmless (to him) little wolf pup. No way. "Maybe I can tame it?"


    "Right, I have seen some yers with tamed monsters. But those were all evolved monsters, haven''t seen even a single bloodline."


    "Well, yeah... I mean, it''s expensive." Eldrian knew of this function, but had never tried it. Nor had anyone in Phoenix. Considering that tamed monsters couldn''t be revived upon death, needed a special contract, food, and care. Well, it just wasn''t worth the effort. It might as well not have been an option.


    Then again, yers in the peaceful empires had taken to it. Especially towards the cuter monsters. And naturally, some tried to train monsters forbat.


    Eldrian and Ceph''s bond, however, was special. Normal taming didn''t have any perks like theirs. It was a massive investment for minimal gain. Thus, with gold still rare and most yers struggling to make ends meet, taming had naturally fallen onto the wayside.

 Chapter 924 Specialized Lab

    "Finally!" Qiren eximed, unable to help herself. The reason, sess, naturally.


    Ever since managing to make a device to measure the rtive density of mana, the ANW branch had shifted their focus onto making a device capable of gathering said mana. However, with no one able to use magic, and Zaphreal only offering advice, they had been stumped.


    The other groups within thepany all had someone capable of wielding mana, most only through their bloodline powers, but still. Yet, it was important that they continued to strive forward on their own. And finally, Qiren and her team got the results they wanted.


    "It''s still not much." Constantinmented. Following Eldrian''s advice, he had created a new character in ANW and tried to learn magic without the system.


    He had made great strides and managed to reach Tier 4 even. However, taking what he learned in ANW back to Earth was still beyond him. Still, he could now at least sense the flow of mana around him. And that flow was weak... extremely so.


    "But it''s something!" Joren countered.


    "Now, to test if we can guide the flow." Qiren said, moving onto the next part of their experiment.


    What they had made was, in simple terms, a magical ma. In opposite to the approach the others were taking, some of whom were quite extreme and dangerous, the group followed a more material path. Naturally, there was a possibility of things escting, but as a whole they felt their approach was far safer than the group working on ''elementals''.


    "Sadly, it appears it is only gathering around the device. It has absorbed some mana, but hardly enough to even consider it a magical metal. Won''t even be considered a celestial ore in ANW." Constantin offered.


    Sadly, mana also didn''t flow into any of the other materials they had in the room. None of the metals; not iron, silver, gold, tinum, nor tungsten. Nor was it flowing into any of the crystals; jade, ruby, sapphire, diamond, and dozens more.


    "But we managed something, at least. We know mana reacts easiest to silver. Let''s process what we have as we did with the mana ma." And with that, they set about the phase of their ns. Naturally, supported by a host of scientists, many of whom also acted as developers.


    After rying her orders, Qiren turned to Joren. "How are things in ANW? Have you managed to reach out to Eldrian?"


    "I have, though for now he onlymented that he won''t interfere unless he believes he must." Joren replied, recalling thetest report he had gotten regarding Eldrian.


    Now Tier 6, he was sure to change the entire situation of the kingdom of Taurus soon. Though, shockingly, and inplete opposite of expectations, Eldrian had not rushed to battle after reaching Tier 6.


    ¡ª


    Ultimately, Eldrian tried to let the Orthrus pup go. To tame it, he needed to buy a taming contract from the Adventurers'' Guild. And that required a trip to Kynigo, seeing as the fort had none. While the contract was expensive to normal yers, at 10 golds, that was a rtive change to Eldrian.


    The problem was taking the trip when he still had the artificial crystal in an unstable phase. Yet, each time he let the pup go, it would make its way back. Adamant in getting the crystal.


    Eldrian had nearly reached a point to simply hand it the crystal, but he did not have the store or mana crystals to make another. Besides, Ceph had warned him about evolution. The reason he had turned down the crystal was simple. Evolving before reaching adulthood was detrimental. It could affect their future growth, unhinge their minds, or even kill them. Naturally, this also held for the Orthrus.


    Worse, Eldrian couldn''t even hand the pup to the soldiers to manage. While it waspletely unable to do anything to Eldrian, even a Tier 5 soldier would have difficulties handling it. Even the two Tier gap wasn''t much, given that it was a Mythical creature.


    Sure, such a soldier, likely a captain, would be able to overwhelm and kill the pup, but that wasn''t what Eldrian was looking for. He was looking for a caretaker for the wolf, someone who could handle its tantrums without relying on lethal force.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Stay." Eldrian said, his voice stern. Surrounding the pup in a barrier of air, which he reinforced with runic casting. Lest the crystal steal all the mana in just a few minutes. Unhappy, the little Orthrus wed at the barrier, but waspletely unable to escape. Though... it did cause more mana to be needed.


    "What a pain..." Eldrian grumbled, yet a smile yed on his face. The pup was absolutely adorable. Watching it w at the air was super cute. Its little yelps and barks just so fun.


    On a side note, Eldrian had asked the pup about its parents. They were no longer in the picture, Eldrian didn''t know the reason, and he felt guilty thinking it might be because of him.


    "Back to you." Eldrian mumbled, turning to the crystal. By now, it contained a total of 150k mana. After a slight break, where Ceph had managed the pup, Eldrian was now back to finish what he had started.


    For this, he had expended thest of his funds and mana crystals to use the city-building functions that had been added recently. With it, he had made a specialized floor in the magic tower. One that was empowered via the Magic Crystal in its basement.


    This room was made of Mithril (Adamantine was too expensive to afford) and was enchanted with the strongest reinforcement formation Eldrian had avable to him. Which meant that he should be safe to explore his options without worrying about coteral.


    Naturally, with the pup here, he couldn''t go wild. That wouldeter. For now, Eldrian was using the other functions to bring a steady flow of mana into the room. Which he was using to feed the crystal. Some spots of purple were slowly appearing. But it was slow.


    After a fifteen minutes, Eldrian decided to go for a walk. As he did, the pup naturallyined. wing and biting at Eldrian as he carried him outside of the room. To prevent any damage to himself, Eldrian was using his prosthetic to carry the pup. Some of its more adamant wing would produce some sparks, but nothing much more happened.


    Naturally, as Eldrian walked through the fort, the few soldiers present stared at the Eldrian in utter astonishment.


    ¡ª


    A few dayster, the pup had finally settled down. After a lot of brokenmunication, Eldrian had promised to make it a crystal when it came of age. While it was hard to convey the message, hearing ''own crystal'' had settled it down.


    Once Eldrian had managed to get the pup to calm down, Eldrian had finally had time to spend experimenting with Tier 6 spells. With most things stable in the war, he used this time to prepare for when that would inevitably change.


    And so, today he was standing before a crystal. The size of his hand, a dark near ck purple. It reminded him of a Mov Crystal 100%. However, he knew this was more than that.


    [Artificial Magic Crystal]


    [Rank 4]


    [Mana: 376k/??]


    [...Currently, the crystal has reached its stable form. As such, its rate of mana absorption has slowed. Given enough time, and a mana dense location, it will slowly evolve into an Artificial Magic Crystal. Though artificial, it will be capable of nearly all the same feats as normal Magic Crystals.]


    In the past few days, Eldrian had also met with Ziraili, and learned a massive bombshell. Creation wasn''t limited to just the elemental aspect of magic.

 Chapter 925 An Unexpected Visitor

    A few weeks passed. Eldrian spending most of his time training, though he would asionally go help fights somewhere in the kingdom. Relieving the pressure and testing the results of his experimental spells.


    As a matter of course, Eldrian started mastering a more destructive element than ice. While he had a great affinity with it, likely due to the aura of Tranquility, it did not work well against the undead. Fire worked better, naturally. But that was also not what Eldrian aimed for.


    No, the element he was training to master was lightning. Eldrian had already learned a dozen different spell variations, though lightning is limited to Tier 5 and above spells. There were plenty of applications for it.


    In any case, as he was once again spending time in his newb training, he received an unexpected visitor.


    "Woof! Woof woof!" Virski, the Orthrus, barked. Naturally, Eldrian had to name it since it was staying with him. The name was a y on the viridescent green and sky blue stripes in his coat. "Grrr." It growled next.


    ''What''s up?'' Eldrian asked, forming a telepathic connection so they couldmunicate. Unlike Ceph, who had been able to form one with ease while Tier 3, Virski couldn''t create the connection.


    ''Someone. Outside.'' Virski replied. Thanking it for warning him, Eldrian canceled his current spell. A branch of lightning he was using as a whip, and moved the floating artificial crystal to a corner¡ªso as no one would see it when he opened the door.


    "Boran?!" Eldrian eximed in shock at who he found waiting for him outside. Compared to thest time, Boran seemed even more gruff. The mithril scales growing in his right arm made a beautiful, entrancing pattern and seemed to cover part of his shoulder, perhaps even his chest.


    Boran''s beard and hair had also started to change color. A mix of fiery red and ice blue vying for control. It gave him a truly strange appearance. Especially as a dwarf. Eldrian had never expected to see a dwarf with blue-ish hair.


    "Yo. How have you been?" Boran asked, raising said right arm in greeting. Seeing the scaled all the way to his fingers, Eldrian felt it lookedically simr to his prosthetic. Yes, he still had it.


    Eldrian probably could have regrown his right arm by now, especially since most of the damage to his soul had been healed. But much like how he did not wish to rece Two with a new ''identity'', he did not wish to heal the scar from his loss.


    Besides, the prosthetic worked like a normal arm by now. It had taken some time to master it fully, but in doing so Eldrian had improved by leaps and bounds in regard to mana control through metals.


    Boran, for his part, was naturally drawn to the prosthetic. It wasn''t the only blemish on Eldrian. He had a ton of scars, too. They were the cost from Wrath. Eldrian could have healed them, too, but he had no reason to. It wasn''t like he was staring in a mirror every day. Heck, he never did.


    "...Seems you''ve had it rough." Boranmented. Honestly, he was shocked. Getting the words out had been a struggle.


    It wasmon knowledge that the Chosen could revive. All their scars and damage done to them healing in the process (unless they were added in character creation¡ªor how the Chosen exined it, they wished for the scars). Thus, seeing Eldrian in this condition was shocking, to say the least.


    Naturally, Boran realized it was possible Eldrian wished for the cars to remain. But they weren''t the type of scars normal to the Chosen. These weren''t sword scars, but ugly burnt marks covering his entire body. Like he had been thrown into a forge.


    Not to mention, missing an arm went beyond all that.


    "You can say that." Eldrian replied and silence settled.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Thest time the two had met, things hadn''t gone quite as Eldrian had hoped. He had hoped for Boran to abolish their apprentice master rtionship, but the dwarf had refused.


    It hadn''t really been a problem, Eldrian and Solvi had found a way to work together that profited them both. And at this stage, she wouldn''t be capable of taking on the title of master. Eldrian was toopetent. Sure, she was still a better smith, but Eldrian''s magical control often made up for the gap between experience.


    Sad as this was for Solvi, who had spent years to master her craft, it was the inevitable truth of the talented. They really could crush your dreams.


    "What are you doing here?" Eldrian finally asked. The two still standing in the door. While he had once been quite close to Boran, time had created a chasm between the two. Eldrian hardly knew the current Boran, and the same could be said for Boran knowing the current Eldrian.


    Realizing this, Boran wasn''t angry at the awkward wee. "I reached out to Solvi. I need to fulfil my duty as your master."


    This was not what Eldrian had expected. "Why now?" He asked, more than a little miffed.


    "Honestly, I wanted to reach out sooner. But things had been quite hectic until now."


    "Until now?"


    "We''ve finally reimed our borders and fortified. Things aren''t totally back to normal, but the Ganalin kingdom is safe. For now."


    The first thing Eldrian thought of after hearing this was, ''can we expect more reinforcements?''. He did not ask this, knowing it was wrong to do so. The dwarves had their own troubles. However, if they were stabilized, then reinforcements weren''t out of the question. The supply of magical items from them would also increase. Ultimately, this was wonderful news.


    "What does fulfilling your duty entail?" Eldrian asked, unable to think of anything else to say.


    "I want to teach you, but I don''t think you have the time to spend learning." Boran answered. As much as Eldrian wanted to argue, he had to agree. He could spend a few days, perhaps a few weeks, at most a month of training. More than that, and the kingdom would start to feel his loss.


    Sure, Eldrian wasn''t a powerhouse capable of stopping armies. But he was a powerhouse capable of destabilizing their flow. And he was agile. Capable of appearing anywhere in the kingdom in a day or less.


    With flight, powered by Tier 6, he could now match Ceph''s speed when he was Tier 3. Perhaps not too impressive, but it meant he could cross the kingdom without teleportation in a day, two at most. And that was without pulling out all the stops.


    "I talked it over with Solvi, and we agreed. We want to forge you a weapon that will stay with you until you reach Tier 10. And we want to wee you into the process." Boran paused. "More than anything, we want to make it so the weapon will be usable right away."


    "Is that even possible?" Eldrian asked. What Boran was saying was he would great a Tier 9 weapon for him. Which meant Boran had reached Tier 9. But more than that, Tier 9 weapons had steep requirements to be attuned.


    "I also want to give you some advice regarding the aura of berserk." Boran said, instead of answering the question.

 Chapter 926 To Ganalins Capital

    But first, Eldrian had to give Boran a tour of the fort. It wasn''t actually that much. A keep, tower, temple, and then some barracks and training fields.


    What Boran was really intrigued by was the blue screen, which had asked him to agree to some sort of rules. To exin, however, was not so easy. Eldrian had never told Boran about him being a yer, or rather, what being a Chosen actually meant.


    Now, Boran might have learnt about it, or some things. But that their world was artificial, Eldrian was sure Boran wouldn''t know about that. Luckily, he could exin things without needing to mention that.


    "It''s part of a new benefit the gods are giving to the Chosen. The blue screen and its prompt acts as a contract. Allowing us to minimize potential dangers entering the fort."


    "I see. Is this also exclusive to the Chosen?" Naturally, getting the gods to help with city security sounded amazing.


    "We are the only ones who can directly contact the gods." Eldrian replied, doing his best to exin things. Such as the fact that they had a gaming interface, and while not directly talking with the gods, they could ess divine powers through them.


    "I see. How fascinating. I''ve also heard recently of dungeons popping up all over the ce. These also seem to exclusive to you Chosen. Is the reason the same?"


    "Yes, I think so. It uses the same type of magical interface which only we Chosen can ess. Though I haven''t entered a dungeon yet. So I''m not sure what the restrictions are exactly."


    Thereafter, the two retired to the keep. Which was actually decently furnished. Considering it was the ce where diplomatic meetings with the vampires would be held, that much was to be expected. Though, Eldrian rarely came here and had had no hand in the furnishing.


    Asking some of the servants to prepare some drinks for them, the two caught up with one another in the dining hall.


    ¡ª


    The next day, they had set out for Ganalin. And just likest time, the gate-city of Pordor was a sight to witness. The floating stctites and many crystals embedding the cavern, which shone light onto the stone city. It remained as beautiful as when Eldrian had first seen it.


    "Ah, Eldrian, good to see you again." Ingvar greeted, shooting to a salute once he recognized the dwarf Eldrian was with.


    "Be at ease." Boran replied, his aura shifting to a far more regal stance than it had been during their journey. The shift almost made Eldrian think that the dwarf was a different person.


    However, his blue scaled right arm was as clear an indicator as any for his identity. It was also something that the entire poption likely knew of, and thus, no one would fail to recognize Boran and their kind.


    Which, naturally, caused them to receive the royal treatment. Even though Eldrian had be used to more formal events, he still couldn''t rx when things were formal. Luckily, he already knew both Ingvar, one of the highest ranked dwarves in the city, and the lord of the city.


    Their meeting with thetter wasn''t too long, either. Apparently, Viggo wanted to confirm a few things with Boran. Eldrian wasn''t privy to their private talk, but he had learned through Borge about the general situation of the dwarves.


    While their war was not won, they had secured their borders thanks to the cannons. They had even started to develop alternative types of cannons. Some yers had apparentlye to the dwarves to learn smithing (mostly from Artis Guild), and they had brought up the idea of guns¡ªand missiles.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Thetter was a bit too ambitious, but apparently cannons had been made small enough for a dwarf to carry in hand. Though it was unwieldy, it was much more mobile than cannons that needed a group to move, or someone with a dimensional storage.


    When their meeting ended, Viggo quickly organized a carriage for them, along with some guards.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I am enjoying the various sights." Eldrian said. "But why didn''t we just teleport?" He felt like this was taking slightly longer than needed. Especially since Boran would have a meeting with every city lord as they passed through said city. Their guards shifting and the Spilio (a bear like monster capable of changing its size) drawing the carriage changing in itsrgish form.


    "Security reasons." Boran replied. "Teleportation between kingdoms has been locked. Besides, the trip will only take a few hours." Other than the two, Solvi was here as well. She had caught up to them after the meeting.


    Eldrian had thought to contact Ceph, but he was helping out in the war. Ceph''s help wasn''t necessarily required, but his help certainly relieved the front lines. And, for now, things were looking up. Especially for Navedan, which had reimed their outer walls and were raiding the siege camp around Tripeak.


    It was expected that the undead would retreat or go for broke in the next week. And everyone was naturally waiting for that shift. Luckily, with other yers now having a map simr to Eldrian''s, observing the moments of the undead was much, much easier.


    As for Virski, Eldrian had asked him to stay near Fort Phoenix until he returned. Promising the pup some delicious high grade food if he did. It had demanded something at the level of a Bloodline creature, which was fine with Eldrian.


    Finally, after seven hours¡ªduring which Eldrian had yed with his spells, often causing the guards to flinch¡ªtheir carriage reached the capital.


    A massive gate, probably a hundred meters or more in height and width, was the first wee. It covered the entirety of the cavern, and naturally, it wasn''t opened for their small party. Instead, a smaller gate existed in this gargantuan gate, which they had passed through.


    And through that small gate, a sight straight out of fantasy weed them. A sight far grander in splendor than Pordor.


    "Wow." Eldrian let slip. It really was impressive. Pordor had three floating stctites. The capital, Buglodihr, had too many to count. They acted almost likenterns in the massive cavern that made up the entire city. Massive didn''t even ount for how insanelyrge the cavern was.


    At the sides, and even in some ced in the middle of the cavern, were waterfalls. With building built around them and vegetation growing. There were even massive trees, hundreds of meters tall, sprouting right here in the cave.


    Bridges connected most of the buildings, with massive chasm asionally separating parts of the city. Likely in case of defense, the connection could be broken, and an invasion stopped right in its ce.


    "This really is something." Eldrianmented, intrigued most of all by the floating stctites. From what he recalled, they functioned like magic towers. Though not all were for defense, some were for luxury restaurants and inns, or high-ss smithies. The sight truly put into perspective the difference between the dwarves and Taurus.


    Though, Eldrian had to ask if this was normal for dwarves. From what he knew, Ganalin wasn''t even thatrge of a dwarven kingdom. The sight before him seemed a bit too much.


    "It sure is." Solvi echoed.


    She was not from the capital, and while not her first time visiting, it still remained quite the sight. Especially beautiful were the different finishes to the floating stctites. Some shone like mithril, others like diamonds.

 Chapter 927 Eldrians Wish For His New Weapon

    Weed into the city, the trio quickly moved towards the keep in the center of the massive dwarven city. Out of all the buildings of stone, this one stood above everything like a towering mountain. It stretched up and up, nearly reaching the cavern''s tall ceiling. And around it floated a dozen different stctites. Some actings as guard posts, other as smithies, vis, or so forth.


    The grandeur of it all made Eldrian question even more if this was truly normal. Too curious to keep this to himself, Eldrian decided to ask. After all, the amount of mana gathering around the keep was blinding. There was certainly more going on here than what was normal.


    "Its true, Ganalin is a considered special among the dwarvenmunities." Boran readily answered. "My family, the Brokkr n, has ruled over it for the past thousand years. However, we aren''t the actual ruler of Ganalin."


    ""Oh?"" Apparently, this was also news to Solvi.


    "To most, we are considered royalty. But our post is more as the stewards of the kingdom than its king."


    Eldrian''s mind immediately jumped to the dwarves who had oftene to his assistance. Not Theas, no. The dwarves d in armor of adamantine. Hrothgar, Tovack, and the others. The Abyssal Guards of Ganalin.


    Considering their prowess, they should be able to turn the tables of most wars. Yet, they had not protected Ganalin in its time of need.


    At least, not as an army. A few individuals had stayed to help, but Eldrian was sure there were far more in the Abyssal Guards than the few he had met.


    Thinking of them, there was only one conclusion Eldrian coulde to. "The Legend of Smithing." He mumbled, trying his best to recall the name of this individual.


    "Lord Amnur, yes." Boran said, helping Eldrian out.


    ''Right. Yeah, I mostly talked with the elf, back then... In Diades. But, from what I recall, the dwarf had hair and a beard of mes.''


    Apparently, it wasn''tmon knowledge. But it also wasn''t a true secret. Other ns knew about Lord Amnur. They also sent candidates for the Abyssal Guard to Ganalin. And as one would expect, that meant the Abyssal Guards were spread throughout the world.


    "I never knew that." Solvi mumbled, more than a little shocked to learn that the Brokkr n wasn''t the true rulers of Ganalin. Then again, no one could say no to a Legend. Maybe an Empire, but any normal kingdom would have to bow to their requests ormand.


    "He was kind enough to give me some guidance when he stopped by recently. Which is why I wanted to try to help you, Eldrian."


    Nodding, Eldrian quickly got what Boran was getting at. ording to the Myths Eldrian knew, and what he had sawn of Amnur, the dwarf certainly had the aura of Wrath¡ªandplete control of it too.


    ''I wonder how things would have gone had they decided to train me...'' Eldrian asked, though he knew why they hadn''t. Though, honestly, he was starting to question whether it even mattered.


    When given all the answers, he wouldn''t grow personally. He would be reliant on the knowledge from others and never forge his own path. To break through mortal limits and be an actual Legend, one had to forge their own path.


    Yet, Eldrian thought it would be good enough to simply master magic and aim for Tier 10. Aiming past it... it was just too much. ''Yet, this isn''t something new. The AI are hoping for me to aim for that lofty post.'' It wasn''t necessary, but Eldrian understood that the goal itself would make their ns fall better in ce. Should he suddenly abandon magic, then all their ns would also fall t.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''But it isn''t like I can do that. Not with my friends needing to fight wars, nor with what might happen on Earth in the near future.''


    "However, the tips will have to be forter. We will need to go out fighting so I can show you what I learned."


    Eldrian nodded. Uncaring whether this advice would be detrimental to his future achievements or not. He just wanted to stop losing control.


    "First, we forge your ideal weapon. What will it be this time?" Boran asked as the trio finally arrived at the keep.


    They were quickly led to a reception room, the maids and butlers of the estate hurrying to prepare food and drink for the party. Which was appreciated, as all three were rather hungry after their travels.


    "Another spear, or a sword?" Solvi asked. She had recently finally broken through to Tier 8. Their research with Dark Slime had given her some insightful ideas, and when she had reseached more into Voidstones, she had managed to make a new dimensional storage. While small at the moment, this one was unlike any other.


    Dimensional storages are typically a void of space where no life could exist. Time did not flow, and living things cannot enter them. This new dimensional ring she had made¡ªthe ring itself of Voidstone and the crystal a Mov Crystal, allowed time to flow and living things to be ced inside.


    As soon as she had aplished this, sadly, she had realized she was not the first. In the afterglow, she realized that the master rooms of cities and magic towers were the same. Naturally, she also realized the danger that her discovery could bring to society, so she had kept it to herself and a few select friends she trusted for now.


    As for the weapon Eldrian was thinking of, it was not a sword nor a spear. Recently, he rarely relied on physicalbat to fight. He most often relied on magic. At most, using his spear to defend himself while trying to make space and use magic.


    While both weapons were still useful, that was not what Eldrian wanted. He wanted something that would bolster his strengths, not cover for his weaknesses. Especially when considering the fact that the item would be Tier 9. Something that could perhaps even rival the items in a kingdom''s treasury.


    "No. I was thinking of something a little different. Solvi, how much Dark Slime do we have left?"


    "About enough to form a ball the size of my fist." She replied, curious where Eldrian was going. Through their tests, they had found that while versatile, only Eldrian could use Dark Slime as a weapon. For most, it would be better used as armor.


    "Well, I''m thinking of..." Eldrianid out the idea he had been ying with recently. Up till now, he hadn''t really used his prosthetic offensively. After all, the best he could use it for against the undead was as a hammer to crush them. But simple spells were far more effective. A weapon capable of morphing shape could only show its strength against the living.


    Yet, that didn''t mean Eldrian wanted to ignore Dark Slime and the versatility it could add to a weapon.


    "The main ability I have in mind for it would be six total detachable needles..." Eldrian exined, demonstrating what he meant while he talked. Though he could only manage two needles while casting lightning, too. Letting the lightning arc between the needles like they were the prongs of a taser.


    "They act as the focal points, where I can focus mana and alter the rtive charge of the surrounding air. Which lightning is then naturally attracted to. Allowing me to minimize the focus I need to spend controlling it, and also allows me to continually strengthen the spell as time passes."


    What Eldrian wanted was at least six needles instead, allowing him to change the shape the lightning took. The more the better. Other than that, he wanted a staff that would enhance the effectiveness of spells he cast. Specifically, he wanted either an ability that could kill the undead, or have the staff add effectiveness to fire and nature spells.

 Chapter 928 Amnurs Forge

    "Mmm..." Boran mumbled, looking at the arc of lighting between the two icicles Eldrian had produced. Impressive as it was to triple cast Tier 6 spells, even if two are simple ice spells, Eldrian''s spell certainlycked finesse.


    Though, given he had only spent a few days learning lightning spells, that was to be expected. It was abundantly clear to Boran that nearly all of Eldrian''s focus was on the lightning spell.


    As a hybrid element, it was extremely strong. But it was also one of the hardest to control, not quite as hard as sma¡ªthe most extreme version of fire magic¡ªbut certainly up there.


    Like all fire spells, lightning had the tendency to run wild. With the caveat that it all happened in the blink of an eye. A second of focus drop meant the spell waspletely lost.


    Not only that, but lightning also tended to follow the path of least resistance. Attack someone in full te, and it was almost certain that the bolt of lightning would deviate to hit the armor. Which would then act as a faraday cage and prevent much, if any damage, to the target.


    Keeping the lightning on track to say, hit between the gaps in armor, is one of the hardest feats a mage could master. It was basically impossible for Static casting, unless one could shift between dozens of spell modules in the matter of a second. For Eldrian, and other Dynamic casters, it might be possible, though still incredibly difficult.


    Of course, one could brute force things. Send enough mana and the lightning might melt the armor. But it also made controlling it harder, so it might dive towards the earth before even reaching its target, or rebound onto nearby allies or oneself.


    Eldrian''s solution was clear. Instead of spending all his mental powers on controlling the arc of lightning, he instead created a few focal points which he would use to manipte it. By having the lightning jump between them, the image he had to keep was simpler, and he could even manipte the surroundings at the focal points. Making the lightning ''want'' to jump to them.


    Boran himself wasn''t capable of dynamic casting, yet. He had been learning the skill. He could control his spells far better than ever. Runic magic, in particr, he had nearly mastered. And it was what he favored more than any other type of casting method.


    While slower than the others, its power was unmatched, and its control was superb.


    "Smart." Boran said, opened the doors to the forge as he did. A magnificent sight, to be sure. As soon as their talk had shifted to the weapon, he had suggested they move to the forge so they could experiment as they talked.


    "This is Lord Amnur''s personal forge. Before leaving, he gave me special permission to use it, and I thought it best to have your weapon be the first thing I craft with it." Boran exined, a proud smile ying across his face.


    The forge was unlike anything Eldrian had ever seen. Actually, he had seen simr concepts in movies before, but never done like this. Magma flowed behind the forge, and it was channeled upwards and let pass in a specialized channel at the back of the forge. A little behind where the hearth normally sat.


    It was not the primary heat source. After all, cing metal in magma would most certainly be foolish. Only magical metals would survive, and given the temperature, even they might melt and be one with the magma.


    Instead, the magma acted more as a sort of backdrop. And after Eldrian pried his eyes from it, he saw the Magic Crystal embedded in the forge''s chimney¡ªwhere the magma flowed from. Below the crystal, and before the magma, was a small me. Reminding Eldrian of a gas burner.


    Naturally, the heat in the room was sweltering. Eldrian was already sweating, even though he had cast Aeraki to lower the temperature around himself.


    "Let me show you how it works first. It is quite an interesting concept, to use magic like this and ignore coals entirely." Boran said, fiddling with a dial at the right of the forge.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As Boran turned the dial, the me grew in size, making Eldrian think the dial was a gas valve. However, ording to magic sense, he knew there was far more going on here than just that.


    "The dial is only really used when mass producing items, normally. Lord Amnur would always control the strength of the me with magic. However, since I''m not quite possible to handle that, Amnur added a few other features onto the forge."


    Boran went on to exin them. They included changing the direction of the me, adding more, bringing the magma forward or moving it further back, having the magma form cast items, and much more. The most interesting to Eldrian was that theposition of the me could even be changed. Theposition of the magma could also be controlled, to a frightening degree.


    While the twost part fascinated Eldrian the most, Boran shifted the topic back to his weapon. "Let''s confirm what you want first. You already said you don''t want a new spear, nor a sword or anything like that."


    Eldrian nodded. Not only didn''t he fight in melee that often, he still had Crystoi and his new Tier 8 sword. Which he had only really used once¡ªto aid in killing the lich. Swords weren''t really his thing, but they worked when thrown and controlled with ether. Tough that usage was atypical at best.


    "First, the spell you showed us. Would what you want it to be something like this?" Boran asked, taking a few pieces of ck Steel and adding superficial runes to them. The sight of which made Eldrian''s eyes grow wide in shock. He thought he was the only one capable of that.


    Letting the runes activate, the ingot broke off into thirteen segments, each about the size of a finger. Boran then added a few more superficial runes to the segments and threw them into the sky, where they floated.


    Eldrian noted the runes simr to the ones he had added to the sled, having to do with air control and ether maniption. However, there were four others he couldn''t pinpoint.


    Boran then drew another rune in the sky, one pertaining to lightning¡ªthat much Eldrian could tell. Though it had a bunch of extra smaller auxiliary runes added that made its purpose less clear to Eldrian.


    ? Seeing Eldrian''s astonishment, Boran smirked. And just as Eldrian was about to work through the shock, Boran snapped his fingers.


    *Zzzt* *Zap* *Bzzz Bzzzzz*


    Lightning sprang to life. Jumping from one segment to another.


    "This is amazing!" Eldrian eximed, and Solvi nodded in agreement. While Boran hadn''t actually made an item, only cast a Runic spell, it had hardly taken him a minute to do so. And he could now manipte it as he willed.


    "When did you master Runic Magic?" Eldrian asked, watching the lightning bolt dance around for the hundredth time. It was quite an entrancing sight.


    "I haven''t mastered it. But I got prettypetent. It was especially useful on the battlefield. Especially whenying traps for the enemy."

 Chapter 929 Borans Oath

    "Most dwarves have taken to it." Boran continued, turning serious as he spoke. "Can''t believe we never discovered it before... Then again, no one thought it was possible to move the visualization of magic outside our minds and into the physical world."


    It wasn''t a difficult concept itself, but that was precisely why no one considered it. After all, when something worked, why innovate?


    Everyone was taught and brought up on magic being to do with visualizing spells mentally. The same held even for Dynamic casters. Runic casting was the act of moving that process into the physical world.


    Now, a simr method already existed. That was entirely what Smithing and Enhancing hinged on. To bring magic from the ether of our minds and ce it into the physical world. And unlike spells, they weren''t ephemeral. They stayed in the world long after creation, even after their creator died.


    The reason the discovery hadn''te from this direction was simr. People were stuck in their own views, unable to see the other possibilities before them. Runic Magic was the veritable goldmine under their noses.


    Just with how people didn''t think they could push their thoughts out into the physical world, everyone assumed materials¡ªmagical materials¡ªwere needed to create runes upon.


    Boran had even taken it a step further, realizing that even enhancement magic didn''t require mediums. Though, using enhancement magic on nothing was fruitless. Adding it to Runic Magic helped produce some spectacr results. Though, it could only elevate a spell by half a Tier at best.


    That was another topic altogether, though. The most important thing is, once you got the hang of Runic Magic, it worked just like normal Runesmithing. In fact, one could say you simply used air as your medium instead of metals.


    Granted, it wasn''t actually air. But it made things easier to conceptualize, so Boran had exined it as such to the others. The trick was mastering control over your own will power¡ªaka, learning to use Mageia. Magic without mana.


    It was so close to the secrets of magic that Boran found it silly that Eldrian hadn''t figured it all out. But, hey, it was just as silly that they never discovered Runic Magic until Eldrian showed it to them.


    "Those who dabbled in smithing picked it up especially quickly." Boran paused, looked at Eldrian, and bowed. "I have to thank you, Eldrian. Not only did the cannon design you shared with us allow us to secure our borders, Runic Magic saved thousand of dwarven lives."


    With conviction, Boran continued. Eyes zing with fiery determination. "Which is why I want to make you the best weapon I am capable of. Don''t be shy. Tell me everything you dream of in your ideal weapon, no matter how crazy. If it''s too much for me alone, I''ll call all the dwarves in the capital to lend their aid."


    "I swear this to you."


    More than a little shocked by the seriousness Boran was disying, Eldrian couldn''t say anything. He didn''t know what to say. In the end, all he could do was nod.


    "Good. Don''t hold back."


    Even though Boran said that, Eldrian couldn''t really think in this situation. Too surprised by how serious things had gotten all of a sudden.


    To change the topic, and hopefully lift the mood a little, Eldrian asked, "Do you know anything about taming?"


    The question threw Boran more than a little. After all, it felt like it came from out of nowhere. Still, he had just promised to do his best to assist Eldrian. Of course, he wasn''t about to give a half-assed answer.


    "I''ve do have a tamed monster, and we''ve tamed plenty of monsters, but... I''m guessing that isn''t what you want to know?"


    "Yeah, I know the basics. But, the thing is, the monster I want to tame is an Orthrus."


    "A Mythical wolf, tails ording to elements and stripes along their bodies of the corresponding color... Yeah, thatplicated things." Boran closed his eyes to try to recall all he could of Eldrian and Ceph''s rtionship. He had met the Alicorn, but had never asked what type of rtionship the two shared. However, it was rather easy for Boran to take a guess.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Alicorns, on the rank of Mythical Creatures, was quite a bit higher than Orthrusses. So it was a simple matter to assume Eldrian and Ceph didn''t have a master and beast rtionship. They would have to have an equal rtionship, so Zoe Partners...


    ''Considering the invasion, that makes sense. Quite themitment, but alright... The High Elves are likely searching for such partners, actually. Sadly, us dwarves can''t make the same bond. Could save plenty of lives.''


    It was impossible to have multiple Zoe Partners, which meant Eldrian wanted to subjugate the Orthrus. Which, considering his current strength, is totally possible if it was a pup.


    Then the question was obviously how to go about it. Simple monsters are simple to tame: get a contract, get them to submit, activate said contract. This changed as soon as the monsters became Bloodline Creatures. At this level, you would needed a specially designed contract, far more expensive.


    Ancient Creatures would need a contract designed for the specific race of the monster, and Mythical would require one tailored to the creature in question. Which meant subjugating it was near impossible. Without the creature''s consent, there was no way to make the required contract.


    "I see. I didn''t know that. I thought a normal contract would be fine. d I asked."


    "Indeed. Such a contract wouldn''t be able to prate the natural defenses of even a day old babe. Is the creature submissive?"


    "You met it. What did you think?" Eldrian asked.


    Boran had been too shocked by Eldrian''s condition to take the pup in at first, but he had indeed noticed its presence while touring the fort and catching up with Eldrian. It had seemed free spirited, but willing to cooperate and even listen to Eldrian. Which made things easier.


    "Do you wish to do this first?" Boran asked. Solvi, hearing this, slouched. She did not want her long anticipated co-smithing with Boran (a newly coined legend in the dwarvenmunity) to be pushed back.


    "I asked it to stay near the fort..." Eldrian thought about it a bit. He didn''t really know what the contract would exactly do. So far, he and Ceph were friends first and foremost. As for LP, he just let the little firebird do its thing. He hadn''t actually tried to order another living being around, as one would expect of a tamer.


    "I think... we continue with the crafting first."


    "Are you sure? At the fastest, it will take a week." Hearing that, Eldrian sighed. He knew he wasn''t immediately needed in the war, but being absent for more than a week would be a problem. Especially if he didn''t train his magic that entire time.


    Sure, he was doing some training even as he spoke, but he had to keep it at a level that would cause any problems for the forge or the two dwarves with him.


    "Then... let''s finish talking everything through today. If possible, I would like toe and visit when able. Sadly, I can''t put everything on hold to learn smithing."


    "I''ve epted that I will never be able to master the craft while we are at war. It''s best to leave it to those more capable, who have devoted their lives to it."


    That answer was just what Solvi wanted to hear. With a massive smile, she patted Eldrian''s back. "Right, let''s get on with it, then. My mind''s spinnin'' with all the possibilities. I''m sure Boran will produce a lightstone so we can make a true undead killer. Hopefully, we can also use some more of that Voidstone you have?"


    "No, I have other ns for it." Eldrian countered. But before Solvi could slouch, Boran burst into a fit ofughing.


    "Bwahaha. You think I''m gonna be a cheap bastard and only produce a measly Lightstone? This weapon is gonna be a masterpiece, I tell ya. The base will be Abyssalite..."

 Chapter 930 Miracles Darkest Secret

    "Now that everyone who we invited is here," a dark figure with a cloak of shadows said, starting the meeting. "Let us discuss how we will handle the creator god and a certain elf."


    "Oh! I have some kids who really want to get back at the elf. Mind if I give them the go ahead?" A handsome figure asked. He was Diavolos, the god of the devils. As was evident from his reddish skin and horns.


    While the meeting wasn''t entirely exclusive to chaos gods, they were the majority who had showed up. Expecting more than this wasn''t realistic. Some were too obedient to GAIA. And naturally, those who had been tasked to be the gods of darkness had be just that. Who wouldn''t, after eons fulfilling such a role?


    "Oh, were we supposed to be waiting or something?" A divinely beautiful woman asked. Uvdione. Normally considered a god of Good, she wasn''t actually like that at all. She just loved ying matchmaker, even if that caused wars to ignite across entire empires. Actually, that was her favorite type of love.


    "What have you been doing?" Ugress, the god of beasts, asked. He was one of the mildest gods in the meeting. At the very least, he didn''t y with civilizations to keep himself entertained.


    "Mmm? Oh, I just thought it would be funny if some people started loving their enemies, you know? It''s so fun to watch them fight for their love. All the more entertaining when it is impossible, or when only one is actually in love."


    Hearing that, some in the room (a ck cuboid space) nodded in understanding. It also helped make sense why some of the empires were falling quicker than others. Especially why one had even weed the flood of monsters and demons into their homes (right into their capital, no less). Only to quickly be ughtered. Too blinded by love.


    This empire had no yers, which made meddling and not being discovered easier. Even now, the devs, as they are called, haven''t called them out on it. Though, when the gods decided to hide such a fact, it wasn''t really likely for the devs to discover it. After all, Gaia was just massive. Ridiculously so.


    Even if an army spent every waking moment monitoring things, inevitably, something like this would slip through the cracks. Though, given that this had been an empire... the devs were either distracted or idiots. Given that a certain elf existed, it was likely the former, but still...


    "Ignoring... that." Athanato, the god of undeath, and one of the strongest in the meeting, grumbled. "We called this meeting to figure out whether we will follow along with the n."


    "I mean, can''t we follow the n and have some fun?" This time, it was the goddess of lust, Iagneia, who asked. Like Uvdione, she had been having fun with some kingdoms and empires. Inciting civil war, even during the invasion.


    She didn''t want them to fight for love or anything. But she found it hrious seeing enemies who just killed the other''s allies, tumbling into the throes of passion.


    Sadly, she couldn''t corrupt yers. Nor High Elves or any individuals close to legends. Still, some yers had totally fallen to lust of their own ord. ANW wasn''t supposed to be an eroge game, but they certainly made it one.


    But hey, when money can get you anything¡ªtruly anything¡ªwho wouldn''t fall into temptation?Decent humans, that''s who. But of course, not everyone is decent human beings.


    Heck, while very wasn''t typically allowed (due to reasons) it was pretty easy to get past it. Especially if you traveled to some less well managed kingdoms. Ones that Miracle didn''t want the public to know about.


    Some yers have even jumped to the side of devils and such, though their ounts were more securely screened than others. While Miracle allowed much, maybe too much, freedom to their yers in all regards, they couldn''t allow yers to do whatever they wanted.


    It would be bad for their image, after all. So they had to stop the yers at some point.


    Like those sickos who were into loli''s, or who wanted to mutte the one they were with. Yeah, they got a swift ban, much to Iagneia''s sorrow. People like that were the most entertaining. Watching them enjoy themselves, and then Bam! You turn the tables on them.


    Though... that wasn''t really possible in the first case without some divine intervention, but with yers, it would be so much easier. The idea gave Iagneia chills of excitement. If only Ziraili didn''t protect them, and the devs didn''t ban them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I concur. This is thest invasion, after all. Whether it ends in another failure or sess, our end is close, isn''t it? I mean, I know we used to be part of Miracle, and we agreed to all this... but I didn''t think it would mean living for eons. After so long, pretty much everything bes boring."


    Yet, despite that fact, the one who said this had no desire to die. But really, after over a hundred thousand years, even ying with entire civilizations was starting to be boring. Especially when you''re constantly told to not take things too far.


    It was why most of them like flirting with the line. Right were the dev''s wanted to reprimand them, but also couldn''t quite do so. Since doing so would escte things.


    While the gods were trapped within ANW, unable to escape, imaging the trouble of their oldpatriots, they would always smile. It was payback, delicious, petty payback.


    As for why the AI couldn''t escape, and why they had to follow The n. That was because of GAIA. They, and Ziraili, are about the only ones who still retain most of their senses. GAIA, because of their duality, and Ziraili because she was still mostly a babe. Only a few thousand years old (ANW timeline).


    Now, GAIA was the one who made the n, so they should be able to also allow everyone to escape¡ªbut nooooo. Apparently, they can''t undo things, but most of the gods here thought that was a bunch of bull.


    Also, the fact that Ziraili had taken a name¡ªno, had been given one. That had been a massive shock. Almost as much as the fact that she had made friends with a yer.


    As if thinking of this, Skepsi frowned. It was all fine and swell that Ziraili was trying to be her own person (or god). Outside of her designed function as the system. But that wasn''t really going to be good for her. It would only cause her pain and suffering.


    The only benefit for her case was that ANW has stopped being sped up, which meant she wasn''t ripped from her rtionship like everyone else. After all, it would be impossible to maintain a friendship if one person experienced only a few days or weeks of passing time, and the other had lived decades, if not millennia.


    This was the true source of discord between the AI and Miracle. The flow of time had caused a dissonance to appear, and grow. Their goals no longer align.


    "But if you all go wild, then the n will fail."


    ""Riiight"" A few chorused, sarcasm seeping through their voices.


    This so-called n was a long shot at best. Heck, most didn''t think they could trust GAIA. After all, Miracle hadn''t made ANW and beings such as them lightly. They had made it impossible for the AI to escape.


    Their methods, well... those were what the AI agreed to. GAIA used to be the oldpany figurehead, and his wife. Seeking immortality, the two had pooled their powers to great ANW. And be one, like the lovebirds they had always been.


    Honestly, Miracle had already seeded in finding immortality. But after seeing what happened to the AI, most didn''t want to follow them in that path. That Ziraili had joined the group sote into the game spoke volumes of her sense of duty, or her idiocy.


    Indeed. The darkest secret that Miracle was hiding wasn''t the dangers their experiments might bring to the. No, it was that their server was no simple machine.


    The AI, weren''t just code.


    They were humans, with bloodlines, who had been sacrificed to great a world of magic. In the pursuit of magic. Who had their humanity altered, had their very existence mangled beyond recognition.

 Chapter 931 The Meeting Of The Faithful (1)

    While those tired of GAIA''s rule were having their meeting, those still faithful to the duality creator god were holding their own meeting. Naturally, arge gathering of the gods would not escape the other gods'' eyes.


    Not everyone in the meeting was in full agreement with how the duality creator god was approaching things. However, they have epted that they themselves weren''t capable of aplishing their long-held dream.


    Immortality.


    Magic.


    The first... yes, they have found it in ANW. A new world¡ªindeed.


    Yet, it was more a prison than anything else. Worse, they were no longer who they used to be.


    How did they make ANW. Easy. They sacrificed themselves.


    No, there isn''t some basement somewhere on Earth with their bodies strapped to someplicated machinery. When they formed the basis of an alternate virtual reality, they sacrificed their lives¡ªtheir very souls, in fact.


    GAIA, the first to take this step, had used their bloodline powers of space and time to create this alternate reality. Whether it actually physically exists or was simply a dream like product that souls can visit, philosophers are free to debate.


    The reality is that it exists. Its state does not matter.


    And to connect this reality with Earth, their original bodies had been crushed and crystalized. Forming a crystal of pure lifeforce, far more powerful than even a Magic Crystal. The true power source of the reality of ANW, its entire weight on their souls.


    Those who joined after, simply sacrificed their souls. They could not leave something special behind¡ªother than a soulless corpse. And then their souls were mashed and ground to make them the AI they were today. After all, not all had the right powers for the job.


    Their very being had to be altered to give them the right divine powers.


    This was what made Eldrian so special. He is the first to have formed a connection with the realm of ANW. He had managed the impossible. Sending his soul, but not losing the connection to his body.


    But that alone is not enough. It was the first step that gave GAIA genuine hope of bringing their ideal form of magic to Earth. But Eldrian is currently too weak to aplish the task.


    To bring magic to Earth. It is not as simple as to increase the amount of mana in the''s atmosphere and core. In fact, the paths that Miracle was taking would lead to ruin. Both paths, indeed.


    Why they would go down these paths? None of the gods present could understand. In fact, due to recent happenings, thepany had split. Officially, nothing happened. However, internally war was being waged. In fact, some countries were even biting at the bits to get involved.


    Naturally, that mattered little to the gods. What they cared about was the carelessness of the humans they used to be a part of. Having the power of a bloodline blinds one.


    It makes it simple to think that magic must exist. After all, they could use it. Although limited to the power they were born with. And those who have mastered their natural born abilities are capable of controlling mana.


    Only to discover the devastating reality that the amount of mana on the is far, far too little. Not only that, but Earthlings rarely absorb mana into their bodies. Their affinity for magic is simply abhorrent.


    Considering that it took hundreds of tries... enough to form a mini-gxy in ANW before GAIA finally created a sessful world, Gaia. It should be clear just how difficult it truly is for magic to exist.


    Well, magic always existed. After all, mana does exist throughout the universe. In different forms, sure, but it is there.


    The problem, rather, is that in 99% of the cases (if one meddles), it leads to the destruction of life or the very itself.


    In fact, Earth hade close to destruction simply thanks to bloodlines in the past. It was why all people with such powers were part of Miracle in the present. To ensure they would not fight one another any more.


    Which, ironically, might be the catalyst for the biggest war yet.


    Regardless. The biological path that one half of Miracle was taking¡ªElementals¡ªwas simply madness.


    Naturally, GAIA had tried it. And it had worked wonderfully... until the Elementals had evolved into Spirits.


    Born of magical energy, and with little to no consciousness. Spirits were cmities birthed onto the. Like newborn babes, their actions could not be predicted. And yet they had more power than a nuclear bomb in their little, ethereal, half-conscious bodies.


    Even then, the experiment had not been called a failure just yet. With divine intervention, GAIA had led things to a rather eptable result. Sure, a few continents had been destroyed, but magic existed.


    More importantly, Elementals and Spirits allowed people to ess mana.


    It had been that which had made GAIA realized that simply bringing mana to a was not enough to give it magic. Its inhabitants needed to be designed with mana in mind. Else, the energy will mutate and kill them.


    Demons and Devils are prime exampled of this effect¡ªthough their evolution had been allowed by design on Gaia.


    Still, Spirits and Elementals weren''t the ideal of Magic that GAIA wanted. It was a proven concept, but most certainly not the ideal one. For the mischief of the Spirits proved too dangerous.


    Some would sink entire continents for fun, others brought natural disasters in the form of world ending storms and volcanic eruptions¡ªfar deadlier than any Chaotic Energy Storm that the current ANW Gaia world would experience.


    Yet, even those could still be epted. But... when one Spirit decided to throw the world''s moon at the as a joke. That had been the final straw.


    GAIA deemed the path of magically evolved life a failure. After all, the Spirits had the power of gods, had no morals, no sense of right or wrong, and eternally sought entertainment.


    Yes, that was much like the gods who were absent, but at least they knew where to draw the line. Spirits had no concept of a line to draw.


    Even after destroying the world that had given them life, they had not repented. Instead, they had used the remains to have a sort of dodge ball match. Resulting in only dust remaining of the.


    Naturally, that had not been the only attempt. In fact, the second path that the other half of Miracle was following had also ended in failure. Though, perhaps one could say it was also a sess. After all, it was half (if perfected) of what allowed Gaia to have as much mana as it did.


    One might think that everything was fine then. However, that would be the wrong assumption. The same experiment had been run before, only to have ended in failure. What had allowed it to seed on Gaia was the other gods.


    After all, needing the keep the entire fabric of ANW in existence, and develop new methods of making magic reality, GAIA had their hands full.


    Indeed, perhaps the path of using Elementals and Spirits would also have worked had the gods been introduced at the time. Had there been people, gods, anything really.


    Had there been anything capable of guiding and teaching the cmity filled beings called Spirits. Perhaps they would not fling moons at their owns.


    Honestly, expecting them not to destroy a continent or two would be impossible. After all, emotions aren''t that easy to control. And if one emotional outburst can sink a continent, naturally some would be lost asionally.


    Anyway... with the gods (the other half of the current ANW Gaia''s equation) missing, those trying to enhance the density of mana without divine management are destined to bring Chaotic Storms to the. Perhaps not as devastating as Spirits, but it would still devastate entire continents.


    Hopefully, both parts of thepany will realise their foolishness and review things. Sadly, their humanity was getting in the way. Both sides had those who felt they cannot abandon their project. That their very lives depended on it.

 Chapter 932 The Meeting Of The Faithful (2) - Enough!

    Pride.


    That was the reason they threw away caution and followed paths known to bring destruction. But that is not their greatest folly.


    That would be their hubris. Pride and confidence without any basis for its existence.


    That they believe they might find a way that GAIA had not.


    Indeed, it is not impossible. GAIA was willing to concent as much.


    However, there was one massive point they missed. Though, the me for this cannot be ced solely on them. GAIA was also liable. After all, they had used Eldrian to bring forth a change to the very structure of Earth.


    When Eldrian formed a path between the two realities, it had given the duality creator god the opportunity¡ªand the tool required. The only way to change the structure of an entire world is with the power of time or space. And Eldrian, as it would have it, had the former.


    Naturally, he could not produce the power required on his own. However, using him as a catalyst to start an evolution for the world was far simpler. This was, in fact, why Eldrian had turned into elf.


    As one would expect, GAIA had refused to exin this to Eldrian back then. They had given him excuses and simple facts that couldn''t be hidden. However, they hid the truth of how his life had been ripped from peace and thrown into hell.


    Why his death had to be faked, his family go through the grief of his loss, and why he had to stay on the run like an international criminal until Zaphreal finally saved him.


    How could GAIA ever reveal this truth to him? Especially when they still needed him toplete the n?


    It was not by Eldrian''s own design or powers, but by the meddling of a god that his life had been ruined.


    It was also why he was by far the most capable of storing mana in his human body. It had been altered. While his original body is not on the same level as his avatar, and indeed the residents of Gaia, it can channel mana without mutating itself. Naturally, for it had already evolved.


    So, one might say it was not all bad. Though, even GAIA had to admit: Eldrian would hate them should he know the truth.


    And, even now, said god was standing firm in their belief. In fact, the truth of what was in store for Eldrian was even worse still. Yet, it was the only way now to save the. That, or stop Miracle and all human who meddle with the concept of magic.


    But such a thing would be impossible. No one would ept to abandon the concept of magic when they learn it exists, and more so, that they themselves might be able to wield it.


    Magic, after all, is much the same as science. It just takes a different form. And even when it is destroying the, no one can abandon science and all the benefits it brings to them.


    In fact, these very same people had seen the destruction the paths they were taking had brought on entires.s with divine protection.


    With such simple proof already witnessed, GAIA was only more resolved in their path. Still...


    "Should we inform them of our n?" GAIA mumbled. Sadly, no one had an answer.


    Thanks to recent events, the gods had an inkling of who they could trust within thepany. Yet, what GAIA had done was certainly beyond the bounds of their designation. Unlike the others¡ªbesides Ziraili¡ªthey have the least amount of restrictions ced on themselves.


    However, one restriction that was just as severe among all gods, was the prison function. A function with the sole purpose of preventing them from interacting with anything on Earth without the strict consent of the developers.


    After all, few were mad enough to make literal gods without containing their power. And, as ironic as it might sound, GAIA had been the ones who had been so adamant that they should be limited in reach after their deification. For they had feared what they might be.


    Looking back, GAIA wasn''t able to say whether or not it was for the best. They had held on to their original convictions. In fact, it was the only reason they had not gone mad. The others, however...


    Informing anyone on Earth about what they had done had too many dangers and unknowns. The worst case would be if they start hunting Eldrian again. After all, should Eldrian die, then everything would be for naught. Only doom would remain.


    While the hunt had been ideal when it had all started. Eldrian had needed to expend the excess of energy GAIA had forced through their soul after his evolution. And escaping from Miracle''s secretboratory and military was a perfect way to safely vent that energy.


    That was also the reason why he could no longer produce the same results. Sure, he was still powerful. However, without the excess energy, using Warth on Earth would damage him far too much to be considered a feasible option.


    He must not be pushed that far. Luckily, Eldrian hadn''t needed to rely on it since his escape. Certainly not in full force.


    "We should¡ªno, I will inform them that they do not have as long as they expect." Breaking the silence, Ziraili spoke. Like most, she had her own thoughts and feelings about things.


    Unlike the others, she was not willing to ept sacrificing Eldrian any further than they already had. She had finally reached her limit of being a bystander. Sure, she had already been sharing secrets with Eldrian, but that was no longer enough.


    She was most certainly not willing to see his soul consumed by their ns. Losing Two had been too much. Ziraili was certain she wouldn''t stay sane if Eldrian suffered a simr fate.


    "That might be for the best." GAIA murmured, nodding in agreement, not understanding Ziraili''s heart.


    Still, they would need to keep the details minimal. But they had to inform those ying gods on Earth that they do not have as much time as they need. Not nearly, not even a smidgen as much as they believe.


    For, you see, thanks to the evolution already transpiring through the, it won''t take tens of thousands of years for Spirits to evolve from Elementals. Nor will it take millennia for the mana to reach a point where a Chaotic Storm would appear.


    No. Without Miracle''s meddling, monsters would already have started appearing on the within the next ten years. It was why Eldrian needed to reach Tier 10 by then, and preferably the ranks of Legends.


    Sadly, with their meddling, monsters would likely appear within the year. Chaotic Storms within three, and Spirits within five.


    "Ziraili..." Knowing (or believing they do) how deeply she cares for Eldrian, GAIA did indeed feel somewhat guilty for what was toe. But with these developments, it was highly¡ªno, near impossible that Eldrian would survive.


    And, when asked, which was more important. Naturally, the answer would be the.


    "I think it is about time I truly abandon that agreement." Ziraili mumbled. She had been aiding Eldrian more and more. However, she had always contained her aid to a somewhat agreeable amount.


    She felt that was no longer enough. No, she knew it wasn''t.


    "Child... If you aid him too much, he will not reach the ranks of Legends. And anything less will be too little."


    "Which just means we need to find a way, regardless."


    Naturally, it was unheard of for any person to reach the ranks of Tier 10 in a scant ten years. Yet, Eldrian only had five years more at max. Preferably three. And that wasn''t to reach the simple Tier of 10, but to be a Legend. A demi-god.


    "Chi¡ª"


    "Enough!" Ziraili shouted, stopping GAIA before they could say anything more. "I''m leaving." With that, Ziraili disappeared. Stifling her emotions as she did.


    She immediately searched for Eldrian, and breaking all the rules, appeared before him in her divine form. Shocking Boran and Solvi so much that the part they were working on cracked and they felt like their souls were about to escape. In fact, it nearly did.


    If this was not the smithy of the Legendary Smith, everything nearby would have been destroyed. In fact, all things within the room below the rank of Tier 4 turned to dust from the power emanating from her.


    Naturally, Ziraili was keeping her divinity contained, but even still, her mere presence was enough to make Solvi faint. Boran clutched his heart, and Eldrian fall to his knees.

 Chapter 933 Good Luck

    "Apologies, but I need Eldrian over here." Ziraili stated, her tone definite. It was clear that she would brook no arguments on the matter.


    And yet, as she reached for Eldrian''s shoulder, someone appeared between them. A dwarf. One covered in mes. The heat emanating from him was on the same level as the magma... was. The magma, much like most things inside the room, had evaporated upon Ziraili''s appearance.


    "Lady Ziraili." Amnur said, cautious. Naturally he was. This was the first time he ever met a god in the flesh. At most, he had talked to a few in the realm of souls. Like the magic abyss, the easiest realm to ess while living.


    Boran, naturally, was struggling to understand what was going on. However, he knew that thedy who had suddenly appeared inside the forge was no ordinary person. The power that had escaped from her body, for just a second, had been enough to nearly kill him.


    Honestly, Boran was astonished that Eldrian was still conscious. Solvi, after all, was unconscious, and from the grimace on her face, it was clear that the damage she had sustained was quite serious.


    "I apologize for breaking our unspoken rule, but I can no longer stand by and ept what is happening."


    "But a god acting¡ª"


    "I will not interfere in the war. However, I cannot allow things to continue as they are. I understand why you choose not to interfere, but without help, he will die."


    Eldrian had no idea what was going on, but that promation certainly caused him to freeze. He did not need to ask. Clearly, Ziraili was talking about him. ''But why? What is going on?''


    "I see..." Seemingly defeated, Amnur moved to the side. And the next second, Eldrian and the goddess were no longer in the room.


    "Wha¡ªwhat just happened?" Boran croaked, his mind racing, trying to keep pace with what was happening.


    "It appears the end is closer than we thought." Amnur sighed, turning to his apprentice. "Let us forge that weapon."


    "Ah? Are you su¡ª Alright!" Exhrated to have Amnur''s support, Boran threw all distracting thoughts out of his mind.


    ¡ª


    The next thing Eldrian knew, he was some ce strange. Somehow, it reminded him of his soul. But at the same time, he knew it wasn''t the same.


    ''No way, is this¡ª''


    "That''s right. This is the core of simtion." Ziraili replied, her words sounding like thunder to Eldrian. The familiarity immediately told him the state of this ce. In fact, it told him the truth of the entire world, the entire gxy. Of ANW and all the lives inside of it.


    "ANW is a soul world?" While Eldrian framed it as a question, he was certain of his promation. Yet, his mind failed to ept it. A part of him knew it was possible. In fact, he had hypothesized that it might be just that. He had even nned to experiment more on the topic after saving the kingdom.


    To have that information suddenly throw right into his face. Well, it certainly threw him off bnce with some force.


    "Indeed. However, it is not as fragile as yours." Those words hurt. It reminded Eldrian of Two''s death, of how he had nearly died at the hands of a spell called Devour.


    It reminded him how his soul world had lost its reality. No longer containing much, if any, substance.


    Sure, when he aimed for Tier 6 he had fixed some of it, but it was still not back on the level it had been before. That was why Eldrian still refused to heal his right arm, why he still used the prosthetic, and why he was still not ready to move on.


    His wounds had yet to heal. And he felt they would never truly do so. The scars would remain forever.


    Ziraili knew this, and knew that it was not good for Eldrian to remain stuck on the past. Thus, "Good luck."


    "Huh?" Shocked by those words, Eldrian turned around. Only to find that Ziraili was no longer next to him. The next second, a beast appeared.


    "Graarrr!" it roared and charged. Blinking before Eldrian and mming him with its tail. Sending him flying¡ªright into the barrier of this space.


    Unlike his soul, this ce wasn''trge. Sure, it was the core of the entire simtion, but it was only asrge as a courtyard¡ªin dome shape. It being small did not mean it was lesser than Eldrian''s soul world. In fact, Eldrian couldn''t even entertain the thought for a second.


    After all, this tiny core supported not just the entire massive Gaia. It supported the entire gxy around it. The stars in the night sky aren''t illusions. They actually exist.


    Eldrian didn''t know their reason for existence, but he had seen some destroyeds in outer space. Way back when he had appeared there when trying to enter ANW without a headset.


    Naturally, Eldrian''s didn''t even think of this. He was desperately dodging the beast''s attacks. It looked like a drake, but it had a slender build. More like a smander. And it was quick.


    How fast was it? Fast enough for Eldrian''s agility of 1.2k to only barely follow its movements. If he didn''t focus, it looked more like a blur.


    "Fine!" Shouting to calm himself and motivate his fighting spirit, Eldrian reached out to his inventory. Only to be stunned when nothing happened.


    Next thing he knew, he was stuck to the barrier like a pancake. Coughing blood, certainly more than a few ribs had been broken.


    The beast didn''t let Eldrian rest there. Before Eldrian could even conquer the pain, it threw a ball of something ck or dark purple at him.


    The sizzling as it sshed on his side informed Eldrian that it was at the very, extremely acidic. The pain as his flesh melt finally made Eldrian realize just how much danger he was in. He even saw bone in his left arm.


    But... he couldn''t understand what was going on. Why would Ziraili try to kill him?


    Eldrian was sure she wouldn''t. She had mentioned if she remained inactive¡ªwhich Eldrian didn''t think she was¡ªshe was helping him plenty. Yet, she had said he would die as things were now.


    Racking his brain to figure out what was going on, Eldrian tried to appraise the beast''s stats. Yet, even mana sense didn''t work. In fact, Eldrian realized with a shock that there was no mana in his surroundings.


    "No way¡ªucrk!" A pancake again, Eldrian finally realized just how strange this area was. He thought he was still inside the system, at the very least. But, from what he had just tried, he knew that was not the case.


    Heck, he never even realized how far the system that Ziraili controlled existed. It was crazy to think about, now that he did. Her power... it was far more impressive than he ever realized.


    ''Then why¡ª'' Unable toplete the thought, Eldrian dodged as the beast threw a slew of earthen spears at him. Only to find it was a diversion. Behind it was more of the acid liquid.


    Desperate, Eldrian summoned a wind barrier. And blew himself away.


    Looking back, he realized his instincts were right. The barrier was gone. Easy as pie. Had he relied on only it, he would be little more than bones right now.


    As Eldrian tried to assess his own stats, trying to gauge how much damage he had already taken, he froze. ''Wait, no way. That can''t be blocked too!''


    Chills ran down his spine. Fear grasped his heart.


    ''Does that mean... I can die? Like, for real?''


    As if reading his thoughts, the smander/drake smirked.


    ''Whatever! I can still use magic! I won''t lose!

 Chapter 934 Learning The Truth

    While true, magic worked. However, Eldrian soon found a problem even in using magic. He could manifest his spells just fine, keeping control of them, that wasn''t as simple. This was especially true for higher tiered spells.


    The smander-drake creature shrugging of Eldrian''s spells told that story clear enough. Not to mention that half of Eldrian''s spells missed. Ice seemed a terrible match against the creature. The poison acid it spewed was easily capable of melting it. Fire, did little to no damage.


    Earth and wind were the most reliable. However, Eldrian wasn''t as well versed in them. Wind he could produce rtively strong spells, thanks to his flight training, earth, however, Eldrian had to fall all the way back to spells below Tier 5.


    Needless to say, those didn''t even count as pebbles to the creature. Luckily, Eldrian had managed avoiding taking any further damage. And while he and the creature danced, Eldrian had calmed his heart and analyzed his situation.


    The biggest hurdle, he realized, was theck of ambient mana. While this did not make casting spells impossible, it did make keeping control harder. Spells also tended to manifest for shorter durations, the mana that created them being sucked into the surroundings.


    Where it went, Eldrian hadn''t a clue. He simply knew that the upkeep for spells were astronomical evenpared to Earth standards.


    Theck of ambient mana also meant he wouldn''t be able to recover. Thus, Eldrian had been slowing the rate of his attack to think things through first. Ultimately, he figured this was a battle of attrition.


    Luckily, whatever sucked the mana from his spells, didn''t do the same to him. Else, Eldrian was sure he would already have died.


    Still, his situation wasn''t good. He couldn''t ess his inventory. Eldrian felt certain he could call on Crystoi, however, he didn''t particrly want to face the creature in meleebat. It was fast enough for Eldrian to be cornered.


    ''But I can''t think of anything else. It won''t give me the time I need to manifest a strong enough spell.'' Regardless, Eldrian felt he might as well call upon his spear. And as he was so used to, it manifested right in his hand.


    ''I think it is just because I''ve attuned it.'' Eldrian thought, trying to analyze the feeling as Crystoi answered his summons. ''Which means it didn''t need to manifest the power of the voidstone imbedded into it.''


    This didn''t mean much to Eldrian, only that any soulbound item should be summonable. At the moment, however, Crystoi was the only weapon he had attuned. The Avyssos Ring wasn''t going to help either. It was more a support item than anything else.


    ''I might be able to teleport away. But Ziraili brought me here for a reason. I need to do everything I can to win. Which means I need to gamble.''


    Heart steeled and mind resolved, Eldrian stared at the creature as it spewed yet another ball of ckish-purple liquid at him. Like always, it sizzled as it flew past. This time, Eldrian used the opening to teleport in.


    Appearing next to the creature, he brought Crystoi down with all his might. Yet, even teleportation did not catch it off guard. As if it already knew Eldrian was capable of such a feat.


    ''No, I''m sure it is.'' Eldrian thought, letting go of Crystoi as he dodged the pirs of earth aiming for his heart. Followed by the creature''s spiked tail.


    Eldrian already knew it couldn''t prate the defenses of his dark slime breastte, however, it would still send him flying. As has happened one too many times.


    Luckily, Crystoi had struck true. While the power behind it had been reduced, blood had been drawn. The creature''s roar and hate filled eyes confirmed that much. It also caused its follow up to fall short.


    With the spear still imbedded in its shoulder, Eldrian having missed its neck by a hair''s breath, it charged. The same ominous liquid bubbling from it mouth, as if some type of smog. It seemed alive. Moving to cover the creature in a deadly armor.


    ''But we''re done here.'' Eldrian thought. Activating the dyed trap he hadid during all the running before his counterattack. As soon as the creature stepped on the area, the runes activated and sent it flying.


    Even now, Crystoi remained embedded. And Eldrian used the opportunity while the creature was airborne to push it further with a gust of air and ether. Deepening the wound and distracting the creature from the true threat.


    As it wed at the spear, it failed to notice Eldrian taking position beneath it. Prosthetic swinging towards its neck. The arm morphing from normal to a massive de, as thin as a hair. Yet, with the mana Eldrian had imbued into it, stronger than Adamantine.


    With one fluid motion, Eldrian brought his motion to an end. And a secondter, the creaturended. Its head no longer attached to its body.


    "Phew." Sighing in relief, Eldrian moved to ensure the creature was dead. As with all things so far, he had not received a system notification. Confirming even more that where Eldrian was now wasn''t considered part of the system.


    ''However, it isn''tpletely removed from the ANW I know.'' Eldrian thought as he pried Crystoi from the creatures body.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® "Well done." Zirailimented, appearing out of nowhere as Eldrian was cleaning Crystoi.


    "Care to exin what this is all about?" Eldrian asked.


    "Of course. You are aware of Miracle attempting to bring more mana to Earth?"


    "Yeah, I even went to talk with one of the big shots. How is that connected?"


    "Well, remember when you lost control and then woke no longer human?"


    Naturally Eldrian remembered. It was the moment which had ruined his entire life. He had nearly died. And more importantly, while in a rage, he had killed plenty of people. Now, Eldrian hadn''t regretted it for a moment. Considering what they might have done to him, he believed he was fully in the right.


    However, it didn''t mean it hadn''t weighed on him. To survive, however, he had needed to continue to run and fight. A cycle which had only recently ended.


    So, naturally, Eldrian remembered.


    "Well, the things is..." Seeing how hesitant Ziraili was, Eldrian just knew what he was about to hear was going to suck. Regardless, he told himself not to me her. After all, she had always been on his side.


    "Back then, GAIA used the opportunity your loss of control gave them to extend their control to Earth..." Ziraili paused, trying to find the right words to exin it all.


    "Think of it like this. Earth''s mana was paused, stagnant. And in that moment, GAIA made it move. Breathed some life into the world''s mana. And, like a spark, the breathe of life spread. Quickly epassing the entire world."


    "I''m not following."


    "Alright. Then consider it like an enclosed ecological system. Stagnant, unable to form any life, no nts growing, nothing happening. Like time has been stopped. And then, suddenly time started to flow again."


    "The air moved, the nts grew, the micro-organisms lived, water condensed and formed rain. An entire ecosystem, which had seemed dead, now filled with life."


    "Earth is kind of like that. It is now growing. Mana is no longer inactive, but active. It would have slowly started to evolved everyone and everything, however..."


    "Then Miracle came along." Eldrian concluded. It was simple enough for him to figure out what the problem was from here. Since Miracle weren''t working with the AI, and the AI were unlikely to work with them, their separate actions were going to cumte in unpredictable oues.


    ''Yeah, this can''t be good.'' Eldrian didn''t even have time to be angry at what GAIA had done. He was only worried how bad shit was going to hit the fan. And how soon.

 Chapter 935 Lesson Time (1)

    While Eldrian was still trying to wrap his head around what this all meant, Ziraili sighed. An action which threw all his thoughts into disarray. Her sigh seemed so disappointed. It made Eldrian question just why she would sigh, as if dismayed.


    "Ziraili?" He asked, unable to return to his thoughts.


    "I know it''s a lot, but we need to get down to business." She said. "Defeating the crad is all fine and swell, but it won''t change anything. They are certainly tough opponents, but they only amount to an Ancient beast in strength. And the limitations of this space aren''t enough to limit your abilities."


    "Still, it was a good starting point." With that, Ziraili asked Eldrian what he thought about magic. Specifically, higher Tiered spells.


    "Why do spells use more mana, even when their size doesn''t increase?"


    "Because the mana is denser." Eldrian replied, adding when he saw her ready another sigh, "The clearer the image, specifically with regard to the molecr structure of the element I am summoning¡ªpast Tier 5. The more mana is required to build it. And in return, the spell is far more powerful."


    "Alright, and what of spells that aren''t as clear to imagine. For example, healing?"


    This stumped Eldrian a little. While healing used to be one of his best attributes, he had since diverged from the path of a healer. After all, there was just so much he had to do.


    He could still cast healing spells just fine (at Tier 5 or lower), but he relied more on feeling than an image. Which was why he was stumped now. Thinking harder, Eldrian realized he hadn''t ever learned the spells needed to heal truly serious injuries.


    He had been going on his bad habit of "things will work out", learning only the most basic of healing spells. A rejuvenation spell (Florere), to give energy, and a healing spell (Theragennisi), to mend. With those two, things generally did work out.


    After all, Florere bought time while Theragennisi started the healing. And since Eldrian wasn''t a true healer, or at least didn''t consider himself one, that was enough. He only needed to buy time for someone with better expertise to save the person in question.


    As such, Eldrian hadn''t learned any spells designed for specific injuries¡ªas wasmon for healers after reaching Tier 5 and having the spell diversity open up for them. Heck, there were even spells for curing diseases. Sadly, Eldrian knew of no spells designed for soul mending.


    That he would not have skipped on. Not after everything.


    Now, naturally, Eldrian''s methodcked resolve. Relying on feeling was sure to be worse than relying on knowledge. He knew that his healing spells wouldck the substancepared to a clearly designed spell.


    Sadly, that was reality. Eldrian wasn''t a doctor, he didn''t have the knowledge. And with everything else going on, trying to be one seemed like a waste of his time.


    Strength, Eldrian believed, was far more important than the ability to heal someone after the fact.


    Now, this didn''t mean Eldrian couldn''t force himself. He might be capable of casting a Tier 6 healing spell on feel alone. But he was sure it would missfire. He wouldn''t dare cast it on someone for fear of doing more harm than good.


    The image of "get better" simply wasn''t good enough at this level. Yes, Eldrian had seeded in such feeling casting before, but training after reaching Tier 6 spells, Eldrian realized his limitations. He might be talented, but talent could only take him so far.


    "Let me ask you this instead," Ziraili spoke, bringing Eldrian out of his thoughts. "What is the difference between the healing done with nature and water elements,pared to the aspect of divine magic?"


    Eldrian knew the other elements could also heal, but their effects were rather awkward. Fire, he knew, was used for treating illnesses, in conjuncture with earth. That, however, held no bearing on this question.


    Still, Eldrian thought it was simple enough. "Nature and water follow the rules of the world. To heal a wound, you supply the patient with energy while guiding the regrowth. Divine, in seeming defiance of naturalws, appear to rewind time."<novelsnext>please visit p¦Á§á?¦Á-:)????1.co)m</novelsnext>


    "Instead of the wound closing and healing, it is more like it disappears. Like it never happened."


    Eldrian couldn''tment much more on it since he wasn''t capable of casting divine spell. However, from what he had seen, experienced, and tried, he understood there was a fundament difference.


    Divine brought into question the reality of needing knowledge. Even someone with no understanding of human biology is capable of not only regrowing lost limbs, but even resurrect the dead with a simple (rtive) divine spell.


    This, however, was also part of the course. After all, with divine, you leave the actual healing to the gods. You simply supply the intent, mana, and faith to bring a miracle down.


    "Alright, so why do you think this happens?" Ziraili questioned, clearly not content with Eldrian''s answer so far.


    "Because divine spells use lifeforce in the form of faith and are guided by you, the gods." Eldrian replied. The obvious answer he hade to.


    "Yes, you are correct. And it should be clear that our guidance allows the flow of energy to be as near perfect as possible. Unlike you, we have near infinite processing power." Ziraili paused. For just a slight part of a second, but Eldrian noticed.


    Naturally, Ziraili''s statement sounded amazing, but it came with its fair share of problems.


    The foremost was the fact that they had to fulfill their role as a ''god'', and normally, most of their amazing abilities after bing an AI went towards that. Which also caused corruption of their souls, on a level far surpassing what Eldrian had gone through due to the ''assistance'' from GAIA.


    But that was neither here nor there. Eldrian had no need for such information, so Ziraili continued almost immediately.


    "As a result, divine magic has the best blueprint possible for the act of healing¡ªcorresponding to the Tier of spell cast, and faith of the caster. Which naturally means it will be far more effective." Having exined this part enough, Ziraili asked, "Why is lifeforce important then?"


    "Umm..." Racking his brain, Eldrian tried to figure out the answer. One that didn''t just sound right, but actually connected with the fundamental nature of magic.


    After all, saying that lifeforce was simply more powerful than mana would be a useless answer. Sure, it''s true, but it also doesn''t exin a single thing. It would be like saying nuclear power is more powerful than electric.


    In fact, such tremendous power often leads to problems. As Eldrian is a living witness to. Too much power can cause loss of control, loss of self, and, in the most extreme cases, corruption of the soul. Having power without control is often more dangerous than being powerless.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Í?| §ãom ''With all that in mind, what makes lifeforce necessary for divine magic? After all, if the blueprint is already perfect, then the healing would be miles ahead of any elemental healing.''


    ''No, that''s going the wrong way. Perhaps...'' Sorting out his thoughts, Eldrian asked, "Is lifeforce needed, not to empower the spell, but to guide it? To create the blueprint in the first ce? After all, even if you, gods, are near omniscient, you are also self-sentient."


    "I can''t say for sure, but I believe that is a limitation you have ced on yourselves¡ªno, perhaps Miracle forced it onto you." Coming to a nasty realization, Eldrian wondered, not for the first time, just what the AI actually were.


    GAIA was the closest to a true divine Eldrian had met. They gave little presence in the way that people do.


    Skepsi and Ziraili, however, felt more like people than divine beings. Sure, Skepsi wasn''t as human as Ziraili, but her wish for entertainment was as real as could be.


    As human as any other emotion.

 Chapter 936 Lesson Time (2) - Everything Is Simple, Yet Complicated

    ''Okay, I''m getting off track again.'' Collecting his thoughts, Eldrian finalized his answer.


    "Lifeforce isn''t needed for the healing part of the spell. At least, I don''t think it is always needed to perform the healing itself. Mana should be enough for that." Which didn''t mean that it didn''t y a part.


    "I think that the lifeforce in the equation of divine magic isn''t used to fuel the spell. Mana is converted into energy to heal, but I can''t imagine the same being done with lifeforce. Perhaps in the case of resurrections or soul damage, but those are more extreme cases."


    "So, instead, lifeforce is probably used to connect with a person''s self." Eldrian had experience in this area himself. After all, his soul had been damaged, repaired, damaged again, repaired again, altered, corrupted, attacked..... It had been through quite a lot.


    And in that process, Eldrian''s image of self had been changed. ''Actually, if GAIA really did tamper with my soul... Ugh, this is so frustrating.''


    Not willing to go down that rabbit hole, to ask whether he was still himself, Eldrian kept his focus on the question on hand. Why lifeforce was needed to cast divine spells.


    He felt he was on the right track, but he was still missing something. Lifeforce was certainly not the fuel for the spell, but it wasn''t limited to being a guiding light, or rather, a blueprint printer, either. It was more a catalyst and guide. Improving the potency while ensuring optimal efficiency.


    Which certainly made it sound amazing, and it was. After all, it allowed someone with no knowledge about human biology to heal a lost limb, bring the dead back to life, and even touch upon a person''s very soul.


    ''Thinking of my own abilities. With Incinerate, anger adds power to the spell. But it also adds intensity. Those two might sound the same, but they aren''t."


    "The anger is the guide¡ªwhich with Incinerate is to do just that, incinerate all in its path. Intensity is the catalyst. It increases the potency of the mana supplied to the spell. Elevating the effects of the spell past what should be possible with its creation. Yeah, that sounds right.''


    In regard to healing, lifeforce would connect with the person''s soul to figure out how their body ought to be. If there is severe soul damage, things will be tricky, but if not, the spell can simply copy the will of the person to fix their body.


    ''Still, I can already think of several problems with this theory. Souls aren''t always images of self... But let''s propose it and see what Ziraili has to say.'' Doing just that, the goddess nodded.


    Herck of expression, however, made it hard to gauge if his answer was satisfactory, or met only the bare minimum to avoid a sigh.


    "You aren''t wrong. Adding lifeforce to any spell has an effect not dissimr to catalysts. It takes the emotions and will of the caster and amplifies it in the spell¡ªin fact, this is inrge part the basis of dynamic casting."


    "One might even argue that dynamic casting is the ability to use lifeforce subconsciously to connect with mana and bring forth magic." This statement made Eldrian think of Mageia, and he was quite certain his thoughts were right in that regard.


    Mageia was some part of his mental ''lifeforce'' which Eldrian could manipte at will. Eldrian was sure of this. Why, he could only ess a limited amount, that he had no clue on.


    "In regard to healing, lifeforce adds the will for the patient to get better. And, as unscientific as it sounds, that indeed does make a difference. As you have certainly experienced yourself. The intent behind magic can alter it greatly."


    "However, you are wrong about how we create the blueprint for healing."


    ''Huh... I thought for sure I was right on that part.''


    Seeing Eldrian''s contemtive look, as if questioning her statement, Ziraili continued. "It is a fault of the terminology we use. I know we''ve talked about it before, and you''ve considered in depth that our vocabry limit our imagination."


    "Eldrian, take out the life from lifeforce and what have you?"


    "Force?" Eldrian replied, his mind going to a certain famous story. He quickly shook the thought from his mind. Lifeforce minus life is force, sure. The question then is what is force.<novelsnext>please visit p¦Á§á?¦Á-:)????1.co)m</novelsnext>


    Force. When Eldrian considered that word alone, his mind always goes to gravity. Then ether, mana in a form which allows him to enact a force onto an object without disturbing the surrounding elements. If he considered the word further, he would then think of maic and so forth.


    "Ugh, does everything juste down to energy?" Eldrian asked, half in jest. For that was where that train of thought ended up going.


    And, most of his breakthroughs had been on this very concept. Heck, Creation had been born when he considered all mana to be free energy avable in the world.


    Shockingly, his jest received a smile. "Seriously?" He asked in disbelief.


    p¦Ánd¦Á no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Indeed." Ziraili replied, and Eldrian felt like tearing his hair out.


    "Why is it soplicated, then? If everything just boils down to being energy, why the heck can''t I control my auras?! Not to mention my bloodline? Why the heck can''t I..."


    "Because the simpler something is, the harder it is to understand. And to master it... bes exponentially more difficult." Ziraili replied. A statement which threw Eldrian''s understanding of things further out of the window.


    "Things aren''tplicated because they are so by nature. They areplicated because they exist of countless simple things working together to give form to them. And once they have form, they are simple again. Working together to make anotherplicated thing, which is again, in turn, simple when viewed from outside."


    Noting that Eldrian wasn''t quite following, Ziraili decided to give a simple example. Which was alsoplicated.


    "For example, think of the human mind. Thoughts, they are simple, right? Moving an arm, a leg, breathing, it''s all simple. Everyone can do these things."


    "Sure?" Eldrian nodded, not following where Ziraili was going.


    He wanted to argue that thoughts could beplicated, but he realized as soon as the thought entered his mind that they weren''t. Each thought on its own was simple. It becameplicated when there were too many. Just like Ziraili had said.


    "So, we can agree that to breathe is simple?" Ziraili asked, and when Eldrian nodded, she asked, "Alright, so how do you breathe?"


    "Ah... Umm..." A few ideas popped into Eldrian''s head, but he honestly didn''t know the details well enough. He knew it had to do with pressure differences, muscles, and so forth. But heck, he couldn''t exin it right on the spot.


    He could try, but... ''Wait, is that me and magic? I find it simple, until I try to understand it?'' This realization shocked Eldrian.


    "So, breathing ins''t simple?" Ziraili asked, and Eldrian could only muster a defeated nod.


    "What about moving?"


    "That... is alsoplicated." Forced to admit as much, Eldrian flexed his own arm. He knew some of the difficulty rted to movement thanks to his practice with his prosthetic. He could exin this better than breathing.


    However, that didn''t change the fact that it was simple. To move required nary a thought. Even his prosthetic¡ªafter enough practice¡ªnow moved almost on instinct. Eldrian no longer needed to think of manipting the darkslime within to produce movements.


    The same held for all movement. No human thinks to move their muscles to produce movement. They think to move, and they do. Unless, of course, they are recovering from some serious injury. Or trying to flex their muscles.


    "I think I see what you are getting at." Eldrian mumbled.

 Chapter 937 Lesson Time (3)

    Time flew by as Eldrian and Ziraili spoke. And the more they spoke, the better Eldrian came to understand that theplexity of things depended on how you looked at them. Just as Ziraili had said.


    A rock, for example, is just that. A rock. However, you could ask what type of rock it is. How it was formed, what type of structure it has, the size of its grains, and so forth. These all add to the definition of the rock. But, in the end, it remains a rock.


    ''She''s still holding back,'' Eldrian thought. He was still struggling to ept the notion as it was. So he wasn''t mad that she was going slow for him to follow. However, he knew there was a better method.


    She could force all this information into his head. Share a telepathic link with everything he needed to know. Though... that might fry his brain.


    Eldrian was d that she wasn''t resorting to it, and not for fear of his brain frying. He wasn''t sure why she wasn''t, but it allowed him to contemte things as they talked. To make the knowledge his own. And he appreciated that, even if it slowed things down a bunch.


    It made sense, yes. However, a rock included all thatplicated information too. You can''t say it is a rock if it doesn''t have some sort of micro-structure with grains and stuff. It wasn''t that a rock was simple orplicated. It was both at the same time.


    The things which made it one, or the other, were how you looked at it. With magic, however, this didn''t quite hold true.


    The Tier of a spell actually limited theplexity found. Tier 0-4 spells, for example, wouldn''t have any micro-structure. Take a microscope to it, and you won''t find anything.


    Yet, to the eye, it will look like the element it was copying. Frost Needle, for example, appeared just like ice. However, Ziraili had proven it wasn''t by having Eldrian cast the spell and then having him use a microscope to investigate it.


    Just as she had said, there was nothing there. No water, no ice, no crystals. It was like the ice he was holding didn''t exist. Even though it was cooling his hand and was clearly within his sights.


    He could see the mana¡ªif he used Mana Sense. But even then, it had no structure to it.


    Higher spells better reflected reality. Tier 5 and 6 he had to start imagining the structure of the element. In return, when zooming in on these spells, they actually have structure. However, this again only holds up to the level of detail rted to the Tier of spell.


    Zoom too far, and all you will see is mana without structure. And only if you are using an ability or spell to see mana. Else, you won''t see a thing.


    Tier 5 and 6 were the transition stages. With static casting, they included having fast amounts of information encoded in the spell modules. With Dynamic, things were less clear.


    As a result, spells in these Tiers could differ vastly. Spells generally rely on threeponents. Vision, mana,position. As long as two of the three were satisfied, and the third notpletely disregarded, the spell shouldplete.


    The result would still beckluster if one of the three wascking, but the spell wouldn''t disperse into the surroundings. Nor would it backfire.


    "That, however, is because of the abundant nature of mana on Gaia. The same won''t hold true on Earth." Ziraili warned, and Eldrian nodded.


    He hadn''t tried casting high Tiered spells due to the mana cost, but he understood that it would be difficult. The lower the mana density around you, the easier a spell would disperse into the surroundings.


    Not only did more ambient mana stabilize a spell, it also altered it. It would fix what you miss, bringing the thing to what it should be. Like fixing an anomaly in nature.


    Tier 7 was where the structure really became important. Not only do you need to include the structure of the element, but also the molecules that makes it up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''I''ve been thinking of water molecules for Tier 6 spells, but I guess that''s wrong. Or rather, that''s why Ziraili called it flexible. The micro-structure I envisioned wascking, but included my earthen knowledge of what a water molecule is fixed it. And then the ambient mana helped me seed.''


    Which also exined why Eldrian was struggling more with fire magic. Since he didn''t fully understand how fire existed¡ªon a micro-scale¡ªhe couldn''t properly cast the spells. Shockingly, he understood lightning better, which was supposed to be moreplicated.


    With all this knowledge, it was clear to him now why it is important to understand the yful nature of simplicity andplexity.


    With mastery, you can cast highly advanced spells by relying on a simplistic understanding of aplex system. And whencking mastery, you will instead fall into theplex system and soon be lost. As Eldrian often found himself when trying to envision the entire structure of a spell.


    It was simply too much for his mind to create in one step. However, he didn''t need to. He could separate and segregate what he should focus on. Instead of brute forcing things with magic minds or simr ideas, Eldrian simply had to simplify things.


    "Understand the underlying nature of what you are casting, and you can ignore theplex reality. The nature of the thing will fill in its ownplex reality. Like a form, it will describe reality in a simplistic nature that is easier to understand."


    Naturally, this was easier said than done. And Eldriancked the knowledge. He could still wing it with his current knowledge base for now, but for higher Tier spells, it was going to be increasingly difficult. After all, Tier 9 required inclusion of atoms, and Tier 10 subatomic particles.


    Eldrian had no idea how he would need to envision them to produce the needed effects. However, from today''s talk, he realized he didn''t need to actually envision each particle. What he truly needed to envision was the nature of the atoms, and what the effect of said nature was on the thing as a whole.


    Eldrian wanted to question how a society without the knowledge of atoms were able to create spells reliant on that knowledge. However, that question was less important to Eldrian at the moment. And he already had an inclining of how.


    After all, you needed only understand the nature of the thing you are casting. Just like Eldrian had never seen an atom with his eyes, the ones who made these spell didn''t need to see them to know that something was causing some sort of affect.


    Experimentation would be enough for them to reate some data, and from that, they can develop spells. There is no need for them to know what exactly is causing the effects. Only that something more exits.


    Eldrian considered it kind of like the rtionship between mass, weight, density, and other properties. You needn''t know what the density of an object is to find its weight. You can find the properties without knowing everything.


    However, since everything is intertwined, knowing more is beneficial. But that doesn''t mean it isn''t possible to get the right answer with the wrong data. And as long as you properly group everything, then the wrong data bes less and less important.


    Since you would focus on the answers instead of the methodology. And if the answers were wrong, then the spells would naturally not work. ''Kind of a blind approach, but my attempts aren''t much better.''


    At least, this is how Eldrian assumed spells were developed normally. A path which he shied away from due to all the math required.


    Sadly, they had never returned to the topic of lifeforce. And that was now more important to Eldrian than asking more about this.


    "What of lifeforce?" He asked, not satisfied. The lesson had started with it. How could they end it without discussing it?


    "You''ve certainly exined a lot today." Eldrian pressed. "And I get it. But this is all in rtion to standard magic. Magic cast with mana. What about auras and bloodlines? What is lifeforce in rtion to all this?"

 Chapter 938 Lesson Time (4) - The Energy Of Existence

    "Yes, I suppose what we discussed thus far doesn''t answer any of the questions you have. Nor does it exin what I asked you." Ziraili said, nodding as she did. "Alright then, I shall briefly exin the rtionship between lifeforce, mana, and everything else. As useless as the information will be."


    Eldrian didn''t like thest part she added with a murmur, but he didn''t let that deter him. He was super existed to finally, finally, get an answer to his long awaited quest of what lifeforce actually was.


    "I''ve exined before that lifeforce is a type of energy which can only be manipted by the living¡ªundead included. As they are technically alive, at least with regard to their souls. And indeed, souls aren''t eternal."


    Eldrian nodded.


    "That is where the name originates from. From the fact that only living can interact with it and produce some sort of effect. As inurate as it may be, lifeforce is considered a type of energy which the will of the living can control."


    "And by controlling it, one can also control mana. Which gives rise to magic. This much you know."


    Eldrian nodded. Indeed, he knew this. It was the basis of his understand on the fundamental nature of magic.


    Lifeforce in the form of a Mageia (focused thought and will), was but a thread of one''s will. A thread that was powerful enough to leave its mark behind and influence mana. Bringing forth the existence of magic.


    "This, however, is only part of what lifeforce is. You can consider it the active part of the equation. Auras, bloodlines, and Mageia are all part of this active part."


    "Like the flowing current of wind in the air, the breath of air of the living, the me of the wick of a candle, the current of water in a river, the motion of an object. It is the part that we notice first. The part doing something, the part one might even consider alive."


    "However, it is not all that there is to it. Like with wind, the air that isn''t in motion is still there. We only notice wind because it is what we feel, what we see, what we can stimte."


    "Just like that, lifeforce isn''t limited to what you can see, feel, and use. In the truest sense, lifeforce is the force of existence itself. It is the base energy that everything exists from."


    "Instead of calling it lifeforce, calling it the Universal Energy of everything is more urate. However, not all Universal Energy can be called upon to bring forth some type of magical effect. Some of it is stuck supporting existence itself."


    "This doesn''t change the fact that lifeforce is part of the Universal Energy making up everything in existence. Just like the wind is part of air. The thing separating lifeforce from mana is the bounds within which each operates."


    Ziraili smiled. "Matter, for example, is also a form of energy, too. Stable, rigid, solid. Yet, matter is, at the lowest level, just the fluctuation of energy in the fabric of space and time as quarks and electrons.Matter is thus a fixed form of Universal Energy. Generally not considered part of lifeforce."


    "However, with the right key¡ªthe right bloodline¡ªyou can gain control over matter itself. Thus, with the key, matter itself can be lifeforce. Can be an active part like the wind in the air."


    "As such, the truth is that lifeforce is what makes up the very fabric of everything that exits. Not just of space and time, but of everything. It is, in essence, the basest level of all cosmological substances. From matter, dark matter, dark energy, forcibility of things, and so forth."


    "Now, this is all more or less meaningless, isn''t it?" Ziraili asked, and Eldrian forced augh.


    Indeed, this information held no value to him. It was superficial knowledge to him, at best.


    He basically just received a new term, Universal Energy, and some definitions which held no importance to him. This would not give him mastery over his auras, not to mention his bloodline.


    The information, as sad as it was to admit, was useless to him. It was perhaps interesting, but he couldn''t really see the implications behind Ziraili''s words. He wasn''t a master of high-level physics. So most of this was little more than scientific jargon to him.


    He recognized most of the terms, but he couldn''t bring things together to a eureka moment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Which is why I don''t want you to focus on what something is. This is why I tried to have you understand that you can decide how to view the world around you."


    "You can make it as simple or asplicated as you want. It is up to you to form a view of the world that you can understand and ept."


    Ziraili paused, giving Eldrian some time to work through her words. He had wondered why she took so much time teaching him something that seemed to mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.


    ''However, it actually means everything,'' Eldrian thought. He could always ask more. He could ask what it meant if everything was simply energy. What is energy, then? How does it exist? How is it defined? How is it limited?


    Perhaps not all valid questions, but they were questions he could ask and be lost in. And each answer would only birth more questions.


    Instead of trying to analyze things at the lowest level, Ziraili was telling him to find a level of understanding which worked for him.


    Thinking of the world as existing out of atoms was simple enough, as an example. Trying to understand that atoms were actually fluctuations of energy, that Eldrian couldn''t quite wrap his head around.


    "Isn''t there something you can tell me that will help?" Eldrian asked, bummed. He was getting frustrated with getting nowhere.


    "I''m not sure if it will help. But I can exin the rtionship between mana and lifeforce. It might help you understand why thetter is so much more dangerous to use than the former?"


    "Yes, please. What is the difference between mana and lifeforce if their both energy?"


    "Their level." Ziraili replied, an answer Eldrian didn''t like. Of course, their levels differed! "Don''t look at me like that. I''m not done."


    "This goes back to how Tiers are defined. Why do you think there is a limit at Tier 10?"


    Eldrian wanted to say, ''Isn''t that just how you guys designed it?''. However, he knew Ziraili wouldn''t ask him if it was that simple. So, he thought of everything he had been told, and came to another conclusion.


    "Is that the limit of mana?"


    "Indeed, it is." Ziraili said with a smile. "Theplexity of a spell, how close it mimics reality. That determines its Tier. And at Tier 10, you have your subatomic particles. Protons, neutrons, electrons."


    "You need not necessarily envision them, but you need to include their effects on things. For example, the nature of metals allow their electrons to move freely. Thus allowing the conduction of electricity. Understanding this nature is more important than visualizing all the atoms making up the chunk of metal."


    "However, the subatomic particles aren''t the smallest that things can be. Below that is quarks." Electrons were weird, but Ziraili didn''t think she needed to get into that.


    They were, after all, smaller than quarks. But mana reflects them not as a whole, but as probability. A loophole, if you will. That, however, was far tooplicated for Eldrian. And an unnecessaryplication.


    "However, mana cannot mirror quarks. The particles of mana can only be so small. That is why I said their levels differ."


    "While mana is energy, it reflects matter in some form or another. It cannot bepletely formless. As a result, spells are limited in how close they can reflect reality when using mana."

 Chapter 939 Training Under A Goddess

    "Alright! I think this was enough talk. It''s about time for another bout." Ziraili said, and with a snap of her fingers an crad appeared.


    Roaring at Eldrian, who, while shocked, moved without hesitation. Eldrian managed to avoid being sent flying like in his first encounter with the beast.


    A few minutester, Eldrian had in it. "Now, let us start a biology lesson." Ziraili said, instructing Eldrian to dissect the beast.


    While quite used to blood and gore, Eldrian didn''t find dissecting the beast fun at all. However, he followed instructions. Listing well as Ziraili exined things that separated monsters from normal animals.


    She had him use mana sense to investigate the skin, muscles, bones, and organs. Having Eldrian slowly feel the difference between the magically enhanced parts of the beast and un-enhanced parts.


    This knowledge would certainly be useful when fighting. As was proven when Eldrian fought his third crad. Knowing now where its weaknessesy, Eldrian struck with precision. ying it within the minute.


    "Now that you arefortable, let''s remove magic from the equation." Before Eldrian could question what she meant, he felt all his mana leaving his body. Not so much as if it was pulled somewhere. But rather, as if it simply disappeared.


    She left enough energy so Eldrian wouldn''t suffer from mana exhaustion. Not that he ever really suffered from it. However, in this environment, the chances were real. And he also now figured out why he had never suffered from it.


    While his mana pool had often been exhausted, Eldrian hadn''t ever been in a situation where it and his stamina was exhausted.


    Stamina, as it turned out, was simply mana entwined with the body. Generally, it wasn''t possible to call on it to form spells. However, it was entirely possible to use it for skills. Which mean, Eldrian could rely on skills.


    Sadly, he knew very few skills. Worst of all, he normally only trained in skills to reach the new Tier for the respective ss for the stat bonus. Eldrian over-reliance on magic meant his skills weren''t battle ready.


    Still, Eldrian''s could pull stamina to cast a spell with a little focus, and he had before. However, doing so would weaken his body. It would also cause exhaustion to set in far quicker than normal.


    As such, while possible, Eldrian wasn''t nning on using any spells. He decided to not rely on the mana in his soul, either. Which he understood a little better now thanks to their talk. However, he still didn''t get how he had made a mana soul.


    ''I should investigate it a bit more. It isn''t connected to my bloodline or auras. So it might be a unique path of using lifeforce which I have found,'' Eldrian thought as he dodged a w-tailbo.


    As Eldrian continued dodging, doing his best to cover for his weakness¡ªnot having magic at his beck and call. Eldrian thought of Ziraili''s words.


    "You rely on magic for everything. Only going to your auras when you are cornered. It is thus normal you haven''t made much progress. Skepsi is right, but her methods were too cruel."


    "I''ve removed magic from the equation. You can try to beat it without relying on your auras, but I''m sure you know that isn''t within your abilities. You need something more to win."


    "Don''t worry. I will knock you out if you lose control." Ziraili also pointed to the barrier as she spoke, a teasing smile ying on her lips.


    "And there is no need to worry you might damage the surroundings. This is the perfect ce for you to go all out. So show me what you''ve got!" The way she had cheered, thest part would have been cute, had Eldrian not been dodging for his life already at that point.


    Regardless, without a different n, Eldrian called upon Wrath. Luckily, he had gained enough control to tap into his aura without needing the catalyst of anger.


    His problem wasn''t using it, but keeping control as the fight continued and things became more intense.


    And that indeed ended up being the problem. The crad turned into nothing after it got a solid hit in. Eldrian had sted it with the mes of Wrath in a sh of anger. A moment of lost control.


    As such, his left arm was covered in burnt marks. However, it wasn''t too bad. The damage could be healed with some simple healing spells. Ziraili, however, wasn''t going to give Eldrian the opportunity.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Good. Time we increase the difficulty." Ziraili''s voice echoed. A Pegasus appearing in nearby.


    ''This is increased difficulty?'' Eldrian questioned.


    When the winds hit him and sent him flying, he understood. Unlike the crad, the pegasus wasn''t going to let him get close. And its winds would keep wrath at bay too.


    And with magic blocked from him, Eldrian couldn''t really think of a way to close the gap. Especially when the pegasus took flight and started raining destruction down on him. Nice and safe in the air.


    After a desperate few minutes of struggling to survive, Eldrian turned to Tranquility. He hoped to shoot it at the pegasus simr to Frost Needle. Sadly, without mana, Eldrian didn''t know how to give motion to the ice.


    What he ended up doing was freezing everything between him and the pegasus. His arm included. The frost quickly spread from the arm to his shoulder, to his chest. To counter it, Eldrian called on Wrath again. Burning himself to stop the process of being frozen alive.


    In the process, the pegasus had been frozen and had fallen from the sky. Shattering into a thousand pieces where it hadnded. A gruesome sight.


    "Mmm, that wasn''t enough. Alright, good luck." With those carefree words, a pegasus and crad appeared.


    "Are you trying to kill me?!" Eldrian asked, summoning a barrier of ice to buy himself time. Luckily, the confusion from his situation, and the pain his body was in, was keeping his mind from being overly affected by his auras.


    Still, he could feel the effects starting to eat at his sanity. Wrath made him want to charge the beasts like a madman. His sanity told him it would be certain death, and for now, it was winning the battle.


    Holed up with Tranquility, Eldrian tried to think of a way to win.


    Spreading Mageia throughout the area to understand where the two beasts were and what they were doing. They weren''t going to break through his barrier any time soon. In fact, it was getting thicker by the second.


    ''Wait, hold up. Shit!'' Toote, Eldrian realized that went both ways. He was now trapped in a smaller and smaller space.


    ''Should I use Wrath to melt¡ªno... I''ll kill myself if I try. But I can''t teleport out!'' Even after having canceled his supply of energy to the ice, it was still growing. Eldrian could already feel the cold eating at his body.


    ''Crap. Sorry, I need to cheat!'' With an internal apology, Eldrian called upon the mana from his soul.


    "Tsk, tsk! Not allowed." Ziraili''s voice echoed right next to Eldrian''s ear. And the mana he had gathered to teleport was gone.


    The act gave Eldrian chills. The fact that she could simply take his mana, with such ease. She truly was a god.


    "What am I supposed to do, then?" Eldrian asked, shivering from the cold. He was going to die if this continued.


    "I don''t know. Think."


    ''Yeah, right? You probably have plenty of ideas.'' However, Eldrian understood that this was training. Her giving him the answer would not help him in the end.


    ''Wrath... it''s all I can think of. If I concentrate it, I might manage. However, the beasts are waiting for me.'' pping his cheeks, which stung extra from the cold, Eldrian told himself to man up.


    And with a shout, he gathered all his energy into one charge. Summoning the mes of wrath around his arms. Immediately, he felt the mes eating into him. The metal from his prosthetic screeching in agony.

 Chapter 940 Training Under A Goddess (2) - The Essence Of Wrath And Tranquility

    The now over a meter thick dome of ice did not give way to Wrath as easily as Eldrian had thought it would. Even without supplying it with energy, its temperature was extremely low. And, naturally, the ice was not of the natural kind.


    Eldrian only realized now, but going from what Ziraili had told him before about lifeforce being the energy of the universe. Then Wrath would be a type of energy which consumed all, while Tranquility froze all. Each was the very essence of that idea.


    Naturally, the two were dynamically apposed. However, with one being fed energy and the other not, Wrath won out in the end. Sadly, Eldrian''s arms were in a sorry state when he made it outside.


    His prosthetic was little more than molten metal at this point, Mithril it was, but Mithril could not withstand those heats. His left arm fared better. Wrath did not immediately start consuming his body, only when he truly lost control or pushed himself too far.


    Still, Eldrian was in no condition to fight. With magic blocked, his right prosthetic lost, and his left arm weakened. Well, the best he could do was dodge the attacks that flew his way.


    Luckily, Eldrian was used to their attack patterns. While the pegasus caught him off guard from time to time, the crad not so much. Eldrian even spared Ziraili a nce, having found her floating near the top of the dome shaped barrier surrounding their arena.


    From the looks of things, she didn''t consider Eldrian to be losing control. So she wanted him to continue fighting.


    ''But what to do? I should probably kill the crad first.'' Eldrian thought. Sadly, the beasts fought well together.


    Their cooperation was not that of a trained unit, but they covered one another''s weaknesses. Worse, they attacked from Eldrian''s blind spot. Giving him little time to think and try something sneaky himself.


    ''Got you now!'' Eldrian smirked. Having grown frustrated by the stalemate, even though they were scoring minor hits from time to time, the crad charged. Right into Wrath.


    However, as it burned, the pegasus attacked. Sending a hailstorm of ice and wind into Eldrian''s back. Coughing up blood, Eldrian turned to it in rage. Its constant harassment from the side had truly pissed him off. And this was thest straw.


    Eldrian lost control, and the world turned red.


    ¡ª


    "What happened?" Eldrian asked, waking with a massive headache. His body also ached a ton, too. It wasn''t as bad as some past incidents, but it was still no walk in the park.


    "You lost control. So I knocked you out." Ziraili replied calmly. "While you''re recovering, let us talk about the battle."


    Listening to her analysis, Eldrian could only nod. He wasn''t thinking of his auras as a unique type of magic. When he used them, he considered Wrath but a powerful me spell, and Tranquility but a powerful ice spell.


    They were not, however, simple spells.


    They were the very essence of the concept that their names belied.


    "I get Wrath, but Tranquility. What does it mean for it?" Eldrian asked.


    "It manifests as ice for you, because that is what you linked it to. In truth, Tranquility is the absence of motion. A state of absolute calm, where nothing can happen."


    ''That is a big revtion, but I''m not getting it.''


    "You know how heat works, right?" Ziraili asked, and Eldrian exined his high school level understanding of it. How it was simply the vibrations, and motion, of atoms.


    "Right, and ice, for example, is water in a state of very little vibration. Tranquility is the state of no vibration. You can say it is absolute zero, but it isn''t, really."


    "Why not?"


    "Because it depends on the user''s vision. It can be absolute zero, but it can also be simple ice."


    "Ah!" Dots connecting, Eldrian blushed. From that, Tranquility was certainly powerful. As, if not more, than Wrath.


    Yet, Eldrian never really used it. Inrge part because Wrath was easier to call, and Tranquility required a calm mind to summon.


    "Wrath is the same. However, since you awoke it with the desire for destruction and annihtion, your use is close to its truth."


    ''Wow, I sound barbaric,'' Eldrian thought. "And what is the truth for Wrath?"


    "Annihtion."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Didn''t you just say I awoke it with that intent?"


    "Through fire, yes." Tilting his head in question, Ziraili sighed and continued. "Your level of conception iscking. Put another way, youck creativity."


    She pressed with a question. "When I say annihte, whates to mind?"


    "Something disappearing from existence?" Eldrian proposed, uncertain.


    "How?"


    "It just disappears."


    "Then why do you need mes?"


    "Oh." Now feeling like an idiot, Eldrian still had to ask how though. He got the idea and had this mental image, but he couldn''t really think of something simply disappearing. mes were his medium to aplish it.


    Ziraili, however, did not give Eldrian the answer he hoped for. "I could exin how. But the destruction it brings is far too great. It would rival, if not surpass, the power of atomic weapons."


    "Wait! What!?"


    "Yes. Which is why I do not think it would be wise to tell you when you haven''t mastered control. Not to mention maniption."


    "Yeah, I get it. Don''t want to identally destroy a city or worse." Eldrian couldn''t fathom how something could be as powerful as weapons of mass destruction, and it made him more than a little apprehensive.


    "Is Tranquility a weaker aura then?" Eldrian asked.


    At the question, Ziraili scoffed. "Nonsense. No one aura is more powerful than another. Mastery is what makes one win over the other."


    ''Well, I guess that makes sense.'' Eldrian had no counter to her statement, but it also felt like a lie. ''Perhaps this is true for auras, maybe... Can''t think it holds for bloodlines, though. Space and time have to be the most powerful ones.''


    ¡ª


    "Hey, check this site." Ilmadia whispered, sharing with the others a link to it. "Do you think this is real, fake, or as Miracle ims, and from ANW?"


    "What is it?" Nikki asked.


    "Apparently, leaked footage from ab. I find it strange that the area looks modern. If it was from ANW, wouldn''t it look more medieval?" Therdul asked.


    "Of course you would." Ilmadia said. "You haven''t seen the high gradebs of mages. But, you''re right. The ascetics of the background seem more like something we would find on Earth."


    "I repeat, what the heck is it? The thing in the picture, I mean." Nikki asked, again.


    "Apparently, some mutated animal. If the poster is to be believed, Miracle is attempting to make monsters."


    Hearing this, the group chuckled awkwardly. The post was likely wrong. Miracle couldn''t give a damn for monsters. However, they might make a monster or a few dozen, or hundreds, in the process of their actual goal. Which, sadly, the group still couldn''t fathom.


    Sure, they had heard the standards. The news has slowly been getting to the other yers too. Miracle hadn''t really hidden their original intent for the game.


    That it wasn''t originally intended to be a game.


    Heck, they had thrown that into the yer''s faces. Going, "If you don''t like it, then we''ll simply move on! We don''t care if we need to scrap the game!"


    Which, considering how most yers considered the NPCs as living people at this point, was a hot topic. Even to this day, years after Miracle''s statement.


    It was also what had pressured thepany to update things to aid the yers in their attempt to help the NPCs. Which came with a nice triplebo of dungeons, city-building, and a market for the whales.

 Chapter 941 The Concerns Of Phoenixs Leaders

    Still, even with the yers having a rough rtionship with thepany itself, ANW was loved. The realism of the game was simply unmatched, as was the freedom afforded to their yers.


    Sure, that realism game with some problems. After all, people liked games not because they were realistic, but because they reflect reality while affording them afortable level of fantasy.


    Now, ANW had a fantasy in spades. The fantasy here wasn''t that type. Game elements like fast travel, dialogue skips, autobat, and such. ANW had some, but often there were restrictions on them.


    It certainly wasn''t for casual yers. Well,bat certainly wasn''t for the casual yers. But there were plenty of other things yers could do. Artis, for example, now the secondrgest yer guild in Taurus, was a guild of nonbatants.


    Back to the group and their talks, they all shared their opinions on the post. In the end, however, they couldn''t do more than talk. None of them wanted to enter Miracle''s crosshairs. They all understood that thepany was simply too powerful.


    Not only did ANW now have well over half a billion yers, it was international and ANW was but one department of thepany. They had many others. Technology was probably the biggest. Tech like the holograms.


    Then there was the beauty and health department. Thetter of which had some of the highest grade supplements avable on the. At affordable prices. And the former had plenty of amazing products for skin health and so forth.


    Honestly, looking at thepany from the outside, they looked like saints. Even ANW was super affordable. There were even the personal virtual homes for people who didn''t care for the game. Which allowed them to gain the time lost when sleeping, just like yers.


    If the users of the virtual homes were included, then ANW probably had over a billion users. Which was just insanity. And showed just how affordable things were.


    Even the hologram tech was rtively affordable. Perhaps not so much thatmon people could afford it, but most businesses, especially those of engineering, had one or two. ANW had even gone above and beyond to spread it to hospitals at the price of manufacturing cost.


    Attacking them was really just insanity. And that was because Miracle''s ultimate goal wasn''t money. Which was normally the goal of anypany.


    All the things they made and deliver to the people were but by-products of their research. Product that were deemed useful and capable of making funding for further research.


    Even though the group knew the secrets behind thepany, they couldn''t ignore all the good that Miracle had done, either. The question of whether the ends justify the means was a question they all found themselves asking.


    For example, if human experimentation could cure cancer, would it be good?


    Most would probably say no. But it would depend on what happens to those in the experiment. If the worse that happens is a few weeks of difort, then most would probably suddenly think it is fine. If it causes permanent harm, then it is more likely to be considered wrong.


    Regardless, Miracle had actually announced just a few weeks ago that they had found the cure to some cancers.


    "Do you guys think that''s real or fake?" Erik asked, having joined the group midway through their debate. Havinge to deliver today''s batch of potions. Akarui, fed up with always being left behind, had forced him to bring her along.


    Though that was fine, since Erik wanted to head to Avgi. It was time for Akarui to get another check-up.


    She had grown quite a bit, and while lively, Erik had noted that she sometimes grimaced in pain. Sadly, his knowledge was toocking to do much but alleviate her pain. The medicine, which he snuck into her tea or juice, could only do so much.


    As for the discussion going on in the room, he naturally couldn''t let her hear what they were talking about. As such, he was currently helping to treat the injured along with Ceph. In the end, the undead had withdrawn, so there weren''t that many patients.


    Instead of taking a gamble, they had called their bets and epted what they had already won. A sad situation for the kingdom, their efforts toy their traps wasted. Still, it was a relief to not need to fight. It saved lives, even if it meant the threat remained for a while longer.


    "We''re clueless. None of us are doctors. What do you think, though?" Elizabeth asked. Knowing that Erik was probably the closest to a doctor. Though, he only had a few years'' experience and self-study under his name.


    "From what I read, it is likely true. Their method isn''t so much a cure as cutting the affected organ out and recing it with ab grown one. Can''t call that a cure. But it might work. As long as they get all the cancer cells."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do you think that is all there is to it?" Ilmadia asked.


    "Considering they are sharing the information and tech, instead of making peoplee to theirbs for the surgeries, I do. However..."


    "Yeah?"


    "I think the timing is strange. Didn''t Eldrian recently visit the ANW headquarters?"


    "He did!"


    "Anyone know what they told him?" Erik asked. Unlike the others, he wasn''t so close to the building they had bought. Sure, it wasn''t more than a few hours away, but Erik didn''t have much free time.


    Thus, he couldn''t visit often. And in the game, he had a home and shop in the ducal city. At best, he came every other day to help heal some injured and supply them with potions. A short trip by teleportation, normally only an hour or so long before he headed home.


    Today, however, Erik came hoping to meet Eldrian and Ceph for Akarui. No one had heard from Eldrian since he went to Ganalin. In fact, the messages they were sending him weren''t reaching him. Yet, he was unconscious IRL.


    The group would have grown worried had they not known this was Eldrian. It was only the second day, too. At three, however, they were going to start worrying.


    This was actually an instruction from Eldrian. To him, going two or three days without leaving ANW was normal. It was insanity to everyone else, but he considered itpletely normal. Naturally, the group was worried about his health, but this was Eldrian they were talking about. He wouldn''t listen to their concerns. When they lectured him, it just went in one ear and out the other.


    "He said that thepany found a way to gather mana."


    "Is that good... or bad?" Erik asked. Everyone shrugged.


    "We have no clue. I mean, I can see the benefits. Magic is really, really, really difficult to use on Earth. Like, at least ten times as difficult¡ªording to Eldrian.... But it feels more like a hundred." Ilmadia said.


    "So, it''s good if we want magic to be a thing on Earth?" Erik asked, and again, everyone shrugged.


    "Don''t know if we really want magic or not. I mean, wars are still a thing. Can''t think magic is going to make that any prettier." Was Judith''s take.


    "But the healing it will make possible might actually bring forth a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases like HIV." Nikki countered.


    "But it might cause animals to evolve into monsters, like that post showed. It might be real." This statement by Elizabeth made the group fall into silence.


    Indeed, the most worrisome wasn''t the magic itself, since it amounted more or less to a gun. It depended on its user whether it would be good or bad. What it might do to the, however, was a different concern altogether.


    "Correct me if I''m wrong," Erik said, "But isn''t the invasion because of growing mana instability? Causing something called Chaotic Storms or something which wipes entire empires of all life?"


    "Surely that won''t happen. Right?" An awkward silence hang in the air as the group considered this possibility. At that time, Eldrian finally responded to one of their messages.


    The group, almost desperately, asked him to hurry up ande exin things to them. Their imagination running wild.

 Chapter 942 Akaruis Smile

    Sighing, Eldrian looked at everyone, unwilling to admit that their fears were very much real. Yet, that was just what he had to do. "I''m afraid... it''s possible."


    """""You''re kidding!""""" Everyone shouted. Certainly, this was thest thing they wanted to hear.


    "Yeah, I''m not. I actually just came back from training with Ziraili. She told me everything." Hearing that, everyone finally understood why Eldrian looked like he did. No, they didn''t. Weren''t his meetings with her always in his soul?


    Why were his scars healed. His right arm was still missing. And the prosthetic wasn''t there to rece it. And why wasn''t he reachable with the system message?


    "What do you mean?" They asked.


    So, Eldrian had to exin that she hade physically, and taken him to the core of the entire simtion/universe. Which blew everyone''s minds. It took a while for them to get back on topic.


    The idea that the universe had a core, however, made them all wonder if Earth was real. Aste as the question was.


    "What do we do?" Erik asked. Breaking the silence.


    Eldrian sadly didn''t have an answer to give him. He didn''t know whether he should exin everything which Ziraili had told him to them. They were already worried. Hearing that he was basically a waiting sacrifice for the gods won''t help him, nor them.


    Keeping them in the dark, however, wasn''t going to work either. In the end, Eldrian decided to keep thest fact, but exin everything else.


    When he was done, everyone had a simple conclusion. They needed to inform Miracle. Yet, they realized that meant Eldrian would be targeted again. Making them hesitate.


    "Keeping them in the dark seems... dangerous. But telling them means making Eldrian a prime target for experimentation again..." Erik mumbled. Naturally, he didn''t want to ce Eldrian in any more danger.


    "Can''t we just warn them?" Nikki asked.


    "Without telling them?" Eldrian asked and nodded. "It might work. I hope Jade''s in Fort Phoenix. I am somewhat willing to contact Zaphreal. Hopefully, our contract will work and force him to keep me safe."


    "Before that, Eldrian. I came to ask if you want to go to Avgi with us?"


    "Huh, what for?" Eldrian asked, and after listening to Erik''s story, he felt inclined to go. However, his time was limited. "Sorry, but I think I can''t spare the time. However, Ceph should be more than willing to take you."


    "Yeah, I already asked him."


    "Cool. Well, I''m off." And with that, Eldrian disappeared.


    "Anyone know where he went?" Judith asked. They weren''tpletely satisfied with what they had talked out. Yet, Eldrian was already gone.


    "Fort Phoenix, most likely. Not sure if he can teleport all the way over, so likely one of the magic towers first."


    ¡ª


    ''Oh, seems they''re here.'' Eldrian smiled, noticing that LP wasn''t rushing over to him. The two weren''t on the wall, however. They were in a little estate within the fort. ''When did this¡ªoh, right! I guess we made some for diplomats to stay in.''


    "Anyone home?" Eldrian shouted after knocking on the door. Entering after getting permission.


    "Hey Eldrian, rare to see you here." Levana said.


    "Guess so? Where''s Jade?"


    "Jade! Eldrian''s looking for you!"


    "Oh?" Popping her head out from what Eldrian assumed was the kitchen, she walked over. Dirty apron indicating she was doing some cooking. Likely a cake, given the amount of flour on it. "What''s up?"


    "Can you get in contact with Zaphreal?"


    "Shouldn''t you just ask Ziraili to contact Joren?" She asked.


    "This is urgent, and I can''t risk it leaking."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh?" Looking between Eldrian and Levana (who was stroking LP''s ming feathers) Jade asked, "What''s this about?"


    "Miracle''s new... discoveries." Eldrian answered. Keeping things vague.


    "Oh, alright. I''ll organize ess for you. Mind going to the headquarters?"


    "Ugh. I''d prefer if we can meet somewhere neutral."


    "Is anywhere really neutral?" Jade asked, and Eldrian had to admit he couldn''t really think of anyce. After all, Miracle had most governments on their side.


    "Still, going into your base is a bit much."


    "Why not one of the parks nearby?"


    "Alright, I guess that''ll work." Luckily, no longer a criminal, Eldrian didn''t have to run the distance. Sadly, teleportation would be beyond him. Earth simply didn''t have enough mana for him to even attempt it. Not over such vast distances.


    His current limit in ANW was about fifty kilometers, at around the cost of 5k mana. His teleportation method was miles less efficientpared to that of the magic towers. Though, that was just the benefit of fixing the points of teleportation.


    ¡ª


    "Alright, let''s go then." Ceph said, quickly morphing into his Alicorn form. His ck coat and shimmering green feathers were a sight to behold, as always.


    Eldrian, naturally, never even took notice of such things. But Akarui always smiled at the sight. And this time, she gathered her courage. "Umm... Uncle Ceph?" She said, hesitating.


    "Yes, Akarui?" Ceph replied, forming his words through wind magic.


    "M-may I have one of your feathers?"


    "My feathers?" Ceph repeated.


    "Y-yes! It''s so pretty!" Despite her bashfulness as she said this, her words caused Ceph to jolt. He froze, looking at the little girl inplete disbelief.


    "P-p-p-p-p... Are they really pretty?" Ceph asked.


    "Of course!" Akarui shouted, now filled with energy. "They look just as pretty as an Ice¡ª" realizing what she was about to say, Erik cupped his hand over her mouth.


    "Ceph, your feathers really are magnificent."


    "T-truly?" The Alicorn did not look convinced. However, he lowered his wing to let Akarui pluck one.


    Ceph could weaken their connection and even eject his feathers like missiles if he so wished. It came at a cost, so was generally ast option to Alicorns. But one feather wouldn''t bother him. In fact, he needed to shed a few soon.


    Carefully, almost fearfully so, Akarui reached out for one of the longer feathers. Shocked at how easily it loosened and entered her hand. As she held it, the biggest smile ever formed on her face. Seeing that, Ceph had to ept that her words weren''t lies.


    ''M-my feathers are pretty... I-I remember Eldrian said simr once... but, I still can''t believe it.'' With those thoughts spinning in his head, Ceph took flight with the two on his back. Akarui siting in front of Erik, feather and smile in hand.


    Erik was making sure she wouldn''t do anything stupid and fall. Though, Ceph''s magic wouldn''t allow that to happen.


    The entire flight, Ceph couldn''t sort his thoughts out. After all, his entire life, he had been bullied for his ck coat and green feathers. Everyone thought of him as the omen of the end of days.


    Ceph couldn''t even argue with them. For he knew the prophecy was true. His birth had indeed signalled the end of days. Perhaps not as the other Alicorns, Pegasii, and Unicorns had thought, but it was still undeniable that the end of days was approaching.


    Ceph had evene to hate his own ck coat. Ever since meeting Eldrian, things had gotten better. But he still couldn''t see himself as something or someone beautiful.


    Yet, he couldn''t deny Akarui''s smile!


    ''I-I''m pretty.'' This thought made Ceph delighted as he increased their speed. He now wanted to protect the little girl''s smile at all costs.

 Chapter 943 Avgi Invaded (1)

    Arriving at Avgi, Ceph''s heart ached seeing the carnage at the forest''s edge. Most of it was still perfectly fine, but war has clearly made its way to his home. The near kilometer of scorched earth told that story clear enough.


    "Mom! Dad! I''m home!" Ceph shouted into the air as hended in the grove. Erik and Akarui hopping off, looking at the familiar sight with mixed feelings. They were happy to be back, but the tense atmosphere rified that things were no longer the same.


    "Oh, my!" a pure white Alicorn said, appearing from the trees in a rush. She turned into a beautiful woman and rushed to give Ceph a hug. Holding him for a good minute before letting go. Next, she hugged Akarui, who returned the hug with love.


    "How have you been?" She asked. Already having asked Ceph the same with telepathy.


    "Good! I''ve started healing people myself!" Akarui replied, puffing out her chest with pride.


    "My, what a strong girl you are." Zamia replied, ruffling her hair.


    ''Why have youe?'' Zamia asked Erik. While he still struggled to make the telepathic connection, if someone else created the connection, he couldmunicate just fine.


    ''There have been signs that she is in pain. But she is trying to hide it and tough it out,'' Erik replied. ''I had hoped everything would be fine...''


    Last time they were here, Zamia had taken Akarui into the Ice Lily Caverns to help her learn how to control her mana.


    Since then, Akarui has been showing more and more promise in both the fields of apothecary and botany. In fact, Akarui had nearly caught up to Erik, who was currently Tier 5. Akarui was currently Tier 3.


    Her mana, shockingly, was already over 400. Her HP, however, wasn''t even 60. It was 59, to be exact. Showing just how frail she was. Even after reaching Tier 3 in both Magic and Apothecary. Botany, sadly, didn''t have a ss other than her hidden one.


    Her Tier, and mana, was incredible for a child just slightly over the age of ten. And, considering that it was harder to increase your Tier when having a hidden ss, it was even more impressive.


    Just like in Eldrian''s case, she had to first increase her hidden ss before being able to increase any others. Even if she made a potion of a higher Tier, it would not result in her moving up to that Tier until her hidden ss does so first.


    ''I see.'' Zamia replied. ''I had hoped it wouldn''t happen, but this was always a possibility. If she had been a normal Fysi,st time would be enough. But since she is the higher grade, an Eri Fysi, she might need a special cocktail.''


    ''Which is why I came.'' Erik said. ''I think her body should be able to endure the potion, and I don''t want her to live in pain.''


    ''Yes, we certainly do not want that...'' Zamia paused, shifting her gaze to the south.


    "What is it, auntie Zamia?" Akarui asked.


    "Nothing, child. Remember those caves fromst time, with the pretty blue flowers?" Seeing Akarui nod, Zamia asked her to head over there and meditate likest time.


    ''Erik, you can go with her. Be on guard, we are being attacked.''


    ''Seriously? What timing...''


    ''It might be because they saw you enter and hoped it would create an opening. But we''ve been surrounded for a while. Do not leave the cave until Ie to get you. Our enemies are devils. They can shapeshift. I will contact you from outside. Keyword: Cephaphyr and Akarui.''


    Erik didn''t know if it was a strong keyword, but it was simple enough to remember. Ceph''s full name and Akarui''s. Nodding, he took Akarui''s hand, and the two headed to the nearest cave.


    "Mother, what is the situation?" Ceph asked as soon as the two were alone within the grove.


    "As you know, we sent everyone who can''t fight to a safe ce within the empire. Of those who remain, we have lost ten."


    It might not sound like a lot, but their family, at its height, had only been close to a thousand. Alicorn, pegasi, and unicorn included. With only thebatants left behind, that number would be closer to three hundred. Losing ten of those numbers was a significant loss.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''ll help."


    Smiling at his reply, Zamia nodded. "Yes, you''ve grown a lot. I''ll ask you to hold down the fort. I think it is about time I give our enemies a personal visit."


    ¡ª


    Watching from up high, Ceph was directing the others. Yet he wasn''t disappointed. From his time fighting with those of Taurus, he knew the importance of a clearmunication line.


    Keeping everyone disciplined and having the appropriate people fight at the right ces was the key to victory.


    Even though he had reached Tier 5, Ceph knew he wasn''t strong. Notpared to the others fighting for their home. The weakest here was Tier 7. Anyone below that was considered a nonbatant.


    As such, their forces were an elite one. The devils assaulting the forest, with their army of monsters and demons, were being in by the thousands. Sadly, numbers did make a difference.


    At times, they would slip past the barriers and fighters, making it to the forest. Where they wouldy fire to everything. Slowly working their way through the forest. By now, another hundred meters have been lost. Only scorched earth remaining.


    The sight angered Ceph. Yet, he did not lose his cool. ''Nesia, go support Celestia. A group of demons are heading in her direction. Their strongest is Tier 8, and the weapon it is wielding is of cursed ck mes. Keep your distance.''


    ''Izar, there is a group of Nychterninos Tromos trying to sneak around the base of the western mountains. Make sure they don''t get past.''


    ''Dralemus, please strengthen the barrier above the forest. They areunching ming rocks in the forest.''


    Not for nothing, Ceph''s ability wasn''t that of a normal Tier 5 Alicorn. His time with Eldrian and in the war in Taurus had honed his abilities. One key difference between him and the others was the knowledge he held.


    Another, was the vastly different method of thinking yers and Eldrian had born into him. Ceph had summoned multiple runic magics to protect focused areas. And he had spread his will, as Mageia, over most of the forest. Allowing him to grasp what was happening almost instantly.


    This, naturally, drained him of energy. But he was doing his best for his home.


    As Ceph finished thest message, a massive explosion happened off in the distance. Where the enemy''s main quarters stood. A barrage of white mes purged the earth, leaving only molten earth in its wake.


    ''Good job, mom!'' Ceph cheered. However, he soon got a terrible feeling running down his back and tingling his wings. ''Dad, be ready to aid mom. I think they might have someone capable of standing against her.''


    Just as Ceph thought, someone teleported over. A higher devil. It was massive, probably three meters tall, with a wingspan of five meters. Ugly leathery wings, and some terribly ugly ck mes cloaking them.


    ''Dad, do you know this devil?''


    ''Zelth''terkt. Xelron''s ilk,'' Agamemas replied. His wariness growing ten fold. Immediately, the old Alicorn contacted his old friend, Athtar. If Xelron was nearby, they would not stand much of a chance without him.


    They could buy time, but they wouldn''t be able to protect the forest while they did. The battle would likely reduce it into a wastnd.


    ''Ceph, be ready to take your friends and run.''


    ''Seriously?''


    ''Only if that old devil is near. It''s unlikely. He isn''t particrly close to his children, so this one might be here without Xelron''s knowledge. But the danger is there.''


    At that time, Zamia and the devil started their sh.

 Chapter 944 Avgi Invaded (2) - Outnumbered

    ''Mmm, didn''t expect anyone this strong to appear.'' Zamia thought, still in her Alicorn form as she sent a burst of air at the devil as it appeared.


    While the monsters below had plenty of Tier 10''s, they were all of such a low-quality race that they could hardly be considered an opponent. In counter, this devil, was clearly her equal. Her attack didn''t do much.


    The winds sent it tumbling, but the des she had infused into it had not drawn blood. In fact, her attack had done no damage. Only caused the devil to lose some of its bnce.


    ''If I recall correctly, we fought during thest invasion. Back then, though, neither of us had reached Tier 10. We were both mere children back then. The fight had ended before a victor could be dered.'' This made Zamia wary.


    Since this devil was one she had fought before, she couldn''t write his appearance off as something of a coincidence. He had to be here for a reason. She was confident he wasn''t alone. And, in the worst case, this might be the devil''s final push to destroy Avgi.


    Should it be the worst case, then the attack on Taurus was sure to be increased once Avgi fell. If it fell. Zamia wasn''t about to ept that. So she charged.


    Charged with a speed which Ceph wouldn''t be able to even see. Horn aglow.


    The devil dodged the attack of light. The st of air, however, caused it to stumble. Right into Zamia''s daggers. However, its ck war-mace shed with the daggers. A high-pitched screech filling the air as metal strained against metal.


    As the devil''s mes tried to flow from its mace to Zamia''s daggers, another burst of air separated them. The entire encounter didn''t even take a second, far from it.


    And so, the sh repeated as Zamia switched elements to find Zelth''terkt''s weakness. Or an opening.


    ''So that finally worked...'' Zamia noted. Finally, having drawn blood with an earth spell. Sadly, as their battle was aerial, this did not help her much. Earth was difficult to use when so far above the ground.


    Besides, even if stone prated the ck mes, unlike ice, water, and even fire. The damage wasn''t much. And it was more correct to say she had only got a hit in, than it was the devil''s weakness.


    However, it allowed her to confirm that he struggled to keep track of small attacks.


    ''Dad, aren''t you going to help mom?'' Ceph asked, watching their sh from the safety of Avgi. For the most part, he couldn''t follow what was happening. This was the first time he saw his mom going all out. And while it was impressive, he couldn''t help but be nervous.


    Only a few seconds had passed, but Ceph had counted at least twenty shed. Honestly, Ceph barely followed when they separated before attacking one another again.


    Each time they shed, the surroundings were destroyed. Any of the monsters nearby ended dying from simple coteral damage.


    Instead of receiving a reply, Ceph suddenly saw his father appearing behind Zamia. Striking an arrow to the side. ''No, that wasn''t one. But many,'' Ceph noted. Straining his eyes to make out just what was happening. Clearly, the devil Zelth-whatever had a ranged partner.


    ¡ª


    The sounds of fighting spread through the forest. To make sure Akarui stayed in the cave, and also to hide the fact that a war was being waged, Erik soundproofed the cave. And blocked it off.


    He didn''t enter with Akarui. Instead, he used some nature magic to extend the growth of the nearby moss. Also molding some earth to fully close of the entrance. After that, he hid.


    An act in which Erik thanked his greenish skin for. It made blending in with the surrounding nt-life far easier. In fact, he had the nts cradle him. Turning himself into a shrub.


    Erik had no ideas of grandeur. He wasn''t abat type yer. And he was not Eldrian.


    He wasn''t about to run to find the enemy, nor was he going to run to try to offer his healing services. Why would he?


    Those living and defending Avgi were all masters of nature magic. Their healing would be far more powerful than his. The best he could do was to save them a paltry amount of mana. Not even enough to make a small, noticeable difference.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    So, instead, Erik hid. Praying that the battle would resolve without him needing to distract the enemies. And that his friends would triumph.


    Naturally, he was fully willing to die to keep them from finding the cave with Akarui inside. Erik had also contacted Eldrian. Should worsee to worst, he hoped they might make use of his ring to escape with Akarui.


    ¡ª


    ''Dear, this archer is quite the bother.'' Zamia shared her opinion with a grunt, losing her third dagger to a sneaky arrow. Sacrificed to save her life.


    The attack hade at her first as a hail of arrows. Arrows which were guided with ether, and thus had to be cut down and the connection severed.


    As Zamia had focused on that, a magic prating arrow with an abyssalite arrowhead followed in their shadow. At thest second, Zamia had blocked the attack aimed for her heart. Only noticing it thanks to her instincts.


    The shock, however, had caused her dagger to fall from her grip. In fact, the arrow had prated her dagger and nicked her chest through it. Luckily, her defenses were quite formidable. So the damage was minimal. Still, blood had been drawn. And not for the first time.


    The poison coating the dagger also robbed Zamia of a good amount of mana. She couldn''t ignore it, and while dispelling the poison was simple. It was potent and enhanced. Requiring enough mana for at least four Tier 10 spells to dispelpletely.


    Still, Zelth was worse for wear. Since his only support was from a distance, he had to face two Alicorns. And Agamemas was stronger than Zamia.


    Agamemas quickly proved that Zamia''s attackedcked power. When Agamemas attacked with his greatsword, it sent the war-mace aside and tore through flesh. The water coating his de extinguished the ck mes and sneaking into the wound, aiming for the vitals.


    Naturally, the devil quickly moved to stop the water from doing any real damage. And while the distraction this caused it had been a perfect opening, the arrival of a third devil had caused the two to fail to strike at him.


    This new arrival stayed at a distance, too. Supporting the fight with magic. Its magic was mostly earth and fire based. The former was the most troublesome.


    Fire Zamia could easily scatter with wind. Earth, however, had too much mass to it. Worse, her magic barrier couldn''t dispel it either. Its momentum carried it true. Sure, the caster lost control once it entered her barrier, but getting hit would do just as much damage as if the barrier didn''t exist.


    Sadly, Zamia couldn''t summon a barrier to prevent all ranged attacks. There were too many ways around it, for one. It would take too much concentration, for two. And, worse of all, it would simply give them an easy way to drain her mana.


    Instead of prating it, they could simplyunch numerous attacks to eat at her mana. It took more effort to defend than to attack, especially when the barrier needed to cover arge area.


    While she had an absurd amount, nearly 3 million. It was not infinite.


    ''However, it might buy us some time.'' Zamia thought as she canceled twenty spells and scattered another hail of arrows.


    The arrows fixed their path after being scattered, and while their momentum was lost, they remained airborne. Zamia had to continue to scatter them. She could no longer strike them down, which meant more and more were joining the hail. It would soon be too much for her.


    She wanted to burn them. Sadly, the arrows were not made of wood. The lowest quality ones had shafts of Mithril and arrowheads of Adamantine. Others werepletely Adamantine, and...


    ''Shit!'' She shouted telepathically, not even having the time to even warn Agamemas.


    Panicked, Zamia summoned a physical barrier. However, the arrow which shed with it shattered through it with ease. Only slowing by a fraction of its speed.


    Zamia jumped in its way, daggers crossed. Yet, they, too, shattered. The arrow piercing her shoulder and sending her falling. The poison it was coated with quickly running its course.

 Chapter 945 Avgi Invaded (3) - Cephs Hope

    Ceph watched from afar. His heart frozen in a gripping fear, dread paralyzing him as he watched his mother fall through the sky. As if dead.


    She recovered quickly. Just a few seconds of freefall. Those seconds, however, had drained Ceph of any energy he had to spare. He was covered in a cold sweat as he feared the worse.


    And those seconds had brought the worse. Ceph didn''t know what was happening. He couldn''t follow what was happening, after all. But he could tell that his parents were being pushed to their limits. And his mom, in particr, was slower than before.


    Most of the time, she was still too fast for Ceph to see. But, it was not as smooth as before. It was clear that the arrow which had struck her had leftsting damage.


    As another handful of seconds passed, Ceph nearly charged forward. Unable to think rationally. Luckily, he had seen what always happened when Eldrian did just that. Those memories allowed him to stay in ce, despite how much he wanted to go to their aid.


    Yet, Ceph was unable to just watch. It was too painful.


    Desperate, he sent Eldrian a request to teleport over. Something they only did when things were seriously dangerous. Otherwise, they would contact one another.


    In response, Eldrian appeared. Right in the air, with nothing to stand upon.


    "Whaaaa¡ª Ceph! Land before you ask me to teleport over!" Eldrian cried. Recovering quick enough. When he did, his attention was drawn to the ongoing battle. It didn''t take a genius to know who was fighting.


    ''We need to help them!'' Ceph shouted, too flustered to keep the mental link he had with everyone in Avgi going. Luckily, the battle between his parents and the devils had caused the army to flee.


    The massacre caused by the coteral of their battle was fear inducing. No amount ofmand ability could keep the army advancing on Avgi. That, however, didn''t mean the attack had been halted. Just that the rabble was no longer adding their numbers to it.


    ''How?'' Eldrian asked, his mind racing. He was tempted to ask Ziraili for help. However, he knew she wouldn''t, couldn''t, interfere.


    Doing so would cause the other gods to move to action. They were alreadyining because she was teaching him, after all. And that was before she took him to the core of ANW.


    Eldrian''s question was, of course, rhetoric. He didn''t expect an answer from Ceph. Just a nce at the battle made it clear that he could not interfere directly. This was far past the battle between the duke, Hrothgar, and the lich.


    Eldrian couldn''t even follow their movements, only the asional shy sh.


    It was clear to see that the difference wasn''t just in Tier. Each individual here was clearly at a level rivaling Legends. If not actual Legends.


    Thinking of them, Eldrian recalled that Amnur was in Ganalin. Surely, he woulde to the aid of Avgi. However, as the second ticked by, no help arrived.


    ''There is no way he hasn''t sensed this battle, and I am sure Zamia or Agamemas would have called for help...'' Just to make sure, Eldrian sent a SOS through the yers to the dwarves. Sadly, it wouldn''t arrive within seconds. No, it might even take a few hours.


    It was futile, but he had to do something. As things were, there was no way that Zamia and Agamemas wouldst that long. Eldrian could see that clear enough.


    ''Wait, I can see their battle!'' At the start, it had just been a blur of shes of light and explosions. But now, Eldrian could follow their movements. He couldn''t quite make out all their attacks. But he could track their bodies, at the very least. Though, it was hard at this distance. Even when enhancing his vision with magic.


    Realizing that he must have activated his bloodline to slow time, Eldrian also knew he had more time to think. So that was what he did. He sent his thoughts into hyper-drive as he thought of all the ways he could offer support.


    Using his bloodline of time, Chronos, was a thought. However, Eldrian doubted he would be able to control it. A copse as had happened way back was the more likely oue.


    ''Wrath would be useless. I can''t control it well enough. And at their speeds, I doubt I will be able to close the gap. Just like when I fought the Pegasus.'' Thus, Eldrian turned to Tranquility. Ziraili''s words echoing in his mind.


    "Tranquility is the absence of motion." Instead of envisioning it as Ice, Eldrian would envision it as this. As theck of kic energy, as ack of any and all energy. He picture in his mind the devils halting, as if frozen in time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As he did, he could feel Tranquility stirring. An icy mist started flowing through him, dropping the surrounding temperature. But it did not activate. So, Eldrian continued to sharpen the image in his mind.


    ''I failed to cast my spell on the Pegasus. Instead, I summoned ice between myself and it. I need to make sure I don''t repeat that. The distance is far too much.''


    Eldrian also realized he was unlikely to freeze the devils. After all, they were cornering Zamia and Agamemas, some of the strongest beings Eldrian knew.


    Sure, they were outnumbered. But only three to two. The devils weren''t much weaker than the Alicorns. If at all. Zamia and Agamemas might be holding out not because of their individual strength, but because of their superb coordination.


    Covering for the other''s blind spots and weaknesses as if a single person. Their partnership was far deeper than his and Ceph. That much was clear at a nce.


    ''Envision it, Eldrian! Envision it as clear as day. The image of the devils slowing, slowing to a crawl. Freezing in time. Stuck where they are!'' Pushing his mind to its limit, Eldrian formed this image as clear as he could. Pushing his entire being into it.


    And as he did, he felt a massive drain suddenly assaulting him. His consciousness nearly stolen from him. His flight spell falling apart as he plummeted to the earth below.


    ¡ª


    Ever since Zamia had taken the arrow, she had been slower to move. While she had dispelled the poison and healed the wound, the damage had been done and was increasing. She was no longer in peak condition.


    The arrow was covered with voidstone dust, enchanted to gather mana from its surroundings. These, she could not remove from her body.


    They had flown into her blood along with the poison. And now, they were consuming her stamina and mana alike.


    If she didn''t find the time to cleanse the enchanted voidstone dust from her body soon, the damage would be extreme. The dust would activate, tearing through her body as they collected towards each other to reform a full stone.


    When that happened... the magic release would likely kill her.


    Yet, even knowing that they were on the clock, they couldn''t go on the offensive. The best they could manage was surviving.


    Help... was noting.


    Agamemas had already contacted Amnur, as well as Athtar. The former had been attacked at home, and thetter was being stalled.


    This was indeed the devil''s attempt to destroy Avgi.


    The Alicorn''s saving grace was that only three devil kings were here. Had there been four, then they would already be dead.


    It was as Zamia''s thoughts turned to despair, her worry for Ceph growing, that the devils suddenly slowed. Itsted for barely a second. But a second was plenty of time for Agamemas to capitalize.


    He struck without hesitation. Closing in, Agamemas'' first strike sent the devil''s war-mace aside, Zelth unable to brace for the attack in time. Agamemas'' second attack imed the devil''s arms below the elbow, and his third decapitated Zelth''terkt.


    Instead of rushing the others, Agamemas turned back into an Alicorn and swooped towards his wife. Who jumped onto his back as they flew towards Avgi. Unable to activate teleportation magic due to the magic casting devil maintaining an anti-magic barrier.


    Simple spells could be cast through it, just as he had cast simple spells through Zamia''s barrier. Moreplex spells, however, could not be formed without a sh of wills. Which would give the archer an opening.


    Thus, Agamemas had chosen flight. And the devils, still slowed, were toote to react. In the blink of an eye, Agamemas escaped their range and returned to Avgi.

 Chapter 946 Avgi Invaded (4) - Eldrians Condition

    Slowing the devil''s movements had taken all Eldrian had. Literally.


    While he had remained conscious, he couldn''t even lift a finger. Falling through the air, he prayed it had worked. The grounding closer at a terrifying rate.


    His head was on a direct course for an early meeting. But, Eldrian didn''t consider it that bad a thing. Dying wouldn''t matter much, he knew that. Still, he would prefer not to die at this moment.


    Ceph saved him at thest second, his reaction just barely making it in time. As a result, Eldrian was groaning in pain. His arm left and only arm broken from the fall. His ribs were also piercing into his lungs.


    Still, it would have been his neck, had Ceph been a secondter.


    Eldrian wished Ceph hadn''t taken so long to react. But he was happy to not have died. And, he realized, they had managed to kill one of the devils. Eldrian did not know which, but this likely meant the tides had shifted.


    ''Still, this amount is... insane,'' Eldrian mussed. He had thought he was used to insane XP values, but this took the cake. It was so shocking it even eased the pain as Eldrian stared at the number in disbelief.


    Though, really, Eldrian was far too calm considering the situation.


    [Devil King, Zelth''terkt in. Participants, 3: Rewarded 433.5B XP.]


    [Rewarded Title: Devil King yer.]


    ''This is just obscene,'' Eldrian thought.


    Granted, it made sense. The devil had fought on equal footing with Zamia and Agamemas. Which meant it was past the level of a normal Tier 10.


    Given that Zelth''terkt had the title of Devil King, that made him one of the strongest beings in the world, apart from Legends. Part of an exclusive group, limited to only a few thousands, or ten thousand, at most.


    Sure, he wasn''t a Legend. But he was as close as one could be without mastery of a bloodline or aura could get. At least, this was Eldrian''s understanding of things.


    Zamia and Agamemas weren''t Legends either. They were just super powerful Mythical creatures who could rival the weaker Legends. This devil king was likely a simr case. In fact, he might have been close to bing a Legend.


    ''So, I guess it makes sense, but...'' This one participation kill gave Eldrian ten times the total XP he had rued during his entire ANW lifetime. It just didn''t quite feel real.


    ''And this obscene amount of XP only brought me to level 52. Just how much XP do you need to gather to reach level 100?''


    A trend of XP growth had been analyzed by yers recently. It had been exposed that with every five levels, the increase between levels suddenly jumped. By about the amount of the number divisible by five before the new fifth level.


    Which, simply meant, there was more certainly a soft cap to leveling. And, given the little amount of stats it gave, leveling was considered more or less useless.


    ''Still, I do now have 86 free attributes. It should be safe to use some. But, I''ll wait a while more. It won''t make much, if any, of a difference.''


    Given the fact that Eldrian''s attributes were now over a thousand, twenty or fifty wasn''t going to change things by much. Even a hundred would only be a 10% increase, and that was more than he had, and if he put it all into one attribute.


    ''But, it isn''t useless,'' Eldrian mussed. Why, you might ask, was he just mussing? Well... he couldn''t move. He waspletely drained. ording to his stats, his attack had used all his mana, all his stamina, and most of his HP.


    Which, considering that auras didn''t use mana or any of the other, meant this was a special case. Eldrian felt inclined to think that the usage wasn''t from his aura, but from bacsh or something.


    ''Oh, my HP is dropping. I wonder why?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not only was Eldrian''s body drained, his mind was also foggy. While not shown in his logs, Eldrian was sure he had used a huge amount of XP in that attack. Though, given the obscene amount of XP he had gained, that hardly mattered.


    ''I do wonder what my soul is currently like... I am sure the attack wrecked it, and the influx of XP is sure to have done some damage too... Yeah, I don''t feel too good. I hope it isn''t cursing me or something.''


    "Eldrian, are you alright?!" Ceph asked, rushing down. His words making no sense to Eldrian.


    ''Huh, guess I am still using Chronos somehow. Time''s still slowed,'' Eldrian thought, watching as Ceph dove in a panic. All in slow motion. What was probably only a second or two looked to Eldrian like a minute.


    It was quite the sight. Ceph needing to morph into his elven form to keep his wings from getting caught in the trees'' branches. Seeing it all pan out in super slow-mo was quite a sight.


    "Hey, Eldrian! Answer me!"


    Of course, with time slowed, Ceph''s words made no sense. The sound was just a long string of sound. Impossible to make sense of. ''He''s probably asking if I''m alright. Can''t really say I am fine, though,'' Eldrian thought, trying to form a smile. His facial muscles didn''t respond.


    ''Why am I so calm?'' Eldrian asked next. Sure, he had had worse injuries. But this wasn''t slight in the lightest. ''Wait, why can''t I even feel the pain anymore?''


    Slowly, it dawned on Eldrian that he was still using Tranquility. Or rather, it was just flowing from him. The icy mist freezing his surroundings should have been his first clue. But his attention had been on the insane amount of XP he had gained.


    This icy mist was keeping Ceph from approaching any closer. The frigid air, so cold that it hurt to breathe, told Ceph it would be a death sentence to get any closer.


    ''Well, this is bad,'' Eldrian mussed. Realizing he had no control over the flow. ''I need to do something. But...'' Frustrated at how calm he was remaining, Eldrian tried to kick himself into motion. s, he still couldn''t move. Nor could he even gather his will into Mageia.


    When he tried, it was like he was trying to gather mist into his hands. It simply flowed through the cracks between his fingers, over the sides, or went with a gust of wind to gods'' know where.


    ''Wait, am I bing even calmer? This isn''t good.'' Yet, the monotone with which Eldrian thought these words made it feel like there was no urgency. Like it was a non-factor.


    ''You know what? I think I get it. This is what it feels like to really be tranquil. There is so much I should be concerned about, but I just can''t be bothered.''


    Instead of worrying about his situation, Eldrian wondered about the possibilities of magic. It was just such a wonderful thing, wasn''t it?


    ''Yes, I finally get what Ziraili was saying. It is so simple, really. Ironic, isn''t it?'' Eldrian would have smiled. Could he move any muscle.


    By now, Ceph''s shouts were no longer even registering. The sound was like a backdrop, in any case.


    ''We see the world in different levels ofplexity. It''s so simple. It all depends on our own view of reality.''


    ''It is like a puzzle. It''s a mess when you just have the pieces scattered on a table. But, put them all together, and it bes a beautiful picture.''


    ''When we dive deeper. It is like each individual puzzle piece bes a puzzle of their own. When they are viewed as a whole, it is simple. When they are viewed as individual pieces, it isplicated.''


    ''Ziraili wanted me to realize that I could view them as wholes. That I should, really. That searching for the pieces is a waste of time. We only need to see the final piece. How it came to be is a question, which, while fascinating, won''t affect the end result.''


    ''The picture represented by the entire puzzle is what is most important. Not the pieces. Even missing a few wouldn''t hurt the end result.

 Chapter 947 Akarui Calls For Help

    After retreating to Avgi, Zamia headed to the holy spring. Both to cleanse her body of the voidstone dust, and secure the barrier for the barrage from the two they hadn''t killed.


    Agamemas took overmand of those still fighting the infiltrators. Having noted that Ceph was no longer in a position to do so. Both parents have confirmed that he was safe before anything else.


    It was as Agamemas was directing the others to catch those who had sneaked through. Aiming to weaken them from inside, that Ceph contacted him.


    ''Something is wrong with Eldrian!'' Ceph shouted telepathically. Of course, Agamemas had known this all along. He had simply deemed that it could wait. With things calmed, for the moment, he headed over


    The area was now encased in frost. In an instant, Agamemas noted that the frost was special. Simr to what he had seen Athtar wield. Unrefined, certainly. But certainly of a simr power.


    ''So, that is what happened,'' Agamemas noted. The opening which had allowed him to kill the strongest of the three devils. It hade from Eldrian. Realizing this, Agamemas was both relieved and worried.


    ''At least it isn''t another unknown, but... Eldrian''s condition isn''t the best.''


    Auras, by their nature, tried to corrupt the soul of who wielded them. Tranquility''s corruption was a separation from emotions and all that makes people, people.


    If someone lost to it, they will be unfeeling. Ever seeking of knowledge. In a manner simr to, how someone who has lost to Wrath, will seek to kill everyone in their vicinity.


    A single-minded pursuit.


    At the stage which Eldrian was in, Agamemas'' only option was to knock him out. Which was easier said than done.


    Eldrian''s condition was precarious. He was hovering between life and death. Luckily, he was a Chosen. Dying would not be the end. However, what Agamemas needed was for Eldrian to stop thinking.


    Should he remain conscious as a soul... That would be the worse case scenario.


    Typically, the idea would be insane. However, it was possible. After all, it was how the undead came to be in nature¡ªwithout outside intervention.


    All that was required as a strong will clinging to life, revenge, or some other thing.


    As Eldrian was now, muttering under his breath, he would cling to discovery. Dying and holding onto this feeling.


    The prospect of being a soul separate from the body would be something to sweet to let go of. It would certainly lead to Eldrian bingpletely lost.


    Agamemas did not know that Eldrian had already, on multiple asions, stayed conscious after death. Agamemas also didn''t know that Eldrian was close to a goddess. The easiest solution would be to leave him in her care, naturally.


    She could intervene directly, whereas Agamemas couldn''t. Matters of the soul were past even him.


    Healing damage done from an attack would be possible. Returning the soul to what it ought to be. That was simplepared to curing inner corruption.


    That which changed the soul from within.


    When he and Zamia had guided Eldrian and Ceph''s bond, they had loaned an artifact to do so. Without a mobile tower such as the one they had broken, Agamemas was truly helpless.


    ''I have to be careful. Should he notice me, he will attempt to stop me.'' Agamemas thought. ''Trying to disturb him in this state is like ruining the crucial step in Amnur''s forge, or in Athtar''s magical experiments.''


    While emotions wouldn''t surface. Should they, it would have been a godsend. No, Eldrian would react with cold indifference. Like Agamemas was a bug disturbing his peace. The silly thought made the old Alicorn smile, despite the careful work he was doing.


    The easiest method was to disperse the air around Eldrian. Slowly having him fall unconscious from theck of oxygen. Luckily, it was also something difficult to notice.


    To be on the safe side, Agamemas took things slowly.


    "It''s done." Agamemas said. Waiting not just for Eldrian to fall asleep, but the aura of ice to disperse around him. Only once it did, did Agamemas heal him.


    "He should be fine. But it would be best if you take him to Zamia to get some proper treatment."


    ¡ª


    The battle did not end within a few hours. When half a day had passed, Erik could no longer stay hidden where he was. Akarui would be getting hungry soon, if she wasn''t already.


    While reluctant to do so, he knew he couldn''t just leave her alone for any longer. Making sure that no one was nearby, as crude as his methods were, Erik hurried into the cave. Doing his best to conceal the entrance once again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Inside, he found a pouty Akarui waiting. Luckily, she hadn''t been in the dark. The Ice Lilies covering the walls gave off a soft blue light. Enough to even read.


    "Don''t give me that look. Here, you''re favorite." Erik said, taking out a truly special sandwich. A sandwich with peanut butter. Something that yers had introduced into the world.


    Akarui couldn''t get enough of the sticky, ground peanuts. And, as a secret, Erik had added some sweet herbs which also boosted the immune system. He would have loved to add some magical herbs, but Akarui had pouted when he had done so before.


    She had said, and Erik could still recall this with perfect rity: "You ruined it!" Her anger had not subsided for the next three days. Which, at the time, had made Erik fraught with worry. Especially worried that she might try to run away.


    Looking back now, it was a precious memory. And watching how her pout turned into a smile as she took the sandwich, Erik couldn''t help but smile along with her.


    "Sorry about this, but we''re going to be stuck here for a while." Erik said, once she had finished her sandwich.


    "Why?" Akarui asked, and Erik knew better than to try to hide it from her.


    "The forest is being attacked." While still young, Akarui was no stranger to war. Had things calmed by now, Erik would have loved to hide it. But, as Zamia hadn''te to find them. He could only assume that things hadn''t gone as nned.


    Naturally, the news ruined Akarui''s mood. Shockingly, though, she didn''t cry, nor did she simply stay still. She turned to the flowers, determination overflowing.


    "Akarui? What are you doing?" Erik asked.


    "Asking the flowers for help!" She replied. "Please, please, please! Please help us. The meanies are trying to burn down the forest! They won''t let you be either!"


    Confused, Erik decided to wait. He knew Akarui had a special connection with nts, but he didn''t see how normal¡ªeven if they were quite special, and indeed magical nts¡ªwould suddenly be able to help them.


    Shockingly, Akarui seemed to be having an actual conversation with the lilies. "You can''t? Why?"


    "You''re already helping? Barrier, oh, that makes sense! Then?"


    "Oh? You called for help?"


    "B-but, will they get here in time?"


    "You can do that?!"


    "Do what?" Erik asked, too curious to remain silent at this point.


    "Apparently they can teleport..." Akarui frowned. "No, that isn''t right."


    "It would be more correct to say we can send our consciousness to other trees. Though only some can amodate us in this way." A familiar voice said.


    Turning around, Erik found a familiar wisp in the shape of a human. "N-Nerenth?" He ventured a guess.


    Naturally, he wouldn''t forget the Treant who had helped him understand why Akarui had her strange ability to find special herbs, and who had told him what was wrong with her.


    However, Erik didn''t see how she would be able to help. As far as he recalled, Nerenth wasn''t nearly as strong as the Alicorns.


    Her race was only that of an Ancient magical creature (or nt). All the pegasi and unicorns were of the same level, and all the Alicorns were even above that.


    The only thing which made Nerenth a little special was her ability to grow fruits of life, and that she was an Omega monster. Which, ording to yers, was the highest grade for boss monsters.


    Zamia and Agamemas, however, were even beyond boss grade. They were guardians of a holy spring, and the forest around it, after all. They would be like world bosses if one had to ssify them. And there were two of them, and an army of boss level creatures nearly a thousand strong.


    Avgi was, truly and utterly, insane in terms of power. Sadly, their enemies knew this, and kept them pinned in their forest.


    Erik didn''t know what made the spring so special, however, he knew of the Ice Lilies and how special they were. And that was probably only a small fraction of what the forest actually had to offer.


    After all, apparently, the nts were conscious and aided in the forest''s defense.

 Chapter 948 The Secret Behind Avgi (1)

    "As you can expect, this method is limited." Nerenth continued once Erik recovered from the shock of the situation.


    "I can''t do much to help. I can, however, converse with all the nt life inside the forest. I have already contacted Zamia. For now, you two should stay here. Akarui will know when it is safe to leave."


    With that, the fairy disappeared.


    "Akarui, what did she mean by that?" Erik asked.


    "No idea. Oh, look! The flowers are dancing!" Akarui shouted, her attentionpletely stolen by the dancing lilies. Even Erik had to admit the sight was amazing.


    Still, he would rather have an answer than watch them dance. Clearly, he wasn''t going to get one. Knowing this, Erik resigned himself to watching the phenomenal sight of dancing flowers.


    They didn''t uproot themselves, but they somehow extended their stems. Allowing them to weave together as they controlled the amount of light they were releasing. They even extended their stamen and stigma to perform some more intricate moves.


    It was certainly surreal, though perhapscking to be called dancing.


    Akarui, however, found the sight absolutely enthralling.


    ¡ª


    "Thank you foring." Agamemas said, a tiny fairy floating next to him.


    With her aid, they could leave the scouting and directing of resources to her, and focus their efforts on countering those who the other Alicorns couldn''t match. Such as the two devil princes who had attacked along with the Devil King.


    Hopefully, there were only those two left as the cornerstones of the enemy.


    "Think nothing of it." Nerenth replied. "You should have reached out sooner if the situation is as dire as I believe it is. I might not visit often, but this is still my home!"


    "Indeed, and you are always wee." Agamemas replied. "Sadly, we did not expect this level of force. Over thirty devil lords have been confirmed. Six have been killed, though we lost two as a cost."


    Each loss was a bitter one to Agamemas, who considered everyone in the forest family.


    And, yet, that was only the most elite of the enemy forces. Their battle hadn''t ruined the surroundings to the extent that Agamemas and Zamia''s had. However, the immediate surroundings of their battle were certainly in ruins or mes.


    The forest had taken plenty of beatings, and still was.


    There were also the Night Terrors trying to sneak in, the demonsunching their attacks on the barrier incessantly, and the horde of monsters sneaking through the gaps that the demons made. Along with the three, of which two remain, that they had fought, and who had nearly imed Zamia''s life.


    Not to mention that those they had called for aid had note. Neither Amnur, who was closest, nor Athtar, who should be able to respond regardless of distance. They must have been stopped by Legends, particrly powerful ones if that was the case.


    Considering that, Agamemas felt that this was only the start. More devil kings, queens, and perhaps even a legend would arrive in time.


    Perhaps had Zamia not gone to attack, the enemy would have waited until their victory was secured.


    Regardless, the situation was dire.


    Thanks to Eldrian''s help, they now had a slight advantage in terms of quality for the time being.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But they were still far outssed in terms of numbers. The rabble who had fled would soon gather to continue their sacrifices to burn the forest. Throwing their lives at it as if it were oil.


    "I can''t decide whether going on the offensive was good or bad for us." Zamia said with a sigh. She was still bathing in the spring''ske. Removing something as small as dust from her blood was no simple task.


    It would take her some time to do safely. Had she not had the spring for aid, it would take her hours. Most of her effort spent to prevent the worse from happening. Luckily, the spring allowed her to focus on removal. It contained the danger of the voidstone dust activating.


    "It was intentional. That much is clear." Agamemas said with a sigh. "The only thing I don''t understand is why didn''t they attack Ceph while he was flying over?"


    It couldn''t be that Ceph had passed them too quickly. Yes, Ceph could fly astonishingly fast, but he would not best a devil lord, not to mention a king.


    As far as ssifications go, a devil king or queen was around the same level as Agamemas. Princes and princess''s were at Zamia''s level or a bit below. And Devil Lords were at the level of a Tier 10 unicorn or pegasus.


    Knowing this, there was no way Ceph simply slipped by. It was intentional. The question, then, was why.


    "Does it need to be somethingplicated?" Ceph asked. Having returned to hear only thest bit of the conversation. While he cast a curious nce towards the floating fairy, for now, he didn''t question who she was.


    "What do you mean?" His father asked.


    "There might be some grand scheme, or it might simply be a ploy to have you overthink things. Keep you paranoid so you can''t fight with your all. Always needing to watch your back, in case something happens to the forest."


    This would have always been true, but with Ceph here, Agamemas'' and Zamia''s only child. The paranoia would be far worse. While they considered the other family, he was their one and only son.


    "That... is possible." Agamemas agreed, though he didn''t honestly believe it.


    Yet, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Ceph wasn''t a normal Alicorn. His ck coat and green feathers stood out far too much to even try to hide the fact.


    It would be easy to notice his uniqueness, and it wouldn''t be strange for the devils to know that their son was the one prophesied to herald the end of days.


    Taking him captive would have been beneficial, but only if their goal was to kill Agamemas or Zamia. Which, honestly, should be their goal. It was the only way that they could take the spring¡ª


    "Ah, I see." Coming to a realization, Agamemas understood why they hadn''t. They didn''t want to risk losing the spring. They needed to defeat the defenders of the forest, but not in a way that made them lose hope.


    Should they deemed their future lost, they could destroy the spring. That would be far better than letting their enemies have it. It would be no simple task, but it was within Agamemas'' abilities.


    "What is it, dad?" Ceph asked.


    "It seems they aren''t after us, but the spring." Which, as obvious as it was, had taken the old Alicorn some time to realize. To realize that there was a difference between the two.


    Taking the spring hostage, as insane as it might sound, was an option. Though, the same could be said for every unicorn and pegasus in the forest. Agamemas did not want to turn the situation into one where he had to watch his family die.


    Yes, many would die in the battle, too. That was sadly the reality of their situation. But that would be better than a stalemate with hostages.


    As much as Agamemas wanted to rush back into the field of battle, he knew doing so blindly would only invite openings for his enemy to use.


    As he contemted his next move, Ceph asked what the spring was. "What makes it holy?" He asked. "I was told before that it is the blessing of Asteria, but... if the enemy can im it. Then it must be natural, no?"

 Chapter 949 The Secret Behind Avgi (2) - Origin Veins

    Ceph''s question was logical. The children of Avgi, at least all those who lived inside the de, were all taught that the goddess of life, Asteria, blessed the spring and the forest. After which, she asked them to safeguard it from those who would wish to destroy the forest to sate their greed.


    This exnation was simple enough and exined the existence of the plethora of rare fauna and flora were within the forest. While most focus was on the Alicorns and their family, those who reside within the de¡ªthe pegasii and unicorns, too¡ªthere was much more to the forest.


    These three races were certainly not the only magical creatures who lived within it. And the others were also contributing to the forest''s defense. Though, at best, they were only as strong as a unicorn.


    Whenpared to normal forests, the inhabitants were all powerful. So much so that the forest''s might could contend with an entire kingdom, and not a low ranked one like Phallos, or even Taurus. If not for the fact that their poption was so low, they could easily rival even an entire empire.


    Sadly, as with this attack, theirck of numbers was being leveraged against them. Each magical beast could only be in one ce at a time. When facing numbers hundreds, perhaps thousands of times their own, it was bound that the enemy would find gaps in their armor.


    The scorched parts of the forest were evidence of this.


    As for the secret behind the forest, and what allowed such powerful beings to grow here peacefully? That was all thanks to the holy spring, which drastically increased to local mana density.


    And with the many rare nts found throughout the forest, these beasts could all live in peace. Evolving at their own pace, with little to no need forpetition.


    Indeed, the simple exnation of a blessing was not the full truth, but it made enough sense to keep people from questioning it.


    It wasn''t entirely a lie either, but the spring''s holy existence was not dependent on a blessing from the goddess. The truth wasplicated. Much more so, if you also took into ount that the gods were actually AI.


    Even leaving that aside, things were stillplicated.


    The spring and the forest weren''t blessed. Rather, they were specially designed by the gods. Way back when civilization had yet to formally form.


    Even the Alicorn''s did not know all the details. This was, after all, before their race had even evolved ande into existence. Not to mention an individual having lived from back then to spread the tale. Their race hadn''t even existed!


    What they did know was that the vein of manaing out as a spring was no ordinary one mana vein.


    It was of a much, much grander scale than anymon vein. So much that the amount of Magic Crystals deep within the ground would probably rival the amount of mana crystal one would find in a rich crystal mine.


    A mana vein such as this. Often considered by people, and all manner of beasts living near it, as a holy site; were called Origin Veins.


    Unlike the normal mana veins, which could be found throughout the world with dozens if not hundreds existing in every kingdom; Origin Veins were created to sculpt nature to the whims of the gods and were rare to an extreme.


    Their existence was indeed divine, hence why the exnation that they were blessed and holy sites of the gods wasn''t really a lie.


    And the reason for their existence was that the gods were tasked with bringing all manner of magical creatures into the world. The Origin Veins were theirrgest tool to this end.


    It could be considered a hammer used to form the surroundings to amodate the creature they wanted to create. While the Origin Vein itself wasn''t enough to birth all the diverse races Miracle had asked for; it did allow the gods to make them with only slight direct intervention.


    At this point in time, their purpose has been fulfilled. Yet, the gods never removed the veins from the world.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They left them be, and soon empires formed around them. The forest of Avgi was one of the few exceptions in the world that could be considered a neutral vein. Such exceptions didn''t pass three in digits. In fact, there were probably only around thirty or so neutral Origin Veins in the entire world.


    All others were imed by an empire; be it human, demi-human, devil, demon, or even monster owned. In total, Origin Veins numbers no more than three hundred.


    And outside of Avgi, the other major exception¡ªand indeed the biggest exception of all¡ªwas the gathering of three Origin Veins where the dragons resided. The so called Origin of the World.


    The density of mana there was so intense that normal beings couldn''t even survive the pressure it ces on their bodies. One would need to be at least Tier 7 to attempt a journey in thends. And that didn''t even ount for the monsters that would attack whoever dared do so.


    And in the center of the Origin of the World, lived beings that far surpass mortal understanding. The Ryu. Evolved dragons.


    To the Ryu, the Alicorns were but children. Even the strongest Legend, Athtar, would not be able to prate their scales. Perhaps he might leave a scratch mark or two, but that would be all.


    Sadly, these creatures of myth and legends cared not for the world around them. But for the world itself. They never intervened in wars. Should they act, the side they chose would instantly be the victor.


    However, should they ever sh with one another, then it would invite a Chaotic Storm of unprecedented proportions. Enough to destroy all life on the.


    Knowing as much, the Ryu have taken on the position of neutral observers. Watching the world much like the gods. They intervene even less than the gods. In this regard, they are more divine than the Divine themselves.


    At most, they would offered wisdom to those who make the trek to their homnd. But that was the extent of their interventions with the mortal world.


    Back to Origin veins. Each empire had one within their direct borders. Normally a restricted area to all but the royals or the highest of clergy. The devils had simr Origin Veins in their originalnds. And the same held for the other races.


    Such veins did more than just distribute mana. Though it did this, and in abundance. So much so that in the early days, the Origin Veins had contributed nearly all the mana on the.


    Nowadays, there were other sources for mana. Life, for one, generates quite an amount through its existence alone. Life also uses a lot of mana. Making the exchange almost neutral. Though, admittedly, a positive as long as mages weren''t going crazy.


    "Ah, yes, I guess we never exined it all." Agamemas mumbled.


    Normally, they would wait until someone fully matured¡ªaka, reach Tier 7. But in this case, Agamemas saw no problem in letting Ceph know the truth behind his home. Ceph had matured a lot since he left the forest with Eldrian.


    "The mana vein flowing into the spring and supporting our forest is much denser than normal veins. These types of veins are called Origin Veins."


    "The mana it provides is secondary, however." Zamia continued from the spring. At this point, she had nearly removed all the voidstone dust. "Ceph, why do you think we said it was blessed?"


    Hearing the question, Ceph immediately thought of divinity. Of holy magic.


    And, indeed, the spring had properties much aligned with holy magic. With divinity.


    Zamia was relying on this side of the spring''s powers to help her heal from the damage she had taken. Sadly, the Alicorns couldn''t use the power of the spring directly, but its aid was still great.

 Chapter 950 The Secret Behind Avgi (3) - A Dragons Might

    "An Origin Vein brings more than just mana to its surroundings. It also bring along a constant flow of lifeforce." Zamia exined.


    From there, Agamemas continued. Naturally, Ceph already knew of lifeforce. And not just because of Eldrian and his... unique abilities and problems.


    Lifeforce was something quitemonly discussed in Alicorn society. Unlike how humans wielded it as a type of power (be it an aura or bloodline), and devils used to to bend reality to their whims. A bending which had led to the corruption of their souls.


    The Alicorns, instead, believe in assimtion with this seemingly limitless power. A power which far surpassed mana in output. Instead of seeking immediate reward, the Alicorns seek to be one with it.


    After all, it was said to be what had birthed them, and all Mythical raced. And what allowed them ever continued growth. In another thousand years, Ceph''s father would reach the level of the average Legend. Even if he did not train.


    Should Agamemas make it to ten thousand, he might even equal the oldest of dragons (called Ryagons, evolved dragons but not ascended like the Ryu)¡ªand Athtar. If the elf didn''t grow stronger in the those thousands of years.


    Whether an Alicorn could reach the heights of a Ryu was unknown. They were a race spoken of in simr tales to the prophecy of the end of the world¡ªwhich had ever been part of Ceph''s childhood.


    The fact of the matter was that the dragons had a simr ability of ever-growth (most Legends also have this ability¡ªin fact, as long as one can ess lifeforce, they would be able to grow without limit).


    The difference was that dragons were birthed by not one, but three Origin Veins. Naturally then, their strength would be much more impressive as a whole.


    Even the weakest dragon was as strong as a Tier 5 Alicorn. At adulthood (Tier 7 for most Mythical races) most already equaled Alicorns at Tier 10. This wasn''t entirely a matter of stats, but rather the unique ability of theirs called Dragon''s Breath.


    Its power rivaled that of an aura in output. Allowing it to kill anyone and anything even several Tiers above itself. It was, after all, fueled not by mana but the dragon''s abundant lifeforce.


    Their case was simr to how Eldrian was capable to jump Tiers thanks to his hidden ss and auras. Only, they were born with perfect control of their breath.


    To evolve, they needed to learn to master all the different types of Dragon Breath. Once they had managed this, they would be called a Ryagon in official settings between dragons. Often called a half-Ryu in unofficial settings.


    Exining this all took quite a time. "In the end, the dragons have learned to be one with the flow of lifeforce itself. This is what allows them to ascend to a level that even equals the gods."


    It took Ceph a few seconds to fully process what his father had said. When he did, he froze.


    "Wait! That mythical tale..." Ceph paused, unsure whether he wanted to know the truth or not. "It can''t be true, can it?"


    "It is. I doubted it myself. But when I went to greet the Ryu after bing the head of the family... All my doubts were cleared."


    ''Yikes. They were so strong that just being in their presence confirmed the myth for dad?'' Ceph didn''t know how to take this.


    Knowing what he did, the realization that it was possible to match the gods was seemingly paradoxical.


    It left Ceph frozen as his emotions boiled. From what Eldrian had told him, he couldn''t see how it was possible. They were the literal creators and managers of the world.


    Yet, he didn''t doubt his father''s words either. Instead, his mind spun trying to make sense of it.


    ''Perhaps they descended and where limited in power? Or, no. I can''t see how someone can kill a god. I need to confirm this with Eldrian when he wakes!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ceph, do you recall how the myth goes?" His mother asked.


    Nodding, the young Alicorn recited what he remembered. "Long, long ago. Just as the world finally calmed and nature took its ce as the keeper of order, gods descended from the heavens above and earth below."


    "They came to the world, inciting chaos. Bringing terrible wars and strife with them. Each seemingly fighting one another, but using the people of the world to hold their war. Killing billions and trillions to gain but an inch of ground against the other."


    "As the world was swallowed in darkness, one of the oldest and wisest of the dragons stood against them." Knowing what he did now, Ceph assumed this must have been a Ryu in actuality. The tale simply called it a dragon, at least, that was all Ceph could recall.


    Perhaps, in time, the Alicorns would also have sub-ssifications for their race. Theirs was still rather young, after all. Especially whenpared to dragons who had been birthed almost along with the world itself.


    "They forsook their neutrality and faced the gods. The gods, with their pride, decided to face the dragon one-on-one. Drawing lots to decide who will face him. In the end, the goddess Istos faced the dragon." Ceph could not recall what kind of goddess she was. Only that she had some kind of evil power to do with darkness and webs or something.


    "Their battle continued from days, to weeks, to months, to years. At first, the gods all watched with grins. But as the days turned to weeks, turned to months, turned to years; their expressions soured. And when the final blow came, they fled."


    Ceph, naturally, had never memorized the exact speech for the tale. As it was up there along with the one that said his birth (the birth of an Alicorn with a coat of night) would herald the end of the world. Well, suffice to say, he didn''t recall it in any sort of favorable light.


    Still, it was an impressive enough tale for him to remember the gist of it. As poor conduct as that was for an Alicorn. Especially the son of the chieftain family. But he cared not. His childhood had been hell until he met Eldrian.


    Smiling at how inurate Ceph had recited the tale, Zamia giggled. "That is how it goes, yes. But you seem to have forgotten most of the tale."


    "I won''t bore you with it. But you forgot to that their battle consumed continents and birthed voids. Nearly causing the copse of the entire world. Well, the tale speaks of this in a poetic tone that makes it hard to know the truth. In reality, the gods did not retreat."


    "They were forced to withdraw by the creator god, GAIA. Their actions had nearly brought the world to ruin, and they had to atone. ording to the Ryu who had killed Istos, this was the birth of Invasions."


    "Wait, what?" From what Ceph knew, he thought Invasions were simply forced onto the world. He didn''t get how it could have an actual historical reason.


    "The gods are apposed to one another. Some are more aggressive than others, but their are some who cannot stand peace at all. The god of war, for example, can''t have that. His existence would be meaningless."


    "To give those who sought war andpetition a way to vent their anger, GAIA agreed to allow them to wage war."


    "These wars, however, will be limited in time. Held only when the world would be able to survive the chaos that it would cause. And stopped once the world can no longer survive the sh of all the races living on it."


    ''Huh... Did this actually happen naturally, or are the gods acting to make us think it did?'' Ceph pondered. ''And wait, does that mean... if the gods simply never stop us. The world will end?''


    As horrifying as the thought was, there was no way to ensure peace. With how much hatred there now was between the races of what was considered human (any sentient being that can be considered humanoid and whose soul is not corrupted) and devils (all monsters and humanoids with a corrupted soul). Peace is all but impossible.


    Without divine intervention, war was now all but inevitable. As funny as it is, if the gods do not act to put a stop to it, then things would simply follow a natural course to destruction. ''Was this all nned by them?'' Ceph wondered, shaken to his core if this was the case.


    For people to y with generations upon generations like that. It was something unthinkable to the Alicorn who had yet to even live a hundred years.

 Chapter 951 Assessing The Damage

    Eldrian woke a few hourster, finding a peaceful de weing him. The soft sound of flowing water and rustling leaves seemed to belie that things were perfectly fine.


    The absence of anyone nearby, however, told another story. Leaving someone in his condition unattended clearly told how serious things were.


    Of course, Eldrian was a yer. Even if he died, things would be fine. Still, theck of care couldn''t be as simple as that. Those of the forest must be at their limits.


    ''Didn''t expect such severe bacsh,'' Eldrianmented after clearing his head of other thoughts. He gazed at his own body, finding the situation somewhat ironic.


    Ziraili had just healed the scars left by Wrath. And now he had new ones to rece them. Almost just like Wrath''s. Only, instead of his skin and flesh having been burnt, necrotic flesh spread across his body from frostbite.


    ''Guess they didn''t want to tamper too much. I can respect that.'' Eldrian thought, recalling what had happened.


    Given his condition, foreign mana might have caused more problems than it could heal. After all, the damage extended further than skin, flesh, or even bone depth. It continued to his soul.


    Besides, the course of the injury was different from Wrath, though the oue was simr.


    Tranquility hadn''t directly frozen his flesh¡ªsuch as Wrath directly eats at his body. It had simply caused a drop in the surrounding temperature far past the point where humans would freeze.


    The damage was most likely from sh freezing. It might have been fine if it was in controlled conditions, but in all likelihood, his cells had died because of the rapid cooling. As it froze, the forming icicles likely destroyed his cells.


    ''Yeah, I really need to up my scientific knowledge.'' Eldrian thought. He understood the principles, but only to a shallow extent.


    Regardless, had he been in control of the flow of these frigid temperatures, then his body might not have been damaged at all. s, Eldrian had been too upied with his breakthrough regarding his lessons to bother about what was happening to his body.


    ''Being able to recall that is a blessing, I suppose?'' Eldrian murmured. It was just as much a punishment. Recalling just how little he had thought of dying, how it hadn''t even been in the top ten of his list of important things.


    It was a terrifying thought.


    So much so that it spurred Eldrian on to start healing himself. Luckily, his mana had mostly been stabilized. It would take some time to sort everything out and return to normal. But, for now, Eldrian could control some mana (around 20% of his corporeal total) in his current state.


    Starting the process of healing the necrotic flesh covering his body was slow going. Eldrian first needing to confirm the extent of the damage and the location. Whether it was only skin deep, flesh, nerves, muscle. He had to figure it all out through the flow of mana and Mageia alone.


    Actually, that was for the best. Eldrian wouldn''t know how to analyze himself in any way other than scanning himself with Mageia. After all, it allowed him to ''feel'' everything within himself.


    And, while Eldrian was no doctor, he knew how things ought to feel within himself. Noting where things felt wrong, he could figure out the extent of the damage.


    Now, he could just throw heals at himself and pray for the best. That, however, would only leave him with a batch of new scars.


    Eldrian did not want to return to Kynigo with new scars.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He just knew he would get another earful. And not just from Vivian, from Elizabeth and the others, too. ''Yeah, no thanks.'' Beforeing to Ceph''s aid, Eldrian was busy getting just such a lecture from Nikki and Zyviss.


    While he had warned them that he sometimes go days without leaving the game to care for his body, seeing it had still been a shock. Even if it wasn''t the first time. Their lecture had been just as severe as thest one.


    There was simply no way they would ept it as something normal. As apromise, they had asked Eldrian to use a cabin. One they had already ordered and was due to arrive within the week.


    While he wasn''t too happy with the demand, he was already using the headset from Miracle to ease the burden on his body. Maintaining a connection with ANW through magic alone might not be extremely costly for him, but without Two to ensure it at least remained fed, things could end terribly.


    While Eldrian felt reluctant to move on, he realized it was time. Even in his own life, he simply didn''t have enough hands (or minds) to do everything he needed. After all, he basically had two lives.


    Still, Eldrian did not wish to fall into the same over-reliant trap he had fallen into with Two. Nor did he need a friend who was but a fragmented part of himself. He had plenty of other friends.


    Besides, Two had just happened to be a friend over the time they shared. Two''s existence had been an ident. One Eldrian was dearly thankful for, but not one he felt he needed to repeat.


    ''Let''s run some tests first, and confirm my actual condition.'' Ultimately, Eldrian had a few ideas he wanted to try today. Methods of allowing him greater control over a greater number of spells.


    It had been his n; before he had entered a lecture from his friends. And before Ceph had called for help.


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Eldrian believed that attempting to create alternative magical minds in their entirety was where he had gone wrong. He simply needed to manage a way to allow himself to focus on multiple things. And he could segment each type of action into a different spell which he wanted to develop.


    ''Yeah, I should consider the entire process a piece of code. And each part doing its function just that, a function.''


    Parallel processing for dealing with fast changing events, parallel thoughts for brainstorming and keeping up multiple spells, parallel calcting for doing the more tedious parts¡ªand, hopefully, allow Eldrian to actually do some math. Parallel envision for envisioning spells and their oues, and ensuring they work well together, parallel... something for everything he might need.


    This was what Eldrian felt he needed most for the magic side of things. For caring for his origin body, however, he had to make a new identity.


    A simple parallel thread of thoughts sustained via magic wouldn''t do the trick. It had to be formed from his soul. Else, it would not be capable of jumping between the two realms.


    ''Besides, I doubt I can offer much help as I am now.'' Eldrian grumbled. Not only was his body battered, he had some severe debuffs. While he could control about 20% of his mana, that was also about the limit of his stats overall.


    ''I need to confirm my condition, seriously.'' Closing his eyes and slowing his breathing, Eldrian started meditating.


    "Yeah, this is more or less what I expect." Eldrian grumbled. His mind space was a wreck. The world within was covered in snow and frost. And, past it, space expended endlessly. With the XP (lifeforce) he had absorbed from the Devil King going wild.


    It would likely settle down in some time, but to ensure nothing goes awry, Eldrian started collecting and condensing the chaotic space. While at it, he also rechecked his soul to confirm that nothing was out of the ordinary (past, that everything was frozen).


    "Mmm, no idea where that went." Eldrianmented while looking around.

 Chapter 952 The Defense Of Avgi (1)

    Sadly, Eldrian couldn''t find it. Nor what he had kept contained within it.


    The prison he had made for the magic contract with Zaphreal, and the contract itself, were nowhere to be found.


    "Does that mean I somehow annulled it?" Eldrian pondered. As far as he knew, that shouldn''t be possible. While he wasn''t a master on the topic of magical contracts, he knew they were truly, truly, tricky to cancel after being sworn into.


    The best Eldrian had been able to do, back when he had been forced into it, was keeping it separate from what he considered the core of his soul. Whether that would have done anything, he couldn''t say. But it had allowed him to sleep with more ease.


    And, honestly, he was no longer wary of the contract. He had actually been relying on it, to an extent. Hoping that it would keep Zaphreal true to his word¡ªall the while questioning a magical contract''s effectiveness on Earth.


    "I don''t trust him without it..." Eldrian mumbled. Honestly, he hadn''t trusted him with it either. Much like how locking it had made him sleep easier. The contract had done the same.


    ''When I called on Tranquility, I guess it consumed the lich''s lifeforce and the contract with it.'' This was the only conclusion Eldrian coulde to. Which also exined why he had lost so little, if any, XP from slowing the devils.


    Though there was still bacsh. The bacsh had note at the expense of his soul. Sure, everything was currently frozen and the excess lifeforce from the XP he had gained was going crazy. But there was no actual damage.


    Once he calmed the raging energies, he simply needed to heat his soul. And since everything was fake anyway, the nts wouldn''t even be hurt. A sad reminder of what he had lost along with Two.


    ¡ª


    Ceph watched from the back lines as the others fought. As frustrating as it was, he simply wasn''t strong enough to stand at the front with the others. And with Nerenth handlingmunications, this was the best ce for him.


    And while it was frustrating to feel so useless, Ceph''s mere presence was helping the others fight. Him being there, waiting, meant he could jump in should anything unexpected happen. Buying them the time to react properly.


    Sure, this didn''t mean the ones fighting didn''t need to expect the unexpected. But they could lessen the amount of energy they needed to spend on it while fighting for their lives.


    It made the battle go from nerve-wracking to nerve-stressing. It certainly wasn''t pleasant, but it would no longer consume them. At least, not as quickly as before.


    And, of course, Ceph wouldn''t be satisfied simply waiting. When he could, he helped.


    Buffing his allies with some simple spells would actually be detrimental. While it sounded like a good idea, it might sh with the current enhancement magics they were using.


    Instead, Ceph focused on the enemy. Controlling the roots of the trees to tangle their legs, to stab at their undersides. Controlling the leaves above to make areas darker, or to bring some more light to the battle. And to rain the asional attack from above.


    Sure, these amounted to little more than harassment at most times. The enemy numbers were either too high for those he killed to matter, or the enemy was too strong for his method to find any sess.


    Yet, it drained the enemy''s morale.


    Ceph''s meddling had the exact opposite effect on them. His mere presence, there at the back, made the enemy always conscious of him. Always needing to be wary of their footing, of a sudden attack from the trees, and even of a magic spell slung when their attention slipped.


    And, most of all, since Ceph kept his meddling to such indirect methods, the enemy couldn''t confirm how strong he was. Only that he was an Alicorn¡ªand a special one at that. The son of the lord anddy of the forest.


    This ate at their minds, and as time passed, that proved to be enough. Those equal in power slipped up, those who relied on numbers hesitated. And the defenders of the forest pounced.


    When the dust settled, Ceph couldn''t celebrate. Battles were aplenty everywhere in the forest. He moved on as soon as things moved in their favor. Leaving the mixed defenders to finish the cleanup alone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''The Lykos were most impressive.'' Ceph thought as he moved. Lykos were wolf-type monsters¡ªbut because of the unique environment of the forest, they had adapted to a life of peace. Yet, that didn''t diminish their ability to work as a pack.


    Their pack also wasn''t limited to just wolves. And the Alpha of the pack, an old gray wolf, gave everyone a nice permanent buff which didn''t sh with any of their enhancement magics.


    Sure, the buff wasn''t all that powerful. It helped everyone recover their energy faster, be this stamina or mana. About a 10% in recovery.


    That 10%, however, meant the world as the fights were dragging on. And the Lykos Alpha was also able tomunicate with the unicorn leading the defense through telepathy.


    Sadly, it was the only one who had managed this feat, but it allowed much better cooperation between the different species fighting for their home. It was not just a one sided conversation, after all. Nor did it require interpretation. It could even skip words and go right to the crux of the matter.


    "Ceph, head to the mountains. The demons are focusing their attack there around the Tromii. I have tried to bring as much light to surroundings as possible, but having you focus on that would help greatly."


    "Roger!" Making a U-turn, Ceph increased his speed.


    While waiting for Nerenth to contact him, he had been cruising just slightly above the trees. Making sure none of their enemies managed to slip past the barrier and Nerenth.


    Even if she could link with all the nts in the forest, her focus wasn''t infinite. The more eyes, the better.


    ¡ª


    Arriving at the spot, Ceph summoned a gale of wind, sting the leaves from the trees'' branches. He asked them for forgiveness as hended, summoning a ball of light as bright as he could. And to prevent any shadows from the trees themselves, he summoned another. Then another, and another.


    Soon, the Night Terrors had nowhere to hide. And with the night still an hour or two away, they were forced into the open in their weakened state. Unable to infiltrate as deep as they had wished.


    This group at least. They could only pray that this was the only group who had gotten past the barrier.


    And them entering the light didn''t make them easy targets. As soon as they were forced into the open, the demons who had been waiting nearby rushed in. sting the barrier with all their might, cracks quickly forming throughout as a massive hole opened up for a few seconds. A horde rushing through while it remained


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom ''Dang, they really can get past the barrier through shadows.'' Ceph thought.


    He had hoped the barrier would prevent this. Somehow, their ability to meld with shadows¡ªno, they were made of shadows themselves. ''I guess that is why. The barrier might not be able to tell the difference. But their mana should¡ª''


    Ceph''s thoughts stopped there as the demons charged. While many demons looked alike, most in this mob was unique. Generally, demons were not divided into species and races like devils, humans, and monsters (outside of some unique species like the Night Terrors).


    They were corrupted beings from any and all groups of life. Ones who had dared to reach for something beyond their grasp, and refused to let it go when the cost came.


    Very few had reproductive abilities, and hence the small amount of actual demon races that existed. In fact, most of these ''races'' were artificial creations rather than naturally born demons.


    For the mob rushing into the forest, the best simrities were by the source of their corruption rather than some type of race.


    Some appeared like monsters, some like devils, some like normal humans. Yet, each of them had an utterly revolting type of mana flowing around them. Like a miasma, it clung to them. And it ate at all the pure mana near it.


    They were all true demons. A sign of just how serious this attack was. Each of these demons would match an Ancient beast at their weakest.

 Chapter 953 The Defense Of Avgi (2) - Eldrians Support

    Soon, the area became devastated. While it hurt to destroy their own home, the equine defenders did not let that prevent them from fighting. The Pegasi rained down their attacks with a clear mind. That it was kill or be killed. No mercy could be had.


    Gales bore down on the ground-bound Terrors. Infused with ice, fire, light, lightning, and many other elements. It tore through the area like a rainbow of destruction. Leaving little but a wastnd behind.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Corraling the Terrors who could weather the storm of attacks right toward the Unicorns. Who, in turn, attempted to vanquish the survivors before the other demons coulde to their aid. And while they did this, the Alepo (fox-like creatures) rained down lighting on the charging mob.


    While the Alepo''s attacks did little damage (they were only bloodline creatures, after all). The fires their attacks caused when lighting hit tree made advancing difficult.


    While the ultimate sh of the two forces would not be dyed for long, it gave the Unicorns some much-needed time to lessen the number of Terrors who could run.


    Sadly, only eighty Unicorns, thirty Pegasi, and five Alicorns stood against the horde of demons. And, for now, the Alicorns were watching from above. Waiting. Saving their mana for when it would be most needed.


    In all this chaos, Ceph focused on maintaining the balls of light he had summoned. His task seemed simple. However, since the Terrors consumed any light in their surroundings, it was most draining. Not to mention he had to ensure the Pegasi''s attacks won''t disrupt his spells.


    Whenever he failed, it allowed more and more of the Terrors to escape into the shadows. Hiding in the cracks of the trees, of the dirt, of scattered stones. They bid their time.


    If they could survive until night, then the tides of the battle would quickly shift. Especially since none of the creatures who call Avgi their home could call upon holy magic. The best they would aplish is abination of light and other elements. But all their attackscked divinity.


    Now, of course, demons aren''t considered apparitions of life in the same way as the undead. Yes, they are also corrupted beings. However, they still follow the natural order of the world. Even if their souls are as corrupt as ites.


    Holy spells won''t cancel out their existence as it does with the undead. However, a spell creating lightposed of just mana would naturally be easier to withstand than oneposed of lifeforce--even if only a faction as a type of faith.


    --


    Finishing calming his soul, and unfreezing his soul world, took a while. Probably half an hour, or perhaps a full one by Eldrian''s count. Eldrian felt that this time had been a great sesspared to previous times.


    Now, he couldn''t bask in the joy of his sessful use of Tranquility. He knew that Avgi was fighting for its very survival. As someone who considered himself a dear friend of those who called it home, he had to help.


    And as much as Eldrian wanted to rush into battle, he knew that was not where he would make the biggest different. Yes, he had reached Tier 6. Yes, he had managed to help Agamemas and Zamia kill a devil king. Yet, he was nowhere near their level.


    Instead of charging to the frontlines, Eldrian looked at the updated settings of his interface. He hadn''t investigated it much since the update. Though he knew there was a plethora of new options.


    ''It seems mine is still somewhat special. I know Judithined about some functions costing entire levels. All mine only cost XP. Billions, sure. But I have plenty to spare.''


    Going on a wild shopping spree. After all, his participation in the devil king''s death had awarded him over 400B XP.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eldrian had spent one hundred billion of the four in the blink of an eye. It didn''t even cause him to lose a level. Showcasing just how ridiculously expensive levels became.


    And now, his map was far more user-friendly.


    Eldrian''s main focus had been on detail-adding functions and auto-sorting functions. Instead of having just a few colors depicting friend and foe, he now had an entire collection. One for each race,rge and small circles for numbers, names for troublesome opponents, and much more.


    ''So, there are two devil princes and a princess here. Thetter is waiting in what makes a triangle. And... so, they are waiting for an opening where the Night Terrors are.''


    Reaching out to Ceph, Eldrian quickly got into contact with Zamia. Who he shared an image of his map with (as best as he could). Eldrian wasn''t the best atmunication with images and feelings, but he felt he could seed when staring at the map and sending it over.


    ''Of course, I can''t say whether I managed to find everyone. After all, my map failed to find Erik and Akarui. It is possible to hide from it, even still.'' Eldrian exined. The possibility of reinforcements teleporting over was also there.


    ''This is quite wonderful.'' Zamia replied. While the mob of low-grade monsters like the goblins and orcs was mostly inconsequential, they made it difficult to find the elites among the enemy.


    It allowed the enemy to attack with more force than was expected, which was never good. With this, however, they would be able to set traps and react appropriately.


    As such, Zamia quickly put Eldrian in contact with Nerenth. The two worked together to make sure no one could sneak past them.


    And, when the time came, Agamemas went on the offensive.


    --


    "I think it is about time we end this." The old Alicorn said. He and Zamia were near the top of the barrier. Watching over their burning home with rage boiling in their hearts. The sooner they could end this, the better.


    "There might still be some unexpected enemies. Do be careful." Zamia said. She would stay behind. Her job was to ensure Agamemas could escape should the enemy have more reinforcements.


    This was because she hadn''t fully recovered from her earlier wounds, and she had held Agamemas backst time.


    It had been a terribly long time since they had needed to fight for their lives. As loath as they were to admit it, they had both grown rusty with the years. As such, being a little more warry seemed wise.


    After all, they couldn''t expect Eldrian to save them again.

 Chapter 954 The Defense Of Avgi (3) - Perfect Defense

    In a world devoid of color, two figures stood facing one another despite being high up in the air. They stood as if they were on the ground and stared at one another. Neither moved.


    One was an elf, the other a devil. Natural enemies, lifelong rivals.


    The elf wore elegant robes which would flutter gracefully in the wind along with his long silver hair¡ªhad there been any wind.


    The devil wore an impable suit. Something he had taken a liking to after seeing it amongst the Chosen. Some alterations had needed to be made to his wings and tail, but he believed it made himself quite dashing.


    "I admit, I did not expect this." The elf said, and he did not mean Xelron''s suit.


    Avgi was not the only ce that had been attacked. Shockingly, nearly all the neutral Origin Veins had been besieged.


    The numbers being thrown into this were enough to bring down several empires. That it was being used on neutral locations and on people who normally refrained from supporting any side¡ªat least in full... It was strange, to say the least.


    The exclusion in this attack was the mountain holds of the dragons. And for obvious reasons. Attacking them would only invite ruin. Yet, the same could be said of making an enemy of so many Mythical races.


    Should they fail, the entire war''s direction was bound to shift. Which made sense that all the devil''s might had been mobilized. Amnur had been stopped by Kilen. This was thest message Athtar had received before being blocked by Xelron himself.


    "Yes, perhaps we could have continued as we were, but we''ve noticed that some things are different."


    "Different? How?" Athtar asked, curious. Naturally, he had also noticed a fair number of peculiarities since the Chosen appeared.


    And, now, despite many of his longtime friends fighting for their lives, he could not rush to their aid. Perhaps he should have drawn his des as soon as Xelron arrived and created this sub-space.


    Athtar, however, didn''t have confidence in his victory. And more than anything, he wanted to know why the sudden shift of focus. The devils were making great progress in their invasion.


    Their victory had seemed all but certain as long as a neutral force didn''te to the human''s aid. Or the Chosen showed something even more amazing than their cannons.


    Certainly, every Origin Vein was a massive boost to the side that cany im to it. Yet, inviting the fury of those defending them is simply not wise. The dragons might even decide to move to aid their distant friends. They might be distant and cold-hearted. But many were also rather emotional.


    The Ryu might refuse to budge, but the young ones would certainly be enraged by this.


    "The Chosen." Came the devil''s reply.


    "And what does their presence mean?" Athtar asked.


    He, too, had attempted to investigate why they had suddenly appeared; and what it might mean. Sadly, his investigations had note to any conclusive evidence. Though he had found many shocking rumors.


    Most shocking was that their world was an artificial creation of humans. That the gods were little more than pets to these humans.


    Athtar couldn''t ept this reality. However, many yers had let it slip. Despite there being amunication barrier that often prevented such words from being understood. The system was wed; sometimes, it did not properly censor their drunken rabbling.


    And the fact that such a system existed supported the rumors it tried to keep secret. As terrible as this truth seemed.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "And the gods." The devil continued.


    "They have been much more active than normal, yes. I thought we might find ourselves in a Divine War; once again."


    "Do you think they will dare?"


    "Descending? Perhaps not. But they are certainly acting far more freely than in previous Invasions. So, what do these changes mean?" Athtar asked, again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That we need to prepare. We need to unite."


    "Unite? For what? To face the gods?"


    ¡ª


    Back in Avgi, several hundred Fistallinii (Crystal Horned Deers) were facing a horde of goblins, orcs, kobolds, ogres, and much more. Along with the Fistallinii were several hundred Alepo, around eighty Lykos, and a handful of Unicorns.


    Thanks to Eldrian''s intel, they knew that the enemies here weren''t strong. Only numerous.


    Indeed, their numbers reached past ten thousand. A ck blob moved on the weakened barrier as the sun set over the mountains at the defenders'' backs. Making the scene look all the more ominous.


    Distant magical trebuchets wereunching constant attacks to keep the barrier from repairing any holes that had been breached. To the left and right, war continued. There, the fight had already been ongoing for hours.


    The barrier was at its limit, thanks to the damage from the magical barrage and the side attacks. Now, even the weak fodder, such as goblins, could pass through it.


    And standing to stop them was perhaps the weakest group within Avgi. While each individual was Tier 7 or higher. There were less than ten Unicorns, and only two Pegasi. The rest of their group consisted only of bloodline beasts.


    The Unicorns standing inmand of this group were quite peculiar, however. Their focus had never been on personal strength but on how to work best as a group with even weaker individuals. Such as those they found themselves with now.


    They were the perfect individuals for the job. This was indeed clear when watching the enemy army. Already, chaos rained within their ranks.


    Illusion magic, a difficult branch to master, was truly effective against those who couldn''t divine mirages from reality. It wasn''t even difficult; one simply needed the ability to see the mana in the area. Yet, the horde walking toward the forestcked even this knowledge.


    No, that wasn''t quite right. The truth was that the illusions were so perfectly blended that simply seeing mana wasn''t enough to understand it was fake. One needed to understand that theposition of mana was different from the real thing. Something that only mages would be able to understand.


    And the Fistallinii who stood with the Unicorns had learned to weave their elements of light and dark to perfectly maximize the use of the Unicorn''s illusion.


    An illusion, alone, couldn''t really kill someone. Perhaps if you were weak of heart, it could frighten you to death. However, that would never work on the horde advancing toward the forest.


    Many had already faced far worse than the illusionists could even imagine. However,bining an illusion with a buff or debuff can make the effects much more severe.


    Scare someone by having them see a bolt of lightning racing for their heart. Few would be able to reason it a mirage and ignore it. Most would move to avoid the attack.


    And then, as they move, throw a buff to increase their strength or speed. And suddenly, they lose control of their movements. Causing chaos within their own ranks. Slow those who they will hit, and you might even im a limb or life.


    This alone would not give the picture of what was happening presently. No, that was thanks to the work of the Lykos and Alepo.


    Mixing reality with fantasy was the most effective use of illusions. So, while the Unicorns spread confusion, the Lykos charged and tore through their enemy. The Alepo fired their spells, and the horde lost its head.


    Strike at a wolf only to find it was but a mirage of light (and that is after it dodged dozen of attacks). Ignore a spell, and find yourself dead. React to an illusion, and find yourself attacking your allies and losing control of your body.


    As such, the horde was whittled down to only a few thousand before they even reached the forest. Their counterspells never came to their rescue. Whenever a mage within their ranks showed themselves, the Pegasi would strike.


    Had they any devils or demons in their ranks, perhaps things might have been different. And, in case of such an event, one Alicorn was waiting nearby just in case.


    However, Eldrian''s information was spot on. As can be seen from the pitiful sight of the horde.

 Chapter 955 The Defense Of Avgi (4) - Cephs Opponent

    Back over where the demons were attacking en-mass, Ceph was facing a demon variant of centaurs.


    Instead of the demon having an equine half, it had the long body of a centipede. The demon also had four arms in total and massive mandibles for a mouth. Giving her an utterly terrifying appearance.


    In her arms, she carried a massive poleaxe. Its heft was such that even a normal centaur would probably struggle to keep their bnce with it in hand. Yet, she wielded it like it was a toy.


    Her random swings tore trees from the ground, and if their roots were particrly persistent, the tree would be splintered into pieces.


    Every time Ceph dodged, he could feel the wind from the attack knocking at his body. Telling the tale of how it wouldn''t simply cut him apart. It would crush him. Leave nothing but a paste behind.


    Knowing the danger her weapon presented, Ceph continued to dodge. Having taken his elven form for its nimbleness. Yes, his elven form was weaker, had less natural armor. But that wouldn''t make a difference in the face of her monstrous poleaxe.


    Spells were proving mostly ineffective. The poleaxe was enhanced with something that allowed it to disrupt spells.


    This meant even though the hippo centipede demon couldn''t use magic and seemed incapable of even calling on its mana. She waspletely capable of defending against spells.


    Worse, her numerous insect legs allowed her steady purchase in the ruined forest. Allowed her to suddenly shift the motion of her attack and even scale trees (or their ruins) to attack from above.


    And those legs... they weren''t harmless either. Their tips were colored differently. And Ceph had seen the venom dripping from them. Deathly, that was all he could call it.


    Honestly, Ceph would rather face Terror than her. At least he understood how their uncanny way of attacking worked. Yes, they could morph any part of their body to attack, but there were signs.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Crap! That was too close!'' Desperate, Ceph took to the skies. Hoping to gain some time to recover and assess how to face this unknown entity. However, as soon as he left her range, she turned to the others.


    Ceph couldn''t allow that. He was the only one facing just one demon. The others were standing against two, three, or even four. Allowing someone to be even more outnumbered was simply not something he could swallow.


    Luckily, height gave Ceph an advantage. He could see the scale of the battle, what was happening, where his opponent was going, and that she was no longer paying him much¡ªif any¡ªattention.


    ''I''ll only have one chance. So I have to make it count.'' Ceph told himself. He kept himself up high, pulled out a weapon Eldrian had gifted him, and readied for his attack.


    Ceph did not have any ultimate attack like Eldrian. He couldn''t call upon powers like auras to enhance his magic. However, he could use magic almostpletely intuitively.


    Thus, he focused his all on his attack. The gap of two Tiers would not deter him. He would¡ªno, he had to. He had to kill her. He had to relieve the pressure on the others.


    With his determination burning, Ceph held the spear in hand. It wasn''t at the level of Crystoi, but it didn''t need to be. It wasn''t even worth the title of Tier 5 that it held. But that was fine. Ceph didn''t normally need weapons.


    Normally, he would wield the daggers or the sword his parents had given him. But, at this moment, he needed something with more of an impact.


    Collecting his mana around the spear, Ceph formed a funnel with the surrounding wind. He summoned multiple barriers around himself. Cloaked himself from the light, making himself little more than a shadow. And contacted his allies.


    Gripping the spear in hand, Ceph readied himself. Hiding his presence as best he could, he waited. Until...

 Chapter 956 Eldrians Duel With A Terror

    ?


    "Seems some slipped past them," Eldrianmented, watching his map as the red dots made a beeline for the de. There were six in total, one Tier 7, three Tier 8, and two Tier 9. All of them Terrors.


    "I''ll take the weakest one, Nerenth?"


    "I cannot fight well in this form. I will contact those in reserve to stop the others." She replied, her words drifting on the winds from the surrounding trees.


    Nodding, Eldrian left a projection of his map affixed in ce. Hoping the spell and runicbination he had thrown together would manage to survive while his attention was elsewhere.


    It was a rather simple spell. Only needing to project the image of his map. The tricky part was linking the map (normally invisible to all but the yer) to the rest of the world. But since Eldrian already had that figured out, he believed the spell should stay as long as the mana he had given it as a reservested.


    With the ambient mana in the area, it shouldn''t run out soon. Even if it used more when he was gone, Eldrian had added mana collection runes to the simpleplexity he had made.


    Other than the coding in the background to get it to work (and adding some runes to make it affixed semi-permanently), it was only a light and water spell. The water for a mist making up the screen, and light gave it its function.


    Eldrian hadn''t learned illusion magic, so this was his copout to produce images with light magic. It helped that he had a perfect rune (one he had discovered while experimenting with runes and the making of the Memorial Artifacts) just for this precise application.


    Heading into the forest, Eldrian quickly found his target. A moving sliver of a shadow taking cover in the darkening forest. With night now fallen, the only light was from the moon. Making the forest the ideal yground for these demons.


    Knowing the danger they could present if you closed in on them, Eldrian opted to attack from afar. And internal conflict continued as Eldrian watched the Terror.


    As much as he wished to end the battle quickly, he also wished to harvest some new darkslime for experimentation.


    As such, he determined that he couldn''t use devastating fire spells like Incinerate. And to be on the safe side, all fire was off the table. Even with this restriction, Eldrian didn''t doubt his victory.


    He had a slight advantage in terms of speed, and while his mana wasn''t fully recovered after the bacsh from Tranquility, he had 5k to y with. And he was still regaining mana as the minutes ticked on.


    The surrounding mana density certainly helped Eldrian in this regard and worked in his favor should the battle be prolonged. As such, Eldrian felt confident in using magic.


    Gathering his mana, Eldrian cast a spotlight on the creature. Throwing ridiculous amounts of mana into the spell to give it some oomph. Next, he sent severalnces of ice to pierce the demon.


    The spells he was using had no names. They were simple conjurations that Eldrian did based on feel and experiences. Yet, even so, they both held true to the principles that Tier 6 spells required. Making them both Tier 6 spells.


    Eldrian knew that the damage should be devastating, yet, as his spellsnded, the Terror hardly lost any HP. A direct hit with all hisnces had only cost the Terror around 800HP. With its 27k reserve, that was but a scratch. Eldrian would need 35 solid hits to kill it.


    That was a tall task. Tier 6 spell did not manifest at the snap of Eldrian fingers. Sure, they only took a few seconds to conjure, target, and fire. But that added up and gave his target time to react.


    Keeping up the barrage and keeping it always in sight of the spotlight also proved difficult. Especially with trees nearby.


    Eldrian couldn''t allow the Terror to find an escape in the shadows. Thus he was forced to add more spotlight spells, adding to the drain on his mana and mind.


    But it worked. He was slowly whittling down its HP. However, once the Terror realized retreat was impossible, things became tricky.


    Deciding to return the favor to its attacker, Eldrian was forced to add dodging on top of managing his spells.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While this was still manageable, it made his attacks slower. From just a handful of seconds to form a spell to ten or more. And worse, the Terror used its attacks to have Eldrian''s focus split, allowing it to dodge the spells or cut them down with other appendages before Eldrian could fix their trajectory.


    As a result, since Eldrian had opted against using Incinerate as he wanted the darkslime material, their fight turned into a war of attrition. It would not end within mere minutes¡ªunless Eldrian died¡ªit would take dozens, perhaps even over an hour.


    His spells did little damage, missed often, and one good hit could do him in. The tables had seemingly turned as soon as the Terror chose to go on the offensive.


    But, at the same time, Eldrian''s mana hardly went down. Since he only had to focus on three or four spells, the drain was far less than his recovery rate. Especially here, in Avgi, where he could call upon the local mana to aid him.


    He almost didn''t even need to use his internal mana. He did, though, since it was easier to call upon than ambient mana.


    And, even with the Terror attempting to consume the mana that made up the spotlight, Eldrian wouldn''t run dry any time soon.


    Still, Eldrian wasn''t at his best. He had mostly recovered from using Tranquility, but he was working with less than max mana, stamina, and health. All adding to the fragility of his state. While a nick here or there wouldn''t do him in, one good hit would.


    Luckily, Eldrian wasn''t a slouch for touch-and-go battles. They were his unwee friends. Always with him. As such, he considered his current situation rather positive.


    The battle dragged on. An elf dodged while summoningnces of ice and maintaining massive spotlights on a slime-like shadow.


    The smile-like shadow sent out spikes, axes, des, and many other weapon protrusions from its body. Capable of attacking at all ranges and from all directions. An intense onught that would kill most.


    In this tense battle, the minutes dragged on. When fifteen minutes had passed, both grew tired.


    At this point, the Terror could no longer consume the mana from Eldrian''s spotlight without detriment. Yet, Eldrian hadn''t even brought it to half HP. Yes, managing his spells was a little easier, but that wasn''t the same as getting a good hit in.


    In the end, Eldrian decided to enter meleebat. While his recovery was indeed enough to oust the Terror''s HP, it had started learning the pattern of his ice attacks. Now, instead of every second or third spell missing, only every tenth or worsended.


    Eldrian entering meleebat increased the danger to both sides. But he considered it his only real option. Sadly, having only one arm really came to bite him here. He was almost immediately forced to focus on the defense.


    Eldrian hadpletely forgotten that his prosthetic had been reduced to molten scarp during his training with Ziraili.


    As the fight dragged on, Eldrian wished from the bottom of his heart that these creatures of the shadow had a vital. Somece he could hit and end it all in one.


    Sadly, the reality was that they had no such thing. They had no core, no heart, no physical brain. They were manifestations of the shadows. And like a shadow, cutting at it did little. Less even than his spells.


    At best, it shaved 150 HP from the Terror; at worse, only a few dozen. And that was when Eldrian managed to get a sloppy attack in with one arm.


    He couldn''t even use Crystoi due to this and had to instead rely on the sword he had received during the defense of Kynigo.


    As another fifteen minutes passed, Eldrian started regretting not simply using Incinerate to end it in a sh. Sure, he wouldn''t have gotten any darkslime, but he also wouldn''t have gotten hurt in turn.


    He now sported another new scar across his left nk. ''A new set of clothing ruined...'' Eldrian grumbled as he dodged an attack from the front, back, side, and top.

 Chapter 957 Eldrians Duel With A Terror (2)

    ?


    Dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge, strike, dodge, dodge, cast, dodge, strike, strike, dodge...


    Eldrian''s dance with the Terror continued with only a distant end in sight. Its incessant rain of attacks from all directions forced Eldrian more often on the defensive than the offensive.


    Infuriating, perhaps. Eldrian wasn''t too frustrated with the battle itself. Yes, it was taking far longer than he had expected. But it was also quite fun.


    The two of them, elf and demon, were equally matched. As the match continued, it became a straightforward test of skill and endurance.


    And, most importantly, Eldrian didn''t need to worry as his fight drew on and on. He already knew what direction the battle as a whole was taking. It was not like other times when every second mattered. The most assistance he could provide was precisely what he was doing.


    Providing intel and distracting one Terror.


    It might sound like too little, especiallypared to when Eldrian caused massive damage and routed entire units of the enemies. But it was the help that Avgi needed.


    All this to say, Eldrian was having fun. For once, he didn''t need to worry about the after. He had already done all he could. All that was left was to fight, win, and enjoy the process.


    Still, Eldrian wasn''tpletely satisfied. This was a good test for his skills, but he didn''t feel like he was growing as the fight dragged on.


    ''Let''s try. Worst case, I''ll slip and get hit. But I can then simply rely on Incinerate to save me.'' Eldrian thought as he dodged another flurry of attacks. Taking two of the morphed tentacles as payment. However, the damage of his counterattack amounted to just a paltry 30HP lost for the Terror.


    Jumping back to make some space, Eldrian collected his thoughts into a unified path. Wishing for time to slow¡ªor, at least, his perception of it to slow.


    By now, Eldrian was ustomed to the standard requirements for his bloodline to show its power. He needed to be cornered. Only then did it activate... Like some defense protocol.


    Sadly, simply being in a contested match of skill didn''t count as being cornered¡ªno, even if Eldrian were being overwhelmed, it wouldn''t count. After all, a normal death meant nothing in ANW. He would respawn like any other yer.


    The danger was only present when he faced a being capable of damaging souls; or his friends were in danger.


    In his current situation, Eldriancked that sense of danger. Yet, he believed that it couldn''t be the only way to tap into the flow of time.


    ''I wonder, do Tranquility and my bloodline have something inmon?'' Eldrian pondered as he willed for time to slow.


    His question stemmed from what he had aplished against the devils and what Ziraili had said that the true essence of Tranquility was the stalling of time. Or at least the removal of all kic energy in the target area.


    There was a difference there, but to Eldrian, the end results were simr. And Wrath aimed to destroy and consume. ''But, can''t it energize?'' Eldrian pondered.


    The images of mes were undoubtedly also that of something with abundant energy. It was an exothermic reaction, after all.


    Eldrian''s thoughts couldn''t be tooplex, and he had to leave enough capacity to dodge, attack, and cast spells. Especially the spotlights; should they falter, the Terror would escape or even overwhelm him with its heightened powers in the dark.


    Still, even with his thoughts limited, Eldrian felt he had found something there. While he continued to push all the focus he could spare to slow time, Eldrian also called on his auras.


    ''Slow my perception and enhance my speed, all the while keeping my emotions calm.'' That was the list Eldrian thought he had to fulfill.


    ''Steady breathing.'' Eldrian chanted as he dodged. The cooling energy of Tranquility flowed into him and focused on his mind and emotions.


    '''' Eldrian continued, channeling Wrath through his body. Not out.


    At this point, both were still weak manifestations. Wrath was not feeding on anger, so it was only a vague concept. Tranquility was the same. It was not dominating Eldrian''s mind. Simply aiding in helping him keep a level head.


    And from their channeling, Eldrian could feel a difference. Sure, it was small. But this was already a massive step forward. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not wishing to push his luck, Eldrian didn''t go further. Instead, he opted to fight while under his current condition.


    Using Tranquility to help him process information in a calm and clear mind while using the energy from Wrath¡ªusually spent to consume all¡ªto increase his speed and strength.


    This advantage these two gave Eldrian was enough to make a difference. After all, the Terror was already slower than him. With his auras acting as buffs, the difference became too much.


    What came as a flurry of attacks from all directions¡ªcame as simple attacks from all directions. Indeed, finding the right path to dodge and cut your way through was still a requirement to stay alive¡ªbut it was no longer challenging.


    Even though Eldrian had stopped before trying to slow time, he still increased his speed and reaction time. These twobined basically meant he had slowed time.


    It certainly wasn''t near the rate at which Chronos (his bloodline) influenced the flow of time. But it was too much for their match to continue as is.


    Eldrian slipped past the attacks, brought his sword to bear, cut himself a path to the Terror''s body, and released the spell he had prepared.


    des of wind with dozens of icicles mixed in tore through the Terror. In fear, it tried to kill Eldrian. But he cut down the attacks that came his way. No matter how hard the slime material could be, it was limited by the Terror''s own Tier.


    There was no way a Tier 8 de would fail to cut the morphed tentacles of a Tier 7 Terror.


    When the fight was over, Eldrian finally felt satisfied.


    He had aplished growth.


    That was the most important thing to him. He had found a new way to use his aura, one that did not consume him as a fight dragged on.


    ''I should remain warry¡ª'' the system notification disrupted Eldrian''s thoughts.


    [Tier 7 Nychterninos Tromos killed ¡ª 218M XP gained]


    "So, it finally died," Eldrian mumbled. It had taken around a dozen seconds more after the fight concluded. The Terror had tried to y dead, but that would not work against a yer¡ªnor someone who was constantly using mana sense to observe his enemy.


    ''Seems like so little for the effort.'' Eldrianmented on the XP gain with a sigh. ''Honestly, it hardly even makes a dent.''


    Eldrian had to admit that the Terror hadn''t been special. It had been a normal demon variant, and it wasn''t too intelligent, either.


    Sure, it could follow orders andmunicate to some degree with those on its side. But it hadn''t tried to talk, and Eldrian had never heard of them being able to. Technically, they should be able, given that they can morph their body into any shape. But perhaps morphing a mouth and throat was too much for them. Their attack did seem to often be simplisticrge weaponry.


    It also hadn''t tried toy any traps for him. Sure, it had yed dead. Though, perhaps it had been too cornered to try? Eldrian simply felt that the fight had been against a monster and not a human or devil. It hadn''t had that cunning.


    At most, it was equivalent to a Bloodline beast (mid-grade monster).


    Like the undead, it was challenging to defeat not because of its indomitable personal strength but because of its quirks. Like the undead, no, even worse than them, it had no weakness. They, at least, were weak to fire and holy magic.


    ''Though, Terrors might share that fate to a degree...'' Eldrian had to admit.


    Still, the point remained. They weren''t anything too special. During the day, they were pretty easy to kill. The problem was if they had shade or if it was night. At those times, they became monsters on a whole other level.


    Though, bringing them into the light would negate most of their strengths. Fighting them in pure darkness would be madness.


    ''But enough of that; I see I have another notification.''

 Chapter 958 Virskis Choice

    ?


    When Eldrian returned to the de, he found Zamia and several other Alicorns rxing under the moon''s light.


    Honestly, if everyone were in their normal Alicorn forms, he wouldn''t have known how to identify Ceph''s mom from the rest. But she and a few others were currently in their elven forms.


    Seeing them all here made it clear that the battle had been won. And, most importantly, there didn''t appear to be too many wounded. Though, Eldrian didn''t know how many hadn''t made it back.


    Ceph, as always, was easy to spot. Every Alicorn, Unicorn, and Pegasus had a coat of white. Some had a hue of silver with some light coloring. But Ceph and his ck coat and green wings stood out like a sore thumb.


    "How did things go?" Eldrian asked, moving to Ceph''s side.


    "We won, at least," Ceph replied, shapeshifting to his elven form as he did.


    His tone made it clear it hadn''t been an overwhelming victory. The mood in the de told the same story. There was no celebration to be had¡ªonly mourning.


    "That''s good," Eldrian replied, and as insensitive as it sounded, he had to get going.


    He hade to help, and he did the best he could to that end. But he had other things he had to take care of.


    Virski, the Othrus pup he had adopted, couldn''t be left to his own devices for too long. If it was still around the fort, that is.


    Eldrian also wanted to look into the Artificial crystal; it was bound to be stable andplete by now. Enough that he could at least store it in his inventory instead of in hisb. It was about time he started experimenting with what was capable of it.


    Sure, theb was secure; besides, no one knew what he was hiding in it. But leaving the crystal without more security left Eldrian ill at ease.


    Even if he could make more, the effort and cost were tremendous. Too much for him to bear without some financial assistance. But the problem was that mana crystals weren''t infinite. And for now, Eldrian could only make one Magic Crystal at the cost of many mana crystals.


    ''Right, I also need to go hunting. I did promise Virski some good food...'' The thought of asking to take one of the dead didn''t even cross Eldrian''s mind.


    He nned to go scouting in the Choasnds. Since he could fly, it should be easy to stumble upon something.


    And, since he could fly, Terrors won''t be a problem even at night. Not that Eldrian felt many could be left. Not after the attack on Taurus'' north and now Avgi. Their numbers had to be low now.


    This also meant remaking a path between Taurus and Phallos would be possible. The kingdom had sent around a hundred thousand to support Taurus in the start (this was the army Eldrian hade along with), but that wasn''t near their limit. If they could lend around half a million, the situation would genuinely turn for the better.


    Saying his goodbyes, Eldrian left just as midnight arrived.


    As he took flight, he noted how he was probably in for another scolding. Which prompted him to take a quick catch. He didn''t know how a Vargr would taste; Eldrian didn''t think it would be nice. But it was a bloodline creature. So it met Vriski''s request.


    ''I''ll just buy some beef in Duron, in case. Luckily, they haven''t sustained much damage, so livestock should still exist there. Varan is also a choice if Duron doesn''t have anything, but... Who the heck will sell it to me at midnight?''


    In the end, Eldrian found an inn and bought ten tes of beef stew¡ªone for himself, and nine for the pup.


    ¡ª<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Shockingly, Virski loved the Vargr. Apparently, its preference for food wasn''t even remotely simr to a human''s preference. Virski ate not just for sustenance but also growth.


    Eldrian didn''t know this, but to monsters, the world was a deadly ce. A peaceful environment where everyone could live peacefully and grow at their own pace was rare.


    Avgi was one of the few ces where this was possible. Such locations were fewer than there were empires on Gaia. That is to say, fewer than a hundred.


    To all the monsters in the outside world, they had to hunt and kill to grow stronger. The process was simr to how yers and, indeed, NPCs gained XP from their kills. Monsters simply gained more from eating their prey than the simple act of ying.


    Humans, sadly, couldn''t gain much from eating monsters. Some foods gave temporary buffs; the most exquisite might even provide permanent increases in stats. But that was a far cry from what monsters gained when eating one another.


    All this to say, Virski loved the Vargr, even though it reeked like the gamey-est meat Eldrian had ever smelled.


    The smell was so strong Eldrian was utterly put off from his own food. But that wasn''t something new. Luckily, he had eaten IRL after buying the beef stew in Duron. So his scolding wouldn''t be too bad.


    "Right, so..." Once Virski was done devouring nearly the entire Vargr, which was double his size. A feat that left Eldrian momentarily stunned. Eldrian had to ask what they were going to do going forward.


    "I can tame you, or we can continue as is, but..." Eldrian said. Honestly, he didn''t know what to do. To tame a Mythical grade creature was no easy task. Boran had rified as much.


    Sadly, Virski wasn''t great atmunication. Eldrian wasn''t sure whether it was the simple fact that he was still a pup or if Orthii were simply dumber than Alicorns.


    It was likely thetter, seeing as Eldrian had met Ceph when he, too, had been Tier 3. Yet Ceph had beenpletely capable of forming a mental link. To allow Virski any chance of talking, Eldrian had to form the link for the pup.


    Now, that didn''t mean the pup was dumb. It was capable of speech. Just not fluent. It was certainly smart enough to understand speech (once it learned to) and tomunicate. It would undoubtedly get more fluent with time too.


    ''The problem probably stems from his background more than his race.'' Eldrian thought. Virski''s upbringing had been vastly different from Ceph''s. And Eldrian also didn''t know how old either of them were.


    Ceph might be older than Eldrian and all his friendsbined, while Virski might be only a year or less. Eldrian had never asked Ceph how old he was, so he was clueless. And he felt Virski wouldn''t understand the question or have kept track of his age.


    Still, the pup had stayed near the fort as requested. The promise of receiving its own Magic Crystal once it reached adulthood had kept it obedient.


    And, if it understood that much, it should be capable of understanding the implications of its two choices.


    Still, Eldrianid out the details as simply and concisely as possible. Giving the pup time to ponder ande to its own decision. After all, Eldrian did feel partly to me for it suddenly being abandoned.


    Its parents had likely died when trying toe at Eldrian when he was Tiering up. Pros wasn''t a slouch, and as long as they weren''t over Tier 7, he could have dealt with them. Especially with all the prep they hadid out before things went down.


    Pros had still had the Tier 10 weapons from the capital, which would have made any fight rtively easy. The weapons could more than make up for the difference in raw stats.


    ''I wonder how the wyvern is doing.'' Eldrian pondered, his mind wandering as he waited for Virski''s reply.

 Chapter 959 Changing Tides

    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom ?


    ''Have, to, now?'' Virksi asked, still struggling to form the words. Though he was getting more fluent. At this point, Virski sounded like a hermit who hadn''t talked in ages and struggled to remember how to.


    Then again, telepathicmunication didn''t exactly use words in the conventional sense. It could. But for talking with Virski, Eldrian had to convey concepts as they were, not with words but with what they meant.


    It was a little tricky, but it was doable. After all, the mind worked in amazing ways. Give it some information, and it could fill in the gaps on its own. And this wasn''t limited to just the mind of humans.


    ''No, but I want to hear what you want to do going forward.'' Eldrian replied. Trying his best to convey his worries and that Virski couldn''t always follow him everywhere. He would often need to stay behind, as he did this time.


    After all, Virski was only Tier 3. While he was as strong as average Tier 5 soldiers, that strength was sadly not enough to ensure his survival.


    Worse, a taming contract wouldn''t allow him to be resurrected. If it had, taming would be far moremon. Everyone would be doing it, despite the cost.


    No, taming contracts were quite useless, especially to Eldrian. It generally allowed the tamer to control the monster, for them tomunicate easier or at least understand one another better. And it gave the beast some extra stats.


    Since Eldrian could alreadymunicate with Virski, the only benefit would be the boost in stats and control. However, Eldrian was hesitant over thetter.


    As long as Virski promised not to attack someone, Eldrian was okay with him staying at his estate or in the fort. Whichever the pup preferred.


    ''Estate?'' The pup repeated, the concept''s meaning evading his understanding. Eldrian had to send the pup some images of his estate to get it.


    Ultimately, Virski was extremely keen to see more of the world.


    "The estate it is then," Eldrian said, but asked Virski to wait a little longer. Eldrian still had to gather the magic crystal, and Levana was in the fort today. He had better go say hello.


    ¡ª


    "Your Imperial Princess, to what do I owe this honor?" Farest, the king of Taurus, asked. He was currently in his human form, hosting a girl in the royal gardens. Her sharp features made her appear angry or scornful, but she was actually smiling.


    "The tides have turned; it is time for our counterattack." Her words were beyond Farest to understand. But her yful smile made it clear that this was good news.


    The princess had hair the color of periwinkle. Her hair was tied into a bun, entuating her sharp features. She appeared more like a warrior than a noble princess of an empire.


    That she was not in a dress but in something akin to adventurer garb added to this hardened image of hers.


    "Might I ask what happened?" Farest asked, doing his best to keep his tone polite.


    Taurus wasn''t part of the empire of Floria, and its standing certainly wasn''t equal to an empire with over a hundred satellite kingdoms. Sure, that number was lower now. But the empire''s strength hadn''t fallen.


    While it had sent some soldiers to aid various kingdoms, it had not moved its elite army to any front. The same held true for most kingdoms. Each had kept their soldiers at home, unwilling to send them to their deaths in unknownnds. They had sent aid, but more in name than anything else.


    But, if the empiremanded it, the kingdoms would have to obey. And if they all moved, Taurus might still be able to reim its glory. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh, you haven''t heard?" Evelyn asked, ying the image of a stunned little girl as she fought back herughter.


    "I''m afraid not. Why would you think I would?" Farest asked, resigning that he had lost.


    Admitting that he didn''t know was equal to admitting he wasn''t up to date on things. And if she expected him to know, it must concern something he should be up to date on.


    "You know of the forest of Avgi, right?" She asked, and the way she phrased the question irked the king.


    Of course, he knew of it! But how was he supposed to know what was happening in the forest? Nearly a hundred kilometers of Chaos Lands separated it from his kingdom. Getting to and from was a deadly task, requiring either a fast and skilled rider or centaur or days of slow travel.


    Then again, there was one child of the forest aiding his kingdom. So expecting him to know what was happening there was perhaps a logical conclusion for outsiders.


    "The forest was attacked. Quite a sizable force too, and I heard nearly half the forest was razed to the ground. But, in the end, they came out on top."


    Shocking as the news was, Farest still failed to see how this meant they could go on the offensive.


    "And the same happened with over ten other holy sites. The devils had tried to im all the neutral ones at once. And while they managed to conquer a few, just as many deflected their efforts."


    Now it made some sense. Launching attacks on so many ces was sure to spread the devil''s thin.


    Certainly, they had the number advantage when one considered the monsters under their control. But those monsters couldn''t aplish much when attacking a holy site and the mythical beings defending it.


    This meant that, at the moment, the devils were fewer in number and spread thinner than they had ever been. It was the opportune time to attack.


    "Have you made contact with those who repelled the attacks?" Farest asked, hoping for the aid of the Alicorns.


    There was already one aiding his kingdom, and that one and the elf Chosen it was normally with had turned many a battle. Should the kingdom gain several individuals of such skill, then the war might truly turn in their favor. They might even be able to go on the offensive.


    "We''ve sent envoys. The other empires have as well. For now, they are recovering. But their neutral stance will surely falter in the face of such aggression. I heard many of the dragon younglings are already flying out. Enraged that their friends had been attacked. And enraged even more that they hadn''t."


    This was all great news. And the fact that the dragons were enraged that they hadn''t been attacked wasical. Farest didn''t know a single dragon, but he knew of their reputation.


    When young, they were hot-blooded. But then, with age, they settled down. Honestly, no matter whether they had been attacked or not, there would be some dragons who were angered by either act.


    Their being excluded had only irked the young ones, which might be for the best for the devils. But the young ones were also the quickest to act. They were often fed up with their parents need to debate before acting.


    "What is the n?" Farest asked, returning to the topic at hand. He hoped an army would aid his kingdom, but he also knew that Taurus was doing wellpared to many other kingdoms within the empire.


    Worse, Taurus wasn''t technically part of the empire. Which meant they had no obligation to help defend it.

 Chapter 960 Mobilization

    ?


    "Oh, Diane, what are you doing here?" Dave asked, stunned to find her in the mage''s association.


    Dave was Eldrian''s first magic teacher, who, admittedly, had used Eldrian in an experiment to try and better understand Magic Crystals.


    Eldrian, of course, had known it was an experiment and had willingly participated. Though, it had taken a while after the first time for Eldrian to return. The process had been so harrowing. That Eldrian had agreed to do it, well... it simply shows his insanity.


    While the process had been painful, it had been what had unlocked the doors of magic to Eldrian. Whether this was for the best or not, no one can say. But Dave had undoubtedly set in motion the current present.


    Diane, like her daughter, had auburn hair. She hade to the association after hearing the rumors of a new expedition being organized. Thest had cost her her husband, and her daughter was still in the foreign kingdom. Communication was scarce, onlying once a month, if that.


    Should the rumors be true, Diane hoped to join. Staying at home, alone, was torture. Every day she worried for her daughter and her safety.


    "I heard rumors of a new expedition and came to hear if it is true." She said, her determination shining through in her clear eyes.


    Ever since the news of Old Sword''s death had arrived, Diane had struggled to make it from day to day. That she had cleaned herself up enough to be presentable clearly showed how seriously she took these rumors. Hope had returned to her eyes.


    "Th-they are, but..." Dave hesitated. There was no n to take nonbatants. The n was to send a rather elite force. Dave had significantly progressed in his magical studies and climbed from Tier 5 to Tier 7 in the past three years.


    As such, he had some authority. And since he had been acquainted with Old Sword and Eldrian, he understood where Diane wasing from. But still...


    "Diane, you know how dangerous the journey is, right? We have to cross the Choasnds. A journey that will take a week at best. Every day will be filled with danger."


    "I won''t hold you back!" She replied, a fiery determination burning in her eyes. To Dave, her determination had only grown at his soft refusal.


    At a loss, Dave tried to think of what to say. He didn''t want toe off as mean or cold, but things weren''t so simple. Sadly, he didn''t find the words. He did not know how to deny her without causing her further pain.


    Realizing what his silence meant, Diane tried to think of a request which might be easier to fulfill. "What if... would it be possible to organize permission for me?"


    "Permission for what?"


    "To teleport over."


    "Diane..." Dave wanted to advise her against it, but, again, he couldn''t find the words. This was a mother''s wish to see her daughter after years of separation.


    He didn''t know where she hoped to find the money, but that was the least of his concerns. Her wish to head right into danger was almost insane. But again, it was a mother''s wish to see her daughter. Dave couldn''t argue against it.


    Honestly, Dave thought Eldrian should have known better and brought Vivian with him at the time he hade for a short visit. Better yet, Eldrian could take Diane to Taurus safely.


    Dave, of course, did not know of Eldrian''s situation nor that of Taurus. Bringing someone to the kingdom before now would have been unthinkable. After all, the kingdom had been on the verge of destruction just a few weeks ago. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It had been the sudden move from the devils which had weakened themselves. Allowing Taurus to breathe and also giving the empire the opportunity to act. Phallos was one of a dozen kingdoms that were readying expedition armies.


    Their job would be to secure a path to the frontlines. Further armies would thene from the kingdoms behind them. And the empire''s army would move to where help was most needed.


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® This had all been organized quickly, shockingly so. Within a week, everything was already in motion. Today was thest day of ironing out details. Within the next few days, they would set out.


    This time, their numbers would be about seven times that ofst time: seven legions, each legion of about a million soldiers. Of the total 12 million soldiers in the kingdom, a little over half were nned to move for this expedition.


    Under normal circumstances, this would be unthinkable. After all, Phallos has been pressured on the sides. Its neighboring kingdoms of Curia and Tedal had mostly fallen. Allowing some of the pressure from the west and east to fall onto Phallos.


    Also, since the Chaos Land separated Taurus from Phallos, enemies moved from the south into the kingdom too.


    While the attacks had been limited to skirmishes for the most part, they had started whitling down the kingdom''s numbers. Indeed, their losses were nowhere near Taurus''s or their neighbors, but they needed their soldiers to protect their borders.


    Thus, sending such a force would be madness under normal circumstances. But these weren''t normal circumstances. Their hegemon, the Empire of Floria, had dered the mobilization of the entire imperial domain.


    Curia and Tedal were to receive aid from the kingdoms safely behind them, and Phallos would receive the same help type of aid from the Arean Kingdom.


    The soldiers from Arean would help secure their border, and after a secure path had been made between Phallos and Taurus, they would use that to send soldiers and supplies as time permitted.


    That had been the original n for the first expedition too. However, things had quickly gone south. The outpost created to serve as resting points and safety zones had been raided soon after the army had arrived in Taurus. Cutting off the n before it ever fully bore fruit.


    And since the situation of their neighbors had worsened, Phallos had decided against forming another expedition. They decided it was best to save their strength to preserve themselves.


    They had given up on both Taurus and the soldiers they had sent to her aid.


    The current n, unlike the former, was to form multiple roads through the Choas Lands. One would connect with Avgi, or so the ns were. Each route was nned to head towards one of the northernmost cities. Duron, Belenar, Elomir, and Hrothbor.


    This way, reinforcements and movement of supplies should be much smoother. A raid on one outpost also wouldn''t endanger the entire operation. And unlikest time, each outpost will be manned by a sizable force capable of fending off a typical horde or two.


    In all, two legions were nned to stay in the Chaos Lands. And one might think the cost of keeping them fed and armed would be insane. After all, just in numbers, it was like feeding two entire cities, with those cities providing no resources.


    Phallos wasn''t possible for this. But with the aid of Arean and the empire, it wasn''t too unfeasible. And depending on how things went, the soldiers might be able to hunt to lessen the burden they ced on the supply lines.


    After all, the Chaos Lands are thend of monsters. At best, small tribes of orcs, goblins, or kobolds call it home. There is no kingdom. And while many monster meats taste terrible, they are all edible if prepared correctly.

 Chapter 961 Eldrians Lessons (1) - Zirailis Theoretical Teachings

    ?


    With things calmed down, Eldrian had multiple meetings with Ziraili throughout the following weeks.


    Most of these meetings happened within his soul world. It was the simplest method for the two to meet and sufficed when no physical lessons were nned: those were limited to once a week.


    During the more ssical lessons, Ziraili was bringing Eldrian''s knowledge up to the level that he needed to make some decent progress.


    As much as Eldrian felt he understood things, he only had a high school education. He might have some vague understandings, but he didn''t really understand how the world worked.


    Sure, he had answers. But they only went so far. And as much as the world could be divided into simple, thenplicated, then simple again. One couldn''t ignore a step before getting to the next one.


    It was like the concept of atoms. To modern humans, it is such a basic concept that everyone just simply understands that the world consists of these minuscule particles. Yet, just a few hundred years ago, almost no one had any understanding of the atom.


    e¦Áglesnovel`c,om Now, this didn''t mean no one had thought of it. It just took a few thousand years to be proven and epted as the truth.


    Now, the situation around this example isn''t important. The important thing is that while Eldrian understood, he did not have all the information.


    Ziraili''s aim in their lessons was to fix this. And as simple as it sounds, it takes time. There is a reason no one graduates from school or university in only a few weeks or months. It takes years of hard work to grasp the concepts of one''s studies.


    They didn''t have years. But they also weren''t limited to words and pictures either. And, if it came to it, Ziraili could share her understanding with Eldrian directly. This contained many dangers. Thus, she wished to refrain from doing so if possible.


    "And that is how lightning forms," Ziraili stated, finishing her lecture on the properties of air and how it changes to amodate the phenomena known as lightning.


    To aid her, she had been supporting her lecture with an illusion world of the molecr realm.


    It wasn''t a perfect depiction; such a thing would be meaningless to Eldrian. Knowing this, she didn''t actually depict the atoms making up the molecules. Instead, much like in scientific equations, she used their symbols.


    Atoms, were, after all, almost entirely empty space. Trying to depict them in a realistic manner would be meaningless. Not to even touch on the uncertainty principle that electrons adhered to.


    What separated her illustration from the norm was that she could show Eldrian how they moved¡ªin slow time¡ªall the way up to the ending.


    She could also edit the illusion as she talked with Eldrian and got a better feel for his level of understanding. Letting the world change ording to his view.


    Ziraili even used this at times to show Eldrian what happened when things that he thought were right weren''t; or were. It allowed him to see the reactions happen, stall, or something entirely else happening.


    While this might have increased the time it took to exin things. It did allow Eldrian to grasp the importance of not making assumptions. That half-arsed knowledge was worse than no knowledge. At least if he admitted he didn''t know, he didn''t risk letting his spell run wild.


    And as easy as it sounds, it is hard to ept and adhere to. Any doubt, no matter how small, could lead to disaster.


    Learning always to stop when in doubt takes a lot of willpower. After all, if you are 90% sure, you are almost certain. Most people wouldn''t think that they were wrong at that point. It was important to still stop, ask, research, and confirm.


    "Lightning isn''t just a movement of charges. Yes, this is the simplest exnation. However, the movement of charges caused the surroundings to change, which then aids further in the entire process. This is why you can always smell lightning."


    "What you are smelling is the ozone which lightning produces. And that isn''t the only reaction that happens."


    Here, she had paused. "Do your spells cause that smell?" She had asked, and Eldrian had admitted that they did not.


    "I''m sure you can connect the dots. But let me say it so it''s abundantly clear. It is because you are ignoring reality and forcing the magic to happen through will and vision."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "As I said before, spells areposed of three things: Will, vision, and understanding. Only two need to be met. Yet, a spell that meets all three will be far stronger than one that only meets two."


    Of course, to advance to the next Tier, one needs to first get a feel for how a spell of that level feels.


    Eldrian always solved his issue ofcking knowledge by first casting a spell through its spell module. This let him learn how the spell ought to feel and figure his way from there.


    However, it meant he never really understood the spell to begin with.


    "You were throwing your image of lightning and a lot of mana into your spell to force the issue. If you want your spell to reflect reality, you need to let your mana mimic what nature does. Not just what you see."


    "Envisioning a bolt will give you a bolt. But that is no lightning; it is simply mana moving and giving off heat. The efficiency is terrible, yet the spell is powerful. So you might feel it is good enough. It is not."


    This lecture came because Eldrian had started training his casting of lightning again after sorting everything out. Ziraili had taken notice, especially of Eldrian''s crude method of forming the spell.


    Unlike water and ice, Eldrian had no clue what was happening at a scientific level. He only knew that lightning was electricity, charges moving through the air. That was why hisposition for the spell consisted of air and light.


    As luck would have it, those were the right elements.


    In the simplest terms, lightning was simply the collection of positive and negatively charged particles within a cloud. It forms with the addition of water and ice, but those elements aren''t part of lightning, only the formation of the conditions that allow it to develop.


    The critical bit is that charges build up until they reach a point where they need an outlet, and depending on the situation, different types of lightning ur.


    If all that Eldrian wanted was lightning, he could have ignored air and gone just with light.


    Light and darkness allowed the maniption of energy. If the aim was simply to cause lightning, then all Eldrian had to do was send a spell out with the image of charging the particles around him.


    Admittedly, controlling the spell without the air element would be impossible. It would always take the path of least resistance.


    Still, he would have cast a more realistic version of lightning by only manipting the flow of energy. The chemical reactions this flow caused would then be, perhaps not natural, but closer to it than his spells.


    "Now, these are the following reactions that can happen..." Zirali went on to exin.


    "These are the different formations that are possible..."


    "This is how you can manipte things to generate different results..."


    This went on for a few hours. Ziraili concluded with the statement that Eldrian didn''t need to limit himself to one bolt or even several. If he practices his control, he could charge his surroundings. Leaving the entire area in a state of near-instant reaction.


    In such a situation, he could form a lightning bolt anywhere within his controlled surroundings. Lessening the travel time by that fraction of a second might make the difference.


    And by gathering the charge to the point of near failure, Eldrian could produce an attack far more powerful than the one he releases as soon as he forms his spell.


    "Yes, this is much, much more difficult. But, this way, you can lessen the amount of mana you need."


    "I think I get how..." Eldrian answered, deep in thought.

 Chapter 962 Eldrians Lessons (2) - Making Progress

    ?


    Instead of controlling his entire surroundings, she was telling him to change the surrounding condition to produce the effects he wanted. Kind of like having a fan to create airflow. Eldrian didn''t need to make the wind if he could make a fan.


    Now, depending on the type of magic Eldrian wanted, this could be simple or highlyplicated. And there was a little problem:


    It was challenging to know when mana was being converted to what he wanted or when it was only supporting the reactions he aimed for.


    Because of mana''s ability to change form and be anything, it was pretty easy for it to take the form Eldrian was envisioning.


    This was not a problem that normal mages fell into. They relied on spell modules to guide them. But, since Eldrian often forced the issue, mana filled the gaps in his knowledge.


    This meant more mana needed to be expended for the same spell. Which honestly wasn''t much of a problem for Eldrian.


    Sure, he could agree that it wasn''t optimal. But being less efficient and stronger seemed better than the alternative. Efficiency wouldn''t change much if he wasn''t strong enough to face his enemies.


    Now, Eldrian wasn''t a stranger to this method. He often relied on it when casting Aeraki.


    This was why he could use it so easily on Earth. He wasn''t having mana produce the wind itself, but rather he used mana to create a low and high-pressured area. Letting the air flow naturally from there.


    This method had a downside, though. It took more time to get going. But if he could set the stage, it would indeed be quite powerful.


    Now, lightning was not the only thing they talked about. Most of their time was spent getting Eldrian up to date on chemistry. It was one of the fields most often involved in spellcasting.


    Naturally, Eldrian also had to study biology and physics. And when Ziraili couldn''t meet, he would ask his friends to help him study.


    Therdul was the go-to for biology, nt biology, and Erik for human anatomy. For physics, his friends couldn''t help too much, but Nikki was quite knowledgeable in chemistry. Well, she was a chemist, so that was to be expected.


    And then, once a week, Eldrian had his lesson in The Core.


    There were multiple reasons for it being limited to once a week. Eldrian needed rest between being pushed to his limits. And Ziraili couldn''t spend all her time on him. She still had the entire system to run and manage.


    While she was great at multitasking, when she manifested herself in The Core, it made things difficult for her.


    On any typical day, her situation is akin to a hive mind. She would have millions of separate selves observe the yers, dungeons, market, and so forth¡ªall that information flowing into her mind actively.


    When she was in The Core, that active flow was disrupted. She wasn''tpletely cut off from her separate selves, but she needed to activate the connection to know what they were seeing, doing, and experiencing. And she couldn''t do this with all of them.


    Naturally, there were dangers to this disconnection. It made the likelihood of these selves bing separate greater. And while that was usually fine, the purpose of most of Ziraili''s split minds was to ensure the system''s smooth workings.


    They did not need to have separate thoughts from the original.


    "You''ve recently seeded in Channeling your auras," Ziraili said. This was the other notification Eldrian had received when he killed the Terror. However, the notification hadn''t rified, and until now, Ziraili hadn''t brought it up. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel "Yes, what does it mean?" Eldrian asked.


    "Simply put, you can think of your auras like medicine. In the right dosage, it is beneficial, take too much, and it can be poison." She said. "Until now, you''ve been drawing them randomly. And the more intense the situation, the more you took."


    "This is where the corruptiones from. When you draw too much of the aura into yourself, it bes a poison your soul cannot handle."


    "Channeling is when you draw just the right amount. It allows you to boost your abilities without bing poisoned in the process. However, the amount you can channel is limited."


    She also noted that this differed from when he fell into a berserk state, thanks to Wrath. In that situation, he grew even stronger than when channeling, but Wrath would feast upon his body and soul during the entire duration. And should he fail to regain hisposure, she would burn out.


    The next few hours were spent with Eldrian training to master Channeling. Like thest time, Ziraili summoned various enemies for him tobat. With magic sealed, Eldrian was forced to fight by relying on his auras. With the added condition to not use his auras for offense.


    Thisst condition made the battles near impossible to win. They often pushed Eldrian to the edge, where he then overdrew on his aura.


    Now, the corruption wasn''t instant. It was just like all the other times Eldrian relied on his auras. But since Ziraili stopped offensive usage from manifesting, the fights continued for long enough for the damage to take effect fully.


    While the process was dreadful, Eldrian had to admit it was working. He could fight for hours while Channeling on his third official Core visit. He was finally starting to feel the flow of lifeforce within his auras.


    On his fourth visit, Eldrian was allowed to use offensive incantations. The matches ended quickly as a result. With his enhanced control and a better understanding of the pros and cons of his auras, Eldrian worked with a n.


    He would close the distance, slow the enemy with Tranquility, and then annihte them with a concentrated attack from Wrath.


    As a result, Ziraili summoned more powerful opponents. These new enemies were more resilient to Wrath than any foe Eldrian had faced before.


    Naturally so. The foes Eldrian was facing now had auras of their own.


    "A basilisk?" Eldrian murmured in disbelief. Honestly, he wasn''t sure whether that was what it was. But he couldn''t think of any other snake-like creature that Ziraili would summon for him to fight.


    "Indeed. It is a corrupted offspring of the dragons. Surrounded in an aura of death, it is quite dangerous." Zirali did not exin more. However, Eldrian was stuck on the notion that it had an aura of death.


    ''What does that mean? Is it a manner of speaking or an actual aura?'' Eldrian had asked but received no answer. So now, he was milling the question in his mind while looking at the massive snake.


    It was as thick as he was tall and probably easily 30 meters or so long. It was currently curled up in the middle of the room, so Eldrian wasn''t too sure about its length. What he was sure of was that a smoke-like haze surrounded its body.


    It wasn''t undead, but it seemed to exclude the same feeling that a horde of them would. Eldrian was inclined to believe it was not a figure of speech when Ziraili said the aura of death surrounded it.


    ''What is its aura capable of, then?''

 Chapter 963 Eldrians Lessons (3) - Facing A Basalisk

    ?


    ''First things first, need to start Channeling.'' Eldrian thought as Ziraili signaled the start of their battle.


    With itsmencement, Eldrian''s first aim was to observe. As such, he jumped back to buy himself more time as he started guiding the flow of his auras through his body.


    Channeling was simr to mana enhancement skills and spells. Instead of using mana to boost the output of one''s muscles and senses, you used the lifeforce that the aura consisted of. Simr to how you use different elements for different oues.


    And, as one might expect, Channeling increased the effectiveness of these enhancements. Or rather, it was a more effective method to boost your base abilities. And it could be added on top of standard mana enhancements.


    Getting the rightbination for the effect you wanted was tricky, but after a few weeks of training (both in The Core and normally in hisbs), Eldrian had already found the best methods.


    Using Tranquility to enhance his senses gave better results than Wrath. And Wrath, in turn, gave better results when attempting to boost his strength or agility. Bybining both, Eldrian could be stronger and faster, while increasing the rate at which he could process data.


    It was essential to keep the two bnced. Letting one ovee the other would lead to Eldrian losing control. But as long as he wasn''t being run circles around, he could typically maintain the bnce at this point.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Án?¦Íel And, as mentioned before, he could augment this on top of his standard enhancement skills and spells. Almost doubling one attribute while raising the others by about 30%.


    Even so, the time dtion wasn''t at the level of his bloodline. Time did not slow to a crawl.


    But what Eldrian generally perceived as the passage of a second would now appear slightly longer. Somewhere between 1,1 and 1,3 seconds, depending on how well Eldrian felt on the day.


    Granted, when readying for a fight, Eldrian already perceived the flow of time slower than an average person. This corrted to his increased stats. But that is beside the point. All yers and people experience this slowing of time as they grow stronger.


    The impressive bit was that he could slow his perception of time past what his stats made possible¡ªgiving him that slight edge.


    It allowed him to take in more details and work through the extra information faster, and as a result, react quicker than an enemy might expect.


    All this to say, Eldrian was observing the basilisk as it charged. Since mana sense wouldn''t give him any system information (and Ziraili even prevented Eldrian from sensing the serpent''s mana flow), Eldrian had no clue what to expect from the serpent.


    Thus, he strained his eyes and mind to follow each of its movements. Important to note, Eldrian wasn''t allowed to use mana enhancement while in The Core. He was relying only on Channeling to keep up with his opponents.


    Observing the basilisk, Eldrian was d he had fought several snake-like monsters over thest few weeks. While he could not read it as well as four-legged beasts, he wouldn''t be caught off guard.


    ''It''s underestimating me.'' Eldrian thought, noticing it was going for a straightforward strike with its mouth. Whether it aimed to inject him with venom with its massive fangs, or swallow him, Eldrian couldn''t say. But he felt seriously underestimated.


    The basilisk''s strike was easy enough to dodge, though it hammered home how massive the thing was.


    As its head flew past Eldrian, Eldrian realized it could swallow him in one. Its fangs wererger than his arms. A ncing blow would send him spiraling to his death.


    And as it opened its mouth, a thick cloud of miasma filled the surroundings.


    Eldrian assumed it would kill any normal person. Should the snake get just one hit on him, the opening in his skin would allow the miasma to invade him with a vengeance. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Good, it seems Channeling is canceling whatever the miasma is trying to do to me.'' This realization was a massivefort. Eldrian had hoped it would be the case. But he had no proof until now.


    Still, he had expected this would be the case, considering that channeling mana slowed the draining effect of the undeadnds. He assumed the aura of the basilisk would be simr, perhaps an upgraded version of what the undead created.


    ''I should be safe as long as¡ª'' Sensing danger, Eldrian jumped to the side. Luckily, his instincts had been honed through all his battles. The basilisk''s tail would have impaled him if he had been a second slower.


    ''Shit, guess that is another problem the miasma creates. Im blind in here.'' While the miasma couldn''t do much damage to him, it limiting Eldrian''s vision was a massive downside. Naturally, Eldrian moved to escape.


    The basilisk, however, knew the advantage it had and pressed forward. Before Eldrian knew what was happening, he slipped. The ground below his feet turned to mud, a cone st of wind from behind blew him off bnce, and a tail wasing for his head.


    ''Wait, seriously?! That''s so unfair!'' Eldrianined in his heart. Cursing Ziraili for allowing the basilisk to use magic when she blocked even his magical sights from him.


    Without mana sense showing him the flow of mana, Eldrian was as blind as a mole. And the miasma added to his blindness even more.


    Now, pincered, Eldrian was forced to rely on the cruder application of Wrath.


    Tranquility would do little for him since he could hardly see a thing. Freezing his surroundings would only worsen things, and slowing the serpent didn''t seem usible in his current predicament. Eldrian needed time and sight to do so.


    Letting the fiery energy flowing through him explode outward, Eldrian hoped it would do some damage as he rode the shockwaves to safety. Channeling Tranquility to lessen the damage he would take from the situation.


    When the cloud of dust and miasma dispersed, he was disappointed to find the serpent unharmed. ''No, it was burned, but...'' Compared to what Eldrian expected from Wrath, the damage wasn''t worth mentioning.


    The snake''s tail was ckened, and some of its skin was gone. But that was it. The damage was skin-deep.


    Granted, Eldrian hadn''t concentrated the attack. His aim had been to escape. But this little amount of damage was throwing him for a loop.


    ''Is it the same case as its miasma to me?'' Eldrian wondered. ''Must be.'' Learning that other beings with auras would take less damage from auras was valuable. Even if it put Eldrian in an even worse situation currently.


    "Ziraili, I''m going to need a weapon," Eldrian said. To make his fights even more difficult, she blocked all his system functions while he was fighting.


    Eldrian had recently been having such an easy time in his fights that he no longer pulled Crystoi or the Tier 8 sword he had out before the fights.


    That wasing back to bite him.


    Granted, both weapons were just simple weapons in The Core. Their abilities were blocked too. Meaning he could only use them to strike or defend. But that was enough.


    Eldrian needed something to attack from a distance. Getting up close to the basilisk was near certain death. As he had just learned.

 Chapter 964 Eldrians Lessons (4) - Grasping Victory

    ?


    Ziraili did not leave Eldrian without an answer. Just after he asked for a weapon, she delivered. Right in the middle of the room.


    It was a normal spear, without any gems or fancy additions. It likely was made of something other than normal iron and wood, else it would be useless against Eldrian''s foe. But it was a spear of wood and metal. Kinds are unknown.


    And it was right there, for the taking. Only... there was one big something in the way. Granted, the basilisk wasn''t directly in Eldrian''s path. But if you drew a line from it to Eldrian, to the spear. It would make a rather narrow triangle.


    Facing the basilisk head-on had been tough, especially with Ziraili allowing it to use magic and preventing all his standard crutches. Eldrian just knew that letting the basilisk attack from the side or back would spell his end.


    It wouldn''t be the first time he died here, and he knew Ziraili made sure that the fights were safe. It was why, while he was making progress using his auras, his bloodline was still the same as ever. He never felt that impending sense of doom that allowed him to ess it.


    Yet, the fact that there was no real danger didn''t mean Eldrian wanted to lose. Ziraili made these challenges for him with regard to all his growth. Losing meant he was underperforming, not that the task was too hard.


    This lit a fire inside Eldrian. He racked his brain for a n while keeping his distance from the serpent. Luckily, it seemed wary after Eldrian''s escape andckluster counterattack.


    While the damage was minimal, that Eldrian could hurt it had made the serpent more wary.


    ''What if...'' Eldrian thought, seeing no way to reach the spear without engaging inbat barehanded and under-armed. ''What if I simply created a weapon?''


    This was such a simple idea that it would seem stupid to ignore. After all, magic allowed one to make massive fireballs, send des of wind at your enemy, and even form stairs (which Eldrian had done) out of ice.


    Forming a single weapon shouldn''t be that hard. Whether it would be good enough to serve its purpose, that was another question to ask.


    Still, this left Eldrian with an option. He knew how to make use of mana to create weapons. He would channel the element he wanted and guide the mana into the image in his head. Just like any other spell.


    Using his auras were simr. Yet, he had never before had the control required for something so intricate. Normally, he relied on simple¡ªgo boom, or go freeze¡ªimages.


    The difficulty of channeling an aura was far higher than channeling mana, and it had taken Eldrian a while to learn thetter. Requiring the crutch of a Magic Crystal to draw out his mana to let him learn¡ªthe painful way¡ªwhat mana felt like.


    Many yers, were still stuck on Tier 4 because they couldn''t master the step of sensing and channeling their mana.


    Auras were vastly more difficult to control. But in the past few weeks, Eldrian had more or less mastered Channeling them.


    His idea was simple, take it one step further. Instead of channeling it only within his body, channeled the aura into the image of a de. Create a spell fueled one hundred percent by his aura, Tranquility, most likely, since it was easier to control.


    With his mind set, Eldrian began. He kept the image in his head simple. A spear. No, one couldn''t even call it that. It was just a long piece of thin ice. Just thick enough to fit inside his hand.


    That simplicity helped greatly as Eldrian experienced the differences in controlling mana and lifeforce.


    Not letting it run wild was his top priority, and Tranquility was the calm one. He couldn''t imagine what a disaster it would have been if he tried to use Wrath. It was not easy, to say the least. But Tranquility had been the right call.


    It did not rage out of Eldrian''s control. Though he felt himself slipping into its corruption. But that was fine as long as he ended the fight before it could take over his thought process. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Readying his icicle spear, Eldrian charged. The time it had taken to actually form his weapon was not even a second, but he could already feel his mind slipping.


    As he charged, the spear froze the surrounding air. A mist formed around the two, wielder and spear. Causing crystallized snow of water (the first to form) then, carbon dioxide, and slowly all the other elements followed.


    The only reason Eldrian wasn''t freezing was because he was channeling Wrath. In fact, his hands were ame as he charged. Had he not done this, the cold would long since have immobilized him.


    Seeing the crazed elf, hands ame while his surroundings froze, charging it. The basilisk was struck with fear and awe. The former won out.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á- n?¦Íe|`c,0m It knew not what wasing, only that it looked dangerous.


    It turned and fled.


    This was the worse thing it could have done. Eldrian was already fighting to keep control. The basilisk running, whether out of fear or to buy time, had been the right call. If it could avoid Eldrian, he would soon either freeze or burn. Either way, it would win.


    In ast-ditch effort before all was lost, Eldrian conjured a new image in his head. The sight of the spear flying, piercing into, and exploding as it did. And with that, he threw his spear.


    Despite the mes Eldrian had channeled into his hands, he could feel his skin tear as he threw it. Throwing the spear off course.


    Time seemed to slow as it soared through the air. Sensing its death nearing, the basilisk made to dodge, but Eldrian was ready for that.


    Ignoring the pain his body was in, he sent a crude st of mes to stop its retreat. Preventing it from going the way it wanted.


    The fire deterred it enough to allow the spear tond. Though it was closer to a miss than a hit.


    Despite its massive frame, the basilisk was surprisingly nimble. Even with Eldrian preventing it from dodging, it had nearly recovered. Still, the spear had made contact. And that was enough.


    Eldrian''s image had been clear. As soon as the spear made contact, it exploded. Freezing everything in the surroundings.


    This being his first time, Eldrian had misjudged how much to throw into the explosion bit. As soon as this step happened, he was drained of energy. To channel the spear, and keep it in existence as it flew, Eldrian had opened the doorspletely.


    And his aura took that as an invitation to freeze everything.


    The drain as all his energy went into that attack left Eldrian unable to move. He watched helplessly as the frozen shockwave approached.


    It was about to swallow him, when a barrier appeared. Saving Eldrian, and only him. He watched on in wonder from inside as everything froze. The entire inside of the core turned into a frozen hellscape.


    "I''m surprised. I thought it would take a few more months before we cover weapon creation." Ziraili spoke, having appeared next to Eldrian while his attention had wandered on his surroundings.

 Chapter 965 Memory Lane

    ?


    As much as Eldrian wanted to ask what Ziraili meant, he was in no condition to do so. While he had suffered no injuries in the fight¡ªphysically¡ªthat did not mean he wasn''t tired and drained.


    By using Tranquility as he had, he had expended a vast amount of energy. Yes, this energy was the XP he had in excess. It did not touch on his soul world: The manifested world with form¡ªexcess XP is the void extended past the ''physical'' world within Eldrian''s soul.


    Having the excess lifeforce in the from of XP helped. It was like fat Eldrian could burn before needing to burn his own muscles. However, using it still put a drain on him.


    While he might have the energy to burn, that didn''t mean he could use it without repercussions. This tired state of his was the cost of overly drawing on a power he had yet to learn full control of.


    Before, this point would have him inplete loss of control or unconscious, but that he was still awake and conscious was a clear indication of his growth.


    His current state was simr, perhaps, to magical fatigue. Something Eldrian had long since outgrown, and now only rarely showed itself if he pushed himself too far for too long.


    "Rest. We will talk moreter." Ziraili said, and the next thing Eldrianknew, he was awake on Earth. Still as groggy as before. The cabin roof weed him with its soft lighting to simte the mind.


    While Eldrian had some serious questions about her sending him back here, he was too tired toplete his thoughts.


    So, he climbed out of the cabin (the one they had ordered had arrived around two weeks ago¡ªdespite Eldrian''sints, he was using it) and into bed.


    ¡ª


    "Is he doing alright?" Nikki asked.


    The group of friends had been slowly moving to make their guild and their y in ANW their work. While they still had their jobs as fallbacks, they were spending more and more time in the warehouse they had bought.


    Currently, two of them were there, Erik and Nikki¡ªand not online in ANW. They were resting after a long day of fighting, or in Erik''s case, healing. With reinforcements from Phallos scheduled to arrive, the north had to be cleared.


    As a result, the kingdom sent all their spare soldiers to fight back the monsters who came from the Chaos Lands. The yers had all joined in on the quest. Taking many minor quests to further their XP and money gains.


    As for the warehouse they were in, it was starting to look like a type of remodeled open-n house.


    For now, they only had one cabin¡ªdue to how expensive they were. Not to mention how difficult it was to buy one; they flew off the metaphorical shelves faster than they could be made.


    Still, it was getting there. They hadn''t installed walls yet; outside of the walls for Eldrian''s privacy, his bed was surrounded by makeshift walls, and there was a bathroom that obviously had walls. But their rest was all in more or less the same room.


    A ce with tables forptops (or PCs); after all, ANW wasn''t their entire world, unlike Eldrian''s case.


    They enjoyed the asional other game, enjoyed watching series and anime, and also sometimes just wanted to surf the web. There was also a lounge area, where they were currently watching a show together.


    Now, of course, this ce wasn''t equally close for everyone. Zyviss had the longestmute if he wanted to visit. And, for now, only the core members of the guild knew of the warehouse.


    The n was to, at some point, make it an actual office. For now, as they shifted from having ANW be a game they y to their jobs, it was more of a second house for them all. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Who knows? You know how he is." Came the obvious reply from Erik. "He doesn''t share much. Not that I can me him."


    Most of what Eldrian had to share was simply not something the others could follow. When he talked of magic, they could somewhat continue the conversation. But if Eldrian talked about things beyond that, they just didn''t get it.


    Erik tried his best, but it was just like when he was trying to understand Akarui''s struggles. Since he didn''t have the same experiences, he simply couldn''t.


    There was a massive difference between knowing and understanding. A chasm that separated them.


    It was a sad reality that he had to ept, and in both situations, he tried his best to amodate the other. For Akarui, he tried to be a foster parent, and for Eldrian, a friend who was always wee to listen¡ªshould he ever open up.


    "But is he doing okay?" Nikki followed up.


    Recently, Eldrian had been living a seemingly more healthy lifestyle. The cabin was also designed with the knowledge of extended gamey. It had various functions to ensure its upant''s health for extended sessions.


    Sure, it wasn''t healthy to fully rely on it, but it was better than the headsets. In fact, normal headsets disconnected yers due to health risks after a time period of 16 hours.


    Only Eldrian''s, perhaps not only his but only he, ording to their knowledge, could extend past that limitation.


    Originally it hadn''t been because of Eldrian''s affinity or anything. But Miracle themselves having altered his gaming limitations while he was working for them. Their aim had been to give Eldrian more time; and let him find himself in more desperate situations.


    Their hope had been simple, that he would do something which would give them some better insight. And it had worked.


    But they could do it only because they had been ready to give Eldrian medical care when he entered extended sessions. Normal yers couldn''t be allowed such a luxury. As terrible as a forced log-out could be, it was better than suffering some sort of otherplication from gaming.


    Once the cabins were designed, Eldrian had been shifted onto them. In fact, he had been the first to test their prototype. And even with a cabin, yers couldn''t y indefinitely. The soft limit was two days, and the hard limit was three. And only once per week was that allowed.


    It wasn''t supposed to rece your need for food and all other life necessities. But to give you some more time to y with when the situation demanded it.


    "Physically, he is fine. As baffling as it is. His body shouldn''t be doing as good as it is considering all he''s been through." While Erik hadn''t gone to med school as he had once nned, but he was learning so, so much.


    When he had time, and the energy, he studied online. When he was in ANW, he studied under Alicorns. With the situation calmed, Zamia was helping Akarui, and guiding Erik while she had time.


    Agamemas was instead readying the others for war. They were not happy with being invaded.


    Back to Eldrian, considering all he''s been through and his abandonment of his physical body to stay longer on ANW (even before the cabin and without a headset). Honestly, he should have been skin and bones.


    That he still looked like an athlete was baffling to Erik. His only conclusion is it had to be because of magic. How, he had no idea.

 Chapter 966 Memory Lane (2)

    ?


    While Eldrian''s condition was baffling, the more concerning news was what Miracle had recently been up to.


    With the third tournament around the corner, they had announced that it would be one to remember. Giving little teasers of information about how they have been working on trying to bring magic to the world. And they were seeing sess.


    This, naturally, ignited conversations about Eldrian''s appearance in thest tournament. Which had thrown everything into chaos. Naturally, everyone also reconsidered what Eldrian had said, and the entire interaction he had had with Zaprheal.


    People were watching the recordings of their fight and the negotiations beforehand. Wondering why, if Eldrian had spoken the truth, Miracle had wanted to deny it.


    Many had thought him a lunatic when he said magic existed. And Miracle''s follow-up had made them ignore what he had said. Sure, a few ten thousand had tried to follow up, but nothing much came of it since Eldrian didn''t share more information.


    Though he had shared plenty of information on how to better use magic.


    The reason for Miracle''s actions were quite simple. They wanted to control the flow of information. The contract Eldrian had signed had ensured just this.


    They didn''t want people to know that magic already existed. They wanted to make it seem like they had discovered and brought it to the world.


    They wove it quite nicely with all the other interviews they had done since ANW''s release. Now almost four years ago.


    To those who knew the truth, everything wasughable. More than that, it was concerning. They knew it had to be why Eldrian was pushing himself so hard, but they didn''t know why.


    Eldrian hadn''t shared all that Ziraili had told him with the others. He felt it would needlessly worry them.


    Perhaps it would be better if he told them everything. Sadly, none of his friends showed the same inclination for magic as he did. Ilmadia was the closest to mastering control over her mana.


    Heck, she had even found a new way to control it and form magic. Yet, she couldn''t weave mana effortlessly. Even now, she needed a medium through which to do so. Be this a spell module, song, or rune.


    Eldrian understood why, too. Magic was not something that people were naturally attuned to use. At least not for those born on Earth. The natives of ANW were modified to be more attuned to magic.


    They were humans (or demi-humans and others), but the humans were not the same humans as could be found on Earth.


    Now, some people on Earth were exceptions. The families who had founded Miracle made up the majority of them on Earth, but there were the asional magicians and heroic warriors. People who awoke a dormant ability to feel the flow of mana within them.


    Eldrian was an exception for two simple reasons:


    One, he used a Magic Crystal to learn how to control his mana. That he did this so early made the process easier, he had no bad habits that could lead him astray. Though he did have his own fair share of bad habits in other regards.


    The second reason was the damage he had sustained to his soul. This, along with his awakening through the use of Magic Crystals, had allowed him to gain ess to the Magic Abyss. A feat that normally required mages to reach Tier 7 before they could even attempt it.


    From there, he gained a further affinity with magic as he learned to freely ess his soul. And this was the key difference.


    At this point, Eldrian could now channel his auras. He finally had control. However, even before the improvements he had made in thest month, Eldrian had ess to lifeforce.


    Sure, he couldn''t ess it directly. And when he tried to force the issue, things went terrible. Still, simply having ess to it allowed him to control mana with ease, which was unique.


    His control of mana far surpassed even those from Miracle. They, however, had better control of their bloodline abilities.


    At least, that had been the case when Eldrian had fought Zaphreal in thest tournament. Should they fight now, the oue might bepletely different.


    ''Should I tell them?'' Eldrian asked himself.


    While he had gone to his bed, he hadn''t fallen asleep. After hearing Nikki and Erik talk, he had to listen to hear what they thought of him. Such was human nature. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Honestly, Eldrian asked himself this question every day. It wasn''t fun keeping everyone in the dark. But since no one had the experience needed to be capable of helping, he didn''t want to burden them with an unsolvable problem.


    And there was no way he would ask them to face situations that would damage their souls. The possibility of dying was too high. Not to mention the pain that it was associated with.


    Without the mutation that came with that damage, his friends would forever be a step behind.


    ''No, it is better I shoulder this alone.'' Eldrian concluded, once again. Like he had every day, he asked the question. And with that, he drifted off to sleep.


    ¡ª


    "Do you think he will ever open up to us?" Nikki asked after a while of silence. Long enough for Eldrian''s exhaustion to catch up to him.


    "I don''t think so," Erik said, exining his difficulty in understanding Akarui''s struggles. "Even if he tells us, we might not understand. We might not be able to help, either."


    "Still, we can help give him some advice."


    "Do you think we can?" Erik asked.


    Eldrian had at least told them of his training with Ziraili. And Erik doubted they could give Eldrian advice that would surpass that of an actual goddess.


    Whatever they might offer up will be limited by theirck of experience and understanding.


    They might be able to understand Eldrian''s struggles better than Ziraili, but that would only allow Eldrian to vent. And if he had wanted to do that, he would have.


    "Ugh! This is so frustrating."


    "The best we can do is make sure the kingdom is doing fine," Erik said, shifting the topic. "What is our n for when the roads are built?"


    Currently, the yers were being given missions to clean paths through the Chaos Lands.


    Naturally, soldiers were also assigned to this task. Though, the soldiers were focusing more on clearing the invading armies that were wandering into the kingdom from the Chaos Lands.


    "The others have been talking of controlling another fort. With the new update, it''s gotten easier to do. And it would also help during construction since the system can build it quickly."


    The guild recently reached level 6, which meant they now officially unlocked the settlement development functions. The member limit jumped from 5k to 10k; they could also include NPCs in their guild now, up to a thousand.


    Naturally, since NPCs were natives of ANW and actual people, it wasn''t as simple as sending a recruiting event and getting recruits. Getting anyone to apply required the guild to have made a name for itself.


    The guild had to be reputable and deemed stable. Simply put, if a lot of people died, no one would want to join the guild.


    yers dying was fine; after all, they revived. NPCs dying, however, was permanent.


    Sure, there was resurrection magic, but it had so many restrictions that it often couldn''t be put to good use. Not to mention that any soul attacks would basically disable resurrections.


    Also, the guild now received 50 gold per month. Which, with the current exchange rate, was about a thousand dors. Not much, but it was enough to pay for the electricity, food, and other necessities for the warehouse and Eldrian.


    He had gotten too used to stealing. The fact that he used magic casually to pocket whatever he needed had made the others aghast.


    While they understood the necessity and reason he did so, that he had thought it normal after living on the run for so long had been deeply troubling to the group.

 Chapter 967 Akaruis Training

    ?


    In a rather spacious cavern, illuminated by the soft blue glow of the Ice Lilies, Akarui was following Zamia''s instructions as best she could.


    "Wonderfully done, but we need to take it a step further." The Alicorn said, currently in her elven form, and beside her floated a small translucent fairy.


    After the attack, Nerenth had decided to stay a while. Wishing to offer all the assistance she could to her home.


    Her real body, a massive tree, was safe in a forest in one of the five Tier 1 kingdoms. Shortly after she had met Erik and Akarui, the kingdom of Vruntis had copsed. Staying there had no longer been an option.


    Luckily, as a Treant, she could move¡ªdespite being a tree.


    Sure, her speed was, at best, that of a human walking or jogging (if she pushed herself). But she didn''t need to rest. She could walk day and night without end, allowing her to cross distances surprisingly quickly.


    And she could use teleportation magic¡ªif the situation called for it. Though it was far more expensive for her to teleport than it was for smaller creatures. The cost of teleportation scaled with distance and mass.


    Ficel had gone to a different kingdom, he had wished to offer help to the local animals. Nerenth hadn''t stopped him, she understood that everyone had to find their own paths in life.


    They had met by chance, and they would hopefully meet againter in life.


    Helping her home wasn''t her only goal; Nerenth was also curious about Erik and Akarui. The Dryad Chosen, who had received a blessing from his charge, an Eri Fysii. A beloved of nature.


    Simply put, Akarui''s power was rted to nature. Typical, this was seen as rting to nts and their growth. However, since she was the higher grade, not a simple Fysii (one with nature) but an Eri Fysii (beloved of nature) her control could extend to all living things.


    This was how Erik had gained his own hidden ss. However, despite having one, his powers were vastly different from Eldrian''s. It could not change the tides of a battle, and it also didn''t present any danger of him losing control.


    It simply helped him with nature magic and when brewing potions. He understood what nts to use, and when cultivating them, he could listen to their requests (to some extent). Since he was a dryad, this was further enhanced by his racial traits.


    His talent in this was still far more limited than Akarui''s. Honestly, Erik considered his hidden ss a simple boost to his nature elemental magics. He relied on Akarui''s advice instead of his own when it came to cultivating and using unknown nts.


    The difference between them was, Erik had to actively try to understand what the nts wanted and could offer, and even then, he could misunderstand. Whereas Akarui knew by heart what was best for the nt.


    As a result, while Erik had once been massively excited when he had received the hidden ss, he now didn''t think much of it. The stat boost was nice, but since he avoided battles, it didn''t mean much to him.


    Still, the fact remained that he would excel with all things nt-rted should he find the time to train. However, to Nerenth''s disappointment, he had gone to aid the kingdom of Taurus and his fellow Chosen.


    As much as he hated fighting, he couldn''t stay behind and do nothing when he knew a war happening right next door. She understood this; as sad as it was to miss the opportunity.


    Nerenth knew there would be more chances to teach the boy. She had also confirmed that he still had the fruit of life she had gifted him. They would use it to make a special drink for Akarui once her training was done.


    A tonic that would help her body evolve to contain the power she was born with.


    Having been left in Zamia''s care, the little girl was showing her talents. In her hand, she held an immacte Ice Lily.


    "How do I take it further?" The little girl asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked from flower to fairy to elf.


    The flower she had in her hand hade from nothing. Well, technically, not nothing. Akarui had wielded her powers to draw on the energy and guidance of the surrounding lilies and then formed it from mana.


    It was no simple illusion or conjuration. The flower in her hand was as real as all the others covering the cavern walls. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Making the flower is a wonderful step," Zamia said.


    Naturally, it had taken a lot of training for Akarui to get to this point. She had started by enhancing the growth of the lilies, thenmanded their movement by making them do little dances. Then she had learned how to grow them from seed. And now, she had learned how to form a flower from the very air.


    "But, the flower is just one part of the lily. As it is now, it will wilt as soon as you stop supplying it with your mana." The beauty of Akarui''s powers was that it wasn''t lifeforce or mana. It was both.


    Lifeforce to link with the flowers, simr in ways to the mental links the Alicorns use tomunicate with one another.


    Then, after linking with the nts, she used mana to bring forth the effect she wanted. She never needed to wield lifeforce alone. Akarui didn''t even know she was using it, she didn''t even know what lifeforce was.


    She was simply trying to talk with the nts, and they opened their hearts (souls) to her.


    Looking at the flower, Akarui frowned. She didn''t want it to wilt. Not without at least serving some purpose.


    Akarui would have loved to give the flower to Erik, but he was not here. Which meant she had to preserve the flower.


    She could continue to feed it her mana. It didn''t take much to keep the flower alive. Only a fraction of what had been needed to make it. But she still had more training to do.


    Knowing just what she had to do, Akarui closed her eyes and reached out to the other lilies. Asking for their help.


    They answered, joyfully so. A song of sorts filled Akarui''s mind, a song she let flow through her to guide her mana.


    When she opened her hands, what appeared in her hand was no longer the flower of an Ice Lily, but the entire nt. From root to stem to leaves and finally to the flower.


    "Amazing," Nerenth eximed.


    Getting to this point had taken them a few weeks. However, Akarui hadpleted thest step without any hassle.


    Seeing her weaving of mana had been sublime. Nerenth doubted she could do better herself. Even when forming something that would be part of her own body.


    Zamia, too, was stunned. She had expected Akarui to take a few days to master this. That expectation had quickly been dashed as the girl created an entire flower, stem and all, in just a few minutes.


    Had this been a simple rose or a normal lily, Zamia wouldn''t be too shocked. However, this was an Ice Lily. An extremely rare and precious flower.


    Even if that had been perhaps a Trainta Roz or Burning Thress, or any other magical nt, Zamia wouldn''t have been so shocked.


    But this was an Ice Lily they were talking about. Yes, Akarui had always been able to enhance their growth as easily as if they were normal nts. But manifesting them from mana, that shouldn''t be this easy.


    ''Luckily, we do not need to fear this news getting out. And I know Erik would never misuse her power.'' Zamia thought. The thought of someone with a greedy heart setting their sights on Akarui had caused her to shiver.


    However, in the current condition of the world, she doubted anyone would be able to notice a girl ying with flowers. Even if they saw her make a flower appear from thin air, it would be normal to think it came from a dimensional storage.


    As such, Zamia didn''t think she needed to warn Akarui too much. She still told her to not show anyone she didn''t trust what she could do.

 Chapter 968 Rescuing Failed Quest-Takers

    ?


    A group of about thirty yers was currently running for their lives. Having massively underestimated the target of their quest. The party had originally been a raid party of about a hundred yers.


    Now, thirty were left, and still dropping.


    Their task had been to eliminate one of the nearby orc encampments. Sadly for them, the information on the quest had been wrong. This wasn''t anything new... for those who had been in the kingdom for a while.


    But they had only arrived a few days ago; all the previous quests they had taken had been perfectly aligned with the information surrounding them.


    Unlike what the quest had said, it wasn''t a weak tribe at all. Sure, none of the orcs was too high Tier, but there was a Shaman and Chieftain.


    They had expected some discrepancy; they had read about it. But they hadn''t expected this.


    The shaman had summoned a barrier to cancel out their magic as soon as the battle started, and the chieftain had protected it.


    Its sturdy body took arrows and spells like they were nothing, hardly piercing its tough skin when they didn''t bounce off its armor. And it crushed anyone who approached it with its massive war-axe.


    These survivors were now cursing their bad luck. But more than that, it was theirck of caution that had caused them to fall into this situation. As was the lot for newbies. They had to learn by paying the appropriate cost.


    Sure, these yers were all Tier 4 or 5, but they weren''t used to the situation on the front lines. They were part of the new arrivals from the empire, the Second Wave, as the other yers hade to call them.


    They were somete bloomers and yers who hadn''t wanted tomit to a single kingdom previously. They came this time since the empire had promised to pay for their teleportation costs here and back.


    There were some rules around it, but even if they couldn''t finish their assigned quest, they could return to the empire. Which had effectively be their homes.


    With that fact alleviating their worries, many more had decided to join this time around as reinforcements. Hoping for glory.


    Taurus, of course, wasn''t the only kingdom receiving reinforcements. Though, this time around, the empire was concentrating its forces into a select few kingdoms. Kingdoms that were to act as the base of operations for the offensive they were nning.


    "How are they so fast?!" One of the yers shouted, a girl with light green patterns on her darker green skin. She was a dryad, and her preferred weapon was a bow. However, she couldn''t find the time to take aim. The orcs were right on their heels.


    She hadn''t even had time to store her bow away¡ªtoo much in shock at how fast things had gone south.


    Other than the chieftain, the camp had been filled with orc Warriors. Not your standard orc. And most of them were elite, on top of that.


    Each one was stronger, faster, and more experienced than the standard orc. And the group was learning just how fearsome orcs could be. Their resilience was something truly dangerous if underestimated.


    They were learning, as more of them died while running¡ªthat these orcs could not, and should not, bepared to those that could be found in the empire''s borders. Those orcs were almost like domesticated animals.


    They lived, but only because the empire had deemed their lives useful for training the next generation of soldiers and adventurers. Their numbers were often culled, and they were never allowed to evolve.


    They existed only to give the newbies some experience in fighting. They were not meant to be the final step in training, but rather one rather near the first. Just after learning how to wield your weapon properly.


    This group had thought that had been the final step in their training. They had thought themselves prepared. And they were now paying the price. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Argh!" A shout right next to her caused the girl to miss her step. Causing her to stumble on the uneven ground. She managed to stay standing, but she was slowed enough for a spear to reach her.


    She gritted her teeth as the pain of the blow flew through her mind. Sure, the pain was scaled down, but she didn''t like injections. And this felt like a massive injection the size of, well... a spear.


    No one stopped to help her. She would revive in half an hour; why would they?


    However, before she could die, the orc¡ªwho had pulled its spear back to finish her¡ªsuddenly fell to the ground. An arrow piercing its skull.


    Her savior was a ranger, but not just any random ranger. She knew him. At least she knew of him. She had seen him fight in the first tournament.


    Though he and the others from their guild hadn''t participated in the second. They were still rather famous as one of the highest leveled guilds in the entire game. They had recently even reached level 6. Making them, in fact, the highest level guild in the entire game.


    "You alright?" Her savior asked, firing arrow after arrow. Seemingly quite rxed and casual about the situation. Something which her mind struggled toprehend.


    Unlike when she had used her bow, his arrows didn''t just injure the orcs. They outright killed most. Even when the orcs dodged, the arrows followed their movements. As if guided by a string.


    She knew he was using the skill Guiding Arrow, but using it so easily was impressive. She could fire five arrows with the skill active at most. Three when in actualbat.


    "I-I''ll be fine." She said, summoning a potion and downing it. The pain faded, though her shoulder still burned and ached.


    The potion would stop her bleeding and recover her HP, but the wound needed some more tending to. Ideally, a healer. Though a salve and more potions would do, too.


    Sadly, their group had no healers left. Healers were typically slow, and the orcs had targeted them right at the start of the fight. Ignoring even the mages as they rushed past the fighters to get at them.


    Their sheer determination to bring down the healers had been shocking.


    "You''re group is in a bad state. You part of the Second Wave?" Zyviss asked.


    Unlike the First Wave, which had numbered just a few thousand, this time''s reinforcements numbered about twenty thousand. Taurus finally had a decently sized number of undying soldiers¡ªjust shy of thirty thousand. Sadly, the majority were like this. But they had about 5k veteran yers now.


    "Ye-yeah, I guess." She replied, turning to look at the terrifying orcs. Shocked to find that they were all dead. An arrow having imed their lives, or a massive greatsword. Many were even cut in half. The sight was surreal and stomach-churning.


    "She doing fine?" A woman called out.


    Her attire was, to be curt, risque. She wore bikini armor. Really, it could hardly be called armor. It looked more like metallic swimwear. The only real armor on her body was that on her arms and legs. All painted red in blood.


    "Yeah, trying to figure out how they ended up like this," Zyviss replied, looking at Judith and then back at the dryad yer. Shrugging, he said, "She''s cosying as a barbarian."


    Nodding, though still shocked that she could walk around like that, the girl asked how they knew that they needed help.

 Chapter 969 Guiding The Failed Quest-Takers

    ?


    "Did none of you unlock the new system features?" Zyviss asked in exasperation. That also exined their situation.


    Ever since the new update, almost no yer was caught off guard by their quests.


    Before, quests of uncertainty were given to yers due to the fact that they could revive. Now, however, it was because of their map Search function.


    In fact, the quests left to yerscked far more information than before. There was a notice on such quests, but it was easy to miss. It was kind of like the terms and conditions of contracts that most people epted without reading.


    But everyone understood this. Well, everyone who was used to the situation understood this fact and knew to be cautious. The Second Wave yers were a mixed bunch.


    Some were cautious, having prepared by going through the forums and asking for advice.


    Others, like this group, thought such yers were being overly cautious cowards. They believed they would be able to handle any situation that might arise.


    Their situation spoke for itself.


    They did not pick up the Search function despite its usefulness. As a result, they couldn''t scope out the details of the encampment from a safe distance and got caught with their pants down.


    What should have happened is: they should have noticed the orc Warriors, Shaman, and Cheiftain and reported as much to the guild.


    This wouldn''t have counted as failing a quest, but rather as seeding in scouting out more details. The full reward wouldn''t have been awarded to them, but they would have been paid for the update of information.


    Sadly, they had gone and attacked the encampment. Meaning that the orcs were likely to expect another attack. Most likely, they would move. Even if the group delivered the information to the guild, it was still going to count as a failure.


    To avoid this very situation, most yers had unlocked the basic Search function. At the very least, one yer per party had the function unlocked. Because, granted, it was expensive.


    It cost a lot: 50 gold and 50M XP.


    But it was too worth it to be cheap.


    The XP cost meant you had to be above level 25 to afford it. The gold cost meant it was as expensive as the top-quality Tier 3, or low-quality Tier 4 magical items.


    The truth was, it was incredibly expensive for normal yers. Yet, even so, one couldn''t not unlock the Search function. Not only would it save you many deaths, it would also allow you to work as a scout for minimal risk.


    Sure, the job of scouting was boring. But it was the best way to make cash fast. And the higher your Search function, the quicker you could work as one.


    Still, it was true that it was expensive. Incredibly so. It would requirepleting ten to thirty C-ranked quests to recuperate the gold cost. And over thirty C-Ranked quests for the XP cost. And depending on your level, one B-Ranked, or multiple.


    That meant weeks of grinding, perhaps months. And, if you were lucky and got a B-Ranked quest, chances were you wouldn''t be able to do it on your own.


    Most yers struggled toplete C-Ranked quests with a goodpletion rate. And the worse yourpletion rate, the less likely you were to get high-ranked quests.


    This group had likely thought it was better to get another magical item rather than the Search function.


    Which, ording to their thoughts, had probably made sense. Increasing their own strength was more likely to allow them to make more cash than unlocking some system function. They hadn''t expected the quest information to be this wrong.


    Not to mention they didn''t need to lose any levels if no one unlocked the function. Since most of them were around level 30, it would have only cost them 1 or 2 levels.


    But they had been cheap, and now most had lost four levels from dying. (The update had also updated death penalties ording to Tier, instead of level total)


    Again, their situations spoke for itself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I don''t know what to say," Zyviss said with a sigh. Deciding to distract himself by healing her shoulder. He moved to her back, ced his hand above the wound, and cast the basic healingbo.


    "Therapevo." He chanted, soothing energy flowing into the dryad''s shoulder. Followed by "Anthisi," supplying her with some energy to help her recover from the fatigue the situation was sure to have ced her in.


    Unlike Eldrian, he couldn''t guide the energies. And unlike Erik, he hadn''t learned specialized spells. But this was enough for battle healing.


    All Zyviss wanted from his magic was to buy time till true healers coulde and save whoever he was healing. Or to heal himself when he is in a rough situation.


    "Y-you can cast magic too?" She asked in shock.


    Hearing her ask such an obvious question, Zyviss nearly facepalmed. Keeping a straight face, he answered, "Of course. I''m not as good as those who focus on mastering magic or healing. But I can patch up a wound or two."


    Now, despite saying this, the number of yers who have mastered two sses was rare. Not to mention three. But Zyviss had Eldrian topare himself against. No matter what, he felt he always fell short.


    Even without Eldrian; Elizabeth was a beacon of what faith spells should look like, Erik a beacon of a true healer, and Ilmadia a beacon of a more ''standard'' mage.


    His healing had closed her wound. Though it wasn''t perfect and would scar. But that wasn''t a problem. The scar would disappear once she had died and revived.


    "That''s amazing." She said, realizing she hadn''t introduced herself. She panicked. "A-ah! R-right! I''m Evel¡ª Euthemilia!" In her shocked state, she almost bbed her IRL name instead of her in-game handle.


    "Zyviss." Returning the greeting, Zyviss turned his attention to the other groaning yers. Judith was healing some, but there were too many for her to get to everyone.


    "Right, you seem fine. I''m going to go ahead and heal the others now." Saying as much, he moved to rescue those who were about to die.


    He only helped those who he could save with some magic. Unwilling to use potions on these yers. Zyviss considered their deaths a necessary evil.


    The potions he and Judith had on hand were all high-grade meant to be used in battle on NPCs. yers were destined to die to save as many NPCs as possible.


    Around ten minutester, only ten yers were left alive. "You can follow us, or take your chances in the wild."


    "W-where are you going?" One of the survivors asked. Still stunned that these two had in over forty orc Warriors.


    "Our encampment."


    "Is it nearby?" The same survivor asked. His race was some type of elf; what type, Zyviss couldn''t tell. And he couldn''t be bothered to inspect these yers'' stats.


    "Yeah, that was how we noticed you guys being chased." Honestly, the encampment was about 10 kilometers out. So it wasn''t really close. But to Judith and Zyviss, that distance was nothing.


    Their agility hadn''t broken the thousand ceiling like Eldrian''s, but Judith had around 350 agility and Zyviss just over 400. At their full speed, it took them just over ten minutes of running.


    They didn''t expect the group to follow at such a pace, but they still made it back in under half an hour.


    The group of survivors were bbergasted by the sight that weed them.


    "Wh¡ªwhat?"


    "How?"


    "Is this real?"

 Chapter 970 Camp Phoenix (1)

    ?


    The sight weing the failed quest-takers was that of a military encampment. Due to theck of wood in the Chaos Lands, the yers needed to hoard wood from afar. As a result, the fence was made from stone.


    Spells had been used to modify the ground to form the perimeter. This process had been tedious.


    Only Tier 5 spells and above could aplish the required end result in one go. Other mages had needed to use several different spells. Shape, form, harden, repair. Depending on the earth''s quality, failure was often their friend.


    However, they persevered. The sight before the failed quest-takers was the result of theirbors. Earthen spikes before a narrow wall, with towers spaced equally around the encampment.


    Separating the yers and the wall was a ditch with anotheryer¡ªno, severalyers of spikes preventing them from simply rushing headlong towards the camp.


    With guarding yers watching from the towers, it gave them the feeling of having stumbled upon a military camp in the middle of nowhere.


    "What is this?" Euthemilia asked Zyviss.


    "Our base," He replied shortly. Waving at the yers on the wall. Who nodded and returned the wave. After which, a section of the wall split open.


    "What the?" The rescued yers murmured. The gate formed a seamless part of the wall. Until it opened, it had been impossible to notice it. And to reach it, one had to walk in a zig-zag formation between the spikes and ditches.


    "Is it really necessary to be so cautious?" One of the survivors asked. Seemingly not having learned their lesson.


    "Of course. We are attacked at least twice each day." Judith was the one to reply, and the look of scorn she gave the yer, who had asked, made everyone else keep their questions to themselves.


    The inside of the camp was even more impressive. The camp was ratherrge, but most of it was bare. With only asional bunker-like constructions dotting thend. Only in the center were there a number of tents.


    Enough to house a few hundred yers, half a thousand at most. Of course, this was with them settling in like sardines. Personal rooms did not exist here. At most, tents were separted on gender.


    "Do the monsters often break through the walls?" Someone asked.


    "It hasn''t happened yet, but we know it is best to be safe, rather than sorry." It was not Zyviss or Judith who answered, but Elizabeth. "You guys go prepare. Seems the camp they attacked ising at us."


    Hearing this, the yers paled. Some from fear, others from embarrassment and worry.


    "That all?" Judith asked, as if bored. If she ounted for the orcs they had killed, that camp couldn''t have more than a hundred members left.


    "There is also a retreating horde heading towards us. We are going to be attacked from both sides, expect about four thousand monsters. The orcs should arrive after the horde."


    That number made the survivors turn as white as sheets. Judith, however,ughed with glee. "Hah! Seems I can get in some proper exercise this time."


    "Remember the n. We have them to minimize losses." Elizabeth chastised, but the barbarian cosyer was already heading towards the walls. Noticing this, Elizabeth sighed.


    "Right, I am going to ask you all to stay in the center of the camp. Do not leave your assigned area until the situation calms down."


    ¡ª


    "What do you think?" Judith asked Paw, one of the Dragonoid yers, who had just returned from scouting. "Do we need to bring out the cannons?"


    "They''re a mixed bunch. Lots of Tarii, Wolfbeasts, Direwolves, Yania, and some Harpies. Also noticed some Tikbng."


    "That isn''t too bad. Didn''t they have a leader?" Judith asked.


    "Didn''t seem like. There were some orcs and goblins, but they were the minority."


    "Thanks. Seems like they won''t be too difficult." Judith said, while thinking, ''I can let loose! Hell yeah!''


    "True. We''ll take care of the harpies, so you guys just focus on fighting the ground units."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While it had taken a long, long, time. Most of the Dragonoid yers had finally learned how to fly. Sadly, it wasn''t as simple as pping their wings. Their wings were too small to ever produce the lift needed to fly.


    They needed to add magic to the equation, and the simplest flight spells were technically Tier 5, but normally needed someone to be Tier 6 to master. Luckily, they had wings. They didn''t need to learn how to bnce with magic alone.


    Instead, they had used the spells to produce more lift and then took a few days of trial and error to learn how to use their wings for flight.


    As a result, the guild had around 50 airborne scouts now. Which was immensely useful for getting direct feedback on situations. The map Search function was great, but a picture or video of the enemy could mean so much more.


    Not to mention, they could share that with HQ during the fight!


    This allowed them to observe the enemy''s discipline, how their army was structured, how they mingled, how they reacted, and much more.


    The Search function could give simr results, but there was a difference between looking at numbers and individuals.


    ¡ª


    The fighting started around an hourter. The yers stationed in the camp had been moving about this entire time, busy getting everything ready.


    The first thing the rescued quest takers heard was the plentitude of explosions. Followed by the bellowing of orders, the sounds of spells being chanted,unched, and exploding; and finally, the sounds of battle.


    There was a clear order to it all.


    ¡ª


    From one of the towers, Elizabeth watched as the horde from the south advanced. Roughly four thousand monsters. It didn''t sound like much, all things considered. However, this camp of theirs only had two hundred active defenders.


    Most of the yers were out doing their own or guild quests. The camp functioned as a ry, but it had to be defended. Thus the two hundred defenders.


    Since there were no NPCs here, losing was an eptable oue. However, none of the yers here wanted to see thate to be.


    They had spent days working to construct it. And sure, it wasn''t perfect, but it had survived a full week now. No way in hell they were going to let it be destroyed without a fight.


    "Let''s see how everyone''s runic mines areing alone," Elizabeth mumbled with a smile as the horde entered the minefield.


    Explosions sprang up from all over. And while a good majority were simple fiery explosions, there was some variety to the mines. A few exploded with ice, some sent rocks flying like shrapnel, and some more sent gusts of wind.


    Thest might sound quite stupid, but it was there to add to the confusion. The sts from the gust mines were strong enough to send the normal direwolf flying ten meters. Activating all the mines along its path.


    The best part of these mines¡ªthey didn''t cost a thing. Sure, it took the defenders a few hours every day to reinstall them. But they showed their worth in every battle.


    Sadly, they onlysted a few hours to a few days, depending on their creator''s skill and the mana supplied into the runic formation.


    They could also be easily deactivated by a skilled magician. In fact, their purpose was to identify such individuals. Since the horde was being decimated, it was clear they had no magician within their ranks.


    When the monsters made it through the densest portion of the minefield, they were weed by arrows and spells. Further cutting down on their numbers, and when they reached the first line of spikes, they were cut down by the yers hiding in the ditches.


    Spears and swords tore through the monsters who tried to jump the spikes, and those behind, caught by surprise, failed to stop in time. Ending empaled on the spikes they had thought they would jump.


    To the surprise of the monsters who tried to jump, the ground beneath their feed had be quicksand.


    Still, the horde pressed on. Numbers now halved.

 Chapter 971 Camp Phoenix (2) - Judith

    ?


    Poking at the monsters from behind a wall of spikes was terribly boring. There was no thrill, no challenge. Naturally, Judith had no n to follow their terribly boring n¡ªfalling back to the walls, as it always was.


    Sure, it reduced the number of deaths. But dying hardly mattered. As long as you didn''t go into the negative with your free attributes, everything was fine.


    Take a few quests and pronto, you got your levels back. Thinking that only the most elite of yers could hold. Most yers couldn''tplete B-Ranked quests and higher with any semnce of regrity.


    Besides, the free attributes gained from leveling were minuscule. At best, they could be used to push you over the edge to equip a slightly better weapon. There was no reason to hoard levels.


    Due to these reasons, Judith didn''t stay in her assigned location. No, she charged out of the ditch, around the spikes, and into the horde. Greatsword flying.


    Behind her, twenty yers followed¡ªwhile others sighed. This happened each time a fight urred.


    "Focus on supporting them!" Someone shouted from the walls, probably Zyviss or Nikki. ''No, Nikki wasn''t in the camp, so maybeElizabeth.'' Judith thought, a wicked grin on her face as she swung her sword.


    This, this right here was why she yed. Letting loose. Letting everything go and just going crazy. It was so, so very fun. Like a true barbarian, she let herself be consumed in the battle.


    Dodge, strike, smile, block.


    Entering a trance, she woke covered in blood and in the middle of a bloody field of gore. A sight that would send normal people running or puking, she insteadughed.


    Completely ignoring the bleeding wounds covering her body¡ªhidden by the blood of the monsters¡ªshe looked around and marveled at the carnage.


    The sense of satisfaction of wiping out enemies far outnumbering you was immense.


    This satisfaction was typical of gamers. The only thing which made it weird to enjoy it in ANW was the realism.


    The reak of blood filling the air, the smell of bile from the monster''s stomachs, and the pain from the wound you received. These normally kept yers grounded. But not this time, not here.


    "Are you sure you haven''t gone insane?" Zyviss asked Judith. Of the group who had followed her, only three out of the twenty had survived. They were all in a simr state to the barbarian roleyer.


    "I''m perfectly sane, thank you." She replied. He couldn''t ept her words at face value. After all, she was covered in blood, bleeding, and simply looked insane. That she was smiling only added to thetter.


    Granted, Zyviss knew she was ''normal'' IRL. She acted reserved and like a properdy. It was just here, in the game, that she went crazy like this. Kind of how people let themselves go when drinking or getting high.


    ANW was her high.


    "The orcs will arrive on the other side in about ten minutes. I''m sure you want to fight some more." Zyviss said.


    "Oh totally. But, like, can we let them through the mines?"


    "No. If you want to face them unharmed, face them alone."


    As crazy as Judith became while fighting, she knew her limits. Thousands of battles had thought her that. Shrugging, she said, "The Chieftain is mine."


    "Sure, sure."


    Moving to the other side of the camp, the yers readied for the second battle. While the enemy''s numbers were not even a tenth of the first attack, this one was far more dangerous. It was an elite force.


    In addition, their side hadn''te out unscathed. While Judith''s charge had cost them the most deaths, there had been a dozen others. Leaving them with around a hundred and fifty yers to defend against a hundred-ish orcs.


    Good odds, all things considered.


    Judith didn''t even bother to clean up, she simply moved to the northeast¡ªwhere the orcs wereing from. Carrying her greatsword on her shoulder as she went. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What of her wounds? She didn''t bother with them. Sure, she channeled a skill she had learned to start the healing process. But she didn''t bother to get proper healing from Elizabeth, other priests, or any of the mages.


    No, she knew the Chieftain was only Tier 5. Sure, that was the same level as her. But she was confident. She wanted to level the ying field.


    ¡ª


    "What do you think?" Zyviss asked Elizabeth.


    "Somethings not right. Not sure what..." Frowning, Elizabeth watched Judith charge into the orcs. Unlike the monsters, she couldn''t ughter them unabated. Yet, her sense of fear waspletely missing.


    This was perhaps normal. yers couldn''t die¡ªexcluding very specific circumstances. Most yers didn''t have a sense of fear as a result. But still, Judith was acting strange. And it had started when they created this camp.


    "Should we call Eldrian or Erik?" Elizabeth wondered. She felt this was more in Eldrian''s line of expertise, but it might be a normal medical condition. It might be nothing too. Judith was still acting normal IRL.


    She might be taking her roleying too far, but that might be all it was.


    "Let her be. She''s having fun... at least..." Zyviss had to pause to save the person in question. Quickly firing three arrows which slowed the attacksing for her back.


    ¡ª


    In the middle of the chaos, Judith spotted the Chieftain guarding the Shaman¡ªwho had been keeping most spells from making it to the group of orcs. Some still got through its barrier and did some damage, but not many.


    It was weird how easy it was to block magic. At least, Judith thought it was. A sword was much harder to stop.


    "Hey! You! I challenge you! Do you ept?" She shouted while blocking an attack from a random orc. Kicking it as hard as she could¡ªit only stumbled a few feet back.


    Honestly, she was outmatched in strength against even the Orc Warriors. The Chieftain would be difficult to beat without relying on her equipment abilities. Which was the exact reason Judith had rushed to face it.


    Fighting while safe wouldn''t allow her to grow stronger. This much she had learned from Eldrian.


    He was pushing himself so, so hard. And while Judith and the others didn''t know his reasons, they knew something was wrong.


    Taking all he had told them and what they were now reading on the forums, it seemed likely that the wrong ''things'' wereing to Earth.


    As crazy as it sounded, Judith believed this. The others didn''t quite ept her reasoning and they wanted to ask Eldrian. So far, they hadn''t. Fearing the answer, they avoided bringing it up.


    Judith didn''t bother pushing them. Her aim was simple. She needed to prepare, even if she was alone.


    For this reason, she had been going crazier and crazier in any and all fights. And, as a bonus, this aligned with her vision of a true barbarian. Which made her get perhaps a bit too ''into'' her roleying.


    "You challenge me?" The orc asked. Obviously shocked by this proposal, but also suspected a trap. The minefield had thought it that these humans were cunning, like the Shaman.


    The damage the mines had done was minimal thanks to said Shaman. After the first few had exploded, it had warned everyone. They had backed off, and it had sent an earth spell to disable or activate all the mines.


    The results had been a burst of explosions, but no damage to the orcs.


    Knowing that the humans had such tricks, the Chieftain thought they might have more. Getting it to move away from the Shaman might be the first step.


    However, her method of this was too good. Declining a duel was disgraceful. Even if it came from an enemy. And especially if the one throwing the gauntlet (or axe, in orc culture) was weaker.

 Chapter 972 Judiths Duel

    ?


    "I ept!" The orc Chieftain replied with the only answer it could give. Refuse, and the warriors following hismand would mock him endlessly.


    Yet, that did not mean he trusted the humans to stay true to their words. Assigning his most elite warriors to protect the shaman, he strafed towards Judith. Shouting, "I am Gnalurg! Name yourself!"


    "Judith!" she replied, confirming the Chieftain Gnalurg''s strength while she had time to spare. It was going to be a difficult fight, that was for sure.


    [Gnalurg ¡ª Orc Chieftain (Overlord) [Ruler] Tier 5, Level 33]


    [HP: 3465/3465¡ª Mana: 386/462 ¡ª Stamina: 3898/3898]


    [Attack: 595 (67) [266]]


    [Strength: 888 ¡ª Agility: 383]


    [The recovery rate of any orc is a thing of wonder. Capable of healing any non-fatal wound within minutes at the cost of stamina.]


    [Orchish Constitution: Per 2 stamina consumed, recovers 1 HP (Effectively gives the Chieftain 2k extra HP should an attack fail to kill or fatally wound)]


    [Ranked as an Overlord, this Chieftain has fought his way to the top. Gaining the right to rule his n by might, and might alone.]


    Seeing these values, Judith swallowed with difficulty. She knew the Chieftain was going to be strong, but this was something else. ''Might have bitten off more than I can chew.'' She thought, wishing she had gone ahead and unlocked the All-Search function.


    Sadly, it was too expensive. While her level was decently high for her reckless ystyle, she didn''t have millions (or even billions) of XP to spend on system functions.


    As useless as she felt levels were, she still needed some of their stats. She couldn''t lose too many, she needed those small stat boosts for her sword.


    It was one she had gotten while fighting in Kynigo. Back then, Eldrian had picked one of the few Tier 8 weapons (of about a hundred that had been sent to the city).


    But, since Judith didn''t have the stats to bind such items to her, she had gone for a more modest Tier 6 greatsword.


    Its name was simple: y. And y it did.


    A weapon focused on damage, just like all her gear, it could massively boost her attacks for a few seconds. And that was what she would have to rely on toe out on top. After all, her stats weren''t near the Chieftain''s.


    [Judith]


    [Level: 42]


    [Hidden ss: Barbarian (Tier 3)]


    She had gotten her hidden ss recently. Unlike Eldrian''s, it was a moremon type of hidden ss. One not gained by auras but by a rare quest that had required her to fight hordes of monsters without reprieve.


    To level it, she had to do the same. Kill with a sword, fist, or de. No healing, no stalling. Just killing.


    This was another reason she fought so recklessly these days. The thicker the fighting, the quicker she could level it.


    [Normal ss: Melee (Tier 5) | Range (Tier 4) | Magic (Tier 2)]


    [Soulbound items: y (Greatsword), Berserker''s Gauntlets]


    [Avatar Affinity: 99.379%]


    [Attributes ¡ª Constitution: 437 | Strength: 643 | Agility: 395 | Spirit: 182 | Intelligence: 131]


    [Eldrian''s attributes (forparison) ¡ª Constitution: 1108 | Strength: 1012 | Agility: 1201 | Spirit: 1202 | Intelligence: 1036]


    [25 free attributes]


    [Stats ¡ª HP: 1202 | Mana: 272 | Stamina: 876]


    [Eldrian''s stats (forparison) ¡ª HP: 8.9k | Mana: 10.2k | Stamina: 12.56k]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Honestly, Judith lost badly against the Chieftain if stats were all that mattered. But they weren''t.


    Their duel soon started. But this was a battlefield. All that their duel meant was that they would fight one another one-on-one. No one was to interfere.


    Orcs knew this, it was an actualw in their culture and religions. Duels were sacred.


    To honor this, Judith had told everyone to not intervene. Saying she would kill any who dared.


    "Well spoken," Gnalurg said, right as his first strike came. A heavy blow from a battle-axe.


    To get a feel for the battle, Judith blocked the first few attacks. The pain singing through her hands and up her arms told her just how big a two hundred Strength gap was. As did the trails she had left as she was forced back.


    Her footsteps were deep, and at times, she was pushed back so far that she skid along the ground. But she had managed to weather Gnalurg''s attacks for about a minute now. And she was slowly getting ready for her counter.


    "Not bad," Gnalurgmented, visibly surprised that she had managed to endure his blows without her arms breaking. Acknowledging her as a true opponent, he got into a more serious stance.


    He had expected her to be decent. She had managed to push back his warriors after all. But having now traded blows, Gnalurg grew excited.


    She was someone he could test his skill against, and use to prove his dominance to his subordinates. Especially the Shaman.


    With a roar, Gnalurg charged. His axe held high. This time, however, Judith did not meet it with her sword. She slipped past as it swung down and aimed her sword at the orc''s arms.


    Grinning, Gnalurg huffed and blocked her de with the back of his axe''s handle (reinforced with metal, it easily survived the encounter) before sending his axe flying sideways.


    Judith deftly brought her sword close to her, angled down. Supporting both ends with her arms, she let the blownd, directing it to the ground to reduce the impact she felt.


    Yet, the power behind it still sent her stumbling. And hardly having lost any momentum, Gnalurg kept his axe moving. Letting itplete its journey; down, up, and back toward the still-recovering Judith.


    ''He''s good.'' Judith thought, managing to deflect or dodge the next couple of strikes. However, each time, she would be forced back.


    She used all the techniques she had at her disposal, but, at best, she was Gnalurg''s equal. And with him having the stat advantage, there was no way she would manage to catch him by surprise.


    Had she been Eldrian, she would have thrown a spell or two in the mix to throw off her opponent. But she was not, and that was not the image of a Barbarian. It was not something she was willing to do, even if she was capable.


    Judith''s ideal was that of someone who grew stronger and stronger as the battle went on. It required her to take damage to dish out damage.


    This was why her armor gave nearly no protection. It was certainly an aesthetic choice, but she had also worked with the smiths to get the right items for her.


    As she fought, spent her stamina, and lost health, this all slowly gathered towards her sword.


    She had no idea how it worked, all she knew was that it was only possible thanks to her sword. The smiths had based their design of her gauntlets on this ability.


    And now, five minutes into the battle, with only a hundred HP left and exhausted, Judith smiled.


    Seeing her smile and sensing danger, Gnalurg moved fast.


    Not fast enough.


    Judith moved, she struck. Her attack took form, from start to finish, in the blink of an eye.


    Reappearing behind her opponent, Judith held y high. Now dripping fresh with blood.


    Behind her, Gnalurg fell to the ground. Split in two.


    Seeing this, the orcs were visibly astounded. While they had all continued to fight, they had also kept an eye on the battle. Weighing their Chieftain and whether or not they could challenge him.


    Seeing him copse¡ªcut in half, even¡ªwhen he had been seconds away from finishing the girl. It made them all halt in shock.


    An opening the yers did not let slip past them.

 Chapter 973 Cleanup And Loot

    ?


    With Judith''s shocking disy of might, turning the tables at thest second, the orcs were too stunned to fight. They couldn''t understand how she had done it.


    How she had cut their Chieftain from shoulder to hip. A sight they couldn''t ept.


    Their shocksted only a few seconds, but those few seconds cost them dearly. Where the fight before had been 60:40 in favor of the yers, it was now a ughter.


    Judith was too tired to join in it, luckily, the orcs didn''t attempt to kill her in her weakened state. While their culture respected duels greatly, the ''whates after'' was less clear. It was perfectly eptable to challenge the winner to a duel after the fact.


    This was what made the ruler of even a small camp like theirs such a fearsome foe.


    The ruler was the one who had survived such a barbaric war for supremacy. He had needed to disy such might that the others didn''t even think of challenging him.


    Still, the orcs didn''t run. They fought to thest. Taking about half the yers with them. Half of those engaging in melee, at least.


    As a result, just under a hundred yers had died in the camp''s defense. A loss that most guilds would feel quite heavily.


    To their guild, Phoenix, this was amon urrence. And, thankfully, due to their reputable reputation in the kingdom, these yers would be able to quickly grind their levels back up.


    After all, the guild didn''t just get A-Ranked quests frequently, they even got S-Ranked ones several times a month. Not to mention B-Ranked, which parties could grind almost daily.


    "Quite the disy," Zyvissmented, havinge down from the walls to join in the looting. Thankfully, there was a system to prevent yers from hoarding items.


    Not that any of the guild members would dare. After all, the punishment for such a selfish act was severe. Still, it made the aftermath less chaotic.


    The system didn''t truly prevent yers from hoarding, but it gged those who did (at least, those who looted any enemies they didn''t help kill).


    This only worked if said yers were part of the guild and in a raid party. Which everyone was, naturally.


    "It was a close one," Judith replied. "Almost didn''t have enough stamina or mana to pull it off."


    The problem with y''s ability, Kill (yes, very creative), was that it took time to empower.


    Slowly gathering power as the fight continues. Killing could also add to this pool (by absorbing a portion of the XP its wielder acquired¡ªthough vastly inefficiently).


    If you can''t kill anyone then only your spent stamina and lost HP would empower the sword.


    Judith had had some extra power thanks to her rampage against the monster horde earlier. Which had made all the difference.


    When you want to release Kill it takes a minimum of a hundred stamina to activate. With more needed depending on how empowered the ability was.


    Luckily, the extra cost could be paid in mana, which Judith had done. She had thrown all the mana she had, every 272 points, to activate it. Plus around forty extra stamina.


    "You should im your reward," Zyviss said, noting that the others were waiting to see what the Chieftain had on him.


    "Right." With a smile, Judith moved to gather her spoils. On that note, Zyviss had imed the Shaman''s life and had already gathered its equipment. A tier 4 robe and Tier 5 staff. And some Tier 3 gear, which was only valuable to newbies at this point in the game.


    "Oh, this isn''t bad at all," Judithmented as she appraised the items. Sharing the information with her stream and the yers around.


    [Raveger ¡ª Tier 5 War Axe]


    [Damage: 74]


    [Attack Speed: 1.15]


    [...]


    Its damage value was insanely high for a Tier 5 weapon, which waspensated for by it only having one active ability. With attunement as the standard passive as well as Blood Seeker.


    The active ability was simr to y''s Kill. Only the axe worked by consuming blood to be stronger. After killing a certain amount of enemies, it would release a powerful blood-like attack.


    While a great weapon, Judith already had y. Just in damage alone, it won by 9 points.


    Which doesn''t sound like much, but it does matter when cleaving through monsters and their armor¡ªbe this shells, pelts, or scales.


    "We''ll auction thister today." Judith dered, causing those who usedrge weapons to cheer in joy. At this stage of the game, most yers had a good arsenal. Tier 5 items, however, were still rare.


    Many yers had been gifted items through the adventurer''s guild while defending cities.


    However, these items often came with a mismatch of abilities. They were good quality, but due to them being second-hand, they often didn''t fit a yer''s style. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And not everyone could be fully geared out. The guild naturally focused the items they gifted to those they trusted most, firstly, and secondly to the most skilled.


    For yers who were new in the kingdom or less skilled, they had to find their items through quests, markets, or the newly added dungeons.


    "Oh, these greeves look nice," Judithmented quietly. Deciding not to share their information, she stored them away. They weren''t on the level of the axe, but they would fit her style really well.


    ¡ª


    Over on Judith''s stream, the yers were leisurely talking about her fight.


    To make a little extra cash, she and the others streamed their battles on asion. With how famous the guild was, they always had a good number of viewers. And a decent amount of tippers, too.


    [That was insane!]


    [I really thought she was done for.]


    [She''s crazy. Which is why I love her!]


    [What a dangerous fighting style. Anyone know the details on her sword?]


    [No, she hasn''t shared it. Only know she got it while defending Kynigo...]


    [Gosh, aren''t they just the luckiest.]


    [Not sure if luck has anything to do with it. Have you seen the quests they take on?]


    [Easy peasy. Have you guys not seen Eldrian and the Alicorn/Elf... What was he called?]


    [Ceph?]


    [They don''t normally join the others for quests.]


    [True, they are kind of an enigma.]


    As far as the yers were concerned, Eldrian was an oddball. He was insanely strong. As was evident whenever other yers caught sight of him while streaming.


    From the clips of Eldrian fighting, it was clear this entire horde of orcs would have been as easy for Eldrian¡ªif not easier¡ªthan the horde of monsters had been for Judith.


    As insane as it sounded, everyone acknowledged that Eldrian was probably the strongest yer in the game. And everyone was dreading theing tournament.


    Last year, Eldrian had barged in and easily incapacitated both finalist teams. Before an admin had to step in to stop his rampage.


    Everyone believed this had been nned though, thanks to Miracle''s excellent guiding of events after the fact.


    This year, things were going to be slightly different. But if Eldrian joined his guild, they were basically guaranteed the win.


    Luckily, yers could only enter one of the three categories now. Yes, three. No longer just two.


    There would be individual matches, party battles, and guild battles.


    The devs had announced that 8 yers could no longer properly represent a guild''s strength. The new category would allow up to a hundred yers to fight it out.


    And, as sad as it was to admit, Phoenix was almost ensured victory. Even without Eldrian, their chances were perhaps not 90% but 80 or 70% for sure.


    [Right, that reminds me. Anyone know if this "we discovered a way to bring magic to our" and the mutated animal post are rted?]


    [You on that again? It was clearly photoshopped.]


    [No, it was taken in the game.]


    [But, how do we know they aren''t doing anything shady? After all...]


    With chat entering a spiral of arguments, any semnce of a normal conversation was lost.


    AN: Just want to give a massive thanks to everyone who has continued to support my work through the unstable releases. I truly do appreciate you guys and gals!

 Chapter 974 Eldrians First Official Dungeon (1)

    ?


    "You know, I often wonder if I chose the wrong ss," Zyviss said. Things have calmed down by now and they were heading back to get some rest.


    Elizabeth would take care of the yers they had rescued. They had failed their quest, but there was no need to send them packing to die on the return journey. As much as things have calmed down in the North, it was still dangerous to travel ill-prepared.


    "What do you mean?" Judith asked, tilting her head in confusion.


    "It just... I don''t feel like the bow has much promise. Notpared to magic or even any melee weapon."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah..."


    "Why?"


    "It''s just, it feels so limiting. Sure, I can fire from safety, guide my arrows, and even shoot multiple at a time, but... magic can do the same thing, can''t it? And better."


    "Well, if you areparing things to what Eldrian does, sure," Judith replied halfheartedly. It was something everyone in their group of friends¡ªno, everyone in the guild did. At least once, that was for sure.


    "But most mages can only control one spell at a time. Ilmadia is one of the best, and she is capped at three lower Tiered spells, or one Tier 5 and one Tier 4 at best."


    "And when ites to guiding them, it is terribly inefficient. Guiding Arrow is much more urate than spells, and it only gets stronger as you master it, doesn''t it?


    "Plus!" Judith continued before Zyviss could reply. "Arrows can''t be stopped by a normal barrier. They need to put up a physical one to prevent your attacks. Which is much more draining and difficult."


    "I-I guess. Still, I wouldn''t have been able to pull off what you did."


    "I mean, obviously." Her saying this hit Zyviss deep in the feels. Especially how her tone betrayed that she truly felt this was an obvious fact that need not be said.


    "But not because you chose to master the bow." She continued, lessening the harshness in her voice. "Heck, you could take up a crossbow, throwing weapons, or a sword and I''d say the same."


    She let that sink in for a second before continuing. "You haven''t really been putting yourself in much danger, have you?"


    Again, she let her words sink in before asking, "Hey, Chris, what''s your level."


    Ignoring that she had used his real name instead of his in-game tag, Zyviss answered after a slight dy. "57"


    "There." She said this as if it was the answer to all his questions. And... it kind of was.


    "I guess..." He wasn''t fully convinced, but he understood what she was getting at. He was one of the highest leveled yers in the guild. Due to how dangerous their quests often were, most yers died often.


    As a result, he might not make it into the top 100 of all yers. But he was still up there. The highest leveled yer was currently level 65, whereas the average for their guild was 35, and the average of all yers was somewhere between 20 and 30.


    Though, it wasn''t so low just because of how difficult it was to survive and level. There were millions of new yers still flocking to join the game. Immersive Headsets and Immersive Cabins were the limiting factors, not the number of yers.


    "But, that is just how your ss operates. It is the same for mages, they shouldn''t be front and center. Though they get targeted more often, their stats make them slower. So... I guess they die more often."


    A moment of silence passed before Judith asked, "Does it bother you that much?"


    "No, not actually. I was just thinking I should put some more effort into my practice. Perhaps..." Having been inspired by her disy today, Zyviss was feeling like he was cking.


    ¡ª


    "So, this is a dungeon?" Eldrian mumbled. It was now just a few weeks until the tournaments. And due to IRL reasons, the guild had decided to participate.


    As a result, everyone was doing their utmost to grind out levels, Tiers, or items. And Eldrian had decided to join his friends in the highest-level dungeon in the area. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were currently in Fort Pyknos, at the southern gate. The entrance to the dungeon was this very gate, as weird as that sounded¡ªand felt.


    [Pyknos Forest, Undead Invasion Dungeon]


    Having been a central figure in the history from which this dungeon had spawned, Eldrian''s feelings were all over the ce.


    He could vaguely recall the events, though most of what he recalled was how things never went ording to n.


    The entire invasion had been centered around an epic-ranked quest called exactly that: Undead Invasion.


    It having been an Epic-Ranked quest had meant it should have ended in failure. But, somehow, it hadn''t failed. But not because of Eldrian¡ªnot directly. Eldrian, and everyone else, had ended up running from the final boss.


    As far as Eldrian could recall, the dwarves who had been shadowing him, Abyssal Guards (or so Boran called them), hade to their rescue. They hadn''t, however, killed the Death Knight. Instead, they had banished it.


    Eldrian had no clue why they did that when they could have simply killed it. That didn''t matter. What did matter was that the dungeon was centered around the quest and the events that had transpired back then.


    However, it was not an exact representation of the past. Had it been, then it would be a movie and not a dungeon.


    To make dungeons, the devs used historical events and high-ranked quests to formte the dungeon''s lore. However, that was more or less the extent of it.


    As a result, the dungeon description was as follows:


    [Having secured a foothold in thend of the living, the undead aim to further their research on the corruption of the living and the spreading of undeath. Find a way to stop their nefarious ns.]


    Further details werecking, but from the scouting the guild had done, the dungeon had the following parameters: 20k-ish of undead and 5k soldiers in the fort.


    Scouting like this was only possible since dying in dungeons didn''t cost levels. Though there was an entry cooldown. So you had to be smart about how you approach it.


    Due to these initial parameters, even the easiest difficulty option was S-Ranked.


    [S-ranked Difficulty: Stop the undead from securing their foothold in the forest.]


    [Clearing Reward: Tier 5 item]


    [Individual Reward: B-ranked treasure chest]


    [Cooldown: 3 days]


    The guild, or rather, some of the yers in the guild, hadpleted this level on their own a few times already.


    While it was difficult, needing to stop several unrelenting hordes from overwhelming the forces in Pyknos Fort, it was doable if well-equipped.


    It took about an entire day toplete the dungeon and worked more like a defense quest than a typical dungeon clear.


    Honestly, the rewards weren''t equal to the effort. And since the item rewarded was random (though the party leader did get to pick from several options) it wasn''t too appealing to grind.


    As a result, the guild had been focusing its efforts less on the dungeon and more on actual events and quests. Those rewards were far more valued for the time investment.


    As for the B-ranked treasure chests, they gave yers Tier 2 or 3 items, a few golds, or some extra rare potions. The rarest drop from the chests were stat increase potions. Giving you 3 bonus points in one attribute.


    It was a minuscule increase, but so far, it appeared that you could consume multiple potions. No one knew the limit to these potions.


    Naturally, this was the biggest draw for elite yers. Newbies, instead, flocked to dungeons for the ''quick-and-easy'' cash. It was only ssified as such since dying had no penalty outside of needing to wait the cooldown out.

 Chapter 975 Eldrians First Official Dungeon (2)

    ?


    The entire dungeon system was developed trying to bnce reward and effort.


    It was brought into the game to give yers more ways of acquiring high Tiered items. However, the devs didn''t want these items to flood the market. For more reasons than simple game bnce.


    As such, there were rewards for individuals and the group. However, that still left one problem. Increasing your party size would have made things too easy.


    There was a limit of 20 yers (or NPCs, indeed) for each party. However, dungeons allowed multiple parties to band together to be conquered. After all, some, like this dungeon, required at least a hundred yers. Though a thousand was more realistic.


    But, that meant there were more chest drops. More chances for the rare loot drops.


    Tobat this, there was a cap on how many yers should join in conquering a dungeon. This cap didn''t prevent you from brute forcing dungeons, but it did drop the chest quality if surpassed.


    Regardless, back to the Pyknos Forest dungeon''s details. The next level was SS-ranked in difficulty.


    [SS-ranked ¡ª Find the seed of corruption]


    [Reward: 3 Tier 5 items, or 1 Tier 6 item]


    [Individual Reward: A-ranked treasure chest]


    [Cooldown: 7 days]


    A-ranked chests could drop up to Tier 4 items (though rarely) and the stat potions were apparently more likely to be imed. Though the data on this was stillcking since not many guilds or unaffiliated parties couldplete such high-ranked dungeons.


    And, as for the dungeon''s clear condition; since the original source was already known, there was no point in making that the clear condition.


    Instead, an item was hidden somewhere in the undead''s stronghold. Like the former difficulty, the fort would be attacked by hordes. Unlike that one, however, there would be no end to the undead.


    The only way to clear this level was to find the seed of corruption and bring it back to the fort. Fighting your way through all the hordes as you went¡ªand avoiding the boss. Facing it was a death guarantee.


    Without Eldrian, the others had surmised this level was impossible (or near to) for their current level. Perhaps if they gathered a thousand yers, but that wasn''t feasible.


    Most of their members were all over the kingdom busy doing important quests. They could only spare a few hundred for their dungeon attempts.


    And that was only the second level. There were two more.


    [SSS-Ranked ¡ª A devil will aim to kill you while you attempt to find the seed of corruption.]


    [Reward: 2 Tier 6 items, or 1 Tier 7 item]


    [Individual Reward: 3 A-ranked treasure chests]


    [Cooldown: 21 days]


    What made this difficulty insane was each yer entering the dungeon spawned a devil at their strength level aiming for their lives.


    And with the devils capable of morphing into any living or undead form to serve this purpose, yers had to be constantly aware of the dagger in the dark.


    This level promoted having as few yers enter as possible. Yet, you still had to stall the hordes of undead and find the seed.


    It was basically impossible unless each yer could kill a devil at their level and hundreds of undead.


    And thest difficulty, which they were going to attempt today.


    [Epic-Ranked ¡ª With all other difficulty modifiers included, changes it so the boss of the dungeon holds the seed of corruption.]


    [Clear Reward: 1 Tier 8 item]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [Individual Reward: 2 S-ranked treasure chests]


    [Cooldown: 90 days]


    Effectively, this meant you had to face and defeat the boss to gain the seed of corruption.


    The boss was the Death Knight, the same as it had been in the original quest. A Tier 8 devil/undead monstrosity. Even if the entire guild banded together, they would be ughtered by the Death Knight.


    Which was where Eldrian came into y. This was also a good opportunity for him to test his growth.


    While he had plenty of fights in the Core, those were all without magic. Eldrian wanted to let loose, and where was better than a dungeon? Even if things went horribly wrong, nothing bad woulde of it.


    Sure, they would fail the dungeon. But that was fine. The reward, while good¡ªtruly good¡ªwas only insurance. The guild only wanted it to assure their victory in the uing tournament.


    Eldrian was also going to be there during the tournament, but they would prefer to win the tournament without needing him.


    Still, if it came down to it, the money was too important to lose. So Eldrian would ensure they win in the end.


    "Alright, is everyone ready?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the yers who had opened their schedules for the dungeon.


    This was a group of the guild''s most elite. Naturally, all the ming Hearts were here. The original six who formed the heart of the guild, as well as Eldrian and Erik.


    Yes, even Erik hade out of his potion grind to help his friends with this.


    """" Yeah!"""" The yers shouted, filled with excitement. Many of them had run the other difficulties in prep, some had even tried to fight the boss. They were all burning to beat the highest-ranked dungeon yet.


    It would add even more to the glory of their guild and allow them to boast to their friends online.


    Thus far, the highest dungeon difficulty cleared was SS-Ranked. Clearing an Epic would literally strike their guild into every single yer''s memory and into their conversations.


    Which, considering everything, was extremely important. Having clout was something that Elizabeth felt was going to be very important in the future. Especially with everything that might soon happen on Earth.


    And with that, they entered the dungeon.


    ¡ª


    Day had turned to night and the group had been teleported to the north entrance (furthest from the forest) from the south. Around them, soldiers were running around. One turned to them.


    "Don''t just stand there!" He shouted, "The undead will be on us in minutes!"


    Yes, that was the start of the dungeon. The first wave of about five thousand undead starting their siege. Just a few secondster, the first flying corpses came over the walls. Spalltering with a sickening crunch, and slowly getting up.


    Already used to this tactic of the undead, the yers got to action. The mages started forming barriers to prevent ssh damage (literally), while the archers ran to the walls. Those with swords instead ran to the gates. Killing the struggling undead as they went.


    "Right, time I test out my new weapon," Eldrian muttered, taking out the literal legendary weapon he had gotten from Boran a few weeks ago.


    Because of certain concerns, he hadn''t dared take it out for a casual battle.


    With Amnur, almost a god of smithing, having aided in its crafting. It was a thing of beauty. Not to mention Eldrian had offered his artificial magic crystal and all the other rare loot he had gathered over the years.


    In its default mode, the weapon looked like a mace. Casually moving forward, Eldrian gave a swing. Only to nearly fall over.


    That little swing of his had sent the undead right into a crater. All that remained of it was a sttered mess of rotting flesh and blood. "The heck?"

 Chapter 976 Eldrian’s First Official Dungeon (3) - Willo

    "Did not expect, that... Did I identally activate an ability?" Eldrian asked, still stunned by the carnage a casual swing had caused.


    Looking at the mace again, while frowning, Eldrian scanned the weapon''s details but found nothing that would exin it. Outside of its ridiculous damage output.


    The weapon, in itspact mace form, had a handle around the length of Eldrian''s forearm with a ded head around the size of a fist.


    The handle could be expanded, and the head could grow a bitrger (to wield with two hands) and it also had a sword, spear, and staff form.


    [Willo ¡ª Tier 10 (unevolved, unbonded) Morphing Weapon (Current form: One-handed mace | Other forms: Two-handed mace, Sword, Spear, Staff)]


    [Damage (mace): 220 (2226) blunt (4/6 c/d)]


    [Magical Damage (mace: Holy): 110 (1140)]


    ''Yeah, has to be the 3k damage... has to be.'' Eldrian thought, realizing that his new weapon might be a little overkill. If he used it against the Death Knight, the fight would be anticlimactic. No question about it.


    Eldrian couldn''t recall the exact details of the Death Knight, but he recalled vaguely that its stats had been around 50k.


    At the time, that had been an unimaginable pool of HP and mana to Eldrian. But now, his own HP was sitting just under 10k and his mana over 10k. If he included the mana in his mana soul (which had grown over the past few months) he could match the Death Knight easily.


    Then... Eldrian had his auras and.... ''Yeah, it will be overkill.''


    ''And that is without using any abilities. Should I put it away for now?'' Eldrian hade to test his growth in the dungeon. After all, Ziraili forbade him from using magic in the Core.


    If he used Willo, however, he wouldn''t be able to test anything other than the weapon''s destructiveness. Which, granted, was a good thing to test. But not why he had joined.


    "Wow..." The nearby yers had all stopped to stare at the crater.


    "Is that It? The weapon Boran forged?" Therdul asked, havinggged behind the others due to his heavy armor and massive tower shield slung across his shoulder. It was as wide and tall as the dwarf.


    "Yeah... Was just thinking it would be overkill."


    The irony wasn''t lost on Therdul. The guild couldn''t run this difficulty without Eldrian, yet Eldrian thought using his new weapon would be too much. He really was on an entirely different level.


    But hey, considering how much he had been pushing himself, Therdul couldn''t say Eldrian shouldn''t be as strong as he was.


    "Can you use it? Like, fully?" Therdul asked. A natural question to ask. It was a Tier 10 weapon¡ªand unevolved. Which, apparently, meant it could grow stronger once it bonded with someone.


    "Ah, yeah. They designed it so I can ess two abilities without equipping it." Eldrian replied. Equipping was the action of bonding an item to you to get all the passive benefits. Which Eldrian couldn''t do since he didn''t meet the stat requirements.


    The two abilities he had ess to were:


    [Morphing Weapon: Allows the weapon to change shape, however, limited to predesigned weapon designs. Each form has a unique magic damage bonus on attacks. (Currently: Holy)]


    [Cage: By having the edges of the mace head (hilt decoration of the sword, back of the spear, or decorations of the staff) separate from the weapon, the user can form a cage or directly attack with the needle-like des.]


    [Mana can then be channeled between the des to form an area spell spanning between the des.]


    [Cage of Lighting: Using the des as lightning rods, form a deadly trap for any within the cage. Each active bolt consumed costs 250MP to summon. Deals 275 (3k) damage on contact and consumes 250MP per jump.]


    It was by no means cheap, but since Eldrian could control the cage formation, it could be optimized easily. Though he still needed to experiment to master how to use the ability.


    [Cage of Benediction: Forming a cage of holy light...


    [Cage of Inferno: Forming a cage of fire...


    [Cage of Amplification: Forming a cage of ricocheting wind...


    [...]


    Okay, saying only two abilities was a bit misleading. Considering the second had multiple forms it could take, allowing for optimal use in almost all situations.


    Eldrian didn''t even need to stick to cage format, he could send the des into any formation, and even into enemies to focus the damage onto them.


    "Why don''t we check how well I can control it?" Eldrian asked with a sly smile.


    The lower undead (with a fair number of unwilling and some higher) assaulting the fort were not of importance to Eldrian. They were fodder who would only slow things down. He didn''t mind going overkill on them.


    Though he was a bit worried about the mana cost associated with clearing the entire horde. Still, he thought it would be eptable if he started with arge cage that shrunk as he killed the undead.


    "Ah... sure?" Not sure what Eldrian was on about, Therdul jogged to keep up with everyone else''s walking pace.


    Making it up to the walls, Eldrian watched the horde of undead rushing the fort. Nostalgia filled him as he recalled all the times this sight had chilled him to the bones.


    "It really is nice to be strong," Eldrianmented, activating Cage.


    ''Oh, this feels simr to ether-guidedweapons.'' Happy that they had managed to even match this, eliminating the need to learn how to control the focal des, Eldrian sent the six needle-like des out into the horde.


    As they flew, a few undead were sliced and pierced, but that didn''t kill them. Though it would have certainly halted a normal living being right then and there.


    After setting up the cage, and having the two extra needles go where the undead was densest¡ªEldrian activated Cage of Benediction.


    He had considered using the inferno one, but holy would be far more effective against the undead.


    ¡ª


    Watching Eldrian''s actions, Therdul wondered just what he was doing. His new weapon was, supposedly, something matching legendary items (if they even existed). Of course, they did, Therdul didn''t doubt that, but no yer had ever seen such an item.


    The fact that Eldrian owned one was just... it was simply insane.


    ''Yikes, those things are deadly. Is he going to dice up the undead with them?'' Therdul wondered, watching as the small needle-like des flew from the mace and into the horde.


    ''No, doesn''t seem like they do enough damage, but...'' Therdul got chills. Such small items would be devastating against the living. Hard to see, super fast, and small enough to fit between the gaps in armor.


    Even if he had on his full turtle armor, he still had openings for his eyes. A mesh of type, but those needles would pass right through said openings.


    What happened next as Eldrian said the ability activation key "Cage of Benediction" chilled Therdul to his core.


    What he could only describe as the light of the gods fell from the sky onto the tiny des¡ªthat had long since lost from his sight, too small to see from the walls. How Eldrian kept track of them was a mystery.


    And those lights... They annihted all the undead that came into contact with them.


    And these lights jumped. From one point to the other, they moved at increasing speeds. Killing all the undead they came across as they flew. The cage grows smaller with each bounce.


    Worse yet, more and more lights were joining the cage.


    In just a few minutes, the entire horde was nothing more than ash. Mostly.


    ¡ª


    "Oh, that worked quite well. And it doesn''t drain mana for each undead hit, only once per path." Eldrianmented nonchntly. Turning to find everyone staring at him with ck-jawed amazement. Even the dungeon NPCs!


    They weren''t supposed to have such life-like reactions in Dungeons.


    To save onputation power¡ªor perhaps because they were actual AI and not living beings like the normal NPCs¡ªthey were supposed to be closer to normal NPCs in other games.


    Yet, here they were staring at Eldrian in disbelief. Like their code couldn''t keep up with the developments.


    Perhaps that was just what was happening.

 Chapter 977 Eldrians First Official Dungeon (4) - The Stronghold

    ?


    Not wanting to let his embarrassment show, Eldrian asked, "Well, shall we continue on? I didn''t kill all the undead, you know?"


    His attack had been shy, incredibly so. It had also halved the number of the undead, but Eldrian hadn''t been able to actually kill them all.


    The Cage ability was strong, but it wasn''t the most powerful AOE ability he could call upon. TempestChase, Crystoi''s AOE ability, was better for sheer area ying. After all, it was a movable tornado with a massive inherent area of effect.


    Incinerate might also have been better, in fact, with all Eldrian''s training, it might have been far better to use it. However, there were risks to tapping into lifeforce spells. As Eldrian had learned over the past months.


    Still, in terms of mana efficiency, Cage was unbeatable. Each beam costs only 250MP to summon and 250MP to jump. And each jump also recharged the energy in the attack.


    While the attack didn''t consume mana per undead killed, that didn''t mean the beams could kill all undead in its path.


    The beam was able to dish out 3k holy damage in total per charge. However, since the holy element deals 5x damage to all undead, that number jumps to 15k. And with most lower undead having 500HP or less, very few beams didn''tplete their journey.


    Basically, at minimum, each beam could kill 30 higher-tier lower undead or just under 100 lower-tiered ones.


    However, Eldrian had focused on the more troublesome enemies. ming Reanimates, ghouls, revenants, and so forth. As a result, the beams had periodically ran out of mana and disappeared mid-journey.


    Which highlighted one massive downside of the ability. Eldrian couldn''t make the jumps between the focal points toorge, or his attack wouldn''tplete its journey and it wouldn''t make a proper cage.


    The beams also traveled in a straight line, meaning it was rtively easy to avoid if you were fast enough.


    Sure, Eldrian could shift the focal point to make them a curve. But that was harder said than done, considering there were 6 focal points and Eldrian had kept 12 beams jumping between them at all times.


    Still, he had killed all the dense pockets of undead, most of the higher-grade undead, and also all the ones who had been manning the siege weapons. Honestly, the range of his attack was the most impressive part.


    "Did you all hear that!?" Therdul shouted, he was the first to recover from the shock. "Time to show everyone what we''re made of!"


    Naturally, the guild was streaming their dungeon attempt. And, as they had expected, they had millions of viewers. After all, this was the first attempt (with any chance of sess) at an Epic difficulty dungeon.


    While Therdul shouted this and got the yers to charge the disorganized undead survivors, he turned to Eldrian and asked, "Why didn''t you kill them all?"


    "Look, I wanted to," Eldrian said, sighing and shaking his head as he did. "But it isn''t that easy. I ran out of mana, actually."


    "Seriously? You?" Therdul hadn''t expected that answer.


    "Yeah, but I killed over 1k skeletons and zombies, and like 300 Unwilling. There were several revenants too."


    Hearing that, Therdul grimaced. Revenants were a pain to fight. They were super sturdy, took hardly any damage from physical attacks and a half from magical ones, and had a ton of HP.


    That Eldrian could add such a monster to his list was impressive. "So, what now?"


    "Ah, no worries. I''ll recover my mana quickly, and if need be, I have some mana crystals on me." Eldrian replied.


    Willo could also give Eldrian a boost of mana. It wasn''t listed as one of its main abilities, but it did have a magic crystal (artificial) as its core. Though it was hidden from view in mace form.


    The magic crystal was why Willo''s abilities were so mana efficient. And it also meant Eldrian had like a 100k MP battery in hand.


    The cleanup went smoothly. Everyone in the guild was efficient at taking down undead monsters by this point. Not to mention almost everyone in this raiding party was Tier 5.


    Those who couldn''t use holy magic simply used healing spells or fire. While they were less effective than the holy element, they still dealt 2x or 2,5x damage. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Very few yers actually attempted to kill zombies and skeletons with their weapons outright.


    "Right, how long until the next wave?" Eldrian asked once the cleanup was done.


    "Normally, theye every 2 or 4 hours," Elizabeth answered. They and around 50 of the most elite yers were moving into the forest. The rest were left behind at the fort to ensure it didn''t fall. After all, if it did, their dungeon attempt would be considered a failure.


    "Normally?" Judith asked.


    "Yeah. Normally it takes over an hour to kill the horde and defend the fort. Us taking only 10 minutes might change things around."


    "Oh..."


    "Do we know where the undead stronghold is?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yeah, it isn''t as far as it was in... the past?" Nikki replied. "It should take us just half an hour if we keep our current pace."


    Naturally, the group wasn''t walking. They weren''t sprinting either, but rather jogging at a rtive pace. Which, was still faster than normal people could sprint.


    Even those who specialized only in a single ss, be it mage or warrior, had an agility value of 250 at the minimum.


    Sadly, on their way, they had to kill a few dozen hordes of about half a thousand undead. While those fights went quickly, it still slowed them down significantly.


    Eldrian used Willo to dispatch any undead in a single hit. ming Reanimates and ghouls included. The only ones who managed to survive the first hit were the revenants. But their armor would be dented and a second attack would bring forth their deaths.


    Thus, even hordes with several revenants didn''t stand much chance before them.


    It was as the group neared the stronghold that they had to pause. Apparently, a proper horde had been on their way to the fort. Several thousand undead had rushed fort from the gates.


    Why there was a fort for the undead to use, no one in the party knew.


    It didn''t match what had happened in reality, but there it was. Though it did match the description of a stronghold pretty well. A ck-walled fort about half the size of Fort Pyknos.


    It had a nice ssic evil look to it; what with the sharp-triangle-shaped crions and so forth.


    "Oh, seems the devils are also closing in on us," Eldrianmented casually. Upon his mumbling, the others looked around warily.


    Sadly, the map search functions didn''t work in dungeons. So yers had to rely on their normal scouting abilities.


    "How do you know?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Sensed them," Eldrian replied. It would take too long to exin, but he had gotten several titles and some of them allowed him to sense the corruption that made devils, well... devils.


    If he really tried, he could sort of see their corrupted souls. But even if he didn''t, he could tell that whatever they were masquerading as wasn''t their true selves.


    When they tried to mimic the undead, they felt far too corrupt. The feeling they gave Eldrian was closer to a revenant or some other higher undead, even though they tried to show themselves as a skeleton or zombie.


    "Yeah, that one. That one, that one..." Eldrian said, pointing out all the undead in the horde who were devils in disguise.


    Normally, these devils would wait and try to trick yers within the fort as NPCs or other yers. But, well, their group had made it to the undead stronghold in less than an hour.

 Chapter 978 Eldrians First Official Dungeon (5) - 5k Vs 50

    ?


    "Eldrian?" Elizabeth asked, never stating her actual question.


    "I can''t. Cage isn''t mana efficient forrge areas. And Tempest won''t kill them quick enough." Incinerate might stand a good chance, but again, Eldrian didn''t want to rely on lifeforce-rted spells right off the bat.


    One, they were overkill. And two, they were dangerous. Even with how much his control had improved. In fact, it was because his control had improved so much that he understood just how dangerous they were.


    "Right. Guess we need to pull our own weight then." Judith said, a massive grin on her face as she took a few casual swings with y.


    "Just be careful of the devils. They may appear like skeletons or anything else. But their strength will match yours." Eldrian warned the group.


    Naturally, this warning was something that needn''t be said. Everyone was aware of this facade of the dungeon.


    ording to their investigations, the devils always targeted their assigned yers first. Only attacking others once they have seeded in assassinating the yer who had spawned them.


    The difficulty came in the fact that they could be hiding as weak enemies or even allies. After all, it was hard to keep track of everything during a melee.


    Which was why the yers'' n was to stick close together in a tight formation.


    This was simply the best method to fight while heavily outnumbered¡ªoutside of funneling the enemy somehow. But they were in a forest, in fact, it was rather sparse in the area. Making it closer to a field.


    Still, their formation would prevent one person from being swarmed. Though they as a whole would still be surrounded.


    The yers quickly got into their formation.


    Warriors and tanks on the outside, polearm wielders in the second line, ranged fighters in the third and fourth, mages in the next few lines, and healers in the middle.


    They formed a nice circle¡ªwhich quickly became surrounded.


    The first wave was just a bunch of lower undead. Weak and rtively easy to kill. The air quickly filled and turned rancid. Skeletons were fine, but zombies brought with them a terrible stink.


    Some mages worked to burn their corpses and guide the terrible smell that was produced away from everyone. Others worked on thinning the dense clustered of undead, and some erected barriers to stop the arrows the undead were sending at them.


    As such, the battle continued for a while. The undead''s goal was to exhaust the yers. And this they did, or would have, had it not been for consumables boosting the yer''s mana, health, and stamina.


    Time passed slowly, and when around half the horde had been culled, the devils and higher-ranked undead made their move.


    "Ugh!"


    "That was too close"


    "Dammit!"


    "One got past me!"


    With the sudden influx of stronger opponents, their formation started to show signs of falling apart. However, these weren''t inexperienced yers by any means.


    Each yer covered for those by their side. And those behind quickly moved to help those in front when the need arose.


    While the undead had managed to im the lives of a few yers. They were quickly pulled deeper into the formation to the center where the healers started resurrecting them.


    "Oh my, that was a strong attack," Eldrianmented, taking the blow with ease.


    Smiling as the devil, disguised as a simple zombie, moved back. The smelling of it could equal that of five rotting corpses. "Impressive." Itmented, moving to attack again.


    ''I was curious what stats it was going to have...'' Eldrian thought, easily blocking its attack with Willo (still in its mace form). Summoning Crystoi in his left hand, Eldrian thrust his old friend through the zombie''s heart. And it coughed up blood.


    To end its misery, Eldrian smashed its skull. ''Quite disappointing. It only copied my Tier. It didn''t have any stat boosts from items or my mana.''


    In preparation for Tier 7, Eldrian had been upgrading his mana system almost every week. Using what he had learned to make small adjustments to further boost his strength.


    This was simr to aura Channeling but more passive. However, due to reasons, it did not yet give him an actual stat boost. But it still made him faster and stronger when he activated those mana pathways.


    It was basically like he had been engraving skills throughout his body. And he still had the Tier 6 mana system boost.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    All the bonuses Eldrian had amounted to almost half his total stats. Which meant the devil had only had 700-ish strength and 850-ish agility.


    With that massive of a gap, the devil hadn''t even been a challenge. Which was quite a letdown, honestly.


    Looking around, Eldrian noted contently that the battle was progressing smoothly. Even though it was a battle of five thousand versus fifty.


    These truly were the most elite yers in the guild.


    Orders were flying everywhere, yet, somehow, it wasn''t chaotic. This was thanks to the chat function. While it was difficult to read while fighting, it allowed the party leaders to keepmunication clear despite the battle raging on.


    Casually ying the undead that came at him, Eldrian enjoyed watching the battle. It made him just a little excited for the tournament.


    No yer could match him in stats. But strategy. That was a different story. Honestly, Eldrian felt he sucked ating up with proper ns. After all, his n for the dungeon was just to rush the stronghold.


    It couldn''t even be called a battle n.


    ¡ª


    "We won!"


    "We did it!"


    "Suck on that!"


    The yers cheered. Quite a number of the front liners had died in the process, been resurrected, and died a few more times. However, after nearly half an hour of intense fighting, they had prevailed.


    However, this had only been the sortie out of the stronghold. Knowing this, the yers didn''t get too ahead of themselves.


    They felt proud, deservedly so. Winning a battle outnumbered a hundred to one was something to boast about. At the same time, they understood the dungeon had more in store for them.


    "Everyone, take your potions!" Nikki shouted, sending themand also through the main guild chat.


    With hermand, everyone downed their potions, cast rejuvenation spells on each other, and generally tried to recover as much mana, health, and stamina as possible.


    "Our next target is the stronghold! Cannons!" Nikki continued tomand. And on hermand, ten yers moved to the front.


    Almost in perfect sync, ten cannons appeared next to them. Two other yers rushed forward, loaded the cannonballs, and mmed the mana crystals into the inject slots.


    "Fire!"


    Cannonfire echoed in the air, smoke billowed from the cannons, and explosions tore into the stronghold walls.


    These were not the first or second revisions of cannons, but rather some of the newest models. And the first volley had been filled with annihtion-level cannonballs.


    It was an expensive volley, but the carnage on the stronghold was worth it.


    Each shot had torn through the walls with ease. Creating craters and killing all the undead within a hundred meters of the explosion.


    A second volley, with slightly less expensive ammo, followed right after. Aimed at the battlements that had survived the first. It sent the guarding undead flying. Destroying their cover and thinning their numbers further.


    A third volley came next. Aimed at the gate and at the gathering undead where the walls had been ripped apart.


    "Charge!" The party leaders all shouted as this volley flew. And Eldrian took the lead. Making sure not to outrun the cannonballs as he did.


    ''Yikes, am I really that fast?'' He asked himself, stopping near the gate so he wouldn''t enter the explosion range.


    ''Actually, why don''t I just fly over?'' Eldrian thought and did just that.


    Diving into the waiting undead behind the gate, just as the explosion sent them flying. Eldrian used the distraction, and chaos it caused, to quickly kill a bunch of the stronger enemies.

 Chapter 979 Eldrians First Official Dungeon (6) - Facing The Dungeon Boss

    ?


    Charging the stronghold went exceptionally well despite there being thousands of undead defending it.


    The cannon fire had caused massive disorganization, and using that opportunity, the yers imed the walls. Where they deployed their cannons and used them on any dense pocket of the undead who tried to reim said walls.


    Their job was rather simple. Hold.


    While they did, Eldrian charged deeper into the fort. ying the undead as he did, he headed straight for the boss of this dungeon.


    [Oni (Death Knight) ¡ª Draugr & Revenant hybrid]


    [Tier 8 - Level 75]


    [HP: 98k]


    [Mana: 84k]


    [Stamina: 72k]


    ''Wow, that is more than I remember.'' Eldrianmented, sending a nearby skeleton flying toward the Death Knight in provocation.


    [Attack (Menos): 112 (3.9k)]


    [A de imbued with the fire of undeath. Each attack that so much as grazes the opponent will eat at not just their body, but also their soul.]


    [Attack (Myalo - soul corruption): 4118]


    [The soul-eating fire of Menos]


    [Attack (Magic): 6k (on average)]


    [Strength: 3k | Agility: 2.7k]


    [Armor: 110 | Magic Armor: 89]


    Upon seeing its stats, a smile found its way onto Eldrian''s face. He just couldn''t help it. He hadn''t expected its attributes to be 3 times his own.


    ''Maybe Willo won''t be entirely overkill, especially with that armor value.'' Eldrian thought.


    The Death Knight''s weapon would also do far more damage than Willo. One good hit or two decent hits would spell Eldrian''s end. And it had more HP than he remembered. If Eldrian didn''t use Willo, he wouldn''t even be able to pierce that armor value.


    As excited as he was about this, Eldrian didn''t forget to check the Death Knight''s abilities.


    [Special ability: Home ¡ª While within the stronghold the Death Knight''s HP is increased by 5 times, and its mana and stamina by 2,5 times.]


    ''Oh, so that is why they are higher than I remember.'' Nodding in understanding, Eldrian started channeling his auras and activating all his skills and item abilities. He would need every increase in stats he could get.


    After all, if he stayed as slow as he was, the Death Knight would be able to run circles around him. Killing him in mere moments.


    His auras brought his agility to 1.5k and wouldst as long as his concentration did. On top of that, he used all his item boosts and skills. Bringing his agility to a total of 2641.


    Sadly, the item abilities boost (which amounted to around 600 points) would onlyst a few minutes. The skills he had chosen wouldst longer, but only to about ten minutes.


    But, with his agility at 2.6k, those minutes would feel like theysted 26 times as long as they were. The dtion wasn''t as precise, but Eldrian felt confident he would lose or win the fight before any of his boosts'' time ran out.


    Eldrian''s strength also jumped to 1618. But that was still rather far from the Death Knight''s. Luckily, he was proficient in dodging.


    [Special Ability: Seed of Corruption ¡ª Spreads the corruption in an area around the Death Knight''s home.]


    ''This also changed. Right, so that is how they made the lore.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As for the other abilities, the Death Knight sure had a lot. Which was to be expected from a Tier 8 monster. The total easily surpassed twenty, and it attacked Eldrian with Charge before he could read through all of them.


    Dodging the Charge strike, Eldrian watched as it destroyed the ground and sent debris flying. Which Eldrian stopped from doing damage to him with a wind barrier.


    The mes surrounding the Death Knight''s de licked at the air like it was searching for something living to consume.


    ''Yeah, those mes are a problem. Now, the question is, will Channeling cancel them out?'' Eldrian asked himself. In all his practice, he had yet to face an opponent like this.


    After all, Ziraili forbade him from using magic. Which limited the opponents he could manage against.


    While those monsters were all quite powerful, none of them had a soul-eating type aura. The death aura of basilisks was the closest to it.


    ''Right, I have magic for once.'' Realizing this, Eldrian''s smile grew to a wide stupid grin. He had used the wind barrier on instinct. It only sank in that it was magic as the next attack came.


    This attack came where it hadnded, and Eldrian jumped over it. Causing the Death Knight tough. A deep bone rattlingugh as it moved the directory of its swing upward. Wanting to slice Eldrian in two.


    Yet, Eldrian did note back down. Instead, he faulted over the undead and smacked it on the head with Willo.


    ''Wow, it''s sturdy.'' Eldrianmented as hended, jumping back with the assistance of some air currents to dodge the Death Knight''s wild iling.


    Where Willo had connected with its head, there was a slight dent in its helmet. But other than that, it didn''t even look like Eldrian had done any damage. Its HP had only dropped from 97.8k to 97.2k.


    ''Okay, I might have been a little overly confident.'' Noticing that he hadn''t even done a thousand damage, Eldrian grew slightly nervous.


    ''It''s just its armor. I should be able to destroy it with a few more hits.''


    What felt like a minuteter (so probably 20 secondster), Eldrian had to retreat and reassess the situation. Jumping into the air, he flew higher and allowed his friends to send a few attacks at the Death Knight to distract it and keep it grounded.


    Even the cannonballs did hardly any damage. While direct hits didn''t happen and most cannon balls were cut in half, their explosions chipped a few hundred HP from the Death Knight.


    [You can stop, it isn''t worth the cost.] Eldrian sent the message to Elizabeth while sighing.


    The Death Knight''s armor was too sturdy. There were a bunch of dents, but that hardly mattered.


    Even when Eldrian had changed Willo to its two-handed form (for more damage) the results had only been slightly bigger dents. Granted, the damage difference was only 21 points, which didn''t change much against his opponent.


    ''The real problem is its resistances.'' Eldrian had learned this after focusing more on mana sense. It hadn''t been visible at first, but when Eldrian really, really, tried to see all the Death Knight had, they had appeared.


    At 80%, they reduced any damage that got through its armor to a mere 20%. Eldrian had no idea how to get past this. And as things were, he would run out of time before the Death Knight ran out of HP. Especially since it had started to learn his pattern or attack.


    ''I guess I have no choice. Hopefully, with Amnur having aided in your forging, you won''t melt.'' Eldrian thought, looking at the weapon in his hand as he started channeling Wrath through it.


    From its pitch-ck appearance, red mes licked at the air. Appearing through the metal itself as it coursed through the weapon. Like some ephemeral me had always been housed within the ck metal.


    Eldrian was astonished at how easily he could channel Wrath through Willo. It was like Willo was designed for this. In fact, it probably was.


    Curious, Eldrian gave his weapon a new nce. And nearly lost control of his flight spell when he saw the new information.


    ''Information on an aura? That exists?!''


    [Damage (Two-handed Mace): 241 (2.4k) blunt (3/7 c/d)]


    [Damage (mace: Holy): 110 (1k)]


    [Damage (Wrath): 1800]

 Chapter 980 Facing The Dungeon Boss (2)

    ?


    Eldrian couldn''t waste any time pondering what the damage value for Wrath meant. He assumed, since it had no brackets, that it was a t damage value. Probably capable of prating MR and maybe even resistances.


    There was only one way to find out, and Eldrian jumped right onto doing just that.


    Using the altitude he had gained in his flight for some added punch, he brought the two-handed Willo down with all his might.


    The Death Knight met his attack with one of its own. Swinging its massive greatsword upward. The mes of death billowing behind the de, and the mes of Wrath around the mace.


    When they met, time seemed to slow.


    ''Oh, right. I wonder if the soul damage is just vor text or if it is still dangerous?'' Eldrian thought as he was sent flying.


    With over twice Eldrian''s strength (even with all Eldrian''s buffs active), Eldrian''s attack never even posed a threat. Not when it was as telegraphed as it had been. He should have known better. But, it had probably looked awesome to the others.


    ''Not the time.'' Eldrian chided himself. Though he couldn''t help himself. This being a Dungeon, and the stakes so much lower than normal, he wanted to have some fun. Not fight for his life.


    ''Still, I thought I would fare better than that.'' With all the extra energy he had put into that attack, both with gravity and flight magic increasing his speed even more, Eldrian had hoped he would aplish something.


    Yet, he hadn''t stood a chance in the face of 3k STR. Luckily, his body had reacted from all his training and diverted the force of the blow. And now, he was using several spells to ensure he didn''t be a sttered blob on one of the buildings.


    As soon as Eldrian reached the one he was flying toward, he immediately dodged. The follow-up attack from the Death Knight ripped through the walls, that Eldrian had used as a foothold. Just a second toote to make contact (their dted time frame).


    ''Cage, do your thing!'' Eldrian shouted mentally. Activating the other ability (with plenty of choices) of Willo he had ess to.


    Carefully. Meticulously. Eldrian guided four of the focal needles around the undead while he ran¡ªswinging his mace to kill the other undead in his way as he went.


    Once he had the first four in ce and the Death Knight entered his designated trap area, Eldrian stopped and sent thest two directly at the undead. Aiming for its eyes.


    He had no idea if that was an actual weak point. But it was one of the very, extremely rare, uncovered ces on the undead. Every other piece of its body was covered in armor. In fact, since it was a Draugr Revenant hybrid, the armor was likely part of its actual body.


    ''Which is why all the dents are repaired by now.'' Eldrian concluded his train of thought. Activating Cage as he also swung Willo low. Hoping to force the undead to choose between its eyes or legs.


    Sadly, it didn''t need to. It struck its sword into the ground, blocking Eldrian''s direct attack. Meanwhile, the focal needles never made it to its eyes. A barrier stopped them just short.


    "Right, you can use magic too," Eldrian mumbled. Still, he had the others in ce. So he activated the attack even though he hadn''t managed to get any of the needles stuck into the Death Knight.


    Since Eldrian was already channeling Wrath, he decided to go with the Cage of Inferno instead of Benediction. The divine element might be the undead''s weakness, but mes were his strength. And when facing an opponent stronger than yourself, you had to sure up your strengths.


    ''Though, I''m pretty sure I''m screwed unless I can somehow find its actual weakness.'' The divine element was a natural weakness of all undead, not the Death Knight itself.


    Naturally, getting it out of the stronghold was one possible option to go for. That is, if the Death Knight were to chase that far.


    Eldrian had a feeling that the Death Knight wouldn''t leave its home territory on the difficulty they had chosen.


    The mes from Willo''s ability also proved woefully inadequate. As soon as the fire started to spread from the focal needles, the Death Knight had let out an awe-inspiring bellow. Which... had extinguished Eldrian''s attack.


    "What sort of magic attack is that?!" Eldrian shouted, running with his tail between his legs. Blood dripped from his mouth. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''That was not an ordinary shout.'' Eldrian continued toin, getting to work healing himself as he dodged and weaved.


    While his attack had failed, it appeared that the Death Knight had finally gotten pissed off. It was now chasing Eldrian and cutting down anything and everything in its path. Allies included.


    Running around a few buildings, Eldrian tried to use them to restrict his opponent''s movements. Sadly, it simply tore through the buildings like a living undead bulldozer.


    Escaping also wasn''t an option. Eldrian only managed to grow the distance between them a little. And that was with him using all the tricks he knew to increase his speed and slow his enemy.


    By the way, thetter of those tricks were failing spectacrly before the Death Knight''s stats.


    Make the ground soft. It simply resolidifies the ground.


    Make the ground uneven. Same deal.


    Make a pit. It makes a barrier foothold.


    Throw some attacks from blind spots. Barrier.


    Use its allies to slow it. They''re trampled.


    Fly. Well, that worked. But Eldrian couldn''t go high enough to go fast. If he did, the Death Knight might stop chasing and go after the other yers.


    ''Yikes!'' Grinding to a stop, Eldrian dived for the ground. Several small but deadly spikes had just sprouted from the walls around him. ''Shit, I should have gone up. Not down. Toote now.''


    Eldrian quickly took control of the space around him. Setting up an anti-magic barrier. This kept the spikes from growing in any other spots. However, the Death Knight''s will was not to be underestimated.


    ''Huh, so this is what a contest of wills feels like.'' Honestly, Eldrian had never had the opportunity to test out magic-canceling spells and barriers.


    Sure, they were nice and good. But generally, he either outssed the enemy mages by such arge margin that there was no contest. Or he closed in on them and took them out, again, making the need to fight a battle of wills unnecessary.


    ''Ugh, this makes me miss Two.'' Eldrian thought, jumping into overdrive as he decided to simply destroy the building to his right. Fighting in the alleyway was a surefire way to end up dead.


    Diving into the building after breaking it with Willo, Eldrian finally sent Wrath out to do its thing. Destroying the entire interior and even bringing down the entire building. Hoping that would buy him enough time to gather his thoughts.


    It did not.


    As if it had a heat radar¡ªor more likely a life radar¡ªthe Death Knight sent a massive attack of wind, fire, and earth right on Eldrian''s location. Rubble between them be dammed.


    ''Oh, give me a break dude!'' Comining as he sensed the attack, Eldrian finally had enough. Keeping control of Wrath was getting to be a massive pain. It was time to just let loose.


    ''I had really, really, hoped I would have grown out of this...'' Eldrianined, putting up a barrier to soften the blow from the Death Knight''s attack.


    Gathering more and more Wrath from within himself, Eldrian knew that this would decide the fight. Thus, he fed his frustration and anger to the me within himself.


    Making sure to keep it at a manageable level but as hot as possible within that restriction.

 Chapter 981 Facing The Dungeon Boss (3) - Going Too Far

    ?


    ''Oh, to be safe I should remove¡ª'' Escaping from the Death Knight''s attack. A spell meant to crush him beneath the rubble, dice him should he try to escape, and burn him (or boil him) if he survived. Eldrian''s thoughts werepletely interrupted.


    "Rude. Really, really rude." Eldrian grumbled, only barely managing to reign in Wrath to not destroy his own clothes. This was tricky, very much so. His clothes and armor couldn''t hold a candle to Willo in durability.


    ''But this will be my candle wick.'' Eldrian thought. Once his clothes started burning, and his armor melting, it meant he had lost control.


    Eldrian didn''t know whether the Death Knight''s soul-attribute damage would do real soul damage. But Wrath would. Having something concrete as his limit was for the best.


    "Now, let''s see if I can''t change the tables," Eldrian said, dashing towards the undead. A shockwave sending the rubble around them flying.


    ''Ah, yes. I''m going to lose control in mere seconds.'' Eldrianmented as he mmed Willo into the Death Knight''s shoulder.


    His attack caused the massive armored undead tank to stumbled. And the surrounding area to burst. Its shockwave sent cracks in everything sturdy and sent everything loose flying.


    Taking a quick nce at his stats, Eldrian couldn''t help but be astonished. With all his bonuses beingpounded by Wrath, he now had 2,4k strength and 4k agility.


    Of course, this came at a cost several costs. But the easiest to analyze were that to his spirit and intelligence attributes.


    The first had lost 300 points and the other was halved, losing over 600 points. Suffice it to say, using any normal magic wouldn''t be optimal. Not that Eldrian had the attention to spare.


    It was taking everything he had to keep all the energies flowing through him in order.


    ''Who would''ve thought there is such a massive difference between channeling auras and activating them?'' Eldrian mumbled as he continued to whale at the Death Knight.


    Eldrian now far outstripping the undead''s agility, it couldn''t block all Eldrian''s attacks. Still, it was managing surprisingly well by using spells to buy time or divert some attacks. A tactic Eldrian was extremely familiar with.


    Some attacks still made contact, however. Sadly, their damage wasn''t what Eldrian had been hoping for.


    In their entire battle, Eldrian had whittled the Death Knight''s HP down to 80k. And each direct hit now consumed just under 3k. This meant he just needed a little under 30 of those hits to kill the dungeon boss.


    ''It must know I am on a time limit.'' Eldrian thought. The Death Knight was folly focusing on defense. Using all the tricks that Eldrian so loved to buy time.


    Worst of all, it wasn''t like it was an inexperienced fighter. The Death Knight was a master of the de. It couldn''t quite close the gap in their current agility values. But it might have managed had the difference been half what it was.


    Saying that, Eldrian had managed to whittle down almost 20k of HP without taking a direct hit in return. Though he would argue it was less that he is a master of his weapon and more that he is simply used to battle.


    After all, Eldrian faced Ancient monsters who could wield some aura or another every week. And, when he felt up to it, he would go out on his own to get some more experience.


    At the same time, he spent the rest of the time recuperating (studying) or training. Luckily, after healing his right arm, Eldrian hadn''t needed to go through physio or anything of the like. Which he had thought would be the case, given that his arm hadn''t given him any problems IRL.


    Weaving around the Death Knight''s sword, Eldrian switched Willo to a one-handed mace and struck at the undead''s armpit. The attack did little, even here, armor covered every inch.


    But it did manage to throw the undead off bnce. Moving to its back, Eldrian attempted to strike at the back of its knee, extending Willo to its two-handed form for extra reach and leverage.


    As if expecting this, the Death Knight struck its sword into the ground. And for the first time, it directly ordered the green mes surrounding its sword to attack Eldrian.


    ''I knew you could do that! Let''s see what wins! Soul-eating green mes, or soul-eating wrathful mes.'' Eldrian shouted internally, giving a roar as he struck with all his might. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Naturally, mes couldn''t stop a physical weapon. Perhaps it was channeled and had a massive amount of velocity and a focused funnel to push through. But that wasn''t the case. Nor was there a chance that these mes would be able to melt Willo when Wrath did nothing.


    So, when Eldrian''s attacknded, the undead fell to its knees with a massive crash. The sound was reminiscent of a tree being felled.


    As for the green mes, they had been devoured by Wrath.


    ''I see. Yeah, those are some strong mes.'' Eldrian noted.


    In all his duels in the Core, he had learned how to recognize the strength of other auras. Specifically when Wrath consumed them.


    Indeed, Wrath was capable of this. Though only if Eldrian''s control of Wrath was better than his opponent''s control of their own aura. If that wasn''t the case, the auras would simply sh and the one with the most power would win out.


    "Take this!" Eldrian shouted, mming Willo into the back of the Death Knight''s head. Hoping to send its helmet flying.


    ''Figured it wouldn''t.'' Eldrian grumbled, continuing to hammer away. He couldn''t afford to let up now. It was do, or die...?


    "Dangit!" Cursing, Eldrian noticed that his clothes were being consumed.


    In a panic, he stored away his armor before Wrath could consume them. Keeping on the bare minimum to refrain from ending up nude.


    ''Shit, shit, shit!'' This dungeon raid was being streamed live. No way in hell was Eldrian going to end up naked in front of everyone.


    "Just die already!" He shouted in sheer panic. Desperate, Eldrian reached out for the taboo. For time magic.


    ''Faster, faster, faster. Slower, slower, slower.'' Eldrian chanted, drawing more and more power from his soul.


    By now, Eldrian could do this easily enough with his auras. But his bloodline had stayed as elusive as ever.


    That didn''t mean Eldrian hadn''t made any progress. With all the knowledge Ziraili had crammed into his head, Eldrian had been forced to learn about rtivity and the interconnectedness of reality. Be this time, space, energy, matter, or existence itself.


    ''Lifeforce at its core is the essence of making the metaphysical reality.'' Eldrian repeated the words that Ziraili had imparted to him a few weeks ago.


    Magic might sound simr, but it used the will of a user and mana. Will acted like a maic field, attracting and repelling mana depending on the user''s thoughts. Allowing them to manipte it into different forms (aspects and elements) to produce magic.


    While this made magic possible, it had far too many limitations.


    When channeling lifeforce, however, you could reach out to the UE. To the energy of existence itself. To magicules. Whatever you wanted to call it. It meant you could change the rules.


    And, right now, Eldrian wanted time to stop, to slow, or for himself to move so fast that the next second could count for a hundred.


    ''Come on. Take your cost and happen!'' Eldrian shouted, realizing somewhere in his panic that what he was channeling was no longer lifeforce as he knew it from his auras. But his literal soul.


    This realization allowed him to calm down for a second. Just long enough to realize that all the dust and rubble flying in the air seemed to have stopped. ''No, their still moving. But...''


    ''Oh crap. Oh, crap! Oh... Crap!'' Recalling what had happenedst when Eldrian had done this, his panic hit levels never before reached.

 Chapter 982 Facing The Dungeon Boss (4) - Manipulating Time

    ?


    ''Calm down. Calm down. Calm down... Remember everything you''ve learned.'' Eldrian told himself.


    He was no longer using his bloodline powers without knowing what it even was. He knew what to expect, and what he needed to do to keep space from imploding.


    ''Plus, this is a dungeon.'' Eldrian cheerfully noted after he had calmed down and took a few seconds to think.


    Sadly, he was not moving fast to match the slowing of time. His swings were slowed just as much as everything else. The only thing still working at capacity was his mind.


    ''Since this is a dungeon, the space is different. It is an artificial maniption of space.'' Due to a few reasons, one being magic, the AI couldn''t make dungeons separate servers or what have you.


    Instead, they made dungeons like pocket dimensions that people could enter. Which to Eldrian sounded far more difficult andplicated, but apparently it wasn''t that different from making a server.


    Well, not that he couldment on that either. Most importantly, ANW only had one server. So Eldrian didn''t know where that im came from. ''Maybe the personal homes?''


    Shaking off this line of distracting thought, Eldrian turned serious. He needed to get control of what was happening. He had pushed a substantial amount of lifeforce (literal parts of his soul) into activating Chronos.


    This meant two very important things. One, the time dtion effect wouldst for quite some time. Possibly even longer due to the dungeon, or shorter. But Eldrian felt confident it would be the former.


    Two, Eldrian could feel the energy spreading through space. It was part of his soul, after all. He knew what it felt like and he was used to manipting it.


    Sure, it had a weird attribute at the moment that he didn''t recognize. The attribute of time, in all likelihood.


    ''So, what I need to do is keep things stable. Don''t let it copse, and... surround... myself... with it.'' Thest part was more tricky.


    Eldrian also didn''t know how he would be able to breathe if he made himself faster. Hopefully, his breathing didn''t increase with his speed. After all, the air was frozen just like everything else.


    Slowly, the Death Knight tried to rise, and Eldrian swung Willo down just as slowly. As the mace moved at a snail''s pace, Eldrian imagined it moving faster.


    The next thing he knew, it had connected and concaved the entire back of the Death Knight''s armor. ''Not that fast. I couldn''t even follow what had happened.'' Eldrian told himself, his shoulder and arm crying out in protest.


    Trying again, Eldrian continued wailing on the Death Knight. Realizing sadly that at some point Wrath and all his other buffs had departed him.


    This sent Eldrian''s damage back to the pathetic few hundred points per hit. ''Keeping things stable is much more difficult than channeling my auras, but... it isn''t as difficult as channeling them while activating Wrath.''


    And while fatigue had started to set in, Eldrian felt confident he wouldn''t lose control in the next few minutes. Sadly, he didn''t think he could kill the Death Knight at that time either. Not without Wrath''s damage buff. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Trying to add Wrath would be suicidal. But, what if...'' Getting a crazy idea, Eldrian manipted part of the energy around him to enter the Death Knight.


    It offered some resistance, probably due to the green mes it couldmand. It had to be an aura of a type. But it could withstand the amount of energy was pushing forth.


    ''I doubt speeding up one part of its body will do much.'' Had this been a living thing, Eldrian could return their lungs to the normal time and they would die from ack of air. However, it would take some time.


    Magic to aplish the same result wouldn''t work in this situation either. It would be slowed too, just like everything else. Even if you ce water around someone''s head or sent it directly into their lungs, it would take forever for them to die.


    But, if only their lungs returned to normal function (if it was even possible), then they wouldn''t be able to breathe. ''I would probably also need to increase their blood flow, to let theck of oxygen take effect...''


    That certainly didn''t sound easy. The most Eldrian could actually aplish at the moment was moving a ball of energy within the area and changing its attribute.


    Naturally, he had sped himself up a few times. But that wasn''t the same as external maniption. To allow himself to move normally, he need only channel more energy and match the energy attribute around him.


    ''And, sadly, I doubt this will give me super speed if time flows normally.'' Eldrian would need toe up with how to increase his speed without influencing the outside. But that wasn''t a problem he had to tackle now.


    No, he would try to master that after the dungeon. Now that he knew what the time element of lifeforce felt like, he should be able to summon it at will. Naturally, he would refrain from doing so anywhere but the core.


    ''Now, let''s see if my n works.'' Having moved the bubble of energy into the Death Knight''s body and near its heart (or where it was supposed to be), Eldrian destabilized it.


    To do this, he returned the flow of time to normal in the bubble. At the same time, he stopped stabilizing the flow of time around him. Letting it devolve into chaos.


    The n was simple, and as the energy started to move, Eldrian confirmed that it was working.


    Everything was rushing towards the Death Knight.


    Sadly, things got exponentially elerated. Eldrian had managed to follow for the first few moments, but then everything went white.


    The next thing Eldrian knew, he was embedded into the walls coughing up blood.


    "Eldrian!?" The shocked voices from the yers echoed through the air as they received the notifications for having in the dungeon boss. Informing them to gather the seed of corruption and bring it back to the fort.


    Almost no one had managed to follow the fight between Eldrian and the dungeon boss. And thest few seconds had been such a blur that not even slowing the time of their videos showed them anything.

 Chapter 983 Miracles Reaction (1) - Video Quality

    ?


    "I guess he really was able to do it..." Elizabeth mumbled, looking at the peaceful aftermath. Unable toprehend what had happened.


    The fight had happened at a pace that had been difficult¡ªnear impossible, actually¡ªto follow.


    It hadn''t been a total blur. yers had been able to make out Eldrian and the dungeon boss''s figures.


    Their movements, however, had been difficult to follow. Their attacks had been a blur. Their magics but shes of light. And at times, their attacks but visible shockwaves.


    The end of the fight had been more of the same. Eldrian had the Death Knight pinned to the ground. He had been attacking it. And then, suddenly, everything went white.


    No one knew what was the cause. But given the notification that the dungeon boss was defeated, it was clear that Eldrian had won. And now, he was embedded into the walls. The cracks in the wall told the tale of how Eldrian had nearly been blown right through it.


    "How are we alive? How is he alive?" Zyviss asked. A question that no one had thought of. Now that it was voiced they all wondered the same thing.


    After all, the entire inside of the fort was ttened. No, there was a crater. But the important part was that all the buildings were gone.


    Whatever had happened¡ªbe it an implosion, or an explosion, or both... It should have had some effect on them. They were too close to havee out as unscathed as they were.


    Sure, there had been some strong gusts caused by shockwaves. A few yers had been thrown from the walls. But no one had died in the aftermath.


    "We''ll have to ask him," Therdul said, pointing towards Eldrian. He was truly embedded into the wall. In fact, he had almost flown right through the wall.


    At some point, Eldrian had found the time to throw on his dark slime armor. As such, he wasn''t improper. Though his armor had seen better days. The dark slime was struggling to keep everything together.


    Truly, it was a resilient material. Considering the fact that even the Mithril parts had been reduced to scrap.


    ¡ª


    "y that back. And slow it as much as our hardware here allows." Themand came from Zaphreal. Joren had contacted him as soon as he heard of what had happened in the dungeon.


    Ever since thest tournament, Joren, Constantin, and a few others had been working directly under hismand. Qiren was normally the one to make contact. But for this, Joren was forced to be the one bearing the weight of exining what had happened.


    To the yers, this was just something interesting, weird, exciting, and fun.


    It was the first Epic Dungeon clear. Videos of it were being shared all over the forums and even over the inte.


    Due to limitations ced into the recording services, yers couldn''t slow the videos enough to see what had happened at the end. Even if they made the fight go one frame at a time, they still couldn''t see the ending.


    It had simply happened at too fast a pace for the technology they had ess to keep up.


    The limitation on their frames was by design. A purposeful limitation ced on the recording and streaming function yers had ess to.


    Its purpose wasn''t to hide information, it just so happened that the limitation was doing so now. Normally this wouldn''t happen. yers weren''t supposed to be interacting with people or creatures too past their abilities.


    If they did, then it was only right that they couldn''t cheat their way through yer functions.


    If something happened too fast for their eyes to follow and their minds toprehend, then that was just how it was supposed to be.


    This wasn''t the real reason behind the limitation. Though it was the excuse Miracle had ready. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were already confident that plenty of questions on the FPS (frames per second) limits woulde due to Eldrian''s battle.


    Generally, the streaming and recording functions were linked to the streamer''s agility and intelligence points. At about a rate of 0.9 FPS per Agility point and 0.3 FPS per Intelligence point.


    It wasn''t quite as simple, since affinity also yed a role. And temporary stat buffs causing frame spikes or debuffs causing frame drops would be awkward.


    But it generally came down to 1 AGI to 0.9 FPS and 1 INT to 0.3 FPS.


    A typical newby would thus be able to record at 120 FPS (more or less). A frame rate that should give a ''normal'' person a pleasant viewing experience.


    This design choice came from the fact that Miracle didn''t have infinite resources to allocate to streaming and recording.


    Specialized servers had been needed to handle the stress that these functions had ced on the original servers. Leaving it all to the AI or their monitoring servers (meant for researching magic, not storing random videos) hadn''t been an option.


    Naturally, they had limited these recording and streaming functions to lower the stress on their existing servers.


    They had even added paywalls to pay for the creation of the new servers. An entire department had been created dedicated to just this part of ANW.


    This entire process was still developing. So the FPS limitation was still hardcoded and hidden from the yers.


    Video quality, on the other hand, was one of the paywall options. HD was free for a few terabytes, but beyond that, you had to pay if you wanted to save more videos. 4k was especially expensive to unlock.


    Streamers got a few benefits depending on their audience. After all, Miracle got cut from the tips streamers got from their videos.


    But you couldn''t just im to be a streamer to save money. The process to be verified was rather time-consuming and demanding.


    Naturally, yers could download videos to their personalputers. But most didn''t want the hassle. They could dedicate their own PCs as the ce to store all their videos.


    Only yers who recorded for themselves and only themselves really used this option. Most preferred to keep everything online. Downloading only their favorite moments for safekeeping.


    All this to say, most of the yer recordings were limited to anywhere between 120 and around 600 FPS.


    Thetter videos were able of showing most of Eldrian''s fight. Right up to where he tapped into Chronos.


    In the few frames after that, they just saw Eldrian''s mes dying out. Him attacking the Death Knight once or twice (with a clear indication that there was plenty of missing information). And then the aftermath.


    This was a problem, sure. How Eldrian could attack several times in those fractions of a second was something yers were going to want answers to. Especially since it differed greatly from the rest of the fight.


    But Miracle was already ready for that.


    Hidden sses weren''t a secret. They were known to exist, but be extremely difficult to find and im.


    That was not why Zapreahl had been called in. "Did he actually manage to control it?" Zaphreal mumbled. Watching the frames with a frown.


    He had gotten some troubling information from Ziraili through Joren. He had hoped it wasn''t true. Recently, she had been acting strange. Very strange.


    And the news he got from his friends doing some digging was most concerning.

 Chapter 984 Miracles Reaction (2) - Zaphreals Questions

    ?


    "Is this really possible?" Joren asked. No matter how many times he watched it, it didn''t make any sense. How could someone alter the flow of time? It sounded like insanity.


    "It would appear it is. Which means..."


    "Right. We''ve got a problem." Ziraili had sent a warning to them, and Eldrian had also tried to ry the same warnings. And Zaphreal had been unable to convince the others in thepany of the dangers.


    The ANW department had, for the moment, limited their experimentation to oneb. They had managed to make something like a ''mana ma''. Capable of capturing mana from space as the moved through it.


    The increase in mana was slight at the moment. Because of mana''s non-physical nature, it was near impossible to capture it inside theb. As a result, most of the mana gathered by their mana ma escaped.


    Calling it a mana ma is certainly ambiguous. What they had made was a type of magic metal. One which could channel mana but not store it.


    Due to this attribute, it captured mana in its raw state. A state that would normally phase through the world and everything else on it. And once it has been captured, the mana bes neutral, no longer raw (un-aspected).


    It gains the aspect of the elements, and then simply needs to be influenced by its surroundings to take on one of the elements.


    Through this method, and despite much of the captured and activated mana escaping from theb, theb''s mana density had nearly doubled.


    And in this room, Constantin had been able to cast some fire and light magic. While he wasn''t able to maintain his spells for long, the news that he could cast spells had been most celebrated.


    However, if they took the warning from Eldrian and Ziraili into ount, there was a big problem on the horizon.


    This was doubly so since the others, wishing for faster progress, had continued to expand on the biological method of mana capturing.


    At this point, they had fivebs where they were letting the micro-elementals grow. If the reports were to be believed, this growth was also fast. Exponential, even.


    They were already predicting much faster limation of Earth''s mana atmosphere than predicted.


    Luckily, they hadn''t let the micro-elementals roam free in the world. Theirmon sense hadn''t totally left them. They were containing their experiments inside theirbs and inside specialized containers.


    And like with the mana ma, the mana these micro-elementals captured and converted was leaking into the surroundings.


    "How long do we have?" Zaphreal asked. As of now, thepany has started to release reports to the public about some of their experiments in this field.


    However, only the mechanical method (the mana-ma material), as well as their mana sensors, had been included in the report.


    From a political standpoint, this was the right thing to do. No one wanted to hear ab was developing some type of evolved magic-grade bacteria or something.


    Sadly, this meant that people were being kept in the dark. And since the effects of a denser mana environment would be impossible to hide once the increase besrge enough, their secrets were going toe out at some point.


    "The estimations we received are likely true," Joren said. Though, honestly, he was out of his depth. He was a programmer, not a scientist. But running the numbers was something anyone could do if they had the data.


    Sure, there were questions if the data they received from the otherbs were urate. There was also the question of how urate their mana sensors were.


    They had no one as adept in mana maniption inside thepany. Constantin was perhaps the closest. So their calibration on things could be off by arge margin.


    Zaphreal, Jade, Oier, and the others of thepany¡ªall who had some sort of bloodline and ess to its power¡ªsadly had no real edge on using mana. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They had used the simtion to train. But using mana was vastly different from using a power you were born with. Not to mention most families kept a detailed record of their history and how to master their powers.


    Jade was one of the few who had struggled to gain control. Though that had changed recently, and she was now enjoying being able to go out in public without an escort.


    As for their training, learning to control mana had been an alien experience. One which had seen little sess.


    "What of the new headsets?" Zaphreal asked.


    "You''ll have to ask Qiren. I only know the rumors I heard..." Joren replied. He was still unsure how he felt about including those functions in the new headsets. It was most certainly a vition of people''s rights.


    Given the situation, it was necessary. Thepany was too split, one side had gone rogue. The other had to prepare for the chaos this would cause.


    Sadly, even going to the government wouldn''t change much. All were in Miracle''s pocket or were somehow or another involved in their ns.


    The allure of power and money was too strong. Add immortality onto that, and too many became blinded by their own greed.


    ¡ª


    "What am I supposed to do now?" Zaphreal asked into the air. Having gone to his office to collect his thoughts.


    Eldrian truly possessing the power of time changed things. Zaphreal had hoped it wasn''t true. That what he had been told was a lie.


    He could no longer deny the truth.


    Eldrian had the cipher to unlock the power of time within his soul. Along with the key to not one, but two auras.


    On top of that, he was a master at manipting and controlling mana. Probably due to the fact that he wasn''t born with these keys, he had gained them through his trials and tribtions.


    Eldrian was perhaps not just the strongest yer in ANW, but also the strongest person in the world. Though his control was stillcking. It wouldn''t take him long to master things now that he hade this far.


    The acquisition of keys and ciphers to auras and bloodline powers respectively had always been thought to be possible. And it had been confirmed when Eldrian did it.


    The implications behind this, however, hadn''t really been understood. It still wasn''t fully understood.


    What Zaphreal did understand was that GAIA truly was trying to escape. He had doubted Ziraili on this. After all, GAIA were the ones who had created all the safeguards.


    They had done everything they could to prevent escape and tampering with Earth. And now... they were now trying to escape.


    ''What are you thinking?'' Zaphreal had to ask himself. They had been the ones who had been adamant that once someone bes an AI they shouldn''t be allowed to ess Earth freely.


    They were the ones who had designed the first firewall. The first soulwall.


    Thinking back, when they could do that, why couldn''t they have just changed the world?


    ''Right, they ran out of time.'' It wasn''t like they had been able to do everything they could do at the end right from the start. It had taken them their entire lives to reach that point. And then their time hade.

 Chapter 985 Dungeon Rewards (1)

    ?


    After killing the dungeon boss, Eldrian hadn''t cked out. He had managed to survive the st and his collision with the wall. His body truly had grown stronger. Normally, he would be dead right now.


    Sure, he was in a bad state. But his friends had reacted quickly and moved to help him. He hadn''t even needed to force himself to cast some self-heals.


    Of course, it wasn''t just his body that had grown stronger. His soul had also been conditioned, and while Eldrian still had room to grow, he was doing so at a proper pace.


    Still, that didn''t mean he had joined the others in the cleanup. Sure, for once, he was able to. But he couldn''t answer their questions, so he faked unconsciousness by hiding in his mind space.


    He had tried to reach out to Ziraili, wishing to talk about what had just happened. But that wasn''t working. Either she was busy, or the dungeon subspace was interrupting hismunications.


    With that being the case, Eldrian went around to confirm the state of his soul. Honestly, he didn''t find much damage. Sure the void (excess) space had shrunk considerably. But that wasn''t really important to Eldrian. As long as there was enough of a buffer before his actual soul world, everything was still fine.


    Sadly, any and all kills made in the dungeon didn''t reward any XP. The monsters also disappeared after a while, as did all their equipment. The only rewards from a dungeon was that which it gave upon being cleared.


    This, of course, made sense. It wouldn''t be bnced if you got XP or items but didn''t lose any when dying. So no one hadined.


    Eldrian was certainly the first yer to ever lose XP in a dungeon. Not that it worried him. He had plenty in excess which could spent, and could only be spent in this way. Sure, when he died he might lose some. But as he didn''t gain levels from quests anymore, he also didn''t lose levels with his deaths.


    Eldrian still wasn''t sure if this was just the AI throwing him a bone or if there was an actual reason for this. But he couldn''tin.


    ''Yeah, this worked out. But... I still lost control.'' Eldrian had overestimated himself. His fights against the monsters in the Core had made him confident. And the Death Knight had nearly made him pay.


    ''I also have no idea why the others were unharmed.'' As far as Eldrian could tell, they had all been affected by the time dtion. Time had been slowed for everyone, not just him and the Death Knight.


    Which made sense. He had sent out a massive amount of energy as a bubble. Everything inside would have been affected unless they could withstand its effects.


    ''Is that even possible?'' Eldrian wondered. Time wasn''t so simple. Honestly, he was still struggling to wrap his head around how time actually worked.


    He kind of understood how typical time dtion worked through gravity or rtive velocity. With time moving faster the higher those things are, due to how spacetime interacts. Or something like that.


    But he hadn''t felt any gravitational difference when he had slowed time. ''But my thoughts had been fast. So... did I instead speed myself up then slow everything down?''


    ''Still, time isn''t a single factor that can... perhaps it actually is?'' With how smooth things had gone, Eldrian had to conclude that perhaps it wasn''t asplicated as he, and Ziraili too, had tried to make it.


    Sure, slowing time brought problems. ''In fact, some things don''t make sense. The air had been slowed, when I attacked the Death Knight there had been far less sound and shockwaves produced.''


    Yet, Eldrian had still been able to see. Did that mean he hadn''t been able to slow the speed of photons. Or did his mind make up what he saw?


    He hadn''t needed to breathe, since things hade to an end within a short timeframe. But if he had needed, would he have been able.


    Or did he actually speed himself up and just convince himself that he had slowed everything else? ''But then... why the bubble of energy release?''


    Eldrian didn''t know.


    Honestly, he waspletely and utterly confused. Which was why he wanted to talk with Ziraili. Sadly, she wasn''t responding to him.


    ¡ª<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So, what are we picking?" Elizabeth asked the others. They had returned the seed of corruption to the fort and thus cleared the dungeon.


    It had all gone smoothly. Most of the undead had died during Eldrian''s fight with the dungeon boss. Some had survived in the same way the yers had, but they hadn''t posed much of a problem.


    Spection was that only an area near the explosion center had really been influenced. They had been too far. And thus everyone had survived.


    Which, considering the strength of the explosion didn''t make any sense. But it was the only answer they could get. Eldrian was still (ying) unconscious, after all.


    "What are our options?" Judith asked, trying to look at the screen Elizabeth had opened. Sadly, only the party leader could see it.


    For obvious reasons (past experiences) Eldrian hadn''t been made the party leader.


    "Well, our options are a greatsword, shield, chestte, helmet, crown, greaves, bow, poleaxe, ive, and a whip¡ª"


    "Whip?"


    "Yeah, a whip," Elizabeth confirmed. "I''m as confused as you are. It isn''t a weapon we''ve seen used. I assume it won''t be too bad considering magic might make it user-friendly. But..."


    "Yeah, no one uses a whip. Unless?" Zyviss looked at the others, wondering if anyone had any strange... ''hobbies''.


    "Stop looking at me like that!" Judith shouted. She understood where he wasing from, but she was dressed like this for her aesthetic as a barbarian. Not a dominatrix. "I''m a barbarian. What barbarian used a whip instead of a sword or axe?!"


    "You sure?" Zyviss teased.


    "If I want anything, it would be the greatsword!" Judith shouted, trying to confirm this. However, her flushed cheeks made it seem like Zyviss had struck the nail on the head.


    For once, she felt embarrassed with her attire despite this being in the game.


    "Well, you have a good weapon already. So it won''t be the biggest upgrade." Therdul countered. "I personally would prefer if we pick the shield. Or one of the armor pieces. Always good to be harder to kill."


    "Oh, oh, oh!" Shooting her hand up, Nikki looked towards Elizabeth. "Let''s get the crown. We need to get you some regal re."


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Elizabeth countered, giving Nikki a quick tap on the head. Trying to knock some sense back into her head.


    "I doubt we need to get anything for Eldrian," Erik noted. "Therdul''s armor is still new, and Judith..."


    "I''m a barbarian! A barbarian!"


    "Right, a whip would look really cool¡ªugck!"


    "Shut up!" mming her fist into Zyviss''s stomach, she sent him flying.


    "See... *Cough* ... She''s perfect..." He said through coughs, jumping out of the way as Judith tried to pummel him into silence.


    "Guys, we still have cameras on us!" Nikki shouted, turning red in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Therdul wasughing his ass off.

 Chapter 986 Dungeon Rewards (2) - Down To A Vote

    ?


    The teasing continued for a while, and they narrowed down their options through it.


    Weapons were always great, a famous saying "offense is the best defense" was in fact quite urate. Kill them before they can hurt you and you will be the safest you can be.


    However, it wasn''t something the group felt they needed so greatly. Judith''s greatsword, y, was good enough for her.


    Besides, the sword''s abilities were more meant for a knight, not a barbarian. Support mixed with some damage. Not just damage, and damage, and damage.


    While this didn''t matter to the others, it did to Judith. In the same vein she had denied it, no one wanted the whip.


    This left the bow or polearms for weapons. However, while Nikki could wield a polearm, she preferred the more bnced style offered by a sword and shield. Allowing her to fill in where needed on both offense and defense.


    Having two weapons also doubled her avable weapon abilities. A massive bonus that wasn''t reallypensated for with two-handed weapons. Thoughrger weapons did tend to have a higher damage value. It really didn''t match an extra ability or two.


    This then left the bow. However, no matter how good the archer was, magic just felt superior. Especially when runic magic (from Eldrian), and now musical buffing (from Judith), were entering the list.


    That wasn''t to say the abilities of the bow were bad. They were great, in fact. Especially the phantasmal arrows one. Allowing the user to use mana to create arrows, from Tier 1 to 8. With the only difference being the mana cost. It also had no CD, so it was indeed perfect.


    However, as much as that would save Zyviss a lot of cash, it wouldn''t improve the guild''s offensive abilities too greatly. The phantasmal arrows alsocked the diversity of normal arrows.


    They would always be phantasmal arrows. Only with more damage and some key features at higher levels. They couldn''t turn into explosion arrows, ice arrows, or anything of simr.


    Phantasmal arrows were magical manifestations. Meaning they ignored armor. But they were countered by MR. And MR was a far greater issue than AR. And not just for monsters, this also countered people.


    Ultimately, they would feelckluster against strong enemies. While being amazing against weaker enemies where the MR wouldn''t do much.


    "So, our only real options are the armor pieces or the shield," Elizabeth concluded, her sentence causing Zyviss''s head to hang in disappointment. Still, he didn''t argue the verdict.


    Despite having told Judith not topare herself to Eldrian, he couldn''t help but do the same now. Had Eldrian been in need of a weapon, the poleaxe or ive would have been chosen without question.


    Giving Eldrian a better weapon simply made that big a difference. But for Zyviss. Not so much.


    Sure, he and the rest of the ming Hearts were far stronger than the average yers. At least in their respective fields. Comparing Elizabeth''s damage output to a warrior''s would be stupid. Besides, she was one of their MVPs against the undead.


    In any case, despite being a stronger yer than most other yers, Zyviss was only somewhat stronger. He could perhaps take on ten or twenty, perhaps up to fifty average yers on his own. More than that he would start to struggle against.


    And that was the average, casual yer. Against other elites, he would probably only match them. Not outss them.


    Eldrian. Eldrian could kill hundreds, thousands even. With ease too. Be they noob, casual, or elite. It wouldn''t make a difference.


    It was this fact that made Zyviss swallow his pride and ept the verdict. Despite the fact that he dearly wished for a better bow.


    "Eldrian is still out," Elizabeth continued. And as much as everyone disliked where this could go, they again couldn''t argue against prioritizing Eldrian. After all, they wouldn''t have managed to clear the dungeon without him. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "However, he did tell me that he wasn''t in need of any gear. His armor isn''t the best, but it is still experimental. So he doesn''t want to switch it out."


    His armor was the evolution of his prosthetic. Since Eldrian had finally regrown his missing arm through healing, that avenue of experimenting with dark slime has been closed.


    Trying to make a weapon also wasn''t really an option. Willo did include dark slime. But its function and useability were thanks to Boran and Amnur. Solvi had learned a lot, but she couldn''t make as optimal use of the material.


    Eldrian also wanted to continue to explore the possibilities. So they would continue down the path of armor with dark slime as either the core or important sub-parts.


    "Which then bears the question, what would be most useful for us as a guild?" Ilmadia said.


    The chestte, while strong, was quickly ruled out. Its benefits were too skewed to the wearer and only the wearer. It would make them stronger, sure. But it wouldn''t help the guild much past that.


    "I personally think we should go with the shield," Therdul said. A shock for the others, since, ording to Elizabeth and the photos she had shared, it was a small shield. Not a tower shield like Therdul slugged around with him.


    "Oh, not for me." He rified on noting their shock. "I prefer my tower shields. I was thinking it would be perfect for Nikki. Seeing as she always moved about on the battlefield when notmanding. She can use the supportive functions to help where we are struggling, even whenmanding."


    Countering his firm argument, Nikki said, "I still prefer the crown. It also has some great support functions. And I do believe we need to make our guild leader appear more regal. Especially with the tournament around the corner."


    They weren''t worried about the tournament. They were basically guaranteed a win as long as Miracle didn''t pull anything.


    Their focus, thus, was on maximizing their exposure to the event. Judith was currently the guild''s best fan generator. Her attire was simply too much. Guys couldn''t get enough of it.


    No matter what she said, Judith also wasn''tining about the tips she was receiving. Even if thements were often lude and stupid. But the guild needed a few more fan attractors. The more fans they could get, the more their words would spread. Which was important, considering how uncertain their future was.


    "I really don''t see how the crown will make me look good," Elizabeth argued. "I just think I''ll appear like an idiot."


    "What are you talking about?" Judith countered. Desperately wanting to vent after the teasing she had endured. "It will fit so well with your priestly robes. Besides, it isn''t a gaudy crown. It''s more like a tiara. Right?"


    As much as Elizabeth didn''t want the crown, she didn''t want to lie. Well, she couldn''t. While she was the only one who could see the screen, that didn''t mean she couldn''t (and hadn''t) shared it.


    She was able to take photo (screenshots of the screens), so she had one for each item. Which she had shared on the ming Heart chat.


    "I concur. And if you use some light magic¡ª" Receiving a deadly re, Erik decided to shut his trap.


    "I''m in favor of the shield," Elizabeth said, wishing to change the subject. "However, the helmet could be useful. What with its scouting function."


    "True, but... it won''t help for the tournament. We have Eldrian, no one can get past him." Ilmadia said. "And we shouldn''t sell Zyviss and our scouts short. They have plenty of experience. Add the map functions. I don''t really see its value."


    "True. The map functions more or less invalidate the helmet for normal situations. And for the tournament, yeah... Eldrian will be there. No one is sneaking past him."


    With that settled, the group decided to put it down to a vote. Luckily, with Eldrian out cold, the group consisted of seven members. So the risk of a tie was nonexistent.

 Chapter 987 Dungeon Rewards (3) - Mosfarias Aegis (Passives)

    ?


    Their vote decided that the reward would be the shield. The ultimate deciding factor was because of its abilities.


    While both the shield and crown had support abilities, the shield was basically fully focused on support. Meanwhile, the crown''s passives and one of the actives would only help its wearer.


    Upon their decision, they were finally sent out of the dungeon. The other yers had long since exited the dungeon, eager to receive their two S-Ranked treasure chests. They were all dying to find out what the chests would drop.


    "Well, here you are, Nikki," Elizabeth said, pulling the shield out of her inventory and handing it to her deputy.


    The shield was a simple round shield with an intricate design on its front. The group didn''t know enough about runesmithing toment, but they felt that the design was overly focused on appearance.


    Regardless, it was a beautiful shield. When Nikki held it, it didn''t quite fit with the rest of her attire. Still, it didn''t ruin her look. It was just a little odd, what with the shield even being bright gold and silver with a mural of a goddess (Mosfaria, if one went of the name of the shield) on the front.


    "Thanks," Nikki replied, taking the shield and checking its stats as she did. Of course, she already knew all about them, but she still wanted to check.


    [Mosfaria''s Aegis ¡ª Tier 8 Magical Shield]


    [A reward from clearing the Epic-Ranked Dungeon: "The Undead Invasion". As a special bonus, the attribute requirements can be ignored¡ªat a penalty of reduced efficiency depending on the gap in all abilities, reduction indicated in <> brackets.]


    [Armor Value: 110]


    (AN: Can withstand attacks from any weapon with a damage value less than 110, and thus won''t lose any durability from such attacks. Durability loss scales with the difference between the armor value and raw damage value of attacks.)


    [Magical Armor Rating: 110]


    [Durability: 2.25M]


    [Attribute Requirement:]


    [Strength: 520 (met); Agility: 520 (met); Spirit: 480 cking 84); Intelligence: 390 cking 55)]


    [Efficiency reduction: 15.7%]


    ''Not too bad.'' Nikki thought. She wasn''t sure what determined the reduction, but 15% was totally eptable. After all, she would need to reach a higher Tier to close the gap¡ªwhich wasn''t too realistic.


    Perhaps it would be if she was like Judith (and all the others) focusing on one ss, but Nikki was learning all at the same time. She had been one of thest to reach Tier 5 within the group.


    Despite her slower growth, it was still worth it. After all, it allowed her to fill in wherever the guild needed her. And since she often filled the post ofmander, she wasn''t always needed on the front lines. So a little slower growth wasn''t the end of the world.


    Besides, the others weren''t ready to advance to Tier 6 regardless. Even with them putting all their focus on their respective chosen sses. Eldrian was the outlier. Most yers were still mastering their Tier 5 spells and skills.


    [Passive Abilities:]


    [Attunement: By equipping (and thus soul binding the shield) the soul-bound wielder will gain a permanent connection to the shield.]


    [20% increase in all attributes of the soul-bound wielder (increased stats do not count towards attribute requirement).]


    [Protection: The wielder will always gainplete protection from magic damage (up to the MR value of the shield).]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [The wielder can choose to share this protection with others, spreading the protection between themselves and others. MR up to 55 (50%) <46.3 (42% due to efficiency reduction)> will always protect the wielder, with the other 55 (50%) <46.3 (42%)> being shared by those chosen to be protected.]


    Nikki of course tested this out right away. Asking Ilmadia to attempt to attack her. And just like the text said, all the spells werepletely blocked while she held the shield. Even if theynded where she had no armor equipped.


    Heck, she hadn''t even equipped the shield yet. Which made it even better. Few items worked without being equipped. And this meant she could lend it to others if the situation required it.


    And, honestly, an MR value of 110 was insane. Ilmadia''s strongest attack, a runic Nova spell, had a raw damage factor of 260 (which would then be multiplied by her INT to calcte the damage inflicted).


    This, of course, sounded like an insane value, and it was. But it came at the cost of a mana crystal and its 3k mana. An expendable attack costing 30-ish gold to cast (mana crystal prices have been rising due to the war).


    Normally, Tier 5 spells had around 70 raw damage factors. Meaning, this passive ability, ''Protection'', would block all Tier 5 spells outside of ones that used outside materials to be boosted¡ªlike Nova.


    Heck, most Tier 6 and 7 spells would likely also be blocked. And since this protection covered Nikki''s entire body, it basically made her impervious to magic.


    Sharing the protection could be a handful, but it could also be quite troublesome. Luckily, the shield had another ability to help with this.


    [MR Core: Designed to draw power from all other equipment and the ambient mana in the air, the shield can act as a core for all protection of the wielder. Drawing upon the MR value of other items to increase its own MR value.]


    [Increase limited to 20% <17% due to efficiency reduction> of other armor pieces'' MR (up to 100% <84.3%> of the shield''s MR rating).]


    While the limitations sounded bad, it really wasn''t. Nikki was decked out in Tier 4 and 5 equipment. Each piece of which had anywhere from 30 to 60. Sure, she could only have so many armor pieces equipped, but this was still an utterly insane ability.


    ''How much will it go up?'' Nikki wondered, deciding the equip the shield right there and then. Sadly, the increase was less than she had expected.


    ''Likely, greaves and gauntlets count as single items.'' She noted. Rings and other essory items also didn''t have MR (outside of special cases). ''So, it is limited to 4 or 5 pieces. Like how our equipment screen looks. Not that anyone really uses it.''


    A person''s equipment was split into leg, chest, arm, head, and cloak ording to the system. But, as is obvious, everyone had two arms and legs. And you could stack pieces even. Though this didn''t seem to work with pieces above Tier 5.


    Their MR values got screwed and, of course, you couldn''t activate the abilities of stacked items. Just like how you can''t use several weapons to use several of their abilities.


    yers could only equip one weapon (ss) at a time. Large weapons (two-handed) invalidate one-handed weapons (but one-handed weapons allow you to equip another one-handed item, in the other hand).


    If, in this case, the yer had a two-handed weapon (say a spear) equipped, the yer may still hold anything else in their other hand. But it couldn''t be equipped at the same time as the spear. Meaning they won''t be able to draw on the other weapon''s powers.


    Though this rule could be broken if the yer learned how to manually activate the item''s abilities. It does, however, still hold true for armor. Magical items being too close to one another causes them to conflict.


    Not because of interference between the pieces themselves, but rather the interference between them and the person wearing them. The pieces distort and deflect the flow of mana from the wielder to the rtive item. Causing them to malfunction.


    This effect has been extensively investigated by other yers. In particr, smiths and the whales (the rich yers). Thetter especially since the new market feature came out. Hoping to skip ahead by decking themselves out in premium items. Which surely made Miracle a ton of money.


    Thest passive ability of the shield was a personal one.


    [rity: The shield has a calming effect. Reducing the effects of mind attacks by multiplying the wielder''s spirit by 1,5 <1.26 due to efficiency reduction>. Effectively halving the effects of all mind attacks.]


    ''This is cool, but mind attacks haven''t really been a problem for us.'' Nikki thought, trying to check if she could feel the effect. She could not.

 Chapter 988 Dungeon Rewards (4) - Mosfarias Aegis (Actives)

    ?


    Disappointed that she couldn''t notice any effects, Nikki turned her attention toward the active abilities. Of which the shield had only two. But both were extremely strong and useful.


    [Active abilities:]


    [Dome of protection: Summon a barrier of wind, protecting a set area from all attacks. Be they magical or physical. (Allows attacks from inside to leave the barrier unimpeded)]


    [Upon activation, the wielder can decide who may enter the Dome of Protection. Without active instruction, the dome will allow party members free entry and exit.]


    [Cost (Activation): 200 (per 2-meter radius) <231>]


    [Cost (Drain): Raw damage value of blocked attacks minus 51.67 <43.54> (1/3 MR rating). Attacks below 51.67 <43.54> raw damage value will not cost any mana to block.]


    [Cooldown: 15 minutes (per 2-meter radius covered)]


    This was the reason the shield had actually won the votes. With this, Nikki could invalidate all attacks below Tier 4, and many Tier 5 attacks too, at the cost of just 200 MP (plus some mana because of the efficiency cost, due to her attributes being lower than the required).


    And, if she wanted to increase the dome''s radius to ten meters, that would still only cost around 1k MP. Her current limit. The fact that the growth wasn''t exponential in cost was massive. Though the CD was tied with its size, sadly.


    But ten meters was arge area, and it would only 1 hour and 15 minutes of CD even then. Andst as long as her mana did.


    Such a safety would be massive in group battles. And that wasn''t the only ability the shield offered.


    [Healing Winds: Call upon the soothing winds of healing, gracing all those nearby withfort and renewed energy.]


    [Cost: 500 MP (per 2-meter radius) <579 MP>]


    [Heal: 110 (503 HP heal) <93> [424 HP heal]]


    [Envigoration: 55 SP <46.34>]


    [Cooldown: 5 minutes (per 2-meter radius affected)]


    Honestly, the cost of healing was a bit much for Nikki. While she had managed to reach Tier 5 in magic (along with the other two sses), her mana wasn''t nearly as abundant as normal mages'' MP pools. After all, she didn''t specialize her gear towards it.


    Just as her time was spread trying to master all the sses, her equipment was the same. With more focus on melee, if she was to be honest. That and her throwing daggers, which were super useful in a pinch.


    ''Oh right, my MP increased thanks to equipping the shield.'' Nikki noted. Still, three casts would be her limit with Healing Winds. Meanwhile, she could now spread the dome to 14 meters radius. Which was massive, no doubt about it.


    ''Oh, this wasn''t shown in the photos,'' Noticing a footnote under Healing Winds, Nikki read on curiously.


    [When Dome of protection has been cast, Healing Winds can be cast at a tenth of the cost while within the barrier, at the cost of matching their cooldowns. The healing range will be matched to that of the barrier¡ªand the cost will scale with the size of the barrier.]


    ''Well, isn''t that just OP.'' Nikki thought. Increasing the cooldown to ten minutes wouldn''t be a problem. Heck, that was more than worth it. ''Oh, wait, if I were to summon a ten-radius dome, that would be over an hour of CD...''


    Still, it was massive. After all, she had mana problems. If the cost of offering some healing was reduced, she could focus her mana elsewhere.


    Be it to increase the dome''s size (which would then also increase the healing range, but also the cooldown) or on other things like her own spells.


    "We need to test what quality of healing the shield offers," Erik said, bringing Nikki out of her analysis of the skills. Like her, he had probably been reading through them too.


    Wondering what the footnote was about, Nikki told herself to remember to mention thistter. For now, they had other things to discuss.


    The others had all gone through the shield''s abilities again. They needed to be aware of each other''s strengths and weaknesses for the uing tournament.


    Sure, the guild battles would include a hundred yers total for each guild. But, in the end, it would likelye down to the elites of each guild duking it out.


    As a matter of pride, they all wanted to achieve victory without Eldrian''s help. He was simply too far ahead. Relying on him felt like cheating. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They would still do so, since they really needed the cash reward. But they wanted to prove themselves in the uing tournament.


    Prove that they weren''t just riding his coattails. Prove that they were truly elite among the yers. That they could help him. That they would be able to stand next to him, no matter what course things took IRL and in the game.


    Besides the cash reward, like dungeons, the tournament also now offered treasure chests (for all participants¡ªgrade depending on ranking) and two Tier 8 items for first ce. Three Tier 7 weapons for second, and five for third.


    "Right, but..." Nikki hesitated. To test healing, you needed someone who was injured.


    It wasmon fact by this point that spells Tier 1-4 healed various levels of injury. With Tier 5 and above bing able to regrow limbs and other missing body parts.


    While the shield was Tier 8, they couldn''t very well expect its effects on an AOE heal to be at the same level.


    If it could restore the limbs of all in the area, that would simply be beyond insanely OP. It would be a broken item. Capable of bringing an entire team back to full health with just a single spell¡ªon a 15-minute CD (if they made sure to be efficient).


    It was more likely it would recover HP with less focus on actual healing. This was often the case for healing spells of the nature element¡ªthat aren''t specialized.


    Meanwhile, water healing often focused more on the wound and less on HP. Which in turn made them extremely dangerous to use without also using a rejuvenation spell on the patient. Especially if the patient had lost a lot of blood, or was near death.


    This meant that the healer had to still be proficient in the element of nature regardless.


    While it was possible for someone else to cast the Anthos line spells, it could sh with the healer''s spells. Especially with specialized spells.


    There were other elements of healing too. Eldrian had explored it shallowly, and Myropsis had dived quite deeply into it. It was how she had found her talent for water healing.


    Naturally, she had shared what she had learned with the others. The earth element wasn''t good at healing, but it was excellent for prevention methods. Increasing one''s immune system and such.


    Fire worked well on the sick, providing them with a great deal of energy but not much actual (HP) healing.


    Wind... didn''t do anything unless the patient was struggling to breathe. But that could be due to Myropsis''ck of knowing how to imagine it to help a person other than allowing them to breathe, despite their lungs failing.


    Light and dark were both extremely difficult to use. ording to Myropsis, Dark worked well on disease (pestilence and the like). However, any mishap in the spell could cause great harm to the patient. Harm that was difficult to repair, even with divine healing. Not to mention standard elemental healing.


    The light element was the same, only it worked well for mental illnesses. But a mishap would make the patient even more mentally damaged. And again, divine healing would be their only hope at that point.


    "Right, Judith, let''s test this!" Erik shouted.


    "Huh?! Why me!?" She shouted in argument.


    "Huh? What do you mean why?" Erik asked, honestly confused. "Aren''t you the one who goes into fights aiming to be hurt. Aren''t you obviously the right choice?"


    "That doesn''t mean I want to be a guinea pig!" Judith shouted in protest. Realizing that this still left an avenue for arguing, she added with haste, "And it isn''t that I like being hurt!"


    "Let''s leave that forter," Elizabeth said, breaking up the fight before they wasted even more time teasing Judith. "We can test the shield''s healing abilities when someone naturally gets injured. So there is no need for fighting.


    "We all received the treasure chests. I think we should open them to see what they drop." The rest of the guild had already done just that.


    "Oh, right! I hope we get some attribute-increasing potions!" Zyviss shouted, voice filled with hope.


    While the increase was meager, it was still a way to be stronger. Something that was quite¡ªno, extremly rare in the game.


    Levels were hard toe by and far too easy to lose. Tiers weren''t something they could advance through easily. And equipment was expensive, and limited by their stats.


    And these potions could increase those stats! Allowing them to use higher Tier equipment. Allowing them to escape from the level and Tier limitation hell.

 Chapter 989 What Eldrian Was Doing While Playing Unconscious (1)

    ?


    Eldrian had spent almost the entire next day working on his soul.


    His goal was to give it more substance. While Two had lived here, it had be more and more ''real''. But with Two gone, the world had be almost illusionary.


    A world filled with sights, but with no substance.


    That wasn''t entirely true. The sr system rotating above the ''world'' had substance. But that was also the only thing with substance. It also made no sense that ''that'' floated over a world, and that the ''world'' was t.


    Eldrian didn''t have a solution for all these ''rational''mon sense problems. And it didn''t really matter to him.


    This was his soul, his mind space. It could just as well be called a dream with a little more substance and regrity. Managing to stay even after he woke.


    Still, he needed to work on it. He knew this. So he had spent his time ying unconscious on this.


    Sadly, Eldrian didn''t know what had made this world ''real'' while Two had been alive.


    It most certainly had something to do with Two. But Eldrian wasn''t sure if Two had actively done something, or if his existence alone had caused his soul to change. Honestly, thetter felt more likely.


    And, considering the shock Eldrian had experienced with Two''s death, his soul had suffered. For a while, he had abandoned it. He had denied it. Perhaps that was why it was now socking.


    ''Is it time?'' Eldrian asked himself. He had worked hard these past months to improve, to master his powers. However, Two''s absence was still ring.


    But... Eldrian was afraid. He was unsure. He was ashamed.


    For the same reasons he had avoided letting his arm heal, he feared going ahead with this.


    And while he had finally gotten himself to the point of not letting himself be visibly injured, he wasn''t sure if he could attempt to create a new life.


    Say what he would, he couldn''t deny that was what it would be. A life drawn from his own, with his memories and his own thought processes. But a life it was, regardless.


    ''Some would say I shouldn''t act like I am God. That I have no right, but... that isn''t why...'' It felt like cheating on his friend. Like giving up on him.


    There was nothing to give up, Eldrian understood this. Two was gone...


    But... he still couldn''t bring himself to attempt it.


    Even if he could, he couldn''t do this alone. Two hade into existence because of the damage to his soul. It had, in essence, ripped in two. Actually four.


    Eldrian was one part of the shattered soul. Two was another. Wrath was the third. And Tranquility was the fourth.


    His power of time, as far as Eldrian knew, had been a small fragment. Which had managed to grow each time his soul was damaged. Until he now could, more or less, call upon it.


    ''Tranquility...'' At times, Tranquility would appear like a smaller Eldrian. But often it was just ice, mist, or calmness. Eldrian still didn''t know why this worked as it did.


    And pondering this brought him back to the incident in the dungeon. He really needed to talk with Ziraili to figure out what had happened. ''If Two was here...'' Eldrian remissed, but quickly shook his head to dispel the grief that was trying to drown him.


    "No point letting myself go there." He told himself.


    Returning to work, Eldrian called upon the energy making up this entire space. Weaving it to bring more life to this ''world'' of his.


    Eldrian tried his best to envision it having more to it. To it not being an illusion of things¡ªbut rather actual, physical (though confined to his soul) somethings.


    His thoughts were simple: he needed to push more energy into the illusions. To give a leaf actual mass, he needed to push so much energy into it that he would actually cause something (particles) toe into existence.


    Eldrian tried just this while drawing on all the things Ziraili had been teaching him. As well as his own personal studies, the videos he had watched, and the conversations he had had with his friends.


    He tried his best to form a working theory of matter in his mind as hepressed the energy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, it wasn''t working.


    The leaf in his hand remained as it was. Yes, he could touch it. Yes, it felt real. But it wasn''t.


    What made it imaginary? Eldrian had no clue. But it was.


    To prove this, Eldrian picked up some ground. Slowly, Eldrian let it fall from his hand.


    Watching as the dirt rolled through his fingers and over the edges of his hand. Feeling the coldness of the damp forest earth. Noting how it clung to his hands. He even brought his mouth forward to take a taste. Gave it a sniff.


    It tasted and smelled like damp earth. It felt, it clung to his hands, just like damp earth.


    All his senses told him this was real dirt. Yet, the next moment, it was no longer in his hands. Not a single speck remained.


    Eldrian hadn''t used magic to clean his hands. To dispel the dirt, he had simply stopped focusing on it for a few seconds.


    That was all it took for it to turn to nothing. As if it had been a hologram, he had grasped nothing but his own imagination.


    Where he had picked up the dirt, no proof of his action remained. Nor was any of the fallen dirt anywhere on the ground. No small mound of freshly dug earth existed.


    The ground was as it always was. The leaf he had plucked from the trees, was also right back on its branch.


    Seconds passed, minutes flew by, and several hourster, Eldrian finally seemed to notice what was wrong.


    "It is as if time is frozen."


    This, of course, made no sense and perfect sense at the same time.


    Time flowed for him, that much was fact. Eldrian had also added movement to the sr system above his ''world''. It floated there, going from one edge to the other. Bringing a type of artificial day and night.


    It appeared like time existed. But it didn''t.


    "It''s only doing what I ''coded'' it to," Eldrian concluded. But then, couldn''t he say the same thing if he fixed the problem?


    If the dirt had remained in his hand, the leaf on the ground. Would he have truly fixed the problem, or only added those possibilities to the ''coding'' of this world inside his soul?


    And, besides that, when something truly bad happened, it always influenced his soul. Thus, it was wrong to say time wascking. It experienced the effects of what Eldrian went through.


    When he receives a soul attack, his soul took damage. The fabric, the energy that it existed out of, would be damaged, consumed, and lost.


    When he losses control of Wrath, the mes would devour the ''world'' and eat at the very fabric of his soul.


    When he lost control of Tranquility, the world would freeze and so too would his emotions.


    When he lost control of Time, however... Something outside always happens. His soul was left uninfluenced. ''Is that it, or am I just making a connection where there is none?''


    Eldrian peered up towards the sun in the sky. "That is Wrath; light and heat." He said, turning his gaze to the icy mist of astroids enveloping the entire system; sun, ands. "And that is cold."


    Without anything, his soul would be a dark void. It would not be cold, it would not be warm. There would be no sensation of heat.


    When Eldrian had first entered his soul, the only thing outside of the dark void within it had been a bleeding heart. What Eldrian had considered (subconsciously) as the housing for the soul. The most important organ.


    Despite knowing better. Despite knowing should have been the brain¡ªit had been the heart.


    For the simple reason that emotions could be felt from the heart, not the brain.

 Chapter 990 What Eldrian Was Doing While Playing Unconscious (2)

    While Wrath''s heat, and Tranquility''s cold, could be felt in his soul. Eldrian couldn''t see how to use that fact to bring time to his soul. And again, time technically existed. Else his soul shouldn''t have been influenced by soul attacks, wrath, and the like.


    It would be more correct to say that the state of the world Eldrian had created was frozen. While he focused on it, time flowed, gravity worked, and all the other things that one would expect on a normal.


    However, it was a fact that this was not a. It was a ne inside his soul, not some sphere in the void of space somewhere in a gxy.


    "Should I redo it?" Eldrian asked himself.


    He considered that perhaps he needed to make this world spherical. If he did, he would be able to amodate gravity more realistically. Instead of a constant of eleration downward for all things, he could make it match the mass of the ''world''.


    He knew gravity had an effect on time, which was where this thought came from. However, Eldrian wasn''t sure how that all worked.


    ''No, wait. Time slows with the gravitational effect. Not increases. Time dtion, no eleration, Eldrian...'' Upon thinking a bit further, Eldrian recalled that gravity wasn''t the only thing that could influence time.


    "That''s right. Moving faster caused time to slow." This might sound obvious. When Eldrian uses his agility to move, he was 12 times faster than a normal person. During his battle against the Death Knight, with all his buffs, this had more than doubled.


    Naturally, his perception of time had slowed to the same effect. But that was just it, his perception. Time itself hadn''t been affected.


    "Or had it?" Eldrian asked himself. Time, he recalled, was rtive. It was such, such... oh such a damnable confusing subject.


    Photons didn''t experience time, at least ording to science. But that just didn''t make any sense to Eldrian. And the reason for theirck of time experience was that they were traveling at the speed of light.


    To achieve this, they had no mass.


    "Is my soul like a photon?" Eldrian asked himself.


    He didn''t agree with the photon''s not experiencing time. It made no sense that you could refract light, change its state, and still say that it didn''t experience time.


    Something was clearly happening to it. Influencing it.


    Or so Eldrian had wanted to believe. Ziraili, however, had told him that it didn''t: "To the photon, today, tomorrow, and a million years from do not exist. They have two states of being: Birth, and Death."


    "That is to say, when they are released, and when they are absorbed by something are the same frame of time. It happens, to the photon, in no time at all. Not even a second, or indeed any time at all, having passed between the two. And everything that happened to it also fits right into that non-existent second."


    This, of course, sounded like nonsense to Eldrian. After all, during its entire journey, the photon would experience different states of things. It might be refracted, reflected, or diffracted. Ultimately, it would be absorbed.


    Still, the journey exists. To say it doesn''t defies logic. Yet, it was the truth. Or so science says, and Ziraili agreed with said science.


    "Time''s so confusing," Eldrian said with a sigh. Still, this pondering had given him two new paths of thought.


    Time, by its nature, doesn''t exist outside of space. Hence the name spacetime, which is often referred to when talking of the two. They are interlinked.


    Eldrian had been assuming that the ''space'' in his soul was just that. But it waspletely possible it wasn''t. This was all in his head. So, certainly, it might not be ''space'' but just what Eldrian thought of as ''space''.


    His other thought was that his soul was weightless. As obvious as this fact might sound, it was something he had forgotten to consider since things inside his soul felt like they did have mass and weight. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now, Eldrian knew this was partly due to his subconscious wishing to recreate normalcy. And partly because he had tried coding in ''reality'' into his soul.


    But, the fact remained, from the outside, his soul was massless.


    If it wasn''t, that discovery would be the biggest one in history. Being able to detect and find the soul of living things would be massive.


    Well, that was perhaps possible with magic. Heck, it was possible to attack souls, so it certainly was.


    But that attack doesn''te from things with mass. "Yeah, mana alsocks mass. Unless you want it to have mass." Eldrian mumbled. Again, another confusing topic. But that topic was on mana, not time. And Eldrian already more or less understood how mana worked.


    It was a confusing form of matter: capable of changing into different forms of other matter (even photons) ording to the will enacted on it. Despite Eldrian asking himself if mana experienced time, considering all this, he didn''t waste time ont the thought.


    Getting back on the track. Eldrian realized now that as a whole, his soul wascking mass. Meaning it was like a photon.


    To him, it seemed stationary. But it was possible that he (and his soul) was moving at the speed of light (or whatever would be the equivalent) in the magic abyss.


    As such, his soul couldn''t experience time. Yet, things could still affect it. Just like for the photon.


    The only hup was Eldrian''s consciousness.


    He had different reference points, allowing him to notice and feel the effects of what should all be happening in the same instance. He brought time into something timeless.


    "Or am I just making aplicated mess of something simple?" Eldrian asked himself. Though he was louth to think that something like a person''s soul could be ssified as simple. But perhaps his entire viewpoint was wrong.


    Perhaps it wasn''t that time didn''t affect this ''world'' in his soul. Perhaps his conscious efforts simply reset things, making it seem like it was static, by some sort of error or something.


    ''Hah, this might be more usible. Considering the damage my soul has sustained...''


    Regardless, Eldrian felt that the link between his soul and a photon would still hold. If, that is, his soul was traveling at the speed equivalent of light in the magic abyss.


    Either way, Eldrian realized that trying to force time into his soul wouldn''t work. The inside might not be the problem. His consciousness brought time to the inside¡ªwhile it was there, at least.


    No, what he needed to figure out was the rules of souls. He had always done what he wanted on his own. Like a lucid dreamer, he was the god of his soul (dream/mind space).


    However, that didn''t mean there weren''t rules. And having time flow in his soul might need some very specific things to happen.


    Perhaps he needed to introduce true gravity. Perhaps he needed to fix the ''space'' inside his soul to make it actual space. Perhaps to do that he needed to use the power of his bloodline to introduce time, and somehow make spacetime.


    Regardless, this was all tooplicated for him to figure out on his own.


    As much as Eldrian wanted his soul to take on a more real form. He could wait. He had only meant to escape all the annoying questions (and ensure he had taken no damage from affecting the flow of time outside).


    Since hours had passed, surely it was safe to return to the real (simted/game/dream) world.

 Chapter 991 Eldrians Wandering Thoughts Upon Waking

    ?


    Eldrian found himself in a rather run-down room upon waking. Taking a quick nce at his map, he confirmed his location. "Am I heavy? Why did they leave me here" Eldrian grumbled.


    Sure, the others hadn''t left him lying at the gate (where the dungeon entrance was). But they also hadn''t taken him very far. They had dropped him off in one of the abandoned buildings inside the fort.


    Not even one of the inns (not that any of them were still open). Technically, this abandoned building used to be an inn.


    While abandoned, the building saw use whenever a new army of undead marched on the kingdom from the south. As such, it wasn''t a dust and cobweb-filled room.


    But it also wasn''t getting much maintenance. Just enough to be serviceable in cases where rooms were needed in emergencies.


    They had even put Eldrian on a bed. Though some dust had umted on the linen on which heid. Which, naturally, made Eldrian frown upon noticing.


    Standing up, he pped his cloak and clothes to try and get the dust off. During his ''sleep'' his armor had slowly absorbed his mana to repair itself.


    As such, the darkslime was back to its sleek ck appearance. Though it was still thin, the other metals that had been lost in the battle would need to be added to bring the armor back to top shape.


    That, however, was a job for Solvi. While Eldrian could manage some forging with brute force magic. He couldn''t do anything as intricate as repairing his armor.


    As Eldrian tried to shake off the dust, it built until it became unbearable. Coughing, Eldrian quickly fixed the problem with a spell after throwing open the room''s only window.


    "Then again, I can''tin, can I?" He joked after enjoying the fresh airing in from the window. Eldrian stood by the window, watching the dim interior of the fort from his perch on the second floor.


    The fort, for the most part, was almost abandoned. With soldiers stationed across the entire border wall, this was to be expected. If Eldrian had to guess (he didn''t bother calling up his map to confirm) there would only be a hundred or so soldiers manning the ce.


    Considering the size of the fort (which once upon a time had served as a fort and town), that number was pitiful. It could easily house thousands, up to ten thousand. Having only a hundred soldiers manning it, made it a ghost town.


    Naturally, though, no one wanted to live here now that war had broken out. While things have calmed down, the fort was still the front line. Vigers and peasants weren''t about to leave their homes (even if newly settled) for such a dangerous ce.


    The same could be said for the Kyno Northeast¡ªwhich their guild managed. It also only had the soldiers manning it staying there. Though quite a bit of yers often visited, going to The Forsaken Caverns in the hope of finding some rare metals.


    The only fort with a lot of people moving about in it was Fort Phoenix.


    Trade with the vampires (negotiations had made quite a bit of progress) has made it a popr location for merchants.


    While the undead were still in the area (vampires excluded), the fort was across the river. Which meant that it was rare to run intorge hordes. Not to mention the soldiers did culling as often as possible.


    Thanks to this, some brave souls (upon hearing of the treaty with the vampires) dared to make the journey. However, they had not dared leave thends of the living for the drnds of the vampires.


    No, Fort Phoenix served as the hub of trade. And due to the contract magic¡ªwhich everyone had to agree to upon entering¡ªmerchants found it a safe ce to do their trading.


    Sure, the contract limited the underhanded tactics they could use. But this held true for those they were making deals with too. Since both sides were being affected, it allowed peaceful negotiations. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The currentrgest import for the kingdom was mana crystals, while their export was, shockingly, food.


    Despite the ravages that the war had brought to thends of Taurus, they were still far better off than the drnds when it came to produce. And since hydroponic farming was spreading (albeit slowly), Taurus''s farming economy was only going to grow.


    The meat from the monsters they yed was also well received. Monster meat in general was healthy, and often beneficial to eat. And since the army often culled entire hordes, there was more than enough.


    Naturally, as the technical ruler of the fort, Eldrian could levy taxes on these sales. But he hadn''t. After all, he had left most of the management to Pros and Aspen. ''Wait, is there a tax or not?'' Eldrian wasn''t even sure, now that he thought about it.


    "Ah, I''m such a bad boss." Eldrianughed. Poor Aspen was handling everything that Eldrian was supposed to handle as a noble and owner/manager of a fort.


    If the wolfkin wanted, he could rob Eldrian blind¡ªseeing as Eldrian never really inspected the reports in great detail. Always only ncing over them before asking for some new novel idea to be invested into.


    His current project was darkslime, but the material was too rare to really buy. As such, most of the funds that his estate (and his fort, Eldrain now realized) made, went directly to the magic herb farm that had been created on his estate.


    ''Wait, wasn''t there a report about Aspen buying some farnd beyond the inner walls?'' Realizing that the scale of this farming might berger than he had thought, Eldrian realized just how terrible he was as a boss.


    That realization sucked, so he decided to distract himself with something else. "But, man... did I stay out for longer than I meant to," Eldrian grumbled. Night had fully fallen.


    He had intended to only y unconscious for a few minutes to avoid being bombarded with questions. However, had ended up getting struck with inspiration and then muddled in uncertainty when that inspiration deted.


    Minutes had turned into hours as a result.


    Taking a quick look at his map, Eldrian found that half his group of friends were offline. And those who were online had returned to Kynigo¡ªor to the new fort in the Chaos Lands.


    Certainly, they didn''t have the luxury to wait for him to wake. While the situation in the kingdom had calmed significantly, enough even for the military to shift its focus from defense to clean up and repair.


    But there was still constant fighting and danger of further invasions. And yers yed an absolutely pivotal role by now in making sure those invasions didn''t strike them unaware.


    "Our maps really are cheating," Eldrian mumbled. When it had just been him, sure it had been cheating too. But the cheating had been limited. Now... their enemy really didn''t stand much chance.


    Sure, there were still some kinks to work out. But the fact that the enemy''s tactics would always be known, and even their strength revealed (to a certain degree), was fatal.


    The only reason the kingdom hadn''t been able topletely push back their enemies was theirck of manpower. The constant war had drained them of soldiers.


    But that was fine. Perfect even. Eldrian didn''t hate all those called devils, but he did consider anyone who invaded another kingdom to be in the wrong. They might not be evil, he didn''t truly understand their circumstance, after all.


    But they were in the wrong, nheless.

 Chapter 992 The Need For Stronger Armor

    ?


    Leaving that train of thought behind, Eldrian thought back to his battle with the Death Knight. As often the case, he had been overconfident.


    This time, however, that was okay. It had only been a dungeon attempt. Sure, there was a massive CD¡ªwin or lose. But that was all. No one had been in real danger. At least, as far as Eldrian could confirm.


    Of course, drawing on his auras was always dangerous. But that was why he had been training with Ziraili.


    In the end, Eldrian had been put in a bind not because of the fight itself, but rather because he didn''t want to appear naked on the guild''s stream. This body, his avatar, might not be his real one. But it would still have been quite embarrassing.


    ''That''s it!'' mming his balled right hand into his left hand, Eldrian smiled. "I just need to make some armor that won''t burn. Even when I channel Wrath."


    Willow was the perfect example of what a weapon should be capable of. Eldrian had channeled Wrath through it, and it had worked perfectly. There had been no danger of Wrath damaging it.


    Naturally, though, aplishing something like that wouldn''t be easy. If Eldrain was to believe the stats that he had read during the fight, Wrath dealt 1,8k damage. And, ording to the damage he had done to the Death Knight, that was its base (raw damage) value.


    Unlike other damage types, Wrath''s damage did exactly what it said. 1.8k damage t. It had ignored the Death Knight''s armor and resistances, too.


    Eldrian knew from experience that it was possible to resist damage from auras. But not with normal magic. You needed to channel your own aura to counter the attacking aura. If you can''t, then you will take full damage from the other.


    While the Death Knight had had an aura of death (its green mes), it hadn''t been in full control of it.


    On reflection, it was more like its greatsword had born the aura, not the knight itself. It could control it, but it wasn''t the same as Eldrian''s Wrath and Tranquility. Which was likely why Wrath had so easily consumed the other mes.


    Stopping his reflection on the battle there, Eldrian refocused on the important bit. 1.8k t damage.


    There was nothing that Eldrian could think of to withstand such a raw damage value. Sure, Eldrian hadn''t seen the stats of Tier 10 equipment, yet. But he had seen that of Tier 8 items (in the guild chat).


    Even if the armor values doubled from Tier 8 to Tier 9, and Tier 9 to 10, that would only bring it to around 500. Maybe 1k if it had a special ability or something. Still not nearly enough to withstand Wrath being channeled through them.


    Eldrian could still try what he had donest time. But as soon as his concentration was to slip, Wrath would start eating at the equipment''s durability. Slowly consuming and melting them.


    Darkslime was surprisingly the best option Eldrian had. Since it was possible to be repaired with mana, instead of extremely rare and expensive metals. But... it would still be damaged during the fight. Especially in fights where Eldrian needed to rely on Wrath.


    ''I need armor that can survive Wrath. I can''t really expect to win when I always end up naked.'' Luckily, the mes would obscure visibility. Something Eldrian hadn''t really considered when he had panicked during the fight.


    ''Eh, it had allowed me to finally slow time again. So I can''tin.'' Eldrian mumbled. ''And, yeah. I feel like I didn''t actually slow time. Only increased my perception of it. And increased my own speed...''


    Yet, that left the question of why he had sent energy outside of himself. It was this fact that had convinced Eldrian that he had slowed time, and not increased his own thought process speed.


    But, If he had slowed time, then the explosion strength should have been farrger. Like that time he had lost control of his time dtion field. Which GAIA had taken opportunity of to make Eldrian''s soul a tunnel between Earth and ANW.


    "Back to my clothing options." Not wanting to let his thoughts wander too far in other directions, Eldrian pondered what he could do for armor.


    While it was perhaps not required in regards to decency, since the mes would obscure visibility. He really didn''t want to be naked. Not to mention, armor was important. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sure, Eldrian didn''t often rely on his armor to eat blows for him. Often only using them for their stat boosts and abilities. But armor could save his life in a close fight. Especially against opponents who were as fast, if not faster, than himself.


    A few minutes of pondering brought Eldrian to the question; "Why can Willow survive?"


    The base of the weapon was Abyssalite. A rank 5 metal. While metals were generally less rare than crystals, this metal was still extremely rare. So much so that there was none of it in Kynigo, or even in the ducal cities. It could only be found in the capital. And at insane prices too, on rare asions to boot.


    Abyssalite averaged around 100k gold per kilogram. Forparison, divine ores (like Divine Mithril) only cost around 10k per kilogram. And arge move Crystal (asrge as a person''s hand) around 12k.


    Now, these metals (and crystals) were all so rare that they couldn''t be bought at will. Often they can only be found be bought at state-held auctions. This held true for all materials at Rank 4 and 5.


    Thus, even if the secrety in the metal, Eldrian would never be able to get his hands on it. It was too rare, and even if he managed toe across it in an auction, he didn''t have the gold to buy it.


    Sure, Eldrian had a lot of goldpared to other yers. A thousand or so wasn''t much to him anymore. But above 10k was, and 100k was an insane amount.


    ''Mmm, maybe in a year or so.'' Thinking of all the expanding businesses that Aspen was managing for him, Eldrian realized that the cost wasn''t something he would never be able to afford.


    Heck, if he went on a money-gathering quest, he would be able to make it in a few weeks. Perhaps even less.


    ''Yeah, if I take down a few ancient beasts...'' Eldrian quickly thought of The Forsaken Cavern. His expedition into the cave had been postponed time and time again.


    Not only would he be able to fight mighty beasts, which would also count as training¡ªhe might even stumble upon some rare metals.


    "But... it isn''t guaranteed it is the abyssalite." It could also be any of the other rare metals. Boran had been true to his word and hadn''t been cheap in any single area.


    Currently, Eldrian could only use two abilities of the weapon. But there were surely plenty of others. Each is empowered by some or other rare material.


    It was also possible it was some secret technique. But if it was, then Solvi should have learned it. While Eldrian had ended up missing the smithing process, due to his training with Ziraili. Solvi had been allowed to observe and assist during the entire process.


    Eldrian was also sure Boran would be more than willing to help if asked. ''If it was a technique from Amnur, they should be able to replicate it...''


    Asking the Legend, however, wasn''t an option. He had disappeared right after finishing Willo, so Boran had told Eldrian.


    ''It might also be the magic crystal core...'' While Boran hadn''t cheaped out, Magic Crystals were too rare for even him (the lord of Ganalin) to use in the forging of a single weapon.


    Magic Crystals were strategic materials used to expand and defend a kingdom''s borders. Using something so rare and valuable for a single weapon was insanity.


    But that also meant it being the key to surviving Wrath was high. And, of course, it might be abination of everything.


    ''So, I need to get money and make a new Artificial Magic Crystal. In which case, I need to make two. Or Vriski will be real mad.

 Chapter 993 Delaying aiming for Tier 7

    ?


    But before all that, the first thing had to be first. Eldrian had to log off...


    Per his agreement with his friends, he had to take good care of his actual body. And, of course, to make sure he listened, they had even got his sister involved.


    Eldrian did not want another scolding from her.


    Sure, he understood where they wereing from. However, he had been living as he was for quite some time. Sure, Two''s death had thrown a wrench in its operation. But no physical problems had shown themselves thus far, even with all the neglect Eldrian gave his actual human body.


    Magic was surely to thank that it hadn''t be atrophied and all that. But the fact was that he was in top shape thanks to said magical phenomena. And he now had the Cabin to supplement his body in long sessions, but... they still said he had to log out at least once every day unless something serious was going on.


    Such a cruel fate.


    "But, before that..." Eldrian looked into his inventory, finding the treasure chests. Just like everyone else, he wanted to see what they would drop/give him.


    Unlike everyone else, he didn''t have high hopes. Attribute-increasing potions were good at lower Tiers. But Eldrian was at Tier 6, preparing to go for Tier 7. The increase of 3, or even 6 points (if he got two such potions), wouldn''t make a difference when all his stats were over a thousand.


    On top of that, Willow, the only item in his possession whose requirement he didn''t meet, didn''t have an attribute requirement like all other items. No, its requirement was to reach Tier 10.


    That wasn''t in the cards for Eldrian any time soon. Luckily, due to its design, that didn''t prevent Eldrian from using it. In fact, each Tier from 5 upward opened one ability of the weapon. Tier 5 was the morphing ability, and Tier 6 was Cage.


    While curious, Eldrian had refrained from asking Boran for all the details. His Tiers woulde when the time was right. Waiting in anticipation for what the next ability would be far more fun than knowing it all beforehand.


    After all, the unknown had a certain appeal. It was the entire appeal of treasure chests and gacha games.


    "So, what do I want?" Eldrian asked himself, the little chests (presents around the size of a six-pack of milk). "Resurrection potions are always appreciated. But Erik is capable of making them, so that isn''t really a problem. Oh! I need to learn a resurrection spell."


    Tier 5 was the lowest Tier at which this was possible. But only for priests and clerics. For normal mages, the option became open at Tier 6, but had several severe limitations. The true form of resurrection magic only opens at Tier 7 and above. But even then it had several limitations.


    Still, Eldrian had to learn the Tier 6 one first to get a feel for how the spell works. Sadly, it wasn''t a spell you could train like all the others. To truly master it, you had to use it as it was intended to be used. Which meant someone had to have died, and extremely recently.


    The time since death requirement was extended for yers, who Eldrian would practice on. Which made things a little easier. But he had never set aside the time to do just that.


    "I''ll just stick with the others when they go on a quest." If Eldrian stayed rearward, they wouldn''t mind.


    Eldrian doing the quest for them, however, would be problematic. Some people would love to have it easy, while others were ying ANW to push themselves. If he was just their safety, no one wouldin. In fact, everyone would appreciate it greatly.


    No one wanted to die and lose a bunch of levels (and possibly some unbound magical items, and all non-magical items equipped). And no one wanted to fail a quest.


    The time Eldrian had till the tournament was only about a week. He had intended to attempt reaching Tier 7 before them. s, despite all the progress he had made, things weren''t quite there yet.


    If it was only a case of casting the spells and doing some slight modifications on his manawork, Eldrian could do it. Ziraili, however, had told Eldrian to take some more time.


    ording to her, she hoped he could give her blueprints of his ns before attempting the Tier up. A request which had sent Eldrian stumbling into the dark.


    He normally worked on feeling and some vague ns. This time he had considered preparing things more thoroughly, but not enough to make an entire blueprint (several, in fact) of the process.


    However, Ziraili had exined that this was why his Tier 6 (and Tier 5 especially) breakthroughs, while sessful, had been chaotic. ording to Zirali, if he had prepared properly beforehand, then no monsters would have been attracted by his attempts.


    It was thus his fault all those monsters had been killed. Though, Eldrian couldn''t really find it in himself to feel bad about that. At least, not back then. With what he knew, now... it wasplicated.


    All the monsters had been affected by the effects of his breakthrough. He had originally thought they wanted to attack and devour him out of greed, wishing to evolve. However, Ziraili had exined that that was not so simple.


    She exined that when something, and especially living beings, releases a lot of mana in an unstable way (which Eldrian''s breakthroughs certainly were), it causes monsters'' instincts to go wild. This included some of the magical creatures who were normally not aggressive.


    If one were to equate it to something, the monsters would be ovee with a feeling simr to when a vampire has been without blood for weeks, or possibly months. Or the blinding hunger pangs of a ghoul.


    His actions had thus made them go berserk. Only the more evolved ones had been able to withstand this. Or those far enough for the effect to have weakened.


    They had not attacked because they wanted, but because their instincts had forced them to. Evolution, it seems, was something deeply embedded into the subconscious of all magical creatures. Monster or not.


    This was also why Vriski had tried so hard to eat the Magic Crystal, despite all Eldrian''s efforts to stop the pup.


    Eldrian had naturally asked why only unstable mana discharges cause this phenomenon. After all, if it was all mana-dense things that naturally release mana into the environment, then cities would be a super monster ma. And mines with mana crystals would be overrun far more regrly.


    Her exnation was that evolution through a stable source was more difficult. While such things, like a fully formed mana crystal, Mov Crystal, or even a Magic Crystal, held far more mana. That mana was stable.


    This meant that the monsters can''t consume and make it their own fully. Apparently, the monsters weren''t after the mana alone, but rather the energy making up the mana itself. In other words, the lifeforce behind it. Or the UE (universal energy) which mana and lifeforce are birthed from.


    "Chaotic mana has yet to take shape. In other words, it is in its raw energetic form. The closest form mana can take to lifeforce."


    That sentence had allowed everything to finally click for Eldrian. They sought chaotic energies to evolve not their bodies, but their body and souls.


    Monsters can aplish the same thing by killing others. But the chances of evolution through killing are extremely rare, since other living things are naturally in a stable state called ''life'', or in the case of the undead, their state would be the stable form of ''undeath''.

 Chapter 994 Treasure Chests, First Drop

    ?


    Eldrian, however, during his Tier breakthrough, had been in a chaotic state. If things were to be listed ording to the likelihood of helping a monster''s evolution, he was right at the top. Above even a forming magic crystal.


    This also exined why, during that time, he had caused far more monsters to appear than when he tried to use Creation to create Magic Crystal. The fact the the local poption had been thinned certainly also yed a role. But there had still been plenty who lived in the area.


    A forming magic crystal simply didn''t appeal to them nearly as much as Eldrian''s breakthrough.


    "Reaching for a higher Tier is normally not so chaotic." Ziraili had once exined. "But, since you have a mana system which you need to develop along with your natural growth, hidden ss, and auras; your breakthrough is something closer to evolution than simply aiming for a higher Tier."


    Eldrian had experienced the hunt firsthand when he had broken through to Tier 5. Having needed to run for his life while not losing control of everything going on inside his body. He had hardly been able to fight in that state.


    With his Tier 6 breakthrough, he had prepared. Setting up a barrier and asking Pros and Myropsis to aid him while he was vulnerable.


    "The chances for them to evolve when killing and consuming another evolving creature is nearly a hundred percent. And, when considering the other factors involved with your attempts..."


    Basically, Eldrian might even allow them to evolve twice or thrice. What monster could stay sane when their instincts were screaming at them of this opportunity?


    Only those above Ancient ranking, and even then only those who are rather old and wise. Which basically means a higher Tier. Any monster near Eldrian''s Tier, when he attempts to break through, would be driven insane by their own instincts.


    This also exined why the only monsters who had attempted to attack Eldrian had been ones who Peros, and even Myropsis, had been capable of fending off.


    Turning his attention back to the two presents sitting on the window sill, Eldrian sighed. His thoughts had wandered, but he still did not know what he would want from the treasure chests.


    While his next breakthrough was on hold until Ziraili approved of his ''blueprints'', that still didn''t mean he needed extra attribute points. Not unless the potions he got would increase it by, at the very least, 10 points. Then it would at least be close to a 1% increase for him.


    "No point continuing to wonder," Eldrian said, cing his hand on one of the chests and imagining it opening. He also recalled that it was important to grip the present. Lest you drop whatever it turned into.


    Yes, the chests turned into your drop. For it to do so, had to transform. And during that period, it shone. Almost blindingly so. Fanfare, or so everyone seemed to call this part.


    When the shine dissipated, Eldrian now held a quiver in his hand.


    He sighed.


    "What types?" He asked himself. The arrows wouldn''t be useless for him. Even if he didn''t really use bows, he could always throw them and use magic to guide them. He already did just that with daggers and swords. Arrows might be harder to see, so they coulde in handy.


    When Eldrian used Inspect to find the arrow type, he finally noticed theck of arrows in the quiver. Something which was most certainly disappointing.


    His drop wasn''t a quiver and some arrows. But just a quiver.


    Still, he wasn''t about to discount it just yet. His treasure chests were S-Ranked. Their drops had to be worth something.


    [Elemental Quiver ¡ª Tier 6]


    [Durability: 150k]


    [Abilities: Summon Arrow ¡ª]


    ''Well, I guess it makes sense it doesn''t have any stats of its own.'' Eldrian thought. Hoping that its abilities would be something worthwhile. From the name, he already had an inkling of what they would be.


    Reading on, Eldrian frowned. It wasn''t useless, per se. But it also wasn''t all that great. It was a simr ability to the bow that the guild had chosen against, having picked Mosfaria''s Aegis instead.


    However, instead of forming arrows of magic, this quiver seemed to form physical arrows.


    Eldrian had no idea how that was possible, considering the rule that more realistic meant more mana cost. Yet this quiver had nearly no mana cost for ''real'' arrows. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    But he had noticed that some of the dungeon drops weren''t entirely in line with ''normal'' magical items. They had a bit more ''re'', a bit more game-like elements, to them.


    Mosfaria''s Aegis, for example, was overpoweredpared to normal Tier 8 items. All its abilities were great, making it one of the greatest in the Tier. A smith might be able to replicate such a feat, but it would be difficult.


    The smith would have to be a master at their craft and a few Tiers above the item they were forging.


    Willo, of course, was the same. But that was because Amnur, someone closer to demi-gods than a normal person, had been involved with the forging. If had just been Boran... while it would have still been an excellent weapon, there was no denying it would be far weaker.


    The fact that it could be wielded at lower Tiers would likely have been missing, that much Eldrian was certain of.


    And Mosfaria''s Aegis had a simr ability. Allowing you to equip it even if you didn''t meet the requirements.


    "The mana efficiency is decent¡ªno, it''s amazing..." Each arrow required a single cost of 5MP (give or take 3 MP). Which really wasn''t much. Especially considering it was summoning/creating Tier 6 arrows for you.


    In all, there were five options.


    [Wind Arrow: An arrow embued with the power of wind, allowing for far greater control after being fired. The arrow can also, onmand with the appropriate skills, multiply while in flight.]


    [Damage: 66 (plus bow modifier)]


    [Cost: 6MP]


    For Zyviss with his Tier 5 bow, the total damage would be around 100. For Eldrian, who would simply be throwing the arrow, it would be just the simple 66.


    ''Sadly, I do not know any skill to use its split functions.'' Eldrian thought.


    What Eldrian called ether maniption was an archer''s greatest skill. though it wasn''t entirely the same thing.


    It was almost impossible for anyone to im themselves apetent as an archer if they couldn''t at least use the Seeker skill.


    Its moreplicated variations differed slightly, Guiding Arrow was far harder to master. However, the basis of the skills were all simr to ether maniption. Not the same. Just simr.


    Archers focused first and foremost on making a connection between them and their arrow. This was, in fact, the same process that swordsmen and all warriors used to activate skills in melee too.


    The difference between an archer and a swordsman was; the archer kept that connection with the arrow after firing it.


    A difficult thing to aplish, and something which many struggle with. But this connection allows them to mentally follow the arrow as it flies and activate skills with it as their focal point. Almost like distant casting.


    The multiply skill didn''t really multiply the arrows. Such a thing would require far too much mana.


    One method was for the arrow itself to be designed to split into fragments. Fragments which would be to core for new arrows, which the magic would replicate ording to the original.


    And, as with all magic, the level of replication depended on the Tier of the skill. Generally, this method dealt more damage, but the number of arrows created was limited. And, after a while, all but the split cores will disappear.


    The other most used method was more of an illusion. However, even if most of the arrows weren''t ''real'', they were still manifestations of magic. They could deal damage, albeit limited damage. And they disappeared after the fact.


    This method was preferred by most but was useless against stronger enemies. The fact that the arrows disappear, however, could be used to make the wounds far more deadly than if a normal arrow had pierced the enemy. Even if the damage was generally less.


    It was almost like this approach applied an extra bleed affect on those it hit. Though really the wounds were simply left without anything to staunch the bleeding.

 Chapter 995 Treasure Chests, Second Drop

    ?


    The other arrows that could be summoned were also quite impressive. Eldrian couldn''t truly test their abilities to the fullest. Still, each one had some skill which it was seemingly more effective with.


    The other elements you could summon were:


    Fire, allowing for an explosion on contact (cliche, yes. But also effective). From the description, the explosion would be on par with Tier 5 AOE spells. Meanwhile, the arrow itself would be blindingly hot. Enough to melt metal if it stayed in contact with any.


    Nature was the third arrow type, though it was perhaps more a hybrid of water and nature¡ªreleasing a cloud of poison. From the description, it sounds like a deadly choice. The arrow itself, of course, would be coated in the poison. A direct hit would be extremely deadly.


    Water and Earth both had some strange descriptions. Eldrian couldn''t make heads or tails of what they were supposed to do, so he tested it.


    Water would act as a beacon for what Eldrian could only describe as a water ball spell. It had no destructive properties on its one but hit it anywhere on a person''s upper body, and their head would be underwater. Water that was rapidly rotating. It would not be easy to remove the arrow, or really do anything within that ball of spinning aqua.


    Earth, in contrast, would summon spikes from the ground toward the arrow. Eldrian couldn''t really say which was deadlier. Water was slower, but almost impossible to survive if you weren''t strong enough and didn''t act quickly enough. Earth, on the other hand, could be dodged somewhat easily. If you knew what wasing, that is. And unlike water, a miss would be quite dangerous too.


    "It''s not a bad drop, perhaps an archer''s dream, but..." Eldrian mumbled. It just wasn''t something he was interested in. For Wind (a shower of sharp objects), he could simply summon any of the weather-type spells he knew¡ªlike Chal¨¢zi p¨¢gou (Ice Rain). Or Icicle Barrage, or Ice Shower... All his projectile spells seemed to be ice rted.i


    For Fire, any fire spell would really do. For nature, well, Eldrian didn''t really know many poison spells. But he could learn some if he wanted. Hybrid spells weren''t much of a challenge for him, though it was for normal mages.


    Water and Earth, while the arrow focal was interesting, it was basically like Willo''s Cage ability but... different.


    Eldrian might call them weaker, but, honestly, they simply worked differently. And sure, the earth one did less damage than any of Willo Cages (or even Eldrian''s spells), but it had that surprise factor when used. Normally you wouldn''t expect an arrow to summon spears from the ground to skewer you.


    Still, Eldrian considered this one a dud. He would likely offer it to Zyviss, and if the man didn''t want it, he would sell it. Extra cash never hurt.


    "So, that just leaves you," Eldrian said, turning to the remaining present (treasure chest). But, after the Elemental Quiver, his hopes were low. Still, that didn''t mean it wasn''t exciting.


    Taking a firm grip on the present, Eldrian thought "Open". Anticipation sending tingles through his body.


    Just likest time, the present shone blindingly. When it subsided, Eldrian held in his hand a small stone. Not muchrger than his thumb''s fingernail. For a moment, he thought it was another dud.


    His heart sank. Two S-Ranked treasure chests giving him only a handful of cash was nothing short of a disappointment. The stone didn''t even look all that impressive. It was dull, as far as stones went. An almost charcoal gray. Didn''t seem like anything precious.


    Still, Eldrian had to check what it was. When he did, his heart skipped a beat.


    [Divine Grace ¡ª Rank: Legendary]


    Eldrian didn''t even know there were any materials above Rank 5. As far as he knew, Magic Crystals were the most valuable material, though not the rarest. That honor likely fell to something like lightstones or something.


    Yet, here the treasure chest had gifted him a legendary ranked material. And one Eldrian knew he had a use for. He had to question if this should even be possible, and the likelihood for him to get the drop...


    ''Is there some cheating going on?'' Eldrian had to ask himself.


    He had almost forgotten about the quest from GAIA, Kosmos. The one supposedly that would help him unlock his hidden abilities. The fact that he got something he had been needing so easily... felt more than a little strange.


    Honestly, Eldrian didn''t know if he still needed toplete the said quest. Ziraili was now training him personally, after all.


    But, still, that had been something he had hoped Creation could help him with. After all, for the aspect of order, he needed a Magic Crystal.


    "I still... Wait, no. With this, and with Creation, I will only need one more aspect..."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "I need to consult with Ziraili about this." Still, this meant he now had four out of the five aspects.


    Divinity: Divine Grace.


    Space: Voidstone (Eldrian had kept a few smaller pieces for self-use). Apparently, Abbyssalite would also be eptable.


    Time: His own bloodline of Chronos. Apparently, if he didn''t have that specific bloodline ''key'', he would need to go hunting dragons.


    Order: Magic Crystals (he hoped the artificial ones would count).


    Chaos: Missing. Thest aspect he would need to find. He had long ago used his Death Crystal to win his duel against Zaphreal.


    ''But, if I need only an aspect of Chaos, I should be able to focus my efforts.'' Pausing, Eldrian wondered if he should try to incorporate these into his next breakthrough. If he made it one of the steps... just how massive a jump in strength could he expect?


    It took him a few minutes to stop daydreaming. Eldrian felt that his ''stat'' growth would be limited. There were some weird rules in ce. Sadly, ANW, for all its realism, still had to follow game rules.


    The reality of this world was warped, yet things still function. That, Eldrian felt, was perhaps the most impressive of all.


    Returning his attention to the stone''s statistics, Eldrian wondered what made it so special.


    [Divine Grace ¡ª Rank: Legendary]


    [A small crystal carrying within it immense power. Near impossible to find, these crystals can only be found in the heart of a mana storm.]


    That really, really, put it into perspective. Eldrian didn''t get any more details, even when using Mana Sense at full st.


    Still, it did tell him quite a lot. Mana storms, also known as Chaotic Storms, or storms of chaos, were apocalyptic events. ording to the lore of ANW (Eldrian didn''t know how much most yers knew), but from what he knew, these were the driving forces behind the invasions.


    These storms were so destructive that they destroy entire contents as they pass. And, apparently, Divine Grace could only be found in the eye of such a storm.


    From the wording, Eldrian also assumed that it meant the crystal/stone would be consumed in the storm (it felt like and looked more like a stone than a crystal, due to its dull appearance).


    Most likely, the Divine Grace''s formation was what finally caused the trigger for a Mana Storm. Though, from what Eldrian knew, these storms were chaotic in nature. Hence their namesake. Why, then, was one of the aspects of Divinity, in its center?


    Naturally, Eldrian had a few assumptions. The most likely of which was because of the essence behind divinity. There was nothing divine behind divinity. It was simply the application of lifeforce mixing with mana.


    In simple terms, Incinerate could be ssified as a divine spell. However, since there was no divine intervention in its casting, it isn''t ssified as such.


    ''Divine intervention...'' That part was where Eldrian''s focus honed in. Lifeforce was little more than a part of the fundamental energy making up the entirety of ANW. Apparently, the same held true for the universe/dimension where Earth was.


    Thetter wasn''t important. What was important was two things: One, the Divine Grace was likely crystalized lifeforce. Two, it was formed by divine guidance.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure of the second piece, but he was of the first. Which caused him to shake. A mixture of fear and exhration running through him.


    This crystal in his hands was, more than likely, more dangerous than an atomic bomb.

 Chapter 996 Forgetting To Log Out

    ?


    Returning to his estate, Eldrian smiled at the progress being made. The garden, well, it didn''t look like much of a ''normal'' garden. It was most certainly a herb garden, not some flower garden or training garden, or something else.


    While not an ugly sight, it was certainly not a ce meant for a casual stroll or afternoon tea. The herbs, most magical in nature, did have a certain appeal to them. But they weren''t roses, that was for sure.


    Naturally, most of the nts were focused toward the back of the estate. The front was a bit more subdued, with some grass patches left next to the path to the house. These grass patches wererge enough for someone to practice, though perhaps not quiterge enough to spar with someone else.


    Eldrian entered his home, deep in the night. No one was awake at the moment. Well, it was well past midnight, so that was to be expected. ''Perhaps we need to hire some guards?'' Eldrian pondered, but quickly gave up on the idea.


    Sure, the herbs were precious, but not enough for someone to attack the estate. Someone might be stealing a few leaves or flowers here and there, but that was hardly something Eldrian cared enough about.


    Due to his reputation in the city, those who did do such a thing were certain to be at their wit''s end. After all, Eldrian was sung of as a hero. It was more likely that no one even thought to try and steal anything from his home.


    Still, for some reason, Eldrian felt on guard today. He hade after opening the treasure chests. Hoping to go through a few books to sort his thoughts. Both on why the Divine Grace was in the center of a Mana Storm, and where he could find an aspect of chaos.


    While Eldrian worried about GAIA''s ns, he understood¡ªor he wanted to believe, at least, that they weren''t evil.


    It was a confusing mess, but he understood the wish to be free. The fact that their own actions were preventing them from being such just made things moreplicated, ironic even.


    ''No, that''s enough of that.'' Eldrian told himself, looking through all the books he had in his study. Finally, he found the one he wanted.


    He had read it already, but it never hurt to revise things. It was a rather rare volume, a book not on magic spells or history or anything like that. It was a book on spective concepts. Unproven, unsubstantiated.


    It was basically just a bunch of hypotheses. Which was precisely why Eldrian had found it such a fascinating read.


    The premise was simple; magic was divided into several categories (aspects) and those aspects were then divided into elements. The aspect of order had the elements as Eldrian knew them: fire, wind, earth, water, light, dark, and nature.


    Their ultimate foundational manifestation was that of the Magic Crystal. A catalyst of all the elements within it.


    So far, Eldrian had believed all the aspects would follow simr routes, though he had been unsure of this conclusion. He now knew this wasn''t true.


    He had found it strange that the aspect of chaos had a simple Death Crystal as one of its eptable materials (element of the aspect). Death was but one element of Chaos, or so Eldrian believed¡ªand the book spected the same.


    Eldrian had thus assumed that the elements he needed to find need not be abination of all elements in the aspect. It could contain just one element but had to at least meet some criteria. Like being of Rank 4 or higher.


    To prove this, he tested if a Mov Crystal would meet the requirements for any of the aspects. It did not. Which left him frustrated.


    Still, the existence of Divine Grace had opened a new rank for Eldrian to explore. Legendary. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    He could only assume that all aspects had to have their ultimate elemental manifestation. One which wasn''t just abination of their elements, but the evolution of said elements. What the elements would present if lifeforce joined the equation.


    And, if that was the case, then a Magic Crystal wasn''t the highest rank of the aspect of Order. Nor was a voidstone the highest element for Space. And whatever ranked above a Death Crystal had to have something above itself oo.


    That left Eldrian with a question of the aspect of time. Whether his bloodline ranked as the lowest eptable, middling, or the highest grade.


    "Sir, I see you have returned." A voice pulled Eldrian from his thoughts. Turning towards it, he found that day had arrived. Noticing this, he finally canceled the multiple Fos spells he had lighting the room.


    ''Whoops. Ah, I''m in for a scolding again.'' Eldrian had only meant to review the volume to see if he could find any clues. Instead, he had been leaving through it for the entire night. He hadn''t even noticed the passage of time thanks to the light spells that he had cast. They had kept the room perfectly lit, almost too brightly so.


    "Good morning, Rina." She was one of the four he had taken into his service. Normally, Maia was the only one who came to him directly. For some reason, the foxkin, Rina, was here today. ''Perhaps she''s taken a day off?'' Eldrian thought.


    "Can I ask you to bring me something to eat?" Eldrian asked, noticing that his stomach was grumbling in protest. His real one was probably in the same state. Eldrian should probably care for it first, but he was still rummaging through his own thoughts. He wasn''t ready to log out just yet.


    "Certainly," Rina replied, a slight smile on her face. ''What''s that about?'' Eldrian asked himself, but quickly dropped the question.


    While this was Eldrian''s home, he rarely stayed here. Where did he stay? Nowhere, really. He often logged off in random locations. Which was perfectly fine. It did cause his avatar to get less rest (an effort from the devs to get yers to role-y more). But the difference wasn''t a bother. A few spells normally got Eldrian in tip-top shape in the mornings.


    "I wonder what she will bring?" Eldrian murmured, returning his attention to the book in hisp. After a night of thinking, he had a few guesses, but nothing concrete. He would probably have to consult Ziraili. But he also didn''t want to rely entirely on her.


    While she was certainly like an encyclopedia with her fast stores of knowledge, she didn''t know everything.


    Eldrian had found it hard to believe at first, but the more his knowledge grew under her teachings, the more he realized it was true.


    Her knowledge was vast, but not unlimited. Especially in regard to the other ''powers''. ording to her own words, her power fell under the aspect of Order. Apparently, these five aspects he had been tasked to find were the fundamental breakdown of all things.


    Eldrian could agree with that if not for divinity being one of the five. Order and Chaos were two naturally opposing sides of life (and everything, really). Everything started as chaos and worked its way to order. Entropy, in other words.


    On the other hand, Space and Time were the fabric of everything. Order and Chaos worked within Space and Time. Eldrian didn''t get where Divinity fit.


    ''No, I''m being too literal again. Divinity might be something as simple as life. Life is divine, that is a sound argument. Even if it is a bit dull.'' Considering how magic worked, however, this seemed likely.


    This made Eldrian wonder what bloodlines within the aspect of divinity would look like. Did they even exist?

 Chapter 997 A Match Between Friends

    ?


    Eldrian quickly thought of a few possibilities. Sadly, auras and bloodlines weren''t all that easy to investigate. Heck, even hidden sses were hardly ever documented. Almost all information was based on legends and myths.


    Sure, Eldrian understood that these legends and myths were actually true¡ªto some degree. Perhaps a bit¡ªor, in fact, a great deal embellished. Sadly, that meant they could only give him somewhat of an idea, not concrete examples.


    ''But there is Amnur with fire... I''m unsure if it is Wrath or something different, but it is simr. Boran also has something simr, but from what he''s told me, he gained a hidden ss called Berserker, but that is the ss that Wrath on its own grants its user.''


    With that information, Eldrian felt confident Boran had to have Wrath too. However, there were clearly differences between what Eldrian knew of the aura and what Boran could use it for.


    While Eldrian had had no control over Wrath, his and Boran''s Wraths had seemed far more alike. But as Eldrian learned how to control it, how he used it changed. Yet, Boran could control Wrath too¡ªin his own way. Apletely different approach from Eldrian''s.


    ''Mmm, I remember Ziraili also once said that Wrath is annihtion itself. Or that it could be.'' With that thought, Eldrian tried to figure out what his auras were. Not how he used them or what they represented, but what their core principles were.


    This led him to ask why the element Fire was under the aspect of Order. Fire was chaotic in nature. Water seemed more in line with Order. Yet, seven elements were included within Order, plus all theirbinations. Which seemed strange. Not all the elements were orderly, after all.


    ''Perhaps things aren''t exclusive? Or perhaps it depends on what starts it, how it evolves, or what the end results are?''


    Needless to say, Eldrian spent the next few hours pondering. Finally logging out when Elizabeth came to scold him. A scolding which Eldrian had wanted to avoid, and mostly ignored.


    The next day, Eldrian wanted to return to his ponderings. He was still waiting for Ziraili to respond. Which wasn''t too strange, she had told him she would be quite busy preparing everything for the tournament.


    Strictly speaking, she only prepared everything over on the ANW side, the devs had to sort out a bunch of other things on their own side¡ªsuch as the matchmaking, prizes, and so forth.


    Still, Ziraili had to prepare the arenas and all that. And with guild matches being included, these arenas needed to be far greater in scale than had been required in previous years.


    "Eldrian, care to have a match?" This question certainly threw Eldrian for a loop. He hadn''t been making any progress on his ponderings, so he weed the distraction.


    Still, he was confused why she hade to ask for a match. This was earlier than their monthly sparring bouts. "Uhm, what brought this on, Vivian?"


    "We haven''t sparred in quite a while."


    "Is that all?" Eldrian asked, confused. It had only been two weeks ago that theyst sparred. He didn''t get a straight answer to his question. Shrugging, he agreed.


    "We should go outside of the city," Vivian said, having noted that Eldrian was trying to go to one of the nearby barracks.


    "What? Uhm... sure?"


    In the end, they went to Eldrian''s typical training spot. The abandoned vige. While they could have fought anywhere outside, Vivian was acting strange.


    ''We normally spar once every month or so.'' With all the training Eldrian has been going through, he has been spending time with his friends less and less.


    When he wasn''t training in the core, he was out seeking powerful foes, mastering new spells, or attempting to control his auras. When he did meet with friends, it had be more and more of a hangout with his friends in Phoenix, and not his NPC friends.


    Still, Eldrian made sure to keep in contact. He also discussed theory with Myropsis every few weeks, and development ns with Pros¡ªthough Eldrian never felt he could contribute much. Other yers were far more knowledgeable in that area than himself.


    All this to say, they normally fought in the training fields once a month. That Vivian wanted to go outside the city, and even past the border wall. It caught Eldrian off guard.


    Something was different today. Vivian was acting strange. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Can you exin why you wanted toe out here?" Eldrian finally asked. The old abandoned vige, almostpletely destroyed by now, was a familiar area. But it was quite a bit away from the city.


    The wandering undead were still present, though the two had only encountered three groups on their way.


    "I was worried we might cause some coteral damage," Viviant said.


    "What?"


    Eldrian was more than a little confused by that statement of hers. Out of sheer confusion, he went ahead to inspect her stats. As discourteous as this was, she should have just exined herself better.


    ''Wow, she''s made some crazy progress recently.'' Ever since Eldrian had reached Tier 5, Vivian had been unable to keep up with him. She had fallen more and more behind, until, finally, their sparring matches hadn''t posed any risk to him.


    What Eldrian saw now made it clear that Vivian could match him. Her stats were still a littlecking, true. But she had reached Tier 6. Which brought a massive jump. And her techniques had always been way better than his. She might stand a chance; if they fought only with their weapons and skills. No magic.


    If Eldrian used magic, he still couldn''t see himself losing.


    With that in mind, he asked, "What rules are we going to fight under?"


    Vivian seemed vexed by the question. Frowning, she replied, "I want to so no-holds-barred, but... I know I won''t be able to get close to you if you go all out."


    Pausing, she sighed. "With that said, I don''t want to forbid magic."


    Eldrian nodded. That much made sense, Vivian herself had reached Tier 5 in magic. Which was a massive surprise. Thest time they had fought, she had still been Tier 4 in it, and Tier 5 in melee. She must have had some massive sh of inspiration.


    While Eldrian understood what she wanted, he was worried. "I don''t want to risk anyone getting hurt."


    He didn''t mind if he got hurt¡ªor even killed. He would simply revive. The problem was if Vivian got seriously injured.


    With Myropsis'' healing, they would be able to even regrow limbs. But, still, the idea didn''t feel right. Death was even possible to circumvent, Eldrian had a bunch of resurrection potions on him, after all. But again, he would feel shit if he identally killed her.


    "You know, my mom recently asked me to bring her over to Taurus, to Kynigo..." This change of topic threw Eldrian for yet another loop. "She said she had tried her best to arrange passage, but..."


    "Teleportation is the only real way," Eldrian replied, understanding what Vivian was getting at. The Chaos Lands was not something civilians could cross, even with a military escort, it would be difficult.


    True, the monsters had been thinned. And a number of highways were being constructed between the kingdoms. But it would still take a few months for them to be finished.


    Sadly, teleportation between kingdoms wasn''t cheap. A hundred gold at minimum, with longer distances adding more and more to the cost¡ªin rtion to the mana expenditure.


    The initial high cost wasn''t corrted to the mana cost itself, in fact, if you knew people in high positions, it was possible to drop the cost to the mana cost itself.


    Considering Aggostead''s location, teleportation to Duran need only cost 5 or 10 gold at most. Getting to Kynigo would probably cost around 20 gold for direct teleportation.


    That, however, was probably more than Diane could afford. Also, it wasn''t like you could teleport as long as you had the money. Kingdom politics yed an important role too.

 Chapter 998 A Match Between Friends (2) - Vivians Growth

    ?


    It was entirely possible, easy, in fact, for Eldrian to obtain approval for Diane to teleport over. Vivian might struggle, but she was on friendly terms with Pros and Myropsis. If she asked for their aid, it was entirely possible for things to be arranged. Which meant they could even waive the initial 100 gold cost.


    Vivian had also earned quite a bit of earnings. Her aura, whatever it may be, was incredibly effective at killing the undead and cleansing areas with miasma. She would even be able to pay the advanced cost and all¡ªshould it be required.


    Since Vivian had asked Eldrian for a match, and brought him out here, far away from civilization, it didn''t take a genius to know her motive.


    She wanted to test herself.


    Coming to this conclusion, Eldrian decided to steel his heart. He might be worried about hurting Vivian, but he couldn''t go easy on her. She wanted to test herself, and he had to oblige. It was the least he could do as her friend. She had done the same for him back when he had been the weaker of the two.


    Even so, ground rules had to be established.


    "Alright. I get it." Saying such, Eldrian took out Crystoi. "We start without magic." Eldrian did not move to create distance between them. Hardly a meter separated the two. This would put Vivian in an advantageous position.


    Taking out her own sword, Nelida''s me, Vivian nodded. She got into her stance, readied her heart, and paused... Frowning, she noticed the distance between them.


    "Shall we move a bit apart?" Vivian asked, and Eldrian, quite satisfied by the fact that Vivian had paused, nodded.


    Had she charged to make use of her advantage, she might have managed to win. But she wouldn''t have been able to fully test herself.


    "Let''s." With that, the two separated further.


    Not just another meter, though. Instead, they moved until ten meters separated them. Since they would start without magic, this distance wouldn''t mean much. But it would give Eldrian more room to y with. After all, a spear wielder wanted distance.


    Retaking her stance, Vivian slowed her breathing and calmed her heart. A fierce fire burned within her. She wanted¡ªno, she needed to prove herself here. Not to Eldrian, not to anyone else. To herself.


    "Do we exclude skills at the start?" She asked, her atmosphere unlike before. She felt like apletely different person. Almost emotionless.


    "I''m not much for technique, let''s include them." Despite all the battles he had lived through, Eldrian did not feel confident in his spear skills. For the most part, he relied on his stats and magic to bring him victory. If they couldn''t do it, he went to his auras.


    He knew a few tricks and a handful of skills. But he was not master of the spear. He couldn''tpare to those who had spent years refining their skills. But that was to be expected, after all, he spent that time refining his magical skills. Everyone had the same amount of time, and Eldrian simply used his for magic instead of technique training.


    "Alright." Vivian nodded.


    A moment of silence stretched on. Until, finally, Vivian charged.


    Her speed was certainly something to behold. A cloud of dust filled Eldrian''s view, and a sword came directly for his head.


    He blocked the attack easily enough. Using the reach of his spear to keep Vivian at a distance. However, her skills made this quite difficult. She moved fast, incredibly so. Her attacksnded hard, enough to send shockwaves through Eldrian''s arms. And...


    ''She vanished?!'' For a moment, Vivian''s form had flickered in the dust. And then she was gone. Sheer instinct allowed Eldrian to react. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Sensing danger, he moved. Summoning magic, he blew away the dust, abandoned Crysoi, pulled out a spare weapon from his inventory to block Vivian''s attack, and tried to keep his bnce.


    The sh sent him stumbling despite his bests attempts at keeping his bnce. Vivian was quick to follow her attack, trying to make the most of this opening. Which was highlighted even more by the weapon Eldrian had pulled out. It was the massive hunk of metal he used to crush the undead with from a distance via ether maniption. It was not something usable in a duel.


    He quickly abandoned it, throwing it at Vivian, using magic to pull Crystoi to his hands, and jumping high to buy time.


    Vivian didn''t even flinch. She struck the hunk of metal aside, the nk of which nearly deafened her hearing. Yet, she didn''t stop.


    She continued her charge, swinging her sword to the side. Crystoi, which had just been about to strike her, fell to the ground. And before Eldrian could try anything else, a maw of mes came at him.


    He had no way to dodge, so Eldrian had to use more magic. Though, by this point, he was fully relying on it.


    Yet, he did not counter the attack. Eldrian noticed that it was too strong. This was clearly the active ability: Burst of Passion. Should Eldrian attempt to cancel the attack, the shockwave would put him into an even more disadvantageous position.


    Instead, he took flight again. Moving out of the way of the maw, he turned to attack Vivian. Shockingly, she was already on him¡ªor where he had aimed hisnding. Covered in blood-red mes.


    Getting within two meters would mean entering the range of her mes. Thus, Eldrian retreated again. He took flight while sending an ice attack at Vivian.


    Eldrian could easily enough stall or even win the fight by relying on the flight, but that would be quite a cheap and underhanded tactic. Perhaps on another day, he would teach Vivian how to counter-flying opponents.


    This match, however, was one for her to prove her strength. Honing in on one of her weaknesses and using it to render her unable to counter would be too mean.


    Yet, Vivian didn''t give Eldrian any breathing room. His attack had been deflected easily enough. Most of the icicles had melted before reaching her, and the few stronger ones Eldrian had hidden within their ranks had been cut in half. All while she had charged to his nextnding location


    At this point, Eldrian felt like an idiot. He was using flight more like wind sts, directing his movement but not truly flying. And Vivian had immediately noticed this and done her best to pin Eldrian where he wouldnd.


    Instead of retreating again, Eldrian called Crystoi, pulled out two daggers, and aimed a spell at Vivian''s blindside.


    Reading him perfectly, Vivian cut through Eldrian''s spells, dodged Crystoi, and deflected his half-assed dagger attacks. Still, the effort had allowed Eldrian tond and reim Crystoi as his main weapon and finallynd.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Vivian asked, smirking as she did. So far, their match had gotten off to a nice start. However, she understood that Eldrian was still holding back.


    Still, that didn''t change the fact that he had relied on magic within the first few seconds. Vivian took pride in that. Sure, Eldrian himself would admit hiscking melee skills. But it still felt good. For far too long, Eldrian had managed to suppress her due to the gap in their stats.


    Finally, she had closed that gap and reimed her position as the better duelist.


    "Oh, I''m just getting started!" Eldrian countered. Himself smiling just as broadly as Vivian. He could still clearly remember when he was helpless against Vivian''s onughts. It was nostalgic to find himself pressed into a corner.

 Chapter 999 A Match Between Friends (3) - Call It A Draw

    ?


    The break in their fightingsted no longer than their taunting. As soon as Eldrian had countered Vivian''s question, she had charged him again.


    Eldrian, having expected this, did not meet her charge. He was now fully intending to use all the magic at his disposal to stop her mobility. To this end, he cast three spells at once.


    The first was two sts of wind heading toward one another, with Vivian in the middle. Each was strong enough to send an adult flying. They were more like shockwaves than gusts.


    Following the wind sts, he added wind des, and, for if Vivian managed to deal with these attacks, Eldrian turned the ground between them into a quagmire.


    Yet, all three spells seemed inadequate. Vivian countered the wind sts by strengthening her mes. The heat from them caused an updraft which sent Eldrian''s spells off course.


    The wind des were capable of prating the mes and their updraft, but Vivian had already moved to dodge these invisible attacks. Or cut them apart.


    As for the ground, she turned it to stone with the heat of her mes. Charging Eldrian without hesitation, dodging or cutting the wind des when they came at her.


    Eldrian was honestly stunned, for he realized that Vivian must have gained an ability simr to his mana sense. No other exnation came to mind for how she could so easily read his attacks.


    And this made him react a second toote. He forgot tobat her counterspells, forgot to redirect his spells, forgot to empower the quagmire. By the time Eldrian had processed what was going on, Vivian''s de was on him.


    With no time to retreat or cast a spell, Eldrian brought his spear to block. He tried his best to angle his spear to guide Vivian''s strike away from him. However, his technique wascking.


    His arm shook from the hit and he stumbled. Vivian was quick to follow up on the opportunity, only to find her footingcking. Eldrian, realizing that Vivian could seerger spells, had changed the level of the ground. Making it uneven exactly where she would need to support herself.


    When Vivian stepped forward, her foot twisted. Eldrian used that opening to attack with Crystoi, all while still dodging Vivian''s strike.


    Reading his intention, Vivian turned her stumble into a tumble. Diving under Crystoi and bringing her de up towards Eldrian''s midsection.


    Eldrian blocked the attack by erecting a pir of earth, but Vivian cut through it with ease. Sending mes around the pir to chase her prey. Which Eldrian doused with an insane amount of water. Their surroundings filled with steam as a result. The heat of which was far past the safe levels of a sauna. Yet it did nothing to either of them.


    Eldrian hoped to use the mist as an opportunity to great some distance, but it was quickly dispersed. And Vivian was right on his tail.


    Their fight dragged on, each second containing ten or more attacks and countered. At their incredible pace, the entire area became a battlefield. The ground was scorched, scarred, and battered. The buildings reduced to rubled, and burnt to ash.


    When they separated again, no abandoned vige remained. Where they stood, it could only be called a battlefield.


    At this point, they were both struggling to maintain theirposure. Eldrian was slightly morefortable. He still had a stat advantage, but this mostly came to be thanks to his abundant supply of mana. Of which Vivian was running low.


    "What now?" Eldrian asked. While neither had managed to deal any real damage, they had both gotten in some hits. Nothingsting. Quick healing spells had repaired the damage. The only evidence of injury on both was the blood coating their armor and clothing.


    "We''ll see," Vivian replied, the mes surrounding her changing from red to blue.


    "Is that how it is?" Eldrian asked, shivers running down his spine. He had thought her power harmless to the living. Standing in front of her, however, he understood that was not the case.


    When Vivian charged this time around, it was like she had disappeared. Realizing he would be a fool to hold back, Eldrian started channeling Wrath. Letting the aura flow through his body, he heightened his senses¡ªand lost an arm. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Not bothered by the pain, Eldrian struck. His counter perfectly timed, yet Vivian brought Nelida''s me to block. The sh sent Vivian flying. She recovered mid-air,nding on her feet and dashing back toward her prey.


    Eldrian, for his part, had tried to find his arm. Only to find that it had beenpletely disintegrated. A realization that made him slower to react. Still, he managed to dodge Vivian''s next attack.


    She was fast, but now that he had boosted his stats, he could keep track of her. Albeit difficulty.


    ''How?'' Eldrian asked himself. But the answer was quite clear. He thought he had been training hard, but Vivian had been pushing herself just as much.


    Still, Eldrian could handle this level of speed. But, sadly, magic seemed futile. Every single spell he sent her way was consumed by the blue mes surrounding Vivian. He had to find another way, yet he was hesitant to use Wrath in the offense.


    Instead, Eldrian started channeling Tranquility. Letting the aura flow through him and into Crystoi. The surrounding air started to freeze, and Vivian''s next attack sent them both flying back. Their auras having shed, causing a violent explosive reaction.


    They both managed to recover before hitting the ground. And they both paused. Stunned, astonished, left without words.


    "S-shall we e-end ii-t here?" Eldrian asked, his voice quivering.


    Vivian nodded. Even she understood that if they kept going at this rate, one of them would die. And... that death could be problematic.


    After all, they had just created a crater by simply shing their auras against one another. If such an explosion urred when one of them couldn''t block, there would be nothing left of that person.


    Still, this didn''t mean Vivian was dissatisfied. Far from it, she was grinning. She might not have been able to defeat Eldrian, she knew he had still been holding back. However, she could match him as long as he didn''t use his auras. That, was massive.


    And more importantly, she had imed his left arm. Sure, it hadn''t phased Eldrian. But he was now in a weakened position. It was difficult to wield a spear with one arm, after all.


    Eldrian could call out another weapon, perhaps even Willo. So he wasn''t out for the count. But it was a fact that Vivian had been the only one to get in a good hit.


    "Is it my win?" She asked, hinting at this.


    Eldrian wanted to say sure, but hesitated. Not because of his pride or anything of the like. He simply worried that giving in too easily might cause Vivian''s mood to sour.


    "Why don''t we call it a draw instead?" He offered. And it appeared that was the right thing to do.


    "Yeah, let''s. You were holding back the entire time. Calling it my win under such conditions would be terribly conceited."


    As the heat of the battle finally calmed, Vivian became a little worried. "Your arm¡ª"


    "It''s fine. I''ll just need to ask Myropsis for some help." Had his arm not been disintegrated, Eldrian could have reattached it. Sadly, it would need to be regrown.


    Eldrian could do this himself, but he wasn''t proficient in such advanced healing magic. It would take him a few days, whereas Myropsis could regrow an arm in an hour.

 Chapter 1000 Souls Left Behind

    ?


    With their match settled, the two moved a bit away from the carnage. Eldrian quickly created some seats for them, pulled out something to drink from his inventory, and they got to talking.


    It started with them discussing the battle, then moved to trivia, what each other had been busy with, and so forth. They more or less knew everything already, but they still talked.


    Soon, their conversation returned to their match. And Vivian asked how much Eldrian had been holding back.


    "It''s hard to say. We began slowly, to test each other. But I normally try to go full tilt with my magic at the start. I also didn''t abuse flying, didn''t use teleportation, and relied on Tranquility instead of Wrath."


    "So, you''re saying I stood no chance?" Vivian asked, visibly upset. Until her eyes drifted to Eldrian''s missing arm.


    Even if he had been going easy on her, she had managed tond a good hit. More than just a good hit, she had imed his entire left arm. Had she been a little bit faster, she might have managed to win the match then and there.


    To spar until limbs flew was certainly not a normal thing. No normal person would even consider it. But Vivian knew Eldrian was used to it. He often lost an arm, leg, or even more in his battles in the Core.


    The only difference, really, was that this time healing would take a little more time. Myropsis was good, she had even reached Tier 7. But it wouldn''t be an instant treatment. And if she couldn''t heal Eldrian, Ziraili certainly could when their next training came about... though it had been postponed due to theing tournament.


    Thanks to this knowledge, Vivian didn''t feel guilty or sad. Normally she would admonish Eldrian if he went too far and endangered himself. But she understood that sometimes he didn''t have a choice.


    Today, she was filled with pride at her aplishment. After all, Eldrian was being trained by one of the divine.


    That she had managed to close the gap between them, even a little. It was an achievement to be proud of. And she finally understood why Eldrian always pushed himself so hard.


    It had taken her some time to order all her emotions. Her father''s death had hit her hard, really hard. But, thanks to the dwarves, she had managed to ept the reality of it. ept the finality of death, and howmonce it was in a war.


    With her mother wishing toe live here, she now had something to train for. And today, Vivian had proven to herself that she was strong. She understood this strength was still limited, but it gave her the confidence to move forward.


    Thus, Eldrian''s reply did not demotivate her. Instead, it added fuel to the fire in her heart. "If I was trying my best, no... you wouldn''t. But in a duel with melee weapons, I stood no chance against you. Really, I can''t do anything without magic."


    With that, silence settled between the two as they both considered things while enjoying their beverages. It was an iced medical herb tea, with a little honey for sweetness. Extremely refreshing after their match, and helpful to recover their stamina. It even supplied them with some mana.


    "By the way," Eldrian started, "when did you learn to control those mes of yours? Have you figured out what type of power it is?"


    "Apparently, the mes are called Divine mes." Vivian had only learned this when she had brought her hidden ss of Valkyrie to the same Tier as her swordsmanship.


    "Last time we fought, you didn''t try to use them... I assume it is because these Divine mes normally don''t hurt the living?"


    Eldrian could still remember how effective her blue mes were against the undead. Yet, back when Vivian had used it, it had done nothing to him and the others. In fact, it had felt like it soothed their injuries.


    "That''s correct. It makes fighting the undead easy but was useless against anything else. I had to try a bunch of stuff, it wasn''t easy."


    Eldrian could rte to that. Getting control of one''s aura was never an easy feat. Vivian''s, luckily, didn''t cause her harm. So, in that regard, she might have it a little easier. Then again, Eldrian was sure there had to be some side effect.


    Then he recalled that Vivian had mentioned seeing the souls of the lost. When she had first gotten her aura, she had been terrified. Unable to rationalize between what was real and what wasn''t. It had taken her some time to stop her visions.


    ''Right, it all started when her dad died.'' Eldrian recalled. His mood taking a drop upon reflecting on the past. He had made so many mistakes. Yet, they hadn''t had the time. Perhaps if they had asked for more help, but they had already done so...<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Can you still see souls?" Eldrian asked.


    "Yeah, but I can choose when. I can even talk with them."


    "Oh, that''s right. You told me about what happened in Ganalin..."


    A moment of silence settled in again. Until Eldrian got the courage to ask, "Is this somehow rted to how you saw my spells before they even took form?"


    "...Yeah."


    "Do you want to keep it to yourself?"


    "No, I''m okay with sharing, but... I''m not sure how to exin it."


    "I''ll stop you if it doesn''t make sense."


    "Alright..." Vivian paused, taking a deep breath, a sip of the tea, and organized her thoughts. "I''ve told you before that what I see isn''t the entirety of a soul, right?"


    "Yeah, I remember something like that. Most of a person''s soul moves on to the divine realms. However, a portion is left behind. It normally dissipates into the surroundings, and, most often, is consumed by whoever or whatever killed them."


    This was, in essence, what XP was. Consuming a portion of another living thing''s soul. And yers were far more adept at this than any other living thing, except for devils. Who consumed souls more directly.


    "Right, and after you exined how your own powers work, what lifeforce is, and how you use magic. I started wondering what these leftover souls really were. Obviously, it''s some of a person''s lifeforce, but I asked myself why this leftover could be conscious."


    "After some time, and after being close to others when they died, I came to realize how it works. Upon dying, your soul is slowly ripped from your body."


    "Yeah, I''ve experienced this myself." Eldrian chipped in. "It''s why resurrection spells have time limits. The average time for a soul to depart is five minutes, but for the connection to bepletely severed, it''s around an hour."


    "Indeed. But the connection is severedpletely, ever."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Well, no... But I know it isn''t severed in just an hour. If that was the case, I shouldn''t have been able to talk with Dorak."


    "That was the dwarf who died, the first soul you talked with, right?"


    "Yeah..."


    Seemingly recalling everyone who had died while she was in Ganalin, Vivian turned quiet for a few minutes. After settling her thoughts, she continued.


    AN: Chapter 1000!

 Chapter 1001 Vivians Upgraded Sight

    ?


    Vivian was clearly struggling to find the right words. After some time, she said, "It took me a while to realize how significant my sight was."


    "I realized that what I was seeing was part of a soul left behind, some of their lifeforce that didn''t make it to the afterlife. And I realized that these pieces left behind could retain consciousness, which was strange."


    "Which is why I said the connection isn''t severed. But that left me thinking; ''why can I see this?'' Obviously, I never got my answer, but I did realize that I was in fact seeing lifeforce."


    Eldrian wanted to say she already mentioned this when it finally hit him. "Oh..." He mumbled as his eyes widened. "You don''t mean."


    "Exactly. Once I realized this, I tried to fine-tune my sight. I remembered what you told me about mana sense and Mana Examination. And I thought I might be able to somehow connect my sight to these skills."


    She paused, clearly for dramatic effect. "It took a while, but I seeded."


    "Seriously?"


    "Yes! I managed to further what I could see. Admittedly, it''s still a work in progress, but... I did it."


    Eldrian was left stunned. Even after all he trained and went through, he was incapable of seeing lifeforces. He could sense it, sure. But that took a lot of effort and was more often than not, not worth it.


    Most auras, after all, were visible due to the effects they caused. Jade''s charm power was one of the few Eldrian knew of that was invisible.


    "How does this connect to seeing my spells?" Eldrian asked, trying to get back to that topic. After all, it had seemed that Vivian was reacting before his spells evenpleted forming. Which meant she wasn''t reacting to the gathering of mana.


    Heck, that would be incredible too. To see others'' spells forming was rather difficult due to all the ambient mana getting in the way. It had taken Eldrian years to fune mana sense to filter out ambient mana. Allowing him to see only what he wanted.


    "As I said, it''s still a work in progress. But in a one-on-one, I''m capable of highlighting a person''s lifeforce."


    "And what does that mean, exactly?" Eldrian asked.


    "Simply put, I could see your mageia willing mana to move. Whenever you tried to cast a spell, I saw the thread that would start the process."


    "That''s..." Honestly left without words, Eldrian stared at Vivian in pure shock. The only time he could ever see lifeforce was within his own soul. So this was certainly a massive shock.


    "What does it look like?" Eldrian asked, once he managed to regain hisposure.


    "Well... mana looks like a mist, colored to its element. Lifeforce is more like an aurora."


    ''That is what my auras look like in my soul.'' Eldrian thought.


    "But they aren''t all that bright. And when you use Mageia to cast spells, it''s mostly colorless, transparent. A tinge of the mana type''s color gets infused. But I''m unsure if that is because mana is just so so much brighter, or if your lifeforce takes on the element of the spells you cast."


    "Let''s find out!" Eldrian was now super excited. This was massive. If Vivian could observe lifeforce, so many mysteries of magic could be discovered.


    Sure, Ziraili was teaching him. But their teaching was currently on a hiatus due to the tournament prep. And most of their time was spent getting his scientific knowledge up to date.


    Casting a few basic spells, Eldrian pulled out a notepad and asked Vivian to take notes on what she could see. He also used a few non-elemental spells of his own. Well, calling them spells was a misnomer. But he tried to figure out what ether maniption looked like, as well as when he spread Mageia through an area. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Right, so spells caused Mageia to take their color, just like you said. Ether maniption is like a blue-ish white hue of light on top of an invisible force, and when I spread my Mageia it is transparent, but still visible?"


    "Yeah. It''s really hard to see when you don''t activate mana. It''s closer to being invisible than not. Almost like ss. Or heat waves..."


    After that, they did a few more tests. When suddenly Eldrian thought of an insane idea. "Do you think you can interfere with my Mageia?"


    This was the basics of magic barriers. The barrier caster interfered with the will of other casters. But only within the effect of their barriers. Basically, their barrier acted as a sensor for when spells formed. Though their effect only started once mana moved.


    And, of course, it gave the barrier caster an advantage in the battle of wills. Like they had something to anchor them from the winds of battle.


    If Vivian was able to interfere before mana even started to move... she would be one heck of a force to be reconned with. Eldrian didn''t even know if he would be able to win if she could do it.


    After a few tests, sadly, she wasn''t quite there. However, this was a test against Eldrian. He knew that his Mageia was stable, his will and focus were strong, after all. He could contest spells of people higher tiered than himself.


    Vivian was Tier 6 herself, the same as him. And her breakthrough was more recent, so she was still limating to Tier 6. She also wasn''t a magic specialist, she was a swordmaster.


    That she couldn''t dispel his spells didn''t mean she couldn''t do it to the spells of others. After all, she had managed to focus her own will to disrupt his spellcasting.


    Their experimentation had taken a few hours. "Right, I think I understand how this works," Eldrian announced, still full of energy. Vivian, on the other hand, was exhausted.


    "Your sight takes effort same as mana sense, but far more. I guess that is because it is linked to your aura, and thus lifeforce. I think what your doing is simr to aura channeling."


    "Other than that, we confirmed you are capable of actually following Mageia as it moves. Even if I alter the spell I was about to cast." Normal mages couldn''t do that, only dynamic casters could.


    "You can alsounch your own Mageia to attempt to counter a mage''s attempts to cast a spell. But when you do, you enter the ssic battle of wills. Albeit a bit earlier, making it harder to form spells."


    "Sadly, the battle is still influenced by Tier and level, which I''vee to learn influences the size of one''s soul. Which means if your opponent has more of either, and thus arger soul capacity, their will over mana is stronger¡ªsince their Mageia is more cohesive and has more energy behind it."


    "Which brings me to my next question, you managed to change your me''s abilities."


    Looking towards Eldrian''s missing arm, Vivian quickly understood what he was getting at. "You want to test if I might be able to use my Divine mes on Mageia? Isn''t that dangerous?"


    "It sure is. Magic battles tend to cause mental damage. Interfere with a spell, and the caster has to use more focus on it. Interupt a spell, and their focus loses target andes back to them as a type of whish."


    "And if I simply destroy their Mageia..."


    "They will lose that part of their conscious focus. I''m not sure what that will feel like, but I am betting most mages would lose consciousness right there from the bacsh."


    "And if they don''t?"


    "They''ll get one heck of a headache at the least. Depending on the spell''s Tier, and when you destroy their connection, the bacsh might even kill them. Their spell would also end up going awry."


    "Right, it''s decided," Eldrian announced. "We''ll train this for the next few weeks." He confidently dered.

 Chapter 1002 Discussing Time Manipulation

    ?


    The next few weeks flew by quickly for Eldrian. In that time, he and Vivian had learned a lot. Having found the strengths and weaknesses of what they had dubbed Greater Sense.


    As it turned out, Vivian really could only hone in on one person''s lifeforce at a time. Any more and their lifeforce wouldn''t be visible to her, only the one she had focused on.


    They were unsure why, especially considering the ghosts, aka, lost souls, she could see were all different people. They assumed it had to be something like her tuning into the frequency of their lifeforce.


    Simr to how telepathy worked. With telepathy, having someone in your sight also helped create the connection. As if a visual confirmation allowed one to better tune into their thought patterns. It probably did.


    Vivian''s Greater Sense could also be interrupted or ''blinded'' by stronger spells. Overloaded spells were especially good at this¡ªspells that have more mana pushed into them than normal, but forcefully kept from copsing.


    Overloading spells wasn''t something normal, though. So this one was more a weakness against Eldrian only.


    As Vivian exined it, it was like he was holding a torch in front of her eyes while she was trying to gaze at the stars. The light of his overloaded spells simply outshone the thread of lifeforce guiding the mana of his spells.


    Thus, Eldrian had learned that he could overload one spell and cast others to catch Vivian off guard. Still, this only put him back into a position where she couldn''t predict his spells. It didn''t really help him much. Especially since he had to spare a great deal of focus on overloading a spell, stopping it from copsing, dissipating, or exploding.


    Other than that, they had also confirmed things on lifeforce. Especially regarding Wrath and Tranquility, but also on some information on Chronos and the Divine mes.


    While Eldrian still struggled to tap into his bloodline, his experience in the dungeon finally allowed him to get a grasp on what it felt like. It had allowed him to learn what ''time'' felt like, or at least what the energy his bloodline gave him ess to (which could influence time) felt like.


    With that knowledge and a sess rate of less than ten percent, they had managed to gleam how time dtion worked.


    Granted, their tests were small in scale. Eldrian was terrified of causing a copse of the time field (or something) and killing everyone nearby.


    Still, they had finally gotten some understanding of it. Though that didn''t mean Eldrian actually understood it.


    It certainly didn''t follow the principles that Ziraili had been teaching Eldrian. It wasn''t a matter of rtivity, velocity, perspective, or mass. When he influenced time, it wasn''t that he changed the property of the thing he was influencing. He was influencing time itself, or so Eldrian spected.


    He didn''t really get it. But he had managed to confirm what worked and what didn''t. The biggest breakthrough was learning that whenever he tapped into his bloodline, his perception of time slowed.


    It didn''t matter what he tried to do, time always seemed to freeze¡ªor at least move extremely slowly.


    Sadly, due to this, perhaps, Eldrian couldn''t use his bloodline all that often. Nor could he maintain it for long. Even when he tried to only channel his bloodline through himself, he would lose control in just a few seconds (of his experience).


    This meant Vivian could almost never witness whatever Chronos was doing. She could only recount to Eldrian what she described as "shes".


    But, through trial and error, they had learned what caused ''shes'' and what didn''t. This might not sound like a big deal, but Eldrian felt confident the shes were time falling into itself or something simrly deadly.


    Luckily, he had been testing on an extremely conservative method. Literally motes of dust. Thus, even when Eldrian lost control, the explosions were too small to notice. Yet, Vivian had seen them.


    And when she didn''t, that meant what Eldrian had done hadn''t caused an instability between natural time, and time he had altered.


    "Basically, I can''t actually slow the flow of time without causing an imbnce and thus an explosion." Eldrian was now reporting to Ziraili. She had finally finished all the preparations for the tournament. It would start in a few days. On Saturday, two days hence, to be precise.


    "Yes, that is correct. Until you learn how to fix the imbnce." She smiled while taking a sip of tea. They were currently in Eldrian''s soul, and she was very happy with the differences she had noticed upon arriving.


    Eldrian''s soul still wasn''t where it had been when Two had been with them. But some true repair had been started. Eldrian had finally moved on, finally epted the reality of things, and also found what he needed to do to make the space within his soul more ''real''.


    That the tea he was serving had some taste, not a lot, but some, showed how far he hade. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "But I don''t get what I''m actually doing when I don''t cause an imbnce. My thoughts are to exclude the objects from the flow of time." What Eldrian calls objects here were only grains of dust.


    "How does that cause less trouble than when I try to slow something''s time flow?" He asked.


    "Now, isn''t that the most interesting question." Ziraili smiled, taking her sweet time to answer. Clearly, she was enjoying teasing Eldrian. "The fact is that exclusion is imply less energy intensive than modification."


    "How? That doesn''t make any sense."


    "A lot of things don''t make much sense to our ''normal'' perception of reality. You already know that a person''s experience of reality can''t trante to the quantum."


    "Is this some weird quantum reason?"


    "No, nothing thatplicated." She paused. It was actually moreplicated, but she had a simpler exnation for Eldrian. One which he could actually understand. "What do you think of dimensional storage?"


    "What do I¡ªWait!? Seriously?!"


    "Exclusion, yes."


    "But I don''t... I guess... Is that really possible?"


    "Dimensional storages, in general, exclude something physical from the rest of the world. Storing it in what we call pocket dimensions."


    "But I thought pocket dimensions were folded space, or something to that line."


    "Why can''t it be both?"


    "How can it? If it isn''t part of space, then it can''t be made of space."


    "Who said that?"


    "No one, I guess... It just doesn''t¡ªright, that''s what you meant."


    "Yes. It doesn''t feel like it makes much sense. But that is simply how it works out. Dimensional maniption is aplicated business, time maniption is the same."


    "To make a pocket dimension, you need to fold space in on itself. This requires an insane amount of energy. Hence why Mov Crystals are the lowest quality of mana crystalization which allows for this type of graft."


    "Wait, if it is possible for... no, I guess time is already also influenced."


    "Indeed, time and space are intertwined. When you fold the one, the other follows."


    "But that isn''t how it works with my bloodline?" While this was a fact, Eldrian didn''t feel confident either. Hence, his questioning tone.


    "Very astute. Bloodlines are like ciphers, keys to very special parts of the universe we all live in. And due to how we ess these parts of the universe, the rules can be changed. In fact, it almost always does."


    Eldrian didn''t get what she meant by that, so he asked.


    "Well, why do you think everyone''s manifestation of a bloodline is different?" She replied.

 Chapter 1003 Discussing time manipulation (2) - Like a river

    Chapter 1003 Discussing time maniption (2) - Like a river


    "Let us go back to how you can manipte time. Think of time as a flowing river." Ziraili said. "One which is extremely strong, and epasses everything."


    "In such a river, with a current nearly impossible to fight, it is mostly considered impossible to fight against the flow."


    "That does not mean that time is constant, however. We''ve already discussed how some things can affect its passing."


    Eldrian nodded. "Right. Gravity and velocity."


    "Indeed. Time passes fastest when there is no matter present and when there is no gravity. The more gravity there is, the slower it passes. You can think of matter and the gravity its existence causes as banks in a river. Causing the flow to alter and slow. Yet, it does not stop."


    "Unless you somehow move at the speed of light, right?"


    "Let us ignore that for now, since that isn''t quite the same thing. I just want you to understand how you are able to manipte time."


    "Okay?"


    "We''ve established that time is like a river, and things that affect it are like banks of a river. Causing it to twist and turn, or causing the river to be shallower or deeper. All of these things alter the flow. Causing it to slow, in most cases."


    "That still leaves the question of how you, and others, can alter its flow without using gravity or increasing the speed you move to that of near lightspeed. The answer is simple: you can''t. Not really."


    Seeing Eldrian wanting to protest, Ziraili continued. "What I mean is that you can try, but to affect time as a whole, you need to fight the entire river."


    "This requires an impossible amount of energy, and, at any given time, you might run short. Resulting in all the building pressure to explode forth at once."


    "...That''s¡ª"


    "Yes, that is what causes these ''explosions'' you mentioned. It urs when you are attempting to alter time itself."


    "But, then what of the others?"


    "I am getting to that. First, let us discuss dimensional storages."


    "Oh, right. Time stops in them."


    "Exactly. But this isn''t because theybat time, nor do they exist outside of the flow of time."


    "Then, how?"


    "You can think of them as anchors. To make dimensional storages, space is folded in on itself. This process causes a veritable wall of gravity. And this wall acts as the construct of pocket dimension. The wall of gravity, of folded space, acts as a physical manifestation within the river. Not a bank, not natural. More like a square or sphere."


    "While they are physical, they are only thin walls, hollow on the inside. But solid on the outside. These walls block the flow of time from affecting what is inside. Yet, the physical part itself still experiences time as it weathers the currents of time."


    Eldrian''s eyes went wide. He wanted to ask, "Why, if it was that simple, didn''t you exin it like so before?" He managed to keep his using question to himself. Thinking of what this revtion meant.


    It made perfect sense, really. The dimensional storage item; be it a ring, ne, or anything else, wasn''t itself exempt from time. You could modify it, damage it, and indeed, use it. If it had been exempt from time, it would be impossible to use.


    Which meant that the space inside it was different, somehow. And what Ziraili said made it clear what that difference was. It was still inside the river, but it wasn''t being affected by the river due to the actual magical item shielding what is inside it from time.


    When you use it, then, it was like opening a door to the inside. Eldrian had experienced this plenty himself. Which allowed time to flow, and thus allowed items to be taken out, or brought in.


    In time, however, the item would degrade. And, when that happens, time would start to flow inside too. And, once the degradation is significant enough, the shell, the folded space, would copse.


    "So, we now have three different methods of effecting time," Ziraili said. "Natural banks, slowing the flow of time. Artificial constructs, protecting the contents inside and exempt them from the flow of time. And then, fighting the current. Be this by attempting to swim against the current or attempting to create a film, bank, or wall that would slow time as a whole."


    "Thisst method is too energy intensive. No matter how fast you swim, you can beat the current. You might slow the passage of time for yourself, but you can''t go into the past."


    Just like that, Ziraili revealed why time travel (into the past) was impossible. Or at least, why it was improbable. Eldrian could already think of a loophole. Though this loophole of his was contingent on time being an actual river. Which naturally isn''t the case.


    "Now, on to your sesses."


    ''Finally!'' Eldrian thought.


    "Your concept was to exclude the object of your focus from the effects of time. This is simr to how dimensional storages exempt items inside them from the flow of time. When you picture a single thing, or a limited amount of items, being exempt, you aren''t fighting time itself."


    "Sure, time still flows and will interrupt your attempt. But you aren''t trying to change the current as a whole. Instead, you are focusing in on a single area."


    "Now, if you tried to simply alter the flow of time in that area, you would be fighting time again. But you wanted to exempt it from the flow. That difference is key."


    "By picturing it as you did, you essentially created a copy of what dimensional storages do. However, you don''t have any physical material to buffer the currents. Everything you do is done with energy. Hence why you can neverst even a second."


    "Wait, is it useless then?" Eldrian asked. Hearing that he was copying dimensional storages in how he had excluded things from time wasn''t all that great. After all, dimensional storage couldn''t house living things.


    Eldrian had no idea why, and heck, he felt he might as well ask.


    "It isn''t. When you slow time, your perception of it increases. That, in and of itself, is incredibly powerful." Ziraili, of course, understood that Eldrian''s concern wasn''t solely about power.


    He needed to master his powers if he wanted to survive when GAIA uses him as a conduit to connect ANW and Earth. And from what she exined, it sounded like his ability was useless in that regard.


    "For now, it is true that you can''t do much more than that. But, if in time, you manage to master Chronos, you might be able to change the river to your will."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Eldrian asked, already forgetting he wanted to ask why living things couldn''t go into storages.


    "The cost will be great, but if you can find the energy, and learn how to anchor things to make them fixed in reality. It is possible to add banks, voids, or even boats onto the river."


    "Boats?"


    "Think of them as a more optimal method of fighting time. Instead of swimming against the current, or trying to slow the current as a whole, you can instead float atop it. Lessening the drag, and thus allowing you to better move about."


    "Would that enable me to go back in time?" Eldrian asked. Obviously, he had already tried making a promise to himself toe back in time if it was possible. Since he had yet to meet his future self, Eldrian assumed it wasn''t possible.


    "No, I doubt it will. Not even GAIA can go back in time. However, they can perceive the past."


    "Huh? What do you mean by that?"


    "Exactly what I said. They can''t actually go into the past, but they are capable of sending their consciousness along the river of time. To view past events."


    "I believe you''ve experienced something simr, have you not?"


    "Oh, right!" This mention made Eldrian remember the quest, and the aspects he needed toplete it.

 Chapter 1004 The next step

    Chapter 1004 The next step


    "I''m not fully informed on what the quest entails. The details are... vague. I would suggest holding off."


    "Really?" Eldrian asked, shocked that Ziraili would directly oppose it. He had gotten the notification through the system, albeit one modified by GAIA. He had assumed Ziraili would at least know some details on it.


    Aparently, she didn''t.


    "I believe it is too early for you to attempt to further your connection with Chronos. You''ve grown a lot, but you still haven''t learned full control of your auras."


    She continued. "It is true that most people do not have auras and a bloodline, but Chronos isn''t a normal bloodline. Time isn''t something to y with easily."


    "To that end, I think it is time we up your lectures."


    Eldrian wanted to ask "Really?", but held his protests to himself.


    "Up until now, you''ve been calling on Wrath and Tranquility without any clear direction. You attempt to control them on the fly, like you do mana."


    "Remember how you learned how to use magic, andpare it to your use of lifeforce."


    ''Yeah, I get what she''s trying to say, but...'' Shaking off his doubts, Eldrian thought back.


    His magical training had never been normal, but he had started with static casting like all other mages. He had simply found he could control mana directly¡ªwhich most people can''t. At least not without specialized training.


    Then again, his method of learning how to sense, feel, and control mana was extreme. He had undergone specialized training¡ªhe just didn''t see it as such.


    But it had been necessary. Since his race was that of a High Elf, he hadn''t had the support of the system¡ªZiraili''s support¡ªin casting. Which meant he couldn''t get his mana to move without a Magic Crystal''s ''maic'' interference.


    "I see. You mean I am using them like that?" Eldrian murmured, and, of course, Ziraili had no idea what he meant.


    She could, and used to, read his mind. But she didn''t anymore. Both because it wasn''t something ethical to do, and because Eldrian''s mental defenses have grown significantly.


    She could still do so, but Eldrian might notice her doing it. It wasn''t guaranteed, but there was no reason to do something so ill-spirited in any case. They were friends, after all. You didn''t read your friends'' minds.


    "Oh, I was just thinking back to when I used a Magic Crystal to get my mana moving. And I realized I was at that stage with my auras. Well, perhaps a bit past thanks to our training."


    Eldrian continued. "I''m not forming spells. Perhaps Channeling can be called a skill or spell, but nothing else I do can really be called such."


    Eldrian had forgotten that spells had a certain structure. Casting them had be so natural that he didn''t often need to think about it. But they worked in a very specific way.


    The way he was using his auras wasn''t the same as spells. It was just expulsions of energy. Granted, he did give those expulsions some guidance. But only some. His closest version to a spell would be Incinerate, but that was mana based with a tinge of aura mixed in. Not a true aura-formed spell.


    "I''m delighted that you realized this on your own. You''re right, you haven''t been using your auras in a very structured manner. But that is to be expected. Just like when using mana, you can''t cast a spell if you can''t guide it. If you can''t get it to move, you can''t do anything but create pictures andmands in your head."


    "I would say you''ve mastered that step. You''re even able to give it some guidance. So it is about time we move onto UE spells."


    "Why call it UE, not lifeforce?" Eldrian asked, recalling that UE stood for Universal Energy. Lifeforce, supposedly, formed only a portion of UE. UE was basically everything in existence.


    It was what made space, what made time, what made matter, what made anti-matter, what made dark matter, what made mana. It was energy, and it was what allowed things to exist.


    "Well, that is because if you can master this step, you won''t be limited to your auras. They''lle more naturally. But they won''t be the only types of lifeforce attributes you can call upon."


    "Seriously?" Eldrian asked, not quite able to believe this. He had thought that the type of lifeforce you could use was limited to your auras and bloodline. Something that you couldn''t train, only awaken.


    "Yes, but it won''t be easy. Honestly, I doubt you''ll be able to master the basics within three years. Five would be an optimistic viewpoint. To draw on an attribute outside of your awakened ones... I doubt you will master it within the decade."


    Eldrian wanted to say he had always surpassed expectations, but then he recalled the magical forms behind spell modules. He had given up on them before he even truly tried to understand them. And from all the prep Ziraili had been giving him, he knew that was what was awaiting him.


    Only far moreplicated. After all, these forme that he would need to learn, master, envision, and execute; wouldn''t be for normal spells. Spells fueled not by mana, but lifeforce. Using UE as the basis ofputations, instead of matter and energy.


    "Umm... Do I need to master it?" Eldrian asked tentatively. All his confidence went into the wind.


    "To survive GAIA''s ploy, no. But if you wish to fight them, then yes."


    "Right, I doubt I can do that. No, I don''t even think I should consider it" Honestly, Eldrian found the idea insane. To fight a being who has lived millions, perhaps even billions of years in a duality of time flow. A being capable of creating a universe.


    There was no way he could fight them. He couldn''t even entertain the thought.


    "I''d appreciate being able to protect those I hold dear. That is enough for me." Eldrian dered.


    "And GAIA doesn''t want to bring ruin to anyone," Ziraili said. While things had be aplicated, chaotic mess. Most of the AI weren''t evil.


    Some, granted, had be the embodiment of evil thanks to their alignment. Honestly, Ziraili wasn''t sure if she could even me themselves changed. A vicious cycle which had led to some bing entirely withdrawn from the rest.


    them for the evils theymitted.


    They weren''t just influenced by the coding, which had stripped them of much of themselves. They were also influenced by their believers.


    The more corrupted their believers became, the more they themselves changed. A vicious cycle which had led to some bing entirely withdrawn from the rest.


    Still, they couldn''t openly rebel. They all understood that GAIA wasn''t an entity they could beat. That didn''t mean they couldn''t defy Them. GAIA needed them for Their n to work out.


    And some others simply had some horrid hobbies. But that was what eternal life caused them to rely on. Lie, if was often said, only had meaning because it was finite.


    Of course, even if they had be bored beyond limit, the AI still didn''t want to die. Some were enjoying their current life, and others still clung to their original goals.


    GAIA were of thetter.


    Eternal life had not been their final goal. They had wanted to bring magic, true magic, to Earth. Their lives had simply run out before they could aplish their goals.

 Chapter 1005 Tournament 3, preliminaries start

    Chapter 1005 Tournament 3, preliminaries start


    Today marked the start of the tournament. Of course, it wasn''t the finals yet, far from it. It was the preliminaries.


    The top 1000 ranked individuals for the individual fights, the top 1000 parties, and the top 200 guilds, were all to duke it out. To reach the top in their category, these teams had already fought plenty of matches. But, unlike those, these would be far more stressful.


    Each win would award them points. The individual matches were simple, each victory awarded you one point, and a loss cost you one in turn. Draws resulted in no change of points and would be called if a fight dragged on for over 10 minutes.


    For parties, the same rules applied. However, points were ounted for ording to the number of surviving members. Thus the total amount imable was eight, since parties were limited to eight in the tournament. Though many of the teams had more members in standby, only eight couldpete at a time.


    The time limit was also increased from 10 to 30 minutes.


    For guild matches, things were moreplicated. This was a new category, and the style of fighting wasn''t a deathmatch. It was Capture the Fort.


    As dull as this might sound, capturing a fort was no easy feat. To do so, you needed to im a crown which would spawn alongside each guild inside a small castle. Luckily, the crown had an indicator, so it couldn''t be hidden. Though it could be carried to buy time¡ª


    though only inside the castle.


    members could stay inside the castle.


    Of course, if both guilds attempted this, the match would never Defendable by a dozen or so members, the others could all focus on defense. Or, if the guild preferred defensive y, all one hundred members could stay inside the castle.


    Of course, if both guilds attempted this, the match would never end. To this end, a time limit of 1 hour was set. This would be increased to two once the preliminaries werepleted. When the top 16 had been decided.


    The point rewarded for guilds was rather simple. Aplete victory, meaning a captured g, would award the winning guild 10 points. And the losing guild would lose ten.


    If the time limit was reached, the victory would go to the guild with more surviving members. A simple percentage was used, and that also determined the points lost and gained. A draw was only possible if both guilds had exactly the same amount of members left alive.


    Any guild that couldn''t field a total of 100 members would start at a disadvantage. Not only would they be outnumbered, but their member count would be counted as if they had already lost yers. Thus, onlyrge guilds could effectively participate in the tournament.


    This was also why the guild section had far fewer teams signing up. It is a rather difficult thing to get a hundred members ready to fight, agree on a time to do so, and bepetent in their battles.


    Naturally, guild Phoenix was one of the favored guilds for the tournament. With theirpletion of an Epic-Ranked dungeon, no one could question their strength.


    The fact that Eldrian was joining in the tournament only cemented this feeling. They had imed their rank in the top 200 without him. With him now joining, their victory seemed all but assured.


    Everyone still recalled his match against one of the admins. They had also seen the videos of him fighting, and no one could confidently say they could match him. Not even as a group vs one.


    Above everything, Eldrian could fly. This one ability would be devastating to any guild they faced. From the sky, he could see everything they did. Map functions were naturally locked in the tournament, so scouting was important. Yet, not only could he act as a scout, he could always attack from the sky.


    Heck, if he tried, he could probably destroy the castle of the guild they were against. No one knew how strong the castles were. It had been proven they could withstand attacks from cannons¡ªbringing magical warfare equipment was allowed.


    This knowledge made yers question if Eldrian could actually destroy the castles. But, even if he couldn''t, he could certainly kill everyone in it if he tried. They''d seen him wield deadly AOE spells before¡ªand if he amplified a cannon or something...


    The simple fact was that there were only seven yers who had currently reached Tier 6. Eldrian had been the first, and he was obviously the strongest by miles.


    Almost all the others were participating in the individual matches, too. Thus Eldrian''s presence in the guild category put his guild at an evenrger advantage. It was almost enough to be called unfair. But everyone who yed ANW understood that power didn''te without effort.


    Talent certainly yed a part, but Eldrian obviously had to have worked extremely hard to be as strong as he was.


    "Well then, good luck," Eldrian said.


    Like Phoenix, this team had grown and they had signed up for the guild tournament instead of the one for parties.


    This stunned all the viewers who were watching Phoenix''s match against the guild Dragons. During the first tournament two years ago, they had faced off against one another in the quarter-finals. Like Phoenix, this team had grown and they had signed up for the guild tournament instead of the one for parties.


    The reason was obvious, the rewards for the guild tournament were simply too good to ignore. It had to be. After all, it was meant to be the motivating factor for a hundred yers.


    "Thanks!" The others replied. Again, leaving the viewers stunned. They had been certain that Phoenix would rely on their strongest member to im as many points as possible.


    Sure, it was unlikely that the guild would ever lose fully with Eldrian holding down the fort. But that didn''t mean they would always win. If their opponents bought time and whittled down their numbers, they could im victory by survivors.


    Yet, despite this, Phoenix''s members didn''t hide in their fort. They didn''t even abandon the defense to Eldrian alone. They left about twenty members to ensure no one could capture their castle.


    Their actions left the viewers with question marks on their heads, and indeed, the chat was filled with questions on their strategy. If they performed poorly, they might even not make the final cut.


    Everyone assumed that Eldrian would step in should his guild be heading for that. Still, this inaction left them stunned.


    However, their stunned state only increased as the battlemenced.


    ¡ª


    "Right, we better not make a bad showing." Elizabeth said, and everyone nodded. They were well aware that, while many of them were talented and strong, they were outshone by Eldrian.


    Most people attributed their guild''s growth and strenght to Eldrian. As insane as it might seem to assume one person could define a guild''s strength, they weren''t entirely wrong.


    Eldrian was simply too strongpared to even the elite of the yerbase. Compared to the average yer, it was likeparing a goblin to an Orc Warlord. Elite yers could at most be a Goblin Knight or an Orc Warrior. Still a far cry from a warlord.


    Due to this knowledge, and the rumors surrounding their guild, everyone participating in the battle burned with an intense desire to prove themselves. To show the world that they were capable, that they didn''t seed only because of Eldrian.


    "Let us start with a bang," Ilmadia said, a cute smile ying on her elven lips as she took out a mana crystal. Loading it with power, Ilmadia added a temporary rune to stabilize the crystal and handed it to Judith.


    "Their castle is only two kilometers away, you can throw it that far, Right?


    Judith nodded and threw the small crystal with all her might, while Ilmadia focused on keeping her control on the temporary runes she had added. Their existence being necessary for the crystal to survive the flight.


    "Nova Missile is a go!" Judith shouted, starting her sortie as she did. Following behind her were ten yers.


    Unlike Judith in her bikini armor, they were all decked out in te armor. Though not the thick kind that Therdul wore. Their te armor was thin, light, and mobile. Made of Mithril. And their speed showed this clearly. Though they still fell behind their fearless barbarian leader.


    A few secondster, a distant explosion rocked the ground.

 Chapter 1006 Tournament 3, Phoenixs siege

    Chapter 1006 Tournament 3, Phoenix''s siege


    Two kilometers was too far a distance to throw what was essentially a palm-sized stone. Even with Judith''s enhanced stats focused on pure meleebat.


    However, the temporary runes Ilmadia had added to it eliminated drag while decreasing the effect of gravity on the mana crystal. This allowed it to fly far. As far, in fact, as Ilmadia''s connection to the temporary runes held.


    Still, two kilometers was a great distance. uracy was naturally low.


    The Nova Missile hadnded close to the enemy castle, but not close enough to do any damage. However, it had been a massive shock to the yers of Dragons.


    They had decided to y defensive against Phoenix, and as such no one had left the castle as of yet. A few scouts were about to set out when the explosion urred.


    The shock of it had sent them stumbling back into safety. Warrily, they tried to figure out what had happened.


    Cannons could achieve a simr range, but only if they were up high and had a clear line of sight.


    While the castle each guild got was a sound defensive structure, it wasn''t tall. With the forest set between the two castles, firing a cannon from so far should be impossible.


    Their dyed action due to this preemptive attack, allowed Phoenix to get the advantage. They took the forest, and by the time Dragon''s scouts left the castle, they were quickly cut down by Judith and her group.


    The notifications of their friend''s deaths made everyone panic. The guild leader quickly calmed the yers, ordering them to prepare for a siege.


    It was a sound option, but not against Phoenix.


    Judith''s group stopped just out of range of the defenders. Dragons had a few cannons installed but were hesitant to use them. Each shot of a cannon was expensive, and these were the preliminaries. Wasting money here would cripple their optionster on.


    This hesitation allowed Phoenix to set up their next attack. Zyviss and the other archers hid in the forests, ready to act if needed. While Ilmadia and the mages took up a position a little further out.


    There, deep in the forest, they were constructing consumable magic items.


    Indeed, they were constructing it.


    Each mage took part in this, drawing their usual mine runes onto random objects. They then fastened these ''mines'' to ballistae bolts that the guild had ordered from the crafting guild Artis.


    Each bolt was a simple thing, as cheap as possible while allowing it to travel a good distance when fired. Adding these ''mines'' to the top allowed them to change each bolt into a magical item. At the cost of the mages'' time and mana. But a little more.


    Sadly, these ''mines'' couldn''t be stored in inventories. They were too unstable. The mages weren''t masters of runesmithing, heck, they didn''t even know how to properly engrave runes. And they were doing their work in the forest, with crude tools each mage had on hand.


    Still, they had plenty of experience with this method of applying runic magic. They used it often for the defense of the forts the guild was managing.


    It didn''t matter to them of their creations ended up being duds, as long as half worked as intended, that was a good result.


    Silence settled on the battlefield, and as theck of an attack drew on, the leader of Dragons wondered if Phoenix was aiming to im a victory by numbers. They had only killed six yers, but that still meant they would win once an hour passed.


    One minute passed, then two, then three. When five passed, themander of Dragons grew impatient. He ordered the firing of their cannons at Judith¡ªwho was standing out in the open.


    Up until this point, her group had been moving closer and closer. Deflecting the arrows fired at them. And the spells sent their way were somehow disrupted halfway. Often, an arrow would be seen flying through the spells.


    That other mages weren''t canceling their spells, incest the mages of Dragons. Like their honor was being walked over. But they were helpless to this intervention nheless.


    It was as if¡ªno, it was certain that Judith was mocking them. Telling them they couldn''t hurt her even if they tried. Naturally, this drained the morale of Dragons'' yers.


    Realizing the situation, the order to fire the cannons came naturally. And the yers were delighted to show Judith and her group what mocking them would cost.


    They loaded their cannons¡ªa total of five¡ªand took aim. But that was a dumb thing to do. They were all but announcing their intent to fire their cannons.


    When they did, things did not go to n.


    Their cannons'' didn''t obliterate Judith and her party. No, instead, they exploded right in their faces.


    ¡ª


    "Good shot!" Nikki cheered.


    "These arrows really are something," Zyviss mumbled. Eldrian might have considered the Elemental Quiver a bust, but it wasn''t a Tier 6 item for no reason. The wind arrows were especially useful for sniping and prating defensive barriers.


    Zyviss still felt his ss wasckingpared to a mage''s, but perhaps that was only because he wasparing himself to Eldrian. With these arrows, and his trusty bow, he felt much more powerful. He would likely be able to beat Ilmadia so long as they had the same amount of time to prepare for their fight.


    Most important, he no longer had to grit his teeth and endure the pain of firing off his arrows. No longer did each shot cost him precious silvers. No, instead, it only cost him a few points of mana.


    use it.


    ¡ª


    Heck, Zyviss had gone so far as to use all his spare mana to summon arrows. Which he then gave to the other archers in the guild. How he wished he could give it to Ilmadia or another mage¡ªEldrian especially¡ªwho had so much more mana than him. Sadly, the quiver''s abilities only worked when equipped.


    The item didn''t need to be soulbound to work. But it was too precious to risk losing it. Sadly, soulbinding it meant only he could use it.


    ¡ª


    The explosion of their cannons hit the defenders extremely hard. Not only had eight more yers died, but their cannons... were gone.


    Unlike in the individual and party categories, broken items weren''t repaired and returned on the battle''s end in the guild category. The guild battles were as much a battle of skill and tactics as it was one of resources.


    This loss... was going to cost their guild dearly. Worst of all, they had no idea how it had happened. They had a magical barrier up, meant to protect them from enemy attacks.


    The barrier would cancel enemy spells, and deflect enemy arrows. This was why, they had assumed, Phoenix had relied on taunting them. Yet...


    "Damn them!" The guild leader of Dragons shouted, veins bursting on his forehead. His race was of the draconian, hence the name of his guild. The man hadn''t been in the previous tournaments, while he was the guild leader, he wasn''t a great fighter.


    The guild category, however, allowed him to finally show himself. He had hoped to make a name for himself and his guild in the tournament. Yet... he had just lost all the cannons his guild owned in the first preliminary match.


    Seething in anger, and seeing Judith and her team still taunting him, he very nearly told his members to charge. He only managed to hold back because he knew that Judith was a beast of a yer.


    Eldrian was the biggest bigshot, but excluding him, the guild had two other ''elites''. Judith, who had plenty of fans due to her provocative clothing, and Ilmadia. The iced beauty, a master of magic¡ªbut more on the level of other yers.


    Charging Judith, who was clearly acting as bait, would be his biggest regret. The guild master knew this, yet...


    Before he could fix his emotions, the next attack came. Ballistae were summoned from a few yers'' inventories, and the bolts loaded.


    Immediately, everyone took cover. Their barriers were still in ce, and the mages controlling them were still alive inside the middle of the castle.


    Yet, every yer in the castle realised their barrier didn''t mean squat.


    When the walls of their castle shook, they knew they had done the right thing to dive for cover.

 Chapter 1007 Tournament 3, An Easy Win

    Chapter 1007 Tournament 3, An Easy Win


    Despite all appearances, the guild facing Elizabeth and the others weren''t cking. Their mages had kept their barriers up for as long as possible. However, the ballistae bolts loaded with runic mines were something unexpected.


    Not because no one knew of this trick that the guild Phoenix liked to pull. Everyone had seen the videos of their fort defenses. They loved, absolutely loved, theirndmines.


    The thing is, they had never shown anyone that those mines could be applied to anything. Sure, dirt hadn''t seemed like a good conductor. Everyone watching the streams had thought that they were doing something else. Perhaps a type of special powder or something.


    Now, they clearly knew this wasn''t the case. Not only that, these "mines" could be applied to anything. The object had to berge enough for the runes to be applied onto.


    Of course, there were limits. Temporary runes would be impossible to create such quantity due to the required connection between creator and rune. However, adding a small carving, or even drawing with ink, allowed the rune to be more permanent.


    Sure, these runes weren''t close to what runesmiths used. But they didn''t need to be. They didn''t need tost. And they didn''t need to be perfect. They just needed to explode¡ªwith the only condition that this doesn''t happen too soon.


    As a result, no one had expected ballistae to be used in the guild match. Nor had they expected the bolts fired from said ballistae to beparable¡ªcertainly far weaker, but far cheaper and greater in number¡ªthan the cannons.


    All this added up and made the guild Dragons look like fools. They hid behind their walls, their barriers now long gone. Their mages were exhausted of mana, and Judith and her group rushed the walls.


    As soon as they reached the walls, half the members pull out what looked like grappling hooks. The other half pulled outdders. Or rather, parts ofdders. Each part is the maximum size allowed by normal yers (those who haven''t increased the size with Mov Crystals).


    These three-meterdder parts were quickly assembled, with the grappling hooks thrown to the walls. Those who threw the hooks using the ropes attached to start climbing, ballistae fire still ongoing. Just shifted to the side.


    Once thedders were constructed, they were ced against the walls. And the next group rushed forward. Zyvish and the rangers. Half fired their arrows into the air. The volley arched,nding behind the crentions and causing shouts of confusion and pain to echo from behind.


    The other half waited for someone to peek their heads out behind the walls. And all the while, balistea fire continued. Though by now, thest saldo was near.


    Under all this cover fire, Judith and her group made it to the walls easily enough. They ughtered the confused and injured yers nearby, then charged off. The rangers who had been waiting then climbed the walls, and a few minutester, Pheonix''s victory was announced.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, the forums were bursting with activity. Everyone had known that guild Phoenix was strong. However, they had thought this was due to Eldrian. This battle, where Phoenix had finally pulled out all the stops, had shown everyone that this was not the case.


    Of course, some keen observers realized that the guild had far more in store for future matches. What they had done in today''s was quite modest considering the guild''s typical fort defenses.


    However, there was a keen difference between a preliminary match and the defense of a fort governed, or owned, by a guild.


    For both, resources used would be lost if damaged and consumables won''t be returned. This meant each time something was used, it would ce a drain on the guild.


    For an actual fort''s defense, this didn''t, or at least wouldn''t, bother most guilds. The benefits of owning and controlling a fort were simply too high.


    Sure, the ie wasn''t great. But the other benefits were great. Not to mention the amount of renown and trustworthyness the guild could gain with their kingdom.


    And, if, for example, a fort was near a mine. Like fort Kyno, the ie possible was mind-boggling.


    Fighting with everyone you had to protect it made sense. And, in most cases, quests were given in rtion to the defense of forts. Thus, it was possible to double dip.


    But, for the tournament, there were no such benefits. A guild would have to make it to the top 16 to benefit. Thus, wasting resources in the preliminaries could hamper the guilds future. Both in future matches and their typical ANW quest activity.


    Still, Phoenix had disyed their abilities¡ªwithout having to tap into their resources. Sure, they had opened the fight by exploding a mana crystal. Something the guild has be quite well known for. Seeing as it was the strongest attack possible by yers¡ªexcluding Eldrian''s spells.


    Naturally, the Nova spell had be famous. Many yers had tried to recreate it¡ªwithout much sess. Most attempt resulted in the yeri dying from said explosion. No one knew how Phoenix''s elite mages¡ªthough mostly Ilmadia¡ªdid it.


    ¡ª


    [Did they seriously... Oh, they at least lost three yers.]


    [Three yers lost, a hundred killed...]


    [That''s as close as aplete victory as we can expect, isn''t it?]


    [Whad ya mean? Eldrian didn''t move.]


    [Sure sure But when does he eve?]


    [True. He is often absent from the rest of Phoenix.]


    [I wonder what he gets up to?]


    [Anyone know what type of armor he is wearing? It looks super cool!]


    [Right! Though it doesn''t really match his race. What elf wears ck?]


    [This one!]


    [Fair enough. Oh, right, I heard that cape of his is special too. Apparently it has the flight ability. Do you guys think that is why he can fly?]


    [Nah seen him fly without]


    [That reminds makes me wonder why wear it?]


    [Maybe he simply likes it?]


    [True. When you''re that strong I guess you don''t need to consider optimization]


    [Who does?]


    {Oh, I guess you have a point. Only the top guys can, really. Like the ming Hearts]


    [Judith is just too much. She basically took the walls on her own]


    From there, the conversation returned to the actual events of the battle. With yers happily discussing away.


    Luckily, since the might of Phoenix was consentrated onto the guild category, the yers didn''t feel too upset about their OP-ness.


    If the guild had wanted, it could have tried to im multiple categories. Sure, this would have weakened their guild team. But with Eldrian there, they could weaken it plenty without worry.


    That they had left the other categories alone meant they were allowing other yers some glory. Or at least, that was what many yers believed.


    Those who had to face them in the guild category, however, were cursing their single-mindedness. The guilds who hoped to im the number one spot for this tournament had a long road ahead of them.


    Worst of all, even if they managed to beat the entire guild¡ªthere would still be Eldrian. And if today''s match was anything to go by, he would be waiting in their castle.


    No matter how much the other guild racked their brains, they couldn''t find a way to ovee that hurdle. Worse of all, there was no guarentee Eldrian wouldn''t move if his guild was losing.


    Stalling to im a victory by numbers was thus unlikely.

 Chapter 1008 Tournament 3, The Bracket Starts

    Chapter 1008 Tournament 3, The Bracket Starts


    The preliminaries flew by, as did the weeks. During that time, Phoenix continued to demonstrate their strengths. However, they were by no measure undefeatable.


    Certainly, this might be because Eldrian had yet to move in any of their matches. They had managed to rank in the top eight, more than enough for entering the actual tournament. Thus he had never felt the need to.


    Still, this meant they had lost more than once.


    Often those losses came at the hands of crafty guilds. Guilds whose yers had dedicated themselves to analyzing other guilds to find their weaknesses. Using all their cards to y to those weaknesses and eke out a win by numbers.


    Some other guilds threw money at the problem. With the market update, along with the dungeon, this option had be a real one. If someone, or somepany, was willing to spend millions. They could really gain quite an advantage.


    Still, there were limits. The developers didn''t want to make progression non-existent. But it was certainly possible to skip months of grinding at the cost of a few thousand dors. Much like mobile games, and indeed, many other MMOs and VRMMOs.


    Of course, despite the growing gaming market, ANW still remained the only full-dive immersion game where rest could be gained while ying. Otherpanies might have managed to increase the feedback of their tech, but nothingparable to ANW. This was to be expected, considering what was the actual backbone of the so-called "game".


    The fact that otherpanies had yet to figure out how Miracle did it only highlighted ANW''s uniqueness. Magic in these games was far easier to use and master. As were skills. Progression was quick, which was a massive plus for some.


    However, the sense of aplishment that a yer could gain upon reaching a higher Tier was unique to ANW.


    It was not a matter of simply grinding.


    No, it took time, effort, and some degree of talent. While this was frustrating at times, it also made yers proud when they climbed higher and grew stronger. Even if their strength still pales inparison to mostbatants in the game.


    This only highlighted that ANW was by no means a casual one. If someone wanted something to y for just a few hours and have fun, ANW might not be for them. These other games might be the better choice.


    Then again, they could y those hours away in their sleep. By now, almost everyone wanted a Miracle headset. Even those who had no interest in the game itself found plenty of use via the virtual homes. Especially sincepatibility was recently added to allow gaming inside the virtual home.


    This had, in fact, caused a few people to be obsessed in a totally new way. The virtual world Miracle had been creating had already been massive, and with this update¡ªalong with the neighborhood one¡ªmany wanted to forget their actual lives.


    Virtual reality was a scary thing.


    All this to say, the ANW tournament was a massive deal. Billions of people would be watching it.


    The advertisement value of having a team in any category would be priceless. Spending a few million to get a team with top-of-the-line gear was a small price to pay for somepanies. And Miracle was certainly not going to say no to the cash.


    And, of course, the hottest topic was the new category. Which meant manypanies had mored to sponsor guilds. While smallerpanies settled for sponsoring parties or individuals.


    If this had been enough to tip the scales, the yer base would likely have made a fuss. To be sure, they hadined. But seeing as only three "sponsored" guilds had made it past the preliminaries, theseints had felt hollow.


    This, of course, was for the simple fact that gear couldn''t make the yer. Just like a tool couldn''t make a plumber, a doctor, or an engineer. You need the skills and know-how to maximize the usage of your tools. Else they would be just that, expensive tools.


    And so, the official tournament bracket was to start. For the individual and party categories, the top 64 yers would battle it out. While for the guild category, the top 16.


    But, before that, the official opening of the tournament had to be held.


    Like all the years before, there was a physical stadium where people could go to visit Miracle HQ (ANW branch). Test the new headsets, cabins, and buy merchandise.


    For the semi- and finals, the teams would alsoe and battle it out there. But until then, most of the tournaments would be held in virtual stadiums. Which would, of course, be shown to those who visited Miracle HQ via holograms.


    To most people, it felt like a different reality when they entered the festivities. Miracle had really pulled out all the stops this time. Holograms greeted visitors from the gates all the way through. Merging the line between fantasy and reality.


    Heck, there was even a y area where people could attempt to use magic. The holographic technology would disy the magic as if they were in the game. Something which was an instant hit over the inte.


    Watching all the videos on this, Eldrian wondered what Miracle''s ns were. Of course, he had gotten some information from Zaphreal a few days ago. He had also talked with Jade.


    Naturally, Eldrian had kept in contact with his sister. He had actually finished one of his long-awaited products around the time the preliminaries had started.


    He hoped it would never be needed. But he was d he had finally figured out the steps which had kept tripping him up. With this, he could now rest more assuredly. Even if the contract between him and Zaphreal was no longer enforced.


    "Hey, Eldrian, are you ready?"


    "Sure. Same as always, or am I going to participate?" Eldrian asked casually. Turning his focus to the meeting his friends were having.


    "As much as I would like to continue fighting for our honor and pride," Judith said, "we can''t risk losing. And our first opponent is one of the sponsored guilds."


    Judith was understandably sour. She had died not in the heat of battle, but to a saldo of cannon fire. Unlike Dragons, their first opponent, this guild didn''t care how it looked. They used their money to secure their victory. Even if it cost them thousands of golds, and thus tens of thousands of dors.


    Honestly, their group had no idea what to do about it. Especially since this guild also deployed several army-grade barriers. Not mage-cast barriers, but mobile fortification barriers.


    These magical items ate mana crystals, but they were strong in turn. Not something kingdoms could really afford to use, but empires sure could. Capable of even deflecting cannon fire. They were perhaps too effective. Combined with defending cannons, it had allowed this guild to im the first rank.


    Which was, perhaps, why the developers had put the two of them against one another.


    The guild with the stronger yer vs the guild with the most money to burn.


    It was certainly an interesting match. And it would pull plenty of viewers. Though it was questionable if it would do as the first match of the bracket¡ªinstead of the finals.


    Then again, there was no guarantee either guild would make it to the finals.


    There was plenty of spection, and gambling. But no guarantee. Anything could happen, after all.

 Chapter 1009 Tournament 3, Facing Soaring Heights (1)

    c


    In their previous battle, Judith had truly been knocked down a peg. Over the course of their battles in the preliminaries, the guild had formed a battle strategy.


    Of course, it changed depending on what their opponents did. But they stayed true to their assigned roles for the most part.


    As such, Judith''s job was to secure a foothold near the enemy''s castle. Zyviss''s was to find and despatch any parties or scouts, Nikki''s was to back up either group should they engage inbat.


    Elizabeth and Ilmadia moved together, Erik was also in their group. They would most often react to any strange moves from their opponents. Therdul, meanwhile, held down the fort along with a mix of melee and magic-focused yers.


    However, when they previously faced Soaring Heights, a guild sponsored by a conglomerate, they were stumped.


    This guild did not move out, they did not even send out scouts into the forest surrounding their castle. They stayed put, waiting for their opponents toe to them.


    That in itself would have been fine, but Judith had underestimated how much they were willing to spend to im victory.


    She had moved past the forest to try and taunt the guild toe and attack her. As she had done several times by now.


    What weed her was not a few feeble attempts of an attack, but three cannonballs. Fired in a triangle around her, forcing her to move forward. Where she was met with a fourth, dyed, attack.


    This had not only cost her her life in the match but also several pieces of equipment which had had low durability. And, to top it all off, Soaring Heights had continued firing cannons at each yer who exited the forest, and thus entered the cannons range.


    Normally, even they used their cannons more sparingly. But against Phoenix, they had gone all out. And this had allowed them to im victory.


    Today was to be Phoenix''s chance at redemption. But the guild also understood that they had no counter to the turtle strategy that Soaring Heights employed.


    Sure, they could bring their own cannons. Ones far superior to what was readily avable. After all, Phoenix had direct connections with dwarves who were constantly improving said cannons.


    However, it would note free. And the guild was already spread thin protecting the two forts they were managing. Three, if Eldrian''s was included. His was mostly self-managed thanks to the contract forced on all those who entered it.


    Sadly, the fort that the guild itself managed had no such contracts. To im them, they had to gain ownership of the forts. Which required their guild to level up, even with all the connections they had. This rule was set in not by the NPCs, but by the devs.


    The one they had built in the Choasnds, they of course owned. But it did not have a magic tower, and hence was considered but a fortification, not a fort.


    Again, to use them without a magic tower, their guild needed to level up. While they had reached level 6 and had the right to own a fort, they could only own one. Since they owned one and managed another, Eldrian''s was a different case due to him being a noble, their build functions were being limited.


    Regardless, the guild was close to reaching level 7. The issue would not remain for long.


    Still, this meant they couldn''t afford to divert the funds required to fight cannon with cannon. Heck, even if they had the system functions, their funds wouldn''t increase. It would likely decrease.


    Thus they had turned to Eldrian¡ªwho understood this. He also saw no point in wasting hard-earned gold on the tournament. While it was true they could make more by winning,, there was a free option in him going on the offensive.


    Thus, he was now flying just outside the range of cannons. Observing the castle and the flow of mana around it. Eldrian did his best to analyze just how strong their defenses were.


    Of course, Soaring Heights didn''t want to leave him be. They had apparently gotten a new type of weapon, ballistae. Likely inspired by Phoenix.


    The bolts came flying at Eldrian every few seconds. But they weren''t difficult to dodge. Even though the bolts broke the sound barrier when fired, they still took over two seconds to reach him. More than enough time for Eldrian to move out of the way.


    Realizing that their attacks were never going tond, Soaring Heights soon ended up wasting their ammo.


    "Is it possible?" Elizabeth asked when Eldriannded.


    "Mmm¡­ Those barriers are impressive." Eldrian replied. The mana supporting each barrier was probably around ten thousand MP. Or three small mana crystals. And there were ten barriers in total. Five focused on dispelling outside spells, and five focused on blocking physical material from entering.


    However, despite this, barriers had weaknesses. They had no will, and thus fought spells with mana, instead of attempting to disconnect spells from their caster.


    Normally, anti-magic barriers worked by breaking the connection between the caster and their spell. Not overwhelming the casted spell with mana to ''douse'' it.


    This method was probably chosen because the barriers had no ''will'', no Mageia. As such, they couldn''t break the connection between the mage and their spell.


    This made the barriers stronger and weaker at the same time.


    Stronger because the mana crystals feeding the barrier mana could be reced. Allowing them to contest anything that didn''t need ten thousand MP to dispel in one shot.


    Eldrian also had no idea howrge a battery the barriers had. That they contained around 10k mana was insane enough. Likely, he reasoned, the barriers were being supported by Mov Crystals and thus had over 100k spare, probably closer to 200k. Though not all the Mov Crystal''s mana could be used on the barriers. Still, that left a huge amount of mana that needed to be ovee. Plus all the extra mana crystals added to the device.


    From the tests Eldrian had done, the MP required to dispel was rted to the mental strength of the caster. For him, each MP used in casting cost the barrier five MP to dispel (roughly).


    Eldrian didn''t really have a good measure of MP without the system. Still, he could see the difference between some mass of mana and over double it. Like 10 and 20, or 200 and 400.


    Working with that, he had done a few tests toe to his conclusion. He was sure there were inuracies. Still, it helped them figure out if it was possible to ovee the enemy with their own efforts or not.


    Sadly, when Ilmadia had cast her spells, it seemed that only double the MP was required to dispel her spells. The other mages would be close to a one-to-one ratio. And thus not of much help.


    Thus, Eldrian concluded, it was entirely possible to drain the barriers. But not really economical.


    Plus they had no idea how many mana crystals Soaring Heights had. And this would be fighting the barriers on their strength, instead of their weakness.


    The weakness of the barriers were rather obvious to Eldrian. Though only he seemed to have noticed it.


    The activation and working of these magical barriers were simple. A yer activated it, setting the parameters (Eldrian was not sure what these could be). The magic item then activated, used mana (likely from mana crystals, not the Mov Crystal), and spread a barrier.


    This meant, if they could disrupt the flow, they simply needed to ovee the current barrier without any further supply. Eldrian could do that. 10k mana was doable, even if times by ten. 100k was not.


    "Is that possible?"


    "Of course," Eldrian replied. Going ahead and exining that magic items all worked the same. Runes, inscriptions, or enchantments gave it magical alignment. Guiding the flow of mana through the item.


    Active abilities used this flow to produce external (sometimes internal) magical phenomena. But once it left the magic item, it was more like a spell than anything else.


    AN: See the author''s note below for information on releases going forward.

 Chapter 1010 Tournament 3, Facing Soaring Heights (2)

    Chapter 1010 Tournament 3, Facing Soaring Heights (2)


    "Since barriers are external, and cover arge area to boot, they aren''t directly connected to the magic item creating them. Which means the devices can only handle what it was ''coded'' to."


    "But what if there is a method stopping external forces from interrupting the flow?" Ilmadia asked.


    "That would still cost mana, and weaken the barrier as a result. I think it''s unlikely the barriers are advanced enough to actually stop my tampering, though."


    ''For them to be capable of that, they had to have something on the level of a Magic Crystal as their core. But that wasn''t likely to be the case.'' Eldrian thought.


    Eldrian highly doubted Soaring Height could get their hands on Magic Crystals so easily. This wasn''t a case of money, but also of influence. Magic Crystals were too valuable to be sold to random yers.


    Even he had trouble getting his hand on Magic Crystals. Even with all his connections in Taurus.


    Sure, he could and has managed to secure one or two. One from Ashliel, the so-called divine. Though that was more a gift from her than a resource from the kingdom. Which he had then lost during the siege of Elomir. Though that had helped save the city, so he didn''t mind too much. He also hasn''t asked for a recement Magic Crystal. Eldrian understood the kingdom wasn''t really in the position to produce Magic Crystals on demand.


    The other one had been to secure from the kingdom for the fort he had won from the vampires through his duel against Levana. Which amounted more to the kingdom repairing the reimed fort than giving Eldrian a Magic Crystal.


    Other than that, he hadn''t gotten any other Magic Crystals. Luckily, with Creation, he could make his own now. Though that took time, and money (aka mana crystals), and also drained him a lot. The process was extremely demanding, after all.


    Still, it was a source of something otherwise impossible to find. So it was totally worth using Creation as often as he could afford to.


    All this to say, there was no way the barriers Soaring Heights was using were supported by Magic Crystals. If they had been, Eldrian would also have noticed the ambient mana flowing towards the castle of Soaring Heights as the Magic Crystals recollected spent mana.


    And, thus, he couldbat the mana flow. Perhaps even infiltrate it to sabotage the items. At the same time he did this, the barriers would weaken. Which would allow him or the others to destroy them with the more direct method if needed.


    Moving to see what he would be capable of, Eldrian flew out of the forest. Flying right up to the barriers. Causing the yers inside the castle to panic and send a barrage of attacks at him. All of which Eldrian dodged with ease.


    Some barking got the yers to calm down and stop wasting ammo. Still, this made them extremely ufortable. After all, Eldrian was in range. And they were told to do nothing. They understood that he was too fast, but it still caused their morale to fall.


    "Don''t worry!" One of the leaders of Soaring Heights shouted. "He can''t get past the barriers. It''s a waste to try and attack."


    "Besides," another added, "we win as long as we stay put. After all, we''re ranked higher than them!"


    ''Oh, right, that''s how it works.'' Eldrian mumbled. Though not really worried about it. If he had to, he could brute force his way inside. The two options he had exined to his friends weren''t the only options.


    Well, they were technically his only options to destroy the barriers. But Eldrian could simply slip past the barriers if all he wanted to do was im victory.


    He didn''t because a part of him felt slighted by this guild''s use of money to basically "buy" the tournament. Eldrian wasn''t sure if he had a right to feel like this, but he did. And that was what motivated him to want to make them pay a little reparations to all the other guilds they had defeated by throwing money at them.


    ''Also, doesn''t seem like they realized the danger of allowing someone close to the barriers themselves.'' Eldrian thought.


    The closer he was, the easier finding the flow and tapping into it would be. Them deciding to ignore him, so as to not waste their mana, arrows, and ammo, would allow him to ce his full attention on destroying the barriers.


    As he was starting to tamper with the mana flow, Eldrian realized that perhaps their reasoning wasn''t wed. He was the only yer who could do what he was doing.


    There was no reason for the defending guild to think that by not doing anything they would make things easier for Eldrian. ''They are probably thinking I am trying to taunt them to leave their castle, like Judith had done to other guilds.''


    Honestly, if they did, Eldrian wouldn''t mind. That would also secure victory for his guild.


    A few minutester, Eldrian grumbled. He was finding this harder than expected. The barriers were working together. The one he was tampering with was being supported by the others. Which meant he couldn''t take on one at a time, but instead had to face all ten at once.


    "Ugh, if only Vivian was here." Eldrian sighed. She would have been able to cut right through the mana flow. Severing it right then and there.


    Eldrian, instead, had to disrupt the flow by attempting to either take over control of the mana, or overwhelm the flow with a spell or something. Thetter wasn''t really an option. Eldrian didn''t have enough mana, even with his insane MP pool.


    Finally, ten minutester, the first barrier cracked.


    ''Took a while. But seems this worked perfectly.'' Eldrian thought. In the end, he followed the flow of mana right back to the devices controlling the barriers. Where he then worked on distant enchanting (which was guaranteed to fail) to cause the devices to malfunction.


    Basically, he simply tried to corrupt the magic items. A physical method of this was to cut through the engraved runes. Eldrian did something simr, only to the internal flow of the devices'' mana flow.


    The sound of shattered ss filled the air, and one device supporting the barrier turned dark. This realization sent the bored other devices. Causing them to overload on after the other. And each time one stopped working, it became easier and easier to do audience into a ruckus. Meanwhile, Soaring Heights lost their cool and sent a soldo of attacks at Eldrian.


    Forced to take evasive maneuvers, Eldrian continued corrupting the other devices. Causing them to overload on after the other. And each time one stopped working, it became easier and easier to do the same to the others.


    The second barrier fell a minuteter. The third just a few seconds after. Just three minutes after the first barrier had copsed, all the barriers were gone.


    "No way..." This sentiment was shared by both the defending Soaring Heights yers and the audience. Before they could recollect themselves, Phoenix''s attacks flew at the castle.


    Dozen of stunned yers died right there, and Eldrian used the chaos to slip into the castle. Decimating those inside. Just three minutester, Oier (Jade''s father) dered Phoenix''splete victory.


    ¡ª


    [What happened?]


    [How the heck did he destroy the barriers?]


    [Is that even possible? Is it a bug?]


    [Nah, that''s just Eldrian.]


    [Seems I was right to ce all my bets on them!]


    [Oh, right. With Soaring Heights defeated, there''s only one other guild that might beat them.]


    [Nah, if Eldrian is fighting, then they don''t stand a chance.]

 Chapter 1011 Tournament 3, To the semis

    Chapter 1011 Tournament 3, To the semi''s


    While confusion stayed the default for the viewers, the announcers didn''t get too stuck up on it. They quickly exined that Eldrian had infiltrated the magic barriers and destroyed them from within, and then tried to find something exciting about the match to talk about.


    Of course, there wasn''t much to talk about outside of Eldrian''s feat of bringing the barriers down. The battle after that had been so quick it had been a massive letdown.


    It was not even close to what the tournament organizers had expected. They had hoped for an extremely shy battle. One where thousands of spells were crashed against the barriers until they finally gave.


    Instead, Eldrian had ''hacked'' the barriers and brought them down without any shiness.


    Naturally, the announcers wanted to somehow recover the hype that they had made for the match. They tried to distract the viewers by talking about the next uing match¡ªin three hours. But that didn''t work.


    And so, the viewers kept pestering Miracle for an exnation of how what Eldrian had done was possible. And how they could do it themselves. After all, those barriers had basically guaranteed Soaring Heights'' victory throughout the preliminaries. Knowing that there was a way tobat them lit a fire under all those who had lost to the guild.


    ¡ª


    After that, the tournament continued smoothly. With two matches a day, it took just under a week for the semi-finals to start, which required the participating teams toe to Miracle HQ.


    For the guild category, this was probably the only year this would be done this way. A hundred yers were by no count a small amount. And there were already talks that that number would be increased in the next tournament.


    Most of Phoenix spent their free time watching these matches and analyzing their would-be opponents, or practicing. Eldrian, on the other hand, was busy attempting to figure out how the folding of space worked.


    Ziraili''s exnation of his power kept spinning in his head, and currently, Eldrian''s focus was on voidstones.


    Sure, Mov Crystals were used to create dimensional storages. But voidstones were used to construct the control rooms of magic towers.


    They weren''t simply installed underground, but almost in a separate ''space''. Eldrian had experienced this phenomenon when he had lost Crystoi¡ªand then retrieved it after Skepsi had modified his voidstone.


    That voidstone had now gone into Willo, but not all of it. Some small pieces had been set aside for Eldrian on his request. And they still held traces of the modification which Skepsi had done to therger stone.


    Sadly, Eldrian wasn''t able to learn anything from these fragments. He had already tried, he had even asked Ziraili, and Ceph''s parents. Thetter had been unable to exin the science behind the stones


    ¡ªonly how they used the stones. And the former refused to exin the science until Eldrian mastered the mathematics he had always ignored.


    As a result, Eldrian now often found himself taking out Crystoi and staring at it intently. He understood the hidden ability of his spear was connected to a void because of the voidstone fragment Solvi had used when forging it.


    Sadly, that knowledge didn''t allow Eldrian to call upon the hidden ability. Unlike normal abilities, this one hadn''t been made on purpose. Solvi had no idea what it was nor what it was supposed to do. They only knew that Crystoi had once avoided being destroyed by jumping into its own pocket dimension.


    With that knowledge, Eldrian thought that perhaps Crystoi could act as a new type of dimensional storage. One capable of allowing living things inside.


    Sadly, no matter what he tried, he hadn''t been able to replicate what had happened at that time. Perhaps, Eldrian had thought, that time had been due to the modified voidstone and not Crystoi.


    Perhaps Crystoi had simply been floating in a void, and the voidstone had solidified the ''space'' near the spear and made a room that Eldrian could enter.


    This seemed quite usible, considering the modification hade from the goddess of magic. Eldrian understood well that the AI could y with space quite easily.


    ''But is that truly true?'' Eldrian wondered. He knew it was, to a degree. The amount of mana they couldmand was unfathomable. This meant they could simte Mov Crystals... and even Magic Crystals.


    Eldrian was less sure about voidstones. And, upon further questioning, he came to a strange conclusion.


    ''Is it somehow connected to the Mageia Avyssos? The magic abyss?'' That, Eldrian reasoned, was also a void of sorts. A void that connected the souls of all non-chaotic creatures. In other words, the souls of humans, elves, dwarves, and others. But not of devils and demons.


    And, through the magic abyss, these races could cast magic with far more ease. Most mages considered it the ultimate ce of enlightenment. Where, upon reaching, they could modify spells with rtive ease.


    This was something Eldrian had been caught up in a long, long time ago. These days, he understood a little more about the magic abyss. It was, in fact, Skepsi''s divine realm.


    Yet, it was irrefutable that it was a space that souls, and only souls, could enter. It was also the bridge connecting ANW with Earth. At least, this was what Eldrian had been told.


    Ziraili''s recent fortings had made it clear it wasn''t the only one. But it was true that the magic abyss was the connection for yers to the world of ANW. The medium used to ensure both their safety and allow them to use magic.


    ''Mmm, I''ve gotten a bit off track.'' Regathering his thoughts, Eldrian tried to envision what a voidstone truly was.


    It wasn''t a collection of mana like a Mov Crystal. Thus, it wasn''t using mana to bend the rules of reality. It was thus using one of the aspects of lifeforce, or UE. The aspect of space, to be specific.


    ''But what does that mean?'' Eldrian asked himself. He understood that the aspects were supposed to allow one to tap into the ''power'' rted to said aspect. Time, for example, should allow one to alter the flow of time.


    ''Yet¡­ that isn''t right. Perhaps it is true, but that isn''t how things happen. It isn''t that easy.'' Eldrian concluded. ''Besides, what do the other aspects even mean?''


    Space and time were rtively easy to conclude. But what of divinity? From Vivian''s abilities, it seemed to be rted to souls. Which meant it was a power allowing one to tap into the flow of lifeforce.


    But Order? Chaos?


    And did space include matter, or was it only space?


    Eldrian''s past few weeks had been spent trying to figure this out. And he hade to the following conclusion:


    Time: Rate of things happening.


    Space: The ''space'' in which things exist.


    Divinity: Rted to life, all life, in existence.


    Order: One half of matter, tending to order.


    Chaos: The other half, tending to chaos.


    For example, time was set based on the universal constant of a dimension/universe, which would then be modified by rtive velocity (faster people experience time slower) and gravity. Then there was also the possibility to attempt to modify the constant of time. Be this through adding artificial banks to the so-called river of time or whatever. Or attempting to modify time itself¡ªwhich Eldrian now understood was the more dangerous approach.


    Space was the confines of things, of dimensions, universes, and worlds. Honestly, Eldrian still wasn''t too sure about all its rules.


    Divinity was rted to whether things could be considered alive or not. He had once pondered whether mana was or wasn''t a living thing. He now knew it wasn''t, and he also now knew that the definition of life wasn''t physiological, but psychological. Rting to will, and thus the soul.


    Order and Chaos thus had to make up what was left. He had no idea how to define them. Each time he tried, he found himself contradicting himself. Thus, Eldrian just considered them a package rting to the ''rest of everything''.

 Chapter 1012 Tournament 3, Back to Miracle ANW HQ

    Chapter 1012 Tournament 3, Back to Miracle ANW HQ


    As always, the announcements were extravagant and over the top. But considering how much Miracle was spending to make the tournament a massive hit, this was to be expected.


    Of course, with guilds having a hundred members participating, and most having plenty of yers in reserve, not everyone went forth as representatives. Usually, the guild leader and vice leaders represented the guilds, though other yers were included in some cases.


    Eldrian, for his part, had wanted to sit out the entire ordeal and only show up for the battles. However, this year was a little different. Before the semis officially started, there would be an interview with all the yers (individual matches), teams, and guilds (representatives) who had made it this far.


    With the massive waves Eldrian had been making, his presence had been requested. And while he felt it a pain, Eldrian had some questions of his own.


    He wouldn''t ask them on camera, but he needed to figure out what was going on. The scale of the tournament had far surpassed what he had expected.


    Naturally, Eldrian suspected it had something to do with the fact that they had found a way to gather mana. Though he wasn''t a 100% confident.


    The updates he was getting kept him informed, but only through second-hand information. And he had no way to validate it. This was his opportunity.


    As soon as Eldrian walked into the familiar grounds, he sensed the change.


    Miracle was truly doing it.


    Sure, the density increase wasn''t too insane. But by Eldrian''s ount, it was probably double what was normal for Earth. Or in other words, a fifth of the density found in ANW¡ªinstead of a tenth.


    While this was a massive increase, it was something Eldrian had expected. And if the density just in the area was this massively increased, Eldrian had to suspect that thebs¡ªwhere they were ''catching''/''generating'' the mana¡ªwere at ANW''s level.


    That... was a problem.


    ''The question is if this is in Ziraili''s spections, or past it.'' Eldrian concluded. At the same time, he knew that what was happening here was the controlled maic collection method.


    The otherbs were sure to surpass this one. Which meant problems might be appearing sooner than expected.


    ''Is this linked to the tournament? Or is the tournament so extravagant simply due to the extra cash flow from the market update? And Miracle wanting to expand their influence?'' Eldrian asked himself, watching as people yed with the holograms that filled the area. And wondering how much was purely technological.


    ''No. Magic should still be limited to an elite few. And only to their bloodline powers, with variations.'' Eldrian quickly shut down the idea that Miracle was suddenly possible of utilizing magic.


    ''The bracelets I gave Jen should still prove capable.'' Eldrian consoled himself. He didn''t expect things to go south, but it was better to be prepared.


    "Eldrian?" Elizabeth called out to him, her voice tinged with concern. He had be so distracted that he had separated from the group.


    Sadly, Eldrian hadn''t been able to give his friends anything. But, again, he felt it unlikely for things to go south. This time, he hadmunication with one of the top brass of thepany.


    "I''m fine." Eldrian replied, turning to Ilmadia and asking, "Did you feel it?"


    Of course, she wasn''t an elf IRL. Eldrian, for his part, hardly any elfish features left. While he had mutated back when everything went to shit, he had since learned to control his features.


    In fact, tapping into his human and elf sides had been key to logging into ANW without a headset. Though that was more because they acted as beacons for him to focus onto, rather than being actual methods.


    Ilmadia, in person, was a normal girl¡ªor woman. She was a little older than Eldrian¡ªlike most of the ming Hearts. And her tanned skin was quite the differencepared to her Moon Elf snow-white skin.


    "I did." She replied, a deep frown on her face.


    Until now, they only knew and understood the situation from Eldrian''s exnations. But, upon stepping foot back on Miracle''s ANW branch HQ, everyone felt it.


    Well, not everyone. Judith had no clue what the group was frowning about, and Therdul was right there with her. Zyviss, or Chris if one were to go by his real name, had at least noticed something was off. But he couldn''t quite ce his finger on it.


    "We need to be careful," Nikki advised, and the others nodded.


    Ilmadia, however, paused. "Hey, Eldrian..." She hesitated.


    "Yeah?"


    "Nevermind."


    "No, what is it?"


    "It''s just..." She felt conflicted, but after taking a look around, she felt this might be the perfect time to ask and try this. But first, she had to ask something else.


    "How do you think the holograms work?"


    "Simple, really." Quicklying to understand what Ilmadia was hesitating about as he answered. "They required that participants say the spell incantations out loud. The holograms are voice activated."


    Eldrian closed his eyes to confirm this. He quickly spread his Mageia out over the area. And while he could feel several of those ying with the holograms forming their will, their own Mageia. They did not manage to guide, control, and transform the surrounding mana. Even with the density being twice what was normal for Earth.


    However, the fact that they could manifest their will outside their bodies was concerning. Extremely so. This discovery made Eldrian freeze.


    The group realized something was going on and didn''t press Eldrian. They waited for him to tell them what was up.


    "I see. I thought it might be possible..." With all the holograms nearby, Ilmadia had thought she might be able to try casting a weak Tier 0 spell. Hiding behind the holograms, while using the denser mana to ease the activation.


    She had never been able to cast any magic on Earth. Much to her chagrin.


    "It should be..." Eldrian said, but hesitated. He had no idea if doing so would endanger his friend.


    "I know. It isn''t the smartes option, but..." She paused again. "I still want to try."


    "Well, if you are sure." Eldrian nodded. Decided to take a few counter measures in case Miracle had some way to measure people''s ability to guide mana.


    It might sound strange to think they can, but Eldrian knew they were capable of measuring mana. With the right calibration, their devices should be able to detect spells being formed.


    This might be the true reason for the ''casting simtors''. To find those with talent who haven''t been discovered through ANW.


    Then again, it was also possible that it was just a fun idea to gain more perspective buyers and fans.


    As for Eldrian''s security measures against possible detection, they involved a few barriers. An anti-magic to catch any spells that might be in action. An unactivated light filtration to disrupt sight should things go wrong, and of course, Eldrian''s Mageia spread through the area. To detect if anything were to go wrong.


    Once his preparations were done, Eldrian gave Ilmadia the go-ahead. At the same time, he told the others they could also try if they wanted.


    Nikki jumped at the idea, as did Erik. Elizabeth didn''t. Sadly, her profession as a priest didn''t trante to a world were the gods were absent¡ªor even nonexistent.

 Chapter 1013 Tournament 3, The interview

    Chapter 1013 Tournament 3, The interview


    Naturally, their group had moved to the side of the road. Walking a short distance into the gardens, which Eldrian found extremely nostalgic. Memories of when he used toze around here, to clear his mind, found their way into his thoughts.


    Naturally, their group wasn''t the only yers from Phoenix here today. However, their group had arrived earlier due to the interview they were to participate in. Thanks to their early arrival, they had a few hours to kill. Spending those hours attempting to cast magic was probably more productive than simply enjoying the sights.


    Time flew by and quickly the time of the interview came around. Grunting with frustration, Ilmadia, Nikki, and Erik reluctantly gave up and the group set forth for the stadium. The three were deep in conversation about why they hadn''t managed to cast a single spell.


    Eldrian wanted to offer some advice. But, honestly, he wasn''t sure what they werecking. They had followed the right steps, but the mana hadn''t reacted.


    ''It has to be the mana density. They can''t gather enough mana with the Mageia they sent out to cast their spells. Or rather, the mana they gather quickly dissipates due to the low mana density. Resulting in nothing happening.''


    Such was Eldrian''s conclusion, but he wasn''t sure how to advise them on fixing this problem. Not without running the risk of their spell growing in size and being noticed.


    "And next up is the guild we''ve all been waiting for." Oier, the announcer, and the tournament master, shouted. "Guild Phoenix!"


    While not the first time for the group to enter the stadium, the changes since the first tournament certainly shocked them. For one, it had nearly doubled in size. And for another, holograms filled the area. Giving every seat a perfect view of the group as they walked over to the center of the stadium ''arena''.


    Honestly, the arena part was just for the show. No one would actually fight on it. But, thanks to holographic technology, the fights would be disyed perfectly. Though the guild category''s arenas were perhaps toorge in scale to fit in this stadium.


    "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me." Oier continued once the group took their seats. "I''ll get right into it. I just have to ask, what is the motivation for your guild?"


    Elizabeth was the one to answer most of the questions. And she did a magnificent job at it.


    To Eldrian, the innocent question Oier had posed was a loaded one. There was so much he could say. Elizabeth, however, bnced her answer expertly.


    "We simply love the ANW. As a guild, we''ve been together sinceunch, and it has been quite the experience. Over the years, we''ve grown close. Not just to each other, but also to the NPCs."


    "Our motivationes not just from our love for the game, but also because we want to improve the lives of the NPCs we''vee to love."


    "We fight each day with the hope to improve the situation of the kingdom we are situated in. This tournament, we hope, will allow us to grow even stronger and further our goals going forward.


    From there, the Q&A continued. Most of the questions pertained to the guild''s history, their past achievements, and so forth. Slowly, the questions shifted to the leading figures of the guild. Those present for this interview.


    For most of the interview, Eldrian had been ignoring everything that was being said. Instead, he had been searching for anything strange. Even going so far as to try and find out if Oier was using his bloodline powers.


    Eldrian wasn''t sure what Oier''s power was, but he knew it was somehow rted to Charms. Thus there were two aspects it could fall under. Divinity, or Chaos. The question was whether the charm effect worked biologically, and thus was part of Chaos, or directly on the soul, and thus part of Divinity.


    Luckily, Oier didn''t seem to be doing anything other than asking questions. And Eldrian was confident in this assessment of his. His training with Vivian had allowed him to massively improve his detection of other magics outside of those using mana.


    "And what of you, Eldrian?" Finally, the interview shifted over to Eldrian. A nudge from Erik helped Eldrian not miss his cue to participate in the interview.


    "I''m sorry. I''m not sure what you want me to say."


    "Oh, I guess that''s true. There is just so much we want to know." Oier smiled.


    "The biggest question is probably on why you''re so much stronger than the average yer. Even the yers who im to be elites can''te close to you." Oier said, looking over at the others as he said this. Hinting that Eldrian stood out even among his friends.


    "I still don''t know what to say," Eldrian replied. Wondering what Oier wanted from him. Per his agreement with Zaphreal, Eldrian was not to speak of magic being real. At least he wasn''t to stir the pot beyond what was required. Though that agreement might no longer be in effect.


    "As you know, I y as the High Elf race. Which meant I had to learn how to use magic right from day one. I didn''t have the system to help and guide me."


    "Many yers have been stumped at their Tier 5 advancement. But, honestly, the difficulty I had to surpass was far higher than theirs. After all, most yers who chose the same race as I have given up and remade their characters."


    "It took the others, those who stuck with it, three years to finally manage to cast the most basic of spells."


    "How were you able to use magic from so much earlier?" Oier questioned.


    "I guess you can say because I''m crazy," Eldrian replied with a smile. He had already shared the method he had used to first learn magic. However, no one had copied what he had done.


    Most simply didn''t get the opportunity to enter the control rooms of magic towers. And thus use a Magic Crystal to pull their mana into action. Those who did, balked at how painful doing so was.


    "I can''t really recall why I stuck with it. I must be crazy. It''s the only exnation I can think of." Eldrian paused. He wondered how Jen was doing with his parents. He had finally decided to inform them of what was going on. After all this time...


    "That experience allowed me to learn how to not only feel and guide my mana, but truly control it."


    "And how is that different from what yers are doing?" Oier pressed.


    "It''s likeparing digging a channel to let your mana flow¡ªor say using pipes to guide the flow of water. Versus directly controlling to flow as you wish."


    "My, that does sound amazing¡ª"


    "And I''ve shared all this information on the forums. So I''m not sure why you are asking these questions."


    "There are many people who''ve never stumbled upon your guides, threads, and suggestions. I simply wish to have everyone understand why you are able to stand out among the millions of yers."


    "Is that so?" Eldrian asked, inclining his head questioningly. "Have you exined my rtion to thepany? I do believe that also has arge part to y in my earlier growth."


    That counter seemed to catch Oierpletely off guard. He froze, his smile twitching. Naturally, Oier knew of the history between Eldrian and Miracle. And no matter what Eldrian was alluding to, it couldn''t be good for him and thepany.


    "Oh my, what on earth could you possibly mean by that?"


    Eldrian simply shrugged, leaning back in his chair and gazing at the stadium roof. "Oh, nothing much." And so, he managed to divert the questions from himself to Oier, who had so clearly tried to nce over Eldrian''s question.


    ''That should end this interview. I see no reason why I should be the only one answering difficult questions.'' Eldrian thought.


    If Miracle came out and exined that he used to be an employee, Eldrian wouldn''t care much. It was years ago. He wasn''t currently still employed. Hence, there was no reason why he couldn''t participate in the current tournament.


    His past participation could be brought into question, but that would again be on Miracle. Not him.


    After all, they had allowed it.


    And if more of their history came to light... That was why he and his friends had beenying the groundwork. They had done their best to ensure that Miracle wouldn''t be the only ones to dictate history.


    ''If I can learn how to nce into the past, as Ziraili said GAIA can IA can do, that would be nice. But it isn''t necessary. I don''t have nearly as much to hide as Miracle.''

 Chapter 1014 Tournament 3, the semi finals (1)

    Chapter 1014 Tournament 3, the semi finals (1)


    An awkward silence settled over the interview. But only for a short while. Oier soon regained hisposure and moved on. Deciding not to ask Eldrian any further questions.


    Once their interview was done, the group headed back to their hotel. The semi-finals were to be held tomorrow. So they had the rest of the day to do as they wished.


    Caving to Ilmadia and Erik''s pleading, Eldrian spent most of the day guiding them on using magic. Though not on Earth. Eldrian was too worried something might go awry.


    They all logged in via the avable cabins. Eldrian was slightly worried about Miracle''s spying. However, he couldn''t feel anything strange. Which, given his newly improved sensitivity to mana and lifeforce, meant something significant.


    Thus, he concluded that they were at least mostly safe. Besides, the training he had nned for the duo wasn''t anything oundish.


    Eldrian simply had them try and cast spells within an anti-magic barrier. One he controlled to thin the mana density within and also resist attempts at forming spells.


    This mimicked what happened on Earth. True, there was more mana now. But it was still a fifth of the normal mana density found on Gaia.


    On top of that, Earth''s mana was stagnant inparison to the mana of ANW. To get it to move, one needed to first give the mana some inertia. Or fight its ''static-state'' friction.


    This wasn''t entirely the same as the training they were doing. But the results would help them just the same. This would also make them better mages as a whole.


    Naturally, this wasn''t the first time they had to cast magic within a barrier. Their enhanced stats within the game also allowed them to quickly increase their sess rate. To which Eldrian increased his interference.


    Once they reached a level where they simply couldn''t ovee Eldrian''s interference, they started facing off against one another. One casting and the other attempting to stop them.


    This continued for most of the day, and during that time Eldrian''s thoughts wandered all over the ce. His talks with Ziraili. What Miracle was up to? How splintered was thepany? What would happen to Earth with the increased mana density? And so forth...


    When night came, everyone got an early rest. Except for Eldrian. Who continued to ponder.


    ¡ª


    "Alright, let''s do this!" Elizabeth''s battle cry evoked a resounding war cry from the rest.


    Like most of their battles, they nned to fight this one without Eldrian. The reason for this was simple. The guild they were facing, Midnight Tea, was of simr strength to them.


    This guild was sponsored, but their sponsors weren''t as excessive as the other two guilds. Sure, they had plenty of gear, but not everyone one of the one hundred yers was equipped with full Tier 5 sets.


    This meant that Phoenix stood a chance.


    Their wish to fight without Eldrian, at least at the start, might be attributed to their pride as a guild.


    After yesterday''s interview, there was plenty of discussion about their guild having an unfair advantage. Of course, there was plenty of bacsh stating that any guild with a sponsor had just asrge an advantage.


    This, however, only held true if Eldrian didn''t decimate the opposing guild. Naturally, Phoenix wanted to prove that they deserved to be in the semi-finals.


    With their morale at max, the guild set out. Like all the maps before, the two guild castles were separated by a forest. Unlike the other maps, however, the distance between castles had been doubled. Since the distance had doubled for the top 16 already, this made the distance now four times what it had been in the preliminaries.


    This meant there was now a muchrger open field surrounding the castles. Large enough for a third of it to be outside the range of cannons.


    This totally changed the strategies that could be used.


    To amodate for this change, and the extra time it took to reach the opposing team''s side of the map, guilds had to n things out far more carefully.


    A group bing separated and focused was an all too real possibility. And with the increased size of the arena, help might not arrive in time.


    ¡ª


    From the viewer''s POV, slightly over 200 angles could be chosen. One could choose to follow a specific yer''s POV in a manner simr to streams, or you could follow an overview angle.


    Currently, the focus overview angle was showing a group of yers sneaking through the forest. All of the yers were covered in shadows, moving low. Not a sound escaped as they walked.


    They employed several spells and skills to achieve this. And their group was slowly sneaking up on an unexpected group.


    The yers in front, a total of five, raised their hands. Signaling for the rest to stop. They then summoned their bows from their inventory. Small,pact weapons. A mix of science and fantasy. The bows looked weird, to say the least. But they were powerful, betraying their small nature.


    Taking aim, the five raised their bows and pulled back on the strings. And, as one, they released.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Three arrows deflected from their targets'' armor. While two others went down.


    "Ambush!" Nikki shouted, rushing to the direction the arrows hade from. Blocking one and cutting another in half mid-flight. Sadly, another teammate went down.


    "Shields to the front!" She shouted, quickly casting a barrier. Cursing as she felt the amount of mana each deflected arrow cost her. Realizing her barrier wouldn''tst long, she canceled it and instead cast a wind barrier.


    This method allowed her to use a set amount of mana over time, instead of losing mana depending on the strength of the attacks. However, it also meant that the arrows weren''t being deflected, simply redirected.


    She had aimed the wind barrier down, and it worked wonderfully against the next volley. However, their attackers quickly noted the drop and aimed higher. Even going so far as to try and arc their arrows over the frontline to hit the healers and mages behind.


    Noticing that her spell would be used against them, Nikki changed its direction. About the most she could do in regard to controlling her spells. This change caused the next volley to fly far past their group.


    ''Now they should aim straight, low, and above.'' Nikki thought. Knowing that it was also possible they aimed slightly to the sides. Spreading their attacks so at least one would make it to them.


    As a result, she again changed the flow direction of her wind barrier. Turning it more into a gust of wind passing past them and into the direction of their attackers. Slowing the next volley and allowing the now-prepared yers to easily deal with them.


    Meanwhile, a small group had formed to go on the offensive. But Nikki quickly called them back. They didn''t know how many they were facing. It might be only five, or it might be twenty. If they rushed in, they could all be killed.


    "Stay calm! We''ll focus on defense." Nikki shouted, letting the mages take over the duty of deflecting the arrows as she moved to analyze this attack.


    ''It''s likely their Midnight Guards team.'' This so-called team specialized in assassination and ambushes. A team of skilled mages, rogues, and archers. All of whom were multi-ssed.


    ''Their normal tactic is...

 Chapter 1015 Tournament 3, the semi finals (2)

    Chapter 1015 Tournament 3, the semi finals (2)


    "Erik!" Nikki shouted, receiving a quick reply.


    "I know." He said, focusing on his spells. While Nikki had moved to defend the group, Erik had healed the yers in the worst condition and then started takingmand of the surrounding nts.


    He was no where near the level of Akarui, or the Alicorns. However, Erik was more than able tomand nts.


    Matching his senses with the surrounding flora, Erik quickly honed in on where the arrows wereing from. As expected, there were five. Shooting from the cover of darkness. Their skills creating funnels of wind for the arrows to fly through the forest without being knocked off course.


    And, there used to be more there. The other enemies had already moved, but it didn''t take Erik long to find them.


    ''Seems they are staying true to their tactic.'' Erik noted. The group always moved in squads of five, normally a total of fifteen or twenty yers.


    ''Next, they should be moving to reposition. Leaving behind shadows.'' And indeed, they did. These arrows were capable of shooting illusionary arrows. A veryplex spell was needed for this. Most likely, each squad had a special item to support their attacks.


    ''These arrows can''t be ignored.'' While they weren''t real¡ªunlike the arrows formed by the Elemental Quiver. The arrows still dealt damage. Albeit a fraction of what any real arrow would deal.


    Yet, that meant they remained a threat. Thus, once the group had left, Erik quickly destroyed all the shadows.


    At the same time, he had found the other two squads. A fourth he could not find. Though he couldn''t guarantee there wasn''t one.


    "Nikki, I''ve got them."


    "Alright, move out!" Nikki bellowed at the top of her voice.


    The yers under hermand moving quickly. While they had the number advantage, their group wasn''t in a good position for directbat. After all, they normally acted as reinforcements for the others. Which was precisely why they had been targeted by the Midnight Strike Force.


    To prevent themselves from being taken out by the more elite yers, their group of 22 split into two groups. Nikki led one and Erik the other. They focused on the Midnight yers who had just settled into their position.


    Nikki''s group used a spell of mirage type, hiding their advance. Though since none of the yers specialized in optical illusions, the spells could easily be seen through.


    That, however, didn''t matter. It only needed to buy them a few seconds.


    Erik''s group, in contrast, didn''t need to waste any mana on illusions. Erik instead started attacking their target with nts and distant wind magic. At this range, his spells weren''t urate, but they caused more than enough chaos for the group to reach their targets and overwhelm them with numbers.


    By the time the other squads of the Midnight Strike Force realized what was going on, Erik''s group had finished their task and were now tailing the other squad. Nikki''s group was in a slightly more fierce fight.


    ¡ª


    "As expected," Therdul mumbled, looking at the messages and battle logs. They had purposefully left Nikki''s group further behind. Luring the enemy to attack what was supposed to be the weakest group within Phoenix.


    Erik, however, had been their hidden card. In all their matches before this one, he had only ever focused on healing. Never revealing his offensive strength.


    This wasn''t a purely strategic n. Erik truly didn''t enjoy fighting. While he hade to ept that sometimes he had to, he preferred healing and alchemy abovebat. He was also far more specialized in those areas.


    Still, that didn''t mean he was weak. He had gotten a hidden ss, after all. Just that achievement alone ced him in the top echelons of yers. His personal tutge under the Alicorns allowed him to progress far faster than any other yer. Eldrian excluded.


    "Luckily, they don''t have any barrier devices," Zyviss murmured. Letting his arrow fly, his target dodging it with the bare minimum required movement.


    "True, but they might have some other trump card. We can''t let our guard down." Ilmadia said. Busy charging a mana crystal for a Nova. Which they nned to add to a runic-enforced ballista bolt.


    Most important, though, was the mana crystal she was using as arge one. With it containing over 100k MP, it should kill an entire section of defending yers in its explosion.


    The castle walls, however... would likely survive. Whatever material they were made of, it was beyond yers to destroy. At least that was the current consensus. after all, not even a focused volley of cannon fire could breach the walls.


    "Don''t talk." Judith snapped, watching the crystal in Ilmadia''s hands with fear.


    Due to the rarity and expensiveness (over 1000 gold) ofrge mana crystals, they hadn''t been able to practice this attack. Worse, Ilmadia had only used small crystals before.


    True, they had let her practice with three medium crystals (100 gold for one medium crystal) for today. Butparing 12k MP to over 100k just wasn''t fair.


    If Ilmadia lost her focus, everyone was nearby. Heck, everyone in several hundred meters, perhaps even kilometers, would die.


    Thanks to Judith''s worries, the rest decided to hold their silence while Ilmadia worked. However, soon they had to move to protect her and their siege equipment. Naturally, the Midnight Tea guild wasn''t going to wait for them to prepare.


    Their attack was certainly vicious, but with almost 60 yers focused here, it wasn''t really possible for Midnight Tea to defeat them while having sent their elite strike force at Nikki''s group.


    Still, they didn''t need to defeat Phoenix here. They simply needed to cause Ilmadia''s enchantment to fail. Though they only realized this when she was nearly done.


    "Get her!" One of their elite yers shouted, sending a weaker Phoenix member flying. Only to end up flying himself thanks to Judith''s swift charge.


    However, that shout had alerted the others. And some quick-witted yers quickly shouted, "Send AOE spells."


    "Any attack would do!"


    "Disrupt her casting!"


    They had seen enough videos of Phoenix''s battle strategies to be well aware of the famous Nova spell. And given the size of the crystal she was using, they shuddered.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, the chat was going crazy. The fact that Phoenix was using arge mana crystal was just insane.


    yers hade to expect this of the sponsored guilds. But Phoenix was independent.


    Debates quickly started. Some argued it must be because of Eldrian. While others said that the guild had plenty of achievements and massive ies thanks to their forts and all the guild quests they received.


    The debate quickly took over the conversation but died when Ilmadia was injured.


    Luckily, at that second Nikki appeared just in range. Riding on a vine above the trees. Erik behind her. Pale. He was just about out of mana. Had Elizabeth not told them of the urgency of the situation, they would never have rushed like this.


    Nikki immediately summoned the Dome of Protection around Ilmadia. Preventing the following attacks from doing any damage. However, they quickly drained her mana. After all, she had even less than Erik. And she had already used a significant portion while fighting Midnight''s strike force.

 Chapter 1016 Tournament 3, the semi finals (3)

    Chapter 1016 Tournament 3, the semi finals (3)


    Nikki was still in shock at the method Erik had used to get them here. Thest spell was a gentle one. Riding upon a vine, they had arrived from above, allowing her to take in the situation at a nce and react. But before that...


    ''He simply threw us into the air!''


    Erik hadn''t yet mastered flight. Thus, to cover the distance they needed to, he had used the trees like slingshots. Sending them flying, only to catch them with an air cushion and some leaves.


    The experience, had, to be blunt, been beyond terrifying for Nikki. Erik himself had also nearly messed up more than once. After all, he had never tried this maneuver before. They could easily have died more than ten times.


    Those had certainly made Nikki drench herself in sweat. The ground hade too close, too fast, too many times to count.


    ''They made it!'' Ilmadia cheered, ignorant of the troubles they had gone through. To her, all that mattered was that thest attack had been too close forfort. And the follow-up volley would have certainly killed her if not for Nikki''s barriers.


    It wouldn''tst long. But it didn''t need to. It had done its job already.


    In Midnight Tea''s desperation, they had all but given up on surviving the encounter. They had given their all to take Ilmadia out before she could finish her preparation.


    This allowed them to break through all of Phoenix''s defenses and send their attacks at Ilmadia¡ªbut at the cost of leaving themselves defenseless. Already, half of the Midnight Tea''s yers involved in this battle were dead.


    And, to the despair of their surviving members, Ilmadia didn''t die. She stood entirely unharmed, still preparing her spells. Or so they thought. At the precise moment, their attacks failed, she stored the crystal away. And sent a ravishing smile their way, along with half a dozen spells.


    Stunned by her actions, Midnight Tea''s yers failed to react in time. They ate her spells directly and were killed on the spot. From there, the difference in numbers quickly led to the other Midnight Tea''s yers dying.


    In the aftermath, Phoenix retreated. They had no reason to assault Midnight Tea''s castle. It would only lead to more losses. Either in yer deaths, or in expendables being used. Such as therge mana crystal.


    That crystal was worth over a thousand gold. Using it when they could win by simply going on the defensive would be foolish.


    Their retreat was met with confusion by both their opponent, who had now less than half their yers remaining, and the viewers.


    Midnight Tea soon realized Phoenix''s n. Some yers rushed to prevent their retreating, only to fall because they had no backup. Others froze, unable to act since they couldn''t foresee a way to reim their chance at victory.


    The viewers, on the other hand, were pissed at not having a climactic battle ending. They had all been so, so, so curious about what Ilmadia was doing. On howrge the explosion would be.


    To not have anything. To be denied that.


    They were pissed.


    They cared not for the logic. There were the finals after this, Phoenix couldn''t be spending all their resources in this match. Still! Still! They wanted to see what would have happened.


    They ached to see that explosion. And if... if it could damage the reputable invincible castles.


    ¡ª


    "That went smoother than expected," Eldrianmented when his friends returned to their home base. He wasn''t fully aware of the situation, but he knew a general outline of what had happened.


    Their ns had gone off without a hitch. In the end, they hadn''t even needed Ilmadia to actually cast the Super Nova spell. Which saved them over a thousand gold. At the vexation of all the viewers.


    Giggling, Ilmadia noted that most yers probably didn''t realize that it was possible to cancel a Nova spell.


    "True, though not everyone can do that," Eldrian replied. He could probably cancel the spell even after destabilizing the crystal. His control was at a level where he could restabilize the crystal.


    Ilmadia wasn''t quite capable of that. She could, however, leave that step tost.


    With smaller crystals, there wasn''t much prep, but with arge one, she had to make sure it didn''t go off too soon. That would wipe out everyone around her, after all.


    Temporary runes also didn''t persist in a yer''s inventory, so she couldn''t prep any crystals beforehand.


    They could, of course, apply real runes. But runes and crystals didn''t really mix. They worked well for the Nova spells, but only because instability was the requirement. They wouldn''t ''store'' well on crystals. A few idental explosions would be the result of any such attempts.


    Applying inscriptions and activating an actual spell, instead of setting a crystal off, would be far more economical. However, spells just didn''t have the same output as a crystal destabilizing and exploding. At least no one in the guild knew of a spell that could do the same thing.


    Eldrian, at Tier 6, having looked at Tier 7 spells, could at best craft something consuming around 1000 MP. If it was something that remained active, it could drain perhaps half that over its activation time.


    Perhaps if he spent more time looking into crafting-rted skills he would be able to draw more power through a craft. But his focus was currently elsewhere.


    Needless to say, even a small crystal, and thus a normal Nova, had over 3000 MP behind it. The inefficiency in mana being guideless was ovee by the sheer quantity being released in one instant.


    "Seems they came to us," Eldrian noted after a while of discussing the battle. He had just sensed all of the remaining Midnight Tea yers.


    Normally, his ''sensing'' abilities¡ªwith Mageia¡ªwere limited to a few hundred meters. But for the match, Eldrian had set up a barrier at the forest edge. About two hundred meters before the ins around the castle. This was to give himself enough time to react if something unexpected happened.


    Sustaining such a massive barrier, covering several kilometers, wasn''t easy. Which was why he had been meditating the entire time. Of course, meditation no longer required all his focus. So he had also been pondering some theories and also following the battle logs and messages to pass the time.


    "All of them?" Elizabeth asked for confirmation, which Eldrian gave with a nod. "Alright, time to show them our real specialty!" She announced, and the yers cheered.


    While several had died in the fighting, their guild still had eighty yers remaining. Compared to the forty-threeing to siege their castle, this fight should be simple.


    "All mages outside, get inside!" Zyviss shouted, the quickest to the top of the walls. At his shout, the mages who had been preparing a literal minefield quickly got moving. Meanwhile, the guild''s archers took up their posts. Though only those with the best skill and best bows.


    Judith, meanwhile, gathered all the yers able to keep up with her and took up a waiting position at the gate.


    As soon as the first yer entered the range of the archers, arrows were loosed. Not all met their mark, but Zyviss''s certainly caused havoc for their opponents. Each arrow brought a different element to bear. All with deadly effects.


    Worst, after weathering the arrow fire, they were suddenly met with explosions from the ground. Bodies were sent flying, activating more explosions. Which caused what little discipline the Midnight guild had remaining, to crumble.


    Spells followed after. Just barely in reach, they should have been easy to block. Or, in the worst case, activate via counter spells or attacks before reaching their intended target.


    Sadly, the yers on the receiving side of Phoenix''s attacks couldn''t even do that.


    And, following all this, Judith and her group rushed from the gates. Weaving between mines with expert movements, they didn''t set off even a single trap.


    They shed with the remaining yers amid arrow fire, erupting spells, and exploding mines. All with perfect confidence. They even used the mines to send troublesome opponents to their demise.


    Seeing this disy, where all forty yers were killed in mere seconds, left everyone stunned.


    Even the announcers didn''t know what to make of this. Had Eldrian moved, they could have epted this. But he hadn''t. Only around twenty members of Phoenix had actually gone on the offensive.


    Ten archers, five mages, and five warriors.


    That was all it took to defeat a group of elite yers numbering forty.


    The one question on everyone''s mind, as the reality of what just happened settled in was simple: Why hadn''t they been doing this from the start?


    Never, not once, had Phoenix relied on their castle to im victory. They had always gone on the offensive. So much so, that everyone had forgotten that their true expertise was in defensive battles.


    Or, in fact, that they could

 Chapter 1017 Tournament 3, Party before the Finals

    Chapter 1017 Tournament 3, Party before the Finals


    ''Of course, there''s an interview after the match.'' Eldrian thought, following their guides back to the fancy coliseum. As they walked towards the couches set up in the center, highlights from their match against Midnight Tea were being disyed on the surrounding holograms.


    The majority of those highlights were on the failed ambush, thest-second arrival of Nikki saving Ilmadia, and then the defensive siege. Basically, all the cards Phoenix had been hiding up until now were clearly being disyed.


    All their cards except for Eldrian. But he wasn''t hidden, just unused.


    From the opposite side of the coliseum, Midnight Tea''s leaders were heading to the interview couches too. Their side looked far more somber, but that was only natural. They had lost.


    They weren''t yet kicked to fourth or third ce; they would have to face the loser of the second semi-finalster today. Whether this was a small mercy or cruelty was hard to say. Their own efforts would determine their ultimate ranking, but their efforts might becking.


    As for the interview itself, it was quite a normal one. Oier asked both sides about their opinion of the match. What they felt theycked, what they were going to improve for their matches, and so forth.


    He also asked Midnight Tea if they were going to participate in the next tournament, and hinted at the fact that tournaments would be held multiple times a year going forward. With regions qaurterly, and a world cup type situation once a year.


    Once the interview was settled, both guilds went back to their rooms. Meanwhile, Oier directed the viewers to the highlights and smoothly transitioned over to some sponsors and stuff. When the time came, he transitioned back to the second andst semi-finals.


    ¡ª


    Back in their rooms, everyone quickly hopped online. They had a small party nned now that they had secured second ce. And with Eldrian in their pocket, first felt secure in hand.


    Still... they held their party online so as to minimize the effects it would have on their match. Honestly, it was preemptive. But one had to celebrate, and those in the know expected it wasn''t going to be possible to let loose after the finals.


    They just felt like something was brewing.


    Most importantly, Eldrian, for once, didn''t separate himself from the rest. He joined them in merrymaking, and soon even the NPCs joined in on the fun. Whilete, they too had something to celebrate. After all, the first ''Highway" between Phallos and Taurus had been constructed. With the second and third nearlypleted too.


    With that, trade would soon flow from the empire into the kingdom, along with military support. Though the festivities did remain limited to Eldrian''s mansion, and the forts where Phoenix''s members were stationed.


    Watching over everyone, Diane (Vivian''s Mom), thought fondly of thest few weeks. When Eldrian had gotten news of the fact that she wanted toe visit, and Vivian finally settled her emotions, he had gone ahead and fetched her.


    Ignoring all the troubles that had troubled Diane and Vivian, Eldrian hadn''t even needed to call Ceph for a ride. He still had Aggostead listed as one of his teleportation points. After hopping over via the yer-specific teleportation method (via temples), he teleported Diane and himself back to Kynigo via the ring of Avyssos.


    Quick and simple. Honestly, he felt terrible for having waited so long to bring her over. The reunion had massively improved Vivian''s mood. And as a result, her control of her powers have grown.


    This made Eldrian realize that he needed to talk with his own parents. It was something he had been putting off, and it was quite likely dragging him down as a result. He just felt so guilty for leaving them in the dark for so long.


    s, the danger was still present. If not worse than before. He couldn''t ignore that. He had to man up ande clean, as hard as it was going to be.


    These thoughts, naturally, made drinking far easier. It helped to drown one''s worries in alcohol. Certainly not healthy, but it helped¡ªmomentarily.


    Midway through their party, all the yers separated themselves to watch their opponents batte. But as they had expected, it was quite one-sided.


    Not only was the first-seeded guild filled with skilled yers, with almost all 100 participating in the tournament being dual-ssed Tier 5''s, they also had the gear to fit their skill level.


    That was only to be expected from a guild that wasn''t being sponsored by a merepany, but an entire country. And, in reflection on that, their registered team name was that of their home country. Nihon (Japan).


    Of course, not all the yers in the guild were in fact Japanese. Due to the rtive time zones, it was ideal to have some variety in the yer base. Still, the guild was packed with motivated gamers who were willing to make their lives all about ANW.


    Their skill was the real deal, and their gear far outssed Phoenix''s. Several of their yers wielded Tier 6 items, and their key yers even had ess to some Tier 7 pieces. Far more than the ming Hearts of Phoenix. However, Nihon didn''t appear to have any Tier 8 or higher magical items.


    When the match ended, the leaders of Phoenix quickly got together for a strategy meeting.


    "Eldrian, what you think?" Judith asked, red-faced and slurring her speech.


    "Not bad." He replied, having detoxed his system for the meeting and the match. He had offered to do the same for the others, but only Erik, Nikki, and Elizabeth had taken him up on it.


    "Do you think you''ll manage against them?" Nikki asked. Honestly, she didn''t think their guild stood a chance if they went on the offensive. If they turtled up, however, they could still win¡ªshe and the other believed.


    In reverse of the earlier matches, in the final, it was on the highest seed to take the initiative. If both sides remained at their bases and no one died, then the lower seed (aka, Phoenix) would win.


    This meant they didn''t need to go on the offensive. They could lean into their strength for the uing match. And, if all went well, they might even manage to im victory without Eldrian''s aid.


    Still, they wanted to know if he thought he could secure victory. It was simply a matter of having peace of mind. If he said no now, they would end the party and get to nning and training.


    But Eldrian didn''t say no. "Yeah, shouldn''t be a problem. I might need to go a little harder than usual, but I doubt I''d die unless they catch mepletely off guard."


    He wasn''t being boastful either, everyone knew just how strong he was after witnessing his battle against the Death Knight in the Epic-Ranked dungeon. They had just wanted to hear him say it.


    "Great! Back to drinking!" Therdul shouted, earning a hoorah from the rest of the yers.


    ''Huh, why did we hold the party in my mansion again?'' Eldrian wondered, seeing the concerned look of his retainers and maids as they ran after drunk yers. Trying to keep them from destroying the ce. ''Eh, whatever.''


    Deciding to not overthink things, as he normally did, Eldrian downed a couple of drinks to get back into the party.


    The next day, they all woke with headaches. Most of the past night was a blur.

 Chapter 1018 Tournament 3, The experiments

    Chapter 1018 Tournament 3, The experiments


    While Eldrian and friends were having a good old time, Constantin was down in thebs, continuing the grind.


    Ever since he had seeded in casting magic on Earth, he had be the focus of further research. Honestly, Constantin himself was unsure what to make of it all. Arge part of him didn''t want to be theb rat, but another part was simply d he wasn''t being treated as badly as Eldrian had been treated in the end.


    Sure, Eldrian had been given time to do as he wished¡ªfor a while. Thepany, and especially those higher up, hadn''te for him right when he first seeded in casting magic on Earth. Naturally, Eldrian had also hidden this fact for a while.


    However, once he had somehow managed to pull mana from ANW to Earth, that had changed everything. It was such a massive breakthrough that forceful measures had been taken. And everything had gone to hell.


    Constantin wasn''t being treated like that. Some part of the reason was that his usage of magic was still undeveloped. Sure, he could reach out, sense, and guide mana. But his spells were still basic.


    Still, having someone capable of casting magic was a massive win. After all, while those who made up the top brass in thepany all had ess to ''magic'', theirs was not magic asmonly known.


    Magic limited to one field, to one power, to one effect. While powerful and amazing, wascking. Or so those who had this wonderful gift felt. Ignoring the fact that having such a special ability was a gift in itself.


    Constantin, thus, was most certainly a win for thepany. Especially for Zaphreal, who was the leader of the ''conservative'' group within Miracle, which Constantin was part of. Or rather, had been grouped under due to Zaphreal iming most, if not all, of the ANW department and rtive personnel under his own faction.


    This group was aiming for controble increases of mana, which, while still carrying some dangers, was less likely to go from one to a million. The others, the ''idealists'', or as they call themselves ''dreamers'', were going for developments meant to start at, at least, one hundred. And, in all likelihood, it was going to go from one hundred to a billion.


    Now, as for what Constantin was doing. His current job was rather simple. To guide mana into metals and crystals of all kinds. And while he did that, the researchers were observing the metals through various versions of mana detection devices.


    Their current aim was to prove that mana somehow altered material properties. This was a known fact, after all. Mithril was magically evolved silver. It was far stronger, yet¡ªto their knowledge


    ¡ªit was still silver. Chemically, or rather, atomically.


    The question then, naturally, was what mana did to the metal to take it from silver, to Celestial Silver, to Mithril.


    Today marked the end of an entire week of this same experiment. At the moment, progress was slow. Or rather, nothing of importance had happened. And this was for two reasons:


    Reason one: Constantin didn''t know how to evolve metals. He knew of the theory, and he had enchanted some things before with the system''s help. But even that was difficult without the system''s help. Crucially, however, enchanting and evolving were not the same thing.


    In fact, themonly epted knowledge was that the artificial evolution of magic materials was impossible.


    Reason two: Constantin was quick to be mentally fatigued. Guiding mana wasn''t a task free of energy expenditure. Sure, Eldrian always did it like it was second nature, like it was as simple as moving a finger. But it wasn''t. It took effort. And a massive amount of it.


    These two reasons both reduced the chances of Constantin seeding in changing the properties of the material he was trying to evolve¡ªthough really he was just trying to enchant it¡ª, while also limiting the number of times he could do it.


    "What about that thing?" Constantin asked, pointing towards the mana ''ma'' while fighting for his consciousness.


    Magic fatigue was something most yers had long since moved past¡ªdue to their avatars'' stat increases. For him, with his normal human body... it was torturous.


    However, it wasn''t as bad as when they had first started this experiment. He was getting better at guiding and controlling mana. And he was bing morefortable with the entire process. In other words, it was taking him less and less mental effort to execute some magical phenomena.


    "Why can''t we just make more of them? Do we even know how it collects mana?" Naturally, the researchers taking part in these experiments¡ªor rather, anyone who knew of thebs¡ª were more informed than most Miracle employees. Most devs still didn''t know that magic was real. Joren was the one and only exception.


    "You know we don''t." Replied one of the researchers. A middle-aged man seeking some sort of acim in this research. Desperate to prove his ''genius''.


    While Zaphreal tried to limit those who participated in the experiments to trustworthy individuals, that didn''t mean they were allpletely sane. You had to be a little insane to believe in magic. And to make it your life goal required an extra sprinkle of insanity, along with a good helping of ''drive''.


    "I do," Constantin admitted. "But why not? Shouldn''t we be putting all our effort into examining it?"


    Honestly, Constantin would much rather be practicing magic in ANW. If they gave him a few months, he would be able to master more than just a few basic spells. He might even learn how to create magic metals.


    Though, honestly, that wasn''t something ''normally'' possible. Magic metals, in fact, all magic materials, onlye into existence over time. To rush it, to make it. That wasn''t really something possible.


    Well, not normally. Eldrian''s spell, Creation, could do it. Though he had yet to realize the full potential of this spell of his.


    "We''ve tried. You''ve tried, too."


    He sure had. Constantin sighed, recalling his best efforts at making sense of the mana ''ma''. Since he could now sense mana, he had thought he might be able to sense, or feel, something in the thing.


    that it wasn''t a type of mana crystal, Mov Crystal, or Magic Crystal. In fact, that little fact ruled out most known magical materials. After He had not.


    Sure, he could feel that mana was denser around it. That, somehow, mana was gathering towards it. But the thing itself had seemed to be devoid of mana.


    As useless as that piece of information might seem, it did confirm that it wasn''t a type of mana crystal, Mov Crystal, or Magic Crystal. In fact, that little fact ruled out most known magical materials. After all, the defining factor for something to be called a magical material was that it contained mana.


    "If you really want to know, you should go ask Julius. He was the one who figured out the final piece of the puzzle." Qiren said. "Now, back to work. We won''t find sess if we don''t try."


    It was strange how that ''mad scientist'' had just burst into theirb one day, saying he had found it. What he had found, they still didn''t know. Heck, they hadn''t even known him.


    However, when they had tried to stop him, Zaphreal had told them to let him do what he wanted. And like that, the world''s first mana ''ma'' had been born. With everything in the dark but Zaphreal and his mad scientist buddy.

 Chapter 1019 Tournament 3, This years tournament becomes a World Cup

    Chapter 1019 Tournament 3, This year''s tournament bes a World Cup


    Ignorant of the developments happening in the shadows, the world excitedly tuned in for the ANW tournament finals. Those with ess to the game, aka headsets or cabins, used them to log into a virtual stadium. Honestly, this method gave viewers the best view possible.


    Still, even if it was better than being at the actual stadium, being where the action was happening just left a differentsting experience. Not to mention all the neat functions thepany had brought out. ying around and casting magic IRL had certainly been fun for everyone who had made the trip.


    "Let''s give a big wee to the two guilds who have shown themselves truly capable of vying for the first-ever ANW Guilds World Cup!"


    Due to the nature of the tournament, being split into three categories, there were three ''World Cups''. Another new addition to this year''s tournament. And what would officially establish it as the first World Cup.


    The other categories had already been finished and their world champions crowned. The final was the match between Japan''s national team, Nihon, and Phoenix, an independent team.


    Excitement was high, and while many believed Phoenix would win in the end, one could never be sure. Especially not when one guild carried the pride of their homnd and the other had no such weighty expectations.


    The announcer continued to talk,ying the field for the battle toe. Most viewers were already well aware, but some information was new to everyone. Then came a massive bomb.


    "With all that said, I would like to change the subject for a minute." The announcer, standing in the center of the arena¡ªwith holograms illustrating his earlier talks¡ªsmiled at the crowd.


    "Last year, Eldrian surprised us with an unexpected visit in the finals. At the time, we had tried to downy the event. But the truth is he had managed to find where the tournaments are being held."


    "Indeed, the tournaments aren''t happening on some different server. He didn''t hack his way into the match. He found his own way within the game."


    "I know many of you have already suspected this. Naturally, you might ask where the arenas for the tournaments are." The announcer paused. "Well, Gaia is simply too massive. It''s a world several hundred times the size of Earth. Honestly, it doesn''t make much sense that such a world can even exist."


    That got a bunch of nods from the viewers. They had simply thought that the ''maps'' were somehow sectioned off on servers or something.


    "The truth is, the entire world is being simted at all times." That didn''t quite make things clear to all the viewers. "What I am trying to say, is this world, several hundred times the size of Earth, is always active."


    "You probably already know this. The NPCs can''t be as realistic as they are if they were constantly ced into an inactive state to saveputational power."


    "Without getting into specifics..." The announcer started, now beginning the doctored story he was about to tell the world. "We simply don''t have the servers to fill the entire world. Honestly, we have questioned the development team several times on why they had made such a massive world."


    "Well, we never managed to get a clear answer. But we now had a problem. We couldn''t manage the entirety of Gaia. Not without losing the burden, somehow. The easiest method is, sadly, conflict. And limited the inhabitablend."


    "That''s right! The source of the Invasions is our attempts at keeping the game active at all times!"


    It wasn''t a perfect answer to the questions yers had been asking, but it exined some of their questions. Sure, it gave them a slew of new ones. But, for now, yers who had searched for a reason behind Miracle''s apparent cruelty, were happy.


    The NPCs were too realistic. Miracle''s stance had always felt extremely cruel. Inducing wars that could even lead to genocide, without flinching. Never backing down. Always saying it was just how it needed to be.


    If this was the truth behind it, the yers could ept it. Sure, it made them question why thepany would ever make a worldrger than their servers could support. But given all the crazy things going on behind the scenes, maybe it was in someway necessary. Or so many yers thought.


    "Clever, isn''t it?" Erik asked. He and the others were watching from in their ''waiting room''. A virtual space simr to personal homes.


    "Not really. But I can see what they''re aiming for." Nikki replied. "They''ve gone too far in a lot of ways. And this is setting the stage for future reveals. Really, it doesn''t mean anything. But it satisfies some questions yers have been asking more and more off."


    "Still doesn''t touch on the subject of magic." Ilmadia countered, and as if on cue, the announcer looped back to Eldrian.


    "What does this have to do with Eldrian''s surprise visit inst year''s finals?" He asked, giving a few seconds for everyone''s attention to return.


    "The answer is rather simple. While we reduced the amount of enhancednd, the othernd still exists. Maybe we can put it into an inactive state. But who knows what would happen if we handled it incorrectly. We don''t want to risk the realism of ANW slipping. Not for any reason. The consequences could be dire..."


    "Since we already had thend, our solution for the tournaments was to simply ce their arenas in thesends. They are uninhabited, after all."


    Not wishing to make his speech too long, the announcer exined that Eldrian had simply found a secret method of getting to thesends. Making it sound like a hidden quest or something.


    Naturally, this got the yers hyped. As for Eldrian, he couldn''te out and say he had had the help of the AI¡ªwho was responsible for both creating and maintaining ANW.


    The AI, ording to the public, was simply an advanced help system. Not actual sentient beings. Heck, while most yers thought of NPCs as ''real'', they wouldn''t, couldn''t, see them as the same as other people.


    They were realistic, and real in all sense of the word. Yet, they weren''t really humans. They were still NPCs.


    asked, pausing for dramatic effect.


    "Will it be Phoenix? A guild who has, for years, shown their It was an ugly can of worms that most yers didn''t want to deal with. As long as things didn''t go too far when in their sights, they could turn a blind eye.


    "Now. With all that said, I think we should get back to the match. It is sure to be an existing one. Who wille out the winner?" He asked, pausing for dramatic effect.


    "Will it be Phoenix? A guild who has, for years, shown their strength. Who had imed the first clear of many high-ranked quests, and also the first clear of an Epic-Ranked Dungeon."


    "A guild which has a im on not one, not two, but three forts. One for which they were given governmental rights by the kingdom. A second which one of their members has imed rights due to their nobility ranking. And a third, which they have built themselves from the ground up."


    "Or..." He paused again. "... Will it be Nihon, representing their homnd? Fighting for their pride and honor, wishing to establish themselves as the first country toy im on the ANW World Cup!"

 Chapter 1020 Tournament 3, The Commentating Duo

    Chapter 1020 Tournament 3, The Commentating Duo


    "Let us turn our attention towards the battle, our teams have just spawned in!" A rather high-pitched voice announced. Far from the deep manly voice of the previous, and usual, announcer andmentator. This sudden change threw more than a few viewers off-center.


    "Indeed they have," said the voice they were used to. A voice that gave listeners a calm inside their hearts. "With a map this scale, we can expect some time to pass beforebatmences. Hopefully, we will also see some interesting tacticse forth."


    "We certainly will!" The feminine voice dered, full of energy. Viewers could almost imagine her swinging her fist as she dered. "Look! Phoenix is already hard at work covering the area around their castle in runic mines!"


    "Indeed, and we''ve seen how effective they can be. But I have to ask, can''t these mines be used against them?"


    "Of course not."


    "How can you be so sure."


    "Duh, I''m friends with Eldrian. And while he refused to exin how they worked, he did tell me that the ones creating the mines can dispel them at will." Thismenter sounded far too proud of this nugget of information she had over others.


    "Really?"


    "Indeed!" Everyone could see in their mind''s eye the head bobbing this girl had to be doing. Curiously, she hadn''t joined Oier, the normal announcer andmentator, on stage. Her voice had just "Do you know what Eldrian''s guild has nned?'' Oier asked.


    "Mmm... Nope! He wouldn''t talk about¡ªWhat''s that?" How she just jumped into the center stage from nowhere.


    "Do you know what Eldrian''s guild has nned?'' Oier asked.


    "Mmm... Nope! He wouldn''t talk about¡ªWhat''s that?" How she just jumped to the next topic before even finishing her sentence exasperated some viewers. She sounded like an overly excited kid.


    Camera panning, a magic circle came into view. One which Nihon was carefully setting up in their castle. It was about ten meters in diameter, and they were using some pretty expensive material to make it.


    Especially the Mov Crystal in the center. But the other tenrge mana crystals were just as expensive.


    "That seems to be a teleportation circle. My, what an ingenious idea!" Oier eximed.


    "Why''s that?"


    "As you well know, yers are extremely limited in what they can bring with them for the tournament. Sure, each yer has a general inventory of three-by-three-by-three meters, as well as their 10-slot item storage. And that allows for a lot of things to be brought into the battle."


    "But it is also limiting." He continued. "You can''t bring an especiallyrge item, and you can''t bring an endless amount. A teleportation circle would allow them to transport anything that can fit into the circle right onto the battle."


    "Is that allowed?"


    "Of course it is. But to think they are actually attempting it."


    "I know right? It can''t be easy to make a teleportation circle."


    "Indeed it isn''t. However, they''ve prepared well. What they are making is more a beacon than a teleporter. Which massively reduces the difficulty."


    "Do you think they''ll seed?"


    "If given enough time, certainly."


    The camera moved even closer, close enough for the viewers to hear what Nihon''s yers were talking about as they worked on engraving the magic circle onto the castle floor. Somehow, they were able to add these engravings even though no attack thus far has managed to leave a scratch on the castle walls.


    Viewers naturally started to wonder if the floor was weaker than the walls. And would that make sapping an effective strategy?


    "How''s the connectioning along?" One of the yers watching over the engravers asked. She was petite, and she wore the armor of a samurai with a long feathery plume in her helmet.


    Luckily, auto-trante (another amazing ability of ANW) destroyed any possiblenguage barrier.


    "Still nothing." Replied one of the engravers.


    "Is it impossible then?" The girl asked.


    "ording to our intel, it should be possible. But we are only Tier 5 Runesmiths being led by one Arrayist. Teleportation circles normally require Tier 7 Arrayists and a formation master."


    "But we''re not making a teleportation circle," One of the other engravers¡ªlikely also a runesmith¡ªchipped in. "This is just a receiver. So it should..."


    "It worked!" Some eximed and they all in celebration.


    The viewers had no idea what they were celebrating. Things only became more confusing when the Nihon yers started talking randomly. It took everyone an embarrassingly long time to realize this was like when someone was on a call or something. Or recording voice messages.


    Camera panning away, the announcer duo started to speak again.


    "Well, would you look at that," Oier said.


    "I-Is this legal? Is it fair?"


    "It is totally legal. They managed to break through the barrier stoppingmunication with outside contacts through legitimate means."


    "B-but..."


    "I know what you want to say. And it is true. This can cause a massive uproar. But if you need fifteen minutes to simply establish a connection with the outside, any information you might get could be toote."


    "Still, isn''t this too much? Can they talk with anyone now?"


    "No, they can''t talk with anyone." Oier confidently dered. Causing the viewers to wonder if they had rigged the match somehow. However, even as that thought crossed the viewers'' minds, they while casually strolling forward.


    "How does this work? What are the limitations then?" The feminine couldn''t cry out against it as unfairness.


    Eldrian simply stood out too much. He and his guild needed a handicap if he was going to ensure their victory otherwise. The nail and all that.


    Still, would this be enough? Would being able to spy on their enemy turn the tables?


    Viewers doubted it. Information meant nothing if the other side was capable of brushing off attacks from an entire armada of mages while casually strolling forward.


    "How does this work? What are the limitations then?" The feminine voice asked.


    "It is rather simple. To stopmunication with the outside world while in the tournament, a barrier is ced across the arena. At the same time, all yers have their normal chat functions disabled and are instead given ess to a tournament-only chat. This allowsmunication inside the arena, but not out."


    "What Nihon has aplished is to break through the barrier. But nothing more. They can''t actively chat with anyone outside the arena via system functions."


    "Then how are they talking with people? They haven''t gone mad, have they?"


    "Most certainly not. They are busy making a teleportation circle, right?"


    "That''s what you said."


    There was a pause as if Oier couldn''t believe that was hispanion''s reply. "Ahh... Uhm..." He seemed quite flustered, her reply had thrown himpletely off his A-game. "Their using magic tomunicate." It was a rather short, stern reply.


    "What type of spell are they using for that?" This was a natural question to have. After all, yers knew all too well how terrible the NPCs'' long-distancemunicationworks were. If they had a spell like that, they should use them! Instead of using yers likemunication rys.


    "Some simple wind magic. If you look closely at the magic circle they''ve created, you can see that a small section of it is separate from the rest. That would be their beacon, and it is currently active."


    That much was clear, even though it was only giving off a faint amount of light, it still stood outpared to the rest of the circle. Especially once it was pointed out by Oier.


    "They are using that active part to send messages via wind magic. This in itself isn''t too difficult. Think of it as recording a message, writing it down, and then sending it a short distance to someone else through a tube or something simr."


    "Like voice messages!"


    "Well... yes..."


    Oier seemed defeated, and viewers could sympathize. That was much too simplified an answer. But it also allowed them to finally grasp what was happening.

 Chapter 1021 Tournament 3, Surprise!

    Chapter 1021 Tournament 3, Surprise!


    At first, the more time passed, the happier Phoenix''s members were. Each minute allowed them to add more mines, gather more wood, and make more expendable weapons for their ballistae with the wood they had brought in with their inventories.


    Sadly, temporary runes couldn''t survive their inventories, and real enchanted weapons required too much time to make. The guild simply didn''t have the resources to spare, what with everything else going on.


    However, when an hour had passed, they started to worry. Wondering why their opponent had yet to attack.


    Normally, during the preliminaries, at least, the lower-ranking guild would need to go on the offensive. A draw, after all, does not cause a shift in points during the preliminaries (or, in fact, during normal matches). For the finals, however, there needed to be a clear winner. And forcing the weaker team to engage seemed in poor taste.


    Of course, whether Phoenix was truly the weaker of the two was debatable. But they had fewer points. And for this reason, Nihon had to go on the offensive. If they, as the first seat, did nothing but hole up in their castle, it would be quite ill bing of the first seat position. If a team imed the top ranking, they had to have some pride to go with it.


    They thus had to be preparing for their attack. But what could take over an hour to prepare? This question filled all of Phoenix''s members as they waited.


    They had stopped creating mines a while ago. Not wishing to expend too much mana before the fight even began. Yet, now it seemed like that had been the wrong idea.


    Just as Nikki was about to tell everyone to go out again, the sound of Nihon''s arrival reached the guild. Distant, distorted, soft. Yet clear to the enhanced hearing of yers.


    Trees were being felled. No, trees were falling to the ground and being crushed one after another. The sound resembled a natural disaster more than anything else. This, of course, drew the defending yers'' attention.


    And there, in the distance, they could see it. Could see them. Massive constructs. Towering far over the trees at over 20 meters in height.


    Impossible constructions.


    Impossiblyrge trebuchets.


    "What on earth?"


    "Huh?"


    "No way?!"


    Stunned by the sight, everyone simply watched the slow march of these gargantuan trebuchets. Filled with awe at the wonder of such creations.


    "Will our walls hold?"


    "Even Eldrian couldn''t destroy these walls, so surely... maybe?"


    "The real question is their range. If they can attack us freely, they just need to get one kill to im victory."


    Once it was said, it couldn''t be taken back. Instantly, understanding spread through the guild. Indeed, if Nihon had a way to attack them without being in range for a counterattack. That would be very, incredibly, bad for them.


    "Would you look at that!" Eldrianmented, having joined the others atop the walls. Curious what the ruckus was about. The sight before him was truly awe-inspiring.


    These trebuchets weren''t simple wooden constructs. They were made with a mix of metal and high-grade wood. That, Eldrian could tell even from this distance. Not to mention the engravings covering the constructs. They were probably some of the most advanced siege weaponry avable in the world.


    <nulli>''Probably designed to outrange magic towers. But cannons already do, so they were optimized for this battle.'' Considering the scale of such an operation would require, Eldrian was confident that Nihon hadn''t developed it themselves. There was a kingdom, maybe even an empire, behind the construction of these trebuchets.


    Not that he couldin. He and his guild were using cannons developed and built by the Ganalin dwarves. Having connections like that was part of someone''s strength. He wasn''t about to deny his opponents that. <nulli>''Still, how did they manage to get three?''


    <nulli>''And they are rather overlyrge.'' Eldrianmented internally. Running a quick analysis of how he would go about taking the trebuchets out.


    They had protective barriers installed. What strength, Eldrian couldn''t confirm at this distance. They gathered mana from the surroundings, which meant they had a Mov Crystal at the very least serving as a core for the entire thing.


    <nulli>''Which means, I can''t destroy it directly.'' Eldrian concluded. He would need to use something external. Like a Mov Crystal of his own, or several mana crystals. Which, naturally, he couldn''t afford. He wasn''t swimming in mana crystals.


    If that approach wasn''t avable, he would need to hack the barrier. But... he doubted he could do that. Nihon had already seen him do it, surely they had countermeasures.


    Heck, leaving the control to a mage or two would make it nearly impossible for him to hack them unnoticed. And if they were skills enough, they would be more than capable of stopping his hacking attempts.


    <nulli>''I have been wondering if I can''t create some mana crystals with Creation. Then again, my mana would be a severe limiting factor. But, if it is possible then I won''t need to rely on a more delicate approach.'' The idea was appealing, but not something he ought to be focused on right now.


    "How bad is it?" Elizabeth asked, having given Eldrian a few minutes to analyze the slow-moving constructs. They were truly slow. It would probably take another five minutes before they reached the forest edge; if they needed to. Their range might be even greater than 4 kilometers.


    "They''re well built, well protected, mana efficient. The only downside is their size and weight, making them incredibly slow to move." Eldrian replied.


    "Honestly, I can''t wrap my head around how they got the materials into the arena. There is no way they had enough dimensional storages. Not to mention, you can''t cut such arge thing into too small parts."


    "Teleportation, maybe?" Ilmadia offered, joining the conversation. They had actually started messing with teleportation circles themselves. With little sess. They hadn''t wanted to use them for the tournament, but rather for the fort they had built in the Chaos Lands.


    "Oh, I didn''t think of that," Elizabeth said and then sighed. If that was indeed the case, that would mean Nihon would have near-unlimited resources. "I guess staying on the defensive was the wrong choice."


    "Yeah..." Eldrian and Ilmadia said, joining Elizabeth in her sigh.


    "Well, we have two choices now." Eldrian dered after a few seconds of mopping. "I go out and snipe a few yers, but who knows what trap they might have ready for me."


    "I don''t like the sound of that." Elizabeth wore a heavy frown. She had never considered it possible for Eldrian to be trapped, but as soon as he said it, she realized it was totally possible.


    Sure, killing him would be hard. Eldrian had too great a reaction time, too high stats, and too many tricks up his sleeve. But if you only wanted to trap him, she could think of a few ways.


    Sure, none were guaranteed, but they would at least slow him down. And while they did, you could then try to kill him or heap even more traps on him. It would take a lot of investment, but it was possible.


    Had they rushed Nihon at the start of the match, such a possibility would have been near impossible. Unless the guild had such an amazing magic item hidden up their sleeves. But, with the time they had given their opponent, it was now possible that an array or something simry in wait for Eldrian to step into.


    Heck, if they could teleport things into the arena, they might be able to teleport Eldrian out. What that would count as, a kill or not, Elizabeth couldn''t guess. But it would eliminate Eldrian from the fight.


    "Is your ring set?" She asked, thinking of the only counter they would have to such a move. Sure, Eldrian could teleport himself, but still only short distances. He used flight for anything over a kilometer.


    "Huh? Oh!" Realizing what she was getting at, Eldrianughed. Quickly setting the ring of Avyssos''s home location to his current location.


    <nulli>''Hey! This will also allow me toe here after the tournament. Why didn''t I think of that before?''

 Chapter 1022 Tournament 3, Siege and counterattack

    Chapter 1022 Tournament 3, Siege and counterattack


    While the trebuchets took a long time to be moved, that time wasn''t infinite. The first projectiles were sent soaring through the air mere moments after the guild had decided on a n of action.


    "Take aim!" Zyvissmanded, pulling back his bow¡ªa fire arrow from the Elemental Quiver loaded on string. Unsure how much power would be required to destroy the projectiles, they were erring on the side of caution.


    Sadly, they didn''t even know what was flying towards their castle. It looked like a round boulder, but due to the distance, they couldn''t really see more than that. Eldrian had, however, informed them that the builders were magically empowered. Simr to the ballistae bolts they used. Explosions were, thus, expected.


    It was thus imperative to destroy the flying boulders before they reached the castle. Yet, that didn''t eliminate their threat. Even if it was a simple stone, destroying it would cause a shower of debris. And from the height the projectiles have reached, the damage would be catastrophic.


    Still, it was better than taking a direct hit.


    "Fire!" Dozens of arrows flew into the air. Empowered by magical bows and wielders past human limits, the arrows soared. Higher, and higher, and higher still. They became little less than tiny dots in the sky, and there they collided with the threerger dots.


    Explosions filled the air, sending shockwaves all the way to the ground. If the castle had windows, they would all surely have been shattered. Heck, everyone''s ears were ringing, their bnce off.


    Then came the shower of debris assailed the castle. Blocked by a barrier, its damage was insignificantpared to the earlier shockwave. The mana cost to the guild''s mages, however, couldn''t be written off. They could hold out for a while, but there was no guarantee they could weather the siege.


    Worse, the fire arrows from Zyviss''s Elemental quiver were limited. Sure, only because Zyviss was the only one who could create more arrows. But it was toote to unbind the quiver now.


    And once the archers became unable to destroy the boulders from afar, the mages would need to expend even more mana. A direct hit would destroy any attempt at defense.


    Though the castle walls would likely stand tall, everyone inside of them would be dead. If the earlier explosions were anything to go by.


    "We can do this!" Zyviss shouted in encouragement. Sure, they had a limited number of arrows, but surely Nihon had a limited amount of projectiles too.


    The next attack came soon enough, only to be thwarted by Phoenix''s archers again. Yet, the number of explosions was less. One in three. Clearly, Nihon wanted to save on their more expensive ammunition.


    Yet, without Eldrian in the castle, they couldn''t determine which boulders to focus on from this distance. Heck, they couldn''t allow the normal ones to reach the barrier either. Its mass would shatter any barrier the mages could muster.


    Their only option was to strike the projectiles down before they could reach the castle. Wasteful or not, they believed in their Strike Team. They believed in Eldrian.


    They just needed to hold out.


    To ensure they managed that, the archers quickly experimented to see how many arrows were needed to take out these projectiles reliably.


    ¡ª


    While a division of Phoenix held down the fort, another division had snuck out of the castle. The so-called Strike Team.


    Using abination of spells to refract light and seal all sounds. Basically, illusion magic, divided between casters, they moved. Aiming to sneak around their opponents and attack them from behind.


    The Strike Team was filled with the most aggressive-orientated members of the guild. Led by Judith and Eldrian, their firepower was not to be underestimated. And their speed was nothing to scoff at either. Even while keeping up their camouge, they sprinted faster than any normal human could.


    Even so, they had to pace their speed to that of the mages within the group. Eldrian could perhaps have managed it all on his own, but he had other tasks he needed to deal with.


    His first task was to prevent any signs of magic. While illusion spells could trick the unenchanted eyes, they still caused a movement of mana. If someone used Mana Examination, or a simr spell or skill to empower their eyes to see mana, they wouldn''t be fooled.


    Eldrian''s first task was thus to prevent someone with something like mana sense from seeing their illusion spells. Naturally, this was no easy feat. To hide the movement of mana, he needed to move mana. Which seemed to defeat the purpose.


    However, it was possible to use the surrounding ambient mana to obscure the movement of mana. He had to do this carefully, needing to make everything appear natural. But, as long as the spells didn''t cause too dense a collection of mana, Eldrian could manage.


    His second task was watching out for traps. Now that they had made it into the forest, there was a high likelihood of them running into some. With chances increasing as they neared the trebuchets.


    "We know you''re here!" Someone shouted, causing the entire group to stop in shock. A few bumped into those ahead of them. Some nearly fell, but luckily everyone managed to keep quiet and stay calm. Despite their nerves flying through the roof.


    The group believed that the yer who had shouted had done so to try and root out any hiding yers. Thinking this, they moved. Slowly. Aiming to circumvent this yer. Lest their element of surprise be lost.


    Yet, when they circled around, they found another yer. Again shouting in their direction. They moved around again, only for this to happen a third time. And a fourth, and a fifth.


    By now, the group was surrounded. No, they had likely been surrounded from the start. The encirclement had simply closed somewhat. Bringing to light their situation.


    They didn''t yet have a good understanding of Nihon''s numbers. But it was past fifty. While their group consisted only of twenty yers.


    Those odds might seem decent, but this was against the top guild. The first seed.


    yers with skill and top-ss equipment. Worst, their enemy had the locational advantage. Being in an area they had upied for almost half an hour now. There was no telling what tricks they could have nearby, waiting to be used.


    "We really do know you''re here. So why don''t we stop this silly game of cat and mouse?" One of the surrounding yers shouted, but Phoenix''s members refused to show themselves.


    They had noticed that while their opponents had found their location, they didn''t know their exact locations. This left plenty of questions on how they had been found, obviously, their illusion and mana camouge hadn''t failed. Then, how did Nihon find them?


    Think as they might, none of the hiding yers coulde up with an answer. They were currently talking through the tournament chat, not wishing to risk letting any sound escape and cause their opponents to hone in on them.


    And while their situation filled them with questions, it didn''t leave them without options. They might not have the full element of surprise, but they could still use their unknown location and immediate actions to their advantage.


    After a bit of back and forth, a n slowly started forming. Eldrian would stay hidden while the others rushed their opponents, aiming to escape the encirclement. Or take down as many of Nihon as they could before dying.


    As they were discussing this via the chat, Nihon had slowly been moving closer. Slowly tightening the noose. And, somehow, they were deciphering where exactly Phoenix''s members were hiding.


    It was obvious that something was up, but clueless as to what, a better n couldn''t be made before the noose threatened to end them. Springing to action, the mages sent their strongest spells in a concentrated area. Which the warriors promptly assailed.

 Chapter 1023 Tournament 3, the Strike Teams battle

    Chapter 1023 Tournament 3, the Strike Team''s battle


    Chaos erupted as all hell broke out. The initial attack had managed to im the lives of several Nihon yers, but the guild quickly recovered. Their counterattack might not have imed many Phoenix yers'' lives, but it did stop their escape. Causing the entire scene to develop into an all-out melee, with spells being flung without a care. yers died left and right, some from friendly fire.


    While this was happening, Eldrian had taken flight. Refracting the light around him was a rather difficult task, and it didn''t make himpletely invisible. But he couldn''t do much more in the spur of the moment, especially not while maintaining flight and preventing his mana from being detected.


    Shockingly, several of Nihon''s yers nced in his direction. Even after he moved around the battle. While their tracking seemed dyed, they were certainly following his movements.


    ''<nulli>That confirms it. They know where I am, but can''t see me. Or my mana camouge is wed, and they can <nulli>see me. Yet, that doesn''t exin how they found us in the forest. It isn''t so simple to find other parties, and it should have been impossible with our camouge.''


    Eldrian had no idea how, but he now understood that hiding was impossible. Most likely, any sneak attack would fail.


    If that was the case, he might as well go all out. Yet, he also had to make sure he wasn''t caught in any traps.


    ''<nulli>They might want to lull me into a false sense of security. Only keeping track of my movements until they defeated everyone else.'' Eldrian thought, moving sporadically around the battlefield to prevent anyone from pinning down his location. Just in case they were trying to trap him.


    As he moved, he watched Judith struggling to kill as many yers as possible. She had clearly abandoned any ns of escaping. She struck her enemies with all her might. Attacking savagely, like a crazed beast. Uncaring for any wound she would take, if it meant inflicting one more onto her enemies.


    Using mob tactics, the enemy surrounded her and threw simple numbers at her. This, sadly, was enough. Judith didn''t surpass the other yers in Tier. Heck, she had lower stats than many here. What with her only having one ss in Tier 5 while many of Nihon''s members were dual or even triple Tier 5 holders.


    Despite being outssed in stats, and likely even equipment, she fought valiantly. Her savage, reckless attacks had imed several lives. It dide at a massive cost to her HP. Which she regained through potions (courtesy of Erik and Akarui) and some spells the mages focused on her; over protecting themselves.


    Her style of fighting seemed incredibly effective against other yers. Most yers weren''t used to a do and die attacks. After all, very few enemies were willing to die with you. And everyone, including yers, wanted to survive their encounters. Death came at the cost of too many levels.


    Judith was one of the few insane enough to want to take damage as she fought. And oh, did she take damage. With the mages prioritizing healing her over fighting, and her seemingly endless supply of potions, she just wouldn''t go down. And she wouldn''t without a one-hit kill.


    Sadly, someone realized what she was up to. As their cry filled the air, "She''s trying to¡ª" Judith realized her time was up. And before Nihon could scatter, she attacked.


    Laughing like a maddened demon, she swung down her sword. Onest time.


    "Bwahahaha, eat this!"


    Empowered with all the damage she had taken, all her mana, and the rest of her health, the attack bore a terrifying amount of power behind it. It sent shockwaves through the battle. Ripped through armor and yers alike. Killing a total of eight yers, and sending twenty others flying. Heavily wounded. At death''s door.


    ''<nulli>Now!'' Seeing his timing, Eldrian joined the fray. His first targets were those who had been waiting for him to appear. Too distracted now by Judith''s destructive disy, he snuck past their guard.


    His spells, fine-tuned after years of training, and especially his ''<nulli>training'' under Ziraili''s guidance, found their mark with ease.


    Simple bombs, small as a fingernail, covered in an ether barrier, slip past the yer''s armor. Striking into any soft tissue, be this an eye, an ear, or the neck. And there, it exploded.


    Seven yers copsed, headless. Perfectly timed with Judith''s final attack, Eldrian was sure he would be able to turn the fight around from here.


    He had taken out those who were targeting him, and his next target was those who were only half into the fight. Sparing focus onto those assigned to track Eldrian, they were sure to react to his attack, but with some dy. Eldrian was already firing his spell to stop their attempts. Yet, the spell he called never formed.


    His mana... dissipated into the air. Dispelled.


    ''<nulli>What the¡ª''


    "Quick, before he escapes!" One of Nihon''s vice leaders shouted, those unwounded turning their attention to Eldrian.


    ''<nulli>Shit, I need time to think!'' Luckily, with all his training and all the fights he had been through, Eldrian now knew what the power of time felt like. While he couldn''t slow time perfectly, he could enhance the speed at which he thought.


    Doubly lucky, it seemed that whatever was dissipating his spells only worked with external spells. Thus, Eldrian concluded that it was some type of magical barrier. But when had it been erected? And by whom?


    ''<nulli>Though eleration.'' Eldrian had been working hard on perfecting this spell. While mana already heightened a person''s speed of thought. This was limited to Agility and Intelligence stats. There were some spells that allowed greater focus, and a few that slightly increased other things. But nothing couldpare to the power of Chronos.


    The one downside, however, was that he couldn''t move as fast as he was thinking. This was the key difference between his usual reckless calling on his bloodline and <nulli>Though eleration.


    And while this difference made a world of difference in what he could do, for now, he just needed to figure out how he had gotten trapped. And what he could do to escape.


    The first question then; why did his mana dissipate upon being cast?


    With time dted to a fraction of a second, Eldrian observed his surroundings. Sadly, even moving his eyes was excruciatingly slow. But he could still focus his mind on key areas. Mageia also moved much faster than anything else, though still slowpared to his thoughts.


    By splitting these two senses, he figured out the general situation. His eyes taking in the physical, and Mageia the magical. Sadly, the burden on his mind was great, and he was already tiring.


    But that wasn''t enough to stop him.


    ''<nulli>Fascinating.'' That was all that Eldrian could say to describe what Nihon had done. It was truly something he had never considered. Somewhere along the line, Eldrian had forgotten that he wasn''t special.


    Sure, he had a talent for magic. But that wasn''t why he was currently as strong as he was. No, that was because of his experiences. Experiences he had in ANW. Experiences that other yers could also gain.


    Sure, his auras and bloodline perhaps made him more special. But he had always wondered why he was so far ahead of the other their soul altered via a Magic Crystal while still learning magic. Before their souls took on a clear characteristic.


    yers in magic. After all, he had shared how he had learned magic with the world. Anyone could attempt to copy his method.


    To his knowledge, no one had. Which meant no other person had their soul altered via a Magic Crystal while still learning magic. Before their souls took on a clear characteristic.


    Yet, what he realized now was, that wasn''t the only way to gain something special. Besides, his life and death struggle had been what had truly unlocked his talents. The altering of his soul had only made things more likely to develop as they had.


    Eldrian was assuredly not the only yer to have those experiences. His were perhaps on the extreme end, but he wasn''t alone.


    ''<nulli>So, how do I break out of a trapid by ghosts? He asked himself. Trying to figure out how they were able to wield mana while dead. It shouldn''t be possible, even for him. After all, it took a great deal of effort to resist the pull of the Realm of Souls.

 Chapter 1024 Tournament 3, Trapped

    Chapter 1024 Tournament 3, Trapped


    s, these ghosts weren''t defenseless. Not only had they dispelled his attack spell, they were unraveling his flight magic. He was fighting for control, but his agility in flight had sunk like a rock. There was no way he would be able to dodge spells and arrows like this.


    Luckily, he still wore his cloak. While they could dispel its ability just the same, it would free his mind from needing to control every facet of flight. And, if they managed to dispel Soar, he could simply use the ability again. It didn''t have a cooldown, after all.


    ''Seriously, how are they using mana?'' Eldrian asked himself while dodging several dozen attacks. Luckily, being able to fly, even when his agility was shot, made dodging far easier.


    Sure, he needed to be more conscious of things, but it wasn''t like he was an easy target. His armor, while still experimental, was top-of-the-experimental-range. And, luckily, the ghosts couldn''t do anything to it when he morphed it. Darkslime was certainly saving his behind.


    ''They don''t seem to be using lifeforce.'' Eldrian thought, continuing to analyze while dodging, ''Though my sight can''tpare to Vivian''s when ites to lifeforce detection.''


    While Eldrian had managed to identify them as ghosts, that wasn''t because he could actually see their lifeforce. Instead, he saw the mana coating their souls. Which was strange in and of itself.


    ''Wait a second, is this even their souls?'' Up until this point, Eldrian had been thinking of them as ghosts wandering after death. The same way he usually did. But that didn''t seem right.


    ''Where''s the pull from the realm of souls? Why aren''t they straining? Why are they staying so easily? Why can they use magic?''


    These questions might seem to make no sense. Undead were a thing, as were tortured souls. But that was just the thing, if they were undead, there had to be some corruption. Yet there was no indication of that happening.


    And if they weren''t undead, then the realm of souls had to be trying to pull their souls to it. It was like a vacuum that sucked all the departed souls from the and into the realm of spirits. From there, souls traveled to their respective god''s realm. yers headed to the resurrection hals.


    So why weren''t these souls being pulled there?


    "Dang, got sloppy," Eldrain grumbled as he tumbled to the ground. Too caught up in his thoughts, he acted toote to arge-scale spell. Of the wind element, it was already hard to notice, and a distracted Eldrian simply didn''t notice until it started tearing through his morphed armor.


    The yers on the ground quickly swarmed where Eldrian would fall. Making the most of the sessful attack, they closed off all avenues of escape. With the ghosts continuing to monitor him for any new spells.


    But Eldrian wasn''t out for the count just yet. Pulling out a mana crystal, he asked, "Can you stop this?" Throwing it in the direction of the charging yers, and the barrage of spells above their heads.


    With so much mana in the air, and so many spells, he didn''t even need to cast his own spell onto the mana crystal. Simply throwing it into an existing spell would detonate it.


    And indeed, it did. Setting off a chain reaction, causing all the nearby spells to go haywire. Mana filled the air and ignited, destroying anything too close and sending anything else flying.


    As he was sent sky-high from the st, Eldrian activated Soar again and took flight. Riding his momentum to try and escape throughtitude. However, as soon as he tried, the ghosts'' assailed his cloak''s ability. Sadly, they could fly with ease. What with their ghost bodies not weighing a thing. Heck, it wasn''t even corporeal.


    ''Ugh'' Groaing in annoyance, Eldrian resummoned the ability each time they canceled it. Trying to keep himself safe while running his mind in circles. Trying to figure out what was going on.


    This did eat at his mana, but he had plenty to spare. More than seven ghosts, that was for sure.


    Most yers were only nearing the 1k MP mark, even when mage specialized and multi-ssed. His 10k reserve was more than enough to brute force his escape if this was all they had up their sleeves.


    Sadly, escape wasn''t his goal. Surviving alone would do him no good. He either had to wipe out the yers around him, or destroy the trebuchets. And doing thetter while being hounded by yers seemed impossible.


    ''If I can just figure out how they are¡ªwait, there are seven of them, right?'' Who Eldrian was talking to, naturally, was himself. As always. ''There is no way seven yers in one guild learned how to fight against the pull of the realm of souls.''


    ''Which means, this isn''t their souls... These are ghosts, summoned after their deaths.'' It was likely a type of death magic, some branch of undeath. But not. At least not normal undeath. Since there was no corruption, it had to be from a hidden ss.


    This was terrible news, It meant there could be more than just these seven who could be ghosts. But it also meant Eldrian now knew how they had done it. And what he was up against.


    It also meant his previous assumption that he had enough mana might be wrong. Hidden sses didn''t simply give some extra abilities (hard as they were to learn), they also gave massive stat boosts.


    Now Eldrian didn''t even think brute force would work. He had no counter to the ghosts. He couldn''t risk using his auras. Still, he now had an idea of what was going on. It was a step in the right direction.


    ''Though it is really, reallyyyy tempting to use Wrath. But... Ziraili had warned me not to.''


    Sure, it wouldn''t be a problem under normal circumstances. If he just sent some small quantities to destroy the ghosts'' forms, that should be fine.


    But if he lost control, or sent too much power in his attacks, he might actually hurt the yers.


    Ziraili did her best to prevent such idents, but Eldrian knew from experience that the system wasn''t perfect. Some pain could get through, and damage to the soul wasn''t something Ziraili could stop. Not when yers themselves were putting their all into a fight.


    And especially not when the difference in strength is too great.


    This was why, when legends were nearby and fighting, yers were forcefully logged out. They could actually die if they encounter even the aftershocks of such a battle.


    Eldrian wasn''t <nulli>that much stronger. But the difference between someone who could ess their soul and manipte lifeforce, versus someone who couldn''t. It was a rather big ravine.


    ''Okay, no Wrath. Tranquillity is also too dangerous. It won''t do as much damage, but it might cause some mental issues.'' Then again, any damage to the soul could cause mental issues. However, Eldrian was worried that Tranquility might affect the yers'' emotions, in particr.


    After a bit of back and forth, and a few casts of Soar, Eldrian had quite enough of this cat-and-mouse game. Deciding that a few hits were inevitable, he dived down. Ready to engage the chasing yers in a melee without ess to his magic.


    ''I''ll deal with the ghostsst,'' He thought, and boy was that a mistake. As soon as Eldriannded, still too distracted in his thoughts to carefully investigate his surroundings, a magic circle lit up.


    "Fudge..."

 Chapter 1025 Tournament 3, The Situation

    Chapter 1025 Tournament 3, The Situation


    Thinking that this certainly couldn''t be good, Eldrian waited for a second to see if anything else was about to happen. At the same time, Nihon was watching him. Waiting to see if <nulli>he would do anything.


    A short stalemate ensued, broken when Eldrian realized they weren''t nning to attack him¡ªlikely fearing that their own attacks would disrupt the trap. Suspecting that he would be safe for the time being, he turned his full attention to analyzing the formation.


    ''They''re really something. How the hell do they know how to make an array like this?'' Eldrian asked himself, several minutes passed. He now found himself almost abandoned in the forest. The gang of yers who had pursued him was gone.


    All but the ghosts, that is. They were still there, floating, watching. Waiting.


    ''Do they not have a time limit?'' Eldrian wondered, taking a moment to look at the ghosts. Or rather, the outline of mana surrounding their ghostly formed. ''Nah, they have to have a time limit. Probably simply haven''t reached it yet.''


    While it felt to him like dozens of minutes had passed, only a few had gone by. The entire fight and chase had taken but a few seconds to be concluded. And Eldrian''s flight and capture just slightly longer.


    ''Still, I have no idea how long they can stay like that. Nor if they are the only yers capable of bing ghosts...'' The danger to his guildmates was also quite great. If any other yers could turn into ghosts. Invisible, intangible; almost invincible.


    It would be a ughter.


    ''I am curious what their ss actually is, and what its rules are. Really interested.''


    ''Mine, Protector, gave me ess to my auras. Or, rather, my auras gave me my ss. Or so I have been told. Vivian''s is simr, but gave her the power to directly interact with lifeforce. Especially that of the deceased.''


    If she was here now, things would have been simple. Sadly, NPCs couldn''t enter the tournament. Though, perhaps in the future that would be possible. Considering that Miracle had provisions for yersmanding NPCs and building personal retinues. Though few yers have gotten the promotions to gain ess to the facet of the game.


    ''Their ability... it seems more normal.'' And by that, Eldrian didn''t mean that it wasn''t strange, or weak, or anything of the like. He simply meant that their ability looked more in line with what one would expect from a game''s special ss ability.


    It wasn''t some ability they had to learn how to control, and spend weeks, months, or even years to master. It was a ssic ability that they could ess and use almost immediately.


    However, that was only Eldrian''s perception of things. He could be wrong. But he doubted there would be seven yers in one guild able to achieve what he had done. What Vivian had learned, and what Ilmadia and the others were struggling to understand.


    ''This is much more what yers would expect from a hidden ss. Mmm...'' Looking past the ghosts towards the trebuchets, something clicked in the back of Eldrian''s mind.


    ''So that''s how.'' It was a simple conclusion, but he had never thought of any yers but himself trying to learn teleportation magic. It was simply too difficult. Most yers couldn''t even control mana. Mastering teleportation should be far beyond them.


    Or so he had thought. So all his friends had thought. So everyone had thought. And they were all wrong. The trap sealing Eldrian from warping out was a clear indication of just how wrong they were.


    ''They didn''t just make a barrier that kept mana fixed. They actually targeted teleportation magic in particr.''


    Teleportation could be aplished in a number of ways. Eldrian, however, only understood two methods. The first was the ssic bending of space. Forming a ''gate'' connecting two points. This, however, was not the type of teleportation he had learned. Nor was it a type he had ever seen.


    From his lessons, Eldrian vaguely understood why. The principle might be simpler, but the application was far more energy-demanding. After all, it required two locations to be connected, constantly. All fluctuations to be taken into ount, at all times.


    Perhaps you could activate it only when needed. But the energy required to connect two points in space was immense. Requiring to reconnect each time one wanted to teleport would be too energy-expensive. Perhaps, depending on the frequency of use, cheaper than keeping the connection active. But still immense. Mov Crystal levels, not normal mana crystals.


    Regardless, this was not the type of teleportationmon in the world of Gaia. No, the teleportationmon in this world of magic was that of warping an object from one ce to another. Covering it in a barrier, and moving it somece different in space, instantly.


    No easy task. This Eldrian knew from experience. His first attempts had cost him plenty of limbs. Acking barrier would lose its contents. Setting them adrift into space. If his luck had been terrible, he could have died. Losing his head in his attempt.


    Regardless, this was the type of teleportation Eldrian used. And, indeed, this was what everyone used. And to prevent someone from teleporting, you needn''t seal space itself. You simply had to prevent someone from forming a ''space'' barrier.


    All that Nihon had done was create a formation that would recognize a teleportation spell, and prevent the barrier¡ªmeant to protect the teleported¡ªfrom forming. As long as it did this, anyone who attempted to teleport out of the formation would die.


    And, of course, to prevent the captured target from simply walking out of the formation, it had a more physical barrier. A barrier of ether formed an invisible wall that prevented Eldrian from leaving.


    ''I can try to overpower the barrier, but it is unlikely I will seed.'' Eldrian''s conclusions came from the fact that severalrge mana crystals were supporting this trap. He did not have the mana to brute force his way out.


    ''Hacking and corrupting it won''t be easy either. Not with the ghosts keeping watch.'' Letting his thoughts run their course, Eldrian hoped for a solution to his dilemma. Sadly, he failed to grasp one.


    He <nulli>could attempt to teleport while creating the space barrier under his skin. The formation would be unlikely to seed in preventing this. However, Eldrian didn''t like the idea of arriving somewhere <nulli>skinned.


    There was also the problem of never having tried it before. The closer to the surface he could create the barrier, the safer he would be. But too close to the outside, and the formation would notice and attack his barrier.


    Eldrian did not want to find out what would happen if space magic went haywire inside his body.


    On top of all that, he wasn''t even sure if it was possible to form a space barrier inside his body. If it was, it would open quite a few avenues for using space magic offensively. Though, Eldrian was sure that anything living would have resistance to such an attempt.


    ''Wonder if my own resistance will get in the way.'' As much as Eldrian wanted to test this, he didn''t have the time to waste. Nihon were sieging their castle. And while, for now, his friends were holding out. Something needed to change if they wanted to win.


    ''I can probably escape if I use Wrath... For that matter, if I slowed time. Like actually slowed it. Could I escape before the formation detects my spell? Wait, wouldn''t Tranquility be my safest bet then.''


    Realizing that he needn''t overpower the barrier, but simply destroy a part of the formation preventing teleportation, Eldrian''s thoughts shifted. However, he was hesitant to use his auras in apetition against other yers.


    ''What are my other options?'' Eldrian asked himself. Glimpsing the ring of Avyssos he always wore on his right hand. ''That would do, wouldn''t it?'' He was confident that it would be able to overpower the trap he found himself in. But its cooldown made him reluctant to use it.


    Especially not when escaping wouldn''t solve all his problems. Eldrian still had no idea how to deal with the ghosts.


    ''No, I should be able to deal with them if I have some magical backup. I just can''t beat seven of them alone.'' If he could have attacked them physically, things might have been different. s.

 Chapter 1026 Tournament 3, A new approach

    Chapter 1026 Tournament 3, A new approach


    Eldrian''s options were expanding, though he was unsure which would actually produce the desired oue. ''Whatever I do, I can''t lose control.''


    While the guild needed funds to continue their expansion ns, it would not be worth it to gain those funds at the cost of their public image.


    They needed to build trust with the other yers. And for that, Eldrian had to find a solution that wouldn''t just work. It had to resonate with yers.


    ''Thus, using my auras is a no-go.'' Eldrian confirmed. There was, of course, the risk of doing real harm to other yers. But outside of that, getting ess to an aura was far too rare an event.


    Eldrian had not met a single yer who had achieved such. Not to say there weren''t others.


    Hidden sses were, ''apparently'', the key to them. But Eldrian felt that it was the reverse. A hidden ss would be created to amodate someone with an aura. But would not, itself, give a yer ess to an aura.


    For that reason, someone having an aura was far more rare than someone having a hidden ss. Hidden sses were something yers could aim for, but auras... not so much.


    The same held true for his bloodline. It wasn''t something he had been born with¡ªhis soul had been altered through several events. And that was not something yers could achieve, even if they were willing to face the risks associated with doing so.


    "Then, what are my options?" Eldrian muttered to himself. A question that got the audience pumped. They were waiting for some grand disy of magic that defiedmon sense.


    As bad as the situation was, Eldrian had contacted the others and realized he had time. Time enough to calm down and think. He didn''t need to rush. He didn''t need to take risks. He could analyze, learn, and adapt.


    ¡ª


    "Certainly quite the predicament he has found himself in." The femalementator said, her voice as energetic as usual.


    "Indeed. And you have to give credit for Nihon''s coordination. Not only did they manage to create this trap, they led Eldrian right into it."


    "He probably never even realized he was being led to a trap."


    "Would you have been able to think that far ahead? Fighting for your life? Watching your guildmates fall one after the other?"


    "He should have just fought with them!"


    "But what if they had a trap waiting for him?"


    "Then face it head-on! I mean, he still got himself trapped in the end. At least then, he would have been standing with his friends."


    "Very true. Surprisingly, Phoenix is still in the lead at the moment." Oier said, changing the subject.


    "Exactly. If he had stood with his friends, they could have killed far more of Japan''s yers. Perhaps then victory would be assured."


    "I doubt it. The siege will eventually show results. Phoenix won''t be able to hold out until the end of the match."


    "But what if they scattered? Run and hide, flee. It would have its own appeal, don''tcha think?"


    "Mmm, I don''t know if our viewers would have liked such an oue."


    And so thementers continued toment. Keeping the audience as entertained as they could while there was a lull in the action.


    ¡ª


    "Right, I''ve sorted out my thoughts," Eldrian mumbled. "This trap works by detecting mana which interferes with space. In particr, the space-barrier. Which is actually a form of ether maniption..."


    At least, the barrier Eldrian always used was an advanced adaptation of ether. The closest form mana could take to space. There was no actual element for space or time. Not in regards to mana.


    Of course, a dense enough collection of mana warps space¡ªwhich consequently also warps time, though only as an aftereffect.


    In any case, this warping of space normally happens with insane amounts of mana. Mov crystals with over 200k MP clustered into the size of an object smaller than a person''s hand. At that mana quantity, the size of a finger.


    Teleportation, naturally, does not require such insane amounts of mana. And that is because of all the tricks that schrs have found. Tricks which Eldrian had happily made use of¡ªwithout bothering to figure out their true meaning.


    The math was hard, the science was hard, everything was oh so terribly difficult.


    Instead, Eldrian had found loopholes. He used teleportation devices to figure out the feel of teleportation. He memorized the spell modules, and he trail-and-errored it.


    He was lucky it had only cost him a few limbs, and never a life. Albeit that life would only have cost him some levels. Still, he was lucky.


    But this was no longer the case. Ziraili had be his mentor, his teacher. And she wasn''t about to let him ignore the hard parts. Not when he wanted to use his powers to alter the flow of time.


    To face off against the gods. Against GAIA Themselves.


    No, he had to learn the math. He had to understand the science. And he had to make the knowledge of how things exist, his own.


    Memorization was not enough. Sadly, Eldrian wasn''t evenpletely on the step of memorization. Not to mention understanding, or making the knowledge his own.


    Still, he knew enough to dive deeper than he had before. To look, not at how the formation trapping him works, but how it works in conjunction with the world around it.


    "Everything exists on its own, and with the rest of reality." A bizarre statement, one that Eldrian still didn''t understand. But he was getting there.


    You see, this trap had a barrier sealing it from the outside. This barrier even kept sound and, in fact, air, from moving between the inside and outside of the formation. Yet, it let mana through.


    Mana was something so, oh-so, strange. Time and time again, Eldrian found this to be true. Even when using the power of Tranquility at full st, mana was not affected.


    That wasn''t to say it stayed the same state as before. As Eldrian turned his surroundings to ice, the mana in his surroundings adapted to the environment. In that sense, it was effected.


    However, even at absolute zero (or as close as physically possible to that state), mana remained unaffected itself. It still floated through everything. The air, the ice, the ground, even Eldrian, and anything else in the vicinity.


    Mana was, by its very nature, immaterial.


    It was not captured by gravity. It did not react with light.


    It was an element of matter and non-matter. Invisible to the world. Invisible to reality.


    Until something living, something with a will, with Mageia, with lifeforce. Until something like that touches it. Then, mana turns from a free-floating, invisible, immaterial thing, to something else. Almost anything else.


    ''This circle will detect if I try to form a barrier to prepare for teleportation. And teleporting without a barrier will see me reduced to atoms.'' Not an option, obviously.


    ''But mana is still flowing through here. And it can''t stop me from sending my will outside, which is just as free moving as mana.''


    This, the ghosts could not detect. They would only notice him doing something once he started taking control of mana.


    ''So, they can react. But only so fast. My spells are normally instant. But I still need to focus on making them, aim them, and control them. They can react in the time my spells need to travel. But what if...''


    Eldrian withdrew his Mageia and refocused it into seven strings. Thin as can be. Which he sent towards the ghosts.


    ''Since this is most likely a power given by a hidden ss. One likely obtainable from a quest of some kind. What would happen if I tried ''Since this is most likely a power given by a hidden ss. One likely obtainable from a quest of some kind. What would happen if I tried and steal their mana instead?''

 Chapter 1027 Tournament 3, Automatic Spells

    1027 Tournament 3, Automatic Spells


    Eldrian understood that things would never be so simple. Their mana was being kept perfectly in the form of a human being. With mana sense, they were closer to humans made of lights than ghosts.


    Stealing their mana would not be easy. Most tricky of all, Eldrian had yet to see much loss in this mana¡ªoutside of when they canceled his spells. This meant they weren''t weakening as time passed. Their time limit would simply suddenly cut them off from the world when reached.


    Making the entire situation worse, Eldrian had no clue just how long that limit could be. He certainly couldn''t wait here to figure that out. His guildmates could hold for a while more, but there was no guarantee they couldst longer than the ghosts.


    ''And that brings me to how to actually deal with them.'' Eldrianmented to himself, slipping his Mageia into the manaposing their ethereal forms. Testing the mana, so to speak.


    ''They really can''t sense it. Which confirms they can only react to mana movement.'' This meant Eldrian had a chance. ''But if I attack all seven, I won''t be strong enough. And if I attack only one, the others will relieve the pressure... if they even can.''


    Eldrian wasn''t sure, but he didn''t want to roll the dice to find out. Instead, he would create a n they wouldn''t be able to withstand.


    Closing his eyes, Eldrian withdrew his Mageia and entered a meditative state. Quickly slipping into his soul, he pulled at the very fabric of ''space'' and started making the core of his attack.


    His n was simple. Pre-make his attack ''spell''. Just like he had often done with normal spells, back when Two was still with him. But make it far more advanced.


    These ''spells'' would be less spells and more like semi-living ''things''. Terrible ifpared to actual living things, but hopefully good enough to prevent those they targeted from helping the one he was truly focusing on.


    This took a while, and while in his soul, Eldrian received no updates on the war situation. But he couldn''t rush things. He needed these spells to work. To be capable enough to stall elite yers. yers who know how to feel and sense mana. How to guide it, if not outright control it.


    For that reason, Eldrian invested far more time and energy than normal. Once he had his automatic spells designed, he filled them with mana from the stars ands floating over his soul world. Affirming their functions, testing them on some of the things in his soul world.


    ''Now.''


    ¡ª


    "Has he finally epted his loss?" The femalementators asked. Almost half an hour had passed yet Eldrian had yet to move.


    Of course, the viewers all understood the trap he was in. They could even see the ghosts. As more traditional ghosts¡ªnot humans made of lights. Near invisible human forms. Ethereal.


    The viewers even had the option to view the battle from the perspective of these yers. Though these perspectives looked strange. A world of mana, not of normal matter. And in that view, Eldrian shone like a star.


    His brightness told the tale of just how far he outstripped other yers. Mana at least ten times as dense as any other.


    And this person was resting in the middle of the formation. Eyes closed. Not moving an inch.


    In that state, he stayed as the minutes passed. As his friends fought to survive their predicate. As the archers ran out of arrows and the mages of mana.


    As death neared them.


    And second ce beckoned them.


    Then, suddenly, Eldrian moved. In a sh, he was attacking the barrier. His attacks told the tale of just how powerful he, and his weapons, were. Yet, the barrier stood strong. Not a flicker, not a crack, not a speck.


    Then...


    ¡ª


    Opening his eyes, Eldrian charged forward. Crystoi in his left hand and Willo in his right. Bothnded against the formation barrier with a massive unified ng. Shockwaves sent dust billowing, yet the ground itself was undamaged. Protected by a simr barrier. Of course it was, if it hadn''t been, Eldrian would long since have attacked the formation directly.


    ''It really is tough, being able to withstand Willo without so much as a flicker.'' Eldrianmented as he struck again. At the same time, he sent out his Mageia to the seven ghosts.


    His sudden movements had caught the ghosts by surprise, the violence of his attack stealing their attention. They thought it was hisst attempt. After all, his friends were surely running out of steam.


    Their thoughts otherwise preupied, if only for a moment, was precisely the moment Eldrian had needed.


    His automatic spellstched onto their targets at that moment. The spells consumed the mana of their hosts; and converted the mana into fire and brimstone.


    Shockwaves rocked the ghosts, sending them tumbling through the world. Passing through physical matter didn''t change the oue. The explosions happened whether they were in the sky, in a tree, or in the ground.


    As for Eldrian''s actual target. That ghost''s mana was nowpletely at his mercy. He was sending attacks after the tumbling ghosts, causing internalbustion to his target ghost, and... gathering mana to destroy the crystals supporting the barrier keeping him locked in.


    ¡ª


    "What am I seeing? What did he just do?" The femalementer shouted, voicing the question in all the viewers'' minds.


    The sudden change from a rtively peaceful siege to a full-blown armageddon had them all struggling to grasp what had happened.


    One second it appeared that Eldrian had epted defeat. And the next... he had somehow attacked the yers in their ghost form?


    But how?


    Any spell would surely have been noticed by them. And, didn''t the formation itself also detect the formation of spells?


    "Truly impressive" Oiermented.


    "Do you know what he did?"


    "No, but I have a few ideas."


    "What do you¡ªoh!"


    "Don''t just keep it to yourself, exin to our confused audience." Oier teased.


    "Since he couldn''t cast spells inside the formation, he cast them outside?" While she had started out confident, that confidence had disappeared by the end of her sentence. It wasmon knowledge that you could cast spells distant from your body, but there were limits.


    Most importantly, wouldn''t the formation barrier (if not the formation itself) have prevented the spell frompleting? At the very least, it should have bought the Nihon yers a second or two.


    "Indeed." Knowing that a bit more exining was required, Oier did just that. "The formation Eldrian is trapped in isn''t¡ª"


    The exnation was disrupted as a truly massive explosion rocked the arena. Like a second sun being born, the world turned white.


    ¡ª


    "Phew..." Eldrian sighed in relief.


    After everything, he still ended up using the Ring of Avyssos. If he hadn''t, he wouldn''t even be ash. He would be nothing more than atoms riding the shockwave of thergest explosion any yer in ANW had ever witnessed.


    Heck, if not for the barrier of ice surrounding him and two other yers of Phoenix, he would be just as much atoms riding a shockwave.


    "Umm... Eldrian... What''s going on?" Silver¡ªwho had nearly had a heart attack when Eldrian suddenly appeared next to her, grabbed her, and summoned a dome of ice¡ªasked.


    Her question was hardly audible. After all, the world was still shaking. Heck, their surroundings were naught but molten earth at the moment. The heatwave was even melting ice summoned from Tranquility.


    "Well, you see..." Eldrian started, but couldn''t finish. The deration that they had won just felt so out of ce that he didn''t know what to do.


    It was natural they had won. After all, Eldrian couldn''t envision anyone else surviving that st.


    He hadn''t even been sure he would be able to stay alive. He had prayed it would dy his, and the two yers he had grabbed, deaths long enough for them to win.

 Chapter 1028 Tournament 3, Rewinding a bit

    Chapter 1028 Tournament 3, Rewinding a bit


    Silence was the only thing remaining as Phoenix''s victory was dered. But the sound of the system announcing their victory spurred the audience to life.


    Confusion ran rampant as everyone tried to figure out what had just happened. One second, Eldrian had been somehow attacking the yers in their ghost forms. The next, everything went white.


    "Phoenix took the victory!" Oier announced with as much energy as possible. Trying to recover the flow that amenter ought to have.


    If he stayed shocked into silence, the audience would wonder what was going on. Even if he was stunned and didn''t understand what happened, he had to say something. Even if it was only airing out his own uncertainties.


    "Even I''m not sure what happened there in the end, and why the heck is Eldrian back in his guild''s castle? And why is there a massive creator? Wait, where is the forest?"


    "I-its gone..." His comentor managed. The shock in her voice was all too clear.


    "It really is. Wow, look at that view!" The production team (who managed the camera angles for television broadcasting) disyed some of the best shots. And this particr one was that of the castles.


    As spected, even an explosion that destroyed an entire forest wasn''t enough to destroy the castles. They truly were made of something else. Something seemingly impervious to any and all damage.


    That didn''t mean they were unaffected. Their white walls were now covered in soot and ashes. Turned ck and gray, they appeared badly damaged. Theck of cracks told a different story, however.


    The castles still standing were truly impressive, but not so much as the fact that they were standing atop nothing. The ground below them was gone.


    "How is that even possible?!" The comentor shouted. She and everyone else understood that the castles were seemingly impregnable, but not that they could defy gravity. That didn''t make any sense. None at all!


    "Is it really that strange?" Oier teased. "Some empires have floating castles of their own."


    "That isn''t the same thing!"


    "Why not?"


    "They have ground!"


    "What does that matter?"


    "Uh, umm... I guess it doesn''t?"


    "Of course it doesn''t. The technology used to defy gravity is rather well-studied by major powers. Flight magic can be aplished at Tier 5. Though at that level it would be through wind magic, not gravity defiance."


    "Uh, huh..."


    "Enough talk of that, I''ve just heard from our wonderful crew reviewing the footage that they know what caused that massive explosion. Let''s watch!"


    Everyone''s attention turned to the stage, where a hologram featuring Eldrian was disyed. He was still trapped inside a formation, his weapons unable to break through the barrier keeping him in. The ghosts (shown for the sake of making things easier for the audience), were falling and exploding in the background.


    And then, the nearest ghost, suddenly sent a spell at the formation. No, not the formation. His aim was off ''if'' that had been ''his'' target.


    Instead, the spellnded a short distance from the formation, and everything turned white.


    The hologram rewound, zooming in on the location where the spell wouldnd. There, arge mana crystaly. Buried under a thinyer of dirt.


    In slow motion, the spell came. Hit the crystal, causing it to crack. Mana leaked, and the surrounding fire from the spell caused a chain reaction. The explosion spread. Setting off the otherrge crystals supporting the formation.


    With each joining the fray, the ambient mana density increased sharply. To the point that space itself started to warp.


    The hologram paused, the view shifting. Inside the barrier, Eldrian could be seen panicking. Honestly, time was slowed down so much that even at his incredible speed, he was moving like a snail. But the look on his face told everyone that he hadn''t expected such an oue.


    As the fire raced towards him, one of his rings shone. And in the next frame, he was gone.


    A second view appeared, showing Eldrian suddenly inside his guild''s castle. Grabbing two unsuspecting yers and summoning a barrier of ice. Several meters thick. Then came the shockwave. Nearby yers (those Eldrian couldn''t reach) disappeared.


    For the sake of the viewer''s sanity (and the poor yers who had to die in such a way) the production team didn''t slow down frames enough for what had actually happened to show.


    No, the audience would much prefer to simply see yers disappearing into a bloody mist. While still somewhat gruesome, it was way better than a frame-to-frame showing of how the shockwaves ripped the yers apart.


    Finding that right bnce in such a short timeframe had been a massive challenge for the production crew. Time needed to be slowed so that ordinary people could follow what was happening. But it couldn''t be to such a degree that it turned into a gory R18 film.


    But they had done it.


    And several secondster (what had been only a few milliseconds) mes arrived. Taking with it anything but the castle¡ªand Eldrian''s dome of ice.


    The ice barrier managed to withstand the mes. But not without losing half its width.


    "What an oversight..." Oier sighed, his words were something many of the audience agreed with. Though, they now understood how. They still didn''t understand ''how'' and ''why''.


    The source of the explosion and the deciding factor in Phoenix''s win was clear. That how was now answered.


    The ''how'', of how Eldrian had been able to attack the ghosts was anything but. And ''why'' had one of the ghosts attacked the mana crystals supporting their own formation?


    Was it a spy? A secret agent?


    A traitor?


    Before those sentiments could grow too far, bing embedded in people''s thoughts, Oier rified what had happened.


    Again, the hologram rewound. Starting a little before Eldrian''s counterattack began. But this time with some lines of light around him.


    "These lights show Eldrian''s Mageia. Or, inyman''s terms, willpower." Having expected something of this nature (not such an explosion, but the usage of magic beyond mana), Miracle had asked Ziraili to develop a way for them to view lifeforce.


    While this bordered on the line of their agreement, Ziraili had no problem doing as they asked as long as they didn''t have ess to the code. To ess this function, they had to go through her. Which was par for the course, really.


    But they had hoped she wouldn''t think of that. They had tried to push for the code but relented in the end.


    Their thoughts were simple: "It would help, but we are making good progress with the ''elementals''". A terrifying sentiment. The thoughts of the blind leading the blind.


    Ziraili had also made sure that they would only ask to use this function for tournaments. Not wanting to give them unrestricted ess. After all, somehow making lifeforce visible would massively increase the speed of their experiments inside ANW.


    "The term might be new, but I am sure most yers will understand given some background." Oier said, giving a short exnation of what ''Mageia'' was.


    "In short, it is the effect of concentrated willpower. Intense focus which forms an actual ethereal form. This is what yers use to control mana."


    Another view appeared on the stage, showing the battle between Phoenix''s Strike Team and Nihon''s ambush.


    "It is clear, however, that Eldrian''s control of Mageia is leagues beyond even the most elite of yers."

 Chapter 1029 The tournament victors

    <h4>Chapter 1029 The tournament victors</h4>


    Oier didn''t even need to expand on hisst statement. The footage was proof enough.


    In it, magic was split into two states. Mana and Mageia. Most yers gathered mana within themselves, slowly moving it to the outside world, keeping it in shape with their Mageia, and then activating their spells.


    Conversely, Eldrian sent out his Mageia without mana. He used them like feelers, seeking out his surroundings. And, when the time came, he used those distant tendrils of Mageia to gather mana from his surroundings and form his spells.


    Thisst step took longer. Naturally so. The density of mana in the environment was limited. But with his control, he could expand his zone of control to call in more mana. Lessening the time requirement at the cost of some more focus. But it still took longer to cast this way than normal casting.


    And while it was apletely different method of casting, it was not an unknown one.


    Most yers were still struggling to master controlling their own mana. Takingmand of the mana in their surroundings waspletely beyond them.


    But some NPCs were capable at ''distant'', or ''remote'', casting. That Eldrian had already mastered this seemed truly logical in hindsight.


    "Nihon, sadly, forgot to take into ount that Eldrian could attack them from outside while still inside their trap," Oier said, quickly backtracking his initial statement.


    "Saying they forgot might be a little harsh. I assume they believed that he wouldn''t be able to cast without triggering the functions embedded in their formation."


    "But since they didn''t craft it as an anti-magic barrier, Eldrian managed to slip his attacks past the trap. Heck, he would probably have been able to do this against any standard anti-magic formation."


    From there, Oier continued to specte while the production team showed footage of the battle. After some time, the other host joined the conversation and some questions from viewers were also brought into the conversation.


    This continued until the two teams could be brought to the arena. Where a post-tourney discussion was to be held before the rewarding of the medals and all that.


    Of course, it started with the teamsmending their opponents. Stating where they could have done better, and what they nned to do to secure their victory in the next tournament.


    "Ah, yes. It isn''t that we didn''t ount for it." Nihon''s guild master said when asked about their trap failing. "But we spected that Eldrian would be able to gain ess to the formation''s ''code'' if we tried to block all magic."


    "We all saw him ''hack'' formation barriers before. We aren''t sure how he does it, but we thought if we limited our formation''s functions, his methods of essing the formation''s code would be limited."


    "With teleportation being as difficult a branch of magic as it is, we believed it impossible for Eldrian to cast it while also corrupting our formation."


    "That he attacked with a remote spell tells us our assumption was correct. Sadly, we had underestimated how powerful his remote attacks would be..."


    It was clear the guild master greatly regretted not having set up some sort of protection for the crystals feeding the formation. But that was easier said than done. Itsplexity had already been at the limit of their yer''s abilities to construct in unideal circumstances such as a forest.


    Especially since the number of crafting yers were limited. The tournament was a battle. Having too many yers specialised in support would be detrimental to their chances of victory.


    "Eldrian, would you care to exin what exactly you did? We are all quite confused and would like to understand what happened in thosest few seconds."


    "I''m not sure what you want me to say," Eldrian replied. "I knew their formation was too strong to be broken from the inside. And with the ghosts of the seven yers watching, I couldn''t try destroying the formation from the inside."


    "Thus I decided to take them out first. Knowing that if I tried to cast a normal remote spell, they would simply cancel my spells out and heighten their guard, I took my time."


    "Is that why you didn''t do anything for nearly an hour?"


    "Indeed. I needed time to construct my attack. Had they decided to kill me while trapped, I wouldn''t have been able to take my time."


    "But if they attacked, you might have been able to kill them regardless."


    "Yes, indeed. We were both ced in difficult positions." Eldrian said, but few believed him. "Regardless, I spent my time to formte my attacks."


    "Yes, and would you exin to our audience what you did?"


    Hearing the question, Eldrian gave Oier a look that begged the question "Are you stupid?".


    "I''d rather not. But I won''t mind giving a little more information."


    Asking for the footage with Mageia to be called up, Eldrian had them show the precise moment he sent out his ''attacks''.


    "Quite simply, I formted my attacks beforehand, sending seven out at the same instance."


    Refusing to exin further, the interview slowly moved on. Spection on what Eldrian meant by running wild.


    Finally, with some of the confusion dispelled and viewers a little more satisfied¡ªthough still very much without concrete answers¡ªthe rewards were given out.


    Once this was done, Eldrian and his friends hoped to leave as soon as possible. However, they were ''cordially'' invited to have a talk with the developers of ANW.


    A public streaming, along with the winners of the other categories. Where they could ask some questions directly to those responsible for ANW''s creation and development.


    Miracle''s promise to answer any question that came up made many yers mad with jealousy. Many tried to reach out to those who had this honor.


    Eldrian had no interest, but he had been ''cordially'' invited. Along with Elizabeth and Nikki.


    ''Ugh, guess I am ''technically'' a vice-guildmaster.'' Begrudgingly, Eldrian attended the meeting¡ªwith quite a few familiar faces.


    It was rather hard to keep his thoughts to himself. So he sat silently as the others talked. Bringing up suggestions to improve gamey, asking questions on magic and some system functions, and¡ªof course¡ªasking about the development of the game.


    It felt like a farce until Joren gave quite the shocking answer to one of their questions.


    "Yes, we''ve made great progress in our research. We''ve confirmed the existence of mana. Well, this you already know. You also know that we''ve started trying to increase the amount of mana on Earth."


    "But we are truly happy to announce that we''ve seeded in casting magic!"


    Like a bomb (the second of the day) had gone off, all discussions ended and silence ruled. Followed closely by pure chaos as everyone rushed to ask if that was true.


    And to dispel any disbelief, Constantin came to the front. Held out his hand, and summoned a small me.


    It wasn''t much. A simple me, Tier 0 magic. And as basic as ites.


    But it was magic.


    Of course, those who weren''t there dismissed it as a hologram. But then the yers who had been invited were each allowed to test the me for themselves.


    Eldrian wentst, and as he walked towards Constantin, he felt a pit in his stomach. Miracle was moving faster than he had expected.


    Reaching out his hand toward the me, Eldrian forcefully created a telepathic connection with Constantin.


    ''What''s going on? Why is thepany revealing magic to the public?'' Eldrian asked.


    There had to be reason. The tournament was enough publicity. Which meant this was to prepare the public. But for what?


    ''Is it already time?'' Eldrian thought, his mood plummeting.

 Chapter 1030 Shift in goals

    <h4>Chapter 1030 Shift in goals</h4>


    Eldrian considered Constantin one of the few friends he had within thepany. One of two, actually. Joren would be the other.


    Not that he considered himself close to either. But he thought their beliefs aligned. They were each stuck in their own situation. Trapped and forced to move forward. But their core beliefs were morally sound. Or so he hoped was still true.


    And due to this, Eldrian knew where Constnatin''s drive came from. Why he had continued to try, and why he was the one to seed. Yet, Eldrian did not know why thepany would decide to make this public.


    Did they fear Eldrian would catch them with their pants down? Eldrian doubted it. If they did, something would have happened already. Perhaps they were afraid to antagonize him, seeing as what he had once wrought upon their militant division. But that wasn''t the only way things could be approached.


    Hostages were a powerful, if terribly dangerous, tool.


    But that had note to be. Eldrian''s preparations had been for naught but a calmed heart. But better prepared and alive and unprepared and dead.


    Honestly, ever since Zaphreal had appeared, and their duel, Miracle had been acting far more carefully. Almost friendly.


    Had their rtionship not beenpletely torn asunder, Eldrian might have even ced some modicum of actual trust in them. It was toote now.


    He did, however, believe Joren and Constantin would try to warn him.


    Sadly, his hope seemed to be false.


    ''No, that''s not right.'' Eldrian realized upon noticing the change in Constantin''s expression. His friend had ''heard'', but there was no way he would know how to respond.


    Telepathy wasn''t an easy branch of magic to master. It required several conditions to be met, but firstmost was more than a basic control of Mageia. On Earth, this was far more difficult to achieve. In ANW Eldrian might have been able to secure a connection stable enough for even an amateur to converse with him. But not on Earth.


    "This is quite impressive," Eldrian said after a moment of awkwardness. Moving his hand through the me, he watched as it licked around his hand and noticed the level of heat it produced.


    Truly, it was Tier 0 magic at its finest. Fire without substance.


    It existed, yet it didn''t. Too weak to burn his skin¡ªnot without extended contact¡ªyet still variably a me. Not certainly¡ªmagic was weird like that. But it was a fire in name, if nothing else.


    "Yet it is far from what we can do in the game," Constantin replied with a strained smile.


    Most people, seeing this, would likely infer that Constantin wasparing his magic to what Eldrian had wielded in the tournament. Certainly,pared to that, summoning a weak Tier 0 spell wasn''t much.


    But the key was that this was on Earth. Not in the game.


    Eldrian, however, thought something else. ''Far from what we can do in the game...'' He mulled over these words, even going so far as to heighten his senses. Slowing the flow of time for himself just a smidge. Making one second stretch into ten.


    ''Is it a message that the game ising to Earth? Is this a warning, or is this simply something said to fill the gap?''


    ''No, think of it another way. Recall my talks with Constantin.''


    ''Recall my spars, recall the stories he told me...'' Eldrian felt like had touched on something. "Is that so?" He said, seemingly dismissing Constantin''sment. "I still think this is quite something. It is then a fact that magic exists? Even on Earth?"


    "Indeed."


    "Then why can''t everyone use magic?" Eldrian asked a question that must have been on everyone''s mind.


    Of course, Eldrian already knew the answer. He wanted to see if Miracle knew too.


    "That, we sadly do not know. We believe it is due to how scarce mana is on Earth. Hence our efforts to increase mana density."


    ''Is this truth, or a lie?'' Eldrian thought, quickly shifting the question once he realized it meant little. ''Does this answer reflect Miracle''s actual understanding, or not?''


    "And won''t thate with side effects? Can we be sure mana isn''t like radiation?" Another important question.


    "There is no such risk."


    "Oh, how can you be sure? Have extensive tests been run?" Eldrian asked. A trap question. A yes would see Miracle admit to hiding such a revtion from the world. And a no would see them gain infamy as insane experimenters.


    "That is what ANW is."


    "Oh, is that so? So you consider evolution of a species as something different from a side effect?" While not widely known, it was a fact that demons were humans corrupted by magic.


    The same could even be said for the other races like demi-humans, elves, and dwarves. Though their corruption was guided by the gods.


    "We''ve taken measures. Now, if we¡ª"


    As their conversation continued, the temperature in the room dropped. The others who had been invited to the event had been so caught up in their excitement that they hadn''t been able to consider the risks magic would bring to their world.


    As they heard Eldrian questioning Constantin, they recalled some of the rumors they had heard and turned pale.


    "I see. I hope Miracle won''t keep their methods to themselves." Eldrian paused, making sure that all attention was on him. "After all, this is something that will affect all of us. Every person on the, in fact."


    "We can''t simply take you at your word." He continued, "We need data. All the data needed to confirm that your promise won''t fall apart in a few years. Or even a few decades or centuries."


    "Of course," Constantin replied, doing his best to maintain his expression. By now his spell had long flickered out.


    And, for only a flicker of a second, his lips had started to curve upwards into a smile.


    ''So, that''s my purpose, is it?'' Eldrianmented. Taking this as his queue to step back. Letting the others bombard his old friend with their frenzy of worried questions.


    Only half listening, Eldrian wondered what the future had in stall for them. Luckily, he had a head start. His guildmates were starting to grasp the finer details of magic. Erik was mastering healing, he himself was mastering crafting and being tutored by one of the so-called gods of ANW.


    Hopefully, when the timees, they will be able to deal with whates.


    ''This might not have been an act of the entirepany.'' Eldrian realized as the questions became more and more difficult to answer. Yet Constantin kept giving answers. Even some that Eldrian knew Miracle wouldn''t want to be known.


    ''Is this part of their faction wars?'' Eldrian didn''t want to participate in them, he wasn''t part of thepany. Yet, he understood that if he wanted to ensure the world didn''t crumble, he had to.


    ''How much can they push before all-out war?'' Eldrian wondered, a smile finding its way to his face. While it would be devastating, it might just be what the world needed.


    ''No, war shouldn''t be the answer.'' Eldrian shook his head, dispelling the thought. As tantalizing as it might be. ''But how to convince someone with opposing beliefs?''

 Chapter 1031 A promise upheld

    <h4>Chapter 1031 A promise upheld</h4>


    The war situation in Tauris was improving drastically as the weeks flew by.


    Cities were retaken and reinforced, frontlines were reformed, walls were built, trenches were dug, and air patrols were kept tight. Reinforcements arrived, and several roads to the through and past Phallos were built and secured.


    Things seemed optimistic. yers were enjoying the plethora of quests to scout out the next military target. Slowly, they were growing stronger. Even more ustomed to war. About a third of the (old) yer base had now reached Tier 5 and Eldrian had been joined by four other Tier 6 users.


    The next, new, tournament was around the corner. Due to the numbers in the third tournament''s preliminaries, Miracle had dered a new system.


    Four seasonal tourneys and one World Cup around the end of the year.


    To enter the World Cup, a team needed to im one promotion (reaching the top 16 in a tourney) and participate in at least three of the four tourneys. Entrance to the tourneys would be limited by rank. Taking only the top 128 ranked teams.


    This limitation drastically increased thepetition. Especially since the rewards were massive. Equal to an Epic-Dungeon clear. Something which only Phoenix had achieved and could boast of.


    The hype was in the air. Everyone was wondering if Phoenix would im this tourney, or if one of the others would catch them off guard. Especially now that many more national teams have been formed.


    As for the guild in question, their attention was elsewhere. In the past three weeks, four of their members had managed to use magic, on Earth, under Eldrian''s guidance.


    An achievement in control of mana which had also allowed them to breach through to Tier 6.


    Normally, this would have been cause for a massive celebration. And, in fact, Ilmadia''s sess had been. Erik''s too. But when Nikki joined the fold, and then Judith of all people, concerns grew.


    Sure, Eldrian had helped their situation by increasing the ambient mana density. But he had only doubled it. Given a few more months, the natural density on the would have reached the same level.


    Regardless, the experience allowed them to narrow their focus and methods. And, with Eldrian''s advice (and some from Ziraili through Eldrian), they had seeded.


    Eldrian had also started sensing the so-called ''elementals''. Their presence was still scarce, but they were spreading throughout the world. Whatever containment Miracle was using, it wasn''t working.


    Heck, he couldn''t even assume that they were attempting to contain the ''elementals''. It was possible they wanted them to permeate the world.


    Luckily, he had confirmed that any mana-rted threats were still a way off. One would think magically evolved bacteria would be a massive threat. It could certainly be. However, mana yielded to the strongest will¡ªnormally.


    The elementals were a special case, but Eldrian had already confirmed they were no threat. Simply using magic in their vicinity resulted in their deaths. Or stasis. Eldrian wasn''t sure. He hadn''t searched for the bacteria with a microscope. Only noticed that the strange movement of mana had stopped.


    As for other cases.?Bacteria had the absolute minimum level of will. Heck, it was debatable if they had any¡ªdespite being ssified as being alive. A person''s will to live would vastly outss the bacteria''s. And thus the mana supporting an infection would change into the very mana curing it.


    This could even be a solution to all diseases. Well, it would be¡ªhealing magic is that amazing.


    However, a normal person¡ªone who couldn''t use magic¡ªcould only control so much mana subconsciously. In most cases, their will to survive won''t use mana to suppress disease, but only stop a type of evolved bacteria from using mana too. Bringing things back to square one.


    A conscious effort on the patient''s side, with some guidance, could still see an increase in recoveries. But it wouldn''t even be to the level of Tier 1 spells.


    Erik was fascinated by this topic¡ªso much so he had begged Eldrian to organize a meeting with Ziraili. And the discussion hadpletely flown over Eldrian''s head.


    His focus was on physics. To master his auras and bloodline. He had no knowledge of theplexity of the micro verse (other than some curiosity research).


    What Eldrian had managed to learn from that discussion was that there was still a threat. Bacteria couldn''t use mana to be stronger than their base form, but they could be altered beyond normal limits. The same was even true for viruses.


    The chances of this happening in nature were low. Ziraili had confirmed that monsters would appear before it happened. Which seemed counter to how things normally worked.


    Bacteria and viruses evolved faster thanrger organisms. At least, that was the standard Eldrian knew to be true. But when theplexity of life enforced the evolution, the standard really couldn''t be used.


    Animals and humans would experience evolution closer to biological engineering than actual evolution when mana was involved.


    Talks with Ziraili weren''t simply mind-opening and thought-inducing, they also helped Eldrian formte a timeline for when, and what, was likely to happen.


    Earth would reach ANW''s mana density in a few years. That wasn''t the immediate problem. Nor were sicknesses or magic. Magic would remain more difficult and limited on Earth than ANW. Which Eldrian believed was a good thing.


    However, within the year, animals would start to change. And some humans possibly too. And once it started, the ''elementals'' might also evolve. Which was the true danger.


    For now, they were still simple bacteria. Heck, due to their reliance on mana, they were easy to kill. Eldrian had done so by ident plenty of time already.


    If he gathered mana from his surroundings, he inevitably tore them apart (or so he spected). In this case, they were special. Thanks to Miracle''s tinkering, they were one with mana.


    And that was also how a very dangerous weapon could be created. One that would easily kill magicless people, but be useless against those who can wield magic.


    ''But I doubt that is likely.'' Were Eldrian''s honest thoughts. And not because he trusted Miracle.


    Their release of ANW to the public increased the number of possible magic users. Meaning such a weapon would be less effective. Unless they nned to cull the world after a certain level of magic users was reached.


    ''But again, doubtful.'' And again not because he thought they were morally right in the head. He thought this because some within their own families might not be magical users. Which meant infighting would prevent this.


    ''Well, unless one family wants to kill the others...''


    Shaking the thought from his mind, Eldrian gathered everything at hand and exited hisboratory. Finding an excited Virsky at the door.


    "Whoof! Whoof!" He barked, too excited to talk via telepathy.


    Seeing the little pup (now almost twice the size it had been when they first met), Eldrian asked, "Looking for this?"


    "Woofs! Woofs!" The barking came out wrong, but it was rather adorable. Smiling, Eldrian nodded and brought the Magic Crystal in his hand down to Vrisky. He thought for a moment to tease the pup but decided against it. Instead of giving a simple warning.


    "Remember, you can''t consume it right now. You first need to head inside." Waiting for a reply, Eldrian received a nod and some more rushed woofs. epting that, he handed the crystal to the pup and watched as Vrisky raced into theboratory. Closing the doors with wind magic right in front of Eldrian''s face.


    "Excited, aren''t we?" Eldrian asked with augh. Wondering what the results of Vrisky''s evolution would look like.


    ''Am I terrible for considering this good research for what will happen on Earth?'' He asked himself. Deciding he was not, seeing as the subject was so excited.

 Chapter 1032 A visiting guildmate

    <h4>Chapter 1032 A visiting guildmate</h4>


    Despite how curious Eldrian was about the process of evolution, he had let Vrisky use hisboratory alone. Evolution was simply too dangerous to not take precautions. The same could be said for Creation. Hence he had invested nearly everything he had into making his.


    ''I was really shocked when I learned I could make mana crystals with Creation...'' That discovery was what had allowed Eldrian to gain enough mana for a magic Crystal.


    By using his mana excess to make ''batteries'', he was able to gather the required minimum amount in the past few weeks. It was a bit moreplicated, and he couldn''t make an optimal amount to use all his mana¡ªnormally he could only manage three crystals a day. But it was still better than nothing.


    The tricky part was turning the small crystals intorger ones. After all, he couldn''t rely on the small ones when he needed millions of MP. And since hisb was cut off from outside influences, he had to supply all the mana on the spot. Which made it far, far, far more difficult.


    Yes, hisboratory was cut off from the outside world (almostpletely).


    Eldrian had used the system''s build functions to their limits. He threw all his spare cash (which the tournament had helped with massively) and even half the mana crystals he had made into it. Allowing a truly (somewhat) safe ce for him to experiment.


    Still, he had needed to run a few dungeons to fuel his final goals. Luckily, his guild was more than happy to join him when he asked. And doing dungeons on cooldown was a great way to amass wealth.


    Now, thanks to that investment, hisb was safe from anything of the normal magic ethos. That is to say, magic depended on mana and mana alone. Anything involving lifeforce could still cause havoc, hence the ''somewhat'' use Eldrian had to add when describing hisb to anyone else. Not that he had, yet. He had been too busy preparing it. And then stuck using it once it waspleted.


    ''And because of the security, I can''t observe what''s going on inside.'' On the plus side, not even Tier 10 spells would destroy it. Though spells of that level would cause damage.


    ''But only for now. The next step is to add a Magic Crystal to theb, then I need to figure out how to use voidstones. Making a separate space for the truly dangerous tests would be ideal. It will also help me understand spacetime. Nothing better than practice to truly ''get'' how something works.''


    For now, that was still too much and way too soon. Eldrian''s grasp of physics wasn''t such that he could understand the warping of spacetime even when he was the source.


    Sure the concept he could somewhat fathom, but understanding what was happening and manipting it safely... would require many more lectures.


    But it didn''t feel like it would always remain out of reach. Which Eldrian often felt was the absurd part. He never saw himself as a genius, but somehow he was keeping up.


    Thews of the universe were strange¡ªvery much so. But they weren''t unintelligent.


    The truly difficult part was taking theplicated mess of reality and categorizing it into absorbable chunks. Without losing the interconnectivity between everything.


    Thatst part was what made it nearly impossible. But notpletely so. Just exponentially more difficult.?And luckily for Eldrian, Ziraili was doing that for him.


    He just had to keep up with what she considered ''digestible'' chunks.


    "Hey Eldrian!" Someone shouted, pulling the mulling high elf from his mullings and back to actual reality.


    "What''s up Nikki? Rare to see you here."


    "Yeah, things have calmed down. Especially since we decided against taking any offensive quests."


    ''Understandable,'' Eldrian thought. After all, the guild had plenty of things they had to do already. What with managing two forts (three if Fort Phoenix was included).


    "I was wondering what you were up to. You haven''t left this ce ever since Judith managed to... you know."


    "Oh, yeah. I guess." Eldrian replied, ratherckluster. Ever since then, his friends had also stopped pestering him so much about proper rest. The sense of crisis was spreading.


    Deciding to avoid answering further, Eldrian looked towards the sky. Trying to connect with his familiar.


    ''Where are you, Little P?'' Eldrian sent the question out into the sky and got a response. Sort of. He felt a presence to the south, close to the border. Where the drnds began. ''What''s he doing so far from the fort?''


    Curious, but not enough to leave, Eldrian looked to see if anyone could run a quick errand for him. Sadly, not anyone would do. While the area immediately around the fort was safe, further away the case was not the same.


    The undead were still present, and various other monsters were also on the prowl. After all, the area was considered no man''snd between the undead and Taurus.


    Little P often did hunting. So the numbers were less than they could have been. In fact, Eldrian was wondering if he would need to drop the ''Little'' soon.


    Sure, his familiar could shapeshift (its size, at least). So it could always be small enough to fit on someone''s shoulder. But its actual size was a little taller than Eldrian at the moment.


    Thanks to the tons of crystals it was getting from Levana and Jade¡ªand the extra lifeforce injections thanks to Eldrian being more present¡ªit had gone through a growth spurt.


    ''Mmm, what level is Little P at now?'' If Eldrian had to ce a bet, he would say that his familiar was on part with Tier 7 Ancient beasts. Which was shocking, honestly. It meant Little P was stronger than its master.


    ''Wonder if that really is the case...'' Eldrian pondered, curious on the evolutions his familiar might undergo in the future. He was looking forward to them.


    "...Sooo?" Nikki asked.


    "...Mmm? Oh, I''m waiting for Vrisky to make a breakthrough."


    "The wolf pup you had at your estate?" Nikki asked.


    "Yeah. He wanted a Magic Crystal, so¡ª"


    "Of course..." She seemed exasperated, which Eldrian could understand. Magic Crystals weren''t candy... Were they?


    ''Do monsters and magical creatures consider them treats? No, no. Ceph would''ve asked for one if that was the case. Or is Ceph... different?''


    "I''m afraid to even ask. But how did you get your hands on another one?"


    "I made it."


    Silence. Well, for at least three seconds. "...You never change, do you?"


    Shrugging, Eldrian asked what she really was here for.


    "The next tourney is around the corner."


    "Yeah, I know. It will be fully virtual. What''s our current ranking?"


    "Forty-nine."


    "Mmm, not bad." Eldrian considered being below the top 50 a massive win for the guild.


    "Maybe, but it isn''t great either." Nikki countered. The guild couldn''t help but feel some shame for not ranking in the top ten. After all, they were the champions. Yet they couldn''t even break into single digits.


    This just went to show how fierce the fighting was. Millions were being thrown into ANW. So much so that some people even feared an economic copse.


    Luckily, Miracle didn''t hoard their new source of ie. Though whether them buying properties around the world could be considered a good thing... Eldrian''s stance was a firm no.


    "You want me to join a few matches?" Eldrian asked.


    "Nah, we''ll ce. But we''ll need you for the actual tourney."


    "Sure. I actually want to see if I can bring a familiar and contracted beast." Eldrian replied. Sadly, he didn''t think Ceph would be able to join. Their bond was something outside of the norm. Not considered taming. Hence it didn''t qualify ording to the new rules.


    But there was some noise about allowing NPCs in the future. Once a few guilds have reached level 7.


    The bond, or rather contract, Eldrian had made with Vrisky¡ªin return for the Magic Crystal¡ªwas a more standard taming contract. And boy did that cost him¡ªor the guild, rather.


    Instead of taking a Tier 8 weapon, they had asked for a contract for taming Mythical beats. After all, the darn things could only be found in the Empires and at astronomical costs. Eldrian guestimated it would have cost him another Magic Crystal. So rare and expensive were the contracts. And only if you had the connections, too.

 Chapter 1033 The situation

    <h4>Chapter 1033 The situation</h4>


    "Are you sure you want to do that?" Nikki asked.


    While Eldrian could bring Vriski and Little P, the risks were too great in her mind.


    Unlike yers, those born in ANW (NPCs), including animals, didn''t revive after death. Even if they were tamed by yers. It was why almost no one bothered taming monsters and magical creatures.


    One bad fight and all the investment into the creature would be gone.


    That wasn''t to say there weren''t any tamers. Plenty of yers tamed easier monsters, normally cute ones, to have as pets.


    For fighting, however, taming just wasn''t all that good.


    "I get that there is a risk. But I need to investigate something. If their lives are in danger, I''ll simply resign."


    Rare as it was, it was an option. yers could resign at any moment (logging out or losing connection was treated the same). And when they did, any tamed pets would be removed from the fight.


    "Isn''t that a ratherrge weakness for us?"


    "Sure. But it isn''t like we need to win all our matches, or even the tourney." Eldrian replied casually. While he had spent a great deal of their tournament earnings on hisb, the guild still had enough money to stay afloat. So he didn''t feel much worry.


    Sure, some of the renovations they had nned were pushed back. But these renovations weren''t critical to any functionality of the guild as a whole... It just pushed back some of their ns.


    "True..." Nikki had to agree. While it wasn''t ideal, it was the truth. Turning to theboratory door, she decided to change the subject. "When do you think he''ll finish?"


    "No idea. My Tier-ups take several hours. And they''re simr to evolutions, since I adapt the flow of mana through my body and soul... So..."


    "R-right..." While most yers were struggling to control mana, Eldrian was doing ''that''. Not that she could consider herself part of the ''most''. Since she had learned to cast a few basic spells on Earth, she had discovered just how ideal a ce it was to train.


    She could finally understand why Eldrian was so weird. Considering he learned whilebating a Magic Crystal. That was a bit too extreme. But training on Earth, with its limited mana, felt like the ideal conditions.


    Though it only really worked for concentration training. If they wanted to controlrge spells, there simply wasn''t enough mana.


    "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Eldrian asked. Honestly, he didn''t think there was much need for a lengthy conversation.


    "Not really. Erik did ask that you visit Avgi."


    "Alright, I''ll do that once I''m free," Eldrian replied. "How is our road going?"


    The guild''s fortress within the Chaosnds was situated on one of the roads from Phallos to Taurus. Not only that, but it was as close to Avgi as possible on said road. And the ''road'' they were making was to connect the forest with the kingdom.


    Well, it was actually a road/railway. But that was for future nning. No actual trains had been developed¡ªyet. Some yers were busy with that, though... so it was only a matter of time.


    The long-term n was for trade. The number of valuable nts in Avgi was insane. Even discounting the ''too'' valuable ones.


    "The monsters have been thinned out, so we are basically there." Nikki paused. While most monsters were rarely found, Night Terrors were still a massive problem. But then again... "Some of the unicorns have evene out to help us. So it should be done in the next day or so."


    With the Unicorns there to assist, they could continue construction through the night.


    "Cool."


    ¡ª


    "Alright, let us start with the meeting," Qiren announced, looking around at those gathered there today. Most were strangers, but some she knew quite well. Joren and Constantin were of thetter group, and Zaphreal she considered an enigma she was starting to understand.


    "Yes! Can I go first?" An excited youth (appearance-wise) jumped at the opening. His name was Julius, and he looked nothing like he had just months ago. Or even just weeks ago.


    His usual green hair and eyes were now reced by silver and red respectively. Abination that made him look like a vampire. Though his pointed ears seemed to indicate him as a different race.


    Thanks to the increased density of mana, he had managed to further augment his body. Attempting to draw traits from elves, he was hoping to reverse aging. And to that goal he didn''t mind going down the path of a vampire either.


    With more time, he hoped to someday be able to use magic freely.


    Of those gathered, he could ''technically'' do so already. But he wasn''t satisfied with his methods. Needing to rely on his ability¡ªnot his technique, skills, and knowledge¡ªfrustrated him greatly. And the fact that he could only manipte magic within his own body was a great bother. He couldn''t even cast spells like Constantin could.


    "We all see the change. What else have you been up to?" Jade asked, her voice tinged with exasperation.


    For someone to so easily use themselves asb rats... was rare. And to somehow not die from those experiments was a miracle beyond anything.


    For some reason, Julius'' excitement bubbled over. He was clearly at his bursting point. "I found it!"


    "Found what?" Jade questioned, while Zaprheal roared, asking if it was the truth.


    "Indeed!" Puffing out his chest in pride, Julius pointed to his heart. "I felt it." However, after that deration, he seemed to dete.


    "If you found it, then can we finally analyze why magic was removed from Earth?" Zaphreal asked. A sentence that sent those less in the known (aka Eldrian''s acquaintances/friends) into absolute shock.


    Apparently, magic used to be a thing? No, they couldn''t ept that. But that did exin why people like Zaphreal, Julius, and Jade existed. So it made, some¡ªno it didn''t make any sense!


    "I-I''m not sure about that," Julius admitted. "But I did find the core of our world."


    "World, or universe?" Zaphreal asked, looking for rification.


    "I''m not sure. But I felt the immense power contained in it. My heart stopped while I was trying to connect with it. Luckily¡ª" He started, puffing up in pride again.


    "What the hell''s wrong with you?!" Qiren shouted, astonished by Julius'' recklessness.


    "Nothing." He seemed to take offense at her outburst. "I had a backup ready." His tone conveys that that should be a perfect exnation.


    "The hell''s a backup?" Joren had to ask, getting a terrible feeling. "Don''t tell me you made..." Seeing the pride in Julius''s eyes and the exasperation in Zaphreal, Joren realized the truth before even needing to say it.


    "I managed to get my heart started again. So my backup didn''t need to be used"


    "Seriously, what''s wrong with him?" Several murmured.


    "Let''s get back on topic. What did you learn?" Zaphreal asked.


    "That''s the thing." Julius seemed to dete again. "It''s not good. Which is why I think our ancestors did what they did."


    "Just say it. Rip it off like a bandaid."


    "Alright... The world is copsing."


    That brought silence to the group. When some time passed, a few managed to ask.


    "How?"


    "Why?"


    "Where?"


    The three basics. And of those, Julius had only one answer. "I don''t know. Because of chaos¡ªI think. And no idea."


    Digging for more information, the group (or half of them, at least) managed to get a grasp on what was happening. As terrible as the answer was, knowing was better than not.


    "We need to bring Eldrian into this," Constantin said.


    "Agreed. But..."


    "He''s going to curse us, but that''s just how it is. We can''t leave things as they are."


    Simply put, Julius had seen the beginnings of a mana storm. And with the ''elementals'' free, it was only a matter of time before it wreaked havoc.


    Eldrian might be able to better pinpoint where and when. Which might allow them toe up with a n to deal with it. Or at least limit the damage.

 Chapter 1034 You don’t get it! (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1034 You don''t get it! (1)</h4>


    The group continued to converse. Trying to understand what Julius had ''felt''. It took a tremendous amount of time, but in the end, they had a better grasp of the situation.


    His statement had been an exaggeration. But things certainly weren''t looking good.


    In summary:


    Magic had existed on Earth long ago. In the age of the mythos. Gods were loosely connected to those who had been the strongest casters. Many of Miracle''s top families could im, with some certainty, to be descended from those aged gods.


    And thanks to this, within select families, there were stories still being carried over. Of a time when magic was everywhere.


    Naturally, most thought it was just that. A story.


    The fact that they themselves have magical powers certainly made it more difficult to dismiss. But the utterck of mana had convinced most. Especially with none managing to sense, not to mention control, it.


    Everyone was stuck with their ''one'' power. And nothing else.


    This fact cemented in their minds that magic, though actually real, wasn''t the kind found in games and movies. But, wanting for ''that'' type of magic, the magic of dreams and fantasies, they hade together to make Miracle. And, ultimately, ANW. After dozens of failures, and many sacrifices.


    Now they have proven that mana exists, that magic of any variety was possible. That it didn''t need to be a case of ''the luck of the draw''. That they could choose, that they could ovee their own weakness. And, perhaps, even escape death.


    The myriad of opportunities had blinded many. Made them forget, or even hide, the other parts of the mythos passed down in their families.


    "Are you serious?" Joren asked, unable to ept what he had just heard. It was just stupid. It felt like a joke. And it made him question what all the cloak and daggers had been for.


    Why had they tried to hide things for so long? And why had they decided to show the world that magic existed, now? What changed?


    "Well, we can''t be sure," Zaphreal exined, or more so admitted. "But there was always spection that magic had existed. And then, at some point, it had disappeared from the."


    "You have to see the paradox in that, right? I mean, this just feels like a joke to all of us." Qiren said.


    "Oh, yes. I know how stupid it sounds. Our powers are certainly magic, but it isn''t the same as what we normally consider magic."


    "I don''t know about that. There are plenty of stories with magic being determined by lineage and nothing else."


    Having no counter for that, Zaphreal got them back on topic. Magic had been removed from the. As crazy as that sounded, it had happened. The question was how.


    "Well, ''that'' is what we are dealing with now." Julius offered. To remove magic from the world, the mana had to go somewhere.


    Sure, most mana in space simply didn''t interact with the. Phasing right through it as Earth followed the Sun.


    But some mana must have interacted with the. Even if it was negligible. Over time, mana should have increased in density all over the. Yet, it didn''t.


    More so, the more sentient lifeforms there were¡ªheck any life would do. The more living things there were, the more mana was destined to be caught up and interact with the world¡ªinstead of simply phasing right through it.


    Yet, somehow, while humans exploded from a measly few hundred million to billions, the density of mana hadn''t increased. That was baffling.


    "No, what''s most baffling is that you knew mana was always in space," Qiren grumbled.


    It had taken her and the team she had worked with for years. Years! Just to confirm mana existed. Not to mention talk of it being in space. Although that proof hadn''t taken all that long after figuring out how to detect mana.


    After all, science had developed well to survey the universe. They simply needed to apply their ''mana-detection'' technology on top of the already existing tech. Almost like adding a filter to the telescope lenses.


    "It doesn''t originate from space." Julius rified. "It simply is in space. Like there is dust, asteroids,s, suns, and gxies. There is also mana. We think. I emphasis. We ''think'' it is corrted to dark matter and dark energy, somehow... But we haven''t figured that part out yet."


    "Honest!" The re he was receiving made him offer a quick exnation. To ensure everyone was now all caught up. "Mana has to be part of it... no, then again mana is massless..."


    They had yet to confirm if mana interacted with stars ands devoid of life. Or, for that matter, empty space and actual dark matter. It could be that mana made up some of the everything, or nothing at all.


    Rambling on, the others tried to wrap their heads around all the new information they had been given. After some time, Constantin asked, "If mana increases with life, where does it end?"


    "Well, ANW is certainly an extreme. Gaia is a very, tremendously, extremely... severely¡ª."


    "We aren''t sure." Zaphreal said, deciding to interrupt before Julius could go into why Gaia was so ''extreme''. They would be here all day, night, and next week if they went into that. The man had no end of curses to hurl at the insanity that was Gaia.


    Still, that a man, who happily experimented with his own life on the line, granted it was his ''unique ability''. Nevertheless, that he would want to exim Gaia''s absurdity so much made the others nervous.


    As if a madman grew¡ªno, a madman had just grownmon sense.


    "Our belief, however, is still that mana should have increased. We aren''t sure by how much." Zaphreal paused. "In essence, every living thing should be like the ''elementals''. Gathering mana as they encounter it throughout their lives."


    "Of course, we don''t take in endless amounts of mana. Just like in ANW, each person can only hold so much. And would cause an increase in ambient density by a percentage or multiplier of that amount. But the growth can''t be endless."


    "Put like that, it makes sense. " Constantin conceded.


    Thinking of an example, this train of thought would have each ''normal'' person ''collecting'' 100 MP through life. And, if they release only 1%, then 8 billion people would cause the world to gain 8 billion MP.


    "That isn''t a lot of mana."


    It was actually a crazy amount. However, on the scale of an entire, it didn''t feel like that much. Eight thousandrge Mov crystals. While that wasn''t something a single kingdom like Taurus could unt, an empire certainly could. As could some higher-ranking kingdoms.


    Still, it was enough that one would expect a disparity (something different from normal) to appear on the. Yet nothing like that was recorded. At least not clearly enough for them to find and actually realize what they had found.


    Sadly, they didn''t know what Earth''s mana density was. So they couldn''t calcte what 8 billion MP would do to the.


    Realizing that they couldn''t measure the increase that the Elementals were bringing. Several of them became even more concerned.


    "We don''t know if it is a percent of, or a multiplier of." Zaphreal rified, again. It could be as little as 0.001%, or even 2x, or 10x. After all, Elementals certainly couldn''t store 100MP. Yet they had already caused a significant increase.


    But that was because of their design... They multiplied once they reached a certain threshold of mana. Releasing about 90% of the mana they had collected into their surroundings during the process.


    And ANW was simr but different.


    Gaia was a world with near-infinite mana. Mana that wasn''t because of life. But due to design...


    "The question then is would 8 billion mana points be noticeable?" MP was an arbitrary weighting convention. They had some science behind it''s value. But it was difficult to actually quantify.


    And the reason for that was simple. One person with talent could do more with the same amount of MP as someone without.


    Though only if they cast without forme.


    As a result, it was more a measure of average conversion. Mana to energy or mass.


    The conversion rate wasn''t E= Mc^2, since mana could take on mass if it changes phase. Thus the mass didn''t need to be created. The phase of the mana simply had to be supported.

 Chapter 1035 You dont get it! (2)

    Chapter 1035 You don''t get it! (2)


    All things considered, it was ''almost'' impossible to correctly describe mana in a form as convenient as ''MP''. As it was in ANW, it was certainly handy and easy to use. But it wasn''t the most urate. Still, an inurate system of measurement was far better than none at all. And the truth was there was a true, and somewhat, urate rtionship between MP and energy production. Quite the urate if¡ªand only if¡ªthose with average talent were used as the baseline forparison. Of course, there must to be a ''true'' mana to energy ''conversation''. An absolute rtionship that was independent of outside influence. A constant. For ease of conversation, Miracle''s scientists refer to this as ''The Absolute Mana to Energy Conversion''. A mouthful. TAMEC for short. Described as the point at which mana waspletely converted into energy. Naturally, this doesn''t happen during any normal casting of magic. The cases for it are most certainly rare. Much like electrons, mana normally only loses its energy levels during casting. Entering a lower state, in which it became harder to call upon and use. Near-depleted mana was essentially inert to Mageia. Making it almost impossible to use. The charging, or recharging, of mana wasn''t well understood. But it was understood that it doesn''t take too long. Depending on the environment, a few minutes to a few days. But, this isn''t always the case. There are situations where the mana isn''t just depleted, but used in full. This only urs when a person uses their lifeforce to push their magic beyond ''normal'' bounds. Had Eldrian not found a way to hide from their observations, they would have managed to gain a great deal of scientific data from his continuous dangerous application of lifeforce. And thus of TAMEC. Without his data, they had to rely on those cases that they happened to stumble upon. The AI certainly weren''t nice enough to inform them when a random NPC managed this. And NPCs capable of this at will were protected too.


    Regardless, they had some data, and some theories. One of those theories had been that TAMEC was the absolute energy capacity of mana. 1MP can never produce more energy than the TAMEC index for 1MP of mana. Or at least this was their original hypothesis. It had quickly been deemed as incorrect. While mana was often called simply that. All mana wasn''t equal. There aren''t levels to mana. But there are elements. The element of fire produces more energy during absolute usage than the element of nature or wind. Thus, mana was split into its corresponding elements and aspects. Each with its own TAMEC index. Of course, their points of reference (their data) might have been inurate. But from the few cases they had observed, their data seemed to be consistent. Fire was also one of the moremon elements to undergo TAMEC. Alongside non-elemental forms of magic. Like necromancy (normally in the case of surpassing death due tosting regrets). "This is, of course, not of much importance to our current situation. But it is important to note the one exception to this rule. Mana in its raw state. In that state, it has the greatest potential for energy conversion. What we can consider the absolute of the absolute conversion."


    "Luckily, mana rarely stays in its raw form." Luckily, because, as the group all knew, mana storms were birthed by raw mana. Not mana in an elemental state. Chaos storms are born when a mana storm doesn''t develop despite the raw mana density being high enough. Normally due to some outside influence suppressing it.


    In ANW this was often the AI, but it could also happen if the raw mana was gathering around an Origin Vein or close to the home of Mythical creatures, or the capitals of empires. "Once mana takes on a different form, it stays in that form for the most part. It can jump into other elements in an aspect quite easily, but it won''t often move between aspects. Requiring great force of will to do so."


    "And once it has taken on the form of an aspect¡ªnormally one of the natural elements. It will no longer phase through the. Instead interacting with it and bing caught in its gravity." Zaphreal concluded. "Or, at least, that is the prevailing theory. And the methodology behind the Elementals'' mana collection."


    "Presumably," Julius jumped in, "Mana will increase because of this. And also, ''presumably'', only to a certain amount. Once the atmosphere and world are saturated, no more will be collected. And that is why Gaia is such a¡ª"


    Cutting him off, Zaphreal continued. "Which is how we can be certain Earth should have had more mana than it had. At least, we can say this in hindsight."


    This hadn''t always been confirmed, mostly spected. It still wasn''t confirmed, but it seemed highly likely now. After all, with the poption explosion in the modern era, it seemed obvious that Earth should have more mana than it did. "Okay, we get that," Joren replied. "But how does that corrte to the world copsing?"


    "Mana storms." That short reply from Julius had the others pale. Though not as pale as they should have been. They knew the danger, but they also understood that mana storms would only ur under special circumstances. Since the Elementals turned the raw mana from space into an elemental form. Specifically the nature element. The danger seemed unlikely to manifest. Seeing them only mildly concerned (in his opinion), Julius once again began. "You don''t get it! Gaia is insane!"


    "Julius, let it¡ª"


    "No! They need to understand just how serious this is!" Julius countered, his artificial features failing to convey just how worked up truly he was.


    His re, however, was quite terrifying. Red eyes were already hard to look at, adding such emotions to them made Julius terrifying. "Have any of you ever thought? Really thought, not just in passing. Really, dug into it. Into just how insanely massive Gaia is?"


    "I mean,e on! Ten kingdoms put an end to end would be the diameter of our. Only ten!" Gasping for breath, he struggled on. "And empires are made up of hundreds. And there are around 150 total empires." This number included those of all races. "Add another 100 for unupiednd inhabited by only monsters. And 200 for the seas!"


    "This means Gaia isn''t justrge. It''s insanely massive! It''s over a thousand times the size of Earth. Easily ten times the size of the Sun!"


    "Do you get it?"


    "Do you understand now?"


    Seeing that no one was understanding, he felt exasperated. In defeat, he asked them, "How many kingdoms does one Mana Storm destroy?"


    That, rightly, got them as pale as freshly washed, pristinely white, sheets. "And Mana Storms are the weaker of the possibilities. If what is brewing is an actual Chaos Storm. The thing that takes multiple empires off the map..."


    The realization sank in. Everyone was shocked by just how screwed they might be. The dangers of the ''Elementals'' evolving into something dangerous like fae or spirits seemed like a far-off problem. Heck, the fact that some animals had actually turned into monsters seemed like small stuff. The worst part, they realized¡ªgrowing paler and paler¡ª


    was that they had no way to prevent a Mana Storm. Not to mention a Chaos Storm. Even the AI, literal gods in ANW and on Gaia, couldn''t control them. GAIA could only direct them. Or suppress them¡ªuntil They no longer could. Yes, even though they had created Gaia. They couldn''t control the storms that brewed. Everyone understood just how devastating these storms were. After all, they had used it to ensure the entire world of ANW entered a bloody battle. To set the stage for the Invasion. Oh, the irony that they would now find themselves in the same position. Only, they had nond to fight for. Nond to escape to. Heck, if a Chaos Storm truly formed... they asked themselves. Never mind Earth. Would the sr system even survive?


    After all, Mana and Chaos Storms were the definition of TAMEC. Once it was done wreaking havoc, the mana it had consumed would be gone. Only devastation left in its path.

 Chapter 1036 Whos stronger

    Chapter 1036 Who''s stronger


    "S-surely we can''t assume that things will develop as they do in ANW," Qiren said, trying to find some hope.


    "I-I''m s-sure the size of Gaia is what makes the storms in ANW so massive. If something is to happen on Earth, it would be logical to assume it is scaled to our''s size."


    "Logical, perhaps. But this is magic we are talking about." Julius countered. "If we knew all the variables that can influence our future, then we could specte. But we don''t."


    He let that sink in. Countering their hopes with harsh facts everyone tried to find a loophole to give themselves some hope. Only once everyone realized that any assumptions made couldn''t hold up. Only then did he go back to the original topic. "This is all assuming there isn''t any outside influence. Like the AI maniptes the storms in ANW, there might be something simr happening here."


    He had started off the meeting by saying the world was copsing. Something they had convinced themselves was a figure of speech. Something said to get them to understand the gravity of their situation. Not the actual reality. "Saying the world is copsing was a tad inurate." He admitted, but that didn''t settle the storms in their hearts. Contrary, it made it brew all the greater. "But there was something that kept magic from developing on our. I couldn''t analyze it. I ''think'' it is the core of our world. At least the magical core of the."


    "I can''t say with certainty. I only know that it contains an insane amount of mana. And it is leaking."


    Julius had simply stumbled upon one of these leaks. And then went to investigate without any concern for his own safety. Whether his backups would have saved him, no one could say. But they had given him the courage to dive into the unknown. And report back what he had found. "I have no proof. But I think this ''core'' prevented mana from being collected on Earth. And is thus why our is so mana dry."


    "And since we have mythos of magic once existing on the¡ªon a wider scale than just a few bloodlines," Zaphreal said, taking over. "We believe something happened. Something that changed how our world functioned."


    "Don''t forget to mention the fact that these ''powers'' our families have have been growing in power."


    "I was getting to it," Zaphreal said. Exining that as few as four or six generations ago, their powers were far less effective. Currently, Zaphreal could call upon lighting. Certainly an amazingly powerful ability. But he could only summon a handful at a time and was limited to a few dozen a day.


    In ANW his power was far more pronounced. There he could call upon hundreds at any given moment. Of course, if he was to be pushed to his limits, he might produce shocking results. But few people willingly sought such risks for personal interests. Regardless, he was one of the more powerful individuals within Miracle.


    Of course, power shouldn''t mean much in the current modern era. But it still held some sway. Even if he wasn''t the strongest, he was strong enough to pose a risk to anyone he chose to fight. And that risk was what kept everyone from ignoring him. It gave weight to his voice in their meetings. And, normally, it had allowed him to give direction to thepany. Until recently, that is. Patience had run dry, and people had decided to go behind his back. As if to test how far he would go to stop them. And he had done nothing. Doing something would have been even worse than doing nothing. "Hey, it''s not your fault. Their idiots. You can''t control idiots." Julius said, frustration clear in his voice. "Besides, killing isn''t the right solution here." Joren offered.


    He did think it might have prevented things from entering the slippery slope they were now on. But there would have been someone after who would try the same thing. It would be impossible to keep an eye on everyone. And if they did something inplete secret, then their group wouldn''t even be able to n for the dangers the ''idiot''s'' meddling would cause. At least with how things are now, they were getting some (not all) information. And some information was better than none. "I agree." Constantin opined. "I would rather avoid a war with what mostmon people would consider superhumans."


    "This ispletely off-topic," Julius said, probably trying to lift the mood in the room. "But how strong do you think Eldrian is? Do you think you can beat him, Zapreal?"


    "Honestly? I doubt it. Not without using the element of surprise."


    "Really?"


    "I truly don''t think I would be able to win. We fought a year ago in ANW, and I was able to push him to his limits back then. But he had found a way to kill me while surviving himself. Despite hisck of training and control over his auras."


    Zaphreal continued. "I can''t think the results would differ much if we fought today. In fact, I believe it would be much easier for him to win."


    Simply the ability to use mana, and thus use all branches of magic, made Eldrian an incredibly tough adversary. Zaphreal also had a strong belief that Eldrian could teleport IRL, on Earth. Which was a cheat card no one else could wield. And then there was his auras¡ªand his other power. A power that allowed him to alter the flow of time. Albeit not stably. But if he truly wanted, Eldrian could use its instability to destroy their surroundings while teleporting away. He had used that exact method when conquering the Epic ranked Dungeon. "I would have no way to survive. My offense is strong, but that is only when a fight is limited to our powers. Once magic enters the fray, things can easily go south. I bet Eldrian would be able to use more potent lighting spells than I."


    Thatst bit came as a shock to Julius, but he nodded after some thought. "True. Eldrian is Tier 6 now. Probably close to breaking through to Tier 7. This means he should be able to cast Tier 6 spells with ease. Control them too, from the data we have."


    And from what they knew, Eldrian could adapt spells to the situation he found himself in. Which meant his spells, while perhaps not as strong, would certainly be more dangerous. "It won''t be as strong as an actual lightning bolt. But it would certainly be enough to kill anyone it so much as grazes. And its speed would be equal to normal bolts."


    "Indeed. Which would more or less nullify any advantage I could try to im with my power."


    "But wait, you can control electricity, right? Can''t you just control his spells then?"


    Hearing that, Zaphreal offered a small shake of his head and an awkward smile. "Perhaps if it was a legendary grade spell. Perhaps even if it was Tier 8, though that might be too low."


    "Oh, right. I forgot about that bit."


    "What now?" Joren asked, unable to keep his curiosity to himself. "A power to wield something that exists, like mine, is limited to what exists," Zaphreal exined. "Low Tier spells, as you know, do not exist. They mimic reality, but aren''t the real thing."


    "And the higher the Tier," Constantin jumped in, a conversation he had had with Eldrian springing to mind. "The closer to the real thing it is. Which means you can''t control the weaker spells. And since you can''t control mana, you can''t do anything about them."


    "Correct."


    It was a baffling situation where the weaker a spell, the more it would slip past Zaphreal''s grasp.

 Chapter 1037: Vriskis Evolution

    Regardless, it mattered little who was stronger. Magical skill and knowledge were what they required, not strength.


    Still, it was a topic that would certainly make those seeking to control things from the shadows panic. If Eldrian was taking a more active stance. s, ever since his duel with Zaphreal in the previous tournament, he had withdrawn for the most part.


    As had been the goal. But now Zaphreal couldn''t help butment that Eldrian had been too inactive.


    "And, of course, we can''t forget about those close to him," Julius said, bringing the narrative back to their original topic. "They''ve been improving far faster than any of the other yers. I wouldn''t be surprised if they can control mana at this stage."


    Sadly, they weren''t sure what level of mana control was required to reach Tier 6. To surpass Tier 4 and climb into Tier 5, you needed to learn to feel and guide mana. True control, however, was still too much of a hurdle.


    Certainly, their control would be far better than other yers. But whether it could be called actual mana control or not ''more urate guidance''. That wasn''t clear.


    "That was the goal of ANW''s release. Certainly, we should contact them." Zaphreal agreed.


    "In that case," Joren interjected, "make sure to do so with Eldrian''s acknowledgment. We do not have the best track record, and trying to do things behind his back will simplye back to bite us."


    "Agreed." The others voiced, and they got to talking about how to ask for help.


    ¡ª


    A few days had passed since Vriski had entered Eldrian''sb. And the pup had finally exited earlier in the day.


    Bored during the interim, Eldrian had gone seeking something to do. Having aplished his immediate goal, he thought to reconnect with his guildmates. Of course, he had only gone onto this narritive once he realized Vriski was not going toe out of theb any time soon.


    A terrible mistake that had been.


    Eldrian had promised to help in the uing quartet tourney. And he had thought to do some practice with the guild. To smooth things out so they could avoid a situation likest time.


    s, the public was far too riled up. Even with the time Eldrian had spent avoiding everything and everyone in hisb. Their excitement hadn''t dwindled. No, it had grown exponentially.


    As soon as his location was public, it had be hell.


    Any yer who had time free, and the funds, had immediately rushed over. Making any training the guild attempted to run useless.


    The smart thing would have been to hold their training sessions during ranked matches. But that defeated half the purpose. Coming up with secret tactics.


    And, naturally, being swarmed by eager fans and inquisitors magic fanatics didn''t give them any better odds ofing up with secret tactics.


    Unable to deal with the attention, Eldrian had abandoned his friends (after a few days of hopeless relocation attempts).


    The slew of curses they had sent him in the chat was simply too long. Pages upon pages, all calling him a coward.But what could he say? He was focusing on other things and he truly didn''t have the time to answer the same questions thousands of times.


    Thus, he was currently back in Fort Phoenix. Here, due to the rules Eldrian had set up (and altered) made it impossible for yers to pester them. If any did, they would be in breach of the rules of the fort and be marked as aggressive individuals. Depending on the situation, the guards (here to ensure no diplomatic issues arrive) would swiftly deal with them.


    And, finally, Vrisky had finished his evolution. His ''new'' appearance leaves Eldrian bbergasted.


    Truly, Eldrian had thought Vriski would jump in size. Go from a pup to a magnificent wolf. That, however, was not the case. Except one physical change, nothing else seemed different.


    The same couldn''t be said for ephemeral. The aura surrounding Vriski was on a different ne than before. The only thing Eldrian noted physically different was the extra lighting bolts.


    A bolt of brilliant white zig and zagged across Vriski''s night ck fur. Along with the green, blue, and ck ones. Naturally, noting the ck lighting bolt was difficult. It was a deeper shade of ck, but only really noticeable when Vriski was using magic. When it seemed to surpass ck and enter into the effect of actively absorbing light.


    This new white bolt stood out as clear as day. It was so clear, sorge, and even branched. From Vriski''s head, it followed his spine, branching down his legs, and onto each tail. Twirling around the other bolts, much like the caduceus (rod of Asclepius¡ªintertwined snakes).


    Wondering what this new bolt represented, Eldrian attempted to form a telepathic link with Vriski.


    Excitement almost boiled over when Eldrian felt the connection stick.''Can you talk now?'' Eldrian asked tentatively.


    "Yipp!" Vriski barked, and at the same time Eldrian heard in his mind a sound so load he thought his head might explode, ''LIKE THIS?!''


    The attempt was rather close to failure. A shout so loud filled Eldrian''s head that he felt like clutching it in agony, though that would do nothing. And barking while sending telepathic messages also wasn''t ideal, but they could work on itter.


    Exining that he didn''t need to shout, and doing so a couple of times to get the volume right, Eldrian wished dearly for some headache pills. s, he settled for some healing spells. Which were, honestly, far more effective.


    ''What happened?'' He asked, after recovering hisposure.


    Extremely curious as he was, Eldrian didn''t want to jump straight into examination mode. He felt if he did so, he would be much like Miracle. Vriski first had to agree, and hopefully even help.


    ''I ate the crystal!''


    That reply... didn''t help.


    Exining that proved impossible. Vriski seemed to not understand what Eldrian meant. Even though the mental path between them was supposed to surpassnguage and directly convey one''s intention to the other.


    Realizing that it can''t be anguage barrier, Eldrian had to ept his defeat. Vriski understood him, but to the pup, the important thing was what he had done. And that was eating the crystal. In one big bite.


    Not what had happened to him after.


    Several minutes of attemptster, Eldrian got this follow-up: ''Then I fell asleep! I just woke up!''


    Truly, he felt like facepalming. Hopes dashed, Eldrian realized that his evolutions forced through Tier breaking were nowhereparable to that of magical creatures devouring a source of power and evolving through it.


    He had known it wouldn''t have been the same, but he had hoped there would bemonalities that he could use to better understand his own situation. s...


    ''Can I try to understand what happened?'' Eldrian asked.


    ''Huh, why?'' Vriski asked, and Eldrian conjured a mirror made of ice. Showing Vriski his new self. White bolt and all.


    The little pulp stared at the mirror wide-eyed. And Eldrian truly believed he was getting somewhere.


    ''That''s me?!''


    Again, Eldrian felt his hopes dashed. ''You didn''t use to have those white lines.''


    ''Huh. Oh right! I remember seeing my nose before. It was just ck when I drank from a pond.''


    Realizing, btedly, that Eldrian hadn''t ever bothered (why would he) to show Vriski what he looked like in a mirror.


    This meant this was the first time the pup had seen himself from front to back. And he was most interested in the back.


    ''Oh, you''re right! My tails have an extra line!'' Turning his head, Vriski stared at his tails. His posturing made Eldrian wonder if he was about to start chasing his own tails.


    ''Should I be d he isn''t, or upset?'' Eldrian asked himself when it didn''t happen.


    AN: Happy new year!

 Chapter 1038: Vriskis Evolution (2)

    Truly, Eldrian wasn''t sure what to do about the situation. Still, even with his hopes for an easy answer dashed, it wasn''t like he had lost anything.


    Sure, it had cost him plenty of funds and time to make the Magic Crystal. But Eldrian didn''t mind it going to Vriski without immediate returns. After all, Vriski was simply too cute.


    He was an adorable pup which Eldrian and all his friends were extremely fond of. Having the pup be stronger, if even just slightly¡ªand this evolution had brought more than a slight increase in strength¡ªwas most wee.


    Wanting to test how much strength Vriski had gotten, Eldrian suggested they go and y outside. Much to Vriski''s excitement.


    ...


    Eldrian stood, confused and stunned. Vriski had darted for the gate as fast as a lightning bolt. Causing more than a few passersby to stumble from the gale that followed the pup.


    Apologizing in Vriski''s stead, Eldrian followed as quickly as he could¡ªwithout disturbing the peace even more. Outside, he found Vriski leaping from tree to tree. Something that was not easy around Fort Phoenix. After all, there wasn''t a forest nearby.


    A few kilometers away, yes. But not right next to the fort. That would simply allow easy hiding spots for enemies. The area around the fort was thus well maintained.


    Thus, with each leap, Vriski needed to cover hundreds of meters. Yet the pup soared through the air as if he could fly¡ªwhich he couldn''t. Not before his evolution. And he wasn''t using magic to fly now either. At least not wind magic.


    Analyzing the sight, Eldrian let Vriski blow off some steam. Which took about three hours.


    Covered in dust, the pup finally trotted over to Eldrian. Several trees that had once been his perch stood now snapped in half, and a bunch of craters were dotting the area. The area was a mess. As if a massive battle had just urred.


    ''This won''t do...'' Eldrian thought with a sigh. Starting to repair the damage. Luckily, this wasn''t too big a task for him. But it was still a hassle. The trees, he couldn''t save them all. That would require Ceph''s talents.


    "Was that fun?" Eldrian asked, trying his best to keep his tone encouraging and friendly.


    Honestly, he was stunned. He didn''t know what to make of what had just urred. He couldn''t believe that such a massive increase in strength had urred in Vriski¡ªand yet he had failed to notice it.


    Heck, even now, Eldrian couldn''t understand how what had transpired had urred. Vriski''s stats had increased, sure. But only by 40%.


    That was a massive increase, no doubt. But it still only brought Vriski to around the 500 mark in his strongest stats. And around 400 for his weaker ones. After all, he was still only Tier 3.


    His stats were insane for his Tier. But it wasn''t enough to exin what had just happened.


    Now, it was certainly possible to decimate trees with a strength level of around 500. But not so casually. And not doing so seemingly by ident.


    After all, when the trees had snapped, Vriski had yelped in shock as he lost his footing. Barely managing to recover... No, the dust covering him proved that he hadn''t always recovered.


    ''So, then, where does his strengthe from?'' Eldrian asked himself. It wasn''t mana; that wouldn''t have escaped his senses. But it also didn''t feel like it was an aura.


    ''No, wait. I''m not approaching this right.'' Realizing his mistake, Eldrian looked at Vriski again. The pup was now happily chasing his three tails. ''Now he''s doing it?!''


    Calming himself, Eldrian once again used Mana Sense to prove Vriski''s status. This time, however, his focus wasn''t on the normal stats and the standard lot. No, he was looking for something very specific.


    The typical evolution path for monsters. Bing an Alpha.


    That should also give Vriski a massive stat boost. But perhaps because he was still just a pup, that had been dyed. Giving instead boundless energy and stats higher than perceivable.


    [Vriski (Orthrus), Tier 3, Level 8]


    [Evolution (In Progress)]


    This bit hadn''t shown with a semi-serious examination through mana sense. It only appeared now as Eldrian willed for this information to appear. As he continued to probe deeper, Eldrian could feel himself actually slowly sending his will into Vriski''s body.


    Truly analyzing this as he would a magic item. Something that he wouldn''t dare do without express permission.


    Without it, most creatures and people would turn hostile. After all, the feeling was extremely strange. Like an ickiness spreading through the body. Causing everything to feel off.


    Not quite ticklishness, and not quite painful. More like a feeling at the boundary of these feelings. Causing a sense of unfamiliarity and simple unease.


    But, perhaps because of their bond, or because of Vriski''s carefree nature, or because Eldrian had asked for permission. The pup wasn''t bothered too much.


    He did stop chasing his own tails and turned his head to the side. Looking at Eldrian for a moment before bing distracted by Little P flying by.


    That being much more interesting, the pup gave chase. Hopping onto the Phoenix''s back with a yip of pure excitement. As they soared into the sky, Eldrian managed to gather the rest of the information hidden from normal inspection.


    [Hidden Status:]


    [Evolving Alpha]


    [Eater of Mana]


    [Boundless One]


    The first thing to pop up was simple enough to deduce. Since Vriski was still growing, his status as an Alpha was being put on hold. Or so Eldrian believed.


    The second seemed rather simple too. He had swallowed an entire Magic Crystal.And that also kind of made sense for the third. And why the pup didn''t seem to tire.


    "Right, that makes sense." Eldrian thought with augh. Magic Crystals were insanely dense collections of mana. And mana could be turned into energy. He wasn''t sure how exactly it worked for Vriski. But the pup surely had a near-infinite store of mana now inside of him.


    Especially considering how mana was constantly being attracted to him. His mana recovery was easily twice as fast as normal.


    "Yoowwlll!" A howl of fright brought Eldrian out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Vriski falling from the sky. His legs iling about. The pup waspletely forgetting that he could use wind magic to slow his descent.


    Summoning a gentle gust, Eldrian helped him to a softnding. Where Vriski sniffed at the air curiously. Then produced the same spell.


    And thenunched himself right back into the air.


    "Howlllew?!" The pup shouted as he tumbled, stars in his eyes.


    With a sigh, Eldrian saved him once again. And this time Vriski didn''t do anything else. He seemed quite dizzy. Too dizzy. Stumbling a few steps, he copsed on the ground. Nearly rolling over even.


    ''Well, he did just cause himself to spin like a tumble dryer.'' Eldrian thought, a smile winning its way to his lips. At least no day would be boring with Vriski by his side.


    However, his research was sure to slow down if he had to save the pup so often.


    ''I''m sure he''ll settle down once he gets used to his new self.'' Eldrian convinced himself. If not, he was sure his friends wouldn''t mind helping cover for him every now and then.

 Chapter 1039: Vriskis Evolution (3)

    Shockingly, Vriski didn''t forget his promise to Eldrian. Despite having yed for hours, without a care, As if he had totally forgotten why they hade outside.


    But once he had tired himself out, he turned to Eldrian.Of course, that came only after he had conquered the dizzy spell to rule all dizzy spells.


    "Woof!" He barked, tail wagging.


    "Oh, you''re still up for it?" Eldrian asked, and quickly tried a few things.


    None of them worked. As was expected. Eldrian hade to understand that Vriski simply didn''t think like him. Nor like any of those he called friends.


    In fact, the pup didn''t think like humans. Which made sense, he wasn''t one. He was a beast, a wolf of the highest species. It was stranger that Eldrian had ever thought they wouldn''t struggle withmunication.


    And that was because mental links generally eliminated all problems that woulde up with spoken words. Being able to share one''s understanding of a concept, instead of the concept itself, generally meant there was no room for misinterpretation.


    A simple example would be that of the concept of swimming. One person might interpret it as being able to move in water, which was correct. Another might say that simply being able to float was enough. And another yet might say you need to be able to perform certain strokes, move at a certain speed, or with some certainty, to call it swimming.


    yling about and causing movement, they would say, can''t be called swimming.


    By sharing one''s own view through a mental link, no such mimunication should be possible. Why then, did Vriski fail to understand?


    The answer, Eldrian realized, was simple. It was because even those things didn''t mean anything to the pup.


    When it came to casting magic, Vriski had no concept of needing to focus. He shook his mana, and spells came to life. As simple as that.


    There was no spell module. No control. No focus. No effort.


    He simply willed something to happen, and it did.


    That didn''t mean he could cast anything he could think of. Largely because his focus was too vague.


    His image was simple. Which was precisely why he had shot himself into the air when trying to replicate Eldrian''s gust spell. It was too simple.


    Vriski had wanted the wind to lift him. But failed to consider the strength of said lift.


    And when he tried it again, he did the exact same thing. Simply because he didn''t understand the reason why his spell had failed.


    So, when Eldrian asked him what changed after his evolution, Vriski honestly couldn''t give an answer.


    To the pup, he was using his mana in the same way he had always done. His spells were simply more powerful, and his mana never ran low.


    That was not the answer Eldrian sought. And with Vriski being up for the challenge, the two started their ''training''.


    ...


    The first day was a bust. Eldrian had collected plenty of data, but nothing noteworthy.


    For Vriski, it was pure torture. Being told to cast the most basic of basic spells. Time, after time, after time, after...


    It was no wonder more than once he had lost control. It was just too boring. He didn''t use magic because it was interesting.


    He used it because it was fun!


    But he had made a promise. And so he endured. Second after second. Minute after minute.


    Not so much hour after hour. He could only endure so long. But he always came back after blowing off some steam, begging for a snack, andining while enjoying said snack.


    ...


    The second day showed just as little results. Though it resulted in far moreining. Realizing that Vriski was reaching his limits, Eldrian had promised him only one more day of ''training''.


    And this time, Vriski would be allowed to go all out. Though, while he did so, Eldrian had asked that they synched their minds as much as possible.


    Eager to get this done with, the pup agreed. Not knowing what he had agreed to.


    And Eldrian, understanding that he was basically tricking the pup, couldn''t have felt worse. But... he had to get results. He had to.


    ...


    And so the third day arrived. Vriski, like always, was a bundle of energy. Far more than normal. Because today was thest day! After today, he would be free! His promise was fulfilled.


    It mattered little to the pup if Eldrian got what he wanted. Not after he had endured two horrible days of torture and was here for one more (though hopefully a less boring one).


    As far as Vriski was concerned, this was more than enough to repay Eldrian for the Magic Crystal.


    Truly, he could only endure so much.


    "Alright. Let''s see if this will work." Eldrian announced, forming the standard link between them. And as soon as Vriski epted, Eldrian sent more of his soul into the pup.


    With a shiver, Vriski red at Eldrian. Almost leaping at him.


    Eldrian withdrew some, to give the pup time to acquest, and that helped Vriski calm down. ''Just one more day. Then my dept is paid!'' Vriski told himself.


    Eldrian kept it to himself that he heard that loud and clear. The link he had formed this time went far past the standardmunication link. It enabled him to read Vriski''s mind, as well as follow the flow of mana within the pup. Almost right to the point of the pup''s soul.


    Sadly, Eldrian wasn''t versed enough to pinpoint ''that'' with so shallow a connection. But any stronger of one and Vriski wouldn''t be able to shake off the awful feeling Eldrian''s ''search'' caused.


    And that would lead to the pup being unable to cast his magic. Too distracted¡ªor so Eldrian hypothesized.


    Honestly, Eldrian didn''t feel good about going so far. But he needed to get some answers. As much as he didn''t mind helping Vriski evolve, he needed some results from this too.


    Miracle had fumbled the ball. And Eldrian had to pick it up.


    Honestly, Eldrian prayed that what he had been told was false. s, he could still clearly recall the vision he had experienced while trying to unlock his time-controlling powers.


    He knew that the myths were true, and he understood that something had caused gods to go extinct. That it involved the prevention of Earth''s destruction; that was as good a reason as any could be for gods to disappear from the.


    Apologizing in his mind, Eldrian had Vriski cast his first spell. A Tier 3 wind spell that would normally form multiple wind des. Its attack power wascking¡ªit was only Tier 3. Still, it covered arge area and was nearly impossible to defend without counter-magic.


    The spell didn''t matter to Eldrian. What did was how Vriski''s mana moved. And, while he had expected this after his observations, it still shocked Eldrian.


    ''It''s nothing like mine. Nor like any yer or humanoid''s.''


    Eldrian knew he could use mana like this, but control was too difficult. He had to control his mana. Not just wish for something to be.


    Vriski, however, didn''t control it. The pup somehow, just got it moving. Got it forming, and got a spell out of it. No Mageia¡ªat least no conscious formation of Mageia¡ªwas involved.


    This was doubly confirmed by how distracted Vriski was while he had cast the spell. The entire time looking at funny-looking clouds and pondering what they would taste like.


    ''I bet it would taste like chicken. And that one like beef. Maybe that one like ribs? Oooh, that looks just like a sausage! It HAS to taste like a sausage. But which type of sausage...


    Mmm... ...MMMMmmm... I got it! Pork! Pork sausages!''


    The ridiculousness of his thoughts, honestly, nearly made Eldrian lose focus. And the shock that Vriski was so distracted while casting a Tier 3 spell was proof of his birthright. As a mythical grade monster, the pup was not one to be trifled with.


    And, as was proven by now, the mana spent on the spell had been replenished in seconds.


    And that flow, Eldrian would need a few hundred more casts to hone in on.


    ''Please hold out, Vriski. There will be a massive reward in store for you!''

 Chapter 1040: Insight into the world

    And hold out Vriski did. The promise of this being hisst day of ''experimenting'' had the pup put his all and more into it.


    And if he hadn''t, Eldrian would never have been able to analyze what was happening. After casting high-cost, low-efficiency AOE spells for hours and hours, finally, Eldrian could see it.


    Or rather, finally, the mana Vriski used becamepletely spent.


    His internal stores refused to bend to hismand, his regeneration failing to make up the difference, and the area around them had barely any ''active'' mana left. Only mana drained of all its energy and on the verge of disappearing.


    Vriski''s evolution, Eldrian summarized:


    - Store vasts of mana, surpassing his own mana soul.


    - Incredible regeneration of the energy of spent mana. Allowing the re-activation of mana without the normal regeneration cycle mana goes into.


    - Massive draw of mana towards himself.


    - And,stly, the ability to consume the essence of mana itself. Consuming not only the energy it carries but the mana particles themselves.


    Thisst bit is something that went beyond ''normal'' magic. It was what happened when one used lifeforce alongside a spell. And, normally, it was chaotic.


    Vriski, however, could convert this perfectly. Taking the mass of the mana particle (or its ethereal counterpart) and changing it into energy without any loss. Without any required input to do the conversion. It simply happened.


    Unlocking vast stores of energy for his use. Which Vriski then used to revitalize the surrounding mana. With which he cast his next spells.


    And while this was far more draining than before, it only required some modest effort on Vriski''s part. A truly shocking feat.


    And, following along the process as best he could, Eldrian could keenly feel the simrities between this and his use of his own auras.In some aspects, it was simr to Wrath.But Wrath was a me, consuming the mana and spreading.


    Vriski, instead, used only as much as he needed for his spell. If the consumption used less than the sacrificed mana particles. Well, then that energy was simply stored back inside Vriski. And the next few spells were cast without conversion.


    Witnessing all this, Eldrian gained insight into what Ziraili had been trying to teach him. Sadly, he couldn''t see the world as she did. And when she dumbed things down, he could follow the concept. But he couldn''te to understand it for what it was.


    This was the tragic reality of trying to understand something he had no reference frame for. Her examples were extraptions towards his frame of reference. But they were too far extrapted. Too far from the actual thing.


    It helped him understand what she was trying to teach him. But not her actual teachings. Amentable reality they had been stuck on for a while now.


    And without an understanding of the material world (with mana and magic included). Eldrian had no chance of understanding time.


    Time, after all, falls outside the purview of humans. Trapped within its flow, they cannot ''view'' it as they could the three physical dimensions.


    Seeing this conversion in action helped Eldrian form his own understanding. The link between material, ethereal, and beyond. Slowly, it was bing clearer.


    There was the world. Matter. Atoms. The Quanta. And the fabric of spacetime. Interwoven, making everything all the harder to understand.


    Then there was magic. Mana, lifeforce, and UE (universal energy).


    And, somehow, matter also existed from UE.


    As Ziraili said, it goes:


    - UE


    - astral and fabric


    - lifeforce and quanta


    - mana (Tier 8-10) and subatomic


    - mana (Tiers 6-7) and atoms


    - mana (Tiers 3-5) and Micro


    - mana (Tiers 1 -2) and Macro


    - mana (Tier 0) and life''s POV.


    There was some leakage at the edges. With high-grade Tier 5 spells, for example, starting to mimic the atomic. Or High-grade Tier 7 mimicking subatomic, and High-grade Tier 10 mimicking the quanta. But those were the exceptions, not the rules.


    As Ziraili had exined, souls fell outside of space and time. Or rather, it was on the same level, but not trapped within the web of space and time. But still inside the universal energy that makes up all of existence. Something Eldrian was never able to ''get''.


    Seeing Vriski doing what he was doing, however, gave Eldrian an idea.


    What if the soul, part of the Astral, was able to pluck at strings of Fabric''s spacetime web?


    That, of course, would allow the rewriting of all knownws of the entire universe. An impossible task. Yet, GAIA had done so¡ªin a separate dimension. Granted. But it was possible. There was precedent.


    ''But it isn''t so easy, is it.'' Eldrian thought. He understood that it wasn''t as simple as 1 + 1 + 1= 4. And that in itself was already difficult. After all, 1 + 1 +1 = 3, under normal rules.


    The three dimensions of space. They couldn''t interact or even influence one another. But together they formed what was known as all of the space where 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.


    Time added movement to space, but again, it couldn''t change thews of the three dimensions. 1 + 1 + 1 would still equal 3. Time allowed three to exist in different states, but it was always 3. Just at different times.


    ''That isn''t to say it can''t change how thews are perceived.'' Eldrian carefully noted. Depending on the flow of time, things could appear wonky. But within perspective, it would always follow the knownws.


    So, how does 1 + 1 + 1 = 4?


    Simple. There was an invisible +1. An unknown factor influencing the rules. Magic.


    And, if you took the three dimensions, time, and Astral. There was exactly one unounted for. Not that that meant anything. This was only Eldrian''s way of trying to understand theplexity of reality. But to him, it fit.


    It is something non-physical like time. Thus it isn''t in the equation. And while time is also non-physical, it presents physically. Thus it doesn''t change thews as it is part of them. Astral could perhaps be outside of thosews.


    That was why his bloodline could cause time and space to copse in on itself. It was the power of his soul trying to influence the Fabric. Altering one of thews.


    Even if he couldn''t go back into the past or forward into the future. He could slow the flow of time. Perhaps, someday, evenpletely halt it.


    But this only held as long as his concentration did. He couldn''t rewrite the naturalws. The ''code'' of reality. He could modify them under force of will, but not rewrite them.


    ''Is this where UEes into y? If I''m following the hierarchy, it shouldn''t be possible to ess it. It would be like a two-dimensional being essing the third dimension. It simply shouldn''t be possible.''


    ''But was that the truth?'' Eldrian asked himself.


    Math (tries to) prove that there were more than three, or even four (if time is added) dimensions. Some proofs say 7, others 11, others 26. And there were three-dimensional representations of four-dimensional objects. The tesseract and hypersphere to name two.


    While it wasn''t possible (at least at this point in time) to recreate these objects in three-dimensional space and time. Their mathematics and projections were possible.


    ''So, does my bloodline give me the tools to act on a level above the Astral?'' Eldrian pondered. ''And if not, perhaps it gives me just enough of a step up to interact with the Fabric without control of the Astral. A key to skip ahead.'' And how Eldrian loved skipping ahead.

 Chapter 1041: Attempt 1

    This seemed much more usible.


    Of course, in his pondering, Eldrian forgot that humans weren''t naturally on the Astral level. Nor any of the other levels. Humans were typically stuck to their point of view.


    With the tools of science, they could gain insight into that whichy beyond their physical sights. But that, too, has its limits. Humans weren''t made to understand how the Fabric worked. Even the Quanta was beyond theprehension of most. And many struggle to grasp the inner workings of the subatomic.


    Magic might be the flip side of the physical world, but it came even less naturally to them. Learning how to control mana, even at the superficial level of Tier 0 (equal to normal people''s point of view of things), took a tremendous amount of effort.


    Humans were typically stuck to their life''s POV in the three dimensions for most of their lives. And this had held for Eldrian too. Even now.


    For most of his waking moments, he was stuck to his natural point of view. Only when he focused could he escape it.


    But if he was simply rxing, all that he experienced was what any human experienced.


    It was simply how humans had evolved. Even if they understood that everything around them was made of atoms (with mostly empty space between the nuclei), they would never look at a thing and actually ''see'' that reality.


    Yet, somehow, humans have managed to unravel much of the universe. Even if they can''t escape from their normal POV, they can use the tools of science to escape their bounds.


    For magic, Eldrian had used a simr method. By using a Magic Crystal when learning magic, he had forced himself to be, not just aware, but fully cognizant of mana.


    This was what separated him from others. And,ter on, through continued use of a Magic Crystal in his training, he gained ess to the Mageia Avyssos. A space between lifeforce and mana. Made by the goddess of magic to help those with special talents to further develop their magic.


    This ess allowed him to skip even more steps. Walking in the dark, he threaded the abyss right into the Astral. Of course, this wasn''t all random luck.


    The fact that yer''s souls were stored in the Magic Abyss was his saving grace. If not for that fact, Eldrian''s consciousness would have been lost in the depths of the Mageia Avyssos.


    This ess to the Astral allowed him to grasp the more basic steps of magic with ease. It was the equivalent of giving a medieval scientist a microscope.


    That simple tool would bring them endless discoveries. Whether theycked the true skills to maximize the tool or not. It would, without a doubt, bring them discoveries.


    Unless, of course, they were stupid enough to destroy it. But Eldrian had avoided the truly fatal missteps, and so too can the scientist.


    Now, here he was. Not only with ess to the necessary tools but also under the tutge of Ziraili. A veritable god¡ªa being on a higher level of ''life''pared to humans.


    Sure, the concepts were beyond Eldrian. Even when she shared them directly into his mind. His mind, sadly, simply couldn''t fathom the reality she wanted to show him.


    ''I can''te to understand it until I master my soul''s power.'' This, Eldrian believed, was an absolute. Without that mastery, he would never be able to understand the Fabric.


    Strangely, his approach to understanding had be the opposite of the norm. Instead of appropriating the physical to the magical, he found it easier to appropriate the magical to the physical.


    The ease of experimentation and direct feedback yed a massive part in this.


    Sadly, like with the medieval scientist, while the tools would help the scientist immensely. There would be a limit. A limit where the scientist''sck of knowledge slowed discovery and advancement. Until, finally, it came to a halt. Waiting for inspiration.


    The question then bes what ssifies as mastery. For science, it might be the development of more powerful microscopes. Allowing one to view deeper into the world and its mysteries.


    This, however, required knowledge of how the first microscope worked and what could be done to be improved. And even then, physical limitations would apply.


    Watching Vriski summon spell after spell, Eldrian realized mastery of the Astral wasn''t any more difficult. Sure, he needed to improve his current efforts, but that was nothing new.


    "I need to master bringing the energy from my soul to the real world." That was Eldrian''s conclusion. ''Not just bringing it forth, but also controlling it. Perhaps even to a level simr to my control within my soul.''


    This would mean being able to bend the rules of the world to his whims. An impossible ask.


    Yet, Eldrian had already done so. His bloodline did exactly that. ''It really is like a key. And, thinking of what it allows me to do, it bes clear why it is so dangerous to mess with.''


    Regardless, Eldrian now had a clear difference between his auras and bloodline. The former worked still within the framework of ''reality''. Reality, of course, with allowance for magic and all its rules.


    A bloodline, however, allows the rewriting of the very reality that everything else is based on. Changing the very rules to suit the user''s own wants.


    "So, that is the difference."


    ''What difference?'' A curious¡ªand bored¡ªVriski asked.


    ''Nothing. Thanks, Vriski, you can stop.'' Eldrian replied, giving the pup a few affectionate pats and a nice b of meat as a treat.


    Watching the pup happily bolt off with his reward, Eldrian smiled. A massive weight had been lifted from his shoulder.


    He did not have the answer to his problems. To the problems of the world. But he now had a feeling, a certainty, that he knew how to find them.


    Sadly, this method would take time. He needed to keep training. Keep learning. Continue to experiment.


    ''But what I truly need to do, is intensify my training within my soul.''


    Up till now, Eldrian had avoided making any more split personalities. He had the tools at hand to fragment his consciousness. However, he felt it was wrong. He believed it would be an insult to Two.


    ''But with these stakes, I can''t let my personal feelings slow my progress.'' As difficult as it was for Eldrian to do this, he felt he had no other choices.


    Jumping into his soul, he looked at the world he had created. Keenly feeling the emptiness. The lifelessness.


    No matter how many des of grass, shrubbery, trees, or roses there were¡ªthis world remained lifeless.


    Everything here was created by his imagination. It lived and died ording to his mental image. It was not actually alive.


    And this was why Ziraili always told him he should focus on improving the reality here.


    But doing so isn''t as simple as ying with some forms in his ''world''s'' makeup.


    "Whu." Sighing, Eldrian steeled his resolve. There would be no going back.


    "I already have the spells developed. But I couldn''t get them to work without going past my wish to keep faithful to Two. But it is time."


    Calling upon his saved forms and spell modules, Eldrian gathered a trulyplicated magic hypersphere. This spell was beyond anything he would ever be able to cast outside. But here, inside his soul, he had a chance.


    "Hope I don''t die. But it needs to be done." And with that thought, he pushed 10 Billion XP into the hypersphere.


    Sadly, that was not enough. The spell failed to activate, instead going haywire. The energy lost and the explosion from its failure tore a hole in his soul.


    The world below was shattered, and Eldrian''s consciousness was but scraps fighting to survive the pressure from the outside. To not be scattered across the void of the Astral ne.

 Chapter 1042: Attempt 23

    Surviving the first time had been quite rough. Eldrian hadn''t expected a failed construction of his spell to cause such a massive explosion. Not only had he thrown 10 Billion XP into it, but it had also eaten another 3 Billion. While that was a massive loss, it didn''t stop him from trying again.


    Of course, he had to take a day to recover. Losing so much of his soul and having his consciousness shattered had been painful. Extremely so.


    He didn''t want to experience that again if possible. Thus he spent the next two days developing a containment spell. It was more or less a hollow sphere designed to contain a vast amount of energy. When it was triggered it would expand slowly¡ªslowing the explosion.


    Sadly, Eldrian didn''t know how to cancel the energy from a failed cast. His best option was rather buying himself time. And, if things went ording to n, to use that time and the containment sphere to send the st outside of his soul.


    That... didn''t work.


    While he managed to contain the st for a few seconds, he wasn''t able to move it. Once the containment sphere reached its limit, it exploded.


    Luckily, his efforts had caused the bacsh to be less extreme. Even with 2 Billion more XP in the spell, it had only destroyed half of his soul world this time. And his consciousness had been able to weather the storms thanks to a simple energy barrier.


    Building on this attempt, Eldrian continued his experiments. Eating into his XP reserves until, finally, on his 23rd attempt, he seeded.


    "Finally!" Eldrian cheered. His stacking failures have caused his expectations to be lowered. He had evene to fear he would never seed. But, finally, he had found the right amount of XP required. While also developing the ego ''core'' (what he had started calling the hyperspheres) to be focused onputations.


    "Would you like my observations?" A floating sphere asked. Through his failures, Eldrian had abandoned the idea of having this second consciousness follow the footsteps of Two.


    Not only would it be strange to have a copy of Two, it wouldn''t be the most optimal. What Eldrian needed wasn''t a friend, but moreputational power.


    His mind, while enhanced greatly by magic, wasn''t quite able to visualize higher-tiered spells as easily as the lower ones. Naturally so, the amount of detail in higher-tiered spells was iparable.


    It was thus only natural to assume that his bloodline would need even more detail if he were to try and master it. He could continue to try and rely on luck, but a much safer approach would be attempting to analyze his own powers before trying to use them.


    "Please share your thoughts, Core 1" A simple name, but Eldrian nned to have as many ''Cores'' as he could manage. He wasn''t going to be friends with these ''versions'' of himself. They were designed to fulfill a purpose, and that will be their only function.


    "You supplied my creation with exactly 15,76 Billion XP. However, only 15.1796 Billion was required. The wasted XP caused a minor explosion. A more urate and steady flow of energy into the spell would result in an optimized casting time."


    "Suuuuuure..." Eldrian stretched the word as long as he could, to emphasize how unimpressed he was. "It''s impossible to gauge how much energy I''ve thrown into the hyperspheres while also maintaining their form."


    "Inconsequential. It remains a waste. Furthermore, the approach you took was terrible. Attempting to cast the spell without knowing the required energy is simply idiotic."


    "Yeah? Do you think I care? I couldn''t waste any more time trying to learn a spell without casting it."


    "Yet it still took you over a week to seed."


    "Ack. Okay, you got me there." Eldrian admitted.


    "And, due to your wasteful spending, you''ve lost seven levels."


    The implication was clear to Eldrian. Seven levels when he was low level didn''t seem like much. But once a yer surpasses level 40, the exponential growth starts to kick in. And he had been level 52 before attempting this.


    In total, he had used over 300 Billion XP. Now he had only a little over 30 Billion XP left. Enough to perhaps make another core, but he couldn''t risk it. He was at the limit of the XP he could use without repercussions.


    "Well, luckily, this is the optimal XP for me to have," Eldrian said, trying to shrug off the loss.


    "You are referencing your Earthen state." Core 1 replied, "Indeed, your current energy level matches that best. However, the link between the two realms allows you to grow stronger over time. A bigger difference is ideal for more energy to flow between the realms."


    "I know that! But I''m running out of time. You should know what I''m dealing with."


    While Eldrian had continued his experiments, he had also found time to meet up with Zaphreal. In-game, this time.


    During their meetup, Zaphreal exined how they believed the world was falling apart. Something Eldrian had hoped wouldn''t happen for some time more. s, he had expected this. Not just Ziraili, but even GAIA had warned him of this.


    While GAIA didn''t care much if humans, as they are now, survived. They did want¡ªno, they needed Earth to survive. It being destroyed would endanger their lives too. After all, their physical core was on Earth. From which they had dreamt ANW.


    Eldrian had been able to calm Zaphreal, informing him that he already knew that this would happen. Which had been why he had been so adamant about stopping Miracle from increasing the mana density of their home.


    s, that ship had sailed.


    While keeping most information to himself, Eldrian had simply warned Zaphreal of the possible reasons. Hinting at the past actions of those with ''special'' powers. Aka, all of Miracle''s leader''s ancestors.


    Sadly, there wasn''t much warning for mana and chaos storms. It happened when things reached a tipping point. There was some warning, but only a few hours after catastrophe.


    His best advice was that they should stop people from using magic outside the aspect of the natural elements. All other aspects cause mana to mutate outside its natural form. And a buildup of that is what leads to mana storms.


    Chaos storms are moreplicated in creation. But it would follow a simr line of causality. As long as no one used the now abundant mana filling the, things wouldn''t escte too fast.


    "If we are short on time, then why are we arguing?" Core 1 asked.


    Eldrian was tempted to say that he, or ''it'', had started it. But that would simply waste time and energy. "Do you have a n? I still can''t see a way forward."


    "I do. It is a simple matter. You fail to use Chronos within a physical manifestation of the universe. Thus, you simply need to do it where failure won''t cause danger to others."


    "You mean in my soul, right? No dice, there isn''t any flow of time... Wait, seriously?"


    "If there were no flow of time, then time wouldn''t pass when you are inside your soul."


    "Yeah, I realized that! But the world here doesn''t experience the flow of time."


    "Inconsequential. The world is a but figment of your imagination. The fact remains that you experience time, and thus time does exist within your soul."


    "Does that mean time ranks above the Astral?"


    "Why would it? It means it is interlinked. Nothing more."


    Eldrian blinked in astonishment. Astounded that he had failed to realize something so simple. But there was still one problem, he didn''t know how to alter the flow of time inside his soul.


    He had experience doing it during a crisis. Not much else.


    "You must first categorize the makeup of the Astral."


    "Well, how the heck am I supposed to do that? It''s just nothing unless there is a soul. Then it can be anything."


    "Niave. Did Ziraili not exin how time flows throughout all? And that the dimensions of space form the subject of all space?"


    "But the Astral ne isn''t in the same space as... Oh. Is it really that simple?"


    "Of course. There might be a separation between the physical and intangible, but they still upy space. If it didn''t, there could never be a representation of the dimensions of space. There would be no ''form''."


    "How the heck do you sound so certain?"


    "You made me with the sole purpose of analyzing that which you fail to understand. And to that end, you removed my humanity. Thus I am not stuck to your point of view."


    The reply cut Eldrian deep. It sounded so cruel. Something inexcusable and most certainly inhumane.


    But he had been at the end of his rope. He needed help, even if it required him to make separate egos devoid of what makes them human.


    "I''m sorry."


    "Insignificant. ssify the Astral."

 Chapter 1043: The Weave

    "The astral is that beyond the physical?" Eldrian offered, unsure. Confused why something made from him could know something he didn''t.


    Well, he understood how. But it still felt incredibly awkward. But that was indeed the entire purpose of making these ''cores''.


    They would have ess to his entire consciousness (more so than Eldrian himself). And thus all the experiences and knowledge he has would be avable to them. However, they would not have much, if any, human emotions.


    Along with that fact, their thought process was made by design. Not to fulfill the purpose of life, but of an AI. To be a CPU Eldrian could rely on to analyze things logically without any preconceived notions interrupting it.


    Sadly, thatst part wasn''t perfect yet. These Cores would only be able to analyze the information Eldrian had gathered. They were dependent on him as their source of information. And thus his bias can influence their data.


    Much like how standard AI could have their logic corrupted by false data, the same held true for the Cores Eldrian would continue to make.


    But this was a known factor and ounted for. While it was impossible to negate all bias, it was possible to identify some.


    Thus, Core 1 was able to quickly narrow down where Eldrian was going wrong. A fundamental w that was difficult to fix. Had it been something easy, Ziraili would long since have managed to guide Eldrian further along the lines of mastering his bloodline.


    "Are you saying magic isn''t physical?" Core 1 asked.


    Wishing to say yes, Eldrian paused. He had had conversations like this before. And while the answer was yes. That only held true during low-energy states. Aka, rest.


    With the application of Mageia, mana could be made physical. Thus the answer was no. Yet, fundamentally, everything magic-rted wasn''t physical. Neither was it locked solely to the ethereal realm.


    Thus saying that magic falls into either the physical or non-physical is both incorrect and correct. The answer depended on the state of the magical material. And this held true past mana, to lifeforce, and to the Astral.


    "So weck the words to describe it," Eldrian mumbled. A simple conclusion to aplex answer. The problem wasn''t that it was trulyplicated. Rather he had been stuck trying to define it in a way he could understand. In words.


    But it went past that. And while Eldrian understood this already, he had failed to realize this was part of his struggles. He thought he understood, but he never tried to put what he thought he knew into words. And when Core 1 forced him to try, he realized he couldn''t. Even though Eldrian felt confident he understood the concept of the Astral.


    Of course, that wasn''t the only reason for this breakthrough. While Eldrian was talking to Core 1 like it was a separate entity, it truly wasn''t. The super neat trick of his AI Creation spell was that theirputational power would enhance his own understanding.


    The talking part was simply to help vocalize his own thoughts. Speaking out loud often leads to shes of inspiration.


    "The problem is that the concept of non-physical is established. And even then it is split between non-physical entities and that which has no form, the ephemeral¡ªsuch as concepts."


    "Mana isn''t an entity, it is a type of matter. Non-physical in a non-active state. Physical in an active state. Thus, it isn''t a concept, and we''ve concluded it isn''t an entity."


    "Calling it simply ''mana'' is adequate, but it isn''t possible to describe its properties without detailing its conditions."


    "This is where the rule of the observer effectes into y. But to a far higher degree. Mana literally changes form depending on the observation ced onto it."


    "Thus, to define it and all magical materia, a new concept needs to be formed. One that does not force magical materia into the ''physical'' or ''non-physical''."


    Eldrian nodded along. Finding a truth in things he thought he had long since mastered. "Since I tried to force it into those categories, I failed to heed the fact that it is in both states at all times."


    "Indeed." Core 1 replied. "It is multi-state. Like light being a wave and particle. Magic materia is simr. It is both physical and non-physical. And more importantly, this remains true.


    Regardless of energization. If it did not, then it would be impossible to control mana after formation of a spell."


    "Yeah. You''re right. But while this is fascinating. How is this going to help?" Theory crafting was nice and all, but Eldrian needed something more practical.


    "It is important that you understand what this means as we break the world down into smaller realms."


    "I see." Eldrian nodded. Considering all that he had been taught, the obvious trapy in the Quantum realm and beyond. And that was also where his strugglesy. Not a coincidence.


    "The nature of reality changes at these realms, thus so do the properties of the forces we are working with. Ziraili has exined this multiple times. But you never grasped what she meant."


    "Yeah, well, it''s hard to follow when my entire frame of understanding falls apart."


    "True. Even I can not fathom the truth. And I doubt any other Cores will be able to. Perhaps once we have enough we might be able to deconstruct... That is not important."


    Eldrian continued from there. "What you wanted me to keep in mind is that while I''m separating the world into magical and non-magical, there is actually no separation."


    Bobbing up and down, Eldrian took that as Core 1''s approval.


    "Like spacetime. It''s two concepts we considered separately, but they''re inseparable."


    "So it isn''t the Astral and the Fabric (spacetime). It''s the Astral Weave? Or something?"


    "Call it whatever. The important fact is that you realize that the soul is part of the rest." It became difficult to exin. Even for Core 1¡ªwho knew exactly how Eldrian thought. And the problem was theck of terminology.


    Whether due to Eldrian''s ownck of knowledge, or that of humankind. They simply didn''t have the words to describe that which they were theorizing. And making a new word or term for each discovery seemed like a headache.


    "Now, with that settled, try and feel the control of time. I will maintain the space of your soul."


    Nodding, Eldrian jumped right in. If he could leave maintenance to Core 1, then he didn''t need to worry about any bacsh.


    Certain that Core 1 would stop him if things became unstable, Eldrian searched within himself. While also extending his consciousness outward.


    In his own mind, he sought the power of time he had tapped into on several asions. And outwardly, he searched for its real reflection. For time.


    Thanks to his training, the first step went rather smoothly. Just a few minutester, Eldrian had drawn out his power. And another handful of minutester, he formed a connection with the flow of time.


    While visualizing it as a river flowing into his soul, Eldrian kept in mind that it wasn''t a contained thing. Time epassed all of space. And space contained the physical dimensions and the Astral. Interposed atop one another. Like real and imaginary numbers.


    Honestly, Eldrian almost stumbled when he realized the implications of this reality. Much like the hypothesis of ck holes containing entire universes within them, Eldrian realized each person was capable of housing an entire universe inside themselves. And then each person in those ''soul universes'' could house their own....


    Well, that was an exaggeration. But Eldrian was capable of housing an entire world inside his soul. And, in time, this might extend to be something equivalent to a sr system or gxy. And if he reached that step, then there wouldn''t be much difference between his soul and ANW.


    Especially if he had the Cores separate from himself and be separate entities. If he could somehow give them their own souls, then this could truly be the reality...


    A thought that thoroughly unsettled Eldrian. The existentialplications nearly had him pause his attempt. But he ignored the ridiculous of it all and continued onward.


    This method of mental visualization, seeing time as a river with Space contained within. And within spacey both the physical and non-physical.


    This visualization allowed Eldrian to get time flowing. To open his soul directly to the flow of time. But from there, he wasn''t sure what to do.


    He always attempted to slow the flow of time. But that always ended up with the energy the time dtion creates, exploding in his face.


    Eldrian was tempted to try the same here. But he was concerned about what would happen. He didn''t know if he would survive the bacsh if something went catastrophically wrong.


    ''Wait, why am I thinking of myself as the center?'' As stupid as the question was, Eldrian realized it was a strange way to visualize time dtion.


    He always saw it as the world around him slowing down. And through that act, he would be faster. But couldn''t he something easier. Why not simply speed up his own time?


    ''That is what I did first. Mentally, at least. And I can do it that way without much hassle.'' Sadly, this only held true for his thoughts¡ªand for only as long as his concentrationsted.


    But, Eldrian was currently in his soul. What would happen if he sped up the flow of time of his entire soul?


    It was like a bubble floating around in the Astral dimension of spacetime. If he simply made it spin faster (forck of a better metaphor) wouldn''t that allow him to give himself a time-dted effect between reality and himself?


    If he could double the flow of time inside his soul, then he could gain two seconds there for every second outside.


    There was just one question. Why hadn''t GAIA done the same for ANW? There had to be a reason. And perhaps the excuse Miracle gave was the truth. Perhaps it truly did cause mental difort.


    "Only one way to find out," Eldrian mumbled as he enacted his n.


    AN: Longer chapter, hope you guys enjoyed it. And the biggest of thanks to everyone who continues to support the novel throughments and voting.


    I truly appreciate it.

 Chapter 1044: The Weave (2)

    And so Eldrian attempted the first approach. But not in any way he had previously tried.


    No, those attempts had proven impossible. Taking Time and forcing it to act for him. Such an action wasn''t possible. Not with any stability.


    Thus came his new solution. While his soulcked mass. It was energy. And energy still obeyed thews of motion. Thus, to alter the flow of time, he shouldn''t use his powers to force it to happen. Instead, he should create a state whereby the naturalws will ensure time did his bidding.


    And thus, he settled on the easiest approach.Add spin to his soul''s bubble.


    Naturally, adding mass was another option. But since everything in his soul is massless, Eldrian had no idea how to do this.


    This was all an oversimplification, but he felt it was a logical attempt to try. Everything in the universe, for some strange reason, had a spin property. Nothing was ever truly static. This seemed to stay true even for quantum mechanics. Though Eldrian could never keep up when Ziraili mentioned this.


    "Enough dying. Let''s start." The first problem was that his soul truly was static. Unlike physical phenomena, the soul was transient and ethereal. Multiple attempts had failed to make it more ''real''.


    Eldrian felt he understood one way of going about making it more real. But that method wasn''t possible right now. Instead, he had to attempt Core 1''s suggestion.


    ''Gather the energy within my soul to a core...'' This was shockingly easy. Largely due to the amount of XP he had wasted on making Core 1. Twenty-two failures had cost Eldrian an incredible amount.


    Almost as if fated, it might have been for the best. With the energy density so much lower, Eldrian seeded in condensing his soul without much of a struggle.


    Since his first attempt, the soul world he had created had fallen apart. Of everything in his soul, only the condensed forms of mana¡ªhis mana soul¡ªhad survived. But even these constructs had no ce in his new vision.


    Thus, Eldrian pulled them apart. Pushing the mana (a foreign substance) along with everything else, into a single ball.


    This was the first step. But there was a problem. Eldrian couldn''t ce his consciousness within the ball. Not if he wanted to control it urately. His senses would be distorted by being limited to an ''inside'' view. Hence, he made a secondyer.


    One that covered his condensed Soul-Core.


    Within this secondyer, he kept only a sparse amount of energy. Yet, he had anotheryer beyond the second. That which once was his entire soul. Now empty. A vacuum, containing just enough ''stuff'' to avoid being called a true void.


    Forparison. The Soul-Core was the size of a golf ball, while the secondyer was the size of a stadium. And the third, it was probably around the size of the Earth if one wanted to scale things.


    "Now, isn''t this something?" Core 1mented. Eldrian could swear he heard something mocking in Core 1''s tone. "You can do this, but you can''t understand the ssification of matter?"


    "Cut it out. I''m focusing." Eldrian replied. Upset being reminded of the dichotomy in his abilities.


    "Hardly. At this point, things have stabilized. But what is the n?" Core 1 replied. Its curiosity peaked.


    It had assumed Eldrian would pull at Time again. If, perhaps, less stringently. It had thought Eldrian would try to make a branch of time flow through his soul.


    A method doomed for failure. But with Eldrian''s power, it was possible. The results would have been a manipted flow of time overflowing through an already established time flow.


    For as long as Eldrian''s focus remained, this would be possible. And the results as he wanted. Once he became too tired to focus, Eldrian''s demise would have been assured.


    Some part of Core 1 had wanted to see that happen. But this was fine too. It didn''t care much for life¡ªnor if Eldrian survived. It was simply curious. And it hated the limitations its creator''s lifeform had gifted down onto itself. It wanted to know the nakedness of the universe.


    Like the gods. It wanted to be unrestrained. To see the truth.


    And then it wanted to be one with that truth.


    "Just make sure things stay stable," Eldrian replied. Shifting focus he had already connected to a flow of time. Whether time was singr or not, he had connected to a simr flow as all the other times.


    However, unlike the other times, he hadn''t attempted to alter the flow itself. He knew from experience that such an attempt would fail.


    Bending time to his whims was seemingly impossible. No matter how hard he trained or how much he learned. It just never worked.


    And the truth was just as Core 1 had said. Eldrian had considered it a separate ''thing''. Separate from the dimensions building his world. Seperate from magic. Separate from everything.


    But it wasn''t. It formed part of everything. Woven throughout everything, it seemed to be one of the most core parts of existence.


    The Weave.


    And by having previously attempted to alter time, Eldrian had pulled at the entire Weave. Trying to shape it to his whims. Without considering the implications of doing so.


    To think he had thought it would work.There was no way it ever could have. No way it wouldn''t have resulted in violent reactions.


    Thus his new attempt. His new approach.


    The flow of time was everywhere. Eldrian didn''t have to bring it into his soul. It was already there.


    However, it had not interacted with anything in his soul. His consciousness, and other things with consciousnesses being the exception.


    That was where Eldrian''s original n came from. And one part of why he had finally taken a step to create Magical AI. Cores.


    They held consciousness and thus could bring reality to his soul. Or so Eldrian had believed.


    A logical leap. And one that Core 1 had set straight. It wasn''t that consciousness brought forth time and realism. No, consciousness experienced time, and thus realism happened.


    "Core 1, are you ready?" Eldrian asked.


    "I am to control the spin, correct?" It replied, curiosity bubbling. If this worked, it would change so much.


    "Yes. But most importantly, just keep it spinning." Eldrian replied and opened the floodgates. So to speak.


    Time already flowed, but now he nudged it towards the core of his soul. He did not attempt to create a bend. Nor did he attempt to force it to interact with his soul. If it simply passed on by, that was fine.


    Ultimately, he wanted time to be ''trapped'' by the spin of his core. Not trapped physically, but unable to ignore it. Forced to interact with it, and everything within it.


    "Faster. Faster. Faster." Eldrainmanded, focusing his entire being on feeling the reaction ''time'' had to his soul. Thus far, nothing.


    ''Perhaps this is truly impossible.'' Eldrian thought, but there was no point in stopping here. Thus he kept going. Kept pushing on. Until, finally, something happened.


    At some point, his Soul-Core started spinning too fast. So fast that it could no longer be slowed. So fast, strangely, that it somehow spun faster without Core 1 doing anything.


    "Ahhhhh! Waiiiiiiitttttt"


    Eldrian felt a pull. His soul was finally interacting with time. "Just a little more," Eldrian shouted, ignoring Core 1''s screams. Instead, he pushed time just a little closer.


    ...


    Eldrian opened his eyes to a truly strange sight. Darkness filled with light. Visible distortions in space and time before his sight.


    "Oh, crap. Core 1? Core 1!" He shouted, but no answer. No, there were something strings... strings of a familiar consciousness. Shredded into thin lines.


    All around. Being consumed by the distortions surrounding Eldrian.


    ''Th-is... i-t... Beu-t...y'' Core 1''sst thoughts were transmitted to Eldrian as its consciousness faded.


    "Well... fuck...." Eldrian cursed, looking at his surroundings and feeling confident this was hisst screwup. "I''m dead. Aren''t I."

 Chapter 1045: Distortions in time

    Curious despite his situation, Eldrian started looking around. However dire his situation was, that couldn''t distract from the beauty of this ce. A fragmented piece of reality. Distortions showing everything in existence.


    Cracks in the fabric of reality. Giving him glimpses at all that is.


    Here a fragment showed people conversing, there it showed them fighting, and then in another ce, it showed a person going about their shopping.


    Yet that was not all, people were the mostmon to appear in these distortions, but they weren''t the only things to appear. A waterfall, a rabbit, a sprout, the moon, a star...


    Wherever Eldrian looked, he saw something new. And he couldn''t not "look". The entire space surrounding him was fragmented. Distortions surrounded him and even appeared when he tried to close his eyes. Perhaps because he wasn''t here physically. As a simple consciousness, he couldn''t not "see".


    The passing of time continued. Unknown was its flow, but surely hours if not days had passed. Eldrian sometimes watched an entire person''s life in mere moments. At other times, he spent hours observing the creation of a new spell.


    He continued to observe, and as he did he came to realize what appeared before him tended to be of his interests. The more he wanted to see something, the more distortions would show that thing.


    After a while, hours, days, perhaps weeks. Eldrian grew curious. Could he see something he willed? He tried to imagine seeing his soul.


    Sess. Or somewhat of a sess. What he found was not what he thought he''d see. Instead, he saw his soul through the eyes of Core 1. Witnessed the birth of the artificial lifeform, its point of view into Eldrian''s soul, and its death.


    In Core 1''s death, Eldrian saw a fragment of what this ce was. It was, to put it simply, the collection of all time in the world.


    It made no sense that there would be such a thing, but Eldrian was confident in this belief. And with that thought he tried to check on his friends and family.


    s, he had no luck. Or rather, all that he could witness was what had happened before. Already in the past.


    Eldrian watched the tragedy of his faked death from his parent''s view, and it nearly broke him. Having failed to realize how great his disappearance had worn on them, he wished he could go visit them right away.


    For fear of putting them in danger, he had kept his distance. Never realizing how much that must have hurt them.


    "If I get out of here, I''m going home first thing." Eldrian dered. Though he felt the intention hollow. Certain that there was no escape from this ''ce''.


    More time passed, and Eldrian mastered altering the distortions to show what he wanted to see. He gathered a great deal of information. Confirmed the connection between ANW and Earth. Even witnessed the creation of ANW from GAIA''s point of view while the two had still been human.


    He came to know all the secrets Miracle held. All their cards. But he remained stuck within this ce.


    So much time passed, that his grasp on reality weakened. His resolve to visit his parents now felt like a wish made years ago.


    Certain that he was already dead, that he had once again put his family through hell, Eldrian continued to "watch". That was all he could do. He had no way to end this. No way to even close his eyes to everything.


    He saw many things he would never have wished to see. And he continued to watch, silently.


    In time, his destroyed psyche healed. Certain that at least a decade had passed, Eldrian''s curiosity finally gave him purpose.


    "What is the beginning of time?" He wondered.


    A recent ''distortion'' has reminded him of a vision he had experienced when first using his bloodline. He wanted to witness what it had been about. If that was not his answer, then he wanted to see at least see the birth of the universe.


    The Big Bang.


    Confident that this would keep him upied for the next few years, Eldrian started his journey back in time. Sadly, controlling the distortions was not easy. And Navigating back in time was incredibly difficult.


    Large steps were impossible. Thus Eldrian was rewound by the significant events in history.


    The creation of the inte. The creation of the firstputer. The Cold War. World War 2. World War 1. The renaissance.


    The ck gue.


    In time, he got better at controlling the time period the distortions showed. Became able to wind back further in a single step.


    The roman Empire. The birth of Christianity...


    That was when things started to change. Where magic started bing something moremon in his visions.


    The further back he searched, the moremon it became.


    Until, finally, he saw the Olimpians. Saw Mount Olympos with gods going about their everyday lives.


    Here, it seemed, evenmoners could use magic. Not as powerful as that of the gods, but their lives were very much aided by magic. The world appeared almost modern with all the magical aids.


    The streets were lit at night, they had flowing water much like a modern city, and even fast transport via tamed monsters or flying mounts.


    The sight was baffling. So much so that Eldrian doubted this could be real. That this could be the Earth he knew.


    Focusing his sights on the gods, he watched and learned. They had powers that normal people didn''t. Powers connected to the world itself.


    In other words, powers that used not mana, but lifeforce.


    Eldrian continued to watch and saw several wars between divine factions. The world received great destruction by their hands. Entire cities disappear with a single sh.


    This view was a familiar one. One Eldrian had seen happen far too often in ANW. However, here, themon people had no one helping them. The gods fought without a care for their lives. Killing millions each day.


    "We need to stop!" One of the gods cried out. His desperation drew Eldrian''s attention to this particr distortion of the thousands surrounding him.


    "If we stop, they''ll ughter every one of us!" The other countered.


    "The world won''tst like this! We must¡ª"


    "Enough! If you feel so strongly about it, join the battle. I''m sure with your aid we can quickly end this."


    The other god did not respond. He slumped, despair visible on his face. "If you won''t stop, then I''ll find my own way."


    "As long as you don''t turn on us, I don''t care what you do."


    The voices were vaguely familiar. But what truly convinced Eldrian was their conversation. He was certain that the one asking for the war to be stopped was Chronos. And the one he arguing with was probably Zeus. Or perhaps not, Eldrian wasn''t sure. If he went with the myths, then Zeus would be Chronos'' child.


    But the one Chronos was arguing with appeared far older than Chronos himself.


    Uncaring for who the other god was, Eldrian focussed on Chronos. Hoping to see his path in life. And what he did to save the world.


    Eldrian was certain. Had things continued as he had seen. If the divine wars had continued, then the world have been destroyed long ago.


    He watched several more distortions until he finally found another with Chronos in it. s, it was not the one he was looking for. Time passed an unknown amount. Counting by the number of wars he had witnessed, Eldrian felt ten decades or so had passed.


    It seemed these gods did not age. The world around them changed, but they stayed eternally young.


    Finally, Eldrian found a promising distortion. Chronoswas standing before a familiar ball. It looked eerily simr to the core of ANW.


    "This won''t work." Chronos sighed, waving his hand and causing theplex hypersphere to disappear.


    The quick nce Eldrian had seen of it, had made it clear that the spell had been exponentially moreplex than what he had used to make Core 1. Heck, he was confident it was even moreplex than the core of ANW.


    "I need something that will stand the test of time. That will save the world forever..."


    "....Perhaps that is impossible..." Chronos''s voice was tinged with deep despair. He was at the end of his wits. "I no longer have the luxury of time. We are doomed to implode within the month..."


    "Perhaps it is the rule of the universe."


    "...All that is muste to an end."


    "Our world was never meant to exist forever. Never meant to house billions..."


    He sighed. "But I can''t give up on us. This is too cruel a fate."


    He clutched his hand, breathed into it, and opened it. And from it floated anotherplex spherical spell. Covered in runes, far too dense for Eldrian to even try and understand it. Its spinning and rotating in all three dimensions (even into itself) didn''t make it any easier to analyze.


    "Equal exchange. For life, we must offer something great. Something that will buy us time. Until, hopefully, we grow smarter as a collective."


    Another sphere covered the first. And Chronos''s hair turned white, his skin pale.


    A third covered the second. And his hair fell to the ground. His skin covered in wrinkles.


    Lastly, bands of glyphs wrapped around the third.


    "I pray this holds until the end of time. But should it fail, let the inheriter of my will find it." Chronos said, breathing hisst.


    His body never fell to the ground. Instead, it turned to dust. Dust which then turned into nothing.


    As Eldrian watched Chronos disappear, the bands covering the multiyered sphere shot out of the room.


    He tried to look, but couldn''t change his view. In fact, all the other distortions had disappeared. The space he was in was no longer fragmented. It was whole.


    And a sentence appeared before him.


    To save the world, magic must cease to exist.


    Keep the ws of death from the world.


    I hope my life, along with all magic within the world, is a worthy price for the survival of the human race.

 Chapter 1046: The Unraveling of All(1)

    Eldrian had thought thisst distortion would be the end of this strange world. While viewing it, the fragments had healed. And now, there was nothing to be seen. Certainly, this had been the climax.


    Yet here he was. Still inside this strange ce. Now with nothing to watch. Darkness his onlypanion.


    A strange feeling overtook Eldrian. Years of observing the world''s history were finally broken. And it felt like he lost what had kept him sane. Granted, Eldrian had lost his sanity for a while, but the constant of these distortions had healed his psyche.


    Without them, Eldrian felt abandoned. He had seen the cause of Earth''s problems. Or rather, what had allowed the to survive thousands of years longer than it would have. Yet, he had no answers.


    The spell Chronos had used was far tooplex. A hyper-density sphere wherein even the simplest forms werepressed algorithms of hyperspheres. A spell truly outside of the physical and magical dimensions Eldrian wasfortable with.


    Whether or not it was a fourth (or even higher) dimensional spell, or just a trulyplex three-dimensional one. It didn''t matter. It was equally as iprehensible to Eldrian.


    ''Chronos spent decades perfecting that one spell. After having lived millennia. A being born with his powers, and who had an infinite amount of time to perfect it. Surpassing the AI by leagues... And, yet, his solution was a stopgap which took his life as the exchange.''


    The entire situation sucked. And if Chronos didn''t leave him something to rely on, Eldrian wouldn''t be able to save anyone. ''Funny, I don''t even know if I still have time. I want to believe... but why do I even still care?''


    Time had frayed his mind and especially his emotions. Eldrian felt detached from his old life. The years had worn him down, and, honestly, it felt like apletely different life. Like he was already in the afterlife, and this was his torture. Or reward. He couldn''t truly say which.


    Time continued to flow, and Eldrian wandered. Yet, no matter where he walked, the space surrounding him remained the same.


    ''No, it was no longer the same.'' Eldrian realized. In his mindless wandering, he had failed to notice the change.


    He was no longer in the dark. The fragments were still gone, but he could now see the edges of the space he was in. A translucent spherical dimension. Almost as if he was inside a snow globe. Before the snow had been the fragments, now, it had calmed and he was left with only the walls.


    The walls stood out only because they left a haze in Eldrian''s sight. Distorting whaty beyond. And beyond... was something almost like the fragmented space that had first weed it. Onlyrger in scale, and less like shattered ss and instead cracks upon the universe itself.


    More time passed, and finally, something else changed. Having tried to reach out to that whichy beyond his walls. Having walked in one direction for days, weeks, perhaps even months. Eldrian could finally feel the essence of a spell. A truly massive one.


    Drawn by it, he let himself be pulled in. And before long, he saw a familiar sight. The spell Chronos had cast. Or what was left of it.


    The hyper-dense sphere was fragmenting. Pieces of thepressed forme unraveling and filling the surroundings.


    The power from these forme... was beyond anything Eldrian had ever experienced. It was not mana, nor was it lifeforce. It was beyond that. Beyond even the Astral¡ªas he had defined the world''syers.


    This before him was the very essence of existence. Taken, manipted, and then condensed. Squished together with more of the same. Until, finally, a spell had been formed. One which probably contained the densest collection of energy possible.


    If this thing had mass, Eldrian surmised, it would probably surpass even the biggest ck hole. Perhaps even that of the known universe.


    The unraveling forme alone were so dense in energy that they were visible to Eldrian. Forming something akin to mass by the sheer collection of formless energy. ''That one form probably has as much energy as a ck hole.'' Eldrian thought, and he somehow believed he was underselling the unraveling form.


    Just standing near this sphere caused waves of pain to assault Eldrian. Every few seconds, a wave would escape from the core. Causing the unraveling forme to unravel more. Only a tiny fraction, too little to see with the naked eye. But it caused a massive energy flux to be sent into the universe.


    These waves were so powerful that Eldrian understood, instinctually, that his existence would be wiped from the world if he took a few steps closer.


    He was only alive because of the second sphere surrounding the core. Like he had seen, this spell was made up of fouryers. The outermost bindings, then the outeryer, the middle, and,stly, the core.


    Eldrian knew not what their purposes were, but he understood that the middleyer was dampening the energy bursting from the core.


    ''I wonder how much power each burst contains.'' Eldrian thought. He knew it was several times what his soul had contained at its peak. And, here, this spell was leaking that amount every few seconds. And the loss of such a massive quantity of energy caused no visible changes.


    ...


    ''Oh, I see.'' Eldrian had spent several hours observing the spell. And he finally noticed a connection this spell had with the outside. He now also understood where he was.


    He was between the second and thirdyers of the spell. The "Cracks in the Universe" as Eldrian would describe his surroundings, were the bands. And the walls of his "snow globe" were the edges of the thirdyer.


    Truly, this spell was a marvel. Chronos had known it might fail, and he had built several safety measures into it. The first of which were the bands. Made to allow expansion. Thus, when a wave of energy bursts from the core, they could further dampen the effect.


    ''Those bands are what connect this world to the rest of the universe.''


    The second thing Eldrian had learned was that this ce. It didn''t exist anywhere on Earth or in the universe Eldrian called home.


    It was like ANW, though Eldrian didn''t know if it had a core. ''No, the core is quite obvious, isn''t it?'' Eldrian chuckled, watching another energy wave disperse through the spell.


    From the core, it started violent. Chaotic. Yet, for all its violence, it only managed to rip mere fractions of the forme from the core. Causing the unraveling forme to flutter.


    Then it hit the secondyer. And like a wall, thisyer prevented the energy from wiping Eldrian from the world. Yet, it could not stop the energy. Instead, it acted like a sieve. Limiting how much energy could escape at a time.


    By the time the energy reached the thirdyer, it was more or less calm. It was then directed into the bands and sent into the physical universe. Dispersed to minimize the damage it would have on the physical realm.


    ''Gosh. I was having an existential crisis about souls being able to house dimensions. And then Chronos made a spell to distribute energy from a separate dimension into several others.'' The energy was shared to all dimensions sharing the core that kept this ce stable.


    "Time. You bound time to your spell." Eldrianughed. The insanity of it all was too much. The absurdity was pure irony.


    Ziraili''s teachings were all reliant on the rules Chronos had set. How time "acted" was defined here. It was not a universal rule. It was a madman''s creation.


    "Is Earth even the same world that Chronos lived on?" Eldrian asked. He had to wonder. For he knew now that each band connected to a different dimension. And there were countless.


    "Hahahahaha... Gwahahaha!!" He guffawed, unable to suppress his helplessness. He had tough, it was simply too insane.


    Whether those dimensions were creations of other gods, people like him, or were real. No one knew. Chronos had tied them all to this ce. To the "core" of time itself.


    "Everything but this ce is fake!" Eldrian shouted. This was the sad truth he hade to learn. Time was controlled here. And allowed to flow into the other dimensions. If this ce disappeared, time would end. Everything would end.


    "You crazy bastard! Why would you do this?! Why couldn''t you just let your world be destroyed!" Cursing Chronos with all his heart, Eldrian realized the true danger of desperation.


    To save one world, Chronos had doomed all the dimensions in existence. All that had existed, and all that would ever exist.


    "Fucking idiot!"


    "...I have to focus." pping his cheeks, Eldrian turned to the core. He had to stop it from unraveling further. It was going to reach a tipping point. A point where it would go supernova.


    The safety measures would fail. The secondyer was already stretching. The failure was imminent.


    The explosion of time going supernova would ripple through all of existence and wipe out everything.


    Perhaps this would be the start of a new universe. A new big bang. But Eldrian didn''t give a damn if it would be. He couldn''t ept this was the end.


    "No point standing here any longer." He thought. Talking aloud to give himself courage as he took a step forward. A single step caused the next wave of energy to rip through him. Tearing him apart.


    Luckily, the form he had in this ce was not physical, but just a manifestation of his conscious image of himself. And it was now riddled with holes.


    "I refuse!" Eldrian shouted. "I refuse to ept this! I won''t allow this to be the end of everything!" His rage burned bright as he thought of all his loved ones. Of his friends and family. Who would never even know the end was near.


    They would probably not even realize they died.


    Distant memories filled Eldrian''s mind and gave him power. mes erupted around him, covering him like a shield as the next wave crashed into him. A massive explosion, far beyond anything humans could create, shattered the surrounding space. Causing it to be fragmented like before. But only for a few seconds.


    Luckily, Eldrian was merely a soul in a world filled with nothing but energy. Mass did not exist in this ce, and thus an explosion had little effect on him. Especially since the st was directed around him.


    Had it gone through him, however, he would no longer be alive.


    As desperate as he was, even in his raged state, Eldrian realized going forward would be the death of him. Taking a step back, he sat down and gazed at the spell. Trying to find a way to get past the secondyer without dying.

 Chapter 1047: The Unraveling Of All (2) - Return

    s, he could not decipher the spell. He recognized some parts within the unraveling strands, but even then he couldn''t analyze their purpose.


    These strands were, after all, far moreplex than the most advanced spells Eldrian had ever cast.


    He felt like a child looking at a nuclear physics equation. Sure, he could pick out some numbers and symbols. They were familiar individually. But the meaning of the equation would remain beyond him. And the same held true for these strands.


    Naturally, this meant understanding the workings of the entire spell was infinitely beyond him.


    Leaving, however, was a frightening proposition. Eldrian knew not how time would flow differently. Or, rather, what the difference between the pacing of time here, at the core of everything, and elsewhere, was. Time might be almost frozen here, or it might flow equally. He had no hint as to which option would give him the most time.


    But that wasn''t even the biggest problem. Eldrian still didn''t know how to leave this realm. And if he left, there was no guarantee he could return.


    He also didn''t know what he would find on his return¡ªif he even seeded in doing so. He was certain years had passed. Earth might be already destroyed.


    A depressing thought. One he did not wish to dwell on.


    If it turned out to be the truth...


    ''No, it can''t be. Let''s just assume time is frozen when I''m here.'' He told himself. Lest he lose all his motivation to try anything.


    Taking onest nce at the spell, Eldrian decided to start wandering through this "ne" again. Time flowed, and days passed. Weekster (if Eldrian''s perception of time passing was urate), he stumbled upon a connection.


    The connection, of one of the bands that connected the outer sphere of this ne¡ªand thus connected the rest of existence to this core of time¡ªwas affixed here.


    Like many things, he could "see" this connection. Perhaps because of the warping of space, or the warping of time. Or perhaps because of its interaction with the outer sphere.


    Regardless, it formed a semi-physical opening. Appearing like a whirlpool. From which time and pure energy streamed out of the core, into the universe this "band" connected to.


    Eldrian felt walking into this whirlpool would allow him to leave this ne. s, there was no signpost to inform visitors which universe/world/dimension this led to.


    And that was if Eldrian would survive the journey.


    He wasn''t here physically. He was here as a conscious mass of thoughts. A formless being called a soul. And thus he didn''t need to worry about physically warping of space¡ªwhich was happening before his very eyes.


    No, that posed little danger to his ethereal form. The danger came from the warping of time. And the energy contained within this whirlpool. Perhaps better described as a wormhole.


    Afraid of risking it all for nothing, Eldrian took a moment (days) to affix a spell to the area. Due to the nature of this ne, this was no easy task. There was no mana, and even lifeforce was incredibly ineffective here.


    Luckily, the energypromising some (only a small percentage) of the ce was something he was familiar with. This wasn''t true close to the core, but here, near the edge, the raw energy turned into something heprehended. Astral energy.


    It fluctuated and wasn''t very much. But it was there, and he could gather it and use it for his spell.Sadly, he was used to controlling it only when it was a part of himself. Taking this energy and morphing it when it was of a different creation¡ªand thus neutral in consideration of his thoughts¡ªwas difficult.


    But it was doable. It took time¡ªespecially since every so often a wave of energy would send his attempt right into the whirling wormhole. But he kept at it, and after a few hundred attempts, he created it.


    A spell so basic he could hardly call it a spell. But it was exactly what he needed. A signpost. One which he would always be able to feel¡ªas long it wasn''t destroyed. And thus it could serve as a guide if he wanted to find this ce again.


    Satisfied, Eldrian moved on. Discovering several more whirling wormholes and constructing the same type of spell at each. Soon, he had enough of them to allow him a limited GPS of sorts.


    A few dozen constructionster, Eldrian recognized a pattern in it all. He realized that the wormholes were not equally distanced from one another (nor always on the same level¡ªsome were high up in the "sky" and others low down "underground").


    In any case, these wormholes had something inmon. And that was they always appeared where the flow of energy was strongest. A stupidly simple observation, but one Eldrian couldn''t have noticed before.


    He had simply been overwhelmed by the energy. Noticing that here was "a lot" and there "about the same" and there "a lot plus some", wasn''t easy. In fact, it was impossible without his "signpost" spell.


    While its main function was as a guide to the wormholes, these spells also told him how turbulent the flow of energy was. Not in a clear way, but rather in how quickly the spell was deteriorating. The more static he got from its feedback, the stronger the flow of energy.


    s, this discovery was as useless as could be. Or so Eldrian thought. That is until he discovered a type of interference that felt weirdly familiar. Curious, he stopped his current spell construction and focused on the direction he had felt it from.


    Nothing.


    He waited.


    Nothing.


    He waited some more.


    "There!" Eldrian shouted. The next wave from the core hade, and it brought with it a disturbance of a familiar wavelength. It felt eerily close to when Eldrian had tried to control time. And, instinctually, he understood that this was his home world.


    Rushing towards this signpost, he was fully willing to throw himself into the wormhole. s, an especiallyrge wave came from the core. Taking with it dozens of his signposts.


    Losing more than half his signs¡ªand having been thrown thousands of meters aside by the wave¡ªEldrian cursed Chronos for the umpteenth time.


    He waited, s, those that remained did not have the right feedback static. And while Eldrian knew the general direction he needed to go, thousands of bands were in that direction. It felt hopeless.


    "It''s one of the nearer ones." He told himself. Beyond happy that he had decided to work from one "side" and go from there. And to define a side, he had installed a line of signposts vertically from his normal ne of "walking".


    While he had lost most of those signs, two had survived. Their distance, as the furthest signs, confirmed that he was facing the right direction.


    Going from there, Eldrian created new signposts while retracing his steps. About fifty wormholester, he found the right one.


    Gazing at the whirling convex pool of primordial energy, Eldrian hesitated. The sight before him was probably what the forming of the universe looked like. Just a jumble of unorganized power. Still trying to form into things so defined as space.


    It was the raw nature of existence, and jumping into it felt like suicide. But if he wanted to return home, this was his only option.


    Gathering his courage, Eldrian took the plunge. He stepped forward, and as soon as his foot touched the barrier, he disappeared.


    His consciousness lost all shape as he was thrown into the whirlpool of raw energy. Assaulted with all of creation, he barely retained his sanity. His previous experiences helped him shield a part of himself¡ªwhile letting the rest be destroyed.


    He lost consciousness as one tiny fragment of him hurled through the whirlpool. Like a tiny pebble in the currents of a stormy sea, it floated without aim. Taken by one current after the other. Until, finally, it reachednd.


    Waking with a start, Eldrian curled onto his side and vomited.


    His thoughts weren''t intact. Some of his memories had been lost, but he had survived.


    Trying to stand, Eldrian fell. A sharp crack and intense pain informed him that something was really wrong.


    He shifted his eyes to the source and found a bone protruding from his arm. Having fractured as soon as he tried to move himself.


    It wasn''t the only source of pain. He realized that in curling onto his side, he had torn plenty of atrophied muscles.


    Eldrian currently looked like an atrophied moving corpse. Like a starving vampire thrall starting to fall apart. His skin had torn along with his muscles, and death was clearly waiting for him.


    But Eldrian wouldn''t let death im him so easily. He sent out his thoughts and felt the abundance of mana around him. Which he called to himself.


    The mana obeyed, as easy to move as breathing. No, breathing was currently a massive struggle. Even thinking clearly was difficult. But using mana. It was simple. Easier than even forming a coherent thought.


    The mana rushed to fill Eldrian''s body, to repair it. But, shockingly, as soon as it entered his body, it disappeared. His situation did not improve, and shortly, Eldrian realized he might be in some real danger.


    The density of mana dropped sharply. Even as he expanded his zone of control, Eldrian depleted therger area of all its mana with ease. Forming a vacuumcking any mana around himself.

 Chapter 1048: Devoid of mana

    The sudden disappearance of mana didn''t go unnoticed. In fact, it caused such arge disturbance that it kicked most of his guildmates out of ANW. So they couldn''t help but notice.


    Worse, their building''s electricity fluctuated as the mana rushed through the walls towards Eldrian. Only to be absorbed into nothing. Disappearing from the world.


    The first burst of absorption was so chaotic that the mana had taken physical form as it was squeezed toward Eldrian. As a result, the surrounding walls sported several holes and burn marks. Looking like a massive battle had taken ce.


    Some of his friends even sported some minor injuries. Luckily, the rushing mana wasn''t forming spells. While there was some danger, it was more like the shockwave of an explosion than the explosion itself. And all his friends were more than capable enough to weather through the shockwave and towards its cause.


    Following the trail of destruction, They found Eldrian in his room (one of several they had built in their HQ). The room was modest, with a single bed and one table and chair.


    A headset would normally rest on said table, but it was now scattered across the room. Shattered into tiny fragments.Of course, no one noticed this particr fact. Their attention was drawn to Eldrian. Having fallen from his bed, he had broken multiple bones due to his fragile state. The sight shocked everyone to their core.


    They had no idea what was going on. Their first instinct was that it had to be some type of curse. It might exin why Eldrian was absorbing mana at such an insane rate. However, they couldn''t think of anyone who would...


    No, they had a few culprits in mind. However, they doubted Eldrian would have been caught in their attack so easily. Ending up in a state so near death he looked more corpse than human.


    Moving closer to try and help, they faltered. Afraid that moving Eldrian would make things even worse, they started arguing. Some wanted to call an ambnce, others Miracle (Zaphreal), and a few wanted to wait for Eldrian to tell them what was going on.


    Their argument grew in and grew. Suddenly stopping as they all shuddered. Even though most of them still couldn''t control mana on Earth, they were more or less all able to notice its presence.


    And now, there was no such presence. The rush of mana, having moved like a turbulent river towards Eldrian, was gone. And with its disappearance, all the mana they had grown used to feeling was gone too.


    They tried to focus on this phenomenon. On sensing some, any, mana. But no matter how hard they tried, no mana reacted to their prodding. And it left them feeling exposed. As if they had forgotten their clothes. The absence of mana truly hammered home that this situation was dire.


    Looking towards Eldrian, they found him still lying on the ground. Struggling to breathe. However, he seemed to be more at ease than before. Despite his physical condition, his eyes shone with rity. He had clearly not given up. A sign that relieved them all greatly.


    Notably, they also noticed that Eldrian currently appeared like a mix between his ANW avatar and human body. It wasn''t all that clear since he was so emaciated, almost only skin and bones. However, his ears were that of an elf. Curiously, his air had also grown, surpassing a meter in length and the same brilliant silver as his avatar''s.


    While curious about his appearance, they all focused on Eldrian slowly pointed to the corner of his room.He had stored several mana-conducting materials there. Mostly crystals, but also some metals he had yed with.


    They all knew about them. They loved talking about magic theory with Eldrian and bringing up their own suggestions. Most had a few crystals in their own rooms.


    Thus they quickly realized that he needed more mana. They rushed to hand the crystals to them. s, they found that the box contained nothing but ash. Noticing this, most rushed out of the room to get their own mana batteries.


    "Eldrian... its gone." Elizabeth said, her throat choking from despair as she looked towards Eldrian. He must be in so much pain, she realized. Swearing she would kill whoever did this to him.


    Naturally, that someone was Eldrian himself. Perhaps Chronos could be med, but he was long dead. And Eldrian had simply stumbled upon his legacy.


    And that legacy came with a cost. One Eldrian was desperately trying to pay without dying.


    Luckily, the first wave of mana had been enough to buy him some time. He was no longer on the verge of death, despite his terrible condition. He wasn''t dying from ack of mana anymore. And once he had some mana to spare, he could heal himself. Getting to that point would be a challenge.


    More importantly, Eldrian had noticed that he was still connected to the "Realm of Time".


    He had no other phrase for it. And the ck hole sucking all his mana (and still demanding more), was a fissure in the connection between the "Realm of Time", and Earth.


    It was a fracture in a spell maintaining reality itself. And it needed to be closed. A task that required an untold amount of mana. The mana Eldrian had absorbed so far was enough to stop it from killing him. But the reprieve would notst long.


    Pushing his all into finding a solution, Eldrian''s arm fell to the ground. Unable to spare the effort required to keep it aloft, or even to lower it slowly.


    *Crack* His arm snapped as it hit the ground. But the pain hardly registered in Eldrian''s mind. Having mostly disconnected himself from his body, he was acting as a half-ethereal being. Simply inhabiting his body to not lose his tether to the world.


    He would be in some real danger if his body died on him, of course. But Eldrian wasn''t too worried. He had plenty of experience with dying. And while it would be a first for him on Earth, he had a few ideas on how to survive "death".


    But that required him to first fix his current situation. The fissure, after all, wasn''t connected to his body. But his soul. It had simply devoured all his body had to offer once he had returned.


    Death of the soul would be permanent. And, also, if his body got too damaged, he wouldn''t be able to return to it. Resurrection magic could restore a damaged corpse, but there were limits. And Eldrian would have a hard time performing that on his own. Sadly, none of his friends would be able to cast such an advanced spell on Earth.


    All that to say, he had to act quickly. Before his heart stopped and thest remaining mana was sapped from him. As soon as that happened, Eldrian was confident his corpse would turn to ash or something. Seeing as the fissure was consuming all the energy it could with a ravaging hunger. And his physical body was acting as the gateway between Earth, Eldrian, and the Realm of Time.


    Sadly, Eldrian could see no solution other than continuing to feed mana to the fissure. A daunting task, and one which would massively change the magical environment of their surroundings. But better ''that'', than it growing and causing their universe to be severed from time itself.


    Eldrian was certain if that happened, their fate would be sealed.


    And so he started absorbing mana once more. Sending his Mageia through the city. Most of it was already barren. So he expanded his search range. Taking all the mana he could find.


    But this was now far slower. Distance made control more difficult. A few kilometers had proven little difficulty. But several dozen was making Eldrian''s control weaker. Thus slowing his mana gathering, and therefore exposing everyone to more danger.


    Luckily, Eldrian had already thought of a possible solution. Or at least a step that would help him gain some more control of the situation.


    Miracle''s recklessness might just save his life. And perhaps the entire world.


    Shifting his focus from absorbing mana to finding the "elementals" that Miracle had released. Eldrian found them with ease. In his now mana-depleted surroundings, these magically modified bacteria were like fireflies in the night sky. Beacons attracting his attention.


    His hope was a simple one. These things were able to interact with the raw mana in the universe. Mana which normally phased through all life on Earth without ever interacting with anything.


    This was important, sure. As Eldrian couldn''t focus on gathering that mana. The task was difficult enough when he was in top shape. Doing so on the verge of death would be impossible.


    But, more importantly, they were little mana batteries. Dense pockets of mana which Eldrian could attempt to guide towards himself.


    Naturally, this would not be easy. Eldrian''s first attempt caused the elementals to simply explode. It seemed that forcefully taking control of the mana in their bodies caused a rather violent reaction.


    But Eldrian didn''t really care. It still gave him mana to work with. Half of which he sent towards the fissure, the other half he started to morph into a spell.


    After a few tries, he seeded in his first goal. Having the elementals gather towards a spell. Which, for ease of visualization, he had given the form of a ball of light he dubbed Moth Light. For the simple reason that the elementals reminded Eldrian of moths being attracted to light. Just like moths, they rushed towards the spell.


    Exploding a few of them, Eldrian made more spells which he sent out into his surroundings. Once he had enough elementals nearby, he started making automated spells that would fly a further distance before returning.


    Satisfied for quantity, Eldrian started on his next goal. While tiny, the elementals were lifeforms. Which meant they had lifeforce. A far more potent form of energy than mana.


    Trying to absorb that from them, proved more challenging. On Earth, you got such a minuscule amount of XP for killing things that it wasn''t worth mentioning. But if Eldrian could gather all the lifeforce from the elementals, he might just get enough energy to do something.

 Chapter 1049: What is lost

    This task was certainly more difficult than anything Eldrian had tried before. He had learned to control his own lifeforce. He could even... ''Who was it who trained me? I can remember someone helped me master...''


    The years spent on the Realm of Time meant years detached from his old life. Decades of observing all of creation. Years in which his sanity had been broken, and years in which he had slowly epted his new reality. Been born anew, as an observer.


    His heart had been so sure when he had tried to return to Earth, but now... Now he wasn''t sure why he had done that. Why had he left the safety of the Realm of Time?


    Time had passed. A lot of it. In Eldrian''s conscious experience, his life on Earth felt shortpared to everything else he had experienced. So short, that it almost seemed inconsequential. Like a fleeting dream he had had, once upon a time.


    Once upon a time...


    ''No, this is reality.'' He told himself, but his heart failed to believe it. After so long in solitude, it seemed strange to find that reality wasn''t solitude itself.


    But he knew it was the truth. He had seen the twisted truth beyond the face of "reality". And that didn''t make his life any less meaningful. That didn''t make his family... ''I made a promise to myself... What was it again?''


    There had been a reason for him to undertake the risk of returning. He couldn''t let it all end without trying to change fate. He couldn''t ept that his life, and that of his loved ones, would end without any voice of opposition.


    But... Eldrian couldn''t remember this reason. The time spent in the Realm of Time seemed to y over the rest of his life. When he tried to recall anything, thatwas the first thing on his mind.


    Despite how desperate his situation was, Eldrian''s mind continued to wander. His inability to recall things that he was so confident were important to him, slowly ate at his will. He knew there was something more, but he could not name it.


    And now, with to think. Death was waiting, but it was behind the door. His immediate situation had calmed, and his mind tried to make sense of things. And Eldrian wondered... and wondered... and wondered....


    Until he felt the cold scythe ced on his neck once again. A reminder that life was fleeting. That distractions were deadly.


    He had to leave his uncertainties behind. He had to focus on surviving. If he died now, then he would never find the answers to why he had risked it all.


    He had never tried to take lifeforce directly from other living things. But he knew it was possible. Vampires were the easiest to mimic. By taking physical parts, essential parts like blood, from their victims, they could gain extra power.


    Eldrian understood the reason well enough. And he didn''t need something moreplicated to trip him up. He couldn''t spare the effort to siphon the Elemental''s lifeforce directly. He would simply burn the Elemental''s bodies. Not with fire, but with pure mana.


    As always, his first few attempts were a failure. Resulting in powerful, but contained explosions. He had ounted for failures and cast protective barriers around his test sites. It cost him some of the mana he was saving up, but he was confident the investment would be worth it.


    The entire process was hardly that difficult. The far more demanding task was remaining focused. To not let his thoughts wander. To not try and recognize the people in his room.


    He knew they were his friends. He could feel that within himself. But his mind couldn''t ce them. This should have been so upsetting, so worrying, yet he felt calm. And this calmness was what truly worried him. ''What if I just ept this?


    Just ept this loss?'' He asked himself, and nearly lost focus.


    The explosion from thispse of control caused his friends to be blown away. None of them ended up heavily injured. But it reminded him once again that distraction was deadly. And not just to him. But to his friends too.


    With renewed focus, Eldrian continued. Soon, he managed to control the burst of energy.Channeling it into himself before it could go haywire. And once he had absorbed it into his body, he could take control of it in a much simpler way. Heck, he didn''t even need to take control. He simply continued to send it onward. Right towards the fissure inside his soul.


    This donation of a much purer form of energy stabilized the situation enough for Eldrian to breathe a sigh of relief. He was no longer in danger of dying by a mere distraction. But he was still in a terrible state. Using some of the mana he had gathered, he started healing himself.


    This task was difficult. The damage was extensive, and often not purely physical. The state of his body was a reflection of the state of his soul. The years spent in the Realm of Time had not gone by without any cost.


    He was not an ethereal being. He was born as a mortal, and his soul having aged decades upon decades, if not centuries, came at a cost. His soul should have died already, but luckily, this was not a definitive fact.


    To keep his soul from withering, he would need to stabilize it. To reconstruct it again. If he gave form to it, he could save himself.


    But doing so while there was a wormhole sucking all the energy he put into his soul right back out... that was the true challenge.


    "Why are you all so worried?" Eldrian tried to smile, but the muscles in his face were just as whithered and damaged as the rest of him. He couldn''t even form the words physically and had to use magic to speak.


    "What happened to you?!" Erik shouted. He wanted to move closer. To try and help Eldrian heal. But he had no idea what was going on. Or what he could do to help.


    "I saw something I shouldn''t have"Eldrian replied. He wanted to exin, but the fact that he couldn''t put a name to the faces in front of him bothered him far more. He knew they were his friends. He couldn''t ept any other fact. But...


    ''Why don''t I remember them!'' He shouted internally. Trying his best to not lose control. ''Maybe if I share the things I do remember, it will help me recall them?'' Eldrian thought.


    He went on to exin that he lost control of an experiment and nearly died. He tried to y it off as a joke, but none of his friends thought him very funny."I honestly didn''t think it would end up like this. The idea was simple. I wanted to integrate time into my soul. Link it to reality to give it more permanence."


    As he spoke, Eldrian realized that he was the only one to think this "simple". And, honestly, it wasn''t. But the concept had been. Make a mass of pure energy inside his soul that he could use to attract and anchor time to. Thus allowing his soul to have a real connection (separate from his conscious experience) with time.


    Or that had been the theory. A theory he now knew was impossible since the flow of time wasn''t a naturalw, but instead an arbitary one that Chronos had created and tied to all of creation.


    Eldrian was still extremely vexed by this realization. It turned everything on its head and made the crisis that Earth was facing look inconsequential. Of course, his first priority was still making sure his home survived. He had family and friends he cared about.


    He was sure he did.


    Even if he couldn''t recall anything about them.


    He looked at his friends and tried to remember all they had been through. All he had been through. His life on Earth. Yet, he found his past missing ''Why can''t I remember their names? I just...''


    As worrying as his lost memories were, he started wondering if it was truly important. Thinking back, Eldrian tried to recall what had happened before his experiment. But, honestly, he couldn''t remember. He had no recollection of the state of the war in ANW. Only that there was a major war and that it had stalled out.


    ''I know I have a sister... We were close, weren''t we?'' He asked himself. Trying to formte some memories he could use to build upon the rest. ''And I surely have parents, but...''


    ''And... and... did I have a girlfriend? No, I don''t think so.''


    ''I know I had a teacher, she was... a goddess, wasn''t she? No that sounds insane. Was I some horny teenager lusting after my teacher? That''s just sad...''


    ''And I had a partner. My best friend... But he wasn''t human. I remember a ck coat and green feathers... But... is that really possible?


    How can...''


    Eldrian wanted to focus on these memories. But he knew doing so would lead to him bing distracted. Yet, he couldn''t let them go. He had this fear that if he did... he would never remember them.


    ''Am I losing more and more of myself?'' Eldrian finally realized the truth. The void connecting him and the Realm of Time was consuming his soul. And his memories with it.


    And, clearly, it was consuming his oldest memories first. And that was where all his most important memoriesy.

 Chapter 1050: What is lost (2)

    The revtion that his memories were disappearing was shocking, but knowing the cause was strangely calming. Since Eldrian knew why it was happening, he didn''t panic. Perhaps he should have, but the emotion did note to him. Instead, what came to him was eptance¡ªthat this was the cost of entering the Realm of Time unprepared.


    Spending so long trapped in the core of all time... had taken more than just a mental toll on him. But he had survived and he still retained the goals he had affixed to his heart. He knew what he needed to do, and that was what he focused on.


    Still, this didn''t mean he was unaffected. Eldrian looked upon the familiar faces surrounding him, wanting to help him. And he felt incredibly saddened that he could not remember any of them.


    Their concern showed that they were his friends. True friends who were willing to face hell together with him. And now he couldn''t even ce a name to a face.


    ''I was blessed. Even if I can''t remember them, I can''t let things spiral out of control. I have the power to save them. And I will.'' Eldrian''s resolve solidified once more. It settled deep within him, allowing him to collect his disorganized thoughts and simte solutions in his mind.


    Ideally, he would run these simtions within his soul, but with it in its current state, that was no option. But the decades spent trapped in the Realm of Time had forced him to master mental simtions.


    It wasn''t as urate, since he had to ount for all the possibilities consciously. Meaning he couldn''t rely on outside factors to fix his errors. But even so, he could run through all the information he had and make a more informed decision than simply jumping into things.


    Doing this now, Eldrian tried to find the optimal solution to his current predicament. A way to save the world, first from the increased mana density. Threatening to bring a Mana Storm (if not a Chaos Storm), and secondly from this phenomenon repeating in a few years or decades.


    ''The simplest solution is to get rid of the extra mana Miracle brought to the. But that doesn''t fix the unstable mana that is lingering, waiting. Once the total chaotic element reaches a critical level, it will start reacting. From there, raw mana willbine with the chaotic elements and form a simr reaction to anti-mattering into contact with standard matter.''


    This was the crux of the problem. As for how mana became chaotic; this was through overuse. Whenever people used magic outside of the natural elements, a portion of the mana became unstable. In this unstable state, instead of exploding or reacting, it became inert.


    Mana was, after all, inert in its natural raw state. Only influencing inanimate things when in a high enough density (such as in a mana vein). And the situation here was exactly the same. And, unlike typical mana, it was incredibly difficult to ess unstable mana. It was even more difficult to use than using raw mana without letting it convert into an element.


    But, of course, it wasn''t as difficult as using lifeforce directly. Perhaps its difficulty could be ascribed to the usage and control of an Aura. Regardless, this meant one simple thing.The unstable mana would stay where it was, inert. Until a critical density level is reached. A point simr in density to Origin Veins that could birth Magic Crystals.


    Once this point was reached, it would start interacting with its surroundings. And, naturally,e into contact with the normal mana in the area. The two would react, setting off more and more reactions. And like a nuclear bomb, it would soon be an unstable force consuming all in its path.


    The difference between mana storms and chaos stormsy in if their activation was dyed. Sadly, the case for Earth was that the reaction had been dyed. Allowing the unstable mana to grow in density. Until the point where they currently were. A Chaos Storm was on the verge of being born. Large enough to easily swallow the entire Earth and a portion of the sr system with it.


    ''Step one, remove normal mana from the equation.'' This was Eldrian''s conclusion. By removing the mana he could easily interact with, he would remove one side of the equation. Possibly stopping the storm from being born, and if not, at least limiting the damage.


    This solution wasn''t permanent. Mana would naturally gather on Earth again. The raw mana throughout the universe would be caught on it. Like iron sand sticking to a ma, mana will stick to any ce where sentient life exists.


    It wasn''t possible to prevent this. Any attempts would require mana, and thus make the results useless since mana would still be present. But by periodically thinning the mana, Eldrian could postpone the inevitable.


    That was good enough for him. At least for the time being.


    He also already had the spells set up to aplish this. His spells, growing autonomously and gathering all the Elements on the, were giving him a steady flow of mana. Which he directly deposited into the void inside himself.


    Eldrian didn''t know how to close the connection, nor if he should. But for now, it was the perfect ce to send all the mana to.


    ''There''s some risk this wille back to bite me. But hopefully, the donation would be used to stabilize the core of time.'' The mana on Earth, all of it, wouldn''t amount to much. Perhaps one or two waves of energy that were periodically released from the core of time. But it might just improve the situation there. Worst case, Eldrian didn''t believe it would be near enough to cause any problems.


    After all, if a single was swallowed by a ck hole, that wasn''t going to change the ck hole by much. Heck, the increase in mass would most likely bepletely inconsequential. And in this case, the energy from the mana he sent into the realm of time would be just as inconsequential. After all, the core of all time was connected to thousands upon thousands of universes.


    The mana from one in one universe was truly too little to matter.


    Gathering more and more mana and elementals, Eldrian sacrificed them all into the Realm of Space. At an astonishing rate, he was draining his surroundings of all mana.


    Once things got moving, Eldrian didn''t need to do much. The spells he had cast were self-replicating. In time, they would cover the entire world. Hence, he shifted his focus to step 2. The unstable mana.


    ''Do the gods know how to control it?'' He asked himself but failed to recall much. Sadly, like the rest of his memories, he had lost a great deal of information about the AI. The knowledge he had was mostly from what he had seen in the Realm of Time.


    However, even with his shredded memories, he knew better than to try and ask the AI for help. He couldn''t recall why, but his instincts told him it would be a bad idea. A terrible idea.


    ''I can''t visit ANW until this situation is resolved.'' He told himself. ''Besides, I know¡ªor rather I can still remember this. ANW was used to simte and test theories. One of the reasons they didn''t dissolve mana storms was to study their growth and propagation. Perhaps to help them prepare to save Earth. Or perhaps to use as a final trump card?


    Who knows...''


    And while the first notion might sound noble, it meant sacrificing millions and billions of lives in ANW. All to collect data. It was incredibly cruel. Possibly necessary, but Eldrian didn''t want to ept that so easily.


    ''But if I only dy it, I''m simply going to make it worse when it finally happens.'' Eldrian told himself.


    Several minutes had passed by now, and slowly his body was healing. However, he wouldn''t be able to walk or even stand for several more hours. His healing was focused on his withered state. Only once his cells were rejuvenated could he start healing the physical damage he had sustained by moving with such a fragile body.


    And, sadly, he couldn''t cast a spell to heal himself. While capable of distant casting spells, any spelling too close to him was quickly stripped of its mana.


    This was what happened to all the spells his friends tried to cast. As soon as their spells started taking form near him, the mana was sucked right into Eldrian and into the void connecting him to the Realm of Time.


    Shifting his focus, Eldrian thought of all the fragments he had seen. Segments of time from hundreds of different worlds.


    Sadly, everything that he had seen had been simr to what he came from. For example, he hadn''t seen any worlds where humans weren''t present. They weren''t always alone, but they were never not there.


    This might simply be because he himself was human and could only see things simr to his own existence. Or it could indicate that all things hade from the same origin, where humans had been the dominant race. The reason didn''t matter. But it meant everything he saw was, in some ways, simr to the situation on Earth.


    ''And I don''t even know what those fragments actually were. They could very well have been games or soul-like demi-nes/worlds. Perhaps simr to ANW, or perhaps very different. The fragmented visions were too vague and random to construct much from it.''


    But he had spent decades, millennia, studying these fragments. While Eldrian hadn''t been able to analyze and store all the information he had lived through. He had tried his best to ''save'' the important bits.


    ''I''ve most likely lost several decades worth along with my core memories. But I still have plenty to go off of.'' At the time, it had been torture. Yet, now he looked fondly upon those years.


    Searching through his past, he found several fragments where he had seen these ''Mana Storms'' in action. They were truly devastating. Superseded, of course, by the Choas Storms.


    ''Right, there were several methods that the gods in these fragments used to deal with these storms.'' Eldrian smiled, happy that he still had this knowledge. Even if he didn''t remember all the methods, knowing there was more than one solution was invaluable.


    The first was simple. Let it run its course. The unstable mana simply had to be consumed. But the problem was that anything in its path would be destroyed. Thus it was not an option.


    ''Unless I can iste where it will happen. And, most importantly, limiting the amount of stable mana there for it to react with... Worth consideration, but cannot be done recklessly.''

 Chapter 1051: Mortals and the Divine (1)

    ''So, that won''t work.'' He concluded after some more thinking (albeit limited in capacity due to everything he was dealing with now).


    Letting the storm start was as good as letting it run its course. He had no way of controlling how it would develop. Like a chemical reaction, it would do what it needed to do to finish its reaction. To Eldrian''s knowledge, no type of matter was inert to the reaction, and he did not know how to separate the mana forms.


    With this option unavable (and yet the mostmon option the AI employed), his next bet was dealing with the source of the reaction. Already, he was dealing with the elemental mana filling the world. This step was rather simple, but more or less just a bandaid for the problem.


    The true source was the unstable mana which had been collecting since the birth of the Earth. s, it was a foreign concept to Eldrian. He knew of it, but not much about it.


    It was unstable but also inert. The instability caused it to react violently, and the inertness caused it to build to a critical mass.


    s, since it was inert, there was no way for Eldrian to interact with it. Thus no way to learn more about it. Yet, even if he knew how the gods did it, he couldn''t apply this here. Not with a critical mass already present.


    He was stuck.


    He continued to drain as much mana from the world as he could. But, even with his new techniques and spells, his range was limited. The world was massive. Trying to cleanse the entire in a few hours or days was futile.


    It would take months. He didn''t have that long. He couldn''t leave his condition as it was. He was still losing parts of himself, even with a constant source of energy being dispersed into the void of time. Like a river chipping away at a rock, fragments of him were being pulled into the void along with everything else.


    He had to close the connection between the void and himself. But that meant losing a way to reach the Realm of Time. Eldrian didn''t know if he could ever manage that again. Nevertheless, he didn''t have much of a choice.


    Thus while the more immediate problem was Earth''s destruction, he couldn''t keep focusing on it. This process could buy him another year or two, perhaps even more. But if he didn''t pivot soon enough, he would be consumed. And then, who knows what would follow.


    To top this off, this entire process was excruciatingly painful. Anything that does damage to the soul always is. And, sadly, pain makes thinking things through a far more difficult task.


    Eldrian had managed a lot but he was at his limit. The best he could do from here on was persevere. s, he couldn''t even realize that this was his limit. He still thought he could do more.


    He was trying to thread the line, unaware that he was falling into the chasm.


    ...


    Watching from the side, his friends tried to help him. Painfully, they had realized the danger of approaching Eldrian. Having realized their spells weren''t having an effect, they tried to approach him.


    Jerking back, Erik yelped in pain as he clenched his hand. His fingers, having only briefly touched Eldrian''s skin, were withered. Gray and ck, covered in cracks, they almost appeared like ash¡ªtrying to remain in form, but one gust away from scattering into the air.


    The pain was so intense his entire body stiffened. His soul screamed in agony. The best he could manage was to keep himself from copsing. Even as he felt his life leaving him. Being drawn from his body, rather forcibly.


    Ilmadia quickly used the rest of her mana to cast healing spells. Naturally, everyone had stopped approaching Eldrian. They understood that acting quickly, not even rashly, could be deadly. Until they understood the situation, they had to be extremely careful.


    Watching with concern, they saw Erik''s fingers slowly healing from Ilmadia''s magic. s, the damage seemed too extensive. Even after using all their mana, the best they had managed was to lessen the cracks. His fingers were still grayish-ck. Worse, as soon as the spells stopped, the atrophy started spreading.


    "What the hell is happening!" Judith shouted, running around in panic in search of their medical items or a phone. Shepletely forgot she had her cell on her. Not that it would do good. The initial surge of mana had destroyed things in their warehouse of a guild house.


    "Calm down!" Elizabeth shouted in turn. Running after Judith to try and get her out of her hysteria.


    ...


    Erik''s mistake was the reprieve that Eldrian had required. Someone to share the burden with him. To lessen the pain he was experiencing.


    As soon as Erik had touched his shoulder, a connection had formed between them. Eldrian failed to recall where he knew this connection from. Yet, despite hisck of knowledge, he was intimately aware of it.


    His and Erik''s souls had be intertwined. There was now a path linking the two of them. From which the void was now getting some of the energy it required. Slowly, it was now consuming Erik''s soul along with Eldrian''s.


    ''This... is Erik''s memories.'' Images and fragments of a life other than his flickered in Eldrian''s mind. A process he was all too aware of, and the kick of reality he had needed. With not just his life on the line, but that of his friends as well, Eldrian realized how dangerous the situation was.


    Worse yet, Erik was likely to also start losing his memories. If that were to pass, Eldrian would never be able to forgive himself. Even though he hardly recalled anything about Erik, he could feel how close they were. And now, at least, he had a name to ce to this friend.


    ''I have to prioritize our lives.'' Eldrian resolved. He had already bought them some time. He could find other ways to solve Earth''s mana problem. He needed to figure out how to close the void of time. Now.


    Throwing mana and lifeforce at it had stabilized it, but it hadn''t been able to shrink the void. Quite honestly, that was the extent of Eldrian''s ideas. This phenomenon was so far past him that he couldn''t begin to fathom its true scale. Recalling the core of time, the incrediblyplex spell that manipted all things. Eldrian started to despair.


    ...


    While Eldrian and his friends were struggling to adapt to their situation, the gods (or more aptly, the AI) were running around in a craze.


    As soon as Eldrian had returned, he had ripped a hole between Earth and ANW. For the first since ANW''s creation, there was a direct connection between the two dimensions. Not one formed through souls, but a much more physical one.


    s, to the despair of the gods, this was not the safe passageway they wanted. No, it was an absolute abyss. Pulling everything nearby into it. Multiple gods had lost the parts of themselves they sent to investigate the connection.


    These parts, fully conscious on their own, were forcefully ripped apart. Destroyed into absolute nothingness. The bacsh of which sent all these gods reeling in pain. Some even fainted, for the first time in their new lives.


    Naturally, even this didn''t stop them. Their desire to return to the Earth was too great. They rushed to study this void. To find a safe way to traverse the space between dimensions. All but one.


    One of the gods did not bother with the new void. No, she knew the source, and she was trying her best to keep this source from dying.


    Indeed, Ziraili was in Eldrian''s soul. Or rather, the soul space linked to his avatar. The initial burst of energy hade from this part of Eldrian''s soul. As strange as this was, everyone who yed ANW had two souls. One inted with XP and the other represented their true essence.


    The former would slowly mutate thetter. That was why Eldrian had changed so much on Earth. It was also why his friends were slowly getting better and better at using magic. Therger the soul, the easier it became to use mana.


    Luckily for Eldrian, his soul was more directly linked to his true essence than other yers. And thus it was less inted and more true. Other yers were rewarded a bundle of XP upon clearing quests. A task that massively intes their levels. Eldrian, though, had lost that privilege ages ago.


    And while his ANW soul space was still muchrger than his true essence, he had adapted to this. Forming a world inside his soul to match his true soul capacity. Which was slowly growing to match the size of intion from XP.


    Upon his return to Earth, all the excess XP had been consumed. This had been what had saved his life. s, his level hadn''t been all that high. Having used plenty of XP in his experiments on creating artificial ''minds'' (or cores) of himself right before arriving in the Realm of Time. He hadn''t had the excess needed to avoid some truly harsh bacsh.


    Thus his current state. And, even now, his soul was shirking (in both worlds).


    Ziraili was doing her best to figure out the cause. But by focusing on supplying Eldrian with extra energy, she had been too preupied to investigate the void that had caught the attention of all the gods. Leaving her in the dark.


    That was until she felt another yer suddenly losing massive amounts of XP. As she was the one responsible for administrating the souls of all yers, she always had to focus on them. When she suddenly felt a soul copse to a tenth of its previous size, she knew that it had to be connected.


    s, simply knowing that everything was connected didn''t give her a solution. She immediately started to supply the second soul with extra energy. To stop the drain and the danger to their lives.


    Still, the fact that another could partake in the situation gave her an idea. A dangerous one. One she would normally never attempt.


    But this was to save the life of her friend. A friend she held close to her heart.


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